The San Francisco call., 1897-03-07


aust, but every one must reverentially
own that he is the press agent of
the century. The willy old fellow has not
made a single convert by his new play
"Spiritism" (Spiritualism). and his fellow
mediums are pained and disguised beyond
measure at his banat treatment OF mani
festations," but what does Sardou care? He
has secured whole lots, acres-square
miles of free advertising, in the French
papers, and as consequence on the OPEN
ing night, at the Renaissance in Paris
spiritualists and skeptics almost fought
one another to get into the theater to see
"Spiritism."
The play was produced simultaneously
on this side by Charles Frohman, but
there are no press agents in New York
like Sardou to keep the thing booming, SO
discussions on Spiritualism have not
crowded the bonn bardment in Crete and
the Mckinley inauguration out of the
American papers. In Paris the press for
weeks devoted whole pages to Spiritual
Manifestations Through Mr.. Sardou's
Eyes" lis Sardou Really Medium ?"
etc, etc. Sardou cunningly started the
controversy by declaring that "Spiritism"
This was the signal for fight on the pros
and cons of Spiritualism, in which oceans
of printers ink were shed. The contro-
versy lasted for weeks, but Sardou knew
how TO keep mp interest to the bitter end.
Just before the first performance it was
declared that all the performers had be-
come converted to the new religion by
dint of re hearsing "Spiritism." Fremont
recalled that he had once turned tables,
Laroche was shaken in his unbelief, and
even the divine Sarah showed a hitherto
unexpected yearning for the occult. On
the day of the last rehearsal at the Re-
naissance Sardou gathered his actors
round him and told them how and why
he became a Spiritualist The recital oc-
cupied columns and columns of type, and
as he had taken care that the great dra-
matte critics were there too, Sardou had
the pleasant experience next day Of see
ing the budding aspirations OF Prince
George of Greece showed into obscure cor
ners of the newspapers and ''Mr. Sardou
Tells How He Became a Spiritualist"
given O place Of honor.
Curiosity to see the play was intense,
and spirituaIists and skeptcs wed with
one another to get seats first, but as
"Spiritism" unrolled its somewhat weary
length. it did not succeed in convincing
any one: the un believers remained bru-
tally skeptical, and in the foyer between
the acts they said "It is Sarah who makes
the play Isn't she great; younger and
greater than everl"
The Spiritualsts whispered among
themselves that Sardou had committed
grave fault against the new religion,
making a spectacle of it, and exposing
the high and noble manifestations of
spirits to the laughter of fools-this will
certainly bring him some occult chastise-
ment." AS an aftermath to the great
Sardou-S piritualist controversy the French
papers are asking: What will Sardou's
occult chastisement be?'
There is nothing mean or bigoted about
Sardou; he lets the Spiritualists and their
opponents in his play have full fling to
argue, and counter-argue, till the audience
wonders where it will all end-at least he
does this in the French version. have
not seen Mr.. Frohman's adaptation. The
hero of "Splritism," d'Aubenas, is a
gentleman with more taste for getting
switched on to the spirits OF his late
Iamented relatives than for holding sweet
converse with Simone, his living wife.
The fair Simone so resents this invidious
distin ction that when the play opens she
Is on the eve of fight with Roumanian
adventurer, Mikhael Stroudza. The fol-
lowing conversation, which passes in
d. Aubenas' villa, is a sample OF what
Simone fed from. The takers are
dAubenas, DR.. Davidson, Scotch me-
dunn; DR.. Parisot, an obstinate old fell
low who won't go to seance for fear of
being converted, and Des AuDiers, friend
of d'Aubenas:
Parisot (scornfully taking off his Gloves
You have seen DR.. Davidson perform?
D'Aubenas-Three times. The first three
seances were curious, nothing more, but that
OF yesterday was startling.
Parisot Sitting on the lounge)-Mere trick
cry.
D'Aubenas-Judge for yourself. This table,
which had done nothing more than turn and
answer our questions by very distinct taps,
suddenly stole away from the contact OF our
hands and turned by itself all round the room;
then it rose up high from the floor, and after
having f1oated in the air for some seconds fell
back softly onto the carpet.
Parisot (still keptical)-An that I suppose
took place in total darkness?
D'Aubenas-Not at all, it was as light as it
Is now.
Des Aubiers Ginning in)-I felt a touch on
my shoulder and by instinct felt the place and
my hand came in contact with another.
Parisot-Made of fiber.
Des Aubiers-A hand of flesh, warm, supple,
palpitating. 1 drew away my hand and the
other stretched itself out and touched Mares
cots head. He cried out
Msrescot-That is 10 say
Des AFubiers-I mean he howled out-after
which the hand grasped that of Mr.. d'Aube-
mas, who seized 1t and tried 10 hold 1t, but it
melted away in his grasp and dissolved into
Tapor.
D'Aubenas-That's so.
Parisot-Was that all?
D'Aubenas-Oh, no. Directly after the clock
began TO strike little, silvery strokes like the
beating of an insects wings.
Parisot-Oh, some night-moth imprisoned
in the works OF the clock. AS for the rest
table-turning, the taps aud responses-there
cular impulse. And the hand-cerebraI ex-
citement, auto-suggestion.
Des AubieTs-Oh, excuse me. excuse mel We
heard and saw for ourselves.
The controversy RACES until it assumes the
ponderous reasonings of a college debate, as
you will see from the following, which is
hurled at the unbelieving Parisors head by
DR.. Davidson:
"The most learned men, the most compe tent
men, those who carry the most weight of au-
thorify on account of position and character,
believe in manifestations. Only to quote Eng
land as an examDle doctors DhySiOlOCists