Wilmington journal., 1874-01-09
Father Grimes, Christmas.

near Osceola, Clark county, Iowa. His
wife died last summer, and made
death-bed request. 1t was that her
three daughters should be committed
to the care of her sister, Mrs. Hoff-
man, of Chicago, for education. The
father promised faithfully, and after
the mothers death sent his three lit
tie girls with Aunt Hoffman to be
reared and educated. Father Grimes,
from time to time, remitted various
goodly sums of money to Amt Hoff-
man for the support of his children,
and she sentback receipts for the same.
David Grimes thought it was his
duty to make his children Il Christmas
visit, and give them some nice pres
ents with his own hands, for he had
plenty, and loved his girls. He ac-
cordingly went to Chicago, and found
Mrs. Hoffman living in good style.
He asked wne1e his dear ones were,
md Mrs. II. told him they were at
boarding school-she would take him
to them. She took him. They drove
10 the school i'll a fine carriage. When
they We're ascending the broad steps to
the imposing edifice, the father noticed
over the entrance the sign ''Home for
the Friendless." He was Il simple
hearted Iowa Granger, was Grimes,
but the thought struck him, and he
exclaimed, what II singular name for
Il boarding school," He met his little
girls, and the matron invited the party
to the industrial schooI-room. He did
not feel that it was all right, but did
not like to DE inquisitive. The visit
was short, and the father looked at his
children and thought q good deal
The fine carriage rolled away with
Mrs. Hoffman and the meditative
Grimes. He asked no questions, for
he was in some awe of the Aunt Hoff-
man and her finery. He..was an Iowa
! farmer and did lot understand city
ways, especially those of Chicago.
That evening Grimes met a friend
| Mr.. Oscar Jones, a solid Chicagoan.
| He related to Jones the circumstance
of having visited his children at their
boarding school. Jones naturally in
| quired the uame of the school. Crimes
innocently said, "Home for the Friend
less" Then Jones was astonished,
and blurted out. "Why, that is a
nary" Imagine how the simple
hearted Grimes was overwhelmed with
shame and modification. The next
| ol1IiltS dliSt oollSo WCHU 10 tll.tU
boarding school and left Mrs. Hoffman
at home. The two men informed Mrs.
Grant, the matron, of the facts, and
then she was astonished and explained
as follows: The woman who brought
the girls to the institution acknow-
lodged herself to be their aunt, but
said she was unable to care for them.
They were poorly clad when they
came, and were speedily provided with
clothing, warm and decent. The ma
tron consented to the children leaving.
They were overjoyed to go with their
father. They had been talking mat
ters over among themselves, and
thought there was something awkward
in their position at the school. Let
the eldest one of the girls speak for
herself. Her language is touching
Just as the party were leaying she said
to the matron:
We thank You ever SO much for your
kindness to us, but we have been very
unhappy here. All night long we have
cried together, myself and sisters, be-
cause we thought that our father had
forgotten us. We knew that he was
able to support us, and when one day
[ realized that this was charity home,
[ thought L should die. l didn't know
why we were left here, and we prom
ised each other never to say to any one
that father was rich. [ didn't know
how rich he was, but knew he owned
a very large farm, and had heard that
each one of us children were also heirs
to some property. Then we prayed to
God to send father to us, and now that
he has come and we are going away
we want to tell him that you and this
lady (pointing to Miss Bowman) have
been very, very good to us. Goodbye.
There was Christmas for you! Father
and daughters united after painful
separation of deceit and wrong
Grimes and Jones and the three young
girls, eyes all streaming with Joy, en-
tered the carriage and drove rapidly
down the avenue, and they did not go
to Mrs. Hoffman's house for their
turkey.
Strange Effect of a London Fog
| upon Cattle.
Ihe London correspondent of the
New York World rpflor dofo of VVo1