The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-16

cheering of the men ON board of ship of
war, the march past of troops. even the
hurrying OF fremen to cOntagratl0n.
made his vision very misty. Some said
that this was 10 the credit of his heart
others said it was not TO the credit OF his
nerves. Did be ride? Yes. sometimes,
aud well. The successful termination of
a foXhunt and the tragic death of the fox
were events which were alleged by gOSsipS
to produce much the same effect upon him a
the pve-meniinned cases o. marriage,
launching, cheering, or nre-extingulshiDg;
but the frX-hunling takes place when the
air is cold and eyes are apt 10 be III Ois t
from intense symp thy with an east wind.
Nothing tangible on the nerve subject
could be fairly deduced from such evil
dence. What are nurves? Nobody knows.
Husbands swear that they are rubbish.
Wives declare that their whole being con-
siSts of nothing else. What is ce tain is
that they sometimes show themselves, or
rather their Influence shows itself, al OF
sudden. a danger is laughed at and de-
fed +: but in q moment, although the dan
ger may not be there, the mere magma
ton that it Is present makes US feel IN
com Portable. The boldest men are not
always quite sure of themselves. One,
general, who had faced fire over and over
again, laughed at the idea that he could
feel anxious when taken down a steep
toboggan slope. "Me? No, never felt
nervous in my life"; and he took his
place IN front of the person who was to
steer him down the ice. But he had
hardly seated himself before he felt an
irresistible Impulse not to go forward,
but to hang back. stop one moment
are you quite sure you can steer ?" was
the question in which his nerves unex-
pectedly betrayed themselves. We truly
DO not know what Is going on within US,
and it would not surprise any doctor TO
Ice told confidentially by any one that
discovery had been made that the nerves
were giving way. Imagination has
great responsibility in these matters. Men
of little imagin alton are not "giveD to give
way" So, If you have to do anything
which is trying, aud require an assistant
or companion, don't lake man endowed
with Imagination. Look rather for fool
attempt anything risky with man who
thinks too much.
All these eapient thoughts arise because
of Cecil Wake, who, although an excellent
fellow. thought too much. Perhaps 1t was
because of this that he had become better
than any barometer for telling change in
weather. Snow always gave him head
ache-thunder always gave him headache !;
but he bore these affections uncomplain-
ingly. But we knew In summer IF m an
extra twltch about his mouth that we
should have thundery weather. In winter
snow faithfully folio wed the same signals.
We discovered another peculiarly IN him,
ana some OF his friends declared that they
had found a treasure in him at last, be-
cause he had one gift that could be
usefully employed for money He was
marvellous water-6nder. For this
he employed the time-honored insTu-
ment. the hazel fork. He held the
two ends of the hazel between his
thumb and forefnger, the fork turned
downward, ana whenever he came any
where near running water the fork end of
the hazel rose in the air. and the stick not
only did this but twisted and turned in
his hand as though in agony. 1t made
his arms ache, he said, and he described
the sensation as especially unpleasant
along the arms and muscles of
he would have been inEaluable; and we
often told him that one Of the African
COMPANIES should give him a salary and
employ him to find water in dry places.
When he walked with Us often and
often be has told US that water ran
somewhere far down under his feet.
We believed him or disbelieved him as
we liked, for IL was only when we knew
that a stream was close at hand that
we could test him. He had also a sensa-
ton when placed near certain metals.
or from some electrical affinities, we
were not wise enough to determine. To
electricity | ascribed his sensitlveness
others called it by other names. At ali
events, there it was, most palpable
fact. showing itself with a power so
strong that if, for instance, he grasped our
wrists We became aware of force run
ming into our bang; and 1t lifted hazel
twlgs In our hands whom he was thus