The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-05-14
THE
4 HidHiGHf Hory'Or.

4 .HidniGht HoTyor.
Twenty-Five years ago one Of the most
famous private collections of wild ami
mails was the one possessed by the Earl
of Derby at knowsley, Lancashire, Eli
gland. This gentleman was the grand
father Of the present distinguished states
man, and father of the late and still more
famous man, Macaulay's rupert of
Debate" The geological collection was
fostercd and sustained with wonderful
care and at a large annual outlay. En-
~issaries were employed III all parts of
tho world to procure rare specimens,
and 50 perfect We're The arrangements
for their reception ut knowsley that the
animals seemed 30 forget utterly their
lost liberty when the rather eccentric
Earl became their possessor.
Among this varied and valuable col
lection was a magnificent specimen of
the orang-outang, or cynocephalus. It's
height when standing erect was nearly
five feet six inches {; its limbs were enOr-
nous, ami - breadth across the should
ers Indicated prodigioUs strength. Long,
coarse, black hair covered It's huge
frame from he to foot, and VIII IL any
thing occurred 70 excite its iIl-temper its
features became terribly fierce and re-
pulsive.
Not far from the Earl's beautiful resi-
dence there dwelt at that time ii well-tO-
do farmer, who had acted for some years
as OIe of the assistant stewards to Lord
DGrby. He had recently became a
widower, his wife having died in her
confinement. The farmers household
consisted OF himself, the baby aged four
months, and an old woman who did gen
eraI duty as nurse and housekeeper.
The house occupied a lonely position,
there being 10 other dwelling within
half Il mile or so, and a long and severe
winter had set in, covering the entire
country round about with a carpet of
SNOW.
On one dark and memorable night the
widowed farmer had retired to rest, hay
ing partaking of his supper III his bed
on account of the comfortable fire
which that chamber boosted, and be-
child's cradle in that room. Whenever
the nurse was required at nighttime the
father rang a bell which communicated
with her apartments Immediately above,
access TO which was obtained by a mar
row fight of of stairs. On the night in
question the young infant lay in blissful
unconsCiousness in its warm cot near the
cheerful fire, and the father lying in bed
"between sleep and wake" Presently
he heard his chamber door open slowly,
and he reused himself slightly to see
what the faithful old nurse required,
for he concluded it was she who was
about to enter. But she did not enter.
The door remained open, and the farmer
was on the V of speaking softly to the
nurse, when, gently and with a cautious,
noiseless tired, the monstrous orang-
outang glided into the room. The
farmer sank back in his bed dismayed,
and his dismay probably saved his life,
FOR the visitor-a fitting envoy from
Nights p~lutonian shore continued
to be ignorant of his presence. The
creature then proceeded to the neighbor-
hood of the fireplace, near which in its
cradle the child lay, happily unaware of
the grisly intruder's existence. The
bright flames in the old dark wainscoted
chamber gave it a rich Rembrandt touch.
On a small table were the remains of
the farmers supper, which had consisted
of q fowl. These the animal deserted,
and for a few minutes they afforded it
considerable interest, its thoughts and
reflection being seemingly concen-