The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-12
Incidents and Observations.
BY II. l.. GRAY.


next few years the more strongly press
home; for, as was once said iii an
Egyptian primer. a chain Is no stronger
than it's weakest link and to punish Il
man possessing a to-mdn simply be-
cause he had not been taken that way
before would he not to say alone un-
Civilized but un-Christlan. The pos
session of intricate knowledge is not
less satisfying than it is inconVenient;
and while not only pride but human
lily would render wisdom desirable, ig-
rorance IS certainly an additional b1ss
IN that il is manifestly economical.
Perhaps the most serious incident of
to-mania in its general manifestation
is the ease with which it is acquired
and the rapidity With which II
spreads. 1t will feed equally as the
blind imp of suggestion happens TO
| indicate either on the most harmless
and foolish or the most far-reachlns
OF pastimes. For to-mania is game,
whether it be the cutting of a throat
or the making Of Il speech. In other
case, and whatever the risk, the VIC
tim is helpless, impelled to act by the
strongest of all motives, the inner
knowledge of the un-reason OF the
deed. Mayhap. but of this am UNI
certain, being but mild and lnslpld
| type Of to-mauiac along highly non
| original lines, it is true that your to-
maniac artist, if art can distinguish
| disease, is moved at the bottoul by
| refined vanity which would first Gre
| tie a stir in some quarter ana tnea
! gloat in secret at the commotloA. Eest
! assured that silence is the ties OF inns
| branch of insanity i'll its higher ue-
velopment. The tyro who shouts his
deeds from the house-top or boasts OF
! them in private is almost always
either fool or fraud. Your true
! to-maniac dotes more than anything
| else on the creation Of j mystery.
which, however simple, he insists IN
! his soul must be complete; and IN the
case of many utterly unsolVaple
| crimes, il is common knowledge that
| in the horde of amateur detectives,
| the most persistent Of the searchers
after truth is no other than the crimi-
/ nal himself. The fellow "ho does
what the world calls either bad or
senseless thing because he mas 10
| will never confess. out he Il motDldiy
curious to view the posthumous ef-
| fects Of his foolishness. And ii is this
morbidness which / am convinced is
| at the bottom of what is q very real
and growing affection of the race.
| ! have in mind a practically harm
| less case which is one of perfect to-
mania. On 4 Raleigh grass-plot there
| we're years ago a couple OF marple
| :herubs, who stood winter and SUM-
mer glimmering Whitley under the
| electric li"hts on a neighboring cor
! ner. draDed after the careless manner
If cherubs with an insignificant mar
| bic sash wnich did not even decimate
! their nakedneSs and smiling at the
world out of conventionally pursed-up
| ;ips, while on the head of each there
! reposed a flower pot AS works or
| art. they we're scarcely remarkabie;
IL Il ~ n
| to-maniac caprice, they are well worth
| / place in these columns. 1t was
some eight years ago, as | remember,
| that the chubby legs of the cherubs
| one morning appeared fiji CATERS OF
| green paint. 1t was, | believe, that
circumstance of harmless mischief that
| brought them first to the notice or the
| vet un-caught to- maniac. who certain
! IL was not the painter. This rarty
| after the cherubs had been duly white
| washed took them one night little
| journey in the world to a remote
| lawn, standing them carefully upon
/ their flower-potted heads. They were
| traced and returned home. Weeks
later they took another jaunt this
| time to the door step of the then Gov
erDor Russell. Again they We're re-
| turned; the next night they wandered
| again. The police were notified and
| the cherubs seemed to have lapsed
| from nOmadic WAYS. 1t MAS only WnSn
| the police had forgotten the incident,
| that they again iouncycd forth into
| the world this time farther than be-
| fore. garlanded as they stood on an
| alien porch with American Beauty
| roses each With q full bottle of very
| fair liquor round his neck and tin cups
| with placardS please help the blind,
Veritable stony-hearted gods of love
! caught naked in the morning after Il
| debauch. For eight years the cherubS
| have departed from time TO time with
/ their friend the to-maniac into devious
I ways: they have been removed from
| the lawn and re-placed time and time
| again, have remained sober as 1t were
| for months--and then. like periodi-
cal drunkard-puff! and out into the
| wicked world once more.
! The to-maniac i'll this case has never
| been caught and he may never be.
| If he is he will probably summon a
doctor aud plead mot guilty by rea-
/ son of chCrubi-tomanS-a and | Tor one
will testify fer the defense!
1t is well known that begging along
certain lines is disease. | know
drunkards who will not drink an
ounce Of whiskey which they buy. and
who make up 10 their friends their
lapses in conyiviality in any way in
the world save that of the drink
which cheers. The whole State
is familiar with the OLD
| story of Governor Vance and the
| STA trs;,,aY who would not buy chewing