Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26
USES OF THE NOVEL.
Even the Theosophists Resort to 1t to
Present Their Ideas.
ODD BOOKS BY AN OCCULT AUTHOR.
Marvellous Things Accomplished by the
Heroine and Her Love.
THE FAD POPULAR IN PITTSBURG
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

ban OF the church they have been largely
used for the promulgation of religious
views. aud the presentation of reforms and
new theories to the popular mind. In the
good old days all novels, in Puritan par
lance, were of the devil, and therefore sub
ject to confscation, condemnation, and Gre
nation.
But how matters are changed to-dayi
Novels now are reid bY all sorts and condi-
tions of men. Clergymen, statesmen, men
OF science are all novel readers, and find in
them not alone amusement and recreation,
but food for thought and knowledge Of the
world. Gladstone is an inveterate reader Of
| love stories, as was also Justice Miller, so
eminent upon the Supreme Bench. His
torians find in them the best pictures of the
age and the temper Of the times in which
their scenes are laid. Tolstoi has selz-d
upon the novel to present his views upon
| marriage, religion and reform. w. H.
Mallock gives his social, political and re-
| ligious ideas in bis books-''The Old Order
| Changeth" and ga Romance of the Nine
| teenth Century" Mrs. Humphrey Ward
stirred up every pulpit and parish in
| Christendom with her Robert Elsmere,"
and Edward Bellamy has set the world a
talking over his Looking Back ward"
NEW PRESENTATION OF THEosoPHY.
1t NAV he that these successes have stimu-
lated the theosophsts to present the oriental
| philosophy in the same attractive guise,
since one of the late works on that subject
is in the form OF novel in two volumes
entitled, "United," by A. P. Sinnett, the
| author Of "Esoteric Buddhism" and the
d.
| works are comparatively unknown, would
not be appreciated by the common mind,
and are mainly ound interesting by Spirit
ualists and others, who fondly imagine they
| can secure returns in the way of ghosts
| from "The undiscovered country from whose
bourn no traveller returns" But the novel
| is an interesting story, with plenty-of love
| and mystery in it, and presenting in part
the philosophical views held by Madame
Biavatsky, who spent years in the study of
the religion of India, and who is held in
high admiration as a scholar and seer by
numerous followers of the new fad of occult
ism, or the phenomena of cIairvoyance and
mesmerism.
The heroine of this wonderful theosoph-
ical novel is introduced to the reader at the
age Of when, it is related, that she "prose-
cuted independent studies, and read for her
own pleasure works of grave and serious
import" At this early age her mother
died. Her Iather was a man OF independent
means, who was devoted to the study of
philology and not disposed to be bothered
with the education OF a small girl She was
therefore placed in charge of governess,
whom she ontrived-whether with
stronger will or inherent psychic force, as
they call ito rule.
RAN TO SPIRITUAL THINGS.
Her tendency to spiritual things was
shown by this precocious child in her great
desire to see a ghost in the shape of a
"white knight" who was currently reported
by the servants to ride past the gate of her
home on the edge of the evening. This, as
the story goes, was the prelude to the de-
velopment of her psychic senses. As she
grew up shs had impressions" that the
people around her did not understand; she
had gi is that marked her as one of the
"select few" Altogether, she is pictured
as a bright, beautiful, happy girl with
natural "psvchic affinitIes," which made
her enjoy the idea OF seeing Spirits when
others would be terrified.
Teachers upon this mesmeric-clairvoyan |
-psychical subject were provided for her in |
a most mysterious way. A Mrs. Malcolm, |
who is described as sensitive" had some |
intutions or internal revelations, and made |
her brother understand that she had been |
spiritually impressed with the name of Kin
sale, and with the fact that young girl |
there needed her. So the brother, George |
Ferrars, and his friend Sydney Marston,
who had powers as a mesmerist, set of on a
wild-goose chase for country house named |
"Kinsale" and an unknown young girl. As |
luck, or the spirits, would have it, they
lound the house in Kinsevle Court, and |
there also the young girl-Edith-th OBJ
ject of their quest.
THEY BOTH SAW THINGS.
To make long story short, the two ladies
were brought together and ;ound themselves
kindred souls. At their first meeting Edith
said said to Mrs. Marston: 'Do you see
things?'
Mrs. Malcolm owned up, and from that
time they were bosom friends both as to
their social and their "higher liie." At an
early opportunity Edith's powers as clair
vovant were tested through the mesmeric |
force OF Mr.. Marston, and even with her un-
developed psychic senses, the result was
startling enough to dumfound ANYBODY.
The plot. and gist OF this queer book are
found in these clairvoyant revelations, which
are similar in many respects to those made
by Mrs Mowatt years agoin her "Autobi-
to the spiritland (wherever that is) during
the mesmerlc sleep Edith said: take care
of that thread-douT pull that thread"
This thread, as explained. is fine and sill
very hlament that is supposed to connect the
physical with the higher spiritual lie.
While away on this trip to the unknown
world Edith met the Esprit Queen" and
found being with her such perpetual heaven
that she did not desire to return to the lower
life, but Marston made few passes, and she
was called back. While in the clairvoyant
state her BODY, as alleged, was still in mag
netic relation with ner soul, but when she
to her everyday earthly taber-
nacle her mind was blank as to what she
had said or done-at least, SO the story goes.
VERY MEEK IN SOCIETY.
Edith was instructed by her spiritual
teachers not to talk of these amazing things
out in society among sccffing worldlings,
because the world at large in its ignorance
pre- ers "a lazy disbelief in the facts to the
effort OF attempting to account for them.''
Her double lie was therefore as a society
girl in public, and as one who could only
be her "higher sci " when she was with
her friends who believed in spirits, and
when making her clairvoyant excursions to
the abode of the spirits through the aid of
Mr.. Marston, who, as might naturally be
had fallen in love with her.
But even in society she "saw things" no
one else could see. She saw "auras' around
people, and formed abnormal impressions"
that when a terward she was put into a
trance proved OF vast Importance in break
ing up the marriage of Count Garciola-a
Spanish villain-and her friend, Terra Fill
dare who loved him to distraction. In this |