The Cecil Whig., 1871-08-05

iIall-uluHS Will perfume, Velleu Dy raul-
ance bright
A star of music in a fiery cloud
The Genial Magician.
Nearly every one knows Signor Blitz,
the genial old gentleman who, for thirty
years or more, has given delight to the
children and those older people who have
gone to see him for the children's sake"
with his sleight-of-hand tricks, his ventril
oquism, and his canary-birds. One of the
good things about the Signor is that though
he is of foreign birth, he has become
thoroughly Americanized during his long
residence in the Unitid States, and gives
evidence, in his talk and actions, that he
feels like one to the manor born. The
Signor has been spending some of the days
of his later years in recalling the amusing
incidents which have happened to him at
his various exhibitions, and has embodied
them in a book, which he calls Fifty Years
in the Magic Circle.
1t appears from this autobiography, that
superstition was not quite dead in the early
part ofthis century, as many persons, other
wise apparently intelligent, seemed to be-
lieve that the tricks which have become so
familiar to the sightseeing public were
not performed without the aid of super
natural powers. Having arrived at Exeter,
England, young Blitz was honored with the
opposition of the Bishop, who preached
against him. Afterward, he was sum-
answer rs to what agencies or instrument
talities enabled him to do such strange and
mysterious things. This trial had a conf
cal ending.
"In compliance with the summons, I
made my appearance before the council, to
answer the call of the bishop, and hear the
various charges preferred against me.
GAS far as l understood them, they Ger
tainly were ofrather a funny character, and
I could not possibly believe that the men
who sat before me could be really in a seri-
Gus mood. But my doubts were soon put
to an end, for the members were most plain
ly called to order, and the clerk proceeded
to read a written document, in which An
tonic Blitz was charged with being an idle,
mischievous person, deceiving honest peo-
pie by bad acts, and tempting them to look
for riches, by giving themselves over to his
master-the arch-enemy of mankind
To this Blitz replied by offering to per-
form some of his tricks, and to convince
his judge that no power of evil prompted
them. They assented. Then:
81 went through several of my perform
ances, and while doing them, the wigs were
motionless on the heads of the grave men,
not whisper disturbed me, and even the
beadle's staff lay, as if struck with amaze
ment, against his shoulder.
cat last 1 called for pistol, and COM
menced very deliberately the process of
loading. What is he going to do now?'
whispered the wise men, one to another,
and their attention became fixed and their
finished the loading, observed that the
feat was now about to perform had never
been done by me before, but doubted not
of it's success.
"What is it to be? asked one of the
black-robed judges.
Simply this shall take position
somewhere about here, said I, placing my
self Immediately in front of the reverend
bishop, and pointing the pistol directly be-
fore him and when fire, the bishop will
disappear from the room, and you will find
him sitting in his library, where wish you
all to 60 Immediately after you hear the
report, and see if l make not my assertion
good
what ! is he going to fire at his rever-
ence? Horrible! exclaimed the whole
bench at a breath.
t'Most certainly coolly replied. 1T
is only an experiment.
"No, no, no, no . we are satisfied
"' Well, l cannot help it insist upon
! going through with the performance and
| hereupon l proceeded to take aim very
deliberately; but the bishop, judges, clerk,
court, beadle, and all, fled in utter confu-
sion from the room, and though was not
permitted to carry out my experiment to
its full extent by the discharged of the pis-
| tol, yet not one of the reverend bench were
to be found again anywhere near me, and
what became Of them, or their charge of
sorcery, never knew, for 1 was never
again molested, but very quietly took my
leave the next day.
| We take one or two of his stories of chill
dren
GA bright boy of ten years was assisting
me upon the platform, when proposed to
pass several pieces of silver into his pockets.
He shook his head, resolutely declaring
could not do that
"' Why not?'
"'Because have only one, and that has
a large hole in it p
can amusing remark was made by boy
who looked amazed at my apparently COM
pelling gentleman to speak in a ventrilo-
quial scene. The lad came to me at the
close of the exhibition, and with il suppli-
eating face entreated me to call at his
grandpapa's house and make Uncle George
talk, who was deaf and dumb l shook the
little fellows hand, and explained to him
the deception, expressing sorrow at his
uncle's affliction."
MODERN DICTIoNARY-Dista Rela-
tions-People who imagine they have a
claim to rob you if you are rich and to
insult you if you are poor.