Year: 1873

] forced to take medicine every day, an
sleeping draushts at night, containin;
morphia, until my poor brain began t
!, wander, and Tor a. few weeks was raw
ing mad. Then they relaxed their tor
lures; they had gained their end.


AS recovered my reason my facul
ties seemed to be sharpened, and be


gan to plan means tor rescaping. pre-


tended to be subdued and timid, and by


this means got greater liberty. But


could not devise any plan for getting
outside the hated walls; and had it moi


been for trifling accident, NIGH


probably have been still prisoner. ]
was SO quiet and my keepers believed


me to be so tractable and harmless, thai


when l was taken for my daily walk il


was not thought necessary to confine


my arms in a straight waist coat, and


was sometimes taken for rambles out.


side the asylum grounds.


1 One day my keeper, who was very


fond of trout fishing, wished to have an


hoar or two's fishing in stream few


miles distant. OF course his piseatorial
pursuits had to be carried on with great
caution, and without the knowledge Of
his master; and L was always bound
over to secresy. / was always well
pleased when fishing day was pro-
posed, as these were the only pleasant
days I had; and hoped that some day
or other l might by their means get an
opportunity of escaping.


On the morning in question got to
the stream, after calling at friends
house for my keepers rod and tackle,
and my keeper began his amusement,
making me keep close to him all the
time. As we walked along the banks
of the small river we came to a deep
pool, a favorite spot for trout, and my
keeper set to work eagerly. As he
walked gently along, keeping his eyes
intently on the water in expectation of
rise, his foot caught on the root of q
tree, and he stumbled forward and fell
head first into the deep water. Now
was my chance; and not waiting mo-
ment to see whether he could swim or
not, turned and fed, without know
ing or caring in what direction 1 went.
Toward evening I found myself in a
few miles Of my own place, and i'm
PEELED by an inward impulse, walked
toward it, intending to take one last
look at it before leaving England. l had
often thought over what would do
when got free, and had decided to first
make good my escape to another land
and then take means to recover my
rights, and punish my brother for his
unnatural conduct.


When 1 got to my house it was dark ;
but the new moon shed soft, silvery
light over the familiar scenes, and over
come by the sight of the many spots
endeared to memory by the remem-
brance of my former love and happi-
ness, l sat down on a garden seat, and
burying my face in my hands, burst in
to a flood of tears-the first for many
y ears. '''- 5hl -'.u'


9 As sat there heard voices, and had
scarcely time to hide myself behind
some bushes, when she and my brother
came down the gravel walk arm in arm,
and sat down on the seat had just left.
They were talking lowly; but was so
close to them that I distinctly heard ev-
cry word. 1t was the subject Of their
conversation. She was pleading for
me. ai -Ilrf % oE5 .- "lfi


Can you not remove him now, dear
William?" she said, "surely, now there
is no danger. They say he is quiet and
gentle. Could we not bring him here
and give him part of our house, and
try to lessen his dreadful misfortune ?'
! sit is like your gentle nature, dear
est wife, Was she then really this
monsters wife? "But 1 cannot suffer
you to live near such dangerous mad
man." he said in answer. at is true
that now he is quiet, but brought back
among old scenes, with all their sad
memories, his brain might again fail.
Ah, you cannot imagine how danger
GUS and determined he is when excited!
Never will forget his fierce look when
he stood, poker in hand, the night we
took him. to the asylum. Had I not
gone into the next room, and opening
the door behind him, suddenly thrown
a table cloth over his head, he would
have done mischief"


"Oh, brother, brother!''


81 often think of that dreadful time
dearest she replied, shuddering and
drawing closer to him. "How your
kind, tender heart must have bled for
him! And yet he was ever gentle to
me; and before 1 knew you, thought
I loved him dearly.


l could not stay and listen longer.
Another moment and must have rush
ed forward and told her all. fled.


Although they must have heard my
retrcating footsteps, they were unable
to see me; and l made haste to leave
the home of my father, never to return.
Why should disturb her happiness by
denouncing the man she loved and was
welded to? No, 1 would go and leave
her in happy ignorance.


But before doing so would write to
him and warn him not to betray her as
he had me. went to Liverpool, and
finding a ship about to sail for Mel
bourne, engaged a steerage passage in
her, paying for it by the proceeds of a
valuable ring 1 had On my finger, and
of which, for wonder, had not been
robbed in the asylum. Itis many years
now since 1 left England-how many
1 do not know, nor do wish to remem-
Der. My brain has never recovered the
treatment it received SO long ago; and
at times lose my reason, and have sew
erai times attempted to destroy myself
i have never any wish to injure others
and have been four times in the Var
ra Bind; but with kind, judicious treat
ment--very different to what received
in the private asylum; / have always
soon recovered and been discharged.


A kind friend, the only person who
knows who I had and where am; Of