' *^ [Ruschenberger. 



Mr. Seybert was known for his charity and public spirit,* but most dis- 

 tinguished by his deep interest in a supposition or doctrine that after 

 death and disintegration of his body by natural decay or cremation, a 

 man's soul, wearing the carnal appearance of himself, may, at any time, 

 be made manifest to the living through the medium of specially endowed 

 persons, and in this manner communication with the world of spirits may 

 be held. In this modern spiritualism he was a staunch believer. Shortly 

 before his death he gave to the University of Pennsylvania $60,000 to 

 found a chair of philosophy, on condition that the University should 

 appoint a commission to investigate "all systems of morals, religion or 

 philosophy which assume to represent the truth, and particularly of mod- 

 ern spiritualism.''! 



While Mr. Seybert was engaged in the study of spiritualism, Dr. Emer- 

 son, who had no respect for his friend's belief, was occupied in endeavor- 

 ing to improve agricultural methods and in cultivating his several farms in 

 Delaware. 



His mother, Mrs. Ann Hayes, died in 1862, aged 86 years. Her long 

 life was exemplary in every sense, unselfish and continuously kind and 

 charitable. The positions occupied by her children are significant of the 

 mother's attention and care for their welfare. To her Dr. Emerson late 

 in life ascribed his first love for the British classical writers. 



Society in Philadelphia was discordant at the outbreak of the great Re- 

 bellion, because the interests and affiliations of many of its residents were 

 in the South and with the rebels. Those persons were openly defiant, 

 threatening and at times belligerent. To determine if possible who were 

 and who were not to be trusted, a few loyal men held midnight conclaves 



* Among acts which may be ascribed to his public spirit was Mr. Seybert's unsolicited 

 gift to the city. He substituted a new for a good old clock and bell which had long 

 well served to ring out the hours, joyful news as well as alarms, from the State House 

 steeple to very far-off dwellers in the city. Unexpectedly the sound of the Seybert bell 

 is comparatively very feeble, scarcely audible more than 500 feet in any direction during 

 the busy hours of the day, or at any time when there is a moderate breeze. 



In the following numerous stanza, its author makes use of this circumstance to con- 

 trast the " clash and jingle" of St. Mark's chime of bells which greatly disturbed the 

 neighbors at the time : 



" There's a bell whose swinging gives out no ringing, 

 And I hear no dinging in the State House yard ; 

 And where its rolling looks like tolling 



I stand and tremble lest my hearing's hard ; 

 For, with steeple rocking and hammer knocking, 

 And people mocking, 

 I hear no more 

 The low dull mutter 

 Those dumb lips utter 

 Than the stone Washington before the door." 



f Preliminary Report of the Commission appointed by the University of Pennsylvania 

 to Investigate Modern Spiritualism, in accordance with the bequest of the late Henry 

 Seybert (page 5). J. B. Lippincott Company, Phila., 1887. 



Henry Seybert died March 3, 1883, aged 82 years. 



