New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-23

mature grave. fO0hehly allowed the rear
to take full possession of me. But while
giving way morbidly to this apprehension,
at the same time brought all MY intelli-
eence into play in devising plans of pre-
venticn. Tread everything that had been
written upon catalepsy, and, as is usual,
fitted myself to all the cases described.
There was but one plan that out OF all
nv expedients offered the slightest Sc
curity, and that was the confidence and CO.
operation of q stannch friend. But was
effecsually prevented from appealing to
the sympathy of my aunt or her aequalnt-
ances by the general impression al
ready created that l was something
OF = monomaniac. My valetudinarian
habits and complaints vexed her unreason-
ably, and to 60 to her now with the new
crochet Of premature burial would be only
to invite her ridicule and contempt. was
actually ashamed to make conhdant OF
anybody. Ju wac the only person VINO ap-
peared to have the least sympathy for me.
timid rap at my door and the inquiry II
was quite well. If / was beguiled into the
debauchery OF late hours, and came home at
two o'clock in the morning, letting myself
in ever so softly, l was sure to detect her
peering down over the balustrade as came
upstairs. 1t seemed inevitable that this
girls so,icitude, tor which l do not believe
she could give the slightest rational excuse,
should draw me to her. Theu the idea oc-
Cured to me Of making a con6ante of her,
and some conservative instinct within me
grasped at the thought with zest thai my
reason could not account for. But how TO
do it. Such an intimacy was beset with
difficulties Of the most delicate nature. 1t
was accident and not my ingenuity that
brought it about. The summer passed with
out any return of my troubles. and gave
myself to literary pursuits. One morning
in October my aunt was taken suddenly ill,
and neighboring doctor was called in. He
vas a young man, remarkably handsome,
and very skillful, and won the respect and
confdende of the family at once Finding
him an intellectual student very much
after my own mind, a rather warm friend
ship grew up between us, and he became
constant visitor at the house. He
spent great deal of time IN NY room.
and naturally enough in the end narrated
the particulars of my own case to him. He
was deeply interested and made it a study.
CorrOborating DR.. Birchelfs statements,
end after q careful examination with
tethoscope, he assured me that my heart
was sound and that the trouble arose II Om
a change of nervous force from the muscles
to the gangliOnic centres, which was the re-
suit Of interpretive habits and certain
constitutional tendency. There was no
ltelOu, U0 6dlO, anu Juc Ouiy tohStUiC
ger was in mlstaking the suspension OF mus
cular power for the suspension Of vitality,
or, in other words, of burying me alive.
But that was calamity which could not
possibly occur if he were present.
"NOw comes the most remarkable part OF
my narrative. This DR.. Cruden-that was
his name-fell desperately in love with Ju.
He had no hesitation in telling Inc OF it, and
in assuring me that the girl had lnflamed
L $l,a% t.x.--. t,yo
power to control. He even made clean
breast of it to my aunt, and she, looking
upon it as rather romantic and every way
desirable match for her housekeeper, placed
no obstacle in the way. So he came TO visit
her in the house, and used to see them
sitting together in the dining room
Of evenings in the most sociable
relationship. In fact, l very frequently
joined them, and the doctor and l
would 90 off into a discussion far beyond
the depth of Ju, who sat there sewing and
beaming in her quiet, healthy way. 1t was
at such time that introduced the subject
of catalepsy. and Cruden, seeing that Ju
was intensely interested, gave an account
OF several cases of trance in which mere
suspension of function had been mistaken
for death. l remarked that there was
hereditary tendency in my family to this
disease, and | expected to have it myself
conC OdS' III W dCA SdAC lCos4N,
added, If ever they should find me dead in
my bed. Ju, don't you let them bury me
till DR.. Cruden gives the word, will your
Il recall now the look and tone with
which that girl, resting her industrious
fingers On her lap, replied as her eyes met
mine. No, will notv She had given a
seriousness and an import to her answer
that my assumed carelessness did not war
rant.
'Dr. Cruden's attachment to Ju, will
not deny it, annoyed me. Ali invalids are
selfish. Perhaps, however, my interest in
the girls welfare was at bottom an honest
one, and Cruden was man all brain and
NO heart. He was absolutely devoid OF
moral sense, and often spoke to me of her
as he had spoken of other women, wholly
as. an intellectual sensualist. Ju was
doubtless fattered by his attentions, but
he acknowledged to me that she gave him
very little encouragement. One night l
sauntered into the diningroom and found
expecting the doctor, and l sat down fami-
liarly and began to talk about him. l
praised him at some length in careless
strain, when she interrupted me by asking
in the blunt, direct way of a woman, Do
you like him?'
81 admire him. replied. He is very
clever man, and must one Of these days be
q wealthy and influential one.'
"'He has asked me to marry him. she
said quietly.
Every well, Ju; if you like him nobody
can say word against it,
mo she responded interrogatively,
and. as thought, plaintively. Would you
advise me to marry him
There was something in this question
that went past all mere conventiOnality to
sincerity. | felt that it was the appeal of
faithful, inexperienced creature to my hon
esty. hesitated a moment and then an
swered: No, would not, for with all his
,leverness don't believe he would make
you happy, Ju, and l have ao reason to
wish anything but happiness for one who
has earned SO much of my gratitude AS
said this DR.. Cruden entered the room. 1
believe that he heard the whole of the con-
versatiOn. He saluted me as usual, but
looked at me hard. The girl was cool
and self possessed, and went on with her
work, and l shortly afterward left them
;ogether.
II was working very hard at that time.
had the pamphlet on communism to finish,
md was up to my ears ia that book on
classic authors. Fancy, if you can, my
feelings the next morning to find myself
lifting at the escritOire, with the pen in my
hand, glued fast at an uncOmpleted word,
The sun pouring into the room, and 1 try
ng to pull myself together, as we say,
Ind recollect who was, and how l got
here. must have been quenched as by a
'troke of lightning the evening before. and
lad been perched there all night stiff and
,old, to all intents a corpse. The muscular
'igidity had extended to all parts of my
body for the first time So, then, instead |
# outgrowinR the malady, it had been
gathering strength. 1t was an
lour before could stand upon my feet and
lse my arms: and Ju raped twice at the |
lnor and would not 90 away until she heard