The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-16

ION no account" 1 answered in a
hurry. THAT is to say, not at all; or
if you do, you must excuse me-"
'Why, what's the matter with tho
man?' he asked. 1--WE always found
him most agreeable and gcntlcmanly;
but have it your own way"
And did. 1t was Il very good dinner
Davis gave me-a very good dinner, in
deed-if only he hadn't insisted upon
talking such nonsense all the time.
Hes always going in for some ridicu-
lous project and propounding impossi.
bic and unlicard-of theories on all sorts
of subjects. This time his particular
hobby happened to be nothing less than
the doctrine of transmigration,w with the
latest variations. The last time had
met him it had been '.Volapuk," and
the time before that 1.-The Moral and
Social Elevation of Costcrmongers." He
began with the soup.
''Gregson,' he said, 81 don't know
whether you've ever given Your mind
to the subject of transnigration?'
You mean emigration, SUPPOSE"
| said, with my mouth full.
'No. l don't; nothing of the kind"
he answered hastily; Il mean neither
more nor less than the passing from one
state of being TO another->thc passa re
of the soul. after death, into another
body. Now, l dare say, Grcgson,'' he
continued, passing the bottle, you've
never given Il thought to the subject. or
felt the slightest curiosity as TO what
your status in'lifc might have been in a
previous condition."
Davis WAS quite right, I In dn't.
Or felt any desire to know what
shape or substance you may assume in
Il future one? For You know, Grcgson, :
imprcssiveiy. your present existence
will undoubtedly become merged and
lost in another. and it may be "a widely
different phase of being" Here he
leaned across the table and prodded me
III the ribs, TO awake my slumbcring in
tcrcst. You know this won't bc the
last of you by long way-tls is
merely. so to speak, the outside case
and when you've worn it out, sooner or
later, your spirit will pass from it and
occupy another. and one, perhaps, not
in the least resembling it, You might
even be butterfly, Gregson," he CON
tinucd, looking at me contcmplatiycly,
''or a-or some other fellow and start
again rs baby in long froclis."
knew it was of no use contradicting
or arguing with him when he'd picked
up new theory. so | merely said was
quite willing to have my remains
worked up into some fresh form when
I'd done with them-the same as my
brother Bob'S clothes used to be cut
down to fit me when he had finished
them: still, | thought that there would
he more than enough stuff left to- make
butterfly: in fact, l preferred If
might be allowed Il voice in the ma liter
the bulldog scheme, as thereby (only
| kept this to myself I might be able to
harass Simplins' calves only Simp-
linS, undrr similar circumstances,
wouldn't be himself, and his next meta
morphosis mightn't have any calves to
hnrass.
Davis shook his head and sighed.
''Ah, was afraid you'd take it in this
way-thcy all debut I'd expected bet
ter things Of YOU, Grcgson Try the
clarct Now. do you mean to tell me
seriously that it's Of no consequence to
you whether you pass the next phase
Of your existence as''-loolling round
for his inspiration--"as an oyster or a
an omnibus conductoro''
Not 81 bit" ! answered, staring
hard at Simplsins. who had now come
III and was dining at Il table opposite.
Davis looked at me reproachfully,
dropped the subject and splashcd the
gravy.
But toward the end of The rcpast
l,.. 10 u, i
had circulated freely, and the eye of
Davis had begun to beam bencvolently
on surrounding objects, animate or in
animate, and | was conscious myself
OF feeling of almost good fellowship
toward Simphns, who was ENJOYING
his dinner as freely as though there
were no such circumstances as twins to
be considered or provided for in the
near future picked up the thread
of his former argument, and leaning
across tho table, continued in a low,
mys FERROUS tone of voice:
"Gregson. my boy, what would you
say if told YOU there was such thing
as TRANSPORTATION of souls before
death?"
"What should ] say, Davis?" | replied
facetiously. Il should say that you're
a brick, and the claret's first-ratc."
He took no notice of my remark, but
brought his chair round the table until
it was close TO mine, and uttered these
remarkable words:
II tell you, Gregson, that it is pos
siblc for a man of strong will, under
certain circumstances and by cxcrting
his mental powers to the utmost, to
project his spirit and individuality into
that Of some other person and occupy
the outward semblance of another be-
inp: and while still ratainino kis a1xn