697. I must close. I did not expect an answer, but was glad to hear from you, and if you make any important discovery, I should be glad to hear from you again; I am not settled in my mind respecting the cause of these strange phenomena. I agree with you heartily in your last remark in your letter, that “it would indeed be a glorious mercy if God would give us some evidence which should settle the religious opinions of mankind.” Yours, very respectfully, AMASA HOLCOMB. _In reply to the preceding, so much of a letter from the Author as relates to Spiritualism._ PHILADELPHIA, February 8, 1854. 698. You believe fully that tables move without contact, because you have _seen them move_; I am skeptical, because I have never seen them move without human contact, although I have been at several circles. 699. You have been much more lucky than I have been as to the manifestations, whether mechanical or mental. 700. I shall lose no opportunity of making further observations. I have no clue to find Gordon. You ought to give me his address, and communicate all you know respecting him. ROBT. HARE. SOUTHWICK, February 20, 1854. 701. _Dear Sir_: Your letter of February 8th is before me. You did not say whether you believed in the soul’s immortality or not! This is the most important of all questions to me, and how is it to be settled? If the Bible is not to be depended upon, and we have no communications from the spirit world, what evidence have we of our immortality? I have been greatly afflicted with doubts upon this subject. It has exceeded all other afflictions that I have met with. You will of course see at once how desirous I am that these apparent communications should prove to be in _reality_ from the spirit world, as that would settle the question. I seize upon every thing that seems to have a bearing upon the question of immortality, and I confess that I have strong hopes that Spiritualism, as it is termed, will settle this question. If it be true that there is physical force and intelligence, neither of which proceed from the medium, how is it to be explained? You doubt these two, but I am as well assured of them as I can be of any thing. 702. If spirits communicate, it is certain that some of them deceive. It would appear that there are all sorts of characters, the same as there are in this world. If you should become satisfied of the two facts that I mentioned, I should like to have you and other men of science try your skill at explanation.