The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-07-12
A PATHETIC DOCUMENT.
The Touching and eBautifuI Testa@
ment of an Inmate of an In
sane Asylum.

"There he goes, writing again" said
one of the Cunning asylum keepers
to fellow keeper. Il wonder what in
the world he finds to write about ?''
Il Dunno said the second keeper.
"These loony guys have all sorts of
queer ideas running through their
noodles. Now, that old guy there must
have written enough for ten or eleven
thousand books since he's been here,
but no one ever sees what he writes.
He puts it away in his pocket and that's
the last of it,
The two men were looking at an
elderly man busily scribbling away
at table with stump of a lead pen
eil relates the Chicago Inter Ocean.
This man, by the way, was once a
wealthy citizen of Chicago and a man
Of some literary ability. Reverses
came and his mind gave way, and now
he is county charge. Something at
tracted his attention, and he got up
and walked away, leaving his manu-
script on the table. One of the keepers
| picked it up and looked at it.
"Blest if he hasn't been writing his
WILL said the keeper. Il guess I'd
| better turn this over to the warden"
He did so, and this is verbatim copy
Of the document, the name of the
testator only being withheld:
~, being of sound and disposing
mind and memory, do hereby make and
publish this. my last will and testa-
ment, in order, as justly as l may, to
distribute my interests in the world
among succeeding men.
THAT part of my interests which is
known in the land and recognized in
the sheep-bound volumes as my prop
erty being inconsiderable and of none
account, | make no disposal of it in
this, my will. Ny right to life, being
but life estate, is not at my disposal,
but, these things being excepted, all
else in the world | now proceed to de-
wise and bequeath:
"Item-I give to good fathers and
mothers in trust for their children all
good little words of praise and encour-
agement and all quaint pet names and
endearments, and [ charge said par
ents to use them justly, but generous
ly as the needs of their children shall
require.
"Item-I leave to children exclusive
ly, but only for the term of their child
hood, all and every the flowers of the
fields and the blossoms of the woods,
with the right to play among them
freely according to the customs of
children, warning them at the same
time against the thistles and the
thorns. And / devise to children the
banks of the brooks and the golden
sands beneath the waters thereof, with
the Gragonfiies that skim the surface
of said waters. and the odors of the
willows that dip therein, and the white
clouds that float high over the giant
trees.
And | leave to children the long,
long days to be merry in, in a thou
sand ways, and the night and the moon
and the train of the milky way to Won
der at, but subject, nevertheless, TO
the rights hereinafter given to lovers.
'Item-I devise to boys jointly all
the useful, idle fields and common
where ball may be played, all pleasant
water where one may swim, all snow
clad hills where one may coast, and ali
| streams and ponds where one may fish,
or where, wnsc grim winter comes,
one may skate, to have and to hold the
same for the period of their boyhood.
And all meadows with the clover
blooms and butterflies thereof, the
woods with their appurtenances, the
squirrels and birds and echoes and
strange noises, and all distant places
| which may be visited, together with
the adventures there found. And I
give to said boys each his own place
at the fireside at night, with all pic
lures that may be seen in the burning
wood, to enjoy without let or him
drance, and without any incumbrance
of care.
"Item-To lovers l devise their
imaginary world with whatever they
may need, as the stars of the sky, the
red roses by the wall, the bloom of the
| hawthorne, the sweet strains of music,
and aught else they may desire to fig
ure to each other the lastingness and
beauty of their love.
"Item-To young men jointly l de-
wise and bequeath all boisterous, in
spring sports of rivalry. and | give to
them the disdain of weakness and I'M
daunted confidence in their own
strength. Though they are rude and
rough, l leave to them the power of
making lasting friendships and of pos
sessing companions. and to them ex-
clusively | give all merry songs and
brave choruses to sing with lusty
| voices.
''Item-And to those who are no
longer children or youths or lovers l
leave memory, and l bequeath to them
the volumes of the poems of Burns and
Shakespeare and of other poets, if
there be others, to the end that they
may live the old days over again free
ly and fully, without 1.-THE or diminu-
ton.
''Item-To our loved ones with
snowy crown 1 bequeath The happiness
OF old age. the love and the gratitude
of their children, until they fall
asleep"