Middletown transcript., 1875-04-17


depressing confusion to the sadness 0
the scene.
The little playfellow's uncle, who hat
been upstairs with the child, had rur
instantly to call the father, and but {
few moments elapsed before he sprane
2 into the middle Of the group. He had
been told all and asked no questions
had time to remark that his eye was
very stern, aud that his lips were very
firmly compressed. Others too. re-
marked it; and knew afterward. that
a murmur ran around the circle of how
strange it was that he betrayed no
feeling
He reached out bis hands and took
the child from its mother. Its eyes
were now closed, and white ooze COM
ing from between the blackeued lips.
Was ever death more assured {? | saw
him open the eyelids. and give sigh
Of relief. He told me afterward that
the eye was not sunken, and SO death
had not begun He then attempted to
open the mouth, but the teeth were
tight set. and they resisted his efforts.
But with force that seemed almost
| brutal, be wrenched the teeth apart,
and opened the mouth
| 'Shame p cried one of the bystand-
ers. The father did not heed them,
but motioned to neighbor to take the
child in his arms. He did so
bring me the egg-basket," he spoke
very sternly, almost without opening
his teeth, to the servant.
"What do you want of it p "Whst
can you do with it?' "He's crazy"
and many such remarks followed, but
the basket was there il a moment.
He seized one Of the eggs, broke it,
inserted his fingers again between the
teeth, and wrenched them open by
force, though they shut with so convul-
sive motion as to tear the flesh from
his fingers, and poured the albumen
into the throat. There was slight
struggle, nothing more, and the specta-
tors we're Mortified at the action.
"Don't, the child is dying" said
'sPlease don't hurt the little thing
it can't live!" the neither found voice
to say. laying her hand upon his arm.
"Mary, be still" he answered stern
ly, while his teeth were unrelaxing from
their clenchiDg, and bis face as hard as
if be were entering battle, .'and don't
any of you meddle with me, keep off !"
The bystanders involuntarily obeyed,
with many harsh remarks upon his
cruelty, but he did not heed them and
went on. Another and another egg
was broken, and still there was no sign
of life. Then the whole body of by
ISLANDERS broke out into a loud murmur,
and cries of "The brute! !" "Let the
child die in peaee!' ''He is crazy
take the child away from him." were
heard around him
He desisted for moment from bis |
forts. and turned with a fierceness
which had before been foreign to his
nature, but no one who saw him after
ward forgot it. Fools" be Kissed,
"mind your own business and leave me
to mine! Take her away, will you
Try !" and be went on emptying egg
after egg down the apparently lifsless
throat
The mother could stand this no
longer. Her first-born was being tor
tured to death before her eyes, and she
imploringly flung herself on her knees
before her husbands father, who had
that moment arrived.
''Oh, father. do stop him! she
grasped; che will obey yom; do stop
him. He is torturing that poor dying
child"
The grandfather started forward a
step to interfere, for he. too, thought
the proceeding an outrageous one but
be stopped and said:
Mary. let him alone. The child
will die if be does not 60 on. It can
not do more if he does. 1 would not
say word to him for the world. The
shild is his-let him use it at his plea
Iure."
There was silence then. In mo-
ment more there was qulver OF the
,yelids, a convulsive movement of the
chest, and the teeth lost their tension.
The father seized his child. turned her
lace downward, and the poison began
70 flow from her mouth. Again, and
again as the retching ceased, he re-
peated the experiment the life return
ing still more, and the face losing its
black color every instant More than
;wenty times albumen had been admin
stored, and more than half those times
ollowed by the expulsion of the poison
when the eyes opened, the father de-
listed, the little sufferer lay just alive
n his arms, exhausted, its little life
erribly shattered, but saued!
Then uhop tho nooocc;iv Co.. 49,, 4 1