The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-11-26
Two Travellers.

Of course you have all heard of
Castle Garden in New York. Now
when you say garden" you think OF
neatly kept paths, and bright flow
ers nodding at yon as you pass, and
bees and butterflies flying from flow
er to flower. How disappointed you
would be when you looked at Castle
Garden, 1t is shabby building,
and such queer shape-round-
built on the battery. Years ago 1t
was a fort; afterwards it was put to
various uses. A reception was given
to General Lafayette in this build
ing, and it was here the great singer
Jenny Lind, sang when she came to
New York. Now the immigrant
that is, the poor people who come In
big ships from Europe and other
foreign countries-are landed there.
You know these people have no
homes in this country, and some OF
them have no friends.
There are people authorized to
care for them and send them where
they want to go. Sometimes they
expect to buy land and build nous
es out West, and support themselves
by working on farms, Sometimes
they come here and stay in Castle
Garden until they are hired to work
by some one. Everything is done
to make them comfortable. But the
most surprising immigrants who
come to this country are the little
children who come all alone; that is
without father or mother or big
brothers or sisters to look after them.
The parents ofthese children have
not money enough to pay the fare
for themselves and for their children
SO they leave their children at their
old homes with the grandmother or
some other relation, and then they
come to this country, and earn mon
ey enough to make home and pay
the passage of the children.
When the relatives in Europe get
the letters telling when and how to
send the children, they tie card on
the children's neck, on which is
written the address of the new home
take them to the ship and they sail
for the strange country, and when
they land sometimes the father or
mother meets them at Castle Garden.
You can Just imagine how the chill
dren feel when they meet their faith
er and mother.
But sometimes when they land at
New York they have only gone part
of the journey to their home. Last
week two children, a brother and
sister landed at Castle Garden. The
boy was ten years old and the girl
was four. Their father and mother
had come to this country and left
these children at their old home in
Ireland, three years ago, and only
now had place to shelter them out
in Dakota. These children stood
side by side in the crowd their
faces were not very clean, and they
looked very frightened such hur-
ry and such pushing and scolding
were enough to frighten big folks.
Not one familiar facel It was very
warm, the room they were in was
not over clean, and every one was
too busy TO notice the two little
children who huddled together close
to the wall. After awhile man
discovered these two homesick,
frightened children. They did not
know where they were going, but he
looked at the card and put them on
the boat that would take them to
the cars. Before you read this, no
doubt these two little ones have
reached the little home out in Da-
kota. How glad they are to get
there you can well imagine. Three
years away from your mother
Think of it! While you are reading
this, | think that little girl is in her
mothers lap, and the boy sits on the
doorstep beside his father, telling all
the things that happened on that
long journey from Ireland to Dako-
ta.- Christian Union.