Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-07-14
the helpless darling in her lonely wander

Oh arriving AT New otk, Captain -
and Mr.. l. made inquiry every where
for Mr.. Wythe. Directories we're searched
streets ransacked, and questions repeated
hundreds Of times, to no purpose. No rel.
ative of the poor blind Mitltie could be
found.
Leave her with me Captain said Mr..
! l., i am soon TO return to London, but
before sailing, | will place her in an Asy-
lum for the blind, and see that she is com
fortably cared for.
Instead, however, of placing Mittie in the
State Asylum Of New York. her friend
took her to n southern city, where he had
business connections, and left her in one of
those beautiful retreats which nature and
art have combined to adorn for those whose
eyes tell not night from day, nor beauty
from deformity.
Kind voices welcomed the little stranger.
but they were voices she had never heard
nor hoped to hear For the FIRST time since
she sobsed good.by on her mothers lap,
her hope and faith faltered. She felt that
she was alone in the world, and she sought
out corner to cry Had the superintcn-
dent particularly interested himself in the
child, he would have found out her history
and probably have sought some communi
cation with her parents. But setting down
her name as a charity scholar, he forgot
that she was not an orphan.
And Mr.. l.? Ills sympathies had
been strongly enlisted and he really inten.
ded to find out the mystery. But he was
a 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 emer-
gency, he returned to his English home and
only remembered the blind child of the
voyage, at moments when his own laugh
ing Carrie climbed to his lap.
One among hundred children, Mittie
was well educated in all that the blind can
learn. She was taught how to read the
Bible, from which her mother had read to
her, by passing her small fingers over the
curiousIy raised letters.
! She learned to sew, to braid, and to write
str nge thoughts shat her young head used
TO frame, for that unsteady hand to set
down in It's Oanderngs over the paper.
She learned To sing sweet hyms of her
school mates, and tn touch for herself the
keys OF the piano, whose melodies had al.
most made her fancy herself in Heaven,
only that she had been told that in Heaven
she would see li,e other children Some
times, in her dreams she would find her
sell on soft couch, with strange perfumes
and sounds about her, and would feel warm
tears dropping one by one on her forehead,
white dear arm pressed her closely.
"Mother-dear mother" Mttie would
! cry-and wake to hn1 no mother
Years had passed-when again ship
was nearing the forests of masts in New
York harbor On the deck sat a pale mel
ancholy, lady, in deep morning, with ira.
ces upon her cheek. Her children clupg
to her, with wonder in their faces.
"Oh, beautiful America-the America
goa have have so often told us about"
cried "a sweet voiced girl of twelve.
"Mamma, does it look as it did wher you
went awav?"
Mamma, did you live in any of those
great houses?"
Ma, ma plenty Of Pogodas here o chin
ed in the youngest boy whose eye had ia.
ken in the numerous church spires. All
spoke at once but the mother answered nei-
ther. Her heart was too full She had gone
from that shore happy bride and hope
full; she was returning, widow, broken in
health and spirits, to place her children
with her relatives, and then, as she be.
lleved, TO lay her bones in the tomb of her
kindred. One hope only made her heart
bound, and her pale cheek grew paler, as
she looked on that shore of her nativity for
Tie FIRST time twenty in years
ooh God could see all my children be-
fore die she faltered
pass over the scene Of her landing, and
welcome to the house of her brother. will
not stop to tell you how many wonders the
Indian born children found in America city
customs and sights; for l must hasten to
the end Of my story.
1T is impossible, sister, said her brother
to the pale lady, one morning in answer to
sume expression. The child could never
have reached this country. We never, as
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 fcei that
my little he pless innocent-my eldest born
was sent from me to perish alone Often
| feel as if it could not be-as if she were
yet alive, and | should find her some day.
Provdentally, as it proved, the mother
was to search the catalogues of various in
situations for the blind. not long in vain.-
At length she obtained circular from
distant city,and glanced over it indfferently,
SO often had she been disappointed. Her
heart sprung to her lips as she saw the
name Meta w. Hamilton
Brother she gasped, and extended the
paper to him.
lie looked and shook his head. I'm
afraid you are expecting too much, my poor
sister Matilda, was your darling's name,
and then how should she stray to that far
off corner of the United States?' But the
mothers hope was stronger than her fears
She scarcely ate or slept, weak though she
was, until she reached the southern city
whose name the catalogue had borne
Hamilton? yes we have pupil by that
name Feulied the hand sunerintendent in