The Osceola times., 1879-04-12

from the spirit world, the man st II con
trolling by suggestions aud manipula-
tiens. Al this point | deliberately
walked forward and took my seat 81 that
l could watch the entire proceeding
Such action was TAR from pleasing 70 the
man and to his mother, VINO also was
there | asked him il she WAS In a trance.
Perfectly so-entirely unconscious I"
At that moment she opened her eyes,
and then gan violent twitching OF
her arms, which he could .oS stop, all
though he tor some time attemDted to
throw OH the influence At length,
seeing these movements were exhaustiDg
her, | asked permission To try quieting
her myself. In five minutes she was
he self again. As re-ult OF this incident
a conversation began, In which the lady
gave me her peculiar experiences, and
asked my opinion, which unhe itstingly
gsve-that the whole thing was a hum
bug ss regards spirtuslism, but that
had reason to believe that such a power
as mind reading exists o courSe this
brought the guns ol bsth mother and son
to bear upon me, not 50 much on account
of my own skepticism, IS because /
seemed likely to snatch from them
wealthy and more than hsli-converted
patron, who wanted only a few sharp,
sensible words to carry her back into un-
belief and reason. incidental y the man
said, pointing to me:
There is a person whom l could
never infuence-the nature is too po.i-
tive"
Apparently piqued, the lady said:
You could not have C ntrolled me had
] not been willing"
al think could. | think my will is
stronger than yours Before / had ex,
erted it upon you FIVE minutes you were
perfectly submissive"
"Then, sir" remarked, "you exer.
ci-ed will powerT
81 did"
"That is not spirituslism, 1t is mes.
merism, animal magnetism"
Thoroughly vexed with himself and
annoyed with me, he snarled out: 81
claim that to certain degree they are
alike"
And | claim that spiritualism' and
mesmerism are by no means iden ical.
The one supposes human sgency, the
other a superhuman."
Prof Carpenter employs virtually
the same means that take. He address
SEES his hearers, interests and quiets them,
and then begins to operate upon his
subjects"
Il agree with you, and precisely to
tie same end. Blu: Prof. Carpenter
honestly calls himself mesmerist-y you
claim to be controlled by spirit infu,
ence.'
Has my wife not told you many
truths to-day"
"Sne has. Your wife is an excellent
mind-reader."
"Did she not 90 beyond mind
reading Has she not told you, M well
ss others, facts which only the spirits
know %
No, she has told me many things ! do
not know, but have not verified thom
yet. They are in the Iuture."
"You then absolutely deny that my
wife hiss made or can make spiritual
communication to you"
Il do-to me or anybody else. do
not believe that the dead friends of
myself or any other person are coming
10 talk to me through your wife at one
iolsr a Writ. / hold that it they bad
anything to say to me they would come
to ne directly"
"If one sends Telegram he sends
by hi,ed operator, does se not p
ne cannot attend to the work himself"
The cases are not parellel. We start
ed from a spiritual standpoint, and you
nave wandered into the physical proper.
ties OF matter. But right here let me
ask you n question. Il your wife wishes
70 tell me through the spirits, or through
her. something about an ab-ent friend,
wy does she with to hold in her hand
lock of that perron's hair nr letter
written by him? Do spirits need
tangible connection with our world 2
1--WE must work by established meth
DDS, You admit that the lock of hair
and the letter assist the communication
81 admit that your wiie's talk ia more
rapid under those conditions, but have
any own theory on the subject. deny
IN toto the published theory Of spiritists."
"How will you explain my wite's
telling the things you acknowledge to be
20"
/" call il mind-reading."
"Whst, when it touches the thoughts
and actions of your absent friends2"
Yes"
"I came from state OF infidelty into
a tull and perfect faith in Spirituslism. II
lose that faith shall 90 back to infidel-
ity. Why should we profess this If we
do not believe it 2"
"The business pays"
"You call it mind reading--how do
YOU explain the process''
Il do not pretend TO explain the most
ordinary workings of the human mind,
nor cPn any body else. How, then. can
you expect me 10 demonstrate to you
the sction OF mind in an abnormal CON
di,ion ?"
"How do you satisfy yourself, then.
that it is not Spiritualism Do you
deny there is such thing ss true clair
II do not deny tha', but / claim that
clsirvoya ice Is not spirituslism. | hold
that your wife, or snbody else success
tul in the business as well as many In
private life, has. beyond the msjerity,
the faculty OF rendering her mind
utterly negative, 80 to speak. The essen.
tisl thing, at the start, is quiet. passive
condition on both sides, especially on the
psrt of the medium. Toe darkness and
the silence contribute to this re'ult, as
the attention is not drawn of by outside
objects. The mind of the medium being
thus obedient. for / claim che can pro
duce this eject upon herself by mere
effort OF will, or rather non.exertion Of
will she ia. for the time being, mentally