The star of the north. (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, April 19, 1855, Image 1
THE STAR OF THE NORTE S. H . Hearer Proprietor.] VOLUME 7. THE STAR OF THE NORTH I* PUBLISHXI) XVIRT THURSDAY MORTFINO BT It. W. WEAVER, OFFICE— Up stairs, in Ike new brick build <*g, on Ike south side of Main Street, third square below Market. TERMS: —Two Dollars per annum, if paid within six months from the time of sub scribing ; two dollars and fifty cents if not paid within tbe year. No subscription re ceived for a less period than six months ; no discontinuance permitted nntil all arrearages are paid, unless at the option of the editor, j ADVERTISEMENTS not exceeding one square will be inserted three times for One Dollar and twenty five cents for each additional in sertion. A liberal discount will be made to those who advertise by the year. For the "Star of the North." SPIRITUAL MAGNETISM. BT B. XT. WEAVER. It is a great pity that every ecientifie in vestigation must be perverted by mounte bank* and chicanery to a base and ignoble purpose. But it ha* ever been so; and since the discovery of tbe magnetic needle was abused to serve superstition, quackery has ever followed at the heels of science. All truo philosophers feel how much there is still left (or them to lestn after they, have treasured up the fruits of all past ages; and only he who knows less than nothing thinks he knows all. Swedenborg was a true men tal philosopher—perhaps a little too enthu siastic, —but his modern imitators are Bar- Dumsoflhe "woolly horse" species. In no department of knowledge are we more deficient than in that where there was most to be learned— the science of the mind— There are a thousand mental phenomena that no mortal philosopher ctn explain, and every new eolution of mystery only shows . us more clearly bow much there is yet un explained. Some years sg6 two ecientifiic men (Messrs.Tbilorierand Lafontaine) con ducted a series of experiments io which they demonstrated that there exists in the human nerves an imponderable fluid which may be considered as intermediate between the elec tric and magnetic. Like the latter, the in terposition ol glass does not prevent its trans mission, and like the former, it may be felt at a distance through the medium of copper wire. Upon this fact instantly sprang up a ■core of theories and a swarm of lecturers. La Roy Sunderland called bis science of life Pathetism. Dr. Dod called hie science Bi ology. Another lectured on Psychology.— Some one else attended to the part imagina tion played in this jugglery, and went about feeding people brandy,water, wine rnd lem onade all out of the same glass with nothing at all in it. And still another of these attend ed to the clairvoyant department—took the spirit out of the flesh, and led it off on a journey of discovery. This latter teems to be the toughest business, and its operators sometimes run against very crooked custom ers. One English Professor, to test the skill of the clairvoyants, wrote out e line of Sbakespear end locked it in a box, offering a large sura of money to any clairvoyant who would read it there. It has not yet been taken. Since the world has become inter ested in the fate of Sir Joho Franklin many clairvoyants have told distinctly where be is, bat we may as well remark that no two agree in their report of him. But e new philosophy arose in the wake of all the old theories, and what I would prefer to call mental magnetism was per verted into the business and art of calling up | the spirits of tbe dead to rap out messages like an electric telegraph, or to lift about tables and make chairs dance. Perhaps I can furnish you nothing more interesting upon the subject than a brief account of the origen of spirit-rapping in ibis cobntry. In 1846 there lived in a small house in the town of Arcadia, New York, the family of Mr. Michael YYcekman. One evening he thought he beard a rapping on tbe outside door but upon opening it found no one there. Tbe rapping was soon after repeated, but upon opening the door instantly there was no one visible. Mr. Weekman said ha could fee! the jar of the door very plainly when the rapping was heard. It seems that Mr. Weekman soon after moved away from the house and nothing more was heard of the rapping or other manifestations, till it was occupied by the family of Mr. John D. Fox, who have since become so conspicuous with the advent of spirits. In March 1848 they for the first time heard tbe mysterious sounds which seemed to be like a slight knocking in one of the bedrooms on the floor. It was in the evening just after they had retired.— At that time the whole family occupied one room and all distinctly heard the rapping.— They arose and searched with a light but were unable to find the cause of the knock ing. It continued that night until they all fell asleep, which waa not until nearly or quite midnight. From this time the noise continued to be heard every night. After having been disturbed and broken of their rest for several nigbls, in a vain attempt to discover from whence the sounds proceed ed, they resolved one evening that this night they would not be disturbed by it whatever it might be. But Mr. Fox had not yet re tired when tbe usual signs commenced.— The girls who occupied another bed in the same room heard the sounds and endeavoied to imitate Ibera by enapping their fingers.— The attempt was made by the youngest girl, then about 12 years old. When she made the noise with ber fingers the sounds were re pealed just as she made them. When she stopped snapping her fingers the sounda stopped for a short time. One of tbe other girle then laid in spglt, (for they were get- BLOOMSBURG, COLUMBIA COUNTV, PA., THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1855. ting to be moie amused than alarmed,)— "Now do what I do. Coont ore, two, throe, foar, five. eix,&c." At the same lime striking one hand in the otfter. The same number of blows or sounds were repeated as in the former case. Mrs. Fox then said " count ten," and there were ten distinct strokes or sound*. She then said, " will you tell the age of Cathy," (one of ber children) and it was given by the same number of raps that J she was years ot age. In like manner the age of her diflereot children was told cor rectly by this unseen visiter. Mrs. Fox then asked if it was a human being that made the noise, to manifest it by making the same noise. There was no answer to this request. She then asked if it was n spirit; and if so to manifest it by making two distinct raps. Instantly she heard two raps as she desired. She (hen proceeded to inquire if it was an injured spirit, and if so, to answer in the same way, and the rapping was repeated.— In this way it answered her until she ascer tained that it purported to be the spirit of a man who wan murdered in that house by a person that had occupied it some years be fore—that he was a pedler—that he was murdered for his money and buried in (he cellar. To the question how old ho was, there were 31 distinct raps. By tho same means it was ascertained that he was a mar ried man and had left a wife and live chil dren—that bis wife had been dead two years. On the following Saturday they dug in the cellar for the body until they came to water and then gave it up. From that time on the daughters of Mr. Fox practised the evoca tion ol the dead, and improved very fast in their influence and control over the spirits. Chairs, tables and beds moved up and down, to and fro, or wera suspended at their bid ding by tho unseen power. At Auburn, N. Y., on one occasion sounds on the wall, bureau, table, floor and other places were heard as loud as the striking of a hammer. The table was moved about the room, and turned over and back. Two men in the company undertook to hold a chair down while at their request a spirit moved it, and notwithstandinglheyexertedalllheirstrength, the chair could not be held still by them—a proof that spirits are far more strong and powerful than men. On another occasion the sounds proper to a carpenter shop were heard, apparently proceeding from the wall and table. Sawing, plaining and pounding with a mallet were imitated to the life, say tbe spiritualists. But Austinburgh beats all this in its draft on our simple credulity. It appears f.om the history that a young woman's busbaud bad gone to Califoroia and was killed, as bia spirit write*, by " swallowiug an alliga tor." The widow was directed by the spirit of her mother to marry a pedlar. The spir its wrote out their directions, and these doc uments are sworn to and subscribed by two witnesses as the band writing of ike medi um. Tbe spirits were trying to bring Pa into the faith and directed the mediums to appear like idiots, talk sll that came in their minds, baptize each other and Pa too. This done, a large Japan server was filled by spir it direction with spools, thimbles, scissors, shells and other traps. A work-box was al so filled with spirit ammunition. At the stri king of the clock the spirit seized tbe medi um and forced her to throw the server and all its contents down the stairway, whioh echoing and reverberating like so many Chinese gongs, starts all to their feet. One enters the stairway and down comes a box of traps like Hail Columbia upon bis bead. He went up stairs—every thing in the room was in the wildest confusion. One young medium stood in wild affright at the physi cal demonstrations. The widow lay sprawl ing on the floor, the ghosts giving her fits.— Her hair disheveled, eyes rolling, mouth drooling, arms akimbo and limbs awry.— When the old man turned his back a brush, a shoe or something else was hurled at his head. It is needless to add that the widow was married to the pedlar. The following will give yon in idea of the character ol the communicalior.s rapped out by the spirits under the aspices of Miss Mar garetta Fox. The first is from a very pro found spirit who says—"Now lam ready my friends. There will be great changes in the nineteenth century. Things that look dark and mysterious to you will be laid plaiu before your sight. Mysteries are go ing to be revealed. The world will be en lightened. I sign my name Benjamin Frank lin." One of tbe communications from Sweden borg informs us that the pious Melencthon in the future state was sometimes in an ex cavated stone chamber and at other times in hell—that when in the chamber lie was oovered with bear skins to protect bim from the cold—and that he refuses to see visitors from this world on account of the fiithiness of his appartments. A female clairvoyant at Cleveland reports an interview with Tom Paine, who, she says, recants his errois and is at present stopping with Gener al Washington and Ethan Allen at a hotel kept by John Bunyan. In the New York Tribune Of February 28lh 1851 I find the prospectus of a journal to be published at Auburn ''lo be dictated by spirits out of the flesh, and by them edited, superintended and controlled. It* object (I quote from the paper) is the disclosure of truth from Heaven guiding mankind into open vision of paradise, and open communi cation with redeemed spirits. The circle of apostles and propbete are its condbotcs from the iaterior, holding control over its columns, and permitting noartiole to find place therein nnless originated, dictated or admitted by ' them. 1 have also eeen advertisements of Trail aid Right Gcfl aid ear Country. " A 6B3 , a^aBIDnaK2riI3CE)mCB3- spiritual letter paper and envelopes to en close the same for those who wish to avail themselves of an opportunity to write to their deceased friends in the other spheres. In the Spiritual Telegraph there are many advertisements where mediums propose to cure all diseases. One lady clairvoyant gives public notice that her charges for every examination of disease will be oue dollar, and where a personal examination oan not be had the subject sbail send a lock of hair and the charge will be three dollars. In the Shektnah and Spiritual Telegraph the organs of the most ultra of the new philoso phers I find the certificate of some people in Springfield Massachusetts who say that on one occasion the table around which they were seated was moved by an invisible and onkuown agency, with such irresistable force that no one in the circle oould hold it. Two men standing on opposite sides and grasping it at the same time, and in such a manner as to have the greatest possible ad vantage—could not, by the utmost exercise iof their powers, restrain its motion. In spite of their exertions the table was moved from ono to three feel. A medium inquired I if the spirits could disengage or relax the hold of a Mr. Foulds, whan suddenly—and tn a manner whally unaccountable—3lr. Foulds was seated on the floor at a distance of several feet from the table, having been moved so gently, and yet so instantaneously as scarcely to be conscious of the fact. It was proposed to further lest this invisible power, and accordingly five men whose united weight was 655 pounds stood on a ta ble (without castots) and while the men were on, it was repeatedly moved a distance of from four to eight inches. That would seem to have been quite a job for the spir its. In a neighboring county a Methodist cler gyman of intelligence, character and correct lite came to believe in the spirtual manifes tations, and concluded that the spirit of Dr. Fish called upon him to write a defence ol the new faith. He did so, and was indefi nitely suspended from the ministry for here sy. I have now shown you what the spit- I dualists claim. But these new philosophers liks other people have had their troubles. Mrs. Cul ver, a member of the Fox family has recan ted her new faith and published her version of what she formerly called '■' phenomena." As a part of the history of rappinge it is in teresting. Now as Mrs. Culver has never been chal lenged by the Foxes to prove the genuine noss of her toe-rapping it is somewhat diffi cult to arbitrate between these ladies. One case which has come to ray atten tion is to be explained in a different manner. A well dressed Professor of Spiritualism with a wise look and face full of hair was work ing wonders in a small village in New York. He called up scores of ghosts and made them tell the genealogical history of sll the old families in the place. The credulous were delighted and the skeptics staggered. The ghosts brought back old reminiscenses until the whole generations of the past were heard from; and names and dates were given with astonishing precision. The Professor was a lion and the village was all in agita tion. Finally it was discovered (for there are always impertinent and meddlesome people about) that the hostler at the hotel had a quarrel with the Professor and refused any longer to go out at night to copy inscrip tions from the tombstones; and very soon thereafter the Professor left the place in dis gust. Now some of these ghosts are spiritual in a double sense,and do not seem to have sha ken off all their bad habits of tha flesh. Lot me give you a case from the spiritual books, well authenticated. Kern bad engaged Habns servant lo stay with him. One night, as Kern lay in his bed. and this man was stand ing near the glass door in conversation with him, to his utter amazement, he beheld a jug of bear whioh stood on a table in the room, at some distance from him, slowly lif ted to a height of about three feet, and the contents poured into a glass that was stand ing there also, the latter was half full. The jug was then gently replaced and tbe glass lifted and emptied as by some one drinking, whilst John the servant exclaimed in terrified surprise, "Lord—it swallows!"— The glass was quietly replaced, and net a drop of beer waa to be found on the floor. After this, if your tea, sugar or brandy dis appears in a mysterious manuer yen will know where it has gone; snd if any thing is wrong in the household your servant is not to blame, for the spirits bave doubtless been paying you a visit and enjoying your hospi tality. Many persons may think that no such de- I have related have ever been heard of before" this modern spiritualism came in fashion. But auch are fur deficient in their education upon mental philosophy and the history of popular delusions. There is no novelty in this spiritualism, and its as sumed philosophy is very old. Homer tells us ol walking tripods in his day. That the Witch of*Eudor raised Samuel from the dead )on are all taught to bolieve from your early childhood. 1 have read the report of a trial for sorcery which took place in London about the close of the 17th century, in which twen ty or thirty witnesses (all admitted by tho court and the counsel on both sides to be en titled to credit) declared upon oath that they beheld certain prodigious occurrences which we find to be analagous, in all respects, to the phenomena of Modern Spiritualism.— Then we have the era of the Salem Witch craft ; and io all agaa lha oaparfliiious hare been awed by unaccountable mental phe nomena, and the credulous by arts of ma gic. At one' timo a sect arose amortg the Welsch called the Jumpers, who were affect ed by a magnetic epidemic, or mental illu sion. In France a similar sect arose called the Whippers, who sought religion by whip ping each other. They were sad and gloomy, and swelled to thousands. Multitudes of ibem—prießts and cardinals—were often seen in (he sheets with leathern thongs whip ping each others naked backs. In 1837 a eect of Dancers sprang up in Flanders. They would all at once fall to dancing in tbe most violent manner, and. when exhausted by thß exercise would fall down together in a trance, ha J visions, saw spirits, and would finally awake from the state. The sect was numerous,and Mosheirr. tells us tbey were cured by music. He traces them down to the present Shakers, who, it seems, have had writing and speaking medi ums for more than a century. In 1688 a sect of Convnlsionists appeared in France. Five or six hundred Protestants of both sexes re garded themselves inspired by the Holy Ghost. They in the main resembled the Jumpers. Their number swelled to thousands, and they were of all ages and sexes, but chiefly boys and girls and persons of middle age. They had strange fits, staggered and trampled, and fell down as in a trance. They struck them selves, fell on their backs and heaved their breasts. They remained awhile io trances and declared theysaw Heayen, Hell, Paradise and angels. They had violent agitations of the body, and the hills resounded with their cries for mercy and imprecations against the priests. The earlier Mormons were frequently at tended with twitching and convulsions, and in one of their meetings which i attended I saw the manifestations of minds that enthu siasm had prepared for any distorted impres sions. The believers in Millerism record eome phenomena as mysterious as any of the new philosophers have seen, and give us about equally good authority in proof, which we may accept if we please. At a meeting of the friends of Millerism held in Waltham in 1842, a lady was taken from her seat (they say) by some unseen power, and catried up to the ceiling of the room ; and she afterward declared that it waa dooe without anv effort on her part. Mora recently another lady of the same place testifies that she has in a sim ilar manner been taken from her seat in ohurch and carried up above the tops of the pews, and at times at the advent meetings strar.ge noises have been beard. Houses al so have been shaken, mirrors shattered to pieces and furniture broken. How much like this are tbe cases which the Harmonial Philosophers furnish. Take one by La Roy Sunderland, for be ia among the highest authority; A clarivoyaut medi um was taken to Cambridge for the purpose of visiting a gentleman (who bad been con fined by a spinal difficulty some ten years or more. Tbe spirits gave beautiful response* for his consolation, and in the sight of all present the sick his bed were mo- ved by spiritual bands alone. The tick man and the bed whereon he lay were both mo ved by alteuding rpirhs without any human power. Alter this (he story of Mahommed'e coffin can be believed. Now it will occur to ue all that if tbe spirits ot tbe dead are permitted to resist the earth it will be for a wise and benevolent purpose —for a design commensurate with the other providences ol the Creator which we wit ness and experience every day in the world of the beautiful and the good around us. If a sainted mother were allowed to return to the earthly home of her children it would be to hover over them and with her spirits wings to shield them from danger. If she could converse with them it would be in messages of the most tender love and kindest admoni tion. She would instil lessons of devotion and duly ; and wonld guide and gnard the •rringstep of youth, instead of breaking mir rors and making chairs dance. She would lead the mind upward to the contemplation of a higher and holier existence hereafter, in stead of suspending dumb matter in mid-air as an object of mystery, astonishment or ter ror. If death does not sunder the lie that here binds kindred minds in sweet communion, their converse from sphere to sphere will be such ssthat, when, in silence, soul answered soul through mortal eyes that beamed with a spirit, till each forgot the frailty of mankind and the hollowness of entth. If spirits can revisit those who were near and dear in the flesh it will not be only to gratify idle curi osity but to enlighten and instruct—to prepare the earthly being for fit companionship with tho beings ol a btghor and better exist ence. Some of the spirits we read of in the spir itual publications bave worked conviction on skeptics by such treatment as that at Auslin bnrg, and in other cases by pounding and blows. These must have been the spirits of the old inquisitors, and some of us van only regret that ttiey did not let us find them sub jects. The new philosophers prove lo us that the spirits exercise a great degree of muscular lorce ; and now it will occur strange to you, as it often has to me, that if they are good spirits this power should not be applied to somepractical good purpose—as, for instance, to stopping a lococomotive wher. it runs off tho track —arresting children when about to fall into' accident or mischief—restraining tbe hand of crime— or chastening the offen ders against divine and human laws The Only practical purpose to which I have ygl heard that the new power lias been applied is the cure of nervous diseases in ladies ; and after reading the case of Perkins' celebrated metallic tractors and some other instances of that kind, our faith may well be shaken ex cept so far is electro-magnetism has cured some cases of nervous disorder. But music and light bave also been effectually used in the core of diseases. I believe there was a Bank started at Chi cago under the auspices of the spirits, but as it suspended payment and its vaults had to be opened with crow-bars, of course those spirits were not genuine but "bogus," and the whole school must not be held responsi ble for the actQ of one bad schnlar. And let not Pennsylvanians be too vaih glorious ol their fame for wisdom, it ie sol emnly recorded that once upon a time an old woman was put upon her trial for sorcery in Philadelphia. Wm. Penn was the judge be fore whom the proceedings look place and he delivered a grave and learned charge to the jury, who reported that the friends of the old la.ly should go bail for her good behav ior Now the spiritual phenomena could not be designed lo convince manhood of a future state of existence, if reason and revelation —if the instinct shown by the untutored sav age when he prepares for his other hunting ground beyond tho stream of Time—if the design of rewards and punishments which is manifested in all nature, antl yet often not completed in this life—if all these are un heeded by any mind, aud pass by as the idle wind—that mind would not be convinced though one arose from the dead' Indeed it would do violence to the free moral respon sibility of man to force conviction against such stubbornness. But let us do justice to the honest investi gation of tnis and all other subjecte. It is too late in the worldV history to dress out any novel phenomenon with hoofs, horns and tail, and thereupon forbid any one to go near or look toward it. Thirty thousand pulpits and twenty thousand presses have waged a five years warfare against tho whole subject of spiritualism, and yet in that rime it his made one million of proselytes. The very existence of a counterfeit and hypocrisy im plies the preexistenoe of sincerity and reali ty. And so too do juglery and imposture im ply and demonstrate a preceding verity. If we investigate honestly there is no risk that we shall find anything supernatural or dan gerous—not a whit more en, at least, than electricity or some chemical phenomena were once believed lo be. Scientific re search will not show us any thing in the world of spirits, but only a little more of earth. Now it has been demonstrated that one person can, under certain ciroumatances, ex ert and maintain an undefined power over tho nerves, the motion, and over the percep tions and will of another. There oertainly is in the human organism an ocoult or la tent power entirely traneoending the bounds of every-day experience. Medical books of observation written centuries ago record euob phenomena as those of modern Clarivoyance and Magnetism, and equally without the do- main of vulgar probability. That sick par sons, especially when near death, have often exhibited a condition termed coma, trance, or catalepsy; wherein tbe soul would seem to bsve shaken off its carnal fetters, and ta ken-cognizanon of whatever attracted its re gard, in absolute defiance of physical imped iments is as well established as any fact of unusual occurrence. There are'many mental phenomena in the oases of persons mortally diseased, keenly suffering or partially insane which no philoso pher has yelexpluined,and yet which we must admilexisf. And these should admonish usnol to deny anything because we cannot under stand it at once. Electricity is guilty of many unaccountable pranks, and the manner in which our impressions of external objects are carried over our nerves to tbe mind is very poorly understood. And yet, because some strange things are real, it by no means fol lows that we must admit every claim under the mysterious. The adventurers who call up the spirita of Washingtoh and Franklin to beat a tat-too on the table or teach the chairs a gig for a dol lar from each of the audience, are not such philosophers as nature generally aelects for her ministers. From these you will learn nothing to make you wiser or better. But table rapping and the evocation of spirits is not the substance of the new philosophy, and so far as these go you will agree with me that we might dismiss the subject. But there are conditions of the human mind that deserve our attention. There are lime9when it builds a world of spirits within itself.— Then again memory unites with the organs or nerves of sight, and the past stands a re ality before us tor a lime. Hope and imagi nation join with the nerves of sight and the world of tho luture is opened to our vision until flesh and blood dispel the reverie. Im pulse and energy then often aid to realize the picture of the day dream. Nicolai, a Prussian bookseller and a gen tleman of intelligence, was want to amuse himself by watching the phantoms that arose before his vision when the action of his brain became disordered. Sometimes he could scarcely distinguish them from reality, for they blended with the company into which he entered in the most amazing and natural manner. They appeared to him as distinct ly as if they were olive, exhibiting different shades of flesh color in the uncovered parts and a great variety in the colors and fashions of their dresses. He also imagined he heard their voices when (hey seemed to be talking to each other. He never pretended there was any thing supernatural in the phenome na but well knew that his iriiagination was only taking a free sweep unrestrained by the guide of his judgment and comparison.— When he wi>bed to dispel the strange visi tors he simply used the means to restore the brain to a healthy stale. But Blake, the painter, seems, according to Cunningham's memoirs of him, to have possessed the pow er ofcallingup such phantasms at will, though still they sometimes so mastered his judg ment that he confounded them with realities. He was in the habit of conversing with an gels, demons and heroes, snd taking their likenesses, for at his request they in general eat very patiently until he had transferred them to paper. Yet no person ever saw any thing supernatural in this. Andrew Jackson Davis who is the head and front of Spiritual ism, and has given it all the character It has, confesses that he wrote hisfirsl and best book as a Mesmerist and not as a Spiritual medi um. By examination we will also find thftt all the pretended communications from the sphere of spirits partake of the character of the mediums mind, and not ol that mind from which it is pretended they come. This ■ lone should be enough to explode all claims to lite pretension of the spiritual or supernal" oral. tu But there are connections between minds that have never been defined by human ken. There are instances where one mind reads the thoughts of another before the words are spoken, just as if each was a part of the oth er. When soul answers soul as by a mag netic thrill —when passion and sentiment are inspired as if by magic—when mind moves its fellow as if bound by a chain— or when will communicates to mind as by an electric touch —the natural phenomenon seems won drous strange lo us. And yet we see those things in such a way that though unaccount able they are common occurrences. Wesee them so often that by familiarity We cease to feci the wonder and mystery there is in them. There is nothing supernafurat in one mind becoming the type of another. The skeptic can see a common illustration of it if he will watch the power of trne affection —filial, fraternal or one closer yet. He can find cases where one mind moves the other as by a magic thrill—where the thought ie read belore it is uttered—where the same thought, in fact, inspires two minds until the very fsCes seem to grow mors like—aye knit in kindred sympathy until even green eyed efivy shrinks back appalled at the holi nesupf the mystio charm, and only infamy would loose the tie. Or go see eloquence inspire tbe throng; and when the fire flashes from the soul-lit eye and bnrne oonviction on the unwilling mind confess the mystery that moves the will. It is not tbe smooth utteranee of hon ied words in measured phrase and tone that can calm the turbulent assemblage, or make stout-hearted men weep like children, but there is a will—a soul—an earnestness—a magic power behind the doll, cold words and voice. Or watch the seductive influence of evil, leading the honest and too simple heatt first [Two Dollars per Annua NUMBER 13. by a little word, then a lew hint—bin lead ing it moat without a word or hint, by what, in common parlance, we call the "air," but wt.at in reality is the strange myrtieriou* sympathy of mind? Watch ho* the dark poison drop by drop works its way into the deepest and holiest recesses of the heart, and so tringes, colors, and finally blacken* and corrupts the purest soul until heaven can no more_find its own. Tne victim sees not how the path of the new seductive prompter de viates from rectitude; lor the variance is so small and gradual that the charmer seems not materially wrong, and so follows on, straying little by little only, until the foible ripens into crime, and at once the gulf of shame and sin yawus ben3alh the frightful precipice. The spirit of remorso io iho mind of evil is I more powerful and fearful than that which makes strange noises and moves dutnb mat ter. The phantoms that visit the short sleep of crime—that come unbidden to 4jMract and torture by their chiding and reproof— the vision of sin that cannot be dispelled— the scheme of evil that cnmes back again and again, and will not be bid to go—until very rest and sleep are tearlul and dreaded things—these spirits are stronger and more real than any you can voluntarily call from the grave. If yon study aright the bunk of life, yoa can find many cases more like spirituralism than those the rappers furnish you. If you will watch a poor child of adversity and sor row, struggling rind toiling against an inexo rable fate to which mayhap his tied like the convict ol old to a body of death—suffering in sadness and Bilence—friendless and hope less, so far as human ken can see—no faint ray of earthly hope ever dawning into the lite-long night of grief—and yet amid alt this, patient resigned and strong under the sweet and holy consciousness of rectitude elate and cheeiful under the cousolation of the better spirit that whispers comfort from another sphere—happy in the companion ship of the guardian angel whom ihe world of guile has never seen, except lainily per haps in Ihe bright beaming eye and sweet smile of the pale, patient Christian. If the popular doctrine of a higher state of existence be correct that sphere is one where there shall be exalted sensativenesa and intelligence, and there is nothing unna tural in the supposition that the purest and beat minds ort earth in their transition state approximate a little toward their future con dition. Health ie the natural gift of correct physical deportment. Contentment and cheerfulness are the rewards of a proper and prudent government of our passions and de sires. Wisdom comes to him who woos her with diligence, devotion and self-denial.— And when all these unjte in one person wo not look for some endowment and an or ganization that shall coein exalted to the narrowed mind of infirmity and guile? I In a view like this there can be no tenden cy to evil. The faith that teaches us we shall beoome wiser and happier as we de velops the better part of our nature—that would wean us from trifles, and tnrn oar minds to higher aud holler things and thought is worthy of our study. And when the brilliancy of reason's sun ; set yields to the advancing gloom there is an indescribable beauty haunting the old man still, if in youth and vigor his soul was truth ful. And even when the chill of night is upon him, his eye seems lo res' upon the glories for a while departed, or ijoks off into the star* and reads in them bis destiny with a gladness as quiet and as holy as their light. | When bis little day is folded op in shadows, the darkness must bo deep indeed whioh dees not reveal eternity by the rays of light ttfcSt reach him from afar. But the soul that can rise above the clouds of earth, can al ways behold the infinity of Heaven, and per haps evety rightly taught man, before God takes him, ascends to a Pisgah of hiaown, | from Whence to look farewell to the wilder ness he has passed, and lo catch a gtinups of | tba promised land lying in tbe everlasting orient before bim. • HOME —Let no man ever think of a happi ness distinct fronfthat of home. The gay est must have their sick and solitary hours. The busiest must often relax their labor, and there must be some retreat for them, where they may seek refreshment for their ceres, and collect the spirits that disappointments so often depress. They who live most fof the poblfc still live for the public but a small part, and they are apt to find the public ser vice a burthen, which gentler incitemenl than that of strong ambition'roust furnish the strength to support. Rise from the table with art appetite, and you will not be in danger of sitting down without one. Anger may continue with you for an hour, but it ought not to repose With you for a night; Every second of lime throughout the busy hours of the day, and during the silence of night, an immortal aoul is passing from tima into eternity. HIGH PRICES.— At a publio sale IO Chester county, last Saturday, potatoes brought SI 75 per bushel, and wheat 12 30. He who would have his business wall done must either do it himself or saw it dons. He who finds a thing and does not restor# it steals it.