Year: 1879




"The burning pain has ceasedP"


"It has quite gone" said the stranger
with a smile. "The pain has entirely
ceased, as if it had been taken away with
the part cut out The slight pain occa,
stoned by the bleeding is, as compared
with the other, like refreshing breeze
after an Internal heat. 1t does me real
ly good to see my blood flow. Only let
it flow, it does me so much good"


The stranger looked with delight at
the streaming blood. The Doctor was
obliged 10 insist upon dressing the
wound.


While he was binding it up the pa
TENTS face changed completely. The
expression of pain passed away, he
smiled on the Doctor with look full OF
good-humor, and there was no longer
any contraction of the features, any look
of despair. He seemed to have taken a
new lease of life. His brow cleared; the
color returned to his face; his whole
person underwent visible transtOrma-
ton.


When his hand was replaced i'll the
sling he made use of the one that re-
mained free to shake the Doctors hand
warmly, saying to him with cordlallty:
"Accept my most sincere thanks. You
have positively cured me. The small
remuneration that | offer you is in no
wise proportiOned to the service you have
rendered me. During the rest of my
life | will try by what means | can dis
charge my Obligation"


The Doctor, however, would not con-
sent to accept the thousand f1orins placed
on the table. The stranger on his side
refused to take them back; but seeing
that the Doctor was beginning to grow
angry. he begged that he would bestoW
them on some hospital, and SO took his
leave.


The Doctor informed several OF his
colleagues of this singular case and each
formed different opinion on the sub
iect without, however, any of them be-
! ing able to give a plausible explanation.
Towards the end of a month DR.. X. re-
ceived letter dated from his patients
residence. He opened it, Itwas close
ly written, and he saw by the signature
that his patient had written it with his
own hand, from which he concluded
that the pain had not returned, for II 1t
had he could hardly have held a pen.
The letter ran as follows:


"MY DEAR DOCTOR-l do not wish
that either you or medical science should
be left in doubt as to the mystery OF the
strange disease which will soon bring me
to my grave-and even elsewhere. am
about to describe to you the origin OF
this terrible malady. 1t broke out a
week ago, and can struggle against it
no longer. At the present moment | can
only manage to trace these lines by
placing on the sensitive part piece OF
lighted tinder, to serve as a cataplasm.
As LONG as the tinder burns do not feel
the other pain-and it is as nothing in
comparison. Six months ago i was still
very happy man. [ lived, without
care, on my income. | was on friendly
terms with all the world, and | took
pleasure in every thing that can interest
a man of 80. | had married a year ago,
married for love, most beautiful young
girl of cultivated mind and with the best
heart in the world, who had been COM
panion to a certain Countess, my neigh
Dor. My wife had no fortune, and the
love she had for me was not only gratl-
tude, but also the genuine affection OF a
child. Six months passed in such a way
that the morrow always seemed to me
happier than the eve. If sometimes | was
obliged to 90 to Pesth and leave my
home for day, my wife had not mo-
ment's peace. She would come two miles
on the road to meet me. If was belated
shewould stay awake all night waiting for
me, and if, by dint of entreaty, she was
prevailed upon to 90 and see her former
mistress, who was still very fond Of her,
no power on earth could keep her there
more than half a day, and even then her
regrets for my absence put the others
out of temper. Her fondnesS for me
went so far as to make her give up
dancing, so as not to be obliged to put
her hand into a strangers; and nothing
caused her such grave displeasure as the
compliments she was apt to receive. In
word, | had for wife an innocent
child, who had no thought but for me,
and who would confess her dreams to
me as enormous crimes if she had not
dreamt of me.


"Onc day l know not what demon
whispered in my ear, 'Supposing all
this were dissimulationp' Men are mad
enough to seek how they can torment
themselves in the midst of the greatest
happiness.


"My wife had workable, the draw
er of which she kept carefully locked. |
had noticed this several times. She new
er forgot the key, and never left the
drawer open. The question ran in my
head, What can she be hiding from me
there?' | had taken leave of my senses.


Il a..