very large party to counterbalance them.
It has been not untruly written, that
a genius requires something of a genius
to appreciate and translate him to others;
and, similarly, the circles of American
spiritualism seem to demand a medium of a
supernatural kind, in order that they may
be " understanded of the people" in Great
Britain.

A number of the Spiritual Age newspaper
is before us, the objects of which journal
are not less obviously and perspicuously
proclaimed by its allegorical frontispiece, than
by its lucid and elaborate prospectus. The
frontispiece exhibits a man in the costume of
a stage brigand, without his hat, climbing
up a mountain during a thunder-storm, with
a roll in his hand (of parchment) and
ejaculating the words of the dying Goethe: "Light,
more light!" although there is a considerable
thunder-bolt bursting immediately over his
unprotected head. The prospectus declares
this newspaper to be the ablest possible
exponent of the philosophy and practical uses
of the grand spiritual reformation now in
progress; to be devoted to the elucidation of
the nature, laws, relations, and functions of
MAN; to the mysterious casualties and
adventures of departed human spirits; to the
rational philosophy of spiritualism; and to
the reduction of the accumulated spiritual
elements to a scientific and demonstrative
form.

The Spiritual Age (for it says so itself, and
surely it ought to know best) is free, liberal,
rational, and religious; catholic, fearless,
searching, and critical in its analyses on all
subjects; righteous in its judgments of men
and things. The miscellaneous department
contains mythic and spiritual stories (and there
is one in this particular number to which we
are bound to say, no other adjectives could be
with fitness applied), in which the subtle
elements and panics of the spirit-world, and
the most thrilling actual soul-experiences of
the living world, are brought out in the
most attractive form. These are copiously
emphasised by innumerable capital and
italic letters. There are no more italics
throughout the long remainder of the
prospectus, save at the end, where we are
informed, that the Spiritual Age is published
every Saturday at number fourteen, Bromfield
Street (up-stairs), Boston, Massachusets, at
the small charge of two dollars per annum,
Invariably in Advance. This extreme
distinctness as to money matters, at the end of
so much spiritual vagueness, does, we
confess, rather jar upon our feelings, as partaking
in some degree of the nature of a bathos;
nor do we find, upon examination of the Age
itself, that the Almighty Dollar is altogether
lost sight of even by folks "devoted to the
highest interests of mankind."

Mrs. E. T. French, for instance, clairvoyant
physician, New York, advertises in good bold
type (miraculous as her powers are, and
yearning as her heart continuously is to
effect the permanent cure of the whole
suffering human family), that it is useless sending
"a lock of your hair, and at least one of the
prominent symptoms" of your complaint to
her, without an accompaniment of five
dollars. This lady seems to be in some sort the
property of a Mr. Cuthbertson, subscriber (?),
who also "feels it a duty he owes to suffering
humanity," to supply at the same price, six
bottles securely boxed, of Mrs. F.'s Lung and
Cough Syrup, External Fluid, and other
wonder-working compounds, to invalids in
all sections of the country. Any suspicions
which might arise under other circumstances,
of a quack doctor playing into the hands of a
quack apothecary, are of course set at rest
at once, in the case of a Healing Medium
and a Subscriber in constant intercourse
with angels.

There are about forty of these blessings to
civilisation, who advertise in the one sheet;
each of whom, as we read on, seems to be
possessed of powers more supernatural than
the preceding. Psychometric delineation of
character is imparted at forty-five, Bond
Street, Salem Mass, for,—when we consider
the advantages arising from such information,
—the ridiculously small charge of a dollar and
a-half. A. C. Styles, independent clairvoyant,
gives accurate diagnosis of any disease,
according to a sliding scale of charges: thus,
when the patient is present, two dollars;
when a lock of his hair only is present, and
prominent symptom is given, three dollars;
when lock of hair is present, but prominent
symptom is not given, five dollars. Which
seems as if, without a leading feature of
the case, Independent Clairvoyant is
somewhat subject to error. To insure the attention
of Mr. Styles, the fee and postage-stamp
must be in all cases paid in advance.

The most common charge is from one
to five dollars for answering or deciphering
sealed letters. Clearly, if the letters
were the property of those who bring them
to these mighty seers to be read, the easier
as well as cheaper method would be, for the
proprietors to open and read them for
themselves; and therefore we cannot divest
ourselves of an impression, that the clients of
these gifted spiritualists must needs be
prying persons, who have temporarily
abstracted letters intended for the post-office,
and who wish to become possessed of their
contents without incurring the felonious
responsibility of breaking the seals.

Dr. W. T. Osboru, Clairvoyant and Healing
Medium, who dates from the Home for the
Afflicted, cures, in common with many of his
brethren by the simple act of Laying on of
Hands, along list of chronic diseases, extending
from consumption to paralysis. Dr.
H. B. Newcombe disclaims this power as well
as the use of stereotyped medicines, but
enjoys in place of those advantages the
following privilege: his prescriptions are given