of many communications, volunteered by readers in various parts of the country, narrating cases of Pyschism in the families of the writers, where many of the phenomena described in these pages are of daily occurrence, but sedulously withheld from publicity because of the prejudices which the Psychics and their friends want courage to encounter." He continues" All my correspondents are persons of social position, Magistrates, Physicians, Clergymen, and such like, who in confidence append their names to their narratives. In every case the Psychic is a relative or intimate friend of the writer." He goes on to say, "As I am very desirous to collect all well-authenticated facts relating to Psychic Force, I venture to prefer a request to those many persons in whose families, or among whose friends, cases similar to the above are daily occurring, to favour me with full particulars of the phenomena, in strict confidence as to names of persons or places, which I promise to keep secret."

In compliance with this request, I have much pleasure in referring Serjeant Cox for "full particulars of the phenomena,' to the thirteen volumes of the Spiritual Magazine, in which he will find abundant "cases similar to the above," and which he is under no obligation to keep secret. If these are not sufficient to satisfy his eager craving for this kind of useful knowledge I would direct his attention specially to the number of the Spiritual Magazine for August, 1867, which contains sixteen closely printed pages of catalogue of works on Modern Spiritualism. From an examination of this literature perhaps the learned Serjeant may be surprised to learn that the แ scientific investigation" of Psychic Force did not begin about the year 1871, and that "the procurement of proofs of the existence of the Force" is neither so "very imperfect" nor of such recency" as he supposes; and that instead of being at the beginning of the inquiry, he in fact has only come in at the fagend of it-though better late than never.

Serjeant Cox might with unmixed advantage have published his experiments and observations (and he has already seen far more than he at present cares to tell), but it is unfortunate that he should have allowed himself to be provoked by the attack in the Quarterly Review, and especially by his anxiety to repel the charge of having become a convert to the creed of Spiritualism, into the premature publication of opinions, evidently inchoate, and which he may hereafter see reason to qualify or retract. He tells us the work was originally designed merely to refute the false assertions of the writer in the Quarterly Review. It is a pity the design was not more strictly adhered to. He may have felt called upon to answer the Quarterly Reviewer; he could have no call to answer Spiritualism, the higher phenomena of

which he had not tested; and for his own sake it is to be regretted that he should have attempted it. He is now committed to an untenable theory, and may be tempted to cling to it with professional pertinacity, perhaps all the more for the ingenuity needed to set up even a plausible defence for his client in the teeth of evidence so strong against him, and which every day is becoming stronger.

The theory of Serjeant Cox should be carefully separated from his facts; the latter may be accepted as true facts, as they are in harmony with corresponding facts ascertained by previous experimenters. His theory may (in scientific language) be regarded as one of those curious transitional forms which are a connecting link between the Scientist and Spiritualist. Unless it should prove a case of arrested development, it may be expected in the natural process of evolution to emerge finally (as others of the kind have done before it) into full-fledged Spiritualism. With larger knowledge and more matured judgment, and when his nerves are strong enough to bear the shock of being called a convert to the creed of Spiritualism, we may confidently anticipate that the service Serjeant Cox has rendered to Spiritualism by the testimony he has given to a small portion of its facts will be only an earnest of better things to come.

DOROTHEA TRUDEL, THE MIRACLE-WORKER OF ZURICH.

By Mrs. HOPE.

[The following article is taken from the Sunday Magazine, edited by Dr. Guthrie, the well-known Free Kirk minister of Edinburgh. Of course the narrative found a place in the Rev. Doctor's pages by reason of his sympathy with Dorothea Trudel's theology; but the narrative is none the less interesting to Spiritualists, who know that miracles such as were wrought by Dorothea are by no means limited by any special form of theological opinion.-ED. of S. M.] DOROTHEA TRUDEL was brought up in great poverty by an excellent and self-denying mother. From earliest youth she had two striking examples in the characters of her parents. A weak, selfish father, wasting the family substance, and a patient, gentle, cheerful mother, whose industry kept a home for her children, whose spirit never quailed under injustice, and who seemed to have an intuitive knowledge of things she had never learned.

Accustomed to hard work from early childhood, Dorothea had but little education: her only book was the Bible, her views concerning it were founded on her mother's practice.

Were any of the children ill, Madame Trudel called no doctor, she only prayed for the child. On one occasion one of the children was seized with epileptic fits-he lay on the ground and foamed at the mouth.

"I know this terrible malady, my children; Jesus, who cured the lunatic, can cure this dear one." She knelt and prayed, and the attack passed off.

When the father came home, he laughed at the whole affair, and called his wife and children fools and idiots; but a few days later the same symptoms reappeared, and he was as frightened as his wife was calm. Again the mother knelt and prayed that this attack might be the last one; and so it was, the child was cured.

This simple faith seemed to many ridiculous, and Madame Trudel had to endure not only the hard contempt of her husband, but the well-meant remonstrances of those who believed themselves to be better acquainted with truth and religion. On one occasion, when the family were in the greatest distress and poverty, a clergyman spoke to the eldest daughter, and reproached her with suffering matters to go on in such a "You should," said he, "bring a complaint against your way. father before the tribunal."

"Mother never complains," said the girl, "so we have no right to do so. She says nothing happens in this world except by God's permission, and that we are only to look upon our sorrows as God's will, of which father is but the instrument. Should it be His will to deprive us of an earthly home, He can provide shelter for us elsewhere. Mother often says, As long as you pray you will have no need to beg.'

"I do not agree with you at all," said the pastor. "God permitted Napoleon to do many unjust things. What does your mother hope for ?"

"She trusts in God alone. My mother never says in what manner she will be helped, only that she knows at the right time she will be helped."

"But, my child, one must make use of one's reason."

"There is nothing like that in the Bible. It is only written, 'He that believeth shall not be confounded.'"

Soon after this M. Trudel departed for a time into another country, leaving his wife to work for and train her eleven children according to her own views.

When he returned home Dorothea was grown into a pretty active maiden, and had already become a first-rate silk-weaver, which proved of great assistance to the family purse. She was of a cheerful disposition, and fond of dancing with a girl of her own age who lived in the house. The girl, to whom she was

N.S.-VII.

Y.

much attached, died suddenly, and the impression made on Dorothea by her death was as strong as that made on Luther when his friend was struck by lightning at his side.

She could no longer endure the foolish compliments of the lads, whom her father encouraged to come to the house, and trying to escape a boorish caress from a rustic admirer, she sprained her back severely.

Soon after she became so ill that her father called in a doctor, who assured him that she would die of decline. Dorothea begged her parents to consult him no more-" Let me die without a doctor in attendance, especially as I long to go home." But so it was not to be. After an illness of fifteen years Dorothea recovered strength, but youth and beauty were fled for ever, and the light, active form was bent and distorted. In spite of the impossibility of stooping, Dorothea toiled on at her silk weaving, peaceful in herself and a cause of peace amongst others.

Most unexpectedly the great difficulties as to material means were brought to a close in 1840. Dr. Trudel, who had passed his life in Holland, determined, in his declining years, to seek out his sister and adopt her children. He was well off, and could offer them a home.

Soon after this the good mother died, rich in the devoted love of the children she had so faithfully trained. The ten following years Dorothea lived with her aged uncle, and at his death went to her nephew, who had a large business, employing many people.

While there, some of the work-people fell ill; in vain did the doctor prescribe remedy after remedy, they seemed to be in a dying state. Dorothea reflected deeply on the apostolic injunction, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick." Kneeling in fervent prayer, she implored that she should be permitted to lay hands on the sick. She went, prayed, and laid her hand on them. They recovered.

Her own words best convey her state of mind :

From that moment the sin of disobedience to God's word became clear to me, and a new and real life of simple faith in the teaching of the Gospel animated my being. I then recognised that illness and pain do not unite us to the Saviour, even when we endure them patiently; it is only the outpouring of His love in the heart which does so. Until then I had believed myself converted (at that moment Dorothea was an active member of the Moravian Church), but the Lord opened my eyes and showed me that the grief which oppressed me when I had annoyances and trials, was but the workings of an evil nature, and that when I had love to Him sufficient to endure all injustice without irritation, then my grief would cease. And so it was.

In 1852 she joined her brothers and sister, who lived at Männedorf, in the house left by the uncle. Having taken a vow

to devote her life to the benefit of her neighbours, she visited all who were afflicted in mind or body, and laid hands on them with fervent prayer. Amongst her first patients was the widow of a pastor, whom grief had deprived of reason. After trying several asylums, at all of which the poor woman's malady increased, the relations besought Dorothea to undertake the case. In a short time the poor sufferer was restored to her family, perfectly well, and has remained so ever since.

Soon after Dorothea was urged to open a house for the sick and insane. After much hesitation she did so, and it was

rapidly filled.

Her system was but prayer, and anointing with oil, according to Scripture precept. She believed that all illness was a trial caused by the Evil One, a trial which must be resisted spiritually. With this view, she explained to her patients the truth as it appeared to her to be laid down in the Gospel-that the object of our Lord's dealings with all His people is to restore them to His image, and give them strength to walk in a new life. She analysed the characters of her patients with a startling exactness, and exposed to their view the mental evil which they had individually to struggle with.

Some who came to her, struck to the heart by her exhortations, confessed their faults, repented, and, to their joy, felt their sufferings lessen, and finally abate entirely. It would be tedious to enter into the minutia of the cases; some recovered from consumption, cancer, tumours, and many from madness.

With all, she was firm, and yet loving and tender. The days passed in frequent prayer-meetings. Three and four times a day Dorothea prayed with her patients; the rest of her time she devoted to the care of their bodies. The insane were objects of her special interest. She never yielded to their caprices, and strove to engage them to surrender their own wills, and, by complete resignation, seek for a cure from God.

A pastor came one day to her and asked, "How is it that all these miracles take place here? What power have you?"

"I have no power," Dorothea replied; "these cures take place solely by faith in the influence of the blood of Christ."

"I do not believe in the blood of Christ," said the pastor. Dorothea replied, "It is too little to say I believe in the blood of Christ. No, His blood is the element of life to me; it is because Christ gave His life for my sins that I live, and that these things are accomplished.".

In 1856 Dorothea received an order from the tribunal of the district to send away her patients as she was breaking the law by practising medicine without legal authorisation. Though, in consequence of this, the inmates of Dorothea's Home were dis