Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-08-02

hand, which somehow sent an icy thrill
to my very heart" we'll, so you wish
you were dead?"
Did you hear meY' said. ooh, it
was nonsense, of course. often say
so. Abolish habit have. | don't
mean it." - ISL
8" It wasn't nonsense!" he said; he
talked in allow, monotonous voice, in
telligible enough to the ear for which it
was intended, but not to be overheard
by others. cit wasn't nonsense, but
very rational, prudent wish. | wish SO
myself; and what is more" he said, 90
have the means to carry out both our
wishes"
laughed uneasily. "You are jok-
ing" I said. .,r.-s.,-...--s
II never joke. Until now," he went
on, "the great lettering influence
which has restrained those wise men,
who see the folly and emptiness of life,
who, measuring their feeble capacities
for enjoyment with their unlimited
capabilities for uffering, would gladly
resign a possession which has no advan-
tage for them-the great lettering in-
fuence whas been the doubt whether
death be really complete severance
of the body and soul, whether, indeed,
there is not a lingering capability Of
| feeling still hanging to the relaxed
nerves, q lingering consciousness in the
decay ing brain; that, in addition to the
bitterness of death, one may taste also,
the gloom OF the grave, and the ihor-l
rors of the charnel-house," aa, i, aaast
l. !" Good heaven!" I cried, "What
horrible ideal" He. fascinated me,
this man. Iwould gladly have risen
and gone away; but he stopped me
with his eye. ga * s9tst q 10 s4slo'
pa " Listen he said; "Ihave overcome
this impeachment; / have opened the
gates of death to all mankind. To YOU,
my young school-fellow, I will reveal
/ the secret; lest, tempted some day to
cross the boundary, I should leave
mankind as wretched as ever. You see
this powerful herb; it is like mint, is it
/ not the smell, the taste, everything is
like rnint-you would not know them
apart; and yet in a small quantity of
this powder lies a relief from all the
miseries of life, Don't shrink back; it
is innocuous' ID small doses, produces
merely pleasing langtlor; but in such
a quantity as a teaspoonful, it pro-
duces lethargy; twiceo the quantity
brings on lsyncope; thrice; inevitable
death. | have often ventured as far as
the second stage, but have always stop
lped short of the third. And I have
j brought back this much assurance from
] the world of shadows: consciousness
ceases altogether at the second stage.
There are NO dreams in the sleep of
death. - bs45 aoi.aaga3.) -Gna
"'The preliminary stage of lethargy
is delightful often inoulge in it; but
/ Ihave had doubt sometimes VIII ether
I might not possess an exceptional
physical organization; whether the
herb would produce exactly the same
effects on others. I determined to try
the experiment. on q larger scale.
came here tonight to do it. Ihave no.
ticed that the frequenter of these
rooms, on pea-soup nights, which are
frequent, takes one plate Of soup, to
which he adds one spoonful of mint.
Well, | watched my opportunity.
came here as soon as the rooms were
opened; and, whilst the walters back
was turned, emptied the contents of
the plate of mint into my pocket, and
filled the plate with my own powder.
The experiment was bold one, for
might have caused the death of limo
, cent persons. However, persevered;
the interests Of science overpower con-
siderations of humanity. The expert
ment has completely succeeded. Each
habitue of these rooms has swallowed
his plate ct soap, his spoonful of pre-
cious herb; each has gone through the
state of lethargy. There are some now,
you observe, passing through that
STAGE" a FL
threw an agonized glance around
Sure enough, there were two or three
!, men lying back in their chairs, their
'. heads sunk on their breasts, in state
of complete lethargy. e =
And" he went on, 81 can see the
symptoms of, the approaching lethargy
upon you-the dilated pupil of the
eye, the expression of anxiety in the
, face; yes, all is perfect; the symptoms
are"
"But," I gasped, az houe taken three
spoonsfM !"
Martyr Of science!" he cried
springing up and grasping me by the
, hand, chow carefully, how painfully, ]
will watch every symptom of your de
/ Ginning vitality Dear friend, YOU
case will be an era In the history of hu
3 mainly. Like Curtius you have leap
3 ed into the chasm for the public veal.
"But isn't there an antidote?" ]
3 gasped; a rem edye" @24 &
"There is none; and were there, you
t would not go back from the noble
a path? My dear friend, initiate the ex
e ample Of the ancient Roman; a quietude
r serenity in your last hours. is indis
!. pensible for the proper noting of youl
) 0henomena" @
J, But won't die !" I shouted, get
j ting up. My limbs trembled beneath
me; felt the very chills of death upor
!. me. 81 won't! I won't p Here ]
= screamed, Send for doctor-for pc
/ icemen. Quick !! quick /! I'm poison
r ed