Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-02

@glNIlE%'. T0'as Y s.s!s after gs sst !
nothin"t the mat
ter with my head; amt got nothin' the
matter with my lungs; I amt got
nothin' the matter with my indigestion;
and l amt got nothin' the matter with
none of mine senses-allylujer BE-
thanked-and may 1 never hev.'"
After this had been repeated nine
times, Mrs. Bolus said:
Now you feel better, don't your l
knowed It," and the patient was sup
posed to be on the high road TO re-
covery.
AS hypochondriacs are rather plenti-
ful, it was not long before Goosetown
rather believed in her.
ut was such q refined way of being
cured,' the ladies saidt land so much
better than pills" and it was not until
a case of cancer and two of consumption
had failed to yield to the treatment, and
a corr r's jury had censured Mrs. Bolus
and the5 5diotic relatives who had called
her in, that she felt her power waning,
Then she adopted a new idea, and be-
came Undertaking. medium. A cabi-
neeEwas set up in her back parlor, =
winch persons of imaginative dispo
tions saw the faces of their departeD
friends, and whence issued words o:
wisdom, couched in language which
proved that Lindley Murray, Brown, and
other authorities on English grammar,
had passed on to higher spheres.
Many and many a seance was held In
that small parlor, and in the darkness
people were patted en- the head and
touched on the cheek Widows who
could poorly spare the dollars they
dropped into the palm of the medium,
came there to weep behind their black
wells, and "hope it really was John,
though he never spoke that way in life,"
and giggling girls and witty beaux ar
rived in parties To laugh at everything;
and Mrs. Bolus prospered.
Now the handsomest house in Goose
town was the residence of old Mrs. Nor
ris; and old Mrs. Norris was fond of the
occult. In the days of the first rappings
she had listened to the performances of
the willy Fox sisters, who have 80 lately
confessed that they humbugged half the
wiseacres of the day with their plant
toes, and she listened with interest to
all that her friends told her of Mrs.
Bo.us.
I'm goin to have the woman here"
she said. 81 shan't be able to feel as
sure in her own house, with trap-doors
and sliding-panels, for all know. But
I'll have the scance here in my blue par
lor, that has only one door; the key OF
that will be in my pocket after the cabi-
net is brought in. II anything appears
it must be genuine" and having nego-
tiated with Mrs. Bolus, old Mrs. Norris
got together large party at 50 head
and bade her send the cabinet on We'd
nesday afternoon.
GsV "a Wit hrha e,aiI
land You'll allow yourself to be exam
ined by the committee before you go into
it,"
Mrs. Bolus acquiesced.
al don't know what the spirits will do,
of course" she said. al haven't all
idea what will happen"
For once she spoke the truth.
The cabinet arrived - rather inofli-
ciently carried by two small Lboys; lit
tie crowd assembled at the gate, and
Sara Jane, the housemaid, replied to
the queries propounded to her, tina
Mrs. Bolus was to hold dark seance
there that evening. A stout young man,
whom she had never seen before, lis
tened with attention. aud afterward OF
fered to help the boys up the steps with
the cabinet, which was a large wardrobe
with q square shutter in the door, and Il
bolt on the outside. Just as they en-
tered the blue room some one called
Sara Jane away, and when she returned
her mistress was locking up the cabinet.
There" she said, after searching the
door of the blue parlor, ono one can
play tricks on me tonight"
She was somewhat excited. So was
Sara Jane, so was the cook for both were
to he permitted to view the perform
ances on their positive promises not TO
shrek aloud, whatever happened.
Mrs. Norris, who asked none but
ladies, had delcately hinted that fUi,
dress would he more fIattering to the
spirits, and the guests arrived in COS
tunes that were supposed to represent
that condition in Goosetown. Queen
Victoria would have banished them from
her presence, no doubt, for their bacEs
were generally covered, but they had oil
all their iinery; their lace ticnus, thrn
earrings, and bracelets, and fancy hair
pins, and sashes, and bouquets OF ros"s
1t was quite pretty assemblage thGi
crowded into the blue paIlor, and re-
garded the walnut wardrobe with som
awe. Mrs. Norris was habted in blac.
velvet, with her diamonds well displayC.
and her husbands miniature about her
neck and on Mrs Bolus5 ar! ival til,
lawyer wife ard the doctors wife led
her to bedroom, whence they shortly
emerged, conducting her.
There's nothing about her to play
tricks with, said the lawyers VII
"That Ill swear to-"
The doctors spouse nodded.
"Wcve looked in her pockets and fci.
the hens Of her clothing and her bust,a
is a wire on nrl Il is all right she saia.
"And a She w. 10 be tied, we've gu,
some tape ont oi your basket, Mr.
Norris"
''Very well, said the old lady. "T,r
key of the cabinet is in my poclic
And she produced it.
Now tie me, said Mrs. Bolus, "aL
tie me tight; and sot cheer into .t