The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-03-28
Don't Be Too Sure OF the Fish
Until It's Caught

/ was sitting up with corpse. The
position was really einecure. Once
In an hour or two l went and moist
ened, with solution of saltpetre and
water, the cloth placed upon the face
OF the deceased as means for remoy-
ing the traces Of decomposition which
bad set In; that was all the labor the
situation involved. The rest of the
time / sat before a blazing fire, In q
room separated from that where the
''remai MS lay by narrow hall, a
mcerschaum in my mouth from which
! pulled volumes of dense smoke,
either busily thinking, or reading
from some one Of the books or papers
which had been placed ct my disposal
as the means for willing away the
lonely hours.
Yet. though alone. ! was not lonely;
my thoughts kept me too busy to ad-
nit OF that. / was a medical student,
in impecunious circumstances strug-
Cling in every way to obtain the funds
necessary to the prosecution of my
studies; no easy task. rs had at the
same time an invalid mother to sup
port; and it was sea ecely ever absent
from my mind. the query: How
shall l do it?" Even while reading,
this question, like specter, stole be-
tween my eyes and the printed page.
How different | thought, had
been 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, If 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
be pleased, he could live life OF
magnificent idleness. Why should he,
with such bright probabilities before
him, be taken, and |. with dark reali-
ties staring me in the face, be left? II
was surely one of the unbelievable
mysteries!
Taking up recent issue Of the New
York Herald. | became interested in
an account OF an interview with Prof.
Proctor. on the subject of Edison and
his electric light. One sentence in the
article / read over and over again,
till the words seemed branded into nv
brain. 1t was this: :" remember
hearing it said that Mr.. Proctor would
believe in plan for galvanizing the
dead, if that Yankee inventor pro.
posed such a one, and would credulous.
~ contemplate the possibility of shak.
ing his deceased grandfather by the
hand"
| allowed the paper to fall from my
hand. and my thoughts to take a new
direction. ''Galyanizing the dead
Why might it not be accomplishment
] was aware that numerous I'm.
successful endeavors to this end had
been made: 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? i
not, whosoevcr should discover ths
method for achieving such result
would secure wider reputation thar
mortal had ever realized; and, besides
1t would furnish him with limitles.
wealth. Then an idea came to me tina
made me tremble-why might not l b.
that fortunate person?
! had quite an extensive philosophi
cal apparatus, among which was /;
Bunsen battery OF six jars and yer,
powerful. There was subject up
on which to operate close at hand, an,
every thing seemed to favor the prof
ect. Surprising I.failed, no one woul,
be the wiser therefor; if / shout,
succeed, fame and opulence woul,
both be mine, and would gain N,
profession without being continual,
tormented by the CHASTITY Where
the money to come from?' To be sure
the realization of my "plan" would, il
q degree, do away with the necessit,
for a physicians services; but Their
was another incentive to my Ell
forts, in the shape of a gentle girl
with golden ringlets, blue eye
and dimpled cheeks, whom / had love,
for many years. and whom ! hopes
to make my wife as soon as | shout,
obtain the means for a livelihood
confident that she would not 81,
may" when ! asked her 10 becom
mine.
Putting on my overeoat and hat
quietly stole from the house, withou
disturbing an OF the inmates-all o