On the way West, thinking to rest a while in Cleveland, Mr. Peebles found there a welcome home at Mr. Odell's, one of his Kellogsville friends. Conversation immediately turned upon Spiritualism, —“that unmanageable element of church discord." In the main, it appeared to him "as glittering, drifting sand, with now and then a particle of gold, roiling the pure gospel."

The Davenport boys were then performing in the city; and, fortunately, a séance was appointed in a hall that afternoon. Among the prominent lawyers, physicians, ministers, and other quizzing thinkers, sat Mr. Peebles, eying the machinery with silent suspicion. The ropes were securely tied upon the brothers, flour put into their hands, chalk-marks around their feet, and the room darkened; when instantly the musical instruments moved swiftly round the room, played on by invisible hands. Dreamy suspicion changed to earnest curiosity. He was quite a philosopher now, thinking by what occult agency odylic, magnetic, earthly, or spiritual that strange phenomenon was produced. A few, more churchal, trembled, fearful that the devil was playing his tricks upon them; but James felt safe on his shaky plank of bibliolatry. When the circle was in good order, by request of the mediums, the light, subdued and mellow, shone just enough to reveal those instruments passing and repassing over their heads, playing a tune; and there sat the Davenports, snugly tied in their chairs. King, the hero-spirit, then spoke audibly through a trumpet, startling them with the assurance that he would reveal himself to them in bodily shape.

The aural emanations of the circle were favorable to spirit materialization. Does not the germ of the rose, rooted in the warm bosom of "mother nature," sun-fused to its almost pulsing heart, materialize itself, incorporate vital elements around it, forming first the stalk, then the lunged leaves, then the bud, bursting, some summer morning, into the many-tinted flower? What is nature but the material embodiment of spirit? What is spirit doing here but constructing a mirror for the angels to look through? Thus we identify ourselves. Why can not spirits do the same by using like forces, governed by like laws?

An orderly circle, with inquiring affections, evolves a sphere rightly conditioned for the visible picturing of a spirit, to produce a light within a light, like Manoah's angel in the flame of the altar. A spirit is not obliged to work up gross substance into finer form, as we do;

but, acting through our mediumship, it grasps elements already refined, and invests itself with the spheral aura of physical and spiritual organisms, organ for organ, function for function, a very spirit manifestation.

Emma Hardinge, in her great work entitled "HISTORY OF MODERN, AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM," thus presents the analytical testimony of the spirits upon this subject:

"In some long but interesting communications, written in the spirit-room, without human agency, it is said that spirits, in their communion with earth, manifest through two primitive elements; namely, first, an electro-magnetic element, of which the spiritual body is composed; next, a physical aura, which emanates from the medium, or can be collected from material substances, analogous, it is supposed, to the element of ‘vitality' described in the preceding chapter. From the combination of these two, — namely, the emanations of the spirit and the medium, -a third, or composite, is formed, which is affected by the atmosphere and human emanations. From the preponderance of the electro-magnetic or spiritual element, the laws of cohesion and gravitation can be overcome; and, through this, spirits are enabled to dissolve and re-compose substances with great rapidity, heave up and carry material bodies through the air, and cause them to float or sink, in proportion to the strength of the battery formed. It is this element which enables some spirits, highly charged with it, to come into contact with matter, and thus to use pencils, pens, etc., in writing, drawing, and playing on musical instruments. By aid of the physical or human aura,—animal magnetism, they cause concussions, raps, shaking of furniture, and heavy ponderable bodies; by this, also, they produce spirit-light, gathering it up so as to form an envelope of matter around their own hands, condense sound so as to be heard, singing and speaking, and strike upon the heavier instruments. The composite element is used more or less in all modes.'”

Mr. Peebles was not then able to understand this "spiritual alchemy," - could not even comprehend the simple fact, that his philosophy of miracles could measure even the materialization of a spirit. He had taught that a miracle, strictly speaking, is the action of a natural but unknown law. Here he actually probed the vein of spirit phenomena. What Universalists and Unitarians had discovered, that the laws of nature harmonize, and are one and identical with the revealed laws of God, is, in fact, the magic wand that opens to view all the mysteries in heaven and earth, when, behold! we look therein in the calm light of philosophy.

Mr. Peebles was "struck with conviction," but still trying to "climb up the old way." Scales were before his vision, and spirits. were "a wonder in a wonder-making world.” He had at first doubted whether those instruments would fly around their heads without hands touching them: then the spirits permitted him to see

He

them moving, as if themselves things of life; yet more wonderful came the promise, that the spirit himself would be seen! doubted.

The boys again were tied: all was dark, silent, gloomy; when, lo! a flickering glimmer shot out, as a star at midnight, swelling larger into nebulous mist, rolling up fleecy white, growing more and more distinct, till, opening as "a door in heaven," there appeared the spirit form of a strange man in large proportions. The spirits had done even more than they promised. Was he now convinced? Our confounded, confounding brother cast himself again into the "slough of doubt," to cogitate upon "occipital motion," "od force," "unconscious psychology," and the like, the bed of spikes wilful skeptics delight to dream on.

Mr. Peebles said, "We read that an angel rolled away a stone from Christ's sepulchre, and another angel unlocked Peter's prisondoor: if you be spirits, I defy you to do the same, or any thing like it."

At Mr. Odell's, that evening, the room brilliantly lighted with gas, the boys tied, he and all the company saw peacocks' plumes floating over their heads, and books with sheets of paper moving without visible hands. Sensing his mental re-action, the spirits approached him, and suddenly jerked him out of the circle, throwing him upon the floor. This trespass upon his clerical dignity enlivened the circle to a general merriment; which the spirits enjoyed by a more lively play, with the instruments whizzing musically around their ears. Did he now believe? He was sure of this much, that it was 66 no mesmeric hallucination;" for his side was actually lame.

The Davenport brothers, J. K. Brown of Buffalo, and Mr. Peebles, occupied the same room that auspicious night. Retiring, full of frolic, he playfully, yet seriously, challenged the spirits to make him a visit. When all was still, the blinds of the house open, the moon shining brightly, and balmy sleep began to fold over the eyelids, suddenly they were all roused at the sound of three raps upon the door. "Come in!" said our "chosen apostle," Come in!" very respectful in tone of voice. But no one responded. "Come Then the door gently opened, and

in! loudly called our brother.

swung back to the wall. He looked up, gazed, scrutinizing through the wide aperture; but nobody appeared. Rap, rap, rap! on the floor, then on the walls. The boys exclaimed, "The spirits are

here!" Just then Mr. Peebles remembered his challenge; when a heavy hand struck him on his stomach, and a smart crack on his head. "Oh, that hurts hurts!" said our hero, in trepidation. The boys laughed, and encouraged an "evening entertainment." The moonlight itself seemed a saucy witness of Mr. Peebles's discomfiture. The clothes sprung off the bed, the bed itself rocked; and confusion generally ensued. "For Heaven's sake, Peebles," said Brown, "strike a light." Mustering courage, he sprung out; and, as he walked across the room, that same hand hit him solid on the back. The blow was overpowering; and, in alarm and pain, he shouted, "That hurts! Oh! Oh! I know you are spirits! I give it up! I will believe; but don't hurt me so!" Frightened, he scrambled into bed, pulling the sheet over his face, like a child at sight of a ghost. One of the boys entranced, a voice from the air said, "You dared us. Get your light we'll do you no harm. Mrs. Odell, listening joyfully in the hall below, exclaimed, "Good, Brother Peebles, good! they will convert you before morning!" Mr. Peebles inquired, "Why do you handle me thus roughly, if you be good spirits?" The intelligence replied, "To give you evidence of our power, and complete demonstration of conscious immortality, that you may walk no longer by faith, but by sight. You are appointed for a great work: gird up your loins, buckle on your sandals, grasp the sword of truth. Go forth!"

The impres

It was to him a genuine knock-down argument. sion made by that séance was deep and lasting, awakening in after years a heart-gratitude to the spirits controlling the Davenport circle, for the solid proof of their presence when he was in most need of angelic light.

Away from Eastern associations, dreamily sauntering along the frozen shore of the "Father of Waters," skimming now and then a pebble over the ice, like a mere child; then at night, after an undefined and undefinable business-attempt that was as awkward as his chopping enterprises in old Vermont, tossing and twisting upon his bed, asleep with one eye on bank-bills and the other on God! such were

our hero's experiences in Minnesota. He was nowhere, yet everywhere; thinking nothing, yet thinking every thing. "James M. Peebles, Banker and Real-Estate Dealer!" was his oft soliloquy; "Ha ha ha!-real-estate, litigation, speculation, money to 'swim in.' All my early ambition leaked out: well, well!" Poor

fellow he dreaded the sign-board strangely. At length, a calm came on, the calm that follows a swift shower, the time for an angel to unroll the panorama of his life. There it was, all in picture, -boyhood, school-days, romances, mistakes, prayers, deeds, ministries, friends so many, enemies too, the work scarcely begun ere it is blasted; oh, what lights and shades in that review! Then sinking into a half-revery, he questioned himself, questioned his ability, questioned his fidelity, questioned God, Christ, Bible, every thing, — questioned where he had been accustoned to pray with seeming faith; and, listen! the question was laden with a new, startling answer, that folded down upon him like a sun ray,—

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"Go and preach your highest convictions of truth and duty!"— Highest convictions," he repeated, "highest convictions!" There was a meaning here, never before so solemn and impressive. ." Have I stifled the truth?" he asked: "have I compromised truth, or shunned duty?" Go and preach your highest convictions!" was

the response.

Instantly his resolution was fixed. He would be henceforth independent, act the Parker, an agitator! 'Tis easier said than done. It is a great ways out of Egypt. A sect holding us by education, friendship, support, is as bewildering as a wilderness. Its darkness

is visible, when the soul pants for liberty. What are those cables over the fitful waterfalls? Gossamer threads! What the apprenticeship? Battle, agony, heart-ache! To sever ministerial ties; to turn oneself out of home; to be unsalaried; to be a lonely Elijah on the Sacred Mount; to be a Jesus tempted, betrayed, crucified; to face a frowning church, full of howling and scorn,—that is something to a minister once pampered and flattered. But he must pay this cost! He must traverse the gulf between liberal preaching and liberal practice, losing from his shoulders the respectable burden styled Christian. Toleration in the pulpit is debasingly intolerant out of the pulpit. He must be the exception among ministers to equipoise these antagonisms. By a delicate art, the spirits write upon the arms of some of their media electric letters of fire, speaking words of immortal love. Such must now be engraved upon his soul by an angel's pen.

"The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about; the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains: the earth with her bars was about me for ever; yet hast thou brought up my life from cor