Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 October 1879 — A Southern Romance. [ARTICLE]

A Southern Romance.

During the rebellion a well-to-do family, consisting of John H. Reynolds, his wife and daughter, were driven from their North Carolina home because of its occupation by Federal troops, and settled in Walker county, near Birmingham, Alabama. There accompanied the migrating family a handsome woman, who, though called a quadroon, was hardly to be distinguised lrom a white person. This quadroon devoted her time to the eare of Mrs. Reynolds, a Confirmed invalid. After the war Henry Horton settled on an adjoining plantation. He had a son named Mark, and Mark grew up as a playmate of Jessie the daughter of the Reynolds household. A few years ago both families beiug prosperous, it was arranged by Reynolds that if the children could be induced to love each other there should be a union of the houses. Jesssie was sent to a girl’s sehool at Louisville, Ky., and Mark entered at Princeton College. Return ed from their collegiate studies, the young folks sure enough fell in love and were married under the most promising auspices. A month or so ago a child was born to them, and it was remarked that young Horton

and wife were among the happiest of mortals, but a eloud came upon the horizon shortly after the birili of the child. The quadroon fell sick, and Dr. Blackburn, theliffniingham physician, told her that her death was at hand The quadroon sent for young Horton, hhe told him that her conscience hud tormented her into making a deathbed statement. She said Jessie had negro blood in her veins; that she was her daughter. John Reynolds was Jessie’s father, but the invalid Mr. Reynolds had never been a mother. The life long illness of the latter had In fact been caused by Reynolds, who at Jessie’s birth forced his .wife to acknowl edge the child of the quadroon as her own. Tiie death of the quadroon occurred soon after Hortoh had been given the statement. Horton at once told his innocent wife the story of her parentage, drove her from her house and sued for divorce in the Walker county «Surt now sitting. The other day thepourt decreed the marriage void because of fraud. Pending the decree Horton disposed of his property and left for California. Reynolds is now endeavoring to sell so that he may return to North Carolina. The poor young wife and mother is wild with grief. It is not likely that she will bear the: strain, and an educated, refined

«bPpHI be broken under her weight o' | woee, the victim of mi institution of the past. *