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Madam Home - D D Home his life his mission

Mrs. Senior describes the manifestations of the evening as numerous and remarkable, and gives the following narrative of one of the early incidents of the seance:

In November 1862, I was present at one of Mr D. D. Home's seances in the house of Mr. S. C. Hall, to which Mr John Bright had been invited, he having expressed a strong wish to see something of Spiritualism.

On the day of the seance, Mr. Hall received a note from Mr. Bright, asking to be allowed to bring a friend, Mr. Lucas, editor of the Star newspaper.

Not many minutes after we were seated at the large, heavy round table, knocks were given for the alphabet, and the words given were: 'You are trying to prevent our raising the table.' Mr. Hall asked, 'Who is trying?' and pointed to each in succession, when three knocks for 'Yes' were given in front of Mr. Lucas, who at once said, 'Yes, I was putting my whole weight upon it.'

I, sitting next but one to him, then asked, 'Do you think that right?'

'Oh, yes,' he answered, 'I came here to investigate.'

'Certainly,' I said; 'but neither to assist nor retard the movements.'

A message then came, desiring Mr. X to sit upon the table; this was a stout gentleman who was present. The desire was complied with; and instantly the table was not only raised, but tossed up, as you would toss a baby in your arms saying, as plainly as words could have done, 'You tried to prevent our raising the table with nothing upon it, and we will prove to you that we can do it with this additional weight.’

Laughable as this incident may seem …. it could not but impress the two shrewd and incredulous inquirers present that evening. The room was fully lighted; Mr. Bright and Mr. Lucas had satisfied themselves that no machinery was concealed under the table or connected with it. There sat Mr. Home, his fingers lightly resting on the table; and again and again the heavy table rose clear of the ground, with the weight of a heavy man upon it in addition.