Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-08-12
THE AIMS HOUSE GIRL.
Philadelphia Pr. SO.

Philadelphia Pr SO.
She said that he name was Miriam De
/ Silva and that she waa striving TO find
some trace of her only living brother, her
I only living relative as she believed in the
wide world. Her life had been full of vi.
/ cissitudes, and of the beginning she felt
/ almost ashamed; not that she was in any
wise at fault for it, but because the world
/ would look askance at her as one who had
been a pauper She was an aims house
child. Along in the summer of 1860, rs
she had seen from the records, her moth
or died Mt their home at Eighth and Car
penter streets. Her father had been
ne er do-well. He was sick just then and
the family WAS very poor. Her mother
was buried by charitable neighbors. The
child years old; her brother twelve or
thirteen, and her father were all removed
to the aims house. Her father recovered
and the books at the aims house show
that he was discharged. He never looked
after the children whom he left behind
him and nothing has been heard of him
since. The girl was indentured to q fam
lily of friends in Delaware county. The
records show TO whom She was very
kindly treated by them and was given
an excellent education. The house was
in every respect home to her. But her
friends died q year and a half ago, the
home was broken up, and she was once
again thrown on the world. She came TO
Philadelphia and obtained a situation as
a house keeper with very wealthy fam
lily with whom she is still living.
"You remember the night of the dread
full fire at the aims house, February OF
last year, she said to Mr.. White. "You
remember, do you noty ! shall never
forget it, 1t was very close to our house,
we live very little bit away from there
The blaze shone into my room and wax
ened me. | thought our own place was
on fire, | arose All the family were up
and very much afraid, The street was
full of people, and, which we asked, they
said il was the aims house that was ablaze.
The aims house! the aims house! | had
thought of that place so often in my life,
even when child growing up ON the
farm in Delaware county. All other
children seemed to have friends and rela
tives but me, Once, | remember it pain
fully we'll, we little children were gather
ed together talking of many things, as
children will BY and by one of them
turned to me and asked; Miriam, did
you ever have u mo'heri' and | said, 4
don't know; ! don't remember her at ALL
Where was your home before you came
here2' the child went on. Before /
could answer another little one
spoke up and said; oh! | know. My
mamma says Miriam came from place
a long way off, called an aims house. The
aims house was Miriam's home felt
f,f 1 Ey,a lot al
but The word had no meaning to the 9TH
or children then, and was still one of
them. though | had been pauper. But
still, from that day always thought more
and more of the aims house, and some
days in the summer | would sit under
trees watching the clouds fly by and
wonder what had become of those, my
own who were III tina poor house with me,
| know 1T was very foolish but | couldn't
help it. Sometimes | grew SO lonely, and
when the dear people to whom | had been
bound died felt this strangs feeling more
than ever
80, when they said it was the aims
house ahlaze, | felt as if it were my own
homo burning. | know it was very fool
ish of me again, but, indeed, could not
help e. l threw some wraps about me,
and | slipped out of the house and fol
lowed the great crowd over to the fire
And stood there in the throng, the peo-
Pile pushing and shouting and fromen
rushing every way ga2ed at the blaze
like one fascinated. Indeed | must have
been quite mad; such n rush OF memoir
les came upon me, and such strange.
strange thoughts crowded into my brain.
And | said to myself again and again,
silently, rs | stood there where are they
who are of mine where are my people,
and | resolved that | would do my best to
find them. | would search through all the
world. II was quito daylight when got
back 10 the house. They had missed me
ana were much frightened ON my account.
| must have looked very pale and odd,
for my lady noticed it, and asked me
what the matter was. | couldn't tell her,
and when we were alone | threw myself
down and burst into tears. She kindly
put her hand upon my head and asked
me again what the trouble was, but
couldn't tell her, Indeed, could not ex-
press what | felt, only / was SO lonely and
| wanted 20 do SO much. and the end
seemed So far away
THE next day l went to the aims house,
and | told them what | had resolved.
They We're all upset ON account of the
fire, but they kindly took down the books
and looked them over for me. They
found the record of our admission my
self my father and my brother. After
my father had been discharged my broth
err was bound out TO farmer. I found
the farmer. lie was quite ola He told
me that toward the end of 1864 my broth
err had run away and enlisted in Penn
sylyania regiment as drummer boy. He
was not killed, however, for after the war
he came back. But he disappeared again,
and | cannot find any trace Of him"