The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-04-28
SPEECH WITHOUT WORDS

AsPEECu WITHOUT WORDS
II tel Won Z story Of how l oncc saved
my life. entirely through hav!n; learned
the deaf and duiuh alphabet
There were TWO little hoys who used TO
/ come and -tav with Frank and me, when
We were first married, and thcy could
neither hear nor Slcak
They were d.ai and dumb, they could
not talk except with their rt!ng-rs--so-oniy
: ever 50 much quicker.
Frank and learned this foreign alpha
bet on purpose that We might understand
whs., thcs.. Two poor lads had to eay. They
were quick and clever: they could read
write, ay and draw and sew, and do many
other things which most boys would make
but very bad hand 81
They could play at draUghts and back
/ cammuu, and chess. and fox and geese. as
well a any rDvS Thcv could almost see
: what wc said though they could not hear,
with such quick. eager eyes did they watch
. every movement Of our lips We soOu.
however, got to talk a. ,.asily with our i.u-
/ -.rS. n our tongues, and sometimes. when
: the lad- were not with u~. Frank and !.
used L. converse ~ that manner when we
weF- alone iur rgact.cc
1t happened upon one occasion that he
had 10 70 10 London o:i important business
/ he va. 10 nave gone 10y an afternoon train,
/ but somctlun. dr,Iyed him, % that he was
( not gUi. - leave before tine night express.
was not in very good health. and retired
/ TO NV sheti-.ooIl about two hours bcs,.re
| his departure, he promised, however. 10
| come up and wish me good by before he
7 talted. which would be between twelve
and one " clock III the morning The mat
/ ter which called h.In away. was connected
with the bank here. which had Just been
/ burned down, and my husband, 1t seems,
/ though I'D no; know it At The time-so
great u secret had he -nd-ayorcd To keep
it-iad many thousand bounds belonging
I" the roucern it. hi- pos,cs>Iou. locked up
III the iron SAT-. IN our bedroom, where the
plate w.S kept He was hank manager
and responsible for the whole of IL. 1t was
winter time and :i-r- was a IRE IN the
room, 90 bright and comfortable that was
, in no hurry to leave il ana get into bed,
on; -: W. looking INTO the fiery Goals, and
thinking about al. sorts OF things upon
the long Journey Frank had Il take that
night and az how drcarv the days would
seem until he returned and in particular
. how lonely / should feel in that great room
! all hv myself when he would Ice away: for
E wa dreadful. coward !, was little
after eleven clock when ! went to bed,
but did not feel the least inclined for
-lrt.T, even then: ] knew Frank would bc
. coming TO wish me -ood-by presently: and
besides. thcr. seemed to be all sorts OF
/ noises about the room, which my foolish
cars used 10 hear. when | WAS alone at
night.
-Ifa lttle SCOT fell down the chimney
j, was th"u.iIt great black crow II least
1 a.. ! |,
and settling on my pillow If n mouse
suurakrl in the walnscot. IL was the crcak
iu: OF some dreadful person shoes. coming
up stairs 70 Kill me with carving knife
and ii the wind blew at the easement, il
was somebody else trying 10 get IN at thc
window. although il was two stories high
You may imagine. then, my horror when
heard a tremenduOuS Snesze in a quarter o
an inch Of me, Just behind the hcadboar,
of the hsd. and between that and the wall
where there was II considerable space.
lad a usual. taken the rrecau,ion, befor.
put the candle out. OF lrokinc cverywh hen
in the room where il WAS quite impossible
any person could be hid but in the littl.
alcOve into which the bed was pushed
had never so much as thought Of looking
although that was a capital hiding place
for anybody.
short had oeen like tie ostrich, who pu:.
his head in the sand. and then imagine:
himself in perfect security had piquec
myself upon precautionary measures tina
alter all might just As well have been omit
ted The only thin. "a | belive. which
saved nv reason from departing altogether
when first hcarea toat terrible sound, wa
that INV mind clun:- to the hope that i
might he. after all, only the Snecze OF a cat
Fifty cats together could not have mad,
half such q disturbance, it is true, for it wa
i, the sneeze of a man who sneszes in spite o
himself and almost shook the house; bu
the ide:. sustained me over the first shock
The next Instant the wretch had sneezcc
.ain, and pushing aside the bed, whici
rolled on casters, felt was standing bcsid,
my pillow, lookin. at me. If he had onl,
given one sneezc, he might perhaps have be
lieved me as. lay quite still, breathing n.
regularly as could. and pretending to b'
asleep; but he reasoned very justly, that
unless l was deaf or dead, must have beer
awakened by the second.
You re awake, marin" said he in gruf
voice, and it's no use shammingi If yo,
don't want Il tap with this lite-preserver
just look alive
Il opened nv eyes exceedingly wide n
this, and beheld man with Grape over hi
face, standing by the bed; he held a sor
of club with two knobs upon it in his rish
hand and with his left he pointed to th'
iron safe
( "Is the money there?' said he
' "The plate is, said !, IN tremblin;
: voice; pray take it sir; an sure you ar
very welcome for he might have hat
everything of value in the house, with al
my heart, so long as he left me my life.
!, The money-the gold-the notes--ar
. they there ? cried he again in terrible
: sort of whisper.
a 'It is all there replied I, although
!. knew nothing about it, all except fitteel
and sixpence in my purse, on the dressin
table yonder. There's silver mustard-po
;. besides in the pantry, and a couple Of car
IN. st;cks in the atI,(iy only thew ara nls