章节正文
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 raps--3, 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
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 raps--3, 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
- agency [´eidʒənsi]
n.代理商；机构；代理 (初中英语单词) - invitation [,invi´teiʃən] n.邀请；请帖；吸引 (初中英语单词)
- medium [´mi:diəm] n.中间；平均 a.中等的 (初中英语单词)
- unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)
- exhaust [ig´zɔ:st] vt.用尽，使精疲力尽 (初中英语单词)
- steadily [´stedili] ad.坚定地；不断地 (初中英语单词)
- series [´siəri:z] n.连续；系列；丛书 (初中英语单词)
- thrill [θril] v.震惊；激动；刺激 (初中英语单词)
- conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)
- spelling [´speliŋ] n.拼法；缀字 (初中英语单词)
- medical [´medikəl] a.医学的；医疗的 (初中英语单词)
- amazement [ə´meizmənt] n.惊愕；惊奇 (初中英语单词)
- invisible [in´vizəbəl] a.看不见的；无形的 (初中英语单词)
- briefly [´bri:fli] ad.简短地；简略地 (初中英语单词)
- instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)
- astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)
- gratitude [´grætitju:d] n.感激，感谢 (初中英语单词)
- sergeant [´sɑ:dʒənt] n.警官；军士 (高中英语单词)
- summon [´sʌmən] vt.召集；号召 (高中英语单词)
- irregular [i´regjulə] a.不规则的；不正当的 (高中英语单词)
- honesty [´ɔnisti] n.诚实，老实 (高中英语单词)
- needless [´ni:dləs] a.不必要的；无用的 (高中英语单词)
- fraction [´frækʃən] n.小部分；一点儿 (高中英语单词)
- feebly [´fi:bli] ad.虚弱地；贫乏地 (英语四级单词)
- drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)
文章标签:名著
章节正文
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