Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-31

alter which, she as rapidly replaced il,
and then examining il with her fingers,
Tor Il few moments longer, she correctly
named the color.
Upon another occasion, q gentleman, on
his way 10 visit Miss " Avoy, purchased
common valentine, painted Ill the usual
vulgar tawdy style of these amatory If.
!asions. Having offered this TO Ire Young
lady, she proceeded TO explain the device,
By placing il in the position which she
generally prefers, having the object STA
toned but whether the paper slipped,
unobseVed, or whatever was the occa-
sion, so II happened, that whilst she WAS
describing the figures, &c. her fingers
were actually tracing HE blank paper, ai
some distance from those figures. The
gentleman's mode of explaining this was,
that, under some favorable circumstances
she had caught glimpse of the valen-
'ine, which having again lost sight of, she
attempted 10 describe entirely from reco-
lection.
Al This visit there was also strange con-
fusion made, by tile substitute of one
watch for another, 10 which If bore per-
feet resemblance, except in the hour OF
the day, as the fingers had been purpose
ly varied; whilst The fingers of the lady
are said TO have remained unconscious OF
the stralagem.
| shall describe one further experiment,
distinguished by what was either a STA
gular chance or very happy thought
During Tue visit of the gentleman last
mentioned, III company with several o.
Tiers, seaae colored silk MAS given 10 her,
which size had undertaken 10 ascertain,
with her hands placed behind her. MOI
succeeding in this AT first, she OCCASION
all a.,
as they were not sufficiently warm for
her purpose, untiith had been breathed
upon: when, 10 il was discovered, that
small shreds of that silk accompanied her
ringers, perhaps attached TO the nails
aud as these shreds approached so near
the m~uth, the gentlemen concluded,
with what reason will not presume TO
determine, that they could not be very
lar removed from the eyes
Having succeeded, as trust, my dear
Sir, in showing that my disbelief in some
OF the prodigies related of Miss MAvoy
resi- upon better grounds than bare as
serilon, founded upon the opinions of o.
TIERS" must further observe, that al
tribute no motives 10 the lady in quesii
on, upon whose case | should feel dis
posed TO put as favorable a construction,
1t possible, as that suggested by Peregri-
MAJOR, Iii Ills ietler OF Inc ultlmo Wllliln, al
Ter protesting himself unwilling to
charge her with wiitul imposture," he
asks" " is il not possible that she is de
iuding herself; and that she labors under
the haiIucnatien ofimaginaly blindness 2"
This strange hypothesis of Peregrinaior
reminds me SO torcibly of passage in
the works of the inimitabie Miss Edge
WORTH, that canno, withstand the temp
talion of atoninR, in some measure, for
the duness Of this long letter by The
following extract from her story of Iiar-
rlngion:
Motto do myself Justice, really
had no intention To dsrcive at least orr
ginalIy-but, as ii often happens with
those who begin by being dupcs, | was
in imminent danger of becoming knave
now how escaped do moi know. For,
here, child scarce seven years old, saw
myself surrounded By grown up wise peo-
pie, who were accounting in different
ways for that of which alone knew The
secret simple cause. They we're ALL with
out intending it, my dupes-yet. when
felt that had them in my power,
did not deceive Them much more than
/ deceived myself" -Vol. /, page 10.
l remain, dear Sir, Yours respectfully,
EDGERTON SMITH.