, 1860-11-23
PARIS GOSSIP. .


Especial Correspondence OF Inc \. u OeAA.3
PARIS. October s6, 1BGo.
Strange stories src aaoat respecting the SOL
ditant supernatural poTers Of Polish Coun-
tess, recently arrived in Paris. who; II tenth
part of tic extraordinary anecdotes rc1sted Of
the Partisan spiritrz2pping community created
by the retirement or disappearance Of the
famous Hume This great char1atAn 80 man-
aged his affair that he succeeded in marrying
wealthy Russian lady, about two yeafs ago. and
At once left the field open to any other Csg1ios.
credulous dupes existing on thc earth surface.
But it can hardly be supposed that the objects
Of Hume and those Of The Countess do ". are
identical The former WAS needy mo1tnte-
bank, aud the Latter is Lady Of wealth, young,
beautiful, widow. and bearing noble name.
un'il within few months her hehad been one
Of unclouded happiness. But al at once =
terrible blow fell upon her. In stngieweok
she was deprived, bJa pcsticutal mafady, of
her husband and her two children. As regards
the count, rumor is silent. Nobody knows
whether or not the fair ryonnE Pole wou1d hare
abandoned herselfto more than the customary
quantun decorious tears, and: the usual year'a
Grape, had the Count been alone carried OF By
the Grim Destroyer; but whatever may. have
been her real feelings at this bereavement,
there can be no question that the grisf occa-
stoned By the loss Of her children vas sincere
and oScr~helming: she herself AYERS
the hops Of egosing their spirits, and
the prcsentimcnt Of her success: She nov. de-
clarrs, after completing her table turning no
rittate, and entering upon the practice Of the
art Of conyersiug with different categories Of
ghosts, that her children visit her daily, a II
still In the flesh; give her sage advice, and
have conferred upon her the mysterious pow
etff 3er r<%f& &hn+ 1ref
skeptical, in whose presence they hare been
exhibited. Now, 1t must be frankly admitted
that nobody, except Madame do ~. herself,
has held any conversation with the deceased
children, or eyor laid eyrs upon them but the
same candor compels The arowa1 of her apps
bic things, which her partisans unhcsitating1y
set down to the account Of The miraculous.
Here is q late cxumple or the Polish lads's
singular gifts: 4 few days ago. shopping with
several friends, the Countess, ,e1tereda fashion-
iouablc jewelry cstoblishucnt and asled to
look ut 4 splendid diamond necklace displayed
under 1i12 :f the glass cases covering the ahop
counters The tcweler, Givinfng at d g12nco
that the party Waz composed Of arIstqcratip
pcrsonage4, hastcned to spread before Madamo
DC W. nnd her companions his most prastous
wases-not only the necklace in question, but
ns he raised in his hand a long string of d]a-
monde, to enhance the beauty Of the stones by
asitating them in the Light, the merchant
turned deadly pale, and his volnble encominms
upon bis tempting ware suddenly stopped.
"Wllat IS the matter:" asked the Countess,
fixing her gaze upon the diamonds: .,'s
~ have been roebed!" calculated tths Jew:
"Robbed! How so:" =.
! II feel that these diamondr arc not Of full
weight The genuine stones hare cridently
been taken out, aAa reoaeed by false ones!"
"Oh' exclaimed the' Countess, "That II
quite impossible! They are too brilliant, too
na"-snd taking the 'necklacs from the lew
elcr, she slowly raised it In her hand. -:
II was sure you were In error" said She, re-
| turning the string to fhc merchant. The d.
amonds are genuine, and Of full weight: Test
them yourself. :: =. ;.
q, And, on once more lifting The uccklaee, the
bewi1dercd shopkecper perceived, to bis great
since the Countess had taken it in her hand. I
| dare Say there will be found captioui w5seac1ca
| ready to explain this seeming phenomenon, on
| the most simple principles; but even Profes-
| sor Faraday himBclf, who, some yeaft ago; m
dcEtook to demonstrate the aon.spiritual cause
! OF the table-rappingE and tuTn!ngs, would be
rather puzzled to account for the. following
| sgrecable accomplishment, which the friends
of the Countess dc n asree In attributing Ia
ler, and testify to having seen ande1ercised In
numerous Instances. BY mere mental e1orf
/ Nine de ". rules the movement OF any md all
sorts Of clocks sets them back, puts them
forward, or brings them to full, stop Thus
ifshe receives In her drawing room the visit d
4 tedious or disagrecable- person, she waltz
until her patience Is quite exhausted; and thc1
Glancea tmpc1ceptbly At the clock On the man
1le-picce, The hands, instantly taking ths
hint, turn several times silently round the dill
{EHhoqt affecting the striking apparatus, 9nnd
when the welcome visitor happens to glanc'
It the clock. he Is natonished to ind the hou'
70 much lA1cr thBn he had imag gined---. !:
NY der Madame" be says your clock i
Indeed" replies the Countess; apray hav
the goodness to look ut your watch"
He complies, and linda that his watch md tn
Countcss's clock are exactly In accord; where
upon hs hastcns 10 take his leave
I On the contrary, should the siGitor be agree
bic, By the same mental command, Nadine d
". cause the clock 'nnt the visitors W:atcl
to stop or to lose couple. Of hours, thu
prolonging or shortening the e1ua7it at he
| fxn opfit,f1: :: - :;
Il There are many Partisan iadics who Eonl
not be SOFT - aequi1efhls charming It'll
hack Of ths Polikh dsz.;:aa, aud falntly suspec
that the American fair would n6f hesIt2te
refubo 50. convenient 4 talent, II some affet
| tionate 'spirit' would generously confer It O.
them. Al for Madame de IT., such IL her fazn
| and the curiosity to see her, that the mil
| tressex of housea visited by her are oye1
vhelmed with petitions for Invitations to thel
receptions.