Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-21
HITT1E, THE BLIND CHILD.
BY MARY IRVING.


children Those two bright, clear, happy eyee,
that He has given to drink in the pleasant sun
shine, the beauty Of the flowers, the glory Of
the rainbow, and the sweetness of your dear
mothers smile Listen, now, to the story OF o
child to whom He never gave eyes 10 look upon
any Of these beautiful things.
Ii was ON a snnshiny morning-somewhere
in the middle of the Atlantic ocean---that a
gentleman, whom feasickness had imprisoned
ii his state-room since the frat roll Of tho ship
took courage, from cup Of coffee and the
calmness of the sea, to crawl upon deck. AS
be stood at the head OF the narrow stairway,
cintching a rope to support his lettering steps,
he heard glad child's laugh Looking up, he
saw little girl, about five years old, quite at
her ease on the turning and rolling floor, try
ing to aiump rope with q knOtted end Of ship,
rigging which had been given her by IN old
sailor The brisk breeze had frightened her
cheeks and curled her flowing hair in no very
orderly manner. Mr. l.. thought of his own
little daughter over the ocean, and his eyes
led.
.sComs to me, my dear be kindly called,
reaching his hand towards the child.
She stopped her play, looked up, AZ though
half frightened, half astonished; and then be-
gan carefully To creep toward the outstretched
hand He lifted her to his lap and kissed her
coral lips
Whose little girl are YOU I" he inquired
Pm nobodys little girl tho replied, in q
touching tone I" Only God takes care OF me
and sometimes Captain -
"How, where IL your mammal
Mamma is in Barrampooter; Pm not her
little girl any more here q tear rolled down
her cheek I'm going to New York" she
ssid, to be uncles little girl But New York
is great way of, isn't it, SIR y
" Not very long way, my chlld-you will
soon see your uncle0
81 can't see, cir, she said softly.
Mr.. t. startled, and looked down into those
bright, dark, intelligent eyes. Alas it was
too true! they were darkened windows, through
wljch the soul could never look
1Mittie hey, Mittie ~ called bluff voice,
ss the captains vanished hat appeared from
behind the mast "Eb, birdie, what new nest
have You found ~
With start and bound, Mittie jumped
into his rough arms, and laid her cheek upon
the shoulder Of his shaggy coat sleeve.
"So-he shipmatev continued the captain,
addressing Mr.. l., "you are aloft at last
Nothiag like stiff nor woster for taking the
starch out Of your landsfolk" And he laughed
" But this little girl, Captain -, how hap.
pens she to BIO alone on the wide world Of
watsrs?V
"Can't saw returned the captain, with q
dubious shake Of his shining hat. "Shc's q
stray waif that picked up on the Liverpool
dockr. Don't know her belongings; she was
labelled for New York, il seems Her name
what's the balance Of IL, sea-bird ~ he asked
"Mitsie Wythe Hamilton lisped the child,
who had already found her way back ~ her
L. IL. .t.
tossing up hands at every new dash of spray
mamma te send me- Her face oIoudcd for an
instant, then frightened again in the sunshine
"Poor blind pet 80 far AZ ! can make out
her story from ono thing and another, che is the
child Of missionaries in India. Poor creatures,
they could not bring her oyer themselves, and
1 dare say she was getting no good in that
heatheniah land 40 It seems they put her in
charge Of an English lady, name I've forgotten,
who set out to JOIN her husband somewhere in
Canada. But she sickened and died before the
barque Sally reached England and the poor
thing wRs left friendless and helpless What
the captain and mate Of the Sally were think
ing Of, ! don't know but they put the child ON
dry land, with tho balance &c tho passengers
and fet sail without no much M looking up n
New York packet Alone in Liverpool and
It's no place fr a blind child, SIR, to say moth.
ing u one thaps got eyes found her, anu.
sing herself pretty much rs Jon see her now,
with bits of chiJs ut the corner Of ship yard
How tho creature had lived can't say. III
believe after this, rlipmate, there's God in the
sky, who AZ she sayr, kccps watch over chill
dren if He don't over us grown-up sinners
u seems she had never wanted for q berth MOI
. mces Il want to 20 to New York, she would
cay 70 every stranger who spoke TO her.
couldn't have left the little thing--but don'I
know whore I'm taking her II cant anchor
her safely, III keep her fr first mate Of the
Down; hey, sea-bird ~
What could You do with her in that terrible
Storm "a Cspo Clear ] shudder 10 rccollecI
that night
.WelI, sir, while you we're lying fiat on your
back, and the rest Of Us were hnrying, haul
ing and puIhng hithcr and thither, working fol
dear liis sgsinst the winds and wsves, the pref
~ creature was rolling about the cabin floor
clsrping her hands 90 though sho were IN %