Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1893-05-31
May 81, 1893.
4 Happy Man.

piest l ever knew. He is perhaps 10 years
old, and his happiness has been unbroken
for two years or more.
Hear his story. He is gentleman in
every sense of the word He has means,
social position and large circle of devoted
relatives and friends. He has fine ply
sique. handsome face. But we did not
call him happy man, "such happy MAJ" "
until two years ago, when the great change
came. He never married, and the Miss y.
of whom tell you was no more to him
than his lifelong comrade, his best OF
friends-an old neighbor, related to him in
many ways, but never by the tender ties.
Perhaps he had been more of an invalid
than he knew or than his friends dreamed.
One summer day he went to the little lake
not far from his native vii age, popular
inland resort, and spent what he called upon
his return that night "a perfect day
Skies were never bluer, he said, nor flowers
fairer nor the lake so lovely to him as upon
that day. Only he had expected to meet
Miss Y. there and to have had their usual
sail together.
He would go again on the morrow, take
her with him and so double and increase
the ioy. He went to her house that even
ing to play whist as usual. Itwas Saturday
She had gone to spend Sunday at the lake
He was very glad she had gone, he said
he would Join her the next day. During
the game he alluded many times to the hap
DIV day he had passed And what is there
in life after all like a tomorrow full oi
promise?
That night after reaching his room he
had a paralytic stroke-not severe one
only a slight shock, bu; it clouded his
brain; if we can call that cloud which
fixed forever in his mind the happiness
reigning there when it came.
Every day since then has been that happy
Saturday to him. He has just returned
from the lake. No matter if the snow i:
drifting or the rain beating the windows
it has been a perfect day, everything in
divine harmony. He will go over to X;
for game of whist. Even if Miss X. meet:
him he asks if she is at home, as if he
were addressing some one else; then he i
so glad she is up at the lake; he is going
back to morrow there is every sign OF per
feet weather ETC., all in his old time charm
ing way. Then he takes up his cards and
plays a capital game and goes home in the
sweet expectancy of happy to morrow.
All else in life seems blank to him. In
that one fair niche of memory he sees all
of the past, the present and the future
He appears to be reading oitentimes when
the book he holds is up side down. Death
means nothing to him. When his friends
die, he does not weep nor question nor miss
them. He has had such happy day, and
he is going to repeat it to morrow
Naturally his case is of interest to spe-
cialists. He is never troublesome. He
goes about the village aud exchanges cor
dial greetings. Nor does he always speak
of what is in possession of his mind, unless
you hold him too long. Then he has ex-
cuse for breaking away.
Question If that last day of his mental
balance had been an unhappy one, say a
day black with anguish or remorse or en-
bittered with rage and revenge, would he
now be the opposite of what he is-a wild
beast in toils-the remainder of his life the
horrible evolution of an incidental, who
knows but an accidental mood ?-AtlaRtic
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