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

147dollar; but, once a week, she gives a public seance, when nobody is expected to pay more thanhalf-a-dollar. It is on these occasions that the poor are often invited to join the circle without payingany fee.Mrs. Wriedt cannot obtain phenomena when sitting by herself. About twelve years ago shewas asked, as an experiment, to sit with seven deaf mutes from Flint, Michigan. No one in the roomcould utter an articulate word except herself. Two of the sitters were frightened because they weretouched by the trumpet; no other results were obtained. Of course, it was not to be expected thatthe sitters would hear anything; but the point of the story is, that the psychic did not hear a wordherself. If there is but one child in the room, who can prattle and hear normally, manifestationstake place.My experiences with this wonderful medium in 1909 were insignificant compared with thoseon this, my third, visit to America. All my relatives that I wished to hear from spoke to me at sometime or the other, touching upon all sorts of subjects of family interest. Iola talked daily atconsiderable length, often standing before me, a radiant figure in white garments but featuresinvisible, clearly enunciating her sentences in pure English. As I have said in a previous chapter,Mrs. Wriedt speaks Yankee; English was not spoken by any spirit friends of American sitters. Mostof my sittings were with the psychic alone, when Iola would manifest and explain matters whichhappened as much as fifty years ago.When I was a boy, a family tangle took place which puzzled me very much. Up to this time(1911) I had not even suspected the real truth. My guide, in the course of four or five interviews,solved the enigma, and brought three witnesses from spirit life who spoke at some length to provethat she was right. Dates were given and motives explained. I possessed just sufficient knowledge ofwhat had taken place at that time to be able to assure myself—now that light was thrown uponcertain incidents—that all they said was true. No one living knows anything about it except myself;but I am certain that the explanation, given with great earnestness and wealth of detail, by thesevisitants from the next state of consciousness, is the correct one.If I had no other experience to record in support of the doctrines of spiritism, this story, toldin clear accents and exhibiting intimate knowledge of terrene life, with all its mistakes and failures,would have been sufficient to settle my belief for ever. It might form the subject-matter of a novelwith a good moral.Before giving an account of my sittings with Mrs. Wriedt, I will endeavour to describe theroutine of an average day in her house.At 6 a.m., she and her husband rise, see to the work of the house and prepare breakfast.Breakfast about 8 or 8.30. Mrs. Wriedt clears away the table and proceeds to do the rooms. Atelephone bell rings. Perhaps Mr. Wriedt is able to answer it; more likely he has gone out to do theshopping. “Is that Mrs. Wriedt?” “Yes.” “Can you give me a sitting ?” “I am sorry to say I am notable to see anyone for ten days.” “Can you not see me for half-an-hour ?“ “No, madam.” “What doyou charge for a sitting?” “One dollar.” “Waal, I guess a really good sitting is worth one dollar!”Then Mrs. Wriedt goes upstairs to her rooms. Knock at the front door. “Can I see Mrs. Wriedt ?”“No, sir; I am Mrs. Wriedt, and I am full of engagements for ten days.” After some attempt atpersuasion this visitor departs. The rooms being finished, say by 10.30, Mrs. Wriedt assures herselfthat her husband is in the house, and then comes to me: “Admiral, I think now we can have asitting, and we will have another, if you wish, this evening.” We sit, say for forty-five minutes. ThenMrs. Wriedt prepares the dinner, lays the table and answers, perhaps, two or three telephone calls;sometimes these calls are requests for sittings, but not infrequently chats with friends who are introuble, and sure of the immediate sympathy of the psychic. Dinner at twelve or soon after. At halfpastone, after the table is cleared, Mrs. Wriedt attires herself for the afternoon. At a quarter to twoor two o’clock a party is let in for a seance, promised days before, and remains an hour or an hourand a half. During this time two or three people are admitted into the drawing-room by Mr. Wriedtto wait their turn. Telephone calls answered by Mr. Wriedt at the rate of about one every hour. Thefirst sitters having departed, the second group are taken upstairs (no interval between), andanother seance takes place. Mr. Wriedt comes to have a chat, and we both hear distinctly the loudvoice of “Dr. Sharp,” the control (forty feet off), through the locked door of the séance room.Possibly Mrs. Wriedt is then able to give me a half-hour conversation with my friends in the next