Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-04-18
= pca, I,fe---A Touoh,ng story.

,rbo od;,or of the Chicago Times having been on
orth side of that city 10 friend, was recent
revented from reaching bis home, IN consequence
y steam.tug having passed up the river with a
u OIL Acct Of vessels in tow one OF which had been
LOST off and hauled in just west OF the bridge, leav-
Ca. tho O. draw" still open. While waiting he wit
npssed the following scene:
Tho vasse we have mentioned was moored or made
ft outside of several canal boats; and as we stood
Locking at the men upon her, one of them approach.
"a n female who had been crouched upon deck and
SIdrpesinp her. pointed to the shore, then to the
5idoe. and then down toward the thronged and busy
streets of living, moving, headlong Chicago she
ose picked up a small bundle, from which she drew
forth coin which she rendered to The hardy sailor.
lIo rnfnsed it. whatever it was and lending her a
hand he helped her from the vessel 10 the dock and
Won, the dock M 10 the bridge By this time large
crowd of persons thron ged the north end of whe re
tbe bridge would be if it always bridge; and
IN contemplate. the new faces and the representa-
tves of the various classes there assembled, we had
almrst forgotten the incident we have related. Our
ttpDtion was called from the vain endeaVor to dis
pover some cessation OF tugs gong up and Gown,
and briggs and schOoners pulling IN and out, by hear
inc most audible sob from one near u.s. It
vas not the sob of childhood caused by some sudden
change from gayety to grief it was the sob Of some
naturer breast, filled with sense of loneliness and
DESPAIR |. reached other than ours.
A lady dressed in a manner which bespoke wealth
thai could crafty taste and elegance, and who, like
ourselves was detained at that place, stood near ac-
cennanied by three children, whose desire to get at
the extreme edge Of the platform she with difficulty
rppressed With a wOman's tenderness, her heart
recognized the stifed ebulliton OF sorrow and ap-
proachng the person from whom il came who was
none other than the woman we had just seen land
fon The vessel, she quietly, and in that soft sweet
voice of wOman which none can resist, inquired if
she stood in need, or was she i'll, her sorrow
such that she could not be relieved A portion of
the railing vacant, and toward that and
almost at side these TWO women came to converse
The stranger fair, handsome girl OF about
eneen years neatly but coarsely dressed with shoes
not only well worn but heavy, and unsuted as mach
for her sex for the he poor girl, in
honest simplicity, and with earnestness which de-
spar alone can mpart, related her history, unn!er-
rupted by a single observation from her companion
but often accompanied by the tears of both We
have not space for it at length, hut will give it,
changing lis order just enough 10 enable us to state
it briefly.
She said that she was born in Boston she had no
brother or sister now; she remembered that she had
a sister, the oldest, whose name Lizzie that sis
ter years ago. against her fathers will had married.
and with her husband, having been baushed from
her fathers sight, had gone off and had not been
heard OF slnCe-no COubt was dead Al the time of
her SISTERS marriage her parents were wealthy. The
pride which drove away LIZZIE had brought silent re-
grels, and after awhile came mela nchoy complain
Dg8 by the mother signing for the embrace of her
at home, and dissipation by the father abroad. Loss
Gs care upon them, and at last, gathering the few
remaining goods they possessed they left the proud
city of their birth, and settled five years ago upon
land purchased of the Government in Wisconsin,
Her brothers, elder and some younger than her.
self, one by one dropped and died; and soon the
MOTHER calling in agony upon her long eXed daugh-
Ter, Oined her boys in happier cline None were
now left but the father and this poor girl. He too
was humbed and stricken by the slow but certain
disease which lights up the cheek and fires the eye
with the trlancy of health, when its victim
is on the confines Of eternity.
He would sit and tell to his surviving child the
acts of winning love and sacrificing devotion which
had made his Lizzie the very object of his life. He
would talk of her sweet smiles and happy DISPOSE
lion, until memory would lead him to the hour when
be bid her 20 depart, and not let him see her face
again His decline was rapid, and this lone child
saw the flowers which the warmth of Spring had
called from the soil Of her mothers grave disturbed
uproOted and thrown aside, that his ashes might
mingle with those of the mother of his children.
At his death he charged her pay off, far as she
might be able, the debts incurred to procure the ne
cessares of life The land, which from want of cul-
tue, bad not increased in value, sold, and left
her but few dollars These she expended in rear
ing some boards to mark the spot where ste had
seen buried, after another her beloved kinIreG
She had heard Of Chicago. She had heard that in
this city there were Offices where strangers wishing
employ ment could find work. She had on foot ira
yeled many miles, until she reached Milwaukee, and
thence by the Kindness of a poor sailor who had
seen her day after day on the dock, watching the
steamers depart, had inquired and asccrtained that
she wished TO come hither, but had not the money
lie brought her TO Chicago on his own vessel and
had told her that by crossing the bridge she could
md one OF those places where situations given
TO worthy applicants.
Such was her story. She had mentioned no name
except that of father, mother and the very endear
! anne latte of brother GEORGE Willie &c Roth
Of the women crying bitterly. The fashionably
dressed lady turned her face toward the river, that
her tears at such a crowded and unusual place might
not be observed. She requested US to take her two
boys-GeOrge and Willie she called them-by the
hand, 10 keep them from danger and then putting
her hand around the neck Of the poor wandering Or
phan stranger, said:
You are ma oqcn sister. am Liaaie"
These two beings, children of the same parents,
how different have been their paths, and how deep
their suffrrngs We have seen them together in
, "LzNes" carriage, driving along Lake street.
They doubtless as happy their bereavements.
relieved only by the consciousness of duty faithfully
Performed can permit. But while the suffering of
that father and mother may be family known from
the story of the daughter, what must have been the
mental agony OF that other daughter, unkindly ban
lshed from her mothers side, and driven out into the
world without fathers blessing? What must have
been her grief when her letters written from pros
porous city, from The house of her wealthy and kind
husband, telling them of her success and the birth OF
her children, were unnoticed and unanswered She
must have felt indeed that the hearts of that father
ana mother, her sisters and brothers, must have been
hardened against her We will say no more. That
scene will live in our memory while remem-
VET the molly love OF father, mother and kindred.
A PRoDIGY.-A quaint looking fellow, haiIiny from
Down East, passed through this village yesterday
en- route tor Texas He is described to have bpen