The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-09-17
miscellaneous Departmrllt,
TIE MOTHERS LAST VISIT.

"There is something in this than natural, if phi
osuihy could find it OUT Hamlet
One dark, foggy winters evening, party OF
young men were assembled in as strangely.
looking an apartment as company of we'll
dressed respectable people were perhaps ever
collected in for the purpose of enjoying a con-
vivial meeting. 1t was large attic with
santing roof, from which projected two square
windows with rattling easements, through
whose cbnks and crevices the feathery snow
danced gaily, and then settled i'll u miniature
range of alps upon the inner sill. Over one was
carelessly hung, by way Of curtain, an old ia.
ded and tattered table.cloth that had once been
printed baize and over the other piece OF
sack cloth served similar purpose.
A large strong deal table stood near the win.
dows, and on it lay strange assortment OF
surgical preparations, bones, skulls, chemical
apparatus, bottles, instruments and books. A
small bed of the shape that Punch denomlnates
the scissors, was pushed into an obscure cor.
ner near the fire place; and this, with the table
before mentioned, sundry boxes, and one old
leather. covered easy chair, composed the whole
furniture Of the room This easy chair was oc
cuped by young man Of slight figure and del.
icate health; the rest sat upon the bed or upon
boxes round the fire. Another box, placed in
the center, supported two pewter pots. the re-
mains of loaf and some cheese-rinds, the
wrecks and fragments of their supper. The
owner Of this place Of few comforts sat upon
the most ricketty of all the boxes: He was
about two.and.tweuty; but his pale studlous
face made him look much older. There were,
besides, in the finn compression Of his mouth
when SILENT in his rapid but Distinct enuncia-
ton when he spoke, in the quick glance of his
intelligent dark eye, even in the small atten'ion
bestowed upon his crisply, curling black hair
and redundant whiskers, evidences ola reliance
upon himself, and an indifference to the opin-
ions of others, that belonged to maturer aye
th:n he could claim. Yet his figure was not
devoid of certain picturesque grace that, to
the eye of an artlst would have more than com.
prnsated for absence of neatness. His open
shirt. collar, slightly confined by black ribbon,
displayed strong and well.shaped masculine
neck; and his loose German blouse suited well
with his '"rge.boned vigorous and symmetrical
fr rhe only sign of ornament that could
&C. ID about him was u steel buckle to the
bla . leather belt round his waist 1t was per-
fectly plain, but very bright; and often while
conversing, his eyes would fall upon it, and ne
would mechanically polish it with his hand.
The other young men, five in number, all
bore the stamp of meutal superiority over the
common run of young gentlemen and all bore
in their attire, and some in their gold watch
chains, the marks of greater afluence than the
poor student they were visiting. There is one
remark, which am sorry to say, veracity COM
pels me to make concerning They were
all. from the stalwart host to the pale youth
in the char-all smoking; yes, smoking com
mon clay pipes and filling the room with an
odor resembling that of "villainous shag"
Walter Cameron loved these friends and fel-
low students; they formed his social world in
the loneliness of the huge city; aud every Sat
urday evening found them assensbirdin his com-
fortress abode. where they enjoyed tnenIsrv'>
much more than they wonld have d"Ie in t."
most elegant drawing room witt; les, genial
companion.
81 am the more disposed to put soIno ihil': i"
it," said the host, continuing the conVeIsailn
between the pufs of tobacco smoke, "from the
natural bias Of US north.country folks to give
| some lltILuue 10 Tile eScuTslOuS VI out VI Sa'"
of wonder. When | was a child had very
firm belief in fairies, brownies, kelpies, wraiths,
and all the rest of them; and though they have
now, ofcourse, vanished, like the mist on the
hills, the faith that was once capricious enough
to contain such things may, without very great
difficulty, stretch so far as to embrace subject
that is supported by name standing so high
in the scientific world as DR.. Elliotsnn's. Still,
look, cannot positively believe in mesmeris'n
till have had full proof of its reality; more
ly suspend judgment"
"You must see something Of it; you must try
some experiments yourself, cried Tom Duns.
ford eagerly (he was the only believer present
and a warm advocate Of mesmerism) at is
impossible to learn anything Of it from public
exhibition; there are SO many counter ipfu'
ences at work-so many things to distract the
mind of the operator, and to draw theinauence
from the patient. In short, the only way tho;
oughly to convince yourself of the fact, N tic
case is to have patient all to Yourself, in