The Equinox (Volume I, Number IV)

THE EQUINOX “Virtue,” he defines as: ‘‘the bent of mind towards self- command” (and evidently practises it). His morals are good; but his scientific conceptions really “take the cake!” ‘There are three kinds of animate creations in the world,” he writes: “They are the creations from (1) the womb; (2) Eggs; (3) Perspiration. ...” Another gem: “how is it that some of the bodies are male and some are female?” Answer: “If the male seed preponderates, a male body is produced; and if female, a female. While, when both are equally proportioned, an eunuch is born” (!). At one of his male meetings—there were also female ones; but mixed bathing in the ocean of infinite bliss was not allowed—he related to us his pet story, of how he had “ flum- oxed” the chief engineer and the captain of the liner which had brought him back from America. He informed them that coal and steam were absurd; what you want, he said, is to have two large holes made in the sides of your ship, then the air will blow into them and turn the wheels, and make the ship go. When the captain pointed out to him, that if a storm were to arise the water might possibly flow into the ship and sink it, he roared out, “No! no!... get English! ... get intellect! see! see! de vind vill fill de ship and blow it out of de vater and take it across over de vaves!” —Since this now becomes public property there probably will be a slump in turbines! It was towards the close of last October, when I received from a friend of mine—also a so-called disciple—a letter in which he wrote: “ There was a devil of a row at 60 last night. M: pressed me to come to his weekly entertainments; so I 288