Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-08-04
sTONEWALL JACGsON,s EIs.
TER.
A Reconciliation With Her by.
ing Husband.

A Reconciliation With Her Dy-
ing Husband.
Beverly. w. Va, Correspondent New York
Tribune.
The death Of Jonathan Arnold, of
this county, the wealthiest aud one OF
the most distinguished men of this
State, which took place last week, has
brought to light an interesting and
most remarkable story, concluding
with the healing before death Of an
arrangement that had endured for
twenty years. Arnold came to this
county from Fayette county, Pa,
about six years ago. and by jealous
application to business accumulated q
snug fortune. Just prior to the war
he invested largely in wild lands, owns
ing hundred of thousands of acres in
this and contiguous counties, the SUBJ
sequent appreciation OF which ran his
fortune up into the millions. His
third wife who survives him, is sis
ter of General "Stonewalp Jackson,
and possesses many OF those traits of
character 80 strongly marked in her
illustrious brother.
10 the second year of the war Ar
mold made preparations to visit his
sister in an adjoining county, which
gave rise to the report among the Fed
erals that he was about to cast his
fortune with the South. Though he
had always kept his counsels, it was
known that his sympathy and sffec,
tions followed the cause since lost,
and when his move became known he
was arrested by order of General La
than and taken to Clarksburg, where.
after six months confinement he was
paroled. When the war broke out,
Mrs. Arnold, for reasons she never
disclosed. deserted the cause for
which her brother poured out his life,
and espoussd the cause of the North,
remaining a firm friend of the Union
throughout the struggle. This was
known to her husband; and upon his
release from prison he returned home
and bitterly upbraided her,
accusing her of having been the
cause OF his arrest. She denied the
charge, but he remained inhexible,
and then, her pride being aroused, she
refused further to defend herself. A
separation was arranged, and for
twenty years neither man nor wife saw
the face of the other.
Mrs. Arnold retained the family
home in this county till the close Of
the war, when she removed to Ohio.
Friends interested themselves in ar
ranging a reconciliation, but failed
utterly; both we're obdurate, and
Mrs. Arnold never revealed her mo-
tives in fOrsaking the cause of her
father and brother Ten years ago
the wife entered suit for alimony
and the husband fled a cross bill for
divorce. A long and tedious litiga-
ton followed, in the course of which
much feeling was ehgendered and the
breach widened. The court gave the
wife an allowance of $1,000 per annum,
kbut refused to grant the petition of
Arnold for divorce. At the conclu-
sion of the suit Mrs. Arnold took
refuge in q retreat for the sick in
Ohio, while her husband returned to
the family mansion.
Three weeks ago Mr.. Arnold, then
a decrepit old man, was stricken down
with fatal Illness. His wife came to
his bedside, and through two weeks of
delirium was an untiring watcher aud
nurse. He had never forgiven her,
and in his delirium uttered upbraid,
ling words which fell upon the ear Of
the patient watcher near him. The
coming OF death cleared his mind,
and one evening he awoke to con-
seriousness and his eyes alighted upen
the wife he had thrust from him. II
was moment of terrible suspensO to
| the few persons In the room. The old
man in q feeble voice desired to be
alone with her. Then in the chamber
already darkened by the approach OF
desolatioA. a reconciliation took place,
and the excluded watchers heard sobs
from the room and entered to find hus-
band and wife locked in last forgiv-
ing embrace, from which Mr.. Arnold
was released only to die.
Mr.. Arnold was pronounced athe>
list, and died az he had lived. His
scepticism was a continual source Of
grief to his wife, who partaok of
her mothers strong religious convic
tons.