CHAPTER IV.

THE MAGIC MIRROR.

“‘Let me give you a piece of advice,’ said Miakus, ‘for you need it. First, never intrust any secret to a friend, which, if revealed, would bring trouble or disgrace. Never interfere in a brawl or quarrel, no matter who is right or who wrong; but always let the world do its own fighting, while you stand by to avail yourself of any advantage that chance may disclose; and lastly, keep what you know until there shall be a market for it. Now we will test our magic glass,’ and forthwith we went into the rear office, which by that time had been refitted, so far as glass and carpet were concerned.

“In his hands he bore the rose-wood box, which he laid upon the table, while, by the aid of four gimlets, he fixed a silken 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. You have seen a magic-lantern exhibition. Well, this is to be a similar one, _without the lantern_. I now open this box, as you see, and take from it this mirror, which is, as you observe, merely two plates of French glass, with strips of wood around their edges to keep them half an inch apart, and so that a fluid poured between them shall not escape. Nothing depends for success upon either the box, the curtain, or the glasses, but all depends upon the peculiar fluid between them, which is, as you perceive, of a dark brown color, but at a distance, quite inky to the eye.

“‘I now hang this mirror by this hook, to the ring sewed to the upper central edge of the screen. Then closing and locking both the doors, thus, I place these two chairs for you and I to sit upon. Then I take this reflector and place it near the gas jet in such a manner as to throw a strong light--a perfectly circular and brilliant disk upon the very centre of the glass tablet, thus,--and he suited his actions to his words; after which we took our seats before the curtain, and I observed that the liquid between the glasses was of such a nature as to reflect a sort of semi-opalescent hue.

“‘Before proceeding to demonstrate the truth of Hamlet’s remark to Horatio,’ said the experimenter at my side, ‘I find it essential to give you a why and wherefore. Know, then, that not only is there a mysterious and powerful sympathy between man’s body and all things outside of it, but it is still more true that a greater one exists between these outside things and his soul within, as is proved by the astonishing power over it exerted by various substances, most of which, especially the last eight, ought to be banished from the earth and be accursed for ever--for instance, Belladonna, Cantharadin, Beng, Opium, Hasheesh, Dewammeskh, Hyndee, Tartooroh, Hab-zafereen, Mah-rubah, Gunjah, and many other vegetable preparations that might be named, and every one of which will not merely affect the body, but the tremendous mystery that lies concealed within it. They expand the soul, but they also damn it! Let us ascend from gross matter to the volatile--Light, for instance. By concave mirrors we can throw an image in open space that shall be seen by thousands. We chain a shadow, and whoever has a photograph possesses one such prisoner. We make a few passes over a glass of water, and charge it thus with any specific quality we choose, nauseous or pleasant, and it produces corresponding effects upon the patient who takes it. Here you have mind and matter united by an act of mere volition. But we go still farther: for we select materials, and with them render the water still more highly sensitive. We then charge it with our souls, to such an extent that it shall comatize a man’s body, and illuminate his soul to the sublimest degree of clairvoyance. Still higher: it is possible to compound a liquid that shall seize on, and for a time retain, by its subtle power, any mental image thrown upon it. Still higher: there are direct and positive affinities and co-relations between every thing and person on this earth and off it. By certain knowledge, certain persons are able to select those things that possess certain affinities to and for the inhabitants of the upper worlds, and the dwellers in the Spaces. Now that glass disk before you contains such a liquid, thus compounded--’

“Here he gave me the most minute explanations of the process of constructing such curious mirrors, and how to charge them with a liquid which I at once saw must of necessity be electrical, magnetic, highly odyllic and ethereal. Then he told me how to charge it differently for different uses--as a toy, a means of medical diagnosis, for the purpose of interpreting dreams, seeing earthly things, discovering lost treasures, reading the past or the future, and for many other purposes, as no one mirror would serve more than one end, or work in more than a single direction, unless specially constructed for such general use, which would render them too costly.

“‘Properly prepared,’ he continued, ‘your mirror becomes so amazingly sensitive as to not only receive and retain images of things too subtle for solar light, but to bring out and render them visible. Nor is this all. There is light within light, atmosphere within atmosphere, and intelligent beings who dwell within them, and who can commune with man only through such mirrors, upon which they can photograph the information they wish to convey, either by scenes depicted therein, or by words projected thereon. Now, observe. Thoughts are things--they are real, substantial actualities, if not actual matter. They are things that have shadows, shape, form, outline, bulk. Some are flat, others are sharp, cutting, pointed, and go on boring their way through the world from age to age. Others are solid, round, bulky, and stagger when they strike you or impinge upon the world. Thoughts live, die, and grow. Now, attend. Gaze steadily and firmly; desire to see something, no matter what.’

“I smiled incredulously, and observed that one could see one’s face in any bit of glass.

“‘True,’ replied he, ‘but you have never seen your soul; and this bauble will show you that. It will reveal events already past, that are now occurring, or that will transpire in the future, on the earth or off it.’

“Much doubting what he said, I told him that, just then, the sceptical mood was on me, and my belief must be forced. He well knew the singular constitution of my mind, and that, in spite of much contrary seeming, I was one of the most obdurate sceptics concerning the supernatural that ever lived. To most of those who have known me, or read what I have written in past years, it may appear strange that I, who have been the accepted champion of all things spectral, should now make such a seeming confession. But human nature is a very strange compound! My heart, my loves, desires, and emotional nature were all on the side of the ghostly, and eagerly grasped and nursed the occult and weird; and when these reigned in my soul I bravely defended the spiritual theory against all comers. I rose to sublime heights of inspiration and speculation, and being thereby rendered morbidly sensitive to affectional influences, readily yielded to the specious social sophistry of the hour, and, for a while, pursued a course from which, had not reason been utterly blinded, I would have shrunk with ineffable horror; but, being surrounded by scores of thousands similarly deluded, it was impossible for a while to break through the accursed meshes of this devil’s net into the clear, cool light of truth beyond.

“This was one side of the life-web I was weaving. But there came moments wherein enthusiasm was exchanged for something like sober-mindedness; and then intellect rejected most of what heart had drank in, and challenged the conclusions of my own and others’ in regard to the Phantom-Philosophy. People cried, ‘Inconsistent!’ ‘Variable!’ mistaking honesty for whim--and just as if anything or person was ever consistent!

“In the present _séance_, logic held the reigns of mind, and I laughed, which Miakus observing, said: ‘Laugh on, laugh on; but you must be careful or the laugh will be against you. Truth is a dainty and a jealous dame, and never relishes practical jokes at her expense. But, look! the mirror begins to operate.’ And, instantly bending down, he veiled his face in both his hands, and remained thus for perhaps a minute, when he spoke, saying, ‘What see you in the glass?’

“‘Nothing,’ I replied, ‘but the images of ourselves.’

“‘Have patience! Look again! Try!’

“A short silence then followed, when--

“‘Do you see anything yet?’

“‘Yes; but nothing extraordinary. Only a clear spot--an atmospheric-looking aperture in the centre of the glass. Yes! now there comes a change--faint, misty, dusky shadows flit across; but nothing positive or distinct.’

“‘Is that all?’

“‘It is.’

“‘Look again.’

“‘Clearly and distinctly I see the fore-quarters of a large greyish-white dog. It grows! Now it is complete! The image stands out, bold and clear, _from the mirror_!’

“So perfect was this appearance, that I could not realize that it was a phantasm. The thing was impossible. It looked like the reflection of a dog in a looking-glass, and I actually turned my head, not to look for the dog, but for the picture of one upon the wall, that might have caused the image in the mirror. There was no such picture. The old man enjoyed my surprise, and muttered--

“‘Nothing supernatural, ha? Remember that idiots, bigots, and fools only dispute the existence of that which others do, but they do not understand. True, many pin their faith in a hereafter upon the curious phenomena attributed to disembodied souls, but they err in so doing. The demonstration can never be afforded through any process of either phenomena or intellection. Of that, be assured. Immortality can never be thought; it must be felt. Your philosopher cannot possibly grasp the idea, because it is not an idea at all. It is a reality, and comes to man never through the intellect, but ever and always through other channels of the spirit--comes over roads that begin on earth and terminate directly at the foot of God’s throne. Thus, when storms fall on the philosophic soul it shrinks and plays the coward. Not so the truly intuitional man. He feels, and, feeling, sees God through the gloom; and that, to him, is an insurance against loss or annihilation. He rides triumphant over circumstances that bar themselves effectually against all philosophers. Even when the shadow rests heaviest on the sky of life, such a soul beholds God enthroned in auroral splendor everywhere; he catches the sound of his voice from every echoing hill and dell, and it speaks to him of life everlasting, and its tones carry a thrilling demonstration of an hereafter that all the spiritualism of the earth could never impart.’

“Now while I looked upon the mirror I silently marvelled whether it were possible, through that glass, to solve the grand secret of the ages, and the old man’s speech could not possibly have been more apropos than it was. But in a moment afterward I felt indignant at having beheld such a figure, when he had promised I should see my soul, and told him so. ‘Let not that offend you,’ he replied, ‘that figure is not spectral, it is correspondential. What is the type of enduring fidelity, perfect trust and confidence, unbounded love and faith, if its symbol be not a dog? Such is the quality of your soul, nor is it very bad.’

“There now came a broad clean space on the glass, and the whole of it became clear and pellucid as the finest crystal; and in its very centre appeared a tiny, but very brilliant speck of white light, and its lustre increased till it became painful to gaze upon it. Gradually this expanded, and there came a space in its middle clearer than the brightest noon-day, into which I gazed with rapture, for the intense light faded away into a sort of hazy-vapor surrounding this spot.

“‘Into such, and through such do I wish you to look for me. But not now. The time is not propitious. That which you behold is the lense of a mystical telescope, wherewith you may scan and sweep the fields where revolve a myriad worlds like this, and of other millions whereof man is yet profoundly ignorant. Through it you can and may witness not only the worlds of which I speak, but also their tenants and all that they are doing.’

“‘What! Do you mean to tell me that through that telescope, as you call it, a living man can behold all that is going on in Mars and Jupiter?’

“‘Aye!’ said he, ‘and half a million planets, suns and systems more. It will reveal the fate or fortune of any one, alive or dead. But to the proof.’ As he spoke, it seemed that a sort of tube of light extended itself toward my eyes, and through it I beheld, as in a diorama, each and all of the terrible and painful scenes of what I believe to be my most recent life on the earth. I beheld all my few joys and successes, and all the countless agonies of body and soul, by which they had been girdled. Men met the phantom of myself, with smiles upon their faces, and seemed to speak in honied phrases, to make themselves believed, and then these shadows stabbed at the listener and he fell, but did not seem to die, for a grisly phantom ever hovered over him, but from pity forbore to strike.

“The scene changed. It appeared to be a rural village--the date, in fiery figures on the corner of the field, was 1852. It was a barber’s shop, and a light, happy-hearted youth was therein pursuing his avocation, and earning bread and health. This youth was apparently gifted to look beyond the veil, and into the dim regions of the dead; and it seemed that this was known, for presently people flocked about him, and the scene closed.

“Again the magic picture presented this man as in public life; cliques made use of him, flattered his vanity, and he was led into errors of conduct and judgment, but none so great as manifested by others around him; but, on the instant that this man discovered his error, and announced it, ten thousand daggers were levelled at his heart, ten thousand tongues defamed him--and for what? Because he had been true to his knowledge, his conscience and his God. He fell beneath the strokes of those who had sworn themselves his friends and the friends of all mankind. See him now with his heart bowed down.

“It shifts; and lo! the man appears again. Consumed by the fires of hatred, envy, ingratitude and venom of his former friends, he has risen again. ‘_Je renais de mes cendres_,’ was the motto on the banner that he floated to the breeze. He changed his mode of life. One of those who were the very first to take him from his labor, and bring him before the world, still clung to him, declared that even death should never alienate him (for the pantomime was as readable as speech), and the deceiver was believed.

“Again the phantorama changed. The barber-orator had reached to competence--had gained much gold, a deal of philosophy, and but very little 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 say was honest mean. He had forgotten that, after all, this is but a baby world, and still went on in the same old way, trusting and suffering.

“He had one to provide for--a female relative--in whom his heart was bound, but this was not reciprocal. The relation was that of religious duty on his side, and self-interest on hers. Still the man nobly struggled for her--so it seemed--and the picture faded, but another came. His ‘_friend_’ by fraud obtained all the man had, and then, with malignant purpose, defamed the female to his dupe, having first reduced the man to beggary. All this, working on the barber, nearly upset his reason, and the victim raged in his agony, and the financier laughed at him, and fed sumptuously, daily; and, having previously obtained by double fraud, a signature to the effect that robbery was a legal loan, gloated over the misery he had caused, and denounced the victim himself had made. Once more the picture flew on, years had gone by, the despised man--despised because his skin was darker than his destroyer’s--had risen into eminence and fame.

“It changed again. _Disgrace, poverty, the prison and the halter had avenged him._

“‘The way of the world!’ said Miakus, ‘but recollect that

“‘Ever the Right comes uppermost, And ever is justice done!’

What could you expect else from so small a portion of a man? Trust no one. This was fate. Fate cannot be evaded. Submit. It will be well in the sequel. WE MAY BE HAPPY YET!’

“Again those words! and uttered by Miakus, too!

“My mind framed a desire to behold something of the future that should be as plain as the pictures of the past had been, and if there was any means whereby the blows of fate might be softened, any field in which to live and act free from the loneliness hitherto endured, and when next my eyes glanced through the magic tube, there passed across the field of vision a solitary human head and bust. So swiftly did it glide past that only an electric sense of its beauty remained with me, but there was a something that told me the head I saw was that of Evlambéa--that by woman alone could redemption come. But then the curse said, ‘A daughter of Ish,’ and she was a child of Japhet.

“Scarcely had this figure flitted by than the glass became clouded, black, and finally resumed the appearance it had when first taken from the box.

“‘Nothing further can be seen to-day,’ said Miakus, ‘I have already endowed you with priceless gifts. You can go forth to the world 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 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 lips, when suddenly the same bust and head passed before me very slowly, within one foot of my face. It was unmistakably Evlambéa, and the countenance looked tearfully reproachful as it once more disappeared; but even as it did so there came a soft, low, musical voice, but sorrow-toned, saying: ‘_When I am in danger you will know it, wherever you may be; when you are in danger you will see me, though seas between our bodies roll!_’ The identical words uttered by the girl at the door of the chief’s cottage, years agone, when we had so sadly parted!

“Thus mysteriously warned, my consent was withheld. Miakus looked pitiful 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, consequent upon these strange events. I could not help being grateful for the favors shown me by the Enigma, and yet was I certain that I had, by ghostly aid, triumphed over a great temptation, and that Miakus might, after all, mean me no good. Involuntarily clinging to the memory of the maiden of the valley, I blessed her from my soul, and offered up a prayer that, if it were possible, she might be the redeeming angel for whom my lonely soul so ardently longed and sighed.”