The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-23
NEW PROPHET HAS
ARISEN IN GOTHAM
He Advises Women to Fast and
Get Away From the Bosom
of Their Families

Another prophet has arisen in New
York to tell people hoY to become god
like and get along without eating,
which latter process he evidently re-
CARDS as degrading and unpleasant.
He seemed to take it for granted that
the group of women he addressed de-
sired to rise above food. Whether they
did or not they listened with attention
and some curiosity to the remarks Of
this advocate of fasting who had prob
ably fortified himself with a square
meal before he began his discourse.
From the frequency with which have
recorded the preaching of new doc
trines in New York to audiences COM
posed of women, one would suppose
that the feminine portion of the popu-
lation were yearning for a new system
Of ethics and so it would seem. Men
with no settled employment and glib
tongues have not overlooked the op-
portunity afforded by said yearning.
Consequently almost any morning
there are women gathered together to
hear a preachment from good looking
young man with message. He is al
most always good looking, which helps
a little.
This message which he felt impelled
to pass on-but not give away-was
for the spiritualiZing of folk by the
elimination Of food. OF course a man
who was mystic in his thought would
not care to be concerned with so Yul-
gar a thing as money, and in paying
the mystic young gentleman it was
done in a way which would not shock
his refinement. His only thought was
the ultimate uplifting of his fellow
women. A prophet rarely meets up
with masculine audience for reasons
beyond this department After this de-
scription who can wonder that he was
listened to with breathlesS attention:
Mr.. Purinton is slim and young,
blue-eyed, long hair parted exactly in
the middle, pink-faced, Velvety voiced
and cherubic." Now, isn't he a cute
little prophet? No wonder the women
decided on the spot to fast and do
everything he said. Indeed one wom-
an announced that she wanted to kiss
him, but she didn't 1t wouldn't have
been ethical. although the point was
not submitted to him, and he might
have thought differently. He was first
introduced to fame as a member Of
MIR. Rockefeller's Bible class, but soon
broke away from that and began to
think out thoughts for himself. These
are few of the things he said to the
admiring audience:
You may want to fast" he said,
"and you must know what you are
fasting for. That is very important.
But you must be careful. The psychic
surge which comes over the soul when
you fast for the first time-well, it is
wonderful. 1t may be hell you know,
so you must be careful" All the nice
ladies said "Oh," and looked shocked,
and to be sure it was bold thing for
dear little prophet to say a bad word
right out before everybody. But after
the first shock the women rather liked
,i,NIx. foo
lost by it. And surely psychic surge
is so good that we can forgive him a
great deal. Then he said:
Most human souls have nothing to
stand on. That is their trouble. When
they fast, we'll, it's awful at first. 1
know. Your soul is alone, all alone.
Get away from the bosom Of your
high mountain and do without your
clothes and lie on the earth" This is
rather shocking and perhaps 1t would
be we'll to change the subject but the
women were much impressed and the
little prophet realized he was a spell
binder. He beamed and the women
gurSled. Some one Of the audience
plucked up courage to ask him what he
gained by fasting and he said: THAT
is good point. / am glad you asked
that. Well, 1 wrote 200 poems in the
next two months. And, yes, 1 did get
what L wanted, although 1t did not
come exactly the way I wanted 1t.
got power, for have the soul of Yogi
and the brain of a business man."
Then the paper says the prophet came
down off his perch and made a rush
for the audience. He was not content
with shaking the sisters by the hand,
but wanted TO pat them on the back
and called them dear" More than
that he wished TO introduce them to his
sHnriznniY10C
are a few little things which he dashed
off after fasting for a time. He thinks
thirty days is the proper length of time
to fast. If he gets off with ninety days
he will be doing well.