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 " P " a knock was heard. He began again, and the 

 spirits knocked at the letter " O." I was puzzled, but 

 waited for the end. The next letter knocked down was 

 " E." 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 stance. 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 

 " O." 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, " He has a right to look into 

 the very dregs of it, to convince himself." 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 " dear spirits " 

 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 " Poet of Science." 



