Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-08-20
BRATTIEBORO, VT, FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1875.

around the base of Wachusett, and they
shall advance slowly mp the mountain,
searching every foot of ground as they go.
Whether his child be living now or not, he
will solve the mystery Of her disappear
ance, God willing, and the people assisting
him. And the day is spent in attempting
to carry out his plan. But II is less perfect
ly carried out than he could wish, for want
of sufficient men TO completely surround
the mountain, and have them as near to-
gether as they should be. 1t would be te-
dous TO dwell upon the details Of this and
other plans and their repetiiicns on this
and subsequent days. On the third day
there were no lack of men. Thousands of
people were there, all the able-bodied men
and boys within thirty miles were there.
From Lancaster and Worcester and Barre,
and all the neighboring towns they came,
and continued to come day after day. And
the fathers plan, and many other plans,
were tried with great thoroughness over
and over again. Suffice ii to say there was
not one foot Of ground on Wachusett, or
around lis base for miles, that were not
searched. All in vain. And all the Indi-
ans that could be found anywhere were ar
rested by Capt. Littlejohn's company, ques-
toned, threatened with hanging, burning
alive, and all sorts of tortures, If they did
not produce the child, or tell all they knew
about her. They all, without exception,
denied any knowledge of her disappear
ance or whereabouts.
And in the course Of another day or two,
public opinion changed again from the In
dian theory 10 the pond theory. Boats and
hooks were procured, and Wachusett Pond
was thoroughly dragged. and sentries, reg
ularly relieved, carefully watched the pond
day and night for the body 10 rise 10 the
surface. The hunt was continued with
great zeal for several weeks by great num-
bers Of people-some at the pond, others
on and around The mountain, and others
still at places far remote. Rumors of some
fact or discovery at a long distance away
would come and, seeming worthy of in
vestigation, parties would start of to inves-
tigate them. None of these Investigations
ever resulted in finding any thing. But
the news spread all over New England and
New York, and became the common talk
of people living hundreds of miles from
Wachusett.
In the course of time, however, every
body gave up the search as hopeless, ex-
cept the keyes family. 1t was of no use
TO tell Robert Keyes or his wife that their
child could not be found. They continued
the search for The rest of their lives. Robert
lived forty years allerward, and died at the
age OF eighty-iour and his wife lived to
nearly the same age. II is said that no
day Of all those years ever passed that she
did not go out into Tie woods, and hunt be-
hind roc ks and trees. Just at nightfal she
would go 10 the edge of tie forest behind
the house, where her child passed out of
sight forever, call her name three times,
and add, "Wby don't you come homer"
The next morning afler the child's disap-
pearauce, it was observed that her hair
turned from black TO gray; and in less
than Two weeks il was white as snow. 1t
is not for mortal tongue or pen 10 describe
that mothers woe. If her child had died
in her arms, and she had laid her in the
grave with decent burial, it would have
been no more than other mothers have en-
dured without becoming insane. But the
unlat homable mystery of the childs fate
was too great a burden for her intellect to
survive.
Robert did not lose his Intellect but a
deep sadness settled down on the rest of
his life. lie did not continue to search in
the woods behind the house, as his wife
did; but, in pursuit Of his purpose, lie
tray eled far and long, tracing rumors-
some of them extremely wild, and all of
them baseless-their sources. Recital OF
his different journeys and adventures in
pursuit Of these rumors would ill a vol
ume. l will mention but two of them.
There came a story of a while child having
been seen in possession oi Indians in Cam
ada. With strong hopes, the father started
Off 10 search for his child among tribe Of
Indians reported to dwell in some remote
wilderness somewhere north of the 81.
Lawrence Rivers and was gone year upon
the fruitless journey. He found the Iu-
| dians, and was not unkindly received by
| them but could learn nothing of any
white child. Another story of a young
woman living with Indians at Niagara
Falls, who could speak English, and recol-
| lected living, when a child, on Chtset Hill
| Auu lHe ldlueI HOpeS IeNlNGu dsuiHs Ilc
would find cut about this young woman.
And he went 10 Niagara, and found her (;
but she was not his daughter. His daugh-
ter would at that time, if living have been
nineteen years old. This woman was,
without doubt, at least thirty and that
part of the story which attributed 10 her
recollection of living on hill with a name
resembling Wachusett turned out 10 be a
fabrication. Notwithstanding these disap-
pointments, the mind of Robert Keyes set
tied down more and more firmly as he ad-
vanced in years, in conviction of the truth
of the Indian th cory but his wife always
regarded the woods behind her house as
the proper place TO look for her child. And
she was riglt but both parents went down
to their grave without ray of light upon
the fate of their lost Lucy.
The true theory had not been named
Half a century passes away, and there lies
upon his deathbed, at Deerield in the
State of New York, wretched old man,
apparently dying for many days, suffering
untold agonies of body and horrors of
mind. Day after day he langushes, and
languishing doth live, longing, praying,
hoping, TO die. Why cannot the old man
die9 1t is not unlikely that the experience
ed reader may have suspected the true
theory, and recognized the deyil of our
tragic story; but, so far as known, neither
Robert Keyes, nor any of his family, or
neighbors or of all the thousands, who, in
1855, searched the slopes and base OF
Wachusett for the lost child, ever had a
suspicion that one who was apparently
among the most jealous of the child-hunt-