How to Raise a Ghost

How to Raise a Ghost.
A boy who possesses a magic-lantern can, with a little trouble, raise a ghost in a darkened room. First of all obtain an open box, about three feet long and eighteen inches wide and two feet high. At one end of this place a small swing dressing-glass, and at the other end place a magic-lantern with the lens facing the looking glass. A glass should now be made to swing up and down in the groove c,d to which a cord and pulley should be attached, the end of the cord coming to the part of the box marked A.

On this piece of clear glass paint in a squat and contracted position your idea of what a hideous spectre should look like. When all this has been done the lid of the box must be prepared by raising a sort of gable at the end of the box marked B, and at its lower part E, an oval hole must be cut large enough to allow the rays reflected from the looking glass to pass through. On the top of the box place a tray containing some burning charcoal. Next light the lamp G, sprinkle some powdered camphor on the charcoal, adjust the slide upon which the spectre is painted, and its image will then be thrown upon the smoke ascending into the room.

In accomplishing this trick the box must be placed upon a high table, so that the hole through which the light comes is not noticed. The room, of course, must be perfectly dark.

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