In Each ether's Eyes.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 73

In Each ether's Eyes.

A gentleman wished to visit a hospital for the insane. He saw the medical superintendent, and eaid : "I don't wish to go over the asylum in tho usual way, but to mingle with the patients as if I wore en officer, a surgeon. or even one of themselves. By .«o doing I shall be better enabled to iudge of their intellectual state and of their piogross in the direction of sanity." " With pleasure,"' said the doctor "It is Saturday, and we usually have a dance on Saturday night. If you go into the ball room, as we call it, you will see. them dancing and talking without reserve." " Would it be objectionable it I— ah — danced with them?" asked the visitor.

"Not at all," was the reply. Tho stranger walked into the ball room, and, selecting the prettiest gjrl he saw for a pa-rtn-er, was scon keeping up a very animated conversa-tion with her. In th© courea of the evening, he sakl to the doctor : "Do you know, that girl in the whito dress with blue spots on it is a very curious case? I've been talking to her, and I can-

not for the life and soul of me discover in what diieccion l>cr nie^ntal malatlv !iri-.. Of course, I saw at onoe- s li o wa<? mad — eav/ it in the- odd look of her tyes ; sho kepfe looking at me so oddly. I asked her if she did not think she was tho Queen of England, or whether ?he had not been robbed of a large fortune by tho volunteer movement, or jilted by the Prince of Wales, and tried to find oiit the cbu£« of her lunacy; but I could not, she was too artful."

"Very likolj"," ai,. «ciccl the doctor; "y°u see, shs is not a patient ; she is one of the housemaid's, and a:; sano as you are."

Meantime the piotfcy housemaid went to her follow servants and said :

■'HrAe you seen tho new patient? Re'e be&n dancing v/ith me. A fine, tall man, with beautiful -nhitkiors; but as mad as a Marol> hare- lie a=ked me if I v.rGn'c tho Queen of England, if a \oluntcor hadn't robbed me of a large fortune, and whether the Prince of Wales diun't want to marry me Ho is mad. Isn't it a pit}-? — such a

fine young man !