Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-05-21

faint light penetrated the surrounding
darkness. | raised my eyes The pale
face of Woltgaug appeared at the opening.
He did not laugh he seemed to expert.
ence neither joy nor satisfaction he
merely observed me with cold, pi,iless
eye. Thus we remained, our eyes fixed
upon one auother-I, fear. r.strickeu--he
cold, calm, attentive, as though looking at
some liteless object. The insect, pierced
by needle, which we look at through u
microscope, if he could think, II he could
understand the mans eye, would have just
such a vision as | then had. | saw that
prayer would be worse than useless, and
said nothing.
After scanning me thus, the maniac
turned his head In order to look at the old
woman, | followed mechanically the
direction of his gaze. What I saw the
human tongue cannot express face
CHASTITY meagre the limbs shriveled, aud
so sharp that they seemed about to pierce
the rags which covered them something
shapeless, frightfil--a deaths head, the
hair matted around the skull like long,
withered grass, and in the midst of this,
two eyes burning with the fever light, and
two long yellow teeth and, horrible to
tell, saw two snails crawling over this
living skeleton.
Then, closing my eyes with convul-
sive sigh, said to myself, "That is what
you will be in five daysr
When l again opened my eyes, the light
was gone.
Wolfang," cried |, "God is above us
God sees us, Wolfang; His curse be upon
youl"
My worst suffering was from thirst at
this point it was intolerable. When the
first uncertain light of the morning ap-
peared, suddenly wild fury seized upon
me-
"The villain is there" said to myself;
he has some bread, a pitcher Of water
he driuksl"
Then l imagined him raising the pitcher
to his lips. l seemed to see the torrents
of water pass slowly down his throat. 1t
was a delicious stream which flowed
! flowed increasingly; and saw the throat
of the wretch rise and fall voluptuously
with the refreshing current Anger, de.
spsir indignation, seized me, and began
to run round my prison, crying out, WA
ter, water, water !"
| And the old woman reused up, repeat
ing after me, "Water, water, water ~
| In the midst of this scene, the face of
/ Wolfgang appeared for the third time at
the opening Then, stopping, | said to
! him:
"Wolfgang, listen; let me drink only
one draught from your pitcher, and you
may leave me to die of hunger. l will
not reproach you!" And l wept. Then
| went on, Your immortal soul will an
swer for this before God Yes, for the
| life of this old woman. But l have
studied, and find your system very fine,
| admire it. Let me only take drink of
water. have never seen so sublime a
10 rfotf fhaA
three souls exist Yes, will proclaim it
| will be your firm adherent. Won't you
let me take a single swallow of waterY"
He drew back from the opening without
answering. My exasperation then knew
no bounds. l leaped against the wall,
bruising myself l called upon the
wretch in the hardest terms l could com.
mand.
In the midst of this fit of fury, sudden.
ly noticed that the old woman had sunk
down all in heap, and the idea came
into my head of drinking her blood.
"What need has she of bloodP" said
to myself "She must soon perish, any
way. If l delay, all her blood will be
dried upp
Red flames passed before my eyes and
as | bent toward the old woman, my
strength gave out, and fell near her In q
swOOn.
How long l remained unconscious
know not. / was reused by a strange cir
cumstance, the remembrance of which
will remain with me always was awak
ened from theswoon by the plaintive howl
ing of doggy cry more piteOus, more
moving than that of a human being.
rose, my face bathed in tears, not knowing
whence these cries came, 80 suitable to my
own agony. listened, and judge of my as
constituent when found that it was my
self that lamented thus, without being
aware of it. The animal soul Here wal
the explanation
From this moment all remembrauc CT
ceases. All that know is, that remained
two days longer in my prison house, undel
the eye of the maniac, whose enthusiasm
at seeing the triumph of his idea was such
that he did not hesitate to call in severa
of our philosophers, that he might wit
ness their surprise.
Six weeks after l awoke in my little
room in the Rue du plat dEtain, surround
ed by my comrades, who congratulated
me on having escaped this lesson in tran
scendental philosophy. Poor Catharin,
WOgel had died.
1t is needless to add that justice laid it
heavy hand upon the wretched Wolfgang
but, in place of hanging him, according
to his deserts, after six months investiga
ton it was established that this vile fel
low was lunatic of the most dangerou
kind. He was placed in cell of Klingen
munster the mad-house of Rhenish Ba
varia, where visitors heard him dilatinl
in quick, peremptory tone upon thu
three souls.