The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-12-13
SOME PERSONALS.

: A FEMALE WONDER.-Thcre are many per,
sons who if we are to place full credence in
their biOgraphers, must have been eXtraordln.
! airy marvels of precoclty AMI cleverncss.
Anne Maria Schurman, for example who was
the boast OF Germany, was one OF this descrip-
ton At the age Of six, and without nstruc-
+ ton, she cut III paper the most delicate fig'
urcs at eight she learned IN few days to
paint flowers, which, 1t LIQUID be added, were
highly csteemcd and two years later il cost
her only five hours application to learn the
art of embrolderng with elegance Her tai
ents for higher attaiumcnts, we are told, did
not develop themselves TIL She was twelve
years of age, when they were discovered IN
the following manner: Her brothers were
STUDYING in the apartment where she sat and
it was noticed that whenever their memories
failed IN the recital of their lessons, the little
girl prompted them without any previous
knowledge of their tasks except what she had
gained from hearing the boys con them over.
! In her education she made extraordinary pro.
gress, and is said to have perfectly understood
the German, Low Dutch, French, English
Latin, Greek, Italian, Hebrew, Syriac, Chal-
dean, Arabic, and Ethiopian languages Her
know ledge of science and her skill in music,
painting and sculpture were also eXtraOrdi
/ nary; and her talent for modelling was shown
! by the wax portrait contrived to make of her
self with the aid OF a mirror. When 1t Is
added that her letters were not only valuable
for the elegance Of their style, but for the beau
| ~ of the written characters, which caused the
said cpistIes to be preserved as cabinet curOsi-
| ties we may Judge what a prodigy of clever
ness was toreshadowed by the talents she dis
played rs a child.
DEAN-Not long ago wellknown colec
tor OF Curlosites in Paris, who had devoted
considerable sums of money to the gathering
together OF bank notes of I'll countries ana all
values, became the pOSSeSSOr of q Bank of
| England five pound note to which an unusually
strange story was attached. This note was
paid into Liverpool merchants Office in the
ordinary way of business sIXty-One years ago,
and It's recipient, the cashier of the firm, while
holding it up to the light to test its genuine
ness noticed some faint red marks upon it
which, ON close examination, proved to he
Semlet laced words scrawled IN blood between
the printed lines and upon the blank margin
of the note. Extraordinary pains were taken
to declpAer these partly obliterated characters,
and eventually the following sentence was
made out: IF this note should fall into the
hands of John Dean, of LongMll, near Car
lIslc he will learn hereby that his brother is
languishing a prisoner in Algiers." Mr.. Dean
was promptly communicated with by the
eminent Of the day for assistance in his en-
deavor to obtain his brothers release from cap
tvity. The prisoner, who as it subsequently
appeared, had traced the above sentence upon
the note with splinter of wood dipped IN his
own blood had been a slave to the Dey of Al.
giers for eleven years, when his strange mis-
slvc first attracted attention in Liverpool
counting house. His family and friends had
long believed him dead. Eventually his
brother, with the aid Of the British authori-
ties in the Mediterranean succeeded in ransom
ing him from the Dey, and brought him home
to England, where he did not long survive his
release. his constitution having been irrepara-
bly, injured by exposure, privations, and forced
labor IN the Dey's galleys.
CHANDLER-Th n Y. Worries Washing
ton correspondent tells the following story
about the late Senator Zach. Chandler:
Among the stories going the rounds about
Senator Chandler Is one illustrating his bluff
manners. He was much chagrined at the Pres
ident's neglect OF him after the inauguration,
and had hoped for place in the Cabinet, In
his disappointment he refused for many
months to 90 to the White House. Finally he
went Shortly after his return here from a trip
home Is a private citizen he met the President,
who grasped his hands warmly, and with an
air of patronage said well, Chandler, sup
pose your old constituents were glad to wei
come YOU home again" " Yes Mr., President"
Chandler replied, 81 met with but one man
who seemed disconnected. He is an old Re
publican, and taking my hand on seeing me,
he said Chandler, believe you are an honest
man. you never did steal anything but the
Presidency, and that, as it turns out, Is only
petty larceny" Confidential relations were
not resumed on that day
AN ANGEL UNAwAREs-It is not every day
that an angel is entertained unawares IN a
gaming saloon. Twenty years ago man
named Todd, while playing cards IN gamb-
ling saloon in Cenualia, Ill.,, was aCcOsted by
young Frenchman from New Orleans who
lad lost all his money and had no friends
Todd lent the stranger $500. The Frenchman
returned to the table, won a good sum of
money and repaid his benefactor. Years
rolled on and Todd lost all his money. One
day last week he received letter from wo-
man in Kansas City, Mo, stating that while
passing through that State on the train she
met the wife of the man To whom he lent the
$500 She had recently returned from Paris,
where she had gone with her husband to get a
very large estate left him 10y a rich uncle and
that while IN Paris her husband had died, and
in his will had left $4,000 to ID. f, Todd, the
man who had bcfriended him when he was
almost in the act of taking his own life.
SrASLEY.-IIenry NJ Stanley Is once more
on the Congo River, a spot with which he will
make himself familiar, If he continues to visit
it, He is under commission OF Il phIlanthrO
pic society to open, and keep open If possible,
all such districts and countries rs he may eN-
plore for the benefit of the commercial world.
In letter to the London daily Telegraph, he
states that his mission is to use every pacific
means, To buy freely of all, show tolerance in
every way, and wherever rejected, must with
l.,,. D., s,.L otbnr folds 4 ypar's trial will