The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1885-01-08
JOHNS DAUGHTER.

'You will care for my child! You
Will not let my little ono suffer-"
My old friend and college chum, John
Harmon said this as he wrung my hand.
repeated my promise that in my homo
nest, where there was nursery full OF
little ones, Susie Harmon should hold a
daughters place a- g .1,
We were standing on tho wharf wait
ing for the signal that was tin. for my
friend to step aboard an outgoing 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 O
man had done before him, to seek his
fortune in the modern Ell Dorado, and
dig for gold in her mines.
The only drawback to this scheme was
tho difficulty of taking his 3-year-old
daughter, who had been in the care of
hired nurses since her mother died. l,
who shared every thought of Johns
mind, talked with my wife, and found
her eagerly willing to take care of the
little one.
Il am sure loved Mary as we'll as
you love John" she said, land 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 q
home for his little one, and it was &C.
cepted as lovingly as it was offered.
This care removed, my friend FASTENED
his preparations for departure, and l nc
companied him to New York and saw
him off. s.
The next morning returned home to
find Susie almost inconsolable, crying
perpetually for papa to come to Susie.
My wife was distracted at tho failure
to comfort this childish sorrow, and our
own three children looked on wonder
ingly at,
criod, after mamma told her to be
quiet"
Fortunately Susie was accustomed ia
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 violent grief wore
away and the child became very happy
in our care. My business, that OF a
hardware merchant, being very pros
porous, we did not feel the additional
expense of the child's support burden;
and as the years wore by she was as dear
to lis as our own little ones.
But she understood always that sht
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 to her, and he,
first efforts at penmarship were letters
to papa"
John wrote often for ten years, re
counting his varying success, sometimes
sending money to buy presents fo
Susie. He was winning fortune slowly
not at the mines, where his health brok'
down, but in the employ of'a Sa1
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 {
visit. He wrote hopefully Of seeing hi.
child, perhaps of taking her home will
him, setting no definite time, but lead
ing us to expect soon to see him. Ther
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 Aame Of
his employer, and after nearly two
years more passed we sadly thought b,
must be dead.
1t might have seemed to many, un
natural for Susie to grieve so deeply a
she did for father almost unknown t
her in reality, but she was 2 girl of mos
sensitive feelings, with tender, lOvin
heart, and we had always kept he
fathers name before her, striving to vii
him place in her fondest affection
That we had succeeded only too we'll wa
shown by her sorrow, when week afte
week passed and there was no goo
news from California.
When we had really lost all hope,
became Susie's great pleasure to sit be
side me and ask mo again and again fo
the stories | remembered of her father
boyhood and youth, his college life, gu
many excursions, and, above all, of hi
marriage and the gentle wife an
mother so early called to heaven.
She dearly loved those talks, and r
memories We're more precious than III
description of her fathers pain in par
ing from her, and his desire to wi
money in California only for her.
Time softened Susies grief, and at 1
she was one of the sweetest, most wiz
ming girls ever saw. Without being
wonder Of erudition, she was well edit
Gated, had a fair musical talent, and
sweet, well cultivated voice. She WI
tall and graceful, and when she was il
troduced to Joanna, my handsome brr
nette daughter, both become popular.
Albert and viii, my boys, were oldt
than the girls; Albert in business wit
me, and Will at coll ,ge, the winter whe
Joanna and Susie ade their debut.
1t would take me quito too long
tell of the pleasures of the young foil
during this winter, but Joanna was VIC
from us by a Cuban gentleman, ar
Susie became, IL possible, dearer th'
ever.
Spring had come. when one event,
~ Albert came into my library, where
was nodding over a book, havil
worked busilyall day. He fused abo
the books in nervous way, quite u
like his usual quiet manner and final
said, abruptly:
Father, you have often said Sus
is as dear to you IS one of your ov
children"
] looked up amazed at this openil