Year: 1868

III Toll you StOIS HO" odNou Hiy
life once, entirely through having
learned the deaf and dumb alphabet.


There were two little boys who used
to come and stay with Frank and me,
when we were first married, and they
could neither hear nor speak.


They were deaf and dumb; they could
not talk except with their fiDgers-so-
only ever so much quicker.


Frank and l learned this foreign al
phabet on purpose that we might un-
1erstand what they said. They were
quick and clever, they could read and
write, aye, and draw and sew, and do
many other things which most boys
would make but bad hand at.


They could play at draughts, and at
backgammon and chess, and at fox and
geese, as we'll as any boys. They could
almost see what we said, though they
could not hear, with such quick, eager
eyes did they watch every movement of
our lips. We soon, however, got to talk
rs easily as with our tongues, and some
times when the lads were not with us,
Frank and / often talked in that man
ner, when we were alone, just for prac-
tice.


1t happened that on one occasion he
had to 90 to London on important bust
ness; he was to have gone by the after
noon train, but something delayed him
SO that he was not able to leave before
the night express. i was not in very
good health, and retired to my bed
room about two hours before his depar-
ture; he promised, however, to come up
and bid me good bye before he started,
which would be between twelve and
one o'clock in the morning. The
matter which called him away was
connected with the bank here, which
had been burned down; and my hus-
band, it seems-though l did not know
it at the time, SO great secret had he
endeavored to keep it-had many thous-
ands pounds belonging to the concern
in his temporary possession, locked up
in the iron safe in our bedroom where
the plate was kept. He was bank man
ager and responsible for the whole of it.
It was cold weather and there was a
fire in the CRATE, so bright and comfort
able that ! was in no hurry to leave it
and get into bed, but sat up and looked in-
to the fiery Goals, and thinking about
all sorts of things; upon the long jour
ney that Frank had to take that night,
and how dreary the days would be till
he returned, and in particular how lone
ly | should feel in that great room all
by myself when he should be away, for
| was dreadful coward. 1t was little
after eleven o'clock when retired; but
| did not feel the least incliAed to sleep
even then. I knew Frank would be
coming in presently to wish me good
bye, and besides there seemed to be all
sorts of noises about the reom which
my foolish ears used to hear when was
alone at night.


If little SCOT fell down the chimney,
it was, thought, great black crow,
at least, which would soon be flying all
around my pillow; if mouse squeaked
in the wall it was the creaking of some
persons shoes, coming up stairs to kill
me with carving knife. and if the
wind blew the easements, it was some
one trying to get into the room by the
window, although it was two stories
high.


You may imagine then nay horror
when heard o tremendous sneeze with
in an inch of me Just behind the head
board of my bed, and between that and
the wall, where there was considerable
space. had as usual taken the precaa-
tion, before l put the candle out, of
looking everywhere in the room, where
it was quite possible that any person
could be hid; but in the little alcove,
into which the bed was pushed / had
never thought of looking for anybody.
Ever since / slept in that room, in short
/ had been like the ostrich, that puts
its head into the sand, and then imag-
ines itself in perfect security.


had piqued myself on precaution-
ary measures, that after all, might just
as well have been omitted. The only
thing, as believe, which saved my rea-
son from departing altogether when l
first heard that terrible sound, was, that
my mind clung to the hope that after
all, it might be only the sneeze of cat.
Fifty eats together could not have made
half the disturbance, it is true, for it
was o snseze in spite of himself, and the
conclusion almost shocked the house,
but the idea sustained me over the first
shock.


The next instant, and the wretch
sneezed again, and pushing aside the
bed, which rolled on castors, felt that
he was standing beside nv pillow look