The Spiritualist newspaper > No.318, September 27th 1878

154
THE SPIRITUALIST.
Sjspt. 27, 1878.
(fforrespouTience.
t Great freedom is offered, to correspondents, who sometimes express opinions diametrically
opposed to those of this journal and its readers. Unsolicited communications cannot
be returned; copies should be kept bjy the writers. Preference is given to letters which
are not anonymous.']
WHAT IS THE GOOD OF SPIRITUALISM?
Sir,—The question has been sometimes asked, “What good has
Spiritualism done ?” The following account of some of the spiritual
manifestations which occurred in my presence at the popular summer
seaside resort of Old Orchard, State of Maine, United States of
America, may perhaps help to answer the query.
Mrs. Robert J. Hull (the well-known medium for form materialisation),
was residing with her husband at Dr. Wentworth’s cottage, which
stands amidst the unique grove of pines lining the back of the sand-hills
bounding the ocean beach at that place. The family circle also included
Dr. Wentworth (the owner of the cottage) and Mr. Walter O’Hara, an
invalid gentleman from Providence, Rhode Island, whose life had been
more than once despaired of recently. I arrived at the cottage on
Friday, the 16th of August, 1878, and remained until Monday, the
26th. It was not until after my arrival that Mrs. Hull gave any
seances for form materialisations. The day after I came to the cottage
Mr. M. F. Milliken, a distant neighbour, chanced to call on the Hull’s,
of whose interesting history I then and subsequently learned the follow¬
ing particulars. Mr. Milliken had emigrated to the State of Illinois
some twelve years ago, where he married. Engaging in an unfortunate
speculation, he lost his own property and most of his wife’s. After his
pecuniary losses he returned with his wife and five children, and settled
near Old Orchard, where he now lives. As he himself told me, his
misfortunes pressed so heavily that his spirit broke beneath the burden,
and in despair he gave himself up to drink, and more than once medi¬
tated self-destruction, from which he was only preserved by the loving
ministrations and sympathy of his devoted wife, who, from what I could
learn, was a lady of culture and of rare qualifications, including medial
gifts, which latter, however, she did not publicly exhibit, her husband
being strongly opposed to all relating to modern Spiritualism.
Last April Mrs. Milliken was taken sick and died. Finding her end
drawing near, she entreated her husband not to give way to any violent
demonstrations of grief on her departure in the presence of the chil¬
dren, as she did not wish them to associate anything gloomy or dis¬
tressful with the event. As the final crisis approached, she had her
three eldest children brought to the bed-side (several of the neighbours
being also present), and in bidding them a last farewell, she told them
not to sorrow after their mother had gone, for she would still be with
and watch over them in spirit, as she had hitherto done in her earth-
life, and that as an earnest of this, whilst “ passing away,” she would look
upon them with a “ loving smile.” Shortly after these last words the
face of the dying mother was lit up with a seraphic smile as her failing
sight rested on her children, whilst a mellow, unearthly light dispelled
the gloom of the room, and remained some moments so distinctly obvious,
that all present were struck with the beauty of the remarkable phe¬
nomenon, including the children, who were overheard by their father the
next day conversing about it.
Mr. Milliken told me that what he had witnessed in connection with the
last moments of his wife had the effect of working a complete change
in his sentiments in relation to modern Spiritualism, and that hence¬
forward the only solace he derived from human sources was from the
sympathy and comforting assurances of a few of his wife’s Spiritualistic
friends in the neighbourhood, whose society he now sought even more
sedulously than he had hitherto shunned it. From the strength he
derived from the counsels and sympathy of these friends, Mr. Milliken
said that he was enabled to resist all temptation to fly to the intoxicating
cup, or a suicide’s grave, for relief.
A few weeks after the death of his wife the bereaved husband, when
on a visit to the adjacent city of Portland, called to see a Mrs. Cole, a
trance medium, in whose presence the spirit of his wife manifested, and,
among many affectionate words and tender admonitions, she entreated
him to restrain his besetting weakness, and exert himself to take good
care of their children, assuring him that she would ever be present in
spirit to assist in his endeavours. She also told him that if he would
visit some materialising medium, she thought she might be able to
show herself to him, clothed as when in earth-life, and that, as an
assurance of her identity, she would try to give him a kiss whilst one
of her hands rested on his head and the other on his shoulder.
Most of the foregoing facts were related to me by Mr. Milliken and
others after the spiritual manifestations I am about to narrate
occurred.
After Mr. Milliken’s return from Portland, he called to see if Mrs.
Hull would permit him to attend a seance at her home. Mrs. Hull told
him she had not given any seances since her arrival at Old Orchard, but
that they were daily expecting me to arrive, when she would probably
hold a few private ones, especially for me and a few other congenial
friends. The visit of Mr. Milliken to the Hulls chanced to fall on the
day, or the day before, the first of these proposed siances. I was so
impressed with the sincerity and spiritual receptivity of the man, that I
told the Hulls I thought his presence in the circle would prove an
advantage rather than a hindrance to the manifestations, and I united
with them in extending to him an invitation to attend the first stance,
which he gratefully accepted.
Before proceeding to relate what occurred especially germain to the
caption of this article, I will say that whilst I was at Old Orchard Mrs.
Hull gave four seances, the first, second, and fourth of which were what
are called private seances, at which but a few attended, and those all
in strict mental harmony with the spirits and medium, consequently the
manifestations were very vivid and satisfactory. The attendance at the
third seance was of a more promiscuous character, and the manifestations
were not so good as at the other three, the controlling guides of the
medium appearing at times to be distressed on account (as she said) of
I some unfavourable conditions present. There were, however, some
exhibitions that were of a fair character.
I A greater or less number of my own family connections and friends
in spirit life manifested their presence at all of the four seances, the
details of which would require much space to relate. I shall, therefore,
attempt nothing in that direction, but confine myself mostly to the class
germain to the subject I have named, after adverting very slightly to a
few other incidents which occurred during the four seances.
In one instance, at the first seance, two little spirit girls, clothed in
white, presented themselves together to Mrs. Staples, whose husband
keeps the “ Old Orchard House,” the largest hotel in the place. They
came out of the curtained cabinet several times. Some present thought
they saw three children in the group. I saw but two. “Molly,” the
Indian guide, who controls the organism of the medium at the seances,
said there were three children present, one standing behind the other
two. Mrs. Staples now for the first time told us that a short time pre¬
viously, when sitting with a trance medium who was staying at the hotel,
she was told that when she next sat with a materialising medium two or
three child-spirits would come to her, all at the same time.
The spirit brother of Mr. Philip Pellerin, a Catholic gentleman, who
was present, came from behind the curtain very distinctly, and conversed
some time with him in French. Mr. Pellerin said this brother had con¬
versed in like manner with him several times previously, and that
nothing could make him doubt his identity, his form, features, and
clothing being unmistakably his.
“ Dewdrop,” a familiar cabinet spirit, came out plainly, clothed in a
picturesque Indian party-coloured costume. I asked her to de-
materialise one of her moccasins, as I had seen her do in one or more
instances at previous seances. She thereupon placed herself before us,
outside the curtain, in a light sufficiently strong for all practical purposes;
and holding up one foot with ber left hand, in full view of all present,
she commenced manipulating it with her right hand, when it gradually
faded entirely from sight, apparently in sections as each was severally
operated upon by the hand. I took the foot in my hand, and closely
inspected it, and am sure there was nothing but a stocking upon it,
which felt and looked like cotton or linen. At my request Dewdrop in
like manner proceeded to manipulate the same foot, when it became
again gradually encased in a dark-coloured moccasin, which looked and
felt to my hand as if it were made of very coarse wool.
During the first seance the spirit wife of Mr. Milliken came from
behind the curtain of the temporary cabinet several times so fully
materialised that he at once recognised her. After a time she succeeded
| in walking to where he sat in the circle, and placing her left hand on his
| right shoulder, and her right on his head, she stooped forward and
[ kissed him. It was not until after this manifestation occurred that
Mr. Milliken related what his spirit wife had told him in the presence of
the trance mediums at Portland.
By invitation Mr. Milliken attended the second seance, bringing with
him, at my request, his eldest child, a little girl of nine years. This
i was an additional attraction, and no tongue or pen can describe the
| beautiful and affecting scenes that followed the meeting of the spirit
| mother and daughter. At first the child manifested a little timidity, but
this was soon dispelled by the affectionate caresses of the mother, the
| child clasping its arms about her mother’s neck, as she pressed it to her
bosom, as fondly and as naturally as any mother of earth could have
done when meeting an idolised child supposed to be lost, but found
| again. The little girl wore a dress that had been made by its mother
but a short time before her death, and this the latter now inspected
very closely with both eyes and hands, dwelling particularly on some
parts that Mr. Milliken told us had been added since his wife’s depar¬
ture. She tenderly beguiled the child with her into the cabinet, where
she could converse more readily with her, although the company could
understand much that was said by the fond parent to her little one in
whisper, and the child’s answers whilst the spirit was outside the
curtain. When the spirit retired, Mr. Milliken remarked that he was
not more sure of his wife’s identity on their wedding day than he then
was that the spirit form just present was hers. 1 forgot to say that
before leaving the spirit wife and mother drew to her by her hands her
husband and child, and made them kneel with her in offering up
seemingly a silent prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God for the
great blessing that had been extended to them.
At the third seance I think that Mrs. Milliken again came to her
husband and child, but not in so striking a manner as at the fourth
seance, when most that had been done before was re-enacted with
increased fervour and emphasis, the fond mother clasping her child
again and again to her bosom as she pressed unnumbered kisses on her
lips, and in whispered accents breathed words of tender admonition and
love into her ear.
During the progress of these seances I saw and conversed with Mr.
Milliken a number of times. He expressed unbounded thankfulness
for having been allowed to attend them, and said that in consequence
he had been made a new man; that he had not the remotest desire to
partake of ardent spirits; and that instead of being the most unhappy
man conceivable, he now felt buoyant and joyous, and able to combat
any difficulties he might be called upon to contend with, being sure that,
with the assistance of his angel wife, he would be able to surmount
them all.
Surely here is one instance in which Spiritualism seems to have
done some good.
I was witness to some other manifestations of spirit power whilst at
Old Orchard, attending Mr. Hull’s sances.
As before stated, Mr. Walter O’Hara, who attended most of the
seances I have referred to, was very much out of health, being afflicted
with a complicated malady partaking of- dyspepsia, jaundice, and liver
complaint. At the tir.-t seance a beautiful female spirit, whom he had
never known in ear*h-life, but who claimed to be his guardian angel,
came from behind the curtain plainly. She had manifested herself to