The True Northerner

Monomania.

An extraordinary case of monomania is related in a French exchange. A well-dressed, educated gentleman recently appeared before a magistrate and gave the following account of himself: "My name is L. -m. I am a teacher in a college of the Department of Gers, and have come to pass the vacation in my native town. I come to ask you to be good enough to put me in some asylum until I can overcome a dangerous monomania which possesses me. I am not mad, but am simply seized with an irresistible desire to strangle a child. During the long nights, as I lay sleeplessly in the dormitory of our college, listening to the breathing of the scholars confided to my care, I have felt the most extraordinary sensations. Often have I got up and gone toward the bed of one of the boys with the full intention of strangling him to death, but at the moment when I was about to seize him by the neck I have succeeded, by appealing to my reason and all the resources of my nature, in avoiding the committal of crime. I happily managed to ward off the dreadful impulse until vacation came. But to-day I feel that I can no longer resist. Even in coming here to you I carefully avoided meeting any child, for had I done so I must have killed it." At this moment a boy of fourteen years happened to be brought before the magistrate to answer some charge against him. At the sight of the boy a mad glare seemed to dart from the eyes of the monomaniac, as he rushed forward to seize him, and was only prevented by the officers of the law. The magistrate immediately sent the unfortunate man to a lunatic asylum.