The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-06-28

"Even from him such an abrupt
transition as this was astonishing; but |
replied with prompt sheer. Il should
first have to believe in SOULS said,
coldly.
"'And you do not? So much the bet
ter said he. Then you can have no
rational objection to what am about to
propose. 1t is simply that we exchange
bodies
Exchange bodies!' exclaimed, in
There is trace of insanity
in our family, and the thought came
that my uncle had developed a curious
mania; but was soon undeceived.
"'Yes, exchange bodies,' said he,
coolly. Il mean that my soul-my indi-
viduality-my entity; call it what you
will-shall take possession of your body,
and that yours shall come into my less
desirable physical quarters. Consider.
If you are right, and we have no souls,
the experiment will be harmless, be-
cause unsuccessful. If you are wrong,
we shall both gain by the exchange. AS
she loves you, you can, in my body, win
her love as 1 never could. And would
prefer your position, because l should
have none of the scruples that you pre-
tend to, and there would be at least
more equal rivalry between u.s.
81 did not stop to argue against the
sophistry which you will readily per-
oeive in his words, for l was worn and
angry, and his habitual cynieism would
have forbidden me to suppose that he
was in earnest, even if his words had
seemed less extravaganza,
"'That is foolish talk said. Il do
not know why you should care to in
dulge in pleasantly. l, at any rate, am
not in the mood for it. | shall start for
Europe tomorrow, and hope you will
say farewell in kindness, and forgive my
folly in consideration of the suffering it
has cost me- And I arose and offered
him my hand.
"He took no notice of it, but went on
speaking. You have not yet studied
Mesmer's theory carefully, l believe. 1
have mastered it, and have gone be-
yond my teacher. l can, by taking adj
vantage of the proper conditions, throw
you into catalepsy, and while you are
absent from your body, can myself enter
the cataleptic state and take possession
of it, without, in the meantime, losing
control of your soul. Sit down till try
the experiment.
81 sat down, bewildered by his strange
language and wondering whether was
talking with lunatic or not. He went
on speaking and suiting his actions to
his words, while l was trying to decide
ON the wisest course to pursue, until,
partly from a fear of the effect upon him
of opposition, and partly from profess
sional curiosity, | allowed myself to be-
come passive.
"' You will notice, he said, that the
chair you are sitting On is insulated, as
is this in which sit. Happily to you the
negative pole of this battery, which you
notice is powerful one, and at the
same time lay my hand on the positive
pole. 1t is now easy to render our mag
netic conditions opposite. 1 do this
simply to make the mesmeric effort
easier. 1t does not in any way assist in
the transfer of souls. Now, fix your eyes
on mine and wait
81 did so, and almost Immediately
found that was losing consciousness
/ struggled to throw off his influence,
but a sharp word of command, and a
single pass of his left hand downward
over my face, overcame me. sat per-
fectly still, and soon realized that 1 was
disintegrated. My physical senses were
alive, but my mind seemed swooning. |
knew enough of mesmerism to realize
that l was in a trance, and to feel Gu
riosity as to what was coming.
1t might have been year, for all /
know, before | recovered from my men
tai swoon, but in the meantime [ felt a
terrible physical CONFUSION. My whole
system was violently agitated with an
endeavor to expel some intruder that
was powerful enough to take complete
possession of me. 1t was an instructive
struggle, entirely independent of mental
action, like a muscular CONFUSION, and,
although it caused physical pain, l felt no
suffering, for my mind was still asleep.
Suddenly this sleep or swoon was
broken, and then l felt the converse of
what | had felt before. | was being
squeezed into a place that did not fit me.
Pangs and throes of superhuman fierce
ness ensued, and, while l was conscious
of intense suffering, l felt no physical
pain, although l realized that was in
the midst of it. In a moment more
found myself looking at myself, as in a
mirror. was another man, and was
looking at my old body.
"Now you have the explanation you
asked for. / am not the same man
was. am DIR. Giles Interford in Har-
vey Dunlop's body. Keep still! 1 will
not be interrupted. | will finish the
story and discuss the question of insanity
afterward. You see that Ito whom
you are listening-was, at this point, the
husband of Margaret Interford in the
body of the man she loved, while the