Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-10-12
TaHa. FEMALE NERNES.

from Gebbert's New Book s'The Monomaniac' II
Among the guests at table at Shirley
Hal on the day of my arrival, was a tall
,,dv-like and rather elderly woman, of a
somewhat foreign aspect | afterwards
r,und she was a native of France. but had
baan so many wears in England there was
o,lv thp slightest trace of her foreign origin
10 he found in her accent. Nine Reumont
had most amiable expression of counte
nance. and | afterwards found out that
her countenance was faithful mirror OF
her mind. During the meal | conrerscd
with her occasionally. She was evidently
we'll educated. and she spoke on every
subject brought forward with so much
good sense, that not the slightest appear
ance of insanity of any kind would be de-
sected in it Had it not been Tor certain
marked prudery she exhibited certain
croverncss like appearance OF fl@ld proPTl-
CIV Of MANNER in choosing her expressions,
sLo would have pleased me immensely; +;
but the certainty that she was talking tor
effect that, in French theatrical phrase
the yGpDe was always before her, cOnsld-
erablv impaired the impression she Wonld
otherwise have made on my good opinion
She retired early from the dinner table
hnt | saw her arain for a short time at
Mrs. Meadows tea a-table, in the evening
For the next three or four days we met
REGULARLY at dinner; hut nothing on either
occasion was elected from her to make me
chance the opinion | had first formed of
her.
About week after cur first acqualnt-
ance. | had occasion to change my mind
with resnect TO her sanity; and | was
OBLIGED TO admit that in her case also her
frienas had acted with discretion in placing
her under restraint not from any danger
which might have occurred by her beng
at iaroe. but from the ridlcule to which
she would have been exposed when giving
wav to the extraordinary deluslon under
which she was laboring.
! After breakfast. one morning, | visited
/ the attic story of the house, the division oil
/ the front rooms of which, rs | have already
/ stated. had been removed for the purpose
/ of forming a corridor for the patient S
exercise in cold. windy or wet weather.
+ When I entered | found it empty, and Its
+ silence pleased me- | do not remember
what induced me TO 90 there that morning,
for the weather was fine. Perhaps it was
+ to INDULGE. in little solitude, or possibly
( To eniov the extensive view from the win
! dows over the surrounding country. My
attention was presently attracted to per
+ hans a score of lads who were exercising
as recruits for the militia under the IN
/ structions Of drill-sergeant. From their
. extraordinarily clumsy manner ana un-
gainlv appearance, should ima"lne 1t was
tgeir first or second day of training
watched them for some tune tor thell
j f,lupders afforded me considerable amuse
ment. Presently | heard some one near
mo on turning round. | found at an ad
.rY,oNv
elbow on the sill and her head placed OF
her hand. weeping bitterly
Srrnrisad and somewhat alarmed. L I'M
meaiateIv approached her. l wished tc
offer her some consolation but feared
that, ifI asked her the cause of her grief
| might be guilty of some lndiscretion -
A. soon as She was aware was beside
her she raised her head, and with her eyes
sufrrsad with tears. she pointed with heI
hand to the mi itia-men exercising on the
common. She attempted To speak, but
her Grief prevented her She remained
thu, a few moments At last words came
10 her relief All" she said, in how
short time viii not one of these men bi
i've = could not dispute the point
but even while admitting rs truth. could
, not imagine why it should atilict her 50
i terribly. as, in point Of age. she mlgh
, easily have been the mother of the oldes
man among them. However. | begged
! she would not distress herself on such
| subject. as it was a fate from which nei
) ther of US could possibly escape
Although she did not attempt to DISPUTE
: my reasoning. it did not appear TO afford
the slightest consolation. In fact, th'
certainty of her own death and min'
seemed to be matters of perfect indltfer
ence to her; but she still pointed TO- ant
cazed with intense and genuine sorrow
visible in her countenance, at the militia