Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-08-12
A CURIOUS CHARACTER.
A Woman who Preferred Brutes to
NlnMa

Tho July number of St. Pnul's contains
M interesting sketch Of an original char
acter- Martin Fereol, celebrated French
taxidernlist. who died ut lsourgoGno in
l849, ut tho ago of ono hundred years.
But if Fcreol was IN odtlity, his two as
sistants were still moro remarkable char
acters. Ono OF these was his pupil, Desire,
who had entered tho Bnron's service rs an
infant orphan. Desires vcneratiOn for
Martin wns tempered with n kind Of ave.
Ills regard for tho agcd NAbotto was q
feeling Of unminglel love. BNbOtte was 10
loss a character thon hor brother Martin,
but Of MI originality quito distinct from
his. Whit in him was acrimonious bile in
her was undiscriminating goodness, and
hor solo wrong TO man waH On uncOmprOm-
ising preference for brutes. Her intellcc-
tunl faculties we're of tho lowest grade, and
tho reputation of her childhood had been
that Of hopeless idiot. She was unable to
read or write, and Ind never learned to tell
tho clock. Hut she needed mother book
nor time-piecc. Sho knew the hours from
tho dial that needed no repairing, and she
read from tho statute book of Nature, in no
ambiguous characters, that order, thrift.
cleanliness are Gods first law. She lived III
uninterrupted conversation with tho dumb
beings around her, and possessed means of
intelligence which were secrets between
herself and her correspondents She
could ascertain from tho cat what allied her
kitten, and understood an application from
tho COW for change of pasture. Her psral-
lei has been imagined by Victor Hugo in
his romance Of 'Uonscienco L Innocent.
pressed in CRIES. in squcaks or croaks,
Svrra familiar tn liar tho xoioo If hor
own brother. The birds and frogs gavo
her warning of tho approach of rain
and sunshine, and she prepared
for change with all the certainty of
unerring instinct. She lived among the
dumb natives of tho field, nnfoarel and I'M
avoided. No bird suspected her Of wrong,
no reptile fled Mt her approach. In the
meadow the ,nagpie refused to move out of
her patti; on tho plain the sky-lark flew to
its nest before her eyes; and in tho wood
the squirrel remained in sight upon the
tree which sheltered her. With lIugo's
Innocent sho had brought homo clustered
bees from forest hives, and with Lesouve's
Melicerte had nursed and cured dying
duckling which had been seized and partly
devourcl by n hog.
Had Babotte been free and friendless,
sho might we'll have smiled on society and
lItSScu HtE way. Iler HOME Wasb rcn(ty
found in some secluded wood, her food tho
roots and berries, and her companions the
birds and beasts. But Martin, her sole
relative and guardian, by law, had charge
Of her person and estate. She had for
somo time pinod under restraint, but had
taken strength from habit, and was
for many years her brothers only
housekeeper. She ordered his cot
tnpe with s,lch lamentations minntenea
deferred to him with conviction, and rev.
erencea his profession with a religious awe.
Her aversion to flesh was invinciblo. and
her brothers taste Was 80 little carniverous
that he abstained habitually. Babotto's
resources provided ample compensation
Her lartler was the open field, and tho for
est her kitchen garden. She had wild sal
ads for all seasons, and fragrant herbs in
endless and refreshing variety. Martin
took all his sister presented him, relying
on her instinct with blind faith.