The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-04-08


feeling.
My throat was seized; this time more
violently, more fiercely, as if by some
power which had already warned me, and
was enraged at having to repeat the warn
ing. Ny throat was compressed painfully
in that fierce gripe; there was anger in it.
A thrill of horror again shot through me.
Again the bottle fell from my trembling
hands and was crushed to fragments upon
the stone pavement.
Again / raised my hands to my throat,
though in deadly fear; but the motion
was mechanical-a natural and involun-
tary effort to tear away the thing that had
seized my throat-to free myself from the
pain and horror of that mysterious grasp.
Again then raised my hands, aud again
/ felt there under my touch, plainly and
unmistakably, the long, hard, bony hand
which had felt before. One touch was
enough. My hands fell down, 1 tried to
shrek, but in vain. I gasped for breath,
and thought that would be suffocated.
But at length the grasp slowly and un-
willingly relaxed. l breathed more
freely. At length the touch was no longer
felt.
l paced the streets for long time. At
first every vestige of my appetite had been
driven away by the horror of that mo-
ment AS time passed it began to return.
Once more felt the craving True, the
fear of another attack was strong, and for
a long time deferred me: but at last the
craving grew too strong for the fear.
NerVing myself up to desperate pitch
of resolution, rushed back to the shop
where had last purchased the liquor.
"See here!" l cried; "rm crazy for a
drink: broke that bottlel Give me a
glass, for Gods sake-only one glass !"
Something in my face seemed to excite
the mans commiseration. He poured out
a glass for me in silence.
With trembling esgerness reached out
my hand to seize it. with trembling
hand / raised it toward my lips. The
grateful fumes already entered my nostrils.
My lips already touched the edge of the
glass.
Suddenly my throat was seized with a
tremendous grasp.
1t was as though the Power which was
tormenting me had become enraged by my
repeated acts of opposition, and wished
now by this final act to reduce me to SUBJ
lection forever.
1t was as if this Power was using with
me the means of coercion which one uses
Wllu d uOg, VIZ Dcdb llIl CdCu OuCuSc,
and each time harder till he is cured.
This time the grasp was terrible, it was
fiercer than ever, quick, impetuous.
In that dread grasp my breath ceased.
l struggled. My senses reeled. raised
my hands in my despair. felt again the
bony fingers. | moved my hands along
bony arms.
In my madness 1 struggled. 1 struck
out my fists wildly. They struck against
what seemed like bony ribs.
The time during which thus struggled
seemed endless. The horror that was on
me cannot be told.
At last all sense left me.
When l revived l found myself lying
on rude bench in the bar. 1t was early
dawn. No one was near. All my bones
ached. rose up confusedly, not know
ing at first where was, but soon the ter
rife event which had overpOwered me
came to my memory.
rose to my feet, and tried to get out.
The noise that made awaked some one
inside. He called out to me-
"Hallo therel Ane you off,"
eyes," said. -
"Wait, I'll let you out"
He appeared in short time.
You had a bad turn" said he not un-
kindly. "You'd better take care OF your
self, and not be ont at nights"
l thanked him and left.
When l reached the house my wife.
walked up and looked half fearfully at me.
Amazement came over her face as she
saw that l was sober. | kissed her and
sat down in silence.
She looked at me in wonder. Tears
fell from her ewes. She said nothing, but
/ saw that she was praying.
AS soon as the shops were opened
went out and managed to procure some
food which brought to the room. then
left to go to my employment. Through
the day felt an incessant craving, but my
horror was so great that would far rather
have cut my throat than risked having
that hand there again.
AS the days passed the horror remained
undiminished 1t was simply impossible
for me to seek for intoxicating drink. l
dared not.
My wife said nothing saw, however,
by her soft eyes, the gentle joy OF her
face, and the sweet, loving smile with
which she welcomed me home, how deep
ly this change in me had affected her.
Weeks passed and gradually the craving
lessened. Yet so vivid was the remem-
brance of that dread experience of mine
that my horror remained fresh and una
bated. To relapse was impossible.
dared not.
Thus forced to be sober, my circum-
stances improved rapidly. There was no
longer any danger of want. Comfort
came, and peace, and hope, and pure do
mestic joy.
Remorse for the sufferings which | had
caused to my sweet wife made me more
eager to make amends for the past, that
so I might efface bitter memories from
her mind The revulsion Of feeling was
so great for her that she forgot that | had
ever been other than kind. made no
parade of reform. l made no promises,
and no VOW. Nor did she ever allude to
the change. She showed her joy in her
face and manner. She accepted the
change when it came and rejoiced In it.
still felt an anxious desire to get to
the bottom of this mystery, and once /
told the whole story to my medical man.
He was not at all surprised
Doctors never are. Nor are doctors
ever at loss to account for any thing.
"Pooh," said he, indifferently. "Thats
common enough. 1t was mania potu.
The brain, you know, becomes congested,
and you see and feel devils and skeletons.
Cases like yours are common enough"
To me, however, my case seemed very
uncommon, but, whether it be so or not,
my case has resulted in my salvation. And
never will cease, even amidst my horror,
10 be grateful to that Power which came
down clothed in terror to snatch me fom