The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-07-29


country. Wha, but mothers prayer guard
ed the hel plcss darling in her wanderngs
On arriving at New York Cap. L ard
Mr.. l. made inquiry everywhere for Mr.
Wythe. Directories were searched, streets
ransackcd and questions repeated hundreds
oil times to no purpose. No relative Of the
poor, blind Mtte could be found.
Leave her with mc.captain,' said Mr.,
Il am soon to return to London, but before
sailing will place her in an Asylum for the
blind, and see that she is comfortably cared
for
Instead, however, of placing Mittic in the
State Asylum Of New York, her friend took
her to southern city, where he had bust
ness connections. and left her in one of those
beautiful retreats which nature and art have
combined to adorn for those whose ewes tell
not night from day nor beauty from deformi-
ty.
Kind voices welcomed the little stranger
but they were voices she had never heard
nor hoped to hear. Fer the first time since
she sobbcd good bye on her mothers lap.
her hope and faith ialtered. She felt that
she was alone, and she Sourht where to cry
Had ;hc superintendent particularly inter
eSted himself in the child. he would have
found out her history, and probably have
sought some communication with her parents
But setting down her name as a charity
scholar, he forgot that size was not an orphan.
And Mr. l.: His sympa;lics had
been strongly enlisted, and he really intend
ed to find out the mystery. Bat he was 4
man Of the world and immersed in its busy
cares. Having placed a sum OF money for
her use in the hands of the director. with
permission to apply to HIM in any emergency.
he returned to his English home and only
remembered the blind child at moments
when his own laughing Carrie climbed into
his lap.
One among hundred children. Mi,ie was
well educated in all that The blind can learn.
She was taught how to real the Bible. from
which her mother had read to her hv pass
ing her fingers over the cUriou>,v raised lc:-
ters. She learned to sew, to braid, and To
write strange thougts that Young head used
to frame. f,r that unsteady hand 10 'ot DOWN
in its crooked wandcrings over the parcr-
She learned to sing the swcr: HYMNS of her
>chooima:cs and 10 touch for herself The KEYS
of the piano, whose melod.> had almost made
her fancy herself in Heaven, onl, that Size
had been told in Heaven she Should see Ike
other children. Sometimes. in her dreams.
she would find herself on a soft couch, with
strange perfumes and >ound> about her, aud
would feel warm tears dropping one hv one
on her forehead, while dear arm pressed
her closely.
Mother, dear mother" Mittie would cry.
and awak kc-to find no mother
Years had pa>Scd--whcn again ship was
nearing the forest of ma,t> in New York har-
Dor. On the deck sat a pale lad! in deep
mourning, with traces OF tears upon her
checks. Her children clung about her, with
wonder in their faces
Oh beautiful America the America you
have so often told us about cried a sweet
voiced Girl of twelve. Mamma, does it look
as it did when vou went away: y
Mamma, did You live in any of those great
houses
Mamma, plenty o! pagolas here = chin
ed in the Youngest boy, whose eye had taken
in the numerous church spires.
All spoke at once. but the mother answer
ed neither Her heart was too fall. She had
gone from that shore a happy bride, and
hopeful She was returning. a widow. broken
in health and spirits, to place her children
with her relatives, and then, as She believed,
to Law her bones in the tomb of her kindred
One hope only made her heart bound, and
her pale cheek grew palcr, as she looked on
that shore Of her nativity for the first time in
twenty years.
oh, God could sec all my children be-
fore die She taltcrcd.
Ipass over the scene of her landing and
welcoming to the house of her brother
will not stop to tell you how many wonders
the India born children found in American
city customs and sights, for must hasten to
the end ofmy story.
! 1T is impossible, sister, said her brother to
the pale lady one morning,in answer to some
expression. The child could never have
reached this country We never. YOU know.
have traced her farther than England, and if
she had been brought here, she could not
have failed to find me or her.
The widow sighed.
/ Gods will be done" she murmured But
it is hard to feel that nv little helpless inno-
cent-mv eldest born-was sent from me to
perish alone Often feel as if it could not
be-as ifshc were vet alive, and | should
find her at some day
Providcntially, as it proved, the mother
was led to search the catalogues ofvarious in
stitutons for the blind; but long in valn.-
At length she obtained circular from dis
tant city, and glanced over it indtierently'
50 often had she been disappointed. Her
heart sprung to her lips as she saw the name
of Meta W. Hamilton
Brother she gasped extending the paper
to him