Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-04-18

his own, as hi anxiety was relieved and
bo felt his position no longer criminal.
It was not until his wife was able to leave
her bed that Shultz found it necessary 10
acquant her with his proceed ngs, and he
then informed her as delicately as he could,
assuring her there was no danger TO the
child, but certain fortune for them If she
kept the matter secret. But poor Mrs.
Shutz could not understand 1t, and 1t is
not surprising that the shock occasioned by
this unheard of intelligence Frustrated her
again for nearly two weeks.
In spite of the severity of the winter,
Shultz never neglected the regular INNER
sion of the child five times day, from Pc
RODS of time ranging from FIVE minutes to,
on one occasion, 25. On this latter occasion
considerable maceration was observed,
and immersion for so long timo was not
repeated. The boy is golden, curly-bair-
cd, buc-ey little fellow, and exhibits
| physical powers uncommon in a child OF
his age. Though not yet six months old,
| his muscular development is astonishing.
He can already Ego round by the chairs"
and his voice is powerful to q surprising
degree. His flesh is hard, white, and shin
| ing, aud the writer was assured the infant
was entirely free from the peevishness and
fretfuness common to children of that ten
| der age.
a room is fitted up especially for him,
| containing large bath-tub with a Their
mometer suspended in it, and the writer
was allowed TO witness the immersion.
| The father stated that very often he would
| voluntarily enter the water, but usually
they were obliged to resort 10 some COM
pulsion. The bah was prepared, and the
child undressed, when the father dropped
| his knife into the bath and asked his child
| TO 20 and gel it, at the same time placing
Tim upon the edge of the the bath, with
his chubby little legs in the water. Tho
child plunged in at once, and appeared 10
have much better control of mis- movements
in the water than out. He soon hande6
tho knife to his father, although the water
was fully three itet deep. Five or six white
| peppermint lozenges were then tossed into
the bath, in pursuit of which the child ea-
gerly went, and he was fully three minutes
under water endeavoring to secure them,
as he dropped them again almost as fast as
he secured thcm. Finally he turned up
head first and held out his fat little hands,
filled with The candy, appealingly to be
taken out. The writer seconded his ap-
peal, fully satisfied there was no humbug
in regard to his amphibous faculties, and
| heaved sigh of relief as tie youngster
was dried and again dressed like ordinary
babies.
luriucy ii Il. q 1b,r bafora aliuIpd
to stood looking wistfully from the bath TO
his masters eye, as though expecting TO
join in the sport. The dog is appropriately
named Phoca, and Shultz contrives to keep
him under water as long as he thinks nee
essary by al ingenious ruse, which was al
so witnessed. A hole was bored through
the sole Of an old carpet slipper, through
which a stout cord was fastened. At the
bottom of the bath, at ono end, small
ring obtruded itself. Through this ring
the cord was passed, and Shultz taking the
cord in one hand and the slipper in the
other, threw the slipper into the water and
drew it down to the ring by means of the
cord to which it was attached, at the same
time ordering the dog to bring it out. Pho
ca bounced in and seized the slipper with
his teeth which was held in its place in
spite of the dogs exertions, until he had
been und + water sufficient length OF
time, when he was allowed to bring the
slipper out by the release of the cord
Mrs. Shultz, although now satisfied there
is no danger to be expected from the treat
ment of her child, is by no means recon-
ciled TO it, and expressed her belief that
when the affair becomes public her hus-
band will be prosecuted and imprisoned
for his unnatural conduct. ShultZ, on the
contrary, considers that he is doing human
ity a service by initiating a practical and
certain method of obviatng all danger tc
human life by drowning, and asserted his
, belief that the day is not far distant wher
the acquisition of the amphibious faculty
will be as prevalent a practice as vaccina
: ton is now, and will be made compulsory
, if necessary, by law. Although he has NJ
fear of interference from the authorities
: he has been remarkably reticent on th'
, subject, his most intimate friends, with on,
, or two exceptions, being ignorant Of all tn,
circumstances, and they will be considera
, bly, astonished now that the facts are mad,
3 public. 1t was the intention at first to keel
the secret until the child was of suffcien
age and skill to be publicly exhibited, ant
, even then to have it appear that the facult,
was an accident of nature. But the con
| slant fretting and anxiety of his wifo de
termincd Shultz to keep the secret no long
er, in order to convince Mrs. Shultz tha
. her fears on his account were groundless.