Love and Reason

Southland Times, Issue 16051, 31 May 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

Love and Reason

Je r u c ulrm !' rxclaimed Mr Guy Sharp, at hi-breakfist table one morning, as he wa-< perusing a leitnr that had just oume by post. 'iV'(> are in luck, Erlith, at la^t.'

'What is i 1?'1 ?' dimly inquired Mm Sharp, ■vho never got excited, knowing, as she did, hat excitement wai b-%d /or her complexion. 'Have you sttuck the winner in one of I\t erHali'd aweep-«, or made a coup at mining ?'

'B-tter than anything in the shape of weeps or mining, 1 cried her husband, geting up fnm hi* ohair, and dancing round the room, waving the letter triumphantly over hh head. "lie a splendid annuity. It's wealth b-yond the dreams of avarice. '

'Well, fit goodness' sake postpone this high-ki king billet for the present. Sit i-*n, and tell trie what) it is all about, 1 said Yin S'iarp.

'Listen to this letter,' said Guy Sharp. 'It's from my broiher, the rich bro her, you know; the chap that has no brain?, is of weak intellrci, d iii not know enoagh to come in when ie rained, yet everything h*> 'ouch d turned to gold. He mast be worth ir.methiog like a hundred thousand pounds Ho writes to me thus :

'As you are aware, I have always been a htr weak in the head, and my money, or father, the c^re of it, has become somewhat of a nightmare to me. I wish you could persuade Edith to consent to my proposal that you and ahe should come and live with me, and take charge of this money, which qmte bothers my poor head, and makes it ache.'

Despite her resolve never to allow herself to hi excited, Edith Sharp came perilously ni ar having a fit when her husband read 'his extract from his brother's letter. She kiiew of Geoffrey Sharp's wealth; she knew How weak-minded htr brother-in-law was, for she haS frequently, to uae her nusband's slang expression, touched him lor a hundied or two. But to have the sole control and management of his great wealth! It seemed too good to be true.

Of couree, the request of Geoffrey was mo&t graciously compiled with, and in a few days Mr and Mrs Guy Sharp were comfortably installed in the house of their brother of the wtak intellect.

Mr and Mrs Guy Sharp gave splendid pai tiea and balls, whilst Gtofirey remained m his own part of the 'establishment, aud read books, and smoked aa occasional cigar. \t limes his weak intellect, would be attracted by the liglHß and the tnusic, and he would come into ibe hall and peep into the ball-room and the supper-room, at the gueats >iunoing arid eating. It was all very strange ■»nd unintelligible to him. He cou'd nut understand it; but he supposed it was all right, for he knew that hiß brother and his aibter-in-'aw were tensible persoDS, and he — well, he knew that he had a weak intellect, and he w»e content. So were Air and Mta Guy Bharp. At titneeßome of ohe gueats would catch a glimpse of the big, powerful-looking Uecffrey sneuking through the hall, and would t»bk Mia Snarp who he was. Ediih ivt.uld sigh, and say that he was h r brother-iu-law, a poor itlvtion who was off his ira^i, and whom they supported out of cbanty. Tne kind and sympathetic guests did ;iiink that he .coked a little d^tty, "« ff hi-. Duioo,' and shaky in tne garret. Woy did Lot, Mrs Shdrp ste about getting him in'.o a lunatic Bsylum? It would be ever to much ue'ter for him aDd fur her. These things to rear did Edith Shsup serioutly incline, but wheu she mentioned tne matter to her husoaud that usually easy-going gentleman empna.ically refused.

'Hang it all, Editb,' be eaid crossly to her, 'can't you let well alone ? The poor chap pays the piper, and allows us to call the tune; what more do you want? He nevtr anuoyb you, and I certainly will be no party to locking him up in an asylum, the very place in whioh a weak Intellect would oe certain to develop into pronouooed insanity. 1 Bui Edith Sharp was haunted by a fear that 8om« day even her brother-in-law's weak intellect might strengthen, and then gojd-bye to the lite and foituae which had oecume so pleaßant to her. Mr Guy Sharp, However, waa adamant whenever the question of the confinement of his brother in a Innatic asylum was brovjhed. He rarely ran counter to his wife'a plans, but in tbia uasu no argument that she could use bad power to move him

So matters remained until one day, by the merest chance, Edith Sbarp heard of an institution in oue of the euburba which, she hoped, would effect her purpose without shucking her too sensitive busband'u Beneilive scruples. This waa a Home for the Mentally Afflicted. Home Bounded better than tibylum, and icdeed was a more appropriate title, aa ihe putient9 might be said to be there voluntarily, or at anyiate, they were not confined againat their will. No direct restraint was placed upon them, but to each inmate a nurse was allotted as a companion. Ihe nurse looked after, watched, and entertained her particular patient. The patients were really weak of intellect, nod violent, and the Home waß effective, without having any of tue drawbacks of a lunatic aayium. Clearly, thought Edith Sharp, this waa the ylace for her poor ufflioted brother-it -law. Guy Sharp made a feeble protest, but was eventually brought round. Ah for Geoffrey himßelf, he was williog to agreo to anything. He considered that ho bad placed himself unreservedly in the handa of his dear rehtives.ftnd had absolved himself of all responsibility aa to hia future and hie fortune. Mr and Mrs Guy drove him out to the Home, and left him there. Then at last Edith felt secure in her position.

•He will be much better off tbere, poor idiot,' aho said to her husband, aa they drove baok. 'Aud we can entertain properly, without having that wretched skeleton constantly popping out of the cupboard. Ouy, I think we ought to Oo England this year 10 see the Kind's Coronation.' Guy only grunted. He did not think that they hud done the right thing by poor Geoffrey; but be loved et»ae and couxfott, and hated nigging, and as he generally deferred to hia wite'a superior wisdom, he supposed it was all right. The Home for the Mentally Afflicted was, in faot, such a home, v pleasant mansion, situated in one of the most picturesque and bretzy auburb9. The nuraea and the patients had no strong line of demarcation between them, and were in the main as great friends tia the mental condition of the latter permitted. The nurse who had Geoffrey Sharp in her particular care waa a young woman about tweuty-threo years of age, petite and decidedly pretty, with soft brown eyes and a gentle, winßome manner that) was irreßißtible. She was well educated and highly intelligent, and in marked contrast to her patient, who was a tall, broad-Buouldered man, of immense strength. Edith and Guy came once or twice to inquire after Geoffrey, then their visits ceased, and only the necessity of forwarding bhe monthly oheque to the Home recalled him to their minds. So far as they were conoerned, Geoffrey Sharp had ceased to exist.

On the other hand, it was only now that Get ffrey Sharp began to live. The pleasant face, the tender care and gentle manner ot his nurae fed his weak intellect so that/ it daily grow utrongw, Geoffrey, by degree*,

lost his semi-imbecile manner, and began to take an interest in life. In brief, sympathy, care, forbearance, and affection nimed his weak intelleob into Bftnity. Hie innooence and traotability was not without its imprtsBion upon hie little norse, and as Geoffrey drifted back to reason, the two of them drifted unconsciously into love. Tve been thinking, Emily,' he said to her one day. 'I am here in this home in order that I may get cured of my weak intelleot, and you are always with me bo see that I do not get into harm. I am well enough now to miDgls with the ontside world, am I not?' 'You certainly are,' she replied, earnestly; 'I think you are perfectly cured.' 'But I m»y have a relapse &t any time,' he continued, taking her hand, 'and I ghould «*anb my little nurse then. Emily, chereare other homos than this. Will you share mine, so that I may always have my nurse with me, in oase I ohonld relapse into weakness of intelleot ?'

After confiding in the matron and the visiting medical men, Geoffrey and Emily were quietly tnarnedon the day upon whion Mr and Mrs Guy Sharp gave a grand farewell ball, prior to their departure for Lon'lod, to be present at the Coronation of the King.

The next morning Mr and Mrs Geoffrey Sharp presented them»elves,muoh to Edith's annoyance.

'You should not have brought him here, nurse,' she said angrily. 'I gave special instruotions that he waa not to be brought here. It's very tiresome, espeoially as we are making all our preparations to go home to the Coronation. Take him home at once, doy<uhpar? I shall certainly reporb your neglect of duty to the matron !'

'One moment, Edith,' said Geoffrey, and there was a firmneßß in his voice that bis oister-in-Uw had never heard there before. A presentiment of coming evil chilled her boneß, and blinched her cheeka. 'You and Guy, I have learnt, intend taking a trip to England. D> so. I will pay the expenses, And will henceforth manage my own affaire. Upon your return I will settle an annuity of £200 a year upon you — ' 'What !' screamed Edith ; 'are yon mad ?' 'No,' said GeoS'rey,quietly, 'thanks to this lady I have become sane — '

This lady !' sneered Edith, 'I shall repor this la^y— '

'It will be unnecessary,' returned Geoffrey, 'this lady has severed ber connection with that Home, to become the mistress of this. The lady is my wife. — Edmund Finn, in Melbourne Punch.