Greenfield Republican, Greenfield, Hancock County, 27 September 1894 — Page 2

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As the weeks went by, my interest in him and ray curiosity as to his aims in life gradually deepened and increased. His very person and appearance were such as to strike the attention of the most casual observer. In height he was rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. His eyes were sharp and piercing, save during those intervals of torpor to which I hav*e alluded and his thin, hawk-like nose gave his whole expression an air of alertness and decision. His chin, too, ^ad the prominence and squareness which mark the man of determination. His hand** were invariably blotted with ink and stained with chemicals, yet fie was possessed of extraordinary delicacy of touch, as I frequently had occasion to observe when I •watched him manipulating his fragile philosophical, intruments.

The reader may set me down as a hopeless busybody when I confess bow much this man stimulated my curiosity, and how often 1 endeavored to break through the reticence which he showed in all that concerned himself. Before pronouncing judgment, however, be it remembered how objectless was my life, and how little there was to engage my attention. My health forbade me from venturing out unless in exceptionally genial weather,-'and I had no friends who would call upon me and break the monotony of my existence. Under these circumstances I eagerly hailed the little mystery which hung around my companion, and spent most of my time in endeavoring to unravel it.

PART I.

{.Being ft reprint from the reminiscences of JOHN H. WATSON, M. D., lata ot the Army Department.]

CEIAPTER II—CONTINUED.

He was not studying medicine. He had himself, in reply to a qlies-1 tion, confirmed Stamford's opinion upon that point. Neither did he ap-

an entrance into the learned world Yet his zeal for certain studies was remarkable, and within eccentric limits his knowledge was so extraordinarily ample and minute that his observations have fairly astounded me. Surely no man would work so hard to attain such precise informa tion unless he had some definite aim in view. Desultory readers are ssl-

dom remarkable for the exactness of

Mil. SHERLOCK HOLMES.

His ignorance was as remarkable

as his knowledge. Of contemporary

literature, philosophy and politics he I appeared to know next to nothing.

I 1

he inquired the imvest way who he might be and what he had done. My surprise reached a climax, however, when I found incidentally that

4

an

appeared K.IUW NEXT his knee. Sometimes the chords were Upon my quoting Thomas Carl vie, I sonorous and melancholy, Occa-

SCARLET.

ical

SHERLOCK HOLMES—his limits. 1. Knowledge of Literature. —Nil. 2. Philosophy.— Nil. 8. Astronomy.— Nil. 4. Politics.— Feeble. 5. Botany. Variable. Well up in in belladonna, opium and poisons generally.

Knows nothing of practical gardening.

6. Geology. Pracal. put limited. Tells at a glance different soi 1 from each other. After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their color and consistence in what part of

London he had received them.

7. Knowledge of Chemistry.—Profound. 8. Anatomy.—Aceucurate but unsystematic. 5. Seusational Literature. Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century. 10. Plays the violin well. 11. Is an expert single stick player, boxer and swordsman. 12. Has a good practical knowledge of civil law.

When I got so far in my list I threw it into the fire in despair. If I can't find what the fellow is

the at tempt at once. I see that I have alluded above to his powers upon the violin. These were vcy remarkable, but as eccentric as all his cthv.:* accomplishments. Thai he ce 'd play pieces, and difficult piece K~C v'el!, beI cause at my ec«ut. i-"* »iad played nie some of Mendelssohn'b Lieder, and other favorites When ieft to

himself howcveil

their loarnmK. No man burdens I s, ,,

mind with small matters unless he •*.. has some very Rood reason for so recognized an doinw Leaning back sn his arm chair of

-rould seldom

mpt

evening he would close his eyes

an(^

scrape carelessly at the fiddle,

which was thrown carelessly across

A A O

sionally they were fantastic and cheerful. Clearly they reflected the thoughts which possessed him, but whether the music aided those

he' was 'ignorant"of' the' Copernican thoughts,or whether the playing was theory and of the composition of the simply the result of a whim or fancy, solar system. That any civilized man was more than I could determine. I being in this nineteenth century! might have rebelled against these should not be aware that the earth traveled round the sun appeared to be to me such an extraordinary fact, that I could hardly realize it. "You appear to be astonished," he said, smiling at my expression of surprise. "Now that I do know it, I shall do my best to forget it," '"To forget it!"

exasperating solos had it not been that he usually terminated them by playing in quick succession a whole, series of my favorite airs as a slight compensation for the trial upon my patience.

During the first week or so we had no callers, and I began to think that my companion was as friendless

You see," he explained, "I con- a man as I was myself. Presently, sider that a man's brain originally is however, I found that he had many like a Utile empty attic, and you acquaintances, and those in the most have to stock it with such furniture ditYerent classes of society. There as you choose. A fool takes in all| was ore MHlesallow, rat-faced, darkthe" lumber of every sort that he eyed fellow who was introduced to comes across, so that the knowledge me as Mr. Lestrade, and who came which might be useful to him gets three or four times a single week, crowded out, or at best is jumbled

1

One morning a young girl called,

up with a lot of other things, so that fashionably dressea, and stayed for be has a difficulty in laying his half an hour or more. The same bands upon it. Now the skillful afternoon brought a gray headed, workman is very careful indeed as seedy visitor, looking like a Jew to what he takes"into his brain attic. peddler, who appeared to me to be He will have nothing but the tools much excited, and who was closely which may help him in doing his followed by a slipshod elderly woman, work, but of these he has a large as- On another occasion an old white•sortment, and all in the most per- haired gentleman had an interview feet order. It is a mistake to think with my companion and on another that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it, there comes a time when for every addition you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not tc have useless facts elbowing out th.t useful ones." "But the solar system!" 1 protested. "What the deuce is it to me?" he interrupted, impatiently '"you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon, it would not make a pennyworth of difference to ine or to my work.

a railway porter in his velveteen uniform. When any of these nondescript individuals put in an appearance, Sherlock Holmes used to beg for the use of the sitting room and I would retire to my bed room. He always apologized to me for putting me to this inconvenience. "I have to use this room as a place of business." he said, "and these people are my clients."

Again I had an opportunity of asking him a point-blank question, and again my delicacy prevented me from forcing another man to confide in me. I im-

1 was on the point of asking him agincd at the time that he had some what that work might be, but some- I strong reason for not alluding to it, thing in his manner showed me that'but he soon dispelled the idea by .lie question would be an unwelcome coming round to the subject of his one. I pondered over our short con- own accord. versation, however, and endeavored It was upon the 4th of March, as I to draw my deductions from it. He have good reason to remember, that said that lie would acquire no knowl- I rose somewhat earlier than usual, edge which did not bear upon his ob- and found that Sherlock Holmes had ject. Therefore, all the knowledge not yet finished his breakfast. The which he possessed was such as landladv had become so accustomed would be useful to him. I enurner- to my late habits that my place had oWl in mv own mind all the various not been laid nor my coffee prepared

jotted them down. I could not help Then I picked up a magazine from •smilin'-' at the document when I had the table and attempted to while 1 it. It ran in this war tiiS [away the time with.it while my com-

it, while my NM

patrion munched silently at his toast. One of the articles had a pencil mark at the heading, and I naturally began to run my eye through it.

Its somewhat ambitious title was "The Book of Life," and it attempted to show how much an observant man might learn by an accurate and systematic examination of all that came in his way. It struck me as being a remarkable mixture of shrewdness and of absurdity. The reasoning was close and intense, but the deductions appeared to me to be farfetched and exaggerated. The writer claimed by a momentary expression, a twitch of a muscle, or a glance of an eye, to fathom a man's inmost thoughts. Deceit, according to him. was an impossibility in the case of one trained to observation and analysis. His conclusions were as infallible as so many propositions of Euclid. So startling would his results appear to the uuinitiated that, until they learned the processes by which he had arrived at them, they might well cousider him as a necromancer. "From a drop of water," said the writer, "a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other. So all life is a great chain, the nature of which is known whenever we are shown a single link of it. Like all other arts, the Science of Deduction and Analysis is one which can only be acquired by long and patient study, nor is life long enough to allow any mortal to attain the highest possible perfection in it. Before turning to these moral and mental aspects of the matter which present the greatest difficulties, let the inquirer begin by mastering more elementary problems. Let him, on meeting a fellow mortal, learn at a glance to distinguish the history of the man, and the trade or profession to which he belongs. Puerile as such an exercise may seem, it sharpens the faculties of observation and teaches one where to look and what to look for. Bv a man's finger nails, bv his coat sleeve, by his boot, by his trouser knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt cuffs—by each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable." "What ineffable twaddle!" I cried, slapping the magazine down on the table "I never read such rubbish in my life." "What is it?" asked Sherlock Holmes. "Why, this article," I said, pointing at it wilh my egg spoon as I sat down to my breakfast. "I see that you have read it, since you have marked it. I don't deny that it is smartly written. It irritates me, though. It is evidently the theory of some arm-chair lounger who evolves all these neat little paradoxes in the seclusion of his own study. It is not practical. I should like to see him clapped down in a third class carriage on the Underground and asked to give the trades of all his fellow travelers. I would lay a thousand to one against him." ""You would lose your money," Sherlock Holmes remarked, calmly. "As for the article, I wrote it myself." "You!" "Yes 1 have a turn botli for observation and for deduction. The theories which I have expressed there, and which appear to you so chimerical, are really extremely practical—so practical that I depend upon them for my bread and cheese." "And how?" I asked, involuntarily." "Well, I hare a trade of my own. I suppose I am the only one in the world. I'm a consulting detective, if you understand what that is. Here in London we have lots of government detectives and lots of private ones. When these fellows are at fault the}' come to me and I manage to put them on the right scent. They lay all the evidence before me, and 1 am generally able, by the help of my knowledge of the history of crime, to set them straight. There is a strong family resemblance about misdeeds, and if you have all the details of a thousand at your finger ends, it is odd if you can't unravel the thousand and first. Lestrade is a well known detective. He got himself into a fog recently over a forgery case and that was what brought him here." "And these other people?" "They are mostly sent out by private inquiry agencies. They are all people who are in trouble about something and want a little enlightenment. I listen to their story, they listen to my comments, and then I pocket my fee." "But do you mean to say," I said, "that without leaving your room you can unravel some knot which other men can make nothing out of, although they have seen every detail for themselves?" "Quite so. I have a kind of intuition that way. Now and again a case turns up which is a little more complex. Then I have to bustle about and see things with my own eyes. You see, I have a lot of special knowledge which I apply to the problem, which facilitates matters wonderfully. Those rules of deduction laid down in that article which aroused your scorn are invaluable to me in pi-actical work. Observation, with ree, is second nature.

You appeared to be surprised when I told you, on our first meeting, that you had come from Afghanistan." "You were told, no doubt." "Nothing of the sort. I knew you came from Afghanistan. From long habit the train of thought ran so swiftly through my mind that I arrived at the conclusion without being conscious of intermediate

steps. There were such steps, however. The train of reasoning ran thus: 'Here is a gentleman of a medical type, but with the air of a military man, Clearly an army doctor, then. He has ju&t come from the tropics, for his face is dark, and that is not the natural tint of his skin, for his wrists are fair. He has undergone hardship and sickness, as his haggard face shows clearly. His left arm has been injured. He holds it in a stiff and unnatural manner. Where in the tropics could an English army doctor have seen much hardship and got his arm wounded? Clearly in Afghanistan.' The whole train of thought did not occupy a second. I then remarked that you came from Afghanistan, and you were astonished." "It is simple enough as you explain it," I said, smiling. "You remind me of Edgar Allen POP'S Dupin. I had no idea that such individuals did exist outside of stories."

Sherlock Holmes rose and lighted his pipe. "No doubt you think you are complimenting me in comparing me to Dupin," he observed. "Now, in my opinion, Dupin was a very inferior fellow. That trick of his of breaking in on his friends' thoughts with an apropos remark after a quarter of an hour's silence is really very showy aud superficial. He had some analytical genius, no doubt but he was by no means such a phenomenon as Poe appeared to imagine." "Have you read Gaboriau's works?" asked. "Does Lecoq co.no up to your idea of a detective?"

Sherlock Holmes sniffed sardonically. "Lecoq was a miserable bungler," he said, in an angry voice "he had only one thing to recommend him, and that was his energy. That book made me positively ill. The question was how to identify an unknown prisoner. I could have done it in twenty-four hours. Lecoq took six months or so. It might be made a text-book for detectives to teach them what to avoid."

I felt rather indignant at having two characters whom I admired treated in this cavalier style. I walked over to the wiudow, and stood looking out into the busy street. "This fellow may be very clever," I said to myself, "but he is certainly very conceited." "There are no crimes and no criminals in these days." he said, querulously. "What is the use of having brains in our profession? I know well that I have it in me to make my name famous. No man lives or has ever lived who has brought the same amount of study and of natural talent to the detection of crime which I have done. And what is the result? There is no crime to detect, or, at most, some bungling villainy with a motive so transparent that even a Scotloud Yard detective can see through it."

I was still annoyed at his bumptious style of conversation. I thought it best to change the topic. "I wonder what that fellow is looking for?" I asked, pointing to a stalwart, plainly dressed individual who was walking slowly down the other side of the street, looking anxiously at the numbers. He had a large blue envelope in his hand, and was evidently the bearer of a message. (TO BE CONTINUED."*

STRANGE EXPERIENCE.

Story of Paul Johnson's Kidnaping —His Home in Evansville.

New Orleans Special, Sept. 13.

A very remarkable story of kidnaping and murder came to light in this city, to-day. Yesterday three gentlemen arrived from Sabine Pass, Tex., two of whom were Messrs. C. and H. House, the other being Paul Johnson. Mr. Johnson was very weak, and was under the care of physicians while here. He left, this afternoon, for Evansville, Ind., his home. Messrs. House tell the following story of Mr. Johnson: About the middle of July they were fishing when a small schooner came near the shore, and while they watched a man was seen to spring ovei board. Instantly several men on board the schooner began shooting at the man. Not only was he shot at as he swam toward the shore, but a large harpoon, used for gigging fish, was thrown at him, crushing in his chest. The man sank, and the schooner hastily sailed away, evidently giving up the man for drowned. The house bovs, however, saw the man rise from the water, and going to his rescue, succeeded in bringing him to shore. The man was Paul Johnson. For three or four months, the House bovs say, he lay as dead, unable to tell his story. Finally, however, he recovered iiis speech and told his rescuers his history. He said that early in February he was kidnaped in Louisville, placed in the hold of a fiat-bottom boat, taken to New Orleans, where he was placed on a schooner. Then the vessel finally visited the Texas coast, and he was res cued as stated above.

And the Pacts Were Prcsontod. Chicago Tribuno. "As to the measure in which we hope to have the co-operation of the city council," said the agent and promoter of the scheme, "there are some facts which I should like tc present to you"

The alderman from the 'Stc'enth ward hastily led tho way to a private room. "Well," he said, "I am ready foi whatever—h'm—facts you may have to offer."

SALVATIOMOR ALL.

Even a Tax Collector May B8 Saved.

T1M Conversion of Z.ICOUBUS AND Its Lp»-sous--Dr. Till mice's sermou for tho Prosi,

The Rev. Dr. Talmage. who is now preparing to leave Australia for India on his round-the-world tour, selected as his subject for last Sunday's sermon through the press "The Tax Collector's Conversion," the text being taken from Luke xix, !). "This day is salvation come to this house."

Zaccheus was a politician and a I lax gatherer. He had an honest calling, but the opportunity for "stealings" was so large the temptation was too much for him. The Bible says he "was a sinner"—that is. in the public sense. How many fine men have been ruined by official position! It is an awful tiling for any man to seek office under government unless his principles of in tegrit.y are deeply lixed. Many a man upright in an insignificant position has made shipwreck in a great one.

As far as I can tell, in the city of Jericho this Zaei-heus belonged to what might be called the "ring." Notwithstanding his bad reputation, there were streaks of good about, him. Gold is found in quartz, and sometimes in a very small percentage.

Jesus was coming to town. The people turned out en masse to see him. Here He comes, the Lord of G:ory, on foot, dust-covered and road-weary, limping along the way, carrying the griefs and woes of the world. He looks to be sixty years of age when He is only about thirty. Zaccheus was a short man and could not see over the people's heads while standing on the ground, so he got up into a sycamore tree that hung its arm clear over the road. Jesus advanced amid the wild excitement of the surging crowd. The most honorable and popular men of the city are looking on aud trying to gain His attention. Jesus, instead of re garding them, looks up at the little man in the tree and says: "Zaccheus, come down. I am going home with you."

And so many people in this day get up into the tree of curiosity or speculation to see Christ. How many spend their time in criticism and religious speculation They take the rose of Sharon or the lily of the valley, pull out the anthen, scatter the corolla and say, "Is that the beautiful flower of religion that you are talking about No flower is beautiful after you have torn it all to pieces. The path to heaven is so plain that a fool need not make any mistake about it, and yet men stop and cavil.

I notice that this tax-gatherer accompanied his surrender to Christ with the restoration of property that did not belong to him. He says "If I have takeu anything by false accusation, I restore fourfold"—that is, if I have taxed any man for $10,000 when he had only $5,000 worth of property, and put in mine own pocket the" tax. for the last $5,000, 1 will restore to him fourfold. If I took from him $10, I will give him $40. If I took from him $40, I will give him $1(50.

You say, "I cannot make restitution. The parties whom I swindled are gone." Then I fav, "Take the the money up to the American bible society and consecrate it to God. Zaccheus was wise when he disgorged his unrighteous gains, and it was his first step iu the right direction.

The way being clear, Christ walked into the house of Zaccheus. He becomes a different man his wife a different woman the children are different. Oh, it makes a great change in any house when Christ comes into it! How many beautiful homes are represented among you! There are pictures on the wall, there is music in the drawing room., and luxuries in the wardrobe, and a full supply in the pantry. Even if you were half asleep there is one word with which I could wake you, and thrill you through and through, and that is "home!" There are also houses of suffering represented in which there are neither pictures nor wardrobe nor adornment—only one room, and a plain cot, or a bunk in a corner. Yet it is the place where your loved ones dwell, and your whole nature tingles with satisfaction when you think of it aud call it home. Though the world may scoff at us and pursue us and all the day we be tossed about at eveutide, we sail into the harbor of home. Though there be no rest for us in the busy world and we go trudging about, bearing burdens that well nigh crush us, there is a refuge, and it hath an easy chair in which we may repose, and that refuge is home.

1

Now, suppose Christ shoiild come into your house. First the wife and the mother would feel His presence, Religion almost always begins there, It is easier for women to become Christians than for us men. They do not fight so against God. If woman tempted man originally awav from holiness, now she tempts him back. She may not make any fuss about it, but somehow everybody in the house knows that there is a change in the wife and mother. She chides the children more gently. Her face sometimes lights up with an unearthly glow. She goes into some unoccupied room for a little while, and the husband goes not. after her nor asks her why she was there. He knows without asking

husband notices that her face brighter than on the day when, years ago,they stood at the marriage altar, and he knows that Jesus has been putting upon her brow a wreath sweeter than the orange blossoms. She puts the children to bed, not satisfied with the formal prayer that they once offered, but she lingers now and tslls them of Jesus who blessed little children and of the good place where they all hope to be at last. And then she kisses them good night with something that- the child feels to be a heavenly benediction—a something that shall hold on to the boy after he has become a man of forty or fifty years of age, for there is something in a good, loving, Christian mother's kiss that fifty years cannot wipe off the cheek.

Now the husband is distressed and annoyed and almost vexed. He does not like to say anything about it, but he knows .that she has a hope that-he has not and a peace that he has not. He knows that, dying as he now is, ho cannot go to the same place. He cannot stand it any longer.

Some Sunday night, as they sit in church side by side, the floods of his soul break forth. He wants to pray, but does not know how. He hides his face lest some of his wordly friends see him, but God's spirit arouses him. melts him, overwhelms him. And they go home—hus-band and wife—iu silence, until they got to their room, when he cries out, "Oh, pray for me!" And they kneel,-, down. They cannot speak. The words will not come. But God does not want any words. Tie looks down and answers sob and groan and outgushing tenderness. That night they do not sleep anv for talking of all the years wasted and of that Savior who ceased not to call. Before morning they have laid their plans for a new life. Morning conies. Father and mother descend from the bedroom. The children do not know what is the matter. They never saw father with a Bible in bis hand before. He says: "Come, children. I want you all to sit while we read and pray." Tho children look at each other and are almost disposed to laugh, but they see theirparents are in dead earnest. It is a short chapter that the father reads. He is a good reader at other times, but now he does not get on much. He sees so much to linger on. His voice trembles. Everything is so strangely new to him. They kneel—that is, the father aud mother do, but the children come down one by one. They do not know that they must. It is "some time before they all get down. The sentences are broken. The phrases are a little ungrammaf.ical. The prayer begins abruptly and ends abruptly but. as far as I can understand what they mean, it is about this "Oh, Savior, help us We do not know how to pray. Teach us. We cannot live any longer in the way we have bees living. We start today for heaven. Help us to take these children along with us. Forgive us for the past.. Strengthen us for all the future. And when the journey is over tak« us where Jesus is and where the little babe is that we lost. Amen J"

That night there is a rap at th* bedroom door. "'Who is there?" cries the father. It is the oldest child. "What is the matter? Are you sick?" "No I want to be saved." Only a little wlxle, and all three children are brought into thfl kingdom. And there is great joy in the house. A whole family save#* forever! If the deluge come, they are all in the ark—father, mother, sons, daughter. Together on earth, together in heaven. What makes it so Explain it. Zaccheus one day took Jesus home with him. That all. Salvation came to that house.

Up to fortv years men work for themselves after that for their children. Now, what do you propose to leave them? Nothing but dollars? Alas, what an inheritance^ It is more likely to be a curse than a blessing. Your own observation and commonsense tell you thai money, without the divine blessing, is a curse. You must soon leave your children. Your shoulders are not strong as they were, and you know that they will soon be hard tc carry their own burdens. Yom eyesight is not so clear as once.

They will soon have to pick out their own way. Your arm is not sc mightv as once. They will soons have to fight their own battles. ObT let it not be told on judgment day that you let your family start without the only safeguard—the religion of Christ! Give yourself no rcsj until your children are the sons and daughters of the Lord Almightv.s Your son does just as you do. tries to walk like you and talk likes you. The daughter imitates tbe mother. Alas, if father and mother miss heaven, the children-will! Oh,s let Jesus come into your house! Dc not bolt the hall door, or the kitchen door, or the bedroom door against' Him. Above all, do not bolt youi heart.

Build your altar tonight. Takf the family Bible lying on the parlor table. Call together as many o[ your family as may be awake. Reads a chapter, and then, if you can think? of nothing else beside the Lord'r prayer, say that. That will da Heaven will have begun in youi house. You can put your head or your pillow, feeling that, whether you wake up in this world or th« next, all is well. In that great, ponderous book of the judgment, where are recorded all the important events of the earth, you will read at last the statement that thii was the day when salvation ,cam« into your house. Oh, Zaccheus, come down, come down! passine