The evening Argus., 1870-06-06
TAUNDER-STRUCk.
AHeaTltifulStor

is she2"
"a undlng," said Doctor Mayne, hesi
ssting, "and-an innocent"
Innocent y repeated Robert. "Of course
she is babies usually are that, | believe
unless she comes in for her share of original
sin but what else is she?"
Nothing else," said Doctor Mayne, With
an air of grave rebuke. II used the word
10 its Scottish sense. You understand, l
suppose. what the Scottish term AN inno-
cent is meant to express ?"
IAN innocenti-whAt-An idiot ?" said
the young man, recoiling in sudden horror.
"Oh Z! not an idiot that beautiful child 1t
cannot be, you do not mean" He paused
abruptly: for the siugulsri,y of the child's
manner, her strange, persistent silence, her
prolonged gaze, all REQUIRED to him; and
IS he thought of her loveliness and beauty
the Doctors words fell heavily upon his
heart.
"No," said the Doctor, hastily "she is
not an idiot Poor little Elias misfortune
is the result of accident not q nsturSi ue
cheney. She has been bereft OF res'o" ou
she was not born without H. ne' h..'e
history is sad one. II you wiz wax Oh
III no will tell you what | can Oft.
Thrae sun mers ago my intimate friend,
Tom Otis, who is q capital fellow and an
honor to our profession. wrote me that he
was to attend a consultation some miles be-
yond here, and could pass through this
place in such train; but if | would meet
him at the station, he would leave the cars
and skip one train to spend sn hour with
me. | kept the appointment, and thus
learned what ! knew of little Ella.
Doctor Otis told me he had been In the
car some time, and was doing over a mag
szine, when a sweet childish voice. asking
him to look at the pictures in his book,
reused him, aud he found beautiful little
gIrl Of three or four years old standing by
his side. Tenn, who is fond of children, and
has two little ones st home, was struck with
the child's remarkable beauty, and talked
with her for some time; aud she said she
was uucommonly Intelligent, almost prsco
ciously so, and full of life and vivacity. She
told him her name and her age, and where
she came from, and where she was going;
but, unfortunately, not attaching to the
in formation thus given the same Importance
subsequent events have given it, he can not
now recall it. He said he was FIRST struck
with the child's beauty, but was still more
struck and interested IS q medical man by
a popularity In her eyes-s remarkable diis
tion and contraction OF their pupils, which
he had always noted as indicative of high
~ nervous temperament. The child
remained with HIM quarter of an hour.
aud, then returned TO her seat at some dis.
tancs; ADD my friend noticed that her com
panion was . female dressed IN very deep
mourning, and who seemed too much over
come by sleep or grief to pay the child
much stte ntion. Black is leveling dress,
and Tom, who did not see the womsus face
could not Judge of her position in life but
be had al Impression she was only an stten
dant, and not the child 8 mother.
As the train drew near this place, they
encountered a sudden and violent thunder
storm, and, from the peculiar indications |
have mentioned. Doctor Otis WAS not sur
prised TO find the child nervous and terrified.
As the storm Increased in violence, SO did
the child's excitement and alarm. every dis
play OF the electric fluid elicitipg from her
d scream OF nervous terror.
The woman who had her in charge now
did all in her power to soo,he and pacify her,
but in vain she took the child on her lap.
bent over her csressing, and tried to qnie,
her without success; and at last, clssplng
her closely to her, she hio the child's face
on her bosom, and wrapped her shawl and
arms tightly round her, to try to blind her
TO the fierce glare of the lightning.
Another binding fash Illuminated the
cars; an almont simultaneous and most q D
pai!ing crash of thunder; and the woman
and child sunk heavily from the seat they
had occupied and At the same moment the
train entered the depot
OF course eli was instant terror, hustle
and confusion the bodies were lifted out
and carried into the station house the few
who were to leave here were disembarked
and as the storm had now spent ita weigh
the train with its living freight rushed on &c
its destination.
Doctor Otis and |, being upon the spot
were requested to examine the bodies, which
were supposed to be equally hfeless. w
found the woman much burned she hsG
probably died instantaneous J but the chile
had received No external injury whatever
and was soon restored TO life, though not to
consciousness.
a worthy couple belonging to this town,
Deacon Howe and his wife. CHANGED to be IN
the cars, aud had, like Otis, been interested
in the child and now offered to take the
helpless little creature to their own house.
and nurse and keep her until che was re-
claimed, which we supposed she would be
Immediately. But though extensive adver-
tisements were at once resorted to, and
every uSAlS lhhcn which cOulA uS
10 discover her friends, no development has
vet been made. The woman, who wss
buried here, had nothing about her person
TO give US any clue. If they had any bag
gage, it had either been sent on or left be-
hind, for nothing was forthcoming, and the
mystery remains unsolved.
Otis, who retains his interest in the child
and often writes me about her, has Away
held the opinion that she would recover
He regards it case of partial menta
paralysis, occasioned by extreme nervoul
terror, and not the effect of the electrical
shock He says time and growth will dc
wonders for her, but | doubt. Her improve
ment is very slow, almost imperceptibie il
is now, as | said, three years. She has, in
deed. regained the power of speech, o.
which she was deprived for months, bu. it is
only the broken. imperfect baby speech of a
very little child and her bodily health has
much improved but the most | can say ia
we have hopes,
The H1wes have become so much at
taced to her l really think they could not
give her up now. And, by the wav, you
asked me where you cond get board in a
private family. II the Howes will take YOU.
it ia the very place. Auntie Howe is the
salt Of the earth /; and the Deacon-well. he
is suntie' husband, and does just what she
bids him. and thinks just what she thinks.
and saws just what he hears her say. And
SO. walking through this world in the light
OF her wisdom and virtue, he makes very
respectable figure, and has not an idea that
he does not originate all that be thinks. and
SAYS, and does, and is. There you see
young man. the advantage of q good wife
You may say I sent you to them, and hope
they may take you in. And now, good eve
ming NAV tell Mrs. Mayne she may e1
pecs You on Friday?"
early at Mr.. Howe's door who're claiming
hearing in Doctor M.vne's name. he
prottered a request for board and lodo;np.