Year: 1867

been married some scven or eight years, and
were generally regarded az a very happy and
comfortable couple. One morning Mr. Howe
rose early, and informed his wife that he was
obliged to 20 as far as the Tower to transact
some particular business. At noon the same
day, Mrs. Howe received IA note from her
husband, apprising her that he was under
the necessity Of starting for Holland forth
with, and that he should probably be absent
three weeks or a month. The month passed
two months, then three months-but no
| tldIngs were received from Mr. Howe His
wife grew seriously alarmed. She was at a
! loss to understand the meaning of his alb
sencc. His silence was still more inexplica-
BILE. She could only imagine that his alb
rupt departure might be due to pecuniary
embarrassment. 1t was possible, of course
though from nothing he had ever said was
she justified in such a suspicion-that he
had, unknown to her contracted some large
debt, or incurred some serious liability, and
dad fled the country to be out of the way of
/ his difficulties


For some time, in addition to her alarm at
| his absence. she lived in a fever of apprehen-
sion of the demands of creditors, Of seizures
executions, etc. But nothing of this kind
! happened to trouble her. As time went on


it thought advisable to inquire into the
position of Mr.. Howes affairs His estate
was found to be perfectly free and unencum-
hercd- Not only that, all the bills of the
tradespeople with whom he had ever had
any dealing were found to have been paid
up to the time of his going away, and among
his papers were discovered formal receipts
and discharges from all persons with whom
he had had any kind of transactions. The
months grew into years, yet still came no
news of missing Mr.. Howe. His wife was
at length compelled to apply for special
| Act Of Parliament to procure a proper set
| tlcment of her husbands estate, and a pro
| vision for herself out of it during his alb
sencc, and under the uncertainty as to
whether he alive dead. BY and bv
the poor woman to be still more sharply
tried. Her children dropped and faded, and
at last were taken from her. She thcn-lelt
| entirely alonc-thought proper to reduce the
number of her servants, and her house-kecp-
ing expenses. She removed from ,Jermyn
street, and became the tenant of much
smaller house in Brewer street, Golden
square.


Seventeen years had passed away. Mrs
Howe had long since mourncd her husband
az dead, and forever lost to her Late one
evening, while she was at supper with Ger
tain of her friends and relations DR. Rose,
Il physician who had married her sister, be
ing of the company,-there was brought in





which, not subscribing his name. requested
her to grant him the favor of mec ting up
on the following evening in Birdcage Walk,
St James's Park When she had read the
note, Mrs. Howe, somewhat puzzled by the
nature of It's contents, passed it on TO DR..
Rose, as she said with laugh, . You Sec
brother, old as | am | have yet found an ad-
mirer. Doctor Rose examined the note.
His face assumed d very grave expression.
Then, after carefully examining the missivc
for some minutes, he announced his convic-
ton that he knew the handwriting He
was persuaded the letter written by no
less person than Mr.. Howe. The company
were greatly astoundcd. Mrs. Howe was so
much alarmed and affected that she was sciz-
ed with faintIng fit. pom her recovery
however, shortly afterwards, it was resolved
that she should at all events, attend the
proposed appointment in company with Doc
tor Rose and his wife, and the other ladies
and gentlemen then present.


On the following evening. therefore, at
tended by her friends, Mrs Howe presented
herself in Birdcage Walk. The little party
had not been at the appointed place more
than five minutes when stranger approach
ed them, lifting his hat and bowling politely.
He was at once recognized. He was Ger
tainly Mr.. Howe. He embraced his wife
offered her his arm, walked home with her,
and the reunited couple lived together in
great harmony up to the day of Howe's
death. which did not happen until many
years afterwards.


" hat had he been doing ? Where had he
been hidden during the long period of the
separation


He had, it appeared, never quilted London,
On his abrupt departure from Jermyn street
he had repaired to an obscure lodging house
in Il small street in Westminster, and there
had hired a room, at the modest rental of five
or six shilings week. Changing his name
and Disgusting himself in a black wig-for
he was man OF fair complexiOn-he had
remained in this secret retreat during the
whole time of his absence from his wife.
Frequenting a little cofiee-house in the
neighborhood Of his lodgings, he had enjoyed
the curious pleasure Of reading in the Jour
nails the progress through Parliament Of the
Act which his wife had applied for in order,
on the supposition of his death, to obtain a
legal settlement Of his affairs yet he had
not been tempted even then toreveal the fact
that he still existed


Further than this. Howe had contrived to
make the acquaintance of one Mr.. Salt, a
corn chandler. who lived in Brewer street,
in house opposite to that occupied by Mrs.
Howe. At length he came to be on such
friendly terms with Salt, that he usually din

week. From the windows of the room in
which they dined, it was not difficult to look
into Mrs IIowc's parlor, where she general
Iy sat and received her friends. Salt, who
all the time believed that his guest was
bachelor, frequently recommended him to
pay his addresses to his wife, describing
Mrs Howe as a well-to-do-widow, and in
every respect suitable match. For seven
wears before Howe disclosed himself he


Al l.. -, St,f,
dav at ST. Jamcs's Church, and from his seat
in Mr. Salts pew he obtained a view of his
wife, though he could not be seen easily by
her.


The real cause of his most extraordinary
conduct Howe would never confess, even to
his most intimate friends. DR.. Rose was of
the opinion that Howe would never have re-
turned to his wife at all if he had not been,
as it were, starved into surrender by the
haustion of his means. 1t was supposed
that he took with him, on his leaving Mrs.
Howe a sum of about two Thousand pounds;
and that living in a very frugal manner, he
managed to subsist upon this during the
whole period of his absence, his store de-
creasing every day as it became necessary to
supply his returning wants Earning moth
ing, as his purse shrank, he was compelled
TO choose between starvation and return to
his wife. He chose the latter alternative,
after a struggle, perhaps, and some submis-
sion to the first approach of privation. Yet
at anv time during his seven years seclu-
sion. it had been open to him to quit his OBJ
scure lodging and solitary life in Westmin-
ster. and share the comparative affiuence and
comfortable home of his wife.


There is no hint that anything like incom-
patibility of temper had been the cause OF
Howe's abandonment of his spouse In so
for Otrac nP-