pages: practicalmagicia00harr.pdf, 53
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practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 53 | THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. 43 young people. It does not, however, require a large number to be present, but, contrary to the usual scientific tricks, its devel- opment comes off better with one companion than with a dozen PREPARATION. You must induce your cousin Jemima, or some other young lady who is just of age to have cut her eye-teeth, to consent to help you by accompanying you to a room with closed shutters and no candles. A moderate-sized looking-glass must be on the table, the smaller the better, for reasons below assigned. Have ready at hand some ounces of hard candy. You commence the trick by placing yourselves, land-in-hand, before the looking glass. If it is rather small, your heads will be the closer-in order to see the reflection of both at once. Then, with mouths as open as may be, try which of you can crush his or her share of sugar-candy with the teeth the quick- est. In the glass will appear the reflection of sparks of electri- city, as the experiment proceeds. If your companion is ner- vous, you can of course support her with one arm-ladies are sometimes susceptible, whether from animal magnetism or what not. The electric sparks coming between the lips may also be attractive, and you may be tempted to try whether the electricity evaporates the sweetness; but of course youmust not be tempted to forget the philosophical nature of the experiment; and, if you behave with propriety, the lady will doubtless, on her return to the company, tell them, in a staid manner, that the experiment was all right; and perhaps when you see her, even a day or two afterwards, you will observe there is an arch dimple on her cheek and an electric sparkle lighting up her eye-and I should not wonder if you should feel a desire to try the experiment over again. TRICK 18.-A chemical trick to follow one where a young friend has assisted. PREPARATION. I You must have a wine-glass, a saucer, and a teaspoon. and the chemical bottles No. 1 (silicate of potash) and No. 2 (alumi- nate of potash,) which can be obtained from any druggist. At the close of some trick in which any young friend has as- sisted, you can say : "Well, my young friend, you have assisted me so courteously and well that I must, in order to express my |