The daily gazette., 1877-06-04
Mrs. Deans Babies.
THE MYSTERY ATTACHING TO Two OF


try save Mrs. Dean has lately become
the mother cf fine. quartet Of babies
and no other has even three, as Mrs.
Dean bas left of so tender an age, yet
so famous. There Is terrible suspi-
cion that the two boys, Master Thomas
Dean and Master James Edward Dean
have got mixed and that which of tkem
is the elder and the proper inheritor of
a title We e there one In the family,
will never again be known I! The
myster is in fact double one. Not
only is it uncertain that the bouncing
baby now called James Edward Dean
is he and not young Thomas and vice
versa. but 1t is also gloomy problem
as to whether or not the name of Thos.
originally bestowed on the one sup
posed to be the elder, should not have
been given instead to the one taken at
the christening for the younger and
baptized as james Edward. The
changes for confusion which arise
when one nurse has four babies to take
care of are almost illfmitable, and these
chances are only somewhat lessened-
not done away with-when the num-
ber of babies is reduced three
That Catharine Elizabeth Dean is
the eldest of the three wonderful bab-
les now living is a fact admitted from
the beginning of the trouble, aud not
susceptible of doubt. William Dean
was ounger than a brother and sister
and older than brother, but William
lived 10 see but little of this sad world,
where such mistakes are made. The
point at issue lies only between Thos.
and James Edward. The midwife is
quite positive that she has made no
blunder, and that the one christened
Thomas was the elder; hnt there was
great throDg of people in the room
soon after the babies arrived in ST.
Louis, and her attention was called
away to the mother, and honest though
Mrs. Robinson, the midwife, may be,
she had no chance to remain absolutely
assured. The babies were christenea
on Monday. Supposing the identity
to have remained certain up to that
date, the christening in itself could
afford no security against future acci-
dents. Subsequent events we're calcu-
lated to cause endless trouble. A Re
publican reporter, stopping to inquire
after their health, chanced to be in the
room with the babies when something
dreadful happened night or two ago.
There were ladies In the room, several
of them, and they couldn't resist the
temptation of taking up tenderly in
their arms and caressing foI a moment
these three little bits of humanity. No
lady appeared to notice the exact spot
on the couch from which she raised
the baby she held, and the visitors
with the little things in their arms
moved about and compared them
The attention of the nurse was called
away for few moments, Suddenly
she came back with alarm on her face
and quick question on her lips.
WHO had this one"
Itcould not be said! In that one oc-
currence the identity of the babies was
perhaps lost forever, aud who shall saw
how many times the scene was re-
peated during the visits of hundreds
of ladies subsequently, Neither James
Edward Dean nor Thomas Dean can
ever to certainty tell whether he ls
himself or his brotherl 1t is a depres-
sing reflection,
oome years ago, in Scotland, tive
intimate neighbOrs, childless women
of middle age had each a son born on
the same night. 1t was a cold season;
and for greater convenience and com
fort great fire was built in the kitch-
en- of only one of the two houses, and
there the midwives dressed the newly
born babes. Something distracted
their attention and the identity of the
infants was lost. There was no alter
native left but to leave to chance the
determination of which was the baby
belonging in the house where the fire
was and accordingly it was selected in
a dark room, in which the babes were
laid side by side. the father of one of
the infants was wealthy man with
an immense Roman nose; the father
OF the other was poorer aAd had a
small pug-nose. Times .passed; the
fathers each died and the boys grew
to maturity. AS they grew the boy as
signed to the rich mans family show
ed symptoms of nose pointing peril
ly skyward while the others face de-
veloped great nose, hooked like an
eagles beak. There was 40 mistakipg
the inference. When the Roman nosed
boy reached maturity he brought suit
for the property left blythe rich man
and now held by the pug-nosed youth.
The legal contest was bitter but brief.
The noses were brought into court by
their respective owners, and the iury
could hesitate. The young man with
the Roman development was reinstat-
ed in his undoubUed right. 1t was
Scottish cause celebre.
The law of primogeniture does not
prevail in the United States aHd aeitb-
er of the Dean babies may have for
tune left them but then again, they
may.
Meanwhile the babes are doing we'll.
To avoid all error in future the three
are placed side by side with the alleg-
ed Thomas to the south, the supposed
James Edward to the north and the
assumed Catharine Elizabeth in the
middle to separate them. The features
of the boys are also assuming certain
personality which soon will in itself
be sufficiently marked to prevent mis-
takes. The placid face of the assumed
James Edward reminds one somehow
OF Benjamin Franklin while the small
wIlukIed COuntenance of tho hynotha