The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-08-01
SDiritunI AFFINITY

From train of the Pacific Railroad.
eastward bound, there came into the
city of Council Bluffs, Ia, a fortnight
ago, a fne-lookina woman-slightlv
past the first bloom of life, but still not
very matronly IN manner---who, upon
| registering at the Pacific House, com
planned that she felt unwell and desired
that doctor should be called. She was
an English lady, she told the hotel clerk,
on her way homeward to England from
a trip by sea to San Francisco, and,
finding herself attacked by alarming in
disposition in the cars, had decided to
pause on her journey until assisted by
medical skill. 1t being not supposedly
the custom of English ladies of rank to
travel across continents without mascu-
line escort, the clerk was skeptical Us to
the exact veracity of this explanation
and troubled not himself to consider
whether a medical practitioner of the
highest professional grade should be
summoned in such case.
Amongst the guests of the house at
the time was certain travelling doctor,
of some reputation for wonderful
cures" and him the young gentleman
recommended with off-hand fuency as
the physician to be called with the least
trouble to himself Accordingly, when
the lady had been conducted to a room,
the aforesaid itinerant was notified to
pay his respects, and was skillful enough
to discover that his patients ailment
existed more in imagination than reality.
This he frankly told her, in effect, and
prescribed some trifling nervine; but
the lady, who gave her name as Mrs.
Fitch, persisted in thinking herself an
invalid, and demanded course of treat
ment. She was, she said, a spiritualist
and clairvoyant, and knew her own
condition better than any doctor could
tell her, and she must take such and
such drugs for the restoration of her
health. Believing that he had hypo-
chondriac to deal with, the man of nos
trums made no strenuous protest against
the involved prospective profit to him
self of such case, but being rather
busy at the time with the general callers
drawn to his room by his advertise
ments, deputed his secretary" a young
Englishman named Stanton, to render
the professional services desired by Mrs.
Fitch. The latter, at her second inter-
view with the young deputy; astonished
him greatly by asking if he believed in
Spiritualism." His polite evasion of q
direct answer subjected him to still
greater surprise at q third interview,
when upon confessing that he was an
Englishman, the eccentric lady serenely
told him that he was the person selected
by the spirits for her husband He
thought her mad, and would have re-
treated without further conversation,
but his patient begged him to remain
and hear her story.
Her father, she declared, is an English
bishop, and her family one of the most
respectable and wealthy in England.
Although but thirty-fve years old, she
had welded and buried three husbands
already, losing the last one in California
and on her way from San Francisco was
spiritually impressed" with the con-
viction that she should very soon meet
1t fellow-countryman destined to be her
fourth helpmate. At first sight of Mr..
| Stanton she had known him to be the
person appointed for her by fate, and
now offered him her hand and fortune
as commanded by the spirits. Over
whelmed by the oddity of the affair, the
charletan's secretary managed to expires:
his sense of the honor designed for him
by immaterial parties in another world
yet requested time for consideration O
his answer. This was granted, anc
Mrs. Fitch made no other effort to in
Huence his judgment than by a display
Of what ha deemed satisfactory proof
of her fortune and respectability O.
family. He was poor, in a strange coun
try, and in an unpromising employment
while the widow, with all her eccen
tricity and spiritual delusions, was botl
rich and comely. In short, if the Oman;
Bee is to be credited, Mr.. Stanton finally
concluded to accept the destiny thu
curiously thrust upon him, was married
to the lady in the parlor of the hotel (
few days ago, and is now in this cit,
with his strange bride, on the way t.
Europe.