Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-06-12
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the National Press.
THE ADOPTED CHILDREN.
BY JOHN

BY JOHN BRoUGHAM.
A remarkable instance of the fondness Of
the Irish for their offspring, came under my
observation during a recent Journey to the
south, by what was facetiously told was the
quickest and pleasantest route-the lakes
but which | found to be so much the contrary,
as amounted to quite the reverse for we had
not been long on our way, until the weather
began to be what the sailors emphatically call
" dirty" increasing at last to such a tempest
as | had no idea could be gotten up by any
thing short of an ocean; but it 10 astonishing
how ambitious those same lakes are; they
had us completely at their mercy and it was
with great difficulty, and no little danger, that
we made the shelter of an aboriginal lump of
barrenness called Manitou Islands, where we
were obliged to remain for five days.
Now, as the purveyors of these boats al
ways calculate upon making the passage in
4 given time, and never provide more than an
additional meal or two for adverse contingent
cies, and, inasmuch as we had a fen deck
passengers-some seven hundred, it is not at
all TO be wondered at that provisions waxed
alarmingly scarce. The deck passengers had
nothing 10 eat, and we had less and out of
our share, we had to support them; so as
you may readily imagine, we were in a pre-
dicament.
At last an exploring party happened to
blunder on an old COW. We would have as
soon expected to see an elephant; but there
it was-a living, breathing mystery-an or
ganic remnant, a poor old antediluvian, eye
less, h~ornless, bovine patriarch; and so, with
out venturing a remark, but with rather a
smile of satisfaction, the attenuated specimen
of antique zoology yielded up its existence !
Indeed, it was a mercy that we were at hand
| - .y.z.y Zee Lat Ira,t1 CO.. - oart,;n1,, I,ol
not sufficient strength 10 draw it and SO we
had beef, doubtful in quality, it is true, but a
shade better than starvation.
During the continuance of our brief famine,
the attention of our lady passengers was d.
rected to a fine, honest-faced IRISH laborer,
who with his wife and three children, was
journeying to seek his fortune in the far west.
The children were perfectly beautiful-the
eldest, about seven years of age, and the
youngest an infant in arms. They became
especial ~favorites with all on board, and were
taken frequently into the cabin, for tho pur-
pose of being made most uncomfortably com
Portable with sweetmeats, and other foreigI
and indigestible delicacies.
One day, delighted with her little compa
Mons, our philanthropic fellow-passenger wa
struck with a luminous idea! Addressing her
self to me, she said:
HdfO tihcu dh IiulllBISo ldDCH " tIlCS
clean, ragged children. have none of m,
own. This man seems very poor. ] won
der if he would feel inclined to part with on
Of them l would adopt and rear it as m,
own"
Although | had considerable doubt as t
the result, / offered my services as negotia
tor, and proceeded Immediately upon my de
Elicate diplomacy. Finding my friend o.
deck, l thus opened the affair after som
brief leaders:
"You are very poor, are you mott"
His answer was characteristic
"Poor, sir" said he, "Av there's a poore
man than me, throublin' the world, God pit
both av w, for we'd be about ~aiqual."
"Then, how do you manage to supper
your children?"
"Is it support them sir1 Be goxty, I don
support them any way. They git supporte
somehow or another. It'll be time enoug
for me to complain when Mey do"
"Weuld it then be a relief to you to pal
with one of them ? | inquired.
was toe sudden-he turned sharply rount
"a what, sir" he cried, ga relief to pa
the hand chopped from me body--or III
heart tore out ov me breast? A relief, il
deed! God be good TO us, what is that yo
name !"
"You don't understand me-" | replied
"If now it were in ones power to proviC
comfortably for one of your children, woul
you stand in the way Of its INTEREST,""
That puzzled him.
"No sir" said he. "Tfe heavens know
that I'd willingly cut the sunshine away fro
meself, that they might get all the warm
it; but do tell w what you're driven at?''
l then told him that a lady had taken
fancy TO one Of his children and, if he wou
consent to part with it, it should be educate
and finally settled comfortably in life.
This threw him into a fit of cogitation. I
scratched his head, and looked the very pi
ture of bewilderment. The struggle betwe
a fathers love and his child's interest, W
evident and touching. AT last he said
"Oh, murdher! wouldn't il be a Gre
thing for the babyl But | must have a ia
wild Mary-that's the mother of thin, an
would't be right to be givin' away her chi
afoTe her face, an she to know nothin' at
about it,"
"Away with you then and bring an Z
swer back as quickly as possible"
In about half an hour he returned, leadi
two of his children. His eyes were red a
swollen, and his face pale from excitemt
and agitation.
"Well," l inquired, " what success 2"
"Bedad it was a sad struggle, sir" S;
he " but I've been talkin' to Mary ; an E
says, that as its for the child's good, may