Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-01

NE small party winter night in
NAT the great Atlantic liner that was crossing
NM to New York.
The weather had been cold and stormy
that all those who could do deferred
IG(1EHlI their passages in hope Of improvement We
kSASz&sl left Queenstown in a gale of wind and snow
but the next day the weather moderated and
about thirty Of assembled in the saloon for the great
dinner with which the steamship tried to make
amends for our lost feast at home.
Among the passengers the most noteworthy to my
thinking was an old man with snow white beard and
vivid blue To that they blue is hardly cor
rcc-they the color OF electric light II one
such comparison OF, to pu' it in another way
their light intense that It hardly possible to
realize what the color OF the pup's.
This old man sat Just opposite me- so had good op-
oruniy for noticing ne ate sparnsy and drank nothing
but water He also rarely spoke but his eyes were con
santly turned toward the curtailed portfolios, as II he
could watch the whose thunder heard as they
dashed themselves against the ships side.
" 1t is a dark night" 1 said at length
" Dark those VINO cannot see he replied and re
apsed into silence profound that do not like to dis
turb him again
When dinner was ever at length a few Of younger
lighted cigars walked and down the deck
hut the piercing wind drove me In and sat down
quietly in the music saloon wher, about dozen Of both
had collected round the piano and had been singing
carols The music was just over when entered but APP
parcnuy story telling mad begun and listened with the
thrill the usual tales of supernatural which
seldom told at first hand and therefore lie open to
all sorts Of explanations and emendatons
Presently there pause ami then young girl
the old who ed, silent, in corner
md said to him: Have you no strange experiences TO
hear them?"
Her voice was musical and gentle Gently
the hers " II you vi my dear-but
a story you will nst understand"
Never mind. tell us" they all cried, and he began:
/ born in manufacturing city in the north OF
81 gland Ny parents were prosperous tolk ana as was
the only ! expected to learn and carry on the
business. Unfortunately l had aptitude for it, and
after many struggles told my father coud.st at the
desk no longer explain to him that material
things, the ordinary occupations of life failed to interest
me, that the arts OF civilization thrown away upon
me-except indeed in one particular.
where light concerned my indifference vanished
As a child would sleep in the dark. As boy
morning morning would out of bed and watch
the sunrise and would walk any distance to see the sun
with artificial light 1t the same. A dis
play Of fireworks to me rapture, and line of street
lamps me sensations of pleasure could never eX
plain to other lads.
As grew older the different processes by which light
ig manufactured absorbing interest to and
at length mpored father TO put else in his
business give sufficient morey to enable me to
follow my inclination He angry at first but
eventually gave a gruiging consent and for few
studied the of producing ana purifying the different
of oil used for lamps besides the manufacture Of
gas electric light. I made many experiments and
useful inventions but the Intensity of the light
never sufficient to satisfy Nothing dazzed no
brlliancy wearied my eyes or BRAIN only onged for
light,
Having learned all could be taught in England and
the United States of the practical working of artificial
light studied all the scientific works could get hold Of
which had any bearing my favore subject and one
day the British museum hit old book which
thoughts in fresh direction 1t mystical
treatise written in nedRval Latin, and the difficulty
had in understanding It impressed it deeply my
The author began by stating that light the
creation of God that 1t had therefore the priority
all his other gifts and that without 1t all those gifts
would be of avail He went to there three
light-the light uncreated, which God him
self light that ilumines the the
inward light In the soul of which enables him to
perceive, mirror the nght OF the eternal He then
described how by life of purity aad ascetcsm the
body of might become clearer and clearer, till the
light shone through through crystal
ended by account of ancient Christian sect
which might still be found in the Arabian
who had always pracced austertes devotions
such extent that though living in
ground places the EARTH for fear persecution they
needed artificial gnt but TO themselves their
Illumination
This little book fred me at with eager desire
into Arabia and discover II this yet
but before could start there many
tions make knew nothing of the language customs
the country through which travel, 1t was
months before felt myself well equipped my
journey. As 1 at length about to my mother
fell i'll and died She had always regretted my refusal
fathers business had never expressed
much sympathy with Investigations Just before
death startled all the her bed
suddenly excaimlng, quite audiby, pointed al
He is right The light is there They were the last
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