The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-15
II SILENT WITNESS.

in gloom, the sunshine is as bright to me as to
you, and nature has almost as many charms for
my one sense as for your two.
True, no fond baby-talk from the lips of a
darling mother ever frightened an hour of my
earliest years or chased away a tear of anger or
pain. came into the world quietly; I have
lived in it quietly, and shall, 10 doubt, depart
from it without having made any great noise.
As for my parents, I am consoled in that my
tongue never caused them a pang, and though l
know they have often mourned over my lot, L
feel sure that my lack of speech and hearing has
many times proved a blessing to us all. OF
course I never ran crying to mamma with a story
on Carl or Jessie; | never quarreled with my
little brother and sister. though | was often the
mute witness Of their petty disputes. L could
play and frolic with the best of my comrades,
being healthy, strong and active; and, though l
do say it, L was the equal of any, the superior Of
many, in everything but mental training.
My education was sadly neglected, for in my
young years the teaching of the deaf and dumb
had not approached that perfection it has now
attained, and | was ten before | had learned the
use of manual signs. l could make my simple
wants known to my family, could spell on my
fingers a word or two, but beyond this was
densely ignorant. My dear mother died and left
me in the care of a childless sister whose sympa-
thies she had enlisted in my behalf on her death
bed, and my aunt. whom / loved fondly, took me
TO live with her. She ana uncle had lived a quiet
life, and my entrance into the family, though it
did not disturb that quiet, brought, l think, a
little happiness into their household, l strove
hard to deserve their affection, and studied dill
gently that | might become of service. Being
naturally quick of PERCEPTION, my progress was
rapid: l soon knew how to read and write, and
had mastered the art of lip-reading so thoroughly
that | could understand every word you said
provided you articulated distinctly.
Another accomplishment | acquired. of which
| was not a little proud. discovered in my hand
an ear; yes, I taught my hand to perform the
functions of my ears. Strange, you sayl We
persons who lack one or more of the natural
senses are more acute In others than you who
have them all, and my compensation consisted
of delicacy of touch. l found that the thin
membrane of the back of my right hand was
unusually sensitive, more so than any other part
of my body, to changes of heat and cold, and it
gave me much annoyance on that account.
Once, while watching my teacher do a difficult
exercise on the piano Il was taking music les
soRsl leaned upon the instrument and allowed
the back of my hand to rest carelessly upon the
cover. Immediately there was a peculiar hum
ming m my head, and | sprang away thoroughly
alarmed. The %humming ceased when l did so.
l tried it again and felt the same sensation. l
moved my hand about upon the instrument, and
detected strains of music. | then laid it on the
sounding board, and, oh, joy! l heard! Yes, |,
who, for sixteen years, had never heard a sound,
now listened with rapture to one of Strauss
waltZes! 1t filed my whole being; the delicious
strains thrilled in me, and could feel my nerves
vibrating in response to the touch of the per-
former, quick and slow, loud and soft.
/ was so intoxicated with delight at this discov-
cry that for days, weeks, | could think of nothing
else. Every one who could play | besought to
go to the piano, and, with my hand upon the
ounding-board | drank in the inspiration of
Beethoven, List, Mozart. [ listened to the
sweet strains of the guitar in the same manner,
and to the violin and harp, and thanked heaven
for the power.
Why should I not bring this into more prac-
teal uses l determined to 10 so. and at once
began to experiment. with uncle's voice, which
was deep and resonant. l would hold the back
of my hand near his lips when he talked, and
the vibrations produced upon the delicate skin
were conveyed to mind readily enough. l soon
became acquainted with the alphabet, and grad
ually grew familiar with the sound of words.
Il could already read very well, but had not the
remotest idea what this or that word sounded
LIKE knew it by sight. but not By sound.
But my progress was necessarily slow, because
l could not find any one to talk to my hand for a
long time. Indeed, IL must have been slow work
to uncle and aunt, but they were faithful, and
learned my lessons so thoroughly that before
long | could listen to a whisper. Once a honey
bee flew into my room, and 1 heard its buzzing
as it passed near my hand, and many a night
have l been aroused by the p~laintive melody of
the mosquito as it approached III its bloodthirsty
way too close to my newly-discovere ear.
And | learned even more than this. | became
an expert mind-reader. l could place the back
of my hand against your forehead and define
your Utmost thought as plainly as if you spoke
it to my face or upon my mind. You doubt thisl
Very well.
Judge Lowry was foully murdered on the
night of May 20, 18- Being a wealthy old
bachelor, there could be no doubt in Kingston
that he had been murdered for his gold, and the
inhabitants of the little town were nearly par
alyzed accordingly.
The best of detective work failed to discover
the murderer. String after string of circum-
stantial evidence was collected, all pointing to
some one, but who, no one could find. Harrow
ing stories of the crime were published in the
daily papers, and my feelings were much
wrought up by reading them, and the town was
kept in a ferment over new clews as fast as old
ones were unearthed and traced to a ~fruitless
source. Suspicion had to light upon some one.
and in this case, finally, after days of vain
searching, poor Jos Guyton, a harmless young
man whose only sin was poverty, and whose
only friend, a widowed mother, became its vic
tim. He was arrested, tried, convicted, and
sentenced to be hung. l never knew upon what
grounds. His only defense was his plea of
not guilty. The blow broke his mothers heart.
Business thrived in Kingston, and in a month
or six weeks murderer and murdered were Tor
gotten by the lively little town. Uncle was
among the few who did not forget poor Guyton.
Firmly convinced of his innocence, he used
every measure at his command to find the guilty
man; he employed detectives at his own expense,
and no stone was left unturned; but it all availed
nothing.
About this time 1 was called to the bedside of
an old friend of our little family, who had fallen
suddenly i'll. Uncle accompanied me to his
house and into his sick room, where we found
him in a restless slumber, with a stranger lean
ing over him. The latter rose, and. coming
quickly forward, spoke a few words to my com
panion, which l did not pretend to comprehend
until he motioned toward me as if l were the sub
ject under discussion; then l noticed his peculiar
manner and slyly watched his lips. He was say
ing the sick man was his dear friend, that he
had been nursing him for several days, but be-
ing suddenly called away on pressing matters of
business had taken the liberty Of sending for
me to take his place at Dr.. WHY'S bedside. He
had heard of my condition, the doctor Was given
to crying aloud in his sleep; in his delirium said
strange things which it were best should not be
heard, and as 1 could not hear. I should suffer
no annoyance.