The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-03
Look for him in til,

81 went to the cemeteries and exam
ined long lists OF names; Roberts was moi
there. The trenches they told me had
many nameless tenants.
Next bethousht me OF Aunt Dilsey'f
son, Solomon, to whom the Mowbray fam
lily was strongly attached, and to him
turned for help. | found him with much
difficulty, and inquired il he had received
any communication from Robert after he
left the house on Alabama street.
"'Yas, mistis, he said, 'dar was
leetle small 'munication fotch down ter
me by de han ub my boy Gabriel. Gabe,
he wus ployed ter sweep and spnnkla
lime bout de Sixt ward horspeete and
dar he seed Robot when he was brung in
wild de chill on him. Robot he seed
Gabe too, and he writ do leetle small
'munication and gin it ter Gabe, and
Gate he brung it ter me; wild 'structions
fur ter keep it safe, and gin it ter Mars
Horrus ef Mars Horus he eber come
back. l lows dat 'munication am still
in de side pocket Oh my linen duster.
81 made a copy Of Roberts note; it is
| here in my cabinet; ! will read it TO you:
"'Dear Father-I did pray to live for
you. They are all gone. jamie went first,
then Freddie and Tommie. Mother and
the baby are in one grave. Aunt Dllsey
was faithful to the last. Mrs. Laurence,
lady from the north, was all the world to
me. II live
"The sentence is unfinished. The nerve
| less fingers could hold the pencil no longer.
| | asked solomon ii his son had seen Rob
| ert after the note was written.
"'No, insists said he. 'Gabe, he was
tux down hisse'i de mex day, and when
| he got well nuf ter go back, Robot he was
gone. Whar he was gone nobody knowed,
| but somehow has "a 'viction dat Robot
am libin'.'
"'Would he not come to see you ii he
were living?' ] asked
"Iawd, yes, mistis, soon as cher he
could find me. Robot haint got no money
ter help him track folks down, an Use
clean on luther side ub town frum whar
| wus when Robot las seed me. | spec
Robot, he thinks Pse dead
Solomon chuckied amazingly at this
amusing idea, and TO tell the truth / was
encouraged by his hopeful view OF the
| case.
''For many DAYS kept up the search.
! | found u number of nurses and patients
| from the Sixth ward hospital, but they
were divided in their belief about the boy.
| Some thought he had recovered, others
we've sure he had died. The only clow l
! found Of any value was this at one place
! | was told OF pale, feeble boy, who had
| gone from house 20 house, asking for Mrs.
Laurence, and had staggered, us under u
! blow, on hearing she was dead A native
nurse OF OF tile same name had died in one
OF the hospitals took heart, and pushed
my inquiries with renewed yigor, but TO
no avail.
by dint Of advertisements and reward,
| recovered the watch, chain and loCket
| have worn them ever since. with the
! hope that some day | would meet my boy
in a crowd aud they woull attract his At
| tentiOn.
"From Memphis I went 10 Nashville
! with the faint hope OF finding the boy
near his father; but be has not been heard
OF there.
"Seyca years went by without one word
OF my boy, though kept before the pub
lie a standing offer Of a large reward Tor
any information that might lead TO his
discovery. The only result arising from
nv advertisement is letter Of recent date,
from the superintendent OF ElmWood
cemetery at Memphis, telling me that lao
has received from New York banker
letter directing him to draw Tor 500 n
needed, with particular instructions 10
apply IL in caring Tor the guavcs Of the
Mowbray family and n Mns. Laurence,
! victims 81 the epidemic Of rs. Also the
grave OF an old cOlored woman, Diiscy
| Haywood.
II obtained from this person the address
OF the bank In New York and called upon
| the cashier in eager expectation OF rcceiv-
ing the long sought knowledge OF Roberts
fate; but was again disappointed.
"The cashier remembered distinctly that
on a certain date, which he asceriaincd
from the banks ledger, n FrcnChman.
altogether unarquainicd with our Ian.
guarc. had deposited the sum Of 500, aud
handed in the particular directions written
In English, which had bccn communicated
W the keeper OF the cemetery at Memphis
"Tht Frcnchmsn | have failed 10 find,
and here again avn nj the end Of all trace
Of NV lost hero. The clcv has suddenly
broken, and seem AS far from solution
of the mystery rs when first arose from
my bed Of sickness In tho plague-swept
city.
"Thai Is tho whole story. Now wha, do
Won think Of this news from Memphis,
and the appearance OF this frcnchman
upon tho sccne?'
81 think, madam" said I. ''it proves
conclusiycly that your young hero has, IN
a foreign land, grown 20 manhood and
prosperity, and hiss deposited this money.
Bc patient; you have waited seven years,
YOU can wait little longer"
A low days after this conversation, as
sat at breakfast reading the Tina, my
eyes fell upon the following extract from a
Paris paper
"a young American physician, who has
been for some years pursuing his studies
under the directions Of the renowned NJ.
Pasteur with the especial design OF max
ing an investigation into the nature aud
treatment oil yellow fever, after the thco-
rios Of that famou, sivEnt, has announced
90 the world. with the thorough approya,
Of his preccptor. the discovery O! ilo
cause OF that horrible pc5iiIcncy, and 81 u
most successful means Ut controlling iis
rayag1s II this hc true ti' millions
inhabiting the tropical re- oa, % America
have cause Cor everlasting gfsi.igil 10
their iliustrious youus r'aI'ryWIH.
| 4 sudden conviction that this young
physician was Robert Mygh-lv took POS.
session %. mc. and WIll u.' b, shaken
on thrust LfptY a.J @y p5cN..
and hastcnrl tu ffrTr,IlFirtU Mira lau.
renee. IN lstsihlH ha.i 1p hpIE mcs,t.c
hal Hs"n iIr'.d, prT cable. o. P.sis. Tu1
answer brought tur lu.l lFl,tUu Oi long.
deferred huprL
Two weeks later Nri Lauracc entered
my Office, her face so trans. gnrpl hy ipy
thai hardly know her, gud laid briort
me this letter
HW.Hfs u.s.b HsI ia