The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-04-19
Don't Be Too Sure of the Fish
Until It's Caught

was sitting up with q corpse The
position was really q sinecure. Once
IN an hour or two / went and moist
ened, with n solution of saltpetre and
water, the cloth placed upon the lace
Of the deceased rs a means for rcmoy-
ing the traces of decomposition which
had set in; that was all the labor the
situation involved The rest of the
time | sat before blazing fire, in a
room separated from that where the
renal rs" lay by a narrow hall. q
meerschaurn in my mouth from which
putfed volumes OF dense smoke,
either busily thinking, on reading
from some one o. the books or papers
which had been placed at my disposal
rs the means Ter willing away the
lonely hours.
Yet, though alone. / was not lonely;
my thoughts kept me too busy to ad-
NIT Of that was 4 medical student,
in impecunious circum stances, strug-
Cling in every way 10 obtain the funds
necessary to the prosecution of my
studies; no easy task, as 1 had al the
same time an invalid mother to sup
ports and it was scarcely ever absent
from my mind, the query: -'How
shall l do it?' Even while reading
this question, like a specter, stole be-
tween my eyes and the printed page.
How different / thought, had
scen the prospects of my
friend, now lying rigid In
death only few steps away from my
own He had just entered upon the
practice of law; but. il never a case
came TO him, there was no danger that
he would ever become financially
embarrassed, as he had recently in
herited an immense fortune. and, If so
he pleased. he could live a life OF
magnificent idleness. Why should he.
with such bright probabilities before
him, be taken, and /. with dark reaIi-
ties staring me in the face, be lefte 1t
was surely one of the unfatbomabIe
mysteries!
Taking up recent issue OF the New
ork Herald, / became interested in
an account 81 an interview with Prof.
Proctor, on the subject OF Edison and
his electric light. One sentencein the
article read over and over again.
TIL the words seemed branded into nv
brain. 1t was this: - 1 remembe.
hearing it said that Mr.. Proctor would
believe in plan for galvanizing the
dead If that Yankee inventor pro
posed such n one, and would crcdulous-
ly contemplate the possibility of shak-
ing his deceased grandfather by tn
hand"
allowed the paper to fall from my
hand, and my thoughts to take new
direction. "Galvaniziag the dead
why might it not be accomplished?''
| was aware that numerous IN
successful endeavors to khis end had
been madei but that was before the
principles of galvanism were as thor
oughly understood as in these later
years Was the restoration of the
dead to life utterly impossible? If
not, whosoeveY should discover the
method for achieving such result
would secure n wider reputation than
mortal had ever realized; and, besides.
it would furnish him with liminiess
wealth Then an idea came to me that
made mo tremble-why might not / be
hat fortunate person2
had quite an extensive philosophi-
al apparatus, among which was a
3unsen battery of six jars and very
powerful There was subject" up-
IN which to operate close at hand, and
every thing seemed to favor the prof.
ect- SuPPOsing 1 failed. no one would
be the wiser therefor; il / should
succeed, fame and opulence would
both be mine, and 1 would gain my
profession without being continually |
.ormented by the CHASTITY where's
he money to come from?" To be sure.
he realization of my plan" would, in /
4 degree, do away with the necessity |