Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

OF THE EXISTENCE OP SPIRITS. 357made. Some were written early in vVpril, 1851, which Harry interpreted'to road : Wo arc to take our leave of you soon/1740. ^* Some were traced out with chalk on the piazza of the house, onthe :Ust of INlarch, 1850.1741. ''These Harry interpreted to mean :'You may expect (jood sjnri(sto come hij-and-h^.' The same characters had been said, by A. J.Davis, to read :thougJds.''Our society desires through various mediums to impartThe spirit that seemed to be most prominent in all these communicationsclaimed to be Harry's father, and sometimes a sister of Dr.Phelps, w^io died about three years previous to this ; also a child of Dr.Phelps, who died more than twenty-two years before. The communicationsseemed generally to come from the boy's father. On the 12th of Octoberhe passed into a mesmeric state, and wrote some characters, whichhe translated as follows :1742. '' 'My dear children : I love 3'ou, and try to do every thing thatwill do you good. Obey dear Mr. Phelps in every thing, for he knowswhat is right and what is wrong. This is the advice of your spirit father.'1743. '' On the same paper were written others, which, being translated,You were troubled once with evil spirits, but now they are no more.read :'They have bid adieu, and good spirits have come and are with you all thetime.'1744. " Again occur others, which read :'You must not fear,brother,that you will be troubled with evil spirits any more. No. brother, nomore.Your spirit sister, Bliss.'1745. "The person here supposed to communicate is a sister of Dr.Phelps, a widow, who left the earth-sphere in1848, and. by whom severalof the previous communications are said to have been made. Other characters,of thewere not then translated.same general formation, were made at the same time, but1746. "On the evening of the 12th, Dr. Phelps, Harry, and twoyounger children, were seated at a table ;responses were frequently givenby raps under the table. Dr. Phelps inquired if it would accommodatethem at all to have some substance to rap with ; to which they repliedaffirmatively. He threw down a table-knife; the raps seemed immediatelyto be made by striking the knife against the table-leaf, and soon it wastossed up on to the table. A small tea-bell was then placed under thetable; it was rung several times, and tossed on to the table as the knifehad been. It was again put down, and returned as before ; the same beingrepeated several times in succession. The light was then extinguished,and the candle put under the table with a match-box containing matches,and the spirits requested to light it. They distinctly heard the matchdrawn upon thebottom of the box, which was prepared with sand-paperfor that use. All saw the light, but the first match went out. Again thescratching of the match was heard ; it ignited, the candle lighted, and was