The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-02-15
RaFA correspondent of the Missouri Re

B9A correspondent of the Missouri Re
publican furnishes that paper with the fol-
lowing touching composition, which, he says,
was written bya deaf and dumb girl OF some
dozen years of age, named Mary c. Head, OF
Alton, Illinois. She has been deaf and
dumb from her fifth year, and has been in
the Asylum for mutes, in that city, for two
years
aTHE ANChoRET.-When | was girl,
not FIVE years old, was as happy and gay
as lamb, and loved to listen to the melo-
dies of the world, and join my males in sing
ing at Sunday School, But when | arrived
at the age of fve sickness overlook me and.
bound my ears in letters. 1t was great
lo-s, and / could not become tranquilized at
the deprivation of my hearing for great
while. | often mourned over my sad fate.
A few days after the loss of my hearing, |
spoke few words to my mother, hoping to
hear her sweet but nleurnful voice; but oh,
my ears refused to receive that kind voice
again. Since that time have never heard.
that Sweet word s'Nother'' spoken in my ears
] stroye 10 hear it again, but all in vain. 1 :
struggled in agony to unbind my fettered
ears, supposing that something was lodged
in them; but it was no use; even the physi-
clans aid failed, and no relief came. My
life became a burthen to me, and the fate |
bore was so heavy that felt as if | were
shut up in a dreary cell, doomed for life
Oh, how vainly listened to catch the merry
laughter and cheerful voice of my youthful
brother and sister, but still an uncontrolled
tone kept whispering in, my ears, which
seemed to rush with violence through the
guarded cell. The world is full of harmo-
nious sounds, but they are not able to reach
my unresponsive ears. My soul still sits in
its silent chamber, unconscious of the melo-
dies of the birds and evening winds, and
the beautiful soliloquy of the lonely flute.
"Oh, don't it seem cruel for God to de
prive me of my hearing, which might be of
so great benefit to me? Shall not these fet-
tered ears..eyer be unclaimed? Often have
sat and wept over the pleasant by-gone
years of childhood, and felt as if I were in
a strange land, secluded from the society of
my friends | felt all alone in the world,
and wondered why God had thus forsaken
me. But it is all right for God to make me
so, and am now constrained to humble
myself to Him, and wait patiently until
my life ends on earth. Oh, then | will go
to a more glorious world. where shall be
loosed from my dreary cell, and sing happi-
ly with the angels.
When I saw my friends singing in the
choir, l envied them, and wished to sing
with them, but could not. My companions
deserted me, and was alone, and thought
| was the only mute in the world, But now
l am happy and thankful to find that
through the liberality and kindness of the
good people of Illinois, there is Il good in
stitution for the deaf and dumb, with so
many children like me, and I am happy to
learn many things which console me in my
grief and tell me that there is home in
Heaven, where happiness never ends, and
where the first glad sounds that greet my
ears will be the songs of angels and the
voices of loved ones gone before.
MoIIIF