River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-04-04
A REMARKABLE STORY.

unuer MS observation IN MS recent
travels. The professors story recalls
the tradition in regard to the infancy
of Romulus and Remus, and suggests
that Darwin's theory of the descent of
man may be superseded by another,
taking the ground that the lower crea-
ton 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, connected
with which is an orphanage with
efficient care of the Rev. E. G. Erhardt.
The region around is infested with
wolves, by which, every year, numbers
of children are carried off and de-
voured. But in two instances, 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 men
toned. 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
fours like the wolves, though not so
rapidly as they. He was caught with
difficulty, and there was no mistake
that he was child of human parent
age, but with the habits and actions
and appetites of wild beast The
hunters brought him tothe orphanage,
where he was received and cared for |
Though his physical form and features
were sufficient to show that he ) a
Hindoo child, there were no other |
indications about him of any
thing human. In all other re-
spects, in the language of Mr.. Erhardt,
" a perfect animal" 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 he
Tapped water with his tongue. Left
to himselfhe 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 Iavenously
gnawing them. 1t at first seemed i'm
possible for him to walk erect, but after
much difficulty he was taught to do so,
and also to use fork and
spoon, and to drink like a hui
man being. Though treated with the
utmost care, and by the greatest pa
thence and kindness, by the Christian
hands and hearts which received 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
sign of Joy, or shame, or gratitude.
But Mr.. Erhardt, who gave me this ac-
count, assured me that his face looked
more intelligent than the average of
Hindoo children, aud that his color
and features indicated that his parent
age must have been in family of high
caste. The other boy | myself saw
few days since at the orphanage,
where he was brought about six years
! ago, having been then captured, muc CHI
as was the first mentioned boy, and
! having 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 fruits with ravenous
avidity. He walks erect, but with a
strange awkward gait, throwing out his
/ hands with every step. His hands are
perfectly formed but lie uses them awk-
wardly. A piece OF bread tossed to
/ him from a little distance, which he
was eager to get, he could not catch,
but let it fall clumsily to the ground.
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 a wild and rest
less, but not an inquiring look His
jaws are not protrudlng, and his teeth
are well formed and thoroughly
human. On his left cheek are
scars bearing plainly the mark
of teeth, where hemust have been fear
fully beaten. He had been taught to
do some kinds of work, but not faith.
fully. He seems TO have lost all desire
to escape he mingled freely with the
other children, among whom he has
his ftYorites. When the boy first men
toned was brought to the orphanage,
this one was made to understand 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.