opening a small, and, as it seemed to me, a secret door-" these are my incurables! Hark! I think I know what they are about. Step forward here. Can you see?" I did as he directed. From my position I could not see very distinctly, but the room was long and rather narrow, and had a resemblance to a ward in an hospital, with about half a dozen beds on each side of the room, on which were sitting as many boys, apparently from about fifteen to eighteen years old, wearing long blue dresses, and their hair cut as close to their heads as possible. They were making all manner of discordant noises, and seemed eagerly talking together, but each remained sitting quietly on his own bed; a circumstance I mentioned to Mr B, expressing my surprise that, so eager and violent as their gestures seemed, they should not quit their beds. "It would be very strange if they could," he whispered, with a smile, "for they are all fastened to a staple in the wall, by a strong girdle passing round their waists. Bless your life! if it was not for that, they would soon kill one another, and every body that came near them. It was only last month that one of them contrived to twist herself" Herself!" I whispered in amazement; "what do you mean, Mr B- .?" 66 Why, what I say, doctor, surely-are not you aware that these are women?" 66 "Gracious God, women" I exclaimed, with a perfect shudder. Why, certainly! But, by the way, they don't look much like women either; that close cut hair of theirs is so like the head of a charity schoolboy !-Some of these wretched people have been, and in point of family are, highly respectable. It may appear very shocking to you to see them in this condition; it was so to me until I grew accustomed to it. I assure you we use no unnecessary violence or restraint whatever; but, on the contrary, give them every indulgence their unfortunate condition will admit of. What can we do with them? There are several of them perfect fiends if they have the slightest license. I was obliged to have this room constructed on purpose, apart from the rest of my establishment, their noises were so dreadful; -now, hark!" "Whoo-whoo-whoo"-shrieked a voice louder than any of the rest, "who'll go to the moon? who'll go to the moon? who'll go to the moon ?" "I-I've got it!" shouted another-" Poll! Poll! what have you done with the moon ?" "I go for the stars-the stars! Whirr! whirr! whirr!Away! away! away!" cried another. "Ha! ha! ha!-Ha, ha, ha!” said another voice, bursting into loud laughter, "I've got a dog in my head-hark, how it barks-bow, wow, wow!-Ha-ha-ha!" "I've got a cat-mew!-mew!-mew! who'll catch the mouse? I feel it-mew!" "Water! water! water! The world's on fire!-Fire, fire, fire!" "Hush, you wretches!" exclaimed another voice, "I'm going to sing for my dinner-hush! hark!" "Hark! the song-the song!" cried all the other voices together, while the singer began; and in a few moments her voice only was heard, wild and dismal beyond description, though not very loud, uttering words something like the following: "Hark to the bell, the merry, merry, merry bell, It is his knell-the merry, merry, knell " "Ding, dong!-Ding, dong !—Ding, dong!" -sung the other voices in a kind of doleful chorus. The singer resumed "Lullaby Lullaby! Lullaby! His head, oh, his head it is white All white white! -Sing, you wretches!" They resumed "Ding, dong!-Ding, dong!-Ding, dong!" The sun at that moment shone into the dreary room, while I was intently gazing on the miserable scene it disclosed. Mercy! -my flesh crept-I began to recognize in the singer, who occasionally looked wildly up into the sunshine-I could not be wrong-Mrs St Helen! "Who is that?" I enquired faintly, turning away from the room, while my companion closed and secured the door. "Mrs Jones is the performer, if it's she whom you mean?" "Oh no, no, no! Her name is not, it never was Jones!" said I, feeling very faint, and moving as quickly away as possible into the open air. "Well, certainly," said Mr B——, after considering a little, "it is strange enough; I have certainly now and then heard her mention your name, among others. So you know, very probably, her real name-Mrs St Helen ?" He mentioned the name I dreaded to hear. "I have had her these two years; she was removed hither from St's by order of a General Ogilvie, whom perhaps you know, at whose expense she continues here." I got into the open air, and began at length to breathe more freely. I protest that I never in my life encountered such a shock as that I had just experienced. He told me many sad, shocking things, which I shall not record. Oh! merciful and just God, governor of the world, sometimes even in this life thy most tremendous wrath alights upon the heads of the guilty! THE END. EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND HUGHES, |