The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-10-24
A DREADFUL CHILD.
Asleep It's An Right, but Awake
It Becomes a Kitten.
\ Strange Tale reported from Columbia
County, -. N.-It ETay I,e Trre- but
II Reads Very Much Like
Base Fabrication.

An cldritch tale, worthy Of tho dar7-
est and palmicst days Of the middle
ages. comes from the little hamlet nc
Pompounik. up in Columbia County,
whore q child is said TO have been born
OF late which dcfcs competition a.
though, fortunately, it docs nor halo
description, says the New York Time.
While asleep or at rest /, app, - &.
differ in no respect from the Hrclra-.
fortnight-old baby Of commerce. As
slumbcrs peacefully in lis --a7'.
with its breast rising Gnd f..
ing as gently and regularly Us
possible, any feeling woman void
bless its little heart and look apo Il
with delight and that futtcrinr sc0ti-
ment, not unakin TO awe, witt Which
the entire female world regard sanv new
ly-arrived traveller from the Other world
providing, Of course, the tra.e .eler be not
a ghost, and, therefore, does not come
from the wrong side Of life. 4 baby IS
one thing and 4 ghost is another, al
though doubtless both are equally mys-
tcrioUs, and it IS quite certain that both
invariably dress all in white. The
tones Of their voices and their general
manner Of expressing thcmscl--s -Ae
ability of the one 10 walk viii. the
other seems able only TO kick and WIZ
gle easily mark the essential tisuive-
ton between them. There are doubt
less other peculiaritics which viii c.
able almost any woman 10 tell a.
glance whether particular Objgcs is
ghost or baby, although those IccL /
arities might not readily find &c --aro
definition even at the hands Of a woua-
Of most unusual discernmcnJ ana pgo-
found sagacity.
As has already been remarked, tho
Columbia County child, when asleep or
at rest, seems, even TO the female Lv.
and heart, 10 be nothing lat d baby.
It's complexion, perhaps IS not I'll tat
could be desired; there is sight ..~-
plclon OF iuconEruity-a certain d. .-r-
lty OF OportiOns-betWcCu the mold
ing OF its nose and that Of its upper I'D.
and there is paucity Of hair, or ~a-ac-
OF tuzz, on its head, and these Jhi~~=
can hardly fail 10 produce painful -.--
preston upon the mind of auv -f.r.-oru-
diced observer, just as thc- d All
cases in which very young infant arc
involved. At all events. c-e-y woman
who sees it sleeping and who g. na. a.
quaintcd with the little pccuIiarities Il
exhibits IL its waking moms-t- de-
clarcs that il is simply = lovely, little.
precious darling-which it isn't by a.-
means.
For when, rousing from its sluuhers.
II opens its bright eyes upon the world
II neither lies still nor bog'u- To ....li
like an ordinary baby Of its age. P2.hc1
does II assume 81 once tho rharactr~ of
a iJtlc kitten, climbs over the =idg Of
the cradle in a jitfy, and, If lef5 in au-
disturbed possession OF itself sets about
70 have lively frolic. in which one o.
its legs does for it duties similar 70
those which kittens tail sometimes
does for the kitten. While cnrared ff.
this sort Of exercise it VIII tumble heels
over head and roll about OIL the Eoo-
like any ball, ana doing itself no more
harm than if it were gutta-uercI
child. If spool or some small object
OF the kind be thrown 10 it. this rr,le.a-
ny babe viii toss it about, boxing iGn.--
with one tiny hand and now WIN the
other picking it up with its ZOOS ana
throwing it over its head, and scaruu-r-
ing about. as fully acquainted with The
relations of the minor things Of this
world As . cat Of its age worll be- is
arms are very strong, and its hands
have so good grip that II can
pull itself up rope and Chamber
TO tho top Of a bcdpost, where II
viii sit for some time calmly survcying-
the spectators with an air Of sa-act-.
appalling to behold in one so vor-.r.
It Is, of course, impossible to ~ivo arv
satisfactory explanation OF the singular
conduct Of this interesting bahe. Al
though, undoubtedly, mere peryersity
and natures love for freaks has some
thing TO do with the matter