The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-30
A GLIMPSE AT SECOND SIGHT.

Several years ago made campaign on the
platform with George w. Cable. In Montreal
we were honored with reception. 1t began
at o'clock in the afternoon in long drawing
room in the Windsor Hotel. Mr.. Cable and 1
stood at one end of this room, and the ladies
and gentlemen entered it at the other end,
crossed it at that end, then came up the long
lett-hand side, shook hands with US, said a
word or two, and passed on in the usual way.
My sight is of the telescope sort, and pres
emily recognized familiar face among the
throng of strangers drifting in at the distant
door, and said to myself, with surprise and
high qualification, "That is Mrs R.; had for
gotten that she was Canadian" She had
been q great friend of mine in Carson City,
Nev in the early days. had not seen her or
heard of her for twenty years; had not been
thinking about her; there was nothing to sug-
gest her to me, nothing to bring her to my mind !;
in fact, to me she had long ago ceased to
exist and had disappeared from my conscious
ness. But knew her instantly, and saw her
so clearly that was able to note some of the
particulars of her dress, and did note them,
and they remained in my mind. was impa-
tent for her to come. In the midst of the
hand-shakings I snatched glimpses of her and
noted her progress with the slow-moving file
across the end of the room, then saw her
start up the side, and this gave me full front
view of her face. l saw her last when she was
within twenty-five feet of me. For an hour |
kept thinking she must still be in the room
somewhere and would come at last, but l was
When l arrived in the lecture-hall that even
ing some one said "Come into the waiting
room; there's friend OF yours there who
wants to see you. You'll not be introduced
you are to do the recognizing without help If
you can"
said to myself, sIt is Mrs. r.; sha'n't have
any trouble"
There were perhaps ten ladies present, all
seated. In the midst of them was Mrs. R., as
had expected She was dressed exactly as she
was when had seen her in the afternoon. |
went forward and shook hands with her and
called her by name, and said,
81 knew you the moment you appeared at
the reception this afternoon"
She looked surprised, and said: "But was
not at the reception. have just arrived from
Quebec, and have not been in town an hour"
1t was my turn to be surprised now. I
said: al can't help it. 1 give you my word of
ception. and you were dressed precisely as you
are now. When they told me a moment ago
that l should find a friend in this room, your
image rose before me, dress and all, just as /
had seen you at the reception"
Those are the facts. She was not at the re-
ception at all, or any where near it; but saw
her there, nevertheless, and most clearly and
Enthusiastically To that l could make OATH
ing of her at the time; had not thought of her
for years. But she had been thinking of me,
no doubt; did her thought fit through leagues
of air to me and bring with 1t that clear
and pleasant vision of herself? l think
so. That was and remains my sole experience
in the matter of apparitions--I mean appari-
tons that come when one is (ostensibly) awake.
could have been asleep for moment the
apparition could have been the creature of
dream. Still, that is nothing to the point; the
feature of interest is the happening of the
thing just at that time, instead of at an earlier
or later time, which is argument thatits origin
lay in t-transferrence.-From" Mental
Teegraphy Again." by Mark Twain in Harpers
Magazine for September.