St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-05-24

not permit the title, and you, were you to
see her, could scarcely imagine that our
fair young queen was ever baby. am
too old to be enthusiastic, but our darling
is surely the loveliest vision these eyes
have ever rested on. She makes hearts
ache, but as yet their pain is vain. We
tried to be SO cautious; but somehow she
has learned about her finding, and it is bit
ter knowled &c to the proud little heart.
1t may be that that makes her melt only to
us. will you never come home to see US
and her ?"
It was in the spring Of the year 1856.
l was on my way home to America. An
elderly gentleman, who had evidently been
soldier, occupied the state-room next to
mine. A similarity of taste and feeling
brought us much together during tho voy-
age.
He had been absent from his county
many years.
"When I left it" said he to me, meant
never to revisit the shores that had been
accurscd to me. lost there my wife and
child under the cruclest circumstances :;
and could not remain. l thought then
I could never see again the spot that had
been so fatal to me. And yet I return
now, impelled by some feeling which can
neither account for nor resist. I dream
that I am going to see my child-somc
times, even in my waking moments, ali,
fully convinced that shall find bcr"
"How," I interrupted, in spite of my.
eelf; ''is not your child dead?''
"Alas I do not know
"You do not know! did she not die be-
fore you left America ?'
"No. Three months ago should have
said I wished she had rather than live lost
to ME exposed to fates l shuddcr to think
of: Now 1 am hopeful. More-trusttu].
1t seams to me she has been kept pure,
and that I shall know her. And YETI =
and he sig ghed heavily-"I haven't the
shadow Of reason for such hore and
trust"
was excited-I compared the rcmcm-
b'ance Of the miniature on "my baby's"
sleeve chain with the figure before me. I
made him explain all. He told me of the
chi]d's birth, the delicate health Of his
wife afterward, his taking her to Cuba
leaving the child in, as he supposed, trus-
ty care, the death cf his wife in Havana,
and while he was yet in the first anguish
Of her loss, news from his child's nurse of
its death, and of her speedy return to Ire
land. lie comes to New York too late to
find her, and left America at once-as he
supposed forever. In Europe. years after
ward, he had met servant who had been
with him during his brief married life, and
who declared to him positively that his
child was not dead at the date on which
the woman had written him; but farther
than that he could not say, as he had FOL-
lowed the fortunes of another master. The
unhappy father sought vainly for the wo-
man, and Eow returned as last means to
America. He described the child's ;>"rsc.
1t was the woman who had abandone. =.
child in my arms, and the face was e
changed, aged one of Pcrdida's miniature.
Not many days thereafter restored to my
friend his so-early lost child, and gave up
''my baby" to her rightful father.
Without pang? Yes. Did I console
myself with the pretty cousin aforemen-
toned She hadn't had patience to wait,
that l mi ght-a husband and several olive
branches precluded that. How, then?
saw "My Baby" stately, radiantly,
beautiful woman. She called me Major
-, she treated me in the most precise
and formal way-the utmost favor she be-
slowed upon me was the slightest possible
touch Of the fingers as she bade me good
night or good-morning, and I saw her
hourly in her idolizing fathers arms law
ishing the tenderest caresses upon him.
Would l have it otherwise? No. There
was dearer delight in the reserve with
which l was trcated-the faintcst flush
that colored her check W en- was near
her, or addressed her, anil i::,r me an mex
pressible swct tncss tia. wouldn't have
bartered for augh: en- earl! short of what
l eventually obtained. What: y"u dent
mean that you, scarrc,! old veteran of
between thirty and forty, darr,!-l,idn't
l? Hum! And this was Tie way Of it.
In my military capacity 1 was invited to
West Point. [ went, and my friend and
his daughter accompanied me. l sat be-
side her in the cars. The happy old gen.
tleman, at little distance, read diligently.
I said:
"Perdida you have travelled this route
before with me do you recall this scenery
at all p 'zt....3 ".- ....~.
| She blushed scarlet, and looked at me
beseechingly.
went on.
ITO think what heavy, hungry, un-
pacifable baby / carried that day, and the
way that poor Cadets humanity was ridi-
4 culedW
The tears started, and the young lady at
my side bowed her naughty head: 81 !
1 @"And the worst feature in the case is
that he has never had any suitable recon-
pense. A good deed is its own reward to
a certain degree Of course but in case