The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-10-23


Our little life in this world seems of
little count. Throw a stone into the
seat makes a splash that lasts for
one second, then it IS all over the waves
roll on Just as though it had not been
dropped.
The death of this one little child.
whom no one knew. and for whom no
one cared, was of less than no account:
II made small paragraph in the news
paperS.-it had caused some little COM
motion on the pler,-jUSt a little hurry
at the WOrkhOuSe, and then il was for
gotten. What was such a little waif
and stray-such a small, fair. tender
little creature to the gay crOWdy
"A child found drowned by the Chain
Pier klnd-hearted. motherly women
shrugged their shoulders with a sigh.
The finding or the death of such hapless
little ones Is, alas, not rare l do not
think, of the hundreds who Carelessly
heard the words that morning, there
was one who stopped to think of the
possible suffering Of the child. 1t is
wide step from the warmth of a moth
eT'S arms to the chill of the deep sea
water. The gay tide of fashion ebbed
and flowed Just the same; the band
played on the Chain Pier the morning
following; the sunbeams danced on the
water,-there was nothing to remind
one of the little life SO suddenly and
terribly closed.
There was not much more to tell.
There Was an inquest. but ii was not of
much use. Everyone knew that the
child had been drowned: the doctor
thought IL was dTugged before it was
drowned: there was very little to be
said 1yoIt it. jim, the bOatman. proved
the finding of ii. The coroner said a
few civil words when he heard that one
of the visitors of the town. out of sheer
pity. had offered to defTay the expenses
of the little funeral.
Tie little unknown babe. who had
spent the night in the deep sea. was
buried in the cemetery on the IeweS
Road. I bought a grave for her under
the spreading bOuChs of a tree; she had
white pail and quantity of white
flowers. The matr0n from the work
house went and it was not at all like a
pauper's funeral. The sun was shin
ing. and the balmy air was filed with
the song of birds; but then. the sun
does shine, and the birds VIII sing, for
paupers.
/ ordered a small white marble cross:
it stands under the trees at the head of
the little green grave. When the head
mason asked me what name was To be
put upon II. I was puzzled. Only IIeav-
en- knew whether the helpless little
child had a claim TO any name, and, If
so, what that name was. / bethOught
myself of one name, it meant bitter
ness, and the bitterness OF deep waters.
4 will call it 'Marah, / said. and
the name stands there on the marble
cross.
"Marah. aged three weeks, found
drowned iu-the sea, September. IS
Only one small grave amongst many
but a grave over which no mother has
shed tear. Then. after a few days
more | forgot almost all about it; vet at
that time ! was so lonely, so utterly
desoIate. that 1 felt some kind of tie
bound me to the little grave. and made
me love the spot. 1t was soon all for
gotten. hut / never forgot the beauti-
ful, despairiug face | had seen on the
pier that night-the face that seemed
TO have passed me with the quickness
Of SWIFT wind, yet which was i'm
pressed on my brain Tor ever.
l have been writing to YOU. reader,
behind a veil. let me draw ii aside Ny
name is John FOrd-by no means a rO-
mantle name-but / come of a good
family. L am one of the worlds un-
foTtWnates. / had neither brother nor
sister; my father and mother died
/ while | was quite young; they left me q
/ large fortune, but no relatiWiS-no one
. 10 love me. NN guardian was a stern