gment overthrown.

III.

In his Fast-Day sermon Dr. Burge delivered himself of much weighty
testimony against those thaumaturgical incantations of heathenism which
had been revived among us. With his splendor of clerical pause and
emphasis he read the denunciations against a sinful nation to which the
prophet Isaiah has affixed the awful words,--"Saith the Lord, the Lord
of Hosts."

"And they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one
against his neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom."

Here the preacher's dark eyes left the sacred volume, and seemed to gaze
upon some coming struggle in which the sins of the people would meet a
bloody retribution. Then, referring to the page, he pronounced with
bitterness of holy indignation the prophetic curse which was that day
fulfilled in our cherished New England.

"And they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that
have familiar spirits, and to the wizards."

The sermon made no more visible impression upon the sinful portion of
the congregation than homilies against novel and pleasant indulgences
are wont to do.

"The Apostle was right, after all," said Colonel Prowley, quoting the
text upon the meeting-house steps; "we _should_ 'try the spirits.'"

"No objection to that," said the post-master; "but here's Dr. Burge
tells us to keep out of their way, and call them all humbugs, without
trying them at all."

The gentleman referred to joined our party upon the meeting-house
green, and accompanied us home.

As we entered the house, our ears were saluted by a sort of scuffling
noise, with an accompaniment of broken English. Miss Turligood, highly
charged with the Detached Vitalized Electricity, or some stimulant of
equal potency, ran to meet us in the entry, to enjoin silence and a
passive state of mind before entering the parlor. The manifestations
during service had been most wonderful. Twynintuft had lifted the table
to the ceiling, with Mr. Stellato clinging to the legs. Mrs. Colfodder
had had her back-hair taken down, and the housemaid was certain that
somebody tried to kiss her.

We made for the parlor with all convenient speed. Notwithstanding the
solemn adjurations of Dr. Burge, we entertained guilty hopes of seeing
some of the marvels which had become such positive drugs in our absence.
But to _see_ anything was, for a long time, out of the question; for the
spirits had insisted upon having the shutters clos