Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-11-05

the count was LiiS tHoSt hHSoAtSihSi
and care free person in the house. He
never gave an order, or seemed to have
a thought save of pleasure at the pleas
ure of his guests. His bearing was pro-
nounced perfect by the best critics pres
ent-and some formidable ones were
there-and in addition he appeared far
more genial and conversable than here
tofore. Evidently he vas II Of those
characters that develop upon acquaint-
ance. The ladies soon fell in love with
him; his house was so nice; he was SO
nice, and so inconceivably rich. The
men all liked him none the less. 1t Is
| not difficult to like "a man who enter
tains you SO charmingly and courteous
~, and who. as far as society is con-
cerned, is simply an ~iuexhaustible mine
of enjoyments.
Within ten minutes of the appointed
hour every guest invited was either IN
the house or awaiting their turn to Ell
ter. The door by which they came IN
was in close proximity to the dressing
rooms, where the most skillful of ladys
maids and Wallets left the guests nothing
to do but to stand still and be put in
order. A broad hall led through a pair
of semi-transpareut curtains to h re-
ception rooms. When all were assem-
bled, twenty-five beautiful boys about
twelve years old and as many girls
dressed in eastern fashion appeared and
passed among the company, carrying
trays on which We're little ups of pure
crystal, containing an aromatic bever-
age. 1t was too exquisite and ethereal
to be q cocktail, and besides the ladies
drank it, but its effect was marvel
GUS. 1t worked a change of heart in
every one, and a change for the better.
Following up this success the boys pre-
sented bouquets to each of the ladies in
a holder of wrought gold filigree, with
her initials worked in it, while the young
girls gave a ''buttonhole" of similar
design in miniature to the gentlemen.
Hereupon a sound like a peal of silver
bells rang softly close at hand, and on
all sides, yet invisible, was heard; the
great doors leading to the dining hall
were withdrawn, and the fragrant splen-
dor of that freshly created apartment
dawned upon the company. As they
passed the threshold music was heard,
delicate and remote, as if the flowers
were singing together. Such a feast
should begin with nothing less delicate
than nightingales' tongues, and wind up
with apples of the Hesperides.
When the cloth had been Withdrawn
after the last course it was revealed that
the great table was composed of upward
of sixty small square tables, like the
l A1,nA, 1F 4, r,,n, nna1 naaa1,r,alnt
ing four persons. Now the fifty Nubians,
who, in the costume of their country (at
least as designed by color loving artists,
had been attending during the dinner,
wheeled these tables into a great semi
circle at the lower half of the hall, and
then the guests, reseating themselves,
were served with coffee. Few of them
noticed the entrance of a small man,
with a dark Indian complexion and curly
black beard, who took up a position in
the center of the open space in the upper
end Of the He wore a white tur-
ban, a close fitting jacket, with sleeves
to the elbows, showing a lean, brown
forearm, loose white nav trousers,
gathered at the knees, and a pair of
Turkish slippers, turned up at the toes.
A sash of fine silk of a peculiar red
color and many feet in length was
bound round his waist. a gold bracelet
in the shape of q serpent was worn On
his left wrist. He looked like a Hindoo,
and it soon became evident that the
counts friends were to be treated to an
exhibition of oriental jugglery.
After making a low salaam to the
company, the man, holding his bare arms
extended before him, began to rub the
palms of his hands slowly together, and
in a few moments a fine gold cord ap.
peared dangling between them, and
gradually frightening till it reached the
floor. 1t increased rapidly, coiling itself
as it did so, until as much of it as could
be contained in a hat lay at the mans
feet. He now grasped the end of it in
his right hand and shook it out in the
air, until the whole length of the cord
was undulating before him in a thou.
sand flying curves. Suddenly the move
ment changed from vertical to horizon,
tai, until it seemed as if the cord We're
; weaving itself into a fabric before theil
, eyes; and, in fact, in a wonderfully briei
, time a mat a yard in diameter had beer
thus manufactured, which the mar spread
out on the floor and seated himself upon
He lifted his eyes and gazed upward
; and the audience, following his gaze
perceived a scrap of white tissue pape1
floating downward toward him. Ht
held out his finger and the paper rested
upon it; it futtered there for a moment
7 he breathed upon it and it grew rapidly
/. larger; it was now a white hen, which
: tapped its wings and clucked. The mar
|, placed it on the floor; it ran about, bur
' finally settled down and Immediately
,. laid an egg. No sooner had it done thi.
!. than the man seized it by the neck
: whirled it around and it was once mort
a scrap of white tissue paper, which
loated up and disappeared in the vault
, ed ceiling.
The nan took the egg between hi
~forefinger and thumb, looked attentively
at it and put it IN the floor again, bal
ancing it on its end. Then, lifting hi,
. hand a little, he pointed downward a
q the apex OF the egg. Presently a steam
4 or smoke began to issue from the apex
Q arising like a vaporous pillar and aug
menting in volume until it was severa
feet in height and girth. 1t now tool
on a revolving motion, which becam,
Exceedingly rapid, and it was seen tina
it was assuming shape and soiidity; ant
amid a general murmur of an,azemen
from the audience it stood before then
4 as u human igure-a beautiful girl, en-
4 veloped in a white robe as soft as mist
She remained erect and apparently un
conscious of her environment, her darl
= eyes were fixed in q gaze Of profound alb
~straction, as if, just created. she wer,
~marveling at the mystery of being.
!, Gam l awaken" exclaimed Mrs. Van
derdonde in q cracked voice; "because
a If / am, I want to get away. This i
wickedr'
"You have hit upon the true expiana
" ton, as l understand it. madam" salt
the count, who sat beside her, smiling
"This is all illusion. It doesn't reall,
take place. These jngglers have tn
faculty of hypnotizing their audience,
a just to the right point, so that one i'm
agines mi sees all that the juggler want
4 him to see, and yet remains, in tn,
4 ordinary sense, awake. But arenc
awake; you have been dreaming, ant
.r SO have we all. Let us see what the mex
variation will hep