The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-07-27
4 VEXED QUESTION.

The shallower mind is usually the
more positive it is upon every subject.
The deepest thinkers adopt the Scotch
verdict: .'Not proven" as to many of
the great problems OF life,
We all of US turn greedily to any evid-
ence of immortality-;and hence the
passion for spiritualism. Ifit can be de-
monstrated that intelligent creatures ex-
ist outside our mundane sphere it is a
great point gained; whether they be an
gels, devils or the spirits of our dead
friends. But still the thought will come
to us which troubled Hamlet, after he
encountered his fathers ghost:-
"The spirit, that have seen,
May be devil; and the devil hath power
TO assume pleasing shape; yea, and, per-
haps.
Out of my weakness and my melancholy
Abuses ms to damn mo. I'll have grounds
More relative than this.''
One OF the latest phases Of spiritualism
is the formation of the masks of hands
and faces in paraffine. We read an ac-
count OF some casts Of hands, produced
the other day in a meeting in New York,
which were declared spurious because
the wrists were larger than in nature,
and large enough to permit the hand
that formed them to be withdrawn. We
have also seen a statement that Mrs.
Hardy, a noted medium, was detected
with number OF casts OF hands on hel
person; and was also seen making them.
And yet we find in q recent number ol
the Boston Commonwealth, one Of the
leading papers OF intelligent New Eng
land, the follow;ng:-
Oh, lucky thought, when candle-dipping
in connection with these materializations, va.
suggested to Professor Denton! 1t may have
in sight. He said, "spirits can you dip those
Pickering fingers into liquid parafine, and
when cooled, dissolve and leave the mould!'
And they answered hack in the raps, "Yes, w
can, or We will try" How fortunate that we
with no knowledge Of this spirit. coiloquy, OF
concert Of action, should have happened TO have
called on Mrs. Hardy, who has familiar spirit
Professor airealy there for the first time viii,
his pail OF perxfine, and We Awere greeted by
this female "dealer with the dead"I) thus,
Shadows, We are glad you havei happened
in; Sc what We are dong" The melted para
fine WAS under the table and nothing else;
around It wers only four Of Us, including The
medium and the Professor; i was early in The
| oAs0 RSss~SSsy AAAAsss SoC SkpnCE UuOSI
the table protected from sight and light by I
cloth tacked around the edge Of the table. The
spirits were very lively, and poked their 6n :
gers up and oct between the tackled cloth and
table; and, II not fast enough, The medium in
inserted her own hand underneath and got
from thence little passfine moulds. We got
on this occasion some thirty, ofall sizes. T6ey
were Afterwards filled with plaster and harden
ed, and were casts Of 6ngee-ends Of oil sizes.
and shapes, from the baby's to the giants and
they had the cutical marks and 6neer nails Of
harnan digits. This occadon WAS wholly ex.
perimental. There was the simplicity and the
rarenea of : new thing. and which proved sue
ceasful, and then and there The rsps. In reply
e our questions, sd, "Yc, ve think in time
and practice ws can give The moulds Of : whole
hand" What could Be better prose, hid We.
of intelligence and truth than doing thas, q I
number seven or eight hand must dissolve TO
give mould without rupturing afve-inch
wrist or opsningy Shortly after that they did
%; and nov, III over The world, are sp;rits
showing this phenomsDcn-noe only hsnds.
but tvohands ciaspsd, aod faces and Ssee, ana
sone Of the fnoss and many a tie hands have
been unmistakably recognised. ~
It i hard to get at the truth, when
honest faith is % mixed up With frauds
and tricks.