and concluded to investigate these strange facts. In October, Mrs. Cooper revisited Cincinnati, during which time my wife and I had several very satisfactory seances, and on invitation from her we were present at a social materialization seance on the 28th of said month, in the evening, in company with the following persons: Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, Miss Sadie Hare, Mrs. Gano, Mr. and Mrs. Green, Mr. Cooper’s mother, Mr. and Mrs. Macky, Mr. and Mrs. Nicely, Miss Sneider, Mrs. Artzman, Dr. Taylor and Mr. Winterborn. A curtain was stretched across a corner of the room, and the small stand was put on the floor, and under it was placed two call bells, a big brass bell, and a drum, with sticks and a walking stick. When Mr. Stebbins played on the violin, or we sung or played on the orgamina, the spirits kept time with the bells and drum. The walking stick was pointed to different individuals of the company, who had mental questions answered when they took hold of the uplifted stick. Mr. Stebbins put the end of the bow under the table, and the fiddle he laid on the floor, about a foot from the table, when the spirits played on it. The table was also lifted up and down, keeping time with our music. When Mrs. Cooper took her seat behind the curtain soon after, several spirits materialized to many of their relatives and friends, who recognized them, among whom were Miss Mary Muth and Madam Ehrenborg. I and my wife went up to the curtain, when Miss Mary Muth touched my wife’s hand and took a flower from her. Afterwards Madam Ehrenborg came in full form, dressed in a fine dark suit, with a black lace cap, and when my wife asked if it was Mrs. Ehrenborg, she nodded her head smilingly several times, and then dematerialized. We took our seats, but Madam Ehrenborg came again twice, when I went up to the curtain with Mr. Stebbins, who also saw her very plainly, how she nodded to me and kissed my hand, which was touched by her lips, and had a warm feeling. She afterwards dematerialized before us. At the same time this took place we saw and conversed with Mrs. Cooper, who is never in a trance state at any time. When we came home we examined Madam Ehrenborg’s photograph, and we found her dress and every thing else apparently exactly the same as that in which the photograph was taken. Her features were also the same. I had seen her materialized several times before, but always in shining white robes, and now she took on the same garment as that worn when the photograph was taken, probably to convince my wife of her identity.

CHAPTER V.

INVESTIGATIONS BY MRS. JENNIE M’KEE—FIRST LETTER
FROM EMANUEL SWEDENBORG, ETC.

After Mrs. Cooper moved to Louisville I made acquaintance with Mrs. Jennie McKee, a real lady of high moral and truthful qualities, who had wonderful medial gifts, and permitted me to come to her residence, No. 47½ Sherman avenue, Cincinnati, for a slate-writing seance weekly, every Thursday, from 9 to 11 A. M. The spirits wrote independent, in broad daylight, when she held the slate under the stand, which was never covered with any thing, and with a pencil so small (about one-eighth part of a common wheat grain) that no human fingers in the body could write with it. I commenced with her the 4th of August, 1881, and continued until she passed away to the higher life, the 17th of November the same year. During that time I received many highly valuable and remarkable communications and gifts, of which I will only mention a few. On the 8th day of September there appeared among other communications on the slate the following:

“My friend, I come from a higher sphere of light and truth, in compliance with your request, and I greet you this morning in God’s most holy name. I will speak to you not as I would have done when inhabited in earth form, but with a more expanded vision, and the more profound knowledge and the clearer understanding of the fundamental laws and governing principles of the Great Ruler of the universe. In those days in which I wrote it would have been a very unwise and dangerous thing to have given these spiritual manifestations to the people, from the fact that they were not prepared to receive the blessings, and the ultimate desire for the amelioration of mankind would have been defeated, and the result would have been disastrous.”

I had wished a clearer understanding about our guardian spirits, and on the slate came:

“At the time of birth there are two self-constituted guardians, one from the light sphere and one from the dark, and as the child advances toward maturity, the number is greatly increased; but whether good or bad, depends entirely upon the persons themselves. Thus, for instance, if man leads a life of depravity and vice, he naturally attracts spirits of a like character; on the other hand, if a man leads a moral life of purity, bearing in his heart love and good will to others, he is surrounded by pure spirits, who are attracted by those elements. Thus, my friend, you see how essential it is, both for happiness here and through all eternity, that you conduct yourself so that the pure spirit of love can come and minister to you. I must leave, but will shortly come again.”

Here I said to Mrs. McKee: “If he signs his name, I would like to have the slate, so I could show it to my wife;” and he said to her (but I could not hear him): “Put a paper on the slate.” I cut a leaf from my annotation pocket book, and we put it on the slate loose, and Mrs. McKee held the slate, with the paper and a short lead pencil on it, under the table, and on the paper, now in my possession, was the following:

“Dear heart, so true to my memory, my blessing with you,

“Emanuel Swedenborg.”

On the 13th of October, at a seance by Mrs. McKee, from 9 to 9:30 A. M., the following communication appeared on the slate:

“My beloved, I am with you, and I greet you with my blessing in the name of the Most High and Ruling Power, and not only is it I who bless you, you have attracted to you a number of highly exalted spirits, who love you for your singleness of purpose and purity of heart, with which you are promulgating the teachings you receive from us; that is why you have been selected by us, because you have been upright and moral in your life; because those who wish to investigate would be more impressed than did the communication come from other sources. Fear not, we will be with you, and each word will have weight. You must expect to be criticised and doubted; but again I say, fear not, we are with you, and will turn the thought of the people. We shall eventually see our efforts crowned with success. We appeal to the senses; it would be a vain and useless thing to set up a higher authority than man’s own conscience, for that is the last final tribunal at which he is judged. The errand of life, the education, unfolding and strengthening the combination of the mind, the exigencies of business, the duties of citizenship, the cares of the household, all this requires the utmost seriousness of purpose and activity; but activity is neither in the development of manhood. It is far more essential that the mind and moral nature should have careful cultivation. Man should not care so much concerning the short period of natural life. From this side, through us who live by deeds, not years, in thought and feeling, instead of figures on the dial, by the happiness we produce, is our