Year: 1871




boy, and as she gazed upon it, she
whispered:


"But for this, 1 could not have
Iived-but for this, I should have
been placed beside my husband.
But 1 have a sacred duty now to per-
form. God help me to be faithful
to my charge"


Eighteen months passed slowly
by, during which time the mother
struggled nobly on. To her the
child was strength. Those little
nothings, so interesting in the tiny
pledges of affection, were everything
to her. The childish prattle was
heavenly music to her ears, and its
half uttered words sent thrills of
ecstacy through her heart, while its
acts were such as mothers love.
A hundred things she had tuaght
the infant, and its aptness in imitat-
ing to her was something wonderful.
Early it had learned to walk, but
with the fondest solicitude did the
mother ever watch its steps, lest
harm should come to her darling
treasure.


The first sharp pang Of the hus-
bands loss had passed away, and al
though she deeply mourned him
yet, she began to feel that her duty
now was to prepare herself and her
little one for future life, and both
for the reunion which must take
place beyond the tomb. And so
she lived, her boy making her home
once more happy one.


One day, after her usual toll, the
mother sat reading a newspaper arti-
Gle, where the description of a child
having been kidnapped was given.
For few moments her mind had
been absorbed, and then placing her
hand against her brow, she MUIR
INJURED:


"Oh, ifsuch misfortune should
happen to me, what should l do?
Mine is beautiful boy, unless 1 am
blinded by a mothers love, and I
must guard him with jealous care.
George! Georgiep'


The little one had been seated in
the front door, and only a moment
before she had heard his innocent
laugh. But he did not reply to the
call of his mother, and, springing up
she sought him where he had been
sitting. He was not there. She
was not specially alarmed, for she
supposed that he had only wandered
8 short distance from the door, al
though he was not in sight, and
walking to the next corner, she felt
sure she should find him. Still, he
was nowhere to be seen, and the
mothers heart began to beat wildly,
the blood to courss like ligning
through her veins, and then for a
moment she felt a faintness creep
ing over her.


1t was q moment of trial-the mo-
ment when it was necessary for the
once more to lay aside her
weakness and put on her strength.
But that mothers strength had been
sorely tested. Eighteen months be-
fore, when she placed her husband in
his grave, she had struggled for the
mastery of herself, and she had
gained it; but in doing so, the vein
in which the life blood flows had
been ruptured, and very little would
open the only partially-healed
wound, and death would follow
She was a woman, only
in an erect position as
she travelled on through life's jour
ney; but take that prop away, and
her fall was certain.


Up and down the streets she ran,
calling upon the name of her child. |
Her manner was wild in the extreme,
and the deadly pallor Of her face,
gave her an unearthly appearance,
and those who saw her had no doubt |
but they were gazing upon lunstic.
But still, no little George could she
find; oh, was he lost to her foreVer2


Her manner attracted the atten-
ton of an officer, and, Of course, the
first thing he thought Of was arrest,
believing, as did all others, that the |
poor woman was thoroughly insane,
and might do harm to herself and
perhaps to others. But in a few
broken words she explained the |
cause of her unusual excitement.


To give the mother consolation !
was impossible; and yet the assur
ance that the authorities would in
stitute an instant and thorough |
search brought some relief; but it |
did not lesson the efforts Of the |
mother. The East River was but a |
short distance from her home, and
to the waters side she went. Shel
gazed into the dark tide, wondering
# it had swallowed up her boy. 1fl
she had only known such to be the
case how soon would she have Joined |
him in his watery grave, in spite of
the edict heaven has issued against
self. destruction.


But hope had not entirely forsaken
her, and still she continued her
search. The moon came up and
the stars shone out brightly. She
wondered If they could not see her
boy, and why they did not speak
and point out to her the hid
ing place of him that was dear to
her. Il olden times an eastern star
had arisen, and settled over the spot |
where lay the infant Savior guiding
the Wise Men to his presence; why |
could not this be the same IN her
caseP But no. The moon rolled |
SILENTLY on, mounting higher and
bigber into the deep blue of night,
and the stars appeared to dance in
iovous sportiveness, regardless of a
: mothers anguish. Oh, how she
Ionged for the eyes of a divinity,
that she might sweep the world at a
single glance, and find her treasure.


But the night wore on, and from