,transcriber's ,note3 ,italic text is denoted by underscores and bold text by equal signs4 ,the original text contains many unclosed quotes that are obviously the author's intention4 ,these have been left as the original4 ,line #aiigi3 bone or feather or flesh4 ,study may superadd properties 'superadd' could be 'separate'4 ,every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible4 ,minor typographical errors have been corrected4 ,variations in hyphenation of the word ,sandboat_/,sand-boat have been left unchanged4 ,in the original version the formatting of the conversations between the real world and the spirit world is often confusing4 ,in this transcripton ,i have adopted the following layout4 ,conversations or questions arising from the real world - left justified4 ,conversations or questions arising from the spirit world and anotations by the author within these cross world conversations are shown as blockquotes4 ,part ,,ii ,chap4 ,,ii3 prope funeratus _/ arboris ictu changed to prope funeratus arboris ictu to avoid unwanted '_/'4 ,line #aefh3 ,,so#b ,,sosubscript#b i4e4 ,sulphur ,dioxide4 ,line #fchi3 7,mrs4 ,leonard here repeated the alphabet444444 no closing bracket in the original4 ,left unchanged4 ,line #ajcff3 ,unnecessary 7 removed4 ,typographical error4 ,,raymond ,,or ,,life ,,and ,,death ,,by ,,sir ,,oliver ,j4 ,,lodge ,raymond1 or ,life and ,death ,modern ,problems ,the ,substance of ,faith1 ,allied with ,science ,man and the ,universe ,the ,survival of ,man ,reason and ,belief ,the ,war and ,after ,illustration3 ,,raymond ,,raymond ,,or ,,life ,,and ,,death ,,with ,,examples ,,of ,,the ,,evidence ,,for ,,survival ,,of ,,memory ,,and ,,affection ,,after ,,death ,,by ,sir ,,oliver ,j4 ,,lodge ,,with ,,eighteen ,,illustrations ,,new ,,york ,,george ,h4 ,,doran ,,company ,,copyright1 #aiaf1 ,,by ,,george ,h4 ,,doran ,,company ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america ,,to ,,his ,,mother ,,and ,,family ,,with ,,gratitude ,,for ,,permission ,,to ,,use ,,private ,,material ,,for ,,public ,,ends ,divine must be ,that triumph1 when the very worst1 the pain1 ,and even the prospect of our brethren slain1 ,hath something in it which the heart enjoys4 ,,wordsworth1 ,,sonnet ,,xxvi4 ,,preface ,this book is named after my son who was killed in the ,war4 ,it is divided into three parts4 ,in the first part some idea of the kind of life lived and the spirit shown by any number of youths1 fully engaged in civil occupations1 who joined for service when war broke out and went to the ,front1 is illustrated by extracts from his letters4 ,the object of this portion is to engender a friendly feeling towards the writer of the letters1 so that whatever more has to be said in the sequel may not have the inevitable dulness of details concerning an entire stranger4 ,this is the sole object of this portion4 ,the letters are not supposed to be remarkable2 though as a picture of part of the life at the ,front during the #aiae phase of the war they are interesting1 as many other such letters must have been4 ,the second part gives specimens of what at present are considered by most people unusual communications2 though these again are in many respects of an ordinary type1 and will be recognised as such by other bereaved persons who have had similar messages4 ,in a few particulars1 indeed1 those here quoted have rather special features1 by reason of the assistance given by the group of my friends on the other side who had closely studied the subject4 ,it is partly owing to the urgency therein indicated that ,i have thought it my duty to speak out1 though it may well be believed that it is not without hesitation that ,i have ventured thus to obtrude family affairs4 ,i should not have done so were it not that the amount of premature and unnatural bereavement at the present time is so appalling that the pain caused by exposing one's own sorrow and its alleviation1 to possible scoffers1 becomes almost negligible in view of the service which it is legitimate to hope may thus be rendered to mourners1 if they can derive comfort by learning that communication across the gulf is possible4 ,incidentally ,i have to thank those friends1 some of them previously unknown1 who have in the same spirit allowed the names of loved ones to appear in this book1 and ,i am grateful for the help which one or two of those friends have accorded4 ,some few more perhaps may be thus led to pay critical attention to any assurance of continued and happy and useful existence which may reach them from the other side4 ,the third part of the book is of a more expository character1 and is designed to help people in general to realise that this subject is not the bugbear which ignorance and prejudice have made it1 that it belongs to a coherent system of thought full of new facts of which continued study is necessary1 that it is subject to a law and order of its own1 and that though comparatively in its infancy it is a genuine branch of psychological science4 ,this third part is called ,life and ,death1 because these are the two great undeniable facts which concern everybody1 and in which it is natural for every one to feel a keen interest1 if they once begin to realise that such interest is not futile1 and that it is possible to learn something real about them4 ,it may be willingly admitted that these chapters are inadequate to the magnitude of the subject1 but it is hoped that they are of a usefully introductory character4 ,the ,in ,memoriam chapter of ,part ,i is no doubt chiefly of interest to family and friends2 but everybody is very friendly1 and under the circumstances it will be excused4 ,,contents ,,page ,,preface vii ,,part ,,one3 ,,normal ,,portion ,,chapter ,i4 ,,in ,,memoriam #c ,,ii4 ,,letters ,,from ,,the ,,front #ae ,,iii4 ,,letters ,,from ,,officers #gc ,,part ,,two3 ,,supernormal ,,portion ,,introduction #hc ,i4 ,,elementary ,,explanation #hf ,,ii4 ,,the ',,faunus' ,,message #ij ,,iii4 ,,sequel ,,to ,,the ',,faunus' ,,message #if ,,iv4 ,,the ,,group ,,photograph #aje ,v4 ,,beginning ,,of ,,historical ,,record #aag ,,vi4 ,,first ,,sitting ,,of ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,with ,,mrs4 ,,leonard #abe ,,vii4 ,,first ,,peters ,,sitting 7,anonymous7 #abi ,,viii4 ,a ,,table ,,sitting #acg ,,ix4 ,,attempts ,,at ,,stricter ,,evidence #aea ,x4 ,,record ,,continued #aeh ,,xi4 ,,first ,,sitting ,,of ,,alec #afb ,,xii4 ,,general ,,remarks ,,on ,,conversational ,,reports ,,and ,,on ,,cross-,,correspondences #aga ,,xiii4 ,,an ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,sitting ,,with ,,peters #agd ,,xiv4 ,,first ,,sitting ,,of ,,lionel 7,anonymous7 #ahj ,,xv4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,sitting ,,of ,,november #bf #ahh ,,xvi4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,sitting ,,of ,,december #c #aia ,,xvii4 ,k4 ,k4 ,,automatic ,,writing #bje ,,xviii4 ,,first ,,sitting ,,of ,,alec ,,with ,,mrs4 ,,leonard #bjh ,,xix4 ,,private ,,sittings ,,at ,,mariemont #bag ,,xx4 ,a ,,few ,,more ,,records1 ,,with ,,some ,,unverifiable ,,matter #bbf ,,xxi4 ,,two ,,evidential ,,sittings ,,of ,,march #c #bcg ,,xxii4 ,,more ,,unverifiable ,,matter #bfb ,,xxiii4 ,a ,,few ,,isolated ,,incidents #bga ,,part ,,three3 ,,life ,,and ,,death ,,introduction #bhc ,i4 ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,term ,,life #bhi ,,ii4 ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,term ,,death #bif ,,iii4 ,,death ,,and ,,decay #cjb ,,iv4 ,,continued ,,existence #cjh ,v4 ,,past1 ,,present1 ,,and ,,future #cab ,,vi4 ,,interaction ,,of ,,mind ,,and ,,matter #cag ,,vii4 ',,resurrection ,,of ,,the ,,body' #cbb ,,viii4 ,,mind ,,and ,,brain #cbf ,,ix4 ,,life ,,and ,,consciousness #ccb ,x4 ,,on ,,means ,,of ,,communication #cch ,,xi4 ,,on ,,the ,,fact ,,of ,,supernormal ,,communication #cde ,,xii4 ,,on ,,the ,,contention ,,that ,,all ,,psychic ,,communications ,,are ,,of ,a ,,trivial ,,nature ,,and ,,deal ,,with ,,insignificant ,,topics #cdi ,,xiii4 ,,on ,,the ,,manner ,,of ,,communication #cee ,,xiv4 ,,various ,,psycho-,,physical ,,methods #cfb ,,xv4 ,,attitude ,,of ,,the ,,wise ,,and ,,prudent #cfg ,,xvi4 ,,outlook ,,on ,,the ,,universe #cgd ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,christian ,,idea ,,of ,,god #cgh ,,index #cig ,,illustrations ,,raymond ,frontispiece ,,page ,,raymond ,,when ,,two ,,years ,,old #h ,,raymond1 #aiae #gh ,,group ,,of ,,officers1 ,,as ,,sent ,,us ,,by ,,mrs4 ,,cheves ,,on ,,december #g1 #aiae1 ,,showing ,,an ,,arm ,,resting ,,on ,,raymond',s ,,shoulder #aaj ,,another ,,edition ,,of ,,the ,,group-,,photograph1 ,,with ,,leg ,,touching ,,shoulder ,,instead ,,of ,,hand #aab ,,group ,,subsequently ,,obtained1 ,,evidently ,,taken ,,at ,,the ,,same ,,time1 ,,but ,,pressure ,,on ,,shoulder ,,removed #aad ,,mariemont #bbd ,,raymond ,,and ,,brodie ,,with ,,the ,,pigeons ,,at ,,mariemont #bbd ,,large ,,double-,,compartment ,,tent ,,in ,,its ,,first ,,form 7#aije7 7,,built ,,at ,,mariemont ,,and ,,taken ,,to ,,woolacombe7 #bej ,,the ,,tent ,,in ,,its ,,second ,,form 7#aijf7 ,,made ,,out ,,of ,,the ,,remains ,,of ,,the ,,first #bej ,,first ,,edition ,,of ,,the ,,sandboat 7#aijf7 ,,at ,,woolacombe1 ,,with ,,alec ,,on ,,board #beb ,,rising ,,ground ,,behind ,,older ,,tents ,,on ,,woolacombe ,,beach #beb ,,grandfather ,w4 #beh ,,mr4 ,,jackson ,,with ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,at ,,mariemont #beh ,,second ,,edition ,,of ,,sandboat1 ,,at ,,mariemont1 ,,before ,,being ,,unshipped ,,and ,,taken ,,to ,,woolacombe1 #aijg #bfj ,,raymond ,,working ,,at ,,the ,,sandboat ,,in ,,the ,,boys' ,,laboratory ,,at ,,mariemont #bfj ,,curly ,,and ,,vix4 ,,curly ,,being ,,the ,,shaggy ,,one4 ,,vix ,,was ,,the ,,mother ,,of ,,raymond',s ,,dog ,,larry #bgh ,,raymond ,,in ,,his ,,nagant ,,motor1 #aiac4 ,,outside ,a ,,friend',s ,,house ,,in ,,somersetshire #bgh ,,part ,,one3 ,,normal ,,portion ,and this to fill us with regard for man1 ,with apprehension of his passing worth4 ,browning1 ,paracelsus4 ,,chapter ,i ,,in ,,memoriam ,the bare facts are much as reported in ,the ,times3-- ,,second ,,lieutenant ,,raymond ,,lodge was the youngest son of ,sir ,oliver and ,lady ,lodge1 and was by taste and training an engineer4 ,he volunteered for service in ,september #aiad and was at once given a commission in the #crd ,south ,lancashires4 ,after training near ,liverpool and ,edinburgh1 he went to the ,front in the early spring of #aiae1 attached to the #bnd ,south ,lancashire ,regiment of the ,regular ,army1 and was soon in the trenches near ,ypres or ,hooge4 ,his engineering skill was of service in details of trench construction1 and he later was attached to a ,machine-,gun ,section for a time1 and had various escapes from shell fire and shrapnel4 ,his ,captain having sprained an ankle1 he was called back to ,company work1 and at the time of his death was in command of a ,company engaged in some early episode of an attack or attempted advance which was then beginning4 ,he was struck by a fragment of shell in the attack on ,hooge ,hill on the #adth ,september #aiae1 and died in a few hours4 ,raymond ,lodge had been educated at ,bedales ,school and ,birmingham ,university4 ,he had a great aptitude and love for mechanical engineering1 and was soon to have become a partner with his elder brothers1 who highly valued his services1 and desired his return to assist in the ,government work which now occupies their firm4 ,in amplification of this bare record a few members of the family wrote reminiscences of him1 and the following memoir is by his eldest brother3-- ,,raymond ,,lodge 7#ahhi-aiae7 ,by ,o4 ,w4 ,f4 ,l4 ,most lives have marriages1 births of children1 productive years2 but the lives of the defenders of their ,country are short and of majestic simplicity4 ,the obscure records of childhood1 the few years of school and university and constructive and inventive work1 and then the sudden sacrifice of all the promise of the future1 of work1 of home1 of love2 the months of hard living and hard work well carried through1 the cheerful humorous letters home making it out all very good fun2 and in front1 in a strange ruined and desolate land1 certain mutilation or death4 ,and now that death has come4 ,unto each man his handiwork1 to each his crown1 ,the just ,fate gives2 ,whoso takes the world's life on him and his own lays down1 ,he1 dying so1 lives4#a ,my brother was born at ,liverpool on ,january #beth1 #ahhi1 and was at ,bedales ,school for five or six years1 and afterwards at ,birmingham ,university1 where he studied engineering and was exceptionally competent in the workshop4 ,he went through the usual two years' practical training at the ,wolseley ,motor ,works1 and then entered his brothers' works1 where he remained until he obtained a commission at the outbreak of war4 ,his was a mind of rare stamp4 ,it had unusual power1 unusual quickness1 and patience and understanding of difficulties in my experience unparalleled1 so that he was able to make anyone understand really difficult things4 ,i think we were most of us proudest and most hopeful of him4 ,some of us1 ,i did myself1 sometimes took problems technical or intellectual to him1 sure of a wise and sound solution4 ,though his chief strength lay on the side of mechanical and electrical engineering it was not confined to that4 ,he read widely1 and liked good literature of an intellectual and witty but not highly imaginative type1 at least ,i do not know that he read ,shelley or much of ,william ,morris1 but he was fond of ,fielding1 ,pope1 and ,jane ,austen4 ,naturally he read ,shakespeare1 and ,i particularly associate him with ,twelfth ,night and ,love's ,labour's ,lost4 ,among novelists1 his favourites1 after ,fielding and ,miss ,austen1 were ,i believe ,dickens and ,reade2 and he frequently quoted from the essays and letters of ,charles ,lamb4#b ,of the stories of his early childhood1 and his overflowing vitality made many1 ,i was too often from home to be able to speak at large4 ,but one ,i may tell4 ,once when a small boy at ,grove ,park1 ,liverpool1 he jumped out of the bath and ran down the stairs with the nurse after him1 out of the front door1 down one drive along the road and up the other1 and was safely back in the bath again before the horrified nursemaid could catch up with him4 body of ,memoir incomplete1 and omitted here4 ,close of ,memoir ,that death is the end has never been a ,christian doctrine1 and evidence collected by careful men in our own day has1 perhaps needlessly1 upheld with weak props of experiment the mighty arch of ,faith4 ,death is real and grievous1 and is not to be tempered by the glossing timidities of those who would substitute journalese like passing-on1 passing-over1 etc41 for that tremendous word3 but it is the end of a stage1 not the end of the journey4 ,the road stretches on beyond that inn1 and beyond our imagination1 the moonlit endless way4 ,let us think of him then1 not as lying near ,ypres with all his work ended1 but rather1 after due rest and refreshment1 continuing his noble and useful career in more peaceful surroundings1 and quietly calling us his family from paralysing grief to resolute and high endeavour4 ,indeed1 it is not right that we should weep for a death like his4 ,rather let us pay him our homage in praise and imitation1 by growing like him and by holding our lives lightly in our ,country's service1 so that if need be we may die like him4 ,this is true honour and his best memorial4 ,not that ,i would undervalue those of brass or stone1 for if beautiful they are good and worthy things4 ,but fame illuminates memorials1 and fame has but a narrow circle in a life of twenty-six years4 ,who shall remember him1 who climb ,his all-unripened fame to wake1 ,who dies an age before his time8 ,but nobly1 but for ,england's sake4 ,who will believe us when we cry ,he was as great as he was brave8 ,his name that years had lifted high ,lies buried in that ,belgian grave4 ,o strong and patient1 kind and true1 ,valiant of heart1 and clear of brain-- ,they cannot know the man we knew1 ,our words go down the wind like rain4 ,o4 ,w4 ,f4 ,l4 ,tintern ,,epitaph ,,on ,,memorial ,,tablet ,,in ,,st4 ,,george',s ,,church1 ,,edgbaston ,,remember ,,raymond ,,lodge ,,second ,,lieutenant ,,second ,,south ,,lancashire ,,regiment ,,beloved ,,son ,,of ,,sir ,,oliver ,,and ,,lady ,,lodge ,,of ,,this ,,parish ,,who ,,gave ,,his ,,life ,,for ,,his ,,country ,,he ,,was ,,born ,,january #be,,th #ahhi ,,and ,,was ,,killed ,,in ,,action ,,in ,,flanders ,,about ,,noon ,,september #ad,,th ,,in ,,the ,,year ,,of ,,our ,,lord #aiae ,,aged #bf ,,years ,whoso bears the whole heaviness of the wronged world's weight ,and puts it by1 ,it is well with him suffering1 though he face man's fate2 ,how should he die8 ,swinburne ,,reminiscences ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,of all my sons1 the youngest1 when he was small1 was most like myself at the same age4 ,in bodily appearance ,i could recognise the likeness to my early self1 as preserved in old photographs2 an old schoolfellow of mine who knew me between the ages of eight and eleven1 visiting ,mariemont in ,april #aijd1 remarked on it forcibly and at once1 directly he saw ,raymond--then a schoolboy2 and innumerable small mental traits in the boy recalled to me my childhood's feelings4 ,even an absurd difficulty he had as a child in saying the hard letters--the hard ,g and ,k--was markedly reminiscent of my own similar difficulty4 ,another peculiarity which we shared in childhood was dislike of children's parties--indeed1 in my own case1 a party of any kind4 ,i remember being truly miserable at a ,christmas party at ,the ,mount1 ,penkhull1 where ,i have no doubt that every one was more than friendly1--though probably over-patronising1 as people often are with children1--but where ,i determinedly abstained from supper1 and went home hungry4 ,raymond's prominent instance was at the hospitable ,liverpool house1 ,greenbank1 which the ,rathbones annually delivered up to family festivities each ,christmas afternoon and evening1 being good enough to include us in their family group4 ,on one such occasion ,raymond1 a very small boy1 was found in the hall making a bee-line for the front door and home4 ,i remember sympathising with him1 from ancient memories1 and taking him home1 subsequently returning myself4 ,at a later stage of boyhood ,i perceived that his ability and tastes were akin to mine1 for we had the same passionate love of engineering and machinery2 though in my case1 having no opportunity of exercising it to any useful extent1 it gradually turned into special aptitude for physical science4 ,raymond was never anything like as good at physics1 nor had he the same enthusiasm for mathematics that ,i had1 but he was better at engineering1 was in many ways ,i consider stronger in character1 and would have made1 ,i expect1 a first-rate engineer4 ,his pertinacious ability in the mechanical and workshop direction was very marked4 ,nothing could have been further from his natural tastes and proclivities than to enter upon a military career2 nothing but a sense of duty impelled him in that direction1 which was quite foreign to family tradition1 at least on my side4 ,illustration3 ,,raymond ,,when ,,two ,,years ,,old ,he also excelled me in a keen sense of humour--not only appreciation1 but achievement4 ,the whole family could not but admire and enjoy the readiness with which he perceived at once the humorous side of everything2 and he usually kept lively any gathering of which he was a unit4 ,at school1 indeed1 his active wit rather interfered with the studies of himself and others1 and in the supposed interests of his classmates it had to be more or less suppressed1 but to the end he continued to be rather one of the wags of the school4 ,being so desperately busy all my life ,i failed to see as much as ,i should like either of him or of the other boys1 but there was always an instinctive sympathy between us2 and it is a relief to me to be unable to remember any1 even a single1 occasion on which ,i have been vexed with him4 ,in all serious matters he was1 as far as ,i could judge1 one of the best youths ,i have ever known2 and we all looked forward to a happy life for him and a brilliant career4 ,his elder brothers highly valued his services in their ,works4 ,he got on admirably with the men2 his mode of dealing with overbearing foremen at the ,works1 where he was for some years an apprentice1 was testified to as masterly1 and was much appreciated by his mates2 and honestly ,i cannot bethink myself of any trait in his character which ,i would have had different--unless it be that he might have had a more thorough liking and aptitude for1 and greater industry in1 my own subject of physics4 ,when the war broke out his mother and ,i were in ,australia1 and it was some time before we heard that he had considered it his duty to volunteer4 ,he did so in ,september #aiad1 getting a commission in the ,regular ,army which was ante-dated to ,august2 and he threw himself into military duties with the same ability and thoroughness as he had applied to more naturally congenial occupations4 ,he went through a course of training at ,great ,crosby1 near ,liverpool1 with the ,regiment in which he was a ,second ,lieutenant1 namely the #crd ,south ,lancashires1 being attached to the #bnd when he went to the ,front2 his ,company spent the winter in more active service on the south coast of the ,firth of ,forth and ,edinburgh2 and he gained his desired opportunity to go out to ,flanders on #ae ,march #aiae4 ,here he applied his engineering faculty to trench and shelter construction1 in addition to ordinary military duties2 and presently he became a machine-gun officer4 ,how desperately welcome to the family his safe return would have been1 at the end of the war1 ,i need not say4 ,he had a hard and strenuous time at the ,front1 and we all keenly desired to make it up to him by a course of home spoiling4 ,but it was too much to hope for--though ,i confess ,i did hope for it4 ,he has entered another region of service now2 and this we realise4 ,for though in the first shock of bereavement the outlook of life felt irretrievably darkened1 a perception of his continued usefulness has mercifully dawned upon us1 and we know that his activity is not over4 ,his bright ingenuity will lead to developments beyond what we could have anticipated2 and we have clear hopes for the future4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,mariemont1 ,september #cj1 #aiae4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,mother',s ,,lament ,written on a scrap of paper1 ,september #bf1 #aiae1 ,to ease the pain and to try to get in touch ,raymond1 darling1 you have gone from our world1 and oh1 to ease the pain4 ,i want to know if you are happy1 and that you yourself are really talking to me and no sham4 ,no more letters from you1 my own dear son1 and ,i have loved them so4 ,they are all there2 we shall have them typed together into a sort of book4 ,now we shall be parted until ,i join you there4 ,i have not seen as much of you as ,i wanted on this earth1 but ,i do love to think of the bits ,i have had of you1 specially our journeys to and from ,italy4 ,i had you to myself then1 and you were so dear4 ,i want to say1 dear1 how we recognise the glorious way in which you have done your duty1 with a certain straight pressing on1 never letting anyone see the effort1 and with your fun and laughter playing round all the time1 cheering and helping others4 ,you know how your brothers and sisters feel your loss1 and your poor father6 99 99 99 99 99 ,the religious side of ,raymond was hardly known to the family2 but among his possessions at the ,front was found a small pocket ,bible called ,the ,palestine ,pictorial ,bible 7,pearl #bdmo71 ,oxford ,university ,press1 in which a number of passages are marked2 and on the fly-leaf1 pencilled in his writing1 is an index to these passages1 which page ,i copy here3-- ,,page ,ex4 xxxiii4 #ad #fc ,st4 ,john xiv4 #fhi ,eph4 ii4 #gdi ,neh4 i4 #f1 ,,ii #ccg ,st4 ,john xvi4 #cc #fhi ,rom4 viii4 #ce #gbc ,st4 ,matt4 xi4 #bh #faf ,ps4 cxxiv4 #h #dae ,ps4 xliii4 #b #dfh ,deut4 xxxiii4 #bg #aea ,deut4 xxxii4 #dc #aej ,isa4 li4 #ab #dgc ,isa4 lii4 #ab #dgd ,jude #bd #ghd ,ezra ix4 #i #cce ,isa4 xii4 #b #dea ,isa4 i4 #ah #dde ,isa4 xl4 #ca #dfg ,rev4 vii4 #ad #ghh ,rev4 xxi4 #d #gie ,,mizpah4 ,gen4 xxxi4 #di4 ,r4 ,l4 #ad_/h_/ae ,the following poem was kindly sent me by ,canon ,rawnsley1 in acknowledgment of a ,memorial ,card3-- ,,our ,,angel-,,host ,,of ,,help ,,in ,,memory ,,of ,,raymond ,,lodge1 ,,who ,,fell ,,in ,,flanders1 #ad ,,sept4 #aiae ,his strong young body is laid under some trees on the road from ,ypres to ,menin4 ,from the ,memorial ,card sent to friends4 ',twixt ,ypres and ,menin night and day ,the poplar trees in leaf of gold ,were whispering either side the way ,of sorrow manifold1 --,of war that never should have been1 ,of war that still perforce must be1 ,till in what brotherhood can mean ,the nations all agree4 ,but where they laid your gallant lad ,i heard no sorrow in the air1 ,the boy who gave the best he had ,that others good might share4 ,for golden leaf and gentle grass ,they too had offered of their best ,to banish grief from all who pass ,his hero's place of rest4 ,there as ,i gazed1 the guests of ,god1 ,an angel host before mine eyes1 ,silent as if on air they trod ,marched straight from ,paradise4 ,and one sprang forth to join the throng ,from where the grass was gold and green1 ,his body seemed more lithe and strong ,than it had ever been4 ,i cried1 ,but why in bright array ,of crowns and palms toward the north ,and those white trenches far away1 ,doth this great host go forth8 ,he answered1 ,forth we go to fight ,to help all need where need there be1 ,sworn in for right against brute might ,till ,europe shall be free4 ,h4 ,d4 ,,rawnsley ,,extracts ,,from ,,plato',s ,,dialogue ,,menexenus ,,being ,,part ,,of ,a ,,speech ,,in ,,honour ,,of ,,those ,,who ,,had ,,died ,,in ,,battle ,,for ,,their ,,country ,and ,i think that ,i ought now to repeat the message which your fathers1 when they went out to battle1 urged us to deliver to you who are their survivors1 in case anything happened to them4 ,i will tell you what ,i heard them say1 and what1 if they could1 they would fain be saying now1 judging from what they then said2 but you must imagine that you hear it all from their lips4 ,thus they spoke3-- ,sons1 the event proves that your fathers were brave men4 ,for we1 who might have continued to live1 though without glory1 choose a glorious death rather than bring reproach on you and your children1 and rather than disgrace our fathers and all of our race who have gone before us1 believing that for the man who brings shame on his own people life is not worth living1 and that such an one is loved neither by men nor gods1 either on earth or in the underworld when he is dead4 ,some of us have fathers and mothers still living1 and you must encourage them to bear their trouble1 should it come1 as lightly as may be2 and do not join them in lamentations1 for they will have no need of aught that would give their grief a keener edge4 ,they will have pain enough from what has befallen them4 ,endeavour rather to soothe and heal their wound1 reminding them that of all the boons they ever prayed for the greatest have been granted to them4 ,for they did not pray that their sons should live for ever1 but that they should be brave and of fair fame4 ,courage and honour are the best of all blessings1 and while for a mortal man it can hardly be that everything in his own life will turn out as he would have it1 their prayer for those two things has been heard4 ,moreover1 if they bear their troubles bravely1 it will be perceived that they are indeed fathers of brave sons1 and that they themselves are like them4444 ,so minded1 we1 at any rate1 bid those dear to us to be2 such we would have them be2 and such we say we are now showing that we ourselves are1 neither grieving overmuch nor fearing overmuch if we are to die in this battle4 ,and we entreat our fathers and mothers to continue to be thus minded for the rest of their days1 for we would have them know that it is not by bewailing and lamentation that they will please us best4 ,if the dead have any knowledge of the living1 they will give us no pleasure by breaking down under their trouble1 or by bearing it with impatience4444 ,for our lives will have had an end the most glorious of all that fall to the lot of man2 it is therefore more fitting to do us honour than to lament us4 ,stat sua cuique dies2 breve et irreparabile tempus ,omnibus est vitae3 sed famam extendere factis1 ,hoc virtutis opus4 n4 x4 #dfg ,footnote #a3 ,swinburne1 ,super ,flumina ,babylonis4 ,footnote #b3 ,note by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,a volume of poems by ,o4 ,w4 ,f4 ,l4 had been sent to ,raymond by the author2 and this came back with his kit1 inscribed on the title page in a way which showed that it had been appreciated3-- ,received at ,wisques 7,machine-,gun ,school71 near ,st4 ,omer1 ,france--#abth ,july #aiae4 ,taken to camp near ,poperinghe--#acth ,july4 ,to huts near ,dickebusch--#bast ,july4 ,to first-line trenches near ,st4 ,eloi1 in front of ',the ,mound of ,death'--#bdth ,july4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,letters ,,from ,,the ,,front ,i shall now1 for reasons explained in the ,preface1 quote extracts from letters which ,raymond wrote to members of his family during the time he was serving in ,flanders4 ,a short note made by me the day after he first started for the ,front may serve as a preliminary statement of fact3-- ,mariemont1 ,edgbaston1 #af ,march #aiae ,raymond was recently transferred back from ,edinburgh to ,great ,crosby near ,liverpool2 and once more began life in tents or temporary sheds4 ,yesterday morning1 ,monday the #aeth ,march1 one of the subalterns was ordered to the ,front2 he went to a doctor1 who refused to pass him1 owing to some temporary indisposition4 ,raymond was then asked if he was fit3 he replied1 ,perfectly4 ,so at #aj a4m4 he was told to start for ,france that night4 ,accordingly he packed up2 and at #c4jj we at ,mariemont received a telegram from him asking to be met at #e p4m41 and saying he could spend six hours at home4 ,his mother unfortunately was in ,london1 and for many hours was inaccessible4 ,at last some of the telegrams reached her1 at #g p4m41 and she came by the first available 7slow7 train from ,paddington1 getting here at #aa4 ,raymond took the midnight train to ,euston2 ,alec1 ,lionel1 and ,nol accompanying him4 ,they would reach ,euston at #c4ej a4m4 and have two hours to wait1 when he was to meet a ,captain ,capt4 ,taylor1 and start from ,waterloo for ,southampton4 ,the boys intended to see him off at ,waterloo1 and then return home to their war-business as quickly as they could4 ,he seems quite well2 but naturally it has been rather a strain for the family3 as the same sort of thing has been for so many other families4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,first comes a letter written on his way to the ,front after leaving ,southampton4 ,hotel ,dervaux1 #ge ,grande ,rue1 ,boulogne-s_/,mer1 ,wednesday1 #bd ,march #aiae1 #aa4cj a4m4 ,following on my recent despatch1 ,i have the honour to report that we have got stuck here on our way to the ,front4 ,not stuck exactly1 but they have shunted us into a siding which we reached about #h a4m41 and we are free until #b4cj p4m4 when we have to telephone for further orders to find out where we are to join our train4 ,i don't know whether this is the regular way to the ,front from ,rouen4 ,i don't think it is1 ,i fancy the more direct way must be reserved for urgent supplies and wounded4 ,my servant has been invaluable en route and he has caused us a great deal of amusement4 ,he hunted round at the goods station at ,rouen 7whence we started7 and found a large circular tin4 ,he pierced this all over to form a brazier and attached a wire handle4 ,as soon as we got going he lit this1 having filled it with coal purloined from somewhere1 and when we stopped by the wayside about #aj or #aa p4m4 he supplied my compartment 7four officers7 with fine hot tea4 ,he had previously purchased some condensed milk4 ,he also saw to it that a large share of the rations1 provided by the authorities before we left1 fell to our share1 and looked after us and our baggage in the most splendid way4 ,he insists on treating the train as a tram4 ,as soon as it slows down to four miles an hour1 he is down on the permanent way gathering firewood or visiting some railway hut in search of plunder4 ,he rides with a number of other servants in the baggage waggon1 and as they had no light he nipped out at a small station and stole one of the railway men's lamps4 ,however1 there was a good deal of fuss1 and the owner came and indignantly recovered it4 ,as soon as we stop anywhere1 he lowers out of his van the glowing brazier4 ,he keeps it burning in the van6 ,i wonder the railway authorities don't object4 ,if they do1 of course he pretends not to understand any ,french4 ,he often gets left behind on the line1 and has to scramble into our carriage1 where he regales us with his life history until the next stop1 when he returns to his own van4 ,altogether he is a very rough customer and wants a lot of watching--all the same he makes an excellent servant4 ,,letters ,,from ,,the ,,front ,,in ,,flanders ,friday1 #bf ,march #aiae ,i arrived here yesterday about #e p4m41 and found the ,battalion resting from the trenches4 ,we all return there on ,sunday evening4 ,i got a splendid reception from my friends here1 and they have managed to get me into an excellent ,company1 all the officers of which are my friends4 ,this place is very muddy1 but better than it was1 ,i understand4 ,we are in tents4 ,saturday1 #bg ,march #aiae1 #d4cj p4m4 ,we moved from our camp into billets last night and are now in a farm-house4 ,the natives still live here1 and we 7five officers7 have a room to ourselves1 and our five servants and our cook live and cook for us in the kitchen4 ,the men of our ,company are quartered in neighbouring farm buildings1 and other ,companies farther down the road4 ,we are within a mile of a village and about three or four miles to the southward of a fair-sized and well-known town4 ,the weather is steadily improving and the mud is drying up--though ,i haven't seen what the trenches are like yet4444 ,i am now permanently attached to ,c ,company and am devoutly thankful4 ,captain ,t4 is in command and the subalterns are ,laws1 ,fletcher1 and ,thomas1 all old friends of mine4 ,f4 was the man whose room ,i shared at ,edinburgh and over whose bed ,i fixed the picture4444 ,we went on a 'fatigue' job to-day--just our ,company--and were wrongly directed and so went too far and got right in view of the enemy's big guns4 ,however1 we cleared out very quickly when we discovered our error1 and had got back on to the main road again when a couple of shells burst apparently fairly near where we had been4 ,there were a couple of hostile aeroplanes about too4444 ,thank you very much for your letter wondering where ,i am4 ',very pressing are the ,germans1' a buried city4 ,this of course privately signified to the family that he was at ,ypres4 #a ,april #aiae1 #a4ae p4m4 ,we dug trenches by night on ,monday and ,wednesday1 and although we were only about #cjj to #ejj yards from the enemy we had a most peaceful time1 only a very few stray bullets whistling over from time to time4 ,saturday1 #c ,april #aiae1 #g p4m4 ,i am having quite a nice time in the trenches4 ,i am writing this in my dug-out by candle-light2 this afternoon ,i had a welcome shave4 ,shaving and washing is usually dispensed with during our spell of duty 7even by the ,colonel71 but if ,i left it six days ,i should burst my razor ,i think4 ,i have got my little ',primus' with me and it is very useful indeed as a standby1 although we do all our main cooking on a charcoal brazier4444 ,i will look out for the great sunrise to-morrow morning and am wishing you all a jolly good ,easter3 ,i shan't have at all a bad one4 ,it is very like ,robinson ,crusoe--we treasure up our water supply most carefully 7it is brought up in stone jars71 and we have excellent meals off limited and simple rations1 by the exercise of a little native cunning on the part of our servants1 especially mine4 ,bank ,holiday1 #e ,april #aiae1 #d4cj p4m4 ,the trenches are only approached and relieved at night-time1 and even here we are not allowed to stir from the house by day on any pretext whatever1 and no fires are allowed on account of the smoke4 7,fires are started within doors when darkness falls and we have a hot meal then and again in the early morning--that is the rule--however1 we do get a fire in the day by using charcoal only and lighting up from a candle to one piece and from that one piece to the rest1 by blowing2 also ,i have my ,primus stove47 444 ,we are still within rifle-fire range here1 but of course it is all unaimed fire from the intermittent conflict going on at the firing line4444 ,i have a straw bed covered with my tarpaulin sheet--7it is useful although ,i have also the regular military rubber ground sheet as well7--and my invaluable air-pillow4 ,i am of course travelling light and have to carry everything in my 'pack' until ,i get back to my valise and 'rest billets1' so ,i sleep in my clothes4 ,simply take off my boots and puttees1 put my feet in a nice clean sack1 take off my coat and cover myself up with my ,british ,warm coat 7put on sideways so as to use its great width to the full74 ,like this ,i sleep like a top and am absolutely comfortable4 ,i have been making up an ,acrostic for you all to guess--here it is3 ,,lights4 ,my first is speechless1 and a bell ,has often the complaint as well4 ,three letters promising to pay1 ,each letter for a word does stay4 ,there's nothing gross about this act2-- ,a gentle kiss involving tact4 ,a ,general less his final 'k1' ,a hen would have no more to say4 ,our ,neenie who is going west ,her proper name will serve you best4 ,,whole4 ,my whole1 though in a foreign tongue1 ,is ,richard's name when he is young4 ,the rest is just a shrub or tree ,with spelling ',made in ,germany4' ,that's the lot4 ,the word has ten letters and is divided into two halves for the purpose of the ,acrostic4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my room-mate has changed for to-night1 and ,i have got ,wyatt1 who has just come in covered in mud1 after four days in the trenches4 ,he is machine-gun officer1 and works very hard4 ,i am so glad to have him4 ,by the way the support-trenches aren't half bad4 ,i didn't want to leave them1 but it's all right here too4 ,thursday1 #h ,april #aiae ,here ,i am back again in ',rest ,billets1' for six days' rest4 ,when ,i set off for the six days' duty ,i was ardently looking forward to this moment1 but there is not much difference2 here we 'pig' it pretty comfortably in a house1 and there we 'pig' it almost as comfortably in a 'dug-out4' ,there we are exposed to rifle fire1 nearly all unaimed1 and here we are exposed to shell fire--aimed1 but from about five miles away4 ,on the whole this is the better1 because there is more room to move about1 more freedom for exercise1 and there is less mud4 ,but you will understand how much conditions in the trenches have improved if comparison is possible at all4 ,my platoon 7,no4 #aa7 has been very fortunate2 we have had no casualties at all in the last six days4 ,the nearest thing to one was yesterday when we were in the firing trench1 and a man got a bullet through his cap quite close to his head4 ,he was peeping over the top1 a thing they are all told not to do in the daytime4 ,the trenches at our point are about a hundred yards apart1 and it is really safe to look over if you don't do it too often1 but it is unnecessary1 as we had a periscope and a few loopholes4444 ,i am awfully grateful for all the things that have been sent1 and are being sent4444 ,i will attach a list of wants at the end of this letter4 ,i am very insatiable 7that's not quite the word ,i wanted71 but ,i am going on the principle that you and the rest of the family are only waiting to gratify my every whim6 ,so1 if ,i think of a thing ,i ask for it4444 ,by the way we have changed our billets here4 ,our last ones have been shelled while we were away--a prodigious hole through the roof wrecking the kitchen1 but not touching our little room at the back4 ,however1 it is not safe enough for habitation and the natives even have left6 ,things are awfully quiet here4 ,we thought at first that it was 'fishy' and something was preparing1 but ,i don't think so now4 ,it is possibly the principle of 'live and let live4' ,in the trenches if we don't stir them up with shots they leave us pretty well alone4 ,of course we are ready for anything all the same4 ,yes1 we see the daily papers here as often as we want to 7the day's before74 ,personally1 and ,i think my view is shared by all the other officers1 ,i would rather read a romance1 or anything not connected with this war1 than a daily paper4444 ,was the ,easter sunrise a success8 ,it wasn't here4 ,cloudy and dull was how ,i should describe it4 ,fair to fine generally1 some rain 7the latter not to be taken in the ,american sense74 ,i wonder if you got my ,acrostic see previous letter and whether anybody guessed it2 it was meant to be very easy1 but perhaps acrostics are no longer the fashion and are somewhat boring4 ,i always think they are more fun to make than to undo4 ,the solution is a household word here1 because it is only a half-mile or so away1 and provides most things4 ,the family had soon guessed the ,acrostic1 giving the place as ,dickebusch4 ,the lights are-- ,d um ,b ,i o ,u ,cares ,s ,k lu ,ck ,e dit ,h4 ,to a ,brother ,billets1 ,tuesday1 #ac ,april #aiae ,we are all right here except for the shells4 ,when ,i arrived ,i found every one suffering from nerves and unwilling to talk about shells at all4 ,and now ,i understand why4 ,the other day a shrapnel burst near our billet and a piece of the case caught one of our servants 7,mr4 ,laws's7 on the leg and hand4 ,he lost the fingers of his right hand1 and ,i have been trying to forget the mess it made of his right leg--ever since4 ,he will have had it amputated by now4 ,they make you feel awfully shaky1 and when one comes over it is surprising the pace at which every one gets down into any ditch or hole near4 ,one large shell landed right on the field where the men were playing football on ,sunday evening4 ,they all fell flat1 and all1 ,i'm thankful to say1 escaped injury1 though a few were within a yard or so of the hole4 ,the other subalterns of the ,company and ,i were 7mirabile dictu7 in church at the time4 ,i wonder if you can get hold of some morphia tablets for wounded men4 ,i think injection is too complicated1 but ,i understand there are tablets that can merely be placed in the mouth to relieve pain4 ,they might prove very useful in the trenches1 because if a man is hit in the morning he will usually have to wait till dark to be removed4 ,my revolver has arrived this morning4 ,sunday1 #ah ,april #aiae ,i came out of the trenches on ,friday night4 ,it was raining1 so the surface of the ground was very slippery2 and it was the darkest night ,i can remember4 ,there was a good deal of 'liveliness' too1 shots were flying around more than usual4 ,there were about a hundred of us in our party1 two platoons 7,fletcher's and mine7 which had been in the fire trenches1 though ,i was only with them for one day1 ,thursday night till ,friday night4 ,captain ,taylor was in front1 then ,fletcher's platoon1 then ,fletcher1 then my platoon1 then me bringing up the rear4 ,we always travel in single file1 because there are so many obstacles to negotiate--plank bridges and ',johnson' holes being the chief4 ,picture us then shuffling our way across the fields behind the trenches at about one mile an hour--with frequent stops while those in front negotiate some obstacle 7during these stops we crouch down to try and miss most of the bullets674 ,every few minutes a ',very' light will go up and then the whole line 'freezes' and remains absolutely stationary in its tracks till the light is over4 ,a ',very' light is an 'asteroid4' 7,nol will explain that47 ,it is fired either by means of a rocket 7in the ,german case7 or of a special pistol called a ',very' pistol after the inventor 7in our case74 ,the light is not of magnesium brightness1 but is just a bright star light with a little parachute attached1 so that it falls slowly through the air4 ,the light lasts about five seconds4 ,these things are being shot up at short intervals all night long4 ,sometimes dozens are in the air together1 especially if an attack is on4 ,well1 to go back to ,friday night3--it took us a very long time to get back1 and at one point it was hard to believe that they hadn't seen us4 ,lights went up and almost a volley whistled over us4 ,we all got right down and waited for a bit4 ,really we were much too far off for them to see us1 but we were on rather an exposed bit of ground1 and they very likely fix a few rifles on to that part in the daytime and 'poop' them off at night4 ,that is a favourite plan of theirs1 and works very well4 ,we did get here in the end1 and had no casualties1 though we had had one just before leaving the trench4 ,a man called ,raymond 7in my platoon7 got shot through the left forearm4 ,he was firing over the parapet and had been sniping snipers 7firing at their flashes74 ,rather a nasty wound through an artery4 ,they applied a tourniquet and managed to stop the bleeding1 but he was so weak from loss of blood he had to be carried back on a stretcher4 ,i had noticed this man before1 partly on account of his name4 ,last time ,i was in the fire trenches 7about ten days ago7 ,i was dozing in my dug-out one evening and the ,sergeant-,major was in his1 next door4 ,suddenly he calls out ',raymond6' ,i started4 ,then he calls again ',raymond6 ,come here6' ,i shouted out ',hallo6 ,what's the matter8' ,but then ,i heard the other ,raymond answering1 so ,i guessed how it was4444 ,while at tea in the next room the post came and brought me your letter and one from ,alec4 ,isn't it perfectly marvellous8 ,you were surprised at the speed of my last letter4 ,but how about yours8 ,the postmark is #b4cj p4m4 on the #afth at ,birmingham1 and here it is in my hands at #d p4m4 on the #ahth6 ,i was telling you about the difficulties of going to and fro between here and the trenches1 but you will understand it is not always like that4 ,if there is a moon1 or even if there is a clear sky so that we can get the benefit of the starlight 7which is considerable and much more than ,i thought71 matters are much improved1 because if you can still see the man in front1 when he is1 say1 #e yards in front of you1 and can also see the holes instead of finding them with your person1 all that 'waiting for the tail to close up' is done away with4444 ,last night ,laws1 ,thomas1 and myself each took a party of about forty-five down separately1 leaving the remainder guarding the various billets4 ,then when we returned ,fletcher took the rest down4 ,it was a glorious night1 starry1 with a very young and inexperienced moon1 and quite dry and warm4 ,i would not have minded going down again except that ,i would rather go to bed1 which ,i did4 ,do you know that joke in ,punch where the ,aunt says3 ',send me a postcard when you are safely in the trenches6'8 ,well1 there is a great deal of truth in that--one feels quite safe when one reaches the friendly shelter of the trench1 though of course the approaches aren't really very dangerous4 ,one is 'thrilled' by the whistle of the bullets near you4 ,that describes the feeling best1 ,i think--it is a kind of excitement4 ,thursday1 #bb ,april #aiae1 #f4ej p4m4 ,i have received a most grand periscope packed1 with spare mirrors1 in a canvas haversack4 ,it is a glorious one and ,i am quite keen to use it1 thank you very much indeed for it4 ,thank you also for two sets of ear defenders which ,i am going to test when firing off a ',very' light4 ,a 'parachuted' star is fired from a brass pistol with a bore of about #a inch and a barrel of about #f inches4 ,the report is very deafening1 ,i believe--though ,i haven't fired one yet4 ,the star1 by the way1 though it lights up the country for some distance1 is not too bright to look at4 ,i have just remembered something ,i wanted to tell you1 so ,i will put it in here4 ,when walking to and from the trenches in the darkness1 ,i find it is a great help to study the stars 7not for purposes of direction74 ,i know very little about them1 and ,i saw a very useful plan in1 ,i think1 the ,daily ,news of #c ,april1 called ',the ,night ,sky in ,april4' ,it was just a circle with the chief planets and stars shown and labelled4 ,the periphery of the circle represented the horizon4 ,if you know of such a plan that is quite easily obtainable ,i should be glad to have one4 ,the simpler the thing the better4 ,the books you had sent me1 which were passed on to me by ,professor ,leith1 are much appreciated4 ,they circulate among officers of this ,company like a library4 ,at the time they arrived we were running short of reading-matter1 but since then our ,regimental ,headquarters have come to the rescue and supplied each ,company with half a dozen books1 to be passed on to other ,companies afterwards4 ,i enclose an acrostic that ,i made up while in the trenches during our last spell4 ,it seems to be a prolific place for this sort of thing4 ,,acrostic 7,one word of five letters7 ,,lights4 ,the lowest rank with lowest pay1 ,don't make this public though1 ,i pray6 ,inoculation's victim1 though ,defeated still a powerful foe4 ,when ,government 'full-stop' would say ,it does so in this novel way4 ,the verb's success1 the noun's disgrace ,and lands you in a foreign place4 ,a king of kings without a roar1 ,his kingdom that no anger bore4 ,the final goal--the end of all-- ,what all desire1 both great and small4 ,r4 ,l41 #ai ,april #aiae ,the solution of this is the word ,peace given twice--once inverted4 ,the first 'light1' which is not 'public' is ',private'2 the second is ',enteric'2 the third is a sign employed in ,government telegrams to denote a full-stop1 viz41 'aaa'2 the fourth is ',capture'2 and the fifth 7with apologies7 is ',emp1' and some occult reference to ,edward ,,vii1 not remembered now2 the kingdom without anger being ,empire without ire4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,friday1 #cj ,april #aiae1 #d4aj p4m4 ,i wish you could see me now4 ,i am having a little holiday in ,belgium4 ,at the moment ,i am sitting in the shade of a large tree1 leaning against its trunk1 writing to you4 ,the sun is pouring down and ,i have been sitting in it lying on a fallen tree1 but it makes me feel lazy1 so ,i came here to write 7in the shade74 ,before me1 across a moat1 is the chteau--ruined now1 but not by old age4 ,it is quite a handsome building1 two storeys high4 ,it is built of brick with a slate roof2 the bricks are colour-washed yellow with a white band #ah inches deep under the roof2 there are two towers with pointed roofs that stand to the front of the house1 projecting slightly from it1 forming bay windows4 ,these towers1 from the roof down to the ground1 are red brick1 as are the fronts of the dormer windows in the main building4 ,the larger and taller tower is octagonal and stands in the middle of the front1 the smaller one is square and stands on the right corner4 ,on each side of the main building are flanking buildings consisting on this 7left7 side of a brick-built palm-house and beyond that again a glass-covered conservatory4 ,the other flank has a conservatory also1 but ,i have not explored as far as that4 ,the front of the building is about #gj to #hj yards long4 ,illustration ,the main entrance is on the other or northern side4 ,it is reached by a drawbridge over the moat4 ,the house on that 7north7 side is not so much damaged4 ,it has long windows with shutters that give it a continental air4 ,i can't sketch it1 so ,i have given you a rough elevation from the south4 ,i am sitting to the south-west1 just across the moat4 ,illustration ,the place is in an awful mess4 ,in some parts it is difficult to tell how the original building went4 ,one can see into several of the rooms2 the outer wall has fallen away1 exposing about three rooms and an attic4 ,in one room the floor has dropped at one corner to some #h feet below its proper level1 and a bed is just above poised on the edge of the room1 almost falling out where the room is sectioned4 ,there is no glass in any of the green-houses--it is all on the floor4 ,the palm-house is full of green tubs with plants in them1 mostly overturned4 ,in the garden the trees are blossoming1 some of the fruit trees are covered with white blossom2 but many1 even of these1 are lying flat and blossoming in the moat4 ,the drive runs down to the road on the south side in an absolutely straight line1 flanked by tall trees4 ,but many of these are down too4 ,i was lying on one just now4 ,the garden is in good order1 though getting a little out of hand4 ,there is a small plantation of gooseberry bushes that looks very healthy4 ,shell holes are all about1 however4 ,the house1 although it is not on an eminence1 commands a good view to the southward and has a fine view of the ,german lines1 which are slightly raised just here4 ,the enemy evidently suspected this chteau was used as an observation post1 as indeed it may have been4 ,we came out of the trenches on ,wednesday night into ,reserve ,billets1 and ,i was placed with ,no4 #i platoon 7instead of my own7 in a little house not far from this chteau4 ,we are not allowed to leave it by day1 or rather we are not allowed to show ourselves on the south side of it1 as it might draw shell-fire on to it4 ,but ,i managed to sneak away to the north under cover of a hedge without any risk of being seen4 ,after being relieved in the trenches on ,wednesday1 and marching back and having a meal with the other officers of ,c ,company in the ,reserve ,billets 7a brewery71 it was one o'clock before ,i got to bed in our little house4 ,and we had to 'stand to arms' in the morning for an hour while dawn was breaking 7we always do1 and at dusk too74 ,so after this ,i went to sleep till #b p4m4 ,i sleep in an outhouse with no door1 on straw laid on a brick floor4 ,my ground-sheet on the straw1 my coat over me1 my feet in a sack and an air-cushion under my head1 and ,i can sleep as peacefully as at home4 ,the place is swarming with rats and mice1 you can hear them directly you lie still4 ,they go 'plop1 plop1 plop1' on the straw overhead1 as if they were obliged to take long strides owing to their feet sinking into the straw4 ,immediately over my head1 ,i should judge1 there is a family of young rats by the noise4 ,occasionally they have a stampede and a lot of dust comes down on my face4 ,but one gets used to this1 and muttering ',nom d'un chien6' one turns the other cheek4 ,by the way1 they say these rats 'stand to' at dawn1 just as we do4 ,i am terrified of a rat running over my face1 but my servant sleeps with me1 so ,i console myself that the chances are just even that they won't choose me4 ,i wish he wouldn't snore though--he's lowering the odds4 ,last night we had to turn out for fatigue parties4 ,i took a party down to one of the fire trenches with 'knife rests4' ,these are sections of barbed wire entanglement4 ,they are made by fixing cross-pieces on the ends of a long pole4 ,the tips of these cross-pieces are joined together with barbed wire laid parallel to the centre pole4 ,then the whole is wound with more barbed wire laid on spirally1 thus3 a sketch ,these are slung out in front of the trenches and fixed together4 ,they are now fixed also to the trench1 because the ,germans used to harpoon them and draw them over to their own side6 ,well1 we set off about #aa p4m4 and took twenty-two of these down4 ,we didn't exactly bless the full moon--although it showed us the holes and obstructions in the way4 ,still1 we had no casualties and made good time4 ,we got back about midnight4 ,so ,i only slept till #ab4cj this morning6 ,of course ,i had to get up for an hour at dawn4 ,i used the time to brew myself some cocoa4 ,i am getting an expert cook1 and can make that ',bivouac' cocoa taste like the very finest chocolate4444 ,just before going into the trenches ,i received another of those splendid parcels of cabbage and apples4 ,the apples are simply splendid4 ,the cabbage is good1 but ,i never cared very much for it--it is medicinal in this case4 ,however1 it is great to have such a fine supply of green stuff instead of none at all4 ,the ,mess does appreciate it4 ,i have been supplying our ,mess 7,c ,company7 with butter4 ,and the supply sent up to now has just effected this with none to spare4 ,but ,i don't know whether you want to do this1 and that is why ,i suggested cutting down the supply4 ,i don't want you to think any of it has been wasted though--it hasn't1 and is splendid stuff4444 ,in the trenches one is not always doing nothing4 ,these last three days in ,i have been up all night4 ,i had a working party in two shifts working all night and all three nights1 digging communication trenches4 ,i used to go to bed about #d4bj a4m4 and sleep till lunch-time1 and perhaps lie down again for a bit in the afternoon4 ,that is why my letters have not been so frequent4 ,it is extraordinary that what is wanted at the moment is not so much a soldier as a civil engineer4 ,there are trenches to be laid out and dug1 and the drainage of them to be thought out and carried through4 ,often the sides have to be 'riveted' or staked1 and a flooring of boards put in1 supported on small piles4 ,then there is the water-supply1 where one exists4 ,i have had great fun arranging a 'source' in my trench 7the support trench that ,i have been in these last three days and that ,i have been in often before74 ,a little stream1 quite clear and drinkable after boiling1 runs out at one place 7at about #a pint a minute67 and makes a muddy mess of the trenches near4 ,by damming it up and putting a water-bottle with the bottom knocked in on top of the dam1 the water runs in a little stream from the mouth of the bottle4 ,it falls into a hole large enough to receive a stone water-jar1 and then runs away down a deep trough cut beside the trench4 ,farther down it is again dammed up to form a small basin which the men use for washing2 and it finally escapes into a kind of marshy pond in rear of the trenches4 ,i quite enjoyed this job1 and there are many like it2 plank bridges to be put up1 seats and steps to be cut1 etc4 ,one officer put half a dozen of his men on to making a folding bed6 ,but it was not for himself1 but for his ,captain1 who has meningitis and can't sleep4 ,the men enjoy these jobs too2 it is much better than doing nothing4 ,i will creep back to my quarters now and make myself some tea on my ',primus' 7no fires are allowed74 ,a cuckoo has been singing on a tree near me--in full view4 7,it left hurriedly when one of our guns went off close behind the chteau47 ,the first time ,i have ever seen one1 ,i think4 ,it is amazing how tame the animals get4 ,they have so much ground to themselves in the daytime--the rats especially2 they flourish freely in the space between the trenches4 ,things are fairly quiet and easy here just now4 ,in one of his letters to me 7#bb ,april #aiae71 he said he had plenty of time now to watch the stars1 and would like a set of star maps or something in order to increase his knowledge of them4 ,accordingly1 ,i sent him a planisphere which ,i happened to have--an ingenious cardboard arrangement which can be turned so as to show1 in a rough way1 the stars visible in these latitudes at any time of day and any period of the year4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,may ,day #aiae1 #c4bj p4m4 ,thank you very much for the planisphere and for your letter4 ,i have often seen the planisphere before1 but never appreciated it until now4 ,as to the ',very' pistol1 ,i quite agree that the 'barrel' is too short4 ,if it were longer the light would be thrown farther1 which would be much better4 ,as it is1 it falls between us and the ,germans4 ,the ,german lights1 which ,i now learn are fired from a kind of mortar and not by a rocket as ,i thought1 are much better than ours2 they give a better and steadier1 fatter light1 and they are thrown well behind our trenches4 ,however1 ours are much better1 and theirs are worse than they used to be4444 ,they have not turned the gas on to us here1 though on some days ,i have smelled distinct traces coming down wind from the north4 ,i should say it was chlorine rather than ,,so#b that ,i smelled4 ,i don't know whether the ammonia preventive would be better than the soda one4 ,in any case1 the great thing is that one is provided4 ,the soda method is the one in use1 ,i believe1 in the chlorine works at ,widnes and elsewhere4 ,tuesday1 #c ,may #aiae1 #ab4dj p4m4 ,for the first three days we are out here in new billets--officers in a comfortable little house4 ,last three days of our 'rest' 767 we are going into a wood quite close to our ',reserve ,billets4' ,we are in 'support' in case of a sudden attack4 ,roads are so much knocked about by shells that traffic is limited and restricted4 ,so we might not be able to support quick enough unless we were close4 ,everything is still very much upset1 due to the penetration of our 7,french7 line4 ,they have been shelling our village from the rear 767 and most of the companies have had to quit4 ,we 7,c ,company7 are well back now4444 ,two of our platoons went digging last night4 ,mine was one4 ,we left here about eight o'clock1 and ,i got back at #a a4m41 and then ,i sat up with another subaltern 7,fletcher7 after ,i had had some supper until the other man 7,thomas7 had come in and eaten4 ,we went to bed at #c a4m4 ,breakfast at nine this morning1 and we are resting4 ,however1 ,i am going to have an absolutely slack day to-day4 ,a bath too1 if ,i can manage it4444 ,last night the moon got up very late and was quite useless4 ,they fire more when there is no light1 they get scared--at least uneasy2 they fire off ',very' lights constantly1 and let off volleys4 ,we lie absolutely flat while this goes on4 ,it is a funny sight2 the men look like a row of starfish6 ,tuesday1 #aa ,may #aiae1 #i4ae a4m4 7really ,wednesday the #abth4 ,i had got wrong7 ,we are within view of a well-known place no doubt ,ypres4--,o4 ,j4 ,l41 and the place has been on fire in three or four places for about two days1 and is still going strong4 ,a magnificent spectacle at night4 ,the place is1 ,i believe1 a city of ruins and dead1 and there is probably no one to put a fire out4 ,probably1 too1 a fire is rather a good thing than otherwise2 the place must be terribly in need of purifying4 ,i was awfully interested in father's dream4#c ,your letter is dated the #hth1 and you say that the other night he dreamt that ,i was in the thick of the fighting1 but that they were taking care of me from the other side4 ,well1 ,i don't know about 'the thick of the fighting1' but ,i have been through what ,i can only describe as a hell of a shelling with shrapnel4 ,my diary tells me it was on the #gth1 at about #aj4ae a4m4 ,our ,company were ordered forward from one set of dug-outs to others nearer the firing line1 and the formation adopted was platoons in single file1 with intervals between4 ,that is1 four columns of about fifty men each1 in single file1 with about #bj to #ej yards between each column4 ,i was the third platoon1 though ,i was not with my own but with ,no4 #i4 ,fletcher brought up the last one1 thus3-- ,illustration 7,my platoon is ,no4 #aa4--,no4 #i's platoon commander1 ,laws1 is in ,england on sick leave1 as his nerves are all wrong47 ,well1 anyhow1 we had not gone far before the gunners saw us1 and an aeroplane was flying along above and with us4 ,they sent over some ',johnsons1' but these all went too far2 we were screened by a reservoir embankment4 ,however1 we had to pass through a ruined village and they knew it1 so they put shrapnel over it4 ,still we were unaffected4 ,but when we came out into the open on the far side1 we caught it properly4 ,shell after shell came over and burst above us1 and when ,i and about three men behind me had just turned a corner one burst above1 in exactly the spot ,i should have wished it to if ,i had been the enemy4 ,i looked up and saw the air full of flying pieces1 some large and some small4 ,these spattered down all round us4 ,i was untouched1 but my servant1 who was immediately behind me1 was hit on the knee1 but only wounded slightly4 ,he was rather scared4 ,i led him back round the corner again and put him in a ditch4 ,the rest of the platoon got in too1 while ,i was doing this4 ,i thought that was the best thing they could do until the shelling ceased1 but ,fletcher shouted that we must get on1 whatever happened4 ,so ,i called the men out again1 and1 leaving a man with the wounded1 we set off4 ,i don't believe it was right1 but we just walked along4 ,it felt rather awful4 7,when one is retiring it is important not to let the men 'double1' as they get out of hand2 but in this case we were advancing1 so ,i think we might have done so47 ,i felt very much protected4 ,it was really a miracle that we weren't nearly all 'wiped out4' ,the shrapnel seemed very poor stuff4 ,as it was1 we had one man killed and about five or six injured1 all more or less slightly4 ,we moved up into a support trench that same evening1 and after a couple of days we moved a few yards farther to these trenches1 which are also support trenches4 ,things are very quiet1 and ,i am enjoying myself very much4 ,if it wasn't for the unpleasant sights one is liable to see1 war would be a most interesting and pleasant affair4 ,my friends the other officers of ,c ,company have given me the honorary position of ',o4,c4 ,works4' ,one is always ',o4,c4 something or other' out here--all but the ,colonel1 he is ',c4,o4' ,orders for the day read3 ,o4,c4 ,companies will do so-and-so4' ,then there are ,o4,c4 ,details1 ,o4,c4 ,reinforcements1 etc4 ',o4,c4' of course stands for 'officer commanding4' ,well1 ,i am ',o4,c4 ,works1' and have a fine time4 ,i just do any job ,i fancy1 giving preference to trench improvement4 ,it is fine to have at one's disposal a large squad of men with shovels 7or without74 ,they fill sandbags and carry them1 they carry timber and saw it1 and in short do anything that is required4 ,one can accomplish something under these conditions4 #f p4m4 ,we have been told that we are being relieved to-night1 and that we are going back to our old place 7,no4 #b74 ,so everything should be as before1 once we are back4 ,we may not manage to get all the way back to-night1 as we cannot travel by daylight as most of the road is under direct observation4 ,if daylight catches us we shall encamp in dug-outs en route4 ,i am rather disappointed that we are going to-night1 as ,fletcher and ,i were going to rebuild our dug-out here4 ,we both got very keen indeed and had laid out the plan carefully4 7,he has been an architect47 ,i had another disappointment when ,i was back in the wood 7as supports74 ,it reminds me of one of our ,quartermaster-,sergeants in ,edinburgh4 ,he is an ,irishman1 ,o',brien4 ,i found him on the platform while we were waiting to see a draft off2 he looked very despondent4 ,i asked him how he was1 and was surprised when he replied1 ',i've had a reverse1 sorr6' ,it turned out that he had applied to headquarters for an improvement in his position1 and was told he didn't deserve any4 ,it had almost broken his heart6 ,well1 ,i had a reverse4 ,i was given the job of building a hut and was nearly through with it when we were ordered away4 ,if we get back to the old wood again ,i shall go on with it1 in spite of whatever the present tenants may have done in the way of completing it 7our guns are now 'going at it' hammer and tongs74 ,i did enjoy laying the sandbags and building a proper wall with 'headers' and 'stretchers4' ,i got a very good testimonial too1 for the ,sergeant asked me in all seriousness whether ,i was a brick-setter in civil life4 ,i was awfully proud4 ,later 7,i had to leave off here because we were ordered to 'fire-rapid' in between periods of our artillery fire1 and ,i had to turn out to watch47 ,,note ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,the dream referred to1 near the beginning of this long letter to his mother1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,arthur ,hill remembers that ,i told him of1 in a letter dated #g ,may #aiae1 which he has now returned2 and ,i reproduce it here3-- ,to ,j4 ,a4 ,h4 #g ,may #aiae ,i do not reckon that ,i often have conscious intuitions2 and when ,i have had vivid dreams they have not meant anything1 though once or twice ,i have recorded them because ,i have them seldom4 ,i happen1 however1 to have had an intuition this morning1 before ,i was more than half awake1 which1 though not specially vivid1 perhaps ,i had better record1 namely1 that an attack was going on at the present moment1 that my son was in it1 but that 'they' were taking care of him4 ,i had this clearly in mind before seeing the morning papers2 and indeed ,i do not know that there is anything in the morning papers suggesting it1 since of course their news is comparatively old4 ,one might have surmised1 however1 that there would be a struggle for ,hill #fj1 and ,i know that my son is not far off ,ypres4 7,by the way1 ,i have been told that the ,flemish ,belgians really do call it ',wipers'2 it does not sound likely1 and it needs confirmation4 ,i know of course that our troops are said to call it so1 which is natural enough47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,i now 7,august #aiaf7 notice for the first time that the coincidence in time between dream and fact is rather good1 especially as it was the only dream or 'impression' that ,i remember having during the war4 ,practically ,i do not dream4 ,but as this incident raises the question of possible presentiment ,i must deny that we had any serious presentiment about ,raymond4 ,my wife tells me that her anxiety about ,raymond1 though always present1 was hardly keen1 as she had an idea that he would be protected4 ,she wrote to a friend on #bb ,march #aiae3-- 444 ,i ought to get him back safe4 ,i have a hole in my heart and shall have till he comes back4 ,i only saw him for the inside of an hour before he left1 as ,i was away when he came home for six hours4444 ,at the same time ,i must admit that on the morning of #ae ,september #aiae 7the day after ,raymond's death1 which we did not know of till the #agth7 ,i was in an exceptional state of depression2 and though a special game1 to which ,i had been looking forward1 on the ,no4 #a ,course at ,gullane had been arranged with ,rowland ,waterhouse1 ,i could not play a bit4 ,not ordinary bad play1 but total incompetence2 so much so that after seven holes we gave up the game1 and returned to the hotel4 ,to make sure of the date1 ,i wrote to ,rowland ,waterhouse1 asking him when that abortive match occurred1 since ,i knew that it was his last day at ,gullane4 ,he replies3-- ,violet and ,i left ,gullane for ,musselburgh on ,wednesday1 #ae ,september4 ,our final match ended that morning on the eighth tee which that year was on the reservoir hill4 ,one more dream ,i may as well now mention3-- ,after the family had returned home from ,scotland and elsewhere1 near the end of ,september #aiae1 and begun to settle down1 ,alec1 who had felt ,raymond's death exceedingly1 told me that the night before he heard the news--or rather the early morning of the same day1 #ag ,september--he had had an extraordinarily painful and vivid dream1 quite an exceptional occurrence for him1 and one of which he had spoken to a manageress in the hotel near ,swansea where he was staying1 describing it as the worst he had ever had in his life4 ,he did not know that it had any significance1 and neither do ,i1 as the dream1 though rather ghastly1 was not about ,raymond or anyone in particular2 but it seemed an odd coincidence that the ill news should be1 so to speak1 on the way1 at the time of a quite exceptional and painful impression4 ,the person to whom he told the dream handed him the telegram a few hours later4 ,he has written the dream down1 but it need not be reproduced4 ,no real provision is involved in any of this1 unless it be that of an hour or two in my own impression1 in ,may2 but for general remarks on the question of the possibility of prevision ,chapter ,v in ,part ,,iii may be referred to4 ,friday1 #ad ,may #aiae ,i had a glorious hot bath yesterday2 ,fletcher and ,i went up to the brewery here4 ,the bath is zinc1 and full length1 and we have as much water1 and as hot1 as we like4444 ,i spent some time too stemming the leaks in the roof of our shed4 ,with my two waterproof sheets ,i have rigged up a kind of chute above my bed1 so that any water that comes through the roof is led down behind my head4 ,i don't know what happens to it there4 ,i thought of leading it across on to the man next me1 as the ,germans used to do in the winter campaign4 ,they fitted a pump in their trenches and led the delivery pipe forward1 so that the water used to run into ours--only the plan was discovered4444 ,i wonder if you saw the appreciation of the soda cake on the back of my letter from the woods4 ,m4,p4 stands for ,mess ,president4 ,fletcher was ,m4,p4 and was a very good one4 ,i am now1 as he has done it for a long time and is tired4444 ,as cheerful and well and happy as ever4 ,don't think ,i am having a rotten time--,i am not4 ,sunday1 #e4dj p4m41 #af ,may #aiae ,we had a very fine piece of news yesterday4 ,over three weeks ago we were called out one night and were urgently required to dig a certain new trench behind our lines4 ,the men worked splendidly and got the job done in a very short time 7working of course in complete darkness74 ,the next day the ,brigadier-,general inspected the trench and sent in a complimentary message about it to our ,colonel4 ,the day after he complimented us again--for the same piece of work6 ,well1 we have had several such jobs to do1 and just recently we have been to ,hill #fj1 where the bulk of our work was deepening the trenches and improving the parapets4 ,we were lent for this purpose to another ,division 7the ,division that is at the moment occupying that area71 and were away from here exactly a week4 ,we got a splendid testimonial from the ,general of this other ,division1 who told our ,colonel he had got 'a top-hole battalion4' ,arising out of all this1 we have now been selected as a ',pioneer ,battalion1' ,we are relieved from all ordinary trench work for some time to come4 ,we simply go out at night and dig trenches or build parapets and so forth1 and have the day to ourselves4 ,this was arranged yesterday1 and last night we went out and returned here at #a4cj a4m4 ,the work is more or less under fire1 but only from stray shots and nothing very serious4 ,our ,colonel is awfully pleased that we have done so well2 and we are all pleased with the new arrangement4 ,one great advantage is that we can settle down in our billets and are not continually having to pack up everything and move off4 ,we can now start and make tables1 chairs1 beds1 a proper door for the hut1 a glass window1 and so on4444 ,as to aeroplanes1 when one passes overhead a whistle is blown and every one either takes cover or stands perfectly still4 ,the men are forbidden to look up4 ,then the whistle is blown several times when the danger is past4 ,i am afraid1 though1 these regulations are more honoured in the breach than the observance4 ,we had quite a nice informal service here this afternoon sitting in a field4 ,the chaplain has the rank of ,major and has been out here seven months4 ,yesterday the ,captain1 ,fletcher1 and myself went for a ride on horses4 ,we went about five miles out1 stopped for about twenty minutes at a little inn 7the last in ,belgium on that particular road71 and then came back again4 ,the country was perfectly lovely1 though ,i did not appreciate it as much as ,i otherwise would have done1 as ,i had a trooper's saddle and the ,captain would trot4 ,i got most awfully sore going out1 and thought ,i should never be able to get back4 ,however1 ,i discovered a method at last1 and that was to go at a full gallop4 ,so ,i alternately went at a walk and 'hell for leather1' and got back in comparative comfort4 ,i thoroughly enjoyed it2 it was very bad for the horse1 ,i am afraid1 on the stone setts 7pav71 but sometimes ,i could get him on to the softer bits at the side4 ,i was terribly afraid some one would think the horse was running away with me and 'block' him1 so ,i had to look as pleased as possible4 ,and really ,i was pleased1 it was such a blessed relief after that awful trotting4 ,i trotted along in rear of the other two until ,i could stand it no longer1 and then ,i encouraged my nag and hit him until he broke into a canter1 and then ,i roared past the others1 who cursed like anything because theirs wanted to gallop too4 ,my horse's cantor changed imperceptibly into a full gallop1 and ,i 'got down to it' and felt like a jockey4 ,after about half a mile ,i would walk until the others came up and passed me1 and then ,i would go off again4 ,all the same1 ,i am very sore4 ,good-bye for the present2 it is lovely hot weather and we are all well--fit--and happy4 ,tuesday1 #ah ,may #aiae1 #e4ae p4m4 ,,my ,,dear ,,norah ,,and ,,barbara1--,i don't expect ,i am far wrong in attributing my ripping present of dates and figs to you two4 ,i did enjoy them1 and they are not finished yet4 ,they arrived by the first post after we had returned from our little trip4 ,we were at ,hill #fj2 it was so interesting and rather exciting1 although we were there chiefly1 ,i think1 to improve the trenches1 which were very shallow and dangerous when we arrived4 ,the men worked splendidly--all night and most of the day1 and1 when we left1 the trenches were vastly improved and quite habitable4 ,we also made some entirely new ones4 ,we are now kept for this sort of job only1 and we go out working at nights and sleep by day4 ,i must explain to you about 'standing to4' ,a proportion of the men are always awake in the trenches to guard against surprises1 for as the most likely times for an attack are at dawn and at dusk1 everybody has to be awake and ready then4 ,of course it does interfere with your sleep1 and you do not get very much as a rule in the trenches1 but that is why you are not there for more than about three days at a time4 ,in the 'supports' you 'stand to' so as to be ready to reinforce the front line quickly in case of an attack4 ,out in ',rest ,billets1' ,i am glad to say1 it is no longer necessary4 ,i am so sorry1 my friend ,fletcher has just gone off this morning for a rest cure4 ,i shall miss him awfully4 ,he is about five miles away and ,i am going to ride over to-morrow to see him4 ,but later on he will probably go back to ,england4 ,his nerves are all wrong and he needs a rest1 ,good-bye for now1 and very best wishes to you both4--,your very loving brother1 ,,raymond ,i hope you get my communiqus regularly from home 7swank74 ,some one must have the time of their lives copying out all the stuff ,i write4 ,i hope1 however1 there are a few grains in the bundle of chaff 7,i'm fishing again76 ,you say1 ,norah1 that you don't think the chteau was as quiet as ,i described4 ,well1 provided ,i mentioned our gun1 that went off at occasional intervals close behind it with a terrific report1 it was just as ,i described--a peaceful summer afternoon4 ,i know that people think that everything in ,belgium is chaos and slaughter1 but it isn't so4 ,for instance1 where ,fletcher is1 is a charming country place with trees and fields and everything in full green4 ,simply ripping4 ,if ,i had only had a motor-cycle to see it from instead of a trotting horse ,i should have enjoyed it even more6 ,r4 ,wednesday1 #ai ,may #aiae1 #ab4ej p4m4 ,you must know that we have now only three officers in our ,company4 ,i am very sorry indeed to lose ,fletcher4 ,he went off for a rest cure yesterday morning to a place about five miles from here4 ,he is my greatest friend in the ,battalion1 so ,i miss him very much and hope he won't be long away4 ,he will probably go back to ,england1 however1 as his nerves are all wrong4 ,he is going the same way as ,laws did and needs a complete rest4 ,i am going to ride over to see him this afternoon with the ,captain4 ,i am afraid it won't be 'good going' as the roads are thick with mud4 ,the slightest rain1 and they are as bad as ever4 ,i told you that ,i was ,mess ,president 7,m4,p474 ,i am sure you would smile to see me ordering the meals1 and inspecting the joints4 ,i don't know anything about them1 and when the cook calls me up specially to view a joint ,i have hastily to decide whether he means me to disparage it--or the reverse4 ,however1 ,i am usually safe in running it down4 ,thursday1 #bj ,may #aiae1 #i4aj a4m4 ,we rode over and saw ,fletcher yesterday and had tea with him4 ,he is with about twenty other similar cases in a splendid chteau 7this one is not ruined and has magnificent grounds74 ,unfortunately this is probably the very worst possible treatment he could have4 ,he has nothing to do1 no interest in anything1 and no society except people who1 like himself1 want cheering4 ,he does not read1 he does not even walk about the grounds4 ,he cannot sleep much1 and he said he did not know exactly what he did4 ,under these conditions ,i know it will not be long before he is sent home4 ,brooding is just the very worst thing for him4 ,he sees all the past horrors all over again2 things which1 at the time1 he shut his mind to4 ,the best treatment 7even better than home1 ,i think7 would be to send him back for a month or so to ,crosby4 ,he would then have plenty to occupy his mind and would have cheerful companions4444 #f4bj p4m4 ,i have attached a list of a few slang terms and curious expressions in use in this ,regiment and ,i believe universal at the moment4 ,some of these are amazing1 and it is difficult to trace the origin4 ',drumming up' is one1 and 'wind up' another4 ,i saw an old ,belgian cart yesterday1 a three-wheeled affair4 ,it had been overturned on its side and the spokes of the lowest wheel had been broken4 ,well1 some one had 'drummed up' on them--every one had disappeared4 ,these men here will 'drum up' on anything4 ',drumming up' on a thing does not mean lighting a fire on it but with it4 ,when we were at that place where we were for a week1 there was a most peculiar state of affairs4 ,the ,germans were holding a small piece of trench joining1 and in line with1 ours4 ,they were only separated from us by double barricades--their and ours4 ,they corresponded to the meat in a sandwich4 ,a sketch is omitted4 ,when ,i say 'ours' ,i mean the ,english4 ,i was not actually in this trench1 but in the one just behind4 ,the trench on one side of the 'meat' was held by one of our ,companies1 and the other by another ,regiment4444 ,friday1 #aj4bj a4m4 ,my nickname in the ,mess is ',maurice' 7with a ,french pronunciation72 ,i am called after the small boy in the grocery shop here4 ,the good dame always says ',oui1 monsieur le lieutenant6' ',non1 monsieur le lieutenant6' to everything one says2 she gets in about six to the minute4 ,well1 we used to imitate her after our visits to the shop1 and one day she called out ',maurice'2 so ,fletcher calls me ',maurice1' and ,i reply1 ',oui1 monsieur le lieutenant4' ,,some ,,military ,,terms ,,water-,,party ,a fatigue party carrying water4 ,,to ,,have ,,wind ,,up 7to rhyme with 'pinned up'7--,to be uneasy1 'on edge4' ,,drumming ,,up ,making a fire for the purpose of warming food4 ,,blighty ,england4 ,a ,,blighty ,,wound ,a wound that necessitates invaliding home4 ,,pucca ,real1 genuine4 ,,rally ,,up ,a short period of considerable firing in the trenches4 ,,dug-,,out ,a cramped dwelling-place1 usually above ground4 ,,stand-,,to ,an hour of preparedness at dawn and at dusk when every one is awake and wears his equipment 7in trenches and supports only74 ,,stand-,,down ,the finish of 'stand-to4' ,,knife-,,rests ,barbed wire in sections4 ,,cushy ,a 'soft' thing4 ,,to ,,go ,,sick ,to report oneself ill to the doctor4 ,,to ,,get ,,down ,,to ,,it ,to lie down1 go to bed4 ,,cribbing ,,or ,,grousing ,complaining4 ,r4 ,l4 #bj4e4ae ,to a ,brother #bf ,may #aiae ,i expect you have read it1 but ,i want to recommend to you ,simon ,dale1 by ,anthony ,hope4 ,we had the gas over here on ,monday morning about #c or #d a4m4 ,although it was coming from a point about four miles away1 as we learnt afterwards1 it was very strong and made our eyes smart very much4 ,we have got hold of some liqueurs from ,railhead1 a large bottle of ,chartreuse and one of ,curaao4 ,good-bye and good luck4 ,saturday1 #bi ,may #aiae1 #h4cj p4m4 ,we have again done a little move1 this time with bag and baggage4 ,we are now on the outskirts of ',no4 #a1' and due west of it4 ,the men have built themselves dug-outs along a hedge and we 7,c ,coy4 officers7 are installed in an untouched chteau4 ,quite comfortable4 ,fine lofty rooms4 ,we only use part of the house4 ,we have the kitchen1 and a large dining-room on the ground floor4 ,we sleep upstairs on the first floor 7our valise on hay74 ,at least1 ,thomas and ,i do1 the ,captain and ,case have moved down and sleep on large fat palliasses in the dining-room6 ,we have the rest of the house empty to ourselves to-night1 but various headquarter staffs seem to come in turn and occupy two of the other ground floor rooms occasionally4 ,we have been out two nights digging on the opposite side of the town1 but we have not been ordered out to-night1 so far4 ,i notice ,i have now been gazetted back to #ae ,august1 the same as most of my contemporaries4 ,there has been a suggestion made that ,i should take a course of machine-gun instruction in order that ,i might act as understudy to our present ,machine-,gun ,officer 7,m4,g4,o47 who is ,roscoe1 and is the successor to ,wyatt4 ,i agreed1 but it may have 'fallen through' owing to the move4 ,if it comes off ,i shall go for a fortnight's course to a place which ,i will call ,no4 #c probably ,st4 ,omer4 ,i got a letter from you to-day about #e p4m4 ,i was so glad4 ,no1 ,i am not making things out better than they really are4 ,i like to write mostly about the pleasant parts1 of course4 ,we have our unpleasant moments1 shelling and so on1 but no very bad times as yet4 ,being on tenterhooks is quite the worst part4 ,as regards ,fletcher being worse than us1 of course he came out much earlier4 ,he left ,edinburgh for the ,front on #d ,january1 and ,laws left on #ca ,december4 ,he has had some awful times and the winter campaign1 and in any case the length of time one is exposed to the mental strain and worry makes a difference4 ,i do my best to keep cheerful and happy all the time--,i don't believe in meeting trouble half-way4 ,if there was some indication of the termination of the war it would help matters--the unending vista is apt to be rather disheartening at times4 ,i am very glad ,italy is in--at last4 ,by the way1 ,fletcher has not been sent to ,england 7,blighty7 after all4 ,he is at ,versailles1 in the ,no4 #d ,general ,hospital there1 having a nice time if he can enjoy it4 ,this hospital is the ,trianon ,palace4 ,the ,captain had a letter from him in which he sent his love to ',maurice' and 'his lordship' 7that's ,thomas74 #b ,june #aiae1 #d4de p4m4 ,our interpreter is a ,belgian1 and is a very nice man4 ,he does our shopping for us in the town1 which is ten miles or so away1 and 7as now arranged7 he makes the journey twice a week4 ,it is very funny to hear him talk1 he picks up the soldiers' idioms and uses them in the wrong places4 ,one he is very fond of is the expression ',every time'6 ,he puts such a funny emphasis on it4 ,the last member of our ,mess is a man who has just come out and has not long had his commission4 ,he used to be ,regimental ,sergeant-,major to our #ast ,battalion and has had about twenty-six years' service1 so he knows his job4 ,unfortunately1 however1 his arrival is not an unmixed blessing4 ,the ,captain is seized with enthusiasm and wants to make our ,company the finest ,company in the ,battalion4 ,the result is that we have now nothing but parades and much less rest than before4 ,when we were turned into a pioneer battalion the ,colonel told the men that they would go digging at night and would do nothing else except for rifle inspection4 ,now1 however1 we have in addition an hour's drill of various sorts in the morning and a lecture to ,n4,c4,o4s in the afternoon1 at which all subalterns have to attend and take notes4 ,on the day following a rest night we have to be up about seven o'clock1 and be on parade while the men do half an hour's physical exercise before breakfast4 ,then we have an hour and a half's drill afterwards and the lecture4 ,and these parades seem to be growing4 ,i am afraid they will wear us all out and the men as well4 ,thomas feels it most and is very worried--although he is ,senior ,subaltern in the ,company he is left right out of things4 ,i am afraid of his going like ,laws and ,fletcher did4 ,some 'rankers' are very good fellows4 ,they bring tremendous experience with them1 but1 on the other hand1 we bring something too1 and when they ride the high horse they can be very unbearable4444 ,i got a supply of paraffin to-day2 ,d ,company has bought a huge barrel of it1 and ,i sent over a petrol tin for some4 ,they gave me nearly two gallons and asked if ,i could let them have a window in exchange6 ,i hunted round and found quite a good loose one and sent it across with my compliments4 ,the reason they have bought up so much paraffin is because their ,captain has presented pocket ,primuses to his men4 ,each section of twelve men has one between them with one man in charge of it4 ,it is a killing sight to see their ,company sitting in a field and drumming up6 ,the ,belgian cooking stove is rather a curious thing4 ,it is of the same design in every house apparently4 ,it consists of a metal urn to hold the fire2 this has a removable lid for which you can substitute a kettle or pan which just fits the round opening4 ,the urn stands about #c feet from the wall and has a flat-shaped iron chimney leading into the main chimney4 ,this iron chimney can be used for heating pots or for warming plates4 ,the base of the urn is an ash collector4 ,you will see that there is no oven2 this is built separately and is a brick affair with a separate fire to it4 ,sketch4 ,thursday1 #c ,june #aiae1 #a4cj p4m4 ,i am all right again to-day2 you mustn't pay any attention to my grumbles1 it just depends what ,i feel like2 and ,i am going to stir things up about these parades4 ,we had a fine time last night--very exciting4 ,we went through the heart of the city and it is still very much on fire4 ,the enemy keeps sending an occasional shell into it to keep it going4 ,just on the far side is a graveyard1 and this has been 'crumped' out of existence nearly6 ,it is an unpleasant place to pass now4 ,the town is almost unbelievable4 ,i don't think anyone would credit that they could do so much damage and not leave a single house untouched1 without entering the place at all4 ,ypres again1 probably4 ,our digging last night was near a small road much used by transport 7which is very audible at night74 ,as the enemy can hear the rumble of the horse-drawn carts quite plainly1 they kept on sending shrapnel over1 and we had quite a warm time of it4 ,we were quite glad to get away again4 7,no one was hit while we were there47 ,i was very interested in father's pamphlet on ',war and ,christianity1' and ,i have passed it on to the others4 ,i like the way he gets right outside and looks at things from above4 ,it is a very soothing thing to read4#d444 ,i had such an interesting talk with the interpreter yesterday 7his rank is the equivalent of one of our ,sergeant-,majors74 ,he was a merchant in ,morocco1 and chucked up everything and came and joined the ,belgian army as a private4 ,he fought at ,namur1 ,antwerp1 and other places1 and is most awfully keen4 ,he was offered the job of ,interpreter to the ,british ,army1 and1 thinking he could help more by that means and also partly for monetary considerations1 he took the job4 ,he understood he would be fighting with us in the trenches1 but they have put him on to shopping for us6 ,he is awfully disappointed4 ,he rides up when he can1 and when we went up to ,hill #fj he went up with our transports and showed them the way and helped them a lot1 although shells were falling all round4 ,he is a most gentlemanly man2 his name is ,polchet4444 ,i had a letter from ,violet and another from ,margaret yesterday4 ,i understand they have gone up to ,edinburgh now2 ,i shall like to go up there too 'after the war4' ,i believe ,violet is getting my room ready for me in their house4 ,i like everything very plain1 just a valise and a little hay1 and then you see if ,i am hungry in the night----4444 ,p4,s4--,i had a most interesting letter from ,oliver4 ,his discussion of ,italy's motives is fine4 ,i like hearing what people think of events2 we are apt to get very warped views out here unless we have the other point of view occasionally4 ,sunday1 #f ,june #aiae1 #ab p4m4 ,the ,mess was thrown into the greatest state of excitement yesterday by the arrival of kippers6 ,how splendid6 ,we had a grand breakfast this morning1 quite like the summer holidays again--breakfast after a bathe--with ,alec of course6444 ,by the way1 ,i did not present the last lot of asparagus to the ,mess--this was not because we didn't appreciate it1 but because ,i felt so sorry for ,m4 ,polchet 7our interpreter71 and ,i wondered if he had any green stuff or luxuries4 ,so ,i sent it over to him4 ,and do you know what he has done8 ,he has just sent me a shallow wooden box with a thick cotton-wool pad in it4 ,in the pad are six hollows1 and in each hollow is a ripping nectarine4 ,isn't it fine of him8 ,we have roses picked every day for the ,mess-room2 it does improve it4 ,the other evening we had a specially nice meal4 ,we sat round the polished table with candles in the centre and bowls of roses round them 7as a matter of fact the bowls were old tinned-fruit tins1 but what of that74 ,the food was very special1 though ,i can't remember what it was1 but to crown all there was in the room just across the passage 444 a real fiddler with a real fiddle4 ,i really don't know how he managed to bring a fiddle out here2 he is a private in the ,royal ,garrison ,artillery1 and plays simply beautifully4 ,he has long hair and just a suggestion of side whiskers1 and large boots1 and1 but that he would not be complimented1 looks like a ,viennese4 ,he started off by playing ,grand ,opera--,i believe--and he gave us the ,intermezzo from ',cavalleria ,rusticana4' ,then he gave us ',gipsy ,love' and the ',merry ,widow1' and so on4 ,he finished up with ,american ragtime4 ,we sent him in a bottle of whisky half-way through the performance1 and the music got lighter thenceforward4 ,it was most amusing to notice the effect4 ,when we looked in later the whisky was standing on the table1 and he was walking round it with his fiddle1 playing hard and apparently serenading it6 ,i was inoculated again on ,friday evening because it is only really effective for about six months1 and there is going to be a lot of enteric about1 ,i expect4 ,this apparently is just the very place for it--flat low-lying country1 poor water supply1 and the soil heavily manured4 ,so ,i have been feeling rather weak and feverish after it1 but ,i am better again now4 ,i have to have it done again ten days later--but the second time is not so bad4 ,talking about roses1 ,thomas picked a beauty this morning 7before ,i got up7 and brought it to me in bed4 ,it is in front of me now1 and is #e inches across1 and has a very fine smell4 ,wednesday1 #af ,june #aiae1 #a4cj p4m4 ,we made an attack early this morning1 and our ,company waited here to receive the prisoners4 ,poor devils1 ,i do feel so sorry for them4 ,one officer of sixteen with six weeks' service4 ,old men with grey beards too1 and many of the student type with spectacles--not fit to have to fight4 ,you remember ',very ,pressing are the ,germans'2 well1 that's where ,i am1 right inside the walls4 ,quite shell-proof1 but very dank4 ,i have got the machine-gun job1 and am going for a fortnight's course1 starting on the #bfth of ,june4 ,monday1 #ba ,june #aiae1 #d4cj p4m4 ,we have had an extremely trying time lately1 and ,i am very sorry to say we have lost ,thomas4 ,he was hit on the head by shrapnel on the night after the attack--,i expect you saw the account in the papers--and died about an hour later1 having never recovered consciousness4 ,it was a most fatal night--the whole battalion was ordered out digging to consolidate the captured positions4 ,we got half-way out1 and then got stuck--the road being blocked by parties of wounded4 ,we waited on a path alongside a hedge for over an hour1 and though we could not be seen we had a good deal of shrapnel sent over us4 ,to make matters worse1 they put some gas shells near1 and we had to wear our helmets though the gas was not very strong4 ,it was exceedingly unpleasant1 and we could hardly see at all4 ,it was while we were waiting like this that ,thomas got knocked out4 ,we are all sorry to lose him1 and ,i miss him very much1 but it is nothing to the trouble there will be at his home1 for he is his mother's favourite son4 ,i have written to his mother1 but ,i have not told her what makes us feel so mad about it--namely1 that we did no digging that night at all4 ,when we got to the position we were so late1 and there was still such confusion there due to the attack1 that we marched back again and just got in before daylight4 ,we might just as well never have gone out4 ,isn't it fairly sickening8 ,the next night we went out again1 and we had a very quiet night and no casualties4 ,the scene of the battle was pretty bad1 and ,i put all my spare men on to burying4 ,altogether we are very thankful to have a change from 'pioneering1' and get back to the trenches6 ,our chief trouble here is snipers4 ,we are in a wood1 and parties going for water and so on to our headquarters will walk outside the trench instead of in it1 just because the trench goes like this4 ,a diagram is omitted4 ,they take the straight course along the side in spite of repeated warnings4 ,there is one point that a sniper has got marked4 ,he gets our men coming back as they get into the trench just too late4 ,we had a man hit this morning1 but not badly1 and a few minutes ago ,i had to stop this letter and go to a man of ,b ,company who had got hit1 and rather more seriously1 at the same spot4 ,i have put up a large notice there now1 and hope it will prevent any more4 ,i am sorry this is not a very cheerful letter1 but we have all been rather sad lately4 ,i am getting over it now4 ,luckily one absorbs these things very gradually2 ,i could not realise it at first4 ,it was an awful blow1 because1 especially since ,fletcher went away 7he is now at home71 we had become very friendly1 and one is apt to forget that there is always the chance of losing a friend suddenly4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,thomas is the first officer of ,c ,company that has been killed for seven months4 ,when we were up in this wood before1 digging 7about a fortnight ago7 ,b ,company lost ,captain ,salter4 ,i dare say you saw his name in the ,roll of ,honour4 ,we were just going to collect our spades and come in1 when he was shot through the head by a stray bullet4 ,what a very melancholy strain ,i am writing in1 ,i am so sorry4 ,i am quite well and fit4 ,we have mislaid our mess-box coming up here with all our specially selected foods4 ,the result is we are on short commons--great fun4 ,i am eating awful messes and enjoying them4 ,fried bacon and fried cheese together6 ,awful2 but1 by ,jove1 when you're hungry4 ,,letter ,,from ,,raymond ,,to ,,the ,,mother ,,of ,,an ,,officer ,,friend ,,of ,,his ,,who ,,had ,,been ,,killed #bnd ,s4 ,lancashire ,regt41 ,b4,e4,f41 ,front1 #ag ,june #aiae ,,dear ,,mrs4 ,,thomas1--,i am very sorry to say ,i have to tell you the very worst of bad news4 ,i know what ,humphrey's loss must be to you1 and ,i want to tell you how much it is to all of us too4 ,i know ,i have not realised it yet myself properly4 ,i have been in a kind of trance since last night and ,i dread to wake up4 ,he was a very fine friend to me1 especially since ,fletcher went away1 and ,i miss him frightfully4 ,last night 7#afth to #agth7 the whole ,battalion went out digging4 ,there had been an attack by the ,english early the same morning1 and the enemy's guns were still very busy even in the evening4 ,our road was blocked in front owing to the moving of a lot of wounded1 and while we were held up on a little field path alongside a hedge we had several shrapnel shells over us4 ,to add to the horrors of the situation they had put some gas shells over too1 and we were obliged to put on our gas helmets4 ,while ,humphrey was standing with his helmet on in the rear of our ,company talking to the ,captain of the ,company behind1 a shell came over and a piece of it caught him on the head4 ,he was rendered unconscious1 and it was evident from the first he had no chance of recovery4 ,he was immediately taken a little way back to a place where there was no gas1 and here the doctor dressed his wound4 ,he was then taken back on a stretcher to the dressing-station4 ,he died there about an hour after he had been admitted1 having never recovered consciousness4 ,if he had to die1 ,i am thankful he was spared pain beforehand4 ,it made my heart ache this afternoon packing his valise2 ,i have given his chocolate1 cigarettes1 and tobacco to the ,mess1 and ,i have wrapped up his diary and a few loose letters and made them into a small parcel which is in the middle of his valise4 ,the papers and valuables which he had on him at the time will be sent back through our headquarters1 the other things1 such as letters1 etc41 in his other pockets ,i have left just as they were4 ,i hope the valise will arrive safely4 ,he will be buried very simply1 and probably due east of ,ypres about three-quarters of a mile out--near the dressing-station4 ,i will of course see he has a proper cross4 ,humphrey was splendid always when shells were bursting near4 ,he hated them as much as any of us1 but he just made himself appear unconcerned in order to put heart into the troops4 ,three nights ago we were digging a trench and the ,germans thought our attack was coming off that night4 ,for nearly three-quarters of an hour they put every kind of shell over us and some came very close4 ,we all lay down in the trench and waited4 ,on looking up once ,i was amazed to see a lone figure walking calmly about as if nothing was going on at all4 ,it may have been foolish but it was grand4 ,tuesday1 #bb ,june #aiae1 #d4de p4m4 ,well6 ,what a long war1 isn't it8 ,never mind1 ,i believe it will finish up without much help from us1 and our job is really killing time4 ,and our time is so pleasant it doesn't need much killing out here4 ,the days roll along--nice sunny days too--bringing us nearer ,i suppose to ,peace4 7,one hardly dares even to write the word now1 it has such a significance47 ,there have been cases where the war has driven people off their heads 7this applies only1 ,i think1 to the winter campaign71 but ,i often think if ,peace comes suddenly that there will be many such cases4 ,it really is rather amazing the unanimity of everybody on this subject1 and it must be the same behind the ,german front-line trenches4 ,i should think that never in this world before have there been so many men so 'fed up' before4 ,and then the women at home too--it is wonderful where the driving force comes from to keep things going on4 ,but still--,i don't want to convey a false impression4 ,if you took my last letter by itself you might think things were very terrible out here all the time4 ,they are not4 ,on the whole it is not a bad time at all4 ,the life is full of interest1 and the discomforts are few and far between4 ,bad times do come along occasionally1 but they are by way of exceptions4 ,it is most like a long picnic in all sorts of places with a sort of constraint and uneasiness in the air4 ,this last is purely mental1 and the less one worries about it the less it is1 and so one can contrive to be light-hearted and happy through it all--unless one starts to get depressed and moody4 ,and it is just that which has happened to ,laws and ,fletcher and one or two others4 ,they had been out long and had seen unpleasant times and without an occasional rest2 none but the very thick can stand it4 ,saturday1 #bf ,june #aiae1 #f4dj p4m4 ,here ,i am installed in the school ,machine ,gun which is1 or was1 a convent4 ,fine large place and grounds4 ,two officers per bedroom and a large ,mess-room2 about twenty officers up for the course 7or more7 which starts to-morrow 7,sunday74 ,your solution of the ,thompson acrostic ,st4 ,omer was perfectly right1 we are far back4 ,this convent is about two miles from that town4 ,i am so pleased to be in the 'pleasant1 sunny land of ,france1' amid absolute peacefulness4 ,we had a curious journey4 ,last night ,i slept at our transport 7and had a bath674 ,i got up soon after six1 mounted a horse just before eight 7after breakfast74 ,my servant and my valise1 also a groom to bring my horse back1 came in a limber4 ,and that excellent man ,polchet rode all the way to ,divisional ,headquarters with me1 although it was about six miles out of his way4 ,we got to ,headquarters at a quarter to ten--a motor-bus was to start at ten for here4 ,it started at #aj4cj with me1 my luggage1 and my servant 7,i don't know why he comes last7 in it4 ,the ,harborne motor-buses in the ,harborne ,high ,street weren't in it4 ,we got shaken to a jelly--we were on top4 ,we went back about two miles to pick up some of our ,division1 and having done so1 we set off to pick up some of the #adth ,division1 at a point carefully specified in our driver's instructions4 ,this was about five miles away1 in our proper direction4 ,but when we got to the spot we discovered they 7the ,division7 had left it a week ago and gone to a point quite close to where we had just picked up the #crd ,division men4 ,i telephoned in vain2 we had to go all the way back4 ,we found the place with difficulty 7we found all our places with difficulty as we had no maps71 collected the men1 and came all the way out again4 ,then we came straight here1 which was about fifteen miles at least4 ,we got here at #d4cj p4m46 ,six hours' motorbussing6 and the bus's maximum was #be m4p4h4 at least1 ,i should judge4 ,luckily it was a glorious day1 and ,i sat in front with the driver and enjoyed it all4444 ,i told you leave was starting--well1 it has now started4 ,three of our officers have gone--and all together6 ,they are only getting three clear days in ,england--but still6 ,i am going to find out when this course finishes--,i think it lasts for sixteen days--and then ,i am going to apply for my leave to follow on4 ,i wish--oh1 how ,i wish--,i may get it2 but of course many things may intervene4 ,if it does come off ,i hope there will be a representative gathering to meet me at dinner4 ,that is1 ,i hope ,violet will be back from ,edinburgh1 ,lorna and ,norah from ,coniston1 and perhaps ,oliver and his ,winifred will pay a flying visit from ,cardiff4 ,haven't ,i got an enlarged opinion of my own importance8 ,i suppose it is too much to expect the offices to have a whole holiday6 ,monday1 #bh ,june #aiae1 #f4ae p4m4 ,the enemy's lines round here do not appear to be strongly held1 in fact quite the reverse--that is1 the front lines4 ,but attacks on our part don't always pay--even so4 ,their method1 as ,i understand it1 is simply to lose less men than we do4 ,accordingly1 they leave very few men in their front trench1 but what there are have a good supply of machine guns and are well supported by artillery4 ,we precede our attacks by heavy shelling1 and the few men get into well-built dug-outs until it is over1 then they come out and get to work with their machine guns on the attacking infantry4 ,the trench ultimately falls after rather heavy loss on our side 7especially if the wire isn't properly cut7 and the few defenders hold up their hands4 ,some are made prisoners--some are not4 ,if the enemy want the trench very badly they try and retake it by means of a strong counter-attack1 trusting that our men and arrangements are in sufficient confusion to prevent adequate support4 ,that is why our attacks are so expensive and why we aren't constantly attacking4 ,the alternative plan is1 ,i think1 simply to shell them heavily--in all their lines--and leave out the actual attack in most cases4444 ,i was so interested to hear that ,alec had applied for me to come back4 ,it is not at all impossible1 because ,i have known two or three cases where officers have been recalled--one was chief chemist 7or so he said7 at ,brunner ,mond's4 ,he was returning as ,i came out1 and tried to make one's flesh creep by his tales of war4 ,but ,i don't think it is likely to happen in my case4 ,i only wish it would4 ,i should love to come home again1 although ,i don't feel as if ,i had done my bit yet--really4 ,i haven't been in any big scrap1 and ,i haven't killed my man even4444 ,i had a ripping time at the transport2 ,i hope they enjoyed the peas--they deserved to4 ,they were hospitality itself4 ,they welcomed me1 gave me three meals1 lent me anything ,i wanted1 made room for me to sleep in their large room 7this necessitated the ,quartermaster-,sergeant moving his bed into another room71 gave me a warm bath1 and generally made me feel quite at home4 ,they have a ripping dug-out4 ,rooms half underground1 #g feet high1 plenty of ventilation1 boarded floor and walls1 and a wooden roof supported on square wooden pillars and covered in earth well sodded on top4444 ,talking about the ,major 7,major ,cotton71 he used to be our ,adjutant at ,crosby--he was ,captain then4 ,he came out as second in command and has now got the ,battalion while our ,colonel 7,colonel ,dudgeon7 is away sick4 ,the latter got his ,c4,b4 in the last honours list4 ,he is an excellent man4 ,lieut4 ,burlton1 too1 got a ,military ,cross4 ,he has now been wounded twice2 he was the moving spirit of the hockey matches at ,crosby in the old days1 and1 when he was recalled to the ,front1 his mantle fell upon me4444 ,all the officers here are from different regiments with a very few exceptions4 ,it is most interesting4 ,at meals1 ,way and ,i sit among the ,cavalry1 ,dragoons and ,lancers1 etc4 ,they are fine chaps--the real ,army officers of which there are now all too few4 ,machine-,gun ,school1 ,g4,h4,q41 ,wednesday1 #g ,july #aiae1 #e p4m4 ,here ,i am getting towards the end of my little holiday1 only five more days to go4 ,no word has reached me from my ,battalion on the subject of leave1 or of anything else for that matter4444 ,if this threatened push on ,calais is real1 or if the higher commands have got 'wind up' about it1 they will very likely stop all leave1 and then ,i shall just have to wait until it starts again4444 ,i am sure that the fact of our nation being 'down' and preparing for a winter campaign will materially assist in shortening the war and rendering that preparation unnecessary4 ,we have an awfully amusing chap here who is in the ,grenadier ,guards4 ,he is always imitating ,harry ,tate4 ,a great big hefty chap1 in great big sloppy clothes 7including what are known as ',prince of ,wales' breeches74 ,he gets his mouth right over to the side of his face and says ',you stupid boy6' in ,harry ,tate's voice4 ,he does this in the middle of our instructional squads when some wretched person does something wrong with the gun1 and sends every one into fits of laughter4444 ,a lot more about a motor that wouldn't go4 ,my ,m4,g4 course is going on very nicely4 ,i have learnt a very great deal1 have been intensely interested1 and am very keen on the work4 ,my function as a reserve machine-gunner should really be to train the reserve team and such parts of the main team as are not actually required in the trenches1 in a safe spot behind the lines6 ,it sounds 'cushy1' but those in authority over us are not sufficiently enlightened1 ,i am afraid1 to adopt such a plan4 ,the object of course is to prevent your reserve men from being 'used up' as riflemen1 as otherwise when you want them to take the place of the others they are casualties and all their training goes for nothing4 ,the ,cavalry officers here are a great joke4 ,they find this life very tiring4 ,they are quite keen to get back again and have been from the beginning4 ,we1 on the other hand1 fairly enjoy it and are not at all anxious to go back to our regiments4 ,that shows the difference between the lives we lead4 ,of course they have been in the trenches and have had some very bad times there1 but they only go in in emergencies and at long intervals4444 ,another difference between us is that they keep their buttons as bright as possible and themselves as spick and span as can be4 ,the infantry officer gets his buttons as dull as possible1 and if they are green so much the better1 as it shows he has been through gas4 ,he likes his clothes and especially his puttees to be rather torn1 and his hat to be any old sloppy shape4 ,if he gets a new hat he is almost ashamed to wear it--he is terrified of being mistaken for ',kitcheners'6 ,lord ,kitchener and ,mr4 ,asquith came here last evening4 ,here1 to this convent4 ,i don't know what for2 but there was of course a good deal of stir here4 ,way and ,i went into the town last night4 ,we hired a fiacre for the return journey4 ,it came on to rain1 so it was just as well we had a hood4 ,we both thoroughly enjoyed the journey4 ,the fiacre was what would be dignified by the name of ',victoria' in ,england4 ,but in ,france1 where it seems to be etiquette not to take any trouble over carriagework1 fiacre is the only word you could apply1 and it just fits it4 ,it expresses not only its shabbiness but also hints at its broken-backed appearance4 ,we went into some stables and inquired about a fiacre1 and a fat boy in a blue apron with a white handkerchief tied over one eye said we could have one4 ,so ,i said1 ',o est le cocher8' and he pointed to his breast and said1 ',c'est moi6' ,the fare1 he said1 would be six francs and the pourboire4 ,thoughtful of him not to forget that4 ,we agreed1 and he eventually produced the usual ,french horse4 ,the fiacre was very comfortable and we were awfully tickled with the idea of us two in that absurd conveyance1 especially when we passed staff officers1 which was frequently4 ,altogether we were quite sorry when our drive was over4 ,,note ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,on #af ,july #aiae1 ,raymond came home on leave1 and he had a great reception4 ,on #bj ,july he went back4 ,sunday1 #be ,july #aiae1 #g4cj p4m4 ,i have got quite a nice dug-out1 with a chair and table in it4 ,the table was away from the door and got no light1 so ,i have spent about two hours to-day turning things round4 ,i went to bed about three this morning 7just after 'stand-to'7 and slept till nearly twelve4 ,then ,i had breakfast 7bacon and eggs74 ,as my former platoon ,sergeant remarked3 ',it is a great thing to have a few comforts1 it makes you forget there is a war1' ,so it does until a whizz-bang comes over4 ,i have just seen an aeroplane brought down 7,german luckily74 ,i missed the first part1 where one of ours went up to it and a flame shot across between them 7machine gun1 ,i expect74 ,i ran out just in time to see the machine descending on fire4 ,it came down quite steadily inside our lines 7about a mile or more away71 but the flames were quite clearly visible1 ,thursday1 #bi ,july #aiae1 #g4ce p4m4 ,here ,i am in the trenches again1 quite like old times1 and quite in the swing again after the unsettling effect of coming home6 ,you know ,i can't help laughing at things out here4 ,the curious aspect of things sometimes comes and hits me1 and ,i sit down and laugh 7not insanely or hysterically1 bien entendu2 but ,i just can't help chuckling74 ,it is so absurd1 the reasons and causes that have drawn me to this particular and unlikely field in ,belgium1 and1 having arrived here1 that make me set about at once house-hunting--for all the world as if it was the most natural thing in life4 ,and having selected my little house and arranged all my belongings in it1 ,i regard it as home and spend a few days there4 ,and then one morning my servant and ,i1 we pack up everything once more and hoist them on to our backs and set off1 staff in hand1 like a pair of gipsies to another field a mile or so distant1 and there make a new home4444 ,i was very loth to leave my front line dug-out1 because ,i had arranged things to my liking--had moved the table so that it caught the light1 and so on4 ,it had a built-in table 7which took a lot of moving71 a chair and a sandbag bed4 ,quite small and snug4 ,but still--this new dug-out back here is quite nice4 ,large and roomy1 with windows with bars in them 7but no glass7--a proper square table on four legs--three chairs and a sandbag bed4 ,so ,i am quite happy4 ,the sandbag bed is apparently made as follows3 ,cover a portion of the floor1 #f feet #f inches by #c feet #f inches1 with a single layer of sandbags filled with earth4 ,over these place several layers of empty sandbags1 and the bed is finished4 ,if the hollows and lumps are carefully placed1 the former in the middle and the latter at the head1 the result is quite a success4 ,of course one sleeps in one's clothes covered by a coat and with an air pillow under one's head4 ,we have had a very gay time in the trenches4 ,i think ,i told you how ,i saw a hostile aeroplane brought down on fire in our lines4 ,that was on ,sunday1 and the official report says both pilots killed4 ,on ,monday ,i went down to a support trench to have meat tea and a chat with ,holden and ,ventris 7two of ,c ,company officers74 ,at a quarter to ten there was a loud rumbling explosion and the dug-out we were in rocked for several seconds4 ,the ,germans had fired a mine about #fj feet in front of our trench to try to blow in some of our workings4 ,i rushed to my guns--both were quite safe4 ,you should have heard the noise4 ,every man in the place got up to the parapet and blazed away for all he was worth4 ,it was exciting6 ,one machine gun fired two belts 7#ejj rounds71 and the other fifty rounds4 ,i heard afterwards that several of the enemy were seen to leap their parapets1 but turned back when they heard the machine guns open fire4 ,it took a good while for things to quieten down4 ,some of our miners were at work when it went off1 but their gallery was some way off and they were quite all right4 ,last night they actually exploded another one6 ,aren't they keen8 ,this was a much smaller affair1 but closer to our trench4 ,it shook down a portion of our parapet1 which was easily rebuilt and entombed temporarily two of our miners4 ,in neither case were there any casualties4444 ,i am so sorry the date of the wedding had to be altered1 but ,i agree it was for the best4 ,i only hope you remembered to inform the bridegroom--he is often forgotten on these occasions1 and ,i have known a lot of trouble caused by just this omission4 ,,letter ,,from ,,raymond ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,fred ,,stratton1 ,,formerly ,,miss ,,marjorie ,,gunn #a ,august #aiae1 ,sunday1 #aa4bj p4m4 ,i am not actually in the trenches at the moment1 though most of the ,battalion is4 ,i was in for five days1 and then ,i was relieved about four days ago by another officer 7,roscoe71 who shares with me the duties of machine-gun officer4 ,so ,i am in a dug-out about three-quarters of a mile behind the firing line while he is taking his turn in that line4 7,a mine has just gone off and shaken the ground1 followed by a burst of heavy rifle firing4 ,this makes the fourth mine this week6 ,two went off while ,i was up there1 and the whole earth rocked for several seconds4 ,the first three mines were theirs1 this last may be ours1 ,i don't know2 we had one ready67 ,we have been at ,hill #fj and also up at ,ypres4 ,at present we are south of that appalling place1 but ,i learn with regret that to-morrow we are moving again and are going up north of ,ypres4 ,we are all depressed in consequence4 ,what an awfully good letter you have written me2 but1 do you know1 it makes me ache all over when you write like that about the car4 ,you have only to mention you have got a ,rover1 and ,i am as keen as mustard to come and tinker with it6 ,aren't ,i young8 ,but you must know ,i want to come to ,new ,park in any case4 ,i am awfully keen to stay there and see it from inside1 and see its inmates again after many years 7it feels like74 ,so after the war 7may it be soon67 ,i am just going to arrive4 ,i may let you know6 ,your remarks on weddings in general depress me very much6 ,i hope the bridegroom's lot is better than the poor bride's4 ,because my turn is bound to come6 ,i am so glad ,hester gave a good account of my appearance4 ,i am very fit1 it is the only way to exist here4 ,once you begin to get 'down' and to worry1 it is all up with you4 ,you go into a rapid decline1 and eventually arrive home a wreck6 ,but as long as you smile and don't care a hang about anything1 well the war seems to go on quite all right6 ,i enjoyed my few days' leave very much indeed4 ,i had five days in ,england and three full days and four nights at home4 ,i dropped into my old life just as if no change had occurred4 ,and the time was not long enough to make the getting back difficult4 ,this life is a change for me1 as you say4 ,i haven't done laughing at its humorous side yet4 ,in some ways we get treated like schoolboys4 ,more so at ,crosby than here1 however4 ,saturday1 #g ,august #aiae1 #g4cj p4m4 ,i have been having rather a bad time lately1--one of those times that reminds one that it is war and not a picnic1--but1 thank goodness1 it is all over now4 ,i think ,i told you that we were about to move up north of ,ypres1 to ,st4 ,julien or thereabouts4 ,well1 just before we handed over these trenches to one of ,kitchener's ,battalions1 the ,germans went and knocked down a lot of our parapet1 and also sent over some appalling things that we call 'sausages1' or 'aerial torpedoes1' though they are not the latter4 ,they are great shell-shaped affairs1 about #c feet along and #i inches in diameter1 ,i should think4 ,they are visible during the whole of their flight4 ,they are thrown up about #ajj yards into the air and fall down as they go up1 broadside on--not point first4 ,a few seconds after they fall there is the most appalling explosion ,i have ever heard4 ,from a distance of #ajj yards the rush of air is so strong that it feels as if the thing had gone off close at hand4 ,luckily there is a slight explosion when they are sent up1 and1 as ,i said1 they are visible all the time in the air4 ,the result is our men have time to dodge them1 provided they are not mesmerised as one man was4 ,he got stuck with his mouth open1 pointing at one6 ,a ,corporal gave him a push which sent him #aj yards1 and the 'sausage' landed not far from where he had been4 ,although they have sent more than twenty of these things over altogether1 we have only had one casualty1 and that a scratch4 ,their effect is to terrify every one and keep them on tenterhooks watching for them4 ,their purpose is to destroy mine galleries1 ,i believe4444 ,monday1 ,august the #bnd1 was the day we should have been relieved1 and that night ,i went up from headquarters and relieved ,roscoe1 who had had a bad time in the fire trenches4444 ,they were firing armour-piercing shells that go right in and blow the parapet to blazes2 dug-outs too1 of course1 if they happen to be near4 ,after punishing the right end of the left-hand bit of trench1 they traversed along1 laying waste the whole of our bit4 ,i was in my dug-out with ,hogg1 another officer4 ,i was trying to make tea1 but every shell blew out the ,primus1 and covered us in dust4 ,i made it1 however1 eventually1 and we had just drunk it when a shell blew the parados of the trench down1 not far from our door1 and the next wrecked the dug-out next door to mine 7a man who happened to be inside having a miraculous escape74 ,we judged it was time to clear 7the machine guns had already been withdrawn to safety71 and got away as best we could through and over the debris that had been a trench4 ,later in the day ,i made my way back1 and recovered my pack and most of my belongings4 ,it was exciting work getting back1 because they were sending whizz-bangs through the gaps in the parapet1 and the communication trenches in the rear were blocked in places1 so that you had to get up on top and 'scoot' across and drop in the trench again4 ,that evening they gave us a second shelling1 and one hit my dug-out fair and square 7,i had quarters in a support trench74 ,when ,i returned next day for the rest of my things--my equipment and some provisions--,i had to put two men on to dig them out4 ,it took three-quarters of an hour to get at them1 through the wreckage of timber1 corrugated iron1 and earth4444 ,on ,tuesday afternoon they sent off another mine1--about the seventh since we have been in1--but they are all well in front of our parapet4 ,and on ,wednesday they gave us twelve sausages--the first ,i had seen4 ,the trouble is1 we have a number of mine shafts under the ground between our trenches and theirs1 and they are fearfully 'windy' about them4 ,they keep trying to stop us mining them1 and their shelling is with the object of blowing down our sap-heads4 ,their mines1 too1 go up short1 because they are trying to blow in our galleries2 or else they are so scared they send them off before they are ready4 ,i think the last explanation is probably more near the truth1 because when one of their mines went up recently a lot of ,germans went up with it6444 ,we have been in here a fortnight to-night4 ,you can imagine how we long for clean clothes4 ,most of the officers have not been out of their clothes all that time1 but ,i have been very lucky4 ,i had two good cold baths when ,i was down here before1 and to-day ,i had a lovely hot one in a full-length wooden bath4 ,a tremendous luxury6 ,also ,i had some clean socks to put on4444 ,on the day ,i was shelled out of my dug-out my servant1 ,bailey1 was hit on the leg by a piece of shell and has gone down the line wounded1 not very seriously1 ,i think4 ,he is a great loss to me1 but ,i have got another one now1 ,gray1 who shapes very well4 ,he is young and willing1 and quite intelligent4 ,you ask whether that time when the mine went off was the first time ,i had used these guns4 ,yes1 absolutely4 ,the plan adopted in trench warfare is to place your guns in position with a good wide loophole in front of them1 then block this up and keep a sharp look-out4 ,when the enemy attacks1 you blaze away at them1 and then shift hurriedly to another gun-position and watch the old one being shelled to blazes4 ,if you fire on other occasions you are rather apt to have your guns knocked out1 and we can't afford to lose any4 ,that is why ,i was rather horrified to find one gun had fired #ejj rounds the other night4 ,however1 it was not discovered4 ,i think the long grass in front hid the flashes4444 ,yes1 the sandbags might be damp when used for a bed1 and ,i always lay my waterproof ground-sheet on top of them4 ,i either sleep on that or on some new clean bags laid above that again4 ,it is not only dampness1 though1 that one fears6 ,as a matter of fact1 one is not very sensitive to damp when living so much out of doors4 ,it is common to get one's feet slightly wet and go for about four days without removing one's boots--most unpleasant1 but not in the least damaging to health4 ,monday1 #af ,august #aiae1 ,noon ,we are now out and resting after doing a long spell4 ,i did nineteen days1 and some did a few more days than that4 ,three weeks is a long time to live continuously in clothes1 boots1 and puttees4444 ,i came out of the trenches on ,thursday night1 and was really a day too soon1 because on ,friday we were having ,orderly-,room right in the country1 in front of the ,c4,o4's tent2 the ,colonel was there surrounded by most of the officers1 when we heard a shell4 ,well1 that's nothing unusual1 but this one got crescendo1 and we all looked up in alarm4 ,then it got very crescendo1 and finally cleared us and landed with a loud explosion about #ej yards beyond us1 and not far from several groups of men4 ,it was an #h-;inch 'crump4' ,one man only was killed1 but we knew that more were likely to come over1 and so we gradually spread out to the sides4 ,four came altogether at two-minute intervals1 but we only had two casualties4 ,rather upsetting when we were supposed to be resting4 ,i don't know whether they could see our 7officers'7 white tents1 or whether they saw the cricket match that took place on the day before4 ,anyway we moved our tents slightly--every one put their tents where they pleased1 and then the ,pioneer ,sergeant came and amused himself daubing green paint on them in patches4 ,ours 7three of ,c ,coy47 was the best2 the splodges looked just like hazel nuts 787 when there are three together in their little green cases1 and they were interspersed with a kind of pansy-shaped flower4 ,altogether a very tasteful and pleasing effect4444 ,a couple of gun stocks have come4 ,they arrived from ,walker's1 the makers1 and ,i should very much like to know who had them sent4 ,they are ripping1 sniping attachments with periscopes for use with the ordinary rifle4 ,i shall stick to one1 and unless ,i hear otherwise ,i shall present the other one to our sniping officer 7honorary rank74#e ,wednesday1 #be ,august #aiae1 #c p4m4 ,i am in the trenches once more4 ,we marched in 7about #aj miles7 last night4 ,we had a meal at #c p4m41 and marched off soon after six4 ,our rations 7officers'7 went astray1 because they were on a hand-cart in charge of our servants1 who missed their way1 so we have had practically nothing to eat since late lunch yesterday1 and are pretty hungry4 ,i have had a piece of chocolate1 and my water-bottle was nearly full of lemon squash4444 ,we are in support trenches at ,hooge1 just on the left of our former position up here4 ,except for some shelling 7chiefly ours71 things are fairly quiet4 ,since we were here last the position is greatly improved2 the ,germans have been driven over the ridge in front 7during the recapture of trenches here71 and the whole place is much 'healthier' in consequence4444 ,i have been out here five calendar months to-day1 and in the ,army just over eleven months4 ,they will be pensioning me off soon as an old soldier4 #bi ,august #aiae1 #aa4cj a4m4 ,i am having a very quiet and lazy time at the moment1 and feel ,i deserve it4 ,we went into support trenches for three days1 and worked two nights from #g4cj p4m4 till #c a4m4 building and improving the fire trench4 ,then on the third night we had a most exciting time4 ,one company1 under ,captain ,taylor1 was sent up right in front to dig a new fire trench to connect with another on our left4 ,we had to go up a trench which ran right out into space1 and which had only just been built itself1 and when there we had to get over the parapet and creep forward to the new line we were to dig4 ,of course we had to be dead quiet1 but there was a big moon1 and of course they saw us4 ,most of the way we were not more than #cj yards away from their front position 7and they had bombing parties out in front of that74 ,while we were digging we had one platoon with bombs to cover us1 and some of this party were as close as #be yards to their front position4 ,it was awful work1 because they kept throwing bombs at us1 and what was almost worse was the close-range sniping4 ',very' lights were going up from the ,german lines all the time1 and you could see the bullets kicking up the dust all around4 ,when we first got out there ,i picked out my ground pretty carefully before lying down 7because the recent scrap there was much in evidence71 but when the snipers got busy ,i didn't worry about what ,i was on1 ,i just hugged the ground as close as ,i could4 ,they would put the ',very' lights right into us1 and one just missed me by a yard4 ,if they are not spent when they come down1 they blaze fiercely on the ground1 and when they finish1 they look like a little coke fire4 ,they would burn you badly if they fell on you4 ,i have seen a dead man that one had fallen on afterwards4 ,his clothes were fearfully burned4 ,the ,germans were on the edge of a wood and our ground was tipped towards them1 so it was extremely difficult to get cover4 ,shell holes were the best4 ,soon the men got their trenches down1 and things were a little better4 ,the men worked extremely well1 and the ,wilts were working on our left1 and we eventually joined up with them4 ,after about five hours' work1 the trenches were fit to hold1 and we filed out and the new garrison filed in4 ,our casualties were much lighter than ,i should have thought possible4 ,the ,colonel came along the new trenches just before we left1 and he was most awfully pleased with ,c ,company1 and so is the ,general4 ,captain ,taylor is very bucked about it4 ,the scene of this affair was right against the ,chteau of ,hooge1 and close to the mine crater4 ,we found a ,german machine gun half buried1 but in good condition1 and any number of souvenirs4 ,the ,captain has got a helmet--a dirty thing2 he had to have it cleaned out1 because part of the owner was still inside it6 ,it is a rummy shape1 so flat-topped and square1 with a brass spike and a gold band down the back4 ,i expect it was an officer's4 ,oh6 ,i have seen my first ,german 7not counting prisoners74 ,i was standing up and a ',very' light went up1 so ,i kept perfectly still4 ,i was looking towards the wood where the ,germans were 7,i was #dj or #ej yards away71 and ,i saw one quite distinctly walking into the wood4 ,our men that were killed 7sniped7 were buried just behind1 within a quarter of an hour of being hit4 ,rather awful4 ,the actual digging was rather trying in places1 and in one case they actually came on a horse6--which dates it back to ,november1 when we were pushed back to these positions in the first battle of ,ypres4 ,the men in such places work with their respirators on and are often actually sick4 ,i have had whiffs of the smell since in my food4 ,once smelt never forgotten4 ,i can tell the difference between a man and a horse1 but ,i don't know which ,i like least4 ,rather a morbid topic1 ,i am afraid4 ,well1 after leaving the scene of our labours 7and glad to get out71 we called for our packs and had to march about two and a half miles4 ,we were dead beat when we arrived here 7nice safe dug-outs--roomy and comfortable--with our valises ready to sleep in when we arrived71 but we found a good meal awaiting us1 and about half-past four we 'got down to it' and slept till noon4 ,holden and ,i share a palatial dug-out1 and we had breakfast in bed1 and ,i did not get up till just before our evening meal at #g4 ,i washed and dressed in slacks--had a meal1 and later on went to bed again4 ,this morning we had breakfast in bed again about #i4cj1 and then ,i got up1 washed and shaved1 dressed1 and am now sitting on my bed1 leaning against the wall writing my letters4 ,the ,general let us off 'stand-to' because he knew we were fagged out2 and it is a great mercy4 ,turning out fully dressed at about #b4cj a4m4 and remaining up for an hour does not improve one's night's rest4 ,i suppose1 though1 that we shall have to start it soon--perhaps to-night4 ,we are here till to-morrow night1 ,i believe1 and then we go to some fairly nice trenches near the ones we were in last4 ,we are short of subalterns--rather--and they have taken me off machine guns for the time being4 ,i am sick1 but ,i get a bit in when ,i can4 ,in the last trench we built 7,i and my platoon71 not the exposed one1 there was a machine-gun position1 and ,i took great pleasure in building it a really good emplacement4444 ,are you doing anything about getting me back for ,munitions8 ,i don't know what you think about it1 and whether you think ,i ought to carry on out here4 ,i am sure that after six months ,i shall be just about fed-up with this business1 but am not sure that after a couple of months at home ,i shan't be wanting to come out again4 ,wednesday1 #a ,september #aiae1 #d4de p4m4 ,i will just write you a short letter to let you know ,i am still well and happy1 and still leading the strange life of the picnic-hermit4 ,when ,i last wrote to you ,i believe ,i was in the very same spot as now1 namely1 support trenches in the neighbourhood of a now famous chteau4 ,last time we were in for three days1 and on the night we left we had a very blood-curdling experience digging a trench which was to bring us closer to our friends the enemy4 ,but they were inclined to resent our advances1 and they welcomed us1 not with open arms1 but with lighted bombs4 ,however1 having completed our work to the great satisfaction of those in authority over us 7namely1 the ,colonel and the ,general ,brigadier71 we made good our escape4 ,then for three blissful days we lived 7with our valises7 in some magnificent dug-outs in one of the safest spots in this accursed though much improved neighbourhood4 ,these days we spent competing who could sleep furthest round the clock 7if that is a permissible expression74 ,i think ,i won1 and on my record day ,i got up and dressed for dinner at about #g4cj p4m41 made my bed afterwards1 and got back into it again4 ,this halcyon period was only interrupted once1 when we all had to go out and dig a trench one night long4 ,however1 the worst feature of this expedition was the rain1 which made 'going' very difficult1 and things in general rather uncomfortable 7especially for the men71 so we hadn't much to grumble about4 ,then we came back here and the first night we slept in peace1 getting up at about #c a4m4 ostensibly for the purpose of 'stand-to1' but really to brew ourselves some cocoa4 ,then sleep till #i1 #aj1 or #aa1 ,i forget which4 ,i crawl to the door of my dug-out and shout for ,gray1 who lives just opposite4 ',breakfast6' ,i say1 and he invariably asks1 ',what will you have1 sir8' just as if he could command the larders of the ,carlton or the ,linga4 ,knowing my rations1 and that an attempt at humour would only put me off my plat du jour or daily round1 ,i usually think for a few moments and then order eggs and bacon1 and face the common task4 ,the only variation ,i permit myself is that on one or two days in the week ,i funk the bacon and have boiled eggs4 ,where do the eggs come from8 ,they are purchased out of the ,mess fund by our ,mess cook who lives with the ,transport when we are in the trenches1 and brings them up personally when the rations arrive at night4 ,yes1 he has a 'cushy' time of it1 does our ,mess cook2 and how can he avoid being happy1 living as he does in a perpetual transport8 ,what of the days when no eggs are available8 ,why1 then1 horrible dictu1 ,i have fried cheese and bacon6 ,it occurs to me here1 although all this was not written with intention1 that this could be a good place to ask whether sausages are yet in season4 ,if they are1 a few cooked ones 7or half cooked7 sent out now and again would make a splendid variant for our menu4 ,the meat season is hard to follow out here4 ,bully beef is such a hardy perennial4 7,this does not mean that we live on it--,i never eat it1 there is always a good supply of fresh beef47 ,blackberries are coming on1 ,i notice with pleasure1 and ,i can usually tell what shells are in season 7the season for sausages in this department is1 let us hope1 mercifully short4 ,i believe we are now in the middle of the close-time for this sturdy little fellow1 ,i trust he is not utilising it to increase and multiply74 ,i am sorry ,i have had rather a sharp attack of parentheses lately1 the touch of winter in the air cramps my style4 ,and ,i really did think this was going to be quite a short letter4 ,i cannot divine my moods1 ,i find1 ,i did not feel like writing until ,i got going4 ,please thank father very much indeed for the sniperscopes4 ,i have given one to the ,captain of ,d ,company1 who is keen on everything4 ,he is an engineer 7civil71 and is a most useful man out here4 ,i have not tried mine yet1 as ,i haven't been in a fire trench1 and it would hardly be fair to use it in a support trench1 the backs of our infantry in the trench in front being too easy a target to give the thing a fair trial4 ,oh6 ,i was telling you about my work in this trench but got switched off on to food4 ,last time ,i was here ,i 7and my platoon7 worked for two nights from #g4cj till #c improving the parapets4 ,well1 the second night of this period 7last night7 ,i had got all sorts of plans ready and was going to have a thoroughly good night building dug-outs1 draining the trench1 and building a second machine-gun emplacement 7not my job really at the moment74 ,however1 word came along that the platoon was wanted to dig another trench right in front again and near the other one4 ,they said1 ',a covering party with bombs will be provided1 and send in your casualty report in the morning6' ,so ,i asked if they were supplying stretchers and all complete6 ,but they were not4 ,it is a most cheering way of sending you off1 is it not8 ,it is a wonder they did not make us take up our own grave crosses1 just in case4 7,by the way1 it is most impressive to meet two men walking along at night and one carrying a large white cross4 ,the burying and decking of the graves is done very well here1 and conscientiously4 ,there is a special organisation for making the crosses1 lettering them and putting them up4 ,the position of the grave is reported to them1 with the particulars1 and they do the rest47 ,the great difference in last night's job was that ,i only had a platoon to deal with1 while before the ,captain had a whole company4 ,also ,i was not quite so close to the enemy 7we were #cj yards off1 and less1 before71 and the moon was mostly obscured4 ,i determined not to let them know we were working1 so ,i crept out and explored the ground with the ,corporal of the covering party 7this was the worst part of the job1 because you did not know when you might not come across a party of the enemy in the many shell holes and old trenches with which the ground was covered74 ,i had my large revolver in my pocket1 but ,i did not want to use it1 as it would have given our game away4 ,all went well1 and ,i got the men placed out in absolute silence1 with the covering party pushed out in front to listen and watch4 ,the men worked very quietly1 and when a light went up they got down and kept still4 ,lights were very few1 because the enemy had got a working party out too--at one side1 and we could occasionally hear them driving in stakes for wire4 ,we had to use picks in some places where the ground was stony1 and these are the hardest to keep quiet4 ,we got through it all right1 and only one shot1 ,i think1 was fired all the time4 ,it came fairly close1 too4 ,i am sure they guessed we were out1 because when one light went up ,i hadn't time to get down1 so ,i kept still and ,i plainly saw a ,hun standing upright on his own parapet4 ,he straightened up as the light grew bright1 and ,i just caught sight of the movement and saw him then distinctly4 ,the ground out there has been fought over a good deal1 and there are plenty of souvenirs about4 ,i have got one myself--a ,hun rifle4 ,the original owner1 who was buried with it--probably by a shell--happened to lie exactly where we dug our trench1 and we were obliged to move him elsewhere4 ,i brought his rifle home and put it over the door of my dug-out4 ,that was early this morning4 ,but the enemy have been putting shrapnel over us 7in reply to a good 'strafing' by our guns71 and one piece has gone clean through the stock4 ,our artillery are going great guns nowadays4 ,it certainly feels as if the shell supply was all right--or nearly so4 ,i don't know whether we shall be wanted for any job to-night1 or whether we shall rest1 or whether ,i can get on with my projects4 ,i must go round and see ,captain ,t4 in the other trench4 ,by the way1 he came to see how ,i was getting on last night about midnight1 and was very pleased with the work and with the fact that we were having no casualties4 ,that cake was fine1 and much appreciated in the ,mess4 ,the little knife you gave me when home on leave is proving most useful4 ,please thank ,lionel for chocolate received and ,alec for gourdoulis4 ,i have sent another box of ,surplus ,kit home addressed to ,nol4 ,rather late to do it1 ,i know1 and ,i shall want one or two of the things sent back later1 but not for a long time1 and it is a relief to get rid of some of my impedimenta4 ,the socks returned want mending4 ,that reminds me1 thank you and please thank ,miss ,leith very much for the socks4 ,they are quite all right for size4 ,perhaps not so long and narrow in the foot might be better1 but it doesn't seem to affect the wear2 they are most comfortable4 ,i am still attached to the ,company and not to the machine guns--much to my annoyance4 ,monday1 #f ,september #aiae1 #i4cj p4m4 ,thank you so much for your inspiring and encouraging letter4 ,i hope ,i am being useful out here4 ,i sometimes doubt if ,i am very much use--not as much as ,i should like to be4 ,possibly ,i help to keep ,c ,company officers more cheerful6 ,i am very sorry they have taken me off machine guns for the present1 ,i hope it may not be long4 ,great happenings are expected here shortly and we are going to have a share4 ,we are resting at present and have been out a few days now4 ,we had only two periods of three days each in the trenches last time in4444 ,our last two days in the trenches were appallingly wet4 ,my conduct would have given me double pneumonia at home4 ,my rain-coat was soaked1 so ,i had to sleep in shirt sleeves under my tunic1 and the knees of my breeches were wet4 ,the next day the rain was incessant1 and presently ,i found the floor of my dug-out was swimming--the water having welled up through the ground below and the sandbags4 ,i didn't have to sleep on it luckily1 because we were relieved that night4 ,but before we went ,i had to turn out with fifty men and work till midnight in water up to one foot deep4 ,so at #h4cj p4m4 ,i got my boots full of cold water and sat out in them till #ab1 then marched some eight miles4 ,after nine hours' rest and some breakfast we came here1 another three or four4 ,it was nice to get a dry pair of boots and our valises and a tent4 ,that night ,i rode into ,poperinghe with ,captain ,taylor1 and we had a really good dinner there--great fun4 ,we have a full set of parades here unfortunately1 otherwise things are all right4444 ,alec has very kindly had a ',molesworth' sent me4 ,most useful4 ,i would like a motor paper now and then1 ,i think6 ,the ,motor for preference--or ,the ,autocar4 ,aren't ,i young8 ,captain ,taylor has sprained his ankle by falling from his horse one night1 and has gone to a rest home near4 ,so ,i am commanding ,c ,company at the moment4 ,hope not for long4 ,too responsible at the present time of crisis4 #i ,september1 #c4cj p4m4 ,must just finish this off for post4 ,we have just had an inspection by the ,army ,corps ,commander1 ,lieut4-,general ,plumer ,sir ,herbert4 ,i am still in command of ,c ,company1 and had to call them to attention and go round with the ,general1 followed by a whole string of minor generals1 colonels1 etc4 ,he asked me a good many questions3-- ,first4--,how long had ,i had the ,company8 ,then1 how long had ,i been out8 ,i said since ,march4 ,he then asked if ,i had been sick or wounded even1 and ,i said no6 ,then he said1 ',good lad for sticking it6' at least ,i thought he was going to4 ,we are kept very busy nowadays4 ,i must try and write a proper letter soon4 ,i do apologise4 ,a box of cigarettes has arrived from1 ,i suppose1 ,alec4 ,virginias1 ,i mean1 and heaps of them4 ,we have just got another tent--we have been so short and have been sleeping five in4 ,now we shall be two in each4 ,the new one is a lovely dove-grey--like a thundercloud4 ,after the war ,i shall buy one4 ,i shall be quite insufferable1 ,i know2 ,i shall want everything done for me on the word of command4 ,never mind--roll on the end of the war6 ,cheer-ho1 lovely weather1 great spirits6 ,aeroplane ,english came down in our field yesterday slightly on fire4 ,all right though4--,good-bye1 much love1 ,,raymond ,,maurice4 ,sunday1 #ab ,september #aiae1 #b p4m4 ,you will understand that ,i still have the ,company to look after1 and we are going into the front-line trenches this evening at #e p4m4 for an ordinary tour of duty4 ,we are going up in motor buses6444 ,capt4 ,t4 thinks he will be away a month6 ,,telegram ,,from ,,the ,,war ,,office #ag ,september #aiae ,deeply regret to inform you that ,second ,lieut4 ,r4 ,lodge1 ,second ,south ,lancs1 was wounded #ad ,sept4 and has since died4 ,lord ,kitchener expresses his sympathy4 ,,telegram ,,from ,,the ,,king ,,and ,,queen #ba ,september #aiae ,the ,king and ,queen deeply regret the loss you and the army have sustained by the death of your son in the service of his country4 ,their ,majesties truly sympathise with you in your sorrow4 ,footnote #c3 ,see ,note by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 at the end of this letter4 ,footnote #d3 ,this must have been part of my book ,the ,war and ,after4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,footnote #e3 ,thos4 ,walker ,son1 of ,oxford ,street1 ,birmingham1 had kindly given me two periscope rifle-stock attachments with excellent mirrors1 so as to allow accurate sighting4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,footnote #f3 ,lieutenant ,case himself1 alas6 was killed on the #beth of ,september #aiae4 ,it was a fatal time4 ,lieutenant ,fletcher also has been killed now1 on #crd ,july #aiaf4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,letters ,,from ,,officers ,some letters from other officers gradually arrived1 giving a few particulars4 ,but it was an exceptionally strenuous period at the ,ypres salient1 and there was little time for writing4 ,moreover1 some of his friends were killed either at the same time or soon afterwards4 ,the fullest account that has reached us is in the following letter1 which arrived eight months later3-- ,,letter ,,from ,,lieutenant ,,william ,,roscoe ,,to ,,sir ,,oliver ,,lodge #gth ,brigade ,machine-,gun ,company1 ,b4,e4,f41 #af ,may #aiaf ,,dear ,,sir ,,oliver ,,lodge1--,when ,i was lately on leave1 a brother of mine1 who had met one of your relatives1 encouraged me to write and tell you what ,i knew of your son ,raymond4 ,i was in the ,south ,lancashire ,regiment when he joined the ,battalion out here last spring1 and ,i think spent the first spell he had in the trenches in his company4 ,afterwards ,i became ,machine ,gunner1 and in the summer he became my assistant1 and working in shifts we tided over some very trying times indeed4 ,in particular during ,august at ,st4 ,eloi4 ,to me at any rate it was most pleasant being associated together1 and ,i think he very much preferred work with the gunners to ,company work4 ,being of a mechanical turn of mind1 he was always devising some new 'gadget' for use with the gun--for instance1 a mounting for firing at aeroplanes1 and a device for automatic traversing2 and those of my men who knew him still quote him as their authority when laying down the law and arguing about machine gunning4 ,i wish we had more like him1 and the endless possibilities of the ,maxim would be more quickly brought to light4 ,i am always glad to think that it was not in any way under my responsibility that he was killed4 ,during ,september times grew worse and worse up in the ,ypres salient1 culminating in the attack we made on the #beth1 auxiliary to the ,loos battle4 ,the trenches were ruins1 there was endless work building them up at night1 generally to be wrecked again the next day4 ,the place was the target for every gun for miles on either side of the salient4 ,every day our guns gave the enemy a severe bombardment1 in preparation for the attack1 and every third or fourth day we took it back from them with interest3 the place was at all times a shell trap4 ,it was during this time that your son was killed4 ,he was doing duty again with the ,company1 which was short-handed1 and ,i remember one night in particular being struck with his cheerfulness on turning out to a particularly unpleasant bit of trench digging in front of our lines near the ,stables at ,hooge1 a mass of ruins and broken trenches where no one could tell you where you might run across the enemy2 but the men had to dig for hours on end1 with only a small covering party looking out a few yards in front of them4 ,the morning your son was killed they were bombarding our trenches on the top of the hill1 and some of the men were being withdrawn from a bad piece4 ,he and ,ventris were moving down the trench in rear of the party--which ,i think must have been seen--for a shell came and hit them both1 but ,i think none of the men in front4 ,some time later1 ,i don't know how long1 ,i was going up to the line to visit the guns1 when ,i saw ,ventris1 who was killed1 laid out ready to be carried down1 and presently ,i saw your son in a dug-out1 with a man watching him4 ,he was then quite unconscious though still breathing with difficulty4 ,i could see it was all over with him4 ,he was still just alive when ,i went away4 ,our regiment was to lose many more on that same hill before the month was over1 and those of us that remain are glad to be far away from it now2 but ,i always feel that anyone who has died on ,hooge ,hill has at all events died in very fine company4--,yours sincerely1 7,signed7 ,,william ,,roscoe1 ,lieut4 #bnd ,s4 ,lancs4 ,regt41 attached #gth ,brigade1 ,m4,g4 ,company ,,letter ,,from ,,lieutenant ,,fletcher1 ,,great ,,crosby1 ,,liverpool #ba ,september #aiae ,raymond was the best pal ,i've ever had1 and we've always been together2 in the old days at ,brook ,road1 then in ,edinburgh1 and lastly in ,france1 and nobody could ever have a better friend than he was to me4 ,i'll never forget the first day he came to us at ,dickebusch1 and how pleased we all were to see him again2 and through it all he was always the same1 ever ready to help anyone in any way he could1 whilst his men were awfully fond of him and would have done anything for him4 #bd ,september #aiae ,i hear that we were digging trenches in advance of our present ones at ,st4 ,eloi last week1 so it must have been then that he was hit1 as he was awfully keen on digging new trenches1 and heaps of times ,i've had to tell him to keep down when he was watching the men working4444 ,i always thought he would come through all right1 and ,i know he thought so himself1 as1 the last time ,i saw him1 we made great plans for spending some time together when we got back1 and it seems so difficult to realise that he has gone4 7,signed7 ,,eric ,s4 ,,fletcher4 ,,letter ,,from ,,lieutenant ,,case ,,to ,,brodie ,thursday1 #bc ,september #aiae ,yes1 ,i knew ,raymond ,lodge very well1 and he was indeed a friend of mine1 being one of the nicest fellows it has ever been my privilege to meet4 ,i was with him when he died4 ,this was how it happened to the best of my knowledge4 ',a' ,company 7the one ,i am in7 and ',c' ,company were in the trenches at the time4 ,the gunners had sent up word that there was going to be a bombardment1 and so they recommended us to evacuate the front-line trenches1 in case the ,hun retaliated1 and it was whilst ,c ,company were proceeding down the communication trench1 till the bombardment was over1 that the shell came which killed your brother4 ,he was in command of ,c ,company at the time1 and was going down at the rear of his men1 having seen them all safely out of the trenches4 ,his servant1 ,gray1 was hit first1 in the head 7from which he afterwards died74 ,then ,lodge went along to tell the ,sergeant-,major1 and to see about assistance1 farther down the trench4 ,whilst talking to the ,company ,sergeant-,major he was hit in the left side of the back1 by a piece of shell1 ,i think4 ,lower down the trench poor ,ventris was hit and killed4 ,as soon as ,i heard about it ,i went along to see if ,i could be of any use4 ,i saw ,lodge lying in a dug-out1 with a servant looking after him4 ,i saw he was badly hit1 and tried to cheer him up4 ,he recognised me and was just able to ask a few questions4 ,that must have been about twenty minutes or so after he was hit4 ,i think he lived about half an hour1 and ,i don't think he suffered much pain1 thank ,god4 ,i was very1 very grieved at his death1 for he was one of the very nicest fellows ,i have met4 ,that he was universally liked1 both by officers and men1 it is needless to say4444 ,i was for nearly three months in ,c ,company with your brother1 and was thus able to see his extreme coolness and ability in military matters4 7,signed7 ,g4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,case ,,letter ,,from ,,lieutenant ,,case ,,to ,,lady ,,lodge ,friday1 #bd ,september #aiae ,need ,i say how grieved we all were at his loss8 ,he was hit about midday1 and died about half an hour or so afterwards4 ,i forget the date1 but ,i have written more fully to his brother4 ,i don't think he suffered much pain4 ,he was conscious when ,i arrived1 and recognised me1 ,i think1 and ,i remained with him for some time4 ,i then went off to see if there was any possibility of finding the doctor1 but all the telephone wires were cut1 and even if we had been able to get the doctor up1 it would have been of no avail4 ,the stretcher-bearers did all that was possible4444 ,another subaltern1 ,mr4 ,ventris1 was killed at the same time1 as was his servant ,gray as well4 7,signed7 ,g4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,case#f ,,letter ,,from ,,captain ,s4 ,t4 ,,boast #bg ,september #aiae ,first of all ,i beg to offer you and your family my sincere sympathies in the loss of your son1 #bnd ,lieut4 ,lodge4 ,his loss to us is very great3 he was a charming young fellow--always so very cheerful and willing1 hard working1 and a bright example of what a good soldier ought to be4 ,he was a most efficient officer1 and only recently qualified in the handling and command of ,maxim guns--a most useful accomplishment in the present war4 ,briefly1 the circumstances which led to his death were as follows3-- ,on #ad ,september1 ,c ,company to which #bnd ,lieut4 ,lodge belonged1 was in position in a forward fire trench4 ,during the morning the commander of the artillery covering the position informed #bnd ,lieut4 ,lodge1 who at the time was in command of ,c ,company1 that it was intended to shell the enemy's positions1 and as his trenches were only a short distance from ours1 it was considered advisable to withdraw from our trench during the shelling4 #bnd ,lieut4 ,lodge gave orders for his ,company to withdraw into a communication trench in the rear4 ,he and #bnd ,lieut4 ,ventris were the last to leave the forward trench1 and in entering the communication trench both these officers were caught by enemy's shrapnel4 ,ventris was killed--,lodge mortally wounded and died of his wounds shortly afterwards4 ,these are the circumstances of his death4 ,,from ,,captain ,a4 ,b4 ,,cheves1 ,r4,a4,m4,c4 #bb ,september #aiae ,the ,colonel has asked me to write you1 giving some idea of the burial-ground in which your son's grave is4 ,i understand that he was leading his ,company back from one of the communication trenches when the ,germans shelled the front and rear of the column1 killing your son and the officer who was at the rear4 ,at the same time one man was killed and two wounded4 ,i knew nothing about this until later in the day1 as communication with my aid post was very difficult1 and he was reported to me as having been killed4 ,i understand that he lived for about three hours after being wounded1 and all the officers and men who were present speak very highly of his conduct during this time4 ,his wound was unfortunately in such a position that there was no chance of saving his life1 and this was recognised by all1 including your son himself4 ,when his body was brought down in the evening the expression on his face was absolutely peaceful1 and ,i should think that he probably did not suffer a great deal of pain4 ,he was buried on the same evening in our cemetery just outside the aid post1 side by side with ,lieut4 ,ventris1 who was unfortunately killed on the same day4 ,the cemetery is in the garden adjoining a ruined farm-house4 ,it is well enclosed by hedges1 and your son's grave is under some tall trees that stand in the garden4 ,there are graves there of men of many regiments who have fallen1 and our graves are enclosed by a wire fence1 so keeping them quite distinct from the others4 ,there is a wooden cross marking the head of the grave1 and a small one at the foot4 ,i am afraid that our condolences will be small consolation to you1 but ,i can assure you that he was one of the most popular officers with the ,battalion1 both amongst the officers and men1 and all feel his loss very greatly4 99 99 99 99 99 ,information sent by ,captain ,cheves to ,mrs4 ,ventris1 mother of the ,second ,lieutenant who was killed at the same time as ,raymond and buried with him3-- ,he was buried on the right of the ,ypres-,menin ,road1 just past where the ,zonebeke ,rail cuts4 ,if you can get hold of ,sheet #bh1 ,belgium #a_/dj1jjj1 the reference is ,i4 #af4 b #b4 ,any soldier will show you how to read the map4 ,illustration3 ,,raymond1 #aiae ,,letter ,,from ,a ,,foreman ,,workman ,i also append a letter received from a workman who used to be at the same bench with ,raymond when he was going through his workshop course at the ,wolseley ,motor ,works4 ,stallard is a man he thought highly of1 and befriended4 ,he is now foreman in the ,lodge ,fume ,deposit ,company1 after making an effort to get a berth in ,lodge ,brothers for ,raymond's sake4 ,he is now1 and has been since the war began1 the owner of ,raymond's dog ,larry1 about whom some local people remember that there was an amusing ,county ,court case4 #ih ,mansel ,road1 ,small ,heath1 ,birmingham1 #ag ,september #aiae ,,dear ,,mr4 ,,lionel1--,the shock was too great for me to speak to you this afternoon4 ,i should like to express to you1 and all the family1 my deepest and most heartfelt sympathy in your terrible loss4 ,mr4 ,raymond was the best friend ,i ever had4 ,truly1 ,i thought more of him than any other man living1 not only for his kind thoughts towards me1 but for his most admirable qualities1 which ,i knew he possessed4 ,the memory of him will remain with me as long as ,i live4--,believe me to be1 yours faithfully1 7,signed7 ,,norman ,,stallard ,footnote #f3 ,lieutenant ,case himself1 alas6 was killed on the #beth of ,september #aiae4 ,it was a fatal time4 ,lieutenant ,fletcher also has been killed now1 on #crd ,july #aiaf4 ,,part ,,two3 ,,supernormal ,,portion ,peace1 peace6 he is not dead1 he doth not sleep-- ,he hath awakened from the dream of life4 ,,shelley1 ,adonais4 ,,introduction ,i have made no secret of my conviction1 not merely that personality persists1 but that its continued existence is more entwined with the life of every day than has been generally imagined2 that there is no real breach of continuity between the dead and the living2 and that methods of intercommunion across what has seemed to be a gulf can be set going in response to the urgent demand of affection1--that in fact1 as ,diotima told ,socrates 7,symposium1 #bjb and #bjc71 ,,love ,,bridges ,,the ,,chasm4 ,nor is it affection only that controls and empowers supernormal intercourse3 scientific interest and missionary zeal constitute supplementary motives which are found efficacious2 and it has been mainly through efforts so actuated that ,i and some others have been gradually convinced1 by direct experience1 of a fact which before long must become patent to mankind4 ,hitherto ,i have testified to occurrences and messages of which the motive is intellectual rather than emotional3 and though much1 very much1 even of this evidence remains inaccessible to the public1 yet a good deal has appeared from time to time by many writers in the ,proceedings of the ,society for ,psychical ,research1 and in my personal collection called ,the ,survival of ,man4 ,no one therefore will be surprised if ,i now further testify concerning communications which come home to me in a peculiar sense2 communications from which sentiment is not excluded1 though still they appear to be guided and managed with intelligent and on the whole evidential purpose4 ,these are what ,i now decide to publish2 and ,i shall cite them as among those evidences for survival for the publication of which some legitimate demand has of late been made1 owing to my having declared my belief in continued existence without being able to give the full grounds of that belief1 because much of it concerned other people4 ,the portion of evidence ,i shall now cite concerns only myself and family4 ,i must make selection1 it is true1 for the bulk has become great2 but ,i shall try to select fairly1 and especially shall give in fair fulness those early communications which1 though not so free and easy as they became with more experience1 have yet an interest of their own1 since they represent nascent powers and were being received through members of the family to whom the medium was a complete stranger and who gave no clue to identity4 ,messages of an intelligible though rather recondite character from ,myers began to reach me indeed a week or two before the death of my son2 and nearly all the messages received since his death differ greatly in character from those which in the old days were received through any medium with whom ,i sat4 ,no youth was then represented as eager to communicate2 and though friends were described as sending messages1 the messages were represented as coming from appropriate people--members of an elder generation1 leaders of the ,society for ,psychical ,research1 and personal acquaintances4 ,whereas now1 whenever any member of the family visits anonymously a competent medium1 the same youth soon comes to the fore and is represented as eager to prove his personal survival and identity4 ,i consider that he has done so4 ,and the family scepticism1 which up to this time has been sufficiently strong1 is now1 ,i may fairly say1 overborne by the facts4 ,how far these facts can be conveyed to the sympathetic understanding of strangers1 ,i am doubtful4 ,but ,i must plead for a patient hearing2 and if ,i make mistakes1 either in what ,i include1 or in what for brevity ,i omit1 or if my notes and comments fail in clearness1 ,i bespeak a friendly interpretation3 for it is truly from a sense of duty that in so personal a matter ,i lay myself open to harsh and perhaps cynical criticism4 ,it may be said--,why attach so much importance to one individual case8 ,i do not attach especial importance to it1 but every individual case is of moment1 because in such a matter the aphorism ,ex uno disce omnes is strictly applicable4 ,if we can establish the survival of any single ordinary individual we have established it for all4 ,christians may say that the case for one ,individual was established nearly #aijj years ago2 but they have most of them confused the issue by excessive though perhaps legitimate and necessary emphasis on the exceptional and unique character of that ,personality4 ,and a school of thought has arisen which teaches that ordinary men can only attain immortality vicariously--that is1 conditionally on acceptance of a certain view concerning the benefits of that ,sacrificial ,act1 and active assimilation of them4 ,so without arguing on any such subject1 and without entering in the slightest degree on any theological question1 ,i have endeavoured to state the evidence fully and frankly for the persistent existence of one of the multitude of youths who have sacrificed their lives at the call of their ,country when endangered by an aggressor of calculated ruthlessness4 ,some critics may claim that there are many stronger cases of established survival4 ,that may be1 but this is a case which touches me closely and has necessarily received my careful attention4 ,in so far as there are other strong cases--and ,i know of several--so much the better4 ,i myself considered the case of survival practically proven before1 and clinched by the efforts of ,myers and others of the ,s4,p4,r4 group on the other side2 but evidence is cumulative1 and the discussion of a fresh case in no way weakens those that have gone before4 ,each stick of the faggot must be tested1 and1 unless absolutely broken1 it adds to the strength of the bundle4 ,to base so momentous a conclusion as a scientific demonstration of human survival on any single instance1 if it were not sustained on all sides by a great consensus of similar evidence1 would doubtless be unwise2 for some other explanation of a merely isolated case would have to be sought4 ,but we are justified in examining the evidence for any case of which all the details are known1 and in trying to set forth the truth of it as completely and fairly as we may4 ,,chapter ,i ,,elementary ,,explanation ,for people who have studied psychical matters1 or who have read any books on the subject1 it is unnecessary to explain what a 'sitting' is4 ,novices must be asked to refer to other writings--to small books1 for instance1 by ,sir ,w4 ,f4 ,barrett or ,mr4 ,j4 ,arthur ,hill or ,miss ,h4 ,a4 ,dallas1 which are easily accessible1 or to my own previous book on this subject called ,the ,survival of ,man1 which begins more at the beginning so far as my own experience is concerned4 ,of mediumship there are many grades1 one of the simplest forms being the capacity to receive an impression or automatic writing1 under peaceful conditions1 in an ordinary state2 but the whole subject is too large to be treated here4 ,suffice it to say that the kind of medium chiefly dealt with in this book is one who1 by waiting quietly1 goes more or less into a trance1 and is then subject to what is called 'control'--speaking or writing in a manner quite different from the medium's own normal or customary manner1 under the guidance of a separate intelligence technically known as 'a control1' which some think must be a secondary personality--which indeed certainly is a secondary personality of the medium1 whatever that phrase may really signify--the transition being effected in most cases quite easily and naturally4 ,in this secondary state1 a degree of clairvoyance or lucidity is attained quite beyond the medium's normal consciousness1 and facts are referred to which must be outside his or her normal knowledge4 ,the control1 or second personality which speaks during the trance1 appears to be more closely in touch with what is popularly spoken of as 'the next world' than with customary human existence1 and accordingly is able to get messages through from people deceased2 transmitting them through the speech or writing of the medium1 usually with some obscurity and misunderstanding1 and with mannerisms belonging either to the medium or to the control4 ,the amount of sophistication varies according to the quality of the medium1 and to the state of the same medium at different times2 it must be attributed in the best cases physiologically to the medium1 intellectually to the control4 ,the confusion is no greater than might be expected from a pair of operators1 connected by a telephone of rather delicate and uncertain quality1 who were engaged in transmitting messages between two stranger communicators1 one of whom was anxious to get messages transmitted1 though perhaps not very skilled in wording them1 while the other was nearly silent and anxious not to give any information or assistance at all2 being1 indeed1 more or less suspicious that the whole appearance of things was deceptive1 and that his friend1 the ostensible communicator1 was not really there4 ,under such circumstances the effort of the distant communicator would be chiefly directed to sending such natural and appropriate messages as should gradually break down the inevitable scepticism of his friend4 ,,further ,,preliminary ,,explanation ,i must assume it known that messages purporting to come from various deceased people have been received through various mediums1 and that the ,society for ,psychical ,research has especially studied those coming through ,mrs4 ,piper--a resident in the neighbourhood of ,boston1 ,u4,s4,a4--during the past thirty years4 ,we were introduced to her by ,professor ,william ,james4 ,my own experience with this lady began during her visit to this country in #ahhi1 and was renewed in #aijf4 ,the account has been fully published in the ,proceedings of the ,society for ,psychical ,research1 vols4 vi4 and xxiii41 and an abbreviated version of some of the incidents there recorded can be referred to in my book ,the ,survival of ,man4 ,it will be convenient1 however1 to explain here that some of the communicators on the other side1 like ,mr4 ,myers and ,dr4 ,richard ,hodgson1 both now deceased1 have appeared to utilise many mediums2 and that to allow for possible sophistication by normal mental idiosyncrasies1 and for any natural warping due to the physiological mechanism employed1 or to the brain-deposit from which selection has to be made1 we write the name of the ostensible communicator in each case with a suffix--like ,myers,p1 ,myers,v1 etc42 meaning by this kind of designation to signify that part of the ,myers-like intelligence which operates through ,mrs4 ,piper or through ,mrs4 ,verrall1 etc41 respectively4 ,we know that communication must be hampered1 and its form largely determined1 by the unconscious but inevitable influence of a transmitting mechanism1 whether that be of a merely mechanical or of a physiological character4 ,every artist knows that he must adapt the expression of his thought to his material1 and that what is possible with one 'medium1' even in the artist's sense of the word1 is not possible with another4 ,and when the method of communication is purely mental or telepathic1 we are assured that the communicator 'on the other side' has to select from and utilise those ideas and channels which represent the customary mental scope of the medium2 though by practised skill and ingenuity they can be woven into fresh patterns and be made to convey to a patient and discriminating interpreter the real intention of the communicator's thought4 ,in many such telepathic communications the physical form which the emergent message takes is that of automatic or semiconscious writing or speech2 the manner of the utterance being fairly normal1 but the substance of it appearing not to emanate from the writer's or speaker's own mind3 though but very seldom is either the subject-matter or the language of a kind quite beyond the writer's or speaker's normal capabilities4 ,in other cases1 when the medium becomes entranced1 the demonstration of a communicator's separate intelligence may become stronger and the sophistication less4 ,a still further stage is reached when by special effort what is called telergy is employed1 i4e4 when physiological mechanism is more directly utilised without telepathic operation on the mind4 ,and a still further step away from personal sophistication1 though under extra mechanical difficulties1 is attainable in telekinesis or what appears to be the direct movement of inorganic matter4 ,to this last category--though in its very simplest form--must belong1 ,i suppose1 the percussive sounds known as raps4 ,to understand the intelligent tiltings of a table in contact with human muscles is a much simpler matter4 ,it is crude and elementary1 but in principle it does not appear to differ from automatic writing2 though inasmuch as the code and the movements are so simple1 it appears to be the easiest of all to beginners4 ,it is so simple that it has been often employed as a sort of game1 and so has fallen into disrepute4 ,but its possibilities are not to be ignored for all that2 and in so far as it enables a feeling of more direct influence--in so far as the communicator feels able himself to control the energy necessary1 instead of having to entrust his message to a third person--it is by many communicators preferred4 ,more on this subject will be found in ,chapters ,,viii of ,part ,,ii and ,,xiv of ,part ,,iii4 ,before beginning an historical record of the communications and messages received from or about my son since his death1 ,i think it will be well to prelude it by-- 7i7 ,a message which arrived before the event2 7ii7 ,a selection of subsequent communications bearing on and supplementing this message2 7iii7 ,one of the evidential episodes1 selected from subsequent communications1 which turned out to be exactly verifiable4 ,a few further details about these things1 and another series of messages of evidential importance1 will be found in that ,part of the ,proceedings of the ,s4,p4,r4 which is to be published about ,october #aiaf4 ,if the full discussion allowed to these selected portions appears rather complicated1 an unstudious reader may skip the next three chapters1 on a first reading1 and may learn about the simpler facts in their evolutionary or historical order4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ',,faunus' ,,message ,preliminary ,facts ,raymond joined the ,army in ,september #aiad2 trained near ,liverpool and ,edinburgh with the ,south ,lancashires1 and in ,march #aiae was sent to the trenches in ,flanders4 ,in the middle of ,july #aiae he had a few days' leave at home1 and on the #bjth returned to the ,front4 ,,initial ',,piper' ,,message ,the first intimation that ,i had that anything might be going wrong1 was a message from ,myers through ,mrs4 ,piper in ,america2 communicated apparently by ,richard ,hodgson at a time when a ,miss ,robbins was having a sitting at ,mrs4 ,piper's house1 ,greenfield1 ,new ,hampshire1 on #h ,august #aiae1 and sent me by ,miss ,alta ,piper 7,a4 ,l4 ,p47 together with the original script4 ,here follows the extract1 which at a certain stage in ,miss ,robbins's sitting1 after having dealt with matters of personal significance to her1 none of which had anything whatever to do with me1 began abruptly thus3-- ,r4 ,h4--,now ,lodge1 while we are not here as of old1 i4e4 not quite1 we are here enough to take and give messages4 ,myers says you take the part of the poet1 and he will act as ,faunus4 ,,faunus4 ,,miss ,r4--,faunus8 ,r4 ,h4--,yes4 ,myers4 ,protect4 ,he will understand4 7,evidently referring to ,lodge4--,a4 ,l4 ,p47 ,what have you to say1 ,lodge8 ,good work4 ,ask ,verrall1 she will also understand4 ,arthur says so4 ,this means ,dr4 ,arthur ,w4 ,verrall 7deceased74--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,miss ,r4--,do you mean ,arthur ,tennyson8 ,this absurd confusion1 stimulated by the word 'poet1' was evidently the result of a long strain at reading barely legible trance-writing for more than an hour1 and was recognised immediately afterwards with dismayed amusement by the sitter4 ,it is only of interest as showing how completely unknown to anyone present was the reference intended by the communicator4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,r4 ,h4--,no4 ,myers knows4 ,so does ----4 ,you got mixed 7to ,miss ,r471 but ,myers is straight about ,poet and ,faunus4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i venture to say that to non-classical people the above message conveys nothing4 ,it did not convey anything to me1 beyond the assurance1 based on past experience1 that it certainly meant something definite1 that its meaning was probably embedded in a classical quotation1 and that a scholar like ,mrs4 ,verrall would be able to interpret it1 even if only the bare skeleton of the message were given without any details as to source4 ,,letter ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,verrall ,in order to interpret this message1 therefore1 ,i wrote to ,mrs4 ,verrall as instructed1 asking her3 ,does ,the ,poet and ,faunus mean anything to you8 ,did one 'protect' the other8 ,she replied at once 7#h ,september #aiae7 referring me to ,horace1 ,carm4 ,,ii4 xvii4 #bg-cj1 and saying3-- ,the reference is to ,horace's account of his narrow escape from death1 from a falling tree1 which he ascribes to the intervention of ,faunus4 ,cf4 ,hor4 ,odes1 ,,ii4 xiii42 ,,ii4 xvii4 #bg2 ,,iii4 iv4 #bg2 ,,iii4 viii4 #h1 for references to the subject4 ,the allusion to ,faunus is in ,ode ,,ii4 xvii4 #bg-cj3-- ',me truncus illapsus cerebro ,sustulerat1 nisi ,faunus ictum ,dextra levasset1 ,mercurialium ,custos virorum4' ',faunus1 the guardian of poets' 7'poets' being the usual interpretation of ',mercury's men'74 ,the passage is a very well-known one to all readers of ,horace1 and is perhaps specially familiar from its containing1 in the sentence quoted1 an unusual grammatical construction4 ,it is likely to occur in a detailed work on ,latin ,grammar4 ,the passage has no special associations for me other than as ,i have described1 though it has some interest as forming part of a chronological sequence among the ,odes1 not generally admitted by commentators1 but accepted by me4 ,the words quoted are1 of course1 strictly applicable to the ,horatian passage1 which they instantly recalled to me4 7,signed7 ,m4 ,,de ,g4 ,,verrall 99 99 99 99 99 ,i perceived therefore1 from this manifestly correct interpretation of the ',myers' message to me1 that the meaning was that some blow was going to fall1 or was likely to fall1 though ,i didn't know of what kind1 and that ,myers would intervene1 apparently to protect me from it4 ,so far as ,i can recollect my comparatively trivial thoughts on the subject1 ,i believe that ,i had some vague idea that the catastrophe intended was perhaps of a financial rather than of a personal kind4 ,the above message reached me near the beginning of ,september in ,scotland4 ,raymond was killed near ,ypres on #ad ,september #aiae1 and we got the news by telegram from the ,war ,office on #ag ,september4 ,a fallen or falling tree is a frequently used symbol for death2 perhaps through misinterpretation of ,eccl4 xi1 #c4 ,to several other classical scholars ,i have since put the question ,i addressed to ,mrs4 ,verrall1 and they all referred me to ,horace1 ,carm4 ,,ii4 xvii4 as the unmistakable reference4 ,mr4 ,bayfield's ,criticism ,soon after the event1 ,i informed the ,rev4 ,m4 ,a4 ,bayfield1 ex-headmaster of ,eastbourne ,college1 fully of the facts1 as an interesting ,s4,p4,r4 incident 7saying at the same time that ,myers had not been able to 'ward off' the blow72 and he was good enough to send me a careful note in reply3-- ,horace does not1 in any reference to his escape1 say clearly whether the tree struck him1 but ,i have always thought it did4 ,he says ,faunus lightened the blow2 he does not say 'turned it aside4' ,as bearing on your terrible loss1 the meaning seems to be that the blow would fall but would not crush2 it would be 'lightened' by the assurance1 conveyed afresh to you by a special message from the still living ,myers1 that your boy still lives4 ,i shall be interested to know what you think of this interpretation4 ,the 'protect' ,i take to mean protect from being overwhelmed by the blow1 from losing faith and hope1 as we are all in danger of doing when smitten by some crushing personal calamity4 ,many a man when so smitten has1 like ,merlin1 lain 'as dead1 ,and lost to life and use and name and fame4' ,that seems to me to give a sufficiently precise application to the word 7on which ,myers apparently insists7 and to the whole reference to ,horace4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in a postscript he adds the following3-- ,in ,carm4 iii4 #h1 ,horace describes himself as prope funeratus arboris ictu1 'wellnigh killed by a blow from a tree4' ,an artist in expression1 such as he was1 would not have mentioned any 'blow' if there had been none2 he would have said 'well nigh killed by a falling tree'--or the like4 ,it is to be noted that in both passages he uses the word ictus4 ,and in ii4 #ac4 #aa 7the whole ode is addressed to the tree7 he says the man must have been a fellow steeped in every wickedness 'who planted thee an accursed lump of wood1 a thing meant to fall 7this is the delicate meaning of caducum--not merely falling7 on thine undeserving master's head4' ,here again the language implies that he was struck1 and struck on the head4 ,indeed1 the escape must have been a narrow one1 and it is to me impossible to believe that ,horace would have been so deeply impressed by the accident if he had not actually been struck4 ,he refers to it four times3-- ,carm4 ii4 #ac4--7,ode addressed to the tree--forty lines long47 ii4 #ag4 #bg4 iii4 #d4 #bg4--7;,here he puts the risk he ran on a parallel with that of the rout at ,philippi1 from which he escaped47 iii4 #h4 #h4 ,i insist on all this as strengthening my interpretation1 and also as strengthening the assignment of the script to ,myers1 who would of course be fully alive to all the points to be found in his reference to ,faunus and ,horace--and1 as ,i have no doubt1 believed that ,horace did not escape the actual blow1 and that it was a severe one4 ,,note ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,since some of the translators1 especially verse translators1 of ,horace convey the idea of turning aside or warding off the blow1 it may be well to emphasise the fact that most of the scholars consulted gave lightened or weakened as the translation4 ,and ,professor ,strong says--no doubt at all that 'levasset' means 'weakened' the blow2 the bough fell and struck the ,poet1 but lightly1 through the action of ,faunus4 ',levo' in this sense is quite common and classical4 ,bryce's prose translation 7,bohn7 is quite clear--a tree-stem falling on my head had surely been my death1 had not good ,faunus eased the blow4444 ,and although ,conington's translation has check'd the blow in mid descent1 he really means the same thing1 because it is the slaying1 not the wounding or striking of the ,poet that is prevented3-- ,me the curst trunk1 that smote my skull1 ,had slain2 but ,faunus1 strong to shield ,the friends of ,mercury1 check'd the blow ,in mid descent4 ,,additional ,,piper ,,script ,mr4 ,bayfield also calls my attention to another portion of ,piper ,script--in this case not a trance or semi-trance sitting1 but ordinary automatic writing--dated #e ,august1 which reached me simultaneously with the one already quoted from1 at the beginning of ,september1 and which he says seems intended to prepare me for some personal trouble3-- ,yes4 ,for the moment1 ,lodge1 have faith and wisdom 8 confidence in all that is highest and best4 ,have you all not been profoundly guided and cared for8 ,can you answer1 ',no'8 ,it is by your faith that all is well and has been4 ,i remember being a little struck by the wording in the above script1 urging me to admit that we--presumably the family--had been profoundly guided and cared for1 and that all is well and has been2 because it seemed to indicate that something was not going to be quite so well4 ,but it was too indefinite to lead me to make any careful record of it1 or to send it as a prediction to anybody for filing2 and it would no doubt have evaporated from my mind except for the ',faunus' warning1 given three days later1 though received at the same time1 which seemed to me clearly intended as a prediction1 whether it happened to come off or not4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the two ,piper communications1 of which parts have now been quoted1 reached me at ,gullane1 ,east ,lothian1 where my wife 7,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l47 and ,i were staying for a few weeks4 ,they arrived early in ,september #aiae1 and as soon as ,i had heard from ,mrs4 ,verrall ,i wrote to ,miss ,piper to acknowledge them1 as follows3-- ,the ,linga ,private ,hotel1 ,gullane1 ,east ,lothian1 #ab ,september #aiae ,,my ,,dear ,,alta1--,the reference to the ,poet and ,faunus in your mother's last script is quite intelligible1 and a good classical allusion4 ,you might tell the 'communicator' some time if there is opportunity4 ,i feel sure that it must convey nothing to you and yours4 ,that is quite as it should be1 as you know1 for evidential reasons4 ,this was written two days before ,raymond's death1 and five days before we heard of it4 ,the ,pipers' ignorance of any meaning in the ,poet and ,faunus allusion was subsequently confirmed4 ,it so happens that this letter was returned to me1 for some unknown reason1 through the ,dead ,letter ,office1 reaching me on #ad ,november #aiae1 and being then sent forward by me again4#g ,footnote #g3 ,further ,piper and other communications1 obscurely relevant to this subject1 will be found in a ,paper which will appear in the ,s4,p4,r4 ,proceedings for the autumn of #aiaf4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,sequel ,,to ,,the ',,faunus' ,,message ,it now remains to indicate how far ,myers carried out his implied promise1 and what steps he took1 or has been represented as having taken1 to lighten the blow--which it is permissible to say was a terribly severe one4 ,for such evidence ,i must quote from the record of sittings held here in ,england with mediums previously unknown1 and by sitters who gave no sort of clue as to identity4 7,see the historical record1 beginning at ,chapter ,v47 ,it may be objected that my own general appearance is known or might be guessed4 ,but that does not apply to members of my family1 who went quite anonymously to private sittings kindly arranged for by a friend in ,london 7,mrs4 ,kennedy1 wife of ,dr4 ,kennedy71 who was no relation whatever1 but whose own personal experience caused her to be sympathetic and helpful1 and who is both keen and critical about evidential considerations4 ,i may state1 for what it is worth1 that as a matter of fact normal clues to identity are disliked1 and1 in so far as they are gratuitous1 are even resented1 by a good medium2 for they are no manner of use1 and yet subsequently they appear to spoil evidence4 ,it is practically impossible for mediums to hunt up and become normally acquainted with the family history of their numerous sitters1 and those who know them are well aware that they do nothing of the sort1 but in making arrangements for a sitting it is not easy1 unless special precautions are taken1 to avoid giving a name and an address1 and thereby appearing to give facilities for fraud4 ,in our case1 and in that of our immediate friends1 these precautions have been taken--sometimes in a rather elaborate manner4 ,the first sitting that was held after ,raymond's death by any member of the family was held not explicitly for the purpose of getting into communication with him--still less with any remotest notion of entering into communication with ,mr4 ,myers--but mainly because a ,french widow lady1 who had been kind to our daughters during winters in ,paris1 was staying with my wife at ,edgbaston--her first real visit to ,england--and was in great distress at the loss of both her beloved sons in the war1 within a week of each other1 so that she was left desolate4 ,to comfort her my wife took her up to ,london to call on ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 and to get a sitting arranged for with a medium whom that lady knew and recommended4 ,two anonymous interviews were duly held1 and incidentally ,i may say that the two sons of ,madame communicated1 on both occasions1 though with difficulty2 that one of them gave his name completely1 the other approximately2 and that the mother1 who was new to the whole subject1 was partially consoled4#h ,raymond1 however1 was represented as coming with them and helping them1 and as sending some messages on his own account4 ,i shall here only quote those messages which bear upon the subject of ,myers and have any possible connexion with the ',faunus' message4 7,for an elementary explanation about 'sittings' in general1 see ,chapter ,i47 ,,extracts ,,relating ,,to ',,myers' ,,from ,,early ,,anonymous ,,sittings ,we heard first of ,raymond's death on #ag ,september #aiae1 and on #be ,september his mother 7,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l471 who was having an anonymous sitting for a friend with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 then a complete stranger1 had the following spelt out by tilts of a table1 as purporting to come from ,raymond3-- ,,tell ,,father ,i ,,have ,,met ,,some ,,friends ,,of ,,his4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,can you give any name8 ,,yes4 ,,myers4 7,that was all on that subject on that occasion47 99 99 99 99 99 ,on the #bgth of ,september #aiae1 ,i myself went to ,london and had my first sitting1 between noon and one o'clock1 with ,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,i went to her house or flat alone1 as a complete stranger1 for whom an appointment had been made through ,mrs4 ,kennedy4 ,before we began1 ,mrs4 ,leonard informed me that her 'guide' or 'control' was a young girl named ,feda4 ,in a short time after the medium had gone into trance1 a youth was described in terms which distinctly suggested ,raymond1 and ,feda brought messages4 ,i extract the following3-- ,from ,first ,anonymous ,sitting of ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 #bg ,september #aiae 7,mrs4 ,leonard's control1 ,feda1 supposed to be speaking throughout47 ,he finds it difficult1 he says1 but he has got so many kind friends helping him4 ,he didn't think when he waked up first that he was going to be happy1 but now he is1 and he says he is going to be happier4 ,he knows that as soon as he is a little more ready he has got a great deal of work to do4 ,i almost wonder1 he says1 shall ,i be fit and able to do it4 ,they tell me ,i shall4 ,i have instructors and teachers with me4 ,now he is trying to build up a letter of some one2 ,m4 he shows me4 7,a short time later1 he said3--7 ,people think ,i say ,i am happy in order to make them happier1 but ,i don't4#i ,i have met hundreds of friends4 ,i don't know them all4 ,i have met many who tell me that1 a little later1 they will explain why they are helping me4 ,i feel ,i have got two fathers now4 ,i don't feel ,i have lost one and got another2 ,i have got both4 ,i have got my old one1 and another too--a pro tem4 father4 7,here ,feda ejaculated ,what's that8 ,is that right8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 replied ',yes4'7 ,there is a weight gone off his mind the last day or two2 he feels brighter and lighter and happier altogether1 the last few days4 ,there was confusion at first4 ,he could not get his bearings1 didn't seem to know where he was4 ,but ,i was not very long1 he says1 and ,i think ,i was very fortunate2 it was not very long before it was explained to me where ,i was4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but the most remarkable indirect allusion1 or apparent allusion1 to something like the ',faunus' message1 came at the end of the sitting1 after ,raymond had gone1 and just before ,mrs4 ,leonard came out of trance3-- ,he is gone1 but ,feda sees something which is only symbolic2 she sees a cross falling back on to you2 very dark1 falling on to you2 dark and heavy looking2 and as it falls it gets twisted round and the other side seems all light1 and the light is shining all over you4 ,it is a sort of pale blue1 but it is white and quite light when it touches you4 ,yes1 that is what ,feda sees4 ,the cross looked dark1 and then it suddenly twisted round and became a beautiful light4 ,the cross is a means of shedding real light4 ,it is going to help a great deal4 ,did you know you had a coloured ,guide8444 ,he says your son is the cross of light2 he is the cross of light1 and he is going to be a light that will help you2 he is going to help too to prove to the world the ,truth4 ,that is why they built up the dark cross that turned to bright4 ,you know2 but others1 they do so want to know4 ,feda is loosing hold2 good-bye4 ,this ends the ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 first ,leonard sitting of #bg ,september #aiae4 ,on the afternoon of the same day1 #bg ,september #aiae1 that ,i had this first sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 ,lady ,lodge had her first sitting1 as a complete stranger1 with ,mr4 ,a4 ,vout ,peters1 who had been invited for the purpose--without any name being given--to ,mrs4 ,kennedy's house at #c4cj p4m4 ,here again1 ,raymond was described well enough1 fairly early in the sitting1 and several identifying messages were given4 ,presently ',moonstone' 7,peters's chief control7 asked1 ,was he not associated with ,chemistry8 ,as a matter of fact1 my laboratory has been rather specially chemical of late2 and the record continues1 copied with subsequent annotations in square brackets as it stands3-- ,from ,first ,anonymous ,sitting of ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 with ,peters1 #bg ,september #aiae ,was he not associated with chemistry8 ,if not1 some one associated with him was1 because ,i see all the things in a chemical laboratory4 ,that chemistry thing takes me away from him to a man in the flesh ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 presumably2 and1 connected with him1 a man1 a writer of poetry1 on our side1 closely connected with spiritualism4 ,he was very clever--he too passed away out of ,england4 ,this is clearly meant for ,myers1 who died in ,rome4 ,he has communicated several times4 ,this gentleman who wrote poetry--,i see the letter ,m--he is helping your son to communicate4 ,his presence and help were also independently mentioned by ,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,he is built up in the chemical conditions4 ,if your son didn't know this man1 he knew of him4 ,yes1 he could hardly have known him1 as he was only about twelve at the time of ,myers's death4 ,at the back of the gentleman beginning with ,m1 and who wrote poetry1 is a whole group of people4 ,the ,s4,p4,r4 group1 doubtless4 ,they are very interested4 ,and don't be surprised if you get messages from them1 even if you don't know them4 7,then ',moonstone' stopped1 and said3--7 ,this is so important that is going to be said now1 that ,i want to go slowly1 for you to write clearly every word 7dictating carefully73-- ,,not ,,only ,,is ,,the ,,partition ,,so ,,thin ,,that ,,you ,,can ,,hear ,,the ,,operators ,,on ,,the ,,other ,,side1 ,,but ,a ,,big ,,hole ,,has ,,been ,,made4 ,this message is for the gentleman associated with the chemical laboratory4 ,considering that my wife was quite unknown to the medium1 this is a remarkably evidential and identifying message4 ,cf4 passage in my book1 ,survival of ,man1 containing this tunnel-boring simile2 page #cda of ,american edition 7,moffat ,yard ,co474--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ',moonstone' continued3-- ,the boy--,i call them all boys because ,i was over a hundred when ,i lived here and they are all boys to me--he says1 he is here1 but he says3-- ,hitherto it has been a thing of the head1 now ,i am come over it is a thing of the heart4 ,what is more 7here ,peters jumped up in his chair1 vigorously1 snapped his fingers excitedly1 and spoke loudly7-- ,good ,god6 how father will be able to speak out6 much firmer than he has ever done1 because it will touch our hearts4 7,here ends extract from ,peters sitting of #bg ,september #aiae4 ,a completer record will be found in ,chapter ,,vii47 ,at a ,leonard ,table ,sitting on #ab ,october #aiae--;by which time our identity was known to ,mrs4 ,leonard--,i told ',myers' that ,i understood his ,piper message about ,faunus and the ,poet2 and the only point of interest about the reply or comment is that the two following sentences were spelt out1 purporting to come either indirectly or directly from ',myers'3-- #a4 ,he says it meant your son's transition4 #b4 ,your son shall be mine4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the next ',myers' reference came on #bi ,october1 when ,i had a sitting with ,peters1 unexpectedly and unknown to my family1 at his ,london room 7#ae ,devereux ,court1 ,fleet ,street7--a sitting arranged for by ,mr4 ,j4 ,a4 ,hill for an anonymous friend3-- ,peters went into trance1 and after some other communications1 gave messages from a youth who was recognised by the control and identified as my son2 and later on ,peters's 'control1' whom it is customary to call ',moonstone1' spoke thus3-- ,from ,sitting of ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 with ,peters on #bi ,october #aiae ,your common-sense method of approaching the subject in the family has been the means of helping him to come back as he has been able to do2 and had he not known what you had told him1 then it would have been far more difficult for him to come back4 ,he is very deliberate in what he says4 ,he is a young man that knows what he is saying4 ,do you know ,f ,w ,m8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 ,i do4 ,because ,i see those three letters4 ,now1 after them1 do you know ,s ,t2 yes1 ,i get ,s ,t1 then a dot1 and then ,p8 ,these are shown me2 ,i see them in light2 your boy shows these things to me4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 ,i understand4 ,meaning that ,i recognised the allusion to ,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,myers's poem ,st4 ,paul4 ,well1 he says to me3 ,he has helped me so much1 more than you think4 ,that is ,f ,w ,m4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,bless him6 ,no1 your boy laughs1 he has got an ulterior motive for it2 don't think it was only for charity's sake1 he has got an ulterior motive1 and thinks that you will be able by the strength of your personality to do what you want to do now1 to ride over the quibbles of the fools1 and to make the ,society1 the ,society1 he says1 of some use to the world4444 ,can you understand8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes4 ,now he says1 ,he helped me because1 with me through you1 he can break away the dam that people have set up4 ,later on1 you are going to speak to them4 ,it is already on the programme1 and you will break down the opposition because of me4 ,then he says1 ,for ,god's sake1 father1 do it4 ,because if you only knew1 and could only see what ,i see3 hundreds of men and women heart-broken4 ,and if you could only see the boys on our side shut out1 you would throw the whole strength of yourself into this work4 ,but you can do it4 ,he is very earnest4 ,oh1 and he wants--,no1 ,i must stop him1 ,i must prevent him1 ,i don't want him to control the medium4--,don't think me unkind1 but ,i must protect my medium2 he would not be able to do the work he has to do2 the medium would be ill from it1 ,i must protect him1 the emotion would be too great1 too great for both of you1 so ,i must prevent him from controlling4 ,he understands1 but he wants me to tell you this3-- ,the feeling on going over was one of intense disappointment1 he had no idea of death4 ,the second too was grief4 7,pause47 99 99 99 99 99 ,this is a time when men and women have had the crust broken off them--a crust of convention1 of 444 of indifference1 has been smashed1 and everybody thinks1 though some selfishly4 ,now1 returning to him1 how patient he is6 ,he was not always so patient4 ,after the grief there was a glimmering of hope1 because he realised that he could get back to you2 and because his grandmother came to him4 ,then his brother was introduced to him4 ,then1 he says1 other people4 ,myerse--,myerse1 it sounds like--do you know what he means8--came to him1 and then he knew he could get back4 ,he knew4 ,now he wants me to tell you this3 ,that from his death1 which is only one of thousands1 that the work which he 7,i have to translate his ideas into words1 ,i don't get them verbatum sic7--the work which he volunteered to be able to succeed in1--no1 that's not it4 ,the work which he enlisted for1 that is what he says1 only he was only a unit and seemingly lost--yet the very fact of his death will be the means of pushing it on4 ,now ,i have got it4 ,by his passing away1 many hundreds will be benefited4 7,end of extract from ,peters sitting of #bi ,october #aiae47 7,a still fuller account of the whole ',faunus' episode1 and a further sequel to it of a classical kind1 called the ,horace ,o4 ,l4 message1 will be found in the ,s4,p4,r4 ,proceedings for the autumn of #aiaf47 99 99 99 99 99 ,it will be understood1 ,i hope1 that the above extracts from sittings have been reproduced here in order to show that1 if we take the incidents on their face value1 ,myers had redeemed his ',faunus' promise1 and had lightened the blow by looking after and helping my son 'on the other side4' ,i now propose to make some further extracts--of a more evidential character--tending to establish the survival of my son's own personality and memory4 ,there have been several of these evidential episodes1 making strongly in this direction2 but ,i select1 for description here1 one relating to a certain group photograph1 of which we were told through two mediums1 but of which we normally knew nothing till afterwards4 ,footnote #h3 ,i realise now1 though the relevance has only just struck me1 that from the point of view of an outside critic1 pardonably suspicious of bad faith1 this episode of the bereaved ,french lady--an obviously complete stranger to ,mrs4 ,kennedy as well as to the medium--has an evidential and therefore helpful side4 ,footnote #i3 ,this is reminiscent of a sentence in one of his letters from the ,front3 ,as cheerful and well and happy as ever4 ,don't think ,i am having a rotten time--,i am not4 ,dated #aa ,may #aiae 7really #ab74 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,group ,,photograph ,i now come to a peculiarly good piece of evidence arising out of the sittings which from time to time we held in the autumn of #aiae1 namely1 the mention and description of a group photograph taken near the ,front1 of the existence of which we were in complete ignorance1 but which was afterwards verified in a satisfactory and complete manner4 ,it is necessary to report the circumstances rather fully3-- ,raymond was killed on #ad ,september #aiae4 ,the first reference to a photograph taken of him with other men was made by ,peters at ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4's first sitting with ,peters1 in ,mrs4 ,kennedy's house1 on #bg ,september #aiae1 thus3-- ,extract from ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4's anonymous ,sitting with ,peters on #bg ,september #aiae ,you have several portraits of this boy4 ,before he went away you had got a good portrait of him--two--no1 three4 ,two where he is alone and one where he is in a group of other men4 ,he is particular that ,i should tell you of this4 ,in one you see his walking-stick--7',moonstone' here put an imaginary stick under his arm74 ,we had single photographs of him of course1 and in uniform1 but we did not know of the existence of a photograph in which he was one of a group2 and ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 was sceptical about it1 thinking that it might well be only a shot or guess on the part of ,peters at something probable4 ,but ,mrs4 ,kennedy 7as ,note-taker7 had written down most of what was said1 and this record was kept1 copied1 and sent to ,mr4 ,hill in the ordinary course at the time4 ,i was myself1 moreover1 rather impressed with the emphasis laid on it--he is particular that ,i should tell you of this--and accordingly made a half-hearted inquiry or two2 but nothing more was heard on the subject for two months4 ,on ,monday1 #bi ,november1 however1 a letter came from ,mrs4 ,cheves1 a stranger to us1 mother of ,captain ,cheves of the ,r4,a4,m4,c41 who had known ,raymond and had reported to us concerning the nature of his wound1 and who is still doing good work at the ,front4 ,mrs4 ,cheves' welcome letter ran as follows3-- #bh ,november #aiae ,,dear ,,lady ,,lodge1--,my son1 who is ,m4,o4 to the #bnd ,south ,lancs1 has sent us a group of officers taken in ,august1 and ,i wondered whether you knew of this photo and had had a copy4 ,if not may ,i send you one1 as we have half a dozen and also a key8 ,i hope you will forgive my writing to ask this1 but ,i have often thought of you and felt so much for you in yr4 great sorrow4 --,sincerely yours1 ,b4 ,p4 ,,cheves ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 promptly wrote1 thanking her1 and asking for it2 but fortunately it did not come at once4 ,before it came1 ,i 7,o4 ,j4 ,l47 was having a sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard alone at her house on #c ,december2 and on this occasion1 among other questions1 ,i asked carefully concerning the photograph1 wishing to get more detailed information about it1 before it was seen4 ,it should be understood that the subject was not introduced by ,mrs4 ,leonard or her control4 ,the previous mention of a photograph had been through ,peters4 ,it was ,i that introduced the subject through ,mrs4 ,leonard1 and asked a question2 and the answers were thus reported and recorded at the time--the typing out of the sitting being all done before the photograph arrived3-- ,extract from the ,record of ,o4 ,j4 ,l4's ,sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 #c ,december #aiae 7,mrs4 ,leonard's child-control1 ,feda1 supposed to be speaking1 and often speaking of herself in the third person47 ,,feda4--,now ask him some more4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 he said something about having a photograph taken with some other men4 ,we haven't seen that photograph yet4 ,does he want to say anything more about it8 ,he spoke about a photograph4 ,yes1 but he thinks it wasn't here4 ,he looks at ,feda1 and he says1 it wasn't to you1 ,feda4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no1 he's quite right4 ,it wasn't4 ,can he say where he spoke of it8 ,he says it wasn't through the table4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no1 it wasn't4 ,it wasn't here at all4 ,he didn't know the person that he said it through4 ,the conditions were strange there--a strange house4 ,quite true1 it was said through ,peters in ,mrs4 ,kennedy's house during an anonymous sitting on #bg ,september4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,do you recollect the photograph at all8 ,he thinks there were several others taken with him1 not one or two1 but several4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,were they friends of yours8 ,some of them1 he says4 ,he didn't know them all1 not very well4 ,but he knew some2 he heard of some2 they were not all friends4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,does he remember how he looked in the photograph8 ,no1 he doesn't remember how he looked4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no1 no1 ,i mean was he standing up8 ,no1 he doesn't seem to think so4 ,some were raised up round2 he was sitting down1 and some were raised up at the back of him4 ,some were standing1 and some were sitting1 he thinks4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,were they soldiers8 ,he says yes--a mixed lot4 ,somebody called ,c was on it with him2 and somebody called ,r--not his own name1 but another ,r4 ,k1 ,k1 ,k--he says something about ,k4 ,he also mentions a man beginning with ,b--7indistinct muttering something like ,berry1 ,burney--then clearly7 but put down ,b4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i am asking about the photograph because we haven't seen it yet4 ,somebody is going to send it to us4 ,we have heard that it exists1 and that's all4 ,while this is being written out1 the above remains true4 ,the photograph has not yet come4 ,he has the impression of about a dozen on it4 ,a dozen1 he says1 if not more4 ,feda thinks it must be a big photograph4 ,no1 he doesn't think so1 he says they were grouped close together4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,did he have a stick8 ,he doesn't remember that4 ,he remembers that somebody wanted to lean on him1 but he is not sure if he was taken with some one leaning on him4 ,but somebody wanted to lean on him he remembers4 ,the last what he gave you1 what were a ,b1 will be rather prominent in that photograph4 ,it wasn't taken in a photographer's place4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,was it out of doors8 ,yes1 practically4 ,,feda 7sotto voce74--,what you mean1 'yes practically'2 must have been out of doors or not out of doors4 ,you mean 'yes1' don't you8 ,feda thinks he means 'yes1' because he says 'practically4' ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,it may have been a shelter4 ,it might have been4 ,try to show ,feda4 ,at the back he shows me lines going down4 ,it looks like a black background1 with lines at the back of them4 7,feda here kept drawing vertical lines in the air47 99 99 99 99 99 ,there was1 for some reason1 considerable delay in the arrival of the photograph2 it did not arrive till the afternoon of ,december #g4 ,meanwhile1 on ,december #f1 ,lady ,lodge had been looking up ,raymond's ,diary1 which had been returned from the ,front with his kit1 and found an entry3-- #bd ,august4--,photo taken4 7,a statement will follow to this effect47 ,now ,raymond had only had one leave home since going to the ,front1 and this leave was from #af ,july to #bj ,july4 ,the photograph had not been taken then1 and so he could not have told us anything about it4 ,the exposure was only made twenty-one days before his death1 and some days may have elapsed before he saw a print1 if he ever saw one4 ,he certainly never mentioned it in his letters4 ,we were therefore in complete ignorance concerning it2 and only recently had we normally become aware of its existence4 ,on the morning of #g ,december another note came from ,mrs4 ,cheves1 in answer to a question about the delay2 and this letter said that the photograph was being sent off4 ,accordingly ,i 7,o4 ,j4 ,l471 thinking that the photograph might be coming at once1 dictated a letter to go to ,mr4 ,hill1 recording roughly my impression of what the photograph would be like1 on the strength of the communication received by me from ',raymond' through ,mrs4 ,leonard2 and this was posted by ,a4 ,e4 ,briscoe about lunch-time on the same day4 7,see statement by ,mr4 ,briscoe at the end47 ,my statement to ,mr4 ,hill ran thus3-- ,copy of what was written by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 to ,mr4 ,hill about the ,photograph on the morning of ,tuesday1 #g ,december #aiae ,concerning that photograph which ,raymond mentioned through ,peters saying this3 ',one where he is in a group of other men4 ,he is particular that ,i should tell you of this4 ,in one you see his walking-stick1'1#aj he has said some more about it through ,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,but he is doubtful about the stick4 ,what he says is that there is a considerable number of men in the photograph2 that the front row is sitting1 and that there is a back row1 or some of the people grouped and set up at the back2 also that there are a dozen or more people in the photograph1 and that some of them he hardly knew2 that a ,b is prominent in the photograph1 and that there is also a ,c2 that he himself is sitting down1 and that there are people behind him1 one of whom either leant on his shoulder1 or tried to4 ,the photograph has not come yet1 but it may come any day now2 so ,i send this off before ,i get it4 ,the actual record of what was said in the sitting is being typed1 but the above represents my impression of it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the photograph was delivered at ,mariemont between #c and #d p4m4 on the afternoon of #g ,december4 ,it was a wet afternoon1 and the package was received by ,rosalynde1 who took the wet wrapper off it4 ,its size was #ab by #i inches1 and was an enlargement from a #e by #g inch original4 ,the number of people in the photograph is twenty-one1 made up as follows3-- ,five in the front row squatting on the grass1 ,raymond being one of these2 the second from the right4 ,seven in the second row seated upon chairs4 ,nine in the back row standing up against the outside of a temporary wooden structure such as might be a hospital shed or something of that kind4 ,on examining the photograph1 we found that every peculiarity mentioned by ,raymond1 unaided by the medium1 was strikingly correct4 ,the walking-stick is there 7but ,peters had put a stick under his arm1 which is not correct71 and in connexion with the background ,feda had indicated vertical lines1 not only by gesture but by saying lines going down1 as well as a black background with lines at the back of them4 ,there are six conspicuous nearly vertical lines on the roof of the shed1 but the horizontal lines in the background generally are equally conspicuous4 ,by a mixed lot1 we understood members of different ,companies--not all belonging to ,raymond's ,company1 but a collection from several4 ,this must be correct1 as they are too numerous for one ,company4 ,it is probable that they all belong to one ,regiment1 except perhaps one whose cap seems to have a thistle badge instead of three feathers4 ,as to prominence1 ,i have asked several people which member of the group seemed to them the most prominent2 and except as regards central position1 a well-lighted standing figure on the right has usually been pointed to as most prominent4 ,this one is ,b1 as stated1 namely1 ,captain ,s4 ,t4 ,boast4 ,some of the officers must have been barely known to ,raymond1 while some were his friends4 ,officers whose names begin with ,b1 with ,c1 and with ,r were among them2 though not any name beginning with ,k4 ,the nearest approach to a ,k-sound in the group is one beginning with a hard ,c4 ,some of the group are sitting1 while others are standing behind4 ,raymond is one of those sitting on the ground in front1 and his walking-stick or regulation cane is lying across his feet4 ,illustration3 ,,group ,,of ,,officers1 ,,as ,,sent ,,us ,,by ,,mrs4 ,,cheves ,,on #g ,,december1 #aiae1 ,,showing ,,an ,,arm ,,resting ,,on ,,raymond',s ,,shoulder ,the background is dark1 and is conspicuously lined4 ,it is out of doors1 close in front of a shed or military hut1 pretty much as suggested to me by the statements made in the ',leonard' sitting--what ,i called a shelter4 ,but by far the most striking piece of evidence is the fact that some one sitting behind ,raymond is leaning or resting a hand on his shoulder4 ,the photograph fortunately shows the actual occurrence1 and almost indicates that ,raymond was rather annoyed with it2 for his face is a little screwed up1 and his head has been slightly bent to one side out of the way of the man's arm4 ,it is the only case in the photograph where one man is leaning or resting his hand on the shoulder of another1 and ,i judge that it is a thing not unlikely to be remembered by the one to whom it occurred4 ,,confirmatory ,,statements ,,statement ,,by ,,raymond',s ,,mother ,four days ago 7#f ,december71 ,i was looking through my son ,raymond's ,diary which had been returned with his kit from the ,front4 7,the edges are soaked1 and some of the leaves stuck together1 with his blood47 ,i was struck by finding an entry ,photo taken under the date #bd ,august1 and ,i entered the fact in my own ,diary at once1 thus3-- #f ,december4--,read ,raymond's ,diary for first time1 saw record of 'photo taken' #bd ,august4 7,signed7 ,,mary ,f4 ,a4 ,,lodge #aj ,december #aiae ,,statement ,,by ,a4 ,e4 ,,briscoe ,the dictated letter to ,mr4 ,hill1 recording roughly ,sir ,oliver's impression of what the photograph would be like1 was written out by me on the morning of ,tuesday1 #g ,december1 at ,mariemont2 it was signed by ,sir ,oliver at about noon1 and shortly afterwards ,i started for the ,university1 taking that and other letters with me for posting in town4 ,i went straight to the ,university1 and at lunch-time 7about #a4cj7 posted the packet to ,mr4 ,hill at the ,general ,post ,office4 7,in the packet1 ,i remember1 there was also a letter on another subject1 and a printed document from ,mr4 ,gow1 the ,editor of ,light47 7,signed7 ,a4 ,e4 ,,briscoe1 ,secretary to ,sir ,oliver ,lodge #h ,december #aiae ,,statement ,,by ,,rosalynde ,i was sitting in the library at ,mariemont about #c4de on ,tuesday afternoon1 #g ,december #aiae1 when ,harrison came in with a flat cardboard parcel addressed to ,mother4 ,mother was resting2 and as the paper1 wrapping up what ,i took to be the photograph1 was wet with the rain1 ,i undid it and left the photograph in tissue paper on a table1 having just glanced at it to see if it was the one we'd been waiting for4 ,no one saw it or was shown it till after tea1 when ,i showed it to ,mother4 ,that would be about #f4 ,mrs4 ,thompson1 ,lorna1 and ,barbara now also saw it4 ,honor was not at home and did not see it till later4 7,signed7 ,r4 ,v4 ,,lodge #h ,december #aiae ,,note ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,in answer to an inquiry1 ,messrs4 ,gale ,polden1 of ,aldershot and ,london1 the firm whose name was printed at the foot of the photograph1 informed me that it was from a negative of a group of ,officers sent to us by ,captain ,boast of the #bnd ,south ,lancashire ,regiment2 and having kindly looked up the date1 they further tell me that they received the negative from ,captain ,boast on #ae ,october #aiae4 ,it will be remembered that information about the existence of the photograph came through ,peters on #bg ,september--more than a fortnight1 therefore1 before the negative reached ,england4 ,the photograph is only shown here because of its evidential interest4 ,considered as a likeness of ,raymond1 it is an exceptionally bad one2 he appears shrunk into an uncomfortable position4 ,,further ,,information ,,about ,,the ,,photograph ,extract from a letter by ,captain ,boast from the ,trenches1 dated #g ,may #aiaf1 to ,mrs4 ,case1 and lent me to see ,some months ago 7last summer7 the ,officers of our ,battalion had their photo taken4444 ,you see1 the photographer who took us was a man who had been shelled out of house and home1 and as he had no means of doing the photos for us1 we bought the negatives1 and sent them along to be finished in ,england4 ,illustration3 ,,another ,,edition ,,of ,,the ,,group-,,photograph1 ,,with ,,leg ,,touching ,,shoulder ,,instead ,,of ,,hand ,a later ,letter from ,captain ,boast ,in answer to a special inquiry addressed to ,captain ,boast at the ,front1 he has been good enough to favour me with the following letter3-- #aj ,july #aiaf ,,dear ,,sir1--,your letter of #d ,july has just reached me4 ,the proofs of the photographs referred to were received by me from the photographer at ,reninghelst two or three days after being taken4 ,to the best of my belief1 your son saw the proofs1 but ,i cannot now say positively4 ,i obtained particulars of requirements from the officers forming the group1 but the photographer then found he was unable to obtain paper for printing4 ,i therefore bought the negatives and sent them home to ,gale ,polden4 ,in view of the fact that your son did not go back to the trenches till #ab ,september #aiae1 it is highly probable that he saw the proofs1 but he certainly did not see the negatives4--,yours faithfully1 7,signed7 ,,sydney ,t4 ,,boast ,it thus appears that ,raymond had probably seen a proof of the photograph1 but that there were no copies or prints available4 ,consequently neither we1 nor any other people at home1 could have received them2 and the negatives were only received in ,england by ,gale ,polden on #ae ,october #aiae1 after ,peters had mentioned the existence of the photograph1 which he did on #bg ,september #aiae4 ,i obtained from ,messrs4 ,gale ,polden prints of all the accessible photographs which had been taken at the same time4 ,the size of these prints was #e by #g inches4 ,i found that the group had been repeated1 with slight variations1 three times--the ,officers all in the same relative positions1 but not in identically the same attitudes4 ,one of the three prints is the same as the one we had seen1 with some one's hand resting on ,raymond's shoulder1 and ,raymond's head leaning a little on one side1 as if rather annoyed4 ,in another the hand had been removed1 being supported by the owner's stick2 and in that one ,raymond's head is upright4 ,this corresponds to his uncertainty as to whether he was actually taken with the man leaning on him or not4 ,in the third1 however1 the sitting officer's leg rests against ,raymond's shoulder as he squats in front1 and the slant of the head and slight look of annoyance have returned4 ,these two additional photographs are here reproduced4 ,their merit is in showing that the leaning on him1 mentioned by ',raymond' through ,feda1 was well marked1 and yet that he was quite right in being uncertain whether he was actually being leant on while the photograph was being taken4 ,the fact turns out to be that during two exposures he was being leaned on1 and during one exposure he was not4 ,it was1 so to speak1 lucky that the edition sent us happened to show in one form the actual leaning4 ,i have since discovered what is apparently the only other photograph of ,officers in which ,raymond occurs1 but it is quite a different one1 and none of the description applies to it4 ,for it is completely in the open air1 and ,raymond is standing up in the hinder of two rows4 ,he is second from the left1 the tall one in the middle is his friend ,lieutenant ,case1 and standing next him is ,mr4 ,ventris 7see p4 #bgi74 ,it is fortunate again that this photograph did not happen to be the one sent us2 for we should have considered the description hopelessly wrong4 ,,summary ,,concluding ,,note ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,as to the evidential value of the whole communication1 it will be observed that there is something of the nature of cross-correspondence1 of a simple kind1 in the fact that a reference to the photograph was made through one medium1 and a description given1 in answer to a question1 through another independent one4 ,the episode is to be published in the ,proceedings of the ,s4,p4,r4 for #aiaf1 and a few further facts or comments are there added4 ,the elimination of ordinary telepathy from the living1 except under the far-fetched hypothesis of the unconscious influence of complete strangers1 was exceptionally complete2 inasmuch as the whole of the information was recorded before any of us had seen the photograph4 ,illustration3 ,,group ,,subsequently ,,obtained1 ,,evidently ,,taken ,,at ,,the ,,same ,,time1 ,,but ,,pressure ,,on ,,shoulder ,,removed ,even the establishment of a date in ,august for the taking of the photograph1 as mentioned first in ,mrs4 ,cheves' letter and confirmed by finding an entry in ,raymond's ,diary1 is important1 because the last time we ever saw ,raymond was in ,july4 ,to my mind the whole incident is rather exceptionally good as a piece of evidence2 and that ',raymond' expected it to be good evidence is plain from ,peters's 7',moonstone's'7 statement1 at that first reference to a photograph on #bg ,september1 namely1 ,he is particular that ,i should tell you of this4 7,this sentence it probably was which made me look out for such a photograph1 and take pains to get records soundly made beforehand47 ,our complete ignorance1 even of the existence of the photograph1 in the first place1 and secondly the delayed manner in which knowledge of it normally came to us1 so that we were able to make provision for getting the supernormally acquired details definitely noted beforehand1 seem to me to make it a first-class case4 ,while1 as to the amount of coincidence between the description and the actual photograph1 that surely is quite beyond chance or guesswork4 ,for not only are many things right1 but practically nothing is wrong4 ,,calendar #bj ,july #aiae ,raymond's last visit home4 #bd ,august #aiae ,photograph taken at the ,front1 as shown by entry in ,raymond's private ,diary1 but not mentioned by him4 #ad ,september #aiae ,raymond's death4 #bg ,september #aiae ,peters' 7',moonstone's'7 mention of the photograph as a message from ',raymond4' #ae ,october #aiae ,negative sent with other negatives by ,capt4 ,sydney ,t4 ,boast1 from the ,front in ,flanders1 to ,messrs4 ,gale ,polden1 ,aldershot1 for printing4 #bi ,november #aiae ,mrs4 ,cheves wrote spontaneously1 saying that she had a group-photograph of some #bnd ,south ,lancashire ,officers1 which she could send if desired4 #c ,december #aiae ,feda's 7,mrs4 ,leonard's7 further description of a photograph which had been mentioned through another medium1 in answer to a direct question addressed to ',raymond4' #f ,december #aiae ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 found an entry in ,raymond's ,diary showing that a photograph had been taken on #bd ,august4 ,morning of #g ,dec4 #aiae ,to make sure1 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 wrote to ,j4 ,a4 ,h4 his impression of the photograph before it came4 ,afternoon of #g ,dec #aiae ,arrival of the photograph4 ,evening of #g ,dec #aiae ,the photograph was shown to the home members of the family1 and examined by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,footnote #aj3 ,this bit not written to ,j4 ,a4 ,h41 but is copied from ,peters's sitting1 of which ,mr4 ,hill had seen the record4 ,,chapter ,v ,,beginning ,,of ,,historical ,,record ,,of ,,sittings ,although this episode of the photograph is a good and evidential one1 ,i should be sorry to base an important conclusion on any one piece of evidence1 however cogent4 ,all proofs are really cumulative2 and though it is legitimate to emphasise anything like a crucial instance1 it always needs supplementing by many others1 lest there may have been some oversight4 ,accordingly1 ,i now proceed to quote from sittings held by members of the family after ,raymond's death--laying stress upon those which were arranged for1 and held throughout1 in an anonymous manner1 so that there was not the slightest normal clue to identity4 ,the first message came to us through a recent friend of ours in ,london1 ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 who herself has the power of automatic writing1 and who1 having lost her specially beloved son ,paul1 has had her hand frequently controlled by him--usually only so as to give affectionate messages1 but sometimes in a moderately evidential way4 ,she had been sceptical about the genuineness of this power apparently possessed by herself2 and it was her painful uncertainty on this point that had brought her into correspondence with me1 for she was trying to test her own writing in various ways1 as she was so anxious not to be deceived4 ,the first ,i ever heard of her was the following letter which came while ,i was in ,australia1 and was dealt with by ,mr4 ,hill3-- ,,first ,,letter ,,from ,,mrs4 ,,kennedy ,,to ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 #af ,august #aiad ,,sir ,,oliver ,,lodge4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,because of your investigations into spirit life1 ,i venture to ask your help4 ,my only son died #bc ,june1 eight weeks after a terrible accident4 ,on #be ,june 7without my asking for it or having thought of it7 ,i felt obliged to hold a pencil1 and ,i received in automatic writing his name and 'yes' and 'no' in answer to questions4 ,since then ,i have had several pages of writing from him every day and sometimes twice daily4 ,i say 'from him'2 the whole torturing question is--is it from him or am ,i self-deceived8 ,my knowledge is infinitesimal4 ,nineteen years ago a sister who had died the year before suddenly used my hand1 and after that wrote short messages at intervals2 another sister a year later1 and my father one message sixteen years ago2 but ,i felt so self-deceived that ,i always pushed it aside1 until it came back to me1 unasked1 after my son's passing over4 ,your knowledge is what ,i appeal to1 and the deep1 personal respect one has for you and your investigations4 ,it is for my son's sake--he is only seventeen--and he writes with such intense sadness of my lack of decided belief that ,i venture to beg help of a stranger in a matter so sacred to me4 ,do you ever come to ,london1 and1 if so1 could you possibly allow me to see you for even half an hour8 and you might judge from the strange and holy revelations 7,i know no other way to express many of the messages that are sent7 whether they can possibly be only from my own subconscious mind4444 ,pardon this length of letter4--,yours faithfully1 7,signed7 ,,katherine ,,kennedy ,ultimately ,i was able to take her anonymously and unexpectedly to an ,american medium1 ,mrs4 ,wriedt1 and there she received strong and unmistakable proofs4#aa ,she also received excellent confirmation through several other mediums whom she had discovered for herself--notably ,mr4 ,vout ,peters and ,mrs4 ,osborne ,leonard4 ,of ,mrs4 ,leonard ,i had not previously heard2 ,i had heard of a ,madame ,st4 ,leonard1 or some name like that1 but this is somebody else4 ,mrs4 ,kennedy tells me that she herself had not known ,mrs4 ,leonard long1 her own first sitting with that lady having been on #ad ,september #aiae4 ,i must emphasise the fact that ,mrs4 ,kennedy is keen and careful about evidential considerations4 ,as ,mrs4 ,kennedy's son ,paul plays a part in what follows1 perhaps it is permissible to quote here a description of him which she gave to ,mr4 ,hill in ,october #aiad1 accompanying an expression of surprise at the serious messages which she sometimes received from him--interspersed with his fun and his affection3-- ,k4 ,k4's ,,description ,,of ,,paul ,picture to yourself this boy3 not quite eighteen but always taken for twenty or twenty-two2 an almost divine character underneath1 but exteriorly a typical 'motor knut1' driving racing-cars at ,brooklands1 riding for the ,jarrott ,cup on a motor cycle1 and flying at ,hendon as an ,air ,mechanic2 dining out perpetually1 because of his charm which made him almost besieged by friends2 and apparently without any creed except honour1 generosity1 love of children1 the bringing home of every stray cat to be fed here and comforted1 a total disregard of social distinctions when choosing his friends1 and a hatred of hurting anyone's feelings4 ,on seeing the announcement of ,mr4 ,r4 ,lodge's death in a newspaper1 ,mrs4 ,kennedy 'spoke' to ,paul about it1 and asked him to help2 she also asked for a special sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard for the same purpose1 though without saying why4 ,the name ,raymond was on that occasion spelt out through the medium1 and he was said to be sleeping4 ,this was on #ah ,september4 ,on the #bast1 while ,mrs4 ,kennedy was writing in her garden on ordinary affairs1 her own hand suddenly wrote1 as from her son ,paul3-- ,i am here4444 ,i have seen that boy ,sir ,oliver's son2 he's better1 and has had a splendid rest1 tell his people4 ,lady ,lodge having been told about ,mrs4 ,leonard1 and wanting to help a widowed ,french lady1 ,madame ,le ,breton1 who had lost both her sons1 and was on a visit to ,england1 asked ,mrs4 ,kennedy to arrange a sitting1 so as to avoid giving any name4 ,a sitting was accordingly arranged with ,mrs4 ,leonard for #bd ,september #aiae4 ,on #bb ,september1 ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 while having what she called a 'talk' with ,paul1 suddenly wrote automatically3-- ,i shall bring ,raymond to his father when he comes to see you4444 ,he is so jolly1 every one loves him2 he has found heaps of his own folks here1 and he is settling down wonderfully4 ,,do ,,tell ,,his ,,father ,,and ,,mother4444 ,he spoke clearly to-day4444 ,he doesn't fight like the others1 he seems so settled already4 ,it is a ripping thing to see one boy like this4 ,he has been sleeping a long time1 but he has spoken to-day4444 ,if you people only knew how we long to come1 they would all call us4 ,capitals indicate large and emphatic writing4 ,on the #bcrd1 during ,lady ,lodge's call1 ,mrs4 ,kennedy's hand wrote what purported to be a brief message from ,raymond1 thus3-- ,i am here1 mother4444 ,i have been to ,alec already1 but he can't hear me4 ,i do wish he would believe that we are here safe2 it isn't a dismal hole like people think1 it is a place where there is life4 ,and again3 ,wait till ,i have learned better how to speak like this4444 ,we can express all we want later2 give me time4 ,i need hardly say that there is nothing in the least evidential in all this4 ,i quote it only for the sake of reasonable completeness1 so as to give the history from the beginning4 ,evidence comes later4 ,next day1 #bd ,september #aiae1 the ladies went for an interview with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 who knew no more than that friends of ,mrs4 ,kennedy would accompany her4 ,the following is ,lady ,lodge's account of the sitting3-- ,first ,sitting of any ,member of the ,family 7,anonymous7 with ,mrs4 ,leonard ,,general ,,account ,,by ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 #bd ,,september #aiae ,mrs4 ,leonard went into a sort of trance1 ,i suppose1 and came back as a little ,indian girl called ',freda1' or ',feda1' rubbing her hands1 and talking in the silly way they do4 ,however1 she soon said there was an old gentleman and a young one present1 whom she described2 and ,mrs4 ,kennedy told me afterwards that they were her father and her son ,paul4 ,there seemed to be many others standing beside us1 so ',feda' said4 ,then ,feda described some one brought in lying down--about twenty-four or twenty-five1 not yet able to sit up2 the features she described might quite well have belonged to ,raymond4 7,i forgot to say ,mrs4 ,leonard did not know me or my name1 or ,madame le ,breton's47 ,feda soon said she saw a large ,r beside this young man1 then an ,a1 then she got a long letter with a tail1 which she could not make out1 then she drew an ,m in the air1 but forgot to mention it1 and she said an ,o came next1 and she said there was another ,o with a long stroke to it1 and finally1 she said she heard ',yaymond' 7which is only her way of pronouncing it74 ,the name was presumably got from ',paul4'--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,then she said that he just seemed to open his eyes and smile2 and then he had a choking feeling1 which distressed me very much2 but he said he hadn't suffered much--not nearly as much as ,i should think2 whether he said this1 or ,paul1 ,i forget2 but ,paul asked me not to tell him to-morrow night that ,i was not with him1 as he had so much the feeling that ,i was with him when he died1 that he 7,paul7 wouldn't like to undeceive him4 ,i then asked that some one in that other world might kiss him for me1 and a lady1 whom they described in a way which was just like my mother1 came and kissed him1 and said she was taking care of him4 ,and there was also an old gentleman1 full white beard1 etc4 7evidently my stepfather1 but ,feda said with a moustache1 which was a mistake71 with ,w4 up beside him1 also taking care2 said he had met ,raymond1 and he was looking after him1 and lots of others too2 but said he ,w4 belonged to me and to ',o4' ,correct4 ,i asked how and what it was he had done for me1 and ,feda made a movement with her fingers1 as though disentangling something1 and then putting it into straight lines4 ,he then said he had made things easier for me4 ,so ,i said that was right1 and thanked him gratefully4 ,i said also that if ,raymond was in his and ,mamma's hands1 ,i was satisfied4 ,i do not append the notes of this sitting1 since it was held mainly for ,madame and her two sons1 both of whom were described1 and from whom some messages appeared to come4 ,table ,sitting at ,mrs4 ,leonard's ,next day 7,saturday1 #be ,september #aiae71 as arranged partly by ,paul1 the three ladies went to ,mrs4 ,leonard's house again for a sitting with a table1 and ,dr4 ,kennedy kindly accompanied them to take notes4 ,the three ladies and the medium sat round a small table1 with their hands lightly on it1 and it tilted in the usual way4 ,the plan adopted here is for the table to tilt as each letter of the alphabet is spoken by the medium1 and to stop1 or 'hold1' when a right letter is reached4 ,for general remarks on the rationale1 or what most people will naturally consider the absurdity1 of intelligent movements of this kind1 see ,chapter ,,xiv1 ,part ,,iii4 ,it was a rather complicated sitting1 as it was mainly for ,madame who was a novice in the subject4 ,towards the end unfortunately1 though momentarily and not at all pronouncedly1 she spoke to ,lady ,lodge by name4 ,at these table sittings the medium1 ,mrs4 ,leonard1 is not unconscious2 accordingly she heard it in her normal self1 and afterwards said that she had heard it4 ,the following extracts from the early part of the sitting may be quoted here1 as answers purporting to be spelt out by ,raymond3-- ,,questions ,,answers ,are you lonely8 ,no4 ,who is with you8 ,grandfather ,w4 ,have you anything to say to ,you know ,i can't help missing me8 you1 but ,i am learning to be happy4 ,have you any message for any ,tell them ,i have many good of them8 friends4 ,can you tell me the name of anyone ,honor4 ,one of his sisters4 at home8 7,other messages of affection and naturalness47 ,have ,i enough to satisfy them ,no4 at home8 ,is there anything you want to ,tell father ,i have met some send8 friends of his4 ,any name8 ,yes2 ,myers4 ,have you anything else to say8 7,no answer47 ,is some one else there8 ,yes2 ,guy4 7,this was a son of ,madame1 and the sitting became ,french47 ,reasonable and natural messages were spelt out in ,french4 ,the other son of ,madame was named ,didier1 and an unsuccessful attempt to spell this name was made1 but the only result was ,,dodi4 ,automatic ,writing by ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 #bf ,september ,on #bf ,september ,mrs4 ,kennedy 7alone7 had a lot of automatic writing1 with her own hand1 mainly from ,paul1 who presently wrote1 ,mother1 ,i have been let to bring ,raymond4 7,after a welcome1 ,raymond was represented as sending this message3--7 ,i can speak easier than ,i could at the table1 because you are helping all the time4 ,it is easy when we are alone with you1 but if ,i go there it confuses me a little4444 ,i long to comfort them4 ,will you tell them that ,raymond had been to you1 and that ,paul tells me ,i can come to you whenever ,i like8 ,it is so good of you to let the boys all come4444 ,paul tells me he has been here since he was seventeen2 he is a jolly chap2 every one seems fond of him4 ,i don't wonder1 for he helps every one4 ,it seems a rule to call ,paul if you get in a fix4 7,then ,paul said he was back1 and wrote3--7 ,he is quite happy really since he finds he can get to his people4 ,he has slept ever since last night1 till ,i was told to fetch him to-night4 7,asked about the ,french boys1 ,paul said3--7 ,i saw them when ,i brought them1 but ,i don't see them otherwise2 they are older than ,i am 444 they hardly believe it yet that they have spoken4 ,all the time they felt it was impossible1 and they nearly gave it up1 but ,i kept on begging them to tell their mother they lived4 ,i do hope she felt it true1 mother4444 ,it is hard to think your sons are dead2 but such a lot of people do think it4 ,it is revolting to hear the boys tell you how no one speaks to them ever2 it hurts me through and through4 7,interval4 ,paul fetched ,guy one of ,madame ,le ,breton's sons1 saying3--7 ,i can't stand it when they call out for help4 ,speak to him please1 mother4 7,mrs4 ,kennedy spoke to ,guy1 saying that she felt he could not believe any of it1 but would he give time and trouble to studying the subject as she was doing8 ,the following writing came3--7 ,,guy4--,i think you hear me because it is just as ,i am feeling2 how ,,can ,i believe we can speak to you who live where we once lived8 ,it was not possible then for us to speak to dead people2 and why should it be possible for us to speak4 ,will you keep on helping me1 please1 for ,i can't follow it1 and ,i long to8 7,mrs4 ,kennedy asked him to ask ,paul1 that being an easier method1 probably1 than getting information through her4 ,she asked him to 'excuse' ,paul's youth47 ,,guy4--,i like ,paul2 he is good to us4 ,i shall be glad to talk to him constantly if he has time for all of us2 he seems a sort of messenger between us and you1 isn't he8 ,guy had been to school in ,england1 his brother had not4 ,footnote #aa3 ,i think it only fair to mention the names of professional mediums1 if ,i find them at all genuine4 ,i do not guarantee their efficiency1 for mediumship is not a power that can always be depended on1--it is liable to vary2 sitters also may be incompetent1 and conditions may be bad4 ,the circumstances under which sensitives work are difficult at the present time and ought to be improved4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,first ,,sitting ,,of ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,with ,,mrs4 ,,leonard ,on #bg ,september1 as already stated in ,chapter ,,iii1 ,i myself visited ,mrs4 ,leonard1 going anonymously and alone1 and giving no information beyond the fact that ,i was a friend of ,mrs4 ,kennedy4 ,i lay no stress1 on my anonymity1 however4 ,in a short time ,feda controlled1 and at first described an elderly gentleman as present4 ,then she said he brought some one with the letter ,r2 and as ,i took verbatim notes ,i propose to reproduce this portion in full1 so as to give the general flavour of a ',feda' sitting2 only omitting what has already been extracted and quoted in ,chapter ,,iii4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 at ,mrs4 ,leonard's1 ,monday1 #bg ,september #aiae1 #ab noon to #a o'clock 7,mrs4 ,leonard's control ',feda' speaking all the time47 ,there is some one here with a little difficulty2 not fully built up2 youngish looking2 form more like an outline2 he has not completely learnt how to build up as yet4 ,is a young man1 rather above the medium height2 rather well-built1 not thick-set or heavy1 but well-built4 ,he holds himself up well4 ,he has not been over long4 ,his hair is between colours4 ,he is not easy to describe1 because he is not building himself up so solid as some do4 ,he has greyish eyes2 hair brown1 short at the sides2 a fine-shaped head2 eyebrows also brown1 not much arched2 nice-shaped nose1 fairly straight1 broader at the nostrils a little2 a nice-shaped mouth1 a good-sized mouth it is1 but it does not look large because he holds the lips nicely together2 chin not heavy2 face oval4 ,he is not built up quite clearly1 but it feels as if ,feda knew him4 ,he must have been here waiting for you4 ,now he looks at ,feda and smiles2 now he laughs1 he is having a joke with ,feda1 and ,paulie laughs too4 ,paul says he has been here before1 and that ,paul brought him4 ,but ,feda sees many hundreds of people1 but they tell me this one has been brought quite lately4 ,yes1 ,i have seen him before4 ,feda remembers a letter with him too4 ,r1 that is to do with him4 7,then ,feda murmured1 as if to herself1 ,try and give me another letter47 7,pause47 ,it is a funny name1 not ,robert or ,richard4 ,he is not giving the rest of it1 but says ,r again2 it is from him4 ,he wants to know where his mother is2 he is looking for her2 he does not understand why she is not here4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,tell him he will see her this afternoon1 and that she is not here this morning1 because she wants to meet him this afternoon at three o'clock4 ,meaning through another medium1 namely ,peters4 ,but that1 of course1 was not said4 ,he has been to see you before1 and he says that once he thought you knew he was there1 and that two or three times he was not quite sure4 ,feda gets it mostly by impression2 it is not always what he says1 but what she gets2 but ,feda says he says1 because she gets it from him somehow4#ab ,he finds it difficult1 he says1 but he has got so many kind friends helping him4 ,he didn't think when he waked up first that he was going to be happy1 but now he is1 and he says he is going to be happier4 ,he knows that as soon as he is a little more ready1 he has got a great deal of work to do4 ,i almost wonder1 he says1 shall ,i be fit and able to do it4 ,they tell me ,i shall4 ,and so on as reported in ,chapter ,,iii4 ,he seems to know what the work is4 ,the first work he will have to do1 will be helping at the ,front2 not the wounded so much1 but helping those who are passing over in the war4 ,he knows that when they pass on and wake up1 they still feel a certain fear--and some other word which ,feda missed4 ,feda hears a something and 'fear4' ,some even go on fighting2 at least they want to2 they don't believe they have passed on4 ,so that many are wanted where he is now1 to explain to them and help them1 and soothe them4 ,they do not know where they are1 nor why they are there4 ,i considered that this was ordinary ',feda talk1' such as it is probably customary to get through mediums at this time2 therefore1 though the statements are likely enough1 there is nothing new in them1 and ,i thought it better to interrupt by asking a question4 ,so ,i said3-- ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,does he want to send a message to anyone at home8 ,or will he give the name of one of his instructors8 ,i admit that it is stupid thus to ask two questions at once4 ,he shows me a capital ,h1 and says that is not an instructor1 it is some one he knows on the earth side4 ,he wants them to be sure that he is all right and happy4 ,he says1 ,people think ,i say ,i am happy in order to make them happier1 but ,i don't4 ,and so on as already reported in ,chapter ,,iii4 ,now the first gentleman with the letter ,w is going over to him and putting his arm round his shoulder1 and he is putting his arm round the gentleman's back4 ,feda feels like a string round her head2 a tight feeling in the head1 and also an empty sort of feeling in the chest1 empty1 as if sort of something gone4 ,a feeling like a sort of vacant feeling there2 also a bursting sensation in the head4 ,but he does not know he is giving this4 ,he has not done it on purpose1 they have tried to make him forget all that1 but ,feda gets it from him4 ,there is a noise with it too1 an awful noise and a rushing noise4 ,he has lost all that now1 but he does not seem to know why ,feda feels it now4 ,i feel splendid1 he says1 ,i feel splendid6 ,but ,i was worried at first4 ,i was worried1 for ,i was wanting to make it clear to those left behind that ,i was all right1 and that they were not to worry about me4 ,you may think it strange1 but he felt that you would not worry so much as some one else2 two others1 two ladies1 ,feda thinks4 ,you would know1 he says1 but two ladies would worry and be uncertain2 but now he believes they know more4 ,then1 before ,mrs4 ,leonard came out of trance1 came the description of a falling dark cross which twisted round and became bright1 as reported in ,chapter ,,iii4 ,after the sitting1 and before ,i went away1 ,i asked ,mrs4 ,leonard if she knew who ,i was4 ,she replied1 ,are you by chance connected with those two ladies who came on ,saturday night8 ,on my assenting1 ,mrs4 ,leonard added1 ,oh6 then ,i know1 because the ,french lady gave the name away2 she said ',lady ,lodge' in the middle of a ,french sentence4 ,i also spoke to her about not having too many sittings and straining her power4 ,she said she preferred not to have more than two or three a day1 though sometimes she could not avoid it2 and some days she had to take a complete rest4 ,but she admitted that she was going to have another one that day at two o'clock4 ,i told her that three per day was rather much4 ,she pleaded that there are so many people who want help now1 that she declined all those who came for only commercial or fortune-telling motives1 but that she felt bound to help those who are distressed by the war4 ,i report this to show that she saw many people totally disconnected with ,raymond or his family3 so that what she might say to a new unknown member of the family could be quite evidential4 ,footnote #ab3 ,note this1 as an elucidatory statement4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,first ,,peters ,,sitting 7,,anonymous7 ,mrs4 ,kennedy desired ,lady ,lodge to try with a different and independent medium1 and therefore kindly arranged with ,mr4 ,a4 ,vout ,peters to come to her house on ,monday afternoon and give a trance sitting to 'a friend of hers' not specified4 ,accordingly1 at or about #c p4m4 on ,monday1 #bg ,september #aiae1 ,lady ,lodge went by herself to ,mrs4 ,kennedy's house1 so as not to have to give any name1 and awaited the arrival of ,peters1 who1 when he came1 said he would prefer to sit in ,mrs4 ,kennedy's own room in which he had sat before1 and which he associated with her son ,paul4 ,no kind of introduction was made1 and ,peters was a total stranger to ,lady ,lodge2 though to ,mrs4 ,kennedy he was fairly well known1 having several times given her first-rate evidence about her son1 who had proved his identity in several striking ways4 ,when ,peters goes into a trance his personality is supposed to change to that of another man1 who1 we understand1 is called ',moonstone'2 much as ,mrs4 ,piper was controlled by apparent personalities calling themselves ',phinuit' or ',rector4' ,when ,peters does not go into a trance he has some clairvoyant faculty of his own4 ,the only other person present on this occasion was ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 who kindly took notes4 ,this is an important sitting1 as it was held for a complete stranger1 so ,i propose to report it practically in full4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,sitting with ,a4 ,vout ,peters1 in ,mrs4 ,kennedy's ,house1 on #bg ,september #aiae1 at #c4cj p4m4 ,,medium ,a4 ,,vout ,,peters4 ,,sitter ,,lady ,,lodge 7,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l474 ,,recorder ,,mrs4 ,,katherine ,,kennedy 7,k4 ,k474 ,the record consists of ,mrs4 ,kennedy's notes4 ,annotations in square brackets have been added subsequently by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,while only partially under control1 ,peters said3 ,i feel a lot of force here1 ,mrs4 ,kennedy4 ,peters was controlled quickly by ',moonstone1' who greeted ,k4 ,k4 and reminded her of a prophecy of his4 7,this prophecy related to the ,russian place ,dvinsk1 and to the important actions likely to be going on there--as if the decisive battle of the war was to be fought there47 ,then he turned to ,l4 ,l4 and said3-- ,what a useful life you have led1 and will lead4 ,you have always been the prop of things4 ,you have always been associated with men a lot4 ,you are the mother and house prop4 ,you are not unacquainted with spiritualism4 ,you have been associated with it more or less for some time4 ,i sense you as living away from ,london--in the ,north or ,north-,west4 ,you are much associated with men1 and you are the house prop--the mother4 ,you have no word in the language that quite gives it--there are always four walls1 but something more is needed--you are the house prop4 ,you have had a tremendous lot of sadness recently1 from a death that has come suddenly4 ,you never thought it was to be like this4 7,peters went on talking glibly1 and there was no need for the sitter to say anything47 ,there is a gentleman here who is on the other side--he went very suddenly4 ,fairly tall1 rather broad1 upright 7here the medium sat up very straight and squared his shoulders7--rather long face1 fairly long nose1 lips full1 moustache1 nice teeth1 quick and active1 strong sense of humour--he could always laugh1 keen sense of affection4 ,he went over into the spirit world very quickly4 ,there is no idea of death because it was so sudden1 with no illness4 ,do you know anything connected with the letter ,l8 7,no answer was given to this47 ,what ,i am going to say now is from ,paul--he says3 ,tell mother it is not one ,l1 it is double ,l4 ,he says3 ,tell mother she always loved a riddle--he laughs4 7,l4 ,l4 and ,k4 ,k4 both said they could not understand4#ac ',moonstone' continued3--7 ,they don't want to make it too easy for you1 and funnily enough1 the easier it seems to you sometimes the more difficult it seems to them4 ,this man is a soldier--an officer4 ,he went over where it is warm4 ,you are his mother1 aren't you--and he does not call you ma1 or mamma1 or mater--just mother1 mother4 ,true4 ,he is reticent and yet he told you a tremendous lot4 ,you were not only his mother but his friend4 ,wasn't he clever with books8 ,he laughs and says3 ,anyhow ,i ought to be1 ,i was brought up with them4 ,he was not altogether a booky person4 ,he knew of spiritualism before he passed over1 but he was a little bit sceptical--he had an attitude of carefulness about it4 ,he tells me to tell you this3 ,the attitude of ,mr4 ,stead and some of those people turned him aside2 on one side there was too much credulity--on the other side too much piffling at trifles4 ,see also ,appendix to this sitting4 ,he holds up in his hand a little heap of olives1 as a symbol for you--then he laughs4 ,now he says--for a test--,associated with the olives is the word ,roland4#ad ,all of this is to give you proof that he is here4 ,before you came you were very down in the dumps4 ,was he ill three weeks after he was hurt8 ,more like three hours1 probably less4 7,various other guesses were made for the meaning of #c47 ,i see the figure #c so plainly--can't you find a meaning for it8 7,l4 ,l4 suggested #crd ,battalion1 and ',moonstone' continued3--7 ,he says ,yes--and wasn't he officially put down on another one8 ,perfectly true1 he was attached to the #bnd ,battalion at the ,front1 to the #crd or reserve ,battalion while training4#ae ,he says3 ,don't forget to tell father all this4 ,his home is associated with books--both reading and writing books4 ,wait a minute1 he wants to give me a word1 he is a little impatient with me4 ,manuscripts1 he says1 manuscripts--that's the word4 ,he sends a message1 and he says--this is more for father--,it is no good his attempting to come to the medium here1 he will simply frighten the medium for all he is worth1 and he will not get anything4 ,but he is not afraid of you1 and if there is communication wanted with this man again1 you must come4 ,you have several portraits of this boy4 ,before he went away you had got a good portrait of him--#b--no1 #c4 ,fully as many as that4 ,two where he is alone and one where he is in a group of other men4 ,this last is not yet verified4#af ,he is particular that ,i should tell you of this4 ,in one you see his walking-stick 7',moonstone' here put an imaginary stick under his arm74 ,not known yet ,he had particularly strong hands4 ,when he was younger1 he was very strongly associated with football and outdoor sports4 ,you have in your house prizes that he won1 ,i can't tell you what4 ,incorrect2 possibly some confusion in record here2 or else wrong4 ,why should ,i get two words--',small' and ',heath1' ,small ,heath is a place near ,birmingham with which he had some but not close associations4 ,also ,i see1 but very dimly as in a mist1 the letters ,b ,i ,r4 ,probably ,birmingham4 ,you heard of either his death or of his being hurt by telegram4 ,he didn't die at once4 ,he had three wounds4 ,i don't think you have got details yet4 ,no1 not fully4 ,if he had lived he would have made a name for himself in his own particular line4 ,was he not associated with chemistry8 ,if not1 some one associated with him was1 because ,i see all the things in a chemical laboratory4 ,the next portion has already been reported in ,chapter ,,iii1 but ,i do not omit it from its context here4 ,that chemistry thing takes me away from him to a man in the flesh4 ,and connected with him a man1 a writer of poetry1 on our side1 closely connected with spiritualism4 ,he was very clever--he too passed away out of ,england4 ,he has communicated several times4 ,this gentleman who wrote poetry--,i see the letter ,m--he is helping your son to communicate4 ,he is built up in the chemical conditions4 ,if your son didn't know this man1 he knew of him4 ,at the back of the gentleman beginning with ,m and who wrote poetry is a whole group of people4 ,they are very interested4 ,and don't be surprised if you get messages from them1 even if you don't know them4 ,this is so important that is going to be said now1 that ,i want to go slowly1 for you to write clearly every word 7dictates carefully74 ,not only is the partition so thin that you can hear the operators on the other side1 but a big hole has been made4 ,this message is for the gentleman associated with the chemical laboratory4 ,the boy--,i call them all boys1 because ,i was over a hundred when ,i lived here and they are all boys to me--he says1 he is here1 but he says3 ,hitherto it has been a thing of the head1 now ,i am come over it is a thing of the heart4 ,what is more 7here ,peters jumped up in his chair vigorously1 snapped his fingers excitedly1 and spoke loudly73 ,good ,god6 how father will be able to speak out6 much firmer than he has ever done1 because it will touch our hearts4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,does he want his father to speak out8 ,yes1 but not yet--wait1 the evidence will be given in such a way that it cannot be contradicted1 and his name is big enough to sweep all stupid opposition on one side4 ,i was not conscious of much suffering1 and ,i am glad that ,i settled my affairs before ,i went4 ,he did2 he made a will just before leaving ,england1 and left things in good order4 ,he also cleared up things when he joined the ,army4 ,have you a sister of his with you1 and one on our side8 ,a little child almost1 so little that you never associated her with him4 ,there are two sisters1 one on each side of him1 one in the dark and one in the light4 ,raymond was the only boy sandwiched in between two sisters2 ,violet older than he1 and still living 7presumably in the dark71 and ,laura#ag younger than he1 died a few minutes after birth 7in the light74 ,raymond was the youngest boy1 and had thus a sister on either side of him4 ,your girl is standing on one side1 ,paul on the other1 and your boy in the centre4 7,here ',moonstone' put his arm round ,k4 ,k4's shoulder to show how the boy was standing47 ,now he stoops over you and kisses you there 7indicating the brow74 ,before he went away he came home for a little while4 ,didn't he come for three days8 7,there is a little unimportant confusion in the record about 'days4'7 ,then1 with evident intention of trying to give a 'test1' some trivial but characteristic features were mentioned about the interior of three houses--the one we are in now1 the one we had last occupied at ,liverpool1 and the one he called ',mother's home4' ,but there is again some confusion in the record1 partly because ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 didn't understand what he was driving at1 partly because the recorder found it difficult to follow2 and though the confusion was subsequently disentangled through another medium next day1 #bh ,september1 it is hardly worth while to give as much explanation as would be needed to make the points clear4 ,so this part is omitted4 7,see p4 #ade74 ,and he wanted me to tell you of a kiss on the forehead4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,he did not kiss me on the forehead when he said good-bye4 ,well he is taller than you1 isn't he8 7,yes47 ,not very demonstrative before strangers4 ,but when alone with you1 like a little boy again4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,i don't think he was undemonstrative before strangers4 ,oh yes1 all you ,english are like that4 ,you lock up your affection1 and you sometimes lose the key4 ,he laughs4 ,he says you didn't understand about ,rowland4 ,he can get it through now1 it's a ,roland for your ,oliver p4 #aca4 ,excellent4 ,by recent marriages the family has gained a ,rowland 7son-in-law7 and lost 7so to speak7 an ,oliver 7son74 ,he is going4 ,he gives his love to all4 ,it has been easy for him to come for two reasons3 ,first1 because you came to get help for ,madame4#ah ,secondly1 because he had the knowledge in this life4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,i hope it has been a pleasure to him to come8 ,not a pleasure1 a joy4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,i hope he will come to me again4 ,as much as he can4 ,paul now wants to speak to his mother4 ,appendix to ,first ,peters ,sitting ,,note ,,on ,,raymond',s ,,old ,,attitude ,,to ,,psycho-,,physical ,,phenomena ,mrs4 ,rowland ,waterhouse has recently found among her papers an old letter from ,bedales ,school which she received from her brother ,raymond when she was in ,paris during the winter #aije-aijf4 ,the concluding part of it is of some small interest in the light of later developments3-- ,i should like to hear more about table turning4 ,i don't believe in it4 ,the girls here say they have done it at ,steephurst1 and they attribute it to some sense of which we know nothing1 and which ,i want to turn to some account1 driving a dynamo or something1 if it is possible1 as they make out1 to cause a table to revolve without any exertion4--,i am your affectionate brother1 ,,raymond4 ,footnote #ac3 ,though ,k4 ,k4's record1 being made at the time1 reads ,l4 ,l4 7meaning ,lady ,lodge7 throughout4 ,when she speaks1 later on1 ,i change the ,l4 ,l4 of the record to her proper initials to avoid confusion4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,footnote #ad3 ,this is clear1 though apparently it was not so recognised at the time4 ,see later1 pp4 #ace and #add4 ,footnote #ae3 ,let it be understood1 once for all1 that remarks in square brackets represent nothing said at the time1 but are comments afterwards by me when ,i read the record4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,footnote #af3 ,the photograph episode is described above1 in ,chapter ,,iv1 in the light of later information4 ,footnote #ag3 ,now apparently called ,lily3 see later4 ,footnote #ah3 ,this is curious1 because it was with ,mrs4 ,leonard that ,madame had sat1 not with ,peters at all4 ,it is a simple cross-correspondence4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,a ,,table ,,sitting ,on #bh ,september my wife and ,i together had a table sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 which may be reported nearly in full together with my preliminary note written immediately afterwards4 ,this is done not because it is a particularly good specimen1 but because these early sittings have an importance of their own1 and because it may be instructive to others to see the general manner of a table sitting4 ,it was1 ,i think1 the first joint-sitting of any kind which we had had since the old ,piper days4 ,,note ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,on ,,table ,,tiltings ,a table sitting is not good for conversation1 but it is useful for getting definite brief answers--such as names and incidents1 since it seems to be less interfered with by the mental activity of an intervening medium1 and to be rather more direct4 ,but it has difficulties of its own4 ,the tilting of the table need not be regarded as a 'physical phenomenon' in the technical or supernormal sense1 yet it does not appear to be done by the muscles of those present4 ,the effort required to tilt the table is slight1 and evidentially it must1 no doubt1 be assumed that so far as mechanical force is concerned1 it is exerted by muscular action4 ,but my impression is that the tilting is an incipient physical phenomenon1 and that though the energy1 of course1 comes from the people present1 it does not appear to be applied in quite a normal way 7,,xiv1 ,pt4 ,,iii74 ,as regards evidence1 however1 the issue must be limited to intelligent direction of the energy4 ,all that can safely be claimed is that the energy is intelligently directed1 and the self-stoppage of the table at the right letter conveys by touch a sort of withholding feeling--a kind of sensation as of inhibition--to those whose hands lie flat on the top of the table4 ,the light was always quite sufficient to see all the hands1 and it works quite well in full daylight4 ,the usual method is for the alphabet to be called over1 and for the table to tilt or thump at each letter1 till it stops at the right one4 ,the table tilts three times to indicate yes1 and once to indicate no2 but as one tilt also represents the letter ,a of the alphabet1 an error of interpretation is occasionally made by the sitters4 ,so also ,c might perhaps be mistaken for yes1 or vice versa2 but that mistake is not so likely4 ,unconscious guidance can hardly be excluded1 i4e4 cannot be excluded with any certainty when the answer is of a kind expected4 ,but first1 our desire was rather in the direction of avoiding such control2 and second1 the stoppages were sometimes at unexpected places2 and third1 a long succession of letters soon becomes meaningless1 except to the recorder who is writing them down silently1 as they are called out to him seriatim1 in another part of the room4 ,it will also be observed that at a table sitting it is natural for the sitters to do most of the talking1 and that their object is to get definite and not verbose replies4 ,on this occasion the control of the table seemed to improve as the sitting went on1 owing presumably to increased practice on the part of the communicator1 until towards the end1 when there seemed to be some signs of weariness or incipient exhaustion2 and1 since the sitting lasted an hour and a half1 tiredness is in no way surprising4 ,no further attempt was made to keep our identity from ,mrs4 ,leonard3 our name had been given away1 as reported near the end of ,chapter ,,vi4 ,table ,sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 ,tuesday1 #bh ,september #aiae1 at #e4cj p4m4 ,present--,o4 ,j4 ,l41 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l41 ,k4 ,k41 with ,,dr4 ,,kennedy ,,at ,,another ,,table ,,as ,,recorder ,a small partly wicker table with a square top was used1 about #ah inches square4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 and ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 sat opposite to each other2 ,k4 ,k4 and ,mrs4 ,leonard occupied the other positions1 ,mrs4 ,leonard to the right of ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,after four minutes' interval1 the table began to tilt4 ,medium4--,will you tilt three times to show you understand8 7,it did47 ,medium4--,will you like to give your name8 7,it gave three tilts indicating ,yes47 ,medium4--,very well1 then1 the alphabet4 ,spell it1 please4 7,mrs4 ,leonard here repeated the alphabet fairly quickly1 while the table tilted slightly at each letter as it was said1 stopping first at the letter ,p then at the letter ,a then ,u then ,l4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 very well1 ,paul2 we know who you are1 and you know who we are1 and we know that you have brought ,raymond1 and have come to help4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,we that are here know about this1 and you have given us evidence already1 but ,i am here to get evidence for the family4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,would you like to say something first1 before ,i ask a question8 7,silence47 ,then the table moved and shook a little1 indicating that it wanted the alphabet2 and when the medium recited the letters1 it spelt out in the same manner as before1 i4e4 by stopping at the one desired by whatever intelligence was controlling the table3-- ,,raymond ,,wants ,,to ,,come ,,himself4 ,here ,m4 ,l4 ejaculated3 ,dear ,raymond1 and sighed unconsciously4 ,the table spelt--it being understood that ,raymond had now taken control3-- ,,do ,,not ,,sigh4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,was ,i sighing8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 but you must not be so distressed2 he doesn't like it4 ,he is there all right1 and ,i am glad to have some one on the other side4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,raymond1 your mother is much happier now4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,now then1 shall ,i ask you questions8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well now1 wait a minute and take your time1 and ,i will ask the first question3-- ,what did the boys call you8 ,the medium now again repeated the alphabet1 the table tilting to each letter as before1 first stopping at ,p then at ,a then at ,p again2 it then shook as if something was wrong4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,very well1 try again1 begin once more4 ,again it spelt ,pap1 but again indicated dissent1 and tried again3 at the third trial it appeared to spell ,,pas4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,raymond dear1 you have given two letters right1 try and give the third4 ,it now stopped at ,t2 making ,,pat4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,yes1 that is right4 ,this was1 of course1 well in our knowledge and therefore not strictly evidential1 but it would not be in the knowledge of the medium4 7,cf4 p4 #adh47 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 now1 you have done that1 shall ,i ask another8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,will you give the name of a brother8 ,the alphabet was repeated as usual by the medium1 in a monotonous manner1 the table tilting as before and stopping first at ,n then at ,o then going past ,e1 it stopped at ,r and the next time at ,m then1 by a single tilt1 it indicated ,a or else ,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l41 thinking that the letters ,r and ,m were wrong1 because the 7to him7 meaningless name ,,norman was evidently being given1 took it as ,no1 and said3-- ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,you are confused now1 better begin again4 ,the name accordingly was begun again1 and this time it spelt ,,noel4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,that is right4 ,but see appended ,note1 p4 #adg4 ,a slight pause took place here2 the table then indicated that it wanted the alphabet again1 and spelt out an apparently single meaningless word which ,dr4 ,kennedy1 as he wrote the letters down1 perceived to be ,,fire ,,away4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,oh6 ,you want another question6 ,would you like to say the name of an officer8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,very well then1 spell it4 ,table spelt3-- ,,mip1 then indicated error4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,not ,p8 ,,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 begin again4 ,,mitchell4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,then the officer's name is ,mitchell8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,was he a captain8 7,silence47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,was he a lieutenant8 7,silence47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,was he a second lieutenant perhaps8 7,apparent assent1 but nothing forcible47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i am now going to give a name away on purpose2 ,i am going to ask--,do you remember ,case8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,would you like to say anything about him8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,very well then1 let us have the alphabet4 ,table spelt3-- ,,he ,,is ,a ,,going ,a ,,llong ,,all ,,rright4 ,erasures signify errors which were made either by the communicator or the interpreter1 and are in accordance with the record4 ,the method was that each letter1 as understood1 was called out1 usually by me1 to the recorder4 ,when a wrong letter was indicated1 or when there was obviously a duplication1 it was scratched out as above4 7,after a short silence the spelling began again1 it being easy for the table to indicate to the medium1 by shaking or fidgeting1 that she is wanted to repeat the alphabet47 ,,he ,,is ,,here4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,what1 on your side8 ,thinking it referred to ,lieutenant ,case4 ,a loud ,,no4 ,,he ,,is ,,here ,,speak4 ,k4 ,k4 7interpreting for us74--,it only means ,raymond is here and waiting4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,under what circumstances did you see him last8 7,the answer was apparently a faint ,,yes47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,have you any special message1 or did you give ,case a special message8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,what was it8 ,,so ,,im ,,not ,,so ,,im ,,wuo 7,here some confusion was indicated2 and ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 said1 ,try and spell the name--meaning for whom the message was1 if it was a message that was intended1 which was very doubtful4 ,it seemed to me that he was trying to say1 or remember1 what he had said to ,lieutenant ,case1 who saw him after he had been struck2 and that what he thought he had said was ,so ,i'm wounded2 but ,i thought it unadvisable to continue on this tack1 and rather regretted that ,i had begun it1 since it was liable to put him back into a period of reminiscence which his friends would prefer that he did not dwell upon4 ,moreover1 these last few questions did not seem particularly to interest him1 and the responses were comparatively weak4 ,accordingly1 ,i decided to switch him on to a topic that would be more likely to interest him47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,would you like your mother to go and see a friend of yours8 7,some names of friends of his were now correctly given1 but as we knew them ,i need not reproduce this part47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i say1 ,raymond1 would you like a ,ford8 motor4 7,after a moment's apparent surprise3--7 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,aren't you tired now8 ,loud ,,no4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,raymond1 ,i don't know ,mitchell4 ,,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 that will be better evidence4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is that why you chose it8 ,,yes4 ,,aer ,,medium 7sotto voce74--,no1 that can't be right4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 7ditto74--,i don't know2 it may be4 ,go on4 ,,oplane4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,you mean that ,mitchell is an aeroplane officer8 ,,yes 7very loud74 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 7misunderstanding1 and thinking that he had said that he would like an aeroplane in preference to a ,ford74--,still at your jokes1 ,raymond6 ,,yes4 7,then again the table indicated1 by slight rocking1 that the alphabet was wanted2 and it spelt3--7 ,,raymond ,,is ,,beating ,u4 7,the sitters here made a little explanatory comment to each other on what they understood this unimportant sentence to mean2 after which ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 appears to have said3--7 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i don't like bothering you4 ,table moved1 indicating that it was no trouble4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,raymond1 can you see us8 ,,yes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,can you see that ,i have been writing to you8 ,see ,part ,i1 p4 #aj4 ,,yes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,can you read what ,i am writing8 ,,yes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,how do you read it8 ,by looking over my shoulder8 ,table again called for alphabet and spelt3-- ,,sense ,,it4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,shall you ever be able to write through my hand do you think8 7,silence47 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,well1 anyhow1 you would like me to try8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,raymond1 have you plenty to do over there8 ,loud ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 look here1 ,i am going to give another name away4 ,,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,oh6 ,you prefer not6 ,very well1 ,i will ask you in this way3 ,have you met any particular friend of mine8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,very well then1 spell his name4 ,the table spelt3-- ,,myres ,,and ,,gra4 ,here ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 thought that he had got wrong--rather suspected that the ,a meant ,no1 and stupidly said3-- ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 it doesn't matter1 it won't be evidential1 so ,i may as well guess what you mean3 ,is it ,gurney8 ,the table assented4 ,but it still went on spelling4 ,it again spelt3-- ,,gra and then ,,nd1 at which ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 queried3 ,grand men8 ,the table dissented1 and went on and spelt3-- ,,father4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,oh6 ,you mean ,grandfather6 ,,yes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,is he with ,myers and ,gurney8 ,emphatic ,,no4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,which grandfather is it that you mean8 ,give the first letter of his ,christian name4 ,w4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,dear ,grandpapa6 ,he would be sure to come and help you6 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i say1 do you like this table method better than the ',feda' method8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,but you remember that you can send anything you want specially through ,paul always8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,that was a grand sitting yesterday that your mother had6 i4e4 the one with ,peters4 ,,yes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,do you remember showing olives8 ,,yes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,what did you mean by them8 ,,oliver4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,then we now understand--,a ,roland for an ,oliver4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,you intended no reference to ,italy8 ,we had been doubtful at first of the significance of the olives2 see p4 #aca4 ,,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,but you were interested in ,italy8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,do you remember anyone special in ,italy8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 spell the name4 7,a name was spelt correctly47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,you are clever at this6 ,loud ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,you always did like mechanical things4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,can you explain how you do this8 ,i mean how you work the table8 ,the table then spelt with the alphabet for a long time1 and as the words were not divided up1 the sitters lost touch1 one after the other1 with what was being said4 ,i1 for instance1 lost touch after the word magnetism1 and1 for all ,i know1 it was nonsense that was being said2 but the recorder put all the letters down as they came1 each letter being called out by me according to the stoppages of the table1 and the record reads thus3-- ,,you ,,all ,,supply ,,magnetism ,,gathered ,,in ,,medium1 ,,and ,,that ,,goes ,,into ,,table2 ,,and ,,we ,,manipulate4 ,the interest of this is due to the fact that the table was spelling our coherent words1 although the sitters could hardly1 under the circumstances1 be exercising any control4 ,naturally1 this does not prevent the medium from being supposed to be tilting out a message herself1 and hence it is quite unevidential of course2 but1 in innumerable other cases1 the things said were quite outside the knowledge of the medium4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,it is not what ,i should call magnetism1 is it8 ,,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,but you do not object to the term8 ,,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l--,paul's mother offers to take messages from you1 and if she gets them1 she will transmit them to us4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l--,so when you want to get anything special through1 just speak to ,paul4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,and sometimes ,i shall be able to get a message back to you4 ,loud ,,yes4 7,in answer to a question about which of his sisters were at school with a specified person1 the names of the right two sisters were now spelt out3--7 ,,rosalind4 ,we generally spell the name ,rosalynde1 but it was spelt here ,rosalind as shown4 ,,barbara4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,isn't it clever of him8 ,loud and amusing ,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i never thought you would do it so quickly4 ,,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,can you still make acrostics8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 immediately regretted having asked this leading sort of question1 but it was asked4 ,,yes4 ,k4 ,k4--,you are not going to make one now8 ,,no4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,can you see me1 ,raymond1 at other times when ,i am not with a medium8 ,alphabet called for1 and spelt3-- ,,sometimes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,you mean when ,i think of you8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,that must be very often4 ,loud ,,yes4 ,when a 'loud' ,,yes or ,,no is stated1 it means that the table tilted violently1 bumping on the floor and making a noise which impressed the recorder1 so that the words loud bumps were added in the record4 ,i then asked him about the houses 7of which he had specified some identifying features at a previous sitting through ,peters on #bg ,september74 ,he seemed to regret that there had been some confusion1 and now correctly spelt out ,,grovepark as the name of one house1 and ,,newcastle as the place where ',mother's home' was4 ,but ,i omit details1 as before4 7,see p4 #ace47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4---,tell ,mr4 ,myers and ,mr4 ,gurney that ,i am glad to hear from them and that they are helping you4 ,,yes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,give my affectionate regards to ,mr4 ,gurney for a message which he got through for me some time ago4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,now you must rest4 ,,yes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,one of your record sleeps4 ,loud ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,good-bye1 ,i will tell the family to-morrow4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,alec especially4 ,,yes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,nol will love to have his name spelt out4 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 good-bye1 old man1 we shall hear from you again4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,good-bye1 ,raymond darling4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,before we stop1 does ,paul want to say a word8 7,paul was then understood to take control1 and spelt out3--7 ,,he ,,is ,,getting ,,on ,,well4 7,we then thanked ,paul for helping1 and said good-bye47 7,end of sitting47 99 99 99 99 99 ,to complete the record ,i shall append the few annotations which ,i made a couple of days afterwards1 before ,i supplement them with later information4 ,contemporary ,annotations for ,table ,sitting on #bh ,september ,very many things were given right at the sitting above recorded1 and in most cases the rightness will be clear from the comments of the sitters as recorded4 ,but two names are given on which further annotation is necessary1 because the sitters did not understand them2 in other words1 they were such as1 if confirmed1 would furnish excellent and indeed exceptional evidence4 ,the first is ',norman1' about which a very important report could be made at once2 but ,i think it better not to put anything in writing on that subject even now1 at the present stage1 since it is quite distinct1 unforgettable1 and of the first importance4 ,the other is the name ',mitchell1' which at present we have had no opportunity for verifying2 hence annotation on that must be postponed4 ,suffice it to say that to-day 7#f ,october #aiae7 it remains unknown4 ,whether an ,army ,list has been published this year seems doubtful1 and on the whole unlikely2 and no ,army ,list later than #aiji has been so far accessible4 ,such few inquiries as have up to now been made have drawn blank4 ,see1 however1 three pages further on4 ,later ,information ,on #aj ,october ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 alone1 had some automatic writing as follows3-- ,mother1 ,paul is bringing ,raymond4 ,i have him here2 he will speak to you4444 ,please listen carefully now ,i want to speak to you about ,,norman4 ,there is a special meaning to that because we always called my brother ,alec ,norman1 the 7muddle 44474 7,k4 ,k4 said that she couldn't get the rest clearly47 ,on #ab ,october we had a sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 ,k4 ,k4 also present1 and ,i said to ',raymond'3-- ,do you want to say anything more about that name ',norman'8 ,you gave a message about it to ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 but ,i don't know whether she got it clearly4 ,perhaps you want to amplify it8 ,if so1 now is your chance4 7,the reply spelt out was3--7 ,i ,,told ,,her ,,that ,i ,,called ,,lionel4 ,on which ,k4 ,k4 said3 ,i am afraid ,i often get names wrong4 ,i suppose ,i got the name of the wrong brother4 ,,note ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,about ,,the ,,name ',,norman' ,it appears that ',norman' was a kind of general nickname2 and especially that when the boys played hockey together1 which they often did in the field here1 by way of getting concentrated exercise1 ,raymond1 who was specially active at this game1 had a habit of shouting out1 ,now then1 ,norman1 or other words of encouragement1 to any of his other brothers whom he wished to stimulate1 especially apparently ,lionel1 though sometimes ,alec and the others4 ,that is what ,i am now told1 and ,i can easily realise the manner of it4 ,but ,i can testify that ,i was not aware that a name like this was used1 nor was ,lady ,lodge1 we two being the only members of the family present at the ,leonard table sitting where the name ',norman' was given4 7,see p4 #adj47 ,it will be remembered that at that sitting ,i first asked him what name the boys had called him1 and1 after a few partial failures1 obviously only due to mismanagement of the table1 he replied1 ',pat1' which was quite right4 ,i then asked if he would like to give the name of a brother1 and he replied ',norman1' which ,i thought was quite wrong4 ,i did not even allow him to finish the last letter4 ,i said he was confused1 and had better begin again2 after which he amended it to '99,nol1' which ,i accepted as correct4 ,but it will now be observed that the name ',norman' was the best he could possibly give1 as a kind of comprehensive nickname applicable to almost any brother4 ,and a nickname was an appropriate kind of response1 because we had already had the nickname ',pat1' ,furthermore1 on subsequent occasions he explained that it was the name by which he had called ,lionel2 and1 through ,mrs4 ,kennedy--if she did not make a mistake--that it was a name he had called ,alec by4 ,it is quite possible1 however1 that he had intended to say ',lionel' on that occasion1 and that she got it wrong4 ,i am not sure how that may be4 ,again1 at a later stage1 in a family sitting--no medium present--one of the boys said1 ,pat1 do you remember ',norman'8 at which with some excitement1 the girls only touching the table1 he spelt out ',,hockey'2 thus completing the whole incident4 ,the most evidential portions1 however1 are those obtained when nobody present understood what was being said--namely1 first1 the spelling of the name ',norman' when those present thought that it was all a mistake after the first two letters2 and secondly1 the explanation to ,mrs4 ,kennedy that it was a name by which he had called one of his brothers1 showing that it was originally given by no accident1 but with intention4 ,as to the name ',pat' 7p4 #adj71 ,i extract the following from a diary of ,nol1 as evidence that it was very much ,raymond's nickname2 but of course we knew it3-- #aiad ,sept4 #i4 ,pat goes to ,l'pool re ,commission4 #aj4 ,pat gets commission in #crd ,south ,lanc's4 #ad4 ,pat collecting kit4 ,we inspect revolvers4 #ah4 ,pat comes up to ,harborne for some rifle practice4 ,does not find it too easy4 #ai4 ,i become member of ,harborne ,rifle ,club4 #bj4 ,pat shoots again4 ,sept4 #bc4 ,pat leaves for ,l'pool to start his training at ,great ,crosby4 ,i give up commission-idea for the present4 ,oct4 #ag4 ,pat comes home to welcome ,parents back from ,australia4 #bj4 ,pat returns to ,l'pool4 ,note on the name ',mitchell' 7added later7 ,it can be remembered that1 when asked on #bh ,september for the name of an officer1 ,raymond spelt out ,,mitchell1 and indicated decisively that the word ,,aeroplane was connected with him2 he also assented to the idea that he was one whom the family didn't know1 and that so it would be better as evidence 7pp4 #ada1 #adb74 ,after several failures at identification ,i learnt1 on #aj ,october1 through the kind offices of the ,librarian of the ,london ,library1 that he had ascertained from the ,war ,office that there was a #bnd ,lieut4 ,e4 ,h4 ,mitchell now attached to the ,royal ,flying ,corps4 ,accordingly1 ,i wrote to the ,record ,office1 ,farnborough2 and ultimately1 on #f ,november1 received a post card from ,captain ,mitchell1 to whom ,i must apologise for the1 ,i hope1 quite harmless use of his name3-- ,many thanks for your kind letter4 ,i believe ,i have met your son1 though where ,i forget4 ,my wounds are quite healed1 and ,i am posted to ,home ,establishment for a bit1 with rank of ,captain4 ,your letter only got here 7,dover7 from ,france this morning1 so please excuse delay in answering4 ,e4 ,h4 ,,mitchell4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in concluding this chapter1 ,i may quote a little bit of non-evidential but characteristic writing from ',paul4' ,it was received on #cj ,september #aiae by ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 when alone1 and her record runs thus3-- 7,after writing of other things1 ,i not having asked anything about ,raymond47 ,i think it hardly possible for you to believe how quickly ,raymond learns2 he seems to believe all that we have to fight to teach the others4 ,poor chaps1 you see no one has told them before they come over1 and it is so hard for them when they see us and they feel alive1 and their people keep on sobbing4 ,the business for you and me gets harder and harder as the days go on1 mother2 it needs thousand at this work1 and you are so small4 ,i feel that ,god helps us1 but ,i want ,him to find others1 darling2 there is no time to waste either in your place or mine1 but ,i know you are trying ever so hard4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,attempts ,,at ,,stricter ,,evidence ,in a ,table ,sitting it is manifest that the hypothesis of unconscious muscular guidance must be pressed to extremes1 as a normal explanation1 when the communications are within the knowledge of any of the people sitting at the table4 ,many of the answers obtained were quite outside the knowledge of the medium or of ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 but many were inevitably known to us2 and in so far as they were within our knowledge it might be supposed1 even by ourselves1 that we partially controlled the tilting1 though of course we were careful to try not to do so4 ,and besides1 the things that came1 or the form in which they came1 were often quite unexpected1 and could not consciously have been controlled by us4 ,moreover1 when the sentence spelt out was a long one1 we lost our way in it and could not tell whether it was sense or nonsense2 for the words ran into each other4 ,the note-taker1 who puts each letter down as it is called out to him by the sitters at the table1 has no difficulty in reading a message1 although1 with the words all run together1 it hardly looks intelligible at first sight1 even when written4 ,for instance3-- ,,belessworriedalecpleaseoldchap1 which was one message1 or3-- ,,gatheredinmediumandthatgoesintotablean dwemanipulate1 which was part of another4 ,neither could be readily followed if called out slowly letter by letter4 ,still1 the family were naturally and properly sceptical about it all4 ,accordingly1 my sons devised certain questions in the nature of tests1 referring to trivial matters which they thought would be within ,raymond's recollection1 but which had happened to them alone during summer excursions or the like1 and so were quite outside my knowledge4 ,they gave me a few written questions1 devised in conclave in their own room2 and on #ab ,october ,i took them to ,london with me in a sealed envelope1 which ,i opened in the train when going up for a sitting2 and after the sitting had begun ,i took an early opportunity of putting the questions it contained4 ,we had already had 7on #bh ,september1 reported in last chapter7 one incident of a kind unknown to us1 in the name ',norman1' but they wanted more of the same or of a still more marked kind4 ,i think it will be well to copy the actual contemporary record of this part of the sitting in full3-- ,second ,table ,sitting of ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 and ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 #ab ,october #aiae1 #e4cj p4 m4 ,present4--,o4 ,j4 ,l41 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l41 ,k4 ,k41 ,,with ,,dr4 ,,kennedy ,,as ,,recorder ,at the beginning of the sitting ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 explained that they were now engaged in trying to get distinct and crucial evidence2 that preparations had been made accordingly2 and that no doubt those on the other side approved1 and would co-operate4 ,a pause of three and a half minutes then ensued1 and the table gave a slow tilt4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is ,paul there8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,have you brought ,raymond8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,are you there1 ,raymond8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 7after ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 had greeted him74--,well now1 look here1 my boy1 ,i have got a few questions which your brothers think you will know something about1 whereas to me they are quite meaningless4 ,their object is to make quite sure that we don't unconsciously help in getting the answers because we know them4 ,in this case that is impossible1 because nobody here knows the answers at all4 ,do you understand the object8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,very well then1 shall ,i begin8 ,,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,oh6 ,you want to say something yourself first8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,very well then1 the alphabet4 ,,telltheminowtrytoproveihavemessagestot heworld4 ,taking these long messages down is rather tedious1 and it is noteworthy that the sitters lose their way sooner or later--,i had no idea what was coming or whether it was sense--but of course when it is complete the recorder can easily interpret1 and does so4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is that the end of what you want to say yourself8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well then1 now ,i will give you one of the boys' questions1 but ,i had better explain that you may not in every case understand the reference yourself4 ,we can hardly expect you to answer all of them1 and if you don't do one1 ,i will pass on to another4 ,but don't hurry1 and we will take down whatever you choose to say on each of them4 ,the first question is3-- ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,do you remember anything about the ,argonauts8 7,silence for a short time47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--',argonauts' is the word4 ,does it mean anything to you8 ,take your time4 ,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 would you like to say what you remember8 ,,yes4 ,then1 by repeating the alphabet1 was spelt3-- ,,telegram4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is that the end of that answer8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 now ,i will go on to the second question then4 ,what do you recollect about ,dartmoor8 ,the time for thought was now much briefer1 and the table began to spell pretty soon3-- ,,coming ,,down4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is that all8 ,,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,very well then1 continue4 ,,hill ,,ferry4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is that the end of the answer8 ,,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,very well then1 now ,i will go on to the third question1 which appears to be a bit complicated4 ,what do the following suggest to you3-- ,evinrude ,o4 ,b4 ,p4 ,kaiser's sister4 7,no good answers were obtained to these questions3 they seemed to awaken no reminiscence4 ,asked the name of the man to whom ,raymond had given his dog1 the table spelt out ,,stallard quite correctly4 ,but this was within our knowledge47 7,end of extract from record47 ,,note ,,on ,,the ,,reminiscences ,,awakened ,,by ,,the ,,words ',,argonauts' ,,and ',,dartmoor' ,on reporting to my sons the answers given about ',argonauts' and ',dartmoor' they were not at all satisfied4 ,i found1 however1 from the rest of the family that the word ,,telegram had a meaning in connexion with ',argonauts'--a meaning quite unknown to me or to my wife--but it was not the meaning that his brothers had expected4 ,it seems that in a previous year1 while his mother and ,i were away from home1 the boys travelled by motor to somewhere in ,devonshire1 and 7as they think7 at ,taunton ,raymond had gone into a post office1 sent a telegram home to say that they were all right1 and had signed it ',argonauts4' ,the girls at home remembered the telegram quite well2 the other boys did not specially remember it4 ,the kind of reference they had wanted1 ,raymond gave ultimately though meagrely1 but only after so much time had elapsed that the test had lost its value1 and only after ,i had been told to switch him on to ,tent ,lodge1 ,coniston1 as a clue4 ,now that ,i know the answer ,i do not think the question was a particularly good one2 and the word 'telegram1' which they had not expected and did not want1 seems to me quite as good an incident as the one which1 without a clue1 they had expected him to recall in connexion with ',argonauts4' ,besides1 ,i happened myself to know about an ,iceland trip in ,mr4 ,alfred ,holt's yacht ',argo' and its poetic description by ,mr4 ,mitchell ,banks and ,dr4 ,caton in a book in the drawing-room at ,tent ,lodge1 ,coniston 7though the boys were not aware of my knowledge71 but it never struck me that this was the thing wanted2 and if it had come1 the test would have been of inferior quality4 ,concerning the answer to ',dartmoor1' his brothers said that ,,coming ,,down ,,hill was correct but incomplete2 and that they didn't remember any ,,ferry4 ,i therefore on another occasion1 namely1 on #bb ,october1 during a sitting with ,feda 7that is to say1 not a table sitting1 but one in which ,mrs4 ,leonard's control ,feda was speaking and reporting messages71 said--still knowing nothing about the matter beyond what ,i had obtained in the table sitting--,raymond1 do you remember about ',dartmoor' and the hill8 ,the answer is recorded as follows1 together with the explanatory note added soon afterwards--though the record is no doubt a little abbreviated1 as there was some dramatic representation by ,feda of sudden swerves and holding on3-- ,from ,sitting of ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 and ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 on #bb ,october #aiae4 ',feda' speaking ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,raymond1 do you remember about ,dartmoor and the hill8 ,yes1 he said something about that4 ,he says it was exciting4 ,what is that he says8 ,brake--something about a brake--putting the brake on4 ,then he says1 sudden curve--a curve--he gives ,feda a jerk like going round a quick curve4 ,i thought at the time that this was only padding1 but subsequently learnt from ,alec that it was right4 ,it was on a very long night-journey on their motor1 when the silencer had broken down by bursting1 at the bottom of an exceptionally steep hill1 and there was an unnerving noise4 ,the one who was driving went down other steep hills at a great pace1 with sudden applications of the brake and sudden quick curves1 so that those at the back felt it dangerous1 and ultimately had to stop him and insist on going slower4 ,raymond was in front with the one who was driving4 ,the sensations of those at the back of the car were strongly connected with the brake and with curves2 but they had mainly expected a reference from ,raymond to the noise from the broken silencer1 which they ultimately repaired during the same night with tools obtained at the first town they stopped at4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,did he say anything about a ferry8 ,no1 he doesn't remember that he did4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 ,i got it down4 ,there is one3 all the same there is one4 ,but he didn't mean to say anything about it4 ,he says it was a stray thought that he didn't mean to give through the table4 ,he has found one or two things come in like that4 ,it was only a stray thought4 ,you have got what you wanted1 he says4 ',hill1' he meant to give1 but not 'ferry4' ,they have nothing to do with each other4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on a later occasion ,i took an opportunity of catechising him further about this word ,,ferry1 since none of the family remembered a ferry1 or could attach any significance to the word4 ,he still insisted that his mention of a ferry in connexion with a motor trip was not wrong1 only he admitted that some people wouldn't call it a ferry4 ,i waited to see if any further light would come2 and now1 long afterwards1 on #ah ,august #aiaf ,i receive from ,alec a note referring to a recent trip1 this month1 which says3-- ,by the way1 on the run to ,langland ,bay 7which is the motor run we all did the year before the run to ,newquay7 we pass through ,briton ,ferry2 and there is precious little ferry about it4 ,so even this semi-accidental reminiscence seems to be turning out not altogether unmeaning2 though probably it ought not to have come in answer to ',dartmoor4' 7,see more about ,dartmoor on p4 #baa47 ,,general ,,remarks ,,on ,,this ,,type ,,of ,,question ,it will be realised1 ,i think1 that a single word1 apart from the context1 thus thrown at a person who may be in a totally different mood at the time1 is exceedingly difficult2 and on the whole ,i think he must be credited with some success1 though not with as much as had been hoped for4 ,if his brothers had been present1 or had had any interview with him in the meantime1 it would have spoilt the test1 considered strictly2 nevertheless1 it might have made the obtaining of the answers they wanted much more feasible1 inasmuch as in their presence he would have been in their atmosphere and be more likely to remember their sort of surroundings4 ,up to this date they had not had any sitting with a medium at all4 ,in presence of his mother and myself1 and under all the circumstances1 and what he felt to be the gravity of some of his recent experiences1 it is not to me surprising that the answers were only partially satisfactory2 though1 indeed1 to me they seem rather good4 ,anyhow1 they had the effect of stimulating his brothers to arrange some sittings with a table at home on their own account4 ,,chapter ,x ,,record ,,continued ,i might make many more extracts from this sitting of #bb ,october1 of which a short extract has just been quoted1 because1 though not specially evidential1 they have instructive and so to speak common-sense features1 but it is impossible to include everything4 ,i will therefore omit most of it1 but quote a little1 not because it is evidential1 but because what is said may be instructive to inquirers4 ,,from ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,and ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,sitting ,,with ,,mrs4 ,,leonard1 #bb ,,october #aiae ,he wants to gather evidence and give something clearly4 ,he seems to think that his brother had been coming here 7looking about74 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,your brother will come to see you to-morrow4 ,he was not coming to ,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,where is he8 ,he got the impression that he had either been here or should be here now2 he has got the thought of him4 ,he has been trying to get into touch with him himself2 he has been trying to speak to him4 ,seems to have something to do with ,mrs4 ,kathie1#ai and he has tried to write to him4 ,the trouble is1 that he can't always see distinctly4 ,he feels in the air1 but can't see always distinctly4 7,to ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l47 ,when you are sitting at the table he sees you1 and can see what you have got on4 ,when he tries to come to you1 he can only sense you2 but at the table he can see you4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,has he seen his brothers at a table8 ,no1 not at the table4 ,he sensed them1 and he thought they were trying to speak to him2 but didn't feel as if he was going to get near4 ,it has something to do with a medium4 ,medium4 ,meaning that they were trying to do without a medium4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,when did he see me8 ,when a medium is present he sees you quite distinctly4 ,he saw you1 not here1 but at another place4 ,oh1 it was in ,london1 another place in ,london1 some time ago4 ,he was surprised to see you1 and wondered how he could4 ,presumably the occasion intended was when ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 who herself has power1 was present as well as ,peters4 ,he can only think the things he wants to say4#bj ,then reverting to his brothers' attempts at ,mariemont4 ,tell them to go on4 ,i shall never get tired4 ,never6 ,tell them to have patience4 ,it is more interesting to me than to them4 ,he does not seem sure if he got anything through4 ,it is so peculiar4 ,even here1 he is not always quite certain that he has said what he wanted to say1 except sometimes when it is clear and you jump at it4 ,sometimes then he feels1 ,i've got that home1 anyway6 ,he has got to feel his way4 ,they must go easy with him--not ask too much all at once4 ,if they have plenty of patience1 in a while he will be able to come and talk as if he were there4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,do you mean with the voice8 ,no1 with the table4 ,more important than talking is to get things through with his own people1 and to give absolute evidence4 ,he doesn't want them to bother him with test questions till he feels at home4 ,it doesn't matter here1 where there is a medium1 but the conditions there are not yet good4 ,tell them to take for granted that it is he1 and later on he will be able to talk to them and say all he wishes to say4 ,the boys are so eager to get tests4 ,when grandpapa comes1 it is to relieve him a little1 while he is not there4 ,he doesn't himself want to speak4 ,twice a week1 he says4 ,he is bringing a girl with him now--a young girl1 growing up in the spirit world4 ,she belongs to ,raymond3 long golden hair1 pretty tall1 slight1 brings a lily in her hand4 ,there is another spirit too who passed out very young--a boy2 you wouldn't know him as he is now2 he looks about the same age as ,raymond1 but very spiritual in appearance2 he brings a ,w with him2 he doesn't know much of the earth plane1 nor the lily either2 he passed over too young4 ,they are both with ,raymond now4 ,they look spiritual and young4 ,spirit people look young if they passed on young4 ,raymond is in the middle between them4 ,he says this is not very scientific4 ,all this is appropriate to a deceased brother and sister2 the brother older1 the sister younger4 ,raymond really is happy now4 ,he doesn't say this to make you feel satisfied4 ,he is really happy now4 ,he says this is most interesting1 and is going to be fifty times more interesting than on the earth plane4 ,there is such a big field to work in4 ,father and he are going to do such a lot together4 ,he says1 ,i am going to help for all ,i am worth4 7,to ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l47 ,if you are happy1 ,i will be happier too4 ,you used to sigh2 it had an awful effect on him1 but he is getting lighter with you4 ,father has been wonderful4 ,he is often with ,paulie1 and has been to see ,mrs4 ,kathie too4 ,meaning ,mrs4 ,katherine ,kennedy4 ,feda1 of course1 is speaking throughout4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,which way does he find the easiest to come8 ,he is able to get to you by impression1 and not only by writing4 ,he thinks he can make you hear4 ,he is trying to make you clair-audient4 ,let there be no misapprehension about that4 ,he does it in order to help himself4 ,he hopes to get something through4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,you might send the same thing through different channels4 ,yes1 he says4 ,he need not say much1 but is going to think it out4 ,he can get ,mrs4 ,k4 to write it out1 and then get it through the table with them4 ,he thinks he will be able to do a lot with you1 ,mrs4 ,kathie4 ,you know that ,paulie's here8 7,k4 ,k4 spoke to ,paul for a short time47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,do you think it had better be tried on the same evening1 or on different evenings8 ,try it on the same evening at first1 and see what success is got2 if only one word came through the same1 he would be very pleased4 ,he might get one word first1 then two1 then two or three4 ,tell them to reserve a little time for just that1 and give him some time specially for it1 not mix it up with other things in the sittings4 ,k4 ,k4--,shall ,i ask him to write some word8 ,he will think of some word--no matter if it is meaningless4 ,what you have to do is1 not to doubt1 but take it down4 ,one word might be much more valuable than a long oration4 ,one word would do1 no matter how silly it sounded2 even if it is only a jumble1 so long as it is the same jumble4 ,he is jumping now4 ,meaning1 he is pleased with the idea4 ,he says he finds it difficult owing to the medium4 ,he is not able to get through all he wants to say1 but on the whole thinks he got it pretty straight to-night4 ,the quickness with which the communicator jumped at the idea of a cross-correspondence was notable1 because ,i do not think he had known anything about them4 ,it sounded rather like the result of rapid ,myersian instruction4 ,i rather doubt if cross-correspondences of this kind can be got through ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 though she knows we are going to try for them4 ,the boys are quite willing to take down any jumble1 but she herself likes to understand what she gets1 and automatically rejects gibberish4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on #ac ,october1 through the kind arrangement of ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 we had an anonymous sitting with a medium new to us1 a ,mrs4 ,brittain1 of ,hanley1 ,staffordshire1 in ,mrs4 ,kennedy's house4 ,it was not very successful--the medium seemed tired and worried--but there were a few evidential points obtained1 though little or nothing about the boy2 in the waking stage1 however1 she said that some one was calling the name ',raymond4' ,at an interview next day with ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 ,mrs4 ,brittain said that a boy named ',pat' had come with ,paul to see her on the evening after the sitting 7see p4 #adh for the significance of ',pat'72 and she described it in writing to ,mrs4 ,kennedy thus3-- #ad ,october #aiae ,i was just resting1 thinking over the events of the day1 and worrying just a little about my ordeal of next ,monday1 when ,i became conscious of the presence of such a dear soldier boy4 ,he said1 ',i am ,pat1 and oh1 ,i did want to speak to my mother4' ,then ,i saw with him your dear boy ,paul2 he asked me to tell you about ,pat1 and to give the message to his father that he would get proof without seeking it4 ,footnote #ai3 ,mrs4 ,kennedy's name is ,katherine1 and ,feda usually speaks of her as ,mrs4 ,kathie4 ,footnote #bj3 ,this corresponds with an early statement made by ,myers through ,mrs4 ,thompson4 ,see ,proceedings1 ,s4,p4,r41 vol4 xxiii4 p4 #bba4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,first ,,sitting ,,of ,,alec 7,a4 ,m4 ,l47 ,introduction by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,a word may be necessary about the attitude of ,raymond's family to the whole subject4 ,it may be thought that my own known interest in the subject was naturally shared by the family1 but that is not so4 ,so far as ,i can judge1 it had rather the opposite effect2 and not until they had received unmistakable proof1 devised largely by themselves1 was this healthy scepticism ultimately broken down4 ,my wife had had experience with ,mrs4 ,piper in #ahhi1 though she continued very sceptical till #aijf or thereabouts1 when she had some extraordinarily good evidence4 ,but none of this experience was shared by the family1 who read neither my nor anyone else's books on the subject1 and had no first-hand evidence4 ,for the most part they regarded it without interest and with practical scepticism4 ,if in saying this ,i convey the impression of anything like friction or disappointment1 the impression is totally false4 ,life was full of interest of many kinds1 and1 until ,raymond's death1 there was no need for them to think twice about survival or the possibility of communication4 ,the first sitting held by any of his brothers1 apart from private amateur attempts at home1--the first sitting1 ,i may say1 held by any of them with any medium1--took place on #bc ,october1 when ,alec had a sitting with ,peters2 his mother also was present1 but no names were given4 ,alec's record of this sitting1 together with his preliminary ,note1 ,i propose to quote practically in full4 ,alec and his mother went in the morning to ,mrs4 ,kennedy's house1 where the sitting was to take place4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 stopped on the way to buy a bunch of violets1 which she put on ,peters' table4 ,when he arrived and saw them1 he was very pleased2 ejaculated my flower1 and said that he could not have had anything that gave him more pleasure4 ,i may here remark1 incidentally1 that ,peters is a man who takes his mediumship seriously1 and tries to regulate his life so as to get good conditions4 ,thus1 he goes into the country at intervals1 and stops all work for a time to recuperate4 ,he lives1 in fact1 at ,westgate-on-,sea1 and only has a room in ,london4 ,he seems to lead a simple life altogether1 and his control spoke of his having been prepared since six o'clock that morning for this sitting4 ,alec went up prepared to take notes1 and after the sitting wrote the following preliminary account3-- ,a4 ,m4 ,l4's ,remarks on the ,sitting ,mother and ,i arrived at ,mrs4 ,kennedy's house at five minutes to eleven4 ,we saw ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 who asked us if we would like her to be present4 ,we said yes4 ,then she told us that ,peters had come1 and that she would ask him4 ,peters wanted her to be present4 ,mrs4 ,kennedy brought ,peters up2 he shook hands1 without any introduction4 ,we had all gone up to ,mrs4 ,kennedy's private room1 where ,peters likes the sittings to take place4 ,we four sat round a table about four feet in diameter4 ,a4 and ,m4 with backs to one or other of the two windows1 ,k4 and ,p4 more or less facing them4 ,a4 was opposite ,p42 ,m4 was opposite ,k4 ,there was plenty of light1 but the room was partly shaded by pulling down blinds4 ,they talked about street noises at first4 ,p4 held ,k4's and ,m4's hands for a time4 ,k4 and ,m4 talked together a little4 ,p4 now moved about a little and rubbed his face and eyes4 ,suddenly he jerked himself up and began talking in broken ,english4 ,during the trance his eyes were apparently closed all the time2 and when speaking to anyone he 'looked' at them with his eyelids screwed up4 ,sometimes a change of control occurred4 ,while that was taking place1 he sat quiet1 and usually held ,k4's and ,m4's hands until another sudden jerk occurred1 when he let go and started talking4 ,the sitting was rather disjointed1 and most of it apparently not of much importance1 but for a few minutes in the middle it was very impressive4 ,it then felt to me exactly as if my hand was being held in both ,raymond's1 and as if ,raymond himself was speaking in his own voice4 ,my right hand was being held1 but even if ,i had had it free ,i could not possibly have taken notes under the circumstances4 7,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 adds that neither could she nor anyone1 while that part of the sitting was going on47 ,peters spoke often very quickly1 and sometimes indistinctly1 so that the notes are rather incomplete4 7,to this ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 adds that it was ,alec's first experience of a sitting1 and that1 even with experience1 it is difficult to take anything like full notes47 ,report of ,peters ,sitting in ,mrs4 ,kennedy's ,room1 at #aa a4m4 on ,saturday1 #bc ,october #aiae 7,revised by the ,sitters7 ,present--,,mrs4 ,,kennedy 7,k4 ,k471 ,,lady ,,lodge 7,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l471 ,,alec ,m4 ,,lodge1 and the ,medium--,,vout ,,peters ,,report ,,by ,a4 ,m4 ,l4 ,in a short time ,peters went into trance1 and ',moonstone' was understood to be taking control4 ,he first made some general remarks3-- ,good morning6 ,i generally say1 ,good evening1 don't ,i8 ,don't be afraid for ,medie2 he has been prepared since six o'clock this morning4 ,magnetism has to be stored up1 and therefore it is best to use the same room and the same furniture every time4 ,then he spoke to ,k4 ,k43-- ,will you call on little woman close to8 ,it will mean salvation to two people4 ,abbreviated4 7,k4 ,k4 understood47 ,then the medium took ,m4's hand4 ,somebody not easy to describe2 old lady2 not tall2 grey hair1 parted in centre2 grey eyes2 nose thin2 mouth fairly large and full4 ,this describes her as she was before she passed away4 ,had big influence on your early life4 ,good character2 loving1 but perhaps lived in narrow outlook2 not only a mother to her own belongings1 but she mothered every man1 woman1 or child she came into contact with4 ,she is here this morning and has been before4 ,is it not your ,mother8 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,if it is my ,mother1 it is a great pleasure to me4 ,she has been with you and comforted you through this trial4 ,she has been1 and will go on1 looking after the boy4 ,you must not think she is not just as much with you because she has no body4 ,she is just as much your mother4 ,she has a body1 though it is different4 7,pointing to ,a47 ,she is related to him4 ,she puts her hand on his shoulder4 ,she is very proud of what he is doing at the present time4 ,he has been a great help to you4 ,since the passing away of him who is loved by you both1 he has looked on spiritualism with much more respect1 because previously it has not touched his heart4 ,it is not only a thing of the head1 it is now a thing of the heart4 ,she suffered terribly before passing away4 ,she bore her suffering patiently4 ,she put her finger on her lips and says3 ,i am so proud of ,o46 7,medium puts one finger on middle of lips47 ,it has always been what ,i thought3 the triumph 787 has been a long time coming1 but it will come greater than had been anticipated4 ,there have been difficulties4 ,i am glad of success4 ,it will come greater than before4 ,the book that is to be will be written from the heart1 and not the head4 ,but the book will not be written now4 ,,not ,,now6 ,,not ,,now6 ,,not ,,now6 7loud74 ,written later on4 ,,the ,,book which is going to help many and convert many4 ,the work done already is big4 ,but what is coming is bigger4 7,interval47 7,paul1 sending a message to ,k4 ,k43--7 ,i have been drilling her to link up4 ,you don't know what it is4 ,it is like teaching people to transmit messages by the telegraph4 ,don't let the boy come1 let ,granny come4 7,the medium here imitated ,paul's manner of sitting down and pulling up the knees of his trousers47 ,she laughs at the idea of being drilled4 ,he says 7,paul still communicating73 ,you know1 little ,mother1 you wonder why ,i was taken2 but it is a great deal better like this4 ,thousands of people can be helped like this4 ,you are the link1 and the means of reaching thousands of mothers4 7,then ',moonstone' was understood to say3--7 ,returning to ,madam 7i4e4 the old lady again1 and medium turning to ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l471 she says3 ,i am so glad you not only told him what you did--this is not to you but some one away 7finger on lips71 somebody she will not give--and reached out as you did4 ,this is from ,madam4 ,she is going away4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,my love to her4 ,no1 no1 no1 she does not go away2 she stands back1 to let some one else come forward--like actors take turns at a theatre4 ,then an impersonation of my ,uncle ,jerry was represented1 with the statement1 ,your husband will know who he is2 but this part of the record is omitted as comparatively unimportant4 ,it was unintelligible to the sitter4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 7,then a new control came in1 which was by ,k4 ,k4 understood to be ',redfeather4' ,when he arrived1 the medium smacked his hands and spoke to ,k4 ,k43--7 ,i come dis little minute to try experiment4 ,if we succeed1 all right2 if we don't1 don't mind4 ,there will be some difficulties4 ,you know me8 7,to ,k4 ,k47 ,k4 ,k4--,yes4 ,it is ',redfeather4' ,glad to see you better4 ,you used to feel--a hand on your head4 ,it was a little girl4 ,it was your boy who brought her4 ,now ,i go4 ,just talk a little4 7,k4 ,k4 then thanked the speaker for his help47 ,who could help better than me8 444 long ago ,i was killed4 ,who could help better8 7,then there was an interval1 and evident change of control4 ,and speech very indistinct at first47 ,i want to come4 ,call ,mother to help me4 ,because you know4 ,you understand4 ,it wasn't so bad4 ,not so bad4 ,i knew you knew the possibility of communicating1 so when ,i went out as ,i did1 ,i was in a better condition than others on the other side4 ,we had often talked about this subject1 father understanding it as he did2 and now1 coming into touch with his strength1 makes it easy4 7,medium here reached out across the table to ,a4 and grasped his right hand1 so that the notes were temporarily interrupted4 ,the medium's arms were now both stretched out across the table1 with his head down on them1 and he held ,a4's hand in both his4 ,all this time he spoke with great emotion3 the medium was shaken with sobs2 his head and neck were suffused with blood2 the whole circumstances were strained1 and strongly emotional2 and the voice was extraordinarily like ,raymond's4 ,a41 too1 felt that his hands were being gripped in a grasp just like ,raymond's4 ,this was the central part of the sitting2 and for the time no notes could be taken1 even by ,mrs4 ,kennedy4 ,but after a bit the hand was released1 the strain rather lightened1 and notes continue which run thus3--7 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4 says1 ,in time the interval was brief1 but it was surcharged with emotion1 strongly felt by all present4 ,but no1 wait4 ,because they tell me4 ,i am not ashamed4 ,i am glad4 ,i tell you1 ,i would do it again4 ,i realise things differently to what one saw here4 ,and oh1 thank ,god1 ,i can speak6 ,but 444 ,the boys help me4 ,you don't know what he has done4 ,who could help8 ,but ,i must keep quiet1 ,i promised them to keep calm4 ,the time is so short4 ,tell father that ,i am happy4 ,that ,i am happy that he has not come4 ,if he had come here1 ,i couldn't have spoken4 ,i find it difficult to express what ,i want4 ,every time ,i come back it is easier4 ,the only thing that was hard was just before4 ,the #aeth1 do you understand8 ,and the #abth4 ,we do not clearly understand these dates4 ,but every time ,i come it is better4 ,grandmamma helped or ,i couldn't4 ,now ,i must go4 444 broken 444 ,but ,i have done it1 thank ,god6 7,then this special control ended2 while the medium murmured1 as to himself1 first the word ',john1' and then the word ',god4' ,then the strain was relieved by a new control1 understood to be ',biddy4'7 ,surely it's meself that has come to speak4 ,here's another mother4 ,i am helping the boy4 ,i said to him to come out4 7,to ,a4 ,m4 ,l47 ,just you go and do your work4 ,when the boy comes as he did1 it upsets the body4 ,i come to help to soothe the nerves of the medium4 ,it is a privilege to help4 ,i am an old ,irishwoman4 7,to ,k4 ,k47 ,you don't realise that the world is governed by chains1 and that you are one of the links4 ,i was a washerwoman and lived next a church1 and they say cleanliness comes next to godliness6 ,one of my chains is to help mothers4 ,well1 ,i am going4 ,but for comfort1--the boy is glad he is come4 7,to ,k4 ,k47 ,your husband is a fine man4 ,i love him4 ,his heart's as big as his body1 and it is not only medicine1 but love that he dispenses4 7,then an interval2 and another control--probably ',moonstone' again1 or else ,peters himself clairvoyantly3--7 ,we succeeded a little in our experiment4 ,now the boy is with4444 7,here the medium seized both ,alec's hands1 and ,k4 ,k4 continues the notes47 ,but they may be abbreviated here1 as they represent only ,peters's ordinary clairvoyance--probably4 ,you bring with you a tremendous force4 ,you don't always say what you think4 ,a quick way of making up your mind4 ,your intuitional force is very strong4 ,your mind is very evenly balanced1 and so on4444 ,the last three months1 things have altered4 ,it has stirred you to the depths of your innermost being4 ,you had no idea how strong the bond was between you and one who has been here to-day4 ,want to shield and take care of your mother4 ,you know her devotion to both you and the one gone over4444 ,the one gone over is a brother4 ,he wants to send a message4 7,some messages omitted47 ,you did not cry1 but heart crying inside4 ,help others4 ,you are doing it4 ,if you ever tried to do what he did1 you would physically break down4 ,all this is from him4 7,to ,mother7 ,so glad about the photograph4 ,something you have had done that is satisfactory4 ,this is good1 but it only occurred to me to-day1 #ca ,october4 ,it evidently relates to two photographs in a pocket case1 found on his body1 which ,raymond carried with him1 and which had been returned to the original by us4--,a4 ,m4 ,l4 ,wants to convey message to father1 but it is not about himself this time4 ,i get the initials ,f ,w ,m--not clear about all the letters--but ,f ,m wishes to be remembered4 ,he says3 ,i am still very active4 ,get into touch with ,crookes re the ,wireless4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 was at ,muirhead's works in ,kent on this subject1 at this moment4--,a4 ,m4 ,l4 ,still active1 still at work4 ,spoken like ,i see you are still active1 still at work4--,a4 ,m4 ,l4 ,then he gives me a curious thing1 and laughs4 ,one of the things ,i am most proud of is ,st4 ,paul4 ,this puzzled ,k4 ,k41 the note-taker4 7,to ,alec47 ,so glad you came1 boy6 ,what a lot you think6 7,medium came-to1 breathing and struggling4 ,said he had been under very deep--like coming-to after an ansthetic47 99 99 99 99 99 ,,note ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,lady ,lodge impressed me considerably with the genuine and deeply affecting character of the above episode of personal control4 ,it was evidently difficult to get over for the rest of the day4 ,i doubt if the bare record conveys much3 though it may to people of like experience4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,general ,,remarks ,,on ,,conversational ,,reports ,,and ,,on ,,cross-,,correspondences ,it may be asked why ,i report so much of what may be called ordinary conversation1 instead of abbreviating and concentrating on specific instances and definite statements of fact4 ,i reply3-- #a4 ,that a concentrated version is hard to read1 while a fuller version is really less tedious in spite of its greater length4 ,a record is always a poor substitute for actual experience2 and too much abbreviation might destroy whatever relic of human interest the records possess4 #b4 ,that abbreviation runs the risk of garbling and amending2 it is undesirable in reports of this kind to amend style at the expense of accuracy4 #c4 ,that the mannerisms and eccentricities of a 'control' 7or secondary personality7 are interesting1 and may be instructive2 at any rate they exhibit to a novice the kind of thing to be expected4 #d4 ,a number of inquiries want to know--and ,i think properly want to know--what a sitting is like1 what kind of subjects are talked about1 what the 'communicators'--i4e4 the hypothetical personalities who send messages through the 'control'--have to say about their own feelings and interests and state of existence generally4 ,hence1 however the record be interpreted1 it seems better to quote some specimens fully4 #e4 ,i am aware that some of the records may appear absurd4 ,especially absurd will appear the free-and-easy statements1 quoted later1 about the nature of things 'on the other side1'--the kind of assertions which are not only unevidential but unverifiable1 and which we usually either discourage or suppress4 ,i have stated elsewhere my own reasons for occasionally encouraging statements of this kind and quoting them as they stand4 7,see beginning of ,chapter ,,xvi47 ,and though ,i admit that to publish them is probably indiscreet1 ,i still think that the evidence1 such as it is1 ought to be presented as a whole4 #f4 ,the most evidential class of utterance1 what we call cross-correspondence1 is not overlooked2 and while every now and then it occurs naturally and spontaneously1 sometimes an effort is made to obtain it4 ,,note ,,about ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,cross-,,correspondence ,it will be convenient to explain that by the term ,cross-correspondence is meant the obtaining through two or more independent mediums1 at about the same time1 a message from a single communicator on any one definite subject4 ,it is usually impossible for the coincidence of time to be exact1 because both mediums may not be sitting at the same time4 ,but in some cases1 wherein coincidence of subject is well marked1 coincidence in time is of little moment2 always provided that the subject is really an out-of-the-way or far-fetched one1 and not one common to every ,english-speaking person1 like ,kitchener or ,roberts or ,jellicoe4 ,cross-correspondences are of various grades4 ,the simplest kind is when two mediums both use the same exceptional word1 or both refer to the same non-public event1 without any normal reason that can be assigned4 ,another variety is when1 say1 three mediums refer to one and the same idea in different terms1--employing1 for instance1 different languages1 like 'mors1' 'death1' and 'thanatos4' 7,see ,proc41 ,s4,p4,r41 xxii1 #bie-cjd47 ,another is when the idea is thoroughly masked and brought in only by some quotation--perhaps by a quotation the special significance of which is unknown to the medium who reproduces it1 and is only detected and interpreted by a subsequent investigator to whom all the records are submitted4 ,sometimes a quotation is maltreated1 evidently with intention1 by the communicator2 the important word to which attention is being directed being either omitted or changed4 ,a large number of examples of this more complex kind of cross-correspondence are reported at length in the ,proceedings of the ,society for ,psychical ,research2 see especially vol4 xxi4 p4 #cfi and xxii4 passim1 or a briefer statement in ,survival of ,man1 chap4 xxv4 ,some of these instances as expounded by ,mr4 ,piddington may seem extraordinarily complicated and purposely concealed4 ,that is admitted4 ,they are specially designed to eliminate the possibility of unintended and unconscious telepathy direct from one medium to another1 and to throw the investigator back on what is asserted to be the truth1 namely that the mind of one single communicator1 or the combined mind of a group of communicators1--all men of letters1--is sending carefully designed messages through different channels1 in order to prove primarily the reality of the operating intelligence1 and incidentally the genuineness of the mediums who are capable of receiving and transmitting fragments of messages so worded as to appear to each of them separately mere meaningless jargon2 though ultimately when all the messages are put together by a skilled person the meaning is luminous enough4 ,moreover1 we are assured that the puzzles and hidden allusions contained in these messages are not more difficult than literary scholars are accustomed to2 that1 indeed1 they are precisely of similar order4 ,this explanation is unnecessary for the simple cross-correspondences 7c4c47 sometimes obtained and reported here2 but the subject itself is an important one1 and is not always understood even by investigators1 so ,i take this opportunity of referring to it in order to direct the attention of those who need stricter evidence to more profitable records4 ,,general ,,note ,returning to the kind of family records here given1 in which evidence is sporadic rather than systematic though none the less effective1 one of the minor points1 which yet is of interest1 is the appropriate way in which different youths greet their relatives4 ,thus1 while ,paul calls his father ',daddy' and his mother by pet names1 as he used to2 and while ,raymond calls us simply ',father' and ',mother1' as he used to2 another youth named ,ralph--an athlete who had fallen after splendid service in the war--greeted his father1 when at length that gentleman was induced to attend a sitting1 with the extraordinary salutation ,ullo ',erb61 spelt out as one word through the table2 though1 to the astonishment of the medium1 it was admitted to be consistent and evidential4 ,the ease and freedom with which this ,ralph managed to communicate are astonishing1 and ,i am tempted to add as an appendix some records which his family have kindly allowed me to see1 but ,i refrain1 as they have nothing to do with ,raymond4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,an ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,sitting ,,with ,,peters ,on the #bith of ,october ,i had a sitting with ,peters alone1 unknown to the family1 who ,i felt sure were still sceptical concerning the whole subject4 ,it was arranged for1 as an anonymous sitting1 by my friend ,mr4 ,j4 ,arthur ,hill of ,bradford4 ,the things said were remarkable1 and distinctly pointed to clairvoyance4 ,i am doubtful about reporting more than a few lines1 however4 ,there was a great deal that might be taken as encouraging and stimulating1 intermixed with the more evidential portions4 ,a small part of this sitting is already reported in ,chapter ,,iii1 and might now be read by anyone interested in the historical sequence4 ,a few unimportant opening lines ,i think it necessary to report1 because of their connexion with another sitting3-- ,anonymous ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,sitting with ,a4 ,vout ,peters at #ae ,devereux ,court1 ,fleet ,street1 on ,friday1 #bi ,october #aiae1 from #aj4cj to #aa4de a4m4 7,sitter only spoken of as a friend of ,mr4 ,hill7#ba ,,peters4--,before we begin1 ,i must say something3 ,i feel that ,i have a certain fear of you1 ,i don't know what it is1 but you affect me in a most curious way4 ,i must tell you the honest truth before ,i am controlled4444 ,whatever this may mean it corresponds with what was said at the previous ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,sitting1 p4 #acb1 though ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 had sat as a friend of ,mrs4 ,kennedy in her house1 and ,i sat as a friend of ,mr4 ,hill in ,peters's room1 and no sort of connexion was indicated between us4 7,soon afterwards the medium twitched1 snapped his fingers1 and began to speak as ',moonstone'3--7 ,i come to speak to you1 but ,i must get my ,medie deep2 we get superficial control first1 and then go deeper and deeper2 with your strong personality you frighten him a little2 ,i find a little fear in the medium4444 ,you bring with you a tremendous amount of work and business1 etc4 ,now ,i get a new influence3 an old lady1 medium height1 rounded face2 light eyes2 grey hair2 small nose2 lips somewhat thin1 or held together as suppressed2 a lady with very strong will2 tremendously forcible she is4 ,she passed away after leading a very active life4444 ,she's a very good woman4 ,it is not the first time she has come back4 ,she tells me to tell you that they are all here4 ,,all4 ,because they are trying to reach out to you their love and sympathy at the present occasion1 and they are thanking you both for the opportunity of getting back to you4 ,we are trying all we can also to bring him back to you1 to let you realise that your faith1 which you have held as a theory--it is curious1 but she wants me to say her message word for word--as a theory for years1 shall be justified4 ,then she rejoices 444 7and refers to religious matters1 etc474 ,this clearly suggested the relative whose first utterance of this kind is reported so long ago as #ahhi in ,proc41 ,s4,p4,r41 vol4 vi4 p4 #dfh #dgj4 ,now she brings up a young man from the back4 ,i must explain what we mean by 'the back' some time4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,but ,i understand4 ,he is of medium height2 somewhat light eyes2 the face browned somewhat2 fairly long nose2 the lips a little full2 nice teeth4 ,he is standing pretty quiet4 ,look here1 ,i know this man6 ,and it is not the first time he has been to us4 ,now he smiles1 'cos ,i recsonise him so pronounced1 but he comes back very1 very strongly4 ,he tells me that he is pushing the door open wider4 ,now he wants me to give you a message4 ,he is going to try to come down with you2 because it looks to me as though you are travelling to-day4 ,down1 he says4 ,i come down with you4 ,we will try 7he says 'we1' not ',i'71 we will try to bring our united power to prove to you that ,i am here2 ,i and the other young man who helped me1 and who will help me4 ,the association of ,raymond with 'another young man1' and his intention to come 'down' with me when ,i travelled back home on the same day to meet ,mrs4 ,kennedy there1 are entirely appropriate4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,look here1 it is your boy6 ,because he calls you ',father'2 not ',pa1' nor anything1 but ',father4' ,true4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 my son4 ,wait a minute2 now he wants to tell me one thing3 ,i am so glad that you took such a common-sense view of the subject1 and that you didn't force it on mother4 ,but you spoke of it as an actuality4 ,she treated it like she treats all your things that she couldn't understand2 giving you1 as she always has done1 the credit of being more clever than herself4 ,but when ,i came over as ,i did1 and in her despair1 she came to you for help2 but she wanted to get away from anything that you should influence4 ,unfortunately1 some one knocked at the door--a servant probably1 wanted to come in and clear the room4 ,the medium jerked and said1 ,tell them to go away4 ,i called out1 ,can't come in now1 private1 engaged4 ,some talking continued outside for a little time--very likely it was some one wanting an interview with ,peters4 ,after a time the disturbance ceased4 ,it was not very loud2 the medium ignored it1 except for the rather loud and strong knock1 which certainly perturbed him4 ,tell me where ,i was4 7,i repeated3 ,she wanted to get away from anything that you should influence47 ,oh yes4 ,he wants to say that you were quite right in staying away and letting her work altogether by herself4 ,she was able to do better than if you had been there4 ,you would have spoilt it4 ,your common-sense method of approaching the subject in the family has been the means of helping him to come back as he has been able to do2 and had he not known what you had told him1 then it would have been far more difficult for him to come back4 ,he is very deliberate in what he says4 ,he is a young man that knows what he is saying4 ,do you know ,f4 ,w4 ,m48 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 ,i do4 ,the next portion1 relating to ,myers1 has been already reported in ,chapter ,,iii2 and the concluding portion1 which is rather puzzling1 shall be suppressed1 as it relates to other people4 ,towards the end ',moonstone' began talking about himself1 which he does in an interesting manner1 and ,i shall perhaps give him an opportunity of saying more about the assumption of 'control' from his point of view4 ,meanwhile ,i quote this further extract3-- ,,moonstone',s' ,,account ,,of ,,himself ,have you been suffering inside8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no1 not that ,i know of4 ,your heart's been bleeding4 ,you never thought you could love so deep4 ,there must be more or less suffering4 ,even though you are crucified1 you will arise the stronger1 bigger1 better man4 ,but out of this suffering and crucifixion1 oh1 how you are going to help humanity6 ,this is a big work4 ,it has been prophesied4 ,it is through the sufferings of humanity that humanity is reached4 ,it must be through pain4 ,let me tell you something about myself4 ,i was ,yogi--do you understand8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes2 a kind of hermit4 ,i lived a selfish life3 a good life1 but a selfish one1 though ,i didn't know it then4 ,i isolated myself and did not mix with people1 not even with family life4 ,when ,i go over1 ,i find it was a negative goodness1 so then ,i wanted to help humanity1 because ,i hadn't helped it4 ,i had not taken on the sufferings even of a family man4 ,it was useless4 ,and so that is why ,i came back to my ,medie1 and try to bear through him the sorrows of the world4 ,it is through suffering that humanity is helped4 ,that is one great thing in your beautiful religion2 you know what ,i mean--the sacrifice of ,jesus4 ,he demonstrated eternity1 but to do it ,he must be sacrificed and taste death4 ,so all who teach the high 444 must tread the same path2 there's no escaping the crucifixion1 it comes in one way or another4 ,and you must remember1 back in the past1 when the good things came to you1 how you began to realise 787 that there was a spirit world and a possibility of coming back4 ,though you speak cautiously1 yet possibly in your prayers to ,god you say1 ,let me suffer1 let me know my cross1 so that ,i can benefit humanity2 and when you make a compact with the unseen world1 it is kept4 ,you have told no one this1 but it belongs to you and to your son4 ,out of it will come much joy1 much happiness to others4 ,mr4 ,stead was1 ,i understand1 a friend to ,peters1 and how much of the above is tinged by ,mr4 ,stead's influence1 ,i cannot say3 but immediately afterwards his name was mentioned1 in the following way3-- ,flashing down the line comes a message from ,mr4 ,stead4 ,i can't help it1 ,i must give it4 ,he says3 ,we did not see eye to eye2 you thought ,i was too impetuous and too rash1 but our conclusions are about the same now4 ,we are pretty well on the level1 and ,i have realised1 even through mistakes1 that ,i have reached and influenced a world that is suffering and sorrowing4 ,but you have a world bigger and wider than mine1 and your message will be bigger and will reach farther4 ,,summary ,as far as evidence is concerned1 ,peters has done well at each of the three sittings any member of my family has had with him since ,raymond's death4 ,on the whole1 ,i think he has done as well as any medium2 especially as the abstention from supplying him normally with any identifying information has been strict4 ,it is true that ,i have not1 through ,peters1 asked test questions of which the answers were unknown to me1 as ,i did at one sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard 7,chapter ,,ix74 ,but the answers there given1 though fairly good1 and in my view beyond chance1 were not perfect4 ,under the circumstances ,i think they could hardly have been expected to be perfect4 ,it was little more than a month since the death1 and new experiences and serious surroundings must have been crowding in upon the youth1 so that old semi-frivolous reminiscences were difficult to recall4 ,there was1 however1 with ,peters no single incident so striking as the name ',norman1' to me unknown and meaningless1 which was given in perfectly appropriate connexion through the table at ,mrs4 ,leonard's4 ,footnote #ba3 ,whether it be assumed that ,i was known or not1 does not much matter2 but ,i have no reason to suppose that ,i was4 ,rather the contrary4 ,peters seems barely to look at his sitters1 and to be anxious to receive no normal information4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,first ,,sitting ,,of ,,lionel 7,,anonymous7 ,at length1 on #ag ,november #aiae1 ,raymond's brother ,lionel 7,l4 ,l47 went to ,london to see if he could get an anonymous sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 without the intervention of ,mrs4 ,kennedy or anybody4 ,he was aware that by that time the medium must have sat with dozens of strangers and people not in any way connected with our family1 and fortunately he succeeded in getting admitted as a complete stranger4 ,this therefore is worth reporting1 and the contemporary record follows4 ,a few portions are omitted1 partly for brevity1 partly because private1 but some non-evidential and what may seem rather absurd statements are reproduced1 for what they are worth4 ,it must be understood that ,feda is speaking throughout1 and that she is sometimes reporting in the third person1 sometimes in the first1 and sometimes speaking for herself4 ,it is unlikely that lucidity is constant all the time1 and ,feda may have to do some padding4 ,she is quite good and fairly careful1 but of course1 like all controls1 she is responsible for certain mannerisms1 and in her case for childishly modified names like ',paulie1' etc4 ,the dramatic circumstances of a sitting will be familiar to people of experience4 ,the record tries to reproduce them--probably with but poor success4 ,and it is always possible that the attempt1 however conscientious1 may furnish opportunity for ridicule1 if any hostile critic thinks ridicule appropriate4 ,l4 ,l4's ,sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard at her house1 as a stranger1 no one else being present1 #ab o'clock1 ,wednesday1 #ag ,november #aiae4 ,,introduction ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,lionel wrote to ,mrs4 ,leonard at her old address in ,warwick ,avenue1 for ,i had forgotten that she had moved1 and ,i had not told him her new address4 ,he wrote on plain paper from ,westminster without signing it1 saying that he would be coming at a certain time4 ,but she did not get the letter2 so that1 when he arrived about noon on ,wednesday1 #ag ,november1 he arrived as a complete stranger without an appointment4 ,he had at first gone to the wrong house and been redirected4 ,mrs4 ,leonard answered the door4 ,she took him in at once when he said he wanted a sitting4 ,she drew the blind down1 and lit a red lamp as usual4 ,she told him that she was controlled by ',feda4' ,very quickly--in about two minutes--the trance began1 and ,feda spoke4 ,here follows his record3-- ,,report ,,by ,l4 ,l4 ,subsequent annotations1 in square brackets1 are by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,good morning6 ,why1 you are psychic yourself6 ,l4 ,l4--,i didn't know ,i was4 ,it will come out later4 ,there are two spirits standing by you2 the elder is fully built up1 but the younger is not clear yet4 ,the elder is on the tall side1 and well built2 he has a beard round his chin1 but no moustache4 7,this seemed to worry ,feda1 and she repeated it several times1 as if trying to make it clear47 ,a beard round chin1 and hair at the sides1 but upper lip shaved4 ,a good forehead1 eyebrows heavy and rather straight--not arched--eyes greyish2 hair thin on top1 and grey at the sides and back4 ,it looks as if it had been brown before it went grey4 ,a fine-looking face4 ,he is building up something4 ,he suffered here before he passed out 7medium indicating chest or stomach74 ,letter ,w is held up4 7,see photograph facing p4 #beh47 ,this is the one that to other members of the family had been called ,grandfather ,w41 p4 #adc4 ,there is another spirit4 ,somebody is laughing4 ,don't joke--it is serious4 7,this was whispered1 and sounded as if said to some one else1 not to me47 ,it's a young man1 about twenty-three1 or might be twenty-five1 judging only by appearance4 ,tall2 well-built2 not stout1 well-built2 brown hair1 short at the sides and back2 clean shaven2 face more oval than round2 nose not quite straight1 rather rounded1 and broader at the nostrils4 7,whispering47 ,feda can't see his face4 7,then clearly47 ,he won't let ,feda see his face2 he is laughing4 7,whispered several times47 ,l1 ,l1 ,l4 7,then said out loud47 ,l4 ,this is not his name2 he puts it by you4 7,whispering again47 ,feda knows him--,raymond4 ,oh1 it's ,raymond6 7,the medium here jumps about1 and fidgets with her hands1 just as a child would when pleased47 ,that is why he would not show his face1 because ,feda would know him4 ,he is patting you on the shoulder hard4 ,you can't feel it1 but he thinks he is hitting you hard4 ,it seems to have been a trick of his to pat a brother on the shoulder gradually harder and harder till humorous retaliation set in4 ,he is very bright4 ,this is the way it is given--it's an impression4 ,he has been trying to come to you at home1 but there has been some horrible mix-ups2 not really horrible1 but a muddle4 ,he really got through to you1 but other conditions get through there1 and mixes him up4 ,this evidently refers to some private ',mariemont' sittings1 without a medium1 with which neither ,feda nor ,mrs4 ,leonard had had anything to do4 ,it therefore shows specific knowledge and is of the nature of a mild cross-correspondence2 cf4 p4 #bag4 ,l4 ,l4--,how can we improve it8 ,he does not understand it sufficiently himself yet4 ,other spirits get in1 not bad spirits1 but ones that like to feel they are helping4 ,the peculiar manifestations are not him1 and it only confuses him terribly4 ,part of it was him1 but when the table was careering about1 it was not him at all4 ,he started it1 but something comes along stronger than himself1 and he loses the control4 7,whispered47 ,feda1 can't you suggest something8 ,this seemed to be a reported part of conversation on the other side4 ,be very firm when it starts to move about4 ,prayer helps when things are not relevant4 ,he is anxious about ,f4 ,l4 ,l4--,i don't know who ,f4 is4 ,is it some friend8 7,medium here fidgets47 ,letter ,f4 all right2 it's some one he is interested in4 ,he says he is sorry he worried his mother about an incident mentioned at some previous sitting4 ,l4 ,l4--,was it a mistake8 ,yes1 tell her1 because 7etc4 etc474 ,when ,i thought it over ,i knew it was a mistake4 ,if it had been now1 and ,i had a little more experience in control1 ,i should not have said so2 but it was at the beginning--everything seemed such a rush--and ,i was not quite sure of what ,i did get through4 ,he did not look at things in the right pers--perpec---- ,l4 ,l4--,perspective8 ,yes1 that's what he said4 ,do you follow me1 old chap8 ,l4 ,l4--,perfectly4 ,l4 ,l4--,do you remember a sitting at home when you told me you had a lot to tell me8 ,yes4 ,what he principally wanted to say was about the place he is in4 ,he could not spell it all out--too laborious4 ,he felt rather upset at first4 ,you do not feel so real as people do where he is1 and walls appear transparent to him now4 ,the great thing that made him reconciled to his new surroundings was--that things appear so solid and substantial4 ,the first idea upon waking up was1 ,i suppose1 of what they call 'passing over4' ,it was only for a second or two1 as you count time1 that it seemed a shadowy vague place1 everything vapoury and vague4 ,he had that feeling about it4 ,the first person to meet him was ,grandfather4 7,this was said very carefully1 as if trying to get it right with difficulty47 ,and others then1 some of whom he had only heard about4 ,they all appeared to be so solid1 that he could scarcely believe that he had passed over4 ,he lives in a house--a house built of bricks--and there are trees and flowers1 and the ground is solid4 ,and if you kneel down in the mud1 apparently you get your clothes soiled4 ,the thing ,i don't understand yet is that the night doesn't follow the day here1 as it did on the earth plane4 ,it seems to get dark sometimes1 when he would like it to be dark1 but the time in between light and dark is not always the same4 ,i don't know if you think all this is a bore4 7,i was here thinking whether my pencils would last out2 ,i had two1 and was starting on the second one47 ,what ,i am worrying round about is1 how it's made1 of what it is composed4 ,i have not found out yet1 but ,i've got a theory4 ,it is not an original idea of my own2 ,i was helped to it by words let drop here and there4 ,people who think everything is created by thought are wrong4 ,i thought that for a little time1 that one's thoughts formed the buildings and the flowers and trees and solid ground2 but there is more than that4 ,he says something of this sort3-- ,this means that ,feda is going to report in the third person again1 or else to speak for herself4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,there is something always rising from the earth plane--something chemical in form4 ,as it rises to ours1 it goes through various changes and solidifies on our plane4 ,of course ,i am only speaking of where ,i am now4 ,he feels sure that it is something given off from the earth1 that makes the solid trees and flowers1 etc4 ,he does not know any more4 ,he is making a study of this1 but it takes a good long time4 ,l4 ,l4--,i should like to know whether he can get into touch with anybody on earth8 ,not always4 ,only those wishing to see him1 and who it would be right for him to see4 ,then he sees them before he has thought4 ,i don't seem to wish for anything4 ,he does not wish to see anybody unless they are going to be brought to him4 ,i am told that ,i can meet anyone at any time that ,i want to2 there is no difficulty in the way of it4 ,that is what makes it such a jolly fine place to live in4 ,l4 ,l4--,can he help people here8 ,that is part of his work1 but there are others doing that2 the greatest amount of his work is still at the war4 ,i've been home--only likely ,i've been home--but my actual work is at the war4 ,he has something to do with father1 though his work still lies at the war1 helping on poor chaps literally shot into the spirit world4 ,l4 ,l4--,can you see ahead at all8 ,he thinks sometimes that he can1 but it's not easy to predict4 ,i don't think that ,i really know any more than when on earth4 ,l4 ,l4--,can you tell anything about how the war is going on8 ,there are better prospects for the war4 ,on all sides now more satisfactory than it has been before4 ,this is not apparent on the earth plane1 but ,i feel more 444 the surface1 and more satisfied than before4 ,i can't help feeling intensely interested4 ,i believe we have lost ,greece1 and am not sure that it was not due to our own fault4 ,we have only done now what should have been done months ago4 ,he does not agree about ,serbia4 ,having left them so long has had a bad effect upon ,roumania4 ,roumania thinks will she be in the same boat1 if she joins in4 ,all agree that ,russia will do well right through the winter4 ,they are going to show what they can do4 ,they are used to their ground and winter conditions1 and ,germany is not4 ,there will be steady progress right through the winter4 ,i think there is something looming now4 ,some of the piffling things ,i used to be interested in1 ,i have forgotten all about4 ,there is such a lot to be interested in here4 ,i realise the seriousness sometimes of this war4444 ,it is like watching a most interesting race or game gradually developing before you4 ,i am doing work in it1 which is not so interesting as watching4 ,l4 ,l4--,have you any message for home8 ,of course love to his mother1 and to all1 specially to mother4 ,h4 is doing very well4 ,meaning his sister ,honor4 ,l4 ,l4--,in what way8 ,h4 is helping him in a psychic way2 she makes it easy for him4 ,he doesn't think he need tell father anything1 he is so certain in himself meaning ,raymond1 in spite of silly mistakes4 ,it disappoints him4 ,we must separate out the good from the bad1 and not try more than one form2 not the jig--jig---- ,l4 ,l4--,i know2 jigger4 ,a kind of ,ouija4 ,no4 ,he didn't like the jigger4 ,he thinks he can work the table4 ,see ,chapter ,,xix4 ,l4 ,l4--,would you tell me how ,i could help in any way8 ,just go very easily1 only let one person speak1 as he has said before4 ,it can be ,h4 or ,l4 ,l4 ,settle on one person to put the questions1 the different sound of voices confuses him1 and he mixes it up with questions from another's thoughts4 ,in time he hopes it will be not so difficult4 ,he wouldn't give it up1 he loves it4 ,don't try more than twice a week1 perhaps only once a week4 ,try to keep the same times always1 and to the same day if possible4 ,he is going4 ,give my love to them all4 ,tell them ,i am very happy4 ,very well1 and plenty to do1 and intensely interested4 ,i did suffer from shock at first1 but ,i'm extremely happy now4 ,i'm off4 ,he won't say good-bye4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a lady comes too3 ,a girl1 about medium height2 on the slender side1 not thin1 but slender2 face1 oval shape2 blue eyes2 lightish brown hair1 not golden4 ,l4 ,l4--,can she give a name--,i cannot guess who she is from the description8 ,she builds up an ,l4 ,not like the description when she was on earth4 ,very little earth life4 ,she is related to you4 ,she has grown up in the spirit life4 ,oh1 she is your sister6 ,she is fair2 not so tall as you2 a nice face2 blue eyes4 ,l4 ,l4--,i know her name now4 ,see at a previous sitting where this deceased sister is described1 p4 #aei4 ,give her love to them at home1 but also principally to mother4 ,and say that she and her brother1 not ,raymond1 have been also to the sittings at home4 ,she is giving his name4 ,she gives it in such a funny way1 as if she was writing1 so---- ,she wrote an ,n1 then quickly changed it into a ,w4 ,see also pp4 #acd1 #aei1 and #aij4 ,she brings lilies with her2 she is singing--it's like humming2 ,feda can't hear the words4 ,she is going too--power is going4 ,l4 ,l4--,give my love to her4 ,feda sends her love also4 ,raymond was having a joke by not showing his face to ,feda4 ,good-bye4 7,sitting ended at #a4cj p4m47 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,sitting ,,of ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,with ,,mrs4 ,,leonard ,friday1 #bf ,november #aiae ,a few things may be reported from a sitting which ,lady ,lodge had with ,mrs4 ,leonard on #bf ,november1 however absurd they may seem4 ,they are of course repeated by the childish control ,feda1 but ,i do not by that statement of bare fact intend to stigmatise them in any way4 ,criticism of unverifiable utterances seems to me premature4 ,the sitting began without preliminaries as usual4 ,it is not a particularly good one1 and the notes are rather incomplete1 especially near the end of the time1 when ,feda seemed to wander from the point1 and when rather tedious descriptions of people began4 ,these are omitted4 ,sitting of ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 with ,mrs4 ,leonard at her house on ,friday1 #bf ,november #aiae1 from #c to #d4cj p4m4 7,no one else present47 7,the sitting began with a statement from ,feda that she liked ,lionel1 and that ,raymond had taken her down to his home4 ,then she reported that ,raymond said3--7 ,mother darling1 ,i am so happy1 and so much more so because you are4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,yes1 we are2 and as your father says1 we can face ,christmas now4 ,raymond says he will be there4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,we will put a chair for him4 ,yes1 he will come and sit in it4 ,he wants to strike a bargain with you4 ,he says1 ,if ,i come there1 there must be no sadness4 ,i don't want to be a ghost at the feast4 ,there mustn't be one sigh4 ,please1 darling1 keep them in order1 rally them up4 ,don't let them4 ,if they do1 ,i shall have the hump4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--'hump1' what he say47 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,we will all drink his health and happiness4 ,yes1 you can think ,i am wishing you health too4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,we were interested in hearing about his clothes and things2 we can't think how he gets them6 ,the reference is to a second sitting of ,lionel1 not available for publication4 ,they are all man-u-fac-tured4 ,feda stumbling over long words4 ,can you fancy you seeing me in white robes8 ,mind1 ,i didn't care for them at first1 and ,i wouldn't wear them4 ,just like a fellow gone to a country where there is a hot climate--an ignorant fellow1 not knowing what he is going to2 it's just like that4 ,he may make up his mind to wear his own clothes a little while1 but he will soon be dressing like the natives4 ,he was allowed to have earth clothes here until he got acclimatised2 they let him2 they didn't force him4 ,i don't think ,i will ever be able to make the boys see me in white robes4 ,mother1 don't go doing too much4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,i am very strong4 ,you think you are1 but you tire yourself out too much4 ,it troubles me4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,yes1 but ,i should be quite glad to come over there1 if ,i could come quickly1 even though ,i am so happy here1 and ,i don't want to leave people4 ,don't you think ,i would be glad to have you here6 ,if you do what he says1 you will come over when the time comes--quick1 sharp4 ,he says he comes and sees you in bed4 ,the reason for that is the air is so quiet then4 ,you often go up there in the spirit-land while your body is asleep4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,would you like us to sit on the same night as ,mrs4 ,kennedy sits1 or on different nights8 ,meaning in trials for cross-correspondences4 ,on the same night1 as it wastes less time4 ,besides1 he forgets1 if there is too long an interval4 ,he wants to get something of the same sort to each place4 ,william and ,lily come to play with ,raymond4 ,lily had gone on1 but came back to be with ,raymond4 ,these mean his long-deceased infant brother and sister4 7,more family talk omitted47 ,get some sittings soon1 so as to get into full swing by ,christmas4 ,tell them when they get him through1 and he says1 ,raymond1 tell them to go very easily1 and not to ask too many questions4 ,questions want thinking out beforehand4 ,they are not to talk among themselves1 because then they get part of one thing and part of another4 ,and not to say1 ,no1 don't ask him that1 or he gets mixed4 ,do you know we sometimes have to prepare answers a little before we transmit them2 it is a sort of mental effort to give answers through the table4 ,when they say1 do you ask1 we begin to get ready to speak through the table4 ,write down a few questions and keep to them4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,sitting ,,of ,,december #c ,with ,some ,unverifiable ,matter ,at a sitting which ,i had with ,mrs4 ,leonard on #c ,december #aiae1 information was given about the photograph--as already reported1 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,in all these ',feda' sittings1 the remarks styled sotto voce represent conversation between ,feda and the communicator1 not addressed to the sitter at all4 ,i always try to record these scraps when ,i can overhear them2 for they are often interesting1 and sometimes better than what is subsequently reported as the result of the brief conversation4 ,for she appears to be uttering under her breath not only her own question or comment1 but also what she is being told2 and sometimes names are in that way mentioned correctly1 when afterwards she muddles them4 ,for instance1 on one occasion she said sotto voce1 ,what you say8 ,rowland8 7in a clear whisper72 and then1 aloud1 ,he says something like ,ronald4 ,whereas in this case ',rowland' proved to be correct4 ,the dramatically childlike character of ,feda seems to carry with it a certain amount of childish irresponsibility4 ,raymond says that he has to talk to her seriously about it sometimes4 ,a few other portions1 not about the photograph1 are included in the record of this sitting1 some of a very non-evidential and perhaps ridiculous kind1 but ,i do not feel inclined to suppress them4 7,for reasons1 see ,chapter ,,xii47 ,some of them are rather amusing4 ,unverifiable statements have hitherto been generally suppressed1 in reporting ,piper and other sittings2 but here1 in deference partly to the opinion of ,professor ,bergson-- who when he was in ,england urged that statements about life on the other side1 properly studied1 like travellers' tales1 might ultimately furnish proof more logically cogent than was possible from mere access to earth memories--they are for the most part reproduced4 ,i should think1 myself1 that they are of very varying degrees of value1 and peculiarly liable to unintentional sophistication by the medium4 ,they cannot be really satisfactory1 as we have no means of bringing them to book4 ,the difficulty is that ,feda encounters many sitters1 and though the majority are just inquirers1 taking what comes and saying very little1 one or two may be themselves full of theories1 and may either intentionally or unconsciously convey them to the 'control'2 who may thereafter retail them as actual information1 without perhaps being sure whence they were derived4 ,some books1 moreover1 have been published of late1 purporting to give information about ill-understood things in a positive and assured manner1 and it is possible that the medium has read these and may be influenced by them4 ,it will be regrettable if these books are taken as authoritative by people unable to judge of the scientific errors which are conspicuous in their more normal portions2 and the books themselves seem likely to retard the development of the subject in the minds of critical persons4 ,sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard at her ,house on ,friday1 #c ,december #aiae1 from #f4aj p4m4 to #h4bj p4m4 7,o4 ,j4 ,l4 alone47 ,this is a long record1 because ,i took verbatim notes1 but ,i propose to inflict it all upon the reader1 in accordance with promise to report unverifiable and possibly absurd matter1 just as it comes1 and even to encourage it4 ,feda soon arrived1 said good evening1 jerked about on the chair1 and squeaked or chuckled1 after her manner when indicating pleasure4 ,then1 without preliminaries1 she spoke3-- ,he is waiting2 he's looking very pleased4 ,he's awful anxious to tell you about the place where he lives2 he doesn't understand yet how it looks so solid4 7,cf4 p4 #ahd47 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,what you say8 ,yes1 ,feda knows47 ,he's been watching lately different kinds of people what come over1 and the different kinds of effect it has on them4 ,oh1 it is interesting1 he says--much more than on the old earth plane4 ,i didn't want to leave you and mother and all of them1 but it is interesting4 ,i wish you could come over for one day1 and be with me here4 ,there are times you do go there1 but you won't remember4 ,they have all been over with him at night-time1 and so have you1 but he thought it very hard you couldn't remember4 ,if you did1 he is told 7he doesn't know it himself1 but he is told this71 the brain would scarcely bear the burden of the double existence1 and would be unfitted for its daily duties2 so the memory is shut out4 ,that is the explanation given to him4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,what1 ,raymond8 ,al--lec1 he says1 ,al--lec1 ,al--lec47 ,he keeps on saying something about ,alec4 ,he has been trying to get to ,alec1 to communicate with him2 and he couldn't see if he made himself felt--whether he really got through4 7,the medium hitherto had been holding ,o4 ,j4 ,l4's left hand2 here she let go1 ,feda saying3 ,he will let you have your own hand back47 ,he thought he had got into a bedroom1 and that he knocked2 but there wasn't much notice taken4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,alec must come here sometime4#bb ,yes1 he wanted to see him4 ,and he also hopes to be able to talk to ,lionel with the direct voice2 not here1 he says1 but somewhere else4 ,he is very anxious to speak to him4 ,through a chap1 he says1 a direct voice chap4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,very well1 ,i will take the message4 ,well1 he says1 he wants to try once or twice4 ,he wants to be able to say what he says to ,feda in another way4 ,he thinks he could get through in his own home sometime4 ,he would much rather have it there4 ,and he thinks that if he got through once or twice with direct voice1 he might be able to do better in his own home4 ,h4 is psychic1 he says1 but he is afraid of hurting her2 he doesn't want to take too much from her4 ,but he really is going to get through4 ,he really has got through at home2 but silly spirits wanted to have a game4 ,there was a strange feeling there2 he didn't seem to know how much he was doing himself1 so he stood aside part of the time4 ,mariemont sittings are reported later4 ,chapter ,,xix4 ,then the photograph episode came1 as reported in ,chapter ,,iv4 ,then it went on 7,feda talking1 of course1 all the time73-- ,he says he has been trying to go to somebody1 and see somebody he used to know4 ,he's not related to them1 and the name begins with ,s4 ,it's a gentleman1 he says1 and he can't remember1 or can't tell ,feda the name1 but it begins with ,s4 ,he was trying to get to them1 but is not sure that he succeeded4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,did he want to8 ,he says it was only curiosity2 but he likes to feel that he can look up anybody4 ,but he says1 if they take no notice1 ,i shall give up soon1 only ,i just like to see what it feels like to be looking at them from where ,i am4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,does he want to say anything more about his house or his clothes or his body8 ,oh yes4 ,he is bursting to tell you4 ,he says1 my body's very similar to the one ,i had before4 ,i pinch myself sometimes to see if it's real1 and it is1 but it doesn't seem to hurt as much as when ,i pinched the flesh body4 ,the internal organs don't seem constituted on the same lines as before4 ,they can't be quite the same4 ,but to all appearances1 and outwardly1 they are the same as before4 ,i can move somewhat more freely1 he says4 ,oh1 there's one thing1 he says1 ,i have never seen anybody bleed4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,wouldn't he bleed if he pricked himself8 ,he never tried it4 ,but as yet he has seen no blood at all4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,has he got ears and eyes8 ,yes1 yes1 and eyelashes1 and eyebrows1 exactly the same1 and a tongue and teeth4 ,he has got a new tooth now in place of another one he had--one that wasn't quite right then4 ,he has got it right1 and a good tooth has come in place of the one that had gone4 ,he knew a man that had lost his arm1 but he has got another one4 ,yes1 he has got two arms now4 ,he seemed as if without a limb when first he entered the astral1 seemed incomplete1 but after a while it got more and more complete1 until he got a new one4 ,he is talking of people who have lost a limb for some years4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,what about a limb lost in battle8 ,oh1 if they have only just lost it1 it makes no difference1 it doesn't matter2 they are quite all right when they get here4 ,but ,i am told--he doesn't know this himself1 but he has been told--that when anybody's blown to pieces1 it takes some time for the spirit-body to complete itself1 to gather itself all in1 and to be complete4 ,it dissipated a certain amount of substance which is undoubtedly theric1 theric--etheric1 and it has to be concentrated again4 ,the spirit isn't blown apart1 of course1--he doesn't mean that1--but it has an effect upon it4 ,he hasn't seen all this1 but he has been inquiring because he is interested4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,what about bodies that are burnt8 ,oh1 if they get burnt by accident1 if they know about it on this side1 they detach the spirit first4 ,what we call a spirit-doctor comes round and helps4 ,but bodies should not be burnt on purpose4 ,we have terrible trouble sometimes over people who are cremated too soon2 they shouldn't be4 ,it's a terrible thing2 it has worried me4 ,people are so careless4 ,the idea seems to be--hurry up and get them out of the way now that they are dead4 ,not until seven days1 he says4 ,they shouldn't be cremated for seven days4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,but what if the body goes bad8 ,when it goes bad1 the spirit is already out4 ,if that much 7indicating a trifle7 of spirit is left in the body1 it doesn't start mortifying4 ,it is the action of the spirit on the body that keeps it from mortifying4 ,when you speak about a person 'dying upwards1' it means that the spirit is getting ready and gradually getting out of the body4 ,he saw the other day a man going to be cremated two days after the doctor said he was dead4 ,when his relations on this side heard about it1 they brought a certain doctor on our side1 and when they saw that the spirit hadn't got really out of the body1 they magnetised it1 and helped it out4 ,but there was still a cord1 and it had to be severed rather quickly1 and it gave a little shock to the spirit1 like as if you had something amputated2 but it had to be done4 ,he believes it has to be done in every case4 ,if the body is to be consumed by fire1 it is helped out by spirit-doctors4 ,he doesn't mean that a spirit-body comes out of its own body1 but an essence comes out of the body--oozes out1 he says1 and goes into the other body which is being prepared4 ,oozes1 he says1 like in a string4 ,string1 that's what he say4 ,then it seems to shape itself1 or something meets it and shapes round it4 ,like as if they met and went together1 and formed a duplicate of the body left behind4 ,it's all very interesting4#bc ,he told ,lionel about his wanting a suit at first at an unreported second sitting4 ,he never thought that they would be able to provide him with one4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 ,i know1 ,lionel told us2 that you wanted something more like your old clothes at first1 and that they didn't force you into new ones1 but let you begin with the old kind1 until you got accustomed to the place 7p4 #ahi74 ,yes1 he says1 they didn't force me1 but most of the people here wear white robes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,then1 can you tell any difference between men and women8 ,there are men here1 and there are women here4 ,i don't think that they stand to each other quite the same as they did on the earth plane1 but they seem to have the same feeling to each other1 with a different expression of it4 ,there don't seem to be any children born here4 ,people are sent into the physical body to have children on the earth plane2 they don't have them here4 ,but there's a feeling of love between men and women here which is of a different quality to that between two men or two women2 and husband and wife seem to meet differently from mother and son1 or father and daughter4 ,he says he doesn't want to eat now4 ,but he sees some who do2 he says they have to be given something which has all the appearance of an earth food4 ,people here try to provide everything that is wanted4 ,a chap came over the other day1 would would have a cigar4 ,that's finished them1 he thought4 ,he means he thought they would never be able to provide that4 ,but there are laboratories over here1 and they manufacture all sorts of things in them4 ,not like you do1 out of solid matter1 but out of essences1 and ethers1 and gases4 ,it's not the same as on the earth plane1 but they were able to manufacture what looked like a cigar4 ,he didn't try one himself1 because he didn't care to2 you know he wouldn't want to4 ,but the other chap jumped at it4 ,but when he began to smoke it1 he didn't think so much of it2 he had four altogether1 and now he doesn't look at one4#bd ,they don't seem to get the same satisfaction out of it1 so gradually it seems to drop from them4 ,but when they first come they do want things4 ,some want meat1 and some strong drink2 they call for whisky sodas4 ,don't think ,i'm stretching it1 when ,i tell you that they can manufacture even that4 ,but when they have had one or two1 they don't seem to want it so much--not those that are near here4 ,he has heard of drunkards who want it for months and years over here1 but he hasn't seen any4 ,those ,i have seen1 he says1 don't want it any more--like himself with his suit1 he could dispense with it under the new conditions4 ,he wants people to realise that it's just as natural as on the earth plane4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,raymond1 you said your house was made of bricks4 ,how can that be8 ,what are the bricks made of8 ,that's what he hasn't found out yet4 ,he is told by some1 who he doesn't think would lead him astray1 that they are made from sort of emanations from the earth4 ,he says there's something rising1 like atoms rising1 and consolidating after they come2 they are not solid when they come1 but we can collect and concentrate them--,i mean those that are with me4 ,they appear to be bricks1 and when ,i touch them1 they feel like bricks2 and ,i have seen granite too4 ,there's something perpetually rising from your plane2 practically invisible--in atoms when it leaves your plane--but when it comes to the ether1 it gains certain other qualities round each atom1 and by the time it reaches us1 certain people take it in hand1 and manufacture solid things from it4 ,just as you can manufacture solid things4 ,all the decay that goes on on the earth plane is not lost4 ,it doesn't just form manure or dust4 ,certain vegetable and decayed tissue does form manure for a time1 but it gives off an essence or a gas1 which ascends1 and which becomes what you call a 'smell4' ,everything dead has a smell1 if you notice2 and ,i know now that the smell is of actual use1 because it is from that smell that we are able to produce duplicates of whatever form it had before it became a smell4 ,even old wood has a smell different from new wood2 you may have to have a keen nose to detect these things on the earth plane4 ,old rags1 he says 7sotto voce4--,yes1 all right1 ,feda will go back71 cloth decaying and going rotten4 ,different kinds of cloth give off different smells--rotting linen smells different to rotting wool4 ,you can understand how all this interests me4 ,apparently1 as far as ,i can gather1 the rotting wool appears to be used for making things like tweeds on our side4 ,but ,i know ,i am jumping1 ,i'm guessing at it4 ,my suit ,i expect was made from decayed worsted on your side4#be ,some people here won't take this in even yet--about the material cause of all these things4 ,they go talking about spiritual robes made of light1 built by the thoughts on the earth plane4 ,i don't believe it4 ,they go about thinking that it is a thought robe that they're wearing1 resulting from the spiritual life they led2 and when we try to tell them that it is manufactured out of materials1 they don't believe it4 ,they say1 ,no1 no1 it's a robe of light and brightness which ,i manufactured by thought4 ,so we just leave it4 ,but ,i don't say that they won't get robes quicker when they have led spiritual lives down there2 ,i think they do1 and that's what makes them think that they made the robes by their lives4 ,you know flowers1 how they decay4 ,we have got flowers here2 your decayed flowers flower again with us--beautiful flowers4 ,lily has helped me a lot with flowers4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,do you like her8 ,yes1 but he didn't expect to see her4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,no4 ,raymond1 you don't mean that47 ,yes1 he does4 ,he says he's afraid he wasn't very polite to her when he met her at first2 he didn't expect a grown-up sister there4 ,am ,i a little brother1 he said1 or is she my little sister8 ,she calls me her little brother1 but ,i have a decided impression that she should be my little sister4 ,he feels a bit of a mystery3 he has got a brother there he knows1 but he says two4 7,sotto voce4--,no1 ,yaymond1 you can't have two4 ,no1 ,feda doesn't understand47 ,is it possible1 he says1 that he has got another brother--one that didn't live at all8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 it is possible4 ,but he says1 no earth life at all6 ,that's what's strange4 ,i've seen some one that ,i am told is a brother1 but ,i can't be expected to recognise him1 can ,i8 ,i feel somehow closer to ,lily than ,i do to that one4 ,by and by ,i will get to know him1 ,i dare say4 ,i'm told that ,i am doing very well in the short time ,i have been here4 ,taking to it--what he say8--duck to water1 he say4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,you know the earth is rolling along through space4 ,how do you keep up with it8 ,it doesn't seem like that to him4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no1 ,i suppose not4 ,do you see the stars8 ,yes1 he sees the stars4 ,the stars seem like what they did1 only he feels closer to them4 ,not really closer1 but they look clearer2 not appreciably closer1 he says4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,are they grouped the same8 ,do you see the ,great ,bear1 for instance8 ,oh1 yes1 he sees the ,great ,bear4 ,and he sees the ch1 ch1 chariot1 he says4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,do you mean ,cassiopeia8 ,yes4 ,but ,i don't suppose he did4 ,there's one more mystery to him yet1 it doesn't seem day and night quite by regular turns1 like it did on the earth4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,but ,i suppose you see the sun8 ,yes1 he sees the sun2 but it seems always about the same degree of warmth1 he doesn't feel heat or cold where he is4 ,the sun doesn't make him uncomfortably hot4 ,that is not because the sun has lost its heat1 but because he hasn't got the same body that sensed the heat4 ,when he comes into contact with the earth plane1 and is manifesting1 then he feels a little cold or warm--at least he does when a medium is present--not when he comes in the ordinary way just to look round4 ,when he sang last night1 he felt cold for a minute or two4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,did he sing8 ,yes1 he and ,paulie had a scuffle4 ,paulie was singing first1 and ,yaymond thought he would like to sing too1 so he chipped in at the end4 ,he sang about three verses4 ,it wasn't difficult1 because there was a good deal of power there4 ,also nobody except ,mrs4 ,kathie knew who he was1 and so all eyes were not on him1 and they were not expecting it1 and that made it easier for him4 ,he says it wasn't so difficult as keeping up a conversation2 he just took the organs there1 and materialised his own voice in her throat4 ,he didn't find it very difficult1 he hadn't got to think of anything1 or collect his ideas2 there was an easy flow of words1 and he just sang4 ,and ,i did sing1 he says2 ,i thought ,i'd nearly killed the medium4 ,she hadn't any voice at all after4 ,when he heard himself that he had really got it1 he had to let go4 ,raised the roof1 he says1 and he did enjoy it6 7,here ,feda gave an amused chuckle with a jump and a squeak47 ,he was just practising there1 ,yaymond says4 ,at first he thought it wouldn't be easy4 ,this relates to what ,i am told was a real occurrence at a private gathering2 but it is not evidential4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,raymond1 you know you want to give me some proofs4 ,what kind of proofs do you think are best8 ,have you talked it over with ,mr4 ,myers1 and have you decided on the kind of proof that will be most evidential8 ,i don't know yet4 ,i feel divided between two ways3 ,one is to give you objective proof1 such as simple materialisations and direct voice1 which you can set down and have attested4 ,or else ,i should have to give you information about my different experiences here1 either something like what ,i am doing now1 or through the table1 or some other way4 ,but he doesn't know whether he will be able to do the two things together4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no1 not likely1 not at the same time4 ,but you can take opportunities of saying more about your life there4 ,yes1 that's why he has been collecting information4 ,he does so want to encourage people to look forward to a life they will certainly have to enter upon1 and realise that it is a rational life4 ,all this that he has been giving you now1 and that ,i gave to ,lionel1 you must sort out1 and put in order1 because ,i can only give it scrappily4 ,i want to study things here a lot4 ,would you think it selfish if ,i say ,i wouldn't like to be back now8--,i wouldn't give this up for anything4 ,don't think it selfish1 or that ,i want to be away from you all4 ,i have still got you1 because ,i feel you so close1 closer even4 ,i wouldn't come back1 ,i wouldn't for anything that anyone could give me4 ,he hardly liked to put it that way to his mother4 ,is ,alec here8 7,feda looking round47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no1 but ,i hope he will be coming4 ,tell him not to say who he is4 ,i did enjoy myself that first time that ,lionel came--,i could talk for hours4 7,o4 ,j4 ,l4 had here looked at his watch quietly47 ,i could talk for hours2 don't go yet4 ,he says he thinks he was lucky when he passed on1 because he had so many to meet him4 ,that came1 he knows now1 through your having been in with this thing for so long4 ,he wants to impress this on those that you will be writing for3 that it makes it so much easier for them if they and their friends know about it beforehand4 ,it's awful when they have passed over and won't believe it for weeks1--they just think they're dreaming4 ,and they won't realise things at all sometimes4 ,he doesn't mind telling you now that1 just at first1 when he woke up1 he felt a little depression4 ,but it didn't last long4 ,he cast his eyes round1 and soon he didn't mind4 ,but it was like finding yourself in a strange place1 like a strange city2 with people you hadn't seen1 or not seen for a long time1 round you4 ,grandfather was with me straight away2 and presently ,robert4 ,i got mixed up between two ,roberts4 ,and there's some one called ,jane comes to him1 who calls herself an aunt1 he says4 ,jane4 ,he's uncertain about her4 ,jane--,jennie4 ,she calls herself an aunt2 he is told to call her ',aunt ,jennie4' ,is she my ,aunt ,jennie8 he says4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no1 but your mother used to call her that4 ,and so on1 simple talk about family and friends4 ,he has brought that doggie again1 nice doggie4 ,a doggie that goes like this1 and twists about 7,feda indicating a wriggle74 ,he has got a nice tail1 not a little stumpy tail1 nice tail with nice hair on it4 ,he sits up like that sometimes1 and comes down again1 and puts his tongue out of his mouth4 ,he's got a cat too1 plenty of animals1 he says4 ,he hasn't seen any lions and tigers1 but he sees horses1 cats1 dogs1 and birds4 ,he says you know this doggie2 he has nice hair1 a little wavy1 which sticks up all over him1 and has twists at the end4 ,now he's jumping round4 ,he hasn't got a very pointed face1 but it isn't like a little pug-dog either2 it's rather a long shape4 ,and he has nice ears what flaps1 not standing up2 nice long hairs on them too4 ,a darkish colour he looks1 darkish1 as near as ,feda can see him4 ,see photograph1 p4 #bgh4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,does he call him by any name8 ,he says1 ',not him4' 7,sotto voce4--,what you mean 'not him'8 ,it is a 'him'2 you don't call him 'it4'7 ,no1 he won't explain4 ,no1 he didn't give it a name4 ,it can jump4 ,all this about a she-dog called ,curly1 whose death had been specially mentioned by ',myers' through another medium some years ago1--an incident reported privately to the ,s4,p4,r4 at the time1--is quite good as far as it goes4 ,he has met a spirit here1 he says1 who knows you--,g4 ,nothing to do with the other ,g4 ,some one that's a very fine sort indeed4 ,his name begins with ,g--,gal1 ,gals1 ,got1 ,got1--he doesn't know him very well1 but it sounds like that4 ,it isn't who you feel1 though it might have been1 nothing to do with that at all4 ,some one called ,golt--he didn't know him1 but he is interested in you1 and had met you4 ,it's surprising how many people come up to me1 he says1 and shake me by the hand1 and speak to me4 ,i don't know them from ,adam4 7,sotto voce4--,adam1 he say47 ,but they are doing me honour here1 and some of them are such fine men4 ,he doesn't know them1 but they all seem to be interested in you1 and they say1 ,oh1 are you his son8--how-do-you-do8 ,feda is losing control4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 good-bye1 ,raymond1 then1 and ,god bless you4 ,god bless you4 ,i do so want you to know that ,i am very happy4 ,and bless them all4 ,my love to you4 ,i can't tell what ,i feel1 but you can guess4 ,it's difficult to put into words4 ,my love to all4 ,god bless you and everybody4 ,good-bye1 father4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,good-bye1 ,raymond4 ,good-bye1 ,feda4 7,feda here gave a jerk1 and a 'good-bye4'7 ,love to her what 'longs to you1 and to ,lionel4 ,feda knows what your name is1 ',soliver1' yes4 7,another squeak47 7,sitting ended #h4bj p4m47 ,the conclusion of sittings is seldom of an evidential character1 and by most people would not be recorded2 but occasionally it may be best to quote one completely1 just as a specimen of what may be called the 'manner' of a sitting4 ,footnote #bb3 ,alec had had a sitting with ,peters1 not with ,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,footnote #bc3 ,i confess that ,i think that ,feda may have got a great deal of this1 perhaps all of it1 from people who have read or written some of the books referred to in my introductory remarks4 ,but inasmuch as her other utterances are often evidential1 ,i feel that ,i have no right to pick and choose2 especially as ,i know nothing about it1 one way or the other4 ,footnote #bd3 ,some of this ,feda talk is at least humorous4 ,footnote #be3 have not yet traced the source of all this supposed information4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,k4 ,k4 ,,automatic ,,writing ,on #ag ,december #aiae1 ,i was talking to ,mrs4 ,kennedy when her hand began to write1 and ,i had a short conversation which may be worth reporting3-- ,i have been here such a long time1 please tell father ,i am here--,raymond4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,my boy6 ,dear father6 ,father1 it was difficult to say all one felt1 but now ,i don't care4 ,i love you4 ,i love you intensely4 ,father1 please speak to me4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i recognise it1 ,raymond4 ,have you anything to say for the folk at home8 ,i have been there to-day2 ,i spoke to mother4 ,i don't know if she heard me1 but ,i rather think so4 ,please tell her this1 and kiss her from me4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,she had a rather vivid dream or vision of you one morning lately4 ,i don't know if it was a dream4 ,i feel sure she will see me1 but ,i don't know1 because ,i am so often near her that ,i can't say yes or no to any particular time4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,raymond1 you know it is getting near ,christmas now8 ,i know4 ,i shall be there2 keep jolly or it hurts me horribly4 ,truly1 ,i know it is difficult1 but you must know by now that ,i am so splendid4 ,i shall never be one instant out of the house on ,christmas ,day4 7,pause47 ,he has gone to fetch some one4--,paul4 7,this is the sort of interpolation which frequently happens4 ,paul signs his explanatory sentence47 7,k4 ,k4 presently said that ,raymond had returned1 and expected me to be aware of it47 ,i have brought ,mr4 ,myers4 ,he says he doesn't often come to use this means1 but he wants to speak for a moment4 ,get free and go on1 he says4 ,don't let them trammel you4 ,get at it1 ,lodge4--,myers4 ,he has gone1 tell my father4 7,o4 ,j4 ,l41 sotto voce4--,what does that mean87 7,k4 ,k4--,i haven't an idea47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,has ,myers gone right away8 ,i have spoken1 but ,i will speak again1 if you keep quiet 7meaning ,k4 ,k474 ,do cease to think1 or you are useless4 ,tell ,lodge ,i can't explain half his boy is to me4 ,i feel as if ,i had my own dearly loved son here1 yet ,i know he is only lent to me4 ,pardon me if ,i rarely use you 7to ,k4 ,k472 ,i can't stand the way you bother4--,myers4 ,k4 ,k4--,do you mean the way ,i get nervous if ,i am taking a message from you8 ,yes1 ,i do4 ,this interpolated episode was commented on by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 as very characteristic4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is ,raymond still there8 ,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,raymond1 do you know we've got that photograph you spoke of8 ,mrs4 ,cheves sent us it1 the mother of ,cheves--,captain ,cheves1 you remember him8 ,yes1 ,i know you have the photograph4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 and your description of it was very good4 ,and we have seen the man leaning on you4 ,was there another one taken of you8 ,k4 ,k4--',four1' he says 'four4' ,did you say 'four1' ,raymond8 ,yes1 ,i did4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 we have those taken of you by yourself1 but was another taken of you with other officers8 ,i hear1 father2 ,i shall look1 but ,i think you have had the one ,i want you to have2 ,i have seen you looking at it4 ,i have heard all that father has said4 ,it is ripping to come like this4 ,tell my father ,i have enjoyed it4--,raymond4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,before you go1 ,raymond1 ,i want to ask a serious question4 ,have you been let to see ,christ8 ,father1 ,i shall see him presently4 ,it is not time yet4 ,i am not ready4 ,but ,i know he lives1 and ,i know he comes here4 ,all the sad ones see him if no one else can help them4 ,paul has seen him3 you see he had such a lot of pain1 poor chap4 ,i am not expecting to see him yet1 father4 ,i shall love to when it's the time4--,raymond4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 we shall be very happy this ,christmas ,i think4 ,father1 tell mother she has her son with her all day on ,christmas ,day4 ,there will be thousands and thousands of us back in the homes on that day1 but the horrid part is that so many of the fellows don't get welcomed4 ,please keep a place for me4 ,i must go now4 ,bless you again1 father4--,raymond4 7,paul then wrote a few words to his mother47 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,first ,,sitting ,,of ,,alec ,,with ,,mrs4 ,,leonard ,on #ba ,december #aiae ,alec had his first sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard2 but he did not manage to go quite anonymously--the medium knew that he was my son4 ,again there is a good deal of unverifiable matter1 which whether absurd or not ,i prefer not to suppress2 my reasons are indicated in ,chapters xii and xvi ,part ,,ii1 and xi ,part ,,iii4 ,alec's 7,a4 ,m4 ,l4's7 ,sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard at her ,house on ,tuesday ,afternoon1 #ba ,december #aiae1 #c4ae to #d4cj p4m4 7,medium knows ,i am ,sir ,oliver ,lodge's son47 ,front room2 curtains drawn2 dark2 small red lamp4 ,no one else present4 ,mrs4 ,leonard shook hands saying1 ,mr4 ,lodge8 7,medium begins by rubbing her own hands vigorously47 ,good morning6 ,this is ,feda4 ,raymond's here4 ,he would have liked ,a and ,b4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,what you mean1 ,a and ,b87 ,oh1 he would have liked to talk to ,a and ,b4 ,see ,note ,a4 ,he says3 ,i wish you could see me1 ,i am so pleased2 but you know ,i am pleased4 ,he has been trying hard to get to you at home4 ,he thinks he is getting closer1 and better able to understand the conditions which govern this way of communicating4 ,he thinks that in a little while he will be able to give actual tests at home4 ,he knows he has got through1 but not satisfactorily4 ,he gets so far1 and then flounders4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,that's what fishes do67 ,he says he is feeling splendid4 ,he did not think it was possible to feel so well4 ,he was waiting here2 he knew you were coming1 but thought you might not be able to come to-day4 ,train half an hour late4 ,did you take notice of what he said about the place he is in8 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,yes4 ,but ,i find it very difficult to understand4 ,he says1 it is such a solid place1 ,i have not got over it yet4 ,it is so wonderfully real4 ,he spoke about a river to his father2 he has not seen the sea yet4 ,he has found water1 but doesn't know whether he will find a sea4 ,he is making new discoveries every day4 ,so much is new1 although of course not to people who have been here some time4 ,he went into the library with his grandfather--,grandfather ,william--and also somebody called ,richard1 and he says the books there seem to be the same as you read4 ,now this is extraordinary3 ,there are books there not yet published on the earth plane4 ,he is told--only told1 he does not know if it is correct--that those books will be produced1 books like those that are there now2 that the matter in them will be impressed on the brain of some man1 he supposes an author4 ,he says that not everybody on his plane is allowed to read those books2 they might hurt them--that is1 the books not published yet4 ,father is going to write one--not the one on now1 but a fresh one4 ,has his father found out who it was1 beginning with ,g1 who said he was going to help 7meaning help ,raymond7 for his father's sake8 ,it was not the person he thought it was at the time 7p4 #bjd74 ,it is very difficult to get things through4 ,he wants to keep saying how pleased he is to come4 ,there are hundreds of things he will think of after he is gone4 ,he has brought ,lily1 and ,william--the young one---- 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,i don't know whether it is right1 but he appears to have two brothers47 ,two brothers as well as a sister died in extreme infancy4 ,he would hardly know that1 normally4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,feda1 will you ask ,raymond if he would like me to ask some questions8 ,yes1 with pleasure1 he says4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,a little time ago1 ,raymond said he was with mother4 ,mother would like to know if he can say what she was doing when he came8 ,ask ,raymond to think it over1 and see if he can remember8 ,yes1 yes4 ,she'd got some wool and scissors4 ,she had a square piece of stuff--he is showing me this--she was working on the square piece of stuff4 ,he shows me that she was cutting the wool with the scissors4 ,another time1 she was in bed4 ,she was in a big chair--dark covered---- ,this refers to the time mentioned first4 ,note ,b4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,ask ,raymond if he can remember which room she was in8 7,pause47 ,he can't remember4 ,he can't always see more than a corner of the room--it appears vapourish and shadowy4 ,he often comes when you're in bed4 ,he tried to call out loudly3 he shouted1 ',alec1 ,alec6' but he didn't get any answer4 ,that is what puzzles him4 ,he thinks he has shouted1 but apparently he has not even manufactured a whisper4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,feda1 will you ask ,raymond if he can remember trivial things that happened1 as these things often make the best tests8 ,he says he can now and again4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,the questions that father asked about ',evinrude1' ',dartmoor1' and ',argonauts1' are all trivial1 but make good tests1 as father knows nothing about them4 ,yes1 ,raymond quite understands4 ,he is just as keen as you are to give those tests4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,ask ,raymond if the word ',evinrude' in connexion with a holiday trip reminds him of anything8 ,yes4 7,definitely47 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,and ',argonauts'8 ,yes4 7,definitely47 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,and ',dartmoor'8 ,yes4 7,definitely47 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,well1 don't answer the questions now1 but if father asks them again1 see if you can remember anything4 7,while ,alec was speaking1 ,feda was getting a message simultaneously3--7 ,he says something burst4 ,this is excellent for ,dartmoor1 but ,i knew it4--,a4 ,m4 ,l4 ,note ,c4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,tell ,raymond ,i am quite sure he gets things through occasionally1 but that ,i think often the meaning comes through altered1 and very often appears to be affected by the sitter4 ,it appears to me that they usually get what they expect4 ,raymond says1 ,i only wish they did6 ,but in a way you are right4 ,he is never able to give all he wishes4 ,sometimes only a word1 which often must appear quite disconnected4 ,often the word does not come from his mind2 he has no trace of it4 ,raymond says1 for this reason it is a good thing to try1 more1 to come and give something definite at home4 ,when you sit at the table1 he feels sure that what he wants to say is influenced by some one at the table4 ,some one is helping him1 some one at the table is guessing at the words4 ,he often starts a word1 but somebody finishes it4 ,he asked father to let you come and not say who you were2 he says it would have been a bit of fun4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,ask ,raymond if he can remember any characteristic things we used to talk about among ourselves8 ,yes4 ,he says you used to talk about cars4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,what you mean8 ,everybody talks about cars67 ,and singing4 ,he used to fancy he could sing4 ,he didn't sing hymns4 ,on ,thursday nights he has to sing hymns1 but they are not in his line4 ,on ,thursday nights ,i am told that a circle holds sittings for developing the direct voice at ,mrs4 ,leonard's1 and that they sing hymns4 ,paul and ,raymond have been said to join in4 ,cf4 near end of ,chapter ,,xvi1 p4 #bja4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,what used he to sing8 ,hello--,hullalo--sounds like ,hullulu--,hullulo4 ,something about ',hottentot'2 but he is going back a long way1 he thinks4 ,see note in ,appendix about this statement4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,an orange lady87 ,he says something about an orange lady4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,not what sold oranges87 ,no1 of course not4 ,he says a song extolling the virtues and beauties of an orange lady4 ,song3 ,my ,orange ,girl4 ,excellent4 ,the last song he bought4--,a4 ,m4 ,l4 ,and a funny song which starts ',,ma1' but ,feda can't see any more--like somebody's name4 ,also something about ',irish eyes4' ,see ,note ,d4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,are they really songs87 ,very much so4 7,a number of unimportant incidents were now mentioned47 ,he says it is somebody's birthday in ,january4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,it is4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,what's a beano8 ,whose birthday87 ,he won't say whose birthday4 ,he says1 ,he knows 7meaning ,a474 ,raymond's own birthday1 #be ,jan41 was understood4 7,more family talk47 ,yes1 he says he is going now4 ,he says the power is getting thin4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,wish him good luck from me1 ,feda4 ,love to all of them4 ,my love to you1 old chap4 ,just before ,i go3 ,don't ever any of you regret my going4 ,i believe ,i have got more to do than ,i could have ever done on the earth plane4 ,it is only a case of waiting1 and just meeting every one of you as you come across to him4 ,he is going now4 ,he says ,willie too--young ,willie4 ,his deceased brother4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,yes1 what8 ,proclivities87 ,oh1 he is only joking4 ,he says3 ,not ,willie of the weary proplic--propensities--that's it4 ,he is joking4 ,just as many jokes here as ever before4 ,even when singing hymns4 ,when he and ,paul are singing1 they do a funny dance with their arms4 7,showing a sort of cake-walk--moving arms up and down47 7,feda4--,it's a silly dance1 anyway47 ,good-bye1 and good luck4 ,characteristic2 see1 for instance1 a letter of his on page #da above4 ,i happen to have just seen another letter1 to ,brodie1 which concludes3 ,well1 good-bye1 ,brodie1 and good luck4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,yes1 he is going4 ,yes4 ,he is gone now1 yes4 ,do you want to say anything to ,feda8 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,yes1 thank you very much for all your help4 ,the messages are sometimes difficult1 but it is most important to try and give exactly what you hear1 and nothing more1 whether you understand it or not4 ,feda understands4 ,she only say exactly what she hear1 even though it is double-,dutch4 ,don't forget to give my love to them all4 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,good-bye1 ,feda4 7,shakes hands47 ,medium comes-to in about two or three minutes4 7,signed7 ,a4 ,m4 ,l4 #ba ,december #aiae ,all written out fair same evening4 ,part on way home1 and part after arriving1 without disturbance from seeing anybody4 ,,notes ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,on ,,the ,a4 ,m4 ,l4 ,,record ,this seems to have been a good average sitting2 it contains a few sufficiently characteristic remarks1 but not much evidential4 ,what is said about songs in it1 however1 is rather specially good4 ,in further explanation1 a few notes1 embodying more particular information obtained by me from the family when reading the sitting over to them1 may now be added3-- ,,note ,a ,the ',a and ,b' manifestly mean his brothers ,alec and ,brodie2 and there was a natural reason for bracketing them together1 inasmuch as they constitute the firm ,lodge ,brothers1 with which ,raymond was already to a large extent1 and hoped to be still more closely1 associated4 ,but there may have been a minor point in it1 since between ,alec and ,brodie long ago1 at their joint preparatory school1 there was a sort of joke1 of which ,raymond was aware1 about problems given in algebra and arithmetic books3 where1 for instance1 ,a buys so many dozen at some price1 and ,b buys some at another price2 the question being to compare their profits4 ,or where ,a does a piece of work in so many days1 and ,b does something else4 ,it is usually not at all obvious1 without working out1 which gets the better of it1 ,a or ,b2 and ,alec seems to have recognised1 in the manner of saying ,a and ,b1 some reference to old family chaff on this subject4 ,,note ,b ,the reference to a square piece of stuff1 cut with scissors1 suggests to his mother1 not the wool-work which she is doing like everybody else for soldiers1 but the cutting of a circular piece out of a ,raymond blanket that came back with his kit1 for the purpose of covering a round four-legged table which was subsequently used for sittings1 in order to keep it clean without its having to be dusted or otherwise touched by servants4 ,it is not distinct enough to be evidential1 however4 ,,note ,c ,about ,dartmoor1 he says something burst4 ,incidents referred to in a previous sitting1 when ,i was there alone1 were the running downhill1 clapping on brake1 and swirling round corners 7p4 #aef72 but all this was associated with1 and partly caused by1 the bursting of the silencer in the night after the hilly country had been reached4 ,and it was the fearful noise subsequent to the bursting of the silencer that the boys had expected him to remember4 ,,note ,d ,the best evidential thing1 however1 is on p4 #bab--;a reference to a song of his called ,my ,orange ,girl4 ,if the name of the song merely had been given1 though good enough1 it would not have been quite so good1 because the name of a song is common property4 ,but the particular mode of describing it1 in such a way as to puzzle ,feda1 namely1 an orange lady1 making her think rather of a market woman1 is characteristic of ,raymond--especially the sentence about extolling her virtues and beauties1 which is not at all appropriate to ,feda1 and is exactly like ,raymond4 ,so is ,willie of the weary proclivities4 ,the song ,irish ,eyes was also1 ,i find1 quite correct4 ,it seems to have been a comparatively recent song1 which he had sung several times4 ,again1 the song described thus by ,feda3-- ,a funny song which starts ,ma4 ,but ,feda can't see any more--like somebody's name4 ,i find that the letters ,m ,a were pronounced separately--not as a word4 ,to me the ,,ma had suggested one of those nigger songs about ',ma ,honey'--the kind of song which may have been indicated by the word ',hottentot' above4 ,but1 at a later table sitting at ,mariemont1 he was asked what song he meant by the letters ,m ,a1 and then he spelt out clearly the name ',maggie4' ,this song was apparently unknown to those at the table1 but was recognised by ,norah1 who was in the room1 though not at the table1 as a still more recent song of ,raymond's1 about ,maggie ,magee4 7,see ,appendix also47 ,,appendix ,,to ,,sitting ,,of #ba ,,december #aiae 7,,written #c ,,months ,,later7 7,dictated by ,o4 ,j4 ,l41 #ab ,april #aiaf47 ,last night the family were singing over some songs1 and came across one which is obviously the one referred to in the above sitting of ,a4 ,m4 ,l4 with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 held nearly four months ago1 of which a portion ran thus 7just before the reference to ,orange ,girl73-- ,a4 ,m4 ,l4--,what used he to sing8 ,hello--,hullalo--sounds like ,hullulu1--,hullulo4 ,something about ',hottentot'2 but he is going back a long way1 he thinks4 ,references to other songs known to the family followed1 but this reference to an unknown song was vaguely remembered by the family as a puzzle2 and it existed in ,a4 ,m4 ,l4's mind as a song about ',honolulu1'--this being apparently the residual impression produced by the ',hullulu' in combination with ',hottentot'2 but no ,honolulu song was known4 ,a forgotten and overlooked song has now 7#aa ,april #aiaf7 turned up1 which is marked in pencil ,r4 ,l4 #c4c4d41 i4e4 #c ,march #aijd1 which corresponds to his going back a long way--to a time1 in fact1 when he was only fifteen4 ,it is called1 ,my ,southern ,maid2 and although no word about ',honolulu' occurs in the printed version1 one of the verses has been altered in ,raymond's writing in pencil2 and that alteration is the following absurd introduction to a noisy chorus3-- ,any little flower from a tulip to a rose1 ,if you'll be ,mrs4 ,john ,james ,brown ,of ,hon-o-lu-la-lu-la town4 ,until these words were sung last night1 nobody seems to have remembered the song ,my ,southern ,maid1 and there appears to be no reason for associating it with the word ',honolulu' or any similar sound1 so far as public knowledge was concerned1 or apart from ,raymond's alterations4 ,alec calls attention to the fact that1 in answer to his question about songs1 no songs were mentioned which were not actually ,raymond's songs2 and that those which were mentioned were not those he was expecting4 ,furthermore1 that if he had thought of these songs he would have thought of them by their ordinary titles1 such as ,my ,orange ,girl and ,my ,southern ,maid2 though the latter he had forgotten altogether4 7,a sort of disconnected sequel to this song episode occurred some months later1 as reported in ,chapter ,,xxiii47 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,private ,,sittings ,,at ,,mariemont ,it had been several times indicated that ,raymond wanted to come into the family circle at home1 and that ,honor1 whom he often refers to as ,h41 would be able to help him4 ,attempted private sittings of this kind were referred to by ,raymond through ,london mediums1 and he gave instruction as to procedure1 as already reported 7pp4 #afj and #aij74 ,after a time some messages were received1 and family communications without any outside medium have gradually become easy4 ,records were at first carefully kept1 but ,i do not report them1 because clearly it is difficult to regard anything thus got as evidential4 ,at the same time1 the naturalness of the whole1 and the ready way in which family jokes were entered into and each new-comer recognised and welcomed appropriately1 were very striking4 ,a few incidents1 moreover1 were really of an evidential character1 and these must be reported in due course4 ,but occasionally the table got rather rampageous and had to be quieted down4 ,sometimes1 indeed1 both the table and things like flower-pots got broken4 ,after these more violent occasions1 ,raymond volunteered the explanation1 through mediums in ,london1 that he couldn't always control it1 and that there was a certain amount of skylarking1 not on our side1 which he tried to prevent 7see pp4 #ahb1 #aid and #bgc72 though in certain of the surprising mechanical demonstrations1 and1 so to speak1 tricks1 which certainly seemed beyond the normal power of anyone touching the table1 he appeared to be decidedly interested1 and was represented as desirous of repeating a few of the more remarkable ones for my edification4 ,i do not1 however1 propose to report in this book concerning any purely physical phenomena4 ,they require a more thorough treatment4 ,suffice it to say that the movements were not only intelligent1 but were sometimes1 though very seldom1 such as apparently could not be accomplished by any normal application of muscular force1 however unconsciously such force might be exerted by anyone--it might only be a single person--left in contact with the table4 ,a family sitting with no medium present is quite different from one held with a professional or indeed any outside medium4 ,information is freely given about the doings of the family2 and the general air is that of a family conversation2 because1 of course1 in fact1 no one but the family is present4 ,at any kind of sitting the conversation is rather one-sided1 but whereas with a medium the sitter is reticent1 and the communicator is left to do nearly all the talking1 in a family group the sitters are sometimes voluble2 while the ostensible control only occasionally takes the trouble to spell out a sentence1 most of his activity consisting in affirmation and negation and rather effective dumb show4 ,i am reluctant to print a specimen of these domestic chats1 though it seems necessary to give some account of them4 ,on ,christmas ,day1 #aiae1 the family had a long table sitting4 ,it was a friendly and jovial meeting1 with plenty of old songs interspersed1 which he seemed thoroughly to enjoy and1 as it were1 'conduct'2 but for publication ,i think it will be better to select something shorter1 and ,i find a description written by one to whom such things were quite new except by report--a lady who had been governess in the family for many years1 when even the elder children were small1 and long before ,raymond was born4 ,this lady1 ,miss ,f4 ,a4 ,wood1 commonly called ',woodie' from old times1 happened to be staying on a visit to ,mariemont in ,march #aiaf1 and was present at two or three of the family sittings4 ,she was much interested in her first experience1 and wrote an account immediately afterwards1 which1 as realistically giving the impression of a witness1 ,i have obtained her permission to copy here4 ,at this date the room was usually considerably darkened for a sitting2 but even partial darkness was unnecessary1 and was soon afterwards dispensed with1 especially as it interfered with easy reading of music at the piano4 ,table ,sitting in the ,drawing-room at ,mariemont1 ,thursday1 #b ,march #aiaf1 about #f p4m4 ,sitters--,,lady ,,lodge1 ,,norah1 and ,,woodie2 later1 ,,honor ,report by ,miss ,f4 ,a4 ,wood ,as it was the first time that ,i had ever been at a sitting of any kind1 ,i shall put down the details as fully as ,i can remember them4 ,the only light in the room was from the gas-fire1 a large one1 so that we could see each other and things in the room fairly distinctly2 the table used at this time was a rather small octagonal one1 though weighty for its size1 with strong centre stem1 supported on three short legs1 top like a chess-board4 ,lady ,lodge sat with her back to window looking on to drive1 ,norah with back to windows looking on to tennis-lawn1 and ,i1 ,woodie1 had my back to the sofa4 ,as we were about to sit down1 ,lady ,lodge said3 ,we always say a little prayer first4 ,i had hoped that she intended to pray aloud for us all1 but she did it silently1 so ,i did the same1 having been upstairs before and done this also4 ,for some time nothing whatever happened4 ,i only felt that the table was keeping my hands extremely cold4 ,after about half an hour1 ,lady ,lodge said3 ,i don't think that anyone is coming to-night2 we will wait just a little longer1 and then go4 ,,lady ,,lodge4--,is anyone here to-night to speak to us8 ,do come if you can1 because we want to show ,woodie what a sitting is like4 ,raymond1 dear1 do you think you could come to us8 7,no answer47 ,during the half-hour before ,lady ,lodge asked any questions ,i had felt every now and then a curious tingling in my hands and fingers1 and then a much stronger drawing sort of feeling through my hands and arms1 which caused the table to have a strange intermittent trembling sort of feeling1 though it was not a movement of the whole table4 ,another 'feeling' was as if a 'bubble' of the table came up1 and tapped gently on the palm of my left hand4 ,at first ,i only felt it once2 after a short interval three times2 then a little later about twelve times4 ,and once 7,i shall not be able to explain this7 ,i felt rather than heard a faint tap in the centre of the table 7away from people's hands74 ,nearly every time ,i felt these queer movements ,lady ,lodge asked1 ,did you move1 ,woodie8 ,i had certainly not done so consciously1 and said so1 and while ,i was feeling that 'drawing' feeling through hands and arms1 ,i said nothing myself1 till ,lady ,lodge and ,norah both said1 ,what is the table doing8 ,it has never done like this before4 ,then ,i told of my strange feelings in hands and arms1 etc4 ,lady ,lodge said it must be due to nerves1 or muscles1 or something of the sort4 ,these strange feelings did not last long at a time1 and generally1 but not always1 they came after ,lady ,lodge had asked questions 7to some one on the other side74 ,after a bit1 when the 'feelings' had gone from me at least1 ,lady ,lodge suggested ,norah's going for ,honor1 who came1 but said on first sitting down that the table felt dead1 and she did not think that anyone was there4 ,,lady ,l4--,is anyone coming8 ,we should be so pleased if anyone could2 we have been sitting here some time very patiently4 ,nothing happened for a bit1 and ,lady ,lodge said1 ,i don't think it is any good4 ,but ,i said1 ,oh1 do wait a little longer1 that tingling feeling is coming back again4 ,and ,honor said1 ,yes1 ,i think there is something4 ,and then the table began to move1 and ,lady ,lodge asked3-- ,,lady ,l4--,raymond1 darling1 is that you8 7,the table rocked three times47 ,,lady ,l4--,that is good of you1 because ,woodie did so want you to come4 7,the table rocked to and fro with a pleased motion1 most difficult to express on paper47 ,,woodie4--,do you think that ,i have any power8 ,,no4 ,personally1 ,i do not feel so sure of this4 ,after the sitting and during it1 ,i felt there might be a possibility4--,woodie4 ,,lady ,l4--,lorna has gone to nurse the soldiers1 night duty4 ,they are typhoid patients1 and ,i do not like it4 ,do you think it will do her any harm8 ,,no4 ,,lady ,l4--,do you like her doing this8 ,,yes4 ,,lady ,l4--,you are rocking like a rocking-horse4 ,do you remember the rocking-horse at ,newcastle8 ,,yes4 ,,lady ,l4--,can you give its name8 7,they went through the alphabet1 and it spelt out3--7 ,,prince4 ,it used to be called ,archer ,prince4 7,soon after this the table began to show signs of restlessness1 and ,honor said3 ,i expect he wants to send a message4 ,so ,lady ,lodge said3--7 ,,lady ,l4--,do you want to send a message8 ,,yes4 ,,honor4--,well1 we're all ready2 start away4 ,,yourlovetomyrtypekill4 ,,honor4--,raymond1 that is wrong1 isn't it8 ,was ,your love to my right8 ,,yes4 ,,honor4--,very well1 we will start from there4 7,the message then ran3-- ,,your ,,love ,,to ,,my ,,little ,,sister4 ,before the whole of 'sister' was made out1 he showed great delight2 and when the message was repeated to him in full to see if it was right1 he was so pleased1 and showed it so vigorously1 that he1 and we1 all laughed together4 ,i could never have believed how real the feeling would be of his presence amongst us47 ,,lady ,l4--,do you mean ,lily8 ,,yes4 ,,lady ,l4--,is she here8 ,,yes4 ,,lady ,l4--,are you here in the room8 ,,yes4 ,,lady ,l4--,can ,lily see us8 ,,no4 ,,lady ,l4--,lily1 darling1 your mother does love you so dearly4 ,i have wanted to send you my love4 ,i shall come to see you some time1 and then we shall be so happy1 my dear1 dear little girl4 ,thank you very much for coming to help ,raymond1 and coming to the table sometimes1 till he can come himself4 ,my love to you1 darling1 and to ,brother ,bill1 too4 7,raymond seemed very pleased when ,brother ,bill was mentioned47 7,the table now seemed to wish to get into ,lady ,lodge's lap1 and made most caressing movements to and fro1 and seemed as if it could not get close enough to her4 ,soon we realised that he was wanting to go1 so we asked him if this was so1 and he said3--7 ,,yes4 7,so we said 'good night' to him1 and after giving two rather slight movements1 which ,i gather is what he generally does just as he is going1 we said 'good night' once more1 and came away47 7,signed7 ,,woodie ,one other family sitting1 a still shorter one1 may be quoted as a specimen also2 though out of place4 ,a question asked was suggested by something reported on page #bcj4 ,it appears that ,miss ,wood was still here1 but that on this occasion she was not one of those that touched the table4 ,at this date the table generally used happened to be a chess-table with centre pillar and three claw feet4 ,after this table and another one had got broken during the more exuberant period of these domestic sittings1 before the power had got under control1 a stronger and heavier round table with four legs was obtained1 and employed only for this purpose4 ,table ,sitting in the ,drawing-,room at ,mariemont1 #i p4m41 ,monday1 #ag ,april #aiaf ,,report ,,by ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,music going on in the drawing-room at ,mariemont4 ,the girls 7four of them7 and ,alec singing at the piano4 ,woodie and ,honor and ,i sitting at the other end of the room4 ,lionel in the large chair4 ,the ,shakespeare ,society was meeting in the house1 and at that time having coffee in the dining-room1 so ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 was not with us4 ,woodie thought ,raymond was in the room and would like to hear the singing1 but ,honor thought it too late to begin with the table1 as we should shortly be going into the dining-room4 ,however1 ,i got the table ready near the piano1 and ,honor came to it1 and the instant she placed her hands on it1 it began to rock4 ,i put my hands on too4 ,we asked if it was ,raymond1 and if he had been waiting1 and he said3-- ,,yes4 ,he seemed to wish to listen to the music1 and kept time with it gently4 ,and after a song was over that he liked1 he very distinctly and decidedly applauded4 ,lionel came 7,i think at ,raymond's request7 and sat at the table with us4 ,it was determined to edge itself close to the piano1 though we said we must pull it back1 and did so4 ,but it would go there1 and thumped ,barbie1 who was playing the piano1 in time to the music4 ,alec took one of the black satin cushions and held it against her as a buffer4 ,the table continued to bang1 and made a little hole in the cushion4 ,it then edged itself along the floor1 where for a minute or two it could make a sound on the boards beyond the carpet4 ,then it seemed to be feeling about with one foot 7it has three74 ,it found a corner of the skirting board1 where it could lodge one foot about #f inches from the ground4 ,it then raised the other three level with it1 in the air2 and this it did many times1 seeming delighted with its new trick4 ,it then laid itself down on the ground1 and we asked if we should help it and lift it up1 but it banged a ,,no on the floor1 and raised itself a little several times without having the strength to get up4 ,it lifted itself quite a foot from the ground1 and was again asked if we might not lift it1 but it again banged once for ,,no4 ,but ,lionel then said3-- ,,lionel4--,well1 ,pat1 my hand is in a most uncomfortable position2 won't you let me put the table up8 ,it at once banged three times for ,,yes4 ,so we raised it4 ,i then said3-- ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,raymond1 ,i want to ask you a question as a test3 ,what is the name of the sphere on which you are living8 ,i did this1 because others beside ,raymond have said1 through ,mrs4 ,leonard1 that they were living on the third sphere1 and that it was called ',summerland1' so ,i thought it might be an idea of the medium's4#bf ,i don't much like these 'sphere' messages1 and don't know whether they mean anything2 but ,i assume that 'sphere' may mean condition1 or state of development4 ,we took the alphabet1 and the answer came at once3-- ,,summerrlodge4 ,we asked1 after the second ,r1 if there was not some mistake2 and again when ,o came1 instead of the ,a we had expected for ',summerland4' ,but he said ,no4 ,so we went on1 though ,i thought it was hopelessly wrong1 and ceased to follow4 ,i felt sure it was mere muddle4 ,so my surprise was the greater when the note-taker read out1 ',summer ,r4 ,lodge1' and ,i found he had signed his name to it1 to show1 ,i suppose1 that it was his own statement1 and not ,feda's4 ,lorna reports that the impression made upon them was that ,raymond knew they had been expecting one ending1 and that he was amused at having succeeded in giving them another4 ,they enjoyed the joke together1 and the table shook as if laughing4 ,we talked to him a little after this1 and ,alec and ,nol put their hands on the table1 and we said good night4 ,it is only necessary to add that the mechanical movements here described are not among those which1 on page #bah1 ,i referred to as physically unable to be done by muscular effort on the part of anyone whose hands are only on the table top4 ,i am not in this book describing any cases of that sort4 ,whatever was the cause of the above mechanical trick movements1 which were repeated on a subsequent occasion for my observation1 the circumstances were not strictly evidential4 ,i ought to say1 however1 that most certainly ,i am sure that no conscious effort was employed by anyone present4 ,illustration3 ,,mariemont ,illustration3 ,,raymond ,,and ,,brodie ,,with ,,the ,,pigeons ,,at ,,mariemont ,,warning ,it may be well to give a word of warning to those who find that they possess any unusual power in the psychic direction1 and to counsel regulated moderation in its use4 ,every power can be abused1 and even the simple faculty of automatic writing can with the best intentions be misapplied4 ,self-control is more important than any other form of control1 and whoever possesses the power of receiving communications in any form should see to it that he remains master of the situation4 ,to give up your own judgement and depend solely on adventitious aid is a grave blunder1 and may in the long run have disastrous consequences4 ,moderation and common sense are required in those who try to utilise powers which neither they nor any fully understand1 and a dominating occupation in mundane affairs is a wholesome safeguard4 ,footnote #bf3 ,the statement will be found on page #bcj1 in the record of a sitting preceding this in date4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,a ,,few ,,more ,,records1 ,,with ,,some ,,unverifiable ,,matter ,after ,christmas ,i had proposed to drop the historical order and make selections as convenient1 but ,i find that sequence must to some extent be maintained1 because of the inter-locking of sittings with different mediums and development generally4 ,i shall1 however1 only preserve historical order so far as it turns out useful or relevant1 and will content myself with reporting that on #c ,january #aiaf ,raymond's eldest sister1 ,violet 7the one married to the ',rowland' that he mentioned through ,feda71 had a good sitting with him1 and was not only recognised easily1 but knowledge was shown of much that she had been doing1 and of what she was immediately planning to do4 ,reference was also made by ,raymond to what he called his special room in her house 7p4 #de72 and1 later1 he said that that room was bare of furniture1 which it was4 ,and at some of the sittings now1 deceased friends1 not relatives1 were brought by ,raymond1 and gave notable evidence both to us and to other people2 especially to parents in some cases1 to widows in others2 some of which may perhaps be partially reported hereafter4 ,i propose now to pass on to some unverifiable matter 7see ,chapters ,,xii and ,,xvi71 and especially to a strange and striking sitting which ,lady ,lodge had with ,mrs4 ,leonard on #d ,february #aiaf4 ,this may as well be reported almost in full1 in spite of unimportant and introductory portions1 since it seems fairer to give the context1 especially of unverifiable matter4 ,but ,i feel bound to say that there is divergence of opinion as to whether this particular record ought to be published or not4 ,i can only say that ,i recognise the responsibility1 and hope that ,i am right in partially accepting it4 ,non-,evidential ,sitting of ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 with ,mrs4 ,leonard at her ,house on ,friday1 #d ,february #aiaf1 from #h4cj p4m4 to #aa4aj p4m4 7,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 alone47 ,feda4--,oh1 it's ,miss ,olive6 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,so glad to meet you1 ,feda6 ,feda love you and ,soliver best of all4 ,s,lionel and ,s,alec too she love very much4 ,yaymond is here4 ,he has been all over the place with ,paulie1 to all sorts of places to the mediums1 to try and get poor boys into touch with their mothers4 ,some are very jealous of those who succeed4 ,they try to get to their mothers1 and they can't--they are shut out4 ,they make me feel as though ,i could cry to see them4 ,we explain that their mothers and fathers don't know about communicating4 ,they say1 why don't they all go to mediums8 ,yaymond say1 it makes me wonder too4 ,he say1 he was telling ,feda1 it was awful funny the things some of them did--it has a funny side1 going to see the mediums4 ,you see1 ,paul and he couldn't help having a joke2 they are boys themselves1 laughing over funny things4 ,he says he was listening to ,paul1 and he was describing the drawing-room at home4 7,a good description was now given of the drawing-room at ,mariemont1 which the medium had never seen47 ,feda sees flowers2 they're ,feda's1 not ,gladys's4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 had brought flowers for ,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,don't you have flowers1 then8 ,yes1 lots of flowers4 ,but ,feda like to have them in ,gladys's room4 ,apparently this must be ,mrs4 ,leonard's name4 ,there's a lot in prayer4 ,prayer keeps out evil things1 and keeps nice clean conditions4 ,raymond says1 keeps out devils4 ,mother1 ,i don't want to talk about material things1 but to satisfy anxiety4 ,i was very uneasy on ,monday night4 ,i tried to come near1 but there was a band round me4 ,we were all there4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,the ,zeppelins did come on ,monday night1 but they did not touch us4 ,we went to bed and didn't worry about them4 ,he says1 they worked in a circular way1 east and south of you4 ,awful6 ,he hoped it wouldn't upset you2 he didn't want them to come too close4 ,i know you're not nervous1 but ,i fear for you4 ,if he'd been on the earth plane1 he'd have been flying home4 ,he says ,new ,street was the mark4 ,some one called ',m4' sent you a message through ,mrs4 ,f4 7871 and wanted her dearest love given4 ,she's had to be away rather from the earth plane for some time1 but he actually has seen ,m4 several times4 ,conditions of war have brought her back4 ,she had progressed a good way4 ,she wondered if you realised it was not her will to leave you so long1 but progression4 ,she belongs to a higher plane4 ,m4 knew something about this before she passed on1 though perhaps it makes it easier to be always communicating4 ,some friends will know for whom this is intended--a great friend of our and many other children4 ,she had had one sitting with ,mrs4 ,piper at ,mariemont1 not a good one4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,her life on the earth plane made it easier for her to go on quickly after she passed out4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,what you say87 ,m4 says1 it will be a test1 that she was with his father at a medium's1 where she saw a control named ,alice ,anne1 a little girl control2 she didn't speak to ,soliver1 but was with him at the medium's4 ,the old ,scotch girl what ,paulie calls her2 old ,scotch lady--same thing4 ,this is correct about a sitting with ,miss ,mc,creadie1 when this ',m4' had unmistakably sent messages through ,miss ,mc,c4's usual control4-- ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 7,added later47 ,some friends will be interested in this lady1--a really beautiful character1 with initials ,m4 ,n4 ,w41--so ,i record something that came through from ,feda on a much later occasion--in ,july #aiaf3-- ,raymond's got rather a young lady with him4 ,not the sister who passed away a little baby4 ,but she's young--she looks twenty-four or twenty-five4 ,she's rather slender1 rather pretty4 ,brown hair1 oval face4 ,not awful handsome1 but got a nice expression4 ,she's very nice1 and comes from a high sphere4 ,she's able to come close to-night1 but can't always come4 ,name begins with an ,m4 ,and she says1 ,don't think that because she didn't come1 she didn't want to come4 ,she had to keep away for so long4 ,it was necessary for her to stay away from the earth for a while1 because she had work in high spheres for three years1 and it's difficult for her to come through4 ,good1 good--something about the lady1 lady--two people1 she says4 ,lady and good man4 ,feda ought to remember it--a lady and good man4 ,between them ,soliver and her1 ,soliver and ,miss ,olive1 and her4 ,lady and good man and ,m4 ,she must have been very good on the earth plane1 she wasn't ordinary at all4 ,quite unusual and very very good4 ,you can tell that by what she looks like now4 ,she brings a lot of flowers--pansies1 not quite pansies1 flower like a pansy1 and not quite a pansy4 ,heartsease1 that's what it is4 ,she brings lots of those to you4 ,she brought a lot of them when ,raymond wented over there4 ,but not for very long1 she didn't--they wasn't wanted very long4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,record of ,february #d--;continued ,he said about some one1 that she'd gone right on to a very high sphere indeed1 as near celestial as could possibly be4 ,his sister1 he says--can't get her name4 ,he means ,lily1 presumably4 ,he says ,william had gone on too1 a good way1 but not too far to come to him4 ,his brother4 ,those who are fond of you never go too far to come back to you--sometimes too far to communicate1 never too far to meet you when you pass over4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,that's so comforting1 darling4 ,i don't want to hold you back4 ,you gravitate here to the ones you're fond of4 ,those you're not fond of1 if you meet them in the street1 you don't bother yourself to say 'how-do-you-do4' ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,there are streets1 then8 ,yes4 ,he was pleased to see streets and houses4 ,at one time1 ,i thought it might be created by one's own thoughts4 ,you gravitate to a place you are fitted for4 ,mother1 there's no judge and jury1 you just gravitate1 like to like4 ,i've seen some boys pass on who had nasty ideas and vices4 ,they go to a place ,i'm very glad ,i didn't have to go to1 but it's not hell exactly4 ,more like a reformatory--it's a place where you're given a chance1 and when you want to look for something better1 you're given a chance to have it4 ,they gravitate together1 but get so bored4 ,learn to help yourself1 and immediately you'll be helped4 ,very like your world2 only no unfairness1 no injustice--a common law operating for each and every one4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,are all of the same rank and grade8 ,rank doesn't count as a virtue4 ,high rank comes by being virtuous4 ,those who have been virtuous have to pass through lower rank to understand things4 ,all go on to the astral first1 just for a little4 ,he doesn't remember being on the astral himself4 ,he thinks where he is now1 he's about third4 ,summerland--,homeland1 some call it4 ,it is a very happy medium4 ,the very highest can come to visit you4 ,it is just sufficiently near the earth plane to be able to get to those on earth4 ,he thinks you have the best of it there1 so far as he can see4 ,mother1 ,i went to a gorgeous place the other day4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,where was it8 ,goodness knows6 ,i was permitted1 so that ,i might see what was going on in the ,highest ,sphere4 ,generally the ,high ,spirits come to us4 ,i wonder if ,i can tell you what it looked like6 ,until the case for survival is considered established1 it is thought improper and unwise to relate an experience of a kind which may be imagined1 in a book dealing for the most part with evidential matter4 ,so ,i have omitted the description here1 and the brief reported utterance which followed4 ,i think it fair1 however1 to quote the record so far as it refers to the youth's own feelings1 because otherwise the picture would be incomplete and one-sided1 and he might appear occupied only with comparatively frivolous concerns4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i felt exalted1 purified1 lifted up4 ,i was kneeling4 ,i couldn't stand up1 ,i wanted to kneel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mother1 ,i thrilled from head to foot4 ,he didn't come near me1 and ,i didn't feel ,i wanted to go near him4 ,didn't feel ,i ought4 ,the ,voice was like a bell4 ,i can't tell you what he was dressed or robed in4 ,all seemed a mixture of shining colours4 ,no good2 can you imagine what ,i felt like when he put those beautiful rays on to me8 ,i don't know what ,i've ever done that ,i should have been given that wonderful experience4 ,i never thought of such a thing being possible1 not at any rate for years1 and years1 and years4 ,no one could tell what ,i felt1 ,i can't explain it4 ,will they understand it8 ,i know father and you will1 but ,i want the others to try4 ,i can't put it into words4 ,i didn't walk1 ,i had to be taken back to ,summerland1 ,i don't know what happened to me4 ,if you could faint with delight6 ,weren't those beautiful words8 ,i've asked if ,christ will go and be seen by everybody2 but was told1 ,not quite in the same sense as you saw ,him4 ,i was told ,christ was always in spirit on earth--a sort of projection1 something like those rays1 something of him in every one4 ,people think he is a ,spirit1 walking about in a particular place4 ,christ is everywhere1 not as a personality4 ,there is a ,christ1 and ,he lives on the higher plane1 and that is the one ,i was permitted to see4 ,there was more given me in that beautiful message2 ,i can't remember it all4 ,he said the whole of it1 nearly and word for word1 of what ,i've given you4 ,you see from that ,i'm given a mission to do1 helping near the earth plane4444 ,shall ,i tell you why ,i'm so glad that is my work1 given me by the ,highest ,authority of all6 ,first of all1 ,i'm proud to do ,his work1 no matter what it is2 but the great thing is1 ,i can be near you and father4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,if we can only be worthy6 ,you are both doing it1 every bit you can4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,well1 ,i'm getting to love people more than ,i used to do4 ,i have learnt over here1 that every one is not for you4 ,if not in affinity1 let them go1 and be with those you do like4 ,mother1 will they think ,i'm kind of puffing myself up or humbugging8 ,it's so wonderful1 will they be able to understand that it's just ,raymond that's been through this8 ,no ,sunday school4 ,i treasured it up to give you to-night4 ,i put it off because ,i didn't know if ,i could give it in the right words that would make them feel like ,i feel--or something like4 ,isn't it a comfort8 ,you and father think it well over4 ,i didn't ask for work to be near the earth plane6 ,i thought that things would be made right4 ,but think of it being given me1 the work ,i should have prayed for6 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,then you're nearer8 ,much nearer6 ,i was bound to be drawn 7874 ,so beautiful to think1 now ,i can honestly stay near the earth plane4 ,eventually1 instead of going up by degrees1 ,i shall take1 as ,feda has been promised1 a jump4 ,and when you and father come1 you will be on one side1 and father on the other4 ,we shall be a while in ,summerland1 just to get used to conditions4 ,he says very likely we shall be wanted to keep an eye on the others4 ,he means brothers and sisters4 ,i can't tell you how pleased ,i feel--'pleased' is a poor word6 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,about what1 my dear8 ,about being very near the earth plane4 ,i've pressed on1 getting used to conditions here1 and yet when ,i went into the ,presence ,i was overawed4 ,how can people4444 ,it made me wish1 in the few seconds ,i was able to think of anything1 that ,i had led one of the purest lives imaginable4 ,if there's any little tiny thing ,i've ever done1 it would stand out like a mountain4 ,i didn't have much time to think1 but ,i did feel in that few seconds4444 ,i felt when ,i found myself back in ,summerland that ,i was charged with something--some wonderful power4 ,as if ,i could stop rivers1 move mountains2 and so wonderfully glad4 ,he says1 don't bother yourself about trying to like people you've got an antipathy for1 it's waste of you4 ,keep love for those who want it1 don't throw it away on those who don't2 it's like giving things to over-fed people when hungry chaps are standing by4 ,do you know that ,i can feel my ideas altering1 somehow4 ,i feel more naturally in tune with conditions very far removed from the earth plane2 yet ,i like to go round with ,paul1 and have fun1 and enjoy myself4 ,after that wonderful experience1 ,i asked some one if it wasn't stupid to like to have fun and go with the others4 ,but they said that if you've got a work to do on the earth plane1 you're not to have all the black side1 you are allowed to have the lighter side too1 sunshine and shadow4 ,one throws the other up1 and makes you better able to judge the value of each4 ,there are places on my sphere where they can listen to beautiful music when they choose4 ,everybody1 even here1 doesn't care for music1 so it's not in my sphere compulsory4 ,he likes music and singing1 but wouldn't like to live in the middle of it always1 he can go and hear it if he wants to1 he is getting more fond of it than he was4 ,mr4 ,myers was very pleased4 ,he says1 you know it isn't always the parsons1 not always the parsons1 that go highest first4 ,it isn't what you professed1 it's what you've done4 ,if you have not believed definitely in life after death1 but have tried to do as much as you could1 and led a decent life1 and have left alone things you don't understand1 that's all that's required of you4 ,considering how simple it is1 you'd think everybody would have done it1 but very few do4 ,on our side1 we expect a few years will make a great difference in the conditions of people on the earth plane4 ,in five years1 ever so many more will be wanting to know about the life to come1 and how they shall live on the earth plane so that they shall have a pretty good life when they pass on4 ,they'll do it1 if only as a wise precaution4 ,but the more they know1 the higher lines people will be going on4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,did you see me reading the sitting to your father8 ,i'm going to stop father from feeling tired4 ,chap with red feather helping4 ,isn't it wonderful that ,i can be near you and father8 ,some people ask me1 are you pleased with where your body lies8 ,i tell them ,i don't care a bit1 ,i've no curiosity about my body now4 ,it's like an old coat that ,i've done with1 and hope some one will dispose of it4 ,i don't want flowers on my body4 ,flowers in house1 in ,raymond's home4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,can he tell the kind of flowers ,i put for him on his birthday8 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,try and tell ,feda47 ,doesn't seem able to get it4 ,don't think he knew4 ,i can't get it through4 ,don't think ,i don't appreciate them4 ,sees some yellow and some white4 ,he thinks it is some power he takes from the medium which makes for him a certain amount of physical sight4 ,he can't see properly4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,can he tell me where ,i got the flowers from for his birthday8 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,flowers doesn't grow now4 ,winter here67 ,yes1 they do4 ,thinks they came from home4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,try and tell me any little thing47 ,he means they came from his own garden4 ,yes1 they did4 ,it was yellow jasmine1 cut from the garden at ,mariemont4--,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,paul's worried 'cos medium talk like book4 ,paul calls ,feda ',imp4' ,raymond sometimes calls ,feda ',illustrious ,one4' ,i think ,yaymond laughing6 ,always pretending ,feda very little1 and that they've lost ,feda1 afraid of walking on her1 but ,feda pinches them sometimes1 pretend they've trodden on ,feda4 ,but ,feda just as tall as lots of ,englishes4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,isn't ,feda tired now8 ,no4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,i think ,raymond must be4 ,well1 power is going4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,anyhow1 ,i must go4 ,some one perhaps of your brothers will come soon4 ,i want no heralds or flourish of trumpets1 let them come and see if ,i can get through to them4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--7,i here said something about myself1 ,i forget2 ,i think it was about being proud47 ,if ,i see any signs1 ,i'll take you in hand at once2 it shall be nipped in the bud6 ,good night4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,do you sleep8 ,well1 ,i doze4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,do you have rain8 ,well1 you can go to a place where rain is4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,do you know that your father is having all the sittings bound together in a book8 ,it will be very interesting to see how ,i change as ,i go on4 ,good night4 ,,note ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,it must be remembered that all this1 though reported in the first person1 really comes through ,feda2 and though her style and grammar improve in the more serious portions1 due allowance must be made for this fact4 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,two ,,rather ,,evidential ,,sittings ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,on #c ,,march #aiaf ,on the morning of #c ,march ,i had a sitting in ,mrs4 ,kennedy's house with a ,mrs4 ,clegg1 a fairly elderly dame whose peculiarity is that she allows direct control by the communicator more readily than most mediums do4 ,mrs4 ,kennedy has had ,mrs4 ,clegg two or three times to her house1 and ,paul has learnt how to control her pretty easily1 and is able to make very affectionate demonstrations and to talk through the organs of the medium1 though in rather a jerky and broken way4 ,she accordingly kindly arranged an anonymous sitting for me4 ,the sitting began with sudden clairvoyance1 which was unexpected4 ,it was a genuine though not a specially successful sitting1 and it is worth partially reporting because of the reference to it which came afterwards through another medium1 on the evening of the same day2 making a simple but exceptionally clear and natural cross-correspondence3-- ,anonymous ,sitting of ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 with ,mrs4 ,clegg ,at #aa4ae a4m4 on ,friday1 #c ,march #aiaf1 ,i arrived at ,mrs4 ,kennedy's1 went up and talked to her in the drawing-room till nearly #aa4cj1 when ,mrs4 ,clegg arrived4 ,she came into the room while ,i was seeing to the fire1 spoke to ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 and said1 ,oh1 is this the gentleman that ,i am to sit with8 ,she was then given a seat in front of the fire1 being asked to get quiet after her omnibus journey4 ,but she had hardly seated herself before she said3-- ,oh1 this room is so full of people2 oh1 some one so eager to come6 ,i hear some one say ',sir ,oliver ,lodge4' ,do you know anyone of that name8 ,i said1 yes1 ,i know him4 ,mrs4 ,kennedy got up to darken the room slightly1 and ,mrs4 ,clegg ejaculated3-- ,who is ,raymond1 ,raymond1 ,raymond8 ,he is standing close to me4 ,she was evidently going off into a trance1 so we moved her chair back farther from the fire1 and without more preparation she went off4 ,for some time1 however1 nothing further happened1 except contortions1 struggling to get speech1 rubbings of the back as if in some pain or discomfort there1 and a certain amount of gasping for breath4 ,mrs4 ,kennedy came to try and help1 and to give power4 ,she knelt by her side and soothed her4 ,i sat and waited4 ,presently the utterance was distinguished as1 ,help me1 where's the doctor8 ,after a time1 with ,k4 ,k4's help1 the control seemed to get a little clearer1 and the words1 ,so glad2 father2 love to mother2 so glad1 frequently repeated in an indistinct and muffled tone of voice1 were heard1 followed by1 ,love to all of them4 ,nothing was put down at the time1 for there seemed nothing to record--it seemed only preliminary effort2 and in so far as anything was said1 it consisted merely of simple messages of affection1 and indications of joy at being able to come through1 and of disappointment at not being able to do better4 ,the medium1 however1 went through a good deal of pantomime1 embracing me1 stroking my arm1 patting my knees1 and sometimes stroking my head1 sometimes also throwing her arms round me and giving the impression of being overjoyed1 but unable to speak plainly4 ,then other dumb show was begun4 ,he seemed to be thinking of the things in his kit1 or things which had been in his possession1 and trying to enumerate them4 ,he indicated that his revolver had not come back1 and that in his diary the last page was not written up4 ,i promised to complete it4 ,after a time1 utterance being so difficult1 ,i gave the medium a pad and pencil1 and asked for writing4 ,the writing was large and sprawly1 single words3 ',captain' among them4 ,while ,raymond was speaking1 and at intervals1 the medium kept flopping over to one side or the other1 hanging on the arm of her chair with head down1 or else drooping forward1 or with head thrown back--assuming various limp and wounded attitudes4 ,though every now and then she seemed to make an effort to hold herself up1 and once or twice crossed knees and sat up firm1 with arms more or less folded4 ,but the greater part of the time she was flopping about4 ,presently ,raymond said ',good-bye1' and a ,captain was supposed to control4 ,she now spoke in a vigorous martial voice1 as if ordering things1 but saying nothing of any moment4 ,then he too went away1 and ',hope' appeared1 who1 ,i am told1 is ,mrs4 ,clegg's normal control4 ,hope was able to talk reasonably well1 and what she said ,i recorded for what it might be worth1 but ,i omit the record1 because though it contained references to people and things outside the knowledge of the medium or ,mrs4 ,kennedy1 and was therefore evidential as regards the genuineness and honesty of the medium1 it was not otherwise worth reporting1 unless much else of what was said on the same subjects by other mediums were reported too4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on the evening of this same #crd of ,march--i4e4 later in the same day that ,i had sat with ,mrs4 ,clegg--,i went alone to ,mrs4 ,leonard's house and had rather a remarkable sitting1 at which full knowledge of the ,clegg performance was shown4 ,it is worthy therefore of some careful attention4 ,after reading this part1 the above very abbreviated record of the ,clegg sitting1 held some hours before in another house and other conditions1 should again be read4 ,i wish to call attention to the following #crd of ,march sitting as one of the best2 other members of the family have probably had equally good ones1 but my notes are fuller4 ,i hope it is fully understood that the mannerisms are ,feda's throughout4 ,sitting of ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 with ,mrs4 ,leonard at her ,house on ,friday1 #c ,march #aiaf1 from #i4ae p4m4 to #aa4ae p4m4 7,o4 ,j4 ,l4 alone47 ,no preliminaries to report4 ,feda came through quickly1 jerked in the chair1 and seemed very pleased to find me4 7,i asked if she had seen ,raymond lately47 ,oh yes1 ,raymond's here4 ,he came to help ,feda with the lady and gentleman--on ,monday1 ,feda thinks it was4 ,not quite sure when4 ,but there was a lady and gentleman1 and he came to help2 and ,feda said1 ,go away1 ,raymond6 ,he said1 ,no1 ,i've come to stay4 ,he wouldn't go away1 and he did help them through with their boy4 ,the reference here is to a sitting which a colleague of mine1 ,professor and ,mrs4 ,sonnenschein1 had had1 unknown to me1 with ,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,i learnt afterwards that the arrangements had been made by them in a carefully anonymous manner1 the correspondence being conducted via a friend in ,darlington2 so that they were only known to ,mrs4 ,leonard as a lady and gentleman from ,darlington4 ,they had reported to me that their son ,christopher had sent good and evidential messages1 and that ,raymond had turned up to help4 ,it was quite appropriate for ,raymond to take an interest in them and bring their son1 since ,christopher ,sonnenschein had been an engineering fellow-student with ,raymond at ,birmingham4 ,but there was no earthly reason1 so far as ,mrs4 ,leonard's knowledge was concerned1 for him to put in an appearance2 and indeed ,feda at first told him to ',go away1' until he explained that he had come to help4 ,hence the mention of ,raymond1 under the circumstances1 was evidential4 ,he's only been once to help beside this1 and then he said1 ,don't tell the lady he was helping4 ,see below4 ,he's been with ,paulie to-day1 to ,paulie's mother's4 ,he says he's been at ,paulie's house1 but not with ,mrs4 ,kathie1 with another lady1 a medie1 ,feda thinks4 ,she was older than this one2 a new one to him4#bg ,he wanted to speak through her1 but he found it was difficult4 ,paul manages it all right1 he says1 but he finds it difficult4 ,he says he started to get through1 and then he didn't feel like himself4 ,it's awful strange when one tries to control anybody4 ,he wanted to very bad2 he almost had them4 7,sotto voce4--,what you mean1 ,yaymond87 ,he says he thought he almost had them4 ,he means he nearly got through4 ,oh1 he says1 he's not given it up2 he's going to try again4 ,what worries him is that he doesn't feel like himself4 ,you know1 father1 ,i might be anybody4 ,he says1 ,do you believe that in that way1 practice makes perfect8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 ,i'm sure it gets easier with practice4 ,oh1 then he'll practise dozens of times1 if he thinks it will be any good4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,did he like the old woman8 ,oh1 yes2 she's a very good sort4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,who was there sitting8 ,this question itself indicates1 what was the fact1 that ,i had so far given no recognition to the statement that ,raymond had been trying to control a medium on the morning of that same day4 ,i wanted to take what came through1 without any assistance4 ,he's not sure1 because he didn't seem to get all properly into the conditions2 it was like being in a kind of mist1 in a fog4 ,he felt he was getting hold of the lady1 but he didn't quite know where he was4 ,he'd got something ready to say1 and he started to try and say it1 and it seemed as if he didn't know where he was4 ,feda reports sometimes in the third person1 sometimes in the first4 ,what does she flop about for1 father8 ,i don't want to do that2 it bothered me rather1 ,i didn't know if ,i was making her ill or something4 ,paulie said she thought it was the correct thing to do6 ,but ,i wish she wouldn't4 ,if she would only keep quiet1 and let me come calmly1 it would be much easier4 ,mrs4 ,kathie ,feda's name for ,mrs4 ,katherine ,kennedy tries to help all she can1 but it makes such a muddled condition4 ,i might not be able to get a test through1 even when ,i controlled better2 ,i should have to get quite at home there1 before ,i could give tests through her4 ,he and ,paulie used to joke about the old lady1 but they don't now4 ,paul manages to control2 he used to see ,paulie doing it4 ,i will try again1 he says1 and ,i will try again4 ,it's worth trying a few times1 then ,i can get my bearings1 and ,i feel that what ,i wanted to say beforehand ,i will be able to get through4 ,feda has an idea that what he had saved up to say was only just the usual messages4 ,he had got them ready in his head2 he had learnt it up--just a few words4 ,paulie told him he had better do that1 and then 7oh1 you had better not tell ,mrs4 ,kathie this1 for it isn't polite67--and then ,paulie told him to spit it out4 ,and that's what he tried to do--just to say the few words that he had learnt up4 ,he just wanted to say how pleased he was to see you4 ,he wanted also to speak about his mother1 and to bring in1 if he could1 about having talked to you through ,feda4 ,just simple things like that4 ,he had to think of simple things1 because ,paulie had told him that it was no good trying to think of anything in-tri-cate4 ,feda always pronounces what she no doubt considers long words in a careful and drawnout manner4 ,he didn't see clearly1 but he felt4 ,he had a good idea that you were there1 and that ,mrs4 ,kathie was there1 but he wasn't sure2 he was all muddled up4 ,poor ,mrs4 ,kathie was doing her best4 ,he says1 ,don't change the conditions1 if you try it again4 ,he never quite knows whether he is going to have good conditions or not4 ,he wanted to speak about all this4 ,that's all about that4 ,this is a completely accurate reference to what had happened with ,mrs4 ,clegg in the morning of the same day4 ,everything is properly and accurately represented4 ,it is the best thing about the sitting perhaps1 though there are many good things in it4 ,the next incident concerns other people--and ,i usually omit these--but ,i propose to include this one4 ,about the lady he tried to help--the one that he didn't want ,feda to tell who he was 7p4 #bda74 ,he was helping through a man who had got drowned4 ,this lady had had no belief nor nothing in spiritual things before4 ,the guides brought her to ,feda1 that she might speak with a dear friend of hers4 ,i helped him1 he says1 and got both of his initials through to her--,e4 ,a4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,do ,i know these people8 ,yes1 you write a lot to the lady4 ,i remembered afterwards that ,i had had some correspondence with a lady who was told at a sitting1 apparently by ,raymond1 that ,i knew a ,dr4 ,a4 ,she was and is a stranger1 but for this curious introduction4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is ,a the surname8 ,yes1 the spirit's1 not the lady's4 ,the lady doesn't know that he ,raymond is telling you this4 ,and she doesn't know that he helped her4 ,he says1 ,it's for your own use1 father4 ,it's given her a new outlook on life4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i have no idea who she is4 ,can you get her name8 ,oh yes1 she's a lady called ,mrs4 ,d4 ,full name given easily1 but no doubt got from the sitter in ordinary course4 ,and before1 you see1 she was living a worldly life4 ,she was interested in a way1 but not much4 ,she never tried to come into it4 ,when she came1 she thought she would have her fortune told4 ,raymond was waiting for her to come1 and brought up the right conditions at once4 ,the man was a nice man1 he liked him1 and he wanted to bring her into it4 ,the man was fond of her4 ,raymond has been helping him a lot4 ,he says1 ,i can only help in a small way1 but if you could go round and see the people just on the verge of learning something6 ,i can't help them in a big way1 but still1 it's something important even what ,i can do4 ,for every one ,i bring in like that lady1 there will be a dozen coming from that4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 7still remembering nothing about these people47--,did the man drown himself8 ,oh no1 he wented down in a boat2 they nearly all wented down together4 ,the lady wasn't expecting him--she nearly flopped over when he came4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,was he related to the lady8 ,no1 but he had been the biggest thing in her life4 ,he says it seemed as though she must have felt something1 to make her write to you4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,however did ,raymond know that she had written to me8 ,feda doesn't know4 7,sotto voce4--,tell ,feda1 ,yaymond47 ,do you believe me1 father1 ,i really can't tell you how ,i know some things4 ,it's not through inquiry1 but sometimes ,i get it just like a ,marconi apparatus receives a message from somewhere1 and doesn't know where it comes from at first4 ,sometimes ,i try to find out things1 and ,i can't4 ,i perceived gradually that this episode related to some one named ,e4 ,a4 7unknown to me71 about whom ,i had been told at a ,feda sitting on ,friday1 #bh ,january #aiaf1 ,raymond seeming to want me to speak to ,e4 ,a4's father about him4 ,and in a note to that sitting it is explained how ,i received a letter shortly afterwards from a stranger1 a ,mrs4 ,d41 who consulted me about informing ,dr4 ,a4 of the appearance of his son4 ,the whole episode is an excellent one1 but it concerns other people1 and if narrated at all must be narrated more fully and in another place4 ,suffice it to say that the son had been lost in tragic circumstances1 and that the father is impressed by the singular nature of the evidence that has now been given through the lady--a special visit to ,scotland having been made by her for that express purpose4 ,she had not known the father before1 but she found him and his house as described2 and he admits the details as surprisingly accurate4 ,here is the extract from my sitting of #bh ,january #aiaf relating to this affair3-- ,,extract ,,from ,o4 ,j4 ,l4',s ,,sitting ,,with ,,mrs4 ,,leonard1 ,,friday1 #bh ,,january #aiaf ,he has met somebody called ,e41 ,raymond has4 ,he doesn't know who it is1 but wonders if you do4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is she an old lady8 ,it's a man1 he says4 ,he was drownded4 ,i have helped him a bit1 at least ,i tried1 he says4 ,he passed on before ,raymond did4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,did he drown himself8 ,raymond doesn't say that4 ,his name was ,e4 ,he was from ,scotland4 ,you will know his father4 ,raymond says1 ,i have got a motive in this1 father2 ,i don't want to say too much1 and ,i don't want to say too little4 ,you have met ,e4's father1 and you will meet him again2 he comes from ,scotland4 ,raymond is not quite certain1 but he thinks he is in ,scotland now4 ,his father's name begins with an ,a1 so the other man is ,e4 ,a4 ,he was fighting his ship4 ,raymond thinks they was all drownded4 ,he's older than ,raymond4 ,raymond says he's a pretty dark chap4 ,you know his father best1 ,i don't know whether you knew the other chap at all4 ,you have known his father for some years1 but you don't often get a chance of meeting4 ,i have got an idea that you will be hearing from him soon4 ,then you will be able to unload this onto him4 ,they are trying to bring it about1 that meeting with the father of ,e4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i could make a guess at the surname1 but perhaps ,i had better not4 ,no1 don't4 ,you know ,i'm not always sure of my facts4 ,i know pretty well how things are1 and ,i think ,i am pretty safe in saying that it is ,scotland4 ,he gives ,d4 also4 ,that's not a person1 it's a place4 ,some place not far from it1 called ,d41 he says4 ,it's near1 not the place1 where he lives4 ',flanked1' he calls it1 'flanked' on the other side by ,l4 ,they never knew how ,e4 passed on really4 ,they know he was drowned1 but not how it happened4 ,on receiving this message ,i felt that the case was a genuine one1 and that ,i did know a ,dr4 ,a4 precisely as described4 ,and ,i also gradually remembered that he had lost a son at sea1 though ,i did not know the son4 ,but ,i felt that ,i must wait for further particulars before broaching what might be an unpalatable subject to ,dr4 ,a4 7,end of extract from #bh ,january #aiaf47 ,ultimately ,i did receive further particulars as narrated above1 and so a month later ,i did go to call on the old ,doctor1 after the ice had been broken by ,mrs4 ,d41--who in some trepidation had made a special journey for the purpose1 and then nearly came away without opening the subject1--and ,i verified the trance description of his house which ,mrs4 ,d4 had received and sent me4 ,indeed1 all the facts stated turned out to be true4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the sitting of #c ,march1 now being reported1 and interrupted by this quotation from a previous sitting1 went on thus3-- ,he took his mother some red roses1 and he wants you to tell her4 ,he took them to her from the spirit world1 they won't materialise1 but ,i gathered some and took them to her4 ,this isn't a test1 father4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no4 ,very well1 you just want her to know4 ,i will tell her4 7,a little talk omitted47 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,do you want to say anything about the other two people that you helped--last ,monday1 ,i think it was8 ,the ,sonnenscheins2 still only known to ,mrs4 ,leonard as a lady and gentleman from ,darlington4 ,no1 there's nothing much to tell you about that1 or about them4 ,but he brought a son to them4 ,he stood on one side so as not to take any of the power4 ,he just came at first to show ,feda it was all right1 and he just came in at the end to send his love4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,why did he help those particular people8 ,i knew why1 but ,i thought proper to ask1 since from the medium's point of view there was no reason at all4 ,he says he had to4 ,they have been worrying about whether their son had suffered much pain before he passed on4 ,there seems to have been some uncertainty about as to whether he had or not4 ,his body wasn't recovered as soon as it ought to have been4 ,but he didn't suffer much4 ,he was numbed1 and didn't as a matter of fact feel much4 ,he throwed up his arms1 and rolled down a bank place4 ,christopher ,sonnenschein was killed by falling down a snow mountain1 and his body was not recovered for five days4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,did you know these people before8 ,yes4 ,he says1 yes4 ,but he won't tell ,feda who they is4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,does he want to send them any message8 ,he says nothing further has come out1 except that he is getting on very well1 and that he was pleased4 ,you might tell them that he is happier now4 ,yes1 he is1 since he seed them4 ,the sitting referred to here1 as having been held by a lady and gentleman last ,monday1 refers to my colleague and his wife and their deceased son ,christopher4 ,their identity had been completely masked by the arrangements they had made1 without my knowledge4 ,the letters making arrangements were sent round by ,darlington to be posted1 in order to cover up tracks and remove all chance of a discoverable connexion with me4 7,see p4 #bdj47 ,hence it is interesting that ,raymond turned up to help1 for in their normal life the two youths had known each other4 ,he has been trying to help you since he saw you here last time4 ,he thought that you knew that he was4 ,he did try hard4 ,he says1 ,i helped you in such a funny way4 ,i got near you and felt such a desire to help you and prevent you from getting tired4 ,he was concentrating on the back of your head1 and sort of saying to himself1 and impressing the thought towards you3 ,it's coming easy1 you shan't get tired1 the brain is going to be very receptive1 everything is going to flow through it easily in order4 ,i feel myself saying it all the time1 and ,i get so close ,i nearly lean on you4 ,to my great delight1 ,i saw you sit up once1 and you said3 ,ah1 that's good4 ,it was some little time back4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i speak to your photograph sometimes4 ,yes4 ,i can speak to you without a photograph6 ,i am often with you1 very often4 ,he's taking ,feda into a room with a desk in it2 too big for a desk1 it must be a table4 ,a sort of a desk1 a pretty big one4 ,a chair is in front of it1 not a chair like that1 a high up chair1 more wooden1 not woolly stuff2 and the light is falling on to the desk2 and you are sitting there with a pen or pencil in your hand2 you aren't writing much1 but you are looking through writing1 and making bits of writing on it2 you are not doing all the writing yourself1 but only bits on it4 ,raymond is standing at the back of you2 he isn't looking at what you are doing4 ,the description is correct4 ,he thought you were tired out last time you came here4 ,he knows you are sometimes4 ,he's been wanting to say to you1 ,leave some of it4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,but there's so much to be done4 ,yes1 he knows it isn't easy to leave it4 ,but it would be better in the end if you can leave a bit1 father4 ,you are doing too much4 ,you know that ,i am longing and dying for the day when you come over to me4 ,it will be a splendid day for me4 ,but ,i mustn't be selfish4 ,i have got to work to keep you away from us1 and that's not easy for me4 ,he says that lots over here talk1 and say that you will be doing the most wonderful work of your life through the war4 ,people are ready to listen now4 ,they had too many things before to let them think about them2 but now it's the great thing to think about the after-life4 ,i want you to know that when first ,i came over here1 ,i thought it a bit unfair that such a lot of fellows were coming over in the prime of life1 coming over here4 ,but now he sees that for every one that came over1 dozens of people open their eyes1 and want to know where he has gone to4 ,directly they want to know1 they begin to learn something4 ,some of them never stopped to think seriously before4 ,he must be somewhere1 they say1 he was so full of life2 can we find out8 ,then ,i see that through this1 people are going to find out1 and find out not only for themselves1 but will pass it on to many others1 and so it will grow4 ,he wants to tell you that ,mr4 ,myers says that in ten years from now the world will be a different place4 ,he says that about fifty per cent4 of the civilised portion of the globe will be either spiritualists1 or coming into it4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,fifteen per cent48 ,fifty1 he said4 ,raymond says1 ,i am no judge of that1 but he isn't the only one that thinks it4 ,he says1 ,i've got a kind of theory1 in a crude sort of way1 that man has made the earth plane into such a hotbed of materialism and selfishness1 that man again has to atone by sacrifices of mankind in the prime of their physical life4 ,so that by that prime self-effacement1 they will bring more spiritual conditions on to the earth1 which will crush the spirit of materialism4 ,he says that isn't how ,i meant to put it1 but ,i've forgotten how ,i meant to say it4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well now1 ,raymond1 ,mr4 ,myers sent me a message to say that you had got some tests ready to get through1 and that ,i was to give you an opportunity of giving them4 ,oh yes1 he says4 ,but ,i can't get anything through about the ,argonauts3 that seems worst of anything4 ,he's showing ,feda a thing that looks like a canvas house4 ,yes1 it must be a canvas house4 ,and it looks to ,feda as though it's on a place that seems to be open--a wide place4 ,yes1 no1 there's not much green showing where ,feda can see4 ,there's a kind of a door in it1 like that4 7,feda made some sign ,i didn't catch47 ,the canvas is sort of grey1 quite a light colour1 but not quite white4 ,oh yes1 ,feda feels the sound of water not far from it--ripple1 ripple4 ,feda sees a boy--not ,raymond--half lying1 half sitting at the door of the tent place1 and he hasn't got a proper coat on2 he's got a shirt thing on here1 and he's like spreaded out4 ,it's a browny-coloured earth1 not nice green1 but sandy-coloured ground4 ,as ,feda looks at the land1 the ground rises sharp at the back4 ,must have been made to rise1 it sticks up in the air4 ,he's showing it as though it should be in some photograph or picture4 ,feda got wondering about it1 what it was for4 ,it's a funny-shaped tent1 not round1 sort of lop-sided4 ,the door isn't a proper door1 it flops4 ,you ought to be able to see a picture of this4 ,see photographs opposite4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,has it got to do with the ,argonauts8 ,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,oh1 it's not ,coniston then8 ,no4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is it by the sea8 ,near the water1 he says2 he doesn't say the sea4 ,no1 he won't say that2 he says1 near water4 ,it looks hot there4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,will the boys know8 ,you will know soon about it1 he says4 ,feda gets a feeling that there are two or three moving about inside that tent4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is it all one chamber in the tent8 ,he didn't say that4 ,he was going to say1 no1 and then he stopped to think4 ,no1 ,i don't think it was1 it was divided off4 ,illustration3 ,,large ,,double-,,compartment ,,tent ,,in ,,its ,,first ,,form 7#aije7 7,,built ,,at ,,mariemont ,,and ,,taken ,,to ,,woolacombe7 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,tent ,,in ,,its ,,second ,,form 7#aijf7 ,,made ,,out ,,of ,,the ,,remains ,,of ,,the ,,first ,see photographs of two forms of this tent4 ,now he is showing something right on top of that4 ,now he is showing ,feda a yacht1 a boat with white sails4 ,now he is going back to the tent again4 ,the raised up land is at the back of the tent1 well set back4 ,it doesn't give an even sticking up1 but it goes right along1 with bits up and bits lower down4 ,the description could not be completely taken down1 but it gave the impression of a raised bank of varying height1 behind an open space1 and a tent in front of it4 ,it quite suggested that sort of picture4 ,see photograph facing p4 #beb4 ,maps1 what's that8 ,maps1 maps1 he says4 ,he's saying something about maps4 ,this is something that the boys will know4 ,poring1 he says4 ,not pouring anything out1 but poring over maps4 ,ask the boys4 ,see note after further reference to maps later in the sitting4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,what about that yacht with sails2 did it run on the water8 ,no4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,oh1 ,raymond1 don't be silly67 ,he says1 no4 7,feda4--,it must have done67 ,he's showing ,feda like a thing on land1 yes1 a land thing4 ,it's standing up1 like edgeways4 ,a narrow thing4 ,no it isn't water1 but it has got nice white sails4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,did it go along8 ,he says it ,,didn',t6 ,he's laughing6 ,when he said 'didn't' he shouted it4 ,feda should have said1 ',he laid peculiar emphasis on it4' ,this is for the boys4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,had they got to do with that thing8 ,yes1 they will know1 they will understand4 ,yes1 he keeps on showing like a boat--a yacht1 he calls it1 a yacht4 ,see note below and photographs4 ,now he is showing ,feda some figures4 ,something flat1 like a wall4 ,rods and things1 long rods4 ,some have got little round things shaking on them1 like that4 ,and he's got strings1 some have got strings4 ',strings' isn't the right word1 but it will do4 ,smooth1 strong1 string-like4 ,in the corner1 where it's a little bit dark1 some one is standing up and leaning against something1 and a piece of stuff is flapping round them4 ,now he is saying again something about maps4 ,he's going to the maps again4 ,it isn't a little map1 but it's one you can unfold and fold up small4 ,and they used to go with their fingers along it1 like that--not he only1 but the boys4 ,and it wasn't at home1 but when they were going somewhere--some distance from home4 ,and ,feda gets the impression as though they must be looking at the map when it was moving4 ,they seem to be moving smoothly along1 like in one of those horrible trains4 ,feda has never been in a train4 ,the mention of folded-up maps cannot be considered important1 but it is appropriate1 because many of the boys' common reminiscences group round long motor drives in ,devonshire and ,cornwall1 when they must frequently have been consulting the kind of map described4 ,note by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 on ,tent and ,boat4--,all this about the tent and boat is excellent1 though not outside my knowledge4 ,the description of the scenery showed plainly that it was ,woolacombe sands that was meant--whither the family had gone in the summer for several years--a wide open stretch of sand1 with ground rising at the back1 as described1 and with tents along under the bank1 one of which--a big one--had been made by the boys4 ,it was on wheels1 it had two chambers with a double door1 and was used for bathing by both the boys and girls4 ,quite a large affair1 oblong in shape1 like a small cottage4 ,one night a gale carried it up to the top of the sand-hills and wrecked it4 ,we saw it from the windows in the morning4 ,illustration3 ,,first ,,edition ,,of ,,the ,,sand-,,boat 7#aijf7 ,,at ,,woolacombe ,,with ,,alec ,,on ,,board ,illustration3 ,,rising ,,ground ,,behind ,,older ,,tents ,,on ,,woolacombe ,,beach ,the boys pulled it to pieces1 and made a smaller tent of the remains1 this time with only one chamber1 and its shape was now a bit lop-sided4 ,i felt in listening to the description that there was some hesitation in ,raymond's mind as to whether he was speaking of the first or the second stage of this tent4 ,as for the sand-boat1 it was a thing they likewise made at ,mariemont1 and carted down to ,woolacombe4 ,a kind of long narrow platform or plank on wheels1 with a rudder and sails4 ,at first1 when it had small sails1 it only went with a light passenger and a strong wind behind4 ,but in a second season they were more ambitious1 and made bigger sails to it1 and that season ,i believe it went along the sands very fast occasionally2 but it still wouldn't sail at right angles to the wind as they wanted4 ,they finally smashed the mast by sailing in a gale with three passengers4 ,there had been ingenuity in making it1 and ,raymond had been particularly active over it1 as he was over all constructions4 ,on the whole it was regarded as a failure1 the wheels were too small2 and ,raymond's ',,didn',t' is quite accepted4 ,references to these things were evidently some of the tests 7p4 #bdi7 which he had got together for transmission to me4 ,see photographs4 ,the rod and rings and strings1 mentioned after the 'boat1' ,i don't at present understand4 ,so far as ,i have ascertained1 the boys don't understand1 either1 at present4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i don't know whether ,i have got anything more that ,i can really call a test4 ,you will have to take1 he says 7he's laughing now7--take the information about the old lady as a test4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,you mean what he began with8 i4e4 about ,mrs4 ,clegg4 ,yes4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 it's a very good one4 ,he's been trying to find somebody whose name begins with ,k4 ,but it isn't ,mrs4 ,kathie1 it's a gentleman4 ,he's been trying to find him4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,what for8 ,he thought his mother would be interested4 ,there's something funny about this4 ,one is in the spirit world1 but one they believe is still on the earth plane4 ,he hasn't come over yet4 ,one of the two referred to is certainly dead2 the other may possibly1 but very improbably1 be a prisoner4 ,there's a good deal of mystery about this1 but ,i'm sure he isn't actually come over yet4 ,some people think that because we are here1 we have only to go anywhere we choose1 and find out anything we like4 ,but that's ,tommy-rot4 ,they are limited1 but they send messages to each other1 and what he sincerely believes is1 that that man has not passed on4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,mother thinks he has1 and so do his people4 ,yes1 yes4 ,i don't know whether it would be advisable to tell them anything1 but ,i have a feeling that he isn't here4 ,i have been looking for him everywhere4 ,he keeps on building up a ,j4 ,he doesn't answer when ,feda asks what that is4 ,he says there will be a few surprises for people later on4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 ,i take it that he wants me to understand that ,j4 ,k4 is on our side8 ,yes1 he keeps nodding his head4 ,yes1 in the body4 ,mind1 he says1 ,i've got a feeling--,i can only call it a feeling--that he has been hurt1 practically unconscious4 ,anyway1 time will prove if ,i am right4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,i hope he will continue to live1 and come back4 ,i hope so too4 ,except for the possible doubt about it1 ,i would say tell them at once4 ,but after all they are happier in thinking that he has gone over1 than that he's in some place undergoing terrible privations4 ,now he's saying something carefully to ,feda4 ,he says they should not go by finding a stick4 ,he wants you to put that down--they ought not to go by finding a stick4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,oh1 they found a stick1 did they8 ,yes1 that's how1 yes4 ,i clearly understood that this statement referred to a certain ,colonel1 about whom there was uncertainty for months4 ,but a funeral service has now been held--an impressive one1 which ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 attended4 ,on inquiry from her1 ,i find 7what ,i didn't know at the time of the sitting7 that the evidence of his death is a riding-whip1 which they found in the hands of an unrecognisable corpse4 ,from some initials on this riding-whip1 they thought it belonged to him2 and on this evidence have concluded him dead4 ,so far as ,i know1 they entertain no doubt about it4 ,at any rate1 we have heard none expressed1 either publicly or privately4 ,hence1 the information now given may possibly turn out of interest1 though there is always the possibility that1 if he is a prisoner in ,germany1 he may not survive the treatment4 ,he was leading an attack on the ,hohenzollern ,redoubt when he fell2 he was seen to fall1 wounded2 there was great slaughter1 and when at night his man returned to try and find him1 he could not be found4 ,this is my recollection of the details1 but of course they can be more accurately given4 ,at what period the whip was found1 ,i don't know1 but can ascertain4 7,see also p4 #bff47 ,no further news yet--,september #aiaf4 ,but ,i must confess that ,i think the information extremely unlikely4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,does he remember ,william1 our gardener8 ,yes4 ,feda doesn't know what he means1 but he says something about coming over4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,tell ,feda what you mean47 ,he doesn't give it very clearly4 ,feda gets an idea that he means coming over there4 ,yes1 he does mean into the spirit world4 ,feda asks him1 did he mean soon2 but he shakes his head4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,does he mean that he has come already8 ,he doesn't get that very clearly4 ,he keeps saying1 coming over1 coming over1 and when ,feda asked ',soon8' he shook his head1 as if getting cross4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,if he sees him1 perhaps he will help him4 ,of course he will4 ,he hasn't seen him yet4 ,no1 he hasn't seen him4 ,i may here record that ,william1 the gardener1 died within a week before the sitting1 and that ,raymond here clearly indicates a knowledge1 either of his death or of its imminence4 ,it's difficult when people approach you1 and say they knew your father or your mother2 you don't quite know what to say to them6 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 it must be a bother4 ,do you remember a bird in our garden8 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,yes1 hopping about87 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no1 ,feda1 a big bird4 ,of course1 not sparrows1 he says6 ,yes1 he does4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,did he hop1 ,yaymond87 ,no1 he says you couldn't call it a hop4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 we will go on to something else now2 ,i don't want to bother him about birds4 ,ask him does he remember ,mr4 ,jackson8 ,yes4 ,going away1 going away1 he says4 ,he used to come to the door4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,do you know what he means8 ,anyone can come to the door67 ,he used to see him every day1 he says1 every day4 7,sotto voce4--,what did he do1 ,yaymond87 ,he says1 nothing4 7,i can't make out what he says47 ,he's thinking4 ,it's ,feda's fault1 he says4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 never mind4 ,report anything he says1 whether it makes sense or not4 ,he says he fell down4 ,he's sure of that4 ,he hurt himself4 ,he builds up a letter ,t1 and he shows a gate1 a small gate--looks like a foot-path2 not one in the middle of a town4 ,pain in hands and arms4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,was he a friend of the family8 ,no4 ,no1 he says1 no4 ,he gives ,feda a feeling of tumbling1 again he gives a feeling as though--7,feda thinks ,yaymond's joking7--he laughed4 ,he was well known among us1 he says2 and yet1 he says1 not a friend of the family4 ,scarcely a day passed without his name being mentioned4 ,he's joking1 ,feda feels sure4 ,he's making fun of ,feda4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no1 tell me all he says4 ,he says1 put him on a pedestal4 ,no1 that they put him on a pedestal4 ,he was considered very wonderful4 ,and he 'specs that he wouldn't have appreciated it1 if he had known2 but he didn't know1 he says4 ,not sure if he ever will1 he says4 ,it sounds nonsense1 what he says4 ,feda has got an impression that he's mixing him up with the bird1 because he said something about 'bird' in the middle of it--just while he said something about ,mr4 ,jackson1 and then he pulled himself up1 and changed it again4 ,just before he said 'pedestal' he said 'fine bird1' and then he stopped4 ,in trying to answer the one1 he got both mixed up1 ,mr4 ,jackson and the bird4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,how absurd6 ,perhaps he's getting tired4 ,he won't say he got this mixed up6 ,but he did6 ,because he said 'fine bird1' and then he started off about ,mr4 ,jackson4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,what about the pedestal8 ,on a pedestal1 he said4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,would he like him put on a pedestal8 ,no1 he doesn't say nothing4 ,contemporary ,note by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,the episode of ,mr4 ,jackson and the bird is a good one4 ',mr4 ,jackson' is the comic name of our peacock4 ,within the last week he has died1 partly1 ,i fear1 by the severe weather4 ,but his legs have been rheumatic and troublesome for some time2 and in trying to walk he of late has tumbled down on them4 ,he was found dead in a yard on a cold morning with his neck broken4 ,one of the last people ,i saw before leaving home for this sitting was a man whom ,lady ,lodge had sent to take the bird's body and have it stuffed4 ,she showed him a wooden pedestal on which she thought it might be placed1 and tail feathers were being sent with it4 ,hence1 the reference to the pedestal1 if not telepathic from me1 shows a curious knowledge of what was going on4 ,and the jocular withholding from ,feda of the real meaning of ,mr4 ,jackson1 and the appropriate remarks made concerning him which puzzled ,feda1 were quite in ,raymond's vein of humour4 ,perhaps it was unfortunate that ,i had mentioned a bird first1 but ,i tried afterwards1 by my manner and remarks1 completely to dissociate the name ,jackson from what ,i had asked before about the bird2 and ,raymond played up to it4 ,it may be that he acquires some of these contemporary items of family information through sittings which are held in ,mariemont1 where of course all family gossip is told him freely1 no outsider or medium being present4 ,but the death of ,mr4 ,jackson1 and the idea of having him stuffed and put on a pedestal1 were very recent1 and ,i was surprised that he had knowledge of them4 ,i emphasise the episode as exceptionally good4 ,he's trying to show ,feda the side of a house2 not a wall1 it has got glass4 ,he's taking ,feda round to it2 it has got glass stuff4 ,yes1 and when you look in1 it's like flowers inside and green stuff4 ,he used to go there a lot--be there1 he says4 ,red-coloured pots4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is that anything to do with ,mr4 ,jackson8 ,he's shaking his head now4 ,that's where mother got the flowers from4 ,tell her1 she will know4 ,illustration3 ,,grandfather ,w4 ,illustration3 ,,mr4 ,,jackson ,,with ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,at ,,mariemont ,there is more than one greenhouse that might be referred to4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 got the yellow jasmine1 which she thinks is the flower referred to1 from the neighbourhood of one of them4 ,and it is one on which the peacock used commonly to roost2 though whether the reference to it followed on1 or had any connexion with1 the peacock is uncertain1 and seems to be denied4 ,yes1 he's not so clear now1 ,soliver4 ,he has enjoyed himself4 ,sometimes he enjoys himself so much1 he forgets to do the good things he prepared4 ,i could stay for hours and hours1 he says4 ,but he's just as keen as you are in getting tests through4 ,i think ,i have got some4 ,when ,i go away1 ,i pat myself on the back and think1 ,that's something for them to say1 ,old ,raymond does remember something4 ,what does aggravate him sometimes is that when he can't get things through1 people think it's because he has forgotten4 ,it isn't a case of forgetting4 ,he doesn't forget anything4 ,father1 do you remember what ,i told mother about the place ,i had been to1 and whom ,i had been allowed to see8 ,what did they think of it8 ,see ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard1 #d ,february #aiaf1 ,chap4 ,,xx4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 the family thought that it wasn't like ,raymond4 ,ah1 that's what ,i was afraid of4 ,that's the awful part of it4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,well1 ,i don't suppose they knew your serious side4 ,before he gave that to his mother1 he hesitated1 and thought he wouldn't4 ,and then he said1 ,never mind what they think now1 ,i must let mother and father know4 ,some day they will know1 and so1 what does it matter8 ,he knew that they might think it was something out of a book1 not me2 but perhaps they didn't know that side of me so well4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,no4 ,but among the things that came back1 there was a ,bible with marked passages in it1 and so ,i saw that you had thought seriously about these things4 page #aa4 ,yes1 he says4 ,yet there's something strange about it somehow4 ,we are afraid of showing that side2 we keep it to ourselves1 and even hide it4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,it must have been a great experience for you4 ,i hadn't looked for it1 ,i hadn't hoped for it1 but it was granted4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,do you think you could take some opportunity of speaking about it through some other medium1 not ,feda8 ,because at present the boys think that ,feda invented it4 ,yes1 that's what they do think4 ,he says he will try very hard4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,have you ever seen that ,person otherwise than at that time8 ,no1 ,i have not seen ,him1 except as ,i told you2 he says1 father1 ,he doesn't come and mingle freely1 here and there and everywhere4 ,i mean1 not in that sense2 but we are always conscious1 and we feel him4 ,we are conscious of his presence4 ,but you know that people think that when they go over1 they will be with him hand in hand1 but of course they're wrong4 ,he doesn't think he will say very much more about that now1 not until he's able to say it through some one else4 ,it may be that they will say it wrong1 that it won't be right2 it may get twisted4 ,feda does that sometimes4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,no1 ,feda doesn't67 ,yes she does1 and that's why ,i say1 go carefully4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,has he been through another medium to a friend of mine lately8 ,this was intended to refer to a sitting which ,mr4 ,hill was holding with ,peters about that date1 and1 as it turned out1 on the same day4 ,he doesn't say much4 ,no1 he doesn't say nothing about it4 ,he hasn't got much power1 and he's afraid that he might go wrong4 ,good-bye1 father1 now4 ,my love to you1 my love to mother4 ,i am nearer to you than ever before1 and ,i'm not so silly about not showing it4 ,love to all of them4 ,lionel is a dear old chap4 ,my love to all4 ,illustration3 ,,second ,,edition ,,of ,,sand-,,boat1 ,,at ,,mariemont1 ,,before ,,being ,,unshipped ,,and ,,taken ,,to ,,woolacombe1 #aijg ,illustration3 ,,raymond ,,working ,,at ,,the ,,sand-,,boat ,,in ,,the ,,boys' ,,laboratory ,,at ,,mariemont ,don't forget to tell mother about the roses ,i brought her4 ,there's nothing to understand about them2 ,i just wanted her to know that ,i brought her some flowers4 ,good night1 father4 ,i am always thinking of you4 ,god bless you all4 ,give ,feda's love to ,sr,alec4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 ,i will1 ,feda4 ,we are all fond of you4 ,yes1 ,feda feels it1 and it lifts ,feda up1 and helps her4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mrs4 ,leonard speedily came-to1 and seemed quite easy and well1 although the sitting had been a long one1 and it was now nearly #aa4cj p4m4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i repeat in conclusion that this was an excellent sitting1 with a good deal of evidential matter4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,footnote #bg3 ,this shows clear and independent knowledge of the sitting which ,i had held with ,mrs4 ,clegg that same morning 7see early parts of this chapter74 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,more ,,unverifiable ,,matter ,on #bd ,march1 we had some more unverifiable material through ,mrs4 ,leonard2 it was much less striking than that given on #d ,february1 and ,i am inclined myself to attribute a good deal of it to hypothetical information received by ,feda from other sitters3 but it seems unfair to suppress it4 ,in accordance with my plan ,i propose to reproduce it for what it is worth4 ,sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard at our ,flat1 ,friday1 #bd ,march #aiaf1 from #e4de p4m4 to #h p4m4 7,present--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,and ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l47 ,,report ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 7,mrs4 ,leonard arrived about #e4cj to tea1 for a sitting with ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,i happened to be able to come too1 in order to take notes4 ,she had just come away from another sitting1 and had had some difficulty in getting rid of her previous sitter in time1 which rather bothered her4 ,the result was not specially conducive to lucidity1 and the sitting seemed only a moderately good one4 ,when ,feda arrived she seemed pleased1 and said3--7 ,yes it is1 yes1 it's ,soliver6 ,how are you8 ,raymond's here6 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,is he here already8 ,yes1 of course he is6 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,what's he say87 ,he says he hasn't come to play with ,feda1 or make jokes2 he's come about serious things4 ,do you remember1 ,miss ,olive ,feda's name for ,lady ,lodge1 some time ago1 about that beautiful experience what he had8 ,he's so glad that you and ,soliver know about it1 even though the others can't take it in4 ,years hence he thinks they may4 ,he says1 over there1 they don't mind talking about the real things1 over there1 'cos they're the things that count4 ,he thinks the one that took it in mostly was ,lionel4 ,yes1 it seemed to sink in mostly2 he was turning it over afterwards1 though he didn't say much4 ,he's more ready for that than the others4 ,he says he would never have believed it when he was here1 but he is4 ,he hasn't been to that place again1 not that same place4 ,but he's been to a place just below it4 ,he's been attending lectures1 at what they call1 halls of learning3 you can prepare yourself for the higher spheres while you are living in lower ones4 ,he's on the third1 but he's told that even now he could go on to the fourth if he chose2 but he says he would rather be learning the laws ap-per-taining to each sphere while he's still living on the third1 because it brings him closer--at least until you two have come over4 ,he will stay and learn1 where he is4 ,he wouldn't like to go on there and then find it to be difficult to get back4 ,he will wait till we can go happily and comfortably together6 ,would it interest you for him to tell you about one of the places he's been to8 ,it's so interesting to him1 that he might seem to exaggerate2 but the experience is so wonderful1 it lives with him4 ,he went into a place on the fifth sphere--a place he takes to be made of alabaster4 ,he's not sure that it really was1 but it looked like that4 ,it looked like a kind of a temple--a large one4 ,there were crowds passing into this place1 and they looked very happy4 ,and he thought1 ,i wonder what ,i'm going to see here4 ,when he got mixed up with the crowd going into the temple1 he felt a kind of--7he's stopping to think74 ,it's not irreverency what he says1 but he felt a kind of feeling as if he had had too much champagne--it went to his head1 he felt too buoyant1 as if carried a bit off the ground4 ,that's 'cos he isn't quite attuned to the conditions of that sphere4 ,it's a most extraordinary feeling4 ,he went in1 and he saw that though the building was white1 there were many different lights3 looked like certain places covered in red1 and 444 was blue1 and the centre was orange4 ,these were not the crude colours that go by those names1 but a softened shade4 ,and he looked to see what they came from4 ,then he saw that a lot of the windows were extremely large1 and the panes in them had glass of these colours4 ,and he saw that some of the people would go and stand in the pinky coloured light that came through the red glass1 and others would stand in the blue light1 and some would stand in the orange or yellow coloured light4 ,and he thought1 ,what are they doing that for8 ,then some one told him that the pinky coloured light was the light of the love-colour2 and the blue was the light of actual spiritual healing2 and the orange was the light of intellect4 ,and that1 according to what people wanted1 they would go and stand under that light4 ,and the guide told him that it was more important than what people on earth knew4 ,and that1 in years to come1 there would be made a study of the effect of different lights4 ,the pinky people looked clever and developed in their attitude and mentality generally2 but they hadn't been able to cultivate the love-interest much1 their other interests had overpowered that one4 ,and the people who went into the intellectual light looked softer and happy1 but not so clever looking4 ,he says he felt more drawn to the pink light himself1 but some one said1 ,no1 you have felt a good deal of that1 and he got out and went into the other two1 and he felt that he liked the blue light best4 ,and he thinks that perhaps you will read something into that4 ,i had the other conditions1 but ,i wanted the other so much4 ,the blue seemed to call me more than the others4 ,after ,i had been in it some time1 ,i felt that nothing mattered much1 except preparing for the spiritual life4 ,he says that the old ,raymond seemed far away at the time1 as though he was looking back on some one else's life--some one ,i hadn't much connexion with1 and yet who was linked on to me4 ,and he felt1 ,what does anything matter1 if ,i can only attain this beautiful uplifting feeling4 ,i can't tell you what ,i felt like1 but reading it over afterwards1 perhaps you will understand4 ,words feel powerless to describe it4 ,he won't try1 he will just tell you what happened after4 ,we sat down--the seats were arranged something like pews in a church--and as he looked towards the aisle1 he saw coming up it about seven figures4 ,and he saw1 from his former experience1 that they were evidently teachers come down from the seventh sphere4 ,he says1 they went up to the end part1 and they stood on a little raised platform2 and then one of them came down each of the little aisles1 and put out their hands on those sitting in the pews4 ,and when one of the ,guides put his hand on his head1 he felt a mixture of all three lights--as if he understood everything1 and as if everything that he had ever felt1 of anger or worry1 all seemed nothing4 ,and he felt as if he could rise to any height1 and as if he could raise everybody round him4 ,as if he had such a power in himself4 ,he's stopping to think over it again4 ,they sat and listened1 and the first part of the ceremony was given in a lecture1 in which one of the ,guides was telling them how to teach others on the lower spheres and earth plane1 to come more into the spiritual life1 while still on those lower planes4 ,i think that all that went before was to make it easy to understand4 ,and he didn't get only the words of the speaker1 words didn't seem to matter1 he got the thought--whole sentences1 instead of one word at a time4 ,and lessons were given on concentration1 and on the projection of uplifting and helpful thoughts to those on the earth plane4 ,and as he sat there--he sat1 they were not kneeling--he felt as if something was going from him1 through the other spheres on to the earth1 and was helping somebody1 though he didn't know who it was4 ,he can't tell you how wonderful it was2 not once it happened1 but several times4 ,he's even been on to the sixth sphere too4 ,the sixth sphere was even more beautiful than the fifth1 but at present he didn't want to stay there4 ,he would rather be helping people where he is4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,does he see the troubles of people on the earth8 ,yes1 he does sometimes4 ,i do wish that we could alter people so that they were not ashamed to talk about the things that matter4 ,he can see people preparing for the summer holidays1 and yet something may prevent them4 ,but the journey that they have got to go some time1 that they don't prepare for at all4 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,how can you prepare for it8 ,yes1 by speaking about it openly1 and living your life so as to make it easier for yourself and others4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is ,raymond still there8 ,has he got any more tests to give1 or anything to say1 to the boys or anybody8 ,did they understand about the yacht8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 they did4 ,and about the tent8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 they did4 ,he's very pleased--it bucks him up when he gets things through4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,have you learnt any more about the ,colonel#bh8 ,he's not on the spirit side4 ,he feels sure he isn't4 ,somebody told him that there was a body found1 near the place where he had been1 and it was dressed in uniform like he had had4 ,but something had happened to it here 7pointing to her head74 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,who was it told you8 ,some one on the other side2 just a messenger1 not one who knew all about it4 ,no1 the messenger didn't seem to know ,j4 ,k4 personally1 but he had gathered the information from the minds of people on the earth plane4 ,and ,feda isn't quite sure1 but thinks that there was something missing from the body--missing from the body that they took to be him1 which would have identified him4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,do you mean the face8 ,no1 he doesn't mean the face4 7,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l41 here pointing to her chest1 signified to me that she knew that it was the identification disk that was missing47 ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4--,why was it missing8 ,because it wasn't he6 ,in the first place1 it couldn't be1 but if that had only been there1 they would have known4 ,he can't say where he is at the present moment1 but he heard a few days ago that he is being kept somewhere1 and as far as he can make out1 in ,belgium4 ,it's as though he had been taken some distance4 ,raymond's not showing this--but ,feda's shown in a sort of flash a letter4 ,first a ,b1 and then an ,r4 ,but the ,b doesn't mean ,belgium2 it's either a ,b or an ,r1 or both4 ,it just flashed up4 ,it may mean the place where he is4 ,but ,raymond doesn't know where he is1 only he's quite sure that he isn't on the spirit side4 ,but he's afraid he's ill4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,have you anything more to say about ,e4 ,a48 ,see #c ,march record1 p4 #bdc4 ,no1 no more4 ,raymond came to ,feda to help the lady who came4 ,feda started describing ,raymond4 ,and he said1 no1 only come to help4 ,and then he brought the one what was drownded4 ,he came to help also with another1 but ,feda didn't tell that lady1 'cos she didn't know you4 ,he doesn't like ,feda to tell4 ,feda couldn't understand why he wanted to help1 because she didn't know he knew that gentleman4 ,he helped ,e4 ,a4 to build up a picture of his home4 ,perhaps she thinks it was ,feda being so clever6 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes1 ,i know1 she's been there to see it4 ,see p4 #bde4 ,yes1 and she found it what she said4 ,he told her that she wouldn't be seeing his mother4 ,she couldn't see why she shouldn't see his mother2 but she didn't4 ,true4 ,raymond hasn't got any good tests4 ,he can't manufacture them1 and they are so hard to remember4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,is he still in his little house8 ,oh yes1 he feels at home there4 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,he said it was made of bricks--,i could make nothing of that4 ,i knew you couldn't6 ,it's difficult to explain4 ,at-om-2 he say something about at-om-ic principle4 ,they seem to be able to draw 787 certain unstable atoms from the atmosphere and crystallise them as they draw near certain central attraction4 ,that isn't quite what ,feda thinks of it4 ,feda has seen like something going round--a wheel--something like electricity1 some sparks dropping off the edge of the wheel1 and it goes crick1 crick1 and becomes like hard2 and then they falls like little raindrops into the long thing under the wheel--,raymond calls it the accumulator4 ,i can't call them anything but bricks4 ,it's difficult to know what to call them4 ,wait until you come over1 and ,i'll show you round4 ,and you will say1 ,by ,jove1 so they are6 ,things are quite real here4 ,mind1 ,i don't say things are as heavy as on the earth1 because they're not4 ,and if he hit or kicked something it wouldn't displace it so much as on the earth1 because we're lighter4 ,i can't tell you exactly what it is2 ,i'm not very interested in making bricks1 but ,i can see plainly how it's apparently done4 ,he says it appears to him too1 that the spirit spheres are built round the earth plane1 and seem to revolve with it4 ,only1 naturally1 the first sphere isn't revolving at such a rate as the third1 fourth1 fifth1 sixth1 and seventh spheres4 ,greater circumference makes it seem to revolve more rapidly4 ,that seems to have an actual effect on the atmospheric conditions prevailing in any one of the spheres4 ,do you see what he's getting at8 ,o4 ,j4 ,l4--,yes4 ,he only means that the peripheral velocity is greater for the bigger spheres1 though the angular velocity is the same4 ,yes1 that's just what he means4 ,and it does affect the different conditions1 and that's why he felt a bit careful when he was on a higher sphere1 in hanging on to the ground4 ,a good deal of this struck me as nonsense2 as if ,feda had picked it up from some sitter4 ,but ,i went on recording what was said4 ,such a lot of people think it's a kind of thought-world1 where you think all sort of things--that it's all think4 ,but when you come over you see that there's no thinking about it2 it's there1 and it does impress you with reality4 ,he does wish you would come over4 ,he will be as proud as a cat with something tails--two tails1 he said4 ,proud as a cat with two tails showing you round the places4 ,he says1 father will have a fine time1 poking into everything1 and turning everything inside out4 ,there's plenty flowers growing here1 ,miss ,olive1 you will be glad to hear4 ,but we don't cut them here4 ,they doesn't die and grow again2 they seem to renew themselves4 ,just like people1 they are there all the time renewing their spirit bodies4 ,the higher the sphere he went to1 the lighter the bodies seemed to be--he means the fairer1 lighter in colour4 ,he's got an idea that the reason why people have drawn angels with long fair hair and very fair complexion is that they have been inspired by somebody from very high spheres4 ,feda's not fair2 she's not brown1 but olive coloured2 her hair is dark4 ,all people that's any good has black hair4 ,do you know that a friend won't be satisfied unless he comes and has a talk through the table4 ,feda doesn't mind now1 'cos she has had a talk4 ,so she will go now and let him talk through the table all right4 ,give ,feda's love to all of them1 specially to ,s,lionel--,feda likes him4 99 99 99 99 99 7,mrs4 ,leonard now came-to1 and after about ten minutes she and ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 sat at a small octagonal table1 which1 in another five minutes1 began to tilt47 ,but the subject now completely changed1 and1 if reported at all1 must be reported elsewhere4 ,i may say that several times1 during a ,feda sitting1 some special communicator has asked for a table sitting to follow1 because he considers it more definite and more private4 ,and certainly some of the evidence so got has been remarkable2 as indeed it was on this occasion4 ,but the record concerns other people1 distant friends of my wife1 some of whom take no interest in the subject whatever4 ,footnote #bh3 ,see record on ,p4 #bed4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,a ,,few ,,isolated ,,incidents ,there are a number of incidents which might be reported1 some of them of characteristic quality1 and a few of them of the nature of good tests4 ,the first of these reported here is decidedly important4 ,i4 ,,simultaneous ,,sittings ,,in ,,london ,,and ,,edgbaston ,,special ',,honolulu' ,,test ,,episode ,lionel and ,norah1 going through ,london on the way to ,eastbourne1 on ,friday1 #bf ,may #aiaf1 arranged to have a sitting with ,mrs4 ,leonard about noon4 ,they held one from #aa4ee to #a4cj1 and a portion of their record is transcribed below4 ,at noon it seems suddenly to have occurred to ,alec in ,birmingham to try for a correspondence test2 so he motored up from his office1 extracted some sisters from the ,lady ,mayoress's ,depot1 where they were making surgical bandages1 and took them to ,mariemont for a brief table sitting4 ,it lasted about ten minutes1 between #ab4aj and #ab4bj p4m4 ,and the test which he then and there suggested was to ask ,raymond to get ,feda in ,london to say the word ,honolulu4 ,this task1 ,i am told1 was vigorously accepted and acquiesced in4 ,a record of this short sitting ,alec wrote on a letter-card to me1 which ,i received at #g p4m4 the same evening at ,mariemont3 the first ,i had heard of the experiment4 ,the postmark is #a p4m4 #bf ,my #af1 and the card runs thus3-- ,mariemont1 ,friday1 #bf ,may1 #ab4bi p4m4 ,honor1 ,rosalynde1 and ,alec sitting in drawing-room at table4 ,knowing ,lionel and ,norah having ,feda sitting in ,london simultaneously4 ,asked ,raymond to give our love to ,norah and ,lionel and to try and get ,feda to say ,honolulu4 ,norah and ,lionel know nothing of this1 as it was arranged by ,a4 ,m4 ,l4 after #ab o'clock to-day4 7,signed7 ,,alec ,m4 ,,lodge ,,honor ,g4 ,,lodge ,,rosalynde ,v4 ,,lodge ,it is endorsed on the back in pencil1 ,posted at ,b'ham ,general ,p4,o4 #ab4dc p4m42 and1 in ink1 ,received by me #g p4m4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,opened and read and filed at once4 ,the sitters in ,london knew nothing of the contemporaneous attempt2 and nothing was told them1 either then or later4 ,noticing nothing odd in their sitting1 which they had not considered a particularly good one1 they made no report till after both had returned from ,eastbourne a week later4 ,the notes by that time had been written out1 and were given me to read to the family4 ,as ,i read1 ,i came on a passage near the end1 and1 like the few others who were in the secret1 was pleased to find that the word ,honolulu had been successfully got through4 ,the subject of music appeared to have been rather forced in by ,raymond1 in order to get ,feda to mention an otherwise disconnected and meaningless word2 the time when this was managed being1 ,i estimate1 about #a4j or #a4ae4 ,but of course it was not noted as of any interest at the time4 ,here follow the ,london ,notes4 ,i will quote portions of the sitting only1 so as not to take up too much space3-- ,sitting of ,lionel and ,norah with ,mrs4 ,leonard in ,london1 ,friday1 #bf ,may #aiaf1 beginning #aa4ee a4m4 ,,extracts ,,from ,,report ,,by ,l4 ,l4 ,after referring to ,raymond's married sister and her husband1 ,feda suddenly ejaculated3-- ,how is ,alec8 ,l4 ,l4--,oh1 all right4 ,he just wanted to know how he was1 and send his love to him4 ,he does not always see who is at the table2 he feels some more than others4#bi ,he says you 7to ,norah7 sat at the table and ,lionel4 ,he felt you 7,norah7 more than any one else at the table4 ,this is unlikely4 ,he seems to be thinking that it is ,honor4 ,feda feels that if you started off very easily1 you would be able to see him4 ,develop a normal 444 clairvoyance probably4 ,raymond says1 go slowly1 develop just with time1 go slowly4 ,even the table helps a little4 ,he can really get through now in his own words4 ,when he is there1 he now knows what he has got through4 ,the ,indians have got through their hanky-panky4 ,we thought that this meant playing with the table in a way beyond his control4 ,he says that ,lily is here4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,where is she87 ,she looks very beautiful1 and has lilies2 she will help too1 and give you power4 ,sit quietly once or twice a week1 hold your hands1 the right over the left1 so1 for ten minutes1 then sit quiet--only patience4 ,he could wait till doomsday4 ,he says1 ,wait and see2 he is laughing6 ,he has seen ,curly 7p4 #bjc74 ,l4 ,l4--,is ,curly there now8 ,no1 see her when we wants to4 ,that's the one that wriggles and goes 444 7here ,feda made a sound like a dog panting1 with her tongue out--quite a good imitation74 ,raymond has met another boy like ,paul1 a boy called ,ralph4 ,he likes him4 ,there is what you call a set4 ,people meet there who are interested in the same things4 ,ralph is a very decent sort of chap4#cj 7,to ,norah74--,you could play4 ,n4 ,m4 ,l4--,play what8 ,not a game1 a music4 ,n4 ,m4 ,l4--,i am afraid ,i can't1 ,raymond4 7,feda1 sotto voce4--,she can't do that47 ,he wanted to know whether you could play ,hulu--,honolulu4 ,well1 can't you try to8 ,he is rolling with laughter meaning that he's pleased about something4 ,he knows who he is speaking to1 but he can't give the name4 ,here he seems to know that it is ,norah and not ,honor4 ,l4 ,l4--,should ,i tell him8 ,no4 ,he says something about a yacht2 he means a test he sent through about a yacht4 ,confounded ,argonauts6#ca ,he is going4 ,fondest love to them at ,mariemont4 ,the sitting continued for a short time longer1 ending at #a4cj p4m41 but the present report may end here4 ,,note ,,on ,,the ',,honolulu' ,,episode ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,in my judgment there were signs that the simultaneous holding of two sittings1 one with ,honor and ,alec in ,edgbaston1 and one with ,lionel and ,norah in ,london1 introduced a little harmless confusion2 there was a tendency in ,london to confuse ,norah with ,honor1 and ,alec was mentioned in ,london in perhaps an unnecessary way4 ,i do not press this1 however1 but ,i do press the ',honolulu' episode-- 7i7 because it establishes a reality about the home sittings1 7ii7 because it so entirely eliminates anything of the nature of collusion1 conscious or unconscious1 7iii7 because the whole circumstances of the test make it an exceedingly good one4 ,what it does not exclude is telepathy4 ,in fact it may be said to suggest telepathy4 ,yes1 it suggests distinctly one variety of what1 ,i think1 is often called telepathy--a process sometimes conducted1 ,i suspect1 by an unrecognised emissary or messenger between agent and percipient4 ,it was exactly like an experiment conducted for thought transference at a distance4 ,for at ,edgbaston was a party of three sitting round a table and thinking for a few seconds of the word ',honolulu'2 while in ,london was a party of two simultaneously sitting with a medium and recording what was said4 ,and in their record the word ',honolulu' occurs4 ,telepathy1 however--of whatever kind--is not a normal explanation2 and ,i venture to say that there is no normal explanation1 since in my judgment chance is out of the question4 ,the subject of music was forced in by the communicator1 in order to bring in the word2 it did not occur naturally2 and even if the subject of music had arisen1 there was no sort of reason for referring to that particular song4 ,the chief thing that the episode establishes1 to my mind1 and a thing that was worth establishing1 is the genuine character of the simple domestic sittings without a medium which are occasionally held by the family circle at ,mariemont4 ,for it is through these chiefly that ,raymond remains as much a member of the family group as ever4 ,,ii4 ,,impromptu ,,mariemont ,,sitting ,once at ,mariemont1 ,i am told1 when ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 and ,honor were touching it1 the table moved up to a book in which relics and reminiscences of ,raymond had been pasted1 and caused it to be opened4 ,in it1 among other things1 was an enlargement of the snapshot facing page #bgh1 showing him in an old ',nagant' motor1 which had been passed on to him by ,alec1 stopping outside a certain house in ,somersetshire4 ,he was asked what house it was1 and was expected to spell the name of the friend who lived there1 but instead he spelt the name of the house4 ,the record by ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l41 with some unimportant omissions1 is here reproduced--merely1 however1 as another example of a private sitting without a medium4 ,impromptu ,table ,sitting at ,mariemont1 ,tuesday1 #be ,april #aiaf 7,,report ,,by ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l47 ,i had been thinking of ,raymond all day1 and wanting to thank him for what he did yesterday for a friend4 ,honor had agreed that we might do it some time1 but when ,i mentioned it about #aj4ej p4m41 she did not want to sit then--she thought it too late4 ,we were then in the library4 ,honor1 sitting on the ,chesterfield1 said1 ,i wonder if any table would be equally good for ,raymond8--placing her hands on the middle-sized table of the nest of three4 ,it at once began to stir1 and she asked me to place mine on the other side to steady it4 ,i asked if it was ,raymond1 and it decidedly said ,,yes4 ,i then thanked him with much feeling for what he had done for two separate families lately4 ,i told him how much he had comforted them1 and how splendidly he was doing2 that there were quite a number of people he had helped now4 ,we discussed a few others that needed help4 ,then ,i think we asked him if he knew what room we were in--,,yes4 ,and after knocking me a good deal1 and making a noise which seemed to please him against my eyeglasses1 he managed1 by laying the table down1 to get one foot on to the ,chesterfield and raise the table up on it2 and there it stayed1 and rocked about for a long time answering questions--,i thought it would make a hole in the cover4 ,i don't quite remember how it got down1 but it did1 and then edged itself up to the other larger table1 which had been given me by ,alec1 ,nol1 and ,raymond1 after they had broken a basket table ,i used to use there--it was brought in with a paper1 ,to ,mother from the culprits4 7,this was a year or two ago47 ,well1 he got it up to this table1 and fidgeted about with the foot of the smaller table on which we had our hands1 until he rested it on a ledge and tried to raise it up4 ,but the way he did this most successfully was when he got the ledge of our small table onto a corner of the other and then raised it off the ground level4 ,this he did several times4 ,i took one hand off1 leaving one hand on the top1 and ,honor's two hands lying on the top1 no part of them being over the edge1 and ,i measured the height the legs were off the ground4 ,the first time it was the width of three fingers1 and the next time four fingers4 ,honor told him this was very clever4 ,i then tried to press it down1 but could not--a curious feeling1 like pressing on a cushion of air4 ,he had by this time turned us right round1 so that ,honor was sitting where ,i had been before1 and ,i was sitting or sometimes standing in her place4 ,then we were turned round again1 and he seemed to want to knock the other table again2 he went at it in a curious way4 ,i had with one hand to remove a glass on it which ,i thought he would upset4 ,he continued to edge against it1 until he reached a book lying on it4 ,this he knocked with such intention1 that ,honor asked him if he wanted it opened4 ,,yes4 ,this was a scrap-book in which ,i collect anything about him--photographs1 old and new2 poems made about him1 or sent to me in consolation2 and it has his name outside1 drawn on in large letters4--,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4 ,so ,i opened it1 and showed him the photograph of himself seated in the ',nagant4' ,a motor-car which ,alec had practically given him not long before the war1 and with which he was delighted4 ,honor asked if he could see it1 and he said ,,yes1 and seemed pleased4 ,she asked if he could tell her what house it was standing in front of1 and he spelt out-- ,,st4 ,,germins4 ,this was pretty good1 as the name of the ,jacques's house is ',st4 ,germains4' 7,honor had forgotten the name till he began1 and expected him to say ,jacques's47 ,we told him he had got it1 but that his spelling wasn't quite as good as it had been4 ,honor talked to him then about the ',nagant' and the ',gabrielle ,horn1' all of which seemed to delight him4 ,we then showed him some other photographs1 and the one of his dog1 and asked him to spell its name1 which he did without mistake-- ,,larry4 ,he couldn't see the little photograph of the goats1 as it was too small4 ,but he saw himself in uniform--the one taken by ,rosalynde and enlarged--and he seemed to like seeing that4 ,we talked a lot to him4 ,i asked if he remembered his journey with me out to ,italy1 and the ,pullman car1 etc4 ,at this he knocked very affectionately against me4 ,we then thought it was time for us all to go to bed4 ,but he said ,,no4 ,so we went on telling him family news4 ,he listened with interest and appreciative knocks1 and he then tried his balancing trick again1 sometimes with success1 but often failing to get the leg right4 ,but he did it again in the end4 ,we tried to say good night1 it being then nearly one o'clock1 but he didn't seem to want to go4 ,we said au revoir1 and told him we would see him again soon4 ,,iii4 ,,episode ,,of ',,mr4 ,,jackson' ,a striking incident is reported in one of my ',feda' sittings--that on #c ,march #aiaf--shortly after the death of our peacock1 which went by the comic name of ',mr4 ,jackson1' his wives being ,matilda ,jackson and ,janet4 ,he was a pet of ,m4 ,f4 ,a4 ,l4's1 and had recently met with a tragic end4 ,it was decided to have him stuffed1 and one of the last things ,i had seen before leaving ,mariemont was a wooden pedestal on which it was proposed to put him4 ,when ,i asked ,feda if ,raymond remembered ,mr4 ,jackson1 he spoke of him humorously1 greatly to ,feda's puzzlement1 who said at last that he was mixing him up with a bird1 about whom ,i had previously inquired2 because he said1 ',fine bird1 put him on a pedestal4' ,illustration3 ,,curley ,,and ,,vix1 ,,curley ,,being ,,the ,,shaggy ,,one4 ,,vix ,,was ,,the ,,mother ,,of ,,raymond',s ,,dog ,,larry ,illustration3 ,,raymond ,,in ,,his ,,nagant ,,motor1 #aiac ,,outside ,a ,,friend',s ,,house ,,in ,,somersetshire ,if this was not telepathy from me1 it seems to show a curious knowledge of what is going on at his home1 for the bird had not been dead a week1 and if he were alive there would be no sense in saying1 'put him on a pedestal4' ,feda evidently understood it1 or tried to understand it1 as meaning that some man1 a ,mr4 ,jackson1 was metaphorically put on a pedestal by the family4 ,the fact1 however1 that ,mr4 ,jackson was at once known by ,raymond to be a bird is itself evidential1 for there was nothing in the way ,i asked the question to make ,feda or anyone think he was not a man4 ,indeed1 that is precisely why she got rather bewildered4 ,see ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,iv4 ,,episode ,,of ,,the ,,photographs ,it is unnecessary to call attention to the importance of the photograph incident1 which is fully narrated in ,chapter ,,iv2 but he spoke later of another photograph1 in which he said was included his friend ,case4 ,it is mentioned near the end of ,chapter ,,iv4 ,that photograph we also obtained from ,gale ,polden1 and it is true that ,case is in it as well as ,raymond1 whereas he was not in the former group2 but this one is entirely different from the other1 for they are both in a back row standing up1 and in a quite open place4 ,if this had been sent to us at first1 instead of the right one1 we should have considered the description quite wrong4 ,as it is1 the main photograph episode constitutes one of the best pieces of evidence that has been given4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,remarks ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,in ,,concluding ,,part ,,ii ,the number of more or less convincing proofs which we have obtained is by this time very great4 ,some of them appeal more to one person1 some to another2 but taking them all together every possible ground of suspicion or doubt seems to the family to be now removed4 ,and it is legitimate to say1 further1 that partly through ,raymond's activity a certain amount of help of the same kind has been afforded to other families4 ,incidentally it has been difficult to avoid brief reference to a few early instances of this1 in that part of the record now published4 ,for the most part1 however1 these and a great number of other things are omitted2 and ,i ought perhaps to apologise for the quantity which ,i have thought proper to include4 ,some home critics think that it would have been wiser to omit a great deal more1 so as to lighten the book4 ,but one can only act in accordance with one's own judgment2 and the book1 if it is to achieve what it aims at1 cannot be a light one4 ,so1 instead of ending it here1 ,i propose to add a quantity of more didactic material--expressing my own views on the subject of ,life and ,death--the result of many years of thought and many kinds of experience4 ,some people may prefer the details in ,part ,,ii2 but others who have not the patience to read ,part ,,ii may tolerate the more general considerations adduced in ,part ,,iii--the ,life and ,death portion--which can be read without any reference to ,raymond or to ,parts ,i and ,,ii4 ,footnote #bi3 ,it is noteworthy1 in connexion with these remarks1 that ,honor and ,alec were sitting for a short time at ,mariemont just about now4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,footnote #cj3 ,this is the first mention of a ,ralph--presumably the one whose people1 not known to us personally1 had had excellent table sittings with ,mrs4 ,leonard4 ,see ,chapter ,,xii4--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,footnote #ca3 ,this is too late to be of any use1 but ',yacht' appears to be the sort of answer they had wanted to ',argonauts4'--,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,,part ,,three3 ,,life ,,and ,,death ,eternal form shall still divide ,the eternal soul from all beside2 ,and ,i shall know him when we meet4 ,tennyson1 ,in ,memoriam4 ,,introduction ,in this ,life and ,death portion a definite side is unobtrusively taken in connexion with two outstanding controversies2 and though the treatment is purposely simple and uncontroversial1 the author is under no delusion that every philosophical reader will agree with him4 ,explicit argumentation on either side is no novelty1 but this is not the place for argument2 moreover1 the opposing views have already been presented with ample clearness by skilled disputants4 ,briefly then it may be said that ,interactionism rather than ,epiphenomenalism or ,parallelism is the side taken in one controversy4 ,and the non-material nature of life--the real existence of some kind of vital essence or vivifying principle as a controlling and guiding entity--is postulated in another3 though the author never calls it a force or an energy4 ,philosophical literature teems with these topics1 but it may suffice here to call the attention of the general reader to two or three easily readable summaries--one an explanatory article by ,mr4 ,gerald ,balfour1 in ,the ,hibbert ,journal for ,april #aiaj1 on the ,epiphenomenon controversy1 and generally on the alternative explanations of the connexion between ,mind and ,body1 in the light thrown on the subject by ,telepathy and ,psychical ,research2 while on the vitality controversy a small book embodying a short course of lectures by the physiologist and philosopher ,dr4 ,j4 ,s4 ,haldane under the title ,mechanism1 ,life1 and ,personality1 or a larger book by ,professor ,m',dougal called ,body and ,mind1 may be recommended4 ,on this subject also the writings of ,professor ,j4 ,arthur ,thomson may be specially mentioned4 ,the opinions of the present author on these topics1 whatever they may be worth1 are held without apology or hesitation1 because to him they appear the inevitable consequence of facts of nature as now known or knowable4 ,some of these facts are not generally accepted by scientific men2 and if the facts themselves are not admitted1 naturally any conclusion based upon them will appear ill-founded1 and the further developed structure illusory4 ,he anticipates that this will be said by critics4 ,in so far as the author's manner of statement is in terms of frank ,dualism1 he regards that as inevitable for scientific purposes4 ,he does not suppose that any form of ,dualism can be the last word about the ,universe2 but1 for practical purposes1 mind and matter1 or soul and body1 must be thought of separately1 and it must be the work of higher ,philosophy to detect ultimate unity--a unity which he feels certain cannot possibly be materialistic in any sense intelligible to those who are at present studying matter and energy4 ,it may be doubted whether ,materialism as a philosophy exists any longer1 in the sense of being sustained by serious philosophers2 but a few physiological writers1 of skill and industry1 continue to advocate what they are pleased to call ,scientific ,materialism4 ,properly regarded this is a ,policy1 not a ,philosophy1 as ,i will explain2 but they make the mistake of regarding it as a ,philosophy comprehensive enough to give them the right of negation as well as of affirmation4 ,they do this in the interest of what they feel instinctively to be the ultimate achievement1 a ,monism in which mind and matter can be recognised as aspects of some one fundamental ,reality4 ,we can sympathise with the aim1 and still feel how far from accomplishment we are4 ,nothing is gained by undue haste1 and by unfounded negation much may be lost4 ,we must not deny any part of the ,universe for the sake of a premature unification4 ,simplification by exclusion or denial is a poverty-stricken device4 ,the strength of such workers is that they base themselves on the experience and discoveries of the past1 and1 by artificial but convenient limitation of outlook1 achieve practical results4 ,but they are not satisfied with results actually achieved--they forget their limitations--and1 by a gigantic system of extrapolation from what has been done1 try to infer what is going to be done2 their device being to anticipate and speak of what they hope for1 as if it were already an accomplished fact4 ,some of the assumptions or blind guesses made by men of this school are well illustrated by an exposition in ,the ,hibbert ,journal for ,july #aiaf1 where an able writer states the main propositions of ,scientific ,materialism thus3-- #a4 ,the law of universal causation2 #b4 ,the principle of mechanism--i4e4 the denial of purpose in the universe and all notions of absolute finalism or teleology2 #c4 ,the denial that there exists any form of 'spiritual' or 'mental' entity that cannot be expressed in terms of matter and motion4 ,these appear to be its three propositions1 and they are formulated by the exponent as being of the first importance in the representation of materialistic thought4 ,now proposition #a is common property2 materialistic thought has no sort of exclusive right over it2 and to claim propositions #b and #c as corollaries from it is farcical4 ,taking them as independent postulates--which they are--all that need be said about proposition #b is that a broad denial always needs more knowledge than a specific assertion1 and it is astonishing that any sane person can imagine himself to know enough about the ,universe as a whole to be able complacently to deny the existence of any purpose in it4 ,all he can really mean is that scientific explanations must be framed so as to exhibit the immediate means whereby results in nature are accomplished2 for whether1 or in what sense1 they are first or simultaneously conceived in a ,mind--as human undertakings are--is a matter beyond our scientific ken4 ,thus ,darwinian and ,mendelian attempts to explain how species arise1 and how inheritance occurs1 are entirely legitimate and scientific4 ,for our experience is that every event has a proximate cause which we can investigate4 ,of ultimate causes we as scientific men are ignorant3 they belong to a different region of inquiry4 ,if the word denial1 therefore1 in the above proposition is replaced by the phrase exclusion from practical scientific attention1 ,i for one have no quarrel with clause #b2 for it then becomes a mere self-denying ordinance1 a convenient limitation of scope4 ,it represents ,policy1 not ,philosophy4 ,but attention may be more usefully directed to the extravagantly gratuitous guess involved in hypothesis #c4 ,as a minor point1 it is not even carefully worded2 for entities which cannot be expressed in terms of matter and motion are common enough without going outside the domain of physics4 ,light1 for instance1 and ,electricity1 have not yet proved amenable1 and do not appear likely to be amenable1 to purely dynamical theory4 ,certain phenomena have been reduced to matter and motion1--heat1 for instance1 and sound1 the phenomena of gases and liquids1 and all the complexities of astronomy4 ,and in a famous passage ,newton expressed an enthusiastic hope that all the phenomena of physics might some day be similarly reduced to the attractive simplicity of the three laws of motion--inertia1 acceleration1 and stress4 ,and ever since ,newton it has been the aim of physics to explain everything in its domain in terms of pure dynamics4 ,the attempt has been only partially successful3 the ,ether is recalcitrant4 ,but its recalcitrance is not like mere surly obstruction1 it is of a helpful and illuminating character1 and ,i shall not be misleading anyone if ,i cheerfully admit that in some modified and expanded form dynamical theory in mathematical physics has proved itself to be supreme4 ,but does dominance of that kind give to that splendid science--the glory of ,britain and of ,cambridge--the right to make a gigantic extrapolation and sprawl over all the rest of the ,universe1 throwing out tentacles even into regions which it has definitely abstracted from its attention or excluded from its ken8 ,there is not a physicist who thinks so4 ,the only people who try to think so are a few enthusiasts of a more speculative habit of thought1 who are annoyed with the physicists1 from ,lord ,kelvin downwards1 for not agreeing with them4 ,and being unable to gather from competent authority any specific instance in which dynamics has explained a single fact in the region of either life or mind or consciousness or emotion or purpose or will1--because it is known perfectly well that dynamical jurisdiction does not extend into those regions1--these speculators set up as authorities on their own account1 and1 on the strength of their own expectation1 propound the broad and sweeping dogma that nothing in the ,universe exists which is not fully expressible in terms of matter and motion4 ,and then1 having accustomed themselves to the sound of some such collocation of words1 they call upon humanity to shut its eyes to any facts of common experience which render such an assertion ridiculous4 ,the energy and enthusiasm of these writers1 and the good work they may be doing in their own science1 render them more or less immune from attack2 but every now and then it is necessary to say clearly that such extravagant generalisations profane the modesty of science3 whose heritage it is to recognise the limitations of partial knowledge1 and to be always ready to gain fresh experience and learn about the unknown4 ,the new and unfamiliar is the vantage ground1 not of scientific dogmatism1 but of scientific inquiry4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the expository or theoretical part of this book may at first appear too abstract for the general reader who has had no experience of the kind of facts already described4 ,such reader may fail to see a connexion between this more didactic portion and the illustrations or examples which have preceded it2 but if he will give sufficient time and thought to the subject1 the connexion will dawn upon him with considerable vividness4 ,it has always seemed to the author legitimate1 and in every way desirable1 for an experimenter to interpret and make himself responsible for an explanation or theory of his observations1 so far as he can4 ,to record bare facts and expect a reader of the record to arrive at the same conclusion as that reached by one who has been immersed in them for a long time1 is to expect too strenuous an effort1 and is not a fair procedure4 ,such a practice1 though not unusual and sometimes even commended in physical science1 is not followed by the most famous workers2 and it has been known to retard progress for a considerable time by loading the student with an accumulation of undigested facts4 ,the hypothesis on which an observer has been working1 or which he has arrived at in the course of his investigations1 may or may not be of permanent value1 but if his experience has led him to regard it as the best solution so far attainable1 and if he is known not to be a specially obstinate or self-opinionated person1 his views for what they are worth should be set forth for the guidance of future inquirers4 ,if he mauls the facts in his direction1 he will be detected2 but such an accusation is a serious one1 and should not be made lightly or without opportunity for reply4 ,the string on which beads are strung may not be extremely durable1 and in time it may give place to something stronger1 but it is better than a random heap of beads not threaded on anything at all4 ,the main thread linking all the facts together in the present case is the hypothesis not only of continued or personal psychical existence in the abstract1 but a definite inter-locking or inter-communication between two grades of existence1--the two in which we are most immediately interested and about which we can ascertain most1--that of the present and that of the immediate future for each individual2 together with the added probabilities that the actual grades of existence are far more than two1 and that the forthcoming transition1 in which we cannot but be interested even if we do not believe in it1 is only one of many of which we shall1 in some barely imaginable way1 in due time become aware4 ,the hypothesis of continued existence in another set of conditions1 and of possible communication across a boundary1 is not a gratuitous one made for the sake of comfort and consolation1 or because of a dislike to the idea of extinction2 it is a hypothesis which has been gradually forced upon the author--as upon many other persons--by the stringent coercion of definite experience4 ,the foundation of the atomic theory in ,chemistry is to him no stronger4 ,the evidence is cumulative1 and has broken the back of all legitimate and reasonable scepticism4 ,and if by selecting the atomic theory as an example he has chosen one upon which supplementary and most interesting facts have been grafted in the progress of discovery--facts not really contradicting the old knowledge1 even when superficially appearing to do so1 but adding to it and illuminating it further1 while making changes perhaps in its manner of formulation--he has chosen such an example of set purpose1 as not unlikely to be imitated in the present case also4 ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,term ,,life ,eternal process moving on4--,,tennyson ,the shorter the word the more inevitable it is that it will be used in many significations2 as can be proved by looking out almost any monosyllable in a large dictionary4 ,the tendency of a simple word to have many glancing meanings--like shot silk1 as ,tennyson put it--is a character of high literary value2 though it may be occasionally inconvenient for scientific purposes4 ,it is unlikely that we can escape an ambiguity due to this tendency1 but ,i wish to use the term 'life' to signify the vivifying principle which animates matter4 ,that the behaviour of animated matter differs from what is often called dead matter is familiar1 and is illustrated by the description sometimes given of an uncanny piece of mechanism--that it behaves as if it were alive4 ,in the case of a jumping bean1 for instance1 its spasmodic and capricious behaviour can be explained with apparent simplicity1 though with a suspicious trend towards superstition1 by the information that a live and active maggot inhabits a cavity inside4 ,it is thereby removed from the bare category of physics only1 though still perfectly obedient to physical laws3 it jumps in accordance with mechanics1 but neither the times nor the direction of its jumps can be predicted4#cb ,we must admit that the term 'dead matter' is often misapplied4 ,it is used sometimes to denote merely the constituents of the general inorganic world4 ,but it is inconvenient to speak of utterly inanimate things1 like stones1 as 'dead1' when no idea of life was ever associated with them1 and when 'inorganic' is all that is meant4 ,the term 'dead' applied to a piece of matter signifies the absence of a vivifying principle1 no doubt1 but it is most properly applied to a collocation of organic matter which has been animated4 ,again1 when animation has ceased1 the thing we properly call dead is not the complete organism1 but that material portion which is left behind2 we do not or should not intend to make any assertion concerning the vivifying principle which has left it1--beyond the bare fact of its departure4 ,we know too little about that principle to be able to make safe general assertions4 ,the life that is transmitted by an acorn or other seed fruit is always beyond our ken4 ,we can but study its effects1 and note its presence or its absence by results4 ,life must be considered sui generis2 it is not a form of energy1 nor can it be expressed in terms of something else4 ,electricity is in the same predicament2 it too cannot be explained in terms of something else4 ,this is true of all fundamental forms of being4 ,magnetism may be called a concomitant of moving electricity2 ordinary matter can perhaps be resolved into electric charges3 but an electric charge can certainly not be expressed in terms of either matter or energy4 ,no more can life4 ,to show that the living principle in a seed is not one of the forms of energy1 it is sufficient to remember that that seed can give rise to innumerable descendants1 through countless generations1 without limit4 ,there is nothing like a constant quantity of something to be shared1 as there is in all examples of energy3 there is no conservation about it3 the seed embodies a stimulating and organising principle which appears to well from a limitless source4 ,but although life is not energy1 any more than it is matter1 yet it directs energy and thereby controls arrangements of matter4 ,through the agency of life specific structures are composed which would not otherwise exist1 from a sea-shell to a cathedral1 from a blade of grass to an oak2 and specific distributions of energy are caused1 from the luminosity of a firefly to an electric arc1 from the song of a cricket to an oratorio4 ,life makes use of any automatic activities1 or transferences and declensions of energy1 which are either potentially or actually occurring4 ,in especial it makes use of the torrent of ether tremors which reach the earth from the sun4 ,every plant is doing it constantly4 ,admittedly life exerts no force1 it does no work1 but it makes effective the energy available for an organism which it controls and vivifies2 it determines in what direction and when work shall be done4 ,it is plain matter of fact that it does this1 whether we understand the method or not1--and thus indirectly life interacts with and influences the material world4 ,the energy of coal is indirectly wholly solar1 but without human interference it might remain buried in the earth1 and certainly would never propel a ship across the ,atlantic4 ,one way of putting the matter is to say that life times1 and directs4 ,if it runs a railway train1 it runs the train not like a locomotive but like a ,general ,manager4 ,it enters into battle with a walking-stick1 but guns are fired to its orders4 ,it may be said to aim and fire3 one of its functions is to discriminate between the wholesome and the deleterious1 between friend and foe4 ,that is a function outside the scope of physics4 ,energy controlled by life is not random energy3 the kind of self-composition or personal structure built by it depends on the kind of life-unit which is operating1 not on the pabulum which is supplied4 ,the same food will serve to build a pig1 a chicken1 or a man4 ,food which is assimilable at all takes a shape determined by the nature of the operative organism1 and indeed by the portion of the organism actually reached by it4 ,unconscious constructive ability is as active in each cell of the body as in a honeycomb2 only in a beehive we can see the operators at work4 ,the construction of an eye or an ear is still more astonishing4 ,in the inorganic world such structures would be meaningless1 for there would be nothing to respond to their stimulus2 they can only serve elementary mind and consciousness4 ,the brain and nerve system is an instrument of transmutation or translation from the physical to the mental1 and vice versa4 ,,stages ,,of ,,evolution ,steps in the progress of evolution--great stages which have been likened by ,sir ,james ,crichton ,browne to exceptional ,mendelian ,mutations--may be rather imaginatively rehearsed somewhat thus3-- ,starting with ,the uniform ,ether of ,space1 we can first suppose ,the specialisation or organisation of specks of ether into ,electrons2 followed by ,associated systems of electrons1 constituting atoms of ,matter2 and so ,the whole inorganic ,universe4 ,then1 as a new and astonishing departure1 comes-- ,the cell1 or protoplasmic complex which ,life can construct and utilise for manifestation and development4#cc ,and after that ,a brain cell1 which can become the physical organ for the rudiments of ,mind4 ,followed by ,further mental development until ,consciousness becomes possible4 ,with subsequent ,sublimation of consciousness into ,ethics1 ,philosophy1 and ,religion4 ,we need not insist on these or any other stages for our present purpose2 yet something of the kind would seem to have occurred1 in the mysterious course of time4 ,,three ,,explanatory ,,notes ,,note ,a4--,,mechanics ,,of ,,jumping ,,bean ,the biological explanation of a jumping bean is sometimes felt to be puzzling1 inasmuch as the creature is wholly enclosed2 and a man in a boat knows that he cannot propel it by movement inside1 without touching the water or something external4 ,but the reaction of a table can be made use of through the envelope1 and a live thing can momentarily vary its own weight-pressure and even reverse its sign4 ,this fact has a bearing on some psycho-physical experiments1 and hence is worthy of a moment's attention4 ,to weigh an animal that jumps and will not keep still is always troublesome4 ,it cannot alter its average weight1 truly1 but it can redistribute it in time2 at moments its apparent weight may be excessive1 and at other moments zero or even negative1 as during the middle of an energetic leap4 ,parenthetically we may here interpolate a remark and say that what is called interference of light 7two lights producing darkness1 in popular language7 is a redistribution of luminous energy in space4 ,no light1 nor any kind of wave motion1 is destroyed by interference when two sets of waves overlap1 but the energy rises to a maximum in some places1 and in other places sinks to zero4 ,no wave energy is consumed by interference--only rearranged4 ,this fact is often misstated4 ,and probably the other statement1 about the varying apparent weight--i4e4 pressure on the ground--of a live animal1 may be misstated too3 though there is no question of energy about that1 but only of force4 ,the force or true weight1 in the sense of the earth's attraction1 is there all the time1 and is constant2 but the pressure on the ground1 or the force needed to counteract the weight1 is not constant4 ,after momentary violence1 as in throwing1 no support need be supplied for several seconds2 and1 like the maggot inside a hollow bean1 a live thing turning itself into a projectile may even carry something else up too4 ,it is instructive also to consider a flying bird1 and a dirigible balloon1 and to ask where the still existing weight of these things can be found4 ,,note ,b4--,,differences ,,between ,a ,,growing ,,organism ,,and ,a ,,growing ,,crystal ,the properties which differentiate living matter from any kind of inorganic imitation may be instinctively felt1 but can hardly be formulated without expert knowledge4 ,the differences between a growing organism and a growing crystal are many and various1 but it must suffice here to specify the simplest and most familiar sort of difference2 and as it is convenient to take a possibly controversial statement of this kind from the writings of a physiologist1 ,i quote here a passage from an article by ,professor ,fraser ,harris1 of ,halifax1 ,nova ,scotia1 in the current number of the quarterly magazine called ,science ,progress edited by ,sir ,ronald ,ross-- ,living animal bioplasm has the power of growing1 that is of assimilating matter in most cases chemically quite unlike that of its own constitution4 ,now this is a remarkable power1 not in the least degree shared by non-living matter4 ,its very familiarity has blinded us to its uniqueness as a chemical phenomenon4 ,the mere fact that a man eating beef1 bird1 fish1 lobster1 sugar1 fat1 and innumerable other things can transform these into human bioplasm1 something chemically very different even from that of them which most resembles human tissue1 is one of the most extraordinary facts in animal physiology4 ,a crystal growing in a solution is not only not analogous to this process1 it is in the sharpest possible contrast with it4 ,the crystal grows only in the sense that it increases in bulk by accretions to its exterior1 and only does that by being immersed in a solution of the same material as its own substance4 ,it takes up to itself only material which is already similar to itself2 this is not assimilation1 it is merely incorporation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the term 'growth1' strictly speaking1 can be applied only to metabolism in the immature or convalescent organism4 ,the healthy adult is not 'growing' in this sense2 when of constant weight he is adding neither to his stature nor his girth1 and yet he is assimilating as truly as ever he did4 ,put more technically3 in the adult of stationary weight1 anabolism is quantitatively equal to katabolism1 whereas in the truly growing organism anabolism is prevailing over katabolism2 and reversely in the wasting of an organism or in senile decay1 katabolism is prevailing over anabolism4 ,the crystal in its solution offers no analogies with the adult or the senile states--but these are of the very essence of the life of an organism4444 ,the fact1 of course familiar to every beginner in biology1 is that the crystal is only incorporating and not excreting anything1 whereas the living matter is always excreting as well as assimilating4 ,this one-sided metabolism--if it can be dignified with that term--is indeed characteristic of the crystal1 but it is at no time characteristic of the living organism4 ,the organism1 whether truly growing or only in metabolic equilibrium1 is constantly taking up material to replace effete material1 is replenishing because it has previously displenished itself or cast off material4 ,the resemblance between a so-called 'growing' crystal and a growing organism is verily of the most superficial kind4 ,and ,professor ,fraser ,harris concludes his article thus3-- ,between the living and the non-living there is a great gulf fixed1 and no efforts of ours1 however heroic1 have as yet bridged it over4 ,,note ,c4--,,old ,,age ,we know that as vitality diminishes the bodily deterioration called old age sets in1 and that a certain amount of deterioration results in death2 but it turns out1 on systematic inquiry1 that old age and death are not essential to living organisms4 ,they represent the deterioration and wearing out of working parts1 so that the vivifying principle is hampered in its manifestation and cannot achieve results which with a younger and healthier machine were possible2 but the parts which wear out are not the essential bearers of the vivifying principle2 they are accreted or supplementary portions appropriate to developed individual earth life1 and it does not appear improbable that the progress of discovery may at least postpone the deterioration that we call old age1 for a much longer time than at present4 ,emphasis on this distinction between germ cell and body cell1 usually associated with ,weismann1 seems to have been formulated before him by ,herdman of ,liverpool4 ,biologists teach us that the phenomenon of old age is not evident in the case of the unicellular organisms which reproduce by fission4 ,the cell can be killed1 but it need neither grow old nor die4 ,death appears to be a prerogative of the higher organisms4 ,but even among these ,professor ,weismann adopts and defends the view that death is not a primary necessity1 but that it has been secondarily acquired by adaptation4 ,the cell is not inherently limited in its number of cell-generations4 ,the low unicellular organism is potentially immortal2 the higher multicellular form1 with well-differentiated organs1 contains the germ of death within its soma4 ,death seems to supervene by reason of its utility to the species3 continued life of an individual after a certain stage being comparatively useless4 ,from the point of view of the race the soma or main body is a secondary appendage of the real bearer of life--the reproductive cells4 ,the somatic cells probably lost their immortal qualities on this immortality becoming useless to the species4 ,their mortality may have been a mere consequence of their differentiation4 ,natural death was not introduced from absolute intrinsic necessity1 inherent in the nature of living matter1 says ,weismann1 but on grounds of utility2 that is from necessities which sprang up1 not from the general conditions of life1 but from those special conditions which dominate the life of multicellular organisms4 ,it is not the germ cell itself1 but the bodily accretion or appendage1 which is abandoned by life1 and which accordingly dies and decays4 ,footnote #cb3 ,see ,explanatory ,note ,a at end of chapter4 ,footnote #cc3 ,see ,explanatory ,note ,b4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,term ,,death ,and ,life1 still wreathing flowers for ,death to wear4--,,rossetti ,whatever ,life may really be1 it is to us an abstraction3 for the word is a generalised term to signify that which is common to all animals and plants1 and which is not directly operative in the inorganic world4 ,to understand life we must study living things1 to see what is common to them all4 ,an organism is alive when it moulds matter to a characteristic form1 and utilises energy for its own purposes--the purposes especially of growth and reproduction4 ,a living organism1 so far as it is alive1 preserves its complicated structure from deterioration and decay4#cd ,death is the cessation of that controlling influence over matter and energy1 so that thereafter the uncontrolled activity of physical and chemical forces supervene4 ,death is not the absence of life merely1 the term signifies its departure or separation1 the severance of the abstract principle from the concrete residue4 ,the term only truly applies to that which has been living4 ,death therefore may be called a dissociation1 a dissolution1 a separation of a controlling entity from a physicochemical organism2 it may be spoken of in general and vague terms as a separation of soul and body1 if the term 'soul' is reduced to its lowest denomination4 ,death is not extinction4 ,neither the soul nor the body is extinguished or put out of existence4 ,the body weighs just as much as before1 the only properties it loses at the moment of death are potential properties4 ,so also all we can assert concerning the vital principle is that it no longer animates that material organism3 we cannot safely make further assertion regarding it1 or maintain its activity or its inactivity without further information4 ,when we say that a body is dead we may be speaking accurately4 ,when we say that a person is dead1 we are using an ambiguous term2 we may be referring to his discarded body1 in which case we may be speaking truly and with precision4 ,we may be referring to his personality1 his character1 to what is really himself2 in which case though we must admit that we are speaking popularly1 the term is not quite simply applicable4 ,he has gone1 he has passed on1 he has passed through the body and gone1 as ,browning says in ,abt ,vogler1 but he is--,i venture to say--certainly not dead in the same sense as the body is dead4 ,it is his absence which allows the body to decay1 he himself need be subject to no decay nor any destructive influence4 ,rather he is emancipated2 he is freed from the burden of the flesh1 though with it he has also lost those material and terrestrial potentialities which the bodily mechanism conferred upon him2 and if he can exert himself on the earth any more1 it can only be with some difficulty and as it were by permission and co-operation of those still here4 ,it appears as if sometimes and occasionally he can still stimulate into activity suitable energetic mechanism1 but his accustomed machinery for manifestation has been lost3 or rather it is still there for a time1 but it is out of action1 it is dead4 ,nevertheless inasmuch as those who have lost their material body have passed through the process of dissolution or dissociative severance which we call death1 it is often customary to speak of them as dead4 ,they are no longer living1 if by living we mean associated with a material body of the old kind2 and in that sense we need not hesitate to speak of them collectively as 'the dead4' ,we need not be afraid of the word1 nor need we resent its use or hesitate to employ it1 when once we and our hearers understand the sense in which it may rightly be employed4 ,if ideas associated with the term had always been sensible and wholesome1 people need have had no compunction at all about using it4 ,but by the populace1 and by ,ecclesiastics also1 the term has been so misused1 and the ideas of people have been so confused by insistent concentration on merely physical facts1 and by the necessary but over-emphasised attention to the body left behind1 that it was natural for a time to employ other words1 until the latent ambiguity had ceased to be troublesome4 ,and occasionally1 even now1 it is well to be emphatic in this direction1 in order to indicate our disagreement with the policy of harping on worms and graves and epitaphs1 or on the accompanying idea of a ,general ,resurrection1 with reanimation of buried bodies4 ,hence in strenuous contradiction to all this superstition comes the use of such phrases as 'transition' or 'passing1' and the occasional not strictly justifiable assertion that there is no death4 ,for as a matter of familiar fact death there certainly is2 and to deny a fact is no assistance4 ,no one really means to deny a fact2 those who make the statement only want to divert thoughts from a side already too much emphasised1 and to concentrate attention on another side4 ,what they mean is1 there is no extinction4 ,they definitely mean to maintain that the process called death is a mere severence of soul and body1 and that the soul is freed rather than injured thereby4 ,the body alone dies and decays2 but there is no extinction even for it--only a change4 ,for the other part there can hardly be even a change--except a change of surroundings4 ,it is unlikely that character and personality are liable to sudden revolutions or mutations4 ,potentially they may be different1 because of different opportunities1 but actually at the moment they are the same4 ,likening existence to a curve1 the curvature has changed1 but there is no other discontinuity4 ,death is not a word to fear1 any more than birth is4 ,we change our state at birth1 and come into the world of air and sense and myriad existence2 we change our state at death and enter a region of--what8 ,of ,ether1 ,i think1 and still more myriad existence2 a region in which communion is more akin to what we here call telepathy1 and where intercourse is not conducted by the accustomed indirect physical processes2 but a region in which beauty and knowledge are as vivid as they are here3 a region in which progress is possible1 and in which admiration1 hope1 and love are even more real and dominant4 ,it is in this sense that we can truly say1 ,the dead are not dead1 but alive4 4 ,,appendix ,,on ,,feelings ,,when ,,death ,,is ,,imminent ,,preliminary ,,statement ,,by ,o4 ,j4 ,l4 ,a lady was brought by a friend to call on us at ,mariemont during a brief visit to ,edgbaston1 and ,i happened to have a talk with her in the garden4 ,i found that she had been one of the victims of the ,lusitania1 and as she seemed very cheerful and placid about it1 ,i questioned her as to her feelings on the occasion4 ,i found her a charming person1 and she entered into the matter with surprising fulness1 considering that she was a complete stranger4 ,her chief anxiety seems to have been for her husband1 whom she had left either in ,america or the ,west ,indies1 and for her friends generally2 but on her own behalf she seems to have felt extremely little anxiety or discomfort of any kind4 ,she told me she had given up hope of being saved1 and was only worried about friends mourning on her behalf and thinking that she must have suffered a good deal1 whereas1 in point of fact1 she was not really suffering at all4 ,she was young and healthy1 and apparently felt no evil results from the three hours' immersion4 ,she was sucked down by the ship1 and when she came to the surface again1 her first feeling was one of blank surprise at the disappearance of what had brought her across the ,atlantic4 ,the ship was not there4 ,i thought her account so interesting1 that after a few months ,i got her address from the friend with whom she had been staying1 and wrote asking if she would write it down for me4 ,in due course she did so1 writing from abroad1 and permits me to make use of the statement1 provided ,i suppress her name2 which accordingly ,i do1 quoting the document otherwise in full4 ,the ,document referred to ,your letter came to me as a great pleasure and surprise4 ,i have always remembered the sympathy with which you listened to me1 that morning at ,edgbaston1 and sometimes wondered at the amount ,i said1 as it is not easy to give expression to feelings and speculations which are only roused at critical moments in one's life4 ,what you ask me to do is not easy1 as ,i am only one of those who are puzzling and groping in the dark--while you have found so much light for yourself and have imparted it to others4 ,i would like1 however1 most sincerely to try to recall my sensations with regard to that experience1 if they would be of any value to you4 ,it would be absurd to say now1 that from the beginning of the voyage ,i knew what would happen2 it was not a very actual knowledge1 but ,i was conscious of a distinct forewarning1 and the very calmness and peace of the voyage seemed1 in a way1 a state of waiting for some great event4 ,therefore when the ship was rent by the explosion 7it was as sudden as the firing of a pistol7 ,i felt no particular shock1 because of that curious inner expectancy4 ,the only acute feeling ,i remember at the moment was one of anger that such a crime could have been committed2 the fighting instinct predominated in the face of an unseen but near enemy4 ,i sometimes think it was partly that same instinct--the desire to die game--that accounted for the rather grim calmness of some of the passengers4 ,after all--it was no ordinary shipwreck1 but a ,chance of ,war4 ,i put down my book and went round to the other side of the ship where a great many passengers were gathering round the boats2 it was difficult to stand1 as the ,lusitania was listing heavily4 ,there seemed to be no panic whatever2 ,i went into my cabin1 a steward very kindly helped me with a life-jacket1 and advised me to throw away my fur coat4 ,i felt no hurry or anxiety1 and returned on deck1 where ,i stood with some difficulty-- discussing our chances with an elderly man ,i just knew by sight4 ,it was then ,i think we realised what a strong instinct there was in some of us--not to struggle madly for life--but to wait for something to come to us1 whether it be life or death2 and not to lose our personality and become like one of the struggling shouting creatures who were by then swarming up from the lower decks and made one's heart ache4 ,i never felt for a moment that my time to cross over had come--not until ,i found myself in the water--floating farther and farther away from the scene of wreckage and misery--in a sea as calm and vast as the sky overhead4 ,behind me1 the cries of those who were sinking grew fainter1 the splash of oars and the calls of those who were doing rescue work in the lifeboats2 there seemed to be no possibility of rescue for me2 so ,i reasoned with myself and said1 ',the time has come--you must believe it--the time to cross over'--but inwardly and persistently something continued to say1 ',no--not now4' ,the gulls were flying overhead and ,i remember noticing the beauty of the blue shadows which the sea throws up to their white feathers3 they were very happy and alive and made me feel rather lonely2 my thoughts went to my people--looking forward to seeing me1 and at that moment having tea in the garden at ----2 the idea of their grief was unbearable--,i had to cry a little4 ,names of books went through my brain2--one specially1 called ',where no ,fear is1' seemed to express my feeling at the time6 ,loneliness1 yes1 and sorrow on account of the grief of others--but no ,fear4 ,it seemed very normal1--very right1--a natural development of some kind about to take place4 ,how can it be otherwise1 when it is natural8 ,i rather wished ,i knew some one on the other side1 and wondered if there are friendly strangers there who come to the rescue4 ,i was very near the border-line when a wandering lifeboat quietly came up behind me and two men bent down and lifted me in4 ,it was extraordinary how quickly life came rushing back2--every one in the boat seemed very self-possessed--although there was one man dead and another losing his reason4 ,one woman expressed a hope for a 'cup of tea' shortly--a hope which was soon to be realised for all of us in a ,mine ,sweeper from ,queenstown4 ,i have forgotten her name--but shall always remember the kindness of her crew--specially the ,chief ,officer1 who saved me much danger by giving me dry clothes and hot towels4 ,all this can be of very little interest to you--,i have no skill in putting things on paper2--but1 you know4 ,i am glad to have been near the border2 to have had the feeling of how very near it is always--only there are so many little things always going on to absorb one here4 ,others on that day were passing through a ,gate which was not open for me--but ,i do not expect they were afraid when the time came--they too probably felt that whatever they were to find would be beautiful--only a fulfilment of some kind4444 ,i have reason to think that the passing from here is very painless--at least when there is no illness4 ,we seemed to be passing through a stage on the road of ,life4 ,footnote #cd3 ,see ,note ,c at end of preceding chapter4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,death ,,and ,,decay ,all1 that doth live1 lives always6--,,edwin ,,arnold ,consider now the happenings to the discarnate body4 ,in the first place1 ,i repeat1 it is undesirable to concentrate attention on a grave4 ,the discarnate body must be duly attended to when done with2 the safety of the living is a paramount consideration2 the living must retain control over what is dead4 ,uncontrolled natural forces are often dangerous3 the only thing harmful about a flood or a fire is the absence of control4 ,either the operations must be supervised and intelligently directed1 or they must be subjected to such disabilities that they can do no harm4 ,but to associate continued personality with a dead body1 such as is suggested by phrases like lay him in the earth1 or here lies such an one1 or to anticipate any kind of physical resuscitation1 is unscientific and painful4 ,unfortunately the orthodox religious world at some epochs has attached superstitious importance1 not to the decent disposal1 but to the imagined future of the body4 ,painful and troublesome to humanity those rites have been4 ,the tombs of ,egypt are witness to the harassing need felt by the living to provide their loved ones with symbols or tokens of all that they might require in a future state of existence1--as if material things were needed by them any more1 or as if we could provide them if they were4#ce ,the simple truth is always so much saner and happier than the imaginings of men2 or1 as ,dr4 ,schuster said in his ,presidential address to the ,british ,association at ,manchester1 #aiae1--,the real world is far more beautiful than any of our dreams4 ,what is the simple truth8 ,it can be regarded from two points of view1 the prosaic and the poetic4 ,prosaically we can say that the process of decay1 if regarded scientifically1 is not in itself necessarily repugnant4 ,it may be as interesting as fermentation or any other chemical or biological process4 ,putrefaction1 like poison1 is hostile to higher living organisms1 and hence a self-protecting feeling of disgust has arisen round it1 in the course of evolution4 ,an emotional feeling arises in the mind of anyone who has to combat any process or operation of nature1--like the violent emotions excited in an extreme teetotaller by the word 'drink'3 a result of the evil its profanation has done2 for the verb itself is surely quite harmless4 ,presumably a criminal associates disagreeable anticipations with the simple word 'hanging4' ,the idea of a rank weed is repulsive to a gardener1 but not to a botanist2 the idea of disease is repellent to a prospective patient1 not to a doctor or bacteriologist2 the idea of dirt is objectionable to a housewife1 but it is only matter out of place2 the word 'poison' conveys nothing objectionable to a chemist4 ,everything removed from the emotional arena1 and transplanted into the intellectual1 becomes interesting and tractable and worthy of study4 ,living organisms of every kind are good in themselves1 though when out of place and beyond control they may be harmful4 ,a tiger is an object of dread to an ,indian village3 to a hunting party he may be keenly attractive4 ,in any case he is a lithe and beautiful and splendid creature4 ,microscopic organisms may have troublesome and destructive effects1 but in themselves they can be studied with interest and avidity4 ,all living creatures have their assuredly useful function1 only it may be a function on which we naturally shrink from dwelling when in an emotional mood4 ,everything of this kind is an affair of mood2 and1 properly regarded1 nothing in nature is common or unclean4 ,that a flying albatross is a beautiful object every one can cordially admit1 but that the crawling surface of a stagnant sea can be regarded with friendly eyes seems an absurdity2 yet there is nothing absurd in it4 ,it is surely the bare truth concerning all living creatures of every grade1 that the ,lord ,god made them all2 and it was of creeping water-snakes that the stricken ,mariner at length1 when he had learnt the lesson1 ejaculated3-- ,o happy living things6 ,a spring of love gushed from my heart1 ,and ,i blessed them unaware4 ,for what can be said poetically about the fate of the beloved body1 the poets themselves must be appealed to4 ,but that there is kinship between the body and the earth is literal truth4 ,of terrestrial particles it is wholly composed1 and that they should be restored to the earth whence they were borrowed is natural and peaceful4 ,moreover1 out of the same earth1 and by aid of the very same particles1 other helpful forms of life may arise2 and though there may be no conscious unification or real identity1 yet it is pardonable to associate1 in an imaginative and poetic mood1 the past and future forms assumed by the particles3-- ,lay her i' the earth2-- ,and from her fair and unpolluted flesh1 ,may violets spring6 ,quotations are hardly necessary to show that this idea runs through all poetry4 ,an ancient variety is enshrined in the ,hyacinthus and ,adonis legends4 ,from spilt blood an inscribed lily springs1 in the one tale2 and the other we may quote in ,shakespeare's version 7,venus and ,adonis73-- ,and in his blood that on the ground lay spilled1 ,a purple flower sprung up chequered with white1 ,resembling well his pale cheeks and the blood ,which in round drops upon their whiteness stood4 ,so also ,tennyson3-- ,and from his ashes may be made ,the violet of his native land4 ,in ,memoriam ,we find the same idea again1 ,i suppose1 in the eastern original of ,fitzgerald's well-known stanza3-- ,and this delightful ,herb whose tender ,green ,fledges the ,river's ,lip on which we lean-- ,ah1 lean upon it lightly6 for who knows ,from what once lovely ,lip it springs unseen6 ,the soil of a garden is a veritable charnel-house of vegetable and animal matter1 and from one point of view represents death and decay1 but the coltsfoot covering an abandoned heap of refuse1 or the briar growing amid ruin1 shows that ,nature only needs time to make it all beautiful again4 ,let us think of the body as transmuted1 not as stored4 ,the visible shape of the body was no accident1 it corresponded to a reality1 for it was caused by the indwelling vivifying essence2 and affection entwines itself inevitably round not only the true personality of the departed1 but round its material vehicle also--the sign and symbol of so much beauty1 so much love4 ,symbols appeal to the heart of humanity1 and anything cherished and honoured becomes in itself a thing of intrinsic value1 which cannot be regarded with indifference4 ,the old and tattered colours of a regiment1 for which men have laid down their lives--though replaced perhaps by something newer and more durable--cannot be relegated to obscurity without a pang4 ,and any sensitive or sympathetic person1 contemplating such relics hereafter1 may feel some echo of the feeling with which they were regarded1 and may become acquainted with their history and the scenes through which they have passed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in such cases the kind of knowledge to be gained from the relic1 and the means by which additional information can be acquired1 are intelligible2 but in other cases also information can be attained1 though by means at present not understood4 ,it may sound superstitious1 but it is a matter of actual experience1 that some sensitives have intuitive perception1 of an unfamiliar kind1 concerning the history and personal associations of relics or fragments or personal belongings4 ,the faculty is called psychometry2 and it is no more intelligible1 although no less well-evidenced1 than the possibly allied faculty of dowsing or so-called water-divining4 ,psychometry is a large subject on which much has already been written3 this brief mention must here suffice4 ,it seems to me that these facts1 when at length properly understood1 will throw some light on the connexion between mind and matter2 and then many another obscure region of semi-science and semi-superstition will be illuminated4 ,at present in all such tracts we have to walk warily1 for the ground is uneven and insecure2 and it is better1 or at least safer1 for the majority to forgo the recognition of some truth than rashly to invade a district full of entanglements and pitfalls4 ,,transition ,longfellow's line1 ,there is no death2 what seems so is transition1 at once suggests itself4 ,read literally the first half of this sentence is obviously untrue1 but in the sense intended1 and as a whole1 the statement is true enough4 ,there is no extinction1 and the change called death is the entrance to a new condition of existence--what may be called a new life4 ,yet life itself is continuous1 and the conditions of the whole of existence remain precisely as before4 ,circumstances have changed for the individual1 but only in the sense that he is now aware of a different group of facts4 ,the change of surroundings is a subjective one4 ,the facts were of course there1 all the time1 as the stars are there in the daytime2 but they were out of our ken4 ,now these come into our ken1 and others fade into memory4 ,the ,universe is one1 not two4 ,literally there is no 'other' world--except in the limited and partial sense of other planets--the ,universe is one4 ,we exist in it continuously all the time2 sometimes conscious in one way1 sometimes conscious in another2 sometimes aware of a group of facts on one side of a partition1 sometimes aware of another group1 on the other side4 ,but the partition is a subjective one2 we are all one family all the time1 so long as the link of affection is not broken4 ,and for those who believe in prayer at all to cease from praying for the welfare of their friends because they are materially inaccessible--though perhaps spiritually more accessible than before--is to succumb unduly to the residual evil of past ecclesiastical abuses1 and to lose an opportunity of happy service4 ,footnote #ce3 ,it is rash to condemn a human custom which has prevailed for centuries or millenniums1 and it is wrong to treat it de haut en bas4 ,i would not be understood as doing so1 in this brief and inadequate reference to the contents of ,egyptian tombs4 ,their fuller interpretation awaits the labour of students now working at them4 ,in the same spirit ,i wish to leave open the question of what possible rational interpretation may be given to the medival phrase ,resurrection of the body2 a subject on which much has been written4 ,what ,i am contending against is not the scholarly but the popular interpretation4 ,for further remarks on this subject see ,chapter ,,vii below4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,continued ,,existence ,,difficulty ,,of ,,belief ,,in ,,continued ,,existence ,sit down before fact as a little child1 be prepared to give up every preconceived notion1 follow humbly wherever and to whatsoever abysses ,nature leads4--,,huxley4 ,people often feel a notable difficulty in believing in the reality of continued existence4 ,very likely it is difficult to believe or to realise existence in what is sometimes called the next world2 but then1 when we come to think of it1 it is difficult to believe in existence in this world too2 it is difficult to believe in existence at all4 ,the whole problem of existence is a puzzling one4 ,it could by no means have been predicated a priori4 ,the whole thing is a question of experience2 that is1 of evidence4 ,we know by experience that things actually do exist2 though how they came into being1 and what they are all for1 and what consequences they have1 is more than we can tell4 ,we have no reason for asserting that the kind we are familiar with is the only kind of existence possible1 unless we choose to assert it on the ground that we have no experience of any other4 ,but that is becoming just the question at issue3 have we any evidence1 either direct or indirect1 for any other existence than this8 ,if we have1 it is futile to cite in opposition to it the difficulty of believing in the reality of such an existence2 we surely ought to be guided by facts4 ,at this stage in the history of the human race few facts of science are better established and more widely appreciated than the main facts of ,astronomy3 a general acquaintance with the sizes and distances1 and the enormous number1 of the solar systems distributed throughout space is prevalent4 ,yet to the imaginative human mind the facts1 if really grasped1 are overwhelming and incredible4 ,the sun a million times bigger than the earth2 ,arcturus a hundred times bigger than the sun1 and so distant that light has taken two centuries to come1 though travelling at a rate able to carry it to ,new ,york and back in less than the twentieth part of a second1--facts like these are commonplaces of the nursery2 but even as bare facts they are appalling4 ,that the earth is a speck invisible from any one of the stars1 that we are on a world which is but one among an innumerable multitude of others1 ought to make us realise the utter triviality of any view of existence based upon familiarity with street and train and office1 ought to give us some sense of proportion between everyday experience and ultimate reality4 ,even the portentous struggle in which ,europe is engaged-- ,what is it all but a trouble of ants in the gleam of a million million of suns8 ,yet1 for true interpretation1 the infinite worth and vital importance of each individual human soul must be apprehended too4 ,and that is another momentous fact1 which1 so far from restricting the potentialities of existence1 by implication still further enlarges them4 ,the multiplicity1 the many-sidedness1 the magnificence1 of material existence does not dwarf the human soul2 far otherwise3 it illumines and expands the stage upon which the human drama is being played1 and ought to make us ready to perceive how far greater still may be the possibilities--nay1 the actualities--before it1 in its infinite unending progress4 ,that we know little about such possibilities as yet1 proves nothing2--for mark how easy it would have been to be ignorant of the existence of all the visible worlds and myriad modes of being in space4 ,not until the business of the day is over1 and our great star has eclipsed itself behind the earth1 not until the serener period of night1 does the grandeur of the material universe force itself upon our attention4 ,and1 even then1 let there be but a slight permanent thickening of our atmosphere1 and we should have had no revelation of any world other than our own4 ,under those conditions--so barely escaped from--how wretchedly meagre and limited would have been our conception of the ,universe6 ,aye1 and1 unless we foolishly imagine that our circumstances are such as to have already given us a clue to every kind of possible existence1 ,i venture to say that wretchedly meagre and limited must be a true description of our conception of the ,universe1 even now1--even of the conception of those who have permitted themselves1 with least hesitation1 to follow whithersoever facts lead4 ,if there be any group of scientific or historical or literary students who advocate what they think to be a sensible1 but what ,i regard as a purblind1 view of existence1 based upon already systematised knowledge and on unfounded and restricting speculation as to probable boundaries and limitations of existence1--if such students take their own horizon to be the measure of all things1--the fact is to be deplored4 ,such workers1 however admirable their industry and detailed achievements1 represent a school of thought against the fruits of which we of the ,allied ,nations are in arms4 ,nevertheless speculation of this illegitimate and negative kind is not unknown among us4 ,it originates partly in admiration for the successful labours of a bygone generation in clearing away a quantity of clinging parasitic growth which was obscuring the fair fabric of ascertained truth1 and partly in an innate iconoclastic enthusiasm4 ,the success which has attended ,darwinian and other hypotheses has had a tendency to lead men--not indeed men of ,darwinian calibre1 but smaller and less conscientious men--in science as well as in history and theology1 to an over-eager confidence in probable conjecture and inadequate attention to facts of experience4 ,it has even been said--,i quote from a writer in the volume ,darwin and ,modern ,science1 published in connexion with a ,darwin jubilee celebration at ,cambridge--that the age of materialism was the least matter-of-fact age conceivable1 and the age of science the age which showed least of the patient temper of enquiry4 ,i would not go so far as this myself1 the statement savours of exaggeration1 but there is a regrettable tendency in surviving materialistic quarters for combatants to entrench themselves in dogma and preconceived opinion1 to regard these vulnerable shelters as sufficient protection against observed and recorded facts1 and even to employ them as strongholds from which alien observation-posts can be shattered and overthrown4 ,,chapter ,v ,,past1 ,,present1 ,,and ,,future ,how often have men thus feared that ,nature's wonders would be degraded by being closelier looked into6 ,how often1 again1 have they learnt that the truth was higher than their imagination2 and that it is man's work1 but never ,nature's1 which to be magnificent must remain unknown6--,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,m41 ,introduction to ,phantasms of the ,living ,our actual experience is strangely limited4 ,we cannot be actually conscious of more than a single instant of time4 ,the momentary flash which we call the present1 the visual image of which can be made permanent by the snap of a camera1 is all of the external world that we directly apprehended4 ,but our real existence embraces far more than that4 ,the present1 alone and isolated1 would be meaningless to us2 we look before and after4 ,our memories are thronged with the past2 our anticipations range over the future2 and it is in the past and the future that we really live4 ,it is so even with the higher animals3 they too order their lives by memory and anticipation4 ,it is under the influence of the future that the animal world performs even the most trivial conscious acts4 ,we eat1 we rest1 we work1 all with an eye to the immediate future4 ,the present moment is illuminated and made significant1 is controlled and dominated1 by experience of the past and by expectation of the future4 ,without any idea of the future our existence would be purely mechanical and meaningless3 with too little eye to the future--a mere living from hand to mouth--it becomes monotonous and dull4 ,hence it is right that humanity1 transcending merely animal scope1 should seek to answer questions concerning its origin and destiny1 and should regard with intense interest every clue to the problems of 'whence' and 'whither4' ,it is no doubt possible1 as always1 to overstep the happy mean1 and by absorption in and premature concern with future interests to lose the benefit and the training of this present life4 ,but although we may rightly decide to live with full vigour in the present1 and do our duty from moment to moment1 yet in order to be full-flavoured and really intelligent beings--not merely with mechanical drift following the line of least resistance--we ought to be aware that there is a future1--a future determined to some extent by action in the present2 and it is only reasonable that we should seek to ascertain1 roughly and approximately1 what sort of future it is likely to be4 ,inquiry into survival1 and into the kind of experience through which we shall all certainly have to go in a few years1 is therefore eminently sane1 and may be vitally significant4 ,it may colour all our actions1 and give a vivid meaning both to human history and to personal experience4 ,if death is not extinction1 then on the other side of dissolution mental activity must continue1 and must be interacting with other mental activity4 ,for the fact of telepathy proves that bodily organs are not absolutely essential to communication of ideas4 ,mind turns out to be able to act directly on mind1 and stimulate it into response by other than material means4 ,thought does not belong to the material region3 although it is able to exert an influence on that region through mechanism provided by vitality4 ,yet the means whereby it accomplishes the feat are essentially unknown1 and the fact that such interaction is possible would be strange and surprising if we were not too much accustomed to it4 ,it is reasonable to suppose that the mind can be more at home1 and more directly and more exuberantly active1 where the need for such interaction between psychical and physical--or let us more safely and specifically say between mental and material--no longer exists1 when the restraining influence of brain and nerve mechanism is removed1 and when some of the limitations connected with bodily location in space are ended4 ,experience must be our guide4 ,to shut the door on actual observation and experiment in this particular region1 because of preconceived ideas and obstinate prejudices1 is an attitude common enough1 even among scientific men2 but it is an attitude markedly unscientific4 ,certain people have decided that inquiry into the activities of discarnate mind is futile2 some few consider it impious2 many1 perhaps wisely mistrusting their own powers1 shrink from entering on such an inquiry4 ,but if there are any facts to be ascertained1 it must be the duty of some volunteers to try to ascertain them3 and for people having any acquaintance with scientific history to shut their eyes to facts when definitely announced1 and to forbid investigation or report concerning them on pain of ostracism1--is to imitate a bygone theological attitude in a spirit of unintended flattery--a flattery which from every point of view is eccentric2 and likewise to display an extraordinary lack of humour4 ,,on ,,the ,,possibility ,,of ,,prognostication ,i do not wish to complicate the issue at present by introducing the idea of prognostication or prevision1 for ,i do not understand how anticipation of the future is possible4 ,it is only known to be possible by one of two processes-- 7a7 ,inference--i4e4 deduction from a wide knowledge of the present2 7b7 ,planning--i4e4 the carrying out of a prearranged scheme4 ,and these methods must be pressed to the utmost before admitting any other hypothesis4 ,as to the possibility of prevision in general1 ,i do not dogmatise1 nor have ,i a theory wherewith to explain every instance2 but ,i keep an open mind and try to collate and contemplate the facts4 ,scientific prediction is familiar enough2 science is always either historic or prophetic 7as ,dr4 ,schuster said at ,manchester in the ,british ,association ,address for #aiae71 and history is only prophecy pursued in the negative direction4 ,this thesis is worth illustrating3--,that ,eclipses can be calculated forwards or backwards is well known4 ,a tide-calculating machine1 again1 which is used to churn out tidal detail in advance by turning a handle1 could be as easily run backwards and give past tides if they were wanted2 but always on the assumption that no catastrophe1 no unforeseen contingency1 nothing outside the limits of the data1 occurs to interfere with the placid course of phenomena4 ,there must be no dredging or harbour bar operations1 for instance1 if the tide machine is to be depended on4 ,free-will is not allowed for1 in ,astronomy or ,physics2 nor any interference by living agents4 ,the real truth is that1 except for unforeseen contingencies1 past1 present1 and future are welded together in a coherent whole2 and to a mind with wider purview1 to whom perhaps hardly anything is unforeseen1 there may be possibilities of inference to an unsuspected extent4 ,human character1 and action based upon it1 may be more trustworthy and uncapricious than is usually supposed2 and data depending on humanity may be included in a completer scheme of foreknowledge1 without the exercise of any compulsion4 ,the past1 says ,bertrand ,russell eloquently1 does not change or strive2 like ,duncan1 after life's fitful fever it sleeps well2 what was eager and grasping1 what was petty and transitory1 has faded away2 the things that were beautiful and eternal shine out of it like stars in the night4 ,my ignorance will not allow me to attempt to compose a similar or rather a contrasting sentence about the future4 ,,reference ,,to ,,special ,,cases ,it will be observed that none of those indications or intimations or intuitions which are referred to in a note on page #cd1 ,part ,i1 if they mean anything1 raise the difficult question of prevision4 ,in every case the impression was felt after or at the time of the event1 though before reception of the news4 ,the only question of possible prevision in the present instance arises in connexion with the ',faunus' message quoted and discussed in ,part ,,ii4 ,but even here nothing more than kindly provision1 in case anything untoward should happen1 need be definitely assumed4 ,moreover1 if the concurrence in time suggests prognostication1 the fact that a formidable attempt to advance the ,english ,front at the ,ypres salient was probably in prospect in ,august #aiae1 though not known to ordinary people in ,england1 and not fully carried out till well on in ,september1 must have been within human knowledge2 and so would have to be considered telepathically accessible1 if that hypothesis is considered preferable to the admission of what ,tennyson speaks of as-- ,such refraction of events ,as often rises ere they rise4 ,prognostication can hardly be part of the evidence for survival4 ,the two things are not essential to each other2 they hardly appear to be connected4 ,but one knows too little about the whole thing to be sure even of this1 and ,i decline to take the responsibility for suppressing any of the facts4 ,i know that ,mr4 ,myers used to express an opinion that certain kinds of prevision would constitute clear and satisfactory evidence of something supernormal1 and so attract attention2 though the establishment of such a possibility might tend to suggest a kind of higher knowledge1 not far short of what might be popularly called omniscience1 rather than of merely human survival4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,interaction ,,of ,,mind ,,and ,,matter ,spiritus intus alit1 totamque infusa per artus ,mens agitat molem1 et magno se corpore miscet4 neid1 vi4 #gbf ,life and mind and consciousness do not belong to the material region2 whatever they are in themselves1 they are manifestly something quite distinct from matter and energy1 and yet they utilise the material and dominate it4 ,matter is arranged and moved by means of energy1 but often at the behest of life and mind4 ,mind does not itself exert force1 nor does it enter into the scheme of physics1 and yet it indirectly brings about results which otherwise would not have happened4 ,it definitely causes movements and arrangements or constructions of a purposed character4 ,a bird grows a feather1 and a bird builds a nest3 ,i doubt if there is less design in the one case than in the other4 ,how life achieves the guidance1 how even it accomplishes the movements1 is a mystery1 but that it does accomplish them is a commonplace of observation4 ,from the motion of a finger to the construction of an aeroplane1 there is but a succession of steps4 ,from the growth of a weed to the flight of an eagle1--from a yeast granule at one end1 to the human body at the other1--the organising power of life over matter is conspicuous4 ,who can doubt the supremacy of the spiritual over the material8 ,it is a fact which1 illustrated by trivial instances1 may be pressed to the most portentous consequences4 ,if interaction between mind and matter really occurs1 and if both are persistent and enduring entities1 there is no limit to the possibilities under which such interaction may occur--no limit which can be laid down beforehand--we must be guided and instructed solely by experience4 ,whether the results produced are styled miraculous or not1 depends on our knowledge1--our knowledge of all the powers latent in nature1 and a knowledge of all the intelligences which exist4 ,a savage on his first encounter with white men must have come into contact with what to him was supernatural4 ,a letter1 a gun1 even artificial teeth1 have all aroused superstition2 while a telegram must be obviously miraculous1 to anyone intelligent enough to perceive the wonder4 ,a colony of bees1 unused to the ministrations or interference of man1 might puzzle itself over the provision made for its habitation and activities1 if it had intelligence enough to ponder the matter4 ,so human beings1 if they are open-minded and developed enough to contemplate all the happenings in which they are concerned1 have been led to recognise guidance2 and they have responded to the perception by the worshipful attitude of religion4 ,in other words1 they have essentially recognised the existence of a ,power transcending ordinary nature--a ,power that may properly be called supernatural4 ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,term ,,body ,our experience of bodies here and now is that they are composed of material particles derived from the earth1 whether they be bodies animated by vegetable or by animal forms of life4 ,but ,i take it that the real meaning of the term 'body' is a means of manifestation1--perhaps a physical mode of manifestation adopted by something which without such instrument or organ would be in a different and elusive category4 ,why should we say that bodies must be made of matter8 ,surely only because we know of nothing else of which they could be made2 but that lack of knowledge is not very efficient as an argument4 ,true1 if they were made of anything else they would not be apparent to us now1 with our particular evolutionally-derived sense organs2 for these only inform us about matter and its properties4 ,constructions built of ,ether would have no chance of appealing to our senses1 they would not be apparent to us2 they would therefore not be what we ordinarily call bodies2 at any rate they would not be material bodies4 ,in order to become apparent to us1 a psychical or vital entity must enter the material realm1 and either clothe itself with1 or temporarily assimilate1 material particles4 ,it may be that etherial bodies do not exist2 the burden of proof rests upon those who conceive of their possible existence2 but we are bound to admit that even if they did exist1 they would make no impression on our senses4 ,hence if there are any intelligences in another order of existence interlocked with ours1 and if they can in any sense be supposed to have bodies at all1 those bodies must be made either of ,ether or of something equally intangible to us in our present condition4#cf ,yet1 though intangible and elusive1 we have reason to know that ,ether is substantial enough1--far more substantial indeed than matter1 which turns out to be a rare and filmy insertion in1 or modification of1 the ,ether of ,space2 and a different set of sense organs might make the ,ether eclipse matter in availability and usefulness4 ,in my book ,the ,ether of ,space this thesis is elaborated from a purely physical point of view4 ,i wish1 however1 to make no assertion concerning the possible psychical use of the ,ether of ,space4 ,anything of that kind must be speculative2 the only bodies we now know of in actual fact are material bodies1 and we must be guided by facts4 ,yet we must not shut the door prematurely on other possibilities2 and we can remember that inspired writers have sometimes contemplated what they term a spiritual body4 ,,permanence ,,of ,,body ,but why should anyone suppose a body of some kind always necessary8 ,why should they assume a perpetual sort of dualism about existence8 ,the reason is that we have no knowledge of any other form of animate existence2 and it may be claimed as legitimate to assume that the association between life and matter here on the planet has a real and vital significance1 that without such an episode of earth life we should be less than we are1 and that the relation is typical of something real and permanent4 ,such use may lie in blood and breath4--,,tennyson ,why matter should be thus useful to spirit and even to life it is not easy to say4 ,it may be that by the interaction of two things better and newer results can always be obtained than was possible for one alone4 ,there are analogies enough for that4 ,do we not find that genius seems to require the obstruction or the aid of matter for its full development8 ,the artist must enjoy being able to compel refractory material to express his meaning4 ,didactic writings are apt to emphasise the obstructiveness of matter2 but that may be because its usefulness seems self-evident4 ,our limbs1 and senses1 and bodily faculties generally1 are surely of momentous service2 microscopes and telescopes and laboratory instruments1 and machinery generally1 are only extensions of them4 ,tools to the man who can use them3--orchestra to the musician1 lathe or theodolite to the engineer1 books and records to the historian1 even though not much more than pen and paper is needed by the poet or the mathematician4 ,but our bodily organs are much more than any artificial tools can be1 they are part of our very being4 ,the body is part of the constitution of man4 ,we are not spirit or soul alone1--though it is sometimes necessary to emphasise the fact that we are soul at all1--we are in truth soul and body together4 ,and so ,i think we shall always be2 though our bodies need not always be composed of earthly particles4 ,matter is the accidental part3 there is an essential and more permanent part1 and the permanent part must survive4 ,this is the strength1 as ,i have said elsewhere and will not now at any length repeat1 of the sacramental claims and practices of religion4 ,forms and customs which appeal to the body are a legitimate part of the whole2 and while some natures derive most benefit from the exclusively psychical and spiritual essence1 others probably do well to prevent the more sensuous and more puzzling concomitants from falling into disuse4 ,footnote #cf3 ,that a great poet should have represented the meeting between the still incarnate neas and his discarnate father ,anchises as a bodily disappointment1 is consistent3-- ,ter conatus ibi collo dare brachia circum2 ,ter frustra comprensa manus effugit imago1 ,par levibus ventis1 volucrique simillima somno4 neid1 vi4 #gjj ,it may be said that what is intangible ought to be invisible2 but that does not follow4 ,the ,ether is a medium for vision1 not for touch4 ,ether and ,ether may interact1 just as matter and matter interact2 but interaction between ,ether and matter is peculiarly elusive4 ,,chapter ,,vii ',,resurrection ,,of ,,the ,,body' ,never the spirit was born2 the spirit shall cease to be never4 ,,edwin ,,arnold ,in the whole unknown drama of the soul the episode of bodily existence must have profound significance4 ,matter cannot only be obstructive1 even usefully obstructive1--by which is meant the kind of obstruction which stimulates to effort and trains for power1 like the hurdles in an obstacle race1--it must be auxiliary too4 ,whatever may be the case with external matter1 the body itself is certainly an auxiliary1 so long as it is in health and strength2 and it gives opportunity for the development of the soul in new and unexpected ways--ways in which but for earth life its practice would be deficient4 ,this it is which makes calamity of too short a life4 ,but let us not be over-despondent about the tragedy of the present4 ,it may be that the concentrated training and courageous facing of fate which in most cases must have accompanied voluntary entry into a dangerous war1 compensates in intensity what it lacks in duration1 and that the benefit of bodily terrestrial life is not so much lost by violent death of that kind as might at first appear4 ,yet even with some such assurance1 the spectacle of thousands of youths in full vigour and joy of life having their earthly future violently wrenched from them1 amid scenes of grim horror and nerve-wracking noise and confusion1 is one which cannot and ought not to be regarded with equanimity4 ,it is a bad and unnatural truncation of an important part of each individual career1 a part which might have done much to develop faculties and enlarge experience4 ,meanwhile1 the very fact that we lament so sincerely this dire and man-caused fate serves to illustrate the view we inevitably take that the earth-body is not only a means of manifestation but is a real servant of the soul1--that flesh can in some sense help spirit as spirit can undoubtedly help flesh1--and that while its very weaknesses are serviceable and stimulating1 its strength is exhilarating and superb4 ,the faculties and powers developed in the animal kingdom during all the millions of years of evolution1 and now inherited for better for worse by man1 are not to be despised4 ,those therefore who are able to think that some of the essential elements or attributes of the body are carried forward into a higher life--quite irrespective of the manifestly discarded material particles which never were important to the body1 for they were always in perpetual flux as individual molecules--those1 ,i say1 who think that the value derived and acquired through the body survives1 and becomes a permanent possession of the soul1 may well feel that they can employ the medival phrase resurrection of the body to express their perception4 ,they may feel that it is a truth which needs emphasising all the more from its lack of obviousness4 ,these old phrases1 consecrated by long usage1 and familiar to all the saints1 though their early and superficial meaning is evidently superseded1 may be found to have an inner and spiritual significance which when once grasped should be kept in memory1 and brought before attention1 and sustained against challenge3 in no case should they be lightly or hastily discarded4 ,it seems not altogether fanciful to trace some similarity or analogy1 between the ideas about inheritance usually associated with the name of ,weismann1 and the inheritance or conveyance of bodily attributes1 or of powers acquired through the body1 into the future life of the soul4 ,when considering whether anything1 or what1 is likely to be permanent1 the answer turns upon whether or not the soul has been affected4 ,mere bodily accidents of course are temporary2 loss of an arm or an eye is no more carried on as a permanent disfigurement than it is transmissible to offspring4 ,but1 apart from accidents which may happen to the body1 there are some evil things--rendered accessible by and definitely associated with the body--which assault and hurt the soul4 ,and the effect of these is transmissible1 and may become permanent4 ,habits which write their mark on the countenance--whether the writing be good or bad--are not likely to take effect on the body alone4 ,and in this sense also future existence may be either glorified or stained1 for a time1 by persistence of bodily traits1--by this kind of resurrection of the body4 ,furthermore it is found that although bodily marks1 scars and wounds1 are clearly not of soul-compelling and permanent character1 yet for purposes of identification1 and when re-entering the physical atmosphere for the purpose of communication with friends1 these temporary marks are re-assumed2 just as the general appearance at the remembered age1 and details connected with clothes and little unessential tricks of manner1 may--in some unknown sense--be assumed too4 ,and it is to this category that ,i would attribute the curious interest still felt in old personal possessions4 ,they are attended to and recalled1 not for what by a shopman is called their 'value1' but because they furnish useful and welcome evidence of identity2 they are like the pices de conviction brought up at a trial1 they bear silent witness to remembered fact4 ,and in so far as the disposal or treatment of them by survivors is evidence of the regard in which their late owner was held1 it is unlikely that they should have suddenly become matters of complete indifference4 ,nothing human1 in the sense of affecting the human spirit1 can be considered foreign to a friendly and sympathetic soul1 even though his new preoccupations and industries and main activities are of a different order4 ,it appears as if1 for the few moments of renewed earthly intercourse1 the newer surroundings shrink for a time into the background4 ,they are remembered1 but not vividly4 ,indeed it seems difficult to live in both worlds at once1 especially after the life-long practice here of living almost exclusively in one4 ,those whose existence here was coloured or ennobled by wider knowledge and higher aims seem likely to have the best chance of conveying instructive information across the boundary2 though their developed powers may be of such still higher value1 that only from a sense of duty or in a missionary spirit can they be expected to absent them from felicity while in order to help the brethren4 ,quotation of a passage from ,plotinus seems here permissible3-- ,souls which once were in men1 when they leave the body1 need not cease from benefiting mankind4 ,some indeed1 in addition to other services1 give occult messages 7oracular replies71 thus proving by their own case that other souls also survive 7,enn4 ,,iv4 vii4 #ae74 99 99 99 99 99 ,as a digression of some importance1 ,i venture to say that claims of thoughtless and pertinacious people upon the charitable and eminent1 even here1 are often excessive3 it is to be hoped that such claims become less troublesome and less effective hereafter2 but it is a hope without much foundation4 ,remonstrances are useless1 however1 for only the more thoughtful and those most deserving of help are likely to attend to remonstrances4 ,nevertheless--useless or not--it behoves one to make them4 ,we are indeed taught that in exceptional cases there may ultimately supervene such an extraordinary elevation of soul that no trouble is too great1 and no appeal is unheard4 ,but still1 even in the ,loftiest case of all1 the episode of having passed through a human body contributes to the power of sympathising with and aiding ordinary humanity4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,mind ,,and ,,brain ,for nothing is that errs from law4--,,tennyson ,it is sometimes thought that memory is located in the brain2 and undoubtedly there must be some physiological process at work in the brain when any incident of memory is recalled and either uttered or written4 ,but it does not at all follow that memory itself is located in the brain2 though there must be some easier channel1 or some already prepared path1 which enables an idea to be translated from the general mental reservoir into consciousness1 with clarity and power sufficient to stimulate the necessary nerves and muscles into a condition adequate for reproduction4 ,sometimes in order to remember a thing1 one writes it in a note-book2 and the memory may be said to be in the note-book about as accurately as it may be said to be in the brain4 ,a physical process has put it in the note-book2 there is a physical configuration persisting there2 and when a sort of reverse physical process is repeated1 it can be got back into consciousness by simply what we call 'looking' at the book and reading4 ,but surely the real memory is in the mind all the time1 and the deposit in the note-book is a mere detent for calling it out or for making it easy of recovery4 ,in order to communicate any information we must focus attention on it2 and whether we focus attention on a part of the brain or on a page of a note-book matters very little2 the attention itself is a mental process1 not a physiological one1 though it has a physiological concomitant4 ,this is an important matter1 the keystone in fact of our problem about the connexion between mind and matter1 and ,i propose to amplify its treatment further2 for this is an unavoidably controversial portion of the book4 ,,the ,,seat ,,of ,,memory ,i am familiar with all the usual analogies drawn between organic habit and memory on the one hand1 and the more ready repetition of physical processes by inorganic material on the other4 ,imperfectly elastic springs1 for instance1 which show reminiscences of previous bendings or twistings by their subsequent unwindings2 and cogs which wear into smooth running by repetition2 are examples of this kind4 ,a violin which by long practice becomes more musical in tone1 is another2 or a path which by being often traversed becomes easier to the feet4 ,a flower-bed recently altered in shape1 by being partly grassed over1 is liable to exhibit its former outline by aid of bulbs and other half-forgotten growths which come up through the grass in the old pattern4 ,this last is a striking example of apparent memory1 not indeed in the inorganic but in the unconscious world2 where indeed it is prevalent1 for every one must recognise the memory of animals--there can be no doubt of that4 ,and it would seem that a kind of race-memory must be invoked to account for many surprising cases of instinct2 of which the building of specific birds' nests1 and the accurate pecking of a newly-hatched chicken1 are among the stock instances4 ,no experience can be lodged in the brain of the newly-hatched6 ,that some sort of stored facility should exist in the adult brain1 is in no way surprising2 and that there is some physical or physiological concomitant of actual remembrance is plain2 but that is a very different thing from asserting that memory itself1 or any kind of consciousness1 is located in the brain2 though truly without the aid of the brain it is1 as far as this planet is concerned1 latent and inaccessible4 ,plotinus puts the matter in an interesting but perhaps rather too extreme form3-- ,as to memory1 the body is an impediment 444 the unstable and fluctuating nature of the body makes for oblivion not for memory4 ,body is a veritable ,river of ,lethe4 ,memory belongs to the soul 7,enn4 ,,iv4 iii4 #bf74 ,the actual reproduction or remembrance of a fact--the demonstration or realisation of memory--undoubtedly depends on brain and muscle mechanism2 but memory itself turns out to be essentially mental1 and is found to exist apart from the bodily mechanism which helped originally to receive and store the impression4 ,and though without that same or some equivalent mechanism we cannot get at it1 so that it cannot be displayed to others1 yet in my experience it turns out not to be absolutely necessary to use actually the same instrument for its reproduction as was responsible for its deposition3 though undoubtedly to use the same is easier and helpful4 ,in the early ,edison phonographs the same instrument had to be used for both reception and reproduction2 but now a record can readily be transferred from one instrument to another4 ,this may be regarded as a rough mechanical analogy to the telepathic or telergic process whereby a psychic reservoir of memory can be partially tapped through another organism4 ,but1 apart from any consideration of what may be regarded as doubtful or uncertain1 there are some facts about the relation of brain to consciousness1 which1 though universally admitted1 are frequently misinterpreted4 ,injure the brain1 and consciousness is lost4 ',lost' is the right word--not 'destroyed4' ,repair the lesion1 and consciousness may be restored1 i4e4 normal manifestation of consciousness can once more occur4 ,it is the display of consciousness1 in all such cases1 that we mean when we speak of the effect of brain injury2 the utilisation of bodily organs is necessary for its exhibition4 ,if the bodily organs do not exist1 or are too damaged1 no normal manifestation is possible4 ,that is the fact which may be misinterpreted4 ,in general we may say1 with fair security1 that no receptivity to physical phenomena exists save through sense-organ1 nerve1 and brain2 nor any initiation of physical phenomena1 save through brain1 nerve1 and muscle4 ,apart from physical phenomena consciousness is isolated and inaccessible3 we have no right to say that it is non-existent4 ,in ordinary usage it is not customary or necessary to be always harping on this completer aspect of things3 it is only necessary when misunderstanding has arisen from uniformly inaccurate1 or rather unguarded1 modes of expression4 ,in an excellent lecture by ,dr4 ,mott on ,the ,effects of ,high ,explosives upon the ,central ,nervous ,system1 ,i find this sentence3-- ,it is known that a continuous supply of oxygen is essential for consciousness4 ,what is intended is clear enough1 but analysed strictly this assertion goes far beyond what is known4 ,we do not really know that oxygen1 or any form of matter1 has anything to do with consciousness3 all that we know1 and all that ,dr4 ,mott really means to say1 ,i presume1 is that without a supply of oxygen consciousness gives no physical sign4 ,partial interruptions of physical manifestations of consciousness well illustrate this3 as1 for instance1 when speech-centres of the brain alone are affected4 ,if in such case we had to depend on mouth-muscle alone we should say that consciousness had departed1 and might even think that it was non-existent2 but the arm-muscle may remain under brain control1 and by intelligent writing can show that consciousness is there all the time1 and that it is only inhibited from one of the specially easy modes of manifestation4 ,in some cases the inhibition may be complete1--from such cases we do not learn much2 but when it is only partial we learn a good deal4 ,i quote again from ,dr4 ,mott1 omitting for brevity the detailed description of certain surgical war-cases1 under his care1 which precedes the following explanatory interjection and summary3-- ,why should these men1 whose silent thoughts are perfect1 be unable to speak8 ,they comprehend all that is said to them unless they are deaf2 but it is quite clear that even in these cases their internal language is unaffected1 for they are able to express their thoughts and judgments perfectly well by writing1 even if they are deaf4 ,the mutism is therefore not due to an intellectual defect1 nor is it due to volitional inhibition of language in silent thought4 ,hearing1 the primary incitation to vocalisation and speech1 is usually unaffected1 yet they are unable to speak2 they cannot even whisper1 cough1 whistle1 or laugh aloud4 ,many who are unable to speak voluntarily yet call out in their dreams expressions they have used in trench warfare and battle4 ,sometimes this is followed by return of speech1 but more often not4 ,one man continually shouted out in his sleep1 but he did not recover voluntary speech or power of phonation till eight months after admission to the hospital for shell-shock4 ,very well1 all this interesting experience serves among other things to illustrate our simple but occasionally overlooked thesis4 ,for it is through physical phenomena that normally we apprehend1 here and now2 and it is by aid of physical phenomena that we convey to others our wishes1 our impressions1 our ideas1 and our memories4 ,dislocate the physical from the psychical1 and communication ceases4 ,restore the connexion1 in however imperfect a form1 and once more incipient communication may become possible again4 ,that is the rationale of the process of human intercourse4 ,do we understand it8 ,no4 ,do we understand even how our own mind operates on our own body8 ,no4 ,we know for a fact that it does4 ,do we understand how a mind can with difficulty and imperfectly operate another body submitted to its temporary guidance and control8 ,no4 ,do we know for a fact that it does8 ,aye1 that is the question--a question of evidence4 ,i myself answer the question affirmatively2 not on theoretical grounds--far from that--but on a basis of straightforward experience4 ,others1 if they allow themselves to take the trouble to get the experience1 will come to the same conclusion4 ,will they do so best by allowing their own bodies or brains to be utilised8 ,no1 that seems not even the best1 and certainly not the only way4 ,it may not1 for the majority of people1 be a possible way4 ,the sensitive or medium who serves us1 by putting his or her bodily mechanism at our disposal1 is not likely to be best informed concerning the nature of the process4 ,mediums have perhaps but little conscious information to give us concerning their powers2 we must learn from what they do1 not from what they say4 ,the outside observer1 the experimenter1 whose senses are alert all the time and who continues fully conscious without special receptivity or any peculiar power of his own1 is in a better position to note and judge what is happening1--at least from the normal and scientific point of view4 ,let us be as cautious and critical1 aye and as sceptical as we like1 but let us also be patient and persevering and fair2 do not let us start with a preconceived notion of what is possible and what is impossible in this almost unexplored universe2 let us only be willing to learn and be guided by facts1 not by dogmas2 and gradually the truth will permeate our understanding and make for itself a place in our minds as secure as in any other branch of observational science4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,life ,,and ,,consciousness ,the limitation of scope which eminent ,professors of a certain school of modern science have laid down for themselves is forcibly expressed by one of the ablest of their champions thus3-- ,no sane man has ever pretended1 since science became a definite body of doctrine1 that we know or ever can hope to know or conceive the possibility of knowing whence the mechanism has come1 why it is there1 whither it is going1 or what may be beyond and beside it which our senses are incapable of appreciating4 ,these things are not 'explained' by science and never can be4--,,sir ,e4 ,,ray ,,lankester4 ,i should myself hesitate to promulgate such a markedly non-possumus and ignorabimus statement concerning the scope of physical science1 even as narrowly and popularly understood2 but it illuminates the position taken up by those savants who are commonly known as ,materialists1 and explains their expressed though non-personal hostility to other scientific men who seek to exceed the boundaries laid down1 and investigate things beyond the immediate range of the senses4 ,eliminating the future tense from the statement1 however1 ,i can agree with it4 ,the instrument of translation from the mental to the physical1 and back from the physical to the mental1 is undoubtedly the brain1 but as to how the translation is accomplished1 ,i venture to say1 we have not the inkling of an idea4 ,nevertheless1 hints which may gradually lead towards a partial understanding of psycho-physical processes may be gained by study of exceptional cases3 for such study is often more instructive than continued scrutiny of the merely normal4 ,the fact of human consciousness1 though it raises the problem to a high degree of conspicuousness1 by no means exhausts the difficulty2 for it is one which faces us in connexion with every form of life4 ,the association of life with matter1 and of mind with life1 are problems of similar order1 and a glimmering of understanding of the one may be expected to throw light upon the other4 ,but until we know more of the method by which the simplest and most familiar psycho-physical interaction occurs--until we know enough to see how the gulf between two apparently different ,modes of ,being is bridged--it is safest to observe and accumulate facts1 and to be very chary of making more than the most tentative and cautious of working hypotheses4 ,for to frame even a tentative hypothesis1 of any helpful kind1 may require some clue which as yet we do not possess4 ,i have been struck by the position taken by ,dr4 ,chalmers ,mitchell in his notable small book ,evolution and the ,war1 the early chapters of which1 on ,germany of the past and present1 ,i would like unreservedly to commend to the reader4 ,indeed1 commendation of a friendly and non-patronising kind may well extend to the whole book1 although it must be admitted that here and there mere exposition of ,darwinism is suspended1 and difficult and debatable questions are touched upon4 ,on these questions ,i would not like to be understood as expressing a hasty opinion1 either against or for the views of the author4 ,the points at issue between us are more or less fine-drawn1 and cannot be dealt with parenthetically2 nor do ,i ever propose to deal with them in a controversial manner4 ,the author1 as a biologist of fame1 is more than entitled to such expression of his own views as he has cared to give4 ,i quote with admiration1 not necessarily with agreement1 a few passages from the part dealing with the relation between mind and matter1 and especially with the wide and revolutionary difference between man and animal caused by either the evolution or the incoming of free and conscious ,choice4 ,he will not allow1 with ,bergson and others1 that the roots of consciousness1 in its lower grades1 go deep down into the animal1 and even perhaps into the vegetable1 kingdom2 he has no patience with those who associate elementary consciousness and freedom and indeterminateness not merely with human life but with all life1 and who detect rudiments of purpose and intelligence in the protozoa4 ,nor1 on the other hand1 does he approve the dogmatic teaching of the 'ultra-scientific' school1 which1 being obsessed by the idea of man's animal origin1 interprets human nature solely in terms of protoplasm4 ,he opposes the possibility of this by saying3-- ,however fruitful and interesting it may be to remember that we are rooted deep in the natal mud1 our possession of consciousness and the sense of freedom is a vital and overmastering distinction4 ,on the more interesting of the above-mentioned alternatives ,dr4 ,chalmers ,mitchell expresses himself thus3-- ,the ,bergsonian interpretation does nothing to make consciousness and freedom more intelligible2 and by extending them from man1 in whom we know them to exist1 to animals1 in which their presence is at best an inference1 it not only robs them of definiteness and reality1 but it blurs the real distinction between men and animals1 and evades the most difficult problem of science and philosophy4 ,the facts are more truly represented by such phraseology as that animals are instinctive1 man is intelligent1 animals are irresponsible1 man is responsible1 animals are automata1 man is free2 or if you like1 that ,god gave animals a beautiful body1 man a rational soul4444 ,and soon afterwards he continues3-- ,not 'envisaging itself1' not being at once actor1 spectator1 and critic1 'living in the flashing moment1' not seeing the past and the present and the future separately1 this is the highest at which we can put the consciousness of animals1 and herein lies the distinction between man and the animals which makes the overwhelming difference4 ,must we then suppose1 with ,russel ,wallace1 that somewhere on the upward path from the tropical forests to the groves of ,paradise1 a soul was interpolated from an outside source into the gorilla-like ancestry of man8 ,i do not think so1 although ,i not only admit but assert that such a view gives a more accurate statement of fact than does either of the fashionable doctrines that ,i have discussed4 ,i believe with ,darwin1 that as the body of man has been evolved from the body of animals1 so the intellectual1 emotional1 and moral faculties of man have been evolved from the qualities of animals4 ,i help myself towards the comprehension of the process by reflecting on two phenomena of observation which he proceeds to cite4 ,i help myself1 and perchance may help others2 no more2 could ,i speak dogmatically on what is the central mystery of all science and all philosophy and all thought1 my words would roll with the thunder of ,sinai4 ,let it not be supposed for a moment that this distinguished biologist is in agreement with me on many matters dealt with in the present book4 ,if he were1 he would1 ,i believe1 achieve a more admirable and eloquent work than is consistent with the technically 'apologetic' tone which1 in the present state of the scientific atmosphere1 it behoves me to take4 ,to guard against unwelcome misrepresentation of his views1 and yet at the same time to indicate their force1 ,i will make one more quotation3-- ,writing as a hard-shell ,darwinian evolutionist1 a lover of the scalpel and microscope1 and of patient1 empirical observation1 as one who dislikes all forms of supernaturalism1 and who does not shrink from the implications even of the phrase that thought is a secretion of the brain as bile is a secretion of the liver1 ,i assert as a biological fact that the moral law is as real and as external to man as the starry vault4 ,it has no secure seat in any single man or in any single nation4 ,it is the work of the blood and tears of long generations of men4 ,it is not1 in man1 inborn or innate1 but is enshrined in his traditions1 in his customs1 in his literature and his religion4 ,its creation and sustenance are the crowning glory of man1 and his consciousness of it puts him in a high place above the animal world4 ,men live and die2 nations rise and fall1 but the struggle of individual lives and of individual nations must be measured not by their immediate needs1 but as they tend to the debasement or perfection of man's great achievement4 ,my own view1 which in such matters ,i only put forth with diffidence and brevity1 is more in favour of ,continuity4 ,i do not trace so catastrophic a break between man and animals1 nor between animal and vegetable1 perhaps not even between organised and unorganised forms of matter1 as does ,dr4 ,chalmers ,mitchell4 ,i would venture to extend the range of the term 'soul' down to a very large denominator1--to cases in which the magnitude of the fraction becomes excessively minute1--and tentatively admit to the possibility of survival1 though not individual survival1 every form of life4 ,as to ,individuality and ,personality--they can only survive where they already exist2 when they really exist they persist2 but bare survival1 as an alternative to improbable extinction1 may be widespread4 ,matter forms an instrument1 a means of manifestation1 but it need not be the only one possible4 ,we have utilised matter to build up this beautiful bodily mechanism1 but1 when that is done with1 the constructive ability remains2 and it can be expected to exercise its organising powers in other than material environment4 ,if this hypothesis be true at all 7and admittedly ,i am now making hypothesis7 it must be true of all forms of life2 for what the process of evolution has accomplished here may be accomplished elsewhere1 under conditions at present unknown4#cg ,so ,i venture to surmise that the surroundings of non-material existence will be far more homely and habitual than people in general have been accustomed to think likely4 ,and how do ,i know that the visible material body of anything is all the body1 or all the existence1 it possesses8 ,why should not things exist also1 or have etherial counterparts1 in an etherial world8 ,perhaps everything has already an etherial counterpart1 of which our senses tell us the material aspect only4 ,i do not know4 ,such an idea may be quoted as an absurdity2 but if the evidence drives me in that direction1 in that direction ,i will go1 without undue resistance4 ,there have been those who do not wait to be driven1 but who lead2 and the inspired guidance of ,plotinus in that direction may secure more attention1 and attract more disciples1 when the way is illuminated by discoverable facts4 ,meanwhile facts await discovery4 99 99 99 99 99 ,passages from ,plotinus1 it may be remembered1 are eloquently translated by ,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,myers1 from the obscure and often ungrammatical ,greek1 in ,human ,personality1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #bhi-bia2 and readers of ,s4,p4,r4 ,proceedings1 vol4 xxii1 pp4 #ajh-agb1 will remember the development by ,mrs4 ,verall of the ,greek3 kai autos ouranos akumn motto prefixed to ,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,myers's post-humously published poem on ,tennyson in ,fragments of ,prose and ,poetry4 ,my reference just above to teachings of ,plotinus about the kind of things to be met with in the other world1 or the etherial world1 or whatever it may be called1 is due to information from ,professor ,j4 ,h4 ,muirhead that1 roughly speaking1 ,plotinus teaches that things there are on the same plan as things here3 each thing here having its counterpart or corresponding existence there1 though glorified and fuller of reality4 ,not to misrepresent this doctrine1 but to illustrate it as far as can be by a short passage1 ,professor ,muirhead has given me the following translation from the ,enneads3-- ,but again let us speak thus3 ,for since we hold that this universe is framed after the pattern of ,that1 every living thing must needs first be ,there2 and since ,its ,being is perfect1 all must be ,there4 ,heaven then must ,there be a living thing nor void of what are here called stars2 indeed such things belong to heaven4 ,clearly too the earth which is ,there is not an empty void1 but much more full of life1 wherein are all creatures that are here called land animals and plants that are rooted in life4 ,and sea is ,there1 and all water in ebb and flow and in abiding life1 and all creatures that are in the water4 ,and air is a part of the all that is ,there1 and creatures of the air in accordance with the nature and laws of air4 ,for in the ,living how should living things fail8 ,how then can any living thing fail to be ,there1 seeing that as each of the great parts of nature is1 so needs must be the living things that therein are8 ,as then ,heaven is1 and ,there exists1 so are and exist all the creatures that inhabit it2 nor can these fail to be1 else would those 7on earth87 not be4 ,enn4 ,,vi4 vii4 ,the reason why this strange utterance or speculation is reproduced here is because it seems to some extent to correspond with curious statements recorded in another part of this book2 e4g4 in ,chapter ,,xiv1 ,part ,,ii4 ,i expect that it would be misleading to suppose that the terms used by ,plotinus really signify any difference of locality4 ,it may be nearer the truth to suppose that when freed from our restricting and only matter-revealing senses we become aware of much that was and is 'here' all the time1 interfused with the existence which we knew2--forming part indeed of the one and only complete existence1 of which our present normal knowledge is limited to a single aspect4 ,we might think and speak of many interpenetrating universes1 and yet recognise that ultimately they must be all one4 ,it is not likely that the ,present differs from what we now call the ,future except in our mode of perceiving it4 ,footnote #cg3 ,i wish to emphasise this paragraph1 as perhaps an important one4 ,,chapter ,x ,,on ,,means ,,of ,,communication ,in scientific truth there is no finality1 and there should therefore be no dogmatism4 ,when this is forgotten1 then science will become stagnant1 and its high-priests will endeavour to strangle new learning at its birth4--,r4 ,a4 ,,gregory1 ,discovery4 ,how does mind communicate with mind8 ,our accustomed process is singularly indirect4 ,speech is the initiation of muscular movements1 under brain and nerve guidance1 which result in the production of atmospheric pulsations--alternate condensations and rarefactions--which spread out in all directions in a way that can be likened superficially to the spreading of ripples on a pond4 ,in themselves the aerial pulsations have no psychical connotation1 and are as purely mechanical as are those ripples1 though like the indentations on the wax of a phonograph their sequence is cunningly contrived2 and it is in their sequence that the code lies--a code which anyone who has struggled with a foreign language knows is difficult to learn4 ,sound waves have in some respects a still closer analogy with the etherial pulsations generated at a wireless-telegraph sending station1 which affect all sensitive receiving instruments within range and convey a code by their artificially induced sequence4 ,hearing is reception of a small modicum of the above aerial pulsations1 by suitable mechanism which enables them to stimulate ingeniously contrived nerve-endings1 and so at length to affect auditory centres in the brain1 and to get translated into the same kind of consciousness as was responsible for the original utterance4 ,the whole is done so quickly and easily1 by the perfect physiological mechanism provided1 that the indirect and surprising nature of the process is usually overlooked2 as most things are when they have become familiar4 ,wireless telegraphy is not an iota more marvellous1 but1 being unfamiliar1 it has aroused a sense of wonder4 ,writing and ,reading by aid of black marks on a piece of paper1 perceived by means of the ,ether instead of the air1 and through the agency of the eye instead of the ear1--though the symbols are ultimately to be interpreted as if heard1--hardly need elaboration in order to exhibit their curiously artificial and complicated indirectness3 and in their case an element of delay1 even a long time-interval--perhaps centuries--may intervene between production and reception4 ,artistic representation also1 such as painting or music1 though of a less articulate character1 less dependent on purely linguistic convention and less limited by nationality1 is still truly astonishing when intellectually regarded4 ,an arrangement of pigments designed for the reception and modification and re-emission or reflexion of ether-tremors1 in the one case2 and1 in the other1 a continuous series of complicated vibrations excited by grossly mechanical means2 intervene between the minds of painter and spectator1 of composer and auditor1 or1 in more general terms1 between agent and percipient1--again with possible great lapse of time4 ,that ideas and feelings1 thus indirectly and mechanically transmitted or stored1 can affect the sensitive soul in unmistakable fashion1 is a fact of experience2 but that deposits in matter are competent to produce so purely psychic an effect can surely only be explained in terms of the potentialities and previous experience of the mind or soul itself4 ,no emotional influence can be expressed1 or rendered intelligible1 in terms of matter4 ,matter is an indirect medium of communication between mind and mind4 ,that direct telepathic intercourse should be able to occur between mind and mind1 without all this intermediate physical mechanism1 is therefore not really surprising4 ,it has to be proved1 no doubt1 but the fact is intrinsically less puzzling than many of those other facts to which we have grown hardened by usage4 ,why should telepathy be unfamiliar to us8 ,why should it seem only an exceptional or occasional method of communication8 ,there is probably1 as ,m4 ,bergson has said1 an evolutionary advantage in our present almost exclusive limitation to mechanical and physical methods of communication2 for these are under muscular control and can be shut off4 ,we can isolate ourselves from them1 if not in a mechanical1 then in a topographical manner3 we can go away1 out of range4 ,we could not thus protect ourselves against insistent telepathy4 ,hence probably the practical usefulness of the inhibiting and abstracting power of the brain2 a power which in some lunatics is permanently deficient4 ,physical things can reach consciousness--if at all--only through the brain2 that remains true as regards physical things1 however much we may admit telepathy from other minds2 and1 conversely1 only through the brain can we operate with conscious purpose on the material world4 ,to any more direct mental or spiritual intercourse we are1 unless specially awakened1 temporarily dead or asleep4 ,there is some inversion of ordinary ideas here1 for a state of trance appears to rouse or free the dormant faculties1 and to render direct intercourse more possible4 ,at any rate it does this for some people4 ,for we find here and there1 a few perfectly sane individuals1 from whom1 when in a rather exceptional state1 the customary brain-limitation seems to be withdrawn or withdrawable4 ,their minds cease to be isolated for a time1 and are accessible to more direct influences4 ,not the familiar part of their minds1 not the part accustomed to operate and to be operated on by the habitually used portion of brain1 no1 but what is called a subliminal stratum of mind1 a part only accessible perhaps to physical things through an ordinarily unused and only subconscious portion of the brain4 ,the occurrence of such people1 i4e4 of people with such exceptional and really simple faculties1 could not have been predicted or expected on a basis of everyday experience2 but if evidence is forthcoming for their existence--even although it be not quite of an ordinary character--and if we can make examination of the subject-matter and criticise the statements of fact which are thus receivable1 there is no sort of sense in opposing the facts by adducing preconceived negative opinions about impossibility1 and declining to look into the evidence or judge of the results4 ,there were people once who would not look at the satellites of ,jupiter1 lest their cherished convictions should be disturbed4 ,there was a mathematician not long ago who would not see an experimental demonstration of conical refraction1 lest if it failed his confidence in refined optical theory should be upset4 ,and so1 strange to say1 there are people to-day who deny the fact1 and condemn the investigation1 of any manner of communication outside the realm of ordinary commonplace experience3 having no ground at all for their denial save prejudice4 ,well1 like other little systems1 they have their day and cease to be4 ,we need not attend to them overmuch4 ,if the facts of the ,universe have come within our contemplation1 a certain amount of contemporary blindness1 though it may surprise1 need not perplex us4 ,the study of the material side of things1 under the limitations appropriate thereto1 has done splendid service4 ,only gradually can mental scope be enlarged to take in not only all this but more also4 ,in so far as those who are open to the less well-defined and more ambitious region are ignorant or unresponsive to what has been achieved in the material realm1 it is no wonder that their asserted enlargement of scope is not credited4 ,it does not seem likely that a new revelation has been vouchsafed to them1 when they are so ignorant concerning the other and already recognised kind of ,natural knowledge4 ,they cannot indeed have attained information through the same channels1 or in the same way4 ,and it is this dislocation of knowledge1 this difference of atmosphere1 this barely reconcilable attitude of two diverse groups of people--though occasionally1 by the device of water-tight compartments1 the same individual has breathed both kinds of air and belonged to both groups--it is this bifurcation of method that has retarded mutual understanding4 ,there are pugnacious members of either group who try to strengthen their own position by decrying the methods of the other2 and were it not for the occurrence from time to time of a ,wallace or a ,crookes1 i4e4 of men who combine in their own persons something of both kinds of knowledge1 attained not by different but by similar methods--all their theses being maintained and justified on scientific grounds1 and after experimental inquiry--the chances for a reasonable and scientific outlook into a new region1 and ultimately over the border-line into the domain of religion1 would not be encouraging4 ,the existence of such men1 however1 has given the world pause1 has sometimes checked its facile abuse1 and has brought it occasionally into a reflective1 perhaps now even into a partially receptive1 mood4 ,we need not be in any hurry1 though we can hardly help hoping for quick progress if the new knowledge can in any way alleviate the terrible amount of sorrow in the world at present2 moreover1 if a new volume is to be opened in man's study of the ,universe1 it is time that the early chapters were being perused4 ,it may be asked1 do ,i recommend all bereaved persons to devote the time and attention which ,i have done to getting communications and recording them8 ,most certainly ,i do not4 ,i am a student of the subject1 and a student often undertakes detailed labour of a special kind4 ,i recommend people in general to learn and realise that their loved ones are still active and useful and interested and happy--more alive than ever in one sense--and to make up their minds to live a useful life till they rejoin them4 ,what steps should be taken to gain this peaceful assurance must depend on the individual4 ,some may get it from the consolations of religion1 some from the testimony of trusted people1 while some may find it necessary to have first-hand experience of their own for a time4 ,and if this experience can be attained privately1 with no outside assistance1 by quiet and meditation or by favour of occasional waking dreams1 so much the better4 ,what people should not do1 is to close their minds to the possibility of continued existence except in some lofty and inaccessible and essentially unsuitable condition2 they should not selfishly seek to lessen pain by discouraging all mention1 and even hiding everything likely to remind them1 of those they have lost2 nor should they give themselves over to unavailing and prostrating grief4 ,now is the time for action2 and it is an ill return to those who have sacrificed all and died for the ,country if those left behind do not throw off enervating distress and helpless lamentation1 and seek to live for the ,country and for humanity1 to the utmost of their power4 ,any steps which are calculated to lead to this wholesome result in any given instance are justified2 and it is not for me to offer advice as to the kind of activity most appropriate to each individual case4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have suggested that the new knowledge1 when generally established and incorporated with existing systems1 will have a bearing and influence on the region hitherto explored by other faculties1 and considered to be the domain of faith4 ,it certainly must be so1 whether the suggested expansion of scientific scope is welcomed or not4 ,certainly the conclusions to which ,i myself have been led by one mode of access are not contradictory of the conclusions which have been arrived at by those who 7naturally7 seem to me the more enlightened theologians2 though ,i must confess that with some of the ecclesiastical superstructure which has descended to us from a bygone day1 a psychic investigator can have but little sympathy4 ,indeed he only refrains from attacking it because he feels that1 left to itself1 it will be superseded by higher and better knowledge1 and will die a natural death4 ,there is too much wheat mingled with the tares to render it safe for any but an ecclesiastical expert to attempt to uproot them4 ,meanwhile1 although some of the official exponents of ,christian doctrine condemn any attempt to explore things of this kind by secular methods2 while others refrain from countenancing any results thus obtained2 there are many who would utilise them in their teaching if they conscientiously could1 and a few who have already begun to do so1 on the strength of their own knowledge1 however derived1 and in spite of the risk of offending weaker brethren4#ch ,footnote #ch3 ,for instance1 a book called ,the ,gospel of the ,hereafter1 by ,dr4 ,j4 ,paterson ,smyth1 of ,montreal1 may be brought to the notice of anyone who1 while clinging tightly to the essential tenets of orthodox ,christianity1 and unwilling or unable to enter upon a course of study1 would gladly interpret eastern and medival phrases in a sense not repugnant to the modern spirit4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,on ,,the ,,fact ,,of ,,supernormal ,,communication ,but he1 the spirit himself1 may come ,where all the nerve of sense is numb4 ,,tennyson1 ,in ,memoriam ,however it be accomplished1 and whatever reception the present-day scientific world may give to the assertion1 there are many now who know1 by first-hand experience1 that communication is possible across the boundary--if there is a boundary--between the world apprehended by our few animal-derived senses and the larger existence concerning which our knowledge is still more limited4 ,communication is not easy1 but it occurs2 and humanity has reason to be grateful to those few individuals who1 finding themselves possessed of the faculty of mediumship1 and therefore able to act as intermediaries1 allow themselves to be used for this purpose4 ,such means of enlarging our knowledge1 and entering into relations with things beyond animal ken1 can be abused like any other power3 it can be played with by the merely curious1 or it can be exploited in a very mundane and unworthy way in the hope of warping it into the service of selfish ends1 in the same way as old and long accessible kinds of knowledge have too often been employed4 ,but it can also be used reverently and seriously1 for the very legitimate purpose of comforting the sorrowful1 helping the bereaved1 and restoring some portion of the broken link between souls united in affection but separated for a time by an apparently impassable barrier4 ,the barrier is turning out to be not hopelessly obdurate after all2 intercourse between the two states is not so impossible as had been thought2 something can be learnt about occurrences from either side2 and gradually it is probable that a large amount of consistent and fairly coherent knowledge will be accumulated4 ,meanwhile broken ties of affection have the first claim2 and early efforts at communication from the departed are nearly always directed towards assuring survivors of the fact of continued personal existence1 towards helping them to realise that changed surroundings have in no way weakened love or destroyed memory1 and urging upon their friends with eager insistence that earthly happiness need not be irretrievably spoiled by bereavement4 ,for purposes of this kind many trivial incidents are recalled1 such as are well adapted to convince intimate friends and relatives that one particular intelligence1 and no other1 must be the source from which the messages ultimately spring1 through whatever intermediaries they have to be conveyed4 ,and to people new to the subject such messages are often immediately convincing4 ,further thought1 however1 raises difficulties and doubts4 ,the gradually recognized possibility of what may be called normal telepathy1 or unconscious mind-reading from survivors1 raises hesitation--felt most by studious and thoughtful people--about accepting such messages as irrefragable evidence of persistent personal existence2 and to overcome this curious and unexpected and perhaps rather artificial difficulty1 it is demanded that facts shall be given which are unknown to anyone present1 and can only subsequently be verified4 ,communications of this occasional and exceptional kind are what are called1 by psychic investigators1 more specifically 'evidential'3 and time and perhaps good fortune may be required for their adequate reception and critical appreciation4 ,for it is manifest that most things readily talked about between two friends1 and easily reproducible in hasty conversation1 will naturally be of a nature common to both1 and on subjects well within each other's knowledge4 ,the more recent development of an elaborate scheme of 'cross-correspondence1' entered upon since the death of specially experienced and critical investigators of the ,s4,p4,r41 who were familiar with all these difficulties1 and who have taken strong and most ingenious means to overcome them1 has made the proof1 already very strong1 now almost crucial4 ,the only alternative1 in the best cases1 is to imagine a sort of supernormal mischievousness1 so elaborately misleading that it would have to be stigmatised as vicious or even diabolical4 ,in most cases complete proof of this complicated and cold-blooded kind is neither forthcoming nor is necessary3 indeed it can hardly be appreciated or understood by non-studious people4 ,effective evidence is in most cases of a different kind1 and varies with the personality concerned4 ,it often happens that little personal touches1 incommunicable to others in their full persuasiveness1 sooner or later break down the last vestiges of legitimate scepticism4 ,what goes on beyond that will depend upon personal training and interest4 ,with many1 anything like scientific inquiry lapses at this point1 and communication resolves itself into emotional and domestic interchange of ordinary ideas4 ,but in a few cases the desire to give new information is awakened2 and when there is sufficient receptivity1 and1 what is very important1 a competent and suitable ,medium for anything beyond commonplace messages1 instructive and general information may be forthcoming4 ,an explanation or description of the methods of communication1 for instance1 as seen from their side2 or some information concerning the manner of life there2 and occasionally even some intelligent attempt to lessen human difficulties about religious conceptions1 and to give larger ideas about the ,universe as a whole1--all these attempts have been made4 ,but they always insist that their information is but little greater than ours1 and that they are still fallible gropers after truth1--of which they keenly feel the beauty and importance1 but of which they realise the infinitude1 and their own inadequacy of mental grasp1 quite as clearly as we do here4 ,these are what we call the 'unverifiable' communications2 for we cannot bring them to book by subsequent terrestrial inquiry in the same way as we can test information concerning personal or mundane affairs4 ,information of the higher kind has often been received1 but has seldom been published2 and it is difficult to know what value to put upon it1 or how far it is really trustworthy4 ,i am inclined to think1 however--with a growing number of serious students of the subject--that the time is getting ripe now for the production and discussion of material of this technically unverifiable kind2 to be scrutinised and tested by internal consistency and inherent probability1 in the same sort of way as travellers' tales have to be scrutinised and tested4 ,but until humanity as a whole has taken the initial step1 and shown itself willing to regard such communications as within the range of possibility1 it may be unwise to venture far in this more ambitious direction4 ,it has nevertheless been suggested1 from a philosophic point of view1 that strict proof of individual survival must in the last resort depend on examination and collation of these 'travellers' tales1' rather than on any kind of resuscitation of the past2 because1 until we know more about memory1 it is possible to conjecture1 as ,i think ,professor ,bergson does1 that all the past is potentially accessible to a super-subliminal faculty for disinterring it4 ,and so one might1 in a sceptical mood1 when confronted with records of apparently personal reminiscence1 attribute them to an unconscious exercise of this faculty1 and say with ,tennyson ,i hear a wind ,of memory murmuring the past4 ,i do not myself regard this impersonal memory as a reasonable hypothesis1 ,i think that the simpler view is likely to be the truer one1 so ,i attach importance to trivial reminiscences and characteristic personal touches2 but ,i do agree that abstention from recording and publishing1 however apologetically1 those other efforts has had the effect of making ill-informed people--i4e4 people with very little personal experience--jump to the conclusion that all communications are of a trivial and contemptible nature4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,on ,,the ,,contention ,,that ,,all ,,psychic ,,communications ,,are ,,of ,a ,,trivial ,,nature ,,and ,,deal ,,with ,,insignificant ,,topics ,that such a contention as that mentioned at the end of the preceding chapter is false is well known to people of experience2 but so long as the demand for verification and proof of identity persists--and it will be long indeed before they can be dispensed with--so long are trifling reminiscences the best way to achieve the desired end4 ,the end in this case amply explains and justifies the means4 ,hence it is that novices and critics are naturally and properly regaled with references to readily remembered and verifiable facts2 and since these facts1 to be useful1 must not be of the nature of public news1 nor anything which can be gleaned from biographical or historical records1 they usually relate to trifling family affairs or other humorous details such as seem likely to stay in the memory4 ,it can freely be admitted that such facts are only redeemed from triviality by the affectionate recollections interlinked with them1 and by the motive which has caused them to be reproduced4 ,for their special purpose they may be admirable2 and there is no sort of triviality about the thing to be proven by them4 ,the idea that a departed friend ought to be occupied wholly and entirely with grave matters1 and ought not to remember jokes and fun1 is a gratuitous claim which has to be abandoned4 ,humour does not cease with earth-life4 ,why should it8 ,it should be evident that communications concerning deeper matters are not similarly serviceable as proof of identity1 though they may have a value and interest of their own2 but it is an interest which could not be legitimately aroused until the first step--the recognition of veridical intercourse--had been taken2 for1 as a rule1 they are essentially unverifiable4 ,of such communications a multitude could be quoted2 and almost at random ,i select a few specimens from the automatic writings of the gentleman and schoolmaster known to a former generation as ,m4,a4,oxon4#ci ,take this one1 which happens to be printed in a current issue of ,light 7#bb ,april #aiaf71 with the statement that it occurs in one of ,m4,a4,oxon4's subliminally written and private notebooks1 under date #ab ,july #ahgc--many others will be found in the selections which he himself extracted from his own script and published in a book called ,spirit ,teachings3-- ,you do not sufficiently grasp the scanty hold that religion has upon the mass of mankind1 nor the adaptability of what we preach to the wants and cravings of men4 ,or perhaps it is necessary that you be reminded of what you cannot see clearly in your present state and among your present associations4 ,you cannot see1 as we see1 the carelessness that has crept over men as to the future4 ,those who have thought over their future have come to know that they can find out nothing about it1 except1 indeed1 that what man pretends to tell is foolish1 contradictory1 and unsatisfying4 ,his reasoning faculties convince him that the ,revelation of ,god contains very plain marks of human origin2 that it will not stand the test of sifting such as is applied to works professedly human2 and that the priestly fiction that reason is no measure of revelation1 and that it must be left on the threshold of inquiry and give place to faith1 is a cunningly planned means of preventing man from discovering the errors and contradictions which throng the pages of the ,bible4 ,those who reason discover this soon2 those who do not1 betake themselves to the refuge of ,faith1 and become blind devotees1 fanatical1 irrational1 and bigoted2 conformed to a groove in which they have been educated and from which they have not broken loose simply because they have not dared to think4 ,it would be hard for man to devise a means more capable of cramping the mind and dwarfing the spirit's growth than this persuading of a man that he must not think about religion4 ,it is one which paralyses all freedom of thought and renders it almost impossible for the soul to rise4 ,the spirit is condemned to a hereditary religion whether suited or not to its wants4 ,that which may have suited a far-off ancestor may be quite unsuited to a struggling soul that lives in other times from those in which such ideas had vitality4 ,the spirit's life is so made a question of birth and of locality4 ,it is a question over which he can exercise no control1 whether he is ,christian1 ,mohammedan1 or1 as ye say1 heathen3 whether his ,god be the ,great ,spirit of the ,red ,indian1 or the fetish of the savage2 whether his prophet be ,christ or ,mahomet or ,confucius2 in short1 whether his notion of religion be that of ,east1 ,west1 ,north1 or ,south2 for in all these quarters men have evolved for themselves a theology which they teach their children to believe4 ,the days are coming when this geographical sectarianism will give place before the enlightenment caused by the spread of our revelation1 for which men are far riper than you think4 ,the time draws nigh apace when the sublime truths of ,spiritualism1 rational and noble as they are when viewed by man's standard1 shall wipe away from the face of ,god's earth the sectarian jealousy and theological bitterness1 the anger and ill-will1 the folly and stupidity1 which have disgraced the name of religion and the worship of ,god2 and man shall see in a clearer light the ,supreme ,creator and the spirit's eternal destiny4 ,we tell you1 friend1 that the end draws nigh2 the night of ignorance is passing fast2 the shackles which priestcraft has strung round the struggling souls shall be knocked off1 and in place of fanatical folly and ignorant speculation and superstitious belief1 ye shall have a reasonable religion and a knowledge of the reality of the spirit-world and of the ministry of angels with you4 ,ye shall know that the dead are alive indeed1 living as they lived on earth1 but more truly1 ministering to you with undiminished love1 animated in their perpetual intercourse with the same affection which they had whilst yet incarned4 ,any one of these serious messages can be criticised and commented upon with hostility and suspicion2 they are not suited to establish the first premise of the argument for continuance of personality2 and if they were put forward as part of the proof of survival1 then perhaps the hostility would be legitimate4 ,it ought to be clear that they are not to be taken as oracular utterances1 or as anything vastly superior to the capabilities of the medium through whom they come1--though in fact they often are superior to any known power of a given medium1 and are frequently characteristic of the departed personality1 as we knew him1 who is purporting to be the ,communicator3 though this remark is not applicable to the particular class of impersonal messages here selected for quotation4 ,yet in all cases they must surely be more or less sophisticated by the channel1 and by the more or less strained method of communication1 and must share some of its limitations and imperfections4 ,however that may be1 it is proper to quote them occasionally1 as here2 not as specially profound utterances1 but merely in contradiction of the imaginary and false thesis that only trivial and insignificant subjects are dealt with in automatic writings and mediumistic utterances4 ,for such utterances--whatever their value or lack of value--are manifestly conclusive against that gratuitous and ignorant supposition4 ,whatever is thought of them1 they are at least conceived in a spirit of earnestness1 and are characterised by a genuine fervour that may be properly called religious4 ,i now quote a few more of the records published in the book cited above1--in this case dealing with ,theological questions and puzzles in the mind of the automatic writer himself3-- ,all your fancied theories about ,god have filtered down to you through human channels2 the embodiments of human cravings after knowledge of ,him2 the creation of minds that were undeveloped1 whose wants were not your wants1 whose ,god1 or rather whose notions about ,god are not yours4 ,you try hard to make the ideas fit in1 but they will not fit1 because they are the product of divers degrees of development4444 ,god6 ,ye know ,him not6 ,one day1 when the ,spirit stands within the veil which shrouds the spirit world from mortal gaze1 you shall wonder at your ignorance of ,him whom you have so foolishly imagined6 ,he is far other than you have pictured ,him4 ,were ,he such as you have pictured ,him1 were ,he such as you think1 ,he would avenge on presumptuous man the insults which he puts on his ,creator4 ,but ,he is other1 far other than man's poor grovelling mind can grasp1 and ,he pities and forgives the ignorance of the blind mortal who paints ,him after a self-imagined pattern4444 ,when you rashly complain of us that our teaching to you controverts that of the ,old ,testament1 we can but answer that it does indeed controvert that old and repulsive view 444 but that it is in fullest accord with that divinely inspired revelation of ,himself which ,he gave through ,jesus ,christ--a revelation which man has done so much to debase1 and from which the best of the followers of ,christ have so grievously fallen away4 ,and again1 in answer to other doubts and questions in the mind of the automatist as to the legitimacy of the means of communication1 and his hesitation about employing a means which he knew was sometimes prostituted by knaves to unworthy and frivolous or even base objects1--very different from those served by humorous and friendly family messages1 about which no one with a spark of human feeling has a word to say when once they have realised their nature and object1--the writing continued thus3-- ,if there be nought in what we say of ,god and of man's after-life that commends itself to you1 it must be that your mind has ceased to love the grander and simpler conceptions which it had once learned to drink in4444 ,cease to be anxious about the minute questions which are of minor moment4 ,dwell much on the great1 the overwhelming necessity for a clearer revealing of the ,supreme2 on the blank and cheerless ignorance of ,god and of us which has crept over the world3 on the noble creed we teach1 on the bright future we reveal4 ,cease to be perplexed by thoughts of an imagined ,devil4 ,for the honest1 pure1 and truthful soul there is no ,devil nor ,prince of ,evil such as theology has feigned4444 ,the clouds of sorrow and anguish of soul may gather round such a man and his spirit may be saddened with the burden of sin--weighed down with consciousness of surrounding misery and guilt1 but no fabled ,devil can gain dominion over him1 or prevail to drag down his soul to hell4 ,all the sadness of spirit1 the acquaintance with grief1 the intermingling with guilt1 is part of the experience1 in virtue of which his soul shall rise hereafter4 ,the guardians are training and fitting it by those means to progress1 and jealously protect it from the dominion of the foe4 ,it is only they who1 by a fondness for evil1 by a lack of spiritual and excess of corporeal development1 attract to themselves the congenial spirits of the undeveloped who have left the body but not forgotten its desires4 ,these alone risk incursion of evil4 ,these by proclivity attract evil1 and it dwells with them at their invitation4 ,they attract the lower spirits who hover nearest ,earth1 and who are but too ready to rush in and mar our plans1 and ruin our work for souls4 ,these are they of whom you speak when you say in haste1 that the result of ,spiritualism is not for good4 ,you err1 friend4 ,blame not us that the lower spirits manifest for those who bid them welcome4 ,blame man's insensate folly1 which will choose the low and grovelling rather than the pure and elevated4 ,blame his foolish laws1 which daily hurry into a life for which they are unprepared1 thousands of spirits1 hampered and dragged down by a life of folly and sin1 which has been fostered by custom and fashion4 ,blame the ginshops1 and the madhouses1 and the prisons1 and the encouraged lusts and fiendish selfishness of man4 ,this it is which damns legions of spirits--not1 as ye fancy1 in a sea of material fire1 but in the flames of perpetuated lust1 condemned to burn itself out in hopeless longing till the purged soul rises through the fire and surmounts its dead passions4 ,yes1 blame these and kindred causes1 if there be around undeveloped intelligences who shock you by their deception1 and annoy you by frivolity and falsehood4 ,i suppose that the worst that can be said about writing of this kind is that it consists of 'sermon-stuffe' such as could have been presumably invented--whether consciously or unconsciously--by the automatic writer himself4 ,and the fact that with some of it he tended to disagree1 proves no more than the corresponding kind of unexpected argumentation experienced by some dreamers4 7,cf4 ,l4 ,p4 ,jacks1 ,hibbert ,journal1 ,july1 #aiaf47 ,the same kind of explanation may serve for both phenomena1 but ,i do not know what that explanation is4 ,footnote #ci3 ,the ,rev4 ,stainton ,moses 7,m4 ,a4 ,oxon7 was one of the masters at ,university ,college ,school in ,london4 ,he wrote automatically1 i4e4 subconsciously1 in private notebooks at a regular short time each day for nearly twenty years1 and felt that he was in touch with helpful and informing intelligences4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,on ,,the ,,manner ,,of ,,communication ,perhaps the commonest and easiest method of communication is what is called 'automatic writing'--the method by which the above examples were received--i4e4 writing performed through the agency of subconscious intelligence2 the writer leaving his or her hand at liberty to write whatever comes1 without attempting to control it1 and without necessarily attending at the time to what is being written4 ,that a novice will usually get nothing1 or mere nonsense or scribbling1 in this way is obvious3 the remarkable thing is that some persons are thus able to get sense1 and to tap sources of information outside their normal range4 ,if a rudiment of such power exists1 it is possible1 though not always desirable1 to cultivate it2 but care1 pertinacity1 and intelligence are needed to utilise a faculty of this kind4 ,unless people are well-balanced and self-critical and wholesomely occupied1 they had better leave the subject alone4 ,in most cases of fully-developed automatism known to me the automatist reads what comes1 and makes suitable oral replies or comments to the sentences as they appear3 so that the whole has then the effect of a straightforward conversation of which one side is spoken and the other written--the speaking side being usually rather silent and reserved1 the writing side free and expansive4 ,naturally not every person has the power of cultivating this simple form of what is technically known as motor automatism1 one of the recognised subliminal forms of activity2 but probably more people could do it if they tried2 though for some people it would be injudicious1 and for many others hardly worth while4 ,the intermediate mentality employed in this process seems to be a usually submerged or dream-like stratum of the automatist whose hand is being used4 ,the hand is probably worked by its usual physiological mechanism1 guided and controlled by nerve centres not in the most conscious and ordinarily employed region of the brain4 ,in some cases the content or subject-matter of the writing may emanate entirely from these nerve centres1 and be of no more value than a dream2 as is frequently the case with the more elementary automatism set in action by the use of instruments known as 'planchette' and 'ouija1' often employed by beginners4 ,but when the message turns out to be of evidential value it is presumably because this subliminal portion of the person is in touch1 either telepathically or in some other way1 with intelligences not ordinarily accessible1--with living people at a distance perhaps1 or more often with the apparently more accessible people who have passed on1 for whom distance in the ordinary sense seems hardly to exist1 and whose links of connexion are of a kind other than spatial4 ,it need hardly be said that proof of communion of this kind is absolutely necessary1 and has to be insisted on2 but experience has demonstrated that now and again sound proof is forthcoming4 ,another method1 and one that turns out to be still more powerful1 is for the automatist not only to take off his or her attention from what is being transmitted through his or her organism1 but to become comprehensively unconscious and go into a trance4 ,in that case it appears that the physiological mechanism is more amenable to control1 and is less sophisticated by the ordinary intelligence of the person to whom it normally belongs2 so that messages of importance and privacy may be got through4 ,but the messages have to be received and attended to by another person2 for in such cases1 when genuine1 the entranced person on waking up is found to be ignorant of what has been either written or uttered4 ,in this state1 speech is as common as writing1 probably more common because less troublesome to the recipient1 i4e4 the friend or relative to whom or for whom messages are being thus sent4 ,the communicating personality during trance may be the same as the one operating the hand without trance1 and the messages may have the same general character as those got by automatic writing1 when the consciousness is not suspended but only in temporary and local abeyance2 but in the trance state a dramatic characterisation is usually imparted to the proceedings1 by the appearance of an entity called a ',control1' who works the body of the automatist in the apparent absence of its customary manager4 ,this personality is believed by some to be merely the subliminal self of the entranced person1 brought to the surface1 or liberated and dramatised into a sort of dream existence1 for the time4 ,by others it is supposed to be a healthy and manageable variety of the more or less pathological phenomenon known to physicians and psychiatrists as cases of dual or multiple personality4 ,by others again it is believed to be in reality the separate intelligence which it claims to be4 ,but however much can be and has been written on this subject1 and whatever different opinions may be held1 it is universally admitted that the dramatic semblance of the control is undoubtedly that of a separate person1--a person asserted to be permanently existing on the other side1 and to be occupied on that side in much the same functions as the medium is on this4 ,the duty of controlling and transmitting messages seems to be laid upon such a one--it is his special work4 ,the dramatic character of most of the controls is so vivid and self-consistent1 that whatever any given sitter or experimenter may feel is the probable truth concerning their real nature1 the simplest way is to humour them by taking them at their face value and treating them as separate and responsible and real individuals4 ,it is true that in the case of some mediums1 especially when overdone or tired1 there are evanescent and absurd obtrusions every now and then1 which cannot be seriously regarded4 ,those have to be eliminated2 and for anyone to treat them as real people would be ludicrous2 but undoubtedly the serious controls show a character and personality and memory of their own1 and they appear to carry on as continuous an existence as anyone else whom one only meets occasionally for conversation4 ,the conversation can be taken up at the point where it left off1 and all that was said appears to be remarkably well remembered by the appropriate control2 while usually memory of it is naturally and properly repudiated by another control1 even when operating through the same medium2 and the entranced medium knows nothing of it afterwards after having completely woke up4 ,so clearly is the personality of the control brought out1 in the best cases1 so clear also are the statements of the communicators that the control who is kindly transmitting their messages is a real person1 that ,i am disposed to accept their assertions1 and to regard a control1 when not a mere mischievous and temporary impersonation1 as akin on their side to the person whom we call a medium on ours4 ,the process of regular communication--apart from the exceptional more direct privilege occasionally vouchsafed to people in extreme sorrow--thus seems to involve normally a double medium of communication1 and the activity of several people4 ,first there is the ',communicator' or originator of ideas and messages on the other side4 ,then there is the 'control' who accepts and transmits the messages by setting into operation a physical organism lent for the occasion4 ,then there is the ',medium' or person whose normal consciousness is in abeyance but whose physiological mechanism is being used4 ,and finally there is the ',sitter'--a rather absurd name--the recipient of the messages1 who reads or hears and answers them1 and for whose benefit all this trouble is taken4 ,in many cases there is also present a ,note-taker to record all that is said1 whether by sitters or by or through the medium2 and it is clear that the note-taker should pay special attention to and carefully record any hints or information either purposely or accidentally imparted by the sitter4 ,in scientific and more elaborately conducted cases there is also some one present who is known as the ,experimenter in charge--a responsible and experienced person who looks after the health and safety of the medium1 who arranges the circumstances and selects the sitters1 making provision for anonymity and other precautions1 and who frequently combines with his other functions the duties of note-taker4 ,in oral or voice sittings the function of the note-taker is more laborious and more responsible than in writing sittings2 for these latter to a great extent supply their own notes4 ,only as the trance-writing is blindfold1 i4e4 done with shut eyes and head averted1 it is rather illegible without practice2 and so the experimenter in charge frequently finds it necessary to assist the sitter1 to whom it is addressed1 by deciphering it and reading it aloud as it comes--rather a tiring process2 at the same time jotting down1 usually on the same paper1 the remarks which the sitter makes in reply1 or the questions from time to time asked4 ,unless this is done the subsequent automatic record lacks a good deal of clearness1 and sometimes lacks intelligibility4 ,for a voice-sitting the note-taker must be a rapid writer1 and if able to employ shorthand has an advantage4 ,sometimes a stenographer is introduced2 but the presence of a stranger1 or of any person not intimately concerned1 is liable to hamper the distinctness and fulness of a message2 and may prevent or retard the occurrence of such emotional episodes as are from time to time almost inevitable in the cases--alas too numerous at present--where the sitter has been recently and violently bereaved4 ,it is perhaps noteworthy--though it may not be interesting or intelligible to a novice--that communicators wishing to give private communications seldom or never object to the presence of the actual 'medium'--i4e4 the one on our side4 ,that person seems to be regarded as absent1 or practically non-existent for a time2 the person whose presence they sometimes resent at first is the 'control1' i4e4 the intelligence on their side who is ready to receive and transmit their message1 somewhat perhaps as an ,eastern scribe is ready to write the love-letters of illiterate persons4 ,as to the presence of a note-taker or third person on our side1 such person is taken note of by the control1 and when anything private or possibly private is mentioned--details of illnesses or such like--that third person is often ordered out of the room4 ,sometimes the experimenter in charge is likewise politely dispensed with1 and under these circumstances the sitting occasionally takes on a poignant character in which note-taking by the deeply affected sitter becomes a practical impossibility4 ,but this experience is comparatively rare2 it must not be expected1 and cannot wisely be forced4 ,another circumstance which makes me think that the more responsible kind of control is a real person1 is that sometimes1 after gained experience1 the ,communicator himself takes control1 and speaks or writes in the first person1 not only as a matter of first-person-reporting1 which frequently occurs1 but really in his own proper person and with many of his old characteristics4 ,so if one control is a real person ,i see no reason against the probability of others being real likewise4 ,i cannot say that the tone of voice or the handwriting is often thus reproduced--though it is1 for a few moments1 by special effort sometimes2 but the unusual physiological mechanism accounts for outstanding or residual differences4 ,apart from that1 the peculiarities1 the attitudes1 the little touches of manner1 are often more or less faithfully reproduced1 although the medium may have known nothing of the person concerned4 ,and the characteristic quality of the message1 and the kind of subjects dealt with1 become still more marked in such cases of actual control1 than when everything has to be transmitted through a kindly stranger control1 to whom things of a recondite or technical character may appear rather as a meaningless collocation of words1 very difficult to remember and reproduce4 ,,note ,,on ,,difficulty ,,of ,,remembering ,,names ,when operating indirectly in the ordinary way through a control and a medium1 it usually appears to be remarkably difficult to get names transmitted4 ,most mediums are able to convey a name only with difficulty4 ,now plainly a name1 especially the proper name of a person1 is a very conventional and meaningless thing3 it has very few links to connect it with other items in memory2 and hence arises the normally well-known difficulty of recalling one4 ,conscious effort made to recover a name seems to inhibit the power of doing so3 the best plan is to leave it1 and let subconsciousness work4 ,an example occurred to me the other day1 when ,i tried to remember the name of a prominent statesman or ex-,prime ,minister whom ,i had met in ,australia4 ,what ,i seemed to recollect was that the name began with ,d1 and ,i made several shots at it1 which ,i recorded4 ,the effort went on at intervals for days1 since ,i thought it would be an instructive experiment4 ,i know now1 a month or two later1 without any effort and without looking it up1 that the name was ,deakin2 but what my shots at it were ,i do not remember4 ,i will have the page in the note-book looked up and reproduced here1 as an example of memory-groping1 at intervals1 during more than one day4 ,here they are3--,d4 ,dering1 ,denman1 ,deeming1 ,derriman1 ,derring1 ,deeley1 ,dempster1 ,denting1 ,desman1 ,deering4 ,now ,i knew the name quite well1 and have known it for long1 and have taken some interest in the gentleman who owns it2 and ,i am known by some members of my family to have done so4 ,hence if ,i had been on 'the other side' and could only get as far as ,d1 it would have seemed rather absurd to anyone whose memory for names is good4 ,but indeed ,i have had times when names very much more familiar to me than that could not on the spur of the moment be recalled--not always even the initial letter2 though1 for some reason or other1 the initial letter is certainly easier than the word4 ,the kind of shots which ,i made at the name before recalling it--which it may seem frivolous to have actually recorded--are reminiscent of the kind of shots which are made by mediums under control when they too are striving after a name2 and it was a perception of this analogy which caused me to jot down my own guesses1 or what1 in the case of a medium1 we should impolitely call 'fishing4' ,i think that the name was certainly in my memory though it would not come through my brain4 ,the effort is like the effort to use a muscle not often or ever used--say the outer ear--one does not know which string to pull1 so to speak1 or1 more accurately1 which nerve to stimulate1 and the result is a peculiarly helpless feeling1 akin to stammering4 ,in the case of a medium1 ,i suppose the name is often in the mind of the communicator1 but it will not come through the control4 ,the control sometimes describes it as being spoken or shown but not clearly caught4 ,the communicator often does not know whether a medium has successfully conveyed it or not4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,various ,,psycho-,,physical ,,methods ,if man1 then1 shall attempt to sound and fathom the depths that lie not without him1 but within1 analogy may surely warn him that the first attempts of his rude psychoscopes to give precision and actuality to thought will grope among 'beggarly elements'--will be concerned with things grotesque1 or trivial1 or obscure4 ,yet here also one handsbreadth of reality gives better footing than all the castles of our dream2 here also by beginning with the least things we shall best learn how great things may remain to do4--,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,m41 ,introduction to ,phantasms of the ,living ,i must not shirk a rather queer subject which yet needs touching upon1 though it bristles with theoretical difficulties2 and that is the rationale of one of the most elementary methods of ultra-normal communication1 a method which many find practically the easiest to begin with4 ,it is possible to get communication of a kind1 not by holding a pencil in the fingers1 but by placing the hand on a larger piece of wood not at all adapted for writing with4 ,the movements are then coarser1 and the code more elementary2 but in principle1 when the procedure is analysed1 it is seen not to be essentially different4 ,it may be more akin to semaphore-arm signalling or flag-wagging2 but any device whereby mental activity can translate itself into movements of matter will serve for subliminal as well as for conscious action2 and messages by tilting of a table1 though crude and elementary1 are not really so surprising or absurd as at first sight they seem4 ,the tilts of a telegraphic operator's key are still more restricted2 but they serve4 ,a pen or pencil is an inanimate piece of matter guided by the fingers4 ,a planchette is a mere piece of wood1 and when touched it must be presumed to be guided by the muscles1--though there is often an illusion1 as with the twig of the dowser1 that the inanimate object is moved directly1 and not by muscular intervention4 ,so also we may assume that a table or other piece of furniture is tilted or moved by regular muscular force3 certainly it can only move at the expense of the energy of the medium or of people present4 ,and yet in all these cases the substance of the message may be foreign to the mind of anyone touching the instrument1 and the guidance necessary for sense and relevance need not be exercised by their own consciousness4 ,when a table or similar rough instrument is employed1 the ostensible communicators say that they feel more directly in touch with the sitters than when they operate through an intermediary or 'control' on their side1--as they appear to find it necessary to do for actual speech or writing1--and accordingly they find themselves able to give more private messages1 and also to reproduce names and technicalities with greater facility and precision4 ,the process of spelling out words in this way is a slow one1 much slower than writing1 and therefore the method labours under disadvantages1 but it seems to possess advantages which to some extent counterbalance them4 ,whether it sounds credible or not1 and it is certainly surprising1 ,i must testify that when a thing of any mobility is controlled in this more direct way1 it is able to convey touches of emotion and phases of intonation1 so to speak1 in a most successful manner4 ,a telegraph key could hardly do it1 its range of movement is too restricted1 it operates only in a discontinuous manner1 by make and break2 but a light table1 under these conditions1 seems no longer inert1 it behaves as if animated4 ,for the time it is animated--somewhat perhaps as a violin or piano is animated by a skilled musician and schooled to his will1--and the dramatic action thus attained is very remarkable4 ,it can exhibit hesitation1 it can exhibit certainty2 it can seek for information1 it can convey it2 it can apparently ponder before giving a reply2 it can welcome a new-comer2 it can indicate joy or sorrow1 fun or gravity2 it can keep time with a song as if joining in the chorus2 and1 most notable of all1 it can exhibit affection in an unmistakable manner4 ,the hand of a writing medium can do these things too2 and that the whole body of a normal person can display these emotions is a commonplace4 ,yet they are all pieces of matter1 though some are more permanently animated than others4 ,but all are animated temporarily1--not one of them permanently1--and there appears to be no sharp line of demarcation4 ,what we have to realise is that matter in any form is able to act as agent to the soul1 and that by aid of matter various emotions as well as intelligence can be temporarily incarnated and displayed4 ,the extraction of elementary music from all manner of unlikely objects--kitchen utensils1 for instance--is a known stage-performance4 ,the utilisation of unlikely objects for purposes of communication1 though it would not have been expected1 may have to be included in the same general category4 ,with things made for the purpose1 from a violin to the puppets of a marionette show1 we know that simple human passions can be shown and can be roused4 ,with things made for quiet other purposes it turns out that the same sort of possibility exists4 ,table-tilting is an old and despised form of amusement1 known to many families and often wisely discarded2 but with care and sobriety and seriousness even this can be used as a means of communication2 and the amount of mediumistic power necessary for this elementary form of psychic activity appears to be distinctly less than would be required for more elaborate methods4 ,one thing it is necessary clearly to realise and admit1 namely that in all cases when an object is moved by direct contact of an operator's body1 whether the instrument be a pencil or a piece of wood1 unconscious muscular guidance must be allowed for2 and anything that comes through of a kind known to or suspected by the operator must be discounted4 ,sometimes1 however1 the message comes in an unexpected and for the moment puzzling form1 and sometimes it conveys information unknown to him4 ,it is by the content of the communication that its supernormal value must be estimated4 ,there are many obvious disadvantages about a ,table ,sitting1 especially in the slowness of the communications and in the fact that the sitter has to do most of the talking2 whereas when some personality is controlling a medium1 the sitters need say very little4 ,but1 as said above1 there are some communicators who object to a control's presence1 especially if they have anything private to say2 and these often prefer the table because it seems to bring them more directly into contact with the sitter1 without an intermediary4 ,they seem to ignore the presence of the medium on our side1 notwithstanding the fact that1 at a table sitting1 she is present in her own consciousness and is aware of what goes on2 they appear to be satisfied with having dispensed with the medium on their side4 ,moreover1 it is in some cases found that information can be conveyed in a briefer and more direct manner1 not having to be wrapped up in roundabout phrases1 that names can be given more easily1 and direct questions answered better1 through the table than through a control4 ,it must be remembered that under control every medium has some peculiarities4 ,mrs4 ,leonard1 for instance1 is a very straightforward and honest medium1 but not a particularly strong one4 ,accordingly anything like conversation and free interchange of ideas is hardly possible1 and direct questions seldom receive direct answers1 when put to the communicator through ,feda4 ,i have known mediums much more powerful in this respect1 so that free conversation with one or two specially skilled communicators was quite possible1 and interchange of ideas almost as easy as when the communicator was in the flesh4 ,but instances of that kind are hardly to be expected among hard-worked professional mediums4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i shall not in this volume touch upon still more puzzling and still more directly and peculiarly physical phenomena1 such as are spoken of as 'direct voice1' 'direct writing1' and 'materialisation4' ,in these strange and1 from one point of view1 more advanced occurrences1 though lower in another sense1 inert matter appears to be operated on without the direct intervention of physiological mechanism4 ,and yet such mechanism must be in the neighbourhood4 ,i am inclined to think that these weird phenomena1 when established1 will be found to shade off into those other methods that ,i have been speaking of1 and that no complete theory of either can be given until more is known about both4 ,this is one of the facts which causes me to be undogmatic about the certainty that all movements1 even under contact1 are initiated in the muscles4 ,i only here hold up a warning against premature decision4 ,the whole subject of psycho-physical interaction and activity requires attention in due time and place2 but the ground is now more treacherous1 the pitfalls more numerous1 and the territory to many minds comparatively unattractive4 ,let it wait until long-range artillery has beaten down some of the entanglements1 before organised forces are summoned to advance4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,attitude ,,of ,,the ,,wise ,,and ,,prudent ,the vagueness and confusion inevitable at the beginning of a novel line of research1 are naturally distasteful to the savant accustomed to proceed by measurable increments of knowledge from experimental bases already assured4 ,such an one1 if he reads this book1 may feel as though he had been called away from an ordnance survey1 conducted with a competent staff and familiar instruments1 to plough slowly with inexperienced mariners through some strange ocean where beds of entangling seaweed cumber the trackless way4 ,we accept the analogy2 but we would remind him that even floating weeds of novel genera may foreshow a land unknown2 and that it was not without ultimate gain to men that the straining keels of ,columbus first pressed through the ,sargasso ,sea4--,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,m41 ,introduction to ,phantasms of the ,living ,it is rather remarkable that the majority of learned men have closed their minds to what have seemed bare and simple facts to many people4 ,those who call themselves spiritualists have an easy and simple faith2 they interpret their experiences in the most straightforward and unsophisticated manner1 and some of them have shown unfortunately that they can be led into credulity and error1 without much difficulty1 by unscrupulous people4 ,nevertheless1 that simple-hearted folk are most accessible to new facts seems to be rather accordant with history4 ,whenever1 not by reasoning but by direct experience1 knowledge has been enlarged1 or when a revelation has come to the human race through the agency of higher powers1 it is not the wise but the simple who are first to receive it4 ,this cannot be used as an argument either way2 the simple may be mistaken1 and may too blithely interpret their sense-impressions in the most obvious manner2 just as on the other hand the eyes of the learned may be closed to anything which appears disconnected from their previous knowledge4 ,for after all it is inevitable that any really new order of things must be so disconnected2 some little time must elapse before the weight of facts impel the learned in a new direction1 and meanwhile the unlearned may be absorbing direct experience1 and in their own fashion may be forging ahead4 ,it is an example of the ancient paradox propounded in and about #a ,cor4 i4 #bf2 and no fault need be found with what is natural4 ,it behoves me to mention in particular the attitude of men of science1 of whom ,i may say quorum pars parva fui2 for in no way do ,i wish to dissociate myself from either such stricture or such praise as may be appropriate to men who have made a study of science their vocation1--not indeed the peaks of the race1 but the general body4 ,for it is safe to assume that we must have some qualities in common1 and that these must be among the causes which have switched us on to a laborious and materially unremunerative road4 ,michael ,foster said in his ,presidential ,address to the ,british ,association at ,dover3-- ,men of science have no peculiar virtues1 no special powers4 ,they are ordinary men1 their characters are common1 even commonplace4 ,science1 as ,huxley said1 is organised common sense1 and men of science are common men1 drilled in the ways of common sense4 ,this of course1 like any aphorism1 does not bear pressing unduly3 and ,dr4 ,arthur ,schuster in a similar ,address at ,manchester hedged it round with qualifying clauses3-- ,this saying of ,huxley's has been repeated so often that one almost wishes it were true2 but unfortunately ,i cannot find a definition of common sense that fits the phrase4 ,sometimes the word is used as if it were identical with uncommon sense1 sometimes as if it were the same thing as common nonsense4 ,often it means untrained intelligence1 and in its best aspect it is1 ,i think1 that faculty which recognises that the obvious solution of a problem is frequently the right one4 ,when1 for instance1 ,i see during a total solar eclipse red flames shooting out from the edge of the sun1 the obvious explanation is that these are real phenomena1 caused by masses of glowing vapours ejected from the sun4 ,and when a learned friend tells me that all this is an optical illusion due to anomalous refraction1 ,i object on the ground that the explanation violates my common sense4 ,he replies by giving me the reasons which have led him to his conclusions2 and though ,i still believe that ,i am right1 ,i have to meet him with a more substantial reply than an appeal to my own convictions4 ,against a solid argument common sense has no power1 and must remain a useful but fallible guide which both leads and misleads all classes of the community alike4 ,the sound moral of this is1 not that a common-sense explanation is likely to be the right one1 or that it necessarily has any merits if there are sound reasons to oppose to it1 but that the common sense or most obvious and superficial explanation may turn out to be after all truer as well as simpler than more recondite hypotheses which have been substituted for it4 ,in other words--the straightforward explanation need not be false4 ,now the phenomena encountered in psychical research have long ago suggested an explanation1 in terms of other than living human intelligences1 which may be properly called spiritistic4 ,every kind of alternative explanation1 including the almost equally unorthodox one of telepathy from living people1 has been tried3 and these attempts have been necessary and perfectly legitimate4 ,if they had succeeded1 well and good2 but inasmuch as in my judgment there are phenomena which they cannot explain1 and inasmuch as some form of spiritistic hypothesis1 given certain postulates1 explains practically all1 ,i have found myself driven back on what ,i may call the common-sense explanation2 or1 to adopt ,dr4 ,schuster's parable1 ,i consider that the red flames round the sun are what they appear to be4 ,to attribute capricious mechanical performance to the action of live things1 is sufficient as a proximate explanation2 as we saw in the case of the jumping bean1 ,chapter ,i4 ,if the existence of the live thing is otherwise unknown1 the explanation may seem forced and unsatisfactory4 ,but if after trying other hypotheses we find that this only will fit the case1 we may return to it after all with a clear conscience4 ,that represents the history of my own progress in ,psychical ,research4 ,,apologia ,meanwhile the attitude of scientific men is perfectly intelligible2 and not unreasonable1 except when they forget their self-imposed limitations and cultivate a baseless negative philosophy4 ,people who study mechanism of course find ,mechanics1 and if the mechanism is physiological they find ,physics and ,chemistry as well2 but they are not thereby compelled to deny the existence of everything else4 ,they need not philosophise at all1 though they should be able to realise their philosophical position when it is pointed out4 ,the business of science is to trace out the mode of action of the laws of ,chemistry and ,physics1 everywhere and under all circumstances4 ,those laws appear to be of universal application throughout the material ,universe1--in the most distant star as well as on the earth1--in the animal organism as well as in inorganic matter2 and the study of their action alone has proved an ample task4 ,but scientific workers are sometimes thought to be philosophising seriously when they should be understood as really only expressing the natural scope of their special subject4 ,laplace1 for instance1 is often misunderstood1 because1 when challenged about the place of ,god in his system1 he said that he had no need of such a hypothesis1--a dictum often quoted as if it were atheistical4 ,it is not necessarily anything of the kind4 ,as a brief statement it is right1 though rather unconciliatory and blunt4 ,he was trying to explain astronomy on clear and definite mechanical principles1 and the introduction of a finger of ,god would have been not only an unwarrantable complication but a senseless intrusion4 ,not an intrusion or a complication in the ,universe1 be it understood1 but in ,laplace's scheme1 his ,systme du ,monde4 ,yet ,browning's flash of the will that can in ,abt ,vogler1 with all that the context implies1 remains essentially and permanently true4 ,theologians who admit that the ,deity always works through agents and rational means can grant to scientific workers all that they legitimately claim in the positive direction1 and can encourage them in the detailed study of those agents and means4 ,if people knew more about science1 and the atmosphere in which scientific men work1 they would be better able to interpret occasional rather rash negations2 which are quite explicable in terms of the artificial limitation of range which physical science hitherto has wisely laid down for itself4 ,it is a true instinct which resents the medival practice of freely introducing occult and unknown causes into working science4 ,to attribute the rise of sap1 for instance1 to a 'vital force' would be absurd1 it would be giving up the problem and stating nothing at all4 ,progress in science began when spiritual and transcendental causes were eliminated and treated as non-existent4 ,the simplicity so attained was congenial to the scientific type of mind2 the abstraction was eminently useful1 and was justified by results4 ,yet unknown causes of an immaterial and even of a spiritual kind may in reality exist1 and may influence or produce phenomena1 for all that2 and it may have to be the business of science to discover and begin to attend to them1 as soon as the ordinary solid ground-plan of ,nature has been made sufficiently secure4 ,some of us--whether wisely or unwisely--now want to enlarge the recognised scope of physical science1 so as gradually to take a wider purview and include more of the totality of things4 ,that is what the ,society for ,psychical ,research was established for1--to begin extending the range of scientific law and order1 by patient exploration in a comparatively new region4 ,the effort has been resented1 and at first ridiculed1 only because misunderstood4 ,the effort may be ambitious1 but it is perfectly legitimate2 and if it fails it fails4 ,but advance in new directions may be wisely slow1 and it is readily admissible that ,societies devoted to long-established branches of science are right to resist extraneous novelties1 as long as possible1 and leave the study of occult phenomena to a ,society established for the purpose4 ,outlandish territories may in time be incorporated as ,states1 but they must make their claim good and become civilised first4 ,yet unfamiliar causes must be introduced occasionally into systematised knowledge1 unless our scrutiny of the ,universe is already exhaustive4 ,unpalatable facts can be ruled out from attention1 but they cannot without investigation be denied4 ,strange facts do really happen1 even though unprovided for in our sciences4 ,amid their orthodox relations1 they may be regarded as a nuisance4 ,the feeling they cause is as if capricious or mischievous live things had been allowed to intrude into the determinate apparatus of a physical laboratory1 thereby introducing hopeless complexity and appearing superficially to interfere with established laws4 ,to avoid such alien incursion a laboratory can be locked1 but the ,universe can not4 ,and if ever1 under any circumstances1 we actually do encounter the interaction of intelligences other than that of living men1 we shall sooner or later become aware of the fact1 and shall ultimately have to admit it into a more comprehensive scheme of existence4 ,early attempts1 like those of the present1 must be unsatisfactory and crude2 especially as the evidence is of a kind to which scientific men for the most part are unaccustomed2 so no wonder they are resentful4 ,still the evidence is there1 and ,i for one cannot ignore it4 ,members of the ,society for ,psychical ,research are aware that the evidence already published--the carefully edited and sifted evidence published by their own organisation--occupies some forty volumes of ,journal and ,proceedings2 and some of them know that a great deal more evidence exists than has been published1 and that some of the best evidence is not likely to be published1--not yet at any rate4 ,it stands to reason that1 at the present stage1 the best evidence must often be of a very private and family character4 ,many1 however1 are the persons who are acquainted with facts in their own experience which appeal to them more strongly than anything that has ever been published4 ,no records can surpass first-hand direct experience in cogency4 ,nevertheless we are also aware1 or ought to be1 that no one crucial episode can ever be brought forward as deciding such a matter4 ,that is not the way in which things of importance are proven4 ,evidence is cumulative1 it is on the strength of a mass of experience that an induction is ultimately made1 and a conclusion provisionally arrived at2 though sometimes it happens that a single exceptionally strong instance1 or series of instances1 may clinch it for some individual4 ,but indeed the evidence1 in one form and another1 has been crudely before the human race from remote antiquity2 only it has been treated in ways more or less obfuscated by superstition4 ,the same sort of occurrences as were known to ,virgil1 and to many another seer--the same sort of experiences as are found by folk-lore students1 not only in history but in every part of the earth to-day--are happening now in a scientific age1 and sometimes under scientific scrutiny4 ,hence it is that from the scientific point of view progress is at length being made2 and any one with a real desire to know the truth need not lack evidence1 if he will first read the records with an open mind1 and then bide his time and be patient till an opportunity for first-hand critical observation is vouchsafed him4 ,the opportunity may occur at any time3 the readiness is all4 ,really clinching evidence in such a case is never in the past2 a prima facie case for investigation is established by the records1 but real conviction must be attained by first-hand experience in the present4 ,the things to be investigated are either true or false4 ,if false1 pertinacious inquiry will reveal their falsity4 ,if true1 they are profoundly important4 ,for there are no half-truths in ,nature2 every smallest new departure has portentous consequences2 our eyes must open slowly1 or we should be overwhelmed4 ,i once likened the feeling of physical investigators in the year #ahhi to that of a boy who had long been strumming on the keyboard of a deserted organ into which an unseen power had begun to blow a vivifying breath4#dj ,that was at the beginning of the series of revolutionary discoveries about radiation and the nature of matter which have since resounded through the world4 ,and now once more the touch of a finger elicits a responsive note1 and again the boy hesitates1 half delighted1 half affrighted1 at the chords which it would seem he can now summon forth almost at will4 ,footnote #dj3 ,modern ,views of ,electricity1 p4 #djh of third and current edition4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,outlook ,,on ,,the ,,universe ,what then is the conclusion of the whole matter8 ,or rather1 what effect have these investigations had upon my own outlook on the ,universe8 ,the question is not so unimportant as it seems2 because if the facts are to influence others they must have influenced myself too2 and that is the only influence of which ,i have first-hand knowledge4 ,it must not be supposed that my outlook has changed appreciably since the event and the particular experiences related in the foregoing pages3 my conclusion has been gradually forming itself for years1 though undoubtedly it is based on experience of the same sort of thing4 ,but this event has strengthened and liberated my testimony4 ,it can now be associated with a private experience of my own1 instead of with the private experiences of others4 ,so long as one was dependent on evidence connected1 even indirectly connected1 with the bereavement of others1 one had to be reticent and cautious and in some cases silent4 ,only by special permission could any portion of the facts be reproduced2 and that permission might in important cases be withheld4 ,my own deductions were the same then as they are now1 but the facts are now my own4 ,one little point of difference1 between the time before and the time after1 has however become manifest4 ,in the old days1 if ,i sat with a medium1 ,i was never told of any serious imaginary bereavement which had befallen myself--beyond the natural and inevitable losses from an older generation which fall to the lot of every son of man4 ,but now1 if ,i or any member of my family goes anonymously to a genuine medium1 giving not the slightest normal clue1 my son is quickly to the fore and continues his clear and convincing series of evidences2 sometimes giving testimony of a critically selected kind1 sometimes contenting himself with friendly family chaff and reminiscences1 but always acting in a manner consistent with his personality and memories and varying moods4 ,if in any case a given medium had weak power1 or if there were special difficulties encountered on a given occasion1 he is aware of the fact2 and he refers to it1 when there is opportunity1 through another totally disconnected medium 7cf4 ,chapter ,,xxi1 ,part ,,ii74 ,in every way he has shown himself anxious to give convincing evidence4 ,moreover1 he wants me to speak out2 and ,i shall4 ,i am as convinced of continued existence1 on the other side of death1 as ,i am of existence here4 ,it may be said1 you cannot be as sure as you are of sensory experience4 ,i say ,i can4 ,a physicist is never limited to direct sensory impressions1 he has to deal with a multitude of conceptions and things for which he has no physical organ3 the dynamical theory of heat1 for instance1 and of gases1 the theories of electricity1 of magnetism1 of chemical affinity1 of cohesion1 aye and his apprehension of the ,ether itself1 lead him into regions where sight and hearing and touch are impotent as direct witnesses1 where they are no longer efficient guides4 ,in such regions everything has to be interpreted in terms of the insensible1 the apparently unsubstantial1 and in a definite sense the imaginary4 ,yet these regions of knowledge are as clear and vivid to him as are any of those encountered in everyday occupations2 indeed most commonplace phenomena themselves require interpretation in terms of ideas more subtle1--the apparent solidity of matter itself demands explanation1--and the underlying non-material entities of a physicist's conception become gradually as real and substantial as anything he knows4 ,as ,lord ,kelvin used to say1 when in a paradoxical mood1 we really know more about electricity than we know about matter4 ,that being so1 ,i shall go further and say that ,i am reasonably convinced of the existence of grades of being1 not only lower in the scale than man but higher also1 grades of every order of magnitude from zero to infinity4 ,and ,i know by experience that among these beings are some who care for and help and guide humanity1 not disdaining to enter even into what must seem petty details1 if by so doing they can assist souls striving on their upward course4 ,and further it is my faith--however humbly it may be held--that among these lofty beings1 highest of those who concern themselves directly with this earth of all the myriads of worlds in infinite space1 is ,one on whom the right instinct of ,christianity has always lavished heartfelt reverence and devotion4 ,those who think that the day of that ,messiah is over are strangely mistaken3 it has hardly begun4 ,in individual souls ,christianity has flourished and borne fruit1 but for the ills of the world itself it is an almost untried panacea4 ,it will be strange if this ghastly war fosters and simplifies and improves a knowledge of ,christ1 and aids a perception of the ineffable beauty of his life and teaching3 yet stranger things have happened2 and1 whatever the ,churches may do1 ,i believe that the call of ,christ himself will be heard and attended to1 by a large part of humanity in the near future1 as never yet it has been heard or attended to on earth4 ,my own time down here is getting short2 it matters little3 but ,i dare not go till ,i have borne this testimony to the grace and truth which emanate from that divine ,being1--the realisation of whose tender-hearted simplicity and love for man may have been overlaid at times and almost lost amid well-intentioned but inappropriate dogma1 but who is accessible as always to the humble and meek4 ,intercommunion between the states or grades of existence is not limited to messages from friends and relatives1 or to conversation with personalities of our own order of magnitude1--that is only a small and verifiable portion of the whole truth1--intercourse between the states carries with it occasional1 and sometimes unconscious1 communion with lofty souls who have gone before4 ,the truth of such continued influence corresponds with the highest of the ,revelations vouchsafed to humanity4 ,this truth1 when assimilated by man1 means an assurance of the reality of prayer1 and a certainty of gracious sympathy and fellowfeeling from one who never despised the suffering1 the sinful1 or the lowly2 yea1 it means more--it means nothing less than the possibility some day of a glance or a word of approval from the ,eternal ,christ4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,the ,,christian ,,idea ,,of ,,god ,a ,,plea ,,for ,,simplicity#da ,investigation is laborious and unexciting2 it takes years1 and progress is slow2 but in all regions of knowledge it is the method which in the long-run has led towards truth2 it is the method by which what we feel to be solid and substantial progress has always been made4 ,in many departments of human knowledge this fact is admitted--though men of science have had to fight hard for their method before getting it generally recognised4 ,in some departments it is still contested1 and the arguments of ,bacon in favour of free experimental inquiry are applicable to those subjects which are claimed as superior to scientific test4 ,if it be objected that not by such means is truth in religious matters ascertained1 if it be held that we must walk by faith1 not by sight1 and that never by searching will man find out any of the secrets of ,god1 ,i do not care to contest the objection1 though ,i disagree with its negative portion4 ,that no amount of searching will ever enable us to find out the ,almighty to perfection is manifestly true2 that secrets may be revealed to inspired 'babes' which are hidden from the wise and prudent is likewise certain2 but that no secret things of ,god can be brought to light by patient examination and inquiry into facts is false1 for you cannot parcel out truth into that which is divine and that which is not divine2 the truths of science were as much ,god's secrets as any other1 and they have yielded up their mystery to precisely the process which is called in question4 ,we are part of the ,universe1 our senses have been evolved in and by it2 it follows that they are harmonious with it1 and that the way it appeals to our senses is a true way2 though their obvious limitation entitles us to expect from time to time fresh discoveries of surprising and fundamental novelty1 and a growing perception of tracts beyond our ancient ken4 ,some critics there are1 however1 who1 calling themselves scientific1 have made up their minds in a negative direction and a contrary sense4 ,these are impressed not only with the genuineness of the truth afforded us through our senses and perceptions1 but with its completeness2 they appear to think that the main lines of research have already been mapped out or laid down1 they will not believe that regions other than those to which they are accustomed can be open to scientific exploration2 especially they imagine that in the so-called religious domain there can be no guides except preconception and prejudice4 ,accordingly1 they appear to disbelieve that anyone can be conscientiously taking trouble to grope his way by patient inquiry1 with the aid of such clues as are available2 and in order to contradict the results of such inquiry they fall into the habit of doing that of which they accuse the workers1--they appeal to sentiment and presumption4 ,they talk freely about what they believe1 what they think unlikely1 and what is impossible4 ,they are governed by prejudice2 their minds are made up4 ,doubtless they regard knowledge on certain topics as inaccessible1 so they are positive and selfsatisfied and opinionated and quite sure4 ,they pride themselves on their hard-headed scepticism and robust common sense2 while the truth is that they have bound themselves into a narrow cell by walls of sentiment1 and have thus excluded whole regions of human experience from their purview4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it so happens that ,i have been engaged for over forty years in mathematical and physical science1 and for more than half that period in exploration into unusual psychical development1 as opportunity arose2 and ,i have thus been led to certain tentative conclusions respecting permissible ways of regarding the universe4 ,first1 ,i have learned to regard the universe as a concrete and full-bodied reality1 with parts accessible and intelligible to us1 all of it capable of being understood and investigated by the human mind1 not as an abstraction or dream-like entity whose appearances are deceptive4 ,our senses do not deceive us2 their testimony is true as far as it goes4 ,i have learned to believe in ,intelligibility4 ,next1 that everything1 every single thing1 has many aspects4 ,even such a thing as water1 for instance4 ,water1 regarded by the chemist1 is an assemblage or aggregate of complex molecules2 regarded by the meteorologist and physiographer1 it is an element of singular and vitally important properties2 every poet has treated of some aspect of beauty exhibited by this common substance2 while to the citizen it is an ordinary need of daily life4 ,all the aspects together do not exhaust the subject1 but each of them is real4 ,the properties of matter of which our senses tell us1 or enable us to inquire into in laboratories1 are true properties1 real and true4 ,they are not the whole truth1 a great deal more is known about them by men of science1 but the more complex truths do not make the simpler ones false4 ,moreover1 we must admit that the whole truth about the simplest thing is assuredly beyond us2 the ,thing-in-itself is related to the whole universe1 and in its fulness is incomprehensible4 ,furthermore1 ,i have learned that while positive assertions on any given subject are often true1 error creeps in when simple aspects are denied in order to emphasise the more complex1 or vice versa4 ,a trigonometrical sine1 for instance1 may be expressed in terms of imaginary exponentials in a way familiar to all mathematical students2 also as an infinite series of fractions with increasing factorials in the denominators2 also in a number of other true and legitimate and useful ways2 but the simple geometrical definition1 by aid of the chord of a circle or the string of a bow1 survives them all1 and is true too4 ,so it is1 ,i venture to say1 with the concept ,god4 ,it can be regarded from some absolute and transcendental standpoint which humanity can only pretend to attain to4 ,it can be regarded as the highest and best idea which the human mind has as yet been able to form4 ,it can be regarded as dominating and including all existence1 and as synonymous with all existence when that is made sufficiently comprehensive4 ,all these views are legitimate1 but they are not final or complete4 ,god can also be represented by some of the attributes of humanity1 and can be depicted as a powerful and loving ,friend with whom our spirits may commune at every hour of the day1 one whose patience and wisdom and long-suffering and beneficence are never exhausted4 ,he can1 in fact1 be regarded as displayed to us1 in such fashion as we can make use of1 in the person of an incarnate ,being who came for the express purpose of revealing to man such attributes of deity as would otherwise have been missed4 ,the images are not mutually exclusive1 they may all be in some sort true4 ,none of them is complete4 ,they are all aspects--partly true and partly false as conceived by any individual1 but capable of being expressed so as to be1 as far as they go1 true4 ,undoubtedly the ,christian idea of ,god is the simple one4 ,overpoweringly and appallingly simple is the notion presented to us by the orthodox ,christian ,churches3-- ,a babe born of poor parents1 born in a stable among cattle because there was no room for them in the village inn--no room for them in the inn--what a master touch6 ,revealed to shepherds4 ,religious people inattentive4 ,royalty ignorant1 or bent on massacre4 ,a glimmering perception1 according to one noble legend1 attained in the ,far ,east--where also similar occurrences have been narrated4 ,then the child growing into a peasant youth1 brought up to a trade4 ,at length a few years of itinerant preaching2 flashes of miraculous power and insight4 ,and then a swift end3 set upon by the religious people2 his followers overawed and scattered1 himself tried as a blasphemer1 flogged1 and finally tortured to death4 ,simplicity most thorough and most strange6 ,in itself it is not unique2 such occurrences seem inevitable to highest humanity in an unregenerate world2 but who1 without inspiration1 would see in them a revelation of the nature of ,god8 ,the life of ,buddha1 the life of ,joan of ,arc1 are not thus regarded4 ,yet the ,christian revelation is clear enough and true enough if our eyes are open1 and if we care to read and accept the simple record which1 whatever its historical value1 is all that has been handed down to us4 ,critics often object that there have been other attempted ,messiahs1 that the ancient world was expectant of a ,divine ,incarnation4 ,true enough4 ,but what then8 ,we need not be afraid of an idea because it has several times striven to make itself appreciated4 ,it is foolish to decline a revelation because it has been more than once offered to humanity4 ,every great revelation is likely to have been foreshadowed in more or less imperfect forms1 so as to prepare our minds and make ready the way for complete perception hereafter4 ,it is probable that the human race is quite incompetent to receive a really great idea the first time it is offered4 ,there must be many failures to effect an entrance before the final success1 many struggles to overcome natural obstacles and submerge the stony products of human stolidity4 ,lapse of time for preparation is required before anything great can be permanently accomplished1 and repeated attempts are necessary2 but the tide of general progress is rising all the time4 ,the idea is well expressed in ,clough's familiar lines3-- ,for while the tired waves1 vainly breaking1 ,seem here no painful inch to gain1 ,far back1 through creeks and inlets making1 ,comes silent1 flooding in1 the main4 ,so it was with the idea of the ,messiah which was abroad in the land1 and had been for centuries1 before ,christ's coming2 and never has he been really recognised by more than a few4 ,dare we not say that he is more truly recognised now than in any previous age in the history of the ,church--except perhaps the very earliest8 ,and ,i doubt if we need make that exception4 ,the idea of his ,messiahship gradually dawned upon him1 and he made no mistake as to his mission3-- ,the word which ye hear is not mine1 but the ,father's who sent me4 ,as the ,father gave me commandment1 even so ,i do4 ,the words which ,i say unto you ,i speak not of myself2 the ,father which dwelleth in me1 he doeth the works4 ,the ,father is greater than ,i4 ,but1 for all that1 ,he that hath seen me hath seen the ,father4 ,yes1 truly1 ,christ was a planetary manifestation of ,deity1 a revelation to the human race1 the highest and simplest it has yet had2 a revelation in the only form accessible to man1 a revelation in the full-bodied form of humanity4 ,little conception had they in those days of the whole universe as we know it now4 ,the earth was the whole world to them1 and that which revealed ,god to the earth was naturally regarded as the whole ,cosmic ,deity4 ,yet it was a truly divine ,incarnation4 ,a deity of some kind is common to every branch of the human race4 ,it seems to be possessed by every savage1 overawed as he necessarily is by the forces of nature4 ,caprice1 jealousy1 openness to flattery and rewards1 are likewise parts of early theology4 ,then in the gods of ,olympus--that poetic conception which rose to such heights and fell to such depths at different epochs in the ancient world--the attributes of power and beauty were specially emphasised4 ,power is common to all deities1 and favouritism in its use seems also a natural supposition to early tribes2 but the element of ,beauty1 as a divine attribute1 we in these islands1 save for the poets1 have largely lost or forgotten--to our great detriment4 ,in ,jehovah1 however1 the ,hebrew race rose to a conception of divine ,righteousness which we have assimilated and permanently retained2 and upon that foundation ,christianity was grafted4 ,it was to a race who had risen thus far--a race with a genius for theology--that the ,christian revelation came4 ,it was rendered possible1 though only just possible1 by the stage attained4 ,simple and unknown folk were ready to receive it1 or1 at least1 were willing to take the first steps to learn4 ,the power1 the righteousness1 and other worthy attributes belonging to ,jehovah1 were known of old4 ,the ,christian conception takes them for granted1 and concentrates attention on the pity1 the love1 the friendliness1 the compassion1 the earnest desire to help mankind--attributes which1 though now and again dimly discerned by one or another of the great seers of old1 had not yet been thrown into concrete form4 99 99 99 99 99 ,people sometimes seek to deny such attributes as are connoted by the word ',personality' in the ,godhead--they say it is a human conception4 ,certainly it is a human conception2 it is through humanity that it has been revealed4 ,why seek to deny it8 ,god transcends personality1 objectors say4 ,by all means3 transcends all our conceptions infinitely1 transcends every revelation which has ever been vouchsafed2 but the revelations are true as far as they go1 for all that4 ,let us not befog ourselves by attempting impossible conceptions to such an extent that we lose the simple and manifest reality4 ,no conception that we can make is too high1 too good1 too worthy4 ,it is easy to imagine ourselves mistaken1 but never because ideas are too high or too good4 ,it were preposterous to imagine an over-lofty conception in a creature4 ,reality is always found to exceed our clear conception of it2 never once in science has it permanently fallen short4 ,no conception is too great or too high4 ,but also no devout conception is too simple1 too lowly1 too childlike to have an element--some grain--of vital truth stored away1 a mustard seed ready to germinate and bud1 a leaven which may permeate the whole mass4 ,i would apply all this to what for brevity may be called ,human ,immortality4 ,it is possible to think of that rather simply2 and1 on the other hand1 it is possible to confuse ourselves with tortuous thoughts till it seems unreal and impossible4 ,it is part of the problem of personality and individuality2 for the question of how far these are dependent on the bodily organism1 or whether they can exist without it1 is a scientific question4 ,it is open to research4 ,and yet it is connected with ,christianity2 for undoubtedly the ,christian idea of ,god involves a belief in human immortality4 ,if per impossible this latter could be authoritatively denied1 a paralysing blow would have been struck at the ,christian idea4 ,on the other hand1 if by scientific investigation the persistence of individual memory and character were proved1 a great step in the direction of orthodox theology would have been taken4 ,the modern superstition about the universe is that1 being suffused with law and order1 it contains nothing personal1 nothing indeterminate1 nothing unforeseen2 that there is no room for the free activity of intelligent beings1 that everything is mechanically determined2 so that given the velocity and acceleration and position of every atom at any instant1 the whole future could be unravelled by sufficient mathematical power4 ,the doctrines of ,uniformity and ,determinism are supposed to be based upon experience4 ,but experience includes experience of the actions of human beings2 and some of them certainly appear to be of a capricious and undetermined character4 ,or without considering human beings1 watch the orbits of a group of flies as they play2 they are manifestly not controlled completely by mechanical laws as are the motions of the planets4 ,the simplest view of their activity is that it is self-determined1 that they are flying about at their own will1 and turning when and where they choose4 ,the conservation of energy has nothing to say against it4 ,here we see free-will in its simplest form4 ,to suppose anything else in such a case1 to suppose that every twist could have been predicted through all eternity1 is to introduce prternatural complexity1 and is quite unnecessary4 ,why not assume1 what is manifestly the truth1 that free-will exists and has to be reckoned with1 that the universe is not a machine subject to outside forces1 but a living organism with initiations of its own2 and that the laws which govern it1 though they include mechanical and physical and chemical laws1 are not limited to those1 but involve other and higher abstractions1 which may perhaps some day be formulated1 for life and mind and spirit8 ,if it be said that free-will can be granted to deity but to nothing lower1 inasmuch as the ,deity must be aware of all that is going to happen1 ,i reply that you are now making a hypothesis of a complicated kind1 and going beyond knowledge into speculation4 ,but if still the speculation appears reasonable1 that only the ,deity can be endowed with free-will1 it merely opens the question1 ,what shall be included in that term8 ,if freedom is the characteristic mark of deity1 then those are justified who have taught that every fragment of mind and will is a contributory element in the essence of the ,divine ,being4 ,how1 then1 can we conceive of deity8 ,the analogy of the human body and its relation to the white corpuscles in its blood is instructive4 ,each corpuscle is a living-creature endowed with the powers of locomotion1 of assimilation1 and1 under certain conditions now being inquired into1 of reproduction by fission4 ,the health and polity of the body are largely dependent on the activity of these phagocytes4 ,they are to us extremely important2 they are an essential part of our being4 ,but now suppose one of these corpuscles endowed with intelligence--what conception of the universe will it be able to form8 ,it may examine its surroundings1 discourse of the vessels through which it passes1 of the adventures it encounters2 and if philosophically minded1 it may speculate on a being of which perhaps it and all its like form a part--an immanent deity1 whose constituents they are1 a being which includes them and includes all else which they know or can imagine--a being to whose existence they contribute1 and whose purposes they serve or share4 ,so far they could speculate1 and so far they would be right4 ,but if they proceeded further1 and entered on negations1 if they surmised that that immanent aspect of the universe in which they lived and moved and had their being was the sole and only aspect1 if they surmised that there was no personality1 no feeling1 no locomotion1 no mind1 no purpose1 apart from them and their kind1 they would greatly err4 ,what conception could they ever form of the manifold interests and activities of man8 ,still less of the universe known to man1 of which he himself forms so trivial a portion4 ,all analogies fail at some point1 but they are a help nevertheless1 and this analogy will bear pressing rather far4 ,we ourselves are a part of the agencies for good or evil2 we have the power to help or to hinder1 to mend or to mar1 within the scope of our activity4 ,our help is asked for2 lowly as we are1 it is really wanted1 on the earth here and now1 just as much wanted as our body needs the help of its lowly white corpuscles--to contribute to health1 to attack disease1 to maintain the normal and healthy life of the organism4 ,we are the white corpuscles of the cosmos1 we serve and form part of an immanent ,deity4 ,truly it is no easy service to which we are called2 something of the wisdom of the serpent must enter into our activities2 sanity and moral dignity and sound sense must govern our proceedings2 all our powers must be called out1 and there must be no sluggishness4 ,impulses1 even good impulses1 alone are not sufficient2 every faculty of the human brain must be exerted1 and we must be continually on guard against the flabbiness of mere good intentions4 ,our activity and service are thus an integral part of the ,divine ,existence1 which likewise includes that of all the perceptible universe4 ,but to suppose that this exhausts the matter1 and that the ,deity has no transcendent ,existence of which we can form no idea1--to suppose that what happens is not the result of his dominant and controlling ,personality1 is to step beyond legitimate inference1 and to treat appearance as exhaustive of reality4 ,always mistrust negations4 ,they commonly signify blindness and prejudice--except when thoroughly established and carefully formulated in the light of actual experience or mathematical proof4 ,and even then we should be ready to admit the possibility of higher generalisations which may uproot them4 ,they are only safe when thrown into the form of a positive assertion4 ,the impossibility of squaring the circle is not really a negative proposition1 except in form4 ,it is safer and more convincing when thrown into the positive and definite form that the ratio of area to diameter is incommensurable4 ,that statement is perfectly clear and legitimate2 and the illustration may be used as a parable4 ,a positive form should be demanded of every comprehensive denial2 and whatever cannot be thrown into positive form1 it is wise to mistrust4 ,its promulgator is probably stepping out of bounds1 into the cheap and easy region of negative speculation4 ,he is like a rationalistic microbe denying the existence of a human being4 ,i have urged that the simple aspect of things is to be considered and not despised2 but1 for the majority of people1 is not the tendency the other way8 ,are they not too much given to suppose the ,universe limited to the simplicity of their first and everyday conception of it8 ,the stockbroker has his idea of the totality of things2 the navvy has his4 ,students of mathematical physics are liable to think of it as a determinate assemblage of atoms and ether1 with no room for spiritual entities--no room1 as my brilliant teacher1 ,w4 ,k4 ,clifford1 expressed it1 no room for ghosts4 ,biological students are apt to think of life as a physicochemical process of protoplasmic structure and cell organisation1 with consciousness as an epiphenomenon4 ,they watch the lowly stages of animal organisms1 and hope to imitate their behaviour by judicious treatment of inorganic materials4 ,by all means let them try2 the effort is entirely legitimate1 and not unhopeful4 ,that which has come into being in the past may come into being under observation in the present1 and the intelligence and co-operation of man may help4 ,why not8 ,the material vehicle would thus have been provided--in this case1 without doubt1 purposely and designedly--for some incipient phase of life4 ,but would that in the least explain the nature of life and mind and will1 and reduce them to simple atomic mechanism and dynamics8 ,not a whit4 ,the real nature of these things would remain an unanswered question4 ,during the past century progress has lain chiefly in the domain of the mechanical and material4 ,the progress has been admirable1 and has led to natural rejoicing and legitimate pride4 ,it has also led to a supposition that all possible scientific advance lies in this same direction1 or even that all the great fundamental discoveries have now been made6 ,discovery proceeds by stages1 and enthusiasm at the acquisition of a step or a landing-place obscures for a time our perception of the flight of stairs immediately ahead2 but it is rational to take a more comprehensive view4 ,part of our experience is the connexion of spirit with matter4 ,we are conscious of our own identity1 our own mind and purpose and will3 we are also conscious of the matter in which it is at present incarnate and manifested4 ,let us use these experiences and learn from them4 ,incarnation is a fact2 we are not matter1 yet we utilise it4 ,through the mechanism of the brain we can influence the material world2 we are in it1 but not of it2 we transcend it by our consciousness4 ,the body is our machine1 our instrument1 our vehicle of manifestation2 and through it we can achieve results in the material sphere4 ,why seek to deny either the spiritual or the material8 ,both are real1 both are true4 ,in some higher mind1 perhaps1 they may be unified3 meanwhile we do not possess this higher mind4 ,scientific progress is made by accepting realities and learning from them2 the rest is speculation4 ,it is not likely that we are the only intelligent beings in the ,universe4 ,there may be many higher grades1 up to the ,divine2 just as there are lower grades1 down to the amoeba4 ,nor need all these grades of intelligence be clothed in matter or inhabit the surface of a planet4 ,that is the kind of existence with which we are now familiar1 truly1 and anything beyond that is for the most part supersensuous2 but our senses are confessedly limited1 and if there is any truth in the doctrine of human immortality the existence of myriads of departed individuals must be assumed1 on what has been called the other side4 ,but how are we to get evidence in favour of such an apparently gratuitous hypothesis8 ,well1 speaking for myself and with full and cautious responsibility1 ,i have to state that as an outcome of my investigation into psychical matters ,i have at length and quite gradually become convinced1 after more than thirty years of study1 not only that persistent individual existence is a fact1 but that occasional communication across the chasm--with difficulty and under definite conditions--is possible4 ,this is not a subject on which one comes lightly and easily to a conclusion1 nor can the evidence be explained except to those who will give to it time and careful study2 but clearly the conclusion is either folly and self-deception1 or it is a truth of the utmost importance to humanity--and of importance to us in connexion with our present subject4 ,for it is a conclusion which cannot stand alone4 ,mistaken or true1 it affords a foothold for a whole range of other thoughts1 other conclusions1 other ideas3 false and misleading if the foothold is insecure1 worthy of attention if the foothold is sound4 ,let posterity judge4 ,meanwhile it is a subject that attracts cranks and charlatans4 ,rash opinions are freely expressed on both sides4 ,i call upon the educated of the younger generation to refrain from accepting assertions without severe scrutiny1 and1 above all1 to keep an open mind4 ,if departed human beings can communicate with us1 can advise us and help us1 can have any influence on our actions1--then clearly the doors are open to a wealth of spiritual intercourse beyond what we have yet imagined4 ,the region of the miraculous1 it is called1 and the bare possibility of its existence has been hastily and illegitimately denied4 ,but so long as we do not imagine it to be a region denuded of a law and order of its own1 akin to the law and order of the psychological realm1 our denial has no foundation4 ,the existence of such a region may be established by experience2 its non-existence cannot be established1 for non-experience might merely mean that owing to deficiencies of our sense organs it was beyond our ken4 ,in judging of what are called miracles we must be guided by historical evidence and literary criticism4 ,we need not urge a priori objections to them on scientific grounds4 ,they need be no more impossible1 no more lawless1 than the interference of a human being would seem to a colony of ants or bees4 ,the ,christian idea of ,god certainly has involved1 and presumably always will involve1 an element of the miraculous1--a flooding of human life with influences which lie outside it1 a controlling of human destiny by higher and beneficent agencies4 ,by evil agencies too8 ,yes1 the influences are not all on one side2 but the ,christian faith is that the good are the stronger4 ,experience has shown to many a saint1 however tormented by evil1 that appeal to the powers of good can result in ultimate victory4 ,let us not reject experience on the ground of dogmatic assertion and baseless speculation4 ,historical records tell us of a ,divine ,incarnation4 ,we may consider it freely on historical grounds4 ,we are not debarred from contemplating such a thing by anything that science has to say to the contrary4 ,science does not speak directly on the subject4 ,if the historical evidence is good we may credit it1 just as we may credit the hypothesis of survival if the present-day evidence is good4 ,it sounds too simple and popular an explanation--too much like the kind of ideas suited to unsophisticated man and to the infancy of the race4 ,true2 but has it not happened often in the history of science that reality has been found simpler than our attempted conception of it8 ,electricity long ago was often treated as a fluid2 and a little time ago it was customary to jeer at the expression--legitimate in the mouth of ,benjamin ,franklin1 but now apparently outgrown4 ,and yet what else is the crowd of mobile electrons1 postulated by not the very latest theory1 in a metal8 ,surely it is in some sense a fluid1 though not a material one8 ,the guess was not so far wrong after all4 ,meanwhile we learned to treat it by mathematical devices1 vector potential1 and other recondite methods4 ,with great veneration ,i speak of the mathematical physicists of the past century4 ,they have been almost superhuman in power1 and have attained extraordinary results1 but in time the process of discovery will enable mankind to apprehend all these things more simply4 ,progress lies in simple investigation as well as in speculation and thought up to the limits of human power2 and when things are really understood1 they are perceived to be fairly simple after all4 ,so it seems likely to be with a future state1 or our own permanent existence2 it has been thought of and spoken of as if it were altogether transcendental--something beyond space and time 7as it may be71 something outside and beyond all conception4 ,but it is not necessarily so at all2 it is a question of fact2 it is open to investigation4 ,i find part of it turning out quite reasonably simple2 not easy to grasp or express1 for lack of experience and language--that is true1--but not by any means conveying a feeling of immediate vast difference and change4 ,something much more like terrestrial existence1 at least on one aspect of it1 than we had imagined4 ,not as a rule associated with matter2 no1 but perhaps associated with ether--an etherial body instead of a material one2 certainly a body1 or mode of manifestation1 of some kind4 ,it appears to be a state which leaves personality and character and intelligence much where it was4 ,no sudden jump into something supernal1 but steady and continued progress4 ,many activities and interests beyond our present ken1 but with a surviving terrestrial aspect1 occasionally accessible1 and showing interest in the doings of those on earth1 together with great desire to help and to encourage all efforts for the welfare of the race4 ,we need not search after something so far removed from humanity as to be unintelligible4 99 99 99 99 99 ,so likewise with the idea of ,god4 ,no matter how complex and transcendentally vast the ,reality must be1 the ,christian conception of ,god is humanly simple4 ,it appeals to the unlettered and ignorant2 it appeals to babes4 ,that is the way with the greatest things4 ,the sun is the centre of the solar system1 a glorious object full of mystery and unknown forces1 but the sunshine is a friendly and homely thing1 which shines in at a cottage window1 touches common objects with radiance1 and brings warmth and comfort even to the cat4 ,the sunshine is not the sun1 but it is the human and terrestrial aspect of the sun2 it is that which matters in daily life4 ,it is independent of study and discovery2 it is given us by direct experience1 and for ordinary life it suffices4 ,thus would ,i represent the ,christian conception of ,god4 ,christ is the human and practical and workaday aspect4 ,christ is the sunshine--that fraction of transcendental ,cosmic ,deity which suffices for the earth4 ,jesus of ,nazareth is plainly a terrestrial heritage4 ,his advent is the glory1 ,his reception the shame1 of the human race4 99 99 99 99 99 ,once more1 then4 ,although there may be undue simplification of the complex1 there is also an undue complication of the simple2 it is easy to invent unnecessary problems1 to manufacture gratuitous difficulties1 to lose our way in a humanly constructed and quite undivine fog4 ,but the way is really simple1 and when the fog lifts and the sunshine appears1 all becomes clear and we proceed without effort on our way3 the wayfaring man1 though a fool1 need not err therein4 ,the way1 the truth1 and the life are all one4 ,reality is always simple2 it is concrete and real and expressible4 ,our customary view of the commonest objects is not indeed the last word1 nay1 rather1 it is the first word1 as to their nature2 but it is a true word as far as it goes4 ,analysing a liquid into a congeries of discrete atoms does not destroy or weaken or interfere with its property or fluidity4 ,analysing an atom into electrons does not destroy the atom4 ,reducing matter to electricity1 or to any other etherial substratum1 does not alter the known and familiarly utilised properties of a bit of wood or iron or glass1 in the least2 no1 nor of a bit of bone or feather or flesh4 ,study may superadd properties imperceptible to the plain man1 but the plain man's concrete and simple view serves for ordinary purposes of daily life4 ,and ,god's view1 strange to say1 must be more akin to that of the plain man than to that of the philosopher or statistician4 ,that is how it comes that children are near the kingdom of heaven4 ,it is not likely that ,god really makes abstractions and geometrises4 ,all those higher and elaborate modes of expression are human counters2 and the difficulties of dealing with them are human too4 ,only in early stages do things require superhuman power for their apprehension2 they are easy to grasp when they are really understood4 ,they come out then into daily life2 they are not then matters of intellectual strain2 they can appeal to our sense of beauty2 they can affect us with emotion and love and appreciation and joy2 they can enter into poetry and music1 and constitute the subject-matter of ,art of all kinds4 ,the range of art and of enjoyment must increase infinitely with perfect knowledge4 ,this is the atmosphere of ,god4 ,where dwells enjoyment1 there is ,he4 ,we are struggling upwards into that atmosphere slowly and laboriously4 ,the struggle is human1 and for us quite necessary1 but the mountain top is serene and pure and lovely1 and its beauty is in nowise enhanced by the efforts of the exhausted climber1 as he slowly wins his way thither4 ,yet the effort itself is of value4 ,the climber1 too1 is part of the scheme1 and his upward trend may be growth and gain to the whole4 ,it adds interest1 though not beauty4 ,do not let us think that the universe is stagnant and fixed and settled and dull1 and that all its appearance of going on is illusion and deception4 ,i would even venture to urge that1 ever since the grant to living creatures of free will1 there must be1 in some sense or other1 a real element of contingency1--that there is no dulness about it1 even to the ,deity1 but a constant and aspiring ,effort4 ,let us trust our experience in this also4 ,the ,universe is a flux1 it is a becoming1 it is a progress4 ,evolution is a reality4 ,true and not imaginary progress is possible4 ,effort is not a sham4 ,existence is a true adventure4 ,there is a real risk4 ,there was a real risk about creation--directly it went beyond the inert and mechanical4 ,the granting of choice and free will involved a risk4 ,thenceforward things could go wrong4 ,they might be kept right by main force1 but that would not be playing the game1 that would not be loyalty to the conditions4 ,as ,william ,james says3 ,a football team desire to get a ball to a certain spot1 but that is not all they desire2 they wish to do it under certain conditions and overcome inherent difficulties--else might they get up in the night and put it there4 ,so also we may say1 ,good is the end and aim of the ,divine ,being2 but not without conditions4 ,not by compulsion4 ,perfection as of machinery would be too dull and low an achievement--something much higher is sought4 ,the creation of free creatures who1 in so far as they go right1 do so because they will1 not because they must1--that was the ,divine problem1 and it is the highest of which we have any conception4 ,yes1 there was a real risk in making a human race on this planet4 ,ultimate good was not guaranteed4 ,some parts of the ,universe must be far better than this1 but some may be worse4 ,some planets may comparatively fail4 ,the power of evil may here and there get the upper hand3 although it must ultimately lead to suicidal destructive failure1 for evil is pregnant with calamity4 ,this planet is surely not going to fail4 ,its destinies have been more and more entrusted to us4 ,for millions of years it laboured1 and now it has produced a human race--a late-comer to the planet1 only recently arrived1 only partly civilised as yet4 ,but already it has produced ,plato and ,newton and ,shakespeare2 yes1 and it has been the dwelling-place of ,christ4 ,surely it is going to succeed1 and in good time to be the theatre of such a magnificent development of human energy and power and joy as to compensate1 and more than compensate1 for all the pain and suffering1 all the blood and tears1 which have gone to prepare the way4 ,the struggle is a real one4 ,the effort is not confined to humanity alone3 according to the ,christian conception ,god has shared in it4 ,god so loved the world that ,he gave--we know the text4 ,the earth's case was not hopeless2 the world was bad1 but it could be redeemed2 and the redemption was worth the painful effort which then was undergone1 and which the disciples of the ,cross have since in their measure shared4 ,aye1 that is the ,christian conception2 not of a ,god apart from ,his creatures1 looking on1 taking no personal interest in their behaviour1 sitting aloof only to judge them2 but ,one who anxiously takes measures for their betterment1 takes trouble1 takes pains--a pregnant phrase1 takes pains1--,one who suffers when they go wrong1 ,one who feels painfully the miseries and wrongdoings and sins and cruelties of the creatures whom ,he has endowed with free will2 ,one who actively enters into the storm and the conflict2 ,one who actually took flesh and dwelt among us1 to save us from the slough into which we might have fallen1 to show us what the beauty and dignity of man might be4 ,well1 it is a great idea1 a great and simple idea1 so simple as to be incredible to some minds4 ,it has been hidden from many of the wise and prudent2 it has been revealed to babes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to sum up3 ,let us not be discouraged by simplicity4 ,real things are simple4 ,human conceptions are not altogether misleading4 ,our view of the ,universe is a partial one but is not an untrue one4 ,our knowledge of the conditions of existence is not altogether false--only inadequate4 ,the ,christian idea of ,god is a genuine representation of reality4 ,nor let us imagine that existence hereafter1 removed from these atoms of matter which now both confuse and manifest it1 will be something so wholly remote and different as to be unimaginable2 but let us learn by the testimony of experience--either our own or that of others--that those who have been1 still are2 that they care for us and help us2 that they1 too1 are progressing and learning and working and hoping2 that there are grades of existence1 stretching upward and upward to all eternity2 and that ,god ,himself1 through ,his agents and messengers1 is continually striving and working and planning1 so as to bring this creation of ,his through its preparatory labour and pain1 and lead it on to an existence higher and better than anything we have ever known4 ,footnote #da3 ,hibbert ,journal1 ,july #aiaa4 ,,index ,abstraction1 #cgj1 #cgb1 #chj ,abt ,vogler1 #big1 #cgj ,acorn1 #bij ,acquired characters1 ,inheritance of1 #cbc1 #cbd ,acrostic1 #ai1 #ba1 #be1 #ade ,adonis1 #cjd neid1 #ad1 #cag1 #cai ,aeroplane1 #adb ,agents1 #bia1 #cga1 #chf1 #cif 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