The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-11-30
CLIENTS CURE.
BY PAUL

the mattcrf"
That's the way I talked to Clem-short
for Observation-Disclosures as 1 took him
by the arm one day when he rushed
wild-eyed and thick specched into
my Office, and seated him on the
lounge.
"Doc," he said in a helpless tone
my profession is that of a physician
'Im crazy. I can't collect my thoughts,
and the pain in my head drives me
mad"
"Iknow it" 1 said. ''l've told O it
would be 80 many times. You have a
buzzing in the ears, blackspecks floating
before the eyes, and"
Yes! Yesl that's it. Nervous
twitohes of the muscles of the face and
numbncss of the limbs, and"
depression of mind and melancholia,"
] went on.
"a disposition to suicide" he almost
shouted. II feel it almost necessary to
commit suicide. Doc, what'll l Io2
How II I stop it? Eth: How'll I keep
from blowing out my brainst"
"Nonsensel' 1 said, angrily. "Don't
talk to me about brains. If you go on
the way you're going now, you won't
have any brains to blow out in a few
days. You'll be in the lunatic asylum,
as brainlcss as a born IDIOT"
81 know it! 1 know it," and Glenn
wrung his hands wildly, and endeavored
to spring from the lounge, but 1 forced
him back into his scat.
"And so I am determined to put an
end TO my life at once. God bless you.
Coco by: l can't endure this agony any
longer" And once more he made an
effort to rise.
sit STILL" I Numbered out, now al,
most angry myself, 'or I'll send for Il
policeman and have you committed to
the Charities and Corrections, to be ex-
amined as q lunatic. Now, do you really
want to be cured of this attack OF tee.
zceweezees you've got"
= eyes" he said, a little more calmly,
finding he had a superi.r power to con-
tend with.
every we'll, thon, Civ. up all book
work. Lay aside pens, ink and paper,
60 into the country, fish, walk into the
woods, feed the chickens. do anything,
but don't rcod anything but trash for
two months, and. abo.c all, don't think
of anything scientific until next winter
without my Permission
But what's to become of my D on
The Origin of the Megatherium., I'm
to read it before the Fe Fl Fo Fun So
ciety Oh the 18th OF next month, you
know, and it isn't half done yet"
"Ionfound your Megatheriums !" I ex-
claimed, angr.ly. eff o wan to barter
your life, or what you have left of your
senses, for a Megatherium, why take
your Megatheriums and do it, but don't
come bothcring me about your symp-
toms. | tell you that you must have q
complete mental and physical diversion,
or you'll be q lunatic or u dead man in O
month."
"And drop my book on The Puerility
Of Prehistoric Powerf'" said Glenn,
%mournfully.
drop every book, written and un-
written, and write not q line but an &C.
cassional letter until I tell you that you
may"
The poor fellow b ,ricd his face in his
hands, and sat the picture of despair, but
l knew l was right. Glen had gradu.
ated from college with high honors, and
gone to the bar with high hopes, when
suddenly his mind had, som :hcw, be-
come diverted to science, in which, un-
fortunately, he could afford to indulge,
from the fact that he possessed u small
but comfortable income, left him by his
grandmother, SO hat law could be made
only an ornamental part of his life.
Moro than this, he was a remarkably
handsome fellow, and, outside of his
scientific studies, possessed more than
ordinary common sense. The fact was
he had overdone tho matter, and he was
suffering accordingly, from insomnia and
over brain-work. Entire and complete
cessation from study wa, his only hope.
Just rs l had told him this there came a
gentle tap at my door, and to my sum
mons OF it Come" it opened,
and two ladies cntered-one, Miss
Martha Negrims, an old maid of sixty
five, my patient, with nothing at all
the matter with Ter but tho want of OK
ercise and employment, and who would
not wait for mo to call on her, but
hunted me down with her means and
troubles daily. Her companion was her
niece Lillian, and "airy. fairy Lii am she
was. a more beautiful little creature I
never. saw, and never expect to soc
again, aud as go d rs she was pretty.
Their coming just then embarrassed
ms exceedingly. l could not dismiss
Miss Mcg'ims, and l must bear with her
usual ha + hour of Rroans aud grunts, for
which I was so we'll ~rcmunernted, and ut
the same time ! did not dare to let Glenn
go, for I knew he was in a dangerous
condition of mind, and might carry out
his threat. Introducing him and bring.
ing him into our conference was out OF
the question, and there was but one way
for it. which was to stuff him into my
little back room, from whence there was
no escape but by q skylight or the door
which led into the office.
This I turned on him to do when Isaw
that he had risen from the lounge, and
was standing as one %entranced. gazing
on Miss Lillian Br WIN with q most un.
L xaais4e lsol,o loole-ak adni.a Tar. 1879 I