The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1872-02-15

my own garden! aud took the to the
mad-house! Oh! it was a drea-y place
that mad. house! They shut me up by
myself in a bare, cold room, with never a
Gre to warm ME, thought was bitter win
ter. The windows we're barred across With
iron, through which the daylight shown as
if through the ribs Of a skeleton; and every
night-would you believe it?-every night
there came q Fearful shape aud sat there,
mocaiug aud moving at me in the moon
beams. That was bell indeed! Oae
night, when could bear it no longer, |
rushed upon the shape and fought and
struggled With it, and dashed it up
against the hard wals-and then the
keepers came and tore me from it, aud
bound me down with cords upon my bed.
| heard them say to one another that |
tried TO destroy myself hut | know better
1t was the shape | struggled whit was
the shape I tried tokill! Only they could
not sec it. Yet there il sat, mocking, all
the night through; and they watching in
my room, aud yet so blind that they could
not perceive It! Ido not know how long
this fury Of mine lasted; but | think it
must have been weary time. Atlength,
| woke one night from troubled sleep,
aad 10! the shape was gone! Alb, then |
wept for joy that | was free from it and |
was proud, very proud, for it was gone and
| had conquered it at last Well, time
went on, and resolved would escape =
How do you suppose vent to work.
Why, | pretended to be cured Of my mad
ness. Every day the doctor came to see
me But not me alone; | could hear him
going to every room al along the corridor;
so | knew when he vas coming long before
be got to my door | must deceive him, |
knew as we'll as everybody else. Oh, it
was a hard task; but did it! The worst
Of my madness was that | could not help
thinking of the oldest things; and when |
talked my tongue would utter them.--
However schoolcd myself to talk to him.
] p,ae.iced speaking in calm low voice
| studied what ! should say accustomed
myself to rise and bow, as if he We're en-
tcring tho room. did not speak much
but what said vas reasonable knew
It was reasonable. | used to say that |
fel, better; tha. | was tired Of the conllne.
meut; that | hoped shortly to be permitted
to return home; and sometimes Chat was a
clever though,D | asked auxi0usly after
my wife. Oae day she came to see me-
You cannot think what an effort her visit cost
me! She looked SO pale, and timid, and
pretty that day-anl | forced myself to
sit down by her; to say to her all the
things had learned to say to the doctor;
to take her hand in mine; aud oh, longed
to kill her so The the whole time! But did
not. Ah, 20! | even kissed her cheek at
parting, though | could have yelled aloud
for rage as I bent over her.. | dou'tknow
whether they still suspected me; but | was
not released, for all my pains. So dc.
termined to be ills knew the doctor
would find me out if | only pretended,
thereof starved myself Ha. Ha! wasn't
that Gne? This is how laidit Every day,
instead Of eating the food'they brought me
| nut half ofit under loose board in the
floor, and half | left saying that | feltll
and could cat no more. Aud each day |
left more and more, so that it should seem
as ifmy appetite grew constantly worse.
And then, | got ill ouly | did eat just a
morsel now and then to keep me from dy-
ing. / suffered fearfully, but still play
cd my part out, and met the DOCTORS eye
with one as quiet as bis own AT last he
said / must be removed to another part of
the house, and that I required air, or |
should never recover. And then did /
not laugh, even though was so i'll, to
think how | had outwittcd him! Ny new
room was pleasant and looked over gar.
den. AT the end Of the garden was rail-
way I made up my mind to escape An!
what joy to be flying along behind that en-
gino-ayiug away, away, and never stop
ping! knew we'll that Imust have mon
ey to do this. Money! Where, and how
could | getmouey? You will see present.
ly! did not mean to die, you know, 50