The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-02-19

eOADAksA&'S ROMANCE.
Over twenty years ago, on that fatal
July day when the greatest artillery duel
known in ancient or modern times took
place between the mighty contending
armies near the quaint, sleepy town Of
Gettysburg, Pa, MIR. Robert Corson, now
well-known citizen of Baltimore, was
dangerously wounded. At that time he
was private in Pennsylvania regiment,
having been born and raised in Philadel-
phia, and on that heroic field this gentle
man fell, struck in the side by minnie
ball, coming from he never new just ex-
actly where. After lying on the field for
ten hours, suffering intensely from his
wound, thirst and lack of needful atten-
ton, and nerved by desperation to almost
superhuman efforts, he crawled, during
the darkness of the succeeding night,
some distance in the country from the
battle field. As dawn broke he sank to-
tally exhausted and almost lfeless by the
side of a spring of water. There he was
found by young girl from one of the
neighboring farm-houses, who thus early
in the morning had ventured from her
home to obtain water from this spring
for culinary purposes. The wounded sol
dier was young in years, not twenty-five,
and possessed, Notwithstanding its distor-
tioEs by suffering, handsome, interest
ing face. The young lady was in the first
blush of conscious womanhoOd, and if
she had left that suffering young man
there to die, by that one act she would
have branded every ancient and modern
10 Il la hos Il
troyer of the goddess of truth But she
did not. She reported his sad condition
to her parents, and, moved by her earn
est pleadings in his behalf, even in that
hour Of great confusion and multiplicity
of demands upon them, they reluctantly
consented to have him removed to their
house. There he was carefully and skill
fully nursed back to robust life and Wig
orous health by the young lady who had
saved him. During the days OF his suffer
ing and convalescence, the old, old, and
yet ever, ever new story of human hearts
and desires was being enacted in that
now quiet farmhouse. While he was re-
pairing his vitality and acquiring his
flesh he was losing his heart.
Soon the rosy flush on her fair cheek,
and the bright light which sparkled in
her eye while in his presence, convinced
him that his fond passion was reciprocal
ted, and so this young couple became
regularly engaged with the consent and
blessings of every interested person on all
sides. The young gentleman rejoined his
regiment when he had fully recovered,
although he. had been reported dead, and
was so marked on the book of the COM
mand.
At the close of the war be returned to
Philadelphia. and began the life struggle
to secure home for whom he then con-
sidered his destined bride. During all
these years a warm correspondence had
been maintained between these two young
people, but somehow the young man con-
tinued just what he originally was-very
poor. Then the young lady, at last COM
pletely tired of waiting and signing, and
realizing that time was fleeing and years
disappearing, broke the engagement, and
receiving the attention of a neighboring
farmer who possessed government bonds
and one large Pennsylvania farm, par
value 1900 per acre, in due and proper
course of time married him. Mr.. Corson,
in Philadelphia, did not lie down and die.
As he remarked recently to your repre-
sentative:
"On that night felt exactly like Nine.
Bonaparte, nee Miss Elizabeth Paterson,
of Baltimore, did when, after the deser-
tion of her royal husband, she exclaimed ::
AT one time in my life had three ruling
passions-love, ambition for worldly hon
ors and avarice-they are all dead now
but one, and that one is avarice. 1t is
the sole controlling motive in my life. ~
AS this gentleman, after many efforts,
failed1o succeed in Philadelphia, he came
to this city and once more hitherto relent-
less fate changed her countenance from
the dark frown of adversely to the blessed
smile of prosperity, and he began to legiti-
mately coin money, and what was, il and
always will be much better, save the ma
jor portion OF the same. During all these
years he completely lost sight of his
i" first and only love-" but his heart re-
NAMED undisturbed by the bewitching
efforts and coy Establishments of the
many young ladies who, for the past ten
wealthy years of his life, have been paying
him marked attention. The concluding
chapter of this true narrative can best be
given in the vivid descriptive words of
the gentleman himself, which he used
with much emphasis and many graphic
gestures to your correspondent to-day:
"Last week, Wednesday morning,
while walking down Baltimore street,
passed a lady. One brief, casual glance
at her face at once attracted my attention.
Il have seen that face BEFORE was my
first thought. And then l mentally ex
claimed: Il wonder where p Although
to the ordinary observer there was moth
ing especially attractive in either her face
or figure, for she was evidently over forty
years of age, with her hair whitened by
trouble, and plain face strongly marked
bv the lines Of care and sorrow, yet felt
by some unknown cause strongly drawn
toward her. She passed me, walking at
. rapid pace. stopped, and tor a mo-
ment pazed after her irresolute. Then |
started after her. Then / paused again,
undecided. 'Very foolish in me, an old
man. to be running after an equally old
woman was my next thought. Then |
determined to get one good square look at
her face, aud sec if could ascertain why
I was Influenced by her in such q peculiar