The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-02-18

be done. We must put our conviction TO the
proof-and You are the man to prove it.
'Howr Iasked.
lie leaned eagerly nearer to me across the Ia
bic that divided us
Are you willing to try bold experiment. =
Il viii do any thing to clear myself OF the
suspicion that rests on me now
'will you submit to some personal inconven-
iencc for timer
TO any Inconvenience, no matter what u
may be-
win you be guided implicitly by my advice !
II may expose you to the ridicule Of fools !
II may subject you TO the remonstrances OF
friends whose opinions you are bound to 70,
spect-'
Tell me what to do = broke out impatient
ly. 'And, come what may, I'll do it.
you shall do this, Mr.. Blake he answered.
sYuu shall steal the Diamond, unconsciously,'
for the second time, in the presence Of wit
nesses whose testimony Is beyond dispute.
started to my feet. tried to speak.
could only look at him.
Il believe II can be done, he went on. And
Il shall be done-if you will only help me.
Try to compose yoursclf-sit down, and hear
what have to say to you. You have resumed
the habit Of smoking have seen that for my
self. How long have you resumed it''
For nearly year.
DO you smoke more or less than you didr
More -..
win you give up the habit again' Suddenly,
mind as you gave II up before :.
began dimly to SEQ his drit. Il will give II
| up from this moment answered..
III the same consequences follow which fol-
| La, T., . SaiI Ezra IanntnOa-tf
suffer once more as you suffered then, from
sleepless nights, we shall have gained our first
step. We shall have put you back again into
something assimilating to your nervous con-
dition on the birthday night II We can next
revive, or nearly revive, the domestic circuin-
stances which surrounded you and II we can
occupy your mind again with the various
questions concerning the Diamond which for
mcrly agitatcd II, we shall have replaced you,
rs nearly as possible, in the same positl6u.
physically and morally, In which the opium
found you last year. In that case we may fsiriy
hope that repetition of the dose viii lead, in
greater or lesser degree, to repetition Of
the result. There Is my proposal, expressed In
a few hasty words. You shall now SEQ what
reasons have to justify me in making It.
| He turned 10 one of the books at his side.
and opened II ut place marked by small slip
Of paper. ~ I.
Don't suppose that I am going to weary you
with lecture on physiology he said. Il think
myself bound to prove, in Justice to both Of US,
that am not asking you to try this experiment
In Difference to any theory Of my own devislng.
Admitted principles and recognized authorities
Justify me in the view that take, Give me
five minutes Of your attention, and wiz under
take to show you that science sanctions my pro
posal, fanciinl as Il my seem. Here, h the Rrsi
place, is the physiological principle ON yhiA !
am acting, stated by no less q person than DR..
Carpenter Read Il for yourselEs /,
lie handed me the slip Of paper (WHICH had
marked the place In the book. II contained q
few lines Of writing, as follows.
There seems much ground for tho belief that ,p,r,
by the perccptve consciousness i registered, to'to
speak, In the brain, and may be reproduced ut Some
'$' asSssh Ss during en- e;
whole intermediate period ~
is that plain, SO far'' asked Esri Jennings.
Perfectly plain -, ....-...
He pushed the open book across the table to
me, and pointed to passage marked by pencil
lines.
.Now,' he said, 'read that account Of q case
which has-as belieye-a direct bearing on
your own position, and on the experiment which
| am tempting you to try. Observe, Mr.. Blake,
before you begin, that am now referring you
10 one Of the greatest Of English Psychologists
The book In your hand Is Doctor Eliotson's
/ Human Physiology; and the case which the
doctor cites rests ON the well-known authority
| Of Mr.. Combc.
The passage pointed out to me was expressed
In these terms:
Doctor Abel informed me- says Mr.. Combc, 'o
an Irish porter 10 warehouse, who forgot, when
ber, what no had done when drunk; but, being
drunk anin he recollccted tho transactions Of his
former state of intoxicaton. On one occasion, being
drunk ho had lost parcel OF some value, and In hi.
sober moments could give no account OF IT. Next
time he intoxicated he rccollected that no had
address ON IT, 1t had remained there safely, and
got on his calling for It,
'Plain againl' asked Ezra Jennings.
As plain as need be-
| He put back the slip Of paper In its place,
and closed the book.
Are you satisfied that have not So. ken
without good authority to support mc!' he asked
III not, have only to go TO those book-shelyes,
and you have only to read the passages which
I can point out to you.'
Il am quite satisfied said, without reading
word more
in that case, VIC may return to your own
personal interest In this matter. lam bound 10
tell you that there Is something TO be said
against the experiment as well Us for It. live
could, this year, exactly reproduce, In your
case, the conditions they existed last year, II
is physiologically certain that VIC should arrive
at exactly the same result. But this-therc Is
no denying its simply impossible. We can
only hope to approximate to the conditions; and
IL We don't succeed in getting you nearly enough
back to what you were, this venture OF ours
will fail. five do succeed-and am myself
hopeful Of success-you may at least so far re-
peat your proceedings on the birthday night NJ
to sanctify any reasonable person that you are
guiltless, morally speaking. Of the theft Of the
Diamond. believe, Mr.. Blake, I have stated
the question, on both sides Of Il, rs fairly as
can. within the limits that have imposed on
myself Ifthere is any thing that have not
made clear to you tell me what II is-and II
can enlighten you will
fro BE Continued