Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-01-10
A Sad Story.

A small place in one of the
interior counties of the State of
New York has among its local annals
a sad story of insanity. A young lady of
eighteen years had fallen desperately in
love with young man of the place, but
her parents, particularly her father, OPP
posed the match. The reasons are sup
posed to have been good ones, but certain
it is they assumed fearful responsibilit
and brought upon themselves a dire afilic.
ton.
The young lady was forbidden to see
her lover, and he was told not to visit her
house, but they managed, as is often the
case, clandestine meetings, and inter-
changed assurances of their undying af-
fection for each other. Busy village gos.
sip soon informed the father of the con-
dition of affairs. Though naturally kind
father, he was greatly irritated, and i'm
mediately adopted measures to separate
the lovers,
This course on the part of the father
was the conscientious action of parent
concerned for the welfare of his child, so
he went about it deliberately, and with a
determination that was not likely to meet
with defeat. But alas alas what was
he doing These two young hearts were
already so intertwined-so grown to-
gether, so reborn as one--that to separate
them was like cutting asunder vital parts
of the human organization. The father,
stern and resolute to do his duty, thought
not of this, but pressed forward in his
purpose. The tale of love, the fond
prayer of an agonized and breaking heart
for him to listen to argument and rea-
son-these were of no avail. A parents
duty must be DONE His first plan was to
lock his daughter in her room. He put
on extra bolts and a paddock, for he re-
membered that Glove laughs at lock-
smiths" When he was about to leave
her after all this preparation for her safe
keeping had been made, he remarked
81 do all this because love you, my
child. You cannot escape, and no one
can obtain access to you. Reflect on all
have said to you. Forget this man,
and save me the pain of making you a
prisoner"
His voice faltered, and he looked at her
with imploring eyes She was sitting,
weeping, pale and trembling. In an in
stant she sprang to her feet, and, stand
ing proudly before her father, exclaimed:
Father, do your worst! Imprison me,
starve me, drive me to madness; but
| never, never will forget or cease to love
the man to whom, before God, stand
this hour betrothed!"
She stood looking heavenward for q
moment; then she reeled and fell exhaust
ed to the floor.
The father looked at his child as if his
pity was about to overcome him, but in a
moment he recovered himself, and ad-
vanced toward the door.
"Undutiful, wicked child" were his
words as he closed the door, and, draw
ing first one bolt and then another, finally
made all secure with the paddock. AS he
went away, he said: 'May God give me
the tirmness to do my parental duty"
The sad village tale, as now told by all,
relates to that imprisonment, continued
for some ten days. After day or two,
additional severity was added by making
bread and water the only food offered to
the poor prisoner. No one except the
| father ever approached the room. He
found his daughter growing paler and
| paler, and weaker and weaker. Most of
the time she was in bed. Repeatedly he
attempted to talk with her, but her only
reply was;
love is undying."
"What nonsense" replied the father.
''Pray to God to fill your heart with love
and obedience to parental authority. Have
done with sickly sentimentality.
But this sickly sentimentality was q
passion as strong as life and reason. AL
ready it was doing its work. Health was
failing and hour by hour the mind itself
was yielding. There were whispers in
the village eff what was going on, but the
full facts were not known.
One morning the father went to the
room bearing, as was his custom, her
| food and drink, which still consisted of
the portion of bread and water. To his
surprise he heard her singing. He listen
ed and heard the words of song which
had always been favorite one with his
daughter. The verses she was singing
were the following:
~ love thee, as the glad bird loves
The freedom of its wing,
On which delightedly 10 moves
In widest wandering.
~ love thee, as love the swell
And hush of some low strain,
Which bringeth, by its gentle spell,
The past of life again."
Then all became still for a moment OF
two, then there was moaning and weep
ing, followed suddenly by laughing and
talking. The father made haste to enter,
| feeling no little alarm from the strange
proceedings. When he entered he found
his daughter sitting up in her bed, with q
wild look about her eyes which he had
never noticed before.
"Ha, Ia, ha, dearest, will meet you.
will come on the wings of love. Father,
cruel father, has forgotten the keyhole.
Ha, ha, hap
The father fed from the room without
seeing or hearing more. A terrible fear,
| for the first time, took possession OF him.
He ran with the greatest speed for the
family physician, who came almost as
! speedily to see the poor sufferer. When he
saw her face he looked serious enough, and
was not long in informing the parents
that their daughter was insane. The
father was shocked and overwhelmed.
| He frankly told of all that he had done,
and blamed himself, though he declared
that he thought he was doing no more
| than was his duty. Sadness fell more
| gloomy than ever upon that house, and
the whole village was stirred by the cir
cumstsnces as related from mouth to
mouth.
lhe young lady grew worse and worse,
| At length her actions were such that il
was decided to be necessary to remove
her to an asylum. She is now an inmate
of the institution at Utica. A very
touching scene occurred in the cars,
when she suddenly broke forth in the
hearing of the passengers, many of whom
had been told of her condition and histo
ry, with a verse from her favorite song
She sung in voice of particular sweet
ness and pathos these words
~ love thee, as love the last
| Rich smile of fading day,
| Which lnQereth. like the look we cast,