Daily national Democrat., 1858-11-21
DAILY DEMOCRAT
The Lunotic ond tho shirt.

a man who had on ill-adjusted garments
and certain wild expression in his eve,
stopped at a fashionable shirt depot in New
York, few days since, and purchaseda fine
u stitched shirt which hung in the window.
He did not haggle about the price, he took
the article at the vendors original valuation.
As he left the shop he said inquiringly, "have
you laundry in connection with your es-
tablishment p Receiving an affirmative an
swer he passed on and was forgotten in five
minutes by the proprietor of the shirts and
dickeys
Next day the man re-appeared and hand
ed the SHIRT to the proprietor, and said, wash
that shirt" and again departed at will be
ready to morrow" said the shirt man.
Next day the strange individual re-appear-
ed and took away the garment.
On the succeeding day he re-appeared and
handed back the shirt saying, " wash it
again"
The man of shirth looked at it. 1t had
not been worn or soiled. 1t appeared i'm
macuate in its whiteness. "Your shirt is as
clean as it may be" he remarked.
''No matter wash it, and I'll foot the bill, -
was his reply.
In three days he re-appeared with the
shirt, which had not been worn, or soiled, or
wrinkled, and on each occasion he grew more
and more peremptory in demanding that the
shirt should be washed clean!
at can be made no cleaner nor winter" ="
said the proprietor.
There are yet stains upon it, said the old
customer
"Show them to me and they shall be re-
moved"
"You cannot see them; they are invisible
to you Follow my orders and wash it
anew"
Next day he came, and the proprietor said,
"here is your shirt, and have submitted it
to the critical eye Of men who declare it per
feet"
The customer looked at it and shook his
head with melancholy air. "These stains
will never come out" said he.
The proprietor looked at him and the spot
less linen with astonishment. The clerks
grouped themselves together apart from him,
and circulated among themselves remarks net
complimentary to the strange customer. His
apparel was not in keeping with his strange
fastidiousness in regard to the shirt so often
rejected as unfit for his wearing. "Fool 7"
mon compos !" drunk" were among the
eplthets they applied to him.
The proprietor was veXed. lie tossed the
shirt to his customer and said, "sir, you sim
rly insult me when you affirm that this gar
ment is not clean, or that it has the least stain
upon it. You can leave my store, sir. do
not desire to see you again!"
There was a singular CLEAN in the eyes of
the customer, as he dashed the bundle upon
the floor where he trampled it. He exclaim.
ed in frenzy, "it is stained-damnably
saw pale young woman stitching it for a
small prce-for half price-for almost no
price Her tears fell fast and scalding upon
i'll 1t is well you say you can make it no
whittier by your washing: for those tears
which were the blood ofa soul are stitched
into every seam. cannot wear it. 'Twould
burn my bosom like fire 1t was her last
shirt; you have driven her forth, and she now
walks the path that leads to hell, every day.
She's Broadway prostitute No, no, no,
you can't wash it out; you can never wash it
out!"
"Poor lunatic," said the proprietor 81
thought all along this man was crazy p And
he went Immediately for an officer, to have
his troublesome customer removed to IA luna
tic hospital.