sults of earlier spiritualism in America and in Europe were
undoubtedly due to the casual and general practice of holding "home
circles." These home circles were the nursery of some of the world's
greatest mediums. Here the born medium was made aware of his or her
natural powers; and, likewise, here others were enabled to gradually
unfold and develop their latent mediumistic power.

The Cure for Fraudulent Mediumship.

At the present time we have too few mediums, and this fact is
attributable largely to the gradual discontinuance of the home circles.
Present time folks are too fond of having everything worked out and
presented to them, and they flock to the sensational public
demonstrations, some of which are undoubtedly "faked" in order to meet
the public demand for sensational features; and at the same time the
honest, careful, conscientious mediums are often overlooked, and the
home circles almost unknown. Many so-called investigators of
spiritualism are feverishly anxious to "see something," and are
impatient and the comparatively slow order of developments at the home
circle or at the careful mediumistic circles. Many earnest spiritualists
lament the present tendency, and predict that in time there will be an
almost complete dearth of honest, careful mediums, owing to the demand
for "quick action" and the temptation to furnish fraudulent counterfeits
of the genuine phenomena resulting from this feverish public demand.

Warning to Young Mediums.

Wallis says concerning this point: "After a time, as the development
progresses, the medium and his spirit friends may be strong enough to
undertake public work without the assistance and protection of a circle,
in the same manner as did D. Home, Slade, Eglinton, and other noted
public mediums; but they should be in no hurry about doing so, and they
need to be very self-possessed and level-headed to hold their own
against the 'phenomena hunters' on the one side (who sap the very life
of the sensitive), and the know-all, conceited sceptics on the other
side (who freeze up all the psychic conditions), and before whom it is
worse than foolish to cast these pearls of great price.

"The lot of the public 'physical,' 'test,' and 'clairvoyant' medium is
not to be envied or lightly chosen. Such sensitives frequently suffer a
martyrdom that none but sensitives can realize. What with foolish
flatterers; the sitters who are never content, but cry 'give, give,
give;' the injud