Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-11
MATRIMONIAL ROMANCE.
Love, Marriage, Divorce, Dissipation
and Suicide---HOw a Woman Ship.
wrecked a Mans Life and Drove
Him to His Death.
tho Boston Herald.

Ahh az bNetNh hNiaAAs
The suicide of Captain Charles r.
Power, of Somerville, committed Fri
day, on the steps Of his house on Rowe
street, ends a personal history, which
had in it elements ofromance as power
full as any ever Matched behind the
spectacles of Wilkie Collins. Elabor-
ately worked up, it would furnish a
fine basis for a novel in itself, or a
play for a theater languishing for
something besides French adaptations
and English classics. Many years ago
Charles r. Power was a sailor lad of
IL or Is years. With only his youth
and good looks to advance his inter
ests, he fell in love with a bright, at
tractive young woman, whom he met
at a social gathering of the younger
members of the Salem street Ortho-
dox church in this city.
Her name was Amelia, and she was
the only daughter and heiress, of old
DR.. Hollis, well-known in the North
End, and indeed throughout this
whole neighborhood. The doctor was
rich, the rowing sailor was poor, and
without a profession; but love smoth-
cred these inequalities. Miss Hollis
fancied the young mariner, and when
he left Boston in a certain month at
the age of 10, no prouder or happier
mortal ever breathed on this mundane
planet, for Amelia was his afiancied
wife, and he was the first mate of a
Liverpool packet, a stauneh and goodly
vessel belonging to a strong firm and
engaged in a profitable trade. The
voyage was a long and weary one,
but the lovers confidence diminished
the suspense he felt. His ship did not
return Immediately, but carried freight
to various parts Of Europe. In the
meantime he received news from
home, and learned that Amelia Hollis
had given her hand to a gentleman
whose acquaintance, it is said, she
formed after Powers departure. His
grief and Disappointment nearly
crushed him. He left the sea. and for
eight years led a wild sort of life on
the continent, got into horrible habits
Of dissipation, and probably permitted
his passions to reign unchecked. After
the lapse Of years he Strengthened up,
reformed his ways and determined to
be a man.
Presently he grew restless again, the
old feeling gnawing at his heart would
not let him remain in Boston. and
down to the sea he went again. The
"briny' was his home after that. He
crossed and recrossed the ocean, and
in the course of a few years he left
Boston as master Of the good shir
Archer. Years and years went
by. The young man had become
bronzed and grizzled and spoke in q
deep tone. He was still captain Of
the Archer when twenty-five years
had elapsed since the engagement with
Amelia Hollis. One day while he
was at his lodgings in this city, he re-
ceiyed a letter in a wOman's handwrit-
ing, inviting him to meet her at the
store of Crosby x Lane at a certain
time. The letter was not signed. Tn,
thought flashed upon him that it wa,
from his old love, whom in all thes,
twenty-five years, he had not forgotten
The widest scenes at sea had no
dimmed her image in his heart, where
he still carried it.
He compared the handwriting will
/. that in the letters Of auld lang syne
and had his suspicious developed int,
conviction. He visited the store a
, the specified time, and there met he
for the first tine since they parted a
lovers. After the greetings were over
and they had talked Of their mutua
experience during the quarter of
: century, the lady informed him tina
{ she had been divorced from her hus
d, band, What he learned qt that Inter
view convinced him that she had al
ways loved him, and that her marriae
was not the result Of any GOODNESS to
] ward him. Within three or fou
S weeks IF this meeting they were mar
e ried, and the long-delayed happines
i of the captain was realized al iasI
k They went to live at her fathers, Q
Salem street, but subsequently re
S moved to Rowe street, S0mervillC
1 The lady was then the mother Of tvs
$ grown young people. The captai
d had abandoned the sea of his wife
: urgent request, and was without OF
n cupation except that which the maj
age4eqt Of some property he oWne
IN Colorado supplied him with,
VI Finally the doctor died and left
\ large sum Of money to his daughte
The captains family circle was f
some lime after this q happy one, b.
l. the want OF a settled Occupation
last produced its inyariable efec
upon him, and the shadow began
creep across the threshold of his con
IS Portable home. The time came whe
Is a dreadful ttil hadto be acknowledge
, as forming a part Of their married III
and incompatibility Of temper con
% PEELED a separation.
" From that time until he shot hin
self Friday ON the steps Of his wife
ID house and his former home In Some
vile, his comparatively cheerful spiri
ID induced his friends to believe that d
weight Of his trouble was lightene
D. lie used to say that if he could on
20 secure a hearing with his wife, a bas
or reconciliation wsald be establishe
w but he believed that the last opport,
y, nifty for anything of this kind h;
$ gone by when he committed the Fat
.e' act. This was the ending of a roman
y which began in the old Salem sire
BFth9doX church, and the incident
pc act9Fs ia the y%aploHs stages Of Il
er melancholy drama are probably MAJ
Nv OF them still among us,