the autobiography of a quack-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



On　the　day　following　I　found　myself；　with　my　new　comrade；　in　a　house　in　Coates　street；　where　a　‘‘circle''　was　in　the　daily　habit　of　meeting。　So　soon　as　I　had　been　comfortably　deposited　in　an　arm…chair；　beside　a　large　pine　table；　the　rest　of　those　assembled　seated　themselves；　and　for　some　time　preserved　an　unbroken　silence。　During　this　pause　I　scrutinized　the　persons　present。　Next　to　me；　on　my　right；　sat　a　flabby　man；　with　ill…marked；　baggy　features　and　injected　eyes。　He　was；　as　I　learned　afterwards；　an　eclectic　doctor；　who　had　tried　his　hand　at　medicine　and　several　of　its　quackish　variations；　finally　settling　down　on　eclecticism；　which　I　believe　professes　to　be　to　scientific　medicine　what　vegetarianism　is　to　common…sense；　every…day　dietetics。　Next　to　him　sat　a　female…authoress；　I　think；　of　two　somewhat　feeble　novels；　and　much　pleasanter　to　look　at　than　her　books。　She　was；　I　thought；　a　good　deal　excited　at　the　prospect　of　spiritual　revelations。　Her　neighbor　was　a　　pallid；　care…worn　young　woman；　with　very　red　lips；　and　large　brown　eyes　of　great　beauty。　She　was；　as　I　learned　afterwards；　a　magnetic　patient　of　the　doctor；　and　had　deserted　her　husband；　a　master　mechanic；　to　follow　this　new　light。　The　others　were；　like　myself；　strangers　brought　hither　by　mere　curiosity。　One　of　them　was　a　lady　in　deep　black；　closely　veiled。　Beyond　her；　and　opposite　to　me；　sat　the　sergeant；　and　next　to　him　the　medium；　a　man　named　Brink。　He　wore　a　good　deal　of　jewelry；　and　had　large　black　side…whiskersa　shrewd…visaged；　large…　nosed；　full…lipped　man；　formed　by　nature　to　appreciate　the　pleasant　things　of　sensual　existence。

Before　I　had　ended　my　survey；　he　turned　to　the　lady　in　black；　and　asked　if　she　wished　to　see　any　one　in　the　spirit…world。

She　said；　‘‘Yes；''　rather　feebly。

‘‘Is　the　spirit　present？''　he　asked。　Upon　which　two　knocks　were　heard　in　affirmation。　‘‘Ah！''　said　the　medium；　‘‘the　name　isit　is　the　name　of　a　child。　It　is　a　male　child。　It　is''

‘‘Alfred！''　she　cried。　‘‘Great　Heaven！　My　child！　My　boy！''

On　this　the　medium　arose；　and　became　　strangely　convulsed。　‘‘I　see；''　he　said‘‘I　seea　fair…haired　boy。　I　see　blue　eyesI　see　above　you；　beyond　you''　at　the　same　time　pointing　fixedly　over　her　head。

She　turned　with　a　wild　start。　‘‘Where　whereabouts？''

‘‘A　blue…eyed　boy；''　he　continued；　‘‘over　your　head。　He　crieshe　says；　‘Mama；　mama！'　''

The　effect　of　this　on　the　woman　was　unpleasant。　She　stared　about　her　for　a　moment；　and　exclaiming；　‘‘I　comeI　am　coming；　Alfy！''　fell　in　hysterics　on　the　floor。

Two　or　three　persons　raised　her；　and　aided　her　into　an　adjoining　room；　but　the　rest　remained　at　the　table；　as　though　well　accustomed　to　like　scenes。

After　this　several　of　the　strangers　were　called　upon　to　write　the　names　of　the　dead　with　whom　they　wished　to　communicate。　The　names　were　spelled　out　by　the　agency　of　affirmative　knocks　when　the　correct　letters　were　touched　by　the　applicant；　who　was　furnished　with　an　alphabet…card　upon　which　he　tapped　the　letters　in　turn；　the　medium；　meanwhile；　scanning　his　face　very　keenly。　With　some；　the　names　were　readily　made　out。　With　one；　a　stolid　personage　of　　disbelieving　type；　every　attempt　failed；　until　at　last　the　spirits　signified　by　knocks　that　he　was　a　disturbing　agency；　and　that　while　he　remained　all　our　efforts　would　fail。　Upon　this　some　of　the　company　proposed　that　he　should　leave；　of　which　invitation　he　took　advantage；　with　a　skeptical　sneer　at　the　whole　performance。

As　he　left　us；　the　sergeant　leaned　over　and　whispered　to　the　medium；　who　next　addressed　himself　to　me。　‘‘Sister　Euphemia；''　he　said；　indicating　the　lady　with　large　eyes；　‘‘will　act　as　your　medium。　I　am　unable　to　do　more。　These　things　exhaust　my　nervous　system。''

‘‘Sister　Euphemia；''　said　the　doctor；　‘‘will　aid　us。　Think；　if　you　please；　sir；　of　a　spirit；　and　she　will　endeavor　to　summon　it　to　our　circle。''

Upon　this　a　wild　idea　came　into　my　head。　I　answered：　‘‘I　am　thinking　as　you　directed　me　to　do。''

The　medium　sat　with　her　arms　folded；　looking　steadily　at　the　center　of　the　table。　For　a　few　moments　there　was　silence。　Then　a　series　of　irregular　knocks　began。　‘‘Are　you　present？''　said　the　medium。

The　affirmative　raps　were　twice　given。

‘‘I　should　think；''　said　the　doctor；　‘‘that　there　were　two　spirits　present。''

His　words　sent　a　thrill　through　my　heart。

‘‘Are　there　two？''　he　questioned。

A　double　rap。

‘‘Yes；　two；''　said　the　medium。　‘‘Will　it　please　the　spirits　to　make　us　conscious　of　their　names　in　this　world？''

A　single　knock。　‘‘No。''

‘‘Will　it　please　them　to　say　how　they　are　called　in　the　world　of　spirits？''

Again　came　the　irregular　raps3；　4；　8；　6；　then　a　pause；　and　3；　4；　8；　7。

‘‘I　think；''　said　the　authoress；　‘‘they　must　be　numbers。　Will　the　spirits；''　she　said；　‘‘be　good　enough　to　aid　us？　Shall　we　use　the　alphabet？''

‘‘Yes；''　was　rapped　very　quickly。

‘‘Are　these　numbers？''

‘‘Yes；''　again。

‘‘I　will　write　them；''　she　added；　and；　doing　so；　took　up　the　card　and　tapped　the　letters。　The　spelling　was　pretty　rapid；　and　ran　thus　as　she　tapped；　in　turn；　first　the　letters；　and　last　the　numbers　she　had　already　set　down：

‘‘UNITED　STATES　ARMY　MEDICAL　MUSEUM；　Nos。　3486；　3487。''

The　medium　looked　up　with　a　puzzled　expression。

‘‘Good　gracious！''　said　I；　‘‘they　are　MY　LEGS　MY　LEGS！''

What　followed；　I　ask　no　one　to　believe　except　those　who；　like　myself；　have　communed　with　the　things　of　another　sphere。　Suddenly　I　felt　a　strange　return　of　my　self…　consciousness。　I　was　reindividualized；　so　to　speak。　A　strange　wonder　filled　me；　and；　to　the　amazement　of　every　one；　I　arose；　and；　staggering　a　little；　walked　across　the　room　on　limbs　invisible　to　them　or　me。　It　was　no　wonder　I　staggered；　for；　as　I　briefly　reflected；　my　legs　had　been　nine　months　in　the　strongest　alcohol。　At　this　instant　all　my　new　friends　crowded　around　me　in　astonishment。　Presently；　however；　I　felt　myself　sinking　slowly。　My　legs　were　going；　and　in　a　moment　I　was　resting　feebly　on　my　two　stumps　upon　the　floor。　It　was　too　much。　All　that　was　left　of　me　fainted　and　rolled　over　senseless。

I　have　little　to　add。　I　am　now　at　home　in　the　West；　surrounded　by　every　form　of　kindness　and　every　possible　comfort；　but　alas！　I　have　so　little　surety　of　being　myself　that　I　doubt　my　own　honesty　in　drawing　my　pension；　and　feel　absolved　from　gratitude　to　　those　who　are　kind　to　a　being　who　is　uncertain　of　being　enough　himself　to　be　conscientiously　responsible。　It　is　needless　to　add　that　I　am　not　a　happy　fraction　of　a　man；　and　that　I　am　eager　for　the　day　when　I　shall　rejoin　the　lost　members　of　my　corporeal　family　in　another　and　a　happier　world。





End