The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-04
LADIES' AFTERNOON AT THE
PROVIDENCE ART CLUB

Ladies' afternoon al the Provideinc
Art club. yesterday. was characterized b
the usual large and fashionable attend
ance OF women OF artistic and literar,
tastes who find always a stimulous o
the most refined type in the lectures o.
musicals which are afforded at these reg
ular fortnightly functions.
| The lecture OF yesterday was of excep
uonal interest and the lecturer, Prof. f.
& Delebarre OF Brown University. won
| the absorbing and delighted attention OF
his hearers as he dscoursed upon a time
ly and intensely interesting theme viz.
The Scientific Attitude of Popular Mar.
vels."
In the term popular marvels" Prof.
Deiabarre included such phenomena as
clairNoyance, table tipping, slate writing,
signs and omens. telepathy or mind read
ing. suggestion or hypnotism, etc.
All these mysteries were clearly ex-
plalned by the speaker from the stand
point OF the psychologist to the intense
interest OF all present.
In part he said:
science looks upon the world as a
realm of law, in which everything occurs
by reason OF definite and Invariably work
ing forces. The law OF cause and effect
applies without exception TO all the activ-
tiles OF the physical world, including even
those or our bodies and brains The phe-
nomena OF mind are also fully subject TO
the rule or law, in spite of their seeming
self-dcFendence.
Much as the scientific attitude has per-
vaded common thought the latter does
not yet appreciate its full meaning and
significance There is still a large dispo-
a h.1fx T. -
occult forces of a kind not recognized by
science, and TO deny the adequacy of the
explanation applied by the latter to n
great variety of mysterious and appar-
entity marvellous occurrences.
Before we can proftably examine the
relative justification OF the scientific or of
the popular attitude toward these ques-
tons. ii is necessary 10 become familiar
with few well-established but popularity
little known principles.
ID NO tale OF the apparently marvel
Gus can possibly be correct The fully es-
tablished laws OF observation and OF !
memory guarantee the approximate and
practical accuracy of our careful narra- |
tion or FAMILIAR occurrences, but at the !
same time render IL inevitable that unus- |
1al and apparently wonderful occurrences |
cannot be correctly and adequa tely report !
I'd. Either much that is essential TO cor
'ect judgment Of the facts is unavoidably
cit out, or even, as often unintentionaliy
occurs, conviction arises that facts oc- |
'urred I'm manner actually different /
rom their real nature. That such errors
II omission and commission are natural |
ma unavoidable is shown by a great body
n evidence. One Of the best proofs i'm ex-
stence is furnished by the experiments of 1
hr. Davey. reported in the Proceedings
II the Society for Psychical Research. He
ried experiments In apparent spirit
late-wrting,' actually produced by Jug
'lery; and he had accounts of the occur
ences Immediately afterward written out
" persons Of all grades OF intelligence.
'hese accounts clearly show how abso-
utely inevitable are errors OF both kinds
Mentioned. Further Illustrations are fur
ished By the unavodably dscrepant ac-
cunts of the same events witnessed by
inerent persons, and by reports OF the
erformances Of professional mystifers,
uch as Kellar. Baldwin. and all public
piritistic mediums.
'12). Actual facts may easily be attrib-
ted to wrong causes. Instances of this
re the wide belief IN signs and omens.
he belief that colds are usually due to