Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-06-01
4 DID. OLD STORY.
An Affecting Life. Hlstory--Sad End Of an
Unfortunate Girl.
Letter to the MatrOn Of Leath Orphan
Asylum.

A few days ago a white male child, an.
parently some weeks old, was left at the
Leath Orphan Asylum by some unknown
person. Accompanying the little wal
was the following letter, written in a neal
female hand, addressed to the matron o.
the asylum. We give it exactly as it wa
written, not changing the spelling OF
punctuation. 1t needs no elaboration al
our hands; il tells its own story and
points its own moral. 1t is indeed a sad
sad finale to a life begun so happily:
Dear MGdGm: This is a strange will, OF
confession. What will l call il? for
have so much to say in SO short a time.
All my life comes up before me at once
seventeen bright. happy years that APP
pear but a day In comparison with the
two dark bitter ones / nave Just passed
ALL l think / can now understand what
will make the loss ofheaven so deplorable.
Yes, when l think what was once mine,
but lost by my disobedience two wears
ago. A noble father, a loving mother. a
proud but generous brother, and a happy
home was mine. But alas! alasi the
time had come when all, as in the evil
day when our mother listened to the SER
pent, so in the day of my disobedience l
brought ruin to myself and sorrow and
sadness to a hitherto happy home.
While away l contracted an attachment
for one whom l knew could never be toll
0IdAou Dg any HbLuDtI u NY ldulllg, ana
being ov"erpersuaded that they would re-
len when all was over, l eloped. But
alasi alas! how SOC L repented my folly;
but like poor Esau, it was forever too
late. ., how gladly would / have re-
turned to my poor mothers bleed
ing bosom; but to save the life of
one for whom I had forsaken all, L
mus fiy-fy still further from my
father's house, till at last, like Noah's
hnNra NTa rasf on EanF =, Wrn1 a.1 vnT-a
But there was no olive branch for us, so
we could not return with it, but pIodded
our way from one disappointment to an
other. Everything seemed to fail. No
windows were open to the ark, but plenty
of doors to the geming-house. But from
worse to worse we dragged along, until it
was apparent the third was to share in
our misery. Then my husband became
Observation-Disclosures to get me to do
a certain thing, and for h first time L re-
fused to obey, telling him 1 had suffered
too much for breaking the fifth command
ment to risk the sixth, so let nature take
its course.
But about eight weeks ago my u of
misery became full. At the very time i
needed support for my greatest struggle,
my husband came to me saying there was
nothing for him here bnt disappointment /;
he must leave me for a week or two. O.,
could you have seen or felt my souls an
guish then. l begged, implored, wept,
until every fountain was dry; but all in
vain. He left me at a clearinghouse l
once would nave feared TO pass alone. All
pride was gone. l knew there was a
lady in the city whom 1 once
knew in my proud, happy days, who
had been my schoolmate. 1 applied to
her, but she feared her name and COM
panion and could do nothing but tell me
of you, and the institution with which
you are connected. But oh, you cannot
tell how much that lifted OF my poor
stricken Soul. But 1 feel l must be brief;
my life is fast ebbing away. My friends
nave promised, as soon as convenient, to
apprise my parents of the fate of their
unhappy daughter, n should they ever
relent, or the grace OF God ever restore the
father, you or the institution will be re-
paid-if not, God will reward both. When
this reaches you l will have paid the pen
atty of sin, but l hope saved by grace,
and if permitted, to witness the meeting
of my poor unfortunate son. May Gods
blessing rest on you all, and though we
have not and never will meet in this cold
dark world, l hope we Will in that bright
n where there will be no mystery. But
if you cannot give it a home in your
heart or house never lose sight of it, for
your own as well as its sake.
Your poor sister. once the worlds, but
now Christ's, MRS. SMITH.