th Mrs Piper. It was arranged that Mrs Sidgwick, who stayed at
home, should do something specially marked during the sitting. Mrs Piper
was to be asked to describe it, to prove her power of seeing at a
distance. Phinuit, when questioned, replied, "She is sitting in a large
chair, she is talking to another lady, and she is wearing something on
her head." These details were perfectly correct. Mrs Sidgwick was
sitting in a large chair, talking to Miss Alice Johnson, and she had a
blue handkerchief on her head. However, Phinuit was wrong about the
description of the room in which this happened.
FOOTNOTES:
[12] For detailed report of these sittings see _Proc. of S.P.R._, vol.
vi.
[13] At the first sitting in Liverpool there was some talk of a sea
captain. Phinuit, who was rather fond of nicknames, jocularly attached
the epithet "Captain" to Professor Lodge.
[14] _I.e._, "As I entered the medium's organism."
[15] Here Phinuit is supposed to be reporting in the first person words
of Aunt Anne, treated as if present.
[16] Of a future life.
[17] Phinuit seems to have left, and Mr E. takes his place. This Mr E.
was an intimate friend of Professor Lodge; he had appeared at a
preceding sitting and had offered proofs of his identity, which were
verified later. Professor Lodge recognised his mode of address. Phinuit,
we remember, always addressed Professor Lodge as "Captain."
[18] The investigation into psychic matters.
[19] In accordance with a statement previously made by Phinuit.
[20] These changes in the medium's voice are very surprising. If there
is fraud in the case, Mrs Piper must be the most accomplished actress
who has hitherto appeared.
[21] _I.e._, still living.
[22] Mrs Lodge.
[23] Mrs Lodge's step-father.
[24] These assertions, that spirits return to the places they have lived
in, and unknown to us, do what they were accustomed to do, are very odd.
But the literature of the subject is full of such accounts.
[25] Mrs Lodge's father. Phinuit had alluded to this accident in a
previous sitting, but without being able to explain if it had happened
to Mrs Lodge's father or her step-father.
[26] In these communications the self-styled spirits always affirm that
the dead get farther and farther by degrees from our universe, in
accordance with time, and their own progress. The Stevenson episode,
referred to above, is described on page 71.
[27] _Proc. of S.P.R._, vol. vi. p. 467.
[28] _Ib
|