The San Francisco call., 1897-11-14

smiling sweetly i'll happy dream. Is IL III
truth the sane or the insane who accept
their lot without resentment? On the
authority of the paternal doctor who rules
this establishment. sanity is synony NOUS
with subsection of the emotions. What
then?-
A line of thought which brings me
round to my private grievance against
this suave and paternal doctor who has
biandly jockeyed and hocussed me in a
manner no wise conducive to the sublec-
ton OF my emotions. came TO see, not his
esta blishment, but one particular patient
therein. l have seen all his establish
ment, have been allowed free converse
ton with as many patients as L pleased,
always excepting the particular one
came to see. And my cogitations as 10
the reason why are slowly assuming
very antagonistic tone.
For, within the last three days lady
has been conveyed to this asylum in cir
cumstaGces which called forth much pri-
vate sympathy ana some public comment.
Now, America happens TO be a country
where little domestic arrangements OF
this nature are not allowed to occur with
accredited press representative, sent for
few moments quiet womanly converse
ton with the lady, to judge from her own
utterances whether the sym pathy were
wasted. AS religious exa.tatlon was the
medical diagnosis, as she had been NOV
ing freely in general society, the request
to see her did not seem very outrageous
to outsiders.
But it appeared very outrageous, IN
deed, viewed from inside. When the
courteous medical assistant realized what
l wanted, he quite forgot to subdue his
emotions. DID L know Mrs. Wimb bic? Did
my husband know Mr.. Vim bic, or had We
authority from him? No2 Then what?-
the press, indeed
Decidedly liked that young octor; he
had feeling sand showed them. Medical
authority Notwithstanding. l believe in
people with feelings; it suggests human
heart somewhere in the background.
Moreover, l excused him. for l also had
feelings on coming to this deadlock and
showed them.
But after all, the decision did not rest
with him and we were still hopeful when
shown into the superintendent large ana
cheerful room with its blazing fire. He
was large and CHEEKY, like his room, like
wise airy and benevolent of manner. Airy
beneyolence of manner seems invariably
to accompany the superin tendence OF large
charita BILE institutions. 1t usually lndi-
Gates an adamantine will.
, MY dear lady" he protested, urbanely,
settling us both in comfortable chairs,
''you must see yourself that the thing is
impossible. l put it to you as humane
woman-if you had a loved child in this
painful position, would you or your hus-
band allow her to be made a public spec
tacle of? 1 know you would, both OF you,
be the last to permit such thing"
1 demurred. The public spectacle"
had already been allowed. The question
now was the possibility of correcting GER
tain painful surmises which had crept
into print.
Indeed2 Was that the case? The bland
doctor knew nothing a about it till handed
him a cutting from last weeks CALL with
portrait of Mrs. WimbIe. There were
other documents which 1 had no inten-
tion of handing in.
Well, DR.. Gardner considered this up-
fortunate. the sort of misapprehension
that will occur wherever newspapers ex-
ist-ncthing more. AS for allowing that
poor SICK child, that dear lovely child
here the paternal tone became pathetic
! to be intruded upon, nothing short of her
husbands authority would induce him to
do it. She was here to be cured, not wor.
ried.
This sounded plausible: "1 hen you are
satisfied that the case is one"
Il have not gone into the case" inter
rupts the doctor with as much testiness
as suave manner will admit; there has
peen no time for developments. l under
stand that she Is religious visionary, but
as rule patients symptoms do not show
at first"
"Oh but you see in this country. re-
ligious peculiarities, visions. spiritual rev.
Citations don't usually come under the
head of lunacy. If they did, you would
have the care OF half our platform cele.
br:ties."
He smiled indulgently: "Quite true.
But so long as peoples crazes do not in
terfere with their neigh boris comfort and
convenience we let them alone, however
unhineed they may be-
"And has any body suggested that Mrs.
Wimble interferes with her ghbors'
comfort?"
"Undoubtedly with her husbands and
her famny's. My dear madam, you surely
understand that there are some things
not to be discussed with strangers. But
when a person torgets-ahem-igno
com pletelv the duties owed to themselves
and others. when person, ah. HIM, in
certain rank of life is oblivious of what
we are taught to consider the decencies-
in short you NUT admit that certain
symptoms conclusively point to an un-
healthy mental condition requiring care" 4"
The doctor was as suave as ever, but he
was getting very tired OF us.
CAS- for the case" he continued, ''it will
probably take time to develop. Possibly
a long time. l have known patient re-
main here, apparently sane and healthy,
for weeks. even months. Then suddenly
the widest form of insanity has devel-
oped. We cannot watch too carefully. ("
Even doctor IN lunacy may be sarcastic
unawares.
mo, don't CO." he wound up, gra-
ciously, "there is no need ! want you to
see the asylum and you must first have
7 Oh, 4