The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-02
THEOsOPHY IN FULL SWING.
The Successor or Mme. Bi.vatshy.

nounc"mcnt that the Countess OF Caithness
has boon selected by Coz. Olcolt and other pun.
dts OF the Philosophical Society TO succeed
Nine. Blavatsky as tho head OF their Church
will surprise no one who has paid my alton
tien to the course OF this curious organization.
III ever there was case OF natural selection
u Is this. It is ths!"' On a future occasion I
may. with your permission throw some inter-
estng sidelights on tho inner history Of The
osophy. English and Am erican
To-day lot mo content myself with giving
your readers some notion OF It, The Countess
OF Cai'hhcss is teaching them to read be-
tween the lines and Judge for themselves why
the lneer OF Providence so clearly points to her
rs the high priestess OF the shrine vacated BY
the demise OF her Caucasian predecessor.
some tweuty ycars ago the guests at the
Grevoot House in this city wore electrified at
breakfast one morning by the appearance OF n
small party Of newly landed British guests
hrenSfasting together at round table at one
end OF Tint well.known and excellent hos elry.
| An eccentric little old gentleman with n
| rather rubcund countenance. choery smile.
and wonderfully ill.fttinG morning jacket
| presided over the party. and was himself p-o-
sided over by stout. rather swatthy. bat not
uncomely dame we'll on In the dignired trot OF
female middle age. quiet. fair girl Of an I'M
| Mistakably Scottish tyne Of good looks. and q
dark youth of distinctly cosmetic type. who
| might have been a Spanard. q brazilian, or q
Portuguese. completed tho quartet Tho
guests at the Brevoort were accustomed 10 now
| lylanded British parties and there would havo
heen nothing in this particular quartet 10 dis
| turb The habtual and well-bre quiet Of tho
| scene had 1t not toen for tho amazing splen-
dor OF the jewels which danced at the ear tips,
blazed on the brow. sparkled about tho SUBJ
stantial throat. and glittesed on the whi:o
hands OF the presiding dame. Such o display
ut an hour SO matutinnl even SARATOGA never
witnessed in the palmest days of the princes
and princcsscs OF petroleum. Tho necklace
ofih newcomer was simply river Of azure
light! Such saprhres had never before. and
nave never since, been seen in New York. They
are not TO be seen every day in any capital OF
til" civilized or unciyilized world.
lao comcly wearer was the Countess OF
Caithness. and the party con sisted of her then
husband. James Sinclair thirteenth Earl OF
Ca!thness. OF her only son by a former mar
riage the young " Duke u Pomar." and Of her
stepdnuEhter. tho Lady Fanny Sinclair. only
daughter OF the Earl OF Caithness. and only
sister OF his only son and Eoir. the then Lord
Eerr1edae. The Earl OF Caithness. who had
been IN officer in her Britannia AIaiesty's
navy. was n man OF some noo he had turn
Tor mechanics and for navigation. and had
oven invented n compass OF which maritime
experts speak stil. believe with approval.
olsemi.roynl descent. md representing an an
Gent Scottish race. he was the thirteenth
bearer OF IL title conferred in the fifteenth
century. III" estates in the north OF Scot
land had however. dwindlod in the course
OF time. and Lord Cal,hness meeting
in the West Indies. as wldower,
the widow Of u wealthy Spaniard, who
had accumulated Il fortune in Cuba and pur-
chased by the help OF 1t the title Of n Count
from the Holy See. succeeded in winning her
affections and her hand. After her marriage
10 the Scottish Earl the Roman title OF Count
dc Pomar, In some way which l need not pause
toexpain. bloomed forth into Spanish title OF
aloftier grade. and the lady's son for time was
known in Paris and elsewhere as the Duke
de Medina Pomar." Medina. as the readers of
The Sun doubtless know. Is a Moorish word
meaning city" and 1t enters into the comro.
sttion Of two ducal titles borno By two OF tho
greatest grandces OF Spain. They are tho
Dukes OF Medina-Celi and OF Medina Sidonin.
These two grandees took offence at the
assumption by the son OF the late and no doubt
lomented Poma. OF az aristoc.attc trade
mark which they regarded. and perhaps
justly ms OF Grea. value to themselves and
t" their families The Spanish heralds were
called into action. and tho young Pomar was
forbidden 10 coll himself Spanish Duke Of
Medina omar. or Spanish Duke at all. at
least In Spain. AS he preferred to live in Paris
and London and did not affect Madrid. this
perhaps did net much trouble him. He VAS
knowl for a time in London society ae Duke
Of Pomar though his very exquisite attention
TO his costume and his couture caused the
ribalds OF Piccndilly and Pail Mall to corrupt
his title into Duke OF Pomade." an imper-
tinenco which he resented in a novel
about English social life and manners which
grievousy offended tho sensitive critics Of the
London pross. Meanwhile the thirteenth Earl
OF Ca.hness. who had not few good friends
in New York. passed much time here with his
second vito and his daughter and sickening
here died. His son became the fourteenth Earl
came out to America. and conveyed the re-
mains Of his parent dutilully back to Scotland
where. In conformity with a privilege long
possessed BY the sinclnrs Of Caithncss, they
were laid at rest with the dust OF kings and
princes in the precincts of Hollywood. Thereby
hangs q tale and 3 very curious tale. which
may hereafter give to your renders. But time
and space forbid to-day, and hear the shrill
whistle which calls mo away to yacht for n
day Of quiet and fresh air which nobody would
have more enjoyed than the poor old Earl.no
! trust. Mt reace in world where dukes do
not dawdle or Theosophists pirate.
After his death Lady Caithness went to
Paris and there took IN her residence in fine
oio hotCi III tue uoOio ihououIS. CLo tDuu0
the acquaintance long before OF Mme Blayat-
sky. o! Col. Olcott and OF Mr.. Snnett. and her
house in Paris became Kind OF modified
"lamasery.' Sho had engraved for heraelf a |
marvellous and glorious monogram. made up
OF devices beyond the intelligence Of the unin-
itiated. and her notes and letters always bear |
tho date, not OF the vulgar calendar. but |
OF the now revelation made through u
daughter OF Eve. While the outer world
OF the Jews. the Gentiles. Christians and tho |
Mohammedans lives aud newsstand ciphers |
out its being under the da es OF the Creation, |
the RedemDton. or the mission OF Mohammed. |
Lady Caithness aud her fellow believers recog-
nize only the year Of our Lady" To these, |
for example, tho year 1884. we will SAY. would be
not tho year of our Lord. Annus Domini 1854. |
but tho year Of our Lady. Anus Domin9 4. |
the revelation OF Mme. Blavatsky dating. We |
will soy. from our vulgar year 1880.
Doubtless. now that the disciples have de- |
oil cd thap, al hat -,