The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-10-25
A FEARFUL ORDEAL.



ried OF both my parents in single
day My fathers brother undertook
my care, contrary to the wish of my
father. who, when he was dying, and
there was no living soul in the house
but himself and me, called me to him
and said solemnly-I remember the
smallest incident, the most trifling
item, of that terrible day:
Polly" he said, ''papa's going to
leave you. Iou must always be good
girl and do what you think is right, and
nothing else. When | am dead you
must go Ger to DR.. Green's and give
him this letter and these papers. He
will be your new father and you must
be good to him. Now go out and see if
there is any one coming along the road.
If not, come back and stay with me I'M
til die"
| went out, but on the long, white,
dusty road there was no sign of life.
We were living in a wild part of the
country-southern lllinOis-and the
nearest house was DR.. Green's, more
than two miles away When | toddled
back to my father room. | thought he
was asleep. | knew now that he was
dead. | tried to wake him, for | felt
very hungry, but in vain. l wandered
from room to roOm-remember 1 was
ring. My mother was lying in one room
asleep also, and l called her and
pulled her dress, in vain. Some of the
servants had died or fed days be-
fore. and the two or three that
remained were also ''asleep" in
their rooms. At last | remem
bered my father direction to go to
DR.. Green's, and | started off away
down the road for his house, which
stood on the roadside. The door was
open. In the parlor sat Dr. Green
only doctor for miles round asleep.
In the next room lay his wife, also
asleep, and with her infant in her arms.
| went into the kitchen and ate n piece
of bread that / found there, and then |
went back to the baby. l had often
been told that Dr. Green had brought
this or that neighbor a BABY, and many
a time | had asked him for one Here,
| thought, was my opportunity L
quietly and cautiously took the infant
from its dead mother arms, and, small
as was | carried it back to our own
house, In the evening, people came
and took US both away, and after that
night, two or three years must have
elapsed before | began to recollect my
life at my uncle's.
was about 3 years old when my
recollections of life at my uncles began.
| have a general idea, however, that |
had rather a bad time of it. ncle
James, of course, had the papers and
letters intended for DR.. Green.
My aunt was not liberal in the matter
of dress, although, as will be seen, she
could easily ha Q afforded to be soto
me at least. The letter, | learned after
wards, committed me to the care of Dr.
Green, who was en- oined never to let
my uncle have me, but to place me in a
convent should he md himself dying or
unable to take care of ne. The papers
were his will, leaving everything he pos
sessed to me, appointing DR.. Green my
guardian, and leaving the reyerslon of
my property to my uncle in case of my
death before the age OF Il.
From the very nrst, feel sure, my
aunt diSiked me for standing Detween
her and n fortune; but by the time 1 was
years old she positively detested me.
and hated her with the utmost in
tensity of a passionate nature. | was not
by any means good child. | suppose
it was because | had always been ill
treated and snubbed 10y my aunt, that /
delighted in torTnenting her No one
ever thought Of teaching me anything,
either of religion or of letters, and was
utterly ignorant OF everything except
what 1 could picsi up for myself-and
that was seldom of the best. so grew
up-the hatred between my aunt and
myself deepening day by day, until |
was about -, when my aunt insisted
on my being sent to school. | Was
packed o to u convent school. After
II brief residence, | was expelled
from the school, the sisters de
claring that they could maze
Of hot | En
sessed of devil. My aunt treated me
health began 10 fail. l seldom got one
quarter enough to eat, and if | stole
food, or was detected in the slightest
misdeed | was punished with barDarous
severity became sickly and nervous;
| started at the slightest une pected
noise, and sometimes | would get no
sleep for three or four nights At last
| resolved to bear it no longer but to
run away. | did so, one cold, dark
night, having in my crazed condition,
no proper clothing, no money, nor any
idea of what | was going to do. OF
course, | was soon captured, but when
they found me | was raving in the de
lirium of fever. or weeks, they told
me afterward, this continued
When | first regained consciousness
heard a number of people conversing
in low tones around me. My eyes were
not altogether closed, and through the
half-open lids, as the pupils became ac-
customed to the light, l saw that the
room was filled with people knew, who
Were whispering to one another. Two
tall candles burned at a little distance.
| tried to turn my eyes so as to see
further, but they were immovable. My
head | could neither raise nor turn.
My limbs felt heavy and stiff, and |
could not move them. Then came a
sudden settling into places-silence-
and on the silence arose a deep voice,
saying
Il am the Resurrection and the