Year: 1878

her hand, gazing at this relic of her lost dar.
ling with eyes stony and fearless in their des'
pairing gaze.


Mr.. Forester, vain as the quest had proved
did not suffer it to end here During that
day, and many succeeding days, it was prose
cuted with renewed vigor, until not corner
or hiding place within reach had been left
unexplored. Advertisements were sent to the
various newspapers throughout the State, and
even those in the neighboring territories, in
the faint hope of discovering some clue; but
all was in vain. The child had totally, mys.
teriously disappeared; and it was almost i'm.
possible to conjecture how, at her tender age,
she could have lost herself so quickly and
completely from view or how, if she had been
abducted, the person or persons, guilty of her
capture, could so efectually have managed
to elude pursuit.


The unhappy family, so suddenly and un:
expectedly bereaved of the very source and
centre of their household joy, fingered at the
scene of their catastrophe sufficiently long to
assure themselves that no chance remained OF
their obtaining, through their presence there,
any light upon the mystery of their loss,
then returned to San Francisco, where Mrs
Forester, who had only been sustained so far
by feeble remaining spark ofhope, succumb'
ed to the pressure of her sorrow, and fell dan.
gerously i'll of a nervous fever, thus adding to
the distress of her husband and children. The
friends they had made since their first arrival
in the city were unremitting in kindness and
attention, and the services of an excellent
physician were procured but though she ral-
lied somewhat from the first violent attack II
the disease, it soon became evident that it had
deeper seat than medicinal art could reach.
Around her lost baby her tenderest affections
had been twined, and with the uprootlng OF
these tendrils, the very fbres of her heart
seemed to have been plucked out and their
vital force destroyed. 1t was true, she had
dear ones still left to her, but to none of them
did she seem to cling with the absorbing love
that she had accorded to this treasure, this
tender lamb, this idolzed pet and playtbing,
whose lisping accents had been sweeter to her
ear than sweetest music, and on whose laugh
ing lips the name mamma" had been cease
less echo, night and morn. AS soon as she
could bear removal, Mr.. Forester was advised
to take her back to their own home, New Or
leans, in the hope that restoration to famil'
lar surroundings might prove beneficial to
her and they accordingly bade adieu to CAL
ifornia with far different emotions, and under
far different auspices, from those which had
signalized their arrival on its shores.


For short period sfter their return she
seemed to improve and her husband hattered
himself that, as time wore on, and blunted the
keen edge of her grief, she would regain
her former strength; but he was mistaken in
this belief, as, unfortunately, he was forced too
soon to realize. The brief signs of improve
ment quickly gave way to renewed languor
and weakness. She had neither the energy
nor the will to battle against the inroads of
encroaching disease, and in six months from
the day of their return to their own home, she
was released from earthly sorrow and suffer.
ing forever.


Misfortunes now followed each other in
quick succession. Soon after his mothers
death, Albert, whose health had never been
very strong, took severe cold, which settled
upon his chest, and resulted in an illness which
hurried him into premature decline. Upon
his death, the nearly heart.broken father took
his sole remaining child to Europe, thinking
to find in some genial spot in the south of
France climate where there would he less
chance than elsewhere of any possible in
herent delicacy developing itself in her con-
stitution. He selected lovely retreat on the
banks of the Garone, not far from Toulouse.
An ancient chateau, picturesquely surrounded
by wood and water, fields and vineyards, and
most convenient and comfortable in all its ap-
pointments, while the climate was everything
that be desired. 1t is not difficult for child
of six years to take root in foreign soil.
Helen soon forgot her old home, or thought
of it only with a passing regret She grew
and throve in health and beauty, made friends
with everybody in the neighborhood. learned
to chatter French as fluently as English, and
was as happy as the days we're long. Her
father who lived now for her alone, found his
own happiness in her content, and was recon,
ciled to the severance of all familiar ties and
associations, by the assurance that his move
had resulted to her advantage, as he had
hoped and expected. For two years this
peaceful life continued without break then
it came to a sudden end. Mr.. Forester, re-.
turning on horseback from Toulouse, whittier
he had gone on necessary errand, was over
taken by violent storm. While crossing a
narrow bridge his horse became frightened at
the lightning, and reared and plunged 80 fu.
riously as to throw him from his saddle, pre-
cipitating him over the edge of the bridge in.
to chasm below, distance of several feet.
His head struck against stone, and bis right
arm was broken. He was found shortly afIer-
wards, in an insensible condition, by pasSer-
by, who conveyed him to his residence, where,
after some hours of alternate suffering and
unconsciousness, be died from the effect of his
injuries. Thus Helen, at the early age of
eight, was left alone and unprotected, an or
phan in foreign land, without soul near
her upon whom she had any claim, beyond
that Of the friendly interest naturally aroused
by her forlorn state.


Their nearest neighbor, an old lady of the
name of Preville, took her to live with her
until she could hear from her relatives at
home, to whom letter had been written, in
forming them of her loss. Her nearest re-
lation was half:uncle on her fathers side,
Mr.. Edmond Dashwood, a gentleman whom
she had seen but seldom, and only imperfect.
ly remembered; but she was familiar with
his name from hearing it frequently mention.
ed by her father, and "uncle Edmund" seem.
ed the proper person for her to apply to in
! her distress. Her childish epistle, written in
somewhat tungrammatica English, and stained
by many tears, found its way duly to its desti-
nation; but the answer, which did not arrive
as speedily as it might have done, was very
different from what she had expected. 1t
seemed that her uncle had lately married, the
lady of his choice being widow with one son ;