sentences:  He became interested in spiritualism and believed that he could heal people by the "laying on of hands".For many years both in Sydney and Melbourne he practised in this way, and received hundreds of letters testifying to the benefits received by his patients.While his early unfortunate experience in speculating in land was continually brought up against him in later years, and militated against his public career, Stephen's work as a healer created a great deal of interest at the time.