The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-06-26
A MAN WHO LOVED HIS CHAIN.

The visitor at one of the great pub
lish asylums for the insane is sur
prised, while passing through the
wards, to see a venerable and amiable
appearing man standing in the door
of a little room, wearing manacles
connected with chain some eighteen
inches long. The handouts are con-
siderably larger than the wrists, so
that the arms are restricted in only
limited degree; and the strangest
thing about the case is that they are
worn because of affection, not OF
necessity nor of compulsion. For this
man is no raving maniac, but mild
hammered person who delights to en-
terrain visitors by the hour, explain
ing, with well-chosen words, a collec-
ton of categorical drawings that he
has made Only once in fourteen
years has he been out of that room,
and then but for moment, because a
fellow-patient pushed him out. He be-
lieves himself unjustly confined by
tyrannical people outside of the hos
pital, and says he will never leave
that spot till they personally restore
his liberty He not only loves his
chain, but finds in it a bulwark of
safety. They put it on him when such
restraint was required; many is the
day since then that they have offered
to take it off, but he will never con-
sent.
Once, in deep distress, he sent for
the superintendent. Il have broken
my chain," he said. II did not mean
to do it, but was playing with it, work
ing my hands back and forth, and it
snapped. And now you must get me
another right away"
Not today" answered the super
intendent, ''just see how it will seem
to go without one for while" And
with various soothing suggestions the
superintendent put him off for several
mornings. But soon the wild look
came back into his eyes, and he began
to pace the room excitedly. Finally
he said: Doctor, if you don't get that
chain | shall begin to tear things with
in two weeks" And so the black
smith was sent for to supply the miss
ing link in the chain and in the
patients peace of. mind.
The decisions which beset those
who are labeled as insane are not so
very different from the snares to
which the rest of us fall prey. We
all hug our chains. We thrust our
willing hands into the manacles, self
l,siVy fho 1piu nfC h.
it hardens the bands of steel. Some
times the links show signs of weaken
ing; a sudden affliction, a wave of re-
ligious feeling in the community
threatens to snap them. We say to
ourselves and our friends that the
world can never again be to us what it
has been. But ere long the iron of
worldliness has once more entered
our souls, and the passing years an
neal it.
Meanwhile our Blessed Savior comes
and pleads, Give Me your chains for
My trophies. l have come to loose
the bands of wickedness, to undo the
heavy burdens, to break every yoke, to
let the oppressed go free"
mere are IIleH dllu WOlHSH VIM
have surrendered their chains to Him.
Once passionate, they can now say:
"Thy gentleness hath made me
great" Once concupiscent, they now
can say: Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God.' Their
horizon, which was formerly bounded
by self, now embraces all mankind
The miserly fingers that used tc
clutch their purse-strings have relaxed
to do the bidding of hearts that are
being refined in heavenly flame.
Shall not this year witness the
putting off of our chains, the laying
aside of every weight that doth SC
easily beset us, the running with pa
thence the race that is set before us
looking unto the Adorable Savior Who
is the Author and Finisher of our
attn" The Missionary
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