New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS
MAGIC. ETC.

MAGIC. ETC
4 DOUBLE LIFE; or STARR CRoss' an An n i q"i
Romance. by HERMIT L. thNst l-"'' ~ wv
New-YOrk; ; ". Green's son.
The interesting physician whose medltat''hs
ppon electro.bioogy and other high-toned sciences
are introduced rs prelude to the marvels recorded
an this hook defines hypnOtisn as state ol I'M
natural exaltation folowedby an equally abnormal
and extraordinary stupor. aud produced ny NV
steady contemplation Of certain elttcring ool'C'S'
The story of " 4 Double Life has no 'peclai con
ncction with this phenomenon. and yet IL Is h'' '"-
apty named an hypnotic romance Inc "u'"''
has fixed strained attention upon various "'uo'l"
and fascinating theories of pScudoscience uhu. '"e
excitement of his intellect has been followed 10y
nrofound and hopeless stupidity. lie Is one 81 that
iorgo class OF fction-,nakcrs who believe that 'hS
have found in spirituali,m, magnetism wiII-i'i'e'
eloirvovaucc and kindred maryels. valuapIe ih'-
t-rial for their wares bat who lack both thes'''n
tifc knowledge and the ingenuity 10 P,' Wv
material TO elective use. An author VINO u'"' WV"
n subject entirely beyond the range Oh Co"'v"
porary Thought and possible experience may c' us
fancy fy unrcstraincd and repeat for Ms Il ne can d."
tbe wonders of The Arabian Nights : but when
he tries TO marry the marvellous with the common
placc. TO represent magicians promenadmg four'h-
sve aud ucsnerc subjects performing apparently
.,uernatural feats on the l.ric Railway he binds
himself To a cond Iton much more dlihcdt than any
exact.d by fairy tales that I" say, lac Is required
t. be plausible. A. We wrote little while ago IN
reviewing book of the same class the reader VIII
accept any sort of mprobahiluy At least as an
amusing ana ingenious exercise of the IMAGINATION
,rov,ded the writer has art enough to give 1t an air
of truth Aud this Is inst where the inferior Work
men all fail Mr. Chasc's wouder-woikers' who
raise the dead stay the advance of age. take human
life by an exercise Of WILL read the thoughts OF DIS
tant persons solve the secret of existence ANA nave
learned how 10 overcome paytaion, to prccipltate
The thoughts of mesmerc cairyoyauts upon screens
md 10 set water on fire h" few there are sag'N i'-
marks our author. :" TO whom this secret might he
safely iu,rustcd -, are meant to be serious ana
awful but they are only hurlcsque Sorcer'ls III
the STYLE of T. Madison Wells.
But tins isa story of" Double Lifc' and 50 It
happens that the hcfo who, adreadiu being when
eis starr Cross and holds the power Of life aud
death. il n very nice young man named Edward
when lac works In the garden and makes love I"
Widow Browns daughter We remember nothing
An literature to which the conversation OF WIDOW
Brown and Miss Carrie can property be compared
They are humble people the excellent widow hcnH
Che tel,,t of one of pr Ilcudons servants and they
live IN n cottage on the Hudson with Gothic
window In It.. ami an organ Miss Caluo sings %
,ons. The Churchyard lies full in sight Lulu OF
Nbthwc are favored with only one ston1ai but
chat Ia enough Ia make tho widow ciy-as II
naturally would. especially since the late Brown
cnunnt have boom dead moro than ton ot fifteen
years Miss Carrie thctcupon falls on hef knees,
aud ia cdtnod na fuloWai II VRa but u momoutaty
sorrow my duluei It has al passed away nov
Have yon noticed how beautifully Uud has rrh.
eiiird the clouds aud skN this cvonlueV and Hho
taisod tho toad that had fallen upon hrr hands,
aud, smoolhing tho hight hot, gave her child u
Notices kiss then. pointing 60 tho slowly dathrn-
ING sky, talked Of its beauty" This pous exercise
wasintcrruptcd the form of young man came ia
view" Remembering the character of the hypnotic
romance tho reader may guess that II was not
real Young man hut only the form of one. This,
however, We do not understand to he the case Mrs.
Brown took in the Wcll-drc.scd young man, and we
can only say that If her talk about the peucllimgS
on The slowly darkeung sky was anything Ike as
fine as her talk to this attractive stranger. Mr..
Chase made "A great mistake in not reporting 1t
verbatim. "May ask if YOU have been to tear
g have not" How pity youl Hurry, Carrie.
and get this young gentleman something to eat
And we read that the young girl started to DO her
mothers bidding with tears Of sympathy IN her
eyes" In answer to the young mans thanks Tor" a
daIntilv arranged luncheon hastily taken from the
pantry" the Widow Brown said tuat beer reward
lay in the blessed assurance that she had ia some
measure hghtcucl the burden of ic,l1V-moItaL'
She bad a good housewives confidence that the
bread was not heavy. 1t is in the Idly Die simplicity
OF scenes like these that our author takes refuge Oc-
ca.onally from the tremendous effort of his scen-
thc chapters. But such Double Lie is too much
even for "A Herbert l.. Chase. While Inc tsrue7 IN
the cottage with the Gothic window and tie organ'
he forget, 70 solve several of his most exciting coo
uuudrums leaves several OF ms biggest experiments
deplorably imperfect, and permits partially Iceus-
ctated corpses to SIT around for weeks at a time IN
compromising situations.
Mr. Chase interwcaveS with his narrative so many
elaborate ethical propositions aud philosophical
fancies that one is ready to suspect him of moral,
or perhaps we should say, OF au imlu"ral purpose.
His discour.cs are generally Of very cheap and
familiar kind. but he has theory of sin which
seems a little more fresh. That Is. that all sins
which result from tho animal passions die with u.s..
and will not trouble in the next world Only
Sins OF the spirit Will be perpetuatct and punished
there. We may consequently indulge II all manner
of physical excuses with easy conscience, pro-
vided they do not iniure other persons "Adlou"
h. exclaims at the end of the book adieu 20 the
good the bad and the Indifferent herein contained ;;
sdieu to the dead and to tAo living We have met
adieu last adicu. to the happy home by the Iiud-
son; but can We bid adeu TO the influence that al
this has lcftR Try" We ,cI try.
yy l. T.