Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-04-27
A.WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION.


A Pennsylvania Woman of Twenty.
five Finds that She Is Not a Woman
After Ali.
The following remarkable story is
vouched for by eight reliable citizens
of Erie, Pa: William p. Baxter is a
farmer, and has for many years owned
large farm situated between North
East, Pa, and Ripley, n. Y. He is
frequently in Erie, where he is well
known. Near to the Baxter farm there
lives family by the name of Fear,
highly respected by their neighbors.
About twenty-five years ago there was
born in this family girl, sweet little
cherub that became the pet of the
neighborhood. They named her Rosa,
and she grew up a lovely child, and in
due time was sent to school. Here she
distinguished herself by most extraor-
binary precocity. Her aptitude exceed
ed that Of scholars ten years older than
herself, and in less than two years she
had passed every other pupil, and stood
at the head Of her classes, the holder of
all the honors competed for. At the
age of fourteen she entered the service
of Mrs. Baxter, the first wife of the
farmer referred to. Rosa proved to
be as good a girl for farm house duties
as she had been a student, and the
Baxter family liked her so well that
she was treated in every respect as
though she was one of the family. She
continued to live there, and when she
had attained the age of Is her hand
was sought in marriage by young
farmer from a neighboring village
For some reason, unaccountable at that
time to her friends, Miss Fear declined
the honorable offer, alleging that she
had no desire to quit the roof of her
kind friends. About this time it be-
gan to be noticed that Rosa's features
were losing their feminine softness,
and that the effeminate contour of her
hitherto symmetrical form was vanish
ing, and giving place to masculine an
gularity. Her hands, that were once
so well shaped, began to grow large and
coarse, and down appeared on her
upper lip. The presence OF the latter
greatly distressed her, and as it con-
tinued to grow in spite OF all her eff
forts to prevent it, she became so
ashamed that she refused to accom-
pany the Baxters to the family pew in
the village church, or to mingle in any
Of the socials or parties in which she
had once been courted belle. The
family, while deeply regretting the
loss Of RoSa's personal attractions,
tried to laugh her out of her sensitive
ness. But the girl appeared to be con-
sumed with a secret.
About six months after this, Rosa
did not appear as usual one morning.
No answer came from her room, and
when it was broken open it was found
to have been unoccupied that night.
All Rosa'S clothes were hanging up.
even to those she was accustomed to
wear about the house. Mr.. Baxter
sent his son Charles to look in the
barn, dreading to enter it himself, for
a dreadful suspicion of suicide was
uppermost in his thoughts. But Rosa
was not in the barn, reither was she
in any part of the farm. AT last the
searchers found two letters in her
trunk, one addressed to Mrs. Baxter,
the other to her parents. The con-
tents Of Mrs. Bakers letter created
the utmost CONSERVATION. 1t said that
the writer had gone away; that it
would be useless to follow her; that
her life had become unbearable be-
cause within a year nature had worked
a complete metamorphesis, unsexing
her, and making it necessary to change
her home aud rainment. The as
tOnished Baxters discovered that she
had left all her female clothing, down
to the minutest article, and that she
had attiTed herself in suit of clothes
belonging to DR.. A. A. Freeman, now
an alderman from the first ward, in |
Erie. Dr. Freeman was a yearly |
visitor at the Baxter farm, and he fire.
quently spends day or two there
still. He was well acquainted with |
Miss Fear when she was little Rosa.
and he often saw her when she lived |
with the Baxters. He had been visit |
ing there a week before the girl dis |
and left suit of clothes be-
hind him by mistake.
Two months passed and a letter |
came in Rosa's fine handwriting. 1t |
the family that the writer
was we'll and was working as a |
farm hand in Ohio, but that the stamp
of the letter would give no clew to |
her address.
Two years elasped and one morning
q ine-looking young man with sun
burnt face, magnificent beard, and a |
heavy dark mustache stood at the
gate of the Fear homestead.
Do you know me, Mary?" he said |
10 the young lady Who came out to as
certain his business.
The tones were deep and manly and |
here was familiar ring in the strang.
er's voice. ut is Rosai' said the girl.
and the next moment the spectators |
we're RECALLED with a sight Of Miss Mary
Fear clasped in the arms of young
fellow, giving back as many kisses on
lis mustache as he showered upon her
lplifted face.
"Not Rosa, but Charles Fear, now"
aid the whilom housersaid, and then