ROMANCE OF REAL LIFE.

Marlborough Express, Volume VIII, Issue 484, 22 March 1873, Page 7

ROMANCE OF REAL LIFE.

The North Otago Times recently wrote the following article m the interests of one wanted at Home : —

"There is a. column m the London Times ■which is generally designated the 'agony column.' It contains appeals, often piteous indeed, by parents to children, children to parents, wives to husbands, and husbands to wives. For instance, it is common enough to see such a notice as this :' Should this meet the eye of , he is earnestly urged to return home. All will be forgiven.' There is much of ' agony ' m domestic circles half-revealed by these notices, and the thoughtful reader will realise with startling force the fact that m our crowded cities there are miseries and sorrows, crimes even, that the world knows not, and recks not of. But London occupies no unique position. Where humanity lives, there humanity suffers ; and perhaps, m these distant Colonies, these ultimate offshoots of the throbbing life of the Old World, there are as ample materials for a story of sorrow— ay, ampler, proportionately, than are to be found m the thronged thoroughfares within sound of Bow Bells. How of ten does it happen that the youth of the old home, m whose pulses the blood beats fast, rush away to the outer verge of the earth, full of hope, full of energy, attracted by the prospect of a life of adventure, whose stirring incidents shall contrast attractively with the 'humdrum,' steady-going home pace. Not, like the Athenians, only seeking f something new/ the • young bloods ' of the present day seek something exciting, and cross the seas m search of it. But too often when they reach these distant shores, they are drawn into a vortex of dissipation ; they lose their self-respect ; they cease to keep up communication by letter with the dear ones left behind, and drop out of knowledge altogether, so far as their home connections are concerned. We do not write theoretically, but hare actual fact for our text."

In our issue of the 7th June, 1872, appeared the following advertisement : —

"Missing friends. — Information as to the whereabouts or last address of Edward Lloyd Trevor, known m the Colony as Edward Lloyd, and working so lately as 9th November, 1869, m Otago, will be gladly received by the undersigned. E. L. Trevor landed m Lyttelton m 1865, and subsequently went to Timaru, and it is believed worked on several sheep-stations as a shearer under the name of Edward Lloyd. — Gr. T. Evans, Cloon Eavin."

Several times this advertisement appeared, but no information was obtained. Now comes the rest of the story. In the Belfast News Letter of Dec. 4th, 1872, appears the following obituary notice : —

'Trevor.'— Dec. 2, at Lisnagead, Co. Down, Edward Hill Trevor, Esq., J.P.

" The Mr Trevor herein referred to is the father of the Edward Lloyd Trevor for whom we advertised last year, and we understand that th« non-receipt of letters from his son preyed upon his mind to such an extent as to shorten -his life. Mr Edward Hill Trevor was a wealthy man, and his son Edward is heir to a property worth £1500 a year. Loving friends are looking for him at home, and we pen these lines m the hope that they may meet his eye. We are authorised to write plainly, as search has hitherto been made without avail ; and if those of our contemporaries whom this article may reach will reprint it, they will join us m endeavoring to find one who is anxiously looked for across the •ea.»*

The- sequel of the story is found m the following telegram from Dunedin, which was received m several parts of the colony about a week ago : —

" A man named Trevor, heir to an estate m Ireland worth £1500 a year, who has been advertised for the last eight months, has turned up at Teviot, and proceeds to Ireland by this mail. He has been shearing m Southland under the name of Lloyd."