there is a filmy, gauzy mass which
rises fold on fold like a fountain, and then, when it is about a foot
and a-half high, out of it rises a Spirit to her full height, and either
swiftly glides to greet a loved one in the circle, or as swiftly retires
to the Cabinet. It is really beautiful, and its charm is not diminished
by a knowledge of the simplicity of the process, which, as I have sat
more than once when the Cabinet was almost in profile, I soon detected.
The room is very dark, the outline of the black muslin Cabinet can only
with difficulty be distinguished even to one sitting within six feet of
it; a fold of black cloth, perhaps five feet long and four feet wide, is
thrown from the Cabinet forward into the room, one end is held within
the Cabinet at about two or three feet above the floor, and from under
the extreme opposite edge, where it rests on the floor, some white tulle
is slowly protruded, a very little at first, but gradually more and more
is thrust out, until there is enough there to permit the Spirit, who has
crept out from the Cabinet under the black cloth and has been busy
pushing out the white tulle, to get her head and shoulders well within
the mass, when she rises swiftly and gracefully, and the dark cloth is
drawn back into the Cabinet. I always want to applaud it; it is
charming.

On one occasion, a Spirit tried this pretty mode of materialization, not
directly in front of the Cabinet, but at the side quite close to where I
sat. The Cabinet was merely a frame to which were attached black muslin
or cloth curtains, and a Spirit can emerge at the side quite as
conveniently as in front. Unfortunately this time, through some
heedlessness, the Spirit did not creep out of the frame-work with
sufficient care, and some portion of her garments must have caught when
she was only on her knees. I never shall forget the half-comic,
half-appealing, feminine glance as her eyes looked up into mine, when
she was only partially materialized and some plaguey nail had caught her
angel robe. It was very hard not to spring to her assistance; but such
gallantry would have been excessively ill-timed, so I was forced to sit
still while the poor _animula, vagula, blandula_, worked herself free
and arose unfettered by my side.

Perhaps this is as fitting a place as any to mention the test whereby I
have tried the Spirits who have come to me.

As this same lovely Spirit arose and looked graciously down on me and
held out