seems, then, that Dr. Rush with all his wisdom and skill could not
save Thomas."

"No; he said it was too late for any power of earth or heaven to cure
him."

"But he was very confident he could cure him?"

"Perhaps he spoke with more confidence than he really felt, in order to
encourage us and lead us to exert ourselves."

"Do I understand you? Do you mean to say that perhaps the spirit
doctors, like the fleshly ones, in order to encourage the friends of the
sick, will depart a little from the truth?"

"Not exactly that. Rather this: we do not consider it a departure from
the truth."

"I am of a different opinion. In earth, or elsewhere, I call such a
course as you intimate a species of white lying--quite common on earth,
but which, till now, I did not suppose had found its way to the confines
of the world spiritual."

The conversation ended here, and was not afterward resumed. I have,
indeed, witnessed a good deal of spiritual doctoring since that time,
but it was of a somewhat different character from the foregoing.

For example: I saw a family in the interior of Massachusetts, whose
faith in spiritualism and spirit doctrine was perfect. The mistress of
the house was the patient. The physician a young man who had been a
mechanic, but who had very recently become convinced that it was his
duty to attend the sick,--not to do anything for them, on his own
responsibility, but only to suffer an old Indian physician to operate
through him as a medium.

The chief thing which Dr. H. did, so far as I observed, was to lay his
hands on her, and sit for some time in that position. I am not sure
that he did not prescribe a few very simple things, from time to time,
such as a little weak tea, or the infusion of some domestic herb, from
the garden. He was counted, everywhere (for his circuit was a large
one), very successful; for his patients generally recovered. Their
recovery, it is true, was often very slow.

CHAPTER LXXXI.

REMARKABLE CURE OF EPILEPSY.

When I was a lad, a man was employed by my father on his farm, who used
occasionally to fall down in convulsions, lie for some time, not
entirely still, but foaming at the mouth and agitated or rocked to and
fro, as if in great distress; and yet, as I afterward learned,
senseless. These attacks, they told me, were _falling sickness_ fits.
The man was weak in mind, and not vigorous in body, though, by diligence
and perseverence, he could accomplish somethi