A Vision
Since Destiny sealed up her Girlhood’s page One eve she dreamed that her enchanted soul |
A Daylight Seance in the Streets of Rome
Having already published in The Spiritualist the details of several recent stances in the streets of Rome by gaslight, I think it would be interesting to record one which took place by daylight, before describing manifestations of another description.
One day my friend, Signor T., the private medium mentioned in previous articles, called upon me, being anxious about my latest news from London, as I received English papers almost daily. After luncheon we took our usual walk from Via Nationale to Via del Corso. While walking, I said to him, that I wished to have a stance to ask his spirit guide some questions. My reason was, that in the paper I had just received, there was news which did not quite agree with what his spirit guide had given two days before, as early information from London. My friend, in his usual obliging way, consented to my request.
We were then walking in Via del Corso, and I suggested that we should retire from that crowded thoroughfare to a quieter street. We accordingly took the first turning on the left, and entered the doorway of a passage. The medium passed into the trance state, and his guide said in effect: “Rondi, I know what you are going to ask me without your telling me. In what I said to you at our last stance, I have not a word to change. Wait, and you will see the result” While the medium was talking, a gentleman descended the staircase of the palace, and said, “How do you do, Rondi?’’ I recognised him as a friend who had been present at several stances years ago, at my house in Rome, and who was himself a good physical medium. At that moment I was smoking a cigar, but while talking with him my cigar went out. The medium meanwhile woke up.
While puffing at the dead cigar, and feeling in my waistcoat pocket for matches, I looked up at the medium, who is much taller than myself, and saw some wax vestas rolling along the brim of his hat, and falling to the ground between us. We were all three surprised at this manifestation, and while I was thanking the good invisible spirit for bringing me matches, I said, “John King, what a pity you did not bring a box of them.” At once a box of vestas fell to the ground between us. I picked it up, found the face of an ugly old priest pictured on its outside, and it was full of matches. We laughed at the ugly picture, and thanked the spirit who had granted my request.
I naturally said to the spirit, “Where did you get the box from?” The medium was at once entranced, and the spirit answered through his lips, “From a boy passing by.” I asked “Did you pay for it?” He replied, “Of course I did; I paid him three half-pence, instead of the proper price, a penny.” I responded, “Where did you get the money?’’ The reply was, “Well Rondi, it is a question put to us many times, and people are afraid that we are stealing, but it is not so. You should know that there are several Spiritualistic societies which collect funds to aid in the development of the spiritual cause, so whenever we find a necessity either to help some poor people who are in need, or otherwise to aid in proving our presence, we use some of this money. I did so at this moment, to prove to you that we are always surrounding you, and <... continues on page 11-134 >
Editor's notes
Sources
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London Spiritualist, No. 462, July 1, 1881, pp. 7-8