The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-10-15
TOUCHING STORY OF DEVOTION.
a Soldiers Noble Loyalty to His Erring
wife Healing . Broken Heart.

A decrepit little old man stood on
Broadway down near Trim ty Church try
ing to sell lead pencils. but bad luck at
tende his enterprise, and finally dis
heartened he fell back from the road
wav's edge and leaned Against the iron
rails that inclose the historic old church
yard. .,,
And the old man cried. His antique
hat was down over his eyes and hurry-
ing passers-by i'd not office his Griet.
but he sobbed loud enough at last as ne
edged of OF Broadway and around mo
the narrow lane OF Rector street
A stock-brok RS attention was attract
ed then ard tho weeping old man was ac-
costed. He had no story to tell. he said.
and wanteI to go his way unquestioheu'
but Wall street curiosity Is not so readily
to be waved aside, and the broker In the
end ELECTED the tale that he had de-
manded.
1t was a rather strange story, and 1t
wa, sad enough to make that broker
open his purse
The poor disconsolate old fellow was
a Southe ner He was in the prime nI
life, a husband and a father, when the
Rebellion broke out, and ne in devotion
to his State marched into the field for
the Confederacy.
Before the war was over he lay in a
prison, and afterward was in hospital
for months at death 3 door.
The fortunes of war had shut of com
munication with home. the village where
that home had been was in ashes. the
site of battlefield. But as soon as he
was free he hurried to his native State
seeking tidings OF wife and chlldren
The boy and the girl of his household
wer. dead; the whether mother-a
worse fate than death had claimed her
She was changed Those who knew the
woman told OF her coQuetry with man
of money and positions man VINO.
though not brave enough to wear the
blue, had come to the South in the Union
He was New Yorker and finally he
had borne the ingra wife away TO the
North in his company, she avowtnC her
self his wife, her first husband, she IN
sisted, having fallen on the battle
field.
When the husband heard this story he,
too. started North. -Four years he
searched this city and this State over
In one particular he disbelieved the
tale that he had heard South; he could
not accept as true the assertion that his
wife had will ngly wrOng'd him he be
neved that she had really thought him
deal; nor would he put his faith in the
story that aught but sacred maTria &c
ceremony had given her to this second
husband.
At the end of four years his quest wa;
rewarded And he found that the South
ern gossips had spoken truly. When ht
ventured to seek her presence she spurn
ed him.
This was fifteen years and more ago
years that brought no brightness TO tn
old soldier; that had change OF Tor
tune for the misled woman.
A year ago her rich husband died. Sh
was left penniless, cast adrift on tn
world. Somehow the news got to tn
ears of the husband working on ia
Southern farm, recognized by all as
mentsI wreck, and he scraped together
few dollars and hurried to the cit
again.
He was still IN love with the erin
wife, anxious to take her back, full {
faith that II he and she could again B
reunited that att wuu!t well, Una
pruspertv " ould attend him. aud that
hap V homo life WIS certain. H. dldn
fin her. Sh" was de|d-
Only n few days "A q he learned TIM
Then his aim was to add few more DO
lars to his boarded pittance, and ha'
her coffin taken from this towns Potter
FielIto the aro ma neigh .orhood whe
sine spent he- innocent maidenhoo
where sh- was happy ere the glitter
gold came TO tempt her. But his pencl
wouldn't sell he was heartbroken, q
spondent. weary OF life.
The stock-broker who heard this sto
has 10 wife; some men have called nj
heartless. But he acted like mor'
all heart now-he put more money
that poor old elbows hand than the se
ing OF lead p. n. lis months on mont
q would have produced.
And the .ec.piont of this largess wal
new man in moment; his last dres
q will be reali ed. New York Times.