The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06
A LITTLE WA[F AT AN INN.
STORY or a CHILD ABANDONED IN
THE BaCEWOODS.

De.,rtcd by His Mother when Few months
Old and Brought Up by Pennsylvania
Lumbsrmen-Attempt of the Mother ts
Regain Little Chip as She Was Dying.
In northern Pennsylvania there 10 wayside
inn which many years ago. during the stage
coach days. was famous stopping place Tor
travellers on the old North and South turn.
pike Tho ancient glory OF the plnoo fens u-s
departed. In a fed belonging to the Inn on
n slight knoll inclosed by a neat wooden rail-
Ing there is grave. apparently that OF n child.
marked by plain bluestone slab less than two
feet high, on which arc carved the simple
words Little Chip" This Is the story az 10
told by the landlord OF the Old tavern;
"One evening in the summer OF 1SiS' he
said the regular coach from the south
reached the inn an hour or more behind its
usual time The cause Of the delay was hrcak-
down some miles hello Y. Among the passengers
who alighted. while a blacksmith repaired the
damage to the coach was handsome Young
woman who had a small baby In her arms.
She asked for room where she might lie
down until the stage was ready to start. saying
that she was too III to eat supper When tho
coach was ready to start on Ito way the Young
woman came from her room carrying tho
child or what was supposed to he the child.
close to her breast The stage had been gono
an hour or more before the room the young
woman had occupied was entered by any ons
about the house. Then the landlords vifo
to It. BY the light OF candle the land-'
lady carried she was startled to see the baby
lying asleep on tho bed. The news was soon
spread through the house and Solomon Ryder.
the landlord. sent q man, mounted on fleet
horse and carrying the abandoned child. to
woman The man made such good use OF his
time that he overhaul ed the coach. hut ihe
had aliehted at Clark's Corners ten mjles
back, where she took the coach waiting for
man f fesnrne %N sothe cavern Win the
enma. Mrs, Ryder had large family OF her
to It was not TO be thought Of. and there was
no family In the settlement that was not IN q
cause OF an unfortunate situation was some-
thing that puzzled Mrs. Ryder. The babn was
and tY healthy h ' The goo good housewives Of the
peizhborhood warmed toward and pitied tho
bit upon that solved the problem Of Is ?urc.
II was agreed among the families OF the um-
| care OF the little one should be divided up
among them; one family taking him for
ton The child was so uniformly good hs
never having been heard to utter a sound.
but but sr ire backwoods famiiiss. and lis
coming was warmly welcomed wherever it
10 hi. '1 way 70 the he child grew up among hi.
many foster reative&. He was literally the rhtld
old the discovery was made that the strangely
| abandoned child was deaf. and from the utter
an articGiate sound. It was believed he was
dumb AS WELL which time proved to be true.
nGuHe s 81 .ars S o wife XII h h
and healthy he n Vas barely the size Of thu ~,
name Of the waif. no conclusion could id be ar ar.
rived at as to what name he should have one
bigger than a little chin. and from that limo
the unknown child was called Little 1hip. and
When Little " ~Hip was N old sn " IT to run
about he deveIoped love for solitude. lie
not one in the the Settlement but would run lis
feet of to'nisase the little mute. lie loved he
@ H wa at M hs he es tho
go. When he WAS hungry he entered the near.
to BED a" at he he @ fs
eI6thsd himseif ~ the same way rpttlnT On
Tbs tra made n. wesd HUE
Walt still more picturesnuely 50. ms nothing he
or Soss Il. 9 H T4 not gon fn to
ehloth ling. made ma especially for him and by
factors ceased trying . ciothe hun in that way.
| He loved COWS and horses. and seemed ham
leading horse to water. 70 lie wa, was untormy
good;tempered. but seemed 10 have no attec-
Nothing having ever been heard from he wo-
man who had a ln6oned.htm, all hone thai ne
hsd oHg @ s f @ 1en ne
day. when the boy was 10 years OLD. 81 letter
| was received by Landlord RYDER, post marked
written at the request Of the woman nav" who had
! abandoned the child ten years before and who
dress given i'll the letter AS shs;was his mother.
This letter caused great eommoti2n in 'ha
! ment was against tearing the unfor, innate hrv
away from. the only, home he had ever known
reaed him so crey ut S SnSo w vr
T aHSsd TPrd Tas almost lay in the
! importance 70 him which his return to MS
mG net %0rd ,b nr9fabI. @stH6Iish It Vas
Chip to go with him. but he at last got him
away; He found the address given in the lit
s seT but , WAS tod t%a hp' tine Wom9p whom 10
tion at ne house for a long time, mad died two
at ths house, which was boar,i.Nr house VA.
Ryder returned to the Ridge with his un-
| fortunate charge. and the mystery of his birth
he became an adept vooichonper but hs
worked only as the fancy moved him. lie con-
since he appeared so Strangely among then
SS ab the families and n.lr sscenIs
mothers who had helped to raise the unkno,n
wall from babyhood had long since pn-"ol
PS cR hang Fl ts?f Ghafs e
objected to he freedom Of his presence. 1nIs
y sens AGO. a m wI.n yea y in n. hs way with
~.p; to p 1Rs Sar ssas s i. il
tses He went 70 bed soon after suIT s r. and and
peculiar hapIy look on his face. Next morn
, ,hg no ana not come down. This was 50 -trnm,s
bed He lay in bed dead With NJ m mi On ONE hs
tace. HIS strange HE had come to nen"cfni
yonder and had iii, gravest"ne m"rkcI "
H 9!ie o9nIIY name he had ever known Little