The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-07-05


1(-< VA 1t is not my purpose
SGFaE @V to enter into any
discussion of this
fruitful theme; am simply recording those
facts which bear relation to my strange
story.
Often in my youthful days was followed
by my nurse and relatives in the night, while
was walking in my sleep. and carefully
watched, in order that should not come 10
harm. My wanderings were generally of a
harmless kind, and sometimes afforded mer-
riment, as on occasions when made my
way to the larder and helped myself to the
good things deposited there. But there was
one occasion when they took IA more serious
turn.
slept on the second floor OF semi.de-
tached house. In the adjoining house re-
sided mana widower when I first became
acquainted with him-with little daughter,
between whom and myself some innocent
love-making took place. The father Of this
little girl, whose name was Elsie, married
again, and the stepmother was not kind to
tho child. Indeed, when the father was alb
this woman, and 1 used to hear her cries
through the wall which divided the two
houses. Elsie slept also on the second floor,
in the room adjoining mine, and when she
was beaten in the night could hear her ap-
peals for mercy very clearly. These sounds
greatly distressed me, and my child-mind
was exercised as to the means by which
an,1lI l;ttlo tb ho
torture to which she was subjected. On one
occasion business took tho father from his
home for two or three weeks, and during
this time Elsie's undeserved punishment-I
was sure it was undeserved-was sharper
and more frequently administered. She
showed me the marks of the blows on her
skin, and remember crying excitedly:
81 will kin her 1 will kill herI"
1 remember also Elsie's grave reply to the
effect that it was very, very wrong to XIII
people, because, as she illogically added, you
would get hanged for it. The killing busi-
ness was therefore set aside, the conse-
quences being too awful to contemplate, and
we decided instead that we would run away
tomorrow when the clock struck twelve.
why we should take our flight In broad ay-
light was not explained; how we should ex-
ist was not considered. We were placidly
satisfied that the mere fact of running away
when the clock struck twelve would be a
crushing blow to the hard-hearted step
mother, and from that moment Elsie's life
and mine would be a life Of happiness.
IN that NIGHT VIVA that INV Iiftla cwoa{
hearts cries pierced my mind while I
was sleeping, and unconsciously rose, with
the intention OF going to her rescue. 1t
happened that those about me were less
watchful than usual, and thus succeeded in
creeping. unobserved, to the top of our
house, where a short ladder leading to a
trap door in the roof enabled me to reach O
similar door in the adjoining house, which l
found unlocked. 1t was dark night, and
my enterprise was full of dangers; but sleep
walkers are like cats, and can walk safely on
the edge of a preclpice. l succeeded IN rails
ing the door in the roof, and, in total dark
ness, felt my way down the stairs, guided
doubtless by the little maids cries for help
and mercy. Dashing into the room in which
the torture was being inflicted, I sprang upon
the cruel woman, and tore at her and beat
her so that she, in her turn, probably more
frightened than hurt, screamed loudly for
assistance. BY this time my own people wero
aroused, and, obtaining entrance into the
house, bore me away to my room.
When l awoke In the morning 1 had no
knowledge or recollection of what had oc-
CURED, and gathered the particulars from
those who were interested in them. My bed
room door was found open, and 1 not in bed
the two trap doors in the roof were open,
proclaiming the means by which laft one
house and obtained entrance to the other:
Elsie drew vivid pictures of my actions when
rushed into her bedroom and sprang upon
her stepmother; and my own people sup
piled the rest. The adventure made great
impression, and wes long remembered and
spoken of, and from the day of its occur
ence was more carefully watched at home.
Upon me it left, perhaps. deeper impression
than upon others, and In after life often
thought of it. was not q passionate or q
man; very rarely indeed did
allow anger to master me; and may truly
declare that my nature was more inclined to
gentleness than to violence. How was it.
then, that upon this occasion should have
behaved more like wild beast than human
beingP for this is what was given to under
stand by all the witnesses of the affair.
Elsie said, "Oh, Dick, you were dreadful;
your eyes blazedr' My guardians, instead
of plying or sympathizinG with me, reprovsd
me, and gave me long lectures upon ths
passions; and the stepmother swore that if
help had not arrived she would have been
murdered. Ny fingers, she averred, were
fixed in her throat SO viciously that she could
not remove them, and in another minute she
would have been strangled. Never after
wards, in my sleeping or waking hours, was
u charge OF violent or inteL peratc behavior
brought against me; but if the current ver-
sions OF the incident were true, there was,
sleeping within me, some instinct OF savagcry
which needed only a strong incentive TO leap
into life. To such man as the reflection
could not be otherwise than distressing.
When asketthe good woman l married
to become my wife, related this incident of
my child-life to her. She made light of il.
and think it was chiefly through her en-
that tho adventure was known
In my household. My daughter, it appears.
described it TO Mdlle. Rosalie as n divertinp
incident. and the woman OF multifarious ac-