The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-02-09

oiio vi inc Door crazed uniortunatCs.
VINO appeared at the door, dressed in
all the accoutromcnts of &C. with
/ potato tops for coclladc.
Ibis was not alone home for the
poor but an asylum for the milder
cases OF insanity blind, deaf and dumb
idiots &c, all Of whom were well
looked after by matron with heart
IN proportion TO her body. She
weighed at least two hundred.
Beng shown into the large room
where the inmates usually congrc-
gated, they beheld sight which
should fill any bcholdcrs heart with
gratitude if they possessed even n
moderate share Of common sense, one
eye, hand and leg, bread enough for
day, tolerable health. a passable re-
putaiion. and even n dog for q friend :
There, perchod upon the window
sill, was a being whose sex was entire
ly undistipguishabe by dress, with n
preternnturally large head. shayen
close, which il constantly held be-
tween its hands, conscious only Of the
impression of pain. Upon the floor
walowed n cripple whose sightless
eyoballs were painfully enlarged and
prOtrudmg IN one corner, upon q
stool, abicct and hstless, sat "a young
girl. whom, had she been less fair,
might have been less unfortunate,
with baby in her arms Crouching
in the chimney sat a little Old crone,
weaving TO and fro, and laughing I'M
moderately and upon q bench in the
centre of the room stood tall. thin
youth, delivering. with wild gesticula-
tons, a mute sermon. Every conceive
able defoimity clnb-foot. hair-lip,
withercd limbs, curved spiues, dis
tortcd faces while among them ALL,
in sickening contguity played health
full, rosy children. In rocking-chair,
drawn somewhat aloof from the noisy
company sat woman, old, poor and
blind Her head was like snow She
was neatly dressed, and possessed a
counteuance OF unusual intelligence.
and was singing a hymn as the visit
ors approached her
Here aresome friends. lilly. called
TO sec you, said the matron, ia q kind
~ voice
"Weu, I'm glad to see them, I'm
sure It's line day, warm and
breezy, She answered, half rising
from her chair as one fully awake to
the outer world, and with the lady
like manner Of one entertaining com
pany
How long have You been Blind, my
good woman :: asked Sidney.
eighty years.
The tears were standing in more
than one pair OF eyes as Mrs. Hcyt,
after a moments silence, remarked.
That's long, time
"Yes," she meezly replied: ut does
seem long sometimes, but l grow more
reconcilod every year. When ] was
young fifty years ago. used to
think great deal how / would love to
see eyerythin@ -the world, my broth
crs and sisters, and my mothers face;
but they are ali gone now, but, she
added, frightening, II shall soon see
them all, and my Saviour, too.
"What q blessed hope and comfort,
said lIrs. Hoyt, in tromulous yoic
"Yes, indeed, answered the little
old woman-'more blessed, more com
forting than all the pretty eyes in the
world r.
The three pressed her hand, Sidney
leaving something within Its palm
and passed on; but as they closed tho
door near her, they heard the last OF d
murmured sentence, '- to the
end" After visiting several rooms
and their inmates, the matron opened
another door, saying, This one has
a very interesting history The next
moment they stood in small, neat
room, like all the others, but they saw
none of its appointments, for the all
absorbing object was its occupant. Il
was n woman, They looked at her
then at each other, and then at tbs
matron, who said:
"She is perfectly harmless, but en-
tirely and hopelessly insane
They looked at her IN amazement
Was she a young girl or an old WON
an Surely there never was such f;
strange admixture OF youth and age
beauty aud decrepitude. She ad
yarced towards the visitors with tn,
elastic step of a girl, and asked, in {
sweet, half-pleading voice, with eye
brows raised, revealing deep, clear
blue eyes:
HAS Philip Gomez
"No p she continued; "ah, well
he'll be here to-night-to-night," anC
then she sighed and walked objected
~ to the window, and looking out anC
up into the sky, saying, dust as th'
moon comes up he told me. III b.
there, darling be there e. anc
then she put on an old fashioned bon
net which lay upon the table, and hur
riedly threw on a shawl, faded anC
worn, and bent her face close to thu
window, as if ii were dark night, anC
looked through the imaginary trees tc
watch the moon rise. She never
moved again while they staid.
How old do you think she is y in
CURED the matron, rs we Withdrew.
About eighteen, said Sidney.
"Not day over seventeen, SAT-
Milly, only her hair is IS fair-a
most white.
II think che nnuet lao older" sail