Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-10-28
AN EXPERIMENT,

we hated the place, but because the word
in its entirety we English did not know
how to pronounce. The nearest approach
we could get to it was Eff1efechan. but
there were many more consonants in it
and fewer vowels 1t was in what il now
called gallant little Wales" blts the
principality was not just they very
popular. because of the Rebeccais 81 .rsea
this was especially the case with the
military, who were quartered in out of the
way spots, never intended for gay young
fellows to dwell in, in order to restrain
these gentlemen of the road" from their
high handed proceedings.
Why they were called after Rebecca more
than any other lady l never knew, but
when engaged in their mission, which was
to destroy turnpike gates, they were al
ways attired in women's clothes. Sentries
were stationed at these gates, of which
there were half a dozen in the neighbor-
hood, and every night it was the duty OF
one of us subalterns to visit them. There
were three of US, Brown, J ones and Robin
son (myself), who with the captain, Miles,
and Maxwell, the surgeon, made up our
little mess.
1t was the worst country quarters we
had ever been in. With one exception,
there were no gentry to entertain u.s. no
gayety of any kind going on, and we were
thrown almost entirely on our own re-
sources, which, must confess, were not
strong enough for the strain.
The country indeed was picturesque
enough when we could get out into it, but
the weather was habitually wet, and the
rides and walks over the mountains were
spoiled for us by 'spates" and boys. More
over, we were not popular with the natives,
who wanted their roads free from toll and
sympathized with the Rebeccaites, and
whenever we spoke to them shook their
heads to imply quite falsely, which made
it more disagreeable) that they could not
speak the English tongue.
The only country gentleman who was
our neighbor-Cadwallade Pryce-was
unhappily Il bachelor, so that we were alb
solutely without female society of our own
class, and though he was, hospitality itself
he lived some miles away, and the increas-
ing downpour generally prevented our en-
joying it. But what did we DON'T may be
asked. Well, we imbibed a good deal Of
brandy and soda, and smoked more than
was good for us, and played a great many
rubbers of such whist as would not be
thought highly of at the Portland club
We were, however, after q fashion, scien-
tifc. Our captain was an enthusiast a bout
mesmerism, and was never tired of lectur-
ing on it and making the experimentum in
corpore viii upon us subalterns. At that
time the fad of throwing people into state
of coma (which sometimes ends in full
stop, when the amateur regrets the posses
sion of his magic powers) was compare
lively new thing. The more advanced
stages of what was almost considered a
black art were unknown. Hypnotism,
which, as its name implies is to mesmer-
ism what sciatica is to lumbago, was not
dreamed of, and Miles made quite sensa-
ton among us.
Perhaps there was something in his being
in command of the party which made us
as clay to the potter, but we all three
event Off under his hands with ease, and
were pronounced by him to be, what the
Rebeccaites certainly were not, excellent
subjects" But the doctor, canny Scotch
man, who was more Independent of his
military sv :, was less sensitive to his
passes" anu Cadwallader Pryce held the
opinion and expressed it, and unfortu-
nately not in the Welsh language, that "the
caused breach between that gentleman
and the captain, who even gave up accept
ing his invitations, and SO Tar Cfor his din
ners were very good ones) proved himself
a martyr to science.
Soon after we arrived at Eff Though it
seemed long enough, SO weary had we be-
come of the place. Jones got an exchange
we never knew how, but could easily i'm
agine that he used all the influence he had
to escape, and instead of him there arrived
one Podgers, an ensign who had just joined
the regiment. He was very fat, and looked
rather dull, though his eyes had shrewd
twinkle in them, and from shyness or nat
ural reticence it was difficult to get word
out of him. We thought him very bad
substitute for Jones, and Brown, who had
a very pretty wit, at once nicknamed him
Podgy. But the captain at first thought
better of him, for no other reason, I be-
lieve, than because being Of SO lethargic q
disposition he concluded the new arrival
would fall an easy victfm to his magic
powers. This, however, was SO. far from
the case that Podgy would have nothing
to do with them, declining to have expert
ments made upon him, behavior which, in
the captains eyes, was little short Of mu-
tinous. :
Miles was in truth very good fellow,
but, had severe ideas of discipline and Il
general notion that his subordinates were
intended by nature, or at all events "the
regulations to save him from every I'M
pleasant duty by. performing it them
selves. He visited the posts land gates in
the daytime and in fine weather, but at
night or when it was wet the ubalterns had
to do it, and though don't mean to imply
that he ''took it out'' of Pcdgy because he
would not submit to be experimental
upon, it is certain that the new arrival
had good deal of night work and got exs
,ceedingly wet.
On the other hand, Cadwalladar Pryce,
whose Christian name the captain abbre-
waited Every unjustly) to its first syllable,
took Podgy up for the very reason that
Miles disliked him-for his skepticism
about 'semanations' land invited him to
dinner mere often than any Of us. Per
haps Pryce's society, as the captain said it
did, made our stout ensign more stubborn
in his unbelief, and certainly the last thing
we looked for was his conversion, which
nevertheless took place under circum-
stances that, even to the professor himself,
as we playfnlly called the captain, seemed
most unlocked for.
4 For Podgy had been to dine with Cad
on the preceding evening, and might
have been supposed to be strengthened 10
his heresy-toS which, moreover, the cap
lain alluded while we sat at mess, in tones
OF eonte,nptuous Indignation. It was q
wild winters night, with rain and snow
falling together, and the wind blowing
over the hills and far away In true Welsh
fashion, and since it was poor Podgy's
turn to go the rounds we thought the cap
tain might have left him ct peace as to lbs
spiritual and intellectual shortcomings.
But he did not spare him, any more than
Torquemada would have refrained from
denouncing victim previously to his be
ing delivered over to the tormentors.
Just as in that case some unhappy
wretch, worn out by persecution, would
occasionally break. down. SO for the first
time since hts arrival poor Podgy (much to
our aseoh ishtnent, for we had credited his
Wis insrtd# with greater power Of enduE.
ance) showed signs of giving way. He salf g
II was a5euced hard lifiess that . fellow
couldn't have his own opinion withou
being ballyragged like pickpocket, ant
what was the use of being experimentet
upon when one knew nothing could conn
OF it?
But you can't know till you've tried
my dear fellow" urged the captain, con
ciliated at once by the change in Podgy
p,np,,cr and oapar tn ,nnEa u rr0SelytC