The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-07-29
AN UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR.
rHE RESULT OF HERR scHwARrz's
PROMISING EXPERIMENT.

/. After / had received diploma from
one cf tho Oldest American universities
I felt that / could not do better than to
complete my education abroad. As /
wished to perfect nv already excellent
knowledge OF modern languages. L
thought that q residence in some conti-
/ mental lyvn would enable me to accom-
plish both purposes.
Whether / chose the University Of
Gottingen or Heidelberg / do not care
to state; and IL the ingenious reader
can learn from internal evidence that
| pursued my studies at neither OF these
I great institutions of learning let him
not bo surprised. / prefer not to indi-
cato precisely the scene OF the strange
happening about which / am going to
tell, for reasons which viii be readily
understood by any one who attentively
pefuses this story.
Let it be enough, then. to say that 1
entered . foreign university, was prop
srly matriculated, Joined one of the
numerous seddentS clubs, learned to
comply with its foolish customs and
become thoroughly identified with the
students.
| We were instructed principally by
lectures. Some of ps took notes, some
drew caricatures or scrawled verses
upon the otherwise blank pages of our
books; and only very few became
thoroughly imhued with the enthu-
siasm for learning which animated
many of tho learned men who ex-
pounded to It's the accumulated wisdom
of tho ages and propounded novel
theories of their own.
While L was not equally interested in
all If the lecturers there were one or
Two of them who deeply impressed me
none more deeply than Herr Schwartz.
lie was q short. thick-set man, with
tightly curling black hair and beard.
His nationality am not certain about,
but / think he was German or Aus
trian. He lectured upon Comparative
Anatomy and Physiology, and was an
advanced and uncomprOmising evOlu-
tionist. BY advanced do not mean an
evolutionist of these latter days-one
| of the men of science who admit away
or explain so much that they state
nothing definitely-but one of the old
imperfect disciples of Darwin. Herr
Schwartz had not the slightest doubt
of mans descent fIom the monkey or
from some allied form. So much
soon learned from his lectures; and
when my close attention in the lecture
room had drawn his attention to me
and we became better acquainted /
found his views to be even more DOWN
right and avowed than 1 supposed.
Outside of his lecture hours, Herr
Schwartz was believed to spend the
greater part of his time in his labora-
tory-a large and myterious building
situated upon the outskirts of the
town. Much curiosity existed among
the students as to the nature of the
researches he carried on i'm this gloomy
building but never, so far as we knew,
bad any student been admitted within
ltS windowless walls.
Great. then, was my surprise one
morning. when the learned lecturer
was taking long walk with me-a
thing that he had done once or twice
since he discovered my interest in his
bold theof1es-to receive an invitation
70 come with him to inspect his labora-
tory. My astonishment must have
been evident in my expression; for he
said
Come is it so strange that should
lsk student to my laboratory ?'
Indeed, no." answered, with some
hesitation; (" but imaginedn-
YES" he interrupted, "yOu thought
because j had never thrown open my
workipg-room to the general rabble of
stude"tS thai there was some mystery
alb 1'ib it something / wished to con-
ceal. All, no. You are different; you
have truly scientific mind. To the
ordinary intellect what / am doing
would seem but nonsense. Incapable
If comprehending me, they would see
IN my experiments but the vagaries of
4 lunatic. But once have shown you
the plan, the reason, the theory upon
which / work. you viii see the logical
basis for each wheel and each cog in
the whole apparatus"
al am proud indeed, Herr
Schwartz I began; but he did not
wait for the end of my sentence.
There is no reason for pride,n he
said. waving his hand disdainfully.
the United States. You Judge all
things without prejudice and upon
their merits. 1t Is the result of your
environment, nothing more. VIII you
come ?''
Most willingly I answered.
when shall my visit be made pa
To-day" he said promptly.
But il is your lecture day,s said.
looking at my watch land, in fact.
you viii have no more time than is
necessary even if you should go now
TO the lecture-roomr
Bah % he answered. with a curl OF
the lip. What care for the gaping
faces of those boobies now9 1t is true
/ have spent two years in pelting their
dough-faces with the crumbs of science
which not ono of them can receive.
Dut ilOM tu Indt Is past. My apparatus
is at last ready. To-day it win be put
in operation.
Will it not be better, then, for me
to postpone my visit for another time ?''
i asked, not wishing to inconvenience
the experimenter.
You do not understand - said Herr
Schwartz, turning to me with smile.
:" do not ask you to come into the
place so long sacred to my deepest
musings, my most important researches
merely as a spectator to be amused, nor
as student to be amused, nor as a
student to be instructed. need help.
For long time / have been upon the
lookout among the young men in the
university, hoping that when the day
of final proof should come / might be
able to secure just the right assistant.
I We'll, i have found the man / . ught,
and you are he. / cannot perform the
experiment, for which / have passed
years in laborious preparation, without
the aid of the right brain and the right
and"
BY this time we had arrived at the
top of slight eminence from which
the laboratory was distinctly visible.
1t was large square building with a
hemispherical roof-nOt unlike an as
Economical obser. tory. As this