Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-07-24
A SHATTERED INTELLECT,

Help! help! help!'
started to my feet in tremor of
fright as this cry rang through my
room. and gazed at the partitias 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 l knocked on the door
next to mine.
Silence, followed by low demoni-
acal laugh!
What is the matter?" l called.
"Open the door if you need help"
A voice, evidently that of an aged
woman, called out:
go away!'
Then l could hear her laugh and
mutter to herself, and l went back to
my room. On the way met the boy
who was janitor of the building.
who has No. 27P"
"Some crazy woman" he answered
in disrespectful haste, and was gone
before could ask another question.
A madwoman in the next room!
Surely fate was unkind to me. had
come here to improve my own mind,
and found myself tete-a-tete with
idiocy. l could move out, but l had
only just moved in, and ducats were
as scarce as hens teeth. was pre-
pairing myself for dramatic readings,
and spent the most of my time in the
drill work of my profession, with inter-
walls devoted to the rendering OF clas-
steal music, con Gnore. comforted
myself with the belief that however
hard my poor demented neighbor
shrieked and raved in her insane
ebuilitions, l could drown her out with
an opposition bedlam, and decided to
stay where was and attend to nv own
affairs.
If had only done so!
Mind your own business" is a
homely formula, but it is little classic
of sensible, pertinent advice. which we
would do we'll 10 engrave on the ritual
of our daily lives in letters of gold. So
much for parcnthesis.
studied aloud. rayed and ranted
to develop my voice. Ipaced my cham
Der in a long white gown and holding
tallow candle in my right hand,
while l strobe up and down, repeated
in sepulcherial tones:
O-w-it dam-n-ed spot, owit l say
one-two; why then It's time to
Save me! save me! help! help! for
Gods sake, helpr'
dropped my candle. jumped into
bed, and drew the bed-clothes over my
head. There lay and shivered until
morning.
Then l saw pale, still woman with
a resolute face, coming out of number
q.
How is your patientP'' asked hur-
riedly rs she passed me on the land
ing.
The woman stared at me 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
while / wondered whether she was q
nurse TO the mysterious woman shut
up there, or u 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 affec-
ton that was self-sacrilicing as only
the strongest filial love can be. And
so proud and car,fu of the unconscious
sufferer that no eye was allowed to
rest upon her in that wretched state.
honored and respected such devo-
ton and soon in my own way / long to
assist the sad and silent woman, who
shrunk from the advances of strangers,
in her labor of love. l began by leav-
ing tiny lunches of flowers at the door.
Then small offerings of fruit, and had
a selfish reward in the silence and
peace that followed each occasion.
could hear the patient softly laughing
or talking to herself, and l even i'm
agined she had learned to expect the
tributes OF my sympathy. Who knew?
1t might even act as q new mind cure,
this outside diversion 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 began to think
that she, too, was non compos mentis;
that they were. in fact, mad family.
But had learned that she filled re-
sponsible position during the day, and
that her whole life was given up to the
Chez 'ess society of the wreck whom
she protected with such devotion that
had never yet caught n glimpse of
her. 1 felt that to help such u sorrow
was a privilege, and / desired no
thc nks or Acknowledgements.
And yeti will confess it now-it
was sometimes hard to bear. The
rawlings of insanity are never pleasant
TO listen to, but there was peculiar
weirdness in the muffled cries that rang
through the deadening wall.
But there came climax, as there
does to most of the tragedies of life, and
it did not come moment too soon,
for 1 had fallen into a nervous condi-
ton that, if had been q fine lady,
would have caused my friends and my
self great apprehension. But am not
fine lady, and the few friends / have
lived far away and did not trouble
themselves about me. And / had be-
come absorbed, fascinated, haunted by
the nameless terror on the other side
of my partition. /. too, was beginning
to laugh Historically; to scream 'help"
and murder" in my sleep; to mutter,
and iabber incoherent words. My face
had grown white and Withholding. /
fancied that every next door neighbor