The record-union., 1891-04-19
THE PROFESSOR.
His Benign Scheme Spoiled by
His Wife.
Mrs. Bagsley Is Not Good Subject for
Experiments In Hypnotism Jeal-
ousy Ruins an Important Scientific
Investigation.


tude of meditation, on the tongue of a
deceased watering cart, in vacant lot,
some little distance from his home on Q
street.
He politely agreed that, from present
appearances, there would be fall of rain,
II, as seemed probable, the wind did not
change and insure continuance of fine
weather.
Have you ever studied animal mag
netism?" he inquired, accepting large
pinch Of fine cut.
NO, can't say have, though I have
heard great deal about it, one way and
another, and seen some wonderful stage
exhibitions"
"Ah, well, had been reading an able
article on the subject in the New York
Medical Times, wherein the writer ex-
planned the methods employed by differ
ent operators to exert the influence and
bring their subjects under control"
"Y es?'
and it Immediately occurred to me
that II l could develop this wonderful
power and bring it to bear on Mrs. Bags
ley it would have a wonderfully benefi-
cial effect''
"Indeed?'
Yes. You see my wife is of an active.
restless temperament, and possessed OF
an unusual amount of vital energy"
Il see.''
And allows herself to worry over
trlfies that are, really, not worthy of q
moments thought
Exactly"
I'm fact, in her case, the brain is too
active, and unless she can, by some
means, be brought to control her nervous
energies, the mind will wear out the bod
lily tissues"
Undoubtedly"
wen, after reading that article in the
MedacGt ItnleS became persuaded that,
by JudIclouS exercise of the MAGNETIC
or, as 1t IS often enormously termed,
| HgpI1ottc influence, on my wife, her
neryouS,ness and irritability might be
gradually Soothed and all friction of the
mental faculties cease, leaving the mind
CAIN an tranquil, in repose, as well as
1lrm and clear in the exercise of its walk
ing functions"
quite so.''
Il did not, however, wish to court GER
tam failure by attempting to subdue so
difficult subject as ETrs. Bapsley, With
out, Ifst, practlcing on one more suscepti-
Die 10 the magnetic influence and was
wondering where l could find a party
wiling TO ubmittto few initiatory eX-
perlments, when, as luck would have it.
my wife was suddenly called to nursa q
lady on ii street, dangerously i'll with Ia
grippe, and, in consequence, OBLIGED to
hlre the daughter of neighbor to finish
large wash which she had in hand at
the time.
This girl was, felt satisfied. of deeply
a emotional nature, and therefore singu-
larly susceptible to the magnetic infiu-
ence, so, when my wife had put ON her
bonnet and left the house, I had little
ullncu!ty IN persuading her to submit
to a trial of my power.|
Here the Professor craned his neck for
ward and looked cautiously. around the
corner OF the fence. Then he continued: ::
Il placed the girl in a semi-recun1hent
| position on the parlor lounge, and. seat
ing myself close to her, concentrated nv
gaze on the pupil of her left eve. at the
same time assisting the operation with
the usual passes.
In twenty-three minutes asked her ::
DO you feel drOwsy?'
Yes, lovely. I feel as if T world 1il,a
to go to sleep and never wake mn AGAIN, =;
Delighted with this evidence of success
L concentrated the whole force of NV will
| power on the subject, and, in twelve min
utes more, succeeded in putting her in a
| profound meS1neric sleep.
Il may explain that, TO mt the Subiact
to sleep is as far as it is safe for an anna
teur to proceed with first experiment.
so, having obtained such katherine re-,
suits at this first trial [ was more Than
satisfied, and at once commenced to re-
verse the passes so as to de-magnetiZe the
Suplect ana restore her to consciousness.
Just so.''
While thus engaged judge of nv sur
prise and alarm, to hear my wife return
ing. knew, by the way she closed the
Iront door, that something had occurred
To put her IN a state Of violent agitation
and dreaded the result to the Sleeping
subject, OF what is known, in Scientific
third party which would, certainly. ex-
ert a disastrous effect if Mrs. Bagslev en-
tered the room in her then state of mental
perturbation.
Therefore [ hastily locked the parlor
door and went silently on with the re-
versed passes, intending, when | had
succeeded IN awakening the girl, to get
quietly out the back door and 90 throuph
the next yard to the other side of the rail
way track, where / very often Dass a
quiet hour with Shakespeare or nv
irlend Emerson, because l felt sure that
MIS-. bagsley, who IS OF an unreasoningly
jealous disposition, would certainly mis-
construe the simple fact of our being in
the parlor together during her absence.n -
She would be apt to do So"
Veil, continued the reversed passes
though growing more and more alarmed
lest my wife should try the parIor door
before / had time to get away. and nv
| nervousness, Of course, communicatinp
itself 10 the subject, with whom 1 was
now eJ1 rapport, she aWoke suddenly
with cry OF surprise.
1T was fortunate that she did so before
Mrs. Bagsley came into the room. which
she now did by the side door. Iahorino
under strong excitement. Otherwise the
result might have been fatal, because the
subject, under magnetism, shares, in a
tenfold degree, the perturbation of the on
orator, ana, sometimes, goes into convuI-
sions if the former becomes suddenly
alarmed and loses his mental balance
1.-THE poor girl had a narrow escape
then?"
"She had, indeed, and''-
And Mrs. Bagsley; what had she to
say? What brought her back so sud
denly?"
''It seems she had lost too much time
| making arrangements about the wash
| ing, and, when she got to II street the
| lady had engaged another nurse. That
and the long fruitless walk both contrib
| uted to the excited state of mind in which
she returned"
'And finding you locked in the parlor,
with the hired girl, and the wash az Stdtu
quo did not tend to allay her irritability.
L wouldn't have stood in your shoes for a
small world.'
"Well,' said the Professor, with dig
nifty, II paid no attention to what she
| said to me-our dispositions are dissimi-
lar, and make due allownnce-but | felt
deeply mortified when she assaulted the
unofiending girl and threw her down the
back steps, because she had consented to
the experiment TO oblige me, and l, in
turn, was seeking to develop power to
be exercised solely for my wife's benefit.
But, being in state of temporary anger,
and, naturally, an unwilling subject, 1
much fear that she cannot be bought
under control either by gazing into the
eyes or by the usual passes, unless the op-