The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-02-28

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hind tie teachers chair and Initiating he
motions as she ate-oniy that its hand
held no knife aud fork, aud that there wa
no appearance Of food the figure alon,
was repeated All the pupil. and the
servants waiting on the table witnessed
this.
1t was only occasionally, however, tha
the double appeared to initiate the motion.
Of the real person Sometimes, when tn,
latter rose from chair, the figure would
appear seated on it. On one occasion
Mademoiselle Sagee, being confined to bed
with an attack of influenza, the young lady
already mentioned, NIademoiselle de Wran
gle, was sitting by her bedside, reading to hel
Suddenly the governess became stiff and
pale; and, seeming as if about to faint, the
young lady, alarmed asked if she was
worse. She replied that she was not, bu,
i'll Il very feeble and langud voice A few
seconds aftcrwaFd, Mademoisele de Wran.
gel, happening to look round, saw quite
distinctly, tic figure Of the governess,
walking up and down tLe apartment. This
time the young lady had sufficient self.con.
trol to remain quiet, and even TO mako M
/ reln:,.A tu t"e patient. Soon afterward
she came down stairs, looking very pale
aud related what she had witnessed.
Bat the most remarkable example OF
this seeming Independent action of the two
figures happened in this wise.
One day all the young ladies of the in.
stitution TO the number Of forty.two, were
assembled in the same room, engaged in
embroidery. 1t was ! spacious hall on the
first floor of the principal building, and had
four large windows, or rather glass doors
(for they opened to the hoor,) giving en-
trance to a garden of some extent in front
of the house. There was long table in
the centre Of the room and here it was
that the various classes We're wont to unite
70. needle-work or similar occupation.
Ga this occasion the young ladies were
all seated at the table in question. whence
they could readily see what passed in the
garden; and, while engaged at their work,
they had noticed Mademoiselle Sagee there,
not far from the house, gathering flowers,
of which she was very fond. At the head
of the table. seated in an armchair (of
green morocco, my informant says she dis.
tinctly recollects that it was,) sat another
teacher, in charge Of the pupils. After a
time this lady lad occasion to leave the
room. and the armchair was left vacant
1t remained so, however. for a short time
only, for of a sudden there appeared seated
in it the figure Of Mademoisellc Sa.ec.
The young ladies Immediately looked into
graden, and there she still was, engaged as
before, only they remarked that she moved
very slowly and languidly, as drowsy or
exhausted person might Again they
looked at the armchair, and there she sat,
silent and without motion, but to the sight
so palpably real that. had they uot seen her
outside in the garden, and had they not
known that she appeared in the chair with
| GU. having walked into the room. they
would ali have supposed that it was the la.
dy herself. As it was, being quite certain
that it was not real person, and having
become to a certain extent, familiar with
this strange phenomenon, two of the bold.
est approached and tried to touch the fig.
ure. They averred that they did feel a
slight resistance, which they hkened to that
which fabric of fine muslin or Grape would
offer to the touch. One Of the two then
passed close in front Of the arm chair, and
actually through portion of the figure
The appearance, however, remained. after
she had done SO, for some time longer, still
seated as before. ut last it gradually dis
appeared; and then was observed that
Mademoiselle Sagee resumed, with all hel
usual activity, her task of flower gathering
Every one of the forty-two pupils saw the
same figure in the same way.
Some of the young ladies afterward asked
Mademoiselle Sagee if there was anything
peculiar in her feelings on this occasion
She replied that she recollected this only
that happening to look up, and preceivinG
the teachers arm chair to be vacant, she
thought to herself, wish she had no
gone away: these girls will be sure to b.
idling their time and getting into SOM
mischief"
The phenomena continued under vari
Gus notifications, throughout the Who'll
time that Mademoiselle Sagee retained he
situation at Neuwelcke; that is, through
out portion of the years 1S45 and 1916
and in all, for about a year and half; a
intervals, however-sometimes intermittin
!. for week. sometimes for several weeks a
time, 1t seemed chiefly to present itsel
on occasions when the lady was very earn
est and eager in what she was about
was uniformly remarked that the more di,
} tinct and material to the sight the doubl
, was, the more stiff and languid was the Ii,
! ing person, and in proportion as the douhl
faded did the real individual resume he
powers.
, She, herself, however, was totally uncol
scious of the phenomenon she at first b
came aware Of it only from the report {
, others and she usually detected it by th
looks of the persons present. She neve
herself, saw the appearance, nor seemed
notice the species Of rigid apathy whic
crept over her at the time it was seen b
( others.
: During the eighteen months throughol
which my informant had an opportunity
witnessing this phenomenon and of hea
t ing Of it through others, no example can
: to her knowledge of the appearance of Ii
2 figure at any considerable distance-as