New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-26
F1CES IN TIE DARK.
From The 81. James's Gazette.

Some months ago there appeared in one Of the
monthly reviews a paper on Inc VISIONS OF sane
Persons" contributed by Mr.. Cation. In tins article
that dist ngushed writer brought forward some
cases which he seemed to think remarkable oil
persons who when they were IN the DARK saw
strange apparItions. Not that these persons in
agned that what filled their vision existed any
where out of it, But these phantoms had all the
apDearauce OF external objects, and certainly
not produced by any effort of memory or magma
tion but quite Involuntary. One lady told how
she uscd TO see IN this way. from time TO time,
showers of red roses, which presently turned INTO
flight Of golden specklcs or SpangleS: the roses
beng presented TO heI vision rs distinctly as real
flowers ID broad day might be. And not only So
but the lady says she used to smell their perfume
too: but there's nothing like that III my own eX-
perience) And there were stories Of faces seen in
the dark in like manner: not pictures III the mem
ory but seemingly standing oil upon the air for the
eve to gaze upon, and coming and going as with
will and purpose OF their own
What struck most abont all tins when i
read 1t was that MIR. Cation should think it
strange enough to lay before the world as
a curiosity. For all my life had myself been
familiar with phantoms OF tins KIND, and,
without much thought about the matter had
assumed that many II not most other people were
equally at home with them The golden sphngies
tot used to 500 when was a child; only instead OF
turning into showers Of roses III my VISION tncy
were Transformed INTO t0cks of sheen running
rapidly down hill as in distant landscape.
When the sheep got to the bottom of the NIL they
faded into the darkness and then the tiny bright
yellow spangles appeared at the top again, to he
again Transformed There not much interest
in that however; though ! dare say, since Mr..
Gallon thinks so, that as visual Illusion 1t was
curons. Bnt as 10 the faces that appear to my
vision in the dark, that IS another matter. After
having been haunted by them ~ a civil quiet way
for many years, still find them very interesting
indeed
These faces are never seen except when the eye
lids are closed and they have always an apparent
distance of four or live feet. Though they seem
living enough and not mere pictures or reflections,
they look through the darkness as if traced IN
chalk ON "A black ground. Color sometimes they
bave, Uut the color IS very FAINT Nothing more
nd tnF a tract
of a moment, perhaps not all the face ut one time
Here and there their lines waveT, fade and retnn
as if drawn with "A pencil OF phosphorus; but there
is no phosphOric appearance about them their
general aspect is if their substance were OF Tale
SMOKE These faces in the dark always confront the
vision. Only one have | ever seen IN profile and
This also was singular in hearing a certain
blance to some one whom knew IN real lie FOR
TO me- the most remarkable thIng about these
visionary faces is that while they are always OF
strkingly distinctive character. they are Ike none
that can ever remember TO have seen III life OF In
pictures Passing through tho streets, we see hun
dreds OF people with unfamiliar laceS. et WHOM yer
we could not say that we have bcleld nobody like
them before. But occasionally some very strange,
or striking or what is called original face meets
view and excites our wonder. Now my faces IN the
dark are all of that character As | look at them
for there they are, plain to be looked at-and ask
myself who was ever like that II find no answer
except IN q fanced resemblance TO some historical
or NEUROLOGICAL parsonage Possibly, Biakcs
visions were such faces as these. presented to
his ewes in broad daylight; ain inclined to think
il may have been 50. because his wonderful and
dreadful drawing, "The Ghost of a Flea" is pre-
csely such a transcript as could have made by the
memory for transcription y races III tle uark
are much more often OF men Than OF women; they
are rarely quite agreeable, but Ihey are an eX-
tremely Interesting when they can be enuuredl,
because they look like the 1ectlng embodlmentS OF
some passion some mood OF the mind usually
not the best of moods. There are some very noble
faces among these appaTitlOns-l rather mean cX-
prcssiye OF a great nobility; but have never seen
amongst them the mask OF pity, or love, or OF any
,i. fltn Inlf, stfrtff
pride, hatred, greed, cunning inquiry, enNiouS or
triumphant mOckery-lf Blake really did see these
faces either IN daylight or in darknes he must
have had much more than ms Imagination TO draw
upon when he depicted the passions.
These appartiOns are entirely independent OF the
will The gold spanges and the flock OF sheep |
can generally call into vision when please but
the faces come and 90 as pleases them. l0u may
be awake with your eyes closed, thinking OF the
weather the last change of Government III
France, and as wreath OF smoke might rise there
is face in the dark 1t Is useless to seek To retain
it for contemplation or to attempt to recall when
it has faded out. This YOU may greatly wish 10 do
for sometimes the phantom has a profoundly
meaning or appealing or revealing look; but all
again when it has once died away. Only Tor a few
seconds does IL ever remain, and it never returns
But what frequently happens is that one face
changes to another after the manner of dissolvng
views And the change is lmoSt always for the
worse face that begins by being strange and IN
teresting: ends by becoming something awful or
hideous beyond the power OF descr ption and the
will 10 describe.
All that | need add, perhaps is that though these
faces have been my faniliarS Tor many wears they
have become neither moro nor less numerous; nor
are they more frequent that have observed do
they change in character They appear pretty
often, but they have never gwen me any disturb
ance, and / do not know that their coming and
going depends in any measure on varying cOndI-
tions of health or case. Maybe they do but II so
am not aware of il. Lastly that my sight was not
weak | must believe since 1t has gone hardly
through trying and almost ceaseiess LABOR liom my
youth up.