The Anaconda standard., 1890-08-03
REALISM ON THE STAGE.
HYPNOTISM EXPOSED IN A SERIES OF TRAGIC SCENES
THAT STARTLED A FRENCH AUDIENCE.

high-born Englishwoman. Beautifully
dressed in a robe of pure white satin, gar
nished with priceless lace, the picture she
presented was an enhancing one.
The stage was set as garden scene,
and from the back the famous DIR. Kellogg
and Olivia advanced hand I'm hand, and
bowed before the footlights. Considera-
BILE applause greeted them, though il
could not be gainsayed that i'm the APP
pearance of the illustrious couple some
little dissatisfaction was at first expert
enced. Olivia was "a woman past her girl
hood, above the medium height. and fash
ioned like female Hercules. Her splen-
did shoulders and superbly rounded arms
were left uncovered by her gown of white
satin. Her face was by no means beauti-
full, and was only saved from comparative
plainness by its bright expression and the
charm of her frequent smile.
As for the doctor, his appearance was
even more disappointing and removed
from all romance. His tall, spare, awk-
ward figure, surmounted by narrow, ILL
shaped head, and pale, cadaverous face.
was hardly calculated to produce very
favorable impression.
The music ceased, and Doctor Kellogg
spoke few Introductory words in quiet
manner and with no Barnum-like effort
for effect. He announced that before ex-
posing. according to his promise, the hol-
low swindles f SO called hypnotizers
and spiritualists, he would produce certain
genuine and incontestable phenomena
through the creation i'm his subject of an
artificial sleep. With slight sign to the
orchestra, which Immediately COM
menced low and tremulous accompani-
ment, the doctor, without further pre-
amble, extended both his hands toward
Olivia.
For a few moments she gave no sign.
the audience breathless with interest, sat
in perfect silence with all eyes fixed upon
the stage. Then, all at once, the magic
seemed to work. Struck by the mag
netic current, Olivia rose suddenly from
her seat. The change in her expression
was complete; her features seemed cast
in tragical immobility, her look was one
of vague. yet deep astonishment and ter
ror; her eyes were fixed upon Kellogg.
but seemed To go through him and find in
the distance beyond some thIpathening,
unearthly vision. Truly miracle, il "A
small one, had occurred. Olivia, whose
looks but few moments before had little
To save them from positive plainness
seemed now possessed of striking and
sinister beauty, expressive though IL was
of intense, incurable anguish. A glance
at the doctor showed that In his appear
ance too. a no less change had taken
place. He was no longer the obseq Ious,
courteous, dispenser of the magical pow
er, but the harsh servant. the untiring
seeker after knowledge, tearing
the veil of mystery with bru-
tai strength and prepared to drag
out by the beartstrings the black
est problems of life. His figure seemed
10 gain i'm dignity, his lips were firmly
compressed, and from his eyes, under the
shade of their frowning brows "A wicked
CLEAN shone forth. His whole bearing
seemed to express n rancorous anger,
tempered 10 some extent with ironical
pity for the poor woman before him. Al
each gesture of his hands Olivia sank
still further into her phantom sleep. The
carriage of her body was that of one no
longer possessed OF independent thought; I;
she moved with the even glide of n SOM
nambulist, as IL walking upon air.
Suddenly cry Of horror rang through
the building.
From some concealed pocket about
his person, Kellogg had taken long.
thin dagger. and lifting il on high SO as TO
give force TO the blow, had plunged il into
the bare flesh of Olivia's arm. Leaning
far forward from his box, Lord Warner.
Mortified by the suddenness of this cruel
act, looked upon the scene with eyes full
of anger and disgust. Lady Warner. on
the other hand, maintained the same
calmness which had marked her since
her entrance, the only visible sign Of her
emotion being that she clutched the edge
of the box before her with a. nervous
grasp and rythmical beating OF her
! well-gloved fingers.
Ihe most unmOved OF all was olivla
herself. Not n sign did she give of any
pain experienced from the crul stab. Her
flesh, even around the dagger's wound.
maintained its marble whiteness. and her
whole form could only be likened 20 a
statue of Night.
A long murmur Of stupefaction ran
through the audience. TO whom il was a
visible relief when the doctor followed up
his barbarous experiment with more gem
tie and poetical illustrations of his won
derful power.
Having gently drawn the dagger from
the bloodless wound, the doctor waved his
hands, and Olivia commenced To sing.
Her notes were low and sorrowful. but
sweet To a degree, and their effect was
duly heightened by the orchestra's soft
accompaniment. At another sudden sig
nal from the mesmerist the song was
broken of abruptly, ending with plain
tive chord sounding almost like cry OF
despair. Ii seemed as IL the interruption
sundered every tie that bound her to
reality, as IL her mind were wandering in
all the uncertainty of n great sadness.
The orchestra. whose part, no doubt, in
the performance had been carefully re-
hearsed, followed with its strains Oliyia's
rapture. Almost unnoticeably the air
changed to the theme of "A fantastic dance,
and before long the body of the mesmer-
ized girl swayed 20 and fro in perfect ac-
compartment with the music. The time
quickened and the notes gre W louder, aud
soon Olivia, her features still cast in the
same sleep-like repose, was dancing with
all the grace and abandon of an eastern
dancing girl. At another movement OF
han al