The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-02
AN ADOPTED DAUGHTER.
Wise Way in Which Mrs. MuIock
CrniI< Treated "a Wait.
Washington Post

Washington Post.
Speaking of children, how. many people
know the story of Dnah Maria MulocK
Craik's adopted daughter? Strengthening
some books the other night, came across
copy, an Old, old copy, of John HaLIa&:
Gentleman" and almost before knew
what 1 was about / was rereadlng that
most delightful of books. Then there came
back TO me the story OF the little girl Whom
she had loved so Well One day Mrs. Cratk
and her husband were out driving, and,
meeting some friends were told Ply ineni
aristocratic birth, had been found on
stone by the waysde that morning, ana,
not knowing what to do with IL, the man
who discovered it had taken ii to the Town
Hall, where it was waiting to be ldenLihed
With a Womans curiosity, Mrs; Craik
drove on to see the chlld that had peen 50
cruelty treated. AS she leaned over to look
at it it raised It's little arms to her, and
the childless wife announced that, having
claimed her, it should be her child. 1t
went home with her, and for weeks after
ward a description of it was advertised IN
all the English papers, Tor Mrs Cralk ala
not propose to lose 1t just as she had
learned to love it. But no word as to who
it was or where its parents were, or who
had abandoned 1t ever reached It's mother
by adoption. AS soon as the child could
understand she was told that while she
was not their daughter IN the usual sense,
she had been given this father and mother
by God, who had laid her on rock where
they might find her.
The stone had been dug up and was in
the hall of the Craik house, and from the
time she was old enough it became the
upon it every day Whenever a beautiful
vase was given to Miss Mulock, a lovely
jug or a bit of china that would hold flow
ers, it would be suggested that it should
be put on what was known to the house
hold as the baby stone" The fact Of the
child's unknown parentage was never made
q cruel story to her. and she was surround
ed entirely by love, by sweetness and
the beauty Of life that each night she
thanked God in her prayers that her dear
mamma had found her instead of some one
else, who might have been less gentle and
less thoughtful of her. A friend of mine
was present at her birthday fete, the day
celebrated beirg that one on which she was
she said to another little mite, who was
telling that she was eleven years old. and
her grandmother duchess: "Oh, yes; but
that's nothing. I'm not an ordinary child
found" The story of this girl, now a wife
and a mother, seems particularly sweet to
me, and l think that she can have no bet
ter lesson than that given to her in the
book written by the dear dead woman who
loving mother to her, and be sure
ton that is on it's title page. the best words
that RuSkin ever wrote, her life will be
like her mothers: Queens you should al
ways be; queens to your lovers. husbands
the world beyond; but, alasi you are too
often idle and careless queens, grasping at
majesty in the least things while you abdi-
cate in the greatest" Certainly one might
wish that it could be said Of every, woman
writer what can be said of Dinah Maria
Mulock Craik: she never wrote anything
that did not tend to elevate woman, and
she never put in the mouth Of any one Of
her characters words that not full Of
sweetness, truth and light. This trium-
virate is much derided, but 1t is neverthe~
less the that forms the crown of glory
about the head OF a woman.