Poems of Progress

BY LIZZIE DOTEN.
“If an offence come out of the Truth, better is it that the offence come, than the Truth be concealed.” Jerome.
“Stand out of my sunshine.” Diogenes of Sinope.
BOSTON: WILLIAM WHITE AND COMPANY, BANNER OF LIGHT OFFICE, 158 Washington Street. NEW YORK AGENTS—THE AMERICAN NEWS COMPANY, 119 Nassau Street. 1871. Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1871, By MISS ELIZABETH DOTEN, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. Electrotyped at the Boston Stereotype Foundry, No. 19 Spring Lane.


Doubtless many who take up this book, and glance carelessly at its pages, will exclaim, “What! more Spiritualism!” To which remark I answer, yes, more Spiritualism, an unequivocal, undisguised, positive Spiritualism—confirmed by many years of careful observation, study, and experience, and of which this book is the legitimate outgrowth. Eight years have elapsed since my first volume—“Poems from the Inner Life”—was given to the world (to the Preface of which I now refer for any explanation concerning my mediumship). During that interval of time, the ranks of the believers in Spiritualism have steadily increased in numbers, its phenomena, presenting an array of well-established facts, have challenged the investigation of some of the first scientific minds of the age, and its philosophy has done more towards liberating the human mind from the thraldom of old superstitions and creeds than any other form of faith which has arisen for centuries. But as yet, it has not secured that prestige of popularity and respectability which the combined influence of age, wealth, and organized action ever afforded. Consequently, those who are “named by its name” must be prepared to meet the anathemas of religious bigots—the lofty scorn of those who are wise in their own conceit—the scurrilous attacks of those who would divert attention from their own infamy and the petty irritations of a numerous pack who follow at the heels of every new movement, and ever distinguish themselves by noise rather than by knowledge. As a participant in this great movement, I have found such attacks to be helps rather than hinderances to my progress, inasmuch as I have been enabled to define my own positive and affirmative position more clearly from the negations of the opposers of Spiritualism.