Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-01-15
JOHNS DAUGHTER.

nest, where there was a nursery full of
little ones, Susie Harmon should hold a
daughters place.
We were standing on the wharf wait
ing for the signal that was tin ior my
friend TO step aboard an out gong Cali
fornia steamer He had lost his wife
within the year, and soon after was beg
CARED by fire that totally destroyed
the cotton-mills in which he had held
the position of superintendent for ten
years. With his home desolate, his
purse empty, he resolved, as many
man had done before him, to seek his
fortune in the modern FL Dorado, and
dig for gold in her mines.
The only drawback to this scheme was
the difficulty of taking his 3-year-old
daughter, who had been in the care of
| hired nurses since her mother died. |,
who shared every thought of Johns
mind, talked with my wife, and found
her eagerly willing to take care of the
little one.
81 am sure l loved Mary as well as
you love John, she said, ''and there is
no one can have stronger claim upon
the child that we have"
So, sure of her cordial welcome in our
nursery, ! made John the offer of a
home for his little one, and it was ac-
cepted as lovingly as it was offered.
This care removed, my friend hastened
his preparations for departure, and ac
companied him to New York and saw
him off.
The next morning l returned home to
find Susie almost inconsolable, crying
perpetually for papa to come to Susie. .
My wife was distracted at the failure
to comfort this childish sorrow, and our
E'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 l
talked to John, TO associate me with her
father, and she allowed me to comfort
her. In time this violent grief wore
away and the child became very happy
in our care. My business, that Of
hardware merchant, being very pros
porous, we did not feel the additional
expense of the child's support burden;
anu &c -ehC lCdIo NOlO w nllC w do 6lo OCdl
to us as our own little ones.
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 fortune for her.
As soon as she was old enough she had
her fathers letters read &c her, and her
first efforts at penmanship were letters
to papa" 1
John wrote often for ten years, re-.
counting his varying success, sometimes
sending money to buy presents for,
Susie. He was winning fortune slowly,
not at the mines, where his health broke
down, but in the employ of a San
Francisco merchant, and some specula-
tions in real estate.
He was not rich man, he wrote,
after an absence of ten years, but pros
pering, when he purpoSed paying us a
visit. He wrote hopefully OF seeing his
child, perhaps of taking her home with
him, setting no definite time, but lead
ing us to expect soon to see him. Then
his Letters ceased, and he did not come
l wrote again and again. Susie wrote.
No answers came to either one or the
other. We did not know the name of
his employer, 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 a tender, loving
heart, and we had always kept her
fathers name before her, striving to win
him a place in her fondest affection.
That we had succeeded only too well was
shown by her sorrow, when week after
week passed and there was no good
news from California.
When we had really lost all hope, it
became Susie's great pleasure to sit be-
side me and ask ME again and again for
the stories l remembered of her fathers
boyhood and youth, his college life, our
many excursions, and, above all, of his
marriage and the gentle wife and
mother so early called to heaven.
She dearly loved those talks, and 70
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 at IS
she was one of the sweetest, most win
ming girls ever saw. Without being a
wonder of erudition, she was well edu-
Gated, had fair musical talent, and a
sweet, well cultivated voice She was
tall and graceful, and when she was in
troduced to Joanna, my handsome bru-
nette daughter, both become popular.
Albert and viii, my boys, were older
than the girls; Albert in business with
me, and VIII at college, the winter when
Joanna and Susie rlade their debut.
1t would take me quite too long to
tell of the pleasui es of the young folks
during this winter, but Joanna was won
from US by Cuban gentleman, and
Susie became, il possible, dearer than
ever.
Spring had come, when one evening
Albert came into my library, where
was nodding over a book, having
worked busily all day. He fused about
the books in nervous way, quite un-
like his usual quiet manner and finally
said, abruptly:
Father, you have often said Susie
is as dear to you as one of your own
children"
l looked up amazed at this opening
speech.
''WellY' l asked.
''Wll you make her your daughter
in fact by giving her to me for a wife?'
Dear dear! To think l had been SO
blind. Susie had in truth become SO
much one of our children that was az
much astonished as if Albert had fallen
in love with Joanna.
But soon found, when Susie's blush
ing face was hidden upon my breast,
that she, too, had given away her heart,
and was only too well pleased that No
stranger had won the precious gift.
In September they were married, my
son and the child of our adoption, and
gave them house next to our own fol
home having old fashioned ideas about
such matters, and believing it is better
for young married people to live b.
themselves and assume housekeeping
cares.
The new home was gem of neatness
under Susie's dainty fingers, and the
spirit of perfect love kept it ever bright.
Having been brother and sister for SO
MANY YEARS Albert and Susie thor