Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1875 — Romance in Real Life. [ARTICLE]

Romance in Real Life.

While in Victor, Ontario County, If. Y., recently, we learned the particulars of a romance in real life which rivals the most ingenious creations of the fancy. We give the stoiy as it was told to us, every detail of which we believe to be strictly true. The principals, Calvin Bates and Nancy Hill, were born something like sixtyyears ago somewhere —the exact place is unimportant—ln Vermont. They were very near of an age, were the children of neighbors and spent much of their youth in each other’s company, mutually di riding their joys and sorrows as well as their bread and butter and sugar. But they couldn’t tarry as children if they would. Calvin grew into a strong-limbed young man with a downy upper lip and a deep bass voice, and Nancy rounded into a comely maiden, the pride of her parent# and the admiration of all the village beaus. Calvin loved her, of course; hadn’t he always loved her? And Nancy was morally sure that none of the youngmen of her acquaintance were more worthy of her affection than Calvin, and so they were engaged and were to be married as soon as enough money could her made to give them a little start in life. It did seem for once that the course of trueipve would run smoothly. The openings for young men to get ahead in the world in Vermont, at least intheir section, being few, Calvin bade a tender adieu to his Nancy, and tore himself away and went to seek his fortune in Cortland County, N. Y. Here he laboredhard and practiced rigid economy to saveup enough to buy a home, cheered themeanwhile by loving epistles, conveying assurances of undiminished regard ana sympathy. But there came a change. It wasn’t, » pleasant thing for Calvin, although if it hadn’t occurred the pith would have been knocked out of the story completely. Nancy’s letters ceased coming. Missives inquiring the cause oS the silence brought no response, and reports came to hjs ears that Nancy was smiling, on another. He sorrowed over his disappointment bitterly and long, hut, as hedidn’t commit suicide to start with,.* hefinally concluded, as a majority of re'jecteu suitors do, to marry some one else. He reached the conclusion seven yearn after leaving Vermont, and after the ceremony was performed took his wife back to his old home, just to let Nancy see that she wasn’t the only woman in the world, and that there were those who were glad to have him if she wasn’t. It would have been better for his peace of mind if he had stayed away, for he not only found that Nancy had not marriecj, but that she had been patiently though tearfully waiting for him all these years, sick at heart with hope so long deferred, but never doubting that he would one day come toclaim her hand and clear away the mystery. It seemed that she had written a# faithfully as he, but his letters ceased coming, and the explanation came too late to mend affairs. The village mail was distributed by a woman, and she had a. grudge against Nancy, -which she most cruelly avenged by intercepting and destroying her letters to Calvin, and his replies. The mischief was done, however, and there was no honorable course but to submit and make the best of the dilemma. Gates took his wife and came off to tire West, where he made her a home of comfort and ease, and she bore Mm a halfdozen children.

Seven years ago the recollection of tire old times so worked upon him that he left his homo in California and visited Vermont again. He found that Nancy, whom he had left more than thirty years before, had been married to a man named Walker, and had become a widow, that she had grown-up children, hut was in straitened circumstances, and that her home was in Victor, N. Y. He hunted her up on his way back, and made her a call. Together they reviewed old recollections, and all- in all had a very pleasant, melancholy time of it. He had her picture taken to canyback with him, and on leaving insisted on giving her an elegant silk dress and $l5O. It isn’t probable that Mrs. Bates knew anything of this, but as money was to them, so to speak, a drug in the market, who shall blame the husband for giving his old flame a helping band? Seven years more rolled round and left Mr. Bates a widower. True as the needle to the pole his thoughts reverted to Nancy, and after a decent season of waiting he sought her out last fell and the twain were speedily made one flesh. She plead for a little delay to make wedding preparations, but he would hear to no postponement for any purpose. He brought her rich jewels and she was married in the dress he had bought her seven years before. A little later they went for a bridal tour to their childhood’s home in Vermont, once again to bring vividly to mind the old days when their hearts were first warmed into the love for each other which had reached its full fruition after the lapse of so many weary years. They have now settled near Victor, in Ontario Country, where they anticipate spending the remainder of their days in peace and quietude. They are an old cob pie, hut very happy, and scarcely less fond of each other probably than when their passion coursed through the veins of youth.— South Bend Tribun*. —The Boston Tranicript , in its estimates concerning the prospective renewal of business, says out everywhere are indications that the long night of trade will soon give way to the brighter hours of industrial ana mercantile activity. These tokens appear in the resumption of work by manufacturing corporations the operations of which have been suspended for months; in the more hopeful tone of the business classes, causing cautious mention to be made of future comprehensive enterprises —and are dimly exhibited by slight, premonitory real estate movements. From all quarters come the tidings that the era of restoration and of remunerative activity has dawned. People are determined not to continue longer under the shadow of the old monetary cloud. There is an abundance of means, a return of a portion at the confidence necessary to commercial interchange, and therefore abundant grounds for believing in a fair and encouraging future.” ' x