The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-11-17

Clay, the great commoner, was q CON-
panion lunatic of mine, having been
an inmate OF the asylum for more
than thirty years. Disappointment
in love and marriage was the cause OF
Infringing his brain. 1t would take
volume to describe the different
kinds of lunatics and the various forms
that the mind takes on In its rawlings.
There Is the chattering type, IS be
walks the wards and taps the bars
like Gagged beast.
There 10 the moody, low browed
man, sitting alone, counting over and
over his finger tips or watching the
flies and spiders as they buzz and
weave In the sunshine.
There comes the general a. he
strides the halls, commanding large
armies and fighting great battles at
Pharsalia or Waterloo, who imaginea
himself Caesar or Napoleon.
There is the king In all his royal
glory, carrying q broom for a sceptre
and torn sheet for a purple robe. In
the next ward can be seen his consort,
initiating the strut Of Queen Victoria,
straws and chicken feathers In her hair
for q royal crown, and q simpering
emile for the poor subjects who gaze
upon her pretended rank.
There comes the confidential. wise
inventor, who will tell you of the
great things he has done, of the mill
ions he controls, and the innumerable
ships that pillow the ocean for his
pleasure and profit.
There, too, is the self styled Jesus
Christ, who breaches forgiveness and
salvation, ending with a blessing and
general absolution from sin and asking
In return only bit of tobacco. In
fact, the very earth blossoms at His
will, and the sun, moon and stars give
light at His command. 1t Is only q
generous charity that keeps Him from
shutting up this universal world and
retiring into chaos.
See there: another Ophelta postum
ing before looking glass, with comb
in hand and tangled hair, signing or
weeping for lover or father snatched
from her warm embrace. She speaks:
"They say the owl was q bakers
daughter. Lord, we know what we
are, but know not what we may be-"
Look at the weeping mother posing
over her lost babe, in the shape of
rag doll in her arms, or the pale young
girl kissing the photograph of her alb
sent lover.
For month after my arrival in the
asylum l did not sleep, but finally
large dose of laudanum did its perfect
work, and after death-like dream of
seventy-two hours awoke, as emery
ing out Of another world, and the pis-
ton-rod of lunacy few back into the
cylinder of reason and began to move
in its accustomed groove. Ny hot
fever, contracted by hard study at
school, had gone, the nerves had re-
Taxed, my voice resumed its natural
tone, and tired nature lay like a
dropping plant in the midday sun. 1
was soon admitted to the privilege of
the lawn, walks and garden, and the
1st day of September, 1860, after lu-
natic siege OF two months and ten
days, was pronounced recovered"
and from that day to this have never
felt the insane spell creep over me,
although since, in war and politics,
have endured the most savage and
treatment.
Two years ago lectured through
the various cities of Kentucky, among
them at the court house in Lexington.
The superintendent of the asylum, DIR.
Chenault, and some of his convalescent
patients heard my discourse, and 1
was invited to take dinner at the asy-
lum Sunday, the day after my lecture.
was splendidly entertained by the
superintendent, his wife and three
but they did not know un-
til 1 told them that exactly q quarter
Of century previously i had been adj
mitted as an insane patient to their
fine institution, now carried on by
the non-restraint principle.-Ca Chicago
Tribune.