Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-03-20

LITTLE Laura TAXES TIE Cars
Under the above caption, the last Nd
Independent tells touching story Of >
young girl. IA years old. named Laura
Burch, who. becoming discontenIed
with her home surroundings, deteFmin-
ed ''to 60 out m the world and strive 70
make her own living. We transfer
The accounsto our columns. first because
il y admirably narrated and for the
further reason that il has local inter-
est in our Town. Laura having many
loving friends here Of her own age and
sex whose acquaintance she made while
a pupil at White Hall Academy . few
years ago and who still kindly remem-
Der her.
Little Laura is about fourteen years
Of age and is the daughter Of Mr.. B. z.
Burch. one of our most valued citizens.
On Monday night OF last week alter The
family had retired she without the knowI-
laedgsI 0f any bae-4u ire syUsg%n6 v u
out word Of warning 10 any one else
left the premises. Her disappearance
was not known until at breakfast time
next morning. She wandered of to
| the railroad station al Salem, about
one and half mile distant from her
fathers. Mr.. Morris, the freight agent
al that point, lives with his mother
about one fourth of a mile away from
the station which is surrounded by thick
woods. About one or two o'clock IN
the night he was awakened BY the cries
and calls OF some one at the door Of the
dwelling. This proved to be little Lau-
"a. He inquired who she was and what
she wanted; she told him she was an
orphan girl who had been living with
DR.. jameson, below Cox's Station, but
that she was tired of staying there and
had left with the intention Of going to
Baltimore. We forgot the name she
gave, but il was other than her own.--
She asked Mr.. Morris to permit her TO
60 into the house and wait until the
traia came, as she had nowhere 10 stay
until then. This request Mr.. Morris
humanely ~ refused 10 grant and told
her to go over to the freight house and
wait there. Disappointed aud heart
broken the poor child CROPPED her way
in the darkness through the woods to
the cold and cherries freight house.
There solitary and alone she passed the
hours oftbe night. No one can imagine
what the poor child must have suffered
during those weary, weary hours alone
and cold in lonely freight house and
surrounded by forests. She, about four
teen years old, in feeble health and Of
timid, shrinking nature. About z A.
NJ. the train halted at the station and
the forlorn little Laura boarded il.
She made herself as comfortable as
could be near the stove. When Cap
tain Armacost, The noble hearted con-
ductor, called upon her for her fare.
she burst out in tears and said she Aad
no money. that she was an orphan girl
trying to make her way back to the
asylum in Baltimore and she hoped he
wouldn't put her off the train bullet her
go on. Capt. Armacost was touched
by her tale of suffering and concluded
himself TO pay the company the cost of
her trip. Feeling much sympathy for
her he placed her under the charge of
a Baltimore gentleman who was on the
cars and whom he knew. Tkis gentle
man took her TO his own home on reach
! ing the city. In the meantime MIR.
Burch, her father. lost no time in
searching the neighborhood for tidings
of his little daughter. The first intima-
ton he obtained Of her whereabouts
was from the humane % freight agent,
Morris, who related to him the incident
of the previous night. With this IN
formation in bis possession Mr.. Burch
waited as best he could until the return
of Captain Armacost's train that night
to Cox's Station. The Captain told him
all about the adventure, Laura's state
mcnis 10 him, &C., and gave him the
address of the gentleman in whose care
he had placed her. Mr.. Burch of course
was greatly relieved and at once by
first train forwarded to his friend, Col.
John ]. Hughes Of the city, information
oil all that had transpired and requested
him to take Laura to bis own home until
he, Mr.. Burch, could get to the city by
the evening train OF that day. lmme-
dua;ely on receipt of the notice that
morning. Col. Hughes took carriage and
brought the wandering child to his own
house, where her father found her
The child had for some years been Of
very delicate health and fancyiRg that
she was a burthen 10 them at home had
frequently declared her intention to 60
out in the world and strive TO make her
own living. All Of which was greatly
distressing 10 her father who is devoted
to his children and amply able to pro-
vide comfortably for his family"