Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1869-10-02
POWERS, IhE SCULPTOR.


-
Rev. DR.. Bellows contributes to Apple
tous's Journal q paper entitled. Sittingt
with Powers, the Sculptor" 10 the
course of . conversation Mr.. Powers re-
lstes the following experiences:
"Tbese spiritusIistic phenomena have
always interested me, though have never
been carried away bv them. recolIec'
we had many =" sesnces " at my house
and others, when Home was here. Ger
taiuly sxw, under circumstances where
fraud or COLLISION or pre-arrangsment of
machinery was impossible. 10 my own
house and among friends incapable OF
lending themselves to imposture, many
very curious things. That hand floating
in the sir, of which all the world has
heard, / have seen. There was nothing
but moonlight 10 the room, it is true. aud
there n every presumption against such
phenouAena under such circumstances
But whsts you sea. you see, and must be-
lieve, however difficult to account for it
l recoltect that Mr.. Home sat on my right
hand, and beside him there were six 9th
ers round one half of = circular table,
the empty half toward the window aud
the moonlight.
"All our fourteen hands we're on the
tabl when . hand, delicate and shsd.
owy. yet defined, appeared, dancing slow
ly inst at the otoer side OF tho table, and
gradually creeping up higher, until.
40 we what would have been the elbow.
it terminated inn mist. This hand slow.
II G une nearer to Mrs. -. at the right
side of the table. and seemed tn pat her
fAc.. "Could i: take . fan p cried her
husband. Three rsps responded "Yes,"
and the lady put . fan near it. which il
seemed trying to take. Give it the
handle" said the husband. The wife
obsyed. aud it commenced slowly tan.
Mug her with much grace. Gould il
fan the rest of the company :" some OH
exclaimed, when three rsps signi6ed as
sent. and the hand. passing around, fan
med each Of the company, and then Wat
slowly lost to view.
81 felt on another occasion, q little
bandit was pronounced that of q lost
child -patting my cheek and arm.
took hold Of it. It was warm, and evi.
dently a chiId,s hand. 1 did not loosen
my hold, but it seemed to melt out of ny
clutch. Many other similar experiences
l have bal. It is interesting to know
that the effect Is not to create supernat9. |
raj terrors and morbid feelings. Ny chill
dren, who know vi about it, and were
present, never showed any signs Of trepi.
dation. such as ghost stories excite iD
sensitive and young brains.
"1.h.ve always thpnght there Was
something yet inexplicshle about the
nervous organization which might event
usliy ehow Us to be living much nearer to
spiritual forms than most believe, and
that q not impossible opening of our 10
ner senses night. here enable us to per
ceivs those forms. When we see a man
in bis lesb and blood, we see his outward
robes. If his nervous system alone were
deI'cateiy separated out from his body it
would have the precise form Of his body :;
for the 7nerves fill not only each tissue oi
the body. but extend even to the enamel
Of the teeth and the flores of the hair.-
There is no part Of the human frame that
il not full of these invisible ramifcstions.
Show Us q mau's nervous system. and.
flmy as it might be in parts, bis form
would be perfectly retained. even to the
eyes. Now this is one great step towards
bis spiritual body. A little further re-
6neusnt might bring us to what is he.
meath the ervo system the spiritual
body, and it might still have the precise
form Of the man. l believe it possible
for THE body to appear, and. under Ger
tain states, to be seen. I do not often
mention = waking vision l mi "yed more
than twenty years ago. but l will tell i,
to yuu. 1t happened ive-sud. Twenty
81 had retired ct the usual hour. and
asl blew ont the candle and got into bed
/ looked upon OR infant child, s~lerpiug
calmly on the other side of its mother,
who was also sound asleep. As ! Law
brosd awake. thinking on many things,
] became gu 'denIy conscious Of strong
light in the room, and thought l must
hsue forgottea to blow oat the candls.--I'
4 looked at the stand, but the candle wa
out. Still the light increased. and l BE-
gan 70 thit'k something was on fire in thu
room. and l looked over toward my wife's
side to zee If it vere 40. There wss mol
sign Of Ere. but. az l cast my eye upward, :
and - it were to the back Of the bed.
saw = green hi1l.eide. On which twn hri~h, I