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

39During materialisation’s a ball of stuff appeared to me, the colour of terra-cotta; it had nofeatures whatever. As it was evidently intended to represent a head, I asked, “Are you Iola?”. Theball made a movement as if in assent. “Then please come round and speak to me.” The balldisappeared; a minute later a face appeared with the lower part all muffled up, as is often the casewith materialisation’s of women. Again I asked the same question, and the head bowed assent.Later in the evening the spirit came round to me and made her presence known in an unmistakablemanner. The professional Clairvoyante, Mrs. Fairclough Smith, was one of the sitters; sheinformed me when the séance was over that a lady (description good) was standing behind me allthe evening.March 20, 1905. Circle of fourteen people.Two of the sitters were a good old German Jew and his niece. A voice came from the darknessspeaking to them in Hebrew; four or five materialisation’s appeared to them, all eventuallyrecognised, and a favourite hymn was played on the zither. There was also, on this evening, anIndian, who spoke rapidly and fluently in Hindustani. Iola manifested to me outside the circle, theslate being held for her by Uncle. I was sitting between Mrs. Husk and Mrs. Fairclough Smith;and the latter gave a correct description of my guide, but her name was never mentioned.,March 28, 1905. Circle of twelve people.John King gripped me by the left shoulder, and told me he had been “hunting up old records” andfound out that he succeeded Lynch as Governor of Jamaica. There was a Richard Morgan whocame before him as Governor; and the names were sometimes confused. He believed that he (SirHenry) was Governor three separate times – not consecutively – but the would make furtherinquiries. (I have not been able to find out if this is correct – W.U.M.)Mrs. Husk told me that the spirit lady, who had attended at the circle before, was floating,as it were, behind me. I asked her to find out her name; n]and about ten minutes later she gave methe earth-name of Iola – not that by which she was called by me, but the name she was called byonly one or two members of the family. Uncle came up and told me that Mrs. Husk had got thename clairaudiently. After the departure of John King, the figure gradually faded away.A lady was sitting on my right, who was greeted by name by John King. I asked her whenshe had last seen him, and she said: “Two years ago.” The memory of this control is trulyremarkable, as I have often found out myself.Joey spoke when Husk was out of trance; and as Husk was being led downstairs, Uncle was heardto say: “You ought to have a sentinel here.” This was an allusion to a fumbling at the door duringthe séance.April 3 1905. A circle of fifteen people.There were three irreconcilable sceptics present, and it was somewhat extraordinary that theséance was as successful as it was. The only indication of want of harmony was a change in theusual order of presentation of the phenomena. Three materialisation’s took place as soon as Unclehad made himself known, and the voice of the Cardinal and the tunes on the zither were not heardtill after these forms had collapsed. The phenomenon that Uncle calls the “striking proof” wasmuch in evidence on this evening. The spirit holding the tubes touches lightly the head of a sitter,and almost immediately afterwards the ceiling of the room. The tube is then dropped upon thetable. In its fall it does not touch either the hands of the sitters or the illuminated slates or thezither on the table’ it alights on the table itself, and rebounds for a short distance. Two of thesceptics were give the “striking proof”, and the tube was laid over their arms when the solos weresung, to show that it was not used for assistance during the singing. There were some twentymaterialisation’s during the evening, most of which were recognised.April 4, 1905. Circle of fifteen people.On this evening, very early in the séance, soon after Uncle had made himself known, my guidetouched me on the shoulder and gave me her earth name. I did not in the least expect her at thistime, and the manifestation so early was a great surprise.One lady of the society, who had made some mistake as to the time of the meeting, came withher daughter to the door. Finding that the séance had already begun, they remained outside, and