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

--my own Sarueu. auu tooh mc W 'n'
mad-house! Oh! it was a dreary place
that mad. house! They shut me up by
myself in o bare, cold room, with never a
ERE to warm me, thought was bitter win
tor. The windows were barred across with
iron, through which the daylight shown as
if through the ribs Of skeleton; md every
night-would you believe it?-every night
there came fearful shape aud sat there,
hooking aud moving at mo in the moon
beams. That was a bell indeed! One
night, when | could bear it no longer, |
rushed upon the shape and fought and
struggled with it, and dashed it up
against the hard walls-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; but | know better
1t was the shape | struggled whit was
the shape tried tOkill! Only they could
not SEQ it. Yet there it sat, hooking, all
the night through; and they watching in
my room, aud yet so blind that they could
not perceive il! [ do not know how long
this fury Of mine lasted; but think it
must have been weary time. At lepgth,
| woke one night from troubled sleep,
and 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 ne alone; could hear him
going to every room a|l along the corridor;
so | knew when he was coming long before
he 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.
I p.ae,iced speaking in calm low voice
l 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
i, was reasonable. used to say that |
felt better; tina, | was tired Of the conGne-
meut; that | hoped shortly to be permitted
to return home; and sometimes Chat was q
clever though'D | asked auxiously after
my wife. Oae day SIZE came to see me-
You caunot think villa, 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; and oh, longed
to kill herao the the whole time! But did
not. All, no! even kissed her cheek at
parting, though could have yelled aloud
for rage as | bent over her,. | dou'tknow
whether they still suspected me; but | was
not released, for all my pains. So | de-
ternlined to be ills | knew the doctor
would find nc out il / only pretended,
thereof starved myself. Fla. la! wasn't
that Gne? This is how Ibid it. Every day,
instead Of eating the iood'they brought me
| nut half oft under a loose board in the
floor, and half | left saying that | feltill
and could cat no more. Aud each day |
left more and more. so that it should seem
as il my appetite grew constantly worse.
And then, l got i'll only | 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 hc
said | must be removed to another part Of
the house, and that | required air, or |
should never recover. And then did |
not laugh, even though | was so ill, to
think how | had outvittcd him! My new
room was pleasant, and looked over a gar
den. AT the end Of the garden was rail.
way I made up my mind to escape Az!
what joy to be flying along behind that en-
gine-ayiug away, away, and never stop
ping! knew we'll that must have mon
cy to do this. Money! Where, and how
could get money? You will see present
ly! Ibid not mean to die, you know, 50