s time springing up
throughout the Eastern States. On one occasion, we are told, the spirits
communicated through him the whereabouts of missing title deeds to a
tract of land then in litigation; on another, they enabled him to
prescribe successfully for an invalid for whom no hope was entertained;
and time after time they conveyed to those in his seance room messages
of more or less vital import, besides vouchsafing to them "physical"
phenomena of the greatest variety.

What was most remarkable was the fact that the young medium steadfastly
refused to accept payment for his services. "My gift," he would solemnly
say, "is free to all, without money and without price. I have a mission
to fulfil, and to its fulfilment I will cheerfully give my life."
Naturally this attitude of itself made for converts to the spiritistic
beliefs of which he was such a successful exponent, and its influence
was powerfully reinforced by the result of an investigation conducted in
the spring of 1852 by a committee headed by the poet, William Cullen
Bryant, and the Harvard professor, David G. Wells. Briefly, these
declared in their report that they had attended a seance with Home in a
well lighted room, had seen a table move in every direction and with
great force, "when we could not perceive any cause of motion," and even
"rise clear of the floor and float in the atmosphere for several
seconds"; had in vain tried to inhibit its action by sitting on it; had
occasionally been made "conscious of the occurrence of a powerful shock,
which produced a vibratory motion of the floor of the apartment in which
we were seated"; and finally were absolutely certain that they had not
been "imposed upon or deceived."

The report, to be sure, did not specify what, if any, means had been
taken to guard against fraud, its only reference in this connection
being a statement that "Mr. D. D. Home frequently urged us to hold his
hands and feet." But it none the less created a tremendous sensation,
public attention being focused on the fact that an awkward, callow,
country lad had successfully sustained the scrutiny of men of learning,
intelligence, and high repute. No longer, it would seem, could there be
doubt of the validity of his claims, and greater demands than ever were
made on him. As before, he willingly responded, adding to his
repertoire, if the term be permissible, new feats of the most startling
character. Thus, at a seance in New York a table on which