THE MISE R’S DIAMOND NECKLACE

Temuka Leader, Issue 2097, 11 September 1890, Page 3

THE MISE R’S DIAMOND NECKLACE

In the year 1740 there lived in the Latin quarter in Paris a famous miser named Jean Avere. The wealth concealed in the obscure rookery where he resided was believed to be fabulous, and was no doubt very great. Among his treasures was a celebrated diamoed necklace, of immense value, This he concealed so carefully that ha ultimately forgot its hiding place himself. He sought diligently for weeks, and, failing to find it, became almost insane. This rendered him even less capable of remembrance, and he took to bis bed, broken in body as in mind. A few weeks later a doctor and an old woman, who had sometimes done odd jobs about his house, were at his bedside, seeing that the end was near, As the clock in the neighboring lower tolled one, he ceased his low muttering and sat up and shrieked “ I remember where it is now. I can put my hand on the necklace. For God’s sake let me go for it before I forget ft again.” Here his weakness and excitement overcame him, and he sank bapk among his rags, stone dead. Physicians and students are familiar with these sudden ontffashinga of memory at the grpat crisis of hqmag tgte. Let the reader consider this while we relate an episode in the humble career of a signalman, Andrew Agge, who may be found on duty in his box at Oulgaith, a little station on the Midland, twenty-three miles south of Carlisle.

Mr A®g« is an duty nearly every day, and must hie a k his last without leaving his post. The confinement and mental strain tell on the system. Thp strongest men cannot stanfi it long without feeling its effects. It makes one think of the passionate exolaplamation in Tom Hood’s <( Song of the Shirt

Oh, God | that bread should be so dear, And flesh and blood so cheap.”

Our friend had been at the same work for many year*, although ho wm only thirty-five when these lines were written, Jn ho began to feel that he to break down. "I donlt know what ai l# me,” he say,’ " but 1 can’t eat.” What he forced down produced no sense of eatiafaction or strength. Sometimes he was alarmed at finding he could scarcely walk op account of giddiness. E[e td fiftnielf, “What if I be seized with this at some moment sjhen there is trouble on the line, and t need all ray wits about me i” Qther features of thl* ailment were pains fn the Qhest and sides, costiveness, yellow skin snd eyes, bad taste in the mouth, risings of foul gas in the throat, &c. The doctor said Agge must give up his confining work or risk utter disability. S(5 could not. Wife and children w®?e in the way. So he rexalined at bin po*t and grow worse. But his work was right, telegrams were properly received and sent, and no train got into trouble through any neglect qr fault of his. His disease ■indigestion and dyspepsia—took a step further, and brought on kidney and bladder trouble. The doctor at Appleby said "Mr Agge, you are poisoned with the foul stuff in your stomach and blood." His doom sgemed to be sealed. It was life® a death warrant. Si* months more rolled by. Qndpty one morning he was attached with so great and so sharp a distress he could neither sit porstand. He ■ says: ‘ I tumbled down on that looker and lay there all th? forenqop, signal* might

be given, the telegraph needle might click, but I heeded them no more than a man in the grave heeds the beating of the rain against his own tombstone. He was alone at first, but help arrived and the poor - signalman was carried home. Physicians labored on his case without avail. Around his bed were hie five little ohildrsn, the mother being absent in an institution, to be treated for a serious ailment.

Here he lay for weeks, part of the time unconscious. Nothing was to be done bat to wait for the end. Then the torpid faculties awakened for a moment. Memory flashed UP, AND RECALLED THE FAOT.THAT A MEDICINE WHICH HE HAD USED YEARS BEFORE AND THEN THROWN ASIDE AND FORGOTTEN WAS CONCEALED IN A SECRET PLAGE AT THE SIGNAL BOX He sent for it, and took a dose. Soon his bowels moved, the kidneys acted, the pain was ceased, he felt better. With brightened hope he sent to Carlisle for more. It arrived. He used it, and in a few days the doctors were astonished to find their patient out of doors, and on the road to recovery. He regained his health completely, and, in speaking of hii experience, said to the writer, " What a wonderful thing it was that, on what promised to be my death-bed, I -suddenly remembered where 1 had pnt that half-used bottle of Mother Seigel’s Curative Syrup. That flash of memory probably saved me from death.*'