Whenever they failed to make their appearance, as was sometimes the
case, I felt lonely and discontented. I kept up a lively conversation
with them,--not by language or by signs, for the attempt on my part to
speak or move would at once break the charm and drive them away in a
fret, but by a peculiar sort of spiritual intercommunion.
"When their attention was directed towards me, I could feel and
respond to all their thoughts and feelings, and was conscious that
they could in the same manner feel and respond to mine. Sometimes they
would take no notice of me, but carry on a brisk conversation among
themselves, principally by looks and gestures, with now and then an
audible word. In fact, there were but few with whom I was very
familiar. These few were much more constant and uniform in their
visits than the great multitude, who were frequently changing, and too
much absorbed in their own concerns to think much of me. I scarcely
know how I can give an idea of their form and general appearance, for
there are no objects in the material world with which I can compare
them, and no language adapted to an accurate description of their
peculiarities. They exhibited all possible combinations of size,
shape, proportion, and color, but their most usual appearance was with
the human form and proportion, but under a shadowy outline that seemed
just ready to melt into the invisible air, and sometimes liable to the
most sudden and grotesque changes, and with a uniform darkly bluish
color spotted with brown, or brownish white.
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