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Among the latter are the Eddy Brothers, young men who are as well known in America as were the Davenports in England. After travelling in the principal cities, where they met with the usual bad treatment to which most mediums are subjected, they retired from the excitement of the life they were leading, and settled down as small farmers at Chittenden, in the State of Vermont, where, however, they soon attracted attention from their neighbours, who had witnessed things in open day too extraordinary to pass unnoticed. Public curiosity was awakened ; the brothers soon found they could not continue their quiet farming pursuits, and they were perforce obliged to yield to the overwhelming pressure put upon them by their spirit guides. Their small homestead, with no accommodation for visitors, has become crowded by strangers from distant parts of the country, who are there witnessing phenomena far more extraordinary than have yet been heard of in any country.
Among the latter are the Eddy Brothers, young men who are as well known in America as were the Davenports in England. After travelling in the principal cities, where they met with the usual bad treatment to which most mediums are subjected, they retired from the excitement of the life they were leading, and settled down as small farmers at Chittenden, in the State of Vermont, where, however, they soon attracted attention from their neighbours, who had witnessed things in open day too extraordinary to pass unnoticed. Public curiosity was awakened ; the brothers soon found they could not continue their quiet farming pursuits, and they were perforce obliged to yield to the overwhelming pressure put upon them by their spirit guides. Their small homestead, with no accommodation for visitors, has become crowded by strangers from distant parts of the country, who are there witnessing phenomena far more extraordinary than have yet been heard of in any country.


Colonel Hy. S. Olcott, of New York, whose name is not known to me in connection with Spiritualism, but who, I am told, is a man of high character, possessing considerable literary ability and great influence with the press of his own country, has recently been induced to examine Spiritualism in its phenomenal aspect, and especially that which is obtained by the Eddy family ; after weeks of patient investigation at Chittenden he is convinced of the genuineness of the spirit forms which are there presented, and for some time past he has contributed a series of articles to the New York daily ''Graphic'', giving “a narrative of spiritual things seen, heard, and felt at the Eddy homestead in Vermont ;” the Graphic has given whole pages to this account, and has illustrated it with many woodcuts. It appears that Colonel Olcott met at Chittenden a highly intelligent Russian lady, the Countess Helen P. de Blavatsky, who showed to him various credentials of her social positions, including letters from Prince Wittgenstein. “This lady,” he says, “has led a most eventful life, travelling in the most of the lands of the Orient, searching for antiquities at the base of the pyramids, and pushing, with armed escort, far into the interior of Africa.” The Countess’ presence at several of the Eddy séances led to most surprising manifestations, including the appearance of several spirits of persons known to her in foreign {{Style S-HPB SB. HPB underlined|countries}}.<ref>{{Style S-HPB SB. HPB note|Yes; for I have called them out {{#tag:span|<span style="text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-style:double">myself</span>}}. H.P.B.}}</ref>
Colonel Hy. S. Olcott, of New York, whose name is not known to me in connection with Spiritualism, but who, I am told, is a man of high character, possessing considerable literary ability and great influence with the press of his own country, has recently been induced to examine Spiritualism in its phenomenal aspect, and especially that which is obtained by the Eddy family ; after weeks of patient investigation at Chittenden he is convinced of the genuineness of the spirit forms which are there presented, and for some time past he has contributed a series of articles to the New York daily ''Graphic'', giving “a narrative of spiritual things seen, heard, and felt at the Eddy homestead in Vermont ;” the Graphic has given whole pages to this account, and has illustrated it with many woodcuts. It appears that Colonel Olcott met at Chittenden a highly intelligent Russian lady, the Countess Helen P. de Blavatsky, who showed to him various credentials of her social positions, including letters from Prince Wittgenstein. “This lady,” he says, “has led a most eventful life, travelling in the most of the lands of the Orient, searching for antiquities at the base of the pyramids, and pushing, with armed escort, far into the interior of Africa.” The Countess’ presence at several of the Eddy séances led to most surprising manifestations, including the appearance of several spirits of persons known to her in foreign {{Style S-HPB SB. HPB underlined|countries}}.<ref>{{Style S-HPB SB. HPB note|Yes; for I have called them out {{Style S-Double underline|myself}}. H.P.B.}}</ref>


Colonel Olcott takes great pains to meet all scepticism, and after he had satisfied himself of this lady’s status, and her knowledge of foreign languages, and the impossibility of her being capable of entering into vulgar conspiracy to deceive him, he proceeds to give a narrative of what occurred at their first ''seance'' together :—
Colonel Olcott takes great pains to meet all scepticism, and after he had satisfied himself of this lady’s status, and her knowledge of foreign languages, and the impossibility of her being capable of entering into vulgar conspiracy to deceive him, he proceeds to give a narrative of what occurred at their first ''seance'' together :—
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