The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-06-05
sMisGel1amGNms.
8 need by a Mute alphabet.

I'll tell you story how saved my life
once, entirely through having learned the
deaf and dumb alphabet.
TIL ere were two little boys who used to
come and stay with Frank and me when
we were first married, and they could
nett her hear nor speak.
They were deaf and dumb they could
not talk except with their fingers-so--only
ever so much quicker
Frank and learned this foreign alpha
bet on purpose that we might understand
what they said. They were quick and
clever, they could read and write, aye, and
draw and sew, and do many other things
which most boys would make q bad hand
at
They could play at draughts, and at
backgammon and chess, and at fox and
geese, as well as any boys. They could al
most 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
AS with our tongues and sometimes when
the lads were not with us, Frank and l of
ten talked in that manner, when we were
alone, for practice.
1t happened that on one occasion 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.
l was not in very good health, and retired
to my bedroom about two hours before his
departure ; he promised, however, to come
up and bid me goodbye 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 been burned down;
and my husband, it seems-though l did
not know it at the time, so great secret
had he endeavored to keep it-had many
thousand pounds belonging to the concern
in his temporary possession, locked up in
the iron safe in our bedroom, where the
plate was kept. He was bank manager,
and responsible for the whole of it. 1t was
cold weather, and there was fire in the
CRATE, so bright and comfortable that was
in no hurry to leave it and get into bed,
but sat up and looked into the fiery Goals,
thinking about all sorts of things on the
long Journey that Frank had to take that
night and how dreary the days would be
till he returned, and in particular how
lonely I should feel in that great room all
by myself when he should be away, for
was dreadful coward. 1t was a little
after eleven o'clock when / retired but
did not feel the least inclined to sleep even
then, knew Frank would be coming in
presently to wish me good bye and be-
sides there seemed to be all sorts of noises
about the room which my foolish ears used
to hear when l was alone at night.
If little SCOT fell down the chimney, it
was 1 thought, great black crow, at least,
which would soon be flying all around my
pillow if mouse speaked in the wall it
was the creaking of some dreadful persons
shoes, coming up stairs to kill me with a
carving knife and if the wind blew the
easements, it was some one trying to get
into the room by the window, although it
was two stories high.
You may imagine then my horror when
l heard tremendous sneeze within an inch
of me just behind the head board of my
bed, and between that and the wall, where
there was considerable space. had as
usual taken the precaution, before put the
candle out, to look everywhere in the room,
where it was quite impossible that any per-
son could be hid but the little alcove, in