Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-06-22
OLD SERIES.

mother. My father advanced.
what do you dare to bring here. you
shameless young rascal' l. this a place
-" lie broke down 90 angry that utter.
ancc was absolutely impossible. A, any
other time I should have shouted with
laughter at the lndier0u. spectacle be pro.
,entcd now only FASTENED to tell my
story. Ia n few moment, my mothers
arms were round ne. my sister and cousin
were eon,c,,ins a F,ri for possession Of
my baby. and my father recovered from
hi, rage sufficiently to welcome his only son
though did hear him gro-l through hi.
white beard, " ConioundSd 'poonsy."
advertised far and wide to no purpose.
but my baby grew so into the affections Of
all the household, tha, had no other steps
10 take. We named her Perdida, and
left her with my mother When I return
cd, year afisr year. found her grown more
healthy and pre,,ier, and sho each time
nanile'tsi an affection for me, charmiugly
lesitimaie-ior was she not my baby"
/ As such cherished her.
She wa, six year, old when lefi West
Point for active service. After ,ha. lcd
a wandorin. and adventurous Kind Of life
for years "by food and field" "My bl-
by" wrote me, at erst often. Her ir'. let
ter, were curious spOcimsns-hali.wriltcn,
halfprinted, and sometimes her meaning
eked out in the share Of rude drawings.
in those days she was charminslr personal.
do - anI SOL think 90 and SOL lovc
50 and So" But years changed her cali.
graphy. and, ala, the feelings Of her let
,.r Now in her charming sirlish char.
acters. stood. " Your mother does 20 and 30
or Your sister think, and loves " etc.
Ny mother wrote: Z" We can't call perdi.
da your baby any longer. She does not
PERM, th, title. and you, wSra you to seO
her. could scarce imagine tha, our fair
youn. queen was ever baby. | am too
old 10 he enthusiastic. but our darling I.
surely the lovlic-, vision these eyes have -r-
er rested on. She makes hearts ache. but
a. vet their pain !, vain. We tried 10 DO
- cautious but she has somehow learned
about her finding. and u j. bitter knowl-
edge TO the rroud little heart. IL may 10
that ,saks- her mel, only to ". Will you
never come hon. 10 see Us and her ?"
It va, In the spring Of the year 1886. |
Va. on my way home to America. An 81.
dsrly gentleman who had evidently been
soldier, occupied the ',aterom nsIt to mine.
A similarity Of taste and feeling broush,
u. much together during the voyage. ile
had been absent IRON thi, country many
years.
When 7 left it," said he TO me. I
meant never to return to the shore. tha,
had been aecur.ed 10 me. lost there my
wife and child under the crvele't circum-
stances, and could no, remain thought
then | could n.sr .e, again the spot tia,
had been 50 fatal to me. And yet return
now, impclled by some fsol'ng which | can
neither accoun, for. nor resist. dream {
am going TO see ny child sometimes, even
in ny waking moments, an fully eonIin.
ccd that shall end her."
" How" interrupted, in spite OF my
self; els no, your child dsad?'
Alas | do no, know"
You DO not know Old ,hi not die be-
fore you left Ameriea7"
"No. Thro. months a.o. should have
uil | wished she had. rather than live lost
10 me. exposed to a fate | 'huddcr to think
Of Now am hopeful. Mors-tru.tiul.
II seems to mo she Ia. been kept pure, and
that shall know her. And yet, haysn't
the shadow Of reason FOR such hope and
trust"
WI, OIcitcd-I compared the remsm.
brance OF the miniature on "my baby's"
slecv. chain with the figure before me. I
made him explain all. lie told me Of th,
ehild's birth, the delicate health Of bis wife
afterward, hls taking her to Cuba, lea'in.
the child IN, at he supposed, trus'y care,
death OF his vile at Havana, and while no
wa, still in the first anguish Of her loss,
news from the cblld. nurse Of its death, and
Of her speedy return to Ireland. lie came
to New York too late to find her. and left
America at onee-as he supposed forever.
ln Europe, years aftrward, he had me.
servant who had been with him during his
brief married life, and who declared to him
positively that b.. child was no. dead at, the
date on which the woman had written him;
but further than that, he could not say, a'
he had followed the fortunes Of another
master. The unhappy father sOnsbtyainly
for the woman. and now returned as last
means TO America. lie described the child.
nurss. IL was the woman who abandoned
her child in my arms, and tho face was the
changed, aged one OF Perdida's miniature.
Not many days thereafter, l restored to my
friend bis 50 early los, child, and sayc up
" my baby" to her rightful father.
Without pang' Yes. Did | eon'ol.
myself with the pretty cousin aforemen'
toned? She hadn't had patience to wait
that migh,-a husband and several olive
branches precluded that. How. then3
saw " my baby" a stately. radlantly beau
,irul woman. She called me Major -,
she treated me in the most precise and for.
nal way-ths utmost favor she bestowed
upon me, was tho slightest possible touch
Of the fu:crs as she badc good night. or
GOOD morning. and saw her hourly In her