New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-11
thought he might be q medical man.
put the question 80 him plainly.

| and have heard medical men say that II
is useless to interfere until che fit is over
already. He will soon feel q sense of relief
which will more than compensate him fol-
what he has suffered. / will help him tt
70 to the fOrt-aBd, once there, we can SEND
for a carriage to take him home.
In five minutes more we were on our way
to the tOrt-the stranger supporting my
brother as attentively and tenderly as Ii
he had been an old friend. When the
carriage had been obtained he insisted or
accompanying us to our own door, on the
chance that his services might still be Of
some use. He left US, asking permission tt
call and inquire after James health the
next day. more modest, gentle and un
assuming person never met with. He not
only excited my warmest gratitude; but he
interested me at my first meeting with him
lay some stress on the impression which
will soon find out.
The next day the stranger paid mis-
promised visit OF inquiry. His card, which
was sent up stairs. informed us that his
name was Roland Cameron. My father
who is not easily pleased-tOOk liking to
him at once. His visit was prolonged a,
our request. He said just enough about
himself to satisfy us that we were receiving
person who was at least of equal rank
with ourselves. Born in England. of a
| Scotch family, he had lost both parents
Not long since he had inherited fortune
from one Of his uncles 1t struck me as
little strange that he spoke of this fortune
with marked change of melancholy in his
voice and manner. The subject was for some
inconceivable reason, evidently distasteful
to him. Rich as he was, he Acknowledges that
he led a simple and solitary life. He had
little taste for society. and no sympathies
/ MIMI with fte
his age. But he had his own harmless
pleasures and occupations. and past SORROWS
and suffering had taught him not to ex-
pect too much from life. All this was
said modestly, with a winning charm Of
! look and voice which indescribably at.
tracted me. His personal appearance aided
the favorable impression his manner and
conversation produced. He was of the
| middle height, lightly and firmly built; his
complexion pale; his hands and feet small,
and finely shaped; his brown hair curling
naturally; his eyes large and dark, with an
| occasional INDIGESTION in their expression,
which was far from being an objection to
them, to my taste. 1t seemed to harmonic
with an occasional indecision in his talk,
proceeding, as was inclined to think, from
some passing confusion in his thoughts
which.it always cost him little effort to
discipline and overcome. Does it surprise
you to find how closely l observed q man
who was only a chance acquaintance, at
my first interview with him Or do your
suspicious enlighted you, and do you say to
yourself: She has fallen in love with Mr..
Roland Cameron at first sight. / may
plead in my own defense that was not
quite romantic enough to 60 that length.
But own l waited tor his next visit with
an impotence which was new to me in my
experience of my sober self And, worse
still. when the day came l changed my
dress three times before my newly devel-
Oped vanity was satisfied with the picture
which the looking glass presented to me of
myself.
In fortnight more my father and my
brother began to look on the companiOnship
OF our new friend as one OF the settled in
situations of their lives.
In fortnight more. Mr.. Roland Cameron
and Though We neither of US ventured to
acknowledge it-were as devotedly in love
with each other as two young people could
we'll be. All, what delightful time it was.
and how cruelty soon our happiness came
to an end.
During the brief interval which have
just described, observed certain peculiari.
ties in Roland CamerOn's conduct which
perplexed and troubled me, when my mind
was busy with him in my lonely moments.
For instance, he was subject to the |
strangest lapses Of silence when he and / |
were talking together. At these times his |
eyes assumed weary, absent look, and his |
mind seemed to wander away, far from the |
conversation and tar from me. He was |
perfectly unaware of his own infirmity: he |
fell into it uncOnsciOusly and came out of |
it uncOnsciously. If l noticed that he had |
not been attending to me, or if asked why !
loss to comprehend what meant. It puz-
zled and distressed him. What he was
thinking Of in these pauses of silence it was
impossible to guess. His face, at other
times singularly mobile and expressive.
became almost perfect blank Had he
suffered some terrible shock at some past
period of his life, and had his mind never
recovered from its longed to ask him the
question, and yet l shrank from doing it.
l was go sadly afraid of distressing him,
or, to put it in palmer words, was 90 truly
and tenderly fond of him.
Then, again, though he was ordinarily,
sincerely believe, the most gentle and most
lOvable Of men, there were occasions wher
he would surprise me by violent outbursts
Df temper, excited by the merest trifies. A
dog barking suddenly at his heels, or a bow
throwing stones in the road, or an impOrtI-
nate shOpkeeper trying to make him pur-
chase something that he did not want
would throw him into frenzy of rage
which was, without exaggeratiOn, really
rightful to see. He always apologized for
hese outbreaks, in terms which showed
hat he was sincerely ashamed of his own
But he could never succeed in |
himself. The lapses into passion
ike the lapses into silence, took him into |
heir own possession, and did with him, for
he time being, just as they pleased
One more example of Roland's peculiari-
les, and have done. The stranpeness OF
us conduct, in this case. was noticed by nv
ather and my brother, as well as by NE.
When Roland was with us in the evening,
whether he came to dinner or to tea, he
nvariably LETT us exactly at nine o'clock.
nv as we might to persuade him to stay
Dnger, he ALWAYS politely but positively ,
efused. Even had no influence over him !
the matter. When l pressed him to re- g
nain-thOugh it cost him an etfort-he still
etlred exactly as the clock struck nine. s
lie gave no reason for this strange proceed G
1g; he only said that it was habit of his, L
nd begged US to indulge him in it without /
skiing tor an explanation. MY father and v
~ brother tbeipg men) succeeded in con O
rolling their curiosity. For INV part 1heina h
woman) every day that passed only made Y
10 more ana more eager to penetrate the
lystery. l privately resolved to choose
y time, when Roland was in particularly |
,cesslble humor, and then to appeal to him Q
r the explanation which he had hitherto a
fused, as a special favor to myself.
In two days more l found my oppor !,
nifty. p
Some friends Of ours, who had joined us v
Eastbourne, proposed picnic party to a
% famous neighboring cliff called Beachey u
cad. We accepted the invitation. The G
y was lovely, and the gipsy dinner was. y
usual, infinitely preferable flor once in a ',
ay) to a formal dinner indoors Towards u
enlng our little party separated in twos o.
bland and found ourselves together. as IL
matter of course. We were hannx and | h