The morning call., 1892-04-25
COLONEL oLC0TT ON THE0s0PHY.
Some of the Achievements Credited &c
Nine. Blavatshy.

Some of the Achievements Credited TO
Nine. Blavatshy.
A recent matt from Madras, India, brought
the first installment of Colonel Henry Steele
Olcott's history of the birth and progress of
the Theosophical Society. He is publishing
the story under the title, "Oid Diary
Leaves" in a monthly magazine which he
conducts himself in Adyar. where the So
ciety'S headquarters are located. Judging
from the first number, now here, says the
New \ ork World, II Will be weird yarn OF
intense interest TO theosOphlsts as contain
ing authentic mysticism of the first water,
and of mole than ordinary interest TO the
W orld at large by reason OF the naive style
in which the venerable Hlerophant dis
courses of miracles. He states that Nine.
BlayatSky was not only able TO produce all
the ordinary phenomena of spiritualism,
such as table-tpping, rapping, spelling out
messages and Undertaking forms of So
called spirits, but she could also work mar
wells by an exercise Of her own will-power,
that were altogether distinct from the ordi-
nary run of spiritualism.
One evening. in her rooms in Irving place,
near the old Lotus Club house. there was
an informal gathering of friends. at which
company Colonel Oicott proposed the
formation Of what afterward became the
TheoSOphical Society. Among these friends
was an Italian artist whom OicOtt calls SgHor
B.. formerly a CarboDaro. On the occasion
OF his first call on Nine Blavats ky. 0lcOtt
was present. While they were talking of
Italian matters, Signor b. suddenly pro-
nOunced the name of one of the greatest of
adopts, WheTeup0n Nine. Blayatsky started
as If she had experienced an electric shock,
and looking iIiently at the Italian, said,
what Is il? L am ready" 1t appears that
Signor 3. did not Immediately answer this
with any message, but turned the converse
ton on the subject of magic and the adopts.
II was cold winter nj ht when the snow
was flying thckly, but SiguOr b. suddenly
arose and went to the window. He opened
ii and made several reckoning passes with
his hand toward tile outside. wheTelpou q
pure white butterfly came into the room
aud went flying about near the ceiling.
Colonel OlcOtt was considerably surprised.
butterflies being distinctly out of season,
bur Nine. Biayatsky seemed not at all so.
On the contrary, she laughed cheerfully
and said: That is pretty, but | can also
do it." Therenpon she, too, opened the
window and made reckoning passes similar
to those SiGnor b. had made, and presently
second white butterfly came iutterng in.
1t flew around the room like the other
and the two played together for a few mo-
ments, chasing each other around. and then
suddenly both disappeared at once while
the three persons were looking at them.
Olc0tt asked what it all meant, and Mae.
B.aYatsky told him that il was 'cDly" that
Sign0r b. could make an elemental turn
itself into butterfly. ard that, as she had
just shown, she had the same power.
The eementals, il appears, are called by
the Hndus ''yakshiIi vidya." and on GER
tain other occasions the 1nvstic lady proved
conclu>iYely TO Colonel 0tcOtt's satlsfac-
ton, even in tie early days of their ac-
quaintarce, that she had the power of con-
trolling them as servants. One night, as lie
records, they were working together at
late hour over some manuscripts when he
felt thirsty, having eaten some salt food for
dinner He'said: Would il not be nice to
have some dollhouse grapes?" and she re-
Piled so it would. Let us have some"
But, be objected. ''the shops have been
closed for hours and we cannot buy any"
mo matter" she said. 1--WE will have them
all the same" But how?" II will show
you If You viii just turn down that gasiight
on the table in front of Us"
Accordingly Olcott turned down the
light. and unintentionally turned so far that
the light was eXtingushed You need not
have done that" said the magician. 81
only wanted you to make light dim. How
ever, light it again quickly" In moment
the colonel had lighted it again and Nine.
Blavatsky exclaimed: 'Seer' At the same
time she pointed TO hanging bookcase Oh
the wall near by, and to his extreme
amaZcment there hung from the knobs at
the ends of one of the shelves two large
punches of ripe black Hamburg grapes,
which they proceeded TO eat