The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-10-09
HAUNTED BY MUSIC.


The Peculiar Delusion Following . Maa
Who Listens to Sad Music
[Pittsburg Dispatchl
@Young man." said q prosperous-looking
citizen, "did you ever observe the habits Of
musical psoplei Because II you have, you
have seen great deal ol character that you
would not have seen IL you hadn't"
With this strange declaration he subsided
into a deep reverie A cloud Of pain occa-
sionally passed over his face, and there was
twitching Of the muscles Of the mouth, as
If he were undergoing somo mental torture.
Presently he gave a start, and, rubbing his
hands across his forehead for the purpose Of
collecting his thoughts, broke the impend-
ing silence with his voice.
4Ah, sasp he .aid, ~ hving over
again some nights Of agony have spent. I
am fast growing old. am haunted by q
terrible delusion. At times feel that my
hair Is as white as snow, my hands shake a.
II with the palsy, and I seem to totter on
my knees When the idea pursuss me can
not get rid Of it. and ! am driven almost to
despsr alton"
Il am sorry for you, my friend" said the
reporter. !"But really, you do not look
anything like the being you describe" And
he was, indeed, anything but like it Large,
well-built, fat, and jolly-looking, he rather
was an impsrsonation Of q prosperous Eng
lish country squire.
"Mine Is peculiar case, I guess" he
mused. @And, strange as it may seem, it Is
true that the delusion that hauuts my
dreams and makes my everyday life mis-
erable existence is caused altogether by the
playing of violinist In yonder," and he
turned his head and pointed his finger to-
ward a dark, gloomy, diapidated house
.xAI d., fhA ahad all
around.
ale Is young man who has long been In
low health and spirits Two years ago his
father disd-stricken down very suddenly;
six months afterward his mother, one of the
kindest mothers that mortal ever loved, fol-
lowed her husband. The brother and two
sisters left behind continued to live in the
old home. They were never seen to smile.
The young man Is great lover Of the
violin. / believe he was taught by his
father. The instrument he uses is q won
derful one that was obtained In Italy over
fifty years ago. The violinist never plays
except at night Then he shuts himself
alone in his dark room, and pours his soul
out through the strings And, ohl I mink
there can be nothing in this world or
the next sadder than the walls in that
music. 1t Is the melody Of soul that has
been dead for years. The players heart II
broken ami he plays hsart-broken music
have listened at my window some nights
and eagerly drunk in every note. It makes
me feel old and heart broken. 1t Is q terri
BILE delusion, put can not shake 1t Off when
1t comes upon me. For days at time it
makes me miserable. till grow desperate"
Thoss who are intimate with the gentle
man coafirm his story. His case Is indeed
peculiar. Yet it is not the only one CT It's
kin1, for several similar to 1t have bean
known to occur. 1t Is powerful illustra-
ton Of the peculiar mental organization Of
musical disposition, and Of the mysterious
influence that music has upon one who loves
1t and surrenders himself altogether to its
inf1uenee