Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-09-09
FANTASTIC FATE.
u. WHITMORE,
Publisher and Proprietor.

In 1866 a school girl of New York, not
more than sixteen years old, and a half
orphan, shocked her widowed mother
and other relatives by runaway mar
riage with young man whose acquaint-
ance she had clandestinely formed du-
ring her educational career. The we'd
ding was solemnized somewhere on
Long Island, and soon thereafter the
youthful bride returned alone to her old
home, quietly informing her pleased and
puzzled mother that her husband was
too poor to support her just yet, but
would come for her as soon as he could
obtain employment profitable enough to
justify housekeeping. Maternal tender
ness welcomed her back without exact
ing question or condition, and, save by
letter, there was no communication be-
tween herself and the bridegroom for
several mouths. Finally, however, the
young man appeared at the house
and had a brief private interview
with his child-wife. He had found it
impossible, he said, to obtain in the city
the employment he desired, and was re-
solved, consequently, to 60 elsewhere.
What conversation then ensued was
never repeated by the wife, but the part
ing was cola, and for several succeeding
days the former schoolgirl spent much
of her time in hystercal tears. And from
that time forth she neither saw nor
heard any more of the needy, improvl'
dent partner of her matrimonial folly
at the end of year, when her mother
died, she resumed her maiden name and
became schoolteacher. In another
year, when family friend in California
wrote to her that at Gilroy, in that State,
there was hourishing school which she
might take on highly profitable terms,
she journeyed to the Pacific. Here again
she changed her name, taking that of her
mothers family, for the purpose, it is
supposed, of making less likely any pos
sible identification with the clrcum-
stances of her Eastern history. Such an
experience as hers had been is always
more or less bunting to the more delicate
traits of feminine character. A woman
who has once been in any manner soci-
ally compromised, even though herself
blameless in the matter, can never be
exactly the same spiritually refined,
glear-natp creature she was before.
\ certain roughness of the grosser world
L. brushed from the grape its soft
mas MAS - and the woman is the less dainty
otue 'er for the rude contact. After
y, OssrIT UJV'G five ears Of the most cireum-
anoct ueS hearing as , teacher at gilroy,
sPeI, sbo Sero;ne Of our .,ory allowed herself
.hg neto.no .."ao,od M bv an an -ertisemont in a
literary pauer of San Francis % wherein
a persdf who styled himself a 'ohely
miner at Grass Valley, solicited cora
spondence With some lady as lonely as
he. In this plea of loneliness there
was, perhaps, some peculiarly sympa-
thetic appeal to the unspoken feelings
of the poor schoOlmistress. AT any
rate she wrote to the advertiser, who
answered promptly and gratefully; and
them sueceeded stated interchange OF
Letters. in which was developed Q grow
inc fascination for both writers. Neither
scribe told much of the past their
thoughts seemed all in the present; and
after a few months of transcendental
postal friendship the miner besought the
schoolmistress of Gilroy TO come 70
Grass Valley and become liis wlie, ana
was not denied. 1t should have bean told
before that, previous to her depaFtGse,
from New York, the bride OF day had
obtained a divorce. Furthermore, she
believed that death had more efectually
widowed her. Hence her conduct in the
above matter was devoid of any part'cu-
lar moral turpitude. 1t VISA. nevertheless,
an eIuivocal proceeding, aud not without
merited forebodlngs of evil consequence
did she start, a fortnight age, on the
journey to the home of her yet unseen
suitor. The stage was stopped ana
robbed Of its treasure by highWaymen
Just before reaching Grsss Valley; and
upon the arrival at the latter place, the
bride was not less unnerved thau the
other passengers. She was met al the
station by the expectant miner, a sturdy
heavily bearded man, who had a clergy
man at hand; and, while jet the excite
ment about the robbery was al ita height
and the lady still confused by it. the
wedding ceremony was performed by can
die light. Thepeople around them scarce
ly understood the scene until il was
completed. and then, as the bridegroom
approaehed TO offer his hrst kiss, the
bride added a new sensation 70 the prey
alent confusion by drawing back with q
scream and falling senseless 70 the hoor.
Simultaneously the man, too, started
back With q startled exclamation, and,
before q question could be asked, hsd
disappeared from the house. ehen
restored % t0consciOusness the late sehoo,-
mistress raTed and sobbed hysterieally
about That man Oh. that mani and
uould say nothing else; and in the NOR
ming. says the Nevada Iranscrpi. when
the stage started uPon Its return toek
/ her hnrried departure for Gilroy again
in such . coalition Of nervous excite
meut that 70 one dared ask her the