The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-09
solved HEB L.F 5 MYSTERY.
The strange Story OF Plucky Young
Teacher in Leevsnw worth Institute.

academic department Of LeavenWorth In
stitute at this place. She has at last sue
ceeded in finding her mother and sister, Of
v hose existence she was till recently IN
ignorance. Her life history is of remarka-
bic interest and it is gwen as she related It
TO a Sun correspondent.
my earliest recollection is of being an
inmate Of the Home for Little Wanderers
in Boston. That was in October, 1870, and
| was about years Of age. Mrs. Judsoa
Prentice of Jasper, n. Y, wished to obtain
q bound girl, and was Sc ected.
For thirteen years l lived with the
Prentices. Up to the age of Is attended
school su inner and winter; after that, in
winter only. All along Tt had been my in
tention to obtain thorough general AID
musical education after coming of age.
Up to Is had supposed that would have
to reach 81 before being free
from my adopted parent, but then
/ learned that my sex gave me
an advantage of three years. Hsving saved
little of my school money, l began at
tending the Jasper high school, doing
domestic service night and morning for
my board. Later l went to the Conisteo
academy, and there the Dri cipal of the
academy, observing my desire for a more
thorough education, took great interest in
my advancement, and surprised nae by tell
ing of a plan by means of which | could
attend the Normal school at Geneseo. A
lady there would board me for what could
do out of school hours, besides aiding me in
other ways. e4 Slid ~, ev.-
six years ago began my studies at the
normal school, graduating three years
later. When my school days at Geneseo
were over | had resolved to solve the
enigma of my parentage, but first | must re-
pay the debt I owed my benefactor.
taught for year at Hobart, in Delaware
county, this state, afterward coming here
to Wolc TT.
About July 1 wrote to the Rev. Mr..
Miner, manager Of the home, asking for
the address of my parents, If living, and for
| their history If dead. His reply was
prompt, but discouraging. He congratu-
lated me on what had accomplished, but
advi- me, as l valued my peace of mind.
to leave well enough alone. For some rea-
son, which he did not explain, he feared
that what would learn would be the re-
verse of agreeable.
"Of course such reply only determined
me TO prosecute my inquiries till had
| learned all. | therefore wrote to the gen.
| tleman who had first befriended me-he
| was then at Boston on a vacation-request-
| ing him to go to the home and learn the
| particulars of my birth. He went the @,
but Mr.. Miner would tell h.ln nothing, say
| ing that 1t was contrary to the rules of the
histories Of former inmates. But Mr.. Miner
had been making inquiries concerning me,
| and finally, at my Inst nee, he wrote me
| that my birthplace was Eastport, Me-, and
that he had learned from there that it
would be we'll for me to drop the matter
| where it was. His letter contained simply
\ the pOstoffice box number of the lady from
whom be had obtained his information, and
at once resolved to go there and find out
| for myself
| Accordingly on Aug. Is left Jasper for
| Eastport, beng Joined by friend. Going
| to the postoffice at Eastport, learned the
name and resi- ience of the ! dy " hose box
number had, and then called upon her.
| She was the wife of the Doormaster and
| knew of my case. She told me that my
true name was Mary McCloud, and that my
parents were dead, but that two elder sisters,
reduced to extreme poverty, lived not far
| away. She would &c ID for them and they
could tell me all, and more than l cared TO
know. The sisters, Ellen and Eliza Nc
| Cloud, were summoned. In a few minutes
they came, looking curiously at me, but
manifesting no interest in my quest.
! found scanu comfort in talking with them.
1 was not their sister, they said; their
mother was dead, but mine was living
II could scarcely believe them at first,
| but was immeasurably relieved to find that
they were related to me. They told me
that my name was Mary Marshall and that
my mother, now Mrs Oliver Spinney, lived
at Barring n. B.
ARRIVED at st. Stephens, village this
side of Barring, there met a lawyer who
knew my mother well, and from him first
| learned that she was a respectable woman.
| Upon entering Barirg | ahghted and bade
my comp Mon go alone. You see mad
learned that my mother had married again
and | did not know that my stepfather was
even aware of my exlste. C , much le s how
| he was prepared to receive me. Hence |
told the gentleman to have her come to mo
in the street where | could make myself
| known.
"He called at the house, and knew at a
glance that the lady who came to the door
must be my mother, the resemblance was so
marked. She aud her husband both ex-
pressed surprise Mt the singular nature of
my friends errand, but finally my mother
consented to accompany him to the place
down the street where was waiting. When
they came to me | requested him to allow
me to take his place in the carriage till
had made myself known. He complied
with my desire, and drove slowly away
with her acne by my side.
"For the first time in over twenty years
was alone with my mo her, and she a
straugerl think she half recognized me,
and yet could not accept the evidence of
her own Sc ses. IL do not think know
YOU said she.
mo-" said /, perhaps not; it is over
twenty years since you saw me last
"'It is-it must be Mary Marshall she
gasped oh, my child, my child
Then we knew each other, and the
strangeness was over forever. We went
home together, and to my great surprise
my step-fathsr knew me on The ms ant.
Then we sat down and l listened to a
strange story. 3.e1 i
"My mothers maiden name had been
Caroline Roix. sLeft an orphan at the age Of
years, hers had been struggle as hard or
harder than my own. She did homework
till she succeeded in educating herself. At
this lime the McClouds we're wealthy and
she obtained comfortable position in their
household. From their home she finally
mar led my father, and began married life
in the same town. Then the war uroke out
and my father enter the service. When
discharged he vas disabled, and obtained a
naval sinecure as the only means of liveli-
hood. In the latter part of the '60s he
was drowned at sea.rev ss.1 w@sMtl
while my father was at the front nv
mother had boarded at the McClouds, and
afterward both resided there for q time. In
1865 was born, and two years later a
younger sister, Ellen. At my fathers death
my mother resolved to find employment
Immediately. The McClouds wished to
adopt us, but she refused to surrender us
| w n ltad