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citement of excessive joy. Life was extinguished in a moment by a sudden surcharge of the brain with blood, causing apoplexy. How many have witnessed the withering power of

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CHAGRIN, OF SHAME. Rev. Daniel Baker tells the story of a young man, who several years ago was charged before an ecclesiastical court with an infamous crime, but; as he declared the imputation to be slanderous, a committee was appointed to investigate the matter, and report. "I was present," Mr. Baker says, when, in the presence of two or three hundred citizens, the report was made, which affirmed that the charge against him was true! I saw the man the moment his character was thus blasted for ever. After one frantic effort, with a pistol, to take the life of the person who had thus exposed him, he dropped his head, and could not bear to look upon man or woman any more. Soon after returning to his lodgings, he laid himself down and died. Shame killed him!" How mysterious is the power of

SYMPATHY-which one describes as the natural check that the Almighty puts upon unchari

table self. In spite of themselves, there are few that have not felt compassion for others. This affords a beautiful proof both of the divine beneficence and of the power of the mind over the body. It is that inexplicable something in our moral and physical structure by which a multitude may be apparently possessed by the same spirit; the organism of each instantaneously taking on the same action, simply from the mind being devoted to the same object. There is no part nor organ of the body in which existing uneasiness may not be aggravated or relieved according as the attention is directed to the part or diverted from it. "Look at a person when yawning-read, or only think of it, and you begin to gape yourself. The wheezing and asthmatic struggles seen on one man, have been known to produce the same symptoms in another. Many obstinate and distressing coughs have been aggravated and prolonged by the mere apprehension of their return if relieved for a season." The physical effects

of a

MORBID IMITATIVE SYMPATHY, and of IMAGI

NATION, on the nervous system, are familiarly known. They have been displayed in all the various extravagancies which, at times, have attended the preaching of the gospel, and too often impeded its progress. The phenomena of this sort which are recorded in Dr. Davidson's "History of the Presbyterian Church in the State of Kentucky," are not less interesting to the psychologist and physician than they are to the preacher. They were occasioned, doubtless, in part, by an undue excitement of animal feeling. But the manifold forms, especially the "bodily exercises," by which this excited feeling was exhibited, have ever been, to some extent, inexplicable on any known principles of mental or physical science. They were classified under the significant names of the Falling, Rolling, Running, Dancing, Barking, and Jerking exercises, each of which was descriptive of a distinctive sort of bodily movement or agitation. We select, for an example, that muscular convulsion which was familiarly called the Jerks. The first recorded instance of its occurrence was at the administration of the Lord's

Supper in East Tennessee, when several hundred of both sexes were affected with this strange and involuntary contortion. "The subject was instantaneously seized with spasms or convulsions in every muscle, nerve, and tendon. His head was jerked or thrown from side to side with such rapidity that it was impossible to distinguish his visage, and the most lively fears were entertained lest he should dislocate his neck, or dash out his brains. His body partook of the same impulse, and was hurried on by like jerks over every obstacle-fallen trunks of trees, or, in a church, over pews and benches, apparently to the most imminent danger of being bruised and mangled. It was useless to attempt to hold or restrain him, and the paroxysm was permitted gradually to exhaust itself. An additional motive for leaving him to himself was the superstitious notion that all attempt at restraint was 'resisting the Spirit of God.' One remarkable feature of these bodily affections was, that the very apprehension of an attack would often bring it on in spite of all precaution or efforts of the will to prevent it.

A young man, the son of an elder, who was a tanner, feigned sickness on Sabbath morning to avoid accompanying the family to a campmeeting. He was left alone in bed, with none in the house but a few black children. He lay some time triumphing in the success of his stratagem, but afraid to rise too soon, lest some one might be accidentally lingering, and detect him. As he lay quiet with his head covered, his thoughts were naturally directed to the camp-meeting, and fancy painted an assembled multitude, the public worship, and individuals falling into the usual spasmodic convulsions. All at once he found himself violently jerked out of bed, and dashed round the room and against the walls, in a manner altogether beyond his control. Recollecting that praying was said to be a good sedative on such occasions, he resorted to the experiment, and, to his great satisfaction, found it successful. He returned to bed quite relieved, but only to be again affected in the same way, and again quieted by the act of prayer. He then dressed himself, and to occupy his mind, went to the

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