Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-28
AFTERASEARCH YEARS
A TORONTO MOTHER RECOvlzRS
HER LONG-LOST son.

A Toronto (Can. dispatch of Januar,
p says: "Harry Smith, a I6-year-old boy
living with his widowed mother in tn,
eastern part of the city, has history that
reads like romance. His parents lived
at Brantiord, but being unable to live
happily together, separated shortly after
be was born. The father, who had been
a school teacher, went to Dakota
and took up land, and the
mother returned with her child ia
| Toronto, her old home. Mrs. Smith sup-
ported herself and the little one bv giving
| lessons in painting and drawing Letters
passed between the husband and wife
occasionally, his expressing hope OF recon.
citation, hers declaring that such a thing
was impossible, and that all she desired
| was to be allowed to work for her child
| and TO keep him with her. One day. when
| the boy was about two years old, return
! ing from pupils house, she was told by
her sister, who lived with her, that the
| Boys father had been there and had taken
| the boy out, saying he would bring him
back in an hour or two. The day wore to
a close, and the pair did not return.
some time after the mother received word
that the boy had been taken away by his
father, and that she need make no effort
| ~ 80 hAhA DdCh, dS LndL eHOfI, II made.
| would De frultleSs. For four wears after
that she did not again set her ewes upon
the boy. Meantime she did her best to
keep track of him, hoping that some
time she would have an opportunity of
claiming him again, Her husbands rela-
tlyes, who lived in Bruce county. and
with whom she was on good terms. in
formed her from time to time that the boy
was alive and well. The rush for the
WnGf QCCtCfnd hnv- I
friend or acquaintance going to the prai-
RE country, she sought him out and asked
him to learn what he could about her hus-
band and about little Harry. In this wav
she ascertained that Mr.. Smith remained
on his farm in the summer, and in the
winter taught school in st. Paul or one of
the neighboring towns. After about three
years he came east to Ann ArbOr, Mich.
where he engaged in the study of
medicine. While he was vet living
in the prairie country she was told that
HE HAD GIVEN THE BOY AWAY.
But for long time she did not believe
the story. One memorable dav, when She
had been for long time without news of
the child, who was always in her
thoughts, she received word from Bruce
that her husband was dead. The letter
came at night. Next morning she was off
by the first train to his old home. She
wanted to see her boy at once. and to her
friends representations that he was
lodged where 1t would not be easy to OBJ
tain possession of him, she turned a deaf
ear. Evidently thinking that they in
tended to keep them still longer sepa-
rated, she would listen to nothing short
of direct statement of her sons where
abOutS. ''If | have to search the
world over, l will find him. she
SAID, passionately. Returning to Toronto
she made known her intention of setting
out on search. Those who had the great
est interest i'll her, and who had the best
right to advise her, did their best to dis
suade her from such course. Whittier
would she go? How would she get money
tor her travelling expenses? What hone
had she of finding her boy? These and a
thousand other unanswerable questions
were asked, and, knowing them TO be un-
answerable, she made no attempt to argue
the question, but. womanlike, stood bv
her determination apparently against all
reason. She first visited Ann Arbor, and
there, to her great surprise, found an
other woman who considered herself the
widow Of the student of medicine, her hus-
band. She was a young lady Of good con-
nectiOns and perfect respectabiIity. On
learning that she had no title to the mar
riage ring she wore, she and her friends
were overcome with grief. Smith. on
had represented himself as single man.
From that time up to his death he was
respected by those of the people of Ann
ArbOr with whom he came in contact as
man of thoroughly good character. On
Mrs. Smiths arrival the true state of af-
fairs became generally known, and the
young wife, overcome with the shame
which had come upon her through no
fault Of her own, moved away from her
homo hnnirO Y fOh hn
boy was not to be found, of course: no.
body in the place knew anything about
him. Mrs. Smith left directions that her
husbands effects were to be kept for cue
boys benefit, when he Woo Nund, and re-
turned to Toronto.
FORTUNE FAVORED HER,
Ior a friend going to the Northwest Sc
cured her a pass to st. Paul, Minn., and
they set off to that city together. Mrs.
Smith bore with her letters of introduc-
ton from clergymen and others in this
city. But on arriving in st. Paul she was
taken sick with low malarial fever, un-
der which she was confined to the house
fer about five weeks. The expense made
serious inrOads upon her scanty purse.
This, combined with her never ceasing de-
slrt to see her son, caused her to resume
her ask before she was fit to be about.
She 7OOn found friends, however the
thlZlnSwith her in her distress. A kind
clergynRn's influence with the Mayor put
several electives on the track, and with
IN "A nous from the time of beginning
the mOJhr was oveTjOyed to learn
that her child had been found. 1t
appears trol the detectives story, which
mas since Oe9 fully cOrrOborated, that the
lad called hlSather "Uncle," and that
after represenpg that the boys parents
| dead F,AI l, g.
adoption to a Wrench Canadian couple
named Cardinal, then living in ST. Paul.
Since then and uItO the time the lad was
found Cardinal hadiyed i'm several nlaces
near st. Paul, may settling down as
| hotel keeper IN Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Inc lad was DrouSh! p to speak French,
ana Wheh ms ldehtlty was first discOy-
cred, was living at aROman Catholic
seminary under the tuion of French
| speaking priests. A Nit was at once
paid to Chippewa Fall and Cardinal
was informed that thu mother Of
the child he had sunosed was
his for life had come to claii him The
| affection of the Cardinals 70 tbe littIe
fellow was very strong, and tho daciarad
that nothing should take him firm thom
At first they would listen to no ropoei-
tion looking to the establishment of tho
mothers claim, but finally impresad hv
the quiet determination Of the infiuS4iaI
men who spoke to them the husbandson-
sented to bring the boy up to the hotes so
| that mother and son might see each 9TH.
''for the last time," he added, stubbornH
| The meeting took place-a meeting Sc
strange, and according to those who wit
messed it, so affecting that no words could
picture it. Neither mother nor child
could recognize the other; the mother
| had at last her arms about the little form
she had so often.
DREAMED OF CLAsPING TO HER HEART.
the lad frightened, clinging to his adopted
father and crying piteously in strange
tongue to be saved from her embrace. and
Cardinal weeping and holding the boys
| hand. knowing that already his wife had
| been made i'll by her fear of losing her
| treasure, and that to lose him would al
most kill her. No "situation'' on the
stage could have been more effectively
''wOrked up" than this scene in real life.
Cardinal upbraided the slight, fair haired
woman who had endured so much for her
| boys sake for having neglected him SO
long, and on leaving nearly broke her
heart by saying that she should never see
him again. But she was reassured by her
good friends beside her, and the
good friends outside, the detectives,
shadowed Cardinal when he let the hotel
and saw him leave the boy at the house Oi
a relative in the outskirts of the town. II
took some time to convince the affection
ate, obstinate French-CaHadian that all
his efforts were useless, that the boy must
be restored to his mother. AS a last part
ing hope he put in bill for the boys
board, but afterwards cut it down by half
and this, together withthe detectives and
other fees were betrayed by contributions
from generous people OfSt. Paul. Finally
Felix Cardinals generosity and kindness