The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-12-18
THE MADMAN:
Oh,
A PHYSICIANS Story.

Oh,
A PHYSICIANS Story.
In the early part of the present CEN
fury, my grandfather, by dint of youth
hl vigor, industry and economy, had
already attained the foremost rank
among the business men of his time
and city, and was beginning to think OF
marrying, when through one of the
most romantic occurrences, namely: A
casual visit to the country, a runaway
horse, large boulder by the side Of
the road against which the carriage to
which the animal was attached threat
ened to dash itself and Its precious bur-
den-a bold dash-a seizing of the bit
success in controlling the ferocious
beast-fainting, and then gratitude on
the part of the rescued, and subee quent
mutual affection and love-he was made
acquainted with one of the most charm
ing young women of the town of O.,
who was In direct line of descent from
one of the heroic families among the
Puritan emigrants and the revolution.
airy patriots.
1t Is net modest for me, a grandson,
to speak of her beauty, but if you had
seen the dear old lady az had seen her
. few years before my departure for the
west, with her dark brown hair, hazel
eyes, rosy cheeks and pearly teeth, at
the age of eighty-two, you would not
doubt the story of those who knew her
in her prime.
Well, grandfather married this young
lady, and in so doing changed forever
the destiny of at least a score of young
men, each one Of whom was even more
certain than he of winning the prize.
With the blessings of their parents and
the good old Parson Rogers, and a
witty remark of the village physician,
they proceeded joyously to the city
then and now the metropolis of New
England-and until grandfather could
complete his residence, unusually fine
for this period, in North Square, occu-
pied retired but pleasant and tidy quar-
ters in the immediate neighborhood of
his warehouse.
At last, the house being finished, the
young couple moved into it. 1t was a
large house, built in antique style-at
least when I first knew it, it wore all the
dignity of antiquity.
In the course of time six sons and
four daughters were born to them, and
no pains were spared to give them a
good education, and to cultivate every
good quality of mind and heart, so that
Ar and near the daughters of Col. NJ.
became known as charming, and bis
sons as the most enterprising and public
spirited.
In proportion to the Coloneps in
crease of family, increased also his
wealth and influence and honors in
state and society, and in the church
also, for he was a religious man, were
literally heaped upon him, until he was
overburdened with the cares and re.
sponsibihties of honorable citizenship.
In 1913, when the war broke out
with England, grandfather was one OF
the custom-house officers, but resigned
his position to enlist, and after render.
ing valiant service in the cause of his
country, then new, retired honorably
from the position of Colonel, to which
he had risen by repeated promotions
from that of private soldier.
His home thereafter became the rem
devious of military men, who were &C
customed to meet together to talk over
their experiences In the service, and to
discuss and inaugurate numerous en-.
terpriss calculated to promote the
commerce and internal Improvements
Of their country, and to part late at
night with hearty good cheer and q
drink all around from the large punch
bowl, filed with punch made from New
England rum, which was then the
national drink, and not abused as it r
ut the present day. ALI people were
temperate in those days, and not di
vided, as now, into antagonistic fact
tons, consisting of teetotalers and
drunkards. Though Puritan, still they
had been swept along by a wave of so
cial and theological evolution which
gave society an atmosphere of Gberality
aad tolerance, which should perhaps be
credited to the influence of the national
constitution, which had been in opera
ton but comparatively short time.
Yet before Longfellow had sung the
horrors and mysteries of Salem fanati
cism, the New England tragedies were
rehearsed in private circles, and some
times shudder would creep over the
company when stories of Cotton Mathe1
and witchcraft were related late in the
evening, and they would think much
but say very little. but query in their
own minds whether or not evil spirits
may not, after all, so possess human
beings, as they did the accursed herd OF
swine, that they change their characters
to the extent of rendering them dan
gerous to society, and deserving withal
the severe punishments which were in.
ficted upon them in former times.
This is such practical age that peo-
pie in our days think very little of these
things, or they are restricted mainly to
the evening seance of the spiritualistic
medium. We talk rather of spanning
the continent with railroads, crushing
the mountains for their hidden treas
ures, claiming the winged lightning,
navigating the air in ships-even the
thoughts ofchurch people are absorbed
with notions of church architecture,
grand organs, operate singing, book
concerns, and specializing in bibles and
hymn booils, or counting the noses OF
Moody and Sankey's Albion converts.
Nothing spiritualistic-little suggestive
of the probable close relationship be
tween the two worlds. But in some OF
those old New England mansions there
is much that is suggestive of revisits
from the departed-in these mansions,
spiritualistic cases In the midst of q
m aterialistic desert, so to speak, one
ems to breathe for the time the very
atm osphere of spirits, good and bad.
1t was so in my later years in my
grandfathers house. Two of his sons
and three of his daughters had been
recalled by death; very few of the old