The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-11-19
Up the. River With a Lunatic.
B. Rerford.

ALI Dixon, Tom Gifard, and had
gone up the river camping out; we had
done our second days work. 1t was
early morning on the third day, glorious
weather. was in the boat, getting the
steering lines in order; Giilard and
Dixon were on the bank talking to DR..
Rawle. As understood it, the doctor
was a. the head of private asylum for
lunaties. He was Giffard's friefd, not
mine. He had been taking constitu-
tional when he happened to fall in with
us just as we were sitting down to our
open-air breakfast; the chance meeting
led to Giffard inviting him to share our
gypsy meal. He did.
He was pleasant fellow. not too old
and not too young. liked him exceed
ingly. W. talked of things in general,
and of lunatics in particular. Something
led to his mentionirg--I think it was
speaking of the cunning ofa certain class
of lunatics, and the difficulty of keeping
them within four walls-the fact that
one OF his inmates had escaped day or
two previously, and had not yet been
retaken. This was the more singular aG
it was tolerably certain he had not gone
far, and search had been made for him in
every direction.
As Giffard and Dixon were saying
goodbye, preparatory to getting into
the boat, the doctor laughingly said:
Should you happen to come across
him, l shall consider you bound TO bring
him back safe and sound. He's man
of forty-four or forty-five, tall and bony,
iron-gTay hair, and has curious habit
of showing his teeth and winking his
left eye. Don't look out for raving
lunatic; for on most points he's as right
As you and |. He's wrong in two things.
Whatever you, do, don't let him lose his
temper; for whenever he does. though
ever so slightly, he invariably goes in
for murder-he's all but done for two
keepers already. And don't talk to him
OF England or Englishmen; for if he
should get upon his native land, he'll
favor you with some observations which
will make you open your eyes"
We laughed, Alf and Tom shook
hands with him, and got. into the boat.
We promised, if we should happen to
meet him, we would certainly see him
returned to safe custody. Alf stood up
and showed us from the shore; we sang
out a last goodbye, and left the doctor
standing on the bank.
1t was "A beautiful morning. The
river was delicious, clear as crystal /;
we could see the bottom and every
stone aad pebble on it; just a gentle
breeze tanning the surface of the waters
into little ripple. We lit our pipes
and took it easily. am a good bit of a
traveller, know many lovely hooks and
crannies in foreign land9; l have lived
abroad as much as at home; but l will
VTaatch the higher reaches of Father
F+.ames for beauty and for charm against
any scenery in Europe. And on an early
summer morning, n spell of glorious
aweather, 1t is in all its prime; the water
y. cool, so clear; the banks so green,
&c larming; the stately trees on either
81 the mansions seen over the
mAdows, or peeping out among the
trees. You may choose your Rhine,
your Garda, or your Maggiore, or your
golden Bay of Naples, but leave Cook
ham and old Father Thames to me.
Presumably we had come for river
beauties and the camping ng-out-presuma-
bly,; but as a matter OF fact there was a
young lady lived not so far ahead, a
mutual friend, Lillian Travers. Sepa-
rately and jointly we had high opinion
of Miss Travers, not only of her beauty
but of other things as well; and having
come so far, we hoped we should moi
have to return un il at least we had a
peep at her. Unfortunately, though we
knew Miss Travers, we had no acQuaint'
ance with Mr.-there was no Mrs. We
had met the young lady at severa
dances and such like; but on each occa,
sion she was under the chaperonage o.
old Mrs. Mackenzie. Apparently Mr.
Travers was not a party man. But Lii
ian had promised to introduce us to hin
whenever she gota chance, and we wer,
not unhopeful she would get that chance