The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-09-05


my discolored teeth, set fast, and ex-
pressing murder and destructiveness,
are a combination and form, indeed, to
give the world assurance of a fend! /
try to mitigate the expression by an at
tempt to smile, and produces hyena
grin.
On the fourth day suffer indescrib-
able torture, and my mind is filled up
The central delusion is that l am con-
chasm, for just one million years. Phan-
cessions of men, women and beasts, each
looking and leering at me, and mockiDg
my suferings, pass along in endless
array. know it is the result of opium
given to deaden the terrible torture in
my abdomen, but the drug does not sue
ceed in mitigating it toany extent. Next
day, so my nurse informs me, / asked
her more than thousand times, "What
have done to be thus punished?" The
pains which, in the first stages, had been
somewhat obtuse, now became acute,
and 1 shout aloud in intolerable agony.
The pain in my head feels as though
there was an iron frame on it, which
was crushing in the bones, till my
tortured eyes seem bound to jump out
of their sockets. The bloody discharge
from my mouth and nose continues,
and glance at the mirror on chair at
my bedside shows that my features have
acquired striking resemblance to an
enraged yellow gorilla.
If ye git the bloody sweat yer gone"
says Mrs. Delaney, with charming SYM
pathy.
learn from her that fatal symptom
of yellow jack is universal bleeding
from the pores of the skin, and that,
when this makes its appearance, the
patient may as we'll throw up the
sponge. l tell her boastfully that blood
sweat or black vomit has no terrors for
mel would just as soon have both of
them together. She says "Shut upw
but says it softly, and endeavors to ar
range the sheet in which my tortured
form is partially enwrapped. The con-
tact of the mere cloth upon my abdo-
men makes me shrek with agony. /
rise from the bed frantically and ap-
proach the window, and my burning
eyes are saluted by funeral procession,
preceded by a hearse with nodding
plumes. Shocked, in spite of reckless
ness born of fierce pain, lie down
again, but no position gives comfort.
The fiery heat which consumes my abdo-
men is supplemented with horrible
pains in my loins, Thighs, calves, knees,
ankles and even toes, which feel as
though scraped by razor and then
gnawed by dogs sharp teeth.
The pain in my head becomes more
intense, and SO does the agony in every
part of my body. No position gives
ease. My stomach and bowels have a
burning heat, as though scalded bv
boiling water or scorched by Goals of
| fire, and shrek, and blaspheme, and
curse my nurse and landlady for not
adequately assuaging my thirst. I lie
on my back or side, with knees drawn
up, and objurgate God and man.
Then there slowly comes a change.
My skin, which during the first three
days was hot and dry, and afterward on
the fourth day, slightly moist, now per-
spires freely. Worn out, lie gasping
and groanlng, and still afflicted with
pain and thirst. The doctor is sum-
moned, and comes with his brown, gen.
teel assistant, and says he rather thinks
I will be all right in a few days. He
looks pleased, and so does his assistant.
Mrs. Delaney is cool and unmoved. As
night approaches she lights the gas (the
lights does not hurt my eyes at alD and
lets down the curtain, and, seeing that
[ am tolerably quiet, asks if she can
leave me for half an hour. I groan
assent, while my heart Jumps with ex.
pectation. Her toilet is easily made
and she is gone.
Now or rouor T rico NTH
and peer round for the water pitcher
Curses on her. she has taken it away!
fall back in profound despair. In the
silence of the night I hear the noisy ex
clamations of card-players in the little
cofee-house on the corner across the
way. A wild idea crosses my brain, and
deliberately slide out of bed and lie
prone on the carpet. Then I roll slowly
toward the door, tacking round the
table and my nurses chair SO as to save
exertion. Then I turn the handle, anG
the door opens toward me. No fear o.
being discovered! 1 and my nurse arr
the only occupants of the house, anc
she is out!
am attired in simple costume con
sisting of only one linen garment, whil'
around my neck is a cloth stained will
blood from my mouth. / descend tn,
stairs which lead to the side-door in tn,
primitive manner of a child of tel
months, and unlock the door leading t,
the side of the house.
Across the narrow street--it is scarcely
twelve feet in Widths the one-stor,
cofee-house. The saloons of New Or
leans are generally called coffee-houses
and many of them keep the fragran
decoction of the bean of Yemen alway
f on hand. This coffee-house is simply
, tenth-rate bar-reom, frequented prin
! cipally by "dagos," which generic it'll
takes in all men of Spanish extraction
t engaged in fishing or bringing fruit o
: vegetables to market from points on tn
river. The landlord, villainous-look
/ ing "dago," with dark, pallid fac
r like a Lascar, is playing cards will
three Of his customers, with all tn
heat and noise peculiar to gamblers O
! the Latin race. l see them through
: stationary wooden blind, which par
TALLY conceals the shabby bar and tn
array of bottles and decanters reflecte,
in a cheap, dirty mirror. make m,
. way over the pavement on my hand
! and knees. l pause unobserved unde
the veranda of the groggery, and gaz
, with feverish desire on something whicl
i stands on the counter. Ny head burn
: fiercely with my unwonted exertion
v Finally, with supreme effort, stagge
across the room to the bar, lift up tn
battered pewter ice-pitcher to my lips
r and commence drinking. To my dyin
? day l will declare that draught tn
sweetest ever drank by man.
: The next moment there was hurrie
n movement. Two of the men ran ou
: with a howl of horror. The landlor
t snatched the pitcher from my lips, an
o his companion seized me in his arm
r These dagos are not afraid of yello'
e fever. l caught sight of yellow
= faced demon in the mirror at the sam
!, time, and then all was dark.
e az don't care, Doctor, I won't d