472 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE 



whether it was the hair that had moved the table. The 

 promptness of my negative probably satisfied him that 

 my notion was a very different one. 



The superhuman power of the spirits was next dwelt 

 upon. The strength of man, it was stated, was unavailing 

 in opposition to theirs. No human power could prevent 

 the table from moving when they pulled it. During the 

 evening this pulling of the table occurred, or rather was 

 attempted, three times. Twice the table moved when my 

 attention was withdrawn from it; on a third occasion, I 

 tried whether the act could be provoked by an assumed 

 air of inattention. Grasping the table firmly between my 

 knees, I threw myself back in the chair," and waited, with 

 eyes fixed on vacancy, for the pull. It came. For some 

 seconds it was pull spirit, hold muscle; the muscle, how- 

 ever, prevailed, and the table remained at rest. Up to 

 the present moment, this interesting fact is known only 

 to the particular spirit in question and myself. 



A species of mental scene-painting, with which my 

 own pursuits had long rendered me familiar, was em- 

 ployed to figure the changes and distribution of spiritual 

 power. The spirits, it was alleged, were provided with 

 atmospheres, which combined with and interpenetrated 

 each other, and considerable ingenuity was shown in dem- 

 onstrating the necessity of time in effecting the adjust- 

 ment of the atmospheres. A rearrangement of our posi- 

 tions was proposed and carried out; and soon afterward 

 my attention was drawn to a scarcely sensible vibration 

 on the part of the table. Several persons were leaning 

 on the table at the time, and I asked permission to touch 

 the medium's hand. "Oh! I know I tremble," was her 

 reply. Throwing one leg across the other, I accidentally 



