Idolatry

d been known to run nearly twenty knots in an hour. On the evening of the twenty-seventh of May, in the year of which we write, she left her Newport dock as usual, with a full list of pa

r course, carrying away most of the schooner's bowsprit, but doing no serious damage. This, however, was not the worst. On arriving in New

lessed with), he put a package of the same brand in his travelling-bag, bade his entertainer,-who had solemnly engaged to remain in Boston fo

t once-sat in the cabin reading, or dozing on the chairs and sofas. A few men stayed out on deck for an hour or two, smoking; but at last they too went in. The darkness

brought to a stand by the blind night-wall, which no man can either scale or circumvent. Then he leaned on the railing and looked against the darkness. Not a light to be seen in

here, lighted up the white issuing steam for a moment. There was no wind; one was conscious of motion, but all sense of direction and position-

thoughts and words come to men most readily and naturally. Night brings forth many things that daylight starts from. The real power of darkness lies not in merely baffling the eyesight, but

affrail was a small space, thickly grown with camp-stools. Helwyse groped his way thither, got hold of a couple of the camp-stools, and arranged himself comfortably with his back against the cabin wall. The waves bubb

hy, then, was it not the only reality? and he but an atom, charged with a vital power of so-called senses, that generally deceived him, but sometimes-as now-let him glimpse the truth? The fancy, absurd as it was, had its attraction for the time bei

ence, out of space and time? What a riddle his physical sensations would be to him! Or, suppose him to meet with another being brought up in the same way; how they would mystify each other! Would t

,-read aloud to each other the secrets of their deepest hearts! Would the confession lighten their souls, or make them twice as heavy as before? Then, the next morning, they might meet and pass, unrecognizing and unrecognized. But w

spontaneous; and he indulged it the more, as being confident that he had too much solid ballast in the hold to be in danger of upsetting. To-night, at this point of his mental ramble, he found that his cig

long been close beside him, with eyes fixed upon him! Helwyse found himself sitting perfectly still, holding his breath to listen. There was no disguising it,-he felt uneasy. He wished his cigar had not gone out.

ne near? No sound or movement gave answer, but the odd sensation continued. Helwyse fancied he could now tell whenc

e doubt? But the dense silence, darkness, uncertainty, made common-sense seem out of place. The whole black f

h his own! The stout-nerved young fellow was startled to the very heart. Was the unseen presence startled

g your solitude. You are

kness, it seemed as if there could neve

are, to disturb my solitude. It does no

the speaker enhanced its effect. With most of the elements of pleasing, it was nevertheless repulsive. It was soft, fluent, polished, but savage license

akably distasteful conjunction! Imagination, freed from the check of the senses, easily becomes grotesque; and Helwyse, unable to see his companion, had no difficulty in picturing him as a grisly monster, having a satanic head set upon the ingenuous shoulders of a child. And what was Helwyse himself? No longer, surely, the gravely humorous moralize

atter monster, "that this was a good

lking relieves the mind?" r

ch as now passes-to impart the story of what is dragging him

ike to discuss, free from the restraint that responsibility i

this bold question, Hel

y more than you can see me," i

ght best be approximated," admitted Helwyse, cautiously; for he began to feel

re omnipotent? Well, the reason probably is, that you started

n omnipot

werful! Now, sin denotes separation; the very etymology of the word should have attracted the attention of an am

weakness, n

the wise man sins and is strong! See how frank I

rgument, if you have one. You

men? No? I will explain, then. The world is full of discordances, for which man is not to blame. His endeavor to meet and harmonize this discordance i

ut I think your explan

notoriously unjust distribution of wealth. A fundamental defect in the principles of human association gave birth to the murderer; and as for the adulterer, he is an immortal prote

. The night-fog had got into his brain. He made shift, however, to say tha

mes,-nay, I will admit that the vast majority of criminals are weak and foolish; but that does not affect the dignity of the true sinne

o kill you, I should be taking a long step tow

be the last to deny it! But would it not be more for the general good, were I, who have long been a studen

ad?" mused Balder Helwyse, shud

sentially is. Now, there are some things, the mere doing of which by the most involuntary agent would at once stamp his soul with the convictio

nd Deuteronomy, and run through the catalogue of crimes. He

s liable to commit. His policy was no less simple than sagacious. By amusing mankind with such trumpery, he lured them off the scent of true sin. Believe me, the artifi

he had striven so long to open. He aimed at knowledge and power beyond recognized human reach. He had taken thought with himself keenly and deeply, but was still uncertain and unsatisfied. Here opened a new avenue, so untried as to transcend common criticism. The temptation to omnipotence is a grand thing, and may have shaken

and del

, on a viewless sea, with a plausible voice at his ear insinuat

estined to carry away. The steamer was making about ten knots an hour: the schooner was slowly drifting with t