The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-01-15
From the London World
a WATLESA THING.''

a WAKAESS EHkNG.'
"A document in madness; thoughts and re-
membranes ftted."-Hdmlet, Act 4, Scene 5
Now remember, Lord Grayton," said
the Doctor solemnly, all | told you.
You are very welcome to come to our
ball, though, as rule, we only ask a GER
tain set of wise men and maidens who
know our ways and their ways. Still,
you are goodlooking, humorous, and
CHEEKY, and if you are sensible You can
enjoy yourself, and, maybe, do them a
world of good. | believe in electricity as
a curative agent-not the quack nonsense
Of belts and chains and musical boxes,
that only shake the nerve centres, but the
real electricity of animal spirits, the tonic
of good health"
i shall do exactly as am bid," said
Lord Grayton, handsome, forid, mus
cular young man, strong az horse buoy
ant as balloon, just back after a self
imposed exile of FIVE years in India with
the big game but tell me Of all those
| confounded cautions again. | did lot
Of dancing of various kinds years ago,
before | went after the tigers "-and ne
laughed as mingled memories of Mayfair
anu OIlc AIOIuo NfIuD HW ALL OiCk 10 nIIIl-
"and Pve tried both the Coroboree and
the Sotonga; ; but 'pon honor never
danced with lunatic girl az YETI
Are you quite sure of that? 2" said
the Doctor, grmly they are to be met
with outside of Copswood, | can tell you.
However, listen the rule is simple. Be
civil and don't contradict. If old Crack
ton asks you to play chess, play. He's a
good player, and will beat you fairly if he
can if he can't he'll make false move
and call checkmate, and you must re-
sign. If poor Snobly thinks you are the
Prince, and 'Sires' you all over the place,
and throws out hints about being asked
to Sandringham if you are asked to lis
ten to the Ginning clock in Bakers inte-
riors, or to avoid some one else, because
he's glass and might break, you must do
your best to be courteous to them all, and
on no account laugh at their fancies"
Sounds rather umpy. And to la
dies ?"
"Pll see to that, and introduce you to
the incest, and tell you what to avoid
speaking about; the men will make the
talking for themselves, the women don't
talk much"
"Sign Of insanity, suppose And
what am talk about?'
Everything save some one thing-the
Empress of Austria, or the stage, or white
roses, or Mr.. Mallock, or black stockings
Pll give you the cue-never fear; only it
may happen that one of them will ask
you to dance, and then you must steer as
best you can-talk society, or art, chance.
My own girls and their friends get on "a
mously with the male patients, and you
must do your best. Come, you are going
| to be our best tonic tonight, and you must
be off and dress; nine sharp, mind, as
they all go to bed at midnight"
"Queer thing this" soliloquised Gray
ton as he completed an elaborate dressing,
beginning my first season after FIVE
years by dancing with lot of lunatics.
Hope they won't wear straw in their hair !;
if they do, l shall bolt to the Congleton's
dance"
| He had many strange adventures that
evening as he strolled about the pretty
ballroom at the Copswood private asy-
lum. He was duly defeated at chess by
the venerable Crackton, who deliberately
slid back captured queen on the board,
and performed prodigies of vaIor with
her. He sympathized with the gentle
man who had swallowed a crocodile, and
and he noticed the pale, cadaverous man
who amused himself by counting the
lights on each side of the room and sing
ing softly to himself, "Sorry can't ad-
init it, sorry | can't admit it! He had
been All acrostic editor once upon a time
lie noticed the fussy little man, with a
pale-blue shaven face, who wanted to
stage manage the sixteen Lancers, and
who piteously entreated the dancers to
"go back over all that again, please, and
try and get it crisper ;" and the erratic
journalist who wrote paragraphs on his
shirt-cuffs, aud many other strange folks
that passed by in the motley pageant of
unsettled reasons.
"There'A 4 King Lear" whispered the
Doctor, as ." a very foolish, fond old man,
fourscore and upwards,' passed them
muttering of Bigton AS; you know
who he was ?" and he whispered a name in
Grayton's ear that made that nobleman
whistle softly.
"And are there any Ophelia's whose
young maids wits should be as mortal as
An old mans life p asked Grayton, show
| ing that ne knew his ChakeSpeafe an wen
as the Doctor.
eyes, but we keep their secrets. Now
90 and dance;" and the Doctor took
King Lear off for cup of coffee.
1t was a sad, weird sight altogether,
and as Grayton watched it, it reminded
him of Kaulbach's Dance of DEATH -
and he felt oddly morbid az he thought
of his own lonely life. He had once
loved and given his heart to woman
whom he had both idealized and idolized
he had youth, brains and position, and
with her he felt he could conquer the
world. 1t was an old story; she turned
out to be as loveless as she was lovely,
and 80 he took to the tigers. He had got
over it all now, but he shuddered as he
remembered the fret of it all, and thought
how near madness he had been driven