The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-09-25

of working miracles, or II not miracles,
cures without any agency save his own
will. His feats are thus graphically
described by the Paris correspondent of
the Birmingham JOdrHGL: "s.i-F .1
The Zouave admits no one to his
presence who is not really afflicted with
disease or infirmity, those who are led
TO the Rue de. la Roquette by curiosity
being compelled to remain in the wait
ing'room. fortunately I3twas fur
nished with a letter from his best
friend, and became privileged at once.
/ entered the room with twenty of the
most ragged and dirty of the whole
mob, and am thus enabled to describe
the scene. The Zpuaye was standing
as II in a reverie when we entered pell-
nell into the long, low apartment,
where the cures were performed. He
was leaning against a wall, with his
eyes half open, aIler the Iashlon OF
Somnambula before;enIerinR complete-
ly into trance, the. only difference being
in the Intense light, shot out from the
living orbs beneath the dropping eye
lids. 2 He neither spoke nor moved
while his father busted himself
in arranging the visitors upon the
low wooden benches before him.
Every crutch and stick was
taken from the-inErm patients. and
placed In the corner behind the door,
amid the:whines of the poor frightened
creatures, accustomed TO look upon
The help afforded by these objects as,
absolutely necessary TO their safely.
When ali we're seated thus, leaning the
one against the other, the father going
close up to the son, whispered IN his
ear He was aroused in a moment,
and coming forward with a movement
brusque and hurried, savOuring ofthe.
military camp, and not in the least OF
the solemnity of the nagicianis sanc'
tuury, he walked ups and down for a
lew minutes before the eager line of
sufferers To each he told the disease
under which he or she was suffering,
and the original cause OF the malady;
and as no objection W az made in any
one case, am led to suppose him to
have been right in all. Presently, how
ever, 1 observed him to stop suddenly,
aud fix his eyes uponionet of the pa
tients who sat at the extreme end OF
the second bench, aud after examining
him for "a moment, turn aside with a
slight shudder, which / observed WINS
neither of disgust nor dread, but q kind
of Involuntary recoil. He said abb
ruptly, pointing with his forefnger
straight into the face OF the individual
he addfessed: 4 can do nothing for
pour disease; it is beyond my power;
90, and remem Der tits useless to return
the man like magic spell. He shook
frohihehdsto foot, like the aspen leaf,
ana tried to gasp out II few words, but
whether of prayer or eXpostulRlon II
Is impossible to say, for his tongue
seemed psralyZed and chung to theroot
of his mouth, while the ZouAve turned
aside with an indescribable expression
of.fear, certainly indicative OF a kind of
intimidation. But this was soon
shaken of, and he again passed before
the line, uttering simply the words,
Rise and walkv The sound which ST.
multaneously burst from the assembly
could find no fitting description in any
language, II was a sort OF moaning
whine, kind OF inlantine wailingr
evidently produced by fear and doubt.
One feeble old beggar woman, whose
head had stopped its lpalsiedl shaking
from the moment the Zouave Jacob had
fixed his glittering eye upon her, was
the one who gave expression to the
feeling which had evidently taken pos
session of them all. 'Oh, how cGn L
move without my crutches?' and, hav-
ing turned yearning look towards the
corner where these old friends and sup
porters were standing. with host OF
others, she began to humble and moan
most piteonsly. But the ZouRve look
ed for moment down the line, with an
ominous frown on his brow, as he found
his orders. No pretension 10 the sacred
character of a prophet, or inspired seer,
WAS there, for he stamped with
such rude violence on the floor
that the easement shook again.
He almost uttered an oath, but
it was unfinished, AS he once more ut
tered the command to rise and walk,
so that others might be admitted to
their place. Then came the most
strange and mysterious moment of the
whole ceremony. One by one did every
individual seated upon thelow wood
en- benches rise and stand erect. No
words can describe the singular speo-
tacle offered by this fearing, hoping,
doubling crowd, rs each one found
himself standing firm upon the legs
which for wears had ceased TO do their.
office. Some laughed like foolish chill
dren, some remained wrapped in stolid
wonder, while many burst into the
most heartrending paroxysm of weep
in. 1t was then that the Hou4ve streloh-
ed forth his arm and bnde them pause.
All was hushed and silent in a moment.
The pause lasted for some time. 1
have been told that it is always SO, but
have not been able to account for Its
necessity; and then the door was thrown
open, and tue crippled and the paraly-
zed, the halt and lame OF the hour be-
fore, walked from that long, low, half
darkened chamber, with somewhat
timid gait, II may be, but with straight
ened Limbs and measured steps, as
though no ailment had ever reached
them. One or two amongst the num-
Der turned to thank their deliyerer,
but the Zouave dismissed them brutal
ly. "Be off; dont't stand shilly-shally.
You are cured, amt you R-that's
enough-now pietiez moi te camp ="
In plain English. "Out your stick,
and be gone" Before leaving the
room 1 turned to look at the single pa
tient whose case Jacob had pronounced
as being beyond his power to Cure-the
man was paralyZed in both arms, and
his neck twisted all awry. certainly
was a hang. dog countenRnce-worse
than any l ever beheld-and the eX-
preston of rage, and hate, and fear
which it conveyed was unmistakable.
His feet were peralyzadi likewise and
turned outwards. The Zouave's father
searched amongst the sticks and
icrutches left in the corner for those
which belonged 70 the only cripple des-
tined to remain SO, and AS he touched
each one, looked with inquiring glance
toward the unhappy wretch, who an
swered with an awkward jerk of his
wry neck. until he seized upon sort
of wood shelt.or go-cart upon wheels,
which the cripple had been used to
push before him. A boy came in to
help him from his seat, and as he dis
appeared, supported by his aid, he ut
tered poignant groan, which resound-
ed through the place wiki the most
wierd and terrible effect Imaginable.
1 subsequently inquired of the ZOuave
by what impression he was made
aware of his inability to cure. He an
swered simply that in cases of this
kind a veil seemed to fall before his
eyes and impede his view of the pa
tient." ID .4..
OLD MADAME RoTHsCHILD, mother OF
the mighty capitalists, attained the age