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{{Style P-HPB SB. Title continued|Another Eminent Convert|2-8}} | {{Style P-HPB SB. Title continued|Another Eminent Convert|2-8}} | ||
seemed to How in waves, ''tidelike'', and reaching their maximum came to a dead calm. Tippings, weak and hardly perceptible at first, audible only to Home and the initiated ones, became fully defined. Those raps seemed deafened, as if coming from a low, hollow place, but nevertheless, produced undoubtedly from certain places on the table and walls, the floor, and from under our feet. Once, as the table very strongly and in succession reclined on each of the four sides, every one of its motions was accompanied by a very loud, sharp rap, just as if someone had struck it with all his power with the fist from underneath, and right in the centre. Each time these successive raps took place, one of our circle, who had been investigating Spiritualism constantly, inquired, if the spirits wanted the alphabet; in answer to which we heard three raps, and the Spiritualist began to call the French alphabet slowly and systematically. Sometimes a letter would be indicated by a rap, and then it was put down on paper; but no word was formed at all. I confess here that this process of conversing with a table impressed me with a very disagreeable feeling; I had before that heard of suchlike, mysterious, childish communications with spirits, and I felt ashamed to find myself participating in some degree, in such a superstitious manoeuvre as that. I was glad that it resulted in a failure, but at the same time, I could not help thinking that it ''might'' have proved successful, and that in consequence of some extraordinary combination, the letters that had been pointed out ''might'' have formed some word to the intense pleasure of the Spiritualists present. | {{Style P-No indent|seemed to How in waves, ''tidelike'', and reaching their maximum came to a dead calm. Tippings, weak and hardly perceptible at first, audible only to Home and the initiated ones, became fully defined. Those raps seemed deafened, as if coming from a low, hollow place, but nevertheless, produced undoubtedly from certain places on the table and walls, the floor, and from under our feet. Once, as the table very strongly and in succession reclined on each of the four sides, every one of its motions was accompanied by a very loud, sharp rap, just as if someone had struck it with all his power with the fist from underneath, and right in the centre. Each time these successive raps took place, one of our circle, who had been investigating Spiritualism constantly, inquired, if the spirits wanted the alphabet; in answer to which we heard three raps, and the Spiritualist began to call the French alphabet slowly and systematically. Sometimes a letter would be indicated by a rap, and then it was put down on paper; but no word was formed at all. I confess here that this process of conversing with a table impressed me with a very disagreeable feeling; I had before that heard of suchlike, mysterious, childish communications with spirits, and I felt ashamed to find myself participating in some degree, in such a superstitious manoeuvre as that. I was glad that it resulted in a failure, but at the same time, I could not help thinking that it ''might'' have proved successful, and that in consequence of some extraordinary combination, the letters that had been pointed out ''might'' have formed some word to the intense pleasure of the Spiritualists present.}} | ||
Soon after this unsuccessful table-talking, the cloth on the spot nearest to Home, began to stretch out as if some one were pulling it down. After that, between Home’s left hand and mine, but nearer to me, there appeared in the cloth a slight swelling, a sort of protuberance, that commenced moving about from one spot to another ; I rapidly covered it with my hand, and the protuberance disappeared. It appeared very soon again, nearly in the same spot, still nearer to me, and this time the shape of it was more clearly defined. It looked like a doubled fist or a folded-up hand. I grasped it again with my own hand, and it disappeared again as rapidly as before. Home then took the accordeon off the table lowered it with the keys down, and held it under the table, pressing it to the under side, near to where the general sat. The instrument began to move, swinging itself powerfully from side to side. A moment after Home removed his hand from it, and the accordeon remained suspended in space, as if it laid upon the air. | Soon after this unsuccessful table-talking, the cloth on the spot nearest to Home, began to stretch out as if some one were pulling it down. After that, between Home’s left hand and mine, but nearer to me, there appeared in the cloth a slight swelling, a sort of protuberance, that commenced moving about from one spot to another ; I rapidly covered it with my hand, and the protuberance disappeared. It appeared very soon again, nearly in the same spot, still nearer to me, and this time the shape of it was more clearly defined. It looked like a doubled fist or a folded-up hand. I grasped it again with my own hand, and it disappeared again as rapidly as before. Home then took the accordeon off the table lowered it with the keys down, and held it under the table, pressing it to the under side, near to where the general sat. The instrument began to move, swinging itself powerfully from side to side. A moment after Home removed his hand from it, and the accordeon remained suspended in space, as if it laid upon the air. | ||