The National tribune., 1902-03-06


the Captain; | could not presume to press
his good-naturC. Perhaps he saw my
thought. for lie added: "A man is dis
tinct from other men. but not from him
self. He constantly changes, and con
stantly remains the same
THAT is hard to understand, Captain.
Everything, sir. is hard to understand
because everything means every other
thing. If we could fully comprehend one
thing, even the leaSt-if there be least
we should necessarily comprehend all
things said the Captain.
Then he talked at large Of the relations
that bind evCrything-and Of matter,
force, spirit. which he called a trinity.
Then matter is of the same nature
with God:" | asked: and God has the
properties Of mattcr:'
by no means. sir. God has none of
the properties of matter Even our minds,
sir, which aIc more nearly like unto God
than Is anything else we conceive. have
no properties like matter. Yet are we
hound {" matter, and our thoughts are
limited
How can the mind contemplate God at
aI:"
by pure reason only. sir The mag
ination bctrayS. We try TO image force,
because we think that we succeed in mag
ing matter. We try to image spirit.
as to how God looks. Anything that has
not extension is as nothing to our mag
ination. Yet we know that our minds are
real, though we cannot attribute extension
to mind. Divisibility is of matter; if the
infinite mind has parts, then infnity is
diviSible-which is a contradiction
Then God has no properties!'
Not in the sense that matter has. sir.
If God has one of them, He has all Of
them. If we attribute extension To Him,
we must attrihutc elasticity also, and all
of them. But try to think of an elastic
universal"
Captain. you said while ago that
everything is matter. force and spirit. Do
you place force as something intermediate
between God and matter:''
Certainly. sir; force is above matter,
and mind is above force
81 have heard that force is similar to
matter in that nothing of it is lost
said /.
When and where did you hear that?'
asked the Captain, looking ut me fXedly,
almost sternly.
The question almost brought me to my
feet. When and where had | heard it?
My attention had been so fastened on the
Captains philosophy that it now seemed
to me that | had become unguarded. and
tbas from outside of me u thought had
been sent into my mind by some unknown
power; | could not know whence the
thought had come. | had suddenly felt
that | had heard the theory in question.
/ knew that the moment before. | could
not have said what l did. But l had
spoken naturally, and without feeling that
l was undergoing an experience. | stared
back at Capt. Haskell. Then | became
aware Of the fact that at the moment
when | had spoken | had known con-
sciOusly when it was and where it was
that | had heard the theory, and | felt
almost sure that if had spoken different
ly, if | had only said. From Mr. Such-a-
heard the theory" [ should now have a
clew to something. But the flash had
vanished.
1T is lost" | said.
Il am sorry" said he
"It is like the j. Il. on the broken gun"
said /.
II beg your pardon?"
81 did not finish telling you of my ex-
perience Mt that spot where | got water
last Friday. Right in that spot was
broken gun with j. Il. on the stock
Are You sure, .Jones?'
Il picked up both pieces of the gun and
Ooked at them closely"
Perhaps your seeing j. Il. on the gun
gave rise to your other reflections"
Not at all; the gun came last, not
irst.''
What you are telling me is very re-
said the Captain; you almost
make me believe that you are right in say
ng that your name is Jones Berwick.
However, ]. 4. is no uncommon combina-
ion Of initials. Suppose Lieut.. Barnwell
lad found the gun"
IF he had found J. G. b. on it, he
would have wondered" said /.
True; but do you know that J. G.. B.
s many times more difficult than J. BE-
NO, Captain; | hardly think so; these
ire the days of three initials"
Yes, you are right in that" he said.
And l know L am right about my
lame," said |.
Still, the whole affair may be a com
lOund OF condolences. We have three
II did have threc-othcr men in the com
,any whose initials were ]. Bail, Box
md Butler. OF course, You could not rec
,gnize your own work in the lettering?r
NO, sir; anybody might have cut those
ettegs, Just as anybody might initiate
,rint And | think, Captain, that there
s not another j. Il. i'll Lees army who
would have supposed for an instant that
Ie had any connection with that gun
Suppose, then, that call you Berwick
Iereaftcr"
NO, | thank you, Captain. I'd rather |
,e to you Jones than Berwick. Besides, |
f you should change now, it would cause |
cmark'
Il think ! shall ask my brother Aleck |
o find out what South Carolina regiments |
we're in the first battle of Manassas"
aid he. You may go with me to see him |
onight if you will
That night Capt. y. C. Haskell, the As