Maryland free press., 1867-04-18
TWO HOURS WITH A MADMAN

the door with the handle Of my whip II was
opened by little girl who stood in the doorway
holding candle in one hand, and keeping back
her thick, curly hair with the other, while she
looked at me half shy, MS ie demanding my bust
ness. ...r r.. .....
"My dear,' answered to that questioning
look, 'is there any one in the house besides
yourself2'' .-.
ayes, there is," she answered. "f,ther and
mother and the boys"
b. "Well, ask your father TO come here q mo-
nient, want to speak to him."
She retreated, and entered the room behind
her, and in about halfa minute the farmer came
out. made known my business, explained that
i had been overtaken by the night, that my des-
dnation was several miles distant, and that 10th
my horse and myself were unfit for further trav-
cling till we had procured food and rest,
With the hospitality common to all farmers,
especially American ones, my host for the night
bade me welcome, conducted me into O large
kitchen, with floor so white tha. you involun-
iary piticd the hands and arms that had brought
It into such a state of cleanliness, and bade me
seat myself before the blazing fire while supper
was being got ready; and then, not forgetting
my horse, he told one of the boys to feed him and
4nke him to the stable.
After supper, as felt unusually tired, I asked
to be shown to the place where was to pass the
night, and was conducted to comfortable little
room with doway bed, white coanterpane and
curtains, upon the second floor, by my host him
SELF who, after bidding me good night left the
candle and departed, closing the door after him.
Tired and sleepy as was, hurriedy undress-
ed, went TO bed, and in five min utes was sound
ly sleeping. grinding grating sound awoke
me-at what time l don't know-but the moon,
which did not rise till very late was fully up,
its bright rays streaming in through the win
dow, from which had.purposcly looped back
the curtain, that the first streak OF day might
wake me, as was anxious to proceed on my
way. There, sitting full in the moonlight, was
aman with long carving knife in his hand
which he was leisurely sharpening upon piece
Of grindstone and which | now perceived made
the sound that had awakened me. l thought
surely was dreaming; or, if l was awake, what
In the name of heaven meant what saw? And
still the man leisurely ground the blade of the
knife, and in perfect stupor ofamazemcnt lay
perfectly qnict with wide open eyes looking at
him. .
In few minutes he stopped grinding, and
passing his finger carefully along thc,cdgc of the
knife he nodded and shook his head knowingly
to intimate to himself that he had brought the
blade to a proper degree ofsharpness. My blood
ran cold; kind of panic seized me when saw
that action, and the cool calculating smile with
which he held tue knife up between him apdEthe
IN light, looking at it with the air ofa con-
noisscur. Then he leisurey got up, stepped over
D the table where left the caudlestick and be-
gan looking around for something-a match l
conjectured.
While his back was turned, the idea of slip
ping from the bed and boiling out at the door
suggested itself to me; but before had time to
act upon it, tho match wss found, and Lolding
the candle in one hand, the matcl in the other,
and the handle of the knife between his long
wolish teeth, he came over towards the bed
Even then might have attempted to escape by
rushing at him, wrenching the knife from be-
tween his teeth, and SO getting the advantage
but even that was not capable of, so overcome
was by the surprise and horror of my situation
and through all, such an Unsuitable curiosity
possessed me to know what he was about to do,
for as yet could only conjecture that his pur-
pose was to murder me-
He struck the match against the wall and
lighted the candle, and then took the knife from
beneath his teeth, and took firm hold of the can
dlo in his hand. I felt faint and sick, when !
fully realized then that my last chance at escape
was gone. He bent over me, flashed the light
full upon mytyes, and perceiving that was
awake, exclained with wild kind ofa laugh
"TIal ha! Awake eh?-ha! hal Glad of it sir;
meant to awake you, ifyou hadn't done il your
self. I consider it cowardly to kill sleeping
man,"
And he laughed at me again, and peercd into
my face with his red hot burning eyes.
could see at once that he was mad, and I
saw that the horror of my situation was increas.
ed. At first, had thought him a robber, or
hardly knew what thought-but now, knew
that he was a madman. From his own words,
too, knew that it was his intention TO murder
M, and | felt that little short of miracle could
cave mo.
After he had taken good look at me, he sat
down upon the bed, and to my intense horror
began slowly running his finger with great care
along the edge of the knife-evidently he had no
intention ofsuffering from the experiment. And
then he said:-
'''I don't intend to kill you just now-rerhaps
not for an hour--but guess that's about the
ior gcst You have to live. First, mean to have
q talk with you. Do you know where l came
fr0n?''
did not, Indeed, and told him so, wishing
within myself with all my heart, that he would
iuke it into his crazy brain 10 find bis way back
there, and leave me to sleep in peace.
''You don't know, eh? Well, / dom: mind
telling you. Don'tyou see that church spire
away these TO the lef2''
No, didn't see ths church spire nor anything
else in in the world at that moment but the burn
ing eyes of the maniac. So l told him l didn't
See the object he spoke of.
u