The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-28
Try Of his an immense mass Of fact and op,n.

dyspepsia | consulted him abou, his troubles
and got IN reply an avalanche o. questions or
every variety Of subject. Ills confidence in
my knowledge was, apparently. unlimited
| would Eayc been n source OF inexDress,ble
qualification TO me II | could have shared It,
was not unmindful Of tho fate which had
befallen poor Briggs, nevertheless | felt i;
my duty to help Ulysses ont Of his Difficult
ties | did not imagine that bis questions
J would occasion me much trouble, and If they
should, thought myself the posseSsor Of SUI.
hcient savoir dire to get out Of :. in some
J way. avoided some things by merely as-
surfing him that be would understand them
better when he had read more. Whenever |
essayed an angver to any Of bis inierroSa-
tories, lie lad an unpleasant habit OF pinning
me down 10 exact statements end definite
opinions. had ncver appreciated thecx.ea.
and variety Of my Ignorance Until j. va
subjected 10 this test although Ulysses NTH
tudc toward re was always that of pupil 20
tc-cher, yes saw q. times traces q the
Socratic method in tho long series Of quos-
tons which be rut 60 me, ari I was co.,
PEELED. not infrequently, 70 squirm out Of
some Inconsistency il most und.-nifcd
fashion.
TINS inquistion continued FOR 2 number of
days after i-y return, and / c0ull not close
/ rly eyes to TIE fact that was failing 20 hold
/ my own IN The estimation Of Ulysses. From
/ q cycl0p-lia Ok literature which Laupcac,i %
/ be in ~ library ClysscJ had stored Lis .iud
with an caor,ous fund OF information OF
subjects Of which I was completely igaorant.
II this field / was continually falling .nt1
traps There were also TRANSACTIONS at Comic
and Hc-cl 20 which De had devoted consider
able study. but | clocama-cl him there by
talking learned no-scnse, which 1 was sure
be could not distinguish from deep meta
physics. 10 was evident however. that he
was beginning to appreciate that something
vas ;hc matter. Although ho had rot come
t. tho point OF ranking me with Briggs. still
my position was getting % b. q prccar!ous
orc, and / saw the necessity for great care.
For SOHO time avoided being drawn into
conversation with Ulysses. keeping him at
bay with number u new bOoss, which /
had brought with re from Madras. lie was
ros long IN approaching that there was some
purpose lying back Of this policy, and de-
mandcl an c. rlanation Of ne. | was con-
fused by lis point blanl, questions, and ONLY
managed % make things worse. After that
/ was clay in bis hands. Every day b.
branched ont into some new field Of discus
sion. tested me and found me wanting |
tried in vain 70 conceal my failures under a
dignided exterior Ulysses 40 FIRST seemed
PANIED and surprised, butthe-c finally showed
Itself u his bearing toward me an air Of sat
isfactiou and triumph which was not easy
To endure. To have been arrogantly treated
by q member o. my Own species would have
been q ncw experience 20 me. and one which
/ should have vigorously resented; this cxhi-
bit.ol Of saperciliousncss from al animal
below INC in the scale Of creation was moro
than proposed to put up with.
Ono morning, as | sauntercd OF. 10 the
baAym tree, wondering in M miui as %
what was 10 be the outcome Of this absurd
situation, Ulyss-s motioned to me, and
pointed 90 blackboard, which | sav vas COW
cred with finally written characters.
40. Ulysses" / said, Il an tired this
rorn.ag. and it is very hot lido not want
- Sc. into a discussion with You"
ULYSSES waved bis trunk cmpAaticaily. and
pointed again 70 tho blackboard. Then be
savc q Gerce trumpet. and glared az mo in
way that gave me q START Of terror.
Isaw that some sort of crisis was ahead,
and determined to defer it, if possible. until
| couid decide what was the los. course %
pursue Therefore approached tho board,
and read tho following message, addressed 70
rlTseii:
"Alls;er-Vol arc deceived IL yoa think
an ignorant OF the change which has grad
uaily been coming 90 pass ia our relation
slip 70 ono another You have been ny su-
rcrior thus far in lie, not by reason Of
greater physical power, for / can strike YOU
dead With ono blow. whereas yoa, without
the all of tools, could rot give NO even OK
te-n9l pai1 Your s4lc claim TO command
over Ine la - your intellectual superiority
Tais superiority am now compelled % cues
ton Yesterday you admitted that you had
reYer read any Of Henry Mlclcn@.e's novels;
yol elowcl complete ignorance concerning
D.sAop Der1eley's Alclphroa, and when |
asked why Henry Valgh1. the poet, was
called tho '5i.lrist,' You had no answer 70 /
givc &c. Ia tic conversations Of tho last
few d-ys You have Ead1 countless bianders
j. matters az history, science aal literature /
Ecur ideas IN metaphysics arc those of n
dota.l, aal yo-r Judgment in bclics-iettrcs
y c-oc.c.lc. ! do EOS sec "a what ground
yea orrogatc 70 yourself position above
me- ii you aeo ros entitled 90 tho place
which lavo given You in M c01s'deraiion /
if TITO idea v..l-h have entertained with re- +
gard t. o-.. respective positions j. erroneous, F
then j: is c.c-..y matter Of justice that 20
SHOULD s.rligl.way strange places. Will Be
tho mater hereafter and yog Clio servant. I
Can you show me any good reason why this
revolution should not como 10 pass'
There was no installing the toac and pur- /
port Of Ibis communication. Il was IT onco .
q declaration q independence and q mani I
festo Of sovereignty. Noc merely must | c- /
crc!se 10 roro authority over Ulysses, but .
must yicd gracefully and submissvcly to /
his ruc. ! id not Lnow, either By expert /
cncs OF Lcarsay, what kind G. master an 7
elephant would make, bct from the intensely
logical disposition which Ulysses hal always F.
shown, had a suspicion that be woald provo I
at least severe and into.erant.
Tho dilemma was a hard one. took up /
tho chalk. intending 10 write ny answer 4
rather than speak it, that I might havo timo
Tor reflection. As did so, an idea suddenly /
occurred to ma plan by which | could
beat Ulysses Gt lis own game. | irIne1i- /
ately became SO confident Of its success that
L Il.