male child it may be said, 'He may be President of the United States.' Thus early in life is excited a taste for publicity of position, for which abundant opportunities are constantly afforded. The Americans all pride themselves on their ability to speak in public, and it is not of much importance in what direction the privilege is exercised. Apart from these considerations affecting specially the American people, and speaking generally, I incline to the opinion that the showy shallow thing called modern education is calculated to operate as much in favour of a belief in spiritualism as against it. The great discoveries of the age in many departments of science-the control and adaptation to useful purposes of some of Nature's powers hitherto so little known-the uprooting of fallacies which long appeared to be truths;-these facts have impressed on our minds a practical mode of dealing with all before us-a tendency to find a plain rational cause for everything at first sight wonderful, and to accept nothing without sufficient evidence of its truth, and proof especially of its practical usefulness. On the other hand, the discovery that many things which our fathers thought impossible are easily effected -that explanations in our eyes perfectly rational were not long ago considered ridiculous-that, in short, we may look for discoveries yet beyond our view,-all this gives to the mind an inclination to accept as probable much that at first sight would appear out of reason. As every fresh discovery shows us our previous inexperience, we are inclined to erase the word 'impossible' from our vocabulary. And even where we have controlled powers not long since out of our reach, we see how much may remain behind. We are uncertain what we may yet have unveiled to us in the future. These remarks apply especially to America, and if space permitted, it would not be difficult to present evidence to show that spiritualism rather gains than otherwise from the tendency of popular education. I will mention one more feature of American character, which might be expected to oppose the progress of this movement. The absorption of the faculties in the weary pursuit of wealth would tend, one might think, to direct the mind, when freed from the cares of business, to some quiet relaxation-free from the excitement of mental speculation and superstitious theory. But they seem to find relief in such excitement, in which there is a visionary, speculative kind of atmosphere that contrasts with the hard matter-of-fact nature of their business, yet corresponds with the pleasing uncertainty connected with the hope of gain. Many a man who is specially careful in commercial business, yields himself blindly up to the teachings of spiritualism. The Americans are, like the ancient Athenians, ever craving after novelty. They are not, in one sense, so truly practical as the English-they keep in view the idea of change in an inconvenient degree. Thus if they build a bridge or railway station it is generally a temporary affair. This kind of feeling prompts them to follow up any new doctrine or idea-regarding future results less than the impulse of the moment. S. B. INDEX ΤΟ VOLUME LXXVII. Abbey, Westminster, 353 A Character, 678 Administration, the Caucasian, and the Irish Difficulty, 525 Crisis, the Religious, 365 Dean Stanley's Westminster Abbey, 353 Administration, the Caucasian, in Trouble, Devilry, Indian, Tales of, 407, 560, 700 Character, A, 678 Chips, Max Müller's, 187 Church, the Irish, and what is to succeed it, Citeaux, the Swallows of, 168 Coloured Suns, by Richard A. Proctor, 95 Consolidation of Police Force, and the Pre- vention of Crime, by Edwin Chadwick, Controversy on Free Banking, between M. Dialogue on Women's Votes, 577 Difficulty, the Irish, and the Caucasian Ad- Disaffection bred by the Irish Land System, Echoes of the Indian Mutiny, 242 Emigration and Political Economy, by T. England and America, 269 England, Young, Politics of, 71, 333 Force, Consolidation of Police, and the Pre- Free Banking, Controversy on, between M. Genoa, School in, for Young Ladies, 521 Harvest, the, is Ended, 210 Henry VIII., State Papers of the Reign of, Herbert's Poetry, 746 Household Service, by Frances Power Cobbe, 121 How the Irish Land System breeds Dis- How to save Ireland from an Ultramontane Indian Devilry, Tales of, 407, 560, 700 Irish Church, the, and what is to succeed it, 19 Irish Difficulty and the Caucasian Admi- Frish Land System, How it breeds Dis- Journal, the Queen's, 154 King Magnus visited by Thorfinn, Earl of Ladies, Young, School for, in Genoa, 521 eaves from the Journal of our Life in the Libby Prison, Diary in, 385 Life and Last Book of Bunsen, 783 Organisation, University, by a Don, 135 Orkney, Visit of Thorfinn, Earl of, to King Oudh, Village Sketches in, III., Echoes of Papers, State, of the Reign of Henry VIII., 92 Police Force, Consolidation of, and the Pre- Political Economy and Emigration, by T. Politics, the, of Young England, 71, 333 Progress of Civilisation in Northern and Prospects and Condition of Protestantism, Public School Education, 301 Queen's Journal, the, 154 Rambles, by Patricius Walker, Esq. :— In the New Forest, 215 -- Reorganisation, the, of the Army, 546 Sketches, Village, in Oudh, III., Echoes of Ultramontane University, an, How to save the Mutiny, 242 Song, Old, 520 Spiritual Wives, 655 Spiritualism in the United States, 801 State Papers of the Reign of Henry VIII., Stour and Avon, By the, 734 Suns, Coloured, by Richard A. Proctor, 95 Sydney, Sir Philip, Life of, by the late Tales and Narratives :-Diary in Libby Thorfinn, Earl of Orkney, his Visit to King Trouble, the Caucasian Administration in, Turn Again! 452 Ireland from, by James Lowry Whittle, United States, Spiritualism in the, 801 Vikram and the Vampire; or, Tales of Introduction, 407 The Vampire's First Story, In which a The Vampire's Second Story, Of the Village Sketches in Oudh, III., Echoes of Visit of Thorfinn, Earl of Orkney, to King Volcanos, by C. R. Weld, 488 Votes, Women's,-a Dialogue, 577 What is to succeed the Irish Church, 19 Women's Votes,-a Dialogue, 577 Young England, Politics of, 71, 333 Young Ladies, School for, in Genoa, 521 Spottiswoode & Co., Printers, New-street Square and 30 Parliament Street. ' |