Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-05-21

$50 on head said he 70 me.
followed along wall of dry earth, at
the end of which was a broken staircase
We climbed through the rubbish; and,
although my companion kept all the time
repeating, in an impatient voice, Go on,
higher yetr l stopped several times,
seized with fear, under the pretext of re-
gaining breath, but in reality to ask my.
self If IL were not about time TO turn back.
At last we came to the foot of the lad
der, the top of which was hidden by the
dark, reaching up into loft above. How
| had the folly to climb up that ladder,
without asking the least explanation from
my friend Wolfgang Is a mystery to me,
1t would seem as though madness were
contagious
UpI climbed, he behind me, until
reached the top. There stepped upon
the dusty floor of the loft, and looked
around me. 1t was an immense garret,
the roof pierced with three windows, and
in the midst stood small table loaded
with books. 1t was impossible to look
outside, for the windows were at height
of ten or twelve feet above the floor. |
did not at first perceive low door, and a
large, square hole at some height up, con-
trived in the wall. Wolfgang, without
saying word, pushed toward me an old
box which served him for chair; and,
taking up in his two hands pitcher of
water, he drank long draught while
looked on in silence.
1--WE are in loft of the old slaughter
house." said he, with a strange smile, set
ting down his pitcher on the floor; 1.-The
council has voted funds for building one
outside the city. Ihave been here for five
years without paying any rent. Not
soul has come to interrupt my studies"
Sitting down upon some old logs of wood
in one corner" Now" continued he,
"let us come to the point Are you Ger.
tain, Kasper, that we have soulg"
"Hark you, Wolfgang !" replied 1 ; 4" if
you have brought me here to talk metaphys
les, you've made great mistake. had
Just come from Hasenkopf's lecture, and
was going to the beer-house for dinner,
when you stopped me. have had my
dose of abstraction, and that is sufficient.
Explain yourself clearly, then, or else let
me return to my dinner"
"You live, then, only to eat?" said he,
in harsh tone. ado you know that
have passed whole days without tasting
morsel of food, only for the love OF
science ?"
Each to his taste; you live on syl-
logisms and diemmas-I love sausages and
strong beer. What else do you want!"
He became very pale, and his lips trem-
bled; but restraining his anger, he said,
Kasper, since you won't answer me, at
least listen to my explanations. Man
needs admirers, and want you to admire,
and be in some degree sstounded by the
sublime revelation that l am about to
make to you. 1t is not too much, think,
to ask you to listen for an hour to that
which has cost me ten whole years of
faithful study"
"Well, 60 on; am listening"
His face was agitated anew by some
powerful emotion, aud began to bitterly
repent having climbed up the ladder 1
assumed grave expression in order not
to anger hum any further and this ap.
peared to calm him somewhat, for, after
a moments silence, he exclaimed. "You
are hungry; well, there is my bread, and
there my pitcher-eat-drink but listen"
"Never mind, Wolfang; | will listen to
you without that"
He smiled bitterly and went on:
1--WE are not the only beings that have
souls. From the plant up to man, all be-
ings live-they are animated therefore
they have a soul. Yes, all organized ex'
istences have at least one soul; but, the
more their organism is perfected, the more
complicated does it become, and the mum
Der of souls is increased. That is what
distinguishes living beings, the one from
the other. The plant has only one soul
the vegetable soul. Its function is simp.
| ly to obtain nutriment from the air
through the roots. The animal has taoO
souls; first, the vegetable soul, whose
functions are the same as in the plant ;
and the animal soul, strictly so-called,
whose organ is the heart Lastly, man has
three souls-the vegetable soul; the ami
| IL tnA
the same as the brute and the human
soul, or the reason, whose organ is the
brain"
Here Wolfangpaused for some moments,
and, looking at me, said, Well, what do
you think of this?"
"Why it's theory, like any other
the only difficulty is, that the proof is
wanting"
A sort of frenzy seized Wolfang at this
reply. He sprang from his seat, exclaim'
ing "Yes-yes-the proof is wanting
that Is what has troubled my soul for ten
whole yearsl That has been the cause OF
all my sufferings and privations Upon
myself yes, upon myself, Kasper, tried
to experiment first More and more was
this sublime conviction forced upon
me, without my being able To prove
it, But at last the proof is found; l have
it here; soon shall you hear the three
souls manifest and proclaim themselves
you shall hear them"
After this burst of enthusiasm, which
sent a cold chill through me, so much oI
fanatic strength did it display, he sudden
ly became calm; and sitting down and
leaning his elbows upon the table, he
went on, pointing at the same time to the
wall in which was the opening before de
scribed:
"The proof is there-behind that wall
you shall soon see it for yourself But
first, you must follow the onward march
of my ideas. | have maintained the dis
tinct existence of three souls. Reason
told me that every man, before reaching
his final development, must pass through
the condition of the plant or animal,
determined to resolve this problem. Tt
, do this, it was necessary to extinguish II
myself the three souls successfully, anC
then to revive them. had recourse to {
, rigorous fast; but, unfortunately, the hu
man soul had to yield first, in order t.
permit the free action of the animal soul
Hunger made me lose the faculty of oh
, serving the animal state in myself-th,
exhaustion prevented me from judging
anything concerning 1t. After manl
fruitless attempts upon my own organism
| felt convinced that there was but on
means of reaching the desired end-I mus
, have some one else. But who would b
willing 10 submit TO such treatment ?"
Wolfgang paused; his lips were con
, tracted and, IN a quick tone, he added
+ "I felt must have subject at any price
q | determined to experiment upon som
/ onep
e | shuddered, for this man was, So v
e capable of anything.
) "Do you understandi" said he,
Z Perfectly. You wanted victim
4 "Toanaly ze,n added he. cOolly.
$ "And have you found oneG"
g eyes promised that you should hes
E the three souls. II will be difficult juI
J, now. But yesterday you could have hear
E them, of and on, bowling, groaninl
: praying, and gnashing the teeth"
a My face grew pale but Wolfgsng ealu
! IL lit small lamp which he used for h
| and annrOaah ahi nuatha hole cnufriK