Year: 1873

ssfss ~ lb not one 0f the nrSt principles In your Treatment of a malady to remove. if possible, the exciting canse ?''

 Granted. replied.

 Nell, then, to remove that exciting canse 10 my case. hs said, looking wildly q me would cost you triple the fortune I possess.

 T do not understand you," said.

 Well. then, the sole exciting cause of the mental malady I can see you imagine am suffering from, may be summed up not talk more with you to-day, or shall go entirely out of my mind. Call and see me often, but do not let it be known that yours are professional visits, or at any rate. if you do, let 1t be understood that 1t merely arises from some slight bodily ailment-and nothing more.' '

 When shall call again ?'' l asked.

 'sCome tomorrow, and spend the even- ing with me. I will persuade my wife, if possible to go ont and see friend, and we can then converse without the chance of being interrupted

 1 promised I would do so; and then, bidding him goodbye, left the house.

 During my conversation with NIT. K I noticed in him several of those prelimi- nary symptoms, which, if not stopped at the beginning frequently lead to insanity or softening of the brain. I saw clearly enough that he wished, even then, to ex- plain more particularly to me the state of his mind. but the natural aversion all men feel to admit anything to be wrong with their mental faculties restrained him. That there was no mental disease about him was certain: his mind was merely sui fering from being overstrained But then, what could be the cause? He was no hard student, nor did he interest him. self either in politics, or social economy, or in any of the many philanthropic or re- hgious enterprises of the present day. Neither could he have had any of those pecuniary losses to distress him which act 50 fstauy on the minds of our great fnan- ciers, merchants, and bankers. He was a man of fortune, without either profession or business to occupy him.

 Although he frequently paid a visit to the City, and on his return home would talk with considerable animation on the principal financial operations of the day, he seemed to do 1t more as hobby than from any other cause. The habit had or iginated possibly in the fact that many of his neighbors and associates were gentle men interested in affairs of the kind; and, when they met, the state of the money or produce market, the value of shares of companies formed, with an occasional touch of politics, the great staple of their conversation. The very absence of any probable cause for his present state of mind rendered me the more anxious on his account, as it appeared more like the germlnatlon of insanity, not stimulated by any known or external cause.

 The next evening, as agreed, l called at Mir. X. s house, but, to my surprise, not only found Mrs. X. at home, contrary to what had expected, but that her hus- band was absent.

 Doctor" she said to me, ''I feel most anxious about my husband. I expected he would have returned to dinner three hours since, and have not heard 8 word from him

 Possibly he may have been detained on some unexpected business. He has very likely sent some messenger to inform you of the cause of his absence, who may not have been able to And the house. '' This [ said rather with the idea of con- soliH xsthe poor woman than from having any data to go upon.

 T sincerely hope you may be right. D she replied. ''Still. 1t is very mysterious. trust he has not had another fainting fit, which is very likely after what told you occurred the other evening"

 Several of the elder children now came into the room, and could easily per ceive from the expression of their coun- tenances that they were scarcely less anx- ious about their father than was Mrs. X. herself. endeavored to keep up their spirits in the best way could but found myself in one of those unfortunate posi- tions which so frequently occur to medi- cal men in large practice, where they have, without data to go upon, or possibly with the certainty of calamity about to occur, to render some consolation to those look ing for it at their hands. Without, ] trust, being guilty of any moral coward. ice, began to feel my position an ex. ceedingly difficult and painful one. Find ing could do nothing more, I proposed taking my leave. Before quitting the house inquired of Mrs. X. when I should call on her husband again. She asked me to come the next morning, but that l said was impossible, as had an engage. ment could not put of. but that would call on the Wednesday evening if it would be equally convenient to her. Mrs. X. told me she would be much pleased to see me then, and taking my leave of them returned home.

 On the Wednesday evening when ] called in - Square, 1t was sometime before my ring of the bell was answered. The door was at last opennd, not by the footman, but by slatternly looking wo- man, who held in he hand lighted can- dle in common kitchen candlestick, the gas not being lighted in the hall. Some what surprised at the circumstance, I asked the woman if Mrs. X. was al home.

 -..No, sir" she replied. s'She has gone away with all the children, but I believe Mir. X. is in, if he would do as we'll"

 "Yes," I replied, 'I should like to see him."

 s'Do you know if Mir. X. is at home 9 said the woman, turning round and ad. dressing Q common looking man had not yet seen, but who now advanced out o1 the obscurity at the farther end of the hall F 147s7 'I am not quite sure, but I think he's up stairs" said the man. "H you'll lend me your candle I'll go and sec"

 The woman gave the candle, and was left alone with her in the hall. A few minutes afterward the man returned and | said that Mir. X. would be much pleased to see me, and he then conducted me in: to the study, where was left Tn the dark, but shortly afterward the woman came iu l with couple of candles which she placed on the table.

 now remained alone for some minutes, l wondering the while what could possibly ! have occurred to make such metamor- phosis in the house. The general air oi l gayety and animation about had now sub. ] sided into stiffness scarcely less than ! that of the grave. Instead of the bril-. liant appearance it usually presented ir the evening, with the exception of the candles burning in the room where I now was, there seemed, so far as could sec through the open door, not 8 trace oi light anywhere. The man and woman who had spoken to me puzzled me ex ceedingly. They were evidently stran. gers, and certainly not the regular ser

 wants. The woman had about her the look of the common charwoman, and ths | F /. A ar