"K, a young woman of remarkable intelligence and presence of mind, has told me frequently of an appearance that she saw, about five years back, when living with a respectable grocer in Buckinghamshire, not as servant, but as shopwoman. Her bed room opened into an anteroom common to two or three chambers belonging to the family. In this room a rushlight was burnt, and she had the habit of leaving her door open, and after laying her head down upon the pillow of half rising to look if the rushlight were safe. Two of her brothers and a favourite cousin were at sea in different merchant vessels, and she had that evening expressed to the grocer's daughter her strong impression that she should never see her cousin again. On raising herself up, as usual, to look at the light, she saw, just before her, standing in the door-way, the figure of a young sailor. She felt that it was no living man: the head drooped on the bosom, and the straw hat fell over the face which she could not discern. The dress was the usual jacket and trousers, the open shirt, and loosely-tied neckerchief of a seaman. It might have been from height and appearance, either her elder brother or her cousin, she believed it to be the latter, and spoke to it by his name. It made no answer-but remained during two or three minutes, and then slowly and gradually melted into air. She was as strongly convinced of the reality of the appearance as of her own existence, and is so still.

"Both her cousin and her brother returned to London, but the former had had a fall from some part of the rigging of the vessel on that very day (the day of the apparition) and died on shore without her seeing him. Nor did she again see her elder brother, who, shortly after his return, sailed on another voyage and must have been lost at sea, for although four years had elapsed since he was expected, neither he nor the vessel had ever been heard of; indeed the underwriters had paid the insurance money. Kwas not alarmed, she said; the only painful sensation was the immediate fear that something had occurred to one or other of those dear relatives, and she shall, always, she says, be sure that it was her cousin who appeared to her. I believe that these are her very words, and I have no doubt whatever that she did see what she describes; nor would you if you could hear the truthful simplicity, the graphic minuteness, and the invariable consistency with which she relates both the apparition and her own feelings on the occasion. The story, as she tells it, is exceedingly impressive, from the absence of exaggeration and of those circumstances which are usually thrown in for the sake of effect. The door opening upon the staircase was fastened, bolted within; no man slept in the house except the master of the shop, a grave elderly man who

officiated as a Wesleyan minister, and whom no money would have bribed in attempting a trick upon such a subject; and the females, besides a general coincidence of character with their husband and father, were all considerably shorter and in every respect different from the figure in question. Khas never used the word 'ghost,' or 'spirit,' or apparition,' in speaking to me. She generally says' it,' and certainly thinks of the apparition with great awe.

* *

"I agree partly with you, that these are glimpses of another world. It seems impossible to refer all these well-attested stories to imposition or credulity. * Though I heartily agree with Stilling in the sinfulness and danger of seeking them. By danger, I mean the peril lest such presumption should be punished by madness, or such tremor as is one form of that awful infliction; or by fits or other physical infirmities brought on by mortal fear."-Life of Mary Russell Mitford, vol. iii.

THE MISSING STEAMER-A VISION.

A correspondent of the New York Herald writes:-" On Friday night, the 25th of February, I had a lady friend from the country sleeping with me, and had been talking a great deal on different subjects, especially on the marriage question and other philosophical subjects quite foreign to any vision; but, conditions were, as we say, right, and much harmony existed between us. All at once the whole side of the house seemed to roll away, and I saw a bright light and heard a voice near me say in a spent whisper, 'Look at the fire.' I looked, when I saw the light and flame; saw a steamer burning, people struggling in the flames and in the water. I, much terrified, saw that it was a vision; I tried to speak to my companion and the voice said, 'Nay, look further! Again I looked and it seemed nearer. I saw the stack pipe fall, masts and all but the hull disappear, and on the charred mass I read City of 'the rest was burnt off, and while I looked the black mass sunk in the boiling sea. Here is the description of the location:-I saw a narrow pass; on the right a high rocky precipice or headland; directly across from it is a low point of land or coast; behind the point the vessel burntnot in the pass. I have no recollection more but of feeling dreadfully frightened, and everything was as clear to me as if I witnessed it. I called to the lady by my side, saying what I saw: she asked me, 'Is there no one saved?' I said, Yes; a man named Seymour for one; but for God's sake, let me rise.' I did so, and saw it was two o'clock at night. I called a gentleman in the next room, who replied that I had been seeing the City of Glasgow that was burnt some time ago. I can prove this vision

of mine by three witnesses, and I was told that the land I described was the Irish coast; but I do not know. I believe it was the missing steamer, and no news will come from her."

FASTING OF ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA FOR MANY YEARS.

In

In the Life of St. Catherine of Siena, written by her confessor, Raymond de Capone, we find recorded in various places that throughout her life she was from a certain period accustomed for long spaces of time to abstain entirely from food, she being alone able to swallow the Holy Sacramental wafer. At other times her sole nourishment was a few herbs; and this condition of fasting continued until her death. We are told that "her vital functions had become so entirely changed that food was no longer necessary to her, nay, indeed, the taking it caused her the extremest suffering. When she was forced to eat food, she was extremely inconvenienced, and could not retain it upon her stomach. It is impossible to say how much she endured in this manner. the commencement of this condition of fasting it appeared both to her relatives and to the persons most attached to her, perfectly inconceivable. It was regarded as a temptation and deceit of the devil. Her confessor even ordered her to take food, and not listen to the commands she received in vision to abstain from it. It was in vain that Catherine assured him that she was strong and well when she fasted, whilst, on the contrary, she became sick and weak if she took food. She obeyed her confessor, however, as much as it was possible for her to do so, but these efforts to eat reduced her to such a state as to cause her life to be despaired of. She at length called her confessor, and said to him, "My father, if through excess of fasting, I were in danger of death, should you not desire me to refrain from fasting, in order that I should not destroy myself?" "Unquestionably I should do so," he returned. "If, therefore," she continued, "you perceive, after this much experience, that the taking of food is killing me, why do you not command me to abstain from it, as you would have commanded me to abstain from fasting, if it were fasting which was killing me?" The confessor had nothing to reply to her reasoning, having wit nessed the danger to which his commands had exposed her.

The first time that this total fasting commenced, it was the beginning of Lent, and she was sustained by the grace of God until the feast of Ascension, without receiving any bodily food, and without any diminution of her strength or gaiety. Has not the Lord said, "Thou shalt not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," and is it not also written, "The just shall live by faith?" On the Day

of Ascension she took food as she had announced to her confessor she should do. She partook of some bread and vegetables. She then recommenced her fasting and ended ultimately by entirely fasting, occasionally, however, at first at long intervals, breaking it for a short time. The more her body fasted the more did her soul appear to be fed. Her bodily organs had, so to say, suspended their functions. "Often have I seen her weak body reduced to the very last state of weakness, each moment one expected her to expire, but whenever an opportunity presented itself for her to do honour to God, or aid a human being, life appeared to return to her, and her strength was extraordinary; she could walk and move about, and appeared devoid of all sense of fatigue." At the commencement of her fasting, her confessor demanded whether she experienced hunger at any time, and she replied, that having received the Holy Eucharist it was not possible for her to desire or crave for bodily food. This prolonged fasting excited great indignation against her, and anger in many minds. "Catherine endeavoured to quiet the murmurs which she heard around her, and at one time decided that every day she would at least take her place at the common table of the convent, and would try to eat. Although she ate neither flesh nor eggs, neither took wine nor even bread, nevertheless that which she took, or rather strove to take, caused her such suffering that those who saw her, hard as were their hearts, were filled with compassion. Her stomach could no longer digest any food, and rejected everything that was given it. She endured frightful pain, and her whole body appeared to swell. She only chewed herbs, did not swallow them, but retained only the juice. She at length tried to drink water to refresh her mouth, but was always obliged to throw it up again and this with the greatest pain. Myself witnessing all this suffering, I took compassion on her, and advised her to let men say what they chose about her, and spare herself further sufferings."

The Life of St. Catherine of Siena contains references to the prolonged fastings of various other saints of the Catholic Church under similar conditions. The original documents from which this Life is compiled are still extant. She died in 1380, about the age of 33. Endowed with a noble intellect as well as with a most tender and religious heart, and sustained by many miraculous gifts of the Spirit, St. Catherine of Siena may be regarded as the typal religious woman of Italy in the middle ages. Nor was she less distinguished for her political influence than for her private piety; the contemporary of Dante and Fra Angelio, she may be regarded as a female blending of their two natures. She was also a poetess. For further

particulars relating to this very remarkable woman, see, Vie de Sainte Catherine de Siena par Le B. Raymond de Capone, son Confesseur, Paris, 1869. Storia di Santa Caternia da Siena, et du Papaio del suo tempo, Napoli, 1856. Also Mrs. Jameson's Sacred and Legendary Art.

SPIRITUALISM IN HALIFAX.-SPIRIT DRAWINGS THROUGH A BLIND MEDIUM.-SPIRIT-VOICES.-HEALING.-LEVITATION.

SPEAKING IN DIVERS LANGUAGES.

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We are glad to find that Mr. Peebles' ministrations are not confined to the Metropolis. He has recently visited Halifax, and during the 10 days he was there delivered six addresses in the largest hall of the town, the audiences steadily increasing, till on the last evening, about a thousand persons were present. Each address was followed by a discussion; on one evening three clergymen, and on the last evening five clergymen took part in it. During Mr. Peebles' absence from London his place at the Cavendish Rooms was supplied by Mr. Shorter. The interest in these Sunday evening meetings continues unabated.

The Psychological Society of Halifax has several mediums among its members. One of these is a blind man, Mr. John Blackburn, of Bottom Salterhebble, near Halifax. Two splendid pictures have recently been given through his mediumship, the time occupied in doing them being seven minutes only. One represents fruit, the other a bouquet or nosegay of flowers. These pictures are, we believe, still on view at Mr. James Nutton's, Snow Hill, Halifax.

Another medium of this Society is Mrs. Elizabeth A. Segar, 48, Wakefield Street, Bradford, who has long exercised her healing power for the benefit of the afflicted. She is sometimes, too, the subject of levitation, and articles, such as a violin, have been seen floating in her room without visible agency. She also sees spirits, who hold direct audible converse with her, and are heard and understood by others as well as herself.

Mr. Thomas Tate, of Bradford, is also a healing medium; he is a working man-a joiner. The Indian, African, Italian, and other languages, it is said, are spoken through him. No wonder that with such mediums Spiritualism has taken a deep hold in Yorkshire.

SPIRITUALISM IN MELBOURNE.- "THE GLOWWORM SHOWS THE MATIN TO BE NEAR."

We have received Nos. 1 and 2 of a sixpenny monthly issued at Melbourne, Australia, entitled, The Glowworm: An Advocate for Misapprehended SPIRIT-PHILOSOPHY, and a De