Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-05-01

Inc Dllnulng spray HtiineuidlclS smut ullu
from sight. but no boat could have been
lowered in the sea then running, and
probably the captain was instantly killed
by the blow"
Forcibly impressed, l looked up from
the book to my companions face, mutely
asking him to proceed.
do YOU notice the coincidence of dates
in this and in my former entry?" he ask
ed, and stretched out his hand for the
diary.
Yes l said; "go on
We'll what remains is meager and
gives no clue to the unravelment we de-
sire. Soon after | called on Archibald in
Tenth street He was settled for the Win
ter at his studio. His brothers death had
wounded him deeply. He gave me all the
particulars that he mad obtained from
Robinson, the mate They were but little
more complete than the newspaper para
graph. What surprised me was that he
had forgotten his dream on the yacht, or
had failed to notice the identity of dates
At any rate he said not a word of those
seemed not to connect the two events in
his mind; and l did not wish to call his
attention to them. SO the matter remains
to this day"
When few moments of silence had
followed my companions story, | asked
drawing long breath, "And, sir, what
conclusions do you draw from that re-
markable experiences"
None satisfactory. And you, my
friend, how think you of it? But first, is
1t not little singular that | should lay
open this subject for the first and only
time to you? Entire strangers until a
while ago / took this seat beside you and
11p orc c1nca1r- 70 hor hat
| have exposed a very secret drawer of
my mental possessions Well, perhaps
you may be able to see through it after
we part. l can't erplain It," He looked
at his watch as he spoke. We are but a
few miles from Peekskill by this time.
asked another question: Are you be-
liever in spiritualism?"
q" can't answer you, sir, as | do not
really understand what spiritualism is.
| know of deceptiOnS, eXcitements, super
stitions, idle tales, delusive exhibitions,
and-and-sleights Of hand, entitled spir-
itualism, magnetic attractions, and proved
humbugs. At the same time | can
not doubt the evidence of some very
wise, very good, and very honest people
who have reported, as | have Just done,
experiences of some of the mysteries Ia
beled in that way. Seized as a religious
system, it seems to me a feeble plank
Personally | have never known of any
other spiritual (if that is the term) commu-
nication than that have narrated. By
the way"-here he paused for a moment
IN thought" by the way, | wonder if my
interest while ago in the first chapter of
the book l have in my hand may not have
induced-that and the picture we saw just
south of Croton Point-my confidential
revelations The first chapter of "Argyll's
Reign Of Law is on the supernatural
what it is. Let me read one portion
of it."
/ gladly assented.
The Reign Of Law in nature is, in
deed, SO far as we can observe it, univer-
sal But the common idea of the super
natural is that which is at variance with
natural law, above it, or in violation of
it,
Excuse my interruption" | said just
there, 'but of course the Duke means
does he not sir?-at variance with above,
or in violation of that little, comparative
ly, which we kn0lC of natural law. What
an infinite amount of Gods law may be
above and modify the small part we
know"
Thank you, my friend; that is very
we'll put" he replied, and continued his
reading. Nothing, however wonderful,
which happens according to natural law,
would be considered by any one as super
natural. The law in obedience to which
a wonderful thing happens may not be
ku0lC1l,' but this would not give it a super
natural character, so long as we as
suredly believe that it did happen accord
ing to some law Hence, it would ap-
pear to follow that man thoroughly pos
sessed of the idea of natural law as uni
versal, never could admit anything to be
supernatural; because on seeing any fact,
however new, marvellous and incOmpre-
hensible, he would escape into the conclu-
sion that it was the result of some natural
law of which he had before been ignorant.
This is not the conclusion of
pride, but of humility of mind. Seeing
the boundless extent of our ignorance of
the natural laws which regulate so many
OF the phenomena around Us, and still
more OF the phenomena within us, nothing
can be more reasonable than to conclude,
when we see something which is to us a
wonder, that somehow, if we only knew
how, it is "aH righ'-all according to the
constitution and course of nature -
He closed his book, and hurriedly get
ting together his few traps, swinging his
duster on an arm, and buttoning his
gloves, he said: And so, my friend, these
facts in my own experience | cannot ex-
plain any more than | can doubt them. |
construct no theory for them. As they
,rere, [ believe there must be some law for
them. But here we are"
What, sir, do YOU get out here7' | had
thought his ticket said "Poughkeepsie."
Yes, yes-a sudden thought-but
good evening to you. l am indebted to
your company for -"
Good evening, sir and with real
fervor | added from the warmth of my
heart, Il trust we shall meet again.
That he answered with peculiar smile,
sweet fitting, but rather incomprehensi-
bic, and he was gone.
What man, | thought; what dig
nifty and quietude of manners, so embrac-
ing in his sympathies. What intelligence,
Marvellous narrative that II absorbed
me, as indeed did all he said. Ah how
| shall enjoy telling of this fortunate ride
to the company am to dine with to-mor-
row. 1t might make a sketch for a maya
zine" And so | pleasantly soliloquized
for several miles beyond Peekskill. But
why had | not asked his name: Certain
IL his ticket was for Poughkeepsie, |
seemed sure of that: what then could
have suddenly changed his plans to leave
the train at PeekskillE
However, what matter to me, except the
premature loss of his charming society,
that he did or did not change his travel
ing plans? The interview had left me in
i = j