The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-01-16
THE THREE CHUMS.

we were always together, despite the
fact that there could hardly have been
found anywhere in the world three men
whose ideas on most subjects so radically
differed. Perhaps it was the Intellectual
pleasure we derived from debating
among ourselves, with an acrimony only
possible amorg the fastest of friends, the
pros and cons of every question that
came up that was the bond of our union
Whatever the bond was, we were GER
tainly inseparable, and / think, on that
last night in New Haven, when after
four years of most intimate association
we parted, each to walk alone his path
through life, there were three very tear
stained pillows beneath our respective
heads before Morpheus claimed our allie
glance. / know that for one was COM
PEELED to change mine, so saturated did
it become with those salt evidences of n
sincere grief which were copiously shed
by my eyes that night.
The parting between Marsden and
Masterson and myself was geographical
rather than spiritual. Marsden's lines
fell in the pleasant places of Boston;
Masterson's in those of Baltimore, and
mine in New York. Marsden studied
medicine, Mastelson became professor
of psychology without chair, and /
drifted through period of misery as IL
student of law into literary, sharp shoot.
ing: but through it all we kept up a
three cornered correspondence in which
the hopes and fears of our lives were
freely confided, with the result | think,
~ a 4 n
existence than would otherwise have
been possible. 1t was the perfect candor
of our intercourse that helped us. What
l did not like about Marsden / frankly
told him. and when l disapproved of
Masterson. Masterson was the first to
know it. aud vice versa. 1t was helpful:
it was delightful. We lived in a palace
of truth, which. alas! is no more.
Five or six years was the duration of
our post graduate alliance, which was
broken by death first, and then by that
which is verse than death-madness:
and it all ca,ne about through the too
close application of Marsden and Master
son to their work Marsdcn had always
been noted for his love of the mysterious
and morbid, In the old college days it
used to trouble Masterson and myself
not Il little to find how exceedingly fond
of the depressing things of life Marsden
was-that is 60 say, he liked to hear and
talk about them. He liked to read sto.
ries not only bordering upon but plung-
ing into the middle Of the supernatural
and while Masterson and were compil-
ing scraphooks of clippings showing how
II, N.,l. 1NF1 ga
crews, and other matters of alma mater
nal interest. Mar3len was filing envel-
opes with horrors-stories of vampires,
tales of hallucination and other unnat-
ural things.
While Masterson and | were reading
such light ana airy stories as pelham
and "Fcndcnnis," with Hel1ick as our
ideal poet, MarsGen would devote his
hours of outside reading to Hoffman.
Poe and Monk Lewis, and any versiiier
whose sentiment sinaekod Of malaria
could be his poet for the time being. l
think the only point on which Master
son and over really agreed was in re.
gard to Maraden's unhealthy passion for
the grotcsque and VIC We're unrcmitting
in our efforts 10 bring him down to the
real sunshiny things of life but can
not say that we were ever sangiine OF
the result Of our efforts.
1t was Marsion's horrible addiction to
sl:ch matters that led Masterson into the
stndv of psychology and Marslen him
self into medicine, and il Marsden would
have gone at it III the coldly scientific
manner Of Masterson | think he would
oil ,.i,,
carried his coolness'a degree too far in
that he did not recognize the fact that
minds, like machines, speedily go to
pieces if not kept in repair. 1t was while
trying to comprehend Marsden's mind
that Nasterson became interested in
mental science, and it was Marsden's
passion for the insane that decided him
to become physician, so that lie might
come into actual contact with those who
suffered the things of which he read.
Each succeeded in reaching his goal.
Masterson at the age of thirty found
himself an accepted authority on psyche.
logical matters. Marsden at twenty-nine
was actively connected with the medical
staff of an asylum for the insane i'll Mas
saehusetts, and then the end came. Mas.
terson's candle had been burned at both
ends, and he was nigh unto death. Twas
the first to hear of it, because my duties
were such that | had been able to visit
Masterson at Baltimore-which Marsden,
owing to his more or less confined duties.
could not very well do, and so was known
to Masterson's family, who Immediately
wired me of tho precarious condition of
my old friend. The telegram received
at . o'clock in the morning of q Septem-
Der day, and | Immediately repeated it
to Marsden in Boston, adding that it was
my intention to leave New York for Bal
timore that night.
Two hours later received message
from Marsdcn saying: Wait for me. He
must not die.
This WAS more OF less unsettling. To
wait for Marsden was the very thing it
would please me NEST TO do, but TO have
him bring his message to close with
these four words grated on my nerves.
They did not sound exactly right.
An hour later second telegram ar.
rived from Marsden, which read: Am
just leaving Boston. For God 5 sake wait
for mon
<Aiu 81 ~ went ail tIlal AFTERNOON. Al
every stopping place along the line from
Boston 10 New York Marsjen forwarded
TO me the most nerve disturbing mes
sa-es the mind could well conceive of,
bcseeching me to await his coming al
ways, and in four separate instances as
suniing power on my part to avert the
expected death os Masterson that made
me suspect that Marsden himself was in
precarious state mentally ANYHOW. | |
dreaded meeting him, but was neverfhe- |
less on hand at the station on the arrival |
of his train-and what shock il was TO |
me when | caught sight of Marsden!
His face was white as n sheet; his slloul- |