The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 956, 13 May 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1879.

Ttfß fuss that was made when Mrs. Hrtrdinge-Britten first made her appearance in Dunedirv is dying out. There is little or nw enthusiasm now beyond the circle of Spritualists, Freethinkers, and nondescripts. Tile too credulous arc beginning to see that what has been accepted by them as "advanced thought" is nothing mora than a shorn,, and that its promulgators are impostors.. We are not saying that Mrs. Hardinge-Britten is nut clever. She waa, we hear, trained for the stage, and, assisted by plenty of confidence, she plays her part welt where so much playing is necessary. She is a voluble speaker, and is, in fact, a second Walker, with a little more schooling. But this trance business is being played oat. A thirablerigger is ns clever in calling tip the " spirits" aa the more pretentions and respectable trance medium, who, from Free Thought., drifts into a state of mind m which btusphemy is considered a tririe, unit cheating au honest way of gaining a livelihood. We are not saying that 3lrs. Jiardinge-Britten does not say some good things in her " inspirational " lectures ; but there is nothing about what she says that does more than call forth some admiration on account of her readiness r>f speech. She pretends to be in a trance during the delivery of some of her discourses, and u» admired very much as a blind fiddler is for his playing. There is nothingin this inspirational lecturing. It is a catchpenny business. Therein no more poetry In it than there is in selling apples, and it

is not half so honest a calling. The spirits, forsooth. We wot not the kind of | spirits Mrs. Britten calls up—perhaps they [smell strongly of sulphur—but we do j know that there are les3 ethereal being 3 that are immeasurably wiser, and few | that would mingie su much rubbish with so little sense We want no " inspirational" lecturers here. A passable nigger troupe would he much better, and during the3e ! hard times people feel disinclined to do worse than throw away their money. V*'e would reefcon 3lra. Britten in the same category as Dr. Slade and Mr. Walker, bat she is a lady, and her demeanour, her ! language,aremuch more refined than those of these well known impostors, if what she says is only worthy of the title "bunkum."