Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-11-30
A Speech Without Words.

70 the bright distant shore. G S04Ia
A Speech Without Words. ...,
IN tell you story Of how once saved my
life, entirely through having learned the deaf
and dumb alphabet. 7i@htEEi EE
There were two little boys who used to
come and stay with Frank and me, when we
were first married, and they could neither
hear nor speak. They were deaf and dumb
they could not talk except with their fingers
l-so-only ever so much faster. 3'''t''a
Frank and learned this foreign alphabet
on purpose that we might understand what
these two lads might say. They were quick
and clever; they could read and write, ave,
and draw and sew, and do many other things
which most boys would make but a poor
hand at. t.''tA |@t -@s@''e+ .'t5S 20
They could play at draughts and backgam-
mon, and chess, and fox and geese, as well as
any other. boys. They could almost ste wha,
we said, with such quick, cag.r faces did they
watch every movement of our lips. We soon,
however, got to talk as easily with our fingers
MS our tongues; and sometimes when the
lads were not with us. we used'to converse in
that manner tor practice. '5"'"."
It happened on one occasion, that Frank
had to 20 to London on important business
he was to have gone by an afternoon train,
but something delayed him so that he was
not able to leave before the night express. |
was not in good health and retired to my bed
room about two hours before his departure
he promised, however, to come up and bid
me goodbye before he started, which would
be between twelve and one O'Clock in the
morning. The matter which called him
| away was connected with the bank here,
which had been burned down, and MY hus-
band, it seems, though did not know II at
the time, had many thousand pounds belong
| ing to the bank in his possession, locked in
an iron safe in our bedroom, where the plate
was kept He was bank manager and re-
sponsible for the whole Of it, Il was winter
time and there was bright fire in the room,
so warm and comfortable, that I was in no
hurry to get to bed, but sat up looking at the
fiery Goals, and thinking about all sorts Of
things; upon the long journey Frank had to
take that night, and how dreary the days
would seem until he returned; and in par
ticular how lonely should feel in that great
room by myself, when he would be away
for was a dreadful coward 1t was a little
after eleven o'clock when went to bed, but
did not feel the least inclined for sleep even !;
I knew Frank would be coming to wish me
good bye presently; and besides there seemed
to be all sorts Of strange noises about the
room, which my foolish ear used to hear
when was alone at night. 'ss'f s #at2
If little SCOT fell down the chimney, it
was. / thought, q great black crow which
would soon be flying around the room and
settling on my pillow; ifa mouse squeaked
in the wainscot, it was the squcaking Of some
dreadful persons shoes, coming up stairs to
kill me with the carving knife; and If the
wind blew at the easement, it was somebody
trying to get in at the window, although It
was two stories high. You may imagine,
then, my horror, when heard tremendous
sneeze within an inch of me, just behind the
head board of the bed, and between that and
the wall, where there was considerable space.
| had. as usual, taken the precaution, before
putting the candle out, of looking every
where in the room where it was quite posi-
bic and impossible any person could be hid,
but in the little alcove into which the bed
was pushed there had never so much as
thought Of looking, although it was capital
hiding place for anybody. s3sT 1
Ever since l had slept in that room, in
short, I1had been like the ostrich who puts
his head into the sand, and then inagines
himself in perfect security. l had prided
myself upon precautionary measures, which
after Oh might just As well been omitted
The only thing which saved my reason from
departing altogether, when l first heard that
terrible sound, was that my mind clung to
to the hope that it might be after all, only
the sneeze of cat. Fifty cats altogether,
could not have made such q disturbance, it
is true for it was the snceze Of man who
,sneezes in spite Of himself and almost shook
the house, but the idea sustained me over
the first shock. The next instant the wretch
had sneezed again. and pushing aside the
bed, which rolled on castors, / felt he was
standing beside my pillow. II he had only
given one sneeze, he might, perhaps, have
believed,ms - lay quite still, breathing as
regularly as could, and pretending to be
asleep. Bat he reasoned, very justly, unless
1 were deaf or dead, must have been awak-
ened by the sound. II aas
:. You're awake, marm," be said, !" and
it's no use shamming. Ifyou don't want q
tap with this live preserver you had better
just look alive 5. Fss .as. e3.3 NJ s. IS.
opened my eyes exceedingly wide at this
and behcld a man with Grape over his face,
standing by the oed. lie held sort Of club,
with two kn6hS Supsn IT. ID his right hand,
and With his left &c pointed to the SIT.
Is the money there 7" he asked. : g 4
q " The plate is,y said I, in trembling
voice. pray take it, sir, II sure yoN are
very Welcome = for he might have had every
thing ii the house, with all my heart 30 long
a. he leftm III my life.
."1Thd .npd4 y tne-ea)d <tlbS ho(sag-ar
thy AlIsrefb hsI aaksd again; IN ~ IeUible