The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-07-25
The Ghost of ssAcrOmegOly.o

''AcrOmegOly" ''AcrOmegOly!' All, that
terrible! terrible word! l know, kind rea-
der. have your sympathy already, but l
beg you hear the burden of my woe: Aero,
aero. acrOme, acrOme, acromegOly, aero
megoly-dear friends, have patience with
me-acrOm- Ihave-ly-lOst-acrO
-crO-cOntrOl Of-meg-my mental-poly
powers. -meg-my mind thinks-acro-
as sufferer speaks. The printer will
please correct the remainder of my sad, sad
story, for the sake of the reader that he
may not fall victim to the mind destroying
scourge that is hurrying the writer to a
maniacs grave.
Oh! how little l suspected the danger
that lay in harmless appearing medical
journal which l picked up and began read
ing to while away the lonely evening hours.
Why, oh. why did l not receive Fremont
ton of the danger ere l had plunged into
the maleStrOm Of mind bewildering tech
nicalites of Esculapian lore. and was men
tally wrecked on the rock ''AcrOmegOly."
When l struck, the journal fell from my
nervless hands, my brain reeled and l
would have fallen from my chair had l not
been lying in bed. In semi-lucid moments
since. l have wished it had been otherwise,
that l might, perchance, have dashed out
my added brains upon the stone floor.
thereby ending a ruined life. After re-
covering somewhat turned to the dictiOn-
airy. but with little faith. hoping l might
find solution of the mystery, but it could
give me no relief. Then | blew out the
light and began bordering over the proba-
ole meaning OF the word. l was about to
give it up when lightning-lke. an inspira.
of the moment l cried aloud, "Eurekaw
At last, the means of both fame and re-
venge are mine. l will hunt up the mean
ing of ''AcromegOly," embOdy it in a COM
municatiOn, then spring it on the readers
of THE MIRROR.
After regaining little cOmposure, l gave
way to delightful anticipatiOns of the con-
sternation the word would create among
your many regular contributors when they
should run against it in your columns.
saw their looks Of establishment change to
jealous envy; laughed to see them tear
ing their hair in impOtent rage at their
overwhelming defeat; fairly Rugged my
self when imagined them destroying their
then worthless manuscripts as being of no
farther use in the race for literary fame.
name of the author of that profound COM
munication. l fancied myself going about
the envied idol Of an admiring public. ig
nOring the puny SarcaSmS OF defeated aSpi-
rants to literary pre.eminence: cOnversing
with lesser lights with dignified condescen-
sion, and hearing them repeat my every
word as astonishing wisdom. After enjoy
ing these delightful imaginings for some
time, repeated the word a few times so as
not to forget it then went to sleep, but not
to lest.
Throughout the long hours of that night
a narrowing nightmare oppressed Inc. Aero
megOly stood before me, the impersOnatiOn
of Revenge stripped Of all the alluring and
deuding fances that lead mankind to seek
favors at her hand. On, friends. had you
seen her as l saw her you would never
again court her favors.
This took place only three short months
ago, but to poor, suffering me it seems as
many years since l sprang from my bed, as
one would from the glittering knife of the
assassin, with the wild cry OF "Acro-
megOly!" Dear reader, from that day to
this that word has pursued me. 1t is brand
ed upon the tablets of my memory in fam
ing letters that obscure all else. | repeat
it over and over from morning till night as
one will at times some simple rhyme. AL
though every word near conveys TO me us
proper meaning. yet to my ears they all
have but the one -''AcromegOly."
The chaplain breaches it, the choir sings it.
the bell rings it, the steam whistle screams
it. my footsteps echo it, and l hear it in
every sound, always and ever. Aero
megoly." Oh. how long for some retreat
where no sound is ever heard-the grave.
All Joy is gone out of my life, and dark
despair hangs DrOOding over me. Little
you reckon the burden that is weighing
down the stopped and wasted form you see
silently gliding about in your midst
Mr.. Editor, l am weary. You cannot
conceive the labor it has cost me to collect
hou, nd