Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-04-21
THE DEAD ALIVE

The Glasgow (Scotland) Daily Mail tells the
following, which, though it smacks of the mar
velous, is still vouched for as true -
Somewhere about thirty years ago, at place
nearly twenty miles from London, a boy about
eleven years of age was returning from school
with his sister. They were amusing themselves
on the road by running after and touching sach
other alternately in their youthful gee. They
had arrived at a large Fairgrounds green, and
he had tagged" and touched his sister, and had
given her a slap on the face, when she gave him
a push with her hand, whereby he was overbal-
anced, and he fell into large well behind and,
timid and amazed at his sudden disappearance,
owing to her inadvertent act, off she ran. For
some days a strict search in all directions was
instituted for the boy but without avail. Ad-
vertisements in the newspapers were also resort
ed to without effect, and the girl, bewildered,
doubling, and still hoping that her brother might
yet make his appearance, or be discovered in
some way, and on the other hand, afraid that he
might have perished in the well, refrained from
explaining to her relatives the truth. The con-
sequence was that time wore on, she fell into
state of despondency, but her friends could
never ascertain the cause.
In the course of some years she was married.
Her family often kindly inquired, and even
pressed her to say whether ANYTHING was weigh
ing on her spirits, but she could give no expla-
nation, and it may be added, as it will naturally
be surmised, did not intend to do so till on her
death bed. In the meantime, her brother, after
having fallen, as we have described, into tile
well, and sunk in the water, rose again to the
surface; and laying hold of some projecting
bricks or stones at the side Of the WE'LL called
loudly for help. After some time, carrier, who
was passing, heard the cries of the boy, and 60
ing forward to the mouth of the well, succeeded
in rescuing him from his perilous condition.
When he had recovered little, the carrier ask
ed the boy the name of his friends and where
he resided but he would not tell him, and said
he had no friends, but wished and would be glad
to go along with him. Through persuasion and
entreaty, the kind hearted carrier, thinking the
boy an orphan, took him on along with him in
his cart or wagon to London, and there gave him
employment to run his messages He after
ward sent him to school, and thereafter to learn
trade, but he was little wild in his DISPOSE
tion and did not settle well to his employment.
In the course of time the news arrived of the
discovery Of the gold fields in Australia, and the
carrier determined to proceed there, and as the
boy expressed an anxious wish to accompany
him, that wish was complied with and he went
out along with him. He was extremely pros
porous, and wealth showered upon him. He ac-
quired lands and engaged servants, and in
But in the midst of his prosperity he began to
think of home and his early associations, and of
how his beloved sister might think him dead,
and as having been drowned in that deep well,
and he determined on returning home to glad
den them with his presence, relate TO them his
fortunes, and dissipate their fears concerning
him. Having arrived in this country, he tried
every means to ascertain where his friends lived,
for they had removed from the home of his
youth, and none in the neighborhood could tell
him where they had gone.
After having made inquiry for length of
time without avail it so chapced that on one oc-
casion he went to England to see the Queen
passing and, while witnessing the cortege, re-
cognised in the features of person present one
whom he had known in his boyhood. He went
forward and inquired his name, which he told,
and mutual recognition took place. Then fol-
lowed questions concerning his family, when it
turned out that the friend whom he addressed
had been married to his own sister-to that sis
ter who had long been the subject of his walk
ing dreams, and who had in his early years been
the means, however inadvertently, Of giving
direction to his course and to his subsequent
fortunes. He was further informed that his
sister was at the time residing in Stirling, and
it need scarcely be said that he Immediately
posted on to Stirling, where he arrived about
the 18th or l4th of September last year.
The meeting which ensued between the long
parted sister and brother can only be left to
the imagination. The surprise, the conflicting
emotions, caused by the re-appearance of
brother after such a long absence, under the
circumstances related caused an indispostion,
from which we are glad to say she has now re-
covered.