Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-11-08
THE MYSTERIOUS LADY.

nard, of Stanstead, Lower Canada, history
OF a recent case ofsomnambulism in that place,
celebrated one at Spring6eld-and in regard TO
the morbid acuteness of vision, even more So
This will be presented 10 our readers In the next
number of the Journal On the very DAY VI
the receipt of Or. BIS. manuscript, we nouce9
the arrival in Boston of female, VINO Is termeo
par excellence, the MYsrERIous LADY, whose
bowers were represented to be, while In wa
Fing state. of the same extraordinary charac-
fer In word, whatever of the marvellous was
contained i'm the account of the visual or men
,.I neculiarities of Jane G.. Ryder or the STAN
atead somnambulist, was represented TO nave
been actually performed by this unique foreign
er, at any moment she might choose 10 exert
the mower. With reference to making inquiries
into the truth or falsty of variety of notices
which thus preceded her .ntre pabtique. We call
ed on the lady and having met with polite
reception were allowed every opportunity that
could be desired for experimenting and detect
ing the cheat if any was practised. In the Sc
ouel, we left the apartment, fully SATISFIED OF
our own inability to solve any part OF the series OF
mysteries which constitute the enigma OF hef
public entertainments.
Mrs. Harrington, Familiarity called the Mystic
rious Lady, whose maiden name was Julia Ann
Hue born of French parents, in England, and
now in her twentieth year, is an Intelligent wo-
man, of small stature-rather taclturn, though
of strangers, on her first appearance in this CT
ty, she was obviously considerably embarrass,
ed. Her faculty of memory, we were informed
by Mr. Harrington, is quite as remarkable as
ANYTHING hereafter to be related, enabling her
to repeat long poems, biblical readings, &C.
without the slightest effort after having once
read them. We noticed, however. no phreno-
logical indications of such a memory-her eyes
by no means being more prominent than they
should be to harmonic effectually with the rest
of her fair features.
Without further introduction, we shall briefly
relate what we saw and heard at her first pub
lie exhibition, not pretending TO give an opinion
upon the subject Mrs. H. having taken
chair in the centre of a spacious hall, her hus-
band would place his finger on articles OF wear
ing apparel Of a spectator at the extremity OF
the room, towards which her back was turned,
when she would not only designate the article
Instantly, but its color also. Whether a bonnet
a reticule a ribbon. watch guard, or a head oil
hair. il made no difference, as she always gave
prompt and correct answers. A gentleman ask
ed of what metal his spectacles were made, and,
when answered, he further desired her to tell
the company how may glasses the bows con-
tanned She said four. This was at hrst
thought by the spectators to be incorrect; but
on examination there were found to be actually
distinct glasses-the two upper ones being for
distant objects and the lower one for nearer
views-giving an appearance, on close inspec-
ton, of horizontal seam through the centre OF
each eye When any particular figure on
watch dial was designated, she told the number
and moreover gave the exact hour and min
ute oftime at any distance from her chair.
A box was handed around, into which what
ever article was dropped was quickly named
A professional gentleman very secretly placed
in the bottom small cake Of liquorice paste
Mrs. Harrington said il was cake. This was
called mistake. "WelI" said the lady, cit is
md for
ton said il was liquorce. In similar adrot
manner, the doctor put in bit Of paper, on
which he had written something, and which the
oracle correctly pronounced to be the WORD
"rhubarb." On depositng our own shagreen
lancet case, she Immediately remarked that it
was a case containing tro tdncets. We were
not certain how many there were, till the top
was opened to ascertain the number, which was
found to be as she had said. She certainly ne
yer before saw il, nor had it been in any other
place that day but side pocket, from whence
it was drawn, in cienched hand, to be secret
Iy deposited in the paper box. These are only
a few of the many performances, OF similar
order that might be related in illustration of the
manner of conducting the exhloiton,
Another class Of mysteries consisted in divin-
ing what any one might whisper in her hus-
bands ear II should be remembered, hOwev-
er. that the name of some animal food, or drink,
must invariably be given or she made no at
tempt at solution. The names OF various edi-
bic fishes, some Of which are certainly peculiar
TO the place, and therefore wholly new to her,
were unhesitatingly pronounced as readily as
though she were repeating after master. So
il was in relation to the cognomen of wines and
liaueurs, by no means familiar to all the COM
pany.
Occasionally, as If for the express purpose OF
bewildering the spectators with something vast
ly beyond the reach of ordinarily constructed
theories, a stranger was permitted to whisper
in another strangers ear and Mrs. Harrington
repeated the words whispered, instanter. This
particular circumstance initiates, essentially,
against the supposed contederacy between her
self and husband in this part, at least of these
singular performances
Various explanatory suggestions have been
made by gentlemen ofclose observation, but none
of them are perfectly free from objections. One
of the most common opinions seems to be that
Mr. Harrington is first rate ventrilouuist who
absolutely gives all responses, and the myster-
GUS lady therefore in fact does nothing but dis
tract the attention of the astonished bystanders
a:x., ~ baanfifll Chinese fan Tor