The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-07-27
Welded TO INSANITY,

scribable pity in her doYe-ike eyes
kneeling upon the boards and pushing
biscuits and sweetmeats underneath
the ill-ftting door, which disappeared as
fast as they were placed there, showing
that there were human hanas TO seize
them on the other side. Within, another
girl as young as the tirst-not twenty,
notwithstanding on the floor like a
wild beast, with dark dlsheVeled haif
almost hiding the spark of ins anity that
desecrated her glorious eyes, and de.
Youring the precious morSels that her
visltant placed within her reach with
the aVid.ty OF hungry child. The room
in which she crouched was not comfort
less, but had evidently been prepared
for the reception OF such inmates, and
the carefully guarded window and cush.
iOned walls showed that The mansion in
which it was situated was occupied by
one who made 1t the business OF his lie
TO receive such unfvrlunates into his
professional care. In plain words, pri-
yate lunatic asylum.
"My poor Leah" whispered the fair
haired girl outside, "do you know that
1 am here, and that love you !"
The soft clear voice was not unheard
for Leah raised her head tor mUmenl,
and sat listening, with the dark clouI
v
low forehead and deeply shaded eye-
Drows. But the look ut attention passed
away as rapidly as it had come, and in
another moment her head was down
again on the hJor, and the softly SCI
lips, that seemed made only to shape
lOYe S whispers, murmured stupidly and
huugrily:" More, mUre!"
IL am going now," SAID the soft voice
again, "Dut l will come and see you thiS
evening, with the nurse. DO you heal
Do you understand?'
There was notnlng but an inarticu.
late murmur i'll reply, though she list
ened i'll vain; and the falr-naIred girl
rose with sigh from her knees, aud
passed from The desVlate corridor iuto
The more habitable and cheer ul part of
tue house in which the physician and
mis- family lived, having learned from
habit 10 look Lightly on the empty human
snrlnes oil reason that were sneltere d
beneath the same roof.
'She is 80 bedutiiu. !" said the girl to
herself, as she went down the staircase.
Il hope G ID does not let her know what
she is now, or SHE would die, as should
do"
My dear Margaret" said her mother,
looking up AS her eluest child entered
the room, Il do hope you nave not been
among LAe patients agalnW
Il have been 10 sec poor Leah" said
Margaret Fenwlck, in the same SOFT
voice, which was one of her greatest
CHARMS. Il must do that, you know, if
it makes her less unhappy"
LET the child aIone," said DR.. Fen.
WICK. "she will do herself no mann. if
she does nobody else any good. But YOU
dad not work upon Brokers feelings tu
give you the key, hope, Madge? Tue
door Was locked, OF Course?'
81 talked 70 her through the door, tn At
was all," simply ans Wered Margaret.
Papa, do you think she will be like
other people again? IL was only lasl
week she was sitting bere with us all,
ana was teaching her to play the ac.
conpaninenL to my songs"
i know all that" SAID The pbvsician
"Dut Sne is suffering from an acute al :.
tack of dementIa now. Sue ls very
young, and may get completely over ii
Dut Lnen she VIII be always liable to a
relapse. A sudden trouble would do il
at amy time"
And Sue has money, toow sighed
Mrs. FenWlck half euvIously. as If il
was sin tDat such good material for
happiness should be wasted. "Didu't
9bu 5uC udu ulUH0y I'
''One hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars, belleYe," SAID her husba dryly.
"but think there are one hundred ami
hfty thousand reasons way NOBODY
should envy her."
1t is five years since Margaret Fem
wick knelt at the corridor door. wins
periug soil words of love and sympathy
10 Lhe unhappy girl inside. she Is NV.
ing in the city with her mother now, Tor
Or. Fenwlck mas been dead some Cime
and the estab isDment at Hore WOOD is
broken up. The gentle charm Of ner
lUVellneSs Is sLlll III lLs first flower, and
as she fingers over the letter which is in
her hand, the GEAR light OF happiness is
llradlahng her brow aud laughing back
from The solt sweet eyes. The words
tnat man writes to his promised wife
could be answered in NO more fitting
way.
"MY DEAREST CHILD-I have got all
the way 70 Virginia safely, aud the
whole family is collected here under the
paternal roof. l needn't say that one
thing is wanting to me, and that, hone.
will soon be supplied, for of course YOU
will come and spend Christmas with us .
IA IoVhSh anu hAOtnCI DOJu WANT words
TO express their anxiety to see you, and
receive you as daughter. Write and
say how soon you can come. We are
very quiet here, Dut there are one or
two he N people In The Yillagp, A Mrs.
Fourier has taken the White House. and
her daughter Is regular acquisition.
The Old lady is not much, but Lean
Fourier plays and sings divinely. and is
unusually good looking into the hargain
The girls are mad about her. You see
now hard up l am for anything to tell
you, when l am Iorced 10 write about
strangers. l suppose you would get
tired OF 1t If were TO keep on telling
you that love you, but have very few
other ideas III my head just now at any
time. Besides, ISN'T it much pleasanter
to tell it with your dear haud in minep
"iour own ARTHUR ASHTON"
"Leah Fourierw repeated Margaret
to herself dreamiIy, II hope she WON'T
remember me. l wonder whether mad
people recollect anything that has
passed when tney are well? That
would be the t'wretched part Of iL
all"
Leah Fourier is singing "lf Thou
Kuowest,", and Arthur Ashton is lean
ing over rhe piano, looking into her mag
ical eyes with an expression-well,
which would mean good deal with
some men, but which is merely grace
full courtesy, Margaret tries to believe,