The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-05-07
My Experience as a Lunatic.
1.-THE Argonaut.1

battalions were falling back precipitately
through Winchester.
Sheridan dashed upon the scene, and
his presence, like spell, checked the re-
treat, and infused new courage into the
disordered mass Our battery reached
knoll to the left of the pike, and un-
limberea in front of timbered slope, on
the brow of which the Confederates had
posted heavy battery. The infantry
line on our front was advancing splendid
ly, and | saw the cleaning crest of bayo-
nets fall when the order came for
charge on the double-quick.
Bright sunshine was streaming through
the open curtain, and seemed to have
awakened me from prolonged slumber.
Slowly my scattered senses gathered from
dim Inconsistencies, and as though as
sumed definite form the scenes of the
battlefield again flashed before me.
"What Of the chargew | inquired,
anxiously making desperate effort to
rise.
The sharp, unnatural tone of my own
voi"e startled me, and my strength was
unequal to rustic even the covering of
my couch.
ado not try to talk now, Charley; you
will be stronger very soon." 1t was the
voice of my wife. In a moment | real
lied that | was home, on the shores of
the northern lake. glanced through
the window, and the waving branches
associated with my thoughts of the bat
tie scene were not there, but the snow
lay heavily on the fields, glistening in
the sunshine. Many months have passed
away, blank period in my existence.
AS recovered my strength and COM
prehension | learned the critical ordeal
| had passed in surviving severe wound
that caused fracture of the skull and
neccssitated the operation of trepanning.
Still many more months elapsed before
| was again abroad. The war was ended,
and the people were rejoicing in the res
toration of peace. I was rendered and
accepted the old position had resigned
in response to the call of arms-teacher
of mathematics in the academy OF my
native town.
The routine of the position was famil-
lar enough, but close attention to its
duties shortly developed the fact that
my nervous system had not recovered
from the severe shock it had sustained,
and my mental powers were impaired.
As nearly as could define the effect
produced, the injury seemed to have in
terrupted the harmonious action of the
no"rnl ',,,' '' ta 'r nnorste ;nJonendontIv and
tai'a ,,I sanaro+o and d;s+;nct cnrnigs,oo M nf
%nl f"ps onJ ',' sansot;nns corTerod NV +Ia
,nnJ;nn, a,J;, 81 W tbo senses Evorv tbornht
rnon,aJ - Lo,n H., dr,rl;oota no..,orI7 ~
'cno cnmnleto s1 e ovnraS,ion s M Whsn stnj ;oJ
" a sn s;nnf I,I = nrob1dm and the "o,ntian nc' Uu
"nrr3 o ;mnoJ;ntoiu 0"J | moriJ M foIlnw Vh tho o So
rt;on ,rn;n as If e,nonatin~ ] frM fro,, > sec e
nnd Iio mirJ artina 1 in nnn;nnnS;nn ' and NJ.
,,,av. - ittln siower in its nnrcert;ons "
NM dararmo,ant roxa+iovs md dn,f,,s
;na ~ frs+ onntinyoJ to inornoso - ~ do
s n7nJ ~ rlrSoIf =, nontoi L,hor nn+;I IL AL
Iv I was comne]lod to abandon NV nnsi-
/, +ho anadnn1v : f
III Tho rho nonas.;fT woo ;rdood . bord.b;n
.. - Ieft mo w;tbnnt thn n,oars Of P' snp'
tonancn Nv hravo and dovotod wiro
boro nm noi,Iy under thc Sffiiction and in
sistod hat 7 should indulne the rnnosa
that NV critical nositinn demanded
W"onti1o sb. turned tho fnn n,us,
ir,I facilities acmired in brt-
tor davs n cnnd account and
wc confirmed to live cnmfortoblv for
time on the nroceeds Of bcr labor
ComfnrtaLIv did 7 sav9 No if orieyed
me constantly to see her toll 50 ar.
dnonslv with the double responsibility
Of household cares. And 7 knew thai
hor assumed chnerfulness was tbe eoyer
Of painfuI solicitude she experienced on
nv behalf This anxiety did not favor.
o[lv affect NV derancsment n grow
more marked and dGnrr.sinp VAGUE
fears haunted me by day, and narrowed
thc long. sIeenless hours Of NIGHT, The
strange percPption of double intellect
became So far defined that the senses
we're svmnothetic. The sounds that
reached nv ear were rcneated a. if bv
echo. taste and touch were fanciful and
erratic and At NIGHT weird fantastic
forms fitted before NV ewes and real oh
iects assumed the semblancc of what thev
were not and drove me to the verge Of
dclirium. while the effort constantly ex-
erted to retain nv reason only the more
nrostrated the mental powers
Ultimately nv malady reached stare
at which 7 seemed to realize both nhys-
ical and mental double existence At|
times could distinctly see the form and
features of nv second self directly con.
fronting and gazing upon nv more i'm
mediate self, And then NV own voice
addressed me, and we conyersed to-
getber-myself and NV second self