The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-01-17
SPEECH WITHOUT WORDS.

L ii Iell yUu opoIJ VI AoW OuCS pay
ed my life entirely through having learn
ed the deaf and dumb alphabet
There were two little boys who used
to come and stay with Frank and me when
we were first married, and they could nei-
| ther hear nor speak.
They were deaf and dumb; they could
not speak except with their fngers-so
only ever SO much quicker. ra
Frank and l learned this foreign. al
phabet on purpose that we might under,
stand what these poor lads had, to say,
They were quick and clever; they could
road and write; and draw and sew, and dc
many other things which most boys wo'd
make very poor hands at 3
| They could play at draughts and back
CANNON, and chess, and at fox and geese
jas well as any boys. They could almost
see what we said, though they could not
hear, with such quick, eager eyes did
they watch every movement Of our lips
We soon, however got to talk as easily
with our fingers as our tongues, ,and some
times, when the lads we're not with us,
Frank and | would converse in that man
ner when we were alone, for practice.
| Tt happened on one occasion, that he
had to go to London ON important bust
ness; 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. l was not in very good health,
and retired to, my. bed room about two
hours before his departure; he promised,
| however to come up and bid me good-by
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
1just been burned down, andmy husband,
it seems, though did not know it at the
time-so greata secret had be endeayor-
ed to keep it-had many thousand pounds
belonging to the firm in his temporary
possession, locked up in the iron safe in
our bedroom, where the plate was kept.
| lie was bank manager, and responsible
for all of it. 1t was winter time, and
| there was fire in the room so bright and
comfortable that | was in no hurry to
leave it and get into bed, but satrup look
ing into the fiery Goals, and thinking
about all sorts of things, upon the long
journey Frank, had to take that highland
Of how dreary the days would seem until
he returned, and, in particular, how lonely
| should feel in that great room all by
i myself, when he would be away--fo., ]
was dreadful coward. 1t was "a little
after eleven o'clock when | got into bed
| but ! did not feel the least inclined fol
| sleep even then, 1 knew Frank would be
coming to bid me good-by presently, and
besides there seemed to be all sorts Of
noises about the room,r which my foolish
: ears always used to hear whenever was
\ alone at night time. ba
4 If little SCOT fell down the chimney
it was, l thought,a great black crow, al
5 least, which would soon be flying about
! the room, and settling on my pillow; if 3
j mouse squeaked in the wainscot, it was
. the creaking of some dreadful persons
j, shoes, coming up stairs to kill me witt
!. the carving knife, and if the wind blew
at the casement,lt was somebody else try
: ing to get in at the window, although i
was two stories high. You may imagine
4 then, my horror when heard a tremen
dous sneeze within a quarter of an incl
of me, just behind the headboard of ny
bed, ard between that and the wall, where
. there was considerable space. had, al
i usual, taken the precaution, before put
/ ting the candle out, of looking every
where in the room where it was quite i'm
/ possible that any one could be hid, bu
j the little aleoye, into which the bed wa
D pushed, I had never SO much as though
of looking, although that was capita
4 hiding place for anybody. Ever since
!. had been in that room, in short, | hac
been like the ostrich, who puts his heat
in the sand, and then imagines himself il
b perfect security. 1 had piqued mysel
e upon precautionary measures that, afte
= all, might just as we'll have been omitted
e The only, thing, as | believe, which sayei
e Imy reason from departing altogether
e when first heard the terrible sound, wa
h that nay mind clung to the hope that i
o might be, after all only the sneeze of
a cat. Fifty, cats together could not hav
" made such disturbance; it is true, for j
: was the sneeze of man WHO sneezes il
: spite of himself, and almost shook tn
house, but the idea sustained me over tn
first shock The-next instant the wretel
| had sneezed again, and pushing aside tn
l. bed, which rolled on castors, / felt wa
e standing beside my pillow bookings at me
Q IF he had only given just one sneeze, h
P might perhaps have believed meas lai
6 quite still, breathing as regularly as
could, and pretending to be asleep; but h
reasoned, very justly, that, unless Iva
( deaf or dumb l must have been awakene
! by the second. @ on
- "You're awake, marm," said he in
gruff voice, "and it'sno use shammine
u If you don't want a tap with this her
4 life -preserver, why just look alive"
!. l opened my eyes exceedingly wide a
j this, and beheld man with Grape owe
! his face, standing by the bed; he held
: sort Of club, with two knobs upon it, i
his right hand, and with his left helpoiu
It ted to the iron safe. 4 a bl
e. 'Is the money there?' said he.4
sr tsThe plate is" said /, trembling
spray take it, sir; am sure you are yer
welcome;" for he. might have had every
is thing Of value out of the house with a.
/ my heart, SO long as he left me my life.
k, 1.-THE money-the gold-the notes