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... | The following account of a letter conveyed by Spirit agency from a ship at sea I had from Mr. John Davis, of Clapton, whose word will be implicitly trusted by all who know him. He himself doubted whether it would be wise to publish an occurrence so impossible to be credited by the general public, but he left the responsibility with me, and I do not think that the evidence should be withheld from the readers of "Light" on account of the incredulity with which it may be received by the public at large. | ||
Mr. Eglinton sailed for India in the s.s. Vega, on the 12th October last. A day or two before he sailed he paid a visit to Mr. Davis, at Clapton, and after a séance at which some astonishing phenomena were exhibited, he showed several letters which had been conveyed to him by Spirit agency from a medium friend at a distance, in answer to letters of his own which had been carried in the same way, under circumstances which made it impossible for them to be carried by any other means. The sight of these letters led Mr. Davis to ask whether it might not be possible for him to have a communication with Mr. Eglinton, through the same agency, after he had been two or three weeks at sea. Mr. Eglinton agreed to try, and it was accordingly arranged that both parties should hold a sitting for the purpose on the evening of that day three weeks, when Mr. Eglinton would go privately into his cabin for the purpose of writing his letter. The following week, when Mr. Davis was sitting at his usual family séance, he was directed by his Control to get an indiarubber air ball (such as children play with) and to carry it in his pocket until that day fortnight, when the sitting for the conveyance of the letter was to take place. It was not explained how the end in view was to be promoted by this means, but Mr. Davis followed the directions given him, and procured a small ball, and having had it stamped with the seal of the office where he is employed, he carried it about with him until the evening of the trial sitting. He now told his children of what he was trying for, but neither he nor they had much expectation of the accomplishment of his purpose. On the evening of the 2nd November he had his usual family séance, consisting of himself and his four children, with the addition of Mrs. Nichols. The stamped indiarubber ball which Mr. Davis had been carrying about, was laid on the table, and things had been going on for some time in rather a dull way, when Joey, one of Mr. Eglinton’s Controls, made his presence known, took up the mouth organ, and through it said something which Mr. Davis understood to be, “I have forgotten it; goodnight; cannot stay.” After he had gone, Mr. Davis asked his own Control what Joey had said, and was informed that it really had been, “I have got it,” and accordingly, on lighting up, the collapsed ball, identified by the stamp of Mr. Davis’ office, was found on the table, with a sheet of paper doubled up into a small compass inside it, one corner of the letter having burst through the coating of the ball. The case had to be torn in order to get out the paper, which was found to be a letter from Mr. Eglinton, on half a sheet of thin note-paper, dated s.s. Vega, November 2nd, to the effect that in accordance with his promise he had just come down from deck to write the letter. “Should Joey be clever enough to take this,” he proceeds, “I shall take this into my cabin about eight to-night, and you must notify me if you have received it.” The writing was unquestionably that of Mr. Eglinton, and on the back of the letter is written in pencil, “Sitting in my cabin, 7.45.” It was received at Clapton at 9.40, and as Mr. Eglinton had then been three weeks at sea, he could not, I suppose, have made less than 60° E. Longitude, corresponding to a gain of four hours apparent time; so that the letter was received at Clapton about six hours after it was endorsed by Mr. Eglinton in his cabin. | |||
{{Style P-Signature in capitals|Hensleigh Wedgwood.}} | |||
February 23rd. | |||
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... | I often strongly desire to convey to “M.A. (Oxon.)” my appreciation of his facts, and also of his philosophy, as far as it goes. That he does not know everything need not surprise us, as Hosea Biglow told us some time ago that “they did not know everything down in Judee.” | ||
That “M.A. (Oxon.)” has not yet learned that he has been reincarnated here several times certainly is not his fault, if it is not true. That there may be economical motives in the scheme of the Universe, to use again and again most delicately prepared matter and its correlative spirit, may present itself as a fact in his philosophy in due time. The worms begin the preparation of the earth for culture and growth of food, for the sustenance of higher, that is, more complex forms of life. | |||
“What can we reason from but what we know?” I expect much reasoning from “M.A. (Oxon.)” because he knows much, and I commend to him the infinite scale of reason fastened to our finite. Somehow the matter of this globe has been used over and over again, as we can trace for ages. Has not spirit used this matter and developed itself by these means? A few faculties; the simple worm business with the earth at first; more, as means are made; mere simplism, then melody, and afterwards harmony. Shall the All-wise lose any means on his way from a worm to “M.A. (Oxon.)” and from “M.A. (Oxon.)” to what he can conceive of culture and its possibilities? | |||
What I wish to do now is to give him some facts in materialisation, and though I preface them with questions in philosophy, it is only from my true respect for a man more than half made up. And are any of us aware how few have reached the half-way house in their creation? | |||
When I first saw Willie Eglinton, some years since, I heard in the first moments of our interview raps upon a table standing near us. I said to him, “Do you hear those raps?” He replied, “I heard sounds, but I think they were in the street.” I laid my hand on the table; the raps became distinct; I called the alphabet, and Jesse B. Ferguson spelt out his name and a wish to have a séance with us and materialise. Willie Eglinton said, “All my time is engaged.” Soon afterwards there came a ring at the door bell, and a note was handed Willie from a person relinquishing a séance. He then said to me, “I can sit for you.” | |||
The séance was held in a cottage at a high point on Malvern Hills. There were present, beside the medium, two men and five women. We first excluded light from without, then hung a shawl between us and Willie, and lighted one candle. Presently I saw a child, apparently about two years old, standing in front of the shawl. The child disappeared, and an Indian girl (North American Indian, with whom I have been familiar) appeared. She seemed twelve or thirteen years old. She rose about the middle of the room, and I said, “I wish she would come to me.” She came at once, and, as the sofa on which I sat was some distance from the wall, she came between the back of the sofa and the wall. She had a deal of thin white muslin over her, which looked hardly appropriate to her brown, hard, Indian face. She took my hand, and said, as she kissed it, “I love you; I love your hand that gives.” I remember thinking at the time that the baby had grown to be this Indian girl. She was known to some in the circle as one of Willie Eglinton's familiars, and they called her “Daisy.” Afterwards I got well acquainted with her, and I said to her on one occasion, “Daisy, did you grow from a baby the first night I saw you?” She seemed much surprised and answered, “I no grow; I Daisy; I no baby; I Daisy.” | |||
{{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on|12-180}} | It was plain that Daisy had no understanding of the extent of my credence. After she disappeared, we were asked to put out our one candle. When we were in the dark, the husband {{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on|12-180}} | ||
{{HPB-SB-footer-footnotes}} | {{HPB-SB-footer-footnotes}} | ||
Latest revision as of 05:58, 16 November 2025
Letters by Spirit Post
The following account of a letter conveyed by Spirit agency from a ship at sea I had from Mr. John Davis, of Clapton, whose word will be implicitly trusted by all who know him. He himself doubted whether it would be wise to publish an occurrence so impossible to be credited by the general public, but he left the responsibility with me, and I do not think that the evidence should be withheld from the readers of "Light" on account of the incredulity with which it may be received by the public at large.
Mr. Eglinton sailed for India in the s.s. Vega, on the 12th October last. A day or two before he sailed he paid a visit to Mr. Davis, at Clapton, and after a séance at which some astonishing phenomena were exhibited, he showed several letters which had been conveyed to him by Spirit agency from a medium friend at a distance, in answer to letters of his own which had been carried in the same way, under circumstances which made it impossible for them to be carried by any other means. The sight of these letters led Mr. Davis to ask whether it might not be possible for him to have a communication with Mr. Eglinton, through the same agency, after he had been two or three weeks at sea. Mr. Eglinton agreed to try, and it was accordingly arranged that both parties should hold a sitting for the purpose on the evening of that day three weeks, when Mr. Eglinton would go privately into his cabin for the purpose of writing his letter. The following week, when Mr. Davis was sitting at his usual family séance, he was directed by his Control to get an indiarubber air ball (such as children play with) and to carry it in his pocket until that day fortnight, when the sitting for the conveyance of the letter was to take place. It was not explained how the end in view was to be promoted by this means, but Mr. Davis followed the directions given him, and procured a small ball, and having had it stamped with the seal of the office where he is employed, he carried it about with him until the evening of the trial sitting. He now told his children of what he was trying for, but neither he nor they had much expectation of the accomplishment of his purpose. On the evening of the 2nd November he had his usual family séance, consisting of himself and his four children, with the addition of Mrs. Nichols. The stamped indiarubber ball which Mr. Davis had been carrying about, was laid on the table, and things had been going on for some time in rather a dull way, when Joey, one of Mr. Eglinton’s Controls, made his presence known, took up the mouth organ, and through it said something which Mr. Davis understood to be, “I have forgotten it; goodnight; cannot stay.” After he had gone, Mr. Davis asked his own Control what Joey had said, and was informed that it really had been, “I have got it,” and accordingly, on lighting up, the collapsed ball, identified by the stamp of Mr. Davis’ office, was found on the table, with a sheet of paper doubled up into a small compass inside it, one corner of the letter having burst through the coating of the ball. The case had to be torn in order to get out the paper, which was found to be a letter from Mr. Eglinton, on half a sheet of thin note-paper, dated s.s. Vega, November 2nd, to the effect that in accordance with his promise he had just come down from deck to write the letter. “Should Joey be clever enough to take this,” he proceeds, “I shall take this into my cabin about eight to-night, and you must notify me if you have received it.” The writing was unquestionably that of Mr. Eglinton, and on the back of the letter is written in pencil, “Sitting in my cabin, 7.45.” It was received at Clapton at 9.40, and as Mr. Eglinton had then been three weeks at sea, he could not, I suppose, have made less than 60° E. Longitude, corresponding to a gain of four hours apparent time; so that the letter was received at Clapton about six hours after it was endorsed by Mr. Eglinton in his cabin.
February 23rd.
Some Facts About Materialisation
I often strongly desire to convey to “M.A. (Oxon.)” my appreciation of his facts, and also of his philosophy, as far as it goes. That he does not know everything need not surprise us, as Hosea Biglow told us some time ago that “they did not know everything down in Judee.”
That “M.A. (Oxon.)” has not yet learned that he has been reincarnated here several times certainly is not his fault, if it is not true. That there may be economical motives in the scheme of the Universe, to use again and again most delicately prepared matter and its correlative spirit, may present itself as a fact in his philosophy in due time. The worms begin the preparation of the earth for culture and growth of food, for the sustenance of higher, that is, more complex forms of life.
“What can we reason from but what we know?” I expect much reasoning from “M.A. (Oxon.)” because he knows much, and I commend to him the infinite scale of reason fastened to our finite. Somehow the matter of this globe has been used over and over again, as we can trace for ages. Has not spirit used this matter and developed itself by these means? A few faculties; the simple worm business with the earth at first; more, as means are made; mere simplism, then melody, and afterwards harmony. Shall the All-wise lose any means on his way from a worm to “M.A. (Oxon.)” and from “M.A. (Oxon.)” to what he can conceive of culture and its possibilities?
What I wish to do now is to give him some facts in materialisation, and though I preface them with questions in philosophy, it is only from my true respect for a man more than half made up. And are any of us aware how few have reached the half-way house in their creation?
When I first saw Willie Eglinton, some years since, I heard in the first moments of our interview raps upon a table standing near us. I said to him, “Do you hear those raps?” He replied, “I heard sounds, but I think they were in the street.” I laid my hand on the table; the raps became distinct; I called the alphabet, and Jesse B. Ferguson spelt out his name and a wish to have a séance with us and materialise. Willie Eglinton said, “All my time is engaged.” Soon afterwards there came a ring at the door bell, and a note was handed Willie from a person relinquishing a séance. He then said to me, “I can sit for you.”
The séance was held in a cottage at a high point on Malvern Hills. There were present, beside the medium, two men and five women. We first excluded light from without, then hung a shawl between us and Willie, and lighted one candle. Presently I saw a child, apparently about two years old, standing in front of the shawl. The child disappeared, and an Indian girl (North American Indian, with whom I have been familiar) appeared. She seemed twelve or thirteen years old. She rose about the middle of the room, and I said, “I wish she would come to me.” She came at once, and, as the sofa on which I sat was some distance from the wall, she came between the back of the sofa and the wall. She had a deal of thin white muslin over her, which looked hardly appropriate to her brown, hard, Indian face. She took my hand, and said, as she kissed it, “I love you; I love your hand that gives.” I remember thinking at the time that the baby had grown to be this Indian girl. She was known to some in the circle as one of Willie Eglinton's familiars, and they called her “Daisy.” Afterwards I got well acquainted with her, and I said to her on one occasion, “Daisy, did you grow from a baby the first night I saw you?” She seemed much surprised and answered, “I no grow; I Daisy; I no baby; I Daisy.”
It was plain that Daisy had no understanding of the extent of my credence. After she disappeared, we were asked to put out our one candle. When we were in the dark, the husband <... continues on page 12-180 >
Editor's notes
Sources
-
Light, v. 2, No. 61, March 4, 1882, p. 102