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CHAPTER XVI.

A STARTLING PROPHECY.

N the evening of September 26th last, a prophecy

was made in a circle by the spirit" Mrs. Eaton,"

the fulfillment of which will mark an epoch in the history of modern Spiritualism. She said that on Sunday, September 19th, 1875, in the Eddy circle-room, spirits would materialize themselves in a brightly lighted room, and deliver orations as in life, with persons sitting all about them on the platform. In short, by that time they would have so far overcome or changed the conditions of the manifestations, that the present annoying drawbacks to a perfect investigation of the phenomena would no longer exist. This will be very satisfactory to those who may follow after me, but it comes too late to be of any service to myself. I have had to feel my way to a conclusion through darkened rooms, and at such a physical distance from the cabinet and its occupants, that I have been like a blind man in a strange city. But, nevertheless, as even he may fare on to his journey's end, if he but tread cautiously and make sure of his foothold before venturing to take the next step, so, in spite of all difficulties,

248

A TEST SUGGESTED.

I feel as if, after moving at snail's pace for two months, the goal were in sight at last.

Did ever a wiseacre “muscular contraction” theorist hear a spirit speak? Has Dr. Carpenter ever known of "unconscious cerebration" imparting speech to a re-incarnated ghost? Did Sir William Hamilton ever know of "Pre-conscious Activity of the Mind," or "Latent Thought" covering itself with a corporeal shape, and give voice to logic and rhetoric? If not, what business has either of them, to say nothing of the minnows who swim beside these great whales in the sea of thought, to pronounce ex cathedra judgment upon phenomena of which these Chittenden marvels are a part? I have heard a spirit talk—yes, a score of them, and in eight different languages, of which I understood three, so as to know what was said on both sides, while I have had the others translated to me. And on the evening of October 2d I heard one make a speech of five minutes. That afternoon, I had accompanied the artist to the graveyard to take a sketch of Mrs. Eddy's grave, and as we turned to come away I remarked to him, that it would be a good test of the genuineness of these Eddy manifestations, if the spirit of Mrs. Eddy would appear that night and make some allusion to our present visit. We agreed to keep the matter to ourselves and see what might come of it.

We reached home without meeting any person, and even if we had been seen, it would naturally be supposed that we had merely been taking one of our usual strolls. The evening came, and we met in the circle-room at the regular hour. The company numbered fourteen, and

A SPIRIT-ORATOR.

249

nine spirits showed themselves. The first was old William Brown, who spoke a few words to his son; then a middle-aged lady named Maria Ann Clarke, dressed in dark clothing; then a Mrs. Griswold, who was murdered in Vermont not long ago, and who, upon the occasion of a former visit to this circle-room, gave all the details of the crime to an old friend of hers, a Mr. Wilkins, who was present. Then forth stepped Mrs. Eddy herself, and stood there silent and motionless, looking at the artist and myself, who sat together. She bowed and retired, and we exchanged glances as though not satisfied with the test; but immediately the spirit returned, and evidently addressing her discourse to us, said: "Death, where is thy sting? Grave, where is thy victory?" I had expected her to speak in the whispered accents of old Mrs. Pritchard, Maggie Brown, and certain other lady-spirits, but she pitched her voice so high and spoke so loud, that she might have been heard in the largest auditorium in New York city.

The surprise was so great that the unexpected sound thrilled me to the marrow, and I sat staring through the gloom at the woman as I never did at a speaker before or since. She was of a large frame, and had the ample figure that is represented in the portrait published with a former chapter. She wore a white waist and dark skirt. Her hair was in ringlets, as I discovered when she bent forward in profile, in the animation of her discourse. She said, addressing me: "Your writings are true, and be assured the Truth will prevail. A thousand spirits are watching your every step, and wishing you Godspeed. They see the rapid spread of Truth upon earth; and they and a countless host besides

250

MRS. EDDY'S OPINIONS.

are helping it on. Go on, my friend; we will welcome you in gratitude and joy when you come to the other world, for daring to tell the truth, and helping to disseminate it. I thank you for your kindness to my children, who have suffered so much and so long for the good cause." It is needless to say that, barring all compliments, I needed no stenographer to fix upon my memory this astounding address, of which I have given only a fragment. She spoke of her own sufferings and trials upon earth, and denounced with bitter and unstinted anger all who slander and persecute mediums, especially her own children. Her remarks showed very clearly the deep, and hardly eradicable impression made upon her soul by the treatment she received while living here, and the case offers a subject for the thoughtful consideration of psychologists.

As the question of personal identity is one of paramount importance, at any rate in a case of this kind, let me remark that the figure was plainly that of a woman, to say nothing of the voice, which, while partaking of the strong Vermont provincial accent of the whole family, was sharp and in a high key—the key of a female voice. Moreover, the lady was recognized by sundry of her former acquaintances in the room, who greeted her; in addition to her children, of whom, there were two present. I have seen this lady several times, and heard her make several speeches. In one of these she said: "I am the mother of these mediums, and they are the children of my body. I want this understood. I want it known that this is no fraud, but a real exhibition of spirit-power and spiritual existence.