Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-05-31
where Do THE BOYS GO?
LOVING MOTHERS SEARCH FOR The MISS
ING CHILDREN.

+ From the Philadelphia Record of Sunday
BRISTOL, PA, May 25.-If the sad-faced.
weeping women who visited this town during
the past two weeks to try and identify Eddie
Colgan, the dead boy found near Lizette
station, can be taken as an indication, there
must be hundreds of homes in this vicinity
that have been made sad and dreary by the
Every incoming train TOR the last fortnight
brought to town at least one or two heartbrok-
en-, wretched women, who were vainly seek
ing tidings of lost darlings. Some of these
mothers were dressed in costly raiment,
while the gowns of others showed plainly the
hand of poverty and toll. But all were i'm
bued with the same idea, and seemed actual
ed by the same tender sentiment of mother
love.
These mothers came from all points of the
compass. One woman came from Lexington,
KY, another from Hampton Roads. Va,
while still another made the journey from
Pittsburg. However. great majority of
them came from Philadelphia and New York.
No matter what distance they had Travelled,
or who was with them, the officials at the
depot could invariably tell the mission of the
weeping woman who alighted from the train.
Coroner Brennan has messenger boy at the
depot who awaited the arrival of every train
and quickly piloted the anxious ones to the
Morgue The ordeal Of looking at the body the
first time, had different effects upon the many
women.
One middle-aged woman, tall and dignified,
with face that showed traces of former
great beauty, and whose accents indicated a
Kentucky birthright, after gazing moment,
kissed the pale cheek, kneeled beside the
slab threw her arms affectionately over the
body and with upturned face prayed aloud.
Every woman within the sound of the sweet
voice dropped to her knees in response, while
the men, with bowed heads stood i'll reve rem
tial awe. She prayed for the soul of the little
wanderer who had met such cruel death,
and asked God to guide the footsteps of her
erring son back to a loving mothers arms
AN IMPROMPTU CEREMONY.
Another touching incident was the arrival
of sweet-faced, motherly looking woman
from Philadelphia. She was accompanied
by her two sisters. The sad little woman
Informed the Coroner that her Sammy had
left home for school three weeks ago, and she
had neither heard of nor seen him since. She
arrived on the evening of the day before the
burial, and after convincing herself that the
body was not that of her Sammy" she in
quired about the funeral services. When in
formed that it was not intended to have any
formal ceremony, the three sisters held a
consultation. She shades of night had closed
in, and light was requested. One OF the
sisters read aloud a chapter from the Bible
After she had finished the other sister uttered
a fervent prayer. Then the weeping little
mother sang in sweet. low voice touching
song and all three joined in the chorus
oh, where is my wandering boy tonight?
Child of my tenderest care,
Wherever he goes. love him he knows,
Oh, where is my boy to night?
Every woman, when questioned, laid
all the errors of her willful son at the
doorstep of some '.bad boy" IN the neighbor-
hood. However, most of them qualified this
statement by hearty malediction upon the
pernicious juvenile literature with which the
country is flooded at the present time. One
philosophical mother, whose son had left
New York nearly month ago, spoke in nc
uncertain tones of the nnwholesome effect OF
such literature upon the youthful mind.
ssIf the law said she, lean restrict gamb-
ling and prevent it altogether, am going
to see il some law cannot be obtained which
will forever bar the dissemination of such
poisonous literature. When L 60 home Tn,
going to organize a Woman's League for that
very purpose
HEART-BROKEN WOMAN.
Mrs. Jane Bauers, from 1920 Lethgow
street, Philadelphia, sends cabinet photog-
raph of chubby little lad, who was taken
from her care two years ago, and placed
somewhere upon farm. She does not know
where and cannot find out. If her little Harry
should see this he will at least know that one
fond heart yearns for his return. The letter
after detailing Harry's history states:
Perhaps it was my darling. 1t may he
that he has run away from his foster home.
and, while on the way to his, poor, heart
broken mothers home, was killed. My poor.
darling fatherless boy. If it only isn't him l
will never cease praising Him who watches
over the widow and the orphan. Send back
the photograph and all the particulars and
you will greatly oblige heartbroken moth
err
Another anxious woman. Mrs. q. L. Cobb
of No Ill West Forteth street. New York,
sends lock of her missing boys hair fol-
purpose of identification. The lock of hair is
curley, and a bright golden color. 1t was
carefully tied with a bit of dainty satin
ribbon. The letter states
Enclosed find a small lock of my dar.
Hng's hair. While my earnest prayers as.
cend on high every night that the poor boy is
not my son, yet must be positive, even if
have to have the body taken up myself for