Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-12-26
JOHNS DAUGH Err.

"You will care for my child. You
will not let my little one suffer-
My old friend and college chum,
John Harmon, said this as he wrung
my hand. | repeated my promise
that in my own home-nest, where
there was II nursery full Of little ones,
Susie Harmon should hold a daugh-
ter's place.
We were standing on the warf wait
ing for the signal that it was timo for
my friend to step aboard an out going
California steamer. He had lost his
wife within the year, and soon after
was beggared by a fire that totally
destroyed the cotton mills in which he
had hold the position of superlnten-
dent for ten years. With his home
deSolate, his purse empty, he RI solved,
as many a man had before him, Ia
seek his fortune in the modern Ell
Dorado and dig for gold in her
mines.
The only drawback to his scheme
was the difficulty Of taking his three
year old daughter with him, who had
been in the care of hired nurses since
her mother died. |, who shared every
thought of Johns mind, talked with
nay wife and found her eagerly will
ing to take care of the little one.
Il am sure | loved Mary as well as
you loved John, she said, 'and there
is no one can have stronger claim
upon the child than we have"
so, sure of her cordial welcome in
our nursery, made John the offer of
home for his little one, and il was
accepted as lovingly as it was offered.
This care removed, my friend hasten
ed his preparations for departure, and
accompanied him to New York and
saw him eff.
The next morning | returned home
to find Susie almost inconsolable cry
ing perpetually for papa to come to
SUSIE"
My wife was distracted at the fail
ure to comfort this childish sorrow,
and on. own three children looked on
wonderingly at
Naughty Susie, who cried and
cried, after mamma told her TO be
quiet"
Fortunately Susie was accustomed
To see me, to snuggle in my arms
when | talked to John, 10 associate
me with her father, and she allowed
me to comfort her In time this vio-
lent grIel wore away, and the child
became very happy In our care. My
business, that of a hard ware merchant,
being very prosperous, we did not
feel the additional expense of the
chtld's support burden; and as the
years wore by she was as dear to us
as our own little odes.
But she understood always that she
was not our child, but had dear
father who loved her fondly, and was
away from her only to make for
tune for her. As soon as she was old
enough she had her fathers letters
read TO her and her first efforts at
Psnmanship were letters to Papa"
John wrote often for ten years, re
counting his varying success, some.
times sending money to buy presents
for Susie. He was winning fortune
slowly, not at the mines, where his
health broke down, but i'm the employ
of II San Francisco merchant and
some speculation in real estate.
He was not rich man, he wrote,
after an absence of ten years, but
prospering, when he proposed paying
us visit He wrote hopefully of
seeing his child, perhaps of taking
her home with him, setting no definite
time, but leading us to expect soon TO
see him. Then his letters ceased, and
he did not come. | wrote again and
again. Susie wrote No answer
came to either one or the other. We
did not know the name of his EN-
ployer, and after nearly two years
more passed we sadly thought he
must be dead.
1t might have seemed to many un-
natural for Susie to grieve So deeply
as she did for father almost unknown
to her in reality, but she was girl of
most sensitive feelings, with tender,
loving heart, and we had always kept
her fathers name before her, striving
10 win him place in her fondest af-
lection. That we had succeeded onl '
too well was shown by her sorrow.
when week after week passed, and
there was no good news from Califsr-
MIA.
When we had really lost all hope il
became Susie's great pleasure TO 81,
beside me and ask me again and again
for the stories / remembered of her
fathers boyhood and youth. his col
lege life, our many excursions, and,
above all, of his marriage and the gen.
tie wife and mother so early called to
heaven.
She dearly loved these talks, and no
memories were more precious than my
description of her fathers pain in part.
ing from her, and his desire to win
money in California only for her.
Time softened Susie's grief, and al
eighteen she was one of the sweetest,
most winning girls ever saw. With.
out being a wonder of erudition, She
was well educated, had 8 fair musical
talent ana a sweet, well cultivated
voice. She was tall and graceful, and
when she was introduced to society
with Joanna, my handsome surrette
daughter, both became popular.
Albert and viii, my bows, were
older than the girls; Albert in business
with me, and Will at college, the
winter when Joanna and Susie made
their debut.
1t would take me quite too long To
tell of the pleasures OF the young
folks during this winter, but Joanns
was won from us by Cuban gentle
man, and Susie became, if possible,
dearer than ever.
Spring had come, when one even
ing Albert came into my library,
where l was noddiNg over a book,
having worked buslly all day. he
fused about the books in a nervous
way, quite unlike his usual quiet man.
ner, and finally said, abruptly.
Father, you have often said Susie
is as dear to you as one of your own
children"