Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-09-03

anu ECNtld4 iVtNN .
and poems by Du
Maurier. Mr.. Moscheles writes as fol-
lows:
Mesmerism-or, as the fashion of to-
day calls it, hpynotism formed so fire.
quent a topic OF conversation and
speculation between Du Maurier and !
that it takes very prominent place in
my recollections. In Paris ! had had
opportunities of attending some most
interesting seances. in consequence OF
which l soon proceeded to investigate
the mesmeric phenomena on my own
account. Now l have not touched the
MUD for some thirty years swore off
because it was taking too much out OF
me but | look back with pleasure on
my early eXperiments-suc successes l
may say-fOr | was fortunate enough
to come across several exceptional sub
)ects. Du Maurier was particularly
mann. At his studio | found Virginic
Mersaudon-and had a way Of putting
puzzllng questions concerning her fac
ultles and my mesmeric influence. Nir-
gln1e was a femme de menage of the
true Partisan type. a devoted, elderly
creature, who performed the duties OF
charwoman and housekeeper.
was not yet eighteen when | first
went to Paris to study under my cous-
IN, the eminent painter. Henri Leh
mann. AT his studio found Virginie
installed as the presiding genius OF the
establishment, using in turn broom or
tub. needle, grill or frying pan, as oc-
caslon might require. The wide range
or her powers l further extended by
making a truly remarkable mesmeric
subject of her. My debut in Paris was
that of the somewhat bewilderei for
eigner, speaking but very Indifferent
French; and she had from the first done
what she could to make me feel at homo
In the strange city, treating me with
truly motherly care and devotion. How
completely she took possession of me Is
shown by a passage in a letter she
wrote when l was i'll in Leipsic, where
had gone to visit my parents. After
| expressing her anxiety and regret at
not being there to nurse me, she en-
phatically says: "Je rends madame
votre mere responsible de vo:re
sante.' 1t needed but little to lead her
on from state of docile and genial de-
pendence to one of unconscious mes
meric subsection; and so, few passes
shaping her course. l willed her across
the boundary line that separates us
from the unknOwn-a line. which,
| thanks to science, is daily being ex-
| tended. Nine Mersaudon was her
self an incorrigible disbeliever in the
phenomena Of mesmerism, but as a sub
| ject her faculties were such as to sur
prise and convert many a scoffer.
At the seances. to which invited my
| friends and few scientific outsiders,
l always courted the fullest investiga-
| ton. taking it as the first duty OF the
mesmeriZer to show cause why he
should not be put down as a charlatan.
| So We had tests and counter-tests, evil
dence and counter-evidence: there
were doctors to feel the pulse and to
scrutinize the rigidity OF the muscles
| experts to PROFOUND scientific Ifs"
| and butts" and wiseacres generally
| to put spokes in the wheel of progress,
as is their playful way wherever they
| find that wheel in motion. 1t was
| doubly satisfactory, then, that the good
faith Of subject and mesmerist could
be conclusively proved.
One of these Sceanes 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 l opened the door |
found myself confronted by two per-
| sons. One I recognized as an lin
quirer" who had been brought to my
| rooms some time before. The other was
| lad / had not seen before. The in
! quirer. l ascertained, having carefully
| watched by modus operandi on the oc-
! casion of his visit had next tried ex-
periments Of his own. In this instance
he had succeeded in mesmeriz.ng lad.
but had found it impossible to recall!
| him to his normal condition. So, Sc
| curing him by a leather strap fasten-
! ed round his waist, he led him through
the streets of Paris to my rooms There
We both tried our powers upon him, tn .
| result being very unsatisfactory. The
youth, feeling himself freed from one
| operator and not subjected by the
| other. refused allegiance to either, and
| being of pugnacious temperament,
squared up and began striking out at
both of us. II was not without consid-
| cradle difficulty that l remesmerized
| him completely; and then. having pre-
viously prepared his mind to account
for his presence in my rooms. l sue
! ceeded in awakening him, and all end
| ed happily. The inquirer was duly
| grateful, the youth went home strap
less and none the worse for the adven-
ture, and proceeded to do some very
J sound sleeping on my own account
.CheAn mehlek.