The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-02-01
A~<%%%% when ei
| THE STURY
OF N0RAH s.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BY BARRY PAIN.

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 pecul-
iarities which make it remarkable. | will
give it in two parts. This first part con-
tains information supplied by Miss Y.
who acted as Norah'S governess and at n
later period as her companion. This lady
Is still alive, and her wish to have ail
names suppressed must be respected.
The information is supplemented by n
few entries in the notebook of 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 n few DAYS
of one another, of malignant malarial
fever. Norah was brought to England
and adopted by a childlcss coupe-hcr
fathers brother and his wife.
The adaptive father has practically
nothing to do with this story. he seems
to have been a commonplace little man.
energetic in his profeSsion-hc was a So
licitor-and completely under the domin-
ion of his wife mt home Mrs S. was a
woman of strong and narrow religious
convictions and of 4 kindly nature. Both
were devoted TO the child. They lived in
a suburb of a north country Manufacture
ing town. where Mr. S had his practice.
Up TO the age of s Norah received a GER
tain amount of deSultory teaching from
Ne" 5. Then n regular governcss was
engaged.
Miss Y. was at that time a teacher of
more enthusiasm than Judgment. Norah
was very fond Of her; she was child Of
precocous intelligence; she was eager to
learn. Miss X was proud of her prpil
and pushed her on. The child worked
six hours a day as rule. sometimes more,
and She really did work. At that time
unrcasonins education was just coming
int fashion. One is not surprised to find
that shortly after Norahs ninth birthday
the doctor had to be called in.
lie was an old gentleman. and he kept
a Kind of rough notebook in which he
recorded things Of medical and other in
tercSt. He speaks of Norah rs a pretty
litte gypsy. He found that she slept i'll,
was very nervous and had poor and ca
pricious appetite. She was annmic. but
he bcd her all the same For the rest
MS treatment seems to 4 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 ana
gave instructions that She was to play
viii other children. He noticed, by the
way-of course before the days when
sueh things became special study-that
Moral frowned and twisted her face If
she were asked a question that it was
dihcult or unpleasant for her to answer.
The child went to Lowestoft with her
adoptive mother and Miss Y. Mr.. S.
was detained by his business. The doc
tor had given Miss Y. the rough side of
MS tongue. In his notebook he speaks
OF Der 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
adoptive mother had shared the igno-
fance and encouraged the ovcrpresSure
he saw, too, that the child was very
fond Of her and that it would be bad for
the child to part them at this juncture
Miss \. in her distress had resigned her
post but the doctor would not permit her
70 60. He told her bluntly that she had
done enough harm without that She
was now as eager to amuse Norah and
nurse her back to health as she had for
merry been to turn her into an infant
prodlgy. The child got rapidly better
of &c
1ne gate is fixed by letter in Miss KS
posse sSion-Norah went out to play on
the beach with some young friends
whose acquaintance she had recently
MADE At teatime. as she did not re-
turn, Miss y. went out to look for her
one found her alone under the cliff fast
Asieen, She woke her.
WHY. Norah, you've been asleep
she said.
me child looked surprised. "Im not
Norah," she said. 'Norah's gone away
I'm Janet."
Mss X. at first thought this was some
childish joke. Sand who's Janct?" she
asked.
"Norah's twin sister. Didn't You know?
shes told me all about you and Mrs. s."
so far Us is known Norah's parents had
no other child 1t is worth noting. too
that the normal Norah never spoke Of
Mrs. 81 She always called her "moth-
Miss Y. began to get little nervous.
put she still tried to get the child to CON
Tess that this was some silly joke Il
was useless. The child persisted that
she was Janet. She was annoyed at hav-
ing Il questioned and asked Miss X. not
70 tease her.
ohe was taken home, and there Mrs. S.
ciung TO the theory that it was some
piece of naughtiness or Stiffness on No
!, rams part, though she owned that it was
I.Quite out of keeping with Nornh's usual
,penaylor. The child was cross examined.
puiiied, frightened, but all through she
sxNSk 70 her statement that she was not
eXah' but Janet. Mrs. S. brought out
INV picture book, and she said she
ou'u give 1t to her if she would write
~ utk proper name in it.
will write Norah's name If Won ike
Z AWay." ''"e mas eohe
- picked up pencil and wrote the
y r# quickly and without hesitation.
~ hs sn the two women knew that some
~As was wrong, for the name was writ
looking glass writing-writing that
= ne held to mirror to be read. Aft
20 = " at, at Miss Ms suggestion, thew
WPeu the question of identity and talk
-Ntv ner about other things. She seemed
sll *t9etiy reasonable, but less quick to