Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-08-31
Giving Away a Child.

GIFInS Away CnlIu.
On board of one Of the lake steamers,
bound for the far West, was an Irish family,
consisting of husband, wife and three chill
dren. They were evidently in very dcsti
tute circumstances but the exceeding beau
ty Of the children-two boys and girl
was the admiration of their fellow passengers
A lady, who had no children Of her own,
was DESTROYS of adopting one Of the little
travellers, and made application to the father
through a friend, who gives the following
touching and, as we suppose, truthful account
of the negotiation.
proceeded, he says, Immediately, on my
delicate diplomacy. Finding my friend on
deck, l thus opened the affair, " You are
very poor p
His answer was very characteristic =
+" Poor sir p said he, "ay, if there's poor
er man than me troublin the world, God
pity both Of w, for we'd be about aquil"
I" How do you manage to support your
children %
Is it support them, sir? Why, don't
support them any way they get supported
some way or other. It'll be time enough for
me to complain when they do"
+" Would it be relief to you to part with
one of them 2"
1t was too sudden: he turned sharply
around.
ga what, sir? he cried; "a relief to
part from my child? Would it be relief
to have the hands chopped from the body, or
the heart torn out of my breast? A relief,
indeed God be good to us what do you
mean %
"You don't understand me, replied -
IF, now, it were in ones power to provide
comfortably for one of your children would
you stand in the way of its interests 2"
No, sir" said he; g the heavens knows
that would willingly cut the sunshine away
from myself, that they might get all the
warm of it; but tell us what you're drawing
at"
then told him that lady had taken a
fancy to have one of his children and if he
would consent to it, it should be educated
and finally settled comfortably in life.
This threw him into fit of graduation.
He scratched his head and looked the very
picture of bewilderment The struggle be-
tween a fathers love and the child's interest
was evident and touching. At length he
said, ooh multher, wouldn't it be great
thing for the baby? But | must 90 and
talk with Mary-t that's the mother Of them,
an it wouldn't be right to be givin' away her
children before her face, and she to know
nothing about it."
Away with you, then," said I, "and
bring me an answer back as soon as posi-
ble."
In about half an hour he returned, lead
ing two of his children His eyes were red
and swollen, and his face pale from excite
ment and agitation.
whats the matter now 2" / asked.
Well, sir" said he, II ask your par
don for troubling you about so foolish thing
as child or two, but we're thinkin' that
maybe it'd make no difference-you see, sir,
I've been talkin to Mary, an she says she
can't part with Norah, because the creature
has the look ov me; but here's little Bid
dy, she's purtyer far, an av you place, sir,
will you swap?"
Certainly; whenever you like" said l.
He snatched up little Norah, as though it
was some recovered treasure, and darted
away with her, leaving little Biddy, who re-
NAMED with us all night; but 10! the mo-
ment we entered the cabin in the morning,
there was Pat making his mysterious signs
again at the window; and this time he had
the youngest, a baby, in his arms.
whats wrong now?' | inquired.
.sSure, sir, an it's meself that's almost
ashamed to tell ye. Ye see I've been talk
in to Mary, an she didn't like to part with
Nora, because she has look ov me; an be
me SOUL I can't part with Biddy, because
she's the model of her mother; but there's
little Paudeen, sir. Will you swap again,
sir 2"
"With all my heart" said I; it is all
the same to me-" and little Paudeen was left
with me-
"Ha, w said | to myself, as I looked
into his big laughing eyes, so the affair is
settled at last"
But it wasn't; for ten minutes had scarce
" elapsed when Pat rushed into the cabin
without sign or ceremony, and snatched up
the baby, and said, I" It's no use; I've been
talking to Mary, an we can't do it. No,
sir; we can bear hard fortune, starvation,
and misery, but we can't bear to part with
our children, unless it be the will Of Heaven
g.i.