, 1873-03-09
KILL or CURE.
A Story of the American Civil
War.

"The Major is g. capital fellow, Doctor
said, as We sauntered out to smoke our cigars in
| the garden, after early dinner; but he
/ ought to DO moro merciful to us wretched bache"
| lors. What with his charming wife and that OK
emplary baby, be makes it difficult to respect the
| tenth commandment.
| 'You admire Mrs. Layton ?"
| "Admire her! II ehe were not Charlie's wife.
I should fall head over cars in love with ler. l
have fairer faces, but for dear pretty, deli.
! cate womanly WAYS, never met her equal.
"You couldn't understand mans thi1stine
| for her blood ?"
.Good gracious! A wretch who could touch
one Of her golden hairs roughly deserves to be
Sand yet for many days she was in deadly
peril OF her lifc."
For her fortune ?"
"She had nono."
| "Don't tell me. Doctor, that IN Innocent crea-
| turo like that could give any one cause for re-
| venge."
| mo; !; I won't tell you anything Of the sort. :"
| with her ?"
"n you we're to guess till this day out you
| would not find the cause, said my friend. "Let
| US sit down here, and + will explain. It's no
secret wonder the Major has not told you"
Down here was On rustic seat that tho
Majors pretty wife had made ut the end Of his
lost in the blue Hudson, tinkled its why through
"During the war;" began the Doctor. II
survey Wy at - ~ atms' sue same iennent VIII
an o'd scnoohnase. 4e was as me solale5 g
ars haGy b ha
saw plenty. l thought that he bore a charmed
life, till one day he was carried into the hospital
tent IN pao way. a pau aad entered ms
shoulder, glanced on tho clayicle (what you call
the collar-bone), and had gone-sonerheTe.
Ihat was all We could toll: 1or tAere was no
othef orlnce nut "hether II had passed up or
down, or taken somo erratic course round about.
such as balls will take, We knew not, and
no probing could find ont. Well, he
.nH IT, nsaTn
sight Of him. When tho war was over and had
begun to practice as civilian II New York,
met him again But how changed! He was q
living skeleton, and saw IN moment that he
what that means !? No? We'll, throw bucket
OF water into piano, and then light fire under
it, and its strings will not be more out OF tine
than an opium-amokez's nerves are out Of order.
and Of course assented but it was days before
he came, and when he did arrive knew that he
had been preparing himself for fight with him
self. Some foolish patients come prepared to
part OF our business, in serious cases, to examine
mans mind before We ask about hls body, and,
hardened as surgeon must be, l confess that
the condition OF my poor friend frightened me.
lleF8 was an expression IN Ills eye LQAt 1 QAu
never seen in any sane being; and what made
this worse was the calm, business-like manner in
which he spoke: He told me that soon
after he had (apparently) recovered from
his wound, he began to suffer from
pains in his head, which increased in severity
course to opiates to alleviate them. But have
not come to consult you. about this, lie said,
'this can bear--nttss bear. Would to God
IS tbst Then thsy yheg exs ~a n' WORST
"'Ihey leave you very weak r" I sug-
gested:
The; leave mo, he replied, quite calmly,
~ .,cM oa,i,g a but u"eo"2'era'1e desire TO
II am not generally nervous man, but I
started, and looked round me for some weapon
Of defense. Don't be afraid, he continued,
with . sad smile, the fit is not on me- now. I
should not have come If it had been. have
been nearly starved once or twice not daring to
leave my room: can conquer my
madness now; the question is: how long
can continue to do so. feel TINT it is grow |
ing upon me; feel my power Of resistance be-
coming weaker and weaker-the craving for
blood getting stronger and stronger. am Like
man who has slipped over Treciplce, and |
feels the earth and shrubs to which he clinge, !!
slowly, slowly, surely, surely, giving way with |
him. have brought "retched ours out OF the |
street, and killed them in my frenzy, IN the hope
to exhaust it on them. 1t ia no usa. must |
have human Afe Il
any human ufes inquired, or some one
in particular"
"s Why do you ask this, Doctor 2 he cried,
getting suddenly excited
No matter; go on
sometimes,' he resumed, 1T seems That
any Life would do; and sometimes ---Doctor,
four days before saw you met, upon New
jersey, ferry-boat, Young girl So pretty, so
refined and nice! - followed her to her
home-the doyll, that has taken possess
sion OF me- led me. she went IN, and
soon came out again into her Httle
garden a9d !enaeo ner 1oWets-Poo5 chlld
Doctor, Il had had pistol with me should
have shot her. You may emile; but some day
soon anan taAe pistol On purpose ana shoot
her. ,.--.........
p" It WAS clearly no nee arguing with hlm. The
best way with such people IL to admit their facts
md try to WORK round them
Then, said !, the only thing you can do is
70 submit to the restriction OF IN asylum till this
feeling has passed.
It will not pass. II we're to so to mad-
house should sliam eane; Sooner or later their
rigilance over me would be rela1ed. Then
should murder my keeper, and so straight for
hat Innocent grl.
Then Leave the county,.
Well. that would save her :: but, Doctor |