Lights and shadows of spiritualism

" PEOPLE EKO.U THE OTHER WORLD.- c6rliavc not bcou able to recognise the features of a single face."On the next page I lincl,— " What go to constitute a likeness area number of lines about the eyes, nose, and mouth, as thin as aknife-blade's edge; the expression of eye, shape of features, colour,and hau'—these, in such a light as this, are indistinguishable."The paragraph immediately following tells us that the light is sopoor, " one cannot, with untrained eye, distinguish accuratelybetween forms varying as much as six inches in height." Similaravow'als occur all through the book. Strong as they may appear,the testimony of unprejudiced observers is still stronger. Thelight at Chittenden was a libel on the term " darkness visible.""What, in view of such a fact, can be the value of the engi'avings of" materialised " forms, &c., with which the volume is profuselydecorated ? Not one has the slightest pretension to be considereda portrait. They are, without exception, fancy sketches evolvedfrom the inner consciousness of the artist. It is thus romancesare illustrated. It is not thus that men truly scientific illustratetheir works. But, putting this aside, xvliat was the value of thenumerous recognitions of departed relatives and friends vhich we aresolemnly assured occurred Does not every candid reasoner.'answer, as I answer, that they w-ere valueless ? Even had theseso-called recognitions been honestly described, they would serveonly to prove the insaneenthusiasm of persons able to conjure updeparted relatives in figures whose features tliey could not discern,and whose voices they did not hear. But the descriptions, as I amnow about to show, are not honest.On page 271, we learn how there appeared " an Arab, an oldfriend of a lady w^ell known in magazine literature as Aunt Sue.""'Our author's description of the said Arab is glowing. " He wasof short stature, slight and wiry build, and his very salaam to thelady, when recognised, was in marked contrast with the constrainedbows of the Indians, and the more or less ungracefulsalutations of the whites. His name is Yusef. He was dressedin a white tunic, gathered at the waist by a sash, and the skirtornamented with three equi-distant bands of red, of the samewidth. On his head was the national fe/, and in his sash Wiis