The weekly Butte record., 1861-03-02
A Curious Story.


received it from the lips of DR.. DeWette him.
self, who was his personal friend:
Dr. DeWette, the famous German Biblical
critic returning home one evening between
nine ard ten o'clock, was surprised, upon arri-
wing opposite the house in which he resided, to
see Il bright light burning in his study In
fact, he remembered to have extinguished the
candles when he went out, an hour or two pre-
viously, locked the door and put the key in his
pocket, which upon feeling for it was still
there. Pausing for moment to wonder for
what purpose and by what means any one had
entered the room, be perceived the shadow ofa
person apparently occupied about something
in remote corner. Supposing it to be bur
glar employed in riapg bis trunk, he was on
the point of alarming the police, when man
advanced TO the window into full view, as if
for the purpose of looking into the street. Ii
,cas DeWdte himself f!-the scholar author,
professor-his height, size, figure stoop-hs
| head, his face. his features, eyes, mouth, nose,
chin, every one-skull cap, study gown, neck
tie, all, everything there was no mistaking
him, no deception whatever. There stood DR.
DeWette in his own library and he out in the
street-why he must be somebody else The
doctor nstinctively grasped his body in bis
hands, and tried himself with the physiological
test OF selfconsciousress and identity, doubtful
if he could believe his senses and black were
not white, that be longer existed his former-selr,
and stood perpczed, bewildered and confound
ed. gazing at his own likeness looking out of
tile window. Upon the persons retiring from
| the window, which occurred in few moments,
DeWettc resolved not to dispute the posses
sion of his study with the other doctor before
morning, and ringing at the door of a house
opposite, where an acquaintance resided he
asked permission to remain over night
"The chamber occupied by him commanded
full view of the interior of his library, and
from the window he could see his other self
engaged in study and meditation, now walking
up and dowa the room, immersed in thought,
now sitting down at the desk to write; now
rising TO search for volume among the book
shelves and initiating in all respects the pecu.
liar habits of the great doctor engaged at work
and busy with cogitatiors. At lengh, when
the cathedral clock had finished striking, first
! four and then eleven strokes, as German clocks
are wont TO do an hour before twelve, DeWette
number two manifested signs of retiring to rest
took out his watch the identical large gold
one the doctor in the other chamber felt sure
was at that moment safe in his waistcoat pock-
1 ct, and wound it up, removing portion of his
clothing, came to the window, closed the cur
tains, and in few moments the light disap-
peared. DeWette number one, waiting
little time, convinced that number two had
disposed himself to sleep, retired also to bed,
wondering very much what all this could
mean.
Rising the next morning, he crossed the
street and passed up stairs to his library. The
door was fastened; he applied The key opened
it and entered. no one was there, everything
appeared in precisely the same condition in
which he had left it the evening before--his
pen lying on the paper as he had dropped it
on going out, the candles on the table and the
mantle piece, evidently not having been light
cd. the window curtains drawn aside as he had
left them. in fine, there was not a single trace
of any persons having been in the ROOM
{ Had he been insane the uight before He
must have been. He was growing old some
thing was the matter with his eyes or brain
anyhow, he had been decaived and it was fool
sh in him to haze remained away all night
Indeavoring to satisfy his mind with some
such reflections as these, he remembered he
had not yet examined his bed room. Almost
ashamed to omake the search, now convinced that
it was a hal'ucinaiion Of the senses, he crossed
the narrow passage way and opened the door.
lie was thunder struck. The ceiling, lofty
massive brick arch, had fallen during the night,
filing the room with rubbish and crushing his
bed into atoms DeWette. the apparition.
had saved the life of the great German schol
ar.
Tholluck, when relating the anecdote,
added upon concluding, l do not pretend to
account for the phenomenon no knowledge,
scientific Or metaphysical, in my possession, is
adequate to explain it; but have no more
doubt it actually, positively, literally did occur,
than have of the exstance Of the sun in
Himmd d.
! IJo,-r-v- I ba M,r--~x.Iio An