Worcester daily spy., 1861-08-27
WOrtester 9ailp Spg.
From the New York Leader
CURIOUS CASE OF SECOND-SIGHT.

A curious case OF second sight, or mesmerit
vision, has recently fell under our personal no
tice; and we shall give the facts as briefly and
with SO little ornament as possible Perlaps
some of the spiritualistic mediums NAV fur
nlSh an explanation; but for ourselves, we
need none--the phenomenon, in onr judgment
being explicable on the grounds of nervous
sympathy alone. The facts OF this case are ms
follows -
Some two months since, DR.. Il. w a
physician enjoying a large practice in the
upper part OF this city was suddenly called to
Syracuse for consultation on a case of rose.
cancer. On reaching the house of his patient
Mrs. A. M he found the case very far
gone indeed, and was obliged to remain sever
al days while the remedy he applied took ct
fect-his fear being that a large artery imme-
diately below the tlesh-fungus might be touch
ed and break while the lotion was eating away
the disease.
His patient was the wife of wealthy citi.
zen, and during his stay in the house of her
husband, the doctor was introduced to, and
became greatly interested in, the only dau h.
ter of the sick lady and his host The eitl,
named Helen M. R, was young, being
only in her fifteenth summer beautifully tar
and of brilliant complexion-wth large blue
eyes, liquid aud loving very long, delicate
fingers rich brown hair, and shape full OF
grace and symmetry-though suggesting to
the experienced eye oil the doctor a lack of
vital robustness.
What made DIR. W. take special interest in
the young lady was a likeness she bore. or
which he thought she bore, to his own ,leceas.
ed wife, as lie remembered her previous to
marriage, twenty-five or thirty years ago and
on his return to this city, the doctor spoke re-
quently and to many friends of the wonderful
resemblance existing between the two-dwell
ing curiously also OH the circumstance. that ON
inquiring the age of tn young lady at Syra.
cuse he had discovered that she was born the
3d of June-the very same birthday as that
OF his deceased wife. This fact formed in it.
self an ardent iatherly attachment for one who
had brought back TO him such pleasant recol-
lections OF his courtlng days.
Previous to returning from his professional
visit, DIR, w. had given notice to the 1ather of
the young lady that she needed extreme care
having tendency las yet undeveoped towards
pulmonary consumption. He added that should
such disease attack a frame so delicate and
at such tender age, its march would probably
be rapid-there being a poverty OF quality in
the blood as illustrated i'll the rose cancer uu-
der which the mother was then suffering. lie
advised extreme care that the young lad,
should specially avoid wet feet and be sure
never to expose herself to the night air, ex
cept when thoroughly wrapped up and pro-
tected.
With these directions as to the daughter.
and leaving the mother in Il fair way towards
recovery, DIR. w. returned to this city and
resumed his extensive practice-requently re-
ferring. however, as before stated, to the case
at Syracuse-or rather, about mile and a half
outside that city-which had established so
strong claim on bis sympathies
Week after week slipped away, and the
husband OF the cancer-paient occasionally re.
ported progress in short notes.-the general
tenor being that the disease gave no SYMPTOMS
of showing ltselfagain; while the wound which
the removal had lett was healing as RAPIDLY as
any ordinary nesll wound VI iihe Wasn't ,nu,d
be expected. In reply to these the tlo,.fn,
would occasionally send new prescriptions to
meet each improvement OF general health and
in every answer he dwelt--tor there lay lore
boding al his heart-on the importance Of taking
great care of Helen's health. He suggested
that for the sake both of the mother ard her
only child, that as the gentleman was rich ANA
retired from all active pursuits, he should visit
Italy for a year or two, as soon as his wife had
sufficiently recovered to incur the risk OF a sea
voyage.
Thus matters passed oil--the father urging
that his daughter had never been IA day sick
in her life, and was one of the healthiest girls
in the country until the l7th Of this month,
dov memorable to the doctor from the fact thnt
on that very day, fifteen years before, his first
wife had died OF rapid decline.
On the evening of that day, about nine
o,cIock the doctor was sitting in his library
smoking cigar at the open window. and
probably had been thinking of his first vile
and her mysterious counterpart recently dis
covered at Syracuse Intending 10 light tin,
oas he pulied down the sash and closed the
window-shutters moving in the dark towards a
bronze matchbox which stood on the chimney
niere
Rut suddenly the room was flooded with in.
tense lioht causing him TO start and as he
oozed in wonder for some exclamation this
General diffusion of light seemed TO change into
e,,o ;r,anselv White disc of about three tsat in
dion,ater ,.l.ced in the cpnter ot n circle tormed
,f nnnyarnin,, ravs-these ravs being briYI,t
ond hroad ,ybore ,bav ioinsd the d;sc 6n+
@rrodnany tonar,ng otf. anJ yrowing GuIr;or
5nt;l H., fipai.v meryeI as q common no,t in
,ha ro,noiriny darkness of the room
Knowing tIat yarious appearances of Hgbt-
sometimes in mere flashes, at others in rings,
or lines, or paralelograms-are indications to
the medical men of nothing more than some
disorder OF digeston-this appearance did not
at first suggest anything supernatural to DIR.
Won the contrary, it merely made him
speculate as to what he could have possibly
eaten at dinner which SO teariully disagreed
with him
But he gazed into the intensely bright
circle. there grew on his eye picture which
riveted his whole soul with horror. Brown
curls lay on white pillow; large blue eyes
thn M fn nt