The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-04-22
April %.

How shall / describe her? Madness
, means something quite different from her
state Imbecilityswould still less convey
nay meaning. There is no word. 1 can
find which is fitting to use. There was
simply something missing from her in+
tellect-as much missing as limb may
be from body MemOEys- except fOroom-
have none. The power of. reasoning,
weighing and drawing aEeductions seemed
Beyond her grasp. she appeared unable
tprecognize the importance and bearing,
Of occurrences taking place around her.
Sorrow and delight were emotions shewas
incapable of feeling. Nothing, appeared
to- move her. Unless her attention. was
called to them she noticed neither per-
SONS nor places. She lived as by instinct
rose, ate, drank and lay, down forrest
as-One not knowing why shstdid So. Sach,
questions OF remarks as came witllinst the
limited range of her capacity she replied,
tey-those outside it passed -lulheeded,- or,
ellie the shy troubled eyes sought f6Ea,
mnment the questioner's face, and left
him as mystified as had been when4firstt
Imoticed that curious inquiTing look.
Yet she was not mad. AEperson might
haze met her out In company, and after
spending hours In heTsociety might have
that she was shy and .reticent.. WIIet4
ever she did speak, sher. words eRs.- as.
these of perfectly sane woman; but.as
al1Ile her voice was only heard when the.
ordinary necessities of life demand, or i'm
reply to some simple question:. Perkhps,,
IiSaSOnld not be far wrong ini.c comparing
heg mind to that of ehildR but alaat it
was, childs mind in wOmans body
and that woman was my wife!
life to her, so far AS eoIlld see, bald
neither mental pleasure nor PAIN. 0OaG-
sidering physically, I found that sliGswas
m0re influenced by. heat amd,cold fhnmloy
amy other agents. The sllnswouhl, arnpt
her cut of doors, or the cAtl,l wind would
dEiwe her in. She was by no means 'lllr-
happy. She seemed quite content to sit
by my side, or to walk OF drive it'll me
for hours without speakiHg. HerTW hole
existence was a negative one
And she was sweet and d0cile.. She
followed every suggestion of MINIS fcflan
with every plan, was. ready to, go here,
tEere, or every where, eas. / -wished>2 hut
her compliance and obedience weHSs- as
those of slave to- sRAw MASTER ct
seemed to me that. all her life ssha must
hive been accustomed t0 obey samatsGae.
hwas this habit which. @ad so mislad me
1AfnAL eAlluO6b DttNkC llldtl i
lowed me, OF she would, not,s have con
sented to that hasty. marriage. N6@, I
KnEw that her ready obedience. to- her
unIcte's command was really dlia.tot hain-
ability of her mind tQ offer resistance,
and its poweriessness ta,cOmprehe the
taue meaning OF. theitsxep Shoe wass TAX
ing.
Such was Pauline, lay wifeii "A woman
IN her beauty and gEace of spersoa n
child in her cloudetlo and { uniformed
on staunted mind AnA I,lh@nihusband,
strong man craving fOr love- might win
from her, perchances at last, what might
be compared to the of a cl4ild to
to its parent, OF q dQgfo his master.
As the truth, the,wlfole- trnth came
home to me, 1 am not ashamed to say
that l lay down andIwept iH bittess grief.
l lovedi her evelRnow khewvall !? L
would non even have cund0ne the mar
rage. She was my wife-the only
woman Uhad everqcaredSfSn. I would
fulfill my vow-would love her assd cher
ish her. Her lfd,,, at ldast.. sAOuld be
as happysa my clraeould makeeit. But
all the Same [ vowed / w9uld hare a fit
ting reckoning with the Glib Itatan Doc
tor.
Him, Z felt it was nesessary,I should !
see aSsOmce. Efcm him I wonld wiring
all particulars. would laaralf Paulines
had always been athe samef--iif there wass
any hope that time sRtl patsent treat4-
ment would work an. improvement. Il
would Learn, m@reoyers; the object of HIS,
concaNlment. / lwo3il, Il .ssTore, drag.
the TRUTH FROM. him, or. lit should cost;
him dear. L.ptll l stood. Sace to faaes
w1thsCenerl should tipd ma peace.
1 told Pauline i, WITS necessary we
ShCIzld 1.0tI17.N tO r
She betrayad,I no, sarprisa; raised no
objection. She made hsas preparations
at once andwas ready to accompanying
wien [ willed it. This, was anoaIler
thing abouH.her wlnchlpltMzled me. SO
faE as things mechanical went, slsawas
as other people. La hen toilet, evan in
her preparations for % journey; she
needed no, assistance. All her aatSons
were those of a perfeaiHy sane person :
it was only whaA the mind was,s called
upon to show itself that the deficiency
became at all apparent
1t was gray morning when We. reached
Euston. Station. We had travelled all
night. 1 smiled. bihterly us u stepped
on to the platform !; smiled at. the con-
trast between my thoughts of to-day and
those. OF few mornings sgo when [
handed the wife z had so strangely won
into The traia, and told mysaif ms I fol-
lowed her, that life of perfect happi,.
nessswas about Ia begin.
And yet how FAIR the girllooked MS she
stood by my side on that wide platformr
How strangely that air of repose that
sweet refined calm faca that general
appearance of indifference contrasted
with the busy scene ABOUND us aS the
train disgorgedits contents Oh, that /
could sweep the cloIlds from her mind
and make her what wishedl
/ had found some difficulty in settling
what course to pursue decided, after
ventilating various schemes that would
take Pauline to my own rooms in Wal
pole street. knew the people of the
Z F,,Ek