The morning call., 1891-03-29
IN THE GRASP OF
A DEVIL-FISH.
Terrible Experience Of a DGTOtGG Of
MaddGling Opium.
The Horror of Night-A Dream Of Agony.
An Eternity of Torture in Brief Inter
val-A Warning to 0pium-Eaters.
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL

l am an opium-eater. The enslaving drug
has wound its bonds around me. l am
fast Is there any hope for releasep l see
none Resolutions are like chaff before a
strong wind when they lie in the path of
this most horrible of appetites. My case is
hopeless. My life ruined. l sometimes sit
and review the past. think of my lost youth,
strength, mind. eye and soul. Remem-
brances are maddening. L await death
a release that will bring me to whatp
Eternal sleep or retribution? Life is a
curse My dreams and Nightmares are hor-
rible, horrible If on earth there is a
hell that can rival the abnormal fancies
of Dante-if there are horrors that can put
to shame the terrifying imaginatons of the
author of the ARABIAN Nights" to taste of
that hell-those horrors are the accursed lot
of the opium-eater He'll pent up in pack
age of drug Perdtion in the very slumber
of the unfortunate one who yields TO the
temptation of this uneonluerable sedueer.
l am accursed in two spheres. Daytime
and waking hours-remorse. the torture of
remembrances, the consciousness of the
tightening chains of bondage; night and
sleeping hours-an uncomfortable, indescrib-
able hell.
buI began Will lH6 iuleullOu VI Ioldl-
ing dream. tell it because of its pecu-
liarity. 1t is unlike any other have ever
dreamed. was walking on grassy field,
when suddenly l stepped over the edge Of
an unseen precipice. l fell down into the sea.
The lrecipiee rose from the water almost
perpendicularly to height OF about 80 feet.
| remember the scene as accurately as
though had a sketch before me. In wax
ing hours, when we come to look at our
dreams, we often find a strange and absurd
uureaSonableness about them. With many
of them unreason and absurdIty run all
through, and again 1t only appears In parts.
In this case it seems ridiculous that should
have sustained no injury in such fall.
However, | did not. L remember
!. STRUGGLING IN THE WATER
Some minutes and then | managed to gain a
footing en- a ledge of rJcks e''vated but a
few feet from the water. | stood and looked
at the rocks above. Suddenly the rock on
which l stood, being loose, rolled over, and
| slipped and fell. Other rocks were loos-
eued, and huge boulder fell ON one of my
feet and crushed it. | was fast. Every at
tempt to pull the broken foot out of its trap
gave me the most excruciating pain. l was
afraid to try and extricate myself. lay on
the rock and groaned.
The all was clear and calm. Far above
me the preeipice lowered, and the blades of
grass leaned over its edge. Above that the
uttp, Diuo ohy. lulheu my eSeS W tHc
water. in its tranquil depths the blue was
reflected, and precipice reversed was below
me. But what is that shapeless grayish
thing that moves across the blue reflection.
A cloud! No cloud is overhead. Heavens
Surely it is living thing. 1t hath
eyes. Great round eyes. II neared me.
l Shuddered as / saw it palmer. 1t was
horribly disgusting. The serpent Of the
seattle vampire of the water-the most
horrible creature our Maker has endowed
with life--the devil-fsh. | was in danger
With cry Of pain again attempted to re-
lease my foot. Agony!
The ligaments were tearing In mo-
ment should be loose. l was about to give
last courageous jerk when suddenly l felt
something cold graspng upon my neck
something Shiny, clammy, crispy, that
heightened and crawled down my back.
Horriblel l was seized. The terrible mon-
ster had reached out and held me- By hold