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 KAREN CHANDLER

LEADING AND COLLABORATING IN CANADIAN

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS
SIXTH EDITION

A
Canadian
_f(~
Early Child hood
~ Edu cation Collection
Detailed Contents
Preface x1 2 Social Policy and Roles of
1 Defming Quality Early Cl'lildhood Government 34
Programs 1 Overview of Government Ro les 34
Snapshot of Canadian Families 35
The Early Years Are Crucial to Healthy Ch ild
Impact of Poverty 36
Development 2
\Xlhat Are Governments Doing about the Impact
Access to Universal Early Childhood
of Poverty? 37
Education Is Founded on Multiple
Policies to Meet the Needs of Today's
Rationa les 4
Families 37
Educatio nal Quality-A Right for All
Canada's Commitment to the Rights and
C hild ren 4
Wel l-being of Children 40
Social Justice-A ll Children A re Entitled to
International Comparisons of Early Childhood
Access to Quali ty Early Child hood
Education Policy 42
Experiences 4
Policy Roots of the Federal Government 43
Economic Case-Public Investments in Young
ECEC Policy Directions 45
Child ren 5
Parental Leave 47
Human Development Case-Preventing the Loss
Indigenous People's Early Childhood Education
of Potential 7
and Care 48
Strong Evidence for Early Childhood Program
The Future Role of the Federal
Effectiveness 7
Government 49
Greater Demand for Earl y C hildhood
The Role of Provincial and Territorial
Programs 9
Governments 50
Components of an Early Ch il dhood System 10
Kindergarten 50
Barriers to Accessing High-Quality Early
Integratio n o f Early Childhood Education and
Childhood Education and Care 11
Kindergarten 52
Need for a New Vision 12
Complexity of Implementing Early Childhood
Toward Strong and Equal Partnerships 13
Policy with a Larger Vision 53
Curriculum and Pedagogical
Financ ial Responsibilities 55
Continuity 15
Made-in-Canada Effective Early C hildhood
Ecological Framework Theory for Early
Education and Care Models 57
Childhood Environments 16
Regulatio n th rough Licensing 58
Defining Qua lity Early Childhood Regulatory Requirements fo r Family Child Care
Environments 19
Prov iders 62
Using the Concepts of Process Quality and
Unregulated Child Care 62
Structural Quality 20
The Role of Municipal Governments 63
What Elements Are Needed fo r Effective Early
Regulation 63
Childhood Programs? 21
Funding 63
Initiatives to Improve Quality 29
Municipally Operated Early Child hood
Summary 31 Programs 64
Key Terms and Concepts 31
Milestones in Policy and Legislation 64
Activities 32
Recommended Reading 32 Summary 67
Weblinks 32 Key Terms and Concepts 68

Deta il ed Contents vii

 Activities 68 Understanding a Social Systen1s
Recommended Reading 68
4
Weblinks 69 Framework in Early Childhood
Programs 99
3 Understanding Leadership in Early
Str ucture and Social Systems Model 99
Childhood Programs 70 Compo nents of the Social System JOO
The Fiel d of Early Childhood Education Is Systems and St ructures for Building
Changing 70 Relat io nships I02
Developi ng Lea dershi p at C haracterist ics of Programs Viewed as Social
A ll Leve ls 71 Systems 102
Leadersh ip Education, Experience, an d The Role of a Learni ng Community in
Continuous Lea rn ing 74 Achieving Motivation and Commitment 103
Scope of the Program Leader's Roles and \Xlhat Does a Learning Community Look Like! 104
Responsibili t ies 77 Values That Support Learning Communities 105
Key Attributes of Early Childhood Program Strategies to C reate a Pro fessional Learning
Leadersh ip 79 Community 106
Leadersh ip Practices and Their Impact Supporting Individ ual and Organizational
on Early Chil dhood Programs and C hange 107
Educators 80 Establishing a Collabo rative Enviro nment 107
Defining Leadership Competencies 83 Setting the Stage for Effective
Ad ministrative Leadership 83 Communication 108
Pedagogical Leadership 85 Creating a Great Place t o Wor k 111
The Need for Leader-Managers 86 Managing for Wel lness 113
Leadersh ip Knowledge and Practices in Ways in Which Programs Are Organized 114
Settings with Ch ildren 87 Governing, Operational, and Advisory Boards 116
Pract ices to Help C hildren Learn 8 7 Members of a Board of Directo rs 117
Fostering a Professional \Vorkforce 87 Skills and Knowledge of the Governing Body 118
O rganizatio nal Development and Defining a Governing Body's Respo nsibility 118
Iv! anagement 88 Committees 119
Commun icat ion and Bu ild ing Working Effectively with a Governing Body 121
Relationships 88 Summary 122
Engagement in Multip le Systems Key Terms and Concepts 122
Collabo ration 88 Activit ies 123
Recommended Reading 123
Data Use 88 Weblinks 124
Stages of Leadership Development 89
Build ing a Visio n through Collaboration 9 1 5 Accountability, Planning, and
Select ing Priorities 93 Evaluating the Program Goals 125
Keeping the Focus o n Doing \Xlhat ls Best fo r
What Is a Vision in Early Childhood
C hildren 94
Programs? 126
What Staff Expect from a Program
Defining a Program St atement 127
Leader 95
Inclu ding a Strengt hening Families
Evaluating a Leader's Effectiveness 95
Approach 129
Summary 97 Steps in Developing the Program Philosophy 130
Key Terms and Concepts 97 Developing a Personal Philosophy of
Activities 97
Recommended Reading 98 Ed ucation 132
Weblinks 98 Usi ng the Vision to Inform Pract ice 133

viii De t ai l ed Co n te nt s
 Policies Reflect the Goals and Values of the Pron1oting Professionalism 176
7
Program 135
What Characteristics Contribute to a
Eval uating the Quality of a Program 136
Compet ent Early Childhood Professional? 176
Characteristics of Effective Program Quality
\Xlhat Personal Attributes Are Desirable for Early
Measures 139
Childhood Educato rs? 177
Tools for Continuous Quality Improvement 140
Early Childhood Education as a
Summary 144
Profession 178
Key Terms and Concepts 145
Activities 145 Cornerstones of Professional Practice: Self-awareness,
Recommended Reading 145 Reflective Practice, and Continuous Learning 179
Weblinks 145 Elements of Professionalism 182
The Need for Specialized Ed ucatio n 183
6 Human Resources Management 147
Entry to Practice 184
Supporting Knowledgeable and Responsive Legislatio n and Self-Gover nance 184
Early Ch il dhood Educators 147 Standards of Practice 185
Challenges in Recru itment and Retention 149 Code of Ethics and Accountability 186
Human Resources Management Guidelines for Resolving Eth ical Dilemmas 187
Responsibi lities 150 Professional Preparation Programs 188
Buildi ng a Talented, Creative Staff Team 151 Developmenta l Stages of an Early Childhood
Human Resources Policies and Professional 189
Procedures 152 Stage I- Novice 189
Developing and Amend ing Human Resources Stage 11- Emerging Educato r 190
Po licies 153 Stage Ill- Experienced Professional 191
Recruitment, Hiring, and O rientat io n 154 Stage IV- Mat urity 19 1
DesigningJob Descriptio ns 154 Mentoring Relationsh ips 192
Identifying Potential Candidates 156 Usi ng a Portfolio t o Document Continuous
Sc reening and Interview ing Pote ntial Learning 193
Candidates 159 Ladders, Lattices, and Career Paths of Early
C hecking References 160 Chi ldhood Professionals 196
Extending an Offer and Signing a Contract 161 Chal lenges to Building and Sustaining a Skilled
Pedagogical O rientation: Defining \Vhat New Workforce 198
Ed ucato rs Deserve 16 1 Professional Groups and Unions 200
Supporting Staff's Wel l-being 162 Investing in the Profession's Future 202
Providing Leadership in Continuous Learn ing, Summary 203
Supervision, and Mentoring 163 Key Terms and Concepts 203
Goal Setting and Performance Appraisals 163 Activities 203
Recommended Reading 204
Individual Learning Plan 165 Webli nks 204
Supporting Continuo us Learning 166
Record Keeping 169 8 Policies and Practices to Create Safe and
Conflict Resolution and Pro blem Solving 169 I-Iealthy Learning Envirorunents 205
Terminat io n of Employment 170
Operating a Healthy and Safe Program 205
Leave Policies 17 l Early Childhood Program Policies and
The Role of Unions 172 Practices 207
Summary 173 Program Policy and Procedure Manual 208
Key Terms and Concepts 173 Family Handbook 209
Activities 174
Recommended Reading 174 Provincial and Ter rito rial Licensing
Weblinks 174 Requirements 211

De t a il ed Co nt ents ix
 Upgrading Program Quality Using Financial Record Keeping 249
Standards 212 Financial Policies and Procedures 251
Commun icating Policies 213 Salary Schedules 25 1
Healt hy Environments 215 Family Fee Policies 251
Build ing Health and \Vellness Partnerships with Collecting Parent Fees 253
Families 216 Building Financial Stability f or Programs 254
Promoting Holistic Health and a Climate of Shared Services 254
Wellness 2 17 Summary 256
Pro tecting Staff Members' Health and Key Terms and Concepts 257
Well-being 218 Activit ies 257
Recommended Reading 257
Role of Earl y C hildhood Programs in Improving
Weblinks 257
the Health of Young Child ren 2 I9
Early Childhood Nutrition Programs 220 10 Advocating for Canada's Cl'lildren 259
Policies and Practices for Inclusive
Why Is Advocacy Important? 259
Environments 224
Challenges Facing Children and Families 260
Principles Guiding Universal Design of Early
Advocacy for Our Programs and Profession 263
Chi ldhood Environments 226
Different Roles: What Advocate Role Do You
Policy for Supervising Children 227
Want to Play? 267
Going Green 229
\Xlhat Does Advocacy Leadership Competence
Summary 230 Look Like? 270
Key Terms and Concepts 231
Activities 231
Developing an Advocacy Agenda 270
Recommended Reading 231 1. Increase Educators' Awareness o f the Need fo r
Weblinks 232 Advocacy 27 1
2. Establish Priorities 272
9 Financial Matters 233 3. Gather the Facts 273
The Program Leader's Role in Financial 4. Work Collaboratively 274
Planning 234 5. Take Action 276
Creating a Vision-based Budget 236 6. Enlist t--lore Advocates by Informing
Who Makes the Budget? 236 Others 277
Types of Budgets 236 More Advocacy Is Taking Place Online 278
The Iron Triangle of Early Childhood The Need for Public Education 279
Education- A Formula for Financial Policy in Strategies to Ach ieve EC Advocacy Goals 280
Early Childhood Programs 237 Summary 281
Fund raising 238 Key Terms and Concepts 282
Activit ies 282
Step-by-Step Guide to Preparing a
Recommended Reading 282
Budget 238 Weblinks 283
l. Make a W ish List 240
2. Program Expenditures 240 Appendix Provincial Legislative Offices,
3. Project Revenue 243 Ilegulatio11s, and Early Childhood
4. Compare 244 Provincial Curriculum Frameworks 285
5. Set Priorities 244
6. Balancing the Budget 245 Glossary 289
7. Get Budget Approval 245
Bibliography 295
8. Monito r and Amend 245
Sufficiency of Revenue 246
Index 301
Parent Fees 248

x Detai l ed Co nte nts

Preface
Th is s ixt h ed ition of Adn1inistering for Quali!)': Leading and Collaborating in Canadian
Early Cliildliood Educacion P1·ograms is intended to fac ilit at e early ch ild hood educa,
tors' (ECEs') understand ing of leadersh ip, profess ional, and advocacy responsibil i,
ties. Cons idering that each ed ucator's influence o n young ch ild ren and fam ilies is so
lasting, it is i1nportant t o be p repared for th is co1n1nitment.
Over n1any years-as an early ch ildhood (EC) special ist work ing w it h children,
fan1ilies, and professionals in a wide variety of settings; as a professo r of leadersh ip,
professionalisn1, advocacy, sociology, and social policy; as a w rite r o n EC topics,
including in Adminisrering Early Childhood Setcings: The Canadian Perspeccive and The
W hole Child; as a senior po licy adviso r for the Ont ario government, n1aking reco1n,
1nendations about t he ECE's role in full-day kinderga rten; and , n1ost recently, as an
expert witn ess on educators' professional p ractice-I have appreciated that leadersh ip,
collabo ration, thoughtful planning, and adn1inistration are essent ial to the success of
q uality EC p rog rams. T his book is bu ilt o n that co nviction. As well, n1y ro le as
grand n1a to Olivia and Ca itlin-bei ng personally invo lved in thei r parents' q uest for
h igh-quality lea rning experiences and witn essing th e reassu rance thei r pa rents rece ived
fro1n their parmership wit h knowledgeable, career,con1n1itted EC p rofessionals-has
reinforced n1y recognition of th e importance of strong leadership at all levels.
Although pri1narily written for use in EC p rogran1s at the postsecondary level,
t his book serves as a resource for cont inued leadersh ip development, program and in
p reparing for c redentiali ng. A r ich source of information for leade rs at all levels, this
book includes up,t o,date Canadian statistics t hat h igh light current research and iden-
tifies a variety of resources, including vit al web links.

TERMINOLOGY
O ur professio n is faced with a continuo us struggle: to attain recogn ition for our impor,
tant work. In part, we grapple with ou r identity. T his is reflected in an inconsistent use of
tenninology and non1enclatu re-the tern1s we use t o describe ourselves and the titles
others assign to us. Words such as docror, lau,yer, and nurse evoke a clear set of in1ages
about what that professio n does and ,vhat it stands fo r. We, in t he field of early childhood
education, have long debated what t o call o urselves. Among t he terms used are early child-
hood educator, cliild care professional, det-'elopmencal worker, reacher, caregiver, cliild care
worker·, and praccitioner·. In th is book, I use the tern1 early childhood educator. Progra,n leader·
describes one who acts as a leader, director, o r supervisor. I 1nore often use the pronoun
she for progra1n leaders because it continues to be less con1n1on t o find men in these roles.
I have also used the t erm early childliood, which acknowledges a broader range of
serv ices, includi ng services for ch ild ren and fa1nilies, th at fost er health, safety, secu-
rity, s uccess at learn ing, and social engagement and respons ib ility.

NEW FEATURES
This sixth edition of Adminisrering for Quali!)': Leading and Collaboracing in Canadian
Early Childhood Educacion Programs en1phasizes Canad ian research, resources, and pol icy.

Pre face xi
 S ince p u blication of the p revious ed ition, I have contin ued t o teach in t he leader-
s hip degree p rog ra1n , wh ich has further b roadened n1y leadersh ip lens. Jc is 1ny intent
co insp ire t he reade r co reflect on fully e ngaging as part of the EC p rofessional learn-
ing con11nunit y-a place w here ed ucat o rs view each new oppo rtunit y to expa nd
t hei r co1npetence and collabo ration in 1novi ng t he p rogra1n toward a shared v ision
of excellence.
The 1non umental t ransfo rn1at ion of t he secto r is in pa rt t he result of the role of
the 1ninistries of education cak ing on responsibil ity fo r early ch ildhood. In O ntario,
RECEs work collabo ratively w it h t eachers in full-day k inde rgar tens, and chis has led
co t he addit ion of new mat erial t hro ughout t he book as well a chapter en1phasizing
collaboration . Unquestionably, t here is growing acknowledge1n ent of th e ilnportance
of leadersh ip and the role of EC progran1 leader. Initiatives to develop leadersh ip
exist at all levels th rough increased professionalis1n , self-reflect ion, and n1ent ori ng. As
well as being legally accountable for their adherence to regulations and qual ity stand-
ards, ECEs h ave th e ethical respons ibil ity co wo rk in pa rtne rs hip with fam il ies co
c reat e cond itions chat foste r optin1al develop1nenc fo r all ch ildren .
Educat or standa rds and the use of websites ch at rate th e qual ity of EC p rogran1s
reflect increased accou ntabil ity and expectations on the part o f government s and
fa1nilies who den1and q uali ty learn ing expe riences for their young ch ildren. T hese
new expectatio ns and broadened perspectives are woven t hroughout chis ed ition.
High lights of these u nderstandi ngs are as fo llows:

• Chapt er 1, "Defin ing Qual ity Early Ch ildhood Programs," reflects wide r val ues
and perspectives in defin ing q uality; it includes n1ulcip le rationales fo r EC pro-
grams: social justice; children's rights; econon1ic, s uch as publ ic investn1ents in
young ch ild ren and families; and hun1an developn1ent , such as p reventing a loss
of potential for children. Recommendations fron1 the Trut h and Reconcil iation
Co mmiss ion of Canada (TRC) report call fo r best practices fo r cultu rally respon-
s ive EC p rogran1s. Spec ifically incl uded in chis chapter are Indigenous peoples'
d is tinct concept s about qual ity in EC settings.
• Chapt er 2, "Social Pol icy and Ro les of Governn1ent ," provides t he reader with
updated content on socia l policy and the ro les of the levels of govern n1ent
including Aboriginal Indigenous Peop le's ECEC, and highligh ting the IO-year
M ultilateral Early Learn ing and C hild Care Fra1nework agreem ent.
• C h apter 3, "Understandi ng Leadersh ip in Ea rly Childhood P rogra1n s," has
undergone a sign ificant rewrite co h igh light concepts such as a collaborative lead-
ersh ip approach chat relies on cooperatio n, consensus building, and shared
responsibility. As well, t he chapt er discusses the leade rship attrib utes of
self-awareness, engage1nent in reflective practice, and relationship build ing, which
are c rit ical fo r the development of leadersh ip often expressed in leaders hip styles
and dispos itions.
• C hapt er 4, "Understanding a Soc ial Systen1s Fra1nework in Early C h ildh ood
P rogran1s," expands on defin ing lea rni ng con11nu nities in wh ich educators and
leaders collaborat e a nd supp ort reflective p ractice. The re is an e1n phasis on
adn1inistrative practices chat n1ake t he EC setting a great p lace co work, as well as
on p ractices to support educato r well ness.

xii Pr eface
 • C hapter 5, "Accou ntabil ity, Plann ing, and Eval uat ing the Progra1n Goals," int ro,
duces the readers to a discussion o f how p rogran1 ph ilosoph ies are linked t o t he
vision of what EC programs want to achi eve. T here is an e 1nphas is on practices
co s upport good teach ing, and thus an introduction to t he Suppo rtive Environ-
1nental Quality U nderlyi ng Adu le Learning (SEQUAL), a 1nulcipurpose tool for
exam ining and improving envi ronments t hro ugh th e lens of teach ing staff's per-
ceptions and expe riences, t o aid leaders in strengthen ing chis progra1n aspect.
• C hapter 6, " H un1an Resources Manage1nent," en1phasizes the i1nportance of get,
ting new employees off t o a healthy start t hro ugh a con1prehens ive o rientation
w ith a focus on pedagogy. T h is chapter incl udes an expanded focus on recruit,
1nent and retention of ed ucat ors. The p rogran1 leader's role in supporti ng staff's
well,bei ng---encon1passi ng t he staff's eco no mic security, wellness, and opporcu,
nities t o int e ract w ith one anoth er- is highl ighted . Discuss io ns explore how
t hese ele1nents are infl uenced by p rogran1 pol ic ies, practices, and relationsh ips.
• C hapter 7, " Pron1oti ng Professionalis1n," h ighlights the need fo r leaders to be
intentional in their effo rts t o nurtu re ECEs' professional strategies of self-aware-
ness, reflective practice, and continuous learning. A key component of portfolios
is t he ar tifacts the educator cu rates to sh owcase knowledge o f teach ing and learn,
ing. The e,portfo lio is discussed along with artifacts chat provide ta ngible evi,
dence of t he educato r's con1pet encies.
• Chapter 8, "Policies and Practices to C reate Safe and Healthy Learning Envi ro n,
1nencs," includes an expanded sectio n o n supporting staff's well-being. There is addi,
cio nal focus on polic ies and practices for inclusive envi ronments, including exam ples.
• C hapter 9, " Financial Matters," introduces the iron t riangle fonnula for financ ial
pol icy, t he links between fi nancial dec is io n n1ak ing and quality, and strategies for
b uilding financial st ability fo r EC progra1ns. Refe rence is made t o creating a
visions-based budget chat recogn izes an o rgan ization's priorities, as t he allocation
of funds reflects the progra1n's val ues.
• C hapter 10, "Advocating fo r Canada 's Child ren," includes case studies of st u,
dent advocates in action . Mo re focus is placed o n o nline advocacy initiatives.

PEDAGOGICAL FEATURES
The followi ng pedagogical features are included in each chapt er:

• Objectives. Ac the begi nn ing of each chapt er, learn ing out co1nes are s uggested.
• Exhibits/focus boxes. Figu res, cha rts, and cables a re used t o sun1n1a rize research.
Boxes highlight mate rial, p rovide samples, and help t o organize, illustrate, and
simplify inforn1ation .
• Reflection exercises. These are provided in each chapt er to enable readers t o
apply chapter theory.
• K ey terins and concepts. These a re identi fied in boldface t ype o n first use, and
definitions are located in th e n1argins and in a glossa ry at th e end of the boo k.
• Activities. Stu dent activities a re designed to stin1ulate the reader to foster critical
chinking and reflection, and to apply concepts to practice.

Pr eface xiii
 • Recotnmended reading. Suggestions for fu rther reading are given for each chapter.
• Weblinks. Th is feature p rovides access t o further resources.

Appendix A list of govern1nent and p rofessional organizations, along w it h the cur,

riculum framework for each provi nce and is given at t he e nd of t he book Int ernee
addresses are included for each listing.
A spec ial request co reade rs of chis boo k: please lee 1ne know how you li ke the
book and in what ways I can n1ake it better. I can be reached at Geo rge Brown Co llege,
School of Ea rly Ch ildhood.
Karen Chandler
School of Early Childhood
George Brown College

INSTRUCTOR'S MANUAL
The Instruct or's Man ual includes Qu izzes with Answe r Key, Chapte r Su1nmaries,
Recon11nended Readings, and Weblinks. The Instructor's Manual is available in PDF
fo rn1at fron1 the Pearson O nline cat alogue to instructors who adopt th e textbook .

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First , I wou ld like to ack nowledge t he early child hood and leaders hip students at
George Brown College who co nt inue to help 1ne fo nnu lace n1y ideas and who teach
1ne a great deal about life. T hose in t he leadersh ip strean1 have broadened n1y aware,
ness of c ultivat ing leadership at all levels. T he n1any children, fa1nil ies, and profes,
sionals I work w ith challenge n1y chinki ng and broaden my u nde rstanding. Since
publication of the previous edition, I have had the opportun ity to serve as an expert
witness for t he College of Early C hild hood Ed ucato rs. T his experience has broad,
ened n1y underst anding of t he app lication of standards of p ractice and t he code of
eth ics co situ ations of inappropriat e practice chat put ch ildren at risk, as well as the
need for educato rs t o better u nderstand th eir p rofessional obligations. I have endless
opportu ni ties t o discuss ideas and strategies with n1y colleagues at th e School of
Early C hild hood at George Brown College.
This book could not have been w rit ten w ithout t he support of colleagues in th e
EC sector who contribut ed thro ugh t heir resea rch and publications and t heir recon1-
1nendat ions and advice. An1ong t he individuals and reviewers who contribut ed their
ci1ne and expertise to the development of ch is edition, special thanks go to Nao1ni,
Ruch \Veerasooriya, n1y leadersh ip intern in the leade rsh ip degree progratn at George
Brown Co llege, along with Daniel Foster and Rachin Lamouch i; Cyn thia Abel and
Melanie Dixon at t he College of Early Ch ild hood Educato rs; n1y George Brown
facu lty colleagues En1is Akbari , Kin1berly Bezaire, Pahn ina loannone, and Ela ine
W in ick; Ch ildca re Resea rch and Resource Unit staff Elise Lawson, M ichelle Jones
and Bethany Grady; Celine Bourbonnais-Macdonald, Fanshawe College; K itn H iscott
at And rew Fleck C hild Care Services, Ottawa; Marc Battle at Red River Con1n1unity
College; Phil Cowperthwaite at Cowperchwait e Mehta C ha rtered Accountants; grad-
uat es of George Brown College Monica Pacheo, Alana Powell, and Mu nizah Sal n1an;

xiv Pr eface
Katheri ne U nderwood at Ryerson U n iversit y; De idre Mu nroe at Central Eglint on
C h ild ren's Centre; and Sha ron Hope lnv in at Spec iaL ink . Thank you also to the
reviewers who provided feedback du ring th e ea rly stages of develop1nent of this s ixth
edit ion:

Ma ria C ian1pi ni, George Brown College

Betty C leland , O kanagan College
Yalin Go rica, S heridan College
Brandy G ren ier, Can ado re College
Dale Long, Seneca College
Monica Lysack, Sheridan College
Barbara McLean, T hompson Rivers Un iversity
Elena Merenda, U nivers ity of G uelph- Humber
D iane Nyiszcor, Va nier College
Jan ice Ferris Quade, Loyalist College
R ichard Stronach , St. Lawrence College

I th ank n1y fan1ily, who lived th rough the clut te r of resea rch repo rts and a rticles-
particularly Rod, who supported me in meeti ng each successive dead line.
I would like t o exp ress m y app reciation to Pearson Canada for inviting 1ne to
w rite this edition.
Ka ren Chandler

Pre face xv
This page intentionally left blank
 CHAPTER 1

Defining Quality Early

Childhood Programs

OBJECTIVES
• Summarize t he benefits of early childhood experiences.

• Outline and appreciate multiple rationales for early ch ildhood programs.

• Identify th e principles that gu ide a quality framework for early childhood

education and care, as well as potential barr iers.

• Introduce ecological th eory.

• Identify th e factors cont ributing t o effective early childhood programs.

• Prov ide methods of achieving quality.

The creation and maintenance of effective early ch ildhood (EC) programs is a focus
throughout this text. This chapter explains the rationale for EC programs, discusses
quality from a variety of perspectives, and reviews t he factors generally recognized
as indicative of high-quality programs. Early childhood education settings refers to
ch ild care, kindergarten, regu lated home ch ild care, fam ily resource programs, par-
ent ing centres, and early interve nt ion services. There is a strong body of evidence
suggesting that children who have quality early learning and care experiences also
show improvements in their health, in their cognit ive and socioemotional develop-
ment , and, importantly, in establishing the foundat ion for lifelong learning. These
experiences m inimize the likelihood that these ch ildren will live in poverty as adults
(Organisation for Econom ic Co-operation and Development [ OECD] 2013). Cana-
dian parents from al l social, economic, and cu ltura l groups, and from all regions,
seek opportunities for their ch ildren to get th e best start in life.
The OECD notes that '"care and education' are inseparable concepts .. . . The
use of the term ECEC [early chi ldhood education and care] supports an integrated
and coherent approach to policy and provision, which is inclusive of all ch ildren
regardless of employment or economic status. . . . Such arrangements may fulfill a
wide range of objectives including care, learning and social support" (OECD 2006).•

• Excerpr by O rganisatio n for Econo mic Co.-ope ratio n and Development. Published by O rganisatio n for
Economic Co~operation and Development .

Chapte r 1 Defi n ing Qua l i ty Ear l y Ch ild hood Prog r am s 1

 THE EARLY YEARS ARE CRUCIAL TO
HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Ch ildren 's experiences d uring th e early years, such as in t he parent- child relationsh ip
early childhood setting A and the early childhood setting, have the greatest infl uence within th e life cycle on
setting other than a child's b ra in develo p n1ent, lea rn ing, behav io ur, and health . T h ese experiences shape ch i),
home in which care and edu-
d ren's bra in archit ectu re and affect thei r healt h and well-bei ng t h roughout thei r lives.
cation are provided for the
child by a person who is not a
In educational envi ron1nents--eit her by intention or by 01nission--ch ild ren lea rn to
member of the child's immedi- n1ake sense of che wo rld arou nd th en1. They learn how co behave toward othe r ch il-
ate family. d ren and adu lts and how to regard oth ers in the wider con11nunity. You ng ch ild ren
early childhood education n1ay or n1ay not learn h ow to live w it h, collaborate with, and respect all of t he differ-
Professional practice that ent people who tn they wil l enco unt er in t heir lives. Posit ive, st itn ulacing lea rn ing
includes the assessment and expe riences in the ea rly years cont r ibute to self-confidence and p os itive attitudes
promotion of the wel I-being coward learning, explo ring, and p roble1n solving. There is overwheltning evidence of
and holistic development of
the impo rtance o f EC experiences in detern1ining greater success in school, levels of
children through the planning
and delivery of inclusive play- health, and socioecono1n ic statu s th roughout a person's life.
based learning and care pro- S ignificant econon1ic and social changes over th e past t,vo decades- incl ud ing
grams embedded in the increased global econon1ic co1npecition, a shifting econom ic base, changing den1ograph-
context s of family, culture, ics, and an influx of 1nothers into the workforce-have n1ade the issue of child ren's early
and society. yea rs one of pritnary in1portance. Healthy early ch ildhood developm ent is c ruc ial co
child development The pro- Canada's futu re econon1ic prosperity (OECD 2013). Quality EC experiences can provide
cess of change in which the 1nen1bers of the next generation of the ,vorkfo rce with a solid foundatio n of knowledge,
child acquires more complex s kills, con1petencies, attitudes, and behaviours that will contribute co thei r success in a
levels of moving, thinking,
1nore technologically based econon1ic environn1ent. This perspective has caught the atten-
feeling, and int eracting with
people and objects in the envi- tion of po licyn1akers. Today, we have 1noved fron1 ch ild care solely as a wo1nen's issue
ronment. Development necessary for participation in the ,vorkforce co an added focus on early childhood educa-
involves both a gradual unfold- tion, wit h its own n1erits and pedagogical discou rse on child development and learning.
ing of biologically determined Most itnpo rtantly, we 1nusc also recognize that children are c itizens with their own
characteristics and the learn-
r ights who deserve a healthy start. The Un ited Nations (UN) recently reaffirmed chis in
ing process. Children' s devel-
opment is holistic and the Moscow Frame-work for Action and Cooperation, cal ling early child hood educat ion "part
interdependent, including of the right to educat ion and t he n1ai n fo undat ion for holistic hu1nan developtnent"
physical health and wel l-bei ng (Kaga et al. 2010). This viewpo int raises certain questions: W hy does public education
as well as intellectual, lan- begin on ly in kinde rgarten! S h ould th e
guage, emotional, and social
experiences ch ildren have prior to k inder-
growth .
garten not also be pare of public educatio n!
T he reasons fo r investtnents in the early
ch ildhood years are n un1erous: ch ild ren are
less likely t o drop out of school, th ere is
increased workforce participatio n of bot h
single 1not hers and n1ot hers in t\vo,pa rent
fa 1n il ies, poverty levels are reduced , jobs
are created, and t here is a resulting r ipple
effect th rough local econon1ies, with lower
social spending o n fan1ilies, h igher tax rev-
enues to governn1ents, and increased future
econo 1n ic secu rity for won1en (Fairhol m
2009; Prentice 2008; Warner, Liu 2006).
A child's ability t o thin k, form rela-
Quality EC programs foster ch ildren's t ionsh ips, and live up t o h is or her full
confidence and identity. pot ent ia l is direc tly re lat ed t o t he

2 Chapte r 1 De fin i ng Qua l ity Ea rl y Childhood Prog rams

syn ergist ic effect of good health and appropriate sti1nulat ion and n1eaningfu l relat ion,
ships w ith others. H un1an development research confirms how importan t the first five
years of life can be fo r child ren's lifelong abilities, health , and well-bei ng. Th is is a crucial
t in1e fo r bra in developn1ent, when the st ructu re of a child's brai n is strongly influenced
by the world arou nd hin1 or her. The quality of environn1ent chat child ren experience
affects the way they th ink and learn. U nhealth y physical, emotional, and social envi ro n,
1nents can have lifelong consequences. The b rai ns of infants and toddlers develop
quickly, and children can lea rn a great deal before kinderga rten when they are provided
with opportunities t o d iscover and explore in suppo rted contexts. In fact, children who
have been well nurtu red have bra ins that are physically different fro1n those of children
who have experienced less favourable conditions in th eir early years (UNICEF 2000).
EC p rogran1s contribute t o better health th rough mu ltiple pathways, both direct
and indi rect . T hose who attend preschoo l settings are more likely, later in life, t o go
to a doct or, receive appropriat e h ealth sc reen ings, and receive dental care, laying a
foundation for enh anced overall h ealth . In addition, parents often learn about health parent Any adu It who has the
and nutrit ion practices in EC progra1ns, which can result in lifestyle ch anges s uch as primary responsibility for a
child. The t erm is intended to
adopting active lifestyles (Friedn1an,K rauss, Ba rnett 2013).
be inclusive and to encompass
Nearly 1 in 5 Canadian child ren still lives in poverty (Can1paign 2000). Child biological and adoptive par-
poverty leads to greater health care costs, h igher spending o n social support services, ents as wel I as legal guardians
and lin1it ed opportunities. Some ch ild ren have a greater risk of expe riencing poverty and foster parent s.
as a result of social c ircumstances. Groups at higher risk include imm igrant s, fam ilies
headed by a lo ne fen1ale parent , Ind igenous peoples, and individ uals with a d isability.
C h ild ren fron1 t hese groups are 2.5 ti1nes 1nore likely t o live in poverty than oth er
ch ild ren. High-quality EC p rogran1s p rovide a powe rful too l for b reak ing int ergenera,
cional cycles of poverty. U nder t he right conditions, these p rogran1s have s ignificant
econo1nic benefits fo r all child ren, but particularly fo r those who are poor. However,
bei ng poor, aln1ost by definition, n1ea ns t hat pa rents are unable t o afford th e consid-
erable costs of EC programs (Torj1nan 2008). Poor nutrition during ch ildhood, expo,
s ure to unsafe environn1ent s, and lack of st in1ulation lead t o negative outco1nes for
ch ild ren t hat n1ost likely wil l affect then1 for the rest of t heir lives. The P ublic Health
Agency of Canada (2012) ident ified th e social decenninancs of hea/cli, supporting t he
view that the social, econo1n ic, and p hys ical e nvi ronn1encal c irc un1stances of ind i,
viduals are equally o r 1nore i1npo rta nt t o one's hea lt h st atus than n1edical ca re o r
personal health behav iours. Effective EC progra1ns ai1n to p revent circ un1st ances that
n1ay negatively affect ch ildren's health . Consequently, EC programs need public po li,
cies that governments contro l th rough regulations in o rder to address inequality and
creat e a n1ore just and socially responsible society (Van der Gaag, Jee-Peng 2001).
P rov incial and t erritorial governments want to realize the benefits o f investing in
you ng ch ild ren and are spend ing n1oney o n EC programs that lay the fou ndation for
healthy cognit ive and en1otional develop1nent. Ensuring healthy child developn1ent is
viewed as an investJnent in a country's futu re and enables t he capacity t o th r ive bot h
econo1nically and as a soc iety.

There is more to life and ought to be much more to childhood than read iness for economic
function. Childhood ought to have a few entitlements that aren't entangled with utilitarian
considerations. One of them should be the right to a degree of unencumbered satisfaction
in the sheer delight and goodness of existence itself. Another ought to be the confidence of
knowing that one's presence on Earth is taken as an unconditional approval that is not con-
taminated by the economic uses that a nation does or does not have for you.

Chapter 1 Def i n ing Qual it y Ea rl y Ch ildh ood Program s 3

 ACCESS TO UNIVERSAL EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION IS FOUNDED ON MULTIPLE RATIONALES
The case for ea rly ch ildhood education is founded on 1nultiple rationales, including
che following:
• Recogniz ing every child's r ight to ca re, developm ent, and education
• Ens uri ng chat every child has eq ual opportunities as a prerequis ite fo r soc ial
justice
• Recognizi ng chat early ch ildhood is a crit ical period for lea rn ing and develop tnent
• Recogniz ing that investing in early ch ild hood ed ucation brings eco nom ic bene-
fit s co society

Educational Quality- A Right for All Children

A ll child ren, without exception, have th e right co q uality early ch ildhood educat ion.
The UN Convent io n on t he Rights of th e Ch ild prov ides t he n1osc s ignificant basis
fo r po licy developtnent on behalf of young children (U n ited Nations, General Assen1-
bly 1989). le requi res chat governtnent s ensu re that all children be respected as per-
sons in the ir own r ight and p laces an obligation on national governtnents to n1ake
regular reports to t he UN.
Respecti ng child re n's rights requi res a radical s hift in public and profess io nal
attitudes. Young children ca n no longer be regarded as pass ive rec ip ients of services,
but rathe r tn ust be cons idered ind ivid uals who s ho uld be listened to and enabled to
contribute to ch ange. T his means that ed ucation s ho uld not be viewed p rin1arily as
an investment opportunity o r as building hun1an capit al t o achieve strong econotnic
outcon1es fo r society, no r s ho uld t he rationale o f provid ing EC se rvices to enable
1nothers co enter the workforce be a pritnary 1not ivat or. T h ese justifications play an
in1portant ro le in soc ial policy, but t hey a re not the core ratio nale for building EC
policies and services. U sing a rights lens, ch ild ren are recogn ized for their capacities
co con11nu nicate and contribute. T he pe rspective of children 's rights p rov id es a firm
foundation for pol icy, recognizing t hat ch ildren are soc ial be ings, enticled t o respect,
social justice Refers to indi- care, educatio n, and co tnpreh ensive services in th eir best interests, and identifying
vidual and collective wel 1- chose with the responsibil ity to secure t hese right s on behalf o f you ng ch ildren
being, whereby the rights of all (Friendly 2006).
living beings and the ecosys-
tem are fulfil led equ itably. It
is concerned with equal jus-
t ice, not just in the courts, but Social Justice- All Children Are Entitled to Access
in all aspects of society. This to Quality Early Childhood Experiences
concept demands that all
persons-irrespective of ethnic In Western den1ocracies, a co1n 1nonl y held view is chat soc ial justice p rovisions
origin. gender, possessions, sh ould be based o n equality o f oppo rtunity, recogn izing chat son1e degree of ineq ual-
race, religion. and so on-have
equal rights and opportunities. ity o f outcon1es is inevitab le. S ocial justice refers t o individual and collective well-
being, whereby t he r ights of all living beings and t he ecosyste tn are fu lfilled equ itably.
equity An inclusive approach Social justice is based o n t he concept of hu man r ights, equity, and a just and equitable
to practice that creates an soc iety. Fo r tnost individuals, che governtnent has a role in securing justice and pro-
early learning environment
that recognizes, values, and vid ing a level p laying field wh ere individuals are p rotected frotn d isadvantages such as
buiIds on the uniqueness of poverty. In n1any co untries, includ ing Canada, early ch ildhood educat ion is not
each child and family. achieving its full potential to p ron1ot e e quity and t o ch ange the lives o f tnany

4 Chapte r 1 De fin ing Qua lity Ea rl y Chi ldhood Prog ra ms

Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
Hauser, and several other Sensitives, who could detect the presence
of metals by what may be called ‘magnetic sense.’ His description of
the dark bed-room au troisième, was very simple, for nearly all old
houses have such chambers on that floor; this was an old house;
Vatterale saw it, and made what preliminary capital he could from
his acuteness. With the present weight of experience; with the
memory of the deeds of the mystical Ravalette still fresh in mind, of
course I could not be very highly interested in such displays of minor
magic as I felt convinced were very shortly to be made by the
conjuring gentleman before us.
“Suddenly the man whose pretensions I had just been inwardly
criticising, partially raised himself from the stool, threw back his
head until his long, wavy locks fell upon his shoulders, and muttered
between his teeth, as if the word-birth was extremely painful, ‘He is
coming!’ and we noticed that his face, naturally of a dingy yellow,
suddenly became of an ashen-hued paleness, and his eyes darted
forth luminous sparks that were plainly visible even amid the glare of
that brilliantly-lighted apartment; and at the same instant he placed
his right hand over the region of his heart—that is to say, over that
part where nine-and-ninety of every hundred suppose the heart to
be, namely, under the left breast. He did this as if to repress a rising
pang, then turning to his audience, he exclaimed—‘Look sharp! Be
firm! be fearless! be attentive! but if you would avoid danger, a
nameless, but great danger, stir not, move not from your seats.
Grasp the cord, retain each other’s hands, make what remarks you
may deem proper, but stir not an inch—a single inch from your
seats, happen what may! I am going to surprise you.’
“We all assented verbally, and not a few of the company began even
to joke him on his sorcery and magic, when we all started from our
seats, but were instantly motioned back by an anxious frown and a
commanding, magisterial wave of his right hand. The simultaneous
movement on our part, was caused by a yell, for such it was, that
proceeded, not, as might be anticipated, from a female, but from a
Mr. Theodore Dwight, an American gentleman, hailing from
Philadelphia—and at the present time still dwelling there.
“This person, as all who know him will certify, is no weak, puling,
nerveless man, for a man more the opposite of all this could scarce
be found in a month’s search.
“The sound which came from his lips was a shriek of terror, horror,
and agony combined, as might well be fancied to come from the
throats of the damned souls of the nether hell. It was, indeed, a
paroxysm of deadly fright. In an instant all eyes were turned toward
him. He was paler than a corpse, the very image of Death itself; his
eyes protruded from their sockets, and he trembled as if he stood
before the final bar; his lips refused to tell the cause of his distress,
but his gaze was intently fixed, with an immovable expression of
horror, upon the saucer on the floor. Instinctively our eyes followed
the same direction, except Vatterale’s, who still was looking toward
the open sash. With this exception, I repeat, we all looked toward
the floor, when, great God! what a sight was there! The saucer was
still there, but the two small rolls of paper were gone! They had
disappeared, but in their stead we distinctly saw—for, recollect, there
were seven full jets of gas in full blaze right over our heads—we
saw, I reiterate, with our eyes—physical, bodily eyes—three horrible
beings, somewhat resembling overgrown scorpions—only, that
instead of claws, they had—hands and arms! for all the world like
those of a newly-born negro child! These detestable things, for I
dare not blaspheme the Great Eternal by calling them creatures,
were about five inches broad on the back, by some eighteen in
length. Their color was a deep crimson, mottled with purple, green,
and yellow stripes and spots, and they were completely covered with
scales, like those of an armadillo. Conceive, if you can, of a tarantula
or spider so large, and which—each one of them—moved about on
the very tips of twelve legs, sixteen or eighteen inches long, and all
the while whirling and twirling its hands and arms (two of each),
eighteen inches long and three-fourths as large as its body, and you
will form a tolerable picture of the repulsive, unsightly, hideous
monstrosities crawling, or rather ‘stilting,’ round that saucer on the
floor.
“Each one of these loathsome things had four large, protruding eyes,
closely resembling those of the monster Frog of India; but these
eyes, unlike the frog’s, were not leaden-hued; instead of this being
the case, I think no spark of fire ever shone brighter—in fact, they
fairly gleamed with what I can indicate by no other term than
infernal redness; for it seemed that at every flash they emitted the
concentrated venom of a gorgon; and beneath the fearful spell we
all sat perfectly immovable with fear.
“What our agony would have been had the accursed things ventured
to move toward us, I dare not even imagine, but they still and ever
kept in the one track, moving with orderly march around that saucer
on the floor. We felt and knew that they were living, actual realities,
a genuine and horrid trinity of facts, and not a mere optical illusion,
or the result of a play upon our fancies, mesmeric or otherwise. This
opinion was confirmed by the most positive and blasting testimony,
for, as they solemnly, demoniacally marched about the centre of that
symbolic chart, they left a trailing streak of greenish—dead, hard,
greenish ichor or pus, behind them at each revolution, and a few
drops of this fell upon the Baron’s carpet. Some months afterward
he and I exchanged letters on the events of that night, and he
assured me that not a single chemical amongst the hundreds applied
for the purpose had been of the least effect toward removing the
stain. ‘The carpet has been discharged of its colors and re-dyed, yet
no dye will cover those spots!’ This was not all, for on one of their
rounds they nearly quitted the chart, and the Baron struck at them
with his foot, whereupon one of them spirted forth a fetid liquid,
which fell upon his boot, and made a mark there as if the leather
had been seared with hot iron!
“ ‘Talk not to me of legerdemain after this! Speak not to me of
optical illusion, or deceptive appearances, in the face of such facts as
these, for here are marks,’ wrote the Baron to me, ‘here are palpable
evidences that defy contradiction. They were made on that night,
and there they yet remain, and, albeit I cry, “Out, damned spots!”
they will not, but persist in remaining absolute confirmations of
vivid, strange, incontrovertible facts!’
“ ‘But why did you not get up, under such circumstances, all of you,
and escape from the room?’ is a very natural and perhaps not
unreasonable question, that may without impropriety be asked just
here, and I reply: For several reasons; among which a few shall be
named. First, the doors were all securely locked, and although we
had seen Mai mount a chair, and hang the keys to one of the glass
pendants, yet upon looking there, we found that they, as well as the
two rolls of paper, had disappeared. Secondly, the windows were
fastened down, besides being many feet from the ground—at least
fifteen—and to leap that distance was altogether out of the question,
even had we thought of it, which we did not. Thirdly, the earnest
and solemn warning given by Vatterale before anything took place;
his assurance that if we obeyed his injunctions not to stir—that,
although we might be frightened, yet no harm could or would befall
us—acted, amidst all our terror, as a sort of stopper upon any
precipitate movement, after the first shock was over.
“We could not quit the room provided even all the doors had been
flung wide open. Hast never heard tell of the fascination of Danger?
If so, then know that it was upon us in all its terrible force and
power. We were bound, chained, rooted, riveted to the spot, by a
potentiality never to be questioned, never to be despised, for its
might, when once it fastens upon its victim, is merciless, gripping,
stern and unrelenting. We felt that to stir, was to incur the hazard of
an unknown, unguessed-at danger. All were fascinated by terror; to
move was to add ten-fold to its power! It was a feeling akin to that
experienced by the native of Ind, who roused from his mid-day
slumber, wakes to feel the clammy folds of the cobra-capello, the
dreadful hooded serpent of his clime, slowly writhing and winding
beneath his garments about his naked flesh; and who realizes, as his
heart stops beating and his blood runs icily with agony, and as the
great big beaded drops of cold sweat ooze out from every pore, that
to stir, to breathe, to even quiver under the pressure of his mortal
fear, is certain, irrevocable, positive death—knowing as he does, that
nor man nor beast hath ever yet lived a single hour after the fangs
of the hooded snake have once opened a passage for the entrance
of the King of Terrors!
“And such was the pall that rested upon the eighteen persons in that
room, as the detestable trinity moved slowly around that saucer on
the floor; their eyes—their great, horny, bulging eyes—all the while
scintillating and flashing with the very essence of intense malignity—
malignity as of a devil! The female portion of the company I fear
may never recover from the shock that night received. They did not
faint, or scream, or swoon, as perhaps it might have been suspected
they would under such diabolic circumstances, simply, however, for
the reason that the tension of soul and nerve was altogether too
severe and great to permit, even for an instant, the reaction which is
an absolute prerequisite to relief by or through the methods
indicated.
“Probably the length of time that elapsed from the shriek of our
comrade, till the final disappearance of the three monsters, did not
exceed three minutes, yet in that brief space we had undergone
years of terror.
“Truly, the real lapse of time is not to be reckoned by the beats of
the clock, but only by sensations and heart-throbs. Mai, at the
termination of the time specified, rose from his stool, took a small
basket from his portmanteau, and then fearlessly seizing the things,
one at a time, he carefully doubled up their legs under them, and
placed them in it. Then taking the two crystal bottles already alluded
to, he placed them lengthwise on the chart, with their necks and
apertures facing each other, after which he resumed his seat upon
the foot-stool, addressing no word or sign to the spectators of his
movements. And now it began to grow dark! The jets of gas
appeared to burn less clear and fully, just as if some one was slowly
turning the cocks which let it on, with a gradual movement. In a
little while the room was darkened, though not exactly dark, for
there was still a dim half light—a sort of semi-blue, semi-dull red,
misty radiance, just sufficient to enable us to distinguish objects
vaguely, indistinct and dimly.
“ ‘Stir not! fear not!’ said the thick, husky voice of Vatterale; and
before we could reply, a scene commenced, such as it hath seldom
fallen to man’s lot to witness.
“ ‘Allow me to explain a modern mystery,’ said Vatterale, ‘but first let
me remove your fears. Look!’
“Scarcely had he spoken these words, than the room was suddenly
illuminated, as if the very air was aglow with the most brilliant light,
and we saw the two bottles quite plainly. As we gazed upon these,
there came from one the appearance of an enormous serpent, which
proceeded to coil itself up, until its bulk thrice exceeded that of both
the bottles. Then there came still another, and another, until no less
than twelve lay there, coiled up in a loathsome pile; but as the last
one emerged from one bottle, the first one entered the other, until
all had disappeared as they had come.
“ ‘I will now show you that you cannot always trust your own senses,’
said Vatterale, ‘nor account for what you see;’ and he straightway
emptied the basket, and broke the bottles. All three were empty! Not
a sign of snake or scorpion was there!
“ ‘Again, I will show you a curious thing. You will please call a
servant, seat her on one of those chairs, and bid her on a wager
hold a skein of silk while it is being wound—merely to keep her
attention—that is all. But,’ and he spoke very earnestly, ‘whatever
you see or hear, I beg you will not utter a single word.’
“This was assented to; a skein of silk was ordered, but not till the
gaslight had displaced the other.
“ ‘It will be just seventeen minutes before the girl is ready,’ said Mai;
‘and while waiting, I will demonstrate a fallacy. The creatures you
have beheld to night are real, but ephemeral—they are Will-
creations, and perish when the power ceases to act which called
them into being. As proof of what I say, Behold!’
“From the floor in the eastern corner of the room there straightway
begun to arise a light mist, which increased in bulk until a ball of
vapor, three feet in diameter, floated in the air. Thus it remained for
a minute; and then, right before our eyes, began to condense and
change its shape, until at the end of four minutes, it had assumed a
human semblance—but, Heavens! what a caricature!
“At first it was a mere vapory outline, but it rapidly condensed and
consolidated, until what looked like a hideous, half-naked, bow-
legged, splay-footed monster stood before us. Its height was less
than three feet; its chest and body were nearly that in width; its legs
were not over eight inches long; its arms were longer than its entire
body; its head was gigantic; and it had no neck whatever, while from
its horrible head there hung to the very ground the appearance of a
tangled mass of wire-like worms. Its mouth was a fearful-looking red
gash, extending to where ears should have been, but were not.
Eyes, nose, cheeks, chin, lips or forehead, there were none
whatever. Do not imagine that this creature was merely an
appearance; it was not, for although born of vapor, in five minutes it
became solid as iron, demonstrating the fact by stalking heavily
across the floor right into the centre of the open space between us—
the chains being dropped as it approached—where it stood, slowly
swaying to and fro, as if its heart was heavy.
“ ‘Show your quality,’ said Mai to the thing. ‘I will,’ it hissed, and
straightway proceeding toward a table, it stood by it a few minutes,
and it became apparent that it was charging the wood with
something from itself, for soon the table began to turn, to tip, to
move, to rise and float in the air, precisely as is done in spiritual
circles.
“ ‘Now, ladies and gentlemen, you will please act just as if that
before you was a human spirit, invisible to you, and desirous of
imparting information. I dare say you will be surprised at the results.
You see already that it is a capital table-mover, and I beg you to test
its mental and physical powers also—for I assure you there is
nothing to fear, now that I give you leave to break the silence—
which was quite essential in the first part of the curious experiment.’
“Thus assured, several of us asked the thing to show us what it
could do. Whereupon it made motions as if it wanted to write. Paper
and pencil being placed upon the table, it seized the pencil with its
long claw-like fingers, and its hand flew over the page like lightning,
and in ten seconds it finished, and striking the table three heavy
blows with its fist, signified that it had finished; whereupon Mr. D——
reached for the sheet, and read therefrom one of the most tender
messages conceivable, from a dead mother to a living son. Even the
hand writing was a perfect fac-simile of his mother’s; the name—
Lucy—was correct, and certain dear and peculiar phrases, used by
her when alive, were given with minute precision and fidelity; as, for
instance, ‘sweet one, mine,’ instead of ‘my sweet one.’ Mr. D——
turned pale. ‘Is it possible I have been so imposed upon—so horribly
deceived?’ said he, for he was a devout follower of the modern
thaumaturgy.
“Several further tests, equally successful and decisive, were then
given by this ghostly thing, both by writing, tipping, rapping, and the
production of beautiful phantom hands, faces, flowers, and other
objects, many of which were not only singular but magnificent.
Probably thousands of persons have seen the curious pencil
drawings, executed by ‘mediums,’ and which are said to be portraits
of ‘Spiritual flowers’—for most certainly they resemble nothing
growing on this earth. Well, in less than five minutes the horrible
thing there at the table, the eyeless monster, executed thirteen such
—and they would pass current as splendid specimens of ‘Spirit art.’
“ ‘Now,’ said Vatterale, ‘for something else.’ And then addressing the
thing, he said: ‘You will now render yourself viewless, and show
what you can do. And first let us have some music.’ Then turning to
the company, he said: ‘Real spirits love the light, but such as that
invariably act most efficiently in the dark—for then they have the
advantage of the elements condensed upon their forms—a semi-
material investiture—and can come in direct contact with material
substances, which, in the case of real spirits, is exceedingly difficult
of accomplishment.’
“During this speech, our attention was diverted from the incarnated
to the incarnator—for it must not be forgotten that the entire
phenomena exhibited by this wondrous personage, were the
creatures of his conscious will, brought into being and again cast out
by a thought, and according to a known and transferable formula.
True, there were others in whom this creative faculty existed, but
then such persons either exercised the power involuntarily through
the mechanical processes of mind and will, or else they are but the
proxies of the Larvæ. When he ceased speaking the monster was
gone from our sight, but not from our hearing, for Mai gently waved
his hand, and as he did so there came to us the softest, gentlest,
sweetest, and the most soul-stirring strains of music that ever fell on
human hearing. Above, below, around, now here, now there, close
at hand, and then afar off, it sounded; and the only comparison I
can make is, that it sounded like a solemn requiem chaunted by
angels over the perished form of what was once a god—the tones
were so pathetic, so solemn, so supremely sorrow-freighted—
reminding one of the plaintive

“ ‘Huhm, meleagar malooshe,

Huhm meleagar, ma-looshe,’

only that it was ten-fold more profound, and stirred depths the other
could never reach.
“This strange music was a perfect corroboration of the theory
advanced by the Italian Count at the séance before Napoleon,
already mentioned; for, allowing that the being who made it was a
real and independent existence, it was impossible for such
conceptions to exist in it, for the reason that none but a mighty soul
could create them, and the thing itself was exceedingly, revoltingly
low in the scale of organization. But, on the other hand, if the thing
were the creature of Mai’s will, it was conceivable that it vocally
expressed his unuttered thought, itself totally unconscious of either
the music or its meaning.
“It ceased. It still remained invisible, and Mai proposed that Count
de M—— should hold one end of an accordion, while the thing
invisibly held and played upon the other. This was assented to, and
the instrument, bottom up, was held at arm’s length, directly
beneath the light. It was placed on, in masterly style, while in that
position. It, as well as a guitar, harp and piano, were played on
when no one was near them, and nothing to be seen; and then, at
the command of the arch-magician, the whole performance was
repeated by the terrific thing in its perfectly visible form.
“Presently, a knock at the door told us that the servant sent for had
arrived, with the silk in her hand. She was admitted; the thing
retired from view.
“ ‘Marie,’ said the Baron, ‘a wager is laid that one of these gentlemen
cannot unwind a skein of silk which you are to hold, both of you
being blindfolded. I wager that it can be done. If I win, you shall
have three days to visit your family, besides something to carry to
the old people and the little ones. Now, you must not laugh or speak
while the silk is being wound; if you do I lose. Will you try?’
“ ‘Certainly,’ replied the girl; ‘and you shall see that I will not laugh.
Oh, papa, maman, I shall have three days! Mon Dieu! but it is a fine
thing!’ And, taking the seat offered, she suffered the silk to be
placed across her wrists, and be blindfolded by the Baroness.
“This having been done, Mr. D——, at a sign from Vatterale, took the
end of the cord, and began slowly to unwind it.
“ ‘And now begin,’ said the latter, speaking toward where the thing
had disappeared. The command was heard. It came forth, touched
the girl’s hand, and instantly she was thrown into a profound trance,
whence another touch revived her, but not to wakeful consciousness.
Instead of this, she rose, threw down the silk, approached several
musical instruments in succession, and played upon them most
exquisitely. The thing touched her head, and she made love in the
most tender terms to three gentlemen in succession, declaring to
each in turn that he was her ‘eternal affinity,’ and had been so from
the foundation of the world.
“Again it touched her; and, suddenly changing her manner, she
declaimed in lofty strain. Now she was Charlotte Corday, then
Maximillian the Incorruptible; again, she was the Maid of Orleans,
and then a simple Indian maiden. Now she was Malibran, and sung
divinely; anon, she was a strong-minded woman, and talked about
the Divine creative work of woman;—about love—that man had
made it special when it should be general, and, therefore, free. She
raved about the Bible, called it excellent soft bark; called the Saviour
the Nazarene; spoke of the Deity as the Great Positive Mind;
declared she was His private secretary; prated about Starnos and
’Cor, Summer Lands, Gupturion, Mornia, divorces, and how to get
them; progress and humbug, milky ways, and the people of Jupiter,
with a hundred other follies, but which she, unlike her exemplars, for
the time believed. The scene continued for at least two hours, at the
end of which time Mai dismissed the thing, and restored the girl,
who was totally oblivious of all that had occurred. She received
sundry pieces of gold from those present, and left the room,
doubtless desiring to unwind more silk at the same rate.
“ ‘I will now show you something equally curious,’ said Mai, ‘and,
perhaps, quite as interesting as anything you have yet beheld. Look!’
“We did so. Simultaneously, and from all parts of the room, there
now arose, as from the floor, innumerable minute globules of
various-colored fire—red, green, blue, purple, scarlet, gold, silver,
crimson, white and violet—leaping, flashing, dancing and frisking
about, as if endowed with sensuous, joyous gaiety. Apparently, there
were thousands of them, all moving in disorder through the air, now
lighting on the picture-frames suspended from the wall, now
collecting in great masses in front of the splendid mirrors, and,
anon, gliding along the floor, under our seats, through our feet, over
the chairs, and about the carpet, as if in the very wantonness of
sport, their every motion being accompanied by a hissing sound, in
kind, though not in volume, like that emitted by an ascending rocket
as it rushes through the air. Presently, they formed themselves into
crowns, just such as I had seen years before, in that same Paris,
float over and crown Napoleon at the behest of an Italian Count. In
an instant I associated the two circumstances, and, turning to the
magician, was about to speak, when, as if divining my purpose, he
nodded to me, and said aloud—
“ ‘I told you we should meet again! Be patient—this night must pass.
Accept the present I left for you at your hotel, and do not forget that
we shall meet again!’ and he became silent as before, while the
company scarcely knew what to make of this abrupt, and apparently
meaningless speech.
“I had solved one problem. Vatterale and the Count were one and
the same person; but who and what were the other two—Miakus
and Ravalette?
“The fiery crowns concluded the exhibition, and at a late hour the
company separated, and each sought his pillow.”
 CHAPTER VI.
ARRIVAL OF THE EDITOR.

“Too excited to sleep, I threw myself upon the sofa, and turned the
strange series of events over in my mind. Two things were
absolutely certain, nay, three—1st, That neither Ravalette, Vatterale,
nor the Italian Count, were men as are other men; 2d, that not one
of the company suspected this fact; and 3d, that myself was the
object, sole and alone, of these extraordinary visitations. Above and
beyond all these, it was plain that my destiny was rapidly
approaching a crisis, and that the Stranger (mentioned in the
legend), as well as Dhoula Bel, were still influencing me for purposes
which I could not divine to their full extent. I had already become a
Rosicrucian, had passed through five degrees, had visited the Orient,
and was about to go again, had learned many dark and solemn
mysteries, been instructed in several degrees of magic, knew all
about the Elixir of life, the power of will, the art of reading others’
destinies, of constructing and using magic mirrors, and how to
discover mines of precious metal, and had deeply regretted that the
terrible oath whereby the true Rosicrucian binds himself never to
seek wealth for himself, and never to accept riches as the price of
the exercise of his power, prevented me from availing myself of its
advantages. I knew that on the altar of knowledge I had sacrificed
all the deeper interests of my nature. I knew that my heart yearned
for woman’s love—that she held one portion of my soul captive at
times, but never filled it—that there was a possibility of escaping
what I dreaded, could I meet and mingle with a certain soul in
whose body ran no drop of Adamic blood; and I almost resolved to
abandon all hope, perform the part required of me by my tempters
of Belleville, the Tuilleries, and Boston, when suddenly I
remembered the paper that Ravalette had placed in my hand, as
also the present left for me by Vatterale, but, resolving to omit all
care concerning them till morning, at length I succeeded in falling
into an uneasy slumber, from which I awoke late on the following
morning to find that you, my dear friend [the Editor], had just
arrived from Alexandria, and had called upon me.”
 CHAPTER VII.
THE GRAND SECRET?

It now devolves upon the Editor of these pages to complete the

narrative of Beverly, his friend.
I had just reached Paris from Marseilles, where I had arrived a few
days before, by way of Malta, from Alexandria. On reaching Paris it
was my intention to rest but one night there, and then pursue my
way via Rouen, in Normandy, to Diéppe and England, and thence
home to America. Like all other travellers, I desired to spend a week
in Paris, but business prevented, consequently I made preparations
to leave the famous city on the day following my arrival; but I
resigned myself to this necessity with all the more fortitude, for the
reason that by so doing I should be able to retain the company of a
very pleasant gentleman, whose society I had enjoyed continually
from Cairo, where we first met, to Paris, and which I might, by
making no stop in the latter place, continue to enjoy all the way
home, as he intended to start just so soon as he rejoined his
daughter, who, for about three years had been receiving her
education in Paris, and whom he was about to conduct to his home
—a newly-purchased one in New York.
The history of Mr. Im Hokeis and his adventures, as related to me on
our journey, are so well worth repeating that I shall give a short
abstract, even at the risk of enlarging this chapter.
“I was born,” said he, “on the banks of the Caspian Sea, of the
family of Hokeis—a sacred family, in whom was invested the highest
order of Priesthood, and on whom devolved the care of the sacred
fire, for we were Guebres, and the fire must never be extinguished,
nor had it been, so say our records, for many thousand years, for
Religion with us is quite a different thing from what it is among the
men of Islam, India, Rome, or the West. We pride ourselves upon
the purity of our faith, and its superiority to all that is professed by
the children of Adam, quite as much as we do our Pedigree from
Ish, the great founder of our race and a powerful pre-Adamite king
and conqueror.”
I cannot now afford time to repeat the arguments by which Im
Hokeis demonstrated the startling proposition that there were other
people living on earth besides those who claimed Adam as their
founder. All this may be found elsewhere.[9] He said that he was
destined from birth to be chief priest of the Faith, and had married a
woman of his tribe and rank, at the early age of seventeen. Near the
time he was about being ordained, war had broken out between the
Guebres and their Persian tyrants. Himself and wife were captured,
taken to Herat, and there condemned to lose their eyes, from which
horrible fate they were rescued by a member of the British Embassy,
with whom they remained for nearly three years, by which time they
had mastered the English language. While in the service of the
minister, Hokeis had the good fortune to save his life, in
consequence of which a friendship sprung up between them so
strong, that when the Embassy returned to Britain the two Guebres
went with it. Arrived in London, Hokeis received an appointment as
interpreter, and soon accumulated means, after which he entered
into a direct trade with Persia, and although, during the nine years in
which he was engaged therein, heaven had not sent him any
children, yet it had blessed him with abounding wealth.
At length, in the thirteenth year of their married life, their prayer was
answered, and it became evident that God was about to send them
a child. He did, and a beautiful girl was born, but the eyes of her
mother were closed in death at the moment it first saw the light.
One day the nurse, who was a relative of Hokeis’ wife, was wheeling
the child around the walks of Hampstead Heath, when they
wandered within the precincts of a gipsy encampment, and the girl
was persuaded to have her own and the child’s fortune told. The
complexion and features of the twain led to remarks on their
nationality, and by skillful manœuvering the gipsy woman
ascertained that the couple before her were Guebres by birth, and
had been by religion. The mummery over and the fee paid, the girl
went home with her charge. They were followed, and on that very
night, while the nurse slept, the child was stolen. Search was made
for the gang of gipsies—the abduction having been clearly traced to
them, by reason of a note left behind by the robber, stating that the
child would be well cared for—but in vain, for on the very next day
the whole gang, thirty in number, had sailed in a packet from the
London Docks, for America.
Many years rolled by, when one day, as the disconsolate father was
walking in the garden of the same house whence the child was
stolen, he was accosted by an old beldame, who asked him what he
would pay in gold in return for information respecting his child. It is
needless to narrate the successive steps taken. Suffice it that within
twenty-four hours the father and the gipsy were on the ocean, going
as fast as steam would carry them toward the Western World.... The
child, now a regal woman, was found, and father and daughter lived
with each other for a time in New York, where a fine property had
been bought; for the old gentleman so liked the New World that he
determined to settle there for life, after his daughter had been
properly cultured in Europe, whither he soon took her, and then,
after transmitting the bulk of his fortune to America, went on a final
visit to his people in Persia, his friends and co-religionists in the East.
I had met with him as already stated, when on his return from Egypt
to France.
This brings us to the night of my arrival in Paris. It being impossible
to join his child that night, Hokeis and myself drove to a hotel in the
Palaise Royale, and were at the satisfactory end of a supper, when a
person who was totally unknown to either of us entered the salle à
manger, and, making a profound obeisance to us both, said: “Salute!
I come to tell you, Im Hokeis, that you will not quit Paris to-morrow.
But at the hour of four you will take your daughter to the house that
is last but one on the left ascending the Boulevart de Luxembourg.
You will ask me no questions, but will obey. My authority I thus give
you,” and he whispered three words in the ear of Hokeis, that
caused the latter to start as if he had been shot. He had received
the secret countersign of the priests of fire! Then turning to me, he
said, “You will go early in the morning to the Hotel Fleury. There you
will find Beverly, your friend, join him; go where he goes, and quit
him not for an instant for the next two days—his salvation depends
upon it! Now I go. Forget not the words of the Stranger.”
I was thunderstruck. Hokeis and I talked much that night before we
slept. What we spoke of is easily to be conceived.
This brings me to my next meeting with Beverly, whose fortunes we
will now follow.
It will be remembered that Ravalette had given him a paper just
before they parted in Belleville, and that Vatterale had also left
something for him at his hotel. Bearing this in mind, observe what
followed.
In a bold, strong hand was written these words in the note placed
by Ravalette in the hands of Beverly when they parted in Belleville
—“When you need me—when you are ready to become one of us—
when you have given up all hope of ever probing the mystery of my
existence and your own—then seek me in the house that is last but
one on the left ascending the Boulevart de Luxembourg.—Ravalette.”
The identical direction, and almost in the very words given by the
mysterious personage to Hokeis, in the hotel of the Palais Royale on
the previous night. The circumstance made a great impression on
my mind, but prudence forbade all mention of it to Beverly. He
seemed quite glad of this opportunity of solving the strange riddle,
and, to my great delight, begged and insisted that I should spend
the day with him, and in the evening we would investigate the
subject together; and that I readily consented, may be easily
imagined. There were several motives prompting me in this affair—
curiosity, friendship, and a vague hope of baffling what Beverly
regarded as his doom. Those who have read carefully what has here
been written, will remember that Beverly had convinced me that
there was more in the strange legend, regarding the king, the
princess, the riddle, the murder, and the curse and its fulfillment,
than the majority of people would be willing to concede. In short, I
was decidedly inclined to believe in Dhoula Bel and the other
doomed one, but I had no faith whatever in either Miakus, Ravalette,
the Italian Count, or Vatterale. I did not believe all these names
belonged to one person, and I finally settled down on the following
theory, point by point:—1st, That there was in existence a society,
having its head-quarters in Paris, the members of which were
practisers of Oriental magic and necromancy, in which they were
most astonishingly expert. 2d, That the organization had for its
object, not the attainment of wealth or political position, but abstract
knowledge, and the absolute rule of the world through the action
and influence of the brotherhood upon the crowned heads and
officials of the world. 3d, That this association was governed by a
master-mind, and that mind was Ravalette’s. 4th, That this society
had cultivated mesmerism to a degree unapproachable by all the
world besides. That they had exhausted ordinary clairvoyance, and
eagerly sought a brain which would admit of the most thorough
magnetization, and whose natural tendency was toward the
mystical, transcendental and weird, yet strong, strong-willed, logical,
emulative, daring and ambitious; and that, to discover such, their
agents had traversed all four continents of the globe; and that finally
they had heard of Beverly, whose fame as a seer was world-wide;
that they had found him, and, beyond doubt, had learned the
strange particulars of his life, the legend, and his hope. They had
seen him, and at once decided that, under their wonderful
manipulation, he could be placed in a magnetic slumber many
degrees more profound than is possible in one case in five millions,
and reach a degree of mental lucidity and psycho-vision that would
not only surpass all that the earth had yet witnessed in that
direction, from Budha, Confucius, Zoroaster, and the Oracles of
Greece, down to the days of Boehme and the Swede, since when
there has been no clairvoyant really worthy of the name. True, there
were semi-lucides in abundance, but these either were only capable
of reading or noting material objects, and, at best, repeating the
thoughts of other men, or giving the contents of books as original
matter, heaven-derived—as the self-styled “great (sic) American
seer” gave forth the contents of a volume written by Pierpont
Greeves, mixed and muddled up with a few really sublime thoughts
taken from the minds of his scribe, his mesmerizer, and the highly
intellectual coterie who gathered round him during his séances. 5th,
They knew that, unless Beverly’s will accorded with their desire, it
would be useless to attempt to gain their ends through him; and
hence, all their efforts by playing the shining bait of magic for the
purpose of inducing him to consent to anything in order to gain their
power. Hence, too, their gift of the secrets of the Magic Mirror, the
Elixir of Life, of Youth, of Love, and a score of others equally curious
and invaluable to the student of the soul. 6th, It was clear that,
while these men knew much of the Rosicrucian system, they were
not in full harmony or accord with that brotherhood.
Thus I reasoned, and it was easy to account for the scenes in the
Boston office and at Beverly’s home—the apparent immunity Miakus
enjoyed from the effects of the fire, which burnt the chair but not his
thigh, I accounted for on the ground that chemistry helped him, as it
had a score of “fire-kings” beside.
Thus far, I felt that my theory covered the whole ground of this
clever fraternity; but when I recurred to the scenes witnessed by no
less than eighteen people at the house of the Baron, I confess,
candidly, that it utterly failed. Still, I totally rejected all
supernaturalism as connected with the affair, and, attributing the
whole to expert trickery, I determined to lay a trap to catch the
performers in the very act, and flattered myself that it would be
successful. “Ho! ho! Mr. Vatterale, I’ll show you!” I exclaimed, as I
shook Beverly’s hand, and leaving him, to bathe, dress, and
breakfast alone, I hurried out, ostensibly to go to the post-office,
but, in reality, to visit the head-quarters of the Paris Police, which I
did, and, when there, briefly but clearly stated my belief that a
friend of mine was being victimized in the manner stated; to all of
which the chief official lent an attentive ear, caused my proces verbal
to be recorded, directed me how to proceed so as not to alarm the
suspected parties, and promised to have a posse on hand very close
to the house on the Boulevart de Luxembourg by the hour named.
On my way back to the Hotel Fleury, I dropped in to see if Hokeis
was home, but found only a note, informing me that he had gone to
Versailles after his daughter. I rejoined Beverly.

FOOTNOTE:
[9] The argument proving the existence of the human race
thousands of years anterior to the date of Adam, may be found in
“Pre-Adamite Man.” By Griffin Lee. New York. S. Tousey. 1863.
 CHAPTER VIII.
THE BOULEVART DE LUXEMBOURG.

Impatient as I was for the hour to arrive, in which all my doubts might
be forever solved, yet Beverly was still more so. No condemned man
ever wished more ardently for the moment when, by the halter or
the glaive, the grand secret should be revealed to him, than did my
friend for that in which he should know the best or the worst for
him.
Three o’clock found us within a stone’s throw of the house
designated as the rendezvous, and the three or four little shingles in
front of it with “Appartements à louer,” “Chambres garni,” and
“Cabinets meubles,” told at once that it was one of those middle-
class establishments where a person might hire rooms and live
undisturbed for a whole lifetime, provided the rent was duly paid.
Into the square, paved court of this house we entered, and before
the least inquiry was made, the concierge came out of his crib,
saluted us respectfully, and said: “You are two of the gentlemen
expected here to-day by the occupant of the second floor. Please
ascend. You will find him in the first room to the left,” and the old
fellow hobbled back to his nest, and instantly began pegging away
at the heel of a shoe, which he was engaged in healing and heeling
when we entered the court.
Following his directions, we ascended a broad, winding stairway of
stone, and found ourselves on a landing. From this landing one
stairway ascended, and another led to the court below. At the
further end, but on the side, was a door, and at the hither end
another. The house itself stood quite isolated from all others, and
the windows of the rooms, it was clear, must overlook the boulevart
and a lane crossing it at right angles. We entered the first door, and
found ourselves in a very plainly-furnished, large, square room,
having two windows at the end, two more on the side, a cupboard,
recess, and two large folding doors, both standing wide open, so
that, finding no person in the first room, we passed through them
into the second, but still failed to see or even hear the least
indication that their occupant was anywhere around. I was glad of
this, for it gave opportunity for an examination of the premises;
therefore calling the concierge, I asked him the name, occupation,
and period of occupancy of his second-floor tenant, to which he very
readily responded, by saying that his tenant was a foreign scholar
named Elarettav; that he was wealthy, had lived there five years,
and saw very little company, never dined or eat in the house, and in
short was a very fine man, indeed—he paid two louis a month for
porter’s fees! The concierge left, and I carefully remarked the place,
and found the floor and ceiling was of stone, as are all French
houses. The cupboard was low, narrow, and filled with wine bottles
and glasses, far more like a student’s quarters than a grave
philosopher’s like Ravalette, if, indeed, that personage was the same
described as Elarettav by the porter. The recess was small and
simple, and contained nothing but a cot bedstead and its appropriate
furniture. I concluded that there was no preparation for magic, if any
was intended, and as this notion passed through my mind, the clock
struck four, and we heard the footsteps of a man in the other room,
notwithstanding the door was not seen to open. We went to that
other room, and, “Ravalette, as I live!” exclaimed Beverly; and, sure
enough, there stood, calmly smiling, just such an old gentleman as I
had heard described.
“You have sought, and you have found me! I hope you will profit by
the finding,” said he to Beverly; “and you, sir, have done well to
accompany your friend,” addressing me in a tone slightly insulting,
and all the more so from being slight. It was evident that he did not
relish my presence in the least, and as for me I had no sooner set
eyes on my man than I felt assured of the truth of my theory, and
that I stood in presence of one of the ablest intellects on earth—a
man capable of all that had been attributed to him, and one who
would reach his goal and carry his point at all hazards, even if in
doing so it were necessary to sail through seas of human blood. I
flatter myself on my ability to measure men and to circumvent
deliberate villainy, and no sooner had I heard the tones of
Ravalette’s voice, and seen the clear-cut features of his face, than I
at once suspected some sort of foul play was on the tapis, and
which I determined to thwart, even if I had to give him the solid
contents of a couple of Derringers and a Colt’s revolver, which I had
taken care to provide myself with before venturing into what might
have been the den of unscrupulous wretches, for aught I knew to
the contrary. It may be that Ravalette read my thoughts, for he
certainly looked uneasy, but said nothing, for at that moment the
concierge threw open the door and announced “Monsieur Hokeis et
fille,” and my travelling companion and his daughter—the most
voluptuous and glorious looking woman that I had ever beheld in
any land, not even excepting the glowing beauties of Beyrout or
Stamboul—entered the room.
Ravalette seemed to have been expecting them, and did not appear
at all surprised at their uninvited presence; but the effect upon
Hokeis and his daughter, the very moment they beheld his face, was
perfectly electrical, yet totally dissimilar, for Hokeis instantly threw
himself upon his knees before Ravalette, bent his head, and folded
his hands in an attitude half supplicatory, half adoring, and said:
“Oh, dread genius of the Fire and the Flame! do I see thee here?
Alas! I am a wretched man, but thou art powerful and will forgive!
My defection was not my choice, but that of accident, and in the
religion of Isauvi have I found more peace than ever in thy temples
of the temples of Astarte!”
My brain fairly reeled beneath the tremendous rush of emotions,
conflicting as a whirlwind, excited by this extraordinary scene; while,
as for Beverly, his face was like an ashen cloth, his limbs were like
an aspen.
The next moment these emotions underwent an entire change, for
the woman, who appeared not to have taken the least notice of her
father’s action or speech, went straight up to Ravalette, placed her
jewelled hand upon his shoulder, looked him straight in the eye, as if
she would wither and crush him at a glance, and in a voice low, but
clear and deep, said: “And so, thou fiend, we meet again! Art going
to essay more of thy tricks and magic spells? Art going to set more
snares for the daughter of Im Hokeis? Wretch, thou art foiled again!
What, tell me, what! thou fiend of Darkness, couldst thou gain by
persecuting me now, as in my loneliness? What wouldst thou gain by
seeing me wedded—to ‘no matter whom’—as you said, so long as I
was wedded? Why have you haunted me, asleep and awake,
tempting, driving me toward a marriage? What hadst thou to gain?
You do not answer. Well, I will answer for you:
“Do you remember a day, long years ago, when I was a child,
beyond the great salt sea, that you came to an old man’s door and
craved shelter for the night? Well, I do. You were received by the
generous Indian. You shared his table, his pipe, and his cider. Then,
as you sat by the fire, you noticed me, and must needs tell my
fortune. You did so, and truly. You said that in one month from that
day I should meet a sad-hearted youth, weary, weeping, miserable,
lonely; that he would engage my heart, and that I would easily be
led to love and wed him; but that if I did so, black clouds would
lower over us, and that our morn of love would bring a noon of
dislike, an evening of sorrow, and a night of crime, ignominy and
death. You said that my union with any other man would bring all
that could render life desirable. I believed you, for a hundred things
that you foretold came to pass. At length, three weeks of the month
elapsed; and one night I had a dream, and in it I saw you, and the
young man, whom in the body I had never yet beheld. In that
dream you repeated all that you had said before, and then you
disappeared; but your hateful presence had no sooner quit me than
there came a glorious being, robed in majesty and beauty, who bade
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