even had the impudence to attempt to entrap Mr. Lincoln into
an indorsement of the work, and asked permission to dedicate a new work,
on a kindred subject, "Melaleukation," to him. Honest Old Abe however,
who can see a joke, was not to be taken in so easily.

About the time the book was first published, Miss Anne E. Dickinson
happened to lecture in New York. The authors here exhibited a great
degree of acuteness and tact, as well as sublime impudence, in seizing
the opportunity to have some small hand bills, with the endorsement of
the book, printed and distributed by boys among the audience. Before
Miss Dickinson appeared, therefore, the audience were gravely reading
the miscegenation handbill; and the reporters, noticing it, coupled the
facts in their reports. From this, it went forth, and was widely
circulated, that Miss Dickinson was the author!

Dr. Mackay, the correspondent of the "London Times," in New York, was
very decidedly sold, and hurled all manner of big words against the
doctrine in his letters to "The Thunderer;" and thus "the leading paper
of Europe" was, for the hundredth time during the American Rebellion,
decidedly taken in and done for.

The "Saturday Review"--perhaps the cleverest and certainly the sauciest
of the English hebdomadals--also berated the book and its authors in the
most pompous language at its command. Indeed, the "Westminster Review"
seriously refers to the arguments of the book in connection with Dr.
Broca's pamphlet on Human Hybridity, a most profound work.
"Miscegenation" was republished in England by Truebner & Co.; and very
extensive translations from it are still passing the rounds of the
French and German papers.

Thus passes into history one of the most impudent as well as ingenious
literary hoaxes of the present day. There is probably not a newspaper in
the country but has printed much about it; and enough of extracts might
be collected from various journals upon the subject to fill my
whale-tank.

It is needless to say that the book passed through several editions. Of
course, the mass of the intelligent American people rejected the
doctrines of the work, and looked upon it either as a political dodge,
or as the ravings of some crazy man; but the authors have the
satisfaction of knowing that it achieved a notoriety which has hardly
been equalled by any mere pamphlet ever published in this country.

VII. GHOSTS AND WITCHCRAFTS.

CHAPTER. XXXIV.

HAUNTED