The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-12-13
fHURL0W WEEDS ADOPTED CHILp.
A Domestic Romance as Narrated II
1879 by the Veteran Journalist.

A Domestic Romance as Narrated II
1879 by the Veteran Journalist.
New York World.
/. called on Mr.. Weed yesterday and
found him once more up III the little
library room down stairs, near the front
door, where he loves to stay. He was
living on the lounge, and his faithful
daughter was sitting near reading to
him the morning news. | took the
offered hand and announced my name
to him, for the venerable man can no
longer see his visitors. He was very
pale and apparently feeble the pink
had all fed from his cheeks and the
light from his face.
+" Well. am through a rather hot
summer" said he, "but l did think it
would kill me this time.
Miss Weed said hesufered extremely
during the hottest weather, but was
now gaining fast.
My mind reverts more than ever to
the old, old times," he said, drawing
his hand over his dim orbs thought
fully.
Father has been thinking about
Mary good deal for the last few days"
said Miss Weed.
Her life seemed so strange and
beautiful, Harriet, as look back at it,
said the old man. . 1t is one Of the
pleasantest of my recollections.
Miss Weed began to explain briefly
to me that Mary was his adopted
daughter, who died some years ago,
when her father said if | would
like to hear the story he would tell it
l assured him, and he began:
g One day, in the winter of 1845,
while l was in barber shop in ALBANY,
| heard that a writing named
Chapman had been found dead in his
room, and that his daughter, aged tw,
years, had been alone with her dead
ia iher for several hours. Chapman
was dwarf of Incorporate habits, well
known in Albany. The little girl was
to be taken to the almshouse the mex
morning. 1t was sad case and moved
my sympathies deeply. l mentioned il
to my family at the tea table without
manifesting any feeling, but / saw al
once that my wife and children shared |
my interest, and when I was leaving |
the house half an hour later, my daugh- |
ter stood at the hall door and said Il
will go with you, father She was right |
in her guess. Arriving at Mrs. Wool |
ey's where the waif was temporarily |
lodged, found the child. and she came |
to me readily and sat on my knee. l
asked if she would go home with me
and she spoke up; Yes, sir'-I re-
mt mber her sweet voice now. Well,
we took her home, and never think OF
her without feeling sure that blessing
went into our house with that child. /
We were all made happy by her artles>
ways and by the development of her
rare and beautiful qualities. From two
years old, when she came, she grew up
very bright and good--at home, at school,
with children and with adults-every-
where she was universal favorite.
Long before children generally think OF
aught but being cared for she was help
of herself AMI thoughtful
and painstaking for others. Before she
was five years old she had the care OF
her own wardrobe, keeping everything
Systematically in order and watching foI
to assist her mother and
sisters (for she was now one Of us).
She was always perfect in her lessons.
When she was seven, she said she
wanted to make a shirt for me she
made it entirely without assistance oi
my kind and it was SO well done that
It was sent to the fair of the American
Institute in New York, where a silver
medal was awarded to her for the bas
specimen of plain needlework. We al
became fonder and fonder of her year
lfter year, anxious only about heI
lealth. In October, 1866, from the eff.
ects of cold that settled on her lungs,
Ihe died."
The old man turned over on the
ounge and drew long breath, while
Miss Weed went to drawer and brough!
orth the treasured medal of bright
liver.
" It was heavy bereavement to US"
le continued. Hearing that Mary
lad a brother in South Carolina, we
vent Lnere, ana Oudiy enough, the nlst
nan / met had adopted the boy
whom his mother had left them some
eighteen or nineteen years before. He
lad been adopted by gentleman there,
tut was now in his third year III the
'outh Carolina college, having gone
here from the orphan school, where be
ron the scholarship for personal merit.
lie resembled our lost daughter very
trongly. At our solicitation he visited
IS in Albany during the summer, and :
Te took him to see Niagara. He took J
old under the fall, and being frail like
is sister, he died, and We laid him by
er side in November.