Year: 1867







About year ago l had occasion tc
visit the remote village of Ravensward
on business. While there | became the
recipient of cordial invitation to attend
a reception at the house of Mrs. Satter-
lee.


My first impulse was to decline, but on
mature deliberation | decided to attend
and | did not regret it for it was bril-.
liant affair. The rooms were filled with
the elite of R.


Among the many to whom | had the
pleasure of being introduced during the
evening was certain Mr.. Morrill,. He
was a noble looking man.. Dark com
plexion, finely nodded features, rather
tall, and altogether just such a person
as was my "beau ideal of what nature
intended man to be- | found him to
be eloquent and witty in the extreme,
and we had not conversed long ere |
mentally pronounced him the most gift
ed conversationalist | had ever met


| was strangely interested in Mr.. Nor
rill, and when occasion offered, | asked
DR. Cooper, with whom l was on terms
of intimacy, who he was that so strange
ly interested me- In answer to my in
quiries he told me that Mr. Morrill, was
a lawyer, who stood very high in his pro-
fession, and had been elected to the LIE
gislature about week.


''You would not think" continued
the doctor, "that he has ever been a
monomaniac?"


"No."


"Well, he has been. Come out on
the balcony and I'll tell you all about
it. Two years ago." continued be,
when we were out of hearing "Mr Nor
rill was prostrated with the brain fever;
he was just beginning to recover when
we discovered that his mind was af-
fected He imagined himself deaf and
dumb, but in every other respect he
was perfectly sane. When he was suf-
iciently recovered to admit oil his going
out, he went to his Office and attended
to the business as we'll as a deaf and
dumb man could. He would converse
with his partner ON paper, but nothing
could induce him to speak. We tried
various plans to induce him to speak,
but they all proved Intellectual. His
wife was in the greatest distress. l
called one morning and found her weep
ing sadly on account of her husband. l
resolved once more to try to compel him
to speak, and before leaving had arrang-
ed a plan with her which we hoped
would prove successful. Although sim
pie, you will see how effectual it proved.
On the succeeding day l repaired to his
house about the time [ supposed he
would be home to dinner. He was seat
ed at the dinner table when 1 arrived.


l bowed to him and passed into an
room. His wife soon followed
me. We had purposely left the door
ajar in order that he might hear US.


Mary said to his wife, Il wish you
would leave Morrill, and marry me-
He's mean, stingy old rascal. If l.


I'm stingy old rascal, am l p said
he rushing with pair of tongs, which
he had picked up.


Springing through the open window I
rushed up the street, running at the
top of my speed. He followed after me.
At first l ralher enjoyed the excitement,
but it was fast becoming serious. l was
getting tired but dare not stop He
pursued me so closely that 1 had no
time to enter house; and soon there
was no house to enter, for we had left
the village far in the distance behind.


On we sped, pursuer and pursued.
As you may we'll imagine, by this time
I was greatly exhausted, and knowing
if l continued my flight much longer
must surely be overtaken, | determin-
ed to turn round and face my pursuer.
faced him and in few moments he
was up with me.


He Immediately aimed blow at my
head with the tongs, which he had re-
tanned during the pursuit.


| stepped to one side, and received
the blow on my left arm, unfortunately
shattering the bone. We then clinched,
and Immediately commenced desper-
ate struggle, lasting several minutes In
the disabled condition in which the
blow of the tonss had placed me, | felt
l was slowly but surely being overcome,
and began to be seriously alarmed for
my safety, when suddenly his hold on
me relaxed, and he lay motionless
before me on the grass. 1t was too much
for human nature, and IN the critical
moment he had succumbed to exhaust
ion.


In the disabled condition in which |
was myself placed, l could do very little
for him but sit down and wait for some
one to come that way. l had not wait
ed long when farmer with team of
oxen and an empty wagon came along
With the help of a laborer, the farmer
got US both into the wagon, and bore US
back to the house we had left SO sud-
denly.


His wife was, of course, much alarm
ed on beholding him; but l quieted her
by saying this would probably work an
etfectual cure. A physician was called
who dressed my arm. Mr.. Morrill, was
Immediately put to bed, and before l
left | had the pleasure of seeing him in
a healthy sleep.


The rest is soon told. He slept thro'
all the afternoon and night, and into
the next day, and awoke with his mind
as clear as it is now. He now stands
an houored legislator and an ornament