The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-27
THE LONELINESS OF LIFE.

THE LONELINESS OF LIFE.
There is a man in the United States who,
more than any other. for six months has
held the rapt attention of a nation. He is
In full possession of his faculties. can talk
freely, hear well. see distinctly and seems
to act in all respects as one of many hun
dreds OF millions OF his kind. Yet he can
not tell what he knows. Surrounded by
acute men OF his race. pressed about daily
by keen-sighted women, he is as much
citadel OF strength as the rock of Glib
raltar. as invulnersbie as the mountain
Businesses to the falling autumn Leaf; as
isolated In the midst OF hundreds of mill
lions of men as though he were corpse
amid a handful OF babes.
Breathing the same atmosphere. his
heart warmed by similar blood. anatomy
alike. springIng from the same ancestry,
destined TO the common inevitable end.
Durrant is as much the master OF HIS Sc
cret as though he were the only human
being on earth and his companions only
the sightless trees and the senseless rocks.
II he could but tell that he was innocenti
His brain. his heart. his eyes. his tongue
are there. but not the power to tell it. IL
that be true: he may use words, utter
sounds. construct sentences. speak a
language which conveys a meaning to his
hearers. but he is powerless to carry the
truth from his brain 10 that of any other
human being If he is innocent.
And If he he guilty he can sit as he has
sat for months under the powerful glances
OF trained inquiry. and no man can tell the
truth that lies beneath that calm self-pos-
session. He only OF all the tens Of thou
sands who walked BY his side in the city.
knew him intimately, knows what he
knowsl
And as he Is. 80 are we all. Man seeks
mans society. he receives his life from
another. he enters relations as sacred and
as intimate as can exist between two of
the human race. yet are his thoughts. his
consciousness. his motives and aspira-
tons. the truth that is in him, only solely
his own.
The husband. the wife: the mother, the
daughter; the statesman in counsel, the
orator on the platform. the criminal In
the dock, the judge on the bench; man
clasping mans hand: man looking into
the depths OF woman's eye; not one can
tell the other the truth. 1t is all matter
OF trust. experience. creduiity.
II believe you. / trust YOU" are the
nearest approach TO an understanding.
No ons can know. The lover listens TO
the murmured tones OF an affection which
exists only in the temporary Authorization
OF an emotional excitement; the husband
snxiously and lovingly looks into the
innocent face OF hts sleeping wife: the
wistful mother silently pushes aside the
curtains OF the couch wherein her uncon-
soions child breathes quietly in the rest OF
dreamless siumber. 1t al tells nothing
II Inspires no sentiment but confidence.
Men meet each other in business daily
talk freely. enter into close social rela-
tions; IN q moment one is dead BY his own
hand. His secret IS his own. Men asso-
clate intimately. seem to know eseh other
thoroughly, yield M their interests. be-
stow implicit confidence. in a fash. one
IS 4 defaulter, leaving the other penniless.
ruined. His secret was solely his own.
The youth vows fidelity TO the trusting
maiden. the husband swears answering
fealty 10 his wife. the accused pleads
earnestly 20 the Jury. the orator pours out
a torrent OF protesiation 20 the people.
yet neither can do more than appeal TO
thu ;rustsulness Of the other. He cannot
convey the truth.
- -
when the gulllotines work was active. II
was often told that the severed head
would move It's lips and from the eyes
would come a look OF mute appeal Weird
and fanciful We're the theories bunt upon
these very doubtful signs. They were sup
posed 70 be the effort OF a yet lingering
consciousness 70 convey the truth nj last
But 6; was unavaiiius. as unavanlng az
the effort of a mind IN fun control OF It's
intelligence and physical power Many
lvos have been sacrificed 70 mistaken
/ Justice because Of the utter irnpossibility
OF an accused % impress the truth of his
! protestations on another mind Many
culpritS have been acquitted because elo-
quenoe has overcome Judgment. and the
less plausible victim has been unable %
convey 10 any other living soul the lcnowl-
eaEe that tie victim possessed. The story
has been told. the truth has been uttered
but II Was the manner. the words. that
were weighed. an4 q deduction was
arawn. not truth established.
Man IS a completely isolated object. LIE
- a condition OF absolute loneliness.
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