Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-09-17
A Romance Of Baltimore

4 The Baltimore correspondent of the Charles
ton Courier relates the following suggestive
and pretty romance: =.
A little incident characteristic Of good for
tune, flowing from economy, prudence and per-
severance, came within range of my notice
during the recent year, which, if properly por-
trayed, may serve to emulate others. The
story is yet unwritten. will endeavor to pre-
sent it briefly. Less than q semi-decade ago
there might have been seen in our city, seated
at some public corner Of crowded street, a
young, pOorly-clad Italian woman, with small
rosy-faced, black-eyed child in her arms
Beneath dishevelled hair and sunburnt face
could be discerned lineaments of beauty, hight
ened into sympathetic attraction by the sweet
smile OF innocence. Though the garments Of
mother and infant were coarse and tattered,
yet cleanliness and an air of neatness always
told that careful hand adjusted them. Day
after day, yerging far into evening shades,
passed, giving place to new morrows, and still
this apparently forsaken pilgrim Of the italian
cline sat at her post amid the moving, busy
throng, modestly begging a sustenance for
herself and her tender offspring.
A year had made its revolution and still she
was there, constant, unchanged, except to q
brOwner hue. The babe grew; its full eyes
Frightening into sweeter expression, while
waves of sunlit happiness now and then IL
lumined the mother bosom. Another annual
appeared. The lonely place that knew them
once found other occupants. Time passed,
and they were forgotten. The sequel, how
ever, has recently come to my knowledge
Some days ago there appeared in our metrop-
oils an opulent Southern merchant. He came
to purchase goods and pay cash for a bill Of
several thousand dollars. "Who is my strange
though fortunate customer" inquired the
gentleman with whom he dealt. {" L will tell
you, replied the stranger. 81 know you,
but you have not the same advantage with
me, excepting my name. am the husband
of that poor beggar-woman who sat in your
streets with an infant in her arms, and to
whom you often-very often-as she has since
told me, gave aims. We came to America
young but poor, and L think honest. L sought
for employment, and could find nothing to do
From the little my good Signora had saved 1
bought hand-organ, and set out On a musical
expedition. l made tour, passing through
several States, going far West and SOuth-was
gone many months and ground my organ all
the time, while Signora still maintained herself
upon charitable donation finally returned
to Baltimore with three hundred dollars found
my wife and little one and we departed for the
South-locating in Virginia, commencing bust
ness in small way, fortune smiled on US, and
We are now the owners and occupants Of a COM
Portable home, possessing wealth, abundance,
and happiness"
Such is in substance the story of these parties,
founded upon facts still cognizsnt to many
who still recollect them. 1t is a striking COM
mentary upon the unfsiling virtue Of persever-
ance, and shows what can be accomplished
even under the most adverse circumstances
Only few days ago this now enviable mer-
chant was in our city, purchased goods to the
amount of several thousand dollars, and paid
for them in cash.