Litchfield enquirer., 1838-11-15
A WOMAN WITHOUT LIMBS.
FLAT Rock. (N. C.l Oct. no, l93e

Before leaving Ashville, for this place, /
made several interesting excursions from the
village, one or two of which may furnish
materials tor letter. My first excursion
was to visit an unfortunate female in humble
life, residing at the distance of III miles from
Ashville, utterly destitute Of limbs, and COM
posed only Of u head and trunk. Her name
is ESTHER MASSEY and she is one Of an il
legitimate family of eleven children. Her
father has also legitimate wife and family
of ten children, and the two families, with
their respective matrons, are said to meet
with cordially. This singular being was
born in her present limbless condition. and
has now attained the age of % years. Her
mother and whole family appear to regard
her with much tenderness and affection, and
she seems to possess a cheerful and happy
disposition, which renders her content with
the helpless and apparently hapless lot,
which nature has awarded her. Although
an object calculated TO excite the wonder, and
rouse the sympathies of her fellow beings,
many who enjoy the full proportions of HUI
manity, and n hountiful dispensation OF the
good things of life, will find their ungrateful
and guilty repining, shamed by the equanim-
ity, and cheerful spirit of this physically
imperfect creature, in the midst of privation
and poverty. l have already said that she
is composed of mere head and trunk. This
is literally true. She has no arms, and nei-
Their legs nor thighs. Her shoulders are round
ed of, and capable OF motion; and on them
she receives the gifts which charity or kind
ness proffers her. She is also able to move
about on the level, with kind of waddling
motion. Her usual position is that of sitting
or standing upright in a common chair, by
rocking which from side to side, she moves
about with great facility. She is able to
on her shoulder, or (Which she prefers) on a
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 occasion for the services of ply
stefan and, although she seldom leaves the
house, and therefore takes but little exercise,
she is now in the finest and most robust
health, and is so fat, that her body, (Which is
largely proportionedD is MS broad as it is
long. Her head is very large, and her fca-
lures are also large and somewhat coarse, yet
decidedly good and forming very agreea-
BILE tout ensembLe-and her lip is absolutely
pretty, and of the richest and ripest red.
In addition to being sociable and chatty,
and even witty, it is said she possesses the
accomplishment of singing sweet song
She received the purity, who visited her in
company with myself very affably, and very
graciously accepted our farewell Offering
Some years ago, a Yankee having met with
her, offered to purchase her of her mother.
for the sum of $4,000. as u speculation. This
tempting offer was very c.cditably refused
by the parent-neither her poverty nor her
will consented 10 the traffic. The Yankee,
however, succeeded in persuading her to let
him take the limbless girl with him for exhi-
bition. OH shares Of the profits, u brother and
a sister accompanying her. They got, /
learn, as far as Columbia, Is. C.) and then
returned to their mother, saying that they
we're not well treated by the Yankee. A
warm welcome greeted them at the maternal
howell, and no other attempt has been made
ut exhibition.
The Queens Bed-The visitors of Buck.
ingham palace. who have an opportunity of !
seeing the Queens bed, and who ure accus- |
toned TO conclude that royalty must repose !
on feather beds and downy pillows, will be |
astonished to have pointed out TO them a |
small camp bed, with q maitmss, and one
small pillow, as the couch of royalty but |
such is the fact. If ladies' generally would
follow her majesty s example,t they would feel
Inc benefit OF Il in the improvement of their
persons and figure. and in the flow of health
and spirits it would secure. ,tuu !