The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-12-06

great change came over him. He fel
that he had an object in life; was read
TO undertake any honest job, TO worl
early and late. 50 that he might keel
Elsie with him.
And when the story got abroad and i
was seen how thoroughly in earnest h,
was, much sympathy was manifested TO.
Bob and 'sBob's baby" as the chilC
came to be called; and many kind
hearted people were ready to aid him il
his endeavors. So Bob succeeded as ht
deserved to do, and nothing more was
ever said about sending poor Elsie K
the poor-hOuse.
She, meanwhile, continued to grow
and thrive. In fact, she quite outgreH
her original wardrobe, which was care.
fully folded away in Mrs. Darby's best
drawer, and new and coarser clothing
had to be provided for her use.
Nearly year had passed away and
people were ceasing to speculate upon
the mysterious advent of Bob's baby,
when the affair was revived again by tie
appearance of an advertisement in q New
York paper headed, "Child Lost. "
Then followed a description of the child,
of its clothing, with statement of dates
and circumstances which seemed to iden-
tify Elsie as the lost one beyond doubt.
The address given was Amos Mark
ham, Box 1929, New York city.
Poor Bob This was a terrible blow
to him but he felt that he ought to do
all he could to restore Elsie to her par
ents so he Immediately wrote a letter
in answer to the advertisement, and,
having dropped it in the office, re-
turned home with heavy heart.
Mebbe she don't belong to them,
after al" 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 lady and gentleman
stopped at Mother Darby's door. Bob
fastened to open it, and a single glance
at the lady's face told him that she WINS
Elsie's mother.
SIS this the place began the gen
tleman, but with faint shrek the lady
darted through the open door and
caught little Elsie in her arms.
30 my darling!" sobbed she; for
neither time, nor change, nor absence,
could deceive the mothers heart.
1t further proof was needed it was
found on Elsie's clothing, which, as we
have already 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, by
order OF the physician, taken her to Italy
to pass the winter, leaving Elsie in
charge of q nurse in whom they had
confidence. They kept up constant
communication with the woman until
their return, when, to their dismay, they
found both nurse and child were miss
ing from the house in which she had
lived when they had left the country.
They could obtain no trace of her. and
only recently they had received mes
sage 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 sup
piled, 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 O
grateful courtesy, but to Bob he said:
/ don't know how I can pay you"
81 don't want any pay. I did it
because I loved her." answered Bob,
with q quivering lip.
IT shall remember you, though" said
he, and led his wife to the hack which
was awaiting them outside the gate; but,
when he would have lifted Elsie in, she
chung to Bob, crying
"Bobbie go, too! Bobbie go, too p
And why shouldn't he go. too? It
is very cruel to separate Them" said
Mrs. Markham.
Then they talked a few minutes in q
low voice, and, turning to Bob, Mr..
Markham said, "How should you like
to go to New York with us 2"
"To New York and be with Elsie %
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 Bob could
answer.
Another Christmas morning dawned,
and again Rob rode from the station with
Elsie in his arms; not, however, in the
poor coal-heaver's cart, but in Mr.. Mark
hams comfortable carriage.
Presently the carriage stopped-not al
Mother Darby's little one-story house il
the outskirts of Wakesha, but at a pleas.
ant, commodious 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, ani
Light, and beauty greeted them which
ever way they turned. Such was Bob'I
entrance into his new home. Can we d.
better than take our leave of him Their,
by wishing him merry Christmas