Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-07-25
A MADMAN'S WILL

Charles Lounsbury was a mailman,
incarcerated in an Illinois insane asy-
lum When he died. he left behind
him the following remarkable will. dis
tributing his interest in the world"
After declaring as "inconsiderable and
Of no account" the portion of his inter-
est known in law and recognized in
the sheepbound Volumes" he goes on
with the viii proper,-a document
whose beautiful good sense would
lead all men to wish for an insanity
like the writer's.
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT.
Item: l give to good fathers and
mothers. in trust for their children, all
good little words of praise ana en-
couragement, and all quaint pet names
and endearments, and ! charge said
parents to use them justly and gen.
erously, as the needs of their children
may require.
Item: leave to the children, in
clusively, but only for the term of
their childhood, all and every, the
flowers OF the fields and the blossoms
of the woods, with the right TO play
among them freely, according to the
customs of children, warning them at
the same time against thistles and
thorns. And I devise TO children the
banks OF the brooks and the golden
sands beneath the waters thereof, and
the odors of the willows that dip there
in and the white clouds that float high
over the giant trees. And leave the
children the long, long days to be
merry In, in thousand ways, and the
night and the noon and the train of
the Milky Way to wonder at, but sub
ject, nevertheless, to the rights here.
matter given to lovers
Item: | devise to boys, jointly, all
the useful idle fields and commons
where ball may be played; all pleas
ant waters where one may swim; all
snow-clad hills where one may coast.
and all streams and ponds where one
may fish, or where, when grim winter
comes, one may skate; to have and TO
hold the same for the period of their
boyhood. And all meadows with the
of; the woods and their appurten-
ances the squirrels and birds, and
echoes and strange noises, and all dis
tant places which may be visited, to-
no aI thnra
found. And ! give to said boys each
his own place at the fireside. at night,
with all pictures that may be seen in
the burning wood. to enjoy without let
or hindrance and without any incum
brance OF care.
Item: To lovers | devise their i'm
aginary world with whatever they may
need; as the stars of the sky, the red
roses by the wall, the bloom Of the
hawthorn, the sweet strains OF music
and aught else they may desire to fig
ure to each other the lastingness and
beauty of their love.
Item: To young men, jointly, de
wise and bequeath all boisterous, in
spring sports of rivalry, and give t
them the disdain of weakness and un
daunted confidence in their owl
strength. Though they are rude,
give to them the power to make last
ing friendships. and OF possessing
companions, and to them exclusively
give all merry songs and brave chor
uses. to sing with lusty voices.
Item: And to those who are M
longer children, youths, or lovers,
leave memory, and bequeath to then
the volumes OF the poems Of Burn
and Shakespeare and of other poets,
there be others, TO the end that the
may live over the old days again, free
iy and fully, without 1.-THE or dimin,
ton.
Item: To our loved ones wit
snowy crowns I bequeath the happ
ness of old age, the love and gratitud
of their children until they fail asleel
Amenl