Year: 1874

man, living in her home in Monson, be.


came possessed with the desire to go
Z West and teach school. In the town oi
b Anamosa, Iowa, she found her vocation,


and by and by husband He was the
T youngest and INDUCED son of a wealthy


widow. The happy couple set out ear
ly on the matrimt nial sea, both being


only about l9 years of age. When our
heroine wrote to her father in Monson
of her plans, he went on 10 Iowa for a


few months visit, and being pleased


with his daoghter's prospects, built and
furnished house for her. The mother
of the young husband gave him fine
! farm, well stocked and equipped, and no


young couple ever started in life with


brighter prospects.


In a short time, however, bad specu-
lations and mismanagement had strip
ped her husband of all his property


His pride was terribly mortified by this
turn of affairs, and in sudden despera-
tion he left his home, his wife and in


fant daughter, and enlisted in one of the
first regiments which was raised to put
down the rebellion His family receiv-
ed few letters from him, and then came
an unbroken silence In vain they
wrote 10 him, and then TO his officers
and comrades. He was reported among
the missing. The wife or widow-she
knew not which-at length returned to
her Monson home, and afterward came
to this city and entered the employ Of
Tinkham & Co., proving herself capa-
BILE and efficient in the millinery depart
ment.


At the end of four or five years she
revisited her husbands friends in Iowa,
having first for the sake of certainty OBJ
tained a divorce from her long-lost hus-
band, although really supposing herself
widow. In a few months after this
second marriage this second husband
died, and the lady again returned to her
New England home Twice widowed, as
she supposed) and soon was in her old
place at Tinkham's.


Some months ago-and this is one of
the strangest incidents in this eventful
history-she dreamed that hack called
at her boarding place and took her to
the Massasoit House, where she met her
missing husband to whom she was again
united in marriage. The dream, Of
course, made deep impression on her
mind, but months wore away and
nothing came Of it, she regarded it more
as "only a dream" But one day last
fall, letter reached the pOstofiice in
Anamosa, directed to her. Some one
who knew her caused it to be directed
to this city. 1t so happened that she
was absent on visit at the time, and af-
ter remaining in the Springfield post
Office awhile it was returned to Iowa
Her friends there then enclosed it in an
other envelop and sent it here again,
and it finally reached her as she was at
her work in Tinkham's store.


On opening it she nearly tainted. 1t
was from her first husband, from whom
or of whom not lisp had been heard
by his friends for thirteen years II
stated that he was in the wilds of Texas,
following the hazardous life Of a rancho
ro. He had left home with the deter
mination of never returning till he had
made good his shattered fortunes. Sey-
eral times he had so far redeemed this
vow that he was on the point of seeking
his family and friends, when some turn
of the wheel of fortune had dashed him
back to poverty. At length the tickle
goddess had favored him and he was
rich again. Whether his wife was liv-
ing, whether she was the mother of an
other mans family, and host of other
questions asked, she hastened to answer


Other letters we're written by both;
but all failed, By reason of hostile In
dians, faithless carriers, &C., Of reaching
their destination. But the one assuring
him that his wife was his own and tell
ing where she could be found was enough.


Some time afterwards stranger in
quired one afternoon at the Massasoit
House If there was such firm as Tink-
ham & Go. in the city. Being assured
on this point, he called hackman and
told him to drive to their store and
bring Mrs.---to the hotel. She was not
at the store, and the hack driver was
directed to her boarding place, where he
found her, and-the dream was proven
true! The meeting is not for us TO de-
scribe.


The next evening there was a we'd
ding at the house of prominent clergy
man of this city, and the bride was a
woman who was then married the third
time, yet had but two husbands, and by
ther side stood blooming miss of four
teen to witness the marriage Of her own
legitimate father and mother.-Spriag-
field Massachusetts Union.