The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-07-24
AFTER MANY YEARS.
ROMANTIC LIFE OF MISS SARAH
HATCHELL OF FLORENCE COUNTY.
She Is Stolen from Her Father and Car
ried Away when but Six Years Old, but
Returns After Reaching the Age Of Ma
turlty.
tFdruers' Eri,Ud of FlOrence.1

There is something OF romance con-
nected with the life of Miss Sarah
Hatchell, who saw her father last Satur.
day morning for the first time since she
Was but small child.
Manly Hatchell is plain, hard work
ing farmer, who lives in the nelghbor-
hood of Old Ef1ingham, in this County.
About thirty years ago u girl child was
to him born, and soon afterward the
mother died. The child, who was chris
tened Sarah, was cared for by Mr..
Hatchell'S sister, who resided with him,
and she developed into a fine and pro-
missing little girl. When Sallie, as she
was familiarly called, was about six
years old, her uncle, Lazarus Hatchell,
who lived but short distance from her
father, concluded to emigrate to Mis-
sissippi. ana so made his arrangements
to leave at certain time. But previous
to the time appointed for the departure,
Sallie was sent over to her uncle's to
visit and take final leave of himself and
family. During her visit, however, her
uncle, instead of awaiting the APP
pointed time, bundled up and left very
suddenly one night, taking the child
along with him.
Wien the unsuspecting father heard
OF the departure and found that his
child had Deel taken away he was almost
eart-broken, but unable to help him
self. When the news reached him his
child was gone beyond his recovery. Fin
ally he heard of her whereabouts, tut had
not the means to either 90 or send for
her. She, of course, desired to return
to her father, but her uncle never would
send her and she had not the means of
her own. So she continued to live with
her unc e, and grew up into womanhood
and passed all these long, weary years
in distant land, all the while aware
that down here in South Carolina the
heart of fond father yearned and bled
for sight of her-his child Often
they passed letters, and in this way ex-
changed affections, but long miles and
broad rivers lay between them. The
2nguiSh must have been hard to endure,
but remedy was beyond either of their
reach.
Recently Miss Hatchell succeeded in
securing fund sufficient to pay her pas
sage back home, and wrote to her rela-
tives here her intention to return, but
kept the matter secret from her father
fearing that something might happen to
frustrate her plans, and cause him sore
disappointment and grief. She wrote her
relatives in Florence the time of her an
ticipated arrival, and how they might
recognize her.
She arrived in Florence last Saturday
morning, and was here met, according
to appointment, by relatives, who took
charge of her and accompanied her out
to the paternal roof, in the Effingham
section. But the storms and suns OF
time had obliterated from her memory
the scenes of her childhood, and every
thing about the old home was as strange
to her gaze as would have been the re-
motest part of Europe. Even the face
of her father had long since faded from
her memory, and she would not have
known him from the Duke of Durham.
Neither did the father recognize his
child, for he had not the least suspected
her coming. But when the curtain,
which had so long estranged the father
and daughter, was lifted, and the two
were made known to each other, an af-
fecting scene followed, and flood of JOY
| peryaded the surroundings.