Glimpses Of The Next State.Pdf - Spiritualists' National Union

118It is necessary to state here that there is a great difference between the language of theaverage American and Englishman; it shows itself in the idioms used, in pronunciation, accent, andspecially In intonation Even among intellectual Americans true English is not usually spoken westof New York. I do not remember, for instance, ever having heard the word “Yes,” though I haveoften heard as substitutes “ Eyah,” “Yah,” “ Yup,” and “Yap.” Now, during this seance, theBrighton surgeon, Sir A. G., “Clytina,” and Iola spoke pure English; the friends of Mr. Hodgesspoke Yankee, as was natural. My companion was much struck with this feature in the seance, and,after Iola had been talking for some time, involuntarily exclaimed, “No American lady ever spokelike that! “ Neither the psychic nor her control speak good English. The voices, as I have said, werenot the voices of my friends, hut the nationality of each speaker was apparent.Mr. Hodges had not met the psychic, Mrs. Wriedt, for years. The positive condition inducedby over-anxiety to communicate was never more apparent in my investigations than in Mrs.Wriedt’s seances. At first, with some communicators, the name would run off into a confused,blurred sound, and it was not till after several attempts that it could be made out properly.January 10, 1909, 11.10 a.m. to 12.10. p.m.(85) I asked Mrs. Wriedt if it mattered where she sat. She said, “Not in the least “; so Irequested her to sit close to me on my left. The room, as usual, was pitch-dark; the only time I triedto hear voices in the light was on my first visit. The trumpet was about two feet in front of us.After we had been sitting talking together for ten minutes, various patches of cloudappeared, and wreaths of stuff of the consistency of cigar-smoke; once a luminous patch. Thepsychic said she saw an old lady facing us, but the illumination was not bright enough for me toidentify it. This soon faded away, and I could see nothing but the door and walls, which I was ableto make out through my temporarily clairvoyant vision. After a lapse of ten minutes a hoarse voicecalled through the trumpet, “Sir Walter,” as I thought. After many questions, and some vexationexpressed by the spirit, I found out that my visitor was a friend—Sir W. W.—who had passed overin 1905. After a time he began to speak more clearly, and said “he had died in Africa, where hewent to do his duty.” (Correct.) He had felt unwell before leaving England.Q.: “Yes; you went to Bath and Aix-les-Bains.”A.: “When I was at Bath I remember crossing the bridge and thinking, ‘I wonder if Ishall ever see this place again?’ But I little thought that I should go so soon.”Q.: “How is Lady W.?”A.: “She is very well.”Q.: “Your daughter was stopping with me not long since.”A.: “Yes, I know; she takes an interest in the subject you are studying.” (As far as Iknow, this is incorrect.)Q.: “I have met your son Z. recently.”A.: “Yes, he is a fine young man. Do you remember my writing to you from Africa ?”Q.: “No, you did not write to me—perhaps to F.?”A.: “Ah! Very likely it was to him.”Q.: “Can you see what F. is doing?”A.: “Oh yes; he is doing well.”Q.: “Do you remember going with me to Husk ?”A.: “Yes, quite well.”Q.: “You did not care about him, but he is a medium ?”A.: “Yes, he is; but I did not like his personality.”Q.: “Do you remember what you said about him going to the railway station ?”A.: “Humbug.” (Correct.)I could not get, clearly, the place where this spirit died. The word was blurred; I heard theword “Government,” I thought, and “Sir G.” If I took this in correctly, it is a first-rateidentification, for he passed over in a government building at that time occupied by a Sir D. G. Hewas evidently in a befogged condition. He admitted that he had opposed me on the subject ofspiritism, but had now found out his error; he also declared that he wished his wife could reach aknowledge of such things, but he knew she would not until she ‘‘ came over.