HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE THIS?

Otago Witness, Issue 2284, 9 December 1897, Page 49

HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE THIS?

Have you ever felt at some unreasonable time an almost overpowering impulse to do something wild and absurd 1

Well, on numerous occasions the sanest of people have given way to impulses of this kind.

For instance, th&re is a young man, n stock-broker in the city, who, though v he is in an excellent position, can never see' a cigar end thrown down without rushing to pick it up. He cannot account for the extraordinary impulse. He says that the absurdity of the action never strikes him until it is accomplished ; then he is covered with shame and confusion.

When holding a pistol or a rifle, most people experience a strong inclination to point it at someone in fun. Giving way to this impulse has been the cause of scorea of deaths.

An impulse of this kind, however, proved xaihar lucky for a young bank clerk in the city. He was working late at night at the books in a little back office of the bank. Daring an. idle moment he carelessly opened the enb-manager'a desk, at whioh he was sittiag. Among its contents was a revolver, which he conld not resist handling. Fiigfc be struck an attitude as if he were aboat to fire it; then noticing his shadow sharply lined on the 'wall, he almost unconsciously posed in various heroic attitudes, always with the pistol pointed.

Suddenly in the middle of his tomfoolery he heard a rustling, and a sepulchral voice said pifceously t

"Don't shoot me, gav'nor; don't ehoot! I'll come qaiet, I will."

Then tbe young man had the satisfaction of capturing a burglar who had entered through a back window. OE course his employers looked upon this as a. piece of surprising smartness, whereas it was nothing mor« than turning a foolish impulse to good 'use. t ' Another caae of foolish impulses was the man who could not resist the temptation to slap every uncovered' bald head that he saw. la the stalls in a London theatre he once suddenly reached over and gave a very eml-. nent old gentleman a resoundiog smack on his shiny head. Next day he called, and after making the most profound apologies, was forgiven. However, while the bald-headed gentleman preceded him' to the door, the old impulse came over him with unresisting force, and he delivered tha poor hairless 'gentleman a harder blow than the one he had come to apologise aboufc. This time he was not forgiven, and in consequence left the house with wonderful suddenness.

A few weeks ago the papers recorded the saving of a young lady who, while looking over the Horseahce Falla at Niagara, waa suddenly seized with an ungovernable impulse to jump into the roaring witters beneath. Her death would have been certain bad nob her dress caught on the spikes of the railings over which ehe jumped.

Sbe said Afterwards that the eight of the water rushing over the Falls seemed to fascinate berj she could not take her eyes away. Her whole intelligence seemed to be absorbed in watching it. Then soon its attraction grew so groat tb'at it seemed to drag her down with It, and aha was conscious of nothing bat the falling green-and-white water. It was then • she gave way to the terrible impulse to spring over the Falls.

The whole future life of, some persons has been changed by tbe impulse of a moment. A youDg man in an excellent position went to Liverpool a few years ago to start on a holiday trip for Ireland. While walking about the docks he saw a big liner taking on passengers for America. The impulse seized him to secret himself on board the ship. He accomplished his task without much difficulty, was made to work his way as a stowaway, and landed in America. The result of tbis impulse was his absence in America for five years.