The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-06-05

The doctor and Mr.. Turner looked at each
other, but neither spoke, and Mrs. Turner
did not notice the tears that gIistened in her
husbands eyes.
The doctors fears that Eva would not
rapidly recover proved to be well founded;
days and weeks of fever succeeded in
awakening her to life, during which she
talsed incoherentiy of papa" and poor
mamma" and the burning ship" and OF
"hunger" She fully awoke to conscious
ness, and asked many questions as to where
she was and how she came in the dark room,
and who were those who attended her; but
DR.. Hunt forbade her being questioned until
she was stronger.
How interested were all in the little con-
valescent, whom the elements had cast into
the little seabOard town. The ladies' de-
clared that never before did a child possess
such lovely eyes or beautiful curls, while
the gentlemen seemed no less interested.
and brought her gifts of everythin. ,hat
might please her childish fancy.
my dear little girl" said DIR. Hunt, when
Eva was at length able to ride out, will you
tell me your name?"
Eva sald the child; 81 thought you
knew it."
''Yes, know your name is Eva; but L
want TO know the rest of your name-your
fathers name."
Eva Durant; Mr. Durant is my papa
Il
remember about your father and mother"
Eva's eyes filed with tears.
'Oh, sir nv mamma died and went to
live with the angels. And do not know
where papa is He said if | never saw
him again, L must know he had gone to
mamma"
"Where were you when he told you thisr'
'On the ship; and oh, the fire burned so.
and papa held me in his arms until strange
man tied something under my arms and
threw me into the water, and / have not
seen papa since. Oh, sir, can you tell me
where he is?'
No, dear child; but perhaps we may yet
find him"
And this was ali that Eva's new friend
could discover. 1t was plain she had come
from the ship which had been burned few
weeks before; that she had been cast upon
the sea, and fOated TO the shore; but where
was her father? Had he been saved, and was
he searching for his child? Every possible
effort was made to find him.
The circumstances of the case, with the
statement of the child, were published fully
in the newspapers of the neighboring cities,
| but the grief stricken father, believing his
child to be lost, had sailed a week before for
Europe, and it soon became settled Ia the
minds of Eva's protectors that he had per-
ished. But the little one still prattIed about
her papa" and said he would come by and
Dy, tDOSe VINO OeneVeu ulHerenlly WOulO nOi
| pa her by contradiction.
The square and compass that had been
found upon her clothing was regarded as a
powerful appeal from a mason to his breth-
rem 10 care for bis child. So it came to pass
| that Eva became, as it were, the special
charge of Hiram Lodge, No. 90. Mr.. Turner
would gladly have taken the entire care OF
the little waif, and the wealthy Senator
| W requested to be allowed to adopt her
as his daughter; but the brethren of the
lodge assembled, declared by vote that Eva
should be reared, educated and protected by
| the lodge, and that as Providence had
| placed her in Brother Turner's house, that
| should be her home.
And 50 years went by, and Eva became a
| healthy, joyous child, fitting here and there
and everywhere meeting the warmest O
| welcomes. The masonic hall was but few
rods from Mr.. Turner's residence, and Evs
| often went with him as far as the door and
then returned alone, always bidding the
tiler "tske good care of Pa Turner, and send
him home early"