. Platform echoes: or, Living truths for head and heart . , for you know there is nothing there tofight. Men have been found dead in the attitude of keepingoff some awful image like this. 1 once knew a man who was tormented witha human face thatglared at him fromthe wall. lie wipedit out. it was thereas perfect as stood back somepaces, and saw itagain. Maddened todesperation, hestruckit again and again,until the wall wasmarked with blood,and a bone of hishand was broken, —all this in beating at a phantom. That is the horror ofdelirium tremens. I remember when it struck me, — Godforgi
. Platform echoes: or, Living truths for head and heart . , for you know there is nothing there tofight. Men have been found dead in the attitude of keepingoff some awful image like this. 1 once knew a man who was tormented witha human face thatglared at him fromthe wall. lie wipedit out. it was thereas perfect as stood back somepaces, and saw itagain. Maddened todesperation, hestruckit again and again,until the wall wasmarked with blood,and a bone of hishand was broken, —all this in beating at a phantom. That is the horror ofdelirium tremens. I remember when it struck me, — Godforgive me that I drank so much as to lead to it, althoughnot one half so much in quantity as some who drank witlime and who are moderate drinkers now. The first glasswith me, as I have often said, was like fire in the blood;the second was as concentric rings of lire in the brain: thethird made me drunk, and. God help me! I drank enough tobring upon me that fearful disease. Delirium tremens is aterrible disease, and men are dying from it every day. I saw. TKAXSFIXED WITH HORROR. LOSS OF RESPECTABILITY. I57 one man die from it, and I shall never forget his look; hewas but twenty-three years old, and he died mad. Very few sink so low as to lose all pride, and it is thissensitiveness to the opinions of others, and this lingeringdesire for the approbation of others, that is one of the causesof what is termed recklessness in man; the consciousness ofthe loss of respectability induces antagonism to those whoare superior to him in the estimation of society, and we sayhe is an impudent fellow, resisting all efforts to approachhim. It is delightful to be respected; it is pleasant, whenmeeting a gentleman, to hear his Good morning, sir, pleasantmorning; to bow to a lady in the street, and to receive hersalutation in return. Why I have known young men towalk two inches taller directly afterwards. Yes, it is verypleasant to be respected. Now, suppose you have lost, by some means or other,th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecttempera, bookyear1890
