Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-07
New York Times.)

| not dislike Lemuel Welles. As play
mate he was boastful. cocksure, and ar
rogant: as a fellow-student at the uni
yersity and an associate in the medical
| faculty of the metropolis. he remained
boastful, cocksure. and arrogant still
| Our maths. however, did not run on
pareIIei. I became a general practitioner;
| he a specialist in nervous diseases. Hence
IL is likely that he would have dwindled
| into an UNPLEASANT memory but for one
circumstance-we both belonged to the
Medico-Le Union. society devoted to
| the Investigation and discussion OF sub
tects germane in interest to the two
learned professions from which II derived
its title. The union met each Friday
night, and was largely attended and en-
Enthusiastically supported Its members
were young men, for the most part, unas-
suming. yet ambitious, and more anx-
| ions 10 learn than to instruct. Welles.
| of course. was a notable exception. 1t
| used TO seem to me that / could feel
his entrance before j saw H.; such
| sense of officIous hustle was obtruded into
/ the thoughtful air. l always chose my
| seat so as to be as remote as possible
1
| in every way avoided any familiarity.
| one session. however. chance brought us
| into a direct and far-reaching ahtago-
| nism.
The manner of procedure at a meeting
| was simplicity itself The subject for
| consideration had been given out the
| nreyious week, and hence all present
were presumed to be prepared. The
| chairman would draw slip OF paper
from a box and read the name thereon.
| and then he who was thus called upon
would rise and speak, and so on and on,
| until time and matter were consumed.
| on this particular evening the topic was
"Ueredity." Our discussions OF late hal
taken a psychological trend. and this
| one now promised TO be a natural and
| consequent elimination Already there
was the buzz of excited argument. when
the presiding officer raped for order.
and. unfolding the first slip, announced
| the name of Dr. Lemuel Welies
| | shall not attempt to recapitulate the
discourse which ensued. Argument 1t was
not. any more than the statement oil
| Euclid's axioms would be argument.
| WelIes was SO positive as TO be superla-
| tive Never before had / known him
| IN no So true TO his disagreeable charac-
teristics. He promulgated that heredity
] was a blind, unvarying law, from winch
| there was no escape. And this narrow
view of human destiny he made the mar
rover by disdaining to consider any mere
| dtary force save that of evil. His only
| theorenl for crime was seek the an
| cestor.' His deductions, inevitable from
| his own pragmatical propositions, were
| contem ,tuous to the intellect and Insult
ing to the soul / felt indignant when
| he had finished. but more over his manner
than h.1 works. The latter might be 1g-
nored as vapid, but the challenge OF the
| former was insupportable. Hence. when
| the chairman called out my name DE-
| Peter Naughton. ] sprang up TO reply
as II that duty had been entrusted 10 me
| am not a ready speaker. Ordinarily
| resume my seat, after few hating
| words. my mind surging with thoughts
| which I might have, but had not. ex-
messed. Now. when / concluded. 1t was
with drIpping brow and feeling CT utter
| exhaustion. | looked at the COCK, ana
saw. TO my amazement that | mad teen
| on my feet for half-hour. what. men,
had | said? Undoubtedly. my CONVICTIONS
| for not one surged in my MAD WIN re-
nroaches for desertion; and yet j could
not recall a single point. l Only knew
| that had rejected, with the UTMOST
warmth. that there was any ijunidt-Ch
| for Welless assertions, save IL hls own
| ignorant presumption: that had declared
| a belief In the supremacy OF goou' al.
| a ridicule for those Degrading tenets
which would have continued man ire
| same as his savage progenitors' ohS
| fercer, baser. and more malignant ~.
yelopment for man; heredity lot oeaS'S'
| in brief, was my claim.
I must have used barbed words, for
| there was an amused expression preva-
| lent. while Welles sat with shoulders
| hunched I'D and with face red and EN-
| barrassed Moreover. further discussion
| was short and perfunctory as II more
| than enough had been said. On ADJOURN
| ment. shook myself free from those VINO
| crowded around 10 congratulate or per
| hans 10 differ, and hurried down size
| street but little used. There were nasty
stems behind me, however. and voice,
| at whose tones / stopped short; Tor there
! was one state worse than being Win
Welles, and that was 10 nave MN wi"
| WINGED OF my fear
lyon are a pretty fellow. Naughton,'
Welles began, as he seized my arm; Il
believe that you deliberately prepared
Yourself TO make personal attack on
| me-"
.~rhat could not we'll be-" / replied.
coldly; IT did not know that we would
both speak. nor what you wouia Say u
you did"
"You know the line Of my investiga-
| tions. and as for our being called on.
| that could be arranged with the chair
man"
81 know your doubt OF good motives too
we'll TO care to discuss my conduct"
"Oh. Won do. do you? Well, let me tell
| vou mat n was as mean as II was false.
| In YOUR heart you know that was right.
| You would shrink from any test While
why. | would bet anything that from
| our mutual acquaintance l could PICK
| "a case"
"Fools bet" interrupted. $50 stick TO
| that form of argument. I'll have none
| of it'-and l moved away.
"You're afraid" tainted Welles. still
| clinping TO my sleeve. You know i
would instance the descendants OF your
guardian, James Blake.
The coward He knew how l loved and
esteemed this noble old man. who had
been more than parent To- ~ orphan
age. He knew how sensitive j would be
TO any reference TO the unde eryed dis
grace which had blighted his life. out
OF loyalty l must answer lightly, YET
decisiyely. lest he might deem that j.
could doubt.
NONSENSE retorted. Ernest Blake
Is universally respected. II your reputa-
| ton only equalled his character, what
| lucky man you would be-"
II didn't say your guardians son;
said his descendants. 1t is in the third
generation that the corruption will break
forth. Ernest Blake viii marry and have
a child, and then you will see whether
he everlasting laws OF heredity can be
sneered away. I'll bet you"
II won't bet. / told YOU" ! cried. But
| IL Ernest Blake ever has child, and evil
comes to IL through its own fault, I'll
apologize to you for having called you
az now DO, not only a fool but an in
fernal scoundrel.
We were both young. hasty. and hot
...-.-.-oa Of