San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-07


was thoroughly Italian face; and w
found out afterward that Mr.. Church,
her so-called uncle and guardian, had
picked her up in Italy. He was struck
with the picturesque beauty Of the child
who was playing on doorstep; and as.
pertaining that she was founding, and
that her foster parents could ill-afford
to support her, had adopted her himself
After few commonplace sentences
had passed, Madame asked me If would
90 and assist Miss Church to arrange
her things; which accordingly did, she
in the meantime sitting by and looking
on. We were thus occupied, when look
ing at her, | saw her face suddenly as.
sumo the most curious expression; all
light seemed to have died out of her
eyes her form became somewhat rigid,
and she began speaking in low tone,
but rapidly and iluently, in French. /
was much alarmed; but at that moment
Madame entered to see how we were
getting on. On catching sight of
Iilian's face, she murmured to me:
"Hush! Don't notice it. She's a
somnambulist, and falls into these
frances at times. Isuppose she has the
dread of us foreigners on her mind.
Whatever you do, do not rouse her; il
might be fatal"
"But, Madame, her eyes are OPEN"
"Yes, my dear; they always are in
such case" ...
And then Madame, thinking it best to
let me know the real state OF the case,
though warning me not to let Lillian
know about it, told me the circumstances
under which the young girl was sent to
school.
For many months the peace of Mr..
Church's house had been greatly dis
turbed by suspicion that there was a
thief among the servants. The things
which disappeared were of no great
value, and all belonged to Miss Church
pin cushions, brushes, articles of
clothing; but though safe at night, in
the morning no trace was to be found of
them. At last the mystery was solved.
Miss Church, who slept at the top of the
house, had friend few doors off who
slept on the same floor. One night this
friend was reused by u tapping at her
window. With wonderful presence of
mind she opened it gently, and in
climbed Lillian Church. She had
clambered all along the ledge at the top
of the house; but how she had escaped
death no one knew. Of course, after
this her window was secured, and she
was watched; and it was discovered
that she had herself got rid of her things
by going down at night in her sleep and
burying them in the garden.
Upon this further discovery of her pc
culiarity, an eminent doctor was con-
suited, who prescribed perfect change of
air and scene and the society of young
companions. Lillian was therefore sent
to school in Paris.
I DOUBT whether Madame had any idea
of the task she was undertaking. Ger
tainly, if she hoped to keep Lilian's
condition secret confined to two or
three she was disappointed, for this
strange girl used to fall into frances at
all hours of the, day. The most re-
markable part of the case was that al
though she was downright stupid, and
deficient of intelligence when awake,
as soon as she fell into these sleeps she
became quite as remarkably clever.
Her French was of the very baldest
English school girl possible. Happen
ing, however, to fall asleep some days
later over French lesson, to the as
tonishment of her teacher she began to
speak with ease. In one of these frances
one of the girls noticed that the top of
her thumbs-or rather not quite the top,
but the part just opposite the nail-was
black. She took hold of her hands,
and touching it, said:
"What's the matter with your hand,
Lilianp'
Lillian snatched away her hand, cry
ing:
"Oh, dont't! You hurt my eyes"
We noticed after this that all reading
while in these frances was conducted by
means of the thumbs; her eyes fixed
On vacancy, she would sit passing her
,humbs from line to line of the book.
The lessons thus learned were never re-
membered in her waking moments, but
always came back in any succeeding
rance. This popularity has seemed in
credible to most people who have heard
t., and indeed is incomprehensible but
1 is in all respects nevertheless true.
She used sometimes to play the piano
n these frances, and although when
awake she could not play better than
child of eight or 10 years of age, she
performed very fairly in her sleep; in :
Iced, had it not been for the thumb diff ;
icuity, she would have played very well, 1
,ut she had to twist her thumbs in pc !
'uliar manner TO prevent touching the
lack spot through which she appeared
o see.
Still more extraordinary were her ,
powers when asleep. have :
till portrait of herself done in one of I
hose frances, and one night she drew ,
4 -.