The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-03-13

out serious difficulty, and his nervous sys-
tenn kept reasonably steady. He was
generally hopeful, and appeared much
comforted by my assurance that he was
succeeding in the great work. One eve
ming, however, I found his condition a
little different from what had expected,
aud he Immediately said frankly he had
broken over his rule and taken three
grains of morphine; his diarrhea had re-
turned, the medicine for checking it was
gone, and he hated to send for me, and
so had done it. He was very much de.
pressed, said it WAS wrong, and if | should
now abandon HIM to his fate he would
not blame me. | replied that was not
disposed to give him up, should stick to
him as long as he would let me, and thai
he must not surrender in the midst of the
conflict. He expressed himself very
grateful, a; said he would not again do
anything of the sort.
AT the end Of about two weeks be had
recovered his appetite, began to sleep
pretty well at night, came to visit me at
the Office, and resumed mis- WORK. He
Was in fine spirits, appearing TO be elated
with the idea that he was delivered from
a habit which had cnslaved him. He eZ-
pressed his thanks TO me in fcrvd and
glowing terms. His last visit to my Of
flee was on Friday, January 18th, be ak
ed for the remedy against diarrhel l.,
enough to last until the pext Tuesday,
when he would come and report again.
| went to hear him preach on
Sunday evening. 1t was painfully Ell
dent from his manner that he was return
ing to his habit. The appointed Tues
day came, but he did not appear. We'd
neSday passed away, and still he came not,
l hal to leave town at night, and did no
return ill late in the night Of Saturday,
when learned that he was dead bad
terminated his own life on the afternoon
of that day.
The cause OF such a very sad end was
clear enough. l could 70 low him and his
thoughts from the point where | bad seen
him last. Having taken little-just a
very littlc-to relieve the distress Of which
he was not yet clear, the appetite return
ed with the voracity Of hundred de-
mons
He was temporarily overpowcred aSd
yielded. Then he considered he had
made his last trial and failed. His day
of usefulness was over. He thought him.
self unworthy to live among men. The
ghas;ly life of an opium eater stared him
the face. 1t was insupportable. He kept
his misery to himself, while very kind
and considerate to his family-as, indeed,
he always was. He took more of the drug
to appease his agony. 1t crazed him
drove him out to the barn, and, through his
own hands, suspended him upon rope.
1t should be noted that downright in
sanity is not unfrequently the temporary
effect of few doses Of opium. A man
who lately attempted suicide in a neigh.
boring town, it is now understood, de-
clares that he has no knowledge of the
affair. He is addicted to the same habit.
This transient, but fearful, insanity would
he likely to overtake one returning too
rapidly to the use of the drug, after it had
been suspended 1t probably did come
upon Rev. G. w. Brush. His noble wife,
who was almost idolizcd by him, found
him within few minutes and took him
down herself; but alas she had nothing
except his earthly body. He had gore to
the other world forever.