"At first sight, this appears rather hazy. But after I have called your attention to a few facts, you will see that there is nothing impossible in the act. How often have you suddenly thought of some person of your acquaintance and seen him immediately afterward? How often have you talked about someone and he has come into your presence? "Speak of angels and you will hear the flapping of the wings," or "Speak of the devil and he is sure to appear." are two odd ways of expressing this occurrence. Take the number of times that this occurs, times when nothing in the approach of the other party could have suggested the thought. Can you conscientiously call it coincidence? Or, talking with a friend, you take the very words out of his mouth, though he was about to change the subject. Is this coincidence?

"Or, getting into the subject a little deeper, have you ever seen the shadowy form of a friend who was not present, have you never heard your name called when there was no one near to speak it? And still you deny the wonders of your own mind? This common belief that there is little in these things is due to the active employment of the mind, to our mercenary methods of transacting business and to our general mode of life. In our quiet moments we get flashes of this power, sometimes we meet people who are strangely 'gifted' in these lines. It sets us to thinking. We will find, if we continue our research, that part of what we get is due to our own minds, another part is due to the minds of some one else. The actual transference of thought must have two conditions: Concentration on the part of one mind; receptivity on the part of the other. Thus we have one mind acting as the 'transmitter' and the other as the 'receiver.'

"In my entertainment this evening, it will be impossible for me to give you genuine phenomena in the transference of thought without contact because I cannot get into a condition receptive enough to get and interpret your messages. On the other hand, I will do my work by contact. Here I rely upon active nervous energy. This does not make every little sound annoying. I will ask that the audience select a committee of gentlemen well known and respected. I want you to be satisfied in knowing that my work, real or aided by nervous contact, is genuine; that it is not a fraud and that the results are obtained under the supervision of men of integrity. I want you to select about five or six gentlemen upon whose word you can depend. It is immaterial to me whether they believe in this kind of work or not. If they discover a fraud I want them to consider it their duty to report it to the audience. Will you kindly select this committee?"

On the stage the operator has a table - or little stand - upon which he has placed his absorbent cotton, to be used as pads for the eyes, and a pitcher of water, together with a glass. He must also have something to act as a bandage. A large silk handkerchief will do. If the committee desire to impose any greater test by way of a blindfold, the operator must submit to it.

This must be the method of the amateur in approaching his entertainers. The professional may object to the music, he may wade into the subject to such a depth that the audience are swayed and held in awe at his marvelous recital of the mysteries of Mind. But he can give only a certain amount of work; the amateur can give as much. Remember, I expect that anyone giving an entertainment of this nature has done the work before at his home and in the company of friends. He must not be timid and without faith in himself. There will be a rather peculiar feeling about it all when the blindfold is adjusted. Think of what a predicament one would be in were he incompetent to carry on the work! He must be good at his work, for there will never be any excuse for a failure in an entertainment. Failure must never be allowed to enter into your work as part of it.

I will now return to the hall where I am supposed to exhibit and show you how the entertainment should be carried out. The instructions will be practically the same for the amateur as for the professional. I have shown the latter how to bill his town. I have told the beginner how to make his arrangements. The show in either case cannot greatly differ.

I will assume that I have just delivered the above speech and am awaiting the selection of a committee. This is different from asking for volunteers for the hypnotic show. The gentlemen who will come upon the platform know that they are wanted to use their judgment, to use the power of their thoughts, to watch my every movement and to see that I am giving the audience something genuine. They are not belittled at all by the request.

"Will you kindly name some gentlemen who may act as committeemen?" I ask.

"I will name Mr. John Hartford," says one old gentleman arising, and the motion is "seconded" in all parts of the house.

"I name Mr. J. W. Thomas," says another.

Mr. Thomas immediately declines, saying that he has been suffering from a cold and does not feel that he is able to act in the capacity on account of his recent illness. Mr. Thomas, of course, is excused, and I await the naming of others.

They are named, one at a time, until six have been chosen. The gentlemen come upon the stage two at a time and take the seats I have arranged for them.

In most of these little halls, it is not necessary to have a place to walk down from the stage. The stage is little more than a platform in this case and there are steps sufficient to allow two to pass readily from the stage to the floor of the hall. In the smaller opera houses, there are usually steps at one side. These will do quite as well as taking the trouble to put up anything additional.

"Now, gentlemen," I say, "I wish you to take every precaution in blindfolding me. Place the blindfold on tightly, but not too tight for the welfare of the eves. Then, when I am securely blindfolded, I will instruct you as to the procedure of the entertainment".

I am seated in a chair and two of the committee - one a physician; and a physician is always important - proceed to blindfold me. They take the cotton. Always have absorbent cotton, as there will be considerable moisture that must be taken up or the eyes will suffer. This cotton is torn up into small pieces and placed over each eye, one of the gentlemen holding the cotton while the other places more on the increasing pads. When they are through, they take the bandage and wrap it carefully over the cotton. Over this they place another bandage of game. This is wrapped around many times so that, when the job is finished, there is absolutely no chance of seeing. This is just what the committee desire, it is just what the audience desire and it most assuredly is what the operator desires!