Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 10.djvu/29

 A "Jail Adventure. 19

that I was poor, in misfortune, and "And so I struggled with doubts

forsaken. Ruin stared nie in the and fears, with fluctuating hopes and

face ; my cliaracter was forever black- grave apprehensions, with dread and

enod ; thenceforth I was branded a uncertainty, till my reason was tem-

felon ; there was stain upon my gar- porarily dethroned, and I became a

inents ; all my old associates would wild and raving maniac. I threw my

believe the worst of me ; I should lose coat and the contents of my pockets

my place, and no reputable journal upon the floor and trampled upon

would give me employment. them ; I beat my new silk hat into a

'• This, my friends, is no picture of shapeless mass ; I dishevelled my hair ;

the fanc}', no overdrawn sketch from I ruined my patent leather boots by

the imagination. It is a truthful re- kicking against ray cell door; I broke

port of an actual occurrence. the stool which the jailor had kindly

"An hour passed wearily. The light loaned me into kindling wood ; I de-

becarae dim, the place more sombre stroyed the clothing of ray bunk and

and gloomy, and the outlook for the raved like a hungry tiger in a cage,

night more appalling. "What should INIy strength was something wonder-

I do? What could I do? To whom ful, my passion ungovernable. My

could I apply for relief ? How would chaffing companions in durance vile

my employers construe my absence were for the nonce silent and re-

from duty, my silence? What would spectful.

become of my wife and child? What " My friends, as I pause and look

would my mother-in-law say? The back upon that scene, and consider

last thought overpowered, staggered my experience, I discover that there

me, and I reeled against my dungeon were some very strange and perplex-

wall like a victim of intemperance. ing sensations, sensations that I shall

" Was I childish? I will not pre- never be able fully to fathom or

tend to say I was not. I will only clearly define. It appeared to rae

add, in passing, that all temperaments that I had two minds independent of

are not alike, — and then continue my each other, and two individualities,

narrative by saying that I fell upon By the more demonstrative mind I

my face in the bunk of that horrible was wrought up to the highest pitch

place and wept like a child who had of nervous excitement. My eyes, I

broken its favorite toy, or a frail vei'ily believe, were glassy ; my head

w^oman who moans some sudden and was burning with fever ; I was thirs-

overwhelming bereavement and will ty ; great drops of perspiration rolled

not be comforted. from my forehead and fell ui)on the

"Gentlemen, in that awful hour of floor; my tongue was swollen; my

delirium and suspense my mind chased blood was on fire. I was desperate,

many foolish phantoms, and my over- JNIy one overpowering desire was my

tasked imagination builded many bar- liberty. Underneath all this was aa

riers between my future and the undefinable sense of feeling that now

bright sunshine that never seemed so appears to me like my normal condi-

glorious and beautiful as when its tion of mind. I could reason to a

warm rays were denied rae. certain point, but the raeutal strain

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