The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-07-29
From the Little Pilgrim.
MITTlE. THE BLIND GIRL.
BY MARY IRVING.

dear children: Those two bright. clear.
happy eyes, that lie has given to drink in
the pleasant sunshine, the beauty of the flow
ers. the glory of the rainbow, and the sweet
ness OF your dear mothers smile Listen
now, to the story of a child to whom lie new
er gave eyes tc look upon any of these beau
tiful things
1t was on sunshiny morning somewhere
in the middle ofthe Atlantic Ocean-tliat Il
gentleman, whom sea sickness had confined
in his room since the first roll of the ship,
took courage, from a cup of coffee and the
calmneSS of The sea, to crawl upon the deck.
As he stood at the head fthe narrow stair
way, clutching rope to support his totter-
Ing steps, he heard clad child's laugh
Looking up. he saw little girl, about five
years Old. quite at her ease, on the turning
and rolling floor, trying to Jump rope with a
knottcd end of ship rigging. which had been
given her ly an old sailor The brisk breeze
flowing hair in very fantastic manner. Mr..
i thought of his own little daughter o.
yer the ocean. and his eyes filed
Come to ne. my dear ~ he kindly called
reaching his hand toward the child
She stopped her play, looked up as though
half frightened, half astoni>hcd: and then be-
gan carefully to creep towards the out>trctch-
ed hand. He lifted her up on his lap ard
kissed the coral lips.
Whose little girl are YOU he inquired.
I'm nobody'> little .irl' She replied in a
touching tore. Only Cod takes care of me
and sometimes Capt. -.
How, where is your mamma =
Mamma is in Burrampootcr; I'm not her
little Girl any more Here tear rolled down
her cheek. I'm going to New York., She
SAID to be Unclc's little Girl. But New
York is great way of, isn't il sir:
Not a very long way, my child-vou will
soon see Your uncle
Il can't see, sir. she said softly.
Mr.. l. started. and looked down into
those bright. dark and intelligent eyes
Alas it was too true they were da:kcncd
windows. through which the soul could never
look .
'Alittic hey. Mittie called bluff voice.
as the vanished hat of the captain appeared
behind the mast 'Eh birdie what new nest
have YOU found
With a start and bound, Mittc Jumped
into his rough armsand laid her cheek npon
the shoulder of his shaggy coat sleeve.
Soho. shipmatc, continued the captain,
addressing Mr.. =, 'you are aoit at last.
No,hin. like still nor wc>tcr for takin. the
starch out of YOU land>iolk and he laughed
But this littl. @irl Capt -. how hap
pens She on this wide worl' OF waters :
Cant say, returned the captain with a
dubious shake of his >hinin. hat. shes a
stray waif that picked up on the Liverpool
docks. She was labeled for New York, it
seems Her namc-what's the balance OF it,
sca-bird :: he asked
'Mittic Wy;hc Hamilton. liSpcd the child.
who had already found her way back to her
bit of rope and sat against the ships railing,
tossing up her hands at every new dash of
spray. Il was named for Uncle Wvthc, and
he told mamma to send me- Her face cloudcd
for An instant, then frightened again in the
sunshine.
Poor blind pet, so far as can make out
her story from one thing and another, she is
the child Of missionaries in India. Poor crca-
ture, dare say she was getting no good in that
hcathcnish land so it seems they put her
into the charge of an English lady. whose
name I've forgotten, who set out to join her
husband somewhere in Canada Bu; she sick
cned and died before the bark Sallc reached
England, and the poor thing was left friend
less and helpless. What the captain and
mate were thinking Of | don't know; but
they put the child on dry land with the bal
ancc OF the passengers, and set sail without
SO much as looking upa New York packet
Alone in l.iverpool-andits no place for a
bind child, to say nothing 0: one that's got
eyes-I found her amusing herself picking
up chips at the corner of ship-yard How
the creature had lived can't say. I'll be-
licvc after this, shipmatc, there's God in
the sky, who, as she says, keeps watch over
children if he don't over u. grown up psnners'
1t seems that she never wanted for berth
nor a mess. i want to 90 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 I'm taking her. If |
cant anchor her safely, I'll keep her for first
mate of the Down; cv,seabird:' -
What could YOU do with her in that terri
bic storm off Cape Clear: shudder to rec
ollect that night
We'll, sir, while you were lying flat on
your back, and the rest of us were hurrving
hauling and pulling hither and thither,w
ING for dear life against the winds and waves
the pretty creature wa. rolling about the cab
in tocr, ciapping her hands as though she
was in an apple tree swing, and found it capl-
tai fun. When tumbled down to my lock
er for five minutes rest found her on her
knees. in her little night: wrapper saying, Oar
Father and felt sure no storm would sink
the ship with her on it.
Poor mother of Mittie how her heart was
....,.a4. ~ conIinr hor hind fruSfInO cAilO