Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-04-25
ABANDONs THE WORLD.
A Young Lady Secludes
Herself Ten Years
FOR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT.
For Five Years the Winds of Heaven
Have Not Blown ON Her
Hopes of Success.

the most aristocratic in the city. Hun
dreds pass the house daily. Yet there
are very few people in Los Angeles who
could tell you who lives in the house.
II you become curious aud seek to pene-
trate the mystery you will find obstacles
hard as wall Of adamant barring every
step of progress towards learning who
live there, what the life Of the inmates
may be, or if indeed there are any in
mates in the house. OF course If you
happen to hit upon the right person you
may learn certain salient facts touching
the matter. For four years the writer has
been possessed Of the interesting story.
1t has been published once years ago
In San Francisco paper, but in very
fragmentary and incorrect way. There
are reasons for not putting the story in
print at ALL The chief is the opposi-
ton in the mind of the principal actor
in this strange role to have name, rea-
son, circumstances or any fact made
public.
On the other hand 1t would be very
difficult to find in the annals of history
story containing more that is strange,
weird and pathetic. There are in it the
elements Of a novel of unusual interest.
There are also those for book 10 psy-
Geological study of rare interest.
Some ten years ago there lived in this
city young lady of New England birth
and education. She was possessed OF
beautiful face and lovely figure. Her
features were remarkably regular, her
skin OF transparent white aud pink
rare enough in any part OF the world.
Her large eyes were of that exquisite
blue which suggested the name of baby
eye for the pretty memophila that
blooms all over California plains in the
early spring. Her shapely lips closed
red as coral over regular teeth as white
as ivory. The whole face was lit up by
light kindled only by mind where
kindly sympathies were blended with a
rare intelligence The young lady was
very thoroughly educated indeed and
possessed of varied accomplishments. 1t
is needless to say that she was admired.
To meet her was to like her. To know
her well was to fall under the influence
OF a mild and pleasant spell such as
gifted and agreeable people exercise
without any effort, or even conscious
ness. Around Miss Jennie Legs admir-
ers Of both sexes hocked in numbers.
She had friends warm and devoted
among all classes of society. 1t is said
that as to marriage she had many friends
whose admiration was SO warm that
breath of encouragement would have
been sufficient to fan the feeling to a
blaze that must have found relief in a
passionate avowal.
In all matters Miss Legs was OF
well balanced mind, with that
evenness of temperament that always
seems to insure perfect equipoise
and forbid such thing as
one-sidedness or fanaticism. She was
naturally religious. but with no violence
of feeling or anything that would indi-
cate any course ut ali out Of the usual
tenor OF life pursued by healthy human
beings, who, although persuaded by their
conscience that the world is evil and it
is their duty therefore to live above it.
yet sensibly realize the fact that they
must live in the world although they
try not to be of it, that as members Of
society they have various duties which
Legs could not be said to
BE A sPlRITULALIsT
Up to the moment of her strange re-
solve she never had seen but one seance
in her life. She never had assisted at
one. She knew friends who were be-
levers in that form of spiritual opinion.
She conversed with them casually as
she did with others of many matters.
The conviction that came upon her
was unexpected, was in the main
rather sudden. 1t was no more
nor less than that she might become en-
dowed with power or rather possessed
OF a faculty which would reduce to an
absolute mental demonstration the reali.
ty OF a spiritual world and the immor-
tality Of the soul. This she could IL the
faculty could but be secured-demon-
strate to all with whom she came in con.
tact through their own sentient being.
Little by little the conviction grew upon
her mind that this was possible, that she
could become possessed of this rare
faculty. Then, as she holds, there came
to her the revelation as she ex-
presses it--that to gain this great gIft she
must exclude herself from the world.
She by the way does not look upon it as
gift In her mind it is simply the de-
velopment of powers in her own soul.
They are in the soul of any man or
woman. All they need is development.
She is simply
TRYING TO DEVELOP
These spiritual faculties Of her nature,
60 that she can make apparent to others
beyond the possibility Of a doubt that
there are spirits, that man is a spiritual
being, and that all spirits, mans soul
included, are incapable OF death. So
nine long years ago Miss Jennie Legs, in
the full possession of her mental facul-
ties, educated, accomplished, beautiful,
admired, with hosts Of friends, deliber.
ately turned her back upon the world,
went into the closest seclusion, locked
her doors upon all her friends. and made
of herself one of the most absolute OF
voluntary recluses the world has ever
known. She did this apparently with
no feeling Of morbid mind, not driven
there by the sharp tooth OF remorse for
sin. She was as pure as a sunbeam, rs
beneficent of disposition as a child. She
had no act in her life TO look upon with
poignant regret. She did not 90 to
mortify herself for sins actual, inherent
nor imaginary. She did it simply that
in her might grow up this germ Of a
spiritual faculty by which this great re-
suit might become possible.
In all these nine long years Miss Legs
has seen no friends, has had no direct
intercourse with the world; has had
none at all except in most urgent cases,
and then she sees no one face TO face
An aged female companion, Miss Peck,
occupies the home with her and attends
to an her business. III she must be
communicated with she conyerses
through a closed door between two
apartments, or, more frequently, from
the inside of the house through closed
window outside Of which the other per.
son stands. The lady, always of a most
quiet and reserved disposition, has natu-
rally in all these years become most
sensitive. and nothing is so much against
her wishes as notoriety or publicity.
Ever since she retired from the world
she has had an abiding faith that the
success of her undertaking was close at
hand. The grounds of these hopes are
most carefully guarded from the ear of
the world. They are there in her heart
She thinks there are reasons for such
hopes, but what the reasons are she will
not divulge. On fact is prominent. That
is that to secure success absolute secu-
sion is necessary. To this end FIVE full
wears ago a midnight walk in the open
air 10 the back yard was given up, and
from that time TO this the open air Of
heaven has never blown on Miss Legs
face, the sun beams have never fallen
on her directly and her foot has
never touched the outer earth. To-
day she feels as she felt then
confident that her triumph is at hand,
that the flower Of development is about
to bloom from the bud of hope, and that
at any moment she may be able to enter
upon the great work of convincing