Middletown transcript., 1886-09-23

often heard the winged words o1
persuasive eloduence. On seeing md
The smiled and stretched out his hand
toward mine, but tried i'm vain to
speak Then making ) sign for the
writing materials, which had been
placed in readiness, a pencil and paper
was given him. He was propped up
and began to write, which he did with
apparent difficulty. After writing
for some time be sank back exhausted.
Then he made a sign that ]
should take the paper, which, ]
did, and Immediately afterward he ex-
pired. ,fg.,f5 /,
On seeing the first words he had
written / knew he had wished tme
to retain the paper. so L folded it up
and on my return home read as fol-
lows ... ag@ !
This is meant for your eyes alone
and, during my wife's lifetime, what
I tell you must never be divulged.
During the last vacation, / went for
q rest to quiet part of Wales, and
there I formed an acquaintance Of a.
gentleman of good family, but poor,
who was leading a secluded life. He
had an only daughter, and between
US a mutual attachment quickly
sprapg up, but on my proposing for
her hand her father refused to per-
NIT her to marry me. When I
pressed him to state the reasons of his
objections. he at length told me that
her mother had inherited a faint Of
insanity, which in her early years had
nearly led to a fatal act. ALI symp-
toms of the disease, however, had
passed away in her twenty-fth year.
In view of bis daughter marrying he
said he had consulted an eminent
PARIS specialist who for some time had
had her mother under his care. His
daughter had never at any time mani
tested the least signs OF mental de.
ragement, and, owing to her sound.
health, the physician was Of the opin.
ion that she would enjoy almost per-
feet immunity from the malady and
would transmit no taint to her chill
dren. But till she was twenty-five, the
age when her mother had recovered,
be would not consider she was beyond
the reach Of danger. On learning
that I correspondence with the ply
sician and was told by him substan-
TALLY what ] had already heard.
Nothing that e had learnt seemed TO-
offer any barto our marriage, and,
70 my solicitations. her father
at last gaye his consent. He was in
q weak state of health, and the knows
ledge thathis daughter might be left
without a protector made him more
disposed 10 grant my prayers. When
on our honeymoon we passed through
Paris, and Ithen called on the physi-l
clan and told him I had married the
young lady regarding whom I had
been in correspondence with him.
"'She ought not to have married
90 early he said, and then he caution
edIme at some length. addingdhat her
malady had beeno offo . most denger-
Gus nature q entirely neglected ihis
How could I apprehend
danger from her who loved me, when
each night my darling laid her head.
on my breast and twined her loving
arms around my neck7 LAST night
in my sleep I feltmy ywiifs shand upon
my neck. At first it seemed warm,
but gradually it became cold, SO cold
that at last it awoke me; and as / be-
came conscious ! felt the sharp edge
Of steel pressed into my throat. 1
started up, covered with blood, and
saw for an instant her vacant eyes,
and then her piercing screams
brought, the servants to the ROOM L
heard them say that I had inflicted
the wound upon myself and that
the sight had deprived my wife
ef-her-reason.That- what =
wish I every one. ,toAbelieye. She.
Win soon { recover + Fl Il ON her malady,s !
and It 3wiill,never again afIict her. r
wish her tolead happy life, which
would; be impossible if fitSwere ever
known to herself Or others that she
caused my DEATH I. am content"
Here the writing stopped. Ferrier's
regarding his wife proved
correct forshe Wasrestored toreason I
which never again deserted her. On
her recovery the Impressions of the
last, year had grown faint, and two
years later she married man Of high
rank. Her life was exceptionally
favored, She became the mother ofia
family of talented sons and fair daugh-
ters, and no suspicion Of the frenzied
deed of her youth ever rose to mar
her happiness. I understood the SEN
tence which had remained unfinished
when the pen had fallen from Ferrier's
rigid fingers. For the sake of the
woman he loved his proud heart was
content that he should become an
,h;oo+ &c ,,;t,, ~ b;s friands and of