Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-10-04
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2 WITH A DEAD MAN :
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~ A story by Guy de Maupassant q
Which Has just Come q
O to Light. Q
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\ very curious short story by Guy
de Maupassant has just come to light
aud is published for the first time in
Paris. For years the author astonish
ed the world by his grim conceptions,
but the world was not surprised when
he became insane.
According TO Maupassant's manu-
script the story was told to him by a
German, who, with a friend, spent the
night in Schopcnhauer's funeral cham
ber.
The great German philosopher had
died during the day, and his two adj
mircrs prepared to watch over his re-
mains during the dark hours.
Said the German:
"Schopenhaucr had just died. and we
two had decided TO stay in his room
until morning. Two lights were burn
ing on the table
AT midnight our watch began, and
after the two others who had remained
with the body till that hour had gone
away, we took up our position at the
foot of the bed. The face of the dead
man was unchanged.
1T smiled.
"The wrinkle which we knew so
well was firmly marked, and the
Countcnance looked altogether so nat
Ural that it would not have surprised
us if our dead friend had opened his
eyes and laughed ut us.
Yet the memory Of his profound
thoughts weighed upon us, and we felt
ourselves surrounded by the atmos-
phere of his genu. The body of such
a man may be stilled by death, but the
man remains, and not without fear can
one remain in his presence. We spoke
about him softly; we recalled those
wonderful maXims of his which threw
such a clear light on many of the dark
problems of life.
81 can almost fancy / hear him
speak whispered my companion, and
at the mere thought we became still
more uneasy, as we sat quite STILL our
eyes fixed on the motionless, smiling
face.
Suddenly we felt weak and as
though something oppressed us. /
stammered:
~ don't know what is the matter,
but | assure you | am sick There
upon my companion suggested that we
should go into the adjoining room and
leave the door open, and | took his ad-
vice. Taking with us one of the can
dies, we sat down at the farther end Of
the other room in such n manner that
we had full view of the bed and of
the dead man.
still, however, strange uneasineSs
possessed us. II seemed as though we
were wholly enthralled by the disem-
bodied genius of the dead philosopher.
"All ut once we heard a slight noise
in the death chamber. We looked to-
ward the body, and then quite dis
tinctly both of us saw something white
roll over the bed. fall on the carpet and
vanish under a sofa.
at the sight we sprang to our feet,
terrified beyond measure. Our hearts
beat wildly. l spoke first.
Ibid you see itT
Yes. saw it,
"Tsn't he dead, then?
"Hc must be-
"'WLat are we to do?
"'We must see what it means was
my companions hesitating reply.
Il took our light. led the way into the
death chamber and then cast hasty
look around. Nothing stirred. and
approached the bed. The next mo.
ment. however, a great terror seized
me, for | saw that Schopcnhauer was
no longer smiling.
His face on the contrary, presented
a horrible appearance. for his lips were
tightly pressed together, and in his
checks there were two great hollows
l stammcred:
"TIe Is not dead And stood star
ing at him as though bereft of my
senses.
"ThereuDon my companion took tho
other candle and stopped down, and In
n moment or two he touched my arm
but did not uttcr a word. | looked
where ho pointed and | saw on the
ground beside the sofa something whit,
that gl,awod strangely on the darB
carpet. and I saw ut once what II was
1t was Schoponhauer'S false teeth
and they seemed to be in the act OF
biting. As the body had dccayed the
fastening that held the teeth in posi-
tlon had gradually become so loose that
they dropped from the mouth and roll
ed from tie bed on to tie foor."-Ex
change.