The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-16

I live in a Southern city. My best friend was a young man of about my
 was lawyer of brilliant talents and
 great promise. of engaging manners, and
 universal favorite among his friends.
 Last spring l left the city on. pieas- was absent until October. R. accom- panied me to>-the train. noticed that
 his face was strangely haggard. betray-
 ing evidence of great suffering or dis-
 but he merely replied that he had had a
 slight attack of sickness the night be-
 fore. Presently. the conductor called out
 "all aboard.r l stepped upon the train,
 When on the platform I turned to lool;
 at my friend. He was gazing after me.
 his face was wan, so drawn. so disturbed
 that shuddered as l looked upon him.
 As l have said, I remained absent until
 october. visiting many States and cities
 of interest. l wrote to him several times
 but got no reply. Owing to my frequent
 removals from place to place received
 few letters and these these eenta,ped no 1ei
 turned my face southward. passing out
 of Canada, by way of Niagara Falls.:
 leaving her cities, Toronto, Montreal anu
 Quebec. We crossed upon an iron bridge
 that clasps and rivets the Canadian and
 American shores together. here the ideas
 expand. You express a mental wish that the rivets may never bes broken, that
 canada will remain an In6rokeH and llmE hsx foster-children. By rail and water was transported on to my Southern home. heard. finally, the long whistle that an
 nounced our approach to the city. M Win ing the friends whom had left more | than six months ago. particularly my | friend R. had written, informing him | expected that he would meet me at the depot. We passed between the long lines | of stationary freight cars. and at length | came in sight of the platform. The usual crowd was there, hackmen, lounB- CTS, travellers with valises in their hands. women expecting the return Of husbands | or children, friends coming to see their | friends off on train. I leaned out of the
 window and pssred amons tne sroSa S; no special friend. Rather disappointed, took a hack, and was driven to fns boarding house. l was met by my land who had been in affluent circumstances. but had been reduced to poverty by the cruel war. She welcomed me. and over- whemed me with questions about my
 I had visited. When her curiosity was. in some degree. appeased, 1t became my
 all were. Every one has been we'll"
 she replied; except that poor Willie claimed, How did it happen? Where Is he? "I do not know much about it." she replied. It seems that at ball,
 given at 'Elks' Halt he suddenly became a raving maniac, and shortly afterwards was carried to the Asylum"
 It was great blow to me. had known R. from boyhood We had been
 through school and college as class
 mates at the University. We had roomed together for four years. In this long and close intimacy had come to re- gard him as brother rather than friend. In our pleasures and in our
 studies we had been inseparable. And
 now. to learn that he had lost his reason appals, astonshes me; he who was so | brilliant. his logical mind seemed to place him beyond the possibility of such
 a calamity. That afternoon shut my self up in my room. 1 did not care to see any one. The blow was so sudden
 that it unnerved me. Finally the sun
 went down ahd one by one the stars of the tree-tops. The lights were lit in the opposite windows. l sat watching
 them. my heart oppressed with gloomy forebodings.
 At length I sought my couch, wearied with my 1000 or more miles of incessant travel. and slept, but heavily and sadly. for sorrow can find the human heart even in the hours of sleep. I awoke long for the light At length a faint streak
 in the East announced the approach of
 day. I arose and dressed myself. and
 sat down by the window. The red line
 grew broader and broader, became light
 CT and lighter till 1t changed to golden
 hue with silver Hiring, and theH the
 majestic orb of day slowly manifested
 itself. I had been tired, very tired, but
 when I saw the sun. 1t infused into my
 veins it's own power. and I arose and stretched myself. rejoiced in my strength and resolved to go that morning to see told the landlady that I should probably not return for dinner. I strolled out on
 the street. the roses were yet in bloom, and the air was m mslodious with the songs of birds. As I walked along, new hopes
 arose in my bosom: I felt sure that the malady of my friend must be temporary.
 It seemed impossible that so powerful a mind could be utterly overthrown in so
 shcrt a time.
 walked to the livery stable and or dered a horse and buggy and drove out
 to the Asylum. about two miles away.
 The sun was shining brightly upon it.
 and as it stretched it's long facade of
 blessing but simple architecture aor ,ss
 the Western horizon. it's appearance was truly imposing Driving on I found my
 self before tho Asylum From the grated
 windows insane men fhd women were
 pecring forth, with strange cries and questions. l got out and rang the bell. An attendant came to the door. I asked for the Superintendt mt of the institution. He showed me into waiting room. The doctor soon came in. He was a portly man. with strongly marked features and clear gray eyes. who had been a prac- ticing physician, especially valuable in times of emergency-a natural ajminls- trator of wonderful executive ability. He was born to be the head of a large in- stitut!cn: the cleanliness and order of the Asylum bore conclusive proof ot his rafe capacity. As we were cid friends he greeted me warmly. After a few mo- ments of pleasant conversation, l said: Doctor. I have come to inquire about my friend. Willie R." At this his face grew darker. and he said That ds the strangest case I have ever known. I have studied 1t a great deal. and can make nothing out of it. I have gone nl through the books on mental aliena
 ton. but can find nothing to throw any light upon 1t. Every night he thinks that a hobgoblin Is after him, then he goes mad with fear. There Is nothing marvellous in that. We have a great many patients suffering. from similar Authorizations. It Is the strange peril odlcltv of ghe thing that worries me. It comes on exactly at midnight There patient had known the hour, at first supposed that the attack came on at that hour because he knew that 10 | was midnight but it Is not so. I have locked him in his cell with no means | In the world 70 tell the time, and have | watched him. Exactly at tho midnight | hour the attack has come on with un- cell q clock that was too fast. He showed great uneaslness as he saw the hands of the clock approach midnight | but there was no symptom of his mall l ady until the true hour, then he sud- denly became convulsed with fear. Then put in a clock that was too slow. Ho was looking at 1t with the apparent FaE fhat hn hon af 1,t