Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-01-06
HISTORIC DWARFs.
Fichoias Ferry, Ths Dwarf Of the King
of Poland.

Far away In eastern France, under
the shallow Of the great Vosges Noun
tains, lived. century and a half ago.
n worthy couple named Ferry. They
were strong and healthy young peas
ants, and for q time they had dwelt
together quite contentedly. The hus-
band titled his field OF flax while the
wife MIXED her goats and made her
| famous cream-cheese.
One bleak November morning in
17fl there was born ut the Ferry cot
tagc a little boy so little indeed that
all who saw him wondered how such %
wee mite of humanity could even
breathe. He was not quite eight inch
es long, and weighed less than a pound;
and yet he was thought q very pretty
and perfect infant.
The appearance Of this tiny stranger
created great excitement all through
the village. No one SO tiny had ever
been seen before, aud all the good
DANES crowded iuto the cottage. fill
ing it so full and chattering SO loudly
( that it was marvel the little fellow
was not killed outright; and indeed it
was no easy matter TO rear "Bebe" till
he grew up--if such a manikin could
ever be called grown up. His mouth
was so Tiny that it was difficult To feed
him; but his kind grandmama finally
hit upon plan Of giving him goats
milk through quill, and after that he
/ did very well.
or course all the little linen shirts
! and dresses for babies were many
times too large. and had it not been
for good-natured girl who gave it
! her dolls clothes, Bebe would have
been left Qike our own Flora McFlim-
sey in the balladl with nothing to
wear.
The work OF dressing and undress-
ing him was very difficult He was
such fragile little toy that his father.
with his big rough hands. was afraid
10 touch him lest he might break
tiny leg or arm, or pinch of few tin-
gers and toes ~ a.S5ether; so Bebe was
quite mothers boy, and il took her
somo time TO get used to handling
bim. She made little bed for him in
one OF his fathers wooden shocs, lining
it with tow; and in this hum bic cot
the child slept as soundly aud as sweet,
ly as il he were high-born baby of
ordinary size in a satin-lined cradle.
When he was about month old,
there was sent to him from the town
OF Nancy handsome china dish hold
ing n tiny pillow OF fine white linen
stuffed with softest down. On this
Bebe was placed when carried to the
church TO be christened.
Never was there such a christening
In the town before. The whole village
turned out and joined the procession.
aad the children were so anxious 70
see this mite baptized that the priest
had TO stop more than once and wave
back the crowd Of inquistive faces be-
fore he could go on with the ceremony.
But 1t was finished at last. and the
Ferry's eldest son had a right to the
name OF Nicholas, though most people
called him Bebe, to the end Of his life.
Nicholas grew very slowly, and when
he was only SIX months old he had the
smallpox. The little fellow was quite
III. but he recovered, owing to bis
mothers tender care.
He did not begin to talk until he was
year and Q half old, and even then
hN Spu" rpCah CH'y AZ" 'Oiuo'
When he was two years old he made
his first attempt 10 walk, and his
proud and delighted mamma carried
him to tue village shoemaker and Or .
dered pair Of shoes fer Bebe. At
first the man only laughed at her, but
at last she induced him to measure the
child's foot. 1t was just ope inch and
. hnf ionS' hftcr grcSt usai o.
trouble pair of shoes were fashioned
- Such shoes!-they must have
Iccoott.. The reps pumps
Naturaitskot became an object of
great curiositysd pe5ple travelled
long distances to Dsn;m. Although
his diet now consisted w vegetables
and bacon, he managed to keep we'll
and grow up straight and shapsly-a
charming little tiSure.-Ss Nicholas.