Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-06-07
A WONDERFUL STORY.
Row am Ignorant Nurse Girl Got up
I'm Her Sleep and Gave Splendid Mu-
steal Entertainments-SO 20
Wonder Over, ifTrue

Wonder Over, ifTrue.
lady of indianapolis furnishes The
People, paper there, with the following
extraordinary narrative concerning Lsette
Bernard, a little girl of French extraction,
''who was one Of car load of orphan,
homeless children, sent West from New
York by the Children's Aid Society there,
to find homes. My husband had spoken
to Mr.. Friedgen, the agent of the society,
brother of the shee merchant on Washing
ton street, to bring him q little nurse girl
the next car load he should conduct to the
West. This was in the winter Of 1SG4-5.
That spring, in April, lie brought us Lis
cite, stating that he knew nothing cf her
parentage, and that he selected her on &C
count of her gentle disposition from a num-
Der Of favorites at the Orphan Asylu IL on
Randall's Island, near New York, where
she had been for four years.
''There was nothing remarkable about
her but her very mild ways, and dreary,
weary look from her deep-set blue eyes.
noticed Lisette manifested peculiar and
intense interest whenever played on the
piano selections frOIa any Of the old operas
and masterpieces. At such times [ would
frequently tind her sitting in the adjoining
room utterly Obl;vious 10 everything but
til, music; from the effects of Which she
| would then rouse herself as if from sleep.
| This absorption Of hers was tile subject of
frequent remark iii Our family. One night
last November, abOut one O'Clock, nv hus-
band and L were aroused from our sllIm-
DerS by hearing the sweetest Of music
coming apparently from our parlor. Our
bedroom was off the sittibG-IUOm-aIl Oh
! the same floor, and of course we were
| frightened. The doors from our room to
1 sit
! the gas by orr bedside was burning dimlY,
| but the paTlor was dark. We iav mo
mont listening 10 tie perfect concord OF
| sounds from he piano, wiICu We perceived
was Under tiIc H:gti5 Of ii master hanu.
he music " as from DacH-OLe Of grand
and majestic -uOveIncIt--but rot one tha,
L had played Oh that piano, for l had not
the notes i'll the house. he playing ceased
moment or TWO, and then began with
one OF LlsZtS Falltasids-uIle 50 difficult Of
execution that none .,ut the highest pro
| feSSOrs Of art ever attempt it. | had heard
Il the Summer before at Crosby'S in Chi
cagO, but had never tried it myself Mir.
j. and | hastily dressed ourselves, for by
this time we supposed some Of our friends
had taken this novel method Of seranading
Us. But who was the performer then
| touching the instrument y ith a skill DOS
sessed by none OF my aCq ,laiutances, was
the puzziing question. We passed noise
lcSsiy to the parlOr doOl-tl.e light from
our room by reflection made everything in
| thc paIlOr visible. You may imagine our
surprise when tell you that the heperfolmer
at the piano was none other than Lisctte-
| dressed i'll her gayest suit, with her album
dance of hair put up i'll style never saw
before on any one, but very neat and tas-
ty. Her face was from us, and Mr. j.
| Inotioning me to keep silence, lighted the
! gas and we both went to Lisette's
side just as she concluded the fantasia.
! Her eyes were closed, and her face. unu-
sUaly pale, was now deadly white. At
! the same time LiSette, turning her head
! toward ME and bowling politely, said in a
! lady-like VOice-nOt natural to her that
! was I4lszt'S own favOrite when knew him;
/ beautiful, isn't it? But here is something
like better, aud turning to the piano, her
! eyes still closed, she gave with exquisite
! skill one OF BaChS counter fugues, and
| which is perhaps the most difficult Of ali
compositions to render, bat when well de-
/ livered, as this was, carries the hearer from
earth to heaven. If L could render a
! counter fugue, as a musician, / should be
! content. | was 50 absorbed III her theme
| that forgot who was the fine performer.
| As it closed, Lisette rose gracefully and
! bowling said: That is sufficient for this
!
/ kind friends, do n"t awake her in the
morning, | will arise iicr at the proper
! Time and bOWing again with a wOmanly
grace IiSettc had never attained, she passed
/ to her room.
! 'The next morning Lisette, usually an
early RISER, slept until 10 o'clock. We said
nothing to her of Wha. we had witnessed,
nor told it TO any one else that dav. On
the second night after, We We're Weakened
60,
arce in the parl0r. We went in again.
/ The pieces played all were classic, mostly
/ from Handel-One OF two from Beethoven
and their execution perfect !; only one Of
] which L had ever played in hcr hearing
Between each she made remark and crit
! Cisms as naturally as if she Were some ac-
compllshed performer presiding at the
piano, and not our little nurse gill. AS
she closed this performance, she astonisheG
us more than ever by saying Good
friends, l much thank you for your kind
ness to this child L AIN her mother, and
am training her unconsciOusly to herself
Please do not tell her Of this practice, for |
fear she will not remain long with you, as
she is very delicate, and bowed herself out
as before.
"These performances being repeated
every alternate night after, became some
what annoying-esl ecially since Lise:te
seemed to be declining rapidly. The ply
sician prescribed for her, but never seemed
to understand her case. He witnessed her
musical performances. He said she was
undoubtedly asleep the whole time at the
piano. On one occasion size turned to him
and said
Oh, Doctor, 1 see you don't under
stand this Lisette is not before you ex-
cept in body. L am her mother. l can
use her body. My name is Therese Ber-
nard. l was reared in Lorraine married
in Paris. | taught music in Paris--it was
my grand passion. My husband died Oh
board ship as We came to America. | died
in New Y ork few months afterward.
have watched Lissette ever since-yOu need
not give her medicne-she will soon bt
with me and Louis"
She fingered until JANUARY last and
died a painless death. 1t was q
gradual fading away. Her performance
ceased il December. Af.er her death Mt
j. wrote to the asylum whence she came
20 know what the record showed concern
ing her. The answer 50 far as applicable
is as follows
8 Bernard Lisette entered January 20
1861, from Bleekcr street tenement house
Supposed to be four years Old mOthel
died OF starvatiOn; said to be Frencl
music teacher. Lisettc sent to Indianapo
lis, April, 1865.
She never touched the piano wheI
awake, but said she would ike to learn tC
play it. Nor did size with but two excep
tions play any pieces that were played il
our house by any person."
Curious "Reminiscences.
A curious "Reminiscences of revolutionary
times has been brought TO light in the mat
/ fer of the recent aDDtica.iOn to Congress by