Weekly Trinity journal., 1861-03-09
Lima, the I.unntic.

Whoever has recently visited the Stale Luna
tic ASYLUM, says a writer in the True Pacifc Mes
senqer, will remember with grief and horror tina
hideous spectre, in the form Of n woman, Will
disheveed hair. distracted features glarng eyes
and constantly bleeding lips, bitten thus by wratl
and madness She could not be subdued, ana
and even the straight jacket was OF no avail
| They had TO chain her in order to secure the
attending physician and servants from danger
and thus she was kept in solitary CELL for all
the world like hungry beast OF prey than a
human being Now, she would crouch on the
floor, in wild laughter and furious screams, work
ing away with hands and feet as II reptiles and
serpents were approaching, and against the stings
of which she sought projections; then, she would
become n moment silent, lfeless, inanimatcd in
limbs and body, whenall at once she again would
start up to her feet cutchng the iron bars OF
her cage with hands and teeth, and shake them
with such muscular force as is not often exhibited
by the tender frame Of woman. 1t was always
dangerous 10 approach her. One aftgnOOn II
strange physician visited the Asylum. lie was
conducted by the chief official Of the medical
departments His broken accents revealed the
foreigner, and the peculiar pronunciation lndIca-
ted the German. At the cell OF the unhappy
woman the stranger paused and listened to the
account given of that patient. The already
hoary visitor seemed strangely affected and
moved. His whole body trembled the dim
eyes became filed with tears. Notwithstanding
the attendant danger pointed out to him, he en-
treated TO be permitted TO enter that ward which
was considered the most unsafe In the institution.
His urgent request WAS granted, and then scene
ensued which ballisd description.
When the door was drawn open and he enter
ed, the crouching maniac jumped up as 1t touch
ed by a secret spring, caught him with her teeth
on the shoulder and in an instant tore both coat
and flesh from the old man. Yet he never fall
tered. With his withered hands he took hold Of
her. Both seemed to rise up in hight and rival
in strength during the strange struggle. lie
pronounced a name. Lima" broke from his
iips and as the lightning flash upon the unsus-
pectng from out clear horizon and fixes him,
statue like, overcome with astonishment so stood
the woman, all changed, transformed. Her ner-
vOus stretch Of the over excited powers gave
way; the wild fire that flashed from the eyes was
visibly extinguished, and flood Of tears now
broke freely forth. Her fierce grasp upon the
old man ceased, and the hands that an instan
previous had pierced the nails into the contend
ing antagonist, now shook like the leaves OF q
tree in the rustlng breeze. Visbly their mus
cular force essens-now they drop the woman
shrinks for a moment from the stranger who
stretches forth his arms, and again eycame
" Lina" She sinks upon his breast, her arms
encircled around his neck, then raises her head
and presses countless kisses upon the lips and
cheeks and forehead Of the weeping man and
at length the first distinct word that she has ut
tered since her confinement here breaks from her
lips, and she cries, Father, my dear, dear Ia
ther ~ and, swooning, she sinks into his arms, TO
awake after a long, death like stup0r, with re-
stored senses-cured and was soon entrusted TO
the care Of her once sOrrowing but now consoed
parent.