The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-10
Special Correspondence.l

Although % years or age, tall, broad
shouldered, narrow nanked, with a SUI
perb blonde head balanced above his su
perstructure, he was as simple in hi
ways as if he had been born that morn
ing. He listened to what one said with
credulous earneStness that was perfectly
charming, and yet the absurd fellow
was crank" do not give the popu
lar meaning of that much abused word
By crank define a man possessed OF
what in old fashioned phrase was called
hobby-that is, taken up with some
one favorite subject to the utter exclu.
sion of all others. We have certain men
who believe that humanity is construct
ed like machine, and there is a crank
somewhere that if they can get hold OF
and turn vigorously all the wheels,
levers, pullies and things will move
tremendously, with great results. The
human machine is, say. sort of coffee
mill with its crank. To some this is
temperance, for example, or protection
or Sabbath breaking. 1 knew man
who had morus multicaulis on the brain,
anu il0 IClhtu cllh anu llsttl WOlIllS.
These cranks are bores Of course, but
Charles Augustus was an exception. His
crank was delicious, because he was de-
licious. His fad was so delightful that
instead of avoiding it his friends drew
him out and enjoyed his frank, boyish
earnestness, and when he found that 10
was being chaffed instead of getting CT
Tended he would deprecate the humcr,
saying: "Well, l suppose it does appear
ridiculous, but, by Jove, l believe it"
A crank is almost always offensive, not
only from an everlasting production of
his one topic, but his intense advocacy
and i'll temper when doubted or having
it disputed. Our dear fellow was earn
est enough, but he would listen patient
ly, and at times with "Well, must con-
fess that is a weak place in my theory
at least, it appears-but believe it only
appears so. There is an answer or an
explanation somewhere, if l could only
find it," 1t was common for him to con-
fess a lack of intellectual power in him
self and lament that Tyndale, Herbert
Spencer and Huxley, the heavy ordnance
Of science, did not take up the subject
and help him out.
Charles Augustus had a fair mind and
possessed vast stores of information, for
he had been a hard student. But all
seemed to end in belief that by observ-
ing the laws of nature and living up to
certain conditions life on earth could be
renderedimmortal. Disease and death"
he would say, "are not laws; they are
violations of law. IF it were our destiny
to sicken and die sickness would not be
accompanied with pain, and people
would not have such a prejudice against
dying. BY Jove! it is a horrible shock
that we cannot get accustomed to-" But
it would fill volume to give even ir
outline the many and learned arguments
he brought to bear upon the subject.
Among others, however, was that well
being was more dependent upon the
mind than upon the material things
to which i'll health was attributed. He
asserted that worry shortened more lives
than torpid liver, and that the emo
tons were prostrating and perilous.
There was love, for example; that was
beastly impulse in the lower animals and
hid under sentiment in the human being.
He was very strong on this point and
avowed that, in his determination to
demonstrate the truth of human immor-
tally on earth, he would especially
guard himself against that stupid emo
AIn,, H. f4T,.4I,a, ,-,,,,,t,;,,Il
every child born there was that much
taken from the vitality Of the parents.
There were three charming girls in
the house, and OF course, while they
evidently admired our immortal, they
had no patience with his beliefs. Our
hero was not only vegetarian in food,
but he held killing to be an evil that
shortened the life of the slayer Moth
ing proved his sincerity and earnestness
more than this. When an Englishman
gives up his gun he gives away his sec
ond nature, if not all his nature. To kill
is John Bulls ruling passion.
This condition of our young crank threw
him much upon the society of the wom-
en-, and it was amusing to hear these last
say, with charming simplicity, that "Mr.
Sprays theory sounded real nice except
that part about love, and that part was
all nonsense"
Our term of stay, fixed in the begin
ming by our host, drew to close. There
are two things worth trip across the
ocean to see-one is Gladstone. the other
the country life of an English gentle
man. We took our leave reluctantly,
of our immortal.
Nearly a year after we were at the
Virginia springs-not that huge resort
of the well bent upon making themselves
Ill, known as the Greenbrier White Sui
phur, but in a charming place devoted
to Invalids called the Sweet Chalybeate.
Among the select few were a famous
general and his daughter.
They were very interesting people. The
general was not only suffering from
nervous proStration. brought on by the
privations and exposure of a cause
where men marched without shoes.
Tough. without food and slept without
tents. but he had been wounded in a
way not only TO leave its decoration !
through life, but reminder in continu-
Gus pain. The devotion Of the daughter
won the sympathy Of all She had |
enough in her beauty and accomplish
ments ~ win without the tender gentle |
ness that seemed a part Of her nature.
Bella c. was deServedly a belle, and |
suitors Ihronged her presence with offers
that met a hnd yet firm denial Her |
HE was devoted to her father. Perhaps