Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-09

TO DurSt, ana Wiling nypnOtfSm, worked
the spell. I was finally relieved from this
awful strain by learning that the one thing
necessary is a proper subject, and that a
calm serenity of mind, not bristling brows
and bullying eyes, Is the vehicle Of will
power, and that for the rest Of hypnotism.
might trust to self-conf1dence and any
means might select for inspiring my sub
t 5set with confidence that Gould hypnotize
When the football of my first subject
sounded at the door 1 made desperate
break for freedom from MY engagement,
begging the doctor to handle the first one
and let me look on. But, man-like, my ex-
pert witness believed in letting a woman
take all the consequences of her own i'm
prudence. and whether or no. my subject
was turned loose upon me.
The First Subject.
It was woman, about fifty, with face
of peculiar pinkness and whiteness, and
eyes that seemed to me to have CLEAN OF
sulphur in their blue. 1 fairly tumbled
over myself to find out If she was one who
had named certain well-known profess
sonal hypnotist as reference and when she
said that she was not, that she had had no
experience. but just thought she might be
subject. I hustled her and her eyes out in
quick order. None but experienced hands
need apply" I suddenly adopted as my
motto. and. truth to tell, I was praying in
wardly that all Of these would lose their
way.
I was particular about finding out from
the doctor whether he had airy fresh dis
secting material concealed on his premises,
for had read how at the school of Nancy
one time person hypnotized had suddenly,
with a maniacal yell, sprung at the throat
Of the operator, and, whipping out knife.
killed him on the spot-which anecdote
theosophist had elucidated for me, saying
that it was afterward discovered that the
warm corpse of an executed murderer had
just been brought into a dissecting room
adjoining, and that the astral body of this
criminal full of guile and hate had pos
sessed the passive will of the hypnotic sub
ject, compelling him to the awful deed.
didn't want any chance astral interruptions
in my performance If could help it.
An Old Hand. -
The next subject to appear was
young man, whom I Instantly recognized
as q fellow I had seen assisting in the
stage performance of a professional hyp-
notist, whose horse 1 had supposed he
was. I accordingly tried to play him for
horse myself.
I said. II am going to give series of
entertainments next week and l want some
coed people who are used to stage hypno-
tism and can raise laugh and all that
sort Of thing. Now, what tricks can you
do best?"
The dull eyes of the fellow from a sort of
NANCY face were looking at me blankly,
while he sat twirling his thumbs in no wise
responsive to this suggestion.
Well I cant say just what I can do"
he answered; most anything you want me
to, guess. l have Travelled with Prof.
- off and on for five years. and he
says I'm an extra good subject"
Can you stand it to have a needle run
through your tongue?" asked in a brisk,
business tone.
II never did that as 1 know Of" he
answered. though the professor one time
took the feeling out of this hand at pri-
vate exhibition for some doctors, and they
run needle through me there"-indicating
the f1abby skin between his thumb and
fo refinger
Very well." I said, suppose you give
me a test now and let me see what 1 can
do with you.''
NO." said he. Il wouldn't want to do
that unless had somebody here inter-
eSted in n1e to look after me. I don't know
but you might get me to sleep and not
wake me up"
secretly commended the young man for
his discretion in the front of my evil eye.
but this being strictly matter of business
l had, nevertheless, to dismiss him without
my blessing or any slight token of my es-
TEEN of his good sense.
Easier Than Sewing.
The next arrival was a! young woman.
She also had travelled with professional
hypnotists. She said she was formerly
seamstress and had sewed 6erseH nearly to
death. when. ON goinG<to Gpsrformance Of
Professor -, she was hypnotized. and
took 1t, because it was so much easier than
sewing. There was something indescribably
pathetic about the woman-she was thin,
her face badly broken out, but the peculiar
pitifulness of her was in sort of appeal
to be possessed there was in her bearing.
Fancy having to earn a living selling, ones
personality-the characterization of that
vice only renders it the more hopeiessly
revolving.
1 asked the woman if she would be will
ing to submit to test. She answered,
ION, yes without the least hesitation, anu
while We sat silent for a moment. /. over
her head. implorins with all the earnest
ness of my speaking countenance that the
doctor go on, and let me out of the test.
suddenly I noticed that the woman was
breathing with a peculiar sound, and her
face was assuming in point of strained eX-
preston a resemblance TO the look of Tril-
by singing. Putting aside fear, l spoke
up, saying: That's all right; go ahead;
you're being hypnotized now"
l continued gazing at her, and repeated
the same assertion that she was being
hypnotized. Her body swayed and rolled
over the side of the CHAIR DR.. Rose
placed her in the chair again; her head
hung back, and her whole body was inert.
I picked up one Of her hands. 1t felt like
wax or something of the sort. Then the
der to behold the power of her will made
manifest In another person, tried to go on
with the regular performance.
Lift up your head" I ordered. Then
louder, SnOulSup 1llt ny yOuI uedu LOU
can lift it up all right
Still she lay in that awful condition un-
moved. Come, now said. trying to be
self-confident, and being about as much SO
as mouse. Come. now; turn around to
the desk there, and write"
Still she did not move.
l don't think l said anything. l simply
looked my horror at DR.. Rose, who step
ped up to her then, snapped his fingers
close to her face and said: wake up
She jumped, and, with the piteous express
sion of a dog lodging blow, in an instant
looked consciously in our faces The blood
came back into her face, which had been
white, and when 1 asked her how she felt
she said that hypnotism seemed to do her
good-at any rate that her health had been
improved since she went into it, for it is so
much better than running a machine day
and night. THAT nearly kills me-" said
she. She spoke with a queer sort Of dig
nifty about her choice of an occupation, and
when 1 asked about her baby-she had
made passing mention Of one-she an
swered: '1t is dead; have lost three chill
dren," at the same time choking back tears
with further assertion of the same queer
dignity that made me for the moment
very heavy-hearted lady professor hyp-
notist
wish had money enough to buy up all
the hypnotic subjects on earth. I'd treat
the nerves of some and preach to all the