The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-11-10
Bound to have a wife.

the art Of counterfeiting any voice which
he ever once heard.
Oc this extraordinary man, the following
story is related and as, at the period when
he lived, the existence of this quality was
far from being known, it seems by no
means incredible.
Our ventriloquist, it seems, had fallen
most desperately III love with a young,
beautiful, and rich heiress but was reject
ed by the parents, as an unsuitable match
for their daughter.
The father happened to die, Louis waited
on the widow, who was totally ignorant Of
his singular talent, pretending to condole
with her loss, when suddenly, in open day,
in her own house, and in the presence of
several friends, she heard herself addressed
in voice perfectly resembling that of her
deceased husband, and seeming to proceed
from above" Give my daughter in mar
riage to Louis Brabaut he is a man of
great fortune, and excellent character.
now suffer the inexpTessible torments of
purgatory for having refused her to him.
Il
be delivered from this place of torment.
You will at the same time provide worthy
husband for your daughter, and procure
everlasting repose for the soul of your poor
husband"
The widow could not for moment resist
this dreadful summons, which had not the
most distant appearance of proceeding from
Louis Brabant, whose countenance exhib-
tied no visible change, and whose lips were
close and motionless during the delivery of
it. She consented Immediately to receive
him for her son-in-law.
Louis finances, however, were in a
very low situation; and the formalities at
tending the marriage contract rendered it
necessary for him to exhibit some show of
riches 4; nor must his real circumstances
give the ghost the lie direct.
Accordingly, he went to work on fresh
subject one Cornu, an old and rich bank
er of Lyons, who had accumulated an inn
mense wealth by usury and extortion, and
was known to be haunted by remorse of
conscience, on account of the manner in
WHICH ne nau acquired IL.
Passing over preliminary steps and prep
arations, behold Louis Brabant tete-a-tete
with the old usurer in his little back par
lor at Lyons preparing for the ensuing
operations, by artfully turning the conver-
sation on religious subjects, the reality of
demons and spectres, the pains of pur-
gatory, and the never-ceasing torments of
hell.
During an interval of silence between
them, voice is heard-which, to the as
tonished banker, seems that Of his deceased
father-complaining of his dreadful situa-
ton in purgatory,f and calling on him in
stantly to deliver him from thence, by put
ting into the hands of the worthy Louis
Brabant, then with him, large sum of
money for the redemption of Christians in
slavery with the Turks threatening him
at the same time with eternal damnation il
he did not likewise take this method to ex-
plate his own sins.
1t may easily be supposed that Louis
Brabant affected a due degree of astonsh-
ment on the occasion; and that he further
promoted the deception by acknowledging
his having devoted himself to the charita-
bic design imputed to him by the ghost.
An old insurer, however, is naturally
suspicious accordingly, the wary banker
made an appointment with the ghosts del
egate for the next day when to render
any design Of imposing on him utterly
abOrtive, he took him into the open fields
where not a house, tree, bush, or even
pit, was in sight, capable of screening
any possible confederate.
This extraordinary caution called forth
all the powers Of the ventriloquist Where
ever the banker conducts him, at every
step his ears are saluted on all sides, with
the complaints and groans, not only of his
father but of all his deceased relations
imploripg him for the love of God, in the
name Of every saint in the cal endar to have
mercy on his own soul and theirs, by ef-
fectually seconding with his purse the holy
intention Of his righteous companion.
Cornu could no longer resist the voice
of Heaven; and, accordingly, carried his
guest home with him, and paid him down
ten thousand crowns with which sum the
dishonest ventriloquist returns to Paris and
marries his mistress,
The catastrophe proved fatal TO the old
Insurer, for the secret being revealed, and
reaching his ear, he was so greatly affected
at the loss Of his money, and the mortify-
ing railleries of his neighbors, that he took
to his bed, and soon died.