Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1884-04-29
isNff6CELLAMEOUsg1 oa
Whitman inch OF My Lie.

Whitman inch Of My Lie.
During the earE9rI years of my
medico-military osnHfrd was selected
as the Assistant Surgeon of the Army
Lunatic Asylum, theRestablished in
one of the eastern couRties. of Eng
land At TIC time of the appotHf-
ment I wasgiveR-to understand tint
it was one which paid a high com
pliment to my professional abilities
and bestowed as a reward for good
services done; but as I did not sec
it quite in The same light 1 went aud
interviewed the chief, who had
thought so much moro of me than l
did Of him. ~
born to honers, others have honors
thrust upon them the latter is my
case. L don't understand one bit
about the treatment moralormedical,
of the insane. 1 never saw but one
mailman in my life, and he, 1 verify
believe, was more knavc than fool;
and I can't help thinking that if you
send me to the asylum you are send
ing the round man to fit into the
square hole"
"That is not of the slightest consc-
quence,'' answered he whom I was
addressing; in tlic richest of brogucs,
" not the Iayste. Round orsaaUare,
the hoEe-wHEs suit you to a tt and if
so lbc -that ye don't know Gf14itNng
.eonSafhihg .laifatics, whoy, :ttre&HdHer
yefthrf tA6bethsr: Ye'llibe ploEAdto
9MeE@td0tIt delay. Good mofdtag''
So he bowed me out, and Il hITiagh
wholesome dread of the powers that
Ewere 3.jined'' forthwith.
AtItis ,one of ShakespearesBtmtse
sayings that " Use doth breed a habit
in a man." Before there had passed
away many weeks of my sojourn with
the dementcd officers and men of
Queen Victoria's land forces I found
myself highly Interested with their
pretty and well cared for home, run
ming pleasantly in the groove I had
so much objected to, and getting rid
forever and n day of that repugnance
which every outsider naturally enough
cntertains when brought into contact
with the denizcns of a mad-house.
With q passskey which was an open
sesame to every lock in the establish
ment, 1 was accustomed to wander
over it unattended either by the
" keeper or the orderlies +; and never
was 1 molcsted or spoken to threat
ingIy save once, and hat upon the
occasion 1 have elected to name
" Within an inch of my lifc."
In the afternoon, when the patients
were not indoors, it was my practice
to go through every part of the build
ing, inspecting it sanitarily. L was
doing so a. usual upon a certain
winters day, when, at a curve of a
corridor, [ came suddenly upon a
patient leaning gIoomily against one
of the pillars. lie was a private SOL
dier of the %Forty-ftfth, or Sherwood
Forestcrs-a recent admission, and
whose phase of insanity was some
what puzzling the head surgeon and
myself. Without entering Upon de-
tails, 1 shall merely say that VIC had
doubts upon his case, and had re-
commended his removal from the asy-
lum to the care of his friends
Meantime, however, he was to be
closely watched, and no garden tools
or other implements put into his
hands. How he hadmanaged to etudc
the vigilance of the orderly under
whose surveillance he had been placed
and to be where I met him, was one
of the things 1 never understood.
But so it was.
When he saw nc his melan-
cholic dcmcanor ceased; he advanced
with rapid strides towards me and /
saw at a glance that he meant mis-
chief of some sort or other; for every
muscle of his body was trembling
with passion, and on every feature
of his face was pictured that of q
demon. 1 confess that fear came
over me. What was the maniac go
ing to do? But to show apprehension
would be fatal, so 1 faced him boldly
and exclaimed: "HelIo, Mathews
what are you doing here? Why arc
you not in the airing grounds with
the othcrs?"
He turned a wild and flashing eye
upon me, and glarcd like a wild beast.
linen he 9OWled out, rather than said
IS Let me out of thisi"
"What do you mcan2'' 1 replied
resolvingIy if possible to gain time
and trusting that presently an order
ly might pass and relieve me from
the terrible dilemma in which 1 stood
"Let me out!" he repeated.
have been too long in this vile place
1 want to rejoin my regiment, to SEE
poor old mother and Mary, my sweet
heart. Why am 1 here?" I am no
mad like the others. God know.
that, so do you. But if I am KEEP
much longer 1 shall be stark-starine
mad. Let me outI say!''
He was low boiling over will
frenzy. Still I kept my ground
: Z" Mathews I said, 81 know tina,