The daily gazette., 1880-03-18
A Madman's Confession.
BIZ r. p. s.

Riding quietly along pleasant high
way, upon q lovely day in the Spring
of the year, I came upon a man lying
apparently dead by the roadside, while
his horse, noble-looking animal, was
feeding near by.
Hastily dismounting, turned the
body over, and feeling his pulse, found
thut life was not yet extinct, and that
he had probably been stunned by being
thrown from his horse
Pouring down his throat some spirits
/ had with me, l brought some water
in the little cup that fitted on to my
flask, and with it bathed his head and
face.
In a short time he recovered, and,
sitting up, he looked at me, and asked
abruptly
"Where am I?"
I told him how l had found him, and
inquired If he was much hurt.
"No-yes, believe l am badly hurt.
for cannot rise, and suffer here"
| placing his hand upon his heart.
"Do you think you could ride to the
neighboring village, if l aided you up
on your horse ?" asked.
mo. ! feel that ! must die, and
yet T have much to do, much to say be-
fore yield to DEATH" Y.
| "Permit me to leave you while
ride to the village for aid," said to
him.
"No oh, no do not leave me.
feel faint, and must make you my
father confessOr. You would not re-
fuse a dying man ?'' sgl
81 think you exaggerate your con-
dition, and that rest and a DOCTORS
care will soon bring you right again. /"
"You are mistaken, sir. Look at
me-"
Igazed into his pale, intellectual
face, and was struck with the refined
beauty resting there, tinged, however,
with lines of deep dissipation.
His eyes seemed almost on fire, and
were never quiet.
Apparently, he was thirty years of
age, though a few silver threads in his
dark hair, and q cynical smile that
rested upon his mouth, gave me an
idea that he was older.
He looked me intently in the face,
and said quietly. N 8sg
circumstances, not choice, have
caused you to listen to what l have to
to say. will not detain you very lUng,
however. Let me lean back against
this tree and please give me some more
water"
arranged him as comfortably as pos
sible, gave him the water, and sat beside
him to hear his confession. ~
81 am" he began, "the only son of an
opulent family, whose name l will not
mention LOW, for have already dis
graced 1t.
q" imagined myself man when was
fifteen, and, be unaware of the extent Of
my own ignorance, believed 1 was a
great genius, and In wickedness l GER
/ tainly was.
e'Io complete my education, my par
ents sent me to college when 1 was six
teen years of age, and the institution
being situated In . large city, and /
having plenty of money, l soon ran into
all kinds of dissipation.
81 lost my station In society, and
those aspiring hopes and ambitions that
should animate young man to reach
at things above instead of below him.
Notwithstanding the life led, was
not altogether debased for 1t Is not all at
once that the soul is stripped of its rega-
lia.
~ still preserved the manners of a
gentleman, and still cherised liking for
books.
"When became Of age, and in pos
session of handsome estate, / could
then have left all my evil ways and re-
sumed my former pos tion in society
but became connected with club oi
gamblers, and in less than year los
all of my property, except q miserable
pittance that came 10 me monthly.
amy father, when dying, had left me
the guardian of my sister, and the exc
cutor of her handsome estate, so deter.
mined, as / had full power over her
property, to mortgage lt, and with the
money thus obtained, attempt to redeem
my fallen fortunes.
"For a time all went we'll, and won
large sums of money, and bought back
again my own estate, which adjoined
that of gentleman OF great wealth, who
resided there with his only daughter, q
lovely interesting girl of seventeen.
81 formed her acquaintance, and found
that she was attractive to me, though
the wild, dissolute life had led render
ed me incapable of loving pure and
virtuous woman as she ought to be
loved.
81 looked upon her as an advantageous.
speculation, and after a few months
acquaintance, addressed her, and was
accepted.
"She trusted me with her destiny
her love, and her happiness, and we
were married.
"For a short time after my marriage !
led mosi:unexceptionablc fe,giving up
drinking aud gaming, and thereby aston
shing The numerous scandal-mongers
"i the neighb0rhood, who had deemed it
their duty to warn my wife that she was
marrying drunkard and a.eambler; but
TO all their assertions she paid no atten-
tion, and wholly trusted me.
| s.My sister married about this time,
and having neglected to raise The mort
| gage upon her estate, when l should
have done so instead of buying back my
own, / saw [ must rob my wife TO pay
her, and the control of her property being
| Ia my hands,I soon returned to my sister
the estate had held in keeping for
h,r.
"Thus my dow inward tendency began,
and again going 10 the gaming table,
drew large drafts from my Vife's prop
erty to meet my heavy losses.
| "My wife had borne to us two chill
dren, a girl and boy, but even their
Innocent young faces we're not sufficient