<Untitled> (Office of “Light,” 4, New Bridge Street, Ludgate Circus, E.C.)
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Apparition of the Late Czar
The following ghost story is communicated to the Silesian. Gazette from St. Petersburg:—
“For some days past there has been current in this city a wonderful report, which your incredulity would prevent my repeating to you were it not that it is increasingly prevalent in the highest circles of society, and is thus instructive as characteristic of the Russian Court. It is, that the dead Emperor appears every night in the Casan Cathedral. One of the watchers there is said to have first seen him, and to have forthwith reported it to the senior priest. The latter watched one night, saw the same apparition, and mentioned it to his Bishop. Tho Bishop went to the church in the evening, and waited several hours before the high altar. Adjoining this is the so-called Emperor’s door, through which only the Emperor and the ecclesiastics have access to the altar; and near the door is a picture of the Virgin, believed to have miraculous virtues, the tradition going that it was not made by the hands of man. It was formerly in Moscow, but when the French occupied that city it was removed to St. Petersburg, and afterwards placed in this church. It is one of the most revered relics of the Russian Church, and is enclosed in a gold frame, the jewels, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds of which represent a value of millions (of roubles).
“After waiting some hours, the Bishop was convinced that it was all imagination on the part of the watcher and the priest, when all at once the Emperor’s door slowly opened, and the dead Emperor entered, dressed in full parade uniform, worn just as when he lay in the coffin. The Bishop advanced some steps to give him a benediction, but the Emperor motioned him away with his hand, and stepping up to the before-mentioned picture of the Virgin, knelt down before it, and remained for a long time absorbed in prayer; he then loft the altar by the same way by which he had come.
“I tell you the whole story as it is not only related, but entirely believed, in the best society. In all social circles one hears of nothing but this apparition, and the most extraordinary conclusions are quite seriously deduced from it.
“It is observable that the Cathedral, by order of the Metropolitan, is closed from six o’clock in the evening, and no one obtains admission. Tho servitors of the Cathedral are strictly forbidden to indulge in conversation about the apparition.”
<Untitled> (The Spectator thus notices “M. A. (Oxon’s)” book...)
The Spectator thus notices “M. A. (Oxon’s)” book, “Tho Higher Aspects of Spiritualism”:—“M. A.” pleads for the importance of Spiritualism, and its teachings as regards Revealed Truth, and attempts an apology for its existence. At the same time, he protests against the indiscriminate identification of it with impostures that have been carried on in its name. To enter into these questions would be beyond our present purpose, but we may say that the writer argues his case with considerable power.
Spiritual Selfishness
Sir,—Many of your readers will heartily thank your correspondent for his article on this in your last issue. Perhaps “Occult” or “Theosophical” selfishness might have been a better term as shewing the wide and fundamental difference between the teaching of Spiritualism and the selfishness of the Theosophists.
This pottering amongst the clouds instead of doing our duty in our proper sphere on earth, is foolish, as it depletes and renders its votaries unfit to take their share in the work of the world necessary to the progress of mankind on earth, which is the object of their creation.
As regards the Himalayan Brothers, if there are such creatures, they are to be pitied, and a missionary should be sent to show them how to do some useful work in the world instead of mystifying their weak- minded followers. If the egregious egotism that celibacy is purity and marriage impurity were correct, pater-familias should exact the “happy dispatch” at once and leave this earth to those pure and holy ones, after which no doubt in the plenitude of their potentiality they would have a special creation of Hermaphrodites or nihilists.
With reference to abstinence from the eating of flesh, nothing being said as to geographical limits, vegetarians should begin by sending out a cargo of apples and oranges to the Esquimaux. But to come near home, Mrs. Brassey, in her interesting Voyage of the Sunbeam, tells us that the Monte Videans rarely eat anything of a vegetable nature, nothing but beef and mutton in various forms. “All flesh is grass” and beef is only grass in a higher form, although “J. K.” and the Occultists would have us believe that our souls are defiled thereby, notwithstanding our teaching that: “What goeth into the body doth not defile the soul.”
Brixton, January 16th, 1882.
<Untitled> (The anniversary meeting...)
...
Editor's notes
- ↑ Office of “Light,” 4, New Bridge Street, Ludgate Circus, E.C. by unknown author, Light, v. 2, No. 55, January 21, 1882, p. 30
- ↑ Apparition of the Late Czar by unknown author, Light, v. 2, No. 55, January 21, 1882, p. 30
- ↑ The Spectator thus notices “M. A. (Oxon’s)” book... by unknown author, Light, v. 2, No. 55, January 21, 1882, p. 30
- ↑ Spiritual Selfishness by unknown author, London Spiritualist, No. 491, January 20, 1882, p. 35
- ↑ The anniversary meeting... by unknown author, Amrita Bazar Patrika, The, Thursday, January 20, 1882
Sources
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Light, v. 2, No. 55, January 21, 1882, p. 30
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London Spiritualist, No. 491, January 20, 1882, p. 35