Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-20
Minnie and MInnie's Mother.


Minnie and MInnie's Mother.
A poor and respectable woman OF Au-
gusta, Ga, Is in quandary, and when
the moralists, and philosophers, and phil
anthropist to help her out. Her case
may be briefly stated. The woman has a.
drunken, worthless, vagabond husband,
who deserted her two years ago, and wan
dered away to parts unknown, taking
with him their only child, then not quite
three years old. Minpie was an uncom-
monty bright, curly head, and could not
fail 10 attract attention whenever she az
peared. The mother was poor and pow
erless to follow her husband and child.
She was naturally very much distressed
and anxious about the fate of tue child
in such hands. But she could do moth
| ing but wait and listen. She first heard
| OF little girl called Minnie, answering
| to the description of her child, in New
| Orleans. But this Minnie appeared to
have parents, and was we'll provided for
| by them. They were travelling people,
| rcputed wealthy, and were staying at
| hotel. But Minnies mother was too poor
to make the Journey in search of her lit
tie wanderer. The lady and gentleman
and Minnie finally disappeared from
| New Orleans. This was at the close of
the winter. With the migrating birds
they had probably gone North following
up the spring.
A few days ago the bereaved mother
heard another voice that told her Of her
darling Minnie. It came from Aiken,
g. @. The description was of little girl
/ rvf+ 1 e-1o IL ho1
eyes. and skin as fair as lily-a little
beauty of five years, answering to the
name of Minnie. She was living with
stylish people in q SPLENDID cauntry-seat
near Aiken. The mother could bear the
agony of suspense no longer. Some of
her friends who knew her story and sym
pathized with the impulses of mothers
heart, aided her, and saw her off for
Aiken. She found the family and Minnie
and that Minnie WAS her child. Better
till, CT worse as the case may be, Minnie
knew her mother, and their meeting, af-
ter painful separation Of two years, was
humanizing spectacle. There could be
no doubt that the poor woman and that
child of luxury knew each other. What
next3 The child's story is told by her
protectors. They were gentleman and
lady of fortune of New York, and child
less. They were travelling for pleasure
and made Memphis, Tenn, a stopping
place. Here the lady happened one day
to remark to her washerwoman that she
had long desired to adopt some hand
some child, as a care and companion.
The woman had child in her charge,
who had been left with her by man of
whom she knew nothing, except that she
had done washing for him. he had dis
appeared, and she had never seen OF
heard of him since. Minnie was pro-
duced and suited the lady. The couple
adopted the little girl in Memphis. and
at length pursued their journey to New
Orleans. Finally they returned to their
home In New York. Last fall they went
to Aiken and purchased an elegant water
residence there. And Minnie was the
love and center of that home when her
natural mother found her. Minnie was
bright, beautiful and handsomely attired;
her mother was coarsely clad, and on her
worn features were pictured privation
and pain. With her adopted parent Min
ME would be educated and become the
heiress of million; with her mother, she
might become, what9
The gentleman and lady are so well
convinced that the mother has found her
child that they are perfectly willing to
give up the little girl if the mo her insists
: upon it, or they are willing to keep and
!, train her as their daughter. This is the
questisn the mother has to decide for her.
SELF and yet she cannot do it under the
imposed conditions.
| With the adopted parents, the child
must be brought up to know no other
mother than the adopted one, and can
have no intercourse with parent or any
blood relation. The natural mother can
never see her offspring again. In other
terms, she must forever abandon her
child, and the child must be weaned
from her memory. Or she has the pri-
, vilege of taking Minnie back to poverty,
and toll. and pinching want. There is no
/, other alternative or compromise and the
stipulated conditions are certainly Just.
They are equally hard for both parties
Tor the adopted parents to lose the being
they had built their hopes on, and for the
} mother to break her ties of blood for the
problematical benefit of her one darling.
Negotiations for the settlement of this
puzzling family ques ion are still pend
ing. and 1t presents a mothers dilemma
OF very remarkable character. Minnie's
adopted parents offer special induce
ments to the mother to decide in heir ia.
vor by treating her with great kindness,
bestowing upon her presents. and Offer
ing to aid her in various ways. For Min
uie they will be the friends-ef both, with
out her, the acqnain' ance ceases forever.
How should the mother solve this prob
lem of love and duty2