The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-02-01

'', o"t A"etle nau no luea wnaG thought
occupied the mind of her solicitous mother.
After releasing her prize from the barb Of
the hook, she turned towards her mother,
10 show her the fish she had caught by
stratagem, but, seeing tears in her eyes
instead Of smiles op her face, she exclaim
ed with sudden emotion,
"fou are in tears because caught the
little fish, you gave me the hook and since
I've beon lucky, you weep"
"Oh, no." says she " | was COMPARING
IN my mind, the resemblance of this fish
to many poor deluded creatures in this
world"
"uow is that, motner," at the same
time drawing nearer to her; please ex-
plain to met"
My dear child, did you not vainly try
by fair means to take your little victim;
yet, so soon as you placed the artificial
hy IN his reach, he became an easy
prcy!"
1t did not know that the sharp hook
would pierce his mouth and hold him
fast"
No, dear; it was deceived by appear
ances' and became entrapped, like many
silly girl, who will not listen to the die :at9s
of reason and good sense, but rush heed
less on, allured by fantasy until they are
ruined"
Mettie looked steadfastly at the philos-
ophic old lady, while she thus spake, then
turning suddenly around she hid her face
her apron to conceal her tears. The
thought that her own existence was en-
veloped in obscurity, and perhaps, in dis
grace, drew from her sparkling, yet love-
speaking eyes, food Of tears.
She had been playing with her hook a
minute before, and the old dame observinp
her change oftemperame t, supposed that
the point had jagged her finger, or was
fastened in her dress, she eagerly en-
quired:
Have you hurt your finger, or torn
your dressi Z"
"No, mother" replied the sensitive
maid; 81 was struck with your language
and could not restrain my anguish"
"Poor innocent! did not mean that
you could ever be deiuded. You love
your old mother too dearly to let trifes
win you from her humble cottage-home." !"
Yes, mother, wish to live with YOU.
II you die before do, think that al.
most would jump into the river. The
subject always gives me pain but what
affected me in your remarks, was, that
knew | was not your daughter. You
bound inc within your enclosure, took me
in AMI nourished me-, and have been
kind mother ever since. ] kn?w all this.
You told me Of it often, and never cdn
forget it. Still, l have true mother
somewhere. could not have been placed
at the spring road by chance; and per-
haps, if she be living still, thinks often of
her babe, she so unnatLrally left to for
tunes protection. This lockct tells me
have father and a mother, their hair is
here, and these letters surely stand for
her namc. | have studied hard to find
a name to suit, but do not know many,
and cant bo certain that I'm right Or
wrong"
An child | ali .s ignorant as you
are. | have enquirsd Of every body if
they have hearl Of any one who had lost
child or whether any travellers had
been robbed or murdered in the noun .
tainS, about the tine first discovered
you"
"Oh! IN m1ther!" said the startle maid
EN-, "are there robbers in the moun-
tains Z"
"There is banl Of these outlaws in
the Western States anl in Tennessee, who
infest tho moun!ains. they are spread
over the States, and part Of thoir clan
may be in these very hills."
"D1 let us return to thc house. ain
afraid they might come here now, and
take US. They might take my locket,
and am sure it would nearly make me
frantic"
al have lived here long time" replied
the dame, firmly, and no one has'eIer
molested me yet; but you have one Ash,
anyhow, and We win 20 u the house."
Accordingly they directed their steps
towards the house. bus Mettie was not
30 gay as when she SAILED out on this ex-
cursion, although she was grati6el in
having made conquest Of a spotted
trout. -