THE "TAIERI FASTING GIRL."

Southland Times, Issue 1302, 2 September 1870, Page 2

THE "TAIERI FASTING GIRL."

We have lately heard many and strange stories with reference to the " Taieri fasting girl," more particularly as regards the religious' phase of the phenomena mani- it feste d in her. We have been told by ' some that she lays claim to having expeKenced a temporary separation of the soul and the body ;. that during that time she in spirit visited the celestial gates ; that she was engaged "in a personal conflict with the arch enemy; and that now that body and soul are once more wedded, she speaks with the tongue of an angel, and sings seraph songs taught her in the realms of the blest. For the purpose of satisfying ourselves and enlightening our readers on the real facts of the case, we have recently taken an opportunity of visiting Maungatua, conversing with her, and making strict enquiries in the neighborhood, as to the bona fides of these rumora. On Tuesday evening we arrived in the neighborhood, and visited Mr Eoss's , house. We found about 30 people assembled, amongst whom were a minister of the Presbyterian Church, aud a lay preacher of another denomination. We received a hearty welcome from the father and mother of tbe invalid girl, but as a prayer meeting was held in the house immediately after our arrival, we had not then the opportunity afforded us .of holding much conversation with Miss Boss. After the close pf the meeting, we were invited to speak to her, but it was evident she was much exhausted with the excitement of the day, and so we curtailed our interview^ promising ourselves a longer one on a more opportune occasion. The next moruing we again visited her, and though we saw and heard very much to admire and marvel at, all pretences to the supernatural or miraculous were absent from, her conversation. She described the vision that she had seen not as a reality, but as something which was as vivid as a reality. The principal, and possibly the most, fascinating features of her conversation, were its earnestness and simplicity. Far from pretending to be endowed with extraordinary powers in theinterpretationof Scripture, she frankly acknowledged that she was a poor ignorant unlearnedgirl who could not herself understand many of the things that she, read. -We were prepared, from the report that we had heard, to encounter a second Johanna Southcote —a " would-be prophetess,: possibly somewhat dogmatic in her sentiments. So far as regards herself, the., genuineness of the views that she enunciates cannot for one moment be doubted by her hearers. She -[most certainly speaks what she believes, and is aniious for all mankind to possess a similar faith to her <;onjn. Still there is nothing obtrusive about her manner • her enthusiasm assumes a -very mild and quiet form, and she, seems, to-be more richly endowed with the two most important and : most prominent of the virtues taught by the Christian religion—viz., humility fn& : charity— than the greater proportion pf professing Christians ran d . - Christian ministers of the present day are. THe " trance which has been * st> greatly exaggerated in all quarters may be ascribed to perfectly natural ' causes. Long before the mysterious sleep -into which she fell, Miss iioss was impressed

with strong religious views. It is, we are informed, altogether false that her presene religious feelings are the result; of . the vision that she has seen," and it is mort reasonable to believe that this vision was only a vivid dream (the duration of which, like that of most dreams, is extremely doubtful), the offspring of those religious sentiments which, for some time previous to her sleep, had formed part of her nature and existence. . This dream has, ia its turn, changed the current of her life ; without knowing whether the vision was real or ideal, she is in her- own mind convinced by its means of ; the correctness of her views with regard to the faith that she holds,, and she tries (and with much success in some instances) to convert others to her way of thinking, and to the enjoyment of the same peace of mind. With regard to the seraph songs which issue from her lips, we had . not an opportunity of hearing a specimen, but we are informed on the most credible grounds that when she does sing it is in a weak but rather sweet voice : the melodies being those which she has been accustomed to hear from her earliest childhood, but not always accurately rendered — either as regards time or tune. We may add that Miss Boss declared to us her perfect inability to describe either the entrance to the heavenly kingdom, or the form of the tempter; she merely remembers the one as being very glorious*, and the other as terrible and abhorrent in the extreme. The phenomena attending this case are not, however, wanting in miraculous elements, though these are in connection with the physical, and not the religious features of the case. There can be no doubt that since the, beginning of the year the girl ha 9 partaken of not a single pound of solid food, and an infinitely small amountpf nutriment of any kind. Under these circumstances, we naturally expected to see""Some -signs of wasting away, attenuated hands and hollow cheeks, but, on the contrary, the one hand which still possesses power (the whole of the girl's left side is paralysed), is strong aud very healthy-looking^ and covered with a fair proportion of flesh. The face is not that of a confirmed invalid, signs of suffering are altogether, -wanting from it, and the expression that it wears is one Of peace rather than of resignation. Notwithstanding the absence of all or recruiting, health and strength, she seems capable of undergoing a large amount of fatigue, as is evinced by the large number of interviews, which she daily holds with those who are comparative or entire strangers -to her. ; ; It is another remarkable feature, of the case that, before her illness, this 'girl was -of an exceedingly bashful and nervous disposition, terrified .at the.i dea Ot meeting all /un_ao<ra( 'gaze, but since she has awakened from her loner sleep, sheiis; anxious iand eager, to see as many as possible. Considering all the '-features' of this marvellous caseV it is hardly to be wondered at that the ignorant and unlettered should have endowed jit with a supernatural j halo of jgldryi- The circumstances of the sleep, the trance, the awakening, and the remarkable lelearn ess a'rid'earnestnes with whioh she.nowexpresses herself, would all naturally lead them to one conclusion. We cannot blame them for their, superstition, and we cannot be surprised that the rumors concerning Miss Boas have grown a little on their journey from Rfaungatua to Dunediu. We are convinced that if any of our readers should take the trouble of following our example. and we strongly advise them to so, they will agree with us in the opinions we now express concerning the rights of this case. — Dunedin Echo. r-,-. r .