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* *

THE

"WONDERFUL STORY
OP

EAVALETTE
ALSO,

TOM CLARK AND HIS WIFE,

AND THE CURIOUS THINGS THAT BEFELL THEM;

BEING

THE ROSICRUCIAN'S STORY.

By
"The
P. B.

RANDOLPH.

of genius are often the vehicles of the sublimest verities, and its flashes often open new regions of thought, and throw new light on Channing. the mysteries of our being."
fictions

BOSTON

RANDOLPH PUB
1871.

CO

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by the

In the

RANDOLPH PUBLISHING CO

office

of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington,

D c

INTRODUCTORY.
In presentin
this

book and

its

fellow,

"Tom

the curious things that Clark and his wife, and

befell

world, no one can be more them," to the

alive

latter third of the ninefact that this is the to the

that the present teenth century;

is,

emphatically,

Utilitarianism, Revolution, era of the grandest the

Belief, yet one of wild, credulous matter-of-fact,

the most intense

and stubborn Doubt

is

that the world

ever knew,

than

writer of the following the

it

extraordinary tale

for so

has been pronounced

itics
it
it

ablest male and female hundreds of the by

who

the perusal of sought and obtained

long

thought of offering the writer even before

publishers,

to the

who
its

have presented

it

to the world of

readers in

entertaining garb. present

The

apologies to make, no excuses writer has no

3

INTRODUCTION
\

offer, for to

opeu a daring to

new field

m the world

of

or for
ti-i

departing from the wornwholly

of th

novel of the century Staple"

clear of
??

gteerin.L'

entir ly

War,

Passion,

Mui
\
1

lei

Prisons, and renge, Politics,

Prussic

in the author's be irnm.l inquiry

tlirr

mind was
actual,

Is

inch

thing

as

ibsolute,

unmissacred,

.ikabl

Magic,
o in

Midi as

we read of

in

and

al

profane

history?

not the

ordinary

amf>i<l

tml,
in

chemical

jugglery,

vulgarly called

th
;.

davs; but the real, old,

mys-

is

tliii

whereof we read in old black-letter

no

uch as ornament
the late
I

my

study-shelves to-day,

an<l \vh

General Hitchcock had such

alas
!

pi

ndid c

loot ion

scattered to the

wii

1-

and own d by hundreds wholly unqualified

rly

l>r

appreciate them.
pi

Utterly repudiating

the absin
'harlot
n

en ions of the vast

herd of modern

who hang out their signs on the corners,

credulous passers-by to

and

te

come

in

and get

INTRODUCTION

their
glass,

"

Fortunes told" by means

or

cards, a bit of of

through a
"Tips,"

feigned

"trance,"
or

or

by

Eaps,"

"Writing,"
all

preposterous

"Planchette," and

class of absurd that

mum. . .

mery, the question

still

stands as before.

Far be

it

from

me

spiritual beings to assert that

do not exist, nor that

not permit an

God

Providence does in His

occasional visitation

by them from

above and beyond worlds

sense of immortality the

vale of tears, that this

may

not utterly perish

instruments are

the earth; nor that from

human

not used

to effect that

purpose.

to deride true psydisavow all intention I here

chical

phenomena,

if

such therejpe
life

nor do I quesfor the belief

;

the transmundane tion

in immortality
is

of man,

a part of

my

very being

but,

and deriding the absurd io-norins: the claims, while &""""

of modern Eolists * of the vast majority pietensions
repeat the question I
:

any positive means Is there

few can penetrate whereby even a favored or ways

mysterious veil that the

hangs

like

an iron pall

INTRODUCTION.

between the great

nitely greater

human multitude and the

Is

infi

Beyond?

possible
to

to

break

through the awful barrier

the Night-Curtain that screens
the

glimpse through

and shrouds us from

*

Phantom- World

if

such there be.

" Deep the gulf that hides the dead,

Long and dark

the

way they

tread."

Can
it

know
ets

it

Can we by any possibility scan

are

Nor

we
;

alone

propoundin

jue-tions

these

for every intelligent per-

son, at

*
rh

some period or other, puts them to himself

neighbor, but, in the majority of cases, vainly.

writei* hereof, like
yp

the great

mass of peopl
the result

as

often

Propounded

these

queries

being a conformed

and

indurated

pticism
pt
>

which

scepticism was,
the

almost

aw *y by
fully

uthlessly,

xtraordinary

and

fU%

of events

faith

reco ^ed in these pages

R AVALETTE STORY OF THE WONDERFUL

BOOK

I.

CHAPTER

I.

STRANGE MAN. THE

In the moat
high e.nd

palmy days of Rome,

fell,

little

ere the mightiest Julius

The

graves stood tenantless,

and the sheeted dead

Did squeak and gibber in the

Roman

streets."

And

he sat

him down

the side of the road. wearily by

Wearily, for he had

far that day. journeyed

He was

foot,

exhausted by reason powers were nearly sore, and his bodily His looks undergone. privation he had of the want and

haggard, and a were

pathetic pall,

gloomy and

tearfnl,

hung

and

floated around

sensibly felt by, all invisible to, but him,

who
was

or gazed upon him. lingered near,

he.

A sorrowful

man

And
him

npon the

he leaned his head there by the roadside, as he sat and as he bowed he held in his hand ; which
staff

the great salt down,

tears gushed from between

his fin-

the ground at his feet. gers, and watered

In other days the

KAVALETTE.
up
there,

plant of sorrow, sprung cypress,

and throve

in sad

and

urnful

beauty,

as

if

to

mark and guard the

up
his

spot

whereon the strong

aloud

man had
time.
i

lifted

and wept

once upon a
b

This w

many

years

and

this

was the occasion on

which

be

ime acquainted with the personage

who

figures

so remarkably in this volume.*

practically accepted,
gi

At

that time the writer

reli-

but mentally disbelieved, all the

us

and

fchologic faiths of
1

Christendom

and, had any

n hint

at certain mysterious possibilities that

have

ir

then
ily

been verified and demonstrated, I should most

have laughed in his face, and have reckoned him

or idiot.

np as a
thai.

first-class fool

Things have changed

H
*
the
^o.

of middle height,
but,

was neither stout

when

in full flesh,

was a happy medium betw

Hi

head and brain were large, and, from certain

f form,

Peculiari:

really

much more massive than they

8pl

''tirPil

The

kull

was long and narrow at the base

but above that line the brain
indicating great
al force, it

V> ially al

ut the

--' i 1*.
"

hntmodera

powers of

endura^

ph)

* * h<>

being clearly apparent

d -trueture snstained

itself

eXpCnSe 0f och 0Hra,+-

a great degree

*
.

muscles, his nervnn system, as in all

Then

wtl tUra" y
I;'

*** m rbidly
r

aCQte

^^j, nothing about Wm dther

-sitive.

UBBkO pi

th?

8 !

" "" PrtnciMl

ta the

rom ao.

PORTRAIT OF THE MAN.

coarse, brutal,

9
he

low or vulgar, and

if,

in the race of

life,

exhibited any of those

bad

qualities, it

was attributable to

the rough circumstances attendant upon him, aud the treat-

ment he received from the world.

frank, benevolent

By

nature he was open,

and generous to a
his

fault,

and of these

traits

men

availed

themselves to

sorrow.

With abundant

capacity to successfully grapple with the most profound and

abstruse questions of philosophy or metaphysics, yet this

man
Such

was

totally incompetent to

conduct matters of the least busiability.

ness, requiring

even a very moderate financial

are nature's contradictions, such her law of compensation.

As a

consequence, this man, with abilities universally con-

ceded to be good, was the ready victim of the first plausible " friend M who borrowed knave that came along, from the
half his cash, and

undertook to invest the balance

seller

and

kept the whole, to the

of his books,

who wronged

him of both time and money. His complexion was tawny, resembling that of the Arab
children of Beyroot and Damascus.

The shape and

set of

the chin, jaws and

force.

lips,

were indicative rather of power than

upper
lip,

The mouth,

in its slightly protruding

and

two small ridges at the

passion,

corners, betokened executive ability,

courage,

affection,

humor, firmness and

decision.

The cheeks were

slightly sunken, indicating care

and trou1,

ble, while the cheek-bones,

being somewhat high and bro:

as did also
his

betrayed his aboriginal

ancestry,

general

beardlessness, for, save a tuft beneath the chin of jet black

silky hair,

and a thin and light mustache, he could lay no

1*

10

EAVALETTE.
His nose, which had been

claim to hirsute distinction.

broken by a

fall

when a
1

child,

was neither large nor

no respect remarkable

small,
;

and as a simple

iture,

was

in

but
for

en with the other features, wl

was most decidedly

so,

uc er the influence of passion, excitement or emotion

ribable

ben was an ndc

nostrils that told

something about the

alae

and

you that a volcano slumbered in that man's

only

brain
r

and

heart,
a

quired a touch, a vent

it

dirtcti
1

ke

fires

and cause

it

to blaze forth
passive
>

Vein

transforming him
ir

in

an instant from

in

'

i,

into

embodiment of virtuous chamtrue,

pi

Mhip

he

that
fury.

was

or into a

demon
:

of

hatred and vim

tvil

The good prevailed

onlysave
in

for the

V
of
*t. '..

w:i

ever a spasm
here he

a very few

fed cases

had suffered wrongs, deep and griev

*t

/%

ids
If

of

men whose meanness and

him

duplicity

toward

he only discovered

when they had gained

ii,

'

points and ruined

Thew

d be

batedand
His
feeling

yet

.1

-<*

not convey the true idea. hi was a craving

for,
1

was

exact justice for on U

p..
.

and determination to
ill

wrongs.

wmim

nt

from an acoi

WM
d.

This satisfied, his

will died

or rather

eye-for one was nearly

a deep, dark hazel, and such

cribin 6 jet black. UiaCK.

habit of

w '

'

'
f

*4 and
n

1 It shone
let

3troagely magnetic

he had
11

r\T 'N'l.c
,

U,ged WOTds f

when he

the rostrum, for

speaker i his time, and of fame on that field

had

PRE-EXISTENCE.

11

Once seen and heard,

this

man was

whom
all

was
other

impossible ever to forget, so different

was he from

men, and so marked and peculiar were his characteristics.

Such, in
the reader
brief,
is

were the externals of the person to

whom
knew
is

here introduced.

A
nim

very singular
well.

man was he
we

the

Rosicrucian

Many an

hour, subsequent to that in which he

here introduced, have

sat together beneath the grateful

shade of some glorious old elm on the green, flowery banks

of Connecticut's silver stream, and under some towering

dome palm

beside the

bosom of

still

older Nilus,

in the
all

hoary land of the Pharaohs, of magic and of myth, he

the while pouring into

my

ear strange, very strange legends

indeed

legends of Time and

my
thirsty

the other side of

the

Time

all

of

which

soul

drank

parched earth

drinks in the grateful showers, or the sands of Zin the tears

of weeping clouds.

And

these tales, these legends put to

shame the wildest

haunted Hartz.
hint

fictions

of

Germany and

the terror-

Particularly

was I struck with a half

lips,

that

once escaped his

earth,

to the effect that

some

men on
*

the

himself

among

the number, had predistinctly re-

existed

on

this sphere,
localities,

and that at times he

membered

persons and events that were cotempo-

rary with him before he occupied his present form, and

consequently that his real age exceeded that even of Ahasuerus, the

Jew, who,

in the dolorous road,

mocked the

Man
an

of Calvary, as he bore his cross up the steep and stony way,

for which leze majeste he

was doomed to walk the

earth,

12

EAVALETTE.
that

outcast and vagabond, from

hour

till

Shiloh comes,

according to the legends of Jewry.-

My

friend,

during our intimacy, often spoke concerning

white magic, and incidentally insisted on his curious doctrine

of transmigration.
souls

Nor was

this all

He
ipied

taught that the

of people sometimes vacated their bodies for

weeks

together, during which they

other

that of a permanently disembodied

man

of earth

that of an inhabitant of the aereal spaces,

who,

embodied, roamed the earth at

will.

He, when

closely

questioned, declared his firm belief that

he had lived

down

through

many

ages,

and that for reasons

live

known

to himself.

he was doomed to
other Rosicrucian

like the

great Artefiusthat

consummated act (wherein

4

buo from

he was to be involuntarily an active party) should

it

As
peared

and permit him to share the lot of other

a consequence of his dissimilarity

men
he ap

from

have been endowed with certain powers, among ""6 which was a s mui Strang
'

hyper-mental

fraudulent
orld

clairvoyance

not the
off

claimed

by the swindlers of the large ues ' aua otuers s cities, and others of the same kidnov K, SOmethiBg anala that attributed to the
,

and palmed

upon the

^!:1" Pnestesses

Power, which wn,

and d,,cril,

IT
things,

of Delph S P

^*

*"
,

"'

and

Delos -

This

Med him

to behold

widest gulfs of

Persons and events,

even across the

thoughts of the

and to read the secret history and

"*

P-

as

e^T'
7 aS
lf Yt

Self"P0SSGSSed
sc

and subtle

wei'e a printed

When

HIS MYSTIC SEEESHIP.

13

this ecstasy

was on him he looked as

if,

at that moment, he

beheld things forever sealed from the majority of eyes, and

that too both with and without his wonderful magic mirror.

At

first

I doubted his pretensions, mentally referred them to

until they

an abnormal state of mind, and,

were abundantly

demonstrated, laughed at the preposterous idea, as I considered

it,

of any one seriously claiming such extraordinary

powers
ian era.

in the middle of the nineteenth century of the Christ-

As

previously remarked, his complexion told that

direct

he

which
if

jast seven distinct strains of

blood intermingled,
in

they

did

not perfectly blend.

Save when

high health and

spirits,

and weather extremely cold

color

at which times he

was

palehis

was a

rich, light

bronze, like that of the

youngsters one sees in such profusion, scampering like

mad

through the narrow and tortuous streets of Syrio- Arabic

demanding " Bucksheesh"

every Frank they

With

his large, broad,

high brain, arched and open brow,

his massive, elliptical

and angular top-head, he was a marked

man, and when

ystic

his soul

was at high
and
fire,

tide,

and

his

deep and

ipirations

thrilled

filled

him to the brim

like the
its

eye beamed
s,

unearthly
scintillated

glowed

orbs of

and

a light peculiarly

own.

Who-

him then never forgot the

sight, for

he seemed

have the power of glancing instantaneously through the

world

Time, space

eryth

Jud 6 llJ 5
it

by

his

speech alone, one would have thought his education

cer-

might not have been altogether neglected, but that

14
tainly

EAVALETTE.
and quality entirely different from that was of a kind

usually received in Christian lands.

if

There was very

little,

any, polish about

him

that he lacked urbanity

teousness or smoothness

not

that he was rude or rough in

forest

any way, but

lake
lie
app<

his placidity

was that of the

of

that of the boudoir or the schools

polit*

was extremely enigmatical, and the most so

red most frank
:

when he
life

that pertained to his inner

and world

and was

phynx-like to
first

me

at the end of

years' intimacy

than on the

day of our acquaintance

Oriental in perstill

He

had, though poor, travelled extensively

sonal appearance
disposition

and physical

tastes,

he was

more
dreamery

and mind, and in

all

that pertained to

philosophy and the affections.

With

this

descript

of

principal personage of this

now proceed

to sketch another part of the

man

CHAPTER
HIS EARLY DAYS

II.

THE

STRANGE LEGEND

A.nd there sat the

man

at the side of the road

mournfully, silently weeping

the
and

strange man
!

sat there

as if his

heart would break, and not from slight cause was he sorrowing.

Not from

present want of food, shelter, or raiment, but

full,

because his heart was

its

fountains overflowing.

The world had

called

him a

genius,
all

and as such had petted,

at once
; ;

praised, admired,

and starved him

all

but not one

grain of true sympathy

true disinterested

the while

not a single spark of

friendship.

The great multitude had

last

gathered about him as city sight-seers gather round the

new

novelty in the
tails,

museum

child with

two heads, a dog

with two

or the Japanese mermaid

duly compounded
in all
his

of codfish and
spection,
loneliness

monkey

and

then, satisfied with their inleft

they

turned from, and

all

him

deep

and misery,

the more bitter for the transient

light of

sympathy thrown momentarily upon him.

treated, else
it

Genius
heart,

must be sympathetically and daily

eats its

own

dies a painful, lingering death.

Throwing
triple
life,

aside all his theories about pre6xistence,

and

as being too recondite for either

his

my

readers or

myself,

we come

matter-of-fact his15

16

KAVALETTE.
eight years of age he

tory.

At

had been christened

of Beverly.

in the
his

Roman
father
bitiou5

Catholic Church, by the

name

From
an

hero inherited little save

restless

a lofty
ptibility

spirit,

am

nature,

and a
it

to

passional

great that
fluence during his entire

was a permanent and positive

His
fifth

life.

year began and comall

pleted the only school education the

his

boy ever had, and for

subsequent attainments in that direction he

was indebted
little
:

to his

own unaided

exertions.

His father loved him

his

mother loved him as the apple of her eye

because being born with a
old 0
e^ full

and

all

the more

and complete

set of teeth,

ips

and venerable grey-beards augured a strange and

;

Qtfu] career

beside which, certain singular spectral visi,

his

ktioM and experiences of

the

mother, ere, and shortly after

young eyes opened on the world, convinced her that he bora to no common destiny-much of which has already
detailed at length in

been

"Dhoula Bel

or the

Magi

<;iol,e

or three and twenty years prior to the open of this tale, there lived at what

Two

then

No. 10 Canal

>w

York
sippi

city,

f a

woman whose complexion wasThat

native of

had *

n, put
'.

Vermont

^U
"'l in

lHon of being the

fflost

beaut

fui

.ndeed she
re

woman
Her mind
was
in femi

was surpassed anywhere

Dd

.11!"

HW ;;

the main

** 1 TWy

as
to
-

her person

** *e had been a checkered

for

Unha PPy ne,

Nation, character and acquirements -4ements, were such a demand a broads (,- ,, h gher bettCT -oehl sphere than what

her refinement

'

THE MOTHER.

17

and moved in. Anpecuniary want, she now occupied from she was maritally mismatched of unrest was that
other cause
years of absence, during for her husband, after altogether, and contracted a second had deemed him dead, which she had suddenly returned, with the father of her boy, alliance receive one particle of that moment did she and never from
that domestic love and symher heart yearned for what which alone can render life the matron's due, and pathy, ever thorny pathway to the the rugged,

a blessing, and smooth

tomb.

kindred with the redBeverly claimed immediate Flora but that blood in her sons of the northern wilderness, skinned derived from her anceswith the finer current
veins mingled
tor, the

Cid

of royal blood that

the foretime

had

nerved noble-souled

men

of valor, and fired the to deeds

achievements in the rosy fields Spanish poets to lofty souls of tenderly rearedperhaps She had been song. of immortal and wonderful beauty, flashing sofor her strange too much and lustrous eyes, and world from her large out upon the and movement, had been from every feature beaming forth

become marked such that she had looking upon her as a and her parents,
in

community from early

special pro-

childhood,

vidence to them,

had

qualities in her that unwisely cultured

held in abeyance. better have been had spoiled God's handiwork they had nearly solicitude

By

over-care and

morbid

and she grew up

queen

mperious,

self-willed, exacting,

and

married, and She

to find herself the expected

delight, wherein her

unalloyed joy and of a realm of centre

18

KAVALETTE. The man she wedded took her

a perfect heaven in
its

reign would be undisputed.

for her beauty, expecting to realize

possession

Both were bitterly disappointed.

The man

could appreciate only the external and superficial qualities

and excellences of
self

his wife,

while her inner, higher, better

her
;

soul,

was a

terra incognita to him, which, like so

ma ny other husbands, he never even once dreamed of exploring

he had no idea whatever of the inestimable qualities of

her heart, intellect, or spirit,

and he had never found out

gives

that her body

gifts

is

the least a

woman

awaythat

she has

o regal for the

man

she loves, that glittering

diamonds

an
to

sparkles*, insipid, valueless in

so,

comparison.

A nd
"

the

first

delirious

joy-month over, they both began

awaken

the

man

to the fact that to

him

his wife

was a
a

J rivtty
'"'"
f

doll," the

woman

that her husband

was

whose soul slept soundly beneath the coverlets of

:

'<1

I'^elf

its

victim

and minister

It

she lost heart she despised this surface

<x
its

was

horrible

bloom beneath the terrible weight of the discovery and fearful r nit Married, she had expected to move in i)h *ery far above that which, by the vs of moral

man, and sunk and

'
a?
I
. .

his associates

* ""obe >aib,tbt
r
t

was compelled to occupy

Her
quest

<l on, of

* 0^

her
'

s
f

Her husband was vain of his his latest *"* fa P "*"* bea H,

of her master

It! * ** I
feelinrr
If

T** ^e

*
all

a jockey do ei does
this
is

Of jockey-like

her him

the while

his associates in life

could ap-

A DOUBLE

LIFE.

19

predate that more than royal loveliness which dwells within

the breasts of educated and refined

women

a beauty which
all

eye hath never seen, which eye can never see, but which,
like soft

and

delicate perfume, radiates

it.

from such to

who

are fine enough to perceive

As

a matter of course, she soon grew weary and disgusted

surface-life.

with this

Feeling that she was unappreciated

in-

by the

living

thousands around her, she, with the true

stinct of the Indian,

herself,

spurned their contact,

fell

back upon

and then, with every

tendril of her soul, turned

and
in-

yearned toward the teeming millions of the dead.

She

voked them to her

answered

aid,

and

religiously believed her prayers

as I dp

and

delivering herself

up wholly to

their
life

weird care and guidance, thenceforward lived a double

shadow-life in the world, a real
life in

the phantom land.

heart, just in pro-

True to the natural

instinct of the

human

portion as she withdrew from the world, so did she approach

that

awful

veil

which

is

only uplifted for the

sons

and
seer-

daughters of sorrow and the starbeam.

ess,

She became a

a dreamer, and, in what to her was an actual, positive

lordly

communion with the

whereof, in both
' ht

ghosts of the dead nations,

chiefs,

lines,

her forefathers had been

she

that sympathy in her sorrows, and in her strange

internal joys

that

mysterious balm of healing, which the

red

man

in his religion

or

superstition, if

you

will

believes

can only thus and there be had.

sought,

And

she found

what she
soul
it.

or

what to the spontaneous and impulsive

amounts to the same thing, believed that she had found

KAVALETTE
20
difficulty in

At
her

first

she

had some

correctly translating into

and word that which she took language of heart human

of the aerial dwellers of the view* low whisperings to be the

kingdom

of

Manatou

She ardently- longed

for a

more

c<

the dead, and, as herein stated, as well intercourse with open

" as in

Dhoula Bel/' was gratified.

!

P'

Poor Flora
tined

half-child

of Nature

and of Art, was

des-

to

bear a child, and that child the

man

of these

re

volumesin the very midst of the conditions here sketched,

under these conditions he was born.

te

As

already stated,
fires

beneath this

woman's heart

there

slumbered the
less,

of a volcano, intense, fervent, quench-

H
eli

the result alike of her peculiar ancestry

and

peculiar

un

training.

Her

full
it

soul

became re-incarnate in the son she

bore

and with

she

endowed the child with her own

her mystic
spirit,

in-

desire to love

and be loved
all

her

lai

love of mystery

her unearthly aspiration toward unall

Isl

earthly association

her resolute, yet half-desponding,

lar

quick, impulsive, passionate,

in

generous nature

to^
;

all, all,

found

him a

local habitation

and a name, and that name was

gr<
fev

Orenius.

to

Thus moulded came he into the world, doomed from birth strange and bitter experiencesto face alone and unthe bitter b.asts of wintry sterms ,

or

eas

funded

and the burning

mo

the while

of other, . S yet dai 'y ,

'

fT* fading

6MtenCe With ten -fold e tenacity

for
life

the

sile

-dear

life
'

t ,

W rId S
, '

ste

strange contradiction orange contradictic

isl a
,

fading

dai.y, yet

THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

often losing his suit,

21

and being by that world sentenced to

be utterly cast adrift on the fickle tide of Fate and Chance,

and that too with a mind and body acutely

constantly at

sensitive,

and

war with each

is

other.

Compensation
pain, he
lights,

a universal principle.

While so

alive to

was equally so to the jouissant emotions, and his dewhen they came, were keen, fine, e] exquisite, to a

remarkable degree.
ter of this

As
is

man

who
ly life

throwing some light on the characnot a myth, but

here
his

ipeat the substance of

an account himself

gave of

and weird and ghostly experiences.

in

He

had been questioned

regard to certain powers of

kind attributed to him, and the following reply

elicited

When
large,

I was a very young child,

my

mother dwelt

in a

sombre and gloomy old stone house on Manhattan

Island
larg

At
It

was about one quarter as at present, and that house was a long way out of
stands in the same place, but the city has

that time

New York

town.

grown

miles beyond

The
cholera,
it

building, in times of pestilence

fever, smallpox,

and

had been used

as a pest-hous
dis-

or lazaretto, and in
eases,

thousands have died of those

in

and from
its

there,

my

fifth

year,

the soul of

my

motner took

everlasting flight.

" Scores of people there were ready to testify on oath that the oia nouse was haunted by ghosts, who strode grimly and throu rn the solemn, stately halls of that massive
island

But

it

generally happened that the witnesses

EAT ALETTE.

d
Bantr.

spe<

ral visitants

had neither time nor inclination

re one,

to

ttitifite th

quaintan
>

an apothecary named

wl

cursed and

at one of

them on a

certain

whereupon the ghost slapped his face, and comj

:

el

turned and withered his lower

fur
t

jaw by way of

punish-

ment

ieste.

With

this

exception, those

who
an

oe of

hese gbo^
,

9,

invariably
it

had urgent business

in

oppoeil

direct
la

and

was quite surprising with what

derful Bpeed
<

persons got over the

to be around,

ground whenever

wed
a
'

by those who bein^ born

.wl

ov

the face
;

M
j
t v

thereby endowed with the

nlty

and as such gifted

could

see. I

ieh I could

meet some

who had been born

that
i

they might speak to as well as see

H
l

V>

lo

not believe
It
i

hosts

ar

I do, ghosts of

k
*
I'

I.

possible

to project

an image of
dis-

in :e

may be

seen

to"'

by another however

The ph

projections of heated

1
iel

fancv

tral illusion

mim
>

***"*

"*

the results of cerebral fever, as in other fantasies

drunken
of

en.

HI. The

spirits

*s

fr

IV. ^ritual beings from other planets

)ri

'nal

worlds,
fine

ertheleas, a

who have not

textm

V. Be
but wno,

died,

>f

few

wli

we

to defy the material

are compelled to

"
l

-
'

i-

:zi: govern

obey' and

wh-

c mta?

disembodied men

*> ^1 that they do.

b

***

the action 7 of desperate,

VI. I believe that nu

wicked
wills
fre-

SEVEN SORTS OF APPARITIONS.

quently call into being spectral harpies

23

the

horrible embo-

diment of their

evil thoughts.

These are demons, subsisting

r

so long as their creators are und

evil.

the domination of

th<

VII.

I believe in a similar creation emanating from

good thoughts
pirii
I

of

good

people,

lovely
seven.

out-creations

of

soul>

Remember

these

This

is

a clear

r of the Rosicrueian doctrine of the higher order statement

of their temple.

In the lower, the

ren pas* under the

re,

names of Gnomes, Dwarf-, Sylphs, Sakmand

Driads and Fays.
<

Nereis-

i,

One

clay,

when

was about
ell

five

trs
t

old, I

returned
(1

from school, and found the

ey v

incut the

hly

form of the only friend I ever had,

prone in the arms of icy
cold,

my

mother, cold and

ith.

unrelenting I)
le

Ah

shock was that to my poor lit what a morning grown weary of She had that
trustingly clc

childish heart

irth,

had seren
left

iy,

her darling eyes, and I ^ d

alone to

gainst four might} and powerful enebattle sin le-handed were thr ro ( Poverty and Organization Prejudice,

mies
them.
ful to

The
be

fourth

is

almost too terrible, too wild and fanci

it

credited, yet I will state

THE LEGEND.
Many, very many
where
first,

there lived on the

1

soil

in sobsequ nt ages

ood Babylon and

I ineveh
1 1

the
ted

a mighty king,

who

power was great and undi

and

He was

wise, well-learned
all

He had a dan
She

hter

lovely beyond

description

as as learned as she

24

KAVALETTE.
Kings and princes sought her hand in vain
had sworn to give her to no

was

beautiful.
I

for her

ther

man

save him who

it

should solve a riddle

which the king himself would propound,

and solve
failure.

it

at the first trial,

under penalty of decapitation

The

riddle

was

this,

'What

the three most

)t

irable things

beneath the sun. that a

the sun, yet

h.

which dwell within the sun?'

grave, the sage
failed, left

Thousands of the gay, the

Tilt

and ambitious

who essayed the

solution,

and

the presence to

mount the horse of death.

" In the meantime, proclamation

dc
in

was made

far

and wide
raj
*

rag that robes

the
k\
i.

of crimson, chains of gold, the first place

kingdom and the princess should be the reward of the

man.
there
rhe

nnd

One da :

o a

came to the court a very rich and royal King of the South, seeking

w
tl;

i <

an

alliance,

propounding new treaties

poet,

and among the suite was a

bi

who acted

Tins
.

nth h,ard of
>n

as interpreter to the embassy.

moi
yard
hi
i
i

singular state of things, learned the

and got the riddle by heart

i(1

For

four long
fl

he

mind ii:; sorts of

all

r
if

der upon and

ansm^ u

** * -om:;^ G
-

p
C

me
fitii

***1!ZZ p * ***
h,n

udy more at his ease the

tje

sr ^
poets

y^
and

'T,
i

n
tl

the pa,ace '

t,iere

this

meml
r
lii

and did *n
arly
a,l,lir t

'

deter mined to watch

** r

L *****
,d tn

must

sin

'

sort of exercise;

tu TT

tWs 0ne WaS

and he mad.

A GREAT TRUTH.
point to imagine
princess,
all sorts

25

of perfections as residing in the

and lie sung

his songs daily in the

sung him

self desperately in love

with his

ideal,

and so inflamed the

girl herself,

who had managed

to both see

and hear him,

life,

herself unseen, that she loved

him dearer than

Here

then,

were two people made wretched by a whim.

" Love and song are very good in their places, but, for a

teady

diet, are

not comparable to

many

things

and

as this couple fed

on

little

else,

they both pined sadly and

rapidly away.

"

At
his

length, one day, the youth

fell

asleep in the grotto,

and

head rested directly over a

fine

fissure in the

rock through

which there issued a very

the effect of throwing the

and

subtle vapor, which

in

had

young man

a trance, during

which he fancied he saw the princess

herself, unveiled,

and

more lovely
garden.

the

flowers that

in the

king

He

also thought he
not,

saw an

inscription,

which bade

him despair pair

but

TRY

and, at the same time, there

flowed into his mind this sentence, which subsequently be-

came the watchword of the mystic

centuries, has
*

fraternity which, for

some

been known as that of the Rosie Cross

There

is

no

difficulty to

him who

truly wills.'

Along with
which he
re-

this there

came a

solution of the king's riddle,

membered when he awoke, and

readiness to attempt that which
turers their lives.

instantly proclaimed his

had cost so many adven-

" Accordingly, the grandest preparations

including a

man

with a drawn blade ready to

make
2

the poet shorter

by the

RAVAI.FTTf.

i!

er

made, and, at an appointed hoin,

in

all

ml.

'livened in the largt

to the foot
live

hall

of
i

[vanct
I

of the throne,
ever
!

&

'O

kii

for

What

desirable than Life,

\\

Light and Love?

inseparable
n
t

and what better comet

I
:

the

un

?
i

kin-;

is

thv riddle
it

>

said the

kin
\

you have solved

lit

k
l

he

way gave
St)
I

tl

ire

celebral d

rov

;,

,fluen

ot

hi

h court official, he hated

so,

\l
v

and
-

th

one particularly
foil
1

because

hi

an had
'PI

him

in

one of the treaties

I,
f

J^*
nie

that the

grand

vizier

had

near

I
\

of son of his

ddle. and

own

and, as
n

van
t

vr

th

very day, he hast

till

to

kir

and th

further poisoned the

the victor,

ha
'

by charging him with

f.

?h the id of sorcery, which

i

srreed
-

peed
s

Md
c

cruel death that very nigh

t

hogged
r\\

in his

wine at the even

-

openly,

and almost

imw
under
fl

remov.
f
r

he chamber allotted to the

our

Ml b
I

This apartment

e
4

**">;

^d

thrown violently on the

find

himlf boni

THE SPECTRAL HAND.

foot in presence of the king, his vizier, a

27
few
soldiers,

and

death

for he

saw

at a glance that his days were numbered.

He defended himself from the charge of sorcery, but in vain. He was doomed to die, and the order given, when, just as the
blow was about
to
fall,

there appeared the semblance of a

if

gigantic hand, moving as

to stay the uplifted blade

it

but

too late.

The sword

fell,

ami, as

reached the neck of the

I
)' *

he utt red the awful

the
;pok

but there
of a thousand protesting

came

a clamer and a clangor a

pectral voice
1

and one of them

nee of
will,

tones of thunder

This youth, by pei

this

had unbarred the gate

ry.

between

world and that of myst

He

was the

firs*

of his and thy race that

ichieved so great an hoi

And

ye have slain him, and he hath

cm

ed thee, by reason
I

of which thou,

king

and thou,

vizier

and the dead

man, have
first shall

oil

changed the human

,

for another nature.

The

go down the ag<

transmigrating from form to

till

form.

Thou,

vizier

shall also exist

;

thou art forgiven

DHOUL A BEL shall be thy name

the king through long ages,

and thou shalt tempt

foiled

and be

whenever the

youth

who

shall

be called the

STRANGERshall so will,
This drama

for the sake of the love

he bore thy daughter. a son of

shall last

and be

Adam

shall

wed with

daughter of Ish, or thou, king, in one of the phases of thy

being, shall love,
self

and be

truly, fully loved again,

and

for thy-

An
*

eternity

may

elapse ere then

28
<

RAYALETTE
Beverly, " why, but believe said the young Ask me not," that ages ago I was that king ; say that I know I

me when

Stranger has been seen that the Bel

still

by

my mother

that Dhoula
I

haunts and tempts

me

for the sin of ages.

know

over me, and that in this the fate impending

I

my present form
a daughter
This, then,

am

a neutral being, for

whom

there

is

no hope save through

the union of myself, a son of

of Ish, one not of
is

Adam's

race, with

Adam's race
which I was
left

the dreadful fate to

so pitilessly exposed

on the morning that

left

my mother

died on

Manhattan

Island

to

pay the penalty of a crime committed thousands of

years ago."

CHAPTER
A

III

SPECTRAL VISITANT.

It must be confessed that this was a singular story, and

smelled very
strongly of either Hartz-mountainism or
its

equivalent, imagination.

He

continued his story thus

I did not

know

all this

at five years old, of course course.

The

only thing I did fully comprehend was the loss of

my

mother

her strange silence

the woeful look

'

of those

who hugged my
manly
and the
heart.

head and said

Poor

child

['

I tried hard 10 be
it

and

y
up

they bade
in floods

but

was

useless,

tears welled

from
?

my

poor

little childish

Have you

ever lost a mother

As

I nestled on

the bed where she lay so very

still,

asked the bystanding mourners where the talking part of

my

mother had gone

pet

would never talk

?

to, love

and

me any more

and they said

'

Never more/ and they

till

repeated that dreadful but untrue refrain

my

poor heart

was
grief

full

almost to bursting, with

its

load and pressure of

and then I threw myself upon her dear body, and

tili

cried
sirs

tears refused
lost

to flow, for I
1

had

lost

my

mother,

hid

my
;

mother
would

Would

that I could

weep

now

as I did then

it

relieve

my

over-burdened heart.
thaws.

But I cannot,

for the

tear fountain seldom

Th^

BAVALETTE
3'

:|1

well up, gather and

but they freeze ere they

he
will not br they
e^

and the heart

k
wl
i

nap and crack, but

iVOaU

they would, so that I might wish

that dear mother

for

whom

I loved

fr.m
of p

0 wcl

Idhood

written with a feather, griefs are

i

upon

iiiti

mt
I

with
into
.

in!

ss

ink

but the heart's greater

with a
:

the

memon
ir

fierv

tylus

the

,lii

away
bn

the last are ineffaceable.

\>
i

lay nj

the cold
'

of

my

darling mother, a
1

n said
<1>

to me,

Do

not cry, poor child

She
to

is

happy
1'

tin

just

gone up,

on her
said

way

heaven

A
..

vhat that
h

and I looked out

hard by
;

the

folia

of the

trees

looked

up into the y
and

ik

expect iug to see her ascending soul

the

n)

<

caught
I

shadowy
believed
it

fleece

of a melting

V
I

i,

th
I

ht

md
e

to be

my

mother's

ha
V

al

hal

>eli(

for as the cloud

I

thir

0Q the breast of the blue, I distinctly

oft,

gentle,
t

and

etly mournful, like unto

ji

ag d

of wl
n

wind-harp,
per in
fully

lightly

touched

the
at
t

h
t

my

these

words

which

1
!

aU
y

comprehend
for

feja

&
in-

Lonely one of the

the
life

bo re
ti

thou

now
not. but

Let
>

y motto

*"*
O
1

TRY

Despond
our lot

at

how
ir

TT'T'

W;

bitter soever

may be J
Pea(
th

BE HAPPY YET
by

Thou'rt watched and guarded

motl

THE STRANGER.
and the Stranger,' added another, and more
from out the deep
stillness

31
ry

of
first

loon-tide

heaven
that
it

knew

that

the

and
I trusted

felt
it's

from beyond Time's threshold.

sacred words

of promise, for I had, child as I was, an unshaken faith, an

intuition,
if

you

will,

that instant flowing to me, that

my

mother

still lived.

Dm that hour commenced a strange, double existence

and
in

me.

Two

instances, perfectly true in all respects,

I will relate, either of

which forever settled in

my mind

that

some human beings consciously survive the ordeal of death.

Not long

after

my

irreparable loss,

I,

along with several

other children, went to bed in the roof chamber of that

dark old house.

Something had occurred of a merry turn,

brimful of joy and glee, and our mirth was
stairs,

and we were
as loud as
it

all

dared be for fear of the ogres down

silence

who

had a bad habit of enforcing

through the medium of

sundry straps and birch twigs.

In the very midst of the

lifted

uproar the bed-clothes were slowly, carefully

invisible

from off
;

We

pulled

them back

but

again and again they

removed, and the

clatter,
it

movement

was
balls

ipanied

by a din and

if fifty

were rolling on the floor

and

immediately brought

the ogres and their straps froi

he matter.

So

far

as

terror

permitted

we

plained

whereupon the ogres looked scaredly

quilts

wise, readjusted the

left

and retreated
balls

No
in

sooner

had they

than

cannon

began

a'6

to roll over the floor,

and

mn

EAVALETTE
coverlet, which had for the and grapple m and distinctly saw a us I clearly pulled from ain been a foot of the bed, but at the figure calmly female like a vapor on the for she floated floor,

JT
ti

the

was but There

little, if

any, light

save that

tral
pi

are.

emanate from the appeared to ounded, and midst of a silvery the stood
She
It

ric

haze.

hut so clear, sharp,

phantasmal in appear was by no means seem, did the appar defined

distinctly the figures

day I remember
a

on what

red

to

the dress she

which fact

has yet been able to fathom psychologist

factorily

The
was

children

who
she would not

fad
r<

not, for I felt

harm me,

for the

son that mothers love their offspring,

and that

figure

was

my
"

mother.

Some

considerable time elapsed after this.

I had grown

into a stout

and active boy, having already drifted for some

years up

and down the world, and once found myself regis-

tered as cabin
rd,

boy on board the brig Phoebe, of

New
of

Bed-

whereof one Alonzo Baker

the
el brier.

Bedford but
In this ve

I served for several

lyself

months, to the satisfac

small,

included, being

weak and

deli,

te

for

he arduous duties required of

me, and

quently had to pay the usual penaltv.

though
he days whereof I

am

speaki

Still,

at pr

Tin:

BRIG PHCEBE
march

33
of intellect, to find

it

is

not hard,

in spite of the

eight bells, will spin between the dog-watch and sailors who,

weather rail that will you a yarn under the

hair stand

make a man's

on end

like

hairs on an enraged

kitten.

"On
many

board the Phoebe

were several old salts, there

and

the ghosts of murdered the tales they told of were

appearin

the souls of guilty mates foremast Jacks, and frighten age this tended to deepen the and of course all captains and
;

vein

of

superstition

and mysticism

running through me.

presence and power of the I been apprized of the Often have and, when tempted to share of those who never die, dead or

my
riously saved.
Sailors, like

older comrades

everybody

else,

are fond of power, and

m
their

power

and on every vessel there

is

one

man who
and

is

to forcibly resist,

my
half

from the medicine

the iue
'

chest

had

previously been
oil is

poured

Poison.'
vn.
it

Croton

the most infamously

kn
label

The

drank
hours thereafter,
as

engaged

for

several
!st,

a consequence
seen,

A m
They

swift-moving set of

men were never

relish for

supper that night.

They beat me

2*

34

J I

AVAL KITE.
n
(1

eifully,

but I was
sailor

Still 6 in iln-

ey abused
:!l<-y,

m
for

until

one day a

tweaked

my

n<

and

half a gallon of hot lard in the waist-haw], his pains received

which troubled him wonderfully

suicide as

last

lii

relief,

and, in a

paroxysm of

and

despair.
m-

such as boys only are subject to, actually ran nft to ac

plish it

by leaping over the

taffrail

into

the

bu ping sea,

when I was arrested by a narrow blast of

air,

warm

almost
t

hot

which

thrilled

me

to the very

nire of

my
me

being, and

pinned
flowed into

me

to the deck, while

time there
again
4

my soul
folly,
>

an eloquent and indignanl prot

my

supreme
!

accompanied by the Spol

ord

Be

patient
It
tion.

TRY

is

impossible to attribute all th<

thin -

"Oae
related,

evening,

a long time

afi

the

occurrence just

a company of ladies and gentlemen, in R house situated near the observatory, Portland, .Main, conversing

eep
door.

npon the general subject of ghosts, and reward

after death

and poi

h-

When we

sat

down

in the room,

and thirteen persons only

V
much mucn

e l>eca

absorbed in the 7 discussion, indeed 1UUICU &u o iho h n i .,

S6mnt

StriCt

refeeTr e^eadm^n

* Nn No

to any person ,,,.,, talked freelv th* SGmnt Seated

^'

that SO, IIKII-

to

***
And ADa

by

*
we
the

inns thu

!e on

MS do [

ball, close

was admitted

Presently one

person
rossed

and venerable appear

thriUi

by the

*S "dugs he

told,

although

A MYSTERIOUS GUEST.
did not join the conversation
till

35

over an hour after

we had

begun

it

nor

did his conversation

appear
did

He was
the fact

the /<
till

person, although

we

were separating, and he

had disappeared
hef

Upon
or

inquiry no one

knew

him, had

observed his depart

not

even

the

servant,

who
ther

declared that for two he

had pa

ed him

way

It

was voted

very strange/ and that for our

'

own

ake the matter should be

'o

hushed up
that

;'

but we agreed
discuss

opinions arrived at in the interim the matter, and compare

CHAPTER
VERY STRANGE STORY A

IV.

ETTELAVAR

"

On

the appointed evening a select

;

party of us met

pursuant to agreement
tion of the

but not one had reached a solu-

mystery.

In those days crazy philosophers

had not foisted their blasphemous absurdities on the

world
;

nor had their peculiar system of morals

made

rogues of the one-half of their deluded followers, or

shameless .vomen of the other

then been packed, as they

nor had lunatic asylums

have since, with sufferers

by bad teachin
with the

were graveyards dotted

loved

mounds raised by weeping friends

by bad
tively safe,

In those day
nor were divor
I

half

they h

become

those

day

husbands did not sneak off to Indiana, and

by blank

perjury procure divorce, in order that barefaced, shameless,

they might revel in

amours.

open crime with their worthy parIn those days ft had not broken
the wild philosophy

M
for

made

millions

and idiot fanatics out of material that better purposes In those

clays

God

Joe Smith had

weed thousands that harlotry is the strai-htest road to heaven nor had Noyes founded his o brothel in the of the State, contaminating
;

36

TH1

-TRAXGE TRANCE.

37

the country for leagues around

and the handy system

I

of pantarchism, with

its

splendid truths and hundi

falseh ods, had not then afforded a

n idy explanation of
;

mysterii

uch
I

those

have recounted

nor had any

man
44

dai

claim to be the confidential

exponent of

Almighty Truth.

On

the night in question our conver

inter

ion
n

became,
first

if

pos-

sible,

more

ting

at
1

ah >rbing th
it

on the

occa-

sion, owii

to the noi
I

fill

had then received.

tii
.

So ab-

sorbed did

become during theei

Uy
I

that on one or two oc-

casions [parti

tni}

If

in

a sort of semi-mi mericcoma,

discu

which gradually deepened as

until

th

don waxed warmer,

chilling

my

limbs

grew

cold,
t

and a

numbness

crept

upon me, creating such a

coi
>\\.

rror that I resolved to

make nn

lit

known,

e\

at the risk of interrupting

the discuss

"I made

the trial,
syli

and found,
hie

to

my

cod.*

ernation, that
inch.
II

could not utter a

ror
1

could not

move an

r-

The company
thorn, that
I

ere so engro sed with the matter be-

re

no

notice

was taken

of

am

change that

might

ive

been perceptible in

me

nor did one persop there

in the discourse.
life itself

suspect that I

was not attentively drinking

felt

"

With

inexpressible alarm, I

that

wa*

fast

ebbing from me, and that death was slowly and surely
grasping, clutching, freezing
sently

my

vitals.

was dying.

Pre-

it

appeared as
last

if

a long interregnum had occurred

between the

previous conscious moment, and the present

instantaneous, but positive

agony

a sudden, sharp,

tingling

u
pane
like

EAVALETTE
needles thrust of hot that
brai
1

the flesh,

shot

my

followed by a sinking This was

resigned itself

if "he bod;

passive dissolution, and to

hi

with electric ame.

ties

a succession of the most rapidity,

ever

endured by morta
also,

When
fell

it

ceased

iness

had ceased

and I

to the floor as one as was

fcnlT dead, to the

amazement of the company

rwarc
a

lared.

H
b

ph} deal inanition lasted, I long thk

daring
it

cannot now
to a
for

the spiritual part of

me was roused
and power
;

of activity

aw
ban
hearii
it

in

new and

cryptic light,

and far more distinctly

ever had through the bodily eyes.

>wer
i
\

An

increase of

m ompanied
precisely like

this

accretion of sight,

and I

neord
ed.

that heard

when my mothe"

and wi
*

n about to
I
I

throw myself into the sea, which

awaits

'

you;' and with this there

an:

partial rousing
n

from the lethargy, and I

was

led up-

threw myself upon a sofa, mechanically, at the

fi

same
old
Eli

my

eye

upon the bald white face of a rare southern angle

jh

clock that occupied the

the

room

Here
tl

was

left

by

Ml

my

friends,

who

med

ir

conversation in the parlor

old clock-face

below
fy

'Gradually the

seemed

and

*.

"o longer obstructed by substance, I gazed down an(1 up :llrough

.
;

"

.;.';.'

; ** my bodL

^'*i,L U wmed to me that

but that
_

m avenue ^ ^ most

aston sh _

no

lon-

from

9TS/

ha.i
1

of

t
1.1

m
:'
.

M
l
II

it b

ten

for
t

in

W
UftQM
1

btf

wai K

who
of
All
t

h*

w
;

fl

I"

bt
I

>

h
r

r
1

7
I

fcOll

i
I

'

All

ftf

n,

i..v

tk

1.

pen.

il

u
[)

l*tl
f,

Mid who
ct
ai.

11

mod
I

m
V

f"

W
i.

o fl

wb
o
tl
flfc

drank

ne
be

k
I

tht

Wtt.

tone

<

V.I

Of

40

EAVALETTE

whole tons of grossest substance into muting, by a touch,

solid, shining gold, but of

making

it

chemically.

Then

there

was the

Magic Crystal

Ball, in

which the gazer could behold

whatever he wished

to,

that

was then transpiring on

'

this

earth, or any of the planets.

1

All this knowledge/ said

he,

1 will

expound to you, on certain conditions to be hereafter

mentioned/
" I relate these things in the briefest possible

manner, and

make no

allusions to

my

feelings

during the time I listened

to the strange being, Ettelavar, further

than to remark, that

during
1"

the temptation,

shall it

be called?I seemed to be

ring in the aerial expanse,

and realized a

fullness

and
first

tctivity of life

never realized before,

m
far,

and knew
being.

for the

what

it

was
into

to be a

human

My

freed spirit
far,

soared

away

the superincumbent ether,

and
:

very

beneath us rolled the great revolving globe the black inane, twinkled
rryeyes of God, looking through the

while far

myriads of fiery sparks

tremendous vault

Heaven

Picture to yourself

*f

WT, and
'

quitting earth, perit like

hovering over
all

gold-crested cloud,

of snn,

* l
By

the winds ar. hushed to sleep loving bosom of its protectin

when

on the
!

the exercise of a

God, and thine

power

me unknown,

Ettelavar

seemed to

me
" Like bnsy insects

Look and

Stance

the

summer
f

beheld larg

afar off in the

human being

THE
rily

VISION.

41

up a steep
heavily,

ascent,
thick,

over the
dense,

mm

'

which there
clouds.

floated

murky
i

laden
as if

Crimson and red on their edges wei with thunder nnrJ fli; u^^^i

crowned

the plains below, heavy

and

pall-like,

even as shrouds on the limbs of beauty, or the

and
aspirin g genius.
'

It

is

nothing but a crowd/ said I

and

mug
ically,

Nobut a crowd
?

a crowd.

W
;

Boy, the destinies of nations centre

in

Look again

Obeying

I did

the people

6 oish'

and I heard a wail go up a sound heavily freighted with

I shuddered

deep

human woe and

agony

On
monument, not an
proportions, and
obelisk,

but a sort of temple, perfect

in

m.
a large and

This edifice

was surmounted
pyramid
miniatur

polished

golden

On

all

of the faces of this pyramid

;

was inscribed the Latin word Pelicitas explanation from gnide, but instead

I asked
giving
it,

an
he

hand upon

my
'

my brow and eyes, said, Look Was there maMo. in hia touch ?
for it increased

It really

seemed

so,
N

my

visual capacity

on again

turning to the earth beneath me, I found

painfully excited by a real

my

inter*

drama

there and then

V ALETTE.
4

was
were

rl

the great majority of the peopl apparent that

if

artiall

not wholly blind

and I observed
below the mountain
>

centre of the plai the

Pi
hers,

be under

much

greater excitement than most

oi
th.

turbulence appeared to result from and their

M
ff

to reach a certain of each individual

golden ball and

which

la;

cushion of crimson velvet within the a

I

nlendid

open-si<
this
1

monument on the mountain

In the

crowd, energetically striving to reach the

>ne

AM
*

liding
h far

path
mort

man who seemed

i

to be endowed
of

gth
tfa

resolution
ly

not of body, but

puq

ban
I

se

immediat

around him.

Bravely he

u
in

w
fort
his

ward the mountain's top, and, after almojst

succeeded.
ride
1

Exultingly he approached the

;

tan pie, bj
entert"

wen
i

hundreds more
to
seize

lie

outran them,

reach

foi

the

ball

and sceptre

it

earned that the coura eous

his fingers
t

man must

certainly succeed

uched the prize, a smile of triumph illumined his

,

eonmenan
at

and then suddenly went out in the blight of

fell

he
er

to the earth

from a deadly blow, dealt

b;

d
hori

hand from behind, while others seized and

bu-

him down the steep abyss upon which the temple and he is first dashed to pieces and then tram
<

pled out of exis

nee by the iron heels of

advancing thou-

nds men who

ne rival
less

tw but pitied

rather rejoicing that

was
t

* d

cried

I,

internally,

'

that such hell-broth

boils in

human

veins

ETTELAVAR.
"
' 1

43
by my
seen.
1

Alas,

thou

seest

!'

replied
'

Ettelavar,

side.

Learn

a lesson/ said he,

from what you have

Fame

folly,

not worth the having when obtained

Felieitas'

ahead, never reached, therefore

be looked for

Friendship

is

an empty name, or convenient cloak which

men put on

to enable
see

them

to rob with great

}>t

r facility.

N<

man
his

when such
tal

own

elevation
if

and the man behind

in hi-

the

man

in front,

he stands

way.

Human
who

inn

infantile, childish,

weak, passionate and desperate!

d p

and as a rule, they are the greater villain

most sanctity
charity, faith

assun

the

they the most

love,

selfish

who
tut

prate loudest of
I

and

I begin

my

age by
tin
fir

therefore arming you, ag

stitute
it.

world and
rise,

who oon

If you wish to truly

you must

put the

Id and what

it

contains at

proper value

Remember, I

who speak am

Ettelavar.

Awake

" Like the sudden black cloud in eastern seas, there

came

a darkness before
clock face

me

my

eyes opened, and

fell

upon the old

thirteen

Its hands told

me

that

it

was exactly
dial.

minutes since

I had marked

hour on the

S
this

hour I have had

similar experience, and

it is

^
t

unusual powers in certain rejects, affords ground for the

but attributed to me." claimed by,

young man's narrative, in substance of the Such was the him long before the date propounded to swer to questions
which he
is

to the reader. introduced

CHAPTER
LOVE.

V.

KULAMFEA*

THE BEAUTIFUL.

sun was setting, The golden

day was sinking beneath and

U
,

coverlets in crimson

the glowing west

The

birds, on

m
m
ry
bell

singing the final chorus of the green boughs, were

oj

ra

lambs were skipping the

;

homeward
hills

in the

of jo}
ired
t
.

while the cattle

on the

lowed and

thanksgiving to the viewless h their

Lord

of

Ulory

Man
be
enj

seemed unconscious of his duty and the lone

ved.

i.:-n g
in*

Toil-weary far

were slowly plod

all

wa
preparii

upper and bed-ward, and

to enjoy

nature seemed
the wan-

her bath of rest.

side
;

Still sat

derer by
gri

the
soil
;

highway

still

fell

his

tears

upon the

aud as the journeyers

home and tavern-ward

passed him by,

oan.1

many were the remarks they made upon him,

them or not.

wh her he heard

Some

in cruel,

hearti
in

mockery and

derision,

some few

in pity,

and

all

something akin to surprise, for

it

men

of his appearance
last there

neighborhood
(,i

At

came along

th

Vxn

frbom were nnmistakablj Endians, and

tfe third a girl of such singular

complexion, grace, form, and

Bright-shining. "-Lovely,

^-E.Xa^.a-BUarapia-Evlambeah.
44

Jrtkally beautiful.

EVLAMBEA.
extraordinary facial beauty,
ethnologically define
it

45
difficult

was extremely
This
girl

to

what she was.

was about

fourteen

the boy

who accompanied
side,

her and the grey-haired

old Indian by her

old.

was apparently about twelve years

first

This last was the

to notice the stranger.

!

"Oh, Evlambea," said

I'm going to help him
for
full

he, " see

!"

there's a

man

crying,

and

The boy spoke

in his

own

verna-

blood of the Oneida branch of the

Mohawks,

fearless,
itself.

honorable, quick, impulsive, and generous

as sunlight

To

see distress

and

fly

to

its relief

was

but a single thing for him, and used to be with his people
until

improved and "civilized" with bad morals and worse

protection.

The Indian was Ki-ah-wah-nah (The Lenient and

but

Brave) chief of the Stockbridge section of the Mohawks.

The

girl,

Evlambea, nominally passed

for his grandchild,

such was not the case, for although she might well be taken
for a fourth blood, she really

had not a

trace of Indian about

further than the costume, language, and general educaher,

tion and habit.

Her name was modern Greek,

or Romaic,

but her features and complexion

the pretty dwellers on Prinkipo
the

resembled that of
hores of the Bos-

phorus, than that of the Indians or Anglo Saxon

Many

to that day, this girl, then a child of three 01 years previous four months age,
his care for

had been brought to the

chief

and
of,

left ir

a week, by a woman

clad in the garb

gipsies

and be

longing to a wandering band of

the universal reputation of the

attracted by

New World,

had

left

Bohemia

and

seas to reap a golden harvest. crossed the

This band

BAVALETTE
46
had held
.dquarters for

a year on Corahill

her
into

the country deployed about they had TJtica whence hundred and twenty averaged one lose radius

been

came back woman never The decamped band suddenly members of the
financiered

claim the child, for the

after
al

B
girl
into

having

gullible old

farmer

of

thousands

dollars in gold, of

had persuaded him which they

was

not
the

a bag and bury in the ground he should put in necessary that der to the speedy night hour of a certain
discovery of
-

kind

of diamonds that was certainly a large mine

inhc

upon

his

as surely be brought to light when farm, and would

S
the

the gold

exhumed

after

e,

which time was

quite long enough for the

disp
in
all

band to
to

cli

up the gold and

again
three
thou-

you
plac

directions,

meet

sand miles away

This bit of Cornhill swindlin

practice,

ton

sidered rather sharp

even for

that locality, and

hea

ended by shrouding the girl in an impenetrable mystery, and

giving to the old chief a child,

hin

who, as she expanded and

der

grew up became quite as dear to his heart as any one of his

own

can
offspring
;

and

in fact,

by reason of her superior

so, for

intelli-

too
gence, she
felt

became

far

more

mind ever makes

itself

tha

and admired. Not one of the ethnological, physical, moral,

of

or mental characteristics
to be noticed in this girl,

which mark the

Romany tribes was

fear or

sai
it
1

and wise people concluded that she

had somewhere been stolen by the

policy

woman, who from

ha
de

had

left
is

her to her fate and the

good old Indian's care

tc

Esthetics
describe the

not

my
girl

forte,

hence I shall not attempt

bh

young

The name she bore was marked

THE MEETING,

47

her clothing in Greek letters, which were afterwards rendered

into English

by a professor of a

college

whose assistance had

been asked by the Indian.

Besides being
girl

known

far

and near as the most beautiful

of her age, she was also distinguished as by far the most

intelligent.

She was undisputed queen on the Reservation,

She looked and acted

not by right, but by quiet usurpation.

the born Empress, and her triplicate sceptre consisted of

kindness, intelligence, and that nameless dignity and presence

inherent in truly noble souls.

Such was the bright-shining maiden

the boy's cry and actions,

attracted

by

now

crossed

the side of she

youngfceverlyH Observing
placed her soft

his

sorrowful appe
his

hand tenderly upon

head, and said in

sympathetic, " tones heart-felt and deeply

heart, why weep you
Is

Man

of the heavy

your mother just dead

The young man

raised his head,

saw the radiant

girl before

a moment's hesitation, during which he shudhim and, after

dered

is

if

at son

painful

me

murmuring,
his

'

'

No

it

be possible
too
that
!

cannot be

part of the world,

no
is

her, saying, " Girl, I I" he replied to

am

lonely,

and

why

weep

am

but a boy, yet the weight of years

of grief rest on and bear

me down
when
Since she

To-day
it

is

the

sary of

my

mother's death, and,

comes, I always pass

and prayer
have had
deed
bing

home
and
life

to heaven, I

true friend, and no

call

Men
me

themselves

my my friends,
lot

are miserable
it

h>

and prove

by rob-

ago, there came Not long

man

to

me

he waa

4^

RAVALETTE.

richand
k.

said,

'

People
;

tell

me

that

you are very

skillful

A
I

Come

I have a

sister

mt

die
.11

I love her.

You

are

whom the physicians say poor I am rich. Save her

;
;

gold sh

hp yours.'

I went.

She was beyond the reach

life

of

and

it

was possible to prolong her

only

one

of two ways

either

by the transfusion of blood from

life itself.

my

caj

her own, or by the transfusion of

I
alterfor

an
hi
I
!

young and strong, and we resolved to adopt the latter

native, a

being the only possibly effective

luring three years,

one

and

I sat beside that

its

poor

sick girl,

and

fir

sly

Iter

wasted frame draw own.

Finally, I

very

life

by magnetiexlife,
t

cally Hipping
linii

my

began to sink with

n
foi

and
<

(I

ease similar to her

own, and, to save

my

v
Hi

was
;\
I

break the magnet

and go to Europ

oi

it

was severed she sunk into the grave, and then

returned, and received a considerable

sum of money

in the

nature of a loan.
pains

This favor was granted

me

as a reward
it

fm
l
I

and ruined health

I was to return

U
wh.

proceeds of a business to be immediately established

time I resolved to purchase

home

for those

upended on

my

ill*

efforts for

the bread they ate, and so

ho called himself
direct cause of
enofij

my

friend,

but

who

is

the
ii

most of the

evil I

have for

years experi
I put nine

This fellow pretended to deal in lands

hundred dollar -half I had

l
i

v"v the world "vim

*., Pce he took me kon* for those

to Purchase

iii tins in this

man a iiitui

fine

Bt
1

tn
f

P'ace of a few acres, which

it.

t0 see
-

was p>^< pleased with

left

and

who would be

behind

when

was dead

THE FINANCIER

49

few days thereafter this ghoul eame to me again, and r*

presented that gold bullion being

siderable profit for

down he

could

make con

me

in three days,

would I make the

investment.

I handed over the remainder of

my

money.

The

three days lengthened into years.

Instead of being a

capitalist he was a bankrupt

was

not in the gold business,

more control of the land he showed me than he and had no crown. Meantime, my furniture was seized had of Victoria's
I lost

my name with
ill,

the friend

who advanced
this

the

sum

became

and, in

silence me,
1

he
1'

my agony, called crave me a check on

And

man a

swindler.

To
it.

a bank.

I presented

No

funds

yet he dared call himself an honest man.

You

to unsay the harsh things said about me,' said have but

this

semblance of a

man

to

me

one day,

'

and I am ready to
I

pay you
listened

erything I owe.'

My

mind was unsettled

him, and the result was that, by duplicity and

first, if

more mean and despicable than the fraud,

depth of villainy

there be a
to

more profound, he obtained my signature

an acknowledgment that the

swindled me, then in his

money

of which he had openly

'

hands, was a

friendly loan.'
*

And
a*

then he laughed,

'

Ha

ha

!'

and he laughed,

Ho

ho V

me and my
But

misery, and actually

suffered a child in our family

wretchedly die for the want of food and medito perish and
cine.

then he told

me

that he had buried

it

it

properly,

there in the cemetery, and ipectably, up

was the

onlj

truth I

heard from

his lip

But then he

sent th

funeral bills for

me

to

payall
3

the while laughing at

pied

mj

Bijgeryw hile

the lordly house he

edeemed

RAVALETTE
-0

with my forced sale from day on what luxuriously every

feasted

money, and himself and

his

was the

price of

blood! Still, rft

t

they
I
still

all

laughed,

on

my blood.
in

have the

'Ha! ha!' and memory of a dead

Id,

op there

the cemetery

Poor starved child

that

prin
t,

pie of

strict justice,
it

dealt out from the Divine

nor that

will
;

overtake that especial and every

is it

oth

wrong-doer

nor

pleasant for

me

to realize

that nure happiness can never

bitter

be

his, in this

or any other

memory of his deed &

me
wrong

md
a

mine remains within the ciystal cells of

It is

my

immortal

soul.

very

difficult to

forgive a deliberate

linst one's self,

Ible for

and

all

that one holds dear.

It is im-

po

me to

forgive him."

As

the
if

man

uttered these

terrible
tl

he shuddered

impending fate of this wronger of the living and the

id,

and

it

was clear to the

girl that

he would have

freely averted the

4

doom, had such a thing been possible.

have used

Men and

cliques," said he, "

me for

their pur-

po

have, like this ghoul, wormed themselves into my

ifidence,
'

and then, when their ends were served, have ndoned me to wretchedness and misery. Rosicrund all other delvers in the mines of mystery, all

"ith the dead, all

the mystic

whose idiosyncrasies are toward

leal,

the price

*
***

and
,

and the sublime, are debtors to nature they pay for power is groans, tears, breaking misery that none but such doomed ones can

ppreciate or understand.

Compensation

is

an

in-

able law of being, nor can there, by any possibility,

it.

The possession of genius

is

a cer-

ate of perpetual sufferin

You now know why I am sad, O girl of the good I am weak to-night to-morrow will brii & &
;

asrain.

But, see
I fear that

the golden sun

is

setting in the

Alas

my sun

is

setting also for a long, long

night Qf wretchedness."

" You speak well, man of the sore spirit," replied the girl. " You speak well when you say the sun is setting
but you seem to forget that
as brightly as he
it

will rise again,

!

and shine
even

does to-day

He
;

will shine

though dark clouds hide him from us

and though you

and I

may

not behold his glories, some one else will see

feel his blessed heat.
is

his face,

and

Old men

tell

us that
I bid

the darkest hour

you take

heart.

just before the break of day. " You may be happy

yet
I

" The precise formula of the Mysterious Brotherhood

the very words uttered by the dead mother

!
I

who bore me
?

How

did

this

girl

obtain

it ?

When ?

Where

From

whom V
Beverly started, gazed into the mighty depths of her eye,

was about
"

to ask the qiestions suggested, but forbore.

We may all be
me
so V
7

happy

yet," said she

" for the Great Spi-

rit tells

And

tfie

crossed her hands upon her virgin

breast

breast glowing

\ ith

immortal fervor and inspiration

and she threw, by a toss

hair behind her,

f the head, her long, black sea of of

and stock revealed the perfect incarnation

BAVALETTE
God's glance from eyes met upturned ber side said nothing at his the boy and

fr

hands in folded Ms Actively each in but effect of combined The

fidene

Heaven

^
.

if

old chief

*****
all this

upon the

md

prayer

* man was yoi mg

ui
flint

electric.

The

incident struck him singular

hp

nis leet, p* rose to

hig

hand upon

the

scene was be.g where this come up to .J;.,.. , 1Mce d to introduction, and on for an words sufficed A few ted all that death himbetween us begun a friendship pot
powerless to break.

Two
re

thereafter, the chief, hours

his son, the

girl,

the youth,
old

of a friendly myself, partaking with

house.

meal at the
the

After the repast

philosophic turn, in took a

which

the chief,

who was

a really

specimen of the cultivated splendid

interested part.

an active and Indian, took

Presently the old

younger ones people took their pipes, the

went to bed, and Beverly and 'Levambea, as she

universally called,

was

almost

walked out, and sat them

down

beneath an

old sycamore that stretched its

genius of giant limbs like the

protection over the cottage.

first,

gaily enough There they talked

but presently in a tender and pathetic strain

and

it

clear that there

had sprung up between them already

friendship,

1(

thing
lo\

much warmer than

they

was not yet which

When

the house, the

THE ROSICRUCIAN
uttered by the girl uttered in

53
ularly inspired

the same

sin

observed ou their
love you
;

first

meetin r

Yes

WW
ei

but not

here,

not now, perhaps not on

this earth

Yet
us

I will be your prop,

your stay,

though

roll.

Listen

"\Yh u I

& v easbetw dancer you will know

in

wherever you may be.

"When you are

say.

langer yon

me
fate

Forget not what I

is

Ask me no qn

Your
CJ
(

one, but not more so than a singular

!

>od

ght

Good-bye
it

We

each other no more at will see

present

is

mot permitted!"

And
i

without
I

word
up
th<

she abruptly
stairs,

left

him, dart
like

the house, pa

and was gone

spirit.

Next

solicitation of the chief and others day, at the

in

who

took an interest

he consented to go with young Beverly,

;

me

to

my

many leagues from that spot home,

and

and, accord-

ingly, in

due time we arrived there,

for several

months he

was an inmate of
ill

my

house

while under the shadow of and,

in-

health and

its

sympathetic state, I became consequent

of the loftier

timate with

many

and profound secrets of the

with which he was familiar, Rosicrucian fraternity, celebrated

and which he

me

liberty to divul

the locality of the lodges that I forbore to reveal conditioned persons or names of its chief or indicate the of the Dome, exacted in reference to restriction was
officers, albeit,

no such

temples of the order the lesser

the O

first

three de

acolytes of which the higher this countryto the grees in how often nave I sat beside unknown. Oh lodges are totally that ran through ray little green banks of a creek him on the
!

RAVALETTB
54
wisdom, the most the profound^

"
Xil

Md
, ,

1 concepts
raP "
.

listened to t ,v

of the soul, its origin, description and 1 __ listened

pow

world of barter and of money-griping .-ith the fully contradiction most tremendous Here was the trade. One who revelled of known or heard I hud ever + tnr an ano-el, yet had not forecast <ui w, j lor luxuries lit in mental who*blindly, and for trickster

from the

lips

of a

man

incapable of grapphng totally

,vuosed his

whole trust in
his

one whose

sole

aim was

to
1

him not only of rob

bnt of his character little, competence,

man

near and dear to uffered one

him

be buried, at the very and then

and his were luxuriating that himself
for
lite

on the very

bartered health, and almost which that mau had

If

Was

it

not very singular

I have wondered,

time and again,

how

such things could be,

and

intensely so

when he has been revealing to me some

of the Order
Platonist
der
(
lie
;

of the loftier mysteries

of Tyanae, the when talking of Apollonius

the elder

Pythagoreans
;

of the Sylphs, Salaman-

and Glendoveers
tic

Yung-tse-Soh, and the of Cardan, and

Light
;

of

Hermes Trismegistus, and the Smarag*

and black
;

Tables

of sorcery and magic, white

;

of the

Labyrinth, and Divine policy

Df

of the

God, and the

republic

gods
rmet

of the truths

and absurdities of the gold-seeking

;

and pseudo-Rosicrucians
Cyprian, Lactantius,

of Justin Martyr, Ter-

tullian,

and the Alexandrine Clement

THE SPHERE OF THE ORDER.

of Origen and Macrobius, Josephus and Philo
of

55 Enoch and

the pre- Adamite

races

of

Dambuk and

Cekus, Psellus,

Plotinus and Porphyrius, Paracelsus, and over Jamblichus,

seven hundred other mystical authors.

" Do you remember laughing at Said he to me one day, when I first began to talk about the Rosicrucians ? ana me
you asserted
that, if such a fraternity existed,
it

must be com

posed either of knaves or fools

laughing heartily when in

piYtftnsivpilv

formed that the order ramified

on both

sides of

the grave, and, on the other shore of time, was

known

in its

lower degrees as the Royal Order of the Gann, and, towering

infinitely

beyond and above

that,

was the great Order of the

Neridii

and that whoever, actuated by proper motives,

joined the fraternity on this side of the grave,

was not only

assured of protection, and a vast amount of essential know-

ledge imparted to him here, but also of sharing a lot on the

farther

of

life,

compared to which

all

other

were insignificant and crude.

I repeat this assertion

now."

CHAPTER
VAP0LE0N
III.

VI.

AND THE ROSICRUCIANS

AN EXTRAORDINARY

AND AN EXTRAORDINARY THEORY. MAN

continued his very singular narrative, saying Beverly
"
:

You have

already been informed of the singular

doom

that

hangs over
gration

me that

am condemned

to perpetual transmi-

unless relieved

by a marriage with a
of

woman

in

whom

not one drop of the blood

-

Adam

circulates

and
bil-

even then, the love must be perfect

and mutual.

Thus my

chance
lions

is

about as one in three hundred

to

and ninety-six
This doom
before

against,

a single one

for

me.

has
b
J

broncrht
tain

did around

me

beings, powers, influences,

and at length I became a

adept hi the Rosicrucian myst

and brother

ki

hood

H
of course I

found worthy of
tell
:

am

not at liberty

suffice it that I

belong to the Order, and have

foil

been by renouncing

certain

W
n

-admitted
those

to the

companionship of the living, the dead,

;

who never

die

have been admitted to the famous

Derishavi-Laneh, and

am

familiar with the profoundest secrets

in
;

of the Fakie-Deeva .Records

and through

life

have had

evei

great possibilities befor c

neutral soul
r,r,

me

one of

I bcin o
l

of

becoming after death

of a

A
preme

STARTLING POSSIBILITY.
Light
or of
its

57

order, called the

opposite, called

Shadow
cies
;

am tempted by
is

invisible,
I

but potent agen

the

and the

third of which

the one

dread most

petuation of the

doom

earth for ages, in various to wander the

pronounced by a dying man bodies, as the result of the curse told, unless I be redeemed ago, as you already have been ages not one drop of marriage with a woman in whom

by a

true

the blood of
if

Adam
another

desire to avoid all three

possible, and to share the lot of other

men
relate

have

m
that

nng to

to

you

Doubtless you

uttered

mysterious voice heard in the dunyoung poet and that the thenceforth, until the slain, declared that

geon where he was

doom was

fully accomplished, this

youth during

all his

ages

should be known as the Stranger.

the centuries that rolled away,
this

Well, in the course of

Stranger became a mem-

ber of an august

Fraternity in the

Heavens
that
I,

as the

Power

of the Light.

You

know,

also,

who was
relieved
:

the

incurred the penalty of king,

jrou are also aware that him

and

who was

the Vizier

under the name of Dhoula Bel. tenced to a singular destiny member of a vast AssociaWell, he also became an active
tion
in
is

the Spaces,

known

as the

Power
it

of the Shadow.
object

This

but one half of the mystery, for

became

both Dhoula Bel and the Strnngei of

both knew
years before I under

my birth my

from the

Flora

that I would be in every re

pect a Neutral

man

one having no tendencies

3*

BAVALETTE
I

iui

iral y>
i

to

T eitne

or evu, o-ood

only toward but - j uuu

e

attain-

Me

to foreg

'

*
h
"
;

*
id

lo*
<

Wr
in

<*' nal

the Stranger, be Bel and Dbonla motive of mak additional the strong haVe have * . ... _=. . t.n thieve it
their loftier

>

ins

tly

attend

visible

and

invisible shapes

often saving and as nearly ruining,

than death
itself

me from

dan-

nW0R
pa

has already been what way

told,

and

will

be hereafter
Paris, I beca

In one of
1

my

frequent sojou:

with a

depth

found the

and after sounding reputed Rosicrucians, few *--* n y muddy and water very shallow,

case with those I had been the

met

in

London

Bui-

Socher, Corvaja, and Wilson, Belfedt, Archer, mines,

t

r pi

d adeptsare

like

Hitchcocks, Kings, Scotts, the

il.

and

of that

ilk,
fr

on American

Baron

t,

At length, there for me to attend,

;

and

al

part

in,

a Mesmeric Seance
I gained

I attended
ision,

and from

the reputation
ilt]

on that o

but a few days

ere I

was summoned to the Tuilleries, by

command
had

uij(

ty,

Xapoleon III.,*

who for
I

thirty-four years

n a True Rosicriician, and

place, but

whom

had before met

at the

same

on a different errand

than the present.

myself was an
ac-

What
tor,
it

then and there transpired, so far as

i

not for
fact

me

to say, further

than that certain experiaccount of

what took

place at

at

rdinary stance.

The anachronism observable

is

purposely

made.Ed.

SEANCE AT THE TUILLEKIES

merits in clairvoyance

59

were regarded

very

for Paris, which

the centre of the Mesmeric world, and

will

where there are hundreds who

fold
:

read you a book blindwill

and twc

Alexis,

and Adolph Didier who

do the

same, though the page be inclosed in the centre of a dozen

boxes of metal or wood, one within the other.

On
hess and ecarte, no

I had played and conquered at both

word being spoken, the games

There

neous, and the players in three separate rooi

present, also,

an Italian gentleman with an unpronouncible

name

a Russian Count Tsovinski, and a

Madame Dablin
his

a mesmerist and operatic singer.

After awhile

majesty
after-

asked the empress, and the general (Pellisier),

who

wards became the Duke de Malakoff,

if

they would submit

of mesmerism by either of the three professors of

the art

named

They
'

declined
if

whereupon the Emperor,

speakin

aloud, asked
their

anv of th

company

willing

own

persons, the vaunted powers of his ex-

cellency, the Italian

Count V whose methods of inducing

his

magnetic marvels differed altogether from those

usually

adopted

inasmuch as

he, like Boucicault, the actor, in his

famous play 'The Phantom'

gl
for

makes

no passes, scarcely

an instant

his subjects,

and invariably looks

a well-known fact

away

from, not toward, them.

Now,

it is

that everybody believes everybody

ject

else,

save themselves subthe

influence

often demonstrated
Society, held
in the

ekly seances of
enelle St,

Ma&

Rue

Honor

VALETTE. RA
60
this lurP *,te oi date of

M
ye

the

,ade

D A^can,^lh
B,

^ pu* P^e!had
**
111 "" amei

erial

Stance,
,

spiritualism had

-->V

although the a ud France the Atlautic, crossed

Jermyn n Jemyn
.

street, street>

Pica y ica
-

time that
'

^ m. .*IVsabsequently
Lond0n
"" Jet
t ,
.

the notoriety obtained ot then ""J ran after half Europe not had Tbi" toe and genufey heel

presen who se

iuc

.irit
v

power.

Of

^ -^
co

-*

Ta as * on depended
took pla
uio xhibit his exmDit

T ^
v
,

^
^
,

^.^

phenomena

^^

and was not

Wtet thCTe

^
^

theU

reply to Count, in said the pleasure, t uleasure,' great your With

straight an d looked he turned forthwith and space between the entire pied
the

pest to

power r-

wiu(lows of windows oi

Rosicrncian this Italian T had me t h ld met someUme, I where, at me yet 1 & not tell ; I could me life
for the -here,

saloon.

he spoke As

it

struck

me

that

that voice, had beard I

'

and

still

sweet smile that strange, I had beheld that, sup u e +^o mivrov was such mn i oi wa before the Count's position The rays would the reflected nam been his eye had posing in the fairly
.

the least struck had not person upon whom it The tre. the disnot make He did clone picion of what was being the oper no sooner did until it was too late, for covery looked his hands, in focus, then he clenched fairly himself muttered to
fold

of one of the forehead

company

MESMERISM EXTRAORDINARY
unintelligible words, and the gentleman few
if his fell

61
to the floor

heart had

been perforated
club

by a

bullet, or as if

he

had been struck

down with a

In an instant
of apoplexy, except the

confusion, everybody thinking

it

fit

the operator, myself and the Russian. Emperor,

" Several went to raise him, but before they could do so he

sprung to his

feet,

began to sing and dance

the

truth, at the

same

upon the company, that the pheno flashed

in

was mesmeric and

if

another minute to plead for his

life

before his

son judges, with the prison and the

axe before

him.

The

scene

was solemn to the

last degree.

" Suddenly, and without a word from the Count, the pleading

changed to a musical

scena

and although, at other

incapable of singing or playing in the least detimes totally

gree, he performed several
difficult pieces in

magnificent style,

on the harp and

vocally,

piano,

acompanying the

performances

and

in

a manner that drew involuntary plaudits

from every person present.

" This part of the performance was suddenly terminated
;

subject placed himself in the exact spot in for the sleeping

the Italian had stood, and, like him, gazed steadily at which
the mirror,

and

in

twenty seconds the

man who

stood in the
in

line of reflection fell to the floor,

and a lady who,

line,

going

to his assistance,
raised

chanced to strike that

if

instantly seized,

him

as easily as

he had been a

doll,

and with him

commenced a dance
It
infectious,

unique, wild

and perfectly indescribable.

for

than half
stately dames,

persons, high lords and

were wheeling, whirl-

ALETTE RA.V
*
in.
ItfAl

were
izi

L Jed
I

cr

about the lying

room

in wilder

measures than
all

by mad

Bachantes.

They had

been

by proxy

measure I beyond
:
,

at this

extraordinary display

etir

the bett
)

the progress of the strange to watch

side of the saloon,

L
lee
[1:

the opi
in

site

and leaned

care-

H
\
rr.

of two colossal one

Japanese josses that stood

th re
1

near me, and in was anywhere person

below

my surprise
7

ired

my

breath

'

What

astonishin

ti

am

person standing close at certain that a

my

side could

not hai

I said, yet nevertheless the earned what

thought
his

ku
h
alvau<

..

,;

before the

Connl turned square upon

toward me, smiled sweetly, strangely, straight

and
said
'

he did
that
is

),

All this power

is

your

and much
!

still

more mysteriousif you but say the word

I,

"

What word V asked

surprised that a

man

should

readily read

my
my

thou

for it is impossible that

he could

have
"
'

ard

exclamation.
will voluntarily join
!

That you

the most august fraternity

it
!

hat ever earth contained

again.
>

Think of

We

shall

meet

When V where V
company
ben
at

I asked

hurriedly,

for the

august

obser ring us,

especially the

Emperor, who,

th his

heavy brows, was evidently paying quite as

us as to the wonderful things

much

ation to

then occurring

across the room.

He

did not reply directly, but,

by a continuation of
:
'

his

breach of

resumed

saying

By

the exercise of

THE TEMPTEB.
the

63

power I
shall

possess,

and

will

impart to you, conditionally

you

be capable of depriving any man of speech, and

or child
perfectly subservient to your

make man, woman

silent

command,

as the people yonder are to mine.

There

is

Jean Boyard,
object,

in this Paris,
it

who merely

looks at any small

and makes
!

dance toward him.

You

shall

exceed

him

fifty-fold

On
shall

the Boulevart du Temple

M. Hector
in

produces a full-blown rose from a green

minutes
i<
i ;

bud,

seven

you

be able to do
lives

it

in one.

In the Rue de Bruxelles

all

a girl

Julie

Yimart

who
you

exceeds Alexis and

at chess, tells

the

sleepers, for she beats

you

all

you know, and much that you have

do
all

forgotten

you

shall

that and more.

In the street
liv-

Grand Fere,

lives
;

a boy

who

brings messages from the

ing, in their sleep

meets and converses with your friends

when

they slumber,

and describes them

as perfectly as the sun

can paint their portraits in the cameras of Talbot and Dagguerre

"
' ;

you

shall

have that power.

is

In the Rue du Jour,

curable,

a Sage Femme,

who cures

all dis:

eases that are

shall

by a simple touch and prayer

you

that power greater than she can ever hope to.

It

is

only necessary to say

'

I will have these powers

all

1'

and
I

they shall be yours.

learned

They

are well worth having.

my

secret

among
we

the magi of the East

men not

half so civilized as are

less,

of the

West

but who, nevertheChris;

know a great deal more than the sapient men of

tendom

that

is,

less

of machinery, politics, and finance

but a great deal more of the

human

soul, its nature, its

.VALKTTJ

64

m
['it*

..1

of their d velopement.
ntl ^ c

Instead of

at

modern

revelations,
1

we

of the

What Temple?
i

I iuterrupted him

preme

Vme ot

the Rosie Cross/ said

:,

e
f<

ror mu>t
dir tly
ill

have heard this quest

cr<
'fe.

and

its

ed over to

us,

and
;

actually

:l

il

thil

rious

The Count bowed

did not

u
V
1

by the presence of the sou of Adraigreat Put h founder of the

Second Empire

w;h jayimr.' the Count resumed, 'instead of being

a

!t

hat

rn

sci

ace has done,

we are ashamed
indeed
!

of

a;

" 1'rogress
in

Progress
is

Where
in

wretch* Um
misery.

s,

poverty, crime, selfishness, and

remenl

Progress

more fancied than

real.

m
ma
false
ul,

a misnomer, Philo

utilitarianism

a desecration

of

phy an imposture, and learning altogether

"
iL

was pleased to see the Emperor join the conversation

for

at to

two reasons
dly, to

first,

to hear

what he had

say

and

observe whether the subjects on the

M
v
1

be kepi under the Count's influence while his mind

I

if

at* r

from them and centered on matters entirely

I>

not be disturbed at

what he says/
lightly

said his majc

fcy

M men

are
I

all

mad

And

he smiled,
:

^ Wrthameth
e(

shrm
L

his shaulders,

and exclaimed

how

rer V

(\K

A
< Then turning

SPLENDID POS8D3ILITY.
company, by some toward the attention

his

the subjects danee, restored he stopped the iBserntable power thereafter exeralmost instantly state, and to their normal with closed who straightway, Madame Dablin, npon
cised
it

swept its a grand piano, eyes, approached mto one of launched forth prelnde, and then as a

with matchkeys

es

skill,

the strangest,

most

brilliant,
of.

weird fantasias, yet wild and

I cannot

ever dreamed that genius

effect

now

stop to describe

company, nor upon upon the

absorbed at that

myself, for

my

whole

being was

moment

in matters far

more im-

however interexperiment, than a mesmeric portant to me its effect and for at best, it might be ; and successful esting while, on the and ephemeral, be transient me mory would Italian might learn from the things I might contrary, the I was not soul endured conscious
so long as last
fore,

my

repeat the

resumed his talk. disappointed when he but the substance, of what he said, ipsissma verb,

I cannot

now

reply to questions in
effect this
:

Emperor and by the

myself,

was

in

<

The soul and

its

qualities,

volume are all passions and

all

apparent to physique, and are marked upon the clearly others, the difficulty key ; to all the proper who possess
reading these signs, in correctly

lies

and a

still

greater in assign-

actual, its possible, faculty its in, to each

and

its relative

gth and value. BUC

act that a Every

man

does has an

imprints thereof soul, and the his body and upon both effect therefore his past upon his features ; indelibly stamped are e read by the or thought-can most secret act his
,

BAVALETTE
e6

were a printed page, face

tl

cep

-r"-*_
p

el ear.

Every man

is

sus

bC1Dg

L'rolled U0U
j

by numerically
than

another, because
faculty faculty; a

gtrongc r
its

w *k*t his weakest

do
chain C
coi

II
,

ao

than

most

defective link

Now

T >
I

Z en

'

Ze I a"
S
,

;
pi.

u
li

the Psychal Rearound winch unity ,,-..,ri.dt.V vulnerable : subdue is always of these

of their ..rtion

the most which a glance knovv at , suif.lmre. Emulation and Self-love, E nrp
.

nature

One

subdue the nd you

riuit-nt

man
beii

when I perform Now,

exhibited, I
first

such

those

now

mesmerize,
in turn
!

single faculty, brain, but a entire

.
.

which
is

lily

i.dn.

all

the rest

The

mind of

man

a mirror

h'

Ian.
pi
iat

an effort of will forthwith, by Well, then, I nothing but a revolv thinking of m v own mind, fancy I then reflects my action The subject reflects my thought ibject the
play,

and

Bui
ling

said one,

'

your subject understands suppose

about these accomplishments

All souls

How
Bodies

then

"
ri
*4

'

understand them.

may

not
j

and

the

ml under subjection, not the body merely.

is

This

a dangerous power

to possess,' said the to

Emperor,

'

and none but a good

"
'

man ought

have

it.'

bad man cannot become a true Rosicrucian, although

arned their arms against the race,

men hav

and the

secrets

of the fraternity, like all things else,

i

have been

trifled

with
dis-

>u a

Thus

it is

possible for

an expert to cure a

SPECTRA.

67

eased

man by
is

the rule

dual

alluded to. But of the power the exercise healthy man by possible to kill a also
:

it is

mysterious means the same

done, especially

aud indeed

it

has often been

by

the natives of Africa,

if

'

I persuade

my
will

that you are sick soul

and

will die,

and

I keep up the
will

and wish nothing

is

more certain than

naturally possess

that both

be accomplished
will,

Some men

enormous powers of
images, like

and

project visible are able to

they choose to

images of whatever those of a phantasmagoria hand, arm, or a human fancy-a flower a

form-and

to scores of startled spectra will be visible these

in their utter

observers, who,

ignrmnce

of the

human mind

conjoined powers, believe their respective and and body, and

dead men, and objects veritable ghosts of them to be the

produced by them.
this

recently that in I learned

London

is

at

named Hume, who pos young Scotchman, moment a

this

levitation,

and also that of a remarkable degree, power to fortune by pretendis coining fame and and who
psychical

ing that the

phenomenon

is

always and

truly

seldom the case. spiritual-very of Naumsavi in the Punjaub,

Bosicrucians of
India,

learned this great secret I

Chitty,

the

chief of

the
since

and the

greatest

reformer

Budha.'

"At
exhibit

this

point

the

Emperor
his

asked

the

Count
power,

to

a
the

specimen
latter

of

spectre-producing
First

to

which

assented.

he

walked

rapidly

up and down several times

the

saloon,

gave directions

done, and then, as before, lights, which was to lower the

BAVALETTE
68
mirror for a minute of the in front till tureen j a still directly + nTlft he tood repeated tone, r ^9.^a cracked a sharp, in and then, or two. and as I live, there did so,

_i^

We

.,

the floor, over the mirror, along face of the the and down p
the walls
;

now hke

forks,

then as chains

fiery acorns, changing to fluid; anon ;, He

whteh grad.

and then rested a few seconds, company for the of Napoleon III above the head .bo* five inches
&
tire

after this splendid Miiui: said he,

ability,
'

oof of his weird

do not aver that I

all

phenomena exhibited the

lo

say that not

but I these are produced as I have days as spiritual attributable to spiritual one-tenth part

agenc
duct of d

That which
id

is

indeed spiritual
of
it

is

not

all

the pro-

men, but

much

from the Larvae proceeds

the rolling globes.' and inhabitants of the spaces between

M

invitation to become Then turning to me, he repeated his

;

an aeoly te of the Temple

gnortly thereafter the
palace
before.
I

said

we should meet again

up,

and
the

seance broke

and
it

left

greatly wiser

than when I entered

five

hours

ailing

a voiture de remise, I entered

it

and rode home

to

my
of

hotel.
str
I

Arrived there. I dismounted beneath

lamp, and

gla

drew forth

Are

)n openin

what
it.

my pocket-book to pay my my surprise at finding

to myself, I paid

closely sealed, within

directed

THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER.

the coachman, hastened to

69

my

chamber, and then, eagerly

let:

I read the following very singular tearing the envelope,

ter,

female hand, and in the English language written in a

Monsieur
' ' '

Remember that yon have met one human

soul

who

thoroughly understands your strange, mysterious knows and

and inexplicable na,ture

your heaven's heights, your

hell's

olcanic eruptions, your your spacic breadth, your volcanic en depths,

of god-like calmness, and all-pervading, all-sustaining,

holy

and

quiet,
all

wherein the soul in

space and
self-created
all
all

its

magnificent

grandeur sweeps over

finity

time,

and

of lives in

its

own

world
see

As
still

such I see

and know you

Yet

in

this I

other and a

greater character to arise in your being than

ther

now

exists

I see a character

is

to

if

you

illow the

grander, diviner elements of your being, and also the heavenly elements that surround you, to blend into one united
force of harmonic intelligence, that will
self into

mould your

entire

man

such as I cannot
before you.

now
One
it)

describe.

Two

ways,

my

friend, are

now

so grand, so sublime,

that I would (in order to explain

demand the eloquence

a. Caesar,

of a Patrick Henry, the strength of

greater
still,

the love of a
all

the wisdom of a god

the other, not

these

combined could give

"
'

me power

to depict.
right.

In the name of

Him

and humanity, choose the

"
11

'

Such are the

Listen

feelings of one
I

who knows
is

you.

'

be quiet

your time

precious.

"'Adieu!

BAVALETTE
7C

Hebrew, was Greek, This

and
it

Sanscrit, all combined, to

me

so for continued

It

was

evidently

by
v k

while fully aware of one of who

susceptibility
If.

my
the

flattery

knew not

him

Still,

the

allusions

to

my

awful secret were

that the writer knew far more admit a doubt palpable to Was it the mysor hinted at. lo-e letter said
terious
in a

Count
?

If so

why

did he take so great an interest

it.

stranger

could not understand I

"Of
i.tly

course I

thought much of the

Italian Count, and

longed to

know more

of, if

I did not join, the mys-

mity whereof he was a Frat

being had I
ever opened

member

but

human

my mind upon

the subject, either in

or Naples, whither I repaired on Paris,

Orient.

my way
t

to the
in

Indeed, in the latter city the subject lay

perdu

the 'liars of
in

my

mind, for I sought to banish

full

all

care while

Italy, in

order to drink

draughts of music

that balm
to hear the

for fevered souls.

"While

there, I
'

one night went to

San Carlos

opera of the

Barber of Seville/ and to listen to the glorious

strains of Mario, Grisi

and Gassier.

I had been charmed

'

out of

all

my

griefs

by the celebrated

Music Lesson

'

of

the latter cantatrice,

it

and as I walked homeward I

hummed

notes as I passed along,

and

it

rung in

my

ears long after

I had lain

down

to sleep.

With

the peculiar caution of

Americans generally, but of Califor nians especially

h
bi
1

whose

ad imbibed during

my

short residence within the

Gatebefore

retiring I

had carefully examined tho

ADVENTURE

IN NAPLES.

71

Neapolitans, bear watching, to room, for Italians, especially Then securely It was so. that all was safe and right. see I was soon drifting up fastening both doors and windows,

and down the Dream Sea.

Beneath

my

pillow

was my

monej

belt, in

which was about two thousaud

dollars in gold,

loaded to the muzzle, was which, together with a revolver,

the property of

a California acquaintance.

" In the morning the

room was

as

when

I slept

but the

charges were drawn from the

table arranged
letter
'

pistol,

and the gold lay on the

in the

form of a triangle, surmounted by the

R/

while, pinned to the bosom of

my

sleeping robe,

was

English, in a bold, clear handwriting, but in a note in

red ink.

That note was not there the night before

it

could not have been placed there

by human hands
for

'

Do

not

fail/ it read,

'

to

remember the purpose

which you

the seas, for your enterprise concerns the future ages crossed
of the world
will
I

It

is

not yet accomplished.

Achieve

it.

yet serve and save you.

E.'

" I was thunder-struck.

crossing

Again some mysterious being was

my

path

that being whose strange domain lay on

either side of Time,

and whose
fire,

will

seemed ever to hedge me

about

like

a wall of

so that escape from the strange

impossible.
I

destiny that

hung over me seemed almost

was
;

in despair, for
felt

already had grey hairs shown themselves

old,

that I

was growing prematurely

and that the chancea

were greatly against me, a son of Adam, ever wedding with

a daughter of Ish."

iJOOli

II.

CHAPTER

I.

THE ROSICRUCIANS ABOUT

of my
rly,

It

is

no
i

ri

(the editor's) design to recount

all

the

tuv

r
rift,

in

of

nor to trace his paths through Egypt,

Suffice
it,

Turkey, nor Europe.

in his

that I

became

so inte-

ory that I
.

accompanied him on more than one

1.

urn
r

Occasionally I
r,

would lose sight of him

for

mths
mid
i!

etl

but by the strangest seeming accident we

el

in,

now on the top of Ghizeh's great

Dongola and Nubia
;

pyrain a

uitl,

now

in

the deserts of

then

French

cftfe,

anon

in the

columned groves of Karnak and

rhrl.es.
itf

We often parted,
I

and as often met again

and

in

had not failed to investigate certain gr

I did not fully believe

n
hi
for,

which he had confided to me.

nge doctrines
e
;

but I

am

sure that he did,

and

there-

commanded my sympathy and respect.

on

As

previously
exceed-

iftdicftted,

my

first

acquaintance with

him I was

ingly sceptical in

regard to the existence, in these days, of

of the Rosie Cross,

* 'therhood
7

and derided

his assertions
'

"1

in? their powers.

True I had heard much, and read

"

THE FRATMRNI
more, concerning
that has proved
stainers in all

the celebrated fraternity

association

veritable God-send to scores of papers reign,

parts of the globe where letter

as wit-

Kingsley, Robert Southey, and fifty ness Charles Mackay, his " Zanoni," and others, not omitting Bulwer Lytt

Strange Story

Hargrave Jennin

and

his

"Cur

about " Fire " and the " Outside World Things"

In

my

varied travels through

Europe and the East, as

well as in this,

my

native land, I have

met with

scores,

not

say hundreds,
it is

who boasted

themselves Rosicrucians

and

but a

little

while since there appeared, in

a"

n spiritual

sheet in Boston, first a learned lecture,

by a female " medium,"

on the Rosicrucians, and a long communication, purporting

to

come from a deceased adept of the Order, both of which

were quite laughable by reason of the total and utter ignorance displayed.

Probably both of these " enlighteners " had

heard or read of Dr. Everard's " Compte de Gabalis," and

took that humorous bit of badinage as the

explanation of Rosicrucianism
as,

real,

simon-pure

indeed,

was

natural, see-

ing that hundreds have fallen into the same comical error
for,

upon applying the touch-stone to

all

these pretended
it is

adepts in the secrets, sublime and mighty, of the Order,

found that, exceptionless, they are woefully deficient in even

the rudiments of the genuine
fraternity
;

nor have

these

modern pretenders any more

real claims to the truth than

all

the hordes of fanatics which swarmed

or two ago, and

over Europe an age

who brought

ineffable disgrace
stole.

both upon

themselves and the sublime

name which they

4

74

RAVALETTE.
passes very quietly through the world, good gold coin
.

your counterfeit but

chance to be
;

makes a great noise wherever

it

may

so with the pseudo-Rosicrucians.

The

latter

created a sensation,

and then disappeared, only occasionally

the world

jingling their bells to let

i

know

that the fools were

all

defunct

hile

the true Brotherhood

its

went

nd

still

goes on, quietly performing

is,

mission.

Every student of history

the pretended

or ought to be,

aware that

"adepts"

in past times laid

claim to enormous

amounts of the most wonderful knowledge, but

the
proof,

when put

to

invariably

failed

to

substantiate

their

claims.
pre-

Such were the men who sought, and, in some instances,

tended to have succeeded, in accomplishing the composition

of the Philosopher's Stone

and the great

Elixir.
7

Vaughan,

in his "

Hours with the Mystics/ laughs at the

was
really such

idea that there ever

a society as that of the

Brethren of the Rosie Cross, and alleges that they were but the Mrs. Harris of certain romancers of the past two
centuries
;

in other words, that

they are altogether mistaken

who suppose such a

Fischer,

society ever

had existence.

Baron

now

of

uch an order,
;i 0I
S
!;

San Francisco, declares that there really was but that it was composed of Fools, Fanatics,

rUCk

!.V ! >ck

l of all

MadmeD Wh
'

in time

became the laughing-

tbat he has traeed the Order, under

r?
\
I

other hand, Lydde, the traveller, Positively, in his great work, The n

Europ

On the

Asian Mystery,
its

back lnt0 'he very night-time of the world

Mild

one or more of

names

Rahman, the Arabian author, boldly declar

history

And
that he

THE ROSICRTJCIAN ORDER.

of this Brotherhood has proved the existence
Christian and Jewish history remote that
parison.
is

75
in

ages so
in

modern

com-

the Chinese annalist, Hein, Hun-Tse-Foh,

asserts, that

years before the in Tartary thousands of the Order originated age of claimin Chinese empire, itself foundation of the Tartary it went to From solar years thirty thousand

Japan, thence

to Persia, thence to China, thence

Arabia

thence to India, and,

by stag

having passed to Europe,

its

Jewry, and Phoenicia on through Egypt,

ages

way down

the

So much

for
letter

Yanghan

now

" authority for another

oc-

Under the
the

" in the

American Encyclopedia,

word

" Rosicrucians, " followed

by

Members

of

society, the

which became unexpectedly of

known

of the seventeenth century at the beginning

Its object

Church, State, and individuals, the reformation of ostensibly that the discovery of the closer examination showed but true object of the fully initiated. Philosophers' Stone was the

Christian, Rosenkrauze, certain

who was
etc.,

said to have

lived long

among

the Brahmins

in

Egypt,

was pretended

fourteenth century ; but the have founded the Order in the to

real

scholar,

have been one Andrea, a German founder is believed to sixteenth century, whose obof the beginning of the
thought, was
to purify Religion, which

ject, as is

had been

by Scholastic Philosophy. degraded society founded before him a new character to a only gave
Cornelius Agrippa, of Nettesheim by

Others think that he

Krause, the author.

RAV ALETTE
occupied his

from early youth with time

A
ie

plan of

ocien for
p-

improvement of mankind the

H
u

h,

- Reformation of the Whole his famous dLshed Christian Fraternitas." Fama

I

(i

his

aist
th<
1

the poetical society, parmsidered

ks

having a real existence, s

-1

ril)

di

of the later Rosicrucian the author came

fra

whirh e> end

i

Eur op

After a number

I
v
t
.

had b
.

the Rosicrucian system, and

the interest in
it

^
jh
II

was revived

in the lat-

ath century, in
nits,

consequence of the abo-

he Order of J
a

and the story of their machina-

a^ of th

frauds of Cagliostro

and other noto-

rial

imj

much

for

the wiseacre

who wrote

this

account at so

mud
In
1

" line for the

a-|>o*-

American Encyclopedia."
to the

above, I quote part of pages

-4 and
>tillii
;.

'batim, of the
late

autobiography of Heinrich
to the

fa

Aulic Counsellor
:

Grand Duke
street.

London
id
i

1858.

James Nisbet, Berners

li

n.

S.i\

hi

incomparable

man

On.

mornin
n

in

the spring of 1196, a

handsome young

aan, in a gr
carae
intr
-

-ilk-plush coat,

and otherwise well dressed,

a.

Uir

house at Ockersh
If

This gentleman

h
nt

him
1

in

such a manne

betrayed a polished

*nd g

education.

Stilling inquired

who he

was, and

a*t

that

he was the remarkable

th.
it,

Stilling

was

aw 'Wished

and

his

astonishment was increased

STILLING

AND THE

ROSICRUCIANS.

77

by the expectation of what this extremely enigmatical

vidual might

indi*

have to communicate.

After both had sat

down, the stranger began by saying that he wished to consult Stilling relative to a person diseased in the eyes.

Howmanner

ever, the real object of his visit pressed

him

in such a

that he began to weep

kissed,

first,

Selling's hand, then his

arm, and said

tolgia?"'

'

Sir,

you the author of the " Nosare not

'Yes,
'

sir.'

'You

are,

therefore,

one of
C.)

my

secret superiors

(in the

Grand Lodge of the R.

Here

again kissed Stilling's hand and arm, and wept almost he

aloud.
Stilling

answered

'

No, dear
I

sir

am

neither

your nor any one

else's secret superior.

am

not in any secret

at Stilling with
: '

connection whatever.'

The stranger looked

a fixed eye,

and inward emotion, and replied

!

Dearest

friend, cease to conceal yourself

I have been long

tried,
!'

and
Stil-

severely enough.
ling
in
:
'

I thought you
,

knew me already

No, Mr.

I assure you solemnly that I stand

reality

no secret connection, and in

understand nothing of

all that you require of

me

1'

" This speech was too strong and too serious to leave the
stranger in uncertainty.
ished and amazed.
then,
It

was now

his turn to
:
'

be astontell

He

therefore continued

But

me,

how

is it

that you

know anything

of the great

and vene-

connection in the East which you have so circumstanrable

the " Nostolgia," and have even pointed tially described in
their rendezvous in Egypt, on out

Mount

Sinai, in the

MonV
'

Canobin, and under the Temple at Jerusalem astery of

know

nothing of

all this,'

replied Stilling.

'

But

these ideas

78

KAVALETTB

very lively manner to themselves in a presented

tion.

my

imagine

It was, therefore,

mere fable and

is

fiction.

" Pardon
'

me
It

the matter
is

the truth and reality as

you have

described

astonishing that

you have

hit it in such a

mannerthis
now

have come by chance V cannot

The gentleman

the real particulars of the association in the East. related

Stilling

amazed and astonished beyond measure was

,

for he
not.

remarkable and extraordinary thing* heard

of such a nature as
affirm that

which are
public

can be

made

I only

what

Stilling learnt

from the gentleman had not

the most remote reference to political matters.

About the same time

Stilling,

prince wrote
it

and asked him

'

How

was that he knew anything

about the association in the East, for the thing

described
the same
stranger.
kind, in
it

was

as he had
naturally
B

in the

" Nostolgia."

'

The answer was

w.

as

that

given verbally to the above-mentioned

1

Stilling
his

has experienced

several

things of this
'I

which

imagination exactly accorded with the rea

Oh

fact without previously

having the least knowledge or pre

it
is,

sentiment of
Stilling

H )w
own

and why

it

is,

God knows
lets it

th

makes no
its

reflections

upon the matter, but

it

ov
f

stand upon

value,

and looks upon

as a direction of
distinguished 3
is,

Providence, which purposes leading

him in a

and
fcei

manner.

The development of

Easter

mystery
it

how

portant matter to him, because

the
ity
;

has relation
in obscu

Kingdom

of

God

Much, iudeed, remains

fi

Pi

for Stilling

afterwards heard

ther person of

belie

great consequence, something of

Oriental Alliance which

AMERICAlM
of a very different kind

remains to be developed It

whether the two are distinct or identical."

Thus

far

Jung

Stilling.

Quite recently I became

of the existence of Rosicrucian

Lodg

in

this

country

obtained

much

the Fraternity, and information concerning

following Seven Paraprivileged to publish the have been

the exoteric practice of the graphs, concerning

Temple

THE ROSICRUCIANS,
AND WHAT THEY ARE. WHO
Honor, Manhood, Goodness,

TRY.
I.

The Rosicrucians

body of good
Charter, deriving

and
its

working under a Grand Lodge

power

Third Supr
Order, and the last (claiming justly of
the

New

Atlantis Isle, nearly ten thousand years anterior to

the days of Plato), and as a

Grand Lodge, having

jurisdiction

continent of North America, and the Islands over the entire

of the Sea.

The Grand Lodge, and Temple, grant

charters

dispensations to found or organize subsidiary lodges and and

temples, anywhere within the

limits of its jurisdiction.

II. All Rosicrucians are practical men,

who

believe in

Progress,

Law

and Order, and

in Self-development.

They
;

believe firmly that

God

helps those that help themselves

and they consequently adopt as the motto of the Order, the

so

BAVALKTTI
that

word TRV, and

th.-y believe

d of th ree
bridge over which

Bad
f
f,
i

to Better,

and from Better

ft

Be

n
to

poverty to wealth, and

<

power
a large society in the world, and our

III

rtitnte

ran!

bid fair to largely swell in this

land of Practical Men.

Fhere ire hundreds of

aii'i libei

men

of large culture, deep intuitions

minds,
li

who

actually languish because they

do not

it

know

other

there

being no organized body, save our

w
1
1

own, which invites such

ihip
I

men

to join its ranks

and

find the

which such

men
all

of such minds need

In our
;

such

men

find

they seek, and

more

in

our
in

rkly reunions the rarest

and best

intellects are

brought

contact, the best thoughts are elicited,

and the truest human

G
a

al

pleasure experienced
1

forasmuch, as nothing impure, igno

is

mean

or unmanly,

for

an instant tolerated under any

cir
<lu.

.instance

whatever;

while,

on the contrary, every

PI li

inre

ment

is

held out to encoura-e all that is noble, o

good
to
1

beautiful

charitable

and

manlyand
in

that

too

totally
a

unknown and unpractised

any other order

lit

of

IV.

Kv7 Rosicmcian
r

th
is

"f every other

'

I;".'

: '

the ;;

Tr
Rosicrucian

der a
::

known, and

is

the sworn brother

the wide

W(>m

^^^
In
all

in

tlj

*><*

comfort (except when

Stun
lit

ion crime r

demands of public

* ** *
social order, decency

if

jnstice,

National prosperity and

<y)

RULES OF THE ORDER.

Rosicrucian
long as he can do
his
it

81

with a clear conscience, and not violate

honor, derogate from his personal dignity, or sully his

own manhood.

In

all
life,

things worthy, one assists the other

in sickness, sorrow,

death, and the troubles and trials of

the world and society.

Each man

is

eligible to one, two,

or

* degrees

and

after once

becoming a true Rosicrucian

lm
want, either for protection in
all

that

is

just, counsel in

dim-

mi
all

of which

is

freely

rendered so long as the

!

man

remains

a worthy Dweller in the Temple

Thus the Temple ensures

its

acolytes against want, miti-

gates their sorrow, enhances their usefulness to themselves and the world, braces and sharpens their intellects,
fires their

emulation, encourages
cultivates
respect,

all

manly

effort,

assuages their
self-reliance,

grief,

their

hope,
;

strengthens

their

self

self-effort

it

frowns on

all

wrong doing, seeks to

elevate

man

in his

own

esteem, teaches due and loyal respect

;

to

woman,

the laws, society and the world

it

promotes

sta-

Manhood
the
ing,
full,

true sense

adopts
j

'

practical mottoes

and

and

rectly, does the

Temple of Rosicrucia seek

happiness in the world, within and

human
out
its walls.

V. Every

pays

and 4*

KAVALETTE
for which, the In return

member has

the

one dollar.
all

a*

vantage of

information the

Lodge may be able to procure

debates, books, scientific papers, of lectures, in the shape all the physical sciences, essays on experiments in models, to which he is allowed a sum, in addition tc hy, e phil
;

to fourteen dollars a from four ,g

1

week when

sick, pro-

he needs such aid

he

is

visited,

comforted, nursed,

,1

and, should he die, the

Temple bur

him

as a
offi-

should be buried.
r

If he dies an
children

(and every

man

is

eligible), his

widow and

proper!}

cared for by the

is

Order.*

VI. This Older

1

a school of the highest

It
is

and best knowall

the earth affords.

unlike

any and

others,
it

for,

in

addition to being a
iii

Mutual Protection Society,

reaches

out

far hi

and nobler aims

only a

few, very few, of

which
printed

are
to

alluded to in this hand-book,

sai

which

is

merely
Rosi-

much explanatory talk on the part of

eracian

who

are being continually

the said

importuned for informaits

Order
;

One of

main

objects

to a

ehool of

Men

to

make men more

useful

by

re

daring them
fore
pier

tronger,

more knowing, therefore

there

As

Rosicrucians

we recognize

the

immense

enactment of laws looking

P

><"*

for the

alii* of

members when

sick,

a*d

wb-co wui

to their burial
fees

when

dead,
time.

be secured by the
latos

payment of additional
of
life

from time to
**>.

J! T ZZ1

ufl

S7Stm

CertttiD

*"'

nt to

mt

maintain them in comfort,

insurance f ue
a

*.

**

***>

~m

to their famUies at death

but not in luxury or idleness.

The

THE
value
sistency

SECiiET OF SUCCESS.

Sympathy, Encouragement, Emulation and

Nil mortalibus, arclum

est,

THERE

IS

NO DIFFICULTY TO HIM WHO TRULY WILLS

or great
I,

Whatever of good

man

has ever done,

if

may

still

be accomplished by you and

so,

my

brother,

we

only think

and

set

about in right good earnest, and no mistake.

the omnipotence of will
1

TRY

We
man

and we

declare practically, and

strate, the will of

by our own achievements demonand all-conquering

this

to be a supreme

force

when once

fairly

brought into play, but

for

power

is

only negatively strong

sonal ends;

when exerted
it is

merely

selfish

or per-

when or wherever

called into action for

good

ends, nothing can withstand its force.

Goodness

is

Power

wherefore
will,

we take

the best of care to cultivate the normal

it

and thus render

a mighty and powerful engine for

a true Rosicrucian, for he

Positive

Good.

You cannot deceive

soon learns

how to read you through and

through, as

if

you

were a n

a Rosier

ician

only,

nor can

it

be had through any other

its

means

atever.

The Temple teaches

acolytes

how
;

to reto

build this regal faculty of the

human

soul

it

the will

how

strengthen, purify, expand, and iutensify

first results

and one of the

observable after a

man

has become a true Rosi-

crucian,

is

that his vanity grows smaller by degrees, and

is

beautifully less; for the first thing he fully realizes

that

all

he knows would probably

all

make

quite a large book, but that

he does not

know would make

a book considerably larger,

84

KAVALETTE.

sets himself to learn. d he therefore

Where

there's a wifl

and after getting rid of self-conceit, the man the* increasing in mental stature by imperceptible himself
a way
;
fi

lations,
h

and

finds himself

a learned

man by a
is

process
neither

he cannot fairly comprehend,

itecl

and one which

or

known

outside of the Temple.

ii

A
I

consequence of travelling on this royal road to knowthe Rosicrucian soon learns to despise the

weakness

kedness, not

pool

into his ear,

by reason of any long-faced cant being but because he finds out practically
that

ar M

manhood and
meanne
iave
wall

virtue are safe investments, while

badness or

wit
t
1

It is the

testimony of
its

become true Rosicrucians, that within

is

symbolic
cr

there

a deeply mysterious influence for

good pervad-

itmosphere, under which every

<

man

of the Order beintensified in

'

m<
I

")

rapidly but normally individualized

and

character,

m
I

manhood, and influence.

nf

:;::;;

ga.n admission by reason of Lis eminence he may not be a MAH , . titIe fer others on the earth
' '

The doors of our Lodges are never closed against the h noraw or a man n0 r ca n any . P0 ; wielder : of an empire sceptre
.

^
;

aon

<

nn

and
\

^
his

for
1

ar

Bed by
nei

nobler than any other

We
lj
,

to

i/iri
f,

Rosicrucians are proud of

for

and reeno-ni Cognize

that

we are a Brotherhoo -"^iu^khood of

manhood as the tru*

Men

in

gt

H w
g

man

highest

te e
(i

o'

to the

iJS

who kD WS t the most >

and noblest
uses,

heDCe We honor *'

cnitivai

highest

Puts his know-

.
,

not

toward

few

A GOOD RULE.

85

great garden for field in the world's but in any brother the one great G-od ? brethren ? Does not enter our doors No man can and love is ? Even unless put to manly his wealth, for riches, by reason of
detrimental

-bad

positively injurious

No man

of his fame, polit doors by reason r our

to do with a man's The Order has nothing
politics or relig

and

it

matters not what

creed

is,

so long as he

MAN. with

The Baptist

is

but not as a Baptist welcome,

and
no poll

men

of all other faiths

No

religion,

no

faith,

platform, nor will their discussed from our

duction be tolerated
creeds,

moment.

We

accept

men

of

morals,

manhood, sound as outrage decency, except such Free Lovers, Mormons, order, such as and public
;

of that feather and birds

such person enter nor can any

nr ranks, no matter
place

who

he

may

be, or

how

high in fame or

No man
we ask

son

<

his poverty, for

our Temple by reais barred out of beggars are often king physical

mind
and
i

All

or seek

man

is

honor, honesty,

Rosicrucia meet once the Lodges of Usually thoughts, news exchange courtesies, hear lectures,
invited guests, debate to
in art, science, questions

week
;

to

listei

and philo
;

sophy

investigate
cultivate

to each other inform and strengthen to mutually and proper na" all subjects of a any and

that manly

spirit

and

chivalric

bearing which

well entitles

be called a man. then possessor to

These

things of Rosicrucia few of the good knowledge and for obtaining Our facilities sock us. uvn

We

seek

BAVAXETTE
86
be conceived

ST
lasted

of

Kolucia

yet felt never

the^ssnre

of an

e,

exehequer,

never mil probably and

But *

this last

1m

Institution ; yet abont the thing commendable e least therefore has its chest purposes, and ood for

oney
I

Bupplied.

respecting the information other essential All

can be obtained Order

seen that there It will be

is

magical here, yet I nothing

tell

members conld donbt bnt the do not

they chose.

strange stories

if

but by no means Many,

all,

Alchemists and Hermethe

that vast secret Brotherwere acolytes of tic Philosophers earliest ages, and, under thrived from the hood, which has
different

lands, has performed, names in different

its

is still

per-

forming
the

mission.

The members
flourished in

of this

mystic union were

Magi

of old,

who

Chaldea (Mesopotamia)
left

ages before one of their

plains,
tion.

number (Heber)

his native

and on foreign

soil

the Hebraic confederafounded

They were the original Sabi and Sabeans,

who

for

long ages preceded the Sages of Chaldea.

They were

the

men who founded that Semitic

of which
in the

civilization,

the faint shade

we

find,

long avenues of centuries, having leaped

itself

mouldy records of early China,

numbering

its

years by the thousand.

Of

this great

Brotherhood sprung

Brahma, Buddha, La-otze, Zoroaster, Plato, the Gnostics,

the Essenes, and

therefore

Christ himself

who

was an

ne,

and who preached the sacred doctrines of the M<miv

ROSICRUCIA SCOPE OF

87
I
the

tain of Light.

bursting forth but anon occasionally, epochs eclipsed of the discovered the who first were the men The y again in glory deeper was something that there and Fire gnificance of in the umvers. than Intellect profounder Life in man , than word, come illumes the light now of transcendant Whatever they lit torches which from the which they alone mystic mountain upon that Wht streameth too, over and climbed, endurance to climb, courage and hid Triscenturies apart whose rungs ladder other Hermes king and that Egypt mighty
at the Fountain

They

of the the Dreamers were

megistus,

and a Priest as adept, a brother, IX.), was an (Asclepius Pre- Adamite him that famous Malki Zadek before was to have been puted who
that Melchisedek, monarch,
countless ages to have lived for Thought, and born of a too, was that Theirs, Mercurius. with the Greek And so and at their : Moses was skilled learning wherein wondrous Nothing original Hebrew Joseph drank fountain the

Psychology, Entology Theology, Philosophy, Thaumaturgy, world and when they gave it to the and Ontology, but new thoughts and they had gained Philosophers thought

them to have been old of the Order prove truths, the records Chronology, and to have the Adamic era of before
ages

been the

common

property of the adepts.

these

I have
first,

been led

emarks and explanations

settling the

for the purpose of finally

and authoritatively

Rosicrucians, and to throw question concerning the vexed

light

on that which

is

to follow.

CHAPTER
WHO WAS
made," said I

II.

HE ? WHAT

WAS

IT ?

one day, " Beverly to me

my

projected

and had returned tour,

much

wiser than I went, but

no nearer

consummation of the
medicine in of

my

chief hope.

I had begun the practice

office

Boston, and occupied an the city of

reputed to

haunted by the troubled ghosts of sunhave been

dry persons
ence.

who

were there attracted

at,

by some strange
of

influ-

lanahed

and ridiculed the preten

of so called seers,
" There

who claimed

to behold these flitting gentry.

came

to

my

office

one day

it

was a very stormy

day

in <:he latter

part of the winter of the year in the spring

of which I was so neatly swindled

there came, I
thick and fast
;

repeat, on

a stormy day, when the snow

fierce

fell

when

the

wind blew, and the Frost-king was busily engaged in

putting icy manacles upon all that he could reach

consult

a lady
At

to

me upon a

case of scrofula in her child.

tkat

time

my

reputation in that specialty

;

was great

and conintro-

stantly increasing

for I

had but a few months before

duced and practised the method of treating that order of

diseases,

taught

me

in Constantinople

by the famous

sage of that metropolis

pared the materials required

I

and stood waiting for her to leave the office

As

was

anxi-

MRS.

G.,

THE "MEDIUM."

89

some Hieratic manuscripts lent ous to continue the perusal of She made no in Dedham. me that day by a lettered friend

movement indicative of leaving

to a discussion of

but instead, challenged

me

some

spiritual subject or other,

all

which chal-

lenge

I,

from an innate" horror of

strong-minded male-

feminines, respectfully declined.

She
title

called herself

my friend,
She pos-

and was,

if

sticking to one

is

to the name.

sessed all the qualities of the best adhesive plaster

it

was

impossible to get rid of her presence.

She declared that she

constantly saw, and held conversations with the dead,

and she

would then and there give a proof of her qualifications in that

direction
;

whereupon she was instantly seized with an ex-

ceedingly violent trembling, accompanied with

any amount of

spasmodic jerks and twitchings.

before,

had witnessed such things

alarmed at Mrs. Graoffice
;

and consequently did not

feel

ham's condition, but going into the rear

I procured a chair

and sat down to wait

came, were but so

for demonstrations

which,

when they

many pretty word-paintingscommonplace

counsel and advice addressed to

me by what purported

to be

my mother which
gotten her name,
this
life.

latter,

however, appeared to have for-

my

own, and when and where she departed

it

I was perfectly certain that

was not

my

mo-

and equally so that Mrs. Graham was not consciously acting the part of an impostor, and I accounted for
ther,

the phe-

nomenon on the Rosicrucian theory, then quite new to me, that she was obsessed, or possessed, by and with a distinct
individuality entirely foreign to her

own.

To my mind

the

thing

was

certain that she, like scores of thousands of others

90

KAVALETTE
the time bein for

absolute control and under the

stronger than that of any a myriad times dominion of a Will a body on this terraquethat ever tenanted human being Hying intelligent, powerful, inviours-beings perfectly ous -lobe of wherein is a great differenc conscienceless,
lly

from

r>

" The lady came around

stated

minutes, and I frankly few

It

my

opinion to her.

was new and startling

Not
and
that

human
guileful

spiritsyet intelligent ?
It
is

An
?

intelligent thing

dreadful
?
.'

Horrible
Devils
}

What,
If so,

then,

is

Thing
they
?

Angels

No

whence come

Why ?

For what end

" These were terrible questions

and we talked about the

back
office,

matter, the lady and

fire,

I,

as
;

we

sat in the

near the

for it

was very cold

and she sat leaning on the desk

near the window, and I sat near the door between the offices,

my back nearly
to
it

touching

it.

The outer door, which opened

on the stair-landing, was closed, and a wire was so attached

that
it

could not

be.

opened, or even the latch be raised,

without touching-a spring that instantly rung a bell that was

suspended directly over

this rear office as

my

head in the rear

office.

I used
fre-

Pi

a reading-room and laboratory,

and I

quently became so absorbed in

my reading

or chemistry, that

nothing
divert

less

than the ringing of that bell would suffice to

my

attention.

"And

there

and thus we sat and talked for more than three

last

long hours.
really

The strong-minded woman's soul had at

;

been aroused

while I

oi

brought to th O

wh

THE STRANGE LITTLE OLD MAN.

face

91
tra-

my

Rosicracian

lore.

In thought and speech we

versed

of conjectural worlds and laby

last
1

of Be-

ing

until, at

Are

there, really,

any

intelligent,

but

viewless beings, other than

man,
is

in all the

broad universe
like-

I mean other than

wise
?
'

man

as he

here,

and disembodied

that's the question/ said the lady

there are
!

by the desk.
clear,

"

Of course

myriads V said a

manly voice

in the room, right straight

from the centre of the triangle

formed by the desk, the door and the southern wall of the
office
!

It
!

was not the lady who thus

It

replied to her
it

own

question

was not I who spoke

nor, strange as

after-

wards appeared, did the circumstance strike

of the
hesitation,

being

And,

therefore, without

I rejoined to the observation of the speaker,

whom

I subsequently remember to have observed

looking, scrawny, shrivelled little old
possible little sharp grey eyes.

was a thin, strange-

man, with the queerest

looked half frozen, and

He

acted

so, for

he advanced toward some shelves and proceeded

very leisurely to

warm

his

hands over

my

laboratory furnace

between the door and

The lady appeared

6

prised than myself at the inexplicable presence of this

intruder.
1

'

am

not

sure of that/ I

splied

words uttered by the strange old man

that there are such beings in ex
j

answer to the
.'I

am
Good

"

'

Then you're a greater

fool than I

took you for

evening V

And

he moved slightly toward the door

which

my

chair firmly stood.

KAVALETTE
f, T yet for I
*

..

Don't go

want you y
t

said the lady. to explain,'

he ong you think Don,

J^
moment

especially

in her eyes

at that manner extraordinary

I think he

tlns^e o us not leave statement, and pr0TC his t0 as she spoke, her And, cruel
It
is

certainty

positively

and fastened
riveted together

it

as

if

encountering glanc the

that is only flashed in the soul u There must be some magic did her glance so fix else why rare occasions, forth on very At the end stir ? I could not seconds that

my

aze for ten

ended, and, raising time the fascination that space of of

eyes, I
'*
'

my

answered
!

Certainly

he ought

explain
<

and, of course/ said

I,

turning towards the

self,

man

of course,

you

will explain your-

and

>

ther

Not

even a sign that he had

utterly

been

He

had disappeared, gone,

vanished not

through the window, for that was

to the ground, besides which
for
it

clear fall of seventy feet a

been securely nailed down had

over four monthsnot through the door, for

it
1

my

chair

aud back were against

u

Mrs.

Graham
*

fainted,

and

fell

prone upon the floor

*
early that

" I lived in Charlcstown, and reached

evening.

home rather
1

Not that I was

frightened.
office
;

Oh, no

but because home

bitterly

seemed cheerier than the

for the

weather was

MASS. CHARLESTOWN.
>

93

Cold and

storm-spirits were the

;

tempestuous revels holdinghigh,

as the shiveauou,

I!
g

and the bay common

ever aud aud,

the sharp aud turued jogged along, pedestrian

is literally

corner^
than

what

emphatically, aud aud

in

more

sense*

angular city one, the most

me the world, the blasted in

all

him

way he headed matter which of time, no blessed moment same her blows every way snow-storm
for

in the face, square

side-ways, aud

around him

th

a Boston

around the corner due north,

over the north-west,
of the street middle

it is

behind you south-east,

it

way
it

it

straight up, and blows

in the

blows straight down.

True, there

was hard work It

myhome that four miles to travelling the

wearily footed to be

mvht

every step had for

remembers one iu Boston ever but no man were street cars, wanted but everymost it was right way when oiug the s is bent upon when everybodv find scores condng, body can
;

gM

reached home, and walk, I at last " Well after a perilous of toast aud tea comfortable supper sat down to my dadly parlor where I wrote same little little parlor-the in my snug to publish it, which loan of money and received the

my book

deprived of by was afterwards money I upon the world. ever went loose a souudrel as of as great how warm aud cosy outside 1 aud oh, " Oh how it stormed

the financial

acumen

was the
yself

little

snug harbor

which

had

just

moored

second cup of It was the

orange pekoe
iu

it

was, for I
all

had bouht
tea

it

of a Chinaman
lt

Boston, who knew

about

of toast that I slice

was

discussing, along

M
came a loud im there suddenly when pap^ a*iW *l*r ..... tn th:lt of an withiaydj f to that imilar )Oi nrivi d Hi.
\ 1
,

hurry
(i
1

P
or
l l;i ,i

.y
ill,

ieri

nt.
I

who
had

tl.

wen taken
But

that
asi

nt

'-

wt

irishmen!
if

when
n<

in

vMloneet*
|,,'!'l'

he b

II"

iiajre thi
I

tlie

my
truck
itid

\ou< little old

man
ame
come

It

\\;'

tln

who had

fir>t

per*."
an

ai
,lv,

and who had induced

causing her to
the
tbrh;i

,n

r
i

an

M
1

[ted in
in

diamatic
.

pi

ti

same that
and

nl

90

to premature grai
I'l

m-nd ih"
lit"

i>aii'l>

more.
laimed
ht
I

'*

m;in advanced

lire,

and

VVI
ii
!

you and your guest this caused

1

aftor-

ii

ha

raa
t.
'

capital was
:

it

not

\:,.l

again he laugh

thia

time in a

manner and with

dis-

win.
jan
t

had
1
i

it

not
old

l>een

for the

immense physical

P
in

have sworn was that of the Italian

supposition

int
in

Pan

But

this

was hardly

possible.

Thi

d b

was so decidedly human, that, by a rapid

jnsr

M
aid
*

prel
ni
If

induction, I concluded that

Mrs. Graham

had been victimized for sport by one

)f

who was

mas

the
I

mi ^meric art.

This hypothesis was

piausibl
bell
;

iilv

could not account for the non-ringing

and the idea seemed at that time quite prenie

at

u\

could successfully magnetize the clap-

PERPETUAL LIFE SECRET OF

per of a bell
did
it

95

Neither more afterwards. I learned

that this seem quite reasonable

all.

man

had, before

ing the office

our sense of power upon exerted his

>

rendering us deaf. hearing,

with Y ery rather sententiously, To his remark I replied, joke, if snch it was not fancy his no more, for I did and said good manners, no decided lack of brusquerie, nor his nor his
'

'

his

rude speech

in fact,

I did not fancy

anythin g about him

hated or despised, Not that he was about him that made something

uui uvvwww

my

verVflesh creep again,

and caused me

instinctively shrink to

from his contact. cardinal points of the It is well known that one of the can be prolonged through belief is that bodily life Rosicrucian

whole ages

different

ways

first,

by means of
will alone.

Elixir of Life; secondly,

first

by means of mere

In the

age

age ; but in the second and youth accompany case beauty secret This apparent all along the
is

and the processes

in

1605

and

all

by a degenerate Rosicrucian were revealed medicine are aware that great students of
of it in later times

by a French phy

named As

jfll.

undertook to publicly demonThis writer

it

the art of life-prolonging, laying strate and teach

positively, that

down

man

is

immortal, or rather that any literally

if

given

man
;

alive could,

he choose, utterly laugh

and

defy death

that he need

not, if so disposed, ever die. if

used sufficient
his

prudence, and

forcibly

and constantly exerted

that direction.

Asffill

used to complain of
it

cowardly practice of dying, considering

a mere

trick,

and

V ALETTE RA

96
unnec
us*
t

ary
1

bit.

The

0Ids

tell

us that

al

men
and I

both

to perpetu

existence,

tl. aliffbt

doubt that

it

has been

pted and

ro ^ P
ar>
1

Ul , withered
v\

..a before me, uxrp mft wreck

it

struck inc tha

indefi

he

those wr.-tcl.es "tie of A

n Of

had attained who

and, as a nec< second method, by the

lost all
lire

y
d

qiKMH-e
\r\\(

had
I

feelin

possibility flashed aj the shuddered

upon

,,..

lie

m ion,
I

aud

ineffable scorn curled his a smile of

lip

as he did

abandoned

my

notion

plod their way through things as they who observe Peopta the human soul a study, have at all made and who thr world, there is a certain nameless aware that
been made hsm oftei
.

something that

a man, that with comes over

his inner soul

tless elo-

anew
some

perroades

some danger approaches that

Ther
blos-

h
when calm

disaster impends over him

are times,

reigns all

around him, and peace

is

soms
is

in his

heart, that he suddenly

apprised that Calamity

flapping

through the terrible nebuher way toward him

of the Future.

lous
this

doom

Many a man and woman

has

felt

such feeling, some such horror-form

seemed hovering, cowering, crawling near me, and preparing

to seize

upon and fang

my

in the presence of the very soul,

queer

little

man

at

my

side.

It

was a mixed

feeling of guilt

and dread, and yet no guilt was mine.

robbed,
lied,

I had not cheated,

to

my

best friend.

had not fared sumptuously

every day on the proceeds of villainy;

did imt dre
3

my wife and

daughter!
V

in

purple and fine linen,

bought with the mon

THE LITTLE MAN NOT A GHOST.

ed from a poor
fine piano,

97
I

any man
full

had not a

and parlors

of guests enjoying Sands thus gotfine

ten

nor had I driven fast and

horses of
child

my

own, fed

and fattened on the money of a man whose

very

was at that

moment

struggling, gasping, choking in the clutches of

grim death for want of bread and medicine.

were those who did
girl attests it
all this

True, there

and the corpse

;

of a pretty little
?

but

I did not
that,

why then
I

should I be afraid
in

There

is

no answer to

and yet

was

dread.

"After saying 'Very!'

I spoke no more, but striving to

repress the horror creeping over me, I tried to look as indig-

nant as possible, which he was not slow to observe

approached, slapped

for he

me

familiarly on the back, poured out

rusk,

and drank a cup of tea and ate a

which settled the

question as to his being no ghost; then he dropped carelessly

into

my

easy-chair,

rubbed

his little

perked -up nose with

his

thin, little, bluish-pale fingers,

and throwing himself forward,

face,

so as to look right up into

my

he laughed heartily, and

:

then bawled out, rather than sung, at the top of his voice

11

The storm howls

drearily,
:

Let vou and

I live cheerilv

And

we'll study things that

never were known.

I've

come from the West,

To

see the

man

that I like best.

all

Don't think I'm

depravity

Tm
And

in

search of the centre of gravity-

you'll find out the Philosophers'

Stone/

BAVALETTE
]

he

hw-t out again

into

one of

the

wildest

laughs that ever iu d ridiculous

h
1 -

fell

mortal

doggerel that I tched

t
;

had just heard was beneath

singer,

an d

little

did

know of the
were to

and

that those lines

a rd

me

the most import

imperceptible degrees, and by

;

my

prejud

b,
,

m
't

to w;uu
Ml (1

with him upon a variety of sub conversed

f(

maintained during four long

for if

hour
lv

perl

my

y serves
s

me

was

cIctcd o'clock

when he arose fron

seat,

shook me
call

ally

the hand, said he by

was goin

promised to
then, ope

again

<

hen

ted to serve

me/ and

the

out into the midst of one of the most fierce and doors, passed
that ever desolated the shores of Boston vindictive tempests

Bay

singular thing

was

this

in the

depth of winter,
himself,

this

refused steadily to speak

clad in

the very thinnest

summer raiment, not having enough

even for a northern June,

a

much

less for

such fearful weather

prevailed on the night of that 4th of

the glass in

February

a night

when

Boston told of cold twenty degrees below

nineteen lower

New Hampshire

ght

titter

that

many and many a man went to

eternity, borne

tiiither

on the frosty pinions of the Ice-king.

all it is

'

After

a man, and mesmerism furnishes a key

;

to

all this

seeming mystery/ thought I

and with

this consoling
all

supposition I

went to bed, and there reproduced

that

lie

MIAKUS.

99
was
said in regard

had

said or done.

Now,

although
little,

little

to himself, yet,

from that

that he was an I gathered

is

Armenian by

birth, that his

was Miakus, which name

the

for Priest of Fire. ancient Chaldaic

He

told

me

this as

he

bent

down

to kiss a sweet

little

prattling Cora, and

said that

fond of children, and he was very chair, was busily engageq who, seated in her the little fairy, who, it appeared, to a culprit kitten, law
in laying

particularly so felt

toward

down

the

had been guilty of

leze

majeste to her Christmas

doll.

After

produced from his sent to bed, Miakus the child had been

bosom

and about seven wood, locked, and the key, a It was deep.*

of rose or olive square, flat case, apparently a little across by two and a half inches
silver one,

hung by a

watch-chain round his neck. to an ordinary steel golden clasp the bureau, where it lay man laid this case upon

The

little

undisturbed, although
there was
It
i

it

became

clear to

me

that his business

in

some way

with that box and myself. associated

was

clear that his air equally

was more than half assumed,

surface, great

and

that, in spite of his

nonchalance and brusque

accounted for by any writer never yet fully aud fairly . It Is a singular fart, been numerous persons ol the world there have in all known ages of that nationalities, who have not merely creeds, classes and a possibie religion, and to come, through the things, past, present, pretended to see curious bit of *." crystal, lamp of coai, 'instrumentality of a proved that they ri.rf absolutely and unequivocally agent, but who have such unknown to them before have related things wholly actually so see, for they a book especally abo t and have pubiished hese mirror, myself, use uses, and am eatl.hcd Mirror) and their i or, the Magic tSEEBSKIF and without the slightquicker and better n b. reached Good mirrors are ea,.ly results from Mesmerism. danger, as often writer hereof. See adthem, address the Let such as require obtained.

"

Lm
1

7^Z

end of the volume. dress at the

RAVALETTE
100
i hPneath beneatn trouble reigned
u,

as he spoke for, occasionally,

,

eadem melancholy
that,

and plaintive
;poke
if
I

w; _ modulation
.

in his

tones

to

practised

not of a breaking

deeply injur of one most

ircums
effected

and bereaved. This

life,

me much,

for,

through

I have been
in

w grieved one
joy.

those in grief, with

little,

and joyed with those

Then, after a

he told

me

that one of his objects

ysteries of

how

to

construct the magic

which

through space, see and talk could glance majority of persons save a few, have an unerring and in all things,
with the dead,

guid

through

life.

Said he

I have

such a curious look

box, and perhap yonder

and perhap
The
the
fact
is,

you
I feel

may

test its

before I leave you. qualities

have been so all clay, down-hearted,

and

all

more because

propre by calling you a fool, which, of 1 hurt your amour

I do not apologize for. course,

It struck

me

that I would take

infrin

weather to chat with you, without advantage of the

your business, and that, possibly, you might learn ing upon
som> hing and I find relief in teaching you, and. thus with-

draw us both

for a time
'

from the great Failure

'

by which he
I

meant the world.

am weary

of myself, the world, philo-

sophers and philosophy.

There's nothing

good but magic

;

You have been a

bitious to

fool while striving to

be wise

and are am-

know what you have hitherto merely imagined/

took the case, laid
it

"

He

rose,

on the table between

us,

and, while playing with the key, continued

desire

'

If

you

really

to pierce

through the gloom that palls the human

THE MAGIC MIRROR.

senses,

101
and
passions,

you must abandon

all

human

loves
;

most
de*

especially all that relates to

woman
and

for

woman's love

stroys

in the very

moment of man's
life,

victory over her, she

triumphs
h

he

yields his

offers

up existence

itself

on

Is it not so ?
?

D
is

every man's experience corroborate this

alone,
lost in

Strong as iron

no sooner does he reach the goal of love than he

a sea of weakness, lethargy, deadness
!

Bah

avoid
|

woman.
prices.

You want
God

high knowledge, and must pay high

gives nothing

he

sells all
is

and he who would

have must purchase, and the price

Its
life is

suffering.

So with

love.

bought with the coin of death.

Woman is like the

ivy vine mantling round

some hoary tower, and the more you

are ruined the closer she clings, and the closer she clings the

more you are ruined

tive.

Listen.

No

one acts without a moit is

I have one with regard to yourself, and

It so
in it

selfish

one.

happens that the possessor of the magic mirror

all

can

behold
;

other horoscopes but his own, beyond a

certain point

and, if he would

know

it,

he must consult

other seers.

Now,

there are

certain

beings in existence

whose future cannot be read except by certain persons

specially constituted.

You

are one of the latter, I

am

one

of the former

and such as we only meet at the beginning

eras.

and the end of epochs and

I will present

The present

is

one of these.

you with the mirror when you have done me

this favor

I will teach

you the art of

their construction

and

I will give

you a verbatim copy of the answers you

shall
its

make

to the questions I shall ask you

while gazing in

10
deptha

BAVALETTE.
a word that never yet To this I pledge For this purpose that

and an oath
have

patiently waiting for the houi yon for year., Bowed

dawn
thin
re essential.
,itl>,

To
1st,

thinff I

That,

in

a perfectly pure state of

mind,
,t,

intent,

and morals, you gaze into the

gla

2d

while doing so, you

make no
assail y

leepfnl influences that

influence

may

will
i

mesmeric, nor assisted by myself in any not be

vi. but

the sacred slumber of

Sialam Boaghiee, which can

only be enjo\ d once in a per

>ns

hundred years, and then only by

who

are singularly constituted as

you are

whose

vein- are filled with the

minded blood of

all

the nations that

rung from the loins of the Edenic protoplast, the Biblical

Adam, and who, temperamentally, and

v
\-,

in all other respects,

are perfectly neutral.

Certain great advantages will

that are unattainable
;

accrue to you from this concession

without
to the old

From
life

this

slumber you will awaken doubly

;

first,

without
life

and, second, to another

and a

fuller

though stranger
in

within,

and to the power of comprehending

lie

numerable mysteries that

enshrouded in dim regions

far

beyond the ken of ordinary

prehend your dr
the Light, the Tower,

Dreamer
!

you

shall

Rosicrucian

you

shall

comprehe

and the Flame, and where Artcfius

shall

and Zimati

failed

you

find success

It

is difficult, if

not impossible, to either over-rate the

advantages to be derived
to, or to define

by the possession of the power I allude

characterize
it in

and

words, mainly for the reason that, although

DOOR OF THE DOME. THE

idea stands out well the

103

marked

before the mind, and distinct

terms or symbols you speak has no yet the language which

adequate to
.

its *

naming or expression
e.
+v,ri.>if

for, at best,

words are

nrl

tin

more show the beauty

Chris

display

superlative glories of the

human

form.

The

soul that sleeps this

through a gate which slumber passes

save once in a century, privileged dead cannot enter, even the for positive people only by reason of neutrality, and then either side the grave, counted by the billion on are to be
1

outnumber them ten million negative people

cold heat, very rare indeed. neutrals are, like
shall yet assist each other.'

I trust

we

" Now,
hastily

had, two

hours before, on seeing

him eat and drink,

little

abandoned

my

hypothesis regarding the ghostly

queer old man.

he talked so strangely, and so But now, as

of the

grandly indicated the Door

Dome

of

all

possible

human

mystery that wrapped him knowledge and attainment, the

changed

its

enveloped him in a ten-fold gloom character, but

grew more thick and dense, so and shadow, that continually indeed, that, but for his eating, and much so,
house beside myself had seen and exseveral persons in the and touched him, I certainly should speech with

changed

have doubted the evidence of

my

senses,

and

set the

whole

thino- down, from the scene in the office

till

his departure, to

the account of a disturbed imagination.

There was a some;

thing unearthly about

his voice

and manner

and once, when

in

the.upper part of his right thigh came he turned his chair,

104

RAV ALETTE.

red-hot stove, and I watched it there contact with the direct by the fire, and the smoke of its chair was ruined until the
varnish and
seat fairly filled

the room, and yet he was not

burned, but coolly

and opened the door for the smoke to rose

his seat as if

and then resumed escape,

happened
;

nothing whatever had

or three times in the course of the evenand, two

felt

ing I not only

a chilly atmosphere proceed from him, but

skeleton beneath his thin, parchment-like distinctly saw his

skin,

as

if

but the thinnest integument had been loosely

it

thrown over

to hide

its

naked deformity by some mouldy

to expiate its offences

of the grave,

doomed

by again
Could
it

walking the earth with embodied

be that I had struck the truth,

human

beings.

and that

this mysterious

Miakus was

in reality

such a vampire as

we read of

in

German

story ?"

CHAPTER

III.

AND THE ELIXIR OF CHEMISTRY

Marvelling," said Beverly,
tory
11

LIFE.

continuing his wonderful

strange events of the day Marvelling on the

and

said before, I retired to night, as

my

chamber, but not to

mornin

came to me

an experience that in some

respects totally
life.

the current and character of changed

my

These
Cyn-

world * Thotmor,' long since given to the thia and

On
to the

following this eventful night, I repaired the morning

office

of a reputed to be Philosophi

more
his office.

near
awhile,

With him I conversed

a
real

and by him was

I

introduced to

thinker,

whose name,
other

think,

was

Blood. After smoking

in his labora-

tory, I repaired to Nichols', the chemist,

made a few

pur-

chases,

and forthwith went to

it

my

office.

"

Now,

happened that sometime previously I had so

purchased a chemical apparatus, conducting

secretly,

my

experiments

and mainly after twelve at night

for the pujpose

of repeating

La

Briere's great experiment for the removal of

* See the

book called " Dealings with the Dead."

5*

106
the
B

i d few

M
ux
r
|

properties of
H
'

Protozone without
qi
tliti

its re
1

il

had ex

V
mm

1!

?
''it

h
I

at a c
(

3t

almost ruin
that
1

mp
*

r-tlll
r '_

^
e
I

an invincible
I

nvietion

i i

m
lima:

>rld, insl

ad of
Q
js

wlw

burst an arterj
i

at
rh,
fulfill
I

bavin
fitir

mad aboul
ion
1

wn
1

oun
pro<

irt

li

of

and many
the
'

man,
j.

lik

myself,

had

it!

s<

and
1 1
i

an the enormous fortune

-,

in

ill

I*

surn
m<

but hitherto
it

in vain.

The
had pr
I

perin
In

was
hj
Dtioii

import

one.

Churchill

-d

hi

>ho>phi1

and they had lamentably

at this mine,
.

of the in
ided
I

hence, in workin
her

had

a\

In

and

formate,
privat

uce
.

felt,

would

>nh
i:

my own
to
tl

practic

but would be of

nlable
h;

m
as

lical

prof

ion,

and

still

more

to

large ela
re

of per

who by over mental

exertion,
pas-

8^

intdl

and sedentary occupations, and by

th
li

sional

and

nprud at exc
\

es.

had deprived themselves

;

the wine of
a

by draining Themselves of nervous force

=s,

me

-piritl

semi-insane,

gloomy, and despondent.

in

Such a d
pr
ssion

very I

knew would place

but perfectly

the hands of the

true, positive,

harmless

nervine

brain stimulant, invi orant and tonic.

*
rth all the time, trouble,

It was, therefore,
it,

and expense I devoted to

for

it

would be one of the best things medical science had yet given
to the 9
,rld.

GREAT EXPERIMENT A
It had Ion- boon demonstrated
:

107

1st.

That Protozone

bones, nerves, and abounded in the brain. 2d. That in the human body, but especially quantities in the present in large tozonc wa invariably killed, and analysis men who had been brains of healthy thus analyzed invariably as the brain made and thereafter high-toned ambiintellectual, fine-strung, was that of an proportion was spiritual person, Justin tious, executive, or remains while found in their volume of protozone the brutal had comparaignorant, coarse, and the low, the It had been proved protozone in them. 3d. little
; ;

tissues of the

human

tively

to old people to administration of protozone that in the advice to those patients who seek private the class of ... iably
; ;

only to restore health, and seemed not as u revivifier, rejuvenate and tone fire to the body, but to strength, and

up the mind to
while insanity,

power and activity its pristine strength, brain-softening, and causeless idiotcy,
;

in the ratio of terror, disappeared

its

exhibition, for one-

om
om
stry

the system, and

for thirty years

med
It

assimilate with the tissues would at once

and

fluids.

had not succeeded."

I

True,

La

Briere had, but then his

what he had named ced

u I tried
its

my
d

then several physi-

was

tried

upon pa-

108
to

RAVALETTE.
justified in crying

hang a doubt od, that I was perfectly

I

Eureka

'

This preface

is

essential to the understanding

of what follows.
before

Now

it

so happened,

a few days

saw Mrs. Graham, that I had placed about

four pounds of protozone, together with about five times

that weight of other materials, in a strong glass vessel,
in a

sand-bath, ready for the production of, perhaps, one

;

quart of the precious medicine

and the

first

thing I did,

on entering
gas beneath
rich

my
it.

office

from the dentist's, was to light the

For a few minutes I stood watchino- the and beautiful scarlet and purple vapor as it rose and
neck of the retort, and the Ion & & Ading to the condensing apparatus. While thus

led through the

pipes

1<

intently engaged, I

was suddenly
!

startled
!

by the

excla-

mations,

'

Careless fool

Look out

Run

'

Mechanically
ely

I obeyed, leaped into the outer office,

and had

lone so, than there occurred

tort

a loud explosion.
fragments, shatter

The
the

had burst into a mi

and apparatus into fine pieces, and scattering some pounds of ignited chemicals upon the floor Her trouble But not to the speal for, quick as light
he tore the carpet off the office floor, and hurled it, chem icals and all, into the snow-drifts in the yard below, which

soon melted under the intense blaze of that almost quenchless fire, until, having consumed itself, nothing but a white

smoke was
in-

left to tell

the danger I

and the house had been

I turned to see

The
it

fire

out,

and

my fright subsided,

who

was that had so opportunely saved me, and found the little old man smiling and smirking before me.

THE ELIXIR OF LIFE.

"

109
same time cor-

What

is it

you, then

I asked, at the

dially extending

my hand toward
it is
!'

him.
it,
'

"'I

rather think
it

said he, grasping

and very

lucky for you

I chanced to happen along was that

"

'

So early

in the

morning,

Just after break of day,'

v ~~ " said and suns: the Enigma, continuing o

'

You

are not an

overwise chemist,
pect, either that

my

dear doctor, else you would never ex-

Protozonic gas could reach the condenser,

that a glass retort, already

with

the stop-cock shut, or

cracked, would long resist the immense pressure of the accu-

mulating and continually heating vapor.

turned Hermetist and Alchemist

I see
like

you have
!

Rosierucian
else

and that

you are determined to blow yourself up, or

"

Find out the

'lixir Vitae,

Or stumble across the Philosophers'

Stone,'

and the
the

little

old

man

clapped his hands and danced about

glee.
'

room
'

in the

most exuberant
he,

"

But,

my

friend/ said

as

constant trying means

eventual success, I have not the slightest doubt but that

will yet
for,

you
;

become a very you the

rich

man, as well as a long-lived one

this

to

tell

truth,

you have come nearer

mornfor
in

ing to compounding the Elixir of Life

that very Elixir

For
instance
:

which Philosophers have toiled during thousands of years,

vain

than

any man that ever

lived.

had

110
you placed a
of the
fifth
fi

RAVALETTE.
quantity of eleraentos in the retort
third,

less

more

and

and

of the second, fourth, and

a slower heat, and the addition of ingredients with

of

and you

and one of

mentionin
the water of per

ould have, indeed,

made

petual youth and health

rifles the juices,

wonderful chemic which pu

clarifies

removes obstructions,

the

fluids,

and

renders man
to all
injury.

physically invulnerable to
life,

miasmas and disease

things destructive to

except, of course, material

?

What

d'ye think of that

:

Ha

ha

1'

and again he

burst out in a roaring squeak

t
4

I'll

discover the centre of gravity,

You'll find out the Philosophers' stone.'

" It has been the habit of tke wiseacres of this world to

deride the idea that
it is

possible to

make gold
is

to laugh

in
it,

face of the notorious fact that nature

constantly making
all

and that, too, of gasses in the earth, as

souls, are

things

else,

save

made.

It has been fashionable to laugh at the

idea of of

compounding a material capable of freeing the system

gross and clogging impur
life
;

all its

the

only friction to

the wheels of
strengthen,

a mixture which would exhilarate, purify,

and supply to the body the chemical and dynait is

mic forces of which

constantly being robbed.

;

But

these

wise people will have done laughing by-and-by

ust it

not by any

be thought that

I,

for a

moment, entertained

the silly

of the alchemists and false Rosicrucians

of finding a material

which when brought into contact with

SLEEP OF SIALAM. THE

would change them
into gold

Ill

We of this century

knowing

for that

hoped to discover from nor that I

that wonderful the old man's suggestions, the application of did believe it possible but I awhile since alluded to
fluid
;

that

a draught that when I could compound

quaffed would

nature, and believed until that repair the waste of

moment,

Phymyle I had found that in

ishment when
the wierd old

it.

What,
]

then,

was

my
that I

man

whispered in

my ear my

the grandest success coi ceivable stood upon the brink of

Secret of secrets was all but in that the grand

grasp

To

describe

my

sensations at that

moment
told

is

impossible,

and

the more so because the old

man

me

the whole process

and constituents.
"

What

cared I even

if it

was necessary

for

me

to

go to

Jerusalem, and gather the precious seeds of a

fruit that
?
.

grows upon

its

walls,

wherewith to prepare the water

In

other years I did go, and the treasured seeds are mine.

In that awful moment of success I blessed the old

internally

man and

vowed that

in return I
;

would read

his horoscope,

and sleep the sleep of Sialam

soul gratified
?

for

was not the

desire of

my
?

Why

then should I not return the favor

" Such, in that tumultuous

moment, were
'

my

thoughts.
to

Soon I became calmer, and then,

How came the. old man

V
l

know

the materials that were being used

Perhaps he saw
the contents of

the fumes, and thus

knew them

!'

But how of

the condensing-chest through which the vapor the purpose of nullifying

its

was forced
no

for

injurious qualities ? for

living

human being had

seen

me compound

or place them there.

RAVALETTE
112

HW

was being

r i
"of

purpose for know the , to become aware of the ' haa he How had

which

this

compound

the hop* dream,

my

soul,

purpose of the fixed

.

my

life

years and wearisome durin- long envelop the. subject but to queries served Ill these they were passmg he and while of mystery ; deeper robe a

_
t

rithed

out upon the upward, and and curled

air,

thr

igh

he broken panes.

" It was very, very singular

In a

little

while the wreck

cleared

the old

day, and I went out to call again that left me, promising another carpet, and apparatus, some glazing, order new It which I returned of patients ; after

number

about three o'clock,

Miakus, true to his

had not been long and I

before

word, came also."

CHAPTER, IV.
MAGIC MIRROR. THE
Let me
you need
which,
if
it.

give you
First,

of advice/ said Miakus, a piece

'

for

intrust any secret to a never

friend,

bring trouble or disgrace. revealed, would

Never
right or
fighting,

interfere in

a brawl or quarrel,
;

no matter who
its

is

who wrong

but always

let

the world do

own

while you stand

by

to avail yourself of
;

any advantage that

chance

may

disclose

and

lastly,
it.

keep what you know until

will test

there shall
glass,'

be a market for

Now we

our magic

and forthwith

office,

which by

that time had been refitted, so far as glass and carpet were

concerned.

M In his hands he bore the rose- wood box, which he laid

upon the
silken

table, while,

by the aid of four

gimlets, he fixed a

screen, or curtain, entirely across

the room, having

previously closed the shutters to exclude every ray of daylight

from the apartment.

That,' said he
'

"

'

is

a magic screen.
Well, this
is

You have
you

seen a

magic-lantern exhibition.
without the lantern.
I

to be a similar one,
see,

now open
which
is,

this box, as

and

take from
plates of

it

this mirror, glass,

as

you observe, merely two

French

with strips of

wood around
118

their

1U
.

BAVALETTE
ha if
inch apart, an

and so tbat a

fluid

flienl

llrln
.

them

sbatl

not escape.

Nothing depends
but
is.

for
.11

Z
*

curtain, or the glasses the box, the upon either r

ir_|

o;a KotwApn them, which

color,

as

upon the depends

perceive, of a >u
it,

dark brown

but
."
."

at a distahce,

inky to the eye.

this

I now hang

hook, to the ring sewed mirror by this

".

Then closing and screen. edge of the upper central to the place these two chairs for you doors, thus, I both the locking this reflector and place it Then I take
and

Uo

sit

upon.

the gas jet in r

such a manner

as to

throw a strong

light

perfectly circular a

and

brilliant disk

upon the very centre

his actions to his

of the glass tablet,

thus,and he suited

words

took our seats before the curtain, after which we

the liquid between the glasses I observed that and

was of

as to reflect a sort of semi-opalescent hue. such a nature

'

proceeding to demonstrate the truth of Hamlet's Before

to Horatio/ said the experimenter at remark

find
it

my

side,

'

essential to give
is

you a why and wherefore.

Know,

then, that not only

there a mysterious
all

and powerful symit,

pathy between man's body and

is still

things outside of

but

it

more true that a greater one exists between these outand

his soul within, as is
it

side things

proved by the astonishof

ing

power over

exerted

by various substances, most

which, especially the last eight,

ought to be banished from

earth and be accursed for ever

for instance, Belladonna,

Cantharadin, Beng, Opium, Hasheesh,

Dewammeskh, Hyndee,
and many other

Tartooroh, Hab-zafereen, Mah-rubah, Gunjah,

BY MATTER MISD CHAINED

named, and
not merely affect of which will expand the sonl, They within it. mvsterv that lies coneealed gross matter to Let ns aseend from bnt they also damn it I mirrors we can By concave instance
^"^

but the tremendous the body,

the volatile

seen by thousands. spaee that shall be an image in open throw

^
*

-^"fc.

*_

^^ ^^

^^V

*\ 1

w
one such prisoner.
water, and charge
it

w
thus with any
it

specific quality

we choose,

or pleasant, and nauseous

corresponding effects produces

it.

upon the patient

matter united
further
:

who

takes

Here
volition.

by an

act of mere

But we go
them

still

for

we

select materials,
sensitive.

water

still

more highly

We
it

to such an extent that our souls,

shall coraatize

a man's

body, and

soul to the sublimest degree of clairilluminate his

Still
its

voyance.

seize on, and for a time retain, by that shall

subtle power,
:

any mental image thrown upon

direct

it.

Still

higher

there are

and

positive affinities

and

co-relations
it.

between every
certain
ings that pos-

thing and person on this earth and off

By

of the upper

Sp
before you contains such a liquid, thus

lat e-lass disk

compounded

" Here he gave

me

the most minute explanations of the pro-

cess of constructing such curious mirrors,

and how to charge

necessity be

them with a liquid which

I at once

saw must of

KAVALETTE
116
.tnVftl
'

magnetic,

bio-hlv odyllic nigniy uujr*

and

ethereal.

Then he

told

purpose of for the diagnosis, of medical a means discovenn 5 lost treasures, earthly thing
dreams, seeing
reading
as no or

to cklrge ;;

different us, differently for

as a toy,

or the future;

and

for

many

other purposes,

moi
such general use,
'

Ip

than one end, or work in serve more would specially constructed for unless
direction,

render them too which would

'

costly.

so amazingly

he continued, Properly prepared/ only receive and retain im as to not sensitive

your mirror becc

for solar light, things too subtle of

but to bring out and

is

der them

visible.

Nor

is this all.

There

light within

1:

atmosphere

sph

and

intelligent

beings o

who
only

ho can
through such mirrors,

commune with

upon which they can photograph the

information they wish to convey

therein,

by scenes depicted
thereon.

or

words projected
lings
tter.

Now,

observe,
if

Thoughts an
actual

they are real, substantial actualities,

They are things that have shadows,

shape, form, outline, bulk.

cutting, pointed,

Some

are

flat,

others are sharp,

and go on boring their

Others are
solid,

way through

the

world from age to age.

stagger

round, bulky, and

when they
live, die,

strike

you or impinge upon the world.

Thoughts
and firmly

and grow.

Now,

attend.

Gaze

steadily

desire to see

something, no matter what.'

" I smiled incredulously,

one's face in
11
<

and observed that

any

bit of glass.
'

True,' replied he,

but you have never seen your

117
CONFESSION A

and

this

bauble wi.1

*-.*"*
now occurrmg,

will reveal It

past, that are already

will transpire that

earth or off ; , future on the

"

"Ibting what he
well

it.'

I told

hi. that

the sceptieal

was on me, and mood

my

be o ccd. beUef must

J-

He
I

knew

singular constitution the

my mmd, and of

hat^

h
r

durate
s

of the most obI was one contrary seeming, spite of much that ever lived. the supernatural sceptics concerning
of those

To most
s

what I have known me, or read who have

it

written in

past years,

may

appear strange that

I,

who have
now

been the accepted

n-

champion

things spectral, should of all

mi confession.
strange

But human nature

is

a very

compound
were

My

heart,

my

loves, desires,

and emo

Ko
tional nature
all

of the ghostly, and eagerly on the side

;

grasped and nursed the occult and weird

and when these

he
reigned in
against
ve.
if
>

my

soul I bravely defended the spiritual theory

all

comers.

sublime heights of inspiration

and speculation, and being thereby rendered morbidly sensitive

to affectional influences, readily yielded to the specious social

ws,
irp,

sophistry of the hour, and, for a while, pursued a course

from

which, had not reason been utterly blinded, I

would have

the

shrunk with ineffable horror

but, being surrounded

by scores
a whilo

and
)rld.

of thousands similarly deluded, it

to

was impossible

for

break through the accursed meshes of this devil's net into

idily

the clear, cool light of truth beyond.

" This was one side of the life-web I was weaving.

i see

But

there

came moments wherein enthusiasm was exchanged for

;

Bomething like sober-mindedness

and then

intellect rejected

oul;

B^VALRTHS-

U
, k drank had heart of what most ami otner. UHrt,Ul m o* 4 *
^

U^ ^ ^
in
<

the conclu challenged and . Philo phantom

ariable !- Variable Consistent

just as if

!' !'

mistaking mistaking

pby
bon
CoOS
,

him

'"I

person was ever anything or

saia observing, Miikus u-,u BtoakB h,4. winch or nit ia ... H he careful
,
'

he pr

of mind, and . the reins held ^ance, logic "t

^

&

be against you
relishes

Truth

jealous tv ,..d J A " rt to

,

ana u. dame,
I

Ms
>

">

^^It^i-^ ,:,
i

But i ook

mirror beg the

faee

he veiled aown,

for perhap, thus remained a

'

a,

A jpoke,
,

milsaying,

What
'

see

you

in the gla

I replied,

images of but the

HiW

Look

Try
'r>

then followed, short silence A

1

when
a clear spot Only

Do
Yes

anything yet you see

;

'

'

nothing extraordinary but

of the glass. in the centre aperture atmospheric-looking misty, dusky a change-faint,

l0

there

comes

shadows
<

flit

across

positive or distinct but nothing

<

Is that all
,

<<

It is.

Look
"
'

'6

Clearly and distinctly I

It

fore-quarters of a larg the

greyish-white dog.
;e

grow:

Now
from

it is

complete
1>

The

stands out, bold

perfect

and

clear,

the

mirror

So

was

this

appearance, that I could not

IMMORTALITY PROOF OF THE

a phantasm was

119
impossible
It

The

thing

actually turned

my

the dog, but to look for head, not

ft.

upon the wall picture of one no such pictu There was in the mirr
image
prise,
i(
L <

caused the have

The

old

and

So thing

supernatural,

ha?

Remember

that

idiots,

of that which
their

otl.e
:S

lo,

do not understand. but they,

attributed

IS

2e
;e,

they err in so doing. souls, but disembodied

tion

The
of

never be afforded through can

intellection.

phenomena or

Of

that,

be assured.
felt.

Imm<
phi

must be

Your
it
is

cannot possibly grasp the idea, because sopher

idea at
all.

not an

It

is

a reality, and comes to

man

never through

the intellect,

but ever and always through other channels of

ter-

the spirit

comes over roads that begin on earth and

of

God
it

Thus,
shrinks

when

lass.
f

storms

fall

on the philosophic soul

and plays the

usky
coward.

Not

so the truly intuitional

man.

He

feels,

and,
is

feeling, sees

God through

the

gloom

and

that, to him, rides

an

insurance against loss or annihilation.

He

triumphant

over circumstances that bar themselves effectually against all

philosophers.
b

Even when

the

shadow

rests heaviest

on the

large

sky of

life,

such a soul beholds

;

God

enthroned in auroral

Tbe
splendor everywhere
every echoing hill
realize

he catches the sound of his voice from

dell,

and

and

it

speaks to him of

life

ever-

^VALETTE
120

.-**
.

d i,s

all the er that

T TX^sp* Pal ' sm

arth cou,d

^-ow
wh eter

po looked wMlel b

nU-

fflirror

It

^and

the ages, secret of

bly
I terwaxd
ilgure
,

felt ie*

be bad wh en

^J ^ p^-d
indi

that
old

^ ^
silently
ffly
is

of

lmP

a marvelled
.

solve the t0

ma n>s

eould not speeeh

such a beheld

^
^

^ ^

S'

aud
fi

a
tl

him
is

,, cn so.

Let not

ottenci y tbat

What

the type of

a]

not spe
fidelity,

perfeet

trust

confidence, and

unbounded

te

enduring
love and

if its faith,

not - --= symbol be

Such

re

ce

P broad cle came a There now and pelted became dear ole of it wh tmy, butv appeared a centre
--. in
its

w
se.

ho
,

very

,hite light, of
painful

and
it.

its

Instre increased

be

me

sh;

aze npon 2

Gradually this

and there expanded,

to

.!

brightest noonthan the middle clearer

this

pit

rapture, fo gazed with I

faded '-way
pot
a
for

sort

hazy vapor

ounding

tht

It

Ip*o

such do i and through

ish
is

you to look
propitious

wa
he

me

But not

now.

The

time

not

mystical telescop the lense of a you behold is That winch where revob sweep the fields you may scan and wherewith whereof mi of other millions worlds like this, and
a

the
sec:

abc

m vmd

profoundly ig

Through

it

you can and

i*iAL*

THE MAGIC PICTURES

witness

121

tenants and

all

that they are doing.'

What

Do
Mars

yon mean to
it,

tell

me

that through that

all

telescope, as yon

call

a living

man

can behold

that

is

Aye
systems more.
alive or dead.

fortune of any one, will reveal the fate or It

But

to the proof.'

As

he spoke,

it

seemed
eyes,

tube of light extended that a sort of each and all of the as in a diorama, through it I beheld, and believe to be my most scenes of what I painful
itself

toward

my

terrible

and

recent
cesses,

life

on the earth.
all

I beheld

all

my

few joys and suc-

and

the countless
girdled.

agOnies of

body and

soul,

by

which they had been

self

Men

with smiles upon

phrases, to honied

make themselves

to speak in their faces, and seemed and then these believed,

fell,

the listener and he stabbed at shadows hovered over him, but from phantom ever die, for a grisly to

but did not seem

forbore to strike. pity

The scene changed.

to be a rural village It appeared

field,

the corner of the fiery figures on the date, in

It was

was 1852.

a barber's shop,

and

hearted

therein pursuin
health.

This
regions of the dead into the dim and
for
;

and

it

the

veil,

flocked

him, and the about

Again the magic

presented this picture

man

as in public

EAVALETTE.
122
his vanity flattered

and he

Ufe

\r?o eriors into e" was led

s

but none so and Judgment, conduct the in_ on him others around by announced
heart

ten thou

nauugs*him-ancl defamed
for

what

had
nd
his

tong ues

UD

God.

He

fell

friends
his

and

friends of all the

sworn themselves his who had See him now with mankind

bowed down. heart

It shifts
fires
;

and

lo

the

man

appears

Consumed

by the
former

friends,

atitude and venom of hatred, envy, ing of Je renais de mes cend risen again.

he has

He

that he floated to the br on the banner the motto One of those who his mode of changed labor, and bring him before the from his
still

world,

clu

declared that even death should to him

never alienate

him

(for the

pantomime was as readable

and the deceiver was believed speech),

"

Again the phantorama change'd.

The barber-orator had

reached to

competence had gained much gold, a deal of

little

philosophy, and but very

wisdom with
;

it all,

for he

still

believed the speech of people

measured men and women

by the standard of

his

own

heart,

and believed that honest

that, after
all, this

say was honest mean.

is

He

had forgotten went on

but a baby world, and

still

in the

same old way,

trusting
"

and

suffering.

He had

one to provide for

a female

relative

in

whom

THE WOLD WAY OF THE

bound, but this heart was his
ious

123
The

not reciprocal was

hers

Still

the

man

struggled for noblf

seemed
His
'

another can pt.nre faded, but and then the man had, obtained all frand having first to his dupe, the female med purpose on the orking All gary man to duced the his
>

friend

by

neariy ujjo^

~~

raged in

at him, financier laughed and the ony obtained previously daily ; and, tuously,

ram

by
legal

fraud

the effect

and denounced he had caused,

vtctim himself the

had

Once more

picture flew the

years had on,

his tact

the despised gone by,

man

despised because

was uncultured.

He

&

had
c

land

honored him men

in the world risen higher the victim despised the miser tl

;

The way
that

of the world

>

said

Miakus

but recollect

comes uppermost, Ever the Right !' is justice done ever

And

What
*

could you

else

from
fate

portion of

man ?

Trust

one.

This was

cannot be Pate

evaded

Submit

It will

be well

the sequel

We

HAPPY YET V BE

Miakus, too , and uttered by those words I A,ain of the future behold something a desire to mind framed

124

KA V ALE TTL

pictures of the past had plain as the that should be as the blows of fate might be any means whereby and if there wa live and act free from the lonein which to
softened,
liness

any

field

and when next hitherto endured,

the magic

my
So

eyes

glanced

through
vision

there passed across the field of tube,

a solitary

head and bust. human

electric sense

swiftly did

it

glide

past that only an

of

its

beauty remained

was a something that told with me but there

me

the head I

Evlambea
demption come.
of Ish
,

by woman alone could

the

But then

curse

said,

'

daught

'

and she was a child of Japhet.

" Scarcely had this figure flitted

by than the glass became

appearance
ife

clouded, black, and finally resumed the

wlirn
'

had

first

taken from the box.

'

" Nothing further can be seen to-day,' said Miakus, have already endowed you with priceless
forth to the world
gifts.

You

can go

and heal the

sick, restore

the insane,

make

mirrors and the Elixir,

and read the past and future, and

yet

all this is

as nothing to that

which you

may

expect after

you

shall
j

have solemnly sworn to sleep the sleep of Sialam

for me.

" Readily acknowledging

all

he said, gratitude prompted

me

to assent,

and the words were on

my
me

lips,

when suddenly

the same bust

and head passed before

face.

very slowly, within

one foot of

my

It

was unmistakably Evlambea, and

once more
soft, low,

the countenance looked tearfully reproachful as it

disappeared
;

but even as

it

did so there
:

came a
'

musical voice,

but soi raw-toned, saying

When I am

in

DISAPPOINTMENT.
danger you will know
in danger you will
see

125
be ;

it,

wherever you

may

when you are

P

me, though seas between our bodies roll

girl at the

The

identical

words uttered by the

door of the
!

chiefs cottage, years agone,

when we had

so sadly parted

"Thus

mysteriously warned,
pitiful

my

consent was withheld.

Miakus looked

and disappointed.

He

said nothing,

however, but silently repacked his paraphernalia, said he

wished

me

well,

and then, passing with me into the

street,

we

struck hands and parted.

" It were useless attempting to describe

my

feelings, conse-

quent upon these strange events.

grateful for the favors

help

shown me by the Enigma, and yet was

by ghostly
aid,

I certain that I had,

triumphed over a great

all,

temptation, and that Miakus might, after

mean me no

good.

Involuntarily clinging to the

memory
soul,

of the maiden
offered

of the valley, I blessed her from

my

and

up a

prayer that,
angel
for

if

it

were possible, she might be the redeeming

lonely soul so

whom my

ardently longed

and

sighed."

HO

iv

III.

en

\iti:r

1AV ALETTE.

VCA
al

rollnl

aw

lv
.

,1;

oed Beverly.
,;-

"

had

visited

fri

bi

had

rriison

to

np*
in

id

had

wealth and place

fev
! l| \

and knowled
an
e
1

and had there

it

Nj

,,i

in bl
11

nti
->ii

which, while
to all around,

was capable

languished for
like all other

n
>

and
in

trn

Yet

it,

s v

al
1

man,

he so trodden

down
it

that
rise

>at
1

(thing o

is

m
ting

re

certain than that

will

e litV *

rln

f
1

1.

and a continent and an ocean lay between

in
.

h<

and
Oriei

Iwa
n

oniny*- cond journey toward

and
b in

id

tal

London and Paris on my way.

:

N!

the journey were triple

First, to visit the Su:

rand
(

Dome
its

of the

ncrucian Temple

to

make

Grand Mo
Brethren

r; to study

its

higher do(

and

vis

tb

Second, to obtain the mate-

PARIS.

127

rials, in

Jerusalem, for the composition of the Elixir of Life

not that I intended to

them in

make

it,

but because I wanted to use

my

medical practice, which I purposed to resume on

my

return to America.

And,
;

third,

I needed rest, relaxa-

tion,

and change of scene

for I felt that if I did

not go,

what between the fraud I had

dal, the

suffered, the wretch's scan-

woman, the dead

child in the cemetery,

if

and a

vari?

ety of other troubles, I should die ; and

I died

what then
*
*
;

And
*
"

so I went.

*
I

*
is

The scene

now

present before you

Paris

the date,

any day you choose to imagine between the 16th of August,

1863, and the 11th of June, 1854.
for

had just contracted

an anatomical Venus and cabinet, designed for one of

the Rosierucian

Lodges

in

America, and had paid out tome

thereon,

fourteen hundred
strolled

dollars

when,

being

weary, I

to

the Batignolles,
I

from there to

and Luxembourg, when

in

met a person
all

La Plaissance whom I had known

visit

London, and he advised me by

means to again

the

Emperor, and also to go to certain

left

localities

named, before I

Paris.

Promising that the advice should be followed, I

accordingly one day found myself in the Palace of the Louvre,

not for the

first

time, however, but for, perhaps, the tenth.

On

each of these occasions

my

time had been mainly spent in

admiring and examining the contents of the Galleries Assy-

rienm and E.
rather,

had commanded
f

on previous occasions,

along with the sphinx<

is

and MeneDthah. as

ravalfite
128
phis,

Sevekhatep,

Seti from

all

I had learned of which

much
a

but which had in rehundred years, five at least ten thousand off the earth d from for, but a litdate year of that first
he
!

Mariette had exhumed those statues m aw celebrated sarcophagi and of Egypt, the from the lands including the Chebest Egyptologers, to which the mummy, iorned assigned an age of _.- -a nem wi with one voice,

^_

sand y
<

On

stood rapt in this visit I

wonder and conjecture before

a series of tablets, and which inscriptions upon the cuneiform interpretedBunsen, Layard, y has never yet
Champollion having Botta, and
tempt.
11

all

alike

failed

the

During

five or six last visits to the the

museum, I had ob

served near me, apparently engaged

self-

in

the same

work

as my-

attempt to cypher out the meaning of the inscripold gentleman, evidently

tions

French, and as evidently

sur-

belonging; to the small *"

remnant of the old Noblesse yet

vivmg on the
riage, air,

soil

of

le

Grand Nation, judging from

his car-

and manner

refined, polished, yet simple in the

his

extreme

and from the benign ance that beamed from

it

countenance,

was

clear that there

was happiness and conto, as well as

tent in his breast,

and that he was a benefactor

of, all

a devoted student
mankind.

that was interesting concerning

NEW ACQUAINTANCE. A
On
previous occasions

129
ere

when

had passed

us merely the cod between

concession and by mutual

day, and those

well-bred people, courtesies due between general

This time,

attraction,

our

however,

as

if

prolonged ; for, after warmer and more greeting was much and began conbefore the tablets saluting, we drew chairs

arrow-headed characters versing about the

and the old

'

whose name was gentleman,

that

Ravalette, said

Sir,

how

is

the best scholars cypher letters that

in
?

Europ
Surely
failed
?'

and hopeless despair doned in sheer

you cannot hope
"
<

for success

where they have

'

True,' was the reply,

they

may

despair, but

is

that a

reason why
.

others should

believe I shall yet correctly I

these enigmas of the read

ages.'

and
Moses
ter

be looking out

their laurels, else the for

parvenus of the

present day would

not leave

many

to be gathered.

ma
alley

inscriptions

on yonder porphyritic

tablets

were engraved

Adam
I certainly

an

m-

poets

handed down the night

loom to the ages
fi*

had

130

EAVALETTE
there

and had an existence not comprehend they could

only P
11
i

not entertain the Then you do

that

all

men sprang

from only one source

n
i

V
created
distinct

Ye,

Yes because God

:

No; because

sparate

and

kind
<< t

>
!

differences spring

from

and the diverse localizations

and circumstances attending

an original

of the constituents of upon a wide separation family

"

'

No

that will not account for different lanbecause

and anatomical
is

diversities

It

utterly

impossible

for

any sane

man

to

believe that

Jaloff
dians,

and other Negroes, the

Maq

and other In

the

Mongols and o
the Euro}:

Tartars, the

Kanakas and
all

other

Islanders,

and other Caucasians,

is

sprang from one pair.

Indeed the thing

so plain, from a
all into the

merely physical point of view, without entering at

mental and psychical merits of the case, that he
read.

who

runs

may
in-

Observe, I have said nothing about superiority or

feriority,

merely content to

let
'

Physiology speak for

herself.'

"

'

Well,' said Ravalette,

you inform me that you

some extent.

desire

to learn, being already learned to

The

views

you entertain upon the Past are, in some sense, consonant

with

my own
to

and

if

you are willing to be taught, I

in

am

and

any

case,

no harm
i

come of

the abrasion of ideas, but perchance

much of good.

"and

bevekaj- other worlds.

55

131

" I was delighted to hear Ravalette talk in this manner

for I felt

that he was

in

some

sort,

notwithstanding our rela-

tive disparity of years, a congenial

spirit,

and

longed for him

to unfold to

me

the rich fabric of his thought

and experience

from a word dropped here and there, that I had concluded, believer in the Faith of Christendom, but he was at heart a
in order to silence the lingering doubt I
still

entertained on

that point, 1

put to him the following

questions,

and atten-

substance of his somewhat curious responses tively noted the

thereto.

Question

You. Monsieur Ravalette

seen a great deal of this world of ours travelled much, and

Here
beside P

I asked for

an explanation, but he merely waved

to

his

hand and motioned me

if

go

on.

I did

so.

'

Let me

ask you

the result of

your observations abroad, amongst

men

of different

nations

and

lplexi

has

not

a strengthening of your belief in the been

ings, generally,

Mo

tic

teachChris-

and

iy

as

tianity

V
c

" I
in

Answer

No!

In the many countries I have visited

France.

Men

are ever

the same at heart.

Inwardly
;

are all alike, sincere, beautiful, they

good, and religious

out-

wardly, the same

selfish, heedless, careless,

and

materialistic

beings, as untamable,

set,

willful,

and unreasonable as the

heartiest cynic could wish.

u
t

Wherever

went

I found the

True Religion theoreti

BAVALETIV
.

belie?

ut

pract: ally

ignored

md

on the

of nexpediei
Ii

ra;

rel

one religion, yet that found but

vast variety of under a

I'

name

All
sort

ml
I

in i 'od

and

evil,

a
I

Heaven of some

of
1

Hell

likewi

found that while at

tit!

same, yet the names by everywhere the

v
nla<
ji

that
1

faith

Wl

know
For

differed

widely in different

latitudes

instance. I

found that the Catho

Papal, the Trot,

al.

mt

or reformed, the

Hindoo and

A
all
>l

Dei

Lamaic, Greek, Polytheistic, the Boodhfetie, Gucbre, Islamic, Fetisch, and Magian, ie,
ins

n
a!
I)

and mod.

of

belief,

were, instead of being

in

fact

the same at bottom.

This

may

surprise

I to leave the subject

[

it

is,

Bui
;

will explain.

They

are

all

one at bottom,

inas-

r.

that each

md

all

of their respective and apparently

similar devotees

do homage at the same shrine, of the

ry.

kme

Great
.

\1\

The modes and names

differ

with

latitud

but the meaning and the principle are everywhere

the

in
'

"

Popular

timate or opinion can never be a true crite-

rion either of persons, thoughts, events, principles,

or things

Wi
forth

row
1

daily

beyond our yesterdays, and are ever reaching

the morrow.

The world has had a

;

Ions' nisrht, as it

hi

bright days

and

another mor

breaking

and we
I

d in the door of the

ree with

dawn

you

could the dates on the tablets

PRE-ADAMITE MAN
they would pr be revealed,
extends much
the
further

133
that

human

here before us,

history really

back

into the night

of

Time

than

period

assigned

by

Moses

as

its

morning.
<<
<

Human monuments

existence that indubitably are in

is

prove not only that the world

it

much

older than people give

credit for, but

civilizations, arts, sciences, philoalso that

infinitely superior in

sophy, and knowledge

some respects to

what

blessed the earth in by-gone ages, exists to-day, have

only scattered vestiges of the and been swept away, leaving

wreck behind to inform posterity that such things

but are not.
"
'

have been,

But what

is

still

stronger food for thought,

is

the fact

that amidst these ruins of the dead Ages,

are

we

find others that

still

evidently

relics

of times

and

civilizations

more

remote

the
is

ddbris of a world-wreck
!

remembered only by
is

the seraphim

demonstration of this assertion

found in

the pyramids, the date and purpose even of the building of

which

wrapped

in conjecture,

and has been

for ages past.

The authentic

history of

Egypt can be traced

for over 6,000

years, yet even in that

remote past the pyramids were as

much a mystery
M This
'

as they are to-day.

all
:

is

not

The catacombs

of Eleuthas contain

what

in these

days would be called " Astronomic diagrams,"

stars.

showing occupations of certain stars by certain other

This
the
is

proved by one diagram showing the relative place in

still

heaven of each star of the

series

another displays

an approach toward obscuration, and so on through thirteen

134
separate

EAV^ LETTE
eniergenient of the a complete r i,* ImI beimr last oeing iges, the

opposite side. star on the occulted astronomers in onr tkat we have I so happens
!

it

day who

p'ique

mental power and matheon their themselves that a period of inform

57 879

years
'O

must

elap

before

the

same phenomen

that not less and

it

than 19,638 years must

I foresee an objection

have elapsed since your mind

refer to

did
is it

Now
known

How
is
:

that the ancient diagrams

any two

particular stellar

bodies

'

The answer

From

relative positions of the

known

correspond to the positions heavens whose places stars in the out is quite as perdiagrams, for the making stars in the
of
fect as
it

to-day, even with could be done

all

the nice appli-

micrometrical science ances of

"
<

now
is

extant.*

Who

built

Baal-bec

a question that has been

for over 3,000 years, ]y asked

and then asmow,mien and says

peated
11

Who
still.

and

said " Baal-bec 1" echo

Baal-bec "
"
*

a barren, sterile, sandy plain, In

which the augurs of

for-

borers proved to have been once a rich and the artesian

tile

bottom-land or prairie, a very short distance westward

of the

Theban

there once existed a vast

and magni
Europe

ficent city, so splendid

that the

modern

capitals of

hutted towns

comparison

Thiaps

proved by

* For the

fullest

and most extremely Interesting proofnay, demonstration of

human

antiquity

that

Adam was

net the

first

man, but that men

built

oitits

over 50,000 years ago, read " Pre-Adaraite Man."

WHO
has been what
of palaces
>pect
is

BUILT

KAKNAK

135
that city In

I 1

ex

Earth, fro.

*-*

the wreck

of one,

wh,ch>^

^^
flou-

other

days when the golden * ecunce a edifice in fourth-rate

rished
;

of tne in a suburb

t r;:, c:;
city,

Karnak,

consisted of

144

was suburb was of which name , m a ofi feel 26 feet columns, Porphy
39
inches in feet 5

^^ ^^ **
oi

Amak

circum

inches apart 6
ference,

Each
less

and

n<

than 52 feet

and every high,

miles, five

hewn

out of a

O
this

Moreover,
,

fourth
4-

was two palace

Sfni-lono-s

and

uc eight feet
.

measurement lnno- hv actual long, oy

me

re^

miles to go of cmite nine a journey

ar o und

from winch River (Nile), - This palace faeed the Sacred each side as statues on with colossal avenue lined led a broad one Enghsh distance of over stand, for a as they could lose either

con memorated of these statues and every one league, regal country. that more than a dynasty of or a proof exists proof, positive what I say Now, mark

kW

that this -lace,

itself

grand, so immeasurably imperial, so so

kind attempted ght of the superior to but * mflFe ato Progressive age (?)" a kind of of appendage, wing, a sort

by man

^^

in this

uconsiderable

one of the main house to

<<
<

edifices

immortal city of that

No man built AzNAK-who

,arble

years has known, for four thousand knows, or

the stones of laid

Kaknak-wIio

and thirteen tons weighing two hundred monsters

KAVALET

modern**
I

-ill will

even scratcn rut or cm, wheels power

!

pulley
?

screws

[tailway

4
"

'

, p
~' r
'

,anes

levers, did

you say

ago, else ted long

how

could

u
B
,,

ce

beeu transported weight have Li tous on fiv.hnnd.ed of J' one thousand ling
,

cee

where they
,

to the plac hewn,

find

where we and
the

them to-day
these

y
<<
i

w ;. ui
,.

:,i

apples

howcould enumerated,
and take

ll;11

eighty-nine feet whieh measnre e of

m length,

,, voted after

were brought they

monsters
feet

placed uponpedes-

that

some of these

high

It

treasury of a w< ml.l strain the

modern

state to

pay the

half-a-dozen such the erection of mlant npon ex|KMl Obelisk of Luxor, in the case of the roved here in Paris 1 the Temple of Theses, that stood before nuHett of two the

and which cost

itand

France over two

million dollars to place

where

such immense masses

and railways, how could Without steam power transported over and of stone have been

sands, especially for vast plains of shifting, burning hrough

such immense distances as
it
is

certain they were brought

A
has

ingle further
I

on chronology, and I have done. remark

It

en established

among the

learned, that

it

takes not

a language to be period of ten thousand years for

perfected,

and then die

to give place to an improved

but entirely different one.

Now, observe

Ohampollion de

137
SOMETHING
CUKIOTJ8

the assistance torn* . he, through dares that

W
f

anient to master was able

hieroglyphs to eertain
Si
,

W t Cf IvlCo
^rrrin
How
is
it

^\ M *?
.

Egyptmn, of modern a key

^.^
,

to-

He

that concludes

-Wish

that several the fact,

*>

..

*>

of

--.
you
do you

that j

pect

mere dream

will aid

How

persons or be Bfty might

fifty

that matter, thousand, for

XnTof^

might

feel

an interest

have a dream and

I!
U

and y t a fancied hey, yourself, discover it, and, like two keys would dreams and no notes no two comparing ton thousand 1 fifty or fifty amongst the whole found alike answer was exposer ;' still, an was a

VuWrly,
and

'

this

wherever it was apwhenever and be that which, Key would concordant results.' uniform and would yield plied the old gentleman, satisfactory to - This reply appeared invited me to attend conversation,

pected,

so I said

Very

there might true,

but the true

;

who

after a
his

little

further

nim 'to

with him at lus partake of a dinner residence and

pleasant walk,' said he ; but a short and Tis le Compte, close to the Rue Michel situated in

table

my

house

is

the grand
little time.'

Rue

du Temple, and

we

shall reach It in

a very

the invitation, I took the Cheerfully accepting

ALETTE
138

"** " .*-* - ,

den
&

hich

fouud

stately old of those be one

^oM
le

of Louis times

Grande

built

down
ntered,

repast at once to a

*nd
friendly,

which gave and

me a
Wine

very
of

resided
his

.,ml; plate
ed

richest adorned of the

servants

it

best followed, coffee of the

it
;

and
L

ba

of the finest

finished

all

of which

thened &

my
ty,

of his elegant hosAfter partaking

walk, and

dingly

we withdr
the

he prop- led

from the house

J

igether,
nrl

and arm

strolled

<lw
-

Temple
Paris in

kent that ro

reached the
its

(lt

and entered one of that direction,

suburbs

known

Belleville.

quitting the street "Before

the pra
r ried
a

where

I dined, I had- taken

ution to

mark

the locality of the house, well

ivory tablets,

and
c

number on

my

which I invariably

Ami

now we ascended the

hills

Paris

and

descended to the plain, and gratified the eye in viewthen we

in

the rich
r;ire

market gardens, and the conservatories of choice

the tri-weekly mar-

ml

flowers, cultured carefully for

kets
d'l

on
in.

the

esplanade de la Madeleine
hill,

and the Chateau

cafe together,
ices,

Again ascending the

we entered a

and together partook of some frozen coffee and other

ft.fi

which he took

me

to see a guinguette

or tea garden

lal

tablished for the

common

people, where the custo-

A
mer

PHILOSOPHER. PRACTICAL
and
sip his coffee

*
from

might ape royalty, for ten sous

silver cups,

and

take his wine

from

Sevres porcelain.

Here

we

his enterprise,

the novelty of proprietor concerning both talked to the whether his customers to

and made inquiries

as

not bear of society-did the lower classes -who were all of not now and whether they did watching, and
great deal of

goblet, or a spoons, a chased with a few silver then run off

silver-gilt fruit dish ?

'

No

'

replied the

man,

'

seen enough of I have

life

and

to warrant the mankind'

step, apparently

foolish, certainly

which I have taken ; quite novel, regarded him a treat a man as if you

found out that, and I have

thief,

and you do muck

closely,

toward making him

that iustant

one.

Watch

man

and you

to him, which suggest rascally thoughts

fruit

may
free

bear

fruit,

and that

be crime.

But place
let

full

and

confidence in

you deal with, and those

the fact be known,

take my word for sanction your words, and and your conduct My abused, if at all. confidence will very rarely be your
it,

pla

is

the

resort

of thousands

my

invested capital

is

francs from the costly expeyet I have never lost ten large,

riment of

making the poor

man

realize

the comforts and

rich at the expense of ten sous.' habits of the

"

We

could

but

admire the tact

of Monsieur

Popin-

frankly told him so as arde, and

we

left his place, for

we

felt

was a rich vein of truth at the that there

confidence, as he chose to call sophy of
place, Ravalette and myself,
.still it.

bottom of
After

his philo-

arm
and

in arm,

pursued
sa

walk

in the environs of Belleville,

there, amidst the

BAV ALETTE
the warblings of the sunshine, . 4 rtP melody of tne meiouy music of nature, canopy of leaves, the deep green the -2a of tne aeep h ^ qmetude birds, the ffl serenity of unruffled and the

^ ^

_^

humming

I,
I

a topic of singular discussion of upon the ; C entered

of di

That
shall
Id
-

topic was,

'

The human

soul,

and
Said

part of this record the latter only

gentle

tf,

philosophers,

a very ancient society of Then you really believe, as did of the past as the to some students

known

Twenty-four, that there Sacred

ex
tence, far

is

kind of natural magic a

more

wonderful in its results

than the lamp of

the ring of the Genii Aladdin, or

V
and how do you

" 'Most certainly I do.'

"
<

How

you learned of its existence, have

propose to become a noviciate,

and

avail yourself thereof for

contemplated translations ? certain

Elfins, Fairies,

Perhaps you believe

in

Magicians V said he, half laughingly. Genii and

"

'

do not absolutely

know/ I
it

replied,

'

that

such

a
to

magic

exists, yet firmly believe

does.

The idea came

me

know not how.

By

striving, perhaps, it
it,

may be

found.

There are steps leading to

the
first

doubtless, and, if
in

we can

discover

(which I think
till

we have already
goal.

Mesmerism), we

can follow

we reach the great

I do not believe that

Elfins, Fairies,

Genii and Magicians are altogether mythical

it

personages.

There must,

me, be a foundation of seems to

truth underlying the rich

and varied accounts of such beings

do
fill

that have

filled,

and

still

reading world with the

wonder.

>

ME THAT YOU ANSWER CAN

% 8

lii

At

that instant

it

seemed as
+

if

I lost
101 for

my
seized

that a power

foreign to
for

mv my
me

soul soni

a moment

my

and answered organs

.,

Kavltte,

att er

to

an almost

* mu^d nearly a minu at me for gazing attentively *V word, ** the indistinguishable tone
,

looted in this answer, at

You maeic which

as the first of Mesmerism spoke bum exists believe, and I yon

to-rd^the s*p

and you thought

be made

obtainment of nse of in the successful

know

de!not
methods metnous

ordinary means by or through arrived at to be Surely what

ui

ogw.

Tell

me

in

whieh elairvoyanee, throngh ordinary

none other facts and
;

can be of and, therefore,

lit le

use to

Sue

student |
it

Tou

Ltory, as

comes to us,

that aU ancm I do myself believe, as mere fable, or best a

is

at

m say, are tales uce, that is to m being ten the superstructure Lt

^'foundations would
justify,

generally, albeit, yths

composed of roportions are certain on a bas, of fiction founded of

times larger thousand
.an
their

things went at provided

and importance proper value

How.

through the mes then,

11
-

force,

of fancy, and ocean

beneath this expect to dive do you grams of troth yet what few fetch up
?

supermen*.bent

at the bottom sparkle

you answer Can

me
at

that

gazed sorrowfully Ravalette smiled,

me, and then

went on

142

RAVAXETTE
me,

my
is,

y
not

good
soothing

Mesmerism,
hi
,

as

it

as for instance, fine purposes, for certain

anguish of relievin 2 the pain,

It
uis

and various

I1;

whereb} to gain

trol

mental faculties

another, and

many
sight,

naof second aow

vi

and thus

maybe made
skill

a ser-

ble

whereon one may, with ladder climb some of the r to

\vance,

and patience,

lesser heights of

true

Cl

and reach

many

truths denied to milis

lions of
<

mankind

but yet mesmerism

but the lowest

,.,m

an insight and onlook upon means of gaining

bound

I admit

has unequivocally proved to be instances mesmerism yet know certain kinds of knowledge ro\ road to
I

tl

t it

ha

much

oftener proved a path leading into deep

tnd

mm
all

swamps of skepticism, many a dismal dangerous and hence advise you to distrust of utter doubt
i
;

such railways, and

being,

all

the stronger, because every

his brutehood, possesses
if

human
pon
i

who has outgrown

and faculties within himself, which,

proper

care be taken to normally culture

them,
he

will, in the end,

amply repay him

for all the trouble

may have
himself,

taken.

The man's a
ploy

fool

who goes outside of

and em-

a mesmerist, drugs, or

any such agency, to enable

him to sink beneath the floors of the outside world, and

reach
its

Soul of Fire.'

CRITICISM.

143

I bit

my

tirade against

and deep vexation, at this lip with chagrin my very soul had a thing that hitherto
all others the
s:

adored

abo\

one which cast most

soul.

And

mainly-hidden side of the human and not doubt but that Ravalette I could
I

avoid thinking that I in dead earnest, I could not was

detected a triumphant chuc
to that
lip

Up

Phenomena had addressed moment, Mesmeric

most important in the themselves to me as by far the deal with the outer world world, for while other things
mainly, that throws light upon
into

the

human

soul

itself,

and

minds

intellectual persons, goes farther of purely

toward
thing beneath the heavens.

immortality than any

This

man

is

older than

I,

and knows

speaks, else would not be so conwhereof he

;

fident, thought I

he really knows of something superior

enlightening the wastes of the human to mesmerism for what it can be ? At all events, I long I wonder brain.
the further end of which lies the to solve any problem, at connot, of the grand human longing, why, and why ty
ay,

Could

that all 1

and had in
lucidity,

my

shown

had been a mere bagatelle of of this correct guessing? I could not believe it, and fancy and
mesmeric
yet such had been the implication,
tion, of the inscrutable being
if

not the direct asser-

and apparently knowing quite

tions of

now standing by my side, as much about the operaand perhaps a great

my mind
I

as I did myself,

deal more.

was puzzled."

chattel; n
SO
"
E T

N G

CURIOUS.
ov.

Raval

rrE
t

Qtumed
iind

'

M merism's day has gone

ble to produce the

Air
eff

to

be iinpo

same

with

it

wen produced a few years ago, while tne

bag

ird thing that

ei

now
8]

>.

its

name,

is

of such a nature

ami <hai
pl<
r

that it

dily either disgusts all sensible peoi j

v.

rv 800D
pi
:

lands
p
t\<

friends into
all

a deep quagmire of
little

inch
th<

alkali)

that

the

common

sense

had
a

at

rting get

thoroughly mixed therewith, and

form
tin
it

compound which they carry back, instead of what

;

brought
'
:

and when they get home again, they peddle

out

Divine Philosophy,"

when

in fact it is

an

excel-

lent article of

soap

regular savon extraordinaire, warranted

and everything
B

who meddle
iplish this

7
journeys that terminate
the populous
differ-

ca

Town

of Fantasy

look
as
144

and

Form

and that

MODERN " CLAIEVOYANCE.

nothing.

145

of the popular clairvoyance In fact, most

may be

Baid.to resemble

an

edifice

having

Rich

And
are

passages that lead to nothing.*

but the rule obtains vastly.

"
'

The

of a puling, hysteric girl, half afflicted sentimentalities

and the other half love-sick as most modern with catochus, count small in the list of Fact-truths, and clairvoyants are

the

mad

crack-brained somnambules of the other ravings of

first

go for hardly as much, for the gender

has at least a deall.

poetry about her, but the latter none at gree of

No

not place too great reliance on the ability of Magfriend, do

netism to aid your researches, for you
>f

will

run a narrow
late that

disappointment, and regret

stable
is

when too

from

Nature
lot
;

you selected the very worst animal of the

ring-boned, lame, spavined, and very baulky
advice,

one that

withal.

Take

my

and choose a

better.'

As
as a

Animal Magnetism
I felt

thing,

by the

way, that I always doted

the space of a minute, duri

Mesmerism
rprised

I
terly
sertions.

Yet

it

was equally impossible

7

to

help

ing

>

^q
cho
hoi

RAV ALETTE.
mortified to have no small degree rined, and in
,y

my
at,

pet

out as dog-feed. thrown ;eemed unfair

disseeted, laughed ent np and thus mercilessly very hard fa.- Twaa

and

For a long time

:

had

divine science

holding

rilh

thlings which by means of Supernal Telegraph, bounds of the globe aud not only to the ht,
11

Ml l/liv-

IUU X ICOCiiv, p^

of Time and the Ages ends

Past,

or nerved by

Hope

Future and drag Great of Light, through the great Messenger upon as
might
easily

dispatch a message to the and Curiosity, It was looked answer. back the

whom we

Past so distant that the the records of a read

And in comparison. but yesterday's creations coal-beds are had toppled the castle refell stroke, Ravalette here, at one
morselessly about

my

ears.
as,

I bit

my

lip

with vexation, and

awhile was silent

walked up and down a together, we

on
the sides of the hill

sort of natural esplanade

next Paris.

Mechanically as
footprints

we walked back and

forth, I trod in the

made

while going, on each return,

and

just as me-

observed that Ravalette chanically

thins:
si

did the

same.

One
pro-

ruck

me

as curious, even while

my mind was

arguments wherewith to engaged in the search for foundly positions ; and onfute and break down the old gentleman's Ravalette were of a The shoes worn by that fact was this
:

ever seen berery singular pattern, totally unlike any I had

fore.

triangular almost Upwardly, they were decidedly

Previously this fact bad escaped

perfectly so.

my

notice

now,

it

struck

me

as being very singular.

what was But

INSIGNIA CURIOUS

147

-^ ^y

was.

of

the or*

brass, covered of

W^

and the with rubber,

indeed

made on The track and kable.

the yielding,

but
the

my
cross

and observed I looked up

face as he saw Ravalette's

my

surprise

(part of the cross),

called

ornamenting

said he, divining That,'

my

thought,

<

is

and yet

fancy
figures, as

I
plainly see.'

you may

And
pin

with

this

he drew

my

seen but not I had previously This rare jewel, which formed of a of a triangle particnlarly, consisted noticed or, as the mstrucircle and a compass, or quarter crescent In compasses, pair of called, improperly

formed of minute
bars met was just where the two

stars,

and

rose just blooming, a

and

enamel to the colored with

life.

G
fine eve-glass,

I discovered

minute

upon
was
her heart's blood young with
>

midway

the right corner was black rose, and on was a tiny

one of deep crimson indeed quite extraordi The workmanship was exquisite,
the entire jewel was nary, for
larger than a golden dollar not

RAVALETTE
148

He

also

showed me

a large

and

massive seal

pendent from

and on his watch, the first and 8tep6>

this

its

a ladder of twelve was engraved face were broken. of which

The

fo t of

fifth

mason's

colnmn, near which lay a npon a broken ladder rested against the beam and rmg and its top leaned trowel,

what part being lost reversed, the lower of an , nchor sufficiently admired the After I had a cloud.
represented

he semi-playfully seal attached by a fine

drew
'

his watch, to forth

which
:
'

it

was

gold

rope '-chain,

and observed

I have
in

more of the same

hand.

kind,' at

the same time placing

it

my

smooth-backed, huntingwas an ordinary "The watch perhaps fifty or sixty pounds chronometer, worth cased gold
acquired by an anchor fouled, the extra value being sterling, upon the internal face. The oppodone in diamond points excellent enamel-work representing presented some
site

side

cardinal points of the compass. the

Three stars gave light

in

from the

West

a tomb, with

its

door partly open, stood

.

the South

circle
;

the North
s

of a dotted

the

executed in the same exquisite style as that marking whole

the seal and pin.

"

To a

question as to

what
all

it all

meant, an evasive answer

was returned.

Waiving

my

solicitations to explain the

emblematic devices, the old gentleman resumed his remarks,

by observing
you
will

'

Never mind now what these things mean

of these days.

know one

At

present let us continue

HUMAN MAGNETISM.
talk on other matters. our

149

A little
In

while ago you

Mesmerism
sure that you are correct.

Spiritual

I
it

am

not so

my

view
it

is

,ver a power Phy.

physical or material sical-ultra

still.
'

may

be,

but physical

What

P said I, in

amazement,

<

magnetism, that human

power
works such wonderful
very idea, excuse me,
culous V
effects,
is

Physical
;

Impossible
is

The

absurd

the assertion

simply ndi-

So

rejoined Ravalette I once thought/

im
question
I will endeavor

that comfirms my point, one point of many, rtrate the know that tribe. instance, the serpent For view. animals, and that they charm birds and other those reptiles precisely like that exerted influence upon their prey exert an

We

difference

the

human

peculiar terror maniexhibits none of that subject

pell

fascination,
ft

and

this difference arises

from the fact that the

is

mmal has a

clear instinct

that the power

exercised for

its

destruction,
free from.

which the

entirely

the

We

marvellous power that the snake exert the same see

observe effects resulting does, and

human magnetizer

yet no one for an instant no less remarkable, and therefrom

serpents are spiritual beings,' supposes that

>

15 q

KAVALETTE

Now

are completely you

' :

at

my mercy/
is

thought

I,

responded
long as he
is

Certainly the snake

a spiritual being

alive,

and

exerts volition .

He
'

is

spiri

I
a
c

And dead V

said Ravalette,

inquiringly,

is

a mere

clay nothing more. lump of

"
'

Beverly, the argument Then, Monsieur

is

against you,

and
just

is

mine par un

coup majestique

for

the snake charms

as

powerfully when

his skin is stuffed

with straw and

cotton, as

when with

his

own proper

flesh,

blood, and bones.

this

Innumerable

experiments,

instituted expressly to test

it

question, have been made, and

has been over and over

again decided that the charming or fascinating

as strong after as previous to death.

power

is

just

This has been settled

by the actions of

birds,

who

utter the

same plaintive and pain

is

thetic cries, exhibit the

same terror and other phenomena,

This

presence of a stuffed as in that of a living serpent.

a strong point in

my

favor; but one that

is still

stronger, in-

deed quite irrefutable, shall

now be adduced.

Persons em-

ployed in the Jardin des Plants, and other zoological institutions, find it

dangerous work to clean out the dens of certain

for

serpents, even

weeks after the occupants have been

I

re-

moved, for the effluvium which,

take

it,

you

will

not

claim to be other than physical which they have left behind,

and which constantly exhales from the floor and sides of the
den,
it is is

found to be identical with that aura or sphere which

known they exhale when excited by the presence of

:

prey

*nd the

affects of this

emanation from the den are

A SINGULAR EXPERIMENT.

151

precisely those that characterize the action of the living, pre

excited snake.

Now.

these facts

had

lone*

been noticed
subject,

and the
until, at

results attributed to the fancy of the

human
the

length, an unusual circumstance led

for

ever.

India

is

the paradise of charming snakes, and a com-

mission was sent thither by the joint governments of Eng-

land and France, to test this matter thoroughly.

mission settled upon Caudeish,

This com-

a province of the Dccau,

where serpents most abound, and the experiments were made

simultaneously in the towns of Nunderbar, Sindwa, Dowlea,

Chapra, Jamneer, Maligaum, Chundoor, Kurgoon, Chorwa,

Bejagur, Hurdwa,

Asseergurh,

Hashungabad, and Boorthirty different species

nuinpore

and they were made with

of serpents, on eleven hundred and fifty-three of twenty-three different nations, and mcnts.
First, these
all

human subjects,

sorts of tempera-

persons were subjected

under

proper

precautions, of course
quiet,

to the mesmeric .glance of hungry,

and enraged serpents.

all

In

all

three cases the effects

were bad,

the subjects alike complaining of constriction of

the chest, loss of memory, and a very strange sort of vertigo.

As

soon as the

last

symptom monifested

itself,

the curtain

that separated the serpents from the

men was dropped, and

to.

proper baths and other restoratives resorted

these same persons were
all

Secondly

invited subsequently to a feast,

as a reward for their services.

Serpents were
seats of

curely fast-

ened

in

wooden boxes beneath the

three hundred

152

KAVALETTE.
hundred and
eighty-

them, and of these and sixteen of

symptoms as when under the direct four manifested the same Two months afterwards ninety- four of gaze of the serpents
the same persons,

unknown

to themselves, were placed to ^

apartment built of the in an

erpent dens,
identical
!

boards that had composed

a third

and the

effects,

were absolutely
spirit-

Now,
!

in this light,

what becomes of your

ual hypothesis

It

is

gone to the four winds of earth.

But

to set the matter entirely at rest,

and to give your

eternal quietus, let

spiritual

notion respecting

Mesmerism

its

me

call

your attention to the fact that

if

a man, any man,

sits

before
it,

a swinging disk of black glass, and fixes his eye upon

will eventually

he

be as deeply magnetized and as lucidly

clair-

voyant, as he would under the operation of the most

ful
<

power

magnetizer on the globe

'I
felt

!'

that the tables were

turned,

and that the old

gentleman held

me

at his mercy.

However, he forbore to

triumph, but went on, sayind

<<
<

I do not say that the soul of

his
spir

man

is

physical, but I

know that

for I

proved that over sixty

years ago, to
I

my

complete and entire satisfaction.

Materialist, or that I

Do

not,

begy

dispute the servant

existence of spirit.
is

Far from that

only
vast,

Your humble
but

a firm believer

spirit,

great Spiritbeautiful
th

ual
this

Kingdom
Material

more

led,

and

and believe me. mon

than
of

Iafiir
ai

that

not

more

one

man

in

ten thousand has

adequate idea

what he means when pronouncing the

IS IT

POSSIBLE?

153
number can properly

word
define

Spirit
it.

not one

man

in thrice that

"

'

Furthermore, as a prelude

to

what may

yet befall you,

permit

me

to say that, in the face of

modern philosophy, and

in direct contrariety to popular

spirit

belief, it is

my

opinion that

cannot produce on
witnessed in
all

spirit the singular

movements and
;

effects

mesmeric and analogous phenomena

the ability of

but

do not at

doubt

matter to

effect it all.

Yes,

my

believe that matter alone, without extrinsic friend, I

aid, is

competent to the production of the magnetic wonders,

still

and a hundred others

more marvellous.

For

instance, I

not believe that any merely mesmeric power whatever, do

much

the dream-force of ordinary sleep, can, or, under less

conceivable circumstances, could enable you to correctly any

read the inscriptions on the tablets in the Louvre, or probe

the secrets of
I can

Kamak,

Baalbec, Nineveh, or

Ampyloe

but

name purely material

agencies that are more than adeinfinitely greater

quate to the accomplishment of these, and

things.

know a

material means that will enable the soul

its

to lay bare before

gaze the deepest mysteries of the highest

antiquity, strip the

Past of

its

mouldy shroud, and trium-

phantly

lift

the veil that conceals the Future from our view

or
JF
11

rather, your view/

The strange

old

man

ceased, and, for a

It

little

time,

my

mind lingered on
clear, so I

his concluding words.

was plain and

thought, that he alluded to certain medicaments

which have long been used for the production of a species of

ecstatic dream,

and so

I replied

1*

154
"
l

EAVALETTE.

You

are doubtless correct, and can,

by physical agents

produce strauge psychical phenomena, and curious exhibitions

of mental activity and fantasy
;

but,

beyond

all

question

you
is

over-i

te their

importance and power, for not one of them

office

adequate to the

of enabling a clear, strong mind to

move
"
'

within the sphere of the Hidden, but the Real. )

To what do you

allude particularly, irum

ami V

"

'

I allude to various

chemical and botanical compounds

for instance, those plants

which furnish a large per centage

of the chemical principles Narcotine, Morphia, the same general characteristics, as

the preparations of the delightful

and others of

Opium, Beng, and Hemp,

but dangerous
,
,

the

equally

fascinating
h,

decoctions

of

not

forgetting
millions

Hasle
in

that accursed drug, beneath

whose sway

the Orient have sunk into untimely but rainbow-tinted

graves, and which, in western lands, has

made hundreds

of

howling maniacs, and transformed scores of strong

men

into

most loathly, drivelling

"

idiots

We
'

lapsed into silence, which at length

was broken by

valette,

who

said, as

he clasped

my hand
is

with fervor

"

My

dear young friend, there

society,

here, in Paris, a high

and noble

whose chief I am.

its

This society has

many

Rosicrucians
3

among

members.
has
its

Like the society to which

" belong,

ours, also,

head-quarters in the Orient.

Ever

ince I

>u for

have known you, I have been anxious to have a brother of our Order. Shall I direct

your

initia-

tion

Once with

us,

there

is

no branch of knowledge,

mystic or otherwise, that you will not be able to attain, and.

RAVALETTE TEMPTS HIM.

155

compared to which, that of even the third temple of Rosicrucia

is

but as the alphabet to an encyclopaedia/

"

Much more

he

said,

but I had no desire to join

;

his fra-

ternity,

and firmly but respectfully told him so

rising,

where-

upon he cut short our conference by

I

as he did so,

observing

"'You may
society exists
;

regret
if

it.

I can
it,

tell

you no more.

The

you need

find

itit may be

discovered.

But

see

my groom
it

and horse have arrived, and have long

leave

been waiting.

I must, therefore,

you.
so.

Take

this

paper

open

when you

see proper to

do

You

will quit

Paris to-morrow, next day, or

when you

choose.

You may
In

turn your face southward, instead of to the north as you pro-

posed.

Seek me not

till

in

your hour of greatest need.

the meantime,

I counsel you to obey, to the letter, your

highest intuitions.

Adieu

!'

"

And

so

we

parted.

I loved Ravalette, but not his fra-

ternity.

This conversation with Ravalette, and, indeed,

my

entire intercourse with him,

was invested with a peculiar halo

weird.
It

of what I
his

may justly

call the

was evident that aH

words and

allusions contained

a deeper meaning than apfilled

peared upon the surface.

His conversation had

;

my soul
that he

with new and strange ideas and emotions

and I

felt

had

left

me
O

at the inner door of a vast edifice, after skillfully

"^

"*vuk h the vestibule.

What

worlds of

meaning lay just beyond, was a theme of profound and uneasy conjecture. I felt and knew that he was no com-

tery and

mon

or ordinary

man

and well and strangely was

this

proved

ifterwards,

156

KAVALETTE

the hope that, by deferring my - 1 had solaced myself with

Picardy and La Normandy, I tonr through contemplated of common sympathy between closer the bonds draw
should
us,

lect as his.

the abrasion of such an intelwiser through and be made and how rudely was this hope How suddenly
!

shattered

When

he dismissed

me

so abruptly, after baiting

my soul

I could but feel both astonished with such a splendid lure, would have been too small a price and aggrieved. Thousands
to

pay

for

even one day more

of his society
Still,

but, alas

thou-

purcha
are things in this

I learned

There

world more valuable than even boundless

knowledges, that neither Peru's treasures nor material wealth

the mines of Ind can buy
;

and that Ravalette possessed an

abundant

store of these priceless riches, there

was not a

single

gering doubt
n

As

his

words sounded the death-knell of

my
had

fondly air-built castles, I

heretofore escaped
last ten minutes,

became apprised of a
;

fact that

my

notice

and

this was,

that, for the

a mounted groom, having a led horse in

hand, had stood patiently waiting under a large tree at the

south-eastern terminus of our promenade.

As

the old

man

placed the sealed paper in

assisted his

my

hand, this

groom advanced and

master to mount, and, as soon as he was firmly

seated in the saddle, they both

gave rein and spur, and, urg-

ing the steeds into a round gallop, both

of sight before I could recover

horsemen were out

from the stupor of surprise

which the proceeding had thrown

me

ft

I
)

CHAPTER
PHE MYSTERY

III

A MAN GOES IN A CAB IN

SEARCH OF HIS

OWN

GHOST.

"Perhaps

three minutes elapsed before a full recovery

took place, and, at the end of that period, I had come to the
conclusion not to be baulked in quite such a cavalier style,

but to seek and obtain one more interview, come what might
therefrom.

With

this intention,

I dashed along the

hill-side,

and at

full

speed through the principal thoroughfare of Belle-

ville, till

I reached the barriere leading into the

Rue Fau-

bourg du Temple, where, calling a

driver to land

cabriolet, I ordered the

le

me

in the

hours previously, I

where, a few had dined with Ravalette the

Rue Michel
Compte
in

shortest

possible space of time.

"

A curious thing took place

It

while giving

my orders to the
any of the
blouses,

driver.

was

this

Everybody knows

that, at

barrieres leading from Paris, a large

crowd of

men
may,

and of

office,

women and

children of the lower orders,

in fair or foul weather,

always be found

loiterers,

having

nothing to do, apparently, except to lounge about, to see and

be
it

seen.

Such a crowd I found at the barriere, and amidst

I noticed a bonne, or nurse, having in charge three beauti-

ful children,

one of whom, a lad of seven years, appeared to

157

158

EAV ALETTE.

take an unusual interest in myself, doubtless observing that I

was
as
it

in a great

hurry to accomplish something.

said,
'

This child,
bonni, Fran-

saw me, ran to the nurse, and

Ma
?

chette, what's the

matter with the gentleman

look so queer

Is he sick

What makes him

"
i

V
in reply
* ;

Hush, child/ said the

search of
is

woman
V

that gentle1'

man
"

is in

what he won't
Franchette
is

find this long time

'What
'

that,

"

That gentleman

in search of his

own

ghost, mts in-

fants ? replied the nurse, as the children clustered around

her to hear the answer.

"

Mafoi ."

echoed the crowd of

idlers,

as they caught the

woman's words
say
his
'

whether spoken
And

in jest or seriously

I cannot

Ma foi ! the gentleman

takes a cab to

go

in search of

own ghost P

the cab drove off as these words were

echoed by a hundred tongues.

"
'

What the devil

mean

does

it

mean V asked I of

myself, rather

irreverently, as

a Guebre would say, had one heard me.

What

does

it

?'

What put

such a queer notion as that in the

woman's head V

And, while cogitating for an answer, the

Hastily dismount-

cab stopped before the required gateway.

ing,

I paid the

man

half a gold louis, refused the offered

change, but, dismissing him with a

alacrity, I hastily

word

of praise at his

rang the bell to

summon

the concierge or

porter.

That personage speedily made

your master
:

his appearance, all

bell-rope.

the quicker from the

Is

unwonted vigor applied to the

in the

house
I

Hi

Oui, monsieur

he has not been absent today

A
it
i

SURPRISE.

15J

What!
?
7

Not

been absent,
1

when he

left

me

not thirty

minutes ago

Impossible

R&valette must have Monsieur

been absent.
<<
i

But who

is

Monsieur Ravalette

?
is

know

of

person.

Monsieur Jacques d'Emprat

my

master, and not

person you have mentioned V the

" Here was a fresh mystery.
'

Call Monsieur Jacques

d'Emprat,

if

you

please.'
,

"

'

C'ertai'nement
and
tell

monsieur.

Jeanette,

my

dear,

go up-

stairs

a gentleman wants to see the patron here's

him.'

" Jeanette, a

little

twelve years, flew to execute girl of

the errand, and in

moments the landlord himself apa few

surprised to find that the well-aproned

peared
butler

and I was

who

attended upon us at dinner and the propriehad

were one and the same person. tor of the house

An

expla-

and I learned that Ravalette, who was nation soon followed, stranger to the landlord, had come there two days an entire
the purpose of engaging a sumptuous dinner previously for
for two persons, that being the landlord's business

caterer.

For

the dinner he

had paid a round

price

in advance,

and

proprietor a small silver coin of peculiar workhad given the

manship as a memorial of his visit.

This coin or medal the

perfect fac-simile,

man

produced, and, lo

it

was a

on a
in

larger scale, of the jewel I

had that very day examined

the scarf of Ravalette at Belleville.

To my

question as to
:

when he
*

last

saw

my mysterious

friend, the

patron answered

I do not

know

him, where he

is,

when

I next shall see hira

160
nothing whatever.
since

RAV ALETTE.

He
is

left

with you,

and

has

not

returned.
it

He

evidently
this

mysterious

man

and were

not that
visit,

I have

little

medal to com-

memorate

his

together with

three hundred

and ten

francs in gold in

my

pocket, which he paid

me

for the wines

and dinner, I should more than half believe that he was the
Devil himself out for a lark in Paris.

But the Devil never

to know,

pays

in

gold

those say

who ought

and I am

sure Ravalette paid

me

in

bran new coin, which, on account

of

its

beauty and

full

weight, I just tied

up

in one

end of

my

long leather purse, meanin

give

my

d aught

school in Dijon, for a birth-day gift.

Here's the money, as

you

perceive, nicely tied up,

and sealed with wax, just as I

fixed it an

hour or two after Ravalette paid me.

these words the

"With

honest

landlord

drew

forth a

most formidable-looking bourse, one end of which was, as he said, securely tied with twine, and sealed with a great blotch
of red

Yes, monsieur, here

the cash

I cannot show

it

to

you, because I don't like to break the string or

wax

but
jingle

a sound

is

worth as much as a sight, you shall hear

;

it

your heart
a

so saying, he struck the purse against the side of the gateway but, instead of the ; merry clink of gold

And

we heard

nly the dull sound of a far less valuable

This startled him

bis knife,

He

changed

color, then

drew

and

in

an instant cut the string, and emptied the

contents of the purse upon his open

palm

" Horrible
his

bright golden Louis, he held in Instead of

pile of

hand a small

leaden disks

Each one

of these

disks

had a number and

a letter

on

it,

and one of them was

'

engraved, on the obverse side, with the simple

the coins in order.'

Place words
the in-

We
is

did so, and found that each letter

formed part of a word.

scription read,
'

When

they were

all placed,
!'

All

not gold that glitters

"

My

soul quailed before the mystery.

I could scarcely
;

move

or speak, so great was

it

my

bewilderment

and as

for

the patron,

is

impossible to describe his terror and con-

sternation, as he stood there, with

open mouth and protrud-

ing eyeballs, gazing on the coins upon the board where he

had

laid

them.

I too looked upon

them
;

and even while we

did so, a terrible thing took place

disks

for the letters

eyes, first to

upon the

changed color before our very

a light blue,

changing to deep crimson, and

color.

finally

assuming a blood-red

When,

at the end of thirty seconds, this color did not

closer at them, and, to our absolute

change,

we looked

amaze-

ment, found that the characters themselves had altered, and

instead of the sentence above quoted,
<<
<

we read

the following

Remember Ravalette

Fear not V

"

With a

cry of agony the

man dashed
fell

the accursed coins

to the ground,

and instantly

himself in a deathly swoon.

A great excitement now ensued.

fallen master.

The

porter, Jeanette,

and

half a dozen other inmates, rushed to the assistance of their

" Tenderly and carefully

we bore him

into the house,

and

speedily resorted to those well-known

means of restoration used

1(52

EAV ALETTE.
which
it

in such cases,

were superfluous to mention

suffice it

expiration of half an hour, the that, at the

man

revived,

and

and the rest a short good-bye, and promising to bidding him

return on the
parture.

morrow

if

I did not quit Paris, I took

my

de-

" Before I

left,

however,

it

occurred to

me

that I would
;

secure the marvellous coins, or, at least, a

for
this

few of them
concierge,

aud

purpose

I,

accompanied by the

who had

seen his master dash

them away, went into the court-yard

Carefully

where he had thrown them.

and long we searched

over the smooth stone pavements.

The marks where they

had struck were

It

there,

but not a single coin could be found.

was absolutely certain that no person in the house had

all

picked them up, for

ron.

these were in attendance on. the pat-

It
;

was equally certain that no one from the street had

for the gate

done so

was

fast bolted

and shut, and had been

ever since I had entered the premises to inquire of the porter. "

At

length

we gave up the task of

finding

them as

utterly
;

hopeless.

I looked at the porter

and shook
head
V

my
that

head

the

porter looked at
as to say,
voice,

me and shook
a very strange

his

in return, as

much

It

is

affair

At
it

moment a

coming from

God knows

where, for

seemed
a hol-

neither from above nor below, in the house or out of it low, half-pathetic, half-cynical voice, echoed our u

;poken

thought-'!/

is

a very strange affair

The

horror-stricken

porter crossed himself devoutly, and, falling on his knees, began to pray, while I in the meanwhile undid the bolts, opened the port, and rushed into the open street.

DIFFICULT MATTER.
of so

163
character,
yet,
;

was altogether "The thing

almost doubted the that I
recalling
all

weird a

evidence of

my
first

senses

circumstances from the

to

last,

the

affirming the events testimony

was

altogether

too strong,

direct, to be doubted for overpowering and

an

instant.

" In books of ancient lore

the old Black letter voin

lumes of antiquity
nius of

the recital of the exploits of in

AppoloGru-

Tyan.e

in the Life of
'

Darwin

in the story of

gantus, and in the

Records of the Weird Brethren of Ap-

read of Magic Marvels, almost too wonderful pulia/ I had

those ignorant masses contemporaneous with for the belief of
the authors and heroes of the various legends.
***v,* - UU lig-ht of modern learning, all these things o 6

But

in the

had been resolved

:

into

three

primitive elements,

and these were

1st.,

and

principal.
stition

Ignorance of the Masses. 2d. The clouds of super-

which for long ages hovered over the world. And, 3d.
skill

The amazing
antiquity.

possessed by the various arch-impostors of

for
en

Thus I accounted
'

much
;'

that was reported to

have taken place in

01d y

me Ty

but

how

to

explain

away what myself and several others had just

same easy and general
hypothesis,

witnessed, on the

was a task altogether bedifficulty

:

yond achievement. To attempt to get rid of the

the supposition of mere
yet, while
'

on

Fancy/ was simply

ridiculous

and

one does not

feel at liberty to

admit the idea of

Magic, here were circumstances of such a tremendous character, as

to utterly forbid

and defy explication upon any

other ground whatever.

" This

was the current of

my

thoughts as I

left

tne street

.^M

BAVALITTE.
that of the T< -*k aud turned up Conipte. a labyrinth of conjeo buried in

of Michel
i [

le

the

walked along, slowly occurred to uddenly id.

me

that perhaps, after

of the house in the and the people [UraJette

,

Rue

Michel

c
ry
,

leverly

been performing parts in a might merely have though capitally acted drama gned, and

how

to account for
fii

changes of the coins, I the kaleidoscopic

rine.
!
'

ima

Ah

['

said

T,

at length, 'I have

1

it

Hurrah
ret

Bravo

Eureka, ten times over

The

out,

and I'm the

man

that found

it

!'

sudden

thought occurred to
myftt
ry,

by the aid of which, even the coin me,

was cleared
before

upmost

satisfactorily

and that

ten minut.

was a profound and horrible mystery,

apparently, as clear as the noontide sun. was now,

the train of reasoning which led
j

Here

is

me to this hopeful

result:

Ra-

valett

m as a wealthy

and eccentric gentleman, who, observ-

ing

my

natural enthusiasm for the antique,

and aptitude to
friends

the occult, had determined to either

at

amuse himself and

my

expense, possibly for the purpose of curing

some of
;

them of what, perhaps, he regarded as the same weakness

or,

taking pity on

what he looked upon as a sad and dangerthis rather costly experi-

ous infatuation,

had resorted to

ment, in

the hope that at its termination

a perfect cure

mi ht be effected.
with the
in the

The people

in the

house were, togethei

woman and

children at the Barriere, his confederates

scheme.

He was
;

a learned

man

saw that I could

not be easily taken in

of chemical

and therefore brought the wonders

and ventriloquial sciences to his assistancethe

A FINE
ID.

the former the floating voice, the affair of

the coins or disks. of

been coated These coins had

to the atmosphere, that wonld, on exposure with a snbstance first set of cbathis exhalation the away ; and with exhale Beneath this external would of course disappear.

contact with the was another, which, on coating

& peculiar color
;

air,

would

beneath this, in turn,

all,

was another,

and

another

the last of

being that on which

was

the last series of letters written

composing a sentence.

The

appearance of these words was

his cry,

to the patron to utter the cue

dash the coins from

his hands,

and pretend to swoon.

therefrom, attention would be In the commotion resultant

drawn
ample

the cause of the apparent disaster, from

and afford
*

opportunity for their removal.

The

sentence,

It is

very strange affair,'

would be the very one naturally sug-

gested under the circumstances, and

had happily been selected

as the most fitting one to afford exercise to the ventriloquist

employed

and

this

apparent echoing of an unspoken thought

would add additional piquancy to the scene, and materially

assist in piling

up the

horripilant.'
fine

" There

was not that a

perfect,

specimen of analysis

It

was almost
bly had
that
it it

and would have answered most admiralittle

not been for one

not true

thing,

and that was, simply,

was

trifling

objection, perhaps, yet one

absolutely fatal.

Why,

will

be seen hereafter.

" I was just about half satisfied with

lation,

my

ingenious specua,t

and no more,

after the first burst of joy

my

sup-

posed discovery had subsided, and cool reason once more

166
took the helm.
to Belleville

RAYALETTE
Be
true or
false, I

it

determined to go back

and pursue

my

investigations a little further.

pa

ing omnibus soon

brought me

to the Barriere,

and to

my

great joy I saw

identical party that the

had made the

curious

remark about

my

being in search of

my own

ghost,

were intently watching the evolutions The nurse and children nomadic marionettes, and listening to the stereo4 a set of
type drolleries of the
Duppets.

man

in the

box who woi ked the

Luckily the whole party, with at least three hun-

dred others, were so taken up with the antics of Polichinel

and

his

shrew of a

wife, that the

young ones nor the nurse

saw me. I therefore stepped into a coffee-shop close at hand,

called for a tasse,
tiie

and then sent one of the waiters to fetch

woman

with the three children dressed in yellow velvet-

een.

The man obeyed, and speedily returned, followed by

the party sent for.

"

Upon

seeing
felt

who

it

was that had summoned

her, the

young woman
made, when

alarmed, fearing that the remarks she had

I entered the

cab an hour or so previously, had

present business

offended me, and that

my

was to cause her

all

to be punished for her insolence.

civilized

For of

places on this
is

earth, Paris

is

the one where a stranger

best

protected from injury or

J

impertinenceat

least, it
;

then was.

soon set the

ing

woman's mind at ease on that point and havpurchased some gateaux for the children, and the same,
and

with a vessel of coffee, for the nurse, I requested her to be

seated,
tell

me what caused her

little

to use such curious terms,

with regard to myself, a

while before.

THE GIRL EXPLAINS.

-

167
what

Lord

bless you, sir/ she said,

'

I did but repeat

old
!

man

said

who

the carriage oppostood on the side of I had

just crossed over

that bv which you entered. to

from his side

when you saw and heard

the street,

As you
observations as to

down a
i

saw you, and that you everybody

hurry, and several persons

made

of your great haste.

Said one, "

The man's

mad

!"
-v

" His ther,

woman

has just run off with a lover, tak-

wins along for

company's sake, and he's after them

with a sharp
of
sir ?"

Said the old

find

man

at

my

side,

"

He
in

very soon."

" What's that

ask

He's

in search of

ahem

search ofhis

own ghost, my dear /" The

said the old

man, as he
>*

darted up

funny, that I
crossing the street

membered

it all

the while

I was

a very
ami
;

long time for us Bonnes to recollect anything,

man

cher

and when Auburt there asked me what

ailed you,

why, I

looked wise, and repeated the grey-beard's observation, and

another cup of coffee,
I breathed
this old fell
if

you please
tell

that was
my
dear,

all.

But
'

me,

what

sort of

Certainly

another
!'

gateau, garpon;

monsieur will pay for

it

certainly
I

and the young woman

went on to describe
myself,

Ravalette
I

as well as I could have done

had that mysterious individual stood before me then

It

and

there.

was enough.

was

satisfied,

and determined
girl,

to push
bill

my

inquiries further.

I thanked the

paid the

of

t'nirty-five sous, left

the place, and hurried as fast as I

it

possibly could to the flower-gardens, that,

will

be remem-

16

RAVALE1TE

bered, to the old

R
fir;

mvself had visited tog and

and
vvim
ul
I

the gardener

if

he had

the
visit,

man

en

my companion on

a recent

an

hour

fore?

Old man
of sevent
for
I

you are a funny man, to Well,

rs

call

a boy

y<

an old man

I recollect

you well enough,

yon

l><>u -

line

bouquet, one of the

in

damask
I

posing which you now carry

your button-hole

ber y

-h
;

the beardless stripling, your c

panion

but

have

seen him since

you both

left

ther.'

"
fc in
ii

Bah,

my

friend

!'

said

I,

it

won't do.

know

per-

w
full

my comrade
sev

here

was

not a youngster, but

!'

nty years of age, if

a single day

'

Sacri
it

bint, !

You'd better
it

tell

me

lie

at once, and be
I'll

lone with

You may say

3

was an old man, but

be

cur

if it

wasn't a

rang one, not yet out of his teens

I'll

and

what

more to the purpose,

1

back

my

opinion,

and bet you

an even
person
sail

le

of Jean Lafitte, forty-two years old, that the

this

who accompanied you here

day was a small,

!

thin,

w-faeed youth of not over fifteen years

Will yon take

the
<<

wager V
Y(
re.
.

and forty more just

like it

but

who

shall

be

nmj

and decide the bet

hy, let the witnesses,
I

W
d

my

men, and

my

wife or

daugh

warrant they w

he for the sake of

7

bottle of
11
<

Are you agreed

;

Ves, call them on

I'll

trust

them

'

THE SINGULAR WAGER.

"
let

169

'

Of course you may,

for they are honest folks.

;

My
;

wife

you both in at the door

I sold you a bouquet

one of

my men went round

pay from.
of you.

the garden with you, and the other ran

to fetch change for the five-franc piece

you gave me to take

;

Here, wife, Joseph, and Pierre

come here

all

Fve made a bet with the gentleman, and want you

}

three to decide

it

" In a moment the persons called stood before

gardener said to

us,

and the

me

'

Now,
;

monsieur, you and I will

go to
you

the other end of the garden

when

there, I will describe to

the person

who accompanied you

here this afternoon.

first

Then

we

will call the witnesses,

one at a time,

separating them,
for or against

so that they cannot agree

.

upon a uniform story

me, but give the truth exactly, as the truth appears to each
one.'

" Nothing could be fairer than this proposition, fore I gave my assent to it immediately;

and there-

whereupon the two

men were

sent to stand at opposite ends of the garden, 'his

wife took her place in a third, while her

husband and myself

:

went to the fourth.

'

Having

arrived there
'

" Your friend/ said the gardener,

scribed him, with this addition,
shoes,

was just as I have dethat he wore polish-leather

a switch cane, wore

a Leghorn or

Panama

hat, carried

light jean pantaloons,

a coat an saque, and vest of white

this.

Casnmere.

Remember

Now,

Joseph, come here

'

said

he, raising his voice

and motioning the man toward us

this

good as to describe the person who came here to-day with

gentleman

Be

170
a
I
will

RAVALETTE.
with pleasure, master

The negro who came

with this
feet,

gentleman was very fat and heavy, had large splay

flat face

tremendous hands, broad,

that would

weigh a pound

and

twice

as

heavy.

His hair was

woolly, teeth very white

and regular; and he wore low shoes

!'

green cap, knee breeches, red vest, and purple jacket

"It
ished

is

difficult to

say which of us two looked most aston

finished his portrait of

when Joseph

my

companion,

Joseph was the

man who conducted

visitors of the day,

us around the garden.

We
11

were the only

'

and
1

Damn

it,

Joseph, you must be crazy

for the

man

was
"

'

Hold on

!'

said I to

the gardener

'

remember

the

terms of our wager, and say nothing

till all

have been ques-

tioned on the subject f then, turning to the

1

man, I

said

Go

to your corner, Joseph .

Pierre,

come hither f and he

came.

Now, my
the individual
Tell us

friend,

we want you to

tely describe

who accompanied me to these gardens to-day exactly how the person appeared to you. Will you,
V The
old lady

my
"
It

friend
'

Out, certaincment.

you mean.

Malateste

makes me Imghpardonez moi, monsieur, but I can't help itit makes me laugh to think about her, mafoi ! What a
queer old lady
face
;

it

was, to be sure

Such a
!

little

pinched-up
!

and what a nosp and chin, look you

world la casse-noix

Ecod

it

was

for all the

gular pair of nut-crack

ers

Certes, I took her to be the

grandmother of Metlm

THICKENS. THE MYSTERY

171

8alah> or

sister to

Adam's
1

first wife.

Oh ho

f* *-*
!

shall die o' I

laughing

And

suck a dress the*

Not a
of

.
thm

de

artiele

^Id-blue

CZ

bnt all she cloth about her, of such dainty and then moroeeo ;
the world as
if

wore made

slippers, look-

all

the wings of made of

flowers,

P^
rf

head-dress-withered uch a
ribbon
,

and two

bushels of

lid

U r-* * ftr

the lady

a,-

Pierre went one P and

to his corner, back

laughmg as

hitler
How I

an measure astonished beyond looked

;

cannot be told looked

possibly describe. could

We
to

no mortal but how I /*, silent, and adboth kept

stood, patently

to where vanced

Madame

MUkn

wX
Z
.

Variously, and
decided gusto.

Impatiently wonde, questioned, and turn to be her laughed *o Pierre, the fellow matter with what was the *ft such a < feast of memory enjoyed the
>

person whom describe the od as to so g0 believe the Devil Certes, I with monsieur day along no two persons the business, for bo ttom of elf is at the himS who darling But you, my description.

/e-e,' said *re

my

comrade,

you please be wUl

admitted here you_

;-all about Vute poetry books while reading aU the those great Spearshaker, and Virgil, and (Ovid ?), and can t you, person perfectly ; describe this can people-you at ms plump looked imploringly and the gardener
ray sweet

"agreed

in

,*

buxom ampagmm and

de ht.
it is

Now

of

all

mortals

unsafe and dangerous most

to

'

nc%

RAV ALETTE.

from

*Ah
no t know

bottesmy angei avec Us mon ange sinee I mstructed poet ever has been a
that Joseph

Jl in Ihee,

hexameters dythyrambics, dactyls, spondees,

acatatectics, iambics,

and-anapest s-and
fly

Oh may
Mary

the devil

away with

all

of your

Anna Anna
Is she

damn

all

And

as for

your
?

with Joseph she got to do _why, what's Pe8 ;s

running after ? the fellow's another grisette weeks. I can't see women in fifteen
fifteen different

Why

that s
the
in-

how

constitution stands fellow's

it

you've done the and then

inducing business
' '

ought to be Shame on you-you

did

that his lady told the gardener stepped in and Here I measures, and females, but simply fed, mean cats or
ot

scansions of poetry.

This mollified
:

and the lady courhim,

me, and resumed tesied to

ogre 'this last yes, darling

was spoken sub

is

is

; gentleman's right. Joseph yes, dearest, the beyond all question gentleman himself is lunatic and the

a poet

Pierre

love as he can get as deeply in

are the reasons and these

describes the person neither

alike.

who

attended with him

terri-

That prince of

soldiers,

because he was so who

call

ble in

his spear, the English war, when he shook

Shake-

the-spear, says that

AND
4

6TILL THICKENS.

173

u Lovers and madmen hare such seething

Such shaping
fantasies that

brains,

apprehend more than cool

Reason comprehends.

The

lover, the lunatic,

and the poet are of imagination

All compact.

One

sees

more

devils than vast hell can hold

That

is

the

madman.

The

lover, all as frantic, sees

Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt.

The

poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,

glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven, Doth

And
The

as imagination bodies forth the forms of things, poet's

pen turns them to shapes, and gives

To
11
'

airy nothings a local habitation

and a name/

But what,

my
?

dear, has all this to

do with the ques;

tions I asked
that's

you

Look
in

here, Ninette

I believe

it's

you

gone mad, rose

lovesacre /I wish

I could catch

Shake-the-spear loving once. you and your

I'd fix

him and

you

too,

my

lady, that I would

I'd fix his flint so that he

shake any more wouldn't

spears around
all

my

garden, that I

would

Will you have done with

your rigmarole, and

know ?' tell what you " Certainly. The

'

gentleman's sweetheart,

who came

went with me into my private room him today, and who with her petticoats, was as fine and her hair and adjust to arrange
years as ever sat a man's young blonde of eighteen pretty a

Such ankles, against his ribs. triple bobmajors heart beating her cheeks and lips ! ah ! and such a bloom upon
such
feet,

such a toumure
it's

hips, such embonpoint such

Sacristu

was not a man when lucky I have gone mad and run I should
/

fixed her crinoline, or, I

off

ma

with her, leaving

174
monsieur to mourn

BAV ALETTE
his loss,

while I revelled in the essence of

:

love with h\s Jlancee.

Besides that

"

'

Stop, stop,

Ninette for God's sake stop

I have lost

of Jean Lafitte, forty a bottle

brains besides
!'

odd years

old,

and

lost

my

" Here the whole five of us collected in a group,

and an

followed which instantly banished all mirth from explanation

Pierre,

and

all

poetry from la Jardiniere.

all

" Declining

thoughts of the wager and the wine, I

stupor,

left

the party in a

maze of

and sped as hastily as I could

it

to the Guinguette, or Tea-Garden, where,

will

be remem-

bered, Ravalette

and myself had entered to converse with

the proprietor regarding his novel

the

and costly experiment

les richeuse.

in

way

of feasting poor people

la

" Entering this place, I put the

prietor that I

same question to the prole

had to the gardiner and the man of Michel

Compte

but instead of surprise at his answer,

the

I was

absolutely dumb-founded, for

man

insisted that I en-

tered the shop quite alone, but that I

had conversed with

him

in

two separate and perfectly

distinct voices,

au

ventrilr

oque which he had regarded

as very singular,

but concluded

that I was a student of ventriloquism,

tunity to test
ascertain

and took every oppor-

my

proficiency,

and had now come back to

" I

what success attended the experiment. was too much horrified to speak
;

but, simply nodding

my

adieux, took

my

departure in a

mood much

to be

imagined than described.

Not

yet content. I

made

inquiries

*s to whether any

DEEPER AND DEEPER.

175

one had seen two horsemen of a peculiar description pass

through any of the streets of

"

Belleville.

Nobody had
I

seen any such, or indeed any horsemen

whatever.

was thunderstruck.
1'

"

'

I'll

track them

I cried, as a last resource

'

for the

ace

where we walked, where the horse and groom stood

waiting,

and where the old man mounted, was a

soft, yield-

ing, grassless turf.

This will decide whether I have been

dealing with the living or the dead, and that too in this

broad daylight/

"I

ran thither.

Not a

trace of a horse's hoofs

not a

single vestige of Ravalette's footprints save one,

and that one

the fac-simile of the description formerly given.

My

own

foot-marks were plain enough, but only the one other was to be found Here the mystery grew thicker and thicker, nor could I see the first glimmer of a way to clear it up.
!

11

Slowly and despondently, I retraced

my

steps

toward

Paris, taking care to inquire as I went, whether

any person

had seen two men on horseback go toward Charroune, Villette,

Menilmontant, or through the Barrieres.

might

just as well not have asked.

" But the chapter of devilry was not yet concluded, for what subsequently took place actually threw all that

had

gone before
relate, first

it

entirely in the shade.

These things I

will

now

premising

my

narrative.
first

"
in

One

day, about a week before I

spoke to Ravalette

the Louvre, I happened to be spending an afternoon in the Palais Royale, along with my friend the Barons di Cor-

76

EA VALET TK.

vaja and

Du P
On
Rue

1,

to both of

whom

I had taken letters

from America.

the day alluded to, I

met

at

'3

room

in the

Beaujolais,

and then and there became

ac-

quainted with, an
polished mind,

English gentleman of easy means and

<

by the name of Carr.

This gentleman resided

with his family in a splendid mansion in the

Vert.

After a long and interesting

till

Rue du Chemin conversation, we parted

but not

Mr. Carr had cordially taken me by the hand

desire to

maintain the acquaintance, and invited

me

to call

Rue du Chemin
gratified at his frankness,

Vert.

felt

and accepted

his

polite invitation.

go

Mr. Carr named the day, and I agreed to and accordingly had spent the evening and took tea
with

him, his family and a few select guests,

some

five

or six days

before the eventful day, the achievement of

which I have just

is

recounted.

The thing which I am about to narrate

not
is

only strange, but in

many

respects horrible,

and

my

mind

agitated to the last degree by the astounding occurrences things which I beheld with my

own
;

eyes, felt

with

mv own
have

senses, realized

with

my own
soul

spirit

and yet I scarcely dare

give credit to that which I

am
is

sensible cannot, could not

filled

been an

illusion.

My

with wonder

and I
is

hasten to give a true version of the affair while all

vet

be
shall

numb my

CHAPTER

IV.

MURDER WILL OUT

"
1
'

The

circumstances were, briefly, these

I attended, as before

fete

house of

my
in

friend

Mr. Carr Leonard Carr.

The party

was given

honor of a young

literary friend of the family,

fiction.
all

had recently gained great renown as a writer of who

To

this

young man I was introduced just before we

sat

down

to the festive board to partake of the

many good

things so bounteously set before us. " After the repast

was concluded we

all

adjourned to the

parlor and entered into conversation.

Topic after topic had

tables,'

been

discussed,

and at length the

Turning

then so

rife in all parts of the

world, and Paris especially, became

the theme of observation and criticism. "

'

Bah

!'

said Mrs. Carr,

'

deem the whole thing

silly,

being one of the most contemptible humbugs ever ran besides

after

by a pack of

silly
is

people

was going
it,

to say

fools
all

am
/

convinced there

really nothing in

and that

this

stuff

about moving furniture, and ghosts, and other spectral

is

gentry,

but the product of heated fancy,

if

not of heads and

;

hearts devoid of truth, principle, and moral rectitude

stories

got up

for

swindling purposes, and to gull that credulous

8*

177

178
pack of ninnies

KAV ALETTE.
known
!

as "

The Public,"

and a precious
a

set

they are, to be sure

Who

believes, for instance,

tithe

of the reputed wonders of the famous American " Miracle

I

Circle," or that

they are anything

more than

clever tricks

played off by a set of waggish fellows on a gullible

nity of Yankees, having in

commu-

view the ultimate object of expos?

ing and exploding the whole so-called spiritual mysteries

don't,

I'm

sure.'
!

" Poor lady

She

little

dreamed under what

cruel

cir-

cumstances she was doomed so soon to verify the truth of the

Latin motto,
11 '

Nemo

mortalium, omnibus horis

sapit,'

so meaningly quoted to myself

by Ravalette.
intellect,
all

Little did she

then dream, in the plenitude of

that not

many days

would elapse ere she admitted

scornfully derided

she

now

so mockingly and
ere long she would

and laughed

at,

and that

cower

in

the very extremity of terror and mental dread,

before these very mysteries she

now

so dogmatically denied.

" Her husband took upon himself the task of answering

her, thus relieving us guests of the

always unpleasant

office

of holding a wordy contest with a

woman.

He

said

You
self

are,

my

dear, permit

me

to say, in behalf of my-

and these gentlemen, a

sweeping
in

little

too hasty in your concluin the characteriza-

sions, too

your remarks, and

tion of the

wonderful phenomena of these latter days.

know,

my

love, that

you

will give

me

credit for rather

more

than the usual share of suspicion, scepticism, and doubt, regarding certain marvellous things said to have recently

ABOUT

SPIRITISM.

179
in Paris.

taken place in England, America, and even here

You know that

it is

my nature

to admit nothing as proved

especially of such

an implied nature

strative evidence.

without absolute demonThe proof must be the

irrefragible
else

tes-

timony unbroken and indubitable,

certainly

I accept nothing.
less

do not believe

in spirits,
flit

much

that such things

us,

come

to this world and

and move around

taking

in-

terest in all our affairs,

and meddling with our business

is

in

thousand ways, as
lieve in

it

alleged they do by those

who

be-

them.

And

yet,

with

all

this,

I confess that I have

seen things that stagger

me

indeed, that demonstrate besecret, occult,

yond dispute the existence of a power, mighty,

and working out
its

marvellous designs without the slightest

human

aid or influence whatever.

all

Mind me,

do not

attri-

bute any or

of these results to spiritual agency, but I do say

is

that the force at bottom

marvellously intelligent, and for all

the world like that of man's.

For

instance,

you

will

remem-

her

who came from America

to astonish the French.

cir-

Well, actuated by curiosity, I resolved to form one of a

cle of six

who had made arrangements

to test his powers at

his

own

rooms.

Accordingly we met him by appointment

at the Cafe Jououy near the Palaise Royal, and together

we

seven started for his hotel.

Now,

as I walked along, the

idea

suggested

itself,

that

perhaps the fellow had made

arrangements

in his

rooms to surprise us by a resort to some

in

mountebankish performance, and therefore,

his sincerity,

order to try

and at the same time guard

I

agaiilst

any mere
repair
to

trickery or legerdemain,

suggested

that

we

180

RAVALETTE.

elsewhere than at his hotel. apartments

to this arrangement without a assented

To my

surprise he

murmur, and we

repa ired to a

room

at the house of

one of the company, Mon-

Benji
;at

the

Rue de

Clichy.

When

there,

we

all

,'ound
its

table with

fourteen hands laid

flat

upon

top.

For a while nothing occurred, save a few

knocks or thumps upon the table, which

spirits,

attributed to

but which I suspected his knees produced.

sat

While

thus

we

was broad daylight, and the sun ahone

the

brightly

through

windows), we

distinctly

saw,

and

I actually,

palpably

felt of,

a fifteenth hand.

This hand was

apparently solid flesh and blood.

It appeared to be that

of a mulatto girl of fifteen or sixteen summers,

and one

o I the

party subsequently told

fac-simile of the right

me

in confidence that it
girl

was the very

in

hand of a

whom
me

he once kn<w
herse'.f

the Isle de

Bourbon, and who had destroyed

by

poison for love of the very

man who

told

the story!
itself

This
eight

hand came. from beneath the table and extended

or ten inches over the edge at
the
air,
first.

Then

it

gradual!/ rose

displaying a magnificent set of fingers, jpc>n the

middle joint of

of which appeared the

sembkncc of

large and peculiarly-shaped

brown mole, surrounded by

smaller

and

it

was by these marks that

my

friend pr

tended
fifths

The hand was attached

to about

of a forearm, completely covered with the semblance of

a lace sleeve, terminating at the wrist in a jewelled band, and at the othcp extremity by a flaring and projecting ruffle. The hand, after a into the where it floated fo

THE SPECTRAL HAND.

two minutes
silver

181

It

then descended, seized hold of a small

it

bell
;

upon the mantel and rung

after

sharply

all

over

the

room

which

it

replaced

it,

took hold of a pencil

ceiling of the lofty-

and wrote forty-seven words upon the

vaulted apartment
;

threw down the

pencil,

patted each of
in

our hands, and then gradually faded awav

the centre of the table

the
it

air,

just

We

rose after

had gon<

placed a stand upon the table, a chair upon that, so as to reach the writing on the wall (which yet remained there),

and found a short

ssage to the

company
\s

in general,

and
the

med by
Isle

the very

name of
N'ow,

Mr
my
dear,

inamorata of
all

de

Bourbon

was

this

hum-

bug

To

this,

the lady, whose scepticism would not abate

face of

an
this, repli
all
1
:

Rosicrucian

overwhelming demonstration as

'"Why,
win
all

pn
p,

nine

you had

taken a

little

too
!

much
It's

,l

asli

op,

wrote on the wall,

andBah
!'

hnmbu

and that

settles the que

lod at

The lady was

silent

and the

will

call

him Mr.

for

whom

the party was gotten up, entered

the arena

of convei ation, and observed that

he preferred the former term

SfK

ral

or Spiritual

was yet
in
all

but

in

its

Christendo
a

acquaintance of
thin
occult,

man
he

of
h;
1

rdinary

arch

and

whom

met under peculiai

ffinmed

um
rue with

but a
regard ro the

little

while before

faith,

philosophy, and practices of a certain

182

RAV ALETTE.

branch or rather family of the Hindoos or other Eastern

tribes.

"

'

This individual/ pursued Mr.

l ,

is

a firm and
\

devout believer in Spiritualism, and yet contends that not

over two-tenths of what passes current under that term,
really that
is

which

it

is

claimed to be.

Nay, further

he

declares,

and gives

his reasons

why, which latter are very

fifty

just

and tenable, that not more than once in

times are

the actions and speeches delivered under trance the result of

Spiritual action
;

but that when not the absolute offspring of

is

imposture, which

rarely the case, other,

and very often purely

physical causes are at work,

which are frequently far more

potent than what

is

known

as " spiritual influence," inasmuch

as the results are productive of better, greater,

satisfactory

and more

phenomena, and of far more interest and value to mankind, and which have been entirely overlooked in the
haste and zeal with which people seek to gratify their thirst
for

the

marvellous,

by attributing whatever

baffles

their

powers of analysis to a supermundane origin. " This person/ continued Mr. A., asserted also that he could himself produce similar and even far more wonderful and startling effects, by means entirely material, than many which are claimed to originate beyond the earth. "This," said he, " I can do under circumstances that will forever put the quietus on one portion of the spiritual
'

theory.

There

is

a science in existence that

may

very properly be called

Spectreology or Phantomism, whose wonders vie with the best of those emanating really from the spirit world I" Bur-

MOKE MAGIC LOOMING

183

ing his travels in the Orient, he said, the modus operandi of

several startling effects

had been imparted

that,

to

him by a person

named Ramo Djava, and

were

it

not for his greatly im-

paired health, which rendered the experiments alluded to

highly dangerous, he would give public displays of his

power
he had
till

As

to the

means

used, that

must remain a

secret, for

promised to
dying hour.

initiate only

one person, and that not

his

But, at

all events,

he was willing to demonstrate,

is

before a select few, that there really

more between earth

of.
diffi-

and heaven than even the

loftiest

savants dream
I,

Having

my
on

curiosity thus excited,

this

with great

culty, prevailed

person to consent to give a display

I have inwill exactly

of his ability, before a select circle of eighteen.

vited five persons,

and the present company

complete the requisite number, and I cheerfully extend you all an invitation to be present at half-past
cisely,

six o'clock pre-

at the mansion of our mutual friend, the

this

Baron de

Marc,

day week V

" This ended the conversation on that particular theme, and, shortly afterwards, the party dissolved, agreeing to meet again on the night mentioned, which, strange coincidence was
!

the

very one of the singular adventure with

lette
;'

'

the ghost of

Ravasus-

for, to tell

the truth, I had of the

by

this time

begun to

pect that

my old man

Louvre-he who appeared under

and the same
time, nay, under

three different aspects at one

five,

and who was heard to speak, though himself unseen by the man of the Guinguette-was something more than mortal. " You must bear in mind the fact, that the party and con-

1-1
venation at Mr.
1

RAV ALETTE
place before I Carp's took

had ever seen

if

/a will

tto at all to

o-ak with him.

And now,

you plea

e,

w,

of events in progress before I rontinue the train

made

this liirrei

"
1

Vou

will rei

ember

that, after

making

fruitless inquiries

the tw
rial
1

orseraeu,

and an equally

fruitless search after

fa

on the

soil

near Belleville, that I took

foot,

my way

to-

ward
.A
(

iris,

slowly, on
I

musing deeply as I went along.

tolling

ptM
mt

<1

wn

the

Hue Faubourg du Temple, the

of a

<1

clock announced the hour of four.

nt i

I remembered
fully

my
I

enj
in

igem

he Baron's, but, as I

had

two hours

left

whi< h to dress for the occasion, I

determined to drop

in at

D'Kmprat's, in the

Rue Michel

le

Compte, as I went

and hear whatever might have turned up in

I

my

absence.
find a

rea

the rtreet,
i

and was greatly surprised to

large

and highl

ccited

crowd of people before the gate,

urplices of at least

and
pri

tli

so, as I

beheld the

a dozen

the Order St. Lazare, elbowing their way, and

tr

ing to pas

both
irt

in

and out of the house.

" \Y

ith

It

palpitating with vague

and dread uneasiness, I

approached an intelligent-looking man, and, assuming a carel

>ness

by no means

felt,

asked him the cause and reason of

the gathering.

"
lb
1)

ffd
vil

Wei

you,

sir

P he said.

Do you

not

know that
that

and

five of his

imps have just been on a

visit to

and carried

off three or four of the

inmates through

the roof in a flame of blue fire 1

If you don't

know

it,

aawre

it

is

a fact

1'

SATAN IN PARIS.

1S5

" I saw in this answer the legitimate effect of superstUion,

and

that the man's cloth belied his intelligence

I,

there-

fore, dr

ont a sh(
t

of paper
as of the

ai

pencil,

and began to

flourish

m
il

in

the

<

crowd

fur the purpose of

attracting
u
\1
j

attention.

ruse bo

eeded

the peopl
ga'v

me lown as a reporter
and
left
;

of
I

be pre*

atantly
diffi<

way

right

so that

but

littl

dty in gaining an entrance

the huild-

ii

Once
relaj
i

there,
in
tl

soon learn
sw<
int

that the

{>

D' Em prat

had

ie

Q occttlODtd

by

hi- firs' fright,

and

had pasted
laiming
blo
s
I!

the most
,

fri

htfoJ
1

mvulsions, ex1

all

the whil

as

tl

thick
!

am

tiled

from his
f

lipt,
I

'Oh, the

devil

tl

devil
thii

has

ne

my
gc
'

ul, been

Med
-

pt

Lsmoine

/-seven
to hell'

years

Dim! 7
H
d;i

I'm! TheyicUldra
exert
cr
I

me

Ah
wei
(

wife
ei
in
1

id

all

her

fluence
ail.

and

ifh

th
c

hou*
the poli
peedily

His
foi

ies

ill

in

Fur

until at la*
.

had
foil

danentrn a
scor

into
priet

ai

wer

wed by a

of

hi

hear
ver

that the devil

was
effe
f

in Paris, in propel

person, v

an ious to try the

of a

little
t

hath of

wat

as well as to get a sight of

lets,

ir

arch
1

enemy, wh m, doul
8

the vast majority of

hem

.rard<

as nothing

more

han a man

or, rather, devil

traw.

M The news spread like wild-fire that the devil had appeared, and to the qn
%

ions

a-ked by priest and

bailiff

of the

porter, he confirmed the rumor,

and

told,

as best he c uld,

gg

RAVALETTE.
His story did not
officers aside,

of the afternoon. the incidents

rest here,

however, but,

taking two of the

he told them
in

which caused them to something

est

start

back

the wild-

horror,

and

cross

themselves most devoutly.

The

re-

was, that the officers cautioned the porter sult of the interview

from uttering one

person
else.

word

of

what he had just told them to any

they
all

After

this,

again entered the room

all

where D'Emprat was

delirium,
still

still

struggling in

the terrors of

still

accusing himself of a long-committed homicide,

calling on

God and

the priests to save him from the

clutches of the devil,

whom
trident,

he averred he saw beside him

armed with fork and

soul to perdition
scene,

ready to drag his unfortunate

and the damned.

During
all

all this fearful

Madame D'Emprat was

The ghosts of

doing

she could to quiet

her husband, but without avail.

The man went on harder

deeds were there, and aveng-

than before.

evil

ing angels lashed his soul to frenzy.

"
'

Be

still/

she cried,

'

for Jesus' sake,

be

still

They

will

carry you to Bicetre, and from there to

will die

le

Boureau, and you

au

coupe tete

.'*

Oh, be

still

or, if

you must

talk,

say something else than that P

" Every word uttered by the

quietly written

woman and

the

man was
who

down, unobserved, by one of the

officers,

used
desk.

my

pencil

and paper, and the back of

his

comrade as a

"

What

strange, mysterious

power was

it

that caused

me

On

the guillotine.

>

MURDER WILL

OUT.

187

mechanically to purchase a pencil and paper on

Belleville

my way from

down

to Michel le

Compte

" God's ways are mysterious, altogether past finding out

and I inwardly praised him as the mighty

fact

became ap-

parent, that the people of the house were not in league, as I

had conjectured might be the

case, with Ravalette

and that
in-

the mysterious agent of Divine Retribution was not of an

fernal nature, be
off
it

or he whatever
soon, alas
!

else.

load was lifted

heavier than

my heart too
'

to be let

down

before.

"

You
Tis

did not
!'

kill

him,

D'Emprat

So don't say you did

any more
a
(

exclaimed the
lie!

woman

in the accents of despair.

'

a,

I did V yelled the unfortunate man.

in the cellar,
!'

killed

him with the hatchet

and buried him under

the grey horse's stall in the stable

"

'My God

we

are ruined

!'

screamed the

now

frantic

woman.

'I always suspected that you killed

it

my

brother,

but never believed

believe
it
:

until

now.

And,

yet, I

do not even now

for'
it ;

"

'

I can prove

for I well

remember a bloody hatchet,

and that master never would

grey horse
;

let

me

clean the stable of the

and that I have watched him dig gold from the ground there, and heard him accuse himself in his sleep !' said
the concierge,

coming forward.

Then, D'Emprat, and you, madame, I arrest in the name of the law and you, porter, as a witness.
;

Officers,
!'

do your

dutytake

the prisoners clear the house

said

their chief

188

KAVALKTTE

unfortunate people were " Five minutes afterwards, the the way to my hotel to and I was on being led to prison, the soiree at the such circumstances-for dress-even under little fitted me to be a frame of mind that Baron's, but in a
philosophical experiments. spectator of

Yet my word was

clock finding

must, and go I did pledged, and go I

me

in the

Baron's parlor.
perfectly
sensible

"I am
to
the

that,

even

in

what I have

narrated, the

credulity

of

many

persons would be taxed

believe

utmost.
as

It

is

easy enough to

that such
ago,
in

things

have

described occurred long ages

it

halcyon days of Magic, but the green and

is difficult

to

place in the broad light of this imagine such things as taking

nineteenth century.
Millions, aye hundreds of millions, have

and, in coming years, perhaps ages, will believe believed, do,

in the startling records of
tailed,

a magic similar to that I have de-

and which

is

described so briefly, yet so graphically,

;

in the
insist

Book

of

Exodus

and yet these people

will strenuously

that the day of such things

of such exhibitions of the

Upper Magic

has

for ever passed

away, totally unmindful

there re-

of the great fact, that,

when the astonishing things

corded were accomplished, there must of necessity have been

a law

natural law

in

accordance with, and by which,

they were done, and that no law of Nature has ever yet

been repealed
perfection

consequently, they must exist to-day in as

full

and power as ever.

remains of the present affair to be told, may, with

"

What

what has already been related (and the truth of which may

NO D INCEPTION.

189

be ascertained most readily by correspondence with the

parties
tial

named), be implicitly
;

relied

on as correct

in all essen-

particulars

and

yet, the occurrences that

took place on

that eventful night are of a kind so horrible, so utterly monstrous, that, at times, I

almost believe that

we

all

twelve
some
with

healthful men,

and

six

women

were laboring under

cling to
this
belief,

strong delusion.

I should

still

the pertinacity of a miser to his golden god, the bigot to his

creed, or the

drowning wretch to the narrow plank that prolife's

mises a renewal of

tenure,

were

it

not that

facts, appal-

ling in themselves, forever

and

utterly preclude the possibility

that I

that wewere mistaken and

deceived.

What

these

facts were, will

be most clearly shown

in the sequel."

CHAPTER
s

V.

DIABLERIE EXTRAORDINAIRE
than Hell e'er traced With features horrlblcr

On No

Kb own brood

no Demon

of the waste,

caught lingering in the light church-yard ghoul,

blasted human sight Of the blest sun, e'er foul, so fierce as those With lineaments so

grinning mockery shows." Impostor now, in The

When
enumerated

found the company above reached the house I I and all most anxiously in the parlor, seated

appearance of the individual the

entertainment, and, us

who was

to afford
also.

if

possible,

some instruction

awhile

it

were doomed to be disapappeared that we

pected party had promised
it

pointed

The

attend
already,

minutes to eight, and thirty

was nearly that time

coming
;

and

still

there were no signs of his

but, as

St

Eustache tolled out the half

announced
11

ring at the door-bell

his arrival.

The man

was. a tall

comely personage, apparently of and

all

Irish

nothing whatever about him at extraction, and had

;

remarkable

indeed, he

was a very

so-soish sort of individual,

who
his

at first refused his

:
'

name

to everybody, because, to quote

own words
in

If I remain incog. I shall not " bored,"

be

lionized,

which

other terms means

and pestered by

per-

sons seeking to gratify a

190

morbid and impertinent curiosity

THE MAGICIAN MAI VATTERALE,

people

191
find

who

full-grown miracles, look for

and expect to

studying arts and them, instead of their experience by knowledge and enriching their
increasing

and therewith

philosophic truths, acauaintance with intimate

'/

and

of mighty Nature polished and

freely

polit

entering
so

into

conversation,

and

seemed

altogether
off
~~
/

well

pleased with his

audience that he threw

vt
|^r

all

reserve,
*

v --

- -

and

of which time he the end

gave us

his

secret, to

go no

further.

That na
very curious
the back

It was Mai Vatterale

name

He
six

soon proposed
reaching
3

parlor,

and

after

he proceeded to

doing; this, his

Yatterale signified to the Baron Monsieur

said

'

was informed

sieur,

that

meeting was arranged with Mon day that the present it was absolutely necessary that the in all cases
of all

who

assist at, or witness his experi-

should be duly
reason I

fortified

with food, for what particular

is it

imagine, nor
that
all

necessary that I should

of which

present

might forego their usual repasts

little

homes, and partake of a

nnimfinoJno'

soupcr with me, pre-

our experiments, and'

plait,' said

Permettez moi, sHl v&iis

Vatterale, courteously

192
Si
cela

BAV ALETTE
agreabk

vous

est

my

custom, and

is

for the pur

preventing any pose of

that might effects

result

from a shock

7L

apt to expenence von will be believe me, nerves, which, explanation, indi course such an Of done we have before of preventive sosmall degree certainly did, no .cauuK was perfect^ illustrious foreigner, part of the licitude on the spirit by the in a proper ace ipted

satisfactory,

and was

whole company.
'

said follow way, gentlemen, This way, ladies ; this leading the to his wife, and giving bis arm Baron, gaily the

way
'

his splendid salle to

a manger.
called it

noble had The worthy

un
it

petit souper,

but the
difficult

before us rendered magnificent spread

a somewhat

grand supper in constitute a imagine what would task to the task I am it is no part of To describe ttion.
im
;

his

en-

merely observe that therefore, I shall gaged on and, table, as well The furniture of the most recfarcke affair

sumptuous descripwas of the most as the viands themselves, heaviest gold of the richest and tion, everything on it being
and
the
1

silver

old Noblesse, from plateheir-looms of the

whom

Baron was descended.

Dinner or supper once over,

we

all left the table,

and once

adjourned to the back parlor, and more

seats in the 'took

arranged in a triangle, the ladies, six in chairs

pying those which formed the

number

western arm

thereof.

When
quite

properly and comfortably seated, there

was

Vatterale placed large vacant space before us, into which

two chairs facing each

other,

and also

two

foot-stools

LOOKING THROUGH TWO FLOORS.

covered with damask
other ang
e.

193
in

plush-velvet

close

together
all

the

He

then proceeded to lock

all

the doors lead-

ing into the apartment, tied

piece of scarlet

the keys together with

t

and then hung them to one of ribbon,

large gas chandelier directly pendent from a la glass prisms

over the centre of what I may

circle.

call,

not inappropriately, our

chandelier, seven in number, were all The jets of this

in full

strong head of gas, and the room in all play under a

parts

was

quite as light as

if

the sun shone into the windows,

two

the northern end of the parlor, both of which occupied

being very richly curtained,

lest trickery in
self,

and both quite

shut.

I repeat,

what followed should be suspected by yourof gas

that the seven jets

all

brightly burning, and

continued so

except when extinguished, withthe evening,

;

out the aid of human hands

and as they were put

out, bo

they relighted more than once. also were

"

Having

disposed of the

bunch of keys, Vatterale went

closely,

to both windows,

examined them

fastened

them

down
down

securely

that is to say, the lower sashes

for he let
n external

one of the upper ones,

and threw the

east

wide open, and fastened blinds

them
in

so.

Of

course, the

ceremonies -had never been master of

that dwelling before,

obtained information respecting of course could not have and

methods of visit and inquiry, y it by the usual him to ring for the the Baron, he requested
the closed door bid through sofa

servant,

and

him remove an ornamental

the

from

immediately above our funds the chamber

dark bed

on

the

third

fi

as

its

pre

where

it

194

KAVALETTR.

then stood would materially affect the experiments to be

made

"This request, made under such circumstances, surprised

but particularly

who

stared at the
risen

man

who made
dead
;

it,

as if he regarded

him as one

from the

and

it

was, forsooth, rather a startling circumstance,

to say the least.

He

admitted that there was such a room

troisieme.

and such a dark chamber, au

Yet how the man

in

knew

it,

was very strange, considering that he had been and had not
left

the house but a short time,

us for a mo-

ment, nor spoken a single

word

to any of the servants, save

residence.

on entering, to inquire
Scarcely had

if this

was the Baron's

we recovered from the

surprise natural

such

than we were again made sensible that

for,

were dealing with an extraordinary man,

turning to me,
re-

he begged the loan of a small metallic coin which I had ceived as a present from Mr. Carr less than ten minutes

before

Yatterale entered the house, and which coin was remarkably

curious and valuable on account of its high antiquity,

and

it

was one of the only two known to be in existence, and had been begged for me by Mr. Carr, from his friend Blaise de
Jonge, the celebrated Easter
to Mr. Carr,
previous.
his pocket,

and had only been

by that eminent savant, the

Vatterale placed
set of ivory tablets
it

Having received the

and then taking out a
it

a request thereon, and handed

la

to

Madame

la

Marquise de

Fronde, an elderly lady, foster sister to the Baron.

The

request

was altogether so sin-alar and so novel, that the old

THE PREPARATION.
lady immediately read
have the goodness
her feet
it

195
la

aloud

'

Will

Madame

Marquise

to retire to the alcove

and remove from between

and

stockings the

metallic plates, and, separating the

zinc

from
kind,

the

copper ones, place each metal

restore them

plate with

its

own

cmd

to her feet outside the hose

The

with astonishment, for she averred that lady almost fainted

mortal knew that she wore such plates, but that she had no
for ten years,

and found them, by reason of the

electric cur-

they elaborated and imparted to her system, highly rents

beneficial to her health.

She

retired as requested, and, re-

turning in a minute, convinced us of the marvellous seeing

faculty of the mysterious Mai,

by exhibiting the
She again

plates,

which

were precisely as he

had described-

retired, and,

shortly returning, resumed her seat.

These preliminaries being

concluded, Vatterale brought into the open space before us a

small portmanteau, which he carried in his

hand when he ena coil of wire

tered the mansion.

From

this

he

now took

in-

deed, three small coils tied together

also a saucer of large

dimensions of stone China, or thick, very thick porcelain, a

large vial containing a colorless liquid, a

box

of paste or

gum, two
that

large,

and

entirely

empty, thin bottles

so

thin

we

all

looked through them at the light, as he handed

them

to us for that purpose.

glass, as thin

They were
brittle,

as clear as the best

window
crystal.

and as

apparently, as the finest

also

Prom

the

same receptacle he

took what

looked like three

rolls of

paper, one very large

when

un-

folded, the others quite small indeed.

The

larger bundle he

unrolled and spread upon the floor, on the space between the

1 96

K AVALETTE.
and fautmUs.
It

chairs

was about three

feet in diameter,

and was painted

nondescript.

in all sorts of colors,

and

figures entirely

The

centre of this article

was immediately that

of the triangle, 'The Symbolical figure of the Universe, or

Oneness/ as he called
large chandelier.

it,

and of course was directly beneath the

This done, he placed the saucer right upon

the centre of the symbolical chart, if I

may so term it.

Then

unfastening the coils of wire, he laid one along the laps of

the gentlemen on one side,

and fastened

it

by means of a link

and hook

to

two others, which passed

in front of the other

two

sections of the

human

trine.

The wire held by the

ladies (for

we

all

were directed to grasp the wire before us with one hand,

md
iron,

the

hand of the next neighbor with the other) was

silver foil
;
;

common
steel,

wound with

the one before myself

was

wound with gold wire

and the other was of solid gold,

floss silk.

wound, as were the others, at intervals, with

ladies

The

grasped with the

left

hand, and joined their right, while

with the gentlemen this order

was

reversed.

The next pro

ceeding on the part of Mai, was to place half of the

the

gum

upon
fire

this he

emptied the vial of

Lqoid, and set

bluish flame.
liar

thereto.

It burned with a clear

and steady

The gum was gradually consumed, and a pecu-

and most delightful fragrance floated through the room. " During the burning process, the
operator sat upon the

curious preparations.

and gazed fixedly and intently upon, or rather toward, the open sash, while the rest of us were chatting merrily, and wondenng what would be the result of all these weird ami
stool,

A GLOOMY HO UK.

197

" I said the rest of us were merrily chatting, but must

excluding from this employment qualify that observation by

one person, and that person was

myself, for I found

it

ut-

in the conversation with that abanterly impossible to mingle

unreserve which characterized the others. don and

altogether beyond

It

was

my

power to forget the tremendous expe-

that very day, which I had undergone. riences of

A weight
'

was on my

spirit
'

that could not be

lifted off.

The

Ghost

of Ravalette seemed to be

invisibly

hovering over me, and

felt

unseen, his presence seemed to be palpably although

by

me.

The

at Belleville constantly obtruded themselves events

;

before the eye of the mind

singular result of his

the affair at the gardener's, the

impromptu wager, the woman at the

all,

Barriere, and, above

the frightful occurrences at the

its

Rue

Michel

le

Compte, with

sure

absolutely sure

termina-

tion on the Guillotine

the miserable and

ignominious death

of D'Emprat, and the unearthly means whereby his deed of

crime

murder, committed the crime a years before the unearthly and mysterious means, I was brought by which
horrible
his guilt

thirty-seven

repeat,
this,

to light

this, all

so

oppressed

me

that I could not take a present interest in

what

was transpiring about me.

Indeed, I cared

little for

either

Mai or

his tricks

which, from

observing the method of his

preparations, I

had already not only despised, but put down

to the score of legerdemain

clever

and

surprising,

but

still

nothing more than legerdemain.

"

How

rudely this conceit

was broken

up,

how

horribly I
us,

was convinced of my mistaken estimate of the man before

198
soon be seen. y
,

RAV ALETTE.

As

for his skill in detecting the

the

sofa,

and the

I had already secretly acplates,

counted.
Sensitives,

wLo

Hauser, and several other remembered Caspar presence of metals by what could detect the
'magnetic
sense.'

may

be called

His description of the

all

very simple, for nearly bed-room au troisieme, was dark

chambers on that floor old houses have such

old house
;

this

was an

Vatterale saw

it,

and made what preliminary

capital he could from his acuteness.

With

the present weight

of experience

with the

memory

of the deeds of the mystical

Ravalette

still

mind, of course I could not be very fresh in

felt

such displays of minor magic as I highly interested in

convinced were very shortly to be

made by

the conjuring

gentleman before
" Suddenly the

us.

man whose

pretensions I

had

just been

in-

wardly

criticising, partially

raised himself from

the stool,

threw back
shoulders, birth

his

head

until his long,

wavy

locks

fell

upon

his

and muttered between his teeth, as

painful,
'

if

the word-

was extremely

He

is

coming V and we noticed

that his face, naturally of a dingy yellow, suddenly

became

of an ashen-hued paleness, and his eyes darted forth lumi-

nous sparks that were plainly visible even amid the glare of
that brilliantly-lighted apartment he placed his right
is
;

and at the same instant

his

hand over the region of

heart^-that

to say, over that part

where nine-and-ninety of every hunleft breast.

dred suppose the heart to be, namely, under the

He

did this as

if

to repress a rising pang, then turning to his

!

audience, he

exclaimed' Look sharp

Be

firm

be

fear-

saucer on the floor." "the

less
less,

199

be attentive

but

if

you would avoid

not,

but great danger,

stir

mo

from your seats

hands,

the cord, retain each other Grasp

make what
inch

marks you may deem

inch from your seats,
prise

proper, but

si

:le

happen what

you

not a few of the company all assented verbally, and and magic, when to joke him on his sorcery began even instantly motioned back from our seats, but were all started

We

by

commanding, magisterial an anxious frown and a

wave of
part

his right

hand

simultaneous movement on The

yell,

caused by a

for such

proceeded

but from a Mr. Thebe anticipated, from a female, as might gentleman, hailing from Philaodore D wight, an American

delphiaand at the present time

11

still

dwelling there.
will certify, is

This person, as

all

who know him

no weak,
all this

puling, nerveless

man, for a man

more the opposite of

found in a month's search. could scarce be " The sound which came from his
ror, horror,
lips

was a shriek of

ter-

and agony

combined, as

might well be fancied to

souls of the nether hell.

come from the

throats of the

damned

a paroxysm of deadly fright It was, indeed,

all

In an instant
is

eyes were turned toward him.

He
;

paler than a

corpse,

the very image of Death

itself

his eyes protruded

their sockets, and he trembled as from

final

if

he stood before the

bar

his lips refused to

tell

the cause of his distress, but

his gaze

was

intently fixed,
the

with an immovable expression of

the floor.
Instinctively our eyes

horror, upon

200

KAVALETTE.

Vatterale's, who still was direction, except followed the same With this exception, I reopen sash. toward the looking

peat

we

all

toward the looked

there
!

floor,

when, great
still

God what
!

a sight was
small rolls

sancer was Tne

!

there,

bnt the two

were gone of paper

They had disappeared, but

recollect, there

their stead in

we

distinctly
full

sawfor,

were

en full jets of
saw, I reiterate,

gas in

blaze right over our

headswe

our eyesphysical, with

bodily eyesthree

resembling overgrown scorpions beings, somewhat horrible they had hands and arms instead of claws, that
for
ill

These detestable

of a newly-born negro child the world like those I dare not blaspheme the Great things, for
!

Eternal by calling them

creatures,

were about
in length.

five inches

back, by some eighteen broad on the

Their color

mottled with purple, green, and yellow was a deep crimson, were completely covered with stripes and spots, and they
scales, like those of

an armadillo.

Conceive,

if

you can, of a

tarantula or spider so large,

and whicheach one of them

tips of twelve legs, sixteen

moved about on the very

eighteen inches long, and
all

or
its

the while whirling and twirling

eighteen inches long and threehands and arms (two of each),

fourths as large as
picture
of the
its

body, and you will form a tolerable

unsightly,

repulsive,
'

hideous

monstrosities
floor

crawling, or rather
"

round that saucer on the stilting/

Each one of

these loathsome things

had

four large, pro

of the monster Frog truding eyes, closely resembling those

of India

not leaden but these eyes, unlike the frog's, were

fin

hued

no spark of instead of this being the case, I think

WHAT WERE THEY?

ever shone

201

brighterin fact,

they fairly gleamed with what

;

by no other term than infernal redness I can indicate

it

for

every flash they emitted the concentrated seemed that at

;

venom of a gorgon
perfectly

and beneath the. fearful spell

fear.

we

all sat

immovable with

"What
but they

agony would have been had the accursed our

things ventured to
still

move toward

us, I

dare not even imagine,

and ever kept

in the one track,

floor.

moving with

or-

derly march around that saucer on the

We

felt

and

knew

that they were living, actual

realities,

a genuine and
illusion,

horrid trinity of facts,

result

and not a mere optical

fancies,

or the

of a play

upon our

mesmeric or otherwise.

This opinion was confirmed by the most positive and blasting

testimony, for, as they solemnly, demoniacally marched about

the centre of that symbolic chart, they left a trailing streak

of greenish
dead, hard, greenish ichor or pus, behind

them

at each revolution,
ron's carpet.
letters

and a few drops of

this fell

upon the BaI exchanged

Some months afterward he and

on the events of that night, and he assured

me

that

not a single chemical amongst the hundreds applied for the

purpose had been of the least

stain.
'

effect

toward removing the

its

The carpet has been discharged of

colors

and

leall,

dyed, yet no dye will cover those spots V

for

This was not

on one of their rounds they nearly quitted the chart, and

the

Baron struck at them with

his foot,

whereupon one of
fell

them spirted forth a

fetid liquid,
if

which

upon

his

boot,

and made a mark there as

with hot iron
!

the leather

had been seared

9*

202
"
to
'

B A. V ALETTE.
Talk not
to

me

legerdemain after this of

Speak not

me

or deceptive appearances, in the face of optical illusion,

fa
'

of such
to me,

ts

for here are marks,' as these,

wrote the Baron

palpajble evidences that defy contradiction. h re are

on that night, and there they yet remain, They were made
" Out, and, albeit I cry,
persist in

damned

spots !" they will not, but

remaining absolute confirmations of vivid, strange,

inc')iitrovertil)le/ac^

t
up, under such circumstances,

"
til

'

But why did you not get

of you, and escape from the

room V

is

a very natural and

without impro-

perl nips not unreasonable question, that

may

priety be asked just here,

and I reply
be named.

For

several reasons

among which a few

dl securely locked,
chair,

shall

First, the doors were

and although we had seen Mai mount a

and hang the keys to one of the glass pendants, yet

there,

upon looking
rolls

we found that

they, as well as the two

of paper, had disappeared.

Secondly, the windows were

feet

fastened down, besides being

least fifteen

many

from the ground

at
not.

and

to leap that distance

was altogether out

it,

of the question, even had

we thought of

which we did

Thirdly, the earnest and solemn

warning given by Vatterale

before anything took place

his

his assurance that if

we obeyed

injunctions not

to

stir

that,

although we might be

frightened, yet

no harm could or would beMl

usacted,

amidst
tate

all

our terror, as a sort of stopper upon any precipifirst

movement, after the

shock was over.

all

"

We

could not quit the

room provided even

Hast never heard

the doors

had been flung wide open.

tell

of the fas-

THE FASCINATION OF DANGER.

emotion of Danger?
in all its terrible force

203
was upon us

If so, then

know

that

it

and power.

We were bound, chained,

potentiality never to be
its

rooted, riveted to the spot,

by a

questioned, never to be despised, for

fastens
lenting.

might, when^ once

it

upon

its victim,

is

merciless, griping, stern

stir,

and unre-

We felt
to

that to

was to incur the hazard of an

unknown, unguessed-at
terror
;

danger.

All were

fascinated
!

by

move was

to add

ten-fold to its

power

It

was

experienced by the native of Ind, a feeling akin to that

who

from his mid-day slumber, wakes to roused

feel

the

clammy

the dreadful hooded serpent of his folds of the cobra-capello,

clime,

writhing and winding beneath slowly

his

his

garments

about

naked

flesh

and who
icily

realizes, as his

heart stops

beating; and his blood runs

with agony, and as the great

cold sweat ooze out from every pore, big beaded drops of

that to
his

stir,

even quiver under the pressure of to breathe, to

fear,
is

mortal

certain,

irrevocable,

positive

death

as he does, that nor knowing

man

nor beast hath ever yet

the fangs of the hooded snake have lived a single hour after for the entrance of the King of a passage

once opened

Terrors

"

And

such was

the pall that rested upon the eighteen

as the detestable trinity persons in that room,

moved

slowly

around that saucer on

horny, bulging

the floor

their

eyes their gre a

eyes all

while scintillating and flashin the

malignity malignity as of the very essence of intense with

devil
!

The

female portion of the

company

I fear

may

nev<
n<

shock that night received. weaver from the

They did

2 04

RAVALETTE.
or scream, or swoon, as perhaps
it

faint,

might have been

circumstances,

suspected they would

under

such

diabolic

simply, however, for the reason that the tension of soul

and

nerve w#s altogether too severe and great to permit, even for

an

instant, the reaction

which

is

an absolute prerequisite to

relief

by or through the methods indicated.

length of time
till

" Probably the

that

elapsed from the

shriek of our comrade,

the final disappearance of the

three monsters, did not exceed three minutes, yet in that

brief space

we had undergone

years of terror.
is

" Truly, the real lapse of time

the beats of the clock, but only
throbs.

not to be reckoned
heart-

by sensations and

Mai, at the termination of the time specified, rose

from

his stool,

took a small basket from his portmanteau, and

then fearlessly seizing the things, one at a time, he carefully

doubled up their legs under them, and placed them in

it.

Then taking the two

crystal bottles already alluded to, he

placed them lengthwise on the chart, with their necks and apertures facing each other, after which he

resumed

his seat

upon the

foot-stool,

addressing no word or sign to the specta-

tors of his

movements.

And now

it

began to grow dark

The jets of gas appeared

if

to burn less clear

and

fully, just as

some one was slowly turning the cocks which with a gradual movement. In a little while the

let it

on,

room was
still

darkened, though not exactly dark, for there

half

was

a dim

light a sort of semi-blue, semi-dull red, misty radt

and dimly.

ance, just sufficient to enable us to distinguish objects vaguely,

indistinct

WHERE
"
'

DID THEY GO TO?

205

Stir not
;

not P said the thick, husky voice of fear

Vatterale

and before

we

could reply, a scene commenced,

such as "
* '

it

hath seldom

fallen to

man's

lot to witness.

Allow me
first let

explain a modern mystery/ said Vatterale, to

but

me remove

your

fears.

Look

he spoken these words, than the room "Scarcely had

was suddenly

illuminated,

as if

the very air

was aglow

with the most

quite plainly.

brilliant light,

and we saw the two bottles

these, there

As we gazed upon

came from one

enormous serpent, which proceeded to the appearance of an

thrice exceeded that of both the coil itself up, until its bulk
bottles.
less

Then there came

still

another,

and another, until no

in a loathsome pile
bottle, the first
;

than

"twelve lay there, coiled

last

up

but as the
entered the

one emerged from one

one

other, until all

had disappeared as they had come.

trust your
/

uiI

will

now show you that yon cannot always

'

own

senses/ said Yatterale,

nor account for what you see

the basket, and broke the botand he straightway emptied

tles.

All three were empty

1

Not a

sign of snake or scor-

pion was there

11
'

Again, I

will

show yon a curious

thing.

You

will

her on one of those chairs, and bid please call a servant, seat

hold a skein of silk while her on a wager

it is
all.

being wound

merely to keep her

attention that
'

is

But/ and he
beg you

spoke very earnestly,

will

whatever you

see or hear, I

not utter a single word/

;

" This was assented to not

till

a skein of silk

was ordered, but

gaslight had displaced the the

other.

206
"
l

RAV ALETTE.
It
will

be just seventeen minutes before the

;
'

girl is

ready/ said Mai

fallacy.

and while waiting, I

will

demonstrate a
real,

The

creatures

you have beheld to night are

Will-creations,

but ephemeral

they are

and perish when the

power

ceases to act

which called them into being.

As
room

proof

of what I say, Behold V

"

From

the floor in the eastern corner of the

there

straightway begun to arise a light mist, which increased in

bulk until a ball of vapor, three feet in diameter, floated in the
air.

Thus

it

remained for a minute

and then, right

its

be-

fore our eyes,

began to condense and change

it

shape, until

at the end of four minutes,

had assumed a human sem!

blance

but, Heavens
first it

what a caricature
outline,

"

At

was a mere vapory

but

it

rapidly con-

densed and consolidated, until what looked like a hideous

half-naked, bow-legged, splay-footed monster
us.

stood before

Its height

was

less

than three feet

;

its

chest and body

were nearly that in width

long
;

its

legs

were not over eight inches

its

its

arms were longer than

j

entire

body

its

head

was gigantic
horrible

had no neck whatever, while from its head there hung to the very ground the appearance
it

and

of a tangled mass of wire-like worms.

ful-looking red gash, extending to

Its

mouth was a

fear-

where ears should have

been, but were not.

Eyes, nose, cheeks, chin, lips or fore-

head, there were none whatever

Do
;

not imagine that

this

creature

was merely an appearance

five

it

was

not, for although

born of vapor, in
strating the fact

minutes

it

beoame

solid as iron,

demon-

by stalking heavily across the

floor riffht

WHAT MAKES THE RAPPINGS

centre of the open space between into the

207
chains be-

usthe

ing dropped as

it

approached where
if its

it

stood, slowly sway-

ing to and fro, as

heart

was heavy.

"

'

Show your

quality/ said

Mai

to the thing.

'
'

I will/

it

hissed,

straightway proceeding toward a and

table, it stood
it

by

it

a few minutes, and

it

became apparent that

itself,

was

charging the wood with something from

table began to turn, to
air, precisely as
is

for

soon the

tip,

to move, to

rise

and

float in the

done in

spiritual circles.

"
if

'

Now,

gentlemen, you will please act just as ladies and

that before you was a

human

spirit, invisible

to you,

and
be

desirous of imparting information.

surprised at the results.

I dare say

you

will

You

see already that

test its
is

it is

a capital

table-mover, and I beg you to

mental and physical

nothing to
fear,

powers also

for

I assure you there

now
quite

that I give you leave to break the silence

which was
if it

essential in the first part of the curious experiment.'

" Thus assured, several of us asked the thing to show us

what it could
to write.

do.

Whereupon

it

made motions as

wanted

Paper and

pencil being placed

upon the
and

table, it
its

seized the pencil with its long claw-like fingers,

hand
it fin-

over the page like lightning, and in ten seconds flew

ished,

and

striking the
it

table three heavy blows with

;

its fist,

signified that

had

finished

whereupon Mr.

reached

for the sheet,

and read therefrom one of the most tender mes-

sages conceivable, from a dead mother to a living son.

Even
;

the hand writing was a perfect fac-smile of his mother's

the

name

Lucywas

correct,

and certain dear and peculiar

RAVAXETTE.
808
used by her phrases,
cision

when

alive,

given with minute were

and
'

fidelity

as, for

instance,

mine/ in
turned pale. r
'

stead of

my

nn p sweet one.
+

Mr Dml. s

Is

been so imposed possible I have the modern tha, follower of was a devont he for he

horribly deee.ved upon-so

maturgy
Several farther
equally successful tests,

and

decisive,

given by this were then phantom hands, production of beautiful rapping, and the ping which were not only objects, many of other
faces flowers,

both by writing, taghostly thing,

and

of persons have Probably thousands sin-ukr but magnificent. & mediums/ and executed by curious pencil drawings,
'

the

which are said to

be portraits of

'

Spiritual flowers'

for

nothing growing on certainly they resemble

this earth

there at the table, minutes the horrible thing in less than five and they would executed thirteen such the eyeless monster,
splendid specimens of pass current as

'

Magic

art/

Now/

said Vatterale,

'

for
:
'

something

else.'

And

then

addressing the thing, he said

self viewless,

You

will

now

render yourus have

:
'

and show what you can do.

And

first let

some

music.'

to the company, he said Then turning

Real

act most the light, but such as that invariably spirits love advantage of in the dark for then they have the efficiently
the elements condensed
vestiture
stances,

upon

their forms

a semi-material

in-

material suband can come in direct contact with

in

which,

the

case of real spirits, is

exceedingly

difficult of

accomplishment.

" During this speech, our attention

from the was diverted

how
incarnated
that the entire

music "spiritual"

is

made.

209

the

for it

must not be forgotten

this

phenomena exhibited by

wondrous

per-

creatures of his conscious will, brought into sonage, were the

out by a thought, and according to a being and again cast

known and transferable formula.

True, there were others in

whom

faculty existed, but then such persons this creative

the power involuntarily through the mechaneither exercised

ical processes

of

mind and

will,

or

they are but the

the

L
Mai

When
io-ht.

he ceased speaking

but not from our hearin

for

gently waved his hand, and as he did

us the softest, gentlest, sweetest, and the most soul-stirring

strains of music that ever fell

on human hearing.
there, close at hand,

Above,
and then
is,

below, around,
afar
off, it

now

here,
;

now

sounded

and the only comparison I can make

that

it

sounded

like

a solemn requiem chaunted by angels

perished form of what

god

the

tones

were

pathetic, so solemn, so supremely sorrow-freighted

reminding one of the plaintive

"
'

Hulim, meleagar malooshe,

Huhm
only that
it

meleagar, ma-looshe,'

was

ten-fold

more profound, and

stirred depths

the other could never reach.

" This strange music was a perfect corroboration of the

advanced by the Italian Count at the seance before theory

Napoleon, already mentioned
;

for,

allowing that the being

existence,
it

who made

it

was a

real

and independent

was

210

RAV ALETTE.
it,

for such conceptions to exist in impossible

for the reason

mighty soul could create them, and the that none but a
thing
itself

was exceedingly, revoltingly low in the scale of

But, on the other hand,
it

organization.

if

the thing were the

it

creature of Mai's will,

was conceivable that

vocally ex*

pressed his unuttered thought, itself totally unconscious of

either the music or its

meaning.

" It ceased.
that Count de

It

still

remained

invisible,

and Mai proposed

should hold one end of an accordion,

while the thing invisibly held

and played upon the

other.

This was assented to, and the instrument, bottom up, was held
at arm's length, directly beneath the light.
in masterly style, while in that position.

It

was played

on,

It,

as well as a

guitar, harp

and piano, were played on when no one was near

;

them, and nothing to be seen

and then, at the command

of the arch-magician, the whole performance

the terrific thing in its perfectly visible form.

was repeated by

" Presently, a knock at the door told us that the servant

sent for

had

arrived, with the silk in her hand.

She was ad-

mitted

the thing retired from view.

is

"' Marie,' said the Baron, 'a wager

these gentlemen cannot
to hold, both of

laid that one of

unwind a skein of
I

silk

which you are

it

you being blindfolded.

you
shall

wager that

can

be done.

If I win,

have three days to

visit

your

family, besides something to carry to the old people

little
is

and the
silk

ones.

Now, you must

;

not laugh or speak while the

I lose.
'

being

wound

if

you do

Will you try

?'

"

'

Certainly,' replied the girl

and you

shall see that I

^ cuuious" scena! A
papa, maman, I Oh,
it is

211
have three days

gh

shall

Mm Dim Mmt
<

fine

thing V

taking the seat And,

across her wrists, the silk to be placed offered, she suffered

by the Baroness. and be blindfolded been done, Mr. D This having

the end of the cord, Yatterale, took

at

a sign from

and began slowly

wind

And now
the thing

Htter, speaking toward be<rin,' said the

had disappeared.
touched the

The command was heard.

It

came

forth,

girl's

and instantly she was hand,

thrown

into a profound trance,

whence another touch revived

Instead of
this,

not to wakeful consciousness. her, but

rose,

she

threw down the

in succession,

silk,

approached several musical instruexquisitely.

ments

and played upon them most

touched her head, and she made love in the most The thing
terms to three gentlemen in succession, declaring to tender
each
in

turn that he was her

'

eternal affinity/

and had been

so from the foundation of the world.

"

Again

it

touched her

and, suddenly changing her man-

ner, she

declaimed in lofty strain.

Now

she
;

was Charlotte
again, she

Corday, then Maximillian the Incorruptible

the
she

was

Maid

of Orleans, and then a simple Indian maiden.

;

Now

was Malibran, and sung divinely

anon, she was a strong-

minded woman, and talked about the Divine creative work of

woman

about lovethat man had made

it

it

special

when

it

should be general, and, therefore, free.

Bible, called

She raved about the

called the Saviour the

excellent

Doctrine

Nazarene

spoke of the Deity as the

Grand

Electric

Mind

'

212

RAVALETTE.

declared she could look through a solid

she comprehended

all

the

mysteries

Dodona
were certainly

Delos
ities
;

that she

knew

the exact nature of electric affinaffinities

that magnetic

and elective

and what
but
little.

amounted
for at least

The scene continued

two hours
thino-,
all

at the
r

end of which time Mai dismissed the ed the girl, who was totally oblivious of

and

that had

She received sundry pieces of gold from those present, and left the room, doubtless desiring to

unwind

more

silk at the

same

rate.

'I will
<

now show you someLook

!

thing equally curious,' said Mai,

interesting as anything

and, perhaps, quite as

you have yet beheld.

"

We did so.
now arose,

Simultaneously, and from all parts of the room,

as from the floor, innumerable

ihere

minute globules

of various-colored fire-red, green, blue, purple, scarlet, gold silver, crimson, white and leap
flashing, dancin

and

frisking about, as if

endowed with sensuous, joyous gaiety

Apparently, there were thousands of them, all moving in dis order through the air, now lighting on the picture-frames suspended from the collecting in great masses in front of the splendid and gliding along the floor, under our seats, through our feet, over the chairs, and about the earpet, as if fa the very wantonness of sport, their every mot.on being accompanied by a hissing sound, fa kind. though not in like that emitted by ascending rocket as it rushes through the Presently, they formed themsel into crowns, just such as
<

I had^eTyelrs

Zove

A RECOGNITION.
in that

213

same

Paris, float over

and crown Napoleon at the

behest of an Italian Count.

In an instant I associated the

two circumstances, and, turning to the magician, was about

to speak, when, as
if

divining

my

purpose, he nodded to

me

and said aloud

"
'

I told you

we should meet again

Accept the present

Be patient this
you at your
.

night must pass.

hotel,

I left for

and do not forget that we

silent as before, while

shall meet

again

and he

became

the

knew

what

to

make

of this

ipt,

and apparently

speech.

" I had solved one problem.

Yatterale and the Count

and the same person

other

but who and what were the

? a

Miakus and Ravalette

fiery

" The

crowns concluded the exhibition, and at

hour the company separated, and each sought

his pillow

CHAPTER

VI.

ARRIVAL OP THE EDITOR.

Too
excited to sleep, I threw myself

upon the sofa and

turned the strange series of events

things were absolutely

my mind
1st,

Two

nay, thr

That neither

Ravalette, Vatterale, nor the Italian Count, were men other men 2d, that not one of the ; company suspected
fact
;

this

and 3d, that myself was the object,

rdinary visitations,
ain
crisis,

sole

and

alone, of
all

these
these,

Above

and beyond

that

my

destiny

mg

pidly approachthe

gend), as

and that the Stranger (mentioned Dhoul Bel, were still

I could
lot divine

influencing
their
full

me

for

purposes

which

to

I had already
five

extent.

become

Rosicrucian,
the
Orient,

had passed through

deg:

had

visited

go aS am, had learned many dark

and was about to and solemn mysteries

.,

to rile,..

L ri::, himself nm
,

n s of precions : terrible oath

,

** -
his

magic mirrors, and now ""iiuia nun &

d eePly

KgM
me

Whereby the true Rosi <cian binds

" -

the

pnee of the exercise of

power, prevented

DESPONDENCY.
from availing myself of
altar of
its

215
I

advantages.

knew

that on the

knowledge I had
I

sacrificed all the deeper interests of

my nature.
never

knew that my heart yearned

for

woman's love
but

that she held one portion of

filled it

my

soul captive at times,

that there was a

all

possibility of escaping

what
in
re-

I dreaded, could I

meet and mingle with a certain soul

;

whose body ran no drop of Adamic blood

solved to abandon

and I almost

hope, perform the part required of

me

by

my

tempters of Belleville, the Tuilleries, and Boston,

when

suddenly I remembered the paper that Ravalette had placed

in

my hand,

as also the present left for

me by Yatterale,
them
till

but,

resolving to omit all care concerning

morning, at

length I succeeded in falling into an uneasy slumber, from

which

awoke

late

on the following morning to

find that you,

my

dear friend [the Editor], had just arrived from Alexan-

dria,

and had called upon me."

CHAPTER TIL
THE GRAND SECRET?
It

now

devolves upon the Editor of these pages

plete the narrative of Beverly, his friend.

I had inst reached

Par

fr

Marseilles,

where I had

arrived a few days before,

dria.

On

by way of Malta, from Alexanreaching Paris it was my intention to rest but

one

night there, and then pursue

my way

via Rouen, in

JSTor-

maudy, to Dieppe and England, and thence home' to America. Like all other travellers, I desired to spend a week
Paris, but business prevented, consequently
tious to

made

prepara"

leave the famous

city

on the day following

my

we
e
.

but I resigned myself to this necessity with all the fortitude, for the reason that by so doing I should be able to retain the company of very pleasant gentleman, whose society I had enjoyed Uy from Cairo, where
first
.

Paris,
.,
,

op

-he
o

the Utter place, continne to enjoy a.l the ...tended to start just so soon as he

and which I might, by making no

way

who, for abont three years had been receiving her e Mu * cation

hie

m par s
i

and

whom

home

about to conduct to

his

"ewly-purchased one in
of Mr. I

New York
his

history

Hokeis and

adventu

as

m
related to

hokeis.

217

me on our

journey, are so well worth repeating

that I shall give a short abstract, even at the risk of enlarging

this chapter.

" I was born," said he, " on the banks of the Caspian Sea, of the family of Hokeis

a sacred
for

family, in whom

was invested
devolved the
the
fire

the highest order of Priesthood, and on

care of the sacred
fire,

whom

we were Guebres, and

it

must never be extinguished, nor had

records, for

been,

so say our

many thousand
Rome,

years, for Religion with us is

quite a different thing from

what

it is

among

the

men

of

Islam, India,

or the West.
its

We pride

ourselves

upon
pro-

the purity of our faith, and

fessed

superiority to all that

is

by the children of Adam, quite as much as we do our

Pedigree from Ish, the great founder of our race and a powerful

pre-Adamite king and conqueror."

I cannot

now

afford time to repeat the arguments

by which

Im Hokeis

demonstrated the startling proposition that there

were other people living on earth besides those

who

claimed

Adam as their founder. All He said that he was destined

the Faith, and had married a the early age of seventeen.
ordained,

this

may be found

elsewhere.*
priest of

from birth to be chief

woman of his

tribe

and rank, at

Near the time he was about being

their

war had broken out between the Guebres and

Persian tyrants.

Himself and wife were captured, taken to

Herat, and there condemned to lose their eyes, from which

I

* The argument proving the existence of the

anterior to the date of

human

race thousands

Adam, may be found

in " Pre-Adamite

Man."

10

21

RA\ vLETTE
were rescued by a they

b rrible

fat

member of

the British
years,

Embuq

with

whom

tin

remain.

for nearly three

language. had mad red the En by which time they the minister, Hokeis had the good ^\ le in the service of
fortune to save h
lif*

in

coi

nience of which a friend hip

gprun
r

up
I
t

them so strong, that when the Embassy

Quel
1

Britain the tl
r

went with

it,

Arrived

in

melon, Hokei
,n

iv

an appointment us interpreter,
aft

minted mea
with
Pers
i,

which he entered into a

nine

dire
ai

tn
hi

and although, during the

I

he wi
n,

ga
it

thei

in,

heaven had not sent

him any

childi

yet

had blessed him with abounding

ilth.

At

length,
r

in

tii

}
it

ar of th

ir

married
thai

lif

their pra;

was an

Ted, and

became
did,

ndent

God
<r i

was

al

>u1

nd them a child.

He

and a beautiful

r1

was born, but the

ho

of her mother were closed in death

moment
',

first

the light

One
w.n

he nurse,
lgtl

who was a
und the

relative of Hokeis'
Iks of

wife,

wl

hild ar

Hampstead Heath,

wandered within the precincts of a gipsy encampit,

and the
t

girl

was persuaded to have her own and the

child'

une
:

told.

The complexion and

on
their nationality,

features of tin

twain

to remarks

and by

skillful

manceuverir
bef

the gipsy
re

woman

ascertained that the couple

her

Guebres by

birth,

and had been by

religion.

The

mnmmc

j over and the fee paid, the girl

went home

with her charge.

They were followed, and on that ven

THE STOLEN CHILD?

night, while the nurse slept, the child

219
stolen.

was

Search

was made

for

the gang of gipsies

the abduction having

left

been clearly traced to them,

by reason of a note

behind

by

the robber, stating that the child

in vain, for

would be well cared for

but

on the very next day the whole gang,

sailed in

thirty in number,

had

a packet from the London

Docks, for America.

Many
father

years rolled by,

in the

when one

day, as the disconsolate

was walking

garden of the same house whence

the child was stolen, he was accosted by an old beldame,

who asked him what he would pay

formation respecting his child.
successive steps taken.

in gold in return for in-

It

is

needless to narrate the

Suffice it that

within twenty-four

hours the father and the gipsy were on the ocean, going as
fast as
.

steam would carry them toward the Western World.

child,

The

now a

regal

woman, was found, and father

for a time in
;

and daughter lived with each other

where a
fine

New

York,

property had been bought

for the old gentle-

man

so liked the
life,

New World

that he determined to settle

there for
in

after his daughter

had been properly cultured

Europe, whither he soon took her, and then, after trans-

mitting the bulk of his fortune to America, went on a final

visit

to his people in Persia, his friends

and

co-religionists in

the East.
his return

I had met with him as already stated,

when on

from Egypt to France.

This brings us to the night of

my

arrival in Paris.

It

being impossible to join his child that night, Hokeis and


V*.

220

RAVALETTE.

Royale, and were at hotel in the Palaise myself drove to a a person who was of a supper, when end
the satisfactory
totally

unknown

the salle a manger, either of us entered to

>
:

us both, said "Salute! profound obeisance to and, making a will not quit Paris you, Im Hokeis, that you I come to tell

you will take your But at the hour of four to-morrow. one on the left ascendto the house that is last but daughter
ing the
tions,

de Luxembourg. You Boulevart

will ask

me no

ques-

but will obey.

My

I thus give you," and he authority

Hokeis, that caused the whispered three words in the ear of

latter to start as
secret
if

he had been

shot.
!

He had

received the

countersign of the priests of fire

Then turning

to me,

he

said,

"You

will

go

early in the

morning to the Hotel

;

Fleury.

There you

will find

Beverly, your friend, join him

for

where he goes, and quit him not go

next two days
his salvation depends
the

an instant for the

it !

upon

Now

I go.

Forget not the words of

I was thunderstruck. night before
conceived.

Stranger."

Hokeis and I talked much that

we

slept.

What we

spoke of

is

easily to

be

This brings
fortunes

me

to

my

next meeting with Beverly, whose

we

will

now

follow.

It will be

remembered that Ravalette had given him a

paper just before they parted in Belleville, and that Vatterale

had also

left

something for him at his hotel.

Bearing

this in

mind, observe what followed.

In a bold, strong hand was written these words in the note

HOUSE ON THE BO*LEVART. THE

221

Beverly when they parted placed by Ravalette in the hands of when you are ready toBelleville " When yon need me
in

become one of

uswhen

you have given up

all

hope of ever

probing the mystery of

seek

my

existence and your

left

ownthen

me

in the house that is

last but one on the

ascending th&

Boulevart de Luxembourg.

Ravalette."
The circumstance
prudence forbade
quite glad of this

by

almost in the very words given The identical direction, and to Hokeis, in the hotel of the the mysterious personage

Palais

Royale on

the previous night.

made a great impression on

all

mention of

it

to

my mind, but He seemed Beverly.

solving the strange riddle, and, to opportunity of

delight,

my

great

begged and

insisted that I should

spend the day with

to-

him, and in

we would investigate the subject the evening

in this affair

gether

and that I readily consented,

may be easily imagined.

were several motives prompting me There

osity,

curi-

a vague hope of baffling what Beverly friendship, and

regarded as his doom.

has here been
vinced

Those who have read carefully what

written, will

remember that Beverly had conin the strange legend, regard-

me

that there

was more

the princess, the riddle, the murder, and the curse ing the king,

and

its fulfillment,

than the majority of people would be

will-

ing to concede.

In short, I was decidedly inclined to believe

Bel and the other doomed one, but I had no faith in Dhoula

whatever

either Miakus, Ravalette, the Italian Count, or in

Yatterale.

I did not believe all these

names belonged to one

the following theory,
in existence a society,

person, and I finally settled

down on

point by point

1st,

That there was

222
having; its

RAV ALETTE.
head-quarters in Paris,

members of which the

lecromancj, in which they
2d,

practisers of Oriental

ma

and

astonishingly expert were most

That the organization

>

had

for its object,

not the

attai]

ent of wealth or political

the absolute rule of the but abstract knowledge, and position,

world through the action and

influence of the brotherhood

upon the crowned heads and

this association

officials

of the world.

3d,

That

by a master-mind, and that was governed

4th,

mind was Ravalette's.

That

this society

had cultivated
the world be-

mesmerism to a degree unapproachable by

sides

all

they had exhausted ordinary clairvoyance, and That

eagerly sought a

brain

which would admit of the most

thorough magnetization, and whose natural tendency was to-

ward the

mystical,

transcendental

and weird, yet strong, and ambitious

;

strong-willed, logical, emulative, daring

that, to discover such,

and
four

their agents
;

had traversed

all

continents of the globe

and that

finally

they had heard of

;

Beverly, whose fame as a seer

was world-wide

that they

had

found him, and, beyond doubt, had learned the strange particulars of his
life,

the legend,

and

his hope.

They had seen

him, and at once decided that, under their wonderful manipulation,

he could be placed in a magnetic slumber

is

many degrees
and
l

more profound than

possible in one case in five millions,

reach a degree of mental lucidity and psycho-vision that would

not only surpass
direction,
all

that the earth had yet witnessed in that

from Budha, Confucius, Zoroaster, and the Oracles

of Greece,
since

down

to the

days of

Boehme and
really

the Swede,

when there has been no clairvoyant

worthy of the

A THEORY DEMOLISHED.
name.
True, there were
semi-lucicfes in

223
abundance, but

capable of reading or noting mathese either were only best, repeating the thoughts of terial objects, and, at
giving the contents of books as original other men, or
matter, heaven-derived

as very much of the matter

celestial truth

at-

tempted

to be foisted

on the world as

by

natural-born ninnies in these

testably
is.

modern

clays

most ineon-

True, there are some sands of gold capa-

ble of being sifted from the heap of ashes, but they are

They knew that unless Beverly's will accorded with their desire, it would be useless to attempt to gain their ends through him
indeed both rare and scarce.
5th,

and

hence
magic
in

all

their

efforts

by playing the

shining

bait of

for the

purpose of inducing him to consent to

anything

order to gain their power.

Hence,

too, their gift

of the secrets of the

Magic Mirror, the

Elixir of Life, of

Youth,

of Love, and a score of others equally curious

to the student of the soul.
6th,

and invaluable

It

was

clear that, while

these

men knew much

full

of the Rosicrucian system, they were

not in

harmony or accord with that brotherhood.

it

Thus I reasoned, and

in the

was easy

to account for the scenes

Boston

office

and at Beverly's home

the apparent

immunity Miakus enjoyed from the

effects of the fire,

which

burnt the chair but not his thigh, I accounted for on the

ground that chemistry helped him,

kings " beside.

as- it

had a score of "

fire-

Thus

far,

felt

that

my
;

theory covered the whole ground

of this clever fraternity

but when

recurred to the scenes

witnessed by no less than eighteen people at the house of the

224
Baron, I

BAVALETTF.
confess, candidly, that

it

utterly failed.

Still,

totally rejected all

supernaturalism as connected with the

attributing the whole to expert trickery, I deteraffair, and,

mined
and

lay a trap to catch the performers in the very act, to

flattered myself that it

I'll

would be
!"

successful.

"

Ho

ho

Mr. Yatterale,

show you

I exclaimed, as I shook

Beverly's hand, and leaving him, to bathe, dress, and breakfast alone, I hurried out,

ostensibly to

go to the

post-office,

but, in reality, to visit the head-quarters of the Paris Police,

which I

did,

and,

when

there, briefly

but clearly stated

in the

my

belief that a friend of

mine was being victimized

man-

ner stated
ear,

to all of which the chief official lent an attentive

caused

my proces

verbal to be recorded, directed

me how
and proi

to proceed so as not to alarm the suspected parties,

mised to have a posse on hand very close to the house on the

Boulevart de Luxembourg by the hour named.

On my way
Hokeis was

back to the Hotel Fleury, I dropped

in to see if

home, but found only a note, informing

to Versailles after his daughter.

me

that he had gone

I rejoined Beverly.

CHAPTER

VIII

DE LUXEMBOURG THE BOULEVART

the hour to arrive, as I was for Impatient still more solved, yet Beverly might be forever doubts ardently for the ever wished more condemned man
so
in which
all

my

No

moment when, by

or the glaive, the the halter

grand

which he

him, than did my revealed to hould be worst for him. the best or the should know

friend for that

us within a stone's Three o'clock found and the three as the rendezvous, designated " Appartements a k front of it with told at meubles Cabinets and bres garni,"

throw of the house

four
little

C hamthat
it

where a person middle-class establishments of those for a whole lifetime, and live undisturbed might hire rooms
rent was duly provided the
paid.

paved court of this Into the square, was made, the the least inquiry before
saluted us respectfully, his crib,

house we entered, and

concierge

came out of
are two of

and

said

You
him

expected her the gentlemen Please ascend second floor

the occupant of the day by

You

will find

in the first

room
and

hobbled back to hie and the old fellow the left," at the heel of a shoe began pegging away
instantly

which he was engaged

tered the court

healing and heelin b

10*

925

226
Following
his

RAVALETTE.
directions,

we ascended a broad, winding

stairway of stone, and found ourselves on a landing.

this landing

Prom

one stairway ascended, and another led to the

court below.
door,

At

the further end, but on the side, was a

and at the hither end another.

The house

itself

stood

quite isolated from all others,

it it

and the windows of the rooms,

was

clear,

must overlook the boulevart and a lane crossing

at right angles.

We

entered the

first

door,

and found

ourselves in a very plainly-furnished, large, square room, hav-

ing two windows at the end,

two more on the

side,

a cup-

board, recess, and two large folding doors, both standing

wide open, so that, finding no person in the

passed through them into the second, but
still

first

room,

we

failed to see or

even hear the least indication that their occupant was any-

where around.
for

I was glad of

this, for

it

gave opportunity
calling the

an examination of the

concierge, I

asked him the name, occupation, and period of

to

occupancy of his second-floor tenant,

readily responded,

which he

very

saying
;

foreign

scholar

named Elarettav

that he was wealthy, had lived

little

there five years, and

saw very

company, never dined or

eat in the house, and in short was a very fine man, indeed

he paid two louis a month for porter's fees

left,

The

concierge
floor

and I carefully remarked the place, and found the

ling

and

of

as are all
filled

French houses.

he

cupboard was low, narrow, and

glasses, far

with wine bottles and

more

like

a student's quarters than a grave phiif,

losopher's like Ravalette,

indeed, that personage

was the

ELARETTAV

IS

RAVALETTE.

227
The
recess

as Elarettav by the porte described

was

nothing but a cot bedstead small and simple, and contained concluded that there was and its appropriate furniture. I

no preparation for magic,

notion passed through

if

any was intended, and

my

mind, the clock struck four, and

we heard

the footsteps of a

man

in the other room, notwith.

the door was not seen to open standing

We

went to that

other room. and. "Ravalette. as I

and, sure

live !"

exclaimed Beverly:

stood

gentleman as I had heard described.

You

have sought, and you have found

me

I hope yoi
:

the finding," said he to Beverly

sir,

" and you

have done well to

in

friend," addressing
all

me

a tone slightly insulting, and

slight.

the

more
relish

so from

being

It

was evident that he did not

my

pre-

sence in the least, and as for

me

I had no sooner set eyes on

my man
earth

than I

felt

assured of the truth of

my

theory, and

that I stood in presence of one of the ablest intellects on

man

capable of

all

that had been attributed to

his goal
it

him, and one

at
all

who would reach

if in

and carry

his point
sail

hazards, even

doing so
I

were necessary to
flatter

through seas of human blood

ability to

myself

on

my

measure men and to circumvent deliberate

villainy,

and no sooner had I heard the tones of Ravalette's and seen the clear-cut
suspected some sort of foul play

voice,

of his face, than I

was on the

tapis,

and which

I determined to thwart, even

if

I had to give him the solid

Colt's

contents of a couple of Derringers and a

revolver

228

RAVALETTE.

myself with before care to provide which I had taken den of unscrupulous might have been the what
tiffing into

wretches, for anght I

knew

to the contrary.

It

may be

that

Ravalette read
but said

my

certainly looked uneasy, thoughts, for he

nothing, for at that

moment

the concierge threw

" Monsieur Hokeis et fille? and open the door and announced daughter the most volupcompanion and his

my

travelling

tuous and glorious looking

woman

that I

had ever beheld

in

glowing beauties of Beyrout not even excepting the any land,

or

Stamboul entered

the room.

effect

them, and did not Ravalette seemed to have been expecting but uninvited pi appear at all surprised at their daughter, the very moment they Hokeis and his

upon

beheld his face, was

electrical, yet totally dissimilar, perfectly

himself upon his knees before for Hokeis instantly threw and folded his hands in an attitude Ravalette, bent his head,
half supplicatory, half adoring,

and said

Oh

genius of the Fire and the dread

Flame

do I

thee here

Alas

am
I

wretched man, but thou art pow a

erful and will forgive

My
in

defection

was not

my

choice,

but that of accident, and

the religion of Isauvi have I

ever in thy temples or the temples of found more peace than

Astarte

1"

My

brain fairly reeled beneath the tremendous rush of

emotions, conflicting as a whirlwind, excited

by

this extraor-

dinary scene

while,

as

for Beverly,

his

face

was

like

an

ashen cloth, his limbs were like an aspen.

The next moment

these

emotions underwent an entire

STRANGE RECEPTION. A

229

_ ice of her

have taken the appeared not to the woman, who for went straight np father's action or speech,

npon his shoulder, her jewelled hand Ravalette, placed would wither and the eye, as if she ht in him looked & but clear and and in a voice low, glance, crush him Art going again ! " And so, thou fiend, we meet said
deep,
:

to essay to set

more

of thy tricks

and magic

spells ?

Art
?

goin^

more

snares for the daughter

of Im Hokeis

Wretch

thou art foiled again

What,

tell

me, what

thou fiend of

thou gain by persecuting Darkness, couldst

me

my loneliness? What matter whom' as you weddedto 'no

I was

thou gain by seeing wouldst

said

me

long as me,
asleep

wedded?

Why

have

you haunted

and awake, tempting, driving

me toward a marriage?
not answer.

What
I
will

hadst thou to gain

You do

Well

answer for you

remember a day, long years ago, when I w Do you salt sea, that you came to an old child, beyond the great
"

door and craved shelter for the night man's

Well, I do. shared his

fire,

You

were received by the generous Indian.

You

table, his pipe,

and

his cider.

Then, as you sat by the

tell

vou noticed me, and must needs

my

fortune.

You

did

and truly

You

said that in one

month from that day I

meet a sad-hearted youth, weary, weeping, miserable, should

lonely
easily
;

that he would engage

my
us,

heart,
;

and that

would
so,

be led to love and wed him

but that if I did

black clouds would lower over

and that our morn of love

would bring a noon of

dislike,

an evening of sorrow, and a

'

230
night of crim

KAVALETTE.
death

onion with any other

life

man would

bring

all

that could render

desirable.

I believed you, for a hundred things that you

to pass.

foretold

came
;

At

length, three

weeks of the month

in it I

elapsed

and one night I had a dream, and

saw you,
beheld.

and the young man,

whom

in the
all

body I had never yet

In that dream you repeated

that you had said before

and then you disappeared

*

but your hateful presence had no

sooner quit

me than

there

came a glorious

being, robed in
not,

majesty and beauty,

this
love,

who bade me heed you

but to love
to
:

poor creature whose shadow was then before

but not confess
if I
it
till

the proper time should come

that
that
fate

wedded another than him I might be happy, but

if

I married him I would redeem a soul from a terrible

He

bade

me

resist you,

and

the youth
he.
"o

cheer up his heart, and tell him not to despair, for

be

happy

yet.

He

also

but she had

say

other word, for Beverly rushed forward, pushed Ravalette

away, seized the woman's hand, kissed

"
(i
'

it,

and exclaimed

Evlambea
Beverly
in
!'

;
1

And
arms.
It

an instant they were locked in each

other's

was indeed the friend of long-gone years, and yet I had

not even suspected this fact, even after hearing the story of

Im Hokeis and

the gipsy adventure

I felt that this

drama was getting deeper every

minute,

but had not time to think of one half of what was occurring

THE DEAMA
ere the door

INTENSIFIES.

231

was

<

pened by no

less

a personage than the

of the garde de

Commissary of

Police,

followed by

I saw that the stairs and laudwhile, through the open door,

ing were literally

crowded with gens alarms.

getting very serious.
:

The drama was

Ravalette stood unmoved, and smiled, saying

Your

trouble is in vain,

monsieur

You

are not

wanted

immediately return whither you came, while here, and will

monsieur here,
main.

who engaged you

to come,

is

at liberty to re-

This cool speech disconcerted the

replied
:

official

little,

but he
it

"It

is

my

duty to protect

all

who demand

for

themselves or others."
" True
;

but in

this case

no act has been committed or

designed that could in the least afford just ground for such

a demand.

Still,

as

you are

here,

why

here

you may
remarks.

remain until you are

satisfied of

the truth of

my

Pray be

seated."
' '

The term

intensely dramatic "

would not begin to give an

this particular junc-

adequate notion of the "situation" at

ture of affairs. ease

The only person who was completely at

was Ravalette.

As

for Hokeis, the brush of

Michael
justice

Angelo and Raphael combined could not have done

to his portrait, nor have limned one-hundredth part of the

intense

and overwhelming astonishment and horror depicted

countenance at what he beheld and heard.

on

his

No

two

persons looked at the affair in the same light, nor regarded

the

Enigma from

the same point of view, neither did they

232
comprehend

RAVALETTE.
each other, but all

were comprehended by the

great master before them.

unpleasant silence reigned, which was at For a while an

th

much

to

my

surprise,

broken by

my

Rosier

who, looking Ravalette straight in the eye friend Beverly,

said
:

"

Whoever you

are, I forgive

you

for the attempt to prethis

;

vent myself, a son of

Adam, wedding with

woman, Ev-

lambea, the Bright-shining Daughter of Ish

for persecuting her

I forgive you

toward a marriage with another, which

marriage must have doomed

shrunk from
;

me
all

to a fate I have for centuries

I forgive

you

the

woe you have caused me,

because gratitude for what you have done forme exacts this;

and because I suspect your agent saved

tort burst in Boston,

my

life

when the

re-

when
fire.

was repeating La Briere's

ex-

periment with white

Through you, or such as you, I

.

have learned priceless secrets

rors I

The mystery of Magic Mir-

am

grateful for being taught.

The

secret of ages

the art of

making the Elixir of

never

Life,

whereof whosoever

shall drink shall

know

decay, but so long as once a

year he shall quaff thereof,

inexpressibly thankful for.

may

enjoy perpetual

youth I am
when min;

I shall never use this secret for

that purpose, but five of the seven ingredients,

gled, constitute

what chemistry has sought

in vain

and

be-

queathing this portion of the formulae to

my

friend,

and
few

through him to the medical world, I shall atone for

faults

my

by giving

life

to thousands.

" Freely, without force or compulsion, I solemnly promise

"PIERRE, CALL THE GUARD

!"

233
it

to sleep the sleep of Sialam before I quit this house, and in

will truly

answer you

all

may be

able to, on condition that

you previously clear up the mystery surrounding yourself

thus voluntarily giving you what an age of fraud would not
enable you to obtain, you
first

solemnly promising, by

Him

by whose

will

you

exist,

be you

man

or demon, not to influ-

ence me, either

now

or

when

I shall slumber."

A gleam

of sudden joy flashed from the eyes of the strange

us.

being before

He

looked like a bridegroom in the fullness

of his joy, and clasping both hands

hands

upon
it

pale, thin, bluish-white

:

his breast,
!

he looked up and said

" So be

I solemnly

bind myself, by the most terrible

all

oath conceivable, that I accept

your conditions."

Then going
thence

to the recess mentioned before, he brought

little

taller

than a man. and

about four

feet in diameter.

This he requested the

Comit

missary of Police to examine,

who

did

so,

and declared

to

be nothing but a
"
as
it

common
I

bedside screen.

You
is,

are right

it is

nothing but a bedside screen.

it

Such

however, I request you to select for

any spot you

I shall

choose upon the stone floor of either of these rooms.

want to go behind

it

and that you may not harbor a

thought of an intended evasion on

my

part, I request that

you
shoot

call

your
if

men

into the

me

I attempt to

room and give them orders to pass them I"

!

" Just as you please, monsieur

Pierre, call the guard."

In obedience to this summons, the corps de

into the room, twenty-seven strong,

rde

filed

and as soon as the

last

234
ed.
,.
1

R\\ vLElTR
ft m, sajing,
i

th

ffi

idr sseil

he pointed

la

"

ml
,

m
aHx
if

think

ape.
instanl
I

See to

it

he

,ar

Th
fir

r>

that h

mv
uy

in

him.
l

*
'

Do

tbat 8oi<

M
latr

IVrt
r

-1

aothic

-onld

l>'tt

r,"

ud the

will

place

iirt

m
her
thirl
i

iround
i

the

house

to

wa

h
the
I

lewind
f I

and

tl

u will distribute
try.

and landing
,!

the

mmis

ft )]

said'hr
-int
ill

ant, as
I

he marched

his men
barrel-

tl

ha

had pi
1

dadoubl<
lily

p,

and a
ilr

<

>th fin

capped and
L

hand

in

hat

R
th

tte
tr

man or demon
t

him
\i
1

reli

u^I

hat
not

bein

kind of

di

had an
r

use desir

to a

certain

whether he

il

hi

ni

all

thi

tim

the father, daughter, lover,

my

If,

and
a
at
r

un

irv
let

omrad

had said nothing, but at

its in

if)
*

K;iv

we took our
1

Bach a

ition

the hall-door, that b tween

1,

the two

the cuj

and
i

tl

indow

on either
n

T
in

unissar

la

the

nvex ride of the

takii

middi
said, that
1

>f

room, and then

far
f

a
1,

by

my
f >'

m
hi

he was
lips,

en
in
I

all

WM
R

the pall
f''.

the ton
h<

which

frequency with whi

crow

himself

KAV ALETTE EXPLAINS.

235

bad French and worse orison, compounded of and muttered an well washed of that he wished his hands Latin, it was clear
the whole affair.

"

I, too,

am

ready," observed the wizard,

"

and

I,

who

nothing to conceal, declare that I have

am

he

whom

yonder

man -Im

Hokeis, and his

7

Guebre-tribe, have for centuries

to be the God of Fire and of Flame. believed of

The mystery
I

my

being cannot yet be solved.

I
is

am
are,

not alone

The

mastery, over Matter and over Magic,

ages.

an inheritance of the

We

who were once as others

became doomed
like

ones by reason of the curse of a dying man, and

Isaac

Ahasuerus, the

Hebrew

of Jerusalem,

who

cursed and spat

upon the

Man of

Sorrows when bearing

his

gibbet up the
the

steep lane of the Dolorous

cursed,

Way, and whom

till

Meek one
so
is

and bade tarry on earth

Powerful in
;

he came

even

he

not alone.

all else,

not one of us can read his

own

future

but for that must depend on gifted ones like

yonder Beverly.
are, there is

Such are seldom born

but when they

subservient

only one opportunity to

make them

to our aid

they must be unwedded

and
in

in soul, else

they cannot
scroll

enter the sleep of Sialam,

no other way can the

of Fate be read for us.

Hence the
girl.
.
.

obstacles thrown in his

It is.possible to shift our
;

path and in that of yonder

fate

upon the neutral, whoever he may be

but

in this case

strong motive existed to saddle the centuries upon yondor

man, who has,

in various forms,

been

my

contemporary since

acres previous to the laying

of the foundations of Babylon

and Nineveh.

236
" There

RAVALETTE.
one more in being

is

the Stranger
verly's body. I

and

still

by him I have been anotherthe mother of

foiled

this

Be-

hoped to win him by Magic; I have

am,"

failed.

He
7

has seen

me

thus, as I

and

so saying, Ravalette slowly

moved around
until

the screen, continuing to speak all the while,

he reappeared on the other corner

and

saying, " and

thus."

We

were astonished beyond measure at the change

that had, in less than twelve seconds, taken place.

Ravalette no longer stood before us, but instead,

we saw
" Mia-

thin, lean, little,

wrinkled old man, the perfect opposite in

everything of the person

we had

just conversed with.

kus

as I live
!"

the

man

of Portland

and of Boston

the

same

exclaimed Beverly, as the figure passed once more

from view behind the screen, and almost instantly reappeared

in a totally dissimilar guise.
i '

And
"it

thus
is

I"

said the wizard.

"

My

heaven
guide
!"

!"

said Beverly,
in

Ettelavar,

my

myste*

rious

and teacher

the

kingdom of Trance and

Dream
11

Again

this strange

being passed around the screen, saying,

and thus," as he reappeared successively as the Italian Count and Vatterale. The wizard said, when in form, the
last
'

11

Mai

is

but a transposition of I
is

am

' ;

Miakus'

is

Myself,'

Vatterale

an anagram of Ravalette, and a school-boy

is

would have told you that Ettelavar

the
'

but Ravalette reversed

name meaning The Mysterious.'

all

To

you, Beverly, I

have been

these.

Behold me now as I really am," and

he passed around the screen, and reappeared again as a little, withered old man, clothed in flaming red from head to heel.

CLEARING UP.
" The Vampire, Dhoula Bel
!"

237

shrieked both Beverly and

Im Hokeis
*

in the

same breath.

*
it

*
would not be

What

passed during the next half hour,

proper for

me

here to relate.

Suffice

it,

that at the end of

that time Beverly had fallen asleep, apparently of his

will.

own

fret

What

followed will be seen in the next, and concluding

chapter of

this

work.

2
bt S

of this work a great deal of curiosity has been excited as to the real tenets of the Rosicrucians ; and all sorts of absurd thing, have been aid and written concerning them, especially about their peculiar theories concerning Deity, Fire, and the seat of the human soul in the human body, which we do not believe resides altogether in the brain. To settle these vexed questions finally and authoritatively, I have prepared and printed a chapter, supplementary to all my works, giving i fa the whole exotenc tern of the farna fratemitas especially concerning the above ponds, b id. revealing, for the first time since the world began, our entire Hi extraordinary belief in reference to Love, and the power of any woman over an*giving man, art**, ske * obtain it for we worship at the Shrine of tie 1 V1I1 , Effluence, and are certain if our doctrines were well underitood by fl .,,, that in ten years she would transform the world This 1D18 traordinary chapter entitled the " stCKuciAN MAHlirKSTO," can be had f th, utkor only, Dr. P. B. Randolph, Boston, Mass. ; a directed and stamped elope containing a clerk', fee of 25 cents for mailing is required a(ldr ed to the vast pubnc wh ha -

Note. - Since the

last edition

; :;:

::::

Deahngs with the Pre-Adamite Man The ^ M*n, ine Ro crucian Book or Dream* '>'< A fw r . of reams, After Death or, the Disembodiment of Love, an,, it. Hl dden History,- The Master Passion," Love HiSt0r> CtC ~ UeW W rk ~ and in ' to all who are dis' ' a, 7 -t.hr.,
,
;

ry, 7

^Z^Tr
Seenhip

:?

W rk8 '-" Ka -

^^ "The Dead,"
1

Rosicrucians

and believe that there

xc,
t

,,

<lrea,nt of,

raor e between heaven

in Ini.

extraordinary phi.osophy.

- Tke

and eartlthan

pLZZ

CHAPTER
lflE

IX.

SLEEP OF SIALAM.
hushed
eyes,

Deep

the

breaths
for

Quick

beat our hearts, tearful

a greater thau

even Death was in that

room

the Boulevart de Lux-

embourg
Seated
the

in

a large

office-chair, his
;

limbs

stiff

and cold with

damps of

dissolution
his

his face paler

than the Genius of

his

Consumpt

heart and pulses totally

eyes wide open, and so upturned that not a speck of aught but the uncolored portions thereof were
visible,

was

my friend,

In previous years I had often seen him and hundreds of both the mesmeric and odyll the
being the very

common

semi-comatic state into which sensi-

tive persons often pass

in

by the merest

effort of volition,

and
call

which they give

off

such high-sounding platitudes and

them philosophy transmitted direct from

mortals,

spirit-land to erring

when the

fact
is

is,

that the whole

phenomena-when

not simulated, which

not the case in over nine hundred and ninety cases in each thousand of its display but the current action of a diseased body and an abnormal, unhealthy J " and in many cases morals also, for it makes no matter

how

gu,,d
288

or

intentioned the subj

may be

in the

"at last?" "at last!"

start,

239

they are sure to yield before the accursed blast, and

fires

only the

of hell itself can stop their

mad

career and turn

them back to normal paths.

Not

such a trance was that

we now were

witnessing.

In

the course of five minutes there

er's face,

came a change
if

in the sleep-

which became lighted up as

at that

moment

his

soul beheld the ineffable glories of the great

Beyond.

He
As
was

spoke
this

"

Now

!"
lips,

%
the door of the

one word escaped his

room

silently opened,

and two men entered and were about

of Police suddenly rose,

taking seats,

when the Commissary

made a low
" Silence
here
Y*

obeisance, saluted one of

them

in military style,

and exclaimed, " The

!"

Emp

said the person addressed

"
;

all

are strangers

And
last !"

then turning to Dhoula Bel, with

quite familiar, this person said to him, " appeared

whom he At last V
y

"

At

echoed the latter

seats.

whereupon the two new

comers helped themselves to

The whole
all

affair
;

had gone thus

far so directly opposite to

my calculations

events had taken such sudden and totally

unexpected turns, that I ceased to marvel at this new game

of cross-purposes, but determined to watch the results carefully,

whatever they might be.

Of

course I expected that

affairs.

take the lead of

for

But

Dhoula Bel, as I

shall

henceforth call him, addressed

the shorter of the two intruders as follows

Why

do you, too, seek to thwart

Many

years

I found you a student of magic n your lonely prison, whither

240

R A V ALETTE
failed

you had been consigned because you had

sions.

on two occa-

I rescued you,

gave you

liberty,

influence, power,

prestige,

and seated you firmly on the proudest throne on

earth

I have

made you famed and name

;
;

feared

I have humbled

Britain in your

for

you I have broken the power of

ages the Papacy

built

for

you I have severed Austria, and

a new empire on the earth.

For you I have fomented

seen,

the most awful

war the world has ever

and have divided

a nation of brothers into two parties, each thirsting for the

other's blood
;

and while you have been the

silent

automaton,

I have prompted your speech

and moved the wires that

govern the world, asking nothing whatever in return, and

yet you are here to thwart
friend.

me who have
a

ever been your

Why

is

this

V
I

" I admitnothing.
Shall I reveal a I care not."
i

am

man

of Destiny 1"

Well, I forbear
I

but

let this

sleeper

tell it."
is

am

content.

Interrogate him.

This

the hour, and

this the scene for

which I long have waited

Let the oracle

speak."

" Listen to me," said the taller of the two intruders,

It

Ye

have both been proxies of a power beyond us

as
I,

all

and

the Stranger, have foiled each of ye, yet my i was decreed. The drama of ages may end to day Not of us can read his own future there is but one on earth ;

who can read

be done.

it,

and there
is

is

but one

it

may
Not

That person

here

that hour has

come

THE SLEEP OF SIALAM. HE SLEEPS

241

puling, babbling somnammagnetic afflatus of with the confidence of self-styled not with the boastful bules
;

regions which have no exist explorers of apocryphal simple, pure and accurate, at all but with a vision, ence
;

horizon of the future, and yonder sleeper sweep the shall be quietude and peace, Therefore, let there it. reveal
while the mystic scroll
is

being read."
:

the slumberer, he said Then turning to

thou,

"
!

Soul

Look

investigate

reveal

What What

seest seest

her ruler ?" thou concerning France and " France will experience another Revolution.
gin in

It will be-

Water and end

in

Blood and Fire

but the end will

are swept

be delayed.

Crown, Sceptre,

Dynasty all

away

tide of Political Reformation, before the resistless

and the

the fate of the last crowned head last noble and priest shares
exile

and death."
Nationalities ?" of the other

"
1 *

What

Prussia,

under a new
;

regime,

becomes indeed a Father-

land to her people

Belgium, Holland, and other of the

consolidated

Germanic lands,
existing
;

become

with

empires

now

Spain's night draws

nearher

colonies, erected

her to sink in loneliness, until at into Black Republics, leave Rome, an integral part of the great she becomes, with
last

Italian

Empire

Austria becomes dismembered

Hungary

and form a new power on the earth ; and Poland coalesce EngSyria into Russian hands passes into Greek Turkey
; ;

land loses

India, Oregon and Ireland, which Canada,

;

latter

becomes a Republic

the United States, rejoined, absorbs

11

242
Canada. Mexico and

KAVALETTE.
British

all

A
series of

Black

found an empire which

extend from her southern bor

Presidents;

ders to Brazil, under the rule of a

China, Christianized by

the Taepings, becomes a first-class

power

in the East, blotting out

;

Japan and a score

of lesser

kingdoms

while India and Australia become respectively

an Empire and a

and

all this

within sixty-thr
!"

years from the seventh decade of the century

"

What

of Religious changes &

Speak

Let us know
outside

!"

All Religious
Christian,
will
it
;

systems in the

world,

of the

gravitate

toward,
this is

and

finally

be wholly

absorbed by
quiet

and while

taking place, there will be

;

occurring in that system itself

Catholi

modified and divested of certain objectionable features,

will

become the

right

wing and conservative portion of the

Religion of the entire world, while the radical portion of that

Church, and of all other churches, will secede, rear the standard
of Free Thought, proclaim the Religion of Reason, espouse

the Reformatory

men and

principles of the age, declare itself

a Positive, Eclectic, and Progressive Faith, abjuring the doctrines of Original Sin, the
theories,

Adamic, Mosaic, Hebraic Atonement

and everything affirmative of Miracle, Final JudgThis party will be in a minority, and the
;

ment, and a Hell.

left

wing of the grand Religious system of the world

it will

constantly receive accessions of recruits from the other and

barbaric element of society

but so rapid

will

be the human

march, that the right flank of the grand army will constantly

crowd the

left

and occupy

its

ground, while the latter

THE COMING MAN.

will

243
fields, as

constantly move on towards new as

new

ideas are developed and seen.'*

" Now, Prophet, what of thyself?

" Speedy death,

relief from

and comparative happiness

sorrow, a lot with other men, on the other side of time.

"What

of the Eosicrncian System?

it

" I have already partly sketched

the left wing.

under the name of

will arise

But ere many years there

great
the

man

a German a Prussian, who will

will

prepare

way

for a greater

one of the same nation, and this

last will

proclaim and declare that system to the world,

and he, to Europe,

be the

Man

of the 19th century,

and

will exert

enormous power

in the breaking

up of

Kings and Emperors, and the establishment of the People's Liberties.

At

the

same time there

will arise in

this

Western world a greater man than the world has

In some sense

seen since the present civilization began.

he will be to the intellectual and philosophical world,

what Gautama Buddha

the

Blessed!

was to

India,

Plato to Greece, Thothmes III. to Egypt, Moses to Jewry, Mahommed to Arabia, Luther to Europe, and

Columbus
them
all,

to the

New

World, but

will

be greater than

and more powerful for good than either. rapidly advancing to his work, and his appearance

He
will

is

be

the signal of a religious, political, social, moral, emotional and philosophical upheaval, such as the modern

world has
will

never yet witnessed or even dreamed of. the blacks to education and nationality

He
;

send

the Irish to

dominion of their native

villains of political

soil,

and

will dispossess the

power

all

over this continent.

His

2U
re purees

RAVALETTE.
and he
will

wit be

millions,

command

all

the gold

for the great he needs

work to be accomplished.

He

will

grand Doctrines of the Third and culboldly announce the and his followers will Rosie Cross Temple of the minating
;

the sea in number, and their principles be as the sands of

will, in time,

be

as resistless as its

waves.

He

will begin his

work

personally,

and by agency before

this great Rebellion

in behalf of

Human

Slavery shall have been ended.

Mark

that

!"

As

the sleeping

man gave

utterance

to

these inspired
dis-

prophesies, the less tall of the

two strangers appeared

turbed, and almost rising to his feet with excitement, he said

"

Then

this

man's career will resemble

ice.

my own
single

?"

"
ful
;

As
his

fire

resembles
will

This man's career will be peace-

path

not be stained

by one

drop of blood
cry

No maimed men
for vengeance,

will curse,
will the

no widows weep, no orphans

nor

ignorance of the people constitute

the lever of his power, nor be the instrument

by means

of

which he will vault into a throne

"
race

!"
1 !

But I am strong

Mexico Empire The

!

Latin
this

! The Church ! Maximilian

The United States

What

can break

chain, supposing I establish the last link, as I intend to ?"

" Fate

will, in

that case, soon

find

time to breathe upon France

and the

New

Empire

That

breath will settle as a cloud, but,

will
<<

when

it rises,

two dynasties

have disappeared forever

/"

Damnation

!"

exclaimed the questioner, and he stamped

his teeth

his feet

and ground

with rage almost demoniac.

WE

YET !" MAT BE HAPPY

damned
nations,
if

24:5

" There will be two

that

programme

is

carried out," said the sleeping

man,

in tones musical

and

calm, as

if

he was discussing the merits of a play rather than

prophesying the fate and destinies of Empires.

For a moment there was

spokd
"

silence.

At

length Ravalette

And now my
tall

turn.

What,

sleeper

what of me

?"

The

seer smiled blandly, stretched forth his

hands toward

both the

personage and the Enigma.

They went forward,

grasped the sleeper's hands in their own, and

" The Enmity of Ages

" It
is is

is

ended

I"

ended

!"

repeated the
!

tall one.
is

"It
thine"

finished

Thy work
Ravalette

done

and
seer.
is

mine

indicating
is

and
!

said

the
there

"Hence-

forward, there

rest for the

weary

rest for thee

it.

No

longer

doomed

to

walk the earth, we three quit

Our
scroll,

paths diverge from this moment.

Above our heads

is

on which

is

written

Ye may
" Thank Heaven
!

be Happy

said

Dhoula Bel.

" Thank Heaven I" repeated the Stranger.

" It

is

finished I" said Beverly, and, as

he spoke, Dhoula

Bel moved behind the screen, and, the very instant that he
did so, there

came the sharp crack of

fire-arms in the hall

and

on the
in

accompanied with any amount of oaths uttered not very choice French.
stairs,

Immediately, running to the door along with the Commissary

246
and one of of Police

RAY ALETTE
his

I demanded to know the comrades,

of the disturbance e

By
and
it

the Holy

Evang
him an inch

I fired straight into his head

!"

didn't faze

said the

And
"

square in the middle of the head, and I struck him

that didn't

harm
put two

said another

And

Derringer bullets

and four

Colt's fair into

his breast, at ten inches, /

and

blast

me

if all

six didn't

fly

back and
"

hit
I'll

me

!"

exclaimed a third.

And

he didn't come through the open swear that

fast shut, with

door, for

it

was

my hand

on the knob, every

of the time !" said the fourth. second

" It was the devil

!"

said a fifth.

Or

his
I

imp

!"

said the sixth

And
stair !"
11

he never passed by

me

the

observed the seventh man.

hither into the

Come

room and

what you

driving at," said the Commissary.

driving at nothing just

now," said the sergeant

drive some bullets but I have been trying to

gh the

devil 1

Do you remember
<

telling

me

person go
prevent
it

if

had to shoot him I

?"

Certainly I do. Well, the

side the door,
first

Go
said,

on."

thing I knew, that gentleman stood as he

and

made

faces

and
;

his

I'm" goin

n spite of I

monsieur/
mft

Are you, indeed

<

Of

am

just

do

it,

last magic. dhoula's

marched
3

247
stairs,

straight for the

so.

and four of

clinch him, and did

Gentlemen, have

ever picked up a hot potatoe you

I have, and did Well,

let

op quicker than
only that
inst

we four

go of that individual
the world like
in-

id of

burning

us, it felt for all

one

feel

he takes hold of those at the Polytechnic when

and which discharge a things with wires to them, fernal into you before you can say Jack quart or two of li htning iH..iy\:)ii vcrv ouicklv. and We let go of Robinson
!
I

he pa

sd

two

or three step
bl

oh

him down, but you might

jm

is

well have
i|i

tried to kill
in the

a shadow.
pis

Messieurs, that

man

(li

in

smoke
!"

He
if

passed

>>ut

vn risible

form

During the

cant's relation I
really left the

had determined to see

Dhoula Bel had

u-el

purpose I

i\y
*

walked toward the window and past the screen.

nobody wl
r

There
bark,
cnpi
1.

behind or near

it.

I walked

lid

nothing, but resumed the seat I

had formerly oo

"Are you
"

sure of

what you

tell

us; that

you are wide

awake, and not dreaming

said the Commissary.

is

As

certain as I

am

that he

not

now

in this

room."

" Which shows

how

easily people

may be

deceived," said
thereafter

a voice from behind the screen, and

instantly

Dhoula Bel himself walked out

ftone floor
it

into the middle of the floor

was and

after pointing his finger scornfully at

250
All persons

RAV ALETTE.
who have
read any of Dr. Randolph's works,

the Dead," " Love, Dealings with

and

Its

Hidden History,"
Mir

..

Man
in,"

"Ravalette,"

"The

Rosicrucian's Story," especially,

may

have wondered at the Strange Machinery, and Personam of tht t two works, and the sources of power hinted at in all the
>thers,

and have vainly tried to unravel the mystery.

To

all

och

say that the Rosicrucians and their very extraordinary

are veiled, and symbolize deeper

call

meanings.

many now desire

to

to

serious attention to

THE ASIATIC MYSTERY.

The Fire-Faith The Religion of Flame The Force LovmJ The Energos of Will The Formative Force Of Piri and Matter! The Oneness of Soul, and God, am rui: Flame-Force of the Universe! The Magic of Pomu Mentality! The Location of Soul within the Human Body,
!

and to the Grand Secret of redeeming from domestic wretchdness the millions of suffering wives (and husbands too), by
the as
<

ercise of three simple, natural forces set forth in the -first

ide the

of the

human

being,

world out

Rosicrucian Manifesto to the

Respectfully, P. B. R.

Order." *

"

cr! 't'<irv

nf Z

QUlte extraordina
S

y document can be had by addressing

>

-" ::;;:::::r:
6 i ne oruer,

CLC,, ;?

dan Br therh00d

*ox

,.352,

Boston, Mass," enfor the

fee of trimng

amount

mamn <

her perquisite.
Respectfully, the Publishers.

CLARK AND TOM

HIS WIFE,

CURIOUS THINGS THAT DOUBLE DREAMS, AND THE THEIR BEFELL THEM THEREIN;

BEING

>

THE

ROSICRUCIAN

STORY.

By Dr.

P.

B.

RANDOLPH,

Author of *"Waa, Gu-mah," "Pre- Adamite Man/' "Dealings with the

Dead," " It isn't all Right," " The Unveiling of Spiritism," a The Grand Secret," "Human Love a Physical
Substance,"
etc., etc., etc.

fc*SO

BOSTON RANDOLPH PUBLISHING CO

1871.

Dear Freeman:
on your shoulders, and
world, as wearily I

have suffered my journeyings up and down the wandered over Zahara's burning sands and among the shrines
I

Bridg much, in

and monuments of Egypt, Syria, and Araby the blessed ; separated in body, but united in soul, we have each sought knowledge, and, I trust, gained wisdom. Our

One portion of that work consists in the. endeavor to unmask villainy, and vindicate the sanctity and perpetuity of marriage. In this little work I have tried to do this, and believe that if the magic talisman herein recommended as a sovereign balm for the strifes and ills of wedlock, be faithfully used,
is

work

just begun.

adopt your motto and my own, and become convinced that in spite of much contrary seeming " we may be happy yet !" To you, and to such this book is
Affectionately

that the great married world will

RANDOLPH

STORY THE ROSICRUCIAFS

IPAJBT
I.

THE MAN.
He
used to pace rapidly

up and down the deck

for a

or two, and then, suddenly striking his forehead, as if minute

a new thought were just pangfully coming into being at the major foci of his soul, he would throw himself prone upon
of the old " one of the after seats

Uncle Sam," the steamer in

which we were going from San Francisco to Panama, and

there he would
lie,

apparently musing, and evidently enjoying

life,

some sort of
reverie,

interior

but whether that

life

was one of
all,

dream, or disembodiedness, was a mystery to us

so,

and would have remained

but that on being asked, he very

complaisantly satisfied our doubts,

by informing us that on
a place not laid

such occasion he, in

spirit, visited

down

in

ordinary charts, and the

11

name of which was the realm of

English,
'
'

Wotchergifterno," which means in

Violinist's

Meadow"

(very like " Fiddler's Green").

When

not pacing

the deck, or reclining, or gazing at the glorious sunsets on

the sea, or the
still

more gorgeous

sun-risings

on the moun8

4
he was

THE BOSICKUCIAN
in the habit

STOKY.

ofcatching

Jlics;

which

flies

he
of

proceed to dissect and examine by means would forthwith

constructed of a drop of water in a bent broom a microscope

wisp.

Gradually the

man became

quite a favorite with both

passengers and officers of the ship, and not a day passed but

a crowd of ladies and gentlemen would gather around him to

listen to the stories

he would not merely recite, but compose

as he

went along, each one containing a moral of more than

It

ordinary significance.
the

was apparent from the

first

that

man was some

sort of a mystic,

a dreamer, or some such

ything he

of-the-ordinary style of person, because

said or did bore

an unmistakable ghostly impress.

He

was
a

sorrowful withal, at times, and yet

no one on the ship had

spirits.

greater or

more humorous flow of

sallies,

In the

midst,
short,
jubi-

however, of his brightest

as
if

he would suddenly stop

at that

moment

his listening soul

had caught the

pardoned some

lant cry of angels

when God had

soul.

just

sinful,

storm-tossed

human

One

day, during the progress of

a long and interesting

thing called

conversation on the
the

of that myst
in

human

soul,

and

which our fellow passenger had,

elicit

taken a leading part, with the endeavor to

well as

impart, information,

he suddenly changed

color,

turned almost deathly pale, and for full five minutes, perhaps more, looked straight into the sky, as if gazing upon the awful

and

ineffable mysteries of that

weird Phantom-land which

ejects

intuition

demonst

but cold reason utterly

or

challenges for tangible proof.

Long and

steadily gazed the

a LAEA

;)

5
had just

man

shuddered as if he and then he shuddered

received

some

fearful

problem near his heart. solution of the

And

shuddered alsoin

sympathy with what I could pure

length he spoke
;

not fairly understand.

At

but with bated

it

tones so low, so deep, so solemn, that breath, and in

seem-

dead, and not a living man, gave utterance ed as though a

to the sounds
:

"

Lara

Lara

Ah, Lovely

would that I

had gone then that I were with thee now

into silence.

and he relapsed

Surprised, both at his abruptness,

change of manner and

theme

for ten minutes before,

and despite the solemnity of

the conversational topic, he

had been at a fever heat of fun

Accustomed, as

and

hilarity

I asked

him what he meant.

we had

been, to hear

him break

in

upon the most grave and

dolorous talk with a droll observation which instantly pro-

voked the most unrestrainabie, hilarious mirth

used, as

we
a

had been 4o hear him perpetrate a joke, and set us

all in

roar in the very midst of some heart-moving tale of woe,

whereat our eyes had moistened, and our pulses throbbed tumult uously, yet I not, even by all this, prepared for
the

gular characteristic

now

presented

In reply to

my
if

question,

he

first

wiped away an involuntary tear

;

ashamed of
claimed

his

weakness

then raised his head, and

Lara

Lara

The Beautiful One

What

of her ? asked Colbert,

who

sat opposite him,

who was deeply moved

and

at his evident distr

and whose

curiosity, as that of us all,

was deeply piqued

cr an

T
i.

tell v

m
hi
i

h
i

drinl
first

in tbet

warning os that wh
of so

*
r

hut

r;

U'Xl

4dV
JT

tiack

n the taffrail

it
pu

plOV

WSJ

to

far ofT

I'.

m
1

le

thr

and old
ml
Gloi
1

ha]

*m:
t

hail

een

mj>lNd
s

he!
and

rea

11

that

ban

w
mj
out

fp
M It

>eat th
hi
<1

found
ini

a
I

TMt
seenw

ext
i,

plain

itn
rr

*1

u
n
?

ir

thro
1

gfa
1

he n

i\

fhr ?JM

was not
r

ortain ilcg
off
i

i-

ii

an d rose from

irk

aet
id skii
t
1

wa

re

oft

river of
prairie

Leth

that

lied
I

ImpI
i

the inunen

on and

o\

wl

>i

el,

my way
from

from Minus to Pin fro

o

methhu
rir
avelli
fr

Bad

Go

and from

ter

toward

unknown, unimagin

ID
And

ny
I

ravelling
id
)1

m
I

the

Xow

ward the
it

hall

Re.

mut j gazed
I;

gazed
rl

the dense, d rk shadow!

HlMiiri>

mr
of
(

over th

plain

1<

aud throu h the spao

sound, no
1

d
i

<had

ad

Xo

otfall

even

ownnot an echo broke the v* litud

mvst
rio.

the

Still

nq

tremendous

was*

of an unkn
til its
1

unim gined Eterne

agined
here

arful stillitude

With

my bosom

THE TEMPLE
no pulse went from but
it

heart,

bounding through
life

my veins

throb beat back responsive no

spirit

to

my

feeling, listening

I and
self,

my

Soul were there

we onlythe alone;
was more
all

Thinking

but never thinks the Self that ever knows, and

were there. was, I

small
felt,

My

heart was not

cold, yet it

it

changed to solid
distant,

stone changed
like
this

save one

point,

afar
;

off,

unto the vague ghost

of a long-forgotten fancy the

and

seemed to have been

penalty inflicted
;

for things

done by

me

while

on the

earth

for it

appeared that I was dead, and that

my
?

soul

had begun an almost endless pilgrimage

where
?

to

what

to

A penalty
my

And

yet no black

memory

of red-

handed crime haunted me, or lurked in the intricacies of the

mystic wards of
alone

death-defying soul

and I strode

all

adown the uncolumned

vistas of the

grand old temple

a temple whose walls were builded of flown Seconds, whose

tesselated

pavements were laid in sheeted Hours, whose winside

dows on one

opened upon the Gone Ages, and on the

to

other upon the

Yet

Be

and

its

sublime turrets pierced

the clouds, which roll over

and mantle the hoary summits of

!

the grey Mountains of

Time

And

so I
I

and

my Soul walked

through this temple by ourselves

"

alone

With

and

my

keen gaze, I looked forth upon the Yastness, vision swept over the floors of all the dead years
clear,

yet in vain, for the things of

my

longing were not there.

beheld trees, but

all their

leaves were motionless,

and no

carol-

ing bird sent

into
life

its

heart-notes forth to

waken the dim

solitudes

and music-which are

love.

There were stately

ROSTCRUCIIN'S STORY. THE

arching span of the temple's massy dome, groves beneath the of melody fell on the ear, or filled the amphian strains but no myriad moveless branches, or ft space from their was still. It was a palace of fro All
fair

music of Silence (which and only the

P
io-e,

is

vocal, if

I,

Paschal the Thinker, and

my Thou

uncouth, yet mighty but moveless thought

were

only living things

I

beneath the expansive dome.

Livin

had

sacrificed all
itself,

thingshealth,

riches, honor, fame, ease,

even Love

for

Thought, and by Thought had overtopped

many who had

had wakened
In
life

started on the race for glory long ere

my

soul

to a consciousness of itself

which means Power.

a throne so
at

I had, so it

seemed, builded stronger than I thought,

and had reached a mental eminence

lofty

occupied
aloof,

that mankind wondered, stood

off
;

and gazed

me

from afar

and by reason of

my

thought had gathered

soli-

from me, and thus condemned the Thinker to an utter

tude, even in the

most thronged and busy haunts of men

cities

and

walked through earth's most crowded

more

lonely

than the hermit of the desert, whose eyes are never gladdened

by the sight of

human

form, and through the chambers of

whose brain no human voice goes ringing.

earth
soul,
;

Thus was

it

on

and now that

had quitted

it

forever, with undaunted

strong purpose, and fearless tread, assured of an endless

immortality, and had entered

upon the

life

of Thinking,

still

was I

alone.

Had my
?

life,

my

thinking,

and my

action on

thought been failures

bility

The contemplation

of such a possi-

was

bitter,

very bitter even like unto painful death

NEVER FAIL " ROSICRUCIANS

and yet
true that failure seemed

been mine-failure bad

it

notwithstanding

men

spoke well of by thousands

me and

of

my worka-the
books
loathin

children of

my
?

thought-and bought

my

in thousands.

Failure

My

rejected the idea soul

social spirit,

For a moment the

the heart-

and caused me to over-shadowed Reason, of my nature walls, stricken though confined by dungeon forget that, even
with poverty, deformity, sin
to freeze in

disease even though or

is

left

out

world's spiteyet the thinker the cold

ever the

world's true and only King.

I had become, for a moment,

oblivious of the fact that failure

er ucians never fail
!
l

was an

impossibility.

Rosi-

" But now, as I slowly

nature was at
for a while

moved

along, I felt
within,

my human

war with the God-nature

and that Heart

I longed for re-

was holding the Head

;

in duress.

lease

from Solitude

my humanity

yearned for association,

and would have there, on the breast of the great Eterne, given
worlds for the

company of the lowliest

soul I

had ever beheld

cities of

and despised, as I walked the streets of the

earth.

the far-off

I yearned for

human

society

and

affection,
!

and could

even have found blissful solace with

in

a dog
its

just such a

dog

as,

times past, I had scornfully kicked in Cairo

and Stamboul.
from

Even a dog was denied me

now all

affection withheld

meand

in the terrible

presence of

absence I longed for

I longed

death, forgetting again that Soul can never die.

for that deeper

extinguishment which should sweep the soul

it

from being, and crown

with

limitless, eternal

Night for-

10

STORY. HE KOSICRUCIAN's T

of Soul must live, 'thorn, the Memories again, that getful that hence Horrors woi*d cease to be, aud the rememberer children mourning for their suithe universe echo through
that parent myself parent, and cidal
"

And

I lay

me
all

beneath a tree in despair down

alone from
its fellows, in

tree*

which stood out

a tree
all

a grove hard by

lightning-scathed an awful monuragged and

eloquently proclaiming to the wondering onment, mute, yet

looker that

God

had passed that way, in

fierce, deific

wrath,

once upon

a time, in the

dead ages, whose ashes

now bestrewed

the mighty temple of Eterne. the floors of " It was dreadful, very dreadful, to be all alone.

True, the

hunger, the tortures of thirst, the fires of ambition, pangs of

radnp; flames of earthly passion no longer marred and the a*"o

peace.

my

Pain, such as mortals

feel,

was unknown

no disease
external

racked
being

my

frame, or disturbed the serenity of

my

for I

was immortal, and could laugh

scorn
;

all

these and
fear-

Death

itself to

and yet a keener anguish, a more

I wept, and

ful suffering,

was mine.

my

cries

gave back no

outer sound, but they rang in

sombre echoes through the

mighty arches, the bottomless caverns, the abyssmal deeps of

Soul

my

soul

racking
feel.

it

with torments such as only think

is

ing things can

Such

the

lot,

such the discipline of

the destined citizens of the Farther

Empyrean

region

known only
Rosicrucia

to the Brethren of the

Temple of

Peerless

Sleep

came sweet sleepdeep and

strange

and

in

it 1

11

WHY MAN
Methoo
ht
I

FAILS

dreamed

beneath the gloomily wandered

^.,,,1
cj
s
v

last, after until at Id hall,

county

7 ripe ye r> had ^rs of

been *tl

the treasury back into red

solid,

oft
1

j h

Supreme
j
i

stood before I

massive door

thereabove

being the ounced as

This do

tra

o
h

Garden
1

the Beatitude of
s,

was

rest coi
l

in-

I.

Every one of ,
i

than all the one larger besides be opened locks might these
t
.,

pei

uuless he unfastened ,mt tMflfl imuu u not pass through mid

i

Mock
r

thousand bolts having ten

sp
r

and wards

d on

my

soul, in this

dream which

wa>

ail

a dream

for to

an entrance through achieve

the mast
tion
f

was

so said the inscnpa task,

ai

would defy the labors of

rly
,

human

armies for periods

time nt

defying man's comprehen

so fa rly strong the bolts
afiilly,

many
by chance
eye

the difficult
.<

^ g

Qy,

turned away, when, as

if

forg ttii

that there

is

no such thing as

Chance my

encountered a rivetless space upon the solid brazen door

circular
rion
i

the

ice,

around the periphery of which was an inscripthus

1'
1 :

running

Man

only Fails through Feeblethis

of
-lance

Will
of

Within

smooth

circle

was

ul

a golden triangle,

embracing a crystalline

globe,

winged and beautiful, crowned with a Rosicrucian

it

cypher, while beneath

single

stood out, in fiery characters, the

instant I caught the

word,

'

Try

1'

The very

magic
be-

significance of these divine inscriptions,

a new

Hope was

gott n in

my

soul

Despair fled from me, and I passed into

12

ROSICRUCIAn's STORY. THE

" A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM.

What

a change

During

my

slumber

it

seemed that

transported tc had been

) 5t still

the summit of a very

lofty mountain,

within the Temple.

By my

side stood
'

an aged and
clad in

tintly

and majestic presence. man, of regal

He was

long-gone ages, and his flowing robes an oriental garb of the

waist by a golden band, were bound to his
similitude

wrought

into the

serpent the sacred emblem of eternal of a shining

wisdom.
of silver,

Around

his

broad and

lofty

brow was a coronet

dusted with spiculae of finest diamond.

On

the

sides of the centre were

tality
;

two

scarabei, the

symbol of immorin*

and between them was a pyramid, on which was

a mystical character which told, at the same time, scribed

that his

name was Ramus

the Great.*

" This royal personage spake kindly to me,

and

his soft

tones

fell

upon the hearing of

my

soul like the

words of par*

don to the sense of sinners at the Judgment o

Seat.

Look,

my

son,'

said he, at the

same time pointing toward a vast

procession of the newly-risen dead

sides of the

spectral

army on

the

mountain, slowly, steadily, mournfully wending

the part of the temple I
this

their

way toward

had quitted

pre-

vious to the

commencement of
at

dream within a dream.

pilgrims are
King

Said the

man

my

side

'

Yonder host of

Egypt, in the 18th dynasty, and sixty-ninth Chief or

tive

Grand Master

of the Superla-

Order of Gebel AI Marulc since known, in Christian lands, as the Order of the
Itosie

thrives

13
GREATNESS OF SECRET THE
to sought, hast thou

women wno romen who and of Giory, Gat es fliibar

seeking are ~~ o

tbey

Beatitudes of the Garden delightful Knowledg into the Strength, Intellectual with ' he endowed The thing and Happy to be Wise H is another *ortahty the lmm earth all the cnu granted to B boon self-

-*"

them through
one

if.

_J
"

development by integral liay be attained contmually and God-ness goodness bv innate worlds alike and aromal this in material they may be woman, wherever woman is and
!

by

man

Man *
The

to the garden

lies

Manifestation Cornot through

!

Hall of Silence through the but for himself alone nnon the door
thou hast
hither to
failed,

each Aspirant and

Failing to enter

each must
Retrospect,

back, and, like thee, turn

come

Mount

and

into the labyrinths entering

within

its sides,

key, which alone search for the triple must

Remember

the Beautiful Garden ! the Gate, and admit to unbar instant the and in Try Despair
!

and with outstretched arms, Phantom-man turned from me, from every feature, hied him toward and benignance beaming

my
Again
I

stood
all

alone,

not

now

in

despondency and

gloom, but in

the serene strength of noble, conscious

Manhood

not

the actual, but the certain

and glorious pos-

ibility thereof.
its

My

soul

had grown.

It

was aware of

all

past short-comings, failures, and its hatreds

toward two
stilt

men who had done me deadly wrong.

vived

This feeling

sur-

stronger than

ever,

now

that I

was across the Bridge

14
of Houi

THE ROSICRCCIAN

STORY

a citizen of and had become

land

a
as

through Eternity wanderer

That hate was as immortal

ever be
in
?

my

deathless soul.
well.

I Will

it

And

yet I had ever

meant
fill

All was calm

my

spirit,

save this single aw-

thing.

In this

spirit,

with this consciousness not of

look

but of outraged Justice I began deep ma! >nance,

for

the mysterious key

and as I looked, an
of

instinct

hat the k y

and human
I
left
-

ponding good deeds, held and done before ami corn

tli

hores of rime and embarked upon the strange and m\

>ee
I
I

ti

hereon
so
I

my

soul's fortunes

were now

cast. found

"A:
jr!
r

searched,
;

and at

last

seemed to have

.lit

and thereupon I wished myself once more

Instantly, as
it,

the braien Gate.

realized,

if

by magic,

the

wish
for-

a M

and I stood before

I.

on the same spot

symbols and

merly occopit
1

The

first

inscription, the

circk

id

d
1

appeared, and in their stead

hi

was another

circle, con-

Speak, for thou shalt be heard

Toll

what thou hast done to elevate thy fellow men, and to round
nt
lift

the

angl
ve<l,

of thine

own

soul.

Whom

hast thou up

hated

Speak, and

when the words

p;
s

th o

poken, the door will yield, and thou mayest

hold
riting slowly faded,

the Tin

Th
txi

and

left

naught but a

surface
c

face as of

molten gold.

I spoke aloud

my

to
shrill

and, to

my

astonishment,

my
I

voice rang

and

clear,

through the
far

and arches of the mighty

head.
'

do

above

my

have

suffered from

"tby!"

15

robbed, slandered on hated,"

defiance of
all,

maturity been cradle to opposed from the infancv-been ^ pnshed forward in sides, yet
all

until I

reached

all

desired-all that that I

earth could give me.

achieved triumphs Self-educated, I

where others
keys
<

failed

have reaped laurels

and grasped the

because
living,

<f

fame, and laughed at

my

folly afterwards,
life

what
dist>

is

fame

canker, gnawing out one's

when
!

rbing his
this,

when dead not worth a straw repose

But,
fol-

in ?

ending, I have set an example, by despite the

lowing which man might

elevate himself, society be improved,

and

its

constituents realize the bliss

of moving in loftier
truths, I

spheres of usefulness V

While giving voice to these

firmly expected to see the gate fly

open at their conclusion.

it

But what was

at
all,

my

horror and dismay to see that

moved not

while the echoes of

my

speech gave back in frightfully

'

resonant waves of sound the last word,

Usefulness V

"
cast

Not being

able to think of

any nobler achievements, I

my
;

eyes groundward, and, on again raising them, I be-

held, across the clear

space on the door, the single

word

'Try

"Taking heart

again, I said, 'Alone I sought the secret

it

of restoring health to the sick, and gave

freely to the world,

efforts to

without money, without price.

banish sloth,
the Cross,
sin,

I have

made grand

ignorance

have ever upheld the honor of

it

and the sweet religion

symbolizes.

Striving ever

to upraise the veil that hides

man from

himself, in the effort

I have been misapprehended,

my

motives impugned, and

my

has been poverty, slander, disgrace.

In the

strife, I

lb'

THE EOSICEUCIAN
every

STOET.

been heedless have

save that of

human duty

of a nobler destiny, have been the behests and in obeying have ignored wealth distinction illy of all ardle world's esteem, and even been place in the fame, honorable
the calls of love Y ,leaf to
"
I

vault threw back and again the ceased,

the arches echoed
'

my

last word,

and
"

all

Love

but once more appeared upon the The gate moved not,
lozenge

golden

on the

door the word

'

Try

!'

in greater

brightness than before, while

of

seemed to the hearing

low, so low,

my

spirit

that a thousand velvet whisp

'

gently cadenced back

I hav

Love Y
humbled the
lofty and

rebuked the immoral,

deception, comforted the mourner overbearing, exposed

deemed the

harlot,

reformed

thief,

fed the orphan and

upheld the rights and dignity of

Labor V

"

Still

the

door moved
'

not,

but again the echoes gave back

the last word,

Labor

"

'

preached immortality to thousands, and prevailed I have

it
;

on them to believe
claimed
its

have written

of,

everywhere proand
sceptic, con-

mighty truths,

I have beaten the

firmed the wavering, reassured the doubting, and through

globe, have long and bitter years, in both hemispheres of the

declared that

if

man

die,

he shall

live

again

thus endeavor-

ing to overthrow error, establish truth,

banish superstition,
of a foundations

and on their ruins lay the deep and broad

*

better faith
1
'

1'

As

if

a myriad voices chimed out

my

there last syllable,

THE BE

CKEED.

17

,.
to

thr

,'h

the spaeio
I

of the Temple Mil- and corridors

the su lime

wor

m,

and

h.s.anth the bolt-

appeared
said
:

m hav
ami

ire

within

their iron

ward
in

Continu.n
sin
le

ver end

ivored, save

one

instance, to foster,

"This
flew bacl

time there
ti

was no mistake
b
o
!

thousand bolts The

back,
like

pond rou
curtain,

moved forward and

;

ft

a gentle wind ed by
.rinnslv.
'

In AM. CASES

ati
.1
.

snari of pof iveni

ously
I

intuition plainly telling tried again,

me

that

.....

*k;- ,u-o wnu, npoossarv to end

my

lonely pilgrim-

d
horn I so longed

companionship of the dear blessed

join in their glory-walks to

adown

God's Garden of the Beatitudes lades and vistas of &

I spoke again
I

esteem in pursuance of what have fallen from man's

appeared to be

my duty
Lured by

new

faith

sprung up in the land

bitter reproach aga

and unwise

zealots
it.

brought shame and

false

and upon

reasoning, I yielded to the

fascinations of a specious sophistry,

and

for awhile

my

soul

under the iron bondage of a powerful and languished

ing falsehood.
rect
,

glitter-

At

length, seeing

my

errors,

I strove to cor-

them and to

sift

the chaff from the true and solid grain

but the people refused to believe

me

honest,

and did not,

would not understand me

ing

but they insisted that in denouncliving

Error,
;

ignored
still

the

truths

of

God's great

economy

yet

I labored on, trying to correct

my

faults,

18
and to

THE BOSICRUCIAN
cultivate the
this last

STORY.

queen of

human

virtues,
lips,

Charity

!>

Scarcely had

word escaped

my

than the mas

gaze

flew wide open, disclosing to sive portals

my enraptured

such a sight of supernal

magnificence, as
describe
;

and

celestial beauty, grandeur, and

is

human

anguage
it

totally inadequate to

for it

was such as

stood there revealed before

my

ravished

and I may not here reveal the wondrous

.
. .

things I

saw and heard.

Lara, Lara,

my

beautiful
before
still

one, the dear

dead maiden of the long agone, stood

lines of

me, just within the

aye, the dear

Paradise.

She loved me

maiden of

my youth had

not forgotten

the

lover of her early

and her earthly days

I

When

was a boy, anc

In the city by the sea,'

the

Death had snatched her from

ago
;

my

arms, and

long, long time

his hatred, survives the

for the love of the Indian

gi

And

she said.

'

Paschal
thy

my

beloved
her

le

student of the weary world

I await
Wear

But thou mayest not enter now, because

no

hatred can live inside these gates of Bliss.

discard
finished

Thou

yet incomplete, thy

!

work
back to
earth

Thou

hast found the keys

Go

and give them to thy fellow-men

then thy brethren, that Usefulness,

Teach,

first thyself,

and

Love, Labor, Forg

Faith and Charity

to cure all
ill,

the only keys which are potent

i

and unbar the Gates of Glory

Beautiful Lara, I obey thee
!

Lara

Wait

for

EXD OF THE PKOEM.

love.

19

am coming soon

P I cried, as she slowly retreated,

'

and the gate closed again.

with extended arms

Not

yet, not vet/

I cried, as

I implored
instant longer.

the

beauteous vision to

remain but a
fell

sin

le

But she was gone.

I awoke
a<rain &"""J
it

to the

ground

in

a suoon.

When
my
little

found the night had grown two hours older than

when

I sat

down

in the chair in

chamber
in the

in

Bush

street, the little

chamber which I occupied

goodly city

of the Golden Gate."

Thus spake the Rosicrucian.

We

were

all

deeply

moved

day we reached Acapulco, and not

far on our

at the recital, and one after the other we retired to our rooms, pondering on the story and its splendid moral Next
till

we had

way toward

panama)

d;d

of hstenmg to the sermon to the eloquent text I have just J recounted.

left

and were

an q

At

length he gave

it,

duced, in the following words

as nearly as it can possibly be

repr*

" and saw within the moonlight of his room

An

angel, writing in a

book of

gold.

"
see

And

so

you

like the text,

do you

Very

well, I will

now

how much
:

better you will

pleased with

Listen

"
I
,

I cannot and will not stand this any longer.

yet a young

man
shall

very prime and heyday of

life,

and I do believe that I

no time,
in
if

be a regular corpse

in less than

a change for the better don't very soon take place

;

my

family

that's just

as

certain inches

She, ah,

she, is killing

me by

the vampire

Would

that I had been thirty-five million of miles the other side of

nowhere the day I married

Betsey Clark
is

her.

Don't I though, Betsey

love,

killing

me

No

no kindness, not a
somebody's

soft

look never a gentle smile.

Oh, don't
;

I wish

fune-

but not mine

ing, of

for I feel quite capable of

being happy yet, and of making somebody's daughter

likewise.

happy

People
;

may

well say that marriage

is

lot-

terya great
20

lottery

for, if there's

one

tiling surer than an-

MAN'S MONOLOGUE. A MAREIED

other, then it

21

is

perfectly certain

drawn the very that I have

if it

kind of a blank
thing, if

and hang me,

wasn't for

wouldn't run off I

and hitch myself

;

read about for anyHottentots I have fo/life to one of the strung out. Oh than this misery, long thing would be better a Turk he cai Turk ! When a fellow's don't I wish I was a all of 'em that don' many wives and strangle have ever so Bully for the they Taw
;

him or come
!

Turks
did

I wish I

knew how

to turn myself

,o

one.

If I

I'd
!'

be the biggest kind of a

Mohammedan

afore

mornin'

" Such was the substance of about the thousandth soliloquy

subject, to the same purport, delivered on the same

by Mi

Thomas
life.

W.
t

Clark, during the last seven years of his

wedded

" The gentleman named delivered himself of the contented

and philanthropic speech just

fine day, just after the

recited,

on the morning of a

usual morning meal

and quarrel with

his

wife, de jure

female

attendant would better express

the relation de facto.

Mr. Clark was not yet aware that a

woman

is

ever just

what her husband's conduct makes her

a thing that some husbands besides himself have yet to learn. " Every day
this

couple's food

was seasoned with sundry

than those in the castor.

and divers

sorts of condiments other

There was a great deal of pickle from his side of the gay and
festive board, in the

shape of jealous, spiteful innuendoes

in

and

from her side much delicate sauce piquante,

allusions

the form of

former husband,

whom

she declared

22

THE ROSICRUCIAN

STORY.

best husband that the very

ever sent to

>

ba(
knt
hei

premature grave by a vixeu a

;he

might have added, truth'

sentence with,

to be loved

by a tender, gentle wife

Aj
sresses
?

like

her

The

lady had gotten

;u

l>lf>

weaknesses
I

loner airo.
?

Gentle

av

Tender

what

is

a virago

So
br

man.

Xow

for his mate.

Scarcely

her lord

Mr

as she

lii

lm
door behind
hinr

rone out of the house, and slammed the

at the

same time giving vent to the

lied

last
h<

ottleful of splee:

and concocted

in his soul, than

call

Mrs. Thomas
her

poor Betsey Clark, as I prefer to

truly, really pitiable, for

for she

was

more reasons than

he

but
not exercise
it sufficiently

had common sense and would

to

mi
in

make

the best of a bad bargain

little,

threw herself upon the bed, where she cried a

raved a good deal, to the self-same tune as of yore.
tired of

and

tli

Getting
va-

sa
f.

both these delightful occupations very soon, she

striking

ried

them by

an attitude before a portrait of the dear

portrait, not the

defunct

badly executed the

man

whose
This

name

she bore

when she became Mistress Thomas

W.

1
se

picture of a former husband

Tom

Clark had not had courage

ui

or sense enough to put his foot through, but did have bad
taste sufficient to permit to

hang up
its

in the very

room where
ol

he lived and ate, and where

beauties were duly and daily

its

it

expatiated upon, and the virtues of

lauded to the original

a

&

Clark
tl

regular patent, venom-mounted,

"WEDLOCK

IS

TICKLISH THING. A

?5

23
t

and, what

is

more,

which, to do as on,
ee

hours and a half

that she did not

each day.

fer

the deceased, especmlly in presence of such

visitors as

chance or business

especial delectation of her brought to their house, all to the

living spouse,

Mr. Thomas

W.
!

Clark.

" Just look at her

shrine,

now

There she

is,

kneeling at her

my

lady gay, vehemently pouring for+h the recital of

her wrongs

forgetful of

any one
tears

else's,

as

usual with the

genus grumbler
her

dropping

and maledictions, now on

own

folly,

then on the devoted head of him she

had pro-

mised to love, honor, and obey, Mr. Clark, fruit-grower, farmer, and horse-dealer.

Exhausted at length, she winds up

the dramatic scene by invoking all the blessings of all the

saints in all the calendars
feit

on the soul of him whose counter-

presentment hangs there upon the wall.

" If this couple did not absolutely hate each other, they

came

so near

it

that a Philadelphia lawyer

would have been

puzzled to
selves

tell

t'other

from which, and yet nobody but themof thingsthose

had the

least idea of the real state

life

under-currents of married

that only occasionally breach

through and extensively display themselves in the presence

of third parties.
it

absurd
presume to know the real
itus

is

for

outsiders to

of

affair^^^^~_
the

which
married
in

behind
the land

curtains of

12*

24

THE KOSICRl'CIAX
is

STORY.

Hymen
guises
;

u fellow fond of wearing

it

all sorts

of masks and

dis-

and

often happens that tons of salt exist

where peo-

ple suppose nothing but sugar

and lollypops are to be found.

to a

"

Tom

and

his wife

the latter, especially

oh,

vast deal of loving-kindness

other

and they were wise

'

pretended how greattoward each presence of other

in the
'

people.

You would have

of Baldwinsville

thought, had you seen them billing and

cooing like a pair of

Turkle Doves

to quote the

'

Bard

that there never

<

was so

true, so perfect a

union as their

and would not

entertained

but that they had been expressly

I

the foundations of the world,

if

fore.

No
c

sooner did they

;

before folks, even after

fell

absencethan they mutuallv

two swains just mated

to kissing and

deari

like
r,

of which

but wise people to grieve.

quite Love's

Phy

>t

methods

and
less

ho most ape love externally, have

private, so great

of

it

withir

a difference

is

there between Behind

Billing

and Before,

in these

matters of the heart

before folks acts as a nauseant upon sensible

men and

and

in

this case it did

upon a

fe

of
miles of

the city of Santa Blarneeo. within a

which Clark lived

Bet
trait,

Clark gave a
< :

Io

long, lingering look at the por-

saying the whiie

Don't I wish
darling,

and

back here again,

my
it

my

pr
:

Lucky for him was

that such could not be

for

had

it

been

THE "WATCHFUL ANGEL.

possible,

25
finely plucked,

actualized, he would have been and

perpetually broiled, and in every not to say roasted, stewed,

way done brown.

ire,

I should be happy,
I'

(meaning Torn), bah

lady bounced upon her feet and kicked the cat and the

by

way

of emphasis.

She
!

'

I can't stand

it,

and I

won't, there! that's flat

tell

I'm

still

young, and people of sense

me

am handsome

at least, good-looking.

I'm certain

the glass does, and no doubt there

gladly link their lot with mine
if

are plenty

who would
!'

he was only dead

And
!

she shuddered as the fearful thought

had

birth.

'

Dead

wish he was accomplish

and true as I
wish
7 !

live, I've

a great good mind to

my

And

again she shuddered.

devil
!

Poor
the horillumin-

woman, she was indeed tempted of the

As
it

rible suggestion flashed across the sea of

her soul,

ed .many a deep chasmal abyss, of whose existence, up to

that

moment

she had been utterly unaware.

soul
is

The human

when
Eye, with myriad snake-

stands bare before

the Eternal

form
it.

abnormal creation, writhing round and near

!

fearful thing
e of
lire

And

Betsey Clark trembled in the

Uncommitted Murder, whose glance of to her heart, and scorched and seared if.
Its flashful
lie;

heat.

illumined

dark caverns of her

fied

soul,

and disclosed to the

gaze of an
pass

being which that instant chanced

ibyssmal deep of Crime-possibility,

to

26
so dense, black

ROSICRUCIAN'S STORY. THE

and
terrible,

that

it

almost shrivelled the

the vision of the peerless citizen of eyeballs and shrouded

the upper courts of Glory.
11

Suddenly the radiant Heaven-born ceased

its flight

through

the azure, looked pityingly earth

and heaven-ward, heaved a

deep and soul-drawn sigh, and stayed awhile to gaze upon

the

Woman and

the

Man.

Long

it

gazed, at
its face,
it

first in
if

sorrow,

but presently a smile passed across

as

a new and

good thought had struck

as if intent

it,

and then

darted off into space,

state

upon discovering a cure for the desperate

'

of things just witnessed.

Did

it

succeed

Wait

awhile

and
"
so

see.

Human nature is a very curious and remarkable institution;

woman
nature, only a great deal

is

more

so

especially
little

that of the California persuasion.

singular that

Still it

was not a

Tom's

wife's

mind should have engendered

(of

Hate and Impatience) the

precise thought that agitated his

identical

own

;it

that very minute

which had just rushed into being from the deeps of his own
spirit

twin monsters,
is

sibilating

'

Murder

I'

in

both their

ears.

" There
gonists,

as close a

sympathy between opposites and

anta-

indeed far greater, than

between similaritiesas

strong attractions between opposing souls as in those fashioned in the same

nizes

mould.

True, this

affirmation

antago-

many
;

notions
it is

among

current philosophies and philoso-

phers

but

true, notwithstanding,

and therefore

so

much

the worse for the philosophers.

"

The same

fearful

thought troubled two souls at the same

HESPER.
time, and each determined to do a
their ever,

27
little

private killing on

own individual and separate accounts.

only the intent existed.

As

yet,

how-

The plans were yet crude,

vague, immature, and only the crime loomed up indistinctly,

like
11

a grim, black mountain through a wintry fog.

The day grew

older

by twelve hours, but when the sun-

set

came, ten years had fastened themselves upon the brows

of both the

Woman

and the

Man

since last they

had parted

at rosy morn.

Bad

thoughts are famous for making

men grow

old before

the weight of years has borne

kle

them earthward.

They wrinand grey

the

brow and bring on decrepitude,

senility

hairs faster

than Time himself can possibly whirl bodies graverolling hours

ward.

The
evil

and the

circling years are less swift

than

thoughts of

evil doing.
;

Right doing, innocence,

and well-wishing make us young

youth, vivacity, and

bad thoughts rob us of

Let us turn to Mr. and

manhood

Mrs. Thomas
U
I

W.

Night was on the mountain,

Darkness
in the valley,

And

only stars could guide

r^lly.'

them now

In the doubtful

" There was a star hung out in the sky, and she had already determined to watch their destinies with what success and
;

be apparent before finishing

my

story,
in

which
another.

is

true in one sense,

if

not precisely

28

the rosicrucian's story.

set,

The sun had

blessed

and slowly the moon was uprising

moon

God's Left Eye, wherewith

He

at night oversolitary

looketh the thoughts and deeds of solitary

men and

women
are,

for only such are capable of crime

live

those only

who

and

alone

and

many such

there be, even at their

families,

own

firesides,

surrounded by their

own

own
who

flesh

own blood

fathers, mothers, wives (as times go),

.

husbands
exist

(as they are conventionally called)

in dreadful solitudes in the
live

Many

there be

very midst of
life,

human crowds

who
to

alone and pass through

from the cradle to the grave,

perfect strangers, perfect hermits, wholly unknowing, totally

unknown,
be here

like interlopers

on the globe, whose very right

Friends, I have seen

all

the world disputes.

?

many

suchhave you
insulars in the

These lonely people, these exotics, these

busy haunts of

menthe
;

teeming; hives of &

the

commerce alone

in earth's well-paced

market-townsin
and they are

very saturnalia of Trade's gala days

pitied,

to be
filled

because they

all

have human, yearning hearts,

;

to the brim with great strangling sorrows

and they have

high and holy aspirations, only that the world chokes them

downcrushes

out

the pure,
;

sweet

life

God gave
Yes

them.

These are the Unloved ones

yet ought not to be, for are

?
!

they not somebody's sons and daughters

Then they
all is

have rights

and the

first,

greatest, highest right of

the

right of being

lovedloved by
what we

the people of the

landour
;

world-cousins, for
to

do, are doiug, or

have done

and

be loved, for the sake of the dear soul within, by somebody else's son or daughter.

WHAT WE

ALL DEMAND

29
day, will so, one

Rosicmcian Order So think we of the

think the world."

At

this point of the

Rosicrucian's

narrative,
:

Captain

him with his auditory, interrupted Jones, one of had been dead, Rosicrucian system thought the

Why,

buried,

two centuries ago." and forgotten

:

He

replied

"

The

false

pseudo-Rosicrucian system has or

is

ceased to be.

Truth herself

deathless.
*

I cannot

now

stop

concerning the revived system to explain what interests you

of Rosicrucianism.

You

will

now

please to allow

me

to pro:

ceed with

my

story," said he,

and then resumed, saying

" I repeat that only those

loving, are they
feelings driven

who

live

alone, unloved, unall their

who, becoming morbid, having

daily,

kindly

back upon themselves,

hourly eating up

their

own

hearts

and other

brooding over misfortunes at length

their wrongs, their social

engender crime,

if

not

against their fellow-men, then against themselves.

" Oh, for something to love, and be loved by,

tle

if

but a

lit-

pet dog

The unloved ever are wrecked, the unloving

It
is

reck others.
brut

sweet to be loved by even a

dumb

But, ah,

how

inexpressibly,

how

infinitely better to

be endeared for yourself alone !-for your integral wealth of soul-by a Man, a full, true Man; by a Woman,

full,

push-

ing-hearted

Woman

or,

sweeter, dearer

still,

a child

some

glorious hero of a hobbyhorse,

some

kitten-torturino-

Ah, what a chord to touch

dear
little

am

very fond of child

_
&*"5

Godlings of the

fect.00 -truly, are too full

Those who reciprocate a f. of God to keep a devil's loddn

Age,

32
being wafted
brink of Time

story bosicrucian's THE

and mystic strange
the farther

murder rankling thoughts of eaeh with tirea to bed, tir ed lay with throbbut they " poken, word a worn <* =r Hot hearts. night, through upon the gazing out bing pulses, sash was down whose upper bed,
'

Thomas W. reMr. and Mrs. down and ju. down, ana had come Night in the,

TV

dow

of the

* gi; olup& 6
all s tra J

the highways of that skirt starry lamps

-

placed there of safety the sky, beacons

to

recall

and guide

wandering souls and

silently

back on

their

way

to

Heaven

and they
"

looked at the

twinkled and they

shimmered

in the azure.

ghastly thoughts strange, horrible, stars shone, and The get sick, and Tom might and the man agitated the woman with a little to feed him Isn't it possible ! die

he might

caught at it ? poison, and not get some other sort of free-free as the I shall be He, once dead, t is I think

happy as the birds and

Is
ally, of
it

Happy

Think of
cliff, accident-

Betsey over the possible to push not misery to myself of her and and thus rid

gether, and forever

Forever

Picture

it

And

thus

precious immortal the night wore on, two they lay as

with rank Murder

"

for a bed-fellow.

At

of an hour's cogitation, the end

had reached both

their wishes into desperate resolution to carry the

attempt the fearful crime. and

"accident

1'

Come

profoundest gloom down in tby

radiant firefly's light, Without one

thine ebon arch Beneath

entomb
Night

the gaze of Heaven, Earth from

must be done, A deed of darkness * moon, roll back the sun.' Put out the

" Betsey was to

of
coffee.

'

season'

Tom's

coffee

he was very fond

Tom was

to a ride in a one-horse to treat Betsey

shay,
all

and topple the

shay, horse,

and Mrs. Thomas

W.

over a most convenient and except his mother's only son

little precipice, a trifle over four inviting

hundred

feet deep,

with boulders at the

leaves

bottom rather thicker than autumn and a good deal harder.

'

in Vallambrossa,

All this

was to

be the result of

accident,'

and

'

inscrutible Provi-

dence,' as a
1

matter of course.

Afterwards he was to buy a

bury what was
left

slashing suit' of mourning,

style, erect

of her in

grand
that

fine

headstone of marble, announcing

" The Lord gave, and the Lord took away,

'

Blessed be the

name of

the Lord

!'

an inscription
cases
1

many a spouse would

like to

read in their

own

a
1

rn

The proposed locality of the

fall

of

woman

'

luckily' lay

right on the

road between their house and Santa Blarneeo.

'

Each thought,
upon which I
that
it

may

not be able to achieve the exploit

am

bent, but one thing is certain,

which

is
w

shall not fail for

want of

trying.

Once

fairly

accom-

34

eosiokuoian's stoey. the

for

comes, and then plished, freedom thought the man. woman so thought the
;

a high old time V

So

NHit

has various and

strange influences,

which are

alto-

gether "unknown

to the day.

The Magi, on the

plains of

Egypt, and the whole an. astrologers of early Chaldea, the the power of the astral duly acknowledged cient world
bodies.

the

soul-expanding

Bulwer's Zanoni' hinges on whole interest of The of a star upon Clarence potentiality
'

Rosicrucian story. Inheroes of that one of the Glyndon, the neophyte of last august fraternity, from deed, the whole down to Appolonius of Henri More,

week to Ross and

through the Ages Tyanse, and away

to Thothmes, and
still

down
away

beyond

all

dynasties to Zytos, and the Egyptian

Eras, we know, held heart of the Pre-Adamite into the very and if the historian of doctrines concerning stars strange not mistaken, our Bro great Mirandolo, be the Order, the the nature of tho the key that reveals therhood possesses
;

starry influences,

and how they may

I

be gained.

Of my own

knowled
not

refor

am

but

therefore do in the fifth degree,

know

Destinies in the mysteriesthere are all these

stars.

the star known on this particular night, Well,

she of the pale mild eye, Hesper,

was

straight into looking

it

lay the precious pair, and the room where

shone through

the

little

window
little

at the foot of the bed.

The

night was

sultry a
the upper

window summer was in Remember sash was down.

ascendantand the
this,

upper sash the

down

And

and a very strange strange thing occurred,

was down upper sash "the

sterious thing. my

35
had been

Just as

Tom

and his wife Clark

feed
if

into a sort of

restless

gazing at the sleep from

dreamless sleet but

uneasy, disturbed star an

a heavy, thick

and murky

floated off a stagcloud just

a pestilent, upon the house there descended nant marsh, and it roof and about the and it gathered over slimy mist,
;

entered

heavily, into

coming through the chamber,

that

little

the foot of the bed. window at

mist,

a thick, dense, iron-greyish "It was

approaching

positive color,

turgid redness, not a only that there was a sort of blackness, over the depths of hell, but as if it had floated
its

and caught a portion of

infernal luminosity.
;

And
it

it

was

thick and dark, and dense and very heavy

rolled,
into

and

swept and

and poured into the room

in thick,

voluminous masses

the very room, and about the couch where tossed in

uneasy slumber the

woman and

the man.

And

it

filled
;

the
its

apartment, and hung like a pall about their couch

fetor oppressed their senses
thick,
;

and

and

it

made

their breath

come
was

and
!

difficult,

and wheezing from their lungs.

breath mingled
it

It

dreadful

And

their

with the

strange
life,

vapor, apparently endowing

sort of semi-sentience
ful
;

with a kind of horrid

it

and gave

a very peculiar and fear-

movement

orderly,

systematic, gyratory, pulsing

move-

ment the

quick, sharp breath of the

woman, the deep and

heavy breath of the man.

And

it

had come through the

upper sash was dowh.

window at the foot of the bed,

11

for the

Slowly, and with regular, spiracular,

wavy motion, with

of the calm Pacific

gentle undulations, like the

measured

roll

31
Sea, the gentle <ea

KOSICRUCIA>s

STORY.
toward
!

on which
I

am
grand

mids

and my Cora

years old, and so pretty

!

Pyram

Is

years old, and ten thousand

sea did the cloud that
cl

Like the wave*

of

begin to

move

gyrally around the

walls, but

hanging to the curtains, dinging to the tmber,

if

as

dreading the
hi
it

m
I

orilight. carefully

avoiding the window

through u
the
I

com*
r

the

little

window

at

the foot of

wh(
very
i

upi

sash
tin*

lown.

-)0<-m,

cloud comiii need

to condei e

chan

axis of

in

nt,

and
it

into a large globe of

iron-hn
t
fl

nebulae;
thus,
slee]

lid

b
lil

m
I
a

contrary peTOlution; and

dreadful
r
<1

a:

and swam

tiny over

nnconsciou

on the bed,

which

it

moi

to
in

tin

w(

'

D Bide

of the room, and bee

\

nearly stationary
it

an

angle of the

ill,

where for a while

.

stood or floated,
,

silent,

appalling, almost motionl<

changed
it

still.

" At th

ml of about six minutes

a

moved

again, and

in

a very short time

of a gigantic

sumed the grot

but unmistakable outline

human form

an

outline horrible, black as night

a frowning

human form human

cut not

sharply from the vapor,

but

still

distinctly

in its shapeness

but very
And

imperfect,

except the head, which was too frightfully complete to leave

even a lingering doubt but that some black and hideous

devilry

was at work

in that little
;

chamber.

the head
terribl-

was infamous,

horrible, gorgonic

and

its

glare

was

infernal, blasting,

ghastly

perfectly withering in

its expres*

ion, proportions and aspect.

The

thi

g,

this pestilent

thing

bearded with the

IT

WAS

HUMAN
coarse, grey of

37
Its

a tangled mass Bemblance of

hair

was as a serried
-uakes

venom-laden, poisonof thin, long,

distilling

The

and brows were mouth, chin

ghastly,
fied

and

its

were those of snnken cheeks

1
flat

Famine

The

face

and broad,

its lips

the lips of

nate hate and lost

blue of
<

combined

Its

was the greenish color

q
m

b
.f

on a rammer
a
1

suffused with the battle-field,

,

angrj
fc
centr
hi.

mon's

spil

while

its

eyes

God
was

q
f

-for

thei

that one in the very ma* but one, and

between the nose and br

a:
I

hot

purple,

with infernal light, and

than fiendish malignance upon the glamored down with more

woman and

the man.

\ thing about this Thing

was

clearly cut

or denned,

except the head

wo

incomplete

It

its

hideous, horrible head.

I OtherwiseMt
It

a sort of spectral Formlessness

unfinished, as
it

was the awful crime-thought that had brought

im

being.
it

was on one

side apparently a male,

;

on the
it

other

looked like a female

but, taken as a whole,

was

neither
it
r

man

nor woman,

it

was neither brute nor human, but

w as a monster and a ghoul

born on earth
dark
;

of

human
streets,

pa-

rents.

There are many such things stalking our

and

invisibly presiding over festal scenes, in

cellars,

by the

lamp, in the cabinet

and camp

and many such are daily

peering

down upon

the white paper on the desks where sit

grave and solemn Ministers of State, who, for Ambition's

sake and greed of gold, play with an Empire's destiny as
children do with toys,

and who, with the stroke of a pen,

38

THE ROSICRUCIAn's STORY.

armies to bloody consign vast

hosts,

gravesbrave men, g orioQg

l

back while victory kept

is

possible kept back

in front of his

till

the

foeman has dug

their graves just

impenetrable ramparts walls and

and then
Do you

own

stone
to

sent forward

ground with human blood. glut the

ters of State
?

hear me, Mini

regard

mean you

you who

practically

men's lives as boys regard the

minnows of a brook.
murder by the

in

you who

sit in

high places, and do

wholesal

you who treat the

men

as half foes, half friends, tenderly

men whose hands are griped WJth the iron grip

around the Nation's throat
hear
?

of death

the
life

Nation's throat
that

do

yon

and crushing
it.

out the

God and

our

fathers

gave

Remember

Milliken's

Bend, Port Hudson

Fort

Wagner, and the Black Heroes of the war

Black, too, but the bravest of the brave
heroes ought

Noble men
as

yet treated not

to

be.

Forget not

Fredericksburg! and

bear in mind that this gorgon of your

quit you,
will hiss
its

own

creation

will not

day or night

not even on your dying

*

day, when it
V-

into your ears,

slime will fall

Father, behold, embrace me

as

and

#pon and choke you,

you

have

choked our country.

And

the sheeted ghosts of six hundred

up-

thousand heroes, slaughtered by a whim, will mournfully

braid,

and perhaps forgive you. Will

blue with

the weeping widows

with
half-

and the countless orphanspale, blue-cast women, pale

grief,

want

orphans, poor
forgive

little ?

shrivelled,

starved

orphans will they

?

you

will
? ?

your

will the

Eternal

God

of

Heaven

sacrifice these

six

hundred thousand men

Why did Why did

yoo yon

SIX

DEAD MEN HUNDRED THOUSAND

the hands of
best

39
hundred
fight for

guns and swords in put your

thousand

who had God's

Liberty and their

gifts to

and

Black men

Freedom-nerved, God-inspired brave, strong-hearted, brawny,

black

No
don't

Hack man

yet ever sold his country

Why
grudge

don't you first

remove

their disabilities her

North

Why
of

you bid them

of other free

and be men?

Why
the

freemen the pay

men

the bounty, the pension

other heroes of the same rank

Do

this, let

Negro

concede his manhood, and appreciate his understand that you

prowess
;

let

him once

know

that you are grateful for all he

it

does for the country,

and proclaim

to the world, and Black

men

will flock to

your standard, not only from your

own soil,
exist.

but from every spot on earth where civilized black

men
its

" See, yonder

there stands

is

plain,

miles in extent.

In

centre

an obelisk.

Go, Ministers of State, and plant

on

its

top a banner, upon which shall be emblazoned this

1

magic sentence
cial,

Freedom

Personal,

Political,

and So-

to the

Black

man

and

protection of his Rights forit

ever,'

and there

will

be more magnetic power in

than in

ten thousand Ministers, with their little

whims

ten thou-

sand

'

Fancy Generals,' with

their

'

pretty

little

games/

and such would be History's record when she handed you

down
have"

the ages.

If

you would

live

in the sacred page,

and

your names shine brightly, act, act at once, cut the cords

that

now bind

the Black man.

!

Say to him

'

Come

as a

man, not as a chattel and Victory

!

Come with me

to Enfranchisement
1'

Let us save the Nation

1

and the

swift-

'

4:0

THE EOSICEUCfAN

S STORY.

winged winds will bear the sound from

pole to pel
floa

fron

I
t

to sea, and from continent, island, and

hills, valleys,

n.

and mountains, from

hut,

hoTel, ami
t,

swamps,

will

come a vast and

;

fearful he

in

nn
r

unto the leaves of the forest

and they

will g.

plain around that obelisk, rallying around

before their victorious

march Rebellion
and
if

will e

as
1

walls before the storm of

Franc
tl

or

or Austria, or

all,

combine against

them
it

out of the battle, nevermore to enter

<<

again.
it,

This
!

is

possible destiny

Think of

State

"

And

so the fe rful spectre in

Tom

Clark's
I

II

then and there

had been civat

fa >hioncd
life

by
their
}

wicked thou

ht a
its

creature

b\

human wa*

and drawing

vitality

from their

and

ilxs

cii

soul from out the y

beating human two

heart
rea

T
of

me Dot
a
1

th

am

painting a picture, limning

I

th

di

rted fancy.
ju
t

know

better,

you know

betl

just such m< u h hideous creatures,

j,

moi
r

view],
\\\

daily,

up and down

the crowd

Santa
ai
I

o,

up and down

streets of th the

City
in

Puritanic Boston
Ivania

but there

ds of

Penu

Ay

nue,

wear phantom and they

op

,1

their spectral shoulders

You

and

K>" tha

'

'?*

such and other

"'Monstr
Fr

horrid thin

that creep

out a slimy a^a,'

minutes after." "ten

the
i

landbut

principally in

high places begot

I

and lust of Gold of Treason Soon the lips began to move

I am I am hungry
yet
!

it

spoke

'

Father
!

mo
feed
1

ther

weak
;

be quick

make me strong

me

streams great give me bloodhot

is

gouts of blood

It
;

well.
!

Kill, poison, die

!'

it

is

well
||

Ha

ha

It is well

ho

ho

then the Thing began to and

dissolve into

mist, until at last only the filmy

weight of

its

presence

was

felt,

for it floated invisibly

but heavily through

its soli-

the fiery gleam of except the gleam the room, and,

tary

eyenothing

else of it

was
it

discernible.

"Ten

minutes elapsed after

had found

voice, for

and faded

away, when

a fleecy cloud that suddenly

had

some time

direction of Hesper, shutting the sky in the past obscured

and permitted her beams smiles, broke away, out her silvery enter the chamber and the moon to once more
and those of
flood
it

with a sheeted silver

glorythe room where

still

still

lingered

hateful Thing, and where the

slept the

woman
sigh-

and the man.

" Simultaneously with this auspicious event there

came

musical notes of such a song as over the landscape, the ing the wastes like the mystical seraphs sing came over only often while sailing on the that I have heard at sunset bells have heard and marvelled mystical bells which thousands Nile bellsbells, however, not bells, church

atsoft

bells, silvery

them chimin 5 by human hands. believe they are rung by arid sands, and I Egypt's yellow,
I have often heard
other side of Time. ansel hands on the

And

such a sound,

42
only sweeter,

the rosicrucian's story

came
floating o'er the lea,

and through

the

still

air into the little

chamber.

Was

it

call to the angels to sinful souls of

fro

join in

prayermidnight prayer, for the

came.

men

But

it

Low

it

was, and clear

pure

it

was, and

full

ii,vi

of saintly pity, like unto the dying cadence of the prayer

that

I I

B t,
t

was prayed by the Sufferer on the stony heights of Calvary

that same Calvary where I

have stood within a

year, 'mioV

devout lovers of their Lord, and the jeering scoffs of Mussul-

mans

And

the music

came

tin

so sweetly, as

if

'twould melt
3

the stony heart of Crime itself.

And
there

it

proclaimed

itself the

tvi
!l

of another act of the eventful

drama then and

!

there
rises.

>

performing.

And

see
!

look

the

curtain

I I

lik

Woman, Man,
Gaze
see,

behold

Alas

they slumber

insensibly on.
it is

gn
th

steadily at that
is

upper sash

above
it

for

down

the clear space

it is

again obscured by a cloud

but

this

time

one of

silver, lined

with burnished gold, and

flecked

th

and edged with amethyst and purple.

is

Look

again

What
glorious

d
fr<

that at the

window?

It

is

a visible music a
clear,

sheet of silvery vapor,

angel's conscience
!

bright,
is

and

glittering as an
of

tr

It

a broad and glowing mantle

rose-blushes,

re
1
1

woven gossamer,
with star-beams
;

suffused with

and

sprinkled

and

it

flows through the space, and streams

light,

U"

into the chamber, bathing all things in holy tremulous

soft,

o
|
tl

sweet, balmy,

and pure as the tears of virgin

!

innocence
such a
out
the
I

weeping for the early dead

That

light

It

was just

ght as beamed from your eyes,

Woman

beamed from
first fell

our soul, when, after your agony, your eye

i'gel

upon

you had borne the man-child

whom God

gave to your


43

MY WINNIE
heart a
little

while ago

as flashed fitfully just such a light

cradle,

from your

soul,

aud

fell

upou the

father of the stroug

;

heart, wherein the little and hopeful

light

stranger lay

just such

strange,

your eyes, in pride, as beamed from bent over her languishing prophecies, as you deep

aud hope, and

to her dear woman's pressing her first-born forin,Yeartfully kindly, lovingly down you looked so tenderly, bosom, when true heart beating for eyes into her spirit the through her folded, arms confolded contentedly

you and

it,

beneath

tented, too,

through

all

the deep anguish, such,

O man,
light
!

as only

and a mother can undergo. a woman

like

That

It

was

that which

fell

babe she had given you, and the upon the

first

Man-wanting worldgiven great

then to

for its

coming

uses,

and

Him who

doeth

all

things very

wellwell, even when

He

part of our souls away, and transplants taketh the best

the slips in

His eternal

and

infinite
;

gardeus, across the deep

dark gulfs that hide the dead

just such a light as gleamed

felt

from her eyes and thine own, when your hearts

trustful

calm and

once more, after the

greart,

deep grief billows had

rolled
little
little,

over them

while on earth

cooing Winnie

grief for the loss of one

all

who

stayed but

p.

too coarse and rough for her

some
off,

like

mine

whose

soul nestles afar

on His breast, in the blue sky, and whose body they laid in
the cold grave, there in Utica, after they
starve, perish sadly for

he

had

let her

want of proper food and medicine,

while I

was on the deep

winsome Winnie
!

child of

my soul,

gone, lost, but not forever

little

just such a light played in tha*

room as streams from angel eyes when

God

takes

bad

44

STORY KOSICRUCIAN'S THE

a,

Sandalphon, the beautiful Azrael and the hands of at

things you had learned to love too Prayer, the Death and of of and all true human duty. But of God ll_to forgetfulness

we

they will

what they took give back

they will give back

all,

mor
these

in the clear

a brighter and a purer day, sunshine of

!

than

ones of ours irthly

the light

And

through and into the streamed

>

cham-

ber where lay

1

woman and the man the

y
obj e ct

and

radiated
luminsad-

d bathed
and
it

a crystalline

carried a sadness

itjust

such a

v
;

fed when parti

felt

from those who love

parted from
,
,

us very

well
s

as I

on the day I

Brother of my
ocean

ul
r.

hen

we parted

at the

proud

ship's

side the

destined to bear

me

steaming seas to Egypt's over the

with
it like

hoary shrines.

It bore a sadness

unto that which

up from

my
its

the fountains of friendshipsoul, tapping

ami tears upon

the Golden

way,

in

the memorable hour wherein

left
dis-

Gat

and began

my

perilous journey to the

seas.

tant Orient

across the

bounding

What

an hour
sorrowing

tit wherein our bodies move away, but leave our

souls behind
<<

Well, a holy light, sadness-bearing light, like this

d on the bodies of the sleeping pair.

At

first, this silvery

radiance filled the room,

c

vapor began and then the fleecy

it

to

lense slowly.

Presently

a rich and formed into

opal-

cent cloud-column,

a large which speedily chan| ed into

obe, winged, radiant

and

beautiful.

there apGradually

peared in the centre of this spot, momenglobe a luminous

HKSPERINA.
brilliance, until it intensifying its tarily
sun, or as the tiny
scintilla*

45
became
like

unto a
all

of a rare

diamond when

the

lamps are brightly

shining.

Slowly, steadily,

the change

on in this magic went

globe, until there crystal

appeared

whose outlines bediminutive figure of a female, within it the at the end of a few as time passed on, until, came more clear fully revealed and figure was perfect, and stood
minutes, the

about eighteen inches high, complete

l

and lovely ah, how

ove ly

that figure

it

was more than

woman iswas

all

she

may becomepetite,
;

absolutely perfect in form, feature but

and expression

love-glow radiating from and there was a

to subdue the heart of Sin her presence sufficiently melting

itself,

though robed

in

Nova Zembla's

icy shroud.

Her eyes

ah,

were softer than the down upon a her eyes !they

breast
; !

ring-dove's

not

electric,

not

magnetic

such

are

human eyes
thing more,

and she was not of

this

earththey were some-

and higher

they were
hair

tearful, anxious, solicitous,

hopeful, tender,

beaming with that snowy love which blessed

immortals feel

Her

was

loose,

and hung

in

flowing

waves adown her pearly neck and shoulders.

and shoulders
blossoms,
is
!

Such a neck
orange

polished

alabaster,
;

dashed with
it

a very poor comparison

would be better to

say that they resembled petrified light, tinted with the

ing blush of roses
ished,

morn-

Around her brow was a coronet

;

of burn-

rainbow hues

or rather the resplendent tints of polar-

ized light.

In

its

centre

was the

insignia of the

Supreme

Temple of the Rosie Cross *a

censer

circle inclosing a triangle

on one

side,

an anchor fouled on the other, the centre-

16

THE

K0SICKTJC1A N 'S bTOKY.

winged globe, piece being a

ai
I

surmounted
of the Order,
'

the sacred
<

trine

at

based by the

Try/

the

wk

.3

lay

with the blazon, being arched

Rosicrucia/

To

attempt] I

im u

lescription of this peerless fay,

n uiness

on uiy

part, would be

chin, her

mouth, her bust, her

the essay
I

g
lip

Ko!
equal

to
task a century
it

make

may be

at

from

this,

but

am

not equal
t

now.
il

1
and thus stood the crowned beauty
with looks of pity upon the
;

There, then,

of the

wa

Night, gazin g

dow

for

occupants of that humble couch

actions they
tion and

for during all these

trans-

had been asleep.

She stood
;

there, the realiza-

tn

embodiment of Light

and

there, directly facing

hateful, scowling
the

her, glowered,

and floated the eye of that

scowling

frowning Thing

with malignant joy upon

:

woman and
the Light.
the scene
t

the man.

Thus stood the Shadow

thus stood

11

But soon there came a change

for

o'er the spirit of

occurrence took

of a cha
;

s
for

quite as remarkable as either of those already recounted

in

a very short time after the

two Mysteries had

assumed

their relative positions,

there

came through the window

the

same

little

window

at the foot of the bed

tall

the

tall
it

and

stately figure of a
light

man a

and regal

figure, but

was

and airy

buoyant as a summer
man, but not
it

pillowed on the cloud

air the

figure of a

solid, for it

was

translucent
as a

as the pearly
lofty

dew, radiant as the noontide sun, majestic

mountain when

wears a snowy crown

the royal

form of a man, but evidently not a ghost, or wraith, or a

OTANKfJII.
earth, or of ft days, or of this of these
ilap

17

up

<>*

fog
al
;

He

more than was something

man

"pra-

a bright and

starry land of glorious citizn, of a

n.

beheld, once upon whose pairs I glory, Roaicruciaaa * of a lineage

time,

when Lara
wot
of,

bade

iy

(lwcllc

a wondrous
the finest
ly

city, afar

off, real,

actual

gates
.

pearlso bright and

fi

beautiful are they.

The stat

jure

advanced midof
~

of the room, way

until

he occupied
li
)->

the female shadowy Tl formed by the his hand, in which wa, thru he waved and bed

lire,

and
B Btaff

'lie

truncheon
saying
:

^cd

at

top

and

and

hr

pake

I.

Ot

G
Pi
th<
it

of the

Tempi

Lord

of the Dome, am sent hither Hour and servant

to thee

O
and

H
I

of the

f;

to

the

Shadow, and to

poor

blind gTO]

am

to pi

dm
him

that
If

man
atom

ei

r
trei

th

R
b
in

or

Redemption
11

through
If

thened
I'

Love of
bility as

on

lit

heth

either

Pole of
arm.
n
t
I,

he,

fairly

warced, and therefore

fully

elect

Poor, weak
j

man
Mi
ri<
t

a
i<r

giant,

knowing

Ins

own

tremendous

er

both of Circnmstani
to

and the
lut

World

yet

the

slave

either

w
t

ik.

onty
ii

gh ignorance
life's

of himself

for ver

and

r failin.
1
1

great race through Blenderneas of Porj

of \\
Vii
'
i

thr

feeblem

n
*

virtu

which com

no

13

^g

THE KOSICKUCIAn's STORY

that comes not of will and aspiration. of Principle within

abstinence from wrong That
external pressure from
fear
is

not virtue which

of

results

may
in-

effect

It

is

false

of what the speech which that

!

th
j

virtue

requires bol

r-

or propping up, and

I

falls

when

left to try its strength

not
I

alone

Vice

is

not

vice,
is

but weakness, that springs

effect

from within
vice
is

which
it

u NV

the

of applied force.

Real

that which leaves sad

marks upon the

soul's escutchor

eon which the waters of an eternity

may

not lave away

wa
and

out
is

and

comes of settled purpose

of Will.

from
has

within,
n
r I

lie

thing

The

virtue

that

known temptation

and withstood
Be
!

it,

counts but
is

little in the

^
,,

great Ledger of the 1fet to

True virtue
!

good

resolve,
is

bettor thinking, and action best of all

half completed

That man

but
are

whom
dom

the world has wholly made.

fail

They

never truly

made who

to

make themselves

Mankind

are

I j

not of the kin

of the Shadow, nor of the glorious realm

Of Light, but are born,

move

along, and find their high*

is

retopment
tho

in the

path which

bounded on

either side by

wo

eternal Diversities
:

the Light upon this side

the

uadow upon that

"
'

The road

to

man and womanhood

lies in

the

mean

Discontent on either side

happiness between.'
of Sorrow
r
l

"

'

Life

is

a triangle, and
;

it

may be composed
Wisdom,

Crime, Mfeery
peer]
a

or

piration,

ppiness.

Hesperina, are the lessons I

am
lc

sent to
s,

b
01

Thou

irt

here to save

two

souls,

not from

assayings

THE ROAD TO HEAVEN.

assoilings

49

from without, but from the things engendered of

morbid thought
th

monstrous
the flowers

things bred in the cellars of

the
man

cesspools of the spirit

crime-caverns where

Moral newts and toads, unsightly things

ever devouring

and hungry, are

that spring

up

in

the

heart-

gardens of

pretty flowers, wild

but which double and

and
wills

enhance in beautv and aroma from

care.
;

We

are present

is

to

waken the

of yonder pair

thou to arouse a healthy purpose

and a normal action

and the Shadow

here to drag them to Perdition.

Man
upon

cannot reach Heaven save by fearlessly breasting the waves

of Hell
the
!

Listen
the

Thou mayest not

act

directly
effect
!

but are at liberty to

thy

pose through the instrumentality of

Dream

And

thou/

addressing the Thing,

'

thou grim Shadow

monstrous offspring of man's

Angel begetting thou

of Crime

who

art

permitted to exist, art also allowed to flourish and batten on

human hear
frustrate thee

may
it

prevent thee
is

penly

for thus

decreed.

Thou must do thy

work.
but

Go

thou art

free

and unfettered.

Do

thy worst

I forbid

thee to appear as thou really art

before

their

wakin

thy horrible
blind, or hurl

should strike

dumb and
Begone
!

Will and Reason from their thrones.

To

thy labor, foul Thing, and do thy work also

through the powerful instrumentality of

11

Dream

!'

Thus spoke the genius of the Order and the Hour

turning

and

then,

him toward the couch, he

and outstretched arms
:

said,
'

y<

mint

with tearful mien

Mortals, hear

50

THE EOSICKUCIAJST
in thy

STORY.

me

slumber

let

thy

but not thy

senses, hour

and understand.
of Rosicrucia,
I

Behold, I touch thee with this magic wand

it

and with

wake thy

sleeping wills thus do

Per-

endow thee with the elements, Attention, Aspiration,

sistence
will

the

seeds of

Power

of resistless Might, which,

if

such be thy choice, enable thee to realize a moral

fortress,

capable of defying the combined

assaults of

all

the enginery Circumstance can bring to bear against thee.

The

citadel is Will.

Intrenched within

it,

thou

art

safe.

But beware of turning thy assaulting power against

selves.

thyit

Will, normal, ever produceth

to the

Good
!

Abnormal,

hurls thee

Bad

Remember

Wake

not to the

external
in

life,

but in thy slumber seize on the word I whisper

;

thine

ears

it

is

a magic word
seal

more potent than the

the Chaldean's

a mighty of Solomon more powerful

it

talisman,

than

waud

but

is

potential for
sely used.

ill

as

foi

Good.

See

to*
,?
!

therefore, that

The word

" TRY
it

As thou
I

shalt avail thyselves of its power, so be

unto thee.

now

leave thee to thy fate, and the fortunes

that

may

befall thee.
;

Two dreams
God

each shalt thou have

the

this night

one of them shall be overruled by thy goodhelp thee

!

other by thy evil genius.

in

Farewell

!'

and

another instant, the

tall

and stately

figure passed through

;

the moonlight out

upon the deep bosom of the Night

and

he

fl

ted,

accompanied by the same soft music heard

the blue

before,

w&j
id

off into
\y

empyrean

and he passed through

the

the little

window

bed, whose at the foot of the

upper sash was down.

THE MAGIC SPELL.

Dream
And
From, "
The>

Hosie Cross," an unpublished

P. B.

Poem oy

Randolph.

"

was scarcely gone from the chamber ere The regal being

Hesperina and the

visible,

Shadow

which

had once more become

approached the sleeping pair

the

drew nigh

unto the

woman and

man

and the Pay gently breathed upon

a magnetic rapport between her-

their heads, as if to establish

self

and them.

She then calmly took her stand near the

her
still

bedside,
beautiful

and folded her beautiful

more

bosom, and awaited the action of the tempter.

She

had not long to wait, for straightway the Black Presence

advanced, and hovered
over them, glaring
pire

over

bed

hovered
spirit

scowlingly

down

into their souls, as doth the

vam-

upon the

man

she would destroy

the

of
1

Wrong
Such

peering wistfully at all beautiful things,

and true

was the posture of

affairs

and thus they remained

until the

Thing had also established some sort of connection with the 8; It soon became evident, from their re. nervous, uneasy
51

52
and
the mystic

THE ROSICRUCIAN

STORY.

postures, that the twain

were rapidly
from

that divide

D
the

were just entering the misty mid-reg land that they

the monstrous It, ruling the hour, and Shadow, the Thing,

through the strange realm guiding them

" ' That
lieth sublime,

out of Space and out of Time.'

The man who

says that dreams are figments

fool
eflife

nightly experiences are, in their subsequent Half of our

fects

upon

us,

far

more

real

and

positive

than our

daily

of wakefulness

Dreams

are, as

a general thin
of this sapient

instances, sneered at

by the
hold,

Events

of

Rosicrucia

are pre-acted
is

other

spheres of being.

Prophetic dreaming

no new

thing.
life

Cir
that
in

cumstances are constantlv

the outer

have been pre-viewed in Dream-land.

Recently, while

acquainted with a famous DongoConstantinople, I became

lese negro,

near the Grand

Mosque

Sophia, in one of of St.

the narrow streets on the

left,

the square from as you enter

toward the

first

bridge,

and

this

man

had reduced the

;

inter-

pretation of dreams to a science almost

and many a long

hour have I rapidly driven the pen, in the work of recording

what was translated to me

from Donarolese and Arabic

lips,

into

Turkish and English, from his

obtaining

in this

way

not

merely the principles upon which his art was

also

founded, but

twenty-nine hundred explicit interpretations of about

different

dreams.

FEARFUL AND FATAL CATASTROPHE.

n THE DREAM OF THOMAS W.
"

53

Tom

Clark was dreaming

and, lo

great changes had

taken place in the fortunes of the sleeping man.

No

long

toiler at

the anvil or the plow, he

therefore

had become a

rich and,

as times go,

an honored man

honored

by the

crowd which, as a general thing, sees the most virtue in the

heaviest sack of dollars.

"

The wealth of Mr. Thomas

and myster
;

W.

had come to him

in a

very

idower

he had become a

for Mrs.

Thomas was dead, poor woman, having

met her
fate

>me time previously

accident.

through a very melancholy

Daily Truth-Teller/ of

An
all

from the

Santa Blarneeo
in his

a copy of which paper

Tom

Clark carried

pocket

the time, and which pocket I shall take the

liberty of picking of the journal aforesaid,

will tell the

and of quoting,
it,

storysad story but not the whole of

quite

11
'

Fearful and Fatal Catastrophe

and very profound

We

learn with

deep, sincere,
fearful

regret, that another of those

calamities,

which no human prudence can guard

no foresight prevent, has just occurred, and by means of which a most estimable woman, an exemplary and
against,

loving

wife,

son,

an excellent Christian, firm friend, and esteemed perhas been suddenly cut off in her prime, and sent

prema-

turely to her final account.

s

It appears that the late

heavy

have rendered
impassable,

all

the roads leading from Santa Blarneeo

rifts,

ly

by reason of the

rocks, boulders

and

54
slides

THE ROSICKUCIAN

STORY.

dangerous and slippery claywhich they of clayvery

the case along the this
road, and

have occasioned
Especially
is

cliff

particularly where

the side of the Bayl skirts

Gulch

Of

late it

exceedingly unsafe to pass that has been

way

in

broad daylight,

and much more

so after dark.
Ellet,

"At
what

yesterday morning, as Mr. about ten o'clock

passing that road, along the brink of the Ranchero, was Scott ravine, his horse shied at the known
is

objects

which proved to be a man's hat and the path,

on the very edge of the precipice shawl,

fall

like four hundred feet. of something

if

It immediately oc-

curred to Farmer Ellet, that

the
cliff,

anybody had tumbled over

it

a great probability that whoever that there was

was must

hurt, if nothing more, by the have been considerably

he well remembered had time they reached the bottom, as

been the case with a yoke
the same spot some
killed,

of steers of his that

had run

off at

years before,

and both of which were

So, at least, he

very dead, indeed, by

the accident.

informed our reporter,

graphically.

who took down

the statement phono-

the remains of a horse Mr. Ellet discovered

of the ravine,

and buggy at the bottom

left,

and at a

little to

the

about ten feet

he had, by a miradown the bank, where

over, Mr. Ellet found
hurt, but
still

cle,

been thrown when the horse went

the insensible
breathing.
trees

body of a man, desperately

fall

His

some stout young had been broken by

which he now
lay.

and bushes, amidst the roots of

Mr.

E. soon rescued the sufferer,

Mr. Thomas who proved to be

PASSION OF REPORTERS. THE RULING

55

man, and a neighbor well-known, honest, sober Clark, a W. altogether internal, from Mr. Clarke injuries are as well.
of falling, otherwise he the shock
pains
is

almost unscathed.

His

tracted

which he is nearly disare very great, besides inwardly wife and horse, but insane from the loss of his and
they had been riding It seems that
the horse had slipped on to a sick friend, and

for the former. mainly

out on a visit

leaped the bank, just as had taken fright, and the wet clay, and landed where Ellet was hurled from the buggy, Clark
found him.
instantly

The

horse,

carriage, and the precious

freight,

plunged headlong down through

air.

four hundred feet

of empty

"

We

the couple were most devotedly attached learn that

is

to each other, as

notorious from the fact,

among

others,

they met, after a day's absence, and no matthat whenever nor in what company, they invariably embraced ter where,

each other, in the rich, deep fullness of their imand kissed

passioned and exhaustless conjugal love.
is

Poor Clark's

loss
af-

irreparable.

His wife had been twice married, but her

fection for her first

husband was but as a shallow brook com-

pared to the deep, broad ocean of love for him

mourns, most bitterly mourns, her untimely fate
!'

who now

What d'ye think o' that, my lady ? what d'ye think o' that, my man ? That's a newspaper report, the same that Tom Clark carried in his pocket, and read so often
" There
!

in his

dream.

Singular, isn't

it,

that the ruling passion

in

tri-

umphs, especially Reporters'

even

Death or Dream-land.

56
"

the kosicrucian's story.

At

end of two days Mr. Clark recovered the

cliff,

sufficiently

to so to the foot of the

and when there

left

his first

work
her

was to
first

carefully bury

what was

of his wife

and
had

husband's portrait at the same time

for he

placed

that canvas across the

backs of two chairs, and amused

it

himself by jumping through " There

is

do you know

it ?

a an almost
like

sensible

man.
fas-

uncontrollable

cination in Danger.
desire to

Have you

never been seized with the

into

throw yourself down some yawning chasm,

into the ready

some abyss, over

tiger,

jaws of a shark, to handle a

into a foundery furnace,
wise
'thus

play with a rattlesnake,

jump

write a book, edit a paper, or

some other such equally

and
fceen
"has

sensible thing ?

Well, I

know many who have

tempted

and

to their ruin.
is

Human

nature always
is

a morbid streak, and that

one of them, as

also the

horrible attraction to

an execution

to visit the scene of a

if

Lomicide or a conflagration

especially

a few people have

Leen burnt up
<>r

and

the more the stronger the curiosity

to look at the spot

where a score or two of

Pat-landers

bave been mumified by the weakness of walls

tractors' consciences.

and

con-

With what

strange interest we read

isle

how

the

monarch of some distant lovely

Pot age aux
slices
teet

dined with

his

cabinet, off

de missionaire

how
all

they banof which

queted on delicate

of boiled evangelist,

viandes were unwillingly supplied

vert-'em-all,
life,

Rev. Jonadab Conby the

the bread of to supply

who had a

call

that

way

not

slices

of cold missionary

and

did both

So

with

Torn Clark.

One would have

thouirht that

last scene he the

CLARK

IN A REVERIE.

57
bott

would willingly have looked upon, would have been the

of the ravine.
seized him,

m
sir<

N
He

a bit of
life

An

liable

and

for his

he could not ki p away from

there,

tin

foot of the

cliff.

went

and day by da\

uvhed
hi
I

for every vestige of the likewise,

poor woman, whose heart, and

he at

last

had succeeded
relics

in breaking into very small

\
t

fragments.

These

he buried as he found them,

still

could not forsake his daily haunt.

Of

coarse, for a time the

it

people observed his action, attributed

forbore to

to grief and love,

watch or

disturb,

and

finally

cared nothing about

in California.

the matter whatever.

Such things are nothing

it

Well was

it for

Clark that

was

so

that they regarded

full

him as mildly insane, and

it

let his

vagaries have

swing, for

gave him ample time and opportunity to

fully

improve one
befell

of the

most astounding pieces of good luck that ever

since the year One.

human being
It
fell

out upon a certain day, that, after attendin

to
zighi

other duties,

Tom

Clark, as usual,

wound

his

way, by a

zag and

circuitous path, to the foot of the

it

hill,

and took

accustomed seat near by the rock where

C.

was evident Mrs.

flight

had landed

the precise spot

where her

had been

rudely checked

There he
reverie

for a while, like Volney, in sat

deep

peculati

and

meditation

not
tell

upon the
buggy, and

of Empires, but
his wife.

upon

those of his horse, his

to his feet, for a very Suddenly he started

fancy

had struck upon

its

br
it

I cannot
hit

the

spot of

impingement, but

him hard.

He

acted

the idea instantly,

and

resolved to dig np forthwith

the

53

EOSICBUCIAn's bTOEY. THE

perchance drank a single drop of that had thereabouts, conscience that was at work, it was It was not
This
soil,

soil

her blood.
destiny.

had been imbrued with the blood that

of

the horse and

buggyno, the
for

woman, I

meanhe

resolved

bury out of sight of to

man and
;

brute, and sun

instinct told

and moon,
the

and

little

peeping stars

an

him that

gore-stained soil

could not be an acceptable

spectacle to

anything on

earth,

upon the velvet

air,

or in the blue heaven

above
it

it

and so he scratched up the mould and buried

rift

out of sight, in a

hard by, between two mighty

rocks, that the earthquake

before.

had

split

asunder a million years

"

And

so he threw

it in,

and then tried to screen

it

from the
>

sun with leaves and grass, great stones and logs of wood
after

which he again sat down upon the rock to

rest.

" Presently he arose to go, when, as he did so, a gleam of

sunshine flashed back

upon

his eyes
;

from a minute

spiculae

of,

he knew not what.

He

stooped

picked up the object, and

found, to his utter astonishment, that

he held

in his

hand a

lump

of gold,

solid

gold

an
!

abraded, glittering lump of

actual, shining gold.

"

Tom
a,

Clark nearly fainted

Its sides

The lump weighed

not

less

than

pound.

had been scratched by him

cliff

as he

dug away the earth at the foot of the

had landed,
after

where

his wife
feet of

a brief flight through four hundred

empty

air

profitable journey for

!

him

but not for

her,

nor the horse, nor buggy

(

For a minute Clark stood

still,

and utterly bewildered,

"BIG LEAD. A "Tita T/tfAT>." HE STRIKES

59

of sweat from off his brow. He the great round beads wiping for a minute only : in the But it was every pore.

pt at

digging with the trowel he alway he was madly, wildly next Herb-Doctor in general for with him, for Tom was
carried

the

and was great at the root and herb region roundabout,

prepared to dig them wherever therefore went

business,

chance disclosed them.

' '

hours did he labor like a Hercules, in the soft Five long

mould, in the crevices of the rocks

everywhereand with
he sank prostrate on the

mad

energy, with

frantic zeal.

Five long hours did he ply

that trowel with all

inspired,

that the hope of sudden wealth the force

and

then, exhausted, spent,

ground, his head resting on a

in dust, or

mass of yellow goldgold not

but in great and massy lumps

flecks, or scales,

each one large enough for a poor man's makand wedges,

ing.

" That morning

Thomas

Clark's worldly wealth, all told,

could have been bought

thrice over for

any

five of the pieces

head, and there were scores of them. then beneath his

brain reeled with the tremendous excitement.
the richest
'

His

He

had struck
surface

Lead ever
'

struck

by mortal man on the

of the planet, for

he had already collected more than he

was a very stong and powerful man. could lift, and he There was enough to fill a two-peck measure, packed and and yet he had just piled as close and high as it could be
;

begun.

Ah, Heaven,

it

was too much

" Alas, poor

den,

Tom

poor, doubly poor, with all thy sud1

boundless wealth

Thou

art even poorer than Yal-

very

very curious!
;

true!

129

and delight ferment time, she, by dint still this

biting

having made up her mind to keep but

of

much

handkerchief and tongueof herself-

to the eternal credit succeeded,

any

other
u
<

woman

which you That

see,'

said the Hermit,

<

who

of

talking as he pleased, privilege of had the

full

is

a man's heart

play

It

is
life

as

you

perceive, filled

with blood, whose

office is

to give

the body and to

vigor to the

mind

But

has other the heart

containing the than those chambers

;

and

arterial fluids

for

and valves
eells secrete these

innumerable small tai n

cells ;

and

and

flnids far certain aeriform tain

more

potentia

than

and which
derful

subset
.na's

a higher and the ends of

far

more

z
,

economy

There are two

;;

- *.
us,

* * -*
of blood kinds
*

one

born with

and we
fnll,

mto th world come

whi.e

these cells haif of

;

must remam and so they emp ty Males are one else. the heart of some

^^J^ * ^ ^
of

those o females with the left side empty, are always of each the other cells while

he

r, s

ML T^

Love

and when

thing
cells

from the flows out fluid " ' tae nn,u *, . of a man s empty ones
the
,

of
full

's

heart

the
s,

cells of a

mans

a woman ones of tnll the empty thus men cannot Two 1* other." love each said to

m w

~.

+wrt -females

Many

either sex of

130

the rosicrucian's story.

filling,

grave without either cradle to the

turn- for it is

or being

filled in

that love cannot flow unless a law

;

it l^e

tapped

by the opposite party

and

it

can only be tapped by Kind

!

Respect these three The unloved and ness, Gentleness, half men and half women and, believe unloving are only
me,

my

there's a mighty sight child,

I

of Halfness in

this
it

world of ours
otherwise.

Much

of

it

comes of not Trying

to have

People married

people, especially devote half

growling because they have not got somebody their days to

else's

wife or husband, when the fact

is

that their

own

partners are quite

good enough

as they

would

find out with

to
its

little

proper
all

endeavor.
the time.
it

Men
Fools

expect a woman's love

!

bubble up

why

don't they sound

depth, and bring

to the surface ?
first,

There are altogether

too

many
ous.

divorces a divorce
I

and the next step is

;

dangerthe
1

knew

a wife of three divorces

knew a man

husband of

five consecutive divorcees.

is

Good
of

intentions
fifty

Bah

Hell

paved with such.

know

brokenout,
life,

hearted

women whose
off
;

husbands, after wearing

them

sneaked

to Illinois and robbed them of name, fame,

and hope

the

demons

Out

upon the wretches

The

upon a man who woman who has wasted her youth and bloom
then wants

a divorce,
life.

and permits him to obtain

it, is

fool.

He

promised for

Make him keep

it,

even

if

you invoke
I

the law's strong arm.

If both agree, that alters the case.

have a legal acquaintance in

trade in the divorce
feel

New York who

drives a large

line,

at twenty-five dollars a head.

I
of

called upon to expose the infernal methods by means

HOW
which
it is

DIVORCES ARE OBTAINED.

I call

131

done, and
is

upon the

that the thing

not suffered to go on.

wife.

A.

is

a lawyer

B.

and C. are husband and

publicity

B. wants a " divorce without

fee to secure
it. it,

goes to A. and pays a

but h

no legal quibble

by means
:

of which to obtain

A.

gives

him the following counsel

an inmate thereof
;

"

Go
;

to a brothel, take up with

call

her D,

make

three or four male

and female acquaintances

(E., F., G.,

and H.), introduce

them to D. as your wife

care that D.
is

leave

town a day or two, but take

well watched in the interim.

Of

course she
E., F.,

avail herself of your absence to ply her vocation. will

G.,

and H.

furnish the most incontestable and damning proof

of her supposed guilt/

The

witnesses

may

or

may

not

know

your precious scheme.

wife's

You

prosecute the leman under your

pro-

nameshe,

knowing nothing about the of course,

!

ceedingspoor thing
referee,

The court takes

passes on
it
;

the
it,

who

returns

affirmed, to

the court,
divorce.

which forthwith

enters

decree

of perpetual

goes unwhipped scoundrel

is

of justice,
!

and an

honest woman's reputation

'

forever

damned

Legislators, I tell

you

things are done every that these

assuming to not believe it-and day 1 I was told it-could above counsel, received the of such a decree, be desirous

word

for word,

from
is

practitioner at the a

New York
!

bar.

Legislators, here

than murder a crime worse

Will you

sanction

it

longer?

How

prevent it?

Summon
prove tfe or at least

and perfor
identity

of this
or the

marriage

of

the

woman

man, as the

.,

BM rrmvhft for may be case

that

132
"
'

rosioructan's story. the

of this sort of iniquity, would be far less There
if

there

philosophy-mongers afloat on the tide of were fewer blatant their morbid, detestable, blasphemous, the times, inculcating
brothel-filling,

" Elective "

theories, all

of which directly

the worst vice a pander to

11
'

man can have Meanness.

and expect perfection
in others

People

insanely look for

slightest claim thereto themselves, but not only without the

without the least attempt

suicidal policy to pursue.

in that

direction which

is

a very

Such soon come to be

vampires,
tigers

and destroying othersravening consuming themselves

at their

own

fold's side

Sometimes one person's

affection
an-

which
other

is

out toward and clings round akin to lovegoes

ever flaps his
to give
it

but Death

wings by the
back.

side of such,

when that other

one,
if

fails

The unloving
thief,

loved
cradle
in

such a thing be
;

possible, is

a born

from the

to the clouds

and there are a great

many

such robbers

the world.'
n
i

But how

is

one to love when one don't

?'

feel like it

has attractions in another direction

"
lie
1
'

asked Betsey.

Where

there should the attraction duty and honor point,

shall render themselves lovable and
lovely,

Whosoever

help being loved than smoke can help can no more

ascending
of

through the
your
lot in

air.

Make

to the partner yourself agreeable

life,

and that partner can no more

loving you help

than mirrors can help reflecting.

"
'

The heart

of yonder statue, which

is

that of the

man

who

is

destined to be a future husband

first

the old of yours/ said

man

-pointing to the

day, which figure of the previous

the scene,

had, together with the second, re-appeared upon

WHERE DEAD BACHELORS GO

will

133

be only half

fusing all

by reason of your withholding and retender wifeliness you will rob him and yourself
;

MI

of

the better
will

your years will be gloomy ones you make him wretched, and be the same yourself
life
; ;

meat of

cheat
!

your bodies of health, your souls of happiness and

vi<r r

Take heed
such word.

correct the fault.

You

" can't ?"

There's no

Try
now
See
!

!'

" Turning

to the second figure of the previous day, he

observed

' :

Tom

Clark's heart

is

empty.

All

its cells

are filled with wastes.

a void

hollow

as the apples of Persia's arid

Have

mercy, Heaven, on him whose heart throbs

!

not with the rapturous burden of a woman's love

Pity

him whose soul groweth not tender with the

ing from a baby's eyes
flashes
!

love-light

beam-

Ah, what a world of nameless glory

!

from an infants eyes

They are

telescopes through

which

my

soul sees

Heaven

through

which I watch the

the joys of sera-

mazy dance of starry worlds, and behold

phim.

We

Rosicrucians love babies

too

seed of the ages

;

and
;

their mothers,

because

they are such

for

we

believe

that after death the maids fair

worstthe

wives fare better

express the rapture that awaits but no tongue or pen can

those

who
!

daughters to the world and have borne sons and

heaven

Bachelors

Bah

will pass
is

by such

cattle,

merely remarking that their place

or the other place.

not to be found in heaven,

They

repair in
if

body to Fiddler's Green a

!'

and ought to stay there,

they do not

" And Betsey gazed on the forlorn figure of poor Tom hopes and joys w who was all one-sided, crooked, lean his
:

134

THE ROSICRUCIAN

STORY.

and who loved him, not even his wife one flown because no And so he was wretched, like full she should, if
;

ay another
glades
itself,

whom

I have seen

I journeyed

down

life's

His soul day by

day',

driven back upon, and forced

and year after year and

'

And

this great
..

you will do/ said the hermit

This ^~*. &

ife thought the girlwifewidow I have already done/ that strange, anomalous inconsistency, four in one, with

peculiar to Dream-Life.

'

I have done badly

!'

but

this I will

do no more

not another second longer

" Bravely, royally thought

riously

and said

Better,

if
or say in & and
<

done

1and
first is

that's just the difference

doing.
if

The

common
and

the last

is

very r
y

Better
3

truly said,

more nobly done

whis-

pered in th

silvery

had heard

day befor

Who

was

it

that spoke these

melodious words

Not

grey

Was
shall

it

the

soul across the vast visible Hesperina, telegraphing Betsey's

expanse of the Continent of

these questions
<
'

Dream

Who

smiled a smile of Said the silver-girdled hermit, as he

more than human gladness

is

more than human meaning

<

It
!

Well.'

She looked again toward the magic

globe, and lo

moment,
had disappeared
scene
;

its

disk

had changed.

The

first

two

fi

upon the the third had once more come

actor
in

conspicuous

such

terrific

drama,
they

as

earth nor starry eyes ever

saw

before,

may

aga

THE "PRETTY LITTLE GAME I"

"The Gorgon, War, had
bloody
fields,

135

glutted himself on Europe's

salt sea, alighting

and had flown across the

on

our shores.
Moultrie

The demon landed with a

howl,

midway between

and Sumter.

He

had

seized the reins of govern;

ment, proclaimed himself sole

Lord and King

strangled

Reason

in his

dreadful gripe, until she lay bleeding on the

his

gory earth, and meek-eyed Peace fled tearfully away from

grim presence, and hid herself upon a distant mountain-top,

whence she could survey the shock of armies on the plains

beneath,

and

sigh,

and long
side

for Liberty

and

rule.

"

War

and Carnage,

by

side,

with gory banners

flying,

narched from one end of the nation to the

footsteps rested

other, until their

on the graves of eight hundred thousand

men.
soil

God's precious word was disregarded, and His blessed

dyed red with human blood

the

rich, fat

blood of the

noblest race that

brother,

ever trod His earth

the blood of your

and of mine,

my

countrymen

"

And

now, the loud-lunged trumpets brayed

their fierce

alarums,

and summoned

Columbia's sons to deeds at which our

grandsons shall turn pale

Greece, nor

of heroic daring such as deeds

of,

Rome,

nor Carthage ever dreamed

:

nor storied

page has chronicled

summoned them

to Sumter's stony
to

summoned them ramparts, and Potomac's grassy banks

do,

anddie.

Eight hundred thousand

Men

And

they
lift

strike for a Nation's wentgoing as tornadoes goto

to strike the foul

usurper low, and

carcass to the fling his

;

home but struck hard and dogs. They would have struck game of Generals they were stayed. was not the little That
'

'

17

136
and
Ti
on''
ate
;

THE KOSICRUCIAN's STORY.

ma<
rv
I

and of high contraet-iug parties

i

Oh, no

>uld

er

do

Let

tight the foe with gl

the Mil
r,

They fought.

The

-\

re gl

bal

;e

palm
I

w
!

brass, the

fingers
r

iron,
hi-

and the

ki
niJ
tli

kles polished
rn
-i

But the Mini-:

had
!

whim, and
hundred

rations will feel its

es

confluences

Plight

and gra
'

Union
1

wen
in
spil
I

from

I
,

Fat

towan

09

hi
lirtl.

tin

of Ministers, their minion>

lark w
nt

or the

'I

too
t
id
1

"A Hood the

sow
I ;

tram]

brayed; and the heavy drums

and

ti

y woke
rn

and

rful

energies

tl

slumberii

Nation's heart

What

a m.

rjc

transmut

tioo

P
ci"

ntnuisl
ia
i

Itoheroi
;

hall forev.r put

,

<

n-

Tl

the
I

shade
ri

day labor

carriers of the hod.

c:

ing ai

illy,
id

toohigh
k
'

pla es in the Pantl

i;
!

of her
not the
;

dead-

Lo

at Fredericksburg
in

Forget
tr
t

Black
i

Bri

Bear

mind the d

of a
'I

hundi
nn
ht,

gimen

on a hundred fields fieln

tiually

too,

that

hi

aid would have

for th
lo

decided the carna

'

and be

(uarrrl, \v

Minister, his gloves, his

i

little

game/

nil

great

him and

consequences

Tom

ha
Clark quickened into
life

bv the

subtle, flame-tip]

d
r

staff in the

hands of

phantom

the propriotr

of

tr

the wonderful

and Man-facton

pped

forth

through

door of the room, and forthwith the scene

en<
}

panded

to such vast

dimen

that Betse) found

it

impofr

A THRILLING

SCENE.

137

and
the

the magic mimicry, for the whole thing was

She stood on the

its

world, surveying

valleys

at

leisure

Tom

apparently heard
for

Clark

heard, his Country

unchecked Treason was then griping her tightly throat. That cry called him to a field of glory such a< God green earth never before afforded, nor His sun ever sal uw His moon nor His myriad, twinkling,
;

starry eyes

'

" Clark's soul was in arms, as his offended ears drank in the hoarse, deep thunders of Treason's cannonry, pouring
iron
hail

upon a prostrate Nation's head

and

his eyes beheld the

flashing of the guns, as they

vomited a

hell of iron

and

fire

upon Sumter,
three
!

Tom

upon Anderson, and the peerless EightyClark saw the storm, and his heart
indignant

swelled, at the insult to the

Star-gemmed Flag of

Human
in

Rights and

Libertyan
;

insult,

long since wiped out

for the Minister, and the glo\

ight

the whim, whose consequences

thousand
" Like a tru
Clark, inspired by
the
flew to

phantom-wife,
deathless glory.

and

artiste

ran,

leapt,

arms and

Ah, God

to arms, and fadeless

;

dory

He

had no time to grieve, or grumble

that
traitors in his

or to

criticise this

gene-

He
own camp,
at the noble

men

in arms,

and who

bravely fought,

and nobly

died, for the Country.

He

saw,

and gloriously emulated such

men

as Lyon, Saxton, Hunter,

Fremont and Baker

Baker

Oregon

my

tears

fall

138

THE EOSICRUCIAN
!

STORY.

with thine, for him

his life
in
;

He

was mine, yours

;

ours

Ours,

iu

in his

nobleness

in his

soul-arousing eloquence

the valor, and the effulgent glory of his death

the result

of another whim,

and
1

lo

the consequences

"

And

now, see

Behold the smoke of yonder

!

battle

Death
will

rides

on cannon-balls, to-day
;

And,

to-night, there

be much mourning in the land

for strong

men

in thoufor

sands are giving up the ghost.

"Weep not,
not,

widow,

God

>pts

such

ifices

mourn

O
let

orph

He
iu

who tempers
His keeping
bread
' ; ;

the wind to the shorn lamb, will hold thee

thy grateful country will not

it

thee want

for

and, by-and-by,

will

be a proud boast of
;
!

thine,

My

father died to redeem the land from treason

" Death rides on cannon-balls, to-day, in the fight that we

seeing

Tom
1

Clark

is

a her

See
!

he leads the
blows he
deals

God

spare him

What

a presence
!

What

for Liberty

and the Union

Lo

the thundering battalions

of the brave and bold, but insane, misguided,

foe,

and

revengeful

sweep down the embattled

plain, their war-cry ringing

;

out above the belching roar of artillery

and, with such

reel

might and valor do they charge, that Freedom's cohorts

and stagger beneath the dreadful shock of arms.

such a charg-e. and

Another

But.

see.

there

from the ranks

common

soldier
:
'

his voice rings clearly

1'

out upon the sulphur-laden air

Follow me
fire

The

inspir-

ing

wo es and

action

kindle

new
;

in

the

ing

breasts of hundred

They

rise

they throw themselves

upon the foe they hush his battle-cry in death

He

is

COLONEL THOMAS W.
epulsed
<
' !

I39
aide-de-camp.
!

Who
as

did
is

that

V demands an
'

Private

Thomas W./

the response.

Hero

greet
;

him
and

in

my name,
Clark
is

Color Sergeant/ says the General

field.

Tom
"
and,

promoted on the
day's fight
tired
is

The

first

over.

It

is

renewed next day,

sun,

when the

guns give over with the

'

a group of
l

soldiers
it

are gathered round a man.

Who is it V
the

Who

is

'I thought you

knew

why,
foe
is
1

it is

man who saved

the

Tenth Brigade

and was rewarded on

came the
'

the spot

Captain

Thomas
"
the

W.

7 !

With the
line,

sunrise,

Pass the word along

there

Captain Clark
I'

wanted at the tent of the

General-in-Command
"
It
'

He

goes.
?

Captain Clark, do you see yonder battery of the enemy

lost.

must be taken, or we are

If I give you

command
you

of a regiment

whose colonel was

try.'
.
.

killed yesterday, can

'

take

it

V
is

'I will

General, the battery on

the left
'

says an aide-de-camp an hour afterwards. ours/

It

is

taken,
1

and

all
?

its

men

are either dead or prisoners

in

!'

Indeed

So soon

Greet the commander

my

name,

and salute him as Colonel Thomas W.'

" Another

dawns on the ensanguined fielda day

I

field

and generals poltroons where privates were heroes

fighting is

Hard
and on,

before us.

Up, up

the soldiers spring

on to death or victory they rush.

Oh,

it

was a splendid

who, had they in prehtthose death-defying demi-gods, would have taken vious battles had but a Man to lead them,
fifty

rebel strongholds in as

many

hours

But such
die

pretty

little

game/

More men must

140

THE ROSICRUCIAN

STORY.

must be dug, and more human bones must more ditches

them, else
else

fill

how can

Ministers carry out their whims

how
?

can the enemy be fought and placated at the same time

Constitutional
!

It isn't

besides which

it

hurts the prospect

for the Presidency of the re-United States

which
'

prospect
out,

would be forever marred, and the

if

'

little

game played

we fought without

gloves,

and violated our

foe,

Constitutional

obligations

by kicking the wind out of the

who

is

trying
here-

might and main to strangle the Nation.

after say
:

He

might
1'

'

You,

sir,

fought without gloves on

which

wouldn't do, you know.

"

'

Damn

that Colonel

Thomas

W.

If the fellow keeps on

at that rate, we'll surely whip

fellow,

somebody

badly.
;

Curse the
in

he don't believe in the glove business, or

'

the
cer-

" Erring Sisters' theory,"

tain day.
nel
'

soliloquized
!

somebody on a
go

This'll

never do

Aid,

come here

tell Colo-

Clark take possession of the Yalley

it

down

yonder, and

hold
only

at all hazards

till

nightfall

l'

'

But, General, he has

thirteen

seven
!'
'

hundred

men

the

foe
for
'

is

thousand
Clark, but
the aid
as he

strong
said,
'

So much the worse

he meant
His goose

they ts And transmitted the order shaking hands with the Colonel
the enemy
.' will fight like tigers.'
'

rode away, muttering,

for

Poor fellow

is

cooked

a certainty

What a
is

pity he stands in somebody's light

somebody who

jealous of even a private's fame.

Ah

me

1'

and he rode back to headquarters, wondering whose

next
it

turn

would be to face the forlorn hope

this

such

a singular

number of which
<

Rebellion has developed.

flinch in Colonel

But

there

was no

Thomas

no

JE EENAIS DE MES CENDRE8.

flinch

141

the hazard; but

Soldiers.

Men and

They knew how to obey orders v

their superiors

did not.

But then
;

again, they
'

had no ho
little

of success in

a general election
"
'

they had no

game

Their's not to reason why,

Their's but to do or
die.'

And they did

'
'

it

On, on, like more than Spartan heroes, on they dashed,

as absolutely as anything earthly can be,
'

literally,

into the

jaws of death
let

into the

mouth

of

hell.'

I have a minnie bul-

on

my

table that plowed a furrow through a brother's

!

heart of mine in that same dreadful valley

Away

they
bul-

went
let

that

gallant band, that gallant

skulls

man

and many a
;

went crashing through

its

and bones as they went

and

many a soul sped

way

to

God

ere the cohort reached the

knoll in the valley.

Once

there, they were

no longer mer

they were as

sublime exemplar gods.

But a man fell fell

before the resistless

hundred horses charging with force of a

of Tr

thunder
then the cloud passed on.
"

And

Thomas Clark went

went down
; ;

down down,

as

Truth, and

Justice

and I

but he rose

again-so ever does

Truth and Justice

let

and

renais de mes cendresas for me, Je

those beware
;

by whom

foil.

Down

to the

&**

soil

he went gazing

but even while the

woman

sat there in

the grotto,

till

intensity-sat gazing fairly ached with her eyeballs


'

THE ROSICKUCIAN's STORY.

pi

d breath, so

-till

was'she

at gazing, her

on

fir

pul

beating- three

hundred to the minm

fire; sat
its

beal

th a de p, fierce,
.

tumultuous

gazing

stillv

uhil
if

r h(

bounded and thumped within

fits dure
-

bony
t

citadel

impatient
iikL let

and longing to

bm

it- tal

nacl
h
r

the imprisoned soul

all

go

free

sat gazing

whifc

large grey eyes,

the while gleamed with a light

herot

that

proved her capable of giving birth to

g

even
char:
fierj

while thua she

ing
hi

ized

on the wheeling squadrons, the

id

the great gun<, as they gave forth their

1

vuinir,

char

with sudden deaths

t

the man,
'

'Pom Claii
blood with
!'

-pnm
orif
b

to his fe

iin,

and,

he staunched

his

hand, he pointed with the other at the foe.

I.
'

Follow me

cri

'.

we

are reinforced!
t,

On
and
'

to victory
it

on!'
tin

And
spa*
4

h
,

ace rose

above the tempc

flew over

and

it

upon the

eai

of a

great man, ' and the

'

gre
!

man

'

immg

his hands,
!

and he thought
will
!

Not dead

yet

Damn
that'll

the fellow
!

He

make

us win a victory
B]

md

never do

Dear me

that cursed fool will

my

little

game!
I

Oh,

for night, or

a fresh division
else
it'll

of the
get
hit

em any

must reinforce him, though,

that infernal Tribune

or
my

into that cursed

li

George Wilkes'
!

paperand

that'll spoil
1

le

game

Ho, there

Aid,

Genei
le

Trueman

to reinforce Colonel
his epaulettes

Thomas W.
and gave
his

My h

game.

!'

and he arranged

moust che an additional killing twist.

In the meantime,

Tom

Clark had charged the enemy with bayonets with the

his

remnant of

own

force, followed

by hundreds

whom

his

CLARK FALLS

IN BATTLE.

^43

example had transformed into something more sublime than

fighting soldiers.

"

And now

occurred one of those

:

conflicts

which make or
terrible

mar the fortunes of a nation

personal combats which
the ages

one of those

multi-

mark a
;

century's history, and strike

terrific scenes in

dumb

with awe

one of those

the

world's great drama, that

mark

historic epochs,
scrolls of

and enshrine

men's names in fiery letters upon the

"

Fame.

The charge and the

;

action were short, sharp, swift, des-

perate

but at
"
'

its close

the

Flag of the Planet gems,

With

saphire-circled diadems,'

floated proudly over the scene of Treason's battle lost

Nation's battle
"

won

Day

closes again

and the wounded hero

in

an ambuthe
field

lance
1

was borne fainting almost

dying, from
?'

Colonel Clark, can I do anything for you

said one of the

fighting generals to the stricken

mana
fellow,

bullet

had gone
for

through him.
self,

'

You

are a noble

and I speak

myI

arms, and for our country. your comrades in

Can

can they, can we, can

shedo
If so,

for you, in this sad anything

hour of your destiny

"
'

I beg you

to speak.'

Alas

no,

my

only to swoon replied he, reviving, friend,'

partially dissipated his temples
for his
;

again.

little

cold water on

his perceptions the coma, but not all the fog from

general's words,
lect,

<

Can
:

and he thought

obfuscated his in she' considerably Betsey-that's the c

'

He

means
* 17


144
she I

the rosicrccian's story.

know
;

of.'

And

then he strengthened up for a

t

last dy

ing effort

strove to colle
'

his

thought

partly succeeded

and

said

Nothing more, dear general.

Tell Betsey

Yes.

Xo.

I'm

>m

g going home.
her from

dear Betsey
late.

I did

not find her out till it was

loved

too

Tell her that I

my

soul

at last.

Tell her

that

" She can't stand the pressure any

globe, hermit or no hermit
It's

longerglobe

or no

not another minute.

sett in' here,
!'

You Bet

a pretty how de do,

me a

and poor Tom

fair girl

laying tlure,
in

killed a'most to

death

shrieked the

he grotto of the hermit of the silver girdle,

skillful

waked up
reclu
a.

beyond endurance by the

magic of the weird

'

And

repeating the Californian,

la
t

Vou Bet

f with vehement
feet, in spite of

emphasis on the
the warning

word, she sprung to her

of the

man who

dealt in magic crystal globes in

the precinct

of a forest wild

upsetting

table, tripod,

f-

ool

and hermit,

in her eagerness to

reach Tom's side and give

him wifely ministry.

"

W hat
I
.

luck she might have had in bridging

not,

Phantom
for

River
inquir

know

having omitted to remain long enough

;

not having had time to thus devote

but

this I

do

know, namely, that she nearly kicked the veritable Mr.

Thomas W. Clark completely out of bed

foot
cal
this

was a window, whose upper sash

all

the bed was down

'

at whose

the identi

window through which came

the

funny things' of
is

most veracious history, which, of course,

all

true.

Betsey woke from excitement,

Tom

from being kicked, and

both had finished their double dreams.

" Jfltt TRY

<

U5
Lizzie, I

What'n thunder up now, Bet-no,

checking the
voice to

mean?
<

said he,

less respectful utterance,

and modulatvelvet

es

what he doubtless intended

to be a

dulcet cadence/ but which wouldn't pass for that in Italian 'Not nothing, Tommy, dear.' 'Not opera. nothing Lizzie

'

Not

nothing.'

<

That

ain't

grammar, sweet,
!

<

was paragorically speaking,

my
'

turkie dove
'

Only

I've

been having two very funny dreams.'

You

Two dreams ?
?'
'

That
all

is

queer

!'

'

You Bet

!'

What

about, Lizzie

Oh,
to,

about

how we
'

didn't love each other as

we ought

husband.'

And, dorg on my

buttons, wife,

if

I haven't had

two just such dreams myselfall about a

pile

precipice,
!'
'

and a

Oh, wasn't
all

it

pile,

though V

'

You Bet

And my
didn't
1'

dreams were

about how I ought to love you, and

did.'
'

and then, again, I

'

That's a dear

!'

'

You Bet
'

Let's love each other this time out, will you

?'

I will

will

you
to
'

V
;

You Bet

P
'

'

Let's profit by our dreams.

try p
'

mean
try

won't you V
I'

I'll

III try

!'

'

We'll both
forget.

!'

You Bet

And

they tried to forgive and

the

"Will you do the

story, a

same?" asked

Rosicrucian
the

of one

who stood next

him, listening intently to

strange

great, burly

man

of the world, yet

for,

heart was touched, whose slumbrous

tear-drop rolled

as

a great

down

his cheek, he
I'll
I

said, with

smothered
- said the
!

- breath, the holy words

Rosicrucian.

try " "

Amen

Amen

said

we

all

and then, turning

said: "Friends, again, the story-teller to his auditors as you live, and so long

nor his story the Rosicrucian charge you never to forget

go y

and do likewise

146
nor
It,

the rosicrucian's story.

the Shadow; nor Hesperina, the Light; nor Otanethi,

the Genius of the

his Crystal

Hour
in

nor the silver-girdled Hermit, and

;

Globe

a forest wild

nor,

above

all,

the

little

window

at the foot of the bed,

whose upper sash was down."

A
that

day or two afterwards we reached Panama, and

after

we saw but little

him he
stories,

of our entertainer

but before I finally

lost sight of

told

me

that he was about writing some

of which he would send to

Rosicrucian

the

MSS.

me

when
lished

ready.

I have received some,

as soon as I

and they

will

be pubit,

by me
will be-

can spare time to attend to

which

"When

this cruel

war

is

over"

P
Utica, November, 1863.

B. R.

CATALOGUE OF BOOKS BY THE SAME

ICJRUCIAX AUTHOR.

ROS-

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I)

C ON TENTS

- True main for husbands A hint hilish - A hint unloved love - The tides of love -' When woman's love don affection gain a blondes -Men brunettes and Stive power of after we - Sex and passion make love - The how
for
J

Origin of Uterine Diseases The life The stormy Love vs. Passion power of woman Strange Mothers-in-law curse

power of a Terrible

Woman
O

h
ci
-

II

<

to

lost

_
1

IM-

a,

Cyprian's

prayer- The

chemistry of

love-How

to in

Strange secret of life-prolonging Curious method of power youth and beauty The whole art of adornment Skin, preserving worth the price of eyes, teeth Protozone This section hair, such books to every female in the land, be she old or young; ten contains the whole secret of magnetic female beauty Touchfor story Extraordinary means resorted to by the higher grades ing when of "loose women to preserve their beauty, and restore Protoplasm, and how to increase Running upstairs, and a real remedy for an unhappy the heart disease Divorce, marriage? The woman's grand secret Beecher on "The youth " Girl of the period, and girl of the future cret sins of Marriage in 1970 Tests of the love nature by the color of the Whom not to marry The eyes Very of a lover and husband The true rule of divorce Trouble in the love nature, the cause of untold sickness Means of cure Use and abuse of amatory passion Magnetic exhaustion, and the remedy Voudoo John, of New Orleans, who completely subjugated woman Magnetic fascination Vampires A thrilling warning The whole terrible mystery of Voudooism revealed Want of Dickens' trouble with true love The death of love and his wife Why some wives ruin their talented husbands A hint women A very curious paper Proving a man's brother be .nearer of kin to him than his father Singular cause of wedded misery Its certain cure Why wives hate their husbands Underlying law of human genius A hint to mothers Seven magnetic laws of love, whereby the unloved gain and lost loves are firmly rebuilded A strange and mighty power -.How to retain a husband's love Old-maidhood and how to avoid
!

is

it

''

it

lost

it

is it

se-

its life

to

to

is

it,

it.

Price $2,50.

Postage 28 cents.

RANDOLPH PUBLISHING

CO., Boston, Mass.

II.

DEATH AFTER
OR
?

MAN. DISEMBODIED
DESTINY AFTER DEATH HUMAN SPIRIT AND ITS THE
A REVELATION OF THE

THE LOCATION, GEOG UNIVERSE, CONCERNING ETHEREAL AND SCENERY OF THE UPPER RAPHY, TOPOGRAPHY,
OCCUPATION, HABITS, CUSTOMS, WORLD; THE

MODES OF LIVING, AND TRANSMUNDANE

OF THE HUMAN SOUL. ALSO DESTINY
CONCERNING SEX, AND ITS USES AFTER

DEATH

AFFIRMING THAT

THAT IT WILL REMAIN A

HUMAN HAPPINESS FOR

EVER
Fifth Edition.

Corrected

and Enlarged.

Price $2,00.

Postage 20 cents.
CO.,

Address

RANDOLPH PUBLISHING
P. O.

Box

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Mass

III.

THE MYSTERIES
OF THE

MAGNETIC UNIVERSE.
AND NEEDED WORK ON SEERSHIP A NEW AND ITS LAWS.

THE

MAGKIC MIRROR,!
9A IRA!

CONTENTS PART
Somnambulistic lucidity
fail

I.

Seership.
birth-

Genuine clairvoyance a natural astral and magnetic Why mesright Two sources of their "subjects" Vinemerists to produce clairvoyance production gared water, magnets and tractors as agents in Specific rules Clairvoyance not spiritualism Most and voyants" arrant swindlers, quacks, impostors. The true Psychometry and intuition are not clairvoyance Mesmeric circles Eight kinds of clairvoyance Mesmeric coma and magnetic trance The difference Effect of lung power Effect amative passion on the seer Dangers to women who are mesmerized Oriental, European, and American methods The mirror of ink How to mesmerize by a common looking-glass The insulated stool The electric or magnetic battery The bar magnet The horseshoe magnet Phantasmata, Chemism Why
light,

in

its

is

"clairthe

false

of

"

Spirits " are

Curious

Black

said

to

take subjects

Magic

away from magnetizers Voudoo ("Hoodoo") spells, charms,

4

nroiects
terrible

White science baffled by black the wonderful result the effect, and the Voudoo Chief ExplaMrs. A., the Doctor, magic! of Clairvoyance, and how to The degrees mystery nation of the The road to power, love, and money Self-mesreach them ancient Egypt, Syria, Chaldea, Nineveh, Mesmerism in merism of years ago -Testimony of Lepsius, d Babylon, thousands Horner, Bunsen, Champollion, and Botta, Rawlings, Advice to seekers after seership. Dr. Dee and The Phantorama Not a spiritual Sti ~ _,~ .*,.*.>.,. his masric mirror 6 - George Sand The Count St. Germain, and the Magic gle Jewels used for the same purposes Spirit-seeing glass rotor

ing disclosures the herbs, the test, the spell, conches, the triangle, The cock, the

- The sham, and the - Very strange are fabricated - Astoundthe real -How they dangers of in Tennessee Proofs concerning Voudooism
!

" Love Powders "

.v.

Curious things the outside world, and divine illumination Cagliostro and his Made Mirror Frederick the Great Crystal-seeing Count AmerHargrave Jennings (the Rosicrucian)
of
fire

On

Mirror-Seers Dr. Randolph, in April, '69, predicts the gold Business men use mirpanic of September Its literal fulfilment Better and rors to forestall the markets Their singular magic more effective than animal magnetism Why Extraordinary method of holding a ps^ycho-vision steady as a picture Two kinds of mirrors Crystals The pictures seen in a magic mirror are not on or in, but above it Facts Dingers of " Spirit control " Theory Constructors of magic mirrors Failures Success
ican

Chemistry of mirrors

The Life of Dream, and the Street of Chan-

and Future are actually now, because there can be no future to Omniscience The Future embosomed in the Ether, and he who can penetrate that can scan unborn events m the womb of coming time It can be done, is done, and will be by all who have the right sense Sir David Brewster, Salverte, Iamblichus and D amascius A magic mirror seance extraordinary The Emperor Basil's son is brought to his father in a magic glass Theodore Santa Baren Mr. Roscoe's account of a strange adventure of Benvenuto Cellini What death really is A new
Past, Present,

cesThe

theory

asm
vision
_

Absorption

Its use

Theory of spiritual theory of Platonic meaning and Statement of the the same magnetic, one and sisrht wife rewins her strayThe blonde Love mm magnetic Laws of seven om
C _
-
i

om

antagonal polar law of love The love Caressive Polarities Magic Egyptians principle A singular love Back-thrown How a maiden testimony mirrors Awful magnetic Power wrong-doer

discovers a lover
,f

an injured

^F^-"^"*"-^V How
Jy

husband

widow finds " magnetic prayer" woman's The seen him never having having seen him
Oriental

a rival

ot

r magnetically and charge them to clean ror < Trinius" Japanese magic Novalis -The celebrated Master, De San Francisco, Cal. crvstal "lobe of dollars. It is been fixed at three price of this work ha The English language, now extant in the work on the subject the German, Arabic, Synac Is either the French, and incontestably ex< the same topic,,and it treat* .upon Hindu mee, or the Chaldaic compilation and exposiUonof perfect t and m. tll fall probably A work ot tins sci nco ever penn< 1. sublime o ip th ** made * " the terms By aracter is indeed rare. rdin:ir: tr
k
'

^J!Z G and

this

rhance at once!

om

PUBLISHING
Office

IV.

CELEBRA TED THE

DREAM-BOOK EOSICRUCIAN
CONDENSED gE-TBANSLATED.

AND ADAPTED

TO

MODEM*

VSAOE.

THOUSAND. EIGHTH

JZ'Z^l
.
;

kind in the world, book of the and most perfect This the largest contains the^nortiii it now >as been eniarged o F Thkeb ThooThousand Solutions nnmber of Thkbe ms sort of Di earn, impossible to have any It is nearly SAND contained in th.s very of which is not tion and meaning
<

whereby famous Persian also embraces the . uuu . curious book. It by means of other's fortunes their own and each Orientals tell amusement, and a source of
Pfal,"

pointin

As

passed

PRICE

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MAN; PRE-ADAMITE
Existence 100,000 Demonstrating Human the first man Adam was not

years ago, and that

When
Grant was

atfJfi=.-swft3sE:
11

^A aA Universally conceded
*

hv thp Press ui two tne ries>s of b>

countries, to be

years ago! men built cities 35,000 Shows that Truth Proves thought "Great grasp of valuable volume" ExtEngrossingly man !"

remarkable book."

We

SET CL

beyond description and gT,nd So^tin-ing

--. r ..profound
we

the

t^o
11

Scnp-

may

found

of the learned woild. attention particularly favorable

Cloth, discount to the trade. Usual
6th Edition.
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400 pp

Postage 20 cents

VI.

VE! A
rf
,iviivj the Problems vj if trie x / vulviivo of

A
LOVE.
*

MAGNETIC LAWS OF THE SEVEN

Fascination, The Increase of

-7 ^,w~ ~ over man; bein methods of woman's .control The rules and lflC Feminantia, and Leaves Mystery of the Principle of Oriental Price 50 cents, post paid. Love and its Hidden History.
,

tne
iroi

*^- pon^ini,

Publishing Co.. P. O.

Box

Boston, Mass. 3352, 8

yew

Original and

Thrilling

Works!!

RANDOI

OF AMERICA THE DUMAS

in these days. books enjoy

STOKY OF THE WONDEKTUL RAV ALETTE.

??
i '

Contents

range Man

Double Life. Adam and a A Son of Evlambea. Story An exvery Strang A Napoleo Ish. the Elixii Daughter of Making Spectra. in Paris. dinary Seance w as It? Wl He?

Haunted

Pre-existence. V> y The Legend. Guest. - The Mysterious

,._^f

^-^

* ^ ^- W

Masric The Life. of Fire. of The Priest Perpetual Youth Secret of The Magic The Confession. Strange Revelations. An Magic Slumber. Very 1 several other _ "And " A man goes in Pictures. ^ Singular Experiment. ClI AFTER^!Mystery IsTOTODING *"7Z_ X Atmnffe " "o O tiling,^ his own G Host The Devil Cab in search of a Murder will Out. Deeper and Deepei. Thickens. " The Saucer on the Moor, Diablerie Extraordinary. in Paris. Astounding Dis,, I* *>V./~* ^4n Spirits! believe arc Rav alette What some Folks
-

Mh

Who was

Wo

'

closure
1

explains.
dUVJU^j

The Grand Secret. Destinies of of the and a Revelation The Sleep, 4i * 4 nUrtP. is worth the price of
...

Demolished

-*^w

WIFE THEIR AND HIS TOM CLARK THINGS THAT THE CURIOUS
;

^lOT^MBAMS.
celebrated

THEM

THEREIN.

Improved Edition a new and etn0

STORY KOSICBUCIAK'S
$1
Postage 20 cents
discount to Usual

the trade.

PUBLISHING RANDOLPH

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