Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-07-14
mistrtlanruns.
MITTE, THE BLIND CnILp.

s.
drink in the pleasant sunshine, the beauty
of the flowers, the glory of the rainbow
and the sweetness OF your dear mothers
smile! Listen, now, to the story OF a child
to whom He never gave eyes to look upon
any of these beautiful thirgs
1t was on asunshiny morning, somewhere,
in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. that a
gentleman whom sea sickness had imnris.
oned IN his state room since the first roll of
the ship, took courage, from cup of coffee,
and the calmness of the sea, to crawl upon
deck. AS he stood at the head of the mar.
row stairway, cutching a rope to support
his toitering steps, he heard a glad Ghild's
laugh. Looking up, he saw little girl,
about tive years old, quite at her ease, on
the turning and rolling floor, trying TO Jump
rope with knotted end of ship-rigging,
which had been given her by an old sailor
The brisk breczs had frightened her
checks. and curled her l,wing hair in no
very orderly manner. Mr. l. thought OF
his own little daughter over tho ocean, and
his eyes filled.
Come to me, my dear' he kindly called
reaching his hand towards the child.
She stopped her playing, looked up as
though half frightened, baf astonished
and then began carefully to creep towards
the ontstretched hand. He lifted her to
his lap and kissed her coral lips.
Whose little girl are you, . be inquired
I'm nobody's htle girl, she replied, in a
touching tone. Only God takes care of
me, and sometimes Capt. -
How, where is your mammal
Mamma is in Burampooter, I'm not her
little girl any more. here q tear rolled
down her check. Pm going to New York,
she said. to be uncle's little girl. But
New York is great way off, isn't it, sir?
Not very long way, my child, you will
on see your unclep
4 cant see, SIR she said softly.
Mr.. l. started, and looked down into
those bright, dark. intelligent eyes. Alas
1t was too true! they were drrkrned win.
dows, through which the soul would never
look!
'Mttie! hey, Mite or ed a bluff voice,
as the captains varn,hei hat appeared
from behind the mast. 'iih, birdie, what
new nest have you found .
With start and bound, Mittie Jump.
ed into his rough arms, and laid her cheek
upon the shoulder of his shaggy coat sleeve.
Soho, shpmste, continued the cap
tain, addressing Mr. L. You are aoft at last
Nothing like stiff nor.wester for taking
the starch out Of your hndsfoIks, and he
laughed
But this little girl. Captain l., how
happens she to be alone On the wide world
of waters?'
Can't say returned the captain, with
a dubious shake of his shining hat. She's
a stray waif that picked up on the Liver.
pool docks, Don't know her belongings;
she was labeled for New York it seems -
| Her name what's the balance of it, sea
bird? ? he asked.
'Mitt Wythe Hamilton, lisped the child
who had already found her way back to her
bit of rope. and sat against the ships rail
ing, tossing up her hands at every new
dash Of spray. i WAS named for Uncle
| Wythe, and he told mamma to send me
Her face clouded for an instant then
frightened again in the sunshine.
Poor blind pet! 50 far as | can make out
the story from one thing and another, she
is the child of missionaries in Indie. Poor
creatures, they could no, bring her over
themselves and dare say she was getting
no good in that heathenish land; so it
seems they put her in charge of an Eng.
lIsh lady, name Ive forgotten. who ,et out
to join her husband, in Canada But she
sckened and died before the baraue Sally
reached England, and the poor thing was
left friendess and helpless What the
captain and mate were thinking of, don't
know; but they put the child on dry land,
with the baianc of the passengers, and set
sail without so much as looking up a New
York packet. Alone IN Liverpool, and it's
no place for blind child, sir, to say moth
my OF one that's got good eyes, found her.
amusing herself pretty much as you see
her now, with bi 5 of chips, Mt the corner
OF ship yard. How the creature had
lived ! can't say. I'll believe after this
shipmate, there's God in the sky, who as
she says, keeps watch over children; if be
don't over us grown up sinners 1t seems
she never wanted for berth nor a mess.
4 want to 60 to New York, she would say
To every stranger who spoke TO her. |
couldn't have left the little thing, but
don't know where | am taking her III
can't anchor her safely, I'll keep her fol
the first mate of the Down; hev. sea.brd q
What could you do with her in that ter
rlbe storm ot Cape Clear? shudder to
recollect that nightp
well. sir, while you were lying fast on
your back, and the rest of US were hurry
ing, hauling, and pulling hither and thith-
err, working for dear life against the wind
and waves, the pretty creature was rolling
about the cabin floor clapping her hands as
though she were in an apple tree swing
and found it capital fun! Nhen tumbed
down TO my locker for five minutes rest |
found her on her little knees. in her little
night wrapper, saying. Our Father and |
felt sure 10 storm would sink the ship with
her on it!'
Poor mother Of MItel how her heart
was wrung at sending her blind, trusting
child from her arms But her brother in
America had written, telling her that he
would provide for Mttie. poor sightless
MitIie who could learn little in that unciv
llized land. So. with many tears and pray.
ers. that missionary mother had packed her
Mlttip'a small trunE anH ,l...l H.. =.