Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-11-29
Affecting Incident.

Affecting Incident.
- Among the passengers in the steamer
: Cnnmedore, from this city 70 New Haven.
la.t Saturday morning, were the wife OF a
: Cornish Miner named Rowe, and five or
six children, chiefly girls. the oldest not
exceeding ten or eleven years Of age. and
the youngest babe. They arrived here
from Wales only about two weeks since.
aud we're on their way TO Bristol Conn.
copper mines, where they hoped 10 meet
thar husband and father. AS the steamer
was leaving the wharf the mother stood In
the gang way. almost frantic with anxiety
and grief. Had the kind hearted captain
(Lefeyerl been present and understood her
+ case, he would have waited till her daugh-
ter had come on board, or until the mother
aud her other children could be put on
shore. But as it was, the family were sep
arated. under circumstances OF peculiar
trial. II appears that few minutes be.
fore the steamer started the mother sent
her oldest daughter, girl between II and
Is years of age, to buy some bread. Be-
fore she returned the steamer was off for
New Haven. What the peor girls
wharf and found the boat goue, and her
sslf left alone in strange city of half
nillion of inhabitants, we know not, but
can partly imagine. The mother was, if
possible, still more wretched.
When she found that the steamer was
actually off, and that there was no hope of
returning TO the wharf, al the tender gym
pathies of parents heart were awakened
within her, and she ran about the boat cry
ing ..Oh, my child! my poor child" The
steward Of the boat and some Of the pas
sengsrs tried to console her by telling her
thai The little girl would no doubt be taken
care Of, and be sent up to her at New Ha-
ven by the evening boat This afforded
her CLEAN Of hope, but her fears still
predominaled. What could Matilda do,
penniless, in the midst Of strangers, with
out home, or friend, or knowledge of
nnylbing around her? Whom could she
,rusl2 How liable to be decoyed away by
Williams. and reserved for a doom worse
than death! Hogarlh could not have de-
sired more lively personifica'ion OF grief
than when that mother, after: being in
measure quieted, sat sobbing in her chair,
nursing her infant, and hugging it 10 her
bosom, while her other children. except
the lost one, sat around on the floor, not
one oil them uttsring cry, but every
eopntenance expressive Of the deepes. sor-
row.
Presently Captain Lefevre came and
sat down by them, and after some soothing
remarks. returned them the whole of their
passage money. Several dollars were al
20 given them by passengers This was
the more needtul, as by waiting for Matil-
da at New Haven until Saturday evening
thev were under the necessity of spending
the Sabbsth :here, as there was no subse-
uuent train for Bristol until Monday. But
what if Matilda should not come! What
If they should never see her again?-
These apprehe1sions, together with the
anxiety already endured, produced symp-
toms of mental alteration IN The mother,
even before she arrived in New Haven.
immediately on their arrival telegraphic
desna,ch was forwarded to Messrs. Saxto n
d Webb, agents Of the line in New York,
requesting them to send by the afternoon
boa, the little girl that was left in the morn
ing. and saying that her mother would
visit for her at New Haven. On receiving
this message, Messrs. Saxton & Webb,
who had no previous knowle dge Of The
nishap, went to the wharf and found the
lutte girl crying. This must have been at
least Eve hours after the steamers depart
ure. They told her the message they had
received from New Haven, and that they
would send her safe to her mother IN few
hours, which they accordingly did free ol
cost.
Thus, after day Of fearful anxiety and
suspense, the family circle was again uni
ted, TO the grea, joy Of all, though the shat
tered mind Of the mother prevented hel
from full appreciation of the fact. The
family whore she spent the Sabbath in
formed US that she was evidently gooe
deal deranged, and ,ha; Matilda said she
had been so before. Her former deranse
ment was occasioned by the loss Of bus
band and child, the latter being burnt OIL
scalded TO death. On Monday she and al
her children took the railroad train fo
Bristol, and must have reached their desli
nation in few hours. y
Here is one small chapter in the life o.
a poor Woodworking woman; and. if we
could fead the unwrltten history Of farn
lies and individuals, how many such scenes
OF. others equally end still more affecting,
would rise upon our vision.-M Y. Jour.
of Commerce.
The PASS WoiD.-Mr. Lover tells !,