Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-11-05
TWO SOULS WITH BUT ONE BODY.

[From the eRelgio-Philosophical JouTnal.l
A subscriber sends the following. 1t
is indeed curious and well worthy OF
perusal:
That most shrewd of modern observ-
ers, the Rev. c. G.. Cotton, laid it down
as truism that "men are the same,n
and wrote book to prove it, yet in
second volume he is constrained to
say, "There is an idiosyncracy in
mind no less than in body, for some
individuals have a peculiar constitu-
ton, both of head and heart, which
sets all analogy and all calculation at
defiance. There is an occult disturb
ing force within them that designates
them as unclassified anomalies and
hybrids; they form the corps particu-
Tier of exceptions to all general rules,
being at times full as unlike to them
selves as to others.n That his second
judgment is the more correct, will, we
think, admit of no doubt, and it is to
one of these anomalies in human ma
ture we wish to call attention. In the
Summer of 1865 it was the writer's
good fortune to visit the home of Mr..
Samuel Buck, near Conneaut, Ashta-
bula county, Ohio, an elderly gentle
man, whose extraordinary character
is perhaps without parallel in
history or romance. His eccentric
tiles were not suffered to find their
way into the newspapers during his
lifetime, but the facts here given are
voched for by a large circle of ac-
quaintances, and now that he is be-
yond the reach of prying curiosity
there is less restraint in giving them
publicity.
He was then, rs for many years be-
fore and afterward, living alone in
little farm cottage well furnished with
household articles, books, pictures,
mementoes, etc., and as tidily kept as
any in the village. He was man of
perhaps sixty-five years of age, of me-
dunn stature, prepossessing in appear
ance, and, considering his years, re-
markably erect and active. He was
well informed OH most of the topics of
the day and an agreeable cOnversa-
tionalist; had given considerable at
tention TO mechanical inventions and
in sort of private curiosity shop he
kept an assortment of models and sew
eral fonts of wood type which he had
whitfield out with Il jackknife. But
what is most unaccountable, this man,
though neither a lunatic nor hermaph-
rodite, was living u two-fold life. At
the time of our visit he was dressed as
as lady, and received and entertained
visistors as such. He had on costly
black silk dress of the "Lady WASH
ington" style, pattern just then af-
fected by the most fashionable ladies
of the village. His hair, which was
touched with gray, and when free fell
down Sh fac taf f,Il
done up and secured undera black lace
cap, becoming his age. The clear COM
pleXion and smooth face, the unstud-
led air of ease and gracefulness, and
even the insinuating gossip, rendered
the illusion perfect. The dress was
made by the village mantua-maker,
who reported that he was extremely
fastidious about the fit, showing genu-
inc womanly solicitude for all the de-
tails. SO complete did he enter into
all the thoughts and feelings of
woman, that he was evidently uncon-
sclous of acting u borrowed part, and
to all intentS and purposes he was, for
the time being, what he assumed to
be, woman. AT such times he would
speak of himself as Mrs. Buck and of
Mr.. Buck Us absent. When the morn
ing work was done and the hour ar
rived for working in the field, the
dress was exchanged for male attire,
and the feminine character gave place
to one every way masculine. Mr..
Buck had returned and Mrs. Buck was
now absent, and SO remained until do
mestic duties called her home in the
evening, when the metamorphosis of
the morning was reversed.
That this was not mere childish
conceit is almost demonstrable. There
is every reason to believe that he was
not fully conscious while in one state
of what he had said or done while in
the other. Such incidents as the fol-
lowing are we'll authenticated, and
were of almost daily occurrence. A
neighbor calls in the morning and
says:
"Mrs. Buck, called to pay you for
that cow"
"What COVE" he asks in surprise.
" Why, the COW | bought of Mr.. Buck
yesterday"
"Well," he rejoins with evident
chagrin, "you will have to see him
about it; he didn't say anything to me
about selling the COW, or | would have
opposed it,"
By-and-by n lady calls for some ar
tlcle OF lady'S wear ana nndS Mr.. Buck
at home. He obligingly 0verhauls the
wardrobe, trunks, etc, in masculine
style, but returns with confused look
and says: Greatly, madame, you will
have to wait until Mrs. Buck returns,
for / don't know where to find it.n If
the lady called in the morning, as re-
quested, the article was forthcoming
at once, land if the purchaser of the cow
came at noon when Mr. Back was at
home there was no difficulty in having
him recall all the particulars of the
contract, as Mr.. Buck was always con-
scientious in his dealings, while Mrs.
Buck had the reputation of being close.
On one occasion he went to the dress
makers to get new dress for Mrs.
Buck, adding with the utmost naiv-
cite, at will be necessary to go to the
house for the measure, as Mrs. Buck
is quite i'll and unable to come over"
Some boys passing the house one
morning commenced blackguarding
the person in petticoats, who burst
into tears and sobbed, IF my hus-
band was here he wouldn't see me
abused So" Returning later in the
day, the same person in pantaloons
took after them with a cudgel, yelling
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