The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-06

Z 4;ElE should never let an opportunity
IEEe5 to see or learn something new es-
vi szsN cape US. That is the most certain
!. way to get rid of orr illusions. took
hasheesh day before yesterday. One OF my
friends, who had Just returned from AL
geria, had brought back with him few
cakes of that species Of sweetmeat which
lie Arabs call madjound. Sweetmeat, no;
it is butter, kind Of rancid ana greenish
butter, or rather a paste, pomade with
disagreeable odor. A few grammes Of
hasheesh, and suddenly, they say, infnity
o,ens, the unknown reveals itself, the fan
tastic becomes real and the imaginary
Alhambras are peopled with exquisite
visions. There are entertainments and
alurements, also paradisiacal harmonies.
What dreams, surprises, gayeties. emotions
and unknown sensations are contained in
that bit of madiound as big as the thumb!
Much less would tempt person.
Nevertheless | hesitated for a moment.
Suppose tie demon of vertigo should con-
euer me forever? Suppose this first trial
should result in hasheesh taking possession
of me? Those artificial FL DoradOs have,
il seems, such delicious seduetiVeness? No
matter, would try, would see.
Ii was agreed upon between four friends
that we would take hasheesh together. At
dinner we were seven-three merely to
watch the four hasheeshians, among these
spectators being doctor to study us and a
scribe to take down our words, actions and
gestures. 1t was half-past7 o'clock. Ernest,
he who had returned from Algeria, showed
Us how the hasheesh was taken-in small
fragments in a spoonful of preserves.
We drank coffee, which is an acid. In
twenty minutes the effects of the basheesh
would commence; in twenty minutes the
blue realms of the hours would have no
secrets for us. Heaven was about to open.
AWAITING THE EFFECTS.
We chatted. What was going to happen?
What were the first effects OF the green
paste? What would we see, say and fee?
1t was still Ernest whom we consulted. He
did not promise US mountains and marvels.
ILasheesh." said he after all only de-
yelups the character of the person who
takes it, but it develops 1t beyond measure.
There is nothing fatiguing, terrible or dan
gerOus. In the Arab hOstelries II is served
alter the meal to tired travellers in order to
give them a few hours OF rest"
Fifteen minutes passed. Nothing! Sup
pose the experiment should fail? Our
scribe got ready his paper. We were all
OF an uneasy doubt. Ernest alone, Ernest
d'Heryilly, sitting upon carpet, with legs
crossed in Turkish style, waited with fatal
- istlc smile and assurance.
Eight ocock--A certain trouble. The
temples buZZed, the cerebellum seemed
violently pressed; the pulse Quickened
and thTObbed feverishly. At the wrist, 4
tIife painful, the swollen veins stood out.
Tie legs appeared to be losing their strength.
We questioned each other. " Do you feel
ANYTHING? If SO, what?" A silence. Sud
denly l knew rot why, came great burst
OF laughter. | cannot tell where 1t started:
il seemed to fiutier about the room. All OF
Us were laughing, without cause and SIM
ply for the sake OF laughing. II was
hysterical laughter. The laughter OF
maniaes. Then atOny-a sudden, profound
silence.
The spectators looked at US; they doubted.
This lack of faith in my frankness sIngu-
larry irIitated me, 1t seemed TO ME that 1t
was a gross insult. l wished to prove 10
the incTedulous persons that l had laughed
inyoluntarily, but it was impossible. The
words FED from me. All grew vague in my
brain. The slightest syllable cost me an
effort A desire for motion seized upon me,
made me leap to my feet, walk back and
forth, swing my arms, legs and head for
nothing but the pleasure OF doing so.
Ernest squatted on his carpet, rocked his
head like a Chinese image and contented
himself with repeating, as he looked at his
had been poisoned: That George Is
funnyP
Fuunyl Tine word took sense l had
not known it to possess, strange, lnexph-
cable, comical sense. 1t seemed to me that
l saw 1t shake Itself, grow animated ana
dance. The letters jostled each other,
smiled, turned sOmersaults and rolled.
SENSATIONS CAUSED BY MUSIC.
Half-past eight - Some one said: 81
want musicW Paul, who was not under
the influence of hasheesh. played the air
Of the "Clochettes from The Magic
- Fpr ua IA miami We all lis
tened, but one wept, another laughed. Inc
air, which is only pretty, seemed to be sub
lime. Paul, on the piano stool, looked SIN
guiarly fantastic to me. For moment L
thought he was Mozart himself.
Silence again. An immense fatigue over
whelmed me. l sat down. The room APP
peared strangely vast to US. l felt cold and
ran to shut the window-it was not openl
Yes, open the windowP cried George:
" ! want to fly awayl I'll wager l can fly
An. how nice it is TO flyP'
ChristOphe, il tears, cast himself at his
feet and begged him not to fly through the
window, not to abandon him.
He is funny! he is funnyp repeated
Ernest, still laughing. But this time his
laugh sounded stranger to me, less human
than before. His face disturbed met was
dsfigured, purple, and his hair stood erect
upon his head. was afraid. / imagined
that looked the same. Iran to the mirror.
I was pale; my eyes we're bloodshot. Tho
not hasheesh but poison we had taken.
Well, we were going to die there and that
was the whole OF it.
Ernest, who had not quilted his carpet,
sometimes sang the monotOnous refrain of
an Arab romance and sometimes discoursed
on trigonometry. Jules Christophe had
resumed walking back and forth. He was
suffering greatly; his eyes were red and
dry. He thought that far away beloved
ladv was being slain and reproached him
self for his inability to defend her "But,"
said he to himself, 81 am in prison, so
what can l do?" George tore his garments
and str0ve TO escape either by the door or
the window. The three spectators were
frightened and held him the best they
could He had a rattle in his throat-he
was choking.
Nine o'clock-The idea that we were all
going to die there pursued me imper0usly.
keeping his records. / heard voice. CON-
, ing from l know not where, repeat in a
strange but perfectly distinct tone, He Is
going to make his will"
We'll, yes, will make itP' l responded,
resolutely grasping the pen, but the letters
l traced seemed alive and extravagantly
n0eking me. Then l thought | heard some
one say to me in q whisper: What! you
Will You are afraid. are your l threw
down the pen, sprang across the room and
began to dance. singing to an imaginary air
Do these words, which to me had rhymes,
sense and precise rhythm:
"One cannot let die,
Let die friend in this way
druggist druggist 81
saw George twisting, heard his respira-
ton whistle in his throat, wished to condole
with him, to succOr him and, as cry for
help could find only those rickety lines,
lfu,I raxrlrT lann inn ipnfn Aar