Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-02-09
A Strange Case
Editors Staunton Vindicator

Editors iStaunton indicator:
When living in Richmond in '73 on read
ing the Enquirer my eye fell on the fol
towing paragraph:
I'VE have the authority of that respect
able journal the ssLOndon Lancet tor thlS
story SO we give it. 1t is nevertheless r.
markedly ishy A man in a certain nelgh-
borhold had three daughters. Wishing lof
a son, he made the solemn promise II tne
next child should be d girl, he never Wouio
speak to her. The next child proved TO 20
a son as he wished. But, ~curiously enough,
he never would speak to his father, alCnougn
he lived ttlirty-tive years with Alul. lie al
Ways talked freely with lis mother and
s sters, but with no one else until ms
father died, when he talked readily. with
every one. He was called Dumb ELL
called on the editor of that journal,
and assured him that there was neither
fish nor fable about il, that l had lived III
tue same place with lilln and Knew an
about IL, they then requested me to wrltt
up this remarkable visitation for them,
which [ did. The Rev. DR.. Bennett, editol
of the ..Rlchmond CHRISTIAN Advocate,
then wished int to give IL to he readers vi
his Journal, and al the time l was inter
viewed by several about it.
Now the facts OF ,ulsmy SterlOuS case art
THESE In a small agricultural village !
Somersetshire called i5altonsborough, llvtd
a man by the lame of Robert Virgins
who had inherited the small farm he lived
on hrough many geueratiOns, and Was
very anxious for a SOC to Garry on the
same i'll perpetuity, but as he had lived all
his life without the fear, or the knowledge
of the judgments OF God God decTeed 1t
! otherwise. for there were three daughters
| born unto him in quick succession, on a
of which occasions he became a perlect
| fend. and with the most dreadful oathS,
would VOW that if the next was a girl, he
| would never speak TO it as long as he lived,
and now mark the awful judgment that
followed The fourth proved to be a son.
but that father never heard the sound OF
that sons voice, although he lived thirty
five years With him, unless he hid himself
in some secret place whilst he was con
! yersing with his mother, or his sisters, and
| that was not very often, for he always
knew when he was listening, though he
| did not see him, and Instantly stop,
| Reader, you ask how is this Talk to
| his mother and sisters, but not to any one
else! Ask an offended God, for there is
no one but him that can tell. At all events.
he attended the village school for years.
i and vent through the ordinary course OF
lie by Lhe name of Dumb Eli, without any
one ever hearing him speak until his father
died. And here, kind reader. is another
wonder for you. When the breath had
left the old mans body, he was working all
alone in a place, at least two miles from
any human being to tell him, he instantly
started at the top Of his speed for home
and in running through the village te
every one he SAW he would shout, father is
Dead and from that moment he had the
fuency of speech freely. He was then about
thirty-ive years old; would converse very
freely about his long silence, but could not
give any cause, more than he knew when
any one was listening to hear him talk, and
would lose the power of utterance he
knewsnot how. And when l left HIM in
the Seairs'44, tie old man had been dead
about seven years and Dumb Eli had q
tiddy little Enalishwoman for a wife, and
a class in the Sunday School, neither Of
which was neglected, and living a very
steady and religious life, respected by
everybody
HENRY COTTON.
staunton, Feb. 5th, II.