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  • March 1, 1875
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The Masonic Magazine, March 1, 1875: Page 6

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    Article WAITING FOR HER—A MESMERIST'S STORY. ← Page 2 of 4 →
Page 6

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Waiting For Her—A Mesmerist's Story.

ing at single ladies for being single . Dear me , I knoAv many an one single from choice ; and let me tell you , young people , it ' s my belief that there are very few women indeed but have had chances of marrying , if they liked .

" Well , my dears , " uncle began , " I suppose you wish me to go on Avith my story . " " Yes , yes , " Ave all answered . " Imagine then , my dears , " uncle Avent on , " that two j'ears had jwssed away . I Avas entered at St . Thomas' Plospital . Dr .

Elliotson Avas then assistant physician there ; he had been elected to that post in 1817 . It Avas not till 1837 that he oAvned himself the leader of the mesmeric party ; but at this time , 1821 , mesmerism Avas much discussed amongst the students at

St . Thomas ' , and about three years later Professor Gregoiy , AVIIO filled the Chair of Chemistry at Edinburgh , had his attention draAvn to the subject by Monsieur Courdet , of Geneva , who had seen the famous cases of Dr . Petelin , of Lyons , Avhose Avork on the subject I read . " I had become much interested in the

subject , and had determined , if opportunity should offer , to try for myself the truth or falsehood of mesmerism . " An opportunity did offer , ancl sooner than I had expected . But I must not anticipate . Since the day Avhen I gitve up the charge of MilicentI had never

, seen her but twice . She bad gone home , had speedily recovered , ancl the last tidings I had heard of her Avere that she Avas engaged to be married to a young clergyman Avho had recently come to reside in the neig hbourhood of Orley House , Mr .

Bertram ' s residence . "Mr . Bertram , Milly ' s father , Avas a gentleman of great pride ancl of undoubted ancestry . The barony of Bertram , of Avhich he Ai'as one of the descendants , had fallen into abeyance in 1311 , Avhen Roger ,

son ancl heir of the first baron ( so created 1264 ) , died , leaving an only daughter , Agnes , Avho , dying sine prole , as the heralds say , the barony fell into abeyance amongst the descendants of her four aunts , daughters of the first lord . I merel

y mention this to SIIOAV that if he Avas proud of his family and lineage , length and nobility of descent Avere some excuse . lie owned a small estate in the country , and had contracted but feAv intimacies amongst his neig hbours , your father being ,

hoAvever , one of the notable exceptions to this rule of non-fraternity . " I don ' t think I ought to blame Milly for changing so suddenly . She had not indeed changed really , only she bad fancied she loved meancl IIOAV she found she did

, not . Looking back upon it IIOAV , I cannot blame her . I had IIOAV been some tAVO years in London , ancl had never Avritten to her , as , indeed , I had no right to do ; but though my sister had seen her often , she never sent a kindly message to me ,

perhaps fearful to give me encouragement , ancl I , equally proud Avith herself , never expressed any desire to knoAv IIOAV or Avhere she Avas . I kneAv she liked me , but I kneAv also that she did not love me . So , I had been Avaiting for a sign of the change ,

and this Avas the sign . "My OAvn Milly—the idol of my heart —the one hope of my life—she to Avhom I had sacredly and secretly affianced myself , as I madly thought , though she , poor g irl , had never been a party to the

bargain—she whom I so fervently , passionately , ancl deeply loA'ecl , had bestoAved the Avhole wealth of her affection upon another , ancl I Avas left alone . What Avould I not give to make her love me ! What AVOUM I not do to make her Avholly mine . A sudden thought came over me , ancl made me shudder , as I p ictured it in my mind . "What Avas this new science of

mesmerism ? this Avoiiderful poAver of fascination 1 Could it be used to make her bow to my Avill ? Could I make her yield to my AA'ishes ? " I should tell you that I lodged in London Avith one Mrs . Wingrove . Ralp h Wingrovewho Avas a distant connexion

, of her husband's , and Avho Avas my chum at St . Thomas ' , first took me there , and I soon changed my quarters to come ancl live Avith the family at Bloomsbury . Kate WingroA'e Avas a sweet , nice girl , very ladylikeivith black ringlets and a pale face .

, "They were Avhat I am afraid Mr . Thackeray would call a shabb y-genteel family ; indeed , Mrs . Wingrove was a decayed gentleAvoman , Avho Avas forced to make a livin . _ r out of her boarders .

I rather think they fancied I Avanted to marry Kate . We , certainly Avere great friends , and I Avas very much interested in her , poor girl , for there Avas something indescribably mysterious that attracted us to each other ' s society far oftener , perhaps ,

“The Masonic Magazine: 1875-03-01, Page 6” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 29 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmg/issues/mmg_01031875/page/6/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
Monthly Masonic Summary. Article 1
COMPARISON OF MSS. Article 2
THE HOUR GLASS. Article 5
WAITING FOR HER—A MESMERIST'S STORY. Article 5
THE PRESENT. Article 9
ORATION, BY S. C. DENNISON, OF SACRAMENTO. Article 10
TALKING TO THE DEAD. Article 14
RUDDER GRANGE. Article 15
THE MASONS' TEMPLE. Article 19
EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICAN FREEMASONRY, ONCE MORE. Article 19
WOMAN'S RIGHTS. Article 23
THE ANGEL MINISTERS. Article 23
THE LIVING TEMPLE. Article 28
OLD LODGE WARRANTS AND CERTIFICATES. Article 28
T'DISTANT SPRING.* Article 30
NOTES ON LITERATURE, SCIENCE AND ART. Article 30
Chippings. Article 31
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Waiting For Her—A Mesmerist's Story.

ing at single ladies for being single . Dear me , I knoAv many an one single from choice ; and let me tell you , young people , it ' s my belief that there are very few women indeed but have had chances of marrying , if they liked .

" Well , my dears , " uncle began , " I suppose you wish me to go on Avith my story . " " Yes , yes , " Ave all answered . " Imagine then , my dears , " uncle Avent on , " that two j'ears had jwssed away . I Avas entered at St . Thomas' Plospital . Dr .

Elliotson Avas then assistant physician there ; he had been elected to that post in 1817 . It Avas not till 1837 that he oAvned himself the leader of the mesmeric party ; but at this time , 1821 , mesmerism Avas much discussed amongst the students at

St . Thomas ' , and about three years later Professor Gregoiy , AVIIO filled the Chair of Chemistry at Edinburgh , had his attention draAvn to the subject by Monsieur Courdet , of Geneva , who had seen the famous cases of Dr . Petelin , of Lyons , Avhose Avork on the subject I read . " I had become much interested in the

subject , and had determined , if opportunity should offer , to try for myself the truth or falsehood of mesmerism . " An opportunity did offer , ancl sooner than I had expected . But I must not anticipate . Since the day Avhen I gitve up the charge of MilicentI had never

, seen her but twice . She bad gone home , had speedily recovered , ancl the last tidings I had heard of her Avere that she Avas engaged to be married to a young clergyman Avho had recently come to reside in the neig hbourhood of Orley House , Mr .

Bertram ' s residence . "Mr . Bertram , Milly ' s father , Avas a gentleman of great pride ancl of undoubted ancestry . The barony of Bertram , of Avhich he Ai'as one of the descendants , had fallen into abeyance in 1311 , Avhen Roger ,

son ancl heir of the first baron ( so created 1264 ) , died , leaving an only daughter , Agnes , Avho , dying sine prole , as the heralds say , the barony fell into abeyance amongst the descendants of her four aunts , daughters of the first lord . I merel

y mention this to SIIOAV that if he Avas proud of his family and lineage , length and nobility of descent Avere some excuse . lie owned a small estate in the country , and had contracted but feAv intimacies amongst his neig hbours , your father being ,

hoAvever , one of the notable exceptions to this rule of non-fraternity . " I don ' t think I ought to blame Milly for changing so suddenly . She had not indeed changed really , only she bad fancied she loved meancl IIOAV she found she did

, not . Looking back upon it IIOAV , I cannot blame her . I had IIOAV been some tAVO years in London , ancl had never Avritten to her , as , indeed , I had no right to do ; but though my sister had seen her often , she never sent a kindly message to me ,

perhaps fearful to give me encouragement , ancl I , equally proud Avith herself , never expressed any desire to knoAv IIOAV or Avhere she Avas . I kneAv she liked me , but I kneAv also that she did not love me . So , I had been Avaiting for a sign of the change ,

and this Avas the sign . "My OAvn Milly—the idol of my heart —the one hope of my life—she to Avhom I had sacredly and secretly affianced myself , as I madly thought , though she , poor g irl , had never been a party to the

bargain—she whom I so fervently , passionately , ancl deeply loA'ecl , had bestoAved the Avhole wealth of her affection upon another , ancl I Avas left alone . What Avould I not give to make her love me ! What AVOUM I not do to make her Avholly mine . A sudden thought came over me , ancl made me shudder , as I p ictured it in my mind . "What Avas this new science of

mesmerism ? this Avoiiderful poAver of fascination 1 Could it be used to make her bow to my Avill ? Could I make her yield to my AA'ishes ? " I should tell you that I lodged in London Avith one Mrs . Wingrove . Ralp h Wingrovewho Avas a distant connexion

, of her husband's , and Avho Avas my chum at St . Thomas ' , first took me there , and I soon changed my quarters to come ancl live Avith the family at Bloomsbury . Kate WingroA'e Avas a sweet , nice girl , very ladylikeivith black ringlets and a pale face .

, "They were Avhat I am afraid Mr . Thackeray would call a shabb y-genteel family ; indeed , Mrs . Wingrove was a decayed gentleAvoman , Avho Avas forced to make a livin . _ r out of her boarders .

I rather think they fancied I Avanted to marry Kate . We , certainly Avere great friends , and I Avas very much interested in her , poor girl , for there Avas something indescribably mysterious that attracted us to each other ' s society far oftener , perhaps ,

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