Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-01-18
STRANGE INCIDENT.

Richard Storrs Willis gives the following in
the N. Y. Musical Times:
The following strange incident happened while
was living in Germany. In the neghborhood
of Vienna, there dwelt young peasant woman,
who supported herself by the cultivation of veg
etables which she disposed of in Vienna market.
She inhabited small house, attached to which
was her vegetable garden. Young as she was,
she had been married; but her husband had
died, leaving little girl, who was now able to
run about and play with the other children of
the neighborhood. The mother was still hand
some, and desirous ola second marriage. About
this time, indeed, there was visiting her young
man for whom she had conceived an affection,
and whose proposition Of marriage she was now
beginning impatiently to await. But no propo-
sal was made. A dark thought finally crossed
the young woman's mind that there must be
some obstacle in the way, and that this obstacle
was, in all probability, the child. An unnatural
struggle Of jealousy took place, which resulted
in fearful determination-she would make
away with the child Beneath her house was
deep cellar, in which she occasionally slowed
her vegetables. Taking her child by the hand
one day, she led it down stairs, and thrusting it
inside, closed the door, locked it, and hurried up
stairs.
The same evening her lover came; they sat
chatting together, but no mention was made of
The little absentee The next day, after deser-
ton Of twenty-four hours, the mother went soft
ly down and listened at the door. The quick
of the child caught her mothers step, and she
implored her to take her out of that dark place,
she was so cold and very hungry. No answer
was returned, and the mother crept quietly up
stairs. In the evening the lover came again.
hnu fnnIy fno ,nI ,1n
ant evening. After the second twenty-four
hours had passed, the mother made another vis-
it to the child. Again the little sufferer heard
her, and with feeble voice begged for crust of
bread. This pulled little on the mothers heart,
but her purpose was fixed
Another day passed. The mother won't qui-
city down stairs and listened. All was silent.
She opened softly the door-the child lay dead.
Taking swiftly the body up stairs, she laid it up
on the bed, and Immediately making a great
them that her child had suddenly died.
And so it seemed. The day after there was
funeral. The child was lying in its coffin be-
strewn with flowers, brought by the little play.
mates in the neighborhood, who had come to
attend the funeral of the lost favorite. The pro-
cession moved towards Gottesacker, Gods acre)
where was to be planted this little seed of an
immortal flower.
A clergyman was in attendance. The mother
stood looking down into the grave, over which
stood the holy man, repeating, with solemn voice,
"Our Father who art in heaven, halowed be thy
name; thy kingdom come thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread" A piercing shrek, and the
mother fell with groan to the earth. Look
ing wildly around her, she then, in gibbering ac-
cents, related to the shuddering crowd at the
grave the very deed her own hands had commit
ted. She lived not long after. Crazed and smit-
ten by the hand of God, she miseraby died-a
signal instance Of retribution, and startling les
son upon the words, "Give us this day our daily
breadn