Litchfield enquirer., 1880-03-25
(From Chambers Journal.]
 STRANGE RECOVERIES.
HOW LOST ARTICLES HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED

Many anecdotes have been told in our col umns and elsewhere, of articles that have | mysterlously disappeared, and that have been u4eApecteoly recovered after lapse of time. Much interest having been manifested in the instances we have already placed before our | readers, we venture to offer a new batch. which have been selected for us by contrib utor whose good faith We Can guarantee. She writes as follows.
 We lived in the country, many miles dis tant rom the town where fathers aunt resd- ed She was very old woman, and had some strange ideas, one of which was that no Kind or article of recent manufacture was-or ever could behalf as good as what was made ln the good old times' when she was girl She loved everything that was old-old china, old pitchers, etc, but old lace was what she valued most She had passion for it, espe- cially ''old po1nt." It was amusing to see ] the way she would gaze at it. and the tender way she handled it; just as if it had feeling and she was afraid of hurting it. Every summer Aunt Katharine came to spend few months with us, and we always looked for ward with pleasure to her visit for she was kind-hearted old lady and dearly loved us children which was rather remarkable, con- sldering that we were not in existence in the good days of her childhood.
 One day Aunt Kathrine called me up to her room, and opening her jewel-box, took from it some pieces ot her precious ''old point"
 Katie, dear, she said-I was called after her-"l think you are a careful little girl. am going to wash these bits of lace, and can trust you to take them to the garden to bleach for me? Will you watch them all the time, to see that they are not blown away or torn by the dogs?"
 'Indeed, Aunt Kathrine, I'll be dreadfully careful" l answered. ''Ill never take my eyes off them until bring them back to you. 5
 And so fully intended. But alasl my good intentions can,e to taught, as the sequel will show.
 l took the pieces of lace out to the garden and spread them on the grass to dry, and sat a little way of watching them. The sun was very hot, so thought could watch quite as well if l went little further away under the shade of large chestnut tree How it hap pened don't know, but I fell asleep. was reused by hearing the gong sounding for lunch. jumped up quickly. my first thought being the precious lace. But where was it? Not where had left it, certainly, It must have r"t blown behind the shrubs, thought; and searched everywhere, round and round the garden, and in every place l could think of, but in vain. The dreadful truth was only too apparent beautiful lace that had been in- trusted to my keeping was gone! Never can forget what l endured when I remembered that had to go and tell Aunt Katherine about it. My mother was out or l would have asked her to help me. But it had to be told somehow, 80, screwing up my courage as we'll as could, went up to her room, and stand ing opposite to her, a very picture of despair, said, in a low, sad voice:
 ''They are gone, Aunt Katherine-I can't find them anywhere ''
 'Gone, child! Whats gone? Not my bits Ot old point, surely ?"
 ''Yes, Aunt Katherine. While was watch ing them fell asleep and when I awoke they had disappeared. l have been for the last hour looking for them, but to no purpose, It is very strange what became of them and l am so sorry about it, for 1 know you'll be vexed with me; and, Indeed, didn't intend to fall asleep; but could not help it'
 1 must say Aunt Kathrine bore her loss much better than thought. Seeing how much upset was at my carelessness, she tried to comfort me.
 ''Tis my own fault Katie, she said, ''more than yours. 1 ought to have remembered. old heads can't be put on young shoulders i"
 No more was said about the matter then, and it was nearly forgotten, when about year afterward, one of the chimneys being found to smoke a sweep was sent for He found great difficulty in getting the brush up to the top, which was caused by some jack daws having built their nest right across it. As the machine was pushed up, it dislodged their nests, and down came such collection of rubbish as 1 never saw before. Quite cart-load of short twigs and and bits of sticks, more than dozen wooden bleaching pins. old stockings and socks, and three or four thimbles, a silver one had missed some months before heinz one of them. Then came an old night cap and bits of all kinds of old rags And yes in the midst of all this dust, soot etc. dirty and hardly recognizable-wereA Aunt Katherine's pieces of lace, which these rogues Of Jackdaws must have stolen while was asleep At first I was afraid that they were totally ruined, but strange in say, they were almost quite uninjured
 LOST IN AN UMBRELLA
 l was standing with friend one day in shop where she was making some purchases Among the change which was received was half sovereign; as she was putting it into her purse it fell. We both stopped to look for it, but could not find it anywhere. There was no chink or crevice in the floor that it could have rolled into so we were quite puzzled as to where it could be. We searched our pock- cts, shook our dresses and handkerchiefs, but
  gave 1t up at last and returned home, wonder ing what became of it.
 Some months afterward, as l was going to church one Sunday, sudden shower came on, and l hastily opened my umbrella. Hardly had l done su when 1 heard some one calling my name. looked round and saw friend close behind.
 ''How fast you are going," he said. "I called you twice before you heard me-"
 Il was hastening on out of the rain," an- swered, ''as had no shawl or cloak and it was by the merest chance l brought my um- brella, the morning looked so bright and sum- n.y."
 Tell me, Miss Marsden," he said, 'sdo half soyereigns always fall out of it when you open it ?" '
 II don't understand you," Ireplied "Half- sovereigns fall out of what ?"
 'Your umbrella" he answered. sWhen you opened it now this one fell from it."
 This is very strange" I said ''It cer- tainly Is not mine, and how it could have come there is most unaccountable.
 On thinking over the circumstance some time afterward remembered had this same umbrella with me the day. my friend and I were so puzzled about the half f-sovereign she dropped in the shop. It must have got be- tween the silk and the small piece of leather which is put at the top inside to prevent the ribs coming through. Why it had not fallen out before, could not tell, but most likely it was dislodged from it's hiding place by the sudden jerk gave the umbrella in my haste to open it. .'t ssH
 FOUND IN THE PIANO.
 The anecdotes which might be told of long lost rings are so numerous that will only se- lect few. ...
 At 8 friends house one evening lady present, who was a good musician, was re- quested to sing, Before doing so she took off very handsome diamond ring, saying it was rather large for her, and used sometimes to fall of. her finger when she was playing She laid it with her gloves on the piano near her. She had beautiful voice, and was asked to sing song after song, which she did in the most obliging manner. As she rose from the piano sine was going to replace her ring, but it had disappeared The gloves were safe enough, under some pieces of music, but no