Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-02-08
SPEECH WITHOUT WORDS;

=
seems to me to be going through so much to
get at so little"
You d rather play at Tit, tat, toe, I dare
say, Dickey," remarked his beloved aunt,
smiling sardonically.
"Ay, there's something in that" replied
the youth, unconscious of her sarcasm: one
sees what one is driving at there, all along
Nevertheless, everything has its use, " per-
sisted the old lady, who was a very Minerva
for aphorisms, and like that heathen celebrity.
kept bird, which, however, was not an owl,
but parrot. ''NO one can tell what immense
advantages may fow from the acquisition''-
From the what?' interrupted the rude
lad, who was of inquring rather than a
reverent disposition.
From learning the least things, my dear :"
"Ah, observed the boy, " daresay there's
the alphabet now, for instance, amt there
Who ever first hit on that, wonder, to teach
fellow to read?'
"Ay, and there's the deaf and dumb alpha
bet, too, Dickey,, which teaches people to talk
without words"
"And were you ever deaf and dumb, Aunt
Georgey! o my, what funny go"
II you don, Z use these rery strange words
ehlId-and where You pick them up is am
sure, quite marvel to me-I'll tell you story
of how Aunt Georgey herself once saved her
lite, entirely through having learned the deaf
and dumb alphabet; shall I!''
Instead of the lesson, Aunt Georgey? o
yes, hho II DotII tQd0 PIE.
There were two little boys Dickey. and
one of them not very much older than you,
who used to come and stay with your Uncle
Frank-you never saw him, dear child, did
you? All, he would have liked those bonny
blue eyes, to stay with Uncle Frank and me,
when we were first married; and they could
not hear nor speak, Dickey' -
Conduit they eat neither, Aunt Georgey,
nor drink, nor nothingH'
30 yes; they were only deaf and dumb; but
that is very dreadful misfortune indeed, nv
child, Of itself. They could not talk except
with their hngers-So-only ever so much
quicker
That amt talking; that cats cradle, Aunt
Georgey,''
No, it isn't; It's speech, though there are
no words. L said then-'Dickey, don't inter-
rupt your Aunt with foolish observations. "
Il didn, t hear you, then, replied Dickey.
perhaps not, my dear, but nevertheless I
did say 1t; so don't. Your Uncle Frank and
learned this foreign alphabet on purpose, that
We might understand what these two poor lads
had to say. They were far quicker, far clev-
or than you, Dick; they could read and write,
things which you would make but very bad
hand at
Could they do the multiplication table,
Aunt Georgey?'
Yes child
Could tAey play at Tit. tat, toe,' Aunt
Yes; and at draughts, and backgammon.
and choss, and at fox and geese, as we'll as any
boys. They could almost see what he said,
though they could not hear, with such quick
eager eyes did they watch every movement of
cur lips. We soon, however, got to talk as
easily with oar fingers as our tongues; and
sometimes, when the lads were not with u.s.
Uncle Frank and / used to converse in that
manner when We were alone, for practice.
1t happened on one occasion that he had to
GO up to London on important business: he was
70 have gone by an afternoon train, but some
thing delayed him, so that he was not able to
ieaye before the night-express. l was not in
very good health. and retired to my bed room
about two hours before his departure; he prom
ised, however, to come up and wish me good
bye 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 Just been
burned down; and my husband, it seems,
though did not know it at the time-so great
secret had he endeavored to keep it0had
many thousand pounds belonging to the con-
Germ In his temporary possession lock ed up in an
iron safe In our bedroom, where the plate was
Kept: He was bank manager, and responsible
t9r the whole OF 1t. 1t was winter time, and
tnere was a FIRE in the room, so bright and
comfortable that was in no hurry to leave it
ana get into bed, but sat up, looking into the
merry Goals as have seen you do Dickey, and
'nihxing about all sorts of things-not so much
do0ut your tayorite palaces, and fairy gardens,
and the castles which Jack the Giant-killer
took, that are to be seen there doubtless. as
you say, but upon the long journey your uncle
frank had to take that night, and of how
dreary the days would seem until he returned,
ana In particular of how lonely l should feel
In that great room all by myself when he
should De away; for l was dreadful coward
Dlckey, and not like YOU who 90 to sleep in
the dark like brave boy, and never want a
nursemaid to sit in your room 1t was little
aiter eleven clock when got into bed but I
dld not seem In the least inclined for sleen
then; knew Uncle Frank would be coming to
WISH me goodbye presently, and besides, there
seemed to be all sorts of noises about the room,
which my foolish ear always used 10 bear
whenever was alone at nighttime
III little SCOT fell down the chimney It
was. thought, great black crow at least.
which would soon he flying about the room
and setting on my pillow; if a mouse squeaked
In the wainScot it was the creakng of some
dreadful persons shoes, coming up stairs to
kill your silly old aunt with carving knife:
and if the wind blew at the easement it was
somebody else trying to get in at the window,
although it was two stories high. Ysu may
imagine, then, my horror when L heard tre-
mendous sneeIe within quarter of an inch of
me, just behind the head board of the bed and
between that and the wall, where there was a
considerable space. had, as usual, taken the
Precsution, before 1 put the candle out of
looking everywhere in the room, where it was
quite impossible any person could be hid; but
I'D ,ne little alcOve into which the bed was
Pasned had never so much as thought of look
fs Mtnough that was a capital hiding place
room IOs anybody. Ever since had slept in that
who, In short, L had been like the ostrich of
Sa.a noai we read Yesterday, Dickey, who puts his
nsrs rS ID the sand, and then imagines himself in
Paeesunonary measures, that, after all. might
Teli have been omitted. The only thi5o
ns-,;Ue Oenese, ns which saved my reason from de.
Pung altogether, when L first heard that tsr.
v,s hons Sou sound was that my mind clunr to the
81 -, ' might be, after all, only the sneeze
sh;s oi seat; Fifty cats together could not nsrs
msas nan such disturbance it is true; for IL
\ ofb;ms.if ls s OF man who sneezes in spite
Oh himself, and almost shook the bouse. hn, ps ,hs
loea sustained me over the first sbock "' The rhe
next instant the wretch had sneezed ,a;n .rS
pushing aside the bed, which rolled % ,n, na ana
was standing beside my pillow loot;nr oo Gas,ers
me; II ne bad onlygiven one snee,e' he 49, a.
perhaps have believed me- as I Law Gn;,. msn' I!n
oreathlng quite regularly as I could ana Sa,l,' n
tending to be asleep; but he reasoned pr p..-
v. nj