The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-12-14
A PATHETIC STORY.
NAsBT IN IRELAND.
Toledo Blade.

Toledo Blade.
In oar party was an American gem
tleman who was blessed with an abund-
ance Of boys, but no girls, and he and
his wife had been contemplating the
adoption of a girl. Here was an oPpor-
tunity to secure not only girl, but just
the kind of a girl that he would have
given half his estate to be the farther
of. And so he opened negotiations.
An Irishman who knew him, eX-
plainel to the father and mother that
the gentleman was a man OF means,
that his wife was an excellent, good
woman, and that the child would be
adopted regularly under the laws of the
State in which he lived, and would be
educated, and would rank equally with
his own children in the matter of inherit
ance, and all that. In short, she was
made to understand that Norah would
be reared as lady.
Then the American struck IN. She,
the mother, might select a girl to ac-
company the child across the Atlantic,
and the girl selected should go into his
family as the child's nurse, and the
child should be reared in the religion OF
its parents.
The father and mother consulted long
and anxiously. 1t was terrible strug-
gle. On the one hand was the child 5
advantage, on the eIHeF paternal ana
maternal love.
Finally conclusion was arrived At.
''God help me" said the mother.
"You shall have her. l know you Will
be good to her."
Then the arrangements were pushed
very briskly and with regular American
businesslike vehemenee. The girl Sc
lected to act as nurse was the mothers
sister, comely girl of 20. The Ameri-
can took the child and rushed out to a
haberdasher's and purchased an outfit
for her. He put shoes and stockings on
her which was a novel experience, and
a pretty little dress, and little hat with
a feather in it, and little sash and all
that sort of things, and he procured
shoes and stockings for the elder girl
and tidy dress and hat, and shawl,
and so forth. And then he brought them
back, instructing the mother that he
should leave with them for Cork the
next morning at II, and that the girl
and child should be dressed and ready tC
depart.
The next morning came, and the
American went for his child. She was
dressed, though very awkwardly. The
mother had never had any experience
in dressing children, and it was won
der that she did not get the dress OF
wrong side up. But there she was
The mother walled as one who was
parting with everything that was deal
to her, the father lay and moaned, look
ing from Norah to the American. Time
was up. The mother took the baby IL
her arms and gave it the final embrace
and the long loving kisses the father tool
her in his arms and kissed her, and th'
other children looked on astounded
while the girl stood weeping.
"Good-bye," said the American. :"
will take good care of the baby, anC
taking her from her mothers arms, h
started for the door.
There was shrek, the woman darte'
to him Just as he was closing the doc
anil snatched the baby from his arms.
"Drop the childl" said the father
"You can't have her for all the none,
there is in Amerikyp
mo, sir" circulated the mother, hal
way between fainting and Mysteries, :"
can't part wild herP
And she commenced undressing tn
baby.
"Take back your beautiful clothes
give me back the rags that was on hel
but you can't have the child"
And the girl she commenced undress
ing too, for she did not want to obtal
clother under false pretenses, but th
American stopped the disrobing:
"It's bad for the child" he said, "br
somehow l can't blame you. You al
welcome to the clothes, though.
And he left as fast as he could, and
noticed that he was busy with handke
chief about his eyes for some minutes