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750
Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring
·
Professor Hoffmann
725
Another
exhibition
of
clairvoyance--the
reading
of
writing
sealed
up
and
unopened--adds
greatly
to
the
mystery
of
the
performance;
but
how
this
is
done
can
be
easily
explained.
Previous
to
going
on
the
stage,
a
sentence
is
selected,
and
written
in
blacklead
on
a
piece
of
paper.
During
the
performance
similar
pieces
of
paper
are
handed
round
to
several
of
the
audience,
who
are
requested
to
write
a
sentence
thereon.
These
papers
are
sealed
similarly
to
the
prepared
one,
and
placed
in
a
hat.
The
professor
then
pretends
to
select
one
at
random,
after
having
shaken
up
the
papers;
but
he
really
takes
up
the
one
he
had
already
in
his
hand.
The
lady
clairvoyant
is
then
requested
to
read
a
sentence,
which,
of
course,
she
can
easily
do.
The
paper
is
then
handed
to
one
of
the
audience
and
to
their
astonishment
it
is
found
to
have
been
the
actual
sentence
written.
It
will
be
understood
that
each
writer
of
a
sentence
is
ignorant
of
what
another
has
written,
and
the
given
sentence
is
therefore
thought
to
have
been
written
by
one
of
the
audience.
This
suspicion
may
be
heightened
by
the
queer
method
of
spelling,
or
the
character
of
the
caligraphy;
it
may
be
made
still
more
astounding
by
writing
the
sentence
in
a
foreign
language
with
a
slight
mistake
in
spelling,
or
grammar,
upon
which
the
clairvoyant
can
comment
in
her
reply,
and
thus
acquire
a
reputation
for
scholarly
and
linguistic
attainments.
The
same
means
are
resorted
to
in
the
adding
up
of
a
sum.
The
figures
are
all
prepared
behind
the
stage,
and
the
bona
fide
sums
given
by
the
audience
are
never
the
ones
answered
by
the
clairvoyant.
I
think
I
have
given,
or
I
hope
I
have,
a
clear
and
full
explanation
of
clairvoyance
or
second
sight,
and
the
reader
may,
by
a
little
practice,
become
as
perfect
in
this
special
branch
of
magic
as
the
mysterious
lady--Heller--Miss
Anderson,
Dr.
Lynn,
and
a
host
of
others,
who
have
mystified
and
bewildered
thousands
of
wondering
spectators.
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