SD1822. Journal Entry of Elizabeth Clementine Kinney
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 21, 374 (in part).
[Florence]
Thursday May 17th. [1855]
Yesterday received another letter—one of four sheets—from Mr Jarves. He gave me some literary news, about his “Art Hints,” now in press, & of the savants of London; but most of the letter was filled with his hobby-humbug, “spiritualism,” & Hume’s doings among the wonder-eyed English nobility. Mr Browning came in, & we read the whole together: he perfectly agrees with me in attributing all these unaccountable marvels to any thing but the agency of disembodied spirits; or, I should say, spirits, for those which are said to appear have bodies & such as may be seen by the natural eye, unless Mr Jarves’ sight deceives him. He says that on requesting a view of the spirit communicating with him thro’ Hume, he & the friend with him, immediately saw the head & shoulders of a form, but so indistinctly that he could not recognize who it was, & that hands were repeatedly revealed to their view: that they saw these take things up, bring & place them in their hands—feeling themselves at the same time, the grasp of the spirit fingers. How horrible! Were Mr J. alone, one might attribute these pokerishe sights to optical illusion; but so many see them at once, that this seems impossible, unless Mr Hume be a sorcerer, & has the diabolical power of making them see, hear, & feel what he will. Mr Jarves is evidently under great excitement, & thus not a reliable witness; but he tells us that the coolest sceptics have been convinced of the supernaturalness of these manifestations. Mr Browning observed that the fact of the pretended “spirits” never having communicated any thing for the benefit of mankind, nor even individuals, was evidence enough that they were not God-sent. His ministry would not occupy themselves in tying handkerchiefs in knots, turning tables, ringing hand-bells, etc. This is common sense & reason too. …
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Columbia University.
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