The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-04-23

'uih my cJc upoh hci lacc, ouSeGNdu
the captain, with half sigh, after mu.
singly gazing at the object of his re-
mark, during moment when she rested
from her childish pranks, and turned TO-
wards him look Of wondering limo.
cencc. but what do you call her ?"
he added, addressing himself more di.
rectly to the woman,
Mary"
Mary what ?"
MARY Lotion, to be sure" replied the
woman with queer, meaning expression
Why, you don't suppose this to be
my child, except by its coming into my
possession by finding as the lawyers say
in their writs,-do you ?" asked the cap
tain, in surprise.
"There arc others who will have it so,
at hny rate" answered the woman.
We'll, | hope you have not believed
them at least so far as to prevent you
from trying TO discover the mother, as |
requested YOU to do"
No, | have not believed them, for |
know your character, and have taken
much pains in cndcavorng to find out
the mother"
"And with what succcss7"
Little or none. No inquiries have
ever been made for the child and think
the mother, if not on irrctriovahly lost
character. must have left the island i'm
mediately-rcrhaps with some one of
the many families that COME to winter
here, from England or the American
coast perhaps she was herself foreign
er. and came here with them"
Probably you are right,-for an
abandoned woman | will never believe
her."
] hope she was not but whatever
was the mother, her babe has proved one
of the sweetest Of children. and las serv-
cd to supply in my affections, as far as
any child not my own could, the place
Of one lost few weeks before | took
her And besides, | should add; that
since the death Of my husband. that lap.
rOned tho year after, as you may have
heard, the liberal pay you authorized me
to draw on your trading house has been
a very great help to me; and hope you
will allow me still to keep your little
Mary for many years longer"
Certainly. and with many thanks to
you for the manner in which you have
discharged your duty to me aud to hu-
manitv.'
During Captain Loton's stay in the
city. he almost daily visited the child,
and soon accamc SO much attached to
her, that he took more pleasure than cv.
cr in recalling the incident which gave
him. as he ROW hcsitated not to call her.
his adopted daughter
During the following twelve wears, the
captain, once or oftcnor in each year re-
turned to Havana, and always provided
literally for the support and education of
his charge. And although it required,
with his own expenses. nearly all his
earnings, yet this was done without any
of that regret. that draw back of feeling.
which too often attends ostcnsive benc.
violence, and makes charity little less
than an abomination in the sight of
Heaven. For his heart was ever warm
with generous impulses, and never paus.
cd, while within the bounds or ordinary
prudence to call in the aid of arithmet-
ical calculation 10 measure is munif-
cence and he continued to manifest to.
wards the child of his voluntary adop
tion, the affection and Tenderness of a
parent. and took parents interest in
her welfare.
She had now arrived at the age of ff
teen an age which in that soft aud
qnickcnirg climate confcrs the maturity
Of womonLood, and more perfectly, per-
hars than fny other period, opens the
blossoms Of female beauty. Aud she
was esteemed as possessing an uncommon
share Of that more envied than cnviablc
gift unless united. as was happily the
case in the present instance, with good
sense and intelligence.
Captain Lotion, as may be supposed.
was not lirleVroud at the development
Of such qualities in whom lie sacrificed
SO much TO rear. Aud such was his at
tachment, that the rumor before men.
toned, that she Was lis natural daugh.
ter, gave place to another that lis must
hc other than parental affection and that
lac soon was to make her the partner If
his life. TIE rnmor at lcrgth reached
the cars of both, and on both it produced
the same effect that of aversion TO the
thought. at first. of beginning to look up
on each other in connection with so diff
fctept a relation from what they had ac-
customed themselves. But it was begin
hing to start a new train Of reflection in
the bosom Of each. They were begin
ming to ask themselves, why not ?n
And, though nothing on the subject had
passed between them, yet it is hard tell
ing what might have been the result but
for the unexpected incident which brings
us to the denoument of our little 70.
nance in high life.
The voyage of Capt Lotion, to which
this portion Of our tale refers, was com.
menced about the time of the setting in
of the northern winter, in new ship,
with remarkable fine accommodations,
which having become part owner, he
had contrived to have called the Mary"
in compliment to his fair pT0tcge,and not
without the half formed secret expecta.
tion, perhaps that the latter, might grace
her fair rooms, on her homeward pas.
sage. under a new aud more endearing
title.
On his arrival at Havana he found the
p1f.