ssession of this spirit-power,
she was now fulfilling her mission of convincing the public of the
existence of these heaven-inspired phenomena, explainable upon no other
possible theory than that of the inter-communication between this and
the other world of ministering angels, self-determining their actual
existence by more or less perfect materializations.

With this and much more of the same sort, Evalena Gray began her
revelations, all of which had previously been performed and exposed as
ordinary tricks of an illusionary character, but which were given by the
languid, _spirituelle_ lady with such a show of her being on the
threshold of the celestial spheres, that the very atmosphere, already
charged with everything to provoke mystification and solemn curiosity,
now seemed filled with some weird, supernatural influence and presence.

First the little lady, who was dressed in white muslin, with long
flowing sleeves exposing very pretty arms, came down from the platform
and seated herself in the centre of the back parlor, inviting the
forming around her of a circle of from twelve to fifteen persons, who
should sit so closely together that there could be no possibility of her
passing out of the circle, and, if the rest of the audience chose, they
might form a circle around the inner circle so that no confederates
might reach her. This was done, when she requested some gentleman to
place his feet upon her tiny feet to assure the audience that she did
not leave her chair.

Members of the mystic circle then clasped hands, and the lights were
turned off completely. The stillness of death followed, broken only by a
low, shuddering sigh announcing the control of the medium by the
spirits, and immediately after came raps so loud and distinct as to
almost give the impression that an echo followed them. Then the medium
began patting her hands together _as an absolute proof that none of the
succeeding manifestations could by any possible means be produced by
her_. While this continued without interruption, in the face of some
came a whispered "God bless you!" others were patted caressingly upon
the face and head; whiskers and mustaches were delicately tweaked;
watches were taken from one pocket and put into another; a gent's
quizzers would be placed upon a lady's nose, and _vice versa_; music
floated about in the air over the heads of those composing the circle;
lights were seen to glitter like fire-flies above the medium's he