The New York herald., 1868-03-16
THE SPRITUALISTS.

A Trance Medium mt Dodworih Hall-0ucer
Nervous Exhibitions-Some Words About
Visible and Invisible Means.
The First Sprtualsts' Society at Dodworth Hall pro-
crosses swimmingly in respect TO the number OF Its
audiences since the abolition Of the ten cent adnis
sion. Free to all is now the motto-the freedom
tending not only to the point Of admission gratis
but also to the exercise OF exceeding freedom after
the den has been entered Yesterday morning Dr.
IIaock explained to the assemblage of the faithful
exactly what the country expected Of Spirituaism
df it ever expected anything)-though the
reverend gentleman with the degree omit
ted very properly to explain what spiritu-
ualism expected OF the country-a question Of far
greater importance than the former though more
intimately connected with the having of visible
means OF support. To be sure, II Is q part Of the
creed OF the ism IN question rely on rather invisible
markably well In so doing but, on the whole,
II is better to have the visible means on hand,
even II spirituast has really no use for them 1t
answers the requirements OF the law IL nothing
more; and while one IL In the world 1t is Of the ut
most importance to live legally and by visible means
People who live otherwise are often subjected to
little annoyances which, for ones comfort In living,
ought to be scrupulously avoided. Arrests are
sometimes made at the instance OF less
ethereal people, who cannot support themselves
without visible means, and are naturally enyious Of
people who can. People have VERY unjustly, To be
sure been imprisoned for the fact OF having no visible
means Of support on hand, even though they had no
need OF them, aud could live without them just as
wen not; and little accidents OF this sort are
always disagreeabe and troublesome. To be locked
up as q yagrant on q mere formality-the mere for
may OF being required to have what one has no
need offs an incident that often occurs to very
splritua minded people: for the police have no
respect for rspiritua!-nndedness as n rule and have
been known to arrest persons processing II for the
mere spite OF the thing. II Ia way they have OF
doing things; and, therefore though real spritualst
OF the first water has really no need of visible means
OF support and occasion to use them, IL IL always
better to avoid all possible annoyance and comply
with the regulations. Not having done so, people
have suffered very. unjustly sometimes, and not
doing So people Will be very likely TO suffer again for
the same reason. 1t is very hard TO convince the
world that visible means OF support are not an actual
necessity OF proper existence, TO say nothing OF sub
sistence and little respect ought TO be paid 10
popular prejudice, especially In this respect. People
have been heard of who did not believe that the
ravens consented to act as conmissary department
for Elijah and people there bc also who have been
In the wilderness under similar circumstances and
the ravens never caine near. In other words when
the ravens were depended upon the ravens did not
come.
All this is intended "a the merest good advice to
the members Of the First spritualsts Society. Fey
ought to be careful and provide themselves with
the proper visible means OF support not so partic-
uary for their own satisfaction ~ for that Of the
public
Last evening the audience was unusually large
Mrs. n. r.. Hasyi having been advertised to speak
In trance and ~ the suggestion OF anybody who
might be pleased to spgses, s anything Upon ener
might have observed that the spiritualists WIN some
times turn honest penny Ct is not intended to in
sinuae that they would turn penny otherwise than
honestly was demonstrated by existence OF nr-
nerous books and periodicals for sale AZ stand
| the entrance, kept by pale-iaced lad who seemed
| 10 have grown spiritual too young and whose
forehead consequently occupied the greater part OF
his face In lieu OF the ten cents admission formerly
| demanded it was expected that the visitor would
disburse freely In behalf OF spiritual llterature-a
| mode OF turning the penny which proves the inge-
| nuity Of Spifitnalists In turning penny.
At the desk might have been observed woman
| rather oddly dressed with coarse gray shawl
wrapped about her shoulders, and her eyes very
carefully closed. Occasional spasms OF nervous All
tation passed over her frame, the fingers meantime
| digging convulsvely into inc palm The audience,
odors Of some hundreds Of individual perspirstIons
! nlling the room with druscd nausea In the
| form Of animal exhalations, amid which the
| figure at the desk, with slngularly cadaverous
visage, sat and invoked. Presently the shawl fell
from her shoulders revealing one of the weirdest and
person. that ever anected the cairvoysnt In spiritual