The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-08-14
A WIFE'S FIDELITY.
A Reunion After.a Separation OF Twenty
Five Years.

There is now living in this city lady
whose life so far has been filled with
more real romance than are the most del
icately wrought characters of fiction.
twenty-five years ago she was married
to man who like herself was in humble
though respectable life. Their court
ship had been pleasant, and for aught
the lady knows, harmonious and mutu-
ally agreeable. On the day following
the wedding, however, the husband left
home without any apparent reason or
any warning whatever. The wife merely
supposed at the time that business had
called him hence and that he would
soon return. Days, weeks, months, years
passed before she was aware that she was
deserted and wrouged woman. She
heard nothing from him, but could not
entertain the idea that he was dead, and
instinctiyely believed that she would
again see him. And just as she became
convinced that she was deserted her mar
tyrdom began. She was thrown entirely
upon her own resources for subsistence,
and they were simply honest toll, liv-
ing faith in the reward of duty-doing,
and great self:sacrifcing spirit. Thus
she toiled OH never hearing word from
her husband for many years, but still
clinging to the strict and self-imposed
duty of silent forbearance. One day
after eight years she accidentally met
him but he failed to recognize her. She
did not speak to him, but learned from
others that since his departure he had
led rowing life, and had been in every
State in the Union. Now that she knew
he lived and yet did nothing toIaid her in
her battle of life her action toward him,
herself and the world remained unchang-
ed. And Just here she exhibited to a
great degree her almost sanity charac-
ter, for instead of accepting any of the
numerous advantageous offers of mar
riage which she might have done, she ST.
lently did her everyday work, bearing his
name and cherishing the same affection
for him that induced her to become his
wife.
There was another long time that she
neither saw nor heard from him. But
fate seemed to favor her. and again she
met him by accident. he acted pleased
to see her, told her what he had been
doing, that he was still her husband, but
never referred to his strange departure,
nor offered her any means of support.
Their conversation was brief one, and
they parted without enmity. Neither
had an idea of the plans of the other,
nor asked to know. The next that the
wife knew of her husband was learned
from newspaper. There she saw. that
he had been arrested for leading the Fe-
nian riots in Canada, and was sentenced
to be hung. a subsequent report in
formed her that his sentence was COM
muted to six years Imprisonment. Du-
ring those six years she retained her love
for him and clung to the faith that her
constancy would eventually be recog-
nized and appreciated. After the man
was let out from the prison cell he again
became an adventurer and again acci-
dentally met his wife. He said to her,
"What did you think when you saw me
sentenced to be hungW She replied, 81
supposed you would be hung" A short
interview, in which neither learned the
plans of the other, was the result of the
meeting. And again he was of. After
several more years they'again met, recog-
nized, but passed by in silence.
Strange as has been the first act of this
comedy of curious actions, the sequel is
still stranger. Last February the wife
received letter from her erratic hus-
band, in which he begged for forgivness,
and asked her to 60 to Washington and
live with him. He is in the govern
ment employ, and she has consented, and
will start for her new home in Septem-
ber.
Twenty-Five years elasped between the
day of the wedding and the receipt of
the letter. During that time she never
ceased to love him and he had never
commenced to love her. Neither ever
tried to obtain a divorce. The lady is
the picture of health. The man was a
fne-looking fellow when he was married,
and had jet black hair. To-day he is
much thinner and his hair is almost
white.
As dream-like and unnatural as all this
may seem, it is asserted to be true by a
responsible and highly esteemed young
lady, whose relations with the wife gave
her the means of knowing the particu-
lars of the extraordinary romance.-Ml.
aoaulie Wisconsin.