Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-08-01
RAE uIrY.

dered "a gin to aiy one who wolli cspt it. This
rev speoes oil maTketery xss nothing nore nor lees
than baby four or ise weeks oil. 1t was borne In
the arms OF is mother, who seemed 70 be not more
than fifteen years Of aga She was qli,e handsome,
but her worn raiment and anxious lsok told bus too
plainly tka she was Ks unhappy victim OF fxtiems
want and srf ring Tia nov.l mode OF dsposing Of
an Infant very naturally attracted the Attention Of the
market people. At fret crowd Ct boys assembled
aioui the youog mother. The excitement sSon tx-'
tended to the grown people, and in little while the
whole mass Of buyers and SELLERS who tkrcnged the
market were drawn into it. The yonng mother offered
her tender offspring to every lady shs met but no
seemed willing to aecsptt At length she encountered
an old negro woman who snuounc.d Ter readiness to
take IT, The child was about being ielveted to
her when three young lad es interpOs They we're
sister,, NJ s,e, B...., and their co'sn, Mis- H....
These ladies' savssd the mother sgsinst this umnaiy
trsnaer OF her child 10 an irrsponsbl' and uk0own
negro The mother thanked the ladies for their kid
interest in ths i'd and solicited their aid In securing
better deposition of Is stating that sic was In tuch
necessous condition that il would surely perish she
kept it. IL required no argument 10 convince the
ladies' Of the Of this representation They
determ ned therefore, to endeayor to find home tor
the iunoeent little sufferer. Taeir first Effort was 10
remove the mother and child from the noisy and rest
less crowd that pretssd atund them. They accord
iasly went to q neghbofDg Orphan Asylum. ter
ing that institution, and su nmo-ing the manager they
seated themselves and heard the story of the unforu
nate mother Il xas sad in the eme and could not
but move the soutes heart TO pity. The young ladies'
petit ned the Asylum to take the shild But they
told that the rules Of tie aetllicn prohibited the re-
ceptiou of any one under two yesrs old, and ths the
manager tad no authority to disregard the regulation
This was a source of great disappointment and en-
barasnent to the young ladies. They knew not what
further steps to take. At this point lady entered the
establishments 1t was Mrs. Processes, who lived near
by She had been attracted by the orosd which had
followed to The Asylrm and which filed the street and
hung round tie door. When she heard the pitiahle
story of the poor mother aud child she proposed 70
take charge Of the infant temporarily until some eeh-
mite arrangement could be made. The proposition was
j1yfully accepted ard the ladies, together with the
mo her and child, adjourned 10 the house OF hra.
P. There the distressed mother repeated her
SD story more 10 detail IL may be tus briefly stated
She and her brother were the only children OF a.
widow in North Carolina. About year ago she wsa
sent to Richmond be placed al school, She came In
company with her brother, who had been home on fur
Tough. Ca reaching Richmond, she made the acquAnt-
aace OF soldier en- detail duty here. Ia few days
they were anied This against the advice Of her
brother, who went on to his command, and has since
been killed. The marriage proved an unhappy ons.--
Her husband finally went away, he said to the army.
His departure did not like final abandonment Of
her bat she heard nothing from him, shs felt her
self forsaken. She supported herself best she could
by sewing. Having no friends or acquaintances, she
fouad great difficulty in obtaining work but, before
the birth Of her child, she managed to strug-
gle along and keep soul and body together. Now
that $40 had child, she. was reduced 10 utter
dsstuion Sac could 70. leave her child to hunt for
work, and knew no one to whom che could appeal tor
aid The enemy had 60. possession Of that part Of
North OAro na where her mother lived, and she knew
not what had become of her. Size was therefore driven
to the desperate necessity of asking to relieve
her of her child that she could renew her daily toll
for her own existence. The OILY semblance Of home
abe he'd was small room which she had been fortunate
epoueh to GET for tn time being, free of charge For
this she was thankul-uncomfort and miserable
was She had recently heard that her husband wrs
killed in one Of the battles around Richmond; but as
time and place Of his DEATH she had some little hope
that il was not true She gave the locality OF her abode;
gave references and nYi.el inquiry on the part Of
those ladies who seemednow TO occupy the position OF
her PROTECTORS as she wished them to be satisfied that
sbe WAS practising no deception. The locality which
she designated ample guaranty for respectable
ty and was at the time indicative OF that sq1aEd
destitution which che described This ptsbe lals
told with an are1s simplicity which lett no doubt ofis
truth.
After consultation it was decided that MIRA. p. should
retain the child Tor the present. and that they would
s meet a. her house tls next day ct II o'clock A N.
In the mean time the young ladies would continue their
exertions In behalf of the child, WITH view Of making
permanent provision for it, They then separated, the
mother eyncng every possible emotion of mental tan
derness and affection on leaving her child.
Next morning at 8 o'clock, the mother appeared az
Mrs. Pa She took up her babe pressed il to her boz
som wept over Il; sail she had not slepta wink the
night previous on account of her separation from ill.,
Tie oung ladies' came at IL, according 70 sgrseuenr
Toe mother told them OF the ulhappJ nigh. she had
on .sed ard thai, from what size had already expef-
encsd, abe tu.d not thTk OF .ueh thing as giving
away her chs but she reiterated her inability to sup
port it at present. She therefore sought for H 30 10
tan porAry custody and trusted that by the mercy Of
Providence she might find herself some day In
don TO take IL back Tois exhibitionof maternal Al
fiction increased the anxiety OF the ladies 10 behalf OF
the child They renewed the premise that it should be
cared for.
The result this conference thas the mother was
su Jplied with small Of provisions which were
seat to her humble home. She thea took her child tie
Misses n. promising to call upon her the next morn
ing ct o'clock. The plry thea separated.
At the appointed hour the q, Il morning, the young
ladies' called OF the pace which had been detens ed
TheJ found there neither moher ncr child. Upon in
quiry the premises, il WAS asctr aimed that they
went CT early in tie morning with soldier. They
could learn hut II tile about the Soc had bern
there only ort lime But whatlttle they did learn,
AZ FAR as IL went, was conotorsiye OF the vonaGs
Va etory. Tie young ladies went away rather pas
lied At her mysterious orsments that morning They
vert homo 10 await events.
About Q O'Clock that SINE morning, tho mother,