The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-02-09
HELEN DACY'S
LUNATIC.
A Story of a Young Girls
Visit to an Insane Asylum

sAs
....s.ss / / +
Helen Dacy went to Elgin not be-
cause she was insane, but because she
had second cousin who was. Elgin
is a beautiful town, but it's street car
service is not good, and Helen walked
through the village up to the pleasant
park with which the state has sur
rounded the asylum for the insane. 1t
is walk of considerable length from
the gate of the grounds to the building,
and Helen was to encounter melan-
choly sight. AS she went along the
serpentine path a procession came to-
ward her There must have been a
hundred men in it, and they moved
slowly, and most of them walked with
bowed heads. Their feet appeared to
press the earth heavily. AT first Helen
thought it must be funeral process
ed that 1t was something more dis
tressing. 1t was the walk of those
who had survived their own death. In
other words, it was a body of insane
patients exercising the bodies that held
their perished minds. Helen shrank
aside and stood fascinated while they
passed her. Some of them looked at
her curiously or with lack luster gaze
or wistfully A sudden appreciation
of her own youth and health and sani-
ty came over her and made her all the
more pitiful toward these unfortu-
mates.
The procession had passed, and she
was about resuming her way to the
hospital when one of the men quilted
the ranks and walked hurriedly to-
ward her. None of the rest looked
around. The attendants had not no
ticed his desertion, and his steps on
the sward made no sound. He came
with a rapid, gliding step toward Hell
en-, showing his teeth in a broad smile
Helen decided that, however imperti-
nent his intentions might be, at least
he was In good humor. This was con-
soling, but it did not keep her hands
from turning cold with nervous dread.
AS he approached he lifted his hat
with a courtly air. 1t was evident that
the poor wretch had once been gen.
tleman, but even the most gentlemanly
of lunatics was not a companion to
choose, and Helen moved behind low
lilac bush. She felt that she was white
and that her eyes were wide stretched,
but she tried not to show her alarm.
Confidence, she had always heard, was
needed in dealing with the insane. The
man moved more cautiously and fixed
an undertaking gaze upon Helen.
"Madam," said the man in a particu-
larly quiet voice, sit is pleasant morn
ing"
Something in the words suggested a
scene in Hamlet" to Helen, and she
bethought herself of an experiment
| She would soon determine whether or
not the man had CLEAN of reason.
rs it?' she asked. turning her eyes
| to the sky. "Why, indeed, ! thought
it was raining!'
The man had look in his face akin
to pity. perhaps you are right" he
replied gently. 1T may be raining. II
is not always possible for me to tel
except when | see people carrying
| their umbrellas"
| 'Sensory nerves are quite obtuse,
thought Helen. 81 have heard that i
is common with degenerates." Th'
| man moved a little nearer. and Heller
ventured to go still farther around tn,
lilac bush. He stopped still, and the.
faced each other over the low shrub
berry. What an agreeable looking crea
ture he was. with his soft brown eyes
his long, delicate face and his higl
brow! He looked as if he might hav,
been intended for a poet. Probabl.
he had been, but had gone one ste]
further Helen had not read Lombro
so for nothing.
'Do you ever write poetry?" she ask
ed, with genuine curiosity.
The man blushed. Helen had no
dreamed lunatic would blush.
when | found a fitting subject" b
confessed.
"Ah! And what should you conside
a fitting subject?"
"Why-you" The words came ou
explosively. They did not seem to
meant for a compliment. The ma
spoke pathetically. 1t seemed as
| theie "eIe tehIS III HIS Eyes heie
answered as if he were child:
do seem so sad to your she ask
ed. "Does it make the tears come |
your eyes to look at me. poor manT
Indeed it does" he replied quit
. simply. Il think you are the saddles
thing | ever saw"
81 wouldn't die for anything" she e1
planned. Il like to live. | find plent
of things to laugh at" And to couvinc
his wandering wits that this was th
truth she broke into a merry laugl
:. which astonished the melancholy spir
of the place.
: ''If | give you my hand" said til
: man kindly, will you not walk bac
with me to the house?"