Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-08-25

before Miss Fame, whom he wished to
marry, he drove her forth from his door.
She wandered into the wet woods and
lay down. On that cold ground, his
young mother drenched by the storms Of
heaven, Count Rcmond's son was born.
Old Timothy, going into the forest the
next morning to see where the lightning
had struck, found his child dead; yet,
wrapped in her stiff arms. and swathed in
her golden hair, the infant was still living.
Count Remond gave him money to rear
the child. and pensioued him without la
Dor for the rest of his days.
But Timothy Brown and his wife had
waxed old in years. The old womandied
when the child was four years old. and
then it was known that the boy was idiotic.
1t was difficult to find any one to take
charge of him; but at length Remond's
wood-cutter, who had a hut in the forest,
took him for the sake Of, the pay, which
would help him supply bread to his own
large family.
The coarse rude children crowded on
the poor half-witted boy. Sometimes be
would bear it, sometimes he would fight
like tiger.
The years went by. Count Remond
was refused by beautiful Bertha Fame. but
ho received the hand Of Lady Mary War
ringtou. Children were born to him, but
they all died ir their infancy. The ten
derest care lavished upon them could not
save them to life. Remond, at forty y-five.
had no heir.
It was great disappointment to him.
Sometimes as he came from the five little
graves in the churchJard, whittier his
steps had wandered. heIwould hear bar
barous whoop. and poor Felix. Matilda's
idiot son, would run alopg the road. He
was almost man. with vigorous limbs
and firm red color on his cheek. Re-
mond's physician, who knew the circum-
stances of the boys birth. said that it was
the early exposure Which had probably
inj;u. m; @. 4. his hi 81 sas she staring
watery eyes of the poor boy, Remond
would almost cry aloud with remorse.
Had be married pretty Matilda. he would
have saved himself this horrible crime,
aud had vigorous sons in his old age
Now bis name would die with him. Lady
Mary no longer bore even weaklngs.
He was wandering in bis garden one
day. Oppressed by the heat of the sun,
and made drowsy by mingled scents. he
entered one of the rose-arbors, lay down
upon bench and fell asleep.
Guests arrived, and theservants sought
their master. One of the men at length
approached the rose-arbor. He retreated,
screaming with terror.
Everybody rushed to the spot. Those
who looked into the arbor cried out or
swooned. The body of Count Remond lay
upon the bench, but his head was gone.
All the household gathered around the
spot. Physicians, jurymen, officers were
sent for. Lady Mary lay in spasms in
her chamber. At length a woman dis
covered poor Felix peeping into the arbor.
"What do you here p she cried.
The boy laughed until he was obliged
to bold his sides.
II came to see if he had found his
head" he cried, pointing to the CORPSE
"His head? what do you know about
this, poor wretch p they cried. seizing
upon him.
II? know all about it. The count
gave me sweetmeats sometimes. I [ saw
him come in here, and came too. Some
times he is kind. came in softly. I
had been cutting bushes by the roadside.
The count was sound asleep. I wanted
a little play-my Ratchet was sharp-and
so cut off his head and hid it. 1 did not
think be could find it-no, no!-and he
has not"
"Where is it? where is the counts
head 2" asked his shuddering listeners.
The boy crept under a rose-tree and
drew out the bloody head.
"Ha! hap he cried was not that a
good place to hide t"
Nothing could be done but to bury the
poor mutilated body. and place the boy
under close confinement. Accustomed to
the free life of the woods and fields. the
idiot in a twelvemonth had chafed himself
to death. So ended the annals, the name
of Remond.
Poverty and pride are inconvenien