The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-06-17

"A TRAGEDY;
OR
THE STORY OF I'VE CHAIN PIER.

There was a slight suggestion on the
part of the little group ~ to the morn
Ing being dry one. We parted on very
satisfactory terms.
went on the pier, and under the
wooden shelter where | had sat last
night, | saw "A grOup-the Superintend-
ent of the police with one Of the officers,
the manager OF the pier, the keepers OF
the different stalls, Il few strangers, and
jim. the boatmm, who had found the
little bundle dripping wet, Oh, IIeay-
EN- the pathos Of IT, On the wooden
seat lay the little bundle, so white, 80
fair, like a small, pale rosebud, and by
it. in a wet heap, lay the black and
grey shawl. knew ii in one moment;
there was not another word to be said;
that was the same shaw | had seen in
the woman's hands when she dropped
the little bundle into the seattle self
same. had seen 1t plainly 10y the
bright, iitful CLEAN of the moon, The
superintendent said something to me,
and | went forward to look at the little
child--so small SO fair. SO tendcr--how
could any woman, with Il woman $
heart, drop that warm. soft little nurs-
ling, into the cold, deep sea. II was Il
woman who killed Joel--a woman who
slew lIolofcrneS-but tie woman who
drowned this little, tiny child. Was
more cruel by far than they.
What sweet little facet said the
superintondent-"it looks Just as if it
were made of wax
bent forward. An if had doubted
before, could doubt no longer, The
little face. even in its waXcn pallor, was
like the beautiful one had seen in its
cluster of hair, the same beautiful
mouth and moulded chin. Mother aad
child, knew and felt sure. The little
white garments were dripping. and
some kind, motherly woman in the
crowd came forward and dried the little
face.
poor little thing!' she said, "how
should like to take those wet things or,
and make it warm by a good FIRE"
1T will never be warm again IN this
world" said one of the hoatmpn
There is but little chance when child
has lain AL night in the sea.
"All night in the seat said the pitt
ful woman, "and my children lay 50
warm and comfortable in their soft lit
Tie beds All night in the seal Poor
little muthCrless thing"
She seemed to take it quite for grant
ed that the child must be mOtherlcSS;
IA her loving. mOtherly heart she could
not think of such crime as a mother
destroying her own child. saw that
all the men wiio stood round the body
We're struck with this.
What will be done with it?' she
asked.
at will 90 to the deadlouse at the
workhouse,n said the superintendent,
"and the parish will bury it,
Then stood forward.
NO" ! cried. "if the authorities
will permit iHil. take upon myself the
expense OF buying Lhat little child-it
shall not have "A panpcr's fuNeral, it
Shall be buried IN the beautiful green
cemetery in the Lewes Road, and il
shall have a white marble cross at the
head of its grave, y
"You are very good. sir, said the sd.
per.nendeut, and the pitiful woman
cried oat.
Heaven bless You, sir | would do
the same thing myself if | could afford
il.
There must be M Inquest" said
someone IN the crowd: I'VE 9Hghi 70
know whether the child WAS dead be-
fore II WAS thrown into the water.
II hope to Heaven II was cried the
woman.
Nnl | said to myself that, if tina,
were the case. it would not I've murder
mot murder but some mad miserable
mother way ont of some dreadful diff
liculIy.
surely, on TIE beautiful despairing
face halnot seen the haEd Of murder,
II the little one had been dead that
would lessen the degree of wickcdncss
SO greatly.
The woman who had dried and kissed
| the tiny WaXcn face. bent over il now.
Il ann sure. she said, "tha: child Ya,
alive wien IT touched the water.
F" How DO you know asked the sta.
perntcndrnt, curlously.
=" Look at the face. sir, and YOU will
| see.
g! see nothing" he replied
Be do, she said, Il see just what
You would see ON the face Of a baby
suddenly PLUNGED into cold water.
see the signs Of faint, baby surprise
Look AT the baby's hl0ws and the iith
hand spread side Open Ii was liNin.
When 1t touched tie water, am sure o.
that
a doctor viii soon settle that cues
ton, said the superintendent.
Then the little one WAS carried b,
| rough but not ungcntle hands to I'M
doaGh0uSe on the hill, went with il
! overheard the superintendent ten III,
master Of Gle w0rkhousc that | was
rich mall-an lusHlid and that passet
great deal Of my time II Brighton. III
q lowered voice he added TIN, | wa.
very eccentric. and that. happening [,
hc ON the Chain Pier that morning
hal insisted upon paying the eSpen.e
OF the little funeral
IA kind. Christian gentleman" "a
master said, II am glad lo hear it."
shall never forget the pliul sigh
OF that tiny white form laid on the ii
BILE alone quite alone | could not iol
get IT, The plalrnn bad found Il It'll
whlta dress TO wrap II IN. and wit
kindly thought had laid some whit
chryNanlhrmums on tho littlo ihN0ccu
breast Whenever see rhrysanthC
mum now it brings back the Nhol
scpnp-.ihr bare, white walls. the clea
wooden floor the black troStIes. aud Ia
lahie Wherron the fair, tur.pr littl
body lay all alone.
itt ,ri.t,p NJ