The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-01-05
! Mr.. K, NEW YORK
AStory Of Hypnotism.
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| OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Astral body was not an expression
entirely without meaning for me when
first met Simcox. If any one had
then asked me what the term meant,
I would certainly have made some at
tempt to define it, although my deini-
ton would just as certainly have been
vague and unsatisfactory.
1t was through Clarence that met
Simcox. The two had been friends in
Ceylon, as understood, though how
or why l never knew, and it always
seemed strange. Clarence's business in
Ceylon was coffee planting, and it
seemed that Simcox's was astral bod
les. The only natural thing about
their old acquaintance seemed to be
that Clarence always knew queer peo-
pie, and surely Simcox was queer.
"Why, how old do you take me to
beT he asked me suddenly one day,
when I had said that something or
other had happened before his time.
And when l answered that he looked
to me to be about 40 he laughed quite
heartily.
1t so happened that this conversation
took place Us we were walking to-
gether to Madison square, where we
were to visit an exhibition of paint.
ings, old and modern.
When we had spent about half
hour ranging through the galleries,
| Simcox and found ourselves standing
before O portrait of n Spanish prince,
who, believe, lived somewhere about
the time of Queen Elizabeth. The
figure was dressed in armor. except for
the head, which was bare and showed
a fine head of dark chestnut hair.
"This is the picture 1 wanted you to
see," said Simcox. Lets sit down Oh
this settee and take It all In"
I ea,sld not remember that Simcox
| had said anything to me about seeing
any picture in particular.
well, what do you think of it?" Sim
cox asked me presently.
"Fine," l said.
II suppose it is," said Simcox. II sup
pose it is fine. People have been saying
that about 1t for 800 years. l suppose
oil the lords and ladies of the Spanish
court said it was fine when they first
saw it. l wasn't there
you're not quite so old as all that?'
I interjected, thinking Of the mystery
| Of his age.
mo" he said. smiling, mot quite SO
old. And l wouldn't have been at the
court of Spain either. But there is one
criticism the lords and ladies might
have made, though 1 never heard that
they did"
"What's that?"
"Simply that it isn't true to life"
"But you don't mean to say it isn't
| lifelike" 1 said In establishment.
what mean is that it isn't as much
like the original as it might have been.
1t would have been just as easy for
Velasquez to have made it perfectly
true. don't see why he didn't never
did. On the whole, 1t doesn't flatter
his highness. His jaw was not nearly
such a cruel looking square thing as
that. And yet the painter has taken
the trouble to curl and lengthen and
uduulAy TIC muoIASAC uiuOol Oui Va
| recognition"
"Why, Simcox." said, "you talk as
| II you knew the original in the fleshr'
"Well," he said, 81 don't and l do.
You see, my dear fellow, to know a
mans astral body is about the same
thing as knowing the man In what you
| call the hesh.' You use the crude term
| Of q wornout medieval philosophy. An
| astral body may produce at times a
faint impression on the eye. but it
stands to reason 1t must be exact"
1t occurred to me at this point that
| Simcox needed fresh air. l had never
before heard any one talk in this glib.
| matter Of fact way about astral bodies.
Either Simcox was crazy or there was
something uncanny about him. in spite
| Of his brisk. happy. everyday manner.
"Oh. you're surprised. are you?" he
said, chuckling to himself II might
have guessed that a man who talks
about knowing people in the flesh
would be. Let's have a practical dem
onstration."
"Good heavens l exclaimed. "You
don't mean to tell me that you are 60
ing to raise the ghost of this old Span.
iard?"
| ST don't raise ghosts" Simcox an
swered. with some Impotence, "or be-
lieve in them. But if you are going to
get fidgety. and as this is public
place, let's 20 to my rooms.
flake one more good look at the pic
ture before you CO." he said, land pay
| particular attention to the chin, mus
tache and eyes. l want you to see If
I'm not right In my criticism"
When we got to his rooms and l had
seated myself as comfortably as my
nervous state CT mind would allow,
Simcox busted himself rummaging in
the drawers of roll top writing desk.
81 don't nee1 any very elaborate ap-
paratus, you See" he said. ''but there
Is one thing somewhere in these draw
ers, II can only find it. that ought to
help a good deal. All, here 1t is"
He produced what | at first took to
be a glass paperweight. On closer in
spection 1t turned out to be Iapanese
crystal ball, very clear and exquisitely
rounded, but not mounted on any cary
ed stand, like most of those have
seen.
"Just hold this, will you" he said.
I took the crystal in my hand.
You had better sit here" he said,
with your back to the window.
want the light to come over your shout,
der"
ought to say that in that window
frame there was no curtain of any
kind, only a brown holland window
blind, which was rolled up. In front
Of me as I sat with my back. to the
upht WAS nothing but an omen carpeted