The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-06-05
NY EXPERIENCE As A LuNAT1C.

THE Confederate force of Gen. Early
had gained the mastery in the Shenan.
doah Valley. and our demoralized
battalions were falling back precipi.
lately through Winchester.
Sheridan dashed upon the scene, and
his presence, like spell, checked the
retreat and infused new courage into
the disordered mass. Our battery
reached a knoll to the left of the pike.
and unlimbe1ed in front of a timbered
slope, on the brow of which the Con-
federates had posted a heavy battery.
The infantry line on our front was ad-
vancing splendidly, and l saw the
cleaning crest of bayonets fall when
the order came for charge on the
double-quick.
bright sunshine WAS streaming
through the open curtain, and seemed
TO nave awakened me from prolonged
slumb3r. Slowly my scattered senses
ga.nered from dim Inconsistencies,
and, as thought assumed definite form,
the scenes of the battlefield again
flashed before me.
''What of the charger l inquired,
anxiously, making desperate effort to
rise.
The sharp, unnatural tone of my own
voice startled me, and my strength was
unequal to rustic even the covering OF
any couch.
"Do not try to talk now, Charley;
You will be stronger very soon." 1t
was the voice of my wife. In a mo.
ment l realized that l was home, on
the shores of the Northern Lake.
glanced through the window, and the
waving branches associated with my
thoughts of the battle scene were not
there. but the snow lay heavily on the
fields glistening in the sunshine. Many
months have passed away. blank pc
riod in my existence.
AS recovered my strength and COM
prehension learned the critical ordeal
l had passed in surviving a severe
wound that caused fracture of the skull,
and necessitated the operation of tre-
panning.
Still many more months elapsed be-
fore l was again abroad. The war was
ended, and the people were rejoicing
in the restoration of peace. l was
rendered and accepted the old position l
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 ia
miliar enough, but close attention to
its duties shortly developed the fact
that my nervous system had not re-
covered from the severe shock it had
sustained, and my mental powers were
impaired.
As nearly rs l could define, the eff
feet produced, the injury seemed to
have interrupted the harmonious &C
ton of the brain, and the right and
left lobes appeared to operate indie
pendently, and take separate and dis
tnct cognizance of emotions and sem
Stations conveyed by the medium of the
senses. Every thought seemed to have
its duplicate, necessary to complete
impression. When l studied single
problem, and the solution occurred,
Immediately would follow the solu-
ton again, as if emanating from a Sec
ond mind acting in conjunction, and
always little slower in its percep-
tons. This arrangement, vexatious
and confusing at first, continued to in
crease as | devoted myself to mental
labor. until finally was compelled to
abandon my position in the academy.
The necessity was indeed hardship,
as it left me without the means of sus-
tenance. My brave and devoted wife
bore up nobly under the affection, and
insisted that should indulge the re-
pose that my critical position demand
ed. Meantime she turned the fine mu-
steal facilities acquired in better days
to good account, and we continued to
live comfortably for time on the
proceeds of her labor. Comfortably,
did say? No, it grieved me constant
~ to see her toll so arduously, with the
double responsibility of household
cares. And 1 knew that her assumed
cheerfulness was the cover of painful
solicitude she experienced on my be-
half. This anxiety did not favorably
affect my arrangement. 1t grew more
marked and depressing. Vague fears
haunted me by day, and narrowed the
long, sleepless hours of night. The
strange perception of double intel
lect became so far defined that the
senses were sympathetic. The sounds
that reached my ear were repeated, as
If by echo; taste and touch were fanci-
full and erratic, and at night weird,
fantastic forms fitted before my eyes,
and real objects assumed the semblance
of what they were not, and drove me
to the verge of delirium; while the ef-
fort constantly exerted to retain nv rea-
son only the more Frustrated the men,
tai powers.
Ultimately my malady reached
stage at which seemed to realize both
physical and mental double existence.
At times l could distinctly see the form
and features of my second self direct
ly confronting and gazing upon my
more immediate self. And then NV
own voice addressed me, and we con-
vcrsed together-myself and nv sec.
ond self-nOw cOndOling in common
misery. and then in tantalizing and hor.
rible imprecations.
The terrible delusion became unbear.
able, and felt that reason could not
much longer retain command of the
disOrdered faculties. 1t was a NIGHT
when my mental agitation had reached
a high degree. Ny wife had fallen
asleep, overcome with constant care
and watching. was pacing the sit
ting-room of our chamber, about the
hour of midnight, as was my habit
Occasionally reclined on a sofa, in
the hope of catching a slight respite
from the distress of my terrible hall
lucination; but it was for moment
only.
lay down again or the sofa. My
brain seemed whirling in blaze of fire,
and sprung up stricken with madness.
The horrible specter stood before me
and Knocked me with fiendish grin of
derision. l grasped a heavy piece of
furniture and dashed at it with the
fury OF maniac. The specter seemed
palpable to the blow, and Welded. {
saw it vanish in darkness that spread
before me, and my tormenting second
self was gone. broke forth in frantic
laughter. that returned in a hundred
echoes around me, and l sank exhaust
ed. unconscious to the floor.
The morning sun was shining in