Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-08-13

among the wierd shadows back of the
beginning, rs set forth in the wonderful
! Word.
| Then, too, the problem of futurity is to
| be solved for me so soon, have been
content in my commonplaceness to dwell
| in the present and hope toward the here
after. But | discover it is the fashion
| now in polite society to be much more con-
| cerned about where we came from than
| where we are going l found, too, that
| the individuals whose minds had so en-
tirely mastered the great theory of evo-
luton as to be well convinced, with
| out doubt, and far beyond shadow of
| aperadventure, that they were descended
from primeval tadpoles and progressive
monkeys were the crowned kings and
queens of the empire of philosophy, and
the embodied amazements of Che multi
tude.
AS said, had teaparty, and when
it was over, the company dispersed, the
dishes washed and the great tidal wave
this new and most eloquent expression
is so much to the point I'll say it AGAIN.,
yes, repeat, when the great tidal wave
of my thought, that had been dashed into
very m,aelstrom by the whirl of big
words buffeted about from mouth to
mouth at my tea-table-when, say en-
phatically, when the great tidal wave of
my thoughts had subsidized, and began
to poke my bewildered head out of my
old prejudices, and peer about for some
wider fields on which to air my newly
acquired discomfort at not knowing more
about the modus operdndi of my creation
than the good Father of US all had seen
fit to reveal, l did feel wonderfully
queer, l am sure.
To acknowledge that had been some
what staggered at the tea-table to hear
the shaggy-eye-b rowed doctor admit that
there were some missing links of the
great chain in the pet theory advanced
by the great Darwin is simply to be hon.
est. But said the doctor: "Science
neither slumbers nor sleeps, and we
fondly hope these missing links may yet
be supplied" He proceeded: "The
facts, with other facts, every day go
more extensively to show the great i'm
probability of the Independent origin Of
individuals of the same species in dis
connected geographical areas, and give
us, with the philosophic definitions of
Species the idea of community of ORR
gin, and consequently, also, the idea Of a
necessary geological connection y Twas
very plain to me after this sentence, and
] at first thought never would have any
thing in my head again but doubts.
thought much about this matter as
lay upon my bed awake; l dreamed Of
things belonging to chaos, without form
and void; but the next morning superb
thought suddenly swept into my brain !;
if, thought (oh, why must If link itself
to SO muchs), if my husband would but
be the lucky man to supply the missing
links, wouldn't our family awaken to a
sudden and surprising famousness. He
is professional man, and has one cor
ner of his office quite a cabinet OF old
pebbles and things, alllabeled with words
OF from four to seven syllables; so l
sought him, and begged him just to" know
his opportunity" and write book. He
should write the book, and l would
name it 1.-THE Finding of the Miss
ing Links; or, The Great Riddle I'm
riddled." 1t would take, this scientific
work, | knew, almost the same as a
moral story of the life of pirate, or
some purely religious novel. And then
when the learned doctor of the shaggy
eyebrows had reviewed it, and my green
specialized, graduated tea guest had tran s
ated it into half the modern European
languages, then would come the medal
from the French Academy, and then
would his portrait be ordered painted by
the Government, then would his bust be
nodded for a place in the most conspicu-
Gus niche of the museum department of
every college in the land.
My husband looked up from his Med
zeal Journal, saying with tender, pene-
trating piety in his tone: my love,
have consecrated my life to usefulness,
and cereTospinal meningitis is prevail
ing around us as an epidemic. am seek
ing the aid of all the knowledge | can
command to save the lives of fellowcreat-
uresl"
"Pause!" exclaimed, almost tragic
ally; "pause, oh, misguided man. in the
midst of your mad career Of investigat-
ing the uncertain properties of musty
and multifarious medicines! pause,
say, and solve me the great problem,
whence did your fellow creatures evolve
Is man but more highly developed ape,
on whom kindly nature has bestowed "a
thumb by way of compensation for the
missing caudal appendage? Settle this
question. and then proceed to vanqush
the serted back bones Of the Many gin
ties"
My husband just laughed and said he
would leave this important question to
the strongminded women of the present
day. OF course he had no idea of such
a thing as ranking me among the strong
minded ones in fact, very few men, will
ingly, place their wives names in that
list.
But said to myself, what is the use
of wishing for fame for one who has no
ambition further than to make himself
the benefactor of the .fel1osc- creatures of a
country neighborhood? And l went and
made myself a cup of most excellent