The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1868-06-30
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Will tell yoa story u how onos
saved ms liis eahrsly throagh hayiRI
learned the deaf and dumb alphabet
There were two htlle boys vho used
10 come and stay with. Frank and L
when We wore first married, and thsy
could neither hear nor speak.
They were deaf and dumb. they
could not talk, except with their FIN
( gers--so Only ever 50 much quicker.
Frank aud / learned this foreign al.
iphabet on purpose that We night un.
derstand what they said. They we're
quick and clever; they coHld read and
write, and draw and sew, and do many
other things which most boys would
make very bad work Of
They could play at draughts, and
backgammon, and chess, and at fox and
geese, as well as any boys They could
almost see what we said, although they
could not hear, with such quick, eager
eyes did they watch every movement
OF our lips. We soon. however, got 10
talk as easily with our fingers as with
our tongues; aud sometimes, when the
lads were not with us, Frank and |
used TO converse in that manner when
we were alone, for practice.
II happened upon one occasion that
he had to go to London on important
business; he was TO have gone by the
afternoon train, but something delayed
him, so that he was not able TO leave
before the night express.
/ was not in very good health, aud
retired to my bedroom about two hours
before he took his departure; he prom
ised, however, to come up and wish me
good bye before he started, which
would be between twelve and one in the
morning. The matter which had call
cd him away was connected with the
bank here, which had just been burned
down: and my husband, it seems, al
though ] did not know it at the time
so great secret had be eudeavored to
keep it--had many thousand pounds be-
longing to the concern in his Temporal
ry possession, locked up in an iron safe
in our bedroom, where the plate was
kept He was bank manager and re-
sponsible for the whole OF it. It was a
cold time, and there was a FIRE in the
room, so bright and comfortable that |
was in no hurry to leave it to get into
bed, but sat up looking into the frey
Goals, and thinking about all sorts OF
things; upon the long journey Frank
had to take that night, and of how
dreary the days would seem until he
returned, and in particular, how lonely
| should feel in that great room all by
myself when he should be away--for /
was dreadful coward 1t was little
after eleven o'clock when got into bed,
but did not feel the least inclined to
sleep even then. / knew that Frank
would be coming to wish me good bye
presently; and besides here seemed to |
be all sorts OF noises about the room,
which my foolish ears always used TO |
hear whenever alone at nighttime.
II a little SCOT fell down the chimney |
i was, | thought, great black crow
vt least, which would soon be flying
about the ROOM aud sitting on my pill
ow; if a mouse squeaked in the vain
,cot it was the creaking OF some dread
al persons shoes coming up stairs to
Kill me with carving knife; and if the
Wind blew the easement it was some
oerson trying to get in at the window,
although it was two stories high.
You may imagine, then. my horror,
when heard a tremendous snseze
within an inch Of me, just behind the
lead-board Of the bed, and between
hat and the wall, whore there was
space. / had, as usual,
aiken the precaution, before | put my
andle out, of looking every where in
he room where it was quite impossible
my person could be hid; but the little
.lcove into which the bed was pushed
had never so much as thought Of
ooking into, although it was capital
Iiding place for anybody Ever since
had slept in that room, in short, /
Iad been like the ostrich, who puts his
ead in the sand, and then imagines
imself in security. ] had piqued my
elf upon precautionary measures that,
fter all, might just as well have been
mitted The only thing, believe,
Thich saved my reason from departing
together, when l heard that terrible
eund, was that my mind clung to the
ope that it might be, after all, the
neeze of cat. Fifty cats together
ould not make half such a disturb
nee, il is true, for it was the sneeze Of
man who sneezsd in spite Of himself,
nd almost shook the house; hut the
lea sustained me over the first shock.
The next instant the wretch had
nee zed again, and pushing aside the
cd, which rolled on castors, / felt he
as standing beside my pillow and
'oking at me II he had given only
ne sneeze, he might, perhaps have be-
eyed me asleep, as / lay quite still,
as regularly as | could and
retending TO be; but be reasoned very
Istly, that unless was deaf or dead,
must have been awakened by the
,und.
You're awake, marm, said he, in
ruff voice, and it's no use of sham
ingi II you don't want a tap with
lis hfe-preserver, just look alive
/ opened my eyes exceedingly wide
this. and beheid man with Grape
fer bis fnne standing hr the hAdside.l