Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-01
JOHNS DAUGH Err.

will not let my little one suffer-"
My old friend and college chum,
John Harmon, said this as he wrung
nay hand [ repeated my promise
that in my own home-nest, where
there was a nursery full of little ones,
Susie Harmon should hold daugh-
ter's place.
We were standing on the warf wait
ing for the signal that it was time 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 fire that totally
destroyed the cotton mills In which he
had held the position of superinten-
dent for ten years. With his home
desclate, his purse empty, he resolved,
as many a man had before him, to
seek his fortune in The modern Ri
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, land there
is no one can have a stronger claim
upon the child thaa we have"
So, sure of her cordial welcome in
our nursery, l made John the offer of
a home for his little one, and it was
accept I'd 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 inconsoiable cry
ing perpetually for papa to come to
Susie"
Ny wife was distracted at the fail
urc to comfort this childish sorrow,
and cur 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 Ohm, to associate
me with her father, and she allowed
me to comfort her. Ia time this vio-
lent grlel wore away, and the child
became very happy in our care. My
business, that of hard ware merchant,
being very prosperous, we did not
feel the additional expense of the
childs 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, bat 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 10 her and her first efforts at
penmanship 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 doM9, but IN the employ
of a San Francisco merchant and
some speculation In real estate.
He was not a rich man, he wrote,
after an absence OF ten years, but
prospecting, when he proposed paying
us WISH. he WfOto uOpSIully 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. I 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
to win him a place in her fondest af-
lection. That we had succeeded only
too well was shown by her sorrow,
when week after week passed, and
there was no good news from Califor-
MIA.
When we had really lost all hope it