The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-10-19
THE STORY
OF NORHH s.
By BARRY PAIN.

MS history OF case OF double per-
sonality has not. so far as / know, been
recorded before. More than 20 years
have elapsed since the death of Norah
S., and it is not now possible to obtain
many of the details which one would like
to have. But even in its imperfect state
the history seems to me to present pecal-
iarities which make 1t remarka BILE. | will
give it in two parts. This first part con
tains information supplied by Miss X.
who acted as Norah's governess and at II
later period as her companion. This lady
is still alive. and her wish to have al,
names suppressed must be respected
The information is supplemented by n
few entries in the notebook of a doctor
who at one time attended Norah.
Norah's parents died when she was
still baby. and unfortunately their fam
lily history cannot be traced. Her father
was an English artist: the mother was
French and much younger than her hus-
band. They lived abroad-at Rome for
the greater part of the year. 1t was
there that they died, within a few days
of one another, of malignant malarial
fever. Norah was brought to England
and adopted by a childless coIple-her
fathers brother and his wife.
The adaptive father has practically
nothing to do with this story. he sesgHs
to have been a commonplace little men.
energetic in his professian-he was a So
licitor-and completely under the deniA-
ion Of his wife at home Mrs. s. was q
woman of strong and narrow religious
convictions and of kindly nature. Both
were devoted to the child. They lived in
n suburb Of north country manufactur.
ing town. where Mr.. s. had his practice.
Up to the age of 8 Norah received a GER
tain amount of desultory teaching from
Ms. 8. Then a regular governess was
engaged.
Miss X. was at that time a teacher Of
more enthusiasm than Judgment NoraE
was very fond of her; she was a child of
precocious intelligence; she was eager to
learn. Miss Y. was proud of her pupil
and pushed her on. The child worked
six hours day as a rule. sometimes more.
and she really did work. At that time
unreasoning education was just coming
into fashion. One is not surprised to find
that shortly after Norah's ninth birthday
the doctor had TO be called in.
Tie was an old gentleman. and he KEEP,
kind of rough notchook in which he
recorded things of medical and other in
terpst He speaks Of Norah as n pretty
little gypsy He found that she slept i'll.
was very nervous and had a poor and ca
PRECIOUS appetite She was anRmic. but
he bled her all the same. For the rest
his treatment seems to layman to have
been sensible enough. He gave her a
tonic. which probably did her no harm.
He regulated her diet. He absolutely
forbade all lessons for the next three
months. He sent her to the seaside AMI
gave Instructions that she was to play
with other children. He noticed, by the
way-of course before the days when
such things became a special study-that
Norah frowned and twisted her face If
she were asked n question that it was
difficult or unpleasant for her to answer.
The child went to Lowestoft with her
adaptive mother and Miss Y. Mr.. 8.
was detained by his business. The doc
tor had given Miss Y. the rough side of
his tongue In his notebook he speaks
of her as "the hired assassin" She was
duly penitent. But the old gentleman
recognized that she had made her mis-
take through ignorance and that the
adaptive mother had shared the ignO-
rance and encouraged the overpressure.
He saw, too. that the child was very
fond of her and that il would be bad for
the child to part them Mt this juncture.
Miss Y. in her distress had resigned her
post but the doctor would not permit her
to go. He told her bluntly that she had
done enough harm without that. She
was now as eager to amuse Norah and
aurse her back to health as she had for
hnr int inf
prodigy. The child got rapidly better.
On the afternoon OF Sept. %. 1861
the date is fixed by letter in Miss Ms
7ossession-Norah went out to play IN
the beach with some young friends
whose acquaintance she had recently
made. At teatimc. as she did not re-
turn. Miss Y. went out to look for her.
She found her alone under the cliff fast
asleep She woke her.
why. Norah. you've been asleep
she said.
The child looked surprised. I'm not
Eorah." she said. "NOrah's gone away.
I'm Janet"
Miss Y. at first thought this WAS some
childish joke. And who's .Ianet?" she
asked.
"Norah's twin sister. Didn't you know
She's told me all about you and Airs. b.
So far es is known Sorah's parents had
no other child. 1t is worth noting. too,
that the normal Norah never spoke nf
Airs. s. She always called her meth
err
Miss Y. began to get little nervous.
but she still tried to get the child tn con-
fess that this was some silly joke. II
was useless. The child persisted that
she was Janet She was annoyed at hav-
ing it questioned and asked Miss y. not
to tease her.
She was taken home. and there Mrs. 5
chung to the theory that it was some
piece of naughtiness or Stiffness on No
rah's part. though she owned that il WIS
quite out Of keeping with Norah's usua
behavior The child was cross examined
mllipt. frightened. hut all through sh
stuck 20 her statement that she was no,
Norah. but Janet. Mrs. S. brought out
new picture book. and she said she
would give it to her if she would write
her proper name in it.
IL will write Nornl's name il you like
but | am not Norah She has gone
away"
She picked up a pencil and wrote tho
name quickly and without hesitation
Then the two women knew that SOME
thing was wrong. for the name was writ
ten in looking glass withdrawing that
must he held tn Il mirror to h. read. Aft
er shat. at Miss KS suggestion, the
dropped the question of identity and talk
ed TO her about other things. She seem d
perfectly reasonable. but less quick Ia
understand things than Norah usually
was. Ii was noticed that. unlike Noria