New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-20
HOME AND SOCIETY.
A STORY OF LIFE IN THE COUNTRY.
THE THING THAT SHOULDN'T BE saba MENU


house for the season. the owner having moved
~, n give way to the "cty folks" who prepared
o.. reep house for themselves during the sum-
,rer The family all delicate. nervous peo-
o,e and when day the Oldest son. believing
himself to be alone in the house. looked suddenly
nm and encountered a wild and terrble-looking
head peering at him through the curtains
which separated the sittng-room from the DIN
,ng-room, the shock intense. His FIRST
impulse was to spring from his seat and
rush into the adjoining room-which. however he
found perfectly empty. His second impulse was
10 question his own sanity. Finally he ascribed
the apparition to oVer-eXcited brain. ana grew
convinced he becoming subject TO mental
Illusions This worried him much that he took
an early opportunity OF coming town and con-
sulting the family physician. who told him that
he had been studying too hard, and prescribed
regime of sailing. riding and absolute rest from
every literary pursuit.
Have you spoken of the appariton 70 your
family?" he asked the young man. NO Well
would not mention 1t II / were you; these hal
lmcinations become strengthened if described ana
dwet upon Go home have good time ana you
will forget all about it in a week.
few days afterward. however. the good man
was surprised TO the sister OF the young lei
low come into his Office.
Doctor, no one knows / have come 70 YOU
she began excitedly. II said was going to town
10 do some shopping; but am convinced that l
am losing my mind. Twice during the last week
have the most dreadful race, which van
,shed as I rushed TO the window where had seen
H. and from the door through which 1t glared at
me Mamma is so delicate that l have not spoken
Of II TO her. and felt the strangest reluctance
N tell any one about 1t. Oh, doctor, 1 am afraid
I am going mad"-and the overweight young
creature burst into tears and sobbed bitterly.
The old doctor managed to soothe her and con-
vince her that her apparitons were the result OF
Indigestion. and not melancholia. "A curious COIN
cidence however" said the physician to himself
after she had left him. Il must look after these
Young people" But he completely puzzled and
all his science at fault when the next day he re-
ceived visit from the mother herself Unknown
10 either Of her children she had come to consult
him. and her symptoms were substantially tho
same She described the recurring vision OF a
strange. wild, horrible face peering from pehind
curtains through the window.
Thoroughly interested now, the good DOCTOR re-
solved to ferret out the mystery Either IT Is
bona-fde ghost or the whole family is going mad
no said to himself: and he easily obtained per-
mission from the widow to accompany her nome
Not waiting for a visit from the banshee. Dr. NJ,
who is nothing IL not practical, decided upon a
thorough investigation of the house from top TO
bottom and confding to the young man the secret
OF his mothers and sisters visits he secured his CO.
operation. Together they explored the premises
from cellar to garnet, but found nothing suspi-
man at last as he espied ladder IN one corner
Of the roomy garnet.
II think that goes up to little loft in the caves
of the house." answered the youth, but 1t Is
a place that is never opened"
The DOCTOR however. mounted the ladder and
pushed open the trapdoor above his head-then he
fell back with a cry Of terror. wild. maniacal
figure let itself down through the aperture with
extraordinary velocity. and rushing to the little
window at the end of the garnet. swung itself out
by the aid of the boughs of a large tree growing
close to the house. 1t dropped to the ground
a second more and 1t had disappeared. In the lott
above was found a nest made of stray bits OF
rags etc. like the lair of a wild animal, where
the creature had evidently lived for some time
visit to insane asylum In the neighooT-
ing town revealed the mystery. one OF the most
dangerous manacs had escaped the vigilance OF MS
keepers and all efforts to find him had proved I'M
awaiting Owing to the familys dread Of publicity
the matter was kept very quiet, but to their great
re,,ef the lunatic was finally captured and placed
in security
..Thngs that should not have been said" form
q social pitfall for the unwary that everybody is
more or less apt to tumble into. We all know the
peryerse fate that oftentimes, to the speaker s
own dismay, seems to prompt the most inoppor-
trne and apparently designedly personal remark
especially If there is any subject which 1t is par
ficularly desirable should be avoided or tabooed
"Haye YOU ever noticed" said woman OF society
the other day, that wherever there is any par
ticular reason for avoiding any alusion 10 any
physca defect or vulnerable subject that particu-
lar topic invariably comes up? l really thinK
am the most unlucky woman alive about that sort
Of thing" she continued pensively. ut is always
nv fate to make the most embarrassing remarks
just when / ought not to. If 1 am at dinner
and any of the guests happen to dye their locks.
wear false teeth, rouge. or II they are parucu-
larly fat. noticeably scrawny' unfortunately
short or conspicuously tall, am always quite sure
innocently to lead the conversation around TO
the peculiarity, in a way that Is positively I'M
canny. / am sure there is some perverse imp that
uses me as a mouthpece, for 1 am the last per-
son in the world to wish to make unpleasant al
lusons Not long ago 1 happened to be making
a visit at - My hosts were two sisters anu an
unmarried brother, the most charming people, ana
they would, one and all. have been noticeaby
eood-looking II II had not been for the conspicu-
ous family popularity of very big nose. quite
uncommonly big, by the way. Now Elizabeth
said severely to myself on my arrival, MIND no
talk about noses under any circumstances what
ever 7 would not mention a handkerchief OF
a nerfume or anything that could in the re-
hottest way be associated with nose; other
wise YOU will put your foot in 1t, as usual 10
your dire confusion and distress
.'Wel the forbidden subject weighed on my miho
like an incubus but l managed 10 steer ciedr VI
any allusion very successfully. and. on the last
day OF my visit, felt quite light-hearted III cohse-
ouence Then like the murderer In Poe's story
= .o,,,a,,, took Measure In skirting around the
dangerous subject, discussing the symptoms oil
hay fever the efficacy of vnaigrettes. hereditary
traits sense Of smell, etc. all with perfect sue
cess and decorum. Suddenly missed my thmoie
q was hemming a handkerchief by the way(' anu
although looked everywhere III hy "oih-oaSn.
- a. NV Ian 7 could discover trace OF the
,os, ar,icle MFR and his sisters looked w
,no,iringly. as they saw 1 was looking Tor some
thing-and then to my horror heard myseli
say with brutal dstinctness, do you happen &c
have any spare nose? The awful word came ou
like a bombshel. l had simply dweit 50 pelS,s'
emily upon the subject that 1 brought about th'
very catastrophe had dreaded, and In the worst
vn,o,bla shanet"