Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-17

often and how fatally have l PRACTICAL
parodied the Shakespearean aphorism
There's pleasure In talcoholic] madnes
none but [alcoholicl madmen know" NJ
constitution gradually gave way, until chroni
| state of nervous exaltation was finally cappe,
by smart fit of delrium tremens Provident
tally rallying out OF the jaws of death, mad
| repeated VOWS of abStemiousness and even alb
stinence. But was continually relapsing Tn,
latter stages were even worse than the former
l lost all relish for study, and spent days ant
weeks in lethargic state verging on mora
paralysis. 1t was neither the dreamy paradise
OF the lotus eater nor even the ecstatic hallu
cinafiOns OF the opium eater In the Garlic
| stages OF his fatal indulgence. Rather did / ex
perlence that chronic sense Of conscious deliriun
and OF almost demOniacal possession which
is said to haunt the victim of opium in the late
stages Of his progress
One by one all my friends had reluctantly
"cut" him whom they considered the disgrace
OF the family" l found myself alone in the
world. My married sister, residing in the south
OF France. had throughout maintained an affec-
Tomato and sympathetic correspondence with
her erring brother; and now kindly urged M
70 spend winter season under her roof &C.
| cepted gratefully; and, thanks to her watchfuI
| influence, regained. for while, the mastery
form, We were again forced to separate for
fear of public scandal and a bad example to the
| household.
The slopes Of the Maritime Alps it is well
known. abound In health-resOrts for summer
tourists. So soon. then. as found myself once
more cast adritt, / resolved on seeking out the
most remote and least frequented Of these
mountain Businesses. There it was my fixed
purpose to put sure, and. as / hoped speedy
finislling-strOke to a useless and humiating
existence. In short, l had deliberately determ-
ined on perpetrating alcoholic suicide. On the
extreme frontiers Of France and Piedmont.
perched some seven thousand feet above
the sea-level lies narrow plateau. or
mountain ledge, commanding an extern
siye and almost unriyaled prospect The
place takes its name Of NOtre Dame de la Fene-
tire from windOw-ke aperture in an over
hanging mountain, which a pious tradition at
tributes to the miraculous passage of the Blessed
Virgin. bearing the infant Jesus in her arms.
On the site of her resting-place. below this
mountain chapel has been erected. consecrated
to the cult of the Madonna. 1t attracts thou
sands OF pilgrims from the distant towns and
villages. both of France and Italy, on the 18th
OF August. the Festa of the Assumption. Here
Is also modest but comfortable auberge for
the accommodation of the numerous tourists
who visit this romantic and salubrious spot
during the brief summer season.
took up my abode in this little hOstelry In
the month OF July, 49,. with the full expecta-
tion OF ending my days there and at no distant
date Meanwhile, held doggedly aloof from
and honest folks who supplied my daily needs
But to no purpose did invoke Death. I could
neither live nor die. At last strangely enough,
sudden revulsion of feeling took possession of
me- Hope, as it were, even against hope.
seemed to revive in me- Again hankered after
life. and aspired to more normal existence.
Reader. do you believe In presentiments?
Hitherto had been a skeptic. and proud of nv
skepticism. in all matters savoring of spiritual
or extra-material agency. But natural instinct
Will revenge itself, from time to time, upon even
the most stubborn OF unbelievers. In q mo-
ment fell victim to credulity: felt vague
but none the less positive, assurance of some
event about to befall me which was destined to
change the current of my whole life
or its precise nature l had not even a
with hOpefulness rather than misgivng. Did
not already know the worst? Surely any
change. no matter what. must be welcome to
me! Nevertheless. at the outset, strOve to
stifie It, as the prOmptings of childish super
stitiOn; or. yet more probably. a symptom Of
mental deterioration, perhaps even of BRAIN
softening. Despite all my efforts. it would
whisper in my ear, like still small voice, day
and night.
One morning l woke with this idea more
wildly impressed on my mind than ever, and, at
late hour. as usual. rose and dressed for my
solitary midday meal. 1 heard strange voices
in the adjoining room. and clearly distinguished
the unWOnted accents of my native tongue
Two English ladies had bespOken rooms for a
weeks stay. Only a few DAYS had elapsed since
such an announcement would have failed to
awaken the faintest interest in my mind. The
case was otherwise now. felt sudden craving
for cOngenial intercourse with my unknown fel-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
To brace my nerves for the interview, drank
more deeply than usual but the excitement of
anticipation secured to me the full possession of
all my faculties. / entered the salon; the two
ladies. seated at the open window were silently
admiring the prospect. In a foreign land
In general. and In an Out-Of-the-wOrld
place like that in which was now staying
In particular, the sight of q fellow-country-
man is welcome. Within half an hour we were
on terms of cordial intimacy. The two ladies
stood in the relation Of aunt and niece. The
former. though sOmewhat'advanced in life. was
still comely dame. The years of the latter
could barely have reached quarter OF CEN
tury. Without any pretensions to regular beauty
OF features, Sylvia for such was her name was
undenlably prepOssessing, and an intellectual
and amable type of countenance proved faith
ful index to her moral and mental qualities.
Both were evidently women Of culture and re-
finement.
On this memorable evening, which marked a
new epoch in the lives Of two of the party, the
truth of the adage 'In vino veritas' was strik-
ingly exemplified. In the course of converse
ton my companions expresseda natural though
well bred curiosity to learn the motives which
could have prompted an educated Englishman,
like myself, to seek living tomb in these
mountain sOlitudes. My heart, which had so
long borne the burden of It's silent seal, burned
within me, and spoke its secret sorrows unre-
servedly. Little by little unfolded the sad
story of my whole past life. 1 spoke the truth,
the whole TRUTH nothing but the truth. And
my confidence was amply repaid by the rapt at
tention and unaffected sympathy OF my listeners
Nor did omit timid reference to that strange
foreshadOwing of a coming crisis in my life
which had lately taken so mysterious hold of
my IMAGINATION. To my surprise, they ex-
pressed less incredulity than l anticipated.
Each. in tnrn, narrated some startling story of
kindred character, drawn from personal ex-
perience or founded on the testimony of re-
liable friends and acquaintance, In proof Of the
credibility of presentiments in general Not
till late hour In the evening did we part COM
pany. with the mutual promise to meet early
next morning for stroll before breakfast
l do not pretend to explain the phenomenon,
but that night went to bed, for the first time
in ten years, without my usual ''night-cap. -
Yet there stood the fatal narcotic py nv bed
side. powerful enough to plunge most men into
Lethean tOrpor OF twenty-fOur hours dura-
ton, but which had only the effect of drugging
my over-excited brain fora couple Of hours dis
turbed repOse at the most Neither can I
claim the merit Of resisting the tempter I
simply forgot it. 1t was as If some good angel