Year: 1871

Martin Speed was bachelor. lie
had backed and filled and hcsitated and
doubted about entering upon the bliss
ful estate Of matrimony. until the FIRE
OF youthful passion vas all spent, mat
rlmony had become problem To him
As dry and formal As one in old Walsh's
arithmetic 10 be ciphered out for m
answer, As much as that proposition
about carrying the fox, goose. and bag
of corn across the creek, that every
body 'prohlemly' remembers. Being
phrenologist, he left the problem Of
hearts altogether. and went To examin-
ing heads, 10 ascertain by chronology
cal developments, n woman's fitness for
the position OF a wife 10 Martin Speed,
Esq, As letters came addressed TO him
a. the Speedwcll Post-office. The
town OF Speedwell was named for an
ancestor of his. and boasted Of sever
al thousands OF inhabitants and. as
it was factory place, it had goodly
share Of good looking manageable
girls.


Martin studied .Combe and spurzhiem
and Gall, and grew bitter as disap-
pointment saw him enter his forty-first
year a bachelor. lie looked back on
the past, and saw the chances he had
neglected, and the happiness of those
who had started with him, and we're
now portly people. the heads and fronts
OF families and the delicate damsels
he had slighted, respectable mothers in
Israel, and exemplary and amiable
wives. He sought every opportunity
for examining the heads Of such as
would submit themselves 10 his hand
with the hope of catching the bachelor /;
for they knew his weakness. and he was
well-to-do and an eligible match. But
in vain he looked for perfection. The
bumps would not be arranged as he
wished them. Ii he took liking To a
pretty face, phrenology impertinently
gave it the lie straight, and he at once
avoided il.


1t was at this juncture that biologi-
cal lecturer-a grave professor in that
science-came TO Speedwell and gave
a series OF exhibitions. These Martin
attended, and biology at once became
an intensity with him-a new emo
tion.' He attended all the exhibitions !;
saw men personate roosters and crow !;
| hens and scratch shiver with cold and
/ burn with heat, at the will of the OPP
orator saw a miser endeaver TO clutch
an eagle held out TO him while under
the influence Of the wonderful spell,
and the tongue Of woman stilled who
for twenty years had been the pest Of
Speedwell by her loquacity.


This put the mind of Martin on a
new track. He sold his old phrenolog-
ical works, and devoted himself TO the
study of the wonderful science through
which such marvels were performed
The professor WAS fine teacher, and
Martin placed himself under his tut
ton. He succeeded admirably. In a
short time surpassed his instructor,
and had more than his powers in in
fiuencing the susceptible among his
weak brethren and sisters.


He formed resolution to himself,
that through this means he would gain
n wife. Could he find one that this
science could control-one that at a
glance he could transfix, like the man
who was stopped by the mesmeriser
half way down, as he was falling from
the roof of q hOuse-he would marry
her. for tine reason, dear reader, that
Martin had not married, was that he
b., had heard of wives wearing the-au-
thority over their lord, and he was
timid man.


In this new science he saw scrutiny
and sedulously sought for one OF the
right description. At every party
vbere he was invited, 1t every sewing
circle, At every knot Of factory girls in