Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-08-27


tanned. some salutary reaction might
have been provoked, but nothing about
it was known and nothing could be
known.
"She must be cured. Yes, she must!"
said the Doctor. who devoted himself to
the task
And the task was difficult one, for
Madame Bathory remained quite uncon-
scious OF her actions, and not remem-
brance Of her past life did she display.
Could the power of suggestion that
the Doctor possessed i'll SO high q
degree. be employed TO change the men,
tai state of the patient? Could she by
magnetic influence be restored toreason,
and kept in that state until the reaction
took placer
Pierre adiured the Doctor TO try even
the impossible To cure his mother.
No" answered the Doctor; "that
would not do Mad people are the
most refractory subjects for the pur-
pose For the influence to act. your
mother must have will of her own, for
which l can Substitute minel And |
assure you / should have no influence
over her.
mo! will not admit il. " said Pierre,
who would not be convinced. Il will
not admit that we shall not see the day
when my mother will recognize me-her
son she believes TO be dead.
" Yes that she believes to be dead -
answered the Doctor; but perhaps if
she believed you to be alive, or if she
saw you coming ont of the grave; if
she saw you appear"
The Doctor paused at the thought.
Why should not sudden shock, pro-
voked under favorable conditions, have
some effect on Madame Bat hory?
II will try il" he exclaimed.
And when he explained the expert
msnt on which he based his hope Of
curing his mother, Pierre threw himself
into the Doctors arms.
From that day the scenery and sur
roundings TO bring about the success Of
the attempt, were the object of anxious
care. Theidea WAS, to revive in Madame
Bathory the effects of memory, of which
her arrangement had deprived her, and
to revive it under such striking circum-
stances that q reaction would be caused
in her brain.
The Doctor appealed to Borik and
Point Pescade, SO MS to reproduce, with
sufficient exactness, the appearance of
the cemetery at RaSusa, and the monu-
ment which served as the tomb of the
Bathory family. And in the cemetery
of the island, about mile from Artenak,
under Il group of trees they built a
small chapel as much as possible like
that of Ragusa. Everything was done
| to produce the most striking resrm-
| blance between the two monuments :;
| and on the wall there was placed slab
of black marble bearing the name OF
Stephen Bathory, with the date of his
death, 1867
On the 18th of November the time
seemed come for beginning the prepare
tory attempt to revive Madame Bathory's
rea son.
About seven o'clock in the evening,
Maria and Borik took the widows arm,
and leading her from the Stadthaus,
walked ont to the cemetery There
Madame Bathory remained before the
threshold of the little chapel motionless
and silent rs always although by the
light OF the lamp which burned within,
she could read the name OF Stephen
Bathory engraved on the marble slab
Only when Maria and the old man knelt
rs tney went along did she have n faint
look of intelligence in her eyes, which
almost instantly vanished.
An hour afterwards, she was taken
back to the Stadthaus, followed by a
crowd who had come to join the process
sion at this first experiment.
The next and succeeding mornings
the experiments were continued, but
without result. Pierre looked on with
poignant emotion and despaired of their
success, although the Doctor told him
that time would be his most useful
auxiliary. He did not intend to strike
his last blow until Madame Bathory
had been sufficiently prepared to feel
its full force.
Each time she visited the cemetery n
slight but unmistaksble change took
\ place in her and one evening when
Borik and Maria were kneeling Mt the
chapel door, she had come slowly for
ward, put her hand on the iron grating,
looked at the wall beyond brightly
illuminated by the lamp and hurriedly
run back.
Maria, returning TO her, heard her
murmur name several times.
1t was the first time for months that
her lips had opened to speak
But what was the astonishmcnt-
more than the astonishment-the stupe-
faction OF those who heard her
The name was not that OF Pierre it
was the name of Sava
II we can understand what Pierre felt.
who can describe what passed in the
Doctors soul when he he ird this unex-
pected invocation of Sava Toronthal
But he made no observation he gave
no sign of what he felt.
Another evening the experiment was
repeated. This time, as if she had been
led by an invisible hand, Madame Bath
DRY went and knelt on the chapel step.
She bowed her head q sigh escaped her,
aud tears fell from her eyes. But that