Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-03-20
A Remarkable story.
TWO BOYS REARED BY WOLVES-sUBSE-
QUENT EFFORTS TO RECLAIM THEM.

A Remarkable story.
TWO BOYS REARED BY WOLVES SUISSE
QUENT EFFORTS TO RECLAIM THEM.
The Amherst STUDENT contains letter
from Professor J. II. Seelye, dated ALA
hadad, India, November 20, 1872, de-
failing 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
Remus, and suggests that Darwins the
DRY of the descent of man may be super
seeded by another, taking the ground
that the lower creation is mans descend
ant rather than his ancestor. The letter
is as follows
''Not far from Agra, ia northern In
dia, is mission station of the Church
Missionary Society, connected with
which is an orphanage with several hun
bred children, now under the efficient
care of the Rev. E. G. Erhardt The
region around is infested with wolves,
by which, every year, numbers of chill
dren 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 themselves have been captured
from among the wolves and brought to
the orphanage above mentioned. They
were both boys, and apparently of some
seven or eight years of age when taken
They were found at different times, the
last one in March of the present year.
Some hunters smoking wolves out of
cave, were startled when the wolves
appeared by the appearance among them
of creature looking strangely human,
but running rapidly on all tours like the
wolves, though not so rapidly as they
He was caught with difficulty, and there
was no mistake 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 received 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 other respects, in the
language of Mr.. Erhardt, 'a perfect ami
NAL" He had no speech but 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 during the
day, from which he would come out at
night, and prOwl about the enclosure,
picking up bones if any were to be
found, and ravenously gnawing them.
1t at first seemed impossible for him to
walk erect, but after much difficulty he
was taught to do SO, and also to use a
fork and sppon, and to drink like hui
man being. Though treated with the
utmost care, and by the greatest pa
thence by the Christian hands and hearts
which received him, he pinned away and
died after he had been in the orphanage
little over four months. In all this
time he could not be made TO utter a
word he was never seen to smile, or
show any signs of joy, or shame, or
gratitude But Mr.. Erhardt, who gave
me this account, assured me that his
face looked more intelligent than the av-
erage of Hindoo children, and that his
color and features indicated that his pa
rentage must have been in family of
high caste. The other boy myself
saw few days since at the orphanage,
WuGIC NoS dUOuI SlA wears
ago, having been then captured, much
as was the first mentioned boy, and hav-
ing shown precisely the same habits as
belonged to him. He has not yet spoken
a word, but has exchanged the whine,
which was his only utterance, for sounds
expressive of pleasure, and apparently
also of gratitude. He no longer prefers
raw flesh for food, but eats bread and
yx,;tI axy.Jttx, T.,
erect, but with strange, awkward gait
throwing out his hands with every step.
His hands are perfectly formed, but he
uses them awkwardly. a piece of bread
tossed to him from little distance,
which he was eager to get, he could not
catch, but let fall clumsily to the floor.
He wears clothes, to which he was, at
first, as averse as the other boy His |
forehead is low, but his face would |
hardly be called dull, and certainly not
idiotic. His eyes have wild and rest
less, but not an inquiring look. His
Jaws are not Yrotruding, but his teeth |
are well formed and thoroughly human
On his left cheek are scars bearing plain
ly the marks of teeth, where he must
been taught to do some kinds of work
uut not Idltnlully. ne SteIlS TO nave I
lost all desire to escape; he mingles
freely with the other children, among
Whom he has his favorites. When the
boy first mentioned was brought to the
this one was made to under
stand that he must teach the other how
to eat and drink and walk, and much of
the Improvement of the younger one in
these respects seemed due to the efforts
of the older one.
The inference from these extraordi-
nary instances is strangely at variance
with many affirmations now current. It
does not point in the least to mans deri-
vation from the lower creation. but ex-