Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-07-15
NO. 166.

'chaW o. terbacker, and 1t went dow
the wrong way" but the girls continued
to regard him with considerable suspicion
for some time, as a man who was not t,
=, be fully trusted, but might take it into hi
head to have fit of apoplexy at any mo
ment without regard to time or place.
But the entrance upon the stage of the
professor silenced the hum of the voices
in the hall, and at once attracted every
ones attention. The gentleman entered
at once upon his subject, and discoursed
most learnedly on the character of animal
magnetism its causes, effects, and uses !;
its connection with polar magnetism !;
modes of applying it in cases OF disease !;
the distribution of the fluids in man, and
through all Nature; and SO on, for about
twenty minutes, when he concluded his
Introductory remarks by requesting such
OF the audience as were willing to step
upon the stage and submit to various ex-
periments, which he assured them would
not in the least annoy or injury them.
His request was followed by quite an in
undation of rough farmers, and few
young ladies Of the village. Seating
about dozen of chairs in semicircle,
the professor requested them to close their
eyes. He then passed slowly from one to
another. laying his hand lightly on the
forehead of each, and making passes
longitudinally down the body, and at a
few inches distance from it. He then
stepped back a couple of PAGES and waved
his hands with slow, tanning motion, in
the air; and then, clapping his hands, he
said quickly and sternly, Now you can't
one of you open your eyes!' The effect
was electrial- all tried. and not one could
do it it seeming as though their eyes
were hermetrically sealed. Quickly again,
and with an upward motion of his hands,
the professor said, Now open them'D
they were opened; Extend your right
hands" "Now you can't lower them -
The extended arms were rigid as iron.
drop them by your sides y and down
they fell. The professor took a pitcher of
/ water from the table, pouring some Of it
into glass, and handed the glass to the
first one on the line.
"What is that ?" Water '.It is cider;
taste again - 'tWhy, so it is. and mighty
good too. " and he finished it at gulp.
Refilling the glass, the professor made
his subject acknowledge the water to be
wine, whiskey, soda, castor-oil. lemonade,
&C., with entire success. Experiment
followed experiment with startling rapid
ity. Now young plough-boy imagined
himself velocipede, and tumbled about
the stage on his hands and feet--a very
good imitation. A young lady who had
not sung note in her life, suddenly de-
veloped extraordinary musical ability, and
accomplished 'Shells of Ocean" with won
derful accuracy and melody. One rather
toppish young gentleman who was stop
ping at the Assimiquid, and who had been
very attentive to Maggie Campbell, plac-
ed himself in very ludicrous position by
being convinced by the professor that he
was candle, and going about asking
last the professor set them all to following
out, each, his own special idiosyncrasy;
and then the scene was like Bedlam let
} loose.
They danced, sung, preached, laughed,
cried, fought-until, suddenly, with a
stern voice, the professor called them to
order. In an instant they were quiet;
and as the professor went from one to
another, making upward passes before
each, one and all rubbed their eyes, and
were the same as ever again, but all en-
tirely ignorant of what they had been do
| ing during the two hours of the profess
ors experiments. With neat speech,
that gentleman bowed himself from the
stage, accompanied by loud applause
and. as the lights We're put out, every one
went home full OF admiration for his won-
derful power and his graceful eloquence.
The Campbells returned to the hotel
with the landlord, who said little, but sew
eral times seemed on the point of having
another attack of his peculiar complaint.
The next morning the young ladies
were delighted to find Jack Savage and
Tom Wetherell in their seats at the table,
they having returned-as they explained
f,l z,1r
fish, at which the girls jeered them un-
had eaten them all before they broke
camp
But the lecture of the wonderful pro-
fessor was the chief topic of conversation,
and, as Jack and Tom knew, of course
nothing about the affair, they had to be
enlightened, and full account of his lec-
ture and his marvellous experiments was
accordingly given them.
| Jack and Tom said they should go after
breakfast and introduce themselves to the
professor, and were greatly chagrined
when Bob Rogers told them that he and
his assistant had left town Immediately
after the lecture. being driven to the rail-
road station by the door-keeper.
On the following day the party at the
Assimiquid House broke up, some going
one way, some another; but not until
Jack and Tom had called upon Mrs.
Campbell, and each received favorable
answer to his suit.
Somehow or other, the young men be-
came very flush of money--paid their ho-
tel-bill, feed all the servants, and started
for New York in high glee. having first
accompanied Mrs. Campbell and the girls
to the railroad depot, where most affec-
tionate parting took place all around.
! And | never knew how they got their
money, until l spent last Christmas with
Jack and Tom and their wives. in jacks
cosy little house in the city; and then
Maggie told me. laughing until the tears
came into her eyes. 'Why Jack was the
professor, and Tom was Mr.. Mcdonald,
the lecture; and old Bob Rogers knew it
all the time.'
-..~.. .rC4n n n o~Ann