Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-12-17

stairs and the mother had met her at the
landing with the emptied bottle in her hand,
and the poison DOSING from her mouth, the
child all unconscious of the fearful thing
she had done. Was it any wonder that ter
rible shrek rang out over the quiet little vii
lage, and that already the occupants of every
house near were rushing towards the spot
where the mother stood7
But few moments could possibly have
elapsed since the poison was taken, and yet
the effect was already fearful. After the
first shrek of terror the mother had quieted
to calm despair for the moment, and stood
with the child in her arms making no effort
for its relief, and indeed it seemed hopeless,
for already the subtitle poison seemed diff
fused through the frame; the brown eyes
had lost their lustre, the face was blackened
as if after death, and the teeth were tight
set in convusive spasm, that evidently
would not pass away. Iexamined the little
lost darling for moment, saw that it was
hopeless, and turned away, unable to bear
that mothers agony. The little door-yard
was already half-flled with villagers, and
sobs, means, and lamentations over the fate
of the dying child were heard in every d.
rection, mingled with quick and hurried
questions as to the mannerof its occurrence,
and vain attempts at answering, which added
an expressing confusion to the sadness of the
scene.
The little play.fellow uncle, who had
been up stairs with the child, had run in
stantly to call the father and but few mo-
ments had elapsed before he sprang into the
middle of the group. He had been told
all, and asked no questions. had time to
remark that his eye was very stern, and that
his lip was very firmly compressed. Others,
too, marked it, and l knew afterwards that
murmur ran round the circle, ofhow strange
it was that he betrayed no feeling.
He reached out his hands and took the
child from its mother. Its eyes were closed
now, and white ooze coming from between
the blackened lips. Was ever death more
assured? / saw him open the eyelids and
give sigh of relief. He told me after
wards that the eye was not shrunken, and so
death had not begun. He then attempted
to open the mouth, but the teeth were tight
set, and they resisted his efforts. But with
force that seemed almost brutal he
wrenched the teeth apart, and opened the
mouth.
'Shame,' cried one of the bystanders.
The father did not heed them but no.
toned to neighbor to take the child in his
arms. He did so.
Bring me the egg basket he spoke very
sternly,. almost without opening his teeth, to
the servant.
What do you want with it? What can
you do with it?' He is crazy! and many
such remarks followed, but the basket was
there in a moment.
He seized one of the eggs, broke it, in
serted his finger again between the teeth and
wreuched them open by force, though they
shut with so convulsive motion as to tear
the flesh from his fingers, and poured the al
bumen into the throat. There was a slight
strangle, nothing more, and spectators were
Mortified at the action.
Don't, the child is dying = said one.
please don't hurt the little thing-it can't
live = the mother found voice to say, laying
her hand upon his arm.
Mary, be still" he answered sternly while
his teeth were relaxing from their clenching
and his face was as hard as if he were en-
tering battle; and don't 'any of you med
die with me-keep off p
The bystanders involuntarily obeyed, with
many harsh remarks upon his cruelty-but
he did not heed them, and went on. An
other and another egg was broken, and still
there was no sign of life. Then the whole
body of bystanders broke into loud MUIR
mur, and cries of "brute Let the child
die in peace!' 'He is crazy--take the child
away from him = were heard around him.
He desisted for moment from his efforts,
and turned with ferceness which had be.
fore been altogether foreign to his nature
but no one who afterwards saw him forgot it.
'Foolsp he hissed, mind your own business,
and leave me to mine Take her away, will
you Try it, and he went on, emptying egg
after egg down the apparently lifeless throat.
The mother could bear this no longer. Her
first born was being tortured before her eyes
in its death, and, she imploringly flung
herself on her husbands father, who had
the moment before arrived.
oh, father, do stop him ! she gasped he
will obey you; do stop him. He is tortur-
ing that poor dying child
The grandfather started forward step to
interfere, for he, too. thought the proceeding
an outrageous one but he stopped and said,
MARY, let him alone. The child will die if
he does not 60 on. 1t cannot do more than
die if he does. I would not say word to
him for the world. The child is his; let
him use his pleasure.
There was a silence then. In a moment
more there was quiver of the eyelids, con-
vulsive movement of the chest, and the teeth
lost their tension. The father seized his
child, turned her face downward, and the
poicon began to flow from her mouth. Again
and again, as the retching ceased, be repea-
ted the experiment. life returning still
more, and the face losing its blank color ev-
cry instant. More than twenty times albu-
men had been administered, and more than