o
congratulate me on public affairs (knowing how keenly I felt about
them), but her letter dwelt at length upon spiritualism. She had heard,
she said, for the fifth time from her boy (the one who was drowned in
that awful manner through carrying out a college jest) without any
seeking on her part. She gave me a minute account of a late
manifestation, not seeming to have a doubt in respect to the verity and
identity of the spirit. In fact, secret things were told, reference to
private papers made, the evidence was considered most satisfying. And
she says that all of the communications descriptive of the _state_ of
that Spirit, though coming from very different mediums (some high
Calvinists and others low infidels) tallied exactly. She spoke very
calmly about it, with no dogmatism, but with the strongest disposition
to receive the facts of the subject with all their bearings, and at
whatever loss of orthodoxy or sacrifice of reputation for common sense.
I have a high appreciation of her power of forming opinions, let me add
to this. It is one of the most vital and growing minds I ever knew.
Besides the inventive, the critical and analytical faculties are strong
with her. How many women do you know who are _religious_, and yet
analyse point by point what they believe in? She lives in the midst of
the traditional churches, and is full of reverence by nature; and yet if
you knew how fearlessly that woman has torn up the old cerements and
taken note of what is a dead letter within, yet preserved her faith in
essential spiritual truth, you would feel more admiration for her than
even for writing 'Uncle Tom.' There are quantities of irreverent women
and men who profess infidelity. But this is a woman of another order,
observe, devout yet brave in the outlook for truth, and considering, not
whether a thing be _sound_, but whether it be true. Her views are
Swedenborgian on some points, beyond him where he departs from orthodoxy
on one or two points, adhering to the orthodox creed on certain others.
She used to come to me last winter and open out to me very freely, and I
was much interested in the character of her intellect. Dr. Manning
tried his converting power on her. 'It might have answered,' she said,
'if one side of her mind had not confuted what the other side was
receptive of.' In fact, she caught at all the beauty and truth and good
of the Roman Catholic symbolism, saw what was better in it than
Protestantism, and also, ju