The Portland daily press., 1884-01-03


Chaff.
Boston Correspondence of the N. Y Evening Postl
Spiritualism has taken something of new
departure lately, and it is noticeable enough
to be worth describing. The process ca led
naturalization, by which what appears to
be form from spirit land manifests itseli
to believers still in the flesh, has been known
for many years, but during the last year Oh
so 1t has been improved and extended so al
to assume quite novel character. This
new form which the seance has taken is said
to be confined as yet to the great seaport
cities, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia
but it is so successful there that it is pretty
certain to spread.
At the present time there are in this city
at least five mediums who are giving these
seances four or five times week each; SO
that if VIC compare the frequency Of their
meetings with those of most Of the other
sects, the spiritualists seem among the most
active. The audience is necessarily small,
but even the less successful ones are crowd
ed, and seats have to be engaged long in adj
vance; and the money taken in would sup
port half score of country ministers. The
sitters are limited to a couple of dozen or so,
in order that each may have good position
and receive a special revelation, for much of
the popularity of these meetings is due to
the interest that each one takes in an enter
tainment in which he has personal share.
The entrance fee once paid, a special spirit
is pretty sure to be provided for the sitter
and generally one of an extremely affection
In y1cfr
he may not recognize the supernatural visi-
tant, but at least he can feel its embraces,
and every effort is made to make him have a
good time and come again.
Most of the sitters seem to be Americans
OF the middle class. have met a number
of Germans, but very few irish. Once or
twice l encountered party of well-dressed
people, the youthful portion of which had
come apparently for lark, and I saw one
or two people who looked fast; but generally
the circle was made up mostly % simple
elderly folk-retired sea captains, specula-
lively inclined mechanics, and the like. An
introduction to ones companions did not
seem to be required as preliminary to con-
versatlon with either sex. Probably the
close physical contact of the several members
OF the circle-who are usually arranged with
alternate men and Women-the music, the
aim light, and occasional excitement ali in
spired ease; but may mention that in the
more expensive ones it was not considered
good form for the men 70 sit in their shirt
sleeves. The general tone was one of earn
est credulity, with deceptive favor of ju-
dicial inquiry, and some occasional light
hearted chat. The precautions taken
against fraud were extremely slight, indeed
only nominal. The sitters were evidently
convinced that as Whittier says:
1.-THE snhera of sunernaI nouara
lmpinges on this world of ouSs.''
and no one wanted to disturb his own por-
ton OF the contact by any rude cavilling.
Thus the new revelation was accepted on
very easy terms. One man was strongly af-
fected by being addressed by a spirit by his
first name Calvin. although his next neigh
Dor had called him b. it audibly enough on
ly few minutes before. Another man
spoke of the curious freaks of some musical
spirits at previous seance (see-dnce, by the
way, seemed to be the popular pronuncia-
tom, where certain instruments, fastened
up outside the cabinet, were played upon
while the medium was supposed 10 De WITH
in the curtains, and some fresh paint with
which the instrument had been daubed was
found on the mediums fingers afterwards.
This showed, he said, the tricky character
of the spirits, who thought it was a great
joke to drum on the instrument and make
1t appear that the medium had done it. An
other man spoke with easy confidence of the
facility with which spirits initiated the voice.
form. and carriage of the medium when
thew materialized froote-eyIlized was the way
in which I usually heard this word pro-
nounced1. Once an unhappy individual
rose AMI asked if he might so into the cabi-
net: but this was considered as disturbing
the meeting, and we had to wait with joined
hands for five minutes before there came
another manifestation. The occasional ex-
posures have no effect on such an audience.
But let us 90 to one of the Seances and
see the details, It is in the part of the CITY
given over to cheap boarding-houses. The
room is an ordinary one of some twelve or
fifteen feet square. with a double row of
chairs round three sides of it. and on the
other the usual dark cabinet. In some
cases. an alcoye. or a small room curtained
5ff from the one where tbe circle ia held
takes The Mace of a cabinet. After the an
diance has assembled. the gas is extinguish-
ed leaving only one lamn. which is screened
nv a cnrtain. 40 that there is barely light to
show ones features to those who are close
at hand. hut not enough to show ANYTHING
but the form few feet off. Against the
dark cabinet curtains figures clothed in
black can hardly be distinguished. but the
white forms are very clear We look around
and count twenty-three persons. including
one or Two men who sit or stand by the cab
met. partly to act as ushers OF masters of
ceremonies to the spirits. and partly to
gnard against awkward accidents. One Of
them has a mnsic hoy with which he fills
the nanses in the singing, We are told 70
keen onr feet on the floor and NOT tn cross
our lees bnt there ia seldom any pretence
of holding hands in the old wav. and we dis
nose of ourselves in as easy a posture as the
hard chairs will allow. and ioin in the sing
ing. sIn the sweet by and by. ssThere are
ANGELS lowering around .nand "BeDlah-land,
seem the fayorites. but we have occasionally
more commanding ones, ssNearer. nv God.
to Thee" or lighter ones. like "AuId lang
syne." From an artistic point of view thew
cannot be called entirely successful. but
thew keep us amused in the pauses. and. for
some curious psychological reason, most
people feel more like singing in the dark. in
a crowd. and are put at their ease by it,
We do not have to wait long. In a few
instants there is mysterious CLEAN of
something white before the dark curtain be-
hind which the medium has gone in her
trance; the music pauses, and the more sus-
ceptible lean forward and draw long intense
breatbs. The white CLEAN becomes yelled
women who advances into the room: and I
feel NV next neighbor tremble. and see The
bic drops of sweat start out on his forehead.