The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-07-14
A SHATTERED INTELLECT.
"Help! help! help!'

started to my feet in a tremOr of
fright as this cry rang through my room,
and gazed at the partition wall which
divided my apartment from the room
next to it in helpless terror. Then l
bethought me of the hall, and rushing
out there knocked on the door next to
mine.
Silence, followed by low demoniacal
laugh!
'What is the matter?" | called.
''Open the door, if you need help"
A voice evidently that of an aged
woman, called out:
go awayW
Then l could hear her laugh and NUT
ter to herself. and | went back to my
room. On the way l met the boy who
was janitor of the building.
who has No. 27?"
"Some crazy vomans," he answered
in disrespectful haste, and was gone be-
fore | could ask another question.
A mad woaian in the next room!
Surely fate was unkind to me- | had
come here to improve my own mind,
and found myselftete-a-tete with idiocy.
| could move out. but | had only Just
moved in, and ducats We're as scarce as
hens teeth. | was preparing myself
for dramatic readings, and spent the
most part of my time in the drill work
OF the profession, with intervals devoted
to the rendering of classical music. con
amOre comforted myself with
the belief that however hard my poor
demented neighbor shrieked and raved
in her insane ebulitions, could drown
her out with an opposition bedlam, and
l decided to stay where Twas and attend
to my own affairs.
If had only done so!
mind your own business is home
ly formula, but it is a little classic of
sensible, pertinent advice, which we
would do well to engraye on the ritual
of our daily lives in letters of gold. So
much for parenthesis.
studied aloud. raved and ranted
to develop my voice. paced my
chamber in a long white gown and hold
ing tallow candle in my rigid hand.
while l strobe up and down, repeated
in sepulchral tones:
O-w-it damned spot, owit I say
one-two; why then It's time to
Save me! save me! help! help! for
God sake, hclp!'
l dropped my candle, jumped into
bed, and drew the bed-clOthes over my
head There I lay and shivered until
morning.
Then l saw pale, still woman with
a resOlute face, coming out of number
q.
''How is your patientF' l asked hur-
| riedly as she passed me on the landing.
The woman stared at me a moment
as if she did not quite understand.
''The-the insane woman" ex-
planned.
''Oh, yes, much better, but / cannot
stop to talk, and she FASTENED away
whife | wondered whether she was a
nurse to the mysterious woman shut up
there, or relative. possibly daughter
decided on the latter when l over
heard the fond language she used to-
ward the poor demented creature.
Never harsh or reproachful word. but
| the tender endearments of an affection
that was as self-sacriticing as only the
strongest tilial love can be. And so
proud and careful of the unconscious
sufferer that no eye was allowed to rest
upon her in that wretched state.
honorcd and respected such devo-
| ton, and soon in my own way | lonred
to assist the sad and silent woman, who
| shrunk from the advances of strangers,
in her labor of love. | began by leav-
| ing tiny punches of flowers at the door.
Then small offerings of fruit, and l had
selfish reward in the silence and peace
that followed each occasion. | could
hear the patient softly laughing or talk
ing to herself, and | even imagined she
had learned to expect the tributes of my
sympathy. Who knew? 1t might even
| act as a new mind cure, this outside di-
| version from an unknown source.
Several times | had tried to talk with
the daughter-as | had decided her to
be but her manner was so reserved,
and so strange, that l began to think
she, too, was non compos mentis; that
they were, in fact, mad family. But |
| had learned that she filled responsible
position during the day, and that her
whole life was given up to the cherries
society of the wreck whom she protected
with such devotion that had never vet
caught a glimpse of her. felt that to
| help such sorrow was privilege, and
| l desired no thanks or acknowledge
| ment.
And yeti will confess it now-it was
sometimes hard to bear. The rawlings
of insanity are never pleasant to lis
ten to. but there was peculiar weird
ness in the muilled cries that rang
through the deadening walls.
But there came a climax as there
does to most of the tragedies cd life, and
it did not come moment too soon, for
l had fallen into a nervous condition
that, if I had been fine lady, would
have caused my friends and myself
great apprehension. But | am not a
fine lady, and the few friends ] had
lived far away and did not trouble them
selves about me- And / had become
absorbed, fascinated, haunted by the
nameless terror on the the other side OF
my partition. / too, was beginning to
laugh Historically; to scream ''help''
and murder in my sleep; to mutter.
and jabber neoherent words. My face
had grown white and wild looking. Il
fancied that every next door neighbor
avoided me, as if afraid of me--ha! hat
the idea is too funny F
One evening, Just at dusk, | went
home from rehearsal for performance
in which Twas to appear, and, all alb
sosbed in my part, toiled YEARLY up to
my room in the fourth story and walked
in without unlocking the door, so IN
conscious was ] of my Surroundings
But the room was lighted and a woman
sat there sewing; the furniture was
strange-nothing was mine. L had
made mistake and walked into No.