The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-08-08
A BEAUTIFUL DECEPTION.

A whole Tswn JOINING with 10 Devoted
Daughter 10 tiumbug AN Ola
Man into Sanity.
Previle, the eminent French actor,
having lost his fortune and indeed his
livelihood by the revolution which swept
away the Comedie Franchise having
lost his wife, to whom he was tenderly
attached, broken in health and finally
blind, went to end his days at the resi-.
dence of his daughter, Mme Guesdon,
whose husband was receiver-general at
Beauvais. His mind gave way, and,
except at brief intervals, the old man was
insane, harmlessly but completely in.
sane. The sights which he had witnessed
at Paris during the reign of terror had
always deeply affected him, and even
while he retained his mental vigor their
recollections haunted and oppressed him.
When his reason was clOuded he inva.
riably tancied himself in one of the
prisons of the republic, under a mys.
terious charge of treason. He no long
er knew bimself to be blind, but com.
pimented the ladies of quality, fellows
prisoners in his imaginary dungeon,
on their freshness of face, or rallied
the great gentlemen immured with him
on their fantasies and peculiarities Of
dress. With them he held long conver.
sations, sparkling with wit and replete
with anecdOte; indeed, during the forty.
eight hours that the attack always lasted
he was not silent for q moment; over
his skilled and expressive features swept
all the varying emotions of joy, sorrow
and intense interest; the veins of his
forehead grew like cords, and his face red
as fire, and the end of the fit was flux
of unintelligible words, at first spoken
energetically, but finally dying into
silence and stupor. Preville;would then
sleep heavily from fifteen to eighteen
hours, and awake sane, but for the hal.
lucination that he was confined to prison
He recognized his family and friends and
thanked them for visiting him; he
pointed out the Jailers and Police Com
missioners and his fellow.prisoners. In
vain did his daughter lead him through
the spacious gardens or drive out with
him through the streets of the town
wherever he went he carried his prison
with him.
He was failing perceptibly, so vividly
had his imagination wrought upor
him, when one day new phase of hi
malsdy alarmed his family. He was
noticed to steal noiselessly from the
room, turning his head to look behind
him as if he feored that lie might be
observed and pursued he trembled anC
shuddered violently, and on his counte
nance, which was of deathly pallOr
great drops of sweat stood out. Hearing
his daughters voice, he fled toward hel
and threw himself into her arms. "Sur
round me hold mel" he gasped
"don't let them find me. / hear theil
footsteps "There is no one coming
my father" said Nine Guesdon, sooth
ingly. "I tell you they will" he an.
swered; "is the place safe? Can they
find me here? 1t was thus Loiserollet
was saved" Then sinking into chsil
he continued; 81 was on the farm cart
not alone, for a mother and son were
with me. They spare neither age nol
innocence, the butchers Every jolt Of
the cart made me shudder. Who Can
describe the agony of sitting there, tied
where every turn of the wheel brings
you nearer to your death. 1t is worse
than DEATH" "But you are safe, ia.
ther," said his daughter "Safe? yes,
but for how long? All at once the
tumbril stopped. | could not look at
the guillotine, but cast my eyes down
and thought of you ali. One of the pris
oners steps down, he mounts the ladder
there is thud, and a howl from the
crowd. Another, another; it is my
turn. | made my way, more dead than
alive, to the ladder, and had set my
foot on the first step, when suddenly
some one thrust bare, brawny arm
before me, stopping the way. 1t was
the executioner" Here Preville gave
with wonderful dramatic force and
changes of voice his dialogue with the
headsman. Where are you going to ?'
"Going-why, you know. 1t is cruel to
prolong this torture" "Don't waste
time talking Where are you going,
citizen, say?" "To rejoin my COM
panions in misfortune and pray in
heaven for the welfare OF my family"
That is all very nice, but you can't
pass here" "What! | can't pass T'
and the old mans face began TO ex.
press feeble hope. "Of course you
can't pass without your number" d"
MY number? ?" Yes, your number
Who in the world sent you here? Dc
you think we guillotine people that
way? Let me zee your number" 81
beg your pardon, sir, but | was no,
aware of the formality. / have nc
number" Look in your pockets.
How can I with my hands tied? You
lock-" "It's none of my business
get out of here, and don't come bach
till you've found your number" 8" Yor
can imagine" said the poor old man
"that | didn't wait to be told twice.
A few days later the hallucinatien re
turned; he had been recaptured an,
placed in his cell, and the old agony O
apprehension possessed him and preye,
upon him. His daughter, a woman a
clever as devoted, having exhausted a
the resources OF medical science with
out effecting cure, hit upon the fortl
nate idea of entering into his hallucins
tion and SO guiding it as to direct it
a natural and happy ending. Sh
therefore, ceased attempting to col
| vinco him that ha Was at lihertv and