The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-06-28

my dear SIR and here the stranger
raised his finger to insure my especial
attention to his words, 1.-THE fact of ar
apSa xbeG lie Theory Of Of s' lie i ha3e
based:'
was debating in my own ,f1itld wfetf.-
er my companibn was a ltlndtic or a
philosopher, when the waiter brought a
Stake that away" said the stranger
mnt r SS! 1T vas 1 ne Of
stranger remarked to ME: If tie eiviIi-
zation of today insists Upon bringing the
toilet to the table; it should at least
bring It: before the meal to the, that that
one with clean hands may eat"
Perhaps YOU are right, / said, "but
you were speaking Of the Theory Of y6ttr
life: You say it is based Upon the truth
OF arrested developments
les 1T is now long years since the
study of development took up A great
while before Darwin the world startled
with his arrangement systematic of the
facts OF evolution, as applied to the de-
scent of man, l had reached conclusions
most Important in regard to these facts
as they bore upon Time and Space. l saw
assumed Space to be Negation, while
lime was direct progression-a devel-
opment-in Space. You catch me|'
was not sure that l did, but thought
it not improbable that 1 might be COM
PEELED to before long, so l kept fork
handy, and bowed interestedly.
| Every well. Now then, lust as we the
measurement of Time undertake-just as
we check off its passage in minutes and
seconds OIL material dial-so the real
passage of Time, the actual progression of
the Entity Time i'll the negation called
space, is made up of events, incidents,
happenings. You know that there no
medium of Il luminiferous ether through.
SO there could be no progress of Time. ex-
cept through the medium of events, Incl
dents, happenings. You follow NE. [
| hope?'
at large,' thought; but merely said:
The stranger continued with increasing
ANNA ton.
Il am glad, sir; glad. Now you will
| have no difficulty i'll perceiving that as
these events, Incidents, are necessary to
the progression of Time-that indeed they
constitute time-one has only to retard
| them in order the passage of time to retard
When this enormous truth broke upon nv
| mind | for a long while completely
stunned was. Life was made of events,
happenings and these made up Time. /
could regulate the progress or passage of
Time at will. l had merely to regulate
the matter of my living, I need not grow
old. l need but arrest temporal develop
W men matter my will clearly within.
You, sir, who evidently so thoughtful
man are, must recognize the impregna bic
nature of my logic"
He bowed quite in the manner of the
old school, and I could not but notice the
rotund and somewhat stilted character
of his sentence.
And you are endeavoring to put these
axionls into practice?' asked
More than that, my dear sir. much
the truth that man may retard Time. it
was but a step to the further and more
tremendous truth that man NAV reverse.
Time! Think of it, my dear sir. Ponder
it in all it's dazzling bearings! was w.
ing upon my bed, in thought buried, when
upon my soul this fresh idea itself hurled
My life was made of events, Incidents
events, incidents, actions, words-the.
thousand happenings, movements, little
and big, which make up existence. T
would reverse them all. [ would compel
Time to move in an opposite direction.
l would grow young, would be careful
to live backward. I put my discovery
Immediately into execution: 1 placed my
against the footboard, and into a pro-
found sleep forthwith sank. When
awoke /, it with fixed purpose was. I
careful to reverse all things as far as
practicable am. Hence my chair as YOU
it see; hence my necktie (which has me-
the happiness procured of this conversa-
tom; hence the reversed service of my
luncheon; hence any little peculiarities
which you in my language may have no
ticed.
I was deeply impressed with the earn
estness of the speaker and the thorough
consistency with which he followed out
the system of life which he had adopted
appeared to me extraordinary. The cru
cial question remained to be asked and T
forthwith asked it.
Have you found that your theory is
actually a true one? Does it work in
practice?' The stranger drew down the
corners of his mouth, muscular contor-
ton which l at once recognized as a re-
versed smile.
My dear sir, facts shall your answer
be. How old should you take me to be?'
This seemed an abrupt query, but [
took it for granted that, in the singular
would turn out to have some bearing
upon the matter in hand. So said:
REALLY, | am wretched judge of age,
but imagine you must be about 49,"
II am exaceiy 1O4."
"What!' 1 exclaimed getting hold of the
fork.
81 was born on the 18th day of August
old style-17SS. You can make your
own calculation. According to the ac-
cepted measurement of time I am 104.
AS matter of fact am youthing at
the rate of exactly ten years per decade.
[ was very gray. five years ago, but my
hair is getting its normal color, and +
hnyn ~, into cn1ou In tion iIuSf f.nrn-
pleted, that in 1911 shall be 81 l am
going Il freedom party to give in cele
bration of my legal majority the attain
ment Of. May the. great pleasure have
your presence of expectingW =.
You are very good" / murmured, 1T
is long way ahead, but If am alive /
shall be there ?. II ri *-.%S 4, r
/ spoke urbanely and meant what T
said The extraordinary statements
which the stranger had made had set me
thinking and resolved to give the matter
further reflection. Meanwhile continued
conversation under circumstances so un.
usual was becoming embarrassing, SO l
arose to depart. ll.s.s:~ :.
II am much indebted to you, SIR" I
said, "for the interesting information
which You have impaired. can only
hope that / have not been impertinent
in thrusting my acquaintance. upon you
in such unconvential fashion,"
(" Sir; you have me the greatest favor
done. 4 good listener is on earth the
's'Good morning I snid, offering him
my hand, II trust we. shall soon meet
again Mr.. ----. / have not your name.
I believe. sir" $.s d. q.
.Ah, no: pardon me.
III He quickly took q black card from his
pocket and with O. white pencil held In
Ibis left hand, wrote. hia name and address
i