The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-05-06
Changing the Babies.

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which Outrageous fortune" sometime
4 revels, has recently taken place in tn
! family of a quondam magnate of Wal
street, now retired and living i'm quie
elegance on the lower vicinity of Cen
trail Park. The gentleman, whose nam
"mOught bep Jones, but isn't, returne,
some years since, with his family, from
Europe, bringing a young French girl
Susie, as nurse to the young babe. Al
ter few months she left the service O
the family OH some trivial pretext, an,
! another nurse being substituted Susett
was quite forgotten.
Mrs. Jones had moved in fashionable
circles, while rearing a family of thre'
sons and four daughters, the yOunges
of whom was the nurseliIfg of Susette
The family had taken u deep interes
in an hnmble widow woman support
ing a family of five children. She ha(
for many years been entrusted with ths
family washing, which was usually re
turned by one of the girls of the faith
full laundress, and many little niceitie,
were sent home by this girl, whose
gentle demcanor had So Won upon Mrs
Jones, that she arranged for her partial
education, and already regarded her as
q sort of prOtege, for all of which the
poor widow was profuscly grateful, and
declared she would yet "make lady
of her.
a few weeks since the family receiv-
ed letter bearing the postmark of an
obscure town in the South of France
1t contained voluminOus disclosures,
bearing Ofiicia! seals, all in French. "A
family council was convened to deci-
pher the contents, and many Il jest was
handled in the merry circle about the
center-table, as each contributed their
knowledge of written French in loose
chilOgraphy, to get at the meaning of
so formidable a missive.
The youngest daughter, quite fresh
i'm her studies, seemed to make more
progress, and the mysterious docu.
ments, first passing from hand to hand,
were finally allowed TO rest before her,
the rest of the group laughingly criti-
cisinS her broken accents aS she read
slowly OH. She hesitatce. was met by
another vOllcy of badinage, which was
strangely checked as the young girl
strained her eyes more closely 10 the
paper, pressed her jewciled hand to her
templcs-turned ashy pale-uttered one
scream, and fell back into her fathers
arms in Il swoon,
Ii was q fearful night with that
stricken household a. they hovered
over that senseless form. a physician
hastily called in, seeking for a cause of
the strange attack, was shown the
scattered missiyes left upon the parlor
floor. Being fluent scholar he could
read them readily, and there, in the
dead hours of night, the blow fell upon
the already affrighted household.
The substance of the deathbed state
ments of Susette, which the letoer con-
tanned, duly authenticated, was, that
in taking her infant charge for an air.
ing, she called, as usual, at the poor
home of the family laundress, whose
babe was the same age with that of
Mr.. Jones. That the woman begged
her to stay and mind the children
while she took home some work.
While alone i'm the house with the i'll
fants, one of them pulled hot iron
upon it, burning it badly. She applied
such remedies rs she could seize upon,
but i'm her fright fancied the injury
ulu>I Dt ldtdi. was tilc
chargeI This she had not thought of
ut the moment, as there was remark
able resemblance between them. Over
come with fear, the Devil told her ito
Use her own language,) that the other
baby would do Mrs. Jones just as well.r
The clothing was quickly changed.
The poor woman was encountered
with sick and suffering infant until
It's recovery, which fact probably aid
ii the deception.
Mrs. Jones was quite i'll at the time, !
IND a wet nurse was engaged for that /
very day; 80 Susette screened her dia- |
,olical act, but still fearing Il denoue-
nent, sought the first vacation to get |
away from her own land. Unable, af- !
er lapse of years, to die in peace, she /
made a full confession.
The family seek TO keep the affair
'ery quiet. \ lady to whom the ply
ician was quite devoted mentioned the
acts ere secrecy had been enjoined.
The foster child of the poor widow
will bc reinstated in her full rights, and
Ne "niadc a lady off, sure enough; the
Widows entire family are amply pro-
'idei for, and the poignant sorrow of
he girl reared in luxury will bc as
Jagged i'm Il great degree by retaining
Ter position of daughter.
Truth, indeed, l. Oftentimes stranger
han fiction n.-4ubuTn Daily Ncws.