to confront Spiritualism, it is remarkable that we can find in them almost every offensive appellation in our language. Such words as 'impious,' 'diabolical,' 'devilish,' interlard these lucubrations with considerable frequency. A catalogue of these undignified, and worse than useless expressions, would fill a quarto page; and would demonstrate, beyond question, that the writers are either so ignorant, or so vicious, as to be disqualified for taking part in a controversy of the kind.

"If the new religion is to be put down, and disposed of once and for ever, it will not be by the course now pursued. The ability of its defenders demands that something more than opprobrious epithets and ribaldry should be brought to confront them. Our advice to the clergy is to abandon the hitherto useless practice of slander, and adopt one of honourable and rational disquisition. We have yet to see how Spiritualism would bear up against such treatment. It is possible that so consistent a course might be fatal to it; but it is absolutely true that Spiritualism must live and flourish unscathed under the senseless tirades of the Revs. the Dean of Melbourne and Mr. Nish."

The Illustrated Australian News remarks:

"Spiritualism notwithstanding the ridicule which assails it, and the many absurd things which are said and done in its name, continues to enlarge its circle of believers, and service is now regularly performed in a large building in Lonsdale Street, which is filled every Sunday morning. There is but little in the creed itself to provoke the antagonism of the church. It is calculated, despite its seeming impossibilites, to make a certain section of society who believe in nothing but Materialism step beyond the narrow bounds of a cold philosophy, and come nearer therefore to the church. Yet, strangely enough, the clergy of all denominations are its fiercest assailants, and if only pamphlets and sermons would accomplish it, Spiritualism, as a new faith, would have long ago died and been buried. As it is, the opposition of the church appears to give it increased vitality, and there is no question but that it is largely extending its circle of believers in this country."

The Australian Medical Gazette has the following :—

"We believe it is nothing unusual to see the equipages of a number of medical men drawn up of a morning before the place of business of a well-known and popular medical medium,' while the owners are inside consulting the great 'Spiritist' respecting the treatment and fate of their unfortunate patients. Seriously, we ask, What is the profession coming to in this colony? Where is this demoralising humbug to end? Melbourne presents the strange spectacle of hospital physicians, filling the

responsible positions of examiners and lecturers in the local University, who are doing their utmost to degrade medical science to the level of 'Spiritism.' The thing appears so preposterous, that it will scarcely be believed by the profession in England. Had a few obscure medical men given in their adhesion to the contemptible delusion of medical' mediumship,' it would be sufficiently discreditable. What language is strong enough adequately to stigmatise such conduct on the part of learned physicians holding high office in the Melbourne University and in the metropolitan hospitals?"

SPIRITUALISM IN THE AMERICAN PRESS.

SPIRITUALISM permeates the entire press of America, and incidents of spiritual manifestation, and articles relating thereto, frequently appear in the political and literary journals. The following may be taken as examples :

""
GHOSTOGRAPH IN VIRGINIA CITY, NEVADA.

The Territorial Enterprise of December 16th, 1871, makes mention of a spectral picture which recently appeared in that city. It was discovered on the afternoon of the 15th December in a window on the D street front of the lower story of the brick building in which the National Guard had their armoury. "The building stands on the corner of D and Union streets, and the window in which the ghostograph is to be seen, is the first after turning from Union into D street. It is in the centre pane of the lower part of the window." A representative of the paper visited the scene, and gives the following account:

The picture is that of a personage of venerable aspect, dressed in black, and of a solemn if not sad expression of countenance. It is not a dim picture, nor does it require the least stretch of imagination to make it out. It shows but the head and neck-no outline of shoulders being visible.

A crowd lingered about the window until it became quite dark, and applied all the tests that occurred to them, fully satisfying themselves that the thing was neither a photograph nor a picture pasted upon the pane. There is no humbug about this window-pane ghost-it is there, and all may satisfy themselves in regard to it, and as to its being a manufactured, a genuine, or an accidental ghost. We are informed that the picture has been recognized by an old resident as a

striking likeness of a friend of his who was frozen to death on American Flat in the spring of 1860. He is positive as to the picture being that of his friend, and declares the likeness to be most perfect.'

MR. CHARLES H. FOSTER.

The Missouri Republican, published in St. Louis, in its issue of March 3rd, contains a letter from its New York correspondent, in regard to the well-known New York public medium, Mr. Charles H. Foster. After a few prefatory remarks in regard to Spiritualism and mediums, the writer says:

I am just as much a sceptic as ever, although I have had heaps of reasons to feel staggered.

During this week, I dropped in to see Mr. Foster in Twelfth Street, as he is an exceedingly genial gentleman, and his rooms are a very delightful place to pass an hour in, aside from the mysterious transactions you witness during a call, that are more entertaining than any performance I ever remember.

Let me truthfully and simply state what occurred in one hour at this gentleman's table. Five several parties waited in the ante-room. The first to be admitted was a gentleman of high breeding and evident mental ability. Instead of accepting the paper offered by Mr. Foster, on which to write the name of some person deceased, he said: "I wish to call upon the spirit of my cousin who died eighteen months ago." This seemed to answer every purpose, for the muffled taps came with considerable sharpness. "Now," said Foster, "ask any questions you wish." The gentleman took out his note-book and offered the spiritual visitant several relating to business, and apparently they were answered to his entire satisfaction, Mr. Foster beginning a reply with the words, "Laura says," &c. A flush crept over the gentleman's face, and he asked if she would write her name, which Mr. Foster immediately did, furnishing three initials between the Christian and surname. "Correct," said the visitor. In fact, I heard the inevitable "correct so often that from my corner in the sofa I solemnly murmured "Keno." "But," said Foster, 66 you called for your cousin-this Laura is a nearer relation than that. The violet hue I can see about you emanates in as deep a shade from this Laura. She must have been 1 "I called for my cousin, but my deceased sister is the one who bore the name of Laura," replied the gentleman, who proceeded to take a sealed envelope from his pocket, and thus addressed Mr. Foster:

"A friend of mine down town, to-day-a sceptic-learning my destination, proposed this test: he has written two names of persons deceased; has, as you see, sealed them with his own seal (there was half a pound of sealing-wax on the envelope), and made me a heavy bet you cannot tell correctly the names written within." Foster smiled, and, placing the letter upon his forehead, began softly repeating the alphabet, pausing as he reached S. Going over this twice, he wrote on a slip of paper, "Edmond St. John." The visitor looked at me and shook his head, as if this was something beyond him entirely. In a moment, Mr. F. added "Cyrus Coddington" as the second name, and urged the gentleman to open the envelope, and satisfy the party of the correctness; but that he would not do. He assured Foster, however, that he was satisfied the names were right, as the gentleman who wrote the names was himself a St. John, and his father-in-law's family name was Coddington. This ended interview No. 1.

Two ladies were admitted-both in black. One whose face bore traces of troubles thick and heavy, wrote the names of two adult spirits, but promptly there arrived a little girl.

Foster loquitur- F. A. B.-who's F. A. B. ? Oh, Fanny-oh, yes, little Fanny. Why, this child ought not to have died; she was murdered.”

Down went the poor mother's head, and such big tears as rained down her furrowed cheeks I had not seen for some time. This was all very unpleasant. Fanny's doctor gave her an overdose of morphine, and Fanny had been pushing clouds for some ten months. To give a pleasant turn to things, I was invited up to the table. Foster predicted a nice time in pecuniary matters to this lady, and the successful termination of her journey (she had a ticket for Nashville in her pocket. During a long conversation with the victim of morphine, I opened a book I held, and, under the table, wrote "Hannah Gale,' tore it out and rolled it up, thinking when the next batch of ghosts were called to slip in my summons. Holding it in my hand, I listened interestedly to messages from John this and Rachael that-spirits who promptly gave their names, and were recognized as brothers or aunts of the two other ladies.

Presently said Foster, "Who does this spirit come to a beautiful face, dark, flowing hair, robed in a floating tissue of white, wearing a cluster of roses upon her bosom? She died a sudden death: she was killed. Do you know who this is?" (This to one of the strange ladies.) Neither recognized the spirit. "Why," says Foster, you must. This is some one who was burned to death." I felt a little shiver run down my vertebral supporter. Quick as a flash, Foster seized a pencil and wrote "Hannah Gale," and I unclosed my hand and threw upon the table the same name-the name of the oldest of those four unhappy sisters who were burned to death in Philadelphia, the opening night of Wheatley's theatre, some ten years ago, and whose awful fate is fresh in the minds of almost every one who reads this paragraph. To say the least of this performance, it is simply astonishing, is it not?

A STRANGE CURE.

"A strange case of sudden cure by strange means occurred last week, in Seventh Street, the particulars of which have been given us by Dr. Wilson, of the novelty cure. Mrs. G. H. Kreider had been suffering several weeks from a large tumour on the left breast, and the pain attendant upon it was of the most intense character. One day, last week, the lady sent for Dr. Wilson, and announced her determination to have the tumour lanced. The doctor examined it, and found it ready for cutting, and, at the lady's request, administered chloroform to her. She became oblivious to everything outwardly, but became possessed of a remarkable power. In a short time, to the amazement of the doctor, she commenced to talk in a broken, indistinct language, and announced herself to be an Indian chief, who had departed for the happy hunting-grounds many years ago. The chief was a big medicine man in his day, and discoursed volubly on his treatment of diseases. To humour the peculiar condition of the lady, the doctor asked the chief questions regarding his patient, which were all answered in the peculiar tongue of the half-civilized red man. This condition continued for nearly an hour; and, no matter in what position the patient was sitting, she seemed to have the power of seeing him every time he approached with the knife to cut the tumour, and resisted all attempts to perform the operation. The deceased "medicine man" announced that he never used a knife in such cases—that he didn't believe in it: he had a better

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remedy. Then commenced the strangest part of this peculiar condition. The breast had been so sore and tender for days, that it was impossible to touch or allow the baby to nurse it, without causing the lady intense pain; but she commenced beating the breast and tumour with both hands, in the most rapid manner, and continued it for several minutes. After she discontinued this singular application, she recovered her consciousness, and looked about her without the slightest trace of emotion or agitation. Oblivious of what had transpired, she asked if the operation had been performed, and was much surprised when informed of what had taken place. The affected part was examined, and, lo! the tumour had disappeared, swelling and pain were gone, and nothing but a redness of the skin indicated where it had been. The next day the tumour broke, and the lady is now entirely well. The doctor, who is no Spiritualist, is puzzled, and can't account for the strange condition into which his patient was thrown, and the strange cure that was effected. As there was no deception in it, we are inclined to ask, What is it?"

The husband of the lady thus cured, writes to the Banner of Light :

"The above account of the cure of my wife by spirit-power, I clipped from the Louisville Daily Commercial, which is true, with the exception of some slight mistakes, which I have corrected. Her mother-Mrs. N. L. Fay, a clairvoyant physician, well known in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois-taught her, from her infancy, the beautiful truths of Spiritualism. She early manifested mediumistic gifts, and one of her first controlling influences was "Oak of the Forest," the "medicine man mentioned by the doctor. He has ever been present in time of danger, to relieve his medium of suffering.

"Louisville, Ky.

"G. H. KREIDER."

The Spiritualists of America have just been celebrating the twenty-fourth Anniversary of Modern Spiritualism, in the principal towns and cities of the United States; but we have not space to quote the accounts given of the proceedings in the newspapers, We hope that on the next anniversary, when Modern Spiritualism will have run its course for a quarter of a century, the occasion will be worthily celebrated in this country, as well as on the other side of the Atlantic.