Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-31
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 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 oyer 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 timer fellow still, and reoogniz-
ing it and his mother, was restored to
love and bone 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 grleved, 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
I 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.
ishr'
Now it 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 OF
dead, they should know him-now, or af.
ter long years, for those marks were indel.
IDLE, and no one else would mark his foot
with that tiny W and the timer cross that
followed.
Alive or dead could the boy be deadi
He cast up his hands in his agony and
uttered a cry that rang through the sleep.
ing street. People turned in their beds
and said to themselves that there must
be fight or that some drunken man was
making night bideous. Some early risers
ended their sleep then and there, for nc
one knew why the man cried out, or who
he was, or where he went, save the soil
tary policeman, who gave him a grave
salute as he passed. Neither asked the
other, "have you found the chill2" The1
knew the question was useless.
But at home, where the ligLts hao
burned all night, the mother, who paced
to and fro, asked it, though she knew ths
answer would be "No."
"You have not searched everywhere.
she said. You have forgotten some place
some ones house where he NAV 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
The man turned on his very threshold.
II thought he might be here" he said
''and l wanted to tell you-the tattoo
mark, we shall be sure"
Then he fell forward on his face. Fol-
twenty-four hours be had not tasted food
but only his faintness told him that be
was hungry.
Then the mother remembered that she
was also wife. The wretched people
ate and drank-stones and sea.water
for aueht they knew; but they needed
strength. For days they looked for theil
child in every direction. The river wa:
dragged, the hospitals, even the prison.
searched.
They spent their small means in adver
Using. They posted notices of their los:
on the walls. All in vain.
After others knew that they followed
a forlorn hope, they still pursued it a,
earnestly as ever. And so the week,
rolled by, the months faded, the wear.
followed. Theirs was hard case. i
death had taken the boy it would have
been far easier to bear; but they did no
believe him dead, and where was he
In whose hands2 Had he mourned fo]
them and for home2 Had he been i'll
used beaten2 They know nothing, ant
the suspense wore thei1 lives away. /
was an old story to others very soon; i
was always terribly new to them. A
any moment il seemed to them that th.
door might open and their child enter
and the patter of little feet upon tn,
stones set their hearts beating wildly
Thus when ten years had passed, and tn,
child of four would have been child M
longer, but youth taller, doubtless
than his mother.
No other children came to these pep
pie, and they were very miserable. The
man seemed crushed-he had neither
ambition nor energy. The women wen
about her daily toll in dull. listles.
manner. Their hair grew gray, and theil
brows wrinkled very early. Friends wer,
pitiful; but grief docs not invite--i
rather repels.
At last they seemed to stand alone Ii
the world old acquaintance and relatives
were gone, or had forgotten them. They
made no new ones. Poor, lonely, sad
they chung to each other, and shared
each others sorrows and trials. There
was no JOY to share. Their child would
have been eighteen years old cas, if hs
ived-when what is called piece Of
good luck happened to them. A lfaraway
relative died and left them little fortune
He had not taken much notice of them
during life, but he had given them q
thought on his death. bed. They were
comparatively rich. When they knew it,
the same thought came to each at once,
The woman uttered it first.
MARTIN" said she, perhaps We can