The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-12
STRANGE IF TRUE.

Etc. Etc.
The gentle reader can readily imagine the sensa.
uons with which we perused invitation TO be pre-.
sent at "he reception Of General Scott into spirit
NE last evening 1t was in vain that we recalled
Ine TACT that the old hero was buried at West Point
aweek ago; there the invitation implying that
ne was TO be present,n some foIm or other ct Ebbit
With faith worthy OF a better reward we went to
Ebblt han, which was filed after arrival,
py very large audience.
THE PLACE AND TIE PEOPLE
There was nothing extraordinary about the hall
except led curtain back OF the rosrum and be.
hnd this curtain we innocently imagined that
Heneral scott was concealed, ready to emerge when
the gathering prepared for his appropriate re-
ception. The audience was peculiar. We have
gentlemen, and unbecoming bonnets since the last
Woman's Rights Convention. Masculine ewes
an OASIS in the de. ert Tie ladies were almost
equally interested whenever young man appeared
At the door and exhibited disposition to enter.
and enuous admiration.
curiosity few couples who had selected the hall
an excellent place for the usual Sunday evening fir
moths, by the light and who iutt red away so soon
as somebody arose 20 speak but the majority OF the
dressed but decCrously behaved but having those
personal characteristics hlch mark the spntuallsts
actors,
PRELIMINARY PROCEEDINGS.
After a silence OF a lew moments, gentleman
look the platform and announced that Judge Ed
monds would lecture next week. and that the only
spiTituast picnic of the season would be gwen at
Fort Lee next Friday, In aid OF progressive school,
or lyceum. When he had expatiated sufficiently
upon the charms of Fort Lee, which he declared to
be the most beautiful OF in the universe he handed
couple of baskets to tw ladies' who proceeded to
take up collection. One of these ladies was young,
pretty and smi1nR, and 1t was impossible to refuse
to contribute to her sore The other was elderly,
grave and reserved ana seemed to leave the matter
she presented her basket
As we noticed that several of the audience shrked
this came we respectfully recommend that only
young a01eS shall be permitted to the plate in
future The money having been haaded over to the
Treasurer OF the society of Progressves, another
lady struck few chords upon tie piano and then
began to sing, in shrill, wiry voice hymn about
'the cold grave" The effect OF which was to cause
cool chs to creep over the audience, and to involve
us in state OF depressing Gloom emInenty favorable
to spiritual manifestation The lights seemed to
burn blue, the curtain waved to and Iro, but
nothing else happened; and a ter exhortIng us, in
the last verse, to "be cheerful, "swhich quite
impossible under the circumstances, the singer and
the piano, not agreeing well together, suddenly
ceased their dlscord
MISS EMMA JAY BULLENE.
All this while another lady had been sitting upon
the platform, her form bent, her head bowed, her
brow resting upon her hand, and her whole attitude
expressive of profound reflection, and an endeavor
to see far into the spirit world as possible When
the singing ceased this ladv came forward to the
desk; and we were informed tnat her name
Miss Emma jay Bullene, and her occupation that of
a iecturng med um Miss Bullene is person Of
the medium age and height with broad forehead,
sunken checks, a mouth framed for much talking,
pale complexion, and hair worn in heavy bands
and short curls she vas plainly but richly dressed
in ack silk, with jet ornaments, and upon her
finger sparkled q diamond ring.
Without preface or Introduction she commenced
reciting q poem about dead hero, which was SO
very bad that we at once decided tnat it had been
composed by herself while in the pensive attitude
above described 1t appeared, however, that we
were mistaken. MISS Bullene got along very well
with the rhvmes until she came to line announcing
that angels had borne the dead hero somewhere;
but at this point she broke down, paused q few mo-
ments and then as If suspicious Of Incredibly de-
family stated that the poem had been dictated to
her by spirit but that "as the intense thought OF
the audience-as to what it all means. we presume
had
could notirepeat any more OF 1T at present Here
there was general sigh OF RELIEF, and number of
door, resumed their seats.
LECTURE HERO WORSHIP.
Miss Bullene then announced that the subject of
her discourse would be Hero Worship" of winch
she proceeded to speak. Most of our readers have
heard the builesGue Orations upon woman's rights
negro mlnstrels. Miss Bulenes oratorY was the
counterpart OF this buresque. There was the same
monotOnOus tone, the sams peculiar injections at
the close of each sentence the muddled rhetoric,
the same absurd and incongruOus illustrations, the
same jumbo OF worOs without meaning the same
independence of grammar the same carelessness as
to pronunciation the same attitudes and the same
frequent cOugh-atnough in the case of this poor
lady The cough seemed quite involuntary and ndica-
tive of Ill health. The constant repe lton of the
as udIorous as the ca ch.words of the minstreis.
Nothing was wanting TO complete the COMPARISON
except the absurd costume and the old umbrella to
Miss Buiiene's misuse of words and transpositious
of sentences would have put Mrs. Malaprop and Mrs
harrington to the blush had they been present. But
her veIy impressive manner and her ladY.like ap-
pearance prevented the audience from noticing the
ridiouous side Of her remarks and when she de-
clarad that "ouT national power caused the sponta
neous strings to reverberate In simultaneous waves
of national glory" simply because we did not wor
ship heroes, ana conras ed this state OF affairs with
the fact that England had lost her place among the
nations because she worshipped the hero, not FOL
his good deeds, but because his honor arose IRON
tracing his line through tine long line OF the lineage
OF an honored and honorable ancestry" they appa
rently accepted 1t all as gospel.
THE DEATH OF GENERAL SCOTT.
Leaving the subject OF hero worship as abruptly al
she had entered uson II, Miss Bullene began to do
scribe the death of General Scott and his entrance
into the splnt land. We have no space for yer
batm report OF her remarks, with their endless re
petitions con radcIions and absurdites, nor woulC
so much nonsense prove interesting TO the reader
even II we bad room fer It In brief, Miss BullenI
declared that about ten hours ot your time befor'
Geneial Scotts 0ecease, circle OF spirits wa
formed, by direction OF the Head Centre of TIN
spirit land, to as list the old hero in dying. Thi
circle con posed OF seven PEI sons, five OF WHOM
were memt ers the Generals family, and con
sisted of 1.-TWO middle.aged ladies, one young lady