at a seance at which a number of mediums were
present, and, under ordinary circumstances, successful results would
have been practically certain; but this was not an ordinary seance--at
least, not in the opinion of one lady who apparently imagined that she
had been invited to discover fraud, and that the rest of us were
suspicious characters. Up to the moment of her appearance in the circle
we were a happy family of sociable folk, and enjoyed a very pleasant
season of conversational interchange. When, however, the said lady,
accompanied by a friend, joined the company, there was a silence that
could be felt. The social temperature fell rapidly--people visibly
stiffened and became constrained. The two ladies appeared to feel afraid
to speak lest they should say anything that might be used by the
mediums, and spoke in monosyllables. Sitting bolt upright, grim and
silent, they drew up to the table, and when the phenomena began they
displayed no signs of interest. Their 'detective' attitude was so
objectionable that even those who had endeavored to thaw out these
self-constituted Sherlock Holmeses, gave up the attempt, and, in
consequence, what had promised to be a really enjoyable evening, proved
one of the most uncomfortable it has been our lot to experience."

Antagonistic Elements.

Another incident of the kind is related by a writer, as follows: "On one
occasion, when some experiments were being made by a medium, under
control, in the direction of psychometry and clairvoyance, a lady
expressed a desire to be the subject for delineation. After one or two
efforts the medium exclaimed, 'I am very sorry, but for some reason I am
quite unable to get anything from you, or for you.' Shortly afterwards
the lady in question remarked to one of the sitters, 'I knew he would
not be able to give me anything. That is the third medium that I have
knocked out.' The failure to obtain results under such impossible
conditions is a proof of the genuine psychic nature of the powers of the
mediums. If they were pretenders they would succeed in doing something
under any circumstances and in spite of such adverse psychic
conditions." While we are far from holding that the sitters in a circle
should lay aside all ordinary caution and good judgment, and instead to
assume the mental attitude of utter and unquestioning credulity and
acceptance, we do positively declare that the mental state of
preconceived distrust and suspicion is often almos