at occurred three days since is certainly rather
singular and remarkable, but by no means inexplicable. My sister knew
that I was then travelling by railroad,--that I would, without some
unusual delay, reach the depot at a certain hour, and, being in a
delirious condition, her mind reverted to the probability of some
occurrence that might detain me. Having always evinced a peculiar
aversion to railroads, which she deems the most unsafe method of
travelling, she had a feverish dream that took its coloring from her
excited apprehension of danger to me; and this vision, born of delirium,
was so vivid that she could not distinguish phantom from reality. In
ninety-nine cases out of every hundred similar ones, the dream
passes without fulfilment, and is rarely recollected or mentioned;
but the hundredth--which may chance by some surprising coincidence to
seem verified--is noised abroad as supernatural, and carefully preserved
among 'well-authenticated spiritual manifestations.' If I had escaped
injury, the freaks of my sister's delirium would have made no more
impression on your mind than the ravings of a lunatic; and, since I was
so unfortunate as to be bruised and burned, you must not allow
yourself to grow superstitious, and attach undue importance to a
circumstance which was entirely accidental, and only startling because
so exceedingly rare. Presentiments, especially when occurring in cases
of fever, are merely Will-o-the-wisps floating about in excited,
diseased brains. While at sea, and constantly associated with sailors,
whose minds constitute the most favorable and fruitful soil for the
production of phantasmagoria and _diablerie_, I had frequent
opportunities of testing the fallacy and absurdity of so-called
'presentiments and forebodings.' I am afraid it is the absence of
spirituality in the hearts of the people, that drives this generation
to seek supernaturalism in the realm of merely normal physics. The only
true spiritualism is that which emanates from the Holy Ghost,--conquers
sinful impulses, and makes a Christian heart the temple of God."

Here Miss Jane called Hester into the adjoining room; and turning to
Salome, Dr. Grey added,--

"Notwithstanding the vaunted destruction of the ancient Hydra of
superstition by the darts and javelins of modern rationalism, and the
ponderous hot irons of empirics, it is undeniably true that the habit
of 'seeking after a sign' survived the generation of Scribes and
Pharise