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In vain I remonstrated; in vain attempted to rally the now departing gleams of reason.

She seemed to have a perfect consciousness of her own peril; indeed told me she knew she was on the road to destruction. I sought in every way I could think of to divert her mind, urged her by every possible motive to try to recall hope, and still cultivate patience.

"No, no, it is all in vain," said she, with a look of tearless despair. "You cannot raise me, so little power as you have here. They keep me working most of the time in the wash and ironing rooms, I've made up my mind now, that they mean to keep me here forever, I shall never see my mother any more; never again know the joy of liberty. Oh, I wish I were dead."

Her descent was rapid; a short time after, she tore to shreds every article of clothing upon her person. Her attendant put her at once into solitary confinement.

This did not mend the matter, she broke the glass, mutila-ted the furniture, broke the crockery in her room, and with the sharp fragments attacked her attendant, and wounded her severely in the arm.

Lizzy quickly locked her door and ran to me, holding up her bleeding arm, requesting me to bind it up for her.

I did so, but pitied her victim more than herself.

As soon as she dared, she again opened the door of Mrs. George and called me to look at the scene.

What a spectacle! Never saw I more complete debasement! or more perfect abandonment of all decency in human conduct! She was shouting, swinging her arms, laughing triumphantly and horribly; swearing, dancing and screaming, alternately.

She was led to the wash-room, beaten and washed, then straight-jacketed and tightly bound by cords to a stationary bench in the public hall.

While sitting here upon the bare floor, she kept constantly uttering the most profane, blasphemous expressions against herself and all around her, against God and nature, heaven and the universe!

The young patients stared in perfect horror at her terrible transformation. Her words rolled in perfect torrents from her mouth so long as she had power of utterance.

Then she foamed at the mouth which was followed by ges-ticulations and motions so indecent, as to forbid all attempts at description. She became so intolerable, that every patient left that part of the hall, and huddled back into the remotest places, unable longer to endure her vicinity.

Her room was close to my own. Her nights, like her days, were spent in raving and shouting:

"Oh, curses, curses on Dr. McFarland! Oh, my mother, my mother! Oh, my ruin! my ruin!"

These were the noises with which I was tormented all the long hours of those terrible nights! Again I feared for the continuance of my own sanity, so almost impossible was it to obtain any sleep.

Every particle of decency and of humanity now seemed to have forsaken my once hopeful friend. Her countenance in its contortions had wrought out of itself almost every human feature.

It was remarked by one of the patients, that she now looked more like a baboon than like a human being. In a few days, she was removed to the Fifth ward. She is doubtless now, if living, ranked among those who have by such a process been manufactured into incurables.

Not far from this time, one of the keys of the hall was missed. Lizzy suspected Miss Hodson, the industrious sewing girl from the Fifth ward, and questioned her.

She denied having taken the key, but was not believed.

Then commenced the most shocking scene of injustice I had ever beheld.

Lizzy insisted that Miss Hodson was guilty of the theft, and commenced searching her room, in every nook and corner. She scattered the bed all over the floor seeking the key. It was all in vain; it was nowhere to be found.

She next accused Miss Hodson of having secreted the key about her person.

This was also denied.

Lizzy then hastily tore off all her clothing, till the helpless victim of such diabolical indecency, feeling a just indignation, wrought up to the highest climax of rage, fought the attendant with most terrible desperation.

Seeing the contest doubtful Lizzy shouted for reinforce-ment; her fellow attendant came instantly to the rescue.

Then both seized their victim, the one holding her arms, the other actually kneeling upon her body and beating her furiously, vociferously shouted:

"Now tell where you've hid that key?"

Lizzy then pounded her on the bowels and head, kicked her furiously, and in the progress of the battle, tore out her hair, and beat her nose heavily against the floor, raising her head up and down rapidly by the hair

The sufferer now ceased all resistance; she became speech-less and as I thought, insensible.

Lizzy, to extort the expected confession, then ordered the other attendant to bring a pail of water. I looked on in dumb horror as I then saw those two attendants plunge the bruised head of that motherless orphan into the water, and hold it there till she strangled convulsively gasping for breath.

She was now speechless, motionless and naked, they then applied a straight-jacket to her unresisting arms, locked her into a room, and left her!