Year: 1873

THAT truth is stranger than fiction every
body knows. But real life is not merely
more strange-it is often more romantic
than anything invented by the romance
writer's. An instance of this has recently
occurred within our knowledge, and the
denouement of the story is so pleasant
that l cannot refrain from giving it to


your readers. | can vouch for its correct


ness, as one, at least, of the parties con-
cerned is well known to me:


About ten years ago a wealthy merchant


of this city, having an only child, beau
tiful girl of seventeen, became alarmed at
certain indications of a consumptive
| tendency in her, and, to recruit her health,
| sent her to pass some months at coun-
| try home among the hills of Vermont
| The young lady recovered her health but


she lost her heart. She made the ac-
quaintance of young man named c.,


a farmers son, intelligent and well edu-


Gated, but working machinist. The
young people became warmly attached to
each other, and entered into an engage


ment conditional on the consent of the
lady's father. But the latter had more am


bilious views for his daughter; and, when
the young machinist presented himself las
her suitor, he was treated with very little
ceremony; was, in fact, dismissed by her
| father in a manner so offensive that pride
| forbade him to make any further advances.
He went West, and entered into business


in st. Louis. Having plenty of talent,
energy, and character, he was successful,
soon had a large establishment of his


own, and has accumulated handsome
| fortune. Absorbed in business, and in the


various occupations of a man of promi-


nence and influence, he had doubtless out


grown his early disappointment in love;
but he had formed no other attachment,


and remained unmarried.


The young girl meanwhile her lover
being quite lost to her, accepted the hus-
band selected by her father, was married
and went to live in France. She was i'll
| possession of modest fortune, and, her
parents having died in this interval, there


was nothing to call her back to Boston.
Up to September Of last year this was the
position of affairs between these two.
With each, the brief romance Of their


early youth had faded into the memory of


tender dream, and nothing could have
seemed less likely than the occurrence of


any event which should reunite their sun


dered lives.


However, it so fell out that the require
ments of Mr. G-'s business took him


last year to Europe, and he remained


abroad several months. One evening, late


in September he was on board a little


steamer going from Marseilles to Leghorn,


when there came up one OF the sudden
storms for which those waters are un-
pleasantly noted. It'was very rough, but
no danger was anticipated. Mr.. C.
sat on deck watching the storm; and many
other passengers, among them several la-
dies, were doing the same. One of the
latter had risen from her seat to go below,
and was standing in an unguarded atti-
tude, when, the steamer giving violent
lurch, she lost her balance and was thrown
overheard. Mr. G. saw the mishap,
and instantly leaped after her into the sea.
He was fortunate enough to find and
support her. but it was dark, the sea
boat was quickly sent out by the people
on the steamer, those in it were unable to
find the missing passengers, and 1t was
supposed that they were drowned. But,
fortunately for them, the steamer people,
as soon as the accident was known, had
thrown out various things for them to
cling to. A plank foated near them, and
by this they were able to keep themselves
from sinking. They were picked up on
the following day by a vessel bound for
Malta, and carried to that port.


And thus it was that these long separat-
ed lovers met at last! In the darkness of
night on plank in the stormy waters of
the Mediterranean, they recognized each
other! They were reunited, but with no
prospect before them but ofaspeedy death
in each others arms. Was it strange that
the old love, which had abated, not died,
in their hearts, was reawakened, and that
on finding themselves, once more possess
ed of life, they felt it impossible to spend
that life apart? AT any rate, they were
married soon after in the English chapel
at Malta, and having passed the winter
there for the benefit of the lady's health,
which had suffered greatly from the ex-
posure she had undergone, they are at
present on their way home to America
And may all true loves have an equally
fortunate issue Boston Cor. Chtc0g0
Tribune.