My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

;MESMERISM TO SPIRITUALISM 339miniature-painter, living in Montague Place, W., ina large reception-room, across one corner of which acurtain was hung and a chair placed inside for themedium. There were generally six or seven personspresent. Miss Cook and her mother came from NorthLondon. Miss C. was always dressed in black, withlace collar, she wore laced-up boots, and had earringsin her ears. In a few minutes after she had enteredthe cabinet, the curtains would be drawn apart and awhite-robed female figure would appear, and sometimescome out and stand close in front of the curtain.One after another she would beckon to us to comeup. We then talked together, the form in whispersI could look closely into her face, examine the featuresand hair, touch her hands, and might even touch andexamine her ears closely, which were not bored forearrings. The figure had bare feet, was somewhattaller than Miss Cook, and, though there was a generalresemblance, was quite distinct in features, figure, andhair. After half an hour or more this figure wouldretire, close the curtains, and sometimes within a fewseconds would say, "Come and look." We thenopened the curtains, turned up the lamp, and MissCook was found in a trance in the chair, her blackdress, laced-boots, etc., in the most perfect order aswhen she arrived, while the full-grown white-robedfigure had totally disappeared.Mr. Robert Chambers introduced me to a wealthyScotch lady. Miss Douglas, living in South AudleyStreet, and at her house I attended many siances, andmet Mr. Hensleigh Wedgwood, and several otherLondon spiritualists. On one occasion Home wasthe medium and Mr. (now Sir William) Crookes waspresent. As I was the only one of the company whohad not witnessed any of the remarkable phenomena