A FEW PLEASING TESTS arranged for the purpose of hastening the progress of the student will be welcomed as a diversion. While they are highly beneficial they are not very difficult unless your nerves are shattered by bad habits or ill health. If they are repeated a number of times they will begin to grow easy, as has been often declared by those who have tried them.

FIRST EXPERIMENT

Take a sheet of note paper, neither too stiff nor too thin; tear it in halves; hold one-half of it in the hand by placing the thumb and two fingers at the lower corner of the paper, holding the hand about a foot from the chest, and the elbow away from the body The entire arm must be free—that is, must not touch anything, nor have any means of support.

If a mirror is convenient it is well to locate some fine spot on the glass (if it has none, place an ink spot there), and hold the paper so that the upper opposite corner from that in the hand shall be on an exact line with the eye and the spot on the mirror Hold this for twelve seconds, and note the deviation of the corner of the paper from the spot. If there is no deviation, you are ready to undertake the second experiment. If there is, you should practice this until you can prevent any departure, however slight, from the spot indicated.

Take a large sheet of writing paper, tear it in halves and hold it the same manner as in the first exercise. Persist in practicing until there is no deviation even of a hair's breadth. Do not be discouraged if it requires patience. The left hand may be employed about one-quarter of the time, or vice versa, if the pupil is left-handed.

THIRD EXPERIMENT

When the last exercise has been mastered the pupil may take a sheet of the larger size foolscap paper, tear it in halves, and continue as before.

FOURTH EXPERIMENT

When the third exercise has been accomplished the pupil may take an entire sheet of foolscap paper, and, without tearing it, open the whole sheet and hold it by the lower corner, having the thumb and two fingers upon as small a portion of it as possible.

The paper must be just stiff enough to stand alone. Making a hollow curve diagonally across the center will aid in keeping it stiff.

Be sure that the elbow has no support and is extended from the body.

FIFTH EXPERIMENT

Fill a goblet two-thirds full of water; take it at the small part just above the bottom, by the thumb and first finger only, and hold it for thirty seconds on a level with the chin, the elbow being away from the body and the whole arm free. The water mustnot shake or even tremble. Rest. Hold it in the same way, employing the thumb and second fingeronly, for thirty seconds. Rest. Hold it in the same way, employing the thumb and third finger only for thirty seconds. Rest.

Hold it in the same way, employing the thumb and little finger only,for thirty seconds. Rest. Your patience will be sorely tried.

But after several efforts you will suddenly find yourself mastering the experiment with unexpected ease.

These experiments will seem to make you "nervous;" you will say that instead of making you control yourself better they

Fig. 1, Floating the Rose-Leaf

irritate and vex your nerves. So it will seem at first, and likewise at all times when your leakage is going on rapidly. This apparent "nervousness" is really the rebellious leakage being checked. It dislikes to be stopped. A "nervous" person wants to let the leakage go on until complete prostration ensues. There is a temporary agony in the checking of the outflow of this vitalforce. While the loss is going on the person walks and moves about, swings the feet or twitches the hands, tears paper, fingers some button or watch chain, gets in a rocking-chair sometimes, and shows every manner of restlessness. The down hill grade has begun.

To check it at first is to make the person suffer. Yet the great men and women of the world have somehow learned to stop this waste.Those who want to achieve greatness, or even wish to learn to control others, must endure the suffering.

In conversation with those who have been magnetic and have been successful in life, it was learned that every one had made someeffort to check this waste of vital force. Not one knew the principle involved, and not one had the advantage of any guide or help; and stranger yet, none knew that any other person

Fig. 2. Extending the Floating Leap

was endeavoring to reach the same result. Such conversations proved that our great men and women do more for themselves in private than the public suppose. Some of their efforts are often simple, child-like, and even ridiculous. Yet they accomplish great ends.

You who give up now would better cease to hope for much in this world in the way of commanding talents.

SIXTH EXPERIMENT

Take a goblet (not a tumbler) even full at the top with water. Place the bottom in the flat palm of the hand and hold the same at arm's length. The water must not be allowed to spill or even shake or tremble. The other hand may be tried occasionally. Then procure the aid of a friend who is to give you two goblets of water, one in each hand, the water coming to the top and slightly rising above the edge. Hold these in the two hand out at arm's length for thirty seconds, without the slightest tremor or shake of the water.

You will not be able to do this at first, but perform it daily for a month, and you will be surprised at the result. If you give it up before the full design is effected you will yet learn what patience is, and patience helps to overcome the erratic action of the vital-force.

The fact that the water trembles or overflows at the top need not discourage you. We are constantly receiving reports from our members who have failed utterly and have given up all hope of accomplishing anything in this practice. One says:

"The water shakes out and spills. I can no more do that exercise than I can jump over the moon." And we reply, "Oh, yes, you can. The very fact that you cannot do it is proof of the need you have of it."

No one need fail ultimately. All can do it in time. Those who have given up completely have in most instances, come back to the practice drawn by the fascination of it and they have succeeded in the most difficult of all experiments, the great Rose Leaf Test, which is now for the first time made public, although we have given it many times to our private pupils. It will be presented in the next chapter.

The goblet experiments have great value in bringing the nerves to absolute perfection. They are tests that never tell an untruth.

Pig. 3. Raising the Floating Leaf

The nerves may be alive, jumping, irregular, erratic and out of normal health, while it is possible for a person of strong will to keep all the muscles dead-still. So we see that the present experiments reach a condition that may always escape the previous exercises. They give smoothness to the flow of the nerve-currents; they tone down the irritated fiber; they do for the direct electric system of the body what dead-still practice will do for the muscles. Experience alone can show great benefits.

DENTISTS

Many of our pupils have been dentists. They of all persons require not only muscular dead-stillness, but nervous deadstillness, and these experiments have so qualified then for exactnessof movement and delicacy of touch that their skill as well as their income have been greatly increased. The sensitive spot on a tooth is often very small; a careless or uncontrolled movement of the hand would cause severe pain to the patient. The dentist who allowed a drill to slip and penetrate the flesh of the cheek, coming through on the outside of the face, would never have had the accident had he been a student of magnetism and his patron would not now be disfigured for life. The person of steady nerve will, if the instrument slips, not allow it to pass an eighth of an inch in any direction.

SEVENTH EXPERIMENT

While in a large room try to follow with the steady eye a line on a height with the head, or if there is no line, then an imaginary one, first from left to right, and reverse. Do this slowly fifty times each way. The eye must not move by small muscular jerks, but very smoothly and slowly. It is not easy to do, and to do well. Do not wink while doing it.

If outdoors, try it by following a horizontal line of mortar on a brick building, or the clap-board of a wooden one.

To those to whom the object of the foregoing experiments may not seem clear, it will be necessary to say a word:

The pupil is asked to remember that the vital-force is the life of the body; from it is generated the Magnetism which controls others. It is constantly being formed, and some portion of it is constantly in motion. It propels the action of the involuntary organs by the decree of its Maker, and without the direction of the human will. The heart circulates the blood; the diaphragm attends to the breathing; and the stomach propels itself during digestion; and thus the trinity of life's movements, without, each and all of which life itself would cease, may be traced to the action of the vital-force, and through that to some power beyond

But here the line is drawn, and one of the Principles of Personal Magnetism is called into requisition:

"No movement of any voluntary muscle of the human body must be made unless directed by the will."

The voluntary muscles are those whose motions may be operated by the conscious being.

They should never move involuntarily.

Leakage occurs in the following ways:

1. By unsteadiness of the hands, arms or body.

2. Twitching of the eyelids, or constant winking.

3. Drumming with the fingers after the habit has been formed, or with the feet. 4. Sighing. 5. Gaping. 6. Wakefulness.

7. Swinging the arms, hands, legs, feet, head or body.

8. Rocking, after the habit has been formed.

9. Restlessness.

10. Twitching of the fingers, or any movement of any part of the body during embarrassment, or while speaking or being spoken to.

11. All kinds of embarrassment.

12. Awkwardness.

13. Shorter exhalations (in point of time) than inhalations.

14. Stammering and stuttering.

15. Lack of fluency in speech where it cannot be attributed to want of words or ideas.

16. Allowing the ankle to be turned or a strain to be put upon any muscle by an uneasy standing position. Never have the foot on its side. Never twist the body.

Who are exempt from all these?

The cool, determined, successful, magnetic people of the world,

LESSON FORTY-EIGHT

STILL LIFE

OUR course of training now leads us into new fields of practice, although what is presented in this chapter rests upon the previous lesson with a wide difference in the way of tests and results. This must be clearly understood at the start, and we will state that the work previously presented has been designed for two specific missions:

1. To bring the muscles to dead-stillness while the life within is most energetic.

2. To bring the nerves into perfect smoothness while the life within is most energetic.

Statuary work is the combination of the two. In the practice of muscular dead-stillness it is allowable to express life in any form and to use any muscles that are needed. The experiments given in the preceding chapter, called mechanical exercises, are for the nerves alone. This distinction must always be understood. Now we unite the two and produce statuary effects.

The definition of a statuary position might be one that embraced the power of complete imitation of a statue. To be sure such training is properly included in other lines of culture. The. woman who was told by her husband that she was so restless and uneasy all the time that he was constantly irritated by her presence, did not leave home and go back to her mother; she quietly went to a school of expression and there learned grace and particularly statuary attitudes. Then she was no longer restless and nervous. A home that might have been broken up andjoined the long list of disasters due to incompatibility of temper became the bulwark of love. Let husbands and wives do everything possible to retain the home before giving up and separarating. If we have no other crown to wear, we are pleased to know that our efforts in carrying the study of magnetism into home-life have saved many men and women from the misery of failure in marriage. We know that over ten thousand couples areliving happily together at this time, who would have been divorced but for this very study. Husbands and wives who are magnetic never quarrel.

This fact is easily proved.

The statuary exercises of this chapter are not difficult to undertake. If you are capable of interest in anything you can go through all the requirements with relish for the practice. The fact that they are not easily mastered does not render them uninteresting or hard to try. They are not everything in this study, but only a part of the general structure. In many cases to be able to perform one or two perfectly might be sufficient. Others wish to take them right through without omissions.

As a good student studies all his life, so there must be a constant use made of the principles involved in this chapter, as long as the pupil lives. The exercises may be abandoned in a few months after they have grown into habit, but do not abandon the results they produce. The dead-still attitudes concentrate the electrical or static forces, giving them an opportunity to accumulate while Internal Energy is going, and by a change of the static into the dynamic form of electricity, intense Personal Magnetism is developed.

Then new habits follow.

Pupils have to grow into this power; they cannot jump at a bound. After the force has commenced to grow it can be kept growing for many years, just as a child grows into manhood.

The pleasantest period of one's study of this art is when he or she experiences the consciousness of the presence of a new power within, the Internal Energy. We would gladly lead the pupil to that happy condition by a flight to the mountain top, avoiding the toilsome plodding through the valley, it' we could, but we cannot. Patience is a test of character; you must have character enough to be patient as you go slowly through the tedious drill of this chapter.

Later on we shall commence the formation of Internal Energy Then the two means of development will work together, For the present we shall introduce exercises that open the way to those that are to constitute the main practice in this chapter

THE PROGRESSIVE STEPS IN THE STATUARY PERIOD

First Step—Sitting Still.

The movements which lead to the sitting position and those which lead from it are elsewhere described, together with the principles underlying them. This exercise deals only with the attitude of sitting.

FIRST DAY

Attach to the wall or to some object directly in front of your chair on a height with the eyes, a watch having a second hand If you do not possess this article, mental counting must be substituted; that is, count silently one to each second, as nearly as may be estimated in the mind.

Sit down. Take as easy a position as possible, without supporting the back.

1. Looking steadily at the watch (which must be on a level with the eyes), try to avoid winking for five seconds. Rest a few seconds.

2. On resuming you may take the mind from the winking and think exclusively of the fingers. Look steadily at the watch for five seconds and be sure that no movement of the fingers takes place. Rest a few seconds. Do not hurry, as it will cause a loss of time and labor.

3. Resume and look steadily at the watch for ten seconds without allowing the eyelids to move in the slightest degree Rest a few seconds.

4. Resume and look steadily at the watch for ten seconds without allowing the fingers to move in the slightest degree Rest a few seconds.

5. Resume and look steadily at the watch for fifteen seconds eyelids dead-still as before.

SECOND DAY

The pupil must now rest until the next day, and then he must repeat the foregoing five exercises.

On the third day he may continue the Dead-Still sitting positionsas directed below, arriving at the tenth exercise on that

6. Resume and look steadily at the watch for fifteen seconds, fingers dead-still as before.

7. Twenty seconds, eyelids dead-still. 8. Twenty seconds, fingers dead-still. 9. Thirty seconds, eyelids dead-still.

10. Thirty seconds, fingers dead-still.

FOURTH DAY

11. Thirty-five seconds, eyelids dead-still.

12. Thirty-five seconds, fingers dead-still.

13. Forty seconds, eyelids dead-still

14. Forty seconds, fingers dead-still.

15. Fifty seconds, eyelids dead-still.

Note.—When the eyes begin to water, continue only five seconds after the unpleasant feeling begins. Do not keep too long at one time on the eye movements. Judicious practice will strengthen the eyes very much.

16. Continue in this way until you can go to eighty seconds, fingers dead-still, and eyelids as long as possible.

17. After a few days' practice, you will be ready for this and. the next exercise.

18. Look steadily at the watch for one minute, not moving a muscle of the body, and keeping the mind upon the feet, and specially the toes. The extremities of the body, the fingers and thetoes, and the eyelids are the first parts to show nervousness or leakage. These must be watched at all times during the day, aswell as in these exercises.

19. Look steadily at the watch for one minute, keeping the mind upon the entire body, being sure that DO motion of any kind occurs in any part. This exercise should be performed daily as long as the person lives. The good that grows out of a long continuance of it cannot be estimated.

Notes.—All the foregoing exercises refer to thesitting posture the back being unsupported at the time.

It is better to have the light behind you.

The watch may be four feet away unless you are near-sighted

The following exercises will add to your stores of magnetism through the principle of Still Life. Practice these as opportunity permits.

Second Step—Lounging, Dead-Still.

20. Take a sitting position, allowing the body to fall into a lounging attitude of perfect ease; hold this position without a movement of the fingers, toes, arms, eyelids or head.

Maintain for two minutes, watching some object steadily,

Third Step—Standing, Dead-Still.

Arrange a watch, as in the first exercise, on a height with the head and as far away as the hands can be easily seen. In standing allow the arms to hang at the sides as dead weights. If all muscular tension is taken out of them they will hang easily and properly. The weight of the entire body should be borne on the balls of the feet, the heels merely touching the floor.

Make this position natural.

21. Stand for thirty seconds, fixing the mind upon the eyelids, fingers and toes. Do not move any of these a hair's breadth,

22. Stand for thirty seconds, fixing the mind upon the entire body, and draw in full and very long and deep inspirations, exhaling when necessary, all without the slightest swaying of the body or rocking to and fro, or movement of any voluntary muscle. It is a good idea to keep the chest fully extended and immovable and the shoulders clown, but not back.

Do not assume an unnatural attitude. Gradually increase these periods until you can stand for sixty seconds under the conditions named.

23. Stand for ninety seconds dead-still, as to every voluntary muscle of the body; the hands at the side; the second and third fingers of the right hand touching each other very lightly; the same as to the left hand; the eyes looking fixedly at some object,

This exercise is so important that it should be practiced every day during life.

Fourth Step—Frozen Movements.

24. Stand for one minute with the entire body dead-still, and thearm raised so as to allow the wrist to rest lightly against the body, near the hip, and a little in front. Either arm will do. Do not move the eyes or lids, or any muscle of the body.

25. Advance to a table, place the first finger of the hand very lightly upon it, and look steadily for one minute at some fixed object; the whole body being dead-still. As the first inclination to move will be at the fingers, toes, eyes or eyelids, all these points of leakage should be guarded.

This watchfulness will soon become a habit.

It is not intended to include Sunday in the practice days, although the better habits of life should prevail at all times.

Fifth Step—Statuary Positions.

The normal positions just taken are very exacting in their requirements, and must tax the will-power of the pupil to a great degree.

To stand still, however, is not sufficient. This calmness, this repose of conscious strength, becomes the highest type of manhood and womanhood when carried into the activities of life.

Excitement is weakness; calmness is strength; energetic repose is grandeur.

Think what all these mean.

In after years make it the chief element of your daily habits to adopt the principles involved in these exercises. For instance, when irritated remain perfectly calm, when nervous or fidgety be absolutely in repose, physically and mentally. When others address you adopt the manner of one who is not easily embarrassed or moved by the remarks or actions of another. Learn the art of perfect self-control. Do not be afraid to look another in the eye; to remain passionless when others are excited; to turn every disturbing influence into an idlewave battering hopelessly against the strong wall of calmness that hems in and protects that sacred essence of being, your personality.

This is the secret of personal magnetism; and it is a secret thatall great men and women have acquired.

THE GREAT ROSE LEAF EXPERIMENT

This has never been published elsewhere but the author has for many years given it as an exercise to his most accomplished pupils, and it has been the means of affording both pleasure and gain in the control of the nerves. When done in class it is attended by so much enthusiasm that the energy is not lacking within. We think greater progress is made from book.; and the expense of hundreds of dollars for class lessons, or for private instruction, may be avoided. The present edition of this book is intended to do away with all need of such lessons.

The Rose Leaf experiment should not be attempted until you have graduated from the preceding stage, as time will be lost otherwise. It consists in filling a goblet with water, while holding the goblet in one hand, the arms being free from the

Fig. 4. Swinging the Floating Leaf

body.When the goblet is full to the top, by the law of adhesion itwill hold about an eighth of an inch more. To pour this on requires very great steadiness of nerves. Then the pitcher must be set down upon the table and a rose leaf taken up and floated on the top of the water, without jarring any of the latter from the glass. Thus the one hand will move while the other is held still, and neither must be affected by the other. If a leaf is not easily obtainable for this test (as would be the case in the wintertime), a piece of waxed paper usually will do, bending up the edges to prevent it lying wholly flat upon the water.

Now comes the test.

When all this can be done easily, the goblet with its extra water and rose leaf must be held out half-arm's length, or about twelve inches in front of the chest, for one minute. Rest.

Next hold it out full arm's length in front of the chest. Rest.

Reverse by taking the leaf away, pouring the water in the pitcher, changing hands; then, holding the goblet in the other hand fill it full as before, and extra full also, to which the rose leaf should be added.

With hands reversed as just stated, hold the goblet out in front of the chest half-arm's length. Rest.

Next hold it out full arm's length for a minute in front of the chest. Rest.

Fig. 5. Lowering the Floating Leaf

With the goblet full as stated and the leaf floating on top, pass it to the other hand, then back again. In class work we used to pass it from pupil to pupil until some one spilled the water then we would begin over again.

A very difficult task is to pass the goblet from the hand to the table, then from the table to the floor and back again. A stooping position tests the smoothness of the nerves as much as any thing can do.

The goblet is then raised to various heights and positions.

When connected with much muscular effort, these smooth-nerve tests do not always accumulate magnetism, although they tend that way. When associated with tensing they never fail to develop magnetism rapidly. When done with flabby life of the body, they are neutral, and have no value except to teach control. When done with energy within the chest, they quickly accumulate magnetic power. As we have said before, they are not all.

Other helpful tests are as follows:

1. Dressing. Put on a coat or jacket without the loss of any motion small or great. The fidgety person will have trouble is finding the sleeve-hole, or something will hitch. Even the battons must go into place with ease and smoothness. Wherever the coat may be in the room, lift it from its place, put, arms in the sleeves, and button it; all to be done smoothly and easily

2. Shoes. Put on your shoes that lace, inserting strings in eyelets, or catches, avoiding the loss of any motion, however small. When this is done, unlace them. Do not use force Every movement must be smooth and free from hesitation.

3. Books. Take a book from a table, open it at any page and turn ten leaves forward. Close the book, place it on the table, and again take it up with the other hand. Open it, tura ten pages forward; shut it; open again at another place, and turn ten pages backward. No leaf must be missed, no motion must be lost, and every detail must count some value. This is a very difficult thing to do successfully.

As irritability destroys magnetism the purpose of smoothness in the above exercises is double. There must be gentleness of action and placidity of mind in every detail. That which would ordinarily cause you to scold must be welcomed as a test of your perfect self-control.