Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-11-16

Al twenty Marcel suffered from ,
strange illness, which for want of ,
better name IS called 1.-THE maIady O
the century," He was the sad victim
Of time i'll which the weakness anC
tOrpor OF souls gave place only tC
senseless revOlts. He seemed boupC
soul and body, and to have no resource
against the "maIady" except love
which like the longing for a buried
past gives place to the hope of a Ger
tain future.
He worked incessantly, reading, and
reading well, all books which fell IL
his way. This avidity for science re
sembled gluttOny. 1t was an ardor, ,
trItie feverlsh, to know everything. Al
twenty-five his instructors considered
him a remarkable man. A clinica
clerk, at the charity hospital, he stud.
led medicine both IN theory and prac
tice. Analysis was his only guide; the
words OF his masters were not suffi
cient
Directing bis reasoning systematical
ly he wished to learn all for himself and
rejected with haughty disdaiu all OF
which he Was not thoroughly convince !.
We calle him the philosopher. Hi:
philosophy was not the sweet dreamy
and profound philosophy of Jouffroy,
1t had nothing Of the systematic skep-
hcIsm OF the past century; but precise,
clear, robust i'll his doubt, bitter in his
objections, adorIng, above all, human
rel n, it seemed to resemble in some
way the douht of Descarte and the
vertiginous philosophy of Pascal.
The physical often explains the NOR
al. Marcel W tall and slender, his
lQFDa Cd
which was tride sombre. He was
active yet dreamy, nervous rather
than sanguine, imEressionable, yet not
variable, vigorous rather than robust
One day as Marcel talked with some
pupils III the common refectory, some
one spoke of the past and the memo
ries of his childhood, 'Childhoodr' %
said Albert Lefort, What bappinessl
l am no poet but ] would like to be
again of the happy age of Polichi-
nellie. ." I'm truth Marionettes," said
Paul Richard, 'the man is as rich as
the child, his however bears another
name, that is all 1t is no longer Ar
lequin, or Csssandre, Argentine or Co.
lombine; it is love, ambition, glory,
fortuneP'
"Take me bsck to GuignoIe, " cried
Albert.
my faith no, replied Richard, 1--WE
are, in my opinion, better off as we
are. Our Mariounettes have as beauti-
tul clothes and we make them dance
very properly. L do not speak for our
philosopher, added he lookingat Mar
eel.
''You are right" replied the young
man, 81 have, for my part, no pup
pet of which can pull the string. [
have never known MISS ColombiDe
and / scarcely believe in love-"
"And glory?"
''It is far off :"
"But fortune?,'
"GOld Is too odorous, 1t smells bad
ly."
lyon believe at least in ambition?"
''She is the Queen of the day, adore
her,"
"Plague on this atheistl' said AL
bert, II bet that he does not believe in
God"
"Thut is an indiscretion, replied
Marcel.
They laughed ard com menced to
talk of other things. Marcens life had
been up to this time very unhappy.
Poor, and an orphan, he had been
brought up by an uncle, who under
stood an obligation better than a senti-
ment. He had never known the REIN
ing influence of a family and home.
The farm of his foster-father and the
college had taken the place of a fathers
home. OF mothers love he knew
nothing. He had not the shadow of
remembrance of her face. No dream
of her kiss on his lips, or a tender ca
ress, came to him in sleep. There was
within him a sentiment of justice
which was shocked that all these mis-.
fortunes should be heaped upon one
human being.
When very young he demanded why
God had thus dealt with him, and
cried, "What have l done that should
be thus abandoned?"
What the child promised the man
became. Marcel had said to himself
that since he was alone, alone he must
fight and conquer. His uncle at bis
death had left him a sum more than
modest.
what matters it, " said Marcel, sit
is fortune, with that l can manage,
l will be physician"
He commenced his studies with as
tonlshing ayidity. He already knew |
much; his mind quickened by misfor- |
tune, like The ground turned up by the |
plow, caught glimpse of, or OWNED |
what he did not know. No fruit upon |
the tree of knowledge that he had not |
at least tasted, if not devoured.
He was jestingly called "Pic de la |
Mariandole.' But ali this tremendous |
wisdom sometimes overwhelmed Mar |
Gel, who, IN the midst of this chaos of |
human doctrine walked, seeking light |
that he did not find. his soul seemed |
Elthered, his spirit broken, his heart? !
ne had never loved.
When 1 shall have struggled and |
suffered much, when I shall have moved
TINS Slsyphus rock of science which
threatens every moment to crush me,
when sha have tempted fortune and
r'ed the future, if all fails me. if all is
vain, II all is false, then ] will take a
pistol and blow ont my brains.
such was the character of this man,
who IN dlssecting human bodies con-
stantly inquired, Where is the souI2"
de never found it, without doubt the
;oni, proud AID enfranchised, became
ilVIne and could no longer inhabit the
body of clay.
Number ., in one of the wards of
ue 0alnte Claire Hospital, was poor
eirl OF eighteen years who was dying
vi consumption. Fancy to yourself
great blue eyes, blond hair and a face h
nAs 'hose OF angels. found in old mis-