The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-11-18

quently made mistake of an hour or
two when Clio asked me what the time
was, as we stood talking over the gate, on
which occasions had gone straight to
my room and found that instead of being
ten o'clock it was midnight. Twill have
time, l thought, to smoke my pipe and
then will 60. 1t was not long before
my pipe went out, and l prepared to fol-
low its example. 1t occurred to me that
If left the house in the usual way some
of the folks would hear me, and their in
quiries as to my destination would be
awkward to answer; so got out of the
open window, and crept down the light
ning-rOd. / was so absorbed with the
object that / was in pursuit of that did
not notice the distance, and almost be-
fore ! knew it found myself in front of
the Professors house. All was dark
except where the study was located, and
from its window the yellow gaslight
shone brightly. halted at the gate for
a moment, and then, seeing no prying
policeman, concluded to walk the
length of the lot once or twice before 1
entered the house. had just got op-
posite the bright window when the cur
tain was drawn up, and l saw the form
OF the Professor. In moment he per-
ceived me, and, opening the window, he
called tome. At his invitation entered
the study, not by the door, but by clam
bering through the window, which was
but few feet from the ground. Warm
as the night was, bright fire was burn
ing in the crate, and from the strange in.
struments and apparatus lying on the
table and about the room concluded
that the Professor had been experiment
ing. He was unusually cordial, invited
me to seat, and opened the conversation
with few com nOn-place remarks. We
must have talked for nearly an hour,
when 1 inquired how the Phenician
exiles were getting on.
GA fig for Fenish," exclaimed the Pro-
fessor, Z" / am engaged in much greater
scheme. / have made a discovery that
will be of incalculable benefit to man.
kind"
Indeed" asked, "what is it ?'
The Professor sat on one side of the
table and l occupied a place opposite
him. For moment he was silent, and
then glancing around the room and CIV
ing preparatory cough, he spoke as il
addressing his class at the college:
You are familiar" said he, "with
the faculty called memory-a sense that
varies in each individual. In men it
deals with generalities; with women it is
mostly cognizant of specialties. For in
stance, a woman will remember the
material and exact cut of garment
worn by another person, while man
will csly recall that the person in ques-
tion either looked we'll or badly. In a
history class of both sexes the females
will soonest commit and remember long
est the dates. But they readily forget
what the males will remember longest
the general effect of the occurrences that
happened on those dates.
"This is simple memory but there is
another faculty TO it, yet of finer and
more subtitle description. You are sit
ting in front of your window on rainy
day. You have nothing to do, and you
are listlessly looking out at the passing
people. Every one carries an umbrella.
A woman passes on the opposite side of
the street; her umbrella conceals her
face, and a long waterproof her figure.
She is one among many. You merely
notice that she is passing, and take no
cognizance of her gait or peculiarities.
AS soon as she goes beyond the range of
your vision no more memory of her re-
mains than if she had never passed that
way. That same afternoon, as you are
going home, you meet the same person
in the street-car, and, without remem-
bering her, instinctively know her. You
can't tell where you have met her, and
are not sure that you ever did.
There is still finer sense than this.
An incident occurs, very trivial one
may be, but you feel confident and sure
that the same thing has happened before,
and that you know it then as well as
now. The theory of metempsychosis
may account for it in part, but it does
not satisfy. There is something beyond
it; subtle sort of refined sense, and
what it is all savants have puzzled over.
Fairfield, Lecky, Owen, have studied the
subject and have been forced to give it
up as beyond their powers. In the case
of the pheno menal mind.reader, who
seems to have this unknown and un-
named sense in a high degree ofdevelop-
ment, Professors Lyman, Thatcher,
Marsh, and others, whose attainments
are undoubted, confessed themselves ut
terly at loss for reason. Professor
Crocker said the nerve current is some
mode of force correlative with electricity
That expression nearly foreshadowed my
discovery. The cause for all this mys-
terry is found in nervous galvanism."
During this lecture-like talk had been
watching the Professor closely. His
eyes had increased in brilliancy until
they fairly sparkled, and his hands
twitched as The had lost all control over
them. Several times was on the point
of smiling incredulously, but the object
of my visit prevented me. When the
Professor paused in his talk it was in
such manner as to imply that some re-
mark from me was expected, so l said,
"Wellp'
"Wellp echoed the Professor, you
seem to doubt the proofof my proposition.
l will prove its reliability"
He began collecting the apparatus and
putting it in order. Three. long glass
rods had noticed upon the table fitted
into metallic cap and formed tripod
adjustable in height; a steel band about
a foot in diameter, to which were at
tached screws 80 that the size could be
contracted, was produced from adrawer, j
and to it an insulated wire was fastened.
AS sOOn as tnese arrangements WeTc per
fected the Professor said:
"Will you be kind enough to sit in this
chairf"
For an instant the thought that the
Professor had some sinister motive
flashed through my mind, but / did not
dare displease him, and thinking of Clio
I sat in the chair pointed to me. Noticed
that the legs of the chair terminated in
glass knobs, and that it was placed at
some distance from the other articles OF
furniture. After / had seated myself,
the tripod was placed over me and the
steel ring or band was adjusted about my
head, the end of the wire leading from
it, being connected with galvanometer.
The Professor watched the latter instru-
ment closely. At last he said:
You are excited, and your mind does