New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-03-24


full Of brandy, drank it at draught, and then turn
ing his face partly aside and speaking I'M fd iEw d,a
even tone related to me the ioo"hs
strange and fearful narratiye ,-,.-.r...
..Dr k under whom have been studying iof
the last year here in Casse first convinced me 9l VIC
reality of the mesmeric doctrine; before sen Ma
as hardened sceptic as yourself AS is frequently
the case IN these matters, the pupll-1behs psiaup
consititutionaly inclined more towards those llu ,
eessoon penetrated deeper into the paths o. nles
meric research than the master. BY q rapdlty u
conviction that seems almost miraculous, pierced AZ
once to the of the doctrine, and passing from
the condition Of patient to that of operator, became
sensible of great internal power and Of strength OF
yolitjon which enabled me to establish the most eX
traorlnary rapports between my patients and myself
even when separated from them by any distance
however considerable Shortly after the discovery o.
this new power became aware OF another and stu
more singular phenomenon within myself, In order
to convey to you proper idea OF what this phenoT-
enon is must beg you to anayse with me the ordl-
nary process of memory. Memory ls the reproduc-
tion or sunmoning back of past places and events.
With some this mental vision is 80 VIVID as actually TO
produce the effect of painting the place Or thing re-
membcled upon the retna OF the eye, 80 as 70 pre-
sent us with all its substantive FORM its lights It's col
ors and its shadows. Such is our so-called memory
who shall say whether it be memory or reality
had always commanded this faculty in high degree;
indeed SO remarkably, that if but related passage
from any book the very page, the printed characters,
were spread before my mental vision, and READ from
them as from a volume. Ny recollection was there,
fore said to be wonderfully faithful and as you Will
remember, never erred in single syllable
Since my recent investigations, this faculty mas M
creased in very singular manner haye twice iet
as though my inner self my spiritual self, were DIS
tnct body--yet scarcely much body as q nervous
essence or ether; and if this second being in mo
nlents Of earnest thought, went from me, ana Vlstea
the people, the places, the objects OF external me-
Nay" he continued, observing my extreme agitation
" this theory is not wholly new in the history Oh mag
netic phenomena-but it is rare We call it, psyche.
logically speaking, the power Of iar-working. put
there another and far more appalling phase OF iar-
working--tlat of visible appearance out OF the
body-that of being here and elsewhere at the same
time-that of becoming, in short, a doppelganger The
iretragabc evidence Of this truth have never dared
to doubt, but it has always impressed me with an
unparalleled horror. believed, but dreaded YET
twice | have for few moments trembled at the
thought that II also may be-may be rather
far far rather would believe myself deluded, dream
ing-even mad! Twice have felt a consciousness
of sclfabsence-once, consciousness Of selfseeng!
All knowledge all perception was Transformed 10
my spiritual self, while sort of drowsy nnmbness
and inaction weighed upon ny bodily part. Ineh
time was about fortnight before visited yon at Ems
the second happened Ave nights since, at the period OF
which you have spoken. On that second evening,
Heinrich"-here his voice trembed audbly-"l felt
myself in possession OF an unusual meslnerlc poWs
I thought of you, and npeled the Influence,
were from my mind upon yours. This time, fous,d
no resisting force opposed to mine-you yielded to
my domnion--you believed.f
- 1t was so, murmured fainty..
cat the same time, my brother, felt the most
earnest desire to be once more near you to hear your
voice, to your frank and friendly face to be stand
ing again in your pretty garden beside the running
river. 1t was sunset and pictured to myself the
scene from that spot Even as did so, dulness
came over my senscs-the picture on my memory
grew WIDER brighter; felt the cool breeze from the
water ! saw the red sun sinking over the far woods
heard the vesperhels ringing from the steepes; III
a word was spiritually there. Presently became
+ aware Of the approach Of something, knew not
what-but something not of the same nature as my
! self-somethng that filled me with shvering, half
compounded Of fear and half of pleasure Then a
Gund, smothercd and strange, as if untitled for the
organs Of my spiritual sense, seemed to fill the space
arounda sound resembling Speech yet reverberating
and confused like distant thunder. i felt paralysed
and unable to turn. It came and died away second
time yet more distinctly distinguished words but
not their sense. 1t came third time, vibrating,
l clear, and loud Albert look round, nanp Making
terrible effort to overcome the bonds which seemed
to hold me, turned saw you! The next moment,
a sharp pain wrnng me in every imb--there came
brief darkness, and then found myself without any
apparent lapse Of time or sensible motion, sitting by
yonder willow, where, gazing on the sunset. had
begun to think OF you The sound Of your voice yet
rang in my earste sight of your face was still be-
g fore / shuddefed-l tried to think that all had
Y been dream. lifted my hands to my brow they
were nulnbed and heavy Istrove to rise but rigid
torpor seemed to weigh upon my limbs. 1O say that
, ! was visibly present in your garden; know that
was bodily present in this room. Can it be that my
e worst fears are eoniirmed-that possess double
i beingT
told him the circumstances of the bed and OF the foot
marks on the sand. He was shocked but scarcely
0 surprised
'Ihavc been thinking much of You ;" he said " and
for several successive nights have dreamed Of you
n and Of my stay-nay, even of that very bedroom
ret have been conscious OF none Of these symptoms
u of tarWorkng. It is true that have awakened each
S, morning unetreshed and weary, il from bodily
/ fatigue but this attributed TO overstudy and con
d sttutiOnal weakness.
d "Wi you not tell the particulars Of your first
n n hjC Er,jrIf IInI obj
e Albert sat pale and silent, as if he heard not.
repeated the question.
Is Give me some brandy" he said, " and will tell
E. you"
% did He remained for few moments looking
at the fire before he spoke at last he proceeded but
e III still lower voice than before The first time
was also III this room but how much terrible
II than the second. had been notwithstanding met
aphSslcA work upon the nature Of the soul-lghen |
= experienced, quite suddenly, sensation Of extreme
W lassitude. The book grew dim before my eyes
l. streets Of the town. Plainly saw the churches
in the gray evening dusk-plauly the hurry
y ing passengers-painly the faces of many whom l
l. knew. Now it was the market-pace. now the
j. bridge-noW the weEllnown street in which live
G. Then came to the doorit stood wide open to admit
me. Ipasscd slowly-sowly up the gloomy stair
" cast Sc entered my own roon-Iand there,-
VI sumed stony, almost distorted appearance
And there you saw, urged-"you saw
"Myscf!. Myself, sitting in this very chair. Yes,
yeS-HlyseH gazing on myself We lookcd-We
1T looked into each-each others es-we--we--We''-
His voice tailed--the hand holding the wine-glass
grew Stiff and the brittle vessel fell upon the hearth
le and was shattered into thousand fra g4ncnts.
is ALBERT Albert" I shriekcd, "look up. 0, heay-
D. ems! what shall doE'
hung frantically over him-I seized his hands in
Of mine: they were cold marble. Suddenly, as if by
ID last spasmodic effort, he turned his head in the d.
Is rectlon OF the door, and looked earnestly forward
The power Of speech gone but his eyes glared
with light that was more vivid than than that 81
d, life. Struck with an appalling idea, followed
as course of his gaze. Hark dull, dull sound-n1es
in ured, distinct and slow, if of feet ascending My
es blood froze. could not remove my eyes from the
lis doorway could not breathe. Nearer and nearer
lg came the steps-aeinatey light and heavy light and
st heavy as the tread of lame Nearer and nearer
across the landng-upon the very threshold of the
s. chamber. sudden fall beside me, a crash dark
at ness! Albert had slipped from his chair to the floor
It, dragging the table in his fall and eXtingusng the
of lights beneath the debris of the accident
st Forgetting instantly evrything but the danger OF
nj my friend, flew to the bell and rang violently fol
as help The vehcmence of my cries, and the startling
energy of the appeal in the midnight silence of the
house, reused every creature there; and in less time
a. than it takes to relate, the room was filed with
e. crowd of anxious and terrified lodgers some ius.
reused from Sleep and Others called from their stu
dies, with their reading-amps in their hands.
The first thing was to rescue Albert from where he
lay, beneath the weight of the fallen table-o throw
l, 60 i