Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-19
Il Night With a Ltaatic.

we lake this story from an English pa
per: IN very quiet neighborhood, in
sussex, rcsld.s family. one of the mem
bcrs OF which is afflicted with mental de
rangement. Being quiet and inotfensive.
the parents had chosen rather to keen her
under Their own care than to put her in an
asylum. Although habituallv weak-mind-
ed, the poor girl is not noticeably de-
ranged, save at long intervals A few
weeks since, however, one oil these attacks
came upon her; and under the influence
OF the strange malady, she cimed ont of
the window OF her room, and sought the
residence of a friend Of the family few
houses off. Being we'll acquainted with
the premises, she had no difficulty in gain
Ing admittance; and just before dawn, the
gentleman and his wife were awakened
from profound sleep by most fearful
scream IN their bedroom. Starting up.
terribly alarmed and frightened, they be-
held an apparition we'll calculated to in
splre terror and unnerve the boldest.
With the subtle cunning which some
times attend insanity, the girl had taken
from the mantelpiece a revolver, and now
stood In the center of the room, her long
halr streaming over her robe, and the eyes
blazing like file, and the pistol pointed
at the two people in ped. Every tia
either OF them moved, a fearful glitter OF
her eye and a movement of her arm dis
closed her purpose to fire. Entreat:es and
soothing words were alike unavailing, and
all questions and appeals she replied with
scream OF maniac laughter In this DO
sltion hour after hour went by, and still
the girl stood menacingly at the foot Of the
bed, still threatening to shoot, still laugh
ing with glee that curdled the blood,
and sent the cold chiils through the frame
OF the appalled, couple, who expected
every moment to feel the crash of the lead
en- missiles, armed with death Finally
her mood changed and she seemed to de-
sire trolic rat er than a tragedy.
"Get up and dance!" she said and in
obedience to her commands, the gentle
man and his wife arose and commenced
series Of terpsichorean antics, which,
however, ludicrous, were anything but
laughing to the parties engaged. The
morning came, close and heavy; and the
dense atmosphere Of the room made the
unwonted exercise tatiguipg to the last de-
gree. The perspiration stood out in great
drops on their forebeads, and IAN down
their faces. The steps and graceful mo-
lions usually employed in the "cotillion,"
the "mazourka," the ''schottische, were
now exchanged for staggering reel; and
the tired and compulsory votaries Of
Terpsichore We're ready to drop. But ev-
cry indication Of suspension Of the active
exercise, drew from the observant specta-
tor the stern injunction. Dance" And
although their limbs achcd and their
breath came quick and short, dance they
did-they danced all night till broad
daylight
The lady being somewhat obese. and
unused to such violent work, showed evil
dent signs of distress. But it did no good.
The maniac was bent on frolic, and kept
them in incessant motion. How long tn"
trolic would have been kept up it is i'm
possible to say, had not a servant come in
and diverted the attention of the girl
This enabled the gentleman to secure the
pistol, and thus relieved from peril, sus-
pend the dance. Although very fond of
such amusements before, both he and his
wife now discover a great antipathy to
dancing