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Obituary.

MR. J. H. POWELL.

On the last day of August we received a note from Mrs. Powell, in which she says, "My poor suffering husband was released by the Angel of Life this morning at 5 o'clock." Mr. Powell, for months before his release, had been a great sufferer, and Death must indeed have been to him the Angel of Life. The story of his life as related by himself in his Life Incidents and Poetic Pictures is a sad one, and having personally known him almost from boyhood we know that it is an ower true tale."

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Born in London in 1830, of poor working people, who did not reckon temperance among their virtues; with scant education he was early sent to work at a paper mill; subsequently he was put to learn the business of an engineer. Marrying early, the cares of a family, combined with ill health, made life to him a constant struggle for the means of living; but gifted with buoyant spirits and a hopeful temper he maintained the contest manfully, and almost cheerfully to the last, and never allowed his time and interests to be wholly absorbed in providing for physical necessities. He took a leading part in the Mutual Improvement Society established among his fellow-workmen at the Railway Works, Wolverton. A lecture delivered by him at the Wolverton Mechanics' Institution in 1843 on "The Poetry of Feeling and the Poetry of Diction," was published and widely circulated. He had already appeared as the author of a small volume of poems, The Three Voices, and both at Wolverton and at Brighton, whither he removed, he frequently occupied the "Poet's Corner" in the local press.

In 1860 he abandoned his employment, in order to devote himself more fully to literature and lecturing. His career as an author may be traced in his volume, Life Incidents, to which we have already referred. As a lecturer, his chief subjects were mesmerism and electro-biology, and when in tolerable health his experiments in connection with these lectures were generally very successful. He had just taken his new start in life when it was our privilege to first introduce Spiritualism favourably to his notice. He at once entered on an investigation of the subject, which soon led to his entire conviction of its truth. From that moment Spiritualism became the dominant idea of his life. His friend Mr. Robert Cooper, of Eastbourne, soon after this, issued the Spiritual Times, the first weekly journal published in London exclusively devoted to Spiritualism. He appointed Mr. Powell the editor. The same liberal gentleman founded the

Spiritual Lyceum, which he also placed under Mr. Powell's management. In 1864, Mr. Powell published Spiritualism: Its Facts and Phases; illustrated with Personal Experiences. Both the Spiritual Times and the Spiritual Lyceum were a great pecuniary loss. When they were given up, some of Mr. Powell's friends, in the hope of improving his health and benefitting himself and family, raised a subscription to enable them to emigrate to the United States. The testimonial was presented to Mr. Powell at a meeting presided over by Mr. William Howitt, and at which readings were given by Mr. D. D. Home. Mr. Powell remained in America four years, lecturing, preaching, debating, and writing on behalf of Spiritualism, as occasion offered. Some of his spiritual experiences in America were published in this Magazine, in 1868. In 1869, he published at Boston Life Pictures, a poem in three cantos,-a handsomely got-up volume. He always regarded this as an inspirational poem.

With shattered constitution, and suffering from internal cancer, he last year returned to his native land, as it turned out to die there. As long as he was able to use the pen he was the regular London correspondent of the Banner of Light. Only a few days before his death he published The Invalid's Casket, a volume of poems chiefly written in America and avowedly issued to raise funds to maintain his family. In the first week of August he received a visit from Miss Lottie Fowler, who, with some hesitation, informed him that she had received a spiritcommunication that he would not outlive the month. But the circumstance made little impression on his mind; when we visited him a fortnight after, he spoke of it slightingly, said he felt better, and even talked of going in the country. A change for the worse, however, soon set in. Two days before his departure he called his wife to look at the clock; she saw nothing. "No," he said, "it is removed now, but there was a piece of black crape over the clock. I saw it quite plainly, it covered the figure four." On the last day of August, at 5 a.m., he departed this life easily and peacefully, his sufferings towards the end having greatly abated. The last time we saw him he spoke gratefully of the many friends both in England and America who had ministered to him, and to the relief of his family during his affliction. He had no fear of death. To him it was indeed a friend-a messenger of mercy-the Angel of Life.

Fluent of speech, and with the pen of a ready writer, our departed friend embraced every opportunity to serve to the best of his ability the cause he loved so well. Reader, "go thou and do likewise."

NOTES AND GLEANINGS.

THE LATE DR. ROBERT CHAMBERS.

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"ONE of the more bulky papers which he left is a species of inquiry into the so-called manifestations of Spiritualism. Without pronouncing an opinion dogmatically, he considered the subject worthy of patient investigation. The phenomena of Spiritualism," he says, may be the confused elements of a new chapter of human nature, which will only require some careful investigation to form a respectable addition to our stock of knowledge. Such, I must confess, is the light in which it has presented itself to me, or rather the aspect which it promises to assume.' Acknowledging so much, perhaps he thought of a saying he had heard used by Sir Walter Scott, that "If there be a vulgar credulity, there is a vulgar incredulity." In his anxiety for fair play, he perhaps leant to the side of credulity."-Memoir of Robert Chambers, with Autobiographic Reminiscences of William Chambers.

The relations of Dr. Chambers to Spiritualism are fully set forth in the obituary notice of him which appeared in this Magazine (No. 4, Vol. VI., New Series). He was most careful in his investigation and acceptance of the facts. To his friends he did not hesitate to freely express his earnest conviction of the truth and importance of Spiritualism, which he supported both by his pen and purse; although with his habitual caution he shrunk from publicly identifying himself with it by attaching his name to these writings. It is earnestly hoped that the bulky paper on Spiritualism to which his brother refers in the foregoing extract will be published early, and without mutilation or abridgment.

CONFERENCE AT DARLINGTON.

A Conference of Spiritualists has recently been held at Darlington. Resolutions were passed to support the London Spiritual Institute, and recommending the support of public mediums, the formation of private and family circles, the holding of weekly conferences, the securing of public halls and meeting rooms, the special cultivation of healing mediumship, and the establishing of libraries and of Children's Lyceums. Public addresses were also delivered: Mr. J. Burns being the principal speaker.

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THE DRUMMER OF TEDWORTH.

The famous story of the Drummer of Tedworth, referred to by Mr. William Howitt in our last number, and the leading incidents of which are given in an article "Spirit-Rapping no Novelty" in the Spiritunl Magazine, No. 1, Vol. II., First Series, is one of the most remarkable and best attested of its class, and has often been told. Under the head of "Old Stories Re-told," it is very circumstantially related in All the Year Round, No. 150, New Series. The writer professes to consider it as a very remarkable instance of a long-sustained, apparently purposeless, yet. successful imposture; and a good example of the superstitions prevalent in the reign of Charles the Second; an imposture carried out by "a secret conspiracy of servants, aided by "the rats." An explanation so obviously futile and ridiculously inadequate to account for the facts on his own showing of them, as to suggest the idea that it is merely put forward to save appearances. He appends the following footnote to the passage above quoted :

It is but justice to the modern believers in the Drummer of Tedworth to give the following communication, lately received by us from a Wiltshire correspondent: "I have known the house in question for about thirty years. I have had, therefore, a good opportunity of testing the accounts given by people in the neighbourhood. I formerly knew an old lady who, in her young days, lived in the house. I have compared her accounts given with others I obtained from other old people, and they all agree in this, that there was, in or about the house, something they could not understand. They all agree in this account, that about midnight a terrific noise commenced in the top of the house, similar to the beating of a sidedrum, only much louder. This continued until near morning incessantly. The house has been repaired at different times, and occupied, soon, however, to be deserted, the people declaring they could not live there for the incessant drumming. About fourteen years ago I was working on the Tedworth estate for T. Assheton Smith, Esq,, of fox-hunting notoriety. The house was then repaired, and put in habitable order, for the holding of the national school (it had been shut up for six years before this). Two sisters went there as schoolmistresses, with whom I was well acquainted. They could not stay there, and in consequence the school was removed to another building. I ridiculed the assertions of these young women, but neither ridicule nor banter could turn them from their story, and it was the old one-the incessant drumming. I may further say that all those of whom I have inquired agree in their assertions that there is something supernatural in connection with the house. The house stands in a very pleasant situation in a meadow in close proximity to the churchyard. It is a brick-built house. I have been in it many times. I believe there is no more wood used in the building than there would be in ordinary buildings, the partitions, &c., being, as near as I can recollect, of brick, four inches in thickness."

THE ETHICS OF CHRISTIANITY AND SPIRITUALISM IDENTICAL.

An experience of sixteen years has convinced me that if communications from the spirit-world are sought in a fitting frame of mind, these, when they touch on religion or morals, are found to be essentially Christian. I mean that there is not a

grand truth, ethical or spiritual, taught by Christ himself, that is not endorsed, more or less distinctly, from the other side. I am speaking of Christ's teachings, pure and simple; not of Paul's, still less of those put forth by more modern commentators. To me the great proof touching the stability and perpetual sway of Christian ethics and Spiritualism is, that, in spite of all the deformities with which orthodox theology has obscured them, they still maintain their sway over the heart of the civilized world. If we are candid and just in estimating ourselves, we are bound to confess that we fall short, nationally and individually, of the Christian standard. This is not true, or but partially true, of any other teacher of morals. In proportion as we study Spiritualism reverently and intelligently, we shall become more and more convinced of this. If Spiritualism were to supplant Christianity, it would be supplanting its own very heart and essence. The grandest of all Christian principles, for example, is the principle of love. Love, according to the Christian system, is the fulfilling of the law. According to Paul, even, who had much of the theologian about him, though the influence of faith and hope be great, love is the greatest. This lies at the base of all sound spiritual philosophy. So of mercy, so of humility, so of peace-making, so of treating others as we would ourselves be treated. Spiritualism and Christianity are identical in essence; and, in their essence, not in the anomalous excrescences with which ignorance or prejudice disfigures them, both will endure for ever.-ROBERT DALE OWEN.

Correspondence.

MR. HUDSON'S SPIRIT-PHOTOGRAPHS.

To the Editor of the "Spiritual Magazine."

DEAR SIR,-I observe that my article in the last number of the Magazine, on "Stone-Throwing," went to press without my corrections, and consequently exhibits some curious misprints, such as "Sadducissimus Triumphatus," instead of "Sadducismus Triumphatus," as the title of Glanvil's book; and at p. 396, "funny manifestations," instead of furious ones, with others not quite so outrageous, and which may pass.

What I wish, however, more expressly to state to you is my satisfaction at seeing the accusations against Mr. Hudson's spirit-photographs gradually clearing themselves off. During my recent short and hurried visit to London, I and my daughter paid a visit to Mr. Hudson's studio, and through the

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