of Miss Goodrich, a lady who has made several scores of
experiments of her own in crystal-reading, always taking notes
immediately. She tried the back of a watch, a glass of water, a mirror,
and other reflecting surfaces, before arriving at the conclusion that
polished rock crystal affords the best speculum for divination.

Having reached this point, the lady draped her selected crystal in
black, set it where no surrounding objects could be reflected in it, and
sought it when in search of light and leading. Sometimes her
consultations were very practical. Thus, one finds among her notes:

'I had carelessly destroyed a letter without preserving the address of
my correspondent. I knew the county, and searching a map, recognised the
name of the town, one unfamiliar to me, but which I was sure I should
know when I saw it. But I had no clue to the name of the house or
street, till at last it struck me to test the value of the crystal as a
means of recalling forgotten knowledge. A very short inspection supplied
me with "Hibbs House," in gray letters on a white ground, and having
nothing better to suggest from any other source, I risked posting my
letter to the address so strangely supplied. A day or two brought an
answer headed "Hibbs House" in gray letters on a white ground.'

Let us take an example of another of Miss Goodrich's crystal-readings,
and let it be remembered that they are all reported as experiments of
our own day:

'One of my earliest experiences was of a picture, perplexing and wholly
unexpected--a quaint oak chair, an old hand, a worn black coat-sleeve
resting on the arm of the chair--slowly recognised as a recollection of
a room in a country vicarage which I had not entered, and but seldom
recalled, since I was a child of ten. But whence came this vision? What
association has conjured up this picture? What have I done to-day? At
length the clue is found. I have to-day been reading Dante, first
enjoyed with the help of our dear old vicar many a year ago.'

And again: 'I happened to want the date of Ptolemy Philadelphus, which I
could not recall, though feeling sure that I knew it, and that I
associated it with some event of importance. When looking in the
crystal, some hours later, I found a picture of an old man, with long,
white hair and beard, dressed like a Lyceum Shylock, and busy writing in
a large book with tarnished massive clasps. I wondered much who he was,
and what he could possibly be doing,