ROMANTIC HISTORY OF A BARMAID.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 138, 29 May 1880, Page 3

ROMANTIC HISTORY OF A BARMAID.

Byfon says that truth is strange—•stranger than fiction. We might cite iqauy incidents within our own knowledge illustrative of tho accuracy Byron's affirmation. A short turn: ago a pressman sent to an Australian periodical, in the form id' a story, tho accouut of tho marriage, curly ■death, and buriul of a Victorian maiden. The story contained nothing but facts which bad come within the personal knowledge of tho contributor, tint the facts were, so startling as to appear wholly incredible, and the editor of the periodical iu question returned tho uianusoript to the author, informing him in a very kind note that whenever he wrote fiotion bis contributions would, as they had previously been, be welcome and well paid for, but that, this narrative of facts was so startling that no one would believe it. Now, there has just occurred in Wellington an incident which, though not so startling as tho one above alluded to,yet shows in a very forcible way the chances arid chang.-s of Colonial life. Many years ago, perhaps nearly a quarter of a century, two youngsters'inct, loved, and married in Victoria. The marriage was not happy. The "unhappy pair," after living for six months together in a cat-aud-dog style, separated for ever. The husband bolted for a new rush which bad broken out iu a remote part of New South Wales. Subsequently the young wife gave birth to a girl, but the mother died ere the liltle one was thiee hours old. Some, good old lady adopted the child and reared it, This lady brought, up the child in good style, giving her a fashion-, able education. However, when tho! " Black Wednesday " dismissal*, fitmi the Victorian Civil Service took place, the lady's husband lost his billet, and as he had not saved much money, the wo! ft soon appeared at the door of the erstwhile happy household. The husband! sickened and died. The widow .and her j adopted daughter were thrown upon I their own resources. Times were very' bad indeed. The young lady tri-d fin a .situation as governess, but the market . was overcrowded, and sin- did not sue- :• • 1 in obtaining a situation. At last .-he; had to accept a situation .as a barmaid. ; Soan after this her foster mother caught ; the typhoid fever, then very prevalent iu ; Melbourne*, and in ten days she was laid j by the side qF her husband in the g -ner d | cemetery. The girl was afterward,-; of- i ferial a "good situation as bare,aid in .a j Duncd'ni hotel, which she ai-cented. lieing possessed of considerable personal j attractions, and being better educated j than tho general run of barmaids she became a light, round which the jeuness j doreo fluttered. Her fame reached Wellington, and she received a tempting offer frura a bonifaee In the empire city. licing Ural of the flatteries of ih« fast men about town in Dunedin, and sick of their not "pioposinir," she giadlv accepted the chance of fresh fields and pastures new. In she was as so tv.-.-f-.il as usual. The gay youths sported arotin ! her, !m< being of a practical tern ! of mind she paid tuii'v hoed to thenicentionsof n middle-aged commercial traveller j who seemed to have fallen dcspernti ly in |, love with her. S'l.i oncnurntrod him : he j pmposod and w.-iMiceept d. Tlieyplijin-d VOWS of eternal constancy, though ('•.'- ridge says that "constancy dwells. : n realms above." Of course the lover w.i* curious to learn the history of his Ii in •<•■. She t-.ld him the history of lea- iifc.e-.cn from tie- da'.- of her parent-' inarrif.se. Site noticed be grew paleas tlie nuri-a'.ivii went on. At lust hestaried up in bon-or and exclaiiiusl, " V'hv, yu are my own daughter:" Complete expkin.-ifi ,ns «>:••■ ente'ia-d into, and the fidlier rejoiced In have found after an absence of twenty years, a daughter who was perfectly charming. All this occurred some months ago. and the young lady has since been nnirbd to a suitor whose pretj'iisions she ba-1 previously despised. —Wellington Chronicle.