The Missing Link in Modern SpiritualismUnderhill, A. Leah (Ann Leah)
Religion
The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism
Underhill, A. Leah (Ann Leah)
Fox family; Spiritualism
He thought I had done my duty faithfully, and that it was time for me to
retire from public séances. The announcement fell like a thunderbolt
upon nearly all of my investigators. Many argued that it was a duty I
owed to the public, and to my God, to continue to labor in the cause of
Spiritualism; that I had been chosen, by higher authorities, to do
a work that rested on me and my family. Some of my friends thought
differently, and as they knew the man who had so generously acquitted me
of all blame or suspicion, and who so nobly sustained me through the
difficulties with which I was destined to contend, my true friends
congratulated me and rejoiced at my good fortune.
ANOTHER STATEMENT FROM D. UNDERHILL.
"SUNDAY NIGHT, August 1, 1859.
"We retired about eleven o'clock. I had locked the door opening from the
hall into the front room, also the door leading from the same hall into
the bath-room. The door leading from the hall to the bed-room was locked
on the inside by Leah; but after retiring she was in doubt as to whether
she had locked it; whereupon I arose and went to the door, tried the
lock, and found it fast. I then returned to bed. In a few moments we
were startled by the springing of the bolt of the lock of that door.
Leah exclaimed, 'What's that?' I replied, 'It's nothing but the
springing of the bolt of the lock;' supposing that when I turned the
knob the bolt had failed to spring into its proper place. 'No,' she
said, 'it is something more than that.' Very soon we heard sounds, as if
Spirits were on their knees on the floor patting the carpet with their
hands. I commenced asking questions, and received responses by the same
sounds.
"It was soon evident that one or more Spirits were around our bed. My
questions were answered by a hand patting me on the head. Soon something
was passed over our faces, just touching us, after which lights appeared
over us. They passed to my side of the bed, and a cloth was placed upon
my right shoulder and pressed heavily--at times as with two hands; also
on the arm. When the pressure left my arm the light again appeared on or
over us, waving about us, as if to gather force from the atmosphere.
During all this time hands were distinctly visible holding the cloth
with a bright phosphorescent light upon it. Then the sheet with which I
was covered was drawn down and the cloth was placed upon my stomach and
chest. On feeling it with my hands, I found it was a coarse towel.
Repeated pressures were made in this way for some time, after which
there was an alarm of fire in the neighborhood. I dressed myself, and
went out, returning in about half an hour. On my return I again locked
the door and extinguished the light, and went to bed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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