. The story of Cooperstown . not turning out a vestry, but converting its pineinterior into oak—bona fide oak, and erecting a screenthat I trust, though it may have no influence on my soul,will carry my name down to posterity. It is really apretty thing—pure Gothic, and is the wonder of thecountry round. This screen remained in the church, with somealteration, until 1891, when, at the time thechancel was built, it was unfortunately thrownout and not replaced. In 1910 the remnants ofthe old screen were reconstructed to fit the twoarchways that open into the church on either sideof the chancel,
. The story of Cooperstown . not turning out a vestry, but converting its pineinterior into oak—bona fide oak, and erecting a screenthat I trust, though it may have no influence on my soul,will carry my name down to posterity. It is really apretty thing—pure Gothic, and is the wonder of thecountry round. This screen remained in the church, with somealteration, until 1891, when, at the time thechancel was built, it was unfortunately thrownout and not replaced. In 1910 the remnants ofthe old screen were reconstructed to fit the twoarchways that open into the church on either sideof the chancel, and the panels of the originalwork were cut out, allowing a vista through thetracery. The screen that stands at the left handas one faces the chancel is almost entirely of theoriginal design and material. FENIMORE COOPER IN THE VILLAGE 293 Amid his manifold interests, Fenimore Cooperat one time amused himself in the study of theso-called occult sciences. Having advocated withapparent enthusiasm a belief in animal magne-. The Cooper Screens in Christ Church tism and clairvoyance, he caused public meetingsto be held in the old Court House in Cooperstown,where, evening after evening, the mysteries ofhypnotism were discussed. On one of these occa-sions a negro, who had proved at several meet-ings to be an excellent subject, was hypnotized inthe presence of the audience, and pronounced to 294 THE STORY OF COOPERSTOWN be both clairvoyant and insensible to pain. WhileCooper was descanting eloquently upon thisstrange phenomenon, the darkey, suddenly rollingup his eyeballs, and displaying all his ivory, sprungspasmodically into the air, and then tumbled backin his seat. This startling interruption of the lec-ture remained unexplained for many years, untilElihu Phinney, the young friend and neighbor ofFenimore Cooper, confessed to being responsiblefor it. It seems that, during the course of thelectures, Phinney had had an argument withHarvey Perkins concerning the possibility of atru
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