Miss Mulock's Romance

1881

It was "John Halifax" published after she was thirty years old, that brought her fame, and made the task of earning her daily bread a little less arduous. Seven years later she was awarded a pension of three hundred dollars a year. She was nearly forty when she was married. In 1865 Captain George Lillie Craik, an officer in the English army, who had been in the Crimea, met Miss Mulock, and although some years her junior, addressed her and succeeded in winning her hand.

They proved most congenial companions, and their married life was all they could wish, without one exception, the woman whose love for children amounted almost to a passion, who wrote 'Philip, My King,' was denied the happiness of feeling baby fingers upon her cheek or of ever hearing herself called mother. This was a severe sorrow; but even this pain has been partly assuaged.

Strangely enough, one dark rainy night, while she and her husband were speaking of children and of the joy and brightness they bring to so many dwellings, there came a loud bell ring at the and then a furious knocking. On opening the door, lying upon the sill they found a basket enclosed in heavy wrappings. When they were removed they discovered a lovely little baby only a few hours old. The child was wrapped in one roll after another of India muslin, and on its breast was pinned a note begging Mrs. Craik to be kind to the little waif thus brought to her door, and assuring her that no mean blood flowed in its veins. Tenderly she lifted the little thing in her arms, and her heart opened as warmly to take in the poor little deserted creature.

They called the child Dorothea, God-given, and she became their adopted daughter, as tenderly cherished and as passionately loved as though she had been their own.

Is Insanity On The Increase?

1881

Either insanity is on the increase, or the freaks of insanity are brought more prominently before the public than ever before. Scarcely a daily paper but what contains the doings of some crank, and insanity is used as a cloak for all kinds of crime. Last week a man presented himself at the White House and asked to see President Arthur, presenting a letter of introduction which read:

"John Woling: You are hereby notified that Dr. John Noetling is lawfully elected President of the United States, and occupies the White House every day."
"(Signed.)" "ALMIGHTY GOD"

The man was immediately arrested but made a desperate resistance, drawing a revolver, but was overpowered before getting an opportunity to use it. He gave his name as Dr. John Noetling.


Jesse James Gang

The James boys are now reported to be in Kentucky, where several attempts have been made to capture them, but failed. It is also reported, on what claims to be good authority, that Jesse James shot and killed another member of the gang a week or two ago, something about a woman. We hope that he will keep on thinning them out.


Ingenious Swindle

North Carolina will have to be credited with originating the most ingenious swindle of this age of swindlers. Several years ago a man pretending to be half-witted went around the country instituting suits against the responsible men of the community for amounts ranging from twenty-five to seventy-five dollars.

Some parties defended their cases and he did not pretend that they really owed him anything, but acted like a partially demented man would naturally act in such a case, but most of the parties paid no attention to it and judgment was rendered against them by default.

The man never tried to collect any of the judgment and so the thing rested for a year or two, until time enough had elapsed to prevent an appeal. Then the man turned up again not near as crazy as was, and the people of that country found that those judgments were collectable and would have to be paid. While there was no great amount against any one man, yet the aggregate sum amounted to thousands of dollars.

That country is just a little too hot to hold him so he is doing his collecting by an agent.

—The Appanoose Times, Centerville, Iowa, Nov. 10, 1881, p. 2.