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Modern Persecution, or Insane Asylums Unveiled
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2118 | Since our liberation she has written a most thrilling story of her Asylum life, which I have published, and several thousand copies of which are now in circulation. From this book I make the following and also several subsequent extracts: | |
2119 | "One evening a ball was held in another hall to which I was invited, I observed a very dignified and intelligent looking gentleman, by whose appearance I inferred him to be one of the attendants. On being introduced to this gentleman I remarked: | |
2120 | "'I presume, Sir, you are one of the attendants?' | |
2121 | "'No, I am not an attendant,' he replied with emphasis. | |
2122 | "'But you are not a patient here? Surely you are not deprived of your liberty?' | |
2123 | "'They call me a patient, but I do not call myself one, as nothing is done for my health.' | |
2124 | "This was the late Mr. Wells, of Chicago, formerly editor and proprietor of a popular commercial paper in that city. He proceeded to speak, very freely to me, while the rest were dancing. | |
2125 | "He said he had been ill treated by a landlord, and that his indignation on the occasion had been construed into insanity, and that his wife being frightened, was influenced by others to take him to the "Asylum" where he had remained in a condition of great physical discomfort, and mental suffering. | |
2126 | "I asked him if he was not well treated by Dr. McFarland. | |
2127 | "He answered unhesitatingly in the negative, affirming that he was uniformly cold and frigid in his deportment to him. | |
2128 | "I endeavored to console him as well as I could, referring him to those general principles of justice, which I believed would ultimately be carried out, and work emancipation to all the suffering. I said nothing disrespectful of Dr. McFarland, as I did not wish to confirm the views of Mr. Wells, or add to his unpleasant feelings in that direction; but said briefly all I could suggest in favor of the Doctor, reminding Mr. Wells how difficult it must be to do justice to every one, in a position involving such weighty responsibilities. | |
2129 | "I cannot forget the look he gave me, as he turned away in apparent disgust. | |
2130 | "'If you are the apologist of McFarland and his iniquities, I don't covet your acquaintance,' he exclaimed with much emphasis. | |
2131 | "I apologized for having inadvertently wounded his feelings, and quietly withdrew to another part of the hall. | |
2132 | "In the course of the evening, we met again. Feeling reluct-ant that he should have an erroneous impression respecting my conversation, I made some bland remark about the festivity of the evening. Quite reinstated in his good humor, he replied very politely, and again we entered into conversation. | |
2133 | "I asked him if he did not dance on these occasions. | |
2134 | "'I have danced sometimes, but I shall never dance in these halls again. I cannot dance -- I am thinking of my lonely young wife -- my little babes, thus deprived of a father's protection, I am all but dying to see them.' | |
2135 | "He spoke of his wife with the deepest tenderness; said she was ever true and forever kind to him; he did not at all blame her for his imprisonment, but severely blamed those who had been her advisers. | |
2136 | "'No,' he repeated, as he cast a rueful look again upon the dancers, 'no, no; I shall never dance in these halls any more.' | |
2137 | "Soon the ball was ended, I bade him good evening, and we parted. | |
2138 | "One week later another ball was held in the same hall, to which again a few of the patients, myself included, were invited. I looked around for my friend, but looked in vain. | |
2139 | "Upon inquiring, I was informed that Mr. Wells was very sick. His prediction proved true; he had indeed danced his last. Grief and suffering had brought on a disease, which could not be cured, at least by the cold ministrations of careless hirelings. | |
2140 | "They were dancing -- He was dying!" | |
2141 |
CHAPTER XLIV. | |
2142 | It was my good fortune to find the Sabbath-day here observed or kept in what I call a Christian manner. It was observed as a day of rest, as God's command requires. | |
2143 | There "were more tumbled beds, this day, than any other. The rule of other days, "Keep them off their beds," was in a measure suspended on this day for rest. It was very seldom that company entered the wards on this day, therefore this suspension of the rules for "display," was no detriment to the reputation of the house. | |
2144 | I felt that, for myself, I could better meet the demands of my conscience under the influence of this house, than I ever could outside its walls. | |
2145 | Having all my life been connected with a minister's family, I found, of course, little time for the rest the command enjoined upon me. | |
2146 | Besides attending to the necessary labor incident to eating and sleeping, as on other days, I was obliged not only to dress myself, but my children also, for church and Sunday school, and attend two or three public services, besides the Sunday school and teachers' meeting, perhaps, in addition; so that when my resting hour arrived, I would usually feel more the need of rest from weariness, than any other day of the week. | |
2147 | Now, since I have allowed my common-sense a little lati-tude in this direction, I am convinced I was then in reality breaking the Sabbath, by pursuing this course. Instead of being rested as I ought to have been, in mind and body, by the Sabbath, I so used it as to unfit myself for the renewal of weekly toil with fresh vigor. |