Year: 1872

the art gallery that morning. IA


vorable resort Of ours, by the way
and our visit had been more thar


ever delightful. She had never look


ed so beautiful-the light in her glo
rious eyes, the rich bloom in hel
| cheek, had never been SO bright be-


fore. I had never felt so 10th tc
leave her as I had that morning


Why should I have felt so? 1t was
to be only for afew hours. The next
morning I should see her at the same
place again. I thought that it was
because she grew lovelier and love
lier each day, that Imore reluctant
Iy parted with her this last time
We discussed some plans which we
were maturing to carry out In case
we encountered from the father the
stern, persistent refusal which we
could not but expect. J. remained
all day In state of happy excite
ment. All our happiness was so
near now, and so sure. OF course
opposition of the father was far
from pleasant thing, but it was una
voidabte, and must be braved. Low
ing each other as we loved, not the
bigotry of any human being had the
right, or should have the power, to
sever our hves-for sever our hearts
they could not.


1 tried to analyze to myself this
au-conquering passion, before which
doubt and darkness fed, which ex-
allied life into a sphere so golden and
blissful that the angels themselves
might envy me.


So, this glorious, never-to-be-for-
gotten day, this last bright day of
my life, drew near it's close. To-
ward evening a friend dropped in
upon me. This was not a welcome
event, for was fain to put aside my
own dreams, and listen to his, for he
was a dreamer-an impracticable,
fastidious, esthetic-with whose
weird fancies and erratic wanderings
I had always felt too much interest,
and for whose peculiar habits of
mind and thought had already too
much affinity.


Our conversation this evening
turned upon the effect of certain
drugs upon the human brain, and
some new and interesting expert
ments which had been made. The
rage in certain circles for testing the
power of new article, hashish, was
then at his height. Hy friend pro-
duced Il package of the wonderful
drug, explained the quantity which
it would be proper to take at one
time, and affirmed that it had been
proven to be harmless, although the
immediate effect was wonderful be-
yond imagining.


To meddle with things OF this kind
was always one of my peculiar temp
tations, I should have known that
person of my excitable, highly-strung
temperament, should never trife
with so powerfuk.and mysterious an
agent, but in this evil hour 1 deter
mined to satisfy long cherished
wish, and try for just once its effect
upon myself. My friend took leave,
and I sat in my Office quietly alone,
when l swallowed the accursed stuff.


Two hours passed before 1 felt any
effect from it except that my hands
and feet glowed and tingled, as if
they had been nearly frozen and then
brought in contact with heat, and
that the humming Of the hurTying
blood in my veins was audible to my
ears; it sounded like the gurgling of
a brook.


Suddenly, I felt myself lifted up,
and set Whirling; round and round 1
went, at first very slowly, then faster
and faster, and at last with almost
inconceivable velocity.


The sensation of pain and agony
was dreadful; it seemed that my
head would fly to atoms. 1 was un-
able to make the slightest effort for
relief, or even to cry out, and the tor
ture had become insupportable,
when all at once the motion seemed
to be changing and l experienced
the most delightful sensations of
floating in the air. 1 seemed to lie
in an invisible hammock, and by
some unseen power I was swung
back. and forth through hmitless
space. Cool, perlumed winds blew
over me; lhe stars grew large and
clear IN their brightness, as in my up
ward motion I neared them, and as
I receded they grew dim and distant
in their far-off setting. Soft, distant
melody-it might have been the un-
ceasing, ravishing Emusic of the
spheres" delighted my exquisitely
heightened sense of hearing. Even
nov my whole frame thrills with rap
ture when I recall this delicious en-
tree into the very paradise of rest,
which was accorded to me by this de
mon of Unreality.


I seemed to drop asleep at last, and
awoke to find that l had settled down
upon solid earth, a confused mass
of material, without form or order.
When this chaotic mass, which was
me, began to. move, [ telt myself
consolidating into great broad lines,
immense columns, blocks and angels,
and I knew that was being built
up into great letter "A capital
letter A-runniug to a fine point at
top and spreading out upon a solid
and substantial base at the foot.


Immovable as the sphinxes of
Egypt, stood there a thousand
years. At the end of that time the
elements-ths burning sun, the
storm, the fierce tornado which had
beat upon me pitilessly all this tin4e
had done their work. The pyra-
mid began to culver from base to
summit, then reeled and fell, an i'm
mense ruin. But 1 built up again,
and this time into the whole alpha
bet, column that lowered miles
- - d. IL ----LL NJ g..