408 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



Again a period of conversation intervened, during which 

 the spirits became animated. The evening was confessedly 

 a dull one, but matters appeared to brighten toward its 

 close. The spirits were requested to spell the name by 

 which I am known in the heavenly world. Our host com 

 menced repeating the alphabet, and when he reached the 

 letter &quot; P &quot; a knock was heard. He began again, and the 

 spirits knocked at the letter &quot; O.&quot; I was puzzled, but 

 waited for the end. The next letter knocked down was 

 &quot; E.&quot; I laughed, and remarked that the spirits were going 

 to make a poet of me. Admonished for my levity, I was 

 informed that the frame of mind proper for the occasion 

 ought to have been superinduced by a perusal of the Bible 

 immediately before the seance. The spelling, however, 

 went on, and sure enough I came out a poet. But matters 

 did not end here. Our host continued his repetition of the 

 alphabet, and the next letter of the name proved to be 

 &quot; O.&quot; Here was manifestly an unfinished word ; and the 

 spirits were apparently in their most communicative mood. 

 The knocks came from under the table, but no person pres 

 ent evinced the slightest desire to look under it. I asked 

 whether I might go underneath ; the permission was 

 granted ; so I crept under the table. Some tittered ; but 

 the candid old A. exclaimed, &quot; He has a right to look into 

 the very dregs of it, to convince himself.&quot; Having pretty 

 well assured myself that no sound could be produced under 

 the table without its origin being revealed, I requested our 

 host to continue his questions. He did so, but in vain. He 

 adopted a tone of tender entreaty ; but the &quot; dear spirits &quot; 

 had become dumb dogs, and refused to be entreated. I 

 continued under that table for at least a quarter of an hour, 

 after which, with a feeling of despair as regards the pros 

 pects of humanity never before experienced, I regained my 

 chair. Once there, the spirits resumed their loquacity, and 

 dubbed me &quot; Poet of Science.&quot; 



