Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-05-01

son."
"Can you tell me where he is now?'
Il can tell where she is.'
''Stay y,-no-no-I cannot 60
not see quite cleary." .....
"Look again. look near you, and look far
away-very far away perhaps-Endeavor
to see-for much wish to know where the
lady is"
"a ha!' exclaimed the somnabula, snow l
see her. Sheis in the Imperial THEATRE
A prolonged murmur of surprise, mingled
with expression of ineredulity and admiration
was heard among the crowd ofpromenaders who
had by this time gathered round Mesmer, but
Of whose presence he had hitherto been uncon-
scious, so intently were his thoughts occupied
with the experiment. in which he was engaged.
The magnetzer awakened his subject and
hurried towards the Imperial Theatre, where he
passed the remainder of the evening, his eyes
being turned from the stage, and directed to-
wards the box where was seated the lady of
his thoughts. ....
A short time after this scene, which chance
rendered in some degree public, a messenger
knocked at Doctor Mesmer's door, and request
ed his immediate attendance on a young lady
who was dangerously i'll, and who entertained
the conviction that he alone could cure her. He
Immediately fastened to the patient, in whom
he recognized the young female whom he had
magnetised on the Prater.
1t was at the latter end of autumn, season
when invalids wither with the leaves! Mar
garet had been given over by the physician who
had previously ATTENDED her iSne appeared to
be in the last stage Of illness, and sorrowing
relatives were looking for her death. Never
theless, Mesmer felt an inward confidence that
he should save her. . .s... ..........
He every day submitted the patient to the
magnetic influence, and while SO doing he
wrought miracles, at which he was himself as
founded Whilst in the mesmeric sleep, the
patient afforded the most extraordinary eviden
ces of mental vision, accurate clairvoyance and
lucid ecstasy.
Along with these prodigies, an improvement,
scarcely less miraculous, was wrought in the
patients health. Her feeble frame acquired
strength, her languid spirits became buoyant
Before, she was merely pretty, she had now
grown strikingly beautiful. She had imbibed q
new life, like that Of the winged butterfly
when it bursts from the torpid chrysalis. Mar
garet now felt that she lived, or rather she ex-
perienced for the first time the enjoyment Of
existence.
This rapid and unlocked for recovery was q
two-fold triumph to Mesmer. To have saved
the life Of young and beautiful woman was ma
turally gratifying to- the feelings of the man,
whilst the phenomena disclosed in the mag
netic treatment were not less deeply interesting
to the physician, who aspired to found new
school of medical science. He felt grateful to
the patient who had been instrumental, though
unconscious, in converting to his theories many
of those who had previously avowed unbelief
or skepticism. By degrees, gratitude ripened
into more tender feeling, and at length Mes
mer began to discover that the presence Of Mar
garet tended to Danish the remembrance Of the
high-bor dame who once held his heart cap
tive.
About this time he was agreeably surprised
by the receipt Of letter, announcing to him
the return to Germany of an uncle, who had
realized handsome fortune in colonial specu-
lation. This uncle had no heir, and there SEEM
ed little reason to doubt that his return to
Europe would be the means Of raising his me-
phew from poverty to afi1uence, or at least in-
dependence. He rejoiced at this circumstance,
chiefly because it would enable him to confer
some adequate reward on Margaret, who, like
himself, was poor. Nevertheless, he carefully
concealed from her knowledge, the hope raised
by the letter he had received from abroad.
At the appointed hour he went to pay the
daily visit to his patient, who still continued
under mesmeric treatment. As soon as sleep
was produced, the phenomenon Of clairvoyance
presented itself. ls hatas
aOh! how delighted am,n > exclaimed the SOM
nambula, in her magnetic ecstacy, "yonr rela-
ton, you know whom / mean -your rich m
Gle has left SurinAn, and is coming tcEurope. !"
aMy uncle returning Who to y soa" s.
aNobody. But l see him nows He has just
embarked on board the Stathouder. The wea-
ther is fne-tae wind favorable. How the sails
fill. What a glorious seal What . brilliant sky!
The vessel glides over the waves like bird
Like an arrow ',50 ;as fi'sa s.s5 7. s5ssa .k
Suddenly Margaret paused, Her radiant ant
brow was contracted bysa movement fsurpsi.e
and grief A cloud of iaquietude seemed to
oyersprea.f her e0untsnanes She looked anx-