Brookville American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-23

/ was spending some days, not man,
years ago, in a pleasant little countr.
village, and in family that had NOR
than common attractions TO one wh'
loves domestic life as well as myself
The little circle had in it more of rea
interest than / have often seen develop
cd in the same number Of persons.
The father of the family-almost to-
young to feel that he was entitled Il
that honorable appellation-was a fine
frank hearted young mechanic, with I
wide world of bounding life in his veins
and energy that, when fully aroused
drove everything before him, and I
warmth of disposition that won hin
more friendship than it had given him
Of the goods Of the world.
His wife, to whom he had been mar
ried some four years, was singularly
beautiful They had two children-tht
one a laughing, brown-eyed and brown.
haired little fairy of three years. HeI
name was Eveleen. The second was a
crowning, laughing blue-cyed, plump
little beauty of less than year, prom
ising to have all the charms Of the older
ut her age.
/ was sitting one afternoon in quiet
little room, with my feet upon two
chairs, reading pleasant little book, in
state between asleep and awake-my
host away at his shop, a hundred yards
of, and my hostess engaged in her
household labors-when / was thrown
out of my Incidence by a scream that
brought me to my feet like an electric
shock 1t was q womaA's voice, and had
in it an excess of agony that cannot be
indicated in words, so loud that il rang
over that quiet little village, and brought
every one forth TO ascertain the cause.
/ sprang to the door that separated
the sitting room from the dinning apart
ments and saw the whole at glance
The young mother stood at tho door
with her first borfr--onr darlizg Eve
leen---in her arms dying. A brief and
hurried word from the servant told me
the sad story. The little girl had ac-
companied child-uncle up stairs, and
while the attention of the older child
was for a moment turned away, she
seized bottle OF corrosive sublimate in
alcohol, prepared for bug poison, and
swallowed enough to take away twenty
such lives.
The little thing had tottered down
stairs, and the mother had met her at
the landing with the empty bottle in her
hand, and the poison oozing from her
mouth, and the child all unconscious OF
the fearful thing she had done. Was it
any wonder that fearful shrek rang
out over the quiet village, and that al
ready the occupants of every house near
were rushing toward the spot where the
mother stood?
But few moments could possibly
have elapsed since tho poison was Ia
taken, and yet the effect was already
fearful. After the first shrek of ter,
ror, 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
diffused through the frame; the brown
eyes had lost their lustre, the face was
blackened US il after death, and the
teeth were tight set in .convulsive
spasm that evidently would not pass
away. i examined the little lost dar.
ling for moment, saw that il was hope
less, and then turned away unable TO
bear that mothers agony. The little
door was already half-flled with villa
gels, and sobs, and means, and lamen-
tations over the fate Of tho dying child
child were heard in every direction,
mingled with quick and hurried ques-
tions as to the manner of its occurrence,
and vain attempts at answering, which
added an expressing confusion to- tho
sadness Of the scene.
The little play follows uncle, who had
been up stairs with the child, and run
instantly to call the father, and but q
few moments elapsed before .he sprang
into the middle OF the group. Ire had
been told all and asked no questions.
had time to remark that his cye was
very stern, and that his lip was vory
firmly compressed. Others, too, re-
marked it, and knew afterwards that
u murmur ran round the circle of how
strange it was that he betrayed no feel
ing.
lilo reached out his hands, and took
tho child from lis mother. It's eyes
were now closed, and white ooze com
ing from the blackened lips. Was ever
death more assured? ] saw him open
the eye lids and heard him give sigh
Of relief. lie told me afterwards that
the eye was not shrunken, and so death
had not begun. lie then attempted TO
open her mouth, but tho teeth werc tight
set, and they resisted his efforts. But
with force that seemed almost brutal,
he wrenched tho teeth apart and open.
cd the mouth. "Shamo," cried one Of
the bystandcrs.
The father did not heed them, but mo-
toned TO ncighbor 10 take the child in
his arms. lie did so.
Bring me the ogg basket" ho spoke
very sternly, almost without opening his
teeth, u the servant.
"What do you want with it?" "What
can you do with it?' "lle's crazy"