,illustration3 ,mrs4 ,margaret ,fox ,,the ,,missing ,,link ,,in ,,modern ,,spiritualism4 ,,by ,a4 ,,leah ,,underhill1 ,,of ,,the ,,fox ,,family4 ,,revised ,,and ,,arranged ,,by ,a ,,literary ,,friend4 ,,new ,,york3 ,,thomas ,r4 ,,knox ,,co41 7,,successors ,,to ,,james ,,miller17 #hac ,,broadway4 #ahhe4 ,,copyright1 #ahhe1 ,,by ,a4 ,,leah ,,underhill4 ,,trow',s ,,printing ,,and ,,bookbinding ,,company1 ,,new ,,york4 ,dedication4 ,,to ,,my ,,husband1 ,,daniel ,,underhill1 ,,who1 ,,before ,i ,,had ,,other ,,claims ,,than ,,those ,,of ,,truth ,,and ,,right1 ,,nobly ,,sustained ,,me ,,when ,,older ,,friends ,,wavered1 ,,this ,,narrative ,,is ,,dedicated1 ,,not ,,less ,,gratefully ,,than ,,lovingly4 ,,editor',s ,,preface4 ,the author of this volume1 having written it from time to time1 from her recollections and documentary materials1 which include bushels of letters--but unwilling to commit it to the press in the disjointed condition which was a natural consequence of her own want of much practice of the pen--did me the honor of requesting my aid in revising and arranging it for publication4 ,her honesty and sincerity of character have caused her to insist upon a preface to that effect4 ,though deeming this a superfluous scruple on her part1 ,i am induced to comply with her wish for a different reason2 and that is1 the opportunity it affords of bearing my testimony to the remarkable accuracy of her memory and of her truthfulness1 as those qualities have proved themselves throughout the intimate intercourse of many weeks1 during which she has often had to repeat the same recollections of facts and incidents1 under what was almost legal cross-examination1 without ever the slightest variation in their details1 and without ever allowing anything to pass which might be in the least degree tainted with inaccuracy or mistake4 ,as she is so well known to so many friends1 it is superfluous for me to express on this page1 which will meet her eye for the first time in print1 the high and affectionate esteem and respect with which that intimate intercourse1 with all its opportunities for observation and judgment1 have inspired the ,,editor4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,introduction #a ,,chapter ,i4 ,,hydesville #e ,mysterious ,noises heard in the ,house of ,john ,d4 ,fox1 in ,hydesville 7,town of ,arcadia71 near ,newark1 ,wayne ,county1 ,n4 ,y4--,statements of ,witnesses4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,hydesville 7,continued7 #bj ,the ,last ,digging in the ,cellar--,mob ,antagonism--,noble ,friends--,experiences and ,theories--,antecedents of the ,house--,franklin4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,rochester #cj ,my ,first ,knowledge of the ,matter--,hasten to ,hydesville--,rapping on a ,canal ,boat--,experiences--,mother ,comes to ,rochester--,calvin ,brown--,devious ,route of ,projectiles ,up-stairs from ,cellar to ,garret--,a ,death-knell ,sounded all ,night on the ,keys of a ,locked ,piano4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,rochester 7,continued7 #dg ,ventriloquism--,proclaim these ,truths to the ,world--,the ,call for the ,alphabet--,voices in ,raps--,god's ,telegraph between the two ,worlds--,an ,eviction--,committee of ,five--,no ,money ,accepted--,improper ,questions to ,spirits--,done--,struggle against the ,uncanny ,thing--,benjamin ,franklin4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,rochester 7,continued71 ,november1 #ahdh #eg ,light ,articles made ,immovable--,the ,coffins--,adieu of the ,spirits--,their ,return--,first ,steps toward ,public ,investigation--,hire ,corinthian ,hall--,first ,committee of ,investigation--,second--,third or ,infidel ,committee--,behavior of a ,great ,dining-table--,the ,tar and ,torpedo ,mob4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,mediumistic ,,vein ,,in ,,our ,,family #gd ,some ,family ,antecedents--,our ,great-grandmother--,phantom ,prophetic ,funerals--,vision of a ,tombstone ,nine ,years in ,advance1 etc4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,mediumistic ,,vein ,,in ,,our ,,family 7,continued7 #hi ,marvellous ,writing by a ,baby ,medium4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,rochester 7,continued7 #ajj ,repeat the ,lord's ,prayer--,first ,money ,accepted--,muscular ,quakerism--,letter from ,george ,willets--,letter from ,john ,e4 ,robinson--,caution against ,consultation of ,spirits about ,worldly ,interests4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,albany ,,and ,,troy4 #ahej #aae ,excursion to ,albany--,delavan ,house and ,van ,vechten ,hall--,rev4 ,dr4 ,staats and the ,judges--,high ,class of ,minds ,interested--,president ,eliphalet ,nott--,pecuniary ,arrangements--,excursion to ,troy--,trojan ,ladies--,mob ,attempts on ,life of ,margaretta4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,new ,,york4 #ahej #abh ,the ,rochester ,knockings at ,barnum's ,hotel--,hard ,work--,our ,visitors--,a ,poisoned ,bouquet--,hair of the ,emperor ,napoleon ,i4--,hair of ,john ,c4 ,calhoun--,investigation at ,residence of ,rev4 ,rufus ,w4 ,griswold1 by the ,leading ,literary ,celebrities of ,new ,york4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,return ,,to ,,rochester #adb ,letters and ,newspaper ,articles ,respecting our ,new ,york ,campaign--,letter from ,amy ,post--,letters from ,john ,e4 ,robinson--,article from a ,sunday ,newspaper--,from the ,new ,york ,day-,book--,letter from ,dr4 ,c4 ,d4 ,griswold--,letter from ,jacob ,c4 ,cuyler--,article by ,horace ,greeley--,poem from the ,sunday ,dispatch4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,buffalo4 #ahej-ea4 #afe ,urged to ,return to ,new ,york--,visit to ,buffalo--,attempt by a ,pretended ,friend to ,frighten us ,away--,thunderbolt from the ,buffalo ,commercial ,advertiser--,the ,females--,knee-joint ,theory--,our ,reply ,challenging ,investigation of it--,the ,doctors' ,day--,mrs4 ,patchen's ,peculiarity4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,buffalo 7,continued7 #agi ,investigations upon ,investigations--,a ,meeting at the ,phelps ,house--,manifestations with ,bells1 etc4--,mr4 ,albro's ,report--,a ,death ,scene--,letter from ,me to the ,commercial ,advertiser1 and how ,i forced its ,insertion--,article from the ,buffalo ,daily ,republic--,letter from ,mr4 ,greeley--,mr4 ,e4 ,w4 ,capron--,departure from ,buffalo4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,buffalo 7,continued7 #aig ,letters from ,john ,e4 ,robinson and ,welcome ,whittaker4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,extracts ,,from ,d4 ,m4 ,,dewey',s ,,history #bjf ,letters from ,rev4 ,charles ,hammond and ,john ,e4 ,robinson4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,ohio ,,campaign #bai ,return to ,rochester--,attempted ,burglary--,summons to ,ohio--,rev4 ,c4 ,c4 ,burr--,toe-ology--,gold ,medals and ,jewelled ,watch--,first ,public ,speech--,committee ,investigations as usual--,calvin's ,illness1 and henceforth ,mrs4 ,brown--,first ,spiritual ,convention4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,miscellaneous ,,letters ,,connected ,,with ,,the ,,ohio ,,campaign #bca ,n4 ,s4 ,wheeler--,e4 ,s4 ,brownfield--,chillicothe ,committee--,charles ,f4 ,whippo--,m4 ,l4 ,wright--,d4 ,a4 ,eddy--,extracts from the ,press--,a ,fair ,challenge from ,mrs4 ,fish and ,sequel--,columbus ,committee--,d4 ,a4 ,eddy--,m4 ,l4 ,wright--,interesting ,letter from ,dear ,amy ,post--,article from the ,cleveland ,plaindealer4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,new ,,york ,,city1 ,,from ,,january1 #aheb #bej ,competing ,claims upon ,us--,decision in ,favor of ,new ,york as ,residence--,death of ,calvin ,r4 ,brown--,remains ,removed to ,rochester for ,burial--,personal ,friendships--,alice and ,phoebe ,cary--,course of ,test ,experiments at ,dr4 ,gray's--,the ,monday ,evening ,circle--,rules of ,sances4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,new ,,york ,,city 7,continued7 #bfi ,our ,brilliant ,success with the ,superior ,intellectual ,classes--,whiskey at ,washington--,cognizance of ,domestic ,secrets--,discomfiture of ,anderson1 the ,wizard of the ,north--,remarkable ,experience with a very ,notorious ,person4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,phosphorus #bhb ,spirit ,lights ,visible at ,dark ,sances--,private ,circle in ,jersey ,city in #aheg--,solid ,granules of ,phosphorus ,appearing in ,earth which ,i had ,touched--,surprising and ,distressing ,letter--,the ,good ,spirits and ,daniel ,underhill to the ,rescue--,benjamin ,franklin--,marriage to ,d4 ,underhill1 ,november #b1 #aheh1 and ,close of my ,public ,mediumship--,analogous ,phenomena in ,private at ,home4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,boston ,,and ,,the ,,harvard ,,professors1 #aheg #big ,agreement for an ,investigation by a ,committee of ,harvard ,professors--,expulsion of a ,student from the ,divinity ,school for the ,crime of ,mediumship--,professor ,felton--,agassiz--,varley1 the ,electrician of the ,atlantic ,telegraph ,company4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,boston ,,and ,,the ,,harvard ,,professors 7,continued7 #cab ,disinterested ,judgments upon the ,sham ,investigation--,our ,part in the ,proceedings--,more ,fair ,investigation by the ,collective ,representatives of the ,new ,england ,press--,investigation by a ,body of ,unitarian ,clergymen--,our ,triumphant ,return ,home--,theodore ,parker4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,robert ,,dale ,,owen ,,and ,,professor ,,felton1 ,,president ,,of ,,harvard ,,college #cbf ,masterly ,letter from ,mr4 ,owen4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,experiences ,,of ,,robert ,,dale ,,owen ,,through ,,the ,,mediumship ,,of ,,the ,,author #cci ,moving a ,ledge of ,rock on the ,sea-shore--,raps on the ,water1 and in the ,living ,wood--,seeing the ,raps--,moving ,ponderable ,bodies by ,occult ,agency--,crucial ,test--,a ,heavy ,dinner-table ,suspended in the ,air by ,occult ,agency4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,experiences ,,of ,,the ,,author ,,with ,,robert ,,dale ,,owen 7,continued7 #cdh ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,spirit ,,cures--,,mr4 ,,capron',s ,,wife #cfa ,statement by ,e4 ,w4 ,capron--,wife of ,general ,waddy ,thompson1 of ,south ,carolina--,wife of ,mr4 ,davis1 of ,providence1 ,r4 ,i4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,miscellaneous ,,letters #cfh ,j4 ,heddon--,s4 ,chamberlain--,john ,e4 ,robinson--,a4 ,underhill--,george ,lee1 ,m4,d4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,miscellaneous ,,letters 7,continued7 #chf ,e4 ,f4 ,norton--,john ,e4 ,robinson--,governor ,n4 ,p4 ,tallmadge--,pauline ,m4 ,davis--,same--,john ,e4 ,robinson--,prof4 ,j4 ,j4 ,watson4 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,some ,,observations ,,on ,,mediumship #djc ,mysteries of ,mediumship--,to ,prove the ,immortality of the ,soul--,passivity and ,harmony at ,sances--,honest and ,candid ,scepticism--,imaginary and ,self-induced ,mediumship--,deceptive ,communications--,cautions--,rappings--, spirits made ,visible--,beware of ,fraudulent ,mediums--,not all ,spirits ,reliable--,cabinets4 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,miscellaneous ,,incidents #dae ,felicia ,hemans--,spirit ,dictations of ,music4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,miscellaneous ,,incidents 7,continued7 #dba ,crowd of ,spirits made ,visible by ,lightning--,scarcely ,credible but ,true--,a ,game of ,euchre--,margaret's ,dream--,mistaken ,names ,corrected by ,spirits--,an ,unwilling ,convert made ,grateful and ,happy--,a ,spirit ,knows better than the ,postmaster--,opening of a ,combination ,lock--,a ,visitor ,magnetized into a ,medium ,himself--,curious ,story about a ,mutilated ,limb--,disturbance in the ,troup ,street ,cottage--,a ,caution against ,cruelty to ,orphan ,children--,mrs4 ,hopper's ,mysterious ,end--,touch ,samantha--,i felt my ,handkercher ,tied ,tighter every ,minit--,no ,brimstone yet--,kitchen ,work by ,night--',sich a ,gittin' up ,stairs'--,the ,death of ,isaac ,t4 ,hopper--,william ,m4 ,thackeray--,witch ,stories--,george ,thompson--,a ,child's ,letter--,extracts from ,d4 ,underhill's ,minute ,book--,practical ,jokes ,performed and ,rebuked--,a ,prophetic ,dream--,james ,a4 ,garfield--,incident ,related by the ,editor4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,,action ,,of ,,spirits ,,through ,,the ,,mediumship ,,of ,a ,,five-,,month',s-,,old ,,infant #dfd ,various ,manifestations around the ,baby--,writing in ,greek through his ,hand4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,the ,,missing ,,link #dga ,,finale #dge ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4 ,,mrs4 ,,margaret ,,fox ,frontispiece4 ,,page ,,john ,d4 ,,fox #aj ,,diagram1 ,,prospect ,,street ,,house #db ,,autograph ,,illustrations ,,of ,a ,,baby',s ,,mediumship #ij ,,mrs4 ,,margaretta ,,fox ,,kane #abb ,,diagram1 ,,trout ,,street ,,house #bji ,,cleveland 7,,ohio7 ,,gold ,,medal #bbe ,,autograph ,,letter ,,of ,,alice ,,cary #bfe ,,autograph ,,letter ,,of ,,same #bff ,,autograph ,,letter ,,of ,,john ,w4 ,,edmonds #bfg ,,autograph ,,letter ,,of ,,horace ,,greeley #bfh ,,daniel ,,underhill #bib ,,mrs4 ,,katie ,,fox ,,jencken #dfe ,,greek ,,writing ,,by ,a ,,five-,,month',s-,,old ,,infant #dgj ,a4 ,,leah ,,underhill 7,,the ,,author7 #dge ,,the ,,hydesville ,,house #dgg ,,note4--,the steel-engraved portraits of the ,fox family are from paintings1 of dates very different from those referred to on the pages which they face4 ,with the exception of the parents 7,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,fox71 they represent the three ,fox girls 7as they were called7 at ages more matured than would correspond to the text of the pages which they accompany4 ,photography was not so advanced and universal as at the present day4 ,,introduction4 ,it is not that the history of ,spiritual ,manifestations in this century and country has not again and again been written1 nor that a library of the splendid literature of ,spiritualism--narrative1 philosophical1 and religious--does not already exist1 that ,i have deemed it a duty to give this history to the world4 ,it happens that nobody else possesses--both in vivid personal recollections and in stores of documentary material--the means and the data necessary for the task of giving a correct account of the initiation of the movement known as ,modern ,spiritualism2 and the now hastening lapse of years gives warning that if to place it on record is a duty--as many friends have often urged--it is a duty not to be much longer delayed4 ,many mistakes and material omissions have been made in former summary accounts from pens of friends1 as well as misstatements from those of foes2 nor could any one heretofore form any clear or complete idea of the early years of the epochal period which dates from ,march #ca1 #ahdh4 ,since that day1 starting from a small country village of ,western ,new ,york1 ,spiritualism has made its way--against tremendous obstacles and resistances1 but under an impulse and a guidance from higher spheres--round the civilized globe4 ,starting from three sisters1 two of them children1 and the eldest a little beyond that age1 clustered round a matchless mother 7whose revered portrait does honor to my title-page71 its ranks of believers1 private or publicly avowed1 have grown within thirty-six years to millions whose number no man positively knows1 but which1 ,i think1 cannot be less than as many as it counts of years4 ,beginning in a small house1 temporarily occupied while another was building1 it has established itself in sovereign palaces2 and the latest reports from ,england represent it as fast growing1 under the encouraging influence of the reigning royal family1 even into social fashionableness4 ,as in the story of the weary forty years' wandering of the children of ,israel in the desert--fed by food and led by light1 both from heaven--so does ,spiritualism seem to be now nearing the borders of its ,promised ,land4 ,it is but a few years since it was a favorite topic for scoff or sneer by the press1 while now it is but rarely that here and there is to be found some writer so far lagging behind the march of the age as still to yield1 in that way1 to the force of former foolish habit4 ,how far and how deeply it has modified the old teachings of the pulpit is patent to all observant eyes2 while among the priesthood in the divine temple of ,science1 the number and unsurpassed rank of those who1 under its influence1 have abandoned the materialism of their old philosophies1 after exhaustive investigation of the facts and truths of ,spiritualism1 is such as to stamp with the disgrace of simple ignorance those who may still dare to deny and deride2--even as history has fixed the fate of those professors and priests who refused to take a look through ,galileo's telescope2 or of those doctors who1 being past the age of forty1 could never1 to their dying day1 accept ,harvey's demonstrations of the circulation of the blood4 ,it will be seen in the following pages how a vein of that mysterious something which1 in our generation of the ,fox family1 has come to be called mediumship1 is perceptible1 cropping out in old stories1 running through ancestral generations1 and how it reappears most marvellously in an infant in the next one succeeding to us4 ,it will also appear how long and strenuously we resisted its influence and its manifestations1 and struggled against the absolute persecutions which at last forced us into publicity4 ,i conclude this ,introduction by a brief allusion to the reasonable question which has been so often asked1 ,cui bono8--or what is the use of the manifestations of ,spiritualism8 ,it is that they demonstrate the reality of the survival of man's spirit1 or inner self1 after that death which is but birth into another stage of progressed and progressive life1 in unchanged personality and identity2 or1 in other words1 that immortality of the soul 7heretofore a mere dogma of unproved and unprovable faith71 which is the foundation corner-stone of all religions and of all ,religion4 ,in the words of ,paul1 to faith they add knowledge4 ,they thus not only console bereavement1 snatch from death its sting1 and from the grave its victory1 but through the concurrent teachings of all good and advanced spirits they make us feel the real reality of the brotherhood of mankind1 and the common fatherhood of that supreme1 unnamed1 and unnamable ,infinitude of ,love1 ,wisdom1 and ,power1 who is addressed in ,pope's ,universal ,prayer1 as-- ,father of all1 in every age1 ,in every clime adored1 ,by saint1 by savage1 and by sage1 ,jehovah1 ,jove1 or ,lord4 ,,the ,,missing ,,link ,,in ,,modern ,,spiritualism4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,hydesville4 ,,mysterious ,,noises ,,heard ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,john ,d4 ,,fox1 ,,in ,,hydesville 7,,town ,,of ,,arcadia71 ,,near ,,newark1 ,,wayne ,,county1 ,n4 ,y4--,,statements ,,of ,,witnesses4 ,the following statements were made by the different persons whose names are signed to them1 and taken down in writing as they made them2 after which they were carefully read1 and signed by them4 ,they comprise but a small number of those who heard these noises1 or have been knowing to these transactions2 but they are deemed sufficient to satisfy the public mind in regard to their truthfulness4 ,,certificate ,,of ,,mrs4 ,,margaret ,,fox1 ,,wife ,,of ,,john ,d4 ,,fox1 ,,the ,,occupant ,,of ,,the ,,house4 ,we moved into this house on ,december #aa1 #ahdg1 and have resided here since that date4 ,we formerly lived in the city of ,rochester1 ,n4 ,y4 ,we were first disturbed by these noises about a fortnight ago4 ,it sounded like some one knocking in the east bedroom1 on the floor2 we could hardly tell where to locate the sounds1 as sometimes it sounded as if the furniture was moved1 but on examination we found everything in order4 ,the children had become so alarmed that ,i thought best to have them sleep in the room with us4 ,there were four of us in family1 and sometimes five4 ,on the night of the first disturbance we all got up1 lighted a candle and searched the entire house1 the noises continuing during the time1 and being heard near the same place4 ,although not very loud1 it produced a jar of the bedsteads and chairs that could be felt when we were in bed4 ,it was a tremulous motion1 more than a sudden jar4 ,we could feel the jar when standing on the floor4 ,it continued on this night until we slept4 ,i did not sleep until about twelve o'clock4 ,on ,march #cjth we were disturbed all night4 ,the noises were heard in all parts of the house4 ,my husband stationed himself outside of the door while ,i stood inside1 and the knocks came on the door between us4 ,we heard footsteps in the pantry1 and walking down-stairs2 we could not rest1 and ,i then concluded that the house must be haunted by some unhappy1 restless spirit4 ,i had often heard of such things1 but had never witnessed anything of the kind that ,i could not account for before4 ,on ,friday night1 ,march #ca1 #ahdh1 we concluded to go to bed early and not permit ourselves to be disturbed by the noises1 but try and get a night's rest4 ,my husband was here on all these occasions1 heard the noises1 and helped search4 ,it was very early when we went to bed on this night2 hardly dark4 ,i had been so broken of my rest ,i was almost sick4 ,my husband had not gone to bed when we first heard the noise on this evening4 ,i had just lain down4 ,it commenced as usual4 ,i knew it from all other noises ,i had ever before heard4 ,the children1 who slept in the other bed in the room1 heard the rapping1 and tried to make similar sounds by snapping their fingers4 ,my youngest child 7,cathie7 said3 ',mr4 ,splitfoot1 do as ,i do1' clapping her hands4 ,the sound instantly followed her with the same number of raps2 when she stopped the sound ceased for a short time4 ,then ,margaretta said1 in sport3 ',now do just as ,i do2 count one1 two1 three1 four1' striking one hand against the other at the same time1 and the raps came as before4 ,she was afraid to repeat them4 ,then ,cathie said1 in her childish simplicity3 ',o mother1 ,i know what it is2 to-morrow is ,april-fool day1 and it's somebody trying to fool us4' ,i then thought ,i could put a test that no one in the place could answer4 ,i asked the noise to rap my different children's ages1 successively4 ,instantly each one of my children's ages was given correctly1 pausing between them sufficiently long to individualize them until the seventh1 at which a longer pause was made1 and then three more emphatic raps were given1 corresponding to the age of the little one that died1 which was my youngest child4 ,i then asked3 ',is this a human being that answers my questions so correctly8' ,there was no rap4 ,i asked3 ',is it a spirit8 ,if it is1 make two raps8' ,two sounds were given as soon as the request was made4 ,i then said3 ',if it was an injured spirit1 make two raps1' which were instantly made1 causing the house to tremble4 ,i asked1 ',were you injured in this house8' ,the answer was given as before4 ',is the person living that injured you8' ,answered by raps in the same manner4 ,i ascertained by the same method that it was a man1 aged thirty one-years2 that he had been murdered in this house1 and his remains were buried in the cellar2 that his family consisted of a wife and five children1 two sons and three daughters1 all living at the time of his death1 but that his wife had since died4 ,i asked3 ',will you continue to rap if ,i call in my neighbors that they may hear it too8' ,the raps were loud in the affirmative4 ,my husband went and called in ,mrs4 ,redfield 7our nearest neighbor74 ,she is a very candid woman4 ,the girls were sitting up in bed clinging to each other and trembling with terror4 ,i think ,i was as calm as ,i am now4 ,mrs4 ,redfield came immediately 7this was about half past seven71 thinking she would have a laugh at the children2 but when she saw them pale with fright and nearly speechless1 she was amazed1 and believed there was something more serious than she had supposed4 ,i asked a few questions for her1 and was answered as before4 ,he told her age exactly4 ,she then called her husband1 and the same questions were asked and answered4 ,then ,mr4 ,redfield called in ,mr4 ,duesler and wife1 and several others4 ,mr4 ,duesler then called in ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,hyde1 also ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,jewell4 ,mr4 ,duesler asked many questions1 and received answers4 ,i then named all the neighbors ,i could think of1 and asked if any of them had injured him1 and received no answer4 ,mr4 ,duesler then asked questions and received answers4 ,he asked1 ',were you murdered8' ,raps affirmative4 ',can your murderer be brought to justice8' ,no sound4 ',can he be punished by the law8' ,no answer4 ,he then said3 ',if your murderer cannot be punished by the law1 manifest it by raps1' and the raps were made clearly and distinctly4 ,in the same way ,mr4 ,duesler ascertained that he was murdered in the east bed-room about five years ago1 and that the murder was committed by a ,mr4 ----1 on a ,tuesday night1 at twelve o'clock2 that he was murdered by having his throat cut with a butcher knife2 that the body was taken down cellar2 that it was not buried until the next night2 that it was taken through the buttery1 down the stairway1 and that it was buried ten feet below the surface of the ground4 ,it was also ascertained that he was murdered for his money1 by raps affirmative4 ',how much was it1 one hundred8' ,no rap4 ',was it two hundred8' etc42 and when he mentioned five hundred the raps replied in the affirmative4 ,many called in who were fishing in the creek1 and all heard the same questions and answers4 ,many remained in the house all night4 ,i and my children left the house4 ,my husband remained in the house with ,mr4 ,redfield all night4 ,on the next ,saturday the house was filled to overflowing4 ,there were no sounds heard during the day1 but they commenced again in the evening4 ,it was said there were over three hundred persons present at the time4 ,on ,sunday morning the noises were heard throughout the day by all who came to the house4 ,on ,saturday night1 ,april #ast1 they commenced digging in the cellar2 they dug until they came to water1 and then gave it up4 ,the noise was not heard on ,sunday evening nor during the night4 ,stephen ,b4 ,smith and wife 7my daughter ,maria71 and my son1 ,david ,s4 ,fox and wife1 slept in the room this night4 ,i have heard nothing since that time until yesterday4 ,in the forenoon of yesterday there were several questions answered in the usual way1 by rapping4 ,i have heard the noise several times to-day4 ,illustration3 ,john ,d4 ,fox4 ,i am not a believer in haunted houses or supernatural appearances4 ,i am very sorry that there has been so much excitement about it4 ,it has been a great deal of trouble to us4 ,it was our misfortune to live here at this time2 but ,i am willing and anxious that the truth should be known1 and that a true statement should be made4 ,i cannot account for these noises2 all that ,i know is1 that they have been heard repeatedly1 as ,i have stated4 ,i have heard this rapping again this 7,tuesday7 morning1 ,april #dth4 ,my children also heard it4 ,i certify that the foregoing statement has been read to me1 and that the same is true2 and that ,i should be willing to take my oath that it is so1 if necessary4 7,signed7 ,,margaret ,,fox4 ,,april #aa1 #ahdh4 ,,statement ,,of ,,john ,d4 ,,fox4 ,i have heard the above statement of my wife1 ,margaret ,fox1 read1 and hereby certify that the same is true in all its particulars4 ,i heard the same rappings which she has spoken of1 in answer to the questions1 as stated by her4 ,there have been a great many questions besides those asked1 and answered in the same way4 ,some have been asked a great many times1 and they have always received the same answers4 ,there has never been any contradiction whatever4 ,i do not know of any way to account for these noises1 as being caused by any natural means4 ,we have searched every nook and corner in and about the house1 at different times1 to ascertain if possible whether anything or anybody was secreted there that could make the noise1 and have not been able to find anything which would or could explain the mystery4 ,it has caused a great deal of trouble and anxiety4 ,hundreds have visited the house1 so that it is impossible for us to attend to our daily occupations2 and ,i hope that1 whether caused by natural or supernatural means1 it will be ascertained soon4 ,the digging in the cellar will be resumed as soon as the water settles2 and then it can be ascertained whether there are any indications of a body ever having been buried there2 and if there are1 ,i shall have no doubt but that it is of supernatural origin4 7,signed7 ,,john ,d4 ,,fox4 ,,april #aa1 #ahdh4 ,,statement ,,of ,,william ,,duesler4 ,i live in this place4 ,i moved from ,cayuga ,county here1 last ,october4 ,i live within a few rods of the house in which these sounds have been heard4 ,the first ,i heard anything about them was a week ago last ,friday evening 7,march #cast74 ,mrs4 ,redfield came over to my house1 to get my wife to go over to ,mr4 ,fox's4 ,mrs4 ,r4 appeared to be very much agitated4 ,my wife wanted me to go over with them1 and ,i accordingly went4 ,when she told us what she wanted us to go over there for1 ,i laughed at her and ridiculed the idea of there being anything mysterious about it4 ,i told her it was all nonsense1 and that we would find out the cause of the noise1 and that it could easily be accounted for4 ,this was about nine o'clock in the evening4 ,there were some twelve or fourteen persons present when ,i left them4 ,some were so frightened that they did not want to go into the room4 ,i went into the room and sat down on the bed4 ,mr4 ,fox asked a question1 and ,i heard the rapping1 which they had spoken of1 distinctly4 ,i felt the bedstead jar when the sounds were produced4 ,mr4 ,fox then asked if it would answer my questions if ,i asked any2 and it rapped three times4 ,i then asked if it was an injured spirit1 and it rapped4 ,i asked if it had come to hurt any one who was then present4 ,it did not rap4 ,i then reversed the question1 and it rapped4 ,i asked if my father or ,i had injured it 7as we had formerly lived in that house71 and there was no noise4 ',if we have not injured you1 manifest it by rapping1' and we all heard three distinct raps4 ,i then asked if such or such a one had injured it 7meaning the several families who had formerly lived in the house71 and there was no noise4 ,upon asking the negatives of those questions the rapping was heard4 ,i then asked if ,mr4 ---- 7naming a person who had lived in the house at a former period7 had injured it2 and if so1 to manifest it by rapping1 and it made three raps louder than usual2 and at the same time the bedstead jarred more than it had before4 ,i then inquired if it was murdered for money1 and the sounds were heard4 ,questions and answers as to different sums of money were then given as stated by ,mr4 ,fox4 ,all in the room said they heard the sounds distinctly4 ,after that1 ,i went over and got ,artemus ,w4 ,hyde to come over4 ,i then asked over nearly all the same questions1 and got the same answers4 ,mr4 ,redfield went after ,david ,jewell and wife1 and ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,hyde also came in4 ,after they came1 ,i asked the same questions over again1 and got the same answers4 ,i asked if it was murdered by being struck on the head1 and there were no sounds2 ,i then reversed the question1 and the rapping was heard4 ,i then asked if it was stabbed in the side1 and there was no answer4 ,upon asking the negative of this the rapping was heard4 ,it usually rapped three times in giving an affirmative answer to my questions4 ,i then asked if it had its throat cut1 and it rapped as usual4 ,then1 if it was with a butcher knife1 and the rapping was heard4 ,in the same way it was ascertained that it was asleep at the time1 but was awakened when the knife entered its throat2 that it struggled and made some noise and resistance4 ,then ,i asked if there was any one in the house at the time but him1 and it did not rap4 ,i then asked if they two were alone1 and the rapping was heard4 ,i then asked if ,lucretia ,pulver was there at the time1 and there was no rapping4 ,if she had gone away that night1 and if ,mrs4 ---- was gone away also1 and the rapping was heard each time4 ,there was no rapping heard1 only when we asked questions4 ,i then asked if any one in ,hydesville knew of the murder at the time except ----1 and it rapped4 ,then ,i asked about a number of persons1 if they knew it1 and there was no rapping until ,i came to ,mrs4 ----1 and when ,i came to her name the rapping was heard4 ,then if any one but ---- and wife knew of it1 and ,i got no rap4 ,then if they were all that knew of the murder1 and it rapped4 ,i asked if the body was put into the cellar1 and it rapped4 ,i then asked if it was buried in different points of the cellar1 and to all my questions there was no rapping1 until ,i asked if it was near the centre1 and the rapping was heard4 ,charles ,redfield then took a candle and went down cellar4 ,i told him to place himself in different parts of the cellar1 and as he did so ,i asked the question if a person was over the place where it was buried1 and ,i got no answer until he stood over a certain place in the cellar1 when it rapped4 ,he then stepped one side1 and when ,i asked the question there were no noises4 ,this we repeated several times1 and we found that whenever he stood over the one place the rapping was heard1 and when he moved away from that one place1 there was no rapping in answer4 ,,note4--,the remainder of ,mr4 ,duesler's statement does not vary from that of my mother and others1 and1 for want of room1 is omitted4 ,it was dated ,april #ab1 #ahdh4 ,,statement ,,of ,,miss ,,lucretia ,,pulver4 ,i lived in this house all one winter1 in the family of ,mr4 ----4 ,i worked for them a part of the time1 and a part of the time ,i boarded and went to school4 ,i lived there about three months4 ,during the latter part of the time ,i was there ,i heard these knockings frequently3 in the bedroom1 under the foot of the bed4 ,i heard it a number of nights1 as ,i slept in the bedroom nearly all the time that ,i stayed there4 ,one night ,i thought ,i heard a man walking in the buttery4 ,this buttery is near the bedroom1 with a stairway between the two4 ,miss ,amelia ,losey stayed with me that night4 ,she also heard the noise1 and we were both much frightened1 and got up and fastened down the windows1 and fastened the door4 ,it sounded as if a person walked through the buttery1 down cellar1 and part way across the cellar bottom1 and then the noise ceased4 ,there was no one else in the house at the time except my little brother1 who was asleep in the same room with us4 ,this was about twelve o'clock ,i should think4 ,we did not go to bed until after eleven1 but had not been asleep when we heard it striking4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ---- had gone to ,loch ,berlin1 to be gone till the next day4 ,one morning about a week after this ,mrs4 ---- sent me down cellar to shut the outside door 7which fastens on the inside74 ,in going across the cellar ,i sank knee deep in the centre of the cellar4 ,it appeared to be uneven and very loose4 ,after ,i got up-stairs ,mrs4 ---- asked me what ,i screamed for4 ,when ,i told her1 she laughed at me for being frightened1 and said it was only where rats had been at work in the ground4 ,a day or two after this1 ,mr4 ---- carried a lot of dirt into the cellar1 just at night1 and was at work there some time4 ,mrs4 ---- told me that he was filling up the rat-holes4 ,a few days before ,i first heard the noises1 or anything of the kind had ever occurred1 a foot-pedlar called there about two o'clock in the afternoon4 ,mrs4 ---- then told me that ,mr4 ---- thought they would not want me any longer1 and that ,i might go home2 but1 if they wanted me again they would send for me4 ,mrs4 ---- was going to ,loch ,berlin1 to stay that night4 ,this was the first ,i had heard of it4 ,i wanted to buy some things of the pedlar1 but had no money with me1 and he said he would call at our house the next morning and sell them to me4 ,i never saw him after that4 ,three days after this they sent for me to come and board with them1 and go to school4 ,i accordingly came1 and went to school about one week1 when she wanted ,i should stay out of school and do house-work1 as she had a couple of coats to make over for her husband4 ,she said they were too large for her husband1 and out of fashion1 and she must alter them4 ,they were ripped to pieces when ,i first saw them4 ,i should think the pedlar was about thirty years old4 ,i heard him conversing with ,mrs4 ---- about his family4 ,he told her how many children he had1 in answer to her inquiry4 ,i do not recollect how many he said he had4 ,mrs4 ---- told me that he 7the pedlar7 was an old acquaintance of theirs4 ,a short time after this ,mrs4 ---- gave me a thimble1 which she said she had bought of the pedlar1 and paid him fifty cents for4 ,some time after ,i had left her ,i visited her again2 and she said the pedlar had been there again1 and showed me another thimble1 which1 she said1 she had bought of the same pedlar4 ,she said he had cheated her2 that he had sold it to her for pure silver1 but it was only ,german silver4 ,she also showed me some other things which she said she had bought of him4 ,i did not 7and do not now7 know what to think of the noises ,i have heard4 ,the dog would sit under the bedroom window and howl all night long4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ---- appeared to be very good folks1 only they were rather quick-tempered4 ,this pedlar carried a trunk and a basket1 ,i think1 with vials of essence in it4 ,he wore a black coat and light-colored pants4 ,i am willing to swear to the above statement1 if necessary4 ,,lucretia ,,pulver4 ,,april #aa1 #ahdh4 ,,mrs4 ,,anna ,,pulver4 ,i was acquainted with ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ----4 ,i called on them frequently4 ,my warping bars were in their chamber1 and ,i used to go there to do my work4 ,one morning when ,i went there ,mrs4 ---- told me that she felt very badly2 that she had not slept much1 if any1 the night before4 ,when ,i asked her what the matter was1 she said she didn't know but it was the fidgets2 but she thought she heard something walking about from one room to another1 and that she and ,mr4 ---- got up and fastened the windows down4 ,she felt safe after that4 ,i heard her speak about hearing sounds after that1 which she could not account for4 ,,anna ,,pulver4 ,,april #aa1 #ahdh4 ,it will be sufficient to sum up the important bearings of this subject by quoting a few more extracts from the numerous certificates contained in the little pamphlet published by ,e4 ,e4 ,lewis1 ,esq41 of ,canandaigua1 ,n4 ,y4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,weekman lived in this house for a year and a half1 and were frequently startled by the rappings1 walking1 etc4 ,on several occasions they sought diligently to discover the cause4 ,he stood with his hand on the latch1 and when the knockings were repeated1 suddenly opened the door and ran into the yard and entirely around the house2 but nothing was ascertained by him4 ,mrs4 ,weekman says3 ,we heard great noises during the night2 sometimes a sound as if a person was walking in the cellar4 7,there was nothing but a single board floor1 between the cellar and the upper room1 so that the sound made in one was easily heard in the other47 ,one night one of our little girls1 who slept in the room where the noises were heard1 awoke us all by her screaming very loudly4 ,my husband and myself1 and our hired girl1 all went to the room to see what was the matter with her4 ,the child sat up in bed1 crying and screaming1 and it was some time before we could quiet her enough to get answers to our questions4 ,she said 'something had been moving around her and over her head and face3 that it was cold1 and that she felt it all over her4' ,this was between twelve and one o'clock4 ,we took her into bed with us1 and it was a long time before we could get her to sleep in that bed again4 ,at one time ,mr4 ,weekman heard his name called4 7,i was away that night1 sitting up with a sick person47 ,he was awakened1 and supposed some one wanted him4 ,he sat up in bed for some time1 but heard no more4 ,we never found out what or who called him4 ,so many have heard these noises that it seems there must be something unusual4 ,mrs4 ,jane ,c4 ,lape lived in the family of ,mrs4 ,weekman at the time she states4 ,there was but one door in the bedroom4 ,when ,i was doing my work1 ,i saw a man in the bedroom joining the kitchen4 ,i saw the man distinctly4 ,i was frightened4 ,i had been in the kitchen a long time1 and knew that nobody could have gone into that room4 ,the man stood facing me when ,i saw him4 ,he did not speak1 nor did ,i hear any noise at any time4 ,he had on light pants1 black frock-coat1 and cloth cap4 ,he was of medium size4 ,i knew of no person in that vicinity who would answer that description4 ,mrs4 ,weekman was in another part of the house at that time4 ,i left the room1 and when ,i returned with ,mrs4 ,weekman there was no person there4 ,she thought it was some person who wanted to frighten me2 but we were never able to ascertain who or what it was4 ,i have always thought and still do think that it was supernatural4 ,i had never been a believer in such things until ,i saw this4 ,,the ,,well ,,offensive4 ,we1 the undersigned1 do hereby certify that during the summer of #ahdd1 we lived near the house now occupied by ,john ,d4 ,fox2 that it was then occupied by ---- ----2 and that1 during the summer1 the water in that well was very offensive and bad4 ,we further certify that said well is within thirty feet of the centre of the cellar under said house4 7,signed7 ,,norman ,,ayres4 ,,john ,,irish4 ,,arcadia1 ,april #ah1 #ahdh4 ,in my brother's statement 7see pamphlet by ,e4 ,e4 ,lewis1 ,esq47 was given a correct account of the digging to find the body of the murdered man in the cellar4 ,,statement ,,of ,,david ,s4 ,,fox4 ,i live about two miles from the house my father1 ,john ,d4 ,fox1 now occupies1 and where these strange noises were heard4 ,it was a week ago last ,friday1 ,march #cast1 when they told me about it4 ,i advised them to make a thorough search1 and ,i thought they would find a cause for it4 ,i heard no noise1 and after remaining a short time1 returned home4 ,the next morning1 ,april #a1 #ahdh1 they sent for me to come again1 and they told me the noises had been heard all night4 ,i went early in the evening2 heard the rapping distinctly4 ,many questions were asked and answered by the rapping4 7,it is not necessary to here repeat all of ,david's statement1 as the entire substance of it is given in nearly all the other certificates47 ,a large collection of people had assembled1 more than could get into the house2 committees were chosen1 and placed in different parts of the house1 that no deception might be practised by any one4 ,these committees were composed of neighbors and friends1 whom we knew to be strictly honest4 ,i remained in the house until about one o'clock in the morning4 ,the noises had ceased a little before twelve4 ,after some of the crowd had left1 we commenced digging in the cellar4 ,before digging ,i asked the question3 ',in what part of the cellar was your body buried8' naming the different corners of the cellar4 ,no response was made4 ',was it in the centre8' ,the rapping answered affirmatively4 ,mr4 ,carlos ,hyde went down in the cellar1 walked over the bottom1 asking at every point if he was over the right place1 but no rappings were heard until he stood in the centre of the cellar4 ,it then rapped so that those in the cellar as well as those in the room above could hear it4 ,we dug about three feet deep1 when the water came in so fast we had to stop4 ,i was here again on ,monday1 ,april #c;d1 and we commenced digging again in the cellar1 and baling out the water2 but we found it impossible to make any headway4 ,on ,tuesday evening they began digging again4 ,i got a pump1 and we took up the floor and put it in the hole1 and began to pump and bale out the water at the same time4 ,we could not lower the water much and had to give it up4 ,the water is in the hole1 although it is lowering gradually4 ,i thought1 from there being so many respectable people present1 and they having heard the same sounds that ,i did1 that there must be something in it4 ,i never believed in haunted houses or anything of that kind4 ,i have heard of such things1 but never saw or heard anything but what ,i could account for on reasonable grounds4 ,i cannot account for this noise as being produced by any human agency4 ,i am perfectly willing to take my oath as to the truth of the statements which ,i have here made1 if it is thought necessary4 7,signed7 ,,david ,s4 ,,fox4 ,,tuesday1 ,april #aa1 #ahdh4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,hydesville 7,continued74 ,,the ,,last ,,digging ,,in ,,the ,,cellar--,,mob ,,antagonism--,,noble ,,friends--,,experiences ,,and ,,theories--,,antecedents ,,of ,,the ,,house--,,franklin4 ,it was late in ,july1 #ahdh4 ,the old house at ,hydesville was not occupied by any one1 save the murdered man4 ,many went there alone1 or in small parties2 and often the rappings were heard4 ,we1 too1 visited the old house1 went down into the cellar1 and called on the spirits to answer our questions and direct us aright4 ,notwithstanding all the bitter conflicts we had passed through in ,rochester1 we had come to the conclusion that good spirits 7as well as bad ones7 could manifest themselves to us4 ,we were greatly favored in our early associations with a class of progressive philanthropic people among our neighbors1 whose highest aim was to benefit the world1 and who urged us to go forth and do our duty4 ,we learned from them to take a more liberal view1 as they had taught us many valuable lessons of forbearance and perseverance4 ,when ,i saw my dear good brother bow with the others1 and ask questions of the ,spirits1 my soul and all within me was lifted beyond the scoffs and ridicule which ,i knew we must submit to if we performed the heavy duties incumbent upon us4 ,there had been great excitement for a time1 but little now was said in that vicinity about it1 as there had been so much ridicule attached to the occurrences of the past1 that the leaders shrank from further publicity4 ,but1 during this time1 we were having our experiences in ,rochester1 where ,i resided4 ,it was now directed by the ,spirits that the digging should be resumed4 7,it was the dry season of the year1 and the water in the ,ganargua#a was low47 ,my brother declared that he could not again enter upon so hazardous an undertaking4 ,he believed himself capable of acting on his own judgment in the matter4 ,but for once he found1 to his utter discomfiture1 that the mighty powers that seemed to rule our destiny were not to be defeated4 ,the ,spirits directed that he should invite certain gentlemen to assist in the digging4 ,they spelled out the names of many ,rochester friends1 viz41 ,henry ,bush1 ,lyman ,granger1 ,mr4 ,post1 ,dr4 ,faulkner1 and ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,jervis4 ,the above-named were old and tried friends1 and we felt no hesitation in calling upon them2 but when ,david was requested to invite gentlemen living in the vicinity of ,hydesville1 with whom he had little or no acquaintance1 he positively refused to do their bidding4 ,the friends in ,rochester received this announcement with apparent satisfaction4 ,all came at the appointed time4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,granger and daughter1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,bush1 ,mrs4 ,jervis1 ,dr4 ,faulkner and his little son1 etc4 ,i doubt if either of these gentlemen had ever used the pickaxe and spade before2 but they came willing to perform their duty4 ,brother ,david still declared that he could not1 and would not1 make himself so ridiculous as to invite men who would laugh at him for entertaining such an idea2 but still the ,spirits commanded him to obey instructions1 and nightly they would go through the performance of representing the murder scene4 7,this occurrence was in my brother's house47 ,gurgling1 strangling1 sawing1 planing1 and boring2 representing the enactment of the horrid crime said to have been committed in the ,hydesville house4 #a ,the old ,indian name of the creek4 ,our friends urged ,david to act in accordance with the request of the ,spirits1 but he could not make up his mind to do so4 ,he walked from room to room1 and in secret prayed that this terrible injunction might be removed4 ,he cried1 with uplifted hands1 to ,god1 to have compassion on our family2 and then1 in despair1 would say3 ,better to die together1 than to live so disgraced4 ,the sight of his grief and despair was heart-rending2 but the ,spirits were inexorable4 ,the day appointed for the digging arrived4 ,during the previous1 night all was in an uproar4 ,the sounds as of broken crockery were heard1 and as if heavy weights were dragged across the floor4 ,sawing1 planing1 digging1 boring1 groaning1 and whispering close to our ears4 ,this continued until the bright1 beautiful dawn of the morning warned us that it was time to prepare for the labors of the day4 ,we were commanded by the ,spirits thus--,go forth and do your duty1 and good will come of it4 ,chauncy ,culver1 my brother's wife's brother1 called in1 and ,david said3 ,chauncy1 you are politely invited to join us in the digging to-day4 ,he answered1 ,i am willing to do so1 ,dave4 ,others who had been named1 but not invited1 dropped in by chance1 and all united with us2 but the great burden fell upon ,david's shoulders4 ,chickens were cooked1 puddings1 pies1 cakes1 and sweet-meats were prepared by my brother's wife1 ,elizabeth1 and my sister ,maria4 ,our living was sumptuous1 and we had very little opposition during the first day's work4 ,the earth was hard and dry1 and the digging tiresome2 but the party worked diligently until near noon1 when they came to a quantity of charcoal and traces of lime 7this was between four and five feet below the cellar bottom71 some hair of a reddish or sandy hue1 and some teeth1 which showed1 beyond all question1 that the earth had at some time1 and for some purpose1 been disturbed4 ,the party worked on until it began to grow dark1 and the first day's work was ended4 ,we returned to ,david's home1 about two miles from the ,hydesville house1 well satisfied with our day's work1 and the friends felt that they had done all in their power to get at the truth of the ,spirits' declaration4 ,we made two large beds on opposite sides of the parlor2 the women and children rested upon one of them1 and the men on the other2 ,dr4 ,faulkner and his little son being in the parlor bedroom4 ,all heard the manifestations that night2 and they were most wonderful in character4 ,this arrangement of the beds was directed by the ,spirits1 that they might gratify all by making manifestations during the night4 ,the next day we resumed our labor4 ,the ladies accompanied their husbands and friends4 ,we had started as early as possible4 ,mr4 ,s4 ,b4 ,smith1 my sisters husband1 my brother ,david1 and some of the neighbors turned out five or six wagons to convey us to our destination1 forming quite a procession of our own2 but as we came to the turn of the hill1 from whence we could see in all directions1 there were vehicles of every description wending their way to the haunted house4 ,shouts of ribaldry and roars of laughter fell upon our ears like the death-knell of some poor soul--who might almost begin to feel himself guilty of crimes he had never committed4 ,we entered the cellar4 ,on came the noisy rabble4 ,our noble1 pale-faced1 honorable men stood firm in their duty4 ,mark the contrast1 dear readers3 many of those noble souls now stand in the higher ranks in glory4 ,they have passed through the fiery furnace1 entered the golden gate of the new ,jerusalem2 and to them offer your praises and admiration4 ,such men and women as those dared to stand before the world and battle for the right4 ,it was such as they who fought and won the great battle against slavery and contributed to its overthrow4 ,may they continue to live in the memories of the children of earth4 ,through the second day the digging was frequently interrupted by the rude entrance of some of the outside crowd4 ,we 7the women7 formed a guard around the place where the work was in progress1 to protect the men thus engaged4 ,we had candles in our hands1 with which to light the laborers1 when suddenly one of the workers cried out1 ,great ,god6 here are the pieces of a broken bowl6 7,the ,spirit always said that the bowl which caught his blood was buried2 and he represented nightly the sound of pouring blood into a vessel or bowl1 dropping slower and slower1 until at last it ceased entirely2 and then the sound would come as if the bowl were thrown and broken in pieces47 ,several bones were found which doctors pronounced human bones1 stating to what parts of the body they belonged4 ,one1 ,i remember1 was said to be from the ankle1 two from the hands1 and some from the skull1 etc4 7,some persons1 who never saw these bones1 argued that they were not human bones1 hair1 and teeth which were there found4 ,but ,i ask1 in the name of common sense1 how did they happen to be there1 nearly six feet beneath the cellar bottom87 ,in the afternoon the crowd outside grew more bold1 and among them were sympathizers with the man who was accused by the general public opinion4 ,we pitied him1 and regretted that he had been named2 but we never knew that such a man had lived1 until the neighbors had brought out the fact by putting questions which were answered by the rappings4 ,these spectators were becoming more and more excited1 and crowded into the cellar4 ,some called us crazy4 ,they reached over the heads of the women and spat upon and dropped sticks and stones on those who were digging4 ,we still stood firm in the defence of our friends1 the laboring party2 and they worked on until they struck what seemed to be a board4 ,this sounded hollow1 and its location was beneath the sand and gravel4 ,they procured an augur and bored through the obstruction1 when the augur dropped to the handle4 ,they then obtained bits1 and attached them to long sticks1 and with them bored several inches1 when the bit would drop to the depth of a foot or more4 ,in this way they lost two of the bits1 which dropped through and were not recovered4 ,by this time the excitement was overwhelming4 ,the cellar was filled with people4 ,some cried1 ,drag out the women6 drag them out6 ,others said1 ,don't hurt the women1 drag out the men6 ,the floor over our heads creaked with the weight of the multitude4 ,it grew dark4 ,our friends could work no longer1 and reluctantly retired4 ,how we all reached the outside1 amid the shouts and the roar of the excited crowd1 ,i cannot explain2 but at length we stood together in the door-yard1 awaiting our conveyances1 and no word of disrespect was spoken to any of us4 ,the ,spirits said3 ,dear faithful friends1 your work here is done4 ,god will reward you4 ,yes1 said that noble-looking man1 ,henry ,bush1 with the acquiescence of all1 our work is done4 ,we all returned to ,david's 7the old homestead74 ,that night and the following day our friends returned to ,rochester4 ,we remained a few days with our family4 ,i must pass over many interesting circumstances1 or it will be wholly impossible to put our story in one volume3 but ,i deem it due to my family that some facts should be stated in this history4 ,after the public parts we had been forced to perform at ,hydesville1 the news spread far and wide4 ,the crowd of people came in wagons from every direction before the harvest had been gathered4 ,some drove through the gate1 but others took down the fences1 and drove through the grain fields1 and peppermint beds1 regardless of the destruction they were perpetrating4 ,against all this destruction of his property1 ,david was defenceless4 ,he saw and felt how utterly useless it was for him to attempt to remonstrate with such an element4 ,it was late in the afternoon when a tired horseman came galloping up the carriage road1 to inform my brother that a party consisting of several wagon-loads were on their way to mob us4 ,at this announcement we were much frightened1 and knew not what to do4 ,intimations of such a design had reached us previously1 and powder and shot had been provided for our defence4 ,the boys and hired men had gathered piles of stones behind the house1 and at first it was considered to be our wisest way to defend ourselves as best we could4 ,the sun was low and we dreaded the night coming on4 ,what could we do8 ,mother called us all into the parlor bedroom1 and there we knelt1 with fear1 and prayed to ,god for protection4 ,the ,spirits spelled out to us1 ,you will not be harmed4 ,god will protect you4 ,we stood for a moment and counselled together4 ,the package of powder flew from the top of the bureau and hit ,cathie on the forehead1 and that of the shot came and struck me on the shoulder4 ,my brother took the guns and fired them off1 and threw the powder and shot into the peppermint patch1 saying1 ,i will not raise a hand against them4 ,if ,god has sent this upon us1 for the good of mankind1 he is able to protect us4 ,i will trust him4 ,the windows were fastened down as best we could4 ,the dog began to bark fearfully4 ,we heard the distant shouts and snatches of songs1 and knew they would soon be upon us4 ,they drove up the road1 into the yard1 and one woman jumped through the window of the kitchen1 hoops and all4 ,she was in the kitchen before any of us knew they had entered the door-yard4 ,david left us alone in the parlor1 walked into the kitchen1 and said to the woman1 ,if you had knocked ,i would have opened the door for you2 it was not locked4 ,he then opened all the doors1 walked out to the crowd1 and said1 ,ladies and gentlemen1 walk in4 ,you are welcome to search the house from garret to cellar1 if you will do so respectfully4 ,one man1 the leader of the crowd1 exclaimed1 in a manner of the utmost surprise3 ,my ,god6 ,dave ,fox1 is it you they have said so much about8 ,no1 we won't come in now4 ,we'll go home and dress ourselves and come another time4 ,thus ended this mob against the ,spiritualists1 as all others subsequently have ended4 ,the ,spirits1 therefore1 fulfilled their promise and protected us from all harm4 ,i might fill many a page with the experiences of the family in that house at ,hydesville1 during the period of about three months and three weeks preceding that ,march #ca1 #ahdh1 on which the neighbors were first called in4 ,from the very first night of their taking possession of it1 they were disturbed and puzzled with the strange knockings and other noises4 ,they had gone into it only as a temporary home1 while my father was building the new house on the homestead farm1 and the carpenter had estimated a couple of months as sufficient time for his work4 ,all sorts of natural theories were imagined as to the cause of the sounds1 nor did they1 for some time1 think of ,spirits or of anything supernatural1 or even important4 ,father insisted1 at one time1 that they proceeded from a cobbler in the neighborhood1 hammering leather1 and working late in the night4 ,then it was some boards that must be loose and shaken by the wind4 ,then it appeared that there must be dancing going on at ,mr4 ,duesler's1 or some other house within hearing2 then the house must be full of rats--though mother declared she had never seen a rat in it4 ,again1 when the knocks would break out suddenly1 close to some of the family1 or at the table1 one of the girls would charge the other with having caused them1 saying1 ,now you did that1 etc41 etc4 ,father had always been a regular ,methodist1 in good standing1 and was invariable in his practice of morning prayers2 and when he would be kneeling upon his chair1 it would sometimes amuse the children to see him open wide his eyes1 as knocks would sound and vibrate on his chair itself4 ,he expressed it graphically to mother3 ,when ,i am done praying1 that jigging stops4 ,my daughter ,lizzie used to declare that when she was writing1 there would sometimes come a strong ticking on the paper4 ,one night loud screams were heard from the children1 ,maggie and ,cathie1 in bed4 ,o mother1 come quick4 ,somebody has lain down across the bed4 ,they were often so frightened that mother would have to take them to lie on both sides of her in her bed1 and sometimes they would go1 one to father's bed and the other to mother's4 ,but these frights were attributed to bad dreams4 ,indeed1 it now seems strange that so little serious impression was made on their minds for so long a time by these strange things1 so persistent1 so varied1 and so inexplicable1 which they instinctively abstained from talking about to the neighbors4 ,it was not till ,march #cast that they seemed to have culminated to the point which exhausted their patience1 and which at last drove them to do so4 ,on the preceding night they had been kept awake nearly all night by the knocking and heavy poundings about the house2 and up to three o'clock in the morning they were occupied pursuing the sounds about from place to place1 puzzling over them1 and baffled in every attempt to discover a cause4 ,the door would be pounded upon from the outside1 and father would take hold of the handle1 and on the return of the knocking would suddenly fling the door open1 only to discover nothing4 ,he and mother stood on the opposite sides of it1 and each would hear the knocking on the side opposite to themselves1 as though made by powerful muffled knuckles4 ,yet on neither side could be found traces of any person or thing to have produced them1 while both would feel the strong vibrations of the wooden door4 ,it was afterward learned that1 for several years back1 strange noises had been heard by successive occupants of that house1 none of whom had remained long as its tenants4 ,prior to its occupation by a certain family there had been no such disturbances2 subsequently to then1 they had been experienced by all their successors4 ,it would be easy for me to name families of the highest respectability1 and who are still my good friends1 who would attest this4#b #b ,it would seem that none of the families who1 in the course of several years1 had preceded the ,fox family in the occupancy of this haunted house1 combined the highly mediumistic nature with the other characteristics specially qualifying them for the great work for which the time was ripe1 so that the manifestations1 which appealed for attention1 had knocked in vain at doors which could not open to them4 ,dr4 ,franklin1 great philosopher and inventor of his time1 was also1 in the ,spirit life1 one of the inventors of this mode of communication between the two worlds1 through knockings given in correspondence with the letters of the alphabet4 ,through another medium1 besides the author of this volume1 he has told me that out of millions he at last found in the ,fox family the instruments he wanted for its practical application and introduction4 ,this narrative curiously shows how hard and long they too struggled against the mission to which the ,spirits were leading and at last forcing them1 as will be seen below4 ,i asked him if ,spirits had influenced them to take the ,hydesville house4 ,his reply was a curious one4 ,instead of three consecutive and decided raps1 which would have expressed assent1 he on two occasions answered with only two raps1 followed after a moment's pause with a third1 completing a qualified affirmative4 ,you mean that it was partially so8 ,i said2 which was immediately answered with an unqualified assent2 and he added1 ,it was many1 not one alone1 thus disclaiming the credit of its sole and individual authorship4--,,ed4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,rochester ,,my ,,first ,,knowledge ,,of ,,the ,,matter--,,hasten ,,to ,,hydesville--,,rapping ,,on ,a ,,canal ,,boat--,,experiences--,,mother ,,comes ,,to ,,rochester--,,calvin ,,brown--,,devious ,,route ,,of ,,projectiles ,,up-,,stairs ,,from ,,cellar ,,to ,,garret--,a ,,death-,,knell ,,sounded ,,all ,,night ,,on ,,the ,,keys ,,of ,a ,,locked ,,piano4 ,this volume is not meant to be an autobiography1 though ,i regret to be compelled to speak so much of myself in giving an account of the inauguration of the movement known as ,modern ,spiritualism1 through the three sisters of the ,fox family1 of whom ,i was the eldest1 and already married when my two sisters1 ,margaretta and ,catharine1 were children4 ,i was not with the family1 but at my own house in ,rochester1 during most of the events related above4 ,i was myself also at that time but little more than a child1 for when ,i was married at ,rochester1 ,n4 ,y41 ,i could count but fourteen years and five months4 ,it will be seen below how ,i was twice widowed before the age of twenty-four1 though my second marriage was on the supposed death-bed of one who had been a brother to us all from childhood1 and who merely desired to bequeath me his name4 ,mr4 ,fish discovered when too late that he had married a child1 and soon became indifferent to his home and family4 ,he left ,rochester under a pretence of going on business to the ,west4 ,the next ,i heard of him was that he had married a rich widow in the ,state of ,illinois4 ,as he had left little means for the support of myself and child1 ,i turned my attention to teaching music4 ,i had many friends who assisted me in getting pupils1 and ,i was delighted to find myself entirely independent4 ,one day 7early in ,may1 #ahdh71 ,i was at the house of ,mr4 ,little1 enjoying myself with the young ladies1 when ,mrs4 ,little came in with the proof-sheet of a pamphlet issued by ,e4 ,e4 ,lewis1 ,esq41 of ,canandaigua1 ,n4 ,y4 ,mrs4 ,little knew my maiden name was ,fox2 that my parents 7at the time7 were in ,arcadia1 ,wayne ,county1 ,n4 ,y41 and concluded ,i must be the daughter of ,john ,d4 ,fox4 ,she then introduced the printer1 and he commenced questioning me about my family relations4 ,he said1 ,is your mother's name ,margaret8 ,have you a brother ,david8 ,i replied1 yes4 ,i began to be startled by his questions1 and said1 ,for mercy's sake1 what has happened8 ,he answered by placing the proof-sheet in my hands1 which gave me the first idea ,i ever had of the manifestations which had been taking place at the dwelling of our family in ,hydesville4 ,i read it1 and cried over it4 ,i knew not what to think1 but ,i said to them all1 ,if my father1 mother1 and brother ,david have certified to such a statement1 it is true4 ,all who heard me thus declare believed it1 and never wavered for a moment4 ,as soon as ,i could collect my thoughts1 ,i called on ,mrs4 ,granger and ,mrs4 ,grover1 old friends of mine and of our family1 and related to them the account which ,i had read in the proof-sheet4 ,i told them ,i should take the night boat for ,newark1 ,wayne ,county4 ,i would visit my family1 and learn for myself about the mysterious affair4 ,they concluded to go with me4 ,we were1 at that time1 obliged to travel by the ,erie ,canal packet-boat1 as the direct railroad between ,syracuse and ,rochester had not yet been built4 ,it took a few hours longer then than now to make that journey4 ,when we arrived at ,hydesville1 which is about two miles from our old homestead1 we found the house deserted4 ,my brother had persuaded the family to leave the old haunted house1 and live with him until their new house was finished4 ,we drove to brother ,david's1 where we found mother completely broken down by the recent events4 ,she never smiled2 but her sighs and tears were heart-rending4 ,we begged her to hope for the best1 and try to think differently2 but she could not4 ,she wished we could all die2 and it was1 at the time1 impossible to cheer her by anything we could say or do4 ,she was only about middle age1 and her health had always been good2 and she was1 by nature1 very cheerful4 ,i with the ladies who accompanied me remained about two weeks1 when we concluded to take ,katie and ,lizzie 7my daughter7 with us and return home to ,rochester1 as mother thought the former to be the one followed mostly by the sounds2 and we hoped1 by separating the two children 7,maggie and ,katie71 that we could put a stop to the disturbance4 ,we had not gone many miles on the canal1 however1 when we became aware that the rapping had accompanied us4 ,perfect consternation came upon us4 ,i knew not what to do4 ,we did not wish our friends to know that the rapping had followed us2 and we remained1 as much as possible1 by ourselves4 ,when we went to the dinner-table with the other passengers1 the ,spirits became quite bold and rapped loudly2 and occasionally one end of the table would jump up and nearly spill the water out of our glasses2 but there was so much noise on the boat going through the locks and other disturbances1 that only we1 who recognized the special sounds1 knew of them4 ,we arrived at home about #e ,p4,m4 ,i sat down to think over the occurrences of the day and of other days during my visit4 ,the two girls had gone into the garden4 ,all at once came a dreadful sound1 as if a pail of bonnyclabber had been poured from the ceiling and fallen upon the floor near the window4 ,the sound was horrible enough1 but1 in addition1 came the jarring of the windows and of the whole house1 as if a heavy piece of artillery had been discharged in the immediate vicinity4 ,i was so paralyzed by fear that ,i could not move1 and sat stupefied2 again came the same terrible sound1 with all the jarring1 as at first2 and yet again it came2 when ,i sprang from the sofa on which ,i had been seated and rushed out into the garden where the children were4 ,they immediately cried out1 ,why1 what is the matter with you1 ,leah8 how pale you look6 ,i made some evasive reply1 as ,i did not wish to alarm them4 ,we went to bed at an early hour1 being tired and much excited4 ,the children had expressed great fear1 and ,i went to bed with them4 ,no sooner had ,i extinguished the light1 than the children screamed1 and ,lizzie said she felt a cold hand passing over her face1 and another over her shoulder down her back4 ,she screamed fearfully1 and ,i feared she would go into spasms4 ,katie was also much frightened4 ,for my part ,i was equally terror-stricken4 ,i arose from my bed and sought the ,bible1 from which ,i read a chapter4 ,but while ,i was reading the girls felt some touches4 ,i had never felt them2 and ,i could not realize that they were not in some way mistaken4 ,it was now late in the night and all was silent4 ,we thought we would try to sleep1 as we were tired and excited4 ,but the instant we extinguished our light the ,bible flew from under my pillow--where ,i had placed it1 supposing that the sacred volume would be respected4 ,the box of matches was shaken in our faces1 and such a variety of performances ensued that we gave up in despair to our fate1 whatever it might be4 ,we called on each other1 if either was silent a few moments1 that we might know that we were all alive4 ,finally1 when the night was nearly spent1 the disturbance ceased1 and we fell asleep4 ,we did not awake until very late in the morning4 ,the sun shone brightly1 and the birds sang sweetly in the trees of the public square4 7,our residence then was on ,mechanics' ,square47 ,the ,june roses were just out1 and all nature was in her loveliest hues4 ,we could not make the disturbances of the past night seem real to us4 ,i doubted everything1 but kept my own counsel2 and as the shades of evening fell upon the scene1 which had been a day of such brightness and beauty1 ,i made up my mind that ,i would go on as usual and try to forget1 as far as possible1 the frightful occurrences of the previous night4 ,in the evening my friend ,jane ,little and two or three other friends called in to spend an hour or so with us4 ,we sang1 and ,i played on the piano2 but even then1 while the lamp was burning brightly1 ,i felt the deep throbbing of the dull accompaniment of the invisibles1 keeping time to the music as ,i played2 but ,i did not wish to have my visitors know it1 and the ,spirits seemed kind enough not to make themselves heard so that others would observe what was so apparent to me4 ,all seemed quiet when we retired for the night1 at about ten o'clock4 ,we slept quietly for about two hours1 when we were awakened by the most frightful manifestations4 ,the house was in a perfect uproar4 ,tables and everything in the room below us were being moved about4 ,doors were opened and shut1 making the greatest possible noises4 ,they then walked up-stairs and into the room next to us 7our bedroom was an open recess off from this room74 ,there seemed to be many actors engaged in the performance1 and a large audience in attendance4 ,the representation of a pantomime performance was perfect4 ,after the first scene1 there was great applause by the ,spirit audience4 ,immediately following1 one ,spirit was heard to dance as if with clogs1 which continued fully ten minutes4 ,this amused the audience very much2 and a loud clapping of hands followed4 ,after this we heard nothing more except the representation of a large crowd walking away down-stairs1 through the rooms1 closing the doors heavily after them4 ,it is useless to attempt to record all the manifestations which occurred nightly during the last few weeks that we remained in that house4 ,i came to the conclusion that it was haunted1 and decided to move out of it as soon as ,i could find another house that suited me4 ,there was a house on ,prospect ,street1 nearly finished1 and ,i engaged it4 ,i was particular to tell the agent that ,i wanted a house in which no crime had been committed4 ,for ,i believed that the house ,i was then living in1 like the one at ,hydesville1 was haunted2 and ,i presumed that in this case as in the other it must have had its origin in hidden crime4 ,he smiled as he remarked that he thought that ,i would have no difficulty on that account4 ,we moved into this house as soon as possible1 and congratulated ourselves on our good fortune in finding a place that had never before been tenanted4 ,two houses stood on one foundation4 ,on the ground floor was a kitchen1 cellar1 and pantry4 ,the staircase led from the kitchen to the second floor4 ,on the outside1 a front and rear flight of steps led to a balcony from which we could enter the parlor and dining-room1 on the second floor4 ,another flight of steps led from the dining-room to the third floor1 which was one room the entire length and breadth of the house4 ,in this last-named room we put up three beds1 and one bed in the room on the parlor floor4 ,i partitioned off a small room in one corner of the upper floor with chintz curtains4 ,this lessened the size of the large room and afforded us a store-room4 ,in the rear of the house was an old cemetery1 called the ,buffalo ,burying-ground4 ,this cemetery was separated from our lot by a high fence4 ,i remember ,i disliked the idea of seeing those tall monuments every time ,i went into the pantry4 7,the entrance into the dining-room from the kitchen was through the pantry47 ,nothing occurred1 during the first night of our occupancy of this house1 of an unusual character1 and we slept undisturbed4 ,i had written to our family at ,arcadia1 and told them what was transpiring with us nightly4 ,this worried mother1 and she determined to come immediately1 and find some plan for suppressing it1 if it could possibly be done4 ,she1 with ,margaretta1 arrived the next day1 and we rejoiced to tell her that we had occupied the new house one night1 and no sounds had been heard to disturb us4 ,after supper we remained at the table a long time1 until mother suggested that it was getting late1 and we had better retire for the night4 ,all was quiet until about midnight1 when we distinctly heard footsteps coming up the stairs1 walking into the little room ,i had partitioned off with curtains1 which seemed admirably adapted to their purposes4 ,we could hear them shuffling1 giggling1 and whispering1 as if they were enjoying themselves at some surprise they were about to give us4 ,occasionally they would come and give our bed a tremendous shaking1 lifting it 7and us7 entirely from the floor1 almost to the ceiling1 and then let us down with a bang2 then pat us with hands4 ,then they would retire to the little room1 which we subsequently named the green room4 ,at length we were quiet1 and all fell asleep and slept until late in the morning4 ,the sun shone brightly in through the window1 and mother exclaimed3 ,can it be possible8 ,is it really true8 ,how can we live and endure it8 ,we cannot much longer stay here alone nights4 ,we must have somebody to stay with us4 ,fillmore ,grover came to take his lesson1 and mother asked him to tell ,calvin she would like to have him call and see her4 7,calvin ,brown's mother had been left a widow when quite young4 ,she was the daughter of ,daniel ,hopkins1 of ,canada ,west1 and belonged to the ,society of ,friends4 ,she married out of the society1 which was then against their discipline4 ,she placed her oldest child1 ,calvin1 in a military school2 and when she found herself gradually failing in strength1 she wrote to her father1 who came and took her home1 with her three younger children4 ,she returned once to ,rochester1 and requested mother to look after ,calvin1 and care for him as she would for her own child1 if she should not recover4 ,his mother died1 and he called my parents father and mother2 the same as the rest of us47 ,he called at about two o'clock4 ,we all sat down and related what had happened and what we had witnessed during the past night4 ,he promised to come and stay there at night2 but he advised us to ask no questions1 nor give them any encouragement1 as he considered them evil spirits4 ,to this we all agreed4 ,he came that night1 and we were allowed to rest quietly until about two o'clock1 when we were all awakened by a disturbance in the green room4 ,everything seemed to be in commotion1 but1 as ,calvin was in the house1 ,i felt more confidence in myself4 ,i asked them to please behave themselves4 ,at this1 one ,spirit walked around1 as if on his bare feet4 ,he answered my question by stamping on the floor4 ,i was amused--although afraid4 ,he seemed so willing to do my bidding that ,i could not resist the temptation of speaking to him as he marched around my bed4 ,i said1 ,flat-,foot1#c can you dance the ,highland fling8 ,this seemed to delight him4 ,i sang the music for him1 and he danced most admirably4 ,this shocked mother1 and she said1 ,o ,leah1 how can you encourage that fiend1 by singing for him to dance8 ,i soon found that they took advantage of my familiarity1 and gathered in strong force around us4 ,and here language utterly fails to describe the incidents that occurred4 ,loud whispering1 giggling1 scuffling1 groaning1 death-struggles1 murder scenes of the most fearful character--,i forbear to describe them4 ,mother became so alarmed that she called to ,calvin to come up-stairs4 ,he came--angry at the ,spirits1 and declared that he would conquer1 or die in the attempt4 ,this seemed to amuse them4 ,they went to his bed1 raised it up and let it down1 and shook it violently4 ,he was still determined not to yield to them4 #c ,as from the sounds of the foot-falls it seemed to us4 ,before ,calvin came up-stairs1 and during a short lull in their performances1 we quickly removed our beds to the floor1 hoping thereby to prevent them from raising us up and letting us down with such violence4 ,calvin said1 as he came up1 that we were foolish to make our beds on the floor1 as it pleased the ,spirits to see how completely they had conquered us4 ,so he laid down on his bed1 and quietly waited developments4 ,mother said1 ,calvin1 ,i wish your bed was on the floor1 too4 ,we have not been disturbed since we left the bedstead4 ,calvin remarked1 ,they are up to some deviltry now4 ,i hear them4 ,he no sooner uttered these words1 than a shower of slippers came flying at him as he lay in his bed4 ,he bore this without a murmur4 ,the next instant he was struck violently with his cane4 ,he seized it and struck back1 right and left1 with all his strength1 without hitting anything2 but received a palpable bang in return for every thrust he made4 ,he sprang to his feet and fought with all his might4 ,everything thrown at him he pitched back to them1 until a brass candlestick was thrown at him1 cutting his lip4 ,this quite enraged him4 ,he pronounced a solemn malediction1 and1 throwing himself on the bed1 vowed he would have nothing more to do with fiendish ,spirits4 ,he was not long permitted to remain in quiet there4 ,they commenced at his bedstead and deliberately razed it to the floor1 leaving the head-board in one place1 the foot-board in another1 the two sides at angles1 and the bed-clothes scattered about the room4 ,he was left lying on his mattress1 and for a moment there was silence2 after which some slight movements were heard in the green room4 ,i had stowed a large number of balls of carpet-rags in an old chest standing on the floor1 with two trunks and several other articles on the top of it4 ,it seemed but the work of a moment for them to get at the carpet-balls1 which came flying at us from every direction1 hitting us in the same place every time4 ,they took us for their target1 and threw with the skill of an archer4 ,darkness made no difference with them1 and if either of us attempted to remonstrate against such violence1 they would instantly give the remonstrant the benefit of a ball4 ,the next day was ,sunday4 ,we were greatly depressed1 and decided to leave things as they were4 ,after breakfast we concluded to visit ,mount ,hope ,cemetery4 ,we returned late1 and retired immediately after supper4 ,while sitting on our bed-side 7on the floor71 deliberating in our own minds what was best to do1 we were suddenly startled by a tremendous knocking on the roof of the house4 7,the raps always appear to be made on the opposite side of the door1 or floor1 table1 etc47 ,we implored them to stay where they were 7as it seemed the noises were outside the house71 and let us alone2 but no sooner was the request made1 than a sound slap was given us each1 as if in reproof of what we had been saying4 ,a second slap1 as if with an open hand1 was administered to ,cathie1 when she cried out1 ,o1 look6 ,we all saw what seemed to be the form of a large man1 lying across the foot of our bed1 breathing irregularly1 and apparently in great distress4 7,the sheet was wrapped around him1 muffled closely about his neck47 ,his gurgling manifestation was terrific1 and produced a sensible vibration4 ,we pitied him4 ,he appeared like one passing through the agonies of death4 ,while we were contemplating this figure1 another slap came upon ,cathie1#d and she fell to all appearance lifeless4 ,we were greatly alarmed at this terrible manifestation4 ,we knew nothing of ,clairvoyance1 ,magnetism1 or ,trance ,mediums1 at that time4 ,we had no one to advise us1 and we were nearly distracted4 ,calvin took a looking-glass and held it close to ,cathie's mouth1 but we could discern no signs of life4 ,finally we were on the point of calling some one in1 when a deep groan announced that she lived4 ,we held her hands1 but could not perceive the slightest pulsation4 ,after remaining in this unconscious state for some time1 she again moaned piteously and raised her hand1 pointing at something she saw1 and explained to us afterward4 ,we asked many questions which she answered by pressing our hands4 ,she described the terrible occurrence at the ,hydesville house1 and when the influence left her1 she wept inconsolably for a long time4 #d ,my youngest sister ,catharine is sometimes called ,cathie in these pages and sometimes ,katie4 ,mother and father always called her ,cathie and it was her domestic name4 ,at a later period the public always spoke and wrote of her as ,katie1 so that that appellation came practically to supersede the other4 ,but now1 while writing of the period here referred to1 the ,cathie rises spontaneously1 and for mother's sake ,i love to let it so stand1 pronouncing it to myself as she did1 ,cathie1 as a diminutive of ,catharine4 ,after she became quiet a holy influence fell upon her1 and she repeated twenty or thirty verses of poetry4 ,i can only remember the last line of each verse1 which was3 ,to be with ,christ is better far4 ,after this things changed somewhat4 ,we heard the sounds at all times of day and night1 variously located in different parts of the house1 but in a much milder form2 unless some of us attempted to go contrary to their wishes4 ,often at meal-time the table would be gradually agitated1 and ,calvin in particular would be more disturbed than the rest of us4 ,once he arose from his chair and reached across the table for a heavy pitcher of water1 when the chair was instantly removed and he sat down on the floor1 spilling the water all over himself4 ,he instantly arose and with an execration denounced the whole thing as the work of the devil and his imps4 ,of course we laughed at his calamity1 and he thought we should not encourage such things by laughing at them4 ,he often laughed about it1 years afterward1 as heartily as we had done4 ,illustration3 ,a1 ,handrail to landing from second floor4 ,b1 ,bed occupied by ,calvin4 ,c1 ,our mattresses laid together on the floor4 ,d1 ,e1 ,beds4 ,f1 ,a store-room4 ,the dotted lines1 with arrows1 show the route taken by the vegetables from the store-room or kitchen floor to their destination two stories above4 ,we had stored our winter provisions in the cellar4 ,among them were several barrels of apples1 potatoes1 turnips1 etc4 ,from this cellar came the apples1 potatoes1 and turnips flying across our room1 hitting all in precisely the same place every time4 ,it will now be remembered that these articles were in the cellar on the ground floor1 and had to come from the rear of the cellar1 through the door1 into the kitchen1 through the kitchen1 up the stairs1 into the pantry on the second floor1 through the pantry into the dining-room1 up the second flight of stairs1 into the large room in which we slept1 hitting us as we lay in our beds near the front window4 ,the reader can trace their pathway from departure to arrival at their destination on the diagram of the three stories4 ,a cabinet shop was the next thing represented by the ,spirits4 ,they seemed to be possessed of all kinds of tools to work with4 ,after sawing off boards they would let them fall heavily on the floor1 jarring everything around them4 ,then after planing1 jointing1 driving nails1 and screwing down the lid of a coffin1 they would shove the hollow sounding article about the room4 7,this we understood at a later day47 ,often1 to our utter amazement1 pickets from the discarded lots in the cemetery came flying through the room over our heads1 on our beds1 like dbris in a tornado4 ,they came from the extreme west side of the burying-ground1 through that lot1 and the distance of two hundred feet through our lot2 an entire distance of about four hundred feet4 ,that they came by no visible means1 we knew2 as no human power could have thrown them through the air into our chamber window1 hitting us on our beds1 in the same place every time4 ,mrs4 ,vick and her three daughters lived in the other house1 on the same foundation as our own4 ,she was a very quiet neighbor1 and sympathized with us4 ,she was a native of ,england1 and related many interesting and strange things which she had witnessed in her own family4 ,i did not wish to encourage the manifestations1 and we seldom asked questions4 ,at this time1 our troubles 7in ,rochester7 were not known to any one except ,mrs4 ,vick and our own family4 ,but things were coming to a fearful crisis4 ,we closed our windows and did not raise our shades during the day4 ,this seemed to annoy the ,spirits more than anything else we had done1 and caused them to make a change in their manifestations4 ,calvin had gone away with his 7military7 company1 and we were left alone several days1 at the mercy of the ,spirits4 ,we had the consolation of knowing that we had never harmed any one1 and we could see no reason why the ,spirits should wish to harm us4 ,we called on our friends1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,post1 and told them our story1 which afforded them no little amusement at our expense4 ,they were friends of our family1 and listened attentively to our statement1 believing we were suffering under some psychological delusion4 ,but when they came to examine for themselves1 and witnessed the manifestations in their own house1 they began to think we were not so entirely deluded as they had supposed4 ,as soon as they became interested1 they begged permission to invite some friends of theirs4 ,we consented to let ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,henry ,bush1 and ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,lyman ,granger come as they were friends of our family1 provided they would keep the matter a profound secret4 ,but we soon found it was not long to be so kept4 ,at times1 when we were overcome with anxiety1 we would all kneel down with mother1 and pray for protection4 ,we had become satisfied that no earthly power could relieve us4 ,while on our knees1 pins would be stuck into different parts of our persons4 ,mother's cap would be removed from her head1 her comb jerked out of her hair1 and every conceivable thing done to annoy us4 ,we resolved to rest1 as best we could1 during the day2 but would1 on our knees1 pray to have these evil doings suppressed4 ,often did my dear anxious mother exclaim--,what have we done8 ,what have have we done1 that we should be so tormented8 ,dear children1 pray to ,god to have mercy upon us4 ,my little sister ,katie would sometimes say1 ,i can't pray1 ,i feel more like swearing4 ,one evening they had been more quiet than usual4 ,we remained some time at the table1 and began to hope that things were going to be better with us1 when we were suddenly startled and shocked by sounds from the piano1 which was open in the parlor4 ,the lower bass key tolled the death-knell1 solemnly and distinctly1 while we sat at the table1 unable for a time to stir4 ,at length ,i went into the parlor1 closed the piano1 locked it1 and took the key with me2 but the sounds kept on4 ,no other demonstrations were made during the night1 but the tolling of that knell inside the locked piano4 ,while this solemn sound was made1 they would make no other disturbances4 ,calvin had not yet returned4 ,the door-bell rang1 and ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,post came in4 ,on hearing these sounds ,mr4 ,post went for ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,bush4 ,when ,mr4 ,bush came and listened to the solemn sounds a few minutes1 he fell upon his knees and prayed to ,god to sustain this family if1 in his great wisdom1 he had chosen them as instruments through whom mankind should be benefited4 ,still the dreadful sounds continued until about one o'clock4 ,our friends left1 and we retired to our sleeping-rooms to try and rest1 if possible4 ,we seldom all slept at once1 as we were sure to be disturbed by some frightful exhibition1 if we allowed our light to go out4 ,we were getting ready for bed1 when we heard a wagon drive up to the side gate and a familiar voice say ,whoa to his horses4 ,mother hastened to the door1 and called out1 ,oh6 ,stephen1 who is dead8 ,we have had a terrible warning of death1 all night4 ,stephen1 my sister ,maria's husband1 replied1 ,no one is dead1 that ,i know of4 ,but ,david's little ,ella was supposed to be dying when ,i left1 ,i have come to take you back with me4 ,he fed his horses1 rested a short time on the sofa1 and about four o'clock started for ,arcadia1 with mother and ,maggie4 ,the sounds on the piano ceased4 ,when we received a message from ,arcadia1 it was to this effect3 that dear little ,ella was alive when they reached home1 but died the next day4 ,we had been warned1 in the spring1 when ,i was there in company with ,mrs4 ,grover and ,mrs4 ,granger1 that a death would take place in our family4 ,the words were written on a block of wood corresponding exactly with those the children had brought from the new house which was being built by my father1 within speaking distance of brother ,david's home4 ,the communication1 written in plain letters and thrown through the open window in broad daylight1 read as follows3 ,one of your family will die4 ,she will be happy with the angels2 mourn not for her4 ,i believed it would be mother1 as she was so broken down and unhappy4 ,we feared that she would not endure it much longer4 ,the writing on the block had always troubled me4 ,i was in the room when it was thrown in1 and knew that no human power could have thrown it in at that window and escaped instant detection4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,rochester 7,continued74 ,,ventriloquism--,,proclaim ,,these ,,truths ,,to ,,the ,,world--,,the ,,call ,,for ,,the ,,alphabet--,,voices ,,in ,,raps--,,god',s ,,telegraph ,,between ,,the ,,two ,,worlds--,,an ,,eviction--,,committee ,,of ,,five--,,no ,,money ,,accepted--,,improper ,,questions ,,to ,,spirits--,,done--,,struggle ,,against ,,the ,,uncanny ,,thing--,,benjamin ,,franklin4 ,mother and ,maggie returned in about two weeks to ,rochester1 expecting to remain with us until the new house was finished4 ,but a change came over the spirit of our dream4 ,things in spiritual matters grew from bad to worse4 ,our kind friend1 ,mrs4 ,vick1 had died suddenly during mother's absence1 and the family soon gave up the house4 ,it was rented by a new tenant1 a diminutive1 sickly-looking man who could not stand the racket4 ,his wife complained to him1 and declared that she was afraid to remain at home with the children while he was absent4 ,one day1 while they were eating dinner1 they heard knocks on their table4 ,he was furious in his irritation at this1 and coming up to me said3 ,you are ventriloquists1 and ,i will put a stop to your doings4 ,i will have you arrested if ,i ever hear any noises in my house again4 ,i doubt if he had finished eating his dinner4 ,he was very pale and trembled with excitement4 ,my neighbor1 ,mrs4 ,bush1 a very intelligent and talented lady1 had called on me1 and took up the argument in my behalf herself4 ,she said to him3 ,inasmuch as the sounds have been in your house1 which have disturbed ,leah all the morning1 ,i think1 if any one is arrested1 you should be the one4 ,the ,spirits took a new cue from this visit of our neighbor4 ,they seemed determined to take measures to satisfy him that his attempt to interfere with1 or stop their manifestations1 did not accomplish that object4 ,they were1 apparently1 determined to settle the question of ventriloquism beyond any future doubt4 ,they sounded their trumpets upon the house-top4 ,in other words they carried on the manifestations on the very peak of the roof4 ,it sounded like the frequent discharge of heavy artillery4 ,it was stated to us1 the next day1 that the sounds were heard a mile away4 ,we feared that the roof would fall in upon us4 ,we all fell upon our knees and prayed for protection4 ,we were in this position when ,calvin returned4 ,that night the sounds continued until daylight4 ,the furniture on the second floor moved in every direction4 ,books were thrown about the room4 ,the bureau in the bed-room was moved so that it blocked up the door4 ,the music1 from the parlor1 flew at us while at breakfast in the dining-room4 ,we knew not what to do4 ,we had been in the habit of conversing by putting direct questions1 which could be answered affirmatively or negatively2 but we did not think of getting the alphabet1 until our dear friend ,isaac ,post came in4 ,he said to me1 ,leah1 why1 don't thee remember that thy brother ,david conversed with the ,hydesville ,spirits by using the alphabet8 ,perhaps they will explain what is wanted1 if thee will call the alphabet now4 ,this seemed to be exactly what they did want2 and ,i asked the question1 ,do you want to say something to us8 ,there was a tremendous rapping in answer4 ,i then commenced calling the alphabet1 letter by letter in its order2 and the first message we ever obtained in ,rochester1 through the ,spirits1 was this3 ,dear friends1 you must proclaim these truths to the world4 ,this is the dawning of a new era2 and you must not try to conceal it any longer4 ,when you do your duty1 ,god will protect you2 and good ,spirits will watch over you4 ,i asked if the ,spirits would give me a signal by which ,i might know when they wanted us to use the alphabet4 ,they then spelled1 ,we will rap five times1 in quick succession2 and you will know whenever it is called for4 ,when this was concluded there was a tremendous rapping all over the room2 and then each one gave his own distinctive signal4 ,they have been continued from that day to this4 ,by this ,i mean that they gave their several rappings with such differences in sound as to be quite distinct from each other1 and almost as clearly recognizable as would be their intonations of voice as speakers1 or signatures as writers4 ,on the occasion here mentioned ,i think there must have been a score of spirits who rapped one after the other1 some on the table1 some on the door1 ceiling1 windows1 floor1 etc4 ,some were loud1 some low1 some rapid and some slower1 and no two of them seemed quite the same4 ,many persons who are familiar with these signals frequently identify them by the sounds4 ,i soon received letters from various places saying that it had been made known through clairvoyants1 speaking mediums and seers1 that the same signal had been given to all mediums4 ,thus we see that ,god's ,telegraph#e ante-dated that of ,samuel ,f4 ,b4 ,morse4 #e ,it opened up communication between the two worlds of matter and spirit1 as that of ,morse had done between distant places in the material plane of our life4--,,ed4 ,this work progressed too slowly to suit the ,spirits4 ,we could not consent to let it be publicly known that we were having such marvellous disturbances4 ,so they sought out a new way to coerce us4 ,one night there was a great uproar in the other house4 ,loud rappings were heard1 the little man's pillow was jerked from under his head1 his wife nearly fainted1 his children screamed1 and he was badly frightened4 ,he could stand it no longer4 ,he arose in the middle of the night1 and called up a party of his church brethren1 who went to his house and witnessed the demonstrations4 ,they then went to the office of my landlord and got his concurrence1 and obtained a warrant for our removal from our house4 ,it will be recollected that this was ,mr4 ,j4 ,b4 ,bennett1 to whom1 when ,i engaged the house of him1 ,i said ,i wanted a new house where no crime had been committed1 as ,i believed the house ,i lived in was haunted2 and that he replied1 ,i think you will have no difficulty on that account4 ,yet he at once consented to our expulsion because my little neighbor had heard the sounds in his own house4 ,the warrant was served in the morning4 ,i immediately communicated with my friends1 who rallied in large numbers1 and before the week was out1 we were all settled in a pleasant little cottage on ,troup ,street4 ,it was about ,september #a1 #ahdi1 when we moved into the house4 ,i cannot let this opportunity pass without paying a tribute to those dear friends4 ,they too were ridiculed and persecuted at home and abroad2 but they stood firm1 and defended the right1 as they were fully convinced that it only required time to prove it to the world4 ,many of those precious souls have passed to the world beyond1 and ,i know they rejoice in ,heaven to-day over the happy discoveries they made1 and which they tell us have greatly widened their capacity for usefulness and enjoyment in a higher sphere4 ,there was a marked difference in the manifestations during our meals4 ,the rappings seemed more concentrated1 and very near us4 ,the ,spirits appeared interested in much that we were saying1 and often pressed us approvingly with their hands4 ,on one occasion a ,spirit child laid its little hands on mine 7not in mine71 and so long as ,i remained quiet and permitted the little angel to do as it wished to1 without disturbing the conditions requisite to enable it to come so near me1 there was no shrinking or withdrawal on the part of the ,spirit1 who had thus far re-entered this mundane sphere to prove to us1 beyond a doubt1 that she still lived1 and loved us4 ,we could not doubt it4 ,there was no one to deceive us4 ,the ,spirit was my darling little sister4 ,she pressed us with both her hands1 and kissed them over and over again4 ,we would close our eyes in daylight and they would kiss us naturally as in life4 ,we were truly converted1 and as the dear old ,methodists used to say1 born again4 ,we could then realize that we had something to live for1 something to hope for1 in that sacred hour when each one in our humble group lay at the feet of ,jesus1 willing to be guided and directed in the paths of truth and duty4 ,the alphabet was called for1 and the following message was given and signed by our ever revered grandfather1 known to his family and friends as a man of encyclopdic knowledge1 as well as of noble character4 ,you need not wait as ,i did for that great 'change of heart2' but adopt the course at once and live up to your highest light4 ,go where that leads you4 ,,my ,,dear ,,children3--,the time will come when you will understand and appreciate this great dispensation4 ,you must permit your good friends to meet with you and hold communion with their friends in heaven4 ,i am your grandfather1 ,,jacob ,,smith4 ,this communication affected us all deeply 7particularly my mother71 and brought our souls together sympathetically4 ,we read it to our visitors4 ,they at once adopted the plan of sitting around the table with us4 ,this method immediately1 as a consequence1 placed the subject before the community4 ,it was discussed everywhere1 both publicly and privately4 ,mr4 ,isaac ,post's store was beset1 from morning until night1 with inquirers who were anxious to visit us4 ,as we were situated1 our friends felt a delicacy in bringing strangers to our house1 except by previous arrangement4 ,in a short time the interest increased to such a degree that it was thought advisable to form a committee of five in a convenient part of the city1 through whom the rushing crowd of curiosity seekers could be accommodated4 ,the names of this committee were ,isaac ,post1 ,r4 ,d4 ,jones1 ,edward ,jones1 ,john ,kedzie1 and ,andrew ,clackner4 ,they were faithful friends1 who never permitted any one to visit us unattended by themselves1 or some reliable person4 ,all through this1 and1 indeed1 for the first two years1 we scorned the idea of receiving money from visitors4 ,we felt that it would be degrading to accept money for the exhibition of spiritualism4 ,our time and business were greatly interfered with1 and the overwhelming question frequently arose1 ,what shall we do8 ,we cannot endure this much longer4 ,but there was a course marked out for us 7unconsciously to ourselves7 to follow4 ,for a time we fancied things were going on better1 and we felt encouraged1 but we little knew the bitter experience we were destined to pass through4 ,many of our visitors were anxious to learn1 through the ,spirits1 how to make a fortune4 ,some wished to know the secrets of others2 some1 dissatisfied with their domestic relations1 sought the aid of ,spirits to help them out of their difficulty2 some wanted to know what numbers they should buy in a lottery1 to be successful2 others would wish to be advised in their stock speculations4 ,to all such questions ready responses were given1 but invariably ended in failures4 ,this order of investigation brought us in rapport with an entirely different class of ,spirits4 ,they had no particular motive in tormenting us1 but they seemed delighted to lead us on1 and deceive the visitors who sought them in such a spirit4 ,but1 when people sought for communications of a more elevated character1 answers were given accordingly4 ,frequently our friends would become so deeply interested in their manifestations that they would forget we were mortal and needed time to recuperate our physical strength4 ,they did not know that every echo1 as it came through our medium forces1 consumed a portion of our vitality4 ,the ,spirit knew this1 and would close the sances by spelling done4 ,this1 our friends would sometimes take exception to1 and complain that they should break off so abruptly4 ,we could not explain1 to their satisfaction1 that we were exhausted under the constant pressure of mind and body4 ,the ,spirits1 knowing this1 would give the signal done4 ,after this word done was spelled1 we never obtained anything of an elevated character4 ,we could get physical manifestations1 of an independent character1 such as throwing things1 and moving furniture in different parts of the house4 ,those manifestations seldom seemed to weaken us1 but intellectual communications given through our immediate brain forces had a weakening effect upon us when continued too long4 ,a gentleman 7,dr4 ,c4 ,d4 ,griswold7 living in ,batavia had induced his minister 7an ,episcopal clergyman7 to visit us4 ,they arrived late2 and1 after a few questions had been answered1 the word done was spelled4 ,they did not understand the meaning of this1 and continued their questions4 ,suddenly a loud rapping1 in a distant part of the room1 spelled out1 ,why the devil do you ask questions after you have been told done8 ,this was a terrible damper to us all4 ,the minister stood aghast1 looking first at one and then at the other with astonishment1 as if wondering what kind of creatures we were4 ,the friend who had brought him was mortified in the extreme4 ,they remained in town1 and called on us again the next morning4 ,all things were quiet1 and we sat down with these two gentlemen alone4 ,the doctor asked this question1 ,will the spirit of my dear father come and answer my questions8 ,immediately the alphabet was called for1 and spelled out this sentence1 ,when good ,spirits say 'done1' you should not seek for further communications4 ,order is heaven's first law1 and you should not overtax mediums2 for no good ,spirit will answer1 after their guardians say 'done4' ,the doctor received the explanation favorably1 and felt greatly relieved when he saw his friend1 the minister1 was disposed to investigate further4 ,with us all was turmoil and confusion4 ,when manifestations and communications were consistent1 we believed them to come from good ,spirits2 but when they were to the contrary1 we condemned all as evil4 ,we had no religious prejudices1 no motive whatever in establishing theories4 ,we could make no satisfactory explanations to the various interrogatories1 made by promiscuous parties who were constantly in attendance4 ,let me here emphasize the fact that the general feeling of our family1 of all of us1 including ,calvin ,brown1 who was virtually one of us1 was strongly adverse to all this strange and uncanny thing4 ,we regarded it as a great misfortune1 as it was an affliction1 which had fallen upon us2 how1 whence or why1 we knew not4 ,the influence of the surrounding opinion of neighbors1 and the country round about1 reacted upon us in conformation of our own natural and educational impressions1 that the whole thing was of evil origin1 unnatural1 perplexing1 and tormenting2 while its unpopularity tended to cast a painful shadow upon us4 ,we resisted it1 struggled against it1 and constantly and earnestly prayed for deliverance from it1 even while a strange fascination attached to these marvellous manifestations thus forced upon us1 against our will1 by invisible agencies and agents whom we could neither resist1 control1 nor understand4 ,if our will1 earnest desires and prayers could have prevailed or availed1 the whole thing would have ended then and there1 and the world outside of our little neighborhood would never have heard more of the ,rochester ,rappings1 or of the unfortunate ,fox family4 ,but the movement was not in our hands nor under our control4 ,it had an object1 and we1 as reluctant and humble instruments1 were in the hands of other and higher wills and forces1 from whom it had proceeded1 by whom it was directed1 and1 so to speak1 engineered4 ,we have since come to understand that all these events and incidents1 perplexing and distressful as they were to us1 were but the birth-throes of a new truth1 which was destined to revolutionize this world1 and establish a communication between the here and the hereafter2 of the ,earth and of the ,spirit4 ,and ,i may here say that1 inasmuch as ,electricity and ,magnetism seem to play some part in the machinery of this intercommunication1 it is not surprising that the ,spirit on the other side who seems to have been the principal initiator1 not to say the inventor of this new development in the evolution of ,humanity1 was the great man known to earthly fame as the father of electrical science1 as he was one of the great fathers of ,american liberty2 he of whom it has been grandly written that he snatched the lightning from the sky1 and the sceptre from the hand of the tyrant3 the immortal ,,benjamin ,,franklin4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,rochester 7,continued71 ,,november1 #ahdh4 ,,light ,,articles ,,made ,,immovable--,,the ,,coffins--,,adieu ,,of ,,the ,,spirits--,,their ,,return--,,first ,,steps ,,toward ,,public ,,investigation--,,hire ,,corinthian ,,hall--,,first ,,committee ,,of ,,investigation--,,second--,,third ,,or ,,infidel ,,committee--,,behavior ,,of ,a ,,great ,,dining-,,table--,,the ,,tar ,,and ,,torpedo ,,mob4 ,all this could not have gone on very long in a western city 7as it then was7 like ,rochester1 with its #gj1jjj inhabitants1 without leading to a state of feeling and opinion which made it impossible to keep the matter confined to the limited number of persons who1 from time to time1 got access to sances 7at our house7 held under the auspices of the committee of five persons previously named4 ,mr4 ,e4 ,w4 ,capron1 of ,auburn1 had been introduced to us by friends of long standing4 ,he was at that time a sceptic in almost everything relating to immortality1 but he was an honest man1 and soon became thoroughly convinced of the truth of ,spiritualism4 ,we still hoped to suppress the manifestations1 and mother consented to let ,cathie go home with ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,capron1 imagining by that means to put a stop to further disturbances4 ,for a few days there seemed to be a change for the better1 and again mother thought she had accomplished her object2 but all this while the ,spirits had been actively employed1 as they soon convinced us by more powerful demonstrations than ever4 ,they had redoubled their forces and paraded themselves through every part of the house1 standing guard at all the apertures1 thus to prevent any two of us from coming near each other to confer on any matter1 however important we deemed it to be4 ,during the winter of #ahdi1 scarcely a day passed that we did not have some new and wonderful exhibition of the power and intelligence of our strange visitors4 ,at times things would fly through space1 above our heads1 when there was no human form to be seen4 ,the chairs1 tables1 and even small articles1 would suddenly become so heavy that no strength that we could exert could move them4 ,it became a common saying in our house that the ,spirits are holding them down1 when we would have occasion to lift any light article from one place to another4 ,it was constantly repeated to us that we had a mission to perform1 and we were directed to make ready for the work4 ,my mother declared that we would never yield to any such directions again2 but the ,spirits said1 ,you have been chosen to go before the world to convince the sceptical of the great truth of immortality4 ,it was in vain that we opposed to this a strenuous resistance1 and argued that we had already done enough1 and more than should be required of us4 ,but the constant burden of their declaration was that we must go forth and do our duty4 ,at last they resorted to more violent measures of coercion4 ,one morning1 on awaking1 we found four coffins drawn on the kitchen floor1 of life-size1 and corresponding to the different sizes of mother1 myself1 ,margaretta1 and ,katie3 and after we had washed them away1 we found next morning the same fearful objects on the ceiling4 ,twice again was this repeated in the dining-room1 so that they came four times in all4 ,they were handsomely and artistically drawn in black and white1 the lids being thrown back to show how beautifully they had done the work of pinking the white linings4 ,each coffin had the drawing of its plate1 and on them were perfectly and correctly written our respective names and ages1 while beneath them was also written in large plain letters3 ,if you do not go forth and do your duty you will soon be laid in your coffins4 ,we called in our friends to behold the gruesome sight4 ,some were superstitious and declared that they would not dare to disobey such biddings2 but we feared that if we yielded to them1 we would become subject to some unknown evil influences1 so that mother still held out against what did not meet her approval4 ,it is impossible for me to make my reader understand and realize the scenes we passed through4 ,crowds of inquirers came to the house at all hours of the day and evening4 ,the committee had more than they could attend to2 we had no time to attend to any household duties4 ,my music pupils had all left1 and the question arose3 ,what shall we do8 ,how can we live so8 ,the new house was finished1 and father wanted us all to come home2 but the ,spirits said1 ,no1 you cannot go2 you must remain here and do your duty4 ,after a few brief messages to friends1 the ,spirits1 in a most impressive and solemn manner1 bade us all good-by1 and closed their manifestations4 ,they made the occasion quite solemn1 and the company felt wholly deserted when they became satisfied that the ,spirits had taken their final departure4 ,we tried1 on several occasions1 to get the sounds2 but could not4 ,the ,spirits remained firm in their decision for twelve days4 ,mother now deemed it advisable to return to her home 7in ,arcadia1 ,wayne ,county71 as she was much needed there1 and she hoped we would no longer be disturbed by ,spirits4 ,margaretta1 ,calvin1 myself1 and ,alfie1 our good servant1 were alone1 and the absence of all manifestations or ,spiritual communications caused many a pang of remorse4 ,often we wished it were possible for us to enjoy the society of our dear ,spirit friends1 without being forced into that public notoriety and that constant collision with a hostile world which seemed to be involved in what the ,spirits called the duty which they were urging upon us4 ,while we were thus in silent waiting1 and had given up all hope of again hearing from our ,spirit friends1 ,mr4 ,capron1 of ,auburn1 and ,mr4 ,george ,willets1 of ,rochester1 called on us4 ,as we saw them coming1 we met them at the door and informed them that the ,spirits would not rap for us any more4 ,they came into the hall1 saying1 ,perhaps they will rap for us1 if not for you4 ,and so they did4 ,they came with the well-known joyous sounds1 all over the hall1 as if they were glad to meet us all again4 ,we could not repress our great satisfaction at the renewal of our enjoyment1 for we now felt that there had really been enjoyment in it1 however mingled with perplexity and distress4 ,it was1 to us1 like the return of long absent friends1 whose value1 while with us1 we had not sufficiently appreciated4 ,it was during this interview that the ,spirits again broached the subject of a public investigation4 ,directions were given to have the whole matter made public4 ,they then detailed their plan to us in a lengthy communication4 ,they told us what was required of us1 and what they declared to be our duty1 as follows3 ,you all have a duty to perform4 ,we want you to make the matter more public4 ,to this1 ,mr4 ,capron replied that nothing but the greatest ridicule would be heaped upon all who should engage in such an undertaking4 ,the following message immediately came in reply1 ,that will be so much the better4 ,your triumph will be so much the greater6 ,they told ,capron and ,willets1 that they 7the ,spirits7 wanted them to get up meetings for the purpose of letting the public know this great truth4 ,our friends 7,c4 and ,w47 said in reply to this that they had families to support2 and they could not see how they could go before the public with a matter which must make them so decidedly unpopular in the then existing state of public opinion4 ,the ,spirits then directed that we should hold meetings at different private houses2 and they 7the ,spirits7 would manifest for promiscuous companies4 ,meetings were accordingly held at the residences of ,messrs4 ,willets1 ,post1 ,granger1 and others4 ,the ,spirits fulfilled their promises admirably4 ,we decided to leave the entire movement to their direction4 ,we felt powerless to act on our own judgment4 ,we met at the house of ,mr4 ,isaac ,post to talk over the matter1 and learn all we could in regard to this great step forced upon us in a way so contrary to our own wishes4 ,we had not been long in the parlor before the alphabet was called and spelled1 ,amy1 thee must invite sixteen persons to come here on ,saturday evening1 to hear the ,spirit rappings4 ,amy 7,mrs4 ,post7 replied1 ,why1 ,i don't know whom to invite to such an entertainment4 ,how can ,i do so8 ,the rapping answered1 ,i will tell thee3 ',mr4 or ,mrs4 ----3 ,you are invited ,,by ,,the ,,spirits to call at the house of ,mr4 ,isaac ,post next ,thursday evening1 at eight o'clock1 to hear the ,spirits rap4' ,amy said she did not know whom to invite1 and asked the ,spirits if they would give her the names4 ,this they consented to do1 and proceeded to spell out the names of persons1 many of whom neither ,mrs4 ,post nor any one present knew4 ,they were all lawyers1 editors1 and doctors4 ,it is to be regretted that the book containing these names is lost4 ,dr4 ,moore was the only one named who did not come in answer to the invitation4 ,frederick ,douglass1 editor of ,the ,north ,star1 was present4 ,they met1 as ,i have stated1 at the house of ,isaac ,post4 ,they listened1 with respectful attention1 to the sounds of the rappings4 ,a part of the company went into the cellar1 and a part remained in the room above2 but the rapping always seemed to be on the side opposite to the listeners4 ,after they had satisfied themselves of the reality of the sounds1 and that they were not made by us1 they proposed to get some answers to questions1 but the comment or answer of the ,spirits was1 ,no4 ,we invited you here to listen to the sounds1 and not to get communications4 ,good night4 ,they did1 however1 make another appointment for the next ,thursday evening1 at the house of ,mr4 ,george ,willets1 and again all except ,dr4 ,moore came1 with some individuals added to the number1 and the sounds were heard as in the first instance4 ,again the visitors proposed to get answers to questions2 but again the reply was that they were only invited to hear the sounds4 ,this whole proceeding1 as they informed us1 was to convince us that they could rap sufficiently loud to be heard in a public hall4 ,the ,spirits then gave us their directions as follows3 ,hire ,corinthian ,hall 7then the largest hall in ,rochester74 ,margaretta and myself were to go to the hall2 ,mr4 ,capron was to deliver the lecture1 in which he was to relate the commencement at ,hydesville1 and the progress of it up to the present time4 ,mr4 ,willets was to act as friend and business man1 doorkeeper1 etc4 ,a committee of five gentlemen was to be appointed at each meeting1 by the audience1 and instructed to report at the commencement of the next meeting4 ,the ,spirits who had given the directions had promised to make the sounds so loud that all in the hall could hear them4 ,before the meeting the following names were spelled out1 of persons thus designated to sit on the platform with us3 ,rev4 ,a4 ,jervis 7,methodist minister71 ,lyman ,granger 7a well-known member of the ,m4 ,e4 ,church71 ,simeon ,draper 7a prominent ,methodist71 ,mrs4 ,sarah ,d4 ,fish 7a member of the ,society of ,friends71 and ,mrs4 ,pierpont4 ,when these names were first spelled out by the ,spirits some of the persons objected to thus going forward in so unpopular a work1 when the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,jervis spoke up and said1 ,i know it is true1 and ,i'll face a frowning world4 ,his emphatic earnestness awoke the others who had been named1 and they all consented to serve4 ,it should be remembered that the most minute directions were given by the ,spirits1 through the use of the alphabet1 without suggestions from any one concerned in the work to be done4 ,the ,spirits told us1 moreover1 that this was the best way to interest the public1 and prepare them for a more general acceptance of ,spiritual ,communication by the world at large4 ,notices were accordingly published in the newspapers of the meeting to be held in ,corinthian ,hall1 on the evening of ,november #ad1 #ahdh4 ,according to the directions of the ,spirits1 ,margaretta and myself appeared at ,corinthian ,hall1 where a large audience had already assembled to witness the manifestations which had excited so much general curiosity4 ,mr4 ,capron1 in delivering the lecture1 depended more upon his knowledge of the facts1 as they had then occurred1 than on any theory of his own1 or of others1 in regard to the rappings4 ,we wished to have the subject carefully scrutinized by honest committees1 and have them report to the public the result of their investigations4 ,mr4 ,capron stated emphatically that if he could not explain what it was1 he certainly knew what it was not4 ,it was also announced to the audience that no ordinary minds would be accepted on the committees4 ,we had1 at that early day1 discovered that the greater the intelligence1 the more satisfactory were the manifestations4 ,at this lecture the audience listened with very respectful attention4 ,the editor of a ,second ,advent paper also delivered his little speech1 telling the audience that the sounds were spiritual1 he had no doubt2 but it was the spirit of the devil1 and that the persons in whose presence the sounds were heard should be cast into prison4 ,he said his little say1 and we never heard of him afterward4 ,when this episode had closed1 the following gentlemen were named as a ,committee of ,investigation1 and requested to report the next evening1 viz41 ,a4 ,j4 ,coombs1 ,daniel ,marsh1 ,nathaniel ,clark1 ,a4 ,judson1 and ,edwin ,jones4 ,thus the first great step was taken1 in order to lay the facts of ,modern ,spiritualism before the world4 ,it was now to be tried in a way by which no guilty person could hope to escape detection4 ,any one guilty of fraud as great as this would have been1 had it consisted of simulation on our part1 must certainly have met with swift exposure1 and been stripped of all power or opportunity for further mischief4 ,in fact1 could it be rationally apprehended that we1 or any one1 would have dared to face an adverse public1 of a thronged city1 and the entire sentiment of a world against us1 as we had been directed to do1 with nothing but a damning falsehood at our backs to lean upon8 ,the appointment of an intelligent committee was readily agreed upon by the audience2 and they--most of them perhaps--felt confident that the supposed fraud would now be probed to the bottom4 ,so sure seemed the editors of the ,rochester ,democrat that this was the last of the rappings1 that they wrote a long article on the humbug which had deceived so many1 rejoicing that the end was near4 ,but when1 on the following evening1 the ,committee made their report1 the newspaper men were obliged to substitute something else in place of the anticipated detection and exposure1 as the result of their examination did not verify the theory of these newspaper quasi-leaders and instructors of public thought4 ,the following was the report of the ,committee3 ,without the knowledge of the persons in whose presence the manifestations are made1 the ,committee selected the hall of the ',sons of ,temperance1' for investigation of the subject under consideration4 ,that the sounds1 on the floor near where the ,mediums stood1 were heard as distinctly as at the other places2 and that part of the ,committee heard the rapping on the wall behind them2 that a number of questions were asked1 which were answered not altogether right nor altogether wrong2 that1 in the afternoon1 they went to the house of a private citizen1 and while there1 the sounds were heard on the outside 7apparently7 of the front door1 after they had entered1 and on the door of a closet4 ,by placing the hand upon the door1 there was a sensible jar felt when the rapping was heard4 ,one of the ,committee placed one of his hands upon the feet of the ladies1 and the other on the floor1 and though the feet were not moved1 there was a distinct jar of the floor4 ,on the pavement and on the ground the same sounds were heard2 a kind of double rap1 as of a stroke and a rebound1 was distinguishable4 ,when the sisters were separated at a distance from each other1 no sound was heard2 but when a third person was interposed between them1 the sounds were heard4 ,the sisters seemed to give every opportunity to the ,committee to investigate the case fully1 and would submit to a thorough investigation by a committee of ladies1 if desired4 ,they all agree that the sounds were heard1 but they entirely fail to discern any means by which it could be done4 ,on the following evening1 each member of the ,committee spoke for himself1 and they all perfectly agreed as to the facts stated4 ,their report was received with surprise by such of the audience as had come with the expectation of having the subject exposed as a fraud1 and the rappings stopped4 ,after some further remarks by ,mr4 ,capron1 and a discussion of a brief character upon the subject1 another ,committee was appointed consisting of the following gentlemen3 ,dr4 ,h4 ,h4 ,langworthy1 ,hon4 ,frederick ,whittlesey1 ,general ,d4 ,c4 ,mc,callum1 ,william ,fisher1 of ,rochester1 and ,hon4 ,a4 ,p4 ,hascall1 of ,le ,roy1 subsequently member of ,congress4 ,at the meeting1 on the evening after this lecture1 this ,committee reported that ,they went into the investigation at the office of ,chancellor ,whittlesey1 and they heard the sounds on the floor1 on the wall1 and on the door2 that the ladies were placed in different positions1 and1 like the other ,committee1 they were unable to tell from what the sounds proceeded1 or how they were made2 that ,dr4 ,langworthy made observations with a stethoscope to ascertain whether there was any movement of the lungs1 and found not the least difference when the sounds were being made1 and there was no kind of probability or possibility of their being made by ventriloquism1 as some had supposed2 and they could not have been made by machinery4 ,as this report was read1 there was a murmur of discontent1 of baffled opposition1 and1 in some cases1 unmistakable willingness to proceed to violence against all who had offered every opportunity for fair investigation4 ,many persons1 among the large number congregated there1 were disappointed and indignant at the discovery that it was not a cheat4 ,a very large number of people were present on this occasion1 and a portion of them seemed determined that the cause of the deception1 or the manner of its performance1 should be ascertained and exposed4 ,they predetermined that there could be no honesty unless it came in their old beaten track of belief4 ,it was during the investigation on this second day1 that ,chancellor ,whittlesey informed me that he was a friend to us4 ,he said to me3 ,now1 don't be alarmed4 ,i am a friend to you and know that these things are true4 ,i have read ',davis's ,revelations1' and ,i believe fully that ,spirits can communicate4 ,you shall have a fair investigation4 ,this was after very insulting and even violent behavior by ,dr4 ,h4 ,h4 ,langworthy2 and it did me a great deal of good to be so assured by one of the ,committee1 and one of the best of them2 and also a man who had long been ,vice ,chancellor of the ,state of ,new ,york2 and whom the whole country knew as one of the wise men of the time1 a neighbor of ours and known to us4 ,on the third evening the audience was much larger1 and a portion of them seemed determined that at all hazards1 and cost what it might1 it should be exposed4 ,mr4 ,warren ,l4 ,burtis declared that those girls would not have him on the ,committee for a hundred dollars2 intimating that he was known to possess unusual facilities for the detection of fraud4 ,the audience was not looking for the proof of facts4 ,they constituted a large and self-chosen committee who seemed to consider it their duty to prove by anathemas the falsity of ,spiritualism4 ,he1 ,w4 ,l4 ,burtis1 was at once placed on the ,committee2 and after being so appointed1 he remarked with much importance1 if he could not find it out he would forfeit a new hat4 ,mr4 ,kenyon said1 ,if ,i cannot fathom the fraud1 ,i will throw myself over ,genesee ,falls4 ,he too was immediately placed on the ,committee4 ,all the others chosen as members were equally opposed to us4 ,the ,committee consisted of ,dr4 ,e4 ,p4 ,langworthy1 ,dr4 ,j4 ,gates1 ,william ,fitzhugh1 ,w4 ,l4 ,burtis1 and ,l4 ,kenyon4 ,mr4 ,packard1 a well-known cabinet-maker1 suggested that if he were chosen he would have a party of ladies to examine the clothing of the girls1 as he believed the sounds were all made by leaden balls1 sewed in the bottom of their dresses4 ,but ,mr4 ,packard was not chosen1 because1 as before stated1 the occasion required the application of the higher order of intelligence4 ,to this1 however1 no attention was given by him or others excepting a significant smile of disappointment4 ,the public had by this time learned that such leaden-ball suggestions were not less than absurd4 ,this ,committee met at the rooms of ,dr4 ,gates1 in the ,rochester ,house4 ,this was called the ,infidel ,committee4 ,the public had heretofore chosen persons of a more religious character2 and men representing the scientific portion of the inhabitants had now concluded that1 by placing the subject in the hands of scientific infidels1 they would fathom the fraud4 ,this party now chosen were disgusted by the reflection that they were to enter upon such an undertaking2 but they had been chosen1 and would serve and do their duty to the public4 ,this ,committee appointed three ladies1 who took us into a private room1 disrobed and clothed us with garments of their own selection1 after which we seated ourselves around a table2 but no manifestations of any importance were made4 ,disappointed in not finding any machinery1 they had a lurking suspicion that we had doffed it for the occasion4 ,they called on the ,ghosts to manifest themselves if they could1 but no responses came to such invitations4 ,they now concluded it was about dinner-time1 and said to us1 ,you can go home and get your dinner4 ,perhaps the ghosts will be more sociable in the afternoon2 plainly intimating that we could go home and prepare ourselves for rapping1 and that things would be more satisfactory after our return4 ,it was now my turn to be the speaker2 ,i told them3 ,no1 we shall not stir from this room until the time for this investigation shall expire2 which will be at six o'clock ,p4,m4 ,some of the ,committee exclaimed1 ,good for the ,rappers6 ,that looks like business4 ,ladies and gentlemen1 let us have dinner in this room4 ,we will give the girls fair play4 ,a sumptuous dinner was prepared and brought in to us1 and all took seats at the table4 ,they taunted us in every way4 ,sometimes we felt ourselves forsaken1 and disposed to give up in despair4 ,our friends were locked out1 and not permitted to come into the room2 but we could hear their faithful footsteps outside the door1 in the hall of the hotel--,isaac and ,amy ,post1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,pierpont1 ,george ,willets1 and others4 ,my young sister ,maggie was by my side1 bathed in tears4 ,dr4 ,gates was carving4 ,i was struggling with a choking emotion1 and could not taste food4 ,the party were joking and funning at our expense1 when1 suddenly the great table began to tremble1 and raised first one end and then the other1 with loud creaking sounds1 like a ship struggling in a heavy gale1 until it was finally suspended above our heads4 ,for a moment all were silent and looked at each other with astonishment4 ,the waiters fled in every direction4 ,instantly the scene was changed4 ,the ladies threw their arms around us1 one after another2 and it was their turn to cry4 ,they said to us3 ,oh1 you poor girls1 how you have been abused6 ,oh1 how sorry we are for you2 after all1 it is true6 ,the gentlemen with one accord said1 ,girls1 you have gained a victory4 ,we will stand by you to the last4 ,let it be understood that this ,committee of ladies and gentlemen took us to the parlors of the ,rochester ,house1 which could be divided into two rooms by closing the folding-doors4 ,after dinner the gentlemen of the ,committee insulated the table by putting glass under the legs1 procured two sacks of feathers1 and advised the ladies how to conduct the investigation4 ,they then closed the doors1 and 7the gentlemen of the ,committee having retired7 left us and the lady members of the ,committee alone4 ,by this time the ,committee had become kindly disposed toward us4 ,they suggested to us that we should stand upon the sacks of feathers on the table1 with our dresses tied tight above our ankles4 ,we complied with all their suggestions1 cheerfully4 ,immediately the sounds were heard on the table1 floor1 and walls4 ,the ladies instantly opened the doors1 and the gentlemen came in and witnessed the manifestations themselves4 ,the ladies1 at my suggestion1 signed the following certificate3 ,when they were standing on pillows1 with a handkerchief tied around the bottom of their dresses1 tight to their ankles1 we all heard the rapping on the table1 on the wall1 and floor distinctly4 ,,mrs4 ,,stone4 ,,mrs4 ,j4 ,,gates4 ,,miss ,m4 ,p4 ,,lawrence4 ,before we left the room1 word was sent to the ,committee1 saying1 ,do not go to the ,hall this evening2 for if you report favorably to the girls you will be mobbed4 ,our friends1 who anticipated a riot and feared for our safety1 as soon as we got to the house after this terrible day's work and anxiety1 urged us not to go to the ,hall4 ,but what were we to do8 ,even the ,committee were threatened if it made a favorable report2 but they all informed us that they would protect us in any event4 ,e4 ,w4 ,capron and ,george ,willets said1 ,what are we to do1 if you forsake us at such a time8 ,amy ,post said1 ,go1 ,i will go with you4 ,the ,spirits spelled1 ,go1 ,god will protect you4 ,you will not be harmed4 ,margaretta had been so harassed during the day1 and had been so urged by some of her friends1 that she resolved not to go to the ,hall that night4 ,this would have spoiled all our success so far4 ,it would be utter ruin to us4 ,amy ,post 7that darling little ,quaker lady71 who stood firm as a rock1 said1 ,we will go and sit down by ourselves1 and see how we shall feel about it4 ,i soon said1 ,amy1 if you will go1 ,i will go with you1 if ,i go to my death4 ,margaretta did not change her mind until we were preparing to go1 when she said1 ,i cannot have you go without me4 ,i must go1 although ,i expect we will be killed4 ,so we all went4 ,we found the faithful friends1 who were appointed to sit on the platform1 already in their places4 ,there were but few words said by ,mr4 ,capron1 as every one was anxious to hear the report of the ,committee4 ,when it was made1 it was more full than any of the others4 ,it rehearsed the fact that they had excluded from the room1 in which the examination was conducted1 all our friends1 and we were left alone to fight the battle4 ,each member of the ,committee reported separately1 agreeing with1 and corroborating the first statement4 ,the reports of the different committees did not satisfy the rowdy element1 which at this time had become a howling mob1 who were predetermined to assault us1 and also the last ,committee1 if they did not report against us4 ,they even warmed tar1 and had it concealed in a closet at the head of the stairway adjacent to the door of the ,hall4 ,some of our friends1 knowing this1 took the precaution of calling on the police4 ,our ,committee was informed of the proceedings of the mob1 and when we separated at six o'clock and went to ,mr4 ,post's to await the hour of meeting at the ,hall1 declared to us that they would stand by us1 in these words3 ,never fear1 girls1 you have gained the victory2 we will stand by you to the last4 ,and they did1 nobly4 ,we were directed by the ,spirits to go forth and submit to everything lawful2 but that the committees chosen by the audience should be composed of such as represented the best intelligence of the community4 ,josiah ,bissel was the presiding genius of the mob4 ,he had caused to be purchased some torpedoes which he distributed among his rowdy friends to throw upon the floor1 and thus begin disturbance4 ,it had been agreed upon by his bosom friends 7the rowdy element7 that he should ascend the platform1 and with a long heavy stick1 which he carried as a cane1 give a signal for the onslaught4 ,the other leaders in this mob were ,lawrence ,r4 and ,leonard ,w4 ,jerome1 ,alderman ,lewis ,seelye1 ,major ,packard1 and others1 awaiting the signal4 ,but no sooner was it given them than a fine1 large1 respectable-looking gentleman sprang upon the platform and took a seat between myself and my sister1 whose hand he took in his4 ,i thought1 at the moment1 he was an enemy1 and ordered him to leave1 and not dare touch my sister4 ,he replied1 ,i am your friend2 ,i am the ,chief of ,police--look1 these men in front are all my men2 and they have come to protect you4 ,at the sound of the signal made by ,bissel1 the mob rushed to the platform4 ,torpedoes were heard in every part of the ,hall4 ,the ,chief of ,police quietly informed ,josiah ,bissel that if any one was taken into custody he would be the man4 ,as the mob began their demonstrations1 one gentleman1 ,mr4 ,alfred ,hubbell1 who had been an investigator at our house1 raised his hand and said in a loud voice3 ,girls1 you have nothing to fear4 ,don't be afraid4 ,i have fifty good men here all ready to protect you4 ,mr4 ,abelard ,reynolds1 proprietor of the ,hall1 was on the platform1 determined to stand between us and the mob4 ,the ringleaders of the mob1 followed by their gang1 quickly disappeared4 ,our work1 as planned by the ,spirits1 for that time was done4 ,our triumph was complete4 ,the promises of our ,spirit friends and directors were all fulfilled4 ,however they may have allowed suspicion to come upon us1 which it was not in their power to prevent1 they had always brought us safe and sound out of the apparent difficulty1 and gained a signal triumph through our humble agency4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,mediumistic ,,vein ,,in ,,our ,,family4 ,,some ,,family ,,antecedents--,,our ,,great-,,grandmother--,,phantom ,,prophetic ,,funerals--,,vision ,,of ,a ,,tombstone ,,nine ,,years ,,in ,,advance1 ,,etc4 ,i will here interrupt the course of this narrative with a chapter about our family1 principally in reference to that peculiar and strange constitutional something1 which1 in us three children 7myself and the two younger ones1 ,margaretta and ,catharine71 has come out so strongly into what is called mediumship1 and which would seem to have been the cause why the ,spirits1 whose instruments we have been1 chose us for their purpose1 and imposed upon us the burden of what they called the duty1 against which we thus so long and hard1 but vainly1 struggled4 ,my parents were both native-born ,americans4 ,my father's ancestors were ,german2 the name having been originally ,voss1 which passed through ,foss into ,fox4 ,in my mother's family1 ,french1 ,english1 and ,dutch mingled4 ,her paternal grandfather1 ,john ,c4 ,smith1 was of ,english ancestry4 ,he married ,elizabeth ,blauvelt1 of descent from ,holland4 ,her maternal grandfather was ,french1 ,rutan by name1 and her maternal grandmother1 whose maiden name was ,margaret ,ackerman1 was also a descendant from ,holland1 and resided on ,long ,island with her parents until her marriage1 after which she removed to ,new ,york ,city1 where her only child1 my grandmother1 was born4 ,she 7,margaret ,rutan71 my mother's maternal grandmother1 had1 from childhood1 evinced the power of foretelling events4 ,she frequently followed phantom funerals1 and entering the grave-yard1 would stand and look on until the last rites had been performed1 after which she would turn away sorrowing4 ,she never felt timid until the ceremony was ended4 ,then she would find herself alone1 in her normal condition1 and remembering all she had seen1 and knowing also what would inevitably follow1 she would be sadly depressed4 ,on two occasions she was prevailed upon to tell whose funeral she had attended the previous night1 which caused her such intense distress of mind1 she besought them to never again urge her to reveal that which was made known to her during her somnambulic walks4 ,the moment the person ceased to breathe1 she would say1 ,mr4 or ,mrs4 7whoever it might be7 is dead4 ,if the death had taken place in a distant part of the country it would make no difference1 so long as the burial place was there4 ,she felt relieved as soon as the event transpired4 ,she always visited the grave-yard between the hours of twelve and two o'clock at night4 ,my grandfather frequently walked slowly after her to accompany her home on her return4 ,another remarkable feature used to attend these nocturnal excursions of my great-grandmother1 in the somnambulic condition1 when she would thus witness the celebration of funerals of persons who were at the time still alive and well4 ,she would see and recognize all the persons in attendance on the funeral1 from the officiating minister down1 and afterward remember and relate their names1 which used always to correspond with the fact as it afterward came about4 ,she would even tell by whose horses the body was brought to the grave 7in the country at that time there were no regular hearses1 and this service was performed by some friend or neighbor74 ,when the crowded phantom funeral was over she would awake to find herself alone in the graveyard2 sometimes with my grandfather 7her son-in-law7 awaiting at a little distance to accompany her return home4 ,but frequently she had no such watching attendant1 and ,i remember to have heard it said how distressing it would be for her to awake entirely alone and make her solitary way homeward1 from what she knew to be the foreshadowed interment of some one near and dear4 ,,my ,,aunt ,,elizabeth',s ,,vision ,,of ,,her ,,own ,,tombstone4 ,my mother's sister1 ,mrs4 ,elizabeth ,higgins1 had much the same faculty4 ,she never left her bed at night to visit scenes about to transpire1 but nearly everything of importance was foreshadowed in her dreams4 ,she would frequently relate them on the morning following4 ,one morning1 she gave us a relation of her dream4 ,she said1 laughingly1 to her brother3 ,i dreamed ,i had a fall1 last night4 ,you and ,i were riding on horseback1 when suddenly my horse stumbled and fell in front of ,judge ,perry's door4 ,i rolled down the little embankment1 and ,tom ,foot came and helped me up4 ,grandmother said1 ,that can't come true1 for ,tom is1 by this time1 far away4 ,they thought no more of it4 ,some time after1 her brother said to her1 ,bessie1 would you like to take a ride with me this morning8 ,she replied that she would1 and they soon started off1 each on a spirited horse1 never thinking of her dream1 until the horse stumbled and she fell and rolled down the bank1 exactly in front of ,judge ,perry's door4 ,tom came out and helped her up4 ,he had not gone away1 as he had contemplated doing4 ,mr4 ,robert ,dale ,owen1 in his ,foot-falls on the ,boundary of ,another ,world1 has given a more detailed account of her remarkable dreams4 ,i will only add the last sad fulfilment of a dream which she had some years previously to its fulfilment4 ,she was then in her nineteenth year4 ,she said1 ,i dreamed ,i was in a new country1 walking alone1 when suddenly ,i came to a small cemetery1 and1 walking up to one of the most prominent head-stones1 read the inscription1 which was this3 ,,in ,,memory ,,of ,,elizabeth ,,smith1 ,wife of ,h----1 ,who departed this life ,in the year of our ,lord #ah--1 ,aged #bg years1 #h months and #bf days4#f #f ,i am not entirely certain that ,i remember the number of days with distinctness3 it is very nearly correct4 ,she was deeply impressed by this dream1 and could not rest4 ,she left her bed1 and went into her mother's sleeping-room1 sobbing1 and related the dream4 ,her father and mother both endeavored to disabuse her mind of any belief in this unhappy dream4 ,he tenderly folded her in his arms and quoted from ,scripture many beautiful sayings1 such as3 ,of that day and hour knoweth no man3 no1 not even the angels in ,heaven4 ,she was comforted and seldom referred to her dream4 ,the gentleman to whom she was affianced died4 ,her father purchased a home1 and moved to ,sodus1 ,wayne ,county1 ,n4 ,y41 where she became acquainted with ,mr4 ,c4 ,higgins4 ,they were married1 and enjoyed five years of uninterrupted happiness4 ,the time was drawing near when she expected to become a mother4 ,uncle ,charles was a devoted husband1 and regretted that duty called him from home at this time4 7,he was engaged in ,albany on public business47 ,he could not rest2 he must return to his darling little wife1 and spend a few days with her1 and arrange with his brother1 ,dr4 ,higgins1 to remain as a protector and physician in his house1 until all danger had passed4 ,he came 7to her7 unexpected1 and she was delighted to see him4 ,the doctor came to remain as long as it was necessary4 ,her husband had already overstaid his time2 and1 as it was important for him to be in ,albany1 he was obliged to leave4 ,there were many anxious hearts that feared1 and silently prayed that their hopes of happiness might be realized4 7,i really do think that she had been reasoned out of belief in that dream47 ,she rejoiced and was happy when he promised her he would never again accept an office which would take him from home4 ,it was a bright1 lovely morning4 ,the team stood waiting at the gate1 to take him to ,newark 7ten miles71 the nearest point from which he could reach the canal packet boat1 for ,albany4 ,bessie walked with him to the gate 7about two hundred feet from the door71 where he tenderly embraced her and kissed her again and again1 promising that he would refrain from leaving home on business in the future4 ,he alluded in glowing terms to their prospects of happiness1 in the birth of their expected child1 and warned her of the danger of yielding to superstition4 ,he begged her not to repeat her dreams1 as they were the result of a disordered condition of health4 ,then1 taking her in his arms1 he carried her back to the house1 saying3 ,my darling1 ,i cannot part with you here at the gate2 permit me to remember you as seated in your pleasant room1 surrounded by loving friends1 and happy again4 ,he held her in a long1 fond embrace1 kissing her with tears and sobs1 and gently seating her in her easy-chair1 bade her farewell1 and rushed to the conveyance1 fearing to look back1 lest he should see her weeping at the door4 ,she wept some time after he was gone1 but soon felt more cheerful1 and frequently repeated what he had promised--that he would never leave home again after that season4 ,a week had passed1 and a little voice was heard4 ,she fondly clasped her babe to her breast and called it ,my little ,charles1 my darling baby6 ,oh6 how happy ,i am4 ,they were both doing well4 ,letters were sent to her husband by every mail1 which were duly received by him4 ,she wished the child would resemble his father1 who was a splendid man in every sense4 ,she too was perfect in form and feature4 ,it was the day on which she had attained her age of twenty-seven years1 eight months1 and twenty-six days1 the age marked on the tombstone she had seen in her dream of about nine years before4 ,all the family knew of it1 though she gave no sign of thinking of it1 and seemed entirely cheerful and happy4 ,the little one was two weeks old2 a letter was received that morning saying1 ,i shall be at home the last of this week4 ,i shall say farewell to ,albany4 ,words cannot express her joy at this unexpected announcement4 ,she directed everything1 how to dress the baby1 and arranged for them to go after her husband's mother and sister1 who had not seen the little one1 as they had been absent on a visit4 ,they were delighted to find ,bessie and the baby so well1 and the little ,charles looking so exactly like his father1 except that he had his mother's curly hair4 ,the mother seemed perfectly happy1 but there were anxious hearts that silently prayed to ,god to avert the fearful calamity1 which they feared might now be hanging over them4 ,the day was passing away4 ,she was well and cheerful4 ,her family were near her1 doing all they could to divert her thoughts from the date4 ,her minister1 ,rev4 ,mark ,johnson1 and his wife called to spend an hour with the family4 ,she was pleased to see them1 and united with them in prayer4 ,she called ,mrs4 ,johnson to see how sweetly the infant nestled in her bosom4 ,then1 turning to the minister she said1 ,mr4 ,johnson1 we shall have the baby christened ,charles ,smith ,higgins as soon as his father comes home4 ,the last rays of the setting sun shone on the tree tops4 ,once more she called attention to the child1 smiling on it the while2 when suddenly she exclaimed1 ,oh6 and placed one hand upon her breast1 while with the other pressing the babe closer to her bosom4 ,mother caught her in her arms1 her sister ,catharine ran to call the doctor2 but before they could enter the room1 her spirit had taken its flight to the immortal world4 ,her tombstone now records her dream1 verbatim1 in the old cemetery in ,sodus4 ,they directed letters to her husband and friends in ,albany1 also sent letters to every packet-boat going east and returning4 7,there were no railroads nor convenient telegraph wires at that time47 ,they published the sad news in all the papers1 and sent them to every place where he would be likely to get them4 ,he left ,albany on ,thursday1 expecting to reach home on ,sunday4 ,at ,lyons he left the boat1 thinking he could reach home some hours sooner by taking a private conveyance4 ,he met an acquaintance at the hotel1 who handed him a paper containing a special notice of the sudden death of ,mrs4 ,elizabeth ,higgins4 ,he saw no more1 but fell prostrated with overwhelming grief4 ,in vain they tried to rouse him until the reaction came4 ,the funeral was appointed for half-past two o'clock ,p4,m4 ,he had twenty miles to ride1 and it was nearly one o'clock then2 he called for a horse1 and started direct for the church1 hoping to reach there before the burial4 ,a large concourse had already assembled at the house1 which was about two miles distant from the church4 ,all were anxiously looking and waiting for the absent one4 ,the weather was extremely warm1 and they would proceed slowly2 so it was thought best to start4 ,several times they halted on the way4 ,every eye and ear were strained to catch the faintest sight or sound1 but all in vain4 ,the church was reached4 ,the mourners moved slowly up the aisle4 ,there was not a single heart in that large assembly which did not thrill with sorrowful emotion4 ,the congregation prayed in silence1 and sobs were heard in every part of the house4 ,the minister stood silent for a moment1 then slowly and distinctly said--,i am the resurrection and the life1 saith the ,lord4 ,his voice was deep and solemn1 and its clear tones penetrated every heart4 ,his eyes beamed with tenderness1 as he recounted with touching pathos the scenes of past happiness and this sad reverse4 ,he offered up petitions to the ,most ,high for the bereaved husband and friends4 ,after taking final leave of those dearly loved features1 so soon to be closed forever from our mortal vision1 we started for the cemetery1 distant about a quarter of a mile4 ,once more we halted4 ,all hearts were high-strung with the hope that ,uncle ,charles might yet arrive2 a prayer was said1 the last sad offices were performed1 and the friends returned1 with aching hearts1 to their bereaved home4 ,just as the family were entering the gateway1 a tired1 dusty rider came galloping at full speed4 ,he came from the cemetery1 where he had been seen to throw himself on the newly made grave1 and call1 in the bitter anguish of his soul1 ,my darling1 ,o1 my darling1 come back to me4 7,his sister's son witnessed the scene47 ,it was sad to see his manly form so bowed by sorrow4 ,he threw his arms around her sisters and held them in a long embrace2 then calling for the child1 he clasped it to his heart1 crying1 ,my ,bessie's baby6 ,oh1 my darling child6 ,you are all that is left to me4 ,i cannot describe his grief4 ,it can be better imagined1 than expressed in language4 ,,prophetic ,,clairvoyance4 ,another story of my great-grandmother1 which not only exists in the family1 but which ,i perfectly remember to have heard from her own lips1 illustrates her faculty of what ,i may call prophetic clairvoyance4 ,she had a friend and neighbor1 named ,urie1 who had a splendid team of horses1 of which he was very fond and proud1 but which she had often urged him to get rid of1 assuring him that they would cause his death if he did not4 ,her habitual manifestations of this faculty were during her somnambulic walks in the middle hours of the night2 but this ,i am now to relate occurred about noonday1 when she had not been asleep4 ,she was seated at a window which looked upon the road1 engaged in some work of embroidery1 when she was seen to start up1 rush out to the road and run at her utmost speed about a mile1 to a spot where the grassy side of the road sloped up to a fence4 ,at this spot 7followed by ,mr4 ,urie's wife and family71 she ran up to the fence1 and1 taking off her apron1 was seen to hold something1 seemingly enfolded in it1 with every indication of extreme agitation and distress4 ,with her hands clasped together she was seen to rock her body backward and forward in great distress over the something apparently covered by the apron4 ,exactly one year from that day she did see from her window ,mr4 ,urie's team running away wildly past the house1 dragging him entangled in the lines4 ,at the precise spot where she had stopped before1 now lay his dead body1 with the bloody face so torn and disfigured that she took off her apron to cover it up from sight4 ,my mother used frequently to receive warning of an approaching death in the family1 through a particular dream 7it was that of dining with ,general ,washington74 ,the recurrence of that dream always brought with it great distress to her mind1 and she used to say 7she was the soul of truth and all human goodness7 that this warning had never failed her4 ,much more on this subject of these indications of ancestral mediumship running in our family may be found in ,mr4 ,owen's ,foot-falls1 he having taken particular interest in inquiring into the aspect of the subject4 ,,brother ,,david4 ,besides ourselves1 who have been brought so prominently before the public1 my brother ,david and my other sisters have often given clear proofs of some form or degree of mediumship4 ,david and his wife can1 at almost any time1 communicate with ,spirits2 not only by sitting at a table1 but by together touching a chair1 or any other similar object1 the movements of which will signal to them the letters of the alphabet4 ,,uncle ,,john4 ,my mother's only brother1 ,john1 was once kicked on the head by a favorite horse1 which the blacksmith did not dare to shoe1 and which his young master once rashly attempted to handle for the purpose4 ,uncle ,john was carried into the hotel unconscious1 where he lay all night in that condition4 ,about twelve o'clock that night his sister1 ,aunt ,elizabeth 7,mrs4 ,higgins71 at home1 about thirty miles distant1 both heard and saw him walk across her room1 groaning in pain4 ,as he did not answer when she spoke to him1 she supposed he had not heard her1 and she went into her grandfather's room2 who1 speaking first before she could do so1 said1 ,what's the matter with ,john8 ,he has walked past my door several times1 holding his hand to his head1 and looked into my room2 but when ,i spoke1 he went away without answering me4 ,the next morning word came that he was lying1 dangerously injured1 at the hotel4 ,his father went immediately to him1 but found him unconscious and unable to speak4 ,he eventually recovered1 and declared that he had been at home with the family during the night of his injury4 ,his grandfather1 ,john ,c4 ,smith1 my great-grandfather1 ,english by birth1 was the one who saved me when lost in the woods4 7,see the curious story related on a future page47 ,i think he was the very noblest and grandest man ,i have ever known4 ,he was of unusual stature and strength1 of the sweetest temper and character1 as well as of superior intellect4 ,,mr4 ,,cook',s ,,death4 ,a party consisting of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,emerson1 ,mr4 ,cook--an ,english gentleman and a partner and intimate friend of ,mr4 ,emerson--mother1 her sister ,catharine1 ,ann ,emerson and myself 7we were little girls at that time71 drove to the ,sand ,hill burying-ground to visit the graves of our loved ones4 ,mr4 ,cook and my aunt rode in his carriage1 while the rest of us rode in the family carriage4 ,they arrived a little before we did1 and walked to ,mr4 ,e's4 plot1 where stooping he pulled up a flower and1 tossing it at my beautiful ,aunt ,catharine1 said1 ,i wonder who will lie here next8 ,after remaining a while we drove home1 in ,clinton ,street1 ,rochester1 where the nurse was standing with the babe ,georgie in her arms4 7,george was an uncommonly lovely boy1 named after ,mr4 ,cook47 ,when taking the child in his arms ,mr4 ,cook said1 ,o thou angel boy6 ,i must not neglect to will thee thy dower4 ,he remained with us through the evening and bade us good-night4 ,his house was nearly a mile away4 ,i retired with mother and her sister4 ,i slept in a trundle-bed drawn from under their large bed4 ,our family was then boarding there1 father being absent from home much of the time4 ,it was my habit to study my lessons in bed before going to sleep1 in which way ,i was sure to remember them in the morning2 and as there was to be a school exhibition next day1 it was late before ,i put out the candle1 when mother gave a fearful scream which brought every one to inquire the cause4 ,at first she declined to say anything about it--feeling very sure it must have been ,mr4 ,cook she had seen2 and she disliked to say anything more4 ,she however insisted upon having seen a man1 and described him as resting upon his hands on the bed1 bending over her sister ,catharine1 and looking her in the face2 she recognized the man to be ,mr4 ,cook4 ,they tried to impress her with the belief that it was a dream1 but she knew she had not slept4 ,early next morning a messenger woke up the household1 and announced that ,mr4 ,cook had dropped dead in the mill at #f ,a4,m4 ,he and ,mr4 ,emerson were the wealthy owners of the principal flouring mills on the ,genesee ,river1 at ,rochester4 ,mr4 ,cook's body was buried at the spot from which he had plucked the flower4 ,mr4 ,cook was no doubt sleeping quietly at the time they were searching the house to find the apparition just before the midnight hour1 as he said to his foreman on entering the mill1 in reply to his morning salutation1 ,i am well1 and ,i think ,i slept too well1 as ,i intended to be here at five o'clock4 ,he walked a moment longer and fell1 to rise no more4 ,,strange ,,occurrences ,,prior ,,to ,,grandfather',s ,,death4 ,my sister ,maria 7,mrs4 ,smith7 from her childhood has1 at certain times1 been able1 by gently touching her fingers to the lightest of tables1 to make it impossible for a strong man to lift it from the spot without danger of breaking it4 ,my sister1 ,mrs4 ,osterhout1 was also remarkable for intuitive knowledge1 dreams1 and visions4 ,some fifteen or sixteen years ago some singular manifestations occurred around the lingering death-bed of her husband4 ,about a week before his death my sister was called off to a room in the house1 five rooms distant from the one he occupied1 where some sewing women were at work1 really in preparation for his fast-nearing end4 ,on her return he told her he had heard all the directions she had been giving1 and repeated them to her4 ,the following extract is from a letter from my niece ,helen1 one of his children4 ,it speaks for itself3 ,a few days afterward we were all in the room1 and he said1 ',do you see8' ,we all looked in the same direction he was looking1 and saw a coffin being carried out of the house4 ,i shall never forget the look he gave us2 ,emma1 ,ben1 ,nannie1 and myself were in the room4 ,we all saw it4 ,three days before he died the boys were in the barn4 ,it being ,sunday1 we were busy doing the morning work1 when we were startled by what we thought to be the report of a gun4 ,a second time we heard the same report4 ,father said1 ',the boys have got the gun in the barn1' and wanted them to be called into the house2 but they had heard the second report1 which they thought was in the house1 and came in to see what was the matter4 ,we were now all gathered in father's room1 when a third report sounded still louder and seemed to be in the same room with us4 ,mother was very much affected1 and father said1 ',don't be frightened1 my darling1 it is only a warning of the near approach of my death4' ,there were a great many things at that time transpiring which were very mysterious4 ,lights were seen in the house and door-yard1 barn1 etc41 which could not be accounted for2 and sounds were heard as of sawing1 driving of nails1 etc4 ,,my ,,own ,,children4 ,all my children grew up into ,spiritualism naturally4 ,lillie1 once1 while lying awake in bed with her sister ,lizzie1 the gas being at half-light1 saw a lady standing in the corner of the room who then walked about it1 passed out1 and then re-entered it4 ,she wore a dress resembling her sister's wrapper1 with its peculiar large flowered pattern4 ,the bed being a wide one1 she was not in contact with her sister1 and supposed the figure to be ,lizzie1 and called to her to ask what she was about1 but she perceived that it was not her sister1 who was asleep by her side1 and whom she waked4 ,they turned up the light1 and the figure was no more there4 ,both were frightened1 and kept the light burning brightly for the rest of the night4 ,lillie used often to say to me1 ,mamma1 put out the light4 ,my guardian ,spirit will take care of me4 ,she had no fear of them4 ,georgie1 on the contrary1 was somewhat afraid1 and would say1 ,leave a little light1 mamma1 'cause the ,spirits are rapping4 ,leah would come flying down-stairs1 pale and almost breathless1 at the least indication of the presence of ,spirits4 ,still they all knew and believed in them1 and loved to sit in dark circles in our family alone and witness the different forms of manifestations4 ,lillie has an abnormal faculty which often gives entertainment to her friends4 ,she goes out of the room1 and any member of the company may hide any small object wherever he may please--such as a key or coin or anything convenient4 ,all the rest of the company are requested to fix their thoughts on the object and its place of concealment1 while careful not to do or say anything to suggest a clue4 ,on her entrance she takes his hand and applies it to her forehead1 still holding on to it and keeping her eyes shut4 ,she will then lead him to the spot where it is concealed4 ,she moves by starts1 he accompanying her passively4 ,she very rarely fails to find the article concealed4 ,,musical ,,mediumship4 ,i might tell much of the indications of the mediumistic character which have run through the children of the generation following our own2 that is to say1 those of my brother and sisters and myself1 including my nephew's little son of five years1 who plays on a child's harmonica with astonishing accuracy and beauty1 accompanying any musical performance and following every variation with whatever rapidity1 with his face kindled with excitement and delight2 the whole being spontaneous1 without ever having had any instruction4 ,he is 7,i have no doubt7 a musical medium1 of whom the world has seen several2 the most remarkable one being the idiot boy known as ,blind ,tom4 ,it is indeed evident enough that this mysterious gift1 or whatever it may be called1 is not destined to die out with the present generation4 ,the next instance of mediumship in the generation succeeding ourselves is such as to merit a chapter to itself4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,mediumistic ,,vein ,,in ,,our ,,family 7,continued74 ,,marvellous ,,writing ,,by ,a ,,baby ,,medium4 ,but ,i must mention more particularly the case of my little nephew1 the elder of the two children of my sister ,katie1 now ,mrs4 ,jencken 7pronounced ,yencken72 for ,i have now before me two pieces of writing actually executed by his baby fingers4 ,the story of the incident is as follows3 ,katie and ,i were sitting at the billiard table1 which then occupied the middle of our library1 with the child in my lap2 while his mother1 at my side1 was relating some of the incidents of the day4 7,she had been calling on old friends47 ,the child being troublesome in his movements and cries1 his mother1 to quiet him1 gave him the paper and pencil 7it was a piece of white blotting paper1 not much inked by use71 as the child was fond of scratching lines and marks4 ,she said1 ,there6 take that1 and keep still4 ,he dropped the paper once or twice1 and ,i picked it up and held one end of it1 he holding the other2 and with his disengaged hand ,i noticed that he was not making mere marks and scratches1 but that he was actually forming letters1 and ,i exclaimed1 ,why1 ,katie1 he is writing6 ,i shouldn't be surprised1 was her answer4 ,we watched the process1 as his dear little fingers were guided to complete1 in somewhat straggling letters1 though perfectly distinct1 ,grandma is here4 ,boysie4 ,it is not strong nor dark enough to be reproduced in photography1 but any respectable inquirer is welcome to inspection of the sentence written by the child1 then one year old4 ,his father had been delighted1 at his birth1 with the appearance of so beautiful a child2 and his baptismal name was ,ferdinand ,lowenstein ,diedrick4 ,his pet name was ,boysie4 ,the extent of his baby vocabulary at that time was papa and mamma4 ,my late brother-in-law1 ,mr4 ,jencken1 was a highly respected barrister in ,london4 ,he was prominent in the labors of the ,society for the ,codification of ,international ,law1 of which the well-known ,david ,dudley ,field is ,president2 who has said of him that not half a dozen men in all ,europe could compete with him4 ,besides the above-mentioned writing actually executed by this wonderful medium baby of about a year old1 which ,i have in my possession1 and of which ,i regret that it cannot be photographed1 ,i have before me also a photographic copy1 of carte de visite size 7sent me by ,mr4 ,jencken71 of a piece of writing executed by his infant fingers at the age of five months and eighteen days 7of course controlled by ,spirit power71 in these words3 ,i love this little boy4 ,god bless his mama4 ,j4 ,b4 ,f4 ,and below1 ,i am happy 7the last syllable of happy being scrawled very indistinctly74 ,below it is the following attestation by ,mr4 ,jencken's hand3 ,written by the infant boy of ,mrs4 ,jencken on the #aath ,march1 #ahgd1 aged five months and eighteen days4 ,mr4 ,jencken1 ,mrs4 ,jencken1 and nurse present4 ,on the rear of the card1 in the hand of ,mr4 ,jencken 7and in that of my sister1 ,katie1 for her signature71 is the further attestation3 ,the writing on the other side of this leaf was written by our infant child1 aged five months and eighteen days1 in our presence1 in a clear light1 the pencil having been placed in the baby's hand by an invisible agency4--,london1 #aath ,march1 #ahgd4 7,signed7 ,h4 ,d4 ,jencken4 7,signed7 ,k4 ,f4 ,jencken4 ,on the opposite page will be found lithographic copies of the two sides of the card above described4 ,illustration3 ,i love this little boy4 ,god bless his mama4 ,j ,b ,f1 ,i am happy ,written by the infant boy of ,mrs ,jencken on the #aa ,march #ahgd1 aged #e months #ah days ,mr ,jencken1 ,mrs ,jencken nurse present4 ,the writing on the other leaf was written by our infant child1 aged #e months #ah days1 in our presence1 in a clear light1 the pencil having been placed in the baby's right hand by an invisible agency4 ,london #aa ,march #ahgd4 ,h4 ,d4 ,jencken4 ,k4 ,f4 ,jencken4 ,among my loose papers ,i find a newspaper article from the ,london ,spiritualist of ,december #ab1 #ahgc1 respecting this extraordinary child3 ,,mediumship ,,of ,a ,,baby4--,h4 ,d4 ,jencken1 ,barrister-at-,law1 of #ec ,brompton-,crescent1 ,brompton1 has had further disturbances in his house1 in consequence of the mediumship of his little boy1 aged two months4 ,last ,friday ,mr4 ,jencken and ,mrs4 ,jencken 7,kate ,fox7 went to the great scientific soire at the ,crystal ,palace1 and that same evening1 about nine o'clock1 their housemaid1 ,elizabeth1 went up-stairs to the front drawing-room to turn down the gas burners4 ,as she approached the door she saw its handle turn round and she cried out1 ',who is that8' ,the door then opened1 and a veiled figure looked out at her4 ,she only saw a part of the face1 because the white drapery about it hid the rest1 and she fancied that the eyes had an evil look4 ,she ran down-stairs and gave the alarm to the cook and sempstress1 saying that she thought thieves were in the house4 ,just after this occurred on the first floor1 the nurse1 ,mrs4 ,macarthy1 who was watching the baby in a room near the top of the house1 heard footsteps outside2 the door gently opened1 and a short woman1 young and pleasant-looking1 robed in white1 entered1 and returned quickly1 twice4 ,at first the nurse thought that a joke was being played upon her2 but1 upon searching the adjoining room and landing1 she could not find anybody4 ,she then went down-stairs and joined the three servants below1 who had previously heard footsteps going up-stairs from the drawing-room to the nursery4 ,the cook then went for a policeman1 and the other three servants went up to the nursery1 where they heard rapping noises and voices2 the latter were not sufficiently distinct to be intelligible4 ,they also heard footsteps going right up to the top of the house4 ,when the police arrived they searched the house and found nothing4 ,just as they were going away1 some footsteps followed them down the stairs4 ,one of the policemen turned round and said that the noises must be caused by a ghost4 ,three days previously the housemaid had seen a figure in the drawing-room4 ,it suddenly disappeared4 ,this form1 she said1 was covered with a shawl1 like that worn by ,mrs4 ,jencken before she left the house4 ,was it ,mrs4 ,jencken's 'double1' present there in consequence of her constant thoughts about the baby8 ,the nurse says she has seen hands making passes over the baby1 and has heard raps at the head of the child's bedstead1 and once the pillow was pressed down by an unseen hand4 ,on another occasion1 a gold ring was seen knocking against the iron rail at the head of the bedstead4 ,last ,sunday we questioned the nurse and housemaid on all these points4 ,they were in a very nervous state about the whole matter1 and evidently deeply impressed by the circumstances1 since they knew nothing about ,spiritualism1 until these phenomena forced themselves upon their attention4 ,mr4 ,jencken tells us that a few days ago1 about six o'clock in the morning1 while it was yet dark1 ,mrs4 ,jencken brought the child to him4 ,a strong light streamed from both the eyes of the baby1 and illuminated its face1 and raps said1 ',we are looking at you through the eyes of the baby4' ,when ,mr4 ,jencken stated this1 we called his attention to the circumstance that a similar thing had occurred in connection with the mediumship of ,swedenborg1 whose eyes shone for a time with such lustre1 as to frighten some persons who unexpectedly entered his room4 ,in that case also1 the ,spirits said that they were looking through his eyes4 ,on several occasions recently1 while we have been present at sances at ,mr4 ,jencken's house1 footsteps have been heard outside1 and the rustling of a dress against the door4 ,on quickly opening the door1 nobody was there4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,jencken leave town for ,brighton next ,monday4 ,for a further specimen of ,spirit writing executed by the fingers of this marvellous infant1 the reader is referred to page #eej of ,mrs4 ,e4 ,hardinge ,britten's recent great work1 entitled ,nineteenth ,century ,miracles4 ,the writing in this case was1 ,i love this little child ,god bless him advise his father to go back to ,london on ,monday by all means4 ,susan4 ,the attesting witnesses are1 ,i4 ,wason1 ,k4 ,f4 ,jencken1 ,e4 ,buffum1 ,new ,church ,college1 ,devonshire ,street1 ,islington1 ,london1 and the mark of ,mrs4 ,mc,carthy1 the nurse who held the child4 ,from a letter from ,mr4 ,jencken ,i know that this advice to him to go back to ,london on ,monday by all means was good counsel4 ,it proved that his presence there was necessary for important business4 ,mrs4 ,britten's book 7p4 #eej7 gives a facsimile of this communication as written by ,spirit power through the tiny fingers of a baby4 ,my sister wrote me at the time a long letter about it1 full of anxiety lest so wonderful a child could not be expected to grow up to health4 ,its correctness is therefore unimpeachable4 ,but ,i must add that the letter-press at the bottom1 in which the age of the infant is given as nine days1 is a manifest mistake1 probably typographical4 ,it is quite sufficient that his age counted by months4 ,as a human achievement by such baby fingers1 it would be incredible2 as the act of a ,spirit employing those of a remarkable baby medium1 it is simple enough to the apprehension of any experienced ,spiritualist4 ,what future awaits this child remains to be seen4 ,the house of his parents used for a time to be overrun by people of rank too high to be 7in that country7 refused admittance1 who wanted to see some specimens of his mediumistic manifestations2 until his parents wisely determined to break it all off1 and not allow any exercise of his powers in that line to be indulged in1 till he shall have reached the age of adult physical development in health and strength4 ,the child is now about ten years of age1 and1 ,i rejoice to say1 healthy1 active1 and bright1 as well as beautiful2--and further that his parents have kept him entirely aloof from mediumship--to which course ,i strongly advised them4 ,,our ,,mother ,,and ,,father4 ,our dear mother 7who passed from this life to the next on the #c;d ,august1 #ahfe7 was a woman of sound intellect1 gentle disposition1 very charitable1 and just to every one4 ,she had great power of discrimination1 and seldom failed in her estimate of character4 ,her portrait looks down upon me from our parlor wall2 and when ,i look up into her blessed face1 my first impulse is to fall upon my knees and thank my ,god that ,i have had such a mother4 ,robert ,dale ,owen was one day sitting in the back parlor1 engaged in writing4 ,he remained with us three months1 at my husband's invitation1 while writing his ,foot-falls on the ,boundary of ,another ,world4 ,he sat at equal distance from mother and her portrait1 alternately looking from one to the other4 ,as ,i stepped in the door1 he turned to me and said1 ,mrs4 ,underhill1 if that were the portrait of my mother1 and she were living1 as yours now is1 and could sit for another every day1 ,i would not take a thousand dollars for it4 ,i never saw a portrait so perfectly correct in my life1 and ,i doubt if you could ever get another so perfect4 ,our father was not as well known to the public4 ,situated as we were1 our parents concluded that1 as we were compelled to travel and submit to all investigations necessary to establish a new truth 7for new it was1 to us71 or to submit to1 or rest under the condemnation of the world at large1 we must of necessity have suitable companions4 ,therefore it was decided that mother and ,calvin should go wherever we went4 ,our father was a member of the ,methodist ,episcopal ,church1 and was a class leader at the time of his death 7on the #ajth ,january1 #ahfe74 ,one ,sunday morning he was ready to go to church and stood in the library1 waiting for my husband1 who was going with him4 ,i stood beside him when suddenly the signal for the alphabet was given4 ,i repeated the letters1 and the ,spirit said1 ,my dear son1 it is a pleasure to me to attend you to the church4 ,i always go with you there4 ,his chest heaved1 and with tears in his eyes he said1 ,are you the ,spirit of my dear mother now speaking to me8 ,the answer was1 ,yes1 ,i am your mother ,catharine4 ,he then asked1 ,is my father here too8 ,answer1 ,yes1 my dear son4 ,i bless you this morning4 ,we shall all be together in ,heaven soon4 ,,david4 ,i asked him1 ,do you think the ,methodists would approve of this if you were to read it to them8 ,he replied1 ,it would matter little to me whether they did or not4 ,i not only believe it but ,i know it is true1 and the time will come when they will all believe it4 ,mr4 ,underhill then went with him to church1 and when they returned he said to me 7holding up the little message in his hand71 ,this1 to me1 is far stronger proof of a glorious immortality than all the preachers on earth could give me4 ,mother was also a member of the same church in ,rochester in #ahdi4 ,she was officially waited upon in ,arcadia by a very young preacher 7hardly twenty years of age in appearance7 who had1 evidently1 but little experience in the office to which he had been specially called to save souls4 ,he introduced himself as the servant of the ,lord1 and1 walking up to mother1 said1 ,this is sister ,fox1 ,i suppose8 ,mother replied1 ,i am ,mrs4 ,fox4 ,well1 ,mrs4 ,fox1 there is a complaint against you for countenancing your children in carrying on a wicked deception4 ,it is calculated to do much harm1 and it is contrary to the religion of the ,bible4 ,he urged her to make her confession before the church1 and cause her children to discontinue their unholy pursuit1 and she could remain in good standing in the church4 ,this little man was a circuit preacher1 and we suppose had taken upon himself to do the ,lord's work1 in his own way1 as we never heard from him again2 and ,i seriously doubt if any one ever sent him4 ,it recalls what ,sojourner ,truth said to the preacher1 when she was attending a woman's rights meeting in the church and a violent thunder-storm came up1 with peal after peal shaking the building to its foundation1 when the minister arose and proposed that they should adjourn1 as he thought the ,lord was angry on account of the movement1 and he believed it was wicked to hold such a meeting in a church4 ,sojourner arose and said to him1 ,set still1 chile4 ,don't you be afeared4 ,i don' believe the ,lord ever hearn tell on you4 ,mother was never expelled from the church1 but the leading members came to our side--minister and all4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a celebrated seer has publicly asserted that rapping mediums are necessarily of nervous temperament1 apprehensive of evil1 and usually diseased4 ,there has never been in our family1 so far as ,i have been able to trace them1 on either side1 a taint of disease2 from my mother's grandfather ,rutan1 who lived to be ninety-three years of age1 and her grandfather on her father's side1 ,john ,c4 ,smith1 who was more than eighty years of age when he left this sphere of existence4 ,the same is true of my father's father and grandfather1 neither of whom were diseased4 ,we have been singularly free from all manner of ailments so common in thousands of families4 ,we had no taint of hereditary scrofula1 were never subject to inflammatory diseases4 ,healthy1 sound1 and strong1 not easily frightened1 steadfast in faith1 and never disposed to believe anything without evidence4 ,i have very little interest in anything covered by the words theoretic speculations1 or in self-induced conditions1 in which many thousands who stand on rostrums and teach the anxious inquirers after truth that of which they themselves know little or nothing4 ,my motto is3 ,live up to your highest light4 ,listen to the small voice within1 and obey the dictates of your conscience4 ,do unto others as you would be done by4 ,follow the golden rule4 ,go worship where and what your conscience1 not pride1 leads you1 and you need not fear to meet your ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,justice as well as reverential duty has prompted my gracing the title-page with the portrait of my mother1 rather than follow the customary practice of placing upon it that of the author1 by way of personal introduction to the eye of the reader4 ,though1 as has been seen1 our father had but little part to play beyond that of consenting spectator in the early history of ,spiritualism1 yet my mother's part in it1 and services to its cause1 were of the highest value and importance4 ,her strength1 moral and mental1 as the central figure of our family group before the public1 largely supported us in our mission1 in which she always accompanied and protected us2 nor1 after she had once yielded her consent and acceptance of the duty1 did she ever begrudge her time and her labors thus withdrawn from the private life of domesticity1 which would have been infinitely her preference4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,rochester 7,continued74 ,,repeat ,,the ,,lord',s ,,prayer--,,first ,,money ,,accepted--,,muscular ,,quakerism--,,letter ,,from ,,george ,,willets--,,letter ,,from ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson--,,caution ,,against ,,consultation ,,of ,,spirits ,,about ,,worldly ,,interests4 ,to resume the narrative interrupted at page #gd4 ,we left ,corinthian ,hall about ten o'clock ,p4,m41 and returned with ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,post1 to their hospitable ,quaker home4 ,we had passed the fiery ordeal4 ,it had been a wearisome1 exhausting trial4 ,we needed rest1 and it was thought advisable for us to remain there a few days4 ,many people called at our house on ,troup ,street1 and1 when they were informed of our absence1 subsequently called at ,mr4 ,post's to see us1 but were refused admittance under the circumstances which imposed the necessity4 ,before we left this home of our kind and dear friends1 mother and ,kathie returned4 7,the latter had been to ,mr4 ,capron's1 in ,auburn1 and returned with mother to ,rochester47 ,mother had not heard of the public investigation1 and thus was spared all the anxiety and torture of mind which we had undergone4 ,she declared that if she had been there she would not have permitted it4 ,we were consoled by the reflection that we had fairly gained the victory1 and cleared ourselves from the charges of deception2 and that was our first and chief desire4 ,we believed we had done our duty1 and rejoiced that we had been so truly1 so kindly and so nobly supported1 and so honorably acquitted4 ,mother was rejoiced at our success and began to feel more resigned4 ,many persons continued to call1 and all were anxious to learn from us and the ,spirits something more than they were able to get through popular report or the newspapers4 ,we often refused to see them1 and declared we would not again subject ourselves to the criticisms of those who knew little or nothing of the subject1 and were in general so bitterly hostile and prejudiced against it4 ,oh1 how little did we know of all that was before us6 ,we had just opened the door to the public curiosity and interest2 and it was not for us to discriminate who should enter therein4 ,the people came from every direction4 ,we knew not what to do4 ,judge ,hascall came to spend an evening with us1 bringing with him a large party of his friends1 viz41 ,judge ,summerfield1 ,hon4 ,j4 ,hedden1 ,andrew ,stewart1 ,mr4 ,duncan ,mc,naughton1 ,judge ,chamberlain1 ,mr4 ,mc,kay1 and ,mr4 ,mc,vean4 ,one of these parties was known to his friends as an extreme infidel in religious matters4 ,several of the parties named had visited us before1 and they had urged ,mr4 ,mc,naughton to spend the evening with us4 ,he tried to excuse himself1 but they insisted1 and he finally consented to do so2 they clearly understood that he was not to take any part in the investigation4 ,they arrived at about eight o'clock ,p4,m4 ,judge ,hascall introduced the gentlemen as his friends and neighbors from ,genesee ,county1 ,n4 ,y4 ,they were all distinguished men1 holding high positions in their several pursuits4 ,no sooner had we taken our seats at the table1 than the ,spirits spelled out1 ,my dear son1 repeat the ,lord's prayer4 ,each member looked at the others inquiringly1 but no word was spoken except to ask ,who8 ,the rappings answered1 ,my dear son1 ha'e ye forgotten your puir auld mither8 ,o my son1 repeat the ,lord's prayer4 ,mr4 ,mc,naughton was a very tall man1 with a strong ,scotch accent4 ,the rapping still continued to call upon him to repeat the ,lord's prayer4 ,he looked from one to another1 but said nothing4 ,his friends urged him to comply with the ,spirit's request2 but he was disgusted1 and thought it was a trick which his friends were playing upon him1 and as they were very jolly1 he would not make himself ridiculous by resenting it3 but still no further manifestations came1 under the then state of things4 ,his friends told him that if he wanted to witness anything further he would have to comply with the request of the ,spirit4 ,after much persuasion1 he reluctantly commenced in a very low1 indistinct manner to mumble something that sounded like ,our father1 which art in heaven4 ,by this time a universal roar of laughter broke from the company4 ,still1 the ,spirit urged him to go on1 and he began again with little better success4 ,his friends knew full well it had been many a day since he had prayed with his dear auld mither4 ,the ,spirit then spelled that all should join in repeating the ,lord's prayer1 and we all united in its repetition4 ,the responsive rappings of approval were heard all over the room--on the table1 chairs1 floor1 and wall4 ,mr4 ,mc,naughton looked astonished4 ,the table danced with evident joy1 and we were obliged to move back4 ,there it stood1 upon one foot1 fairly dancing4 ,mr4 ,mc,naughton exclaimed boldly1 in his ,scotch dialect1 ,exthraordinary6 ,exthraordinary6 ,i begin to understand it now4 ,the laughter was over4 ,the ,spirit of his mother said1 ,my dear son1 do you remember how we used to repeat the ,lord's prayer together1 when you were a little laddie8 ,yes1 mother4 ,yes1 ,i comprehend it all4 ,i am converted to the truth of ,spiritual manifestations4 ,the company remained until ten o'clock1 and the manifestations were very satisfactory4 ,they felt more than gratified1 and1 to use their own words1 said1 ,we cannot go away without giving you some remuneration for the time you have kindly spent with us4 ,mr4 ,mc,naughton had just lost a lovely daughter1 and she gave him sweet assurance of her undying love and her immortal existence4 ,this is the first instance in which we had ever been offered payment for our time4 ,they offered it in kindness and good faith1 believing it was justly our due4 ,but to us it seemed humiliating4 ,we had not needed such aid1 as my brother furnished us with provisions from the farm1 and1 with what ,i still had left of that received for teaching1 ,i had enough for present purposes2 and ,i fully intended to return with mother1 and live at the old home4 ,still our friends insisted that we should not refuse their kindly intended gift4 ,this first money was received on ,november #bh1 #ahdi4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i will here introduce1 for love and veneration to his memory1 a letter written about this time by our excellent ,quaker friend ,george ,willets1 of ,rochester1 to ,mr4 ,e4 ,w4 ,capron1 who handed it over to me4 ,he was one of the noblest of men4 ,and ,quaker as he was 7he was one of the ,progressive ,friends1 commonly called ,hicksites71 ,i once witnessed a scene in which a just and righteous indignation caused him to cast off his coat1 in readiness to deal in very mundane fashion with an unworthy and misbehaving member of one of the investigating committees4 ,i've never fought a man in my life1 he said1 but ,i will not stand by and see thee insult these children4 ,the assailant wilted down4 ,the provocation was such that ,i am sure the angel who may have charge of the short record of ,quaker sins1 after writing it dropped a tear on the words and blotted them out forever4 ,,letter ,,from ,,george ,,willets4 7,about end of #ahdh47 ,dear friend1 ,e4 ,w4 ,capron3 ,it is with some reluctance that ,i furnish you with the following statement4 ,not that ,i am afraid to tell the truth1 but that the world1 as ,i conceive1 is not ready to receive such truths yet4 ,ridicule will probably be heaped upon me2 but when ,i consider that it is the ignorant only who use that weapon1 perhaps ,i can afford to stand up and say1 ,let the storm come4 ,all who know me can say whether ,i have been truthful from my youth up1 yea or nay2 and the strongest language that ,i can use is to say that the following statement is strictly and entirely true4 ,in the summer of #ahdh1 ,i had concluded1 from the best judgment that ,i could bring to my aid1 that it was best for my family to remove somewhere among the wilds of the ,west4 ,accordingly ,i took a tour of observation1 and finding some land in ,michigan1 that suited me better than any other1 belonging to a gentleman living in ,rochester1 ,i stopped on my return1 in order1 if possible1 to negotiate for it4 ,i stayed with my friend and relative1 ,isaac ,post1 and while there he told me of certain sounds being heard in the city2 and that they displayed intelligence1 and purported to be made by ,spirits1 or persons invisible to us4 ,i was really sceptical about any such things1 but at his solicitation went to examine the matter4 ,the persons with whom these sounds seemed to be1 ,i had never seen nor heard of before1 and my friend was careful not to tell them who ,i was1 or where ,i had been4 ,it seems that the question was asked whether there was any communication for me1 and the direction from the sounds was1 that three persons be magnetized2 two of whom were present1 and one was sent for from a neighboring family4 ,i did not know the name of any person present1 and ,i was also certain that none of them knew me4 ,after the three persons were put in the clairvoyant state1 one of them said1 ,we have got to go to ,michigan4 ,they all agreed that they had got to go there1 and on my account4 ,they did seem all to go there1 and began to describe places and things which ,i had seen1 and at length came to a piece of land which they said was the place they came to look at4 ,they then described the land so accurately1 which ,i had stopped in ,rochester to buy1 that ,i began to wonder who had told them4 ,they all1 with one accord1 then said1 ,but he must not go there4 ,his father says that he had better not go4 ,as they said this1 there came a loud sound close to my chair1 and ,i sat some distance from any other person4 ,they spoke much of my father1 and what his mind was1 and at each time that same sound was heard4 ,up to this time ,i had not spoken a word1 but found the big drops of perspiration starting from my face4 ,i gathered courage1 and thought ,i would dispel that illusion directly4 ,i said1 ,as you assume to know my father1 and what his mind is concerning me1 perhaps you can tell his name4 ,they all seemed to look steadily for some time1 then commenced and spoke slowly and deliberately these letters3 ,w-i-l-l-i-a-m ,w-i-l-l-e-t-s4 ,at each letter the loud sound that ,i first heard was again heard1 and felt immediately under my feet4 ,i never was so astonished in my life1 and involuntarily said1 ,what does all this mean8 ,the sounds then said1 by the alphabet being called over1 that they had better be awakened1 and the first loud sounds said1 ,i will talk with ,george1 and tell him all about it4 ,the direction was for ,mr4 ,post1 myself1 and a little girl1 thirteen years old1 to go by ourselves4 ,and here ,i wish it distinctly understood1 that all which ,i shall relate as obtained from those sounds1 was in the presence only of my friends1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,post1 myself1 and the little girl spoken of4 ,as what follows all purported to be from my father1 ,i will say that his name was ,william ,willets1 a member of the ,society of ,friends1 widely known at ,westbury1 ,long ,island1 where he lived until nearly sixty years of age1 and subsequently at ,skaneateles1 ,onondaga ,county1 where he died in #ahda4 ,the communication by sounds then went on to say that it was my father who was present and talking with me2 and three hours were consumed at the first interview4 ,in saying to me what his counsel was1 it always assumed to counsel and advise1 but never to dictate4 ,he said that it was not best for us to go to ,michigan1 and gave various reasons1 among which were that we should not enjoy ourselves in a new country1 and that my health would not be competent for the task of clearing up new land2 and that he foresaw1 if we did go1 that we should come back again1 and would be less in number than when we went4 ,i then asked what was best to do4 ,the answer then was1 ,come to ,rochester4 ,i replied that ,i knew of no business that ,i could do in ,rochester4 ,the sounds said1 ,i will tell thee when thee comes4 ,i asked if ,i might know now4 ,the answer was1 ,no1 no business is needed until thee comes1 and then ,i will tell thee4 ,the sounds then said1 that after a time it would be best for me to buy some land4 ,i asked where4 ,the sounds then spelled out the name of a man whom no one present knew1 and said that he owned fifty acres of land on such a street adjoining the city1 and such a distance from the centre of the city2 that he would sell any part4 ,i asked the price that would be asked4 ,the sounds were heard and counted by three of us1--one hundred and fifty times in succession1--to tell us the number of dollars per acre that would be asked4 ,the sounds said that we had better go the next day and see if this was so1 and said that we should not see the man until ten o'clock1 though we might look for him as early as we pleased4 ,in the morning ,i looked in the ,directory and there found the name spelled out to us1 and went to his residence at seven o'clock1 and was informed that he was gone to a distant part of the city1 and would not be home until twelve o'clock4 ,we then went to find him1 and had some difficulty in doing so1 but after talking with him five or six minutes1 looked at the time1 and it was seven minutes past ten4 ,this person said that he owned fifty acres on the street told us by the sounds1 and that he would sell any part4 ,when ,i asked him the price1 he showed me a map with the price of each lot marked1 and taking the number of acres said by the sounds to be best to buy1 and averaging the price1 it was the price told us by the sounds1 within six one-hundredths of a dollar per acre4 ,i then went home to my family and pondered over these strange things4 ,many were the conflicts in my own mind1 and ,i heard the cry from all quarters of humbug1 deception1 fraud2 but ,i could not believe that ,i wanted to deceive myself4 ,three months ,i thought of these things deeply1 and ,i could not go to ,michigan4 ,i concluded1 if it was deception1 it would do the world some good to find it out4 ,the first of ,december1 #ahdh1 ,i moved from ,waterloo to ,rochester4 ,a few days after getting here1 the little girl spoken of came round to our house1 and said that the spirit had directed her to come2 for what purpose she did not know2 we inquired what it was1 and this was the communication3 ,i told thee if thee would come to ,rochester1 ,i would tell thee where thee could find employment3 in four days from this time ,i will tell thee4 ,in the meantime the anti-slavery folks are going to hold their fair2 would it not be well for thee to help them8 ,no one was present at this time except my wife1 the little girl1 and myself4 ,the four days went by1 and again1 without solicitation1 and without thinking the time was up1 the girl came again4 ,the communication was1 ,apply to ,william ,wiley1 ,superintendent of the ,auburn and ,rochester ,railroad1 to-morrow at two o'clock1 at his office1 for a situation1 and thee will have one before this week is out4 ,this was ,thursday4 ,i was a stranger to ,mr4 ,wiley1 and ,i called on ,mr4 ,post1 and told him the direction1 and asked him if the next day he would go with me4 ,that evening he1 happening to be at the depot1 inquired if ,mr4 ,wiley was at home1 and was told that he was in ,boston1 and1 by a letter just received1 would not be at home till ,friday night4 ,i was told by the sounds on ,wednesday to apply on ,thursday at two o'clock4 ,thursday at half-past one1 instead of going to the railroad office1 ,i went round where these sounds were heard1 and said1 ,how is this8--,i am told to apply to ,william ,wiley1 and he is in ,boston4 ,the sounds said3 ,go to his office now1 he is there4 ,i called for ,mr4 ,post and walked immediately there1 and found ,mr4 ,wiley in his office4 ,he said that he had returned sooner than he expected to when he wrote the letter4 ,mr4 ,post said that ,i was a relative of his1 and wished employment2 and ,mr4 ,wiley replied that they were all full1 with abundant applications1 and could give no encouragement whatever4 ,we walked back1 thinking deeply1 and ,i went where the sounds were heard again4 ,i inquired1 ,how is this8--,mr4 ,wiley has no place for me6 ,the answer was3 ,thee will have a place on the cars1 and will know it before the week is out4 ,on ,saturday night1 at dark1 ,i met ,mr4 ,post1 and he asked if ,i had heard anything from ,mr4 ,wiley4 ,i replied1 ,not a word4 ,at eight o'clock on that same evening ,mr4 ,post called at my house1 and said that ,mr4 ,wiley had just been at his store1 and said that he had a place for me1 and wished me to call at his office on ,monday morning4 ,as ,mr4 ,wiley did not tell what place ,i was to fill1 ,i again asked the sounds what it was2 and they said it was to go as baggage-master between this place and ,auburn4 ,on ,sunday morning ,i wrote to my friend ,james ,truman1 of ,waterloo1 stating that ,i should pass through that place on ,monday following1 in the capacity above stated1 before ,i knew from ,mr4 ,wiley what place he wanted me to fill2 and he can probably testify to that fact4 ,one month after ,i had been running on the cars1 ,i learned that the person whose place ,i took had done things worthy of a dismissal1 previous to my being directed to make application1 which did not come to ,mr4 ,wiley's notice till the day on which ,i received the appointment4 ,these things have only been known to a few friends2 you and the world now have them4 ,i have many communications1 penned down at the time they were received1 purporting to be from my father1 all of the most elevating character1 inciting me to goodness1 purity and honesty of heart1 and ever pointing to the endless progression of man4 ,in conclusion1 ,i may say that ,i have examined the matter attentively for one year and a half1 and have had abundant opportunities to do so1 and am prepared to say1 although the sounds may cease to-day1 and never be heard again1 they have displayed a remarkable degree of intelligence1 and were not made by any person visible to us4 7,signed7 ,,george ,,willets4#g #g ,i feel bound to call attention to the fact that the directions narrated in this letter were volunteered by the ,spirits to ,mr4 ,willets1 not sought by him1 and they were all strictly correct4 ,they led to this good and serviceable friend being established in ,rochester1 where he became very useful to us and to the nascent ,cause to which the ,spirits had called and devoted us4 ,but ,i am anxious to caution the reader against the error of consulting ,spirits for information or direction about matters of worldly interest4 ,they will probably get answers1 but from mocking and deceptive ,spirits1 who step in when the good and true ones decline to intervene4 ,it is not the mission of good ,spirits to mingle in affairs of mere non-spiritual interest4 ,beware of what is called business mediumship1 and of directions respecting fortune-making or fortune-telling4 ,never forget that there are tricksters and liars out of the flesh as well as in it2 which is little to be wondered at since so many of that character are daily passing out from the one condition into the other1 when they remain for periods often prolonged1 earth-bound by their own selfish viciousness4 ,we should never do more than ask good ,spirits to guide us by their kindly influences1 and then do the best in the situation that we can according to our best lights of conscience and judgment4 ,nor can we ever transfer to ,spirit counsellors our own moral and mental responsibilities4--,a4 ,l4 ,u4 ,before proceeding further ,i desire at this point to insert in this volume an interesting letter1 addressed to the ,rochester ,daily ,advertiser1 by our friend ,mr4 ,john ,e4 ,robinson1 also1 like ,mr4 ,willets1 a well-known and distinguished member of the ,society of ,friends4 ,the controversy on the rapping and the general spiritual manifestations after the public investigation could no longer be suppressed4 ,it became a subject which elicited much comment in the public prints2 but in relation to which the ,spiritualists had nothing to fear4 ,their opponents1 generally1 wrote without ever having examined it2 and graded the vehemence of their opposition by the strength of their fealty to the teachings of their leaders4 ,one of these acknowledged leaders was ,chester ,dewey1 ,d4,d41 of the ,rochester ,collegiate ,institute1 who1 without seeking to investigate the subject1 claimed to recognize it as a fraud in its inception and wicked in its designs2 and thus recorded his opinion in the public press at ,rochester4 ,his letters to the ,rochester ,daily ,advertiser1 at the time1 drew forth the following rejoinder by ,mr4 ,robinson1 of that city1 which was published in the columns of that paper3 ,,the ,,rapping ,,mystery4 ,,messrs4 ,,editors3 ,there has been a vast deal of ink shed upon the above-named subject1 and much of it to but little purpose1 except to demonstrate the willingness of individuals to show up before the world the least attractive features of their intellectual and moral characters4 ,far the greater number of paragraphists who have essayed to enlighten the world on this subject1 and protect this community in particular from humbug1 as they are pleased to term it1 have made up their various articles of exceedingly cheap material4 ,ridicule1 the fool's argument1 has formed the chief staple of their lucubrations4 ,denunciation1 unsparingly poured out1 has been heaped upon the heads of those most immediately connected with this singular phenomenon1 and an unwarrantable and unmanly meanness1 which has led the writers1 almost without exception1 to traduce the character of the ,fox family1 and has taught us how easy it is for men to forget their manhood and stoop to a point at which they can lay claim to but little of the nobility of human nature4 ,i1 for one1 can find an apology for the penny-a-liners who have poured their puerile effusions at the knocking mystery4 ,they do but cater for a public sentiment and public ignorance in this matter2 and their bread-and-butter demands of them that they shall not wave their inky wands beyond the line of that opinion4 ,but there are some for whom we cannot make this apology4 ,i notice in your paper of #bc;d inst4 a communication over the signature of ,c4 ,d4 ,the writer of said article lays claim 7and not a groundless one7 to the reputation of a man of wisdom4 ,he is known among us as the expounder of laws natural and divine4 ,his picture1 so he tells us1 hangs from the walls of the ,athenum1 and looks down complacently upon its visitors as a teacher of the exact and occult sciences4 ,the community in which he lives has nourished him during a long lapse of years1 has accredited to him the prerogatives he has claimed1 and has looked up to him1 as one clothed with authority1 to enlighten it upon all abstruse subjects4 ,and yet1 with the knowledge 7which he must possess7 that if anything be spoken of it must be spoken of understandingly1--that a man in his position utterly disregards the safety of his reputation who rushes to record an opinion without ascertaining that it is tenable1 and that he has facts to sustain him2 this self-same ,c4 ,d41 this ,solon of the closet and pulpit1 without a particle of evidence1 in the absence of all personal observation1 rushes in the hot haste of blind folly to the press1 and tells the good people that the phenomenon in question is no phenomenon at all1 but only a sheer humbug6 a miserable delusion1 cunningly contrived1 but fit only to deceive such fanatical fools as have been chasing shadows from time immemorial1 down to the advent of ,mormonism4 ,this word humbug is in great request4 ,it is of modern origin1 and the moderns are making the most of it4 ,everything new1 while going through its incipient stage1 is denominated 'humbug4' ,everything and everybody a whit in advance of the age or its intelligence is looked at askance by the gaping crowd1 and 'humbug' is the ready watchword4 ,the community's acknowledged leaders1 and whose antics1 at times1 should have taught them that ',a little learning is a dangerous thing1' are asked by their too credulous disciples to give them their opinion on some new and startling development in physics or man's intellectual nature1 and immediately these 'learned ,thebans1' scorning the patient toil and honest purpose of the true student1 turn their blear eyes upon the interrogations and shout ,humbug6 ,humbug6 ,in such cases their visual organs are of about as much service to them as the sun is to that burrowing animal which shuns the light of day4 ,when will men1 even whose gray hairs seem to ask us to expect better things of them1 learn that bareface assertion weighs not as evidence with those who choose to think for themselves8 ,ours is a thinking age1 and requires something more than the bold say so of any man to convince people that a thing may or may not be4 ,we live at a period1 too1 and in the midst of minds which have learned that much that was received as unadulterated truth by the past1 upon which the dust of buried centuries had gathered and seemed to hallow1 has been proved erroneous by the light of advancing knowledge and the searching analysis of science4 ,and who shall say where that knowledge is to stop8 ,is there to be no new unfolding of man's intellectual powers8 ,is he ever to remain in the comparative ignorance he now is in respecting the relations which he1 while here in this life1 sustains to the spiritual world8 ,are the laws of his being and its attributes as yet entirely revealed to him8 ,is the physical of this world of so much importance that the astounding developments of this and the coming cycles of time are to be confined entirely to that1 to the exclusion of man's higher and more ethereal nature8 ,these questions ,i leave your correspondent ,c4 ,d4 and his coadjutor ,j4 ,w4 ,h4 to answer for themselves in their more reflective hours4 ,c4 ,d4 says 'the wary and eagle-eyed are kept out1 and excluded from opportunity of investigation4' ,now1 to be perfectly plain1 this remark borders very much upon misrepresentation4 ,it is not so4 ,and if the gentleman would have 'the good people' understand that he is thus denied1 ,i would undeceive them4 ,mr4 ,dewey has on more than one occasion been urged by those who would have afforded him every opportunity for investigation1 to test the reality of the said phenomena4 ,he could have had1 and may have1 associated with him in such investigation1 men whom he or others may select1 as his equals in every respect1 to aid him2 and before he has the temerity to repeat his uttered cry of humbug1 and brand again1 with most unchristian readiness1 as deceivers1 individuals whom he does not know1 ,i call upon him to avail himself of the senses which ,god has given him for that purpose4 ,he need feel no repugnance to visiting so obscure a locality as ,troup ,street4 ,his equals 7to say the least7 have been there before him1 and he would not have to tarry long in that region to meet with visitors who possess more intelligence1 a wider charity1 greater modesty1 and a better purpose than he has manifested in his communications4 ,a man's practice is the touchstone of his faith1 and ,i want no better evidence of the practical infidelity of any one1 than to know that while he preaches for so much the square yard the doctrine of an after-life1 he scouts anything which comes to us in the shape of tangible evidence of the soul's immortality4 ,mr4 ,dewey says he will be 'glad to see the truth advanced1 lead where it may4' ,in this ,i join him1 and such motive must be my apology for trespassing upon your columns and patience4 ,respectfully yours1 ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,rochester1 ,february1 #be1 #ahej4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,albany ,,and ,,troy4 #ahej4 ,,excursion ,,to ,,albany--,,delavan ,,house ,,and ,,van ,,vechten ,,hall--,,rev4 ,,dr4 ,,staats ,,and ,,the ,,judges--,,high ,,class ,,of ,,minds ,,interested--,,president ,,eliphalet ,,nott--,,pecuniary ,,arrangements--,,excursion ,,to ,,troy--,,trojan ,,ladies--,,mob ,,attempts ,,on ,,life ,,of ,,margaretta4 ,,excursion ,,to ,,albany4 ,we were directed 7by the spirits7 to go forth and let the truth be known4 ,we had already passed through a terrible experience1 and feared to make another such hazardous attempt2 but the fiat had gone forth4 ,we had debated the question a long time before we could consent to subject ourselves to another public contest4 ,however1 there was no alternative4 ,we were compelled to do our duty1 regardless of consequences1 so far as it was in our power4 ,it was the first of ,april1 #ahej1 when the ,rev4 ,r4 ,p4 ,ambler and ,mr4 ,d4 ,f4 ,coman1 of ,springfield1 ,mass41 called on us for an evening sance4 ,they came with an introduction from our friend ,apollus ,munn4 ,mr4 ,ambler was a ,universalist minister1 had preached in ,albany1 and was much respected there4 ,they were greatly astonished by the evidence they received during the sance2 and it proved to them clearly that their communications were received from spirits1 or from some power entirely beyond our knowledge4 ,various circumstances point to the conclusion that these arrangements had been planned and directed for us by our spirit friends and guides4 ,we had been informed by the spirits that we should have a proper person to lecture for us2 and were told that we should first go to ,albany1 engage a public hall1 and allow the spirit-rapping to be heard by the audience4 ,we did not1 however1 dare to attempt such a venture until we had made another experiment in our own city 7,rochester74 ,only five months previously we had left ,corinthian ,hall1 triumphantly indeed1 but amid a howling mob4 ,but they had been kept at bay and overpowered by superior forces1 and we tried by the public1 and not found guilty4 ,once again we engaged a hall1 at our own expense1 and gave notice to the public that ,mr4 ,ambler would deliver a lecture1 and the three sisters would accompany him on the platform4 ,the hall was crowded4 ,the lecturer was eloquent and the audience pleased4 ,the rappings were profuse4 ,public opinion had changed since the first lectures on the subject4 ,friends rushed to the platform to congratulate us on our triumphant success4 ,many good wishes for our happiness and prosperity in our great enterprise were showered upon us2 and we little dreamed that we had given our last public entertainment to our true and tried friends in ,rochester4 ,we did not even imagine that we were then leaving our dear old home for a new one in a new city1 when the proper time should arrive4 ,there was much and arduous consultation respecting the mode in which we should go forth into the world on the travels and toils that lay before us4 ,our father had been interrupted in all his business arrangements1 and could not possibly leave home1 and ,calvin1 who had grown up in our family 7a son and brother by adoption71 was the best personal protector we could have4 ,we left with our father's sympathy and blessing4 ,we reached ,albany the last of ,april1 #ahej4 ,we engaged a suite of rooms in the ,delavan ,house4 ,mr4 ,ambler was our lecturer1 and ,mr4 ,coman our business man--mother1 ,maggie1 ,katie1 and myself1 with ,calvin as our escort4 ,we engaged ,van ,vechten ,hall4 ,it had been previously announced through the papers that the ,fox ,family would appear at the hall1 with ,mr4 ,ambler1 who would deliver a course of lectures1 preparatory to our giving sances at the ,delavan ,house4 ,our career was now commenced4 ,after all our resolving not to go any more before the public1 we had been forced to let the world know what was revealed to us1 and what was meant not for us alone4 ,our rooms were thronged by the lite of ,albany and of many other places adjacent4 ,our success was great1 as the spirits had promised4 ,we received both public and private parties from all parts of the country4 ,the spirits had performed their parts admirably for nearly two weeks1 when ,i received a note from the editor of the ,albany ,morning ,express4 7,it will be remembered that at one of the ,rochester investigations1 a ,second ,advent minister had deemed it his duty to rise in public and express his idea that all this was of diabolic origin1 and that we1 the mediums1 ought to be sent to prison4 ,but the good old days of ,cotton ,mather and of the hangings at ,salem were past1 and after the conscientious but narrow bigot resumed his seat1 no further notice was taken of the good man or of his suggestion4 ,i may remark in passing1 that the spirits who extorted from ,mr4 ,mac,naughton the ,lord's ,prayer1 which he had been taught in childhood to repeat at the knees of his puir auld mither1 and had converted him to ,spiritualism and a belief in the immortality of the soul1 would seem to have been strange emissaries of ,satan47 ,at ,albany we met a somewhat similar experience1 both in the attempt made against us and in its results4 ,a certain respectable minister1 ,i do not know of what denomination1 named ,dr4 ,staats1 was so far exercised in his mind by the reports of our meetings at the ,delavan ,house1 that he applied to the courts for a warrant for our arrest4 ,i had the surprise of receiving the following note from the highly respected editor of the ,morning ,express3 ,,albany ,,morning ,,express1 ,may #ac1 #ahej4 ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,i have just this moment been called upon by the judges of the court before whom ,rev4 ,dr4 ,staats would have brought you1 had he been able so to do1 who say they would be pleased to call on you this afternoon1 at four o'clock1 as they will then be at leisure4 ,can you accommodate them8 ,i think it will be a grand move to have them witness the demonstrations4 ,i would call1 but am so busy this morning that even ---- is out of my mind4 ,in great haste1 ,yours respectfully1 ,,jacob ,c4 ,,cuyler4 ,at precisely the appointed time the expected party of judges and lawyers arrived1 numbering seventeen1 all men of distinction4 ,they were just and honest men1 with open1 judicial minds1 seeking only the truth1 and not the gratification of hostile prejudices4 ,the proprietor of the house1 ,mr4 ,rozelle1 was ill in bed2 but he rose1 dressed himself1 and went down to meet the judicial party before they left his house4 ,they said to him1 when they left1 ,it will take wiser judges than we are to pronounce against them4 ,the judges came frequently to see us afterward2 and thus1 through the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,staats's efforts to injure us1 and have us arrested for blasphemy against the holy scriptures1 a strong army was raised up for our protection4 ,and this result we found was invariably the case through all our subsequent public career4 ,wherever and whenever an attempt was made to show to the world that it was not true1 however hostile and powerful the men engaged against us1 we always--without a single exception--were brought through our difficulties in triumph1 although1 at times1 we could not see how we were to escape the entanglements often thrown around us4 ,we placed ourselves wholly under the directions of our spirit friends1 and invariably came out with safety and honor1 as they told us we should1 if we but acted our parts faithfully4 ,before the time arrived for us to leave ,albany1 we had been deluged with letters1 by reputable parties1 from all parts of the country1 urging us to come and afford them an opportunity for themselves to investigate4 ,of course we could not comply with all these requests1 as we could at the time only give attention to the principal cities4 ,during our stay in ,albany our rooms were thronged with anxious investigators from all the neighboring towns and cities4 ,we usually met the higher order of intelligences2 as the conceited nabob and the equally conceited representative of the 7morally7 lower classes1 were seldom attracted to subjects beyond their comprehension and above their sympathies4 ,my books of registration plainly show the class of minds which became interested in ,spiritualism at that early day4 ,i shall preserve them4 ,they should be placed in some historical library1 so that generations yet to come may realize the fact that ,spiritualism was first sought after by the most enlightened and progressive minds of the nineteenth century4 ,i will not here record the names of my attached friends and constant visitors 7with but two exceptions7 of that most interesting period--two remarkable for their advanced years as well as for their high personal distinction1 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,eliphalet ,nott1 ,president of ,union ,college1 ,schenectady1 and ,mr4 ,edward ,c4 ,delavan1 the owner 7though not the proprietor7 of the house at which we resided4 ,the latter was nearly1 if not quite1 an octogenarian1 and certainly cut a somewhat remarkable figure by the side of his young wife and their baby of ten months4 ,on one occasion he was so delighted with some communication1 addressed to him by his pet name of childhood1 from his long-departed mother1 that he was overflowing in his expressions of gratitude1 and he forced into my hand a twenty-dollar gold piece4 ,the not less venerable ,dr4 ,nott once laid his hand on my head and said1 ,my child1 ,i am not far from the time when ,i shall go to the world of spirits1 of which you reveal and prove so much2 and you must1 naturally1 long survive me in the present life2 but if it shall be in my power ,i will strive to be one of your guardian spirits4 ,this is the proper place to state the pecuniary arrangement dictated to us by our spirit friends for the support and prosecution of this mission to the world1 which they had imposed upon us4 ,our public meetings were held in ,van ,vechten ,hall1 then the principal one in ,albany4 ,our suite of rooms in the ,delavan was the best in the house4 ,of course our expenses were very heavy2 often amounting to #aej a week4 ,our regular charge was #a each person1 and1 for a private sance of an hour1 #e for two or more persons4 ,these figures had been prescribed to us4 ,we never heard of any complaints of dissatisfaction1 on the part of our visitors1 with the evidences which they used to receive2 and no language would suffice to tell of the hundreds of assurances of delight and gratitude1 which were the better part of our compensation for the time thus absorbed1 and for the fatigue and exhaustion of these labors under the direction of our friends in the spirit life4 ,,excursion ,,to ,,troy4 ,it is with regret that ,i dismiss so briefly1 as has been done above1 our experiences in ,albany1 where we began in ,may1 #ahej1 what may be called the first stage of the fulfilment of our mission4 ,i might fill this volume with my reminiscences and notes of them4 ,it was on ,may #bd1 #ahej1 that we left ,albany and went to ,troy4 ,many ,trojans had visited our rooms in ,albany1 and urged us to spend a few days in ,troy before going to ,new ,york4 ,we consented to do so1 much against our own wishes1 as we had made our arrangements to go from ,albany direct to ,new ,york4 ,we were kindly received at the ,troy ,house1 and our rooms were thronged as elsewhere4 ,our success was gratifying to us all4 ,but we were not long permitted to enjoy such peace and prosperity4 ,a murmur arose among the women1 whose conduct toward us in ,troy was cruel and unchristianlike4 ,they insinuated that if the mediums were men their husbands would not become so deeply enlisted in this unpopular1 and1 seemingly1 weird subject4 ,they adopted the absurd theory of toe and knee rapping4 ,one lady especially distinguished herself by her intellectual antics in this her line of procedure4 7,her husband was much younger than herself1 handsome and prosperous47 ,she became violent in her denunciations4 ,i well knew that1 with the aid of ,heaven1 we could easily prove such accusations false4 ,we met our combatants on their own premises4 ,a committee of investigators was gotten up1 composed of three ladies and two ministers4 ,we submitted to all of their suggestive whims1 and came off1 as usual1 triumphant4 ,the course and result of this committee of investigation induced many persons to visit our rooms who had never before been interested in the subject4 ,we made many life friends in ,troy1 and left promising to visit them soon again 7which we did a few months later74 ,the evening before we left we were honored by a band of music in front of the ,troy ,house4 ,the proprietor1 ,mr4 ,coleman1 and ,general ,viele came to our rooms and announced the fact1 saying1 ,ladies1 this is expressly for you4 ,he accompanied us to the balcony1 where1 with uncovered heads1 the crowd saluted us with their hearty applause of approbation4 ,the following evening we took the night boat from ,albany1 and were soon on the beautiful ,hudson wending our way to the city of ,new ,york4 ,but as this chapter is so short1 ,i may as well1 at the expense of chronology in my narrative1 anticipate a few months1 to introduce here a serious adventure which befell my young child-sister ,margaretta1 or ,maggie1 at this same city of ,troy1 or rather ,west ,troy1 in the following month of ,november1 #ahej4 ,it is a curious illustration of the desperate bitterness of feeling which arose in some portions of the more ignorant classes in some of our ,american communities4 ,illustration3 ,margaretta ,fox ,kane4 ,in it we see a striking revival of the old ,salem 7and medival7 spirit of animosity against the so-called witchcraft2 a spirit which was perhaps stimulated by the same mistaken and misguided religious zeal which some couple of centuries before had hurried to the stake1 the scaffold1 or the nearest pond or river1 many a poor victim to the unhappy and misunderstood gift of what we now know as mediumship4 ,in the month of ,november1 #ahej1 a mob attempt was made to destroy the life of ,margaretta while visiting at the house of ,mr4 ,r4 ,m4 ,bouton4 ,the mob was composed of a very low order of society1 and were urged to do the work by prompters1 who kept themselves in the background4 ,though not on the same scale of dimensions in numbers1 mother and ,i at a later day concurred in recognizing in the riotous mob in ,new ,york1 in ,july1 #ahfc1 features in the conduct of the men and women 7the latter seemed not less savage than the former7 that curiously reminded us of the terrible scenes of ,west ,troy4 ,they had evidently been put up to regard this communication with spirits as deviltry which it was right and proper to crush out even by taking our lives4 ,they doubtless supposed1 that by destroying our lives the whole matter would be put to rest4 ,accordingly her 7,margaretta7's every movement was watched1 so that it was not safe for her to leave the house unattended4 ,finally the house was forcibly attacked2 but being well barricaded and garrisoned the 'fort was held' and the assassins were not successful4 ,the following letter from ,mr4 ,bouton will explain the facts3 ,,west ,,troy1 ,november #ac1 #ahej4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,we are endeavoring to make arrangements for ,maggie to go to another place4 ,if she has mentioned the name of the place to you1 keep it a secret as you value her life4 ,a deep plot is laid to destroy her4 ,my house is beset every night by a most determined murderous mob2 and we guard her every moment4 ,we think if we can place her where we wish to1 she will be safe4 ,i shall defend her and her reputation at the risk of my fortune and my life4 ,i will advise you of our progress2 suppress the name of the place1 if you can4 ,i write with difficulty1 not having rested for several nights4 ,five villanous-looking fellows are watching the house night and day4 ,she has never left my house unattended1 which has foiled them thus far4 ,on returning late from ,east ,troy1 a few nights past1 with my wife1 her sister1 ,maggie1 and myself1 in our family coach1 when we reached the river we found no boat4 ,the five men above mentioned were there1 and they tried to persuade my driver to go by the way of the long ,troy bridge 7a glorious place for murder74 ,we did not go1 but they followed us home1 and after we had retired attempted to break into the room occupied by ,margaretta and my sister-in-law4 ,they were furious on being defeated1 and threw stones against the house and fired through the windows4 ,i have procured means of defence1 but we cannot sleep nights1 and get very little rest during the days4 ,they will1 no doubt1 return again to-night1 but they will meet a warm reception1 as many of our friends from ,east ,troy will be with us4 ,last night ,mrs4 ,b4 and ,maggie went to the door of a shed in the rear together2 but the fiends were on the watch and fired at them1 with angry exclamations at there being some one with her4 ,they were all large1 strong men4 ,a postscript to this letter1 dated the next day1 says3 ,as ,i feared1 the men did return last night1 and broke into the house2 but we were prepared for them1 and they did not effect any thing4 ,come immediately1 if you can4 ,the mob increased on the following night 7,saturday71 and on ,sunday ,i received five telegraphic despatches to come to ,troy1 as follows3 ,,rochester1 ,november #af1 #ahej4 ,this despatch has been received from ,west ,troy for ,,mrs4 ,a4 ,,leah ,,fish4 ,send your mother here1 or come yourself1 by ,monday night4 ,it is of vital importance4 ,answer by telegraph at once4 ,r4 ,m4 ,,bouton4 ,on receipt of this telegram ,i immediately telegraphed to know its meaning1 and received the following in reply3 ,,rochester1 ,november #af1 #ahej4 ,this despatch has just been received from ,west ,troy for ,,mrs4 ,a4 ,,leah ,,fish4 ,you must be here by ,monday night1 #ahth inst4 ,it is of vital importance4 ,r4 ,m4 ,,bouton4 ,i then telegraphed back to ,mr4 ,b4 begging him to explain the situation of my sister1 when immediately ,i received the following3 ,,rochester1 ,november #ag1 #ahej4 ,this despatch has just been received from ,west ,troy4 ,,mrs4 ,a4 ,,leah ,,fish3 ,your sister is alive and well1 but in great danger4 ,safe at present4 ,r4 ,m4 ,,bouton4 ,i started for ,troy on the first train ,east the next morning4 ,when ,i reached ,schenectady ,i had to change cars for ,troy4 ,i had just taken a seat1 at about the middle of the car1 when a rough-looking man sat down beside me1 and commenced interrogating me as to where ,i was going1 etc4 ,i endeavored to be civil1 but ,i suspected him of having something to do with the mob4 ,after a while he left and held a long conversation with two men1 near the front of the car1 very like himself in appearance1 and soon returned1 taking his seat beside me again4 ,i had moved to the other end of the seat1 and maintained my position1 thereby compelling him to press through in front of me with some difficulty4 ,when again he attempted to speak to me ,i took up my satchel and left the seat entirely to himself4 ,he again followed me1 but this time ,i braced myself up and called the conductor 7who had been watching his behavior all the way71 and requested him to compel this man to leave1 which he did immediately4 ,there were very few persons in the car2 ,i think not more than seven in all4 ,it was evident that he had a design against me2 but he expected to meet an older person1 and was thrown off his course by my youthful appearance4 ,he had doubtless expected to meet mother4 ,they had made inquiries of a passenger who had taken the car from ,schenectady1 and who afterward told ,mr4 ,b4 that those men said they were expecting to meet a lady from ,rochester2 but that she was older than the lady on the car1 etc4 ,it had been arranged that ,i should stop at the ,troy ,house on my arrival at ,east ,troy4 ,it was eight o'clock ,p4,m41 and very dark4 ,as ,i stepped out of the car on to the platform1 ,i saw a carriage standing in front of the hotel1 and supposed it was for me1 as had been previously arranged4 ,at this moment a gentleman stepped up1 and after a close scrutiny said to me3 ,i am right1 it is ,leah2 ,i know you by your resemblance to ,maggie1 and motioning me to silence4 ,another gentleman stepped on my other side1 and they guarded me to the carriage each with a drawn revolver4 ,on entering the carriage ,i saw three loaded pistols lying on the seat in front of me4 ,it is difficult to say which ,i most feared1 the mob or the pistols4 ,the religious telegraphic operator had evidently revealed the correspondence between ,mr4 ,bouton and myself1 as there was no other source through which it could have been made known that ,i was expected4 ,a number of disorderly persons followed the carriage and crossed the ferry with us4 ,no attempt was made to disturb us2 but on reaching ,mr4 ,b4's house we found it surrounded by a reinforced mob4 ,i had been instructed how to conduct myself on our arrival4 ,i was told that two or three gentlemen would rush from the door and suddenly carry me in4 ,accordingly1 when the carriage stopped close to the door steps ,i found myself in the arms of three strong men1 who landed me safely4 ,i found ,maggie sick and nearly paralyzed with fright4 ,there were strong-armed forces for protection on our side4 ,we had not been in the house ten minutes when several shots were fired and stones thrown1 breaking everything in their way4 ,we crouched beneath the furniture1 and lay on the floor to escape the bullets1 expecting at every moment some stray shot or stone would strike us4 7,our hiding-room was in the interior of the house47 ,the mob threatened and did all in their power to destroy us2 but1 knowing the gentlemen inside were so well prepared for them1 they retired for the night4 ,they1 however1 continued their watchfulness until we left the place4 ,mr4 ,bouton's house stood in the outskirts of ,west ,troy1 near a lumber yard1 a capital hiding-place for a mob1 and ,i am not sure there were any policemen there at that time4 ,poor ,maggie's nerves were terribly unstrung4 ,she would start in her sleep and cry out fearfully1 believing she was still besieged by the mob4 ,she was too ill to be taken home1 and ,i managed 7with the aid of friends7 to get her to ,albany1 where we remained several weeks at the ,delavan ,house4 ,during our stay in ,albany1 the identical men who met me and followed me from ,schenectady to ,west ,troy were prowling about my home in ,rochester4 ,all the circumstances connected with the affair show conclusively that there was a deep-laid scheme to destroy us1 and that these men had been appointed to accomplish that object2 but1 like every other attempt at violence against us1 they met with nothing but discomfiture4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,new ,,york4 #ahej4 ,,the ,,rochester ,,knockings ,,at ,,barnum',s ,,hotel--,,hard ,,work--,,our ,,visitors--,a ,,poisoned ,,bouquet--,,hair ,,of ,,the ,,emperor ,,napoleon ,i4--,,hair ,,of ,,john ,c4 ,,calhoun--,,investigation ,,at ,,residence ,,of ,,rev4 ,,rufus ,w4 ,,griswold1 ,,by ,,the ,,leading ,,literary ,,celebrities ,,of ,,new ,,york4 ,,first ,,visit ,,to ,,new ,,york4 ,we arrived in ,new ,york ,city on ,june #d1 #ahej1 and had engaged rooms at ,barnum's ,hotel1 corner of ,broadway and ,maiden ,lane4 7,this proprietor must not be confounded with the great showman of that name47 ,horace ,greeley was our first caller4 ,he advised us to charge five dollars admission fee4 ,i told him that would be altogether too much2 but he feared greatly for our safety1 and thought this exorbitant sum would keep the rabble away4 ,i told him ,i thought it decidedly better to follow the directions of the ,spirits1 and trust in ,providence for protection and success4 ,he announced our arrival in the ,tribune1 and published our rules of order4 ,the editors of the ,tribune and many other papers were in our rooms daily4 ,mr4 ,ripley used to say to us3 ,ladies1 you are the lions of ,new ,york4 ,mary ,taylor1 in a ,broadway theatre1 sweetly sang ,the ,rochester ,knockings at ,barnum's ,hotel1 as a popular topic of the day4 ,many things in stores1 on sidewalks1 and newspaper advertisements1 were paraded and labelled with the words ,rochester ,knockings4 ,what a time1 to be sure1 we had of it during that first visit1 of nearly three months1 to the great metropolis6 ,our party was seven in number4 ,our parlor was a large room opposite to the main one of the hotel1 from which it was separated by a wide corridor4 ,a long table with thirty seats occupied the centre of it1 and we gave three receptions each day1 for which our advertised hours were3 #aj to #ab ,a4,m41 #c to #e ,p4,m41 and #h to #aj ,p4,m42 but the midday meeting would often lengthen out till we had barely time to get ready for dinner1 and the evening one to midnight4 ,the public parlors served as ante-rooms1 in which visitors waited their turns to be admitted by one of our attendant gentlemen4 ,private sittings were often extorted from us by importunity1 which would begin at the earliest hours before breakfast4 ,with what degree of exhaustion of muscles1 nerves1 mind and spirit1 we would reach our beds 7in our rooms on the floor above71 where sleep was often slow to come to our over-strained systems1 may be imagined by my readers4 ,the mere pressure upon us of the three successive crowds would1 alone1 have been a strain hard to bear2 but every individual had his or her colloquies to be held with their respective ,spirit friends4 ,the burthen of it fell upon us all1 but most heavily upon our dear mother1 who took it so deeply to heart when she knew we were so unjustly suspected and so severely tested4 ,she was of course always present with us1 but only as a spectator and for protection4 ,ministers of all denominations1 members of all professions1 legal1 medical1 literary1 and commercial1 were among our guests1 and many of them were frequent visitors4 ,the occasions were rare when the slightest want of courtesy1 respect1 and kindness occurred to wound or displease us2 and the only thing approaching an indignity we had to complain of among ourselves1 was the frequency with which committees of ladies would retire with us to disrobe and reclothe us1 the holding of our feet1 etc4 ,among the thousands of strangers who streamed through our rooms1 ,i1 of course1 could know or remember the names of but few individuals2 and many an one had his or her designation by which we used to recognize them1 as--the ,white ,spirit1 or the ,black1 or the ,gray1 the ,count1 the ,slick ,wig1 the ,old ,oriental1 the ,hippopotamus1 etc41 etc4 ,by the way1 the ,count was also an elderly gentleman with white hair and angelic eyes1 a foreigner1 who at parting made me a present of a set of old china of extreme rarity1 for which ,i have since refused a dealer's offer of a thousand dollars1 and which ,i still employ at parties and ftes1 and particular occasions1 and always with a kind thought of the dear old donor4 ,the summer season of travel1 of course1 brought many ,southerners to our rooms1 as well as visitors from other cities of the ,union4 ,we again passed through an ordeal of special investigation by a large committee of the first men of ,new ,york1 in scientific and literary1 as well as social distinction1 which took place at the residence of the ,rev4 ,rufus ,w4 ,griswold1 for some account of which1 and the signal triumph in which it resulted1 ,i refer to a letter which will be found further on1 and which was extensively republished4 ,only one very painful thing occurred3 an anonymous present made to me of a large1 superb bouquet of flowers1 the smelling of which nearly cost me my life4 ,i was thought to be at death's door2 and a week had passed before ,i fully recovered from the effect4 ,spirits told us that it had proceeded from the malignity of a hostile quarter1 and that the bouquet was poisoned4 ,i have always had a peculiar sensitiveness to poison2 and could not even now1 in the open air1 pass near to certain growing plants1 such as poison ivy1 without suffering sensibly from their vicinity4 ,there was another occasion on which evil was not only intended1 but attempted1 by some who falsely believed they were doing ,god service by breaking up the pestilent ,rochester knockings4 ,we1 too1 had our case of a prophet 7,isaiah7 sent to curse1 but who remained to bless4 ,our prophet1 of whom this was true1 was none other than the famous ,captain ,i4 ,rynders1 well known as the ,captain of the ,empire ,club--a ,democratic party organization of fighting men1 the counterpoise to a corresponding body on the other side of politics4 ,these rival corps had1 originally1 for their business the breaking up of the meetings of the adverse party1 or to defend those of their own party against similar attacks from the opposite fighting corps4 ,captain ,rynders1 though a rather slender man1 was one of such pluck1 energy1 and resolution1 that his very name came to represent a real power in ,new ,york4 ,his politics1 in which he was very zealous1 made him 7as most men of that day were1 on both sides7 very hostile to the ,abolitionists1 many a meeting of whom the ,empire ,club had broken up after the most summary of fashions1 namely1 through windows as well as doors4 ,one day three men1 one of them of ,herculean proportions1 with his shirt-collar wide open1 sailor fashion1 on a brown sunburnt neck1 entered our parlor1 after payment of their regular fee outside1 and took their seats together2 the ,hercules next to me4 ,his appearance was every way formidable4 ,a certain slight commotion was manifest in the company on their entrance4 ,i soon received from three different friends in the room 7,mr4 ,greeley1 ,george ,ripley1 and another7 little billets warning me against the most dangerous man in ,new ,york--whose appearance portended evil1 and telling me to be extremely careful of all ,i should say and do1 etc4 ,one lady bent over me from behind1 handed me a bit of paper which spoke of black danger clouds1 and a row as being imminent from those men1 and then made her escape into one of the more remote parlors of the hotel4 ,but they sat quietly as observers4 ,there were several clergymen in the company1 one of them being the celebrated ,dr4 ,phelps1 of ,stratford1 ,conn4 ,there were at the table also two elderly1 tall1 thin1 and pale ,quaker maiden ladies1 a little ghostly perhaps in appearance1 one of whom presently addressed to the ,spirits the question1 ,which is the more correct1 the ,bible or ,andrew ,jackson ,davis's ,revelations8 ,to this came many raps1 which were differently understood around the table1 according to the various opinions4 ,it made quite a sensation4 ,i rose and said that those raps were not an answer to the question1 but a call for the alphabet1 which ,i proceeded to repeat aloud as usual4 ,the answer returned was3 ,the ,bible contains many true and beautiful things1 and so also does ,davis's ,revelations1 a reply which ,dr4 ,phelps considered a good and wise one4 ,i presently invited one of my three neighbors 7not the ,herculean one7 to the door1 which ,i opened1 and he was made to hear loud rappings on the wooden panels1 and also on the marble flooring4 ,my real object was to conciliate him as being one of the party of danger clouds1 though he was not the one who had been the object of my terror4 ,what is the meaning of this8 he said4 ,have you anything to do with the ,rochester knockings8 ,i thought those two white old maids were the ones4 ,i was sent here by a religious society to break it all up1 and drive it out of ,new ,york1 as ,i did last week with ,fred4 ,douglass and ,julia ,griffith1 and their sets of ,abolitionists4 ,i told him he had been very wrong in doing so1 and that those ladies were strangers here1 as he and his friends were4 ,what1 are you the ,rochester knockers8 ,yes4 ,why1 ,i thought you were older4 ,ain't you afraid of me8 ,what1 these children6 ,no1 ,i am not a bit afraid of you1 ,i repeated1 though in my secret heart ,i was dreadfully afraid of the other man4 ,well1 ,i am ,captain ,rynders--haven't you heard of me8 ,yes1 ,i have1 but ,i am not afraid of you4 ,he took a seat at the table1 and ,i invited him to ask some questions of some friends of his in the ,spirit world4 ,he asked a brother of his where he had died--,in ,california1 was the correct reply4 ,of what disease8 ,to this also he got a reply1 which1 with a strong blow of his fist on the table1 he admitted to be correct4 ,captain ,rynders was now our friend1 and a good and gallant one he proved4 ,he made the ,herald publish a long account of it in our favor2 the only occasion of its doing anything of the kind4 ,he said that nobody should molest us2 that he saw no reason why it should be done1 and he emphasized this with a strong blow upon the table4 ,he was indeed surprised that we were the mediums2 he had supposed them to be the old ,quaker women over there 7alas1 poor good souls674 ,my relations soon became equally comfortable with his big friend also1 of whom ,i had been so afraid4 ,a letter for me was brought in and laid on the table between him and me4 ,i noticed that he seemed to observe the direction on it somewhat closely4 ,i presently handed the letter over to mother1 saying1 ,here is a letter from our dear friend ,maria ,rogers4 ,said my big neighbor1 ,why1 where did you ever know ,maria ,rogers8 ,in ,albany1 at the ,delavan ,house1 where her husband had some business position4 ,she is one of the sweetest women ,i ever knew1 and ,i love her dearly4 ,she was also very beautiful4 ,she is all that you say1 was his reply1 and she is my own darling sister4 ,the letter proved to be an invitation to spend ,sunday with her at the ,oceanic ,house4 ,i had no further fear of her big brother1 who1 together with ,captain ,rynders1 would certainly have pitched all the rest of the company out of the window in our defence1 had it been necessary4 ,such was the conversion of our prophet1 from the cursing for which he had been commissioned1 to blessings4 ,i have since been assured by those who knew him1 that ,captain ,rynders was really a good man at heart1 with other manly qualities besides his courage1 notwithstanding his animosity against the ,abolitionists of that period1 and others against whom the energies of the ,empire ,club had been directed by his party4 ,i have some reason to believe that he has been a happier man from that time than before4 ,i was sincerely glad to see him a few weeks ago1 when he called on me1 by my request1 to compare notes upon our reminiscences of this adventure1 and ,i was indeed astonished to hear so young a looking man avow that he was now eighty years of age4 ,at all our sances the general character of the manifestations was that all present heard the explosive sounds or knockings1 whose significance resided in their correspondence with the letters of the alphabet2 while each in succession had the opportunity of communicating with his own friends in the spirit life4 ,nor do ,i believe that a single person passed through the experience of one of those meetings who was not satisfied1 in his own sincere mind1 that we had nothing of physical relation to their production1 and that no conceivable mundane means could have produced them4 ,though in our own domestic experience remarkable phenomena of the physical order had often been produced by the ,spirits1 such1 for instance1 as the rising of objects in the air1 including our own persons1 etc41 yet nothing of this kind occurred at these meetings1 beyond the phenomenon of the sitters being touched1 sometimes caressingly1 by invisible hands1 or having their garments pulled1 or their chairs or the table moved--which were frequent experiences to our visitors4 ,i cannot afford the space for numerous individual incidents of interest which occurred at those meetings1 but will mention one1 which is not likely to be forgotten by some of the witnesses to it1 who may perhaps read this page4 ,a stranger came one day1 of evident distinction and advanced years1 ,french1 though speaking ,english2 ,i have a vague impression that he was a diplomatist4 ,he had with him a friend4 ,he produced a folded paper or envelope1 and asked if the ,spirits could tell him what it contained4 ,the answer promptly came1 ,a piece of the hair of the ,emperor ,napoleon4 ,this naturally arrested the eager attention of all the company4 ,i trembled with doubt and fear of a failure4 ,the old gentleman opened the paper and held up a small piece of hair1 and1 with tears in his eyes and quivering lips1 said--either he had been one of those who accompanied ,napoleon on his voyage to ,st4 ,helena1 or that he was a friend of the physician who had accompanied him4 ,after this lapse of time ,i am not certain which1 but something was said about the physician4 ,he told how on an occasion of his hair being cut by the barber1 the fallen pieces had been religiously gathered up1 and this was one of them4 ,turning to his friend who had come with him1 he said1 ,i did not need this evidence1 but this test is evidently intended for you2 and then explained that in the morning his friend1 who was an entire unbeliever1 had said1 in reference to their intended visit to us1 that if we were subjected to that test1 and if it should be told what were the contents of the envelope1 he would be a believer too4 ,i remember that ,mr4 ,greeley and ,mr4 ,ripley1 of the ,tribune1 were present4 ,if this should fall under the eye of any survivors of that scene1 ,i should be pleased to hear from them4 ,none present can have forgotten it4 ,there were a number of somewhat similar cases of treasured locks of hair being thus identified by those who had worn them in life1 but though there are many whose hair is thus preserved by faithful memories1 there has been but one ,napoleon the ,great4 ,however1 ,i will further add that if there was but one ,napoleon ,i41 there was also but one ,john ,c4 ,calhoun4 ,one day a ,southern gentleman was at the table1 and1 having heard of the above incident respecting the great ,emperor1 produced and laid down his pocket-book1 asking to know one thing it contained4 ,hair of ,john ,c4 ,calhoun1 was the reply4 ,he acknowledged its truth1 and exhibited the lock4 ,during this our first visit to ,new ,york occurred another investigation by a number of the most eminent literary and commercial gentlemen of that city1 at the residence of the ,rev4 ,rufus ,w4 ,griswold4 ,it included such men as ,j4 ,fenimore ,cooper1 ,george ,bancroft1 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,hawks1 ,dr4 ,john ,w4 ,francis1 ,william ,cullen ,bryant1 ,nathaniel ,p4 ,willis1 ,dr4 ,marcy1 and others4 ,it had its origin with the ,dr4 ,c4 ,d4 ,griswold1 ,m4,d4 7our friend at ,rochester1 mentioned on a former page71 who came down to ,new ,york expressly to propose it to us1 telling us that the high position of his brother1 ,rufus ,w41 would enable him to unite for that purpose the best elements which the great metropolis could afford4 ,we were only too glad to comply with so kind and friendly a suggestion4 ,in the wilderness of my papers ,i do not find the full records of that interesting occasion1 of which no full formal report was ever issued2 but ,i well remember that it was highly satisfactory to ourselves and our friends4 ,all the testings desired1 such as making us stand on cushions1 etc41 were exhausted4 ,i recollect that ,fenimore ,cooper addressed an immense number of questions to ,spirits 7my impression is a hundred and fifty71 and received correct replies4 ,i find among some newspaper scraps a long editorial in a ,sunday paper1 by its junior editor1 written in the full vein of hostile persiflage usual at that time with the press1 dependent for existence on its subscription lists1 the following as its conclusion3 ,since writing the above1 we have read in the ,tribune an account of an interview between the ,spirits' interpreters and ,mr4 ,j4 ,fenimore ,cooper1 ,mr4 ,george ,bancroft1 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,hawks1 ,dr4 ,francis1 ,mr4 ,wm4 ,cullen ,bryant1 ,mr4 ,n4 ,p4 ,willis1 ,dr4 ,marcy1 and other literary celebrities1 at the rooms of the ,rev4 ,doctor ,griswold4 ,the responses given to several of these gentlemen1 as reported in the ,tribune1 were most extraordinary2 and yet--infidel that we are6--these replies have not shaken our obstinate incredulity4 ,our senses are the only witnesses we will consent to trust in relation to phenomena which1 if really supernatural1 would upset1 among other things1 the ,christian ,religion1#h and the verdict of our senses upon all the performances which have come under our observation4 #h ,this is a mistake or misrepresentation frequent with those who regard dogmatic orthodoxy 7according to the title it claims7 as the true and the only ,christian ,religion4 ,all ,spirits indeed reject the dogmas of the eternal hell-fire1 of total depravity1 of vicarious atonement1 of anything but ,one ,supreme ,spirit or ,god1 and of the literal plenary inspiration of the ,bible2 but a vast body of the most enlightened ,spiritualists 7,i believe the bulk of them7 devoutly cherish the ,christianity taught1 lived1 and died for by ,christ himself2 and a pamphlet by a well-known and popular ,spiritualist is rightly entitled ,christ the ,corner-,stone of ,spiritualism4--,,ed4 ,any reader desirous of examining the ,tribune's report above alluded to1 can easily find it in the files of that paper for #ahej4 ,i content myself1 for brevity's sake1 with the following extract from ,mr4 ,capron's volume on ,spiritualism3 ,its ,facts and ,fanaticisms1 etc4 7#ahee71 page #agb3 ,but curiosity had so far obtained the mastery of bigoted opposition as to lead many of the most eminent men of the city to give the subject a fair investigation4 ,the result was1 as elsewhere1 the making of many converts2 and these were not from among men of inferior intellects or of unbalanced minds4 ,not long after the arrival of the mediums1 a number of literary gentlemen assembled at the house of ,rev4 ,dr4 ,griswold1 an ,episcopalian clergyman1 in ,broadway4 ,neither of the sisters ,fox had ever been at the house before1 and the meeting was called for the purpose of testing1 as far as they were able1 the validity of these alleged manifestations4 ,among the company were ,j4 ,fenimore ,cooper1 the novelist1 ,mr4 ,george ,bancroft1 the historian1 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,hawks1 ,dr4 ,j4 ,w4 ,francis1 ,dr4 ,marcy1 ,mr4 ,n4 ,p4 ,willis1 ,mr4 ,wm4 ,cullen ,bryant1 the poet1 and ,mr4 ,bigelow1 of the ,evening ,post1 ,mr4 ,richard ,b4 ,kimball1 ,mr4 ,h4 ,tuckerman1 and ,gen4 ,lyman4 ,these gentlemen were well known throughout the country1 and the report was well calculated to carry much weight with it1 let it be on which side it would4 ,the result was highly satisfactory to the mediums and their friends4 ,on this occasion ,mrs4 ,fox and her three daughters were present4 ,mr4 ,tuckerman was among the first to interrogate the ,spirits4 ,among his questions were the following in regard to an individual whose name he had not spoken1 but had simply in his mind3 ',did he live in ,new ,york8' ,no answer4 ',in ,baltimore8' ',in ,cambridge8' ',in ,boston8'--,three distinct raps1 which is the sign of an affirmative answer4 ,a negative reply is indicated by silence4 ,mr4 ,t4 continued1 ',was he a lawyer8' ',a merchant8' ',a physician8' ',a clergyman8' ,knocks4 ',was he an ,episcopalian8' ',a ,presbyterian8' ',a ,unitarian8'--going over the names of the principal sects4 ,no answer4 ,at the suggestion of a gentleman1 ,mr4 ,t4 asked ',was he a ,christian8' ,knocks4 ,mr4 ,t4 then asked the age of the person in a series of tens4 ',was he twenty years old at the time of his death8' ',was he thirty8' ',forty8' ',fifty8' ',sixty8' ,knocks4 ',has he left a family8' ,knocks4 ',children8' ,knocks4 ',five8' ',three8' ',two8' ,knocks4 ',did he die in ,boston8' ',in ,philadelphia8' ',in ,albany8' ',in ,northampton8' ',in ,bennington8' ,knocks4 ',did he die of consumption8' ',of fever8' ',of cholera8' ',of old age8' ,knocks4 ,the person in ,mr4 ,tuckerman's mind was the late ,dr4 ,william ,ellery ,channing1 the eminent and liberal ,unitarian divine4 ,he lived in ,boston1 and died in ,bennington1 ,vt41 while on a journey4 ,dr4 ,francis having fixed in his mind the name of an individual1 the 'rapping' spelled out ,b-u-r--when several of the company exclaimed1 spontaneously1 ',robert ,burns4' ,this was the true answer2 and after an interesting interview with the bard of ,scotia1 the doctor declined asking any more questions4 ,mr4 ,james ,fenimore ,cooper then asked1 ',is the person ,i inquire about a relative8' ',yes1' was at once indicated by the knocks4 ',a near relative8' ',yes4' ',a man8' ,no answer4 ',a woman8' ',yes4' ',a daughter8' ',a mother8' ',a wife8' ,no answer4 ',a sister8' ',yes4' ,mr4 ,c4 then asked the number of years since her death4 ,fifty knocks were given1 and the number unanimously so announced by the company4 ,mr4 ,c4 now asked1 ',did she die of consumption8' and naming several diseases to which no answer was given4 ',did she die by accident8' ',yes4' ',was she killed by lightning8' ',was she shot8' ',was she lost at sea8' ',did she fall from a carriage8' ',was she thrown from a horse8' ',yes4' ,mr4 ,cooper here discontinued his investigations1 and informed the company that just fifty years ago that present month he had a sister thrown from a horse and killed1 and that all the answers had been strictly correct4 ,mr4 ,ripley1 one of the editors of the ,tribune1 a man of candor and great intelligence1 drew up the report of the whole proceedings1 of which the above is but a short extract1 and in conclusion he says3 ,the evening was now far advanced1 and it was not thought desirable to continue our colloquies any further4 ,at the suggestion of several gentlemen1 the ladies removed from the sofa1 where they had sat during the evening1 and remained standing in another part of the room4 ,the knockings were now heard on the doors1 at both ends of the room1 producing a vibration on the panels which was felt by every one who touched them4 ,different gentlemen stood on the outside and inside of the door at the same time1 when loud knockings were heard on the side opposite to where they stood4 ,the ladies were at such a distance from the door1 in both cases1 as to render no countenance to the idea that the sounds were produced by any direct communication with them4 ,they now went into a parlor under the room in which the party was held1 accompanied by several gentlemen1 and the sounds were then produced with great distinctness1 causing sensible vibrations in the sofa1 and apparently coming from a thick hearth-rug before the fire-place1 as well as from other quarters of the room4 ,such are the most important facts which we can recall of the manifestations of the evening4 ,we believe we have stated them without any coloring whatever1 as they appeared to every one present2 but1 with regard to their origin or their nature1 we are as much in the dark as any of our readers4 ,i will add to the above but a few lines4 ,after ,fenimore ,cooper1 and his responsive friends in the ,spirit life1 had occupied the floor1 so to speak1 for a long time1 calls upon him began to arise as to whether any of his answers were correct4 ,of course he alone could know1 since they were in the form of raps4 ,old ,dr4 ,francis1 who had sat with his chin resting on his big cane1 and his eyes intently fixed on ,mr4 ,cooper1 as had been the eyes of all the company1 began knocking impatiently on the floor1 which example was followed by others1 as in the case of an impatient audience at a theatre4 ,at last ,mr4 ,cooper gave satisfaction to their curiosity1 now wound up to a high pitch1 by saying3 ,gentlemen1 every single answer has been correct4 ,this was of course no small relief and satisfaction to us4 ,and it was a still greater satisfaction when1 after his death in ,september of the following year1 ,i received a visit from ,mr4 ,cooper's nephew1 with a note from the great novelist1 one of the last things written by his prolific pen1 and a message from him on his death-bed1 substantially as follows3 ,tell the ,fox family ,i bless them4 ,i have been made happy through them4 ,they have prepared me for this hour4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,return ,,to ,,rochester4 ,,letters ,,and ,,newspaper ,,articles ,,respecting ,,our ,,new ,,york ,,campaign--,,letter ,,from ,,amy ,,post--,,letters ,,from ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson--,,article ,,from ,a ,,sunday ,,newspaper--,,from ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,day-,,book--,,letter ,,from ,,dr4 ,c4 ,d4 ,,griswold--,,letter ,,from ,,jacob ,c4 ,,cuyler--,,article ,,by ,,horace ,,greeley--,,poem ,,from ,,the ,,sunday ,,dispatch4 ,such was our first campaign in ,new ,york1 through all the hot months of that summer of #ahej4 ,toward the close of ,september our friends1 as well as ourselves1 recognized the necessity for us of some rest and recuperation1 and we decided to return to ,rochester4 ,but before being allowed to do so1 our kind and devoted friends1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,greeley1 insisted on our spending a fortnight with them at their home in ,nineteenth ,street4 ,we also spent a week with other friends at ,greenpoint4 ,but this did not afford much relief to our overwrought brains and bodies1 because ,mr4 ,greeley's hospitable house was a centre of visiting to the literary circles of ,new ,york1 and ,spiritualism and its manifestations1 for the satisfaction of their visitors1 were almost as much the order of our days as had been the case at ,barnum's ,hotel1 among countless more4 ,bayard ,taylor was at that period very earnest in his investigations1 and was a daily frequenter of the house4 ,at last we were suffered to tear ourselves away from ,new ,york2 and ah1 what sighs of relief we breathed when we got back to our dearly beloved ,rochester1 where we resumed our former happy domestic life1 in which we all divided our days1 going at pleasure to and fro1 between my house on ,troup ,street and the farm1 the homestead and father's house1 now a sort of adjunct to the latter2 every one of which dwellings was always an open house to any one of the family4 ,this affords a convenient point at which to introduce a few out of the many letters from valued friends referring to our time and experiences in ,new ,york4 ,i give the first place to one from that best1 sweetest1 and noblest of women1 ,amy1 wife of ,isaac ,post1 friends in the double sense of intimacy1 and the denominational one1 for both she and her husband1 who were all but second parents to me1 were1 as they still are1 perfect specimens of the ideal ,quakerism4 ,,rochester1 ,n4 ,y41 ,may #cj1 #ahej4 ,,dear ,,leah3 ,i have very often thought of you since you left our goodly city1 and have as often desired to communicate with you1 but ,i hardly know where to direct a letter to find you2 though ,i might have known that your movements would be slow1 for strange1 indeed1 it would be if you did not find people enough1 in every place you visited1 interested in the remarkable phenomena that attend you1 to keep you a long time4 ,it is almost useless to say that we always rejoice whenever we hear of your prosperity1 either temporally or spiritually2 and while we do exceedingly miss you and feel your loss1 we are thankful that you are affording others the privilege of witnessing what we have so often enjoyed4 ,when will you find a stopping place8 ,sometimes ,i think not this side of ,europe1 but perhaps my ideas are too boundless4 ,you1 and the good angels that are with you1 can better tell2 but wherever you may go1 my heart and good wishes go with you4 ,john ,e4 ,robinson kindly read to me some parts of thy letter4 ,i was very grateful for thy kind remembrance of us1 and much pleased to hear1 from thy own pen1 of your comfortable situation1 company1 etc4 ,please present my love to thy mother1 ,calvin1 and both the dear girls4 ,willet says1 ',i want to see ,leah and ,margaretta4' ,thy affectionate friend1 ,,amy ,,post4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following two are from a true and lifelong friend 7also in the twofold sense71 ,john ,e4 ,robinson1 of whom ,i could not1 with either justice or truth1 speak in terms any less strong than those above applied to my beloved ,amy and ,isaac ,post4 ,,letter ,,from ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,rochester1 ,friday1 ,june #ba1 #ahej4 ,,dear ,,friend ,,leah3 ,your anxiously looked for letter came to me ,thursday morning last1 and gave me a great deal of pleasure in the reading4 ,it was worth more than all the newspapers ,i have seen in a twelvemonth1 because it gave me an interior view of your temporary home1 and a sketch of several things which ,i wanted to know something of4 ,it was all of interest to me1 from the top of the first page to the last line of the tenth2 and ,i promise not to scold you any more1 for ,i observe much of it was written during late hours of the night1 when you could not help but be worn with fatigue4 ,the only wonder is that at such time you could find room in your memory for me4 ,by the way1 ,leah1 what think you ,mr4 ,jones told me8 a bit of gossip about you and a millionaire1 somewhere about ,troy1 or ,albany4 ,he told it as a special secret1 and left me to make the most of it4 ,it is capital4 ,when do you go off8 ,i shall be expecting a delicate note on satin paper1 addressed to me1 tied with a love-knot of matrimonial ribbon1 stating when you will be 'at home4' ,very well1 do as you think best4 ,it's no use for me to cross your path when you get fairly 'on a train1' and1 so far as my advice is concerned1 ,i think you are smart enough in such matters1 and can only say to you1 as the lawyer said to the young man who taught him a lesson in roguery1 ',you need no lesson from me4' ,i was pleased with the account of your ramble in ,hoboken1 but wish you had taken some other day for the excursion1 as the one in question always brings there such a crowd of the 'lower ten4' ,i hate crowds6 though even in them there is a difference4 ,commend me to a mass of ,sunday-clad peasantry rather than a crowd of the lower strata of ,new ,york--or the equally unpleasant sham aristocracy of ,rochester4 ,i remember those shaded walks of ,hoboken4 ,they are among the beautiful things and pleasant places1 the memory of which is stored away in my attic story4 ,i suppose you will see all the points of attraction before you turn your steps homeward4 ,you will not go further eastward1 ,i suppose4 ,if you should go to ,boston1 go by way of ,newport1 and visit its beach4 ,that famous beach1 at the hour of early morning or just at evening twilight1 is one of the grandest sights ,i ever looked upon4 ,i won't attempt to describe it to you2 but1 if you can see it1 the memory thereof will not die out from your mind4 ,the eye and the ear have kindred offices4 ,they are1 both of them1 organs through which the soul within us takes cognizance of beauty4 ,the magnificent stave of music which has once trembled on the tympanum1 is forever prisoned in the spirit--'a thing of beauty2' and so each glorious form of nature on which the eye has rested1 while the spirit drank in its inspiration1 remains 'a joy forever4' ,and this we call ,memory4 ,why do we call it so8 ,because it is one of those mysterious powers of the human soul for which we have no other name4 ,but ,i am forgetting what to say to you4 ,your particular mention of a number of your visitors is very agreeable to me4 ,what a pity ,i cannot accept your invitation1 and spend a week with you4 ,you must remember everything you see and hear1 and tell me all when you come home4 ,i am very glad you like ,mr4 ,hopper4 ,he is a queer fellow--when he has a mind to be4 ,he can veil the greatest amount of fun under the most serious face1 of any one ,i know4 ,he carries a 'band of music' under that ,quaker physiognomy of his4 ,i have often been talking to him seriously1 and stopped short to tell him ,i could not read him4 ,i did not know whether his thoughts were mine or exactly the opposite4 ,his remarkable father1 ,isaac ,t4 ,hopper1 is one of the noblest-hearted beings in this wide world4 ,his whole life has been marked by acts of most perfect benevolence and devotion to the cause of ,truth and ,humanity4 ,i was pleased with ,n4 ,p4 ,willis's article in ,the ,home ,journal1 though written in his peculiar vein1 and regret to learn that he has been subjected to such an outrage at the hands of the actor ,edwin ,forrest4 ,i know nothing of ,willis's morals1 but should suppose him above anything mean1 or what would render him justly amenable to the censure of those who have long admired him as a leading journalist and charming writer4 ,it is a sad1 sad day for a man or woman who have made for themselves a home in thousands of hearts1 and ministered to us in our holiday hours1 when he or she stoops from that admired eminence1 and becomes a thing for scorn to point its finger at4 ,i will not believe this of ,nathaniel ,parker ,willis--the author of a thousand gems of thought which he has scattered up and down in my memory like spring flowers4 ,our daily press is just what it was4 ,you cannot expect anything else from papers with little talent1 and no courage1 at the editorial helm4 ,if you come across such a man as ,horace ,greeley will recommend as one of his own stamp1 tell him ,western ,new ,york wants a journalist who is up and dressed and afraid of nobody2 and if he will come out here1 and pitch into 'em1 he will make his fortune and serve the country4 ,i've a thought in my mind1 and will give it to you for what it is worth4 ,soon after the meeting at ,doctor ,griswold's1 ,i saw in the ,n4 ,y4 ,evening ,post 7what was very proper--so far as it went1 because it did not charge you with originating these phenomena1 but only disclaimed belief in their ,spiritual nature71 a sort of disclaimer evidently by one of the persons present who took the privilege of speaking for the others 7or most of them74 ,now the fact is that1 if anything which has engrossed a large share of public attention is really worthy of serious investigation1 the result of such investigation is equally worthy to be made publicly known4 ,and as the prominent minds in ,new ,york can most effectually do this1 they1 or those of them who have had the opportunity to arrive at fair conclusions1 ought to be willing to state that result in explicit language1 over their proper signatures4 ,it would be but a simple act of justice to you2 a satisfaction to the multitudes who are prevented1 by a thousand considerations1 from seeing you2 and no dishonor to them4 ,before you leave1 if it meets the approbation of your best friends1 ,i would have it done4 ,it would give you a vantage ground1 from whence you could all look down upon the miserable scribblers who have been eking out their existence by abusing you4 ,write soon1 and tell me what has transpired since your last letter4 ,my love to you all4 ,yours truly1 ,j4 ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,rochester1 ,july #bh1 #ahea4 ,,dear ,,friend ,,leah3 ,your welcome letter came to me last ,tuesday4 ,i have been very anxious to hear from you4 ,you write so seldom1 and ,i am always anticipating your letters long before they reach me4 ,i am sorry to learn that you have been afflicted1 but frequently wonder you are not all sick from the effect of continued application to the duties which devolve on you4 ,i sympathize with you often in your thousand and one perplexities of mind and body4 ,it gives me pleasure to know that the friends stand by you through all trials2 and you will1 ,i doubt not1 find in your mind that appreciation of them that will secure a pleasing recollection when you shall have left them4 ,you say that 'you all wish to come home1 and will probably return soon4' ,now1 ,i wish ,i could believe that word has any significance in such connection2 but it has become such a misnomer1 in ,spiritual things1 that it is a great sinner4 ,sometimes ,i shut out the reality of things around me1 and fancy you all here again4 ,for the moment1 ,i am pleasingly deceived1 and again ,i stand within the charmed circle of the ,rochester ,seeresses4 ,i hear your bursts of laughter1 and look deep into your dark eyes to read what manner of thought is passing behind the ,spirit windows4 ,you are glad to see me4 ,maggie and ,kate also give a like evidence4 ,but ,i am only dreaming2 you are away1 and as far off as you were two months ago4 ,i have little expectation of seeing you in less than two months2 there are reasons which will keep you away so long1 notwithstanding you speak of coming home4 ,but ,i don't wish to hasten you4 ,you know what is best1 and will act accordingly4 ,i should be sorry if you should do anything that you would afterward regret4 ,the most familiar ,spiritualists--if that term is proper1 now hold weekly sociables here4 ,we have met but twice as yet1 but design continuing them each ,sunday evening4 ,the last ,sunday and this we met at the house of ,mr4 ,granger1 and passed the hours very much to our satisfaction4 ,there were present ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,granger1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,post1 ,mr4 ,hammond1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,langworthy1 ,mr4 ,jarvis1 ,mr4 ,edward ,jones1 ,george ,willets1 ,mr4 ,rich1 and the writer of this4 ,the design is to have these meetings tend to the mutual improvement of those present4 ,they partake more of a social and conversational than what would be called a religious character2 opportunities for the interchange of views in reference to ,spiritual things4 ,it is similar to the association in ,springfield1 which ,mr4 ,munn alluded to when here4 ,by the way1 ,mr4 ,munn has sent me the prospectus of a weekly paper--,the ,spirit ,messenger1 to be issued at ,springfield next month4 ,his motive is not speculation1 as any one may well judge who knows what an up-hill business the advocacy of advanced truth is in this our age4 ,you and your friends in ,new ,york must send on to him a list of subscribers4 ,i hope it will be sustained by the many who are seeking for light on this and kindred subjects of deep interest4 ,if1 as intended1 it covers the field heretofore occupied by the miraculous1 it ought to be sustained4 ,your house on ,troup ,street has been closed so long it will require seeing to before you go into it4 ,you ought to send word several days before you reach here1 in order that it may be properly ventilated4 ,if you can do so1 some of your friends will attend to it4 ,as ever1 your friend1 ,,john ,e4 ,r4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,article ,,from ,a ,,new ,,york ,,sunday ,,newspaper4 ,the following is anonymous from a ,sunday newspaper1 the name of which ,i am not now able to give3 ,we paid a visit on ,sunday last to the ,rochester ladies 7at ,barnum's ,hotel71 so celebrated in this world1 and in the world of ,spirits1 for the extraordinary revelations made to them through the remarkable knockings or sounds which have excited so much attention4 ,they appear to be intelligent persons1 and there is little1 if anything1 in their manner that looks like simulation or imposture4 ,we are a perfect heretic in all such beliefs1 and never did have faith in anything that we could not understand4 ,as to ghosts1 spectres1 witchcraft1 or ,spirits from the other world1 we have never believed in any of them1 consequently it cannot trouble us if we are occasionally deceived2 and we are seldom vexed at being hoaxed in anything4 ,we have attained a period of such wonderful discoveries in science and the arts--we accomplish so many extraordinary triumphs and unaccountable enterprises in the present age--that our motto is 'nil admirari4' ,let us see all that is to be seen as quickly as possible1 before we shake off this 'mortal coil4' ,after steam and the telegraph1 we are ready to believe anything4 ,the ,spirit who makes knocks for these young ladies seems to be a familiar one1 for it has followed them from ,rochester and knocks in every part of ,barnum's ,hotel1 corner of ,broadway and ,maiden ,lane4 ,the sounds1 on the occasion of our visit1 seemed to proceed from several parts of the room1 near the table and in the next apartment4 ,we thought with ,hamlet1 ',be thou a spirit of hell or goblin damned1--,bringest thou airs from heaven or blasts from hell1--,be thy intents wicked or charitable1--,thou com'st in such a questionable shape1 that ,i will speak to thee6' ,the first idea that struck us was to inquire of our old friend1 ,tom ,paine4 ,we wrote down his name and the names of several cities1 and asked where he died4 ,the ,spirits knocked 'at ,new ,york4' ,we then inquired how old he was when he died4 ,the familiars knocked seventy times4 ,this was pretty near4 ,we asked if he voted for the death of ,louis ,,xvi48 ,it rapped ',no4' ,the old sinner6 ,this was perplexing and strange1 yet it made no impression upon us4 ,a clergyman whom we have known as possessing a clear1 strong mind1 brought in his pocket a family daguerrotype1 and respectfully requested the ,spirits to state how many figures were in it1 when the number was rapped correctly4 ,he then asked how many of the six had died1 and the number was again rapped correctly4 ,we saw the table at which we sat and the door opposite vibrate with the knocks1 and yet we saw none that we could suspect of collusion4 ,it is evident1 however1 that the minds of all present must harmonize1 and there must be quietude and union of the nervous fluid to develop striking and wise answers to questions--particularly of a domestic character4 ,the young ladies moved about the room1 apparently independent1 and it was clear that they were not knocking1 whoever was2 and as to concealment and emissaries in a large bustling hotel1 with bells ringing1 waiters running about1 chambermaids and lodgers constantly on the move1 it is entirely out of the question4 ,so we came away utterly disbelieving in all supernatural agency1 and1 at the same time1 unable to say how any human means could be used without detection4 ,the powwowings and witchcraft which prevailed so long in ,new ,england among our ancestors are now at an end4 ,our homes are no longer disturbed with an unaccountable noise1 as of old2 our children do not vomit crooked pins and tenpenny nails2 nor have we either magic or sorcery4 ,we no longer have those spirits which the ,rosicrucians tell us inhabit the elements3 sylphs1 gnomes1 nymphs1 and salamanders4 ,yet1 grave and earnest men have1 of old1 believed in witchcraft1 and many at this day believe in this ,spiritual communion with the dead1 as well as in these mysterious knockings4 ,we1 however1 are not of that number2 but would not censure or condemn those who are4 ,the world is curious--these knockings are curious--and these young ladies are worth seeing1 and the mysterious worth hearing4 ,then let them pass for what they are worth4 ,,article ,,from ,,the ,n4 ,y4 ,,day-,,book ,,by ,,its ,,editor1 ,r4 ,n4 ,,simpson4 ,the ,rochester ,knocking ,girls4 ,o ho6 you are all coming into it are you8 ,it is somewhat amusing to see editors of papers1 distinguished men1 literary characters and others coming into the belief of ,spiritualism1 or mysterious knockings2 eating their own words and swallowing ,spirits1 girls1 knockers and all4 ,we say that it is amusing--it would be amusing1 were it not disgusting to see men1 who pretend to possess an ordinary share of intelligence1 so completely stultify themselves--as many of these characters have4 ,more than six months ago these knockings commenced in ,rochester1 and a committee1 composed of the most respectable citizens of that city went into a thorough examination of the cause of them1 and reported to the world the result of that examination4 ,in that report they tell us all and more than we have heard or seen since the girls have been in this city1 and conclude by exonerating the girls from practising deception or fraud in any of their exhibitions4 ,after reading that report1 the writer of this went to ,rochester and visited the girls3 the result of that visit he published in the ,day-,book with just as much expectation of his statements being believed as if he had said that the cars ran off the track1 or that he crossed ,seneca ,lake on board of a steamboat4 ,what was his surprise to find that not one in twenty believed a word of them4 ,the ,journal of ,commerce1 ,the ,courier1 ,the ,express1 ,the ,christian ,intelligencer1 and in fact all the papers in the city amused themselves and their readers by making fun of the whole matter4 ,when we met a friend he would accost us with1 ',well1 you have been to see the ,rochester knockings1 have you8' ',yes sir1' would be our answer4 ',well1 what do you think of them8' ',i think just what ,i have written and published6' ',stimson--you don't pretend to believe in that humbug8' ',i believe that ,i heard the knockings1 and that the girls had no direct agency in making them4' ,an incredulous stare full in the face1 the cheeks filled with wind1 and a sudden bursting into a wild ironical laugh would follow1 and the friend would turn away with1 ',well1 ,stimson1 ,i am used up2 if you are so easily humbugged as that ,i have nothing more to say4' ,this manifestation of utter disbelief in the whole thing1 we must acknowledge1 nettled us a little1 and we concluded to 'shut up1' and deny that we believed in anything4 ,we began to doubt that we had been to ,rochester at all1 and as for seeing the girls or hearing the knockings1 we were ready to swear as bravely and boldly as ,peter 7and with the same truth7 that we knew nothing about them4 ,well1 time passed on1 the papers had their fun1 and the girls are here4 ,what say ,the ,journal of ,commerce and ,the ,express now8 ,do they call it all humbug8 ,o no6 some of our great men have been to see and hear for themselves1 and instead of calling it humbug swallow it without gulping4 ,of course ,the ,journal of ,commerce can't go against the great men1 and ,the ,express1 never having had an opinion of its own1 follows on the back track as tamely as an ass colt4 ,,letter ,,from ,,dr4 ,c4 ,d4 ,,griswold1 ,m4,d4 ,the ,rappings in ,new ,york4 ,to the ,editor of the ,evening ,mirror3 ,now that a considerable number of 'the wise men of the ,east1' even of ,gotham1 have been permitted to hear the veritable 'rappings' which so confounded the 'foolish' and 'credulous' people of the ',west1' ,i do not see that they are any more successful in discovering the machinery1 wire-work1 or other means of collusion to which these phenomena have been attributed 7by those who have never witnessed them71 than were their western neighbors4 ,all1 or nearly all those who have investigated this matter with any honesty of purpose1 have found it far exceeding their conceptions4 ,there is often a truthfulness and exactness in these communications which are perfectly astounding1 and when failures do occur they can readily be accounted for if it is admitted that they are addressed to an intelligence which reads the most secret thoughts4 ,what is the nature of this intelligence which tells us our thoughts when sincere1 and regards them not when called for with a trifling or dishonest purpose8 ,can it be the keen-sighted perception of the parties interested8 ,can it be explained by the principles of mesmerism1 or is it supernatural8 ,these are the questions to be answered4 ,those who cannot control their thoughts from the observations of others1 may be satisfied with the first2 those who do not take into consideration the physical demonstrations1 may consider the second an explanation2 but to explain all1 it may be doubted1 as some do1 that the power exists in the supernatural world4 ,this is anything but an age of reason4 ',opinion' has gained the ascendancy and sits upon 'reason's throne1' and with an assurance incompatible with everything but ignorance1 despises 'facts' and evidence4 ,strange and mysterious as this matter is1 many of the phenomena are settled 'facts' which plainly contradict the vague 'opinions' set afloat by those who know little of what they talk or write about4 ,take1 for instance1 a note--published in ,the ,evening ,post--by a person who was present at the interview for the investigation of the subject1 at the rooms of ,dr4 ,griswold1 in which he says that 'all the persons present on that occasion 7whom he has since seen7 are of the opinion that the phenomena1 or knockings1 were electrical1 and the answers accidental4' ,these may not be his precise words1 yet they embody correctly his expression2 but they are incorrect in fact1 and in their implication2 as all of the persons then present have not been consulted1 far less have they given an unanimous opinion as above expressed4 ,before any one adopts the 'opinion' that these sounds are electrical1 would it not be well to show how they can be produced while the three persons on whom they are attendant are insulated several feet apart2 how electricity can be so harnessed to tables1 chairs1 and other things1 as to move them about1 or hold them in their places so that no human arm can stir them1 or produce a concussion equal to what would require the force of a strong arm to accomplish and with the aid of a heavy instrument2 without saying anything of the still more wonderful manifestations indicating intellectual direction4 ,any one who can give the rationale of all this1 upon electrical principles1 will undo some of the established and known laws1 and discover to the world not only the means for converting this subtle agent into an intelligent motive power1 but also to give it the skill of a masterly engineer4 ,the assumption that the correct answers given to questions that evening--though not remarkable1 comparatively--were 'accidental1' bears absurdity upon the face of it4 ,such 'opinions' throw no light upon the mystery1 but leave it still more inexplicable to the general intelligent mind4 ,of thousands who have now witnessed these phenomena1 almost every one at first regarded the idea that these parties were not directly the operators1 as most preposterous4 ,but since what is called a 'public opinion' has become pretty well established1 the rest of the world fall in1 and see nothing very strange in them--after all4 ,and thus it would be with the next point1 or the claim of ,spirituality1 were it only understood that the immaculate judge1 'public opinion1' had decided in its favor4 ,such is the value of opinion in a large sense4 ,if the truth is told of other days1 mankind valued their opinions1 and kept them to themselves4 ,but not so now4 ,the article is known to be valueless2 and each one seems desirous of getting rid of his stock4 ,at no age of the world did charlatanism make more rapid strides than it does at present2 so that1 it seems1 the same traits of character which render us the subjects of deception1 make us slow to embrace truth2 and for the reason1 as ,i conceive1 that 'facts' and 'evidence' are less an element in the 'foundation' of opinions than are prejudices1 preconceived notions1 personal interest1 and the fear of being laughed at4 ,the philosophy of the ,sunday ,press upon this subject has sustained the well-known character of those journals2 to say the least1 they have been very spirited4 ,religion which has been arrayed against ,god1 is the devil's weapon1 and ,the ,herald borrowed it for the first onset2 'seriously' fearing that this subject would be made to overthrow the good results which sound education and true ,christian piety might accomplish4 ,pray1 what would ,the ,herald have to fear from such a result8 ,its premises would be exempt from any change by such a revolution1 and it would1 no doubt1 add to its subscription lists4 ,there is one cheerful inference to be drawn from ,the ,herald's position with regard to this subject2 that is1 that the devil has no meddling with the matter4 ,by the way1 this calls to mind another distinguished individual--,dr4 ,david ,meredith ,reese--who has the advantage of a longer name1 if not quite so notorious1 the great expounder of humbugs4 ,he has promised to show up the deception upon the first opportunity1 and people would have great confidence in his experience4 ,come forward1 doctor1 and redeem your pledge2 or take back your unmanly imputations2 but1 for the credit of the thing1 do not say that you believe in its verity4 ,c4 ,d4 ,,griswold1 ,m4,d4 ,,letter ,,from ,,jacob ,c4 ,,cuyler4 ,the following is from the editor of ,the ,albany ,express1 before mentioned in connection with the visit of the judges and lawyers at ,albany4 ,,albany ,,morning ,,express ,,office1 ,june #i1 #ahej4 ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,after reading an account of your meeting at the house of the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,griswold1 in ,broadway1 ,new ,york1 accompanied as it was by many very satisfactory1 and ,i trust convincing1 manifestations1 ,i have experienced a species of gratification which ,i can call nothing more nor less than revengeful4 ,those who have scoffed and scouted the idea of ',spiritual communications' were modest enough in their prejudiced opinions to style me fanatic and chimerical2 and some1 more unscrupulous than their brethren1 even hinted that no respectable paper would devote its columns to the dissemination of such doctrines throughout the world4 ,but ',truth is mighty1 and will prevail4' ,choosing rather that time should vindicate the ',spirits1' than that our own feeble efforts should act as their defender1 we have waited with some anxiety the result in ,new ,york ,city4 ,when1 therefore1 we learned that such men as ,mr4 ,cooper1 ,mr4 ,tuckerman1 ,dr4 ,frances1 and others of like stamp1 had received such demonstrations as are recorded in the public journals of that city1 ,i took the liberty of adding some considerable to my diminutive stature4 ,i walked about with all the assurance of a millionaire1 and just at the nick of time1 whom should ,i come in contact with but the unbeliever ,hastings1 of ,the ,knickerbocker4 ,triumphantly ,i held up before his astonished gaze the record1 and exultingly asked him whether those men were fools1 lunatics1 or fanatics8 ,i had him there1 and all he could say in reply was--,humbug4 ,well1 that was as much as ,i expected1 and laughing at his stubborn ignorance ,i left him4 ,i see that even ,bennett1 of ,the ,herald1 has somewhat changed his tone1 and that he speaks quite favorably of the affair4 ,he will be compelled to do more than all this1 ,i hope1 before long1 or many weeks roll over his head4 ,the press generally in ,new ,york1 ,i am happy to see1 are acting very kindly toward you1 and ,i only wish that all may receive entire satisfaction in their investigations4 ,with us1 all remains as usual4 ,many who seemed to manifest but little interest in the affair while you were here have1 since your departure1 evinced a desire to see and investigate4 ,so will it be everywhere1 and among all classes4 ,the ,switch still speaks of ',yaupy'#i and the ,spirits with contempt2 but ,i believe ',yaupy' suffers nothing from his efforts4 ,he still seems to be in the enjoyment of health1 and although seldom known to smile1 he can laugh with more freedom than is his usual custom4 ,do you think of stopping in our city before you return to ,rochester8 ,i hope so4 ,i have heard that ,margaretta has been unwell since your arrival in ,new ,york1 but presume her recovery is complete4 ,present my kind regards to your mother and ,maggy and ,catty4 ,hoping to see you in ,new ,york before you leave1 ,i remain ,yours respectfully1 ,,jacob ,c4 ,,cuyler4 #i ,yaupy is ,low ,dutch for ,jacob2 the writer of the letter originally employed it as a nom de plume4 ,,article ,,by ,,horace ,,greeley1 ,,published ,,in ,,the ,,tribune4 ,mrs4 ,fox and her three daughters left our city yesterday on their return to ,rochester1 after a stay here of some weeks1 during which they have freely subjected the mysterious influence by which they seem to be accompanied1 to every reasonable test1 and to the keen and critical scrutiny of the hundreds who have chosen to visit them1 or whom they have been invited to visit4 ,the rooms which they occupied at the hotel have been repeatedly searched and scrutinized2 they have been taken without an hour's notice1 into houses they had never before entered2 they have been1 all unconsciously1 placed on a glass surface concealed under the carpet1 in order to interrupt electric vibrations2 they have been disrobed by a committee of ladies1 appointed without notice1 and insisting that neither of them should leave the room until the investigation had been made1 etc41 etc41 yet we believe that no one to this moment pretends that he has detected either of them in producing or causing the 'rappings2' nor do we think any of their contemners has invented a plausible theory to account for the production of these sounds1 nor the singular intelligence which 7certainly at times7 has seemed to be manifested through them4 ,some ten or twelve days since1 they gave up their rooms at the hotel1 and devoted the remainder of their sojourn here to visiting several families1 to which they had been invited by persons interested in the subject1 and subjecting the singular influence to a closer and calmer examination than could be given to it at a hotel and before casual companies of strangers1 drawn together by a vague curiosity1 mere rational interest1 or predetermined and invincible hostility4 ,our own dwelling was among those thus visited1 not merely submitting to but courting the fullest and keenest inquiry with regard to the alleged 'manifestations' from the ,spirit world by which they were attended4 ,we devoted what time we could spare from our duties1 out of three days1 to this subject1 and it would be the basest cowardice not to say that we are convinced beyond a doubt of their perfect integrity and good faith in the premises4 ,whatever may be the origin or the cause of the 'rappings1' the ladies in whose presence they occur do not make them4 ,we tested this thoroughly and to our entire satisfaction4 ,their conduct and bearing is as unlike that of deceivers as possible1 and we think no one acquainted with them could believe them at all capable of engaging in so daring1 impious1 and shameful a juggle as this would be if they caused the sounds4 ,and it is not possible that such a juggle should have been so long perpetrated in public1 yet escape detection4 ,a juggler performs one feat quickly and hurries on to another2 he does not devote weeks after weeks to doing the same thing over and over deliberately1 in full view of hundreds who sit beside or confronting him in broad daylight1 not to enjoy but to detect his trick4 ,a deceiver naturally avoids conversation on the subject of his knavery1 but these ladies converse freely and fully with regard to the origin of these 'rappings' in their dwelling years ago1 the various sensations they caused1 the neighborhood excitement created1 the progress of the developments--what they have seen1 heard1 and experienced from first to last4 ,if all were false they could not fail to have involved themselves ere this in a labyrinth of blasting contradictions1 as each separately gives accounts of the most astounding occurrences at this or that time4 ,persons foolish enough so to commit themselves without reserve or caution could not have deferred a thorough self-exposure for a single week4 ,of course a variety of opinions of so strange a matter would naturally be formed by the various persons who have visited them1 and we presume those who have merely run into their room for an hour or so and listened1 among a huddle of strangers1 to a medley of questions--not all admitting of very profitable answers--put to certain invisible intelligencies and answered by rappings or singular noises on the floor1 table1 etc41 as the alphabet was called over or otherwise1 would naturally go away perhaps puzzled1 probably disgusted1 rarely convinced4 ,it is hardly possible that a matter ostensibly so grave could be presented under circumstances less favorable to conviction4 ,but of those who have enjoyed proper opportunities for a full investigation we believe that fully three-fourths are convinced1 as we are1 that these singular sounds and seeming manifestations are not produced by ,mrs4 ,fox and her daughters1 nor by any human being connected with them4 ,how they are caused1 and whence they proceed1 are questions which open a much wider field of inquiry1 with whose way-marks we do not profess to be familiar4 ,he must be well acquainted with the arcana of the universe who shall presume dogmatically to decide that these manifestations are natural or supernatural4 ,the ladies say that they are informed that this is but the beginning of a new era or economy1 in which ,spirits clothed in flesh are to be more closely and palpably connected with those which have put on immortality2 that the manifestations have already appeared in many other families and are destined to be diffused and rendered clearer1 until all who will may communicate freely and beneficially with their friends who have 'shuffled off this mortal coil4' ,of all this we know nothing and shall guess nothing4 ,but if we were simply to print 7which we shall not7 the questions we asked and the answers we received during a two hours' uninterrupted conference with the 'rappers1' we should at once be accused of having done so expressly to sustain the theory which regards these manifestations as the utterances of departed spirits4 ,we believe it is the intention of the ladies to shun henceforth all publicity or notoriety as far as possible4 ,they do not expect or wish to make gain of the ',rappings2' they have desired to vindicate their own characters from the gross imputations so freely cast upon them2 believing that1 that effected1 they hope to be permitted hereafter to live in that seclusion which befits their sex1 their station1 and their wishes4 ,we trust they may be permitted to do so4 ,h4 ,g4 ,a ,,poem4 ,the following clever verses 7published in ,the ,new ,york ,sunday ,dispatch7 were from the pen of a gentleman who had been a vehement opponent1 but who1 being an honest and good man1 had not been able to resist the evidences of the truth of the ,communion of ,spirits4 ,in inserting them1 the ,editor exercises his prerogative in disregard of the objections and vain veto of the author who was the subject of them4 ,when first ,leah ,brown ,became talked of through town1 ,and compared to the famed witch of ,endor1 ,i thought 'twould be best ,to apply the old test1 ,and to fagot and fire to send her4 ,in my zeal orthodox ,to trap this sly ,fox1 ,a terrible pit-fall ,i planned1 ,but she every one foils1 ,i was caught in her toils1 ,and1 ,i own it1 completely trepanned4 ',tis no wonder her spell ,should on every one tell1 ,and worm out our secrets by scores1 ,her eye's such a piercer1 ,i never saw fiercer4 ,it made me leak out through my pores4 ',twas plain she saw through me1 ,though ,heaven beshrew me1 ,if ,i even myself could divine4 ,in my visage dyspeptic ,she saw but a sceptic1 ,her own was the reflex of mine4 ,for my doubts it was clear ,i was soon to pay dear1 ,to this point all her efforts were pitched1 ,and ,i own it with shame1 ,she has managed that same1 ,for now ,i am fairly--bewitched4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,buffalo4 #ahej-ea4 ,,urged ,,to ,,return ,,to ,,new ,,york--,,visit ,,to ,,buffalo--,,attempt ,,by ,a ,,pretended ,,friend ,,to ,,frighten ,,us ,,away--,,thunderbolt ,,from ,,the ,,buffalo ,,commercial ,,advertiser--,,the ,,females--,,knee-,,joint ,,theory--,,our ,,reply ,,challenging ,,investigation ,,of ,,it--,,the ,,doctors' ,,day--,,mrs4 ,,patchen',s ,,peculiarity4 ,we all returned to our home in ,rochester1 but immediately started for the old homestead 7,arcadia1 ,wayne ,county71 where for about a month we enjoyed the society of our dear friends to our hearts' content4 ,after this it became necessary to go back to ,rochester1 where we received urgent letters from ,new ,york1 insisting on our return to that city1 now that we had had what our friends there thought a sufficient period of repose and holiday4 ,these invitations we refused1 whatever might be the conditions offered2 but this soon brought upon us a visit of ,judge ,edmonds and others1 in person1 who insisted1 in the name of all our friends1 as well as in that of our duty1 that some of the family at least should return with him to ,new ,york4 ,this finally led1 after much persuasion and deliberation1 to our consent that ,katie1 accompanied of course by mother1 should do so1 and ,maggie remained with me at my house in ,troup ,street1 ,rochester4 ,at ,new ,york mother and ,katie were to reside successively with our principal friends in the great city4 ,we left ,rochester for ,buffalo the #afth of ,december1 #ahej1 at the earnest solicitation of many friends there4 ,it was our intention on leaving home to be absent about two weeks1 but1 like the ,spirits1 we could not calculate our time4 ,when we had been there about two weeks1 we began to think of turning our steps homeward2 but our friends would not consent to our leaving them so soon1 as the crowded sances and the continued increasing interest seemed to demand our presence still longer4 ,we remained1 and soon found why we were detained4 ,about this time two of the ,buffalo doctors called on us1 viz41 ,dr4 ,c4 ,b4 ,coventry and ,dr4 ,charles ,a4 ,lee4 ,to my certain knowledge1 ,dr4 ,austin ,flint never appeared in our presence until after he had made the wonderful discovery of knee-ology1 which is fully explained hereafter4 ,dr4 ,coventry appeared gentlemanly at all times and places2 but ,dr4 ,lee proved himself to be a wily1 deceitful man4 ,he certainly professed1 to us1 to be greatly surprised at what he witnessed in our presence2 and ,i was myself afterward surprised at the manner and tone of the subsequent attacks upon us in which he united4 ,the first intimation we had of the thunderbolt which was being forged to be hurled upon us by the ,buffalo doctors1 from what they seemed to consider as an ,olympic height of professional authority1 was a visit which ,i received one morning from ,dr4 ,t4 ,m4 ,foote1 formerly ,u4 ,s4 ,minister to ,bogota1 and at this time editor of ,the ,buffalo ,commercial ,advertiser4 ,he professed to come as our friend1 and with a gentle blandness and confidential tone advised me to leave ,buffalo at once1 suggesting that the first train would leave in about two hours2 that the whole thing was now found out and exposed1 and that he came to save us from being mobbed out of the city4 ,i suppose now that our oily friend in his own evil heart imagined us to be really frauds1 and that ,i would probably be frightened into flight2 or1 at any rate1 give evidence of conscious guilt in the mode of receiving such a friendly warning4 ,for a moment or two ,i scarcely understood his meaning2 but then ,i asked1 with my best haughtiness1 what right he had to come to my door1 at our private hours1 without sending up his card2 and ,i stepped back into my room1 shutting and locking the door in his face1 and at once rang the bell1 more violently than was perhaps lady-like1 but so as to bring the porter very promptly to the door1 near which my visitor was still standing4 ,i told the porter to beg ,mr4 ,rogers1 the good and kind proprietor of the house1 to step up1 and to him ,i complained that that man had dared to come to my door1 within my private hours1 without first sending up his card for permission2 that he had insulted me1 and that ,i begged he might never be admitted again under any circumstances4 ,of course ,i knew well enough who that man was1 for he had often been at our rooms1 and had entertained us with stories of the tricks of legerdemain he had witnessed in ,south ,america4 ,he was here an important and potent personage1 being an ex-diplomatist and editor of an evening paper4 ,from his other title1 ,i suppose he must once have also been of the same profession as the three ,m4,d4's whose attack on us was already in type in his columns1 as ,i soon afterward knew by the news-boys' cries of ,the ,rochester ,knockings6 ,great ,exposure of the ,rochester ,knockings6 ,if the ,rochester knockings were an imposture1 nobody was more imposed upon by them than myself1 and nobody could have had a greater interest in learning how they were produced4 ,i therefore sent out to buy a copy of ,the ,commercial ,advertiser of ,february #ah1 #ahea1 still damp from the press1 in which ,i read the following authoritative scientific account of the way in which1 for now nearly three years1 my little sisters and myself had been wearing out our knee-bones to impose upon the world1 our family1 and ourselves6 ,and this is what ,i read3 ,,to ,,the ,,editor ,,of ,the ,commercial ,advertiser3 ,curiosity having led us to visit the rooms at the ,phelps ,house in which two females from ,rochester--,mrs4 ,fish and ,miss ,fox--profess to exhibit striking manifestations from the ,spirit world1 by means of which communion may be had with deceased friends1 etc42 and having arrived at a physiological explanation of the phenomena1 the correctness of which has been demonstrated in an instance which has since fallen under our observation1 we have felt that a public statement is called for which may perhaps serve to prevent a further waste of time1 money1 and credulity 7to say nothing of sentiment and philosophy7 in connection with this so long successful imposition4 ,the explanation is reached1 almost by a logical necessity1 on the application of a method of reasoning much resorted to in the diagnosis of diseases--namely1 the reasoning by exclusion4 ,it was reached by this method prior to the demonstration which has subsequently occurred4 ,it is to be assumed1 first1 that the manifestations are not to be regarded as spiritual1 provided they can be physically or physiologically accounted for4 ,immaterial agencies are not to be invoked until material agencies fail4 ,we are thus to exclude ,spiritual causation in this stage of the investigation4 ,next1 it is taken for granted that the rappings are not produced by artificial contrivances about the persons of the females1 which may be concealed by the dress4 ,this hypothesis is excluded because it is understood that the females have been repeatedly and carefully examined by lady committees4 ,it is obvious that the rappings are not caused by machinery attached to tables1 doors1 etc41 for they are heard in different rooms1 and in different parts of the same room in which the females are present1 but always near the spot where the females are stationed4 ,this mechanical hypothesis is then to be excluded4 ,so much for negative evidence1 and now for what positively relates to the subject4 ,on carefully observing the countenances of the two females it is evident that they involve an effort of the will4 ,they evidently attempted to conceal any indications of voluntary effort1 but did not succeed4 ,a voluntary effort was manifested1 and it was plain that it could not be continued very long without fatigue4 ,assuming1 then1 this positive fact1 the inquiry arises1 how can the will be exerted to produce sounds 7rappings7 without obvious movements of the body8 ,the voluntary muscles themselves are the only organs1 save those which belong to the mind itself1 over which volition can exercise any direct control4 ,but contractions of the muscles do not1 in the muscles themselves1 occasion obvious sounds4 ,the muscles1 therefore1 to develop audible vibrations1 must act upon parts with which they are connected4 ,now1 it was sufficiently clear that the rappings were not vocal sounds2 these could not be produced without movements of the respiratory muscles1 which would at once lead to detection4 ,hence1 excluding vocal sounds1 the only possible source of the noises in question1 produced as we have seen they must be1 by voluntary muscular contractions1 is in one or more of the movable articulations of the skeleton1 from the anatomical construction of the voluntary muscles4 ,this explanation remains as the only alternative4 ,by an analysis prosecuted in this manner we arrive at the conviction that the rappings1 assuming that they are not spiritual1 are produced by the action of the will1 through voluntary action on the joints4 ,various facts may be cited to show that the motion of the joints1 under certain circumstances1 is adequate to produce the phenomena of the rappings2 but we need not now refer to these4 ,by a curious coincidence1 after arriving at the above conclusion respecting the source of the sounds1 an instance has fallen under our observation1 which demonstrates the fact that noises precisely identical with the spiritual rappings may be produced in the knee-joints4 ,a highly respectable lady of this city possesses the ability of developing sounds similar1 both in character and degree1 to those professedly elicited1 by the ,rochester impostors1 from the ,spirit world4 ,we have witnessed the production of the sounds by the lady referred to1 and have been permitted to examine the mechanism by which they are produced4 ,without entering at this time into a very minute anatomical and physiological explanation1 it is sufficient to state that the muscles inserted into the upper and inner side of the large bone of the leg 7the tibia71 near the knee-joint1 are brought into action so as to move the upper surface of the bone just named laterally upon the lower surface of the thigh bone 7the femur71 giving rise1 in fact1 to a partial lateral dislocation4#aj ,this is effected by an act of the will1 without any obvious movement of the limb1 occasioning a loud noise1 and the return of the bone to its place is attended by a second sound4 ,most of the ,rochester rappings are double4 ,it is practicable1 however1 to produce a single sound by moving the bone out of place with the requisite quickness and force1 and allowing it to slide slowly back1 in which case it is noiseless4 ,the visible vibrations of articles in the room1 situated near the operator1 occur1 if the limb1 or any portion of the body1 is in contact with them at the time the sounds are produced4 ,the force of the semi-dislocation of the bone is sufficient to occasion distinct jarring of the doors1 tables1 etc41 if in contact4 ,the intensity of the sound may be varied in proportion to the force of the muscular contractions1 and this will render the apparent source of the rappings more or less distinct4 ,we have witnessed repetitions of experiments1 in the case just referred to1 sufficient to exhibit to us all the phenomena of the sounds belonging to the ,rochester rappings1 and1 without further explanations at this time1 we append our names in testimony of the facts contained in the foregoing hastily penned exposition4 ,,austin ,,flint1 ,m4 ,d41 ,,charles ,a4 ,,lee1 ,m4 ,d41 ,university ,c4 ,b4 ,,coventry1 ,m4 ,d41 of ,buffalo4 ,february #ag1 #ahea4 #aj ,this article was also published in the ,buffalo ,medical ,journal for ,march1 #ahea1 with a note saying that the editor had taken the liberty to correct an error in the account of the displacement of the joint which produces the sounds4 ,that correction was of the sentence we have italicized1 and the editorial correction reads as follows3 ,without entering1 at this time1 into minute anatomical and physiological explanation1 it is sufficient to state that1 owing to relaxation of the ligaments of the knee-joint1 by means of muscular action and pressure of the lower extremity against a point of resistance1 the large bone of the leg 7the tibia7 is moved laterally upon the lower surface of the thigh bone 7the femur71 giving rise1 in fact1 to partial lateral dislocation4 ,by comparing the portion italicized1 in this note especially1 it will be seen that the doctors disagreed very materially1 making1 in fact1 two different statements4 ,i had been so indignant at ,dr4 ,foote's first intimation to me of what was coming1 that if1 when ,i slammed the door in his face1 it had happened to come in contact with his nose1 which he had so impertinently and hypocritically attempted to intrude into our rooms1 ,i fear ,i should not have much regretted the accident2 but anger evaporated over the perusal of this precious scientific performance2 which was certainly enough to make me smile aloud over its absurdity4 ,i saw at once that we could have nothing to fear from it1 even though1 at the first blush1 its solemn professional air and tone might impose upon the ignorant and gratify the bigotry of some hostilities4 ,i knew that the first sincere investigation1 with special reference to this new and comical knee-joint theory1 must at once explode it and cover its authors with confusion4 ,i published the next day1 in all the daily papers1 the following card4 ,it will be remembered that ,i was now alone in ,buffalo with ,maggie2 mother and ,katie being at ,new ,york4 ,,to ,,doctors ,,flint1 ,,coventry1 and ,,lee3 ,,gentlemen--,we observe1 by a communication in ,the ,commercial ,advertiser1 that you have recently made an examination of a 'highly respectable lady of this city1' by which you have discovered the secret of the ',rochester impostors4' ,as we do not feel willing to rest under the imputation of being impostors1 we are very willing to undergo a proper and decent examination1 provided we can select three male and three female friends who shall be present on the occasion4 ,we can assure the public that there is no one more anxious than ourselves to discover the origin of these mysterious manifestations4 ,if they can be explained on 'anatomical and physiological' principles1 it is due to the world that the investigation be made1 and that the 'humbug' be exposed4 ,as there seems to be much interest manifested by the public on that subject1 we would suggest that as early an investigation as is convenient would be acceptable to the undersigned4 ,a4 ,,leah ,,fish4 ,,margaretta ,,fox4 ,the learned professors1 being thus challenged1 could do no less than accept1 and a meeting was arranged1 which took place at the ,phelps ,house4 ,indeed1 for the next fortnight we may be said to have surrendered our whole time to investigations1 our rooms being open freely and gratuitously to meetings of the public1 or of committees appointed by them1 consisting of gentlemen selected from the pick of ,buffalo4 ,the three doctors had the first evening in their own hands2 though there were present ,mr4 ,rogers1 the proprietor of the hotel1 and ,i think two or three gentlemen friendly to us1 and many other promiscuous gentlemen4 ,i remember particularly the presence of two steamboat men 7idle1 of course1 at that season71 ,captains ,rounds and ,walker4 ,this is fixed in my recollection because of a little incident in regard to which ,i have never been sure which of them was the 7kindly7 guilty party4 ,they both felt a pity--natural to good and kindly men--for two young creatures thus baited1 as it were by cruel enemies2 and as we1 ,maggie and ,i1 sat together on a sofa1 and after long waiting no raps came1 one of them rested his arm on the back of the sofa and actually1 with his knuckles1 made behind me three raps which were not a bad imitation4 ,perhaps he was not more than half conscious of what he did1 like the boy who denied that he had whistled in school and said it whistled itself4 ,but ,i knew the raps not to be genuine2 while the kindness of heart of the author of them at such a moment of trial excited in me something perhaps a little hysterical1 for ,i cried1 or rather sobbed out--,o1 for pity's sake1 don't do that4 ,if ,god and the good ,spirits have deserted us we will abide the consequences2 but don't let there be any false rapping4 ,good ,mr4 ,rogers was so much moved and excited 7he had been before wiping streams of perspiration from his forehead7 that he staggered as he stood1 and some friends assisted him out of the room2 and ,i understood that he actually fainted4 ,but the good ,spirits had inspired me well2 for ,i was afterward told that it produced the best effect on all present4 ,from this ,i presume that ,i must except the doctors1 whom professional dignity and pride committed to their new theory2 and who1 probably under the materialistic bigotry of modern science1 were all in arms against us and the ,spirits4 ,the spontaneous genuineness of it was clear evidence that there was nothing but honesty in us1 whatever mystery might be under these strange manifestations--mysterious to ourselves first and most of all4 ,it was certainly a severe and cruel ordeal for us1 as we sat there under that accusation1 surrounded by all these men1 authorities1 some of them persecutors1 while the raps1 usually so ready and familiar1 would not come to our relief4 ,some few and faint ones did indeed come--some nine or ten4 ,the doctors say in their account that it was while they intermitted the holding of our feet4 ,such was not my impression1 but ,i attach small importance to that4 ,it will be seen herein that the first ,doctors' day was followed by many more1 in the presence of committees of all that was highest and best of authority in ,buffalo1 in which not only did the raps abound1 alike when our feet and knees were held and when they were not1 but other manifestations of the presence and action of our ,spirit-friends which far transcended the significancy of raps4 ,we are now familiar with the fact that ,spirits often refuse to act in the presence of those who bring to the occasion1 not a candid and fair spirit of inquiry for the satisfaction of an honest scepticism1 but a bitter and offensive bigotry of prejudice and invincible hostility1 which does not really seek1 but rather repels the truth1 and but little deserves the favor of its exhibition to them by the ,spirits4 ,neither men nor ,spirits care always to cast their pearls away upon unfit and unworthy recipients4 ,our ,spirits knew well what they could and would exhibit on the following days to the public of ,buffalo and the world1 through better channels of higher authority4 ,the three doctors published their account1 the animus of which appears in the one circumstance that we are never mentioned but as females--a small fact1 but enough to show how some males may be ,m4,d4's without being gentlemen4 ,the following extracts from their account of it will present the whole of its substance3 ,the two females were seated upon two chairs placed near together1 their heels resting on cushions1 their lower limbs extended1 with the toes elevated and the feet separated from each other4 ,the object of this experiment was to secure a position in which the ligaments of the knee-joint should be made tense1 and no opportunity offered to make a pressure with the foot4 ,we were pretty well satisfied that the displacement of the bones requisite for the sounds could not be effected1 unless a fulcrum were obtained by resting one foot upon the other1 or on some resisting body4 ,the company waited half an hour1 but no sounds were heard in this position4 ,the position of the younger sister was then changed to a sitting posture1 with lower limbs extended on the sofa1 the elder sister sitting1 in the customary way1 at the other extremity of the sofa4 ,the ',spirits' did not choose to signify their presence under these circumstances1 although repeatedly requested so to do4 ,the latter experiment went to confirm the belief that the younger sister alone produced the rapping4 ,these experiments were continued until the females themselves admitted that it was useless to continue any longer at that time1 with any expectation of manifestations being made4 ,in resuming the usual position on the sofa1 the feet resting on the floor1 the knockings soon began to be heard4 ,it was then suggested that some other experiments be made4 ,this was assented to1 notwithstanding the first was to our minds amply conclusive4 ,the experiment selected was1 that the knees of the two females be firmly grasped1 with the hands so applied that any lateral movement of the bones would be perceptible to the touch4 ,the pressure was made through the dress4 ,it was not expected to prevent the sounds1 but to ascertain if they proceeded from the knee-joint4 ,it is obvious that this experiment was far less demonstrative to an observer than the first1 because1 if the bones were distinctly felt to move1 the only evidence of this fact would be the testimony of those whose hands were in contact with them4 ,the hands were kept in apposition for several minutes at a time1 and the experiments repeated frequently1 for the space of half an hour or more1 with negative results2 that is to say1 there were plenty of raps when the knees were not held1 and none when the hands were applied1 save once2 as the pressure was intentionally somewhat relaxed 7,dr4 ,lee being the holder7 two or three faint single raps were heard1 and ,dr4 ,lee immediately averred that the motion of the bone was plainly perceptible to him4 ,the experiment of seizing the knees as quickly as possible1 when the knocking first commenced1 was tried several times1 but always with the effect of putting an immediate quietus upon the demonstrations4 ,the proposition to bandage the knees was discussed4 ,the experiment was objected to1 on the part of the friends of the females1 unless we could concede that it should be a conclusive test experiment4 ,we were not prepared with appliances to render the limb immovable1 and therefore declined to have it considered such a test4 ,this was the experiment anticipated1 and one which1 we presume1 the females thought would end in their triumph4 ,a bandage applied above and below the patella1 admitting of flexion of the limb1 will probably prevent the displacement1 as we have but little doubt had been ascertained by the ,rochester females before an examination was invited4 ,should it become necessary to repeat experiments in other places1 in furtherance of the explosion of the imposition1 we would suggest that the bandage be not relied upon4 99 99 99 99 99 ,had our experiments1 which were first directed to this joint1 failed1 we should have proceeded to interrogate1 experimentally1 other articulations4 ,but the conclusion seemed clear that the ,rochester ,knockings emanate from the knee-joint4 ,the name of the lady referred to1 who had some extraordinary formation of the joint in one of her knees1 was ,mrs4 ,patchen4 7,at the close of this chapter the reader will find some letters from her to me47 ,she could produce a peculiar1 unpleasant1 crunching sound by pressing her knee forward against some resisting object1 and then kicking1 as it were1 upward her foot by a movement which lifted her dress and was obviously visible to persons present4 ,but it was with great effort and very painful to herself1 and the consequence of her having exhibited it to a committee at our rooms was that she was confined for about a week4 ,the way her peculiar case had come to their knowledge was this3 ,one night1 when her husband had returned late from one of our meetings and stated the cause of his delay1 she told him1 in joke1 that she could make raps with her knee-joint1 and that he should rather pay her than us4 ,she could also make them in bed1 having a side-board on which she could press the knee4 ,the next day her husband mentioned this to ,dr4 ,austin ,flint1 who happened to be his family physician4 ,the medical eagerness to rush forth with their address to the public above quoted1 with little if any investigation1 is shown by the fact that it was on the following day that the scientific tirade against us1 signed by the three doctors1 appeared in ,the ,commercial ,advertiser4 ,it is most charitable to suppose that they never really heard ,mrs4 ,patchen's peculiar sound1 because it was manifest to all who afterward heard it at our rooms1 that it bore no resemblance to the knocking of our invisible friends1 since otherwise there is no escape from a still more discreditable alternative4 ,mrs4 ,patchen was greatly annoyed at the use to which this rare peculiarity of hers had been perverted4 ,she came to see me and expressed her deep regret1 even before we recognized each other as old school-mates2 and the following letters1 written after she had heard and witnessed for herself 7the originals of which ,i still possess71 sufficiently speak for themselves4 ,the date of the doctors' attack was ,february #ah1 #ahea4 ,,saturday1 ,march #h1 #ahea4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,can you and your sister possibly make it convenient to come to my house this afternoon8 ,if not1 do come this evening without fail4 ,you will confer a great favor by so doing4 ,i want to see you both very much4 ,your ever dear friend1 ,,mrs4 ,,patchen4 ,p4,s4 ,i did not send your little satchel1 as ,i wanted you to come and see me yourself4 ,please send an answer by the little boy4 ,,buffalo1 ,march #ba1 #ahea4 ,,dear ,,friends1 ,,mrs4 ,,fish ,,and ,,sister3 ,i have been anxiously waiting to see you at our home again4 ,the ,phelps ,house is so crowded ,i could not see you privately for a moment4 ,i do want to see you very much4 ,i have heard so much of your 'manifestations'--not yours1 but the manifestations of the ,spirits4 ,they are very mysterious2 it is very singular4 ,my husband was at your rooms last evening1 but he thought it not best for me to come in such a crowd4 ,i wish you could disengage yourselves for one afternoon or evening as soon as you possibly can4 ,i never before felt so deeply interested in the subject4 ,i cannot possibly wait a week4 ,please send word when you will come4 ,faithfully yours1 ,,mrs4 ,,patchen4 ,this is the lady through whom ,dr4 ,flint endeavored to expose us to the world as humbugs and impostors4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,buffalo 7,continued74 ,,investigations ,,upon ,,investigations--,a ,,meeting ,,at ,,the ,,phelps ,,house--,,manifestations ,,with ,,bells1 ,,etc4--,,mr4 ,,albro',s ,,report--,a ,,death ,,scene--,,letter ,,from ,,me ,,to ,,the ,,commercial ,,advertiser1 ,,and ,,how ,i ,,forced ,,its ,,insertion--,,article ,,from ,,the ,,buffalo ,,daily ,,republic--,,letter ,,from ,,mr4 ,,greeley--,,mr4 ,e4 ,w4 ,,capron--,,departure ,,from ,,buffalo4 ,but the three doctors were not to have it all their own way--not even with the assistance of a fourth1 who was now the ex-diplomatic editor of their organ1 and whom ,i spare from mention of what had been1 in former times1 his last exercise in ,buffalo of the honorable profession to which he had been of but little honor4 ,whether he is still living in the flesh1 or has gone to learn for himself1 in the ,spirit world1 all the truth of ,spiritualism1 ,i do not know4 ,they had put all ,buffalo on the boil1 and our rooms were crowded with hosts of indignant friends4 ,for about a fortnight they were open and free to the public1 without money and without price1 whenever fresh parties came or were brought who desired satisfaction on any point glowing out of the then raging doctoral controversy4 ,different committees of investigation and re-investigation were appointed1 for which services the first and best men and women of ,buffalo would be chosen4 ,i will particularize two1 with omission of some merely prefatory matter from the second of the two1 the reports of which are taken from ,mr4 ,capron's book1 quoting from the ,buffalo papers4 ,a ,,meeting ,,at ,,the ,,phelps ,,house4 ,a company1 consisting of ,j4 ,l4 ,reynolds1 ,f4 ,rumsey1 ,dr4 ,w4 ,r4 ,scott1 ,h4 ,cummings1 ,dr4 ,g4 ,e4 ,hayes1 ,capt4 ,a4 ,walker1 ,c4 ,c4 ,bristol1 ,james ,dunkin and wife1 ,j4 ,s4 ,chadwick1 ,s4 ,albro1 and ,j4 ,stringham1 met at the rooms of ,mrs4 ,fish and ,miss ,fox1 at seven and a half o'clock last ,monday evening4 ,two large hand-bells and one small one had been provided for ,spirits to manifest their presence with1 if they should choose to make use of them4 ,the bells were placed under the table1 and the company were seated4 ,rappings immediately commenced1 manifesting the presence of the representatives of the ,spirit-country4 ,we resolved to ask no questions1 and wait for voluntary manifestations4 ,alphabet called1 spelling1 ',sit close1 and you may see some new manifestations4' ,all drew near the table1 and waited in silence4 ,after waiting some time1 the small bell commenced ringing4 ,the mediums' feet had been placed in the custody of two gentlemen who had not been there before1 and their hands were continually on the table4 ,the largest bell now commenced ringing1 and1 while ringing1 moved 'round1 traversing the whole area under the table4 ,two bells rang at once4 ,afterward the whole three united in a kind of chime4 ,the largest bell was placed on ,dr4 ,hayes's foot1 and bore on it with a pressure of six times its weight4 ,he put his hand down and touched the bell4 ,he received other manifestations in the presence of an active agent4 ,the medium told him to ask if it was a ,spirit4 ,he did so1 and was answered by a pinch of his toe1 signifying the affirmative4 ',is it the ,spirit of my brother8' ,answer1 ',yes4' ,he wrote the names of his deceased brothers1 and it designated its own name by pinching his toe4 ',does the ,spirit wish to communicate with me8' ',i will communicate with you at home1 when all is calm4' ,here silence prevailed for a time4 ,the bells commenced ringing1 and occasionally one would fall upon the floor4 ,alphabet called1 spelling1 ',move back a little from the table4' ,all moved back except ,capt4 ,walker1 who made several efforts to obey1 but found his chair fast4 ,he looked to see if it was not fast in the carpet1 and tried to raise it1 but it refused to move upward1 backward or forward4 ,alphabet called1 spelling1 ',sit close to the table4' ,all drew their chairs close to the table1 and ,capt4 ,walker embraced the opportunity to see if the order had not loosened his chair2 but he could not stir it4 ,now the ,spirit commenced performances with bells2 sometimes ringing them all at once1 and sometimes placing them on the feet of one1 and on the knees of another4 ,sometimes they would fall on the floor1 and sometimes hit the under side of the table4 ,this ceased1 the alphabet was called1 and the spelling was1 ',look4' ,we looked1 and the three bells stood in a right line1 about eighteen inches apart4 ,we resumed our positions1 and the operations of ringing1 pressing feet1 and throwing down bells1 went on again4 ,again we were called to 'look1' and the two large bells stood upright1 but the small one was missing1 and could not be found4 ,one of the company suggested that we look under the larger bells4 ,the largest bell was lifted1 and the missing one was found under it1 standing erect4 ,the play then went on1 till we were again told to 'look1' and the small bell was found under the large one1 lying on its side4 ,so it continued for some time1 placing the bells in various positions1 and calling on the company to 'look4' ,in answer to a question asked some days previously1--',what is the use of these demonstrations8' the ,spirits said1 ',they are made to prove that the mediums have no agency in it4' ,and the question asked by ,mr4 ,stringham1 ',may ,i leave the table while the others remain1 that ,i may look under and see the bells ringing8' was answered1 ',what do you think we require you to sit close to the table for8' ,when ,spirits make these physical demonstrations they are compelled to assume shapes which human eyes must not look upon4 ,when the above-named performances were finished1 loud concussions were heard and felt on the under side of the table4 ,they became louder and louder1 till the brass candlesticks were made to bound up six or eight inches from the table4 ,the candles were repeatedly thrown out of them1 and we were compelled to hold them in our hands4 ,these concussions were equal to those a man could make with a large nail-hammer1 while lying on his back and striking with all his strength4 ,we expected the bed of the table to be split in pieces1 and ,mrs4 ,fish became alarmed1 turned pale1 and begged us to leave the table4 ,we did not comply1 and the concussions were continued for full fifteen minutes4 ,at the close of this very noisy exhibition1 the alphabet was called for1 and the spelling was1 ',we are all done for to-night4' ,they were not importuned to continue the performances1 and we arose from the table4 ,the table was turned up to see what impressions were made1 and a great number of deep indentations1 in the hard cherry-wood1 manifested the force with which the middle-sized bell had been thrust against it4 ,dr4 ,hayes took the bell and struck the table with the battered iron point which comes through the wooden handle1 and made like indentations1 though nothing like so deep as those made by the performers4 ,any one might have examined the table1 and found the evidence4 7,signed7 ,,one ,,of ,,the ,,company4 ,this1 coming as it did from1 and being endorsed by1 respectable citizens1 was a strong opposing argument against the knee-joint theory4 ,every one could see that either these persons had formed a conspiracy to deceive the public1 or the professors were proved to be the humbugs themselves4 ,still another report appeared in a few days1 which rendered the explanation of the professors still more ridiculous4 ,it was from the pen of a well-known citizen of ,buffalo1 who had been appointed by a company to prepare it4 ,i give it as it appeared in one of the ,buffalo papers4 ,,spiritual ,,communication4 ,,mr4 ,,maynard3 ,having been deputed by a select company1 who visited the two sisters1 ,mrs4 ,fish and ,miss ,fox1 at their room in the ,phelps ,house1 on ,friday evening last1 to report what we there saw and heard1 it becomes my duty to ask you to give place to this communication in your columns4 ,the company consisted of ,dr4 ,scott1 ,c4 ,c4 ,bristol1 ,j4 ,stringham1 ,f4 ,rumsey and lady1 ,mrs4 ,bradley1 ,mrs4 ,stevens1 and myself4 ,when all had assembled we took seats around the table4 ,mrs4 ,fish and ,miss ,fox1 the two 'mediums1' were requested to take seats on a sofa which stood between the table and the wall4 ,dr4 ,scott and myself were seated1 by arrangement1 on the right and left of these two ladies1 and they were requested to put their feet on ours1 and to keep them there1 which they did4 ,the purpose of this arrangement will be understood by the reader4 ,when all was still1 the ,spirits 7,i use the word assentingly7 commenced such a clatter of rappings that there seemed to be quite a company of them4 ,this1 we were told1 was to manifest their presence and their willingness to be consulted4 ,the confusion of sounds ceased1 and the alphabet was called for by five distinct raps1 which it appears is the invariable signal4 ,mrs4 ,fish called the alphabet1 and the letters designated by the rappings made the following words3 ',get a better supply of paper before you get engaged1 and let your minds run in one perfect channel4 ,in that way you will soon be able to get satisfactory demonstrations4' ,a supply of paper was procured1 and all were seated and still again4 ,two small bells had been placed under the table1 one at each end4 ,when all was quiet1 the signal for the alphabet was given1 and the spelling which followed was1 ',all sit close to the table and to each other4 ,move the bells4' ,the bells were then moved to near the centre of the table4 ,alphabet called again4 ',put your hands on the table4' ,all obeyed the mandate1 and immediately the bells commenced ringing4 ,they rang for a few minutes1 and again the alphabet was demanded4 ,the spelling was1 ',you will perceive1 by what you have already heard1 that a great and mighty development is about to be made to mankind4' ,at this moment a rap was heard at the door1 which was made by a gentleman who wished to come in1 but who retired on being informed that it was a private party4 ,some remark was made by the younger of the two mediums1 in relation to the interruption1 which affected the other to tears4 ,a considerable interval of silence followed1 and we began to fear that our entertainment would not be resumed2 but the call for the alphabet proved that we had not been deserted by our invisible friends4 ,the spelling was1 ',we want you to cheer up1 dear children4 ,all sit close4 ,hands on the table4' ,now the bells commenced ringing again1 moving all round under the table1 giving forth tones the most musical1 mellow1 and soothing4 ,the ringing ceased1 and the alphabet was called4 ,the spelling was1 ',this is done to harmonize you all4' ,question by the acting medium4--',do the ,spirits wish us to be in a happy state of mind8' ,answer4--',yes4' ,then followed1 ',i want you all to reach out your feet1 except the four on the sofa4' ,this was done1 and immediately ,mrs4 ,stevens said something had taken hold of her feet4 ,she was directed to ask if it was a ,spirit1 which she did1 and received an affirmative answer4 ',is it the ,spirit of my father8' ',yes1' was replied1 and the respondent continued1 'we are glad you came here4' ,following this was a harsh1 grating sound1 not unlike the friction of a saw which is pushed slowly through a board1 and drawn back quickly4 ,this was continued but a short time1 when the alphabet was called for1 and the spelling was1 ',i breathed so when ,i was dying4' ,then the same sound of grating was heard1 and it continued like one laboring in the last moments of life4 ,these breathings became shorter and further between1 till a seemingly ineffectual attempt1 like a hiccough1 closed the drama1 and the death-scene was complete4 ,hereupon the alphabet was called for1 and the following address was spelled3 ',such is the end of man's existence on the earth2 but he suddenly awakes to a glorious immortality4 ,this1 my dear friends1 is demonstrated to relieve mankind from the dread of changing existence4 ,the appearance of suffering is not real2 therefore ,i exhort you to look forward with joy for the happy transition from earth to heaven4 ,you have need of great watchfulness and care that you may be permitted to enter the society of the blest4 ,done4' ,what was very remarkable in the delivery of this address1 as the medium read the alphabet1 the letters were designated sometimes by raps1 as usual1 and sometimes by ringing of a bell4 ,the latter method was used1 ,i think1 quite as much as the former4 ,during the whole delivery the feet of the lady-mediums rested entirely on those of ,dr4 ,scott and mine1 and their hands constantly rested on the table4 ,this1 as it seems to me1 puts to rest any question of their agency in producing the sounds4 ,mrs4 ,stevens1 during the whole of the communication by ',spirits1' felt a pair of large and powerful hands grasping her knees1 the pressure of which1 she avers1 was quite painful4 ,she also felt a weight in her lap1 which was equal to that of her father while living4 ,his name was ,asa ,ranson4 ,the female portrait which hangs in the ,common ,council room is that of his daughter1 and a sister of ,mrs4 ,stevens4 ,the latter lady says that the death scene which was enacted in our presence was a perfect representation of the reality which she had witnessed4 ,at the conclusion of the address1 it was asked by the acting medium1 ',are the ,spirits all done8' ,no reply was made4 ,it was then asked1 ',if we put paper under the table1 will the ,spirits write8' ,answer by the alphabet1 ',we will make marks on paper4' ,a piece of paper was then taken and passed around1 to be examined by the company4 ,all saw that it was without mark or scratch of any kind4 ,a scratching sound was then heard under the table1 and also the sound that is noted when paper is torn4 ,the alphabet was called1 and the spelling was1 ',look4' ,the paper was taken out1 and found to be torn in pieces and scratched as with a nail1 or some dull instrument4 ,it was then asked1 ',if we put paper and pencil under1 will the ,spirits write8' ,three raps were given as answer in the affirmative1 and the alphabet was called4 ,the spelling was1 ',keep your pencil4' ,another piece of paper was then handed round4 ,we all examined it closely1 and found it all fair and clean1 without the least mark whatever4 ,it was put under the table by the last examiner1 and the scratching commenced4 ,directly the alphabet was called for1 and ',look' spelled out4 ,the paper was taken out1 and found to be scratched as before1 and torn a little2 but the ,spirit had fulfilled its promise4 ,it had written--for the figure #g in plain pencil-mark stood on the untorn part of it4 ,the figure was found to be just one inch long1 and seemed as if made by the hand of a farmer1 or mechanic1 who aimed at plainness rather than elegance in his chirography4 ,i have the paper in my possession1 and will exhibit it to any one who wishes to see it4 ,i had forgotten to mention that during the communications from ,mrs4 ,stevens's father1 she read the alphabet part of the time1 and received answers by a rap on her foot4 ,she was too much excited to continue1 and the alphabet was read by the medium4 ,when the last paper was brought out from under the table1 we all expressed a desire to know what was meant by the character #g4 ,our deliberations on that subject were soon cut short by a call for the alphabet1 and the meaning was spelled out as follows3 ',seven of this party will be mediums4 ,do not ask which4 ,we are done for to-night4' ,question4 ',will the ,spirits answer no more questions8' ,answer4 ',we are done for to-night4 ,move away from the table4' ,there were many other incidents during the sitting4 ,the lady-medium who sat next to ,dr4 ,scott had her dress pulled and held fast1 and she invited the doctor to try and see if he could release it4 ,he made a strong effort1 but gave it up for fear of tearing it4 ,several others had their feet handled and their clothes pulled4 ,i felt a palpable pressure against the inside of my leg1 and a pinch of my ankle1 while a bell was ringing close to my feet--no person being near me but ,miss ,fox1 and she had both her feet on one of mine1 and both her hands on the table4 ,this is a faithful statement of facts1 for the truth of which1 as far as they relate to the sitting on ,friday evening1 ,i refer the reader to all the persons whose names are given above4 ,i refrain from conclusions and comments1 and close with the simple declaration that ,i am much puzzled and astonished4 7,signed7 ,s4 ,,albro4 ,i may also be allowed to introduce a published letter of my own1 containing some important statements which have never been contradicted4 ,it was from no spirit of fairness or liberality that the editor inserted this letter in his columns4 ,mr4 ,rogers 7the proprietor of the house7 told me that he had heard from him words for which he was liable to a suit by me for slander1 and that he would back me in such a suit4 ,all that was most honorable in ,buffalo also stood by me4 ,i took my letter down to the editor at the dinner table 7he boarded at the hotel71 and told him he must publish it that afternoon1 and also retract his slanders1 or ,i would have him forthwith arrested4 ,this was aloud1 in presence of all the company at the table4 ,he submitted without resistance1 and smoothed down the slander by explaining it away1 and by saying that he had spoken only in jest4 ,he published1 and ,i was satisfied--as were also all my friends4 ,,buffalo1 ,march #ad1 #ahea4 ,,to ,,the ,,editor ,,of ,the ,commercial ,advertiser3 ,i gladly avail myself of the privilege you have so courteously extended to me to defend myself through your columns against the aspersions which1 if suffered to pass unheeded1 might bring temporary disgrace upon the cause in which we are engaged as involuntary though willing instruments of a higher power4 ,some time since1 you gave place in the columns of your paper to a statement1 made by ,professors ,lee1 ,flint1 and ,coventry1 which they put forth to the public as an exposition of the ',rochester ,knockings4' ,the positions which they assumed we knew to be fallacious and unsupportable1 and we at once challenged a fair and impartial investigation1 believing that it was not in the nature of these gentlemen to seek our conviction of fraud contrary to evidence which ,i knew must convince every candid mind4 ,it is true that when our feet were placed on cushions stuffed with shavings1 and resting on our heels1 there were no sounds heard1 and that sounds were heard when our feet were resting on the floor2 and it is just as true that if our friendly ,spirits retired when they witnessed such harsh proceedings on the part of our persecutors1 it was not in our power to detain them4 ,dr4 ,lee says he heard two sounds when he held ,margaretta's knees4 ,i counted five at one time during that operation1 two at another1 and three at another1 which made ten instead of two4 ,but ,i do not consider this circumstance of any importance whatever4 ,the spirit in which they engaged in the investigation was too palpable to be mistaken1 evincing too great a determination to carry their points to admit of the possibility of a conviction4 ,they had heard sounds made by limber joints1 and because one person could produce one kind of sounds1 made by knee-joints1 they would have the community believe that all the sounds heard in our presence for the last four years were produced by thumping or snapping the knee-joints4 ,as professional men1 whose reputation is dear to them1 ,i would like to have them tell your readers what condition our poor joints would be in by this time1 after three years' constant service in this almost ceaseless operation4 ,i will not call this quackery1 but will be content to leave it to the public to pass judgment on their professional erudition4 ,two of the professors made little or no investigation4 ,they were in our room but a few minutes previous to the appearance of the article in your paper4 ,professor ,lee1 however1 was in to see us frequently1 and at several times expressed great surprise1 affirming1 with great apparent candor1 that the sounds were truly astonishing4 ,he witnessed the answers that were received by ,mr4 ,chase1 which were all correct and very astonishing2 yet he did not attempt to account for them4 ,now1 if ,dr4 ,lee can account for the correct answers that are given1 as well as how the sounds are produced1 it will gratify me very much1 and ,i will try to account for some of the large ones4 ,mr4 ,chase called again1 a day or two after that1 and could get no correct answers2 but this was no matter of surprise to me after his having been in close communion with ,dr4 ,lee2 for we are taught to believe that ,spirits associate by affinity1 and if that be true1 he was no doubt led into a different society of ,spirits by associating with him4 ,i do not believe the ,spirits of my dear departed friends could manifest themselves in their presence1 and ,i would not willingly call on them to mingle in such society4 ,the word ',impostor' grated very harshly on my ears1 and ,i struggle very hard to overcome the feelings which such a cruel charge will naturally excite in every human bosom where honor finds a lodgment2 but1 in spite of all my endeavors1 ,i still feel like other mortals2 and this feeling prompts me to demand justice at the hands of a discerning public1 and especially those who have witnessed the entire success of the same experiments which proved a total failure with our ,esculapian knee-buckles4 ,the committees1 which have frequently met since the affair with the ,m4,d4's1 have witnessed all the experiments they attempted1 and can testify to their entire success4 ,one day1 in presence of a number of persons1 the same cushions were brought out1 and we took seats1 elevated1 with our feet upon them1 resting on our heels1 when the sounds were distinctly heard by all present4 ,captain ,rounds and ,judge ,burroughs were present on that occasion4 ,our feet were held from the floor by ,dr4 ,gray and ,mr4 ,clark1 in presence of the whole committee1 on the evening of the investigation made by the medical gentlemen 7after they left72 and the sounds were distinctly heard1 which was allowed by the committee to be a far more satisfactory test1 as they could distinctly hear the sounds under their feet1 and feel the floor jar while our feet were held nearly or quite a foot from the floor4 ,the whole committee consisted of ,dr4 ,gray and lady1 ,mr4 ,clark and lady1 ,mr4 ,everet and lady1 ,mr4 ,stringham1 ,mr4 ,bristol1 and two gentlemen invited by the professors4 ,most of this committee were persons we had never before seen1 but we are informed they are persons whose testimony can be relied upon4 ,i would like to have ,drs4 ,lee1 ,flint1 and ,coventry club their professional lore and perceptive acumen1 and inform the public how bells are rung1 and gongs made to ring out tunes1 untouched by human hands2 for1 if you have any confidence in your own citizens1 they can tell you what ,i now affirm is true4 ,i will not be particular to mention the names of all the persons who have witnessed these striking phenomena1 but ,i will refer you to the following3 ,c4 ,c4 ,bristol1 ,mr4 ,gibson1 ,mr4 ,stringham1 ,mr4 ,stephen ,dudley1 ,mr4 ,l4 ,ramsey1 ,mr4 ,pond1 ,mr4 ,gould1 and ,mr4 ,tallmadge2 and they can refer you to dozens of other respectable persons1 who have witnessed the same4 ,while these manifestations were going on1 many of the persons above-named have held us both so fast by the feet that we could not stir without their knowledge4 ,they 7the ,doctors7 have attempted to explain one of the least important points2 and1 as we know1 have signally failed4 ,now let them proceed to the more difficult points1 or manfully acknowledge their failure and our innocence of fraud4 ,as ,dr4 ,lee is the editor of the ,medical ,journal which is published in this city1 and as he saw fit to publish the injurious report against our moral integrity1 which was made by the visiting committee of ,m4,d4's41 we hope he will manifest the sense of honor which his standing in society warrants us in looking for1 by publishing the contradiction1 which must now be evident to him1 and thereby make the reparation as apparent as the injury4 ,this would be just1 if not magnanimous4 ,yours1 etc41 ,a4 ,leah ,fish4 ,to the above narrative of the ,buffalo doctors' affair ,i append an editorial article from ,the ,buffalo ,daily ,republic3 ,,the ,,professors ,,and ,,the ',,knockings4' ,i think it was nearly three weeks ago that it was given out in a very authoritative tone1 and1 if ,i am not very much mistaken1 the newly returned ,minister from ,bogota was the oracular organ used on the occasion to proclaim to the 'humbugged' citizens of ,buffalo1 that in twenty-four hours we should hear no more of the knockings4 ,the news flew about the city with the rapidity of lightning1 that the end of the 'rappings' was nigh1 that an awful explosion was about to take place4 ,a lady had been found who produced noises with the knee-joints4 ,the ,university of ,buffalo had examined the lady's knee-joints1 heard the noises1 and pronounced them identical with the sounds produced by the ,rochester ladies1 and1 what was still more awful and astounding1 the ,university of ,buffalo were about to print their report in the ,buffalo ,commercial ,advertiser4 ,who could withstand such a shock8--,it was conceded on all hands that if the ladies could endure the ,university and the ,commercial ,advertiser1 they need never fear any natural catastrophe4 ,true to the prediction1 out came the 'report4' ,three wise men had spoken1 yea1 three professors1 professors even of ,materia ,medica1 ,physiology1 and of ,principles and ,practice of ,medicine4 ,be it remembered1 too1 that the ,university was under the guidance of that good man1 ,millard ,fillmore1 as ,chancellor1 and ,dr4 ,thomas ,m4 ,foote1 late ,minister to ,bogota1 as one of its council men--thus uniting to the collective wisdom of the professors the great head of the nation1 and speaking through his immediate organ1 the ,commercial ,advertiser4 ,buffalo was the great battle-ground and the ,university the great adversary chosen to annihilate this already too wide-spread imposture4 ,now1 do not understand me as attributing any unkind motive to those gentlemen professors2 ,i have no doubt they were actuated by a nice sense of duty which they owed to science and to their fellow-beings to make the expos4 ,i could not say a word against ,dr4 ,lee or ,dr4 ,coventry1 if ,i wanted to2 they are strangers to most of our citizens1 and only come among us periodically1 and ,i am informed that they are very much respected so far as they have extended their acquaintance here4 ,professor ,flint has been a resident of this city for many years1 and is regarded by those that employ him as an able practitioner of medicine4 ,he conducts the editorial management of the ,buffalo ,medical ,journal1 in the last number of which he has devoted a large portion of its columns to the matter of these 'mysterious manifestations4' ,i am only sorry that its circulation is so limited as not to allow the investigating public to appreciate its strictures4 ,he intimates that the 'report' was hastily drawn up and contains errors1 and in order to do the professors justice1 requests the press to recopy the article as amended4 ,there is certainly no impropriety in all that1 if the ,university left out some material argument1 in their hurry to explode a humbug of such vast magnitude4 ,the press can do no less than put them right4 ,but is it a fair mode of warfare8 ,i am exceedingly ignorant of professional etiquette in these matters1 and as a friend of the manifestations1 ,i wish to ask the unprejudiced public if it is right that the ,university1 after having had their load and fire1 should insist that because the first charge did not bring down the game1 they should be allowed another shot without some preliminary arrangements8 ,the request is modest enough1 and perhaps1 taken in connection with the fact that the ,university got on to its knees before the mediums1 in order the more readily to detect the muscular sensation of the knee-joints of the ladies1 is a sufficient offset to what might seem an unreasonable afterthought4 ,the code of honor among gentlemen has settled the question1 ,i believe1 that the first fire1 whether mortal or not1 is sufficient evidence of courage1 and that beyond that1 the question of honor is merged into a malignant desire to kill4 ,if the ,university is satisfied that they have exposed the humbug1 why ask to bring in new proof8 ,is it because the ladies1 instead of leaving town in twenty-four hours1 have staid as many days8 ,is it because the public are more anxious than ever to see and learn more of these mysterious manifestations8 ,is it because there is more intense interest than ever elicited1 the more the subject is investigated8 ,is it because intelligent men are giving the matter consideration8 ,i ask1 what causes so much disquietude in the minds of the professors8 ,have they shot off their gun too quick8 ,are they sensible that public opinion is not impressed with the belief in their assertions and their expos8 ,are they displeased because the ladies keep staying in spite of their mandate to go home8 ,the ,university has taken up the cudgel to beat the hydra1 and as fast as one head falls a dozen new ones spring out 7or would if they could succeed in knocking one off74 ,the manifestations1 instead of being content with mere knocking on the floor1 have commenced the ringing of bells 7some large enough to tire the arms of even professors71 pounding under the table1 so as to leave visible manifestations1 sufficient to satisfy a dozen universities of its physical ability1 moving furniture1 playing on musical instruments1 and various other demonstrations equally wonderful and satisfactory to all who see them4 ,from one of ,mr4 ,greeley's letters of this trying time1 ,i extract the following3 ,be faithful4 ,remember how short the time of life is4 ,submit to every lawful investigation4 ,while you are being tested by the doctors1 to prove you make the sounds by snapping the knee-joints1 insist on having a committee of ladies appointed to hold your feet1 and for ever silence the blasting charge of toe rapping1 or it will cover you with a cloud of obloquy from which you may not recover in years1 if ever4 ,e4 ,w4 ,capron1 who stood by us in our ,rochester trials and investigations1 and who delivered the first lecture on the subject of ,modern ,spiritualism1 was1 at this time1 editor of the ,providence1 ,r4 ,i41 ,daily ,mirror4 ,from him ,i also received the following note3 ,i have not seen the whole of the article referred to1 but to me1 knowing what ,i do1 the theories of knee-pan1 or knee-joint1 are equally ridiculous4 ,there never has been a time when you could so completely kill all opposition as the present opportunity offers1 if you go through the fiery ordeal and come out unscathed1 as ,i know you will1 for ,i know you are true4 ,you have stood fiery trials before1 and have always triumphed4 ,after having met the several investigating committees1 and submitted to all the requirements of the public at large1 amidst a host of friends who came to the ,phelps ,house to bid us farewell1 with many who accompanied us to the departing train1 we left them with mutual feelings of regret1 but amid their congratulations and prayers for our future prosperity4 ,we had come to ,buffalo for a visit of a fortnight4 ,in a financial point of view1 we had never met with an equal success4 ,not a few of the principal gentlemen of the city sent us parting gifts of congratulation on a noble scale of munificence1 as tributes of sympathy for what we had had to bear1 and of gratitude for the demonstrative proofs of immortality it had been ours to bring to their experimental knowledge4 ,the day appointed for our departure our hotel apartments proved insufficient to entertain our friendly visitors who came to bid us adieu4 ,the public parlors1 being kindly assigned to us for the purpose by the proprietor1 were filled to overflowing4 ,never can ,i forget that day1 nor those dear and noble friends4 ,and thus ended the short-lived apparent triumph of the ,buffalo ,doctors4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,buffalo 7,continued47 ,,letters ,,from ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson ,,and ,,welcome ,,whittaker4 ,during the progress of all this1 our ,buffalo ,campaign1 it is scarcely worth while to say that ,i received no end of letters of sympathy and encouragement4 ,the number must have counted by thousands who had by this time witnessed for themselves1 not merely the comparatively small sounds of the ordinary rapping near our persons1 but sometimes great knockings1 as by powerful arms and heavy hammers1 on all parts of rooms and even outside of them2 together with ringing of bells1 moving and lifting of tables1 etc42 to say nothing of the intelligent communications which identified their ,spirit friends1 etc4 ,all such persons therefore knew that the ,buffalo doctoral theory of knee-joints was impossible and absurd1 and felt no uneasiness about the result of any real investigations4 ,but many of them naturally sympathized with us under the harassing annoyance in which we were placed by the promulgation of even such a ridiculous theory1 under such high-sounding scientific authority4 ,from these letters ,i select the following4 ,,letter ,,from ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,rochester1 ,february #bf1 #ahea4 ,,dear ,,leah3 ,i received this evening your note 7of rather diminutive proportions71 written day before yesterday4 ,having been on the lookout for a letter for several days1 it was very acceptable4 ,it is written in a hopeful and encouraging vein1 and1 so far as what is expressed relates to myself1 ,i can take no exceptions to its language4 ,i should think it dictated in some intervening hour of quiet2 one of the few which pass above and tranquillize for the time the unresting surface of your daily life4 ,such hours1 let them be passed when they may1 come and go with all of us2 and the dial finger that marks their exit1 registers also the blessings which they leave upon the heart4 ,impulsive as you are2 accustomed as you are to excitement1 and possessing 7as you do7 a woman's fondness for the glare of the world's gilded exterior2 there is a part of your nature better than the rest1 which would often shut out from the chamber of its occupancy those noisy and obtrusive influences which corrode its brightness and rob it of its rest4 ,that is the part of your being 7the ,leah7 whom ,i would oftenest wish to have audience with2 and in such hours as ,i speak of ,i would consider it a luxury equal to ',wenham ice' in the torrid zone1 or a shower of vertical sunbeams on an ,arctic traveller--to knock at the door of that inner chamber1 and finding entrance1 to sit down at the table of your heart and commune with you face to face4 ,i have turned down the leaves in my memory whereon the records of such brief communings have been made1 and it is no small pleasure to refer to them1 as ,i often do1 during these days of denial4 ,so seldom it is now-a-days when the ,spirit ,i would talk to answers my signal with the words 'at home4' ,we 7your friends here7 want you and the ,spirits--who seem to think their bread-and-butter depends on their paying court 7in especial7 to you and yours--to come to us once in a while--like the chance sunlight that struggles through the bars of the prisoner's window to reveal the gladness of the upper world--and rub the rust from our chains4 ,you ought to come home next week1 at any rate1 even if you are determined on going ,west again4 ,and really1 ,i think you ought to visit ,cleveland and ,cincinnati before long4 ,you would find many good people in both places1 who would rejoice to see you and ,margaretta1 and who are looking out for your advent there with no little anxiety4 ,mrs4 ,bush read to me last evening a portion of a letter from her brother1 resident1 ,i believe1 in the latter city1 in which he urges her to come there and speaks of things connected with ,spiritualism somewhat in detail4 ,i observe ,mr4 ,cogshall's book is noticed very fairly in the ,national ,era 7of ,washington1 ,d4 ,c471 a journal of high character for literary attainments4 ,i will copy the notice as follows3 ',we have read this book1 and have been pleased with its style1 and impressed with the sincerity of its author4 ,still we do not believe4 ,nothing short of sight and hearing can convince us that the souls of the departed are really rapping in such an audible and startling manner on the wall which divides us from the ,spiritual world--really moving chairs and tables and ringing bells1 and otherwise disturbing domestic order and quiet4 ,yet1 according to this little history1 some ,spirits justify themselves for their sudden incursions into our territory1 by giving comfort to the mourner and sweet assurances of a love which could not die4' ,if all be an imposture1 who can measure the depth of that depravity which trifles thus with the holiest affections1 aspirations1 and sorrows8 ,greeley in a late ,tribune has a rich joke4 ,he says3 ',some brainless editor out in ,milwaukee not long since published the fact that he had an interview with the ,spirit of ,captain ,west1 of the steamer1 who reported that the noble steamer struck an iceberg and went to the bottom of the ocean with all on board4' ,milwaukee is a great place6 ,our ,george 7,willets7 thinks 'that ,spirit took some trouble to spread the news4' ,it is presumable that it was one of the ,auburn ,apostolic brethren4 ,what a pity that ,spirits 7some of them7 are not less given to lying4 ,however1 if they are capable of falsehood 7as we well know some of them are71 it is better they should show their hands1 else their communications might work much evil4 ,the good shines out with a more glorious brightness in contrast with the darkness of its opposite4 ,enough is known already to warrant the immense interest which this subject is now creating1 and ,i think that there is in the future 7not very distant7 a glad day approaching4 ,i am sometimes disposed to be depressed4 ,i have very little from ,spirits1 such as ,i would most wish to get communications from1 and you can hardly realize the sense of neglect--so to speak--which ,i feel4 ,i hope1 when you return1 some of my kindred ,spirits--that delicate1 pure-souled sister of mine1 in particular 7a lock of whose hair ,i took from among my papers yesterday and found it as lustrous as when first taken from her perishing form71 may have some message to deliver to one whose love for her is immortal4 ,leah1 ,i want to whisper in your ear4 ,turn from the table and the sceptics who sit by1 and lend me your ears4 ,last night1 when my internal senses were playing their pranks1 ,i had a dream of you4 ,you were at your home1 and my solicitude for the kingdom had led my steps to the capital of the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,my best bow had been made to the ,spirits1 the last words to you had been said1 and ,i was about going out of the gate1 when ,i remembered an important omission3 and turning just as you were closing the front door1 ,i cried1 ',leah6 ,leah6' and awoke with your name on my lips2 pronouncing it once audibly after ,i awoke--just to see if you could come and answer me4 ,but no response came1 not even an echo of my voice from the walls of my room4 ,leah6 ,leah6 ,i call again1 and will you come8 ,yours in the bonds of patience1 ,j4 ,e4 ,r4 ,,letter ,,from ,,welcome ,,whittaker4 ,,troy1 ,n4 ,y41 ,february #bd1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,i perceive1 by the ,buffalo papers1 that you have had the unparalleled temerity to call public attention1 in that place1 to the manifestations of ,spiritualism2 and that1 too1 without so much as consulting for one moment the feelings1 prejudices1 or scientific accumulation of certain of the wonderful ,faculty there4 ,well1 they pounced upon you as you might well suppose such 7,god forgive me67 scientific gentlemen would1 conscious as they doubtless are1 that their position on the pyramid of all human knowledge is nothing short of the very cap-stone itself4 ,not only have they1 in most chivalrous manner1 arrayed themselves for your disrespect1 but a masterly stroke1 ingeniously given1 shielded the public forever against such gross trickery and imposition by an expos of the whole thing6 ,o6 never three luckier ,d7og7s together than the three ,m4,d4's of ,buffalo1 who in so short a time lifted the veil and exposed to open day the 'very mechanism' by which deluded thousands have been led astray1 first by a course of negative reasoning1 the parallel of which1 ,i venture to say1 cannot be found in all the annals of philosophic research4 ,this of itself must be sufficient to render the names of ,lee1 ,flint1 and ,coventry1 at least notorious1 if not illustrious4 ,but1 as if one death would not be a sufficient quietus1 they give the certain home-thrust 7the mortal stab71 in the naked1 positive proof4 ,now was there ever anything equal to that8 ,when will such philanthropy1 such critical discernment1 such zeal1 and such science be appreciated8 ,and last1 though not least1 that highly respectable lady1 'who1 by a mental effort1 can dislocate her knee-joints1' and then make the 'identical' sounds so foolishly ascribed to the ,spirits1 must not be lost sight of in the words of overwhelming gratitude to these three ,m4,d4's above mentioned4 ,dear1 kind-hearted soul6 she must possess an unbounded share of the milk of human-kindness4 ,no one can1 for a moment1 suppose that she was solicited to expose her knees to various gentlemen of the medical profession1 for they must be sufficiently acquainted with anatomy and physiology to know all the mechanism at all competent to produce those sounds4 ,it must1 therefore1 have been on her part perfectly voluntary--prompted purely by a most benevolent desire to expose a humbug4 ,but ,spiritualism will still progress1 and its advocates shall gloriously ride over all adversity1 for ,god is omnipotent4 ,if contemptible meanness1 united with unmitigated scoundrelism1 can be found on this earth1 it resides in the black heart of him who coins epithets designed to rob defenceless females of their spotless reputation1 which is ever of more value to them than life itself4 ,i felt1 therefore1 most indignant while reading the two articles in the ,commercial ,advertiser of the #agth1 and the ,courier of the #ahth1 both of which ,i believe to be palpably libellous2 and for which1 ,i have no doubt1 any able lawyer would tell you a suit for slander would bear most beautifully4 ,i thought to advise you to proceed against these libellers forthwith2 but when indignation gave place to mingled contempt and pity1 ,i came to the conclusion that if you could follow the example of ,him whose persecutors were the objects of his latest petition--',father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do'--it might perhaps be best in the long run4 ,but it is not always easy to determine the exact point where forbearance ceases to be a virtue4 ,a friend from ,syracuse told me the other day1 that a sum of money 7he did not say how much7 had been subscribed for the purpose of having you visit that place4 ,i will meet you if ,i can4 ,yours1 ,,welcome ,,whittaker4 ,,letter ,,from ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,the ,,city ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,dispensation1 ,march #ab1 #ahea1 ,anno ,spirituum1 #c4 ,,dear ,,leah3 ,what a woman you are6 ,why don't you write to me8 ,you know how anxious your friends are to hear from you1 and you promised to write often and to send papers frequently4 ,only one paper have ,i received from you4 ,everybody whom you care a fig for here in ,rochester asks me about ,buffalo and you1 and you4 ,but ,i am not posted up and cannot tell them of your triumphs or escapes from the hands of the many-headed hydra whom you have slain so often4 ,not having a line from you a week ago1 in answer to my last letter1 ,i thought you intended to return last ,saturday1 but no train of cars1 which ,i have heard of1 brought you as a part of its living freight1 and we 7that is ,i7 are 'a-wearied' because you answer not our call to 'come4' ,now ,i command you1 in the name of all the gods of the heathen mythology1 to come to us1 either spiritwise 7on a sheet of paper of ample dimensions71 or bodily 7as would most effectually comport with our comfort and desire71 by an early departing train from our sister city1 whose queenly dignity1 in thus aspiring to rob us of our ,spiritual flame--the guide of our uncertain steps--we are getting jealous of4 ,i received a good letter from your witch sister1 my darling little ,katie1 this morning4 ,she writes with much cheerfulness4 ,says she has commenced another quarter at her school 7in ,new ,york74 ,she says also she is 'crazy' to see me6 ,you know just about what is intended to be understood when she thus addresses me 7her friend and adviser72 but ,cathie is fast learning to be a woman1 and my prayer is that she may escape the bitter trials through which you and your mother have been called to pass4 ,she adds3 ',we had a telegraphic despatch from ,maggie1 saying she would be here last week ,saturday2 but she don't come1 and we have given up looking for her4' ,she says3 ',give my love to ,leah and ,margaretta1 and tell them ,i want to see them4' ,george ,willets and myself went over to see ,clara 7your housekeeper7 yesterday4 ,she is getting along tolerably well1 but appears unwilling to remain much longer alone4 ,she is evidently afraid--thinks the ,spirits annoy her at nights4 ,more than half of that is 7of course7 imagination4 ,why not come home1 and go again1 if you must1 westward8 ,but here ,i am asking you questions and you do not answer them4 ,busied as you are1 and tired as you must be1 most of the time1 it is too much of a task for you to write to me2 and ,i don't know but ,george is right in saying1 ',leah has found so many new loves that the winds blowing eastward come not freighted with a thought of us4' ,since the above was written an old friend from the country has called in to see me1 and one of his questions was1 ',well1 do your views remain the same in regard to the rapping8' ',yes1' ,i said1 ',i have had no occasion or cause to change them4' ',why1 ,doctor ,flint's statement has explained the whole thing1' he said1 and added1 ',he writes very plausibly and conclusively on the subject4' ,now1 this friend and relative of mine is a most excellent man1 and ,i thoroughly appreciate him as a good member of society1 an excellent husband and father1 and an honest man2 but the light which illumes the pathway of his intellect is not set on a very high hill6 ,leah1 ,i ought not to write to you1 wouldn't if ,i could avoid it1 and beg pardon of propriety for thus making a virtue of necessity4 ,mine to you--not forgetting ,maggie and ,calvin4 ,yours1 ,j4 ,e4 ,r4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,extracts ,,from ,d4 ,m4 ,,dewey',s ,,history4 ,,letters ,,from ,,rev4 ,,charles ,,hammond ,,and ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,before ,i proceed to our next field of operations1 which was ,ohio1 ,i may take the opportunity afforded by the interval to extract from a volume entitled1 ,d4 ,m4 ,dewey's ,history of the ,strange ,sounds or ,rappings ,heard in ,rochester and ,western ,new ,york1 two letters1 by the ,rev4 ,c4 ,c4 ,hammond1 and our good friend1 ,john ,e4 ,robinson1 which will be found well worthy of perusal4 ,,letter ,,from ,,rev4 ,,charles ,,hammond4 ,,rochester1 ,february #bb1 #ahej4 ,,mr4 ,d4 ,m4 ,,dewey3 ,,dear ,,sir--,in compliance with your solicitation1 ,i will proceed to lay before you a brief statement of what has fallen under my observation1 in regard to the 'mysterious sounds' and 'demonstrations' purporting to be made by intelligent ,spirits1 who once inhabited an earthly tabernacle4 ,in the early part of ,january last1 in company with other persons1 ,i gained an introduction to the family in this city in whose residence these sounds had been heard4 ,they received us politely1 and seemed rather more cheerful than what ,i had supposed would be natural for those who were hourly exchanging communications with the ,spirits of the revered dead4 ,a company of twenty or more persons had assembled--the 'three sisters' came into the room--the sounds were heard--and through the medium of the alphabet1 they1 and about half of the company1 were directed to retire to another apartment4 ,our company in the absence of the 'three sisters1' whose presence is generally deemed essential to these ,spiritual communications1 were all seated closely around an ordinary dining-table1 when one of the ladies1 bowing her head1 inquired1 ',will the ,spirit answer questions now8' ,no response being made1 ,i felt the disappointment of the lady1 and was half inclined to smile at the ludicrous scene1 when the searching glance of her suspicious eye falling upon me1 bade me maintain my usual gravity and respect toward the company1 and the occasion which had called us there4 ,after several ineffectual attempts to get responses the sounds were heard1 and the company generally were privileged with answers to their respective interrogatories4 ,i availed myself of the opportunity1 but gained no other satisfaction than a prompt assurance that all my 'test questions' should be answered when ,i should come there again4 ,i went away sceptical1 though unable to account for the 'sounds1' which caused the floor occasionally to vibrate under my feet4 ,on my next visit ,i was much more successful4 ,during the interval ,i had prepared my mind with certain questions1 touching events unknown to the family1 and of a remote date4 ,the sounds told me my age precisely1 though my appearance is such as to indicate a difference of eight or ten years4 ,the names of six of my nearest deceased relations were given me4 ,i then inquired1 ',will the ,spirit1 who now makes these sounds1 give me its name8' ,five sounds directed me to the alphabet1 which ,i repeated until the name of ',charles' appeared1 which answered to an infant child whom we consigned to the grave in ,march1 #ahdc4 ,to my inquiries1 it gave me a true answer in regard to the time it had been in the ,spirit-land1 and also the period since my eldest sister's death1 which was nearly eighteen years--the latter fact not being recollected then1 ,i found it true by dates on my return home4 ,many other test questions were correctly answered2 and yet1 notwithstanding that the origin of these sounds seemed inexplicable1 ,i was inclined to impute them to mesmerism or clairvoyance4 ,however1 as the ,spirit promised to satisfy me by other demonstrations when ,i came again1 ,i patiently awaited the opportunity4 ,on the third visit1 ,i was selected from a half-dozen gentlemen1 and directed by these sounds to retire to another apartment1 in company with the 'three sisters' and their mother4 ,it was about eight o'clock in the evening4 ,a lighted candle was placed on a large table1 and we seated ourselves around it4 ,i occupied one side of the table1 the mother and youngest daughter the right1 and two of the sisters the left1 leaving the opposite side of the table vacant4 ,on taking our positions the sounds were heard1 and continued to multiply1 and became more violent1 until every part of the room trembled with their demonstrations4 ,they were unlike any ,i had heard before4 ,suddenly1 as we were all resting on the table1 ,i felt the side next to me move upward2 ,i pressed upon it heavily1 but soon it passed out of the reach of us all--full six feet from me1 and at least four from the person nearest to it4 ,i saw distinctly its position--not a thread could have connected it with any of the company without my notice1 for ,i had come to detect imposition1 if it could be found4 ,in this position we were situated1 when the question was asked1 ',will the ,spirit move the table back where it was before8' ,and back it came1 as though it were carried on the head of some one1 who had not suited his position to a perfect equipoise1 the balance being sometimes in favor of one side and then the other4 ,but it regained its first position4 ,in the mean time the 'demonstrations' became louder and louder4 ,the family commenced and sang the ',spirits' ,song1' and several other pieces of sacred music1 during which accurate time was marked on the table1 causing it to vibrate2 a transparent hand1 resembling a shadow1 presented itself before my face2 ,i felt fingers taking hold of a lock of hair on the left side of my head1 causing an inclination of several inches2 then a cold1 death-like hand was drawn designedly over my face2 three gentle raps on my left knee2 my right limb forcibly pulled1 against strong resistance1 under the table2 a violent shaking1 as though two hands were applied to my shoulders2 myself and chair uplifted and moved back a few inches1 and several slaps1 as with a hand1 on the side of my head1 which were repeated on each one of the company1 more rapidly than ,i could count4 ,illustration3 ,ground ,floor of ,troup ,st4 house4 ,but note that the rear room ,d is not on that level1 but in that of the ,second ,story3 there being under it a corresponding dining-room3 while above ,a and ,c1 and level with ,d1 were bed rooms2 and h is the ,stair connecting the two stories4 ,a1 ,front ,parlor4 ,b1 ,hall4 ,c1 ,bed-room4 ,d1 ,sitting-,room 7on floor above74 ,e1 ,bed-room4 ,f1 ,stoop4 ,g1 ,store-room 7lighted from the roof74 a1 ,table moved in presence of ,dr4 ,hammond4 b1 ,table moved1 see lines4 c1 ,stove4 d1 ,large parlor stove4 ee1 ,lounges4 f1 ,bureau4 g1 ,piano4 h1 ,stairs to sitting-room ,d4 ,during these manifestations1 a piece of pasteboard1 nearly a foot square1 was swung with such velocity before us as to throw a strong current of air in our faces2 a paper curtain attached to one of the windows was rolled up and unrolled twice2 a lounge immediately behind me was shaken violently2 two small drawers in a bureau played back and forth with inconceivable rapidity2 a sound1 resembling a man sawing boards and planing them1 was heard under the table2 a common spinning-wheel seemed to be in motion1 making a very natural buzz of the spindle2 a reel articulated each knot wound upon it2 while the sound of a rocking cradle indicated maternal care for the infant's slumbers4 ,these were among many demonstrations which ,i witnessed that evening1 amid which ,i felt a perfect self-possession1 and in no instance the slightest embarrassment1 except a momentary chill when the cold hand was applied to my face1 similar to a sensation ,i have realized when touching a dead body4 ,that any of the company could have performed these things1 under the circumstances in which we were situated1 would require a greater stretch of credulity on my part1 than it would to believe it was the work of ,spirits4 ,it could not1 by any possibility1 have been done by any of the party of individuals present1 nor even attempted1 without detection4 ,and ,i may add1 that near the close of the demonstrations at this visit1 there was a vibration of the floor1 as though several tons in weight had been uplifted and suddenly fallen again upon it4 ,this caused everything in the room to shake most violently for several minutes1 when the force was withdrawn4 ,i have also tested the intelligence of these ,spirits in every way my ingenuity could invent4 ,on one occasion1 ,i wrote a word on a slip of paper privately1 placed it in my wallet1 went there1 and the sounds1 through the alphabet1 spelled that word correctly as ,i had written it4 ,that word was ',sybil4' ,on the #bjth of ,february1 inst41 the two youngest sisters made my family a visit4 ,here the sounds were heard1 questions involving subjects wholly unknown to them were answered1 a large heavy dining-table was moved several times2 and on expressing thanks at the table to the ,giver of all good1 some six or eight sounds responded to every sentence ,i uttered1 by making loud and distinct sounds in various parts of the room4 ,yours truly1 ,c4 ,,hammond4 ,,letter ,,of ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,d4 ,m4 ,,dewey3 ,,sir--,as you have requested of me some recital of my acquaintance with the phenomena known as the 'mysterious knockings' or 'rappings1' as the popular term is1 the following is cheerfully placed at your disposal4 ,my attention was first called to the subject1 ,i think1 by ,mr4 ,isaac ,post1 in the month of ,october1 #ahdh1 at which time ,mrs4 ,fish1 with a younger sister1 was living on ,prospect ,street4 ,i had previously heard accounts of something of the kind which was said to have occurred at ,hydesville1 ,wayne ,county1 of this ,state1 the former place of residence of ,mr4 ,john ,d4 ,fox and ,mrs4 ,margaret ,fox1 now of ,arcadia2 but had considered it1 as most others did1 the mere offspring of excited imagination1 or a trick made up perhaps for the purpose of harmless deception4 ,you may well suppose that ,i sought an introduction to the singular mystery with no very credulous ear4 ,i could not doubt the honesty of my friend ,post1 and from the reports which he gave of his experience thus far1 ,i thought the contrivance must certainly be an ingenious one and well worth one's while to unravel4 ,i went in company with my friend ,john ,kedzie4 ,what transpired on the occasion of my first visit1 ,i do not distinctly recollect4 ,my curiosity1 however1 was only increased1 and as an invitation was extended for further observation1 ,i soon became more conversant with the mystery and those whom it seemed more particularly to attend4 ,i soon discovered that ,i must utterly doubt the truthfulness of my senses--which1 by the way1 are not deficient beyond those of others--or admit that there were sounds produced in my presence1 in some manner utterly unaccountable4 ,they were considered to be produced by spiritual beings1 but the bare fact that ,i heard noises and could not account for them1 was no evidence to me that such was their origin4 ,some action of a 7to me7 hidden law of nature upon inert matter might do this2 or it might1 in some way1 be the effect of animal magnetism4 ,i wanted to know if there was any intelligence connected with1 and controlling1 these manifestations4 ,that point reached1 ,i desired to ascertain whether or not the signs of such intelligence could be imparted to me in such a manner1 that ,i should know it was out of the power of these individuals of flesh and blood to give them4 ,i had been informed that these manifestations1 although partaking of the same general features1 did not claim to be the production of any one particular ,spirit or intelligence2 but that numberless ,spirits1 those most naturally drawn by affinity to present themselves in the presence of visitors1 had and exercised this power4 ,in accordance with the hint thus given1 ,i asked the noisy but unseen conversationist if ,i could have the privilege of talking with my sister--then in the ,spirit-world4 ,an affirmative answer being given1 pretty soon a gentle rapping was heard1 and on my asking if this was the signification of her presence1 the reply was1 yes4 ,i then asked a number of questions1 referring to the time when we were together in years long since past4 ,the questions thus asked were answered promptly and intelligibly4 ,afterward the same gentle rapping was heard in the form of a call for the alphabet 7five quick successive raps74 ,the letters were called1 and a sentence spelled out 7unsuggested by any query71 addressed to me and commencing1 ',brother1 do you remember1' etc4 ,i have not the memoranda made at the time and cannot recall the precise language of the communication2 but the impression then made upon my mind was that it was exceedingly like my sister4 ,they were her thoughts1 clothed in the self-same drapery which she was accustomed to throw around them4 ,she mentioned the disease of which her body died 7consumption71 and alluded to the protracted cough accompanying it4 ,i asked if she was happy1 and received an affirmative reply4 ,she told me1 in reply to my queries1 that human ,spirits after they leave this stage of existence enter upon a sphere in advance of the one they pass from2 that they are the subjects of an universal law1 that of progress1 and occupy such sphere as the state of their purity and advancement1 at the time of death 7so-called71 prepares them for1 and as various in its arrangements as are the classes of ,spirits2 that the 'many mansions in the ,father's house1' are but the varied spheres1 suited to the wants and conditions of their occupants4 ,since the occasions above alluded to1 and many times during the past year1 ,i have had opportunities of this kind4 ,very frequently when ,i have been at the house of ,mrs4 ,fish1 the time and attention of these manifestations have been engrossed by other visitors1 and often1 on such occasions1 ,i have been exceedingly interested4 ,in a multitude of instances ,i have seen individuals there1 entire strangers to the family1 whose questions have been answered by these invisible agencies with the utmost accuracy4 ,i remember at one time while there1 a gentleman and his wife called and begged an opportunity for a few moments4 ,they were non-residents of the city1 and desired to leave town on the morrow4 ,the request was granted4 ,we all took seats around the table1 and permission was given the gentleman to ask questions4 ,to the question ',how many children have ,i had8' the reply was1 one4 ',is it living8' ,the question being reversed1 the signal intimated to the father 7what was the case7 that the child was in the ,spirit-world4 ,he asked the child's age at the time of its death1 and the length of time that had elapsed since its death1 which queries were1 as he said1 correctly answered4 ,he then asked if the ,spirit of that child would be allowed to converse with him2 an affirmative was given1 and soon a roll of light sounds announced the presence of the little one4 ,a signal for the alphabet was given1 and the childlike ,spirit spelled out a communication to its earthly parent1 the effect of which1 upon the father1 told but too plainly the reality of the semblance4 ,the mother then asked a few questions1 such as ',are you very happy8' ',are you often with me8' ',must ,i cease to grieve that ,i have lost you1 and remember that you are permitted1 although unseen1 to be with me still8' ,that mother left the room in tears2 but they were not the outburst of sorrow4 ,gladness was in her heart 7as she said7 for the first time since she laid her darling child--her first-born--down to sleep on the bosom of its mother earth4 ,i might give you a variety of instances to which ,i have been a witness1 wherein a remarkable perception has been evinced by these agencies2 but a statement of such things goes but a little way toward convincing a sceptic1 or satisfying the mind of any one who has not the opportunity of observing for himself4 ,the human mind admits with extreme reluctance the truth of things which it has been trained to believe without the range of possibility4 ,i have thus given to you1 as briefly as possible1 what you have asked me for4 ,my convictions are the result of patient and honest investigation1 extending through a period of sixteen months4 ,they are fixed--so far as the prime fact is concerned1 that a communication exists between the inhabitants of 'this breathing world1' and a distinct order of intelligences invisible to the outward eye4 ,if at any time ,i embrace an error1 ,i would thank him who should point it out and demonstrate the truth4 ,but mere argument1 however ingenious1 can never move my convictions on this subject4 ,i have submitted everything to the scrutiny of such powers as ,god has given to the highest nature ,i possess1 and know no better guide to lead me2 and any evidence which shall change my opinions must reach me through the same channels of the mind by which these convictions entered it4 ,perhaps it would not be out of place1 in this connection1 to state 7what many are aware of7 that the family to whom ,i have alluded as the ones in whose presence these manifestations occur--although by no means the only ones--have1 in consequence of the circumstances1 been subject of much misrepresentation1 and1 in some instances1 of serious wrong4 ,this might have been expected at the hands of those who are ever ready to cast opprobrium on individual character if it chance to be allied in any way to what to them is unaccountable1 or cannot be made to serve their peculiar views and purposes4 ,during my acquaintance with them ,i have never discovered the least ground for the justice of such charges4 ,i have known them intimately nearly a year and a half1 and some of my friends have been acquainted with them for many years4 ,no one has ever suggested to me the belief that any of the family had been guilty of any departure from moral rectitude4 ,i have uniformly been treated by them with courtesy and kindness2 and they have1 on all proper occasions1 extended to me such facilities as were requisite to enable me to prosecute my inquiries4 ,they make no ultra pretensions to what the world calls piety1 neither do they claim exemption from the venial faults which exist more or less in all their fellow-beings4 ,neither do they set up the false claim 7which some exceedingly soft heads have imputed to them7 that they1 as individuals1 are inspired1 or have a mission from the ,deity to this world4 ,they are merely the passive media through whom these communications are made to us1 from the world of ,spirits4 ,recognizing then1 as ,i do--what to me is undeniable--that for some wise purpose1 intelligences in another sphere of existence are permitted to communicate with us in this way1 numberless questions have suggested themselves to my mind4 ,as nothing important ever takes place in the wide realm of the ,universe1 unconnected with a purpose1 what is the aim of this8 ,i answer--as ,i did involuntarily1 in the first stage of my experience--to teach mankind that what they have been harboring as a shadow1 but never known1 is in truth a reality2 that the interior man1 the sentient being ',that stirs within and animates the clay1' is immortal and never dies4 ,this consideration1 were there no others1 is quite sufficient4 ,but it is not to be supposed that we have yet been made acquainted with all the bearings which it is to have upon us and our welfare4 ,if these ,spiritual beings are indeed what they purport to be--human ,spirits--our own kith and kin1 who once walked with us on earth1 and still sympathize with us2 then1 indeed1 we may be immensely benefited by what they may unfold to us4 ,that they are such1 ,i have no positive knowledge or evidence1 and none sufficiently strong to warrant the assertion4 ,it is somewhat difficult to identify them1 with our present crude and limited knowledge4 ,the best we can do1 is to judge for ourselves from the correspondences of things4 ,if ,i converse with a ,spirit1 and its language--as addressed to me--corresponds closely with the mind of that individual1 as ,i knew it in this life--and particularly if it alluded to occurrences known only to myself and it--,i have an analogical evidence of its identity4 ,on the other hand1 if such ,spirit gives me a communication1 the sentiment and structure of which are totally at variance with my perception of the individual thus personated1 ,i have the same kind of evidence 7but no other7 that the said ,spirit has sought to deceive me4 ,thus you will perceive my impression to be that ,spirits of various grades of intelligence and moral dignity in the scale of being1 are allowed the same power2 and those persons who seek intercourse with the good1 need all the panoply of truth and sincerity to guard them from contact with the opposite4 ,this admission1 however1 is by no means condemnatory of the whole matter4 ,a ,wisdom1 exceeding man's1 allows good and evil men to live in this world2 but it does not follow that1 because ,i may occasionally chance to meet with one of the latter1 ,i am to deny myself communication with the former4 ,we must do the best we can in our condition2 act1 as well as we may1 the part for which we are adapted by the attributes with which ,deity hath endowed us4 ,and if1 in order to commune occasionally with a bright being of the upper sphere1 ,i am1 at times1 subjected to annoyance by one of a lower order 7a devil1 if you please71 ,i can well afford it1 and come off best in the finale4 ,these unseen devils1 after all the disrespect that has been shown them1 if ,i have met them in council1 have evinced the possession of nothing much worse than ignorance4 ,and here let me say1 ,i am of the serious opinion that all the devils of the universe are not yet congregated in the ,spirit-world4 ,many1 alas6 too many of them1 are clothed with human forms1 and move in our midst1 visible to the common eye4 ,they are spirits of darkness1 with a moral depravity which would do no discredit to any locality ever dreamed of in a vision of hell itself4 ,their presence is confined to no one particular class4 ,they enter your ,senate chamber even1 sometimes1 and distract the councils of honest men4 ,so will it be1 in that strange economy which our dark vision seeks in vain to fathom1 until man attains that higher stature1 that more perfect being to which we must all hope he is ultimately destined4 ,respectfully yours1 ,j4 ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,rochester1 ,march #f1 #ahej4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,ohio ,,campaign4 ,,return ,,to ,,rochester--,,attempted ,,burglary--,,summons ,,to ,,ohio--,,rev4 ,c4 ,c4 ,,burr--,,toe-,,ology--,,gold ,,medals ,,and ,,jewelled ,,watch--,,first ,,public ,,speech--,,committee ,,investigations ,,as ,,usual--,,calvin',s ,,illness1 ,,and ,,henceforth ,,mrs4 ,,brown--,,first ,,spiritual ,,convention4 ,we reached our home in ,rochester late in the evening1 and1 as my housekeeper was absent1 we were alone in the ,troup ,street house that night4 ,the friends had kindly lighted and warmed the house1 and were there to receive us4 ,after they left we immediately retired1 and were soon lost in sleep4 ,i had not slept long1 however1 when ,i was awakened by a voice saying urgently in my ear1 ,get up and light your candle1 quick6 ,supposing that ,margaretta had spoken to me1 ,i replied1 ,what did you say8 but finding her fast asleep1 ,i scratched a match1 and had just time to see the form of a man who had got the lower sash raised and half his body into the room4 ,he was1 of course1 a burglar1 and doubtless expected to find a booty in the money which the papers had reported us to have brought with us from ,buffalo4 ,my voice and the flash of light made him start back so precipitately that he broke the window-sash while making his exit4 ,the visit was never repeated4 ,i may have mentioned that once before1 in my former house in ,prospect ,street1 we had been awakened by a voice bidding us to ,get up1 the house is on fire4 ,we found that the wood-box behind the stove in the sitting-room was in flames1 which would soon have been communicated to the door1 within a few inches of the staircase1 which was our only means of egress and safety4 ,on the morning after our return from ,buffalo1 to my great surprise1 mother drove up to the door1 having just arrived by the train from ,new ,york4 ,her first words were1 ,what is the matter8 ,i have been so urgently directed to come to you1 that ,i feared something had happened1 or was going to4 ,she and ,katie had remained in ,new ,york1 during the time of our stay in ,buffalo1 with the friends before named4 ,i may here mention that ,katie attended school1 all the time she remained in ,new ,york1 during the day hours1 and sometimes united in the sances held by the friends in the evenings4 ,mr4 ,greeley often said1 on the strength of her childish letters1 ,katie1 ,i expect to see you develop into another ,margaret ,fuller some day1 if you will only give your attention to study4 ,we employed private teachers for the children1 at the hours not compulsorily absorbed by the public4 ,i gladly stood the brunt of the labors for their benefit in the matter of their education4 7,see ,mr4 ,robinson's letter of ,march #ab1 #ahea1 p4 #bjc47 ,after explanations1 the upshot was that mother returned the same evening to rejoin ,katie in ,new ,york1 taking ,margaretta with her4 ,soon after our return to ,troup ,street it became necessary1 to my great regret1 to leave the house1 as the property had to be sold for division among heirs2 but ,i found a much larger and finer house on the corner of ,troup and ,sophia ,streets4 ,the fatigues of moving1 following so soon upon the ,buffalo inquisition1 brought on a serious illness1 from which ,i had scarcely recovered when ,i received such insisting summons1 by letters and telegrams1 from good friends in ,cleveland1 ,ohio1 that ,i was compelled to undertake the journey1 which proved to be the beginning of what was called the ,ohio campaign4 ,so did events arrange themselves1 or so did other influences arrange them1 to compel us to widen more and more the fulfilment of the duty to go forth which had been imposed upon us4 ,among the telegrams from ,cleveland1 received when ,i was on a sick bed1 was this one3 ,mrs4 ,fish1 we want you to come immediately to ,cleveland4 ,it is vitally important4 ,to which ,mr4 ,post replied1 ,mrs4 ,fish is not well1 and we think it would be dangerous for her to leave4 ,then came another1 saying1 ,burr is here1 slandering you and all who believe in ,spiritualism4 ,still1 my friends insisted on my waiting until ,i was stronger1 when a letter came containing a partial explanation of the ,rev4 ,burr's villanous conduct toward me4 ,he had slandered me so grossly that my friends would not allow him to go unpunished4 ,they had arrested him in my name1 and it was necessary for me to be there in person4 ,i also received the following letters from a valued friend3 ,,cleveland1 ,april #be1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,,dear ,,lady--,there are many reasons why you should visit our city4 ,one is1 we are anxious to witness the ,spirit manifestations1 and another reason is1 that the world-renowned cheat1 ,c4 ,chauncy ,burr1 will soon be here to expose the ,rochester rappings and the mediums4 ,i wonder if he will succeed as well as ,flint1 ,lee1 and ,coventry did in ,buffalo6 ,all this and more1 makes it desirable that you should come at once4 ,very ,respectfully1 ,m4 ,l4 ,,wright4 ,,cleveland1 ,may #a1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,,dear ,,friend--,yours of the #bhth inst4 is at hand4 ,we are glad 7as you see by the ,plaindealer which we have to-day sent you7 that you have concluded to come4 ,you have many friends here who will make your visit pleasant1 and not disappoint your expectations4 ,as regards ,burr1 his tongue is no slander where he is known4 ,we have decided the ,dunham ,house 7for many reasons7 is the best1 as you can have a first floor parlor with three rooms attached1 and the house is as respectable as any in the place1 though perhaps not quite as large as the ,weddell4 ,you will be much better accommodated4 ,the table is first-class4 ,telegraph the day you will start so that we may know when to expect you1 as every one feels anxious to meet you4 ,with kind regards1 yours truly1 ,m4 ,l4 ,,wright4 ,all this decided my course and ,i went4 ,and as my mother and the two girls1 ,margaretta and ,cathy1 were in ,new ,york1 my married sister1 ,mrs4 ,smith1 and her dear little boy ,charlie1 and ,calvin ,brown1 accompanied me4 ,imagine our surprise when we arrived at ,cleveland4 ,a party of our true friends escorted us from the boat to the hotel1 where they informed us they had arranged for a drive to a water-cure resort some ten or twelve miles in the country4 ,as soon as we had breakfasted and prepared ourselves1 we started on our excursion4 ,there were several carriages1 and ,i think not more than two persons in the company whom ,i had ever met before4 ,soon after our arrival1 the ladies took us into a beautiful grove and carefully explained to me the nature of the slanders the ,rev4 ,c4 ,c4 ,burr had reported against me4 ,i think they were somewhat surprised at the indifference ,i manifested4 ,atrocious as his slanders had been1 ,i could not work up my mind to deem them worthy of my stooping to notice them4 ,i said to them1 ,if you ladies had passed through one half the abuse ,i have1 for the past two years or more1 you would not wonder that ,i am personally quite indifferent to what all my enemies may say against me4 ,however1 it was well that they had prosecuted ,burr1 as they put him under heavy bonds1 and compelled him to keep the peace1 and hold his slanderous tongue4 ,mother and the girls returned to ,rochester about three weeks after ,i left for ,cleveland4 ,the children1 ,maggie and ,cathy1 were persuaded to go to ,cincinnati with a lady friend of ours from ,rochester1 ,mrs4 ,kedzie1 who had conceived the idea of a western tour of mediumistic exhibitions1 and knowing that ,i was in ,cleveland1 they stopped at our hotel to see us4 ,maggie could not be persuaded to go further4 ,cathy1 too1 thought it would be much more pleasant for her to remain with us at ,cleveland1 but inasmuch as ,mrs4 ,k4 had come with them1 expecting to go on to ,cincinnati1 ,i argued that having come with her1 they should fulfil their engagement4 ,finally it was decided that sister ,maria should accompany ,cathy1 with her little boy and ,mrs4 ,k41 to ,cincinnati1 and ,maggie remain with ,calvin and myself4 ,i found out that the girls had left greatly against mother's wishes1 and ,i telegraphed her to come immediately to ,cleveland1 which she did4 ,mrs4 ,k4 and my sisters remained in ,cincinnati about three weeks1 and stopped at ,columbus1 expecting to remain there some time2 but when they had been there about a week little ,charley was taken very ill4 ,his life was despaired of for several days1 during which time all business was suspended1 and ,mrs4 ,kedzie returned to ,rochester4 ,my sister ,maria's husband arrived about that time and found the child--as was thought--hopelessly ill4 ,i was greatly distressed1 and my friends gathered around to condole with me4 ,every hour brought a despatch saying1 ,charley still lives4 ,i could do nothing but walk the floor and cry in my despair4 ,i had been the means of bringing him from home1 and ,i blamed myself1 knowing the effect it would have on my brother-in-law and sister1 if they should lose their only child1 after having already lost three dear little boys4 ,in our private room we called on the ,spirits to advise us what to do4 ,they directed us to telegraph at once to ,columbus to bring him here 7to ,cleveland74 ,we followed their directions4 ,they started immediately1 and when they arrived the child seemed in a dying condition4 ,i took him in charge1 and with the aid of ,spirit advice soon found him convalescing4 ,as soon as he was able they returned home4 ,floods of letters summoned us to all parts of the ,state4 ,i had even to hire other persons to help in the labor of answering them4 ,nor shall ,i now undertake a narrative of our tour4 ,as a general rule1 so far as it was possible1 we followed in the tracks of our arch-enemy1 the ,rev4 ,c4 ,chauncy ,burr2 and it was often announced that when he should have concluded his course of lectures1 the ,fox family would succeed him and afford the public the opportunity of judging for themselves4 ,as the ,buffalo doctors had gone in for their theory of knee-ology 7with what success the reader has seen71 so the ,burr theory may be called that of toe-ology2 for he had conceived the brilliant idea of producing a sort of low raps1 inside a wide boot1 by striking his great toe upon the sole1 as any one may do upon the table by pressing and over-lapping the middle finger by the index and suddenly releasing the latter4 ,his brother ,heman was the one who thus operated1 while he himself figured as the lecturer4 ,the head-waiter of the hotel at which ,burr stopped1 told me how his toes were inflamed and bloody from this exercise1 and how many a poultice he had had to supply him with4 ,the difference was always manifest between the mere underfoot uniform sounds1 yielded by this miserable trick1 and the variety of the knockings on tables1 floors1 doors1 walls1 and ceilings--now faint1 now approaching the thunderous--to say nothing of the identification of the ,spirits who were rapping to us1 through the recognized significance and truth of their communications4 ,burr was at last almost hooted and pelted out of the ,state2 and at the court-house of ,painesville we were taken to see the marks of the showers of shattered eggs and muddy pieces of turf which remained to attest the reception he had received the day before4 ,our progress was a course of triumph4 ,i might fill a page with the names of the friends in all quarters of the ,state1 including its best men and women1 between whom and myself arose friendships which time will never obliterate from my heart4 ,i will only name one who was to us in ,ohio what ,greeley was in ,new ,york1 ,john ,w4 ,gray1 the editor of ,the ,plaindealer1 and his wife1 one of the loveliest and best of women4 ,out of the trunks and boxes of letters1 whose contents are beyond my power to explore1 ,i have taken a few1 almost at random1 with no time for selection1 which are given below1 and from which the reader may gather some particulars of this period1 which will in part supply the place of a narrative of our experiences in this1 which ,i have called our ,ohio campaign4 ,but ,i must mention the interesting incidents of two gold medals having been presented1 the one to myself1 in ,cleveland1 when ,i was about to leave1 the other to ,maggie1 at ,cincinnati4 ,to ,katie was presented a beautiful jewelled watch and chain4 ,i indulge myself in the pleasure of showing mine to my readers4 ,i am unable to show ,maggie's 7which was oval7 because it has been unfortunately lost in a trunk that was stolen4 ,i say nothing of beautiful presents1 in diamonds and other jewelry1 etc4 from ladies and gentlemen1 who often seemed to feel that they could not do too much to show us their gratitude for the certain and realized knowledge1 received through us1 of the great truth that our loved and lost still live and love us1 and that death is only a brief separation of those soon to be reunited forever4 ,illustration3 ,a ,tribute of ,respect to ,mrs4 ,ann ,l ,fish from ,friends in ,,cleveland #ahea4 ,the following letters accompanied my medal and ,katie's watch and chain4 ,the substantially similar one accompanying ,maggie's medal seems to have been lost4 ,,cleveland1 ,july #a1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,a4 ,,leah ,,fish3 ,,dear ,,friend--,we the undersigned present you with this emblem as a sincere token of our love and affection4 ,you have been faithful and steadfast in all your duties4 ,you have been instrumental in bringing us to a realization of the truth of ,immortality4 ,may you be blessed with health and crowned with victory1 and triumph over your enemies1 is the prayer of your united friends4 ,n4 ,e4 ,,crittenden1 ,m4 ,c4 ,,wright1 ,d4 ,a4 ,,eddy1 ,s4 ,d4 ,,kelly1 ,,dr4 ,,bigelow1 ,,anthony ,m4 ,,reynolds1 ,,john ,w4 ,,gray1 ,a4 ,,underhill1 ,r4 ,l4 ,,paine1 ,e4 ,,hinkly1 ,artist1 and ,,dr4 ,,underhill1 ,designer of the ,medal4 ,,cincinnati1 ,o41 ,july #i1 #ahea4 ,,miss ,,catharine ,,fox3 ,the individuals whose names are hereunto attached1 having faith in your integrity1 as a testimonial of their regard for you personally1 and of the gratification they have enjoyed through you as a ,medium for ,spiritual communications1 desire you to accept the watch and chain which will be presented to you by your friend1 ,,mr4 ,e4 ,f4 ,,norton4 ,b4 ,,urner1 ,,john ,d4 ,,park1 ,w4 ,t4 ,,coggshall1 ,,james ,,goodin1 ,,charles ,h4 ,,erwin1 ,,daniel ,,gano1 ,s4 ,h4 ,,titus1 ,c4 ,j4 ,w4 ,,smith1 ,,ralph ,,valentine1 ,e4 ,f4 ,,norton1 ,,augustus ,,wattles4 ,i will mention one other incident in the course of our ,ohio experience1 as being the first occasion on which ,i was compelled1 and mustered the courage1 to address a short speech to an audience4 ,on an urgent invitation we went to ,painesville toward the last of ,may4 ,we arrived there late in the afternoon4 ,we found many friends1 in the parlor of the hotel1 awaiting our arrival and prepared to escort us to the ,court ,house1 to see the condition in which ,rev4 ,c4 ,c4 ,burr had left it4 ,tufts of grass 7it had been raining the previous night71 bricks1 broken eggs1 sticks1 and tin pans1 with which the reverend gentleman had been saluted1 were strewn all over the ,court ,house4 ,we advertised through all the papers that1 immediately after the ,burrs had lectured and entertained the public with their toe-rapping expositions1 the ,fox family would be forthcoming to give them every opportunity of testing the truth of the real ,spirit rappings4 ,we were expected1 and everything was done to make our visit there agreeable4 ,the ,court ,house was cleared of all the rubbish1 and at precisely eight o'clock ,calvin1 ,maggie1 my sister ,maria's little boy1 ,charley ,smith1 and myself entered the ,court ,house with crowds of friends1 amid shouts of ,welcome to the ,fox family resounding from every part of the room4 ,lawyer ,tiffany was there to address the audience1 but he was not able to make himself heard1 but stood and smiled at the demonstration4 ,the audience1 with one accord1 called out1 ,take the platform6 ,calvin accompanied us1 leaving little ,charley with a lady friend1 but he was frightened and cried1 ,take me too4 ,he was only two and a half years old4 ,judge ,bissell carried the child in his arms1 and placed him by my side4 ,he looked up at me and said1 ,aunt ,leah1 will they hurt you8 ,i told him1 ,no1 dear1 they are our friends4 ,the rappings were distinctly heard all over the hall as soon as quiet was restored4 ,the audience would not be content until ,i spoke to them4 ,my words were few4 ,i thanked them for their kindness1 but tears of gratitude soon choked all further utterance4 ,this was my first public speech4 ,at this point1 ,mr4 ,tiffany was allowed to proceed with his lecture1 which was very satisfactory to the audience4 ,we had engaged to go a second time to ,cincinnati1 as there were many there who had not had an opportunity of visiting ,katy's rooms while she was there in company with sister ,maria and ,mrs4 ,kedzie1 about the #bjth of ,july4 ,the cholera had broken out in the ,burnett ,house1 and we engaged rooms in the ,walnut ,street ,house1 where we remained during our stay in ,cincinnati4 ,we were frequently invited to visit our friends living in the vicinity of the city1 and gladly accepted their kind invitations1 as it afforded us rest1 change of scene and atmosphere4 ,we spent several days delightfully at the house of ,major ,gano2 and also made many visits at the house of ,mr4 ,longworth1 the proprietor and owner of the great wine vaults of ,cincinnati1 well known to the public1 and whose son-in-law1 ,william ,flagg1 and his wife1 were interested in us4 ,we submitted to the examination of many committees in ,cincinnati 7and other places which we visited in ,ohio74 ,we remained in that city until the latter part of ,august4 ,the weather was extremely warm1 and we were all prostrated with heat and fatigue1 and we longed to return to our home and friends in ,rochester4 ,about this time ,calvin was suddenly attacked with hemorrhage of the lungs4 ,physicians pronounced his case hopeless4 ,mother and ,i took care of him through that fearful night4 ,the following morning he said to us--taking each one by the hand--,dear ,mother and ,leah1 the only regret ,i feel is in leaving you1 subject as you are to the persecutions of your enemies4 ,then fixing his eyes on me he said1 ,you have been a dear sister to me4 ,the best legacy ,i could leave you1 as a protection when ,i am gone1 is my name4 ,if we were married now1 your widowhood would be a great protection from the importunate intrusions to which you are so frequently subjected4 ,mother wept over him as none but a mother could weep4 ,she fully consented1 and left us to decide as we both thought best4 ,we were married ,september #aj1 #ahea1 on what was supposed to be the death-bed of our beloved ,calvin1 and thus ,i became ,mrs4 ,brown4 ,calvin recovered1 however1 from that attack and lingered in tolerable comfort1 until about six months previous to his death1 in ,may1 #ahec4 ,the agitation of the subject of ,spiritualism resulting from this our ,ohio ,campaign1 of #ahea1 led to the first ,spiritualist convention in the world's history1 so far as ,i know1 which was called for and assembled at ,cleveland in ,february1 #aheb1 respecting which ,i find the following letter from ,david ,a4 ,eddy1 bearing date of the #bhth of that month3 ,i enclose to you to-day a ,cleveland ,herald containing a report of our convention1 the first of the kind ever known1 and which may with propriety be called ',spiritual ,convention ,no4 ,one4' ,it has had some effect in bringing the subject before the people1 and calling out investigation4 ,it has thrown the church into spasms4 ,everything in ,ohio is going on as well as we could wish4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,miscellaneous ,,letters ,,connected ,,with ,,the ,,ohio ,,campaign4 ,n4 ,s4 ,,wheeler--,e4 ,s4 ,,brownfield--,,chillicothe ,,committee--,,charles ,f4 ,,whippo--,m4 ,l4 ,,wright--,d4 ,a4 ,,eddy--,,extracts ,,from ,,the ,,press--,a ,,fair ,,challenge ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,fish ,,and ,,sequel--,,columbus ,,committee--,d4 ,a4 ,,eddy--,m4 ,l4 ,,wright--,,interesting ,,letter ,,from ,,dear ,,amy ,,post--,,article ,,from ,,the ,,cleveland ,,plaindealer4 ,n4 ,s4 ,,wheeler4 ,,painesville1 ,o41 ,may #g1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,,dear ,,madam--,great excitement prevails in our quiet little village at this time4 ,miss ,may ,cronk has become quite a satisfactory medium4 ,her development is extraordinary4 ,we think perhaps if you could spend about two weeks or ten days with us1 your presence would afford us a fair opportunity to test the matter to our heart's content4 ,i see by the babble of the ,cleveland papers that you are expected in that city soon2 some say that you are now there4 ,burr is drivelling out his dolorous tale to large audiences in ,cleveland2 but whether his cracking joints will endure the torture much longer1 has not yet been revealed4 ,i hope for your own happiness1 as well as for the successful triumph that awaits you1 you may preserve your equanimity and successfully resist all distracting influences4 ,we are all anxious to see you here4 ,come4 ,truly yours1 ,n4 ,s4 ,,wheeler4 ,,newark1 ,o41 ,may #ai1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,although a stranger to you1 ,i take the liberty of addressing you on the subject of ,spirit manifestations2 also to give you a pressing invitation to visit our town in behalf of a number of our citizens1 as well as myself1 who are as firm as the rock of ,gibraltar in the faith2 although a great many of us have not had the opportunity of witnessing the phenomena2 and the probability is that many of us will not have the privilege of doing so unless some of our friends1 who are more favored than we are1 will visit our town and tarry with us a while4 ,you could not but be pleased1 as ,newark is one of the most beautiful towns in the interior of the ,state2 and you will find the people very pleasant and intelligent1 if you can visit us4 ,please answer as soon as you receive this4 ,yours with respect1 ,e4 ,s4 ,,brownfield4 ,p4 ,s4 ,i am here authorized to use the names of our friends1 some of whom you will doubtless recollect2 also others1 for whose character and respectability ,i have but to refer you to ,dr4 ,bigelow1 of ,cleveland1 who is well acquainted with all1 viz41 ,mrs4 ,boss1 ,mrs4 ,baker1 ,wm4 ,boss1 ,thos4 ,holmes1 ,dr4 ,blair1 ,john ,j4 ,mooney1 ,wm4 ,lyon1 ,wm4 ,cunningham1 and ,lewis ,evans1 who all join in pressing the invitation4--,e4 ,s4 ,b4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chillicothe ,,committee4 ,,chillicothe1 ,o41 ,may #bc1 #ahea4 ,,dear ,,madam3 ,you will notice by the enclosed proceedings1 that the duty has devolved on us1 in behalf of the citizens of this place and vicinity1 friendly to the investigation of the so-called ,spiritual rappings and manifestations1 to extend to you an invitation that we may be honored with your company and have the benefit of your experience in the investigation of that which is to us a subject of the highest interest1 and which we consider deserving the most patient and devoted attention4 ,in addition to the performance of our official duty as a committee1 we request you to accept from us1 individually1 our warmest and most heartfelt congratulations1 for the dignity you have preserved1 and the ,christian forbearance and charity you have manifested toward your opponents1 amid the many trying scenes you have encountered during the last two years1 while lending your aid to the investigation of truths of a new and startling character4 ,we are the more desirous that you should honor us with a visit1 from having instituted some experiments ourselves1 with partial success1 the particulars of which have been published from time to time1 to encourage the friends of the science to pursue the investigation for themselves4 ,circumstances1 however1 have not yet been sufficiently favorable to its development to enable us to gratify the public interest which it has naturally excited2 and consequently a visit from yourself at this particular juncture would be particularly gratifying4 ,we should be pleased also to learn what mode of compensation would be the most agreeable to you as a remuneration for your services4 ,hoping to obtain from you a favorable reply1 and a visit at some early day most convenient to yourself1 accept1 madam1 our assurances of esteem and friendship4 ,,johnson ,,lofland1 ,,jonathan ,,miesse1 ,h4 ,m4 ,,pinto1 ,committee4 ,to ,,mrs4 ,,fish1 of ,rochester1 ,cleveland1 ,ohio4 ,a meeting of the citizens of ,chillicothe and vicinity1 friendly to the investigation of the phenomena known us ',spirit rappings1' ',spiritual manifestations1' etc41 which have claimed a considerable share of public attention in the ,united ,states during the last two years1 was held in the city of ,chillicothe on ,may #bc1 #ahea1 at which ,clement ,pine was appointed chairman1 and ,george ,armstrong secretary4 ,on motion it was resolved1 ,that a committee of three be appointed to forward an invitation to ,mrs4 ,fish1 of ,rochester1 who1 it is understood1 is now in ,cleveland1 to visit our city1 that the citizens may have the benefit of her presence and experience in witnessing the so-called ',spiritual manifestations4' ,johnson ,lofland1 ,h4 ,m4 ,pinto1 and ,jonathan ,miesse1 ,m4,d41 were appointed by the chair said committee4 ,resolved1 that it shall be the duty of said committee1 on receiving an answer from ,mrs4 ,fish1 to call another meeting1 and make known her intentions in regard to the acceptance or non-acceptance of such invitation1 and in case we should be favored with a visit from ,mrs4 ,fish1 to propose such measures for her reception as may be deemed necessary4 ,resolved1 that a copy of the proceedings of this meeting be made by the secretary1 and transmitted immediately1 together with a letter of invitation1 to ,mrs4 ,fish1 by said committee4 ,,clement ,,pine1 ,chairman1 ,,george ,,armstrong1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the foregoing letter was sent to ,massillon for other signatures of parties there alike interested4 ,,massillon1 ,o41 ,june #bc1 #ahea4 ,we earnestly hope that you will accept of this invitation1 and thereby give a few earnest inquirers after truth an opportunity to satisfy their minds upon a very important subject4 ,c4 ,d4 ,,smith1 ,j4 ,w4 ,,underhill1 ,d4 ,m4 ,,bradshaw1 ,f4 ,,keith1 ,s4 ,,hunt1 ,j4 ,r4 ,,cecil1 ,r4 ,,partridge1 ,g4 ,w4 ,,williams1 ,c4 ,h4 ,,russell1 ,s4 ,,haund1 ,s4 ,,rawson4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,charles ,f4 ,,whippo4 ,,new ,,castle1 ,lawrence ,co41 ,pa41 ,june #i1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,my object in writing this is to invite you1 in behalf of myself and many intelligent friends here1 to stop1 on your way to ,pittsburg1 and spend a few days with us4 ,i have heard of your trials and troubles at ,buffalo and at ,cleveland1 and you have had my sympathy through all4 ,i hope and trust you will be able to stand up under these persecutions1 steadfastly and firmly4 ,remember that truth is mighty and will ultimately prevail4 ,the ,rev4 ,rascal ,c4 ,c4 ,burr is on the wane1 and he will learn1 before all is over1 that 'honesty is the best policy4' ,very respectfully and truly yours1 ,,charles ,f4 ,,whippo4 99 99 99 99 99 ,m4 ,l4 ,,wright4 ,,cleveland1 ,august #bc1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,my dear friend1 ,i promised to answer the article by ,green1 through which you were called on to enter the arena with ,mr4 ,clark1 for examination1 etc4 ,i did so2 but the ,clark family came out boldly1 and offered to make oath that they knew nothing of the source of the 'manifestations2' that the article by ,green was without their knowledge and very much against their wishes4 ,we all thought best to suppress it for the present4 ,you can hardly imagine how much pleasure and happiness we have realized when in your presence4 ,that scene in the cemetery can never die out from my memory4 ,how can we ever forget those sweet messages from our dear ones1 whose affection for us has outlived their mortality8 ,oh1 come with us again and permit us to listen to those good old raps that first shook our scepticism and brought us to a realization of the truth4 ,that message in the grave-yard1 saying1 ',my dear son1 weep no more1 the fault was mine4 ,no longer bow your head in vain regret and grief4 ,i bless you1 be happy4' ,then the messages from our dear children1 bidding us to rejoice and weep no more1 ',we are all happy in heaven2' and then1 in answer to my mental questions they spelled1 ',we accompanied you here--this is not our abiding place--we will return with you and watch over you through the night1 and communicate with you at home4' ,the promises have all been fulfilled4 ,we have the manifestations at our own house1 and the ,spirit of our father is our guardian-angel now4 ,my wife holds daily converse with him1 and he tells us he 'is happy4 ,all is well4' ,this is not belief1 it is knowledge4 ,your friends in ,cleveland are all armed and equipped1 ready to defend you now and forever4 ,it is midnight2 my dear wife and children are sleeping quietly1 and those of the higher spheres are watching over them4 ,the midnight winds whistle fearfully around our dwelling1 and as ,i write old ,lake ,erie lashes her shores with a fury perfectly terrific4 ,may the good ,spirits of the wave watch over the mariner to-night and pilot him safely into harbor4 ,our friend ,gray has returned and wishes me to remember him to you4 ,mr4 ,tiffany has also returned4 ,you must excuse him for not calling on you1 as his child was very ill1 and passed away to its ,spirit home last ,wednesday4 ,he feels deeply interested in your welfare1 and has attended to all the preliminaries in the slander case1 so that you need give yourself no uneasiness in the matter4 ,judge ,bissell complains of your not writing4 ,be sure and write to him immediately4 ,he is your true friend and will see that justice is done in your case4 ,judge ,paine also1 do not forget to write to him4 ,now1 ,leah1 your true friends 7,i need not name them7 are expecting you will locate here some day1 not far distant4 ,we expect to see you in ,rochester soon4 ,my love to your mother1 sisters1 and ,calvin1 with a great share for yourself1 and believe me ,truly yours ever1 ,m4 ,l4 ,,wright4 99 99 99 99 99 ,d4 ,a4 ,,eddy4 ,,cleveland1 ,o41 ,october #bh1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,,my ,,dear ,,friend--,your letter dated at ,rochester1 after you had partially recovered from your severe illness1 was duly received1 and ,i answered at length2 but while waiting to get hold of the precious bluff missive that appeared in ,the ,true ,democrat1 to enclose to you1 some time elapsed1 and when ,i finally got it1 ,i found you were sojourning in ,troy1 ,n4 ,y4 ,so the letter was old1 and ,i did not send it4 ,i cannot find words to express how glad ,i am to hear that you have recovered and are able to visit a place where ,i know you will have so many true friends2 but we will not own to any city that can produce more sincere friends than ,cleveland4 ,i suppose that ,mrs4 ,eddy has informed you of ,mr4 ,crittenden's intention of making you a visit soon4 ,is it not possible for you to come here again before close of navigation8 ,if not1 you may look for me there the first of ,january1 or about that time4 ,we want you to come to ,cleveland4 ,we will select a house here where you will be happy and comfortable4 ,we pity those poor wretches who are ready to persecute those who are too good to breathe the air of the same neighborhood where they reside4 ,but never mind1 you know and we know there is truth in these new revelations1 and the good work is destined to lead men from darkness and doubt1 into the blessed light of truth and a hope which ,i despaired of ever obtaining4 ,your correspondence must necessarily be very large and quite a task4 ,the cause is gaining here daily1 but we want you here again4 ,adieu for the present4 ,sincerely yours1 ,d4 ,a4 ,,eddy4 ,p4 ,s4 ,we have all signed the bail bonds for costs in your suit with ,c4 ,chauncy ,burr4 ,i presume ,dr4 ,wright has advised you ere this4 ,burr is much troubled1 but do not let anyone influence you to settle1 on any conditions4 ,d4 ,a4 ,e4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,extracts ,,from ,,the ,,press4 ,we learn by a telegraphic despatch from ,cleveland1 that ,mrs4 ,fish1 the celebrated 'medium1' will be here in a few days1 when she will give our citizens an opportunity to hear the 'rappings' to their entire satisfaction4 ,it is a singular fact1 that notwithstanding the slanders heaped upon this lady by those accomplished mountebanks1 the ,burrs1 she follows them up with a sharp stick1 and meets them face to face4 ,it is not very manly or very dignified to slander a lady when she is not present4 ,the ,burrs are still giving their exhibitions of toe-ology to very small audiences in this city4 ,those who have heretofore believed that the rappings were all humbug1 are now entirely convinced that they are not half so great a humbug as these itinerant1 catch-penny lecturers4--,pittsburg ,post4 ,a ,literary ,man in ',trouble4'--,the ,rev4 ,c4 ,chauncy ,burr1 the man who makes 'literature his profession1' has been prosecuted in ,cleveland1 ,o41 for slander1 by ,mrs4 ,fish 7of the ,fox family71 who has laid her damages at #aj1jjj4 ,he will now have the opportunity to prove his charge1 which he always contended could be easily proved4 ,it will be an exciting suit4--,providence ,mirror4 ,the ,burr ,burst4--,the ,burrs have lowered their colors1 taken down all sail1 and left ,pittsburg1 under a good1 stiff1 spanking breeze4 ,mr4 ,courtney1 ,o4 ,s4 ,fowler 7the phrenologist71 ,miss ,sarah ,w4 ,taylor1 ,s4 ,parker1 ,j4 ,p4 ,glass1 ,milo ,a4 ,townsend1 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,williams1 ,dr4 ,ewing1 and several of the most respectable citizens of ,pittsburg 7so says ,the ,post7 are after them with three columns of cards and sharp sticks1 published in the ,pittsburg papers4 ',what a terrible thing it is to be a terrible critter1' as ,mrs4 ,partington would say4--,cincinnati ,nonpareil4 ,mrs4 ,fish and her sister have returned from a short excursion into the country1 and will be found at ',the ,dunham1' for a few days more4 ,they have invitations from almost every city in the ,union to visit them1 but they are very contented in the ,forest ,city4--,cleveland ,herald4 ,the ,spirits4--,miss ,catharine ,fox1 the spirit medium1 accompanied by a married sister and a female friend1 will remain a few days at the ,walnut ,street ,house1 where they will be pleased to meet those who feel interested in these manifestations1 and who desire to investigate the subject with candor4 ,we were present last night1 with a number of friends1 at an interview with the ladies1 when some of the manifestations were produced by the customary rappings1 which1 to say the least1 did not appear to be produced by any physical effort of the medium4 ,miss ,catharine is a very interesting girl1 and looks very far from being capable of carrying out any humbug whatever4 ,we can do no less than request our readers to examine for themselves4--,cincinnati ,nonpareil4 ,personal4--,miss ,catharine ,fox1 one of the original mediums of the ,rochester rappings1 has arrived in ,cincinnati1 and is stopping at the ,walnut ,street ,house4 ,the public will have an opportunity for a few days to judge for themselves in regard to things which have 'turned the world upside down4' ,as she professes to 'call ,spirits from the vasty deep1' and ,mr4 ,burr is here to knock them in the head as fast as they come1 exciting times may be expected4--,cincinnati ,nonpareil4 ,,editor ,,of ,,the ,,plaindealer3 ,,sir--,cannot ,mrs4 ,fish and the ,misses ,fox be prevailed on to make us a visit8 ,the fact is1 ,gray1 we ,michiganders are wofully benighted upon ,spiritual subjects4 ,everything pertaining to 'the world1 the flesh1 and the devil' we understand perfectly2 but when it comes to getting communications from the other world direct1 and seeing with our eyes1 we 'knock under4' ,our press1 too1 is anything but free upon these subjects1 giving only one side1 and concluding with the small bill of ,the ,herald1 that there are no more things in ,heaven and earth than are dreamed of in their philosophy4--,detroit ,correspondent4 ,,from ,,the ,,cincinnati ,,nonpareil4 ,a ,fair ,challenge by ,mrs4 ,fish4--,it appears that the most sceptical in ,cincinnati1 even the editor of ,the ,daily ,times1 have to concede that toe and knee joints have nothing to do with ,spirit rappings4 ,it has become a settled fact that ,burr's and the ,buffalo doctors' theories are the silliest humbug theories of the day4 ,but the editor of ,the ,times1 in a spirit of malicious infidelity1 accuses ,mrs4 ,fish and her young sisters1 ,margaretta and ,cathy1 with having concealed about their persons some sort of intelligent machinery1 which makes the raps and answers questions1 whether mentally or orally put4 ,the editor deserves a leather medal for so sage a conclusion1 and should have one1 had not the great demand for them among ,burr's followers and the ,buffalo boobies exhausted the stock of those ornaments and cleaned the market of supply4 ,to silence this pretension1 ,mrs4 ,fish published the following challenge in the ,cincinnati papers3 ',a ,,card ,,to ,,the ,,public4 ',with my sisters1 ,margaretta and ,cathy ,fox1 ,i will remain at the ,walnut ,street ,house a few days1 where we shall be happy to wait upon all those who wish to satisfy themselves as to the truth or falsity of ,spirit rappings4 ,the editor of ,the ,times generously acquits us of all joint snapping1 and ,i think we can very easily dispose of his explanation4 ,if there be even a shadow of suspicion still lurking in any mind that the sounds are made by mechanical contrivances of any character1 we are willing at any moment to meet a committee of ladies1 to whom we will give all fair opportunity of satisfaction4 ,we only ask that the committee shall consist of ladies whose testimony will have weight with the public4 ',,ann ,l4 ,,fish4' ,this same question was raised in ,new ,york when the mediums were there1 and by a coterie of ladies and gentlemen of the very first families4 ,one of the wealthiest merchants went so far as to pledge a large sum of money1 that 'take the mediums unawares' 7i4e41 not dressed for the occasion71 'and they could not induce the raps4' ,others1 equally uncharitable and unbelieving1 coincided with him1 and they demanded a committee of investigation forthwith4 ,they took the mediums into a room1 bolted the door1 and erected a platform of tables1 on which they were compelled to stand4 ,here1 piece by piece1 they were disrobed by the committee1 and every article of wearing apparel examined and laid aside4 ,not a rap had been heard during the whole time1 and the girls1 to use their own language1 'feared the ,spirits1 as well as their friends on earth1 had deserted them4' ,after everything was completed and order restored in the room1 ,mrs4 ,fish1 in a trembling but determined voice said1 ',spirits1 if ever you manifest yourselves to us again1 do it now6' ,the raps came1 instanter1 like hail-stones1 on every part of the stage4 ,the mediums were overcome with joy1 and every eye in the room glistened with tears of sympathy for the sisters4 ,there was1 without1 a large number of gentlemen and others waiting to hear the report of the committee2 and when these facts were made known to them by their wives and others on the committee1 and in tears1 too1 they with one accord repented of their unbelief and cruelty4 ,these facts were published by the said committee in the ,new ,york papers1 and created a profound sensation4 ,but it seems the ,cincinnati editor has forgotten this and a thousand other degrading tests1 instituted by a wilful ignorance1 which these ladies have since submitted to rather than lose what is of infinite value to them1 their own good name4 ,will this valiant man dare accept this challenge from a woman1 and his wife be one of the committee to report to him that 'he is a fool'8 ,we shall see4 ,committees of citizens1 from various places in ,ohio1 were constantly coming to us2 and every day brought requests to visit them4 ,but we could only attend to a few of the larger places4 ,to show how widely ,spiritualism has spread1 and how anxious people were to have the proof of it1 ,i give a few of the many letters of this kind we have preserved4 ,,columbus ,,committee4 ,,columbus1 ,o41 ,may #bb1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,,ann ,l4 ,,fish3 ,,madam--,the undersigned1 residents of this city1 in common with many others of their fellow-citizens1 feeling a deep and abiding interest in the great subject of ,spiritual and immortal existence1 anxiously desire to witness1 and investigate for themselves1 the ,spiritual manifestations said to have been recently made in various parts of the country1 and especially the phenomena connected with yourself and your two sisters1 respectfully and cordially invite you1 if consistent with your other duties and engagements1 to visit our city at your earliest convenience4 ,,leonard ,,humphrey1 ,f4 ,,gale1 ,,william ,,burdell1 ,,philip ,,reed1 ,j4 ,h4 ,,wade1 ,,john ,,fowler1 ,n4 ,,upton1 ,,john ,j4 ,,janney1 ,j4 ,h4 ,,coulter1 ,,jesse ,,morris1 ,t4 ,s4 ,,buttolph4 ,,cleveland1 ,o41 ,august #bg1 #ahea4 ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,fish3 ,i snatch a moment in the hurry to say we are all well1 including the baby4 ,she has got over her cough entirely1 and is more interesting1 if possible1 than ever4 ,spiritual manifestations are gaining rapidly4 ,i was in ,buffalo last week3 saw ,messrs4 ,c4 ,c4 ,bristol1 ,dudley1 ,albro1 and ,hayes4 ,they are all writing mediums1 and the things they write are truly astonishing4 ,their hands are moved without any effort1 and the evidence of its being the work of ,spirits is beyond the least flickering of doubt4 ,they all inquired 7very interestedly7 after you1 regretting they could not have seen you on your return4 ,will you be likely to come this way again this fall8 ,we sincerely hope you will find it possible to do so4 ,do drop us a line4 ,how have you found things on arrival at home8 ,mrs4 ,e4 joins me in love to you4 ,we remain truly your friends4 ,d4 ,a4 ,,eddy4 ,m4 ,l4 ,,wright4 ,,cleveland1 ,september #h1 #ahea4 ,,my ,,dear ,,friend3 ,we received yours of the #aath1 and were thankful for it4 ,you doubtless know what is going on here1 as ,mr4 ,gray tells me he sends you the ,plaindealer4 ,spirits told us the truth about the ,clark family1 etc4 ,you will see my article signed ',a ,friend of ,truth1' which heads him off entirely and puts a stop to any further designs against ,spiritual matters4 ,i have another article ready2 if necessary1 ,i shall publish it4 ,burr is in hot water2 one of his attorneys called on me a few days since1 and tried to settle the matter and get it out of court1 but your friends here turn a deaf ear to all his propositions4 ,he called on me again yesterday1 and asked me on what conditions ,i thought you would settle with him4 7,he not knowing that you had nothing to do with the prosecution47 ,i told him it could not be accomplished short of his acknowledging in every paper of the ,union that he was a liar1 a blackguard and a villain1 paying the costs of the court1 and giving you money enough to purchase a place in this city2 and ,i did not know as that would do it4 ,he is badly frightened4 ,everything has been properly attended to1 and we have no fears of the result4 ,bail has been given for costs and everything is right4 ,now1 my dear friend1 do not allow anyone to influence you to discontinue this suit4 ,burr deserves to be punished to the fullest extent of the law1 and for your own sake1 for the sake of your friends1 and for the sake of the cause in which we are engaged1 permit it to go through4 ,your visit here1 though not a golden one1 will1 ,i doubt not1 be the most important event in your whole life4 ,the trial will not come off in the ,october term1 but will quite likely the next4 ,we must all 'keep cool4' ,now1 ,leah1 make up your mind to settle in ,cleveland1 where you have so many good friends1 whom you know you can trust4 ,we intend to visit you before navigation closes1 if possible4 ,remember me to ,calvin1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,smith1 your mother1 ,maggie and ,katie1 dear little ,charlie1 and may good ,spirits aid you in every emergency1 direct you aright in all things1 so that when called to exchange worlds1 your earth life shall close like flowers at setting sun4 ,so may we all live and die4 ,my wife unites in love to you4 ,ever yours truly1 ,m4 ,l4 ,,wright4 ,,interesting ,,letter ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,amy ,,post4 ,the letter written by a venerable ,quaker lady1 who has for years been a neighbor and intimate friend of ,mrs4 ,fish and the ,fox family1 speaks a language so plain that we have requested the privilege of publishing it1 though not so intended by the author4--,cleveland ,plaindealer4 ,,rochester1 ,june1 #ahea4 ,,my ,,dear ,,friend1 ,a4 ,,leah ,,fish3 ,i have often thought of thee and thy company since you left your beautiful home for an ,ohio city1 and have been much delighted to hear you have found friends who can appreciate the value and importance of this wonderful development to mankind4 ,when ,i think of the very happy change it has made in my views and feelings1 regarding the present as well as the future life1 ,i feel anxious that all the world should become acquainted with it4 ,it is a wealth ,i had despaired of ever obtaining--to be convinced that we have commenced to live a life which will never end--a life whose joys1 too1 are enhanced by our practices of goodness4 ,i have always admired the doctrine and wished to believe it1 viz41 ',inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren1 ye have1' etc42 and also1 ',in my father's house there are many mansions2' but the belief ,i had on this point was always accompanied with a desire for more positive proof of immortality4 ,for some time before your family made me acquainted with this blessed ,spirit-rapping dispensation1 ,i had become more settled in the belief1 and unreasonable but popular doctrine of there being no half-way house2 but we must either go to ,heaven or to ,hell4 ,but what am ,i writing this to thee for8 ,thee knows how happy ,i have been made1 and how thankful ,i have been that you all have been willing to bear persecutions and revilings1 self-denial and provocations1 for the sake of the ,truth1 and clearing yourselves from the imputations of deception4 ,oh6 could strangers only know as ,i have known the trials you have endured and the sacrifices you made the first two years1 they could not be made to believe it an invention of your own1 nor pursued for mercenary purposes4 ,thy mother has been so troubled and unhappy away from you all that ,i could not feel surprised at her accepting thy very kind invitation to come to you4 ,the feelings of a mother are tenderly alive to the interests of her children4 ,i know truly1 therefore1 ,i was very glad1 for your as well as her sake1 to have your own mother with you1 as you have never before been without her guardian protection4 ,please give my loving regards to ,margaretta and ,calvin1 and do all the good you can4 ,believe me to be thy sincere and affectionate friend1 ,,amy ,,post4 ,,doings ,,at ,,the ,,dunham--,,the ,,philosophy ,,of ,,spiritualism ,,as ,,rapped ,,out ,,by ,,dr4 ,,benjamin ,,franklin4 7,from the ,cleveland ,plaindealer47 ,so engrossed are we in worldly affairs1 that we have but little time to investigate ,spiritual matters1 although opportunities present themselves twice a day at the ,dunham ,house4 ,there are1 however1 a few gentlemen of leisure who are taking up this subject systematically1 and looking into its mysteries earnestly4 ,some dozen of the most intellectual minds in the city have formed a league to jointly1 candidly1 and honestly investigate this phenomenon1 have already had two sittings1 and report 'progress4' ,we have been kindly invited by this circle to attend whenever our convenience would admit1 knowing that we had the moral courage to publish what we saw and heard1 without stopping to inquire whether anything similar had been published fifty years before1 or without consulting the masculine grannies of the day1 whether it met their approval or not4 ,by such invitation we attended a little while last evening1 and found the company had progressed so far as to discard all tests of the medium1 of the ,spirituality of the communications1 and were actually 7as they believed7 taking lessons in philosophy from the ancient masters4 ,after sitting a while1 and hearing a great variety of rapping sounds1 there was a loud knocker appeared which was simultaneously recognized1 by several who had heard it before1 as the signal of ,benjamin ,franklin4 ,he was a long time questioned concerning ,spiritual matters1 sometimes answering by raps1 and sometimes using the alphabet4 ,it was in substance as follows3 ,spirit is the great positive of all existence1 and matter the great negative4 ,there is an elemental difference between ,matter and ,spirit4 ,electricity and magnetism are always connected with matter1 and belong to it4 ,the dividing link between matter and mind is between magnetism and vitality4 ,there are different degrees of refinement in the electrical and magnetic media4 ,chemical affinities are electrical and magnetic4 ,cohesion and gravitation also depend on similar principles4 ,the time has not yet come when the true philosophy may be explained1 but will soon4 ,investigation and experience will hasten it on4 ,repulsion in nature is caused by stronger attraction4 ,the ascension of a balloon from the earth is a fair illustration of the principle of repulsion4 ,everything in the universe takes its appropriate place by virtue of its elemental affinities1 and can occupy no other place1 without changing the relations of itself and every other body in existence4 ,the earth1 as also every other heavenly body1 is caused to move in its appropriate orbit by the united action of every other body in existence1 and cannot be made to come in contact with other bodies2 for the combining influences of all the separate bodies mark out separate paths for each4 ,thought is mental motion1 and is conveyed from one mind to another through an intermediate medium1 which is put in motion by this mental action4 ,this medium1 in its refinement lies between the nervous medium and ,spirit1 and exists in every degree of refinement from the nervous fluid to ,spirit4 ,clairvoyance consists in insulating the mind of the subject1 and in proportion as the mind is brought into clear contact with higher refinements of this medium1 will the subject become clear-sighted4 ,biology1 as used by ,burr and others1 is an improper term4 ,psychology would be a better word4 ,the word ,biology was used to make the subject a humbug4 ,the phenomena attending ,psychological 7,biological7 experiments1 belong to the lower class of mesmeric influences--and pass from them through every degree1 to perfect clear-sightedness4 ,much further information was given which we failed to note4 ,as the doctor promised to meet the circle again1 we hope to report a more complete theory4 ,after which the circle drew up close to the table1 and various rapping sounds were heard upon the chairs1 the table1 the floor1 etc4 ,the sound of sawing boards1 driving nails into a box or something hollow1 was repeated several times4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,new ,,york ,,city1 ,,from ,,january1 #aheb4 ,,competing ,,claims ,,upon ,,us--,,decision ,,in ,,favor ,,of ,,new ,,york ,,as ,,residence--,,death ,,of ,,calvin ,r4 ,,brown--,,remains ,,removed ,,to ,,rochester ,,for ,,burial--,,personal ,,friendships--,,alice ,,and ,,phoebe ,,cary--,,course ,,of ,,test ,,experiments ,,at ,,dr4 ,,gray',s--,,the ,,monday ,,evening ,,circle--,,rules ,,of ,s,,ances4 ,i have sketched our experiences thus far at ,rochester1 ,albany1 ,troy1 ,new ,york1 ,buffalo1 and ,ohio generally2 after which ,i returned to ,albany and ,troy1 a second time1 by the earnest entreaty of friends--taking ,glens ,falls on the way1 where ,i remained with my uncle ,john and ,calvin2 my mother and the girls being at that time in ,cincinnati for the second time4 ,a fortnight after this ,i returned to my pleasant home in ,rochester 7corner of ,troup and ,sophia ,streets74 ,i now considered that we were fairly entitled to repose2 and thought that1 after the publicity given to the ,spirit manifestations1 through the press1 and the thousands of our visitors1 including persons from all parts of the ,union1 the duty imposed on us had been reasonably and1 as ,i deemed1 sufficiently discharged4 ,but it soon became evident that isolation had now become impossible4 ,invitations and appeals of the most urgent character rained upon me from important individuals1 and from collective bodies of prominent men in the respective cities and towns4 ,the ,spirits1 who had sent us forth1 had well understood that1 after our hands had thus been put to the plough1 it would be beyond our possibility to look back4 ,many friends to the new cause urged their advice that we should establish ourselves in one of the great centres of population and movement1 where the thousands and tens of thousands of our locomotive people could conveniently come and hear for themselves4 ,new ,york was naturally indicated for this purpose1 but ,cleveland and ,cincinnati disputed her claim2 while our friends in ,rochester insisted that their city was the most appropriate and natural home and centre for the ,rochester ,knockings4 ,at last our ,ohio friends1 and indeed all others1 concurred in the selection of ,new ,york1 as a duty and for the good of humanity2 while still hoping for occasional excursions for the benefit of other places4 ,at ,rochester1 by way of keeping up a continued hold upon us1 they offered to provide for the payment of the rent of my house1 in the hope that ,i would eventually return to it4 ,but this ,i could not accept4 ,shall ,i ever forget that day of our departure from ,rochester8 ,our friends crowded the depot1 and the parting embraces and hand-grasps continued even after the train had started in its first slow movements4 ,no small number of our friends made their adieux in tears and blessings3 while1 for my part1 ,i remember that ,i did nothing but cry all the way to ,syracuse4 ,this was in the early days of ,january1 #aheb4 ,after a few days of stay with friends and relations--7for we were an old ,knickerbocker family1 and it was in my early childhood that grandfather had transplanted us to ,wayne ,county1 which was to us then almost the far ,west1 with its deserted wigwams and wandering ,indian hunters7--we settled for a short time in a house temporarily taken1 till the one found for me by a good friend1 ,mr4 ,sweet1 should be ready4 ,i established myself in ,west #bfth ,street1 in a large and handsome brown stone front1 in a neighborhood then of first-rate excellence1 in which ,i resided for two years4 ,from that house ,i removed to #aeth ,street1 next door to ,irving ,place2 from which1 after a residence of a year1 ,i removed1 by advice of my friends1 to ,no4 #a ,ludlow ,place1 which ,i left only to go to my husband's home in ,west #cgth ,street1 on my marriage1 in #aheh1 which epoch was also the close of my career of public mediumship4 ,twenty-six years have now elapsed from that most blessed of days to this4 ,our home has been indeed a happy one4 ,though ,i have lost children1 it has never been that which ,victor ,hugo had not the heart to wish for his worst enemy1 a house without a child4 ,indeed1 it has usually been full of them4 ,i am still mother1 and my husband father1 to a well-beloved little crowd who are the same to us as our very own1 and by whom ,i am indiscriminately called ,aunt ,leah and ,ma4 ,and what with relatives1 and friends on visits1 and nephews and nieces of whose education we have taken charge1 for the better advantages of ,new ,york1 it has been one pretty full of visible inmates1 as well as those who are not the less real because invisible4 ,and these latter are ever ready to respond1 with the dear familiar raps and alphabet1 to our desire to communicate with them2 to say nothing of occasional manifestations in other ways1 of their presence with us4 ,an earnest thought or request rarely fails to bring our unseen ones4 ,during two years from the date of my marriage with ,calvin ,r4 ,brown 7see page #bcj71 he had been slowly declining4 ,he breathed the last breath of his blameless life on the #dth of ,may1 #ahec1 while ,i was still residing in #bfth ,street4 ,he had attained the age of nearly twenty-nine years4 ,professor ,s4 ,b4 ,brittan preached the funeral sermon in ,new ,york on the #fth day of ,may1 at #h o'clock ,p4,m4 ,a large concourse of personal friends and friends of the cause of ,spiritualism attended4 ,after ,professor ,brittan had concluded his discourse1 ,judge ,edmonds delivered a short eulogy which purported to come from the ,spirit world4 ,dr4 ,gray came in rather late1 as he had been detained by professional duties1 and begged the indulgence of the audience1 as he felt it alike a pleasure and a duty he owed to the departed1 to pay a small tribute to his memory1 and of condolence to the bereft family4 ,he then said1 ,i have been his attendant physician1 and conversed with him daily during his slow decline4 ,he suffered much at times1 but never complained4 ,he always met me with a smile4 ,he had no fear of death1 still he wanted to live4 ,he was firm1 truthful1 and honorable in every sense4 ,he was a husband1 a son1 and a brother--and a linch-pin in the cause of ,spiritualism4 ,honor to whom honor is due4 ,during the delivery of the speeches1 rappings were heard all over the room1 in response4 ,i regret that the paper1 giving a minute account of the funeral1 has been lost4 ,arrangements were made by the friends1 ,judge ,edmonds1 ,dr4 ,gray1 and ,mr4 ,partridge1 to procure a church in ,rochester1 and announce through the papers that the funeral would be held on the #hth of ,may4 ,these parties telegraphed a message to ,isaac ,post1 of that city1 to the above effect1 who immediately returned the answer1 ,bring on your dead4 ,my house is at your service4 ,we started on the following morning with his remains4 ,our party consisted of mother1 ,maggie1 ,cathy1 ,lizzie 7my daughter71 and myself4 ,they engaged the undertaker to go with us to attend to the burying of our dead4 ,we arrived in ,rochester at seven o'clock ,p4,m41 and found the hearse and carriages at the depot waiting to take us to ,mr4 ,post's house1 where already had assembled a large company of friends who deeply sympathized with us4 ,the funeral was appointed at ten o'clock ,a4,m4 of the #hth4 ,rev4 ,chas4 ,hammond delivered the funeral sermon4 ,the remains were taken to ,mount ,hope ,cemetery2 from whence we returned to ,isaac ,post's1 where we tarried over night4 ,we engaged a travelling coach early the next morning1 and started for ,newark1 thirty miles east of ,rochester4 ,we arrived at my brother ,david's about three o'clock ,p4,m4 ,the children all met us at the turn of the lane3 all were delighted to see us4 ,we took them in the carriage with us2 little ,georgie1 who was about seven years of age1 was wonderfully struck with the appearance of our deep mourning1 and said1 ,grandma1 what makes you all dress so black8 ,did anybody die8 ,mother replied1 ,yes1 dear1 your uncle ,calvin died4 ,he replied1 ,oh dear1 that's too bad4 ,after dinner we all went to sister ,maria's1 a distance of one mile1 taking the children with us4 ,when ,david and his family went home1 little ,georgie wanted to stay with us1 which he did1 and played with little ,charlie ,smith until bed-time--when they retired and apparently slept well all night4 ,the next morning ,georgie felt sick4 ,my brother ,stephen harnessed up his horses1 and we took him home4 ,they went for the doctor immediately1 but he died before twelve o'clock that day4 ,his funeral was on the #abth day of the month4 ,two ,methodist ministers officiated4 ,it was a singular coincidence that two ,universalist and two ,methodist ministers selected the same ,bible text1 the same funeral hymns1 and the same tunes1 at the services in ,new ,york1 ,rochester1 and ,newark4 ,in my affliction ,i had not noticed this until mother spoke of it1 and said it was evident that the same guardian influences had controlled on all these three occasions1 distinct as they were in time1 place1 and circumstances4 ,it was probably meant that we should recognize and feel the presence of the unseen friends1 who thus signified their sympathy with us in our grief4 ,lizzie1 ,katie1 and myself started for ,new ,york on the morning of the #acth1 leaving mother and ,maggie with ,david and ,elizabeth1 who had suffered such a sudden bereavement4 ,i abstain from speaking of the private friendships which grew out of so much opportunity for acquaintance and intercourse with so many out of the best classes of ,new ,york society 7in the true sense of the word74 ,i am proud as well as happy to have enjoyed such high and precious and ennobling friendships1 many of which are not wholly severed even by that death which only makes our friends invisible for a time to our mortal eyes1 since a thought1 a wish can still bring to me those signal sounds which are as their voices4 ,i will indulge myself here only with a page or two about two semi-angelic women1 ,alice and ,phoebe ,cary1 who have now risen into the completeness of their angelhood4 ,,alice and ,,phoebe ,,cary were among my truest1 best1 and dearest friends4 ,i was introduced to them by ,mr4 ,greeley when we first came to ,new ,york1 and our friendship continued during their life4 ,we passed many pleasant evenings with the sisters and a few select friends4 ,the last time ,i saw ,phoebe1 we met in ,arnold's store1 the day before we sailed for ,europe4 ,she came and sat down beside me1 and laid her hand gently on mine before ,i saw her4 ,i was delighted to see her1 but was startled by her changed appearance4 ,i rallied her a little1 and tried to cheer her4 ,she smiled faintly1 but not as she was wont to do4 ,phoebe had made a confidante of me some time before4 ,she called on me late one afternoon1 and sent up word to me to come at once1 as she could remain but a short time4 ,it was an unexpected call1 at that hour1 and ,i hastened to see her as soon as possible4 ,she said1 ,i could not rest without seeing you4 ,sit down4 ,i want to talk with you4 ,i inquired about ,alice's health1 as usual1 and she said1 ,alice will never be any better4 ,what shall ,i do when she leaves me8 ,i cannot live without her4 ,her dark expressive eyes spoke more than her words4 ,i tried to console her1 but ,i did not know the nature of the incurable disease that was slowly but surely wearing ,alice's life away4 ,she remained some time1 and when leaving me at the door her eyes filled with tears4 ,mr4 ,robert ,cary 7their father71 and his elder daughter1 from ,cincinnati1 always visited us when they were in ,new ,york1 and they both related many interesting occurrences which they had witnessed in their own family4 ,i will here relate their ,ghost ,story1 as they told it to me4 ,there had been a thunder-storm1 and the pouring rain had driven all into the house4 ,our new house was finished1 but we had not yet moved into it4 ,this new house stood opposite the old one4 ,the rain was over1 and the sun was shining brightly when our mother called out1 and asked1 ',how it came that ,rhoda and ,lucy were in the new house8' ,the door of the new house was open1 and there stood ,rhoda1 in plain sight1 holding ,lucy in her arms4 ,the whole family came to the door1 and all saw the same4 ,they called ',rhoda6' but received no answer4 ,they supposed ,rhoda had gone with ,lucy into the house to escape the rain2 when at this moment ,rhoda came down-stairs where she had left ,lucy asleep4 ,she1 too1 saw what we had seen--the apparition of her own 'wraith' with that of ,lucy in her arms4 ,all felt solemnly impressed1 and believed it to be a warning of something sorrowful4 ,they went over immediately1 and examined every part of the house1 but not a trace of any human being was discernible4 ,rhoda died within a year1 and ,lucy a month later4 ,they frequently saw ,spirits distinctly4 7,for further particulars of these events see a ,memorial of ,alice and ,phoebe ,cary1 by ,mary ,clemmer47 ,phoebe possessed ready wit4 ,she attended our first reception 7soon after my marriage to ,mr4 ,underhill71 after we had moved into our new house4 ,when she met me at the parlor door1 she whispered in my ear1 ,my feet are quite wet2 ,i forgot my india rubbers4 ,it had rained hard that afternoon4 ,i told her she could find a change up-stairs in my room2 and sent one of my girls to wait upon her4 ,when she came down into the parlor1 she said to me1 aside1 ,i little thought ,i should stand in your shoes so soon4 ,these sisters were devoted ,spiritualists1 but knowing how often ,i was importuned by believers and curious people1 they would sometimes specify1 in their notes of invitation1 that they wanted me socially1 not ,spiritually4 ,i subjoin to this chapter facsimiles of two of ,alice's precious little missives1 which ,i preserve among my treasures of the heart4 ,i add to them also facsimiles of the writing of ,horace ,greeley and ,judge ,edmonds1 which can never lose their interest for ,spiritualists4 ,i leave ,mr4 ,greeley's letter as a puzzle to the reader to decipher it4 ,it is well known that a special apprenticeship had to be served in the ,tribune office to train a few compositors into the possibility of reading his writing4 ,when ,mrs4 ,greeley died in ,october1 #ahgb1 ,mr4 ,greeley in his great sorrow sought for consolation through the ,spirits4 ,at his request ,mr4 ,oliver ,johnson came and asked me to get a communication from ,spirit friends of ,mr4 ,greeley4 ,mr4 ,underhill1 his mother1 ,mr4 ,johnson1 and myself took seats at the table1 and waited in silence for some ,spirit to manifest4 ,very soon the alphabet was signalled for1 and this was spelled 7it was taken down by ,mr4 ,underhill71 ,bear my message to my dear friend ,horace4 ,tell him many kindred ,spirits are hovering around him in this day of trial2 and though he may not be susceptible to our heart-whisperings now1 when quiet and rested he will feel the truthfulness of this message4 ,truth will meet a response in his honest heart4 ,,alice ,,cary4 ,,courses ,,of ,,test ,,experimentation4 ,one of the courses of test experimentation made within this period in ,new ,york was as follows3 ,i met a party of gentlemen at the house of ,dr4 ,john ,f4 ,gray1 in ,lafayette ,place1 ,new ,york ,city1 for about two years4 ,the meetings were held once a week4 ,the circle was composed of ,dr4 ,john ,f4 ,gray1 ,hon4 ,john ,w4 ,edmonds1 ,dr4 ,robert ,t4 ,hallock1 ,dr4 ,hull1 ,charles ,partridge1 and ,george ,washington ,rains4 ,the latter gentleman was an officer in the ,u4 ,s4 ,army1 and stationed at that time on ,governor's ,island4 ,this party carefully1 honestly1 and scientifically investigated the rappings and all phenomena connected therewith4 ,they sought to ascertain1 if possible1 the peculiar temperament of both mind and body1 or the predominant qualities of either1 or both1 to become instrumental1 or to interpose an agency1 between the visible and invisible worlds4 ,they were disgusted with the silly pretended expos of the conceited ,buffalo doctors1 and the equally silly and infamous ,c4 ,c4 ,burr4 ,major ,rains was an educated chemist and fine electrician4 ,he arranged a swing1 which was fastened to iron or steel chains1 sustained by tackles and pulleys attached to the ceiling4 ,i sat in the swing1 and over my head was a large glass of circular form1 about two and a half feet in diameter1 and beneath my feet 7which were about four feet from the floor7 was a steel circular disk about three feet in diameter4 ,the whole arrangement was suspended by the tackles4 ,major ,rains brought his electrometer1 and made every experiment that their ingenuity could invent or suggest4 ,they suspended the table2 each person in the room standing on horse-shoe magnets provided for that occasion4 ,the physicians were provided with stethoscopes1 and placed them on different parts of my person4 ,they all declared that the sounds had nothing whatever to do with the physical body2 and1 ,so far as we can discover1 the mediums have no more power over the sounds than the investigators have4 ,such has been the character of the verdict1 whenever an honest attempt has been made to discover the source of the rappings4 ,,private ,,circle ,,for ,,meetings ,,on ,,monday ,,evenings4 ,this circle was composed of ,professor ,mapes1 ,dr4 ,a4 ,d4 ,wilson1 ,dr4 ,kirby1 ,dr4 ,john ,f4 ,gray1 ,w4 ,p4 ,sanger and wife1 ,dr4 ,robert ,hallock1 ,george ,willets1 ,hon4 ,john ,w4 ,edmonds1 ,john ,t4 ,daley1 and several others4 ,this party was known as ,professor ,mapes's party4 ,this party agreed to sit for development1 and waive all personal questions1 as they wanted to learn all they could of a general character4 ,it was also agreed1 by the heads of the committee1 that no fanatic in ,spiritualism1 nor dictatorial or selfish individual1 should be admitted to their party4 ,if1 by chance1 any one conflicting with the harmony of the circle was admitted1 he was forthwith expelled4 ,i could mention several who were thus dismissed1 or gotten rid of1 after having been admitted4 ,i must pass over many very interesting and important facts that were made known to and through that intellectual and honorable party4 ,one circumstance1 as a visible and tangible phenomenon1 was beyond all cavil4 ,professor ,mapes was requested1 by ,spirit direction1 to place a number of three-cent pieces on the floor1 under the table between his feet1 and they would let him see what the ,spirits would do with them4 ,all the gentlemen present searched their pockets1 but could not find enough to gratify the demand of the ,spirits2 so one of the gentlemen of the party went out and succeeded in getting a large handful of them4 ,they were then more plentiful in circulation than they are now4 ,the professor then placed them as directed4 ,he scattered the coin on the floor1 and placed his feet in front of the money1 protecting it from any interference2 they strictly prohibited all women save myself and the wife of one of the company1 from the circle--for my sisters were at that time holding sittings at their own home4 ,the party was then directed to examine the situation of the professor and the money4 ,the gas was burning brightly4 ,i never turned down the lights1 and knew nothing of cabinets or curtains1 and had never1 at that time1 heard of them4 ,the professor sat at one end of the table1 and ,i sat1 facing him1 at the other end4 ,we were at further distance apart than any other two of the circle4 ,the ,spirits directed us to sing4 ,we sang a few minutes1 and they spelled out look4 ,the professor moved back1 and there1 in five piles lying neatly piled one upon the other1 to the extent of four inches each in height1 were the three-cent pieces4 ,the company were all directed to leave their seats and look at them4 ,professor ,mapes made a draft of the positions of the money before and after the experiment4 ,one of the party1 a gentleman of veracity1 had his gaiter unbuttoned while sitting in the circle4 ,he was greatly excited1 but1 according to the rules under which he entered the association1 he did not speak until the manifestations ceased4 ,he was then called upon to explain to the circle2 which he did by holding up his feet and showing to the circle that a playful ,spirit had meddled with one of his gaiters4 7,he wore cloth gaiters and low shoes47 ,and the strangest part of the thing was that it could not be found in the room4 ,he was asked to explain what the sensation was4 ,he said1 ,the hand that held my foot was icy cold1 and the nimble fingers that unbuttoned the gaiter were burning hot4 ,he added1 ,my gaiter was new1 and buttoned tightly4 ,they were sometimes directed to get on the table2 and1 without hands touching it1 it would run all over the floor--sometimes with one1 and often with two or three persons1 upon it4 ,,rules ,,of ,s,,ances4 ,at our public hours1 none were admitted but investigators4 ,an intelligent waiter at the door received the fee on their entrance1 though the number was not inconsiderable who were welcome without fee1 nor of those to whom1 when ,i had reason to know them to be poor and deserving1 ,i afterward returned it4 ,the following were my private rules1 made known to all visitors1 compliance with which was enforced by the general public feeling1 and by the respectful and polite tone which characterized my receptions1 and the personal consideration of which all the family were the objects1 from our noble mother1 who was usually present1 to our youngest sister1 ,katie 7now ,mrs4 ,jencken1 in ,london74 ,,rules ,,of ,,order4 ,each individual in the ,circle is entitled to a just proportion of the time1 and that it may be secured to each in turn1 without interruption or annoyance1 ,system and ,order are essential1 to secure which1 the following ,rules of ,order are expected to be observed4 ,first4--,each person may use the time which properly belongs to him as he sees fit1 but1 having so used it1 cannot again ask questions1 or in any way appropriate the time1 except he is again reached in rotation4 ,second4--,any aid that new investigators may require will be cheerfully rendered by ,mrs4 ,brown1 but no other person in the ,circle should1 by prompting1 suggesting1 loud conversation1 or otherwise1 interfere with the person in communication4 ,particular attention is called to this ,rule1 and an exact and rigid observance of it requested1 as its violation results in great loss of time and disturbs the ,harmony1 which is essential to reliable communications4 ,third4--,conversation in the ,circle1 except by those in communication with the ,spirit1 should be as little as possible1 and that aside and in an undertone4 ,fourth4--,all persons should follow1 without delay or discussion1 all directions with reference to conduct1 position1 etc41 as compliance with directions generally insures satisfactory manifestations1 while neglect or refusal usually results in their partial or complete cessation4 ,fifth4--,the ladies1 in whose presence the manifestations are made1 will use their best exertions to satisfy all inquiries2 but since the manifestations1 alike in their commencement1 character and duration1 are above their personal control1 they cannot promise that all persons1 or all inquiries1 will obtain answers1 no manifestations being made except as the ,spirits will4 ,,explanations4 ,the subject should be approached in good faith and with entire truthfulness and honesty1 by all who seek correct responses4 ,this remark is suggested by the law which in ,spiritual intercourse is believed to be of universal application1 viz41 ',like attracts ,like4' ,the communications are mainly conversational in their nature1 and in answer to questions such as can be responded to by the ,spirits in the monosyllables1 ,yes and ,no4 ,inquirers should direct their questions to the ,spirits1 as if they were conversing with them in the body1 stating their questions plainly1 either in writing or orally4 ,the answers by the ,spirits are given by signals as follows3 ,three raps signifying ,yes4 ,one rap ,no4 ,two raps neither ,yes nor ,no1 but variously1 according to the nature of the question1 as3 not now1 not yet1 not quite1 don't know1 and the like4 ,five raps signifying ,alphabet--,the ,alphabet is never responded to1 except when the signal for it has been given by the ,spirit4 ,hence1 to save time1 it is never called1 unless the signal has been heard4 ,continuous light raps indicate an error in the answer just given4 ,they annul the signal previously made1 and the question should be repeated4 ,continuous loud raps indicate want of ,harmony in the ,circle1 and may generally be taken as a reproof in consequence of some violation of the ,rules of ,order4 ,admission ,one ,dollar4 ,hours3 ,from #c to #e ,p4,m41 and #h to #aj in the evening2 except ,wednesday and ,saturday evenings1 and ,saturday afternoons1 which are reserved for private parties4 ,the mornings of each day are also appropriated to private parties1 the terms for which are five dollars for each hour1 and for which arrangements can be made by application to ,mrs4 ,brown4 ,hand ,symbol ,no visitors will be received on ,sundays4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we received a great deal of money4 ,there were occasional days when my maid1 the good and faithful ,susie1 would make returns of a hundred dollars as the day's receipts2 but it was as freely spent as given4 ,we1 none of us1 have ever been accused of the spirit of hoarding2 nor had ,mammon any temple in the home or in the hearts of any of us1 though ,charity had2 and that1 ,i think1 is one of the frequent though not invariable fruits of ,spiritualism and intercourse with ,spirits1 observable in human character and life4 ,money1 and selfishness in all its forms1 are apt to shrink into small dimensions of value in the minds of persons who communicate much with those of the next life1 and who thus come to know and realize1 as a certainty1 the truth of that next life4 ,illustration3 ,my dear ,mr4 ,mrs4 ,underhill-- ,can you come and take tea with us to-morrow evening8 ,i do hope so4 ,i want you socially--not spiritually4 ,mr4 ,oliver ,johnson and ,mr4 ,owen will be here1 and both of them hope to meet you4 ,tea at six o'clock4 ,our number is #eb ,east #bjth ,st4 near the ,fourth ,ave4 ,hoping to see you4 ,i am most truly yours4 ,alice ,cary4 ,sunday4 ,illustration3 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,underhill-- ,can you and ,mr4 ,underhill drink tea with us tomorrow evening8 ,half past six is our hour4 ,you will meet ,mr4 ,davis of ,washington1 and probably ,mr4 ,greeley ,hoping to see you4 ,i am very truly yours1 ,alice ,cary4 #eb ,east #bjth ,st4 ,saturday4 ,illustration3 ,march #cj4 '#eh ,dear ,leah ,i have a gathering of spiritualists at my house on the first ,monday evening of every month4 ,the first one will be next ,monday ,april #eth ,will you come8 ,you will meet many old friends ,yrs ,j ,w ,edmonds #aei ,lexington ,avenue between #cast #cb;d ,street ,illustration3 ,new ,york ,tribune ,new ,york1 ,dec4 #d1 #ahgf ,my ,friend3 ,i thank you for your note just opened4 ,i will try to call on you soon1 but ,i am very busy4 ,i have a letter from my folks to-day4 ,they are at ,arcachon near ,bordeaux on the south-west coast of ,france4 ,mrs4 ,greeley cannot walk a step being a fearful sufferer from rheumatism1 but her hives are better4 ,the girls are both with her and well4 ,i may try to find you next sunday4 ,yours1 ,horace ,greeley4 ,mrs4 ,leah ,underhill ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,new ,,york ,,city 7,continued74 ,,our ,,brilliant ,,success ,,with ,,the ,,superior ,,intellectual ,,classes--,,whiskey ,,at ,,washington--,,cognizance ,,of ,,domestic ,,secrets--,,discomfiture ,,of ,,anderson1 ,,the ,,wizard ,,of ,,the ,,north--,,remarkable ,,experience ,,with ,a ,,very ,,notorious ,,person4 ,our rooms were frequented by much of the best society in ,new ,york2 and it was common to see the street encumbered with long files of carriages4 ,particularly the intellectual and literary classes were familiar visitors1 both at our circles and in our private life4 ,many of them became our most intimate friends4 ,hundreds of promiscuous visitors were deeply interested1 and were1 in reality1 ,spiritualists at heart who had not the courage to face the social and business disadvantages attaching to the public avowal of such a novel and unpopular doctrine1 which the clergy1 as a rule1 denounced4 ,several of the most highly respected ,senators in ,congress having become open and warm ,spiritualists--among whom ,gov4 ,n4 ,p4 ,tallmadge was the most openly zealous--probably nearly all of that body passed through the experience of our rooms2 for ,i frequently received telegrams from ,washington for private engagements for a party of a dozen or more4 ,it was remarkable how the superior classes of actors took to ,spiritualism1 and ,i have been greatly interested in them from my earliest acquaintance with them4 ,my tenderest sympathies have been awakened when sitting in circles with many of them1 who have been raised in my estimation far above the level of those who fancy themselves to be their superiors4 ,this ,spiritualism is a searcher of hearts1 and the truly good get satisfactory answers and elevated ,spirits to guide and watch over them4 ,but to return to ,washington1 it was not at that time a very satisfactory place for the prosecution of ,spiritualism3 even though it was such a centre of congregation from all parts of the country4 ,it was1 indeed1 a centre of political agitation1 and business connected with the ,government2 but at that time1 at least1 too much whiskey was consumed there4 ,the following letter from my young sister ,katie will sufficiently illustrate this3 ,i am tired of my life4 ,only think of it6 ,last evening a party of twelve fine-looking gentlemen visited our rooms4 ,all1 but two1 were as drunk as they could well be4 ,they made mean1 low remarks4 ,only imagine ,maggie and me1 and dear mother1 before a crowd of drunken ,senators6 ,one very fine-looking man stood up before the crowd1 and addressed them thus3 ',i wish to be heard1 gentlemen4 ,this is all a humbug1 but it is worth a dollar to sit in the sunlight of ,miss ,kate's eyes4' 7,margaretta had left in disgust47 ,at this sudden announcement1 all was still as death4 ,my face was red as fire4 ,a friend walked up to me4 ,he was from the ,navy-yard1 and said1 ',don't mind him1 he is drunk2 ,i would not pay the least attention to him4 ,he is a gentleman when sober2 and when ,i repeat his language to him to-morrow1 he will feel ashamed of his conduct4' ,we all left the room1 and that ended the scene4 ,oh1 dear ,leah1 ,i long to be laid in a peaceful grave4 ,i care not how soon4 ,i would live on a crust of bread1 and drink cold water1 if ,i could live a different life4 ,oh1 how we wished for you1 dear ,leah6 ,i told them1 if my sister ,leah was with us1 they would not dare insult us4 ,they would be escorted by officers from our rooms4 ,washington is a mean city4 ,i despise nearly everything ,i meet here4 ,gov4 ,tallmadge and ,waddy ,thompson are honorable gentlemen4 ,they bring their friends during our private hours4 ,i have written these extracts from my child-sister's letter1 to more fully illustrate the dreadful position we held at that time4 ,still1 some wondered how it was that the ,fox ,family should have been the chosen ones1 through whom ,spirits could communicate2 and one little incident1 which ,i can never forget1 transpired when we were at ,barnum's ,hotel1 corner of ,maiden ,lane and ,broadway1 #ahej4 ,dr4 ,scott1 a tall1 wiry1 wriggling old consequence1 walked up to mother with his smirking smile 7the rooms were filled with investigators1 and he wished to appear to great advantage71 and said1 bending low1 ,mrs4 ,fox1 can you explain why your children should be mediums8 ,is it because your family are better than other folk8 ,mother replied1 ,dr4 ,scott1 can you explain to me why fresh fish swim in salt water8 ,they looked at each other in silence1 while the company roared with laughter4 ,experience taught me to adopt a rule not to give private sances to single strangers1 but rather to only two or more at a time4 ,this was not so much as a safeguard against personal impertinences 7for such things were of rare occurrence1 and never repeated71 but under the advice of my ,spirit friends1 to afford some protection against malignant enemies who might come 7as had happened7 under a mask of friendly interest and honest investigation1 and then1 when unchecked by the presence of another witness1 give calumnious accounts of their private sances4 ,i might cite some curious instances of this4 ,but ,i should have but few instances to tell of personal impertinence ever having been addressed to me1 though thus living a life which constantly afforded to promiscuous strangers the free admission to the presence of myself and my young sisters1 protected only by their dignity and their noble mother's presence4 ,i will mention but one1 which occurred in an ,eastern city1 in #aheg1 the hero of which was an important man who had inherited from a far nobler father one of the greatest names known to our history4 ,the incident occurred neither in ,new ,york nor in ,washington1 but to name the city would go far to identify the person4 ,five gentlemen were announced at one of my public hours1 of whom one was evidently the most prominent man1 and a sort of leader of the company4 ,a glance sufficed to show that he was considerably intoxicated1 and that some of his companions had had more or less share in the conviviality which had preceded their visits to the ,spirits of a different kind4 ,he is no longer in this life1 but some of the rest doubtless survive1 and are not likely to have forgotten the occasion when they had to retire ignominiously from my rooms at a hotel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,naturally during the years thus spent in the exercise of my mediumship in ,new ,york1 ,i became acquainted with no small number of domestic and family affairs of the most delicate--sometimes the most painful--character4 ,in the private sances so often solicited by visitors there would arise1 in their communication with ,spirits1 revelations of secrets the existence of which was little suspected by the outside world1 and which1 with me1 were under no less absolute and sacred a sanction of secresy than in the ,catholic confessional1 or the confidential relations of the medical man4 ,and it is a happiness for me to know that1 apart from the communications received by visitors from their ,spirit friends1 ,i have many a time and oft had the opportunity of exerting useful influences on the minds of some whose inmost hearts and lives have thus been laid open before a sympathetic and sisterly eye4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,discomfiture ,,of ,,anderson1 ,,the ,,wizard ,,of ,,the ,,north4 ,i am tempted to relate one occurrence of this period1 though ,i do not remember its exact date4 ,the newspapers will supply it to anybody desirous of chronological accuracy 7it must have been about the middle of #ahec74 ,the famous conjurer ,anderson1 ,the ,wizard of the ,north1 was exhibiting in ,new ,york1 ,i believe in the large building called ,tripler ,hall1 in the rear of a hotel on ,broadway1 near ,bond ,street4 ,he had advertised a challenge to any poverty-stricken medium to come to his hall and attempt to produce their knockings if they could1 with the offer of a thousand dollars if they should do so4 ,possibly he had expected to crowd his hall for several evenings by this clap-trap1 as he was himself a conjuring trickster by trade1 he supposed that we were of the same kidney1 or class1 and that we would not venture to accept such a challenge from him4 ,it happened that we 7,katy and ,i7 arrived one evening at home from a week's absence in ,rochester1 and were told at the door by ,susie that ,judge ,edmonds1 ,dr4 ,gray1 and one or two friends more were waiting in the parlor to see us4 ,they had known of our expected arrival at that hour4 ,now1 the object of our visit to ,rochester had been this3 ,i had conveyed there for burial the body of a beloved member of my family4 ,after that interment1 ,i was further detained by the death of a nephew1 and the same undertaker remained to conduct this second ceremony4 ,the friends who were awaiting us at home hastily explained the situation1 ,anderson's challenge1 etc41 and said that we ought to be already at ,tripler ,hall1 and urged our instant starting4 ,i pleaded the impossibility 7physical and moral71 but they insisted that we must not leave that triumph to our adversaries--for the sake of our cause as well as for our own or that of our friends4 ,they said that a cup of tea could be prepared and swallowed in fifteen minutes1 and the upshot was that ,judge ,edmonds drafted a short note to ,mr4 ,anderson1 which ,i copied and signed1 announcing our acceptance of his challenge and our speedy following after our missive1 with the sole variation from his terms that the one thousand dollars were to go to some public charity 7,i forget which71 as we would not accept it4 ,a reliable messenger rushed off to place it in ,anderson's hands4 ,we reached the hall with all possible speed and found it crowded to its utmost capacity4 ,i had the arm of ,judge ,edmonds1 and ,kate that of ,dr4 ,gray4 ,we arrived in time to hear ,anderson reading aloud1 at the front of his stage1 the concluding lines of the letter he had received4 ,he was in a perfect rage1 gesticulating in the most violent manner1 denouncing the suddenness with which this had been sprung upon him1 etc41 etc41 and refusing us admission to his stage4 ,all know that conjurers usually extend forward a long bridge from their stage over the pit of the theatre1 along which they travel to and fro in the course of their dealings1 and patter with the audience4 ,we and our respective escorts 7we1 of course1 in deepest of crapes1 and dropping with fatigue#aa7 ascended the outer steps of this bridge1 and moved forward toward the stage1 to which we came very near4 ,but the violence of speech and action by ,anderson1 who barred the way at the other end1 held us back4 ,mr4 ,partridge spoke from the stage1 and ,judge ,edmonds and ,dr4 ,gray from their places1 relating the facts1 how we had that moment returned from burying our dead1 exhausted with fatigue and hunger1 and heart-broken with grief1 but had yielded to their appeals to us to come instantly to meet the challenge which had been addressed to us and to ,spiritualism1 with the simple condition that the money staked by ,anderson should go not to us but to a public charity4 ,it may be imagined what effect all this produced upon the audience4 ,fair play to the ,rochester knockings6 ,fair play to the sisters6 etc41 etc41 mingled with hisses1 seemed to come from every throat4 ,a very little more1 and ,i believe the ,wizard of the ,north would have been mobbed on his own stage4 ,but finding that we could not gain admission to it while he thus barred the way1 and it being plain and patent to everybody that he had backed down1 and that we and ,spiritualism were incontestably triumphant1 the crape-draped figures1 with their highly honorable escort1 withdrew as they had come1 and glad were we to get back home and to disrobe ourselves of our travelling dresses4 ,the next day the papers told how ,anderson had backed down1 and for a week following redoubled crowds flocked to our receptions with their congratulations4 #aa ,in this ,i but followed in the rut of custom4 ,i do not now approve of crapes and lugubrious mourning4 ,why thus parade insignia of mourning for the mere disappearance of those whom we know to be now more alive than when they were fettered by the bonds of sublunary life--far1 far happier and higher--and not less near and loving to us than they had been when we could see1 hear1 and feel them with our natural senses8 ,our immoderate grief only grieves them4 ,spiritualism will1 one day1 put an end to the trade in crape1 and1 the scribe might well add1 the enormous exactions of the undertaker1 which often impoverish the living but sincere mourners4 ,the conjurer might1 of course1 have been sued by us for his #a1jjj1 for the benefit of a charity2 but we were satisfied1 and cared no further for that or for him4 ,he never renewed the challenge1 or if he ever did1 in any distant place when we were not there to respond 7as is likely enough1 for such is a conjurer's trick71 we never heard of it4 ,the ,wizard had met with about as bad a fate as the ,buffalo doctors1 with their knee theory1 the ,rev4 ,c4 ,c4 ,burr1 with his toe-ology1 and the ,harvard professors1 with their unknown theory--promised1 but never put forth4 ,anderson had1 no doubt1 never examined the numerous investigations through which we had passed triumphant1 and had taken for granted that we were tricksters1 like himself1 who needed our own stage1 machinery1 etc41 and was probably the most astonished of men and conjurers when he received my unostentatious acceptance of his challenge1 followed up by the de facto appearance of two black-draped and travel-worn young ladies with their escorts1 bearding the lion in his den1 and vainly applying for impromptu admission to his own stage4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remarkable ,,experience ,,with ,a ,,once ,,very ,,notorious ,,person4 ,one afternoon in #aheb1 between five and eight 7my private hours71 my good ,susie announced a grand lady1 apparently1 who had come in a fine carriage with a footman1 and who1 when told that it was not one of my hours for receiving1 begged to see me for a moment4 ,she was admitted1 in her satins and velvets1 of good figure1 handsome and striking1 though not beautiful nor longer very young2 lady-like in her deportment and general effect1 though ,i could discover that her language was not quite up to her elegant style of dress and manner4 ,she made on me the impression of some woman of rather inferior antecedents1 who had been married by some rich man for her good looks4 ,she wanted simply to make an engagement for a private hour1 which ,i gave her for the next morning1 and to which she was duly punctual4 ,she had not been long seated at the table with me1 after asking some questions1 when she bent her head down upon the table and wept and sobbed convulsively1 and called on the ,spirit of her mother1 who1 together with other affectionate expressions1 answered in substance1 ,my dear child1 you were left destitute1 and a helpless child1 and neglected and abused by those who should have taken care of you4 ,after recovering herself1 she said1 ,you little know how this affects me4 ,these are words of tenderness from my mother2 ,i do believe it1 and ,i am sure of it4 ,i was1 indeed1 left a helpless child to the cold charity of the world4 ,she did not remain very long1 nor do ,i recall more details2 but she wept profusely and sobbed1 and took my hand1 bidding me good-bye1 leaving on the table the regular fee of #e4 ,i had no reason to expect to see her again1 nor any to doubt her entire respectability4 ,she soon after came again 7my maid ,susie announced her as the rich lady7 and engaged another hour for a private party of her friends4 ,there came with her1 to that appointment1 three or four nice-looking and well-behaved young women1 and two little girls1 sisters1 of nine and eleven years1 whom she presented to me as my ,gracie and my ,florence2 and whom ,i1 at the time1 presumed to be her children4 ,she asked1 ,is so and so present8 7,i do not recall the name47 ,yes1 was answered2 and she asked1 ,what shall ,i do with these dear children8 ,the reply came1 ,you have done well by them so far4 ,they were pretty and sweet-mannered children1 evidently under good training4 ,she said they were not her own1 and that they were being brought up at a superior seminary in ,albany1 and that on coming of age they would inherit a good property4 ,she turned to the children and said1 ,your father and mother are here4 ,oh6 aunty 7clinging to her71 what do they say8 ,they say you must continue at school4 7,the children loved her1 and had wanted to come home to her47 ,the ,spirits then rapped out1 ,we watch over you hourly4 ,when you pray we always listen to your prayers4 ,there was weeping and sobbing between the children and their ,aunty4 ,some questions then passed respecting their property and minor matters4 ,i afterward learned from my good friend1 ,dr4 ,wilson1 who knew all about them1 that the father1 after the death of the mother1 had fallen into relations with my visitor 7who1 to me1 was as yet only the rich lady71 and then1 when he found his end approaching 7from consumption71 had given her his directions about his children1 knowing her heart to be good1 and reliable for conformity to them4 ,while this sitting was going on an interruption occurred1 which eventually led up to such consequences that ,i must introduce it4 ,a ,french woman1 an importer of laces and a pedler of them1 was announced by ,susie1 who knew that ,i had some business with her about the purchase of some of her goods1 and ,i had to give her a few minutes4 ,she was a keen and artful woman1 and having noticed the style of the customary carriages at my door1 she asked me if ,i could not introduce her to some of my friends1 to whom she might sell some of her wares4 ,i yielded to her request 7such women are sometimes irresistible71 and the result was that1 on my showing my own lace to my elegant visitors1 they examined the store in her box1 and two of them engaged sets of lace from her4 ,through her acquaintance thus formed with the rich lady1 at whose house she had to deliver her laces1 she learned who she was1 and it was easy in ,new ,york then for such a woman to learn all about her4 ,it will be seen below that the consequences were serious for my poor visitor1 the rich lady4 ,this ,french lace dealer had heard about the manifestations at my house1 and even knew something about such things in ,france1 and in her visits to that house1 to me unknown1 as was equally the name of its mistress1 she took on herself the character of a clairvoyant medium1 and played upon them plenty of her cunning tricks1 such as pretended entrancement1 etc41 for which perhaps a door may have been opened through the genuine experience they had had with me4 ,my still anonymous friend1 the rich lady1 paid me afterward another visit1 in which she still kept me ignorant of who she was4 ,she came alone this time1 and unbosomed many of her sorrows to me4 7,how many others have done so6 some men1 but chiefly women67 ,while she was there in the parlor a gentleman came in 7,dr4 ,schoonmaker1 a dentist1 of #abth ,street1 a friend of mine1 who ,i believe is still living and remembers it7 and was introduced into the back room4 ,by some accident of the opening of the door1 he caught a glimpse of my visitor in the front room4 ,he said to me1 ,mrs4 ,brown1 are you aware who that is in your front room8 ,i said that we knew her as the rich lady1 though she was an uneducated one4 ,have you never heard of the notorious ---- ----8 and he told me her name1 of which of course ,i had heard4 ,i am so sorry you have told me this1 ,i replied2 she has engaged me for another day4 ,well1 he said1 ,i am her dentist2 and she was in my chair a good part of yesterday4 ,her fee is as good as anybody's2 your advertisements open the door to all investigators1 and you have no right to refuse her so long as she behaves herself4 ,she has certainly acted like a lady thus far with me1 ,i could not but answer4 ,between then and her next engagement with me 7which was her fourth visit to my house71 the lace woman had played her fraudulent cards upon her4 ,she had palmed off upon her a fraudulent trance and ,spiritualism1 and had prepared her for the coming of a handsome young ,french officer1 with et cetera1 et cetera of a story4 ,the upshot was that this young man was the lace woman's son1 and an adventurer of whom the rich lady was made a prey4 ,he pretended honorable love and marriage1 at which a sinful but repentant soul clutched readily4 ,she married him1 and paid me a farewell visit on her departure4 ,she said1 ,you little know the good you have done to me2 and she threw on my neck a gold chain and handsome cross4 ,she kissed my hand and left it wet with tears4 ,oh1 it won't hurt you1 she said1 if ,i kiss your hand1 though ,i am much worse than you think me--or at least have been4 ,my good friend1 ,professor ,mapes1 was present at this1 and public repute had made him know all about her4 ,after she had gone he said to me1 ,you have done that poor woman more good than all the preachers of ,new ,york could ever have done4 ,you have reformed one of the vilest of women4 ,i afterward heard that her handsome adventurer-husband spent or got away from her all her money1 and absconded1 abandoning her2 and that she died destitute and forlorn in a hospital in ,paris4 ,i could tell more tales than this of women who have passed through my hands1 or rather those of the ,spirits1 between whom and them ,i have humbly served as a medium4 ,i have thus far carried my narrative down to the time at which my public mediumship closed with my marriage in #aheh4 ,of the five years spent in ,new ,york1 ,i have spoken only in the general manner of the present chapter1 though were ,i to enter upon the field of particulars ,i should have to weary the reader's patience with a second volume4 ,i will only relate two episodes of that interesting period3 the phosphorus affair1 and the affair of the ,harvard professors1 for reasons which will be apparent4 ,but ,i must give them each a chapter to itself4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,phosphorus4 ,,spirit ,,lights ,,visible ,,at ,,dark ,s,,ances--,,private ,,circle ,,in ,,jersey ,,city ,,in #aheg--,,solid ,,granules ,,of ,,phosphorus ,,appearing ,,in ,,earth ,,which ,i ,,had ,,touched--,,surprising ,,and ,,distressing ,,letter--,,the ,,good ,,spirits ,,and ,,daniel ,,underhill ,,to ,,the ,,rescue--,,benjamin ,,franklin--,,marriage ,,to ,d4 ,,underhill1 ,,november #b1 #aheh1 ,,and ,,close ,,of ,,my ,,public ,,mediumship--,,analogous ,,phenomena ,,in ,,private ,,at ,,home4 ,i will here relate from my experiences a curious and1 so far as ,i know1 novel chapter in the records of ,modern ,spiritualism1 namely1 the production of solid granulated phosphorus by ,spirits4 ,it will be seen that that phenomenon actually occurred through my mediumship1 though under circumstances and appearances highly suggestive 7to our enemies7 of trickery on my part1 and such as naturally to awaken uneasiness in the minds of friends whom long experience with me should have made1 and had made1 suspicion-proof in regard to me and my ,spirit guides2 and that for nearly nine months ,i was made very unhappy for the want of confirmatory evidence as to the real objective genuineness of the phenomenon sufficient to silence cavil and compel conviction4 ,my unhappiness proceeded from the consciousness that some friends had doubted more or less 7though never going the length of signifying doubt to myself71 while ,i could not know who1 nor how far doubt had taken distinct shape in their minds4 ,to a person of my temperament and temper1 however sustained by pride and conscious innocence1 ,i cannot easily conceive a more painful situation4 ,but thank ,god 7and the good ,spirits who have never failed me in the long run71 this invisible cloud which for months chilled the atmosphere of my life1 as a distressful something keenly felt though not to be seen1 cleared off like the evaporation of dew from the surface of a mirror1 as will be seen below4 ,we never gave public sances in darkened rooms4 ,i do not approve of the practice4 ,many forms of manifestations thus obtained are calculated to prejudice the investigator and excite suspicion of the medium4 ,i love to sit with a few friends1 who are prepared to witness manifestations1 whether in light or dark1 and who have had sufficient evidence to understand the conditions necessary to enable ,spirits to manifest themselves in form4 ,on such occasions there should not be more than six or seven persons in the circle1 and they should all be harmonious1 and sit together around a table2 placing their hands in such a manner that if any one shall stir1 or change position1 it must be at once discovered4 ,when ,spirits appear1 they come surrounded with1 or luminous by1 their own light4 ,i seldom sat in a darkened room without seeing lights1 which were also visible to the company4 ,i never used anything to conceal1 or afford the ,spirits a hiding-place for anything4 ,i was never directed to do so4 ,we 7all persons present7 have been told to sit in the dark and rub the palms of our hands together2 when1 immediately on that being done1 sparks of light would appear4 7,i can frequently produce such lights--or1 rather1 they come of themselves--when entirely alone47 ,i suppose they are electrical or phosphorescent2 but there are different lights4 ,at times they vary in form1 color1 and intensity4 ,sometimes they will be of the size of a spark2 sometimes of that of a hand1 or larger2 sometimes flitting or flickering about2 sometimes--especially when a ,spirit is communicating with you by touches1 or caresses1 or otherwise--fixed in front of your face1 like a person looking into your eyes2 sometimes a vague1 luminous cloudiness1 suggestive of a form or not1 as the case may be4 ,mr4 ,robert ,dale ,owen took every precaution to lock and seal the doors2 not that he doubted us1 but because he was writing a book for the sceptical world to read1 and in his honesty of purpose he determined to be sure4 ,he was right4 ,his two books1 the ,footfalls and the ,debatable ,land1 can never lose their interest and value to the student of ,spiritualism4 ,frequently1 while sitting with select friends in dark circles1 lights would appear in different parts of the room2 sometimes quite numerous4 ,these sights were no new thing to us1 but very astonishing to those who had never before witnessed such manifestations4 ,in order to convince such1 the ,spirits would direct them to examine the room and everything in it2 lock the doors1 join hands and quietly wait for manifestations4 ,we were sometimes directed to sing1 but not to ask questions1 nor to make any exclamations of wonder1 or expressions of opinion1 until the manifestations had ceased4 ,such directions must be complied with1 if we would win good success4#ab #ab ,the frequency of the appearance of lights1 or luminous appearances1 at sances1 is suggestive of the idea that ,spirits often employ1 in their manifestations1 phosphorus in some form or condition--phosphorus probably drawn from the atmosphere1 or from the brains of the medium or sitters1 or both1 through their higher knowledge of the secrets and resources of the chemistry of nature4 ,that they should know also how to make it inodorous is easily conceivable4 ,i have never perceived 7though in this the author of ,the ,missing ,link thinks she has sometimes done so7 any of the phosphoric odor as accompanying those exhibitions of ,spirit lights1 though sometimes the entire forms of ,spirits appear as what ,i may call phosphorically luminous4 ,that human brains are1 to some extent at least1 natural reservoirs1 from which they draw or elaborate some basis of phosphorus1 seems probable enough--or at least should be so to those philosophers who strive to approximate phosphorus to thought1 and bid us eat phosphoric food to stimulate our wits1 and fancy they catch a gleam of it in the brightening of the eye4 ,it is reliably recorded that at the famous sances of ,count de ,bullet1 at which the controlling ,spirit is known by the conventional name of ,john ,king1 he constantly appeared holding what seemed a round1 white1 luminous stone1 whose light would gradually fade out after a while1 till almost invisible1 when he would either withdraw for a moment or two into the cabinet1 where the medium was asleep in trance1 and return with his lamp re-illumined1 or else apply the stone1 called his 'lamp1' to the forehead of the ,count de ,bullet1 when the light would be seen to rapidly resume its full brightness4 ,the first effect of such application to the forehead1 was that dark clouds of wreathing smoke would seem to enter into the stone from the forehead1 soon to pass into pervading light2 strong in close proximity1 but1 like phosphoric light1 not radiating to much distance4 ,that the ,spirits should be able to elaborate the cerebral1 or atmospheric1 or terrestrial phosphorus into the condition of solid particles of granulated phosphorus1 is not difficult to conceive1 but ,i do not know of any other instance of their having actually done it1 under human observation1 than that now related by ,mrs4 ,underhill4--,,ed4 ,i met a large private circle in ,jersey ,city1 for a long time1 once a week4 ,many of the members of this party had met at my sances for years2 but1 as they could not all come to ,new ,york1 ,i went to their different houses across the river to accommodate them4 ,this party insisted on sitting in darkened rooms4 ,some of them had witnessed remarkable manifestations in our most private sances4 ,george ,willets and wife were members of this circle1 and they desired to have others see a little of the wonderful manifestations which they had so often witnessed4 ,i consented to do so1 but the ,spirits expressly directed them not to attempt such an undertaking in a party so little calculated to follow implicitly the directions requisite to accomplish the results sought4 ,we had learned1 by repeated observations1 that ,spirits could1 under certain conditions1 when we were all in bed and no person stirring in the room to disturb the forces through which they operate1 disclose mysteries which hitherto were unknown in this age of the world4 ,after much persuasion1 ,i decided to sit for such manifestations4 ,the directions were given by the ,spirits1 and all were anxious to see and know these facts through their own perceptions2 as it is difficult to realize some things on the representations of others1 however worthy of our confidence and however possessing it4 ,our first sitting proved satisfactory1 so far as it went2 but the party were directed to be more quiet and not have more persons present than could be accommodated conveniently4 ,the second attempt was at the house of ,mr4 ,simeon ,s4 ,post1 and was successful until they became greatly excited1 and the directions were not followed2 inasmuch as there were too many persons present who were entirely ignorant of the rules by which we were controlled2 and although they were permitted to make the closest scrutiny of the whole previous arrangements1 in order to keep the forces undisturbed during their 7the ,spirits'7 operations1 they 7the investigators7 could not or would not1 for want of common sense1 perhaps1 follow all the directions4 ,this being the case1 in order to gratify those who were prepared and blest with good sense1 a part of the company were directed to go with me into the adjoining room 7a bath-room74 ,while there the lights appeared1 very bright--almost blazing at times4 ,i was faint and my hands seemed burning4 ,i naturally ran to the faucet to let the cold water run on them1 which greatly relieved the burning sensation4 ,but the floating1 moving lights continued1 and being near the door1 the lady of the house went out into the yard with me1 where ,i instinctively plunged my hands into the damp earth 7it had been raining74 ,the next evening ,mrs4 ,post saw lights where my hands had been1 and found in the ground several particles of solid phosphorus1 being guided to the spot by seeing the phosphoric smoke rising through the ground1 as well as by the luminosity of the spot4 ,they 7my friends7 could not comprehend this mystery4 ,they talked over the matter between themselves1 and my friend ,mr4 ,willets wrote me a letter1 which ,i will here give4 ,,no4 #f1 ,,pavonia ,,place1 ,,jersey ,,city1 ,november #bd1 #aheg4 ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,brown3 ,the members of the circle are expecting me to see you and have a talk with you respecting the manifestations of lights at ,mr4 ,simeon ,post's house last week4 ,i argued that the ,spirits could produce phosphorus 7in my opinion1 accumulated from the atmosphere and medium forces of the circle combined74 ,mr4 ,post had not the least suspicion of anything wrong1 but could not account for the lights appearing where your hands had been4 ,i have stood by you always1 and in this case have done so1 saying that ,i know that you would not deceive any one4 ,can you explain this matter so that it will be satisfactory to the circle8 ,you will not think hard of me for bringing this to your notice1 and believe me to be your sincere friend1 ,,george ,,willets4 ,this letter of course implied that ,i might have had--what had of course no foundation in fact--phosphorus on my fingers4 ,nor could ,i have much blamed any in whose mind such a thought might have arisen1 however painful to me1 or however unjust the suspicion4 ,mr4 ,underhill had accompanied me to ,jersey ,city4 ,he was a friend of ,mr4 ,post's1 who had invited him to join the circle4 ,it was convenient for him to call for me1 as it was on his way4 ,i did not know that any one doubted the genuineness of the manifestations at ,mr4 ,post's1 and judge of my painful astonishment when ,i read ,mr4 ,willet's letter4 ,i knew ,i was innocent1 but did not know that ,i could so prove myself4 ,i prayed to the ,most ,high to relieve me from this terrible imputation4 ,mr4 ,underhill felt sure of my innocence4 ,in his own purity of heart he could not doubt me4 ,his sister had become a medium1 and spoke in unknown tongues4 ,and his mother could move tables by placing her hands upon them4 ,she is still with us1 in full possession of her faculties4 ,none know her1 but to love her1 ,none name her1 but to praise4 ,mr4 ,underhill came to my rescue in that dark hour of my life1 when old and trusted friends wavered in opinion4 ,if this volume were to be limited in its circulation to ,new ,york ,city1 where ,mr4 ,underhill is conspicuously1 while modestly1 known in the business world through a long series of years1 as ,president of one of its oldest and most solid ,fire ,insurance companies1 it would not be necessary to say a word about his character for honor and veracity4 ,it best becomes me to abstain from doing so1 leaving to strangers to him to satisfy themselves by easy inquiries4 ,he accompanied me to ,jersey ,city1 and how many others 7if any7 shared his generous confidence ,i could not know1 as none had the rudeness or unkindness to manifest their doubts to me4 ,his faith in my integrity strengthened and enabled me to stand the ordeal4 ,i leave it to him to relate the rest of the story4 ,,statement ,,of ,,daniel ,,underhill4 ,on ,sunday evening1 at ,mrs4 ,brown's1 soon after the receipt of ,mr4 ,george ,willets' letter1 there were present ,dr4 ,wilson1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,oliver ,johnson1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,cleveland1 ,mrs4 ,brown1 and myself4 ,some of her most intimate friends frequently dropped in on ,sunday evenings to enjoy a social cup of tea1 and an hour or so in pleasant conversation4 ,on this occasion it was announced by the 'invisibles' that on ,tuesday evening next an investigating sance1 for phosphorescent phenomena1 should be held2 and the following persons were chosen by the ,spirits to attend1 namely1 ,dr4 ,a4 ,d4 ,wilson1 ,henry ,sheldon1 ,oliver ,johnson1 ,mrs4 ,johnson1 ,j4 ,f4 ,cleveland1 ,mrs4 ,cleveland1 ,julian ,g4 ,davies1 ,mr4 ,downer1 ,mr4 ,beadle1 ,leah 7,mrs47 ,brown1 ,katie ,fox1 ,daniel ,underhill1 ,dr4 ,kirby1 'if he wishes4' ,the parties not present at the time were notified and invited to attend4 ,mr4 ,sheldon was requested to procure some earth1 which he did from under ,brooklyn ,heights1 and brought it with him in a cigar-box wrapped in paper4 ,when the parties were seated at the table1 in general conversation1 directions were given by the ,spirits4 ,mr4 ,sheldon was requested to unwrap the box of fresh ,brooklyn earth and place it on the centre of the table1 and darken the room4 ,the box was placed as directed4 ,after the room was darkened1 the box was moved by the ',spirits' nearer to ,mrs4 ,b41 who then placed her fingers in the earth4 ,her fingers soon became luminous1 so that her hands were visible to the whole circle4 ,when she removed her hands the light was turned on4 ,dr4 ,wilson took the box1 and with his knife dug out a quantity of granulated phosphorus4 ,in doing so1 some of the granules had not sufficiently hardened1 and separated on the table4 ,the doctor1 in endeavoring to pick them up1 burnt his fingers quite badly4 ,and again1 ,july #ca1 #aheh3 ,on this evening ,i called on ,mrs4 ,brown 7at ,no4 #a ,ludlow ,place71 who stated to me that she had all day been impressed that if she should have a sitting with a few friends that evening1 she would have manifestations of a character to explain the mystery of the occurrence at ,mr4 ,s4 ,s4 ,post's1 ,jersey ,city 7where ,i had attended a private sance with her between seven and eight months previously74 ,on this occasion there were present ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,oliver ,johnson1 ,miss ,knight1 ,mr4 ,kedzie 7of ,rochester71 ,mrs4 ,brown1 and myself4 ,we retired to the back parlor1 closing the doors and windows in order to make the room quite dark4 ,mr4 ,kedzie procured a bowl of earth and water1 as directed 7by the ,spirits71 and placed it on the table around which we were seated4 ,while we were engaged in general conversation and singing1 lights were seen floating about the room1 at times immediately over the centre of the circle4 ,mrs4 ,brown placed her fingers in the bowl1 from which arose a light1 or vapor1 which so illuminated the room as to make her hands visible to all around the table4 ,bright phosphoric lights were also seen in the earth4 ,on examination1 we found deposited several granules of pure phosphorus1 which we collected and preserved4 ,on the following evening ,mrs4 ,b4 informed me that she wanted to go to ,jersey ,city1 to the house of ,mr4 ,post2 that if she did so1 the same manifestations would occur in the presence of his family2 and she desired me1 if ,i saw ,mr4 ,post1 to inform him of her wish to do so1 in order to satisfy them that what had occurred there1 in the commencement of the dark sittings1 nearly eight months previously1 was entirely beyond any control or agency of hers2 but she desired that no one should be present except ,mr4 ,post's immediate family4 ,on ,wednesday morning following 7,august #dth7 ,mr4 ,post called at my office4 ,when ,i informed him of ,mrs4 ,brown's wishes1 he expressed much pleasure1 and a strong desire that it should be so tested4 ,he wished that it might be during the current week1 if possible1 as he expected to leave home the first of the week following1 to be absent for several months4 ,i informed ,mrs4 ,b4 that evening of my interview with ,mr4 ,post1 when she appointed ,saturday evening1 and desired me to inform ,mr4 ,post of the fact1 as he would call on me the following day4 ,mrs4 ,brown called at my office about #aa4cj ,a4,m41 and informed me that she had been directed by the ,spirits to have ,mr4 ,john ,hilton present4 ,i accompanied ,mrs4 ,b4 to the home of ,mr4 ,post1 at #bde ,south ,sixth ,street1 ,jersey ,city1 on the evening appointed4 ,we arrived there about eight o'clock ,p4,m4 ,they were requested to make a thorough examination1 in order to satisfy themselves that neither ,mrs4 ,b4 nor myself had any phosphorus about us4 ,mrs4 ,b4 retired to a private room with the ladies1 who disrobed her of every article of clothing1 and furnished her with an entire outfit from their own wardrobe4 ,after this they dressed and reconducted her to the room in which the sance was held4 ,in the mean time the gentlemen satisfied themselves that there was no phosphorus about my person4 ,we assembled in the front room up-stairs4 ,there were present ,mr4 ,post1 ,mrs4 ,post1 a daughter and two sons1 ,mr4 ,post's sister1 ,mr4 ,hilton1 ,mrs4 ,brown1 and myself4 ,after taking seats at the table1 they were directed to close and lock all the doors and windows4 ,they were also directed to get a bowl of water and bring in the box of earth1 which had been procured by ,messrs4 ,post and ,hilton during the day and sealed up by them4 ,after sitting a few moments they were directed to 'break the seal' 7which was done by ,mr4 ,simeon ,post74 ,the box was placed in front of the medium4 ,he was then directed by the ,spirits to 'put out the light1' which was done4 ,in a few moments they discovered a phosphorescent light1 emanating from the ends of ,mrs4 ,brown's fingers4 ,indeed1 there seemed to be a vaporous exhalation from her entire person2 and after her fingers had rested on the earth a short time1 a visible fluid gradually concentrated around ,mrs4 ,brown's hands1 and deposited itself from the extremities of her fingers into the earth4 ,this performance lasted about fifteen minutes4 ,the box was examined1 and ,mr4 ,post procured from the earth it contained several quite large granules of phosphorus1 the purity of which was beyond question1 and which he preserved1 and caused to be chemically examined and tested4 ,mrs4 ,b4 was then taken in charge by the ladies1 and reconducted to the dressing-room1 clothed in her own attire1 and returned to the sitting-room4 ,there was a wish expressed1 on the part of all present1 to get communications from their ',spirit friends2' and1 although there seemed to be a perfect willingness on the part of the medium1 the controlling ,spirits deemed it advisable that there should be no further manifestations on that night1 and said1 through raps1 ',it would be wrong to permit different classes of ,spirits to manifest under existing circumstances4 ,i will bring about another meeting soon4 ',,benjamin ,,franklin4' ,mr4 ,underhill and ,i were married on the second day of ,november1 #aheh1 at ,no4 #ce ,nineteenth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,my father had taken the house of ,mr4 ,horace ,greeley1 who made it his home with my parents when he was in the city4 ,we were married by the ,rev4 ,john ,pierpont4 ,mr4 ,u4 purchased the house we now live in1 and we moved into it immediately on our return from a western excursion4 ,it was agreed upon that his friends should be mine1 and my friends should be his1 but that ,i should never again sit in public circles4 ,illustration3 ,daniel ,underhill ,he thought ,i had done my duty faithfully1 and that it was time for me to retire from public sances4 ,the announcement fell like a thunderbolt upon nearly all of my investigators4 ,many argued that it was a duty ,i owed to the public1 and to my ,god1 to continue to labor in the cause of ,spiritualism2 that ,i had been chosen1 by higher authorities1 to do a work that rested on me and my family4 ,some of my friends thought differently1 and as they knew the man who had so generously acquitted me of all blame or suspicion1 and who so nobly sustained me through the difficulties with which ,i was destined to contend1 my true friends congratulated me and rejoiced at my good fortune4 ,,another ,,statement ,,from ,d4 ,,underhill4 ,,sunday ,,night1 ,august #a1 #ahei4 ,we retired about eleven o'clock4 ,i had locked the door opening from the hall into the front room1 also the door leading from the same hall into the bath-room4 ,the door leading from the hall to the bed-room was locked on the inside by ,leah2 but after retiring she was in doubt as to whether she had locked it2 whereupon ,i arose and went to the door1 tried the lock1 and found it fast4 ,i then returned to bed4 ,in a few moments we were startled by the springing of the bolt of the lock of that door4 ,leah exclaimed1 ',what's that8' ,i replied1 ',it's nothing but the springing of the bolt of the lock2' supposing that when ,i turned the knob the bolt had failed to spring into its proper place4 ',no1' she said1 'it is something more than that4' ,very soon we heard sounds1 as if ,spirits were on their knees on the floor patting the carpet with their hands4 ,i commenced asking questions1 and received responses by the same sounds4 ,it was soon evident that one or more ,spirits were around our bed4 ,my questions were answered by a hand patting me on the head4 ,soon something was passed over our faces1 just touching us1 after which lights appeared over us4 ,they passed to my side of the bed1 and a cloth was placed upon my right shoulder and pressed heavily--at times as with two hands2 also on the arm4 ,when the pressure left my arm the light again appeared on or over us1 waving about us1 as if to gather force from the atmosphere4 ,during all this time hands were distinctly visible holding the cloth with a bright phosphorescent light upon it4 ,then the sheet with which ,i was covered was drawn down and the cloth was placed upon my stomach and chest4 ,on feeling it with my hands1 ,i found it was a coarse towel4 ,repeated pressures were made in this way for some time1 after which there was an alarm of fire in the neighborhood4 ,i dressed myself1 and went out1 returning in about half an hour4 ,on my return ,i again locked the door and extinguished the light1 and went to bed4 ,my attention was attracted to a bright light on the floor1 when1 at the same time1 ,leah noticed a bright1 flashing light1 rising from the mantel1 and showing the picture over it distinctly4 ,she called my attention to it4 ,the foot-board of the bedstead obstructed my view1 but on rising ,i noticed several lights1 also one which appeared above the mantel4 ,i arose and went to satisfy myself that there were no matches lying around1 when1 reaching the spot1 ,i found the light was very brilliant1 and emitted a strong phosphorescent vapor4 ,placing my hand upon one of the lights1 ,i found it to be a small granule of phosphorus1 comparing exactly with those which we had before found deposited in the earth4 ,several of these granules were lying near by1 and also in the candelabrum on the end of the mantel-piece4 ,as ,i was about to resume my place in bed1 the alphabet was called for1 and the ,spirit spelled out1 ',look in the fire-place4' ,on looking ,i discovered a number of pieces or granules of phosphorus on the bricks inside of the fire-place1 which was closed tightly with a screen or summer-piece4 ,the ,spirits said they had placed them there to avoid damage or danger1 as my getting up and going out had disturbed the forces too suddenly4 ,a few evenings afterward1 there were again manifestations of phosphorus1 which were so strong that ,i was fearful they might set fire to the bed1 and as a matter of precaution1 ,i procured a pail of water and placed it beside the bed4 ,it was then spelled1 ',keep passive1 and there will be no danger4' ,i was then directed to place paper and pencil under the bed1 which ,i did1 and very soon we heard the scratching of the pencil on the paper1 which was badly scorched1 and a third part of it burned2 but the writing was plainly visible4 ,the paper was lost1 and ,i do not now remember the communication written upon it4 ,the ,spirits said1 however1 that the scorching of the paper was caused by the forces being too strong4 ,,saturday ,,night1 ,july #ca1 #ahei4 ,about ten o'clock ,p4,m4 ,leah and myself were in the second story4 ,i was sitting by the front window1 leaning my hand against the casement1 dozing4 ,leah had passed into the back room1 and was returning to the front room1 when she was startled by heavy tramping1 apparently close behind her4 ,the sound was similar to that of a person walking in wooden shoes4 ,she called to me4 ,i started1 and met her in the middle room4 ,when ,leah stopped walking the footsteps ceased1 but as soon as she commenced again the same heavy steps kept pace with her4 ,we passed into the front room1 where she called me to try a test4 ,she sat down in a high chair1 and ,i seated myself on the floor1 in front of her1 taking her feet on my knees4 ,very soon the same sounds were produced on the floor beside her chair2 showing very clearly that the sounds were produced independently of her1 not even causing any nervous start or electric motion on her part4 ,d4 ,,underhill4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,boston ,,and ,,the ,,harvard ,,professors1 #aheg4 ,,agreement ,,for ,,an ,,investigation ,,by ,a ,,committee ,,of ,,harvard ,,professors--,,expulsion ,,of ,a ,,student ,,from ,,the ,,divinity ,,school ,,for ,,the ,,crime ,,of ,,mediumship--,,professor ,,felton--,,agassiz--,,varley1 ,,the ,,electrician ,,of ,,the ,,atlantic ,,telegraph ,,company4 ,on the #afth day of ,june1 #aheg1 we left our home in ,new ,york1 at the earnest solicitation of friends in ,boston1 to attend an investigation which had been arranged in accordance with the following note3 ,,the ,,agreement ,,between ,,the ,,parties4 ,we1 the undersigned1 hereby agree to submit the question in controversy between us in regard to the phenomena of ,spiritualism1 so called1 to the investigation and award of the ,committee1 consisting of ,professors ,agassiz1 ,pierce1 and ,horsford1 and ,dr4 ,gould1 according to the terms of the paper annexed4 ,boston ,courier1 by ,,george ,,lunt4 ,h4 ,f4 ,,gardner4 ,,cambridge1 ,june #i1 #aheg4 ,,dr4 ,,gardner',s ,,conditions4 ,meeting to be held in a suitable room in the city of ,boston1 to continue six days1 or a longer time if desirable1 and two hours each day to be devoted to the investigation1 commencing at #d and closing at #f o'clock ,p4,m4 ,all the arrangements and details for the forming of the circles to be entirely under the control of ,dr4 ,gardner1 except the ,committee may remain out of the circle so formed if they choose to do so4 ,if the phenomena are produced under the arrangements as ordered by ,dr4 ,gardner1 and they are not satisfactory to the ,committee1 they shall have the right to require them to be produced under such conditions as in their judgment will be satisfactory to them4 ,as harmony is an essential condition for the production of the manifestations1 it is agreed that no loud talking or exciting debate or other unnecessary noise shall be allowed in the rooms during the sessions1 and that each person present shall be treated with that respect and courtesy which is due from each person to every other in the society of ,,gentlemen4 ,there may be present at each session the writer in the ,boston ,courier1 and a friend1 and the four gentlemen composing the ,committee of ,investigation1 ,dr4 ,gardner1 and any number of persons not exceeding six at any one time1 at his option1 such being selected and invited by ,dr4 ,gardner4 ,the writer in the ,courier1 and the gentlemen composing the ,committee1 agree that1 while they are at liberty to exercise all the shrewdness and powers of observation which they are capable during the investigation1 they will not exercise their will power to endeavor to prevent the manifestations1 but allow them to be produced under the most favorable conditions which a thorough scientific investigation will permit4 ,the words 'to be provided by ,dr4 ,gardner' first being stricken out1 and the words 'and a friend' inserted1 it is further understood that the proceedings are not to be published until the investigations are closed4 ,boston ,courier1 by ,,george ,,lunt4 ,h4 ,f4 ,,gardner4 ,we questioned1 at that time1 the propriety of leaving ,new ,york to attend to this request1 as to do so would necessarily cause us to break our engagements at home4 ,and1 as to the contest between the professors of ,harvard ,college and the ,boston ,spiritualists1 mediums1 etc41 we cared very little at that time whether they 7the professors7 should pronounce for or against us1 and for this reason3 that it may be safely averred that while intelligent1 scientific minds1 honestly and studiously devoted to their legitimate labors and investigations1 have been1 and are1 glorious pioneers in the advancement of human knowledge1 there are subjects touching which scholastic eminence furnishes but a poor outfit for special and honest investigation4 ,but we had met the equals of these ,boston and ,harvard professors long ere this2 and here let me add we seldom received enlightenment through scientific opponents4 ,many successful experiments had been made by honest1 intelligent1 and educated investigators1 which proved1 beyond all cavil1 what their science could not fathom--and did not wish to4 ,it will be remembered1 ,i doubt not1 that ,professor ,eustis1 of the ,scientific ,school1 once caught the foot of a ,divinity student out of its proper place under the table1 and that the said professor cried fraud1 and brought an accusation against the student before the governing faculty of the university1 who1 in their high wisdom1 knowing not what they did1 expelled the young man for the heinous crime of owning an erratic foot4 ,i am unable to state here at what time this occurrence took place1 but the public press1 at that time1 very extensively condemned the action of the collegiate authorities in that case2 and1 in doing this1 ,spiritualism necessarily came more or less in for consideration4 ,great doubt was expressed1 in the press editorials of the day1 of the honesty of the professors in thus expelling the student without giving him an opportunity to prove his integrity4 ,the expulsion of this young ,divinity student was simply because he was a ,spiritualist and a medium1 and refused to abandon the sacred truth which he had learned and tested in his own person2 and it was in the full spirit of the old ,new ,england persecutions for honest opinion obnoxious to dominant authority2 which1 fortunately1 had no longer the power to hang or burn4 ,but the world moves1 after all1 in spite of such persecutions1 to which history soon does the justice it has rendered to ,galileo2 and the leading scientific journal of ,new ,england1 published at ,cambridge itself1 an organ of the ,scientific faculty of ,harvard1 has recently put itself in the line of modern progress in reference to this very subject of ,spiritualism4 ,fierce and rude attacks were made in the columns of ,the ,boston ,courier1 by these professors1 upon mediums1 ,spiritualists1 and all who had any faith in the phenomena2 insinuating at the time that1 ,if mediums believed in themselves1 they would only be too eager to exhibit their powers before those who are most sceptical4 ,in reply to these attacks ,dr4 ,gardner made the following proposition1 viz41 ,that a committee of twelve disinterested men shall be selected by the principal editors of ,the ,boston ,journal1 ,the ,boston ,courier1 and ,the ,daily ,traveller1 which committee shall arrange all the preliminaries of the discussion1 and decide upon the strength of the arguments1 adduced for and against the ,spiritual origin of the various forms of manifestations of the present day1 usually denominated ,spiritual4 ,the challenge to a public discussion was declined1 but in lieu of it the following statement appeared in ,the ,courier1 which was well understood to have proceeded from ,professor ,felton1 of ,harvard3 ,we will pay #ejj to ,dr4 ,gardner1 to ,mrs4 ,henderson1 to ,mrs4 ,hatch1 or to ,mr4 or ,mrs4 anybody else who will communicate a single word imparted to the ',spirits' by us1 in an adjoining room2 who will read a single word1 in ,english1 written inside a book1 or sheet of paper1 folded in such a manner as we may choose2 who will answer1 with the aid of all the higher intelligences he or she can invoke from the other world1 three questions--which the superior intelligences must be able to answer1 if what they said in ,the ,melodeon was true2 and we will not require ,dr4 ,gardner or the mediums to risk a single cent on the experiment4 ,if one or all of them can do one of these things1 the five hundred dollars shall be paid on the spot4 ,if they fail1 they shall pay nothing2 not even the expense incident to trying the experiment4 ,immediately on receipt of this challenge from the professors1 ,dr4 ,gardner replied1 ,now1 ,mr4 ,editor1 ,i accept the offer1 as ,i do also the distinguished gentlemen named as the committee1 provided the person or persons making the offer will agree to let all of the conditions of the arrangement come within the scope of those natural laws within which we believe ,spirits are confined in producing the manifestations above referred to2 and ,i will meet the person or persons making the offer at any time and place1 after next ,sabbath1 which he or they may name1 to make such arrangements as are necessary to a thorough and scientific test of this great subject4 ,h4 ,f4 ,,gardner4 ,may #bg1 #aheg4 ,the committee named in the ,courier was ,george ,lunt 7editor of that paper71 ,prof4 ,benjamin ,pierce1 chairman1 ,prof4 ,agassiz1 ,prof4 ,horsford1 and ,dr4 ,a4 ,b4 ,gould4 ,the place of meeting was in the upper room of the ,albion ,building1 corner of ,tremont and ,beacon ,streets1 ,boston4 ,i and ,katie accepted an invitation to go to ,boston to lend our contribution to this investigation1 with disinterested self-sacrifice for the sake of the cause1 and in support of ,dr4 ,gardner1 one of the best of men and ,spiritualists1 who thus stood forward as its representative and champion4 ,i may mention that this was anterior1 not subsequent to the ,phosphorus affair related in the preceding chapter4 ,there were present ,miss ,kendrick1 ,george ,a4 ,redman1 ,j4 ,v4 ,mansfield1 the ,davenport brothers1 ,katie and myself--mediums4 ,the committee of ,spiritualists were ,mr4 ,allan ,putnam1 ,dr4 ,gardner1 ,major ,g4 ,washington ,rains4 ,at the first meeting ,dr4 ,gardner expressed his dissatisfaction with the idea of a penalty of #ejj1 or of any money1 to be paid by the ,courier1 and this seemed to meet unanimous approval2 so that no ground remained for the position afterward taken by the professors1 that they had to make an award1 as stakeholders and judges1 of #ejj on the presentation of certain specific phenomena laid in ,prof4 ,felton's original 7unsigned7 article in the ,courier1 while the document above quoted1 of ,june #i1 #aheg1 between the ,courier and ,dr4 ,gardner1 is conclusive to the effect that it was to be a general scientific investigation4 ,it will be seen below how the professors afterward quibbled over this point1 and avoided making a report of any results1 but only an award that the #ejj was not claimable1 because the specific phenomena originally put forward by ,prof4 ,felton had not been exhibited2 while at the same time promising a future report1 which report they never came up to the scratch of making4 ,it was generally understood that a draft of a report had been proposed by a portion of them1 but suppressed because deemed more damaging to ,christianity than one favorable to ,spiritualism4 ,so that ,harvard has ever since remained under the odium and ridicule of never having made a report1 of which1 in what they called an award1 it had recognized that the duty was incumbent on the professors1 and which they had expressly promised to make4 ,it was in vain that for months and years the ,spiritualist papers of ,boston clamored for the promised report1 and jeered at those who evidently found it impossible to make one which should not be more or less favorable to ,spiritualism4 ,this meeting1 to my mind1 was very unsatisfactory4 ,i was astonished and disappointed at the course which the professors pursued4 ,astonished at their seeming ignorance of all laws of order and harmony1 and disappointed to find that they had met1 determined to establish some appearance of carrying their point1 right or wrong4 ,they fell far beneath the degree of intelligence we had met on so many former occasions1 in connection with the phenomenal manifestations associated with ,spiritualism4 ,our investigating committees had always heretofore been chosen with reference to their intellectual competency and honorable character2 whose reports were expected to enlighten thousands who were unable to make such experiments themselves4 ,but ,i am quite sure1 from the experience ,i have had1 that a great majority of those highly conceited professors1 many of whom were of quite ordinary talent1 had1 to some extent1 overcome the deficiencies of nature by turning their attention in one direction of specific study only4 ,on all other subjects1 they are ordinary1 and often very ordinary men4 ,professor ,agassiz conversed with me pleasantly1 and ,i was attracted to him1 and admired him greatly2 but ,i knew he was wanting in courage1 the courage of being ready to forfeit or endanger his great position in ,harvard and the country4 ,i incline to the theory presented by ,mr4 ,allan ,putnam in #ahgd1 in his pamphlet on ,agassiz and ,spiritualism1 that ,agassiz at this investigation was in a false position1 which gives him claims to our indulgence4 ,in his earlier life1 when a professor in ,switzerland1 he had been thrown under the mesmeric spell by the ,rev4 ,chauncy ,hare ,townshend1 and at this investigation was under mysterious conflicting influences1 of which his better self was perhaps unconscious1 and for which it was not responsible4 7,see the pamphlet referred to1 published by ,colby and ,rich1 ,boston47 ,he said to me1 ,mrs4 ,brown1 ,i have seen the day ,i could do everything you do4 ,i replied to this1 ,very well1 ,professor3 if you can do all that is done through me1 you are a ,medium1 and ,i at once challenged him1 in friendship and good-will1 to take the stand 7in the presence of their committee7 with me1 and submit himself to the same tests ,i would1 adding that unless he could do all that the ,spirits could do through me1 ,i should claim the victory4 ,he replied1 ,my physical condition is much changed now4 ,i did not at that time know that he had formerly been a mesmeric subject1 and had been made clairvoyant1 and given positive proof of his mediumship long years before ,i knew anything about ,spirit rappings1 magnetism1 or anything relating to the subject4 ,he positively refused to have anything to do further in connection with the examination at that time1 and remained with me1 aside1 during the investigation going on at the time with others4 ,prof4 ,agassiz noticed that my attention was somewhat absorbed in the movements of ,prof4 ,pierce 7as he wandered about so restlessly1 and seemed very much troubled2 ,i trying to study him out71 and said to me1 ,mrs4 ,brown1 what do you think of ,prof4 ,pierce8 ,i replied1 ,if he were boxed up in such a way that ,i could see nothing but his lower extremities1 and the manner in which he plants his feet on the ground1 ,i could read his character correctly4 ,he laughed and said1 ,i think you do not read him favorably4 ,no1 ,i said1 he is not an honest man4 ,prof4 ,agassiz did not dare to sit in a circle and subject himself to the influence or power of magnetism1 as may be seen in a quotation from ,facts of ,mesmerism1 by ,rev4 ,chauncy ,hare ,townshend1 an article written by himself and consequently correct1 from which the following is extracted3 ,desirous to know what to think of mesmerism1 ,i for a long time sought for an opportunity of making some experiments in regard to it upon myself1 so as to avoid the doubts which might arise on the nature of the sensations which we have heard described by mesmerized persons4 ,m4 ,desor1 yesterday1 in a visit which he made to ,berne1 invited ,mr4 ,townshend1 who had previously mesmerized him1 to accompany him to ,neufchatel and try to mesmerize me4 ,these gentlemen arrived here with the evening courier1 and informed me of their arrival4 ,at eight o'clock ,i went to them4 ,we continued at supper till half-past nine o'clock1 and about ten ,mr4 ,townshend commenced operating on me4 ,while we sat opposite to each other1 he1 in the first place1 only took hold of my hands and looked at me fixedly4 ,i was firmly resolved to arrive at a knowledge of the truth1 whatever it might be2 and therefore1 the moment ,i saw him endeavoring to exert an action upon me1 ,i silently addressed the ,author of all things1 beseeching him to give me the power to resist the influence1 and to be conscientious in regard to myself1 as well as in regard to the facts4 ,i then fixed my eyes upon ,mr4 ,townshend1 attentive to whatever passed4 ,i was in very suitable circumstances3 the hour being early1 and one at which ,i was in the habit of studying1 was far from disposing me to sleep4 ,i was sufficiently master of myself to experience no emotion1 and to repress all flights of imagination1 even if ,i had been less calm2 accordingly it was a long time before ,i felt any effect from the presence of ,mr4 ,townshend opposite me4 ,however1 after at least a quarter of an hour1 ,i felt a sensation of a current through all my limbs1 and from that moment my eye-lids grew heavy4 ,i then saw ,mr4 ,townshend extend his hands before my eyes1 as if he were about to plunge his fingers into them2 and then make different circular movements around my eyes1 which caused my eye-lids to become still heavier4 ,i had the idea that he was endeavoring to make me close my eyes1 and yet it was not as if some one had threatened my eyes1 and in the waking state ,i had closed them to prevent him4 ,it was an irresistible heaviness of the lids which compelled me to shut them1 and1 by degrees1 ,i found that ,i had no longer the power of keeping them open1 but did not the less retain my consciousness of what was going on around me1 so that ,i heard ,m4 ,desor speak to ,mr4 ,townshend1 understood what they said1 and heard what questions they asked me1 just as if ,i had been awake1 but ,i had not the power of answering4 ,i endeavored in vain several times to do so1 and1 when ,i succeeded1 ,i perceived that ,i was passing out of the state of torpor in which ,i had been1 and which was rather agreeable than painful4 ,in this state1 ,i heard the watchman cry ten o'clock2 then ,i heard it strike a quarter-past2 but afterward ,i fell into a deeper sleep1 although ,i never entirely lost my consciousness4 ,it appeared to me that ,mr4 ,townshend was endeavoring to put me into a sound sleep4 ,my movements seemed under his control2 for ,i wished several times to change the position of my arms1 but had not sufficient power to do it1 or even really to will it2 while ,i felt my head carried to the right or left shoulder1 and backward or forward1 without wishing it1 and1 indeed1 in spite of the resistance which ,i endeavored to oppose2 and this happened several times4 ,i experienced at the same time a feeling of great pleasure in giving way to the attraction which dragged me sometimes to one side1 sometimes to the other2 then a kind of surprise on feeling my head fall into ,mr4 ,townshend's hand1 who appeared to me from that time to be the cause of the attraction4 ,to his inquiry if ,i were well1 and what ,i felt1 ,i found ,i could not answer1 but ,i smiled2 ,i felt that my features expanded in spite of my resistance4 ,i was inwardly confused at experiencing pleasure from an influence which was mysterious to me4 ,from this moment ,i wished to wake1 and was less at my ease2 and yet1 on ,mr4 ,townshend asking me whether ,i wished to be awakened1 ,i made a hesitating movement with my shoulders4 ,mr4 ,townshend then repeated some frictions which increased my sleep1 yet ,i was always conscious of what was passing around me4 ,he then asked me if ,i wished to become lucid1 at the same time continuing1 as ,i felt1 the frictions from the face to the arms4 ,i then experienced an indescribable sensation of delight1 and for an instant saw before me rays of dazzling light1 which instantly disappeared4 ,i was then inwardly sorrowful at this state being prolonged4 ,it appeared to me that enough had been done with me4 ,i wished to awake1 but could not2 yet when ,mr4 ,townshend and ,mr4 ,desor spoke1 ,i heard them4 ,i also heard the clock1 and the watchman cry1 but ,i did not know what hour he cried4 ,mr4 ,townshend then presented his watch to me1 and asked me if ,i could see the time1 and if ,i saw him2 but ,i could distinguish nothing4 ,i heard the clock strike the quarter1 but could not get out of my sleepy state4 ,mr4 ,townshend then woke me with some quick transverse movements from the middle of the face outward1 which instantly caused my eyes to open2 and at the same time ,i got up1 saying to him1 ',i thank you4' ,it was a quarter past eleven4 ,he then told me--and ,m4 ,desor repeated the same thing--that the only fact which had satisfied them that ,i was in a state of mesmeric sleep was the facility with which my head followed all the movements of his hand1 although he did not touch me1 and the pleasure which ,i appeared to feel at the moment when1 after several repetitions of friction1 he thus moved my head at pleasure4 7,signed7 ,,agassiz4 ,on the above quoted statement of ,agassiz himself1 ,mr4 ,allan ,putnam1 in his pamphlet on ,agassiz and ,spiritualism1 remarks3 ,we are distinctly taught1 in the above 7see pages #f1 #g1 #h1 and #i71 that as philosopher and scientist1 then in the full vigor of manhood1 ,agassiz 'had for a long time sought' for such an opportunity to be mesmerized as ,dr4 ,townshend's visit afforded4 ,this professor1 even then eminent--this man1 gifted with gigantic mental and strong physical powers--reverently and prayerfully1 as well as philosophically1 sat calmly down1 not to welcome and imbibe1 but 'to resist the mesmeric influence4' ,then ,greek met ,greek1 scientist met scientist1 in calm but resolute measurement of the strength and efficiency of their respective weapons and forces4 ,agassiz says his purpose was to resist4 ,the whole tone of his account1 however1 indicates that his resistance was in no degree captious1 but designed simply to measure the strength and enable him to note the action of mesmeric force4 ,the vigorous professor then called into exercise all his own great inherent powers of resistance1 and such further aid as his earnest aspiration could bring to his support1 and yet was forced to yield up to another's will all command over his own physical organs4 ,a stronger than he entered and ruled over his peculiar domain4 ,the ,author of all things1 though besought1 did not so co-operate as to countervail the legitimate action of natural powers4 ,invisible forces1 emitted and directed by another man's mind1 against which his own robust intellect was planted in calm and firm resistance1 penetrated even the compact ,agassiz1 and caused him1 #ast4 ,to feel the sensation of a current through all his limbs4 #b;d4 ,to close his eye-lids from necessity4 #c;d4 ,to lose his powers of utterance4 #dth4 ,to lose power to change the position of his arms4 #eth4 ,to lose power to even will to move his arms4 #fth4 ,to lack power to prevent movements of his own head by another's will4 #gth4 ,to experience great pleasure in giving way to the attraction upon him4 #hth4 ,to feel surprised at the contact of his head with another's hand4 #ith4 ,to find the operator the cause of the attraction4 #ajth4 ,to be confused at experiencing pleasure from an influence that was mysterious to him4 #aath4 ,to see for an instant dazzling rays of light4 #abth4 ,to be unable to awake1 even though he wished to4 ,similar experiences have become so common that they are now devoid of strangeness4 ,thousands1 possibly hundreds of thousands1 have had their like since #ahci4 ,but no other ,agassiz has described the sensations and facts attending the subduing operations4 ,the character of their reporter gives his experiences exceptional value4 ,it is true and readily admitted that this keen and exact observer was then dominated by mesmeric1 which many assume to be widely different from ,spirit1 force4 ,the belief is prevalent to-day that those two adjectives describe one and the same thing4 ,few persons who have sought to discover the relations between mesmerism and ,spiritualism1 hesitate to indorse the following statement1 made by ,cromwell ,f4 ,varley before a committee of the ,london ,dialectical ,society1 which was substantially this1 viz41 ',i believe that the mesmeric force and the ,spiritual force are the same--the only difference being that in one case the producing agent is in a material body1 and in the other is out of such a body4' ,mr4 ,varley's competency to give a valuable opinion may be inferred from the fact that the great ,atlantic ,telegraph ,company elected him from among ,england's eminent electricians1 to supervise and control the constructors and operators of their vast and delicate apparatus for flashing knowledge under the waters1 from continent to continent1 and he made their project a success4 ,we add1 that ,spiritualism had1 for years1 been manifested in striking forms and much distinctness1 both through himself and other members of his own family1 and that he had been an extensive observer and scientific student of its phenomena1 and a careful tester of its forces4 ,he had reached the conclusion1 not only that the chief force employed in producing both the mesmeric and the ,spiritualistic entrancement was the same1 but also that it was distinct from either electricity or magnetism4 ,from ,mr4 ,varley's views the conclusion may be fairly deduced that ,agassiz1 in middle life1 experienced much that is undistinguishable from the sensations and perceptions of modern mediums1 and that he was subdued by use of the same force by which they are controlled4 ,as a general rule1 though possibly subject to a few exceptions1 persons who have once yielded to mesmeric1 afterward are very liable to succumb to ,spirit force4 ,this rule will have important bearings when we come to view the deportment of ,agassiz as a member of the ,harvard investigating committee4 ,what we have already adduced suggests the probability that1 if unresisted by himself1 ,spirits could have controlled him with much facility1 had he consented to be calm and unresisting while he was within the auras or spheres of persons whose emanations and constituent elements were helpful to the control of physical forms by ,spirits4 ,the great naturalist probably was mesmerized at other times than the one of which his own pen furnished an account4 ,for ,townshend1 p4 #cdd1 says3 ,prof4 ,agassiz1 who1 when mesmerized1 could not of himself stir a muscle1 moved like an automaton across the room when impelled by me4 ,even while retaining his consciousness enough to resist my efforts to move his limbs by mere gestures1 without contact of any kind1 he subsequently owned that he was actually compelled into such motions as ,i wished him to perform4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,boston ,,and ,,the ,,harvard ,,professors 7,continued74 ,,disinterested ,,judgments ,,upon ,,the ,,sham ,,investigation--,,our ,,part ,,in ,,the ,,proceedings--,,more ,,fair ,,investigation ,,by ,,the ,,collective ,,representatives ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,england ,,press--,,investigation ,,by ,a ,,body ,,of ,,unitarian ,,clergymen--,,our ,,triumphant ,,return ,,home--,,theodore ,,parker4 ,not only would ,prof4 ,agassiz not sit in circle with us1 saying that he had vowed never again to sit in a circle1 but he would not even consent to go into a private room with the medium1 ,mr4 ,redman1 who invited him to do so when he found that the powerfully adverse influence of hostile wills and feelings strained against him1 in the room in which sat the professors and the representative of ,the ,courier1 paralyzed his ability to exhibit the phenomena which1 under normal circumstances1 were familiar and invariable with him4 ,it is evident that all this was a mere sham investigation4 ,the ,boston ,traveller said after it1 that ,it is the unanimous opinion of those who witnessed the whole proceedings1 with the exception of the representative of ,the ,courier1 that the whole affair was in no sense of the word an investigation1 and that nothing was proved or disproved by it4 ,and without quoting from other 7non-,spiritualist7 papers1 ,i will only add from ,the ,cambridge ,chronicle of ,july #aath1 issued under the shadow of old ,harvard's edifices1 and circulated through its halls and dormitories1 the following comments by a correspondent3 ,it is patent to observation that the committee approached the subject with preconceived views4 ,they seem to have taken for granted that they knew more on the subject1 even without investigation1 than the unscientific ,spiritualists with all their long experience and heart interest in it2 and they erroneously judged that the public would take their ipse dixit with unreasoning deference4 ,because a man knows a rock1 does it follow that he knows a star8 or if he knows a star1 does he know a ,spirit8 ,their professors have shown their ignorance in this 'investigation1' nothing more1 etc4 ,i may say1 with specific reference to the part of the two ,fox sisters1 that in spite of the bad influences upon us of the bitterly hostile spirit which ruled the so-called investigation1 and the contemptuous ill-temper often manifested by some of the committee1 ,i had no reason to be dissatisfied with the part played by our ,spirit friends4 ,our rappings came1 if not as profusely as usual1 yet abundantly1 both low and loud1 in spite of our being moved to different parts of the room1 of our being placed standing on cushions and on the stuffed spring seat of a sofa1 etc4 ,their demonstrative effect was broken by ,agassiz's assurances that he could show how these could be produced by natural physiological means1 and his pledge that he would do so1 a pledge given in the collective form of we1 and therefore binding on the body whose silence was assent to them4 ,and yet on the last day1 after he had in haste left the room1 and when ,dr4 ,gardner called for the fulfilment of this engagement1 ,prof4 ,pierce1 who had presided1 wriggled out of it by the plea that that was only an individual promise by ,prof4 ,agassiz1 and not one by the committee4 ,of course it would have been easy to recall ,agassiz1 or to hold another meeting for the purpose4 ,nor was that pledge ever after redeemed1 in spite of the calls of the ,spiritualist press4 ,nor could the great ,agassiz have more eloquently admitted the impossibility of its fulfilment1 than he did by such silence under such circumstances4 ,on the #ajth of ,july1 #aheg1 ,mr4 ,allan ,putnam1 of ,roxbury1 published a statement from which ,i extract the following3 ,mrs4 ,brown and her sister1 ,miss ,c4 ,fox1 were present as mediums4 ,a conversation was started which was carried on mostly1 but not entirely1 by ,mr4 ,lunt1 the representative of ,the ,courier1 and ,major ,rains1 of ,newburg1 ,n4 ,y41 a graduate of ,west ,point1 once assistant professor there1 and who1 in connection with ,judge ,edmonds and others1 made a long-continued investigation of ,spiritual powers scientifically4 ,this conversation related to the instrumentality and processes by which ,spirits work1 and ,major ,rains expressed some of his views as to the proper processes for a scientific investigation of this particular subject4 ,also1 there was conversation1 mostly between ,professor ,agassiz and ,mrs4 ,brown1 as to when and how the ,fox family first learned that they possessed this mediumistic susceptibility4 ,the substance of this harmonized with what has often been published4 ,after a time1 the mediums and a few others being at the table1 raps were heard1 mostly on the floor 7or rather upon a three or four inch platform covering the stuffed or deadened floor71 while a few gentle ones were felt and heard as if made on the table4 ,afterward1 when ,mrs4 ,brown stood by a large wooden box1 and put first her finger and then a common pencil against the box1 the raps were heard there as on the box and near her hand4 ,again1 when she stood upon a covered stool1 the sounds seemed to be made beneath her on the platform4 ,again1 when the two mediums were both standing on the stuffed seat of a sofa1 the persons near them remarked that they heard sounds as from the wood of the sofa1 and also from the wall against which the sofa stood4 ,my position was distant from the sofa1 and ,i only state what others who were near remarked4 ,many of the raps upon the platform and one or two upon the box were quite distinctly heard in most parts of the room4 ,near the close of their sitting1 ,prof4 ,agassiz stated that the production of such sounds could be referred to known laws1 and said1 ',before the investigation is over we will explain to you how they may be produced4' ,when about to separate1 ,major ,rains expressed a wish that all would stop and compare notes1 and come to an agreement as to what had actually occurred or been exhibited4 ,a few sentences as to the propriety or importance of this course were exchanged between him and ,prof4 ,pierce1 when the ,professor said1 with a very ironical and discourteous tone and look1 ',we thank you1 sir1 for your advice1' and bowing1 hastily left the room4 ,this occurred while a portion of the company were about leaving the room--while nearly all were standing and ready to go--while promiscuous conversation was going on--and it is not probable that many heard or saw what is here described4 ,i was standing by the side of ,major ,rains1 and saw and heard the whole most distinctly4 ,mortified and ashamed at the tones and looks of this representative of ,alma ,mater and of ,science1 when addressed to a gentleman stranger1 and a man of science1 ,i turned silently away1 and was not surprised when1 shortly after1 ,major ,rains said to me1 ',there seems no occasion for me to remain here because of any knowledge or skill which my experience in such investigations may have given me2 there is no attempt1 no purpose1 to have an investigation of the general subject4 ,i had better return home4' ,and soon he did go1 as then proposed4 ,now the 'change came o'er the spirit of my dream4' ,at the next gathering ,i asked1 privately1 and learned from both ,prof4 ,pierce and ,mr4 ,gould1 that they considered the money question as still before them1 and that they were but judges and not investigators4 ,from that time my relations to them and to that particular trial became relatively unpleasant4 ,i had little to do or say1 and nothing to hope for1 because of the necessary antagonism in the room4 ,at their next sitting ,mr4 ,redman was the medium4 ,raps and tipping of the table did not come as they usually do with him2 yet he asked those at the table to write the names of deceased friends and roll up the slips4 ,prof4 ,pierce commenced writing in a book4 ,prof4 ,agassiz1 in the meanwhile1 was standing near his back1 frequently changing his own attitude and position1 and looking very intently upon ,redman1 although he said to ,prof4 ,pierce1 ',throw that one out1' meaning the slip just written upon4 ,there was the appearance of much mental disturbance in ,prof4 ,agassiz1 as shown by his attitudes1 his changes of position1 his wild gaze1 and his tones when he spoke4 ,no raps came1 nothing claiming to be ,spiritual was done by or through ,mr4 ,redman in the public room4 ,at some time during this sitting ,dr4 ,gardner drew attention to the points of disturbance1 through strong mental action and intent use of the eyes4 ,mr4 ,lunt was understood to say that he had been using both mind and eyes intently1 and with much effect2 but ,i was on the opposite side of the room from him when he spoke1 and may not have taken in the exact import of his words4 ,similar want of success attended the other mediums1 at all the subsequent sittings up to the meeting of the ,davenports1 on the last evening4 ,these boys1 or young men1 were intrusted almost entirely to the management of the ,committee1 and those of us who were but spectators are not so informed as to make it proper to state in advance of the ,committee what was attempted nor what the success4 ,we do know that at the close ,prof4 ,agassiz held up a small1 short piece of thread1 which he said had been 'broken1' and that that was the test4 ,having uttered these words in a very rough tone and emphatic manner1 he1 in a similar tone1 said1 ',good night1 gentlemen1' and hastily left us4 ,prof4 ,pierce then said to ,dr4 ,gardner1 ',i suppose you are through with us4' ,the ,doctor replied1 ',no1 you have promised to show us how the raps were made4' ',not as a ,committee1' said ,prof4 ,pierce2 ',mr4 ,agassiz made that promise as an individual4' ,and thus the affair closed--we as much disappointed at the failure of ,agassiz to keep his word and unveil the mystery of rapping1 as at any one failure during the sittings4 ,the ,investigation1 in fact1 was a trial of the correctness of the statements made at the preliminary meeting1 viz41 'that it was in the power of the gentlemen there present to make the trial a failure1 by ejecting certain forces from their own minds and eyes4' ,in this they were successful4 ,two of the gentlemen1 ,prof4 ,agassiz and ,mr4 ,lunt1 omitted throughout all the sessions to comply with invitations to sit in the circle around the table1 and there was not1 in any instance or at any point1 any opportunity for ,dr4 ,gardner to exercise 'the determination of all the accessory circumstances4' ,the former gentleman1 it seems1 was permitted to exercise his own choice as to being in the circle1 but not so the latter4 ,dr4 ,gardner's friends have been disappointed1 and the chief disappointment was at the manners and actions and mental and emotional states of two of the ,committee and a representative of ,the ,courier4 ,no chickens were hatched on this occasion1 where the hen was kept in perpetual agitation1 and was often driven from her nest during the period of incubation2 but it does not follow that eggs never contain a vital principle4 ,let the proper conditions be observed1 let natural laws have legitimate play1 and the latent vital principle will take form and embodiment and come forth from the shell a thing of life and power4 ,it is easy to prevent the hatching of an egg1 for the ,committee did that with very little trouble4 ,but many hens 'steal to their nests1' and in secluded spots1 where natural laws are conformed to1 the hatching processes still go on in spite of human science4 ,,allen ,,putnam4 ,,roxbury1 ,july #aj1 #aheg4 ,i must here bear testimony to the uniform politeness--,i may say kindness--with which ,i was personally treated by ,prof4 ,agassiz1 however rough may have been his occasional treatment of some of the other mediums4 ,so far as we were concerned1 he exhibited nothing but that perfect gentlemanhood which lent another grace to his mental greatness and scientific attainment4 ,there has always remained on my mind the impression of something mysterious as having clouded his general conduct in this investigation4 ,he was indeed in a false position1 and ought never to have been a member of that committee of professors1 inasmuch as it was of such serious importance to ,prof4 ,felton 7afterwards president71 who was virtually the prosecuting officer against ,spiritualism1 and so vehement in his public antagonism to it1 and who was also so closely connected by marriage with ,agassiz1 his father-in-law 7,i believe71 that a failure to support ,felton in this must have complicated family relations4 ,i must also add that ,i found ,prof4 ,horsford unexceptionable as a kind and courteous gentleman4 ,i think that at the bottom of the committee's strange conduct in only making an award on a money question1 which no longer existed before them1 and then remaining in the ridiculous position of never making their promised report1 notwithstanding the challenges and the jeers of the ,spiritualist papers and orators1 lay1 in some degree at least1 the facts of this awkwardness of domestic difficulties1 and the impossibility of getting the professors united upon any report4 ,but that noble man1 who has long since gone to his reward1 ,dr4 ,gardner1 did not let the matter drop at this point4 ,no sooner was the award promulgated than he engaged his mediums to postpone their departure from the city1 and1 under like circumstances1 in the same room1 furniture unchanged1 to repeat their sittings before a different set of investigators1 namely1 the representatives of the ,press4 ,a large body of these gentlemen attended1 besides their friends and other spectators1 and it is sufficient for me to say that the results were entirely satisfactory4 ,but ,dr4 ,gardner had requested that their reports should be withheld from publication until after the committee's full report should have appeared4 ,in ,mr4 ,allan ,putnam's pamphlet above referred to 7,agassiz and ,spiritualism71 is given an account of this convening of the members of the ,press1 by ,dr4 ,gardner1 written by the temporary editor of ,the ,new ,england ,spiritualist1 and signed ,one ,present1 and commencing3 ,it is well known that the 'award' of the committee entirely failed to meet the rational demands of inquirers4 ,it took the form of a decree rather than a decision4 ,such being the facts1 ,dr4 ,gardner thought it due1 not only to himself but to the community1 to make another effort to have the matter fairly and deliberately tested4 ,accordingly1 immediately after the appearance of the committee's 'award1' he invited the editors of the principal newspapers in the city to attend the sances and witness manifestations through the same mediums he had employed before the professors4 ,the gentlemen who responded to this invitation were3 ,messrs4 ,carter1 ,robinson1 and ,brown1 of ,the ,boston ,traveller2 ,stockwell1 of ,the ,journal2 ,bulger1 of ,the ,post2 ,clapp and ,shillaber1 of ,the ,gazette2 ,marsh1 of ,the ,bee2 ,tracy1 of ,the ,herald2 ,hill1 of ,the ,ledger2 and the editors of ,the ,banner of ,light1 and ,new ,england ,spiritualist4 ,there were also present at a portion of the sittings1 ,hon4 ,l4 ,v4 ,bell1 ,a4 ,putnam1 ,esq41 ,alvin ,adams1 ,esq41 and others4 ,i extract only the following1 which relates to ourselves3 ,,second ,,session4 ,at the second session1 on ,thursday afternoon1 ,july #b;d1 ,mrs4 ,brown and ,miss ,kate ,fox were present as mediums4 ,the precaution was taken again to examine the furniture and appliances of the room1 to guard against any mechanical trickery4 ,the company then seating themselves1 raps were in a few moments heard upon the floor and table4 ,the sounds were various and complicated1 from the lightest tap to quite heavy blows4 ,the heavier sounds had a peculiar softness1 as if they had been made by a padded drum-stick worked by a spring4 ,the next step was to test the intelligence manifested through the sounds4 ,the method of doing this will be understood from the following1 which is but a small part of the proceedings--as a report of the whole would be but a repetition of questions similar in their character1 and eliciting equivalent results4 ,a ,spirit-friend of ,mr4 ,marsh announced himself as present4 ,,mr4 ,,marsh4--',will you tell me your name8' ,,by ,,the ,,sounds4--',yes4' ,a list of names was written by ,mr4 ,m41 and as he pointed to them separately the ,spirit designated that of ,le ,grand ,smith4 ,,mr4 ,m4--',will you tell me the manner of your death8' ',lost at sea4' 7,correct47 ,,mr4 ,m4--',will you tell me where ,i last saw you8' ',new ,york4' 7,correct47 ',have you any other acquaintance in this room8' ',mr4 ,clapp4' ,,mr4 ,c4--',will ,mr4 ,marsh ask him where ,i last saw him8' ,answer obtained by ,mr4 ,marsh--',boston4' 7,correct47 ,,mr4 ,c4--',i have seen him when he was sick2 can he tell at what place8' ,,mr4 ,m4--',will the ,spirit tell where ,mr4 ,clapp has seen him sick8' ',new ,york4' 7,correct47 ',where else8' 7,no answer47 ',whom were you intimate with in ,boston8 the ,chickerings8' ,a weak affirmative was returned1 which was supposed to indicate that he was acquainted with them--perhaps not intimately4 ',did you know ,col4 ,n4 ,a4 ,thompson8' ',yes4' ',any other persons in this circle8' ',dr4 ,gardner'--and others4 ,dr4 ,g4 seemed willing that all failures should pass as such1 and promptly said1 ',that is a mistake1 gentlemen2 ,i don't know any such person4' ,a desultory conversation here sprung up2 after which ,mr4 ,marsh resumed3 ',in whose employ were you when ,i first knew you8' ',jenny ,lind's4' ,,dr4 ,g4--',oh6 is that the man8 ,i know now4 ,i saw him in ,springfield once2 had some sharp words with him1 too4' ,,mr4 ,,stockwell--',is there any other ,spirit present who was lost at sea8' ',yes4' ,,mr4 ,s4--',an acquaintance of mine8' ',yes4' ',will he tell in what steamer he was lost8' ,correctly answered4 ',if ,i write a list of names1 will he indicate his8' ',yes4' ,mr4 ,s4 wrote a list of names2 but neither of them was indicated by the ,spirit1 though he went through the list twice4 ,a moment or two after1 an earnest response was heard4 ,mr4 ,s4 had spelt the name wrong in the first instance2 but instantly1 on correcting it1 the affirmative came4 ,the last-mentioned facts were then stated to the company1 no hint having been given in the course of the proceeding whether it was satisfactory or not4 ,the name indicated was that of ,samuel ,stacy4 ,another friend of ,mr4 ,s4 announced his presence4 ,his name was correctly given2 and a list of towns was written1 with the request that he would point out where he died4 ,no response came2 but on changing the word ,cambridge in the list1 to ,cambridgeport1 the sounds were promptly returned4 ,in these last two instances was an accuracy of intelligence beyond what was looked for by the experimenter4 ',will the ,spirit tell his birth-place8' ',yes4' ,a list of towns being written by ,mr4 ,s41 was passed to ,mr4 ,brown1 with the request that the response might be given to him1 ,mr4 ,b4 being totally ignorant of the matter4 ,various tests of this nature were tried4 ,the questions were asked by those ignorant of their answers1 and the result was1 without exception1 correct4 ,the question of a separate intelligence having had due consideration1 experiments were tried with regard to the sounds4 ,the mediums1 by request1 moved to various portions of the room2 and the sounds were produced1 varying in quality according to the different substances from which they apparently proceeded4 ,the 'toe-joint' theory being suggested by some one1 the mediums were requested to stand on the spring cushion of a sofa4 ,this they did1 and merely touching the tip of a finger against the plastering1 the sounds were distinctly and abundantly heard on1 or rather in the wall4 ,they were equally distinct to a person in the adjoining room4 ,that the ladies had no other contact with the wall than to touch it lightly with the tip of a single finger1 all present can testify4 ,nor was this action of the members of the ,press the only investigation by high authority which we two 7,katie and ,i7 underwent on this occasion of our visit to ,boston1 in #aheg4 ,it was proposed by our friends that we should meet a party of ,unitarian clergymen at the house of ,rev4 ,dr4 ,harrington1 in ,summerville1 about six miles from ,boston4 ,they made a most thorough investigation4 ,they held a consultation in a private room1 and considered that now was the time to satisfy themselves in regard to the production of the sounds2 as they had read the statement made by the ,buffalo doctors1 in which knee-knocking figures1 and also the ,burr toe-ological humbug1 and many more wise theories1 which they wished to prove true or silence forever4 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,francis1 a brother of ,lydia ,maria ,child1 and another distinguished clergyman1 were appointed to hold our knees1 and two ladies held our feet1 rested on chairs1 exposed plainly to view4 ,during the time we were held in this position1 sounds were made all around the room--on chairs1 on the floor1 under their feet1 etc4 ,one old gentleman shouted out1 ,thank ,god1 ,i always believed the raps were genuine1 and now ,i know they are4 ,he then told us he was living near ,rochester when we first came before the public1 and always felt the deepest sympathy for us4 ,at the close of the investigation we were all invited to go into the dining-room1 where a sumptuous banquet had been prepared for the party4 ,the ,spirits of earth and heaven met and rejoiced together on this occasion2 and there were many more of the invisible ones than of those still in the flesh4 ,many sweet songs were sung1 and the timely echoes from the ,spirit world told us plainly that they were not afar off4 ,it was time for us to leave them4 ,mr4 ,alvin ,adams had taken us there in his beautiful equipage1 and he advised us of the hour4 ,the party accompanied us to the carriage1 and with many blessings and words of encouragement1 bid us farewell4 ,there were fifteen or more ,unitarian clergymen together with many of their lady and gentlemen friends4 ,one of the clergymen1 laying his hand on the shoulder of ,dr4 ,francis1 exclaimed1 ,gentlemen1 this is proof positive of that which we have all been grasping after1 as a shadow1 from time immemorial4 ,on our return to the hotel at ,boston1 a large party of friends had assembled in our parlor1 and met us with outstretched hands4 ,wm4 ,lloyd ,garrison said1 ,i know you have been successful1 or you would not come in with such happy faces4 ,the ,spirits rapped in response to his exclamation1 and we spent a pleasant evening4 ,the following morning a large party1 who came from ,vermont1 occasioned considerable amusement4 ,they came to see the mediums1 which seemed to be all that some of them wanted4 ,they waited in the reception-room4 ,several of them stood on the stairs4 ,as we came from the breakfast table and passed through the hall1 one of them called out loudly to the others1 ,there6 we've seen 'em without paying4 ,they came from the ,green ,mountains1 with the idea that we were something curious to be seen3 and they had concluded to spend a dollar in order to gratify their curiosity4 ,edwin ,forrest and several of his friends were still at the breakfast table1 and they enjoyed the joke very much4 ,the party were not all1 however1 of this kind2 two or three came in and paid the admission fee4 ,one woman had good evidence of communication with a daughter lately deceased4 ,we met many interesting persons at ,mr4 ,parks's1 among whom were ,theodore ,parker1 and ,rev4 ,james ,freeman ,clark1 who seemed very much interested1 and kindly invited us to accompany ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,parks to his home1 which invitation was accepted4 ,we spent a pleasant day with his honored mother and sister1 his wife being absent from home4 ,i shall ever remember the beaming1 kindly face of ,rev4 ,theodore ,parker1 who fearlessly1 frankly1 and honestly announced to his friends that he was a believer in ,spiritualism4 ,subsequently he visited me several times in company with ,rev4 ,john ,pierpont4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,robert ,,dale ,,owen ,,and ,,professor ,,felton1 ,,president ,,of ,,harvard ,,college4 ,,masterly ,,letter ,,from ,,mr4 ,,owen4 ,although not directly connected with the affair of the ,harvard ,professors1 yet it comes in natural sequence to the preceding chapter for me to mention that1 after the appearance of ,robert ,dale ,owen's ,footfalls on the ,boundary of ,another ,world1 ,professor ,felton1 who burned with angry zeal against ,spiritualism1 wrote him a letter 7,april #ac1 #ahfj71 which was slow in reaching its destination4 ,mr4 ,owen1 having written a reply to it1 requested ,felton's permission to publish the former with the latter2 a request which was declined on the ground that the letter was hastily written1 and intended only for your eyes4 ,the letter referred to was a fair sample of the sort of criticism which he wrote on the subject1 and which he was willing to retail out to others1 and then decline to face any fair discussion with a highly honorable opponent1 at least his equal in public and social position1 who had unanswerably answered his bitterly libellous language4 ,it is open to question whether ,mr4 ,owen's delicacy was not excessive in respecting the privacy of ,professor ,felton's volunteered letter of controversial attack upon his book1 and whether he would not have been perfectly justified in publishing it1 as he asked permission to do1 side by side with the masterly reply which it elicited4 ,this reply1 which ,i now proceed to publish1 will suffice to show how little the ,harvard dignitary1 however learned in ,greek1 was a match in logical controversy for ,mr4 ,owen1 who had been a distinguished member of ,congress1 and who had recently vacated the post of ,u4 ,s4 ,minister at the court of ,naples4 ,the ,professor stated that he had fully investigated the subject both in this country and in ,europe1 and that the conclusion at which he had arrived was that the alleged physical phenomena1 such as moving of tables without the ordinary application of physical force1 never take place under conditions which absolutely prevent the action of delusion or fraud4 ,he is not the only man who has claimed to have investigated1 when he has visited a few mediums with the eyes of his mind so shut and sealed with hostile prejudice that what he calls his investigation had been but an idle farce4 ,then again1 in the same letter1 he declares1 in relation to the investigation in ,boston1 that the whole thing failed1 failed utterly4 ,i refrain from designating this as it deserves4 ,i refer my readers to the history of that sham investigation for them to give it its proper designation4 ,he knew the statement was not true of the manifestations during the investigation1 if his own committee could be believed4 ,the letter says1 ,if ,i ever have time ,i shall prepare a volume on the subject4 ,he did not1 however1 have time before he followed the course of ,nature1 and he has now found out for himself many things not falling within the scope of his studies as ,professor of ,greek1 which he did not know before4 ,after this outpouring1 he goes on to sanction the same thing in ,christian ,revelation4 ,he says the cases are different4 ,yes1 we have the absolute facts here1 and that is better than those of long ago4 ,the fact is1 ,prof4 ,felton never gave it one hour of fair investigation4 ,though ,prof4 ,felton refused permission for the publication of his letter1 ,i am under no restraint for the publication of ,mr4 ,owen's masterly reply to it2 with which1 as it has not before been published 7to my knowledge71 ,i am glad to be able to enrich this volume4 ,,philadelphia1 ,november #ab1 #ahfj4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir3 ,it was only on my recent return from ,europe that ,i had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the thirtieth of ,april last4 ,i have since given to its strictures the earnest consideration to which the character and standing of the writer and his friendly tone justly entitle them4 ,if1 on a careful review1 ,i had found cause to believe that the tendency of my work is such as you represent1 it would be little consolation to feel that it was prompted by those good intentions which you are candid and courteous enough to ascribe to me4 ,prudence1 painstaking discrimination1 severe scrutiny of evidence1 especially for the novel or the extraordinary1 are1 in an author1 duties as imperative as good faith and uprightness2 nor should he escape reprehension by pleading the one1 if it appear that he has neglected the others4 ,but my conscience acquits me of neglecting1 save by exceptional inadvertence1 reasonable precautions4 ,that these may1 in some cases1 have proved unavailing1 is the lot of human effort4 ,so far1 however1 after ten months' probation1 ,i have had doubts cast upon a single narrative only1 out of the seventy or eighty which my volume contains2 and it is to the credit of your sagacity that the story thus discredited is that of the ,livonian ,schoolteacher1 the very one to the evidence for which you chiefly take exception4 ,it was part of my business in visiting ,europe to test a case1 to the conflicting evidence regarding which1 about three months after the publication of ',footfalls1' my attention was called by a friend2 and as my inquiries1 though they showed some foundation for the story1 tended to discredit its details1 ,i did what duty required of me2 ,i omitted in the ,english edition1 recently issued1 and in the tenth ,american edition1 the story in question1 adding an explanatory note1 and substituting a narrative entitled ',the ,two ,sisters1' relative to a similar phenomenon1 and of which a copy is herewith inclosed4 ,you will find the names of the two witnesses initialized only2 but ,i am authorized by these ladies to communicate to you1 if you desire to follow up the case1 their names--neither unknown nor little esteemed--and their residence1 within a day's easy journey of ,cambridge4 ,in two of the narratives1 the ',wynyard apparition' and ',gaspar1' ,i have obtained and inserted in the latest editions important additional vouchers4 ,you have not1 as you inform me1 the 'slightest hesitation in rejecting the entire mass of the stories4' ,forgive me if ,i say1 that ,i admire your boldness more than your discretion4 ,abercrombie1 in his ',intellectual ,powers1' vouches 7',footfalls1' pp4 #aea1 #afc1 #aha1 #bjd7 for several of the most remarkable4 ,john ,wesley relates 7p4 #bbe71 and ,dr4 ,adam ,clarke and the poet ,southey indorse 7p4 #bch7 another2 ,goethe is sponsor for one 7p4 #aig72 sceptics like ,mackay 7p4 #bee7 and ,macnish 7p4 #aee7 for a second and third2 ,mrs4 ,senator ,linn for a fourth 7p4 #dee72 ,dr4 ,bushnell for a fifth 7p4 #dei72 ,william ,howitt and his amiable wife for several more 7pp4 #agj1 #aga1 #cgc72 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,s4 ,c4 ,hall for two of the most interesting 7pp4 #ddg1 #dfc74 ,at least a dozen are attested by clergymen of unimpeached character4 ,if all these names seem to you irresponsible1 and if you refuse credit1 unless men be 'put on the stand and under the solemnity of an oath1' that species of evidence also1 the highest known to the law1 ,i have furnished4 ,the facts touching the ,mompesson disturbances were officially proved in court 7p4 #bba72 so1 before the sheriff of ,edinburgh1 were those which tormented ,captain ,molesworth 7p4 #bed72 so1 above all1 were the phenomena of the ,cideville ,parsonage1 running through two months and a half4 ,in this last case ,i have given 7pp4 #bge to #bhb7 the sworn testimony of eleven witnesses taken down1 as the ,french forms of law require1 in writing1 read over to each witness1 and its accuracy attested by the signature of each4 ,among these witnesses were the mayor of the town1 the ,marquis de ,mirville1 well known as an author of repute1 a neighboring lady of rank and her son1 and three clergymen4 ,the mayor swears that he saw the shovel and tongs move from the fireplace into the room1 no one touching them or near them2 that1 having replaced them1 the same thing happened a second time1 'while the witness had his eyes on them1 so as to detect any trick4' ,the ,curate of ,saussy saw a 'hammer fly1 impelled by an invisible force1 from the spot where it lay1 and fall on the floor without more noise than if he had placed it there4' ,all testify to phenomena1 and especially to knockings1 as marvellous as any which ,american ,spiritualism claims4 ,monsieur de ,saint ,victor deposes that 'he felt convinced1 that if every person in the house had set to work1 together1 to pound with mallets on the floor1 they would not have produced such a racket' 7p4 #bhj74 ,not one of the witnesses1 placed under such solemn responsibilities1 'shrinks from repeating the monstrous story4' ,the ,cideville wonders1 thus attested by evidence strong enough to hang a dozen men1 far exceed those of ,hydesville4 ,are you prepared to pronounce these eleven witnesses 7and as many more1 whose testimony ,i have omitted1 and who swear to the same incidents7 to be1 as you declared the ,foxes1 'wretched cheats1 contemptible and dishonest'8 ,did they1 too1 palm 'unscrupulous frauds on deluded people'8 ,have you not the 'slightest hesitation' in setting down persons of character and station as wilful perjurers8--nay1 as motiveless perjurers8 ,or were they1 one and all1 deluded8 ,were the impressions their senses received due only to 'ill-regulated imaginations'8 ,what sort of imagination is it that would persuade two men that a table which they sought1 by main force1 to prevent from moving1 did move1 without conceivable cause1 in spite of their efforts8 7p4 #bhj47 ,do people imagine 'such a clatter in the room that one can hardly endure it'8--or that 'every piece of furniture there was set in vibration'8--or such a pounding that the witness 'expected every moment that the floor of the apartment would sink beneath his feet'8 7p4 #bhj47 ,you take me to task for narrating on insufficient testimony4 ,if the rules of evidence which ,i have applied in the ,mompesson case1 in the ,wesley case1 in the ,cideville case1 and ,i will add in that of the ,rochester ,knockings1 are to be rejected as untrustworthy1 then not only shall we sink back to scepticism in all history and 7as far as historical evidence goes7 in all religion1 but proof will fail us1 in all our courts of justice1 alike to acquit the innocent and condemn the guilty4 ,i do not allege that all the narratives in my book are equally well authenticated4 ,the ,stilling story1 for example 7p4 #cag71 may be taken as apocryphal4 ,that of the ',surgeon's ,assistant' 7p4 #cbe7 has not been verified by me4 ',the ,rescue' 7p4 #ccc7 came to me1 thirty years after it happened1 at second hand4 ,but in these and in all similar examples throughout the book1 where the nature of the case did not admit of evidence at first hand1 ,i have specially called the attention of the reader to that fact4 ,nor1 if one or more of these stories should prove to be without foundation1 would it be just1 for that cause1 to discredit the others4 ,the 'ex uno disce omnes' argument is not applicable here4 ,each narrative ought to be judged independently1 by its own evidence4 ,it is a sound maxim in law1 that the superfluous does not invalidate the essential4 ,i may add that1 if in one example ,i have negligently omitted corroborative inquiries1 ,i am not in the habit of sparing pains to authenticate a narrative4 ,you imagine that ,i have been satisfied with the reports in ,spiritual papers about the ',electric girl4' ,i spent a week in ,paris in procuring the original documents in that case and embodying them in my narrative4 ,a small portion only of these is contained in the ',comptes ,rendus4' ,the authentic details have never yet been given to the ,american public4 ,they are of great interest in a scientific point of view4 ,you assume that such men as ,arago regard clairvoyance as mere trickery4 ,arago1 in #ahec1 expressly said 7',footfalls1' p4 #bc7 that 'somnambulism ought not to be rejected a priori1 especially by those who have kept up with the progress of modern science2' and he admitted 7',footfalls1' p4 #fh7 that 'psychology may one day obtain a place among the exact sciences4' ,cuvier went further4 ,he conceded 7',footfalls1' p4 #fh7 the principle lying at the base of ,mesmerism4 ,inasmuch as my book treats only of spontaneous phenomena1 not of those that are evoked1 ,i have therein said nothing of the ,foxes1 except in connection with the narrative of what1 in the olden time1 would have been called the 'haunted house' of ,hydesville2 one of a class of which ,i have given numerous other older examples4 ,now1 however1 having been afforded by the sisters ample opportunity to investigate the rappings and other manifestations alleged to occur in their presence1 ,i am ready1 after warning1 to go farther1 and to say that1 whatever the true character of these phenomena1 ,i see no reason whatever for ascribing them to imposture4 ,nothing came to light in the course of this investigation other than what bore1 to my mind1 the impress of an honest desire to be freed1 by rigid tests of fair dealing1 from all blame4 ,i never rest my opinion of character or motive upon report when ,i can have opportunity of personal verification4 ,such opportunity1 which in this case ,i believe you have not had1 ,i am enabled now to offer you4 ,i am authorized by ,mrs4 ,underhill 7formerly ,leah ,fox7 and by her husband 7a gentleman of ,new ,york who has been1 for seventeen years1 secretary of one of the principal insurance offices in ,wall ,street71 to say that1 though ,mrs4 ,underhill has not for some years sat as a professional medium1 and has resolved not again to do so1 she is willing1 in the interests of truth1 to afford you1 during the university vacation1 or at other time when your leisure serves1 all reasonable facilities for strict investigation4 ,i pray it may not be understood that ,i urge you to accept this offer4 ,i think1 indeed1 that such an investigation is not unworthy either of your character or of mine4 ,but ,i am no propagandist2 and ,i have observed that if there be nothing within which moves us to undertake such inquiries1 they seldom afford satisfaction or eventuate in useful results4 ,you speak of my book as 'ill-judged and mischievous1' as 'furnishing aid to hosts of deceivers1' and you think it1 'in the present state of intellectual and moral disorder' on the subjects of which it treats1 'peculiarly dangerous4' ,truth1 unless prematurely urged 7,john xvi4 #ab71 is never ill-judged or mischievous4 ,i did not go in search of this subject4 ,it came up in the course of human events1 and doubtless at the proper time and for a good purpose4 ,i found it already controlling the belief of hundreds of thousands1 engaging the attention of millions4 ,this1 if it presented no other claims1 appeared to me to entitle it1 before judgment pronounced1 to diligent and respectful inquiry4 ,thus inquiring1 ,i perceived1 as you have done1 'intellectual and moral disorders' not unfrequently following in the train of its influence2 yet1 looking at it more closely1 ,i became convinced that it produced good as well as evil4 ,surveying the ground further1 ,i found the arena occupied chiefly by partisans2 some of these 7shall ,i include yourself87 delving the good2 others1 in their hasty enthusiasm1 overlooking the evil4 ,the former seemed to me to forget that it is not by despising error that we correct it2 the latter1 that the new and the untried often run into error and extravagance4 ,desiring1 after twenty years of public life1 some more tranquil and philosophical field of labor1 ,i discovered none which appeared to promise more useful results than this4 ,if1 as you allege1 'all the phenomena are due to two1 and only two sources--delusion and imposture1' these should be detected and exploded1 as by carefully prosecuted researches every delusion and every imposture can be4 ,if1 as ,i believe1 there be a foundation of truth underlying them1 still there is imperative demand for the exercise of prudence and the precautions of due regulation4 ,lacking these1 a source of good may eventuate in evil4 ,even if the phenomena1 wisely followed up1 may elevate morality and fortify religion1 yet if these marvels are permitted to spread among us without chart or compass whereby to steer our course through an unexplored ocean of mystery1 we may find ourselves at the mercy of very sinister influences4 ,as to the general question at issue between yourself and me1 you admit the reality of ,spiritual influences directly exerted by ,god upon human intelligence4 ,so far as1 from the ,creator's work1 we may judge ,his modes of action1 these are mediate and by ministering agencies1 not by direct intervention4 ,why1 then1 should we regard the hypothesis of ,spiritual interposition 7,hebrews i4 #ad7 as a baseless superstition8 ,you further admit the occurrence1 though only in ,christ's day1 of ,spiritual intercourse4 ,but a dispassionate survey of the economy of the universe tends to the conviction that no great law of action ever shows itself1 for a brief season1 thereafter to disappear forever4 ,and ,scripture1 instead of thus restricting ,spiritual phenomena1 intimates 7,mark xvi4 #ag1 #ah7 their continuance4 ,guided by such general views1 ,i published ',footfalls4' ,its prompt sale and its favorable reception have been my least rewards4 ,tokens of sympathy and of gratitude contain the greater4 ,a mother1 deprived by death of her favorite child1 and refusing to be comforted because he was not1 confesses that she has been indebted to its pages for healthy and hopeful views of death1 renovated spirits1 courage to labor and to wait4 ,a sceptic into whose hands the volume fell a few weeks before his decease1 requests that1 after he is gone1 ,i may be informed that to that volume1 and especially to its chapter on the ',change at ,death1' he owed the revolution of a life's opinions1 and the first consolatory conviction which had ever reached him that there was a fairer and a better world toward which he was fast hastening4 ',by their fruits ye shall know them1' said the great ,author of our religion4 ,do not fruits like these indicate a good tree8 ,and if the chief narratives contained in my book may be trusted1 what are their teachings8 ,that not an effort to store our minds or school our hearts1 made here in time1 but has its result and its reward hereafter in eternity4 ,but what motive to exertion in good can be proposed to man more powerful than such an assurance8 ,these are my reasons for still believing1 notwithstanding your opinion of my work1 that it is of wholesome tendency4 ,time1 the great teacher1 will decide between us4 ,ten years--probably less--will see the question determined whether the ,spiritual hypothesis is destined to grow in favor and assume station as a reality1 or to sink into discredit1 as a mere figment of the brain4 ,i am content to bide the event4 ,meanwhile1 following my convictions of the useful1 ,i propose next year 7unless ere then ,i pass to another phase of existence where much that is now obscure will doubtless be made plain7 to follow up my first work by another2 and therein ,i purpose to examine what ,i have not yet touched upon2 namely1 the progress and character of what go by the name of ',spiritual manifestations4' ,i purpose to investigate first their verity1 then their influence2 to inquire under what aspects they have proved injurious1 and under what beneficial to mankind2 how far they may be usefully prosecuted1 and at what point they become prejudicial or unsafe4 ,this second volume1 like the first1 shall contain many materials1 some suggestions1 few opinions4 ,on such a subject as this1 dogmatism1 whether in affirming or denying1 is unpardonable4 ,there is1 perhaps1 no human inquiry1 as to which ,bacon's wise aphorism is more applicable3 ',if a man will begin with certainties1 he shall end in doubts2 but if he will be content to begin with doubts1 he shall end in certainties4' ,if even the opinions and suggestions ,i may offer should fail in accuracy1 the materials will remain valuable1 if care and industry may avail judiciously to select them4 ,from these each reader can deduce his own conclusions2 and thus1 perhaps1 such incidental puzzles as the seeming investment with clothing of apparitions may be relieved from the imputation of absurdity1 if they do not find full solution4 ,a word1 in conclusion1 as to the alleged abandonment of what is called ,spiritualism by certain persons named by you4 ,you adduce the reported defection of such seceders as conclusive argument against the cause they desert4 ,but it proves nothing1 except1 perhaps1 that one extreme often results in its opposite4 ,if these men1 forsaking common sense1 ran off into wild extravagance1 little wonder that they repented4 ,and if their case be otherwise1 their secession1 if secede they did1 has still no weight4 ,weak men adopt opinions1 and again discard them1 alike on insufficient evidence4 ,we sometimes turn back1 confused1 in the very path of progress4 ,du ,fay1 the discoverer of the fact that there are two kinds or states of electricity1 repudiated his own brilliant discovery4 ,i am1 my dear sir1 ,faithfully yours1 ,,robert ,,dale ,,owen4 ,,president ,c4 ,c4 ,,felton4#ac #ac ,to this letter ,prof4 ,felton never made any published reply4 ,a letter from him1 bearing date seven days after that of ,mr4 ,owen1 is before me 7or rather a copy of it which ,mr4 ,owen allowed ,mr4 ,underhill to make72 but1 while perfectly civil and friendly1 it bears on its face the evidence of a virtual prohibition of publication1 saying that it was so hastily written that it was despatched without reperusal1 and that his other duties left him no time for public controversy on this subject4 ,i need only say that it was mainly made up of slashing and sweeping generalities against ,spiritualism1 which ,mr4 ,owen would have had not the slightest difficulty in confuting--and in confuting so triumphantly that the learned ,greek professor of ,harvard would not have had a rag left to cover the nakedness of the absurdum to which he would have been reduced by ,owen's superior brain and pen4 ,a further appeal against publication was clearly involved in a remark that he contemplated some future publication of a volume on the subject4 ,mr4 ,owen therefore could do no more than await the promised volume1 but the purpose was never carried into effect2 which is much to be regretted1 since its non-appearance costs to the literature of ,spiritualism a third volume 7this time controversial71 which would have constituted a precious sequel to ,mr4 ,owen's two great works1 the ,footfalls on the ,boundary of another ,world1 and ,the ,debatable ,land4 ,the two gentlemen 7both of whom ,i knew7 have now passed beyond that ,boundary1 and beyond all further ,debate about that ,land1 where we shall all soon find them1 ,i doubt not1 now excellent friends to the cause of ,spiritualism1 as well as to each other4--,,ed4 ,i may add that ,mr4 ,owen1 in the summer of #ahei1 while residing with us1 engaged upon his first book 7the ,footfalls71 obtained the willing consent of ,mr4 ,underhill and myself1 to invite ,prof4 ,felton to come and accept the hospitality of our home at #bcb ,w4 #cgth ,street1 for a fortnight or as much shorter or longer a period as he might favor us with his stay2 as a means of receiving daily and hourly evidences of all he should like to investigate4 ,prof4 ,felton declined the invitation4 ,the invitation proved at least our willingness to submit to such an exhaustive investigation4 ,what disposition its non-acceptance indicated on the other side1 in regard to a question which is confessedly one of supremest vital importance to all mankind1 it is not for me to say1 but rather to leave to the judgment of those who may do me the honor of being my readers4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,experiences ,,of ,,robert ,,dale ,,owen ,,through ,,the ,,mediumship ,,of ,,the ,,author4 ,,moving ,a ,,ledge ,,of ,,rock ,,on ,,the ,,sea-,,shore--,,raps ,,on ,,the ,,water1 ,,and ,,in ,,the ,,living ,,wood--,,seeing ,,the ,,raps--,,moving ,,ponderable ,,bodies ,,by ,,occult ,,agency--,,crucial ,,test--,a ,,heavy ,,dinner-,,table ,,suspended ,,in ,,the ,,air ,,by ,,occult ,,agency4 ,i will here introduce some interesting extracts from ,robert ,dale ,owen1 relating to some of his personal experiences with me1 which will speak for themselves3 ,i4 ,,moving ,a ,,ledge ,,of ,,rock ,,on ,,the ,,sea-,,shore4 ,on the twenty-fourth of ,august1 #ahfa1 ,i accepted an invitation1 from ,mr4 ,samuel ,b4 ,underhill1 of ,new ,rochelle1 a sea-side village on the shore of ,long ,island ,sound1 to spend the next day with him1 in company with ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,underhill 7their near relatives74 ,on the afternoon of ,august #be1 ,mr4 ,s4 ,b4 ,underhill drove us out in his carriage1 through the picturesque country adjoining the village2 the party consisting of ,mr4 ,s4 ,b4 ,underhill and his wife1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,d4 ,underhill1 and myself4#ad #ad ,mrs4 ,s4 ,b4 ,underhill was a sister of my husband1 and a full believer in ,spiritualism4 ,there was no relationship between ,mr4 ,s4 ,b4 and ,mr4 ,d4 ,underhill4 ,it had simply happened that his sister had married a gentleman of her own name with whom she had no tie of kin4 ,in the course of the drive1 coming near the shore of the ,sound1 at a point where there were long ledges of rock slanting down into the water1 it suddenly suggested itself to me that here was an excellent opportunity for a crucial test4 ,i inquired of ,mrs4 ,underhill if she had ever tried to obtain raps on the sea-shore4 ',no1' she said2 she never had4 ',do you think we can get them here8' ,i asked4 ',i have never found any place where they could not be had1' she replied2 'so ,i dare say we can4' ,thereupon there were three raps--the conventional sign of assent--from the bottom of the carriage4 ,so we drove down to the beach1 and got out to test the matter4 ,the portion of rock whither we repaired was not an isolated block1 detached from the rest1 but part of a large1 flat mass of rock1 covering at least half an acre1 and running back into a bluff bank that rose beyond it2 there were also several underlying ledges4 ,we were about thirty feet from the sea and1 as there was a moderate breeze1 the surf broke on the rocks below us4 ,but yet1 standing on the ledge beside ,mrs4 ,underhill1 and asking for the raps1 ,i heard them quite distinctly above the noise produced by the surf4 ,this was several times repeated1 with the same result4 ,then ,mrs4 ,underhill and ,mrs4 ,s4 ,b4 ,underhill sat down1 and ,i1 stepping on a lower ledge1 laid my ear on the ledge on which the ladies were sitting and repeated my request4 ,in a few seconds the raps were heard by me from within the substance of the rock and immediately beneath my ear4 ,i then sought to verify the matter by the sense of touch4 ,placing my hand on the same ledge1 a few feet from ,mrs4 ,underhill1 and asking for the raps1 when these came audibly1 ,i felt1 simultaneously with each rap1 a slight but unmistakably distinct vibration or concussion of the rock4 ,it was sufficiently marked to indicate to me a rap1 once or twice1 when a louder roll of the surf for a moment drowned the sound4 ,without making any remark as to what ,i felt1 ,i asked ,mr4 ,u4 to put his hand on the ledge4 ',why6' he suddenly exclaimed1 'the whole rock vibrates6' ,during all this time ,mrs4 ,underhill sat1 as far as ,i could judge1 in complete repose4--,debatable ,land1 p4 #cdf4 ,,ii4 ,,raps ,,on ,,the ,,water ,,and ,,in ,,the ,,living ,,wood4 ,on the tenth of ,july1 #ahfa1 ,i joined a few friends in an excursion from the city of ,new ,york1 by steamboat1 to the ,highlands of ,neversink2 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,underhill being of the party4 ,it occurred to me1 while sitting on deck by ,mrs4 ,underhill1 to ask if we could have the raps there4 ,instantly they were distinctly heard1 first from the deck1 and then ,i heard them1 and quite plainly felt them1 on the wooden stool on which ,i sat4 ,in the afternoon our party went out in a sailing boat1 fifteen or twenty feet long4 ,there1 again at my suggestion1 we had them1 sounding from under the floor of the boat4 ,it had a centre-board1 or sliding keel1 and we had raps from within the long1 narrow box that inclosed it4 ,at any part of this box where we called for the raps1 we obtained them4 ,in the evening we ascended a hill1 back of the hotel1 to the ,highland light-house4 ,in returning and passing through a wood on the hill-side1 ,i proposed to try if we could have raps from the ground2 and immediately ,i plainly heard them from beneath the ground on which we trod3 it was a dull sound1 as of blows struck on the earth4 ,then ,i asked ,mrs4 ,underhill to touch one of the trees with the tips of her fingers1 and1 applying my ear to the tree1 ,i beard the raps from beneath the bark4 ,other persons of our party verified this as ,i had done4 ,in returning1 next morning1 on another steamer1 we had raps on the hand-rail of the upper promenade deck1 and also from within a small metal boat that was turned upside down1 on the deck below4 ,notes of these experiments were taken immediately on my return to ,new ,york4--,owen's ,debatable ,land1 p4 #cde4 ,,iii4 ,,seeing ,,the ,,raps4 ,it was during an evening session at ,mr4 ,underhill's1 ,february #bb1 #ahfj4 ,besides ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,underhill1 ,kate ,fox1 and myself1 there were present ,mr4 ,underhill's aged father and mother2 venerable examples of the plain1 primitive ,quakers1 both of whom took the deepest interest in the proceedings4 ,by request1 through the raps1 the gas was extinguished and we joined hands4 ,very soon lights were seen floating about the room1 apparently phosphorescent4 ,at first they were small1 just visible1 but gradually they became larger1 attaining the size and general outline of hands2 but ,i could not distinguish any fingers4 ,these lights usually showed themselves first behind and between ,leah and ,kate1 near the floor4 ,then they rose2 sometimes remaining near ,leah's head1 sometimes near her sister's4 ,one of them was nearly as large as a human head4 ,none of these touched me1 though one approached within a few inches4 ,another made circles in the air just above our heads4 ,after floating about for a brief space1 they usually seemed to return either to ,leah or ,kate4 ,while the hands of the circle remained joined1 ,i looked under the table#ae and saw lights1 as many as ten or twelve times1 on or near the floor1 and moving about4 ,once1 while ,i was looking intently at such a light1 about as large as a small fist1 it rose and fell1 as a hammer would with which one was striking against the floor4 ,at each stroke a loud rap was heard in connection4 ,it was exactly as if an invisible hand held an illuminated hammer and pounded with it4 ,then1 desiring conscious proof of what ,i saw was not by human agency1 ,i asked mentally1 ',will the ,spirit strike with that light three times8' which was done forthwith2 and then1 after an interval1 repeated4 #ae ,this is literally exact that ,mr4 ,owen looked under the table1 but it omits to say how2 and ,i the more readily supply that omission1 because he himself1 after his book was published1 expressed regret that1 in his cultivation of brevity1 he had not explained himself more fully4 ,to speak of having looked under a table rather suggests the idea of having stooped down for that purpose4 ,the following was exactly the way in which it passed4 ,mr4 ,owen desired to look under it and thought of so doing1 when the table1 which was an extension-table1 opened itself1 its two halves being drawn apart1 so as to enable him to see through as well as under it1 through the wide opening thus made--evidently by the ,spirits who had seen his thought4 ,as this was a distinct phenomenal fact 7and one not without its interest7 ,mr4 ,owen regretted afterward that he had not stated it precisely as it had occurred4 ,when1 a second time1 the light was seen and ,i was noticing the corresponding sounds1 some one said1 ',can you make it softer8' ,almost instantly ,i saw the light diminish and strike the floor1 at intervals1 with a soft and muffled sound1 just distinguishable4--,debatable ,land1 p4 #cdh4 ,,iv4 ,,moving ,,ponderable ,,bodies ,,by ,,occult ,,agency4 ',when they came to ,jordan1 they cut down wood4 ,but as one was felling a beam1 the axe head fell into the water2 and he cried1 and said 7to ,elisha71 ',alas1 master6' for it was borrowed4 ,and the man of ,god said1 ',where fell it8' ,and he showed him the place4 ,and he cut down a stick1 and cast it thither2 and the iron did swim4' 7#b ,kings vi4 #d-f47 ,the raising from the ground of weighty substances1 or the moving of these from place to place1 is one of the most common1 and most easily verified1 of physical manifestations4 ,i have elsewhere given many examples of it4 7,see ',footfalls on the ,boundary of ,another ,world4'7 ,here ,i shall add but two or three out of the numerous cases that have come under my eye during ,spiritual sessions4 ,a most satisfactory test of the power1 by occult agency1 to raise ponderous substances was suggested to me by that practical thinker1 the late ,robert ,chambers1 the well-known author and publisher1 during his visit to the ,united ,states1 in the autumn of #ahfj2 and we carried it out on the thirteenth of ,october of that year4 ,on the evening of that day we had a sitting in ,mrs4 ,underhill's dining-room2 there being present ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,underhill1 ,kate ,fox1 ,mr4 ,chambers1 and myself4 ,in this room we found an extension dinner-table of solid mahogany1 capable of seating fourteen persons4 ,this we contracted to the form of a centre-table1 and1 having procured a large steelyard1 we found that it weighed in that form a hundred and twenty-one pounds4 ,we suspended this table by the steelyard1 in exact equipoise and about eight inches from the floor4 ,then we sat down by it2 and while our experiment proceeded1 ,mrs4 ,underhill sat with the points of both feet touching one of mine and ,kate in the same relation to ,mr4 ,chambers4 ,this was done at their suggestion1 so as to afford us proof that they had no physical agency in the matter4 ,their hands were over the table1 near the top1 but not touching it4 ,there was bright gas-light4 ,thus we were able to obtain a ,,crucial ,,test1 the table remaining suspended1 with the constant weight at the figure of #aba4 ,we asked that it might be made lighter4 ,in a few seconds the long arm ascended4 ,we moved the weight to the figure #ajj3 it still ascended2 then to #hj2 then to #fj4 ,even at this last figure the smaller arm of the steelyard was somewhat depressed1 showing that the table1 for the moment1 weighed less than sixty pounds4 ,it had lost more than half its weight1 namely1 upward of sixty-one pounds4 ,in other words there was a power equal to sixty-one pounds sustaining it4 ,then we asked that it might be made heavier2 and it was so2 first1 as the figures indicated1 to #acj1 and finally to a hundred and forty-four pounds4 ,the change of weight continued1 in each instance1 from three to eight seconds1 as we ascertained by our watches2 and during the whole time the ladies maintained the same position of feet and hands2 ,mr4 ,underhill not approaching the table4 ,we had given ,mr4 ,underhill no notice of our intention to ask for this experiment4 ,the heavy steelyard was bought for the occasion from a hardware-store in the neighborhood4 ,how much a ,jewish axe-head commonly weighed1 in the days of ,elisha1 ,i know not2 it could be but a few pounds4 ,our miracle 7dynamics7 exceeded that of the prophet1 as far as regards the weight of the body that was made lighter4 ,but the ,hebrew seer was at a greater distance from the object raised than were our mediums4 ,on the evening just preceding that on which we tried the above experiment ,i had a sitting at ,mr4 ,underhill's1 with very satisfactory result4 ,a ,,heavy ,,dinner-,,table ,,suspended ,,in ,,the ,,air ,,without ,,contact4 ,our session was on the evening of ,october #ab1 #ahfj1 lasting from half-past nine till eleven4#af ,it was held in the same room and at the same table before mentioned1 and by gas-light4 ,present1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,underhill1 ,kate ,fox1 ,mr4 ,harrison ,gray ,dyer1 of ,new ,york1 and myself4 ,we had very loud rappings1 from various parts of the room and on the chairs4 ,then1 while our hands were on the table1 it began to move1 sometimes with a rotary motion1 sometimes rising up on one side1 until finally it rose from the floor all but one leg4 ,then we sought to induce it to rise entirely from the floor4 ,after 7what seemed7 strenuous efforts1 almost successful1 to rise1 we aided it by each putting a single finger under it2 and1 with this slight assistance1 it rose into the air and remained suspended during six or seven seconds4 #af ,we found1 by repeated trials1 that our experiments succeeded better when we sat at a late hour1 after the servants had gone to bed1 when the house and the streets were quiet4 ,after a time we asked whether1 if we removed our fingers from the table-top1 while it was in the air1 it could still remain suspended2 and the reply 7by rapping7 being in the affirmative1 after aiding it to rise as before1 we withdrew our fingers entirely1 raising them above it4 ,the table then remained1 nearly level1 suspended without any human support whatever1 during the space of five or six seconds2 and then gradually settled down1 without jar or sudden dropping1 to the floor4 ,then1 anxious to advance a step further1 we asked if the table could not be raised from the floor without any aid or contact whatever4 ,the reply being in the affirmative1 we stood up and placed all our hands over it1 at the distance of three or four inches from the table-top3 when it rose of itself1 following our hands as we gradually raised them1 till it hung in the air about the same distance from the floor as before4 ,there it remained six or seven seconds1 preserving its horizontal1 and almost as steady as when it rested on the ground2 then it slowly descended1 still preserving the horizontal1 until the feet reached the carpet4 ,as before1 there was no jar or sudden dropping4 ,the same experiment was repeated next evening in the presence of ,robert ,chambers1 after we had completed our tests with the steelyard2 and with exactly the same results4 ,at first1 as before1 we raised it on our fingers2 then1 withdrawing them1 it remained in the air six or seven seconds4 ,on the second trial it rose entirely without contact1 remaining suspended for about the same space4 ,it should here be remarked that we were in the habit1 during these experiments1 of moving the table to different parts of the room1 and of looking under it from time to time4 ,upon the whole ,i consider this moving of physical objects to be as conclusively established1 in its ultramundane aspect1 as the ,spirit rap4 ,a hundred and twenty pound dinner-table is no trifle to lift4 ,the conditions exclude the possibility of concealed machinery4 ,and by what conceivable bodily effort1 undetectable by watchful bystanders1 can two or three assistants heave from the ground1 maintain in the air1 and then drop slowly to the floor1 so ponderous a weight1 with their hands the while in full view1 under broad gas-light8 ,no one in his senses1 and believing in his senses1 can witness what ,i have witnessed1 and yet remain a sceptic in this matter4--,debatable ,land1 p4 #cfa4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,experiences ,,of ,,the ,,author ,,with ,,robert ,,dale ,,owen 7,continued74 ,v4 ,,an ,,eventful ,,hour ,,with ,,leah ,,fox ,,underhill--,a ,,ghost ,,speaks4 ,it was on the evening of ,sunday1 the twenty-first of ,october1 #ahfj4 ,the sitting was held in ,mr4 ,underhill's dining-room1 lasting from ten till eleven o'clock ,p4,m4 ,the room was lighted by gas4 ,there were two windows fronting the street2 three doors3 one opening on a corridor whence a staircase ascended to the next floor1 another opening on a short passage leading to the kitchen1 the third1 the door of a pantry in which were crockery and various other articles1 including a barrel of loaf-sugar in one corner4 ,before we had any demonstrations the raps requested us to wait until the domestics had retired4 ,there were two servant girls in the kitchen1 whom ,mrs4 ,underhill sent up stairs to bed1 so that everything was profoundly still on that floor of the house4 ,then we fastened the inside blinds of both windows1 so as to exclude all light from the street4 ,before commencing the session1 at ,mr4 ,underhill's request1 ,i shut and locked the three doors above referred to1 leaving the keys in the doors1 so that no one1 even if furnished with keys1 could open them from without4 ,i satisfied myself by careful personal inspection of the furniture1 and otherwise1 that there was no one in the pantry1 nor any one in the dining-room except the three persons who1 along with myself1 assisted at the sitting4 ,these persons were ,mr4 ,daniel ,underhill1 ,mrs4 ,underhill 7,leah ,fox71 and her nephew1 ,charles1 twelve years old4 ,we sat down to a centre-table1 three feet eleven inches in diameter1 of black walnut1 and without table-cover4 7,i had previously looked under it2 nothing to be seen there47 ,the gas-burner was immediately over it4 ,i sat on the east side of the table1 ,mr4 ,underhill opposite to me1 ,mrs4 ,underhill on my left hand1 and ,charles on the right4 ,there was no fire in the room4 ,the rappings commenced1 gradually increasing in number and force4 ,after a short interval they spelled1 ',put out the gas4' ,it was accordingly extinguished and the room remained in total darkness4 ,then ',join hands4' ,shortly after doing so ,i felt1 several times1 a cool breeze blowing on my cheek4 ,then was spelled1 ',do not break the circle4' ,we obeyed2 and1 except for a second or two at a time1 it remained1 on my part1 unbroken throughout the rest of the sitting4 ,after a few minutes ,i perceived a light1 apparently of a phosphorescent character1 on my left1 near the floor4 ,it was1 at first1 of a rectangular form1 with the edges rounded4 ,i judged it to be about four inches long and two and a half inches wide4 ,it seemed like an open palm illuminated1 but the light which emanated from it showed quite distinctly its entire surface2 ,i could distinguish no fingers4 ,for a time it moved about near the floor1 then it rose into the air and floated about the room1 sometimes over our heads4 ,after a time it changed its appearance and increased in brightness4 ,it then resembled an opaque oval substance1 about the size of a child's head1 muffled up in the folds of some very white and shining material1 like fine linen1 only brighter4 ,as it moved about1 ,i began to hear1 at first imperfectly1 afterward somewhat more distinctly1 the rustling as of a silk dress1 or of other light article of female apparel1 giving the impression that one or more persons were moving silently about the room4 ,then the light passed behind ,mrs4 ,underhill2 then ,i saw it close to ,mr4 ,underhill1 and just opposite to me4 ,mr4 ,underhill said1 ',can you not go down to ,mr4 ,owen8 do try4' ,thereupon it moved slowly around to my left side4 ,this time the folds appeared to have dropped1 and what seemed a face 7still covered1 however1 with a luminous veil7 came bending down within five or six inches of my own face1 as ,i turned toward it4 ,as it approached1 ,i plainly distinguished the semi-luminous outline of an entire figure of the usual female stature4 ,i saw1 very distinctly1 the arms moving4 ,at the lower extremity of its right arm1 as if on the palm of the hand1 the figure bore what seemed a rectangular substance1 about four inches by two1 as nearly as ,i could estimate4 ,this substance was more brightly illuminated than the rest of the figure4 ,it may have been only the illuminated palm1 but ,i do not think it was2 it seemed more like a transparent box with phosphorescent light within it4 ,whatever it was1 the figure raised it above its head1 and then passed it slowly down close to what seemed the face1 and then over the upper part of the body1 as one might pass a lantern over any object1 with intent to make it visible4 ,this action it repeated several times4 ,by aid of the illuminations thus afforded ,i saw1 more distinctly than before1 the general form of the face and figure2 but both appeared covered with a half-transparent veil1 and ,i could distinguish no features2 nor were the outlines of the body1 nor of the limbs1 sharply defined4 ,the motion of the right arm with the light was the most marked and frequent4 ,while this was taking place ,i held ,mrs4 ,underhill's hand and ,charles's4 ,as the various phases of the phenomena succeeded each other1 ,i remarked on what ,i saw2 and ,mr4 ,underhill1 from the opposite side of the table1 responded to my remarks2 so that ,i am quite certain he was seated there4 ,i expressed a wish that the ,spirit would touch me1 and ,mr4 ,underhill said1 from his place1 ',we are very anxious that the ,spirit should touch ,mr4 ,owen1 if it can4' ,thereupon ,i felt what seemed a human hand laid on my head4 ,and1 as ,i looked steadily at the figure1 which stood on my left side1 ,i saw its head bend toward my left shoulder4 ,a moment afterward ,i felt1 and simultaneously heard1 just behind the point of that shoulder1 a kiss imprinted4 ,i could not1 for any physical fact1 obtain the evidence of three senses--sight1 touch1 and hearing--more distinctly than in this case ,i did4 ,immediately afterward ,i saw this luminous body pass behind me2 what seemed1 by the touch1 to be hands gently laid hold of both my shoulders and turned me round to the right4 ,i looked on that side and the figure now stood by my right shoulder4 ,after pausing there for a few seconds1 it moved toward the window furthest from me1 and we heard the sounds as if some one were attempting to open the window-blind4 ,mr4 ,underhill1 from his place1 remarked that it would probably be able to effect this2 for it had done so on a previous occasion4 ,the blind was in four compartments1 each of which could be opened or closed by raising or lowering a wire attached to movable slats4 ,the figure opened the upper left-hand quarter of the blind1 so that a faint light shone in from the street lamps4 ,i was looking at the window when this occurred4 ,up to this time the appearance1 gradually becoming more luminous1 had been in sight1 moving about the room fully five minutes4 ,there was not the slightest footfall when it moved4 ,my hearing is very acute2 ,i listened for every sound2 and as1 in the intervals of conversation1 the silence was unbroken1 ,i could have detected the fall of the lightest footstep4 ,from this time the light which illuminated the figure gradually faded1 and soon ,i could no longer distinguish any form4 ,the slight rustling sound1 unaccompanied by footsteps1 still1 however1 continued4 ,suddenly we heard a noise as of the door opposite to me being unlocked2 then of its being hastily opened and shut2 then the rustling sound approached me on the left1 and a key was laid on my left hand4 ,then a second door was heard to be unlocked in the same way1 and ,i heard another key laid on the table just before me4 ,then a third door 7that of the cup-board1 by the sound7 was heard to be unlocked and opened1 and a key1 as if pitched over our heads1 was heard to drop with a clatter on the table4 ,while this was going on ,i commented1 from time to time1 on each occurrence1 and received answers from ,mr4 ,underhill1 from his place at the table opposite to me4 ,while we were conversing1 there was a rattling of the crockery in the cup-board4 ,mrs4 ,underhill expressed her apprehensions as to some favorite china1 but ,mr4 ,underhill replied1 ',i will trust the ,spirits2' and then added1 ',cannot the ,spirit bring something to ,mr4 ,owen8' ,almost immediately there was set down on the table1 close to my left hand1 some object which ,i touched1 and it proved to be a cut-glass goblet4 ,in setting it down1 what seemed a human hand touched mine1 and immediately afterward was laid several times on my shoulder4 ,i expressed a desire that it would distinctly grasp my hand1 to which ,mr4 ,underhill responded4 ,instantly a small hand1 or what in touch resembled one1 took hold of my hand and grasped it4 ,then it clasped my bare wrist1 gently but with a firm grasp2 then my lower arm1 then my upper arm2 each time with a distinct grasp4 ,i could not have distinguished the touch from that of a human hand4 ,it was a little cooler than mine1 but not disagreeably so4 ,there was nothing chilly or clammy or otherwise unpleasant about it4 ,there was after this1 throughout the sitting1 no sound whatever of opening or closing doors4 ,while it was touching me thus1 ,mr4 ,underhill said1 ',can you fill the goblet you brought to ,mr4 ,owen with water8' ,there was a rustling but no footstep1 a slight noise in the pantry1 and then the sound of something dropped into the goblet2 but1 putting my hand in1 ,i felt no water4 ,in doing so ,i broke the circle only for a moment4 ,then1 just behind me1 ,i heard a sound as if the glass of the clock on the mantel-piece were touched and shaken4 ,all this time there was no word spoken except by those at the table2 but1 once or twice1 there was a whistling sound in the air4 ,when1 soon after1 we were bidden by the raps to relight the gas1 ,i found three door-keys on the table1 the goblet also1 and within it a lump of loaf-sugar4 ,both the room doors were closed1 but on trying them ,i found that neither was locked4 ,two of the keys on the table fitted them4 ,the door of the pantry1 which the third key fitted1 stood open1 and the cover of the barrel of sugar was pushed partly off4 ,the left-hand upper portion of the blind1 at which we had seen and heard the figure1 was open4 ,these are facts1 all briefly noted down the same evening on which they happened1 and written out in full the next morning4 ,the allegations1 by the raps1 were that the ,spirit present was that of a daughter of ,mrs4 ,fox1 who had died young1 and that other ,spirits were present 7among them an ,indian ,spirit71 aiding her to show herself to our circle4 ,emily--that was the girl's name--had been ,mrs4 ,underhill's favorite sister1 long mourned over1 and had lain1 during the last hour of her life and at the moment of death1 in ,mrs4 ,underhill's arms4 ,mr4 ,underhill stated to me that he had seen the same ,spirit1 as distinctly1 several times before2 and that he had been able to distinguish the features4 ,he appeared also1 on this occasion1 to have perceived the whole figure1 and especially the features1 more distinctly than ,i did1 though my natural sight has always been keen1 and1 except within ordinary reading distance1 is still nearly as strong as it was thirty years ago4 ,with these exceptions1 all present1 so far as ,i could judge by comparing notes with them during and after the sitting1 seemed to have seen and heard the succession of phenomena here described just as ,i myself had done4 ,up to this time1 never having witnessed any such phenomena as these1 ,i had often doubted within myself how ,i should be affected by witnessing an apparition1 or what ,i had reason to consider such4 ,it seemed to me that ,i should experience no alarm2 but of this in advance of actual experience1 ,i could not be assured4 ,now ,i know just how far ,i can trust my self-possession4 ,awe ,i undoubtedly felt--awe and intense interest2 but1 in looking back on my feelings throughout that wonder-bringing hour1 ,i feel certain that a physician might have placed his finger on my wrist1 even at the moment when that dimly illuminated ,presence first bent over me1 with scarcely six inches intervening between its veiled face and mine--its hands placed on my head1 its lips touching my shoulder--and not have found the beatings of my pulse unduly accelerated2 or if he had detected acceleration1 it could not1 ,i am very sure1 have been justly ascribed to any tremor or fear1 but solely to the natural effect of solemn and riveted expectation4 ,if a man1 under such circumstances1 may trust to his own recollections not twenty-four hours old1 ,i can aver1 on my honor1 that ,i was not1 at any time while these events were in progress1 under other excitement 7though it may be greater in degree7 than a chemist might be supposed to experience while watching the issue of a long-projected and decisive experiment1 or an astronomer when the culminating point of some important observation is about to be reached4 ,i beg it may not be supposed that ,i mention this as boasting or courage4 ,there was1 in truth1 nothing of which to boast4 ,the preceding and attendant circumstances were such as to preclude alarm4 ,i was not alone1 nor taken by surprise4 ,i was expecting some phenomena and hoping that they would be of a phosphorescent nature4 ,and though ,i had not any expectation of seeing an actual form1 yet1 as the allegation was that a deceased sister1 beloved by one of the assistants1 was present1 and as all the demonstrations were gentle and seemingly arranged by friendly agencies to satisfy my desire for the strongest evidence in proof of ,spiritual appearance1 ,i was under very different circumstances to those which have often shaken the nerves even of the boldest1 while encountering for the first time what is usually called a ghost4 ,i state the fact of my equanimity1 then1 merely as one of the attendant circumstances which may be fairly taken into account in judging the testimony here supplied in proof of the appearance1 in visible and tangible form1 of an alleged ,spirit of a deceased person4 ,it is often assumed that a man who believes he sees an apparition is 7to use a common expression7 frightened out of his senses1 and so1 is not entitled to credit as a witness4 ,if it be objected that1 before the sitting closed1 the doors were unlocked1 ,i reply first1 that all the remarkable and interesting portion of the phenomena occurred before this happened2 and secondly1 that1 as the keys of the locked doors were left in them1 they could only be opened from the inside4 ,if1 in reply to this last1 it still be urged that ,mr4 ,underhill1 deserting his post for a few seconds1 might have opened one of the doors1 ,i reply that ,i happened to be conversing with him at the moment we first heard the key turned4 ,i add that during the next sitting1 when still more wonderful phenomena occurred1 ,i took a precaution 7as will be seen7 which made it impossible that either ,mr4 ,underhill or any of the company should leave their seats1 even for a moment1 without my knowledge4 ,a ,,ghost ,,speaks4 ,five days after this ,i had the session here referred to1 in the same room1 with the same assistants1 during which similar phenomena were repeated1 but with one highly noteworthy addition4 ,the date was the twenty-sixth of ,october1 #ahfj1 and it was an evening session1 from half-past ten till midnight4 ,the same precautions which ,i had taken before the commencement of the former sitting1 as to locking all the doors1 looking under the table1 examining the room and furniture1 etc41 ,i carefully adopted on this occasion also4 ,as before1 we waited until the servants had retired and all was still4 ,after a time there was spelled ',darken2' then ',join hands4' ,we obeyed2 but on this occasion ,i took an additional precaution4 ,grasping ,mrs4 ,underhill's right hand and ,charles's left1 ,i brought my own hands to the centre of the table1 and ,mr4 ,underhill1 across the table1 laid his hands on mine4 ,this we continued throughout the entire sitting4 ,i am able1 therefore1 to assert that1 from the beginning of this sitting till the end1 the circle remained unbroken4 ,after a few minutes1 there appeared a luminous body of an irregularly circular form1 about four inches in diameter1 floating between us and the door1 which was back of ,mrs4 ,underhill4 ,it was somewhat brighter than when it first appeared on the previous occasion1 that is1 on the twenty-first of ,october4 ,then1 after an interval1 the light1 rustling sound seemed to indicate the approach of some one4 ,the figure was not so distinct as on the previous occasion1 the lower portion losing itself in a grayish cloud4 ,the highest light seemed to be on the spot corresponding to the forehead4 ,but ,i saw no features2 nor did ,i see the arms moving4 ,very soon ,i was gently touched on the head1 then on the shoulders1 then laid hold of1 as with both hands of some one standing behind me4 ,then the figure seemed1 by the sound1 to move away toward ,mr4 ,underhill4 ,he stated that the figure was approaching him4 ,he asked it if1 as a test1 it could take something out of his pocket2 but there was no reply1 by raps or otherwise4 ,immediately ,i heard a sound as if some one were moving the key about in the door opposite to me4 ,soon after ,mr4 ,underhill said the figure had again approached him4 ,i saw the illuminated circular substance close to his head1 but could not distinguish any figure4 ,mr4 ,underhill said that he could dimly discern the figure4 ,after a time it moved round to the lad ,charles1 who exhibited much alarm1 crying out1 ',oh1 go away6 pray don't6' when it approached1 as ,i saw it do1 close to his head1 which he had bent down on the table4 ,it was now very bright1 so that1 by the light1 ,i could see the outline of the boy's head4 ,charles afterward stated that he saw it distinctly1 and that a hand touched him repeatedly4 ,while it was close to ,charles1 it appeared to me as if a white handkerchief or some article of the like texture were thrown over a hand or some similar support4 ,i saw no figure4 ,when it rose behind ,charles1 as if to leave him when he cried out1 ,i could perceive what resembled a hand grasping some illuminated substance1 the outline of the hand appearing as a shadow across the illuminated ground4 ,then it moved1 as ,i could see1 to ,mr4 ,underhill1 and after a time crossed over to me1 and touched me gently on the shoulder4 ,of a sudden it occurred to me that one other evidence was lacking4 ,i expressed a desire that1 if it could1 it would speak4 ,it seemed to make several efforts to do so1 as indicated by a slight1 guttural sound2 then ,i heard a sound resembling the syllable es1 twice repeated4 ,then1 by the raps1 was spelled out1 ',sing4' ,mrs4 ,underhill complied4 ,the figure which had seemed to move away and return1 again touched me from behind1 drawing me slightly toward it4 ,then1 in a brief interval of the singing1 ,i heard1 in a low voice1 just behind me1 ',god bless you4' ,as additional assurance that it was no momentary illusion1 ,i asked that it would speak again2 and again1 in an interval of the music1 ,i heard1 in distinct tones1 the same words1 ',god bless you4' ,they seemed to be pronounced close to my ear4 ,the voice was low--apparently a woman's voice--just louder than a whisper1 and the words seemed to be pronounced with an effort1 in subdued tones1 as a person faint from sickness might speak4 ,i particularly noticed1 also1 that each word was pronounced separately1 with a perceptible interval between1 and there was not the usual accent on bless1 followed by the shortened you2 but each word was equally accented4 ,in other respects the sound resembled the human voice1 when low and gentle4 ,mrs4 ,underhill afterward stated to me that she distinguished the word you1 but not the others4 ,mr4 ,underhill said he had heard articulate sounds1 but could not make out any of the words2 he only knew that something had been said to me4 ,after a time ,i saw the figure pass behind ,mrs4 ,underhill and remain1 for a few minutes1 near her husband2 then it returned to me1 appearing on my left side4 ,i saw the outline of a head and face1 but still1 as before1 covered with a veil which concealed the features4 ,i perceived1 however1 what ,i had not observed before1 what seemed tresses of dark hair dropping over the face1 and the dim outline of an arm raised one of these tresses1 and then dropped it again1 several times1 as if to attract my attention4 ,behind was the vague outline of a figure1 but less distinct than during the previous sitting4 ,then the figure passed behind me4 ,i was leaning over the table1 so that ,mr4 ,underhill might not have so far to stretch in order to reach my hands4 ,i felt a kiss on my shoulders1 then there was the feeling of two hands laid each on one shoulder1 and ,i was drawn very gently back till my shoulders1 above the chair back1 were pressed against what seemed a material form4 ,almost at the same moment my hand was kissed4 ,mr4 ,underhill cried out1 ',ah1 you were drawn back2' and ,mrs4 ,underhill said1 a little impatiently1 ',every one is touched but me4 ,can't you come to me8' ,the words were hardly pronounced when she screamed out1 as in alarm2 she had been suddenly and unexpectedly kissed on the forehead4 ,from that very moment the manifestations entirely ceased4 ,no luminous object to be seen1 not another touch1 not a rustle1 not a sound of any kind in the room4 ,i listened attentively1 and am certain that no door opened or shut1 and scarcely a minute or two elapsed ere it was spelled out1 ',light the gas4' ,when we had done so we found everything as before1 with a single exception4 ,i ascertained by looking under the table and in the pantry that there was no one in the room but ourselves2 ,i found all the three doors locked1 but the key belonging to the door opposite to me was missing4 ,we asked where it was2 the raps replied1 ',look4' ,we could not see it anywhere4 ,then we examined our pockets1 and1 from one of his coat-pockets ,mr4 ,underhill produced a key which was found to fit the door4 ,mrs4 ,underhill asked if her alarmed exclamation had injured the ,spirit8 ,answer by the raps3 ',not much4' ,mrs4 ,u43 ',i'm so much afraid ,i hurt her6' ,answer3 ',it frightened her4' ,question 7by me73 ',did ,mrs4 ,underhill's cry of alarm cause the manifestations to cease8' ,answer3 ',yes4' ,as to the door-key1 ,i remark3 ,that ,mr4 ,underhill asked1 as a test1 to have something taken from his pocket2 but it was a better test1 since he could not move from his place to take the key from the door and deposit it in his pocket4 ,who but a ,spirit could take it1 our circle remaining unbroken8 ,is the taking by ,spirit agency incredible8 ,but the hands that pressed my shoulders1 that grasped my hand1 that clasped my wrist1 were surely material enough to extract a key from a door-lock and drop it into a pocket4 ,then all the doors1 this time1 were left locked1 so that no one could enter from without2 to say nothing of the absurd supposition that a ,spirit should open a door in order to admit human assistants4--,debatable ,land1 p4 #dfg4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,spirit ,,cures--,,mr4 ,,capron',s ,,wife4 ,,statement ,,by ,e4 ,w4 ,,capron--,,wife ,,of ,,general ,,waddy ,,thompson1 ,,of ,,south ,,carolina--,,wife ,,of ,,mr4 ,,davis ,,of ,,providence1 ,r4 ,i4 ,i might fill many pages with my reminiscences under this head1 but ,i now confine myself to three instances1 the first in order being also the first in my experience4 ,i take it partly for that reason1 and partly because it contains the features of the temporary transfer to myself of the affection removed from the sufferer1 and also of the cure having been performed at a distance4 ,i4 ,,statement ,,by ,e4 ,w4 ,,capron4 ,on the occasion of my first visit at the house of the ,fox sisters1 then living in ,prospect ,street1 ,rochester1 ,i mentioned casually that my wife was afflicted with a very severe and troublesome cough4 ,nothing more was said about it at the time1 but as we sat quietly conversing with and about the ',spirits1' ,leah seemed suddenly entranced and said1 ',i'm going to cure ,rebecca's cough4' ,it was no sooner said than done4 ,she visited her mentally and described her accurately1 and pronounced her cured4 ,i returned to my home 7,auburn7 and found her entirely well4 ,i expressed surprise1 and asked her how she became so suddenly cured8 ,she said she did not herself understand it1 as her cough had left her since 'night before last4' ,her cough was cured and never returned4 ,e4 ,w4 ,,capron4 ,,note4--,i will add that the cough was transferred to myself with equal violence to that which had tormented ,mrs4 ,capron4 ,my family at times feared that ,i might rupture a blood-vessel4 7,why did the ,spirits not relieve me too87 ,it lasted for about a week1 when my mother sent for ,professor ,e4 ,c4 ,rogers1 a powerful mesmerizer who happened to be lecturing in ,rochester at the time1 who by his magnetic power and manipulations gave me prompt and complete relief4 ,he was not a ,spiritualist1 nor am ,i able to say exactly what his philosophy was4 ,he afterward published an #hvo volume of about #ccj pages1 entitled1 ,philosophy of ,mysterious ,agents1 ,human and ,mundane2 or1 ,dynamic ,laws and ,relations of ,man1 etc4 ,a4 ,l4 ,u4 ,,ii4 ,,wife ,,of ,,general ,,waddy ,,thompson1 ,,of ,,south ,,carolina4 ,general ,waddy ,thompson was a widower when ,i first knew him 7he had met my mother and sisters in ,washington1 in #aheb74 ,subsequently he attended my sances frequently4 ,on the occasion ,i now speak of 7in the fall of #aheg71 he called to make an engagement with me to see him and his young1 second wife1 who was an invalid4 ,as they were going to start for home the next morning1 he wished to come that afternoon4 ,it was cold1 and the snow and frozen rain came down heavily1 but at the appointed time a carriage drove to the door1 and ,mrs4 ,thompson was carried into the house by two men4 ,she was beautiful alike in person and in character4 ,her lameness and great suffering1 which she had endured for over four years1 had had their origin in milk fever1 which had settled in her leg1 and had baffled the skill of the most renowned physicians of ,europe and ,america4 ,the manifestations of ,spirit presence came freely1 and very soon ,mrs4 ,thompson cried out1 ,oh6 something is taking hold of my limbs with hands6 ,the ,general begged her to sit still1 saying1 ,do not stir1 my dear2 it is your ,spirit guardian who loves you4 ,she wept and called on her mother's ,spirit to come1 saying1 ,dear mother1 ,i want you to go with me where ,i go1 and watch over us all4 ,mrs4 ,thompson was cured1 and walked back without difficulty from ,ludlow ,place to the ,st4 ,nicholas ,hotel4 ,two years later1 in #ahei1 she and her lovely sister1 ,miss ,jones1 accompanied the ,general to ,new ,york1 and on learning that it was our reception night1 came to enjoy the evening with us1 and related the circumstances before a very large party4 ,,iii4 ,,wife ,,of ,,mr4 ,,davis1 ,,of ,,providence1 ,r4 ,i4 ,the third ,i save myself the trouble of writing by copying it from ,robert ,dale ,owen's ,debatable ,land1 page #eac4 ,but in doing so ,i correct an error of date which was natural enough on the part of ,mrs4 ,davis in a narration made in #ahfb of an occurrence which had taken place some five years before4 ,in point of fact it occurred in #aheg1 while ,i resided in my house1 ,no4 #a ,ludlow ,place4 ,she erroneously makes it ,february1 #aheh1 instead of #aheg4 ,my marriage with ,mr4 ,underhill was on the #b;d of ,november1 #aheh4 ,of course ,i was not ,mrs4 ,underhill1 but ,mrs4 ,brown1 at the time of this extraordinary cure2 though it was natural that ,mrs4 ,davis in #ahfb should speak of me by the name which had then been mine for about four years2 and also that this should have misled ,mr4 ,owen1 and caused him to understand the case as having occurred after ,i had become ,mrs4 ,u4 ,the reader will therefore1 in perusing this narrative1 simply change the word ,underhill to ,brown4 ,with that unimportant correction1 the whole of it is strictly true4 ,see letter from ,mrs4 ,davis to me1 written on her return home from this visit1 dated ,august #h1 #aheg1 page #cia4 ,paralysis of the ,motor ,nerve4 ,in the month of ,february1 #aheh1 a lady1 the wife of ,mr4 ,davis1 of ,providence1 ,r4 ,i41 was residing at her home in the immediate vicinity of that city4 ,it happened1 one morning1 when a large and powerful horse was standing harnessed in front of the house1 that a servant1 passing carelessly close to the animal with a child's carriage in which was an infant daughter of ,mrs4 ,davis1 accidentally dropped the tongue of the carriage close to the horse's heels4 ,mrs4 ,davis1 seeing the danger of her child1 rushed to the horse's head1 and seizing him suddenly by the bridle with her right hand1 the animal reared violently so as almost to lift her from her feet4 ,she succeeded1 however1 in leading him off from her child1 which thus escaped unhurt4 ,at the moment she experienced no pain2 afterward she went about her usual occupations1 but felt faint and languid throughout the day4 ,about ten o'clock ,p4,m41 sitting down to supper1 she first noticed a pain in her elbow1 and then1 when she attempted to use her right hand1 was unable to do so2 she found it impossible to close three of the fingers of that hand1 the index-finger alone obeying the impulse of her will4 ,after a time the pain increased and extended above the elbow4 ,in the course of the night the right leg also became affected1 the pain extending to the hip4 ,in the morning she discovered that she could not1 by any effort of the will1 move either the right arm or the right leg4 ,the physicians declared it to be a case of paralysis of the motor nerves1 caused chiefly by sudden excitement4 ,for a long time it resisted all remedies4 ,during seven weeks the paralysis continued unabated4 ,in all that time she never used hand or arm3 when she walked she had to drag the right leg after her4 ,the leg1 too1 became cold even to the hip1 and all efforts to warm it were ineffectual4 ,in the month of ,april she experienced slight relief by the frequent use of electricity2 but only so far that1 by a special effort of the will1 she could partially move her hand and arm4 ,habitually she rested the elbow on her hip1 or1 when sitting in an arm-chair1 raised it with the other hand so as to rest it on the chair-arm4 ,nor did she ever1 until the incident about to be related1 regain the power of straightening either leg or arm4 ,nor was the warmth of the leg at all restored2 and when she walked she still had to drag it after her along the ground4 ,this continued1 without alteration or improvement1 until the month of ,july1 #aheh2 and by this time she had become comparatively disheartened4 ,life seemed to her no longer worth having3 a cripple for life1 a burden to her friends1 useless to her family4 ,she gave way to tears and despondency4 ,in the early part of ,july a friend1 ,mrs4 ,j41 wife of a gentleman well known in ,new ,york literary circles#ag and who had been staying with ,mrs4 ,davis1 proposed to close her visit and return to that city4 ,suddenly ,mrs4 ,davis experienced an impulse for which she could not at all account4 ,it was an urgent desire to go to ,new ,york and visit ,mrs4 ,underhill 7,leah ,fox71 with whom she was not acquainted1 having merely heard of her through ,mrs4 ,j4 ,she said to that lady 7,mrs4 ,j47 that if she would remain with her a day longer1 she 7,mrs4 ,davis7 would accompany her to ,new ,york and visit ,mrs4 ,underhill in hope of relief4 ,mrs4 ,j4 consenting1 they left ,providence on the evening of ,july #c;d1 notwithstanding the doubts expressed by ,mr4 ,davis whether his wife would be able to endure the journey1 reached ,new ,york next morning1 and proceeded at once to ,mrs4 ,underhill's4 #ag ,oliver ,johnson1 ,editor of the ,anti-,slavery ,standard4 ,mrs4 ,davis was so much exhausted on her arrival1 that she retired to a private room until the afternoon1 when she1 ,mrs4 ,j41 and ,mrs4 ,underhill met in the parlor4 ,loud raps being heard1 it was proposed to sit down at the centre-table4 ,it being but three o'clock in the afternoon1 there was bright day-light4 ,soon after the ladies sat down1 all their hands being on the table1 ,mrs4 ,davis felt the ankle of her right leg seized as by the firm grasp of a human hand1 the foot raised1 and the heel placed in what seemed another hand4#ah ,the touch of the fingers and thumb was unmistakably distinct1 and indicated that it was a right hand which grasped the ankle1 while a left hand received the heel4 ,after a time the hand which had seized the ankle released its grasp1 and ,mrs4 ,davis felt it make passes down the leg4 ,these passes were continued about ten minutes4 ,mrs4 ,davis felt a sensation as of the circulation pervading the paralyzed limb2 and the natural warmth1 of which it had been for months deprived1 gradually returned4 ,at the expiration of about ten minutes1 there was spelled out by raps3 ',rise and walk4' #ah ,the allegation by rapping was1 that the agency was that of a deceased brother of ,mrs4 ,davis4 ,mrs4 ,davis arose and found1 with an amazement which she said no words could describe1 that she could walk as well as she had ever done in her life4 ,she paced up and down the room to assure herself that it was a reality3 the pain1 the paralysis were gone2 she could use the hitherto disabled leg as freely as the other4 ,after more than four months of suffering and of decrepitude1 she found the natural warmth and vigor of the limb suddenly and 7as it would be commonly phrased7 miraculously restored4 ,this terminated the sitting for the time2 the arm still remaining paralyzed as before4 ,but late in the evening1 after the departure of several visitors1 the ladies sat down again4 ,this time1 by rapping1 a request was made to darken the room4 ,after a brief delay the arm was manipulated as the leg had been1 but with more force1 as if rubbed downward from the shoulder by a smooth and somewhat elastic piece of metal1 like the steel busk sometimes used in ladies' stays4 ,after this had been continued for some time1 what seemed to the touch a steel busk was laid in ,mrs4 ,davis's right hand1 and1 by raps1 a request was spelled out to close the fingers upon it4 ,this she found herself able to do with a firm grasp4 ,then the busk was drawn forcibly from her hand4 ,from that time forth she recovered the use of her arm as completely as she had that of her leg4 ,nor has she had pain or any return of the paralysis1 or weakness1 or loss of temperature1 in either limb1 from that day to the present time2#ai that is1 during four years4 #ai ,written ,july1 #ahfb1 when this narrative was communicated to me4 ,in communicating the above to me1 as ,mrs4 ,davis did1 in presence of the same friend who accompanied her to ,mrs4 ,underhill's1 ,mrs4 ,davis kindly gave me permission to use her name4#bj #bj ,the above was related to me ,july #bj1 #ahfb1 by ,mrs4 ,davis herself4 ,i wrote it out next day2 and submitted the manuscript on the #bdth of ,july to ,mrs4 ,davis1 in presence of ,mrs4 ,j41 for authentication4 ,it was assented to by both ladies as correct4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,miscellaneous ,,letters4 ,j4 ,,heddon--,s4 ,,chamberlain--,,john ,e4 ,,robinson--,a4 ,,underhill--,,george ,,lee1 ,m4 ,d4 ,the two following letters1 from ,mr4 ,heddon and ,judge ,chamberlain to me1 ,i take from ,the ,cleveland ,plaindealer1 in which paper they are thus prefaced by the editor3 ,more ,testimony4--,some friends of ,mrs4 ,fish1 on learning her intended visit to this city1 gave her many flattering letters1 signifying their great esteem for her and confidence in the 'good cause1' as they call it1 of the doctrine of ,spiritualism4 ,among the many such testimonials we select the following from ,j4 ,heddon1 ,esq41 and ,judge ,chamberlain1 men of the first standing in their community4 ,j4 ,,heddon4 ,,stafford1 ,may #i1 #ahea4 ,,respected ,,madam3 ,as ,mr4 ,chamberlain and myself left ,rochester before we had an opportunity of copying those ,spiritual manifestations1 ,i will now transcribe and send them to you by mail1 and ,mr4 ,chamberlain engages to do the same4 ,you are at perfect liberty to make any use you may think proper of mine1 including or omitting the name1 as you may think best2 for ,i am alike indifferent to frowns or flattery4 ,i feel a lively interest in the cause1 and ,i believe many of my friends will be induced to pay you a visit on your return from the ,west2 and most assuredly your humble servant among the rest4 ,the communications ,i copy verbatim on the other side of the sheet4 ,wishing you a pleasant and successful visit to ,cleveland1 ,i am ,your most ob't servant1 ,j4 ,,heddon4 ,,stafford1 ,may #i1 #ahea4 ,you are aware that1 for the first time1 ,i had manifestations on my person of the presence of ,spirits at your house on ,thursday last1 after which ,i received the following communication from my ,spirit friends4 ,my wife thus addressed me3 ',my dear3 ,i am with you always2 in the silent hour of midnight1 when all is quiet1 ,i rest upon your bosom and bless you1 and keep you safe4' ,message to her ,child4--',teach her to know her mother watches over her2 tell her she has a mother still living1 teach her to know that death hath no terror--the transition from ,earth to ,heaven is past description2 we shall all be again united4 ,all is well4' ,the ,spirit of my father then said3 ',i sanction all she has said--the ,truth will rise triumphant--the cause is good4 ,god rules victorious4' ,in answer to a question whether ,i should have manifestations at home1 my wife replied1 ',i will make sounds upon your pillows4' ,the ,spirit of a recently departed brother said1 ',tell her 7our mother7 ,i thought of her when ,i was dying1 and desired to see you all1 but when my soul was released ,i came to your abode1 and was greatly delighted with my privileges4 ,things will change with you1 and you will rejoice and know the truth4' ,the numerous test questions ,i kept no record of1 and consequently they are omitted here4 ,j4 ,,heddon4 ,n4 ,b4 ,my brother died far away from home1 which accounts for the above message to his mother4 ,s4 ,,chamberlain4 ,,le ,,roy1 ,n4 ,y41 ,may #aj1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,fish3 ,i herewith annex a copy of an account of some incidents which occurred at your house on the #gth inst4 ,the following mental questions were asked and replied to by the ,spirits in the usual manner4 ,i asked if the ,spirit ,i then had in my mind were present8 ,answer1 ',yes4' ,i then asked if the ,spirit would give me a message4 ,the alphabet was called for and the following was spelled out3 ',i used to oppose the subject4 ,i departed this life within the last year2 ,i am convinced of the reality of these things now4 ,i visited ,mrs4 ,fish soon after ,i left the mortal body1 and was pleased with my interview4 ,i scorned the idea of visiting her when ,i lived on earth1 but now ,i am delighted to call occasionally and listen to the communications4 ,i wish ,i had known something more about these things before ,i left the earth4' ,i asked him to give me the letters of his name2 which he did4 ,this ,i considered a good test1 as no one present could know whom ,i had in my mind2 and the fact of his death and opinions on this subject were true1 as ,i had been intimately acquainted with him for a period of twenty years1 and had had many interviews with him on the subject4 ,i then asked1 mentally1 for the ,spirit of a new acquaintance1 with whom ,i had a misunderstanding while in life1 which was not settled at his death4 ,i asked him1 mentally1 what he had to say on the subject8 ,the alphabet was called for1 and said1 ',we are good friends again4 ,all differences are now settled forever4' ,i then said1 mentally1 ',perhaps ,i was wrong4' ,he said1 ',no1 ,i was in fault4' ,i asked him to spell his first name1 which he did4 ,i asked the ,spirit of my father-in-law if ,i should have a medium in my family4 ,he answered1 by alphabet1 ',you have a medium in your family already2' which was true4 ,i asked in what way4 ,he replied1 ',a medium in writing4' ,this was also true4 ,i asked him to spell his name1 which he declined4 ,i asked him why the ,spirits declined1 generally1 to give their names4 ,he answered1 ',that would convince the sceptic too easily4' ,he then said1 ',no good thing can be obtained without some labor--the husbandman must till his ground before it will bring forth much fruit4' ,there were many other questions and answers that ,i consider equally good tests1 but have no time to give them now4 ,wishing you much pleasure and true friends through life1 ,i am very sincerely yours1 ,s4 ,,chamberlain4 ,this ,judge ,chamberlain was one of the most respectable citizens of ,le ,roy1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,rochester1 ,may #bc1 #ahea4 ,,dear ,,friend ,,leah3 ,your letter was received two days since1 and ,i thank your punctuality in thus early remembering not to forget me4 ,the accompanying half-sheet was very welcome to ,rachel4 ,you could hardly have written more1 under the circumstances4 ,i will therefore excuse you for not giving me a particular account of things up to the date when yours was penned4 ,i shall1 however1 expect a long letter from you soon1 written all to me1 and as the warfare has1 by this time1 fairly opened between our friends1 the ,spirits1 and their antagonists in ,cleveland1 you will have enough to tell me4 ,the result of the 'passage at arms' is1 of course1 not doubtful to any who1 like me1 are aware of the temper of the weapons which the ,spirits wield against their opponents4 ,but we are all interested1 exceedingly so1 in looking on1 while the battle is waged in a new field1 with fresh antagonists confident in their own strength because ignorant of the power of the opposing force4 ,it is amusing1 this confidence of inflated ignorance6 but it is such a universal weakness1 that we can hardly any longer wonder at its manifestation4 ,you have so often witnessed it1 and have so often triumphed over those who came to sneer and scoff at you1 that ,i think you can well afford now to keep your temper well harnessed on such occasions1 and let your auditors see how calm1 how confident you are1 while awaiting their overthrow4 ,why1 ,leah1 you can afford to wear a smile and confront1 with an unflashing eye1 the deriding1 sneering sceptic1 or even the enraged bigot1 who backs his authoritative condemnation by relating falsehoods that have been a thousand times refuted4 ',but it is difficult1' say you1 'for me to be more than mortal4' ,i know it1 and doubt very much if ,i could be half as patient as you are4 ,but ,i am at a safe distance1 and have hazarded giving you 7very modestly7 this quiet hint4 ,the application of whalebone to a man's back may help his manners and regulate the movements of his tongue and pen1 but it is not very apt to convince his reason4 ,mr4 ,sackett1 probably1 is quite aware of this2 and his administration of the corrective was evidently intended for the moral improvement of the ,herald man4 ,you wish he 7,mr4 ,s47 would come and mete out such justice to the ,rochester editorial fraternity4 ,i do not4 ,they are not worth the trouble of horse-whipping1 and besides1 only be patient1 ,leah1 and you will see them yet so confoundedly trounced by the ,spirits1 that it will last them till the orthodox judgment day damns them4 ,it is to be hoped you are wise enough to retire from company sufficiently early in the evening to give you time for rest4 ,there is scarcely anything which more destroys one's equanimity of mind than this neglect of rest4 ,now will you remember and take care of yourself8 ,i have not yet done with you1 for this reason--you need scolding once in a while1 and have but few friends who are willing to do it2 so ,i shall remind you1 on all proper occasions1 of your delinquencies4 ,it occurred to me the other day that we were wrong in so often thinking1 latterly1 that ,spiritualism had made but little advance in some time4 ,it is true1 so far as our knowledge is concerned2 and the number of mediums for ,spiritual communications seems very limited4 ,but all this while the subject has been taking hold of people's minds in all parts of the country4 ,they do not stop thinking because a few church conferences and priest-ridden journalists tell them to4 ,editors who have some independence will write1 and their readers will digest anything which is made palatable by the semblance of candor4 ,there is1 perhaps1 no one subject which is more thought of throughout this country and ,europe at this very time than these ,spirit1 demonstrations4 ,i believe you will go to ,england and ,france2 but when1 and how1 and under what auspices1 ,i will not try to guess4 ,tell ,calvin ,i am obliged for the papers sent by him4 ,i have not seen any of the inmates of your house since you left4 ,i would call there if there were any necessity1 but you have left matters in safe custody4 ,say to your sister ,maria ,i hope the journey affords her pleasure1 both in seeing a part of the beauties of the great ,west and in rendering you assistance1 who so often want a sister upon whom you can lean and rely with confidence4 ,my best regards to her and ,calvin1 as well as yourself4 ,yours truly1 ,j4 ,e4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,underhill4 ,,cleveland1 ,o41 ,june #ai1 #ahea4 ,,my ,,dear ,,friend ,,leah3 ,i trust you will appreciate the motive that prompts me to write this to you4 ,i have thought much on the subject1 and will make a few suggestions4 ,your position1 as a family1 before the world1 is now of great importance4 ,the fact of communicating with ,spirits has not only been fully established in the minds of a few1 but is becoming generally acknowledged by the intelligent world4 ,your record will necessarily form a great part of the history of the world from this time onward1 and though your present trials and perplexities seem past endurance1 yet patience and perseverance1 until a final triumph overtakes you1 should be your polar star and watchword4 ,there ever have been martyrs for truth's sake1 and ever will be2 and though it may be grievous to bear the taunts and sneers of the ignorant1 self-wise1 and conceited bigot1 yet1 if the cause demands it we must endure the sacrifice and look beyond for the reward4 ,i1 who have battled for years with the enemies of progress1 have become inured to their unblushing insolence1 and while ,i handle their errors without much mercy1 ,i pity their ignorance4 ,you are differently situated1 and severely tried on every hand1 but you are enlisted in the good cause1 and you must not look back but upward and onward4 ,thousands are joining your ranks1 and your banner floats over the world4 ,we are all fighting the good fight of faith1 and our motto is1 ',truth and justice to all mankind4' ,other mediums are being developed1 and their name will soon be legion1 their power and influence irresistible4 ,already might you as well try to turn back the waters of the ,niagara as to stay the onward march of the cause in which you and your family have been selected to take the lead and 'fight the good fight4' ,my dear ,leah1 remember the 'wise man' who 'built his house upon a rock1 and the rain descended1 and the floods came1 and the winds blew1 and beat upon that house1 and it fell not2 for it was founded upon a rock4' ,let 'false prophets' arise 7as ,i know they will7 and 'come to you in sheep's clothing4' ,you are in the right and have nothing to fear4 ,many1 too1 will try to usurp your rights1 but trust in ,god4 ',fear not1 neither be dismayed4' ,take courage1 then1 my dear friend1 and do not despair4 ,fight with reason1 truth1 and prudence1 but never surrender to cowardly slander or bigoted insolence2 never1 never6 ,now1 what ,i wish to say is this3 ,the relations in which you stand to the origin of this unbounded subject1 make it highly important that your whole history should be carefully preserved4 ,in fact1 you should keep a daily journal1 and record therein the progress and developments of this new 7and to many7 startling science--for so ,i deem it4 ,the fact is that your names must form an inseparable part of the history of modern ,spiritualism1 and it is important that you should have that justice which the truth alone can give you4 ,hence1 while it is fresh in the mind1 your mother1 yourself1 or some one should carefully collect and arrange these early facts1 in such a way as to secure them and place them where they belong1 beyond all doubt or argument2 and also1 as far as is in your power1 you should enter daily1 if but two or three times1 the distinguished names of your daily investigators1 the names of the places you visit1 and the thousand calls 'to come' from every part of the ,united ,states and from ,europe4 ,do not neglect or deem it unimportant1 for the time will come when it will be deeply regretted 7if not by you7 by those who come after you4 ,without saying more at this time1 please accept my best wishes1 and be assured of my co-operation and willingness to share with you all the jeers and taunts of sceptics or obstinate bigots4 ,i much prefer the former1 as there is more hope for the sceptic than the bigot4 ,i choose to stand with a few who are in the right rather than with the many in the wrong4 ,smiles or frowns are alike unheeded when they come from the ignorant or self-wise4 ,most truly and respectfully your friend1 ,a4 ,,underhill4 ,,george ,,lee1 ,m4,d4 ,,barr1 ,,mass41 ,june #cj1 #ahea4 ,,mrs4 ,,ann ,l4 ,,fish3 ,,dear ,,madam--,i address you almost as a stranger1 although ,i had the honor of a short acquaintance at your place in ,rochester1 last ,september4 ,i was at your house on the same day with several clergymen from ,massachusetts4 ,i was then on my way to ,mt4 ,morris on business4 ,a lady from ,mt4 ,morris visited you1 a ,mrs4 ,mashon 7an acquaintance of yours74 ,while ,i was stopping there at her house1 she informed me that yourself and sisters were about to leave home for a time1 and ,i was much disappointed on finding you were all absent when ,i returned1 as ,i was then anxious to further investigate those mysterious manifestations4 ,i felt that ,i had been severely scathed in this world by the loss of all our children2 and although ,i was educated strictly in the orthodox church and its tenets1 yet ,i was somewhat sceptical in regard to the soul's immortality4 ,you cannot wonder that ,i should seek confirmation of the soul's future life4 ,when1 therefore1 ,i heard those mysterious sounds for the first time at your house1 it produced a thrill of joy1 as being the strongest evidence of a future life that ,i had ever met with2 and though ,i was satisfied that there was no trick1 no collusion in the sounds1 yet ,i have not been so certain that it might not be some newly developed or newly elaborated electrical effect2 yet the evidence is in favor of its ,spirituality4 ,it is the most natural solution of the whole subject1 and ,i should regret1 as much as any one1 to have it prove otherwise4 ,i am satisfied that the mediums are honest and unconscious of the primary cause of the phenomena4 ,i am somewhat acquainted with ,swedenborg's writings1 and very well acquainted with ,a4 ,j4 ,davis and his writings4 ,i consider ,davis and his writings among the greatest wonders of the world4 ,that a young man1 without education1 without even having read books1 should have given to the world such far-reaching thought and profound philosophy1 upon the most abstruse and metaphysical subjects1 is a marvel indeed6 ,the history of mankind cannot produce a parallel fact4 ,and yet we do not suppose he has no errors4 ,he does not claim infallibility4 ,in ',nature's ,divine ,revelations' he says1 ',let then what ,i am impressed to state1 be received as true or rejected as false1 as it addresses itself to your judgment1 or according to its appeals to your reason4' ,the highest angel in the universe could not give the whole philosophy of the universe1 because that ,spirit does not possess a perfect knowledge of all things2 and ,i have seen many criticisms of ,mr4 ,davis's writings1 but they generally show that the writers of them do not comprehend him2 and although some strictures may be just1 the great majority of them evince a real misapprehension on the part of their authors4 ,le ,roy ,sunderland has made two3 one upon ,mr4 ,davis's recent work1 ',the ,philosophy of ,spiritual ,intercourse4' ,in both of ,mr4 ,sunderland's criticisms he shows his own want of discrimination4 ,dr4 ,gridley has another article in ,the ,spirit ,world as a criticism of ,davis4 ,it darkens knowledge with words4 ,they do not take a very comprehensive view of ,davis's philosophy4 ,they seem to forget that ,davis uses language figuratively4 ,i am somewhat acquainted with ,mr4 ,sunderland1 have been at his house recently1 and heard the rappings in presence of his daughter1 ,mrs4 ,cooper1 as a medium4 ,the rappings are obscure--not more than one-quarter as loud or as distinct as ,i have heard them at your house--much of the time so light as scarcely to be heard2 yet ,i was satisfied at the time that they were the same kind of sounds4 ,i have been before several other mediums2 the sounds are all much smaller than at your house4 ,mr4 ,sunderland seems to be unsettled in his mind about the ,spirit world1 and about the ,spirits being good or bad1 or how much evil2 and is rather disposed to fall in with ,swedenborg1 at present1 on that subject4 ,mr4 ,sunderland will do some good with his paper1 but ,i regret some of his articles4 ,this criticism upon ,davis is most unjust and uncalled for4 ,i am confident ,mr4 ,davis is more correct1 more consistent in his philosophy of the ,bible and the ,spirit world1 than ,swedenborg4 ,nature and ,reason is the standard whereby ,davis directs to test all these subjects4 ,god manifesting himself in ,nature1 in the ,universe1 is a true revelation to man1 and whatever corresponds to the philosophy as discovered in ,nature is truth4 ,if a revelation is given us not in harmony with philosophy which is known to be true1 then that revelation is false4 ,davis's standard and general philosophy cannot be overthrown2 ,davis sometimes being himself in sympathy with higher or purer ,spirits1 may use language to convey too high or too pure conceptions of the ,spirit world2 but if ,davis is too high1 ,swedenborg is too low4 ,his hells are inconsistent with a ,god of wisdom2 and if the doctrine of progressive development can be established1 or is true1 as ,i think it is1 then ,swedenborg's doctrines are not all true2 but that is the great doctrine of ,davis's philosophy1 and if it is true1 it is all we need4 ,ultimately we must all become right4 ,although ,swedenborg was a very learned and good man1 and was ,spiritually enlightened while on earth1 yet his mind was trammelled by his preconceived theological views4 ,davis's mind is under less bias1 and more free4 ,i am well convinced his writings are destined to produce a great effect upon ,christendom4 ,such men1 or writers1 as ,sunderland1 ,farrald1 and others who follow ,swedenborg in part1 do not seem to take in the whole ground in one view4 ,they view the ,universe in fragmentary parts4 ,they do not seem to consider that a certain relation exists between all things4 ,that ',all are but parts of one stupendous whole1 ,whose body ,nature is1 and ,god the soul2' that ,law is necessary as ,light2 all is an effect of the same interior cause4 ,the higher could not exist without the lower2 and surely without the lower there could be no progress1 and without the parts the whole could not exist4 ,higher and lower1 evil and good1 heat and cold1 are relative terms1 comparatively positive or negative4 ,i have not written one word of what ,i intended to write1 and what ,i especially requested a reply to4 ,so you see that nearly my whole letter is a digression4 ,but now to the subject4 ,i correspond with the ,rev4 ,a4 ,wilder1 of ,syracuse1 ,n4 ,y41 who lately wrote to me that a ,doctor ,boynton1 an itinerant lecturer1 had been at ,syracuse and informed him and ,prof4 ,bush1 of ,new ,york ,city1 and others1 that he1 the said ,boynton1 had been at your place at ,rochester1 and was there informed by a cousin to yourself 7a lady7 how the rappings were made1 and that it was all a trick done in various ways1 by the toes and by the fingers1 etc4 ,dr4 ,boynton said that he pretended to be friendly1 got communication with his father's ,spirit 7who was not dead71 and then he detected this lady in rapping and charged her with it2 and she owned up to him and taught him how to rap1 which he was practising4 ,to me this seemed absurd and like a falsehood4 ,i replied to my friend1 and used some pretty strong language to convince him that ,dr4 ,boynton was an impostor1 a deceiver1 a liar1 and unworthy of credit4 ,i said to him that a man who went to your place and was permitted to investigate the matter fairly1 'without money and without price1' and then went around the country telling such stories1 would not need his ears much lengthened to bray1 and what ,i wondered most at was1 that ,prof4 ,bush and ,rev4 ,a4 ,wilder1 ,m4,d4--for he has both letters prefixed to his name--should give any credit to him4 ,but1 notwithstanding this1 friend ,wilder writes me again and says he has no reason to question the veracity of ,dr4 ,boynton4 ,now ,i wish you to reply to me and give me the facts in this case1 so that ,i may be able to know them1 and relate them to my friends1 ,doctor ,wilder and ,prof4 ,bush4 ,these two men are both ,swedenborgian preachers1 and ,dr4 ,wilder is also a medical lecturer in the medical school in ,syracuse4 ,a4 ,j4 ,davis says1 in his recent work on ,spiritual intercourse1 that the mediums sometimes may produce the rapping or other manifestations unconsciously to themselves3 being impressed by the ,spirits or a strong desire to do what the ,spirits are about to do1 or what they greatly desire themselves4 ,whether anything of the kind occurs with yourself or sisters1 ,i never learned4 ,if so1 candidly and honestly inform me4 ,there are things which we shall all better understand by and by4 ,i saw ,mr4 ,a4 ,j4 ,davis a few days ago4 ,he says1 ',there is a better time coming4' ,i don't know whether this will reach you at ,rochester4 ,i believe you are much absent4 ,i heard from you in ,buffalo through a ,mrs4 ,bond1 of ,mt4 ,morris4 ,you will recollect a rather tall1 light-complexioned lady who had lost a sister and infant4 ,she read to me her questions and answers to them before yourself and sister ,margaretta4 ,this lady is talented1 one of earth's progressive spirits4 ,she first informed me of the opposition you met with in ,buffalo4 ,since then ,i have noticed in the papers your reply1 etc41 to ,doctors ,lee1 ,flint1 and ,coventry4 ,you have my sympathy in your trials4 ,it appears to me that you have great reason to rejoice that you were instrumental1 in the hands of ,supreme ,powers1 in giving to the world a more substantial assurance of an immortality1 and you have1 through the tests you freely submitted to1 forever silenced the theory of ,c4 ,chauncy ,burr1 and put to shame his emissaries4 ,i have but little fellowship with ,dr4 ,charles ,a4 ,lee1 of ,buffalo1 although ,i bear the same title and am a relative of his4 ,mrs4 ,mashon1 of ,mt4 ,morris1 is a friend to you1 and said she was formerly a neighbor of yours4 ,her testimony gave you a good moral character4 ,it might be useful1 if necessary1 in your case with ,burr4 ,i do not know what your intentions may be with ,c4 ,c4 ,burr1 but am glad you noticed him as you did4 ,he is a great impostor4 ,mr4 ,grimes is another4 ,yours fraternally1 ,,geo4 ,w4 ,,lee1 ,m4,d4 ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,rochester1 ,march #bc1 #aheb4 ,,dear ,,friend ,,leah3 ,it is alike a pleasure and a duty for me to thank you for your very welcome letter1 which came to hand this morning4 ,a letter from you had become of so rare occurrence1 that this was1 ,i assure you1 particularly pleasant to me4 ,it reminded me forcibly of some favors of the kind which past years bear record of1 and which served1 in no slight degree1 to give me those more pleasurable emotions in which consists the happiness of life4 ,i thank you very much for the message transmitted4 ,there is something in the communication very like that sister from whom it purports to come4 ,so like1 that after reading it and pondering upon the language1 ,i fell into a half reverie1 and imagined ,i could see through the veil that separates us1 and could read in the eyes that looked lovingly upon her brother1 a confirmation of that which your pen transcribed for me4 ,i will keep it a long time1 as a remembrance1 and will be again obliged1 whenever a repetition of the favor may be experienced without taxing your patience and generosity beyond its friendly bounds4 ,i presume ,i should have become a medium long ago if my condition had been suitable2 ,i have no doubt of the wisdom of the ,spirits in refraining from intrusting me with the commission such mediumship would have imposed4 ,my nervous temperament is somewhat peculiar1 and ,i am quite satisfied now that ,i would have been a poor servant of the cause1 if anything like a position in the front ranks of it had been assigned me4 ,as it is ,i am as ever a deeply interested spectator of the events as they transpire1 and looking1 with entire and unflagging confidence1 for the time coming when the more glorious fruits of these newly developed truths will ripen for the eye best fitted to appreciate them4 ,i think1 sometimes1 that this ,spiritualism advances upon the world of mind as the inflowing tide of ocean floods the shore4 ,it seems to come in waves2 each succeeding one beats further upon the strand than its predecessor4 ,is it not so8 ,and is there not in the one an approximation to the grandeur of the other8 ,but you never stood1 when a child1 on ,newport beach1 and may not see the meaning of my remark4 ,i have tried to watch these things clearly1 and1 without a spirit of assumption1 ,i think ,i may say ,i have made no great mistake in the matter in its earliest stage4 ,i predicted the very course1 on the part of the priesthood1 which they have since taken 7see ,charles ,beecher's report74 ,i claim no shrewdness for this1 because it is the only one they can take and maintain themselves to their last hour4 ,it is their last stronghold6 and when that falls they fall with it4 ,now of your proposed visit to ,rochester4 ,the friends will1 of course1 be very glad to see you1 and will expect you to make less haste to get away4 ,i told ,isaac what you said about it1 but have not yet seen ,amy4 ,her health is much improved1 and she is the same blessed woman she ever was1 and1 ,i know1 wants to have a good visit from you and ,katie ,fox4 ,yours truly1 ,j4 ,e4 ,r4 ,,same4 ,,rochester1 ,may #bc1 #aheb4 ,,dear ,,friend ,,leah3 ,so you have really broken your long and persevering silence6 ,i am obliged to you for the letter1 which was received last evening1 and especially for the postscript added thereunto4 ,you know it is said that a woman's letter is never finished without a ,p4 ,s42 but it is seldom so generous in its dimensions1 or so full of sentiment1 as to outweigh that to which it is appended4 ,what a dishonest world this is6 ,your letter is half cheerful1 half sad2 and ,i1 who know your life about as well as any one1 do not wonder that it should be so4 ,i am thankful1 ,leah1 that the ,recording ,angel always tells a straight story upon the pages of his manuscript2 thankful for myself1 for you1 and for others1 that we are not to be judged in that ,court whose sentence is final upon ex-parte evidence4 ,had my lot in early life been cast as yours was1 ,i do not think ,i should be as good as you are1 or even as happy4 ,and this task which the ,spirits have imposed upon you of late years1 is anything but a light one4 ,it has its brighter side1 as ,i well know1 its lightening influences2 and were this not the case1 no one1 not even yourself1 could endure the wear constant and severe1 upon the mind1 for a single year4 ,i can only advise you 7just here71 as ,i often have1 to devote sufficient time to rest2 and do not rob yourself of that which nature demands1 and which she will have or impose a penalty4 ,i am glad to know that you find friends1 whom you do so much prize1 among your lady visitors4 ,you and ,i agree in one thing at least1 that a true and noble-souled woman is worth a thousand of the average standard2 and it is something to be able to appreciate and love such a character4 ,do you not think so8 ,isaac and ,amy received your letter to them to-day and sent it to me to read4 ,your friend1 ,j4 ,e4 ,r4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,miscellaneous ,,letters 7,continued74 ,e4 ,f4 ,,norton--,,john ,e4 ,,robinson--,,governor ,n4 ,p4 ,,tallmadge--,,pauline ,m4 ,,davis--,,same--,,john ,e4 ,,robinson--,,prof4 ,i4 ,,jay ,,watson4 ,,cincinnati1 ,june #ad1 #aheb4 ,,miss ,,catherine ,,fox ,,and ,,sisters3 ,permit me to offer a few thoughts in reference to your late visit to the ,queen ,city4 ,having spent the day in calling on a number of the friends who visited you while here1 ,i find but one opinion1 and that of regret at the necessity of your having to leave so soon4 ,i have just left the ,walnut ,street ,house4 ,the captain informs me that no less than fifty persons had called to see you during the day4 ,he said1 ',they came by carriage loads4' ,your friend ,sweeney1 the proprietor1 is on the anxious-seat4 ,the ,spirit told him that a sister of his1 residing in ,texas1 was dead4 ,he received a letter this morning1 after you left1 conveying the sad intelligence of the death of that sister4 ,i think he may be classed as a convert to the cause4 ,i can but think that1 had you remained another week1 the receipts would have doubled4 ,the friends feel that to wait till ,september is out of the question4 ,do prevail on one of your sisters1 ,mrs4 ,fish1 ,margaretta1 or ,mrs4 ,smith1 to return with you immediately4 ,will not the good ,spirits approve of it8 ,it does seem to me that ,cincinnati is the best point in the ,west1 both in a pecuniary point of view and for the advancement of the cause4 ,miss ,cronk1 of ,painesville1 and her father1 are expected here soon1 the circle having written and received an answer that they would come4 ,should they come1 it will be for the benefit of the circle1 and cannot interfere with your visit4 ,my ,spiritual friends are all telegraphing me while writing1 in approbation1 perhaps1 of what ,i am saying4 ,i forgot to give you the book containing the list of the names of the visitors4 ,i will copy it and enclose it to you4 ,please advise your sisters1 and believe me ,yours truly1 ,e4 ,f4 ,,norton4 ,,clipper ,,ship ,,sea ,,serpent1 ,,pacific ,,ocean1 ,june #ba1 #aheb4 ,lat4 #bb ,n41 ,long4 #aah ,w4 ,,my ,,dear ,,friend3 ,my association with your family1 during the past summer and winter1 ,i trust is a sufficient apology for the liberty ,i take in addressing you4 ,the past three months have offered a good time for reflection1 and ,i acknowledge to a feeling of solicitude for you all4 ,i know you have friends in all parts of the world1 but1 ,i am sorry to say1 even some of your best friends sometimes fail to appreciate the severe tests through which you are compelled to pass1 in order to prove the genuineness of ,spirit manifestations4 ,you will oblige me very much if you will write me particulars in regard to your success in your new home1 surrounded by new friends1 etc41 etc4 ,mr4 ,greeley expressed a hope that you would stop at his home until your house is settled and ready for occupation4 ,he also expects that ,katy will accept his invitation to come immediately to attend school1 and remain with them until you are settled in ,new ,york4 ,it is only since my sea-life that ,i have fully realized the situation4 ,you are exposed to the scoffs and ridicule of the masses1 at all times and in all places4 ,this great and important truth is destined to revolutionize the world1 and will render your names a part of the history of the age4 ,it has already done so4 ,i shall claim as a right from you1 occasionally1 a full account of the progress of the cause4 ,the subject has been a very dear one to me4 ,in fact1 ,i feel that ,i am living in a different sphere since ,i have been acquainted with the object of my own existence1 and have a clearer perception of a life beyond4 ,i can realize the truth of that saying1 so common with the good old ,methodists1 viz41 ',i enjoy a peace that the world cannot give nor take away4' ,we are now almost one thousand miles from ,san ,francisco1 being only four or five days' sail1 with a fair wind4 ,unfortunately1 however1 the wind is turned unfavorable1 and we may be as many weeks4 ,this is our one hundred and fourth day at sea1 without landing1 having travelled some fifteen thousand miles4 ,our voyage1 on the whole1 has been very pleasant4 ,the weather has been remarkably fine4 ,we have not experienced one day of what the sailors term rough weather4 ,our passage round ,cape ,horn1 the place so much dreaded by all voyagers1 was unusually favorable4 ,we were only three days in getting round1 while it is common for ships to be from fifteen to thirty4 ,the greatest treat of the voyage is the sunsets on this side4 ,their wondrous beauties baffle every attempt at description4 ,will you have the kindness to send by mail the piece of music1 ',haunted ,ground'8 ,with kind regards to all1 ,i remain yours truly1 ,e4 ,f4 ,,norton4 ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,rochester1 ,n4 ,y41 ,october #bj1 #ahec4 ,,dear ,,friend ,,leah3 ,i have received your note of a recent date1 and am obliged to you for it1 as ,i always am for a letter from you4 ,but1 what is the matter with you8 your letter is deeply tinged with sadness1 and reads very much as ,i feel sometimes1 though from a different cause from any which appeared in yours4 ,you have1 or had just then1 a ,november mood on1 and here it is ,october1 and a clear and bright sky2 and although it be autumn1 it is one of no common beauty4 ,what has crossed your path8 ,are you not blessed with friends good and true8 such as you used to tell me of8 and if your health is passingly good1 what is there standing between you and your share of happiness8 ,i suppose ,i might give answers to these questions by looking in upon my own life record3 for a human is a human1 and we are all of a piece in most things4 ,but your letter leads me to these questions1 and so my pen has asked them4 ,you do not say a word about ,spirits1 or what they and you are doing1 leaving me to guess everything which ,i would know about those things4 ,you recollect ,frederica ,bremer paid you a visit on ,troup ,street when she was in this country4 ,her manner and remarks1 as you related them to me1 ,i remember in a general way1 particularly as she was1 on account of her eminent literary character1 a marked personage2 and ,i was somewhat surprised this evening1 when ,i read an extract from her recent book of travels in ,america1 in which she gives an account of her interview with yourself and sisters4 ,it is evident that she was false to you1 or else she is false to the public who now read her work4 ,i mention this as a passing matter of but little consequence in itself1 disconnected with other considerations1 but which are inseparable therefrom4 ,she is1 through her writings1 the familiar and admired companion in countless homes here and elsewhere2 and her opinions pass as of more value than those of most persons4 ,i regret exceedingly that1 for some cause1 she has said either more or less than what seems to her the truth4 ,in the long run it will make no difference to truth itself1 but ,i do so hate to see one1 whom ,i consider a noble spirit1 swerve a hair's breadth from the path of honor1 merely to minister to the current opinions of a world that it should be too proud to bow to4 ,it is but another instance1 another illustration of the truth of what ,i have often said to you and our friend ,george ,willets1 that there never has been anything which so severely tried the integrity of men and women as does this ,spiritualism4 ,the ,rochester ,union tells us you have quietly settled down in a place called ,harmony1 ,chautauqua ,co4 ,no other paper has the news4 ,yours1 ,j4 ,e4 ,r4 ,,governor ,n4 ,p4 ,,tallmadge4 ,,fond ,,du ,,lac1 ,,wis41 ,march #bg1 #aheg4 ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,brown3 ,i received yesterday from ,judge ,smith the communication through you from my wife deceased4 ,it was remarkable and significant in every point of view4 ,judge ,smith writes that her name was not known to him nor to you1 and he did not know whether it be right or wrong4 ,i wish to say to you1 it is exactly right--both the ,christian name and the middle letter2 and it is remarkable that whilst ,judge ,smith spells my name1 as almost all persons spell it1 with only one 'l1' to wit ,talmadge1 the name as rapped out1 letter by letter1 is correctly spelled with two 'l's1' to wit1 ,tallmadge4 ,i was much gratified with your note of condolence appended to the communication4 ,i know your sincerity1 and ,i appreciate your sympathy4 ,you know the pain of separation1 and the severance of such earthly ties4 ,but how my views have changed from what they were when my son ,william died6 ,i had no peace for years till ,i began to communicate with him through you4 ,death now has no terrors for me4 ,i feel that the separation from beloved friends and relatives is but temporary--and that1 by a pure life here1 we shall soon be again united in 'another and a better world1' where there will be no more separation forever4 ,with kindest regards to your mother and sisters1 ,i remain1 very truly1 ,your friend1 ,n4 ,p4 ,,tallmadge4 ,,mrs4 ,,ann ,,leah ,,brown1 ,no4 #a ,ludlow ,place1 ,new ,york4 ,,pauline ,w4 ,,davis4 ,,providence1 ,august #h1 #aheg4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,b43 ,a writer1 whom ,i have been recently reading1 says3 ',i count life not by years but by the acquaintances ,i form and value1 hence if ,i make a love ,i double or even treble that year4' ,in that sense ,i would like to be old1 for ,i would like to have many real loves4 ,i am glad of my visit to ,new ,york1 for ,i learned that my heart was not cold when any one came near me with the power to rouse me4 ,deeply as ,i am interested in the new philosophy you are a chosen teacher of1 still ,i am more interested in you as a woman2 a woman whose heart is alive to all that is good and great1 and that has been purified by a high love4 ,it is not often1 as ,i told you1 that ,i make any demonstrations of affection 7and ,i have been so long called cold that ,i begin to think ,i am rather so74 ,nor do ,i often express admiration2 but toward you ,i was impelled to offer much2 and now1 in writing you1 were ,i to utter all the warm feelings that awaken in my heart toward you1 ,i fear you might think me weak and enthusiastic--or worse1 insincere2 which ,god forbid ,i should ever be4 ,you are my opposite in almost everything4 ,this may account for my admiration1 but not for my love2 for it is not every one that ,i can love4 ,i have looked about to see what ,i could do among my friends1 and what inducement ,i could offer you to come2 which is very little indeed beyond a warm welcome to our little cottage and hearts4 ,our friends are nearly all absent1 but some half-dozen gentlemen wish much to have you come4 ,so your expenses would be insured1 and you should have rest1 quiet1 and the perfect protection of our house2 and ,i think you would enjoy the freshness of the country4 ,it is so green and lovely now that it seems like ,june4 ,i have been in ,boston and saw my dear boy1 who will come down to see you if you come4 ,i also obtained for you a beautiful thimble1 so do not bring one for yourself4 ,please let me hear from you at once1 and if you will come--what day4 ,we will then meet you with our carriage and take care of you4 ,my husband is greatly interested in my story1 but can't realize the truth in the least4 ,this refers to a remarkable cure of ,mrs4 ,davis by ,mrs4 ,b4 which will be found in the chapter on ,spirit ,cures1 page #cfd4--;,,ed4 ,god bless you1 my dear friend4 ,,pauline ,w4 ,,davis4 ,mrs4 ,j4 is not well1 but is out with my husband driving4 ,,same4 ,,providence1 ,june #ab1 #ahei4 ,,my ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,underhill3 ,i have been waiting a long time1 hoping to hear from you and to have that visit appointed4 ,now the country is so beautiful ,i must urge you to come and enjoy it with me4 ,last evening ,i met ,mr4 ,bartlett1 who inquired for you and hoped you would come very soon4 ,he gives a strawberry party on ,saturday evening of this week4 ,you shall see just whom you would like to see1 and no others4 ,you shall ride1 walk1 or rest1 just as you like1 and have a good time1 that shall make you forget all the disagreeables of the past4 ,how fortunate it is that we have the ability to forget some things1 and that the heart prefers to retain the beautiful and cast aside the evil4 ,come next week1 as then ,i shall have strawberries in abundance and cherries too4 ,mr4 ,underhill must come for you4 ,if he comes with you1 he will hurry you away too soon1 ,i know1 and there are a thousand things for us to talk about4 ,my little ,maybell is in splendid health and spirits4 ,give my kind regards to ,mr4 ,underhill1 and tell him to give you leave of absence now4 ,let me hear from you soon4 ,if you come by the ,fall ,river boat you have a beautiful sail up the river1 and be here to breakfast about half-past ten o'clock4 ,i will meet you with a carriage at the wharf4 ,yours with much affection1 7,signed7 ,,pauline ,w4 ,,davis4 ,,john ,e4 ,,robinson4 ,,new ,,york1 ,october #a1 #ahhd4 ,,my ,,kind ,,friend1 ,,mrs4 ,,underhill3 ,learning that you are about having published a new book on the general subject of ,modern ,spiritualism1 and that1 in connection therewith1 you propose to avail yourself of such writings of mine as were suggested by a careful study of its phenomenal facts during the early days of their occurrence2 ,i write now to say that1 so far from having any objections to such a design1 ,i acquiesce promptly and thoroughly in your request4 ,furthermore1 if any letters of mine1 either of a public or private character1 can be of service to you1 you need not1 as a suggestion of delicacy1 withhold my name4 ,what is truth to me1 ,i utter1 if the occasion seems to call for its expression4 ,it has occurred to me1 in this connection1 that some thoughts of my maturer years1 which have quite recently passed through my mind1 may be pertinent to the general subject4 ,without being censorious1 and desiring to keep strictly within the bounds of propriety1 allow me to say that ,i have noted a marked tendency1 especially in these latter years1 of a more general atheistic quality in public thought upon the general subjects which lie at the base of all human religious belief4 ,i might1 perhaps1 italicize what ,i refer to1 as a near approach to a positive unbelief1 in most grades of modern intellects2 from the most gifted to those lower strata which take their initial thoughts from their superiors4 ,now it seems to me on reflection1 during a long season when my thoughts have been almost my only companions1 that the cause of all this general declension or 'eclipse of faith' is1 that ,science has taught too much1 unless it teaches more6 ,i would rather phrase it1 however 7for the emendation is a better solution71 that the true teachings of science have not been followed out to their ultimates4 ,now1 to my apprehension1 this is a most grievous error1 and was well expressed by the poet who penned the lines1 ',oh1 star-eyed ,science6 hast thou wandered there ,to bring us back the tidings of ,despair8' ,science has1 as ,i apprehend it--and ,i would not be erroneous in my judgment1 nor willingly harsh--generally impressed the intellects of its votaries in such a manner as to lead them intellectually to find nothing beyond the elemental matter of the ,universe as their eyes behold it4 ,exceptions there have been1 and are1 to this general charge2 but they are rare4 ,to refer in especial to the fact stated 7without being ungenerously personal71 ,i may add that the acknowledged highest and most accomplished medical authority in ,new ,york to-day 7so ,i am informed7 hesitates not to aver1 as his best and highest conviction1 that when a human body is thoroughly dissected upon his table1 he has shown to his class of students all that was or is of the specimen of humanity1 save the extinct principle of animal existence4 ,this is simply bald1 blank atheism6 ,it is an undoubted fact that such an opinion may be held by many a man of sincerity2 but such products have been initiated by the gross sensuousness of the religious thought1 that has given form and substance to what should never have been considered as coming within the range of things designated by and possessing those attributes4 ,let me explain1 if ,i can1 to the comprehension of such as may1 perchance1 read this1 the nature of the ,faith that is in me4 ,i am willing in my elder days to live by it1 and to be judged of it by the enlightened convictions of my fellow-men while ,i live upon this earth1 and by that ,deity in whom ,i verily believe4 ,i know--we all know--of the imperious forces of nature which rock a continent or roll back an ocean from its shores4 ,we also know something of gigantic and of microscopic life2 of the intelligence of animated nature1 through all its varied and wonderful forms2 we know and study the wonders of the human intellect1 even from 7,i might almost say7 the first dawn of life4 ,we are all1 more or less1 conversant with the action of principles which inhere in many species of vegetable life1 in which we note a rare and exquisite faculty of sensation1 which mirrors in its perfection the faculty of human consciousness1 and human ingenuity4 ,we look1 not upward nor downward--for those terms are inadmissible in this connection--but outward from our standpoint2 and what do we see8 ,the heavens1 as the ancients called what their limited vision revealed to them4 ,under ,galileo's lead we look again1 aided by the telescope of moderate power1 and1 beyond that gathered in our first field of sight1 we find another countless host of stars4 ,tired with the result we think and rest4 ,recuperating our wearied eyes1 we substitute an instrument of higher power1 and again peer into the realm of ,infinitude4 ,and again another congeries of stars is opened to our human vision4 ,repeat the process as we may1 and as often as we choose1 increase the penetrating power of our instrument1 the same fact remains4 ,there is no end1 no limitation4 ,but in all these results of our inquisitorial efforts we discover one preponderating law--that of undeviating order4 ,this is the one omnipresent principle by which their movements are governed4 ,law1 in this sense at least1 must be and is the result of dictation by the highest wisdom1 and necessitates the existence of ,deity4 ,i use the term because it is the only one which is pertinent to the subject and idea to be expressed4 ,the word ,god is the outcome of the earlier ages of comparative intellectual darkness4 ,the highest mental status of mankind at that time could not apprehend a ,ruler of the ,universe except as clothed with a form somewhat analogous to that of a human being1 and hence the rather presumptuous declaration that ',god created man in ,his own image4' ,we can readily apprehend this4 ,if1 on contemplation1 we look the august question squarely in the face1 we can most certainly reach the conclusion that this ,ideal is the highest possible one1 and centres within itself all things else requisite to an intelligent apprehension of what we are striving to reach4 ,to illustrate--if we have not already covered the basic ground of the thought--all the most potent and irresistible forces of ,nature are strictly impalpable2 and yet we know somewhat of their lurkings2 and such star-eyed minds as that of a ,morse can reverently and gently lead them in the direction of human pathways4 ,this conviction may be considered as the final result of the eager inquiry of honest and intelligent human minds4 ,i think it the reflex of the conviction of ,england's ,newton1 and ,i accept and retain it as a finality of the question4 ,it ennobles instead of dwarfing one's conception of a ,ruler of all things1 and gives us a stable as well as a rational and intellectual standpoint of observation1 of faith1 and of love4 ,higher than the ,god of earlier worship1 because entirely removed from the sensuous perceptions2 not fashioned after the crude and dimly visioned ideals of elder time1 it is sufficient for the highest yearnings of all ,humanity1 and must necessarily ennoble the faith of all with whom it shall live as the great exponent of ,power1 ,truth1 and ,love4 ,i remain1 sincerely1 as ever1 ,your friend1 ,j4 ,e4 ,,robinson4#ba #ba ,the writer is quite aware that if this letter1 or its substance1 should be used as a part of the text of your book1 it may be perused by some who will pronounce its final and legitimate conclusions as but a reflex or embodiment of ancient ,pantheism4 ,i think1 however1 that the more critical of its observers--if such it may and ,i hope will have--will discover a wide divergence from that form of belief2 which is really1 if rightly apprehended1 totally at variance with the central idea which ,i intend reverently to express4 ,j4 ,e4 ,r4 ,the following letter will explain itself4 ,professor ,j4 ,jay ,watson needs no description4 ,he was an intimate friend of ,ol ,bull1 who bequeathed to him his favorite violin1 on which instrument he is himself a consummate performer1 while his little son1 ,emmons ,watson1 bids fair some day to rival ,ol ,bull himself4 ,his direction of the music at the ,centennial of #ahgf1 and his popular dime concerts in ,new ,york1 attended by some hundreds of thousands1 have made ,professor ,watson not less widely known than he is everywhere highly respected1 for his philanthropy as well as musical genius and powers4 ,a4 ,l4 ,u4 ,,mrs4 ,a4 ,,leah ,,underhill3 ,,highly ,,esteemed ,,friend--,it is with unfeigned pleasure that ,i comply with your request to furnish you with an account of my strange experience while visiting ,san ,francisco1 ,cal41 in company with ,ol ,bull1 the violinist1 in #ahgj4 ,i cheerfully give the facts as they occurred1 and it seems eminently proper that the incident which ,i am about to relate should occupy a place in your forthcoming book1 when we recollect that the problem involved was solved through your marvellous mediumistic powers4 ,my father-in-law1 ,mr4 ,samuel ,parsons1 formerly an old and revered citizen of ,gloucester1 ,mass41 and who passed to the life beyond in #ahfe1 had for many years been noted for his remarkable prophecies as to the coming of future events1 as well as a strict regard for honesty and truth4 ,we frequently talked of the change called death1 and as we were both somewhat materialistic in our views as to a future state of existence1 we mutually agreed that the one who should be first called to pay the debt of nature1 would1 if there was a possibility of ,spirit return1 with sufficient power to tangibly manifest his presence1 surely do so2 and in order that there could be no mistaking the individual identity1 he would seize the one still in earth-life by the hair of his head and forcibly pull him from his bed to the floor4 ,laughable1 and even ridiculous1 as it may seem1 this promise was at various times renewed1 and frequently in the presence of mutual friends1 who are still living4 ,this agreement was made as a sort of harmless joke1 neither ,mr4 ,parsons nor myself having1 up to this time1 investigated the philosophy of ,modern ,spiritualism in any form4 ,during my visit to ,san ,francisco1 ,cal41 while managing the ',ol ,bull ,concert ,combination1' ,i had occasion to employ a number of persons1 one of whom1 having been proved glaringly dishonest1 ,i was obliged to discharge4 ,this individual1 not being satisfied with my leniency in letting him off without legal punishment1 vowed vengeance upon me1 saying to several persons that ,i should 'never leave ,california alive4' ,as 'barking dogs seldom bite1' ,i paid little attention to his threats4 ,one evening1 after the conclusion of our concert1 ,i was accompanied to my hotel by ,j4 ,heneage ,carter1 ,esq41 an old-time friend1 and the originator of the once famous ',carter ,zouave ,troupe4' ,after depositing the receipts of the evening with ,mr4 ,ridgeway1 clerk of the ',lick ,house1' where our company were stopping1 ,i retired to my room with my friend ,carter4 ,a brief chat ensued1 no allusion whatever being made as to the threats of the discharged employee4 ,mr4 ,carter bade me a cheerful good-night and took his departure4 ,i had no special anxiety upon my mind1 had eaten no hearty supper1 taken no beverage in the shape of wine or liquor of any description2 in fact1 ,i have scrupulously avoided dissipation in any form up to the present moment of my life2 consequently there was nothing in my stomach calculated to induce nightmare or unpleasant dreams4 ,upon retiring ,i immediately fell into a tranquil sleep1 from which ,i was unceremoniously awakened1 without the slightest warning1 by being suddenly and vigorously grasped1 apparently by a strong hand1 by the hair of my head and jerked with tremendous force from my bed1 landing sprawling upon the floor4 ,immediately gaining my feet1 ,i prepared to face a demon in the flesh of some sort1 and groped about the room to find a friendly chair with which to defend myself1 if need be4 ,no further demonstration being made1 however1 ,i proceeded to strike a light1 nor for a moment did ,i lose my self-control1 although constantly expecting to be attacked by some unseen foe4 ,upon carefully examining my room there was not the slightest sign of any being1 human or otherwise1 with the exception of myself4 ,everything was still and as usual4 ,i looked at my watch and found the time to be #e4dj ,a4,m4 ,my scalp smarted intensely1 as it naturally would after such harsh treatment1 and had ,i been near an ,indian camp ,i could readily have believed that ,i had lost that important appendage1 and without any great stretch of the imagination either4 ,as there is no effect without a cause1 and vice versa1 ,i soon seated myself and endeavored to solve the meaning of the remarkable phenomenon just experienced4 ,in a moment a terrible thought flashed upon my mind4 ,perhaps some member of my family or near relative had died suddenly4 ,hastily making my toilet ,i proceeded to the nearest telegraph station and impatiently awaited the arrival of the operator4 ,my despatch was directed to my sister in ,new ,york1 with whom my family were stopping at the time1 and simply read1 ',how are you all8 ,answer4' ,the reply1 ',all well1' caused me to breathe more freely1 but the mystery was yet unexplained4 ,i told the story to my friend ,ol ,bull1 who became intensely interested1 and often during our stay in ,california expressed a great deal of solicitude in the matter4 ,i would here state en passant1 that the agreement made by my wife's father and myself did not recur to my mind4 ,to be sure1 ,mr4 ,parsons had been dead more than five years1 yet it seems to me quite remarkable that our old compact had not at once presented itself2 but ,i felt convinced that this singular demonstration meant something4 ,upon my return to ,new ,york ,i visited you in company with ,ol ,bull1 and you kindly gave us a private sitting4 ,the alphabet being called for1 the following was rapped out3 ',john1 the man whom you discharged in ,san ,francisco1 was on the veranda of the hotel1 and determined to execute his terrible threat4 ,i thought it a good time to redeem my promise1 and pulled you out of bed by your hair4 ,i was obliged to do this roughly in order to thoroughly awaken you4--,,samuel ,,parsons4' ,with great respect ,i am ,your sincere friend1 ,j4 ,,jay ,,watson4 ,,beverly1 ,,essex ,,county1 ,,mass4 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,some ,,observations ,,on ,,mediumship4 ,,mysteries ,,of ,,mediumship--,,to ,,prove ,,the ,,immortality ,,of ,,the ,,soul--,,passivity ,,and ,,harmony ,,at ,s,,ances--,,honest ,,and ,,candid ,,scepticism--,,imaginary ,,and ,,self-,,induced ,,mediumship--,,deceptive ,,communications--,,cautions--,,rappings --,,spirits ,,made ,,visible--,,beware ,,of ,,fraudulent ,,mediums--,,not ,,all ,,spirits ,,reliable--,,cabinets4 ,mediumship is a great mystery4 ,some persons are found to possess the gift 7often from ancestral derivation1 as in the case of the second-sight in the ,scotch ,highlands71 while others are totally devoid of it4 ,there are also many varieties both in the forms and phases of it1 and in the degrees in which different persons possess the strange--,i may say1 abnormal--gift4 ,there seem to be also great variations of degree in which it is possessed by different persons1 constituting differences of mediumistic power4 ,i am satisfied that there are few families in which some one or other of its members does not possess it1 at least in latent condition1 more or less developed or undeveloped2 and that1 if they will sit patiently and passively 7without anxiety or eagerness7 round a table1 without being discouraged and exhausted of patience by weeks or even months of failure1 the manifestations will generally at last come1 whether in the form of rappings1 or that of tilting of the table1 or in other phenomena inexplicable on the ground of the ordinary laws of physical nature1 and compelling the recognition of the presence of extra-natural beings or forces--i4e41 ,spirits--as the only explanation of the manifest and incontestable facts4 ,again1 apart from the various degrees of the faculty in the mediums1 there is mystery hanging over the question of the various degrees of ability of ,spirits who may be present--high1 low1 or of intermediate grade and character--to act through or with a particular medium4 ,and still again1 there is mystery over the influence of the members of the circle present1 both upon the sensitive medium and upon the ,spirits present4 ,and upon the fundamental point of what constitutes mediumship1 on what qualities1 physical1 mental or spiritual1 it depends1 hangs the greatest mystery of all4 ,one thing seems certain1 namely1 that at least in the present age or dispensation1 the ,spirits about us seem desirous of communicating with us1 human ,spirits still in the flesh1 and glad of the opportunities afforded them through the mediums for doing so4 ,psychics1 or sensitives1 have been suggested as more suitable designations than mediums1 but that of medium seems to have got too strongly rooted in popular usage to be now easily changed4 ,it is certain that history shows what may be called mediumship to have existed in all ages1 climes1 and civilizations1 in various degrees1 and that in all races1 barbarian or civilized1 there has been more or less of manifestation1 to man still in the flesh1 of the continued existence of disincarnated man1 or ,spirits4 ,the extraordinary outpouring of the evidence of this great truth which our times have witnessed1 and which1 beginning in our country1 has so rapidly made the circuit of the globe1 seems1 as has been declared by many of the higher classes of ,spirits1 to have grown out of the fact1 that the science and philosophy of the century had become so deeply imbued with materialism1 fast sapping the foundations of all religion1 that it had become necessary1 in the counsels of the high ,spirits who are the ministers of the will of the ,infinite ,supreme we name ,god1 to overpour the world with a new flood of irresistible demonstration of the truth and reality of the next life and of the immortality of the soul4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if there is one mental condition1 on the part of mediums and sitters1 more constantly insisted upon by good ,spirits as necessary toward the attaining of good results in the manifestations1 it is that of passivity4 ,if a sitter earnestly desires a particular thing1 has his heart and thought and will strongly set upon it1 that is precisely what he is least likely to obtain1 or to obtain it clearly and satisfactorily1 if he obtain it at all4 ,the expression is sometimes used that both medium and sitter must keep themselves in a negative1 as distinguished from a positive1 condition4 ,if they are positive--especially if persons of strong will--their magnetic or ,spiritual positiveness seems to work adversely instead of harmoniously with that of the invisibles4 ,the testimony from the ,spirits is pretty unanimous that tranquil mental harmony in the circle is very necessary toward the attainment of good results4 ,discussion of subjects of difference1 in however friendly a temper it may be conducted1 is unfavorable4 ,this is generally accepted as the reason why instrumental or vocal music is so commonly resorted to1 as tending to lead the minds of all into the same channel4 ,there may also be something in its action to attune the air-vibrations into accord instead of opposition1 resulting from the differences of voice among a number of persons thus gathered together4 ,it is a mistake to suppose that faith in ,spiritualism on the part of all present is a necessary condition of success at sances4 ,it is true that it sometimes seems that the presence of particular individuals is fatal to any1 or any but the feeblest1 manifestations4 ,in such cases it is not their ignorance and disbelief1 nor a rational scepticism1 that militate against success4 ,on the contrary1 ,spirits like the visits of honest1 candid sceptics or inquirers1 who are not inaccessible to evidence1 nor so resolutely and bitterly hostile1 and so acrid in temper1 that they neither can be convinced though one rose from the dead1 nor are worthy of the attempt4 ,they seem to resent the insulting presence and the unworthy mental condition and attitude of such persons1 and ill-disposed to cast such pearls before such swine4 ,also1 when sitters come with lies and fraud in their hearts1 and trickery in their purposes1 they bring with or attract to them lying and fraudulent ,spirits who like to give them just what they come to seek4 ,it is perhaps even more true in the ,spirit life than in this1 that like attracts like1 and that birds of a feather flock together4 ,there are many imaginary mediums4 ,they will tell you they see1 hear1 and speak to you under the influence of ,spirits1 when it is nothing but an emanation from their own brain1 and perhaps from the forces of the circle combined4 ,this ,i believe to be a self-induced condition1 developed by the powerful influence of the human will acting upon their own physical force4 ,beware how you become ensnared in the meshes of such mediums4 ,they are only fit subjects for the lunatic asylums4 ,there are1 ,i believe1 some unexplored regions in the human brain which may be hereafter explained and better understood4 ,i will give you an example of this phase of mediumship4 ,a friend of mine1 an excellent man but very ambitious to excel in doing good1 and at the same time to take a high position in ,spiritualism1 was told by ,spirits that he would be a medium4 ,he was very sanguine and believed that he could revolutionize the world1 if he should become one4 ,he was a clergyman and an honest man4 ,one morning 7after having waited a long time for the fulfilment of the promise that he would be a medium71 he came to me with a roll of paper in his hand1 his face beaming with joy1 saying as he entered the room1 ,at last the prophecy has been fulfilled6 ,see1 listen1 and he read a beautiful poem signed ,felicia ,hemans4 ,he afterward wrote many interesting things1 and ,i have no doubt there were or had been times when he was under the influence of good ,spirits2 but as soon as he became ambitious to set himself up as high priest1 that innate something which belongs to the natural man performed the office of his own mind4 ,that development is often very disastrous and unreliable1 and should not be encouraged4 ,i will give you an illustration in the following communication4 ,one ,sunday afternoon1 while sitting in his library1 his hand was influenced to write a communication1 of which the following is a copy3 ,i departed this earth-life a few hours ago1 in ---- ,street1 ,no4 ----4 ,you will find my children mourning over my lifeless form4 ,go to them at once and assist them to bury my body4 7,signed7 ,,mary4 ,he read the communication to his wife1 who remonstrated1 saying that she doubted it2 but after considering the matter they both started to find the distressed family4 ,it was not very far from them2 but judge of their astonishment when they found no such place as had been mentioned4 ,the street was there1 but no house1 and no number like the place designated4 ,the communication1 in its essentials1 was an entire fabrication4 ,in the evening they both called on me1 and desired1 if possible1 that ,spirits would explain through the rappings why he should have been so deceived4 ,the rapping said1 ,my dear friend1 this is an experience which you will not forget4 ,you have been led by ambition1 mistaking it for a higher motive4 ,you have besought ,spirits to direct you1 when you should have acted according to your own best judgment4 ,thus you have attracted a class of ,spirits who are unreliable4 ,this was something which many were necessitated to learn in the school of experience1 especially in those early days of ,spiritualism4 ,i do not approve of sitting in promiscuous circles for development4 ,i remember several years ago there was a circle held in ,new ,york for the purpose of making mediums4 ,our friend1 ,mr4 ,george ,willets1 visited the rooms of the developers several times1 and reported to us the unfavorable effect it produced upon him4 ,my sister ,katie on one occasion went with him4 ,when she returned she felt badly and complained of strange sensations1 caused 7she believed7 by sitting in that circle4 ,it affected her unfavorably for some days4 ,she was sad1 and complained of seeing disagreeable things whenever her eyes closed4 ,this gradually changed1 but she could never be persuaded to visit such circles again4 ,in the case of the ,dr4 ,phelps's manifestations ,i think there was abundant evidence to prove that a natural development took place there4 ,and ,i am sure that we fought against it long enough and hard enough to prove that we were not knowingly instrumental in bringing about anything of our own mediumship4 ,we were all annoyed at the idea of being called mediums4 ,another well-known case--were ,i to mention the name it would be clearly remembered--was that of a wealthy gentleman doing a large business in this city4 ,he came to see me at ,no4 #a ,ludlow ,place1 rejoicing in his newly developed mediumship4 ,he was a large1 finely organized man1 and came to explain to me how wonderfully he was affected4 ,he told me that his wife was not pleased because he sat in circles for development1 and she thought he was losing his mind4 ,this gentleman lived in ,brooklyn1 and if this should come under his eye he will recollect the circumstance4 ,he was not a disciple of the ,rochester knockings1 but a professed admirer of speaking1 writing1 and impressible mediums4 ,he thought it would be very fine to become a great public speaker 7as he had been told he would be71 and astonish the world2 and therefore he believed it4 ,he soon began to whirl around and pound himself and snort like an animal4 ,i thought he was a raving madman2 but when he spoke he seemed rational enough at times1 but his lucid moments were few and far between4 ,at length the ,spirit rapped out the following3 ,my son1 sit down at the table4 ,he did so1 apparently delighted4 ,again the alphabet was called for1 and this was spelled3 ,enclose the extremities of your fingers within your hands1 cross your feet and rest your heels on the floor1 and permit me to give you advice1 namely3 ,when you sit in the circle1 exerting every faculty of mind and body1 with your hands on the table and your feet on the floor1 all your brain forces escape through your extremities and are absorbed by the more receptive members of the circle4 ,he followed the directions of his guardian ,spirit1 and became quiet1 and was so deeply interested in the rappings that he engaged a private hour and brought his wife the next day1 who became equally interested and honestly confessed to me that she had blamed and condemned me as an impostor2 and although her husband had not met in my circles1 she charged me with being the original cause of her husband's misfortune--as she considered it4 ,from that time he was cured4 ,i think he was on the high road to the lunatic asylum2 and1 although some writers term the ,spirit-rapping a manifestation of lower grade1 in my own opinion communications come more direct from ,spirits through the rappings1 or when accompanied by them1 than when written or spoken1 etc41 in magnetic circles where the mediums are quite as susceptible to an action exerted upon them by ,spirits embodied as by the disembodied4 ,i have found it so in my own experience1 and ,i never place entire confidence in anything unless the ,spirits sanction it to me by sounds in connection with the alphabet1 which was their first chosen method with us4 ,nor do ,i rely on the rappings unless what is said through them bears in itself the evidence of truth4 ,i regret to see persons too much carried away by this or any ism4 ,give me a good amanuensis1 one who can take down each letter as it is indicated 7and not interrupt me by asking very often1 ,what does it say8 which breaks the telegraphic connection1 for the time1 through which ,spirits operate1 exactly as the telegraphic wires are affected by a thunder-storm7--give me1 ,i say1 such an amanuensis1 and ,i can sit1 as ,i have often sat1 for hours at a time1 receiving the letters through the raps and alphabet1 with no idea of their connection or meaning1 nor any such knowledge possible to any listener1 and at the close every letter1 word1 and sentence will be found perfectly correct1 and the whole intelligible only when the whole is read in connected sequence4 ,it is impossible for any mortal to sit and reiterate the letters of the alphabet as fast as they can be repeated1 hour after hour1 and retain in the mind the structure of the sentences and chapters communicated4 ,i defy any one to do it4 ,even ,theodore ,parker pronounced it a quietus on the ,buffalo doctors4 ,try it yourselves1 dear readers4 ,under the right conditions1 ,i can sit and call the letters for hours together1 and when the message is finished it will be found to be perfect and unbroken from beginning to end--in accordance with the intelligence of the ,spirit1 not that of the medium4 ,i have seen ,spirits walk around the room1 furnishing their own light sufficiently bright to show themselves distinctly to all persons present1 when every precaution had been taken to lock and seal the doors and windows1 to prevent ingress or egress of any person to disturb the circle2 and ,i know hundreds1 still living1 who can testify to this statement4 ,now1 then1 why should there be any need of so conducting circles for manifestations as to cause suspicion1 or leave the minds of investigators in doubt8 ,should a medium be allowed to enter a cabinet without any precautions on the part of the sitters to require test conditions1 and deliberately clothe him or herself in the habiliments of angels1 and then softly glide forth into a dimly lighted room1 scarcely visible to the eye1 and call it a materialization or a transfiguration8 ,shame on such cruel deception4 ,i am astonished that people are willing to be so imposed upon4 ,when ,i was before the public1 ,i expected and wished to give every satisfaction in my power4 ,i believe all persons who wish to know the truth1 and are willing to pay mediums for their time and trouble1 should demand their rights1 search the cabinets1 and hold the mediums by joining hands until they are fully satisfied of the truthfulness of the manifestations4 ,we have never objected to being held1 and we have even submitted to being stethoscoped and gagged to settle the question of ventriloquism1 after every other test had been applied4 ,i do not wish to be understood as condemning all cabinet sances4 ,we1 for our part1 never used cabinets nor had occasion to do so4 ,i know1 through the best of testimony1 that with honest mediums and select confidential circles1 marvellous phenomena have taken place through that means since my day4 ,but ,i do disapprove of such sances before promiscuous parties1 when not accompanied with precautions against the possibility of deception2 for when test conditions are not required by the sitters1 or insisted upon by the mediums as their only protection against malevolent suspicions1 they open the door to fraudulent mediums for the practice of abominable deceptions4 ,nor will ,i dismiss the subject without cautioning all against the error of always relying implicitly upon the communications of those whom they regard as ,spirits far better1 higher1 and more enlightened than themselves or their friends4 ,still less should they1 necessarily1 obey their directions or counsels1 especially in regard to their business or social concerns4 ,many investigators find it hard to divest themselves of a sort of superstitious reverence for the ,spirits in conversation with them4 ,it is a mistake to suppose them to know everything1 and a greater one to imagine them capable of doing everything4 ,it is sometimes an error even to believe them to be the ,spirits they profess to be4 ,spirits are of many varieties of condition1 character1 and degrees of progress4 ,there are those prone to amuse themselves with a sort of practical joking and false personation2 and such ,spirits1 being in a low plane1 are apt to be glad of any opportunity to push themselves forward into the door opened by the presence of the medium1 and play their fantastic tricks on the too credulous4 ,we must judge for ourselves of the reasonableness1 the probability1 and the characteristic resemblance of what ,spirits may say1 to that which we might have expected from them4 ,we must strive1 by our daily lives and conversation1 to attract to ourselves only ,spirits of the better and higher orders in that world of the next life1 which is far more densely populous than the one in which we ourselves still live and move and have our being4 ,at the same time ,i think that the cause of ,spiritualism would be at this day further advanced in general acceptance1 if cabinets1 and with them the phenomena called materialization and transfiguration1 had never been introduced4 ,for1 however genuine1 as well as impressive1 may be the manifestations of the presence and action of the ,spirits which may have occurred in the employment of them1 they afford opportunities for deception which dishonest mediums are but too ready to avail themselves of1 and then when exposure comes 7and it is generally ,spiritualists who are the most earnest in detecting and punishing the infamy of such deception71 they are at once trumpeted all over the land1 and more harm is done to the progress of the cause than all the good ever resulting from the genuine phenomena themselves4 ,no such exposures ever occurred in all our long and varied experience1 though never have mediums been subjected to more jealous and severe investigations2 and there are few of the more modern phenomena which have not occurred through our mediumship1 though the usual mode of communication practised at our circles was the one which ,i still consider the best and most direct1 as it is the simplest--that of rapping to the alphabet4 ,i will only add1 before dismissing the subject1 that though it is so many years since ,i have ceased to practise the public exercise of my mediumship1 ,i am not conscious that it has at all weakened or changed4 ,on rare occasions ,i have given private sittings to confidential friends1 and few days pass which do not bring me conscious evidence of the presence of ,spirit friends4 ,it was under their prompting1 and indeed direction1 that ,i have written this book1 and often during its progress have they given me their counsel at moments of doubt on my part as to what to insert or to omit4 ,happy1 in so many ways1 as has been my domestic life1 ,i should be ungrateful if ,i did not realize how largely the unseen friends and visitors of my home have contributed to that happiness4 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,miscellaneous ,,incidents4 ,,felicia ,,hemans--,,spirit ,,dictations ,,of ,,music4 ,in compliance with the advice and wishes of the friend who has aided me in putting together the scattered parts of my volume1 ,i now proceed to wind it up with what ,i might call a sample assortment of ,incidents out of my ,spiritualistic experience4 ,this was not within my original scheme of the work1 but in the course of several months of intimate intercourse with him1 there naturally arose in conversation frequent allusions to such reminiscences1 leading me to tell him1 under his intelligent interrogation1 the story of them4 ,the result was that he came to insist that some collection of them would constitute a useful as well as interesting addition to my ,missing ,link4 ,he therefore embraced many opportunities of returning to them1 and drawing from me repetitions of the narratives1 and jotting down notes1 from which he then insisted that ,i should write them out1 with a little kind assistance from him4 ,this collection might easily have been greatly enlarged4 ,,felicia ,,hemans--,,spirit ,,dictation ,,of ,,music4 ,the following is a beautiful and curious experience which came one evening at ,rochester1 in the early days of our mediumship3 ,maggie and ,i were sitting alone in my cozy little parlor in ,troup ,street1 enjoying ourselves by a warm fire while the pouring rain and howling winds outside assured us that we should not be interrupted by callers4 ,i was reading ,memoirs of the ,wesley ,family1 when the alphabet was called for by the usual signal4 ,i repeated the letters as they came through the alphabet1 and wrote them as designated successively by the ,spirit1 viz43 ,,gagcbagagefefagfefgfedaggcedggcbagccdb c4 ,these letters could not1 of course1 be construed into words1 and ,i cast them aside saying1 ,this must be the ,spirit of ,johnny ,story1 a simple boy whom we had known when living1 who could never be taught to read4 ,the alphabet was again called for and the message given by the ,spirit was1 ,apply the letters to your piano4 ,on doing so ,i recognized in them1 to my surprise and delight1 a sweet and tender melody4 ,i was then told to set the music to ,haunted ,ground in ,mrs4 ,hemans's ,poems1 but with the variation of changing ,haunted to ,hallowed in the last verse4 ,professor ,j4 ,j4 ,watson has kindly arranged the accompaniment for the organ and piano1 as on the next page4 ,i have always considered this one of the most beautiful and interesting tests ,i have ever received4 ,it certainly was not mind-reading4 ,the letters as given had of course conveyed no sense to me1 nor any idea of musical notes4 ,in connection with the music thus given for the poem with its altered name1 ,i presume that it is proper to reproduce the poem itself4 ,,haunted ,,ground4 ,and slight1 withal1 may be the things which bring ,back on the heart the weight which it would fling ,aside forever--it may be a sound1 ,a tone of music1 summer eve1 or spring1 ,a flower--the wind--the ocean--which shall wound ,striking the electric chain1 wherewith we are darkly bound4 --,,byron4 ,music3 ,,the ,,haunted ,,ground4 ,arr4 by ,j4 ,,jay ,,watson4 ,,organ #a4 ,yes1 it is haunted1 this quiet scene1 ,fair as it looks1 and all softly green2 ,yet fear thou not1 for the spell is thrown1 ,and the might of the shadow's on me alone4 #b4 ,have ,i not1 under these whisp'ring leaves1 ,woven such dreams as the young heart weaves8 ,shadows yet unto which life seem'd bound1 ,and is it not--is it not haunted ground8 ,music3 ,,the ,,haunted ,,ground4 ,arr4 by ,j4 ,,jay ,,watson4 ,,piano #a4 ,yes1 it is haunted1 this quiet scene1 ,fair as it looks1 and all softly green2 ,yet fear thou not1 for the spell is thrown1 ,and the might of the shadow's on me alone4 #b4 ,have ,i not1 under these whisp'ring leaves1 ,woven such dreams as the young heart weaves8 ,shadows yet unto which life seem'd bound1 ,and is it not--is it not haunted ground8 ,,haunted ,,ground4--,,mrs4 ,,hemans4 ,verse #c4 ,have ,i not lived 'midst these lonely dells1 ,and loved1 and sorrowed1 and heard farewells1 ,and learn'd in my own deep soul to look1 ,and tremble before that mysterious book8 ,have ,i not1 under these whispering leaves1 ,woven such dreams as the young heart weaves8 ,shadows--yet unto which life seemed bound1 ,and is it not--is it not haunted ground8 ,must ,i not hear what thou hearest not1 ,troubling the air of this sunny spot8 ,is there not something to none but me ,told by the rustling of every tree8 ,song hath been here--with its flow of thought1 ,love--with its passionate visions fraught2 ,death--breathing stillness and sadness round-- ,and is it not--is it not haunted ground8 ,are there no phantoms1 but such as come ,by night from the darkness that wraps the tomb8-- ,a sound1 a scent1 or a whispering breeze ,can summon up mightier far than these6 ,but ,i may not linger amidst them here6 ,lovely they are1 and yet things to fear2 ,passing and leaving a weight behind1 ,and a thrill on the chords of the stricken mind4 ,away1 away1 that my soul may soar1 ,as a free bird of blue skies once more1 ,here from its wing it may never cast ,the chains by those ,spirits brought back from the past4 ,doubt it not--smile not--but go thou1 too1 ,look on the scenes where thy childhood grew-- ,where thou hast prayed at thy mother's knee1 ,where thou hast roved with thy brethren free2 ,go thou1 when life unto thee is changed1 ,friends thou hast loved as thy soul1 estranged2 ,when from the idols thy heart hath made1 ,thou hast seen the colors of glory fade2 ,oh6 painfully then1 by the wind's low sigh1 ,by the voice of the stream1 by the flower-cup's dye1 ,by a thousand tokens of sight and sound1 ,thou wilt feel thou art treading on hallowed ground4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,miscellaneous ,,incidents 7,continued74 ,,crowd ,,of ,,spirits ,,made ,,visible ,,by ,,lightning--,,scarcely ,,credible ,,but ,,true--,a ,,game ,,of ,,euchre--,,margaret',s ,,dream--,,mistaken ,,names ,,corrected ,,by ,,spirits--,,an ,,unwilling ,,convert ,,made ,,grateful ,,and ,,happy4 ,,crowd ,,of ,,spirits ,,made ,,visible ,,by ,,lightning4 ,one ,sunday evening1 in ,ludlow ,place1 occurred the grandest manifestations of ,spirit presence ,i ever witnessed or heard of4 ,our good friend ,dr4 ,a4 ,d4 ,wilson and his friend ,dr4 ,kirby had come in the ,doctor's carriage2 and1 as a great thunder-storm was gathering fast overhead1 he ordered the carriage home1 to return at nine o'clock1 or when the storm should be over4 ,we sat round the table in my private room on the second floor1 four of us--the two gentlemen1 mother1 and myself4 ,soon the vivid lightning flashed and the near thunder rolled and rattled overhead3 while in the intervals the blackest of darkness was around us1 the ,spirits having directed us not to have lights4 ,the raps bade us to sing3 and1 my mother leading1 we sang the ,methodist hymn3 ,i'm a pilgrim2 ,i'm a stranger1 etc4 7my father and mother were ,methodists74 ,but as the peals and flashes came so mightily ,i was afraid1 and thought it unseemly for us to sing in the presence of these grand manifestations of the lights and the voices of the heavens4 ,presently ,dr4 ,wilson started up with the exclamation1 ,oh my ,god6 there's my mother1 and we all saw a form in the doorway leading from our room to another in the rear4 ,and then1 to his friend ,dr4 ,kirby1 ,and there's your mother with her arms around your neck6 ,and then again to my mother1 ,oh1 ,mrs4 ,fox1 there's your noble father by you6 ,and we all saw the ,spirits4 ,the whole room was crowded with a glorious company of ,spirits6 ,we would see them only by the flashes of the lightning4 ,when the flash had vanished1 all was blackness2 but1 on its return1 there they were still1 different forms and with varying features2 and they looked as natural as when in this--our life4 ,what were our feelings8 ,how could ,i express1 or who will need that ,i should attempt to do so8 ,we all responded deeply to ,dr4 ,wilson's exclamation1 ,i would not have missed this for all the world6 ,oh1 who after such a sight could ever again commit a sin8 ,it would seem that while we had no ,spiritual sight to see them clairvoyantly in the darkness1 they could bear the electric brightness of the lightning which revealed them to our eyes4 ,a deep awe rested on us all1 and we all united in the following beautiful old ,methodist hymn which my mother sang4 ,many a time afterward we have sat in the hope of a repetition of this glorious spectacle2 and ,dr4 ,wilson would come when there seemed some prospect of thunder and lightning4 ,but it never came again4 ,perhaps there was something in the quiet solemnity of that ,sabbath hour which prompted it to the ,spirits2 and once shown1 it was enough3 for memory could not but keep it ever fresh in our minds1 as it is and will forever remain in mine4 ,what's this that steals1 that steals upon my frame1 ,is it death1 is it death8 ,that soon will quench1 will quench this vital frame1 ,is it death1 is it death8 ,if this is death1 ,i soon shall be ,from every pain and sorrow free1 ,i shall the ,king of ,glory see1 ,all is well1 all is well6 ,weep not1 my friends1 my friends1 weep not for me1 ,all is well1 all is well1 ,my sins are pardoned1 pardoned1 ,i am free1 ,all is well1 all is well4 ,there's not a cloud that does arise1 ,to hide my ,saviour from my eyes1 ,i soon shall mount the upper skies1 ,all is well1 all is well4 ,tune1 tune your harps1 your harps1 ye saints in glory1 ,all is well1 all is well4 ,i will rehearse1 rehearse the pleasing story1 ,all is well1 all is well6 ,bright angels are from glory come1 ,they're round my bed1 they're in my room1 ,they wait to waft my ,spirit home1 ,all is well1 all is well6 ,,scarcely ,,credible1 ,,but ,,true4 ,a strange adventure befell me1 at the age of between eight and nine years1 which has always left a vivid impression on my mind2 and ,i cannot resist the prompting to insert here a short summary of it4 ,i will leave my readers to judge of it for themselves4 ,i had obtained grandmother's permission to visit some little girls at the house of their father1 ,mr4 ,cox2 which was granted on condition that ,i should be sure to come home before nightfall4 ,it was about a mile and a half distant from home by the main road1 though less than a mile through the woods4 ,much of that part of the country was at that time uncultivated and abounded with wild beasts of every description of the period4 ,i got safely to ,mr4 ,c4's2 and had a day so happy that it was only the threatening clouds of an approaching storm which warned me that it was high time to start for home4 ,i set out by the roadway1 but ,mrs4 ,cox called me back and sent two of her daughters to escort me through the woods by the shorter paths1 familiar to them on their way to school4 ,we had gone about half the distance through the woods1 when sharp lightning and heavy thunder announced that the storm was close at hand2 and the children left me at a point from which1 as they supposed1 ,i could not miss my further way4 ,they gave me directions how to proceed4 ,i followed them1 as ,i supposed2 but the darkness soon became intense1 and the storm burst in all its fury4 ,the thunder and lightning were terrific1 the rain fell in torrents1 and ,i was a very little girl alone in the woods4 ,i heard the distant cries of the inhabitants of the wilderness1 and hurriedly pressed forward in the hope of following the right track1 but constantly changing my idea of which direction to take4 ,after long wanderings in this way1 ,i fancied it to be about midnight1 when the howling of the winds rose to be nearly that of a tornado1 and the crashing of falling trees1 torn up by the roots1 seemed to surround me in all directions4 ,i had been twenty times on my knees1 in childish prayer to ,god to take me home2 but perhaps ,god in heaven is too abstract an idea to be realized by a child of that age1 and ,i would instinctively find myself addressing my great-grandfather1 who was the only person whose death ,i had ever witnessed4 ,i had known him to be good and kind4 ,he was a man of unusual stature and strength4 ,him ,i could understand to be in heaven1 and powerful to save me4 ,i remember ,i prayed with my eyes closed1 fearing ,i should behold some terrible phantom1 for in our family experience and tradition there had been many strange stories4 ,i wandered all through that terrible night1 and only rested on my knees1 when praying to ,god and the angels 7especially him1 my grandfather7 to protect me4 ,storm-beaten and drenched as ,i then was ,i sat down and cried bitterly4 ,suddenly my attention was arrested by an unusual sound1 as of boughs breaking and twigs crackling4 ,i looked in the direction of the sound and saw1 standing high upon the trunk of a fallen tree1 a large1 good-natured looking dog1 which ,i supposed to be ,mr4 ,cox's dog1 ,rover4 ,immediately fear left me4 ,i felt him to be rescue and safety4 ,i called to him1 ,rover1 ,rover6 and tried to get near him1 but he turned from me leading the way4 ,i followed2 he looking back frequently1 as if to see whether or not ,i followed him4 ,after wandering some time through zig-zag routes1 he brought me to ,deacon ,demarest's place1 which ,i recognized1 as the house had recently been burned and ,i could not mistake it4 ,at this point he loitered a moment1 and came so near me that ,i reached out my hand to caress him1 but could or did not touch him1 although he pressed against me palpably several times4 ,he waggled himself so like a dog1 and seemed so kind to me that ,i became fondly attached to him4 ,on ,i went1 following him through cross-lots and over fences1 startling the cattle to their feet1 and causing a great jingling of cowbells1 never looking back1 but intently following the dog1 fearing to lose sight of him for a moment1 lest he should leave me4 ,at last we came to my home4 ,the house stood about a hundred feet from the road4 ,there were two gates of entrance to the door-yard or grounds3 one a foot-gate1 the other for carriages1 etc4 ,i opened the small gate and held it open1 supposing the dog would pass through it2 but judge of my amazement to see him instead of doing so1 scale the great gate with a bound and meet me face to face on the other side1 but no longer a dog6 7,perhaps1 at that instant1 it was a fleeting vision of a dog1 but it is certain he disappeared and was no more seen71 while the noble form of my great-grandfather1 with his loving smile1 for a moment stood before me at the gate1 by the early morning light4 ,i gave a scream which brought my grandfather from the house to the door1 exclaiming1 ,great ,god6 the child has been out in the woods all night4 ,i was put to bed1 from which ,i did not rise for a week4 ,at times it was feared that ,i never should rise from it1 such was the effect of the exposure1 fatigue1 and fright of that terrible night4 ,mr4 ,redfield 7mentioned on page #h1 etc47 had spent the evening and night at our house1 and was told how ,i had disobeyed my orders to return home before dark1 and that ,i was evidently detained at ,mr4 ,cox's4 ,he said1 before starting in the morning1 that he would stop at ,mr4 ,cox's on his way to mill1 and see about me4 ,on his informing ,mr4 ,cox that ,i had not returned home1 the latter hastened to our house in great fright lest evil had befallen me from the animals or other adventure of the woods4 ,he found me of course safe and asleep in my grandmother's bed4 ,he was a devout ,methodist1 and knelt by my bedside and prayed over me with thanks to ,god that ,i had been preserved through the terrors of that night of storm in those wild woods1 and1 as ,i was told afterward1 sobs of all the female members of the family accompanied his prayer4 ,there are many persons of the neighborhood still living whose recollection can verify this story1 and with whom it it is talked over when we meet1 such as ,evander ,smith1 ,john ,onderdonk 7a cousin of mine71 ,philip ,demarest1 ,albert ,collins1 etc4 ,a ,,game ,,of ,,euchre4 ,dr4 ,a4 ,d4 ,wilson1 one of the most prominent physicians of ,new ,york1 was one of my dearest and best of friends4 ,he had once--before my marriage--had the experience of playing a game of euchre 7through me as medium7 with an old ,spirit friend of his1 who1 when in the flesh had been his frequent companion at the game4 ,i do not recall the particulars of that former game sufficiently to relate it with accuracy2 but one day ,dr4 ,wilson was telling the story to ,mr4 ,underhill1 who thereupon asked the ,spirits if they would play a game with him1 which he was promised should be done4 ,this promise was made some three years before its fulfilment came about1 during which time ,mr4 ,underhill had frequently reminded the ,spirits of their unfulfilled promise4 ,it was an interesting experience1 and ,i felt desirous of again witnessing it4 ,one evening at about eight o'clock 7it was in about #ahfb71 our nephew ,c4 ,o4 ,smith 7a lad who figures as ,charlie in the sketch of our ,ohio campaign7 was seated at one end of the table studying his lessons under bright gaslight4 ,my husband and myself were the only other persons in the room--which was the library1 front room of the second story4 ,mr4 ,underhill was reclining on the lounge1 and ,i was seated near the middle window4 ,by a simultaneous impulse 7and such simultaneous impulses were a frequent experience with us7 my husband and myself started up and seated ourselves at the table4 ,i will continue the story as ,i have it written by ,mr4 ,underhill himself4 ,leah and myself sat opposite each other1 ,charlie being seated at the end of the table between us1 with his books4 ,i asked the ,spirit once again if he would fulfil the promise given long ago to play a game of cards1 as was occasionally done between ,leah and myself4 ',i'll try1' was answered4 ,i asked1 ',who is it8 ,will you give me your name8' ,the alphabet being then called for1 the name was given me privately1 not by rapping1 which ,leah would of course have heard1 but by touches on my foot1 in correspondence to the letters of the alphabet4 ,it was ',calvin1' which ,i kept to myself1 since it seemed to be meant to be for myself alone2 but as ,leah was inquisitive1 she repeated the request for the name1 to which no response came4 ,on her persevering with the request1 it was rapped out1 ',i can't be pumped4' ,this was just like ,calvin1 who1 when he had once declined to answer a question would never be forced to do so4 ,the cards were then called for by the ,spirit1 and ,i was directed to put the pack under the table4 ,presently it was rapped1 ',cut for deal4' ,i stooped down and cut the pack on the floor1 and laid my cut alongside of the pack4 ,the ,spirit then said1 ',look1' and there under the table lay his cut1 on the other side of the pack4 ,it was better than mine1 and gave him the deal4 ,it was a right bower4 ,we then distinctly heard a shuffling of the cards under the table1 and the ,spirit called on me to cut them4 ,i said to him1 ',but you have the advantage over me1 as you have all the cards under there to yourself4' ,he replied1 ',yes1 ,i can see them all1 but ,i will play fair4' ,he then told me to put my hand under the table1 and my three cards were placed in it4 ,i was again directed to look1 and found that he had also dealt himself three4 ,the other two due to each player were then dealt in the same way4 ,on being directed to look again under the table ,i saw that his turn-up card was a jack4 ,as the trump did not suit my hand1 ,i said1 ',i pass4' ,the ,spirit took it and discarded4 ,i then led1 by laying my card on the table4 ,the ,spirit responded to my play by placing his card into my hand which ,i held under the table to receive it4 ,in that hand he made a march4 ,we thus played out that game in four deals1 which he won1 making five points to my two4 ,i did not doubt his having played fair4 ,i then told ,leah who my antagonist had been1 and she said1 ',how like ,calvin that was to answer my pertinacious interrogation by saying that he would not be pumped4' ,,margaretta',s ,,dream4 ,one morning1 when my sister ,margaretta came down to breakfast1 she was looking pale1 and tears were in her eyes4 ,she related a dream which had greatly affected her4 ,i was1 she said1 sitting in the north room at home 7in father's house74 ,the door was open4 ,suddenly the sun seemed to be eclipsed3 while the atmosphere was filled with particles of dust1 which at times were wafted in clouds which nearly obscured my vision4 7,the road is visible from the door for the distance of half a mile47 ,i observed a form slowly approaching amid the shower of dust and dbris2 and as it came nearer ,i recognized in it my sister ,maria1 dressed in deep black1 and ran to meet her4 ,she raised her hands1 saying1 ',o ,maggie6 isn't this dreadful8' ,as we met1 a leaf 7as from a book7 dropped at our feet4 ,i picked up the leaf and read from it these words3 ,leaves have their time to fall1 ,and flowers to wither at the north-wind's breath1 ,and stars to set--but all1 ,thou hast all seasons for thine own1 ,o ,death6 ,we were all deeply impressed1 and felt it to be a warning of some sad event in the near future4 ,it was early1 we had not yet breakfasted1 and were sitting together feeling very dejected1 when my brother 7who lived thirty miles east of ,rochester7 walked into our room1 and finding us all in tears1 threw his arms gently around mother's neck and asked her what was the matter4 ,we told him ,margaretta's dream1 well knowing that he must have sad tidings to relate to us1 as he had ridden all night to get there at that hour of the morning4 ,he wept1 and sobbing aloud said3 ,i am the messenger of sorrowful tidings4 ,dear little ,sanford ,smith is dead4 ,this was sister ,maria's little son1 seven years of age4 ,david then told us how the darling child had passed away4 ,he died of croup4 ,they did not consider him dangerously ill at first1 but hastened for the doctor4 ,when his mother stood over him1 trying to make him more comfortable1 tears dropped from her eyes upon his precious face4 ,he pulled her down and kissed her1 and with his little handkerchief wiped her tears away1 saying1 ,ma1 don't cry so4 ,i will be your guardian spirit1 and rap just so--making the sounds with his darling fingers on the head-board4 ,he was a beautiful and interesting child3 and it nearly broke their hearts to lay him away from their earthly sight1 though conscious of his spiritual presence4 ,while ,margaretta was dreaming that truly wonderful dream1 my brother ,david was on his way to inform us of the child's death4 ,,mistaken ,,names ,,corrected ,,by ,,spirits4 ,dr4 ,a4 ,d4 ,wilson and ,dr4 ,kirby1 both men of high distinction1 introduced to me by ,dr4 ,john ,f4 ,gray1 and who afterward became thorough ,spiritualists and my dear friends1 made a bad start in their first experiences at my circles4 ,they both went away somewhat disgusted with the wrong names which the ,spirits of their relatives had attributed to themselves4 ,dr4 ,wilson's father having given his name as ,patrick2 and ,dr4 ,kirby's wife having called herself ,mary ,anne4 ,they compared notes as they went out together4 ,dr4 ,wilson said that his father was not ,patrick1 but ,peter2 and ,dr4 ,kirby that his wife's name was ,nancy4 ,soon after ,dr4 ,wilson came across his father's old diploma4 ,he had graduated at ,edinburgh before coming to ,new ,york1 where he became a professor in 7,i believe7 ,columbia ,college1 and there was his name recorded at full length as ,patrick4 ,he was not an ,irishman1 but a ,scotchman1 and did not fancy being called ,pat1 and used to sign with his initial2 and somehow or other ,peter got so fastened upon him that his own son never knew his real name to have been ,patrick till he found it on this old diploma4 ,dr4 ,kirby complained to his mother-in-law that his wife ,nancy had given her name as ,mary ,anne4 ,why1 did you never know that ,nancy was christened ,mary ,anne8 was her reply4 ,the two doctors again compared notes together to better purpose than before2 and we all had a hearty laugh when they came together to tell us this curious and excellent test they had both happened to receive4 ,they were both distinguished homoeopathic physicians1 as was also their intimate friend1 ,dr4 ,gray1 by whom they had been introduced4 ,,an ,,unwilling ,,convert ,,made ,,happy ,,and ,,grateful4 ,one evening 7in ,ludlow ,place7 so severe a storm was raging1 and it was so bitterly cold1 that ,i had no fear of any visitors coming in1 and had settled myself for comfort in the basement room1 and allowed the fire in the parlor to go out4 ,but the bell rang1 and ,susie announced a party of four or five gentlemen4 ,they had been brought by one of my good friends from the ,st4 ,nicholas ,hotel4 ,they were all ,southerners2 and one of them1 an old gentleman1 had been seduced out to go with the party to some place of entertainment1 without knowing what or where4 7,he was bitterly prejudiced against ,spiritualism and us47 ,when he got in and learned into what he had been entrapped1 he was very angry1 and refused to pay his dollar or to go any farther4 ,susie reported that he was up in the hall1 and their hack had been dismissed4 ,i sent word to invite him down to the warm room1 unless he chose to remain out in the cold1 for which ,i should be sorry4 ,he finally came down1 but sat apart in a corner of the room as distant as possible from the group of us gathered round the table near the fire4 ,he was1 as ,i afterward learned1 an old man now left alone in the world with his wealth2 a large family having been swept away from him1 chiefly by yellow fever4 ,he replied somewhat gruffly to my invitation to him to draw up to the fire1 and my friend scratched a few lines to me telling me to take no notice further as he was a sceptic1 and very angry at the trick they had played upon him4 ,before long came some raps1 saying1 ,father1 do come to the table and get warm1 signed with the names of his wife and a number of his children3 and they happened to be rather unusual names1 of which ,i remember only ,tabitha1 ,rebecca1 and ,sarah4 ,as one after another he heard them rapped out1 he turned in his seat and became evidently excited and affected1 and even tears began to stream down his aged face4 ,he came to the table1 where he received such satisfaction that his long-lost dead were really there and speaking to him1 that when the party broke up he expressed great gratitude2 and said that though he had refused to pay his dollar1 he insisted on my acceptance of the #bj bill which he laid on the table4 ,he afterwards wrote me a beautiful letter1 from the extreme ,south1 telling me that he had been a materialist1 with no belief in the immortality of the soul2 but that now all life was changed for him2 that he now knew that his wife and children still lived and loved and were near to him1 and that he would soon be with them again4 ,and he gave me such grateful blessings as were a compensation for the hardships and suffering ,i had sometimes to encounter in the course of my career of mediumship4 ,the friend who had done him the unwelcome service of thus entrapping him within my doors is still living1 and owns a large orange plantation in ,florida2 and ,i have no objection to refer to him any reader whose prejudices may require any confirmation of the strict accuracy of this narrative of one of the pleasantest reminiscences of my life4 ,a ,,spirit ,,knows ,,better ,,than ,,the ,,postmaster4 ,one morning we received a message1 by rapping1 to this effect3 ,your ,uncle ,john is on his way1 and will be here to-morrow morning4 ,he was then on a visit to my sister at ,consecon1 ,canada ,west4 ,we dearly loved ,uncle ,john1 and were delighted at this announcement2 and as we had never been deceived by anything thus volunteered by our ,spirit friends1 we made all preparations for his arrival1 and told several friends that he was coming4 ,morning came1 but no ,uncle ,john4 ,we went to the boat-landing from across the lake 7,hanford's landing1 then about a couple of miles from ,rochester1 though the city has now pretty well grown down to it72 but no one knew anything about him4 ,we then went to ,amy ,post1 and told her how we had been deceived and disappointed by the ,spirits4 ,mrs4 ,post was seriously affected by the false prophecy1 or announcement1 and could not be reconciled to the situation without some further explanation from those who had deceived us4 ,all we got from them was this3 ,go to the post-office and you will find a letter which will explain4 ,on doing so we were told that there was none in our box4 ,we 7,mrs4 ,post1 ,miss ,coles1 ,sister ,kate1 and myself71 after a little talk over it1 asked the ,spirits why they persisted in such falsehoods1 with more questions which ,i cannot distinctly remember4 ,we received the reply 7by rappings73 ,go back and say you have just been told there was a letter there4 ,tell them to look among the promiscuous letters1 and it will be found4 7,spirits can emphasize by the strength of their raps as well as we can by italics47 ,of course we did accordingly1 and the clerk returned with a large letter1 asking if my name was ,leah ,a4 ,fish2 which1 of course1 it was1 with a variation in the order of ,christian names1 and probably ,i had asked for the name of ,a4 ,l4 ,fish1 perhaps omitting the full name of ,leah4 ,the clerk had made a plain mistake4 ,the ,spirit had been right4 ,the letter explained everything4 ,uncle had started from ,consecon1 but had been overtaken at ,coburg by a subpoena to attend an important trial1 in which he was the principal witness4 ,spirits are but disembodied men and women1 and are not much more omniscient after their disembodiment than they had been before it4 ,they had given their message truly before he had been overtaken at ,coburg with the subpoena4 ,they had followed or accompanied ,uncle ,john1 but had no cognizance of outside circumstances which had occurred subsequently to their announcement1 and then quitted him4 ,there is instruction in this1 as well as a curious interest4 ,,opening ,,of ,a ,,combination ,,lock4 ,professor ,mapes had a friend who knew that he was investigating ,spiritualism1 and told him that he 7the friend7 had a test which none of his mediums or ,spirits could meet1 but that he would give the mediums #fjj if they could do so2 that being a sum he had unexpectedly come into and would gladly give if it could be done4 ,the ,professor brought him to me1 and he pulled out his #fjj and produced a combination padlock1 which he had set to a certain word1 and he offered me the #fjj1 to which ,i was welcome if ,i could open it4 ,i told him that neither the ,spirits nor ,i would do anything for money1 and ,i refused to attempt it unless he put back his money into his pocket4 ,this he had to do1 but he continued to sit in the public circle1 for which he paid the regular admission fee of one dollar4 ,nothing came for him till1 just as the party was breaking up1 there were rapped out the letters1 l-o-o-n1 followed with the sentence ,open your lock1 which nobody understood till some person1 repeating them aloud1 said1 ,that spells loon1 which ,mapes's friend heard1 and1 starting up excitedly and with an oath1 cried out1 ,why1 that is my word6 ,the lock was at once opened at the word4 ,he again threw the #fjj to me1 saying that ,i was heartily welcome to it4 ,but he at last was compelled to put back his money4 ,as he bade me good-night he left in my hand a #aj gold piece1 which ,i could not refuse to accept as a token of his gratitude and his feelings4 ,he came frequently afterwards and became a thorough and hearty ,spiritualist4 ,prof4 ,mapes1 in introducing him1 said he was a whole-souled man1 though a positive and rough one1 and somewhat addicted to oaths1 which rather displeased me4 ,a ,,visitor ,,magnetized ,,into ,a ,,medium ,,himself4 ,judge ,haskell1 of ,leroy1 a distinguished man and a member of ,congress1 was one of my old ,rochester converts and earnest supporters4 ,he used to say that we acted on him like magnets1 and magnetized him unconsciously1 so that after an evening with us he found himself receiving raps himself1 an influence upon him which would last several days1 sometimes as long as a week1 and that he used to talk freely with the ,spirits in his own bed1 receiving the raps on the headboard4 ,he evidently had in himself the basic conditions for the mysterious gift of mediumship1 and might have gone far if he had chosen to cultivate and develop it4 ,indeed1 he often found himself1 in his speeches1 departing widely from what he had intended to say1 and even speaking against his opinions1 under an influence controlling him against his own mind4 ,,curious ,,story ,,about ,a ,,mutilated ,,limb4 ,i went with mother to visit my sister1 ,mrs4 ,osterhout1 who lived in ,canada ,west1 near where my father had formerly resided4 ,a bad accident occurred to a young man named ,charlie1 whose leg was so crushed by a heavy log rolling upon it that it had to be amputated above the knee4 ,as we sympathized with the family1 mother and ,i went over on the first night after the amputation to watch with him and help take care of him1 while supporting his mother with our company4 ,the limb had of course been buried4 ,during the night he moaned and cried incessantly1 and begged us to turn his foot over4 ,we did not understand him until he said1 ,tell ,joe 7the hired man7 to turn my foot over2 they have buried it with the toes downward4 ,we went and told ,joe about it1 who made no account of it1 regarding ,charlie as not in his right mind2 but the latter continued so long with the same cries which proved such severe actual suffering1 whatever might be the illusion possessing his mind in regard to his buried limb1 that we were compelled to satisfy him by directing ,joe to reopen the hole1 which could scarcely be called a grave4 ,it was a fact2 the leg was found exactly as ,charlie had insisted it was1 with the toes downward4 ,it was accordingly turned over in the box in which it had been buried1 so as to rest in its natural position on the heel1 and poor ,charlie immediately dropped to sleep1 nor did he make any further complaint4 ,the reader has probably heard or read of analogous stories about pain being felt in the extremities of limbs which had been amputated2 continuing in some cases long after the amputation4 ,the ,apostle says3 ,there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body4 ,,disturbances ,,in ,,the ,,troup ,,street ,,cottage4 ,one ,sunday night1 at ,rochester1 in that pleasant house on ,troup ,street1 there was one of those tremendous snow-storms which no longer appear to fall there as often or so deep as they did at that time4 ,margaretta and ,i were alone in the house4 ,alfie1 our housekeeper1 had gone out for the day1 and we had no expectation of her being able to return through such a snow-storm4 ,the house was built on ground which sloped down to the rear from the front level of the street4 ,we were sitting in the dining-room1 which was a sort of rear addition to the cottage1 and had a veranda from which a door opened into the room1 while another door led by a few steps to the cellar in which was a well--though we never used the water from it1 as ,i mistrusted its healthfulness2 indeed ,i had a strange feeling about that well1 as though it might have been the scene of a crime4 ,the wind coming furiously from that direction piled up the snow-drift all the height of the lower sashes of the windows1 and of course blocked access to the door from without4 ,there were often so much knocking and other sounds about that cottage that ,i believed it1 like the others1 to be haunted4 ,margaretta and ,i were making ourselves comfortable4 ,we had drawn the table near to the stove1 and upon it was one of the country mince pies1 such as ,new ,york does not know1 and she had just lifted the teapot when knocks of the most fearful character thundered directly under her feet4 ,the blows implied a heavy mallet and a powerful arm1 which so startled her as to cause her to let fall the teapot4 ,neither of us could stir from the spot4 ,there was no cellar under this rear addition to the cottage1 but the door from the cellar1 which was under the main building1 opened into the tea-room very near to where ,i sat4 ,tremendous pounding commenced against the cellar-door1 causing it to fly open and close again several times as by the same hand4 ,immediately after came from outside groans as from some one apparently perishing in the storm1 seeming to indicate extreme suffering and anguish4 ,as we huddled together and sat paralyzed1 we heard the cheerful voice of our good ,quaker friend1 ,mr4 ,willets1 and a knocking at the door of a character not mysterious1 and as soon as we were able to get the door open1 ,mr4 ,willets1 a gust of wind1 and no small drift of snow1 entered together4 ,well1 girls1 ,i got anxious about you1 and1 as ,alfie is away1 my wife and ,i thought you might have no water and wood for to-morrow morning1 and it would be harder to get at you then2 for this snow is going to last all night4 ,he stayed a little while1 when he found we were sufficiently provided1 and then this good man and friend made his brave way out again4 ,before ,mr4 ,willets had left1 ,calvin also came to us under the same alarm1 and to cheer us with his presence1 and he stayed all night4 ,and although there was no more moaning outside1 yet the same heavy pounding on the floor continued through the night4 ,though we at least went to our bed1 the agitation and excitement prevented our having anything more than a disturbed sleep2 and whenever we would awake1 there were still the sounds1 which lasted till morning2 and the neighbors too told us the next day how they had also heard and wondered at them4 ,i have forgotten to mention that ,mr4 ,willets and ,calvin went out into the storm to see if they could find anybody or any signs of anybody outside the house1 but they found nothing but the undisturbed levels of the snow4 ,nor was this the only occasion of such violent and protracted knockings both there and elsewhere4 ,at my house in ,ludlow ,place1 ,new ,york1 we sometimes could not help believing that there were burglars in the house1 and utterly reckless in their noises4 ,we sometimes called in the policeman to search the house as some of our friends must remember4 ,for the sake of male protection1 ,i had 7their friends being ours and ours theirs7 invited ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,oliver ,johnson to occupy rooms in my third story1 and to share our table 7for which we had to permit them to contribute the small sum estimated to cover the additional cost of the latter71 and several times had ,mr4 ,johnson come down during the night and insisted that there must be burglars in the house3--and this1 notwithstanding all his past observations4 ,there were some reasons for suspicions of crime having been committed in that house also4 ,now what sort of ,spirits were they who thus disturbed our nights8 ,and why8 ,of course ,i1 many a time1 interrogated them1 but never got any satisfaction from their answers4 ,they would never give any special motive or reason for their thus coming1 and would only say that they could do it1 and that they would4 ,they never did any mischief beyond the fright and causing us to go up and down stairs and all over the house3 perhaps they were not allowed to do so1 by other spirits1 who nevertheless had no power to prevent their coming4 ,was it their purpose to keep us up to the task that had been imposed on us1 and in a state of submission from a sense of our powerlessness against them8 ,i could not answer these questions then1 nor can ,i now4 ,a friend has suggested that they were perhaps miserable and earth-bound1 and unprogressed spirits whom our mediumship gave access to us and certain limited means of action on material objects in our atmosphere1 and they may have found a diversion from the poor life they are as yet living1 and some amusement in frightening us1 somewhat as children enjoy the mere making of noise and startling people1 without attaining or seeking any other object4 ,there are plenty of people daily passing into the ,spirit condition1 where they undergo no speedy change1 of whom this is very supposable4 ,a predecessor 7daughter of ,mr4 ,calhoun7 in the occupation of this house1 some years before1 told me that they had heard similar noises1 and ,mr4 ,calhoun told me that he and friends had sat up in the night with pistols to catch the burglars presumed to cause them4 ,a ,,caution ,,against ,,cruelty ,,to ,,orphan ,,children4 ,in ,canada ,west1 not far from the residence of my sister ,mrs4 ,elizabeth ,osterhout1 there lived a family consisting of a husband1 wife1 and three children1 and a hired girl1 whom ,mr4 ---- favored4 ,mrs4 ---- was rapidly declining2 and she feared that her husband would marry the girl1 after her death4 ,knowing the violent temper of the girl1 she besought her husband not to marry her1 and thus1 necessarily1 place the children under her care4 ,he promised his wife he would not3 but his promise was soon broken1 and to his sorrow he found1 when too late1 that his wife's fears were being realized4 ,the children were neglected and cruelly beaten for the least offences4 ,they were sad1 and were often seen crying and hungry4 ,the neighbors fed the little ones whenever an opportunity offered2 and the children told strange stories about their mother coming to them at night4 ,they said she came and covered them with blankets which their step-mother would not allow them to have on their beds2 and they said that when she found the blankets on their beds she would whip them2 and when they told her that they did not put them on the bed1 she would accuse them of falsehood4 ,but she soon had reason to know that a power beyond the children was at work there4 ,the step-mother had taken the feather bed1 which their own mother had made for them1 and tied and hung it up1 because she said they would soil it4 ,soon after this1 quantities of feathers were lying about the sleeping-room1 which could not be accounted for2 until1 on close examination1 they discovered the bed-tick was burned all over in exactly the form of human hands4 ,this could not be charged to the children2 and the occurrence was talked over by every one in the neighborhood4 ,still the children were shamefully treated1 starved and beaten for the most trifling things4 ,there was another child born into the family1 and the elder ones were made to take care of it1 and were abused whenever it cried4 ,one day ,mr4 ---- was obliged to leave home to be gone over night4 ,the youngest of the first wife's children was suffering with cholera infantum1 and cried for want of care4 ,this disturbed her ladyship4 ,she left her bed in a passion1 jerked the little sufferer out of its bed1 setting it hard on the floor1 while the other two were ordered to take care of the sick child2 and as she turned to leave the room she was met face to face by their ,spirit mother1 who1 with open hand and extended arm gave her a slap on the forehead4 ,she turned to the children saying1 ,your mother has killed me4 ,her forehead instantly turned black where the ,spirit hands and fingers had touched her1 and the marks corresponded exactly with the forms burnt in the bedtick4 ,she died three days after the hand had slapped her2 and the discolored brow was hidden in the tomb4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this is no fancy sketch1 as some may be disposed to imagine4 ,it is verily true as the terrible punishment was deserved4 ,,mrs4 ,,hopper',s ,,mysterious ,,end4 ,a well-authenticated and most mysterious occurrence1 and one which has always left in the minds of the residents of ,rockland ,county a strong inclination to credit a belief in witchcraft--,i confess to something of the kind myself--took place in my father's school-day time4 ,i have listened to his recital with staring eyes1 ready to catch the slightest incident connected with it4 ,mrs4 ,hopper1 a very beautiful woman1 was possessed of some very strange power4 ,it was said that even when quite young she would perform strange feats with children who were in the habit of associating with her2 and it was clearly ascertained that she had been seen in different places at one time4#bb ,i cannot say anything of my own knowledge of all this1 but there is no doubt of the facts which ,i am about to relate4 #bb ,the mysterious phenomenon of the double--called by the ,germans doppelganger1 and the subject of various ,german tales--while one of the most calculated to provoke incredulity1 is undoubtedly an occasional reality4 ,i have heard more than one person whose veracity ,i cannot doubt relate how they have been seen at the same time in places hundreds of miles apart4 ,any one may inquire of ,mr4 ,e4 ,h4 ,britten on this subject4 ,undoubtedly such persons are mediums4 ,mrs4 ,hopper had not appeared in her usual spirits for several days4 ,she complained of not feeling well1 wished to be left to her repose1 and appeared to be looking forward to something they could not comprehend4 ,one of her bridal gifts was a favorite colored boy1 a lad about seventeen years of age at the time of her departure4 7,slavery still existed in ,new ,york47 ,she was an only child and much petted by her parents and friends4 ,her mother1 on learning she was ill1 went to spend a few days with her1 in the hope of cheering her spirits and benefiting her health4 ,one afternoon she seemed more than usually restless1 and called to ,jack 7the colored boy7 to bring his hat and coat to her to repair them4 ,while mending his clothes1 she said to ,jack1 ,who will mend your clothes and care for you when ,i'm gone8 ,he tried to console her1 and said1 ,you aint a goin' to die1 ,missus1 you're too young4 ,she told her mother she needn't stay with her as she was quite well and her mother was needed at home4 ,she also told her husband she would rather he would sleep in another room and leave her alone that night4 ,they all complied with her wishes4 ,the next morning her husband found the doors ajar1 and on entering the room discovered that her bed had not been slept in1 and on closer examination discovered her comb and pins on the stove and all her wearing apparel torn open 7in front7 from head to foot1 and lying on the floor just as they had been stripped from her body4 ,they searched the house and barn but could not find her4 ,they explored the neighborhood1 but no trace of her nor footprints could be found4 ,the neighbors turned out to hunt for the missing woman4 ,school was dismissed and the children joined in the search4 ,near the place where she lived was a swamp4 7,my cousin took ,mr4 ,underhill and myself to see the house4 ,it is a short drive from his home--,mountain ,view ,house47 ,the swamp named was quite extensive at that time4 ,the party hunted three days2 taking horns along1 which they sounded1 whenever they strayed apart1 to call them together again4 ,i believe it was my father's aunt who first discovered the body of the missing woman 7which they had traced by her hair2 some of which they found hanging in the limbs of the trees74 ,her body was lying on a dry elevation1 in the swamp1 in a state of entire nudity2 and so surrounded by mud and mire that they were obliged to make a log-way to enable them to reach and remove it4 ,my aunt removed her apron and covered the body with it4 ,her story is still repeated by many of the oldest inhabitants1 and to-day remains no less a mystery4 ,i believe she had covenanted with evil ,spirits1 and the time or limit of her agreement was ended4 ,try the ,spirits4 ,by their fruits ye shall know them4 ,never yield your judgment to ,spirits1 however good they may be1 unless you are sure you are doing right4 ,obey the small voice within1 and always bear in mind that the highest gift from ,god is your own good sense4 ,so say my guardian ,spirits4 ,,touch ,,samantha4 ,a very amusing incident occurred in one of my afternoon sances4 ,mr4 ,decker1 with his wife and sister-in-law 7acquaintances of mine from ,rochester71 visited me and took seats in the circle4 ,there were already about twenty around the table4 ,mr4 ,decker was a believer in the manifestations himself1 but his wife's sister1 ,samantha ,pierpont1 knew very little about the subject1 and was afraid to sit in the circle4 ,he urged ,samantha to come to the table1 which she did after much persuasion4 ,when it came ,mr4 ,decker's turn to ask questions he called on the ,spirits to touch ,samantha1 but he had scarcely uttered the words when he disappeared from the circle and was seen coming out1 feet foremost1 from under the table at the very farthest extremity1 causing a great scattering among the visitors4 ,mrs4 ,ward fainted1 and two other ladies had to be taken out of the room4 ,the sance was broken up for that afternoon4 ,mr4 ,horace ,dresser was one of the party1 and ,mrs4 ,ward had accompanied him to my house4 ,this seems to have been a counter practical joke1 played upon himself by some humorous ,spirit 7of whom there are many7 for the one with which he was persecuting poor ,samantha4 ,i ,,feel ,,my ,,handkercher ,,tied ,,tighter ,,every ,,minit4 ,when ,i first moved into ,ludlow ,place ,i met1 in the street1 a colored woman with a brush and pail in her hand4 ,she was very pretty and jolly1 and ,i engaged her to help clean the house4 ,i set her at work in the china closet1 and1 before she had been ten minutes there at work1 she turned to me and said1 ,what yer got in dis yer house8 ,i replied1 ,i don't know what you mean4 ,explain yourself4 ,she muttered awhile1 and in a moment more she said1 ,well1 mebby yer don't know1 but ,i feels my hankercher tied tighter every minit4 ,,no ,,brimstone ,,yet4 ,it has often struck me that there was something more than mere chance in classes of persons who would gather round the table in my circles4 ,there would be occasions when none but persons of superior intelligence and elevation of character would meet there1 as though some kindred influences had prompted them thus simultaneously4 ,when a few persons of this order began to come1 ,i have often said to mother1 ,we are going to have good manifestations this evening1 as a galaxy of fine heads and noble faces are gathering round the table4 ,mr4 ,greeley has more than once remarked upon this to me1 saying1 ,leah1 ,i never1 in any assembly1 meet so many noble heads and the same order of intelligence ,i meet at your receptions4 ,one evening there was such an assemblage of some twenty-five or thirty persons1 of whom none were misplaced in such good company4 ,one young ,quaker lad1 of seventeen or eighteen1 had accompanied his father4 ,he was a fine1 bright and gentlemanly youth4 ,it was the practice that each person took his turn1 as they sat1 to address his questions to the ,spirits4 ,when the right came to him to ask his questions1 he waived it in favor of his older neighbor1 who1 however1 declined to accept it1 and insisted on his using his privilege4 ,accordingly1 he wrote his question1 screening his paper with a book as he did so4 ,his first question was1 ,is my friend ,john here8 ,three raps gave the answer ,yes4 ,he then asked a second question to which came the reply3 ,not quite so bad as that2 ,i haven't smelt any brimstone yet4 ,this elicited a general laugh1 and he was pressed to show his question1 to which he objected1 until he was overborne by his father4 ,it proved to have been1 ,john1 are you in hell8 ,,kitchen ,,work ,,by ,,night4 ,we have been awakened by the most fearful sights and sounds when no human being other than ourselves was stirring in the house4 ,on several occasions ,i could not rest until ,i called a policeman in1 and had the house searched from garret to cellar4 ,the manifestations were sometimes calculated to excite our sympathy1 at other times they have lured us by false representations4 ,i will give an instance4 ,mother and myself were in the sitting-room on the second floor alone1 quite late at night 7not far from midnight71 when we distinctly heard walking1 talking1 and opening and shutting of doors4 ,i said to mother1 ,can it be possible that the girls are in the kitchen at this late hour8 ,she replied1 ,no1 ,i saw them go up over an hour ago1 and ,susie said good-night to me4 ,i then thought ,i noticed the odor of cooking from the kitchen4 ,the girls had a habit of sitting up late1 and ,i determined to go down and detect them in their tricks 7on one occasion ,i had found them entertaining a large party1 when they had supposed ,i was in bed and asleep74 ,we started cautiously1 listening as we went1 and occasionally hearing movements1 appearing to us slyly made1 as if careful on their part not to be overheard4 ,we took no light with us1 as we did not expect to need any4 ,the lower hall seemed lighted from a window opening into it from the front basement1 and a bright light shone from under the kitchen door which enabled us to see everything around4 ,i went cautiously to the door1 opened it quickly and found utter darkness and silence4 ,as ,i opened it ,i distinctly heard a clatter as of griddles1 etc41 dropping4 ,judge of our surprise when suddenly we were instantaneously seized and hustled about1 and then both transported or lifted to the floor above by an irresistibly powerful force4 ,i believe that it was a device cunningly conceived by mischievous ,spirits at play1 to lure us down1 and then frighten and bewilder us4 ,,sich ,a ,,gettin' ,,up ,,stairs4 ,one evening when ,margaretta and ,i were alone in my private room 7the front room of the second story71 some friends wanted a dark sance2 for which purpose ,katie went down with them into the basement room4 ,the parlor floor was unoccupied1 and at a late hour the servants extinguished the hall light1 supposing all to have gone4 ,but the dark sance in progress with ,katie in the basement continued so long past midnight1 with no sign of its breaking up1 that ,i at last sent ,margaretta down to let them know the hour and put an end to it4 ,of course all was dark on the two lower floors1 but she could easily make her way4 ,but as she was about to knock at the lower door1 she was suddenly seized by some person who hurled or shot her up1 as it seemed to her1 and landed her on her feet at the head of the stairs on the second floor1 where her scream called me out from my room1 and she related what had occurred4 ,it was evident that there were some ,spirits there who did not choose to have the sance going on below interrupted4 ,there is an old negro melody which tells how ,sich a gettin' up stairs ,i never did see1 ,sich a gettin' up stairs1 etc4 ,margaretta had been pitched1 as it were1 in an instant1 up the two flights of stairs4 ,the reader may refer to the next story for a somewhat similar way of being carried up stairs which once befell mother and myself4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,isaac ,t4 ,,hopper4 ,hon4 ,john ,w4 ,edmonds met occasionally with a private party1 numbering from twelve to sixteen persons1 nearly all singers of a choir belonging to a church in this city4 ,this was my first private party formed after my settlement in ,new ,york1 in #aheb4 ,the rules of the party were to meet at precisely eight and close at ten o'clock4 ,judge ,edmonds came and went as he pleased1 often to the annoyance of the party through the interruptions thus produced4 ,he came in one evening about nine o'clock and took his seat in silence4 ,the party were singing their sweet anthems1 and all seemed drawn together in harmony4 ,at the close of the singing our attention was suddenly called to a peculiar sound in the extreme corner of the room4 ,mr4 ,bostwick was secretary of the circle4 ,i have his minutes of it1 which differ materially from ,judge ,edmonds' account1 written from memory by ,dr4 ,dexter1 and published in his book4 ,i here give it exactly as it occurred4 ,this singular sound signaled the alphabet1 which ,i called1 and the following message was given to us all3 ,,my ,,dear ,,friends3 ,i am free from all suffering and anxiety4 ,i am re-united with the beloved partner of my youthful days4 ,,isaac ,t4 ,,hopper4 ,judge ,edmonds exclaimed1 ,gracious ,heavens6 can this be true8 ,i have been with him from noon until seven o'clock this evening2 and when ,i left him he seemed likely to live a month4 ,then1 taking a small pamphlet from his pocket1 he said1 ,i read this to him2 he listened attentively and expressed his opinion upon it favorably4 ,he then said1 ,mrs4 ,brown1 can't you send one of your girls around to see if this is true8 ,i said ,no1 ,judge2 ,i could not send my girls out at this hour of night4 ,the party all cried out1 ,no1 ,judge2 go yourself4 ,we will await your return4 ,he went1 and was gone about an hour4 ,when the door-bell rang we sat in breathless silence4 ,the ,judge paused in the door-way a moment1 then solemnly1 and with trembling lips1 said1 ,when ,i got there he had been dead an hour4 ,,william ,m4 ,,thackeray4 ,mr4 ,thackeray during his stay in ,new ,york visited my public sances1 but never asked questions in a crowd4 ,his course of investigation was unlike those of all others4 ,the first visit he made he sat and listened to the sounds2 and when his turn came to ask questions1 he politely asked me to accept his arm and walk with him through the parlors 7fifteen minutes were allotted to each visitor7 and he said1 ,you must be weary by this time4 ,do your investigators always tax you as they have this evening8 ,i told him ,i considered this party very little trouble in comparison to most others4 ,the raps followed us as we walked1 and were heard by all in the room4 ,he apparently paid little attention to the sounds as we walked4 ,suddenly he stopped in the middle of the room1 and said to me3 ,i have read much of your family1 and the persecution you have been subjected to2 and the various expositions of the wise ones2 but they have not been able to convict you4 ,the rappings became tremendous1 and the floor trembled beneath our feet4 ,they were made all about the room and on the furniture4 ,i invited him to call during my private hours1 which he subsequently did1 and conversed with the ,spirits freely4 ,when he bade me good-by for the last time1 he expressed pleasure at having met us1 and thanked me for my kindness in permitting him to visit us during our private hours4 ,he expressed himself delighted with his visit1 and said he was thoroughly convinced that no earthly power could make the sounds as he had heard them3 and he laughed heartily at ,dr4 ,flint's theory of the knee-joints4 ,though compelled to restrain the public expression of it in the ,cornhill ,magazine1 of which he became editor1 it is certain that ,mr4 ,thackeray was a full ,spiritualist1 even though not one of those bolder ,spirits among men who feel1 and live up to1 the duty of proclaiming to the world1 cost what it may1 the divine and regenerating truth which has been received into their own souls4 ,but great difficulties1 it must be confessed1 stood in his way4 ,the bigotries of his country and times made it impossible for him1 under the necessities of a profession wholly dependent on the favor of public opinion1 to go further than he did1 while it is certain that he was too noble and true a man ever to cater to those bigotries by a word of depreciation of ,spiritualism4 ,,witch ,,stories4 ,i4 ,amy ,emmet1 a well-known character in ,rockland ,county1 ,n4 ,y41 was reputed a witch4 ,and ,i have been told by a perfectly reliable gentleman of many strange things which occurred in the case of an own sister of his1 who is still living4 ,she 7his sister7 would roll over the floor1 like a hoop1 for a long time2 and1 when relieved from such terrible control1 would lie helpless and nearly exhausted4 ,my parents and grand-parents knew her and believed her to be possessed by evil powers4 ,,ii4 ,mary ,treadway was a little girl2 a playmate of my mother4 ,she suffered greatly under the power of some evil influence4 ,she would scream and say1 in terror1 ,see her6 ,see her6--,now she's pinching me4 ,then1 apparently for saying so1 she would be stoned nearly to death4 ,she would be black and blue all over after being pinched1 covered with bruises1 and often hit in the face with stones tied up in rags4 ,her mother made a deep pasteboard sun-bonnet1 hoping that the poor child might be relieved by wearing it2 but the stones would hit her in the face just the same1 even when she would bend her face down near the ground to avoid them4 ,mother saw the stones strike her1 apparently coming from the mirror4 ,after having been troubled in every possible way1 she suddenly became completely covered with a living mass of vermin4 ,her parents were well-to-do1 respectable1 cleanly people4 ,her tormentor died1 and she recovered4 ,,george ,,thompson4 ,,mrs4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,underhill3 ,,dear ,,friend--,having learned that you are about to publish a somewhat detailed account of your experience in connection with the phenomena of ,spiritualism1 and fearing that you might not remember an occurrence which took place at your house on ,troup ,street1 in the city of ,rochester1 ,n4 ,y4--,i think in #ahdi1 when ,george ,thompson 7the ,english abolitionist7 came to this country to lecture against slavery--,i take the liberty of referring to it4 ,while lecturing in ,rochester1 he expressed a desire to witness something of what he had heard so much about4 ,mrs4 ,kedzie and myself1 with a few other friends called on you4 ,after being seated around a table1 the rapping indicated that many ,spirits were glad to manifest to him4 ,mr4 ,thompson took a seat on the opposite side of the table from you1 and commenced asking questions by writing them4 ,a very warm friend of his1 who had travelled extensively with him in ,india and elsewhere1 purported to be in communication with him4 ,many incidents of their travels were recalled to his memory by the ,spirit4 ,i distinctly remember one question which ,mr4 ,thompson asked orally4 ,it was this4 ',what was the present which you sent to my wife from ,india8' ,answer1 ',a cashmere shawl4' ,afterward we asked ,mr4 ,thompson if his answers were all satisfactory8 ,he replied promptly1 ',they were quite right1 quite right4' ,the fact in this case was1 that the questions put1 and answers given1 were not known to you or any one present1 or in the ,united ,states of ,america2 and all the answers given were 'quite right4' ,will sceptics explain1 satisfactorily to themselves and others1 how this is done8 ,,john ,,kedzie4 ,,new ,,york1 ,june1 #ahhd4 ,a ,,child',s ,,letter4 ,letter from a child eight years old4 ,i insert this letter from a darling little child partly for love of her1 but chiefly because she soon after1 as ,i have been informed1 developed1 without any instruction1 into a splendid musical medium4 ,,newark1 ,o41 ,july #bj1 #ahea4 ,,my ,,dear ,,fish3 ,i promised to write you a letter1 and ,i have a few words to say to you1 it is not very long2 and ,i hope you are well1 and ,i send my love to you all4 ,i think that ,i'll never forget you4 ,i wish that you'll never forget me4 ,we are all well and the baby has three teeth4 ,now you must come back1 we all want to see you4 ,i hope that ,mr4 ,brown is better4 ,you must remember your promise to me4 ,i have been looking anxiously for a letter from you4 ,i hope you will excuse me1 for this is the first letter ,i've ever written before4 ,tell ,maggie that she must not forget her promise to me4 ,my dear ,fish1 ,i love you very much4 ,i want to say something to you but ,i don't know what4 ,the fields are green1 the woods are grand1 and home is dear to me1 but ,i would give a year for one sweet month to talk with the ,spirits4 ,o ,i would clap my hands for joy4 ,mr4 ,blackman has acted the part of a coward4 ,he has not the independence of a man to come out and publish the truth like a gentleman4 ,i would have sent you one of his papers if they had pleased me4 ,good-bye1 my dear ,fish4 ,,louise ,,mooney4 ,,extracts ,,from ,,daniel ,,underhill',s ,,minute ,,book1 ,,bearing ,,date ,,june #e1 #ahfb4 ,while ,leah and myself1 with a few friends1 were sitting at the table conversing1 the following communications were spelled out3 ',there must be some desperate struggles before the ,union army can hold the ,rebellion under control4 ,then many treacheries will be perpetrated through the semblance of peace2 after which many new and arbitrary enforcements will be carried into effect1 so that the difficulties cannot be determined for some time4 ,rebellion is among you everywhere1 and the only curb is the law and the right to control4 ,even your leading journalists are not reliable1 and their loyalty is speculative4 7,signed7 ',,red ,,jacket4' ',no more peace2 no more love2 no more truth2 all is gone4 ,my spirit sorrows1 my light grows dark1 my hope fails1 and my form no more appears on earth among my tribe4 ,my feather gone1 my axe dull1 my arrow broke1 and my hand no more pull the string4 ,my eyes no more take aim4 ,my work to do1 and ,i no power4 ',great ,spirit make pale-face look up where help can come1 and then we will fly through air in cars of fire1 to call the light and heat down to wake up the love1 hope1 charity1 and faith which have no power now1 to conquer in the war of hatred1 envy1 and rebellion4 ',i have spoken4 7,signed7 ',,war ,,eagle4' ,,extract ,,from ,,communication ,,purporting ,,to ,,come ,,from ,d4 ,,underhill',s ,,father4 ,if every grain of sand on the sea-shore were a dime1 and every dime should be doubled at every second1 it would not be half the value to you a few years hence1 that one evening's sitting with your guardian ,spirit will be to you when you are as ,i am now4 7,signed7 ,,levi4 ,,practical ,,jokes ,,performed ,,and ,,rebuked4 ,though it is my rule not to introduce trifling incidents which were constantly occurring to us in our domestic privacy1 yet1 finding them in my private papers of #ahdi1 ,i will here insert the following two because it occurs to me that it may have had a significance intended as a lesson to me4 ,one evening1 being for a wonder without callers1 ,maggie and ,i thought we would have a little fun at mother's and ,cathie's expense4 7,mother was very easily disturbed by any unusual manifestations47 ,it will be seen that1 though we began it for our fun1 the ,spirits took it soon out of our hands and carried it out themselves in pretty strong earnest4#bc #bc ,they probably meant it as a reproof of the girls' attempt to mix up their childish nonsense with a subject too great and grave for such trifling on their part4--,,ed4 ,maggie went into the parlor bed-room1 and ,i laid down on the sofa4 ,she took a cane and ,i a shell from the table to rap with4 ,i precautionally placed matches near me in case of need4 ,she rapped once 7with the cane7 upon the ceiling1 but before ,i could make any attempt at using my shell the house was in an uproar4 ,the piano was violently sounded1 the match-box rattled against the ceiling4 ,i called to ,maggie to know if it was she who was pounding the piano so violently4 ,mother cried out1 ,god have mercy on us6 ,she saw a very tall man--or the form of one--standing in the open doorway1 and recognized him as her father4 ,mother was so frightened that she started up1 and as she did so tore down the window-shade1 which let in the light of a bright moon4 ,i was unceremoniously seized upon and lifted through a circular aperture in the ceiling 7large enough to admit four small pipes1 leading from the parlor stove into a sheet-iron drum in the room above1 in which ,calvin slept74 7,see diagram on page #bji47 ,i was there held suspended for several minutes by two iron hands 7as they seemed to me71 the one felt icy cold1 and the other almost burning hot4 ,calvin1 in bed in the room above1 lay quietly listening to the uproar1 but made no remark4 ,i entreated him to come down to us1 but he positively refused1 saying1 ,no1 you have raised the ,devil1 and must take the consequences4 ,this uproar continued all night1 and people gathered around the house to listen to it4 ,we found1 by experience1 that nothing we could do in our attempt at a little fun played off on mother1 would equal the performances of the ,spirits at our expense4 ,the second of these private domestic incidents1 designed perhaps for rebukes and lessons1 was as follows3 ,to make this story understood1 it will be necessary to describe the situation of the old homestead4 ,the public road runs north and south2 and both houses face eastward4 ,the old house stands about two hundred yards from the road1 surrounded by trees4 ,father's house 7which was being built at the time he was living in ,hydesville7 stands near the road1 with ample yard room surrounding it4 ,when turning into the lane1 there is a slight descent until you reach a little bridge1 called the ,tell-tale ,bridge1 over a small stream1 which in wet seasons runs through the vale2 after which you gradually ascend until you reach the level on which the main buildings stand4 ,it is called the ,tell-tale ,bridge because the hoofs and wheels always announce the approach of visitors4 ,it was ,sunday evening4 ,a party of ,david's friends drove over from ,newark to have a sance with the ,spirits4 ,it was decided that they should hold their meeting at mother's1 with the girls 7,maggie and ,katie74 ,i remained at ,david's1 with ,uncle ,john1 ,calvin1 and the children--the youngest being a babe ten months old4 ,my brother and his wife joined the party4 ,uncle ,john suggested that some refreshments would be acceptable and help to while away the time4 ,by the time we got through supper it was near twelve o'clock1 and the hired man came home belated4 ,the servant girl was tired1 and all save myself retired for the night4 ,the baby fretted for its mother1 and ,i walked the floor with him until he fell asleep4 ,still there were no signs of the adjournment of the party4 ,i could hear the sounds distinctly1 and concluded they had entirely forgotten to notice the time 7it was then two o'clock74 ,so ,i slipped on the hired man's coat and hat and ran down1 to learn if there were any intimations of the party breaking up4 ,i did not wish to be observed4 ,the night was lovely1 and the moon shone brightly2 and my only refuge of concealment was a few shocks of sweet corn left standing between the window and the fence4 ,they could have seen me through the window if they had looked out from the sitting-room in which they were holding their sance4 ,i procured a number of small stones and practised throwing very successfully1 hitting the mark between the windows a little distance from them4 ,having thus acquired confidence in my aim1 ,i threw one larger than the others1 which went through the window crashing the glass into fragments4 ,a general scream broke from all in the room4 ,i ran down into the hollow near the bridge1 and hid in the tall1 wet grass1 knowing well enough that mother would soon be out to explore the grounds4 ,i heard her say1 ,i do not believe that a ,spirit did it4 ,i know it was some of those good-for-nothing1 mean coon hunters2 they have heard us1 and they have done this to annoy us4 ,then father said3 ,they have no business to throw stones through the windows4 ,if that stone had hit any one1 it might have proved a serious thing4 ,i shuddered1 and was thankful it was no worse4 ,mr4 ,codding said1 ,no1 ,mrs4 ,fox1 ,i think you are mistaken4 ,i heard several electric explosions just before it hit the window4 7,those were my smaller pebbles47 ,father said1 ,do you believe a ,spirit threw that stone through the window8 ,if it was a ,spirit it was an evil one4 ,by this time they were all out in the yard looking for the culprit1 and not more than twenty feet from where ,i lay cowering in the long grass wet with dew4 ,as soon as they all re-entered the house ,i ran for dear life1 doffed my hat and coat1 and jumped back into the bed with the baby4 ,i had lain there but an instant when the most terrific rumbling explosion went through the house1 shaking it to its foundations and waking every sleeper4 ,i have never witnessed1 before or since1 such a manifestation4 ,uncle ,john rushed to my room1 saying1 ,in heaven's name1 what has happened8 ,the parties from the other house came in and related what had happened there2 but ,i was so shocked by the manifestation just made that ,i found no difficulty in suppressing my laughter4 ,i had been well punished for my folly4 ,i had not intended to carry the joke so far1 and ,i prayed to be forgiven4 ,i did not dare to confess4 ,i knew it would not do at that time1 as the public would have regarded us as impostors1 and this as a specimen of our tricks4 ,i suffered alone for my sin4 ,i heard them discuss the matter frequently4 ,one day1 full fifteen years afterward1 my brother was giving me his opinion1 saying1 ,leah1 ,i do believe that was a mischievous ,spirit that threw the stone and smashed father's window4 ,i looked at him quizzically1 and said1 ,yes ,dave1 ,i believe it was too4 ,he caught me by the hand and said1 ,you did it6 you rogue4 ,i know you did6 ,i confessed1 and we have had many a hearty laugh over it since2 but ,i had not ventured to confess it to the family for fifteen years4 ,a ,,prophetic ,,dream4 ,on pages #gf-gg above1 in the chapter devoted to the ,mediumistic ,vein in our ,family1 is given an account of my aunt1 ,mrs4 ,elizabeth ,higgins1 having seen a prophetic vision1 miscalled dream1 which nearly nine years afterward was actually enacted over her grave1 which now speaks for itself in the cemetery of ,sodus1 ,wayne ,co41 ,n4 ,y4 ,i omitted there to mention another instance in which she dreamed of a strange event1 some weeks in advance of its actual occurrence4 ,i was a child at the time1 but perfectly remember it1 besides its having often been talked about in the family4 ,when the family migrated from the city of ,new ,york to ,sodus1 ,wayne ,county1 ,n4 ,y41 it had been intended to go by the canal4 ,grandfather had preceded the removal of the family by about a year4 ,one morning ,aunt ,bessie 7afterward ,mrs4 ,higgins7 announced that1 ,we shall not make our journey by water4 ,why not8 asked her mother4 ,because ,i dreamed last night that we travelled by land1 and there was a strange lady with us4 ,in my dream1 too1 we came to ,mott's tavern in the ,beech ,woods1 and they could not admit us because ,mrs4 ,mott lay dying in the house4 ,i know it will come true4 ,she always felt that certainty in regard to certain dreams4 ,very unlikely indeed1 was the reply1 for but a year ago1 when you stopped there1 ,mr4 ,mott's wife lay dead in the house4 ,you will see4 ,then he must have married again1 and he will lose his second wife4 ,every particular came to pass as she had predicted4 ,mrs4 ,johnson1 a stranger to the family at that time1 accompanied them4 ,by a change of plan they made the journey by land1 as by that means 7by grandfather's orders7 they took the horses 7three teams7 to use in the new home in the ,west4 ,when they reached ,mott's tavern1 late in the evening1 they were told they could not be accommodated1 as the house was full1 and ,mrs4 ,mott was dying4 ,bessie said to the clerk1 ,i was here just one year ago to-day1 and ,mrs4 ,mott lay dead in the house4 ,he replied1 ,mr4 ,mott was married two months ago1 and it is his second wife who is now dying4 ,it was arranged1 however1 for them to stay in the adjoining house1 owned by ,mr4 ,mott and occupied by his son4 ,referring back 7see page #ge7 to my great-grandmother's visions of phantom funerals 7sometimes more than a year in advance of their actual occurrence71 ,i desire to add that such pre-visioned funerals were not of persons whose age and state of health might have suggested such anticipation1 but that they were of persons of all ages1 and on two occasions the deaths were by accident1 namely1 by drowning and by a fall from a house4 ,in the case of ,mr4 ,urie 7page #hb71 the runaway that caused his death was not that of a single horse1 but of a high-spirited span of horses4 ,the mistake was an accidental one made by a copyist4 ,i may add1 generally1 in regard to many of the strange occurrences related in this volume1 there are witnesses still living who can attest the correctness of my statements4 ,,james ,a4 ,,garfield4 ,one of the most pleasant of my reminiscences of our ,ohio campaign1 about three and thirty years ago1 is my intercourse with the great and good man whose honored name heads this paragraph4 ,he was a frequent visitor to my sances1 to which he used to bring also members of his family and friends4 ,he combined1 with his eminent intelligence1 culture and love of the truth1 great geniality of temperament and manners4 ,he was a convinced and warm ,spiritualist1 and his autograph name is a frequent one in my register4 ,not a few also of the representatives of foreign countries visited us at ,washington and ,new ,york1 and were surprised to receive communications in their several languages4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to the above array of the ,author's ,miscellaneous ,incidents ,i will add one of recent occurrence1 for the sake of the evidence which it involves of two points1 namely1 ,first1 of the reality of ,mrs4 ,underhill's still continued mediumship2 ,and secondly1 of the interest really taken by her controlling ,spirits in this work of hers4 ,in the course of our united labors over it1 extending through a period exceeding four months1 there have arisen a number of occasions on which we have differed over various points of expediency in regard to the arrangement and treatment1 the insertion or suppression1 of her voluminous materials or notes1 and have discussed them freely1 with some tenacity of opinion on both sides1 while with reasonable candor and openness to conviction1 certainly on her side4 ,she has generally maintained that her ,spirits had impressed and directed her so and so 7the chief of them seeming to be ,dr4 ,franklin and her grandfather71 and a ,spirit claiming to be ,dr4 ,franklin has sometimes intervened in these discussions1 either voluntarily or on being appealed to by us4 ,i will describe one of these occasions1 to afford the reader the opportunity of judging for himself of the genuineness of this ,spirit intervention in these friendly discussions between two mortals still in the flesh1 both of them actuated by an equal sincerity of zeal for the truth and for the good of humanity4 ,we were sitting in her library1 on the opposite sides of a library table4 ,the only other person present was a most highly estimable friend of hers1 lending her his friendly aid in copying1 who was seated some seven or eight feet off4 ,both of her hands were on the table4 ,my knee was suddenly grasped by a strong1 firm hand1 evidently to call my attention4 ,is this you1 dear ,dr4 ,franklin8 ,i asked4 ,yes1 was the reply given by three pressures of the hand which held my knee strongly between its thumb and fingers4 ,i did not doubt the ,spirit to be what he claimed to be1 and ,i asked his opinion on the point in question4 ,he usually addressed me as my son or my dear son4 ,he did not habitually seem to impose his will1 but rather to give his opinion1 which ,i must say was generally on the lady's side1 and to which ,i generally conformed1 even when saying that ,i still thought differently4 ,presently ,i felt my knee again grasped in the same way1 but this time by what was evidently a smaller and a female hand4 ,it proved to be that of my sister ,mary1 of whose existence ,mrs4 ,underhill knew nothing4 ,her object was to tell me to write to another sister1 ,adelaide 7still in the flesh1 and at some three thousand miles of distance7 because1 as she said1 the latter was distressed and suffering on account of my recent silence 7for which there had been special reasons causing procrastination74 ,of these private family names and matters1 ,mrs4 ,u4 had no means of knowing anything4 ,her hands1 ,i repeat1 were on the table1 and there was no human agency through which1 in either of the two instances1 the grasping of my knee could have been caused4 ,the knowledge of my private family matters goes far to prove that in the one case it must have been really done by my sister 7a ,spirit71 and this identification of her in the one case goes far to confirm that of the other as ,dr4 ,franklin1 both having in the same way declared who they were4--,,ed4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,,action ,,of ,,spirits ,,through ,,the ,,mediumship ,,of ,a ,,five-,,month',s-,,old ,,infant4 ,,various ,,manifestations ,,around ,,the ,,baby--,,writing ,,in ,,greek ,,through ,,his ,,hand4 ,in the preceding ,chapter ,,vi41 ,i have mentioned some marvels about the infant mediumship of my little nephew1 the elder of ,cathie's two boys1 ,ferdinand ,diedrich ,loewenstein ,jencken4 ,since the writing of that chapter and its consignment to unchangeable type1 ,i have come across a copy of a newspaper which had got mislaid and was supposed lost1 the ,london ,medium and ,daybreak1 of ,may #h1 #ahgd4 ,the possibility of such things as were mentioned on my pages #hi to #ie having been done through the dear little fingers of a babe in arms1 must have been hard to many readers to believe or to realize2 though it ought not to be so difficult to those who pause to reflect that it was not those five-months-old fingers that thus acted1 but the force and the will of ,spirit powers controlling and guiding them4 ,for the double purpose of supporting what ,i have written and of carrying still farther the marvellousness of this perfectly attested case1 ,i now quote from page #bij of the ,medium and ,daybreak the following article1 which1 on its face1 bears the direct testimony of ,mr4 ,jencken himself and of ,j4 ,wason1 ,esq41 a respectable ,english solicitor4 ,of ,mr4 ,jencken's unimpeachable authority enough has been said on page #ij4 ,illustration3 ,katie ,fox ,jencken4 ,from the ,london ,medium and ,daybreak1 ,may #h1 #ahgd1 p4 #bij3 ,,mediumship ,,of ,a ,,baby4 ,a brief account1 for which we are indebted to ,mrs4 and ,mr4 ,jencken1 of the progress of their infant boy1 may not be uninteresting to the ,spiritualistic public4 ,we hence render it1 ipsissima verba1 as received by us4 ,the baby medium1 whose writing we have had engraved1 was born on ,september #ai1 #ahgc4 ,of a sensitive and delicate organization1 great difficulty was felt in preventing the life-cord snapping during the first few weeks of his existence4 ,care and a good nurse1 however1 saved the little fellow1 who is now a healthy1 blue-eyed baby1 with a singularly well-formed head and large forehead4 ,six weeks after his advent1 the wet nurse complained of constant noises1 resembling gentle knocks or taps4 ,these were at first ascribed to rats or mice2 finally1 the truth could not be resisted1 and the gentle rappings on the doors of the wardrobe1 on the iron head-rail of the bedstead1 were admitted to be by unseen beings4 ,on the #afth of ,november last1 ,mr4 ,jencken1 desirous of testing the fact of the medial powers of his boy1 obtained distinct raps and messages1 holding his little boy near to a small round pedestal table4 ,soon afterward the alarmed nurse related how luminous hands had been seen by her making passes over the baby2 the rappings increasing in intensity2 shadowy forms had likewise been seen moving from the hearth to the bed4 ,a whistling sound then attracted attention2 whispered words and other mysterious manifestations were observed4 ,on one occasion1 during the absence of ,mrs4 ,jencken1 a ,spirit-form opened the door of the nursery1 entered1 and left the room all but immediately1 quietly gazing at the little boy with luminous eyes4 ,during the month of ,december1 small articles were frequently taken from the nurse2 on one occasion a shadowy form appeared bending over the bed on which the nurse and baby were lying4 ,terribly frightened1 the nurse grasped the child to leave the room2 soft echoes1 however1 warned her not to fear4 ,on ,december #afth1 shortly after ,mrs4 ,jencken arrived at ,brighton1 the little fellow uttered his first spoken words--',ma-ma1 darling ma-ma'--much to the alarm of the nurse4 ,on ,february #b;d1 the little fellow was carried by a ,spirit-form from the nursery1 on the same landing1 to the door of the drawing-room1 where ,mrs4 ,jencken1 who had been impressed to go to the door1 received him into her arms4#bd ,a half-suppressed cry of anguish from her informed ,mr4 ,j4 ,wason and ,mr4 ,jencken what had happened4 ,on entering the bed-room the nurse was found asleep on the bed4 ,during the whole of this time the rappings continued4 ,on one occasion a halo of light was observed to surround the baby's head1 finally enveloping his whole form4 ,on other occasions clear luminous rays of light were noticed to stream from the eyes of the baby4 ,on ,march #fth1 he wrote for the first time4 ,this was done in the presence of ,mr4 ,wason1 whose account is now published4 ,a few days subsequently1 two sentences were written by the baby medium1 under the following circumstances3 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,jencken were seated at the dinner-table1 the nurse with the baby occupying an armchair some eight or ten feet off4 ,suddenly a pencil was seen between the fingers of his hand4 ',ah1 he is going to write1' exclaimed ,mrs4 ,jencken1 and placed a sheet of paper on the nurse's knee2 his little tiny hand then moved rapidly1 and wrote the words3 ',i love this little boy1 ,god bless his ,mamma4 ,j4 ,b4 ,t4 ',i am happy4' ,shortly afterward the pencil was again placed in his hand by an invisible agency1 a sheet of paper fluttered through the room and settled on the nurse's knee2 the little fellow then wrote3 ',i love my ,grandmamma1' signing the paper with a mark the late ,dr4 ,jencken used to employ when on earth4 ,the paper and pencil were then jerked into the middle of the room4 ,since then1 owing to ,mr4 ,jencken's strong objection to any tests being applied1 no further writings have been obtained4 ,the rappings1 however1 continue1 so also that strange luminosity of the eyes1 so intense at times as to alarm his mother and nurse4 ,numerous letters have been received by ,mr4 ,jencken from different parts of ,england1 ,holland1 ,russia1 and other places1 asking him to test this marvellous power of his little boy1 who1 not six months old1 has written messages2 but to all these applications the answer has been a polite refusal1 the medical gentleman attendant having warned the parents against any trial of strength of this singularly gifted child4 #bd ,see ,medium #bjf1 page #afg4 ,in conclusion we may repeat the prophecy respecting this boy1 which prediction was spelt out at the house of ,mr4 ,h4 ,p4 ,townsend1 ,new ,york1 some five years ago1 the message received then being to this effect3 that ,kate ,fox would go to ,europe1 marry1 give birth to a child1 whose medial powers would be unexcelled2 so great indeed would they be1 that compared to her child the mother would be a mere cipher4 ,jocosely1 for years afterward1 ,kate ,fox was called the cipher in the house of ,mr4 ,townsend4 ,thus far this prediction has been verified4 ,if this little fellow be allowed by ,providence to attain to years of maturity1 he may perhaps verify all that the ,spiritual beings1 who foretold his birth within ten hours of its occurrence1 have foreshadowed4 ,dear ,mr4 ,burns3--,the sentence signed ',susan1' photographed and now reproduced in our engraving4--,,ed4 ,m41 was written through the hand of the infant boy1 aged five months and fifteen days1 of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,jencken1 on ,march #fth last1 at ,no4 #e ,lansdowne ,terrace ,east1 ,brighton1 by invisible agency1 in my presence and that of ,mrs4 ,jencken and her nurse1 the pencil having been placed in the baby's right hand by invisible agency1 when ,i caused a memorandum of the fact to be written at once as a record1 and afterward had the writing by the baby's hand and the memorandum with the signatures of the witnesses photographed1 and ,i send you a copy of the whole1 which you are at liberty to publish in the ,medium1 together with this letter1 if you think fit4 ,the circumstances under which the photographed document was written are as follows3 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,jencken and the child were taken from ,london to ,brighton for the benefit of ,mrs4 ,jencken's and the baby's health1 and they had been1 on ,march #fth before mentioned1 at ,brighton over three months2 and ,i was at this time their guest1 or rather sharing their lodgings with them4 ,mrs4 ,jencken's and the baby's health improved1 but ,mr4 ,jencken became seriously ill at ,brighton2 violent nervous headaches with neuralgia and a general derangement of the stomach and digestive organs4 ,i told him ,i thought his travelling from his chambers in the ,temple to the lodgings in ,brighton--#aje miles daily1 which1 by calculation1 showed he had travelled over #h1jjj miles while at ,brighton within four months--was the probable cause of his illness2 but he took a different view1 and consulted his friend1 a ,german physician of note1 who agreed with him that these rapid journeys daily were not the cause of his ill-health4 ,i contended that a ,german ,m4,d41 however able1 had no experience as to the effect on health of daily long journeys by cab1 omnibus1 and railway1 but ,i could make no change in ,mr4 ,jencken's view4 ,on the day in question1 viz41 ,march #fth last1 baby's nurse was holding baby on her lap in the parlor1 by the fire1 about #a4cj ,p4,m4 ,i was writing at a table near4 ,mrs4 ,jencken was in a room adjoining and opening into the parlor1 the door between being half open4 ,suddenly the nurse exclaimed1 ',baby has a pencil in his hand6' ,she did not say that the pencil had been put into the baby's hand by invisible agency1 and ,i having had experience of babies clutching my finger pretty tightly1 took no notice1 but continued my writing4 ,nurse almost immediately after exclaimed1 ',baby is writing6' in a still more excited voice1 which drew ,mrs4 ,jencken's attention1 and she rushed into the parlor to the nurse and baby1 and this roused me1 when ,i got up and walked to the nurse1 and looking over ,mrs4 ,jencken's shoulder1 ,i saw the pencil in the child's hand and the paper under it with the writing as photographed4 ,i may add that ',susan' was the name of my departed wife1 who was remarkably fond of children1 and her ,spirit 7as is believed7 had on several occasions previously manifested itself by writing and by raps through ,mrs4 ,jencken1 who1 before her marriage1 as most of your readers are aware1 was the celebrated ,american medium1 through whose family at ,rochester1 ,u4 ,s41 the truths of ,spiritualism 7now so stupendous7 were first manifested4 ,the value will now be seen of the advice given by ',susan' to ,mr4 ,jencken1 'to go back to ,london1' which ,mr4 ,jencken did1 and almost immediately recovered his usual health and strength1 which are those of a strong1 healthy man4 ,hoping your readers may take the same interest in this anecdote that you do1 and that it may conduce to increase the interest felt in ,spiritualism1 believe me1 sincerely yours1 ,j4 ,,wason1 ,solicitor4 ,wason ,buildings1 ,liverpool4 ,,spirit ,,writing4 ,photograph of a ,sentence written in ,greek characters by ,direct ,spirit-,agency1 without the ,intervention of a ,human ,hand1 at ,h4 ,d4 ,jencken1 ,esq4's1 ,rooms in ,brighton1 ,february #bh1 #ahgd4 ,paper 7marked by a sceptic with his initials7 and a pencil were placed on the table1 all the circle 7one sceptic and five ,spiritualists7 joining hands2 lights extinguished1 a scratching noise1 as of a pencil writing on paper1 was heard4 ,on the candles being relighted1 the sentence1 as photographed below from the original writing1 was found written on the initialed paper4 ,time occupied1 about five minutes4 ,present--,one sceptic1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,jencken1 ,mr4 ,james ,wason 7of ,liverpool71 and two other parties of respectability1 who were for ,spiritualism 'when in her silver slippers and walking abroad with applause1 but not when in rags and tatters2' they did not wish their names to appear4 ,facsimile of the photographed writing4 ,illustration3 ,translation3 ',,who ,,believes ,,in ,,me ,,shall ,,live4' 99 99 99 99 99 ,think of this child1 born on ,september #ai1 #ahgc1 writing a ,greek quotation from the ,new ,testament1 and in the ,greek characters1 on ,february #bh1 #ahgd1 at the age of five months and nine days6 ,but it was not the mere baby fingers that wielded the pencil1 though they were made to hold it4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,the ,,missing ,,link4 ,an ,improvisation4 ,,by ,,mrs4 ,,helen ,j4 ,t4 ,,brigham4 ,dark night lay over the land1 ,o'er the graves of all the dead1 ,and all hearts were stirred1 and filled ,with feelings deep and dread2 ,not without doubt and fearing1 ,but as chilled by sudden gloom1-- ,no ray of comfort peering ,through the door-way of the tomb6 ,their souls were sad and trembling ,on the river's dreary brink1 ,they prayed that in death's shadows ,they might find the ,missing ,link6 ,yet love still seemed to be lost1 ,or like bird with broken wing1 ,so weak1 and lone1 and helpless1 ,that it could not soar and sing4 ,how could this mouldered body ,be renewed again1 they said1 ,when the golden day goes down ,to the midnight of the dead8 ,see the little tender heart ,that love had so softly pressed1 ,with its tiny dimpled hands ,folded on its icy breast1 ,while the mother's soul of love1 ,bends over the precious dead4 ,is it now by death transplanted ,where no bitter tears are shed8 ,where1 in answer to her prayer1 ,in a region bright and fair1 ,safe beyond all earthly care1 ,angels lead her over there8 ,dear ones stood with broken heart1 ,torn from all their loves apart1 ,fathers1 mothers with their dead1 ,while their hopeless words were said6 ,o land of crape and mourning1 ,land dark with midnight gloom1 ,is there no hope beyond us1 ,and beyond the silent tomb8 ,a land where there are no dead1 ,where no farewell tears are shed1 ,where there is no funeral pall ,evermore--,does death end all8 ,like an infant's cradle rocking1 ,then there came a gentle knocking1 ,and little children's hand ,opened up the ,spirit-land4 ,o ,missing ,link6 ,o blessed hand6 ,that opened wide the heav'nly land6 ,those who once filled earth's fond places ,watch and wait with angel faces4 ,god speed thee1 ,book1 that bears this truth-- ,eternal life1 eternal youth6 ,go1 bear the gratitude of souls ,far as ,truth's endless being rolls6#be #be ,it is generally known that the inspirational speaker1 ,mrs4 ,nellie ,j4 ,t4 ,brigham1 has for several years conducted1 at ,republican ,hall1 ,west #cc;d ,street1 the religious services of the ,first ,association of ,spiritualists of ,new ,york1 on ,sunday mornings and evenings1 with an improvised eloquence of extraordinary sweetness1 strength1 and holiness4 ,the custom is this3 ,after a prayer1 etc41 she improvises responses to questions or topics proposed by the audience1 and also poems on subjects suggested by them on the spot4 ,in the evening she improvises a single consecutive discourse1 or what may be called a sermon1 on some subject prompted to her by her ,spirit guides4 ,the practice in the morning is that as many of the promiscuous audience as choose deposit on the desk their questions1 tending usually to the elucidation of topics more or less connected with ,spiritualism4 ,she has possessed and exercised this ,spiritual gift since very early childhood4 ,a few weeks ago1 among the subjects for poems thus laid on her table was a copy of the title-page of this volume4 ,her improvisation in regard to it was the above poem1 introduced by the following prefatory remarks4 ,we have with us this morning a lady1 a ,medium1 who has been known for years among the ,spiritualists as one who has sown the seed in the early forming of our faith1 and scattered it with open heart and hand4 ,this lady1 well known to you as ,mrs4 ,underhill1 ,leah ,fox1 has written a book1 to be called ',the ,missing ,link in ,modern ,spiritualism1' which you will soon have an opportunity of reading for yourselves4 ,the dedication of it is most beautiful1 as follows3 ',to my husband1 ,daniel ,underhill1 who1 before ,i had other claims than those of the ,truth and the ,right1 when other friends wavered1 nobly sustained me1 this narrative is dedicated1 gratefully and lovingly4' ,this is an expression of just appreciation4 ,it is the soul of the ,worker1 and the soul of ,justice1 and the soul of a ,wife4 ,nothing is needed to be added to it1 but this is suggested as a subject for a poem4 ,she then proceeded to deliver it4 ,two other subjects having been also suggested at the same time1 she responded to them as follows3 ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,soul4 ,a drop from the infinite ocean1 a ray from the infinite light1 ,one thought from the ,god eternal1 one impulse of his love and might1 ,held by the love of the ,father in ,his circling arm's embrace1 ,one grain of sand on the wide-spread land1 is a soul in this human race4 ,it cannot fall from his being1 it never can die from sight1 ,for ,his soul is ever in it1 and eternity is ,his light4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,beneficence ,,of ,,suffering4 ,no pain can be in vain1 no loss an endless cross1 ,from every earthly grief shall come a sure relief1 ,from every leaden sorrow the jewel of to-morrow4 ,in the ranks of ,mediumship there are no small number of noble men and women possessing this splendid power4 ,they are called ,inspirational or ,trance ,speakers4 ,they speak as the mouth-pieces of ,spirit guides1 using not the singular pronoun1 but the collective ,we4 ,the only two whom ,i happen to know are ,mrs4 ,brigham and ,mrs4 ,emma ,hardinge ,britten4 ,one of the most competent of judges has said of ,mrs4 ,britten3 ,no living orator could improvise1 on half a dozen different high and deep subjects1 in style to compare with her4 ,i have heard most of the great orators of our times1 pulpit1 forensic1 and parliamentary1 and she is the most eloquent man of them all4 ,she and ,mrs4 ,brigham have been well called the ,eagle and the ,dove4 ,illustration3 ,a4 ,leah ,underhill4 ,,finale4 ,this volume has lengthened itself out much beyond the author's intention1 and it is more than time to close it with the word which1 in human life1 is rarely uttered without some tone of pain in the trembling voice4 ,it is only as ,i write it that ,i myself realize all there has been of nearness and of feeling1 constituting a link of personal relation and sympathy between writer and reader2 at least on her humble side4 ,it seems as though1 throughout the double process1 reciprocal in its nature1 we have come1 by a sort of ,spiritual communion1 to know each other as friends--speaking for myself1 ,i had almost said of loving friends4 ,but finale is a less melancholy word to the ,spiritualist than it is to those who are less penetrated with his knowledge that what men mistakenly shrink from as death is but the beginning of higher and happier life1 developed in re-birth1 like that which gives its bright wings to what was the creeping worm4 ,and now1 in thus gratefully taking leave of the readers who may have accompanied me1 hand in hand1 through pages of which every one has proceeded from my very heart and soul1 ,i think ,i may also ask them to accompany me one single step further1 in the following1 which was once1 letter by letter1 dictated through me by ,spirits at a circle in ,new ,york4 ,i give it now as copied from the ,by-,laws of ,circle ,no4 #a4 ,,prayer4 ,almighty and most merciful ,father1 who hast created us in thy wisdom1 and sustained us by thy love1 look down with compassion upon thy children here assembled1 and assist us1 we beseech thee1 in our search after ,thy truth4 ,roll from our minds the clouds of error1 ignorance1 and superstition1 that the light of ,thy wisdom may shine upon us1 cheering our hearts1 enlightening our understandings1 and rendering bright our pathway to ,thy holy mansions1 eternal in the heavens4 ,suffer ,thy holy ,spirits to minister unto us1 as our guardians and guides1 to lead us from darkness to light1 and place us on the plane of everlasting progression4 ,drive far from us the darkness of our own errors and the mischiefs of our evil imaginings1 and endue us with wisdom to receive and to know ,thy truth4 ,teach us to seek knowledge with a single eye to our advancement and ,thy glory1 and defend us from all false doctrine4 ,enable us to know and to feel ,thy love1 and that1 through ,thy ministering ,spirits1 it is shielding us by day and watching over us by night1 so that when we take our departure from this sphere1 we may realize that the love of the ,lord is the feast of the soul4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,house ,,at ,,hydesville4 ,now 7by the act of its wealthy and respected owner1 ,artemas ,w4 ,hyde1 ,esq471 bearing the inscription1 ,here ,spiritualism ,originated1 in #ahdh4 ,transcriber's ,note ,in this txt-version text in italics was surrounded with underscores1 text in small capitals was changed to all capitals4 ,footnotes were placed after the paragraph they belong to4 ,transcriptions to the handwritten letters were added1 words surrounded by signs were underlined in the original4 ,anomalies and inconsistencies in the original have been preserved1 for instance3 the name of one of the ,fox ,sisters1 ,catherine1 was spelled in many different ways3 ,cathie1 ,kate1 ,katy1 etc4 ,errors in punctuation were silently corrected4 ,also the following corrections were made1 on page #fi preivous changed to previous 7except by previous arrangement47 #gd paternal changed to maternal 7,her maternal grandfather was ,french7 #bfi became changed to become 7having become open and7 #bgh betwen changed to between 7sobbing between the children7 #dja apppendage changed to appendage 7lost that important appendage7 #dbb stea's changed to steals 7that steals upon my frame74