The Osceola times., 1877-06-16
THE SPIRITS.


lsa THE SPIRITS.
u.v.s.essus sf the Very kiag - she Me- |
Asuu.s D. o. usme-Au others
N<v,~ Presesaers- re aloue
o. Trushsul saa
Hs4ess.
Mr.. d. ID. Home, in his book on spirit
ualism, Just published, seems to regard |
ali other living mediums than himself as
Indicators. Somewhat inconsistently |
with this position, however, be takes up |
the history of miracle working, divina-
tion, soothsaying, ETC., and proves that
the world las always been full of spirit
nal mediuus. One of the first stories of
the marvellous which he tells is q nara
tive Of Swedenberg, cited from letter
Of Kent, the philosopher:
mime. Harteville, the widow OF the
Dutch envoy in Stockholm, sometime
after the death of her husband, received
a demand from the goldsmith Groom for
payment OF a silver service which her
husband had ordered from him. The
widow was confidently persuaded that
her husband had been much too orderly
TO allow the dcbt 70 remain unpaid; but
she could discover no receipt. In this
trouble, and since the amount was con-
siderable, she begged Baron Swedenborg
to give her call. After some
apologies she ventured to say to
him that, If he had the ex-
traordinary gift, rs all men affirmed. of
conversation with departed souls, she
hoped that he would have the goodness
to inquire Ut her husband how II stood
with The demand for the silver service.
S~cdenberg made no difficulty in meet
iSg her wishes. Three days after this
the lady had company Of friends taking
coffee with her; Baron Swedenborg
entered, and, In his matter-of-fact-way,
informed her that he had spoken with
her husband /; and that the debt had been
discharged rome months before his death,
and that the receipt was in a certain
cabinet which she would find in an
upper room. The lady replied that this
cskaA1t had been completely emptied,
and among tne whole OF the papers this
receipt could not be found. Swedenberg
said that her husband had described to
him that, if they drew forth drawer on
the left side, they would see q board.
which, being pushed aside, they would
find q concealed drawer in which was
kept bis seclet correspondence with Hol.
land, and there this receipt would be
found. On this representation the lady
betook herself, with all the company, to
the upper room. The cabinet was
opened; they found the secret drawer
described, ot which she had hitherto
known nothing, and In it the required
paper, tn the Intense amazement OF all
present."
When we como 70 that portion Of the
book in which TIE author speaks Of
things within his own knowledge, and of
the frauds and delusions of modern spir-
itualism, we ,httlte upon much that Is
interesting. tGoln1ucing it, he says:
"For years 1kxvs sen With palm
abuse after abuss attach ITSELF to . cause
in the service of which my life has Been
passed, an ith which such foulnesscs
have notklnG In common. So wonder.
fully have these paragraphs increased
and multiplied that, like pearl crusted
with spots al dirt, the purity and beauty
of the original seem at present almost
hidden. An experience ex-
ceedingly varied, and extending over a
peried OF five 'aud twenty years, gives
me 70 my own mind, aud will give to
the minds of the reasoning portion OF
humanity, sufficient title to be heard: "
In support OF his view Of the subject
no adduces letters from Mr. and Mrs.
s. g. Hall, Katy Fox, now Mrs.
Jencken, and Hudson Tuttle.. On the
other hand, he finds himself opposed by
xyh yhss.a
names he suppresses, who are Of the
opinion that an exposure of the tricks of
the trade will do harm rather than good.
Some ol those who take this side even go
no far A to threaten him with violence if
he persists in his purpose. But be de-
clares that he Is not TO be thus terrified,
and will tell the truth at whatever
hazard. sN M4ff
The first victims Of Mr.. Homes pen
are Messrs. Scott and Harris, who, about
twenty-seven years ago, he says, set up
for inspired prophets, and gathered
around then ! little band Of disciples
whom they led 10 place called Noun.
t6n.Cove Virginia. and there attempted
toSjfanhe intS community. The az
pertinent failed, OF course, but not until
the two leaders of it had, according to
M, Home, exhausted in is behalf the
resources Of charlstanry ard blasphe-
nous assumption. A similax de-
lusiop found favor about the eanne
time in Geneva, switzerland, and by II a
worthy old coupoe we're induced 10 spend
their entire fortuna insnpportinee rabbie
Of enthusiastic Nhom The suppose1 opirit1
eathered around. Next, Mr.. Home
tells the story of Rev. John NJ Spears
medicine for producing perpetual motion,
and its lamentsble failure. The various
fancies of the French spiritualist, Allan
Kardeck, are also rocounted. and the
doiugs Of the New York Theosophic
society are dwelt ppon with ridicIle.
The book OF the president Of this latter
institution, People from the other
World" comes in for especial denuncia
ton, and it is plainly said that its author
is fool. nff Ff.
After this Mr.. Home enters at great
length into discussion of the trickery
involved in the naturalization of spirits.
the production of flowers, fruits aud
similar articles, bysupposed spirit agency.
and the photographing OF spirits. He
cites the testimony Of Sergeant Cox, con.
cerning naturalization
"But ! have learned how the trick is
done. I have seen the description of II
given by a medium TO another medium
who desired instructions. The letter was
In her own handwriting, and the whole
style OF it showed it to be genuine.
"She informs her friends that s',e