Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-02-11
A True Story.


PART 1.
The papers of the day contain the
following notice:
MARRIED.-In st. Johns church, by
the Rev. DR.. George H. Schenck, assisted
by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Poddock, Will
liam Hays Meigs and Marion, daughter
of Mabel and Henry f. Storrs.
There had been more brilliant we'd
dings, but none more elegant. The
brides family is creme de la creme,
Mr.. Storrs being one of our wealth.
est bankers, a well-born, well-bred
man of natural gifts and unusual
culture. The bride is remembered
pleasantly by guests of congress hall
as gay and graceful belle, we'll be-
haved and modest with all her beauty.
Although the toadies of the press were
not furnished with list of garments,
prices attached, as is the custom with
the present race of newly-made rich,
/ am given to understand that, from
the enormous check from papa to the
minutest detail from mamma, Miss
Marion was abundantly furnished
with all essentials for prosperous
and comfortable trip down the stream
of time.
This much for 1882.
PART II.
The Herald of December 10, 1861,
contained under the head of ''Per-
sonals" the following:
WANTED.-To adopt from birth, girl
| light hair and blue eyes preferred; abso-
Lutte surrender essential. Parents having
such a child may find for it home where
all that money can purchase and care Sc
cure will be provided. Address, Sister
| Genevieve, Herald office.
Two days after this advertisement
appeared, the wife of soldier in the
Federal army was shivering in an at
tic 165 Bleecker street. Her name
was Mary Wilson. Her husband was
a maniac on the subject of regiment
ais, and many a dollar had he wasted
in upholding the state service. When
war was declared, and the three
months men started for the field of
actual battle, Henry Wilson was a
clerk in the clothing house of Delvin
& Co., in Broadway. His salary was
thousand year. He married Mary
Maisten, against the wishes of her
family, in Portland, and together they
boarded in West Eleventh street.
When his regiment left for Annapo-
lis, in July, he gave his wife $50,
and promised to send his pay home
as fast as he received it. The little
woman was plucky, as all women are,
and although she dreaded to face the
pangs that were to come, alone, she
dried her eyes, waved a fond adieu
to her soldier lad, and then went back
to her lonely room to weep herself to
sleep.
Days ran into weeks and weeks
passed into months. Letters from
Henry told of fire and fight, of death
and exposure, and, worst of all, OF
"six months, or the war" This was
blow indeed. She had counted Oh
his being back in three months at the
longest, and as Mr.. Seward and other
wise men continually assured the
country that the whole affair would
be over in thirty days, she surely was
not to blame.
What castles she built as she sal
and sewed all alone IN her room, with
, Henry's picture, in sash and belt
before her
Alack and alas
, A great battle, glorious victory
vast captures o. men and arms-bu
a dead husband was her portion.
Her friends lived in Maine. Fo
more than a year all communication
had ceased. Her husband had M
relative this side of Oregon. Wha
, should she do? Her little store o
r money was gone. Two weeks boarC
was due. The chilled payements o
< early winter struck terror to her ach
! ing frame. November was gone
December had come.
She had to move. Where coult
she go? She was not ready to asl
! for charity, and had she been sh
f didn't know how to 60 about it.
She sought cheap lodgings il
y Bleecker street. A colored woman
: allowed her room in the attic, i
: which her own family slept. On he
charity Mary lived.
Back pay?
Oh, no Had her husband been
major-general, for whom a big funel
Y al was the proper caper, and to ge
e whose back pay might have secure
t an advertisement of some cute claim
. agent, there would have been no trou
:" BILE. But he wasn't. He was sin
d pie sergeant, aud there wasn't enoug
pay due him to steal even. So poo
: Mary had nothing in her pocket, an
n nothing to promise as from tbe fl
ture.
n What then?
n Suffer. And that's what she die
e She pawned her baby clothes fl
L. IL bread, and she pawned them fl