or the day tiresome, or yourself out of sorts,
that low spirits and disgust come over you and you long like a bird to
spread your wings and fly away from it all."
Very soon afterwards, Dr. Kane wrote:
"At present, you have nothing to look forward to, nothing to hope for.
Your life is one constant round of idle excitement. Can your mother, who
is an excellent woman, look upon you, a girl of thirteen, as doomed all
your life to live surrounded by such as now surround you, _deprived of all
the blessings of home and love and even self-respect_?"
Dr. Kane, looking upon Margaret as his future wife, was exceedingly
anxious that the true explanation of the "rappings," the fact that they
were entirely fraudulent, should never be discovered. He hoped that
Spiritualism would have but an ephemeral existence, and that when once it
had died out, the public would so far forget the persons who originated
it, that it would cease to associate with them the woman who would then
bear his name. So he wrote in this vein to Maggie:
"You know I am nervous about the 'rappings.' I believe the only thing I
ever was afraid of was this confounded thing being found out. I would not
know it myself for ten thousand dollars."
How both Margaret and Dr. Kane regarded the elder sister may be judged
from this sentence, written by the latter at this time: "Be careful not to
mention me before the Tigress."
At last the object dearest to Dr. Kane's heart seemed to be drawing near
to its accomplishment. He says: "Your kind promise 'solemnly never to rap
again' so pleases me, that I cannot help thanking you. Adhere to that, and
you will be a dear, good, happy girl." * * *
Maggie went to school at Crookville, near Chester, Pennsylvania, and was
in charge of Dr. Kane's aunt, Mrs. Leiper, who resided near the house
where Maggie lodged. Just prior to this, Dr. Kane wrote as follows:
"_Never do wrong any more; for if now 'the spirits move' it will be a
breach of faith._ From this moment, our compact begins."
After Dr. Kane had reached the Arctic seas, I find this passage at the end
of a long letter, full of solicitude and noble counsel about the education
of his future wife: "One final wish--the only thing like restraint that
your true friend can find it in his heart to utter: See little of Leah,
and never sleep within her house."
For a short time, on his return from his second Arctic voyage, Dr. Kane
allowed himself to be swayed by interest and
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