The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-09-02

ciousness, and asked many questions as to
where she was and how she came into the
dark room, and who were those who; at
tended her, but Dr.. HUNT forbade her he s
ing questioned until she was stronger
How interested were all in the little
conTalescent, whom the elements had
cast into the little scaboard town! The
ladies declared that never before did a
child possess such lovely eyes or such
beautiful curls, while the gentlemen seem
ed no less interested, and brought her
gifts of everything that might please her
childish fancy.
"My dear little girl,' said DR.. Hunt,
when Eva was at length able to ride out.
twill you tell me your name?''
eva" said the child. II thought you
knew it,
eyes, know your name is Eva; but
want TO know the rest of your name
your fathers name"
eva Durant Mr. Durant is my papa y
II want you to tell me all you can re-
member about your father and mother
Eva's eyes filled with tears. ''Oh, sir
my mamma died and went to live with
the angels. He said if / never saw him
again l must know he had gone to NAM
ma" 1902
"Where were you when he told you
this?"
ION the ship; and Oh, the fire burned
me so; and papa held me in his arms until
strange man took me and 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?'
mo, dear child, but perhaps we may
yet find him. .s@... .. ~
And this was all that Eva's new friend
could discover. 1t was plain that she
had come from the ship which had burned
a few weeks before; that she had been
cast upon the sea, and floated to the
shore; but where was her father? Had
he been saved, and was he searching for
his child? Every possible effort was now
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, bu, the grief-strick-
en- father, believing his child to be lost,
had sailed week before for Europe; and
| it soon became settled in the minds of
Eva's protectors that he had persisted.
But the little one still prattled about her
| 'papa," and he was coming by and by,
and those who believed differently would
not pain her by contradiction. w..
The square and compass that had been
found upon her clothing was regarded as
a powerful appeal from a Mason to his
brethren to care for his child. So it came
charge, as it were, of Hiram LODGE No.
SO. MIR. Turner would gladly have taken
the entire charge of the little waif, and
the wealthy Senator W-requested to
be allowed to adopt her as his daughter,
but the brethren in lodge assembled de-
clared by vote that Eva should be rear
ed, educated and protected by the lodge,
and that as Providence had placed her in
Brother Turner's house, that should be
her home.
| And so years went by, and Eva became
a healthy, joyous child, fitting here and
there, and everywhere meeting the warm
est OF welcomes. The Masonic hall was
but few rods from Mr. Turner's resi-
dence, and Eva often went with him as
far as the door, and then returned alone,
always bidding the tyler "Take good care
of Pa Turner and send him home early. "
| CHAPTER III.
The six years that followed the deatl
of his wife and the loss Of his child pass
ed YEARLY to James Durant. He visited
nearly every country III the old world
seeking among scenes of natural beauty
and grandeur as well as of historic inter.
est, for the mental rest that could never
he found. Once more he turned his steps
towards America, and sought his Masonic
friend Wadsworth. Finding that gentle
man about setting out with his family or
a journey to the Atlantic coast, MIR. Durant
accepted the invitation TO accompany
them to Saratoga and Niagara, then tt
New York, where, leaving the ladies, Mr.
I Wadsworth and Mr.. Durant wandered
from town to town along the coast, en-
Toying the beauty of the scenery and the
quiet hospitality that greeted them more
than the crowded hotels and the fashion
able style of the popular watering places
Fancy and the kind, hand of Providence
at length led them to the little town OF
, b, and the second evening after theil
arrival they visited the Masonic lodge
A warm welcome was extended to these
brethren from such distant homes, anC
both were invited to address the lodge
Mr.. Durant said:
"Brethren: have travelled much ane
long. I have found Masonic sympath,
in every part of the globe, and every
where is Masonry substantially the same
, !, can hardly tell where l reside. The
world seems to be my home, as I resid,
but short time In any town or country
but my name is recorded in an Englisl
lodge. love my English brethren, fo
they first brought me from darkness te
light and love English soil, for with i
sleeps the wife of my youth But I low,
American soil also, for here have fount
the warnest of welcomes, the kindest o
! brethren, And, too, my own child i
sleeping in American waters; even be
meath the very waves that wash the shore
of your beautiful village.
"SiX years have passed since this frienl
and brother robbed himself of his life
preserver that my little Eva might per
haps escape, and we hoped the. element
might be kind, and that heaven would
send her relief, but she was never hea1t
of more
The voice of Mr.. Durant was ouiverins
with emotion, and unable to speak fur
Their he seated himself and covered Iii
, face with his hands.
Chances of surprise and pleasure wer,
cast from one to another among the breth
rem of Hiram lodge. No one spoke, how
ever, but all eyes turned upon the master
Mr.. Turner. For a moment he seemed
rejecting; then taking a slip of paper