Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-06-17
Ono ChIld,s story.


One of the most pitiful of stories was
told in the chambers of the Supreme Court
in this city, recently, by little child Of
eight years Of age.
1t was the story of her own life, life
from which everything human or humane
had been more absolutely shut off than if
she had lived among the most savage of
barbarians, instead Of in the heart Of one
Of the most civilized Of cities.
She had been SO cruelty beaten that her
cries had attracted the attention Of the
neighbors, though she had been SO rigidly
confined that she had never set her foot in
the street. Her pitiable condition had so
affected sick woman in the adjoining
house, who daily listened with shuddering
horror to the shrieks Of the little victim
during her familiar torture, that she felt
that she could not die in peace leaving the
child still in the custody of her brutal
keepers. She therefore told the pitiful
tale TO charitable lady who visited her
sick bed, and this visitor on subsequent in
vestigations found that the half had not
been told her. With the aid Of Mr.. Bergh,
whose large heart is not touched by the suf-
ferings Of the brute creation alone, she sue
ceeded in getting legal measures taken by
which to remove the child from their cruel
jailors.
The little creature told her story by
piece.meal in the court room, and not the
least pathetic part of it all, was her utter
Inconsistencies that she had suffered more
than other children. Her brief experience
Of the world had been all terror and pain
she had never seen nor played with another
child 10 her life. She was never allowed
to speak to any one, and had never once
been in the street. Her only escape from
the house was at night when she was some.
times allowed to 60 into the yard. The
poor little creature had never been kissed
that she could remember, but she had no
difficulty in remembering her beatings.
which were of daily occurrence. Her thin
and wasted body was marked with the black
and blue proofs OF these brutal scourgings
with raw hide, and on the left side Of her
forehead was cut, still unhealed, which
Mrs. Connolly had made with a pair Of
scissors.
II do not know why was whipped"
said the little victim, simply.
Little Mary Ellen told her tale with no
complaints, but merely as matter of
course apparently the poor child in her
starved and wretched life did not dream
how wretched she had been. She had
never slept in bed at night she took off
her thin calico frock and lay down 10 her
thinner undergarments on a strip of carpet,
with only quilt to cover her, even in the
coolest weather.
Who she was, nobody knew. There was
an air of refinement about her that, in spite
OF her rags and squalor, seemed to prove
that she was not akin to her keepers. In
fact the Connolly's had often boasted that
they we're well paid for her custody. Mys-
terious visits, too, were sometimes made
by strangers to the Connollys. which gave
rise to the suspicion that the hapless little
creature was the victim of the inhumanity
and false pride Of some family to whom she
was burden and disgrace.
The one CLEAN Of comfort in this or
true and pathetic tale, is that little Mary
Ellens tortures are now at an end. She
has escaped from her brutal custodians, and
will be kindly and humanely cared for in
future. But who knows how many more
such suffering, helpless little waits may be
still enduring like misery to that from
which Mary Ellen, by the merest chance,
J has been rescued2-Nao York Golden Age.