The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-05-07
The ddhita Gay Eagle: Thursday Mornimo, Hau 1896
BY MYSTIC RITES
STRANGE MARRIAGE OF THE0S0-
PHISTS IN NEW YORK.

Old Egyptian Customs are Revived in
America-A Curious Ceremony Which
United Claude Falls Wright and Miss
Catherine LeoIine Leonard in the Bonds
of Wedlock-Only the Members of the
The Yelled One Sat Behind the Tree OF
Life-Civii Ceremony Follows.
New York, May 6.-The Theosophists
in this city announced with elaboration
today that Claude Fails Wright, one OF
the chief workers in the society, had
been married this afternoon, according
to the Theosophical law and the COM
mon law, to Miss Mary Katherine Leo
tie At the wedding ceremony only the
members of the Inner Council and Oc-
cult Body were allowed TO be present.
The new Manhatma Of the society, who
is said to have inherited the occult lead
er.ship from the late William Guam
Judge, performed the Theosophicai
ceremony, according to the ancient
mysteries" The Mahatma is called
''the unknown adept" and he, or she,
wore heavy veil at the ceremony.
The marriage ceremony was perform
ed in Aryan hall, and lasted some hours.
A yellow, smoky haze pervaded the
building, which it afterward proved
was from the burning of incense in the
hall below. The Inner Council of the
l,r.1. D,I laa alnNf T1aaNr
are fourteen in number, and they sat
in a semi-cipcle. In the center Of the
platform, directly behind the tree of
life, sat the Yelled One. On the right
of the Yelled One sat E. T. Hargrove,
president Of the Visible Society. The
bridegroom, Mr.. Wright, sat on the left
When all had taken their respective po-
sitions and the lights and other prop
critics were arranged TO the satisfaction
Of the Inner Council the meeting (ac-
cording to the press agents reporD was
begun with the chanting of certain
mystical sounds
At this time there were nearly 200
persons in the hall. all Of whom were
members Of the Occult Body. After the
chanting had proceeded long enough it
was stopped and President Hargrove
arose and addressed the meeting. He
said among other things: This after
Moons ceremony is in part revival Of
an old rite. The garments and emblems
worn are not for display, but are used
to hide the personal form and TO start
vibrations by means of color and motion
that will be far reaching in their effect
and beneficial to all concerned. The
sounds you will hear are not to provoke
applause or to please the ear; they, too,
are vibrations, and they, too, belong TO
the magic Of antiquity, which it will
before long become our duty to revive"
President Hargrove was followed by
Miss Alice Cleather, and then Mrs.
Julia Campbell Yer Plank Keightley,
daughter of Supreme Court Justice
Campbell of Pennsylvania, read the per-
nit of the inner circle sanctioning the
ceremony.
After the reading of the permits the
assembly engaged in silent meditation,
which was suddenly interrupted by SOL
emn mystical music on cello, the door
opened and the bride appeared. Miss
Leonard, the press agent says. is slight,
willowy and blonde, with bright blue
eyes and a face with spiritual charac-
teristics. She wore a snow white Gre
clan gown of nuns yelling, girded at
the waist with a white silk cord. She
had no ornaments other than plain
diamond ring and carried no flowers.
Following the bride and her chap
erone came Genevieve Mercedes Gwen
dolyn Kluge, of Newark, four and a
half years old, the "only child in the
world who is a member of the Occult
Body" She carried a basket of cut
lotus flowers, and was also robed in a
white Grecian gown.
AS the bride approached the platform
Mr.. Wright arose and started forward
to meet the bride. The groom wore a
black frock coat, dark
trousers, lavender tie and patent leath-
er shoes. When bride and groom met
they joined hands and walked up TO the
tree OF life, where they stood before the
Yelled One.
The occult little Miss Genevieve walk
ed forward with her basket of lotus
flowers and held it out to the Yelled
One. He or she fumbled in the basket
and pulled out a parchment roll, which
he or she handed to Mrs. Keightley, one
of the inner council. The latter read
the roll aloud. In it the happy couple
pledged themselves to continue together
in the work Of the lodge and TO bend all
their energies in the uplifting of human
ity to the end OF all time. After the
reading of the pledge the Adept again
fumoled in the basket of flowers and
brought forth ring alleged to possess
occult properties. Without saying
word he or she solemnly placed the ring
on the third finger of the brides left
hand; then took the left hand of each
and held them for a few moments with
in his or her own hands. The inner
council arose as he did this and chant
ed mystical sounds" This chant was
fifteen times in sets of five. A
deep silence followed the chanting, dur
ing which the Yelled One was working
his Will power to strengthen the bond
Of matrimOny between the two souls on
a spiritual plane. After doing that he
sat down on a chair.
Three violins and the cello struck up
q march which was described by one
the Theosophists as a strangely af-
fecting strain that seemed to strike a |
chord within the soul Of everybody |
present"
Then, two by two. the members ad- |
vanced and silently shook hands with |
the newly married couple. Miss Leon
ards mother was the first. This ended |
the Theosophical ceremony and the as
departed.
The couple were afterward legally |