It was the first time I had ever
seriously thought of the matter, and he invited my sister and myself
to see some of the phenomena as exhibited by a medium friend of theirs
who resided in their family. The result at the time was sufficiently
curious, but I was interested in his account of the manner in which he
proceeded, keeping records of every experiment with its results, in
classified orders. As the result of his studies and observations, he
has published two books, one "Footfalls on the Boundary of Another
World," published in 1860, and latterly, "The Debatable Land Between
this World and the Next." I regard Mr. Owen as one of the few men who
are capable of entering into an inquiry of this kind without an utter
drowning of common sense, and his books are both of them worth a fair
reading. To me they present a great deal that is intensely curious and
interesting, although I do not admit, of course, all his deductions,
and think he often takes too much for granted. Still, with every
abatement there remains a residuum of fact, which I think both curious
and useful. In a late letter to me he says :--
"There is no writer of the present day whom I more esteem than Mrs.
Lewes, nor any one whose opinion of my work I should more highly
value."
I believe he intends sending them to you, and I hope you will read
them. Lest some of the narratives should strike you, as such
narratives did me once, as being a perfect Arabian Nights'
Entertainment, I want to say that I have accidentally been in the way
of confirming some of the most remarkable by personal observation.
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