Mrs. Jackson reunites with first husband

A Colored Enoch Arden.

THERE are many Enoch Ardens in
this world beside the one that the poet
conjured, and Chicago has proven that
she is not behind the rest of the world
in their possession. Thereby hangs a
story---and a most true story, too, for
which the veracious reporter of the
InterOcean will vouch. The great Re-
bellion was not unfruitful in this class
of real romances, and that same Rebell-
ion is responsible for Chicago's pet
Enoch Arden; and, as the sequel will
show, though the hero of this true
story did not remain away from his
long-lost wife or only gaze at her round
the street corners and through the dis-
guise of sorrow-wrinkled features, it
was not his fault; and in this fact is
added a halo of glory to Chicago's
Enoch Arden and to his lost bride, that
the novelists can lay no claim to. But,
to come to the beginning of this true
story. Fifteen years ago, on Christmas
Day, there arrived in Chicago, from
the ancient-looking but interesting Vil-
lage of Carlton, in Missouri, just es-
caped from slavery, an octoroon, beau-
tiful then, and still possessed of the
traces of that beauty, together with
charming manners, that captured the
heart of young Jackson so many years
ago, and that less than a year after her
landing in Chicago, ensnared the now
happy Charles Taylor. Just before se-
curing her freedom Mrs. Jackson was
sold, and left the place where they had
lived happily together. The war came,
the proclamation of freedom was
wafted over the land, and old homes
were deserted by the slaves. That what
was declared might become a reality,
Mrs. Jackson fled to Illinois. Her
husband, too, fled to escape from his
once owner, and no one knew whither.
Two causes, war and the desire for
actual freedom, as well as legal, effec-
tually succeeded in separating from
each other this husband and wife. Aft-
er the war closed, Mrs. Jackson made
inquiries as to her husband's where-
abouts, and he made the same efforts,
no doubt, to find his lost wife. But
well might those once slaves, raised in
ignorance, fail to discover each other.
Nearly fifteen years passed away with-
out their seeing or hearing of each
other. Still the memory of the early
love, if not the love itself, lingered
around the heart of Mrs. Jackson.
Though having another husband, she
decided to visit the old spot where she
had once lived happily, even in slavery,
with her first love. But, like a true
and faithful wife, she told her husband
what she desired, and of her old love.
With a generosity much to be com-
mended in this great age of selfishness
he consented. She went to the old
place--Carlton. She met the old love
there. He, too, had longed after the
old place. Thus they met together last
summer. The old love, however, had fled; but the kindly spirit of their friendship
remained. The story of her after-life
the old husband heard. He wished her
continued happiness. She returned
to Chicago, told her husband of what
had occurred, and Charles Taylor, like
a generous man, and grateful to him
who had had the means of destroying
his happiness, but did not, wrote to
Mr. Jackson, and invited him to visit
them in Chicago, and he accepted the
kindly invitation, arrived here the day
appointed, and spent a happy Christ-
mas at the little cottage on West In-
diana, near Oakley street.---Chicago In-
ter-Ocean.