Looking Backward | Page 9

I found myself on the
approach of the third without sensations of drowsiness, I called in Dr. Pillsbury.
He was a doctor by courtesy only, what was called in those days an "irregular" or "quack"
doctor. He called himself a "Professor of Animal Magnetism." I had come across him in
the course of some amateur investigations into the phenomena of animal magnetism. I
don't think he knew anything about medicine, but he was certainly a remarkable
mesmerist. It was for the purpose of being put to sleep by his manipulations that I used to
send for him when I found a third night of sleeplessness impending. Let my nervous
excitement or mental preoccupation be however great, Dr. Pillsbury never failed, after a
short time, to leave me in a deep slumber, which continued till I was aroused by a
reversal of the mesmerizing process. The process for awaking the sleeper was much
simpler than that for putting him to sleep, and for convenience I had made Dr Pillsbury
teach Sawyer how to do it.
My faithful servant alone knew for what purpose Dr. Pillsbury visited me, or that he did
so at all. Of course, when Edith became my wife I should have to tell her my secrets. I
had not hitherto told her this, because there was unquestionably a slight risk in the
mesmeric sleep, and I knew she would set her face against my practice. The risk, of
course, was that it might become too profound and pass into a trance beyond the
mesmerizer's power to break, ending in death. Repeated experiments had fully convinced
me that the risk was next to nothing if reasonable precautions were exercised, and of this
I hoped, though doubtingly, to convince Edith. I went directly home after leaving her, and
at once sent Sawyer to fetch Dr. Pillsbury. Meanwhile I sought my subterranean sleeping
chamber, and exchanging my costume for a comfortable dressing-gown, sat down to read
the letters by the evening mail which Sawyer had laid on my reading table.
One of them was from the builder of my new house, and confirmed what I had inferred
from the newspaper item. The new strikes, he said, had postponed indefinitely the
completion of the contract, as neither masters nor workmen would concede the point at
issue without a long struggle. Caligula wished that the Roman people had but one neck
that he might cut it off, and as I read this letter I am afraid that for a moment I was
capable of wishing the same thing concerning the laboring classes of America. The return
of Sawyer with the doctor interrupted my gloomy meditations.
It appeared that he had with difficulty been able to secure his services, as he was
preparing to leave the city that very night. The doctor explained that since he had seen me
last he had learned of a fine professional opening in a distant city, and decided to take
prompt advantage of it. On my asking, in some panic, what I was to do for some one to
put me to sleep, he gave me the names of several mesmerizers in Boston who, he averred,
had quite as great powers as he.

Somewhat relieved on this point, I instructed Sawyer to rouse me at nine o'clock next
morning, and, lying down on the bed in my dressing-gown, assumed a comfortable
attitude, and surrendered myself to the manipulations of the mesmerizer. Owing, perhaps,
to my unusually nervous state, I was slower than common in losing consciousness, but at
length a delicious drowsiness stole over me.
Chapter 3
"He is going to open his eyes. He had better see but one of us at first."
"Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."
The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
"I will see how he seems," replied the man.
"No, no, promise me," persisted the other.
"Let her have her way," whispered a third voice, also a woman.
"Well, well, I promise, then," answered the man. "Quick, go! He is coming out of it."
There was a rustle of garments and I opened my eyes. A fine looking man of perhaps
sixty was bending over me, an expression of much benevolence mingled with great
curiosity upon his features. He was an utter stranger. I raised myself on an elbow and
looked around. The room was empty. I certainly had never been in it before, or one
furnished like it. I looked back at my companion. He smiled.
"How do you feel?" he inquired.
"Where am I?" I demanded.
"You are in my house," was the reply.
"How came I here?"
"We will talk about that when you are stronger. Meanwhile, I beg you will feel no
anxiety. You are among friends