The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-11-05
THE ADOPTED DAUGHTER.

TT was golden day in October, and
Il. earth, having decked herself in her
.many-hued robes, and gathered upon her
bosom her wealth of autumn fruits, was
royal in her beauty. Her charms were lost
however, upon the weary man who plodded
along the dusty road that led to his farm
house, for he scarcely raised his eyes, and
seemed filled with sad thoughts. They
were sad, and no wonder, for the little farm
upon which he had toiled so many years,
and where he had hoped to spend the REM
nant of his days. seemed likely to pass ont
of his hands.
The old trees in the orchard were heavy
with their rich fruit, bountiful supply of
corn was waiting to be garnered, and
goodIy array of pumpkins and squashes lay
ripening in the sunshine but all this had
no charm now for John Humphrey, for
probably they would never be his. Twenty
years before he had purchased the farm,
payinga trife down, and had set himself
diligently to work to reclaim its wasted
acres, and make for his loved ones home
of plenty. -
But somehow he never seemed to pros
per like other men, never had "any luck, !"
as he expressed it. His hay was always
sure to get wet, his sheep and cattle died, and
scarcely year passed that some untoward
event did not happen to discourage him.
1t was slow work paying up for the farm
but it was accomplished at last, and the
joyful event was celebrated by taking his
wife and children to visit a sister in a
neighboring town. But alas they paid
heavily in sorrow for their day of pleasure,
for the whole family caught a malignant
fever that was prevalent at the time. John
and his wife were delirious during their
sickness, and when reason returned and
they were able to bear the news, it was
told them that their three little ones were
laid side by side in the old churchyard on
the hill. a ftr
This affliction had an opposite effect up
on the parents while Ruth Humphrey
bowed submissively beneath the rod that
smote her, and took home the sweet truth
to her heart, that whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth, her husband was filed with
hard and bitter feelings. The CHEEKY smile
with which he met his other misfortunes
was now seldom seen upon his face, and
eyer after he walked under heavy cloud
of sorrow. No other children came to
cheer the old homestead, and so the lonely
years passed on.
One cold chilly day in autumn, little
bare-footed girl in tattered garments,
peered with hungry eyes into the kitchen
door, which chanced to be open, and ask
ed in feeble voice for something to eat.
Mrs. Humphrey was at once struck with
the beauty Of the little pinched face and
her forlorn appearance.
"Come in, DEAR ? said Mrs. Humphrey,
and I will give you something to eat.''
80 my p said the child "that's what
she called her." a
-'What do you mean by she ?''
"The beautiful lady that came to the
big house once, leading little girl just as
big as /. She called her dear, ever SO many
tiihcb, fthu ~ pOuuucU hO liCts 4 Wlbntd
somebody would call me SO, but no one
ever did but you, and please, ma am, ]
love you ?''sss .Mh
"Poor child p said Mrs. Humphrey,
wiping away the tears that filed her eyes
where do you live ?"a fftsl .8
81 don't live anywhere now, since ran
away from the big house. They didn't
give me enough to eat, and they whipped
me for everything there " And the
child pointed to the blue marks on her slen.
der arms. N- f8f IfttgB.r
"You poor little dear, how can people
be soicrneli Can you tell me your name?''
"I'm Madeline, that's all. Everybody
called me Mad in the great house, and 9
how hated them for it ~ y lssAbai n
Mrs Humphrey placed q bountiful supply
Of food on the table, and the eagerness with
which the almost starved oliild devoured II
brought the tears again to her eyes.
When the little one had finished eating,