AN AUTHOR'S CHILD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 32, 7 February 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

AN AUTHOR'S CHILD.

Left ox a Bock by God and Adopted

by Mrs Muloch Craik,

Every woman in the land has heard of "John Halifax, Gentleman," _ but how many know much of the life of the woman whose brain child ho was ? There is in ib a little romance that I am sure many will like to hoar. Married to a gentleman who was a cripple, Mrs Muloch Craik lived an idyllic life at a beautiful country home, a few miles from a county town. She hoard ono day, incidentally, that a baby had been found on a stone at the cross roads, that ib had been baken to the Town Hall, and that all the gentry around were <_ing to look ab it because it was such a _weeb little child. So, following the example of her neighbours, she wenb too. Looking up into the sweet, sympathetic face of* the famed authoress, the little baby smiled and put out its wee hands. Dinah Muloch Craik could not resist this, and so sho determined to take the child for her very own. Quickly it was wrapped up and it became her baby. Devoted to it, she was yeb determined as ib grew older ib should never have its heart hurt by being bold bhe sbory of its birth and adoption. So, as soon as the little girl was able to understand it was lovingly whispered to her thab she had been found on the large efcone which stood in the centre of the hall, and which always was decorated with flowers, and that God had pub her there thab her mobher mighb find her. As soon as she grew old enough it became her daily duty to cut the flowers and arrange them to make beautiful this great rock that had been dug up from the cross roads and broughb bhere. To her ib represenbed bhe place where bhe hands of bhe an<-l8 had rested when they laid her down. Curiously enough, the child became very proud of the way in which she had reached the dear mother who cared for her as lovingly and a3 tenderly as if sho were really of her own flesh and blood. Her birthday was the day on which she was found and when the tenth one came round, and a'child's party was given her, she was heard asking one little girl :— «How old are you ? The other one answered : — 'I was born nine years ago.' 'Oh !' answered the baby, « you were born like other children, bub I am bebber than that. I was found just where God had placed me.' The childish pride was as amusing as it was pathetic. The years have gone by, the eyes of the good mobher are closed for ever to tbe sights of this world, bub tbe child she cared for lives in the greab town of London.