The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-01-08

fabby, chilly hand, which some
how sent an icy thrill to my very
hcart-"well, and so you wish yor
were dead"
"Did you hear me?" I said. "Oh
it was nonsense, Of course. l Of
ten say so. A foolish habit | have
[ don't mean it,"
1T wasn't nonsense T' he said
He talked in low, monotonous
voice, ineligible enough to the
ear for which it was intended, but
not to be overheard by others
1T wasn't nonsense, but 3 very
rational, prudent wish. I wish
so myself; and what is MORE" he
said" Il have the means to carry
out both our wishes" -.
[ laughed uDeasily. "You are
fjoking." -
II never joke. "Until now"
he went on, "the great deterring
influence which has restrained
those wise men who see the folly
and emptiness Of life, who meas
uring their feeble capacities for
suffering, would gladly resign a
possession which has no advan-
tage for them-the greatdeterring
influence has been, the doubt whe-
tber death be really o complete
severing Of the body and the soul;
whether, indeed, there is not a
lin ngering capability Of feeling still
hanging to the relaxed nerves, a
lingering consciousness in the de.
caying brain: that, in addition 10
the bitterness Of death, one may
taste also the gloom Of the grave,
and the horrors Of the charnel-
house"
"Good heavcns!" Icried. "What
q horrible idea" He fascinated
me, this man. l would gladIy
have risen and gone away; but he
stopped me with his eye.
GListen," he said, II have over
come this impediment; I have
opened the gates Of Death to all
mankind. To you, my young
schoolfelIow, I will reveal the Sc
cret; least, tempted some day to
cross the boundary, 1 should die,
and leave mankind as wretched as
ever. You see this powdered herb;
it is like mint, is it not? the smell,
the taste, everything is like mint
you would not know them apart;
and yet ip q small quantity Of this
powder lies a release from all the
miseries of life. Don't shrink
back ;. it is innocuous in small
doses, produces merely u pleasing
languor; but in such quantity
as a teaspoouful, it produces leth-
argy; twice the quantity brings
on syncope; thrice, inevitable
death. l have often ventured as
far as the second stage, but have
always stopped short of the third.
But | have brought back thus
much assurance from the world Of
shadows; consciousness ceases al
together at the second stage
There are no dreams in the sleep
Of death.
"The preliminary stage of leth.
argy is delightful often indulge
in 1t; but I have had q doubt
sometimes whether ! might not
possess an exceptional physical or
ganization; whether the b erb
would produce exactly the same
effects on others. I determined
to try the experiment on q large
scale. l came here tonight to do
it. have noticed that each fire.
quenter of these pooma, On pea
soup nights, which arc frequent,
takes one plate Of soup, to which
he adds one spoonful Of mint
Well, I watched my opportunity.
I came here as soon as the room
was opened ) and, whilst the wait
er's back was turned, I cmptied
the contents Of the plate of mint
into my pocket. and filled the
plate with my own powder. The
experiment was a bold one: /
might have caused the death Of
innocent persons. However, l
pcrsevered; the interests Of science
overpower considerations of hu-
manity. The experiment has com.
pletely succeeded, Each habitue
of these rooms has swallowed his
plate OF soup, his spoonful Of pre-.
cious herb; each has gone through
the stage of lethargy. There are
some now, you observe, passing
through that stage
T threw an agonized glance
around, Yes, sure enough, there
were two or three men lying back
in their chairs, their heads sunk
on their breasts, in state of COM
plete lethargy.
"And," he went on, II can see
the symptoms Of the approaching
letbargy upon you-the dilated
pupil Of the eye, the expression Of
anxiety in the face; yes, all is
perfect: the symptoms are"
"But," gasped, II have taken
three spoonfuls!" !"
Martyr of scienceI" he cried,
springing up and grasping me by
the hand, show carefully, how
painfully I will watch every symp.
tom of your declining vitality
Dear friend. your case will be an