The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-03-01

their number were among the initiated
After the first few months of its existence
the society had no stated meetings
Many of the original members dropped
away, and those who Joined afterwards
had always the privilege OF keeping to
themselves the fact of their membership
not even their brother members know
ing it.
So curious an association would neces
sarily have an object. 1t was, as the
name of the society itself implies, 9
religious motive, or an iirreligiousone, as
the reader chooses to interpret it. Bit
terly in opposition to Christianity, the
creed of Theosophy--or rather, the plan,
for it acknowledged no creed--is more
nearly in accordance with the buddhist
belief than with any other known re-
ligien of the present age. The society
was k.pt together byicorrespondence and
by the social influence of Madame
Blavatzky saloon.
Taking French fiat at Eighth avenue
and Forty seventh street, she furnished
it in the most curious manner and
crowded every room with strange tro
phies oftravel Oddities Of allkinds, from
Siamese idols to PARTISAN toys, filled her
parlor, while stuffed beasts and tropical
leaves and grasses adorned the corners.
The Housewives always open to her friends
and their friends, and it wasal liberty hall.
A freedom that never became license
marked the talk, and religious and phi
losophical controversy was always in
order. To this parlor came strangers
from all partstof the world, and some of
the best known citizens of New York
were frequent visitors
''Isis Unvailed, !" the book published q
year ago, which became well known as
an attack on dogmatic religion and
modern science, was the means of at
tracing great numbers of scholars to
the place which was named the L9masery
by one of the society, after the Thibetan
monasteries and colleges. Not only the
peculiar people who pass their lives
apparently in studying toddness, but.
recognized scholars were ito be found
among her guests. DIR. John "A. Weisse,
the philologist, and Professor Alexander
Wilder are among her warmest friends.
and the Princess Rackovitz fnow the
wife of a New York jonrnalist) and the
Countess Paschkoff have been among
the fhonored guests. General Doubleday,
of the United States army; John L.. \
O'Eullivan, the ex-minister to PORTUGAL,
and his wife, met there with Methodist
bishops, Catholic priests, artists, actors,
infdel writer's, journalists, spiritualists,
freemasons and either notable people,
Col. ;Chaille Long, the African ex-
plorer, is friend,of Madame Blavatzky's
uncle, General Feydeyeff,' the Russian
soldier and diplomatist and favor:te of
thewG Grand Duke Alexander of Russia,
and has been q frequent visitor at the
Lamasery. Masons of the highest de-
gree were there often, for the lady, with
her other attachments, numbers know !
ledge of masonry not excelled by many
grand masters, and she possesses d.
ploma from England, sent by John
Yarker, of the highest degree of the
rite of Memphis.
The social nature of tine evenings spent
in the little parlor was great element
Of the success (if it be a snccess) of the
for among those who went to
zee the woman, there were many who
fell under the spell of her eloqnence, and
became, for the time at least, The0so-
phists. The society itself has achieved /
aworldwide notoriety. English, French,
German, Turkish, Hindoo and Russian
papers abound in illusions to it, and
while branch societies have been eatab-
lished all over the world a tccalition has
been formed between the Theosophical
society and the Arya Samaj of India,
which is thegreat reform Nedic society. /
Madame Blavatzky avows her connec-
tionwith secret societies in the east, and
has said for a long time that so soon as
she should have done what she came toHl
America to do, she would return toa
India. This time, she now says, has
arrived, and she is making her arrange
ments to depart at no distant day.
Therefore it was that yesterday the