GEORGE MILNER STEPHEN AND HIS MARVELLOUS CURES.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3164, 9 September 1880, Page 3

GEORGE MILNER STEPHEN AND HIS MARVELLOUS CURES.

The reports of cures said to have been made by Mr 3. M. Stephen, of Sydney, by spiritualistic aids had reached this colony before his son's pamphlet placed them iv chronological order. The little brochure which comes to us by post, however, puts them in connected form, and gives various details about Mr Stephen and his family which constitutes interesting, not to say amusing, reading. Mr Stepbeu became a convert •to Spiritualism, it appears, through seeing and hearing our old friend the redoubtable Thomas Walker. As we know nothing of MrStephenorhis claims to credibility, we think it most prudent to let an authority that is better intormed speak on the subject. We have, therefore, clipped from theSyduey "Bulletin" its rbview of the pamphlet :— "The brochure, then, which contains some fifty-eight pages, is written with the dual object of advertisiugMr MilnerStephcn and of lurtheriug the cause of Spiritualism. It abounds with arguments that are wellknown, aud with clippings that are delightfully familiar, In short, an ordinarily wellread mau might, whilst petusing the little volume, be continually taking oil' his hat in salutation to so many dear old friends. As might have been expected, a very ereat many pages are taken up by reprints of testimonials, sent to Mr Milncr Stepheu; but what really causes us some surpri.su is that the author, in taking up tho cudgels tor spiritualism, leaves the poor angels out in the cold. jNotv, though such conduct ou the part of Mr Harold Stephen cannot bo considered otherwise than as to the last extent ungalla.it, yet even this blemish is almost forgotten when the admirably lofty style of the pamphlet as a whole is taken into consideration. The opening chapter in particular, vthich treats of Mr Milner Stephen's family and of hispersonal achievements is of thrilling interest. The author says : — "As instances of Mr Stephen's versatility of talent it may be mentioned that he is an accomplished lluto player, and an excellent carpenter aud mechanic, of which last he gave proof by the invention of a gold-wash-ing machine, which met with much favour from those who understood its working."

Bat the veratility (properly so called) to which the writer so pleasingly alludes by no means ouds here. We are told that—

" He painted portraits of Christian VIII., King of Denmark (for which he was honoured with numerous sittings by his Majesty) the Prhioe of Thurn and Taxis, Prince Ksterhazy, and several other notabilities, from whom he received many compliments and rich gifts." And furthermore, additional passages in the same chapter instruct us as follows : — " Accompanied solely by Henry Inman, afterwards a clergyman in England (who bravely volunteered when a small party of marines placed under the command of Mr Stephen were panic-stricken and halted), he (then Advocate-General of South Australia) entered the encampment of 200 armed and excited aborigines, and made prisouer of one of them who had just assassinated a colonist,

" Oa another occasiou, in the night time, when five armed bushrangers had .got possession of a hut, and threatened to fire upon a party of marines, again placed under his orders, Mr Stephen (to spare lives) halted the marines, and proceeded alone to the hut, whea he prevailed upon tho bushrangera to surrouder to himself, and yield up their arms. " Mr Stephen also personally arrested, in thu night, another armed bushranger, who hod hrod at the Sheriff in his house, and who was thereupon tried and oxecuted. "Jfinall, it may be added that throngh out his life, Mr Stephen has evinced the greatest horror of smoking and drinking, and that he has always been exceedingly temperate in his habits." These passages alone, arc, we contend, worth more than the shilling asku I for the pamphlet, as they prove how easily one may be deceived by appearances. There are enthusiasts, we believe, who profess to descry startling traits of the angelic in Mr Miller Stephen's countenance, and vow that at times a faint halo of curative glory is to be observed encircling his head; but to the best of our knowledge no one has up to this time observed in the learned gentleman's physiognomy any expression of a bellicose nature. Yet here we have the incontestible evidence of tho great man's son to the effect that under a seemingly mild demeanour are concealed the soul of a warrior—the heart of a lion. What a pity it is that this intelligence comes upou us so late I Of what inestimable value would Mr Milner's services have been on the battle-field, of Glenrowan ! If his persuasive powers were sufficiently great to cause five bushrangers to " surrender to himself," what would not his inimitable art erf cajollery united to his Bayard-like prowess have effected with the small force of tho Kelly outlaws ? We have now done with extracts, and we trus" we have by this time fully impressed our readers with a sense of Mr Milner Stephen's extraordinary versatility ; and of his son's mainfold literary talenta. Had space permitted, wo should . have been pleased to clip passages of, perhaps, yet more illimitable grandeur than those we have already selected; but wo tnink we have done euough to prove that Mr Harold Stephen's latest production is fully on a par with tho other brilliant works of that illustrous author.

There are captious critics wlo might perhaps consider Mr Harold Stephen's pamphlet too long and the genealogical chapter a trifle wearisome; but bo far as we are concerned we feel that if Mr Milner Stephen is the extraordinary versatile genius he is represented by his son to be, a volume the length of Burton's "Anatomy" would be insufficient in affecting his complete immortalisation. Altogether, we congratulate the son upon having such a father, and we oiler our felicitations to the father upon possessing such a son, and, in the the words of Rip, we hope that they will both "Jive long aud brosber."

An accident occurred to Mr D. Goldie and others when on their way to the Howick Lodge installation last evening. The brake, iv turuiog a comer, ran over a large stone lying on the road, and three of its occupants were thrown violently to the ffl»und. Mr Goldie sustained a severe sprain of tiii wrist, but the others escaped unhurt.