Year: 1860

and had in it an excess or agony that can
not be indicated in words, so loud, that it
rung over that quiet little village, and
brought every ono forth to ascertain the
cause.


sprang to the door that separated the
sitting room from the dining apartments,
and saw the whole at glance. The young
mother stood at the door with her first-born,
our darling Evelecn, in her arms dying. A
brief and hurried word from the servant told
me the sad story.


The little girl had accompanied a child
uncle up stairs, and while the attention of
the elder child was for a moment turned
away, she seized bottle of corrosive subll-
mate in alcohol, and had taken enough to
take away twenty such lives. The little
thing had tottcrel down stairs, and her
mother had met her at the landing with the
empty bottle in her hand, and the poison
oozing from her mouth, and the child all
unconscious of the fearful thing she had
done. Was it any wonder that terrific
shrek rang out over the quiet village. and
that already the occupants of every home
near, were rushing toward the spot where
the mother stood?


But few minutes could possibly have
elapsed since the poison was taken, and yet
the effect was already fearful. After the
first shrek of terror, the mother had quietcd
to calm despair for a moment, and stood
with the child in her arms, making no effort
for it's relief, and indeed it seemed hopeless,
for already the subtle poison seemed diffused
through the frame the brown eyes had lost
their lustre, the face was blackened as after
death. and the teeth were tight set in con-
vulsive spasm, that evidently would not pass
away.


[ examined the little lost darling for
moment, saw that it was hopeless, and then
turned away, unable to bear that mothers
agony. The little door was already half
full of villagers, and sobs and means and
lamentations over the fate of the dying child
were heard in every direction, with ques-
tons as to the manner Of it's occurrence, and
vain attempts at answering, which added
an depressing confusion to the sadness Of
the scene.


The little play yellow uncle who had been
up stairs with the child, had run instantly
to call the father, and but few moments
elapsed before he sprang into the middle of
the nronn- lie bad hean tod ell and asked
no questions. [ had time to remark that
his eyes was very stern, and that his lips
were very firmly compressed. Others, too,
remarked it, and [ knew, afterward, that
murmur ran round the circle, of how strange
it was that he betrayed no feeling.


He reached out his hands, and took the
child from it's mother It's eyes were now
closed, and white ooze coming from be-
tween the blackened lips. Was ever death
more assured? saw him open the eyelids,
and heard him give sigh of relief He
told me afterward that the eye was not
shrunken, and so death had not begun
lie then attempted to open the mouth, but
the teeth were tight set, and they resisted
his efforts But with force that seemed
almost brutal he wrenchcd the teeth apart,
and opened the mouth.


s'Shame," cried one of the bystandcrs.


The father did not heed them, but mo-
toned to neighbor to take the child in his
arms. lie did SO.


"Dring me the egg basket" he spoke
very sternly almost without opening his
teeth, to the servant.


What do you want with it?'' ''What
can you do with it ?'' Hes crazy!'' ond
man such remarks followed, but the basket
was there in moment.


He seized one Of the eggs, broke it, in
serted his fingers between the teeth again
and wrenched them open by force, though
| they shut with so convulsive motion as to
tear the flesh from his fingers. and poured
the albumen into the throat. There was a
slight struggle, nothing more, and the spec
tators were Mortified at the action.


"Don't, the child is dying - said one.


s'Please don't hurt the little thing-it
can't live 2" the mother found voice to say,
! laying her hand upon his arm.


MARY, be still.' he answered sternly,
while his teeth were relaxing from their
clenching, and his face as hard as if he were
entering q battle land don't any of you
meddle with me; keep off,"


The bystanders involuntarily obeyed, with
many harsh remarks upon his cruelty-he
did not heed them, but went on Another
egg was broken, and still there was no re-
lief Then the whole body of bystanders
broke out in loud murmur, and cries OF
'.Brute!'' '.Let the child die in peace p


'He is crazy-take the child away from
him !" were heard around him.
! He desisted for moment from his efforts,
and turned with fcrceness which had be-
fore been altogether foreign to his nature
but no one who saw him afterwards forgot
it. ''Fools," he hissed mind your own
business, and leave me mine! Take her
away, will you? Try it p and he went on
emptying egg after egg down the apparent
| ly lifelcss throat.


The mother could stand this no longer.
Her first born was being tortured to death
before her eyes in its death throcs, and she
imploringly flung herself on her knees be-
fore her husbands father, who had that
momcnt arrived.


80 father do stop him." she gasped; che
will obey you do stop him. He is tortur-
ing that poor, poor dying Child"


The grandfather started forward a step to
interfere, for he, too, thought the proceed