The Philosopher and the Simpleton
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Spirit Identity
Believing that at this time when the identification of spirits, so called, is a much mooted question, anything which gives strong presumptive evidence that spirits can be identified, might interest the public, I record the following facts:—
A beautiful young lady, the wife of an officer of the United States’ army, passed from her earth-life soon after marriage. Her piano, guitar, and daguerreotype were inherited by my family, and became household treasures. One evening three of us—one of the Fox sisters, Mrs. Ditson and myself—were sitting in my parlour in the dark near the said piano, when Mrs. Ditson felt on the top of her head a hard substance which fell at once down into her lap and thence to the floor. What could it be? Whence came it? How could it have come? The medium, one of whose hands I held, had not moved. Presently, something came upon my arm and made its way down into my hand. Feeling it, I discovered it to be a picture-case, one (supposed) of quite a number containing daguerreotypes and photographs which we had left upon a table in another part of the room. The question now was: What miniature portrait did it contain? Several guesses were hazarded, when there was spelled out by raps: “One whom you love, but have never seen.” Light was produced, and on opening the case, the likeness of the young lady referred to was found. I had never seen her, but had learned to love through her picture, and, through testimony, her many amiable qualities, and I regretted her too early sad death.
At another time a delicate hand (supposed to be that of the above-named bride), though not distinctly outlined, was seen playing the guitar, the handle of which projected out beyond the table under which it had been placed. I say the hand was not distinctly outlined; this was rather because the intense brilliancy of the central light of which it seemed to be composed made the configuration imperfect to the human sight.
Last Sunday evening, on calling at the house of a friend, I found a small gathering of Spiritualists, among whom was a woman who was considered to be quite a good trance medium. Though this person knew me quite well, I do not think she could possibly have known any thing of my family relations; not enough to have enabled her to express herself as she did. When entranced, she described a number of individuals, giving names that were generally recognised. Erelong she announced “Susan” as present. One of the company said that she had a relative in the spirit world who was called Susy. The medium made no response, I then said, without thinking for a moment that I should have a favourable answer, “May it be my aunt Susan?” Immediately the medium extended to me her hand and shook mine cordially. Now, she could not, I am quite sure, have known that this was the name of the one whom I loved but had never seen.”
Returning home, Mrs. Ditson and myself sat alone at our little “spirit table,” which tips and slides about in a manner expressive to us of the presence of certain individuals. The right hand corner, for instance, slides around, tips, and presses against me for my spirit mother; the other corner does the same for the aforesaid Aunt Susan. As soon as we were seated, I asked if my mother had appeared and given her name at the seance from which I had just come. The table tipped “No.” I asked if my brother had thus manifested himself there; and again came, “No.” I then said, “Did Aunt Susan?” The left-hand corner glided around to me at once, pressed me warmly, and said almost, if not quite as emphatically as if expressed in words: “Yes; the one you love, but have never seen.”
These facts seem to me to confirm that the veritable spirit of the young lady, naturally attracted to my family, to my household, by circumstances partially explained above, did manifest herself in the first instance as stated, and did con- firm her presence and individuality by her subsequent demonstrations.
If we are in any instance ever to be subject to “goblins damned,” should we be unreasonable if we claim that there I must first be conditions favouring such a subjugation; and if we by pure lives, simple diet, holy aspirations, cannot hold ourselves aloof from such influences, should we not be justified in believing that God’s authority in this universe is overruled?
Some time since a wealthy gentleman, a Mr. D., editor of one of our most popular periodicals, called on me and related the following circumstances. As he has himself, partially at least, made them public, he will not consider it a betrayal of his confidence if I repeat them here.
A girl whom we will call Mabel, who proved herself to be possessed of many very estimable qualities, on leaving school visited Mr. D.’s office seeking employment. A place was given her, and she soon became a valuable assistant, devoting herself with much zeal to the editor’s interest, evidently in heartfelt gratitude for the aid afforded her, and by which she could help to support a widowed mother. A few short years passed, when she sickened and died, greatly to the grief of her sincere friend, her employer, who thenceforth, whenever opportunity offered, sought to commune with her gentle spirit. One day, at the house of a clergyman whose wife was a medium, he obtained, he believed, a communication from her. She said (granting it to be our Mabel), that if he would go to Mumler’s and have his photograph taken, she would appear on the plate with him; and, to make evident to him that it was herself, she would appear in a favourite striped dress, and with a wreath upon her head. He of course went to the photographer’s, and the result was as promised. She was not only present, but so bent over him in an affectionate attitude that her cheek obscured a portion of his forehead, She wore, too, the wreath, and though the small photograph does not show the stripes in the dress, Mr. D. told me that an enlarged one, which he had had made from it, does show them. Furthermore, between this picture and the one taken before her death there is a striking, an unmistakable resemblance. Of this last statement I am positive, for a copy of each was sent to me; and being framed and hung (with many other so-called spirit pictures) in my dining room, are often before me. The story, however, is not yet complete. When Mr. D. was in this city he called upon a worthy young medium, of a private family, who knew nothing of his reasons for seeking her. She described to him, in a most satisfactory manner, he told me, his lost Mabel, then claiming to be present. Mr. D. added also, that whenever and wherever he had been enabled to obtain a seance with a trustworthy medium, Mabel invariably satisfied him of her presence.
There appears to me no good, plausible way of accounting for all this, except upon the commonly-received spiritual hypothesis; unless we say, as perhaps the Theosophists will, that the medium read in our minds, the characters, as we contemplated them, of our fair departed ones; or, in the affair of the photograph, projected upon the plate, from the album, the figure desired by the mourning editor, thus rendering the actual presence of the dear Mabel wholly unnecessary.
Albany, United States of America, Jan. 17th, 1878.
Editor's notes
London Spiritualist, No. 287, February 22, 1878, p. 88