The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-12-23
PROF. POIRIER'S DREAM.
From tho French Of tria

Last Sunday afternoon, my maid
| servant having gone out to vespers, anC
| tho heat of the day toward three O o'clocl
| being overpowering, 1 fell asleep read
ing Darwin.
My window opened upon tho Charter
house garden; the rustling of the leave'
vaguely to my ears; light breath o.
air caressed my cheeks. Suddenly, in
| a dream, 1 saw myself transported tc
the banks of the Ganges, not far from
Benares.
/ was sitting in the shade of a great
tamarind tree; the sacred river rolled
before me like a lake, white with light,
and upon its banks an immense forest
of palms, bananas, and other exotic
plants spread itself, whose lances, par
asols, and fans mingled together as far
as the eye could reach.
And while contemplated in wonder
ment this splendid landscape, slight
noise in the leaves over my head drew
my attention. looked up and saw
guess what saw!
saw myself, Nicholas Poirier, pro
fessor of philosophy at the College OF
Saint Suzanne, in the form of CHM
panzee, hanging by one of my paws to
the lower branch of the tamarind tree.
and making faces at myself.
Judge of my astonishment!
Comprehending directly that my body
had discovered itself from my soul, and
was capering about in the lonely forest,
/ was in CONSERVATION.
If it wanders off into the depths OF
the wood" said to myself. lit will
never return, and 1 shall remain here
alone, with my metaphysics and moth
ing else to console me-"
The thoughts made me shudder. l
wanted to summon my Not-me to re-
sumo Immediately its accustomed place,
but the fear of frightening it modified
my ideas, and with q conciliatory tone,
l said to it:
Come! come! my dear Nicholas.
consider-does that posture suit the
dignity of your character? Ought q
professor of philosophy to suspend him
self from the branch of tree? Is it
proper? Come, my friend, come back
to propriety!'
But the chimpanzee, after replying to
me by two or three grimaces, said:
'.Ah! now, do you take me for fool.
proud and stupid spiritp descent from
my tree to seat myself again in your old
armchair, and wear out my eyes in de-
ciphering silly stories! All. you know
me little if you reckon on that. No, no!
am very well on my tree, and here l
stay-until the fancy takes me to get
down and MUNICH few almonds or
treat myself to a cocoanut. That's
what suits me. You! do what you like,
discuss, dream, babble; that is your
affair. have had enough of it."
At this impertinent answer l had a
mind to be angry, but for the second
time rejecting that this would not be
good way to bring back the Not-me,
resolved to convince it by the force of
logic, and in softened accents cried:
II comprehend, my dear Nicholas,
the wish for liberty which has taken
of you; the desire to stretch
yourself was natural enough, after be-
ing thirty years at rest. But this once
is enough. You should listen to rea-
son. Come, my friend, come"
"Hear me-" interrupted the CHM
panzee. "For long time have known
what you keep in store for me; that you
between yourself and me;
who are your own body and your own
life; that you propose to survive me,
after having madc me work and sweat
TO satisfy your vanity. You have told
iIlo 81 q tlluCS, WI VIC WcIc
together under the same envelope. You
have said TO me, You, body, shall die;
you shall turn to dust, after being bur-
led ceremoniously; but 1, spirit, am
of another essence than yours; my es-
sence is one and indivisible; it is i'm
mortal, outside of space and time; time
cannot affect it. You, you were made
to be eaten by worms Is it true? Did
you say sop'
could not deny it, my body having
lived with me fifty years in the most in
Innate confidence, and, besides, 1 had
Taught the thing professionally in the
according to the pro-
gramme of the university. could not,
dispute the fact, and the
seeing me embarrassed, re-
making faces at me, Civ
ng forth peals Of laughter with an air
If triumph.
l lost patience.
'.Are you coming down directly?" I
,ried. II am tired of all this talk 1t
s who command, the spirit; and !
natter ought to obey"
''You have told me so a hundred |
imes," said the ape, sneeringly, land
was stupid enough to believe you.
8ut times are changed. Stay in your |
1 am going to skip away, |
winG on the vines, and try to find SOME