▁have ▁had ▁a ▁conversation ▁with ▁his ▁late ▁father ▁some ▁years ▁after ▁his ▁death . ▁He ▁also ▁maintained ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁cla ir voy ant , ▁and ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁divine ▁the ▁contents ▁of ▁un open ed ▁letters , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁some ▁information ▁about ▁their ▁authors , ▁by ▁placing ▁the ▁en velope ▁to ▁his ▁fore head . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁Will son ▁married ▁Elisabeth ▁Con well ▁Smith , ▁a ▁poet ▁from ▁New ▁Alb any , ▁Indiana . ▁She ▁died ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁after ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁their ▁baby . ▁ ▁Both ▁Elisabeth , ▁and ▁the ▁child ▁are ▁buried ▁in ▁La ure l , ▁Indiana . ▁From ▁that ▁time ▁until ▁his ▁own ▁death , ▁many ▁who ▁were ▁with ▁him ▁observed ▁him ▁having ▁convers ations ▁with ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁his ▁dead ▁wife . ▁Short ly ▁following ▁her ▁death , ▁he ▁told ▁a ▁friend ▁" It ▁has ▁left ▁me ▁neither ▁aff lic ted ▁nor ▁bere aved ... ▁And ▁str ang est ▁of ▁yet ▁all , ▁the ▁bl essed ▁Pres ence ▁is ▁at ▁times ▁so ▁plain ▁that ▁I ▁can ▁scarcely ▁believe ▁the ▁tender ▁tie ▁of ▁her ▁emb od iment ▁is ▁broken ." ▁ ▁Career ▁Will son ▁attended ▁Ant io ch ▁College ▁in ▁Ohio ▁and ▁Harvard ▁University ▁but ▁was ▁prevent ed ▁from ▁finishing ▁a ▁cred ential ▁by ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁t uber cul osis . ▁Instead , ▁he ▁became ▁an ▁editor ial ▁writer ▁for ▁the ▁Louis ville ▁Journal ▁( l ater ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Louis ville ▁Cou rier - J ournal