St. Landry democrat., 1893-07-01
HIS QUEER CASE.

! have given much and earnest thought
to the subject" said Mr.. Langley, blink
ing his weak eyes ncrvously; "and am
now comforted by absolute belief in the
theory which my speculations have led
me to adopt as tinal.'
"That is very satisfactory, no doubt, >
said Dr. Edwards. 'Is the theory an
original one?'
Perhaps not altogether original in
the fundamental idea," returned the
weak-eyed gentleman, tbut have never
met, nor read of any one, who held just
precisely my own views, without some
little shades of difference to mar the
completeness of the conception"
Lets have them," said Dr. Edwards,
cheerily. "The views, l mean, not the
differences"
''But have already entered into them
in detail" said Mr. Langley, looking as
hard as the condition of his eyes would
allow at the doctor, who had been up all
night with a bad case, and had been en-
joying comfortable little doze through
the lost details. The doctor blushed.
"1es, yes" he said, in guilty confu-
sion; "but what want now is brief
summary-a neat synopsis, to bear the
whole in on my mind in a condensed and
portable form.''
''Well, then, shortly and concisely,
my belief is that after death our souls
will animate bodies similar to those
which have suffered under our hands in
the present life"-
"You don't mean to say that am to
be all my own patients?' interrupted DR..
Edwards, becoming quite wideawake.
Mr.. Langley smiled with an air of
benevolent superiority.
NO." he said, "pain inflicted for nee
essary and legitimate ends cannot call
for punishment. In your case it is
probable that your ego will inhabit only
forms of lower animals, and so forth for
| will venture to affirm, from my intimate
knowledge of your amiable character,
that you have never needleSsly wounded
either the body or mind of human
being"
81 believe have treated the lower ami
mails fairly WELL" objected the doctor
even in the cause of science | have
always hated cruelty, and been particu-
larly free with the chloroform.'
''Have you never taken the life of a
bird or animal in sport. or of an insect
in impatience?' asked Mr.. Langley,
solemnly.
"No," answered DR.. Edwards, with
positive emphasis. "When I attended
the out patients in my younger days, l
used to smother myself in Heating, and
the insects would not come near me at
any price'-Mr. Langley made a grim
"and as for sport, never went in
for it at any time of my life. Leisure
was wanting, even if inclination had
been present."
'Then you have killed absolutely
nothing; not even a spider, nor even "a
a rat2"
"Wcll, now that you mention it. I be-
lieve | did murder spider only this
morning. The brute let himself down on
the top of my head when I was shaving.
An unfortunate bachelors room is never
free from cobwebs. And you are right
about the rat. | shot an old sinner once
to oblige my sister when l was staying
in her house. But shot it, mind you.
didn't set trap for it, nor worry it
with terrier. On the whole, | don t
think your theory has any terrors for
me; SO, for that very reason, you may
have hopes of claiming me as a disciple
one of these days, when have time to
give my full attention to the subject.
BY the way, are you Chela, and have
you got Mahatma to revere?'
81 have, indeed, explained myself i'll
if you confound my simple belief with
the theosophical acceptation of re- incar-
nation. | merely substitute metempsy-
Ghosts, limited by the conditions men
toned, for your orthodox ideas of future
punishment. Nothing can be clearer
"The surgery bell!' exclaimed the
doctor. 'You must excuse me, my dear
fellow. Turn up for dinner at half past
Z, and goodbye until then"
Mr.. Langley, who was spending few
days in town with his brother-in law,
made his appearance punctually in the
dining room that evening, and lost no
time in recurring to his pet theory. He
rode his hobby straight through each
SouiSC, duu SUutluuCu W IiClC III uu III
the doctor smoked his last pipe and went
to bed in much weariness Of spirit
He felt very tired, and rather ill that
night, as poor, overworked doctor well
might. He had been doing too much of
late; and he was unduly depressed and
nervous about his own state of health.
He lay down on his comfortable spring
mattress made with the newest improve
ments, feeling very uncomfortable in-
deed, and with little hope of repose.
Il shall have an examination of my
own case tomorrow" he thought. II
could discover nothing last time, and
yet | feel convinced that my heart is un-
sound. l might drop off in my sleep
any night-to-night. With little rest
l might pull round, but how car get
rest with such press of work outside,
and that crazy husband Of Eleauor's in