Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-10

dream-picture, without success. Her por-
traits were to me as 6kenesses of some other
women. There were her features, GER
tainly-the shape and pose Of her beautiful
head-but not she-not my darling. The
phantoms of those long-forgotten old school,
fellow patients hosts OF casual acqualnt-
anees, would pass before me with madden
ing distinctness; but the one who had mace
my life of monotony a brief era OF happl-
ness was hidden even from nv minds eye.
"For few weeks l returned to protes-
sional duties and endeavored to forget my
misfortunes in hard work. Whatever sue
cess I achieved in the day was undone at
night. Sleep came but ftfully-no dream
gave even q shadowy glimpse OF the happy
past.
"It was about this time experienced a
remarkable sensation, by what means pro-
duced 1 cannot say. Certain I was that
occasionally, in the room, at my side,
bending over me, waiting, watching, was
my wite's soul, spirit, or whatever the I'M
mortal form may be. No physical sign e1-
listed, no sound, nothing visible or tangi-
BILE, vet the conviction was overwhelming.
Never a believer in things supernatural,
fought resolutely against the idea, till at
length convinced in spite of reason, 1 de-
voted all nv energies to the study of psy-
chology and its literature, in feeble hope of
arriving at the mystery's solution. Volume
after volume / threw aside in dis
gust Hundreds of cases somewhat similar
to mine l found recorded, and rs many
ridiculous theories advanced to account for
them, but not one would bear scientific in
vestigation. Who would credit my story?
Who would not believe me to be the victim
of morbid imagination?
"a clew, however, came at last, and from
q most unexpected quarter. Once while
sitting in nv study 1 felt the indescribable
sensation slowly stealing over me; all ex-
citement and horror had long passed, for
these 'visitations' were now frequent. only
longed once more to behold nv beloved wife.
looked up from the book 1 was reading,
vainly seeking the invisible form. The night
was far advanced-everything was still, not
q stir or rustic disturbed the silence.
Presently the sound of slight
splash caused me to glance in
the direction of small aquarium
surprised to observe the evident agitation Of
the golden carp 1t contained. That they
were extremely terrified detected in mo-
ment, having studied their habits very
closely. Yet there was no apparent cause
for such excitement 1t was impossible
that the slight movement in raising my
head could produce such an effect No cat,
dog or other animal was in the apartment.
Was it possible that the presence hidden
from me was visible to these lower Great
ures7
might after night 1 carefully watched
the tiny aquarium. On each occasion the
disturbance among its occupants was coinci-
dent with the same sensations.
"Here was food for reflection Ia possible
means of grasping the grand secret of the
supernatural. The task was now to find
in what respect the vision of these fish
differs from our own.
"Now the sense of sight is the perception
of light and shade. Color is but a part of
light. for the ordinary white solar light is
combination of all the colors of the
spectrum. Moreover, 1t is a fact that when
light is passed through a prism, and broken
mp into the beautiful colors of the rainbow,
there are rays beyond the red and violet
ends which are quite imperceptible to us,
but that they do exist can be demonstrated
by their effects upon certain chemicals
The sensitive plate of a camera receives them
ann shows the presence of celestial bodies
whose beams have no effect upon the human
retina. Thus photographs are taken of
suns which have long ceased to shine; ket- |
ties of boiling water can be photographed in
the dark. Therefore we must admit our
own ewes are but very imperfect perceivers.
But how about the so-called lower animals?'
Has not one of our most celebrated living
naturalists proved by his experiments upon
ants that these insects are clearly sensitive
to rays beyond the violet? What they see
is probably color perfectly inconceivable |
to us. Is it not possible that the so-termed
'ghost-Seers' may be gifted with retine SEN
sitive to these ultra rays? Would not this |
theory account for many remarkable cases |
of persons beholding apparitions, and in |
which circumstantial evidence seems to |
point to the honesty of ..those visited? Be |
cause we cannot as vet understand these |
phenomena we call them 'delusions.'
Must it ever be beyond the power |
of science to supply US with means of in |
creasing our sense of sight in this direction? |
''Such were the questions suggested by |
the splash of tiny goldfishl To answer |
them in a practical form was the task set |
myself. 1 determined to carry out an |
elaborate series of experiments upon the |
visual apparatus of fish; taking into con-
sideration the changes light must undergo |
in passing through the refracting media of |
the curved glass of the aquarium and the |
bubbling water it contained. My goal was |
to see the unseen--to construct an apparatus |
which should enable the human eye to per-
ceive the ultra rays.
"I do not intend to describe in detail the
progress of this novel study, nor to disclose
the various discoveries which enabled me
to succeed after maDv weary and dishearten-
ing failures.
1.-THE startling an. altogether unsuspected
consequences OF my rtccess compel me to |
believe that 1 have overstepped the moral
bounds of science, and th&t should be in
creasing my guilt were l to enable others to
follow in my path. 1t must be sufficient for
me 10 say that the medium 1 constructed,
through which 1 was to behold the dead, |
was, to all appearances an arrangement of
colored lenses. 1t was not long before had
an opportunity of testing my discovery.
One night l awoke with the consciousness
that my wife was present. 1even knew that
she was banding over me 1 could almost
imagine her breath upon my cheek.
Ny optical optical apparatus Law on the
table within easy reach-with a palpitating
heart placed it before my eyes. For a mo-
ment 1 was dazzled by brilliant fash of
light; then, clothed in indescribable colors,
[ beheld the face of nv dead wife. To give
the very faintest idea of these marvellous
hues is utterly impossible. They could no
more be imagined than one could conceive
new sense. Nothing in our earthly expert
ence can give the least notion of their en-
beauty. Yet the face did not ap-
pear unnatural-on the contrary, it seemed
real and substantial. 1t was my
beautiful wife-transcendently beautiful.
sprang toward her, throwing
aside my lenses in my ecstasy. They fell
upon the floor, shivered to atoms. Yet the
brilliant image remained before me in all
is loveliness In the excitement of the mo-
nent this did not seem strange. was in a
"How long I continued in this ecstatic
.tate 1 cannot tell. 1 remember being
aroused by the opening of the bedroom door,
Ind the voice of my valet informing me
hat it was time to arise. 1 turned in the
direction of the sound, but could see nothing