The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-11-28

was
Arthur"
Arthur what ?"
Arthur -- Lamb" said he,
hesitatingly.
Have you father or mother liv-
ing 2" ] asked.
His eyes frightened, his voice quiv-
cred, as he exclaimed
ooh, have you heard from mother?
Is she alive 2"
And then tears which I hsd never
seen him shed before, ran liAo great
rain drops down his cheeks.
AS he became calm from suspense,
| told him | had not heard from his
mother, but that | had a paper /
wished him to read He took the adj
vertisament which I had cut from the
paper, and as he read he exclaimed
That is me That is me !"
And again tears and sobs choked
his utterance
/ assured him the advertisement was
all | could tell him about his parents,
and that as it requested information,
| desired to know what I should write
in reply. The advertisement directed
information to be sent to the Chris
! tian Advocate, New York
" Oh, do not write" said he, " it
will break poor mothers heart"
I told him that I must write--and
that it would be lighter blow to his
mothers feelings to know where he
was, than the terrible uncertainty that
must haunt her day and night. SO
he consented-and taking him TO my
room, | drew from him IN substance
the following story
His father was a respectable me-
chanic in an interior town in the State
of New York. That at the holding
of the State Agricultural Fair in his
native town, he got acquainted with
two strange boys, older than himself
who persuaded him to run away from
his home, and go to the West. He
foolishly consented, with high hopes
of happy times, new scenes, and great
fortune They came as far as Oieve-
land where they remained several days.
One morning the other two boys
came to his room early. and showed
him large amount of iewAlry which
they had won at cards during the
night. Knowing that he needed funds
to pay for bis board, they pressed him
to take some of it, for means to pay
his landlord. But before he had dis
posed of any Of it, they were all ar
rested for burglary, and as a portion
of the property taken from the store
which had been robbed, was found in
his possession, he too was tried, con-
victed and sentenced Tie had no
friends, no money, and dared not
write home-so hope sank within him
he resigned himself to his fate-nev-
er expecting to get out of prison or
see his parents again.
Upon inquiring of the two young
convicts who came with him on the
same charge, I learned that what Ar
thur said was true, and that his only
crime was keeping bad company
leaving his home, and unknoNingly
receiving stolen goods. Questioned
separately, they all told the same sto-
ry, and left no doubt in my mind of
the boys innocence.
Full of compassion for the unfortu-
nate little fellow, I sat down and wrote
full description Of Arthur, his con-
dition and his history, as I obtained
it from him; painting the horrors of
the place, the hopelessness of his be-
ing reformed there-even if guilty
and the possibility of his not living
out his sentence, and describing the
process to be used to gain his pardon.
This | sent according to the d rection
in the advertisement. But week after
week passed, and no answer CAME
The boy daily inquired if had heard
from his mother, until at last, hope
long deferred, made his heart sick, and
again he dropped and pined.
At length a letter came. Such
letter It was from Rev DR.. Bel
lows, of New York. He had been alb
sent to distant city, but the moment
tina good man read the letter, he re-
sponded The father of the boy had
become almost insane on account of
his sons long mysterious absence he
had left his former place of residence,
had moved from city to city, and from
town to town, and travelled up and
down the country, seeking the lost and
loved. He had spent the most of his
handsome fortune his wife, the boys
mother, was on the brink of the grave
pining for her first born, and would
not be comforted. They then lived
in Western city, whittier they had
]