North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-06-13
THE LOST CHILD.

All dlODD Tic DcduIlIul OeTIHdH lNcIS
You can see, scattered on the overhanging
hills, graly, ivv covered castles. Some of
them are crumbling into ruins, and some
are as steady and as grand as ever
Dreary enough they look to US, as places
to live in, but they have all been pleasant
homes once, for love can make any home
pleasant. In one of these castles, some
years ago. there lived beautiful lady and
little gill. This lady's husband was a
soldier, and had gone away to fight in a
foreign war, and so she was all alone, ex-
cept her servants and her child, little
Gretchen; this is the same as Margaret, it
means pearl, you know, and she was
more precious to her mother than many
pearls, for Lady Gertrude, as the people
called her, loved that Ii tie girl more than
her own life. Gretchen had a sweet voice
as many of the German children have, and
it made the old castle glad as she ran
about in the lonely rooms, singing the
ballads which her mother used to teach
her.
One time her mother had to 90 TO a dis
tant city, and leave Gretchen with her
nurse. 1t was the first time in her life
that she had left her darling for so long a
time. Many were the commands which
she gave the servants to look after and care
for her child, but they were careless, and
Gretchen was left to wander round at her
pleasure, even outside the gates Of the
castle. 1t was nearly sunset one after
noon, when band of stroling PLAYERS,
who had been hanging around the castle,
were surprised at seeing Gretchen's pretty
childish figure among them.
Her love of their songs had led her to
follow these rovings players so far that
now it was nearly nightfall and she could
not find her way home, and with fearful
eyes she begged the old woman who saw
her first to take her to her mamma. 1t
was growing cold, and her little dress of
thinnest lawn was buts poor protection.
She clasped her hands and cried bitterly
"Take me home, please take me home.
l am mammals pearl, and if get lost she
will die; see, that is my mamma" and she
drew from heI bosom a little miniature of
the Lady Gertrude. 1t was set with pearls
and brillants the old woman's hand
grasped it eagerly, but Gretchen's look of
agony stopped her.
"We'll take you home," they said, but
your home is great way from here"
So they dressed her like a gipsy child
and led her with them, far away from the
Lady Gertrude, far from the castle by the
shining river, and far from all the pleas
ant things which made up Gretchen's
home. And when she would beg them to
take her home, they would tell her that
she was going toward her home, but il
was great way off They took the min
iature and broke off its exquisite setting,
leaving only the painting that she bore
around her neck still, for the picture was
all she cared for.
The lady of the castle returned, and
there was mourning far ard wide for the
lost child, the darling of the castle. They
searched for her for many weeks, but
their search was useless, and finally they
said she must have been drowned in the
river or lost in the forest, but no one
dared to whisper it 10 the lady of the cas-
tie, for fear it would break her heart And
so the light of the castle went out for La
dy Gertrude, and all It's beauty faded
The roses clustered over the lattice and
hung in crimson wreathes around her win
dow and they faded and the green pines
were heavy and white with the SHOWS of
winter; but it was all alike to her the
light of her life had faded, and she faded,
too.
Her harp was untouched in the hall, for
the only music she could bear to hear was
the music of Gretchen's sweet childish
voice as it sung in her heart forever
Years went by, and her soldier lord came
back from battle, and tried to comfort her
in her sorrow; and she went with him to
Gretchen's room for the first time since her
loss. The moon shone clear and bright
that evening on the little bed and its snowy
covering and pillows where she had watch
ed her darling in her rosy sleep; and the
mother knelt by the little bed, and prayed
earnestly that God would give her back
her darling in his own good time, and help
her to say, Thy will be DONE"
They went out together, the knight Sieg-
fried and his lady. And all the land was
full of their deeds of kindness. The whole
hope of her life seemed to be that she might
comfort all who were in sorrow, even as
she hoped that God would one day comfort
her. But her sorrow took away her health
and strength, and they went at last, the
knight and his lady, to seek for both ir sun
ny Italy. Her sickness was such as no
change of climate could cure; not even the
sweet blue skies Of Florence and the
breath of its thousand flowers. Yet there
was always in her faint hope that one
day her darling would come back to her.
1t grew fainter every day. and she never
breathed it to any one. She was thinking
about it one pleasant afternoon in early
spring as she lay on couch by an open
window. They had taken her there, for
she was scarcely able to walk through the
room. She lay watching the busy crowds
in the streets, for it was a feast dav. and the