64
PLANCHETTE.
formed hand was seen only a portion of the time; but, during all
this time, a dark substance, rather smaller than the natural
hand, held the pencil, and continued to write. One side of the
card being' finished, we saw it reversed czud the other page com¬
menced. This is satisfactory evidence of the reality of spirit-
writing, if any evidence can be satisfactory. There could have
been no possible deception here. I held the medium's hand :
the door was locked, and every precaution was taken by me as in
previous instances. The identical cards were returned subse¬
quently, covered with the finest writing. . . .
“ Sept, 26, 1861,— . . . After five or six appearances of my
wife, the light rested upon the floor some ten feet distant from
me; then, rising, it suddenly darted across the room backwards
and forwards, until, having gained sufficient power, it flashed
brightly upon the wall, and brought into relief the entire figure
of a large, heavy man, who stood before us. He was rather
below the medium height; but broad-shouldered, heavy, and
dressed in black, his back towards us, and his face not visible.
He appeared thus three times very perfectly, remaining in view
each time for about a minute. The moment his entire form was
discerned by us, rappings commenced simultaneously in all
parts of the room, which continued during the time he was in
sight, as if to express delight at the achievement of a new suc¬
cess. On asking if the spirit we saw was that of Dr. Franklin,
we were answered in the affirmative by three heavy dull knocks
upon the floor, as though made by a heavy foot, which were
several times repeated. During this sitting, the spirit of my wife
approached, tapping me upon the shoulder, smoothing my hair,
and caressing me ; while her long tresses, as natural as in life,
dropped over my face, with the peczdiar scent of delicate^ freshly
gathered violets. A new and very curious manifestation now
took place, showing us how the echoes were produced ; and there
was spelled out, 1 Darling, have you not been rewarded ? 7 The
light in producing these echoes or explosions assumed a lily
shape, nearly the size of my head, and so brilliant as to light
the entire surface of a table and the centre of the room, so that