Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-10-21

"Have you not heardp"
NO"
"He is dead, or dying. He has COM
mitted suicide"
uttered an exclamation of horror,
but was Too astounded to say more.
at is terrible" he said; "but he has
inflicted this blow not On himself alone,
but on all who were associated with
him. What will the world say of our
teaching now, when our leader has
taken this means to solve the problem
of life? We shall meet, think, with
well-merited contempt You orthodox
fellows will have good reason to tri-
umph."
ut is not such cause as this" ] re-
piled, (which will enable us to triumph. "
Scarcely had the visitor left me when
note was brought to me. Though
hardly legible, l recognized Terriers
handwriting as I read these words:
"Please come to me at onca; am dy-
ing"
hurried from the house without de-
lay, and, entering a cab, told the driver
to take me as quickly as he could to
the address which gave him. On en-
tering Terriers house l was met by a
doctor.
He is very anxious to see you," he
said, "but will be unable to speak to
you. He has not another hour to live. {"
His poor wife," inquired, 'how
is she bearing up beneath this terrible
trialP'
"She was with him when he commit
ted the rash act She has never been
conscious since, and it is feared she
will lose her reason"
l was then conducted to Ferrier' S
bedside. Death was implanted on his
face; and there was a bandage beneath
that mouth from which | had so often
heard the winged words of persuasive
eloquence. On seeing me he smiled
and stretched out his hand toward
mine, but tried in vain to speak. Then
making sign for the writing materi-
ais, which had been placed in readiness,
a pencil and paper were given him.
He was propped up and began to write,
which he did with apparent difficulty.
After writing for some time he sank
back exhausted. Then he made a sign
that | should take the paper, which |
did, and Immediately afterward he ex-
pired.
On seeing the first words he had
written | knew he had wished me to
retain the paper, so folded it up and
on my return home read as follows:
This is meant for your eyes alone
and during my wife's lifetime, what !
tell you must never be divulged. Dur
ing the last vacation | went for rest
to quiet part of Wales, and there ]
formed an acquaintance of gentle,
man of good family, but poor, who
was leading a secluded life. He had an
only daughter, and between us mutual
attachment quickly sprang up, but on
my proposing for her hand her father
refused to permit her to marry me.
When | pressed him to state the rea.
sons of his objections, he at length
told me that her mother had inherited
u faint of insanity, which in her early
years had nearly led to fatal act
All SYMPTOMS of the disease, however
had passed away in her twenty fifth
year. In view of his daughter marry.
ing he said he had consulted an emf.
nent Paris specialist who for some
time had had her mother under hi.
care. His daughter had never at any
time manifested the least signs of men
tai arrangement, and, owing to hel
sound health, the physician was o.
the opinion that she would enjoy al
most perfect immunity from the malad,
and would transmit no faint to her chill
dren. But till she was twenty-five. the
age when her mother had recovered, h,
would not consider she was beyond tn,
reach of danger. On learning that
correspondent with the physician and
was told by him substantially what
had already heard. Nothing that l ha,
learnt seemed to offer any bar to ou
marriage, and, yielding to my solicita
tons, her father at last gave his con
sent He was in weak state of health
and the knowledge that his daughte
might be left without protector made
him more disposed to grant my prayers
When on our honeymoon we passed
through Paris, and then called on tn,
physician and told him | had married
the young lady regarding whom hat
been in correspondence with him.
"'She ought not to have married 81
early he said, and then he cautioned
me at some length, adding that he
mothers malady had been of mos
dangerous nature. entirely neglected
his advice. How could i apprehen,
danger from her who loved me. whel
each night my darling laid her head OIL
my breast and twined her loving arm
around my neck? Last night in m
sleep l felt my wfe's hand upon m
neck. At first it seemed warm, bu
gradually it became cold, so cold tina
at last it awoke me, and as l becam
conscious felt the sharp edge of stee
pressed into my throat. ! started uI
, covered with blood, and saw for an in
slant her vacant eyes, and then he
piercing screams brought the servant
to the room. / heard them say that
had inflicted the wound upon myself
and that the sight had deprived m
. wife of her reason. That is what
wish every one to believe. She wi
soon recover from her malady, and
=. will never again afflct her. | wish he
:. to lead happy life, which would b
), impossible if it were ever known I
herself or others that she caused m
death. am content"
Here the writing stopped. Ferrier