The collection of autographs of the late Mr. E. C.
Stedman, put up for sale by auction this week in New York, contains a number of extremely interesting unpublished letters on spiritualism written to his mother, Mrs. Kinney, by Robert and Mrs. Browning, which appear in Wednesday's Times. They record Browning's impressions of a séance given by Home—the original of "Mr. Sludge the Medium "—in 1855, which he describes as a most clumsy performance. Mrs. Brownin,g's impressions, also recorded at length, are diametrically opposed to those of her husband, who suspected Home of trickery. Lapse of years only confirmed Browning in his conviction of Home's imposture and worthlessness, and ten years after his wife's death he wrote declining to sanction the publication of these letters on the ground that
"I should thereby give the unmitigated scoundrel a right as well as an opportunity to retaliate after his natural fashion, by a fresh vomit of lies such as he printed five years ago in a `Spiritual Magazine,' wherein, referring to this very séance, he attributed all my unbelief to my ludicrous jealousy of my wife, whom the spirits crowned as The Poet, passing over me.' If I ever come across the fellow's path I shall probably be silly enough to soil my shoe by kicking him, but I should prefer keeping that disgrace from myself as long as possible. Indeed I have got to consider such a beast as the proper associate and punishment of those who choose to shut their eyes and open their arms to bestiality incarnate."
Browning subsequently withdrew his objection, but neither Mrs. Kinney nor her son availed themselves of the per- mission.
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