Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-06-06
From the Cotton Plant.
"Chtld Lost"
ny snokrn.

1
| Through fashionable and obscure streets-up
and down dark alleys--in the midst of toilingin-
dustry and vicious idleness-the bell has rung and
the cry "child lost, child lost, has been heard.
Eyerywhee, among the great and low--and rich
poor-the laboring and the idle, those words found
a response of Whatever of sympathy was possess
ed or not lost. The belated nurse presses her
charge closer, grasps the wrists more tightly
she hurries home to the alarmed parent. Every
where is sympathy and concern.
| "a CHILD LosTl CHILD LOST! y a little girl about
five yeafs OF, age-had on IA blue dress with awhile
/ apron Has long curling brown hair-large blue
Was last seen in the neighborhoodg of the iaii.-
Lost child-child lost'-and the voice and bell
die away down the darkening street.
The man of business homeward bound, stops at
the cry. The hardened capitalist who has all day
long listened with indifferenceit to the storyof
| sinking friend; the modern Shylock who has just
| had his pound of fesh--blood and all; the gam
bier standing at his dem; giddy worldiings in their
drunken revels;, the toil-worn tailoring man; the
solitary stranger thousands of miles distant from
| home and children; every human heart feels the
potency of that sad cry "chi1d lost child LOST
asst echoes along the crowded lthorougfares of
the thronged city. Hi getting darker-blacker.
The lamps glow like stars. The sky is overcast.
The rain comes down-faster-no in torrents
| What numberless homes are sad for the little
Wandered! Mothers look anxiously from windows
into the streets. Fathers 60 and stand upon the
door steps. Ever and anon there comes through
the storm with the careening wind, that faint and
distant sound, achid ltst-child lost--lost-lcst
lost" Little ones around the hearth stone stop
in their play, and look grave. The lost child is
staggering along in terror. lis home is desolate.
There must be such thing as an universal HUI
man magnetic telegraph. As though by instinct
the news aiesftom square to square-into fashion
able streets-down obscure alleys-along high
ways and by-ways-to that desolate home and dis
tracted mother-"I'he chiLdis foind-the child is
found" Starting tears gush forth now from Joy.
A thousand little rosy cheeks, surrounded with
brown curls, and lighted up by large blue eyes,
are kissed and kissed again that night. Every
where is Joy. No one enquiries, no one cares
whether the little wanderer was rich or poor. 1t
was child-a human child. 1t was lost and is
found.
In the gush of universal thankfulness, how few
think Of the poor child-lost, in depth of un-
fathomableI degradation-who daily eets you at
nightfali with hoiloy eye and painted cheek; who
stares at you through prison bars; who glares up
on you from the bells OF chine and public pollu-
ton; who comes up before the face of the CriLi-
nal Court; who stands between starvation aad
crime-between temptation and sin-between light
and darkness. "Child lost-child lost" sThe
lost is found" Beautiful expression of love
which clings TO man, when deserted by his fellow
/ man. ----.-----s7---=
Obi We whose natures are choaked up with sell
IL thnts I