Spanning the years 1870-1881, Evenings at Home in Spiritual Seance (Second Series ) documents the everyday, yet astonishing, experiences of spirit activity within the domestic space of the Victorian parlour. Through the intimacy of her diary-like prose, Houghton conjures cosy images of spirits laying the table for tea in what she called the "interblending of the heavenly and the mundane." She is equally comfortable communicating with her beloved pet dove as she is with the archangel Gabriel, living an unassuming yet spiritually rich life, filled with people of this world and the next. Houghton narrates her experiences of seances and trance mediumship with close friends, discusses her own automatic spirit drawings, and offers an autobiographical glimpse into her day-to-day business. This critical edition, edited by Sara Williams, includes: * Introduction * Author biography * Select bibliography * Explanatory footnotes * Appendices on 'Houghton in the Spiritualist press', 'Automatic spirit drawings' and 'Houghton's spirit photography'

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881 edition. Excerpt: ...The testimony in question mostly referred to the case itself, therefore it was to the honourable word of men and women of good standing that exception was thus taken, and surely a spiritualist is as likely (to say the least of it) to tell the truth as a non-spiritualist. Poor old woman! she is gone to her account, and I daresay she would now gladly restore him the thousands of which she defrauded him. That trial will go through its grand assize on the other side. Mrs. Guppy knew that I should of course have a stance for my birthday, so she spoke to me about her desire to be present, and declared that she would somehow prevail upon Mr. Guppy so that he should give his consent to her coming without him, if I would make the request to himself personally, in due form, on one of the evenings that I should be there; so I did it, and he said yes, without any hesitation whatever. Thus that obstacle was overcome for always. But I must take this opportunity of saying that Mr. Guppy and I were, to the very last, always on friendly terms, for I recognised the powerful elements there were in his nature which made of him such a curious mixture; while he at the same time acknowledged my steadfastness and desire to act rightly, and he never objected to my opening the stances with The Lord's Prayer, as I did at home, and indeed wherever I might be present. In preparation for the appointed evening, I made four straight tubes of drawing paper, with a hope that was indeed fulfilled; for although the spirit voice of John King was now well known, that was an alien voice, not of any one's own belongings, and it might be that that new blessing might be bestowed. Birthday seance, April 20, at which were present, Mrs. Ramsay, Mrs. Varley, Mrs. Cooper, Mrs....