River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-10-31
THE LOST CHILD.

THE L0STCHILD.
He had looked for HIM all day--all
night. 1t was dawn again, and he must
go home without him-withoui his little
child-his treasure-his most precious
thing on earth. He must go home and
tell its mother that the boy was mo-
found. He would never be found now,
the man felt sure of that.
Ali his life he had dreaded this--all
the little life of the baby boy. He had
been 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 pitiful tale
of the little chimney. sweeper who, more
than hundred year age, while playing his
trade, came down the chimney of the
nursery from which he had been stolen
when a timer fellow still, and reoogniz-
ing it and his mother, was restored 10
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 moth
er, who had loved him so. would have
laughed at his fancies. So he kept them
to himself 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 it
with little blue w. 1t was painful
every prick hurt him worse than it did
the boy. And the mother, coming home,
had been angry and grieved, and then he
told her:
IT the child was stolen, he should know
him, though his face were altere though
he forgot his name and us. That is why
l did it."
And she had said:
"People have children enough of their
own. Children are only valuable to their
| parents. You are so romantic so fool
ish!"
Now il had come. The foolish fear was
realized Lost or stolen the boy was
gone, and that tattooed mark was the
only thing that comtorted him Alive or
dead, they should know him-now, or af- !
ter long years, for those marks were indel- |
ible, and no one else would mark bis foot !
with that tiny w and the timer cross that
followed.
Alive or dead could the boy be dead
He cast up his hands in his agony and |
uttered cry that rang through the sleep |
ing street. People turned in their beds /
and said to themselves that there must |
be a fight or that some drunken man was
making night hideous. Some early risers |
ended their sleep then and there, for no
one knew why the man cried out, or who
he was, OF where be went, save the soil
tary policeman, who gave him grave
salute as he passed. Neither asked the
other, shave you found the chilll" They
knew the question was useless.
But at home, whore the lights had
burned all night, the mother, who paced
to and fro, asked it, though she knew the
answer would be "No."
"You have not searched everywhere"
she said. You have forgotten some place
some ones house where he may have
gone. Go out again-go. l will go also.
You told me you would bring him back,
or would not have been left at home.
The man turned on his very threshold.
Il thought he might be here" he said
"and wanted to tell you-tbe tattoo
mark, we shall be sure"
Then he fell forward on his face. For
twenty-four hours be had not tasted food
but only his faintness told him that he
was hungry.
Then the mother remembered that she
was also a wife. The wretched people
ate and drank-stones and sea-water,
for aueht 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. ID
They spent their small means in adver- ,
Using. They posted notices of their loss s
on the walls. All in vain.
After others knew that they followed
a forlorn hope, they still PURSUED it as
earnestly as ever And so the weeks S
rolled by, the months faded, the years I
followed. Theirs was hard case. If
death had taken the boy it would have '
been far easier to bear; but they did not I
believe him dead, and where was he7 i
In whose hands2 Had he mourned for
them and for homer Had be been ILL L
used = beaten2 They know nothing, and
the suspense wore their lives away. II {
was an old story to others very soon; il s
was always terribly new to them. At t
any moment il seemed to them that the S
door might open and their child enter,
and the patter of little feet upon the
stones set their hearts beating wildly.
Thus when ten years had plssed, and the
child of four would have been child 40 :;
longer, but a youth taller, doubtless. 4
than his mother.
No other children came to these pc y !
pie, and they were very miserable. The :
man seemed crushe1-he had neither I
nor energy. The women went :,
about her daily toll in dull, listlcss
manner. Their hair grew gray, and their y
brows wrinkled very early. Friends were !
pitiful; but grief does not invite-.-it
rather repels. =
At last they seemed to stand alone in :,
-1e world old acquaintance aud relatives ;,
we're gone, or had forgotten them. They 4
made no new ones. Poor, loaely, sad, :
hey chung to each other, and shared :,
zach others sorrows and trials. There =
was no Joy to share. Their child would 3
nave been eighteen years olj-acas, if he g
ived-when what is called a piece of !,
good luck happened to them. A faraway 4
-elative died and left them little fortune. =
de had not taken much notice of them :,
Turing life, but he had given them .,
bought on his death bed. They were \
comparatively rich. When they knew. il, h
he same thought came to each at once. n
The woman uttered it first. n,
Martin" said she, perhaps we can L
ind our boy after all. When once we u
AVE the money we will advertise himall a
'ver the length and breadth of the land.
lie mar not remember, but the blessed
mark you put upon his foot, that he will =,
NOW of. He will come to U.s. feel slsre =
f it-at last, Martin, ar last
'eYes. it may be so, Agnes, the man
aid. 1T may be 50; the time has been re-
ong, the days woeful, but we may be f