The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-01-19
The Life Elixir.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.

Ny mothers uncle Ohio came from
Gottlngen. He was strange old
man, a chemist by profession, and Il
believer in every mystic absurdity ev-
er Matched in Tcuton brain. Crossed
in love in early youth, it was supposed
that his trouble had in measure dis
ordered his intellect. 1t may have
been So | doubt IT, 1t Is my belief
that he was born the strange being he
lived and died-that nature made
him monomaniac. You VIII scarce
~ credit me when | tell you why he
left Germany, yet it is the solemn
truth One day dead lady's body
was found in his labratory amidst
preparations calculated, on the au-
thonty of learned chemists, to con-
sumo or change it. He was arrested
for murder, but at this point the dead
woman husband, man of rank, ap-
peard with evidence which acquitted
BIN Of the charge He was my I'm
cles friend, and had adored his lost
wife, To comfort him, uncle Ohio
had conceived the idea--terrlblc to
most men, beautiful to those two-of
converting the lovely corpse into an
ornament which might be forever
worn next the bcreayod husband S
Lart, and for this purpose it had been
conveyed to the labratory. 1t was a
romantic fancy, but too CHASTITY fcr
even the German mind to take ii kind
~ Thereafter some amongst his
neighbors insisted Gu regarding uncle
Oiho as an Ell magician, and he was
Aoctv,i and pelted by the boys. Ia
isct Gottingen grew too hot to
hold him, and he fed to his rela-
tons in this new world
Often and often, perched on his
knee, have l heard uncle Ohio tell the
story to my mother ending with a
sigh and these words:
"Ah, mem Got, / never have such
goot experiment in my life. Joost Won
week, and | should av ad dat lady in
fon beautiful star, shoost so pig as
mime and All! if dis iectle fellow
ue mokes bracelet of i'm for you
ana you years i'm always"
hheyeat | would shrek and moth
er turn pale, and uncle OHIO shrug
ms shoulders and mutter, not politely
II IS certain, in his own tongue, "Well
wei, these momen are all fools, anC
my niece no better than the rest.
l have no doubt that if / had ex
pred IN infancy, uncle Otho would a
least have eadearored to convert IN.
remains into jewelry
However fate ordained that l wa
10 grow to mans estate, and to be
come uncle Otho's pupil. His labra
Tory was my fayorite dwelling place
and | learned of him much that wa
permcious, amongst other evil things
the insane belief in the philosopher
stone and the elixir of life. You thin
ne mad; perhaps | was, but on othe
subjects | was sane. Even the elk
l believed in with certain modi6ci
IONS, hardly hoping that life could b
4 prolonged forever, but that while Ill
lasted, beauty and strength might II
main.
In his old age uncle Ohio sougl
The potent potion which should VII
Sst wrinkles, re-giid gray hairs, an
d Al the Veins with the red blood
youth. To the last hour he believe
4 He Should discover IL, end afterYar
4 Hi'A neyer-faihng health and yout
4 que trapsmutation OF all metals in
soEl: lie died. leaving nae as q leg
Y ms labratory, his receipts, and b
naa oehei IA the impossible.
was very handsome, and on
\ .Wenty,one. My name, Ike my uncle
vas Ohio.
Beng wealthy, l had never been Q
gecled to follow any profession, al
my Idle time hung heavy on !
lands In the labratory alone l fou
q 'sasant occupation, and there i br
'0a myself night and day, working {
4 u 70 discover those two great secre
'old no one. knew my parei