New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-30


never withdrawn.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 impossible to open it but slightly
even with force And here we may remark
| that if trick were attempted to be prac-
| ticed in one instance, as has been alleged,
| it would not succeed at all, for 1t Is not
| particular feature that is extraordinary,
| but the case is one of extraordinary COM
| binations.
| Her neck is small, while the throat is
| solid. and utterly dead to feeling; when
struck it gives back a hollow noise, and the
blow is not felt by the patient.
| Nearly every functional operation is IN
allegiance, and all the avenues of the body
are closed. She could not eat even If she
| had a desire; nothing but fluid could be
forced into her rigid lips, and any amount
| of it would throw her into spasms. Occa-
sionally the aunt has succeeded in putting
the half of a grape in her mouth, and after
leaving it there a while, has found on re-
moving it that the absorption of the juice
was scarcely perceptible
The stomach is utterly empty, and the
lower portion OF the body is dreadfully de-
formed. The head of a grow person could
be inserted in the cavity OF the stomach,
and hand laid in it readily distinguishes
| the spinal column in the back. In fact,
there are no bowels, for the skin alone re-
presents this portion of her body. Evacua-
| tons never takes place, and there IS no
| evidence in the lower portion OF the BODY
that life remains. Altogether she is strange
problem, and one that has to be solved.
| A woman in years, her frame is as small as
| that of little child, and although bed
ridden, blind, for long while deaf and
| dumb, and but occasionally 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 her strong will
and splendid mind she would have long
ceased to live. These have triumphed over
| every shock her physical nature has en-
! dured, and unless some unforeseen change
for the worse overtakes her, there is no
reason why she should not ultimately re-
| cover.
| Recently she has begun to articulate, very
little and indistinctly. it is true, but, never
| theless, the effort has been and is being
| made every day by her to express herself IN
| this way. In the meantime she writes with
a pencil placed under the cramped fingers
of her left hand, and her chirography is
clear and beautiful.
The rapidity with which she writes is as
tonishing. Her sentences are well formed,
her words well chosen, and her ideas are
always bright. The perfect refinement of
manner and gentle dignity that characterize
her slightest motion are evident in her writ
ing. 1t is utterly impossible for one so SEN
sitive 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 as to
others, and is glad to hear any opinion adj
vanced as to her possible recovery.
While she is not opposed to being ques-
toned in regard to the strange, unnatural
state in which she lives, her means of con-
veying 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
IDENTITY wearisOme to her to make the effort.
Several times there was a sad, disappointed
look on her face after she had tried and
failed to express herself
She does not sleep any; the only rest she
has is when entranced. 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 we're near
her she was thrown into this trance state,
and for more than ten minutes was rigid
and unconscious. and, as far as we could
tell, pulseless. Her awakening was signi-
fed by movement of her left hand.
The assertion has often been made that
she was a tool for designing persons, and
that money was the motive. This is false
in every respect. The family are in COM
Portable circumstances, far above want; and
even were they destitute, money could not
be made out of this child. The presence of
unwelcome strangers, who, for mere curios-
ity. could find it in their hearts to pay for a
sight of her, would throw her into convul
sions. Were it not for the tender watchful
care of aunt, brother and physicians she
could not survive. Even an hour passed in
the presence of visitors eXhausts her, and
it is not probable that she will ever be ex-
posed to the momentary gaze of any but
those who, by reason of a past friendship,
find it their great privilege to converse with
one who is scarcely of this earth.
So spiritual is her nature that she lives
almost altogether in the realms of the be-
yond, and perceives with her unsealed
spirit-eyes the forms of those who are dead
to us. Yet she is not wholly absorbed in
this happiness; hers is a strong, loving
nature, and gifted with a selt-denial and
patience remarkable under the most favor
able circumstances.
She has used, in making afghans, nubias
and crochet work, three thousand ounces
of worsted, and forty thousand beads.
Aside from this, she has constructed
large quantity of wax flowers and other
fancy articles. The most remarkable of
her work are the leaves she has cut. They
are clipped with the precision and regularity
of machine work, are usually cut from vel
vet, and are then vined with white silk
thread. A pincushion of white and pink
satin, Ornamented with these leaves and
pearl beads, and adorned on the top with
diminutive slipper attached to the cushion,
and trimmed with the leaves, is the hand
soonest article of it's kind we have ever
seen. She crochets and knits with the
greatest rapidity, and most beautifully, all
manner of shawls, baby sacques and stock
ings, and embrOiders on canvas with more
skill than any person in health could do.
Her patience is as wonderful as her taste
is faultless. and in the artistic blending of
shades and cOlors she has no superior
Were it not for her shrinking timidity she
might make this talent a source of revenue
to herself, and the profits arising from the
sale of such handicraft would tend to re-
iieve her mind of the regret she has that
she is a Gale to her aunt
1t is not always that she can amuse her
self with the work; much of the time she
lies mOtiOnless and silent. In warm weather
she is not so comfortable as in winter, and
the thunder and lightning affect her keenly.
The noise of door shut loudly startles
her, and any atmospheric change isspre-
dicted before it occurs, and generally causes
her to tremble violently.
1t is natural that the busy outside world
should deny the almost supernatural powers
of this person; reasonable that they should
judge of the conditions and gifts of others
by their own weights and measures, but it
is shameful to impugn the veracity of the