And the first sight of him confirmed the reputation, and made even a stranger recognize that his fame was both natural and justifiable.

But the minister had scarcely time to cast a glance on the acute, benevolent, wonderfully powerful and thoughtful head, when his attention was attracted by the poor infant, whom Janet was carefully unswathing from innumerable folds of cotton wool.
Mrs.Campbell was a widow of only a month, and her mistress, to whom she had been much attached, lay dead in the next room, yet she had still a few tears left, and they were dropping like rain over her mistress's child.
No wonder.

It lay on her lap, the smallest, saddest specimen of infantile deformity.

It had a large head--larger than most infants have--but its body was thin, elfish, and distorted, every joint and limb being twisted in some way or other.

You could not say that any portion of the child was natural or perfect except the head and face.
Whether it had the power of motion or not seemed doubtful; at any rate, it made no attempt to move, except feebly turning its head from side to side.