New-York tribune., 1891-03-01
AUNT PHOEBES HEIRLOOMS.
AN EXrERMNCE IN IIYPNOTISM.

enabled to get our London papers OH the day of
their publication: and Il craze, social or sciehtlhc,
has almost been forgotten by the fashionable world
before it manages 10 establish any kind Oi footing
in our midst.
IL therefore came upon MS with more or less OF
shock one morning short time ago 10 llnd iEe
walls OF our sleepy little country town plac9rded
with flaming fosters dnnOunciDS that Professor
Dmitri ScamowskY intended 10 visit BISHOPS.
thorpe on the following Friday, for the purpose OF
exhibiting in the Town Hall some OF his marvellous
powers III Thought Reading, Mesmersm ana
Hypnotism. -..;.r,.
OF late had visited MS OF strange experiments III
connection with these Outlandkh sciences II sci
ences they can be called MT We had received these
with incredibly. mingled with compassion ior sucn
weak-mindcd persons as could be easily ddped Oy
the clever conluIing of Iald charlat"hS ..,
This at least very much the mental attltude
of my Aunt Phoebe, and il was only lindcr etr2h@
pressure from me and one or two Others oi her
younger and more cnterplisini section oi {ishops'
thorpe society that She at last reluctantly con
sented TO patrOnzie the Professors performance III
person. eu., M
lam getting too old woman my gear Ellza-
beth" she said to me as was h"lpih% hei "
dress, ITO leave my comfortable ireSdc after dli--
ner for the sake of seeing second rate oOnlurlng
Indeed, it is good Of YOU" said, as disposed
n piece of soft old point lace IN graceful folds
round the neck Of her black velvet dress put
virtue will be its own reward, for | am sure you
will enjoy it much any of us, and as ior nehg
old that is all nonsense Just look In the glass
and then say if you have heart 10 cheat BISHOPS
thorpe of u Sight OF YOU m all YOUR glory ..
You are silly girl, Elizabeth. sald my aunt
and vet she did as suGA Stcd and. waiting up 10
the long pier-glass. looked at her rejection Wiz
well pleased smile" InGeed, she continued, tnrhlh3
back TO me to where stood by the dressing-t2ble
Il think alh as silly as NOp are 10 Tx niySel ou
like this, and she pointed to the d9"re s9" ol
large single diamonds | had clasped rouhd hct
neck and the stars of the same precious S'On'S
which twinkled and flashed in the lace Of her cap.
Come, Aunt Phoebe" | said drawing down
her hands, which had made a movement as 'hOugn
rIo how faI-a off Ip
yeu don't often give the good BlshOpsthorpe 10lK
chance of admiring the Anstruther heiriooms
They look so lovely! Don't take them of. please
What is the use OF having beautiful things II they
are always TO be hidden away Ill JcwelrN case
There now" went on, II hear the caITiage az
the door, here is your fll cloak you must wrap
yourself up WELL for it is cold night, ana SO
saying | muiled her up, and hustled her down
stairs before she could rRnonstrate' even had she
The little Town Hall was already crowded when
we arrived but seats had been reserved for us III
one of the front rows of benches. Many eyes were were
turned on us as we made our way to our places 1Or
Aunt Phoebe looked up % as one OF the cor
nerstones of aristOcrocy i'll Bshopsthorpe. and l
fanccd that caught an expression ol rclel on the
faces of of those present, who until the enter
tainment had been sanctioned by her presence had
probably felt doubtful TO its complete orthodoxy
But OF course ! may have been wrong. Aunt
Phoebe is always telling me ! am too imaginative.
1t seemed as though tie Professor had awaited
our arrival to begin the performance for we had
hardly taken our seats when the curtain, which
had hitherto hidden the stage from our view.
rolled up and discovered the Professor standing
with his hand resting upon an easel, on which was
placed a large blackboard.
think the general feeling in the room was that
Of disappointment. know that |, for one, had
hoped 10 see something more interesting than the
usualiparaphernalia OF lecture on astronomy or
geology r
impressive q person his name had led me 20
expect. He was short and thick-sct. His close
cropped hair of the undecided color which fair
hair assumes when it is beginning 10 turn grey,
audo of UDIntPrpStlnG
hue hid his mouth. His jaw was heavy and slightly
underhung, and his neck was thick and coarse
Altogether his appearance was remarkably I'M
prepOsseSsing and commonplace.
In n short speech, spoken with slight foreign
accent which some way or other struck me as
being assumed he begged to disclaim all intention
of cOniuring His performance was solely and en-
] tirely series OF experiments in and illustrative
of the wonderful science OF hypnotiSm science
still in its infancy. but destined to take its place
among the most marvellous Of modern discoveries.
AS he spoke, his heavy. unintereSting face lit up
with hidden enthusiasm. and my attention
was attracted to his eyes, which had not before
noticed. They of curious bright metallic
blue, and are the only eyes | have ever seen
though reads and hears pcrpctuallv OF
them-which really seemed TO flash as he warmed 10
As he finished looked at Aunt Phoebe who
shrugged her shoulders and smiled ncredulOusly.
II was clear that she not going to be imposed
upon by his specious phrases.
1t would be unnecessary TO weary my readers
by describing AT length how the usual preliminary
of choosing unbiased committee gone
through nor how, after the doctor, the rector, Mr.
Melton tthc principal draper in BishopSth0rpe and
several other OF the town magnates. ell men Of
irreproachable honesty, had been induced 10 act in
this capacity, the Professor proceeded, with ewes
blindfolded and holding the doctors hand in his
TO find carefully hidden pin, TO read the number
of banknotc and 10 write the figures one by one
on the blackboard, and TO perform other experiments
of the same kind amid the breathesS interest OF the
audience.
| frankly admit that l was astonished and be
wildered by what | saw, and | had a little uneasy
N q G.
humbug it was not quite canny-not quite right.
What struck me most was the unlusSy, dnthe-
atrical way in which il was all done Every one
of the Professors movements was marked by an
air of calm certainty. He threaded his way through
the crowded benches with such an unhesitating
step that, only that had the banGage fastened
over his eyes by the rector and aferwarG-carefuly
examined by the doctor neither Of whom could
be suspected of completely, should have said he
must have had some little peep-hOle arranged TO
enable him 10 guide his course so unfalterinaly.
There were, of course, thuniers Of applause from
the siXpenny seats when the thought-rcading part
of the entertainment came TO an end.
We'll. Aunt Phoebe | said turning to her as
The Professor bowed his thanks what do you
Think my dear" she repeated, IL think the
is very fair conjuror.'
But" protested how could he know where
the pin was. and you know Mr. Dandy himself
fastened the handkerchief"
My dear Elizabeth, have seen Houdin do far
more wonderful things when | was girl; but he
had the honesty to call it by its right name-con-
uring."
had not time to carry on the discussion, for
the Professor now Tcappeared and informed us that
by far the most interesting part Of the performance
was still 10 come Thought reading and mesnerism
or as some people preferred 20 call it, hypnotism,
were he believed different parts Of the same won
dcfful and but very partially understood power
a power so little understood as not
even to possess distinctive name a
power which he believed TO be latent
in everybody, but which was capable of being
brought TO more or less perfection. according to
the amount of care and attention bestowed upon
it. - said the Professor. "bave given my
life TO IT," And again fancied | saw the curious
blue eyes fash with n sudden unexpected fire
In the experiments which am about TO show
YOU. he went on. Il am assisted by my daughter.
Anna Scsmowsky," and. drawing back curtain
at the back of the stage, he led forward gir who
looked to be between sixteen and eighteen years
old.
There was no sort OF family resemblance between