The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-09-11

On Gay late In the fall OF the
year 1900, young Scotchman ap-
peared on the streets of a Western
town, in the guise of a peddler. His
stock in trade consisted of small
ornament, or model, in clay, repre-
senting young Highland lassie. The
figure was in kneeling posture and
the girl appeared to be looking up at
!, some crags which formed the back,
Or frame, of the ornament.
The expression on the face-in-
Iced, the whole design-was so strik-
Ingly beautiful and realistic, that the
Foung Scotchman and his handiwork
attracted considerable attention.
Moreover, his method of hardening,
polishing and coloring the clay was
something of mystery, even to con-
aoisseurs. 1t was also noticeable that
he name Maggie was invariably to
De found cut into the pedestal of
every example of the young Scotch
mans plastic skill
Before long, several we'll known
citizens endeavored to cultivate the
mans acquaintance with the idea of
learning something about his history.
To these gentlemen he was extreme
ly polite and deferential, but his re-
plies to the kindest inquiries were
either evasive or entirely incompre-
hensible. To one of these gentlemen
be answered as follows:
Where do l come from? I do not
know. Yes, my name is McGregor-
Ian McGregor. try to remember
don't you think so?"
Then an effort was made to induce
him to try his skill on some subject
other than Maggie, but with very lit
tie success, although occasionally he
would so far vary his work as to
model daintiest little hands and feet,
but they were all Enthusiastically in
spired by the same beautiful Scotch
Ideal. In this way the young model
Ter sold his ornaments on The streets
for nearly year before his customers
awoke to the fact that the man was
mentally unbalanced. Then the au-
thorities thought proper to have him
examined by an alienist. whose dag
nosis of the case seemed to indicate
that it was very extra ordinary in
stance of mental paralysis, and that
Ian McGregor was probably suffering
from severe shock of some kind.
He was intelligent and sane in
certain way, but all his faculties and
ideas seemed to be bound up and
absorbed in his occupation of clay
modelling, and, as one of the doctors
remarked, Maggie seems to be the
centre of some action or tragedy from
which the mans mental activity is
unable to break away"
So, finally they consigned McGregor
TO the State Hospital for further ex-
animation and treatment.
DR.. Richard Hoyt, of the State Hos
pital for the Insane. who had re-
ceived communication from a New
York Detective Agency, making in
quiries about much-sought-for man,
by the name of Ian McGregor, sat at
his desk reading the following letter
from this very man, who was one of
his most interesting patients. 1t was
dated and addressed from the Power
House of the institution:
Il understand that you are not yet
prepared to recommend my discharge
from this institution. In submitting
to your decision, have no word of
protest to trouble you with, but be-
fore settling down to my duties for
another term, l wish to write you a
letter of thanks, coupled with an un-
usual request. To begin with. wish
to assure you that shall always look
upon these premises as holy, sacred
ground. You and your noble assist
ants seem to surround us, the unfor-
tunate inmates, with infinite tender
ness and pity, together with never
ceasing vigilance and care. This cot
tage plan is surely an inspired idea.
You lead us from cottage to cottage,
up from darkness and oblivion to
light and liberty, by series of the
happiest, most skillful gradations.
That you are, yourself. the heart and
soul of this noble system, l am well
aware, for, only few days ago, /
stood in your office, and noticed hang
ing on the wall picture of the poet
Tennyson, with these noble lines un-
derneath:
held it truth with him who sings.
10 one clear harp in divers tones
mat men may rise on stepping stones
vi their dead selves to higher things
You perceive, DR.. Hoyt, my mem
DRY is perfectly true and clear, and,
believe me, / am now altogether sane
and In my right mind. And yet, in
spite of my attempted resignation, l
cannot conceal from you the fact that
write to you tonight with deepst
earnestness and emotion, pleading for
my freedom. l cannot steal away
from here like thief in the night.
my heart is too full of Thanksgiving.
am too grateful for that. On the
contrary, must go on my way with
your kind wishes and your blessing.
so, to further my interest and to en-
large your sympathy. desire to make
confession. am in love with
young girl who lives in the Highlands
OF Scotland. l was torn from her
size by fate surely the most cruel
ana heartrending in the history of
human misfortune. Now for the story
and the method of it:
Behind the Power House where I
work az acsicton+ onr;oo1. -