Rensselaer Union and Jasper Republican, Volume 8, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1876 — Another Romantic Story. [ARTICLE]

Another Romantic Story.

Heib esses found among servant-girls are so plentiful that no well-regulated city should be without one. In a majority of cases, however, the pedigree is hinted at so remotely and the incidents handled so geqtly as to leave doubts of the genuineness of the article. Chicago has been harboring an heiress among her domestics whose claims are not mere conjecture, but a proven reality, and who is now on her way to claim her inheritance. About twenty-one years ago, a young Creole resident of New Orleans, named George Martinez, wooed, won and wedded the daughter of a well-known .minister of one of the Evangelical churches. The young couple, unless portraits taken at the time deceive, were possessed of much more than the average amount of natural beauty, besides being liberally endowed mentally, and they were welcome members of the elite of New Orleans society. Possessed of a liberal share of wealth and a goodly stock of contentment, they lived happily and prospered in many ways, and the breaking out of the rebellion found them the parents of two children, Louisa, & girl of five, and George, a boy of three, both the children being named after their parents. Mr. Martinez was one of those fieiy Spanish Louisianians who do first and reflect afterward, and when war was declared, scarcely waiting to bid his loved ones good-bye, he joined the Confederate army. Like a large majority of the Confederates, he confidently believed he was going out simply to participate in one brilliant series of victories, and in a few weeks, or months at farthest, would return a victorious warrior, and again clasp his wife and babes in his loving arms. The weeks speedily grew into months, and the months had become long and weary, and the end —the victorious end for which nearly all Southerners still hoped—seemed as far off as ever. In fact, to the young wife and mother it was receding, and dangers immediately threatening New Orleans, from the advance of the Federal troops, admonished her to seek a safer retreat for herself and babes. In a short time an opportunity was presented of reaching St. Louis, where her father then resided. She had not beard from her husband since his departure, as he was in abranch of the army from which it was very difficult to get communications, ana she had doubts that he yet lived, but did not give up all hope until death released her from the trials and tribulations of this world. Owing to the unsettled condition ot affairs in New Orleans, she was barely able to obtain a sufficient sum of money to carry herself and children to her father’s house in St. Louis. There for a time she residft, but her father, never having approved of her choice of a husband, soon made it anything but a pleasant home for her, and she was compelled to seek shelter elsewjiere, and left, maklpg neither effort to conceal from film or apprise him of her whereabouts. She went to Wisconsin, and by domestic labor, for which she was illy prepared by training and nature, as her health was very delicate, she managed to support herself and children until just after the close of the war, when the angel of death claimed her, and the children were left orphans among strangers. They had been given to understand that their father was dead and knew of no, relative to whom they could reasonably apply for a home, consequently they were placed in an orphan asylum, whence they were, however, soon removed, Louisa being taken charge of by a family in Delavan, and George by a kind gentleman in a

town near by. When the war closed Mr. Martinez sought his loved ones but without avail. Their neighbors in New Orleans only knew that they had gone to Bf. Louis, and Mrs. Martinez’s father knew or pretended to know nothing of them. Later the father informed ■ Mr. Martinez that his wife was dead, but professed ignorance as to the fate or whereabouts of the children. At intervals since the war, wheneverjhis business—that of an extensive tobacco-dealsr in Mobile—would permit, the father baa sought for his oftpring, and in his travels has been all over the United States, from Boston to New Orleans, and from New York to Omaha, spending many thousand dollars endeavoring to find them. About two months ago he again started! out, with but a feint hope, however, as he had been too often disappointed to fee? much encouraged. After searching sometime, he made another appeal to his clerical father-in-latw in St. Louis, and the old gentleman relented, and informed hdm that the children had been placed in an orphan asylum in Wisconsin- Thence he proceeded, and by examining the register of the various asylums, finally obtained a trace that led him to Delavan, where he learned that Louisa had; moved to Chicago, and was employed as a domestic by a lady who rents furnished rooms en Clark street, within a short distance of the Grand Pacific Hotel. Hastening here he found the place early yesterday morning, and rapping at the sitting-room door was confronted by his daughter. The parent’s instinct lea him to recognize his child at once, and he clasped her to his arms, greatly to her astonishment, as she had no idea who the handsome, elegantlydressed, dark gentleman with the unfamiliar accent could be. He explained that he was her father, but was compelled to make other explanations before he could convince her of the fact, but once assured, the poor girl’s heart, which had so long been deprived of the living sympathy of a parent, overflowed, and she wept with Joy. Louisa had often, remarked to acquaintances that “some day she would get a pile of money, or some person would come and take her away,” but as she could give no reason, for her belief, except that she <‘felt It,” no one paid any attention to hex remarks,, and she passed in the house for a goodnatured girl with A secret history, no one pretending to surmise what that history might be. During all the years she has had to toil for & living, she has lived a pure and honorable life, of which feet her father took pains to inform himself. Then he told her to make hasty preparations to. depart for Mobile, where he is possessed of a beautiful Southern home, a prosperous business, and enough wealth to live in elegance without being troubled with, the cares of business should he choose to relinquish it. The fether and daughter left tor Wisconsin to get George, last evening, and to-night they will pass through the city, en route for Mobile.— Chicago Journal.