Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-01-07
THE TABLES TURNED.

rage drove up before the door of the
asylum OF DR.. Auvray, specialist for the
cure of mental disease. The coachman
rang the bell, the door was opened and two
men entered quickly into the office. The
servant asked them to, be seated and wait
the appearance OF the doctor, who was at
the time engaged elsewhere. One of these
strangers was a man of fifty years, Of SAN
guine temperament, Drowned by the sun,
coarse and altogether of unprepossessing
appearance. Imagine a rough specimen
OF a workmen dressed in his employers
clothes and you have NJ. marriott. His
nephew, Francis Thomas, was a young
man of twenty-three, difficult to describe
because he resembled SO many others of
his age and condition in life. He was
neither tall nor short, neither handsome
or ugly, neither Hercules nor an effemi-
nate dandy, but medium in all respects
and very upassuming in manner, but
when sEe entered the house of DR.. A. he
was very much excited; he strobe rest
iessly about the office as one enraged; his
hands were tied.
Cain yourself" said her uncle. " What
am going to do is for your own good.
You will be happy here and the doctor
will cure you"
Il an not at all sick, and why have
you bound me?"
Because you might have thrown me
out of the door You are rot in your
right MUD, my dear Francis, and we will
restore it to you.
| am as rational as you, uncle, and
don t know what you mean. My mind
is clear, my judgment cool, my memory
excellent. Shall | 1ecite something, trans
late some Latin or give you any other
proof of my sanity? Here is a Tacitus in
this library, or, If you prefer another test,
| will solve a problem in arithmetic or
geometry. You 90 not want that? Well,
let HE relate the events Of the morning.
You came at o'clock not to awaken me,
because was not asleep, but to drag me
from my bed. | dressed myself without
the assistance Of my valet. You begged
me to come with you to DIR. As. | re.
fused. You il sisted | became angry
My valet assisted you to tie my hands
will give him his dismissal this evening.
| owe him l3 days wages, that is S13, be.
cause engaged him at $50 d month You
owe him an indemnity Tor having cause
him to lose his place. Is all this reason
able, and DO you yet reckon oD making
me pass Tor an insane person? Alb, my
dear uncle, return 10 yourself-remembe
that my mother Was your sister What
would she say, my poor mother, to see me
hereP bear you no Ill will, and all can
be arranged amicably.'
But M. Marriott was obdurate. He was
sa! ing to himself, Il will pay $1,000 a
year toard here tor my nephew out of his
income: 81, 200 from $4,000 leaves s4,601
for myself. | shall be rich" He seated
himself and openes a book which CHANGED
to be lying near.
"Sit down there" said he to Francis;
81 will read you something. Try to listen
that will quiet you"
He read: The monomaniac is Dos
sessed Of one idea, under the exclusive
control of one passion, caused usually by
love, fear, vanity, ambition or remorse.
1t is betrayed by the Same symptoms a.
the passions, sometimes by excessive Joy,
gaiety, audacity and noise; sometimes by
timidity sadness and silence
During this reading Francis appeared
to calm himself and fall into browse; it
was warm in the doctors office. Bravo"
thought M. Marriott, there is a prodigy of
a medical book it puts a man to Sleep
who is neither hungry or sleepy Francis
did not sleep, but he played sleep to per-
fiction. He leaned his head on his breast,
and his respiration had the mathematical
regularity of d sound sleeper. His uncle
was deceived by it. He went On with his
reading for a short time in a low tone,
then he yawned, ceased to read, allowed
his book to slip away, closed his eyes and
slept In good faith, to the great satisfac.
ton of his nephew, who was maliclousIy
watching him from the corner Of his eye
Francis began by moving his chair, NJ
Marriott stirred no more team a tree. Then
he began to walk, allowing his boots to
make some noise On the floor. nj. nj.
began to snore. Then the pretended luna
tic approached the bureau, found metal
eraser, fixed it soldiy il corner, and
managed to cut the cords with which his
arms were bound. He was free and once
more in the possession Of his hands. He
with difficulty restrained cry of Joy and
came softly toward his uncle In two
minutes N. Marriott was tied firmly, but it |
mad been effected SO carefully that his sleep |
was not even dlstui bed. Francis, highly |
eated with his success, picked up the |
book, Which had fallen on the floor. 1t !!
was the last edition .of "Monomania |
Expla ned, of which DR., A. was the |
author. He carried it away and seemed |
to b. reading with great interest when the
doctor entered, cxcusing himself Tor the |
delay.
Francis arose, replaced the book on the
bureau and explained the business with |
great voUbillty. Sit" said he, sit is |
NY maternal uncle chat | am going to |
con6de to your care. You see before YOU
a man about fifty years old. Injured to
manual labor and the privations of life
of toll. As to the rest. he was born of |
healthy parents in a family where there
has never been seen case Of mental aber-
aticn. So you will not have to contend
against a case Of hereditary maIady. His
monOmapla is one of the most curious you
may ever have had occasion to observe.
he passes with incIedltable r.,pidity
from extreme gaiety to extreme sadness.
1t Is singular combination Of what is
truly called monomania and melan-
choIy.
HAS he entirely lost bis reason?'
mo, sir, he is deraDged Only on one
subject an that appears to be your special
ty.
What is the popularity of this sub
iect?''
Alas! sir, it is the peculiar ty of our
century cupid1ty. The poor patient,
after having worked hard from infancy,
inds himself without fortune. My father,
starting from the same Joint as be, has
cit me a considerable fortune. Ny uncle
began by feeling jealous; then he thought
hat, being my. only relative, he void be-