Year: 1869




A CORRESPONDENT Of the Boston Jour.
nd writing from Concord, N. IT,, tells the
following romantic story: as'


One Of the hAppiest Thanksgiving din.
ners in New Hampshire yesterday, was In
one of our rural villages, not thirty miles
from Concord. II was the first reunion
for many years Of several generations Of a
certain family, At the head of the
table sat the venerable grandfather, now
eighty one years of age He had come
alone, thousands OF miles, from tho West,
to meet his descendants, Ancr the din.
ner, he told .he story Of his life. Some Of
its main features we have gathered for this
letter.


The hero OF the story was born in the
State of New York, and passed his youth
on'a fertile faral In the valley OF the Mo
hawk river. In the course Of time he was
engaged to be married. Before the ,nup-
tials were celebrated he became interested
in another young lady, who also proved
to be engaged, but between them there
soon sprung up a strong intimacy, which,
on the part Of both, was carefully con-
cealed from the other parties concerned
| The mont solemn pledges. however, had
been made by them, and they shrunk
from the idea Of breaking their plighted
vows In vain they waited, hoping that
something might occur which would cause
the other parties to give them release from
matrimonial obligations.


Alength they met, as they supposed
Tor the last time, and parted. The man
married and emigrated to the West, and
the woman was united IN hyneneal bonds
and settled on the shores of the Oneida
lake. These events happened nearly fifty
years ago. The Western adyenturer
proved good husbandahd kind father,
and grew into middle age q widely-known
and influential citizen Prosperity attend
ed him, and wealth and many friends came
70 him. After twenty years of married
life his wife was taken from him, but
children remained, BY and by several of
his children married, and one of them
came to New Hampshire. Years passed
on, but he had never again visited the
East. r... -.,..D ......... ...
After repeated invitations from his rela-
tives he concluded a few months ago TO
spend with them, in New Hampshire, the
then approaching festival of Thanksgiv.
ing. He reached Albany at the time OF
the height of the great flood, and trave,
being much interrupted he stayed over a
few days, and accidentally met some old
acquaintanoes of his youth. During one
conversation there was casually mentioned
the name of her from whom he had many
years ago SO sorroWfully parted. Eagerly
he asked if she were yet alive, and when
answered in the affirmative tears came to
his eyes, and he told his friends that he
must at once set out in search for her. He
was told where she was living only six
months previous, and thither he went with
all possible haste, but she was not there.
Only month before she had gone away.


He learned the direction it was sup
posed she had taken, and again with oil
possible speed he pushed forward. But
fate seemed against him, for farther and
farther away seemed to him the object OF
his search. At last, after he had travelled
hundreds Of miles, going by night as well
as by day, he found the love of his youth.
The story of the woman was one of long
toll and suffering. After ten years OF
welded life her husband had died of lin
gering disease, leaving her with three
children.


Ono after another Of these treasures
were claimed by death, until she was lef
alone and friendlcss. In such circum
stances she was found by one who re
newed the pledge Of his youthful affection
and asked that TO her happiness he might
devote the remainder of his life. Such
was the grandhther's story at the happy
Thanksgiving dinner, and he closed by
saying that one week from that day he
was TO be married to her who had been so
long lost, but who was at length restored
| to him