Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-01-10
A TRUE STORY.
BY JOSEPH HOWARD, JR.

PART L
The papers of the day contain the fol-
lowing notice:
MARRIED.-In st. Johns church, by the
Rev DIR. George H. Schenck, assisted by the
Rt. Rev. Bishop Poddock, William Hays
Meigs and Marion, daughter of Mabel and
Henry F F..Storrs.
There have been more brilliant we'd
dings, but none more elegant. The
brides family is creme de la creme; Mr..
Storrs being one Of our wealthiest
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, well behaved and modest with all
her beauty. Although the toadies Of the
press were not furnished with list of
garments, prices attached, as is the Gus
tom 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 com
Portable trip down the stream Of time.
This much for 1882.
PART II
The Herald of December 10, 1861, con-
tanned under the head of Personals"
the following:
XKTANTED. adopt from birth, girl
w light hair and blue eyes preferred, ,
absolute surrender essential Parents hav-
ing such a child may find for it a home
where ali that money can purchase and care
secure will be provided. Address, Sister
Genevieve, Herald office.
Two days after this advertisement ap-
peared the wife of a soldier in the Fed
raj army was shivering in an attic of 165
Bleecker street. Her name was Mary
Wilson. Her husband was maniac on
the subject of regimentals, and many
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
clerk in the clothing house of Devlin
& Co.. in Broadway. His salary was
thousand a year He married Mary
Maisten, against the wishes of her family,
in Portland, and together they boarded
in West Eleventh street. When his regi-
ment left for Annapolis, in July, he gave
his wife $3.50, and promised to send his
nav 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 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 Harry told of
fire and fight, Of death and exposure,
and, worst of all, Of an enlistment Of
''six months, or the war" This was a
blow indeed. She had counted on his
being back in three months at the long
est, 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 motto blame
With nothing else to do, Mary turned
her attention to sewing. Little, little
garments were those she made. Tiny
shirts, baby frocks and cunning flannel
night-gowns lay side by side with dear
little worsted slippers, Of purest white,
tied up with pink and blue ribbons.
What castles she built as she sat and
purred and sewed all alone in her room,
with Henry's picture, in sash and belt,
before herl
Alack and alas
A great battle, glorious victory, vast
captures Of men and arms--but dead
husband was her portion.
Her friends lived in Maine. Formore
than year all communication had
ceased. Her husband had no relative