New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-09


he did himself, than he began to treSt MN WIN
| open contempt, slowly bringing up his eye-gmss
and inspecting him with cold hauteur whenever
| he happened 10 come in sight.
THAT there hecphant,7 Briggs companies 70
me- &" do treat me most harrogant ST. oiuh
| never expect to come TO tins ere. .s ,o,,o,
| spoke to Ulysses about the mauter' All" ieH''n-
| strated with him. l.. ,
/" I asked the man about Scopcnhaher ouI-loIu
nnce in a volnme of ESSAYS by Frederic Harrison.
He said he had heard of any sucn ROOT es
he not read and talk as you 90 ana a. an os
| do? How does it happen that he Is Ignorant OF
| these things? ?" ~,
| I explained to him that only small part OF INC
human race cared TO interest itself IN affairs OF me
intellect and that millions Of men were stlli IN me
condition of unhappy mental BLINDNESS iron, VIII.
he had so recently emerged. He was agnasI , AZ
| this statement, but 1t did not tend 10 rec'"i'"
| Briggs in his respect. -
| II was now the season Of the year when was
accustomed 10 make tour among inc neGnporInE
coffee plantations to estimate and bld on the crops.
7 was not able TO take Ulysses with me convent
entlv so left him in the care of Brses anu A<par'
To Briggs gave the key to my cr bs might light der
mand and prepared for my pupifs use a ca,aIogue
Of all the books in my COLLECTION Inc n ,1l was
chiefly made up Of works 1t rs ths snean tastes
Nv absence lasted during period Of nearly three
| months and on my return found Ulysses alHoss
| in a condition Of must or insanity: He had
read all. or nearly ALL the books that had placed
upon the list. and had gained tnrousn onV &c 40.
ordinary memory of his an immense mass Oh iact
and opinion He was now suffering from intel
ectnal dyspepsia. consulted HIM enout ms
troubles. and got in reply an ayaancnc 4d - r
on every variety of subject HIS c0hlueiiIGe III NY
knowledge was apparently, unlimited IL would
have been source Of incxpressible gratncauoh 10
me was oT mot mindful of the fate which had be-
fallen poor Briggs, nevertheless | felt 1t my duty
TO help ULYSSES ont of his dihcultles: ! ulu noL
ina CINE that his questions woud Occasion III M
troube and if they should. Thought myself the
possessor of sufficient SAVIOR dire 10 geI ouo Oh ~
in way. avoided some INNS ply, pN n hotor
,-hen Le had read more Whenever | essayed an
answer TO any of his intcrrcgdtoFicS, nc tu a. uu
pleasant habit of pnninG me down 70 exact stare
mments and definite opinions / had never apprc-
ciated the extent and variety oil my si.oI Ii
until it was subjected to this test, allnoueI oys ,
sess attitude toward me was always .nfU o' p'p'i
Ia teacher vet saw at times traces OF tc Socratlc
method in the long series of questions whlcn ne pun
to me. and | compelled hob InIIcpu.'.s ~; ~
sduirm out OF some INCONSISTENCY IN ~ '
niied fashion
This inouisition continued for n number OF DAYS
after my return. and could not close my eyes 70
the fact that was failing 20 hoiu my oMn ~ '
estimation OF Ulysses. From cyclopeuld OF III
crattre which happened to be IN my ilorary' oyS.
SOS had stored his mind with an enormous Iuhu OF
ignorant. In this field was continually iaillhe
into traps There were also TRANSACTIONS OF COME
and HeCel. to which he had devoted considerable
study. but checkmated HIM there ny IiN nnt
distinguish from deep metaphysics III was evil
dent however that he was beginning to appreciate
that something was the matter. Although ne had
not come to the point of ranking ne WITH BrlggS.
still my position was getting TO be precarlous
one and saw the necessity for great care
For some time | avoided being drawn INTO con-
yersation with Ulysses, keeping him at bay with
number of new books which had brought with
me from Madras. He was not long IN approaching
that there was some purpose lying back OF TINS
policy. and demanded an explanation OF me. !
was confused by his pont-blank questions, and
only managed TO make things worse After that
| was clay in his hands. Every day he branched
out into some new field Of discussion, tested me:
and found me wanting. l tried in vain to conceal
nv failures under dignlfied exterior Ulysses
at first seemed panied and surprised, but there
finally showed itself in his bearing toward me an
air of satisfaction and triumph, which was not
easy to endure. To have been arrogantIy treated
by member Of my own species would have been
q new experience to me, and one when should
have vigorously resented; this exhibition OF super
ciousness from an animal below me IN the scale
of creation was more than proposed 10 put up
with.
One morning, as I sauntered out to the banyan-
tree wondering in my mind as TO what was to be
the outcome of this absurd situation, Ulysses mo
toned to me- and pointed TO the blackboard, which
l saw was covered with nnely written characters
mo. Ulysses I said, q" am tired this morn
ing and il is very hot do not want to get into
a discussion with vCl
ULYSSES waved his trunk emphatically, and
pointed again to the blackboard. Then he gave a
fierce trumpet and glarcd at me in way that
gave start OF terror.
I saw that some sort Of crisis was ahead and
determined TO defer il, if possible until | could
decide what was the best course to pursue. /
therefore approached the board, and read the fol-
lowing message. addressed 10 myself:
" Master-Iou are deceived If you think i am
ignorant of the change which has gradually been
coming to pass in our relationship 10 one another
You have been my superior thus far in life not by
reason OF greater physical power, for l can strike
you dead with one blow, whereas you, without the
aid of tools. could not give me even external pain.
Your sole claim TO command over me lay IN your
I'M 10 |
compelled TO question. Yesterday you admitted
that YOU had never read any of Henry Mackenzies
novels: YOU showed complete ignorance concerning
Bishop BerScley's Alcphron; and when asked
why Henry Vaughn, the poet, was called the
'SiluriSt.' YOU had no answer TO give me. In the
conversations of the last few days you have made
countless blunders in matters Of history, science.
and literature. Your ideas in metaphysics are
those Of dotard. and your judgment in bellies
lettres is cXecrablc | do not see on what ground
you arroGate TO yourself position above me- If
you not entitled TO the place which have given
YOU in my consideration, If the idea which have
entertained with regard to or respective positions
IS erroneous. then IT, Is clearly matter OF justice
that we should straightway change places. Will
be the master hereafter and you the servant Can
you show any good reason why TINS revolution
.IOuid not come 10 pass p
There was no MISLEADING the tone ard purport of
This communication. 1t was at once declaration
of independence and n manifesto OF sovereignty.
Not merely must exercise more authority over
Ulysses. but ! must yield gracefully and subnls-
sively to his rule did not know either by ex-
pcrlence or ncarSay, what kind OF master an Gle,
phant would make bat from the intensely logical
disposition which Ulysses had always shown, had
a suspicion that he would prove at least severe
and lntolerant.
The dilemma was hard I took up the
chalk intending 10 write my answer rather than
speak il. that / might have time for reflection.
As | did So an idea suddenly occurred to me-a
plan by which / could beat Ulysses at his own
game I Immediately became so confident OF its
success that did not hesitate to stake my personal
liberty on the chance Of his discontinue.
ULYSSES" / said, " can not deny that in many
directions you have shown a mental grasp which |
never expected 10 see developed elsewhere than
among the best of my own species. But all this
ls not enough There is still test, the last and
severest to which culture and intelligence can be
compelled to submit. If you can meet this salts
factorlv shall no longer question your superiority
over myself"
That is all l ask wrote Ulysses; a fair
trial"