The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-09-26
(Continued.)

gentleman.
But about six weeks after her visit he
sHprised her little by writing OF his
own accord, and asking her for FORMAL
Introduction to Sir Charles Bassett ana
begging her TO back request that Sir
Charles would devote leisure hour OF
two to correspondence with him. Not,
said ne ION his private affairs. but on a
matter OF general interest. | want
few Of his experiences and observations
In that place. have the less scruple
in asking It, that whatever takes him
out Of himself will be salutary."
Lady Bassett sent him the required In
PRODUCTION in such terms that Sir Charles
at once consented to oblige his wife by
ohliging Mr.. Rolfe.
my Dear Sir--In compliance with your
wish and Lady Bassetts, ! send you
few desultory remarks on what I see
here.
"Ist. The lines.
"'Great wits to madness are all allied.
And thin partitions TO their bonds
divide Are. In my opinion, ex-
aggerated and untrue. Taking the people
here as a guide. the insane In general ap-
pear to be people with very little brains.
and enormous egotism.
MY next observance is. that the
women have far less imagination than
the men; they cannot even realize their
For instance. here are two young ladies
the Virgin Mary and the Queen OF Eng
land. How do they play their parts? They
sit aloof from all the rest. with their
noses In the air. But gauge their imagin-
ations: go down on one knee, or both. ana
address them as a saint and queen
they cannot say a word In accordance:
yet they are cunning enough 10 see that
they cannot reply in character. so they
will not utter a syllable to their adorers.
They are like the shop-boys who go TO
d masquerade Burleigh or Walsing-
ham, and when you ask them who Is
Queen Bess favorite just now. blush, and
look offended. and pass sulkily on.
THE same class OF male lunatics can
speak I'm character, and this obsery a ton
has made me doubt whether philosophers
are not mistaken In saying that women
generally have more imagination than
men. I suspect they have Infinitely less,
and I believe their great love OF novels.
which has been set down TO imagination
or their want OF It. You writer's OF
novels supply that defect for them by a
pictorial style. by an infinity of minute
details. and petty aids 10 realizing all
which an imaginative reader can do for
himself on reading bare narrative OF
sterling facts and incidents.
81 find a monotony In madness. SO many
have inspirations. see .phantoms. are the
and opwers combined against a n.y.: their
food Is poisoned, their wine is drugged
etc. etc.
These, I think. are all forms or that
morbid egotism which is at the bottom
OF insanity. SO Is their antipathy for each
other. They keep apart. because mad
man is all self, and his talk Is all self,
thus esotisms clash. and an antipathy
arises; yet II is not, think. pure anti
pathy. though so regarded. but a mere
form OF their boundless egotism.
''If. In visiting an asylum. you see two
or three different patients buttonhole
fourth and pour their grievances into a
listening ear, you may safely suspect No
4 of-sanity.
ION the whole. I think the doctor him
self, and one Of his attendants. and Jones.
a keeper, have more solid eccentricity
and variety about them than most Of the
patients"
Extract from Letter .. written about a
fortnight later:
Some insane persons have way OF
COUGHING their nonsense I'm language that
sounds rational and has a false air OF
logical connection. Their periods seem
stolen from sensible books and forcibly
fitted to incongruous bosh. BY this means
the ear is confused. and slow hearer
might fancy he was listening to sense.
II have secured you one example OF this.
sometimes collect few together. and try
TO get them TO tell their stories. Little
comes OF II In general but interruptions.
But one night melancholy Bagman re-
sponded I'm good set terms, and all In a
moment; one would have thought / had
put torch to barrel OF powder. he
went or so quickly. in this style:
"'You ask my story: II Is briefly told
Initiated In commerce from my earliest
years and Travelled In the cotton trade.
AS representative OF large house In
Manchester. I visited the United states.
Unfortunately for me, that country was
then the chosen abode OF spirits: the very
air was thick and humming with super
naturalia Ere long spirit-voices whisper
ed in my ear. and suggested pious aspira-
tions at frst That was blind. no
doubt. for very soon they went on TO in
sinuate things profane and indelicate. and
urged me TO deliver them In mixed COM
panies: forebore with difficulty. re-
strained by the early lessons OF pious
mother. and a disinclination 20 be kicked
downstairs, or flung out o. window.
"T consulted a friend. a native OF the
country; he said. in It's beautiful Doric.
'Oid 'oss, I reckon you'd better change
the air" I grasped his hand. uttered a
blessing. and sailed for England.
" ON oceans peaceful bosom the an
noyance ceased But under this deceitful
Naifi tftru hhnktIr OTVVurus Wo OotNpES
had stolen into the ship. unseen by hu-
man eye. and bided their time. Unable to
act at sea, owing TO the combined effect
OF wind and current. they concealed them
selves on deck under black tarpaulin-
that II 10 say. II had been black. but wind
and wea ther had reduced II 10 dirty
brown-and there. adopting for the occa-
sion the habits of the dormouse. the bear.
the caterpillar. and other ephemeral pro-
ductons they Law torpid But the nnoment
the vessel touched the quay proiting by the
commotion. they emerged and signed
certificates. with chalk on my portman-
teau; then vanished in the crowd. The
cu-tom-house read the certificates. and
seized my luggage as contruband. 7 was
too old traveller TO leave my luggage:
90 then they seized me: and sent us both
down here with sudden and short-lived
fury. That cd hell-hound at the lodge
asked them where I was booked for.
"For the whole Journey" said a sepulch-
raj voice unseen. That means the grave
my boys. the silent grave
"Notwith-ta nding this stern decree.
-, tt,r, l,-,