The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1854-08-04
The Secret.

|
dred years ago. He of great learning
skilled in Latin, Greek and Hebrew, but especial.
| y fond of chemistry. He used TO spend many
| hours each day in OF the secret cells OF the
convent, engaged in some experiment. While thus
employed, he had found that sulphur, charcoal,
and saltpetre, mingled toget her in a certain way
would make new and strange compound; indeed
so strange and dangerous did this new compound
seem, that the monk himself almost afraid ol
| il, and therefore told one of his discovery.
Among he pupils youth who was so fond
of study, and promp; to obey his teachers, that
| he became a avorite with all, and Roger Bacon
would often ask his help in his lnboratory-a
large room " here the students were instructed in
chemistry but he never allowed him TO enter his
private cell. This youths name was Hubert de
Dreux.
Sometimes Hubert sat reading studying,
or mixing medicines in this larger room, he was
startled with sounds like thunder coming from his
masters apartment; sometimes a br ght Light
shone for moment through the chinks of the
door, then an unpleasant odor would almost sutfo.
cate him.
All these things excited his curiosity but when
ever he knocked strove to enter, Roger Bacon
would srernly bid him 10 attend to his own affairs,
and never again inturrupt him. The door al
ways kept locked, and every time the boy ventur-
ed to ask the cause, he was siIenced by his teach.
er's gruff words and severe looks.
Months glided, away, and still he eagerly but
vainIy sought to learn the secret. At length an
opportunity afforded. Roger Bacon was widely
known as physician and surgeon. One cold
November day he was called TO attend on Walter
de Losely, rich man in the next town, who had
been dangerously hurA The monk gave all the
necessary orders to Hubert, and bidding him to
be careful to put the fires and lock the door
when he was done, he started on his errand OF
mercy.
Hubert soor finished his task, and was just
bounding up the oaken stairway, when evil
thought came into his mind. Roger Bacon is
gone; he will not be back for several hours; | can
find out what keeps him so much in that dark
damp ceIl.' He looks anxiously around no one
is near, and with light step and fast. beating
heart, he reaches The forbidden room The key
is not there, and there is no hope Of entering,
yet perhaps he may see something through the
key-hole, and kneelng, he presses his cheek
against the heavy door. 1t opens at his touch,
for Roger Bacon, IN his haste, had locked wi,hou,
closing it, and thus the eager boy stands where for
months he had longed to be. In vain he looks
for anything new strange, and with sad face
is turning away, when his eye falls on huge book,
whose oper page is still wet with ink from his
teachers pen. 1t is written in Latin, bu: that is
plain to him as his own English, and in anoth
er moment he had read the secret SO long hidden
from him.
Now he must try it for bimself to see if the
mixture is indeed so wonderful. All p he ex
claimed, "this yellow powder is the sulphur ;his
hard, clear substance is The saltpetre, and this
black powder must be the other. Here is the very
bottle my master has used will mix it IN this
and see. The fire is not dead in the furnace; a
few sparks will give heat enough, and then Hub
ert de Dreux is as wise as his wsest teacher"
All that afternoon Roger Bacon had been bend |
ing over the sick mans bed he had done all he
could to relieve his suferings, and as night was
coming on, he bade him gond bye and set out Tor |
home. The wind whised the bleak hills,
and the monk wrapped his cloak closer Ground
him, and hurried his horse towards the converts
good shelter. AS he reached the top of the last
hill, Oxford lay before him with lights twnkling
here and there, and lis tall spires rising high Sud-
denly stream Of fame rose from his convent high
on the darkened sky, and in an instant roar
loud the heaviest thunder burst the still night
and distinctly amid this fearful sound was heard
a sharp short cry of distress. One moment and
he whole convent was on fire. The tremb-
ing monk dashed down the hill side 10 the scene
IF woe. AS he sprang from his horse a man
1rew forth from the ruins the lifeess form Of Hubert.
The terrified crowd believed that Roger Bacon
lad been practsiong wtchcraG, and without lis
ening TO his defence, threw him into a gloomy
dungeon. For many years he remained in pris
IN, but al last he released. and at the age Of
lightly, lay down IN death. he wrote MS we'll
ept secret in strange words in one o(his books, and
wise men studied long before they could read it.
lie had discovered how to make gunpowder .
The terrible explosion in Oxford in 1882 does ,
ot seem strange 10 US. for We know the wonder I
n power of gunpowder; but to the people Of Eng
and at that time, it appeared to be the work OF
vii spirit. Thus, year by year, The world advan.
ed in knowledge, and the children of 1854 are s
lmiliar with many things which were mysterious t
learned men six hundred years ago. How
rate ful we should be to God for all priviIe-
es, and how careful to improve them Alright. t