Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-12-26

oouuu arms duu tuc nudi 1uihluB VI
the key OF my prison.
"All sorts OF fancies kept my b rain
In whirl. At one time thought that
the flies In my room were soldiers and
! would try and marshal them In line
and because they would not obey ]
would 60 into violent paroxysms oi
rage which would always end In o
strait-jacket Then long blank
would follow, and when another lucid
moment would come could remember
distinctly all that had occurred. The
one illusion that was with mo ever.
even In my sanest moments. was that
when killed my beloved that her spirit
had entered dove which had found
its way into my room and lowered
above me always. When: i lifted my
eyes l could sec her ever with out
spread wings, and my ears were filled
with her soft cooling.
my recovery was retarded because
l could not eat. Try as ] would ]
could not make myself swallow. ]
knew that food was placed upon the
table tor me TO cat, and / would try
again and again to lift 1t TO my lips,
but my will was not strong enough TO
compel obedience OF my hands. When
my keepers forced me TO swallow II
seemed TO me that / could hear the
dove uttering the most painful cries,
and upon her white breast would ap.
pear a drop OF blood as II / had
wounded her. There were intervals
when realized that these sights and
sounds were only illusions, and that II
could only control myself / could be
set free. dreaded the horrors OF the
strait jacket, and knew we'll that II }
did not keep quiet should have TO
wear 1t. Alas! In another moment all
my tormenting fancies would return
and the old experiences were lived
through once more. In this way al
most ten years OF my life passed away.
In all that time had never voluntarily
swallowed morsel of food.
"At length my physical condition
was such that my sister determined TO
bring me to South Germany, where
there was celebrated insane expert
1 remenS5er distinctly the first time he
came into my room. was conscious
Of no physical presence, only saw
pair OF enormous, persuasive, COM
polling eyes, which were following me
about the room and enforcing obedi-
ence. / was their captive, their
slave. A cup of bread and milk was
placed upon the table. The eyes bade
me eat OF it. / tried to lift the cup
but could not. The eyes came toward
me, felt the touch of the spoon upon
my lips, the taste of food in my mouth,
and swallowed it. You can not guess
the joy felt. No strait-jacket con.
fined me, the dove moaned no longer,
l was free at last. So for days and
weeks these watchful eyes, which
seemed to burn into my very soul,
came to conquer me, and grew strong
and restful. / could think, l could
reason, knew some mighty chann
was taking place In me.
"One day the eyes came as usual
and stopped just opposite me whore q
food Of light from the window fell
full upon them. Suddenly there ap.
peared round about them luminous
mass, which, as gazed, formed itself
slowly into first a forehead, then a
chin and cheeks. Oh, heavens! 1t was
a mans face. 1 was too fascinated to
move. Gradually saw the shoulders
forming, then the arms and body, and
finally the feet, which were advancing
toward me. A voice said: Come, Mr..
B, will you not have some break
fastP' was utterly submissive, and
we sat upon the edge OF the bed while
he fed me the contents of bowl he
held in his hand. From that day
/ knew only his will, and as my health
improved my reason was gradually re-
stored. slept, ate and lived like any
other man.
'One day in June, ten years from the
time was first locked up, was in
vited to take tea with the doctor
family. You can imagine my sensa-
tions when was received by the doc
tors wife in the family room. Iknew
that had been insane and that / was
cured, and hereafter was to be free.
1 resumed my relations with my family
before great while, and was per-
mitted to 60 home. I have lived a
wandering life ever since, but, strange
ly enough, never daring to stay away
for any length OF time from my dear
doctor Of the eyes. There have been
times during the last ten years when a
very devil would seem to enter my
body, but a couple of weeks under the
doctors care would always rid me
OF it.
II am ut this moment not entirely
sane. Have you not seen itp My
abrupt entrance into your parlor to.
night and my threatening to kill you
should have alarmed you. Why did
you not call assistance? Why, even
now, with the slightest pressure upon
your throat I could stop your breath"
was quite alone. The fire had
died down and my teeth were chat
tering with the cold. The lamp had
almost burned out; the whole house,
the village even, was wrapped in
slumber. With superhuman effort
I rose to my feet and said coolly and
distinctly: "Your story was most in
teresting. II It is not all told let us
have 1t to be continued and smil-
ingly stepped to the door and took
the knob in one hand, while held out
the other ono for the key. He handed
it to mo and unlocked the door, never
taking my eyes from his for an instant.
opened the door; he bent over, and,
like courtier OF the olden time, lifted
my finger to his lips, and with the re-
mark: "You are a brave woman"
passed out into the hall. closed the
door, locked 1t and drew the bolt. /
glanced at the clock. It was about to
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