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certainly never saw a Manchester loom. The matter of which it was formed was visibly gathered
from the atmosphere, and later melted into invisible air. I have seen at least a hundred yards so
manufactured. Then 'Joey.' said, 'Dr. Nichols, I have got into a great row about that Greek, which
you transcribed imperfectly.' He then selected two small slates from a pile of new ones lying on
the mantel-shelf, and handed them to me to be cleaned. I rubbed them both thoroughly, and so
did each of the three others one of them using a wet cloth. 'Joey' then borrowed my knife,
whittled a piece of slate pencil, bit off a piece of it, and placed it between the two slates, and
then carefully wrapped up both in a piece of newspaper. This was all done in the centre of the
small room, quite away from the medium, and in plain sight of all. Then, at his request, I moved
my chair forward, and sitting facing 'Joey' held onc corner of the slates with my left hand, as he
did the other corner with his right, and I laid the fingers of my right hand on the fingers of his left.
Instantly we heard the sound of writing the slates. In a few moments three little raps told us the
writing was done, and I pushed
30
Private Seances and Spiritualsim at Home. 31
back into my place, holding the slates. At the end of the seance we found on one state a message
for Mrs. Nichols from the late Dr. Ferguson signed with his name in his well-known handwriting,
and on the other, in a very neat and delicate hand, each letter almost separately written, the
following: 'The message in Greek has been imperfectly transcribed by you. Translate as written
below, and you have the proverb in its correct and original meaning:
"'ŸÄ±½ ´µ ›±¹µÉ½ ±½´Á¹ À¿ÁÃŽ· ¤¿½ ½¿Å½ µ ²»±Èµ ÀÁÖÄ¿½.'
The fifth word is underscored, as you will see on the slate I leave for your inspection.' Now,
one fact, for what it is worth, is as good as a million. Here is a Greek sentence twice written
under absolute test conditions, in the presence of several persons, by some invisible intelligence,
between two slates closely bound and firmly held together. The medium was not near the slates.
They were prepared by a human form, which was not that of any one of the five persons in the
room. Not one of those five persons could write the shortest sentence in Greek. Not one of them
knew that there was such a proverb in that language."
A remarkably successful seance given to the Brixton Psychological Society, reported by Mr.
W. Newton, F.R.G.S., in the Spiritualist for December 21st, and a flying visit to Brighton, for
sittings in the house of a well-known lady of title resident there, completed this year's work.
On New Year's Eve, 1878, a seance of a most touching and sacred character was held at the
house of Mrs. Macdougal Gregory, of 21, Green Street, Grosvenor Square. This seance, when
described to Mr. Eglinton, was regarded by him as a must unusual one; but I have reason to
believe that, given the same harmonious and sympathetic conditions as prevailed at that time,
such sweet communion with the dead would become an every-day occurrence. I have myself had
like experiences; and under the seal of confidence I have been told of similar instances, most of
them of such a private and sacred nature as to preclude any account reaching the outside world.
With many of these even Mr. Eglinton himself is unacquainted. These inner experiences,
occurring exclusively in private families, constitute the (to neophytes) almost inexplicable
strength of Spiritualism. It is the secret of the tenacity with which, in spite of fraudulent
practices, and so-called "exposures," those who have penetrated the intricacies and mysteries of
the outer fringe of the subject, hold fast to their belief in the reality of spirit communion.
The events of this seance on New Year's Eve will give a faint idea of what is possible under
the highest and best conditions, the result of long continued experiment, and of friendship, trust,
and appreciation on the part of those engaging in spirit communion.
There were eight or ten persons present. The manifestations at the preliminary dark seance
were more powerful and instructive than usual. Afterwards the medium took his seat in the back
drawing-room, being separated from the sitters by a heavy curtain, which was afterwards drawn
aside. The gas was turned on until the room was pervaded by a dim religious light, when slowly
the curtains opened, and from the cabinet came one, dearly loved, long known, and always
treasured by the hostess Lady G  , widow of the late Field-Marshal Sir W. G  . The
form was no dummy dressed up to represent life, or Mr. Eglinton transfigured, which will be
best evidenced by Mrs. Gregory's own words: "I have no hesitation in giving my testimony to
the wonderful power and satisfactory nature of your mediumship. Indeed, I, personally, have
never seen it surpassed. With many others, I have scrutinised
32 'Twixt Two Worlds.
it carefully when it occurred in my house, and we have all been satisfied with its truth. Seven
different times my friend Lady G  appeared to me fully materialised, when you were lying
apparently, in a trance on my sofa in the drawing-room, visible to five or six of my friends who
were with me at the time."
What could be more, beautifully impressive than this midnight scene on New Year's night?
The spirit, after requesting cake and wine to be brought, tasted the cake, touched the wine, and
then handed it to each of the sitters, that they might partake of this holy communion with her.
After this those present were requested to kneel, and, in their midst, the spirit with bended knee
poured forth a solemn invocation, asking Almighty God to bless each friend present, and to make
the New Year one long to be remembered.
When Mr. Eglinton recovered consciousness, he was persuaded that the seance had been a
failure, so rested and peaceful was his condition, and not until he saw the tearful eyes of his
friends, and received their grateful thanks, did he fully realise this memorable event.
For some time the question had been discussed, as to whether "Spirits" had the power to
penetrate a locked and sealed box, and the Research Committee of the British National
Association of Spiritualists, composed of professional and other gentlemen, under the presidency
of Mr. Desmond Fitzgerald, had been sitting patiently at many seances for the development of
the power to produce manifestations inside a nailed box placed near the medium. The conditions
are thus described in the Spiritualist of January 18th, 1878: "The box is nailed to the inside of a
cabinet, and has no aperture whatever inside the cabinet. It has an opening outside, in full view of
the observers, but a board is screwed over that opening. Inside the box is an ordinary electro-
magnet with its armature, and the depression of the armature completes an electrical circuit, and
causes an electrical bell to ring in the usual way. The object to be achieved was, that the spirits
should pass power enough through the wood to depress the armature. The connecting wires to
the electric apparatus are all outside the cabinet, and in full view. Inside the cabinet with the
medium, there is nothing but the smooth wooden outside of the box."
Under these conditions the bell was made to ring at will at two seances, held by Mr. Eglinton
with the Research Committee. More force than necessary to depress the armature was used
inside the box, for a spring was strained and an electro-magnet disarranged. As the recorder [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]