Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-30

box placed near her was discoursing its
low, 81 tones, and small workable
stood near By, covered with articles
wrought by her own dainty, though de-
formed, hands. Taking a seat beside her
bed, she extended her eft hand, the right
being twisted around her neck and immo-
Eable, and expressedin thus outward man
ner her pleasure at the meeting.
HER FAITHFUL AUNT
is her sole nurse, and to her unwearied
devotion and strong and well disciplined
mindd0es the sufferer owe her life. When
the blow first came upon her, and her
house was besieged byfne curious public,
who desired to crowd ne chamber and
satisfy themselves, she protected herself
| from intrusion, and claimed that the sor.
rows and misfortunes of her household
were sacred. In this decision she has,
been sustained by the attending physician,
who is regularly and carefully noting
every new development, in the hope OF
being-able at some time to detect some
thing that shall afford him a clue to the
mystery of his patients existence.
NONE BUT A WOMAN,
and that one this devoted aunt, could so
| graduate light and shade in that sick
room, and arrange draperies in waves
and folds 30 as TO screen from the casual
observer the outlines of that poor, dis
torted body. But she is and has been
mother to this motherless sufferer, and in
her great love has made of this sick
room beautiful temple, where only
physical pain mars the perfect harmony
ana peace of its inmates. An only
brother of the invalid shares with his
aunt the mournful pleasure of caring for
their charge. Although younger than
ms sister, he has mere mature face
IMAM she, and is in feature very like her.
THE APPEARANCE i
of the sufferer is most pleasing. Aside
from the marble psllor and the rigidity
of the muscles about the sightless eyes
and closed mouth, there is nothing to in.
dieate the terrible seasons of pain through
which she has passed. The eyes are
simply closed, not sunken, and no con-
traction of the lids is apparent. AS she |
lies on her right side, the right arm I'M
der her head, the appearance is a natural |
one, and to glance at her position il /
seems that of comfortable GONZALES
cent. But the drapery deceives; the /
arm is hopelessly twisted, and the hand |
resting on the back of the neck is never /
withdrawn. In this condition she lifts |
the left hand, which is tightly closed and
very small, to her neck. and with her /
work behind her creates out of wax
those perfect representations of flowers
seen in the parlors.
HER TEETH
are nearly all gone, but the mouth has lost |
none of its former beauty; the lower Jaw
is set like that of corpse, and it is i'm
possible to open it but slightly even with
force. And here we may remark that if |
trick were attempted to be practiced in |
one instance, as has been alleged, it would |
not succeed at al, for it is not psrticu-
lar feature that is extraordinary, but the /
case is one of extraordinary combina-
tons.
Her neck is small, while the throat is
solid, and utterly dead to feeling; when
struck it gives back hollow noise, and |
the blow is not felt by the patient.
NEARLY EVERY FUNCTIONAL OPERATION
is in aheyanc and all the avenues of the |
body are closed. She could not eat, even |
if she had desire; nothing but fluid |
could be forced into hA rigid lips, and |
any amount Of it would throw her into /
spasms. Occasionally the aunt has sue
ceeded in putting half grape in her |
mouth, and after leaving it there awhile, |
has found on removing it, that the absorp- !
ton of the juice was scarcely perceptihle. |
THE STOMACH
10 1txy orl tHo 81
the body is dresdfully deformed. The |
head of q grown person could be inserted |
in the cavity of the stomach, and a hand |
laid in it readily distinguishes the spinal |
column in the back. In fact there are |
no bowels, for the ekin alone represents |
this portion of her body. Evacuations |
never take place, and there is no evidence |
in the lower portion of the body that life |
remains. Altogether she is a strange |
problem, and one that has TO be solved.
a WOMAN IN YEARS,
her fame as small as that of little child, |
amp although bed-ridden, blind, for long |
while, deaf and dumb, and bu. occasion |
all able to utter sound now, she is yet |
possessed of a strong, active intellect, /
that has triumphed over bodily ailments |
and disease, and is strong to-day, and |
more intelligent than when she was first |
taken.
But FOR HRR STRONG WILL
and splendid mind she would have long |
ago ceased to live. These have |
triumphed over every shock her physical |
nature has endured, and unless some un~ |
forseen change for the worse oYertakes
her, there is no reason why she should |
not ultimately recover.
Recently she has begun to articulate, |
very little and indistinot, it is true, but |
nevertheless the effort has been and is be-
ing made every day by her to express
herself IN this way. In the meantime
she writes with pencil placed under the
cramped fingers of her left hand, and her
chirography is clear and beautiful.
THR RAPIDITY
with which she writes is astonishing.
Her sentences sre well formed, her words
well chosen, and her ideas are always
bright. The perfect refinement of man
ner and gentle dignity that characterize
her slightest motion, are evident in her
writing. 1t is utterly impossible for one
so sensitive to lend herself to any kind of
deceit After looking into her face we
felt ashamed that we had ever entertained
for moment any doubt as to the reality
of her condition. She is as great an
enigma to herself IS to otRers, and is
glad to hear any opinion advanced as to
her possible recovery. While she is not
opposed to being questioned in regard to
the strange, unnatural state in which she
lives, her means of conveying replies are
limited to writing with her left hand,
which, as has been remarked, is greatly
deformed. Occasionally she can speak
SO as to be understood, but generally it is
difficult to catch her meaning, and evil
IDENTIFY wearisome to her to make the eff
fort. Several times there was q sad, dis
appointed look on her face after she had
tried and failed to express herself.
SHE DoRs NOT SLEEP
any; the only rest she has is when en-
tranced. In this respect her symptoms
have not changed. Without any effort
on her part, in the midst of her work or
writing, they come upon her, and always |
leave her refreshed. While we were /
near her she was thrown into this trance
state, and for more than ten minutes was