Ottumwa weekly courier., 1878-11-06
A Romantic Story Of Love and
Death.


A Romantic Story Of Love ant
Death.
From the Boston Herald.
The suicide of Captain Charles r
Power, Of Somerville, committed Fri
day on the steps Of his house, OF
Rowe street. ends . personal histor,
which had in Il elements Of romance
- pc werful - anything ever hatche<
behind the spectacles Of Wilkie Col
Inns. Elaborately worked up, i
would furnish fine basis for 1 move
in itself, or . play for . theater Ian
gushing for something beside
French adaptations and English elias
sizes. Many years ago Charles B
Power was . sailor lad Of IL or 1,
years. With only his youth an(
good looks to advance his interests
he fell in love with bright, attrsc
tive young woman whom he met q
social gathering Of the y0unge
members of the Salem Street Ortho
dox Church in this city. Her nam,
was Amelia, and she was the onl,
daughter and heiress of old DR.. Hoi
lis, well known in the North End
and indeed throughout this Who'll,
neighborhood. The Doctor wa
rich the rowing suitor was poor and
without profession ;but love smooth
ed out these inequalities. Miss Holli
fancied the young mariner, and whel
hc left Boston In q certain memora
BILE month at the age Of 10, NO proud
op ~ hanpfn~ ~ Oe<Al nr,n~ han Al - :
on this mundane planet, for Amelii
was his affianced wife, and he wa
the first mate Of . Liverpool packet
stanch and goodly vessel, belonging
to strong firm and engaged in Z prof
liable trade. This WAS the time Wher
hotels lined our wharf streets, Whose
registers were never bare Of the
names Of guests when sailors board
ing houses prospered at the North
End when oil over our harbor for.
eign flags floated at the peaks oftrad.
ing vessels, and the star-spangled
banner could be found similarly un.
furled in every civilized port Of tht
then known world. There were nj
quarrels over the American registry
Of foreign iron bottoms, for It wal
long prior to the advent Of compel.
ing lines Of steamers, which have
sipce reduced the ocean TO : ferry
crossing, The voyage to Liverpool
was . long and weary one, but the
lovers confidence diminished thu
suspense he felt. His ship did MOI
return Immediately, but carried
freight to various parts of Europe
In the meanwhile he received newt
from home, and learned that Amelia
Hollis had given her hand to . gen.
tleman whose acquaintance, it wal
said, she formed after Powers de.
parturc. His grief and dissppoint.
ment nearly crushed him. He lef,
the sea, and for eight years led wild
sort Of life on the continent, got into
horrible habits Of dissipation, and
probably permitted his passions tc
reign unchecked. After the lapse oi
this period Of eight years he straight.
ened up, reformed his ways aud de.
termined to be . man. He shipped
on vessel bound for Boston, unable
to resist the temptation Of beholdine
the happiness of her who was to have
been his. On his arrival in this city
he went to his old home, visited ai
his old haunts and was as nice and
exemplary young man % you would
meet between this and East Boston
His old associates gathered abou,
him, and they attended social enter.
tainments and led gay city life.--
She heard Of him, but they never met
ppAnaMA1v hn sppa- vasA1non . ~ e. A.
old feeling gnawing at his hear
would not let him remain In Boston
and down to the sea he went again
The abriny" was his home after that
He crossed and recrossed the ocean
and In the course Of few years left
Boston % master of the good shir
Archer. Years and years went by
This young man had become bronz.
cd and grizzled and spoke in deer
tone. He was still captain Of the
Archer when twenty-five year,
had elapsed since his engagement
with Amelia Hollis. One. day
while he has at his lodging in thil
city, no received letter in q
woman's handwriting inviting him
to meet her et the store Of Crosby 4
Lane ct certain time. The letter wa,
not signed. The thought flashed up.
on him that it was from his old love
who, in oil these 2a years he had moi
forgotten. The widest scene at ses
had not dimmed her image in his
heart, where he still carried it. He
compared the handwriting with that
Of the letters of auld lang syne, and
had his suspicious developed into con
viction. He visited the store at thu
specified time, and there met her fol
the first time since they parted as Low.
ers. After the greeting was ovel
aud they had talked over their mutu
al experience during the quarter Of 9
century, the lady informed him tha,
she had been divorced from her hus
band. What he learned at that inter
view convinced him that she had al
ways loved him, and that her mar.
riage was not the result of any cold
ness toward him. Within three OF
four weeks of this meeting they wer.
married, aud the long-del3yel hap
piness of the captain was realized q
last. They went to live at her faith
ers on Salem street, but subsequent
ly removed to Rowe street, Somer
VILE. The lady was then the mother
Of two grown young people, SOL
and q daughter. The captain has
abandoned the sea ct his wife's re
quest, and was without An occupation
except that which the management o
some property In Colorado supple,
him with. Finally the doctor dice
and left q large sum Of money to hi
daughter. The captain's family cir
Gle was for some time after this
happy one, but the want Of q settle,
occupation at last produced its inev
liable effects upon him, and shadow
began to creep across the threshol(
Of his comfortable home. The tim
came when dreadful evil had to b
acknowledged as forming q part o
their married life, and incompatible
ty Of temper compelled . separation
The captain went to Colorado an,
spent some weeks trying to drowl
his unhappiness In the cares Of prop
er.y, but he failed and dissip ation lait
his hands upon him. He shook Of
the temptation, however, after yield
ing to 1t for . brief while, and, re
turning to the east, managed afte
three months had passed, to effect
reconciliation with his wife. But fh
old evil again visited the household
and after long and Intellectual strug
gles to destroy its influence, Mr.
Power suddenly left her husband an,
took up her residence with her daugh