Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-12-30
Wasbingtan gentinel
From the New York Day Book.
q. Christmas Incident.

and hilarity to some, and to some season of
sadness and sorrow, just as the Trinity chime
spoke the hour of ten we found ourselves in the
vicinity of the City Hall, eagerly catching every
note Of harmony that proceeded from the bag
pipes of an old gray-haired musician, who was
playing Whereabouts. The host of heels dedi
Gated to the eight fantastic toe" were alive
with the youth and beauty of this pleasure
seeking'' metropolis-the theatres and operas
each appreciated the benefits of an excess
siye audience--the merry bells" of riding
parties chimed in every direction-and really,
the entire world of New York seemed anxious
to enjoy the few remaining hours of that Christ
mas Eve. The old bagpipes, seemingly con-
tent with the small pittance that he now and
then received, played on for the amusement OF
those who CHANGED to peep that way, and
greatly to the entertainment of molly crowd
of news.boys, who, too, were eager for " holi-
day frolic !" for, indeed, we might as well ex-
pect the equestrian statue of Jackson to bal
ance the Bunker Hill monument turned upside
down upon its nose, as even to imagine for the
concentrated shadow of sixty seconds, that this
portion of our "citizens'' could pass holiday
without their usual jolity, deviltry, and caper-
cutting. But while the old piper is amusing
his audience let us go back little to the COM
mencement of our story.
mentioned, there sailed from one Of the great
est cities Of Europe an emigrant ship. Among
its hundred of passengers was an unknown
female And hers was q mysterious mission
to a strange country She had left good, but
humble home to seek for one whose voice
alone had power to charm her; she had turned
n deaf ear to fathers and mothers tears and
prayers to follow one who had deserted her,
leaving her alone with poverty and despair
staring her in the face. Within her child
hoods home there was once Joy and compe-
tence; and she was the centre of that JOY, and
the object on which that competence, humble
as it was, was lavished with an unsparing hand.
But the energies of her parents were OF no
avail. She heard that her cold-hearted hus-
band had emigrated to America, and she re-
solved to hasten after him.
The crowded emigrant ship sped on to its
destination, while within its confined, foul, and
hot cabin this destitute and deserted female
passed many an unhappy day. And now had
come cloud and darkness over her life-a
curse from her fathers roof rung in her ears.
She was hying from home and friends, in hopes,
if possible, of reioining one who had rejected
and spurned her-her husband-one whom
she loved, ave dearly. But ere she reached
the land of her search another blight beset her
path. Within the stifed confines of this emf
grant ship, into which neither the light nor air
of Heaven penetrated insuted by the brutal
captain and his savage crew, knocked and
driven about, in suffering and priyation, this
poor woman became the mother of living
female child.
After long and tedious passage, the ship
arrived at one of our wharfs, and this wretched
mother and her child were landed on the 10th
Of March, lS3-, in the great metropolis OF
New York. For weeks and months she pro-
longed her fruitless endeavors to gain some
trace of her unfaithful husband. But alas !!
poor woman better had it been had'st thou
never loved-never married. All her efforts
proved of no avail. No word of consolation,
no harbinger of Joy, came to cheer her in her
miserable, halfcrazed moments. Life was fast
drawing to its ebb. For while she endeav'
ored to maintain herself and infant child by the
labor of her hands but despair had seized on
her lifestrings: she fingered for time, but at
last she died in the agonies of sorrow, a suffer-
ing and deserted wife and mother.
The child, in the meantime, as conse-
ouence was left to the training OF the aims
house, and the tender mercies OF its keepers.
Time rolled on, and the infant became pale,
thin. sickly.looking child. But the large black
ewes of her mother, full of slumbering intelli-
gence and fire, cleaned out from a wild mass
Of raven hair, which fell, wavy and silken, but
tangled and uncombed, down over her neck
and shoulders, and the pale-faced girl, even in
her aims house garb, and with her wan Tea.
features, seemed beautiful. Many a rich and
highborn mother would have rejoiced to have
seen the same beauty in the face of her own
offspring.
Years passed away, and the little girl be-
came full-grown woman, with the flush OF
health and beauty upon her cheek. Her black
and luxuriant hair no longer strayed i'll wild
and uncombed negligence over her neck and
shoulders but, neatly arranged it fell in q
graceful knot of tresses behind, and parted
over commanding brow, beneath which the
long sken eyelashes dropped with an exquisite
pencilinc over the dark depths OF her large
dreamy black eyes, which gave forth no shade
Of sorrow. Meanwhile, she had been received
into a worthy family of moderate means, re-
siding in the upper part OF the city, where,
until the time OF her marriage, which soon
follows, she had been content to enjoy COM
Portable home.
AS we said in the beginning, it was an
intensely cold Christmas Eve; festivities and
feats were in great abundance-and the apart.
ments desS.aed for the purpose were filed with
impatient and expectant guests, who were to
partake of the "many good things" prepared
for the marriagefeast of Walter Yelling and
Kate Germaine. And now, while this festive
hall resounds with peels Of the merry laughter
of the gay light-hearted guests, let us look a
little after the old piper, whom we left dis
coursing melody to an audience in the vicinity
ofthe Park. The evening wore away, and the
piper, now and then changing his location, still
continued to receive occasionally mite from
some benevolent passerby BY the sweetness
of his music, we were drawn into his train for
some time, and became somewhat anxious for
his success
He at least, we presume, became eager to
reap larger reward, and crossing the Park, he
proceeded short distance up Broadway, where
he soon drew together an immense throng Of
listeners and that too, immediately opposite
the mansion Of the festive party. He in the
meantime awakened the attention of the jovial
guests, and it was soon arranged that he too
should partaks Of the delicacies ofthe marriage