The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-23
A Philosophical
Discussion
BY REGINALD D. HAVEN

ana nhd not only learned COME sections
: analytical geometry and all that, bu
had during the summer encampment
escorted young ladies' TO "Od For
Put" and over Filtration walk" ant
danced with them at hops.
> He was a major OF artillery in IN,
United States army and stationed a
J Fort Smelling. II was August. and b,
thought he would run over 10 LAX,
Minnetonka at the time the resort was
filled with persons enjoying their sum
mer vacations. He was thirty-five and
unmarried His friends said that he
had proposed TO so many girls when
he was at West Point that there were
none left for him to marry when be
really meant business.
He had passed out OF the reckless
lovemaking OF youth. II had left him
dreamy, imaginative, with a vein of
sentiment such as belongs to the poet
He was fond of musing upon the Won
ders OF the universe. The most inter-
esting study 10 him was mankind
that Is, after womankind-for, being
unmarried he considered woman a At
subject for study. although married
friend told him he had better stick to
nebulae and let woman alone.
major Donaldson, have you met
| Miss KenworthyT said a lady by way
of an introduction.
II have not. but it gives me great
| pleasure 10 do so now said the major
The introducer dropped out, and the
officer drew chair beside Miss Ken
worthy. II was the hour of twilight.
and the planet Venus was looking
down. radiant, on the god of day that
had sunk beneath the horizon
Beautiful sight" remarked the ma
jor by way OF opening the conversa-
ton. This hour at this season is my
favorite of all parts of the year"
Every beautiful" Miss Kenworthy
assented.
Il wonder how the planet happened
TO be named for the goddess of lover"
That's easily answered. Venus is
the only one of the planets that APP
pears to us TO be always changing"
The major glanced suspiciously at
his companion. She was looking out
upon the landscape with sober face.
Your explanation does not hold. The
phases of Venus are not apparent to
the naked eye. and the ancients had
no telescopes. / wonder If the planets
are Inhabited
IF there are human beings on Venus
| presume the women are all Venuses."
Again Major Donaldson cast an in
terrogative glance at Miss Kenworthy. |
Was her remark intended to be humor- !
Gus or satirical? Her face was still |
sober. There was no twinkle in her |
eye.
do you know" said the major. that
the philosopher, Sir William Hamilton,
suggested that life may have been
to the earth from one of I
the other planets as the wind watts
pollen from flower TO fiowerg'
I'm the same principle, / presume,
love was sent down to us from Venus"
You are not of serious vein,
As for me, I'm quite In love
with these speculations. One Of my
'avorite topics of thought is whether
We have lived before and whether we
shall live again.
do you ever have feeling that you
rave been before in the position that
-ou occupy at the present moments"
Il don't exactly understand you"
ITO illustrate. we two are sitting
ogether of summer evening at the
Wright hour looking out on land and
water and sky. Surprising that 1t
hould occur to you that you have been
itting with me before amid the same
onditions-that is what | mean"
Now | comprehend There are per-
ons who have experienced such sen
atoms. and these incidents have been ,
sed as arguments that we have ex-
ited before we came upon earth"
Il have such an experience at the !
resent moment" I
"You don't mean it," Z
II am conscious of having sat with
Oh at twilight overlooking land and
-ater and sky, and though instead of
'oking westward we were looking
Drthward. the planet Venus shone a
nth resplendent Singular, isn't it?'
Very" the major assented thought +
lily. "Have you any idea of the time '
at has elapsed since this previous s
,perience? Was it few years. thou b
nds OF years, millions of years or n
,ns?" y
1T was exactly twelve years"
The major once more turned and
rutinized the lady's face.
Can you not particularlze furtherY >,
asked.
II can. We were sitting on the rear
rich at the hotel at West Point look
g out on that beautiful view up the ~
ndson river. You were a cadet. and
was just out of short dresses" :
And the planet Venus. What has r.
at to do with it," stammered the
ljor. reddening.
You told me you loved me and
,uld never love another"
rhe major sat intently looking at the
~ beside him. He had no remem- II
ance of her or the scene she de
-ibed. But that delightful period
len he had tramped through flow
garden as If il were stubble now
peared TO him what II really was
"a 1t had passed. Here was one OF
. flowers on which he had trampled.