Year: 1875

thought saw tear on his cheek. I felt
his hand close tremblingly on mine He mas
tered himself with surprising resolution he
spoke with perfect composure when he looked
at me again.


I" DO you care 10 know my story ?" he
asked "after what have Just told you ?"


D." am eager 10 hear IT," | answered.
" You don't know how feel for you. | am
too distressed 10 he able TO express myself
in words"


"You are the kndest and dearest Of wo-
men i" he said, with the utmost fervor, and
at the same time with the utmost respect.


We sat down together in a grassy hollow
Of the cliff, with our faces towards the
grand gray sea. The daylight was begin
ming TO fade as | heard the story which
made me Roland Camerons wife


~.


any mother died when was an infant in
arms" he began. my father. from my
earliest to my latest recollections, was always
hard towards me. | have been told that |
was an odd child with-strange ways Of my
own. My father detested anything that was
strongly marked, anything out of the ord-
nary way In the characters and habits Of the
persons about him. lie himself lived (as
the phrase is) 10y line and rule, and he deter
mined to make his son follow his example.
| was subjected To severe discipline at school,
and was carefully watched afterwards at
college. Looking back on my early life,
can see no traces OF happiness. | can find
no tokens of sympathy. Sad submission 10
hard destiny, weary wayfaring over un-
friendly roads-such is the story of my life
| from ten years old to twenty.


al passed one autumn vacation at the Cum
berland I.akes-and there ! met by accident
a young French lady. The result of that
meeting decided my whole after life.


She tlled the position Of nursery COVER
ness in the house Of a wealthy Englishman.
| had frequent opportunities OF seeing her.
We took an innocent pleasure in each others
society. Her little experience Of life was
strangely like mine; there was a perfect
sympathy Of thought and feeling between
us. We loved, or thought we loved was
not yet twenty-one and she was not eighteen,
when | asked her to be my wife.


4" can understand my folly now, and can
laugh at or lament over it as the humor
moves me. And yet can't help plying
myself, when ! look back at myself at that
time--I was so young, 50 hungry for little
sympathy, SO weary of empty friendless life.
Well everything is comparative in this
world. | was soon 10 regret, bitterly to re-
gret, that friendless life, wretched at it was.


"The poor girls employer discovered our
attachment, through his wife. He at once
communicated with my father.


my father had but one word to say-he
insisted on my going abroad and leaving ii
to him to release me from my absurd engage
ment in my absence answered him that
| should be of age in few months, and that
was determined TO marry the girl. lie
gave me three days 10 reconsider that reso-
luton, held 10 my resolution. In week
afterwards | was declared insane by two
medical men, aud | was placed by my father
in lunauc asylum.


"Was 1t an act of insanity for the son Of
a gentleman, with great expectations before
him, to propose marriage TO nursery COVER
ness ? ] declare. as heaven is my witness,
know Of no other act of mine which could
Justify my father, and Justify the doctors, in
placing me under restraint.


was three years in that asylum. 1t
was officially reported that the air did not
agree with me. was removed for two
years more, to another asylum, in a remote
part of England. For the five best years Of
my life have been herded with madmen-
and my reason has survived it. The impress
sion ! produce on you on your father, on
your brother, and all our friends at the pic
mic, is that | am as reasonable as the rest Of
my fellow creatures. Am | rushing to n
hasty conclusion when | assert myself TO be
now, and always to have been, a saue man


AT the end OF my five years of arbitrary
imprisonment in free country, happily for
mel am ashamed TO say it, but | must
speak the truth-happiy for me, my merci-
less father died. Ills trustees, 10 whom |
was consigned, felt some pity for me. They
could not take the responsibility of granting
me my freedom. But they placed me under
the care of surgeon, who received me into
his private residence, and who allowed me
free exercise in the open air,


"a wears trial of this new mode of life
sn.i.G Z Tie ur~oon, and satisfied every one
else Gho took tn smallest interest in me,
that | vas perfectly fit to enjoy my liberty.
was freed from all restraint and was per-
mitted TO reside with near relative of mine
in that very lake country which had been
the scene of my fatal meeting with the
French girl six years before.


81 lived happily in the house of my rela-
tive, satisfied with the ordinary pursuits of
a country gentleman. Time had long since
cured me OF my boyish infatuation for the
nursery governess | could revisit with per-
feet composure the paths along which we
had walked and the lake ON which we had
sailed together. Hearing by chance that
she was married in her own country, could
wish her all possible happiness, with the
sober kindness of disinterested friend
What strange thread Of irony runs through
the texture of the simplest human life The
early love for which | had sacrificed and
suffered so much, was now revealed 10 me,
in its true colorS rs boys passing fancy
nothing more


Three years of peaceful freedom passed
freedom which on the uncontradicted testi-
mony of respectable witnesses, never re-
fused Well that long and happy interval,
like all intervals, came to its end-and then
the great misfortune OF my life fell upon me.
One of my uncles died and left me the in
heritor of his whole fortune. | alone, TO the
exclusion OF the other heirs, now received,
not only the large income derived from the
estate, but 1000 in ready money as well.


"The vile calumny which had asserted me
To be mad was now revived by the wretehes
who We're interested in stepping between Inc
and my inheritance a year ago | was sent
back again to the asylum in which | had
been imprisoned. The pretense for confin-
ing me was found in All act OF yiolence
las it was called) which had committed in
momentary outbreak Of anger, and which
as was acknowledged had led TO no seriou.
results. Having got me into the asylum, tn,
conspirators proceeded 10 complete theii
: work, A Commission in Lunacy was en-
tered against me. 1t was held by one Com
missioner, without n jury, and without I


lawyer 10 assert my interests. BY ono man,
, decision was declared to be OF unsound mind


"The custody of my person, as well as TIN
management of my estate, was con6ded Il
men chosen from among the conspirator.
, who had declared me to he mad, and | an
here through the favor of the proprietor o
the asylum, who has given me my holiday a
. the seaside, and who humanely trusts M


with my liberty, as you see. At barrel,
thirty years old, am refused the free use o
. my money, and the free management OF m,
affairs. At barely thirty years old, am OF
| ticially declared to be a lunatic for life"
lie paused his head sank 10 his breast


his story was told.


have repeated his words as near as caI
remember them; but I can give no idea o
the modest and touching resignation witt
which he spoke To say that pitied hin
with my whole heart is to say nothing.
loved him with my whole heart, aud may
acknowledge it now.


"Oh, Mr.. Cameron" | said as soon as
, could trust myself TO speak, scan nothing
be done to help you Is there no hope
"Jhere is always hope" he answered