Litchfield enquirer., 1872-11-21

for three months, and only returned yes terday."
 ssAh you have lost precious opportu- mites. You must lose no more. Life is short"
 'sAnd uncertain, '" I added. "Esp ecial- ly in railroad travelling"
 "My dear Sir, I hope this road is pru- dently conducted" he said, with g look of some little anxiety.
 Not many accidents" I answered. "And then, you know, we are always in the hands of Providence No fear of slip ping through the fingers unnoticed"
 'sNo, Sir, certainly not" he remarked, wrapping his moral oilcloth about him again. Have you felt any extraordina- " spiritual impressions since you return
 Nothing lasting, I think. Nothing that nights sleep wouldn't take of the edge of !"
 : ssNo desire to lay hands on some sim stricken wretch and cure him of the evil that is in him.
 Now I did feel a strong desire to lay hands on this very Riley and pull out his snub nose for him; but I forebore to say so, and simply shook my head desponent- ly.
 ''I know, that, ifyou would come to our Dispensaries and join in our exercises, you would be sensible of a softening, "he ob- served.
 ''Yes, in the brain, |" thought I; but I still remained silent
 ''You should mediate upon the value of manifestations, unknown tongues, the laying on of hands, visions, ecstasies, and such like matters" he continued.
 st.So have" said l.
 sttAnd with no result?''
 ssNothing that particularly astonishes me. I think that hate humbug more than I did.'
 ''That's good slgn," he replied, after a brief, sharp glance of inquiry at me.
 ''This vain world is humbug, as you phrase it. Dead Orthodoxy is humbug. Human reason is humbug. We are all humbugs, unless we are made true by Dis pensation. This age will be humbug, unless it can be wrought into an age of miracles. If vou could be brought to hate earnestly all these things, it would be a hopeful sign
 Twas on the point of disputing the hy- pothesis, but prudently checked myself. Suddenly he removed my hat and put his broad, hard palm upon my organs with an impudent dexterity which made me doubt whether he had not been 8 pickpocket or a chronological lecturer.
 ''I lay my hand upon your head and de- sire you to note the effect, said he. "Can no life come into these dry bones2 Shall they not live? Yea, they shall live Do you feel no lrrepresgihle emotion, Sir,- no shaking?''
 ''Not shake." replied I,-''unless it be from the bad grading"
 "Evil is mighty, but the good must eventually prevail" he observed, imper- tinently cooking his snub nose toward heaven.
 ''I believe you are quite right in both propositions, I admitted. Cardinal points of mine. But excuse me, Sir, if you could spare my hat, I should like to put it on my head"
 I had lost patience with the man, partly because it irks me to have strangers take liberties with my person, and also because had reached the conclusion that he was simply shallow dissembler and rascal In q minute more I had cause to reconsid- CT my charge of hypocrisy, and to ques- tion whether he might not lay claim to the nobler distinction of lunacy. The conduc- tor came down the car, picking out Trou- bletonians with his undeceivable eye. and leaned toward us with outstretched fingers. Mir Riley rose to his whole gaunt height at jerk, and laid his hand on the officials arm with fierce, bony gripe, which seem- ed to startle him as if it were the clutch of skeleton.
 ''There is my ticket, said he. "Where I d YYnT1 1rc9 e.. TIT IL. City? None? Then you are lost. lost, lost!"
 The last words rose to s high, clear shriek, which pierced the heavy rumble of the train and rang throughout the car. The conductor, in spite of the coolness which becomes second nature to men of hs profession, turned slightly pale and shrank back before this wild apostrophe, with thrill of spiritual horror at the sol emn meaning of the words, q thought) and not because he considered the man a maniac, The fanaticism of Troubleton had already flown far and cast vague shadow of dread over large community.
 Turning abruptly from the conductor, my companion flung out his long arms to- wards the staring passengers, and contin- ued in his strident, startling tenor:-"I have warned him. I call you to witness that have warned this man of his fearful peril. His blood be on his own head! The blood of your souls will be upon your heads, unless you turn to Dispensation- ism. l have said it, AmenI'
 Before he had sat down agaln I was in the alley on my way to another car, not anxious to become known as the intimate of this extraordinary apostle. I found an empty seat by the Doctor, dropped into it., and told my story
 My dear friend, give the fellow up, T concluded. "He's as mad as he can pos sibly be-" a
 ''So Festus thought of Paul" returned my poor comrade, with hopeless fatuity
 "Festus be d-dp' said I, losing my temper, and swearing for the first time since graduated.
 ''I fear he was so, remarked the Doc tor, severely ''Let me urge you to take warning from his fate.'
 'sI peg your pardon, and that of Festus, '' apologized. "But when see you los ing your reason, I can't keep my patience, and don't wish to-"
 Y0u will wonder ct thasa feelings be. fore many hours, he responded gently. Tomorrow you will be believer"
 ''That makes no difference with me now,' said I. '1 am just as skeptical as if I hadn't chance of conversion, Why, Doctor, well, come now,-I'n argue the with you. In the first place, all Church history is against you. There isn't re- spectable author who upholds the doctrine of modern miracles.
 "Mistakel' he exclaimed. '1 wish I had you in my library. could face you with writer on writer, fact on fact, all sup porting my views. can prove that mir acles have not ceased for eighteen centu- ries; that they appeared abundantlY in the days of the venerable Catholic fathers; that stream of prophecies and healings and tongues ran clear through the Dark Ages down to the Reformation; that the superhuman influence famed in the dreams of Huss, the ecstasies of Xavier, and the marvels of Fox and Usher. Look at the French Prophets, or Tremhlers of the Ceyennes, who had prophesyings and headings and discoveringg of spirits and tongues and interpretations. Look at the ecstatic Jansenists, or Convulsionists of St. Medard. who were blessed with the same holy gifts. Look at the Quakers,