The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-05-31

I
Smithers to her apartment; saw that she
retired, tied q handkerchief vet With
spirits OF camphor, about her head and
left hi r to herself. Poor Mrs. Smithera
was afraid to resist, fearing that her hus-
band might be insane enough to be
dangerous. She lay staring into thu
darkness, in the greatest misery of mind.
not knowing what her husband might
take into his head next, Meanw lille
that gentleman had rushed in haste to
the family doctor
doctor" he said, sitting down in the
physician's study, 1--WE got terrible
thing to tell you, When l went away
from home I loft my dear little wife as
we'll as could wish. in as snug q home
as woman need to have-but you know
my house. Doctor: came home to-
| night and find the poor soul quite
out o. her mind-Quite- out of her
little mind. Doctor. She's packed
of all the comfortable things. dom t
know where; had the doors and mant ell
horse-blankets on rods and rings; sent
away the carpets and rubbed up the
floors and scattered about few fuzzy
rugs. She won't have the heater or the
gas; and there's a log Of wood on some
of my grandmother's old brass andirons,
and few candles perched here and
there. And she's taken down the fami.
~ portraits and hung up pictures OF
long-legged birds; and she's stuck plates
and bowls and cups and saucers all over
the wall somehow; and the place is full
| of the queerest spindle-legged things,
chairs that make you ray ouch! when
you sit down on 'em and tables you can't
get your legs under: The place is like 9
charnel- house; but l wouldn't mind
that IT she was all right in her mind.
Doctor, what do you think of her saying
she did it by the advice of some fellow
or other? don't remember his name i.
That's mental delusion, amt it?"
solemn countenance, but his soul was
full of fun. He knew very we'll what lit
tie Mrs. Smithers had been doing to her
house, and why she did it; and he quite
understood the effect it had produced on
her spouse.
"smither's my dear friend" he said,
solemnly, don't be alarmed. It is an
epidemic; half the women in the city
have it.. Your wife will recover. Take
my advice; send her into the country
for week, and put your old things back
into the house. You can sell the new
ones at auction very readily. Let Mrs.
s., as have said. visit your mother the
while. When she comes back she'll see
everything all right again, and all will be
we'll. Don't talk to her about it. There'll
be no relapse"
eyes, yes" said Mr.. Smithers, II
hope you are right. And you'll 60 over
| and see Kitty? I've put ner to bed and
tied her head up. You'll go this eve-
| ming, doctor?"
AT once," said the doctor.
He went. Poor Mrs. Smithers lay
sobbin9 in her spindle legged bed, with
the handkerchief st,'l about her brows.
thankful you've COME. jeremiah has
| returned home in such strange con-
| dition- I am afraid his mind is affected.
He would have me 90 to bed at once, as
you see. Did he serd for you? There
WAS nothing the matter with me until
he nearly frightened me to death'
"Ive seen your husband, ma'am,"
said the doctor. solemnly. "He'li be all
right in few days. 1t was the shock of
seeing things so changed about him
that was all Do exactly as he bids you,
and everything will be we'll again"
Mrs. Smithers promised and obeyed,
and went mildly away to visit Jeremiah's
mother in the country on the following
day. As soon as she was gone, the anx-
ious husband packed off all the expen-
sive purchases to the auction-rooms,
where they created quite furore, and
brought more than they cost. restored
his doors and mantel-pieces, hunted up
his old furniture, rehung his gas fl xtures
| and set his heater to work, and then
went to bring his wife home.
He watched the effect Of her entrance
into her home with anxiety, but all Mrs.
Smithers said was:
GLOW comfortable"
II thought you'd think So" sighed he,
wonderfully relieved.
He has never quite understood the
matter yet; but Mrs. Smither5 does.