Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-03-01
SEEKING SYMPATHY.
BY @. l. LEWIS.

.s..h -- I1.@-eso tt#
For three months before Nicholas
Fainer was born, his mother. thought
that his father neglected her. She
therefore yearned for sympathy, and
was very mournful. It must have af-
fected the young Nick's nature; for in
childhood he was of an unnaturally sad
turn of mind-fond of sick chambers,
and evincing strange sort of satisfac-
tion at scenes of death. His taste in
this respect excited much attention, and
some thought the child was little
"daft." At the death-bed of any rela-
tion or friend of the family, Nicholas
always seemed to be more deeply re-
Elective than any older person present;
and after gazing at a corpse, he would
go and sit alone, as if the sadness of the
spectacle had made great, yet not
wholly disagreeable, impression upon
his singular mind.
No sight to his youthful eye was SO
attractive in the street as funeral pro-
cession; and often he would follow the
long trains of death, with as much in
terest as youth generally show in mill
tary or firemen's professions. The sol
emn parade, the weeping mourners, tho
sable hearse-all had an unaccountable
charm for the boy; so that if he had
been sexton's son, and born in q
graveyard, he couldn't have felt more
at home than he was in these struggling
attendances upon strangers to their last
mortal resting place.
- w Aasauar he WAS ont of the way. his
parents would say, as matter OF
course: ''Oh, he's only. gone to some-
body's funeral. He'll be back present.
ly."
This partiality for the gloomy associ-
ations of death often led him to pass
his play-hours in visiting graveyards,
to read the inscriptions on the tombs,
and lie down and sometimes go to sleep
among them; and no museum had such
attractions for him as the inside of q
coffin warehouse.
The sad-minded child was also noted
for his desire for sympathy from others,
whenever he met with an accident; and
he sometimes said to his parents, that
hewould be very glad to die, if he could
only look out OF his coffin and see folks
weeping for his loss, and paying respect
to his memory!
1t was q great trouble to his moth
er.
81 know that's all owing
II know it, too" interrupted her hus-
band angrily. IF you hadn't been so
craving Of my society when
''But it's no use to cry now" contin-
ued the mother desperately. Hell be
an odd person all the, days Of his life, l
feel certain. l think he feels happiest
when he is miserable if he can only at
tract attention and sympathy. Sympa-
thy is what he wants. j think he would
cut off his hand for it. That's why he
has such o reverence for the sick and
dead, they get so much of what he is
yearning for.'' pl
.'Most unaccountable childr' +.
'And it's all owing to you, Mr..
. Fainer." H1s
mo 'taint! It's all owing to you!' =
M In due time, Mr.. and Mrs. Fainer
died, and were shoveled out of the way.
Nicholas grew and he grew till he got
to be twenty years old, and then ne fell
head over heels in love with Arethusa
Partridge. 80 b.
II would die for you," saia the ar
dent Nicholas, regarding her with pale
face and languishing eyes.
s'Ha! ha!'T laughed the coquettish
sArethusa.. 81 must see that firstn
II adore your exclaimed he, land
am miserable without you" "l4s
80 NF:,r D. - 10 6aJ knovd tba ca,,.s.
thing from a score of others-none OF
whom had died yet. But Nicholas was
of adifferent stamp. N.
He pondered upon her words
thought her unfeeling; but loved her
the more on account Of the difficulty in
getting her. He grew very thin and
miserable, and finally made secret
and desperate resolve.
& One evening, he repaired to an apoth-
ecary's and purchased an ounce OF laud-
anum, and then paid visit to isobdu-
rate inamorata.
His unusual calmness attracted her
curious notice.
care you sick, Nickp''
'tNo. / am beyond the power of sick
ness now. It viii soon be all over with
me. I have done it at last. ~ .s
.s.Done whatp''
''And you have done it!''
s.Done whatp''
Murdered me! / am dead man.
I Ishaye tax ken poison Youthought that
was mot sincere--that I would live
without you. But life had no charms
without your love, and / shall soon be
where ! shall cease to regret you.n
ssPooh! You can't scare me" re.
II nlied she "About what time do you