" Great Anniversary Spell.

" GREAT ANNIVERSARY SPELL .

" That a dead body at the anniversary of its decease may be resuscitated in the spirit , if the same influences are brought to bear upon the locality of its death that were present at the time of its death . " This was the strange and impracticable theory deducted by Miss Moon from a pile of rubbish collected by her , and which she forthwith attempted to put into practice . Every year she had strength of nerve sufficient to support her

while she underwent the ordeal ( to her ) of attending at the watch night service . Strictly she sat in her old accustomed place and went through every performance in the same literal manner . Every now and then she fancied she heard the rustle of shrouds , ancl more than once imagined her sister at her elbow . At her request the organist always played the same hymn , on Avhich she calculated more than anything else , for , according to her mania , music ivas a

powerful resuseitator I She even continued these mad speculations much further , and added to the clergyman ' s salary indirectly and by way of presents in order to keep him at the same post , and the slightest suspicion of his departure was sufficient to make her redouble her favours . She provided similar decorations for the church , and prevailed upon an approximate number of people to attend , to make it as similar to the night of Mrs . Rova ' s death as

possible . Having monetary influence she was enabled to go thus far . But the most unfortunate circumstance connected Avith her mental disease ( for it can be called nothing else ) was the fact that she gradually imbued—at first not intentionally , but afterwards confidingly—her nephew Charles with her own vague and harmful fancies . The wonder is that Charles ( though otherwise he had good training ) did not develop into a miserable hypochondriac instead of the light-hearted , happy fellow he was . But she could not overcome nature—indeed , she did not want to ; she admired , nay , envied him his brilliant buoyancy .

The night before the tenth anniversary she considered him sufficiently trustworthy to fully invest with her awful secret , ancl prepared him to accompany her at its tenth trial . Her previous failures only urged her to make further attempts , ancl as she kept adding to her stock of mystic literature she found fresh details to add to her exorcisms . Gradual as Charles ' s involuntary training had been , he was astounded at the full revelation , but , with the ardour of youthdid not doubt its efficacy . Full of feverish excitementhe

, , went with her to the church and anxiously watched his aunt's nervous twitchings during the service , Avhen , at the precise time of his mother ' s death , Miss Moon gave a loud scream and fell senseless on the floor ! All present thought she had died of the fatal desease , like her sister , and complete consternation prevailed . Nearly all there were acquainted ii'ith the peculiar circumstances of Mrs . Rova ' s death , and for a time were too astounded to move .

Eventually the poor lady was borne away insensible , and a long illness of brain brain fever ensued . Her maniacal ravings were horrible to hear , and it required three or four attendants to pacif y her and keep her from doing any mischief . From her more coherent moments her friends gathered many of her ideas , ancl one consequence was the discontinuance of the watch night service at the little village church , ancl it was afterwards conducted in the

larger edifice in the adjacent town . But they never suspected that her nephew had any complicity in her plans , and Charles remained unquestioned . He was full of uneasiness at his aunt ' s protracted illness , and in his ignorance attributed it to some unearthly sources . At her convalescence he was allowed to see her , and a mutual exchange of confidences took place , she also believing her illness to have arisen through " spiritual visitation . " The fever had not , as is often the case , bereft her of memory , but had slightl y impaired her intellect . The discontinuance of the service was her greatest trouble , and she ivondered by Avhat means she could overcome the difficult y for the future .