The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-12-23
retty monkey to beautify my exist

seized me; and. softening my voice,
said:
'.Well, then, yes! I have said what
has been repeated for six thousand
years: 1t is clear that the body turns
to dust, but that it is not my fault; it is
a fact, and. every reasonable animal
must submit to positive material facts.
What is the use of struggling? That is
evident to the senses. But the spirit,
invisible, impalpable. is necessarily i'm
mortal"
On hearing this, my chimpanzee burst
into endless roars of laughter, chatter
ing his teeth and repeating:
1.-THE spirits is immortal! immortal
Ha! ha! ha! that's a good joke! immor-
talr'
He slapped his thighs and went into
such convulsions that 1 was afraid OF
seeing him fall from the tree, and be-
gan to cry out:
''Hook yourself on, animal! Hold
yourself faster. With your extrava-
neck, and II here, without a body,
what viii become of me? How shall
get up before my scholars and make
them recognize me?'
These reasons appeared to affect the
ape, for he was interested in his per-
servatiOn as much as l. Then, having
calmed himself, he continued:
''You are immortal, and l must dis
appear! Yet we have but one Il For
fifty years we have been working to-
gether for the development of this i,
both of us. l have suffered, as we'll as
you, the privations which were needed
for your greatness. Haven't we had to
pass day and night digging into Latin.
! Greek, Hebrew, and Sanscrit. without
! speaking of living languages, to get
your chair of philosophy. And now I
must perish, while you will survive me
in existence of unalterable satisfaction
and felicity for ever and ever? Come,
now, that is contrary to common sense.
Where would be the eternal justice Of
| which you are always talking?"
My spirit, having no other answer to
make, tried: ''shut up! But, directly,
| feeling the necessity of wheedling this
subtle animal by some sort of reasoning,
| added:
"Your physical sufferings were moth
| ing in comparison with my intellectual
and moral sufferings. Besides, they
were compensated by host of pleas
ures suited to your nature. l never re-
fused you anything. AS soon as my
means permitted, I put on you fine
brown suit of clothes, patent-leather
shoes, according to the taste you have
always shown; waist coats, fashionable
cravats, the latest trowsers were not
lacking to you-for vanity was as great
as mine. You had to have white linen,
ornaments to your watch-chain-things
which l could have done without, but
for you. And your love of good living.
I never saw the like. Haven't we
shouted and sung and feasted at the
Prado, ut the Chaumiere? How many
sausages with sourkrout, slices of ham.
and crawfish haven't you swallowed at
the Strasburg Brewery, La Harpe
Street? Have 1 ever reproached you in
the least? Even when my pockets were
empty, and l had to go on tick, did I
hesitate? 1 do not speak of the innu-
merable pints of beer which have gone
down your throat; they would make
thousands of kegs if you would reckon
them up. And the cigars, and the mu-
sic, and the theatre-and all the rest"
patiently. "Goodr' said he, ''you nev-
er refused anything to yourself, either,
and thousand times you have depriv-
ed me of the greatest necessaries in Or
der to adorn your library with some
new book and satisfy your vain curiosi-
ty. In the early days, especially, had
to pass winters without a fire; my fin
gers numb with cold and my stomach
empty"
81 suffered from it more than YOU
Your privations enfeebled me, and the
fear of losing you gave me fever"
'.Ahr' cried the rascally ape, "to be
so afraid you must have been not quite
sure of surviving me. Say what you
will, we shall end together; you shall
not survive me a second. When sleep,
we both lose the sense of the T. when
begin to wake up, you dream, you
babble; when; open my eyes, you re-
vive; when am sick and you suspect
the slightest dangerous injury to me, you
do not know what saint to pray to-
Go! your case is as clear as mine; soothe
yourself with your darling illusions, we
shall none the less depart arm-in-arm."
He stopped, and seeing me reduced
to silence, the animal went on with re-
doubled insOlence:
Formerly, in the time of the Egyp-
tians, was embalmed after my death, |
and remained hundreds of years in |
the condition of . mummy. 1t was a |
just tribute to my services; the honor of |
being enveloped in consecrated BAN
dages and stuffed with rare perfumes
consoled me little for the loss of life.
But. at present you disdain me; you
think to elevate yourself by despising
your body. For all that it is only
on your part. Do you remem-
Der our rheumatism in the stomach.
when DR.. Boniface gave us both up? l
could hardly help laughing, in spite OF
the sadness of the moment, at your
Inn1yc rooai1nI fhn 1oS OF |
lations of this terrestrial world; the big
Latin words served out to you had not
the appearance of reassuring you much
rs to your final lot, and for the sake of
keeping me two or three years more
you would not have hesitated a minute
TO sacrifice your eternal life. Come,
own up; be honest to yourself Is it true?"
l was confounded at his impudence;
hen, with a movement of Indignation
md as last resource, and striking my
breast, l cried:
81 think; therefore, I am"
And the chimpanzee initiating my
gesture and caressing his stomach, jeer-
ngly cried:
II digest; therefore / am. One can
ioubt everything except that one di-
rests; for to doubt one must digest,
loubt being phase of good diges-
ION.
So much audacity deserved chastise-
nent rose to bring the rascal to his
enses, when l perceived in the deep
hadow of the leaves a moving object.
looking closer, recognized the flat
lead of one of those enormous serpents
# the Ganges marshes, with whom apes
ire favorite dainty. His tail loosened
tself from the tip of the the tamarind
rec, and his scaly belly glided undu-
ating in silence down to the lower
branches. A cry of horror burst from
ny very bowels:
''Look outr'
And the chimpanzee, perceiving from ,
he corner of his eye the fearful reptile,
made prodigious leap. =,
1t was too late; the python had fol- =.
owed him like dart, and heard his !;
zones cracking, when my maid-servant :,
eturning from vespers, opened the door, '