The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-01-28

She, meanwhile, continued to grow and
thrive. In fact, she quite outgrew her
original wardrobe, which was carefully
folded away in Mrs. Darby's best drawer,
and new and coarser clothing provided for
her use.
Nearly year had passed away, and peo-
pie were ceasing to speculate upon the
mysterious advent of Bob's baby, when
the affair was revived again by the appear
paper, headed
s'Child lost" Then followed a descrip-
tion of the child, of it's clothing, with a
statement Of dates and circumstances which
seemed to identify Elsie as the lost one be-
yond doubt.
The address given was Amos Markham,
box 1929, New York city.
Poor Bob q! This was terrible blow to
him but he felt that be ought to do all
that he could to restore Elsie to her parents;
so he Immediately wrote letter in answer
to the advertisement, and, having dropped
it in the Office, returned home with heavy
heart.
"Mebbe she don't belong to them, after
ALL" said Bob to himself, ''and they've got
to prove it before they take her away"
This was the one hope to which he chung,
but it speedily vanished, for only three
days later a lady and gentleman stopped at
Mother Darby's door. Bob FASTENED to
open it, and single glance at the lady's
face told him that she was Elsie's mother.
'Is this the place ?' began the gentle
man, but, with faint shrek, the lady
darted through the open door and caught
little Elsie in her arms.
so my darling, my darling ~ sobbcd
she for neither time, nor change, nor ab-
sence deceive the mothers heart.
If further proof was needed it was found
on Elsie's clothing, which, as we have al
ready said, Mother Darby had carefully
preserved and in the complete harmony of
the evidence on both sides.
The story Mr.. Markham told was this ::
His wife being an invalid, he had taken
her to Italy to pass the winter, leaving
Elsie in charge of nurse in whom they
had confidence. They kept up constant
correspondence with the woman till their
return, when, to their dismay, they found
both nurse and child missing from the
house in which they had lived when they
left the country. They could obtain no
trace of her, and only recently they had re-
ceived a message from the woman. through
a third person, that she had left the child
at some station on the line of the New
York Central railroad, but the name of the
place she had forgotten or failed to notice.
Her object in this transaction was, of
course, to appropriate the money, with
which she had been literally supplied, and
rid herself Of the burden of caring for the
child.
To Mother Darby, Mr. Markham paid for
her care of Elsie twice as much as it was
worth, which she received with grateful
courtesy, but to Bob he said
sI don't know how can pay you.''
81 don't want no pay. l did it because
l loved her," answered Bob with a quiver-
ing lip.
81 shall remember you, though" said he
and led his wife to the hack which awaited
them outside the gate, but when he would
have lifted Elsie in, she clung to Bob cry
ing:
"Bo5bie go too Bobbie go too -
"And why shouldn't he go too? 1t is
cruel 70 separate them,' said Mrs. Mark
ham.
Then Mr. Markham said, turning to Bob,
GLOW would you like to go to New York
with us ?''
"To New York and be with Elsie p cried
Bob, his brain hardly able to take in two
ideas of such magnitude at once.
eyes, to be with Elsie always. Do you
think you could be happy with us ?''
Happy Oh ~ was all that Bob could
say.
Another Christmas morning dawned,
and again Bob rode away from the station
with Elsie in his arms-not, however, in
the poor coal al-heaver's cart, but in Mr..
Markham's comfortable carriage.
Presently the carriage stopped, not at
Mother Darby little one-story house in the
outskirts Of Wakesha, but at pleasant,
dwelling in New York city.
Mr.. and Mrs. Markham alighted, and went
up the granite steps, followed by Bob,
leading Elsie by the hand.
The door opened, and warmth, and light
and beauty greeted them whichever way
they turned. Such was Bob's entrance
into his new home. Can we do better than
to take our leave of him there by wishing
him Merry Christmas?
THE FATHER OF A FAMILY.-A regular |