The sketches certainly did show a
high and fine expressiveness, if examined in a trustful mood. Dr. ------
also spoke of Mr. Harris, the American poet of spiritualism, as being the
best poet of the day; and he produced his works in several volumes, and
showed me songs, and paragraphs of longer poems, in support of his
opinion. They seemed to me to have a certain light and splendor, but not
to possess much power, either passionate or intellectual. Mr. Harris is
the medium of deceased poets, Milton and Lord Byron among the rest; and
Dr. ------ said that Lady Byron--who is a devoted admirer of her husband,
in spite of their conjugal troubles--pronounced some of these posthumous
strains to be worthy of his living genius. Then the Doctor spoke of
various strange experiences which he himself has had in these spiritual
matters; for he has witnessed the miraculous performances of Home, the
American medium, and he has seen with his own eyes, and felt with his own
touch, those ghostly hands and arms the reality of which has been
certified to me by other beholders. Dr. ------ tells me that they are
cold, and that it is a somewhat awful matter to see and feel them.
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