Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-06-23
AN AGNOSTIC.
"

My patrimony, my place, my betrothed,
all forfeit, | had now nothing left but my
opinions / determined to withdraw to
my Devonshire retreat, and there, far
from the worlds classifying influence, to
devote my remaining years to the develop
ing of my principles. Nor would | yet
despair of their spread. | sought for
some friends to join my exile, and found
three, who protested themselves willing
to become my disciples. All were dis
appointed men, who, their confidence
having been thoroughly shaken in some
of their most earnest convictions, were
the more rapidly attracted by my scheme
Of exposing the insecurity OF the founda-
lions of human knowledge. One was
younger son, a returned traveller and
colonist, who had lost hardly won for
tune in bubble company the second
scientific student of engineering, who
had ruined himself in experiments, and
failed to get the world to recognize his
model invention as of any worth. The
third was my own cousin Frank, whose
unsuccessful wooing OF Sophia Vivia's
sister, had materially sobered his views
of life. We formed, as it Were, little
monastic order of which | was the
acknowledged head. Our rule of life,
ideally philosophic and entirely novel,
was of the strictest. Conversation and
and studies were rigidly confined to sub
jects bearing on our grand postulate OF
universal doubt. For example, in the
morning one of us would deliver lecture
on the weakness of induction a second
produce an essay showing the invalidity
of historical influence third undergo
1itta in h. fn Of fr,
cal logic while the fourth prepared an
attack, disposing for evermoTe of the
authority of consciousness. The lighter
topics, such as specific fallacies and illu-
siOns-fallacies OF memory, sensation, or
intelligence-were reserved for the even
ing. By such course OF diligent and
incessant interpretive scrutiny | pro-
posed in due time to reduce my compan-
ions minds, on any subject whatever,
from state of comfortable security to one
of utter skepticism and confusion. Nc
incident SO homely, so minute, but il
might serve as an illustration of ouI
theories. Often the egg on the break
fast-table was allowed TO grow cold, while
we discussed the rival idealistic and re
alistic conceptions of the objects befor,
us, and showed the proof OF both doc
trines to be essentially unsound. 5,
passed some six months and the ute
weakness and inadequaey OF the ordinar,
scientific logic having become common
place among us, begun to tlatter mysel
that my experiment had succeeded, am
that my proselytes were approachin
my own ideal of believing nothing
with no bias in any direction, on til
lookout for a legitimate creed. ...
One morning the ex-cOlOnist came I
me with a look of such extraordinar
brightness and citation on his countenanG
as raised hopes in me that he had struc
new vein of thought, OF the sort desiret
What was my disappointment when Ii
impaired his views-merely letter iu,
received from friend in Jamaica, ollie
ing him a partnership in u plantatio
there on most advantageous terms, pr
vided that he would come out at once an
join him. Furthermore, my backslit
ing disciple announced his intention
acting on the proposal forthwith. I
was going to take immediate measures
procure his outfit, his passage. | q
erted my utmost eloquence to dissuat
him. Shame, urged, if nothing els
should deter him from what was a vi
tual apostasy from our principles.
run such risk coolly was to ignore
He confessed he saw no risk in trustil
an old friend, whom he knew for both
shrewd and an honorable man. knC
he could not, | submitted. A man
owned not to have seen for years-pc
sibly cheat and swindler, for memory
images are apt TO get distorted win
they recede into the dim distance; al
his impression Of his friend, as man
sense and honor, might be an unauthC
lied, spurios mental image. He repli
by searching his recollection for nstant
he triumphantly recorded OF his frien
generosity and good judgment. But t
answer to that, as told him, is that it
not possible, by means Of mere introsp
tive glanees, to detect the falsity of t
message from the past. charged him,
consistency's sake, TO submit the WIFI
matter to a process of verifcation
means Of external fact, before proceedi
any further. He laughed in my ia
He was going of at once to telegraph
berth in the next packet for ,amai
Amazing inconsequence lost
patience. Had he even, begged to knd
any cogent reasons for assuming Il
there existed such an island as Jamaiu
He called me a maniac: | returned I
compliment, and we parted brusqueIy
he for the telegraph office, and to co
municate to our other brothers the ne
of his detection.
| surprised the engineer in his roo
where he sat buried in thought, BROOD
no doubt over the latest speculate
problem put forward for discussion.
related our loss, but he scarcely seem
to listen. When concluded he "
brooding still then suddenly he start
up and seized my hand, eXclaiming wi
exultation, 81 have it, ! have it no
At last They We're quite right. T
invention wdS worthless. There was
flaw. have detected the cause ,remov
it and now know it must be a success
It was of his paltry mechani,
invention he was speaking. My disgu
for the moment, was too deep
words.
Tomorrow, he continued, 81 sh
go up to London, to secure the N
patent If beggar myself in expenses
does not matter-my work will repay II
OF that may now be convinced"
"And have you,' in, air
.5,.i. lcally, ''studis5 tie mode ,,here
you trril ed 81 .he conisioiion As tn,