The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-02-12
SPEECH WITHOUT WORDS.


SPEECH WITHOUT WORDS.
I'll tell you story of how I once
saved my life entirely through having
learned 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 neither hear nor
speak.
They were deaf and dumb; they
could not talk except with their fin
gers-so-only ever so much quicker.
Frank and / learned this foreign
alphabet on purpose that we might
understand what these two poor lads
had to say. They were quick and
clever; they could read and write, ay,
and draw and sew, and do many
other things which most boys would
make but very bad hand at.
:. They could play at draughts, and
backgammon and chess, and at fox
and geese, as we'll 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
someti mes, when the lads were not
with us, Frank and 1nsed to converse
In that manner when alone for prac-
tice. q
that he had to go to London on i'm
portant business; he was to have
gone in 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 bed
room about two hours before his
departure; he promised, however, to
come up and wish me good-by before
he started, which would be between
II and l 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 I
did not know it ut 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
an iron safe in our bedroom, where
the plate was kept. He was bank
manager, and responsible for the
whole of it. 1t was winter time, and
there was fire in the room, so bright
and comfortable that I was in no
hurry to leave it and get into bed,
but sat up, looking into the fiery
Goals, and thinking about ali sorts of
things; upon the long journey Frank
had to take that night, and how
dreary the days would seem until he
returned; and in particular how lone
ly should feel in that great room all
by myself, when he should be away;
for was dreadful coward. It was
little after IL o'clock when I got
into bed, but did not feel the least
inclined for sleep even then; and
besides, there were ull sorts of noises
about the room, which my foolish
ears always used to hear whenever
was alone at nighttime.
LII q little SCOT fell down the
chimney, it was, I thought, great
black crow at least, which wonId soon
De flying about the room, and set
ting on my pillow; if a mouse
squenked in the wainscot, it was the
squeaking of some dreadful persons
shoes, coming up stairs to kill me
with a carving knife; and if the wind
blew at the easement. it was some
body else trying to get in at the
window, although it was two-stories
high.
You mayimagine, then, my horror,
when / heard tremendous sneeze
within 6 yard OF me, Just behind the
head-board of the bed, and between