JAPHET SECUNDUS.

Auckland Star, Issue XXXVI, 21 October 1905, Page 9

JAPHET SECUNDUS.

There was a very romantic story concealed under an advertisement appearing in the agony colanm of the 'Times" the other day, and which, ran. as follows:—

"IS5S.—£2 Reward for mfonnaiiou as to the whereabouts of the highly respectable parents who so mysteriously lost their infant baby boy about 1854. Tbe son is alivw and welL All partieulaxs can be had by making, application to CJ?J»L, 6a, Mflvertcm-street, Ken-sington-road, S.E., London."

The facts of this story of a modern i Japhet can be briefly summarised. la i 1858 there lived near Manchester a well-to-do landowner and his wife, j whose name, however, is unknown. A son was born to them, but when only a few months old the boy was taken «at iby his nurse, and neither returned. For years the agonised parents searched for the missing boy. No effort or ex--1 pense was spared to discover his whereabouts, but ail failed, and in time tie bereaved parents gave up the quest in ! despair. The baby boy, it now transpires, bad been handed aver to a j sculptor and his wife, who lived at West Gorton, Manchester. When he was seven years old the family moved to I Liverpool, and fire years liter went to I Canada, where the boy was educated and started in life. For 34 years he i lived there without an inkling of tbe fact that tbe man and woman be loved as his parents were in no way related to him. But in 1992 he learned the truth, but not the whole truth, for the i death, of his supposed father robbed jhim of that, and made necessary the search which he has since conducted. The sculptor, then a widwwex, lay on his death-bed, but though he knew he was dying be could not bring bbaeelf to break his long silence and inform bis "son" of his true parentage. Tor days the old man lingered on, tended by hit adopted son. When the end drew'near the dying man suddenly grasped his "son's" hand and struggling te a sitting posture gasped out: "You are not my son. You are—" Then he fell back, taking tbe secret with hnm ta the grave. Since then- "CLFJt" has uaanrailingry sought Ms parents, just as 47 years age they snared, no e»ert t« find hint.