The herald., 1896-07-13
ON MATTERS PHILOSOPHICAL
A Lecturer on the Cult Returns From au
Extended Trip
An Interesting Interview In Which ne Cor.
rects Erroneous Press Reports Regard
ing Certain New York Wedding

Abbott B. Clark. the theosophical lee
turer Of this city, has returend from a
long and successful lecture trip in the
east Mr.. Clark, DR.. Mohn and H. A.
Gibson went from here as delegates to
the New York convention of the Theo-
sophical society in America.
This convention, Mr.. Clark says, was
the largest and most successful held in
the history Of the society," 1t was a
wonderful tribute to the memory of the
late William @. Judge, and very express
sive of the high esteem in which the
members Of the society in America held
their late president
Mr.. Hargrove was unanimously and
enthusiastically elected the new presi-
dent. The reason for choosing Mr.. Har-
grove was, first because he was fit.
He has one Of the wvsest and clearest
or headS and so much ability that many
people have supposed that some of his
articles written under a nom de plume
were from an adept. He sacrificed a
guarantee of $4,000 year to work for
theosophy and has taken a place where
he gets no salary at all, and works from
early In the morning until IL o'clock
every night.
Mr. Hargrove Is not Mr.. Judges sue
cessor except in the office Of president.
Esoterically it Is Mrs. X. A. Tingley Of
New York. Mrs. Tingley occupies no Off
cial position in the society at all, but is
In very much the same position that
Nine. Blavatsky was. That is, she has
the power and wisdom and is an adept
She Is said to very much resemble Nine.
Blavatsky, Is of cultivated New Eng
land stock and very attractive in per-
sonal appearance. She usually dresses
in becoming dark silk with a spray of
royal purple in her bonnet
Mrs. Tingley has sometimes been
called medium, but that comes from
a lack of knowledge. Mediums and
adopts occupy the two opposite poles of
psychic development. They are as far
apart as light and darkness, or positive
and negative.
The adept Is mentally. morally and
spiritually developed and krows the
laws of nature and can control her
forces. The medium is controlled by
forces outside herself, of which she
knows little or nothing. The adept has
developed the third eye, or pineal gland,
which acts as a sort of spiritual x ray.
There Is complete science of spiritual
development, and it will be taught in the
School for the Revival Of the Lost Mys-
teries OF Antiquity, which is to be estab-
lished when the crusade returns. TUT
tion in this school will be entirely free,
for no really spiritual or high occult
knowledge can be made a subject of bar
ter. 1t Is not so received and cannot be
SO impaired. Spirituality or real divine
occultism is like love, 1t cannot be bought
or sold. or used for selfish purposes. It
must remain pure.
There sno sensationalism or desire
for notoriety in the Theosophical So
ciety in America. 1t is true that there
was a wedding in New York recently in
which two prominent members Of the
society were married nndar aDoiapt
Egyptian rites, but it was most solemn
and sacred affair. There was no yelled
Mahatma present and the bride did not
claim that she knew her husband 5000
years ago, as many papers stated. That
was a faxed interview" Theosophists
do believe that those who have lived
and loved and served humanity in the
past may come together and renew their
sacred ties and work in this life, thus
preparing for better age. Theosophy
sets up a very high and pure ideal of
marriage. 1t leads in this as in many
other reforms, by saying that social
purity should begin at home, and what
is we'll begun at home will spread
through all and end only in the remot-
est corners of the earth.
After the convention Mr.. Clark went to
Boston. and from there visited and lee
tured in Maiden, Cambridge, Lynn,
Lowell. Providence and nearly all the
large cities Of New England. Return
ing, he lectured in Brooklyn, New York,
Buffalo, Chicago. st. Paul and Mime
apolis. In Spokane, WASH, he formed a
branch of the society, and then lectured
In Tacoma, Seattle, Victoria, B. c., Port
land, Ore, and San Francisco. The in
terest in theosophy is greatly increas-
ing, he says, and the demand for lectures
is beyond the supply.
While in New York the second time
Mr.. Clark assisted in getting the theo-
sophical crusaders ready for their long
trip around the world.