Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-11-14


interesting and able Correspondent Of
the Charleston Courier" gives the
following account of mos. wonderful
Lusus Nature, in Buncombe County in
North Carolina.
"Before leaving AsheviIe. Imade
several interesting excursions from the
village, one or two Of which, may fur
nish materials for letter. My first
excursion was TO visit an unfortunate
female in humble life, residing at the
distance of III miles from AshevilIe,
utterly destitute oflimbs, and composed
only ola head and trunk. Her name
is Esther Massey; and she is one of
an illegItimate family of eleven chill
dren. Her father has also legitimate
wife and family of ten children, and
the two families, with their respective
matrons, are said to meet with cordial-
ty. This singular being was born in
her present lmbless condition, ard has
now attained the age of % years.
Her mother and the whole family APP
pear to regard her with tenderness and
affection, and she seems to possess
cheerful and happy disposition, which
renders her content with the helpless
and apparently hapless lot, which ma
ture has awarded her. Although an
object calculated to excite the wonder,
and rouse the sympathies of her fellow
beings, many, who enjoy the full pro-
portions of humanity, and bountiful
dispensation of the good things of life,
will find their ungrateful and guilty
repinings shamed by the equanimity,
and cheerful spirit of this physically
imperfect creature, in the midst OF prl-
walton and poverty. have already
said she is composed of a mere head
and trunk. This is literally true
She has no arms, and neither legs nor
thighs. Her shoulders are rounded
off, and capable of motion on them
she receives the gifts which charity
proffers her. She is also able to move
about on level with kind Of wad-
ding motion. Her usual position is
that of sitting, or rather standing up
right in common chair, by rocking
which from side to side, she moves a.
bout with great facility. She is able
to read, and for this purpose places the
book on her shoulder, or (Which she
prefers) on table before her and turns
over the leaves with her tongue. Her
health has always been excellent, and
her mother says she has never had &C.
casion for the services of the physician
and although she seldom leaves the
house, and therefore takes out little ex-
ercse, she is now in the finest and most
robust health, and is so fat, that her
body (Which is largely proportoned)
is as broad as il is long. Her head is
very large, and her features are also
large and somewhat coarse, yet deci-
dedly good, and forming very agree
able tout ensemble her lip is abso-
lutely pretty, and ofthe ripest red. In
addition to being sociable and chatty,
and even witty, it is said, she possesses
the accomplishment of singing very
sweet song. She received the party,
who visited her in company with my
SELF very affably, and very graciously
accepted our farewell offering. Some
years ago, Yankee, having met with
her, offered to purchase her of her
mother, for the sum OF $4,000, as
speculation. This tempting offer was
very crcditably refused by the parent
neither her poverty nor her will con.
scented to the traffic. The Yankee,
however, succeeded in persuading her
to let him take the limbless girl with
him for exhibition on shares of the
profits, brother and sister accompa-
nying her. They got, | learn, as far
as Columbia IS. CO. and then returned
to their mother, saying that they were
not well treated by the Yankee. A
warm welcome greeted them at the
maternal howell, and no other attempt
has been made at exhibition.