Year: 1873

very much, and added to our difficulty
in deciding how to dispose of her. II
was this: that we began to suspect
what ut first had never entered our
heads-that she had been stolen, and
was not poor woman's child, 1t was
her own dim recollections of past
things that gave rise to this SUPPOSE
tion. but the fever had so confused all
things in her poor little head that We
never could reach any certainty upon
the subject.


Well, tue end of it all was that we
could not part from her, for we had all
grown TO love her so well already, and
We knew that if we sent her away from
us. the only place that would receive
her was the workhouse. SO it was
quite settled at last that she should
stay with us, and because she had
taken to me so much from the first,
they pronounced, laughing, that she
should be nv child and was 50
happy.


called her Fortune-Fortune VIII.
dred we baptized her-that, should she
never find her own surname, she might
at least have some proper claim to
ours. OF course she must have had a
Christian name before indeed she said
she remembered it, and declared that
it was Willie; but, Willie seemed SO
odd name 10 give little girl. that
we agreed it would not do, and then
chose Fortune.


Ny little Fortune-shc was so dear
TO me, and she loved me too SO well
oung as l was. our relation 10 each
other became in many things like that
OF mother and child. IL was strange
that. of her own accord, from the first
she called me Aunt Dinah. And ! so
soon grew accustomed TO the title. and
so soon too fell quite naturally into
calling her my child, foI though vet
but a giri in years, l was becoming A
woman very quickly, as | should think
must often be the case with those who
have their destiny in life fixed as early
as mine was, for had no other out
ward change to look forward to as
most girls have, and all my business
was 10 settle down and be content.


My life, often think, might have
been lonely and sad without INV child.
but with her | was worry happy. 1t war
as If i lived again in her, for all the
hopes and wishes that nv illness had
crushed came into life again, but not
for myself now. Ii was for her that
dreamed, and hoped, and thousht-for
the little bright-eyed child who loved
TO lie beside me, with her white arm,
round my neck. and her soft cheek
pressed on mine who lovcd-lIeayeu
bless her-to be with me always: who
never was so happy as when, even for
hours, we two would be left alone to-
gether, and, with the perfect confidence
that only children have, she would talk
TO me Of all things that came in her
mind, gladdening my very heart with
the loving things she said. They all
loved her, but none as ! did, for she
loved none Of them 50 well. They
used to say that should spoil her. but
l never did she was not made to be
spoiled, my little Fortune, my sunny,
bright-hared child


She was my pupil for the first few
years, and such dear lessons they were
that We used to have together.-dear to
both of us, though most TO me. She
was SO good and gentle, so sorry if
she ever grieyed me, SO eager to be
good and be forgiven again-as though
my heart did not forgive her always,
even before she asked it-so loving al.
ways. She never wearied Of being
with me-the kind child-not even
when, as happened sometimes, | was
too ill TO bear her childish merriment.
and she would have to sit quietly in
my room, and lower her sweet clear
voice when she spoke TO me, for she
would hang upen my neck then too,
and whisper TO me how she loved Inc j..
All, never shall forget it ALL new
er shall forget how good my little For
tune was to me.


may as well mention here, that
soon after it was settled she should
stay with us, we had little miniature
portrait of her taken, which | have
worn ever since as locket round my
neck. We did this ON the chance that
it might possibly serve on some future
day as a means of identifying her.
Here is the little picture now: it is so
like her, as l have seen her thousand
times, with her sunny veil of curls
around her.


The years went on, and brought some
changes with them-one change which
was very sad-my mothers death. 1t
came upon US suddenly, at time when
we were least thinking of sorrow, for
when her short illness began we were
preparing for my sister Kate's mar.
riage. 1t was long before the gloom
and grief that her loss threw upon oul
little household passed away, for she
was dearly loved amongst us, and had


been most noble and true-hearted