The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-05-07

h.u !s.ka&yRS4&d New Jersey. Look !
lA5'&a%StzNHSA ing from my cham
one morning, l observed san unusual
connection in the village-men, wom-
en-, and children collected in groups at
different points, and al seeming great
ly excited, hurried out to learn the
cause, and was informed that little 4
girl'of five years, the daughter of a
widow living some two miles from the
place, had been missing since about
four o'clock OF the previous afternoon,
and it was supposedshe hadwandered
off into an extensive wood, not far
from the dwelling, and had got lost.
The nearly distracted mother, with
some OF her nearest neighbors, had
searched for her The day preceding as
long as they could see, and during the
night messenger had arrived at the
village with an appeal to the citizens
to turn out en- masse, and endeavor to
recover the missing one, which many
were preparing to do. Immediately
resolved to make one OF the number,
and in less than half an hour was on
my way to the wood with q party of
friends, and where were soon collected
not less than a hundred persons of
both sexes, and some of them quite
venerable.
After a general consultation, we
divided into small parties, each take
ing a certain portion of the wood, and
agreeing to meet upon the summit of
a hill which was visible from our
place of starting; but in case the child
should be found before reaching the
hill, a messenger was to be instantly
despatched to the village, and have
six-pounder discharged, as a signal
that success had crowned their efforts.
AS the different parties were about
to commence their search, each under
the guidance of a neighbor living in the
vicinity, my attention was called to
a woman running across the fields
and gesticulating wildly, and some
one remarked that it was the almost
frantic mother herself. We waited
till she came up to US, and do not
think l ever saw more terrible grief
depicted on human countenance than
was expressed in her pallid face. She
was in reality only thirty years of
age, and naturally rather handsome;
but the deep lines of grief and anxiety,
now drawn on her expressive features,
gave her the look OF sixty. Her eyes,
,.ol frN,o 1,,,1l
settled; her lips were ashy and CULVER
ing; her hair was dishevelled, and her
dress was badly torn in different
places, as if from rushing among
bushes and brambles, with clasped
hands and wild, hurried chances from
one to another, she ran up to where I
was standing, exclaiming in the most
plteous, heart-touching tones: "Oh,
for heavens sake, find my child! My
darling! my sweet little innocentn'
eff possible, madam, wesurely will, u
I answered.
ooh, find her, sir, or I shall 20 mad!''
"Doubtless we shall find her before
the day is overn' I rejoined "but you
must try and be calm, for this wild ex.
element will do you an injury"
"Calm!" she cried, with look that
was almost fierce; "who talks to me O.
being calm when mylittleAda is wander
ingin unknown wilds, and dying of star
walton? Oh, heavens! will no one fine
her and restore her to her mothers
arms? But I will seek her myself!
will have her! She shall not be lost!'
Saying this, she started and ran in
to a thicket near at hand, regardless O
tearing her clothes and decorating he1
flesh with the brambles. Fearing sh,
might lose her reason, and either dc
herself an injury, or wander off and gel
lost also, two gentlemen, and mysel
Immediately started after her. W.
had some difficulty in catching her, fol
she plunged through the bushes like {
will beast. I took hold of her, usin,
considerable force, and told her, in
stern, determined tone, that we should
not permit her to act in such al
unreasonable manner; and that i
she wanted us to search for anl
find her child, she mnst he quiet, an6
permit herself to be wholly .nnder thu
guidance of the ladies present. Al
first she was disposed to treat oul
advice with contempt, and declared
with a strange wild look, she would
do as she pleased; but when she found
we would not let her 60 ernless sh'
promised compliance with our re
quest, she became more reasonable
and declared she would do anythin,
if would only set forward and fine
her darling child. a
We now began our search i'm earnest
spreading out our party in a line
some ten Or fifteen feet apart, ant
beating the bushes in our direc
course. in some places the wood
were very close and thick with under
bush, and here our progress was al
ways slow and tedious-for though W,
made a good deal of noise, and callet
the name OF Ada at least once a min
ute, yet it wes not certain the wan
derer would answer. even should sh.
hear US, being perhaps SO bewilderet
and frightened as to shrink from he
friends-and SO, to make our worl
sure, we left not even the smales
hiding-place unsearched, but again
where the woods were open, we push
ed forward pretty rapidly, and sue