A ROMANTIC STORY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3158, 17 May 1883, Page 2

A ROMANTIC STORY.

The following remarkable narrative comes from Dublin. It seems that in 1857 a baronet, who lived in the middle counties of England, had two sons, the elder of whom became enamored of his father’s cook, and at length secretly married her on November 15th, 1856. The pair proceeded to Dublin, where, early in the following January, she gave birth to a daughter. Being apparently desirous that the fact should not become known, she determined to desert the infant, and accordingly on the 24th of that month she went to Kingstown, made enquiries, and ascertained the name of a person who had the reputation of being a good-hearted and well-to-do woman. The mother returned to Dublin, and went again to Kingstown in the evening, carrying her baby with her, and at half-past six o’clock she left the child on the doorstep of the house of the person whose address she had previously ascertain. The infant was well wrapped up in two complete outfits of clothing, and concealed in one of its wrappers was a purse containing fifty sovereigns and a Testament. The mother rang the housebell violently and ran some little distance, whence, she could still see the house door. She saw the child taken up and carried into the house. On the following day she and her husband crossed over to England. From that time and during the succeeding twelve years their doings have not transpired, but in 1872 they went to Rome and continuod to live there. In the early part of 1877 the baronet died, and left bis entire possessions to his heir, the estate being worth between £13,000 and £14,000 a year. The inheritor, however, was of delicate health, and both he and his wife died suddenly at their residence in Rome on 17th October, 1877. As it was not then known whether the deceased had any issue, the disposal of his property was deferred by the executors. His brother, who was a colonel in a cavalry regiment, having learned from the servants of the deceased that there was a child of the marriage whose whereabouts was unknown, determined to trace her. He could not, however, obtain any clue to the missiog girl until about four months ago, when he found among his brother’s books and papers at Rome, a diary belonging to the wife, in which were entered a number of facts connected with the birth and 'subsequent desertion of the child, and of her own actions subsequently. Among other items, it contained an entry, dated 24th of January, 1860, after she had _ left the child at Kingstown, describing the place where she had left it, and her own proceedings on that day, besides giving some other important information. Possessed of this clue, the colonel, in December last, placed the matter in the bauds of a detective, whom he instructed to spare no trouble in the search for the missing girl. Ultimately the whole story of the girl’s career from the time of her desertion has been obtained. It appears that after remaining for two years and seven months in the bouse of the person on whose doorstop she had been left, the girl was sent to Rathdown Union Workhouse, where she remained nearly four years. She was then sent into the country, placed in care of a foster mother, whence after being trained in the ordinary duties of a domestic servant, and after receiving a fair education she was sent out to service, and until a few days ago she was employed as a servant at a gentleman’s house in the neighborhood of Dublin. Immediately on the proofs of his niece’s identity being forthcoming the colonel hurried to Dublin, and brought all the certificates ho had in reference to the case with him, and he at once took steps to have her removed to a position more befitting her new station in life. To mark her gratitude to the colonel she offered him half her fortune, but that gentleman declined the offer.— Exchange.