The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-08-06
ROBERT DALE OWEN.
a Letter from his Daughter Civ
ing the Cause of his Insanity.

VII ,otsNt WI
j feel that owe both to the public
and my father. statement concerning
his recent misfortune and the cause OF
il.
Some three years ago my father be-
gan writing his life. engaging 10 furn-
ish an article each month to the Atlantic
This, with other literary pursuits, gave
him six or eight hours of brain work
daily, his leisure time being spent in
reading or abstru,e conversation. At
the end of few months his health,
which up 10 this time had been almost
perfect. began Ia fail. but he still persist
ed i'm his wiring. After trying various
noted pbysicians. he came. four months
since, n confirmed nervous dy~peptic. 10
DIR. Jackson's Hygienic Institute. ia
Danyilie, New York. During the first
weeks of lIi> siay he wrote several ar
ticles, delivered lecture ip Rochester.
in short. kept his brain constantly at
work. The result WIS low nervous
fever. lie was very i'll for many davs.
but passed the crisis safely. With re-
turning strengih came his old. restless
activity. and in spite OF the warning OF
~ l''f -A't'fN aAfsA w. ttiti''fi'sN.
he insisted upon resuming his Writing.
or rather dictaIion. for ic was too feeble
TO sit up or hold pen. lie was en-
gagged on a Theological work, 10 be en-
titled "fhe Uuity OF God" iIis brain
was, at this time. clear aud logical his
style more conci-c and iorciblc than n
had been for wear or Two past. and his
ldyspepiic symptoms had entirely lisap-
lpeared. During the first weeks of his
convalesccnce he increased rapidly In
strength, but as time wore on there was
an irritable eNcilahility about him which
gave me mtIrh anxiety. This soon be-
came alarming. bio slept little at night
and could not rest during the day.
Roth mind and body were constantly Al
work. His thoughts. from This time on
seemed TO ran on huving land. hor-e-
etc. more than on literary objects
lpur and half weeks since the firsl
symptoms OF actual arrangement ap'
pearcd. From thu, time 10 this hc lia,
bcen growing gmorc aud more Incohcrcnt
I | have wa;c'ed nav father ihrongl
these changes w.t. graf car anil snx -
liy, and ] see np foundation for sh'
statement mad, ia various papers tina
the ~katic King ail'lir~ j. tie e: sse %
his insanity. That j, was both moriify.
ing and veNing to him. j. undoubtedly
true, and for week ~ two u did throw
cloud over his bi o ant. hopeinl TEN
perament. hat this as- all. The dccep-
iion OF two people las not shaken Inl
father'- iliih otrr whit. 1t would be +:
poor faith. indeed. ii |; had. lie la,
not mentioned Il .iic kiug for the la>i
six weeks. nnI seldom speaks of an,
matter comncriel with Spirituali>m o
Theology. Ills mind seems To have run
back tLirlv "r forty years. when h'
passed nucli of lIi- leisure time on hi
stock farm. The ctu,e a.: Inc calaWii,
which ha- hclaier ~ j. simply m over
worked brain. A.y iath-r believed III
vigorous Scotch constitution runil
even ia nj, rid ~, lear all ti,ings; Du
richly cnlo,cd a. l,e ~ Ni.h phy>ica
iand mental ignr. lirran not j. eak Coil
law with iinisnuifv. aud We hi children
,an not with 49, orr love and clrr
shield hiIs from tie effects or his error
MAY my father fate bc ln--un 10 tn
uudisriplimci brain dy-pcplic-. il ! ma
use such term. 40 numerous Through
'out this land, K!-ANo>D DALE uwE>