Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-02

Professor Markham, who occupies
the chair of anatomy at - college. Is
a materialist. His friend Taylor, pro-
fessor Of psychology. is an extremist
on the opposite side. taking the ground
that man is an eternal spirit, inclosed
In material body. The two were dis
cussing questions based upon these
two very different opinions, when Pro-
fessor Markham said:
take, for instance. love. To be
more particular. let us confine our
selves to love between the sexes. You
men of spiritual bent consider that this
is spiritual condition, a mingling of
two souls We materialists take it to
be, in the initiative at least, simply a
device of nature to compel obedience
70 one OF her laws, procreation."
| (which we deny. Love is eternal
| ~Then when a couple who love are
separated by death why is the place
Of the one who has been taken filed
~ anotherr
Gases q real lewe are rare. In such
cases the place Of the departed one
Is not filed by another 1 have known
or heard of several instances of this
true love, but only one where the con-
ditions / have stated were fulfilled. It
was related to me when 1 was study
ing medicine in Paris. and the princi-
pal figure in the story had been a pro-
fessor in the university where re-
ceived my education.
Jean Leroux, bachelor of thirty
six, a botanist, was one morning
tramping through the southern prov
fnces, hunting for plant specimens,
when he came upon a chateau In
whose gardens were many beautiful
flowers. In his enthusiasm he Jumped
the wall and was soon lost to every
thing except the objects of his study.
He was bending over variety of aza-
lea which he had never seen, though
he was familiar with it through his
books, when suddenly he was recall
ed to himself by a musical feminine
voice saying:
aMonsieur is absorbed in the flow
Eers.'
"Leroux looked up into a pair Of
teyes that were looking into his.
Now, il you anatomists were to
claim that love acts as two chemical
afintties, which on meeting become
one and the same substance, I could
in a measure sympathize with you.
Both these persons admitted after
ward to the other that the moment
their eyes met they loved.
Pardon said Leroux, 4 am a tres
passer. I have been led by my love
for my profession TO examine your
! plants. / will withdraw at once.'
/ On the contrary. you are welcome
to study my plants to your hearts
content, and If there are any that you
covet shall be happy to give them to
you.'
For the rest Of that morning LIE
roux and the lady wandered about in
the gardens, he giving her much in
: formation about her plants. She loved
them for themselves; but, loving them
1t pleased her to learn of their nature
. She was Mile. de la Fontayne. whC
lived with her old mother on tn,
place, her father being dead Made
moiselle was some half dozen years
Leroux's Junior, and since both of then
had passed the heyday of youth it can
I not be claimed that the love which
e flashed into being between them wa:
of the grosser type. Leroux whe1
asked afterward If that was not the
happiest morning of his life replied
that it was far happier than any b,
had known before, but no happier
than those that followed.
"A mile. de la Fontayne would not per
n NIT Leroux to depart without partak
n ing of luncheon. or, rather. the seconl
breakfast of the French people, and
after the meal they returned to thu
garden. In spirit the professor nevel
left the chateau so long as Mile. de Ii
Fontayne remained there. But she die
not remain there very long-at leas
4 permanently, for Leroux was obliged
to be at the university in Paris, wher,
he lectured, and the two found it ex
a circulating to be apart. No great time
therefore, passed before they wer'
married, residing during the winter il
Paris and in the summer at the De |,
Fontayne chateau.
% "These two lived. so far as their re
: lations to each other were concerned
in perfect happiness. No word of an
70 ger ever passed between them"
al "Was not that the result of norma
nervous system perfectly assimilat
. ed?" asked the listener.
Is II do not admit it. I believe tina
from their meeting they had becom
/ 4 one being Nor can it be said that the.
( were united through their children, 70
no children were born to them. 1t wa
& case of unity between two individ
tlals whose individuality was lost ii
each other And | shall show you b!
an incident which occurred that thi
"a love continued after they were sep
arafed by death. l cannot prove tina
1 the love of the one who was taken con
b tlnued the same as before, for we can
not see beyond the veil that Provi
dence has hung between us and tina
which lies beyond. must confine my
- self to the one who remained her
among US.
mime Leroux fell i'll and died te'
years after the pair were married. In
IA neal condition Of hpr husband af