Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-11-29
A DREADFUL CHILD.
Asleep rts An Right, but Awake
It Becomes q Kitten.
\ Strange Tale Reported from Columbia
County, n Y.-It May Bo True, but
1t Roads Very Much Like
HaSo FAbRlcHtIon.

ages, comes from tho little hamlet OF
Pompoonik. up in Columbia County,
where child Is said to have been born
OF late which defies competition, al
though, fortunately, it does not battle
description, says tho New York Times.
While asleep or ut rest 1t appears to
differ In no respect from the ordinary
fortnight-old baby of commerce. AS it
slumbers peacefully in its cradle,
with its breast rising and fall
ing as gently and regularly as
possible, any feeling woman would
bless its little heart and look upon 1t
with delight and that fluttering senti-
ment, not unakin to awe, with which
the entire female world regard sany new
ly-arrived traveller from the other world
providing. OF course, the traveller be not
ghost, and, therefore, does not come
from the wrong sido of life. A baby is
one thing and ghost is another, al
though doubtless both arc equally mys.
terious, and it is quite certain that both
invariably dress all in white. Tho
tones Of their voices and their general
manner of expressing themselves, the
ability Of the one to walk while the
other seems able only to kick and wrig-
gle, easily mark the essential distinc-
ton between them. There are doubt
less other peculiarities which will en-
able almost any woman to tell ut q
glance whether particular object is a
ghost or baby, although those peculi-
arities might not readily find accurate
definition even at the hands of O woman
Of most unusual discernment and pro-
found sagacity.
AS has already been remarked, the
Columbia County child, when asleep or
at rest, seems, even to the female eve
and heart, to be nothing bat a baby.
Its complexion. perhaps is not all that
could he desired; there is a slight sus-
picion of incoDgruity-a certain despair
tty of proportions-between tho mold
ing of it's nose and that of its upper lip,
and there is paucity of hair, or rather
Of fuzz, on its head, and these things
can hardly fail to produce painful i'm
preston upon tho mind of any uDpreju-
diced observer, just as they do in all
cases in which very young infants are
involved. At all events, every woman
who secs it sleeping and who is not ac.
quainted with the little peculiaritics it
exhibits in its waking moments de-
clares that it is simply lovely, little,
precious darling-which it isn't by any
means. a...
For when, rousing from its slumb ers,
1t opens its bright eyes upon the world,
1t neither lies still nor begins to wall
like an ordinary baby of its ago. Rather
does 1t assume at once the character of
little kitten. climbs over the side of
the cradle in iiffy, and, II left in un-
disturbed possession of itself, sets about
to have livoly troIic, In which one of
its legs does for 1t duties similar to
those which kittens tail sometimes
does for the kitten. While engaged in
this sort of exercise il will tumble heels
over head and roll about on tho floor
like any ball, and doing itsoli no moro
harm than If it wore o gutta-poroha
child. ii a spool or some small object
Of the kind DO thrown to it, this uncan.
ny babo will toss it about, boxing it now
with ono tiny hand and now with the
other, picking 1t up with its toes and
throwing 1t over It's head, and scamper.
Ing about, as fully acquainted with the
relations Of the minor things of this
world as a cat Of its age would be. Its
arms are very strong, and its hands
have so good a grip that it can
pull itself up rope and Chamber
to tho top Of q bedpost, whero Il
will sit for some time calmly surveying
tho spectators with an air of sagaoity
appalling to behold in ono 80 young.
1t IL of course, impossible tn give any
satisfactory explanation of the singular
conduct Of this interesting babe, nj.
though, undoubtedly, moro porversity
and natures lovo for freaks has some
thing 10 do with the matter.