Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-10-18
THE LOST CHILD.

He had looked for him all day-all night
1t was dawn again, and he must go home
without him-without his little child-his
treasure-his most precious thing on earth
He must 60 home and tell it's mother thai
the boy was not found. He would never
be found now, the man felt sure of that.
| All his life he had dreaded this-all the
little life of that baby boy. He had beer
like man who wandered amongst thieves
with diamond in his possession in full
sight of all eyes. 1t seemed to him that
some one must rob him of it. All the old
stories of gipsies who stole children had
troubled him sorely; and his heart had
ached over the pitlful tale of the little
chimney sweeper, who, more than hum
dred years ago; while plying his trade,
came down the chimney Of the nursery
from which he had been stolen when IT,
nier fellow still, and, recognizing it and
his mother, was restored to love and home
at last.
| Often in the night had the thought so
| overcome him that he had stolen from his
bed in the darkness to feel the little head
of his sleeping: boy on the pillow of his
crib. Even his wife, the child's mother,
who had loved HIM so, would have laughed
at his fancies. So he kept them to him
self. Only once-once he was forced to
tell her. That was when he tattooed the
child's foot.
Right on the instep he had marked il
with little blue w. 1t Was painful-ey-
cry prick hurt him worse than 1t did the
boy. And the mothor, coming home, had
been angry and grieved, and then he told
her:
eff the child was stolen he should know
him, though his face were altered-though
he forgot his name and us. That is why
did it,"
And she had said 1:
''People have children enough of their
own. Children are only valuable to their
parents. You are so romantic-so fool
ish !"
Now it had come. The foolish fear was
realized, Lost or stolen, the boy was gone,
and that tattoo mark was the only thing
that comfol ted him. Alive OF dead, they
should know him now. or after long years
for those marks were indelible,' and no one
else would mark his foot with that tiny W
and the timer cross that follow ed.
Alive. or dead Could the boy be dead !?
He cast up his hands in his agony and ut
tered cry that rang through the sleeping
street. People turned in their beds and
said to themselves that there must be a
fight, OF that some drunken man was ma
king night hideous. Some early risers end
ed their sleep then and there, for no one
knew why the man cried out, or who he
was, or where he went, save the solitary
policeman, who gave him grave salute as
he passed. Neither asked the other
'Have you found the child 20 They knew
the question was useless.
But at home, where the lights had burn
ed all night, the mother, who had paced to
and fro, asked it, though she knew the an
swer would be Mo-
"You have not searched everywhere
she said. "You have forgotten some
place-some ones bouse where he may
have gone. Go out again-go. I will go
also. You told me you would bring him
back, or ] would not have been left at
home. Cop
The man turned on his very threshold.
81 thought he might be here!" he said !:
''and 1 wanted to tell you--the tattoo
mark, we shall be sure"
Then he fell forward on his face. For
twenty -four hours he had not tasted food,
but only his faintness told him that he was
hungry.
Then the mother remembered that she
was also wife. The wretched people ate
and drank-stones and sea-water, for aught
they knew but they needed strength. For
days they Looked for their child in every
direction. The river was dragged, the
hospitals, even the prisons, searched.
They spent their small means in adver-
Using. They posted notices of their loss
on the walls. All in vain.
After others knew that they followed a
folorn hope, they still pursued it as earn
estly as ever. And SO the weeks rolled by,
the months faded, the years followed
Theirs was hard case. If death had ia
ken the boy. it would have been easier to
bear; but they did not believe him dead,
and where was hep In whose hands p
Had he mourned for them and for home !?
Had he been ill-used-beaten They knew
nothing, and the suspense wore their lives
away. 1t was an old story to others very
soon it was always terribly new to them.
At any moment it seemed to them that
the door might open and their child enter,
and the patter Of little feet upon the stones
set their hearts beating wildly. Thus ten
years passed away, and the child OF four
would have been child no longer. but
youth, doubtless taller than his mother,
No other children came to these people