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

MESMERISM TO SPIRITUALISM 351birthday, that he had not recollected it that day,and that no one in Washington knew the fact buthimself.A German gentleman who was present had amessage given him, which was not only written,as he declared, in excellent German, but was verycharacteristic of the friend from whom it purportedto come.On this evening most wonderful physical manifestationsoccurred. A stick was pushed out throughthe curtain. Two watches were handed to me throughthe curtain, and were claimed by the two persons whosat by the medium. The small tambourine, aboutten inches diameter, was pushed through the curtainand fell on the floor. These objects came throughdifferent parts of the curtain, but left no holes ascould be seen at the time, and was proved by a closeexamination afterwards. More marvellous still (ifthat be possible), a waistcoat was handed to me overthe curtain, which proved to be the medium's, thoughhis coat was left on and his hands had been held byhis companion all the time ;also about a score lofpeople were looking on all the time in a well-lightedroom. These things seem impossible, but they are,nevertheless, facts.At San Francisco my time was short, and myexperiences were limited to a slate-writing stance of astriking and very satisfactory nature. I went withmy brother John who had lived in California nearlyforty years, and who, the day before, had bought afolding-slate bound with list to shut noiselessly. Theseance was in the morning of a bright sunny day, andwe sat at a small table close to a window. Mr. Owen,the editor of the Golden Gate, with a friend (aphysician), accompanied us ; but they sat a little way