The Morning herald., 1877-05-15

my IcpTeSeJ!tatlOSD u 10 NVo1t1UsoSAsSO
of opium, even in its diluted form, he re-
piled by the most profane and ridiculous
speeches;.until I asked him if he took 1t for
pain.
"Pain? No, have no pain, except in
this cursed head Of mine" He stop
ped short, eyed me narrowly, and said,
"what game are you playing now7" in q
mocking tone, perfectly indescribable, and
with hideous scowl.
''None Arthur. am only anxious to
impress you all with the perfect folly Of at-
tempting to cure pain by taking narcotics
or stimulants daily. I should be false as q
man, did not warn people against it. l
should be mad to employ such means; es-
pecially for the head" y
"Ahl indeed where is the harm"
II went into long exposition Of my
views, but addressed myself particularly to
mother-emphatically denouncing the
drug, and begging her not to employ IT,
Her look of distress sdmonished me that
she was dying to know my opinion of her
son, for I was well convinced now why
she had sent for me, and who it was that
she wished me 10 notice.
met her at q friends house by her
own appointment, the same day, and gave
her my view Of his case. Evidently he
was worn down by nervous depression, or
insanity had already .commenced-I was
yet unptepared tn state which.
"But, doctor, you heard his lan9uage?"
I had indeed, and much worse than I
have detailed but even that I would not
allow was certain evidence. EVIL COM
munications corrupt good manners," and
collegians, I remarked to her was not al
ways perfect in that respect.
She begged me not to let him know thst
I suspected him Of any disease; yet how
was to Judge Of his state unless I saw
him frequently2 and how was ! to visit
him and keep the idea that I believed
something to be the matter?
was spared the trouble of gliding in
between her fear and bis displeasure. The
first thing that my ears next morning, waa
the announcement that Arthur De Wolfe
was taken to the hospital. He had grown
suddenly dangerous in the night, had At
tempted his own life and that of his sister,
and the neighbon had been Summoned,
who took irregular matter of fact view oi
his state, and had assumed the response
bility Of carrying him away.
I hastened to the house, as soon as pos.
sible, for we'll knew the effect such an
event would have upon the excited and
highly sensitive natures. of the mother and
sisters.
No one wept at my appearance, except
ing Agatha-shs who ,was usually the
most cheerful and animated of Ill. Mad.
cline bore it with = calm look, that some
might have thought was indifference, but
which knew was but the result OF deep
settled grief.
There was no change for the better in
Arthur. So they told me at each of my
numerous calls; for / felt 20 condemned
at my false judgment of his state, that I
could not stay away. No change. Itwas
the answer for many, many long months,
which finally deepened into years.
Mrs. De Wolfe grew thinner and weaker
but she had tenacity Of life that suffering
could not subdue. .,r....r.,.,
But when Agatha was taken in her
young loveliness, the mothers heart broke
The poor girl had mourned for her brother
80 much that she had loosened the springs
Of life, and she faded away before they
were even aware that she was in less than
usual health. Three weeks from that time
Mrs. De Wolfe was laid by her side.
\
did not see the sisters again for years,
except for farewell visit which I made
them two or three months after their moth
ers death. A splendid offer to go to the
South tempted me to break up my connec.
tiohs and accept it. went away sad about
the young girls left thus without any pro-
lection; and after I was we'll settled,
wrote to them twice, 1 received no ans
wer; and as the years went on, and cares
deepened arrund my family hearth, own
that forgot them, ] had no time for any
remembrance. / was in warm, unheal-
thy portion of the South and sickness and
death were my daily and nightly compan-
ions. It was only in the depth Of Winter
that could find moment to think Of any
one. !.
had not been at church for months
but one Sunday morning, when the bells
were reminding me Of my remissness-
not voluntary, however, looked on my
tablets in the hall, and found not single
order, 1t was the first time that they had
been free for long while; and I went to
church. . -,i . ~. .. -
The clergyman was already in the pull
pit. l sat and watched him, perfectly ias-
cinated by the resemblance which he bore
to some one I had known. His black,
piercing eyes haunted me through the ser.
mon. He was eloquent earnest aud effec.
tive. did not recognise him until be
came down the aisle after service, when
had fingered behind the crowd. His
step was beside me, his hand upon my
arm. ,s,.st hsa q
0Doctor Rivars ~ ha aid. innnirinolv