Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-12-02
PROF. P0IRIER'S DREAM.
From the French Of Erckm.nn.oha,riau

8
tell asleep reading Darwin.
Ny window opened upon tn
Charter-house garden the rustlius
of the leaves vaguely 20 my ears
light breath OF air caressed my
cheeks. Suddenly, in dream | saw
myself transported TO the banks Of
the Gauges, near Banar3s
| was sitting in the shade Of 6
great tamarind tree; the sacred riy.
or rolled before ma like lake, white
SlIb light, upon i. banks an i'm
other exotic plants spread itself,
whose lances, parasols and fans
mingled together as far ss the eye
could reach.
Aud while | contemplated in
wonderment this splendid land.
scape, slight noise 10 the leaTes
over my head drew my attention.
| looked up and saw-gusss what
saw
| saw myself, Nicholas PORTER,
professor of philosophy at the. Col-
lege of SAINT Suzanne, in the form
of chimpanzse, hanging by one OF
my paws to one of the lower lin bs
of the tamarind tree and making
faces at myself
Judge of my astonishment
Comprebending directly that my
body had discovered itself from my
soul and was capering abou. in the
lonely forest / was 10 CONSERVATION.
"lt IL wanders off into the depths
of the wood" l said to myself, it
will never return, and l shall re-
main here with nv metaphysics
and nothing else to console me-"
The thought maio ms shadder.
| wanted to summon my Not ms to
resume immedistely It's sc:a.to,nad
form, but the fear of frightening 1t
modified my ideas. and with cDa-
ciliatorty tone | said TO it:
Come, come, my dear Nicholas,
consider--does that posture suit
the dignity of your character
Ought professo f philosophy to
suspend himself ~ the branch of d
tree? Is it proper? Como. my
friend, come back 50 propriety -
But the chimp after reply
ing to me with two or three grim.
maces, said
"Ahl now do you take me for q
fool, proud and stupid spiris ? | de.
scenG from nv tree to seat myself
again in your cid armchair nd
wear out my eyes in deciphering
silly stories All, you know n e
little if you reckon on that. No, no,
| am very we'll on my tree ard here
| stay-untiI the fancy takes me to
get down and MUNICH few almonds
or treat myself TO cocoanut. That
is what suits me. Youi do whal
you like, discuss, dream, babble
that is your affair. l have had
enough of it,"
AT this inpertinent answer | had
a mind to be angry, but rejecting
for the second time that this would
not be a good way to bring back
the Not-me, | resolved to convince
it by the force OF logic and 10 soft
.ened accents | cried:
| comprehend. my dear Nicholas,
the wish for liberty that has taken
possession of you; the desire to
stretch yourself was natural enough
after being thirty years at rest. But
this once is enough. You should
listen to reason. Come, my friend,
come"
Clear mo-" interrupted the chin
panzee. For d long TINA | have
known what you keep in store for
me that you distinguish between
yourself and me, who are your own
body and your own life; that you
propose to survive me after having
made me work and sweat to satisfy
your vanity. You have told me SC
o hundred times while we were TO.
gether under the same envelope,
You have said 10 me, you. body
shall die, and shali turn to dust af
ter being buried csrcm ,niously, blu,
I, spirit, | am of another essence
than yours my essence is one and
indivisible it ia immortal, outside
of time and space; time cannot at
feet it. You were made to be eater
by worms Is it true2 DID you
say 80 ?"
could not deny it, my body
having lived with me for fifty Year'
in the most intimate confidence
and besides | had taught the thing
professionally 10 tho lecture room
according to the programme Of th'
university. could not, therefore
dispute the fact, and the chimpan'
zee, seeing me embarrassed, recon
menced making faces at me, giving
forth pesls oflaughter with an ali
of triumph,
| lost patience.
care you coming down directIy?'
| cried. 81 am tired of all this talk
1t is | who commands l, the spir
it, and the matter ought to obey"
"You have told me so hundred
times" said the ape, sneoringiy
sand | was stupid enough to belicv'
you. But times are changed now
Stay in your armchair. | am goin;
to skip away, swing on the vine
AID try to fnd some pretty mon
key to beautify my existence"
st this threat q shudder of hor
ror siezed me, and softeniug my
voice | said:
"WelI, then, yes, | have sal
what has been repeated for 81.
thousand years. 1t is clear that ID
body turns to dust, but that is no
nv fsnlt; it is 8 fact, and ever,
reasonable animal mus. submit Il
positive material facts. What is til
use of struggling? That is eviden
to the senses. But the spirit, invisi
bic, impalpable, i necessarily i'm
mortal"
On hearing thi my chimpauze
burst into endless roars of laughter
chattefing his tee n and repeating
"Tbe spirit 10 immortal immor
/ tai Ha ha! hai that is goo
| iokel immortaIl"
He slapped his thighs and wen
into such commissions that / wa
afraid of seeing him fall from tn
tree and began to cry out:
"Hold yourself on animal! Hol
| yourself faster. With your extrava
I k-no L.