The Magnolia gazette., 1886-01-22

practice was cautiously, but perseyer-
ingly continued until the wild train OF
Oriental imaginations was broken up in
his brain, and he became again sound in
intellect, minglng with his fellows as
before "clothed and in his right mind"
He is yet living, and laughs as heartily
as any one can at the delusion of which
he once, to use legal phrase, ''stood
seized and possessed. "
Another instance was that of recent
occurrence in an interior town of Penn
sylvania. A respectable citizen, by
trade a cooper, residing in one of those
picturesque and beautiful suburbs of
Philadelphia, after q course of deep re-
Election on metaphysical subjects, was
found at last to be affected during his
slumbers with a kind of trelhor. in
dicating an unhealthy action of the
mind. By day, however, he was appaf-
emily well, conversed nationally and at
tended to his employments with the
usual promptitude. By degrees he be-
gan to evince on one subject q trivial
alienation of intellect. He contended
seriously and with the greatest earnest
ness that q man could bring himself,
by solemn meditation and COM
munion with his Maker, to condition
in which, even on earth, his physical
wants might be forgone and the ordi-
nary nourishment of mortal life be dis
pensed with altogether. This delusion
increased In his fancy until he an
nounced one morning at breakfast that
he was then taking his last meal for the
space OF the following fifty-two days---a
number corresponding with the amount
of weeks in year. At first his family
were utterly incredulous as to his inten-
ton; but they soon found to their sor-
row that his purpose was too deeply
fixed to be shaken or frustrated. He de-
clared with great soberness that God
appeared to him in dream, command
ing him to abstain from all earthly food
for the space above mentioned, promis-
ing to sustain him under his self denial
with heavenly mama, and declaring
that when his probation expired he
should be translated to glory, like the
prophet of old, without the taste of
| death. This revelation he most potent
] ly believed, and acted accordingly. For
few days he was able to attend to his
mechanical avocations, but he grew
feeble by fasting, and having taken
nothing save water since entering upon
the fulfillment of his resolution he was
compelled to take to his bed. There he
would give directions to his workmen
touching their employments, and con-
.versed cheerfully and nationally with all
| who approached him. The usual cir
lcumstance of man gradually
wasting away his life by volun-
tary starvation soon became exten-
sively bruited through the place, and the
monomaniac had, consequently, no lack
of visitors Growing daily weaker he
yet kept open house for his friends, and
no one who called went away without
the refreshment afforded by creature
comforts nor, strange to say, without a
full belief of his sanity. On the TWEEN
tieth day the deluded martyr became SO
| feeble as to be scarcely capable ofspeak-
ing. He was implored to abandon his
foolish resolve, and reference was made
to his increasing weakness and an ar
gument showing the mental deception
under which he suffered. But he per.
sisted against all entreaty, and would
have perished in few days had not 6
physician advised that the water which
he drank should be filtered through {
vessel containing a little rice and some
grains of gum-arabic. This partially
sustained him, and the regimen, un
known to himself, was continued.
Between forty and fifty days had nov
elapsed since he began his famishins
practice. He shrank not a jot from hi
! purpose, although his flesh had faller
away, his hands become long and bony
flecked with shriveled blue veins, ant
his cheeks hollow and haggard. His ey
still retained its cheerfulness, and h
would say in faltering voice as he sur
veyed his attenuated limbs: "God ha
done this. No SWperstitious il
his cell, with beads and cross
wearing his knees in genufexions an
lacerating his back with stripes, wa
: ever, more demented than this simpl
mechanic in his lofty determination
Every word he uttered when he could b
prevailed upon reluctantly to speak G
himself or his condition was full of hope
determination and confidence. He care
very little about conversing on the sui
} ject of the extraordinary abstinence, di
, not seem to consider the presence of s
!, many friends as an unusual occurreno
, and was evidently more fond of speaf
ing on any other theme than on that {
/ his singular delusion. Seven days /;
J last remained of his painful trial. q
I became more buoyant in spirit as tt
s time of his appointment drew near to
/. close; yet he seemed far less anxiol
t about his exit from the world than wit
; respect to the state in which he shou
Q leave his temporal affairs. When fol-
. days were left him he was reduced to
q mere skeleton, but his mind remain,
e firm, and his hallucination waxed stror
) within him. Ignorant of the occu
means by which he had been kept aliv
!. he attributed everything to supernatur
!. agencies. At this time, contrary to {
k expectations, he began to be melanchol
!. There was an ebb to the high tide
o hope with which his mighty effort h;
Il hitherto been sustained. No one cou
! rightly account for the singul
d depression of his spirits when
i, near the goal of his desires, with Il
i bright prospect of its speedy attai
v ment. Three days now remained t
+ the completion of our subjects fastil
10 ordeal, when he became so infirn as
" lose his power of ntterance. Drea
&c fully alarmed, bis friends determined
,r avert mis- seemingly impending death
% stratagem. Gentle narcotics we
a mingled with the water he drank, a
e. forty-eight hours of almost unint,
a rupted slumber fell upon him. On
G. morning of the last day he awol
as Preparations had been made by