New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-19
ARCHIBALD GORDON's MISERY AND
CURE.
BY THEODORE TILTOs.
From the Golden Age-1


From the Golden Age.f
/ have always promised myself to tell
] this story at some time or other. and SO
now make it my Christmas contribution to
the Golden Age.
But first, by way of little preface, let
| me say that, being physician land, trust I,
also ChristianI, have always set greao
| store by Sir Thomas Brownies "Kehgi0
| Medici" Not that 1 believe in that OLD
| writer's bigoted narrowness. But without
! religion of some kind, a physician Is a
| Quack-just as ian undevout astronomer Is
| mad" Perhaps it is my religion alone that
saves me from quackery, for should Dc
knaye without it, Certain it Is that the pa
| tent. whose case | shall here report, SUI
! fered a years madness justfor want Oh "i,a'
| call religion: iD other words, just for lit
| tie lack Of human natures sweet ana hecee-
| sary faith in God, in man, and IN woman;
or / might say in woman, In man, ana III
| Cod. for whatever be their order, these are
| a trinity that no human soul can afford to
| despise. This is the prime dogma OF my
creed: this is my religion as physician.
And now for the narratives:
was practicing at Corn wall, on the Hnd-
ann. TIE place was not then so much of a
snmmer-resort as it has become since
| Nevertheless as the late Mr.. N. p. Willis
| had made it somewhat familiar to New York
readers, it attracted a good many of tn EN-
thither during the hot months. 1t is just
north of the Highlands, and is perhaps the
nearest point to the city at which an Invalid
can altogether escape the prickly roughn ess
of the sea air.
One Saturday afternoon l received at my
Office a note written in a manly hand, ele
CANT and scholarly in expression, mention
ing that its writer was ill, but not from
bodily ailment; and putting to me Mac
beth's question whether l could minister
to q mind diseased"
"If So" said he. "call on a miserable
man at the Atkins House, and inquire for
yours, desperately,
ARCHIBALD GORDON"
| called. He was sitting on the piazza,
picking a tiger lily to pieces-himself the
greater tiger. At glance ] knew he was
the man who had sent for me- There was
an unmistakable haggardness in his loOk-as
if he had washed his face in the waters of
Marab. and left it streaked and stained
with cyulcism, anguish and despair. Some
times the countenance turns traitor and
telltale against the sonl; sometimes 1t gives
up ali the secrets of sorrowing breast;
breaking heart. This mans misery was al
open book.
You are the DOCTOR said he.
"And you are the patient" said l.
"Yes," he rejoined. 80 far, then, we
understand each other; but that's as near
as we shall ever get in our mutual ac-
quaintance. Do you think that one human
creature ever yet had wit enough to com.
prehend his iellow-beingi I don't believe
it," he exclaimed, with bitterness in his
emphasis and selfreproach in his tone.
After some non committal talk, saw that
/ must grasp him with strong hand. He
was q man of Will, brains and heart. He
had summoned me for counsel, yet had
made up his mind TO have no confidence in
my power to do him any good. He was
getting ready to rebel against my advice,
even before / had shown any sign of offer
ing it. So l changed my tactics and did
not ihtrude any suggestions upon him, nor
even trouble him with any questions about
his case. resolved that he should be the
confessor, not the inquistor.
At length, after having picked his flower
TO pieces and thrown away the stem, he
aui thy remarked, as if not altogether be-
lieving what he said:
"You can dc nothing for wretch like
me-"
"That's true" observed. land what is
more. ! shall not try"
"Why mott" be asked, as if my answer
had taken an unexpected turn.
Because / rejnined, lit i. plain that
you have but one friend and one enemy; it
is plain that both these are one and the
same person; and it is plain that this mis-
chievous individual is yourself. You are
the only man who can do yourself any
good or harm. You are your own patient
and physician. You must be your own
medicine and nurse"
He weighed me as in y balance for % mo-
ment, and then remarked.
~ will tell you the devilish facts"
"No," replied, rather eraftily, and sup
pressing my inquisitiyeness. Gas your So
crets can be of no use to sne, and as can
make them of no use to yOu, think you
may as we'll keep them TO yourself"
This nettled him a little, but pleased him
more, and brought him to the confessional
at once.
"Read this poem," said he, handing me q
book" and while you are reading it will
60 up stairs and get yOu Partagas cigar.
Excuse me for a moment"
The book was blue and gold Tenhyson,
opened at the turning down of leaf, the
margins of the two facing pages scrawled
over with pencil notes, and the cover
blurred and smeared as if it had been laid
on wet grass. The poem was Edward
Gray" and may as well tIanscribe it here
ut onces
Edward Gray.
Sweet Emma Moreland Of yonder town.
Met me walking on yonder way,
"ARd you have lost your hearty she said,
And are you married yet, Edward Gravy
Sweet Emma Moreland spoke to nae;
Bitterly weeping turned away;
'6weet Emma Moreland. love no more
Can touch the heart of Edward Gray.
sEllen Adair she ioved me Well
Against her fathers and mothers Gilt
TO day Fat for an hour and wrpt,
By Ellens grave, on the windy hill.
sShy she was, end thought he, cold;
Thought h + proud, and fled over thssns.
F1led was with folly and spite,
When Ellen Adair was dying for ma
sCruef, cruel tho words said;
Cruelly came they back to-day: l
you're TO ight and tickle saif,
40 trouble the heart OF Edward Gray
~Then put my face in the grass
whispered 'Listent to sy espsir.
srtpent me IF all did;
Speak - little. Ellen ldare
'Than took pencil and wrote
On the messy stone, ae lay,
Here lies the body of Ellen AdaS,
And here the heart of Edward GrsyP
Glove may come and loee may "a,
AID fly ike q bird from tree to trto
But will love no more, 10 more,
Till Ellen Adalr comes back to mo
bitterly wept over the stone;
Bitterly weeping, turned away:
There lies the body of Ellen Adair
And there the heart Of Edward Gray"
ibid you read itl" he asked. returning
nth smoke-offering.
Yes" replied, Il have read it before;
very body has read it,
SWELL" said he, "a thousand people may
cad it, and yet not one in the thousand
comprehend it; that is, except"
Except what" ] asked. noticing his
esitation.
Except" said he "ssme man who has
Uttered il the same way-s0me man who,
Ike a perverse and headstrong fool, has
ommitted suicide not on his body sut his
cart
Exhibiting but little curiosity. I elected