Daily Republican., 1882-05-19
WONDERFUL TR ANsFOKMATION
APennsyIvania Women Of tWen.
ty.nve Finds that she 10 not y
Woman After All.

Woman After All.
The following remarkable story
i, vouched for by eight reliable citizer
" y of Erie. Pa: William Baxter is a ia
mer and had for many years owned
large farm situated between Northeas
1 Pa, and Ripley N. Y. He Is frequen
a ly in Erie where he is we'll knowr
. Near to the Baxter farm there lives
a family by the name of Fear, highly re
. spected by their neighbors. Abor
twenty. five years ago there was Dor
in this family a sweet little cheru
!, that became the pet of the neighbol
hood. They named her Rosa and sh
grew up lovely child, and In du
time was sent to school. Here she dis
tinguished herself by most extraordi
nary precocity.
Her aptitude exceeded that of schol
ars ten years older than herself, and il
less than two years she had passe,
every other pupil and stood at the hea,
of her classes, the holder of honors com
peted for for AT the age of IA sh
entered the service Of Mrs. Baxter, tn
first wife of the farmer referred to.
Rosa proved TO be as good a girl to
farmhouse duties as she had beAn ,
student, and the Baxter family liked
her 80 well that she was treated II
every respect as though she was one 0
the family. She continued to liv'
there, and when she had attained tn,
age OF Is her hand was sought in mar
Iiage by young farmer from neigh.
boring village.
For some reason, unaccountable al
that time to her friends, Miss Fear de
clined the honorable offer, alleging tha
she had no desire to quit the roof of hel
kind friends. About this time 1t begar
to be noticed that Rosa's features were
losing their feminine softness, and thai
tho etfeminate contour of her hitherto
Symmetrical form was vanishing, and
giving place to masculine angularity
Her hands, that were once 80 vel
shaped, began to grow large and course
aud down appeared on her upper lip.
The presence of the latter greatly dis
tressed her, and as it continued to grow
in spite of all her efforts to prevent it,
she became so ashamed that she re-
fused to accompany the Baxters to the
family pew in the village church, or tc
mingle in any of the socials or parties
in which she had once been courted
belle. The family, which deeply re.
GREETING the loss of Rosa's personal at
fractions, tried to laugh her out of her
sensitiveness. But the girl appeared
to be consumed 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 10 enter 1t himself for dread.
full suspicion of suicide was uppermost
in his thoughts. But Rosa was not in
the barn, neither was she on any part of
the farm. At last the searchers found
two letters in her trunk, one ad-
dressed to Mrs. Baxter, and the
other to her parents. The contents
of Mrs. Baxter's letter created
the utmost CONSERVATION. 1t said
that the writer has gone away that 1t
would be useless to follow her that
her life had become unbearable because
within year nature had worked a
complete metamerphis, unsexing her,
and making it necessary to change her
home and raiment.
The astonished Baxters discovered
that she had left all her female clothing
down to the minutest article, and thus
she had attired herself in suit of
clothes belonging to DIR. A. A. Free
man, now an alderman from the First
Ward, in Erie. DR.. Freeman was
q yearly visitor at the Baxter farm. He
was we'll acquainted with Miss Fear
when she was little Rosa and he often
saw her when she lived with the Bax-
ters. He had been visiting there a
week before the girl disappeared, and
left suit of clothes behind him by mis-
take.
Two months passed and letter came
in Rosa fine handwriting. 1t informed
the family that the writer was well
and was working as a farm hand in
Ohio, but that the stamp of the letter
would give no clue to her address.
Two years elapsed and one morning a
fine looking young man with sun.
burned face, magnificent beard, and
heavy dark mustache stood at the gate
of the Fear homestead.
"Do you know me, Mary?' he said,
to the young lady who came out to as
certain his business.
The tones were deep and manly and
there was familiar ring in the stran.
gers voice. st is Rosa % said the
girl, and the next moment the specta.
tors were regaled with a sight OF Miss
Mary Fear clasped in the arms of a
young fellow, giving back as many
kisses on his moustache as he showered
upon her uplifted face.
'"Not Rosa, but Charles Fear, now" "
said the whilom housemaid, and then
he told them how, after that wonderful
change, he had hired out as male help,
that he had made little money and
had come home to work the farm.
Charles Fear runs the farm to day
and Ripely has no citizen held in high
er estimation than he. Since his re-
turn he has been twice appointed
teacher in the public schools, and can
be seen on the Fear farm every day Of
the week.
Such is the remarkable story told to
q correspondent of the Buffalo Courier
The references given were hunted up,
and although there was reluctaucy
to speak about it all confirmed the
story.
DR.. Freeman was called upon regard-
ing the suit of clothes, and he confirm
ed the account, stating also that he was
we'll acquainted with all the circum'
stances related. He further stated
that in his opinion nature was un deci'
ded as to Fears sex, and that at the
age mentioned masculinity developed.
NaAalAH a lIAllSs