ruggles,
murder scenes of the most fearful character--I forbear to describe them.
Mother became so alarmed that she called to Calvin to come up stairs. He
came--angry at the spirits--and declared that 'he would conquer or die in
the attempt.' This seemed to amuse them. They went to his bed, raised it
up and let it down, and shook it violently. He was still determined not to
yield to them.

"Before Calvin came up stairs, and during a short lull in their
performances, we quickly removed our beds to the floor, hoping thereby to
prevent them from raising us up and letting us down with such violence.
Calvin said as he came up, that we were foolish to make our beds on the
floor, as it pleased the spirits to see how completely they had conquered
us. So he laid down on his bed, and quietly awaited developments. Mother
said, 'Calvin, I wish your bed was on the floor, too. We have not been
disturbed since we left the bedstead.' Calvin remarked, 'They are up to
some deviltry now. I hear them.' He no sooner uttered these words, than a
shower of slippers came flying at him as he lay in his bed. He bore this
without a murmur. The next instant he was struck violently with his cane.
He seized it and struck back, right and left, with all his strength,
without hitting anything; but received a palpable _bang_ in return for
every thrust he made. He sprang to his feet and fought with all his might.
Everything thrown at him he pitched back to them, until a brass
candlestick was thrown at him, cutting his lip. This quite enraged him. He
pronounced a solemn malediction and throwing himself on the bed, he vowed
he would have nothing more to do with 'fiendish spirits.'

"He was not long permitted to remain in quiet there. They commenced at his
bedstead and deliberately razed it to the floor, leaving the headboard in
one place, the footboard in another, the two sides at angles, and the
bedclothes scattered about the room. He was left lying on his mattress,
and for a moment there was silence; after which some slight movements were
heard in the 'green room.' I had stowed a large number of balls of carpet
rags in an old chest standing on the floor, with two trunks and several
other articles on the top of it. It seemed but the work of a moment for
them to get at the carpet balls, which came flying at us in every
direction, hitting us in the same place every time. They took us for their
target, and threw with the skill of an archer. Darkness made no d