Connecticut western news., 1882-01-11
AN OPIUM MANIAC.

ana .be1te, having 1au0u HI DuSluosS anu become a slave. of the opium habit, gradually lost his hold on life, and slipped from a comfortable if not luxu- rious home into almost abject poverty, his family at last being forced to take up their arode in one of the lower class of tenement houses. He secured 8 situation with firm who hoped by his acquaintance in the South to extend their Southern trade, but this engage ment came to a sudden end. An expe- rienced medical acquaintance while making a call upon the firm caught sight of MT. Jocelyn, and his practiced eye detected the trouble at once. .,-
 "That man is an opium eater" he said, in a low tone. The firms sym pathy for man seemingly. in poor health was transformed into disgust and antipathy, since there is less popular toleration of this weakness than of drinking habits. Mir. Jocelyn's employ CTS were not in the least inclined to pity. They felt that they had been lm- posed upon, and that, too, at time when all business men were very rest less under useless expenditure. It was the mans fault, and not his misfortune, that he had failed so signally in secur- ing trade from the South, and while they had paid him but 8 small salary, his ill-directed and wavering efforts had involved them in considerable expense. Asking the physician to remain, Mir. Jocelyn was summoned to the private office and directly charged with the ex- cessiye and habitual use of opium. The poor man was st first greatly confused and trembled as if in an ague fit, for his horsepower was already so shattered that he had little self.control in an emergency. This, of course, was con- firmation of guilt in their eyes.
 "Gentlemen, you do me great wrong,I" he managed to say, and hastily left the office. Having secreted himself from observation he snatched out his hypodermic syringe, and within six minutes felt himself equal 10 any crises. Boldly returning to the office he denied the charge in the most expl1cit terms and with some show of lofty indigna. tion. The physician who was still pres ent watched him closely, and noticed that the cuff on his left hand was some what crumpled, as if it had recently been pushed back Without word he seized Mir. Jocelyn's arm and pulling back his coat and shirt sleeve revealed bright red puncturela just made and many others of remote date. .g ys=..}..I ..-
 "There is no use lying about such matters to me-" said the physician. "How much morphine did you inject in- to your arm since you left us 9
 '1 am victim of neuralgia" Mir. Jocelyn began, ''and the cruel and un- reasonable charge here made against me brought on an acute paroxysm, and therefore T."
 'Stop that nonsense" interrupted the Doctor, roughly. "Don't you know that lying, when lying is of no use, is one of the characteristics of an opium eater I am a physician, and have seen too many cases to be deceived mo- ment. You have all the symptoms of a confirmed morphia consumer, and if you ever wish to break the chains, you had better tell the doctors the truth and put yourself under the charge of one in whom you have confidence" .,
 "Well, curse your said MT. Joycelyn, cit was through one of your internal fraternity that I acquired what you are pleased to call my chains, and now you come croaking to my employers, poison. ing their minds against me-"
 ',Oh, as to poisoning" remarked the physician, sarcastically, ''I'l wager g thousand dollars that you have absorbed enough morphia in the last twenty foul hours to kill every one in this office At the rate you are going on, you vii soon poison yourself out of existence | No physician ever advised the destroy ing vice you are practising, aud no phy sician would take offense at your words any more than at the half demente6 ravings of fever patient. You are il 8 very critical condition, sir, and unless you can wake up to the truth and pu forth more power than most men pos sess, you will soon go to the bad"
 "I sincerely hope you will take thi experienced physician's advice" !" said tn, senior member of the firm, very coldly "At any rate, we can no longer permi you to jeopardize our interests by you folly and weakness. The cashier vii settle with you, and our relations en' here and now" .--,- -... ....
 "You will bitterly repent of this in justice," said Mir. Jocelyn haughtily "You are discharging man of unusua business capacity-one whose acquaint ance South is well nigh universal, an, whose combinations were on the eve c securing enormous returns."
 eve will forego all these advantages Good morning, sir Did you ever SC such effrontery ?" he continued, afte MT. Jocelyn had departed with a loft and contemptuous air. ''It's not effront cry, it's opium" said the physician sadly. "You should see the abject mis cry of the poor wretch after the effect of the drug have subsided." ..' ...
 MT. Jocelyn had already begun t shrink from the companionship of hi family. The play and voices of his lii tle children jared bis nerves beyonden durance.l In. bitter self-condemnatio he saw that he was ceasing to be pro | tector to his daughters. The though of his loving, trusting wife was tn