Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-12-06
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1878.

ting, half-reclining position, in which
she remains as immovable as though
she were of marble. Every one who has
seen her in this condition speaks of the
beauty and pathos of the scene-the
ashen complexion the brown, fine wav-
ing hair streaming toward her should
ers, yet not reaching them the faultless
features, neither wrinkled nor drawa nor
wasted, and yet not rounded and ruddy
as in her school girl days one hand and
and graceful arm transfxed in its posi-
tion at the instant of attack, perhaps
pointing upward, perhaps extended TO
receive visitors salutatiou, perhaps
folded oVUT her breast ClIo 0tI1r arm
bent behind her head as though she
were resting Upon it /; the eyes closed.
She remains thus sometimes for half
an hour, sometimes for half a minute.
She has remained so for twenty-four
hours. After she RECEIVERS. the breath
ing for few seconds is very labored, and
she is exhausted, the muscles relax to
their former condition, and she settles
back upon her pillow with very mark
ed expression of either acute sorrow or
great pleasure upon her face, for her ex-
periences in the trance give her one or
the other of the sensations.
The frances are the only rest she OBJ
tains. She never sleeps. Day and
night are alike to her. She can distin-
guish persons, forms and colors with as
much accuracy at midnight as at mid
day, although it is established beyond
question that she has not the sight of
her natural eyes, nor has she had such
normal sight save in the interval men
toned since the beginning of the
attack.
Any undue excitement throws her into
a trance-a thunder clap, the firing of a
cannon, the unexpected intrusion of a
stranger into her room, worry over an
absent member of the household and
the frances are repeated with rapidity
until her mind is again in repose. Often
times, when worried over the absence of
some loved one, she has said: "I must
search for her." and has gone into the
trance. On emerging therefrom, if asked
whether her search was successful, she
answers promptly if in the affirmative:
" Yes, saw her in - street; she will
soon be home" and very soon in walks
the wanderer. Sometimes she is not
successful in several attempts, but she
ceases not until satisfied. At other
times her vision wanders. It has gone
to summer seat on the Hudson, where
were several of her friends, and she has
afterward been able to describe minute
ly the houses, the barns, the meadows
and fences, the water in front of and the
woodland in The rear of the dwelling,
and with a fidelity that is instantly
recognized by those familiar with the
region. When scientific men and physi
clans have produced some extraordinarily
difficult tests she has been obliged to
wait until the trance condition came
upon her; for it does not seem always to
be voluntary. But if it is a simple
question of reading an ordinary sealed
letter, or announcing the arrival Of a
person at the street door, she easily
solves the difficulty without recourse to
the trance. As she rests continually
upon her right side, her face is averted
from the entrance to the room. Yet
she oftentimes knows who enters, al
though unable to turn her head, and is
quick to discern any popularity or
change of dress. If q gentleman friend
puts on white necktie in early spring,
after having worn q black one, she is
quite likely to cry out, her face ny erted
Good afternoon, Mr.. - Where
did you get your necktie?" Ithas been
deemed necessary to darken her room,
and the shades are tightly drawn yet
the darkness does not affect her vision.
She is ever busy in the darkness, read
ing or at needle or waxwork, or casting
up the accounts of the family, for she
keeps record of every expenditure.
She writes letters with astonishing
rapidity, in neat, legible hand, al
though it is certain she cannot see with
normal sight; and, mindful of the inter
est that her condition may excite among
scientific men, she has kept complete
record of her feelings, her sensations
while in trance and out of it, her reli-
gious beliefs as strengthened or shaken
by the revelations of her peculiar state,
and of everything that she thinks will
interest her friends. This record she
guards with care. She IS willing that
it may be given to the public after her
death, but not until then.
Her fondness for dogs and cats, birds
and squirrels has amounted almost to o
passion, yet, strangely enough, her pets
do not live long. Whether she draws the
life from them has been an interesting
study for some of the men of intelli-
gence who have visited her.
Persons who have entered the room
have fonnd her apparently doing moth
ing, and have asked her why she was
idle. "Oh, I am reading such and such
q book"
"Well, where is iti"
"Under the bedclothes, here" and
she produces it and talks OF its contents.
While Miss Fancher's eyes were abso,
lutely sightless, the eyelids being closed
and the eyeballs fixed as though in
death, she was able with facility and
without seeming effort, to make marvels
of fancy work. For her gentlemen
friends she embroidered suspenders aud
worked slippers and watchpockets, and
for companions OF her girlhood she has
made needlework of all kinds, pin.
cushions and wax flowers. Every stitch
was in proper place, every shade of col,
ored thread and worsted was correctly
drawn. Her handiwork was as near
perfection as could be. Some of it was
sent to fairs, where, its maker being un
known, it was pronounced superior K
all others of its kind exhibited. Some
times she worked from paper patterns
purchased at fancy store, sometimes
from other fancy work, but oftener she
originated her designs. 1t was impossi
BILE to deceive her in the quality o.
shade OF the materials with which she
worked; her rare power of so-called sec
ond sight enabling her to detect any flaw
with greater accuracy than did the ma
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