Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1901-07-23
NEW SERIES, vol. XXXyI, NO. 80.

one about the room. growing intense rs
one gazed at her eyes.
Naturally | tried the experiment Of
separating my patient from the influ-
ence Of the tapestry. but this. as fear
ed, only had the effect Of changing his
habitual melancholy into 4 violent pas
sion that was much more difficult TO
| deal with than melancholia. We then
| tried hanging the tapestry in much
| used room. where some member of the
| family was likely TO be III all times.
There young Wiltse would sit before it
in silence. with an imploring express
sion on his face. Finally he became so
callous in regard to his strange infat-
uation that he took small pains to con-
ceal ii. Uncomplimentary remarks
about Omphale would send him into
uncomfortable fits of passion that bare
ly stopped short of violence to the per-
son who had made the aspersion. No
one ever heard him address his enchan-
tress by name, but he would call her
Warehouses. and that, too, is explain
ed, though at the time we were in the
this particular rank upon Omphale.
Perhaps | exaggerated the impress
sion the tapestry made upon whoever
looked at it for any length of time. |,
you must understand. was to some ex-
tent under the influence | was studying
and trying to counterfeit in my patient.
Suggestion In such cases goes far aud
follows strange paths. Every one in
the family came more or less under
Omphales influence"
had followed my uncle's story thus
far with intense interest, but here
objected that If he attributed the pecul-
lar Influence Of the tapestry upon HIM
self largely or partly to its known in
fiuence upon young Wiltse it made II
more difficult to understand how the
patient had in the first instance come
under Omphale's spell, since he did not
have any outside suggestion.
THAT is true said my uncle, "and l
can only suppose that young Wiltse
had some time or other read this story
of Gautier's and come to imagine him,
self a second lover of the beautiful
Marchioness de H., posed. to please her
husband, in the romantic scene with
Hercules
My uncle's whole story ran counter to
my very strong proiudices against be-
lief in all things supernatural, spirit
ism" and the other "sms" Of the same
sort. do you mean to say" / eX-
claimed, that you believe Gautier's
preposterous yarn about the amours Of
the young student and that wooden
ragT
Not so fast; not so FAST he replied
Il have not said that looked upon the
tale as a recital of fact. You miss the
point. | will refresh your memory of
the story and then you will under
stand
The youth Of Gautiers story was
deprived of lis Omphale by an unfeel-
ing guardian who had discovered the
boys infatuation. Years afterward the
man found the tapestry representation
of his goddess in an oddly shop and,
trembling with joy, hurried away to
get the 500 francs demanded for 1t by
the shopkeeper. Before he returned an
Englishman twhy not Wiltse, SID had
offered 600 francs for the tapestry, the
dealer had accepted. and the tapestry
had been carried away"
But" | broke in again, you are still
supposing that Gautier's tapestry and
youth actually existed"
'Not at all. Whether or not Gautier
described an actually existing tapestry
! do not know. | am inclined to think,
however. that the novelist had seen
this very tapestry. And when young
Wiltse found it in his fathers house
either after or before he read the story,
for | am confident that he had read 1t.
Omphale's spell grasped him. and he
was never able to throw 1t off. He be-
came the successor to Gautier's youth.
but probably Omphale did not warmly
respond a second time to a merely hui
man lovers advances, and hence his
despair
Poorfellow," said |. "Doyou know
And then | hesitated, ashamed to dis
close 10 my uncle the intense inter-
est he had excited In me. "Where Is
that tapestry nowY | finally demand
ed.
My uncle first looked amused and
then serious.
You shall never see ii. Hugh. until
you are too old to be foolish-nntil you
are as old as am."-St. Louis Repub-
lie.