snatching up the lamp, I rushed from the room. When I reached the parlour, where they were all sitting, I felt re-assured and somewhat ashamed; and, as in my hurry I had forgotten my slippers, I determined to return for them. So, taking the lamp, I opened the folding-doors between the front and back parlours, and ran up against the figure. I met no resisting power; had I done so, I should have hurt myself severely, no doubt. I was greatly agitated when I saw it, and rushed back to mamma, who inquired what was the matter with me, I looked so ill. I told her what I had seen.

"One night, some months after this, a gentleman friend called. He had not been long present before I had occasion to go up-stairs for something. I did not take a lamp, not being afraid, but went in the dark. Coming down, just as I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw papa standing within a foot or two of me. A soft phosphoric radiance seemed to surround him. He was very pale, as I saw distinctly by the strange light, though all was dark around me. I was very much frightened, as I should have to pass close to him to reenter the parlour. My brain seemed to reel as I ran desperately past and gained the room where they were all sitting. When I told them how I had been alarmed, some one went into the passage, but saw nothing.

"The last, and by far the most horrible vision I ever had, was on the 8th of December last (1858). I woke up one morning before dawn, but, as mamma burns a lamp every night, it was quite light in our room. I had been awake about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, and could not go to sleep, do what I would. However, as my mind was very pleasantly occupied, I did not mind much. Of a sudden I heard a heavy stamp, as if some one were trying to attract my attention by stamp

ing with the foot. I raised my head, and to my horror saw an old person, who might have been a man or a woman; for the figure had on a white dressing-gown, and a kind of black skull or Glengariff cap. I could not see any hair, or should have been better able to judge of the sex. The face was that of a corpse, pinched and drawn by long illness and old age. The profile was turned towards me, and was delicate and regular, and clearly defined against the wall at the side of it. One hand was across the chest or waist, and the other hanging straight down. I rose on my elbow the better to make my observations. There were no clothes hanging in that part of the room, so that I could not have been deceived by anything of that kind. It stood by mamma's side, and as I gazed took three steps, each accompanied by a heavy stamp, and stopping at every step. I was perfectly calm while taking in all these particulars, but after the third step I was overcome by terror, as the figure was coming round my side; and clasping my little sister, as if even her tiny form would yield me protection, I prayed that the Almighty would remove the vision, and cause mamma to wake. I only heard one step after that. After a few minutes I determined to tie a knot in my handkerchief, under the pillow, as I knew mamma would say in the morning it was all a dream. Just as I was about to do this she woke. I spoke to her, and taking courage looked at my watch, and found that it was about twenty minutes to six. I did not mention what I had seen till next day, or rather until it was light. I feel convinced that it was a forewarning of either my grandfather's or grandmother's death, as they have both been failing rapidly of late.

"I forgot to mention one case that happened before the last, and which should have had the precedence. One

morning, in March, 1858, I was giving a lesson at Miss M————'s school here, and, looking up, I saw a thin man in blue cloth coat, with turn-down velvet collar, standing by the side of my pupil. His figure was just like poor Mr. G-, the violinist. His face I could not see, as my pupil's head came between us. I was startled, and screamed, thinking it was one of the masters at the first glance. I just had time to notice it when it vanished. I told mamma when I got home. Next day we heard that poor G—— had died at just about the time I saw his figure. I had not even heard that he was ill, and knew nothing of it till I was told he was dead.

"Another case I forgot to mention, occurred, I think, some time in last November. I was aroused from my sleep by a loud knocking at my bed-head. After I woke I listened, and in a few minutes heard it again. I said to mamma, 'Do you hear that?' Hear what, child ?'-' Why, that loud knocking.' She said, 'Why, I have been awake for more than a quarter of an hour, and there has not been a sound that I could hear.' Afterwards I heard it again at the window. It was daylight, and I could see if there had been any one there; but I saw nothing. I told mamma I was sure we should hear of the death of some one we knew; and sure enough, a few weeks after we heard that my aunt's father had been found dead in his room, just about the time I heard the knocking. I was a favourite of his when he was living.

"I cannot remember anything more now; I think I have mentioned every apparition that I have ever seen. seen.”* Accompanying the other symptoms characteristic of the stage of consciousness, are the following:-The mind is harassed and bewildered by odd notions, unusual

* "American Journal of Insanity." Oct. 1859..

feelings, unnatural trains of thought, strange inclinations, intense irritability, unequal powers of attention, confused, irregular, painful, disturbed, and sometimes ludicrous association of ideas. As these unhealthy feelings are forcing an entrance, and trying to obtain a settlement in the mind, the patient is vexed, and irritated with himself for permitting them to intrude upon the sanctity of his thoughts. An heroic effort is often made to dissipate and dislodge these morbid scintillations of insanity, or, when this cannot be accomplished, to studiously, artfully, and ingeniously conceal their

existence from others.

A morbid aversion of a parent to his children entwining itself into the secret recesses of thought;—a growing, unreasonable, and unaccountable dislike to the companionship of old friends, (often to those formerly dearly and tenderly loved,) creeping insidiously and stealthily into the mind; - strange, inexplicable misgivings; motiveless, unaccountable, and unreasonable suspicions as to the affection of a loved son, a favourite and tenderly attached daughter;-apprehensions as to the chastity of the wife; - doubts as to the constancy and fidelity of the husband, flit sometimes, like a thick mist, dark shadow, and a troubled dream, across the morbidly disturbed and anxious mind, years before insanity is imagined to have commenced its ravages.

There are no delusions so sad and fatal in their consequences, as those relating to the fidelity of the wife. Many valuable lives have been sacrificed to this frightfully dangerous hallucination. A man was confined in an asylum whilst suffering from this delusion. For many months this idea was uppermost in his mind, and appeared to absorb all his thoughts. At the expiration of eight or nine months he appeared to be much improved in bodily and mental health, and the delusion had apparently less hold of his imagination. Eventually, he cunningly declared that his mind was quite at ease respecting his wife, and that he no longer believed that she had or could have been un faithful to him. Under a mistaken in pression that he had recovered, the patient was discharged from the asylum, and permitted to return home. In about a week or ten days afterwards, he murdered his wife and child, believ

These symptoms (long before they are recognised to be morbid) cause much acute and bitter anguish, masked and concealed suffering, great and unobserved misery in the bosom of families, often sapping the foundation of domestic happiness. A contest of this character in an unhealthy, but not yet insane mind, has continued for a long period unknown, except to the wretched sufferer, before the intellect has entirely succumbed to its baneful and destructive influence. In this state of disordered health, the patient endeavours, whilst pursuing regularly his ordinary occupations, frequenting places of amusement, and mixing daily with his family and friends, to appear to those about him in good mental health, and to act like a rational man. In many cases he is able, for a period, effectually to simulate perfect sanity of mind, and to effectually mask from others his disordered condition of intellect.

When influenced by physical stimulants, a person in the incipient stage of intoxication will make a determined effort to comport himself like a sober man, being fully conscious of the lamentably degrading and brutalized condition to which he is reduced. Under these circumstances, he endeavours to conceal from observation his actual state, will make a great effort to control his ideas, talk rationally, and walk steadily, and, although much under the potent influence of intoxicating drink, he is able, by a resolute and determined effort of the

ing that the former had committed adultery, and that the child was not his own! For several days after joining his family, he appeared quite well, so cleverly and effectually did he mask his lunacy from those immediately about him. A baker suspected the fidelity of his wife. He was clearly deranged on the point. He eventually, whilst under the influence of this delusion, emasculated himself, and when spoken to on the subject, insanely argued, that as his wife was with child, the fact of his mutilation would clearly establish to the world the truth of his accusation as to her unfaithfulness, as no one would, for a moment, then believe that he could be the father of the child with which she was pregnant!