“It is,” said the lady reddening.
“There’s a man in the hall,” he continued, pacing restlessly up and down with clasped hands. “He has been sitting here and saying to him self, ‘Well, this is all mind-reading. Now, if he will tell me something that is going to happen I may believe something in Spiritualism.’ He has been rather scoffing me. Now, I want to know if this is true. I am talking to you,” pointing his long, thin finger at a gray-haired man who sat on his left. “All correct?” The man bowed his head. “Well, I tell you, that one Christmas day,” he continued, so solemnly that a hush fell on the audience—“I don’t think the spirits ought to tell these things, but I am forced to say that one Christmas day a member of your family will die.” A startled look passed over his face, and a shiver ran through the audience at the uncanny message. The man’s name could not be learned, but on the succeeding Sunday your correspondent heard two women get up in the audience and admit that the young Spiritualist was correct.
Spirit Pictures.—Henry Rogers, a slate writing and prescribing medium of established reputation, recently located at 683 Tremont Street, Boston, has wonderful powers in the production of spirit pictures of the departed. His most recent success is certainly a fine work of art, resembling a crayon portrait of a young lady. His previous pictures are entitled to a high rank as works of art. They are purely spirit productions, no human hand being concerned. San Francisco has similar productions under the mediumship of Fred Evans, but the pictures have not the artistic merit of those produced by Rogers, whose beautiful pictures, however, require many sittings for their production; while those of Duguid of Glasgow, and Mrs. De Bar of New York, are produced in a few minutes and are also highly artistic. One of the very finest works of art at San Francisco is the portrait of Mrs. Watson, made by a medium, Mr. Briggs.
Our highest productions in art, music, poetry, philosophy, and medicine, are destined yet to come from the co-operation of the spirit world. We have no music at present superior to that of the medium Jesse Shepard.
Spirit Telegraphy.—In 1885 we were informed of the success of spirits at Cleveland, Ohio, in communicating messages by the telegraphic method in rapping, in which our millionaire friend, Mr. J. H. Wade, has taken much interest. A little apparatus has been constructed, with which the spirits give their communications in great variety. I have repeatedly stated that the diagnoses and prescriptions of deceased physicians have always proved in my experience more reliable than those of the living. This has been verified at Cleveland. The late Dr. Wells of Brooklyn has been giving diagnoses and prescriptions through the telegraph. One of these published in the Plain Dealer exhibits the most profound and accurate medical knowledge. The full account of these telegraphic developments in the Cleveland Plain Dealer I expected to republish, but my space was already occupied. It may be found in the Banner of Light of April 9. But we shall have other reports hereafter.
Spiritual Music.—Maud Cook, a little blind girl nine years of age, at Manchester, Tenn., is an inspired musical wonder,—a performer and composer. She is said to equal Blind Tom, and the local newspapers speak of her in the most enthusiastic terms. She needs a judicious and wealthy friend to bring her before the public in the best manner.
Slate Writing.—Dr. D. J. Stansbury, of San Francisco, is very successful in obtaining spiritual writing in public as well as in private. The Golden Gate says:—
“There came upon the slates at Dr. Stansbury’s public seance, last Sunday evening, the following message from Judge Wm. R. Thompson, father of H. M. Thompson, of this city: ‘The essential principles of primitive Christianity and the precepts of Modern Spiritualism are essentially one and the same, which, if practised, would lead to the highest standard of morality and be the means of grace by which all might be saved.’”
The Fire Test.—At the great spiritual convention held at Cincinnati for several days at the end of March, (the spiritual anniversary) the report states,—
“Mrs. Isa Wilson Porter, under control of an Oriental spirit, held her bared hands and arms in the flames of a large coal oil lamp. She also heated lamp chimneys and handled them as readily as she would in their normal condition, and made several gentlemen cringe and some ladies screech by slightly touching them with the hot glass. The test was made under supervision of a committee of doctors and well known physicians, who reported at the conclusion that previous to its commencement they examined the lady’s hands and arms, and that they were in their natural condition, and that her pulse beat was seventy. While the test was in progress the pulse indicated forty. After its conclusion the pulse beat was sixty-five; the arms and hands were a little red, but unscorched, and the hair upon them not even singed. This incident seems weak in the description after witnessing the fact of tender flesh and blood held in such a flame for several minutes.”