The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-22

Considerable notOr1ety had been achieved
BY the society in connection with the first
American cremation. One Baron de Palm,
/ broken down, rather disreputable and
Utterly insignificant member of the aristo-
tracy of Europe, Joined the society, and
loon afterward relieved the minds of his
ecquaint ances by dying. There was no
Leir to his many titles, which were genuine,
and the only possession he left aside from
those titles, was his body. Even this was
IN miserably poor condition, and 1t was
not foolish notion which he conceived
that the best thing to do with that was to
burn it.
1t was an opportunity for the Theosophical
Society, and they embraced it. Olcott, as
President Of the society, acted the part of
High Priest in the furera! ceremonies,
Fhich were modelled after Eastern rites, and
he entire press of the country, naturally
Enough, commented at length on the novel
performance
This bit of advertising, however, was
loon half forgotten. People had small
curiosity about the Theosophists as think
nrs, and Nine. Blavatsky was living in re-
trement working hard on the book after
ward published by Bouton. This was to be
tailed The Veil of Isis but when this
little was announced it was found to be al
leady copyrighted, and the book was there
f)re called Isis Unveiled" Thu title was
Unsatisfactory to the author, who declared
hat it was misleading as to her purpose
which was not so much to e.ucidate mys-
teries as to describe them.
The announcement of the forthcoming
publication attracted the attention of the
World, then run by William Henry Huri-
BERT, and a reporter was sent to interview
the ambitious woman. He was fortunate
lnough to win her friendship ana entire
confidence, and he wrote a series of articles
which, on account of their subject, attracted
attention all over the world. lie soon be-
tame an habitue of her house, which he
christened the Lamasery, after the sacred
colleges of ThibeU, where acolytes are
trained in the mysteries and sacred rites of
thlbetan theology.
Here he met, perhaps, the strangest and
most incongruous company that ever CEN
tered around one individual in this prosaic
city. There were Roman Catholic priests,
actresses, army officers, merchants, foreign
sountesses, artists, physicians and occa-
honal Aslatics. Nearly all were unspeak
IDLY heather. Nearly all were intellects
tally brilliant. Nearly all were rebels
against conventionalitv in some direction,
whether outSpoken or secret Bohem-
lans And all acknowledged Nine. Blavat-
Ky as an undoubted leader in intellectual
rebellion.
"i VI observation-disclosures anu personal
charms, she was ore of the most fascinating
persons Imaginable. Her singular purity
q HE and of thought was conspicuous.
her only vice was cigarette smoking, unless
ne lnordinate consumption Of tea be a
wee Her resolute avoidance of meroenary
'chemes, even when it would have been
Easy for her to relieve the poverty in which
'he lived, marks more distinctly than
anything else the inaptitude of the com
Rarlson alluded to between her and Nine.
Diss Debar.
Physically she was not attractive, being
elderly and most ungracefuily fat, without
SPECIAL beauty of feature excepting that she
hao large, innocent, beautiful eyes Intel
lectually she could charm any intelligent
person with whom she would take the
trouble to talk, and he was hard headed
ilueed who was not beguiied into tempo
ar acquiescence in some of her widest
syotlons. She was credulous TO the last
legree. 1t was only necessary to tell her
some wild story that another person would
Gil Ia as impossible, to command her be-
her theories.