The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-02-08
THE HIDDEN HAND.
BY EMMA D. f. N. SOUTHwORTH
AUTHOR OF THR BRIDE OF AN EVENING" THE DESERTED
WIFE," ETC, ETC, ETo.

WIFE," ETC. ETC, Ero.
Have you not got through" asked the man at
the door, rapping impatiently.
"'No, no. said |, as directed.
"He resumed his tramping up and down, and |
went back to my patient. She beckoned me to
come close, and whispered
I" Save my child the living one / mean hide
her! oh, hide her from him! When he demands
the babe, give him the poor little dead ope-he
cannot hurt that And he will not know there was
another. Oh! hide and save my child
Marster, was used to queer doings, but this
second child in order to it, it necessary to
stop its mouth, for it was s9ualling like wild cat
So took vial of paragoric from my pocket and
give it drop, and it went off to sleep like an
angel. wrappedit up warm and lay it along
with my shawl and bonnet, in dark corner
Just then the man wrapped again.
"sNo, bring Ne the babe he said
81 took up the dead infant. Its mother kissed
its brow and dropped tears upon its little cold face
and l carried it to the man outside.
"'Is it asleep? the villain asked me.
"Yes, marster,' said ], as put it, well wrapped
up, in his arms, very sound asleep
$3.50 much the BETTER said the knave, walking
away.
81 bolted the door and went back to my patient
With her free hand she seized mine and pressed it
to her lips, and then held up her left hand
pointed to the wedding ring upon her third finger.
" Draw it off and keep it,, she said; conceal the
child under your shawl, and take her with you
when you go save her and your fortune shall be
made
al declare, marster, hadn't time to think, before
heard one of them wretches rap at the door.
"'Come! get ready to CO. he said.
"She also beckoned me. | hastened to her.
prayed me to take her ring and save her child
"'But you said I-'who is to attend your
'''1 do not know carel Save herr
'The rapping continued. l ran to the corner
Yhnrn had I
made sort of sling around my neck Of the silk
handkerchief, opened a large part of it like
hammock and laid the little sleeping babe there
Then folded my big shawl around my breast and
nobody any the wiser. The rapping was very i'm
patient.
''I am coming said l.
"'Rememberp whispered the poor girl
az will said l. and went and opened the door,
There stood tother villain with his head covered
with black Grape. | dreamt of nothing but black
headed demons for six months atterward.
"'Are you ready? says he.
"'Yes, your worship, says.
"'Come along, then
"And binding another silk handkerchief round
my eyes, he led me along.
"lnstead OF my mule carriage stood near the
horse block.
"'Get in says he holding the pistil to my ears
BY way of an argument.
81 got in. He jumped up upon the drivers seat,
and we drove like the wind. In another direction
from which we come, in course for there was no
carriage road there. The carriage whrled along
at such a rate it made me quite giddy. At last it
stopped again. The man in the mask got down and
opened the door.
"'Where are you taking me-? saysI.
"'Be quiet says he 'or - and with that he
put the pstil to my cheek, ordered me to get out,
. take the bandage from my eyes, and walk before
him. did so and saw dimly that we were in a
part of the country that was never at before
We were in dark road through thick forest
On the left side of the road, clearing stood an
old house; dim light was burning in a lower
window.
"'Go in there said the W illain, putting the MIS-
til to the back of my head As the door stood ajar
| went into narrow dark passage, the man all the
while at my back. He opened a door on the left
side, and made me go into a da room. Just then
the unfortunate child, that had been moving rest
lessly began to wall! Well it might poor starved
thing!
whats that?" says the miscreant, under bis
breath and stopping short
60 1T amt nothing, SIR says |, and hush-h-h to
the baby. But the poor little wretch raised a
squall.
,"What is the meaning of ths?' says he Where
did that child come from? Why the demon don't
you speak? and with that he seized me again by
the scruf of the neck and shook me.
"'Oh, Master, for the love of heaven don't, says
l, this is only poor, unfortunate infant as its
parents wanted to get outen the way, and hired me
to take care on. And | have had it wrapped up
under my shawl all the time 'cept when l was in
your house, when put it to sleep in the corner.
"'Humph and you had that child concealed
under your shawl when first stopped you in tn e
woods?
"In course marster,' says |.
"'Whose is it?
"'Marster,; says l. 'its-it's dead secret for |
haddent another lie ready.
''He broke out into a rude, scornfu laugh, and
seemed not half to believe and yet not to care
about questioning me too closely. He made me
sit down then in the dark, and went out and turned
the key on me. wet my finger with the paragoric
and put it to the baby lips to quiet its pains of
hunger. Then heard a whispering in the next
room. Now my eyesight never was good, but to
make up for it believe had the sharpest ears that
ever was and don't think anybody could have
heard that whispering but me. l saw little glim-
mer of light through the chinks that showed me
where the door was, and so creeped up to it and
put my ear to the key-h Still they whispered
sharp ones. They talking about selling some
woman and child | should av been oneasy if they
hadn't called the woman Kate. Ny william offered
'em for fifty dollars, but tother william wouldn't
give cent He told my william, as he called Cap
tain, that he'd take em off his hands and no more.
And then they threatened each other and went
out O. my hearin'. And in the mornin' the will
lain came and took me and the child off in susy
and drove down a long way to the beach, and
hailed vessel the river and took us aboard and
sold US to the captain right afore my eyes, and
then went ashore, and we carried off out to sea
though l cried, and splained, and spostulated all
the time.
"Now, sir, come strange providence, which the
very thoughts of it mi ght convert heathen We
had been to sea about five days when dreadful
storm riz. / tell you, marster, that looked like the
wrath of God! Ihugged the baby to my breast
and went to praying as hard ever l could pray.
presently l felt awful shock, as if Heaver
and earth had come together, and then everybody
screaming, She's struck! She's struck l felt tht
vessel trembling like live creetur, and the water
pouring in everywhere. l hugged the babe anc
scrambled up the companion way to the deck. L
pitch dark, and heard every man rushing to
ward one side of the vessel.
Aaob of lphtp fbaf,r
bright as day again, showed me that they wer
all taking the boat. / rushed after, calling t,
them to save and the baby. But no one seemed
to hear me; they were all too busy trying to saw
themselves and keep others out of the boat, an,
cursing and swearing and hollering that there wa
more room-that the boat would be swamped
and so on. The end was, that all who could GROVE
into the boat did so. And me and the baby and
poor sailor lad and the black cook were left behint
to perish.
''But, marster, it turned out, we as was left t,
die, were the only ones saved! We watched afte
that boat with longing eyes, though we could onl,
we it it was farther off. At last, marster
fash of lightning showed us the boat far off a
ever could see her. capsized and beaten hithe
snd thither by the wild waves-its crew had per
ished.
"Marster, as soon as the sea had swallowed VI
that wicked captain and crew, the wind died away
the waves fell, and the storm lulled-just as if
had done what it was sent to do and was satisfied
The wreck-where we poor forlorn ones stood-th
wreck that had shivered and trembled with ever
wave that struck it-until we had feared it woul
break up every minute, became still and firm on il
sand bar, as house ON dry land
daylight at last. And little af:e
sunrise sail bearing down upon u.s. w
could not signal the sail, but by the mercy of Prov
dence she saw us and lay to, and sent off boat, an
picked up and took board-me and tn
baby, and the cook and the sailor lad.
at foreign vessel and we could not under
stand a word they said, nor they u.s. All we coul
do was by signs. But they were very good to u
dried our clothes and gave us breakfast, and mad
us lie down and rest; and then put about and cor
tinued their course. The sailor lad-Herbert Gre,
son-soon found out and told me they were bo oun
for New York. And, in fact, marster, in about te
days we made that port.
"Well, marster, ! amt gwine to bother yo
with telling you of how toiled and struggle
along in that great city-frst living out as a Sc
want, and afterwards renting a room and taking
washing and ironing-aye! how toed and stru:
gled-for-ten-long- hoping for the tim
to come when | should be able to return to tn
neighborhood, where was known, and expose tt
evil deeds of them williams, and for this cause
have lived on toiliug and struggling, and layin
ND money penny by penny.