The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-01
A Literary sensation.

sroRY--soMETnING OF THE BOOK ITSELF. |
The storysswhich Charles Dickens, dying,
left unfinished, has been completed all but |
a chapter or two, and the mystery of the |
novel of "Thc Mystery of Edwin brood |
is likely to be more of a mystery than the
mystery of Edwin brood itself. During
the past six months various paragraphs
have appeared in the newspaper TO the
effect that ''mcdium' in Brattlcboro,
VT, claiming to be "influcnccd' by the
spirit of the great author, was engaged up
on the work. Few, however, except, pos
siby, some among the believers in spiritual
ism, gave any thought to the matter; but
now, after a few more pages OF manuscript
have been written, n book OF twenty CHAP
tiers is to be published rs the second Vol
umc of "Thc Mystery of Edwin brood,
hv Charles Dickens. 1t is not yet given to
the public who this man is that Dickens IN
the other world has sought out in tins as his
necessary agent in accomplishing this work
we are not assured that it will be, hut u
correspondent of the Springfield GRi0A has
found him out. interviewed him, made OK
tracts from the twelve hundred sheets of
manuscript which make up the matter of
This remarkable second volume, and filled
more than o page of that paper with an ac
count of what he saw, learned and was al
lowettto copy. Although we cannot know
his namc--Mr. \ is what the correspon-
dent calls hint is interesting to learn
that the medium is native of Boston. He
is described as n good-looking man, not far
from thirty years of age. with dark hair
and ''indescribable eyes who has had no
schooling since lie was fourteen years old
but who is by no means illiterato or unin-
tcligent. Ten months ago Mr. a. was
thoroughly sbclltical in the whole business
of spiritualism, hut one evening he was in
vted to ''circlc" where he suddenly de-
vclopcd mcdiumistic powers. During the
latter part of October he wrote, at n seancc,
message addressed to himself, requesting
sitting on the 10th of November, and
plainly signed in bold Land, "Charlcs
Dickens" Subsequently he received other
communications from him, and on one oc-
casion saw the face of the great novelist
looking down upon him from corner of
the room. The correspondent says
The result of the sitting on the 10Th Of
November which took place according to
directions, in dark room with none but
the medium present, was long commune
cation. otensbly from Mr.. Dickens express
inga desire to complete through him the no
vel left unfinished at his, (Dickons's) death.
lie had long sought for means by which
this could be accomplished, but had not be-
fore been able to find any which he believed
could be employed successfully. He de-
sired that the first sitting should be on
Christmas eve, the night of all the year
which he loved hest when On earth, and
asked that the medium would allow as much
time to the task as he could without injury
to his business and health. After adding
the assurance that the undertaking would
prove of pecuniary benefit to him, the mess
age closed with Dickcnss customary
Faithfully Yours
Mr.. A. says that even after this he had
no idea that anything extraordinary would
take place, although he much dislil1ed the
idea of using up the few leisure hours he
had in this way. The work was begun,
however, and as it progressed he submitted
to it more willingly, and at last, took a
genuine interest in it, The writing has
been done in the early morning and the
evening, and it went on equally well in the
light and in darkness Putting paper and
pencils where they can be conveniently
reached, this amanuensis of Dickens places
his hands, palms downward, on the table
and awaits results. He Subsequently
smoking at the timc-somctimes one MN
ute, three, five, ten, or half an hour, but
usually, if conditions" are right, but a
moment or two. These conditions have
reference, principally, to the weather.
On any clear, pleasant day, the machine
works without interruption; but II storm
makes troupie' Aitei sltihS III inc 'aoie
the requlsite tilie MT. Az not Srauualiy
put instantly, becomes unconscious ana
the wiring goes on lor liali an hour or an
hour' ana one sittihg was oven proiohseu
TO an hour ana nan. Inc only remem-
prance WHICH nc HAS Oh 'nese trance pc
riods Is that OF seeing DICKENS sit'ihg pc
sac nm usually WIN one mana held III
meditative manner at thc SIDE OF MS lace
a SAD, grave lace lie utters no WORD,
but sometimes looks appealingly toward
MI. A., "and Oh such eyes! Inc sign by
which MIR. Dickens indicates that the sit
ting is at an end is the placing OF his hand
on the mediums. This touch brings him
to his sences, and he discovers on the iloor
the work of the sitting The pages are
strewn about the room, and are without
numbers, winch are supplied by MI A. al
terWaru. for SHORT tIIle allcl Nilslng
main in the chest. but this soon roos of.
and is in fact the ONLY unpleasant effect
which he experiences. An extreme ner-
yousness which he felt before his medium
istic powers were dcyeloped is entirely re-
moved. and he never was in more robust
nbvsicol health Than now Three or four
times 81 week the dctations for the hook are
occomponied by brief notes from the author
IN the omonncnsis occosionollv HEARING
words of oncourarcmont and gooI cheer
and t other Times trcating nurelv on mot,
trrs Of business when he work had mo-
crossed rs far ne thc fffccnth cban,rr hi,
,,nrd can,o ~
wv W. N nrn doino enol, an, mara finn
so,;sNed with re rnsn,t If his ;s' undcrtol'inr
~ hn,.a 49, IA, TO-. r,,,'I intnr,'t III
r ou "v' orpting "re o " ho hosts hy
whon, I an, snrronndoj Tiis i onlv the
hr@imning Of what is to coma -, yeors hence
Wien tl,is yorlr ~ Nri.hcd ,or ,,ili con.
,innc to he NV nnan,,cns;s shall write
more after tbs Thnre nre othera here who
have sionidcd thcir intnntinn of ardino
some one throuph whom they can convey
thrir IDEAS to nersons inhobitng The carti