The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-17
Maggie, dear, have offended you? Don't

maggie, dear, have offended you? Don't
cry! And, if have, promise never to speak
OF this again, but to shut my hopes and wish
es up IN my own heart and make no sign"
You see Jack was a lawyer, and knew how
to plead his case, and this time he got his
verdict.
Dropping her hands, she turned her sweet
face, wet with tears, toward him, and said:
Il am not offended but it was SO sudden"
here she laid her hand softly upon his
but, if you will have faulty and imperfect
girl whom you have made to love you, l will
be your wife whenever you wish and mamma
consents"
The next instant Maggie's face was slowed
away somewhere under Jacks coat, and then
a series of curious noises was heard, after
which Jack jumped trantically back to his
seat, took his oars, and at once began to pro-
pei his boat with the most incredible swift
ness down the lake, Maggie meanwhile ar
ranging her hair and collar, which had some
how become slightly deranged, and then sit
ting quietly, with soft smile on her face,
watching Jacks marvellous strength and
dexterity in managing the oars.
Presently they came upon the other boat.
with Tom and Susie sitting very close togeth-
er in the stern, and paying little attention to
anything but to each other. Jack gave
shout, and his friend jumped back to his
oars.
II say, Tom," said Savage, 'In pull you
back for ten dollars. l was only playing off
when we came out"
All right!' sounded from the other boat,
and presently they were alongside.
Then began a race that was a race. The
two girls clapped their hands, and cheered on
the competitors, and at last Maggie cried
out:
"a scarf of my favorite color to the one
who wins p .-....
After that there was no use betting. Jack
came neatly into. the little dock, two boat
lengths ahead, and then they all ran merrily
up to the house.
"Jack," said Tom, after they had said
goodnight to the girls and reached their
room land, if they didn't kiss them, the little
stairs lied consumedly) I've made an
awful idiot of myself tonight"
80 have l., ;" said Jack, sentent.ously, as
he filled his meerschaum.
'Tve proposed to Susie Campbell" con-
tinued Tom. ----..'.,-
''Just what I've done to her sister," re-
marked Jack. ...--..
| "And she's accepted me-" whispered Tom.
"Dittor' shouted Jack, at the top of his
voice; and then, Selling each other by the
two hands, they nearly shook them off, wind
ing up with an impromptu war-dance about
the room, which presently induced old Bob
Rogers, who was shutting up the house, to
shout at the highest pitch of his lungs:
He, you young scapegraces, you'll have
my house down in minute! Shut up, or I'll
set the dog on you!-Here, Caesar, st'-boy
st'-boyv'
| A loud howl from the old toothless mastiff
in the yard, and concerted piece of laughter
in bass, tenor, and soprano, from various
| nartS of tho hOuSa fpiShad no and
then Jack and Tom sat down quietly by the
| window to smoke and sconsider the situa-
tion," as Tom expressed it.
They continued in earnest conversation,
| occasionally interrupted by suppressed laugh
ter from both of them, until long after mid
night, when they retired.
! The following day they were absent from
the house for several hours, and ON their re-
turn announced that they were going to start
stream some twenty miles away, and would
not return until the day after, but take up
their quarters for the night at a farmhouse
near the tishing-ground
Accordingly, the early morning saw them
off in one of the landlords wagons, duly
| equipped with rods and luncheon, while two
curly heads popped out of an upper window
and two pleasant voices wished them good
luck.
|
the gate of the Assimiquid House, two gen
tlemen alighted, one slightly lame, elderly,
and with gray hair; the other younger, with
heavy black whiskers and very red face
The landlord, as was his wont, walked up to
the gate to welcome them; and, presently
returning, introduced them to the guests on
the piazza as Professor Hamilton, the cele-
brated mesmerist from Edinburgh, and Mr.
Mcdonald, his agent and assistant. They
70 q {Ia., 1,rrro
consisting of large wooden box and two
heavy portmanteaus, followed them.
A few moments later messenger was sent
to the village for some some boys to post bills
in various prominent localities and soon the
little place was flooded with large posters as
follows:
To the inhabitants of Racketvle and
The surrounding country!
.-" PROFESSOR HAMILTON,
Will lecture at the Town Hall on
Thursday evening at eight O'clock
On ANIMAL MAGNETISM,
Illustrating this marvellous science
by experiments on such of
the audience as
are willing to offer themselves.
Tickets, 80 cents,
To be had at the door.
All the little township was presently agog
with excitement; for, while every one pos
sessed the greatest curiosity with regard to
the subject of the professors proposed lee
ture, very few had ever had an opportunity
of witnessing any of the singular expert
ment: said to have been performed by means
OF this wonderful science. The news spread
through all the neighborhood, and on the
following day, farm wagons in numbers came
into town, as though it were market-day,
bringing the farmers and their families to
hear the professor lecture.
Meanwhile Tom and Jack were still alb
sent, and about noon on the Thursday came
a letter to the landlord, saying that, as the
fishing was so good, they had concluded to
remain until Friday. Great was the disap-
pointment OF Maggie and Susie; and, indeed,
they could hardly keep from CRYING when
they thought of the young men missing the
intellectual treat of the evening
The professor and his assistant kept their
room continually having their meals served
there, and being reported by the servants as
busily engaged in writing whenever they were
visible
Evening came, and the hall was rapidly
filled to its utmost capacity. The gentleman
who had been announced as Mr.. Mcdonald
sold the tickets at the office, while young
man, hired for the occasion, acted as door
keeper. Mrs. Campbell and her two daughters
attended. of course, under the escort of Bob
Rogers, the landlord, who kindly purchased
their tickets for them. As he left the office.
with tickets in his hand, he was observed to
make peculiar noise in his fat, bull neck
something between hoarse laugh and stran-
gulation-while his great, red face became
purple, and Maggie Campbell had to pat him
on the back vigorously to bring him to- He
said he had swallowed ''chaw O. terbacker.
and it went down the wrong way;" but the
girls continued to regard him with consid-
cradle suspicion for some time, as man who
was not to be fully trusted, but might take it
into his head to have fit of apoplexy at any
moment without regard to time or place.
But the entrance upon the stage of the pro-
lessor silenced the hum of voices in the hall.
and at once attracted every ones attention.
The gentleman entered at once upon his SUBJ
ject, and discoursed most learnedly upon 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 con-
cluded his Introductory remarks by request
ing such of his audience as were willing to
step upon the stage and submit to various
experiments, which he assured them would
not in the least annoy or injure them His
request was followed by quite an inundation
of rough farmers, and few young ladies of
the village. Seating about a dozen in 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
longit udinally down the body, and at a few
s1to - TT