The herald., 1896-06-07
DU MAURIER AND MESMERISM

Mesmerism-or, as the fashion OF to-
day calls it, ypnotism-formed SO ire
quent a topic of conversation and spec
ulation between Du Maurier and me
that it takes a very prominent place in
my recollections. In Paris l had oppor-
tunities of attending some most inter-
eSting seances, in consequence OF Whlcn
/ soon proceeded to investigate the mes
merle phenomena on my own account.
Now ] have not touched the fluid for
some thirty years; swore off because 1t
was taking too much out of me; but l
look back with pleasure to my early eX-
periments-SucceSS / may Say-for L
was fortunate enough to come across
several exceptional subjects. Du Maui
rier was particularly interested in one
of these-Virginie Mersaudon-and had
a way of putting puzzling questions con-
cerning her faculties and my mesmeric
influences. Virginie was a femme de
menage of the true Partisan type, de-
voted, elderly creature, who performed
the duties of charwoman and house
keeper.
1 was not yet Is when went to Paris
to study under my cousin, the eminent
painter, Henri Lehman. AT his stu
dio found Virginie installed as the pre-
siding genius of the establishment using
in turn broom or tub, or needle, or fry
ing pan, as occasion might require. The
wide range of her powers j further ex-
tended by making truly mesmeric SUBJ
ject of her. Ny debut in Paris was that
of a somewhat bewlldered foreigner,
speaking but very Indifferent French,
and she had from the first done what
she could to make me feel at home in the
strange city. treating me with truly
motherly care and devotion. How COM
pletely she took possession of me Is
shown by passage in a letter she wrote
when 1 was i'll in Leipsic, where I had
gone a visit tn
expressing her anxiety and regret at not
being there to nurse me, she emphati-
cally says: "Je rendS madame votre
mere responsible de votre sante." 1t
needed but little to lead her on from a
state of docile and genial dependence to
one OF unconscious mesmeric subjec-
tion, and so, few passes shaping her
course, willed her across the boundary
line that separates us from the un-
known-a line which, thanks to science
Is daily being extended Nine. Mersau-
don was herself an incorrigible disbe-
lever In the phenomena of mesmerism,
but as subject her faculties were such
as TO surprise and convert many a
scoffer.
AT the seanceS, to which I invited nv
friends and a few scientific outsiders. I
always courted the fullest investigation,
taking it as the first duty OF the mesmer-
izer to show cause why he should nos
De put down as a charlatan. So we had
tests and counter tests, evidence and
counter evidence; there were doctors to
feel the pulse and scrutinize the rigidity
of the muscles, experts to PROFOUND
scientific "ifs" and butts" and wise
acres generally to put spokes in the
wheel OF progress, as is their playful way
whenever they find that wheel in mo-
ton. 1t was doubly satisfactory then
that the good faith Of subject and mes
merist could be conclusively proved.
One of these seances led to a rather
amusing incident One night was
awakened from first slumber by a sharp
ring at my bell.and when, after some
parleying, I opened the door found my
self confronted by two persons. One
recognized as an inquirer" who had