Litchfield enquirer., 1881-04-21
give the part of it which had 80 excited

Harley. '~ ga 'A~
 .'Pssor Mrs JJoncs isd dear and vn her drath:: bed she sent forme, and made confession of a :ndst singular kind; to me a most distres- sing reyelatiop Yon are not my son, as l have SO tondly supposed lou are Mre. Jones's soua T0 me this IS great sorrow; for though love you, dear John, the same as ever, still the fact remains that l, who vas 80 proud of my boy, .aui cbildless sl Mrs. Jenes's confessjo9is this. : My father allowed her one. hundred pounds q year for taking charge of my son. When heard of my fathers death wrote to her from India that, as the boy was growing older, would make 1t one nun. dred and fifty pounds. Soon after this.she went with her own child and mine to. Bsoad. stars for a week or two There both childreni were taken i'll with scarlet fever. My boy died-yon iYed.-As she sat looking at him after he was laids outy she remembered ahat with him her income diei too: for'whAt little money she had at her husbands death was All gone. Then the idea of giving out that her, own child had died occurred to her. She was a stranger there, where none knew her. At this moment the landladyIooked in and ask, d her the full name of the child, saying kindly that her husband would get the certificate of death from the surgeon, and call with 1t at
 
 trouble On the i..lpulse of the moment, she replied: John William Jones' The land- lady wrote it down: and when she had gone Mrs. Jones would have given worlds to recall her words But she had committed herself to the false representation, and it was toovI late.
 s'The child was buried; and then the fear of discovery preventing her from returning home, she was determined to go and settle int some place where she was entirely unknown. She had previously lived in Cheshire, and choosing af distant point, she removed to Has, tings, writing to her friends that had made her residences there a condition of her retainc ing charge of nay child. There was a certain similarity both in, feature and in complexion between my boy and you, which favored the deception. had never seen either of you; and after year ortwo, if any of her acquaint- ances-whom in the mean time she would avoid-should see you, there would be but little chance of their discovering the differ ence. "@
 My dear John, withstanding what has happened, feel that you are still mine--my son in all but the name; and 70 enable you to keep your surname legally I have executed deed making you gift of the Perton estate. on condition that you retain the name of Har- ley.
 T have been aware of this changed relation ship for few montas; and as could not bear the thought of severing the ties that had so long bound us together as father and son, came to the resolution-a weak one, perhaps, but yet such as you will readily pardon-to keep this secret from you till after my death, which knew from the state of my health could not be far distant, and would probably be sudden. When you receive this, therefore, it will be after am gone, and when you can oHly think of me, hope as one who, if not your father after the flesh, has been father to you in spirit, in act, and in affection.
 CHARLES s. HARLEY"
 I read the letter with strange feelings, in which scarcely knew whether surprise or pleasure was predominant. could also now understand Johns agitstion; for if he had thus lost one who had been to him father, he had been at the same time delivered from a sorrow which would have been lifelong in it's effects both on him and the woman he lov- ed
 On my arrival at Batavia hastened to Mrsss Van Dusen's and asked to see her alone. She was, as the reader may imagine. quite over come at my unexpected intelligence. found that sine had confessed the whole circumstan. ces to her daughter. My conscience told me it was the right course to pursue, though dear John meant kindly; but could not be contented while oeceiving my child"
 In day or two the steamer was to returnto Singapore and brief as the time for prepara- tion was, both Susette and Mrs. Van sDusen.. accompanied me in her. With their care and nursing Harley soon recovered health and strength and then, after again going to Bata- via to settle Mrs. Van Dusen's affairs, pre- vious to her bidding final farewell to Java, they all three sailed for England. = Cbaagber x Journal 8 f t**r s's e5 ; ' Sss