“AT HORACE GREELEY’S HOUSE.
“At the latter place we met about a dozen of New York’s literati. Of these I only remember Charles A. Dana, then on the Tribune staff; Mrs. E. F. Ellet, a prominent story writer of that time; and Alice and Phœbe Gary, the poet sisters. I remember the latter as dressed with very low necks and arms bared to the shoulders, while their skirts trailed upon the floor. Around their necks were hung huge boas, four feet long, the style of that day; as a protection, I suppose, from the cold. These being heaviest in the middle were continually sagging out of place, and kept the wearers quite busy adjusting them. I confess to a feeling short of admiration for this dress display at a little social gathering in midwinter, and my estimation of the good sense of the Cary sisters sank accordingly. And I never read of them to this day but those bare necks and shoulders and trailing skirts appear before me. They, no doubt, were as much disgusted with my short dress and trousers which left no part of the person exposed. Tastes differ, that is all; and I was not used to seeing women in company half-dressed.
“It was in the early days of spiritualism, when the Rochester rappings had excited much wonder throughout the country. Horace Greeley was known to have taken a good deal of interest in the subject, to have given time to its investigation, and to have entertained its first propagandists, the Fox sisters, for days at his house. During the evening of our visit that subject came up and Mr. Greeley warmly espoused the side of the spiritualists. He said many things in confirmation of his belief in the new doctrine of spirit visitation. Standing midway of the two parlors and pointing to a table that stood against the wall between the front windows, he said: ‘I must believe what my eyes have seen. I have seen that table leave its place where it now stands, come forward and meet me here where I now stand, and then go back to its place without any one touching it, or being near it. I have also seen that table rise from the floor, and the weight of a man sitting on it would not keep it down. I cannot deny the evidence of my own eyes.’ Miss Fox was in the house at the time of this occurrence, but not in the room. This he said in answer to questions.”