Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-05-27
The PhrenoIogiSt.
BY R. H. ADDISON,

Inever recollect warmer en- lthusi
asst than Professor Leyden. WheI
he spoke, he seemed to forget all 9th
er worldly circumstances, all othel
subjects, save the one engrpssing
topic on which he was engaged
His eye, wildly dilated, saw no objec
save the bright imagery created by
hi fertile brain. His voice WI as i'm
! pa assloned. His every pulseE beat
high. The professor, at the time
speak of, was just two-and-thirtE and
ranked himself the very lead er o.
Gall and Spurzheim's energetic dis
ciples. On the subject of phre renolo-
gy he was discoursing when | en- uttered
the dining room of the Baron Hart-
mann. 1t was a fine Sumner even
ing. Strawberries and other fruits
decorated the board. The wei ll-iced
Johannisberg, the cellar-cooled La
ftte, stood temptingly on table,
AROUND which about a dozen young
men, with the worthy baron, an ID the
professor, sat. 1t appeared that, in
the height of his enthusiasm, Ley
den had, to please the company, ex-
amined their heads, and with many
wild looks pressed the bumps, which
The declared to be the unerring indi
cations of the human character and
passions. Some unfortunate wight
in company, however, had evid dently
shocked the examiner by demon
stration Of wicked propensitieF, fol
he strenuously refused on this occa.
sion to pronou nee upon the ssveral
orr gans, declaring he "might give Of
feIcejf' lie 'might be wrong, 'in.
de ed it might appear invidiousI" il
short, aftfir making several similar
excuses, the professor sat dow In in
meditative silence; nor could he hggain
be brought tesspeak, save and ek kcep1
upon the general merits of the sys.
tenn, a subject onwhich henever failed
to enlarge. 1t is curious fact that
/ never ii my life heard the subject
of phrenology broached without
laugh being raised at its exHense
which very naturally annoya the
supporters of this theory, and bFings
on the warmest argument. 1t was a
discussion of this kind that Il roba,
bly, had raised the fire, which flushed
the check Of Leyden on the evening
of which / speak.
The conversation had now ia ken q
new channel. A dreadful m prder
had been committed in the neighbor.
he ood of the Black Forest. A young
girl had eloped from her parentssomt
weeks before. The companion o
her flight was supposed to be Young
m an who had been staying if the
neighborhood, he had disapTIe TIearec
about the same time. She had JUS
| been found savagely murdered, while
the supposed partner of her guilt h ha(
Ire-appeared, and declared that he ha'
with difficulty escaped from the hand
of banditti, who had, without an.
apparent motive, seized and inprls
oned him. To prove this, he showe'
several severe wounds which he ha'
received in the successful stfuggl
he had, with two of the gang in nj
Gndeavor to liberate himself Thl
story, however, appeared so improb
able, that no belief was attached t
it. and the young man was hurried :
, prison, there to abide his trial, Thi
! story had been repeated with painft
minuteness by Carl Hofenon, q hand
some young man, who had LATELY al
! rived at Baden, whose mild and ger
:Itlemanly manners had already wo
for him The golden opinionsIof a
tbo society assembled there, n
ono u,as more pleased with him tha
j tbo old Baron 1t was even believe
tbst he ranked SO high in the goo
! mans opinion, that it was r4fmore
that he had proposed and was actl
ally accepted by Clara HarF I imam I "a,
with the full sanction Of her iatne I
!, AS a narrator, few could excel hln
! His vivid description lent life to !, h
stories, and when he chose Gas On tn
!, nresent occasion) he could harrow U
] The nerves of even the most aPathe
/ ic, by depicting horrors IN thefr f mo- 90
!, glaring, most appalling caorS "
burst of Indignation, as he onciude
bespoke how truly he had nqereste