Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-06-27
From the Sunday World.
HOW PETER LEPLET WENT TO THE
DEVIL.

For so long a time | have beer
troubled with inquiries concerning the
fate of Peter Leplet that | take thi.
method OF answering all questions
Through series of circumstances, moi
wholly unconnected with Spiritualism
| have become acquainted with the
details of the said affair, and to relieve
anxious friends will make them pub.
lie.
As may be remembered, this lumin.
Gus ornament of that portion of oul
society which is devoted to speculative
investigation disappeared suddenly IL
September last. He had been seen by
the clearinghouse keeper to enter his
room about eleven o'clock at night
The next day he was nowhere to be
found. His door was locked on the
inside and the windows latched. Evi-
IDENTIFY here was a mystery, and that
mystery has hitherto remained un-
solved. No clue to his wherea bouts
has been discovered. / alone know
the facts, for facts they undoubtedly
are, and now give them to the world
They may perhaps be found useful, il
for nothing else than warning.
Peter, then, on that evening when
he vanished from this sphere, had
been attending a meeting of a cele-
brated club, Of which he was a promi-
nent member. The question was, The
Personality of the Devil" On this
Peter argued at length in support OF
the theory that the devil is only a
vague abstraction, gradually becom-
ing fainter every day. He brought to
his aid large store acknowledge, and
returned home. with the proud con-
sciopsness that he had proven his
point.
Locking the door of his sitting-room,
he turned on the gas, and then for the
first time perceived that he was not
alone. Sitting in his favorite easy
chair, smoking fragrant cigar, was a
dark -complexioned gentleman dressed
in plack, with white cravat. 1t might
have been merely, fancy, but Peter
thought that a warm atmosphere radi-
ated from him as from a furnace.
"Hullo!" said Leplet, "who are
your"
The stranger arose and bowed po-
litely, saying with bland smile and in
singularly soft voice, Il have the
honor to be the gentleman whom you
have Just shown to be non-existent." /"
THE devil you are " exclaimed
Peter.
Exactly" replied his Satanic Ma
jesty, bowing again and resuming his
seat.
Peter was entirely devoid of fear, so
he likewise Lit cigar and took chair
on the other side of the centre-table,
looking very incredul0us.
I see you do not believe in ne?
mot bit, was the cool response,
Z" am probably fast asleep at this mo-
ment, and you are the result of that
Stilton cheese / had after dinner, as
sisted by my speech tonight. No,
most decidedly, l do not believe in
you"
The gentleman in black frowned
slightly and then leaned back in his
chair, the smile on his thin lips grow
ing broader as Peter continued speak
ing.
4 know all about you-you are 2
humbug. You are nothing but scape
goat for the theologians who were
driven to adopt you from savages as an
easy explanation of their hypotheses.
You are the Y of their equation.
Why, even your figure is fraud, you
are only the old Roman Pan blackened
over and furnished with pitch-fork.
Pooh-you can't scare me.
The Devil laughed condescendingly
my dear boy, do not allow yourself
to become excited. Certainly, | used
to wear that absurd costume you men,
ton, but other times, other manners
you know, ] droppsd the medieval
business long while ago; the charac-
ter had very good run, but finally lost
all its potency. At present l am a
gentleman, and am thinking Of giving
a course of lectures on the Failure of
Christianity" Here he chuckled for
few moments.
Now" said Peter in an argumenta-
tive tone of voice, crossing his legs,
g / am perfectly willing to reason with
you, and have no doubt that | can
disaproye you altogether"
'tThe only objection to that is, sug-
gusted his visitor, " the slight one that
| do exist"
Nonsense. Peter exclaimed dog
matically, If I prove you to be only
the result of Imagination and false in
terpretation, | trust that you will be
candid enough to admit the truth?"
Certainly, my character for yeraci-
ty is widely known"
"Well, then, let us begin at the be-
ginning. You will acknowledge, |
hope, that there is nothing going to
show that you were referred to by the
author of the Mosaic books when he
speaks of Eve and the serpent. In
later times the Jews falling from their
original faith came to adopt supersm
tions of fearful unearthly beings
haunting wiidernesses, similar to the
Grecian fans and satyrs. This is clear
from the Peutateuch. There, the He,
brew word seirim Leyiticus xvii, Z
which our translators render devils,
really means only hairy ones Nov.
we know that the Egyptians woFskipet
the he-goat, and We also know that the
Hebrews shared in their idolatry-ex
cuse the word. So, Moses in the verse
I have mentioned says They shall NJ
more offer their sacrifices to seirim :
that is to the Egyptian god or he-goat
Am correct SO far
The visitor smiled politely. II fn'
it very interesting. You remind me o
great deal that l had forgotten
Pray continue"
In the books of the Old Testa
ment." Peter went on. quite elated O