News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-04-05
VICTIMS OF OPIUM.
HIGH LIFE SENSATION FROM LONDON
WHY MARRIAGE WAS BROKEN OFF
ABRUPTLY.

London Life vOuches for the truthful
ness in every particular of the following
narrative, the names alone being with
held
/ Very recently rising young physician
/ in the West End of London was sum
mOned to attend an urgent case. As the
carriage drew up at the door, he observed
/ that there was an awning and car
pet extending from the portal to the
| curb. and on reaching the hall he found
that the house was thronged with people
| in evening dress. The messenger, speak
| ing to a white-haired military-lOOking
gentleman who sat alone before the fire
place, said:
''Sir Hugh, this is DR.. Fielding" and
withdrew.
The gentleman addressed rose from his
chair. and as he stood in the blazing
light of the sea-cOal fire he seemed man
in whose splendid physical presence the
Doctor at once recognized the person of
a famous naval commander, whose deedb
of personal prowess in the Pacific and in
the China Seas had won for him some
thing more than national reputation.
be seated, Doctor, lie SAID, pointing
to a chair. "My daughter was to have
been married to-day. l have sent for
YOU because [ know your reputation for
the treatment of nervous diseases Is very
high"
MY professional skill is at your ser
vice" said the Doctor.
"Your answer is frank and TO the
point. " returned the Baronet. The mar
riage of my daughter has not taken place
To-day she passed from a state of vivac-
ity and happiness into one of stupOr.
All our efforts to arouse her have proved
unavailing. In order that you may com
prehend the entire situation, shall be
forced to detail some of my own and of
my family history. Her mother was a
native of the East Indies. I married her
after brief courtship, when ! was a
Flag Lieutenant in the East stIndiPsquad-
ron, many years ago. She was the daugh-
ter of missionary who had given over
his jealous ambition to convert the hea-
then of Burmah. and had gone into trade
In a short time his fortune had reached
an incredible amount. There were vague
rumOrs that the greater part Of it had
been gathered by transactions in opium.
The young lady herself was beautiful and
talented, and the sole heiress to her IA
theirs enormous wealth. Among the
MANY suitOrS who came | was the sue
cessful one, and our wedding in manyre-
spects was a remarkable affair. Our only
child was born some years later, and
shortly afterward was ordered to an ar
duOus service in the COrean waters. On
its completion ] returned to England to
find my wife broken in health, and the
victim of the most painful complication
of disorders. 1t was necessary to allav
her pain, and to do this morphia was re-
sorted to. She fingered on and died. Be
fore her death, she told me in a Iucidmo-
ment that she had learned the use Of
opium in her childhood, and that while
she had never become a slave to it, she
had nevertheless takenit with regularity.
and she had no doubt that her illness re
suited from the habit. In this view the
physician who attended her concurred.
Now, sir, my child appears to me to have
been using some drug. | have no reason
tC believe that she is a slave to the habit
of taking opium, in any of its horrible
forms, but my heart Is burdened with the
gravest apprehensiOns. Should you dis
cover that she Is, the wedding ceremony
which is only postponed, shall never take
place. The bridegroom is the son of my
dearest friend, and | can never permit
that he shall have the prospect of life
of misery, such as mine has been; the
more so, for the reason that there is no.
way to ensure happiness for her"
They passed out through the hall, up
the staircase, encountering the guests
who had been hidden to the marriage
feast taking their departure. Some of
them gave looks of curiosity, but all of
them had a word of sympathy or a pres
sure of the hand to bestOw upon the
stricken father as he passed by.
On reaching the landing the BarOnct
stopped for a moment to recover his self
possession, and then gently opening
door, ushered the Doctor into the pa
TENTS chamber The sight that greeted
the Doctors eve embraced as its central
feature the form Of young lady clad in
a dress of white satin, and lying ON
bed. A bridal vail of delicate lace trailed
its luxuriant length over the back of a
chair, on which also hung a wreath of
orange blossoms.
In moment the man of science saw
that the fathers worst fears were justi-
fled. A mere glance at the swollen eye
lids, whose unnatural yellow color was
heightened by the dark-blue veins that
traversed them, showed that the young
lady was not only the victim of a larger
portion than she had been accustomed
to take, but that the custom itself was
of old standing.
''WelI, Doctor" asked the Baronet,
anxiously, sis it opium?"
owe must first save her life, replied
the Doctor, evasiveIv.
Proper remedies were administered so
successfully that in a few minutes the
victim was aroused from the state Of
coma into which she had fallen, ard
brought to her feet. Then began the
heroic treatment. She was beaten with
hands, pricked with sharp points, and
subjected to repeated shocks from a gal