Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-07-31
HANCOOK'S SON.
And the Successful EloPement OIL
which He Was the Hero.

Letter in the Cincinnati Commercal.l
Into eur boarding house at Louis
Vile there came one day, about seven
or eight years ago, young married
couple-the husband blonde. merry
aud frank, the wife, slender, sweet,
and sensible; devoted to each other.
vet with none of the sickening sentl-
mentality of some very young part
uers. The boy-husband kept every
body, from the waiter to the care
burdened landlady. i'll state OF
aughter, that varied from smile to
an out-aud-out roar, all the time he
WAS in the house. He remained there
nearly a year. No more signing,
soogy irritable food or feeders. The
break fast table called i'll exercise
new set of facial muscles. from the
time he hung up his smoking jacket
and put his guitar in the corner OF
his room. Always the funniest things
said in the most deprecating, way !;
the brightest retorts flashed out
without q change Of countenance :;
none of that bitter, sarcastic Wit that
scorches while it glitters. but gem
ial, jovial wit. that brightens aud
lights up life, gurgles with laughter,
and sometimes even overf1ows with
fears. This favorite of our house
was Russell Hancock, only son OF
Gen. Hancock, and q kindller heart
never beat in any bosom.
lie had not the commanding stature
of his father, nor the beauty OF his
+ lovely mother. He may have since
8 developed into handsome man, but
r then he was beardiess, round-taceC
8 boy. with big light blue eyes, {
shaved blonde head, and slow,
preacher sort of smile, that partet
his lips if he said, III his endless pun
8 ming, anything personal or semi
severe. The smile was sort o
a apology-"that don't mean any thing
YOU know" sort of look-that woul'
have taken the sing from deeper cut
y than his kindly jeers ever gave.
ID never knew wit with less stillnes
'e or clownishness. Fun-making con
N lnualiy often becomes dlsgustingl
I'd simple. But in Russell Hancock th
trait was SO natural, SO bright, so III
forced that it never became iircsont
E aud was always fresh.
He was mere boy, and had mai
r,ed mere girl. It, was runawa
match, clandesiine marriage,
secret wedding, which tor monti
~ none of their friends suspected. The
!. :" had gone from party IN Louisvil
across the river to JcffcrsOnvIli
n1I reused up a preacher, were marie
III in the silence of midnight, and Ina
'il stolen back to their dwellings. III
..e ae lady rema ned in her family's nous
~, received young company, was seen
81 society with young gentlemen cscor
y! met her husband as mere friend
~ The presence of others. Mr.. llancoc
Il" at that time, was employed in II
house of Newcomb, buchanan n O.
of which Hector Newcomb, the gre
railroad maguate, was head. III
Young lady's father was II rebel, wi
refused the addresses of"the son Of
,as Yankee soldier" He forbade Il
lis Young mau the house, made prepar
ry tions to take his daughter to Euror
in tear of this separation, the YOU
ey man begged his lady love, at I
party that night, TO prove her falt
Nv, fuIncss 10 him, by consentlng to
un marriage before she went abroa
Whlle she was gone, he was to I
ou and make q home for her, and
lite worse came 10 worse. no one ecu
take her from him. he would kn.
ua, she was his. and inspired by IN
try thought, would do great things. L
lady announced her Willingness