Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-11

/ lare nights when | cannot sleep f
0 thinking Of it. though twenty yeal
have passed. Rhoda Lay dead, with
/ gaping, crimson wound in her throa
$ The agOnized. awful expression of he
. face, the wild terror of the starin
, eyes. was more than I, a strong mar
, dare gaze upon again. Alas, my wife
r nv darling. had fallen in death-ik
sWOOn.
''Oh, Guy, pity me. She never recov
cred; the shock had been TO
great in her then delicate condi
ton. She lost her reason, an;
then her life. 1t happened two month
before the expected birth of our child
For some weeks she lay in a braiI
fever, and when that was conquered
she fell into a state of stupor, from
which she never recovered. Ever
when her little daughter was placed il
her arms she gave no sign of con
sciousness. When Clarice was one
day old her mother died. Need I tel
you Of my grief-my despair? The
Wretched suicide who had unwittingly
/
namelesS grave. While Laura Law i'll
[ summoned men of skill from every
country in Europe, but from the first
| they told me there was no hope She
lies, my beautiful, murdered wife.
where the waves chant her requiem
by the sunny shores of Como.
Il returned to England a broken
hearted man. l resolved to devote my
life to my dear child. All, Guy, YOU
can guess the fate that Threatened her.
her poor mothers madness affected
her, as the doctors said it would. It
has never broken out in any violent
form, but it is there, lying dOrmant,
and any great excitement may cause it
to blaze forth. l stand, unhappy man
that L am, between two fires. She
loves you, and if l refuse my consent
to or shrink from the marriage. /
dread the consequences; if | agree to
1t, fear equally. No one, not even
my child herself, knows this sad story
Mrs. Fenton, who was our housekeeper
at that time, has been Clarice's nurse
ever sine. We are obliged to keep con-
slant watch upon her, though without
allowing her to perceive it. Mine has
been sad life. l have never known.
from one day to the other whether l
should suddenly find my poor Clarice
deprived of sense and reason. There
are times when | dread looking uDOn
that pale, beautiful face, not knowing
what L may see there. ANY one who
observed her attentively would see.
from the strange, intent expression of
her face, that something was amiss.
by the advice of the most eminent
doctors [ brought her here; perfect SOL
itude and quiet have, [ believe, pre-
served her from the curse GUY. if
you marry my child, l lay my solemn
commands upon you never to remove
her from Deepdale, or to cause her to
mix with the world. tried it only
once, and nearly lost her; it must
never be tried again. The only way in
which the disease has shown itself at
present is by delirium during the
night l have known her, my DOOR
Clarlce, 10 rise from her sleep and
wander about the corridors; but Mrs.
Fenton has always managed her. and
she knows nothing in the morning but
that she had bad dreams. | leave the
matter with you now, Guy; you know
the truth-take time and consider it.
| should die happy if l knew that |
left my only one in such brave and
gentle hands as yours, but I can
hardly expect that even you, who love
her, should care to sacrifice your life
as | have done mine. May God guide
you aright.''
My eyes were trimming with tears
long before | had finished this mourn
full letter. laid it down, not knowing
what to say to console my unhappy
brother
1t is very dreadful, Guy" 1 said at
last; but it may not prove so bad in
the end. Clarice may escape.
That is the worst of all, Florence"
said he; sit is daily gaining ground.
The delirium Sir John mentions is in
creasing; it is now of nightly oc-
currence. l am worn out with watch
ing, and sick with despair"
Deep, heavy sobs shook my brothers
frame, and [ tried to soothe him.
How can I, Florence, look forward
as other fathers do to the coming Of
my child?' said he. THAT is the
greatest trouble to me of all
ut is the greatest pity that Sir John
did not live to send you the letter."
said l. ''Then at least, you would
have known the truth
Il love Clarice," he contir ued,
''better than 1 love my life. cannot
endure the thought that this miserable
fate should fall upon her.
Perhaps even now said l, at can
be averted.''
Il fear not" he replied. THE first
time I noticed it was when Clarlce
came to me, and in the most mySterl-
Gus manner told me that Mrs. Fenton
was going mad. That opened my eyes.
am told that it is a common deluslon
of the insane; they imagine every one
else afflicted with their own malady.
l then told Guy all that had passed
between my poor sister and myself.
! We both agreed that she must be care
! fully watched and humoTed.
! 1T is wretched end to all ny
dreams Florence" said Guy. L must
spend the remainder of my life shut
I'D here with constant dread and fear
/