The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1865-11-25
From the New York Mercury.
THE LONG-LOST SON.
BY W. q. EATON.

n shlitless. not to say shlrtIess. ldl'
vagabond Of fellow, having wandere,
into small country town and begge.
his meal. was sitting upon a plank side
walk, with his heels in the gutter. ant
while amusing himself at his dexterity
at playing "stick" with jack.kulle, h
thus soliloquized:
How to make living easy That,
the cheese. That's what all the world
is aiming after, and I don't pretend to
be any better than the majority. But
cant think Of no plan, nohow. The
ideas don't seem to give down we'll,
when l get to work thinking. / re
collect how l once read Of somebody or
other who was the long-lo.t son ofsome.
bpdy or other, and slipped into large
portion slicker than nothin'. l wish |
was--or | wish I could pretend I was.
and make somebody believe me. But
where is the right person ?--plenty of
people with children they wish were
lost but nobody that 1 know of wants
TO find one 1 might ADVERTISED am
the long-lost son, and so forth, 'and
ANYBODY who has lost can find, by ad.
dressing 80 and So But l expect
sho'd stand better chance if was a
little baby. And then ] shouldn't
want to be found and owned by every.
body. | want rich parent, with
portion already for me. I'd give a
commission to anybody who would find
one for me, r put me on the track of
one Who will, | wonder? Take a
nap. Sam Tongs, it might timber up
your ideas. ....
After his nap. Sam Tongs wandered
about, and was SO limbered up and lucky
as to hear of lone woman, reported
wealthy. who was said to be in wan: of
gardener. She was called glo,my aud
secretive, and supposed to be a widow /;
and as she was often seen to sigh and
weep. the impression was that she was
inconsolable f,r the lnss of husband or
children, and perhaps both, and may be
something worse. Her name WAS un
dersto'd 10 lie Mrs. kusini Nipkin.
"Strauger things have happened in
this curious world. and she may be Just
the sort of woman for my money "
thought the hopeful TongS. as he
straishtway called at the house, under
the plea that he wanted to do her gar
dening. He found her to be buxom
healthy looking. and not extremely ugly.
faced woman, Of forty years Standing
quite old enough to be the mother of a,
long lost son. Her sociability at the
interview so encouraged Samuel. that he
expressed tender solicitude to know
the real cause of her reported habitual
sadness.
Your husband, wasn't ?" asked he,
plumply,
"Ah, no !" said she, with a heavy.
sided sigh. "But for my infant son,
who was born when | was seventeen"
young piece, wasn't you' What
did he die Of ? suppose it was meas.
lea, teething--eh ?"
"No."
"Then, what?"
IL am not sure he is dead"
"What? You don't mean to say he
was lost ?"
"No---he was sent away, soon after he
was born"
"Psho! What ye do that Tor Is
that the child's father, up there in that
ere pictur ?"
"Alas ! it is. Oh, dear :"
"And is the old man dead ?"
"He is--he is !" said Mrs. Nipkin. in
a tremulous voice. "Ah, me would
had never seen him"
What do you wish that for ?
Say"
80, young man, don't press ne So"
81 must. Say why"
"Alas ! I-I-fell"
"Must have hurt yOu--bow fur did
you fall ?"
"You jest at my misfortune"
al don't jeest, mite"
Then. why do you seem so anxious
to know ?"
why, because, if you will have it
'N' obNb i'Nbln Uul
toundlin child, and ny feelin's tell me
| AIN your toug-lost son"
angels of n.ercy ~
Yes, Maam. For years have
wandered in search of you, my mother
Amt you about forty year old 7"
"About"
"Well. as nigh as | know, I am TWEEN.
'y-three, and put that to seSeuteen aud
it jest makes it"
"Can it be 80 2"
Yes, on yes; easy. Dry yonr tears,
lear ma, md tell me all about me ?"
"Oh, SON. cannot"
II stick to il. I say yes. Let on.
It's your dooiy. Tell NE Of my father
# yourself, and all about it. Ifit comes
'ut as | expect. Heaven has fetched
ne 10 ye hv accident, a purpose. to pro
ect ye." With this her ilial hus. il
Forgive the net'ral motion of long.
ost soop, who now elaps eve on his