Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-07-13
MISCELL A N Y.
From, Mrs. Eilets Summer Rambies IN the West.
The Founding.

Some incidents in the history OF family
which | heard related hereabouts. are curl
ouslv romantic. A farmer, whom we shall
call MAY, whose means were ampler than
most new settlers, lived in 1915 IN Illinois,
about six miles from St. Louis. One morn
ing early, a person then lodging IN the
house, who furnished this information, heard
Mrs. May's voice in startled tones, calling
to her husband 20 ask "What noise is that Z"
The drowsy husband answered, that the
cry was probably that Of an opossum OF
screech-owl "Ah, no, John!' exclaimed
the wife, ''itis young child" She sprang
from the bed, as did her husband, and both
ran to the door; basket was set on the
door step, covered with blanket, which
Mrs. MAY removed, and there lay, embed
ded in snow white muslin and lnen,a beau-
tilul infant! Lifting it in her arms, she
ran into the house, and laying it on her
lap, examined its features with dehghted
curiosity. 'Is it not beauty" she cried,
looking up into her husbands face; "and
the wav it has come is so funny!' The
stern farmer replied, that he could see no
fun in having other peoples brats thrust
upon him; but his grumbllng was hushed
by the benevolent woman, whose whole
soul went forth in kindness towards the Int
tie helpless creature (evidently not more
than four weeks old) thus cast on her ma
ternal care. Notwithstanding the dlspleas-
ure of MIR. May, which she knew to be
more in appearance than reality, she kept
her resolution of adding the trouble OF pro-
vldng for it to the charge OF her own Tour
children.
Matters went on thus for two or three
years, when the founding, increased in
beauty, became the pet OF the household.
Mr.. Nav, however, treated the little girl
with an Indifference amounting to dislike,
and manifested annoyance particularly
when his wife would tell her vislters the
childs brief histoly-always prefacing it by
the exclamation, 1.-The way the dear little
thing came to us was so funny" One
day while he was alone in the room, he
was playing with little Mary, when hear
ing his wife's step, he set her down quick
" pushing her from him. The child cried:
Mrs. May took her up,and spoke complain
ingly of her husbands unkind treatment OF
the little desolate creature, whom he seem
ed to hate. "You are mistaken, Nancy,
replied the farmer: 81 do not hate the
child; see, she knows love her as much
as Yourself" and as he smiled and heldout
h,s arms Mary sprang from the lap OF her
protectress, and came to hlm laughing mer-
rily.
o'But why, John, do you always treat the
poor thing So unkindly'" asked the wife.
III will tell you why, Nancy; because
you tell everybody all about her; and it
frets me to have people to suppose am
bringing up nobody knows who,as my own;
besides it is disgrace to the child! Now
if you will agree to what | propose, | am
willing, for the child's good, to sell out and
move to one of the northern territories
But you must promise never to let any one
know that we are not her parents. and ne
YER again to allude to the funny way IN
which she came to us.
Mrs. May readily agreed to this generous
proposal; the farmer sold out, and remov-
ed to what was then the territory OF Mlchi-
gan.
We will how take up another portion OF
the story.
In one of the Eastern cities, a Mr.. L
aud Miss C, both of highly respectable
families, had formed matrimonial engage
meut with their parents consent But a
weather. suitor came, to whom the father,
stern and violent man, determined to wed
his daughter. The lovers were secretly
married, and arrangements were made with
respectable family going to Missouri to
take the bride with them, the husband who
called himself her brother, promising to JOIN
them shortly. He left the city sometime
before Mis- C-'s disappearance and all
believed that he had gone on sea voyage
Soon after leaving home, Miss C--wrote
to inform her parents she was sale with
friends, and fed to avoid a compulsory mar
riage. A.
After journey of several weeks the
young couple arrived at ST. Louis Not