The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-22

A LEOTURBR
comic lecturer and ventriloouist well known
TO the public has not inrequently given per
formances in the institution and they we're of q
character exceedingly acceptable to the inmatea.
His tate was most sad. He died the terrible
death Of q hypochondIiaoal maniac; not a single
pleasing fancy ilumined his piteous confnement.
He was an illustration of the danger of allowing
an active intellect 10 run into amessness. He
Obtained a competence, retired from business,
and went mad. He voluntarily committed him
sell to the Asylum two years ago, and his story
ran thus:-
II bought me a house; ordered and paid for
furniture TO be put therein; arrived at II one
night and foun0 it empty; slept on the floor; be-
came disgusted and sold it next day for mere
song. | then reflected; found had lost a large
sum OF money; knew ought to be under care;
aud came here for it,r
From the deepest melancholy he rapidlv sank
into hypOchundria of the most extravagant
character. He was living in the midst of putre-
faction; he could eat nothing; his meat was de.
composed; mix was q mass of gangrene. He
became walking skeleton, and would unmis.
takably have starved himself to death had not
food been forced upon him. His shrieks as the
detested viands entered has mouth we're appalling
Opium may be named as another cause of his
madness. He had addicted himself to the habitual
use CT that drug. Such got TO be the unhealthy
state OF his constitution that slight scratch on
one of his feet caused it to swell inordnately. He
would point to it with despair. 'That foot is
dead Look at it Isn't it horrible? 1t is all
gangrene. Pah! how it - l shall die of
cholera from that foot" He finally imagined
himself a corpse. Passing his door one after
noon the writer heard cry (as he understood
it) for coffee.
'What do you want coffee for DOctor?--
haven't you had your dinnerW
"Cottee y exclaimed the poor man, testify;
81 didn't say coffee. l said coffin. am dead
| won't keep long. ought to have been buried
two days ago."
Clinging to this delusion, he had to be dressed
ana undressed by the attendants, for he would
do nothing for himself. He was a corpse; no
such thing could be expected of him. Out of
this living death he soon now passed into the
reality. A case OF more unmitieated woe have
never seen before or since; yet the sufferer was
one who had conVulsed large audiences with
laughter at his finished limitations of hypo-
chondriac.
Shortly after his decease another miserable
man breathed his last within the walls of the
Asylum. An educated Hungarian exile, he
practised law in the city even while patient.
HIS death was caused by consumption. He was
ever talking of his position in his native land
how he was wealthy and noble. Some of his
Authorizations while upon his sick bed were
amusing. Two holes for ventilation were in the
wall near the ceiling, and through them he
imagined the doctor was PLAYING upon him with
a large magnetic battery in the room above.
tried In vain to disabuse him of the belief en-
ploying incontestable arguments, but to no pur-
pose.
THE BLACK PREACHER.
We want fresh air after contemplating these
cases OF extreme wretchedness stroll about
the grounds will recreate our sickened souls.
Coming up the pathway towards US is form
recognlze; the placid countenance of Black
| Charley is about to pass.
| How are you, Charley"
Quite we'll, tank you, massa.n
| I'm hurryW
| mo, no great, massa."
"a have here some friends who like instruc-
ton. Will yon not edify them by discourse ?'
| Cant preach wldout notes, sah.r .
| | know CharlpyiS DnpuliaIilV and
hand him scrap of blank paper. He surveyed
| II tor few moments, and then enunciated the
following:- ....-a ...
"Bredren, de Queen of Sheba Moses and de
prophets, de New jerusalem for Everlasting.
Yea, berily. eben so, now and foreber. Seah.
In de beginning was de word, and de word was
made IN six days out OBJ noting, Paul an apostle
to dem dat am wild Nebuchadnezzar-peac
Blessed am de mercitul, for dey shhl pluck corn
on de Sabba' dav, " etc. -.l
Charley speaks as if reading from book.
There Is no question but that the piece of paper
is of service to him. he never was known to
preach without it. His is certainly Scriptural
discourse, and delivered with earnest purpose,
yet we are not sorry when he commences sing
ing, in his weak lackadaiscal way, the words OF
an old Methodist hymn.
While he is SO occupied let us talk with
Paddy who is hitching desperately at his
trowsers in the potato-patch yonder He picks
| up his hoe as we approach and vlndictively lace
rates the ground.
"Paddy!"
"Ah, go long wild ye; Pm busy" Then a sud
den idea strikes him; he rushes up to us, Ghrusts
his bleared eyes and haggard. twltchine mouth
into my face, and catching me by the lapel OF
my coat, propounds the question:
Dye reminder the ponies | gave your father
three colts and bay mare-beautes, every
son of 'em ?"
mo, Paddy, ycu never gave them; they were
bought at a good price,"
"D'ye mind that now? Wasn't the largest
landowner in the County Killarney? Dye know
Tim O'Brien's tavern? He was next door to me.
Take this" He puts in my hand bit of broken
crockery, and closes my fingers upon it. keep
that, now. Dye mlndf Dye mind thatp
He bitches his trowsers again, and is of, with
a painful, nervous step. | turn my back, won
dering, as move away, II he were not horse
jockey at one period, when my sleeve is pulled,
and 10 Paddy once more. He motions me to
extreme caution, slips another bit OF an old
plate inIo my hand, "Dye mind that now~ and
is gone.
As the artist Is putting the finishing touches
to a likeness OF INN he has picked up during the
adventure lust related an attenuated and spec
taced figure looks over his shoulder at the
drawing and then, with iTTepressible indigna-
ton cleaning III his eyes and quivering in every
word, declares that he will have no such work
Gone IN the land.
Thou shalt not make to thyself the like
ness of any thing IN the heavens above or in the
earth beneath Dare ye disobey the Second
Commandments
The artist, in despair with the portrait he has
obtained with such difficulty, mildly suggests
that it can hardly be considered the likeness ol
anything.
New Jerusalem" looks puzzled, but solves
the question by asking Tor some tobacco, which
is given.
1T is NINE" he returns, as be pockets it. "All
| You have is mine.
we look our gratitude for the use of his pro
perty, and retire from the presence of the
Especial Messenger"