Year: 1868

Romances in real life are Of daily occur
renee, and IL is not little surprising that
the sensation writers of the day, instead OF
cudgeling their brains TO invent something
startling, do not hunt out these everyday
occurrences aud give them TO the public.
They would be much more interesting,
and founded as they would be, on fhcts,
would be read withavidity. We have case
in point in the adventures Of a gentleman,
formerly a resident Of this city, extending
over period Of twenty years. tibet time
of the gold discoveries in California, the
gentleman was in comfortable position IN
life, and was engaged in business in this
city. The reports of the immense for
tunes which were being made almost in-
simultaneously had their effect upon him,
and he severed his business connections
and started for California, full of c0nfl-
dence in the success of his proposed efforts
to acquire fortune, and then spend the
remainder Of his life with his family,
which consisted Of his wife and one daugh-
ter. Being of steady habits. and possessed
of great energy, success smiled upon him
from the first, and every enterprise upon
which he embarked resulted fayorably.
He wrote frequently and tenderly to his
wife, and, after an absence of over three
years, expressed his determination to re-
turn home. New gold fields were discov-
erod, however, and he decided to visit
them before returning TO the States. This
project was carried into effect and he
found in the new localities an excellent
chance for investment From this point
the mail facilities were not good, and dur
ing the time he remained, he failed to


receive any tidings from home. After near
| ly year had elapsed, he returned to his
! former place of residence, and found let
ter there announcing the death of both his
wife and daughter, This intelligence af-
| teCted him greatly, and he determined to
return to the city by the next returning
steamer. The letter conveying this sad in
telligence was written by q comparative
stranger, and upon further reflection the
gentleman decided to write home and as
certain, If possible, the truth of the state
ments Several letters were written, but
no answers were received and after re-
peated attempts to hear from his friends,
he concluded that they were dead, and
consequently ceased TO write. His own
family and a brother were the only near
relatives he had left behind him, and as
these ties had been severed, as he
thought, he determined to settle in Cali
| fornia


When the Australian gold discoveries


were announced, the spirit of adventure
again seized him, and the success with
which he had met in California encOur-
aged him in the belief that he could ftot
| fail in Australia He accordingly settled
| up his business, made permanent invest
ments with his money, and started to Aus
| tralia. There success attended him, and


in several years he had almost doubled his
previous fortune. Becoming tired of ac-


tive business life, however, he resolved to


return to California and settle down, and
| this 1ntprf1, lion m rrinl into affapt


Shortly after arriving in California he


made extensive investments in real estate,


and after nearly fifteen years of active life,


he quietly settled down TO enjoy the fruits
of his labor. His quiet, however, was of


short duration. The Southern rebellion


broke out, and he, aciuated by motives of


patriotism as well as love of adventure,


assumed command of n company of vol


unteers in the city in which he resided,


and for long time was stationed in var


ious parts OF Texas When the war


closed he again returned to California,


and throwing aside the accoutrsments of


war resumed his peaceful life,


Thus he lived until few months since,


when he met with an incident which


wrought complete change in all the


plans he had laid out for the future.


While passing along one of the streets of


his adopted city he met a gentleman from


this city, whom, despite the long period of


years intervening, he Immediately recog-
niled, and of course was not long in max


ing himself known. The new found ac-
, quaintance had known the family of the
gentleman, and for the first time in many
years the latter listened to tidings from
home. Helearned that his wife and daugh-
] ter were not dead, that his brother still


lived, and that he himself bad been given


up for dead many years since. The new


acquaintance, however, could not tell him


where his wife and daughter then resided,


but he assured him that they still lived


The intelligence thus received, as we


have stated, changed all his plans, and he


at once determined to return TO his own


home. He reached this city few days


since, after an absence of twenty wears,


during fifteen of which he had no commu-


nication with persons residing here OF


course he found that time had wrought


great changes. Many of those for whom


he inquired had passed away, many had
removed, and others had been forgotten.
His principal inquiries were in regard to
, his wife and daughter, and, while he was
assured that they still lived, the remainder
! OF the information was not pleasant by
any means The wife had mourned him
, as dead, and, after waiting for five or six
| years, she again married, and removed


with her husband and daughter to Texas
where they still reside. The second bus-


band had entered the rebel army, and had
} either been killed or died in service, leav-


ing the wife n widow, as she thought, for
the second time. She had resided in a
town in Texas during the same time that
her first husband was stationed there He
I also learned that his wife contemplated
returning home, and could learn nothing
= concerning the route she proposed to
take. His daughter, who was quite young
when he left home, he ascertained was
still single, and would return with hel
mother.


The gentleman is still in the city, anx-
iously awaiting the return OF his wife and


daughter, and expresses determination


to make them comfortable during the re-
mainder of their lives. His fortune is
ample, but in acquiring it he confesses to


have sacrificed comforts for which thrice
the amount would be no compensation.
He has no words of reproach TO utter
against his wife for marrying a second
time, but charges all the misfortunes
which have attended his domestic rela.
tions upon the cruel hoax which was
= practised upon him by the writer of the
letter previously referred to. Whether
the parties so long separated shall again
meet, cannot now be known, but if in,
domitable determination can discover the
whereabouts of the wife and daughter
they will be found.-PittS6Hrgh Chr0nieie
} Oct. Sh


, "A beggar who was in the habit of sit
ting on one Of the London bridges, accom-
! panied by dog with a placard inscribed


q Blind" attached to his neck, was for


tunste enough to awaken the charitable


svmnathies of a gentleman who evprx