San Antonio Daily Light. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 287, Ed. 1 Monday, January 2, 1893 Page: 4 of 6
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KT UNLUCKY ASTRALIZATION.
By J. H. CONNELLY.
(Copyright 1892 by American Frees dssocf»
lion.]
CHAPTER L
1 discovered that it kicked but three
minutes to ]ow o'clock.
It will hardly admit of question that
persons addicted to roaming about in
their astral forms are apt to develop an
indifference to their material bodies
is to say the least indiscreet so
as a definite purpose of final aban-
■ donment is not entertained. Our fore-
fathers who with rare exceptions were
ignorant of how to get out of then-
bodies and return to them at will
thought a great deal too much of their
flesh but that is no reason why we
should think too little.
The material body certainly has its
nses and deserves sufficient considera-
tion to insure its safety if no more.
Yet thousands of happy-go-lucky folk
when about to astralize themselves for
an evening’s amusement drop their
bodies anywhere with hardly more care
for their comfort and security than
would be bestowed upon a discarded
coat and go off feeling quite confident
of finding them all right and fit to put
on again when required. But there is
really a good deal of risk in doing so.
as I have bad very vividly impressed
upon me by a recent distinctly disagree-
able experience. Astralization is so ea s v
that one is readily beguiled into thinking
it safe; but in point of fact if you are not
very careful it is a mere question of
luck whether if you once leave your
body you will get into it again.
You may lose it forever in the little
time you take to slip out and flit around
the block without it.
One especially abominable evening in
December last 1 boarded at Pittsburg
on the Pennsylvania railroad the “fast
line number four.” train from the west
leaving there eastwardly at ten minutes
after eight intending to reach Baltimore
by it the next morning spend the day
in that city and the next night return to
my home in New York. To my disgust
I found every berth in the Baltimore
sleeper engaged but argument backed
by financial influence obtained for me a
“double lower” in the sleeping car next
to it which had come from Chicago and
was going on to New York. I would
have to turn out at Harrisburg at three
a. m. to transfer myself to the Balti-
more bound section of the train which
divided there but even that arrange-
ment would give me about five hours of
rest which was certainly better than
itting up all the night. The porter
(edged himself—for a consideration-—
call me in good time to dress. Par-
£ my going into all these -details
wi will see they had a rather impor-
*• bearing on subsequent events.
p a * atmosphere in that car was almost
ntial. It had been crowded all
s stove worked perfectly and its
Last g apparatus not at all; bleak
driving rain had pro-
of windows; so the
with hot humidity and the
<.f humanity. While the
making up my U-d. I found
smoko smoking
a o-mporarv r.-b. f.
itil"
■|MVn Is- ir.il W.- 1 "'
dropped b.
and seemed to
odors of a
]<ESfi|M).rali:' I’
r
train. Even the roof of the car will
be an improvement since the weather
V can have no effect upon my astral-
~ form.”
That I never had astralized on a rail-
road train seemed rather an incitement
to try than an argument against it.
Scarcely had the notion flashed into my
mind when I straightened myself out
on my right side changed my rate of
breathing and fixed my mind all in the
ordinary way. My last thought ip the
body as I composed myself was “1 shall
nave u/jet. nacK oerore we resen nar-
risburg.” Tlie next minute 1 stood in
the aisle free conscious still of my un-
pleasant environment but indifferent to
:it.in tho superb exhilaration always felt
by the .astral man as his first sensation
.of liberty and power upon escaping
from the body.
A natural curiosity as to the producer
of that awful snore impelled me-to peep
behind the curtains it caused to trem-
ble and wave. To my amazement the
offender proved to be a pretty young
girl. She lay upon the flat of her little
back with her. mouth wide open and
from that portal of coral ami pearl
puffed gurgled and snorted with the
unholy vigor of a hired .man. I felt
that it was not good for a bachelor to
know such a capability existent in wom-
an and tied in haste.
Few persons were still awake other
than the train hands in either of the
cars but in the smoking compartment 1
found two who. interested me. They
were stout well dressed prosperous
looking men one with indecision and
mental struggle manifest in his face
the other wearing a look of determined
and confident .insistence. As I invisi-
ble. took a seat before them the former
was saying:
“I don't mind admitting to you just
between ourselves I would like to; but
1 don’t know how 1 can seeing the flat-
footed way J liave already committed
myselr against that bill. Why 1 not
only opposed it on the floor but fought
it before the committed; and now to go
for it would give me dead away. Every-
body would know I had ‘got a bone’
and it would ruin my chances for re-
election among the farmers.”
“My dear sir” replied his companion.
“I don’t ask you to vote for it. Simply
cease your opposition and when it comes
up for action have an attack of la
grippe and remain in your room at the
hotel until the next day. That is simple
enough and you know when I promise
I make good every time.”
“Yes.” assented the first speaker dubi-
ously; “but suppose there should ever
be an investigation. If they got me
under oath my conscience would not 1
me deny the consideration nor conld
you—without perjury.”
“Oh dear yes. The easiest thing in
the world. See here is an odd bean; an
African bean. lam tired of carrying it
in my pocket. I shall abandon it on
this seat when Igo away. Of course 1
will not know what becomes of it. Yet
there are curiosity seekers who would
give a good deaLto get hold of that par-
ticular sort of bean for their cabinets. 1
wouldn't at all wonder if some one
would give two thousand dollars for
that beau in Albany tomorrow night.”
The man with prudential scruples
looked puzzled for a moment. Then a
light of comprehension dawned upon
his face and deepened gradually to a
shrewd grin. “I feel certain I shall have
an attack of the grip” he said.
The two smiled together and went
away to their berths the man
with the bean carelessly throwing it on
the seat as he passed out. In a few sec-
onds one returned for a glass of water
at the cooler before retiring and casu-
ally clutched aud pocketed the beau;
then the other also returned for a drink
looked at the seat from which the bean
was gone and grinned complacently.
I continued my ramble through the
train bnt found nothing more to inter-
est me and the discomforts of the excep-
tionally unpleasant trip were even accen-
tuated to mv consciousness through their
presentation to my mind as knowledge
and not as mere deductions from pos-
sibly illusory sensory impressions a dis-
tinction nr readers familiar with the
phenomena of astralization will per-
fectly comprehend.
“But” I said to myself “why should
I loiter about these crawling cars where
every one who can do so is trying to for-
get his wretchedness in sleeu. when 1
might with the swiftness of thought
transport myself anywhere else I chose?
Why not go onto New York and see
Marian?”
For the first time the idea occurred to
me that there might be some special
danger in astralization on a moving
train —something might happen to my
while i was away. I flitted back
and looked at it. Of course it was just
as I had left it. Dubitation about it
weakened the self confidence tvhich. M
everybody knows is so essential to any
one moving safely as a visitor upon
the astral plane and I was not at all
surprised to see about me instantly a
number of malicious sprites and even a
few malignant “elementals” eager to
take advantage of my deteriorated
strength. But the sight of them nerved
my resolution—or at least I so fancied
at the time though now I know the ef-
fect was simply a stimulation of my an*
tagonism not a rehabilitation of my
moral force. Hesitating no longer 1
transferred myself to New York to Ma-
rian’s parlor where 1 did not doubt
finding her as the hour was not yet
late. I may incidentally remark that
an engagement of marriage existed be-
tween Marian and myself a fact which
did not prepare me to anticipate tli
scene which presented itself to my as-
tonished gaze.
It would have seemed quite natural to
me to have found her contemplating my
portrait perhaps reading my last lettei
and wishing for my safe and speedy re-
turn to her side. But that was not at
all what I saw. She sat by the piano
as if she had just been playing. Instead
of my counterfeit presentment claiming
her attention it was absorbed by a gen
111*111*111 u titiaiigeA me wuv wuv uvtx
her murmuring affectionate phrases in
her ear. Soon ho took his leave and i
doing so actually had the audacity i
kiab her. Aud she saying “Good night”
returned the salute.
In all my astral experiences I have
never so much missed my good solid
material right leg and foot as when I
saw that fellow going leisurely down
her stoop to the pavement. Of course 1
did not haunt about Marian any more.
I Was done with her. Disgusted and
“mad all the way through” I went
around to my club forgetting for the
moment that I could not take a soothing
glass of wine; but that fact was soon
enough borne iu upon me. I could do
nothing but look at the other fellows
and listen to them and it is just plain
truth and not slang when I say they
made me tired. Nothing diverted my
painful reflections for I had been very
fond of Marian and that discovery hurt
me more than I ean adequately tell.
It is strange that a man suffering
from a grief caused by one woman
should almost always seek consolation in
file presence of some other woman but
such is the fact. Having been so deeply
wounded by the girl I loved I instinctive-
ly sought one whose tender love aud per-
fect faith while life lasted I could never
question the one whose dear face was
fhe first my infancy knew. How the
placid .charm of the familiar scene
touched my heart as I moved ’slowly
down through the orchard to the old
homestead!
Mother slept but as I stood by her
bedside a kindly smile suffused her aged
countenance as if her spirit was aware
of my presence and gave me kindly
greeting. How long I remained gazing
upon the wrinkles 1 am glad to think
were furrowed more by smiles than
tears and the band of silvery hair
framing them at the frilled edge of her
snowy nightcap I cannot say but long
enough for the influence of calm and
peace and purity pervading there to
sink into and strengthen my soul. Sud-
denly I happened to wonder what time
it was.
It is really one of the most annoying
things in these astral experiences—as 1
am sure will be generally admicted—-
that we have in this form no innate feel-
ing of the lapse of time or limitations of
space. We lack standards of compari-
son. I don't clearly see how this can be
remedied but it bugh ;to be somehow.
Moving to great distances by a mere ef-
fort of volition mil& are absolutely
meaningless to our astral consciences
and as for time every one knows that
if we could not catch sight of a dial or
draw deductions from things on the ma-
terial plane we would not know any dif-
ference between the lapse of ten minutes
and a week. Clearly- the most needed
invention of the age is some good reliar
ble sort of astral watch. When the idea
of time occurred to me I had to go down
into the sitting room for a' look at the
face of the old tall clock that has ticked
generations of my family into and out
of life.
To mv horror I discovered that it
lacked bnt three minutes to four o’clock!
And that train was divided at Harris-
burg nearly an hour liefore. For one
moment a vague sense of alarm seemed
to paralyze me. Then I darted to Har-
risburg.
Yes; the mischief had been done.
The train had come split and gone away
again two-thirds of it toward Philadel-
phia one-third toward Baltimore. Which
had carried off my body?
If the car porter had as much sense as
a hen I reasoned his line of duty would
be plain to him. My purchase of a
ticket obligated the company repre-
sented by him to transport my body
from Pittsburg to Baltimore. It was no
concern of his that I had chosen to ab-
sent myself during the carrying out of
that contract. His business simply was
to slide my unconscious corporeality
aboard the Baltimore train-and in good
confidence of his having done so I hur-
ried in pursuit of it. But to my serious
displeasure I found the fellow had not
done what I counted upon. 1 searched
all the cars through and through in-
specting carefully all ths bodies they
contained and mine was not among
them.
Of course 1 felt annoyed; still there
was some satisfaction in knowing there
was but one other alternative action t b e
fellow could have taken. Finding it
impossible to wake my body up he had
just let it lie. trusting I would have my
sleep out by the time the train reach ’
Philadelphia or perhaps New York.
Somewhere between Conewago and
Mount Joy I overtook the main train
and ransacked it in vain. The “double
lower” I had occupied was empty. The
snoring girl still thrilled the echoes
the familiar smells were’ all there yet
and the porter who had sworn to take
care of me sat asleep in the smoking
compartment with his head thrown back
and his mouth open looking like a gash
in a black watermelon. But what had
he done with my body? How I longed
to kick him awake and demand
him! But for all practical purposes I
was of no more good without my misr-
ing corporeality than a thought which
has not yet occurred to anybody. The
hideous fact forced itself squarely upon
my acceptance —I had lost my body.
CHAPTER 11.
The predicament was distressing m
itself and rendered actually exasperat-
ing by the unsympathetic conduct of
those who discovering my plight
and jeered me. From
the "s “elemc'itals” I could m.t
My first glance at the sheet caught the
yaragraiih which had caused her arid.
of course expect anything better but i
was pained by seeing among them and
emulating their heartlesspess some
astralized visitors from the material
plane whose unbecoming glee was not
restrained by the consideration that
their own bodies might also have been
lost to them at that very moment for
aught they knew to the contrary. I have
not deemed it necessary in the course ct
this narration to make any particular
mention of the dwellers on the astral
plane or of the temporarily astralized
persons like myself whom 1 encountered
there as my experiences were simply
those every one has with the exception
of this incident and one other to which
I shall have occasion to revert farther
on. But I cannot let pass without rep-
rehension the behavior of tlie astralized
persons whe clustered around me On
the train that morning and declared
they found my unhappy situation
“funny.”
With a vague idea that I might find
my body among the unclaimed baggage
or in the waiting room at the Harrisburg
depot I eluded my tormentors and
flitted back there—only to suffer another
disappointment. It was nowhere to be
seen. The last passenger train for the
night had gone by the depot was dark
and the only person on the platform was
a watchman. 1 hoped some one would
come and open a conversation with him
in the oourse of which I might casually
find a clue to what had-been done with
r far /•nnvaa lio lux vow
likely to know. But the only persons
who came were brakemen on the top of
moving freight trains who • simply
shouted “Hey! Jim!” or playfully shied
chunks of coal at him social advances
to which he responded by such ejacula-
tions profane or otherwise as the occa-
sions seemed specifically to demand.
An inexplicable fascination tempted
me to follow and haunt the car in which
I had last seen mv body which 1 sought
to excuse to myself by a hojie the porter
might when he waked say something in
my presence about it. So he did. In
the Jersey City depot while the passen-
gers were leaving the train and he was
gathering up the soiled linen he sud-
denly stopped threw open a window
and beckoned to him a dingy platform*
sweeper.
“’Lijah” he exchnmed. hurriedly
with ap air of suppressed excitement
and mystery “Go ’n play the death gig.
Play it for all yon’s wuf.”
“Man or woman?”
“Man. Died on the train dis mawnin.”
“ ’M’m.”
That was all. They resumed their
duties. My supposed demise was to
them simply an inspiration for a “policy”
play. I don't know when any little
filing ever depressed me more. So; 1
was deemed dead. Strange that some
one had not sense enough to discover
the fact of my having simply strolled
away in my astral form! I would have
imagined that so common and natural a
thing could not have failed to be at least
suspected by almost anybody.
Pondering upon the unpleasant con-
sequences to me which might ensue if
there were not a timely correction of
that misunderstanding 1 strolled ab-
sentmindedly with the passengers
through the depot and aboard the ferry-
boat. Moving in this way 1 sometimes
temporarily forget that I am not in my
bod)- until some incident recalls me to
recognition of the fact. It is perhaps
hardly worth speaking of being such a
common experience in our astral inter-
ludes but I always find it vexatious and
irritating to have persons walk through
me. And it happens so often. Of course
it is easy enough to dodge those you
meet and if you sail along over their
heads you have no trouble but moving
in a crowd on its level you are almost
certain to find some one mistaking you
for empty space come plunging through
you from behind or lurching into you
sidewise in your unguarded moments.
Both those things occurred to me that
unlucky morning. A fat German wom-
an with a huge market basket on her
arm almost wrecked me and 1 had
scarcely got my disarranged parts col-
lected and in place again when in going
off the boat a pretty delicate looking
young girl was jammed right into the
space I occupied. Her sensitive nervous
organization evidently felt my presence
though she was unaware of the cause of
her sensation for she shivered and whis-
pered to a companion:
“Oh Jennie I’ve got gooseflesh all
over me! I believe I’m catching cold.”
That incident I think hurt nje worse
than the other. It is distinctly nnpleas-
ing to be shivered at by a pretty girl
and spoken of as giving her got seflesh.
I was sure I would not have affet ted her
so if I had had my body on at tie tipio
—a reflection which would ha » been
To be Continued.
RAIL JROAD TIME TABLE.
I. & G. N. Railroad.
DEPARTURES.
For St. Louis via Iron Moun-
tain or M. K. & T 6:50 a m
For St. Louis via Iron Mountoin 6:00 p m
For Laredo 9:55 a m
ARRIVALS
From St. Louis via Iron Moun-
tain and M. K. and T 9 : 35 a m
From St. Louis via Iron Moun-
tain and M. K. and T . . . . 10:55 P ®
From Laredo 5:35 p m
Soutnorn Pacific Railroad.
THROUGH EXPRESS EAST.
Leaves for New Orleans Houston
and Galveston . . 1:30 pm and yp m
ARRIVES I-ROM THE EAST.
Arrives from New Orleans Houston
aud Galveston 8:00 a u . aud 4:15 p. m
THROUGH WEST.
Leaves for San Francisco El Paso
8:30 a m
Leaves for Eagle Pass aud Mex 10:50. a m
Ar. from Eagle Pass . 445 pm
Ar. from San Francisco El Paso 1:05 pm
3. A & A. P. Railroad.
DEPARTURES.
Leaves for Kerrville daily except
Sunday 4:00 p m
Leaves for Galveston Houston and
Waco daily . . B : s° a m
Leaves for Corpus Christi Rockport
Beeville daily ....... 3:10 p tn
Leave for Kerrville daily except
Monday and Sunday at . 7:30 a.m
arrivals.
From Kerrville daily except
Sunday 8:35 a m
From Kefrville daily except Sunday
and Monday 7:55 p.m.
From Corpus Christi Rockport
Beeville daily 1:40 p m
From Galveston Houston and
Waco daily 8:15 p m
Mlllory Steamer sail from Galveston
every Wednesday and Saturday
SPECIAL BARGAINS IN
Fine Sxi Jewelr /’
Ladies & Gent’s
Gold Watches Rings Silver-
ware Clocks Etc.
Nice line or appropriate and useful pres-
ents for Holidays. Jewelry of all kinds.
Repairing on shortest notice. AJI work
i guaranteed. Q MUSIN
No. 609? Military Plaza next to Kalteyers.
W. G WAGNER.
—DEALEH IN—
Fresh Beef Mutton Pork Sausage
ETC- ETC
Markets: —Cor. Leal and San Marcos
Streets.
U“Delivered to any part of the city.
M. 11. SOH ROE TER.
— Dealer in —
Choice Meats Beef Veal Pork Mutton
and all kinds or Sausages.. _
I make a specialty of the Choicest Meats to be-
had in the market. 121 Ave. D.cor. Travis St.
MATTHIES BROS.
BUTCHERS
505 East Houston Street.
Dealers iu Fresh Beef Pork MuttonSau-
sage etc. Meats delivered to any part C«
the city. Shop open all day until 8 p.
m. Satisfaction warranted. Try us.
M. BERWICK
—DEALER IN—
Paints and Oils
Glass & Wall Paper.
Agent for Geo. W. Pitkin & Co’a Zinc
Paste. House graining and painting a
specialty. No. 12 Alamo street.
Notice of Filing Final Account..
THE STATE OF TEXAS I
. COUNTY OK BEX AIL »
„ County Court in Matters of Probate.
To January Term 1893.
Tbe State of Texas to all Persons Interested
in the Administration of the Estate of
Elisabeth Fischer deceased:
Fi ? cher - administrator of the estate
ot Elisabeth Fischer deceased has tiled his
final account in the County Court of Bexai
County which will be acted on at the January
term A. D . 1893. of said Court at the Court
House thereof in tbe City of San Antonio
after thia notice shall have been duly pub-
lished for at least twenty 120) days in some
newspaper published in Bexar County. Tex-
as at which time all persons interested in
said estate may appear and make objections
thereto if they see proper.
Witness Thad. W. Smith Clerk of the Coun-
ty Court of Bexar County and Seal
of said Court at my office in San
IL. S.J । Antonio this ItJth day of Decem-
ber A. D. 1892.
Thad. W. Smith
Clerk County Court Bexar County.
By R. C. Symington Deputy.
[lssued same day.]
No. 1801.
Came to band December 16th 1892 at ?
o'clock p. m. and executed on the Htb day ot
December. 1892 by ordering publication in
San Antonio Daily Light.
Jno. P. Campbell
’Sheriff Bexar County.
By Jas. M. Van Ripek Deputy.
A BARGAIN FOR PRINTERS.
For Bale: 500 lbs. cf Brevier Roman
fair condition abundance of sorts all
15 and 20 cents’ a pound. Addressjf
11 21 tf T. B Johnson Light Offlcfl
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San Antonio Daily Light. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 287, Ed. 1 Monday, January 2, 1893, newspaper, January 2, 1893; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1681942/m1/4/: accessed June 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .