Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-09-02
Alexa. Gazette & virginia Advertiser,
STORY OF CANDACE BLIVEN.

travel for pleasure and to study the scenery
aud people of the New World. A lover Of ma
ture ip its most varied aud picturesque charac-
ter, he spent some time In Central New York,
going about among our beautiful lakes and tar
rying upon their highly cultivated shores. Iu
these lambles he came to the quiet village OF
Dundee, where he made home for some time
with Baptist clergyman. named Currier
While there he fell into comp panionship with
the daughter of wel-to-do gentleman by the
rame of Biven. The girl was at that time Is
years CT age, handsome, engaging, and sensible:
The acquaintance soon rlpened into a sort OF
romantic friendship, and at last the foreigner,
whom we may as we'll designate by his proper
lame and title, Sir John Gordon Talmadge,
offered his hand to Candace, which was accept.
ed. The direct narrative is to the effect that
the two were united by the Rev. Mr.. Currier
who was pledged to secrecy concerning the
marriage for the term of one year. The par
ents of Candace were not informed OF the ac
ton of their daughter nor did the knowledge
OF the secret marriage come to any OF the VII
layers Soon after the wedding Sir John left
his young bride and returned to his home
across the water, having promised to record
the marriage in due form as soon as he should
arrive, and haviog additionally promised tLat
he would return within the year and take his
wife to England.
The year went past and Sir John did not
come. Meantime the Rev. Mr.. Currier, the
only person in America besides the young wife
who knew Of the transaction, died, aud his Sc
cret died with him.
Another year passed, aud FIVE, then ten, al
most twenty, and still the waited for husband
did not return to make good his promises, nor
did any tidngs, we understand, reach the ears
of Caudace concerning him. At last, in March
last, we believe, through the instrumentality of
personal advertisement In one OF the New
York papers, the long silence was broken, and
tidngs for which the Dundee bride, noW grown
to almost middle age, had so long waited, were
received.
Ii appears that the return Of Sir John to
England without his American wife was for the
pun pose Of arranging matters satisfactorily with
his parents, who he knew would be indisposed
10 receive his bride if she were taken to them
without prior knowledge of their sons step.
Shortly after his return home it happened that
while out riding with his monther one day bis
horses took fright, ran away, threw the two
out killing his mother, and very seriously iu-
juring Sir John. From this affection, however,
he recovered partial y, and 10 due time set out
for America to reclaim his wife.
As ifadverse fate directed his every move
meut, when he reached Liverpool he was
taken severely i'll, and for q long time he lay
vacating, as it we're, between life and
death. Though recovering, his illness had SO
prcycd Oh him that he became demented in
which condition he lived all these years, un-
able TO make known the object for which he
was journeying when sickness overlook him.
In the latter part of last winter sanity strange
y returned to the affected man, but only for
u short interval before death relieved him of
that life which had been burden. Dur
lug this lucid Interval recollection of his
earlier life came back to him, and the secret
wife in Dundee was uppermost in his thoughts.
tie made Known to his brother, now Sir Al
fred Talmadge, the true story of his mar
r!age in this country, ,willed his immense for
tune OF $4,000, 900, half to his brother and a
sister, aud the other half to his wife in case
she might be found alive. lie further pledged
his brother to send special messenger to
America for the purpose of hunting up his
wife.
Iu pursuance of these pledges a messenger
was, as early as possible after the demise of Sir
John, dispatched to this countay with instruc-
tons to find the bride by advertisement or by
personal search. The advertising was done, as we
have seen, but the messenger, following the di-
rcctious given by the husband before death, came
from New York to Dundee soon after landing.
1t the latter place he found the parents of
tie lady, who directed him to Elmira, where
she was then Visiting. This was in the
latter part of May last. On arriving in this
city the messenger Inquired tor the resi-
deuce Of Charles Rowland, brother-in-law of
the lady whom he sought. He repaired to that
gentleman's residence No. 457 East Water
Street, where be found the loug-waitiug aud
long sought bride of twenty years ago. The
lady happened to be alone at the time the
messenger called The commingling of aston
ishment pleasure, and sorrow which conteuded
for mastery when the sadly romantic history Of
hcr long ago bridegroom was untolded can be
better imagined than told.
Soon after this denouement Mrs. Talmadge
went to Washington, where she is now living
with another sister. Mrs Rowland was at first
reluctant to say much about the affair, but she
huay talked freely and interestingly concern
ing her sisters romance. She stated that the
ncSseuger from Euglaud left with her sister a
Considerable package, also letters and docu
mentS from her late husband. She said Can
dacc talked little about the strange events, and
II Was probable she had gone to Washington
for the purpose of avoiding impertinent in-
QnlrleS. Mrs. Talmadge had expressed her
self entirely satisfied with the results OF the
strange messengers visit, but whether or not
tEe documents contained conveyance OF the
half of Sir Johns estate, as it has been said
he left it, Mrs. Rowland was not prepared to
Say. Candace has received large Lumber
OF communications from lawyers offering as
s>tance 10 securing the fortune abroad, but
She has uniformly declined all such offers,
saying that she has 10 need OF legal aid IN
lhe premises. 1t is understood by her friends
l0at she will before great while be visited by
nsr brother-in-law, Sir Alfred Talmadge, with
~nvm she will 20 to England to possess her
Vast estate
). lhe sister, who shares equally with Sir Al
iuiea' also married against the parents wishes.
ilef husbands name is Stanley. The last
H,o"u ;Sn OF them they were at Key West, Flor
lua' hnS II is understood the surviving brother
sbs as Instituted search for this sister. Should
De ; oe icund it Is likely reupion of the fami-
~ 'oclldlng our Dundee girl, will be had