The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-11-23

der. Irrepresslole, all pervading wom-
an.
am always one of those unhappy
beings whose nose finds out all odors
from afar. The sweetness of the grape
flower, where from her humble green
spray she breathes a delicious fra
GRANGE, was first noticed by me. l as
sure you it was myself who found that
grape flowers resemble mignonette.
Out on hunting excursion l have
tracked the yellow-wood violet to her
haunt by that simple smell of sweet old
decaying wood. Imagine if you can
my sensations when my wife brought
to my house the air of the dissecting
rooms. From that moment hated her;
outraged nature had her way. In this
deplOrable condition Invent down to the
seashOre one day and encountered my
old friend Noel Hausser. We were
students together, and had parted years
ago in Frankfort. He was a mighty
'medicine man." had penetrated and
interpenetrated the arcana of nature and
wrested from her her hidden things.
He was skilled as poisoner.' 1 know
you are now imagining dreadful things.
Compose yourself. He was an amateur
suffer of birds, crocodiles, snakes, pre-
server of insects, etc., etc.-a noted
scientist. He had dwelt for years at
the foot of the Himalaya Mountains.
Not content with European scenery and
bugs, he must confront our austere
mother in her Asian haunts.
Truth to tell, Nature, stern mother,
loved him well, and the bottles of Noel
Hausser held tales of the rainbow and
heath, of flowers that grew high up,
with pure cold lips touching perpetual
snow, of poisons more potent than the
reptiles fang, of sleep that was long
and deadly, of slumberous, intoxicating
dreams, warm with summer and spicy
with tropic incenses.
Noel Hausser, wonderful man, i'm
mense creation, a puzzle to every one
save his creator! He recognized me at
once, "Sadder and older grown; old
boy, what ails you?" His own beard
was grizzled and frost-strewn with sew
eral silver threads, and on the temples
also were some struggling lines of snow.
Yet Noel Hausser called himself a per-
petual youth. 4" Sick?'' "Well, rather
so, Noel; come home with me; we can
talk over old matters and begin our ac-
quaintance anew" "I was coming to
your house, Elton, when met you; in
fact, have only arrived here lately, a
few days ago." My wife liked Noel
immensely, and from his vast fund of
information she, like an inquisitive bee,
began to gather honey. Learning must,
indeed, have had huge attraction for
that woman. He had not been domes-
ticated in our house more than week
before she had leased from him
his oldest and most ven
cradle saurian, a stuffed toad, a
dozen or SO of South American green
beetles, several huge moth-millers from
the Asian mountains, and a snake or
two from the intricacies of a painless,
reptile-haunted African interior. She
was now bent on setting up museum
of her own; for the example of my old
friend Noel inspired her with ruthless
ardor. If he knew any thing that she
did not get out Of him during his three
months stay with US 1 am ignorant of
its import. 'Eton," said he, one even
ing as we were alone over our cigars,
"your strength fails and you are not in
the least like my old friend. What ais
you?"
"If you have any poison, painless
and sure, pray give it to me, for l am
weary of living. Noel, do assure you
that the most miserable wretch who
passes you on the street is happier
than l."
"If am to do you any good, Elton,
you must confde in me fully. Let me
feel your pulse-feverish-yes, depress-
ed. 1t won't do, old boy; shake it off.
You must make long, long journey"
Well, in short am almost ashamed
to confess it to you'll told him the
story of my unhappiness.
Cant you like her if you make an
honest efiort?''
Impossible; we are so different
incompatible they call it, Hausser, don't
they? No; am determined to end it;
there is only one way,for me, and that
is to make an end of myself"
"You are determined"
eyes"
These were the last words addressed
to me before my death by Hausser; for
when awakened from my dreams and
slumber the old things had passed
away.
Ihad a recollection of seeing Hausser
take down from a cupboard a strange
Eastern bottle, labelled in the cabalistic
chirography of Indian lands. 1t SEEM
ed full of some sparkling, dancing ra-
dance; when it was uncorkeda strange
blue mist hung full of dreams filled the
room. l also remember drinking
something from his hand-that is all.
! When l awoke it was in land of palms
and summer glory; dark and strange
people fitted here and there like phan-
toms of a dream.
Hausser, my old friend, was busy with
his reptiles and dried birds near la5o-
ratory; he had on very light clothing
suitable to tropical countries; all the
familiar sceneries of my land and home
were changed. passed my hand over
my brow in a confused way, for |
thought my intellect must have receiv-