Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-02-14

held US awake ab night when we were IN our
lonely beds. Weknew not even which asterna-
tive to hope for, both appearing go unnatural
and pointing 70 directly to an unsound brain.
Once this fear offered. observed his conduct
with sedulous particularly. Something OF
the child he exhibited, a ehserfuInees quito
foreign 70 his previous character, an interest
readily aroused, and thon very tenacious, IN
small matters which no her etcfore despdsed
When he was stricken down was his only
eonfidant, and may say his Only friend, and
he wes ON terms of division with hin wife;
upon his recovery all was changed, the past
forgotten, the wife first and even sir lie In
his thoughts He turned TO her with al hts
emotions, liko child to its mother, and
seemed sccore Of sympathy; called her In all
luis needs with something OF that querulous
familiarity that marks certainty of indul-
gence; and l must say, in justice to the wom-
IN, he was never disappointed. To her in
deed this changed behavior was inexpressibly
affecting; and think she felt it secretly a
reproach; so that l have seen her In early
days escape out OF tho room that she might
indulge herself In weeping. But to me tho
change appeared not natural, and, viewing it
along with all the rost, | began TO wonder,
with many headshakings, whether his reason
were perfectly erect.
AS THIS 0NuDt streUcle1 over many years,
endured indeed until my masters death, md
clouded all our subsequent relations, may
we'll consider Of it more at large. When he
was able to resume some charge of bis af-
fairs, had many opportunities TO try him
with precision. There was no lack Of under
standing, nor yet Of authority but the old
continuous interest had quite departed; he
grew readily fatigued and fell to yawning;
and he carried into money relations, where 1t
is certainly out Of place, facility that bor
dered upon slackness True, since wo had no
| longer the exactions Of the master to contend
against, there was the less occasion to raise
strictncss into principle or do battle for
| farthng. True again, there was nothing ex-
cessivs in these rcaxations, or | would have
| been no party to them. But tho whole thing
marked a change, very slight yet very per-
ceptibie; and, though no man could say my
master had gone at all out of his mind, no
man could deny that he had drifted from his
| character. 1t was the same to the end, with
his manner and appearance. Some OF the
heat of the fever fingered in his veins; his
movements q little hurried, his speech nota-
bly, inore voluble, yet neither truly amiss.
His whole mind stood open TO happy inn
| pressions, welcoming these and making much
of them; but the smallest suggestion Of trouble
or borrow he receivAl with visible impotence
and dismissed again with Immediate relief
1t was to this temper that heowcd the felicity
of his later days; and yet here 1t was, if any
where, that you could call the man insane. A
great part Of this life consists in contemplat-
ing what we cannot cure; but Mr. Henry, II
he could not dismiss solcitude by an effort of
the mind, must instantly and at whatever
cost annihilate the cause of it; so that he
| PLAYED alternately the ostrich and the bull
| It is to this strenuous cowardice of pain that
| l have to set down all the unfortunate and
| excessive steps Of his subsequent career Cor
| tainly this was the reason Of his beating No
Msnus, the groom, thing so much out of all
| his former practice and which awakened so
much comment at the time. 1t is to this
again that must lay the total loss OF near
upon e200 more than the half of which
could have saved if his impatience would
have suffered ma. But he preferred loss or
any desperate extreme to a continuance of
| mental suffering.
All this has led me far from our immediate
trouble-whether he remembered or had for
gotten his late dreadful act, and il he re-
membered III what light he viewed it. The
truth burst upon us suddenly, and was in
deed one of the chief surprises Of my life. lie
| had been several times abroad, and was now
|
it CHANGED I should be left alone with him
upon the terrace He turned to me with a
singular furtive SMILE such as school boys
use when in fault, and says he in a private
whisper and without the least preface;
"Where have you buried HING
! could not make one sound in answer.
"Where have you buried himf" he repeat
ed. 81 want to see his grave"
| conceived had best take the bull by the
horns. "Mr. Henry" said /, II have news
to give that will rejoice you exceedingly. In
all human likelihood your hands are clear Of
blood. ] reason from certain indoes and by
these it should appear your brother was not
dead, but was carried in a swound on board
phe lugger By now he may be perfectly re-
covered
What there was In his countenance, I could
not read james, lie asked
Your brother James, / answered. 81
would not raise hope that may be found
deceptive; but in my heart think it very
probable he is alive"
"Ahln says Mr.. Henry, and suddenly rising
from his seat with more alaoFity than he had
yet discovered, set one finger on my breast
and cried at me in O kind Of screaming whis
per, "MaoEellarn-these were his words
nothing can kill that man. lie is not NOR
tal. nC Is pound upon my Dack TO ali eler
nity-ro all Gods eternity" says he, and
sitting down again, fell upon a stubborn 81
lsnce.
A day or two after, with the same secret
smile, and first looking about as If t. be sur,
we were alone, "Msckellar," said he, "wher
you have any intelligence, DO sure and let M
know. We must keep an eye upon him, OIL
be will take us when we least expect"
"He will not show face here again" said l
"Oh, yes he will, !" said Mr.. Henry. "Wher
ever / am, there will he be-" And again h
looked all about him.
"You must not dwell upon this thought
Mr.. Henry" said l.
"No," said be, that is very good advice
We will never think of it, except when yol
have news. And We do not know yet" h,
added, "he may be dead"
The manner of his saying this convinced
me thoroughly of what had scarce veatureC
to suspect; that so far from suffering an,
penitencs for the attempt, he did but lamen
his failure. This was a discovery l kept t,
myself, fearing it might do him a preiudic'
with his wife. But might have saved my
self the trouble; she had OWNED it for her