The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-03-06
A STRANGE STORY.

The AnaherSt Student contains a
letter from Professor j. Ell. Seelye,
dated Alfalfa bad, India, Nov. 25,
1872, detailing strange fact which
came under his observation in his
recent travels. The Professors
story recalls the tradition in regard
to the infancy of Romulus and Re
mus, and suggests that Darwin's
theory Of the Descent Of Man may
be superseded by another, taking
the ground that the lower creation
is mans descendant rather than his
ancestor. The letter is as follows:
''Not far from Agra, in northern
India, is mission station of the
Church Missionary Society, con-
nected with which is an orphanage
with several hundred children, now
under the efficient care of the Rev.
&, G. Erhardt. The region around
is infested with wolves, by which,
every year, numbers Of children are
carried off and devoured. But in
two instances, at least, instead of
being killed and eaten, the children
have been kept alive and nourished
with, if not by, these beasts.
Whether the story Of Romulus and
Remus be myth or not, this is an
actual reality, for the children them
selves have been captured from
among the wolves and brought to
the orphanage above mentioned.
They were both boys, and apparent
ly Of some 7 or s years of age when
taken. They were found at different
times, the last one in March of the
present year. Some hunters, smok-
ing wolves out of cave, were star
tied when the wolves appeared by
the appearance among them Of a
creature looking strangely human,
but running rapidly on all tours
like the wolves, though not so rap
idly as they. He was caught with
difficulty, and there was no mista-
king that he was a child of human
parentage, but with the habits, and
actions, and appetites of a wild
beast. The hunters brought him
to the orphanage, where he was re-
ceiyed and cared for. Though his
physical form and features were
sufficient to show that he was
Hindoo child, there were no other
indications about him of anything
human. In all 6other respects, in
the language Of Mr.. Erhardt, "a per-
feet animal He had no speech but
a whine. He would wear no clothes.
tearing from him everything Of the
sort, whenever put on. He would
eat nothing but raw flesh, and when
he drank he Tapped the water with
his tongue. Left to himself, he
would hide in some dark spot DUR
ing the day, from which he would
come out at night, and prowl about
the enclosure, picking up bones, if
any we're to be found, and ravenous-
ly gnawing them. 1t at first seemed
impossible for him to walk erect,
but after much difficulty he vast
taught to do so, and also to use a
fork and spoon, and to drink like a !
human being. Though treated with
the utmost care ana with gaeat pa
tience and kindness by the Chris
tian hands and hearts which receiv-
ed him, he pinned away and died,
after he had been in the orphanage a
little over four months. In all this
time he could not be made to utter a
word he was never seen to smile,
nor show any signs ofjoy, or shamsa
or gratitude. But Mr. ErhardgI
who gave me this account, assured
me that his face looked more intelli-
gent than the average of Hindoo
children, and that his color and
features indicated that his parentage
must have been in a family of high
caste. The other boy I myself saw
few days since at the orphanage,
where he was brought about 8 years
ago, having been then captured,
much as was the aforementioned
boy, and having shown precisely
the same habits as belonged to him.
He has not yet spoken q word, but