Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-01-27

assume the air of one no is well satisfied
with himself But he failed. "Well, |
supposed you would take that line. |
might have suspected it. Outside the New
! England country town they do not call it
sinking low | am respected respected
Bethiah. am already nearly at the head
of the profession"
profession What profession !"
Yes, q profession; and one that is per
| haps IA honorable"
"No, Ziph, no, keep that kind of talk to
yourself. In the old time we should have
called it wicked profession. Now | tell
you that it is Il contemptlble and dis
graceful profession. Yes tell you open
! iy, because, Ziph we cannot make pretenc.
es to each other of any kind, even pretenc-
es to salve the conscience of one OF us.
! Now UNDERSTANDABLE now it is quite
clear, why you ran away from newly
| you have never written to your mother or
/ to me. You were ashamed to tell us what
| you were doing. That is why you have
not been to see me for three whole days
after you found that was in London. On,
! Hiph-this is terrible thought you
might be dead l never thought to find
you-here." She stopped.
'Bethiah," said Paul, don't begin that
way you don't know. Hear me first.
When met you week ago my head was
filed with many things. Nothing surpris-
ed me more than to meet you"
"You tried o run away from me. You
I,
mol was astonished. When | got
home | remembered that it might have
looked like trying to run away
at did, Paul, it did"
"Then ] was prevented the next day.
And at last when / do come. instead of
giving me a little sympathy, you condemn
me unheard. And you are the only person
In the world who can advise and help me.
Bethiah for Old times sake, let me tell
you everything. Then you can despise
me if you like-you can send me away
"Oh Xph as if | could ever despise
you AS if | could ever wish to send you
away, whatever you have done. But tO
think that you, of all men in the world,
should have stopped to such profession
-Ilph DO you never remember the days
when your heart was filled with the love
Of truth-oh how you would have scOrn-
ed such "A life in those days ~
"Bethiah, for PHYS sake, near me"
NO" cried Bethiah, after half an hour
of greatly involved personal narrative in
the style adopted by those who try to
make good case out OF bad one. ut s
no use, Paul, to talk to me in this way.
You are wrapping up the truth and try
ing to hide it -
What am to tell you, then ~
"You are hiding quantities Of things |
know already what you have been doing
in London, because Hetty and her mother
very well that you have become medium
mesmerist, thought reader, Il prophet.
au Oracle-and heaven knows what beside
Yes, yes-it is no use parading the ines
Unable blessings which you have poured
upon the people who have trusted you. |
know all about the Miracles of the blind
girl being made to see, and the Indian
newspaper, and | know that you saved
somehow their fortunes. | know, besides
that you have been pretending to preach "A
kind Of new Gospel, and that you profess
to annlhilate space and to see spirits and
talk with them, and that you carry people
out of themselves. | want to know more
than this want to know what you do it
for
Paul made no reply. He was thinking,
in fact, how best to carry on his case, the
current of his narrative being thus rude
ly Interrupted He had prepared a most
beautiful story, with which he thought to
convince his old frend-in the story he
posed rs the possessor of mysterious
Power which he used for beneficent pur-
poses only-he was getting 90 very nicely
with it-and DOW Bethiah pulled him up
short. Girls have no imagination
My dear old friend, the girl took his
unwilling hands, "can you look me in the
face and tell me that you are proud of
yourself and of your seven years work :"
1t appeared, by that experiment, that he
could not.
said. Tel me, exactly, what happened
to you in New York ~
''Nothing happened, except that my con
tributions were all refused, and that got
through all my money"
"And then ,"
"Then, by accident, fell into the hands
of the man who taught me all ! know.
Bethiah," he broke off, earnestly, "it is
hot all cheating and lying. declare that
it is not You do not ind arstand 1t is a
way Of life that requires the utmost skill
with the quickest intellect and the widest
knowledge. Consider what we did. The
PEOPLE came every day to consult us they !
asked Us about their business about their !
private affairs about their love matters |
about everything. Wa had to give them |
replies that would help them. For this |
purpose 1t was necessary to learn how to |
read their thoughts is, from the least
hint of word and look and gesture to con |
meet their questions with what was in |
their minds Then we had to know all |
kinds of business matters, to watch the |
stock market, and all the markets to
know the real meanings of kilograms in |
the papers; to know the laws OF physiolo |
ey, and especially the action Of the nerves !
Anybody might do so much. There re.
NAMED, however, the power without |
which all this knowledge would be useless |
the power of magnetism or mesmeriSm |
Bethiah-kltty-iU was the development |
of this power in myself which raised the |
profession and redeemed it from-from |
what You would call it. For it Is a real |
gift, special gift there is not man in |
America who had this gift IN such force !
and 50 well developed as myself There |
were few, indeed, of those who came to |
our office, who could not be subjected to |
my influence and those who most readily |
yielded were those whom we could most |
really help. We did help them We were |
80 much more clever than ordinary folk |