THE BOOK WAS DRENCHED ro <OU_1 64357 >ES ^ CO OSMANIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Gall No./3"V Accession No. Author Title This book should be returned on or before the date last marked below. RAYMOND BY THE SAME AUTHOR THE SUBSTANCE OF FAITH, ALLIED WITH SCIENCB MAN AND THE UNIVERSE THE SURVIVAL OF MAN REASON AND BELIEF MODERN PROBLEMS THE WAR AND AFTER RAYMOND, REVISED RELATIVITY : A VERY ELEMENTARY EXPOSITION ALSO PIONEERS OF SCIENCE (MACMILLAN) ELEMENTARY MECHANICS (CHAMBERS) EASY MATHEMATICS (MACMILLAN, out of print} CONTINUITY (DENT) ELECTRONS (BELL) LIGHTNING CONDUCTORS, BTC. (WHITTAKBR) THE ETHER OF SPACE (HARPER, out of print) MODERN VIEWS OF MATTER (CLARENDON PRESS) CHRISTOPHER (CASSELL) PARENT AND CHILD (FUNK & WAGNALLS) MODERN VIEWS OF ELECTRICITY (MACMILLAN, out of print) SIGNALLING WITHOUT WIRES (" ELECTRICIAN " Co.) LIFE AND MATTER (WILLIAMS & NORGATE) SCHOOL TEACHING (WILLIAMS & NORGATB) ATOMS AND RAYS (BENN) MAKING OF MAN (HODDER & STOUGHTON) ETHER AND REALITY (HODDER & STOUGHTON) ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATION (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS) RAYMOND OR LIFE AND DEATH WITH EXAMPLES OF THE EVIDENCE FOR SURVIVAL OF MEMORY AND AFFECTION AFTER DEATH BY SIR OLIVER J. LODGE WITH KIGHTKKN ILLUSTRATIONS THIRTEENTH EDITION METHUEN & GO. LTD. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON First Published Nwrntfifr 2nd iQtb Second, Third, and Fourth Editions . November iQi6 Fifth and Sixth Editions . . A . . . December iQib Seventh Edition February /0/7 Eighth Edition July IQIJ Ninth Edition July rgrS Tenth Edition, with Addendum . . December [<)iS Elwenth Edition May iqiq Tivelfth Edition .... December IQIQ Thirteenth Edition /Qs6 PKIMTVD IK GRAT BRITAIN RAYMOND TO HIS MOTHER AND FAMILY WITH GRATITUDE FOR PERMISSION TO USE PRIVATE MATERIAL IOR PUBLIC ENDS "Divine must be That triumph, when the very worst, the pain, And even the prospect of our brethren slain, Hath something in it which the heart enjoys." WORDSWORTH, Sonnet xxvi PREFACE THIS book is named after my son who was killed in the War. It is divided into three parts. In the first part some idea of the kind of life lived and the spirit shown by any number of youths, fully engaged in civil occupations, who joined for service when war broke out and went to the Front, is illustrated by extracts from his letters. The object of this portion is to engender a friendly feeling towards the writer of the letters, so that whatever more has to be said in the sequel may not have the inevitable dullness of details concerning an entire stranger. This is the sole object of this portion. The letters are not sup- posed to be remarkable ; though as a picture of part of the life at the Front during the 1915 phase of the war they are interesting, as many other such letters must have been. The second part gives specimens of what at present are considered by most people unusual communications ; though these again are in many respects of an ordinary type, and will be recognised as such by other bereaved persons who have had similar messages. In a few par- ticulars, indeed, those here quoted haVe rather special features, by reason of the assistance given by the group of my friends " on the other side " who had closely studied the subject. It is partly owing to the urgency therein indicated that I have thought it my duty to speak out, though it may well be believed that it is not without hesi- tation that I have ventured thus to obtrude family affairs. I should not have done so were it not that the amount of premature and unnatural bereavement at the present time ril viii RAYMOND is so appalling that the pain caused by exposing one's own sorrow and its alleviation, to possible scoffers, becomes almost negligible in view of the service which it is legitimate to hope may thus be rendered to mourners, if they can derive comfort by learning that communication across the gulf is possible. Incidentally I have to thank those friends, some of them previously unknown, who have in the same spirit allowed the names of loved ones to appear in this book, and I am grateful for the help which one or two of those friends have accorded. Some few more perhaps may be thus led, to pay critical attention to any assurance of continued and happy and useful existence which may reach them from the other side. The third part of the book is of a more expository character, and is designed to help people in general to realise that this subject is not the bugbear which ignorance and prejudice have made it, that it belongs to a coherent system of thought full of new facts of which continued study is necessary, that it is subject to a law and order of its own, and that though comparatively in its infancy it is a genuine branch of psychological science. This third part is called " Life and Death," because these are the two great undeniable facts which concern everybody, and in which it is natural for every one to feel a keen interest, if they once begin to realise that such interest is not futile, and that it is possible to learn something real about them. It may be willingly admitted that these chapters are in- adequate to the magnitude of the subject, but it is hoped that they are of a usefully introductory character. The " In Memoriam " chapter of Part I is no doubt chiefly of interest to family and friends ; but everybody is very friendly, and under the circumstances it will be excused EXPLANATORY ADDENDUM TO THE TENTH EDITION I PROPOSE to take advantage of the opportunity afforded by a new edition to make a short explanation or commentary, which may incidentally meet some of the objections raised by the more reasonable type of critic one who is willing to devote some time and attention to a book in order to arrive at the real meaning. The main object of a book like this is to help to bring comfort to bereaved persons, especially to those who have been bereaved by war. I do not indeed recommend all sorts of people to visit mediums or try to investigate the subject for themselves. If they do, it must be on their own responsibility. When sane people desire, on sound and good motives and in a reasonable spirit, to gain first-hand experience, in the hope of thereby mitigating their sorrow, there are people who do their best to help them ; but it is unwise to take the responsibility of urging such a course upon an unknown stranger. And some should be dissuaded. Nevertheless, a considerable number of bereaved people have been helped, who knew nothing of the subject before- hand. People in genuine distress have gone with careful recommendation and instructions to a reputable medium, quite anonymously, and have got into touch unmistakably with their departed. This has happened in numerous and some noteworthy cases. The result has been a considerable addition to the bulk of cumulative evidence in favour of the genuineness of the phenomenon, and incidentally of the power of mediums who normally knew nothing whatever about their visitors, but who in trance gave many intimate family details. It is absurd to suppose that people who had x RAYMOND never been to a medium of any kind were recognised ; still more absurd to suppose that every anonymous stranger is personally known and has been looked up. The best mediums are simple straightforward people, anxious to do the best they can with their strange gift for the help of people in sorrow. Occasionally individuals may be encountered who pretend to powers which they do not possess, or who eke, out their waning power by fraud ; but in so far as these imitators are fraudulent they are not genuine mediums. If inexperienced novices go to charlatans who advertise by sandwich-men and other devices, they deserve what they get. On the other hand, I have not usually found bereaved people too ready to be convinced. Some are ; some are foolish enough to give things away in a careless manner ; but as a rule it is a mistake to suppose that people who are really seeking for evidence are ready to be misled. They are often quite critical, and reasonably cautious. Their anxiety sometimes makes them even excessively anxious not to be deceived in so vitalty important a matter. And even after they have had quite good evidence, they sometimes go back on it very naturally and become sceptical again. Many years of experience were needed in my own case before I was ready to admit the cumulative outcome of the whole body of evidence as finally conclusive. Concerning the particular case of my son Raymond, I have had many further talks with him since the book was published : but the stress and anxiety to communicate has subsided. The wish to give scientific evidence remains, but, now that the fact of survival and happy employment is established, the communications are placid like an occasional letter home. He has, however, been successful in bringing to their parents a number of youths whom he knew before death, and the weight of evidence has accordingly heavily increased. A few minor supplementary notes will be found in this edition on pages 150 and 270. I hope that in time, when the possibility is recognised and taken under the wing of religion, that people will not need individual and specific messages to assure them of the EXPLANATORY ADDENDUM xi well-being of their loved ones. They will, I hope, be able to feel assured that what has been proved true of a few must be true of all, under the same general circumstances. Moreover, it is to be hoped that they will be able to receive help and comfort and a sense of communion through their own powers, in peaceful times, without strain or special effort and without vicarious inedi^tion. , The power, or sensitiveness, or whatever it ought to be called, seems to be a good deal commoner than people think. I anticipate that in most families there will be found one member who may be able to help others to some knowledge in this direction. Elaborate proof is necessary at first, as it has been in connexion with many now recognised and familiar things, such as the position of the earth in the solar system, but when once a fact or doctrine is generally accepted, people settle down in acceptance and enjoyment of the general belief, without each striving after exceptional experience for himself. The inertia of the human mind and of the body-politic is considerable : right beliefs take time to enter, and wrong beliefs take time to disappear ; but periods of anxiety and doubt and controversy do not last as a per- manent condition. They represent a phase through which we have to go. One difficulty which good people feel, about allowing themselves to take comfort from the evidence, is the attitude of the Church to it, and the fear that we are encroaching on dangerous and forbidden ground. I have no wish to shirk the ecclesiastical point of view : it is indeed important, for the Church has great influence. But I must claim that Science can pay no attention to ecclesiastical notice-boards ; we must examine wherever we can, and I do not agree that any region of inquiry can legitimately be barred out by authority. Occasionally the accusation is made that the phenomena we encounter are the work of devils ; and we are challenged to say how we know that they are not of evil character. To that the only answer is the ancient one " by their fruits." I will not elaborate it. St. Paul gave a long list of the fruits of the Spirit. Yet I do not mean to say that xii RAYMOND no precautions need be taken, and that everything connectec with the subject is wholly good : I do not regard as wholl] good any activity of man. Even the pursuit of Science cai be prostituted to evil ; as we see now only too clearly ii the war. Everything human can be used and can be abused I have to speak in platitudes to answer these objections they are often quite unworthy of the sacred name of religion they savour of professionalism. Chief Priests were always ready to attribute anything done without their sanction t( the power of Beelzebub. The Bishop of Beauvais denouncec Joan of Arc's voices as diabolic. It is a very ancient accusa tioa. In the light of historical instances, it is an over flattering one : I wish to give no other answer. Concerning the substance of the communications receivec from the other side, perhaps the most difficult portion ii the account given of the similarity of the conditions ai described ' over there ' to the conditions existing on th< earth ; and it is asked, how can that be possible ? I reply in all probability because of the identity of the observer I do not dogmatise on the point, but I conceive that in sc far as people remain themselves, their power of interpreta- tion will be similar to what it used to be here. Hence ir whatever way we interpret a material world here and now so, in like manner, are we likely to interpret an etherial work through senses not altogether dissimilar in effect, howevei they differ in detail. Surely the external world, as we perceive it, is largelj dependent on our powers of perception and interpretation So is a picture, or any work of art. The thing in itself whatever that means can hardly be known to us. I admil it is a difficult proposition, but the evidence is fairly con- sistent on this point ever since Swedenborg, the next work is always represented as surprisingly like this ; and thougl: that obviously lends itself to scepticism, I expect it corre- sponds to some sort of reality. It looks almost as if thai world were an etherial counterpart of this : or else as if we were all really in one world all the time, only they see the etherial aspect of it and we see the material. The clue tc all this seems to depend on the similarity or rather the EXPLANATORY ADDENDUM xiii identity of the observer. A nerve centre interprets or presents to the mind each stimulus in the specific way to which it has become accustomed, whatever the real nature of the stimulus ; a blow on the eye, or a pressure on the retina, is interpreted as light. To come to smaller details. If the accusation has been brought that such things as smoking and drinking are re- presented as in vogue on the other side, it is unjustified and untrue. A statement detached from its context is often misleading. What is revealed in my book, if it has any trustworthy significance, implies clearly and decisively that they do not thus occupy their time ; nor are any such things natural to their surroundings. Nothing but common sense is needed to understand the position. If there is a com- munity over there, it cannot be a fixed and stationary one, new-comers must be continually arriving. My son is re- presented as stating that when people first come over, and are in a puzzled state of mind, hardly knowing where they are, they ask for all sorts of unreasonable things ; and that the lower kind are still afflicted with the desires of earth. After all, this is really orthodox moral teaching, or I am much mistaken ; it is one of the warnings held out to sensual persons that their desires may persist and become part of their punishment. Imagine an assembly of clergymen in some Retreat, where they give themselves to meditation and good works, and then imagine a traveller mistaking their hostel for an hotel and asking for a whisky and soda. Would that mean that alcoholic drinks were natural to the surroundings and part of the atmosphere of the place ? Would not the feeling aroused by the request mean just the contrary ? The book says that in order to wean these new-comers from sordid and unsuitable though comparatively innocuous tastes, the policy adopted is not to forbid and withhold a policy which might over-inflame and prolong the desire but to take steps to satisfy it in moderation until the new-comers of their own free will and sense perceive the unsuitability, and overcome the relics of earthly craving ; which they do very soon. c xiv RAYMOND Whether the statement be accepted as true or not, or as containing some parabolic element of truth, I see nothing derogatory in it ; and the process of weaning may be wise. It must be admitted, however, that games and songs are spoken of, and I have heard it claimed that " spirits of just men made perfect " ought not to be occupied in any such commonplace ways, even during their times of relaxation. To this I reply that when perfection or saintliness is attained that may be true : it is not a subject on which I am a judge. Games and exercises are harmless and beneficial here, even for good people ; and surely if young fellows remain them- selves, games and exercise and songs will not seem alien to them at any rate not for some time. People seem hardly to realise all that survival with persistent character and personal identity must really involve. It is surely clear that the majority of people, whether in this or in another life, are just average men and women, and neither saints nor devils ; and ecclesiastical teaching has surely erred in leading people to suppose that the act of death converts them into one or the other. Progress and development are conspicu- ously the law of the Universe. Evolution is always gradual. Youths shot out of the trenches fine fellows as they are are not likely to become saints all at once. They cannot be reasonably spoken of as " just men made perfect." Let a little common sense into the subject, and remember the continuity of existence and of personal identity. Do not suppose that death converts a person into something quite different. Happier and holier, pleasanter and better, the surroundings may be, than on earth ; there is admittedly room for improvement ; but sudden perfection is not for the likes of us. It is, after all, highly unlikely that the experience of everybody on that side is the same : the few saints of the race may have quite a different experience : the few diabolical ruffians must have a different one again. I have not been in touch with either of these classes. There are many grades, many states of being ; and each goes to his own place. If it is urged by orthodox critics that the penitent thief went to heaven, I reply, Not at all. According to the EXPLANATORY ADDENDUM xv record he went to Paradise, which is different. A sort of Garden of Eden, apparently, is meant by the word, something not too far removed from earth. As far as I can make out, the ancient writers thought of it as a place or state not very different from what in the book is called " Summerland." Against this it may be urged that Christ himself could not have stayed, even for a time, at an intermediate or com- paratively low stage. But I see no reason to suppose that he exempted himself from any condition appropriate to a full-bodied humanity. Surely he would carry it through completely. Judging from the Creed, which I suppose clerical critics accept, they appear to hold that Christ even descended at first descended into hades or the underworld, doubtless on some high missionary effort. Anyhow and quite clearly the record says that for forty days he remained in touch with earth, presumably in the state called Paradise, occasionally appearing or communicating with survivors again after the manner of transitional humanity. And only after that sojourn, for our benefit, did he ascend to some lofty state, far above anything attainable by thieves however penitent, or by our young soldiers however magnificent and self-sacrificing. After aeons of progress have elapsed, they may gradually progress thither. Meanwhile they are happier and more at home in Paradise. There they find themselves still in touch with earth, not really separated from those left behind, still able actively to help and serve. There is nothing supine about the rest and joy into which they have entered. Under their young energy, strengthened by the love which rises towards them like a blessing, the traditional barrier between the two states is suffering violence, is being taken by force. A band of eager workers is constructing a bridge, is opening a way for us across the chasm ; communication is already easier and more frequent than ever before ; and in the long run we may feel assured that all this present suffering and bereave- ment will have a beneficent outcome for humanity. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE . . . . . . vii EXPLANATORY ADDENDUM TO THE TENTH EDITION ix PART I NORMAL PORTION CHAP. I. IN MKMORIAM . . . . .3 II. LETTERS FROM THB FRONT . . . .15 III. LETTERS FROM OFFICERS . . . -73 PART II SUPERNORMAL PORTION INTRODUCTION . . . . .83 I. ELEMENTARY EXPLANATION . .86 II. THE ' FAUNUS ' MESSAGE . . . .90 III. SEQUEL TO THE ' FAUNUS ' MESSAGE . . 96 IV. THE GROUP PHOTOGRAPH . . . .105 V. BEGINNING OF HISTORICAL RECORD . 117 VI. FIRST SITTING OF O. J. L. WITH MRS. LEONARD 125 VII. FIRST PETERS SITTING (ANONYMOUS) . .129 VIII. A TABLE SITTING . . . . . 137 IX. ATTEMPTS AT STRICTER EVIDENCE- . -151 X. RECORD CONTINUED . . , . .158 XI. FIRST SITTING OF ALEC . . . .162 XII. GENERAL REMARKS ON CONVERSATIONAL REPORTS AND ON CROSS-CORRESPONDENCES . . 171 XIII. AN O. J. L. SITTING WITH PETERS . . 174 XIV. FIRST SITTING OF LIONEL (ANONYMOUS) . . 180 XV. M. F. A. L. SITTING OF NOVEMBER 26 . 188 XVI. O. J. L. SITTING OF DECEMBER 3 . 191 xvii xviii RAYMOND CHAP. PAGB XVII. K. K. AUTOMATIC WRITING . . . 205 XVIII. FIRST SITTING OF ALEC WITH MRS. LEONARD . 208 XIX. PRIVATE SITTINGS AT MARIEMONT . 217 XX. A FEW MORE RECORDS, WITH SOME UN VERIFIABLE MATTER ..... 226 XXI. Two EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS OF MARCH 3 . . 237 XXII. MORE UNVERIFIABLE MATTER . . . 262 XXIII. A FEW ISOLATED INCIDENTS . . 271 PART III LIFE AND DEATH INTRODUCTION ..... 283 I. THE MEANING OF THE TERM LIFE . . . 289 II. THE MEANING OF THE TERM DEATH . . 296 III. DEATH AND DECAY ..... 302 IV. CONTINUED EXISTENCE .... 308 V. PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE . . .312 VI. INTERACTION OF MIND AND MATTER . . 317 VII. ' RESURRECTION OF THE BODY ' . . 322 VIII. MIND AND BRAIN ..... 326 IX. LIFE AND CONSCIOUSNESS .... 332 X. ON MEANS OF COMMUNICATION . . . 338 XL ON THE FACT OF SUPERNORMAL COMMUNICATION . 345 XII. ON THE CONTENTION THAT ALL PSYCHIC COM- MUNICATIONS ARE OF A TRIVIAL NATURE AND DEAL WITH INSIGNIFICANT TOPICS . . 349 XIII. ON THE MANNER OF COMMUNICATION . -355 XIV. VARIOUS PSYCHO-PHYSICAL METHODS . . 362 XV. ATTITUDE OF THE WISE AND PRUDENT . . 367 XVI. OUTLOOK ON THE UNIVERSE . . . 374 XVII. THE CHRISTIAN IDDA OF GOD . > . 378 INDEX ....... 397 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS RAYMOND ...... Frontispiece FACING PAGE RAYMOND WHEN Two YEARS OLD . . .8 RAYMOND, 1915 . . . . . .80 GROUP OF OFFICERS, AS SENT us BY MRS. CHEVES ON DECEMBER 7, 1915, SHOWING AN ARM RESTING ON RAYMOND'S SHOULDER . . . . .112 ANOTHER EDITION OF THE GROUP-PHOTOGRAPH, WITH LEG TOUCHING SHOULDER INSTEAD OF HAND . .114 GROUP SUBSEQUENTLY OBTAINED, EVIDENTLY TAKEN AT THE SAME TIME, BUT PRESSURE ON SHOULDER RE- MOVED . . . . . . .116 MARIEMONT ....... 224 RAYMOND AND BRODIE WITH THE PIGEONS AT MARIEMONT . 224 LARGE DOUBLE-COMPARTMENT TENT IN ITS FIRST FORM (1905) (BUILT AT MARIEMONT AND TAKEN TO WOOLA- COMBE) ....... 250 THE TENT IN ITS SECOND FORM (1906), MADE OUT OF THE REMAINS OF THE FIRST .... 250 FIRST EDITION OF THE SANDBOAT (1906) AT WOOLACOMBE, WITH ALEC ON BOARD . . . . .252 RISING GROUND BEHIND OLDER TENTS ON WOOLACOMBE BEACH ....... 252 f! GRANDFATHER W." . . . . .258 l! MR. JACKSON " WITH M. F. A. L. AT MARIEMONT . 258 SECOND EDITION OF SANDBOAT, AT MARIEMONT, BEFORE BEING UNSHIPPED AND TAKEN TO WOOLACOMBE, 1907 . 260 RAYMOND WORKING AT THE SANDBOAT IN THE BOYS' LABORATORY AT MARIEMONT .... 260 " CURLY " AND C! Vix." CURLY BEING THE SHAGGY ONE. Vix WAS THE MOTHER OF RAYMOND'S DOG " LARRY " . 278 RAYMOND IN HIS " NAGANT " MOTOR, 1913. OUTSIDE A FRIEND'S HOUSE IN SOMERSETSHIRE . . . 278 xix PART I NORMAL PORTION "And this to fill us with regard for man, With apprehension of his passing worth." BROWNING, Paracelsus T CHAPTER I IN MEMORIAM I HE bare facts are much as reported in The Times : SECOND LIEUTENANT RAYMOND LODGE was the youngest son of Sir Oliver and Lady Lodge, and was by taste and training an engineer. He volunteered for service in September 1914 and was at once given a commission in the $rd South Lancashires. After training near Liverpool and Edinburgh, he went to the Front in the early spring of 1915, attached to the 2nd South Lancashire Regiment of the Regular Army, and was soon in the trenches near Ypres or Hooge. His engineering skill was of service in details of trench construction, and he later was attached to a Machine-Gun Section for a time, and had various escapes from shell fire and shrapnel. His Captain having sprained an ankle, he was called back to Company work, and at the time of his death was in command of a Company engaged in some early episode of an attack or attempted advance which was then beginning. He was struck by a fragment of shell in the attack on Hooge Hill on the I4th September 1915, and died in a few hours. Raymond Lodge had been educated at Bedales School and Birmingham University. He had a great aptitude and love for mechanical engineering, and was soon to have become a partner with his elder brothers, who highly valued his services, and desired his return to assist in the Government work which now occupies their firm. In amplification of this bare record a few members of the family wrote reminiscences of him, and the following memoir is by his eldest brother ; RAYMOND LODGE (1889-1915) BY O. W. F. L. MOST lives have marriages, births of children, pro- ductive years ; but the lives of the defenders of their Country are short and of majestic simplicity. The obscure records of childhood, the few years of school and university and constructive and inventive work, and then the sudden sacrifice of all the promise of the future, of work, of home, of love ; the months of hard living and hard work well carried through, the cheerful humorous letters home making it out all very good fun ; and in front, in a strange ruined and desolate land, certain muti- lation or death. And now that death has come. Unto each man his handiwork, to each his crown, The just Fate gives ; Whoso takes the world's life on him and his own lays down, He, dying so, lives. 1 My brother was born at Liverpool on January 25th, 1889, and was at Bedales School for five or six years, and afterwards at Birmingham University, where he studied engineering and was exceptionally competent in the workshop. He went through the usual two years' practical training at the Wolseley Motor Works, and then entered his brothers' works, where he remained until he obtained a commission at the outbreak of war. His was a mind of rare stamp. It had unusual power, unusual quickness, and patience and understanding of difficulties in my experience unparalleled, so that he was 1 Swinburne; Super Flumina Babyhnis; Songs before Sunrise. 4 If* MEMORIAM 5 able to make anyone understand really difficult things. I think we were most of us proudest and most hopeful of him. Some of us, I did myself, sometimes took prob- lems technical or intellectual to him, sure of a wise and sound solution. Though his chief strength lay on the side of mechanical and electrical engineering it was not confined to that. He read widely, and liked good literature of an intellectual and witty but not highly imaginative type, at least I do not know that he read Shelley or much of William Morris, but he was fond of Fielding, Pope, and Jane Austen. Naturally he read Shakespeare, and I particularly associ- ate him with Twelfth Night, Love's Labour's Lost, and Henry the Fourth. Among novelists, his favourites, after Fielding and Miss Austen, were I believe Dickens and Reade ; and he frequently quoted from the essays and letters of Charles Lamb. 1 Of the stories of his early childhood, and his over- flowing vitality made many, I was too often from home to be able to speak at large. But one I may tell. Once when a small boy at Grove Park, Liverpool, he jumped out of the bath and ran down the stairs with the nurse after him, out of the front door, down one drive along the road and up the other, and was safely back in the bath again before the horrified nursemaid could catch up with him. [body of Memoir incomplete, and omitted here.] 1 Note by O. J. L. A volume of poems by O. W. F. L. had been sent to Raymond by the author; and this came back with his kit, inscribed on the title page in a way which showed that it had been appreciated I " Received at Wisques (Machine-Gun School), near St. Omer, France 12'* July 1915. Taken to camp near Poperinghe 13** July. To huts near Dickebusch 2 1 st July. To first-line trenches near St. Eloi, in front of ' The Mound of Death '24** July." 6 PART I CHAPTER I [Close of Memoir] That death is the end has never been a Christian doctrine, and evidence collected by careful men in our own day has, perhaps needlessly, upheld with weak props of experiment the mighty arch of Faith. Death is real and grievous, and is not to be tempered by the glossing timidities of those who would substitute journalese like " passing-on," " passing-over/ 1 etc., for that awful word : but it is the end of a stage, not the end of the journey. The road stretches on beyond that inn, and beyond our imagination, " the moonlit endless way." Let us think of him then, not as lying near Ypres with all his work ended, but rather, after due rest and refreshment, continuing his noble and useful career in more peaceful surroundings, and quietly calling us his family from intemperate grief to resolute and high endeavour. Indeed, it is not right that we should weep for a death like his. Rather let us pay him our homage in praise and imitation, by growing like him and by holding our lives lightly in our Country's service, so that if need be we may die like him. This is true honour and his best memorial. Not that I would undervalue those of brass or stone, for If vigorous they are good and worthy things. But fame illuminates memorials, and fame has but a narrow opening in a life of twenty-six years. Who shall remember him, who climb His all-unripened fame to wake, Who dies an age before his time ? But nobly, but for England's sake. Who will believe us when we cry He was as great as he was brave ? His name that years had lifted high Lies buried in that Belgian grave. O strong and patient, kind and true, Valiant of heart, and clear of brain They cannot know the man we knew, Our words go down the wind like rain. O, W. F. L. Tintern IN MEMORIAM EPITAPH ON THE MEMORIAL TABLET IN ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH, EDGBASTON REMEMBER RAYMOND LODGB SECOND LIEUTENANT SECOND SOUTH LANCASHIRE REGIMENT BELOVED SON OF SIR OLIVER AND LADY LODGE OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY. HE WAS BORN JANUARY 25 1889 AND WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN FLANDERS ABOUT NOON SEPTEMBER 14 IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1915 AGED 26 YEARS. Whoso bears the whole heaviness of the wronged world's weight And puts it by, It is well with him suffering, though he face man's fate ; How should he die ? Songs before Sunrise O REMINISCENCES BY O. J. F alt my sons, the yoiift|;est, when he was small, was most like jnyself at the same age. In bodily ap- iv pearance I could recognise the likeness to my eary self, as preserved in old photographs ; an old schoolfellow, of mine who knew me between the ages of eight and eleveilt visiting Mariemont in April 1904, remarked on it forcibly and at once, directly he saw Raymond then a schoolboy ; aild innumerable small mental traits in the bof recalled to me my childhood's feelings. Even an absurd diffi- culty he had as a child in saying the hard letters the hard G and K was markedly reminiscent of my own similar difficulty. Another peculiarity which we shared in childhood was dislike of children's parties indeed, in my own case, a party of any kind. I remember being truly miserable at a Christmas party at The Mount, Penkhull,, where I have no doubt that every one was more than friendly, though probably over - patronising, as people often are with children, but where I determinedly abstained from supper, and went horjie hungry. Raymond's prominent instance was at the hospitable Liverpool house, " Green- bank/ 1 which the R^thbones annually delivered up to family festivities each' Christmas afternoon and evening, being good enough to include us in their family group. On one such occasion Raymond, a very small boy, was found ilk the hall making a bee-line for the front door and home. I remember sympathising with him, from ancient memo- ries, and talking him home, subsequently returning myself. i At a later stage of boyhood I perceived that his ability and tastes were akin to mine, for we had the same passion- ate love of engineering and machinery ; though in my case, having no opportunity of exercising it to any use- ful extent, it gradually turned into special aptitude for physical science. Raymond was never anything like as good at* physics, nor had he the same enthusiasm for 8 KAYMONt) WHKN TWO YKAKS OLD IN MEMORIAM 9 mathematics that I had, but he was better at.engineering, was in many ways I consider stronger in character, and would have made, I expect, a first-rate engineer. His pertinacious ability in the mechanical and workshop direc- tion was very marked. Nothing could have been further from his natural tastes and proclivities than to enter upon a military career ; nothing but a sense of duty im- pelled him in that direction, which was quite foreign to family tradition, at least on my side. He also excelled me in a keen sense of humour not only appreciation, but achievement. The whole family could not but admire and enjoy the readiness with which he perceived at once the humorous side of everything ; and he usually kept lively any gathering of which he was a unit. At school, indeed, his active wit rather interfered with the studies of himself and others, and in the supposed interests of his classmates it had to be more or less suppressed, but to the end he continued to be rather one of the wags of the school. Being so desperately busy all my life I failed to see as much as I should like either of him or of the other boys, but there was always an instinctive sympathy between us ; and it is a relief to me to be unable to re- member any, even a single, occasion on which I have been vexed with him. In all serious matters he was, as far as I could judge, one of the best youths I have ever known ; and we all looked forward to a happy life for him and a brilliant career. His elder brothers highly valued his services in their Works. He got on admirably with the men phis mode of dealing with overbearing foremen at the Works, where he was for some years an apprentice, was testified to as masterly, and was much appreciated by his " mates " ; and honestly I cannot bethink myself of tny trait in his character which I would have had different unless it be that he might have had a more thorough liking and aptitude for, and greater industry in, my own subject of physics. When the war broke out his mother and I were in Australia, and it was some time before we heard that he had considered it his duty to volunteer. He did so in September 1914, getting a commission in the Regular io PART I CHAPTER I Army which was ante-dated to August ; and he threw himself into military duties with the same ability and thoroughness as he had applied to more naturally congenial occupations. He went through a course of training at Great Crosby, near Liverpool, with the Regiment in which he was a Second Lieutenant, namely the 3rd South Lancashires, being attached to the 2nd when he went^ to the Front ; his Company spent the winter in more active service on the south coast of the Firth of Forth and Edin- burgh ; and he gained his desired opportunity to go out to Flanders on 15 March 1915. Here he applied his engineering faculty to trench and shelter construction, in addition to ordinary military duties ; and presently he became a machine-gun officer. How desperately welcome to the family his safe return would have been, at the end of the war, I need not say. He had a hard and strenuous time at the Front, and we all keenly desired to make it up to him by a course of home " spoiling." But it was too much to hope for though I confess I did hope for it. He has entered another region of service now ; and this we realise. For though in the first shock of bereave- ment the outlook of life felt irretrievably darkened, a per- ception of his continued usefulness has mercifully dawned upon us, and we know that his activity is not over. His bright ingenuity will lead to developments beyond what we could have anticipated ; and we have clear hopes for the future. O. J. L. MARIEMONT, September 30, 1915 A MOTHER'S LAMENT Written on a scrap of paper, September 26, 1915, M To ease the pain and to try to get in touch " AYMOND, darling, you have gone from our world, and oh, to ease the pain. I want to know you are happy, and that you yourself are really talking to me and no sham. " No more letters from you, my own dear son, and IN MEMORIAM n I have loved them so. They are all there ; we shall .have them typed together into a sort of book. " Now we shall be parted until I join you there. I have not seen as much of you as I wanted on this earth, but I do love to think of the bits I have had of you, specially our journeys to and from Italy. I had you to myself then, and you were so dear. " I want to say, dear, how we recognise the glorious way in which you have done your duty, with a certain straight pressing on, never letting anyone see the effort, and with your fun and laughter playing round all the time, cheering and helping others. You know how your brothers and sisters feel your loss, and your poor father 1 " '"PHE religious side of Raymond was hardly known to the family ; but among his possessions at the Front was found a small pocket Bible called " The Palestine Pictorial Bible " (Pearl 241110), Oxford University Press, in which a number of passages are marked ; and on the fly-leaf, pencilled in his writing, is an index to these passages, which page I copy here : Ex. xxxiii. 14 St. John xiv. Eph.ii. . Neh. i. 6, n St. Johnxvi. 33 Rom. viii. 35 St. Matt. xi. 28 Ps. cxxiv. 8 Ps. xliii. 2 Deut. xxxiii. 27 Deut. xxxii. 43 Isa. 11. 12 Isa. lii. 12 Jude 24 . Ezra ix. 9 Isa. xii. 2 Isa. i. 1 8 . Isa. xl. 31 Rev. vii. 14 Rev. xxi. 4 MIZPAH. Gen. xxxi. 49. 63 689 749 337 689 723 616 150 473 474 784 335 451 445 467 788 795 R, 12 PART I CHAPTER I T 'HE following poem was kindly sent me by Canon Rawnsley, in acknowledgement of a Memorial Card : OUR ANGEL-HOST OF HELP IN MEMORY OF RAYMOND LODGE, WHO FELL IN FLANDERS, 14 SEPT. 1915 -His strong young body is laid under some trees on the road from Ypres to Menin." [From the Memorial Card sent to friends.] 'Twixt Ypres and Menin night and day The poplar trees in leaf of gold Were whispering either side the way Of sorrow manifold, Of war that never should have been, Of war that still perforce must be, Till in what brotherhood can mean The nations all agree. But where they laid your gallant lad I heard no sorrow in the air, The boy who gave the best he had That others good might share. For golden leaf and gentle grass They too had offered of their best To banish grief from all who pass His hero's place of rest. There as I gazed, the guests of God, An angel host before mine eyes, Silent as if on air they trod Marched straight from Paradise. And one sprang forth to join the throng From where the grass was gold and green, His body seemed more lithe and strong Than it had ever been. I cried, But why in bright array Of crowns and palms toward the north And those white trenches far away, Doth this great host go forth ? " He answered, Forth we go to fight To help all need where need there be, Sworn in for right against brute might Till Europe shall be free." H. D. RAWMSLBY IN MEMORIAM 13 EXTRACTS FROM PLATO'S DIALOGUE "MENEXENUS" BEING PART OF A SPEECH IN HONOUR OF THOSE WHO HAD DIED IN BATTLE FOR THEIR COUNTRY " yl ND I think that I ought now to repeat the /-\ message which your fathers, when they went -* ^ out to battle, urged us to deliver to you who are their survivors, in case anything happened to them. I will tell you what I heard them say, and what, if they could, they would fain be saying now, judging from what they then said ; but you must imagine that you hear it all from their lips. Thus they spoke : " Sons, the event proves that your fathers were brave men. For we, who might have continued to live, though without glory, choose a glorious death rather than bring reproach on you and your children, and rather than dis- grace our fathers and all of our race who have gone before us, believing that for the man who brings shame on his own people life is not worth living, and that such an one is loved neither by men nor gods, either on earth or in the underworld when he is dead. " Some of us have fathers and mothers still living, and you must encourage them to bear their trouble, should it come, as lightly as may be ; and do not join them in lamentations, for they will have no need of aught that would give their grief a keener edge. They will have pain enough from what has befallen them. Endeavour rather to soothe and heal their wound, reminding them that of all the boons they ever prayed for the greatest have been granted to them. For they did not pray that their sons should live for ever, but that they should be brave and of fair fame. Courage and honour are the best of all blessings, and while for a mortal man it can hardly be that everything in his own life will turn out as he would have it, their prayer for those two things has been heard. Moreover, if they bear their troubles bravely, it will be perceived that they are indeed fathers of brave sons, and that they themselves are like them. ... So 14 PART I CHAPTER I minded, we, at any rate, bid those dear to us to be ; such we would have them be ; and such we say we are now showing that we ourselves are, neither grieving overmuch nor fearing overmuch if we are to die in this battle. And we entreat our fathers and mothers to continue to be thus minded for the rest of their days, for we would have them know that it is not by bewailing and lamentation that they will please us best. If the dead have any knowledge of the living, they will give us no pleasure by breaking down under their trouble, or by bearing it with im- patience. . . . For our lives will have had an end the most glorious of all that fall to the lot of man ; it is therefore more fitting to do us honour than to lament us.' 1 Stat sua cuigue dies; breve et irreparabile tempus Omnibus est vitae: sed famam extender* factis, Hoc 9trtujis opus. Mn. x. 467 CHAPTER II LETTERS FROM THE FRONT I SHALL now, for reasons explained in the Preface, quote extracts from letters which Raymond wrote to members of his family during the time he was serving in Flanders. A short note made by me the day after he first started for the Front may serve as a preliminary statement of fact ? Mariemont, Edgbaston, 16 March 1915 Raymond was recently transferred back from Edinburgh to Great Crosby near Liverpool ; and once more began life in tents or temporary sheds. Yesterday morning, Monday the i5th March, one of the subalterns was ordered to the Front ; he went to a doctor, who refused to pass him, owing to some temporary indisposition. Raymond was then asked if he was fit : he replied, Perfectly. So at 10 a.m. he was told to start for France that night. Accord- ingly he packed up ; and at 3.0 we at Mariemont received a telegram from him asking to be met at 5 p.m., and saying he could spend six hours at home. His mother unfortunately was in London, and for many hours was inaccessible. At last some of the telegrams reached her, at 7 p.m., and she came by the first available (slow) train from Paddington, getting here at n. Raymond took the midnight train to Euston ; Alec, Lionel, and Noel accompanying him. They would reach Euston at 3.50 a.m. and have two hours to wait, when he was to meet a Captain [Capt. Taylor], and start from Waterloo for Southampton. The boys intended to see him off at Waterloo, and then return home to their war-business as quickly as they could. He seems quite well ; but naturally it has been rather a strain for the family : as the same sort of thing has been for so many other families. O. J. L. First comes a letter written on his way to the Front after leaving Southampton. XI 16 PART I CHAPTER II "Hotel Dervaux, 75 Grande Rue, Boulogne-s/Mer, Wednesday, 24 March 1915, 11.30 a.m. " Following on my recent despatch, I have the honour to report that we have got stuck here on our way to the Front. Not stuck exactly, but they have shunted us into a siding which we reached about 8 a.m., and we are free until 2.30 p.m. when we have to telephone for further orders to find out where we are to join our train. I don't know whether this is the regular way to the Front from Rouen. I don't think it is, I fancy the more direct way must be reserved for urgent supplies and wounded. " My servant has been invaluable en route and he has caused us a great deal of amusement. He hunted round at the goods station at Rouen (whence we started) and found a large circular tin. He pierced this all over to form a brazier and attached a wire handle. As soon as we got going he lit this, having filled it with coal purloined from somewhere, and when we stopped by the wayside about 10 or n p.m. he supplied my com- partment (four officers) with fine hot tea. He had pre- viously purchased some condensed milk. He also saw to it that a large share of the rations, provided by the authorities before we left, fell to our share, and looked after us and our baggage in the most splendid way. " He insists on treating the train as a tram. As soon as it slows down to four miles an hour, he is down on the permanent way gathering firewood or visiting some rail- way hut in search of plunder. He rides with a number of other servants in the baggage waggon, and as they had no light he nipped out at a small station and stole one of the railway men's lamps. However, there was a good deal of fuss, and the owner came and indignantly recovered it. " As soon as we stop anywhere, he lowers out of his van the glowing brazier. He keeps it burning in the van ! I wonder the railway authorities don't object. If they do, of course he pretends not to understand a.ny French. " He often gets left behind on the line, and has to scramble into pur carriage, where he regales us with his life history until the next stop, when he returns to his own van. LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 17 " Altogether he is a very rough customer and wants a lot of watching all the same he makes an excellent servant." LETTERS FROM THE FRONT IN FLANDERS " Friday, 26 March 1915 " I arrived here yesterday about 5 p.m., and found the Battalion resting from the trenches. We all return there on Sunday evening. " I got a splendid reception from my friends here, and they have managed to get me into an excellent Company, all the officers of which are my friends. This place is very muddy, but better than it was, I understand. We are in tents." " Saturday, 27 March 1915, 4.30 p.m. " We moved from our camp into billets last night and are now in a farmhouse. The natives still live here, and we (five officers) have a room to ourselves, and our five servants and our cook live and cook for us in the kitchen. The men of our Company are quartered in neighbouring farm buildings, and other Companies farther down the road. We are within a mile of a village and about three or four miles to the southward of a fair-sized and well- known town. The weather is steadily improving and the mud is drying up though I haven't seen what the trenches are like yet. ... " I am now permanently attached to C Company and am devoutly thankful. Captain T. is in command and the subalterns are Laws, Fletcher, and Thomas, all old friends of mine. F. was the man whose room I shared at Edin- burgh and over whose bed I fixed the picture. . . . " We went on a ' fatigue ' job to-day just our Com- pany and were wrongly directed and so went too far and got right in view of the enemy's big guns. However, we cleared out very quickly when we discovered our error, and had got back on to the main road again when a couple of shells burst apparently fairly near where we had been. There were a couple of hostile aeroplanes about too. . . . Thank you very much for your letter wondering where I am. ' Very pressing are the Germans/ a buried city." , 2 i8 PART I CHAPTER II [This of course privately signified to the family that he was at Ypres.] " i April 1915, 1.15- P**fi* " We dug trenches by night on Monday and Wednes- day, and although we were only about 300 to 500 yards from the enemy we had a most peaceful time, only a very few stray bullets whistling over from time to time." " Saturday, ^ April 1915, 7 p.m. " I am having quite a nice time in the trenches. I am writing this in my dug-out by candle-light ; this afternoon I had a welcome shave. Shaving and washing is usually dispensed with during our spell of duty (even by the Colonel), but if I left it six days I should burst my razor I think. I have got my little ' Primus ' with me and it is very useful indeed as a standby, although we do all our main cooking on a charcoal brazier. ... " I will look out for the great sunrise to-morrow morn- ing and am wishing you all a jolly good Easter : I shan't have at all a bad one. It is very like Robinson Crusoe we treasure up our water supply most carefully (it is brought up in stone jars), and we have excellent meals off limited and simple rations, by the exercise of a little native cunning on the part of our servants, especially mine." " Bank Holiday, 5 April 1915, 4.30 p.m. " The trenches are only approached and relieved at night-time, and even here we are not allowed to stir from the house by day on any pretext whatever, and no fires are allowed on account of the smoke. (Fires are started within doors when darkness falls and we have a hot meal then and again in the early morning that is the rule however, we do get a fire in the day by using charcoal only and lighting up from a candle to one piece and from that one piece to the rest, by blowing ; also I have my Primus stove.) . . . We are still within rifle-fire range here, but of course it is all unaimed fire from the inter- mittent conflict going on at the firing line. ... " I have a straw bed covered with my tarpaulin sheet -(it is useful although I have also the regular military rubber ground sheet as well) and my invaluable air- pillow. I am of course travelling light and have to carry LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 19 everything in my ' pack ' until I get back to my valise and ' rest billets/ so I sleep in my clothes. Simply take off my boots and puttees, put my feet in a nice clean sack, take off my coat and cover myself up with my British Warm coat (put on sideways so as to use its great width to the full). Like this I sleep like a top and am absolutely comfortable." " I have been making up an Acrostic for you all to guess here it is : LIGHTS. My first is speechless, and a bell Has often the complaint as well. Three letters promising to pay, Each letter for a word does stay. There's nothing gross about this act ; A gentle kiss involving tact. A General less his final - k/ A hen would have no more to say. Our Neenie who is going west Her proper name will serve you best. WHOLE. My whole, though in a foreign tongue, Is Richard's name when he is young. The rest is just a shrub or tree With spelling i Made in Germany.* " That's the lot. The word has ten letters and is divided into two halves for the purpose of the Acrostic. * " My room-mate has changed for to-night, and I have got Wyatt, who has just come in covered in mud, after four days in the trenches. He is machine-gun officer, and works very hard. I am so glad to have him. " By the way the support-trenches aren't half bad. I didn't want to leave them, but it's all right here too." " Thursday, 8 April 1915 " Here I am back again in ' Rest Billets/ for six days' rest. When I set off for the six days' duty I was ardently looking forward to this moment, but there is not much difference ; here we ' pig ' it pretty comfortably in a house, and there we 'pig ' it almost as comfortably in a ' dug- out/ There we are exposed to rifle fire, nearly all un- aimed, and here we are exposed to shell fire aimed, but from about five miles away. 20 PART I CHAPTER II " On the whole this is the better, because there is more room to move about, more freedom for exercise, and there is less mud. But you will understand how much conditions in the trenches have improved if com- parison is possible at all. " My platoon (No. n) has been very fortunate ; we have had no casualties at all in the last six days. The nearest thing to one was yesterday when we were in the firing trench, and a man got a bullet through his cap quite close to his head. He was peeping over the top, a thing they are all told not to do in the daytime. The trenches at our point are about a hundred yards apart, and it is really safe to look over if you don't do it too often, but it is unneces- sary, as we had a periscope and a few loopholes. . . . "I am awfully grateful for all the things that have been sent, and are being sent. ... I will attach a list of wants at the end of this letter. I am very insatiable (that's not quite the word I wanted), but I am going on the prin- ciple that you and the rest of the family are only waiting to gratify my every whim ! So, if I think of a thing I ask for it. . . . " By the way we have changed our billets here. Our last ones have been shelled while we were away a pro- digious hole through the roof wrecking the kitchen, but not touching our little room at the back. However, it is not safe enough for habitation and the natives even have left 1 " Things are awfully quiet here. We thought at first that it was ' fishy ' and something was preparing, but I don't think so now. It is possibly the principle of ' live and let live.' In the trenches if we don't stir them up with shots they leave us pretty well alone. Of course we are ready for anything all the same. " Yes, we see the daily papers here as often as we want to (the day's before). Personally, and I think my view is shared by all the other officers, I would rather read a romance, or anything not connected with this war, than a daily paper. . . . " Was the Easter sunrise a success ? It wasn't here. Cloudy and dull was how I should describe it. Fair to fine generally, some rain (the latter not to be taken in the American sense). LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 21 " I wonder if you got my Acrostic [see previous letter] and whether anybody guessed it ; it was meant to be very easy, but perhaps acrostics are no longer the fashion and are somewhat boring. I always think they are more fun to make than to undo. The solution is a household word here, because it is only a half-mile or so away, and pro- vides most things." [The family had soon guessed the Acrostic, giving the place as Dickebusch. The " lights " are D UM B I o U CARES S K LU CK E DIT H.] [To a Brother] " Billets, Tuesday, 13 April 1915 "We are all right here except for the shells. When I arrived I found every one suffering from nerves and unwilling to talk about shells at all. And now I under- stand why. The other day a shrapnel burst near our billet and a piece of the case caught one of our ser- vants (Mr. Laws's) on the leg and hand. He lost the fingers of his right hand, and I have been trying to forget the mess it made of his right leg ever since. He will have had it amputated by now. " They make you feel awfully shaky, and when one comes over it is surprising the pace at which every one gets down into any ditch or hole near. " One large shell landed right on the field where the men were playing football on Sunday evening. They all fell flat, and all, I am thankful to say, escaped injury, though a few were within a yard or so of the hole. The other subalterns of the Company and I were (mirabile dictu) in church at the time. " I wonder if you can get hold of some morphia tablets [for wounded men]. I think injection is too complicated, but I understand there are tablets that can merely be placed in the mouth to relieve pain. They might prove 22 PART I CHAPTER II very useful in the trenches, because if a man is hit in the morning he will usually have to wait till dark to be removed. " My revolver has arrived this morning." " Sunday, 18 April 1915 " I came out of the trenches on Friday night. It was raining, so the surface of the ground was very slippery ; and it was the darkest night I can remember. There was a good deal of " liveliness ' too, shots were flying around more than usual. There were about a hundred of us in our party, two platoons (Fletcher's and mine) which had been in the fire trenches, though I was only with them for one day, Thursday night till Friday night. Captain Taylor was in front, then Fletcher's platoon, then Fletcher, then my platoon, then me bringing up the rear. We always travel in single file, because there are so many obstacles to negotiate plank bridges and ' Johnson ' holes being the chief. " Picture us then shuffling our way across the fields behind the trenches at about one mile an hour with fre- quent stops while those in front negotiate some obstacle (during these stops we crouch down to try and miss most of the bullets I). Every few minutes a ' Very ' light will go up and then the whole line * freezes ' and remains absolutely stationary in its tracks till the light is over. A ' Very ' light is an ' asteroid/ (Nogl will explain that.) It is fired either by means of a rocket (in the German case) or of a special pistol called a ' Very ' pistol after the in- ventor (in our case). The light is not of magnesium brightness, but is just a bright star light with a little parachute attached, so that it falls slowly through the air. The light lasts about five seconds. These things are being shot up at short intervals all night long. Sometimes dozens are in the air together,, especially if an attack is on. " Well, to go back to Friday night : it took us a very long time to get back, and at one point it was hard to believe that they hadn't seen us. Lights went up and almost a volley whistled over us. We all got right down and waited for a bit. Really we were much too far off f or them to see us, but we were on rather an exposed bit LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 23 of ground, and they very likely fix a few rifles on to that part in the daytime and ' poop ' them off at night. That is a favourite plan of theirs, and works very well. " We did get here in the end, and had no casualties, though we had had one just before leaving the trench. A man called Raymond (in my platoon) got shot through the left forearm. He was firing over the parapet and had been sniping snipers (firing at their flashes). Rather a nasty wound through an artery. They applied a tourni- quet and managed to stop the bleeding, but he was so weak from loss of blood he had to be carried back on a stretcher. " I had noticed this man before, partly on account of his name. Last time I was in the fire trenches (about ten days ago) I was dozing in my dug-out one evening and the Sergeant-Major was in his, next door. Suddenly he calls out ' Raymond 1 ' I started. Then he calls again ' Raymond ! Come here ! ' I shouted out ' Hallo ! What's the matter ? ' But then I heard the other Ray- mond answering, so I guessed how it was. . . . " While at tea in the next room the post came and brought me your letter and one from Alec. Isn't it per- fectly marvellous ? You were surprised at the speed of my last letter. But how about yours ? The postmark is 2.30 p.m. on the i6th at Birmingham, and here it is in my hands at 4 p.m. on the i8th ! " I was telling you about the difficulties of going to and fro between here and the trenches, but you will under- stand it is not always like that. If there is a moon, or even if there is a clear sky so that we can get the benefit of the starlight (which is considerable and much more than I thought), matters are much improved, because if you can still see the man in front, when he is, say, 5 yards in front of you, and can also see the holes instead of find- ing them with your person, all that ' waiting for the " tail " to close up ' is done away with. . . . " Last night Laws, Thomas, and myself each took a party of about forty-five down separately, leaving the remainder guarding the various billets. Then when we returned Fletcher took the rest down. " It was a glorious night, starry, with a very young and inexperienced moon, and quite dry and warm. I 24 PART I CHAPTER II would not have minded going down again except that I would rather go to bed, which I did. " Do you know that joke in Punch where the Aunt says : ' Send me a postcard when you are safely in the trenches ! ' ? Well, there is a great deal of truth in that one feels quite safe when one reaches the friendly shelter of the trench, though of course the approaches aren't really very dangerous. One is ' thrilled ' by the whistle of the bullets near you. That describes the feeling best, I think it is a kind of excitement." " Thursday, 22 April 1915, 6.50 p.m. " I have received a most grand periscope packed, with spare mirrors, in a canvas haversack. It is a glorious one and I am quite keen to use it, thank you very much indeed for it. Thank you also for two sets of ear de- fenders which I am going to test when firing off a ' Very ' light. A ' parachuted ' star is fired from a brass pistol with a bore of about i inch and a barrel of about 6 inches. The report is very deafening, I believe though I haven't fired one yet. " The star, by the way, though it lights up the country for some distance, is not too bright to look at. " I have just remembered something I wanted to tell you, so I will put it in here. " When walking to and from the trenches in the dark- ness, I find it is a great help to study the stars (not for purposes of direction). I know very little about them, and I saw a very useful plan in, I think, the Daily News of 3 April, called ' The Night Sky in April/ It was just a circle with the chief planets and stars shown and labelled. The periphery of the circle represented the horizon. " If you know of such a plan that is quite easily ob- tainable I should be glad to have one. The simpler the thing the better. " The books you had sent me, which were passed on to me by Professor Leith, are much appreciated. They circulate among officers of this Company like a library. At the time they arrived we were running short of reading- matter, but since then our Regimental Headquarters have come to the rescue and supplied each Company with half LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 25 a dozen books, to be passed on to other Companies after- wards. " I enclose an acrostic that I made up while in the trenches during our last spell. It seems to be a prolific place for this sort of thing." ACROSTIC (One word of five letters) LIGHTS. The lowest rank with lowest pay, Don't make this public though, I pray 1 Inoculation's victim, though Defeated still a powerful foe. When Government ' full-stop ' would say It does so in this novel way. The verb's success, the noun's disgrace And lands you in a foreign place. A king of kings without a roar, His kingdom that no anger bore. The final goal the end of all What all desire, both great and small. R. L., 19 April 1915 (The solution of this is the word Peace given twice once In- verted. The first ' light/ which is not * public ' is '- Private ' ; the second is ' Enteric ' ; the third is a sign employed in Govern- ment telegrams to denote a full-stop, viz., ! aaa ' ; the fourth is J Capture ; and the fifth (with apologies) is ' Emp,' and some occult reference to Edward VII, not remembered now ; the kingdom without anger being Empire without ire. O. J. L.J " Friday, 30 April 1915, 4.10 p.m. " 1 wish you could see me now. I am having a little holiday in Belgium. At the moment I am sitting in the shade of a large tree, leaning against its trunk, writing to you. The sun is pouring down and I have been sitting in it lying on a fallen tree, but it makes me feel lazy, so I came here to write (in the shade). " Before me, across a moat, is the chateau ruined now, but not by old age. It is quite a handsome building, two storeys high. It is built of brick with a slate roof ; the bricks are colour-washed yellow with a white band 18 inches deep under the roof ; there are two towers with pointed roofs that stand to the front of the house, pro- jecting slightly from it, forming bay windows. These 26 PART I CHAPTER II towers, from the roof down to the ground, are red brick, as are the fronts of the dormer windows in the main building. " The larger and taller tower is octagonal and stands in the middle of the front, the smaller one is square and stands on the right corner. On each side of the main building are flanking buildings consisting on this (left) side of a brick-built palm-house and beyond that again a glass-covered conservatory. The other flank has a con- servatory also, but I have not explored as far as that. The front of the building is about 70 to 80 yards long. " The main entrance is on the other or northern side. It is reached by a drawbridge over the moat. The house on that (north) side is not so much damaged. It has long windows with shutters that give it a continental air. Small footbr Id g9 over moat 'Moat *=? I can't sketch it, so I have given you a rough elevation from the south. I am sitting to the south-west, just across the moat. " The place is in an awful mess. In some parts it is difficult to tell how the original building went. One can LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 27 see into several of the rooms ; the outer wall has fallen away, exposing about three rooms and an attic. In one room the floor has dropped at one corner to some 8 feet below its proper level, and a bed is just above poised on the edge of the room, almost falling out where the room is sectioned. " There is no glass in any of the green-houses it is all on the floor. The palm-house is full of green tubs with plants in them, mostly overturned. " In the garden the trees are blossoming, some of the fruit trees are covered with white blossom ; but many, even of these, are lying flat and blossoming in the moat. The drive runs down to the road on the south side in an absolutely straight line, flanked by tall trees. But many of these are down too. I was lying on one just now. The garden is in good order, though getting a little out of hand. There is a small plantation of gooseberry bushes that looks very healthy. Shell holes are all about, however. " The house, although it is not on an eminence, com- mands a good view to the southward and has a fine view of the German lines, which are slightly raised just here. The enemy evidently suspected this chateau was used as an observation post, as indeed it may have been. " We came out of the trenches on Wednesday night into Reserve Billets, and I was placed with No. o platoon (instead of my own) in a little house not fa* from this chiteau. We are not allowed to leave it by day, or rather we are not allowed to show ourselves on the south side of it, as it might draw shell-fire on to it. But I managed to sneak away to the north under cover of a hedge without any risk of being seen. " After being relieved in the trenches on Wednesday, and marching back and having a meal with the other officers of C Company in the Reserve Billets (a brewery), it was one o'clock before I got to bed in our little house. And we had to ' stand to arms ' in the morning for an hour while dawn was breaking (we always do, and at dusk too). So after this I went to sleep till a p.m. I sleep in an out- house with no door, on straw laid on a brick floor. My ground-sheet on the straw, my coat over me, my feet in a sack and an air-cushion under my head, and I can sleep as peacefully as at home. The place is swarming with rats 28 PART I CHAPTER II and mice, you can hear them directly you lie still. They go ' plop, plop, plop,' on the straw overhead, as if they were obliged to take long strides owing to their feet sink- ing into the straw. Immediately over my head, I should judge, there is a family of young rats by the noise. Occasionally they have a stampede and a lot of dust comes down on my face. " But one gets used to this, and muttering ' Nom d'un chien ! ' one turns the other cheek. By the way, they say these rats ' stand to ' at dawn, just as we do. " I am terrified of a rat running over my face, but my servant sleeps with me, so I console myself that the chances are just even that they won't choose me. I wish he wouldn't snore though he's lowering the odds. " Last night we had to turn out for fatigue parties. I took a party down to one of the fire trenches with ' knife rests.' These are sections of barbed wire entanglement. They are made by fixing cross-pieces on the ends of a long pole. The tips of these cross-pieces are joined together with barbed wire laid parallel to the centre pole. Then the whole is wound with more barbed wire laid on spirally, thus : [a sketch] These are slung out in front of the trenches and fixed to- gether. They are now fixed also to the trench, because the Germans used to harpoon them and draw them over to their own side ! " Well, we set off about n p.m. and took twenty-two of these down. We didn't exactly bless the full moon although it showed us the holes and obstructions in the way. Still, we had no casualties and made good time. We got back about midnight. So I only slept till 12.30 this morning ! Of course I had to get up for an hour at dawn. I used the time to brew mysdf some cocoa. I am getting an expert cook, and can make that ' Bivouac ' cocoa taste like the very finest chocolate. . . . " Just before going into the trenches I received another of those splendid parcels of cabbage and apples. The apples are simply splendid. The cabbage is good, but I never cared very much for it it is medicinal in this case. However, it is great to have such a fine supply of green stuff instead of none at all. The Mess does appreciate it. " I have been supplying our Mess (C Company) with LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 29 butter. And the supply sent up to now has just effected this with none to spare. But I don't know whether you want to do this, and that is why I suggested cutting down the supply. I don't want you to think any of it has been wasted though it hasn't, and is splendid stuff. . . . " In the trenches one is not always doing nothing. These last three days in I have been up all night. I had a working party in two shifts working aU night and all three nights, digging communication trenches. I used to go to bed about 4.30 a.m. and sleep till lunch-time, and per- haps lie down again for a bit in the afternoon. That is why my letters have not been so frequent. " It is extraordinary that what is wanted at the mo- ment is not so much a soldier as a civil engineer. There are trenches to be laid out and dug, and the drainage of them to be thought put and carried through. Often the sides have to be ' riveted ' or staked, and a flooring of boards put in, supported on small piles. " Then there is the water-supply, where one exists. I have had great fun arranging a ' source ' in my trench (the support trench that I have been in these last three days and that I have been in often before). A little stream, quite clear and drinkable after boiling, runs out at one place (at about i pint a minute !) and makes a muddy mess of the trenches near. By damming it up and putting a water-bottle with the bottom knocked in on top of the dam, the water runs in a little stream from the mouth of the bottle. It falls into a hole large enough to receive a stone water- jar, and then runs away down a deep trough cut beside the trench. Farther down it is again dammed up to form a small basin which the men use for washing ; and it finally escapes into a kind of marshy pond in rear of the trenches. " I quite enjoyed this job, and there are many like it ; plank bridges to be put up, seats and steps to be cut, etc. One officer put half a dozen of his men on to making a folding bed ! But it was not for himself, but for his Captain, who has meningitis and can't sleep. The men enjoy these jobs too ; it is much better than doing nothing. ' I will creep back to my quarters now and make my- self some tea on my ' Primus ' (no fires are allowed). " A cuckoo has been singing on a tree near me in full 30 PART I CHAPTER II view. (It left hurriedly when one of our guns went off close behind the chateau.) The first time I have ever seen one, I think. It is amazing how tame the animals get. They have so much ground to themselves in the daytime the rats especially ; they flourish freely in the space between the trenches. ' M Things are fairly quiet and easy here just now." pn one of his letters to me (22 April 1915), he said he had plenty of time now to watch the stars, and would like a set of star maps or something in order to increase his knowledge of them. Accordingly, I sent him a planisphere which I happened to have an ingenious cardboard arrangement which can be turned so as to show, in a rough way, the stars visible in these latitudes at any time of day and any period of the year. O. J. L.] " May Day 1915, 3.20 p.m. " Thank you very much for the planisphere and for your letter. I have often seen the planisphere before, but never appreciated it until now. " As to the ' Very ' pistol, I quite agree that the ' barrel ' is too short. If it were longer the light would be thrown farther, which would be much better. As it is, it falls between us and the Germans. " The German lights, which I now learn are fired from a kind of mortar and not by a rocket as I thought, are much better than ours ; they give a better and steadier, fatter light, and they are thrown well behind our trenches. However, ours are much better, and theirs are worse than they used to be. . . . " They have not turned the gas on to us here, though on some days I have smelled distinct traces coming down wind from the north. I should say it was chlorine rather than SO 2 that I smelled. I don't know whether the ammonia preventive would be better than the soda one. In any case, the great thing is that one is provided. The soda method is the one in use, I believe, in the chlorine works at Widnes and elsewhere/' " Tuesday, 3 May 1915, 12.40 p.m. "CFor the first three days we are out here in new billets officers in a comfortable little house. Last three days of our ' rest ' (!) we are going into a wood quite close LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 31 to our ' Reserve Billets.' We axe in ' support ' in case of a sudden attack. Roads are so much knocked about by shells that traffic is limited and restricted. So we might not be able to support quick enough unless we were close. " Everything is still very much upset, due to the pene- tration of our (French) line. They have been shelling our village from the rear (1) and most of the companies have had to quit. We (C Company) are well back now. . . . " Two of our platoons went digging last night. Mine was one. We left here about eight o'clock, and I got back at i a.m., and then I sat up with another subaltern (Fletcher) after I had had some supper until the other man (Thomas) had come in and eaten. We went to bed at 3 a.m. Breakfast at nine this morning, and we are resting. However, I am going to have an absolutely slack day to-day. A bath too, if I can manage it. . . . " Last night the moon got up very late and was quite useless. They fire more when there is no light, they get scared at least uneasy ; they fire off ' Very ' lights con- stantly, and let off volleys. We lie absolutely flat while this goes on. It is a funny sight ; the men look like*a row of starfish ! " " Tuesday, n May 1915, 9.15 a.m. (really Wednesday the I2th. I had got wrong) " We are within view of a well-known place [no doubt Ypres. O. J. L.], and the place has been on fire in three or four places for about two days, and is still going strong. A magnificent spectacle at night. The place is, I believe, a city of ruins and dead, and there is probably no one to put a fire out. Probably, too, a fire is rather a good thing thaii otherwise ; the place must be terribly in need of purifying. " I was awfully interested in father's dream. 1 Your letter is dated the 8th, and you say that the other night he dreamt that I was in the thick of the fighting, but that they were taking care of me from the other side. " Well, I don't know about ' the thick of the fighting/ but I have been through what I can only describe as a hell of a shelling with shrapnel. My diary tells me it 1 See Note by O. J. L. at the end of this letter. 32 PART I CHAPTER II was on the 7th, at about 10.15 a.m. Our Company were ordered forward from one set of dug-outs to others nearer the firing line, and the formation adopted was platoons in single file, with intervals between. That is, four columns of about fifty men each, in single file, with about 20 to 50 yards between each column. I was the third platoon, tnough I was not with my own but with No. 9. Fletcher brought up the last one, thus : No. 10 x No. 9 x No. 12 x No. n x Fr. Me Ths. Capt. Direction of march -> (My platoon is No. n. No. 9*3 platoon commander, Laws, is in England on sick leave, as his nerves are all wrong.) " Well, anyhow, we had not gone far before the gunners saw us, and an aeroplane was flying along above and with us. They sent over some ' Johnsons/ but these all went too far; we were screened by a reservoir em- bankment. However, we had to pass through ruined village and they knew it, so they put shrapnel over it. Still we were unaffected. But when we came out into the open on the far side, we caught it properly. Shell after shell came over and burst above us, and when I and about three men behind me had just turned a corner one burst above, in exactly the spot I should have wished it to if I had been the enemy. I looked up and saw the air full of flying pieces, some large and some small. These spattered down all round us. I was untouched, but my servant, who was immediately behind me, was hit on the knee, but only wounded slightly. He was rather scared. I led him back round the corner again and put him in a ditch. The rest of the platoon got in too, while I was doing this. I thought that was the best thing they could do until the shelling ceased, but Fletcher shouted that we must get on, whatever happened. " So I called the men out again, and, leaving a man with the wounded, we set off. I don'! believe it was right, but we just walked along. It felt rather awful. (When one is retiring it is important not to let the men ' double,' as they get out of hand ; but in this case we were advancing, so I think we might have done so.) I felt LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 33 very much protected. It was really a miracle that we weren't nearly all ' wiped out/ The shrapnel seemed very poor stuff. As it was, we had one man killed and about five or six injured, all more or less slightly. " We moved up into a support trench that same evening, and after a couple of days we moved a few yards farther to these trenches, which are also support trenches. Things are very quiet, and I am enjoying myself very much. If it wasn't for the unpleasant sights one is liable to see, war would be a most interesting and pleasant affair. " My friends the other officers of C Company have given me the honorary position of ' O.C. Works.' One is always ' O.C. something or other ' out here all but the Colonel, he is ' C.O.' Orders for the day read : ' O.C. Companies will do so-and-so.' Then there are O.C. Details, O.C. Reinforcements, etc. ' O.C.' of course stands for ' officer commanding.' Well, I am ' O.C. Works,' and have a fine time. I just do any job I fancy, giving preference to trench improvement. It is fine to have at one's disposal a large squad of men with shovels (or without). They fill sandbags and carry them, they carry timber and saw it, and in short do anything that is required. One can accomplish something under these conditions." " 6 p.m. " We have been told that we are being relieved to- night, and that we are going back to our old place (No. 2). So everything should be as before, once we are back. We may not manage to get all the way back to-night, as we cannot travel by daylight as most of the road is under direct observation. If daylight catches us we shall encamp in dug-outs en route. " I am rather disappointed that we are going to-night, as Fletcher and I were going to rebuild our dug-out here. We both got very keen indeed and had laid out the plan carefully. (He has been an architect.) " I had another disappointment when I was back in the wood (as supports). It reminds me of one of our Quartermaster-Sergeants in Edinburgh. He is an Irish- man, O'Brien. I found him on the platform while we were waiting to see a draft off ; he looked very despondent 3 34 PART I CHAPTER II I asked him how he was, and was surprised when he replied, ' I've had a reverse, sorr ! ' It turned out that he had applied to headquarters for an improvement in his position, and was told he didn't deserve any. It had almost broken his heart ! " Well, / had a reverse. I was given the job of building a hut and was nearly through with it when we were ordered away. If we get back to the old wood again I shall go on with it, in spite of whatever the present tenants may have done in the way of completing it (our guns are now ' going at it ' hammer and tongs). " I did enjoy laying the sandbags and building a proper wall with 'headers' and 'stretchers/ I got a very good testimonial too, for the Sergeant asked me in all seriousness whether I was a brick-setter in civil life. I was awfully proud. " Later " (I had to leave off here because we were ordered to ' fire-rapid ' in between periods of our artillery fire, and I had to turn out to watch.) " NOTE BY O. J. L. The dream referred to, near the beginning of this long letter to his mother, Mr. J. Arthur Hill remembers that I told him of, in a letter dated 7 May 1915, which he has now returned ; and I reproduce it here : "To J. A. H. 11 7 May 1915 I do not reckon that I often have conscious intuitions ; and when I have had vivid dreams they have not meant anything, though once or twice I have recorded them because I have them seldom. I happen, however, to have had an intuition this morning, before I was more than half awake, which, though not specially vivid, perhaps I had better record, namely, that an attack was going on at the present moment, that my son was in it, but that ' they ' were taking care of him. I had this clearly in mind before seeing the morning papers ; and indeed I do not know that there is anything in the morning papers suggesting it, since of course their news is comparatively old. One might have surmised, however, that there would be a struggle for Hill 60, and I know that my son is not far off Ypres. (By the way, I have been told that the Flemish Belgians really do call it ' Wipers ' ; it does not sound likely, and it needs confirmation. I know of course that our troops are said to call it so, which is natural enough.) O. J. L." LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 35 I now (August 1916) notice for the first time that the coin- cidence in time between dream and fact is rather good, especially as it was the only dream or * impression ' that I remember having during the war. Practically I do not dream. But as this incident raises the question of possible presenti- ment I must deny that we had any serious presentiment about Raymond. My wife tells me that her anxiety about Raymond, though always present, was hardly keen, as she had an idea that he would be protected. She wrote to a friend on 22 March 1915 : - *' . . . I ought to get him back safe. I have a hole in my heart and shall have till he comes back. I only saw him for the inside of an hour before he left, as I was away when he came home for six hours. ..." At the same time I must admit that on the morning of 15 September 1915 (the day after Raymond's death, which we did not know of till the i7th) I was in an exceptional state of depression ; and though a special game, to which I had been looking forward, on the No. i Course at Gullane had been arranged with Rowland Waterhouse, I could not play a bit. Not ordinary bad play, but total incompetence ; so much so that after seven holes we gave up the game, and returned to the hotel. To make sure of the date, I wrote to Rowland Waterhouse, asking him when that abortive match occurred, since I knew that it was his last day at Gullane. He replies : II Violet and I left Gullane for Musselburgh on Wednesday, 15 September. Our final match ended that morning on the eighth tee " [which that year was on the reservoir hill]. One more dream I may as well now mention : After the family had returned home from Scotland and elsewhere, near the end of September 1915, and begun to settle down, Alec, who had felt Raymond's death exceedingly, told me that the night before he heard the news or rather the early morning of the same day, 17 September he had had an extra- ordinarily painful and vivid dream, quite an exceptional occurrence for him, and one of which he had spoken to a manageress in the hotel near Swansea where he was staying, describing it as the worst he had ever had in his life. He did not know that it had any significance, and neither do I, as the dream, though rather ghastly, was not about Raymond or anyone in particular ; but it seemed an odd coincidence that the ill news should be, so to speak, on the way, at the time of a quite exceptional and painful impression. The person to whom he told the dream handed him the telegram a few hours later. He has written the dream down, but it need not be reproduced. No real prevision is involved in any of this, unless it be that of an hour or two in my own impression, in May ; but for general remarks on the question of the possibility of prevision Chapter V in Part III may be referred to 3 fl PART I CHAPTER II " Friday, 14 May 1915 " I had a glorious hot bath yesterday ; Fletcher and I went up to the brewery here. The bath is zinc, and full length, and we have as much water, and as hot, as we like. . . . " I spent some time too stemming the leaks in the roof of our shed. With my two waterproof sheets I have rigged up a kind of chute above my bed, so that any water that comes through the roof is led down behind my head. I don't know what happens to it there. I thought of lead- ing it across on to the man next me, as the Germans used to do in the winter campaign. They fitted a pump in their trenches and led the delivery pipe forward, so that the water used to run into ours only the plan was discovered. . . . " I wonder if you saw the appreciation of the soda cake on the back of my letter from the woods. M.P. stands for Mess President. Fletcher was M.P. and was a very good one. I am now, as he has done it for a long time and is tired. . . . " As cheerful and well and happy as ever. Don't think I am having a rotten time I am not/' " Sunday, 5.40 p.m., 16 May 1915 " We had a very fine piece of news yesterday. Over three weeks ago we were called out one night and were urgently required to dig a certain ne\v trench behind our lines. The men worked splendidly and got the job done in a very short time (working of course in complete dark- ness). The next day the Brigadier-General inspected the trench and sent in a complimentary message about it to our Colonel. The day after he complimented us again f or the same piece of work 1 Well, we have had several such jobs to do, and just recently we have been to Hill 60, where the bulk of our work was deepening the trenches and im- proving the parapets. We were lent for this purpose to another Division (the Division that is at the moment occuping that area), and were away from here exactly a week. We got a splendid testimonial from the General of this other Division, who told our Colonel he had got ' a top-hole battalion/ Arising out of all this, we have now LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 37 been selected as a ' Pioneer Battalion. 1 We are relieved from all ordinary trench work for some time to come. We simply go out at night and dig trenches or build parapets and so forth, and have the day to ourselves. This was arranged yesterday, and last night we went out and re- turned here at 1.30 a.m. The work is more or less under fire, but only from stray shots and nothing very serious* Our Colonel is awfully pleased that we have done so well ; and we are all pleased with the new arrangement. One great advantage is that we can settle down in our billets and are not continually having to pack up everything and move off. We can now start and make tables, chairs, beds, a proper door for the hut, a glass window, and so on. ... " As to aeroplanes, when one passes overhead a whistle is blown and every one either takes cover or stands per- fectly still. The men are forbidden to look up. Then the whistle is blown several times when the danger is past. I am afraid, though, these regulations are more honoured in the breach than the observance. " We had quite a nice informal service here this after- noon sitting in a field. The chaplain has the rank of Major and has been out here seven months. " Yesterday the Captain, Fletcher, and myself went for a ride on horses. We went about five miles out, stopped for about twenty minutes at a little inn (the last in Belgium on that particular road), and then came back again. The country was perfectly lovely, though I did not appreciate it as much as I otherwise would have done, as I had a trooper's saddle and the Cap ain would trot. I got most awfully sore going out, and thought I should never be able to get back. However, I discovered ?. method at last, and that was to go at a full gallop. So I alternately went at a walk and ' hell for leather/ and got back in com- parative comfort. I thoroughly enjoyed it ; it was very bad for the horse, I am afraid, on the stone setts (pav), but sometimes I could get him on to the softer bits at the side. I was terribly afraid some one would think the horse was running away with me and ' block ' him, so I had to look as pleased as possible. And really I was pleased, it was such a blessed relief after that awful trotting. I trotted along in rear of the other two until I could stand it no 38 PART I CHAPTER II longer, and then I encouraged my nag and hit him until he broke into a canter, and then I roared past the others, who cursed like anything because theirs wanted to gallop too. My horse's canter changed imperceptibly into a full gallop, and I ' got down to it ' and felt like a jockey. After about half a mile I would walk until the others came up and passed me, and then I would go off again. All the same, I am very sore. " Good-bye for the present ; it is lovely hot weather and we are all well fit and happy." " Tuesday, 18 May 1915, 5.15 p.m. " MY DEAR NORAH AND BARBARA, I don't expect I am far wrong in attributing my ripping present of dates and figs to you two. I did enjoy them, and they are not finished yet. " They arrived by the first post after we had returned from our little trip. We were at Hill 60 ; it was so inter- esting and rather exciting, although we were there chiefly, I think, to improve the trenches, which were very shallow and dangerous when we arrived. " The men worked splendidly all night and most of the day, and, when we left, the trenches were vastly im- proved and quite habitable. We also made some entirely new ones. We are now kept for this sort of job only, and we go out working at nights and sleep by day. " I must explain to you about ' standing to.' A pro- portion of the men are always awake in the trenches to guard against surprises, for as the most likely times for an attack are at dawn and at dusk, everybody has to be awake and ready then. Of course it does interfere with your sleep, and you do not get very much as a rule in the trenches, but that is why you are not there for more than about three days at a time. In the ' supports ' you * stand to ' so as to be ready to reinforce the front line quickly in case of an attack. Out in 'Rest Billets/ I am glad to say, it is no longer necessary. " I am so sorry, my friend Fletcher has just gone off this morning for a rest cure. I shall miss him awfully. He is about five miles away and I am going to ride over to- morrow to see him. But later on he will probably go back to England. His nerves are all wrong and he needs a rest. LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 39 " Good-bye for now, and very best wishes to you both. Your very loving brother, RAYMOND " " I hope you get my communiques regularly from home (swank). Some one must have the time ot their lives copying out all the stuff I write. I hope, however, there are a few grains in the bundle of chaff (I'm fishing again) ! " You say, Norah, that you don't think the chateau was as quiet as I described. Well, provided I mentioned our gun, that went off at occasional intervals close behind it with a terrific report, it was just as I described a peaceful summer afternoon. I know that people think that everything in Belgium is chaos and slaughter, but it isn't so. For instance, where Fletcher is, is a charming country place with trees and fields and everything in full green. Simply ripping. If I had only had a motor-cycle to see it from instead of a trotting horse I should have enjoyed it even more ! R." " Wednesday, 19 May 1915, 12.50 p.m. " You must know that we have now only three officers in our Company I am very sorry indeed to lose Fletcher. He went oft for a rest cure yesterday morning to a place about five miles from here. He is my greatest friend in the Battalion, so I miss him very much and hope he won't be long away. He will probably go back to England, however, as his nerves are all wrong. He is going the same way as Laws did and needs a complete rest., I am going to ride over to see him this afternoon with the Captain. I am afraid it won't be ' good going ' as the roads are thick with mud. The slightest rain, and they are as bad as ever. " I told you that I was Mess President (M.P.). I am sure you would smile to see me ordering the meals, and inspecting the joints. I don't know anything about them, and when the cook calls me up specially to view a joint I have hastily to decide whether he means me to dis- parage it or the reverse. However, I am usually safe in running it down/' " Thursday, 20 May 1915, 9.10 a.m. " W e rode over and saw Fletcher yesterday and had tea with him. He is with about twenty other similar 40 PART I CHAPTER II cases in a splendid chateau (this one is not ruined and has magnificent grounds). Unfortunately this is probably the very worst possible treatment he could have. He has nothing to do, no interest in anything, and no society except people who, like himself, want cheering. He does not read, he does not even walk about the grounds. He cannot sleep much, and he said he did not know exactly what he did. Under these conditions I know it will not be long before he is sent home. Brooding is just the very worst thing for him. He sees all the past horrors all over again ; things which, at the time, he shut his mind to. The best treatment (even better than home, / think) would be to send him back for a month or so to Crosby. He would then have plenty to occupy his mind and would have cheerful companions. . . ." " 6.20p.m. " I have attached a list of a few slang terms and curious expressions in use in tKis Regiment and I believe universal at the moment. Some of these are amazing, and it is difficult to trace the origin. ' Drumming up ' is one, and ' wind up ' another. I saw an old Belgian cart yesterday, a three-wheeled affair. It had been over- turned on its side and the spokes of the lowest wheel had been broken. Well, some one had ' drummed up ' on them every one had disappeared. These men here will ' drum up ' on anything. ' Drumming up ' on a thing does not mean lighting a fire on it but with it. " When we were at that place where we were for a week, there was a most peculiar state of affairs. The Germans were holding a small piece of trench joining, and in line with, ours. They were only separated from us by double barricades theirs and ours. They corre- sponded to the meat in a sandwich. [A sketch is omitted.] When I say ' ours ' I mean the English. I was not actually in this trench, but in the one just behind. The trench on one side of the ' meat ' was held by one of our Companies, and the other by another Regiment. . . ." " Friday, 10.20 a.m. " My nickname in the Mess is ' Maurice ' (with a French pronunciation) ; I am called after the small boy in the grocery shop here. The good dame always says LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 41 ' Oui, monsieur le lieutenant ! ' ' Non, monsieur le lieutenant ! ' to everything one says ; she gets in about six to the minute. Well, we used to imitate her after our visits to the shop, and one day she called out ' Maurice ' ; so Fletcher calls me ' Maurice/ and I reply, ' Oui, monsieur le lieutenant/ " SOME MILITARY TERMS A fatigue party carrying water. (to rhyme with ' pinned up ') To be uneasy, ' on edge/ Making a fire for the purpose of warming food. England A wound that necessitates invaliding home. Real, genuine. A short period of considerable firing in the trenches. A cramped dwelling-place, usually above ground. An hour of preparedness at dawn and at dusk when every one is awake and wears his equipment (in trenches and supports only). The finish of '- stand-to.' Barbed wire in sections. A ' soft ' thing. To report oneself ill to the doctor. To lie down, go to bed. Complaining. R. L. WATER-PARTY To HAVE WIND UP DRUMMING UP BLIGHTY A BLIGHTY WOUND . PUCCA . RALLY UP DUG-OUT . . STAND-TO STAND-DOWN . KNIFE-RESTS . CUSHY . To Go SICK . To GET DOWN TO IT CRIBBING OR GROUSING 20.5.15 [To a Brother] " 26 May 1915 " I expect you have read it, but I want to recommend to you Simon Dale, by Anthony Hope. " We had the gas over here on Monday morning about 3 or 4 a.m. Although it was coming from a point about four miles away, as we learnt afterwards, it was very strong and made our eyes smart very much. " We have got hold of some liqueurs from Railhead, a large bottle of Chartreuse and one of Cura9ao. " Good-bye and good luck." " Saturday, 29 May 1915, 8.30 p.m. " We have again done a little move, this time with 42 PART I CHAPTER II bag and baggage. We are now on the outskirts of ' No. i,' and due west of it. The men have built them- selves dug-outs along a hedge and we (C Coy. officers) are installed in an untouched chateau. Quite com- fortable. Fine lofty rooms. We only use part of the house. We have the kitchen, and a large dining-room on the ground floor. We sleep upstairs on the first floor (our valise on hay). At least, Thomas and I do, the Captain and Case have moved down and sleep on large fat palliasses in the dining-room ! We have the rest of the house empty to ourselves to-night, but various head- quarter staffs seem to come in turn and occupy two of the other ground floor rooms occasionally. " We have been out two nights digging on the opposite side of the town, but we have not been ordered out to-night, so far. " I notice I have now been gazetted back to 15 August, the same as most of my contemporaries. " There has been a suggestion made that I should take a course of machine-gun instruction in order that I might act as understudy to our present Machine-Gun Officer (M.G.O.) who is Roscoe, and is the successor to Wyatt. I agreed, but it may have ' fallen through ' owing to the move. If it comes off I shall go for a fortnight's course to a place which I will call No. 3 [probably St. Omer], " I got a letter from you to-day about 5 p.m. I was so glad. " No, I am not making things out better than they really are. I like to write mostly about the pleasant parts, of course. We have our unpleasant moments, shelling and so on, but no very bad times as yet. Being on tenterhooks is quite the worst part. " As regards Fletcher being worse than us, of course he came out much earlier. He left Edinburgh for the Front on 4 January, and Laws left on 31 December. He has had some awful times and the winter campaign, and in any case the length of time one is exposed to the mental strain and worry makes a difference. I do my best to keep cheerful and happy all the time I don t believe in meeting trouble half-way. If there was some indication of the termination of the war it would help LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 43 matters the unending vista is apt to be rather dis- heartening at times. I am very glad Italy is in at last. " By the way, Fletcher has not been sent to England (Blighty) after all. He is at Versailles, in the No. 4 General Hospital there, having a nice time if he can enjoy it. This hospital is the Trianon Palace. The Captain had a letter from him in which he sent his love to ' Maurice ' and ' his lordship ' (that's Thomas)." " 2 June 1915, 4.45 p.m. " Our interpreter is a Belgian, and is a very nice man. He does our shopping for us in the town, which is ten miles or so away, and (as now arranged) he makes the journey twice a week. It is very funny to hear him talk, he picks up the soldiers 1 idioms and uses them in the wrong places. One he is very fond of is the expression ' Every time ' ! He puts such a funny emphasis on it. " The last member of our Mess is a man who has just come out and has not long had his commission. He used to be Regimental Sergeant-Major to our ist Battalion and has had about twenty-six years' service, so he knows his job. " Unfortunately, however, his arrival is not an un- mixed blessing. The Captain is seized with enthusiasm and wants to make our Company the finest Company in the Battalion. The result is that we have now nothing but parades and much less rest than before. When we were turned into a pioneer battalion the Colonel told the men that they would go digging at night and would do nothing else except for rifle inspection. Now, however, we have in addition an hour's drill of various sorts in the morning and a lecture to N.C.O.s in the afternoon, at which all subalterns have to attend and take notes. On the day following a rest night we have to be up about seven o'clock, and be on parade while the men do half an hour's physical exercise before breakfast. Then we have an hour and a half's drill afterwards and the lecture. And these parades seem to be growing. I am afraid they will wear us all out and the men as well. Thomas feels it most and is very worried although he is Senior Subaltern in the Company he is left right out of things. I am afraid of his going like Laws and Fletcher did. 44 PART I CHAPTER II Some ' rankers ' are very good fellows. They bring tremendous experience with them, but, on the other hand, we bring something too, and when they ride the high horse they can be very unbearable. ... _ " I got a supply of paraffin to-day ; D Company has bought a huge barrel of it, and I sent over a petrol tin for some. They gave me nearly two gallons and asked if I could let them have a window in exchange ! I hunted round and found quite a good loose one and sent it across with my compliments. The reason they have bought up so much paraffin is because their Captain has presented pocket Primuses to his men. Each section of twelve men has one between them, with one man in charge of it. It is a killing sight to see their Company sitting in a field and drumming up ! " The Belgian cooking stove is rather a curious thing. It is of the same design in every house apparently. It consists of a metal urn to hold the fire ; this has a remov- able lid for which you can substitute a kettle or pan which just fits the round opening. The urn stands about 3 feet from the wall and has a flat-shaped iron chimney leading into the main chimney. This iron chimney can be used for heating pots or for warming plates. The base of the urn is an ash collector. You will see that there is no oven ; this is built separately and is a brick affair with a separate fire to it. [Sketch.] " " Thursday, 3 June 1915, 1.30 p.m. " I am all right again to-day ; you mustn't pay any attention to my grumbles, it just depends what I feel like ; and I am going to stir things up about these par- ades. We had a fine time last night very exciting. We went through the heart of the city and it is still very much on fire. The enemy keeps sending an occasional shell into it to keep it going. Just on the far side is a graveyard, and this has been ' crumped ' out of existence nearly ! It is an unpleasant place to pass now. " The town is almost unbelievable. I don't think anyone would credit that they could do so much damage and not leave a single house untouched, without entering the place at all. [Ypres again, probably.] " Our digging last night was near a small road much LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 45 used by transport (which is very audible at night). As the enemy can hear the rumble of the horse-drawn carts quite plainly, they kept on sending shrapnel over, and we had quite a warm time of it. We were quite glad to get away again. (No one was hit while we were there.) " I was very interested in father's pamphlet on ' War and Christianity/ and I have passed it on to the others. I like the way he gets right outside and looks at things from above. It is a very soothing thing to read. 1 . . . " I had such an interesting talk with the interpreter yesterday (his rank is the equivalent of one of our Ser- geant-Majors). He was a merchant in Morocco, and chucked up everything and came and joined the Belgian army as a private. He fought at Namur, Antwerp, and other places, and is most awfully keen. He was offered the job of Interpreter to the British Army, and, thinking he could help more by that means and also partly for monetary considerations, he took the job. He understood he would be fighting with us in the trenches, but they have put him on to shopping for us ! He is awfully dis- appointed. He rides up when he can, and when we went up to Hill 60 he went up with our transports and showed them the way and helped them a lot, although shells were falling all round. He is a most gentlemanly man ; his name is Polchet. . . . " I had a letter from Violet and another from Mar- garet yesterday. I understand they have gone up to Edinburgh now ; I shall like to go up there too ' after the war.' I believe Violet is getting my room ready for me in their house. I like everything very plain, just a valise and a little hay, and then you see if I am hungry in the night . . . " P.S. I had a most interesting letter from Oliver. His discussion of Italy's motives is fine. I like hearing what people think of events; we are apt to get very warped views out here unless we have the other point of view occasionally." " Sunday, 6 June 1915, 12 p.m. " The Mess was thrown into the greatest state of excitement yesterday by the arrival of kippers ! How 1 This must have been part of my book, The War and After. O. J. L. 46 PART I CHAPTER II splendid ! We had a grand breakfast this morning, quite like the summer holidays again breakfast after a bathe with Alec of course ! . . . " By the way, I did not present the last lot of asparagus to the Mess this was not because we didn't appreciate it, but because I felt so sorry for M. Polchet (our inter- preter), and I wondered if he had any green stuff or luxuries. So I sent it over to him. And do you know what he has done ? He has just sent me a shallow wooden box with a thick cotton- wool pad in it. In the pad are six hollows, and in each hollow is a ripping nectarine. Isn't it fine of him ? " We have roses picked every day for the Mess-room ; it does improve it. The other evening we had a specially nice meal. We sat round the polished table with candles in the centre and bowls of roses round them (as a matter of fact the bowls were old tinned-fruit tins, but what\of that). The food was very special, though I can't remember what it was, but to crown all there was in the room just across the passage ... a real fiddler with a real fiddle. I really don't know how he managed to bring a fiddle out here ; he is a private in the Royal Garrison Artillery, and plays simply beautifully. He has long hair and just a suggestion of side whiskers, and large boots, and, but that he would not be complimented, looks like a Viennese. " He started off by playing Grand Opera I believe and he gave us the Intermezzo from ' Cavalleria Rusti- cana.' Then he gave us ' Gipsy Love ' and the ' Merry Widow/ and so on. He finished up with American rag- time. We sent him in a bottle of whisky half-way through the performance, and the music got lighter thence- forward. It was most amusing to notice the effect. When we looked in later the whisky was standing on the table, and he was walking round it with his fiddle, play- ing hard and apparently serenading it ! " I was inoculated again on Friday evening because it is only really effective for about six months, and there is going to be a lot of enteric about, I expect. This apparently is just the very place for it flat low-lying country, poor water supply, and the soil heavily manured. So I have been feeling rather weak and feverish after it, LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 47 but I am better again now. I have to have it done again ten days later but the second time is not so bad. " Talking about roses, Thomas picked a beauty this morning (before I got up) and brought it to me in bed. It is in front of me now, and is 5 inches across, and has a very fine smell." " Wednesday, 16 June 1915, 1.30 p.m. " We made an attack early this morning, and our Company waited here to receive the prisoners. Poor devils, I do feel so sorry for them. One officer of sixteen with six weeks' service. Old men with grey beards too, and many of the student type with spectacles not fit to have to fight. " You remember ' Very Pressing are the Germans' ; well, that's where I am, right inside the walls. Quite shell-proof, but very dank. " I have got the machine-gun job, and am going for a fortnight's course, starting on the 26th of June." " Monday, 21 June 1915, 4.30 p.m. " We have had an extremely trying time lately, and I am very sorry to say we have lost Thomas. " He was hit on the head by shrapnel on the night after the attack I expect you saw the account in the papers and died about an hour later, having never recovered consciousness. " It was a most fatal night the whole battalion was ordered out digging to consolidate the captured positions. We got half-way out, and then got stuck the road being blocked by parties of wounded. We waited on a path alongside a hedge for over an hour, and though we could not be seen we had a good deal of shrapnel sent over us. To make matters worse, they put some gas shells near, and we had to wear our helmets though the gas was not very strong. It was exceedingly unpleasant, and we could hardly see at all. It was while we were waiting like this that Thomas got knocked out. " We are all sorry to lose him, and I miss him very much, but it is nothing to the trouble there will be at his home, for he is his mother's favourite son. " I have written to his mother, but I have not told her 48 PART I CHAPTER II what makes us feel so mad about it namely, that we did no digging that night at all. When we got to the position we were so late, and there was still such confusion there due to the attack, that we marched back again and just got in before daylight. We might just as well never have gone out. Isn't it fairly sickening ? " The next night we went out again, and we had a very quiet night and no casualties. The scene of the battle was pretty bad, and I put all my spare men on to burying. ' Altogether we are very thankful to have a change from ' pioneering,' and get back to the trenches ! " Our chief trouble here is snipers. We are in a wood, and parties going for water and so on to our headquarters will walk outside the trench instead of in it, just be- cause the trench goes like this. [A diagram is omitted.] They take the straight course along the side in spite of repeated warnings. There is one point that a sniper has got marked. He gets our men coming back as they get into the trench just too late. We had a man hit this morn- ing, but not badly, and a few minutes ago I had to stop- this letter and go to a man of B Company who had got hit, and rather more seriously, at the same spot. I have put up a large notice there now, and hope it will prevent any more. " I am sorry this is not a very cheerful letter, but we have all been rather sad lately. I am getting over it now. Luckily one absorbs these things very gradually ; I could not realise it at first. It was an awful blow, because, especially since Fletcher went away (he is now at home), we had become very friendly, and one is apt to forget that there is always the chance of losing a friend suddenly. As a matter of fact, Thomas is the first officer of C Company that has been killed for seven months. " When we were up in this wood before, digging (about a fortnight ago) B Company lost Captain Salter. I dare say you saw his name in the Roll of Honour. We were just going to collect our spades and come in, when he was shot through the head by a stray bullet. " What a very melancholy strain I am writing in, I am so sorry. I am quite well and fit. We have mislaid our mess-box coming up here with all our specially selected foods. The result is we are on short commons great fun. I am eating awful messes and enjoying them. Fried LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 49 bacon and fried cheese together ! Awful ; but, by Jove, when you're hungry." LETTER FROM RAYMOND TO THE MOTHER OF AN OFFICER FRIEND OF HIS WHO HAD BEEN KILLED " 2nd S. Lancashire Regt. t B.E.F., Front, 17 June 1915 " DEAR MRS. THOMAS, I am very sorry to say I have to tell you the very worst of bad news. I know what Humphrey's loss must be to you, and I want to tell you how much it is to all of us too. I know I have not realised it yet myself properly. I have been in a kind of trance since last night and I dread to wake up. " He was a very fine friend to me, especially since Fletcher went away, and I miss him frightfully. Last night (i6th to I7th) the whole Battalion went out digging. There had been an attack by the English early the same morning, and the enemy's guns were still very busy even in the evening. Our road was blocked in front owing to the moving of a lot of wounded, and while we were held up on a little field path alongside a hedge we had several shrapnel shells over us. To add to the horrors of the situation they had put some gas shells over too, and we were obliged to put on our gas helmets. While Humphrey was standing with his helmet on in the rear of our Com- pany talking to the Captain of the Company behind, a shell came over and a piece of it ca ght him on the head. He was rendered unconscious, and it was evident from the first he had no chance of recovery. He was immediately taken a little way back to a place where there was no gas, and here the doctor dressed his wound. He was then taken back on a stretcher to the dressing-station. He died there about an hour after he had been admitted, having never recovered consciousness. " If he had to die, I am thankful he was spared pain beforehand. It made my heart ache this afternoon pack- ing his valise ; I have given his chocolate, cigarettes, and tobacco to the Mess, and I have wrapped up his diary and a few loose letters and made them into a small parcel which is in the middle of his valise. 11 The papers and valuables which he had on him at the 4 50 PART I CHAPTER II time will be sent back through our headquarters, the othei things, such as letters, etc., in his other pockets I have left just as they were. I hope the valise will arrive safely. " He will be buried very simply, and probably due east of Ypres about three-quarters of a mile out near the dressing-station. I will of course see he has a proper cross. " Humphrey was splendid always when shells were bursting near. He hated them as much as any of us, but he just made himself appear unconcerned in order to put heart into the troops. Three nights ago we were digging a trench and the Germans thought our attack was coming off that night. For nearly three-quarters of an hour they put every kind of shell over us and some came very close. We all lay down in the trench and waited. On looking up once I was amazed to see a lone figure walking calmly about as if nothing was going on at all. It may have been foolish but it was grand." " Tuesday, 22 June 1915, 4.45 p.m. " Well ! What a long war, isn't it ? Never mind, I believe it will finish up without much help from us, and our job is really killing time. And our time is so pleasant it doesn't need much killing out here. The days roll along nice sunny days too bringing us nearer I suppose to Peace. (One hardly dares even to write the word now, it has such a significance.) There have been cases where the war has driven people off their heads (this applies only, I think, to the winter campaign), but I often think if Peace comes suddenly that there will be many such cases. " It really is rather amazing the unanimity of every- body on this subject, and it must be the same behind the German front-line trenches. " I should think that never in this world before have there been so many men so ' fed up ' before. And then the women at home too it is wonderful where the driving force comes from to keep things going on. " But still I don't want to convey a false impression. If you took my last letter by itself you might think things were very terrible out here all the time. They are not. On the whole it is not a bad time at all. The life is full of interest, and the discomforts are few and far between. LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 51 Bad times do come along occasionally, but they are by way of exceptions. It is most like a long picnic in all sorts of places with a sort of constraint and uneasiness in the air. This last is purely mental, and the less one worries about it the less it is, and so one can contrive to be light-hearted and happy through it all unless one starts to get de- pressed and moody. And it is just that which has hap- pened to Laws and Fletcher and one or two others. They had been out long and had seen unpleasant times and without an occasional rest ; none but the very thick can stand it." " Saturday, 26 June 1915, 6.40 p.m. " Here I am installed in the school [Machine Gun] which is, or was, a convent. Fine large place and grounds. Two officers per bedroom and a large Mess-room ; about twenty officers up for the course (or more) which starts to-morrow (Sunday). Your solution of the Thompson acrostic [St. Omer] was perfectly right, we are far back. This convent is about two miles from that town. " I am so pleased to be in the ' pleasant, sunny land of France,' amid absolute peacefulness. We had a curious K" Durney. Last night I slept at our transport (and had a ath !). I got up soon after six, mounted a horse just before eight (after breakfast). My servant and my valise, also a groom to bring my horse back, came in a limber. And that excellent man Polchet rode all the way to Divisional Headquarters with me, although it was about six miles out of his way. We got to Headquarters at a quarter to ten a motor-bus was to start at ten for here. It started at 10.30 with me, my luggage, and my servant (I don't know why he comes last) in it. The Harborne motor-buses in the Harborne High Street weren't in it. We got shaken to a jelly we were on top. We went back about two miles to pick up some of our Division, and having done so, we set oft to pick up some of the I4th Division, at a point carefully specified in our driver's instructions. This was about five miles away, in our proper direction. But when we got to the spot we dis- covered they (the Division) had left it a week ago and gone to a point quite close to where we had just picked up the 3rd Division men. I telephoned in vain ; we had to go all the way back. We found the place with difficulty 52 PART I CHAPTER II (we found all our places with difficulty as we had no maps), collected the men, and came all the way out again. Then we came straight here, which was about fifteen miles at least. We got here at 4.30 p.m. 1 Six hours 1 motor- bussing ! and the bus's maximum was 25 m.p.h. at least, I should judge. Luckily it was a glorious day, and I sat in front with the driver and enjoyed it all. ... " I told you leave was starting well, it has now started. Three of our officers have gone and all to- gether 1 They are only getting three clear days in Eng- land but still ! " I am going to find out when this course finishes I think it lasts for sixteen days and then I am going to apply for my leave to follow on. I wish oh, how I wish I may get it ; but of course many things may intervene. " If it does come off I hope there will be a representa- tive gathering to meet me at dinner. That is, I hope Violet will be back from Edinburgh, Lorna and Norah from Coniston, and perhaps Oliver and his Winifred \all pay a flying visit from Cardiff. Haven't I got an enlarged opinion of my own importance ? I suppose it is too much to expect the offices to have a whole holiday ! " " Monday, 28 June 1915, 6.15 p.m. " The enemy's lines round here do not appear to be strongly held, in fact quite the reverse that is, the front lines. But attacks on our part don't always pay even so. Their method, as I understand it, is simply to lose less men than we do. Accordingly, they leave very few men in their front trench, but what there are have a good supply of machine guns and are well supported by artillery. We precede our attacks by heavy shelling, and the few men get into well-built dug-outs until it is over, then they come out and get to work with their machine guns on the attacking infantry. The trench ultimately falls after rather heavy loss on our side (especially if the wire isn't properly cut) and the few defenders hold up their hands. Some are made prisoners some are not. If the enemy want the trench very badly they try and retake it by means of a strong counter-attack, trusting that our men and arrangements are in sufficient confusion to pre- LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 53 vent adequate support. That is why our attacks are sc expensive and why we aren't constantly attacking. The alternative plan is, I think, simply to shell them heavily in all their lines and leave out the actual attack in most cases. . . . " I was so interested to hear that Alec had applied for me to come back. It is not at all impossible, because I have known two or three cases where officers have been recalled one was chief chemist (or so he said) at Brunner Mond's. He was returning as I came out, and tried to make one's flesh creep by his tales of war. But I don't think it is likely to happen in my case. I only wish it would. I should love to come home again, although I don't feel as if I had done my bit yet really. I haven't been in any big scrap, and I haven't killed my man even. . . . " I had a ripping time at the transport ; I hope they enjoyed the peas they deserved to. They were hospital- ity itself. They welcomed me, gave me three meals, lent me anything I wanted, made room for me to sleep in their large room (this necessitated the Quartermaster-Sergeant moving his bed into another room), gave me a warm bath, and generally made me feel quite at home. They have a ripping dug-out. Rooms half underground, 7 feet high, plenty of ventilation, boarded floor and walls, and a wooden roof supported on square wooden pillars and covered in earth well sodded on top. . . . " Talking about the Major (Major Cotton), he used to be our Adjutant at Crosby he was Captain then. He came out as second in command and has now got the Battalion while our Colonel (Colonel Dudgeon) is away sick. The latter got his C.B. in the last honours list. He is an excellent man. Lieut. Burlton, top, got a Military Cross. He has now been wounded twice ; he was the moving spirit of the hockey matches at Crosby in the old days, and, when he was recalled to the Front, his mantle fell upon me. . . . "All the officers here are from different regiments with a very few exceptions. It is most interesting. At meals, Way and I sit among the Cavalry, Dragoons and Lancers, etc. They are nne chaps the real Army officers of which there are now all too few." 54 PART I CHAPTER II " Machine-Gun School, G.H.Q., Wednesday, 7 July 1915, 5 p.m. " Here I am getting towards the end of my little holiday, only five more days to go. No word has reached me from my Battalion on the subject of leave, or of any- thing else for that matter. . . . " If this threatened push on Calais is real, or if the higher commands have got ' wind up ' about it, they will very likely stop all leave, and then I shall just have to wait until it starts again. . . . " I am sure that the fact of our nation being ' down ' and preparing for a winter campaign will materially assist in shortening the war and rendering that preparation unnecessary. " We have an awfully amusing chap here who is in the Grenadier Guards. He is always imitating Harry Tate. A great big hefty chap, in great big sloppy clothes (including what are known as ' Prince of Wales ' breeches). He gets his mouth right over to the side of his face and says ' You stupid boy ! ' in Harry Tate's voice. He does this in the middle of our instructional squads when some wretched person does something wrong with the gun, and sends every one into fits of laughter. ... [A lot more about a motor that wouldn't go.j " My M.G. course is going on very nicely. I have learnt a very great deal, have been intensely interested, and am very keen on the work. My function as a reserve machine-gunner should really be to train the reserve team and such parts of the main team as are not actually re- quired in the trenches, in a safe spot behind the lines 1 It sounds ' cushy/ but those in authority over us are not sufficiently enlightened, I am afraid, to adopt such a plan. The object of course is to prevent your reserve men from being ' used up ' as riflemen, as otherwise when you want them to take the place of the others they are casualties and all their training goes for nothing. The Cavalry officers here are a great joke. They find this life very tiring. They are quite keen to get back again and have been from the beginning. We, on the other hand, fairly enjoy it and are not at all anxious to go back to our regiments. That shows the difference LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 55 between the lives we lead. Of course they have been in the trenches and have had some very bad times there, but they only go in in emergencies and at long intervals. . . . " Another difference between us is that they keep their buttons as bright as possible and themselves as spick and span as can be. The infantry officer gets his buttons as dull as possible, and if they are green so much the better, as it shows he has been through gas. He likes his clothes and especially his puttees to be rather torn, and his hat to be any old sloppy shape. If he gets a new hat he is almost ashamed to wear it he is terrified of being mistaken for ' Kitcheners ' 1 " Lord Kitchener and Mr. Asquith came here last evening. Here, to this convent. I don't know what for ; but there was of course a good deal of stir here. " Way and I went into the town last night. We hired a. fiacre for the return journey. It came on to rain, so it was just as well we had a hood. We both thoroughly enjoyed the journey. The fiacre was what would be dignified by the name of ' Victoria ' in England. But in France, where it seems to be etiquette not to take any trouble over carriage-work, fiacre is the only word you could apply, and it just fits it. It expresses not only its shabbiness but also hints at its broken-backed appearance. " We went into some stables and inquired about a fiacre, and a fat boy in a blue apron with a white hand- kerchief tied over one eye said we could have one. So I said, ' Ou est le cocher ? ' and he pointed to his breast and said, " C'est moi ! ' " The fare, he said, would be six francs and the pour- boire. Thoughtful of him not to forget that. We agreed, and he eventually produced the usual French horse. " The fiacre was very comfortable and we were awfully tickled with the idea of us two in that absurd conveyance, especially when we passed staff officers, which was fre- quently. Altogether we were quite sorry when our drive was over." NOTE BY O. J. L. On 16 July 1915, Raymond came home on leave, and he had a great reception. On 20 July he went back. 56 PART I CHAPTER II " Sunday, 25 July 1915, 7.30 p.m. " I have got quite a nice dug-out, with a chair and table in it. The table was away from the door and got no light, so I have spent about two hours to-day turning things round. I went to bed about three this morning (just after ' stand-to ') and slept till nearly twelve. Then I had breakfast (bacon and eggs). As my former platoon Sergeant remarked : ' It is a great thing to have a few comforts, it makes you forget there is a war.' " So it does until a whizz-bang comes over. " I have just seen an aeroplane brought down (German luckily). I missed the first part, where one of ours went up to it and a flame shot across between them (machine gun, I expect). I ran out just in time to see the machine descending on fire. It came down quite steadily inside our lines (about a mile or more away), but the flames were quite clearly visible." " Thursday, 29 July 1915, 7.35 p.m. " Here I am in the trenches again, quite like old times, and quite in the swing again after the unsettling effect of coming home ! You know I can't help laughing at things out here. The curious aspect of things sometimes comes and hits me, and I sit down and laugh (not insanely or hysterically, bien entendu ; but I just can't help chuckling). It is so absurd, the reasons and causes that have drawn me to this particular and unlikely field in Belgium, and, having arrived here, that make me set about at once house-hunting for all the world as if it was the most natural thing in life. And having selected my little house and arranged all my belongings in it, I regard it as home and spend a few days there. And then one morning my servant and I, we pack up everything once more and hoist them on to our backs and set off, staff in hand, like a pair of gipsies to another field a mile or so distant, and there make a new home. . . . " I was very loth to leave my front line dug-out, because I had arranged things to my liking had moved the table so that it caught the light, and so on. It had a LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 57 built-in table (which took a lot of moving), a chair and a sandbag bed. Quite small and snug. " But still this new dug-out back here is quite nice. Large and roomy, with windows with bars in them (but no glass) a proper square table on four legs three chairs and a sandbag bed. So I am quite happy. The sandbag bed is apparently made as follows : Cover a portion of the floor, 6 feet 6 inches by 3 feet 6 inches, with a single layer of sandbags filled with earth. Over these place several layers of empty sandbags, and the bed is finished. If the hollows and lumps are carefully placed, the former in the middle and the latter at the head, the result is quite a success. Of course one sleeps in one's clothes covered by a coat and with an air pillow under one's head. " We have had a very gay time in the trenches. I think I told you how I saw a hostile aeroplane brought down on fire in our lines. That was on Sunday, and the official report says both pilots killed. On Monday I went down to a support trench to have meat tea and a chat with Holden and Ventris (two of C Company officers). At a quarter to ten there was a loud rumbling explosion and the dug-out we were in rocked for several seconds. The Germans had fired a mine about 60 feet in front of our trench to try to blow in some of our workings. " I rushed to my guns both were quite safe. You should have heard the noise. Every man in the place got up to the parapet and blazed away for all he was worth. It was exciting ! One machine gun fired two belts (500 rounds), and the other fifty rounds. I heard afterwards that several of the enemy were seen to leap their parapets, but turned back when they heard the machine guns open fire. It took a good while for things to quieten down. Some of our miners were at work when it went off, but their gallery was some way off and they were quite all right. " Last night they actually exploded another one ! Aren't they keen ? This was a much smaller affair, but closer to our trench. It shook down a portion of our parapet, which was easily rebuilt, and entombed tempo- rarily two of our miners. In neither case were there any casualties. ... 58 PART I CHAPTER II " I am so sorry the date of the wedding had to be altered, but I agree it was for the best. I only hope you remembered to inform the bridegroom he is often for- gotten on these occasions, and I have known a lot of trouble caused by just this omission." LETTER FROM RAYMOND TO MRS. FRED STRATTON, FORMERLY MlSS MARJORIE GUNN " I August 1915, Sunday, 11.20 p.m. " I am not actually in the trenches at the moment, though most of the Battalion is. I was in for five days, and then I was relieved about four days ago by another officer (Roscoe), who shares with me the duties of machine- gun officer. So I am in a dug-out about three-quarters of a mile behind the firing line while he is taking his turn in that line. (A mine has just gone off and shaken the ground, followed by a burst of heavy rifle firing. This makes the fourth mine this week 1 Two went off while I was up there, and the whole earth rocked for several seconds. The first three mines were theirs, this last may be ours, I don't know ; we had one ready !) " We have been at Hill 60 and also up at Ypres. At present we are south of that appalling place, but I learn with regret that to-morrow we are moving again and are going up north of Ypres. We are all depressed in conse- quence. " What an awfully good letter you have written me ; but, do you know, it makes me ache all over when you write like that about the car. You have only to mention you have got a Rover, and I am as keen as mustard to come and tinker with it 1 Aren't I young ? " But you must know I want to come to New Park in any case. I am awfully keen to stay there and see it from inside, and see its inmates again after many years (it feels like). So after the war (may it be soon 1) I am just going to arrive. I may let you know 1 " Your remarks on weddings in general depress me very much I I hope the bridegroom's lot is better than the poor bride's. Because my turn is bound to come I I am so glad Hester gave a good account of my LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 59 appearance. I am very fit, it is the only way to exist here. Once you begin to get ' down ' and to worry, it is all up with you. You go into a rapid decline, and eventu- ally arrive home a wreck 1 But as long as you smile and don't care a hang about anything, well the war seems to go on quite all right ! " I enjoyed my few days' leave very much indeed. I had five days in England and three full days and four nights at home. I dropped into my old life just as if no change had occurred. And the time was not long enough to make the getting back difficult. " This life is a change for me, as you say. I haven't done laughing at its humorous side yet. In some ways we get treated like schoolboys. More so at Crosby than here, however." " Saturday, 7 August 1915, 7.30 p.m. " I have been having rather a bad time lately, one of those times that reminds one that it is war and not a picnic, but, thank goodness, it is all over now. " I think I told you that we were about to move up north of Ypres, to St. Julien or thereabouts. Well, just before we handed over these trenches to one of Kitchener's Battalions, the Germans went and knocked down a lot of our parapet, and also sent over some appalling things that we call ' sausages/ or ' aerial torpedoes/ though they are not the latter. They are great shell-shaped affairs, about 3 feet along and 9 inches in diameter, I should think. They are visible during the whole of their flight. They are thrown up about 100 yards into the air and fall down as they go up, broadside on not point first. A few seconds after they fall there is the most appalling explosion I have ever heard. From a distance of 100 yards the rush of air is so strong that it feels as if the thing had gone off close at hand. Luckily there is a slight explosion when they are sent up, and, as I said, they are visible all the time in the air. The result is our men have time to dodge them, provided they are not mesmerised as one man was. He got stuck with his mouth open, pointing at one 1 A Corporal gave him a push which sent him 10 yards, and the ' sausage ' landed 60 PART I CHAPTER II not far from where he had been. Although they have sent more than twenty of these things over altogether, we have only had one casualty, and that a scratch. Their effect is to terrify every one and keep them on tenterhooks watching for them. Their purpose is to destroy mine galleries, I believe. . . . " Monday, August the 2nd, was the day we should have been relieved, and that night I went up from head- quarters and relieved Roscoe, who had had a bad time in the fire trenches. . . . " They were firing armour-piercing shells that go right in and blow the parapet to blazes ; dug-outs too, of course, if they happen to be near. After punishing the right end of the left-hand bit of trench, they traversed along, laying waste the whole of our bit. " I was in my dug-out with Hogg, another officer. I was trying to make tea, but every shell blew out the Primus, and covered us in dust. I made it, however, eventually, and we had just drunk it when a shell blew the parados of the trench down, not far from our door, and the next wrecked the dug-out next door to mine (a man who happened to be inside having a miraculous escape). We judged it was time to clear (the machine guns had already been withdrawn to safety), and got away as best we could through and over the debris that had been a trench. " Later in the day I made my way back, and re- covered my pack and most of my belongings. It was exciting work getting back, because they were sending whizz-bangs through the gaps in the parapet, and the com- munication trenches in the rear were blocked in places, so that you had to get up on top and ' scoot ' across and drop in the trench again. " That evening they gave us a second shelling, and one hit my dug-out fair and square (I had quarters in a sup- port trench). When I returned next day for the rest of my things my equipment and some provisions I had to put two men on to dig them out. It took three-quarters of an hour to get at them, through the wreckage of timber, corrugated iron, and earth. . . . " On Tuesday afternoon they sent off another mine, about the seventh since we have been in, but they are LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 61 all well in front of our parapet. And on Wednesday they gave us twelve sausages the first I had seen. " The trouble is, we have a number of mineshafts under the ground between our trenches and theirs, and they are fearfully ' windy ' about them. They keep trying to stop us mining them, and their shelling is with the object of blowing down our sap-heads. Their mines, too, go up short, because they are trying to blow in our galleries ; or else they are so scared they send them off before they are ready. I think the last explanation is probably more near the truth, because when one of their mines went up recently a lot of Germans went up with it ! ... " We have been in here a fortnight to-night. You can imagine how we long for clean clothes. Most of the officers have not been out of their clothes all that time, but I have been very lucky. I had two good cold baths when I was down here before, and to-day I had a lovely hot one in a full-length wooden bath. A tremendous luxury ! Also I had some clean socks to put on. ... " On the day I was shelled out of my dug-out my servant, Bailey, was hit on the leg by a piece of shell and has gone down the line wounded, not very seriously, I think. He is a great loss to me, but I have got another one now, Gray, who shapes very well. He is young and willing, and quite intelligent. " You ask whether that time when the mine went off was the first time I had used these guns. Yes, abso- lutely. The plan adopted in trench warfare is to place your guns in position with a good wide loophole in front of them, then block this up and keep a sharp look-out. When the enemy attacks, you blaze away at them, and then shift hurriedly to another gun-position and watch the old one being shelled to blazes. " If you fire on other occasions you are rather apt to have your guns knocked out, and we can't afford to lose any. That is why I was rather horrified to find one gun had fired 500 rounds the other night. However, it was not discovered. I think the long grass in front hid the flashes. . . . " Yes, the sandbags might be damp when used for a bed, and I always lay my waterproof ground-sheet on top of them. I either sleep on that or on some new clean bags 62 PART I CHAPTER II laid above that again. It is not only dampness, though, that one fears ! " As a matter of fact, one is not very sensitive to damp when living so much out of doors. It is common to get one's feet slightly wet and go for about four days without removing one's boots most unpleasant, but not in the least damaging to health." " Monday, 16 August 1915, Noon " We are now out and resting after doing a long spell. I did nineteen days, and some did a few more days than that. Three weeks is a long time to live continuously in clothes, boots, and puttees. . . . " I came out of the trenches on Thursday night, and was really a day too soon, because on Friday we were having Orderly-Room right in the country, in front of the C.O.'s tent ; the Colonel was there surrounded by most of the officers, when we heard a shell. Well, that's nothing unusual, but this one got crescendo, and we all looked up in alarm. Then it got very crescendo, and finally cleared us and landed with a loud explosion about 50 yards beyond us, and not far from several groups of men. It was an 8-inch ' crump.' One man only was killed, but we knew that more were likely to come over, and so we gradu- ally spread out to the sides. Four came altogether at two-minute intervals, but we only had two casualties. Rather upsetting when we were supposed to be resting. I don't know whether they could see our (officers') white tents, or whether they saw the cricket match that took place on the day before. " Anyway we moved our tents slightly every one put their tents where they pleased, and then the Pioneer Sergeant came and amused himself daubing green paint on them in patches. Ours (three of C Coy.) was the best ; the splodges looked just like hazel nuts (?) when there are three together in their little green cases, and they were interspersed with a kind of pansy-shaped flower. Altogether a very tasteful and pleasing effect. . . . " A couple of gun stocks have come. They arrived from Walker's, the makers, and I shoijld very much like to know who had them sent. They are ripping, sniping attachments with periscopes for use with the ordinary LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 63 rifle. I shall stick to one, and unless I hear otherwise I shall present the other one to our sniping officer (honorary rank)." l " Wednesday, 25 August 1915, 3 p.m. " I am in the trenches once more. We marched in (about 10 miles) last night. We had a meal at 3 p.m., and marched off soon after six. Our rations (officers ) went astray, because they were on a hand-cart in charge of our servants, who missed their way, so we have had practically nothing to eat since late lunch yesterday, and are pretty hungry. I have had a piece of chocolate, and my water-bottle was nearly full of lemon squash. . . . " We are in support trenches at Hooge, just on the left of our former position up here. Except for some shelling (chiefly ours), things are fairly quiet. " Since we were here last the position is greatly im- proved ; the Germans have been driven over the ridge in front (during the recapture of trenches here), and the whole place is much ' healthier ' in consequence. . . . " I have been out here five calendar months to-day, and in the Army just over eleven months. They will be pensioning me off soon as an old soldier." " 29 August 1915, 11.30 a.m. " I am having a very quiet and lazy time at the moment, and feel I deserve it. We went into support trenches for three days, and worked two nights from 7.30 p.m. till 3 a.m. building and improving the fire trench. Then on the third night we had a most exciting time. One company, under Captain Taylor, was sent up right in front to dig a new fire trench to connect with another on our left. We had to go up a trench which ran right out into space, and which had only just been built itself, and when there we had to get over the parapet and creep forward to the new line we were to dig. Or course we had to be dead quiet, but there was a big moon, and of course they saw us. Most of the way we were not more than 30 yards away from their front position (and they had bombing parties out in front of that). While we were 1 Thos. Walker & Son, of Oxford Street, Birmingham, had kindly given me two periscope rifle-stock attachments with excellent mirrors, 80 as to allow accurate sighting. O. J. L. 64 PART I CHAPTER II digging we had one platoon with bombs to cover us, and some of this party were as close as 25 yards to their front position. It was awful work, because they kept throwing bombs at us, and what was almost worse was the close- range sniping. " ' Very ' lights were going up from the German lines all the time, and you could see the bullets kicking up the dust all around. When we first got out there I picked out my ground pretty carefully before lying down (be- cause the recent scrap there was much in evidence), but when the snipers got busy I didn't worry about what I was on, I just hugged the ground as close as I could. They would put the ' Very ' lights right into us, and one just missed me by a yard. If they are not spent when they come down, they blaze fiercely on the ground, and when they finish, they look like a little coke fire. They would burn you badly if they fell on you. I have seen a dead man that one had fallen on afterwards. His clothes were fearfully burned. " The Germans were on the edge of a wood and our ground was tipped towards them, so it was extremely difficult to get cover. Shell holes were the best. Soon the men got their trenches down, and things were a little better. The men worked extremely well, and the Wilts were working on our left, and we eventually joined up with them. After about five hours' work, the trenches were fit to hold, and we filed out and the new garrison filed in. Our casualties were much lighter than I should have thought possible. The Colonel came along the new trenches just before we left, and he was most awfully pleased with C Company, and so is the General, Captain Taylor is very bucked about it. " The scene of this affair was right against the Chateau of Hooge, and close to the mine crater. We found a German machine gun half buried, but in good condition, and any number of souvenirs. The Captain has got a helmet a dirty thing ; he had to have it cleaned put, because part of the owner was still inside it ! It is a rummy shape, so flat-topped and square, with a brass spike and a gold band down the back. I expect it was an officer's. " Oh I I have seen my first German (not counting LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 65 prisoners). I was standing up and a ' Very ' light went up, so I kept perfectly still. I was looking towards the wood where the Germans were (I was 40 or 50 yards away), and I saw one quite distinctly walking into the wood. " Our men that were killed (sniped) were buried just behind, within a quarter of an hour of being hit. Rather awful. " The actual digging was rather trying in places, and in one case they actually came on a horse ! which dates it back to November, when we were pushed back to these positions in the first battle of Ypres. " The men in such places work with their respirators on and are often actually sick. I have had whiffs of the smell since in my food. Once smelt never forgotten. I can tell the difference between a man and a horse, but I don't know which I like least. " Rather a morbid topic, I am afraid. Well, after leaving the scene of our labours (and glad to get out), we called for our packs and had to march about two and a half miles. We were dead beat when we arrived here (nice safe dug-outs roomy and comfortable with our valises ready to sleep in when we arrived), but we found a good meal awaiting us, and about half-past four we ' got down to it ' and slept till noon. Hoi den and I share a palatial dug-out, and we had breakfast in bed, and I did not get up till just before our evening meal at 7. I washed and dressed in slacks had a meal, and later on went to bed again. This morning we had breakfast in bed again about 9.30, and then I got up, washed and shaved, dressed, and am now sitting on my bed, leaning against the wall writing my letters. " The General let us off ' stand-to ' because he knew we were fagged out ; and it is a great mercy. Turning out fully dressed at about 2.30 a.m. and remaining up for an hour does not improve one's night's rest. I suppose, though, that we shall have to start it soon perhaps to-night. " We are here till to-morrow night, I believe, and then we go to some fairly nice trenches near the ones we were in last. We are short of subalterns rather and they have taken me off machine guns for the time being. I am sick, but I get a bit in when I can. In the last trench we 5 66 PART I CHAPTER II built (I and my platoon), not the exposed one, there was a machine-gun position, and I took great pleasure in build- ing it a really good emplacement. . . * " Are you doing anything about getting me back for Munitions ? I don't know what you think about it, and whether you think I ought to carry on out here. I am sure that after six months I shall be just about fed-up with this business, but am not sure that after a couple of months at home I shan't be wanting to come out again." " Wednesday, I September 1915, 4.45 p.m. " I will just write you a short letter to let you know I am still well and happy, and still leading the strange life of the picnic-hermit. " When I last wrote to you I believe I was in the very same spot as now, namely, support trenches in the neighbourhood of a now famous chateau. Last time we were in for three days, and on the night we left we had a very blood-curdling experience digging a trench which was to bring us closer to our friends the enemy. But they were inclined to resent our advances, and they welcomed us, not with open arms, but with lighted bombs. However, having completed our work to the great satis- faction of those in authority over us (namely, the Colonel and the General [Brigadier]), we made good our escape. " Then for three blissful days we lived (with our valises) in some magnificent dug-outs in one of the safest spots in this accursed though much improved neighbour- hood. These days we spent competing who could sleep furthest round the clock (if that is a permissible expres- sion). I think I won, and on my record day I got up and dressed for dinner at about 7.30 p.m., made my bed afterwards, and got back into it again. This halcyon period was only interrupted once, when we all had to go out and dig a trench one night long. However, the worst feature of this expedition was the rain, which made ' going ' very difficult, and things in general rather uncom- fortable (especially for the men), so we hadn't much to grumble about. " Then we came back here and the first night we slept in peace, getting up at about 3 a.m. ostensibly for the purpose of * stand-to/ but really to brew ourselves some LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 67 cocoa. Then sleep till 9, 10, or n, I forget which. I crawl to the door of my dug-out and shout for Gray, who lives just opposite. ' Breakfast ! ' I say, and he invariably asks, ' What will you have, sir? ' just as if he could command the larders of the Carlton or the Linga. " Knowing my rations, and that an attempt at humour would only put me off my plat du jour or daily round, I usually think for a few moments and then order eggs and bacon, and face the common task. The only variation I permit myself is that on one or two days in the week I funk the bacon and have boiled eggs. Where do the eggs come from ? They are purchased out of the Mess fund by our Mess cook who lives with the Transport when we are in the trenches, and brings them up personally when the rations arrive at night. Yes, he has a ' cushy ' time of it, does our Mess cook ; and how can he avoid being happy, living as he does in a perpetual transport ? " What of the days when no eggs are available ? Why, then, horribile dictu, I have fried cheese and bacon ! " It occurs to me here, although all this was not written with intention, that this could be a good place to ask whether sausages are yet in season. If they are, a few cooked ones (or half cooked) sent out now and again would make a splendid variant for our menu. " The meat season is hard to follow out here. Bully beef is such a hardy perennial. (This does not mean that we live on it I never eat it, there is always a good supply of fresh beef.) " Blackberries are coming on, I notice with pleasure, and I can usually tell what shells are in season (the season for sausages in this department is, let us hope, mercifully short. I believe we are now in the middle of the close-time for this sturdy little fellow, I trust he is not utilising it to increase and multiply). " I am sorry I have had rather a sharp attack of parentheses lately, the touch of winter in the air cramps my style. And I really did think this was going to be quite a short letter. I cannot divine my moods, I find, I did not feel like writing until I got going. " Please thank father very much indeed for the 68 PART I CHAPTER II sniperscopes. I have given one to the Captain of D Company, who is keen on everything. He is an engineer (civil), and is a most useful man out here. I have not tried mine yet, as I haven't been in a fire trench, and it would hardly be fair to use it in a support trench, the backs of our infantry in the trench in front being too easy a target to give the thing a fair trial. " Oh ! I was telling you about my work in this trench but got switched off on to food. Last time I was here I (and my platoon) worked for two nights from 7.30 till 3 improving the parapets. Well, the second night of Ms period (last night) I had got all sorts of plans ready and was going to have a thoroughly good night building dug-outs, draining the trench, and building a second machine-gun emplacement (not my job really at the moment). However, word came along that the platoon was wanted to dig another trench right in front again and near the other one. They said, ' A covering party with bombs will be provided, and send in your casualty report in the morning ! ' So I asked if they were supply- ing stretchers and all complete ! But they were not. It is a most cheering way of sending you off, is it not ? It is a wonder they did not make us take up our own grave crosses, just in case. " (By the way, it is most impressive to meet two men walking along at night and one carrying a large white cross. The burying and decking of the graves is done very well here, and conscientiously. There is a special organisation for making the crosses, lettering them and putting them up. The position of the grave is reported to them, with the particulars, and they do the rest.) " The great difference in last night's job was that I only had a platoon to deal with, while before the Captain had a whole company. Also I was not quite so close to the enemy (we were 30 yards off, and less, before), and the moon was mostly obscured. I determined not to let them know we were working, so I crept out and explored the ground with the Corporal of the covering party (this was the worst part of the job, because you did not know when you might not come across a party of the enemy in the many shell holes and old trenches with which the ground was covered). I had my large revolver in my LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 69 pocket, but I did not want to use it, as it would have given our game away. " All went well, and I got the men placed out in absolute silence, with the covering party pushed out in front to listen and watch. The men worked very quietly, and when a light went up they got down and kept still. Lights were very few, because the enemy had got a working party out too at one side, and we could occa- sionally hear them driving in stakes for wire. " We had to use picks in some places where the ground was stony, and these are the hardest to keep quiet. We got through it all right, and only one shot, I think, was fired all the time. It came fairly close too. I am sure they guessed we were out, because when one light went up I hadn't time to get down, so I kept still and I plainly saw a Hun standing upright on his own parapet. He straightened up as the light grew bright, and I just caught sight of the movement and saw him then distinctly. " The ground out there has been fought over a good deal, and there are plenty of souvenirs about. I have got one myself a Hun rifle. The original owner, who was buried with it probably by a shell happened to lie exactly where we dug our trench, and we were obliged to move him elsewhere. I brought his rifle home and put it over the door of my dug-out. That was early this morning. But the enemy have been putting shrapnel over us (in reply to a good ' strafing ' by our guns), and one piece has gone clean through the stock. " Our artillery are going great guns nowadays. It certainly feels as if the shell supply was all right or nearly so. " I don't know whether we shall be wanted for any job to-night, or whether we shall rest, or whether I can get on with my projects. I must go round and see Captain T. in the other trench. By the way, he came to see how I was getting on last night about midnight, and was very pleased with the work and with the fact that we were having no casualties. " That cake was fine, and much appreciated in the Mess. The little knife you gave me when home on leave is proving most useful. 70 PART I CHAPTER II " Please thank Lionel for chocolate received and Alec for gourdoulis. I have sent another box of Surplus Kit home addressed to Nogl. Rather late to do it, I know, and I shall want one or two of the things sent back later, but not for a long time, and it is a relief to get rid of some of my impedimenta. The socks returned want mending. That reminds me, thank you and please thank Miss Leith very much for the socks. They are quite all right for size. Perhaps not so long and narrow in the foot might be better, but it doesn't seem to affect the wear ; they are most comfortable. " I am still attached to the Company and not to the machine guns much to my annoyance." " Monday, 6 September 1915, 9.30 p.m. " Thank you so much for your inspiring and encour- aging letter. I hope I am being useful out here. I some- times doubt if I am very much use not as much as I should like to be. Possibly I help to keep C Company officers more cheerful 1 I am very sorry they have taken me off machine guns for the present, I hope it may not be long. " Great happenings are expected here shortly and we are going to have a share. We are resting at present and have been out a few days now. We had only two periods of three days each in the trenches last time in. ... " Our last two days in the trenches were appal- lingly wet. My conduct would have given me double pneumonia at home. My rain-coat was soaked, so I had to sleep in shirt sleeves under my tunic, and the knees of my breeches were wet. " The next day the rain was incessant, and presently I found the floor of my dug-out was swimming the water having welled up through the ground below and the sandbags. " I didn't have to sleep on it luckily, because we were relieved that night. But before we went I had to turn out with fifty men and^work till midnight in water up to one foot deep. So at 8.30 p.m. I got my boots full of cold water and sat out in them till 12, then marched some eight miles. After nine hours' rest and some breakfast LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 71 we came here, another three or four. It was nice to get a dry pair of boots and our valises and a tent. That night I rode into Poperinghe with Captain Taylor, and we had a really good dinner there great fun. " We have a full set of parades here unfortunately, otherwise things are all right. . . . " Alec has very kindly had a ' Molesworth ' sent me. Most useful. " I would like a motor paper now and then, I think ! The Motor for preference or The Autocar. Aren't I young ? " Captain Taylor has sprained his ankle by falling from his horse one night, and has gone to a rest home near. So I am commanding C Company at the moment. Hope not for long. Too responsible at the present time of crisis. " 9 September, 3.30 p.m. " Must just finish this off for post. " We have just had an inspection by the Army Corps Commander, Lieut. -General Plumer [Sir Herbert]. " I am still in command of C Company, and had to call them to attention and go round with the General, followed by a whole string of minor generals, colonels, etc. He asked me a good many questions : " First. How long had I had the Company ? Then, how long had I been out ? I said since March. He then asked if I had been sick or wounded even, and I said no ! " Then he said, ' Good lad for sticking it ! ' at least I thought he was going to. " We are kept very busy nowadays. I must try and write a proper letter soon. I do apologise. " A box of cigarettes has arrived from, I suppose, Alec. Virginias, I mean, and heaps of them. " We have just got another tent we have been so short and have been sleeping five in. Now we shall be two in each. The new one is a lovely dove-grey like a thundercloud. After the war I shall buy one. " I shall be quite insufferable, I know ; I shall want everything done for me on the word of command. Never mind roll on the end of the war 1 " Cheer-ho, lovely weather, great spirits ! Aero- 72 PART I CHAPTER II plane [English] came down in our field yesterday slightly on fire. All right though. Good-bye, much love, " RAYMOND [MAURICE]." " Sunday, 12 September 1915, 2 p.m. " You will understand that I still have the Company to look after, and we are going into the front-line trenches this evening at 5 p.m. for an ordinary tour of duty. We are going up in motor buses ! . . . " Capt. T. thinks he will be away a month ! " TELEGRAM FROM THE WAR OFFICE " 17 September 1915 " Deeply regret to inform you that Second Lieut. R. Lodge, Second South Lanes, was wounded i4th Sept. and has since died. Lord Kitchener expresses his sym- pathy." TELEGRAM FROM THE KING AND QUEEN 21 September 1915 " The King and Queen deeply regret the loss you and the army have sustained by the death of your son in the service of his country. Their Majesties truly sympathise with you in your sorrow." CHAPTER III LETTERS FROM OFFICERS SOME letters from other officers gradually arrived, giving a few particulars. But it was an excep- tionally strenuous period at the Ypres salient, and there was little time for writing. Moreover, some of his friends were killed either at the same time or soon afterwards. The fullest account that has reached us is in the following letter, which arrived eight months later : LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT WILLIAM ROSCOE TO SIR OLIVER LODGE " yth Brigade Machine-Gun Company, B.E.F., 16 May 1916 " DEAR SIR OLIVER LODGE, When I was lately on leave, a brother of mine, who had met one of your re- latives, encouraged me to write and tell you what I knew of your son Raymond. I was in the South Lancashire Regiment when he joined the Battalion out here last spring, and I think spent the first spell he had in the trenches in his company. " Afterwards I became Machine Gunner, and in the summer he became my assistant, and working in shifts we tided over some very trying times indeed. In parti- cular during August at St. Eloi. To me at any rate it was most pleasant being associated together, and I think he very much preferred work with the gunners to Com- pany work. Being of a mechanical turn of mind, he was always devising some new ' gadget ' for use with the gun for instance, a mounting for firing at aeroplanes, and a device for automatic traversing ; and those of my men 73 74 PART I CHAPTER III who knew him still quote him as their authority when laying down the law and arguing about machine gunning. " I wish we had more like him, and the endless possi- bilities of the Maxim would be more quickly brought to light. " I am always glad to think that it was not in any way under my responsibility that he was killed. " During September times grew worse and worse up in the Ypres salient, culminating in the attack we made on the 25th, auxiliary to the Loos battle. The trenches were ruins, there was endless work building them up at night, generally to be wrecked again the next day. The place was the target for every gun for miles on either side of the salient. " Every day our guns gave the enemy a severe bom- bardment, in preparation for the attack, and every third or fourth day we took it back from them with interest : the place was at all times a shell trap. " It was during this time that your son was killed. He was doing duty again with the Company, which was shorthanded, and I remember one night in particular being struck with his cheerfulness on turning out to a particularly unpleasant bit of trench digging in front of our lines near the Stables at Hooge, a mass of ruins and broken trenches where no one could tell you where you might run across the enemy ; but the men had to dig" for hours on end, with only a small covering party looking out a few yards in front of them. " The morning your son was killed they were bom- barding our trenches on the top of the hill, and some of the men were being withdrawn from a bad piece. He and Ventris were moving down the trench in rear of the party which I think must have been seen for a shell came and hit them both, but I think none of the men in front. " Some time later, I don't know how long, I was going up to the line to visit the guns, when I saw Ventris, who was killed, laid out ready to be carried down, and pre- sently I saw your son in a dug-out, with a man watching him. He was then quite unconscious though still breath- ing with difficulty. I could see it was all over with him. He was still just alive when I went away. " Our regiment was to lose many more on that same LETTERS FROM OFFICERS 75 hill before the month was over, and those of us that re- main are glad to be far away from it now ; but I always feel that anyone who has died on Hooge Hill has at all events died in very fine company. Yours sincerely, "(Signed) WILLIAM ROSCOE, Lieut. 2nd S. Lanes. Regt., attached jth Brigade, M.G. Company " LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT FLETCHER, GREAT CROSBY, LIVERPOOL " 21 September 1915 " Raymond was the best pal I've ever had, and we've always been together ; in the old days at Brook Road, then in Edinburgh, and lastly in France, and nobody could ever have a better friend than he was to me. "I'll never forget the first day he came to us at Dickebusch, and how pleased we all were to see him again ; and through it all he was always the same, ever ready to help anyone in any way he could, whilst his men were awfully fond of him and would have done anything for him." " 24 September 1915 " I hear that we were digging trenches in advance of our present ones at St. Eloi last week, so it must have been then that he was hit, as he was awfully keen on dig- ging new trenches, and heaps of times I've had to tell him to keep down when he was watching the men working. . . . " I always thought he would come through all right, and I know he thought so himself, as, the last time I saw him, we made great plans for spending some time together when we got back, and it seems so difficult to realise that he has gone. (Signed) ERIC S. FLETCHER " LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT CASE TO BRODIE " Thursday, 23 September 1915 " Yes, I knew Raymond Lodge very well, and he was indeed a friend of mine, being one of the nicest fellows it has ever been my privilege to meet. I was with him when he died. This was how it happened to the best of my knowledge. 76 PART I CHAPTER III " * A ' Company (the one I am in) and ' C ' Company were in the trenches at the time. The gunners had sent up word that there was going to be a bombardment, and so they recommended us to evacuate the front-line trenches, in case the Hun retaliated, and it was whilst C Company were proceeding down the communication trench, till the bombardment was over, that the shell came which killed your brother. He was in command of C Company at the time, and was going down at the rear of his men, having seen them all safely out of the trenches. His servant, Gray, was hit first, in the head (from which he af terwards died) . Then Lodge went along to tell the Sergeant-Major, and to see about assistance, farther down the trench. Whilst talking to the Company Sergeant-Major he was hit in the left side of the back, by a piece of shell, I think. Lower down the trench poor Ventris was hit and killed. As soon as I heard about it I went along to see if I could be of any use. I saw Lodge lying in a dug-out, with a servant looking after him. I saw he was badly hit, and tried to cheer him up. He recognised me and was just able to ask a few questions. That must have been about twenty minutes or so after he was hit. I think he lived about half an hour, and I don't think he suffered much pain, thank God. " I was very, very grieved at his death, for he was one of the very nicest fellows I have met. That he was uni- versally liked, both by officers and men, it is needless to say. . . . " I was for nearly three months in C Company with your brother, and was thus able to see his extreme coolness and ability in military matters. "(Signed) G. R. A. CASE" LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT CASE TO LADY LODGE " Friday, 24 September 1915 " Need I say how grieved we all were at his loss ? He was hit about midday, and died about half an hour or so afterwards. I forget the date, but I have written more fully to his brother. I don't think he suffered much pain. He was conscious when I arrived, and recognised me, I LETTERS FROM OFFICERS 77 think, and I remained with him for some time. I then went off to see if there was any possibility of finding the doctor, but all the telephone wires were cut, and even if we had been able to get the doctor up, it would have been of no avail. The stretcher-bearers did all that was possible. . . . Another subaltern, Mr. Ventris, was killed at the same time, as was his servant Gray as well. ' "(Signed) G. R. A. CASE"* LETTER FROM CAPTAIN S. T. BOAST " 27 September 1915 " First of all I beg to offer you and your family my sincere sympathies in the loss of your son, 2nd Lieut. Lodge. His loss to us is very great : he was a charming young fellow always so very cheerful and willing, hard working, and a bright example of what a good soldier ought to be. He was a most efficient officer, and only recently qualified in the handling and command of Maxim guns a most useful accomplishment in the present war. Briefly, the circumstances which led to his death were as follows : " On 14 September, C Company to which 2nd Lieut. Lodge belonged, was in position in a forward fire trench. During the morning the commander of the artillery covering the position informed 2nd Lieut. Lodge, who at the time was in command of C Company, that it was in- tended to shell the enemy's positions, and as his trenches were only a short distance from ours, it was considered advisable to withdraw from our trench during the shelling. 2nd Lieut. Lodge gave orders for his Company to with- draw into a communication trench in the rear. He and 2nd Lieut. Ventris were the last to leave the forward trench, and in entering the communication trench both these officers were caught by enemy's shrapnel. Ventris was killed Lodge mortally wounded and died of his wounds shortly afterwards. These are the circumstances of his death." 1 Lieutenant Case himself, alasl was killed on the 25th of September 1915* It was a fatal time. Lieutenant Fletcher also has been killed now, on 3rd July 1916. 78 PART I CHAPTER III FROM CAPTAIN A. B. CHEVES, R.A.M.C. " 22 September 1915 " The Colonel has asked me to write you, giving some idea of the burial-ground in which your son's grave is. I understand that he was leading his Company back from one of the communication trenches when the Germans shelled the front and rear of the column, killing your son and the officer who was at the rear. At the same time one man was killed and two wounded. I knew nothing about this until later in the day, as communication with my aid post was very difficult, and he was reported to me as having been killed. I understand that he lived for about three hours after being wounded, and all the officers and men who were present speak very highly of his conduct during this time. His wound was unfortu- nately in such a position that there was no chance of saving his life, and this was recognised by all, including your son himself. When his body was brought down in the evening the expression on his face was absolutely peaceful, and I should think that he probably did not suffer a great deal of pain. He was buried on the same evening in our cemetery just outside the aid post, side by side with Lieut. Ventris, who was unfortunately killed on the same day. The cemetery is in the garden adjoin- ing a ruined farm-house. It is well enclosed by hedges, and your son's grave is under some tall trees that stand in the garden. There are graves there of men of many regiments who have fallen, and our graves are enclosed by a wire fence, so keeping them quite distinct from the others. There is a wooden cross marking the head of the grave, and a small one at the foot. I am afraid that our con- dolences will be small consolation to you, but I can assure you that he was one of the most popular officers with the Battalion, both amongst the officers and men, and all feel his loss very greatly." Information sent by Captain Cheves to Mrs. Ventris, mother of the Second Lieutenant who was killed at the same time as Raymond and buried with him : " He was buried on the right of the Menin Road, just LETTERS FROM OFFICERS 79 past where the Zonebeke Rail cuts. If you can get hold of Sheet 28, Belgium 1/40,000, the reference is I. 16. b 2. Any soldier will show you how to read the map. LETTER FROM A FOREMAN WORKMAN [I also append a letter received from a workman who used to be at the same bench with Raymond when he was going through his workshop course at Wolseley Motor Works. Stallard is a man he thought highly of, and be- friended. He is now foreman in the Lodge Fume Deposit Company, after making an effort to get a berth in Lodge Brothers' for Raymond's sake. He is now, and has been since the war began, the owner of Raymond's dog Larry, about whom some local people remember that there was an amusing County Court case.] " 98 Mansel Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, 17 September 1915 " DEAR MR. LIONEL, The shock was too great for me to speak to you this afternoon. I should like to express to you, and all the family, my deepest and most heartfelt sympathy in your terrible loss. Mr. Raymond was the best friend I ever had. " Truly, I thought more of him than any other man living, not only for his kind thoughts towards me, but for his most admirable qualities, which I knew he possessed. " The memory of him will remain with me as long as I live. Believe me to be, yours faithfully, " (Signed) NORMAN STALLARD " PART II SUPERNORMAL PORTION " Peace, peace I he is not dead, he doth not sleep He hath awakened from the dream of life." i SHELLEY, Adonais INTRODUCTION I HAVE made no secret of my conviction, not merely that personality persists, but that its continued existence is more entwined with the life of every day than has been generally imagined ; that there is no read breach of continuity between the dead and the living ; and that methods of intercommunion across what has seemed to be a gulf can be set going in response to the urgent demand of affection, that in fact, as Diotima told Socrates (Symposium, 202 and 203), LOVE BRIDGES THE CHASM. Nor is it affection only that controls and empowers supernormal intercourse : scientific interest and missionary zeal constitute supplementary motives which are found efficacious ; and it has been mainly through efforts so actuated that I and some others have been gradually convinced, by direct experience, of a fact which before long must become patent to mankind. Hitherto I have testified to occurrences and messages of which the motive is intellectual rather than emotional : and though much, very much, even of this evidence remains inaccessible to the public, yet a good deal has appeared from time to time by many writers in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, and in my personal collection called The Survival of Man. No one therefore will be surprised if I now further testify concerning communications which come home to me in a peculiar sense ; communications from which sentiment is not excluded, though still they appear to be guided and managed with intelligent and on the whole evidential purpose. These are what I now decide to publish ; and I shall cite them as among those evidences for survival for the publication of which some legitimate demand has of late been made, owing to my having 84 PART II INTRODUCTION declared my belief in continued existence without being able to give the full grounds of that belief, because much of it concerned other people. The portion of evidence I shall now cite concerns only myself and family. I must make selection, it is true, for the bulk has become great ; but I shall try to select fairly, and especi- ally shall give in fair fullness those early communications which, though not so free and easy as they became with more experience, have yet an interest of their own, since they represent nascent powers and were being received through members of the family to whom the medium was a complete stranger and who gave no clue to identity. Messages of an intelligible though rather recondite character from " Myers " began to reach me indeed a week or two before the death of my son ; and nearly all the messages received since his death differ greatly in character from those which in the old days were received through any medium with whom I sat. No youth was then represented as eager to communicate ; and though friends were described as sending messages, the messages were represented as coming from appropriate people members of an elder generation, leaders of the Society for Psychical Research, and personal acquaintances. Whereas now, whenever any member of the family visits anonymously a competent medium, the same youth soon comes to the fore and is represented as eager to prove his personal survival and identity. I consider that he has done so. And the family scepticism, which up to this time has been sufficiently strong, is now, I may fairly say, overborne by the facts. How far these facts can be conveyed to the sympathetic understanding of strangers, I am doubtful. But I must plead for a patient hearing ; and if I make mistakes, either in what I include, or in what for brevity I omit, or if my notes and comments fail in clearness, I bespeak a friendly interpretation : for it is truly from a sense of duty that in so personal a matter I lay myself open to harsh and perhaps cynical criticism. It may be said Why attach so much importance to one individual case ? I do not attach especial importance to it, but every individual case is of moment, because in such a matter the aphorism Ex uno disce omnes is INTRODUCTION 85 strictly applicable. If we can establish the survival of any single ordinary individual we have established it for all. Christians may say that the case for one Individual was established nearly 1900 years ago ; but they have most of them confused the issue by excessive though perhaps legitimate and necessary emphasis on the ex- ceptional and unique character of that Personality. And a school of thought has arisen which teaches that ordinary men can only attain immortality vicariously that is, conditionally on acceptance of a certain view concerning the benefits of that Sacrificial Act, and active assimilation of them. So without arguing on any such subject, and without entering in the slightest degree on any theological question, I have endeavoured to state the evidence fully and frankly for the persistent existence of one of the multi- tude of youths who have sacrificed their lives at the cal of their Country when endangered by an aggressor of calculated ruthlessness. Some critics may claim that there are many stronger cases of established survival. That may be, but this is a case which touches me closely and has necessarily received my careful attention. In so far as there are other strong cases and I know of several so much the better. I myself considered the case of survival practi- cally proven before, and clinched by the efforts of Myers and others of the S.P.R. group on the other side ; but evidence is cumulative, and the discussion of a fresh case in no way weakens those that have gone before. Each stick of the faggot must be tested, and, unless absolutely broken, it adds to the strength of the bundle. To base so momentous a conclusion as a scientific demonstration of human survival on any single instance. if it were not sustained on all sides by a great consensus of similar evidence, would doubtless be unwise ; for some other explanation of a merely isolated case would have to be sought. But we are justified in examining the evidence for any case of which all the details are known, and in trying to set forth the truth of it as com- pletely and fairly as we may. CHAPTER I ELEMENTARY EXPLANATION FOR people who have studied psychical matters, or who have read any books on the subject, it is un- necessary to explain what a ' sitting ' is. Novices must be asked to refer to other writings to small books, for instance, by Sir W. F. Barrett or Mr. J. Arthur Hill or Miss H. A. Dallas, which are easily accessible, or to my own previous book on this subject called The Survival of Man, which begins more at the beginning so far as my own experience is concerned. Of mediumship there are many grades, one of the simplest forms being the capacity to receive an impression or automatic writing, under peaceful conditions, in an ordinary state ; but the whole subject is too large to be treated here. Suffice it to say that the kind of medium chiefly dealt with in this book is one who, by waiting quietly, goes more or less into a trance, and is then sub- ject to what is called ' control ' speaking or writing in a manner quite different from the medium's own normal or customary manner, under the guidance of a separate in- telligence technically known as ' a control/ which some think must be a secondary personality which indeed certainly is a secondary personality of the medium, what- ever that phrase may really signify the transition being effected in most cases quite easily and naturally. In this secondary state, a degree of clairvoyance or lucidity is at- tained quite beyond the medium's normal consciousness, and facts are referred to which must be outside his or her normal knowledge. The control, or second personality which speaks during the trance, appears to be more closely in touch with what is popularly spoken of as ' the next world ' than with customary human existence, S6 ELEMENTARY EXPLANATION 87 and accordingly is able to get messages through from people deceased ; transmitting them through the speech or writing of the medium, usually with some obscurity and misunderstanding, and with mannerisms belonging either to the medium or to the control. The amount of sophisti- cation varies according to the quality of the medium, and to the state of the same medium at different times ; it must be attributed in the best cases physiologically to the medium, intellectually to the control. The confusion is no greater than might be expected from a pair of operators, connected by a telephone of rather delicate and uncertain quality, who were engaged in transmitting messages between two stranger communicators, one of whom was anxious to get messages transmitted, though perhaps not very skilled in wording them, while the other was nearly silent and anxious not to give any information or assistance at all ; being, indeed, more or less suspicious that the whole appearance of things was deceptive, and that his friend, the ostensible communicator, was not really there. Under such circumstances the effort of the distant communicator would be chiefly directed to sending such natural and appropriate messages as should gradually break down the inevitable scepticism of his friend. FURTHER PRELIMINARY EXPLANATION I must assume it known that messages purporting to come from various deceased people have been received through various mediums, and that the Society for Psychical Research has especially studied those coming through Mrs. Piper a resident in the neighbourhood of Boston, U.S.A. during the past thirty years. We were introduced to her by Professor William James. My own experience with this lady began during her visit to this country in 1889, an d was renewed in 1906. The account has been fully published in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, vols. vi. and xxiii., and an abbreviated version of some of the incidents there recorded can be referred to in my book The Survival of Man. It will be convenient, however, to explain here that some of the communicators on the other side, like Mr. 88 PART II CHAPTER I Myers and Dr. Richard Hodgson, both now deceased, have appeared to utilise many mediums ; and that to allow for possible sophistication by normal mental idiosyn- crasies, and for any natural warping due to the physio- logical mechanism employed, or to the brain-deposit from which selection has to be made, we write the name of the ostensible communicator in each case with a suffix like MyerSp, Myers v , etc. ; meaning by this kind of designation to signify that part of the Myers-like intelligence which operates through Mrs. Piper or through Mrs. Verrall, etc., respectively. We know that communication must be hampered, and its form largely determined, by the unconscious but in- evitable influence of a transmitting mechanism, whether that be of a merely mechanical or of a physiological character. Every artist knows that he must adapt the expression of his thought to his material, and that what is possible with one ' medium/ even in the artist's sense of the word, is not possible with another. And when the method of communication is purely mental or telepathic, we are assured that the communicator ' on the other side ' has to select from and utilise those ideas and channels which represent the customary mental scope of the medium ; though by practised skill and in- genuity they can be woven into fresh patterns and be made to convey to a patient and discriminating interpreter the real intention of the communicator's thought. In many such telepathic communications the physical form which the emergent message takes is that of automatic or semi- conscious writing or speech ; the manner of the utterance being fairly normal, but the substance of it appearing not to emanate from the writer's or speaker's own mind : though but very seldom is either the subject-matter or the language of a kind quite beyond the writer's or speaker's normal capabilities. In other cases, when the medium becomes entranced, the demonstration of a communicator's separate intelli- gence may become stronger and the sophistication less. A still further stage is reached when by special effort what is called telergy is employed, i.e. when physiological mech- anism is more directly utilised without telepathic opera- tion on the mind. And a still further step away from ELEMENTARY EXPLANATION 89 personal sophistication, though under extra mechanical difficulties, is attainable in telekinesis or what appears to be the direct movement of inorganic matter. To this last category though in its very simplest form must belong, I suppose, the percussive sounds known as raps. To understand the intelligent tiltings of a table in con- tact with human muscles is a much simpler matter. It is crude and elementary, but in principle it does not appear to differ from automatic writing ; though inasmuch as the code and the movements are so simple, it appears to be the easiest of all to beginners. It is so simple that it has been often employed as a sort of game, and so has fallen into disrepute. But its possibilities are not to be ignored for all that ; and in so far as it enables a feeling of more direct influence in so far as the communicator feels able him- self to control the energy necessary, instead of having to entrust his message to a third person it is by many com- municators preferred. More on this subject will be found in Chapters VIII of Part II and XIV of Part III. Before beginning an historical record of the com- munications and messages received from or about my son since his death, I think it will be well to prelude it by- (i) A message which arrived before the event ; (ii) A selection of subsequent communications bear- on and supplementing this message ; (iii) One of the evidential episodes, selected from subsequent communications, which turned out to be exactly verifiable. A few further details about these things, and another series of messages of evidential importance, will be found in that Part of the Proceedings of the S.P.R. which is to be published about October 1916. If the full discussion allowed to these selected por- tions appears rather complicated, an unstudious reader may skip the next three chapters, on a first reading, and may learn about the simpler facts in their evolutionary or historical order. CHAPTER II THE 'FAUNUS' MESSAGE Preliminary Facts AYMOND joined the Army in September 1914 ; trained near Liverpool and Edinburgh with the ! R Liverpool and Edinburgh'with the South Lancashires, and in March 1915 was sent to the trenches in Flanders. In the middle of July 1915 he had a few days' leave at home, and on the 2oth returned to the Front. INITIAL ' PIPER ' MESSAGE The first intimation that I had that anything might be going wrong, was a message from Myers through Mrs. Piper in America ; communicated apparently by " Richard Hodgson " at a time when a Miss Robbins was having a sitting at Mrs. Piper's house, Greenfield, New Hampshire, on 8 August 1915, and sent me by Miss Alta Piper (A. L. P.) together with the original script. Here follows the extract, which at a certain stage in Miss Robbins's sitting, after having dealt with matters of personal significance to her, none of which had anything whatever to do with me, began abruptly thus : R. H. Now Lodge, while we are not here as of old, i.e. not quite, we are here enough to take and give messages. Myers says you take the part of the poet, and he will act as Faunus. FAUNUS. MISS R. Faunus ? R. H. Yes. Myers. Protect. He will understand. (Evidently referring to Lodge. A. L. P.) What have you to say, Lodge ? Good work. Ask Verrall, she will also understand. Arthur says so. [This means Dr. Arthur W. Verrall (deceased). O. J. L.] 90 THE 'FAUNUS' MESSAGE 91 MISS R. Do you mean Arthur Tennyson ? This absurd confusion, stimulated by the word ' poet/ was evidently the result of a long strain at reading barely legible trance-writing for more than an hour, and was recognised immediately after- wards with dismayed amusement by the sitter. It is only of interest as showing how completely unknown to anyone present was the reference intended by the communicator. O. J. L.] R. H. No. Myers knows. So does You got mixed (to Miss R.), but Myers is straight about Poet and Faunus. I venture to say that to non-classical people the above message conveys nothing. It did not convey anything to me, beyond the assurance, based on past experience, that it certainly meant something definite, that its meaning was probably embedded in a classical quotation, and that a scholar like Mrs. Verrall would be able to interpret it, even if only the bare skeleton of the message were given without any details as to source. LETTER FROM MRS. VERRALL In order to interpret this message, therefore, I wrote to Mrs. Verrall as instructed, asking her : " Does The Poet and Faunus mean anything to you ? Did one ' protect ' the other ? " She replied at once (8 September 1915) referring me to Horace, Carm. n. xvii. 27-30, and saying : * " The reference is to Horace's account of his narrow escape from death, from a falling tree, which he ascribes to the intervention of Faunus. Cf. Hor. Odes, n. xiii. ; ii. xvii. 27 ; in. iv. 27 ; in. viii. 8, for references to the subject. The allusion to Faunus is in Ode n. xvii. 27-30 : 'Me truncus illapsus cerebro Sustulerat, nisi Faunus ictum Dextra levasset, Mercurialium Gustos virorum.' " ' Faunus, the guardian of poets ' (' poets ' being the usual interpretation of ' Mercury's men ). 92 PART II CHAPTER II " The passage is a very well-known one to all readers of Horace, and is perhaps specially familiar from its con- taining, in the sentence quoted, an unusual grammatical construction. It is likely to occur in a detailed work on Latin Grammar. " The passage has no special associations for me other than as I have described, though it has some interest as forming part of a chronological sequence among the Odes, not generally admitted by commentators, but accepted by me. " The words quoted are, of course, strictly applicable to the Horatian passage, which they instantly recalled tome. (Signed) M. DE G. VERRALL" I perceived therefore, from this manifestly correct interpretation of the ' Myers ' message to me, that the meaning was that some blow was going to fall, or was likely to fall, though I didn't know of what kind, and that Myers would intervene, apparently to protect me from it. So far as I can recollect my comparatively trivial thoughts on the subject, I believe that 1 had some vague idea that the catastrophe intended was perhaps of a financial rather than of a personal kind. The above message reached me near the beginning of September in Scotland. Raymond was killed near Ypres on 14 September 1915, and we got the news by telegram from the War Office on 17 September. A fallen or falling tree is a frequently used symbol for death ; perhaps through misinterpretation of EccL xi. 3. To several other classical scholars I have since put the question I addressed to Mrs. Verrall, and they all referred me to Horace, Carm. ii. xvii. as the unmistakable reference. Mr. Bay field's Criticism Soon after the event, I informed the Rev. M. A. Bayfield, ex-headmaster of Eastbourne College, fully of the facts, as an interesting S.P.R. incident (saying at the same time that Myers had not been able to ' ward off * the blow) ; and he was good enough to send me a careful note in reply : " Horace does not, in any reference to his escape, say THE 'FAUNUS' MESSAGE 93 clearly whether the tree struck him, but I have always thought it did. He says Faunus lightened the blow ; he does not say ' turned it aside. 1 As bearing on your terrible loss, the meaning seems to be that the blow would fall but would not crush ; it would be ' lightened ' by the assurance, conveyed afresh to you by a special mes- sage from the still living Myers, that your boy still lives. " I shall be interested to know what you think of this interpretation. The ' protect ' I take to mean protect from being overwhelmed by the blow, from losing faith and hope, as we are all in danger of doing when smitten by some crushing personal calamity. Many a man when so smitten has, like Merlin, lain ' as dead, And lost to life and use and name and fame.' That seems to me to give a sufficiently precise application to the word (on which Myers apparently insists) and to the whole reference to Horace." , In a postscript he adds the following : " In Carm. ni. 8, Horace describes himself as prope funeratus / arboris ictu, ' wellnigh killed by a blow from a tree/ An artist in expression, such as he was, would not have mentioned any ' blow ' if there had been none ; he would have said ' well nigh killed by a falling tree ' or the like. It is to be noted that in both passages he uses the word ictus. And in ii. 13. n (the whole ode is addressed to the tree) he says the man must have been a fellow steeped in every wickedness ' who planted thee an accursed lump of wood, a thing meant to fall (this is the delicate meaning of caducum not merely " falling' 1 ) on thine undeserving master's head/ Here again the language implies that he was struck, and struck on the head. " Indeed, the escape must have been a narrow one, and it is to me impossible to believe that Horace would have been so deeply impressed by the accident if he had not actually been struck. He refers to it four times : Carm. ii. 13. (Ode addressed to the tree forty lines long.) ii. 17. 27. 94 PART II CHAPTER II iii. 4. 27. (Here he puts the risk he ran on a parallel with that of the rout at rhilippi, from which he escaped.) iii. 8. 8. " I insist on all this as strengthening my interpreta- tion, and also as strengthening the assignment of the script to Myers, who would of course be fully alive to all the points to be found in his reference to Faunus and Horace and, as I have no doubt, believed that Horace did not escape the actual blow, and that it was a severe one." NOTE BY O. J. L. Since some of the translators, especially verse translators, of Horace convey the idea of turning aside or warding off the blow, it may be well to emphasise the fact that most of the scholars consulted gave " lightened " or " weakened " as the translation. And Professor Strong says " no doubt at all that ' levasset ' means * weakened ' the blow ; the bough fell and struck the Poet, but lightly, through the action of Faunus. * Levo ' in this sense is quite common and classical." Bryce's prose translation (Bohn) is quite clear " a tree-stem falling on my head had surely been my death, had not good Faunus eased the blow . . ." And although Conington's transla- tion has " check'd the blow in mid descent/ 1 he really means the same thing, because it is the slaying, not the wounding or striking of the Poet that is prevented : "Me the curst trunk, that smote my skull, Had slain ; but Faunus, strong to shield The friends of Mercury, check'd the blow In mid descent." ADDITIONAL PIPER SCRIPT Mr. Bayfield also calls my attention to another portion of Piper Script in this case not a trance or semi-trance sitting, but ordinary automatic writing dated 5 August, which reached me simultaneously with the one already quoted from, at the beginning of September, and which he says seems |ntended to prepare me for some personal trouble : " Yes. For the moment, Lodge, have faith and wisdom [? confidence] in all that is highest and best. Have you all not been profoundly guided and cared for ? Can you answer, ' No ' ? It is by your faith that all is well and has been/* THE ' FAUNUS ' MESSAGE 95 I remember being a little struck by the wording in the above script, urging me to admit that we presumably the family had " been profoundly guided and cared for," and " that all is well and has been ' ; because it seemed to indicate that something was not going to be quite so well. But it was too indefinite to lead me to make any careful record of it, or to send it as a prediction to anybody for filing ; and it would no doubt have evaporated from my mind except for the ' Faunus ' warning, given three days later, though received at the same time, which seemed to me clearly intended as a prediction, whether it happened to come off or not. The two Piper communications, of which parts have now been quoted, reached me at Gullane, East Lothian, where my wife (M. F. A. L.) and I were staying for a few weeks. They arrived early in September 1915, and as soon as I had heard from Mrs. Verrall I wrote to Miss Piper to acknowledge them, as follows : " The Linga Private Hotel, Gullane, East Lothian, 12 September 1915 11 MY DEAR ALTA, The reference to the Poet and Faunus in your mother's last script is quite intelligible, and a good classical allusion. You might tell the s communicator ' some time if there is opportunity. " I feel sure that it must convey nothing to you and yours. That is quite as it should be, as you know, for evidential reasons." This was written two days before Raymond's death, and five days before we heard of it. The Pipers' ignor- ance of any meaning in the Poet and Faunus allusion was subsequently confirmed. It so happens that this letter was returned to me, for some unknown reason, through the Dead Letter Office, reaching me on 14 November 1915, and being then sent forward by me again. 1 * 1 Further Piper and other communications, obscurely relevant to this subject, will be found in a Paper which will appear in the S.P.R. for the autumn of 1916, CHAPTER III SEQUEL TO THE ' FAUNUS ' MESSAGE IT now remains to indicate how far Myers carried out his implied promise, and what steps he took, or has been represented as having taken, to lighten the blow which it is permissible to say was a terribly severe one. For such evidence I must quote from the record of sittings held here in England with mediums previously unknown, and by sitters who gave no sort of clue as to identity. (See the historical record, beginning at Chapter V.) It may be objected that my own general appearance is known or might be guessed. But that does not apply to members of my family, who went quite anonymously to private sittings kindly arranged for by a friend in London (Mrs. Kennedy, wife of Dr. Kennedy), who was no relation whatever, but whose own personal experience caused her to be sympathetic and helpful, and who is both keen and critical about evidential considerations. I may state, for what it is worth, that as a matter of fact normal clues to identity are disliked, and, in so far as they are gratuitous, are even resented, by a good medium ; for they are no manner of use, and yet subsequently they appear to spoil evidence. It is practically impossible for mediums to hunt up and become normally acquainted with the family history of their numerous sitters, and those who know them are well aware that they do nothing of the sort, but in making arrangements for a sitting it is not easy, unless special precautions are taken, to avoid giving a name and an address, and thereby appearing to give facilities for fraud. In our case, and in that of our immediate friends, these SEQUEL TO THE 'FAUNUS' MESSAGE 97 precautions have been taken sometimes in a rather elaborate manner/ The first sitting that was held after Raymond's death by any member of the family was held not explicitly for the purpose of getting into communication with him still less with any remotest notion of entering into com- munication with Mr. Myers but mainly because a. French widow lady, who had been kind to our daughters during winters in Paris, was staying with my wife at Edgbaston her first real visit to England and was in great dis- tress at the loss of both her beloved sons in the war, within a week of each other, so that she was left desolate. To comfort her my wife took her up to London to call on Mrs. Kennedy, and to get a sitting arranged for with a medium whom that lady knew and recommended. Two anonymous interviews were duly held, and incidentally I may say that the two sons of Madame communicated, on both occasions, though with difficulty ; that one of them gave his name completely, the other approximately ; and that the mother, who was new to the whole subject, was partially consoled. 1 Raymond, however, was represented as coming with them and helping them, and as sending some messages on his own account. I shall here only quote those messages which bear upon the subject of Myers and have any possible connexion with the ' Faunus ' message. (For an elementary explanation about 'sittings' in general, see Chapter I.) EXTRACTS RELATING TO ' MYERS ' FROM EARLY ANONYMOUS SITTINGS We heard first of Raymond's death on 17 September 1915, and on 25 September his mother (M. F. A. L.), who was having an anonymous sitting for a friend with Mrs. Leonard, then a complete stranger, had the following spelt out by tilts of a table, as purporting to come from Raymond : TELL FATHER I HAVE MET SOME FRIENDS OF HIS. 1 I realise now, though the relevance has only just struck me, that from the point of view of an outside critic, pardonably suspicious of bad faith, this episode of the bereaved French lady an obviously complete stranger to Mrs. Kennedy as well as to the medium has an evidential and therefore helpful side. 7 98 PART II CHAPTER III M. F. A. L. Can you give any name ? YES. MYERS. (That was all on that subject on that occasion.) On the 27th of September 1915, I myself went to London and had my first sitting, between noon and one o'clock, with Mrs. Leonard. I went to her house or flat alone, as a complete stranger, for whom an appointment had been made through Mrs. Kennedy. Before we began, Mrs. Leonard informed me that her ' guide ' or ' control ' was a young girl named " Feda." In a short time after the medium had gone into trance, a youth was described in terms which distinctly suggested Raymond, and " Feda " brought messages. I extract the following : From First Anonymous Sitting of 0. J. L. with Mrs. Leonard, 27 September 1915 (Mrs. Leonard's control, Feda, supposed to be speaking throughout.) He finds it difficult, he says, but he has got so many kind friends helping him. He didn't think when he waked up first that he was going to be happy, but now he is, and he says he is going to be happier. He knows that as soon as he is a little more ready he has got a great deal of work to do. " I almost wonder," he says, " shall I be fit and able to do it. They tell me I shall/' " I have instructors and teachers with me." Now he is trying to build up a letter of some one ; M. he shows me. (A short time later, he said : ) " People think I say I am happy in order to make them happier, but I don't. 1 I have met hundreds of friends. I don't know them all. I have met many who tell me that, a little later, they will explain why they are helping me. I feel I have got two fathers now. I don't feel I have lost one and got another ; I have got both. 1 This is reminiscent of a sentence in one of his letters from the Front: "As cheerful and well and happy as ever. Don't think I am having a rotten time I am not." Dated u May 1915 (really 12). SEQUEL TO THE ' FAUNUS ' MESSAGE 99 I have got my old one, and another too a pro tern. father." (Here Feda ejaculated " What's that ? Is that right?" O. J. L. replied 'Yes/) There is a weight gone off his mind the last day or two ; he feels brighter and lighter and happier altogether, the last few days. There was confusion at first. He could not get his bearings, didn't seem to know where he was. " But I was not very long," he says, " and I think I was very fortunate ; it was not very long before it was ex- plained to me where I was." But the most remarkable indirect allusion, or apparent allusion, to something like the ' Faunus f message, came at the end of the sitting, after " Raymond " had gone, and just before Mrs. Leonard came out of trance : " He is gone, but Feda sees something which is only symbolic ; she sees a cross falling back on to you ; very dark, falling on to you ; dark and heavy looking ; and as it falls it gets twisted round and the other side seems all light, and the light is shining all over you. It is a sort of pale blue, but it is white and quite light when it touches you. Yes, that is what Feda sees. The cross looked dark, and then it suddenly twisted round and became a beautiful light. The cross is a means of shedding real light. It is going to help a great deal. " Did you know you had a coloured Guide ? ... He says your son is the cross of light ; he is the cross of light, and ne is going to be a light that will help you ; he is going to help too to prove to the world the Truth. That is why they built up the dark cross that turned to bright. You know ; but others, they do so want to know. Feda is loosing hold ; good-bye." [This ends the 0. J. L. first Leonard sitting of 27 September 1915.] On the afternoon of the same day, 27 September 1915, that I had this first sitting with Mrs. Leonard, Lady Lodge had her first sitting, as a complete stranger, with Mr. A. Vout Peters, who had been invited for the purpose with- out any name being given to Mrs. Kennedy's house at 3-30 p.m. ioo PART II CHAPTER III Here again, Raymond was described well enough, fairly early in the sitting, and several identifying messages were given. Presently ' Moonstone ' (Peters's chief control) asked, " Was he not associated with Chemistry ? " As a matter of fact, my laboratory has been rather specially chemical of late ; and the record continues, copied with subsequent annotations in square brackets as it stands : From First Anonymous Sitting of M. F. A. L. with Peters, 27 September 1915 Was he not associated with chemistry ? If not, some one associated with him was, because I see all the things in a chemical laboratory. That chemistry thing takes me away from him to a man in the flesh [O. J. L. presumably] ; and, con- nected with him, a man, a writer of poetry, on our side, closely connected with spiritualism. He was very clever he too passed away out of England. [This is clearly meant for Myers, who died in Rome.] He has communicated several times. This gentle- man who wrote poetry I see the letter M he is helping your son to communicate. [His presence and help were also independently mentioned by Mrs. Leonard.] He is built up in the chemical conditions. If your son didn't know this man, he knew of him. [Yes, he could hardly haveltnown him, as he was only about twelve at the time of Myers's death.] At the back of the gentleman beginning with M, and who wrote poetry, is a whole group of people. [The S.P.R. group, doubtless.] They are very inter- ested. And don't be surprised if you get messages from them, even if you don't know them. (Then ' Moonstone ' stopped, and said : ) This is so important that is going to be said now, that I want to go slowly, for you to write clearly every word (dictating carefully) : " NOT ONLY IS THE PARTITION SO THIN THAT YOU CAN HEAR THE OPERATORS ON THE OTHER SIDE, BUT A BIG HOLE HAS BEEN HADE " SEQUEL TO THE 'FAUNUS' MESSAGE 101 This message is for the gentleman associated with the chemical laboratory. ([Considering that my wife was quite unknown to the medium, this is a remarkably evidential and identifying message. Cf. passage in my book, Survival of Man, containing this tunnel-boring simile ; p. 337 of large edition, p. 234 of shilling edition. O. J. L.] ' Moonstone ' continued : The boy I call them all boys because I was over a hundred when I lived here and they are all boys to me he says, he is here, but he says : " Hitherto it has been a thing of the head, now I am come over it is a thing of the heart." What is more (here Peters jumped up in his chair, vigorously, snapped his fingers excitedly, and spoke loudly) " Good God ! how father will be able to speak out ! much firmer than he has ever done, because it will touch our hearts." (Here ends extract from Peters sitting of 27 September 1915. A completer record will be found in Chapter VII .V At a Leonard Table Sitting on 12 October 1915 by which time our identity was known to Mrs. Leonard I told ' Myers ' that I understood his Piper message about Faunus and the Poet ; and the only point of interest about the reply or comment is that the two following sentences were spelt out, purporting to come either indirectly or directly from ' Myers ' : 1. He says it meant your son's transition]. 2. Your son shall be mine. The next ' Myers ' reference came on 29 October, when I had a sitting with Peters, unexpectedly and unknown to my family, at his London room (15 Dever- eux Court, Fleet Street) a sitting arranged for by Mr. J. A. Hill for an anonymous friend : Peters went into trance, and after some other com- munications, gave messages from a youth who was recog- nised by the control and identified as my son ; and later on 102 PART II CHAPTER III Peters's * control/ whom it is customary to call ' Moon- stone/ spoke thus : From Sitting of 0. J. L. with Peters on 29 October 1915 Your common-sense method of approaching the subject in the family has been the means ot helping him to come back as he has been able to do ; and had he not known what you had told him, then it would have been far more difficult for him to come back. He is very deliberate in what he says. He is a young man that knows what he is saying. Do you know F W M ? o. J. L. Yes, I do. Because I see those three letters. Now, after them, do you know S T ; yes, I get S T, then a dot, and then P ? These are shown me ; I see them in light ; your boy shows these things to me. O. J. L. Yes, I understand. [Meaning that I recognised the allusion to F. W. H. Myers's poem St. Paul. Well, he says to me : " He has helped me so much, more than you think. That is F W M." o. J. L. Bless him ! No, your boy laughs, he has got an ulterior motive for it ; don't think it was only for charity's sake, he has got an ulterior motive, and thinks that you will be able by the strength of your personality to do what you want to do now, to ride over the quibbles of the fools, and to make the Society, the Society, he says, of some use to the world. . . . Can you understand ? o. j. L. Yes. Now he says, " He helped me because, with me through you, he can break away the dam that people have set up. Later on, you are going to speak to them. It is already on the programme, and you will break down the opposition because of me. Then he says, " For God's sake, father, do it. Because if you only knew, and could only see what I see : hundreds of men and women heart-broken. And if you could only see the boys on our side shut out, you would throw the whole strength of yourself SEQUEL TO THE ' FAUNUS ' MESSAGE 103 into this work. But you can doit." He is very earnest. Oh, and he wants No, I must stop him, I must prevent him, I don't want him to control the medium. Don't think me unkind, but I must pro- tect my medium ; he would not be able to do the work he has to do ; the medium would be ill from it, I must protect him, the emotion would be too great, too great for both of you, so I must prevent him from controlling. He understands, but he wants me to tell you this : The feeling on going over was one of intense dis- appointment, he had no idea of death. The second too was grief. (Pause.) This is a time when men and women have had the crust broken off them a crust of convention, of ... of indifference, has been smashed, and everybody thinks, though some selfishly. Now, returning to him, how patient he is ! He was not always so patient. After the grief there was a glimmering of hope, because he realised that he could get back to you ; and because his grand- mother came to him. Then his brother was intro- duced to him. Then, he says, other people. My- erse " Myerse," it sounds like do you know what he means ? came to him, and then he knew he could get back. He knew. Now he wants me to tell you this : That from his death, which is only one of thousands, that the work which he (I have to translate his ideas into words, I don't get them verbatum [sic]) the work which he volunteered to be able to succeed in, no, that's not it. The work which he enlisted for, that is what he says, only he was only a unit and seem- ingly lost yet the very fact of his death will be the means of pushing it on. Now I have got it. By his passing away, many hundreds will be bene- fited. (End of extract from Peters sitting of 29 October 1915.) 104 PART II CHAPTER III (A still fuller account of the whole ' Faunus ' episode, and a further sequel to it of a classical kind, called the " Horace O. L." message, will be found in the S.P.R. Proceedings for the autumn of 1916.) It will be understood, I hope, that the above extracts from sittings have been reproduced here in order to show that, if we take the incidents on their face value, Myers had redeemed his ' Faunus ' promise, and had lightened the blow by looking after and helping my son ' on the other side/ I now propose to make some further extracts of a more evidential character tending to establish the survival of my son's own personality and memory. There have been several of these evidential episodes, making strongly in this direction ; but I select, for description here, one relating to a certain group photograph, of which we were told through two mediums, but of which we normally knew nothing till afterwards. CHAPTER IV THE GROUP PHOTOGRAPH I NOW come to a peculiarly good piece of evidence arising out of the sittings which from time to time we held in the autumn of 1915, namely, the mention and description of a group photograph taken near the Front, of the existence of which we were in complete ignor- ance, but which was afterwards verified in a satisfactory and complete manner. It is necessary to report the cir- cumstances rather fully : Raymond was killed on 14 September 1915. The first reference to a photograph taken of him with other men was made by Peters at M. F. A. L/s first sitting with Peters, in Mrs. Kennedy's house, on 27 September 1915, thus : Extract from M. F. A. L.'s anonymous Sitting with Peters on 27 September 1915 " You have several portraits of this boy. Before he went away you had got a good portrait of him two no, three. Two where he is alone and one where he is in a group of other men. He is particular that I should tell you of this. In one you see his walking-stick " (' Moonstone ' here put an imaginary stick under his arm). We had single photographs of him of course, and in uniform, but we did not know of the existence of a photograph in which he was one of a group ; and M. F. A. L. was sceptical about it, thinking that it might well be only a shot or guess on the part of Peters' at some- thing probable. But Mrs. Kennedy (as Note-taker) had written down most of what was said, and this record was 105 io6 PART II CHAPTER IV kept, copied, and sent to Mr. Hill in the ordinary course at the time. I was myself, moreover, rather impressed with the emphasis laid on it " he is particular that I should tell you of this " and accordingly made a half-hearted inquiry or two ; but nothing more was heard on the subject for two months. On Monday, 29 November, however, a letter came from Mrs. Cheves, a stranger to us, mother of Captain Cheves of the R.A.M.C., who had known Raymond and had reported to us concerning the nature of his wound, and who is still doing good work at the Front. Mrs. Cheves 1 welcome letter ran as follows : " 28 November 1915 " DEAR LADY LODGE, My son, who is M.O. to the 2nd South Lanes, has sent us a group of officers taken in August, and I wondered whether you knew of this photo and had had a copy. If not may I send you one, as we have half a dozen and also a key ? I hope you will forgive my writing to ask this, but I have often thought of you and felt so much for you in yr. great sorrow. Sincerely yours, B. F. CHEVES" M. F. A. L. promptly wrote, thanking her, and asking for it ; but fortunately it did not come at once. Before it came, I (O. J. L.) was having a sitting with Mrs. Leonard alone at her house on 3 December ; and on this occasion, among other questions, I asked carefully concerning the photograph, wishing to get more detailed information about it, before it was seen. It should be understood that the subject was not introduced by Mrs. Leonard or her control. The previous mention of a photo- graph had been through Peters. It was I that introduced the subject through Mrs. Leonard, and asked a question ; and the answers were thus reported and recorded at the time the typing out of the sitting being all done before the photograph arrived : Extract from the Record of 0. /. L.'s Sitting with Mrs. Leonard, 3 December 1915 (Mrs. Leonard's child-control, Feda, supposed to be speaking, and often speaking of herself in the third person.) FEDA. Now ask him some more. o. j. L. Well, he said something about having a photo- graph taken with some other men. We haven't THE GROUP PHOTOGRAPH 107 seen that photograph yet. Does he want to say anything more about it ? He spoke about a photograph. Yes, but he thinks it wasn't here. He looks at Feda, and he says, it wasn't to you, Feda. o. j. L. No, he's quite right. It wasn't. Can he say where he spoke of it ? He says it wasn't through the table. O. j. L. No, it wasn't. It wasn't here at all. He didn't know the person that he said it through. The conditions were strange there a strange house. [Quite true, it was said through Peters in Mrs. Kennedy's house during an anonymous sitting on 27 September.] o. j. L. Do you recollect the photograph at all ? He thinks there were several others taken with him, not one or two, but several. o. j. L. Were they friends of yours ? Some of them, he says. He didn't know them all, not very well. But he knew some ; he heard of some ; they were not all friends. O. j. L. Does he remember how he looked in the photo- graph ? No, he doesn't remember how he looked. O. J. L. No, no, I mean was he standing up ? No, he doesn't seem to think so. Some were raised up round ; he was sitting down, and some were raised up at the back of him. Some were standing, and some were sitting, he thinks. O. j. L. Were they soldiers ? He says yes a mixed lot. Somebody called C was on it with him ; and somebody called R not his own name, but another R. K, K, K he says something about K. He also mentions a man beginning with B (indistinct muttering something like Berry, Burney then clearly) but put down B. o. j. L. I am asking about the photograph because we haven't seen it yet. Somebody is going to send it to us. We have heard that it exists, and that's all. [While this is being written out, the above remains true. The photograph has not yet come.] io8 PART II CHAPTER IV He has the impression of about a dozen on it. A dozen, he says, if not more. Feda thinks it must be a big photograph. No, he doesn't think so, he says they were grouped close together. o. j. L. Did he have a stick ? He doesn't remember that. He remembers that somebody wanted to lean on him, but he is not sure if he was taken with some one leaning on him. But somebody wanted to lean on him he remembers. The last what he gave you, what were a B, will be rather prominent in that photo- graph. It wasn't taken in a photographer's place. O. J. L. Was it out of doors ? Yes, practically. FEDA (sotto voce). What you mean, ' yes practically ' ; must have been out of doors or not out of doors. You mean ' yes,' don't you ? Feda thinks he means ' yes,' because he says ' practically.' o. j. L. It may have been a shelter. It might have been. Try to show Feda. At the back he shows me lines going down. It looks like a black background, with lines at the back of them. (Feda here kept drawing vertical lines in the air.) There was, for some reason, considerable delay in the arrival of the photograph ; it did not arrive till the after- noon of December 7. Meanwhile, on December 6, Lady Lodge had been looking up Raymond's Diary, which had been returned from the Front with his kit, and found an entry : " 24 August. Photo taken." (A statement will follow to this effect.) Now Raymond had only had one " leave " home since going to the Front, and tnis leave was from 16 July to 20 July. The photograph had not been taken then, and so he could not have told us anything about it. The ex- posure was only made twenty-one days before his death, and some days may have elapsed before he saw a print, if THE GROUP PHOTOGRAPH 109 he ever saw one. He certainly never mentioned it in his letters. We were therefore in complete ignorance con- cerning it ; and only recently had we normally become aware of its existence. On the morning of 7 December another note came from Mrs. Cheves, in answer to a question about the delay ; and this letter said that the photograph was being sent off. Accordingly I (O. J. L.), thinking that the photograph might be coming at once, dictated a letter to go to Mr. Hill, recording roughly my impression of what the photo- graph would be like, on the strength of the communication received by me from ' Raymond ' through Mrs. Leonard ; and this was posted by A. E. Briscoe about lunch-time on the same day. (See statement by Mr. Briscoe at the end.) My statement to Mr. Hill ran thus : Copy of what was written by 0. /. L. to Mr. Hill about the Photograph on the morning of Tuesday, 7 December 1915 M Concerning that photograph which Raymond mentioned through Peters [saying this : - One where he is in a group of other men. He is particular that I should tell you of this. In one you see his walking-stick/], 1 he has said some more about it through Mrs. Leonard. But he is doubtful about the stick. What he says is that there is a considerable number of men in the photograph ; that the front row is sitting, and that there is a back row, or some of the people grouped and set up at the back ; also that there are a dozen or more people in the photo- graph, and that sonx- of them he hardly knew ; that a B is prominent in the photograph, and that there is also a C ; that he himself is sitting down, and that there are people behind him, one of whom either leant on his shoulder, or tried to. '* The photograph has not come yet, but it may come any day now ; so I send this off before I get it. li The actual record of what was said in the sitting is being typed, but the above represents my impression of it." The photograph was delivered at Mariemont between 3 and 4 p.m. on the afternoon of 7 December. It was a wet afternoon, and the package was received by Rosa- lynde, who took the wet wrapper off it. Its size was 12 by 9 inches, and was an enlargement from a 5 by 7 1 Thte bit not written to J. A. H., but is copied from Ptera*s sitting, ol which Mr. Hill had seen the record. no PART II CHAPTER IV inch original. The number of people in the photograph is twenty-one, made up as follows : Five in the front row squatting on the grass, Raymond being one of these ; the second from the right. Seven in the second row seated upon chairs. Nine in the back row standing up against the outside of a temporary wooden structure such as might be a hospital shed or something of that kind. On examining the photograph, we found that every peculiarity mentioned by Raymond, unaided by the medium, was strikingly correct. The walking-stick is there (but Peters had put a stick under his arm, which is not correct), and in connexion with the background Feda had indicated vertical lines, not only by gesture but by sayi&g "lines going down," as well as "a black background with lines at the back of them/ 1 There are six conspicuous nearly vertical lines on the roof of the shed, but the horizontal lines in the background generally are equally conspicuous. By " a mixed lot," we understood members of different Companies not all belonging to Raymond's Company, but a collection from several. This must be correct, as they are too numerous for one Company. It is probable that they all belong to one Regiment, except perhaps one whose cap seems to have a thistle badge instead of three feathers. As to " prominence," I have a?ked several people which member of the group seemed to them the most prominent ; and except as regards central position, a well- lighted standing figure on the right has usually been pointed to as most prominent. This one is " B," as stated, namely, Captain S. T. Boast. Some of the officers must have been barely known to Raymond, while some were his friends. Officers whose names begin with B, with C, and with R were among them; though not any name beginning with K. The nearest approach to a K-sound in the group is one beginning with a hard C. Some of the group are sitting, while others are standing behind. Raymond is one of those sitting on the ground in front, and his walking-stick or regulation cane is lying across his feet. THE GROUP PHOTOGRAPH in The background is dark, and is conspicuously lined. It is out of doors, close in front of a shed or military hut, pretty "much as suggested to me by the statements made in the ' Leonard ' sitting what I called a " shelter." But by far the most striking piece of evidence is the fact that some one sitting behind Raymond is leaning or resting a hand on his shoulder. The photograph fortu- nately shows the actual occurrence, and almost indicates that Raymond was rather annoyed with it ; for his face is a little screwed up, and his head has been slightly bent to one side out of the way of the man's arm. It is the only case in the photograph where one man is leaning or resting his hand on the shoulder of another, and I judge that it is a thing not unlikely to be remembered by the one to whom it occurred. CONFIRMATORY STATEMENTS STATEMENT BY RAYMOND'S MOTHER Four days ago (6 December), I was looking through my son Raymond's Diary which had been returned with his kit from the Front. (The edges are soaked, and some of the leaves stuckf together, with his blood.) I was struck by finding an entry " Photo taken " under the date 24 August, and I entered the fact in my own Diary at once, thus : " 6 December. Read Raymond's Diary for first time, saw record of ' photo taken ' 24 August." (Signed) MARY F. A. LODGE 10 December 1915 STATEMENT BY A. E. BRISCOE The dictated letter to Mr. Hill, recording roughly Sir Oliver's impression of what the photograph would be like, was written out by me on the morning of Tuesday, 7 December, at Mariemont ; it was signed by Sir Oliver at about noon, and shortly afterwards I started for the University, taking that and other letters with me for posting in town. I went straight to the University, and at lunch -time (about 1.30) posted the packet to Mr. Hill at the General Post Onice. (In the packet, I remember, there was also a letter on another subject, and a printed document from Mr. Gow, the Editor of Light.) (Signed) A. E. BRISCOE, Secretary to Sir Oliver Lodge 8 December 1915 112 PART JI CHAPTER IV STATEMENT BY ROSALYNDB sitting in the library at Mariemont about 3.45 on Tues- day afternoon, 7 December 1915, when Harrison came in witty a flat cardboard parcel addressed to Mother. Mother was resting ; and as the paper, wrapping up what I took to be the photograph, was wet from the rain, I undid it and left the photograph in tissue paper on a table, having just glanced at it to see if it was the one we'd been waiting for. No one saw it or was sHown it till after tea, when I showed it to Mother. That would be about 6. Mrs. Thompson, .Lorna, and Barbara now also saw it. Honor was not at home and did not see it till later. (Signed) R. V. LODGE 8 December 1915 NOTE BY O. J. L. In answer to an inquiry, Messrs. Gale & Polden, of Aldershot and London, the firm whose name was printed at the foot of the photograph, informed me that it was " from a negative of a group of Officers sent to us by Captain Boast of the 2nd Sotlpi Lancashire Regiment " ; and having kindly looked up the date, they further tell me that they received the negative from Captain Boast on 15 October 1915. It will be remembered that information about the existence of the photograph came through Peters on 27 September more than a fortnight, therefore, before the negative reached England. The photograph is only shown here because of its evi- dential interest. Considered as a likeness of Raymond, it is an exceptionally bad one ; he appears shrunk into an uncomfortable position. FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPH ; Extract from a letter by Captain Boast from the Trenches, dated 7 May 1916, to Mrs. Case, and lent me to see " Some months ago (last summer) the Officers of our Battalion, had their photo taken You see, the photographer who took us was a man who had been shelled out of house and home, and as he had.no means of doing the photos for us, we bought the negatives, and sent them along to be finished in England/' THE GROUP PHOTOGRAPH 113 A later Letter from Captain Boast In answer "to a special inquiry addressed to Captain Boast at the Front, he has been good enough to favour me with the following letter : " 10 July 1916 " DEAR SIR, Your letter "of 4 July has just reached me. The proofs of the photographs referred to were received by me from the photographer at Reninghelst two or three days after being taken. To the best of my belief,- your son saw the proofs, but I cannot now say positively. I obtained particulars of requirements from the officers forming the group, but the photographer then found he was unable to obtain paper for printing. I therefore bought the negatives and sent them home to Gale & Polden. In view of the fact that your son did not go back to the trenches till 12 September 1915, it is highly probable that he saw the proofs, but he cer- tainly did not see the negatives. Yours faithfully, "(Signed) SYDNEY T. BOAST" It thus appears that Raymond had probably seen a proof of the photograph, but that there were no copies or prints available. Consequently neither we, nor any other people at home, could have received them; and the negatives were only received in England by Gale & Polden on 15 October 1915, after Peters had mentioned the existence of the photograph, which he did on 27 September 1915. I obtained from Messrs. Gale & Polden prints of all the accessible photographs which had been taken at the same time. The size of these prints was 5 by 7 inches. I found that the group had been repeated, with slight variations, three times the Officers all in the same relative positions, but not in identically the same atti- tudes. One of the three prints is the same as the one we had seen, with some one's hand resting on Raymond's shoulder, and Raymond's head leading a little on one side, as if rather annoyed. In another the hand iad been removed, being supported by the owner's stick ; and in that one Raymond's head is upright. This corresponds 8 ii4 PART II CHAPTER IV to his uncertainty as to whether he was actually taken with the man leaning on him or not. In the third, how- ever, ttife sitting officer's leg rests 'against Raymond's shoulder as he squats in front, and the slant of the head and slight look of annoyance have returned. These two additional photographs are here reproduced. Their merit is in showing that the leaning on him, men- tioned by ' Raymond ' through Feda, was well marked, and yet that he was quite right in being uncertain whether he was actually being leant on while the photograph was being taken. The fact turns out to be that during two exposures he was being leaned on, and during one ex- posure he was not. It was, so to speak, lucky that the edition sent us happened to show in one form the actual leaning. I have since discovered what is apparently the only other photograph of Officers in which Raymond occurs, but it is quite a different one, and none of the description applies to it. For it is completely in the open air, and Raymond is standing up in the hinder of two rows. He is second from the left, the tall one in the middle is his friend Lieutenant Case, and standing next him is Mr. Ventris (see p. 279). It is fortunate again that this photograph did not happen to be the one sent us ; for we should have Considered the description hopelessly wrong. SUMMARY CONCLUDING NOTE BY O. J. L. * As to the evidential value of the whole communication, it will be observed that there is something of the nature of cross-correspondence, of a simple kind, in the fact that a reference to the photograph was made through one medium, and a description given, in answer to a question, through another independent one. The episode is to be published in the Proceedings of the S.P.R. for 1916, and a lew further facts or comments are there added. The elimination of ordinary telepathy from the living, exdept under the far-fetched hypothesis of the unconscious influence of complete strangers, was exceptionally com- U4 PART II CHAPTER IV *V to his uncertainty as to whether he was actually taken with the man leaning on him or not. In the third, how- ever, the sitting officer's leg rests 'against Raymond's shoulder as he squats in front, and the slant of the head and slight look of annoyance have returned. These two additional photographs are here reproduced. Their merit is in showing that the leaning on him, men- tioned by ' Raymond ' through Feda, was well marked, and yet that he was quite right in being uncertain whether he was actually being leant on while the photograph was being taken. The fact turns out to be that during two exposures he was being leaned on, and during one ex- posure he was not. It was, so to speak, lucky that the edition sent us happened to show in one form the actual leaning. I have since discovered what is apparently the only other photograph of Officers in which Raymond occurs, but it is quite a different one, and none of the description Applies to it. For it is completely in the open air, and Raymond is standing up in the hinder of two rows. He is second from the left, the tall one in the middle is his friend Lieutenant Case, and standing next him is Mr. Ventris (see p. 279). It is fortunate again that this photograph did not happen to be the one sent us ; for we should have considered the description hopelessly wrong. SUMMARY CONCLUDING NOTE BY O. J. L. * As to the evidential value of the whole communication, it will be observed that there is something of the nature of cross-correspondence, of a simple kind, in the fact that a Reference to the photograph was made through one medium, and a description given, in answer to a question, through another independent one. The episode is to be published in the Proceedings of the S.P.R. for 1916, and a few further facts or comments are there added. Jhe elimination of ordinary telepathy from the -living, exdfept under the far-fetched hypothesis of the unconscious influence of complete strangers, was exceptionally com- o o td , 6 H Q O < ffi W a, h O ai O THE GROUP PHOTOGRAPH 115 plete; inasmuch as the whole of the information was recorded before any of us had seen the photograph. Even the establishment of a date in August for the taking of the photograph, as mentioned first in Mrs. Cheves' letter and confirmed by finding an entry in Ray- mond's Diary, is important, because the last time we ever saw Raymond was in July. To my mind the whole incident is rather exceptionally good as a piece of evidence ; and that ' Raymond ' ex- pected it to be good evidence is plain from Peters's (' Moon- stone's ') statement, at that first reference to a photograph on 27 September, namely, " He is particular that I should tell you of this." (This sentence it probably was which made me look out for such a photograph, and take pains to get records soundly made beforehand.) Our complete ignorance, even of the existence of the photograph, in the first place, and secondly the delayed manner in which knowledge of it normally came to 'us, so that we were able to make provision for getting the supernormally acquired details definitely noted beforehand, seem to me to make it a first-class case. While, as to the amount of coincidence between the description and the actual photograph, that surely is quite beyond chance or guesswork. For not only are many things right, but practically nothing is wrong. CALENDAR 2O/w/yi9i5 . . . Raymond's last visit home. 24 August 1915 . , Photograph taken at the Front, as shown by entry in Raymond's private Diary, but not mentioned by him. 14 September 1915 . . Raymond's death. 27 September 1915 . . Peters' ('Moonstone's ') mention of the photograph as a message from 15 October 1915 . . Negative sent with other negatives by Capt. Sydney T. Boast, from the Front in Flanders, to Messrs. Gale & Polden, Aldershot, for printing. 29 November 1915 . . Mrs. Cheves wrote spontaneously, saying that she had a group- photograph of some 2nd South Lancashire Officers, which she could send if desired. n6 3 December 1915 6 December 1915 Morning 0/7 Dec. 1915 Afternoon 0/7 Dec. 1915 Evening of 7 Dec. 1915 PART II CHAPTER IV Feda's (Mrs. Leonard's) further de- scription of a photograph which had been mentioned through an- other medium, in answer to a direct question addressed to ' Ray- mond. 1 M. F. A. L. found an entry in Ray- mond's Diary showing that a photograph had been taken on 24 August. To make sure, O. J. L. wrote to J. A. H. his impression of the photograph before it came. Arrival of the photograph. The photograph was shown to the home members of the family, and examined by O. J. L. CHAPTER V BEGINNING OF HISTORICAL RECORD OF SITTINGS ALTHOUGH this episode of the photograph is a good and evidential one, I should be sorry to base an important conclusion on any one piece of evi- dence, however cogent. All proofs are really cumulative ; and though it is legitimate to emphasise anything like a crucial instance, it always needs supplementing by many others, lest there may have been some oversight. Accord- ingly, I now proceed to quote from sittings held by members of the family after Raymond's death laying stress upon those which were arranged for, and held throughout, in an anonymous manner, so that there was not the slightest normal clue to identity. The first message came to us through a recent friend of ours in London, Mrs. Kennedy, who herself has the power of automatic writing, and who, having lost her specially beloved son Paul, has had her hand frequently controlled by him usually only so as to give affectionate messages, but sometimes in a moderately evidential way. She had been sceptical about the genuineness of this power apparently possessed by herself ; and it was her painful uncertainty on this point that had brought her into correspondence with me, for she was trying to test her own writing in various ways, as she was so anxious not to be deceived. The first I ever heard of her was the following letter which came while I was in Australia, and was dealt with by Mr. Hill : FIRST LETTER FROM MRS. KENNEDY TO O. J. L. ! 16 August 1914 11 SIR OLIVER LODGE. " DEAR SIR, Because of your investigations into spirit life, I venture to ask your help. 1x7 n8 PART II CHAPTER V H My only son died 23 June, eight weeks after a terrible accident. On 25 June (without my asking for it or having thought of it) I felt obliged to hold a pencil, and 1 received in automatic writing his name and ! yes ' and J no ' in answer to questions. !! Since then I have had several pages of writing from him every day and sometimes twice daily. 1 say ? from him ' ; the whole torturing question is is it from him or am I self-deceived ? f My knowledge is infinitesimal. Nineteen years ago a sister who had died the year before suddenly used my hand, and after that wrote short messages at intervals ; another sister a year later, and my father one message sixteen years ago ; but I felt so self-deceived that I always pushed it aside, until it came back to me, unasked, after my son's passing over. !S Your knowledge is what I appeal to, and the deep, personal respect one has for you and your investigations. It is for my son's sake he is only seventeen and he writes with such intense sadness of my lack of decided belief that I venture to beg help of a stranger in a matter so sacred to me. li Do you ever come to London, and, if so, could you possibly allow me to see you for even half an hour ? and you might judge from the strange and holy revelations (I know no other way to express many of the messages that are sent) whether they can possibly be only from my own subconscious mind. . . . Pardon this length of letter. Yours faithfully, " (Signed) KATHERINE KENNEDY" Ultimately I was able to take her anonymously and unexpectedly to an American medium, Mrs. Wriedt, and there she received strong and unmistakable proofs. 1 She also received excellent confirmation through several other mediums whom she had discovered for herself notably Mr. Vout Peters and Mrs. Osborne Leonard. Of Mrs. Leonard I had not previously heard ; I had heard of a Madame St. Leonard, or some name like that, but this is somebody else. Mrs. Kennedy tells me that she herself had not known Mrs. Leonard long, her own first sitting with that lady having been on 14 September 1915. I must emphasise the fact that Mrs. Kennedy is keen and careful about evidential con- siderations. As Mrs. Kennedy's son Paul plays a part in what 1 1 think it only fair to mention the names of professional mediums, if I find them at all genuine. I do not guarantee their efficiency, for mediumship is not a power that can always be depended on, it is liable to vary ; sitters also may be incompetent, and conditions may be bad. The circumstances under which sensitives work are difficult at the present time and ought to be improved. BEGINNING OF HISTORICAL RECORD 119 follows, perhaps it is permissible to quote here a descrip- tion of him which she gave to Mr. Hill in October 1914, accompanying an expression of surprise at the serious messages which she sometimes received from him inter- spersed with his fun and his affection : K. K.'s DESCRIPTION OF PAUL 11 Picture to yourself this boy : not quite eighteen but always taken for twenty or twenty-two ; an almost divine character underneath, but exteriorly a typical ' motor knut,' driving racing- cars at Brooklands, riding for the Jarrott Cup on a motor cycle, and flying at Hendon as an Air Mechanic ; dining out perpetually, because of his charm which made him almost besieged by friends ; and apparently without any creed except honour, generosity, love of children, the bringing home of every stray cat to be fed here and comforted, a total disregard of social distinctions when choosing his friends, and a hatred of hurting anyone's feelings." On seeing the announcement of Mr. R. Lodge's death in a newspaper, Mrs. Kennedy ' spoke ' to Paul about it, and asked him to help ; she also asked for a special sitting with Mrs. Leonard for the same purpose, though without saying why. The name Raymond was on that occasion spelt out through the medium, and he was said to be sleeping. This was on 18 September. On the 2ist, while Mrs. Kennedy was writing in her garden on ordinary affairs, her own hand suddenly wrote, as from her son Paul : " I am here. ... I have seen that boy Sir Oliver's son ; he's better, and has had a splendid rest, tell his people/' Lady Lodge having been told about Mrs. Leonard, and wanting to help a widowed French lady, Madame Le Breton, who had lost both her sons, and was on a visit to England, asked Mrs. Kennedy to arrange a sitting, so as to avoid giving any name. A sitting was accordingly arranged with Mrs. Leonard for 24 September 1915. On 22 September, Mrs. Kennedy, while having what she called a 'talk' with Paul, suddenly wrote auto- matically : " I shall bring Raymond to his father when he comes to see you. . . . He is so jolly, every one loves him ; 120 PART II CHAPTER V he has found heaps of his own folks here, and he is settling down wonderfully. Do TELL HIS FATHER AND MOTHER. ... He spoke clearly to-day. . . . He doesn't fight like the others, he seems so settled already. It is a ripping thing to see one boy like this. He has been sleeping a long time, but he has spoken to-day. . . . " If you people only knew how we long to come, they would all call us/' [Capitals indicate large and emphatic writing.] On the 23rd, during Lady Lodge's call, Mrs. Kennedy's hand wrote what purported to be a brief message from Raymond, thus : " I am here, mother. . . . I have been to Alec already, but he can't hear me. I do wish he would believe that we are here safe ; it isn't a dismal hole like people think, it is a place where there is life." And again : " Wait till I have learned better how to speak like this. . . . We can express all we want later ; give me time." I need hardly say that there is nothing in the least evidential in all this. I quote it only for the sake of reasonable completeness, so as to give the history from the beginning. Evidence comes later. Next day, 24 September 1915, the ladies went for an interview with Mrs. Leonard, who knew no more than that friends of Mrs. Kennedy would accompany her. The following is Lady Lodge's account of the sitting : 7 First Sitting of any Member of the Family (Anonymous) with Mrs. Leonard ' GENERAL ACCOUNT BY M. F. A. L. 24 SEPTEMBER 1915 Mrs. Leonard went into a sort of trance, I suppose, and came back as a little Indian girl called f Freda/ or ' Feda,' rubbing her hands, and talking in the silly way they do. However, she soon said there was an old gentleman and a young one present, whom she described ; and Mrs. Kennedy told BEGINNING OF HISTORICAL RECORD 121 me afterwards that they were her father and her son Paul. There seemed to be many others standing beside us, so ! Feda ' said. Then Feda described some one brought in lying down about twenty-four or twenty-five, not yet able to sit up ; the features she described might quite well have belonged to Raymond. (I forgot to say Mrs. Leonard did not know me or my name, or Madame Le Breton's.) Feda soon said she saw a large R beside this young man, then an A, then she got a long letter with a tail, which she could not make out, then she drew an M in the air, but forgot to mention it, and she said an O came next, and she said there was another O with a long stroke to it, and finally, she said she heard Yaymond ' (which is only her way of pronouncing it). [The name was presumably got from - Paul.' O, J. L.] Then she said that he just seemed to open his eyes and smile ; and then he had a choking feeling, which distressed me very much ; but he said he hadn't suffered much not nearly as much as I should think ; whether he said this, or Paul, I forget ; but Paul asked me not to tell him to-morrow night that I was not with him, as he had so much the feeling that I was with him when he died, that he (Paul) wouldn't like to undeceive him. I then asked that some one in that other world might kiss him for me, and a lady, whom they described in a way which was just like my mother, came and kissed him, and said she was taking care of him. And there was also an old gentleman, full white beard, etc. (evidently my stepfather, but Feda said with a moustache, which was a mistake), with W. up beside him, also taking care ; said he had met Raymond, and he was looking after him, and lots of others too ; but said he [W.] belonged to me and to ' O.' [Correct.] I asked how and what it was he had done for me, and Feda made a movement with her fingers, as though disentangling something, and then putting it into straight lines. He then said he had made tilings easier for me. So I said that was right, and thanked him gratefully. I said also that if Ray- mond was in his and Mama's hands, I was satisfied. [I do not append the notes of this sitting, since it was held mainly for Madame and her two sons, both of whom were described, and from whom some messages appeared to come.] Table Sitting at Mrs. Leonard's Next day (Saturday, 25 September 1915), as arranged partly by Paul, the three ladies went to Mrs. Leonard's house again for a sitting with a table, and Dr. Kennedy kindly accompanied them to take notes. The three ladies and the medium sat round a small table, with their hands lightly on it, and it tilted in the usual way. The plan adopted here is for the table to tilt 122 PART II CHAPTER V as each letter of the alphabet is spoken by the medium, and to stop, or ' hold/ when a right letter is reached. For general remarks on the rationale, or what most people will naturally consider the absurdity, of intelligent move- ments of this kind, see Chapter XIV, Part III. It was a rather complicated sitting, as it was mainly for Madame who was a novice in the sub j ect . Towards the end unfortunately, though momentarily and not at all pronouncedly, she spoke to Lady Lodge by name. At these table sittings the medium, Mrs. Leonard, is not un- conscious ; accordingly she heard it in her normal self, and afterwards said that she had heard it. The following extracts from the early part of the sitting may be quoted here, as answers purporting to be spelt out by Raymond : QUESTIONS ANSWERS Are you lonely ? No. Who is with you ? Grandfather W. Have you anything to say to You know I can't help missing me ? you, but I am learning to be happy. Have you any message for any Tell them I have many good of them ? friends. Can you tell me the name of any- Honor. [One of his sisters,] one at home ? (Other messages of affection and naturalness.) Have I enough to satisfy them No. at home ? Is there anything you want to Tell father I have met some send ? friends of his. Any name ? Yes ; Myers. Have you anything else to say? (No answer.) Is some one else there ? Yes ; Guy. (This was a son of Madame, and the sitting be- came French,) Reasonable and natural messages were spelt out in French. The other son of Madame was named Didier, and an unsuccessful attempt to spell this name was made, but the only result was DODI. BEGINNING OF HISTORICAL RECORD 123 Automatic Writing by Mrs. Kennedy, 26 September On 26 September Mrs. Kennedy (alone) had a lot of automatic writing, with her own hand, mainly from Paul, who presently wrote, " Mother, I have been let to bring Raymond/ 1 (After a welcome, Raymond was represented as sending this message : ) " I can speak easier than I could at the table, because you are helping all the time. It is easy when we are alone with you, but if I go there it confuses me a little. ... I long to comfort them. Will you tell them that Raymond had been to you, and that Paul tells me I can come to you whenever I like ? It is so good of you to let the boys all come. ..." " Paul tells me he has been here since he was seventeen ; he is a jolly chap ; every one seems fond of him. I don't wonder, for he helps every one. It seems a rule to call Paul if you get in a fix." (Then Paul said he was back, and wrote : ) " He is quite happy really since he finds he can get to his people. He has slept ever since last night, till I was told to fetch him to-night." (Asked about the French boys, Paul said : ) " I saw them when I brought them, but I don't see them otherwise ; they are older than I am . . . they hardly believe it yet that they have spoken. All the time they felt it was impossible, and they nearly gave it up, but I kept on begging them to tell their mother they lived." " I do hope she felt it true, mother. . . .' " It is hard to think your sons are dead ; but such a lot of people do think it. It is revolting to hear the boys tell you how no one speaks to-'them ever ; it hurts me through and through." (Interval. Paul fetched Guy [one of Madame Le Breton's sons], saying : ) " I can't stand it when they call out for help. Speak to him please, mother." (Mrs. Kennedy spoke to Guy, saying that she felt he could not believe any of it, but would he give time and trouble to studying the subject as she was doing ? The following writing came : ) 124 PART II CHAPTER V GUY.- -I think you hear me because it is just as I am feel- ing ; how CAN I believe we can speak to you who live where we once lived ? It was not possible then for us to speak to dead people ; and why should it be possible for us to speak. Will you keep on helping me, please, for I can't follow it, and I long to ? (Mrs. Kennedy asked him to ask Paul, that being an easier method, probably, than getting information through her. She asked him to ' excuse ' Paul's youth.) GUY. I like Paul ; he is good to us. I shall be glad to talk to him constantly if he has time for all of us ; he seems a sort of messenger between us and you, isn't he ? [Guy had been to school in England, his brother had not.] CHAPTER VI FIRST SITTING OF O. J. L. WITH MRS. LEONARD ON 27 September, as already stated in Chapter III, I myself visited Mrs. Leonard, going anonymously and alone, and giving no information beyond the fact that I was a friend of Mrs. Kennedy. I lay no stress on my anonymity, however. In a short time Feda controlled, and at first described an elderly gentleman as present. Then she said he brought some one with the letter R ; and as I took verbatim notes I propose to reproduce this portion in full, so as to give the general flavour of a ' Feda ' sitting ; only omitting what has already been extracted and quoted in Chapter III. 0. f. L. at Mrs. Leonard's, Monday, 27 September 1915, 12 noon to i o'clock (Mrs. Leonard's control ! Feda ' speaking all the time.) There is some one here with a little difficulty ; not fully built up ; youngish looking ; form more like an outline ; he has not completely learnt how to build up as yet. Is a young man, rather above the medium height ; rather well- built, not thick-set or heavy, but well-built. He holds him- self up well. He has not been over long. His hair is be- tween colours. He is not easy to describe, because he is not building himself up so solid as some do. He has greyish eyes ; hair brown, short at the sides ; a fine-shaped head ; eyebrows also brown, not much arched ; nice-shaped nose, fairly straight, broader at the nostrils a little ; a nice- shaped mouth, a good-sized mouth it is, but it does not look large because he holds the lips nicely together ; chin not heavy ; face oval. He is not built up quite clearly, 126 PART II CHAPTER VI but it feels as if Feda knew him. He must have been here waiting for you. Now he looks at Feda and smiles ; now he laughs, he is having a joke with Feda, and Paulie laughs too. Paul says he has been here before, and that Paul brought him. But Feda sees many hundreds of people, but they tell me this one has been brought quite lately. Yes, I have seen him before. Feda remembers a letter with him too. R, that is to do with him. (Then Feda murmured, as if to herself, " Try and give me another letter/*) (Pause.) It is a funny name, not Robert or Richard. He is not giving the rest of it, but says R again ; it is from him. He wants to know where his mother is ; he is looking for her ; he does not understand why she is not here. o. j. L. Tell him he will see her this afternoon, and that she is not here this morning, because she wants to meet him this afternoon at three o'clock. [Meaning through another medium, namely Peters. But that, of course, was not said.] He has been to see you before, and he says that once he thought you knew he was there, and that two or three times he was not quite sure. Feda gets it mostly by impression ; it is not always what he says, but what she gets ; but Feda says "he says," because she gets it from him somehow. 1 He finds it difficult, he says, but he has got so many kind friends helping him. He didn't think when he waked up first that he was going to be happy, but now he is, and he says he is going to be happier. He knows that as soon as he is a little more ready, he has got a great deal of work to do. " I almost wonder/' he says, " shall I be fit and able to do it. They tell me I shall." [And so on as reported in Chapter III.] He seems to know what the work is. The first work he will have to do, will be helping at the Front ; not the wounded so much, but helping those who are passing over in the war. He knows that when they pass on and wake up, they still feel a certain fear and some other word which Feda missed. Feda hears a something and 1 Note this, as an elucidatory statement. FIRST SITTING OF O. J. L. 127 ' fear/ Some even go on fighting ; at least they want to ; they don't believe they have passed on. So that many are wanted where he is now, to explain to them and help them, and soothe them. They do not know where they are, nor why they are there. [I considered that this was ordinary ' Feda talk/ such as it is probably customary to get through mediums at this time ; therefore, though the statements are likely enough, there is nothing new in them, and I thought it better to interrupt by asking a question. So I said : ] O. j. L. Does he want to send a message to anyone at home ? Or will he give the name of one of his instructors ? [I admit that it is stupid thus to ask two questions at once.] He shows me a capital H, and says that is not an instructor, it is some one he knows on the earth side. He wants them to be sure that he is all right and happy. He says, " People think I say I am happy in order to make them happier, but I don't. [And so on as already reported in Chapter ///.] Now the first gentleman with the letter W is going over to him and putting his arm round his shoulder, and he is putting his arm round the gentleman's back. Feda feels like a string round her head ; a tight feeling in the head, and also an empty sort of feeling in the chest, empty, as if sort of something gone. A feeling like a sort of vacant feeling there ; also a bursting sensation in the head. But he does not know he is giving this. He has not done it on purpose, they have tried to make him forget all that, but Feda gets it from him. There is a noise with it too, an awful noise and a rushing noise. He has lost all that now, but he does not seem to know why Feda feels it now. " I feel splendid," he says, " I feel splendid ! But I was worried at first. I was worried, for I was wanting to make it 128 PART II CHAPTER VI clear to those left behind that I was all right, and that they were not to worry about me." You may think it strange, but he felt that you would not worry so much as some one else ; two others, two ladies, Feda thinks. You would know, he says, but two ladies would worry and be un- certain ; but now he believes they know more. Then, before Mrs. Leonard came out of trance, came the description of a falling dark cross which twisted round and became bright, as reported in Chapter III. After the sitting, and before I went away, I asked Mrs. Leonard if she knew who I was. She replied, " Are you by chance connected with those two ladies who came on Saturday night ? " On my assenting, Mrs. Leonard added, " Oh ! then I know, because the French lady gave the name away ; she said ' Lady Lodge ' in the middle of a French sentence." I also spoke to her about not having too many sittings and straining her power. She said she " preferred not to have more than two or three a day, though sometimes she could not avoid it ; and some days she had to take a complete rest/ 1 But she admitted that she was going to have another one that day at two o'clock. I told her that three per day was rather much. She pleaded that there are so many people who want help now, that she declined all those who came for only commercial or fortune-telling motives, but that she felt bound to help those who are distressed by the war. I report this to show that she saw many people totally disconnected with Raymond or his family : so that what she might say to a new unknown member of the family could be quite evidential. CHAPTER VII FIRST PETERS SITTING (ANONYMOUS) MRS. KENNEDY desired Lady Lodge to try with a different arid independent medium, and therefore kindly arranged with Mr. A. Vout Peters to come to her house on Monday afternoon and give a trance sitting to ' a friend of hers ' not specified. Accordingly, at or about 3 p.m. on Monday, 27 September 1915, Lady Lodge went by herself to Mrs. Kennedy's house, so as not to have to give any name, and awaited the arrival of Peters, who, when he came, said he would prefer to sit in Mrs. Kennedy's own room in which he had sat before, and which he associated with her son Paul. No kind of intro- duction was made, and Peters was a total stranger to Lady Lodge ; though to Mrs. Kennedy he was fairly well known, having several times given her first-rate evidence about her son, who had proved his identity in several striking ways. When Peters goes into a trance his personality is supposed to change to that of another man, who, we understand, is called ' Moonstone ' ; much as Mrs. Piper was controlled by apparent personalities calling them- selves ' Phinuit ' or ' Rector/ When Peters does not go into a trance he has some clairvoyant faculty of his own. The only other person present on this occasion was Mrs. Kennedy, who kindly took notes. This is an important sitting, as it was held for a complete stranger, so I propose to report it practically in full. 130 PART II CHAPTER VII M. F. A. L. Sitting with A. Vout Peters, in Mrs. Kennedy's House, on 27 September 1915, at 3.30 p.m. MEDIUM .... A. VOUT PETERS. SITTER .... Lady LODGE (M. F. A. L.). RECORDER . . . Mrs.~ KATHERINE KENNEDY (K. K.). The record consists of Mrs. Kennedy's notes. Annotations in square brackets have been added subsequently by 0. /. L. While only partially under control, Peters said : " I feel a lot of force here, Mrs. Kennedy/' Peters was controlled quickly by ' Moonstone/ who greeted K. K. and reminded her of a prophecy of his. (This prophecy related to the Russian place Dvinsk, and to the important actions likely to be going on there as if the decisive battle of the war was to be fought there.) Then he turned to L. L. and said : What a useful life you have led, and will lead. You have always been the prop of things. You have always been associated with men a lot. You are the mother and house prop. You are not unacquainted with spiritualism. You have been associated with it more or less for some time. I sense you as living away from London in the North or North- West. You are much associated with men, and you are the house prop the mother. You have no word in the language that quite gives it there are always four walls, but something more is needed you are the house prop. You have had a tremendous lot of sadness recently, from a death that has come suddenly. You never thought it was to be like this. (Peters went on talking glibly, and there was no need for the sitter to say anything.) There is a gentleman here who is on the other side he went very suddenly. Fairly tall, rather broad, upright (here the medium sat up very straight and squared his shoulders) rather long face, fairly long nose, lips full, moustache, nice teeth, quick and active, strong FIRST PETERS SITTING 131 sense of humour he could always laugh, keen sense of affection. He went over into the spirit world very quickly. There is no idea of death because it was so sudden, with no illness. Do you know anything connected with the letter L ? (No answer was given to this.) What I am going to say now is from Paul he says : "Tell mother it is not one L, it is double L." He says: "Tell mother she always loved a riddle " he laughs. (L. L. and K. K. both said they could not understand. 1 ' Moonstone ' continued : ) They don't want to make it too easy for you, and funnily enough, the easier it seems to you sometimes the more difficult it seems to them. This man is a soldier an officer. He went over where it is warm. You are his mother, aren't you and he does not call you ma, or mama, or mater just mother, mother. [True.] He is reticent and yet he told you a tremendous lot. You were not only his mother but his friend. Wasn't he clever with books ? He laughs and says : " Anyhow I ought to be, I was brought up with them/' He was not altogether a booky person. He knew of spiritualism before he passed over, but he was a little bit sceptical he had an attitude of carefulness about it. He tells me to tell you this : The attitude of Mr. Stead and some of those people turned him aside ; on one side there was too much credulity on the other side too much piffling at trifles. [See also Appendix to this sitting.] He holds up in his hand a little heap of olives, as a symbol for you then he laughs. Now he says for a test Associated with the olives is the word Roland. 8 All of this is to give you proof that he is here. 1 Though K, K.'s record, being made at the time, reads L. L. (meaning Lady Lodge) throughout. When she speaks, later on, I change the L. L. oi the record to her proper initials to avoid con- fusion. O. J. L. 2 This is clear, though apparently it was not so recognised at the time. See later, pp. 135 and 144. i 3 2 PART II CHAPTER VII Before you came you were very down in the dumps. Was he ill three weeks after he was hurt ? [More like three hours, probably less.] (Various other guesses were made for the meaning of 3.) I see the figure 3 so plainly can't you find a meaning for it ? (L. L. suggested 3rd Battalion, and ' Moonstone ' continued : ) He says " Yes " and wasn't he officially put down on another one ? [Perfectly true, he was attached to the 2nd Battalion at the Front, to the 3rd or reserve Battalion while training.] l He says : " Don't forget to tell father all this." His home is associated with books both reading and writing books. Wait a minute, he wants to give me a word, he is a little impatient with me. Manuscripts, he says, manuscripts that's the word. He sends a message, and he says this is more for father " It is no good his attempting to come to the medium here, he will simply frighten the medium for all he is worth, and he will not get anything. But he is not afraid of you, and if *here is communication wanted with this man again, vou must come." You have several portraits of this boy. Before he went away you had got a good portrait of him 2 no, 3. [Fully as many as that.] Two where he is alone and one where he is in a group of other men. [This last is not yet verified.] * He is particular that I should tell you of this. In one you see his walking-stick (' Moonstone ' here put an imaginary stick under his arm). [Not known yet.] He had particularly strong hands. When he was younger, he was very strongly associated with football and outdoor sports. You have in your house prizes that he won, I can't tell you what. [Incorrect ; possibly some confusion in record here ; or else wrong.] Why should I get two words ' Small ' and ' Heath/ 1 Let it be understood, once for all, that remarks in square brackets represent nothing said at the time, but are comments afterwards by me when I read the record. O. J. L. * The photograph episode is described above, in Chapter IV, in the light of later information. FIRST PETERS SITTING 133 [Small Heath is a place near Birmingham with which he had some but not close associations, j Also I see, but very dimly as in a mist, the letters B I R. [Probably Birmingham.] You heard of either his death or of his being hurt by telegram. He didn't die at once. He had three wounds. I don't think you have got details yet. [No, not fully.] If he had lived he would have made a name for him- self in his own particular line. Was he not associated with chemistry ? If not, some one associated with him was, because I see all the things in a chemical laboratory. [The next portion has already been reported in Chapter 111, but I do not omit it from its context here.] That chemistry thing takes me away from him to a man in the flesh. And connected with him a man, a writer of poetry, on our side, closely connected with spiritualism. He was very clever he too passed away out of England. He has communicated several times. This gentleman who wrote poetry I see the letter M he is helping your son to communicate. He is built up in the chemical conditions. If your son didn't know this man, he knew of him. At the back of the gentleman beginning with M and who wrote poetry is a whole group of people. They are very interested. And don't be surprised if you get messages from them, even if you don't know them. This is so important that is going to be said now, that I want to go slowly, for you to write clearly every word (dictates carefully). " Not only is the partition so thin that you can hear the operators on the other side, but a big hole has been made." This message is for the gentleman associated with the chemical laboratory. The boy I call them all boys, because I was over a 134 PART II CHAPTER VII hundred when I lived here and they are all boys to me he says, he is here, but he says : " Hitherto it has been a thing of the head, now I am come over it is a thing of the heart. What is more (here Peters jumped up in his chair vigorously, snapped his fingers excitedly, and spoke loudly) : " Good God 1 how father will be able to speak out ! much firmer than he has ever done, because it will touch our hearts." M. F. A. L. Does he want his father to speak out ? Yes, but not yet wait, the evidence will be given in such a way that it cannot be contradicted, and his name is big enough to sweep all stupid opposition on one side. I was not conscious of much suffering, and I am glad that I settled my affairs before I went. [He did ; he made a will just before leaving England, and left things in good order. He also cleared up things when he joined the Army.] Have you a sister of his with you, and one on our side ? A little child almost, so little that you never associated her with him. There are two sisters, one on each side of him, one in the dark and one in the light. [Raymond was the only boy sandwiched in between two sisters ; Violet older than he, and still living (presumably in the dark), and Laura 1 younger than he, died a few minutes after birth (in the light). Ray- mond was the youngest boy, and had thus a sister on either side of him.] Your girl is standing on one side, Paul on the other, and your boy in the centre. (Here ' Moon- stone ' put his arm round K. K.'s shoulder to show how the boy was standing.) Now he stoops over you and kisses you there (indicating the brow). Before he went away he came home for a little while. Didn't he come for three days ? (There is a little unimportant confusion in the record about ' days/) 1 Now apparently called Lily 9 see latei. FIRST PETERS SITTING 135 Then, with evident intention of trying to give a ' test/ some trivial but characteristic features were mentioned about the interior of three houses the one we are in now. the one we had last occupied at Liverpool, and the one he called ' Mother's home/ But there is again some con- fusion in the record, partly because M. F. A. L. didn't under- stand what he was driving at, partly because the recorder found it difficult to follow ; and though the confusion was subsequently disentangled through another medium next day, 28 September, it is hardly worth while to give as much explanation as would be needed to make the points clear. So this part is omitted. (See p. 145.) And he wanted me to tell you of a kiss on the forehead. M. F. A. L. He did not kiss me on the forehead when he said good-bye. Well he is taller than you, isn't he ? (Yes.) Not very demonstrative before strangers. But when alone with you, like a little boy again. M. F. A. L. I don't think he was undemonstrative before strangers. Oh yes, all you English are like that. You lock up your affection, and you sometimes lose the key. He laughs. He says you didn't understand about Rowland. He can get it through now, it's a Roland for your Oliver [p. 131]. [Excellent. By recent marriages the family has gained a Rowland (son-in-law) and lost (so to speak) an Oliver (son).J He is going. He gives his love to all. It has been easy for him to come for two reasons : First, because you came to get help for Madame. 1 Secondly, because he had the knowledge in this life. M. F. A. L. I hope it has been a pleasure to him to come ? Not a pleasure, a joy. M. F. A. L. I hope he will come to me again. As much as he can. Paul now wants to speak to his mother. 1 This is curious, because it was with Mrs. Leonard that Madam had sat, not with Peters at all. It is a simple cross-correspondence. 136 PART II -CHAPTER VII Appendix to First Peters Sitting NOTE ON RAYMOND'S OLD ATTITUDE TO PSYCHO-PHYSICAL PHENOMENA Mrs. Rowland Waterhonse has recently found among her papers an old letter from Bedales School which she received from her brother Raymond when she was in Paris during the winter 1905-1906. The concluding part of it is of some small interest in the light of later developments : " I should like to hear more about table turning. I don't believe in it. The girls here say they have done it at Steephurst, and they attribute it to some sense of which we know nothing, and which I want to turn to some account, driving a dynamo or something, if it is possible, as they make out, to cause a table to revolve without any exertion I am your affectionate brother, !< RAYMOND " CHAPTER VIII A TABLE SITTING ON 28 September my wife and I together had a table sitting with Mrs. Leonard, which may be reported nearly in full together with my preliminary note written immediately afterwards. This is done not because it is a particularly good specimen, but because these early sittings have an importance of their own, and because it may be instructive to others to see the general manner of a table sitting. It was, I 1hink, the first joint- sitting of any kind which we had had since the old Piper days. NOTE BY O. J. L. ON TABLE TILTINGS A table sitting is not good for conversation, but it is useful for getting definite brief answers such as names and incidents, since it seems to be less interfered with by the mental activity of an intervening medium, and to be rather more direct. But it has difficulties of its own. The tilting of the table need not be regarded as a * physical phenomenon ' in the technical or supernormal sense, yet it does not appear to be done by the muscles of those present. The effort required to tilt the table is slight, and evidentially it must, no doubt, be assumed that so far as mechanical force is concerned, it is exerted by muscular action. But my imprassion is that the tilting is an in- cipient physical phenomenon, and that though the energy, of course, comes from the people present, it does not appear to be applied in quite a normal way (XIV, Pt. III). As regards evidence, however, the issue must be limited to intelligent direction of the energy. All that can safely be claimed is that the energy is intelligently 138 PART II CHAPTER VIII directed, and the self -stoppage of the table at the right letter conveys by touch a sort* of withholding feeling a kind of sensation as of inhibition to those whose hands lie flat on the top of the table. The light was always quite sufficient to see all the hands, and it works quite well in full daylight. The usual method is for the alphabet to be called over, and for the table to tilt or thump at each letter, till it stops at the right one. The table tilts three times to indicate " yes," and once to indicate " no " ; but as one tilt also represents the letter A of the alphabet, an error of interpretation is occasionally made by the sitters. So also C might perhaps be mistaken for " yes," or vice versa ; but that mistake is not so likely. Unconscious guidance can hardly be excluded, i.e. can- not be excluded with any certainty when the answer is of a kind expected. But first, our desire was rather in the direction of avoiding such control ; and second, the stoppages were sometimes at unexpected places ; and third, a long succession of letters soon becomes meaning- less, except to the recorder who is writing them down silently, as they are called out to him seriatim, in another part of the room. It will also be observed that at a table sitting it is natural for the sitters to do most of the talking, and that their object is to get definite and not verbose replies. On this occasion the control of the table seemed to improve as the sitting went on, owing presumably to increased practice on the part of the communicator, until towards the end, when there seemed to be some signs of weariness or incipient exhaustion ; and, since the sitting lasted an hour and a half, tiredness is in no way surprising. No further attempt was made to keep our identity from Mrs. Leonard : our name had been given away, as reported near the end of Chapter VI. Table Sitting with Mrs. Leonard, Tuesday, 28 September , at 5-3 p w. Present0. J. L., M. F. A. L., K. K., WITH DR. KENNEDY AT ANOTHER TABLE AS RECORDER A small partly wicker table with a square top was used, about 1 8 inches square. O. J. L. and M. F. A. L. sat opposite to each A TABLE SITTING 139 other ; K. K. and Mrs. Leonard occupied the other positions, Mrs. Leonard to the right of O. J . L. After four minutes' interval, the table began to tilt. Medium. Will you tilt three times to show you understand ? (It did.) Medium. Will you like to give your name ? (It gave three tilts indicating YES.) Medium. Very well, then, the alphabet. Spell it, please. (Mrs. Leonard here repeated the alphabet fairly quickly, while the table tilted slightly at each letter as it was said, stopping first at the letter P then at the letter A then U then L. O. ]. L. Yes, very well, Paul ; we know who you are, and you know who we are, and we know that you have brought Raymond, and have come to help. YES. O. J. L. We that are here know about this, and you have given us evidence already, but I am here to get evidence for the family. YES. O. J. L. Would you like to say something first, before I ask a question ? (Silence.) Then the table moved and shook a little, indicating that it wanted the alphabet ; and when the medium recited the letters, it spelt out in the same manner as before, i.e. by stopping at the one desired by whatever intelligence was controlling the table : RAYMOND WANTS TO COME HIMSELF. Here M. L. ejaculated : " Dear Raymond," and sighed unconsciously. The table spelt it being understood that Raymond had now taken control : DO NOT SIGH. M. F. A. L. Was I sighing ? O. J. L. Yes, but you must not be so distressed ; he doesn't like it. He is there all right, and I am glad to have some one on the other side. YES. O. J. L. Raymond, your mother is much happier now. YES. O. J. L. Now then, shall I ask you questions ? YES. O. J. L. Well now, wait a minute and take your time, and I will ask the first question : What did the boys call you ? " 140 PART II CHAPTER VIII The medium now again repeated the alphabet, the table tilting to each idler as before, first stopping at P then at A then at P again ; it then shook as if something was wrong. O. J. L. Very well, try again, begin once more. Again it spelt PAP, but again indicated dissent, and tried again : at the third trial it appeared to spell PAS. M. F. A. L. Raymond dear, you have given two letters right, try and give the third. It now stopped at T ; making PAT. M. F. A. L. Yes, that is right. [This was, of course, well in our knowledge and there- fore not strictly evidential, but it would not be in the knowledge of the medium.] (Of. p. 148.) YES. O. J. L. Well, now, you have done that, shall I ask another ? YES. O. J. L. Will you give the name of a brother ? The alphabet was repeated as usual by the medium, in a monotonous manner, the table tilting as before and stopping first at N then at O then going past E, it stopped at R and the next time at M then, by a single tilt, it indicated A or else fl No." O. J. L., thinking that the letters R and M were wrong, because the (to him) meaningless name NORMAN was evidently being given, took it as fl No/' and said : O. J. L, You are confused now, better begin again. The name accordingly was begun again, and this time it spelt NOEL O. J. L, That is right. [But see Appended Note, p. 147.] A slight pause took place here ; the table then indicated that it wanted the alphabet again, and spelt out an apparently single meaningless word which Dr. Kennedy, as he wrote the letters down, perceived to be FIRE AWAY. O. J. L. Oh 1 You want another question I Would you like to say the name of an officer ? YES. O. J. L. Very well then, spell it. Table spelt : MIP, then indicated error. A TABLE SI1TING 141 CX J. L. Not P ? No. O. J. L. -Well, begin again. / MITCHELL. O. J. L. Then the officer's name is Mitchell t YES. O. J. L. Was he a captain ? (Silence.) O. J. L. Was he a lieutenant ? (Silence.) O. J. L. Was he a second lieutenant perhaps ? (Apparent assent, but nothing forcible ) O. J. L. I am now going to give a name away on piu pose ; I am going to ask Do you remember Case ? YES. O. J. L. Would you like to say anything about him ? YES. O. J. L. Very well then, let us have the alphabet. Table spelt : HR IS GOING A LfcONG ALL BRIGHT. [Erasures signify errors which were made either by the communicator or the interpreter, and are in accord- ance with the record. The method was that each letter, as understood, was called out, usually by me, to the recorder. When a wrong letter was indicated, or when there was obviously a duplication, it was scratched out as above.] (After a short silence the spelling began again, it being easy for the table to indicate to the medium, by shaking or fidgeting, that she is wanted to repeat the alphabet.) HE is HERE. O. J. L. What, on your side ? [Thinking it referred to Lieutenant Case.] A loud " No." HE IS HERB SPEAK. K. K. (interpreting for us). It only means Raymond is here and waiting. O. J. L. Under what circumstances did you see him last ? (The answer was apparently a faint " YES.") O. J. L. Have you any special message, or did you give Case a special message ? YES. O. J. L. -What was it ? SO IM NOT SO IM WUO. (Here some confusion was indicated ; and M. F. A. L. said, " Try and spell the name " meaning for whom the message was, if it was a message that was intended, which was very doubtful. It seemed to me that he was trying to say, or remember, what he had said to Lieutenant Case, who saw him i 4 2 PART II CHAPTER VIII after he had been struck ; and that what he thought he had said was " So I'm wounded " ; but I thought it unadvisable to continue on this tack, and rather regretted that I had begun it, since it was liable to put him back into a period of reminiscence which his friends would prefer that he did not dwell upon. Moreover, these last few questions did not seem particularly to interest him, and the responses were comparatively weak. Accordingly, I decided to switch him on to a topic that would be more likely to interest him.) O. J. L. Would you like your mother to go and see a friend of yours ? (Some names of friends of his were now correctly given, but as we knew them I need not reproduce this part.) O. J. L. I say, Kaymond, would you like a Ford ? [motor]. (After a moment's apparent surprise : ) YES. O. J. L. Aren't you tired now ? Loud " No." M. F. A. L. Raymond, I don't know Mitchell. No. O. J. L. Well, that will be better evidence. YES. O. J. L. Is that why you chose it ? YES. AER MEDIUM (sotto voce], No, that can't be right, O J. L. (ditto). 1 don't know , it may be. Go on. OPLANE. O. J. L. You mean that Mitchell is an aeroplane ofhcer ? YES " (very loud). M. F. A. L. (misunderstanding, and thinl%jng that he had sai& that he would like an aeroplane in preference to a Ford). Still at your jokes, Raymond ! YES. (Then again the table indicated, by slight rocking, that the alphabet was wanted ; and it spelt : ) RAYMOND IS BEATING U. (The sitters here made a little explanatory comment to each other on what they understood this unim- portant sentence to mean ; after which O. J. L. appears to have said : ) O. J. L. I don't like bothering you. Table moved, indicating that it was no trouble. M. F. A. L. Raymond, can you see us ? YES. M. F. A. L. Can you see that I have been writing to you ? [See Part I, p. 10.] A TABLE SITTING 143 M. F. A. L. Can you read what I am writing ? YES. M. F. A. L. How do you read it ? By looking over my shoulder ? Table again called for alphabet and spelt : SENSE IT. M. F. A. L. Shall you ever be able to write through my hand do you think ? (Silence.) M. F. A. L. Well, anyhow, you would like me to try ? YES. O. T. L. Raymond, have you plenty to do over there ? Loud '- YES." O. J. L. Well, look here, I am going to give another name away. No. O. J. L. Oh ! You prefer not ! Very well, I will ask you in this way : Have you met any particular friend of mine ? YES. O. J. L. Very well then, spell his name. The table spelt :- MYERS AND GRA Here O. J. I,, thought that he had got wrong rather suspected that the A meant -' No/' and stupidly saul : O. J. L. Well, it doesn't matter, it won't be evidential, so I may as well guess what you mean Is it Gurney ? The table assented. But it still went on spelling. It again spelt : GRA and then ND, at which O. J. L. queried : Grand men ? The table dissented, and went on and spelt : FATHER. O. J. L. Oh ! You mean Grandfather ! YES. M. F. A. L. Is he with Myers and Gurney f Emphatic " No." M. F. A. L. Which grandfather is it that you mean ? Give the first letter of his Christian name. w. M, F. A. L. Dear Grandpapa ! He would be sure to come and help you ! O. J. L. I say, do you like this table method better than the 8 Feda ' method ? YES. O. J. L. But you remember that you can send anything you want specially through Paul always ? YES. O. J. L. That was a grand sitting yesterday that your mother had 1 [i.e. the one with Peters.] YES. 144 PART II CHAPTER VIII M. F. A. L. Do you remember showing olives ? YES, M. F. A. L. What did you mean by them ? OLIVER. M. F. A. L. Then we now understand A Roland for an Oliver YHS. O. J. L. You intended no reference to Italy ? [We had been doubtful at first of the significance of the olives ; see p. 131.] No. O. J. L. But you were interested in Italy ? YES. O. J. L. Do you remember anyone special in Italy ? YES. O. J. L. Well, spell the name. (A name was spelt correctly.) O. J. L. You are clever at this ! Loud " YES." O. J. L. You always did like mechanical things. YES. O. J. L. Can you explain how you do this ? I mean how you work the table ? The table then spelt with the alphabet for a long time, and as the words \\ere not divided up, the sitters lost touch, one after the other, with what \vas being said. I, for instance, lost touch after the word '* magnetism," and, for all I knew, it was nonsense that was being said ; but the recorder put all the letters down as they came, each letter being called out by me according to the stoppages of the table, and the record reads thus : YOU ALL SUPPLY MAGNETISM GATHERED IN MEDIUM, AND THAT GOES INTO TABLE ; AND WE MANIPULATE. [The interest of this is due to the fact that the table was spelling out coherent words, although the sitters could hardly, under the circumstances, be exercising any control. Naturally, this does not prevent the medium from being supposed to be tilting out a message herself, and hence it is quite unevidcntial of course ; but, in innumerable other cases, the things said were quite outside the know- ledge of the medium.] O. T. L. It is not what 7 should call " magnetism," is it ? No. O. J. L. But you do not object to the term ? No. O. J. L. Paul's mother offers to take messages from you, and if she gets them, she will transmit them to us. YES. O. J. L. So when you want to get anything special through, just speak to Paul. YBS. A TABLE SITTING 145 O. J. L.--Arid sometimes I shall be able to get a message back to you. Loud YES." (In answer to a question about which of his sisters were at school with a specified person, the names of the right two sisters were now spelt out : ) ROSALIND. [We generally spell the name Rosalynde, but it was spelt here Rosalind as shown.] BARBARA. M. F. A. L. Isn't it clever of Mm ? Loud and amusing - ! YES." O. J. L. I never thought you would do it so quickly. No. O. J. L. Can you still make acrostics ? [O. J. L. immediately regretted having asked this leading sort of question, but it was asked.] YES. K. K. You are not going to make one now ? No. M. F. A. L. Can you see me, Raymond, at other times when I am not with a medium ? Alphabet called for, and spelt : SOMETIMES. M F. A. L. You mean when I think of you ? YES. O. J. L. That must be very often. Loud " YES." [When a j loud ' YES or No is stated, it means that the table tilted violently, bumping on the floor and making a noise which impressed the recorder, so that the words " loud bumps " were added in the record.] [I then asked him about the houses (of which he had specified some identifying features at a previous sit- ting through Peters on 27 September). He seemed to regret that there had been some confusion, and now correctly spelt out GROVEPARK as the name of one house, and NEWCASTLE as the place where ! Mother's home ' was. But I omit details, as before.] (See p. 135.) O. J. L. Tell Mr. Myers and Mr. Gurney that I am glad to hear from them and that they are helping you. YES. M. F. A. L. Give my affectionate regards to Mr. Gurney for a message which he got through for me some time ago. YES. O. J. L. Now you must rest. YES. M. F. A. L. One of your record sleeps. Loud YES." 10 146 PART II CHAPTER VIII O. J. L. Good-bye, I will tell the family to-morrow. YES. O. J. L. Alec especially. YES. M. F. A. L. Noel will love to have his name spelt out. YES. O. J. L. Well, good-bye, old man, we shall hear from you again. M. F. A. L. Good-bye, Raymond darling. O. J. L. Before we stop, does Paul want to say a word ? (Paul was then understood to take control, and spelt out : ) HE IS GETTING ON WELL. (We then thanked Paul for helping, and said good-bye.) (End of sitting.) To complete the record I shall append the few annota- tions which I made a couple of days afterwards, before I supplement them with later information. Contemporary Annotations for Table Sitting on 28 September r Very many things were given right at the sitting above recorded, and in most cases the Tightness will be clear from the comments of the sitters as recorded. But two names are given on which further annotation is necessary, because the sitters did not understand them ; in other words, they were such as, if confirmed, would furnish excellent and indeed exceptional evidence. The first is ' Norman/ about which a very important report could be made at once ; but I think it better not to put anything in writing on that subject even now, at the present stage, since it is quite distinct, unforgettable, and of the first importance. The other is the name ' Mitchell/ which at present we have had no opportunity for verifying ; hence annotation on that must be postponed. Suffice it to say that to-day (6 October 1915) it remains unknown. Whether an Army List has been published this year seems doubtful, and on the whole unlikely ; and no Army List later than 1909 has been so far accessible. Such few inquiries as have up to now been made have drawn blank. [See, however, three pages further on.] A TABLE SITTING 147 Later Information On 10 October Mrs. Kennedy, alone, had some auto- matic writing as follows : Mother, Paul is bringing Raymond. I have him here ; he will speak to you. , . . " Please listen carefully now I want to speak to you about NORMAN. There is a special meaning to that because we always called my brother Alec Norman, the (muddle . . .)." (K. K. said that she couldn't get the rest clearly.) On 12 October we had a sitting with Mrs. Leonard, K. K. also present, and I said to ' Raymond ' : Do you want to say anything more about that name ' Norman ' ? You gave a message about it to Mrs. Kennedy, but I don't know whether she got it clearly. Perhaps you want to amplify it ? If so, now is your chance. (The reply spelt out was : ) I TOLD HER THAT I CALLED LIONEL. On which K. K. said: " I am afraid I often get names wrong. I suppose I got the name of the wrong brother." NOTE BY O. J. L. ABOUT THE NAME 'NORMAN ' It appears that ' Norman ' was a kind of general nick- hame ; and especially that when the boys played hockey together, which they often did in the field here, by way of getting concentrated exercise, Raymond, who was speci- ally active at this game, had a habit of shouting out, " Now then, Norman/' or other words of encouragement, to any of his other brothers whom he wished to stimulate, especially apparently Lionel, though sometimes Alec and the others. That is what I am now told, and I can easily realise the manner of it. But I can testify that I was not aware that a name like this was used, nor was Lady Lodge, we two being the only members of the family present at the Leonard table sitting where the name Norman ' was given. (See p. 140.) It will be remembered that at that sitting I first asked 148 PART II CHAPTER VIII him what name the boys had called him, and, after a few partial failures, obviously only due to mismanagement of the table, he replied, ' Pat/ which was quite right. I then asked if he would like to give the name of a brother, and he replied ' Norman,' which I thought was quite wrong. I did not even allow him to finish the last letter. I said he was confused, and had better begin again ; after which he amended it to ' Noel/ which I accepted as correct. But it will now be observed that the name ' Norman ' was the best he could possibly give, as a kind of comprehensive nickname applicable to almost any brother. And a nickname was an appropriate kind of response, because we had already had the nickname ' Pat/ Furthermore, on subsequent occasions he explained that it was the name by which he had called Lionel ; and, through Mrs. Kennedy if she did not make a mistake that it was a name he had called Alec by. It is quite possible, how- ever, that he had intended to say ' Lionel ' on that occasion, and that she got it wrong. I am not sure how that may be. Again, at a later stage, in a family sitting no medium present one of the boys said, " Pat, do you remember ' Norman ' ? " at whHi with some excitement, the girls only touching the table, he spelt out ' HOCKEY ' ; thus completing the whole incident. The most evidential portions, however, are those obtained when nobody present understood what was being said namely, first, the spelling of the name ' Norman ' when those present thought that it was all a mistake after the first two letters ; and secondly, the explanation to Mrs. Kennedy that it was a name by which he had called one of his brothers, showing that it was originally given by no accident, but with intention. As to the name ' Pat ' (p. 140), I extract the following from a diary of Noel, as evidence that it was very much Raymond's nickname ; but of course we knew it : 1914 II Sept. 9. Pat goes to L'pool re Commission. 10. Pat gets commission in 3rd South Lane's. 14. Pat collecting kit. We inspect revolvers. 1 8. Pat comes up to Harborne for some rifle practice. Does not find it too easy. ti 19. I become member of Harborne Rifle Club. ft 20. Pat shoots again. A TABLE SITTING 149 Sept. 23. Pat leaves for L'pool to start his training at Great Ciosby. I give up commission-idea for the present. Oct. 17. Pat comes home to welcome Parents back from Australia. r 2O. Pat returns to L'pool." Note on the name ' Mitchell ' (added later) It can be remembered that, when asked on 28 Sep- tember for the name of an officer, Raymond spelt out MITCHELL, and indicated decisively that the word AERO- PLANE was connected with him ; he also assented to the idea that he was one whom the family didn't know, and that so it would be better as evidence (pp. 141, 142). After several failures at identification I learnt, on 10 October, through the kind offices of the Librarian of the London Library, that he had ascertained from the War Office that there was a 2nd Lieut. E. H. Mitchell now attached to the Royal Flying Corps. Accordingly, I wrote to the Record Office, Farnborough ; and ultimately, on 6 November, received a post card from Captain Mitchell, to whom I must apologise for the, I hope, quite harmless use of his name : 41 Many thanks for your kind letter. 1 believe I have met your son, though where I forget. My wounds are quite healed, and I am posted to Home Establishment for a bit, with rank of Captain. Your letter only got here (Dover) from France this morning, so please excuse delay in answering. E. H. MITCHELL " In concluding this chapter, I may quote a little bit of non-evidential but characteristic writing from ' Paul.' It was received on 30 September 1915 by Mrs. Kennedy, when alone, and her record runs thus : (After writing of other things, I not having asked any- thing about Raymond.) ft I think it hardly possible for you to believe how quickly Raymond learns ; he seems to believe all that we have to fight to teach the others. " Poor chaps, you see no one has told them before they come over, and it is so hard for them when they see us and they feel alive, and their people keep on sobbing. 150 PART II CHAPTER VIII " The business for you and me gets harder and harder as the days go on, mother ; it needs thousands at this work, and you are so small. " I feel that God helps us, but I want Him to find others, darling ; there is no time to waste either in your place or mine, but I know you are trying ever so hard." NOTE IN TENTH EDITION I have recently received a letter from Captain Mitchell's father, previously quite unknown to me, which, as it adds some- thing evidential, I here quote extracts from : " 32 PEMBRIDGE SQUARE, LONDON, W. 2, 10 March 1918 " My reason for intruding upon you is this : Only last night I was reading in your book Raymond, and was first astonished and then deeply interested when I read on pages 141 to 149 of a young officer of the R.F.C., E. H. Mitchell, being mentioned by Raymond at the sitting you had on 28 September 1915. For this dear boy (Erik Harrison Mitchell) who passed over on the last Saturday of the following April was or rather is my only son. " I think I can see why Raymond's thoughts were directed to him on that day, also why he was silent when questioned as to the boy's rank. In the first place, probably your son was engaged in tending the wounded as I learn my boy now is ; and Erik had been wounded only two days before your sitting, viz. on Sunday, 26 September 1915 ; and may not your son have tended my boy during some part of those forty-eight hours ? And as to rank. When the war began Erik was an apprentice at Vickers* at Erith, and was a 2nd Lieut, in the 4th Home Counties Howitzer Brigade, consisting of Vickers' boys princi- pally, if not entirely. He then became ist Lieut, in this territorial brigade and later joined the regulars, being gazetted 2nd Lieut, in the R.F.A. When he was wounded, therefore, he was 2nd Lieut. R.F.^4., seconded to R.F.C. For his exploit on 26 September 191 5 he was promoted to the post of Flight Commander with rank of Captain. Does not all this account for the silence and apparent doubt of Raymond when questioned as to rank ? " If you will bear with me a little longer I should like to refer to the sitting I had a few days ago with Mrs. Brittain. It was the first such sitting I had ever had, and my dear boy was so grateful to me for taking the step, for he explained that he had been trying during all these months to communicate with his mother and me without success. And he was so glad and happy and so wonderfully affectionate. Without my mentioning even that it was he I had come to seek, Mrs. Brittain told me she saw an aeroplane with a broken propeller and a boy beside it describing him in great detail and most faithfully. And when I said she had not given me his name she said, * Why, there's a boy calling him now, < Erik." ' *' (Signed) H. BEAUFORT MITCHELL" CHAPTER IX ATTEMPTS AT STRICTER EVIDENCE IN a Table Sitting it is manifest that the hypothesis of unconscious muscular guidance must be pressed to extremes, as a normal explanation, when the com- munications are within the knowledge of any of the people sitting at the table. Many of the answers obtained were quite outside the knowledge of the medium or of Mrs. Kennedy, but many were inevitably known to us ; and in so far as they were within our knowledge it might be supposed, even by our- selves, that we partially controlled the tilting, though of course we were careful to try not to do so. And besides, the things that came, or the form in which they came, were often quite unexpected, and could not consciously have been controlled by us. Moreover, when the sentence spelt out was a long one, we lost our way in it and could not tell whether it was sense or nonsense ; for the words ran into each other. The note-taker, who puts each letter down as it is called out to him by the sitters at the table, has no difficulty in reading a message, although, with the words all run together, it hardly looks intelligible at first sight, even when written. For instance : BELESSWORRIEDALECPLEASEOLDCHAP, which was one message, or : GATHEREDINMEDIUMANDTHATGOESINTOTABLEAN DWEMANIPULATE, which was part of another. Neither could be readily followed if called out slowly letter by letter. Still, the family were naturally and properly sceptical about it all. Accordingly, my sons devised certain questions in the 152 PART II CHAPTER IX nature of tests, referring to trivial matters which they thought would be within Raymond's recollection, but which had happened to them alone during summer ex- cursions or the like, and so were quite outside my know- ledge. They gave me a few written questions, devised in conclave in their own room ; and on 12 October I took them to London with me in a sealed envelope, which I opened in the train when going up for a sitting ; and after the sitting had begun I took an early opportunity of putting the questions it contained. We had already had (on 28 September, reported in last chapter) one incident of a kind unknown to us, in the name * Norman/ but they wanted more of the same or of a still more marked kind. I think it will be well to copy the actual contemporary record of this part of the sitting in full : Second Table Sitting of 0. /. L. and M. F. A. L. with Mrs. Leonard, 12 October 1915, 5.30 p.m. Present O. J. L., M. F. A. L., K. K., WITH DR. KENNEDY AS RECORDER At the beginning of the sitting O. J. L. explained that they were now engaged in trying to get distinct and crucial evidence ; that preparations had been made accordingly ; and that no doubt those on the other side approved, and would co-operate. A pause of three and a half minutes then ensued, and the table gave a slow tilt, o. J. L. Is Paul there ? YES. o. J. L. Have you brought Raymond ? YES. o. J. L. Are you there, Raymond ? YES. o. j. L. (after M. F. A. L. had greeted him). Well now, look here, my boy, I have got a few questions which your brothers think you will know something about, whereas to me they are quite meaningless. Their object is to make quite sure that we don't unconsciously help in getting the answers because we know them. In this case that is impossible, ATTEMPTS AT STRICTER EVIDENCE 153 because nobody here knows the answers at all. Do you understand the object ? YES. o. j. L. Very well then, shall I begin ? No. o. j. L. Oh! You want to say something yourself first ? YES. o. j. L. Very well then, the alphabet. TELLTHEMINOWTRYTOPROVEIHAVEMESSAGESTOT HEWORLD. [Taking these long messages down is rather tedious, and it is noteworthy that the sitters lose their way sooner or later i had no idea what was coming or whether it was sense but of course when it is complete the recorder can easily interpret, and does so.] o. J. L. Is that the end of what you want to say your- self ? YES. o. j. L. Well then, now I will give you one of the boys' questions, but I had better explain that you may not in every case understand the reference your- self. We can hardly expect you to answer all of them, and if you don't do one, I will pass on to another. But don't hurry, and we will take down whatever you choose to say on each of them. The first question is : O. J. L. " Do you remember anything about the Argonauts ? " (Silence for a short time.) o. J. L. ' Argonauts ' is the word. Does it mean anything to you ? Take your time. YES. o. J. L. Well, would you like to say what you re- member ? YES. Then, by repeating the alphabet, was spelt : ^TELEGRAM. o. J. L. Is that the end of that answer ? YES. 154 PART II CHAPTER IX o. j. L. Well, now I will go on to the second question then. " What do you recollect about Dartmoor ? " The time for thought was now much briefer, and the table began to spell pretty soon : COMING DOWN. o. j. L. Is that all ? No. o. j. L. Very well then, continue. HILL FERRY. o. j. L. Is that the end of the answer ? YES. o. j. L. Very well then, now I will go on to the third question, which appears to be a bit complicated. " What do the following suggest to you : Evinrude O. B. P. Kaiser's sister." (No good answers were obtained to these questions : they seemed to awaken no reminiscence. Asked the name of the man to whom Raymond had given his dog, the table spelt out STALLARD quite correctly. But this was within our knowledge.) (End of extract from record.) NOTE ON THE REMINISCENCES AWAKENED BY THE WORDS ' ARGONAUTS ' AND ' DARTMOOR ' On reporting to my sons the answers given about ' Argonauts ' and ' Dartmoor ' they were not at all satisfied. I found, however, from the rest of the family that the word TELEGRAM had a meaning in connexion with ' Argonauts ' a meaning quite unknown to me or to my wife but it was not the meaning that his brothers had expected. It seems that in a previous year, while his mother and I were away from home, the boys travelled by motor to somewhere in Devonshire, and (as they think) at Taunton Raymond had gone into a post office, sent a telegram home to say that they were all right, and had signed it ' Argonauts/ The girls at home remembered ATTEMPTS AT STRICTER EVIDENCE 155 the telegram quite well ; the other boys did not specially remember it. The kind of reference they had wanted, Raymond gave ultimately though meagrely, but only after so much time had elapsed that the test had lost its value, and only after I had been told to switch him on to " Tent Lodge, Coniston/' as a clue. Now that I know the answer I do not think the ques- tion was a particularly good one ; and the word ' tele- gram/ which they had not expected and did not want, seems to me quite as good an incident as the one which, without a clue, they had expected him to recall in connexion with 'Argonauts.' Besides, I happened myself to know about an Iceland trip in Mr. Alfred Holt's yacht ' Argo ' and its poetic description by Mr. Mitchell Banks and Dr. Caton in a book in the drawing-room at Tent Lodge, Coniston (though the boys were not aware of my know- ledge), but it never struck me that this was the thing wanted ; and if it had come, the test would have been of inferior quality. Concerning the answer to ' Dartmoor/ his brothers said that COMING DOWN HILL was correct but incomplete ; and that they didn't remember any FERRY. I therefore on another occasion, namely, on 22 October, during a sitting with Feda (that is to say, not a table sitting, but one in which Mrs. Leonard's control Feda was speaking and reporting messages), said still knowing nothing about the matter beyond what I had obtained in the table sitting " Raymond, do you remember about ' Dartmoor ' and the hill ? " The answer is recorded as follows, together with the explanatory note added soon afterwards though the record is no doubt a little abbreviated, as there was some dramatic representation by Feda of sudden swerves and holding on : From Sitting of 0. J. L. and M. F. A. L. on 22 October 1915. ' Feda ' speaking o. J. L. Raymond, do you remember about Dartmoor and the hill ? Yes, he said something about that. He says it 156 PART II CHAPTER IX was exciting. What is that he says ? Brake something about a brake putting the brake on. Then he says, sudden curve a curve he gives Feda a jerk like going round a quick curve. [I thought at the time that this was only padding, but subsequently learnt from Alec that it was right. It was on a very long night-journey on their motor, when the silencer had broken down by bursting, at the bottom of an exceptionally steep hill, and there was an unnerving noise. The one who was driving went down other steep hills at a great pace, with sudden applica- tions of the brake and sudden quick curves, so that those at the back felt it dangerous, and ultimately had to stop him and insist on going slower. Raymond was in front with the one who was driving. The sensations of those at the back of the car were strongly connected with the brake and with curves ; but they had mainly expected a reference from Raymond to the noise from the broken silencer, which they ultimately repaired during the same night with tools obtained at the first town they stopped at.] o. J. L. Did he say anything about a ferry ? No, he doesn't remember that he did. o. j. L. Well, I got it down. There is one : all the same there is one. But he didn't mean to say anything about it. He says it was a stray thought that he didn't mean to give through the table. He has found one or two things come in like that. It was only a stray thought. You have got what you wanted, he says. ' Hill,' he meant to give, but not ' ferry.' They have nothing to do with each other. On a later occasion I took an opportunity of cate- chising him further about this word FERRY, since none of the family remembered a ferry, or could attach any significance to the word. He still insisted that his mention of a ferry in connexion with a. motor trip was not ATTEMPTS AT STRICTER EVIDENCE 157 wrong, only he admitted that " some people wouldn't call it a ferry." I waited to see if any further light would come ; and now, long afterwards, on 18 August 1916 I receive from Alec a note rel erring to a recent trip, this month, which says : " By the way, on the run to Langland Bay (which is the motor run we all did the year before the i un to Newquay ) we pass through Briton Ferry ; and there is precious little ferry about it." So even this semi-accidental reminiscence seems to be turning out not altogether unmeaning ; though probably it ought not to have come in answer to ' Dartmoor.' (See more about Dartmoor on p. 211.) GENERAL REMARKS ON THIS TYPE OF QUESTION It will be realised, I think, that a single word, apart from the context, thus thrown at a person who may be in a totally differen mood at the tjme, is exceedingly diffi- cult ; and on the whole T think he must be credited with some success, though not with as much as had been hoped for. If his brothers had been present, or had had any interview with him in the meantime, it would have spoilt the test, considered strictly ; nevertheless, it might have made the obtaining of the answers they wanted much more feasible, inasmuch as in their presence he would have been in their atmosphere and be more likely to re- member their sort of surroundings. Up to this date they had not had any sitting with a medium at all. In presence of his mother and myself, and under all the circumstances, and what he felt to be the gravity of some of his recent experiences, it is not to me surprising that the answers were only partially satisfactory; though, indeed, to me they seem rather good. Anyhow, they had the effect of stimulating his brothers to art ange some sittings with a table at home on their own account. CHAPTER X RECORD CONTINUED I MIGHT make many more extracts from this sitting of 22 October, ol which a short extract has just been quoted, because, though not specially evidential, they have instructive and so to speak common-sense features, but it is impossible to include everything. I will therefore omit most of it, but quote a little, not because it is evidential, but because what is said may be instructive to inquirers. FROM O. J. L. AND M. F. A. L. SITTING WITH MRS. LEONARD, 22 OCTOBER 1915 He wants to gather evidence and give something clearly. He seems to think that his brother had been coming here (looking about). O. J. L. Your brother will come to see you to-morrow. [He was not coming to Mrs. Leonard.] Where is he ? He got the impression that he had either been here or should be here now ; he has got the thought of him. He has been trying to get into touch with him himself ; he has been trying to speak to him. Seems to have something to do with Mrs. Kathie, 1 and he has tried to write to him. The trouble is, that he can't always see distinctly. He feels in the air, but can't see always dis- tinctly. (To M. F. A. L.) When you are sitting at the table he sees you, and can see what you have got on. When he tries to come to you, he can only sense you ; but at the table he can see you. O. J. L. Has he seen his brothers at a table ? No, not at the table. He sensed them, and he thought they were trying to speak to him ; but didn't feel as if he was going to get near. It has something to do with a medium. Medium. [Meaning that they were trying to do without a medium.] 1 Mrs. Kennedy's name is Katherinc, and Feda usually speaks of her as Mrs. Kathie. 158 RECORD CONTINUED 159 M. F. A. L. When did he see me ? When a medium is present he sees you quite distinctly. He saw you, not here, but at another place. Oh, it was in London, another place in London, some time ago. He was surprised to see you, and wondered how he could. [Presumably the occasion intended was when Mrs. Kennedy, who herself has power, was present as well as Peters.] He can only think the things he wants to say. 1 [Then reverting to his brothers' attempts at Mariemont.] -Tell them to go on. I shall never get tired. Never! Tell them to have patience. It is more interesting to me than to them. " He does not seem sure if he got anything through. It is so peculiar. Even here, he is not always quite certain that he has said what he wanted to say, except sometimes when it is clear and you jump at it. Sometimes then he feels, li I've got that home, anyway ! " He has got to feel his way. They must go easy with him not ask too much all at once. If they have plenty of patience, in a while he will be able to come and talk as if he were there. M. F. A. L. Do you mean with the voice ? No, with the table. More important than talking is to get things through with his own people, and to give absolute evidence. He doesn't want them to bother him with test questions till he feels at home. It doesn't matter here, where there is a medium, but the conditions there are not yet good. Tell them to take for granted that it is he, and later on he will be able to talk to them and say all he wishes to say. The boys are so eager to get tests. When grandpapa comes, it is to relieve him a little, while he is not there. He doesn't himself want to speak. Twice a week, he says. He is bringing a girl with him now a young girl, growing up in the spirit world. She belongs to Ray- mond : long golden hair, pretty tall, slight, brings a lily in her hand. There is another spirit too who passed out very young a boy ; you wouldn't know him as he is now ; he looks about the same age as Raymond, but very spiritual in appearance ; he brings a W with him ; he doesn't know much of the earth plane, nor the lily either ; he passed over too young. They are both with Raymond now. They look spiritual and young. Spirit people look young if they passed on young. Raymond is in the middle between them. He says this is not very scientific. [All this is appropriate to a deceased brother and sister ; the brother older, the sister younger.] Raymond really is happy now. He doesn't say this to make you feel satisfied. He is really happy now. He says 1 This corresponds with an early statement made by " Myers " through Mrs. Thompson. See Proceedings, S.P.R., vol. xxiii. p. 221. i6o PART II CHAPTER X this is most interesting, and is going to be fifty times more interesting than on the earth plane. There is such a big field to work in. Father and he are going to do such a lot together. He says, fi I am going to help for all I am worth." (To M. F. A. L.) If you are happy, I will be happier too. You used to sigh ; it had an awful effect on him, but he is getting lighter with you. Father has been wonderful. He is often with Paulie, and has been to see Mrs. Kathie too. [Meaning Mrs. Katherine Kennedy. Feda, of course, is speaking throughout.] M. F. A. L. Which way does he find the easiest to come ? He^is able to get to you by impression, and not only by writing. He thinks he can make you hear. He is trying to make you clair-audient. Let there be no misappre- hension about that. He does it in order to help himself. He hopes to get something through. O. J. L. You might send the same thing through different channels. Yes, he says. He need not say much, but is going to think it out. He can get Mrs. K. to write it out, and then get it through the table with them. He thinks he will be able to do a lot with you, Mrs. Kathie. You know that Paulie's here ? (K. K. spoke to Paul for a short time.) O. J. L. Do you think it had better be tried on the same evening, or on different evenings ? Try it on the same evening at first, and see what suc- cess is got ; if only one word came through the same, he would be very pleased. He might get one word first, then two, then two or three. Tell them to reserve a little time for just that, and give him some time specially for it, not mix it up with other things in the sittings. K. K. Shall I ask him to write some word ? He will think of some word no matter if it is meaning- less. What you have to do is, not to doubt, but take it down. One word might be much more valuable than a long oration. One word would do, no matter how silly it sounded ; even if it is only a jumble, so long as it is the same jumble. He is j umping now. [Meaning, he is pleased with the idea.] He says he finds it difficult owing to the medium. He is not able to get through all he wants to say, but on the whole thinks he got it pretty straight to-night. [The quickness with which the communicator jumped at the idea of a cross-correspondence was notable, because I do not think he had known anything about them. It sounded rather like the result of rapid Myersian instruction. I rather doubt if cross- correspondences of this kind can be got through Mrs. Kennedy, though she knows we are going to try for them. The boys are quite willing to take RECORD CONTINUED 161 down any jumble, but she herself likes to understand what she gets, and automatically rejects gibberish. O. J. L.] On 13 October, through the kind arrangement of Mrs. Kennedy, we had an anonymous sitting with a medium new to us, a Mrs. Brittain, of Hanley, Staffordshire, in Mrs. Kennedy's house. It was not very successful the medium seemed tired and worried but there were a few evidential points obtained, though little or nothing about the boy ; in the waking stage, however, she said that some one was calling the name ' Raymond/ At an interview next day with Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Britlain said that a boy named 'Pat* had come with Paul to see her on the evening after the sitting (see p. 148 for the significance of ' Pat ') ; and she described it in writing to Mrs. Kennedy thus : 14 October 1915 8$ I was just resting, thinking over the events of the day, and worrying just a little about my ordeal of next Monday, when I became conscious of the presence of such a dear soldier boy. He said, ' I am Pat, and oh, I did want to speak to my mother.' Then I saw with him your dear boy [Paul] ; he asked me to tell you about Pat, and to give the message to his father that he would get proof without seeking it." IT CHAPTER XI FIRST SITTING OF ALEC (A. M. L.) Introduction by 0. /. L. A WORD may be necessary about the attitude of Raymond's family to the whole subject. It may be thought that my own known interest in the subject was naturally shared by the family, but that is not so. So far as I can judge, it had rather the opposite effect ; and not until they had received unmistakable proof, devised largely by themselves, was this healthy scepticism ultimately broken down. My wife nad had experience with Mrs. Piper in 1889, though she continued very sceptical till 1906 or thereabouts, when she had some extraordinarily good evidence. But none of this experience was shared by the family, who read neither my nor anyone else's books on the subject, and had no first-hand evidence. For the most part they regarded it without interest and with practical scepticism. If in saying this I convey the impression of anything like friction or disappointment, the impression is totally false. Life was full of interest of many kinds, and, until Raymond's death, there was no need for them to think twice about survival or the possibility of communication. The first sitting held by any of his brothers, apart from private amateur attempts at home, the first sitting, I may say, held by any of them with any medium, took place on 23 October, when Alec had a sitting with Peters ; his mother also was present, but no names were given. Alec's record of this sitting, together with his preliminary Note, I propose to quote practically in full. Alec and his mother went in the morning to Mrs. Kennedy's house, where the sitting was to take place. M. F. A. L. stopped on the way to buy a bunch of violets, which she put on Peters' table. When he arrived and saw them, he was very pleased ; ejaculated i my flower," and said that he could not have had any- thing that gave him more pleasure. I may here remark, incidentally, that Peters is a man who takes his mediumship seriously, and tries to regulate his life so as to get good conditions. Thus, he goes into the country at inter- vals, and stops all work for a time to recuperate. He lives, in fact, at Westgate-on-Sea, and only has a room in London. He seems to lead a simple life altogether, and his * J control " spoke of his x6t FIRST SITTING OF ALEC 163 having been prepared since six o'clock that morning for this sitting Alec went up prepared to take notes, and after the sitting wrote the following preliminary account : A. M. L.'s Remarks on the Sitting Mother and I arrived at Mrs. Kennedy's house at five minutes to eleven. We saw Mrs. Kennedy, who asked us if we would like her to be present. We said yes. Then she told us that Peters had come, and that she would ask him. Peters wanted her to be present. Mrs. Kennedy brought Peters up ; he shook hands, without any introduction. We had all gone up to Mrs. Kennedy's private room, where Peters likes the sittings to take place. We four sat round a table about four feet in diameter. A. and M. with backs to one or other of the two windows, K. and P. more or less facing them. A. was opposite P. ; M. was opposite K. There was plenty of light, but the room was partly shaded by pulling down blinds. They talked about street noises at first. P. held K.'s and M.'s hands for a time. K. and M. talked together a little. P. now moved about a little and rubbed his face and eyes. Suddenly he jerked himself up and began talk- ing in broken English. During the trance his eyes were apparently closed all the time ; and when speaking to anyone he ' looked ' at them with his eyelids screwed up. Sometimes a change of control occurred. While that was taking place, he sat quiet, and usually held K.'s and M.'s hands until another sudden jerk occurred, when he let go and started talking. The sitting was rather disjointed, and most of it apparently not of much importance, but for a few minutes in the middle it was very impressive. It then felt to me exactly as if my hand was being held in both Raymond's, and as if Raymond himself was speaking in his own voice. My right hand was being held, but even if I had had it free I could not possibly have taken notes under the circum- stances. (M. F. A. L. adds that neither could she nor anyone, while that part of the sitting was going on.) 164 PART II CHAPTER XI Peters spoke often very quickly, and sometimes in- distinctly, so that the notes are rather incomplete. (To this O. J. L. adds that it was Alec's first ex- perience of a sitting, and that, even with experience, it is difficult to take anything like full notes.) Report of Peters Sitting in Mrs. Kennedy's Room, at II a.m. on Saturday, 23 October 1915 (Revised by the Sitters) Present MRS. KENNEDY (K. K.), LADY LODGE (M. F. A. L.), ALEC M. LODGE, and the Medium Voux PETERS REPORT BY A. M. L. In a short time Peters went into trance, and ' Moon- stone ' was understood to be taking control. He first made some general remarks : Good morning! I generally say, "Good even- ing/ 1 don't I ? Don't be afraid for Medie ; he has been prepared since six o'clock this morning Magnetism has to be stored up, and therefore it is best to use the same room and the same furniture every time. Then he spoke to K. K. : Will you call on little woman close to ? It will mean salvation to two people [Abbreviated.] (K. K. understood.) Then the medium took M.'s hand. Somebody not easy to describe ; old lady ; not tall ; grey hair, parted in centre ; grey eyes ; nose thin ; mouth fairly large and full. This describes her as she was before she passed away. Had big influence on your early life. Good character ; loving, but perhaps lived in narrow outlook ; not only a mother to her own belongings, but she mothered every man, woman, or child she came into contact with. She is here this morning and has been before. Is it not your Mother ? M. F. A. L. If it is my Mother, it is a great pleasure to me. FIRST SITTING OF ALEC 165 She has been with you and comforted you through this trial. She has been, and will go on, looking after the boy. You must not think she is not just as much with you because she has no body. She is just as much your mother. She has a body, though it is different. (Pointing to A.) She is related to him. She puts her hand on his shoulder. She is very proud of what he is doing at the present time. He has been a great help to you. Since the passing away of him who is loved by you both, he has looked on spiritualism with much more respect, because previously it has not touched his heart. It is not only a thing of the head, it is now a thing of the heart. She suffered terribly before passing away. She bore her suffering patiently. She put her linger on her lips and says : " I am so proud of O. ! " (Medium puts one finger on middle of lips.) It has always been what I thought : the triumph (?) has been a long time coming, but it will come greater than had been anticipated. There have been difficulties. I am glad of success. It will come greater than before. The book that is to be will be written from the heart, and not the head. But the book will not be written now. NOT NOW ! NOT NOW ! NOT NOW ! (loud). Written later on. THE BOOK which is going to help many and con- vert many. The work done already is big. But what is coming is bigger. (Interval.) (Paul, sending a message to K. K. : ) I have been drilling her to link up. You don't know what it is. It is like teaching people to transmit messages by the telegraph. Don't let the boy come, let Granny come. (The medium here imitated Paul's manner of sitting down and pulling up the knees of his trousers.) She laughs at the idea of being drilled. He says (Paul still communicating) : You know, 166 PART II CHAPTER XI little Mother, you wonder why I was taken ; but it is a great deal better like this. Thousands of people can be helped like this. You are the link, and the means of reaching thousands of mothers. (Then ' Moonstone ' was understood to say : ) Returning to Madam (i.e. the old lady again, and medium turning to M. F. A. L.), she says " I am so glad you not only told him what you did this is not to you but some one away (finger on lips), somebody she will not give and reached out as you did/ 1 This is from Madam. She is going away. M. F. A. L. My love to her. No, no, no, she does not go away ; she stands back, to let some one else come forward like actors take turns at a theatre. [Then an impersonation of my Uncle Jerry was represented, with the statement, " Your husband will know who he is " ; but this part of the record is omitted as compara- tively unimportant. It was unintelligible to the sitter. O. J. L.] (Then a new control came in, which was by K. K. understood to be ' Redfeather/ When he arrived, the medium smacked his hands and spoke to K. K. : ) I come dis little minute to try experiment. If we succeed, all right ; if we don't, don't mind. There will be some difficulties. You know me ? (To K. K.) K. K. Yes. It is * Redfeather/ Glad to see you better. You used to feel a hand on your head. It was a little girl. It was your boy who brought her. Now I go. Just talk a little. (K. K. then thanked the speaker for his help.) Who could help better than me ? . . . long ago I was killed. Who could help better ? (Then there was an interval, and evident change of control. And speech very in- distinct at first.) FIRST SITTING OF ALEC 167 I want to come. Call Mother to help me. Because you know. You understand. It wasn't so bad. Not so bad. I knew you knew the possibility of communicat- ing, so when I went out as I did, I was in a better condition than others on the other side. We had often talked about this subject, father understanding it as he did ; and now, coming into touch with his strength, makes it easy. (Medium here reached out across the table to A. and grasped his right hand, so that the notes were temporarily interrupted. The medium's arms were now both stretched out across the table, with his head down on them, and he held A/s hand in both his. All this time he spoke with great emotion : the medium was shaken with sobs ; his head and neck were suffused with blood ; the whole circumstances were strained, and strongly emotional ; and the voice was extraordinarily like Raymond's. A., too, felt that his hands were being gripped in a grasp just like Raymond's. This was the central part of the sitting ; and for the time no notes could be taken, even by Mrs. Kennedy. But after a bit the hand was released, the strain rather lightened, and notes continue which run thus : ) [A. M. L. says, " In time the interval was brief," but it was surcharged with emotion, strongly felt by all present.] But no, wait. Because they tell me. I am not ashamed. I am glad. I tell you, I would do it again. I realise things differently to what one saw here. And oh, thank God, I can speak ! 168 PART II CHAPTER XI But ... The boys help me. You don't know what he has done. Who could help ? But I must keep quiet, I promised them to keep calm. The time is so short. Tell father that I am happy. That I am happy that he has not come. If he had come here, I couldn't have spoken. I find it difficult to express what I want. Every time 1 come back it is easier. The only thing that was hard was just before. The 1 5th, do you understand ? And the I2th. [We do not clearly understand these dates.] But every time I come it is better. Grandmama helped or I couldn't. Now I must go. . . . broken . . . But I have done it, thank God ! (Then this special control ended ; while the medium murmured, as to himself, first the word 'John/ and then the word 'God/ Then the strain was relieved by a new control, understood to be ' Biddy/) Surely it's meself that has come to speak. Here's another mother. I am helping the boy. I said to him to come out. (To A, M. L.) Just you go and do your work. When the boy comes as he did, it upsets the body. I come to help to soothe the nerves of the medium. It is a privilege to help. I am an old Irishwoman. (To K. K.) You don't realise that the world is governed by chains, and that you are one of the links. I was a washerwoman and lived next a church, and they say cleanliness comes next to godliness ! One of my chains is to help mothers. Well, I am going. But for comfort, the boy is glad he is come. (To K. K.) Your husband is a fine man. I love him. His FIRST SITTING OF ALEC 169 heart's as big as his body, and it is not only medicine, but love that he dispenses. (Then an interval ; and another control probably ' Moonstone ' again, or else Peters himself clairvoyantly : ) We succeeded a little in our experiment. Now the boy is with . . . (Here the medium seized both Alec's hands, and K. K. continues the notes.) [But they may be abbreviated here, as they represent only Peters's ordinary clairvoyance probably.] You bring with you a tremendous force. You don't always say what you think. A quick way of making up your mind. Your intuitional force is very strong. Your mind is very evenly balanced, [and so on] . . . The last three months, things have altered. It lias stirred you to the depths of your innermost being. You had no idea how strong the bond was between you and one who has been here to-day. Want to shield and take care of your mother. You know her devotion to both you and the one gone over. . . . The one gone over is a brother. He wants to send a message. (Some message's omitted.) You did not cry, but heart crying inside. Help others. You are doing it It you ever tried to do what he did, you would physically break down. All this is from him. (To Mother) So glad about the photograph. Something you have had done that is satisfactory. [This is good, but it only occurred to me to-day, 31 October. It evidently relates to two photographs in a pocket case, found on his body, which Raymond carried with him, and which had been returned to the original by us. A. M. L.] Wants to convey message to father, but it is not about himself this time. I get the initials F W M not clear about all the letters but F M wishes to be remembered. He says : I am still I 7 o PART II CHAPTER XI very active. Get into touch with Crookes re the Wireless. fO. J, L. was at Muirhead's works in Kent on this subject, at this moment. A. M. L.] Still active, still at work. [Spoken like "I see you are still active, still at work/' A. M. L.] Then he gives me a curious thing, and laughs. One of the things I am most proud of is " St. Paul." [This puzzled K. K., the note-taker.] (To Alec.) So glad you came, boy ! What a lot you think ! (Medium came-to, breathing and struggling. Said he had been under very deep like coming-to after an anaesthetic.) NOTE BY O. J. L. Lady Lodge impressed me considerably with the genuine and deeply affecting character of the above episode of personal control. It was evidently difficult to get over for the rest of the day. I doubt if the bare record con- veys much : though it may to people of like experience. CHAPTER XII GENERAL REMARKS ON CONVERSATIONAL REPORTS AND ON CROSS-CORRESPONDENCES IT may be asked why I report so much of what may be called ordinary conversation, instead of abbreviating and concentrating on specific instances and definite statements of fact. I reply : 1. That a concentrated version is hard to read, while a fuller version is really less tedious in spite of its greater length. A record is always a poor substitute for actual experience ; and too much abbreviation might destroy whatever relic of human interest the records possess. 2. That abbreviation runs the risk of garbling and amending ; it is undesirable in reports of this kind to amend style at the expense of accuracy. 3. That the mannerisms and eccentricities of a ' control ' (or secondary personality) are interesting, and may be instructive ; at any rate they exhibit to a novice the kind of thing to be expected. 4. A number of inquirers want to know and I think properly want to knowwhat a sitting is like, what kind of subjects are talked about, what the ' communicators ' i.e. the hypothetical personalities who send messages through the ' control ' have to say about their own feelings and interests and state of existence generally. Hence, however the record be interpreted, it seems better to quote some specimens fully. 5. I am aware that some of the records may appear absurd. Especially absurd will appear the free-and- easy statements, quoted later, about the nature of things ' on the other side/ the kind of assertions which are not only unevidential but unverifiable, and which we usually either discourage or suppress. I have stated 172 PART II CHAPTER XII elsewhere my own reasons lor occasionally encouraging statements of this kind and quoting them as they stand. (See beginning of Chapter XVI.) And though I admit that to publish them is probably indiscreet, 1 still think that the evidence, such as it is, ought to be presented as a whole. 6. The most evidential class of utterance, what we call cross-correspondence, is not overlooked ; and while every now and then it occurs naturally and spontaneously, sometimes an effort is made to obtain it. NOTE ABOUT THE MEANING OF CROSS-CORRESPONDENCE It will be convenient to explain that by the term " cross- correspondence >J is meant the obtaining through two or more independent mediums, at about the same time, a message from a single communicator on any one definite subject. It is usually impossible for the coincidence of time to be exact, because both mediums may not be sitting at the same time. But in some cases, wherein coincidence of subject is well marked, coincidence in time is of little moment ; always provided that the subject is really an out-of-the-way or far-fetched one, and not on common to every English-speaking person, like Kitchener or Roberts or Jellicoe. Cross- correspondences are of various grades. The simplest kind is when two mediums both use the same exceptional word, or both refer to the same non-public event, without any normal reason that can be assigned. Another variety is when, say, three mediums refer to one and the same idea in different terms, em- ploying, for instance, different languages, like ' mors,' 'death,' and 'thanatos.' (SccProc., S.P.R., xxii. 295-304.) Another is when the idea is thoroughly masked and brought' in only by some quota- tion perhaps by a quotation the special significance of which is unknown to the medium who reproduces it, and is only detected and interpreted by a subsequent investigator to whom all the records are submitted. Sometimes a quotation is maltreated, evidently with intention by the communicator ; the important word to which attention is being directed being either omitted or changed. A large number of examples of this more complex kind of cross-correspondence are reported at length in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research ; see especially vol. xxi. p. 369 and xxii. passim, or a briefer statement in Survival of Man, chap. xxv. Some of these instances as expounded by Mr. Piddington may seem extraordinarily complicated and purposely concealed. That is admitted. They are specially designed to eliminate the possi- bility of unintended and unconscious telep-athy direct from one medium to another, and to throw the investigator back on what is GENERAL REMARKS 173 asserted to be the truth, namely that the mind of one single com- municator, or the combined mind of a group of communicators, all men of letters, is sending carefully designed messages through different channels, in order to prove primarily the reality of the operating intelligence, and incidentally the genuineness of the mediums who are capable of receiving and transmitting frag- ments of messages so worded as to appear to each of them separately mere meaningless jargon ; though ultimately when all the messages are put together by a skilled person the meaning is luminous enough. Moreover, we are assured that the puzzles and hidden allusions contained in these messages are not more difficult than literary scholars are accustomed to ; that, indeed, they are precisely of similar order This explanation is unnecessary for the simple cross-corre- spondences (c.c.) sometimes obtained and reported here ; but the subject itself is an important one, and is not always understood even by investigators, so I take this opportunity of referring to it in order to direct the attention of those who need stucter evidence to more profitable records. GENERAL NOTE Returning to the kind of family records here given, in which evidence is sporadic rather than systematic though none the less effective, one of the minor points, which yet is of interest, is the appropriate way in which different youths greet their relatives. Thus, while Paul calls his father * Daddy ' and his mother by pet names, as he used to ; and while Raymond calls us simply ' Father ' and ' Mother/ as he used to ; another youth named Ralph an athlete who had fallen after splendid service in the war greeted his father, when at length that gentleman was induced to attend a sitting, with the extraordinary salutation " Ullo 'Erb ! ", spelt out as one word through the table ; though, to the astonishment of the medium, it was admitted to be consistent and evidential. The ease and freedom with which this Ralph managed to communicate are astonishing, and I am tempted to add as an appendix some records which his family have kindly allowed me to see, but I refrain, as they have nothing to do with Raymond. CHAPTER XIII AN O. J. L. SITTING WITH PETERS ON the 29th of October I had a sitting with Peters alone, unknown to the family, who I felt sure were still sceptical concerning the whole subject. It was arranged for, as an anonymous sitting, by my friend Mr. J. Arthur Hill of Bradford. The things said were remarkable, and distinctly pointed to clairvoyance. I am doubtful about reporting more than a few lines, how- ever. There was a great deal that might be taken as encouraging and stimulating, intermixed with the more evidential portions. A small part of this sitting is already reported in Chapter III, and might now be read by anyone interested in the historical sequence. A few unimportant opening lines I think it necessary to report, because of their connexion with another sitting : Anonymous 0. J. L. Sitting with A. Vout Peters at 15 Devereux Court, Fleet Street, on Friday, 29 October 1915, from 10.30 to 11.45 a.m. (Sitter only spoken of as a friend of Mr. Hill) * PETERS. Before we begin, I must say something : 1 feel that I have a certain fear of you, I don't know what it is, but you affect me in a most curious way. I must tell you the honest truth before I am con- trolled. . . . [Whatever this may mean it corresponds with what was said at the previous M. F. A. L. Sitting, p. 132, though M. F. A. L. had sat as a friend of Mrs. Kennedy in her house, 1 Whether it be assumed that I was known or not, does not much matter ; but I have no reason to suppose that I was. Rather the contrary. Peters seems barely to look at his sitters, and to be anxious to receive no normal information. 174 AN O. J. L. SITTING WITH PETERS 175 and I sat as a friend of Mr. Hill in Peters's room, and no sort of connexion was indicated between us.] (Soon afterwards the medium twitched, snapped his fingers, and began to speak as ' Moon- stone ' : ) " I come to speak to you, but I must get my Medie deep ; we get superficial control first, and then go deeper and deeper ; with your strong personality you frighten him a little ; I find a little fear in the medium. . . . You bring with you a tremendous amount of work and business/' etc. Now I get a new influence : an old lady, medium height, rounded face ; light eyes ; grey hair ; small nose ; lips somewhat thin, or held together as suppressed ; a lady with very strong will ; tremendously forcible she is. She passed away after leading a very active life. . . . She's a very good woman. It is not the first time she has come back. She tells me to tell you that they are all here. ALL. Because they are trying to reach out to you their love and sympathy at the present occasion, and they are thanking you both for the opportunity of getting back to you. " We are trying all we can also to bring him back to you, to let you realise that your faith, which you have held as a theory " it is curious, but she wants me to say her message word for word " as a theory for years, shall be justified/' Then she rejoices . . . (and refers to religious matters, etc.). [This clearly suggested the relative whose first utterance of this kind is reported so long ago as 1889 in Proc., S.P.R., vi. 468 and 470.] Now she brings up a young man from the back. I must explain what we mean by ' the back ' some time, o. j. L. But I understand. He is of medium height ; somewhat light eyes ; the face browned somewhat ; fairly long nose ; the lips a little full ; nice teeth. He is standing pretty quiet. Look here, I know this man ! And it is not 176 PART II CHAPTER XIII the first time he has been to us. Now he smiles, 'cos 1 recsonise him [so pronounced], but he comes back very, very strongly. He tells me that he is pushing the door open wider. Now he wants me to give you a message. He is going to try to come down with you ; because it looks to me as though you are travelling to-day. " Down/' he says. " I come down with you. We will try" (he says ' we/ not * I '), " we will try to bring our united power to prove to you that I am here ; I and the other young man who helped me, and who will help me." [The association of Raymond with ' another young man/ and his intention to come ' down * with me when I travelled back home on the same day to meet Mrs. Kennedy there, are entirely appropriate. O. J. L.] Look here, it is your boy ! Because he calls 3 7 ou ' Father ' ; not ' Pa/ nor anything, but ' Father/ [True.] O. j. L. Yes, my son. Wait a minute ; now he wants to tell me one thing : " I am so glad that you took such a common-sense view of the subject, and that you didn't force it on mother. Bui you spoke of it as an actuality. She treated it like she treats all your things that she couldn't understand ; giving you, as she always has done, the credit of being more clever than herself. But when I came over as I did, and in her despair, she came to you for help ; but she wanted to get away from anything that you should influence/ 1 [Unfortunately, some one knocked at the door a servant probably, wanting to come in and clear the room. The medium jerked and said, " Tell thorn to go away/' I called out, " Can't come in now, private, engaged/' Some talking continued outside for a little time very likely it was some one wanting an interview with Peters. After a time the disturbance ceased. It was not very loud ; the medium ignored it, except for the rather AN O. J. L. SITTING WITH PETERS 177 loud and strong knock, which certainly perturbed him.] Tell me where 1 was. (I repeated : " She wanted to get away from anything that you should influence/') Oh yes. He wants to say that you were quite right in staying away and letting her work alto- gether by herself. She was able to do better than if you had been there. You would have spoilt it. Your common-sense method of approaching the subject in the family has been the means of help- ing him to come back as he has been able to do ; and had he not known what you had told him, then it would have been far more difficult for him to come back. He is very deliberate in what he says. He is a young man that knows what he is saying. Do you know F. W. M. ? o. j. L. Yes, I do. [The next portion, relating to Myers, has been already reported in Chapter III ; and the concluding portion, which is rather puzzling, shall be suppressed, as it relates to other people.] Towards the end * Moonstone ' began talking about himself, which he does in an interesting manner, and I shall perhaps give him an opportunity of saying more about the assumption of ' control ' from his point of view. Meanwhile I quote this further extract : MOONSTONE'S ' ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF Have you been suffering inside ? O. J. L.- No, not that I kx ovv of. Your heart's been bleeding. You never thought you could love so deep. There must be more or less suffering. Even though you are crucified, you will arise the stronger, bigger, better man. But out of this suffering and cruci- fixion, oh, how you are going to help humanity I This is a big work. It has been prophesied. It is through the sufferings of humanity that humanity is reached. It must be through pain. Let me tell you something about myself. I was Yogi do you understand ? O. J. L. Yes ; a kind of hermit. 12 178 PART II CHAPTER XIII I lived a selfish life : a good life, but a selfish one, though I didn't know it then. I isolated myself and did not mix with people, not even with family life. When I go over, I find it was a negative goodness, so then I wanted to help humanity, because I hadn't helped it. I had not taken on the sufferings even of a family man. It was use- less. And so that is why I came back to my Medie, and try to bear through him the sorrows of the world. It is through suffering that humanity is helped. That is one great thing in your beautiful religion ; you know what I mean the sacrifice of Jesus. He demonstrated eternity, but to do it He must be sacrificed and taste death. So all who teach the high . . . must tread the same path ; there's no escaping the crucifixion, it comes in one way or another. And you must remember, back in the past, when the good things came to you, how you began to realise (?) that there was a spirit world and a possibility of coming back. Though you speak cautiously, yet possibly in your prayers to God you say, " Let me suffer, let me know my cross, so that I can benefit humanity " ; and when you make a compact with the unseen world, it is kept. You have told no one this, but it belongs to you and to your son. Out of it will come much joy, much happiness to others. Mr. Stead was, I understand, a friend to Peters, and how much of the above is tinged by Mr. Stead's influence, I cannot say : but immediately afterwards his name was mentioned, in the following way : Flashing down the line comes a message from Mr. Stead. I can't help it, I must give it. He says : " We did not see eye to eye ; you thought I was too impetuous and too rash, but our conclusions are about the same now. We are pretty well on a level, and I have realised, even through mistakes, that I have reached and influenced a world that is suffering and sorrowing. But you have a world bigger and wider than mine, and your message will be bigger and will reach farther." SUMMARY As far as evidence is concerned, Peters has done well at each of the three sittings any member of my family has had with him since Raymond's death. On the whole, I think he has done as well as any medium ; especially as the abstention from supplying him normally with any identifying information has been strict. It is true that I have not, through Peters, asked test questions of which the answers were unknown to me, as I AN O. J. L. SITTING WITH PETERS 179 did at one sitting with Mrs . Leonard (Chapter IX) . But the answers there given, though fairly good, and in my view beyond chance, were not perfect. Under the circumstances I think they could hardly have been expected to be perfect. It was little more than a month since the death, and new experiences and serious surroundings must have been crowding in upon the youth, so that old semi-frivolous reminiscences were difficult to recall. There was, however, with Peters no single incident so striking as the name ' Norman/ to me unknown and meaningless, which was given in perfectly appropriate connexion through the table at Mrs. Leonard's. CHAPTER XIV FIRST SITTING OF LIONEL (ANONYMOUS) AT length, on 17 November 1915, Raymond's brother Lionel (L. L.) went to London to see if he could get an anonymous sitting with Mrs. Leonard, without the intervention of Mrs. Kennedy or anybody. He was aware that by that time the medium must have sat with dozens of strangers and people not in any way connected with our family, and fortunately he succeeded in getting admitted as a complete stranger. This there- fore is worth reporting, and the contemporary record follows. A few portions are omitted, partly for brevity, partly because private, but some non-evidential and what may seem rather absurd statements are reproduced, for what they are worth. It must be understood that Feda is speaking throughout, and that she is sometimes report- ing in the third person, sometimes in the first, and some- times speaking for herself. It is unlikely that lucidity is constant all the time, and Feda may have to do some padding. She is quite good and fairly careful, but of course, like all controls, she is responsible for certain mannerisms, and in her case for childishly modified names like ' Paulie/ etc. The dramatic circumstances of a sitting will be familiar to people of experience. The record tries to reproduce them probably with but poor success. And it is always possible that the attempt, however conscientious, may furnish opportunity for ridicule, if any hostile critic thinks ridicule appropriate. L. L.'s Sitting with Mrs. Leonard at her house, as a stranger, no one else being present, 12 o'clock, Wednes- day, 17 November 1915 INTRODUCTION BY O. J. B. Lionel wrote to Mrs. Leonard at her old address in Warwick Avenue, for I had forgotten that she had moved, and I had not 1 80 ANONYMOUS SITTING 181 told him her new address. He wrote on plain paper from West- minster without signing it, saying that he would be coming at a certain time. But she did not get the letter ; so that, when he arrived about noon on Wednesday, 17 November, he arrived as a complete stranger without an appointment. He had at first gone to the wrong house and been redirected. Mrs. Leonard answered the door. She took him in at once when he said he wanted a sitting. She drew the blind down, and lit a red lamp as usual. She told him that she was controlled by ' Feda.' Very quickly in about two minutes the trance began, and Feda spoke. Here follows his record : REPORT BY L. L. Subsequent annotations, in square brackets, are by 0. J. L. Good morning ! Why, you are psychic yourself ! L. L. I didn't know I was. It will come out later. There are two spirits standing by you ; the elder is fully built up, but the younger is not clear yet. The elder is on the tall side, and well built ; he has a beard round his chin, but no moustache. (This seemed to worry Feda, and she repeated it several times, as if trying to make it clear.) A beard round chin, and hair at the sides, but upper lip shaved. A good forehead, eyebrows heavy and rather straight not arched eyes greyish ; hair thin on top, and grey at the sides and back. It looks as if it had been brown before it went grey. A fine-looking face. He is building up something. He suffered here before he passed out (medium indicating chest or stomach). Letter W is held up. (See photograph facing p. 258.) [This is the one that to other members of the family had been called Grandfather W., P- I43-] There is another spirit. Somebody is laughing. Don't joke it is serious. (This was whispered, and sounded as if said to some one else, not to me.) It's a young man, about twenty-three, or 182 PART II CHAPTER XIV might he twenty-five, judging only by appearance. Tall ; well-built ; not stout, well-built ; brown hair, short at the sides and back ; clean shaven ; face more oval than round ; nose not quite straight, rather rounded, and broader at the nostrils. (Whispering.) Feda can't see his face. (Then clearly.) He won't let Feda see his face ; he is laughing. (Whispered several times.) L, L, L. (Then said out loud.) L. This is not his name ; he puts it by you. (Whispering again.) Feda knows him Ray- mond. Oh, it's Raymond ! (The medium here jumps about, and fidgets with her hands, just as a child would when pleased.) That is why he would not show his face, because Feda would know him. He is patting you on the shoulder hard. You can't feel it, but he thinks he is hitting you hard,. [It seems to have been a trick of his to pat a brother on the shoulder gradually harder and harder till humorous retaliation set in.] He is very bright. This is the way it is given it's an impression. He has been trying to come to you at home, but there has been some horrible mix-ups ; not really horrible, but a muddle. He really got through to you, but other conditions get through there, and mixes him up. [This evidently refers to some private ' Marie- mont' sittings, without a medium, with which neither Feda nor Mrs. Leonard had had anything to do. It therefore shows specific knowledge and is of the nature of a mild cross-correspondence ; cf . p. 217.] L. L. How can we improve it ? He does not understand it sufficiently himself yet. Other spirits get in, not bad spirits, but ones that like to feel they are helping. The peculiar manifestations are not him, and it only confuses him terribly. Part of it was him, but ANONYMOUS SITTING 183 when the table was careering about, it was not him at all. He started it, but something comes along stronger than himself, and he loses the control. (Whispered.) Feda, can't you suggest some- thing ? " [This seemed to be a reported part of conversa- tion on the other side.] Be very firm when it starts to move about. Prayer helps when things are not relevant. He is anxious about F. L. L. I don't know who F. is. Is it some friend ? (Medium here fidgets.) Letter F. all right ; it's some one he is interested in. He says he is sorry he worried his mother about [an incident mentioned at some previous sitting]. L. L. Was it a mistake ? Yes, tell her, because (etc. etc.). When I thought it over I knew it was a mistake. If it had been now, and I had a little more ex- perience in control, I should not have said so; but it was at the beginning everything seemed such a rush and I was not quite sure of what I did get through. He did not look at things in the right pers perpec L. L. Perspective ? Yes, that's what he said. Do you follow me, old chap ? L. L. Perfectly. L. L. Do you remember a sitting at home when you told me you had a lot to tell me ? Yes. What he principally wanted to say was about the place he is in. He could not spell it all out too laborious. He felt rather upset at first. You do not feel so real as people do where he is, and walls appear transparent to him now. The great thing that made him reconciled to his new surround- ings was that things appear so solid and sub- stantial. The first idea upon waking up was, I suppose, of what they call ' passing over/ It was 184 PART II CHAPTER XIV only for a second or two, as you count time, [that it seemed a] shadowy vague place, everything vapoury and vague. He had that feeling about it. The first person to meet him was Grandfather. (This was said very carefully, as if trying to get it right with difficulty.) And others then, some of whom he had only heard about. They all appeared to be so solid, that he could scarcely believe that he had passed over. He lives in a house a house built of bricks and there are trees and flowers, and the ground is solid. And if you kneel down in the mud, apparently you get your clothes soiled. The thing I don't under- stand yet is that the night doesn't follow the day here, as it did on the earth plane. It seems to get dark sometimes, when he would like it to be dark, but the time in between light and dark is not always the same. I don't know if you think all this is a bore. (I was here thinking whether my pencils would last out ; I had two, and was starting on the second one.) What I am worrying round about is, how it's made, of what it is composed. I have not found out yet, but I've got a theory. It is not an original idea of my own ; I was helped to it by words let drop here and there. People who think everything is created by thought are wrong. I thought that for a little time, that one's thoughts formed the buildings and the flowers and trees and solid ground ; but there is more than that. He says something of this sort : [This means that Feda is going to report in the third person again, or else to speak for herself. O. J. L.] There is something always rising from the earth plane something chemical in form. As it rises to ours, it goes through various changes and solidifies on our plane. Of course I am only speaking of where I am now. He feels sure that it is something given off ANONYMOUS SITTING 185 from the earth, that makes the solid trees and flowers, etc. He does not know any more. He is making a study of this, but it takes a good long time. L. L. I should like to know whether he can get into touch with anybody on earth ? Not always. Only those wishing to see him, and who it would be right for him to see. Then he sees them before he has thought. I don't seem to wish for anything. He does not wish to see anybody unless they are going to be brought to him. I am told that I can meet anyone at any time that I want to ; there is no difficulty in the way of it. That is what makes it such a jolly fine place to live in. L. L. Can he help people here ? That is part of his work, but there are others doing that ; the greatest amount of his work is still at the war. I've been home only likely I've been home but my actual work is at the war. He has something to do with father, though his work still lies at the war, helping on poor chaps literally shot into the spirit world. L. L. Can you see ahead at all ? He thinks sometimes that he can, but it's not easy to predict. I don't think that I really know any more than when on earth. L. L. Can you tell anything about how the war is going on ? There are better prospects for the war. On all sides now more satisfactory than it has been before. This is not apparent on the earth plane, but I feel more . . . the surface, and more satisfied than before. I can't help feeling intensely interested. I believe we have lost Greece, and am not sure that it was not due to our own fault. We have 186 PART II CHAPTER XIV only done now what should have been done months ago. He does not agree about Serbia. Having left them so long has had a bad effect upon Roumania. Roumania thinks will she be in the same boat, if she joins in. All agree that Russia will do well right through the winter. They are going to show what they can do. They are used to their ground and winter conditions, and Germany is not. There will be steady progress right through the winter. I think there is something looming now. Some of the piffling things I used to be inter- ested in, I have forgotten all about. There is such a lot to be interested in here. I realise the seriousness sometimes of this war. ... It is like watching a most interesting race or game gradually developing before you. I am doing v ork in it, which is not so interesting as watchmg. L. L. Have you any message for home ? Of course love to his mother, and to all, speci- ally to mother. H. is doing very well. [Meaning his sister Honor.] L. L. In what way ? H. is helping him in a psychic way ; she makes it easy for him. He doesn't think he need tell father anything, he is so certain in himself meaning Raymond, in spite of silly mistakes. It disappoints him. We must separate out the good from the bad, and not try more than one form; not the L. L. I know ; jigger. [A kind of Ouija.] No. He didn't like the jigger. He thinks he can work the table. [See Chapter XIX.] L. L. Would you tell me how I could help in any way? Just go very easily, only let one person speak, as he has said before. It can be H. or L. L. Settle on one person to put the questions, the different sound of voices confuses him, and he mixes it up with questions from another's thoughts. In time he hopes it will be not so difficult. He wouldn't give it up, he loves it. Don't try more than twice ANONYMOUS SITTING 187 a week, perhaps only once a week. Try to keep the same times always, and to the same day if possible. He is going. Give my love to them all. Tell them I am very happy. Very well, and plenty to do, and intensely interested. I did suffer from shock at first, but I'm extremely happy now. I'm off. He won't say good-bye. A lady comes too : A girl, about medium height ; on the slender side, not thin, but slender ; face, oval shape ; blue eyes ; lightish brown hair, not golden. L. L. Can she give a name I cannot guess who she is from the description ? She builds up an L. Not like the description when she was on earth. Very little earth life. She is related to you. She has grown up in the spirit life. Oh, she is your sister ! She is fair ; not so tall as you ; a nice face ; blue eyes. L. L. I know her name now. [See at a previous sitting where this deceased sister is described, p. 159.] Give her love to them at home, but also princi- pally to mother. And say that she and her brother, not Raymond, have been also to the sittings at home. She is giving his name. She gives it in such a funny way, as if she was writing, so She wrote an N, then quickly changed it into a W. [See also pp. 134, 159, and 190.] She brings lilies with her ; she is singing it's like humming ; Feda can't hear the words. She is going too power is going. T-. L. Give my love to her. Feda sends her love also. Raymond was having a joke by not showing his face to Feda. Good-bye. (Sitting ended at 1.30 p.m.) CHAPTER XV SITTING OF M. F. A. L. WITH MRS. LEONARD Friday, November 26, 1915 A FEW things may be reported from a sitting which Lady Lodge had with Mrs. Leonard on 26 November, however absurd they may seem. They are of course repeated by the childish control Feda, but I do not by that statement of bare fact intend to stigmatise them in any way. Criticism of unverifiablo utterances seems to me premature. The sitting began without preliminaries as usual. It is not a particularly good one, and the notes are rather incomplete, especially near the end of the time, when Feda seemed to wander from the point, and when rather tedious descriptions of people began. These arc omitted. Sitting of M. F. A. L. with Mrs. Leonard at her house on Friday, 26 November 1915, from 3 to 4.30 p.m. (No one else present.) (The sitting began with a statement from Feda that she liked Lionel, and that Raymond had taken her down to his home. Then she reported that Raymond said : ) " Mother darling, I am so happy, and so much more so because you are." M. F. A. L. Yes, we are ; and as your father says, we can face Christmas now. Raymond says he will be there. M. F. A. L. We will put a chair for him. Yes, he will come and sit in it. He wants to strike a bargain with you. He 188 SITTING OF NOVEMBER 26 189 says, " If I come there, there must be no sadness. I don't want to be a ghost at the feast. There mustn't be one sigh. Please, darling, keep them in order, rally them up. Don't let them. If they do, I shall have the hump/* (Feda, sotto voce. ' hump,' what he say.) M. F. A. L. We will all drink his health and happiness. Yes, you can think I am wishing you health too. M. F. A. L. We were interested in hearing about his clothes and things ; we can't think how he gets them ! [The reference is to a second sitting of Lionel, not available for publication.] They are all man-u-fac-tured. [Feda stumbling over long words.] Can you fancy you see me in white robes ? Mind, I didn't care for them at first, and I wouldn't wear them. Just like a fellow gone to a country where there is a hot climate an ignorant fellow, not knowing what he is going to ; it's just like that. He may make u-p his mind to wear his own clothes a little while, but he will soon be dressing like the natives. He was allowed to have earth clothes here until he got acclimatised ; they let him ; they didn't force him. I don't think I will ever be able to make the boys see me in white robes. Mother, don't go doing too much. M. F. A. L. I am very strong. You think you are, but you tire yourself out too much. It troubles me. M. F. A. L. Yes, but I should be quite glad to come over there, if I could come quickly, even though I am so happy here, and I don't want to leave people. Don't you think I would be glad to have you here ! If you do what he says, you will come over when the time comes quick, sharp. He says he comes and sees you in bed. The reason for that is the air is so quiet then. You often go up there in the spirit-land while your body is asleep. M. F. A. L. Would you like us to sit on the same night as Mrs. Kennedy sits, or on different nights ? [Meaning in trials for cross-correspondences.] PART II CHAPTER XV On the same night, as it wastes less time. Be- sides, he forgets, if there is too long an interval. He wants to get something of the same sort to each place. William and Lily come to play with Raymond. Lily had gone on, but came back to be with Raymond. [These mean his long-deceased infant brother and sister.] (More family talk omitted.) Get some sittings soon, so as to get into full swing by Christmas. Tell them when they get him through, and he says, " Raymond/' tell them to go very easily, and not to ask too many questions. Questions want thinking out beforehand. They are not to talk among themselves, because then they get part of one thing and part of another. And n<3 say, " No, don't ask him that," or he gets Do you know we sometimes have to prej answers a little before we transmit them ; it Is sort of mental effort to give answers through the table. When they say, do you ask, we begin to get ready to speak through the table. Write dowr a few questions and keep to them. CHAPTER XVI O. J. L. SITTING OF DECEMBER 3 WITH SOME UNVERIFIABLE MATTER AT a sitting which I had with Mrs. Leonard on 3 December 1915, information was given about the photograph as already reported, Chapter IV. lA all these ' Feda ' sittings, the remarks styled sotto voce repiesent conversation between Feda and the communicator, not addressed to the sitter at all. I always try to record these scraps when I can overhear them ; for they are often interesting, and sometimes better than what is subsequently reported as the result of the brief conversation. For she appears to be uttering under her breath not only her own question or comment, but also what she is being told ; and sometimes names are in that way mentioned correctly, when afterwards she muddles them. For instance, on one occasion she said sotto voce, " What you say ? Rowland ? " (in a clear whisper) ; and then, aloud, " He says something like Ronald/' Whereas in this case 'Rowland' proved to be correct. The dramatically childlike character of Feda seems to carry with it a certain amount of childish irresponsibility. Raymond says that he " has to talk to her seriously about it sometimes." A few other portions, not about the photograph, are included in the record of this sitting, some of a very non-evidential and perhaps ridiculous kind, but I do not feel inclined to suppress them. (For reasons, see Chapter XII.) Some of them are rather amusing. Un- verifiable statements have hitherto been generally sup- pressed, in reporting Piper and other sittings ; but here, in deference partly to the opinion of Professor Bergson IQ2 PART II CHAPTER XVI who when he was in England urged that statements about life on the other side, properly studied, like travellers' tales, might ultimately furnish proof more logically cogent than was possible from mere access to earth memories they are for the most part repro- duced. I should think, myself, that they are of very varying degrees of value, and peculiarly liable to un- intentional sophistication by the medium. They cannot be really satisfactory, as we have no means of bringing them to book. The difficulty is that Feda encounters many sitters, and though the majority are just inquirers, taking what comes and saying very little, one or two may be themselves full of theories, and may either intentionally or unconsciously convey them to the ' control ' ; who may thereafter retail them as actual information, without perhaps being sure whence they were derived. Some books, moreover, have been published of late, purporting to give information about ill-understood things in a positive and assured manner, and it is possible that the medium has read these and may be influenced by them. It will be regrettable if these books are taken as authoritative by people unable to judge of the scientific errors which are con- spicuous in their more normal portions; and the books themselves seem likely to retard the development of the subject in the minds of critical persons. Sitting with Mrs. Leonard at her House on Friday, 3 December 1915, from 6.10 p.m. to 8.20 p.m. (O. J. L. alone.) This is a long record, because I took verbatim notes, but 1 propose to inflict it M upon the reader, in accordance with Promise to report unverifiable and possibly absurd matter, just as it comes, and even to encourage it. Feda soon arrived, said good evening, jerked about on the chair, and squeaked or chuckled, after her manner when indicating pleasure. Then, without preliminaries, she spoke : He is waiting ; he's looking very pleased. He's awful anxious to tell you about the place where SITTING OF DECEMBER 3 193 he lives ; he doesn't understand yet how it looks so solid. (Cf . p. 184.) (Feda, sotto voce. What you say ? Yes, Feda knows.) He's been watching lately different kinds of people what come over, and the different kinds of effect it has on them. Oh, it is interesting, he says much more than on the old earth plane. I didn't want to leave you and mother and all of them, but it is interesting. I wish you could come over for one day, and be with me here. There are times you do go there, but you won't remember. They have all been over with him at night-time, and so have you, but he thought it very hard you couldn't remember. If you did, he is told (he doesn't know it himself, but he is told this), the brain would scarcely bear the burden of the double existence, and would be unfitted for its daily duties ; so the memory is shut out. That is the explanation given to him. (Feda, sotto voce. What, Raymond ? Al lee, he says, Al lee, Al lee.) He keeps on saying something about Alec. He has been trying to get to Alec, to communicate with him ; and he couldn't see if he made himself felt whether he really got through. (The medium hitherto had been holding O. J. L.'s left hand ; here she let go, Feda saying : He will let you have your own hand back.) He thought he had got into a bedroom, and that he knocked ; but there wasn't much notice taken. o. j. L. Alec must come here sometime. 1 Yes, he wanted to see him. And he also hopes to be able to talk to Lionel with the direct voice ; not here, he says, but somewhere else. He is very anxious to speak to him. Through a chap, he says, a direct voice chap. o. J. L. Very well, I will take the message. 1 Alec had had a sitting with Peters, not with Mrs. Leonard. 13 194 PART II CHAPTER XVI Well, he says, he wants to try once or twice. He wants to be able to say what he says to Feda in another way. He thinks he could get through in his own home sometime. He would much rather have it there. And he thinks that if he got through once or twice with direct voice, he might be able to do better in his own home. H. is psychic, he says, but he is afraid of hurting her ; he doesn't want to take too much from her. But he really is going to get through. He really has got through at home ; but silly spirits wanted to have a game. There wa? a strange feeling there ; he didn't seem to know how much he was doing himself, so he stood aside part of the time. [Mariemont sittings are reported later. Chapter XIX.] Then the photograph episode came, as reported in Chapter IV. Then it went on (Feda talking, of course, all the time) : He says he has been trying to go to somebody, and see somebody he used to know. He's not related to them, and the name begins with S. It's a gentleman, he says, and he can't remember, or can't tell Feda the name, but it begins with S. He was trying to get to them, but is not sure that he succeeded. o. j. L. Did he want to ? He says it was only curiosity ; but he likes to feel that he can look up anybody. But he says, if they take no notice, I shall give up soon, only I just like to see what it feels like to be looking at them from where 1 I am. o. j. L. Does he want to say anything more about his house or his clothes or his body 7 Oh yes. He is bursting to tell you. He says, my body's very similar to the one I had before. I pinch myself sometimes to see if it's real, and it is, but it doesn't seem to hurt as much as when I pinched the flesh body. The internal organs don't seem constituted on the same lines as before. They can't be quite the same. But to all appearances, and outwardly, they are the same as SITTING OF DECEMBER 3 195 before. I can move somewhat more freely, he says. Oh, there's one thing, he says, I have never seen anybody bleed. o. j. L. Wouldn't he bleed if he pricked himself ? He never tried it. But as yet he has seen no blood at all. o. j. L. Has he got ears and eyes ? Yes, yes, and eyelashes, and eyebrows, exactly the same, and a tongue and teeth. He has got a new tooth now in place of another one he had one that wasn't quite right then. He has got it right, and a good tooth has come in place of the one that had gone. He knew a man that had lost his arm, but he has got another one. Yes, he has got two arms now. He seemed as if without a limb when first he entered the astral, seemed incomplete, but after a while it got more and more complete, until he got a new one. He is talking of people who have lost a limb for some years. o. J. L. What about a limb lost in battle ? Oh, if they have only just lost it, it makes no difference, it doesn't matter ; they are quite all right when they get here. But I am told he doesn't know this himself, but he has been told that when anybody's blown to pieces, it takes some time for the spirit-body to complete itself, to gather itself all in, and to be complete. It dissipated a certain amount of substance which is undoubtedly theric, theric etheric, and it has to be concen- trated again. The spirit isn't blown apart, of course, he doesn't mean that, but it has an effect upon it. He hasn't seen all this, but he has been inquiring because he is interested. o. j. L. What about bodies that are burnt ? Oh, if they get burnt by accident, if they know about it on this side, they detach the spirit first. What we call a spirit-doctor comes round and helps. But bodies should not be burnt on purpose. We have terrible trouble sometimes over people who are cremated too soon ; they shouldn't be. It's a 196 PART II CHAPTER XVI terrible thing ; it has worried me. People are so careless. The idea seems to be " hurry up and get them out of the way now that they are dead." Not until seven days, he says. They shouldn't be cremated for seven days. o. j. L. But what if the body goes bad ? When it goes bad, the spirit is already out. If that much (indicating a trifle) of spirit is left in the body, it doesn't start mortifying. It is the action of the spirit on the body that keeps it from mortify- ing. When you speak about a person ' dying up- wards/ it means that the spirit is getting ready and gradually getting out of the body. He saw the other day a man going to be cremated two days after the doctor said he was dead. When his rela- tions on this side heard about it, they brought a certain doctor on our side, and when they saw that the spirit hadn't got really out of the body, they magnetised it, and helped it out. But there was still a cord, and it had to be severed rather quickly, and it gave a little shock to the spirit, like as if you had something amputated ; but it had to be done. He believes it has to be done in every case. If the body is to be consumed by fire, it is helped out by spirit-doctors. He doesn't mean that a spirit-body comes out of its own body, but an essence comes out of the body oozes out, he bays, and goes into the other body which is being prepared. Oozes, he says, like in a string. String, that's what he say. Then it seems to shape itself, or something meets it and shapes round it. Like as if they met and went together, and formed a duplicate of the body left behind. It's all very interesting. 1 He told Lionel about his wanting a suit at first [atanunreportedsecond sitting]. He never thought that they would be able to provide him with one. o. J. L. Yes, I know, Lionel cold us ; that you wanted 1 1 confess that I think that Feda may have got a great deal of this, perhaps all of it, from people who have read or written some of the books referred to in my introductory remarks. But inasmuch as her other utterances are often evidential, I feel that I have no right to pick and choose ; especially as / know nothing about it, one way or the other. SITTING OF DECEMBER 3 197 something more like your old clothes at first, an^l that they didn't force you into new ones, but let you begin with the old kind, until you got accustomed to the place (p. 189). Yes, he says, they didn't force me, but most of the people here wear white robes. o. j. L. Then, can you tell any difference between men and women ? There are men here, and there are women here. I don't think that they stand to each other quite the same as they did on the earth plane, but they seem to have the same feeling to each other, with a different expression of it. There don't seem to be any children born here. People are sent into the physical body to have children on the earth plane ; they don't have them here. But there's a feeling of love between men and women here which is of a different quality to that between two men or two women ; and husband and wife seem to meet differently from mother and son, or father and daughter. He says he doesn't want to eat now. But he sees some who do ; he says they have to be given something which has all the appearance of an earth food. People here try to provide everything that is wanted. A chap came over the other day, who would have a ci[<ar. " That's finished them," he thought. He means he thought they would never be able to provide that. But there are laboratories over here, and they manufacture all sorts of things in them. Not like you do, out of solid matter, but out of essences, and ethers, and gases. It's not the same as on the earth plane, but they were able to manufacture what looked like a cigar. He didn't try one himself, because he didn't care to ; you know he wouldn't want to. But the other chap jumped at it. But when he began to smoke it, he didn't think so much of it ; he had four altogether, and now he doesn't look at one. 1 They don't seem to get the same satisfaction out of it, so gradually it seems to drop from them. But when they first 1 Some of this Feda talk is at least humorous. 198 PART IICHAPTER XVI come they do want things. Some want meat, and some strong drink ; they call for whisky sodas. Don't think I'm stretching it, when I tell you that they can manufacture even that. But when they have had one or two, they don't seem to want it so much not those that are near here. He has heard of drunkards who want it for months and years over here, but he hasn't seen any. Those I have seen, he says, don't want it any more like himself with his suit, he could dispense with it under the new conditions. He wants people to realise that it's just as natural as on the earth plane. o. J. L. Raymond, you said your house was made of bricks. How can that be ? What are the bricks made of ? That's what he hasn't found out yet. He is told by some, who he doesn't think would lead him astray, that they are made from sort of emana- tions from the earth. He says there's something rising, like atoms rising, and consolidating after they come ; they are not solid whei\ they come, but we can collect and concentrate them I mean those that are with me. They appear to be bricks, and when I touch them, they feel like bricks ; and I have seen granite too. There's something perpetually rising from your plane ; practically invisible in atoms when it leaves your plane but when it comes to the ether, it gains certain other qualities round each atom, and by the time it reaches us, certain people take it in hand, and manufacture solid things from it. Just as you can manufacture solid things. All the decay that goes on on the earth plane is not lost. It doesn't just form manure or dust. Certain vegetable and decayed tissue does form manure for a time, but it gives off an essence or a gas, which ascends, and which becomes what you call a ' smell.' Everything dead has a smell, if you notice ; and I know now that the smell is of actual use, because it is from that smell that we are able to produce duplicates of whatever SITTING OF DECEMBER 3 199 form it had before it became a smell. Even old wood has a smell diiferent from new wood ; you may have to have a keen nose to detect these things on the earth plane. Old rags, he says (sotto voce. Yes, all right, Feda will go back), cloth decaying and going rotten. Different kinds of cloth give off different smells rotting linen smells different to rotting wool. You can understand how all this interests me. Apparently, as far as I can gather, the rotting wool appears to be used for making things like tweeds on our side. But I know I am jump- ing, I'm guessing at it. My suit I expect was made from decayed worsted on your side. 1 Some people here won't take this in even yet about the material cause of all these things. They go talking about spiritual robes made of light, built by the thoughts on the earth plane. I don't believe it. They go about thinking that it is a thought robe that they're wearing, resulting from the spiritual life they led ; and when we try to tell them that it is manufactured out of materials, they don't believe it. They say, " No, no, it's a robe of light and brightness which I manufactured by thought/' So we just leave it. But I don't say that they won't get robes quicker when they have led spiritual lives down there ; I think they do, and that's what makes them think that they made the robes by their lives. You know ilowers, how they decay. We have got flowers here ; your decayed ilowers (lower again with us beautiful flowers. Lily has helped me a lot with flowers. o. j. L. Do you like her ? Yes, but he didn't expect to see her. (Feda, sotto voce. No, Raymond, you don't mean that.) Yes, he does. He says he's afraid he wasn't very polite to her when he met her at lirst ; he didn't expect a grown-up sister there. Am I a little brother, he said, or is she my little sister ? She I have not yet traced the source of all this supposed information. 200 PART II CHAPTER XVI calls me her little brother, but I have a decided impression that she should be my little sister. He feels a bit of a mystery : he has got a brother there he knows, but he says two. (Sotto voce. No, Yaymond, you can't have two. No, Feda doesn't understand.) Is it possible, he says, that he has got another brother one that didn't live at all ? o. J. L. Yes, it is possible. But he says, no earth life at all ! That's what's strange. I've seen some one that I am told is a brother, but I can't be expected to recognise him, can I ? I feel somehow closer to Lily than I do to that one. By and by I will get to know him, I dare say. I'm told that I am doing very well in the short time I have been here. Taking to it what he say ? duck to water, he say. o. J. L. You know the earth is rolling along through space. How do you keep up with it ? It doesn't seem like that to him. o. J. L. No, I suppose not. Do you see the stars ? Yes, he sees the stars. The stars seem like what they did, only he feels closer to them. Not really closer, but they look clearer ; not appreciably closer, he says. O. J. L. Are they grouped the same ? Do you see the Great Bear, for instance ? Oh yes, he sees the Great Bear. And he sees the ch, ch, chariot, he says. O. J. L. Do you mean Cassiopeia ? Yes. [But I don't suppose he did.] There's one more mystery to him yet, it doesn't seem day and night quite by regular turns, like it did on the earth. o. J. L. But I suppose you see the sun ? Yes, he sees the sun ; but it seems always about the same degree of warmth, he doesn't feel heat or cold where he is. The sun doesn't make him uncomfortably hot. That is not because the sun has lost its heat, but because he hasn't got the same body that sensed the heat. When he SITTING OF DECEMBER 3 201 comes into contact with the earth plane, and is manifesting, then he feels a little cold or warm at least he does when a medium is present not when he comes in the ordinary way just to look round. When he sang last night, he felt cold for a minute or two. o. j. L. Did he sing ? Yes, he and Paulie had a scuffle. Paulie was singing first, and Yaymond thought he would like to sing too, so he chipped in at the end. He sang about three verses. It wasn't difficult, because there was a good deal of power there. Also nobody except Mrs. Kathie knew who he was, and so all eyes were not on him, and they were not expecting it, and that made it easier for him. He says it wasn't so difficult as keeping up a conversation ; he just took the organs there, and materialised his own voice in her throat. He didn't find it very difficult, he hadn't got to think of anything, or collect his ideas ; there was an easy flow of words, and he just sang. And I did sing, he says ; I thought I'd nearly killed the medium. She hadn't any voice at all after. When he heard himself that he had really got it, he had to let go. Raised the roof, he says, and he did enjoy it ! (Here Feda gave an amused chuckle with a jump and a squeak.) He was just practising there, Yaymond says. At first he thought it wouldn't be easy. [This relates to what I am told was a real occurrence at a private gathering ; but it is not evidential.] o. j. L.- -Raymond, you know you want to give me some proofs. What kind of proofs do you think are best ? Have you talked it over with Mr. Myers, and have you decided on the kind of proof that will be most evidential ? I don't know yet. I feel divided between two ways : One is to give you objective proof, such as simple materialisations and direct voice, which you can set down and have attested. Or 202 PART II CHAPTER XVI else I should have to give you information about my different experiences here, either something like what I am doing now, or through the table, or some other way. But he doesn't know whether he will be able to do the two things together. o. j. L. No, not likely, not at the same time. But you can take opportunities of saying more about your life there. Yes, that's why he has been collecting in- formation. He does so want to encourage people to look forward to a life they will certainly have to enter upon, and realise that it is a rational life. All this that he has been giving you now, and that I gave to Lionel, you must sort out, and put in order, because I can only give it scrappily. I want to study things here a lot. Would you think it selfish if I say I wouldn't like to be back now ? I wouldn't give this up for anything. Don't think it selfish, or that I want to be away from you all. I have still got you, because I feel you so close, closer even. I wouldn't come back, I wouldn't for anything that anyone could give me. He hardly liked to put it that way to his mother. Is Alec here ? (Feda looking round.) o. J. L. No, but I hope he will be coming. Tell him not to say who he is. I did enjoy my- self that first time that Lionel came I could talk for hours. (O. J. L. had here looked at his watch quietly.) I could talk for hours ; don't go yet. He says he thinks he was lucky when he passed on, because he had so many to meet him. That came, he knows now, through your having been in with this thing for so long. He wants to impress this on those that you will be writing for : that it makes it so much easier for them if they and their friends know about it beforehand. It's awful when they have passed over and won't believe it for weeks, they just think they're dreaming. And they won't realise things at all sometimes. He SITTING OF DECEMBER 3 203 doesn't mind telling you now that, just at first, when he woke up, he felt a little depression. But it didn' t last 1( >ng. He cast his eyes round, and soon he didn't mind. But it was like finding yourself in a strange place, like a strange city ; with people you hadn't seen, or not seen for a long time, round you. Grandfather was with me straight away ; and presently Robert. I got mixed up between two Roberts. And there's some one called Jane comes to him, who calls herself an aunt, he says. Jane. He's uncertain about her. Jane Jennie. She calls herself an aunt ; he is told to call her ' Aunt Jennie.' Is she my Aunt Jennie ? he says. o. J. L. No, but your mother used to call her that. [And so on, simple talk about family and friends.] He has brought that doggie again, nice doggie. A doggie that goes like this, and twists about (Feda indicating a wriggle). He has got a nice tail, not a little stumpy tail, nice tail with nice hair on it. He sits up like that sometimes, and comes down again, and puts his tongue out of his mouth. He's got a cat too, plenty of animals, he says. He hasn't seen any lions and tigers, but he sees horses, cats, dogs, and birds. He says you know this doggie ; he has nice hair, a little wavy, which sticks up all over him, and has twists at the end. Now he's jumping round. He hasn't got a very pointed face, but it isn't like a little pug-dog either ; it's rather a long shape. And he has nice ears what flaps, not standing up ; nice long hairs on them too. A darkish colour he looks, darkish, as near as Fcda can see him. [See photograph, p. 278.] o. j. L. Does he call him by any name ? He says, ' Not him.' (Sotto voce. What you mean ' not him ' ? It is a ' him ' ; you don't call him ' it.') No, he won't explain. No, he didn't give it a name. It can jump. [All this about a she-dog called Curly, whose death had been specially mentioned by ' Myers ' through another medium some years ago, an incident reported privately 204 PART II CHAPTER XVI to the S.P.R. at the time, is quite good as far as it goes ~| He has met a spirit here, he says, who knows you G. Nothing t< do with the other G. Some one that's a very fine sort indeed. His name begins with G Gal, Gals, Got, Got, he doesn't know him very well, but it sounds like that. It isn't who you feel, though it might have been, nothing to do with that at all. Some one called Golt he didn't know him, but he is interested in you, and had met you. It's surprising how many people come up to me, he says, and shake me by the hand, and speak to me. I don't know them from Adam. (Sotto voce. Adam, he say.) But they are doing me honour here, and some of them are such fine men. He doesn't know them, but they all seem to be in- terested in you, and they say, " Oh, are you his son? how-do-you-do ? " Feda is losing control. o. J. L. Well, good-bye, Raymond, then, and God bless you. God bless you. I do so want you to know that I am very happy. And bless them all. My love to you. I can't tell what I feel, but you can guess. It's difficult to put into words. My love to all. God bless you and everybody. Good-bye, lather, o. J. L. Good-bye, Raymond. Good-bye, Feda. (Feda here gave a jerk, and a ' good-bye.') Love to her what 'longs to you and to Lionel Feda knows what your name is, ' Soliver/ yes. (Another squeak.) (Sitting ended 8.20 p.m.) The conclusion of sittings is seldom of an evidential character, and by mos< people would not be recorded ; but occasionally it may be best to quote one completely, just as a specimen of what may be called the ' manner ' of a sitting. O CHAPTER XVII K. K. AUTOMATIC WRITING N 17 December 1915, I was talking to Mrs. Ken- nedy when her hand began to write, and I had a \hort conversation which may be worth reporting : I have been here such a long time, please tell father I am here Raymond, o. J. L. My boy ! Dear father ! Father, it was difficult to say all one felt, but now I don't care. I love you. I love you intensely. Father, please speak to me. o. j. L. I recognise it, Raymond. Have you anything to say for the folk at home ? I have been there to-day ; I spoke to mother. I don't know if she heard me, but I rather think so. Please tell her this, and kiss her from me-, o. J. L. She had a rather vivid dream or vision of you one morning lately. I don't know if it was a dream. I feel sure she will see me, but I don't know, because I am so often near her that I can't say yes or no to any particular time. o. j. L. Raymond, you know it is getting near Christmas now ? I know. I shall be there ; keep jolly or it hurts me horribly. Truly, I know it is difficult, but you must know by now that I am so splendid. I shall never be one instant out of the house oh Christmas Day. (Pause.) He has gone to fetch some one. Paul. (This is the sort of interpolation which fre- 206 PART II CHAPTER XVII quently happens. Paul signs his explanatory sentence ) (K. K. presently said that Raymond had re- turned, and expected me to be aware of it.) I have brought Mr. Myers. He says he doesn't often come to use this means, but he wants to speak for a moment. " Get free and go on, "he says. " Don't let them trammel you. Get at it, Lodge." Myers. He has gone, tell my father, (o. j. L., sotto voce. What does that mean ?) (K. K. I haven't an idea.) o. J. L. Has Myers gone right away ? " I have; spoken, but I will speak again, if you keep quiet (meaning K. K.). Do cease to think, or you are useless. Tell Lodge I can't explain half his boy is to me. I feel as if I had my own dearly loved son here, yet I know he is only lent to me. " Pardon me if I rarely use you (to K. K.) ; I can't stand the way you bother." Myers. K. K. Do you mean the way I get nervous if I am taking a message from you ? "Yes I do." This interpolated episode was commented on by O. J. L. as very characteristic.] O. J. L. Is Raymond still there ? Yes. O. J. L. Raymond, do you know we've got that photo- graph you spoke of ? Mrs. Cheves sent us it, the mother of Cheves Captain Cheves, you remember him ? Yes, I know you have the photograph. o. J. L. Yes, and your description of it was very good. And we have seen the man leaning on you. Was there another one taken of you ? K. K. ' Four,' he says ' four.' Did you say ' four,' Raymond ? Yes, I did. o. J. L. Yes, we have those taken of you by yourself, but was another taken of you with other officers ? I hear, f ather ; I shall look, but I think you have had the one I want you to have ; I have seen K. K. AUTOMATIC WRITING 207 you looking at it. I have heard all that father has said. It is ripping to come like this. Tell my father I have enjoyed it. Raymond. o. j. L. Before you go, Raymond, I want to ask a serious question. Have you been let to see Christ ? Father, I shall see him presently. It is not time yet. I am not ready. But I know he lives, and I know he comes here. All the sad ones see him if no one else can help them. Paul has seen him : you see he had such a lot of pain, poor chap. I am not expecting to see him yet, father. I shall love to when it's the time. Raymond. o. j. L. Well, we shall be very happy this Christmas I think. Father, tell mother she has her son with her all day on Christmas Day. There will be thousands and thousands of us back in the homes on that day, but the horrid part is that so many of the fellows don't get welcomed. Please keep a place for me. I must go now. Bless you again, father. Ray- mond. (Paul then wrote a few words to his mother.) CHAPTER XVIII FIRST SITTING OF ALEC WITH MRS. LEONARD ON 21 December 1915 Alec had his first sitting with Mrs. Leonard ; but he did not manage to go quite anonymously the medium knew that he was my son. Again there is a good deal of unverifiable matter, which whether absurd or not I prefer not to suppress ; my reasons are indicated in Chapters XII and XVI, Part II, and Chapter XI, Part III. Alec's (A. M. L/s) Sitting with Mrs. Leonard at her House on Tuesday Afternoon, 21 December 1915, 3.15 to 4.30 p.m. (Medium knows I am Sir Oliver Lodge's son.) Front room ; curtains drawn ; dark ; small red lamp. No one else present. Mrs. Leonard shook hands saying, " Mr. Lodge ? " (Medium begins by rubbing her own hands vigorously.) Good morning ! This is Feda. Raymond's here. He would have liked A and B. (Feda, sotto voce. What you mean, A and B ?) Oh, he would have like to talk to A and B. [See Note A.] He says : "I wish you could see me, I am so pleased ; but you know I am pleased." He has been trying hard to get to you at home. He thinks he is getting closer, and better able to understand the conditions which govern this way of communicating. He thinks that in a little while he will be able to give actual tests FIRST LEONARD SITTING OF ALEC 209 at home. He knows lie has got through, but not satisfactorily. He gets so far, and then ilounders. (Feda, sotto voce. That's what fishes do !) He says he is feeling splendid. He did not think it was possible to feel so well. He was waiting here ; he knew you were coming, but thought you might not be able to come to-day. [Train half an hour late.] Did you take notice of what he said about the place he is in ? A. M. L. Yes. But I find it very difficult to understand. He says, it is such a solid place, I have not got over it yet. It is so wonderfully real. He spoke about a river to his father ; he has not seen the sea yet. He has found water, but doesn't know whether he will find a sea. He is making new discoveries every day. So much is new, although of course not to people who have been here some time He went into the library with his grand- father Grandfather William and also some- body called Richaid, and he says the books there seem to be the same as you read. Now this is extraordinary : There are books there not yet published on the earth plane. He is told only told, he does not know if it is correct that those books will be produced, books like those that are there now; that the matter in them will be impressed on the brain of some man, he supposes an author. He says that not everybody on his plane is allowed to read those books ; they might hurt them that is, the books not published yet. Father is going to write one not the one on now, but a fresh one. Has his father found out who it was, be- ginning with G, who said he was going to help (meaning help Raymond) for his father's sake ? It was not the person he thought it was at the time (p. 204). It is very difficult to get things through. He wants to keep saying how pleased he is to come. 210 PART II CHAPTER XVIII There are hundreds of things he will think of after he is gone. He has brought Lily, and William the young one (Feda, sotto voce. I don't know whether it is right, but he appears to have two brothers.) [Two brothers as well as a sister died in ex- treme infancy. He would hardly know that, normally. O. J. L.] A. M. L. Feda, will you ask Raymond if he- would like me to ask some questions ? Yes, with pleasure, he says. A. M. L. A little time ago, Raymond said he was with mother. Mother would like to know if he can say what she was doing when he came ? Ask Raymond to think it over, and see if he can remember ? Yes, yes. She'd got some wool and scissors. She had a square piece of stuff he is showing me this she was working on the square piece of stuff. He shows me that she was cutting the wool with the scissors. Another time, she was in bed. She was in a big chair dark covered This refers to the time mentioned lirst. [Note B.] A. M. L. Ask Raymond if he can remember which room she was in ? (Pause.) He can't remember. He can't always see more than a corner of the room it appears vapourish and shadowy. He often comes when you're in bed. He tried to call out loudly : he shouted, ' Alec, ^ Alec !' but he didn't get any answer. That is what puzzles him. He thinks he has shouted, but apparently he has not even manu- factured a whisper. A. M. L. Feda, will you ask Raymond if he can re- member trivial things that happened, as these things often make the best tests ? He says he can now and again. A. M. L. The questions that father asked about ' Evin- rude/ ' Dartmoor/ and ' Argonauts, 1 are all trivial, FIRST LEONARD SITTING OF ALEC 211 but make good tests, as father knows nothing about them. Yes, Raymond quite understands. He is just as keen as you are to give those tests. A. M. L. Ask Raymond if the word ' Evinrude ' in con- nexion with a holiday trip reminds him of any- thing ? Yes. (Definitely.) A. M. L. And ' Argonauts ' ? Yes. (Definitely.) A. M. L. And ' Dartmoor * ? Yes. (Definitely.) A. M. L. Well, don't answer the questions now, but if lather asks them again, see if you can remember anything. (While Alec was speaking, Feda was getting a message simultaneously : ) He says something burst. [This is excellent for Dartmoor, but I knew it. A. M.L.] [NoleC.] A. M. L. Tell Raymond I am quite sure he gets things through occasionally, but that I think often the meaning comes through altered, and very often appears to be affected by the sitter. It appears to me that they usually get what they expect. Raymond says, " I only wish they did ! " But in a way you are right. He is never able to give all he wishes. Sometimes only a word, which often must appear quite disconnected. Often the word does not come from his mind ; he has no trace of it. Raymond says, for this reason it is a good thing to try, more, to come and give something definite at home. When you sit at the table, he feels sure that what he wants to say is influenced by some one at the table. Some one is helping him, some one at the table is guessing at the words. He often starts a word, but somebody finishes it. He asked father to let you come and not say who you were ; he says it would have been a bit of fun. A. M. L. Ask Raymond if he can remember any charac- teristic things we used to talk about among our- selves ? 212 PART II CHAPTER XVIII Yes. He says you used to talk about cars. (Feda, sotto voce. What you mean ? Every- body talks about cars !) And singing. He used to fancy he could sing. He didn't sing hymns. On Thursday nights he has to sing hymns, but they are not in his line. [On Thursday nights I am told that a circle holds sitting^ for developing the direct voice at Mrs. Leonard's, and that they sing hymns. Paul and Raymond have been said to join in. Cf . near end of Chapter XVI, p. 201.] A. M. L. What used he to sing ? Hello Hullalo sounds like Hullulu Hullulo. Something about ' Hottentot ' ; but he is going bad: a long way, he thinks. [See note in Appendix about this statement.] (Feda, sotto voce. An orange lady ?) He says something about an orange lady, (Feda, sotto vocc. Not what sold oranges ?) No, of course not. He says a song extolling the virtues and beauties of an orange lady. [Song : " My Orang Girl. Excellent. The last songh^ boiu',iit. A. M. L.] And a funny song which starts ' MA/ but Feda can't see any more like somebody's name. Also something about ' Irish eyes.' [See Note D.] (Feda, sotto voce. Are they really songs ?) Very much so. (A number of unimportant incidents were now mentioned.) He says it is somebody's birthday in January. A. M. L. It is. (Feda, soito voce. What's a beano ? Whose birthday ?) He won't say whose birthday. He says, He knows (meaning A.). [Raymond's own birthday, 25 Jan., was understood.] (More family talk.) Yes, he says he is going now. He says the power is getting thin. A. M. L. Wish him good luck from me, Feda. Love to all of them. FIRST LEONARD SITTING OF ALEC 213 My love to you, old chap. Just before I go : Don't ever any of you regret my going. I believe I have got more to do than I could have ever done on the earth plane. It is only a case of waiting, and just meeting every one of you as you come across to him. He is going now. He says Willie too young Willie. [His deceased brother.] (Feda, sotto voce. Yes, what ? Proclivities ?) Oh, he is only joking. He says : Not Willie of the weary proplic pro- pensities that's it. He is joking. Just as many jokes here as ever before. Even when singing hymns. When he and Paul are singing, they do a funny dance with their arms. (Showing a sort of cake-walk moving arms up and down.) (Ffda. It's a silly dance, anyway.) Good-bye, and good luck. [Characteristic ; see, for instance, a letter of his on page 41 above. I happen to have just seen another letter, to Brodie, which con- cludes : "Well good-b\e, Brodie, and good i uc k."_q. j. L.] Yes, he is going. Yes. He is gone now, yes. Do you want to say anything to Feda ? A. M. L. Yes, thank you very much for all your help. The messages are sometimes difficult, but it is most important to try and give exactly what you hear, and nothing more, whether you understand it or not. Feda understands. She only say exactly what she hear, even though it is double-Dutch. Don't forget to give my love to them all. A. M. L. Good-bye, Feda. (Shakes hands.) Medium comes-to in about two to three minutes. (Signed) A. M. L. 21 December 1915 [All written out fair same evening. Part on way home, and part after arriving, without disturbance from seeing anybody.] 214 PART II CHAPTER XVIII NOTES BY O. J. L. ON THE A. M. L. RECORD This seems to have been a good average sitting ; it contains a few sufficiently characteristic remarks, but not much evidential. What is said about songs in it, how- ever, is rather specially good. In further explanation, a few notes, embodying more particular information ob- tained by me from the family when reading the sitting over to them, may now be added : NOTE A The ' A and B ' manifestly mean his brothers Alec and Brodie ; and there was a natural reason for bracketing them together, inasmuch as they constitute the firm Lodge Brothers, with which Raymond was already to a large extent, and hoped to be. still more closely, associated. But there may have been a minor point in it, since between Alec and Brodie long ago, at their joint preparatory school, there was a sort of joke, of which Raymond was aware, about problems given in algebra and arithmetic books : where, for instance, A buys so many dozen at some price, and B buys some at anoi her price ; the question being to compare their profits. Or where A does a piece of work in so many days, and B does something else. It is usually not at all obvious, without working out, which gets the better of it, A or B ; and Alec seems to have recognised, in the manner of saying A and B, some reference to old family chad on this subject. NOTE B The reference to a square piece of stuff, cut with scissors, suggests to his mother, not the wool-work which she is doing like everybody else for soldiers, but the cutting of a circular piece out of a Raymond blanket that came back with his kit, for the purpose of covering a round four-legged table which was subsequently used for sittings, in order to keep it clean without its having to be dusted or otherwise touched by servants. It is not distinct enough to be evidential, however. NOTE C About Dartmoor, "he says something burst." Incidents referred to in a previous sitting, when I was there alone, were the running downhill, clapping on brake, and swirling round corners (p. 156) ; but all this was associated with, and partly caused by, the bursting of the silencer in the night after the hilly country had been reached. And it was the fearful noise subsequent to the bursting of the silencer that the boys had expected him to remember. FIRST LEONARD SITTING OF ALEC 215 NOTE D The best evidential thing, however, Is on p. 212 a reference to a song of his called " My Orange Girl." If the name of the song merely had been given, though good enough, it would not have been quite so good, because the name of a song is common property. But the particular mode of describing it, in such a way as to puzzle Feda, namely, " an orange lady/' making her think rather of a market woman, is characteristic of Raymond especially the sentence about " extolling her virtues and beauties," which is not at all appropriate to Feda, and is exactly like Raymond. So is " Willie of the weary proclivities." The song !! Irish Eyes " was also, I find, quite correct. It seems to have been a comparatively recent song, which he had sung several times. Again, the song described thus by Feda : " A funny song which starts MA. But Feda can't see any more like somebody's name." I find that the letters M A were pronounced separately not as a word. To me the MA had suggested one of those nigger songs about Ma Honey ' the kind of song which may have been indicated by the word ' Hottentot ' above. But, at a later table sitting at Mariemont, he was asked what song he meant by the letters M A, and then he spelt out clearly the name * Maggie.' This song was apparently unknown to those at the table, but was recognised by Norah, who was in the room, though not at the table, as a still more recent song of Raymond's, about i Maggie Magee." (See Appendix also.) APPENDIX TO SITTING OF 21 DECEMBER 1915 (WRITTEN 3^ MONTHS LATER) (Dictated by O. J. L., 12 April 1916.) Last night the family were singing over some songs, and came across one which is obviously the one referred to in the above sitting of A. M. L. with Mrs. Leonard, held nearly four months ago, of which a portion ran thus (just before the reference to Orange Girl) : " A. M. L. What used he to sing ? Hello Hullalo sounds like Hullulu, Hullulo. Something about ' Hottentot ' ; but he is going back a long way, he thinks." References to other songs known to the family followed, but this reference to an unknown song was vaguely remembered by the family as a puzzle ; 216 PART II CHAPTER XVIII and it existed in A. M. L.'s mind as " a song about ' Honolulu/ " this being apparently the residual im- pression produced by the ' Hullulu ' in combination with ' Hottentot ' ; but no Honolulu song was known. A forgotten and overlooked song has now (n April 1916) turned up, which is marked in pencil " R. L. 3.3.4.," i.e. 3 March 1904, which corresponds to his " going back a long way " to a time, in fact, when he was only fifteen. It is called, " My Southern Maid " ; and although no word about ' Honolulu ' occurs in the printed version, one of the verses has been altered in Raymond's writing in pencil ; and that alteration is the following absurd introduction to a noisy chorus : " Any little flower from a tulip to a rose, If you'll be Mrs. John James Brown Of Hon-o-lu-la-lu-la town." Until these words were sung last night, nobody seems to have remembered the song " My Southern Maid/' and there appears to be no reason for associating it with the word ' Honolulu ' or any similar sound, so far as public knowledge was concerned, or apart from Raymond's alterations. Alec calls attention to the fact that, in answer to his question about songs, no songs were mentioned which were not actually Raymond's songs ; and that those which were mentioned were not those he was expecting. Further- more, that if he had thought of these songs he would have thought of them by their ordinary titles, such as " My Orange Girl " and " My Southern Maid " ; though the latter he had forgotten altogether. (A sort of disconnected sequel to this song episode occurred some months later, as reported in Chapter XXIII.) CHAPTER XIX PRIVATE SITTINGS AT MARIEMONT IT had been several times indicated that Raymond wanted to come into the family circle at home, and that Honor, whom he often refers to as H., would be able to help him. Attempted private sittings of this kind were referred to by Raymond through London mediums, and he gave instruction as to procedure, as already reported (pp. 160 and 190). After a time some messages were received, and family communications without any outside medium have gradually become easy. Records were at first carefully kept, but I do not report them, because clearly it is difficult to regard anything thus got as evidential. At the same time, the naturalness of the whole, and the ready way in which family jokes were entered into and each new-comer recognised and welcomed appropriately, were very striking. A few incidents, moreover, were really of an evidential character, and these must be reported in due course. But occasionally the table got rather rampageous and had to be quieted down. Sometimes, indeed, both the table and things like flower-pots got broken. After these more violent occasions, Raymond volunteered the explana- tion, through mediums in London, that he couldn't always control it, and that there was a certain amount of sky- larking, not on our side, which he tried to prevent (see pp. 182, 194, and 273) ; though in certain of the surprising mechanical demonstrations, and, so to speak, tricks, which certainly seemed beyond the normal power of anyone touching the table, he appeared to be decidedly interested, and was represented as desirous of repeating a few of the more remarkable ones for my edification. 2i8 PART II CHAPTER XIX I do not, however, propose to report in this book con- cerning any purely physical phenomena. They require a more thorough treatment. Suffice it to say that the move- ments were not only intelligent, but were sometimes, though very seldom, such as apparently could not be accomplished by any normal application of muscular force, however unconsciously such force might be exerted by anyone it might only be a single person left in contact with the table. A family sitting with no medium present is quite different from one held with a professional or indeed any outside medium. Information is freely given about the doings of the family ; and the general air is that of a family conversation ; because, of course, in fact, no one but the family is present. At any kind of sitting the conversation is rather 6ne- sided, but whereas with a medium the sitter is reticent, and the communicator is left to do nearly all the talking, in a family group the sitters are sometimes voluble ; while the ostensible control only occasionally takes the trouble to spell out a sentence, most of his activity consisting in affirmation and negation and rather effective dumb show. I am reluctant to print a specimen of these domestic chats, though it seems necessary to give some account of them. On Christmas Day, 1915, the family had a long table sitting. It was a friendly and jovial meeting, with plenty of old songs interspersed, which he seemed thoroughly to enjoy and, as it were, ' conduct ' ; but for publication I think it will be better to select something shorter, and I find a description written by one to whom such things were quite new except by report a lady who had been governess in the family for many years, when even the elder children were small, and long before Raymond was born. This lady, Miss F. A. Wood, commonly called ' Woodie ' from old times, happened to be staying on a visit to Mariemont in March 1916, and was present at two or three of the family sittings. She was much interested in her first experience, and wrote an account immediately afterwards, which, as realistically giving the impression of a witness, I have obtained her permission to copy here. At this date the room was usually considerably dark- PRIVATE SITTINGS AT MARIEMONT 219 ened for a sitting ; but even partial darkness was unneces- sary, and was soon afterwards dispensed with, especially as it interfered with easy reading of music at the piano. Table Sitting in the Drawing-room at Mariemont, Thursday, 2 March 1916, about 6 p.m. Sitters LADY LODGE, NORAH, and WOODIE ; later, HONOR Report by Miss P. A. Wood As it was the first time that I had ever been at a sitting of any kind, I shall put down the details as fully as I can remember them. The only light in the room was from the gas-fire, a large one, so that we could sec each other and things in the room fairly distinctly ; the table used at this time was a rather small octagonal one, though weighty for its size, with strong centre stem, supported on three short legs, top like a chess-board. Lady Lodge sat with her back to window looking on to drive, Norah with back to windows looking on to tennis-lawn, and I, Woodie, had my back to the sofa. As we were about to sit down, Lady Lodge said : " We always say a little prayer first." I had hoped that she intended to pray aloud for us all, but she did it silently, so I did the same, having been upstairs before and done this also. For some time nothing whatever happened. I only felt that the table was keeping my hands extremely cold. After about half an hour, Lady Lodge said : *' I don't think that anyone is coming to-night ; we will wait just a little longer, and then go." LADY LODGE. Is anyone here to-night to speak to us ? Do come if you can, because we want to show Woodie what a sitting is like. Raymond, dear, do you think you could come to us ? (No answer.) During the half-hour before Lady Lodge asked any questions I had felt every now and then a curious tingling in my hands and fingers, and then a much stronger drawing sort of feeling tl rough my hands and arms, which caused the table to have a strange intermittent trembling sort of feeling, though it was not a movement of the whole table. Another ' feeling ' was as if a * bubble ' of the table came up, and tapped gently on the palm of my left hand. At first I only felt it once ; after a short interval three times ; then a little later about twelve times. And once (I shall not be able to explain this) I felt rather than heard a faint tap in the centre of the table (away from people's hands). 220 PART II CHAPTER XIX Nearly every time I felt these queer movements Lady Lodge asked, *' Did you move, Woodie ? " I had cer- tainly not done so consciously, and said so, and while I was feeling that ! drawing ' feeling through hands and arms, I said nothing myself, till Lady Lodge and Norah both said, " What is the table doing ? It has never done like this before." Then I told of my strange feelings in hands and arms, etc. Lady Lodge said it must be due to nerves, or muscles, or something of the sort. These strange feelings did not last long at a time, and generally, but not always, they came after Lady Lodge had asked questions (to some one on the other side). After a bit, when the ' feelings ' had gone from me at least, Lady Lodge suggested Norah's going for Honor, who came, but said on first sitting down that the table felt dead, and she did not think that anyone was there. LADY L. Is anyone coming ? We should be so pleased if any- one could; we have been sitting here some time very patiently. Nothing happened for a bit, and Lady Lodge said, ** I don't think it is any good." But I said, ! Oh, do wait a little longer, that tingling feeling is coming back again." And Honor said, " Yes, I think there is something." And then the table began to move, and Lady Lodge asked : LADY L. Raymond, darling, is that you ? (The table rocked three times.) LADY L. That is good of you, because Woodie did so want you to come. (The table rocked to and fro with a pleased motion, most difficult to express on paper.) WOODIE. Do you think that I have any power ? No. [Personally, I do not feel so sure of this. After the sitting and during it, I felt there might be a possi- bility. Woodie.] LADY L. Lorna has gone to nurse the soldiers, night duty. They are typhoid patients, and I do not like it. Do you think it will do her any harm ? No. LADY L. Do you like her doing this P LADY L. You are rocking like a rocking-horse. Do you remember the rocking-horse at Newcastle ? YES. LADY L. Can you give its name ? (They went through the alphabet, and it spelt out : ) PRINCE. [It used to be called Archer Prince.] PRIVATE SITTINGS AT MARIEMONT 221 (Soon after this the table began to show signs of restlessness, and Honor said : "I expect he wants to send a message." So Lady Lodge said : ) LADY L. Do you want to send a message ? YES. HONOR. Well, we're all ready ; start away. YOURLOVETOMYRTYPKKILL. HONOR. Raymond, that is wrong, isn't it ? Was " Your love to my " right ? YES. HONOR. Very well, we will start from there. (The message then ran : ) YOUR LOVE TO MY LITTLE SISTER. (Before the whole of ' sister ' was made out, he showed great delight ; and when the message was repeated to him in full to see if it was right, he was so pleased, and showed it so vigorously, that he, and we, all laughed together. I could never have believed how real the feeling would be of his presence amongst us.) LADY L. Do you mean Lily ? YES. LADY L. Is she here ? YES. LADY L. Are you here in the room ? YES. LADY L. Can Lily see us ? No. LADY L. Lily, darling, your mother does love you so dearly. I have wanted to send you my love. I shall come to see you some time, and then we shall be so happy, my dear, dear little girl. Thank you very much for coming to help Raymond, and coming to the table sometimes, till he can come himself. My love to you, darling, and to Brother Bill too. (Raymond seemed very pleased when Brother Bill was mentioned.) (The table now seemed to wish to get into Lady Lodge's lap, and made most caressing movements to and fro, and seemed as if it could not get close enough to her. Soon we realised that he was wanting to go, so we asked him if this was so, and he said : ) YES. (So we said ! good night ' to him, and after giving two rather slight movements, which I gather is what he gener- ally does just as he is going, we said 'good night* once more, and came away.) (Signed) WOODIB 222 PART II CHAPTER XIX One other family sitting, a still shorter one, may be quoted as a specimen also ; though out of place. A question asked was suggested by something reported on page 230. It appears that Miss Wood was still here, but that on this occasion she was not one of those that touched the table. At this date the table generally used happened to be a chess-table with centre pillar and three claw feet. After this table and another one had got broken during the more exuberant period of these domestic sittings, before the power had got under control, a stronger and heavier round table with four legs was obtained, and employed only for this purpose. Table Sitting in the Drawing-Room at Mariemont, < 9 p.m., Monday, 17 April 1916 REPORT BY M. F. A. L. Music going on in the drawing-room at Marie- mont. The girls (four of them) and Alec singing at the piano. Woodie and Honor and I sitting at the other end of the room. Lionel in the large chair. The Shakespeare Society was meeting in the house, and at that time having coffee in the dining- room, so O. J. L. was not with us. Woodie thought Raymond was in the room and would like to hear the singing, but Honor thought it too late to begin with the table, as we should shortly be going into the dining-room. However, I got the table ready near the piano, and Honor came to it, and the instant she placed her hands on it, it began to rock. I put my hands on too. We asked if it was Raymond, and if he had been waiting, and he said : YES. He seemed to wish to listen to the music, and kept time with it gently. And after a song was over that he liked, he very distinctly and decidedly applauded. PRIVATE SITTINGS AT MARIEMONT 223 Lionel came (I think at Raymond's request) and sat at the table with us. It was determined to edge itself close to the piano, though we said we must pull it back, and did so. But it would go there, and thumped Barbie, who was playing the piano, in time to the music. Alec took one of the black satin cushions and held it against her as a buffer. The table continued to bang, and made a little hole in the cushion. It then edged itself along the floor, where for a minute or two it could make a sound on the boards beyond the carpet. Then it seemed to be feeling about with one foot (it has three). It found a corner of the skirting board, where it could lodge one foot about 6 inches from the ground. It then raised the other two level with it, in the air ; and this it did many times, seeming delighted with its new trick. It then laid itself down on the ground, and we asked if we should help it and lift it up, but it banged a No on the floor, and raised itself a little several times without having the strength to get up. It lifted itself quite a foot from the ground, and was again asked if we might not lift it, but it again banged once for No. But Lionel then said : .IONEL. Well, Pat, my hand is in a most uncomfortable position ; won't you let me put the table up? It at once banged three times for YES. So we raised it. I then said : vi. F. A. L. Raymond, I want to ask you a question as a test : What is the name of the sphere on which you are living ? [I did this, because others beside Raymond have said, through Mrs. Leonard, that they were living on the third sphere, and that it was called ' Summerland,' so I thought it 224 PART II CHAPTER XIX might be an idea of the medium's. 1 I don't much like these ' sphere ' messages, and don't know whether they mean anything ; but I assume that ' sphere ' may mean condition, or state of development.] We took the alphabet, and the answer came at once : SUMMERRLODGE. We asked, after the second R, if there was not some mistake ; and again when O came, instead of the A we had expected for ' Summerland.' But he said No. So we went on, though I thought it was hope- lessly wrong, and ceased to follow. I felt sure it was mere muddle. So my surprise was the greater when the n6te- taker read out, ' Summer R. Lodge/ and I found he had signed his name to it, to show, I suppose, that it was his own statement, and not Feda's. [Lorna reports that the impression made upon them was that Raymond knew they had been expecting one ending, and that he was amused at having succeeded in giving them another. They enjoyed the joke together, and the table shook as if laughing.] We talked to him a little after this, and Alec and Noel put their hands on the table, and we said good night. It is only necessary to add that the mechanical movements here described are not among those which, on page 218, 1 referred to as physically unable to be done by muscular effort on the part of anyone whose hands are only on the table top. I am not in this book describ- ing any cases of that sort. Whatever was the cause of the above mechanical trick movements, which were repeated on a subsequent occasion for my observation, the circumstances were not strictly evidential. I ought to say, however, that most certainly I am sure that no conscious effort was employed by anyone present. 1 The statement will be found on page 230, in the record of a sitting preceding this in date. MARIKMONT RAYMOND AND HKODIK WITH THK PICK.ONS AT MAR1KMONT PRIVATE SITTINGS AT MARIEMONT 225 WARNING It maybe well to give a word of warning to those who find that they possess any unusual power in the psychic direction, and to counsel regulated moderation in its use. Every power can be abused, and even the simple faculty of automatic writing can with the best intentions be mis- applied. Self-control is more important than any other, form of control, and whoever possesses the power of receiving communications in any form should see to it that he remains master of the situation. To give up your own judgement and depend solely on adventitious aid is a grave blunder, and may in the long run have disastrous conse- quences. Moderation and common sense are Required in those who try to utilise powers which neither they nor any fully understand, and a dominating occupation in mundane affairs is a wholesome safeguard. CHAPTER XX A FEW MORE RECORDS, WITH SOME UNVERIFIABLE MATTER AFTER Christmas I had proposed to drop the historical order and make selections as convenient, but I find that sequence must to some extent be maintained, because of the interlocking of sittings with different mediums and development generally. 1 shall, however, only preserve historical order so far as it turns out useful or relevant, and will content myself with re- porting that on 3 January 1916 Raymond's eldest sister, Violet (the one married to the ' Rowland ' that he men- tioned through Feda), had a good sitting with him, and was not only recognised easily, but knowledge was shown of much that she had been doing, and of what she was immediately planning to do. Reference was also made by Raymond to what he called his special room in her house (p. 45) ; and, later, he said that that room was bare of furniture, which it was. And at some of the sittings now, deceased friends, not relatives, were brought by Raymond, and gave notable evidence both to us and to other people ; especially to parents in some cases, to widows in others ; some of which may perhaps be partially reported hereafter. I propose now to pass on to some unverifiable matter (see Chapters XII and XVI), and especially to a strange and striking sitting which Lady Lodge had with Mrs. Leonard on 4 February 1916. This may as well be reported almost in full, in spite of unimportant and introductory portions, since it seems fairer to give the context, especially of unverifiable matter. But I feel bound to say that there is divergence of opinion as to whether this particular record ought to be pub- UNVERIFIABLE MATTER 227 lished or not . I can only say that I recognise the responsi- bility, and hope that I am right in partially accepting it. Non-Evidential Sitting of M. F. A. L. with Mrs. Leonard at her House on Friday, 4 February 1916, from 8.30 p.m. to ii. 10 p.m. (M. F. A. L. alone.) Feda. Oh, its Miss Olive ! M. F. A. L. So glad to meet you, Feda ! Feda love you and Soliver best of all. SLionel and SAlec too she love very much. Yaymond is here. He has been all over the place with Paulie, to all sorts of places to the mediums, to try and get poor boys into touch with their mothers. Some are very jealous of those who succeed. They try to get to their mothers, and they can't they are shut out. They make me feel as though I could cry to see them. We explain that their mothers and fathers don't know about communica- ting. They say, why don't they all go to mediums ? Yaymond say, it makes me wonder too. He say, he was telling Feda, it was awful funny the things some of them did it has a funny side, going to see the mediums. You see, Paul and he couldn't help having a joke ; they are boys them- selves, laughing over funny things. He says he was listening to Paul, and he was describing the drawing-room at home. (A good description was now given of the drawing-room at Mariemont, which the medium had never seen.) Feda sees flowers ; they're Feda's, not Gladys's. [M. F. A. L. had brought flowers for Mrs. Leonard.] M. F. A. L. Don't you have flowers, then ? Yes, lots of flowers. But Feda like to have them in Gladys's room. [Apparently this must be Mrs. Leonard's name.] There's a lot in prayer. Prayer keeps out evil things, and keeps nice clean conditions. Raymond says, keeps out devils. Mother, I don't want to talk about material 228 PART II CHAPTER XX things, but to satisfy anxiety. I was very uneasy on Monday night. I tried to come near, but there was a band round me. We were all there. M. F. A. L. The Zeppelins did come on Monday night, but they did not touch us. [We went to bed and didn't worry about them.] He says, they worked in a circular way, east and south of you. Awful ! He hoped it wouldn't up- set you ; he didn't want them to come too close. I know you're not nervous, but I fear for you. If he'd been on the earth plane, he'd have been flying home. He says New Street was the mark. Some one called ' M.' sent you a message through Mrs. F. (?), and wanted her dearest love given. She's had to be away rather from the earth plane for some time, but he actually has seen M. several times. Conditions of war have brought her back. She had progressed a good way. She wondered if you realised it was not her will to leave you so long, but progression. She belongs to a higher plane. M. knew something about this before she passed on, though perhaps it makes it easier to be always communicating. [Some friends will know for whom this is in- tended a great friend of our and many other children. She had had one sitting with Mrs. Piper at Mariemont, not a good one. O.J.L.] Her life on the earth plane made it easier for her to go on quickly after she passed out. (Feda, sotto voce. What you say ?) M. says, it will be a test, that she was with his father at a medium's, where she saw a con- trol named Alice Anne, a little girl control ; she didn't speak to Soliver, but was with him at the medium's. "The old Scotch lady" what Paulie calls her. [This is correct about a sitting with Miss McCreadie, when this ' M/ had unmistak- ably sent messages through Miss McC/s usual control. O. J. L.] UNVERIFIABLE MATTER 229 (Added later.) Some friends will be interested in this lady, a really beautiful character, with initials M. N. W., so I record something that came through from Feda on a much later occasion in July 1916 : Raymond's got rather a young lady with him. Not the sister who passed away a little baby. But she's young she looks twenty-four or twenty-five. She's rather slender, rather pretty. Brown hah", oval face. Not awful handsome, but got a nice ex- pression. She's very nice, and comes from a high sphere. She's able to come close to-night, but can't always come. Name begins with an M. And she says, fl Don't think that because she didn't come, she didn't want to come. She had to keep away for so long. It was necessary for her to stay away from the earth for a while, because she had work in high spheres for three years, and it's difficult for her to come through. Good, good something about the lady, lady two people, she says. Lady and good man. Feda ought to remember it a lady and good man. Between them Soliver and her, Soliver and Miss Olive, and her. Lady and good man and M. She must have been very good on the earth plane, she wasn't ordinary at all. Quite unusual and very very good. You can tell that by what she looks like now. She brings a lot of flowers pansies, not quite pansies, flower like a pansy, and not quite a pansy. Heartsease, that's what it is. She brings lots of those to you. She brought a lot of them when Raymond wented over there. But not for very long, she didn't they wasn't wanted very long. * M. F. A. L. Record of February 4 continued He said about some one, that she'd gone right on to a very high sphere indeed, as near celestial as could possibly be. His sister, he says can't get her name. [He means Lily, presumably.] He says William had gone on too, a good way, but not too far to come to him. [His brother.] Those who are fond of you never go too far to come back to you sometimes too lar to com- municate, never too far to meet you when you pass over. M. F. A. L. That's so comforting, darling. I don't want to hold you back. You gravitate here to the ones you're fond of. Those you're not fond of, if you meet them in the 230 PART II CHAPTER XX street, you don't bother yourself to say ' how-do- you-do.' M. F. A. L. There are streets, then ? Yes. He was pleased to see streets and houses. At one time, I thought it might be created by one's own thoughts. You gravitate to a place you are fitted for. Mother, there's no judge and jury, you just gravitate, like to like. I've seen some boys pass on who had nasty ideas and vices. They go to a place I'm very glad I didn't have to go to, but it's not hell exactly. More like a reformatory it's a place where you're given a chance, and when you want to look for something better, you're given a chance to have it. They gravitate together, but get so bored. Learn to help yourself, and immediately you'll be helped. Very like your world ; only no unfairness, no in- justice a common law operating for each and every one. M. F. A. L. Are all of the same rank and grade ? Rank doesn't count as a virtue. High rank comes by being virtuous. Those who have been virtuous have to pass through lower rank to under- stand things. All go on to the astral first, just for a little. He doesn't remember being on the astral him- self. He thinks where he is now, he's about third. Summerland Homeland, some call it. It is a very happy medium. The very highest can come to visit you. It is just sufficiently near the earth plane to be able to get to those on earth. He thinks you have the best of it there, so far as he can see. Mother, I went to a gorgeous place the other day. M. F. A. L. Where was it ? Goodness knows ! I was permitted, so that I might see what was going on in the Highest Sphere. Generally the High Spirits come to us. I wonder if I can tell you what it looked like ! UNVERIFIABLE MATTER 231 [Until the case for survival is considered established, it is thought improper and un- wise to relate an experience of a kind which may be imagined, in a book dealing for the most part with evidential matter. So I have omitted the description here, and the brief reported utterance which followed. I think it fair, however, to quote the record so far as it refers to the youth's own feel- ings, because otherwise trie picture would be incomplete and one-sided, and he might appear occupied only with comparatively frivolous concerns.] I felt exalted, purified, lifted up. I was kneeling. I couldn't stand up, I wanted to kneel. Mother, I thrilled from head to foot. He didn't come near me, and I didn't feel I wanted to go near him. Didn't feel I ought. The Voice was like a bell. I can't tell you what he was dressed or robed in. All seemed a mixture of shining colours. 232 PART II CHAPTER XX No good ; can you imagine what I felt like when he put those beautiful rays on to me ? I don't know what I've ever done that I should have been given that wonderful experience. I never thought of such a thing being possible, not at any rate for years, and years, and years. No one could tell what I felt, I can't explain it. Will they understand it ? I know father and you will, but I want the others to try. I can't put it into words. I didn't walk, I had to be taken back to Summer- land, I don't know what happened to me. If you could faint with delight 1 Weren't those beautiful words ? I've asked if Christ will go and be seen by everybody ; but was told, " Not quite in the same sense as you saw Him." I was told Christ was always in spirit on earth a sort of projection, something like those rays, something of him in every one. People think he is a Spirit, walking about in a particular place. Christ is everywhere, not as a personality. There is a Christ, and He lives on the higher plane, and that is the one I was per- mitted to see. There was more given me in that beautiful message ; I can't remember it all. He said the whole of it, nearly and word for word, of what I've given you. You see from that I'm given a mission to do, helping near the earth plane. . . . Shall I tell you why I'm so glad that is my work, given me by the Highest Authority of all 1 First of all, I'm proud to do His work, no matter what it is ; but the great thing is, I can be near you and father. M. F. A. L. If we can only be worthy ! You are both doing it, every bit you can. M. F. A. L. Well, I'm getting to love people more than I used to do. I have learnt over here, that every one is not for you. If not in affinity, let them go, and be with those you do like. UNVERIFIABLE MATTER 233 Mother, will they think I'm kind of puffing myself up or humbugging ? It's so wonderful, will they be able to understand that it's just Raymond that's been through this ? No Sunday school. I treasured it up to give you to-night. I put it off because I didn't know if I could give it in the right words that would make them feel like I feel or something like. Isn't it a comfort ? You and father think it well over. I didn't ask for work to be near the earth plane ! I thought that things would be made right. But think of it being given me, the work I should have prayed for! M. F. A. L. Then you're nearer ? Much nearer ! I was bound to be drawn (?). So beautiful to think, now I can honestly stay near the earth plane. Eventually, instead of going up by degrees, I shall take, as Feda has been promised, a jump. And when you and father come, you will be on one side, and father on the other. We shall be a while in Summerland, just to get used to conditions. He says very likely we shall be wanted to keep an eye on the others. He means brothers and sisters. I can't tell you how pleased I feel ' pleased ' is a poor word ! M. F. A. L. About what, my dear ? About being very near the earth plane. I've pressed on, getting used to conditions here, and yet when I went into the Presence I was over- awed. How can people . . . It made me wish, in the few seconds I was able to think of anything, that I had led one of the purest lives imaginable. If there's any little tiny thing I've ever done, it would stand out like a mountain. I didn't have much time to think, but I did feel in that few seconds . . . I felt when I found myself back in Summerland that I was charged with something some wonder- ful power. As if I could stop rivers, move mountains ; and so wonderfully glad. 234 PART II CHAPTER XX He says, don't bother yourself about trying to like people you've got an antipathy for, it's waste of you. Keep love for those who want it, don't throw it away on those who don't ; it's like giving things to over-fed people when hungry chaps are standing by. Do you know that I can feel my ideas altering, somehow. I feel more naturally in tune with conditions very far removed from the earth plane ; yet I like to go round with Paul, and have fun, and enjoy myself. After that wonderful experience, I asked some one if it wasn't stupid to like to have fun and go with the others. But they said that if you'\e got a work to do on the earth plane, you're not to have all the black side, you are allowed to have the lighter side too, sunshine and, shadow. One throws the other up, and makes you better able to judge the value of each. There are places on my sphere where they can listen to beautiful music when they choose. Everybody, even here, doesn't care for music, so it's not in my sphere compulsory. He likes music and singing, but wouldn't like to live in the middle of it always, he can go and hear it if he wants to, he is getting more fond of it than he was. Mr. Myers was very pleased. He says, you know it isn't always the parsons, not always the parsons, that go highest first. It isn't what you professed, it's what you've done. If you have not believed definitely in life after death, but have tried to do as much as you could, and led a decent life, and have left alone things you don't understand, that's all that's required of you. Considering how simple it is, you'd think everybody would have done it, but very few do. On our side, we expect a few years will make a great difference in the conditions of people on the earth plane. UNVERIFIABLE MATTER 235 In five years, ever so many more will be wanting to know about the life to come, and how they shall live on the earth plane so that they shall have a' pretty good life when they pass on. They'll do it, if only as a wise precaution. But the more they know, the higher lines people will be going on. M. F. A. L. Did you see me reading the sitting to your father ? I'm going to stop father from feeling tired. Chap with red feather helping. Isn't it wonderful that I can be near you and father ? Some people ask me, are you pleased with where your body lies ? I tell them I don't care a bit, I've no curiosity about my body now. It's like an old coat that I've done with, and hope some one will dispose of it. I don't want flowers on my body. Flowers in house, in Raymond's home. M. F. A. L. Can he tell the kind of flowers I put for him on his birthday ? (Feda, sotto voce. Try and tell Feda.) Doesn't seem able to get it. Don't think he knew. I can't get it through. Don't think I don't appreciate them. Sees some yellow and some white. He thinks it is some power he takes from the medium which makes for him a certain amount of physical sight. He can't see properly. M. F. A. i. Can he tell me where I got the flowers from for his birthday ? (Feda, sotto voce. Flowers doesn't grow now. Winter here !) Yes, they do. Thinks they came from home. (Feda, sotto voce. Try and tell me any little thing.) He means they came from .bis ow& garden. [Yes, they did, It was yellow jasmine, cut from the garden at Mariemont. M. F. A. L.] Paul's worried 'cos medium talk like book. Paul calls Feda ' Imp.' Raymond sometimes calls Feda ' Illustrious One.' I think Yaymond laugh- ing ! Always pretending Feda very little, and that 236 PART II CHAPTER XX they've lost Feda, afraid of walking on her, but Feda pinches them sometimes, pretend they've trodden on Feda. But Feda just as tall as lots of Englishes. M. F. A. L. Isn't Feda tired now ? No. M. F. A. L. I think Raymond must be. Well, power is going. M. F. A. L. Anyhow, I must go. Some one perhaps of your brothers will come soon. I want no heralds or flourish of trumpets, let them come and see if I can get through to them. M. F. A. L. (I here said something about myself , I forget ; I think it was about being proud.) If I see any signs, I'll take you in hand at once ; it shall be nipped in the bud ! Good night. M. F. A. L. Do you sleep ? Well, I doze. M. F. A. L. Do you have rain ? Well, you can go to a place where rain is. M. F. A. L. Do you know that your father is having all the sittings bound together in a book ? It will be very interesting to see how I change as I go on. Good night. NOTE BY O. J. L. It must be remembered that all this, though reported in the first person, really comes through Feda ; and though her style and grammar improve in the more serious portions, due allow- ance must be made for this fact. CHAPTER XXI TWO RATHER EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS BY O. J. L. ON MARCH 3, 1916 ON the morning of 3 March I had a sitting in Mrs. Kennedy's house with a Mrs. Clegg, a fairly elderly dame whose peculiarity is that she allows direct control by the communicator more readily than most mediums do. Mrs. Kennedy has had Mrs. Clegg two or three times to her house, and Paul has learnt how to control her pretty easily, and is able to make very affectionate demonstra- tions and to talk through the organs of the medium, though in rather a jerky and broken way. She accord- ingly kindly arranged an anonymous sitting for me. The sitting began with sudden clairvoyance, which was unexpected. It was a genuine though not a specially suc- cessful sitting, and it is worth partially reporting because of the reference to it which came afterwards through another medium, on the evening of the same day ; making a simple but exceptionally clear and natural cross correspondence Anonymous Sitting of 0. /. L. with Mrs. Clegg At 11.15 a.m. on Friday, 3 March 1916, I arrived at Mrs. Kennedy's, went up and talked to her in the drawing- room till nearly 11.30, when Mrs. Clegg arrived. She came into the room while I was seeing to the fire, spoke to Mrs. Kennedy, and said, " Oh, is this the gentle- man that I am to sit with ? " She was then given a seat in front of the fire, being asked to get quiet after her omnibus journey. But she had hardly seated herself before she said : 17 238 PART II CHAPTER XXI " Oh, this room is so full of people ; oh, some one so eager to come ! I hear some one say ' Sir Oliver Lodge.' Do you know anyone of that name ? " I said, yes, I know him. Mrs. Kennedy got up to darken the room slightly, and Mrs. Clegg ejaculated : " Who is Raymond, Raymond, Raymond ? He is standing close to me." She was evidently going off into a trance, so we moved her chair back farther from the fire, and without more preparation she went off. For some time, however, nothing further happened, except contortions, struggling to get speech, rubbings of the back as if in some pain or discomfort there, and a certain amount of gasping for breath. Mrs. Kennedy came to try and help, and to give power. She knelt by her side and soothed her. I sat and waited. Presently the utterance was distinguished as, " Help me, where's the doctor ? " After a time, with K. K.'s help, the control seemed to get a little clearer, and the words, " So glad ; father; love to mother; so glad," frequently repeated in an indistinct and muffled tone of voice, were heard, followed by, "Love to all of them." Nothing was put down at the time, for there seemed nothing to record it seemed only preliminary effort ; and in so far as anything was said, it consisted merely of simple messages of affection, and indications of joy at being able to come through, and of disappointment at not being able to do better. The medium, however, went through a good deal of pantomime, embracing me, stroking my arm, patting my knees, and sometimes stroking my head, sometimes also throwing her arms round me and giving the impression of being overjoyed, but unable to speak plainly. Then other dumb show was begun. He seemed to be thinking of the things in his kit, or things which had been in his possession, and trying to enumerate them. He in- dicated that his revolver had not come back, and that in his diary the last page was not written up. I promised to complete it. After a time, utterance being so difficult, I gave the TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 239 medium a pad and pencil, and asked for writing. The writing was large and sprawly, single words : Captain ' among them. While Raymond was speaking, and at intervals, the medium kept flopping over to one side or the other, hanging on the arm of her chair with head down, or else drooping forward, or with head thrown back assuming various limp and wounded attitudes. Though every now and then she seemed to make an effort to hold herself up, and once or twice crossed knees and sat up firm, with arms more or less folded. But the greater part of the time she was flopping about. Presently Raymond said ' Good-bye,' and a Captain was supposed to control. She now spoke in a vigorous martial voice, as if ordering things, but saying nothing of any moment. Then he too went away, and ' Hope ' appeared, who, I am told, is Mrs. Clegg's normal control. Hope was able to talk reasonably well, and what she said I recorded for what it might be worth, but I omit the record, because though it contained references to people and things outside the knowledge of the medium or Mrs. Kennedy, and was therefore evidential as regards the genuineness and honesty of the medium, it was not otherwise worth reporting, unless much else of what was said on the same subjects by other mediums were reported too. On the evening of this same 3rd of March i.e. later in the same day that I had sat with Mrs. Clegg I went alone to Mrs. Leonard's house and had rather a remarkable sitting, at which full knowledge of the Clegg performance was shown. It is worthy therefore of some careful attention. After reading this part, the above very abbreviated record of the Clegg sitting, held some hours before in another house and other conditions, should again be read. I wish to call attention to the following 3rd of March sitting as one of the best ; other members of the family have probably had equally good ones, but my notes are fuller. I hope it is fully understood that the mannerisms are Feda's throughout. 240 PART II CHAPTER XXI Sitting oj 0. J. L. with Mrs. Leonard at her House on Friday, 3 March 1916, Jrom 9.15 p.m. to 11.15 P- m - (O. J. L. alone.) No preliminaries to report. Feda came through quickly, jerked in the chair, and seemed very pleased to find me. (I asked if she had seen Raymond lately.) Oh yes, Yaymond's here. He came to help Feda with the lady and gentle- man on Monday, Feda thinks it was. Not quite sure when. But there was a lady and gentleman, and he came to help ; and Feda said, " Go away, Yaymond ! " He said, " No, I've come to stay." He wouldn't go away, and he did help them through with their boy. [The reference here is to a sitting which a col- league of mine, Professor and Mrs. Sonnen- schein, had had, unknown to me, with Mrs. Leonard. I learnt afterwards that the ar- rangements had been made by them in a carefully anonymous manner, the corre- spondence being conducted via a friend in Darlington ; so that they were only known to Mrs. Leonard as " a lady and gentle- man from Darlington." They had re- ported to me that their son Christopher had sent good and evidential messages, and that Raymond had turned up to help. It was quite appropriate for Raymond to take an interest in them and bring their son, since Christopher Sonnenschein had been an engineering fellow-student with Raymond at Birmingham. But there was no earthly reason, so far as Mrs. Leonard's knowledge was concerned, for him to put in an appear- ance ; and indeed Feda at first told him to ' Go away/ until he explained that he had come to help. Hence the mention of Raymond, under the circumstances, was evidential.] TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 241 He's only been once to help beside this, and then he said, Don't tell the lady he was helping. [See below.] He's been with Paulie to-day, to Paulie's mother's. He says he's been at Paulie's house, but not with Mrs. Kathie, with another lady, a medie, Feda thinks. She was older than this one ; a new one to him. 1 He wanted to speak through her, but he found it was difficult Paul manages it all right, he says, but he finds it difficult. He says he started to get through, and then he didn't feel like himself. It's awful strange when one tries to control anybody. He wanted to very bad ; he almost had them. (Sotto voce. What you mean, Yaymond ?) He says he thought he almost had them. He means he nearly got through. Oh, he says, he's not given it up ; he's going to try again. What worries him is that he doesn't feel like him- self. You know, father, I might be anybody. He says, Do you believe that in that way, practice makes perfect ? o. J. L. Yes, I'm sure it gets easier with practice. Oh, then he'll practise dozens of times, if he thinks it will be any good. o. J. L. Did he like the old woman ? Oh yes ; she's a very good sort. o. J. L. Who Wets there sitting ? [This question itself indicates, what was the fact, that I had so far given no recognition to the statement that Raymond had been trying to control a medium on the morning of that same day. I wanted to take what came through, without any assistance.] He's not sure, because he didn't seem to get all properly into the conditions ; it was like being in a kind of mist, in a fog. He felt he was getting hold of the lady, but he didn't quite know where he was. He'd got something ready to say, and he 1 This shows clear and independent knowledge of the sitting which I had held with Mrs. Clegg that same morning (see early parts of this chapter). 16 242 PART II CHAPTER XXI started to try and say it, and it seemed as if he didn't know where he was. [Feda reports sometimes in the third person, sometimes in the first.] What does she flop about for, father ? / don't want to do that ; it bothered me rather, I didn't know if I was making her ill or something. Paulie said she thought it was the correct thing to do ! But I wish she wouldn't. If she would only keep quiet, and let me come calmly, it would be much easier. Mrs. Kathie [Feda's name for Mrs. Katherine Kennedy] tries to help all she can, but it makes such a muddled condition. I might not be able to get a test through, even when I con- trolled better ; I should have to get quite at home there, before I could give tests through her. He and Paulie used to joke about the old lady, but they don't now. Paul manages to control ; he used to see Paulie doing it. I will try again, he says, and I will try again. It's worth trying a few times, then I can get my bearings, and I feel that what I wanted to say beforehand I will be able to get through. Feda has an idea that what he had saved up to say was only just the usual messages. He had got them ready in his head ; he had learnt it up just a few words. Paulie told him he had better do that, and then (oh, you had bettpr not tell Mrs. Kathie this, for it isn't polite !) and then Paulie told him to spit it out . And that 's what he tried to do j ust to say the few words that he had learnt up. He just wanted to say how pleased he was to see you. .He wanted also to speak about his mother, and to bring in, if he could, about having talked to you through Feda. Just simple things like that. He had to think of simple things, because Paulie had told him that it was no good trying to think of anything in-tri-cate. [Feda always pronounces what she no doubt considers long words in a careful and drawn- out manner.] He didn't see clearly, but he felt. He had a TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 243 good idea that you were there, and that Mrs. Kathie was there, but he wasn't sure ; he was all muddled up. Poor Mrs. Kathie was doing her best. He says, Don't change the conditions, if you try it again. He never quite knows whether he is going to have good conditions or not. He wanted to speak about all this. That's all about that. [This is a completely accurate reference to what had happened with Mrs. Clegg in the morn- ing of the same day. Everything is properly and accurately represented. It is the best thing about the sitting perhaps, though there are many good things in it.] [The next incident concerns other people and I usually omit these but I propose to in- clude this one.] About the lady he tried to help the one that he didn't want Feda to tell who he was (p. 241). He was helping through a man who had got drownded. This lady had had no belief nor nothing in spiritual things before. The guides brought her to Feda, that she might speak with a dear friend of hers. I helped him, he says, and got both of his initials through to her E. A. o. J. L. Do I know these people ? Yes, you write a lot to the lady. [I remembered afterwards that I had had some correspondence with a lady who was told at a sitting, apparently by Raymond, that I knew a Dr. A. She was and is a stranger, but for this curious introduction.] o. j. L Is A the surname ? Yes, the spirit's, not the lady's. The lady doesn't know that he [Raymond] is telling you this. And she doesn't know that he helped her. He says, It's for your own use, father. It's given her a new outlook on life. o. j. L. I have no idea who she is. Can you get her name ? Oh yes, she's a lady called Mrs. D. [Full name given easily, but no doubt got from the sitter in ordinary course.] And before, you see, she 244 PART II CHAPTER XXI was living a worldly life. She was interested in a way, but not much. She never tried to come into it. When she came, she thought she would have her fortune told. Raymond was waiting for her to come, and brought up the right conditions at once. The man was a nice man, he liked him, and he wanted to bring her into it . The man was fond of her. Ray- mond has been helping him a lot. He says, I can only help in a small way, but if you could go round and see the people just on the verge of learning something ! I can't help them in a big way, but still, it's something important even what I can do. For every one I bring in like that lady, there will be a dozen coming from that. o. j. L. (still remembering nothing about these people). Did the man drown himself ? Oh no, he wented down in a boat ; they nearly all wented down together. The lady wasn't expecting him she nearly flopped over when he came. o. J. L. Was he related to the lady ? No, but he had been the biggest thing in her life. He says it seemed as though she must have felt something, to make her write to you. o. j. L. However did Raymond know that she had written to me ? Feda doesn't know. (Sotto voce. Tell Feda, Yaymond.) Do you believe me, father, I really can't tell you how I know some things. It's not through inquiry, but sometimes I get it just like a Marconi apparatus receives a message from somewhere, and doesn't know where it comes from at first. Sometimes I try to find out things, and I can't. [I perceived gradually that this episode related to some one named E. A. (unknown to me), about whom I had been told at a Feda sit- ting on Friday, 28 January 1916, Raymond seeming to want me to speak to E. A.'s father about him. And in a note to that sitting it is explained how I received a letter shortly afterwards from a stranger, a Mrs. D.; TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 245 who consulted me about informing Dr. A. of the appearance of his son. The whole episode is an excellent one, but it concerns other people, and if narrated at all must be narrated more fully and in another place. Suffice it to say that the son had been lost in tragic circumstances, and that the father is impressed by the singular nature of the evi- dence that has now been given through the lady a special visit to Scotland having been made by her for that express purpose. She had not known the father before, but she found him and his house as described ; and he admits the details as surprisingly accurate.] Here is the extract from my sitting of 28 January 1916 relating to this affair : EXTRACT FROM O. J. L.'S SITTING WITH MRS. LEONARD, FRIDAY, 28 JANUARY 1916 He has met somebody called E., Raymond has. He doesn't know who it is, but wonders if you do. O. J. L. Is she an old lady ? It's a man, he says. He was drownded. I have helped him a bit, at least I tried, he says. He passed on before Raymond did. O. J. L. Did he drown himself ? Raymond doesn't say that. His name was E. He was from Scotland. You will know his father. Raymond says, I have got a motive in this, father ; I don't want to say too much, and I don't want to say too little. You have met E.'s father, and you will meet him again ; he comes from Scotland. Raymond is not quite certain, but he thinks he is in Scotland now. His father's name begins with an A, so the other man is E. A. He was fighting his ship. Raymond thinks they was all drownded. He's older than Raymond. Raymond says he's a pretty dark chap. You know his father best, I don't know whether you knew the other chap at all. You have known his father for some years, but you don't often get a chance of meeting. I have got an idea that you will be hearing from him soon. Then you will be able to un- load this on to him. They are trying to bring it about, that meeting with the father of E. 246 PART II CHAPTER XXI O. J. L. I could make a guess at the surname, but perhaps I had better not. / No, don't. You know I'm not always sure of my facts. ^' I I know pretty well how things are, and I think I am pretty safe in saying that it is Scotland. He gives D. also, That's not a person, it's a place. Some place not far from it, called D., he says. It's near, not the place, where he lives. ' Flanked/ he calls it, * flanked ' on the other side by L. They never knew how E. passed on really. They know he was drowned, but not how it happened. On receiving this message I felt that the case was a genuine one, and that I did know a Dr. A. precisely as described. And I also gradually remembered that he had lost a son at sea, though I did not know the son. But I felt that I must wait for further particulars before broaching what might be an unpalatable subject to Dr. A. (End of extract from 28 January 1916.) Ultimately I did receive further particulars as narrated above, and so a month later I did go to call on the old Doctor, after the ice had been broken by Mrs. D., who in some trepidation had made a special journey for the pur- pose, and then nearly came away without opening the subject, and I verified the trance description of his house which Mrs. D. had received and sent me. Indeed, all the facts stated turned out to be true. The sitting of 3 March, now being reported, and inter- rupted by this quotation from a previous sitting, went on thus : He took his mother some red roses, and he wants you to tell her. He took them to her from the spirit world, they won't materialise, but I gathered some and took them to her. This isn't a test, father, o. j. L. No. Very well, you just want her to know. I will tell her. (A little talk omitted.) o. j. L. Do you want to say anything about the other two people that you helped last Monday, I think it was ? [The Sonnenscheins ; still only known to Mrs. Leonard as a lady and gentleman from Darlington.] No, there's nothing much to tell you about that, or about them. But he brought a son to TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 247 them. He stood on one side so as not to take any of the power. He just came at first to show Feda it was all right, and he just came in at the end to send his love, o. j. L. Why did he help those particular people? [I knew why, but I thought proper to ask, since from the medium's point of 'view there was no reason at all.] He says he had to. They have been worrying about whether their son had suffered much pain before he passed on. There seems to have been some uncertainty about as to whether he had or not. His body wasn't recovered as soon as it ought to have been. But he didn't suffer much. He was numbed, and didn't as a matter of fact feel much. He throwed up his arms, and rolled down a bank place. [Christopher Sonnenschein was killed by falling down a snow mountain, and his body was not recovered for five days.] o. j. L. Did you know these people before ? Yes. He says, yes. But he won't tell Feda who they is. o. j. L. Does he want to send them any message ? He says nothing further has come out, except that he is getting on very well, and that he was pleased. You might tell them that he is happier now. Yes, he is, since he seed them. [The sitting referred to here, as having been held by a lady and gentleman last Monday, refers to my colleague and his wife and their deceased son Christopher. Their identity had been completely masked by the arrangements they had made, without my knowledge. The letters making arrange- ments were sent round by Darlington to be posted, in order to cover up tracks and re- move all chance of a discoverable connexion with me. (See p. 240.) Hence it is in- teresting that Raymond turned up to help, for in their normal life the two youths had known each other.] 248 PART II CHAPTER XXI He has been trying to help you since he saw you here last time. He thought that you knew that he was. He did try hard. He says, I helped you in such a funny way. I got near you and felt such a desire to help you and prevent you from getting tired. He was concentrating on the back of your head, and sort of saying to him- self, and impressing the thought towards you : " It's coming easy, you shan't get tired, the brain is going to be very receptive, everything is going to flow through it easily in order." I feel myself saying it all the time, and I get so close I nearly lean on you. To my great delight, I saw you sit up once, and you said : " Ah, that's good/' It was some little time back, o, j. L. I speak to your photograph sometimes. Yes. I can speak to you without a photo- graph ! I am often with you, very often. He's taking Feda into a room with a desk in it ; too big for a desk, it must be a table. A sort of a desk, a pretty big one. A chair is in front of it, not a chair like that, a high up chair, more wooden, not woolly stuff ; and the light is falling on to the desk ; and you are sitting there with a pen or pencil in your hand ; you aren't writing much, but you are looking through writing, and making bits of writing on it ; you are not doing all the writing yourself, but only bits on it. Raymond is standing at the back of you ; he isn't looking at what you are doing. [The description is correct.] He thought you were tired out last time you came here. He knows you are sometimes. He's been wanting to say to you, " Leave some of it." O. J. L. But there's so much to be done. Yes, he knows it isn't easy to leave, it. But it would be better in the end if you can leave a bit, father. You are doing too much. You know that I am longing and dying for the day when you come over to me. It will be a splendid day for me. But I mustn't be selfish. I have got to work to keep you away from us, and that's not easy for me. TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 249 He says that lots over here talk, and say that you will be doing the most wonderful work of your life through the war. People are ready to, listen now. They had too many things before to let them think about them ; but now it's the great thing to think about the after-life. I want you to know that when first I came over here, I thought it a bit unfair that such a lot of fellows were coming over in the prime of life, coming over here. But now he sees that for every one that came over, dozens of people open their eyes, and want to know where he has gone to. Directly they want to know, they begin to learn something. Some of them never stopped to think seriously before. " He must be somewhere/' they say, " he was so full of life ; can we find out ? " Then I see that through this, people are going to find out, and find out not only for themselves, but will pass it on to many others, and so it will grow. He wants to tell you that Mr. Myers says that in ten years from now the world will be a different place. He says that about fifty per cent, of the civilised portion of the globe will be either spiritualists, or coming into it. O. j. L. Fifteen per cent. ? Fifty, he said. Raymond says, I am no judge of that, but he isn't the only one that thinks it. He says, I've got a kind of theory, in a crude sort of way, that man has made the earth plane into such a hotbed of materialism and selfishness, that man again has to atone by sacrifices of mankind in the prime of their physical life. So that by that prime self- effacement, they will bringmore spiritual conditions on to the earth, which will crush the spirit of materialism. He says that isn't how I meant to put it, but I've forgotten how I meant to say it. o. j. L. Well now, Raymond, Mr. Myers sent me a message to say that you had got some tests ready to get through, and that I was to give you an opportunity of giving them. Oh yes, he says. But I can't get anything 250 PART II CHAPTER XXI through about the Argonauts : that seems worst of anything. He's showing Feda a thing that looks like a canvas house. Yes, it must be a canvas house. And it looks to Feda as though it's on a place that seems to be open a wide place. Yes, no, there's not much green showing where Feda can see. There's a kind of a door in it, like that. (Feda made some sign I didn't catch.) The canvas is sort of grey, quite a light colour, but not quite white. Oh yes, Feda feels the sound of water not far from it ripple, ripple. Feda sees a boy not Raymond half lying, half sitting at the door of the tent place, and he hasn't got a proper coat on ; he's got a shirt thing on here, and he's like spreaded out. It's a browny-coloured earth, not nice green, but sandy-coloured ground. As Feda looks at the land, the ground rises sharp at the back. Must have been made to rise, it sticks up in the air. He's showing it as though it should be in some photograph or picture. Feda got wondering about it, what it was for. It's a funny-shaped tent, not round, sort of lop-sided. The door isn't a proper door, it flops. You ought to be able to see a picture of this. [See photographs opposite.] o. j. L. Has it got to do with the Argonauts ? No. o. j. L. Oh, it's not Coniston then ? No. o. j. L. Is it by the sea ? Near the water, he says ; he doesn't say the sea. No, he won't say that ; he says, near water. It looks hot there. o. j. L. Will the boys know ? You will know soon about it, he says. Feda gets a feeling that there are two or three moving about inside that tent. o. j. L. Is it all one chamber in the tent ? He didn't say that. He was going to say, no, and then he stopped to think. No, I don't think it was, it was divided off. LARflK noinU^R-COMHAKTMKNT TKNT IN ITS FIRST <uU5) (HUILT AT MORIKMONT AN1> TAKEN TO WOO1..-U'OM1IB> TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 251 [See photographs of two forms of this tent.] Now he is showing something right on top of that. Now he is showing Feda a yacht, a boat with white sails. Now he is going back to the tent again. The raised up land is at the back of the tent, well set back. It doesn't give an even sticking up, but it goes right along, with bits up and bits lower down. [The description could not be completely taken down, but it gave the impression of a raised bank of varying height, behind an open space, and a tent in front of it. It quite suggested that sort of picture.] [See photograph facing p. 252.] Maps, what's that ? Maps, maps, he says. He's saying something about maps. This is something that the boys will know. Poring, he says. Not pouring anything out, but poring over maps. Ask the boys. [See note after further reference to maps later in the sitting.] o. j. L. What about that yacht with sails ; did it run on the water ? No. (Feda, sotto voce. Oh, Raymond, don't be silly !) He says, no. (Feda. It must have done !) He's showing Feda like a thing on land, yes, a land thing. It's standing up, like edgeways. A narrow thing. No, it isn't water, but it has got nice white sails. o. j. L. Did it go along ? He says it DIDN'T ! He's laughing ! When he said ' didn't ' he shouted it. Feda should have said, ' He laid peculiar emphasis on it/ This is for the boys, o. j. L. Had they got to do with that thing ? Yes, they will know, they will understand. Yes, he keeps on showing like a boat a yacht, he calls it, a yacht. [See note below and photographs.] Now he is showing Feda some figures. Some- thing flat, like a wall. Rods and things, long rods. Some have got little round things shaking on them, 252 PART II CHAPTER XXI like that. And he's got strings, some have got strings. * Strings ' isn't the right word, but it will do. Smooth, strong, string-like. In the corner, where it's a little bit dark, some one is standing up and leaning against something, and a piece of stuff is flapping round them. Now he is saying again something about maps. He's going to the maps again. It isn't a little map, but it's one you can unfold and fold up small. And they used to go with their fingers along it, like that not he only, but the boys. And it wasn't at home, but when they were going somewhere some distance from home. And Feda gets the impression as though they must be looking at the map when it was moving. They seem to be moving smoothly along, like in one of those horrible trains. Feda has never been in a train. [The mention of folded-up maps cannot be considered important, but it is appropriate, because many of the boys' common remin- iscences group round long motor drives in Devonshire and Corjiwall, when they must frequently have been consulting the kind of map described.] \ , [Note by 0. J. L. on Tent and Boat. All this about the tent and boat is excellent, though not outside my knowledge. The descrip- tion of the scenery showed plainly that it was Woolacombe sands that was meant whither the family had gone in the summer for several years a wide open stretch of sand, with ground rising at the back, as de- scribed, and with tents along under the bank, one of which a big one had been made by the boys. It was on wheels, it had two chambers with a double door, and was used for bathing by both the boys and girls. Quite a large affair, oblong in shape, like a small cottage. One night a gale carried it up to the top of the sand-hills and wrecked it . We saw it from the windows in the morning. FIRST KDITION OF THIC SANfMHUT AT W0OLAC0MTIE WITH ALKC ON HOARD ilknL'NM) HKIIINI) OLDKR TKNTS OX WOOLACOMUK I'-KACH TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 253 The boys pulled it to pieces, and made a smaller tent of the remains, this time with only one chamber, and its shape was now a bit lop-sided. I felt in listening to the de- scription that there was some hesitation in Raymond's mind as to whether he was speaking of the first or the second stage of this tent. As for the sand-boat, it was a thing they like- wise made at Mariemont, and carted down to Woolacombe. A kind of long narrow platform or plank on wheels, with a rudder and sails. At first, when it had small sails, it only went with a light passenger and a strong wind behind. But in a second season they were more ambitious, and made bigger sails to it, and that season I believe it went along the sands very fast occasionally ; but it still wouldn't sail at right angles to the wind as they wanted. They finally smashed the mast by sailing in a gale with three passengers. There had been ingenuity in making it, and Raymond had been particu- larly active over it, as he was over all con- structions. On the whole it was regarded as a failure, the wheels were too small ; and Raymond's ' DIDN'T ' is quite accepted. References to these things were evidently some of the tests (p. 249) which he had got together for transmission to me. [See photographs.] The rod and rings and strings, mentioned after the ' boat,' I don't at present understand. So far as I have ascertained, the boys don't understand either, at present.] I don't know whether I have got anything more that I can really call a test. You will have to take, he says (he's laughing now) take the information about the old lady as a test. o. j. L. You mean what he began with ? [i.e. about Mrs. Clegg.] Yes. 254 PART II CHAPTER XXI o. j. L. Well, it's a very good one. He's been trying to find somebody whose name begins with K. But it isn't Mrs. Kathie, it's a gentleman. He's been trying to find him. o. j. L. What for ? He thought his mother would be interested. There's something funny about this. One is in the spirit world, but one they believe is still on the earth plane. He hasn't come over yet. [One of the two referred to is certainly dead ; the other may possibly, but very improbably, be a prisoner.] There's a good deal of mystery about this, but I'm sure he isn't actually come over yet. Some people think that because we are here, we have only to go anywhere we choose, and find out any- thing we like. But that's Tommy-rot. They are limited, but they send messages to each other, and what he sincerely believes is, that that man has not passed on. o. j. L. Mother thinks he has, and so do his people. Yes, yes. I don't know whether it would be advisable to tell them anything, but I have a feeling that he isn't here. I have been looking for him everywhere. He keeps on building up a J. He doesn't answer when Feda asks what that is. He says there will be a few surprises for people later on. o. j. L. Well, I take it that he wants me to understand that J. K. is on our side ? Yes, he keeps nodding his head. Yes, in the body. Mind, he says, I've got a feeling I can only call it a feeling that he has been hurt, practically unconscious. Anyway, time will prove if I am right. o. j. L. I hope he will continue to live, and come back. I hope so too. Except for the possible doubt about it, I would say tell them at once. But after all they are happier in thinking that he has gone over, than that he's in some place undergoing terrible privations. Now he's saying something carefully to Feda. He says they should not go by finding a stick. He TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 255 wants you to put that down they ought not to go by finding a stick. o. j. L. Oh, they found a stick, did they ? Yes, that's how, yes. [I clearly understood that this statement re- ferred to a certain Colonel, about whom there was uncertainty for months. But a funeral service has now been held an impressive one, which M. F. A. L. attended. On inquiry from her, I find (what I didn't know at the time of the sitting) that the evidence of his death is a riding- whip, which they found in the hands of an unrecognisable corpse. From some initials on this riding-whip, they thought it belonged to him ; and on this evidence'have concluded him dead. So far as I know, they entertain no doubt about it. At any rate, we have heard none expressed, either publicly or privately. Hence, the informa- tion now given may possibly turn out of interest, though there is always the possi- bility that, if he is a prisoner in Germany, he may not survive the treatment. He was leading an attack on the Hohenzollern Re- doubt when he fell ; he was seen to fall, wounded ; there was great slaughter, and when at night his man returned to try and find him, he could not be found. This is my recollection of the details, but of course they can be more accurately given. At what period the whip was found, I don't know, but can ascertain.] (See also p. 266.) [No further news yet September 1916. But I must confess that I think the information extremely unlikely. O. J. L.] o. j. L. Does he remember William, our gardener ? Yes. Feda doesn't know what he means, but he says something about coming over. (Feda, sotto voce. Tell Feda what you mean.) 256 PART II^CHAPTER XXI He doesn't give it very clearly. Feda gets an idea that he means coming over there. Yes, he does mean into the spirit world. Feda asks him, did he mean soon ; but he shakes his head. o. j. L. Does he mean that he has come already ? He doesn't get that very clearly. He keeps saying, coming over, coming over, and when Feda asked ' Soon ? ' he shook his head, as if getting cross. O. J. L. If he sees him, perhaps he will help him. Of course he will. He hasn't seen him yet. No, he hasn't seen him. [I may here record that William, the gardener, died within a week before the sitting, and that Raymond here clearly indicates a knowledge, either of his death or of its imminence.] It's difficult when people approach you, and say they knew your father or your mother ; you don't quite know what to say to them ! o. j. L. Yes, it must be a bother. Do you remember a bird in our garden ? (Feda, sotto voce. Yes, hopping about?) O. J. L. No, Feda, a big bird. Of course, not sparrows, he says ! Yes, he does. (Feda, sotto voce. Did he hop, Yaymond ?) No, he says you couldn't call it a hop. o. j. L. Well, we will go on to something else now ; I don't want to bother him about birds. Ask him does he remember Mr. Jackson ? Yes. Going away, going away, he says. He used to come to the door. (Feda, sotto voce. Do you know what he means ? Anyone can come to the door !) He used to see him every day, he says, every day. (Sotto voce. What did he do, Yaymond ?) He says, nothing. (I can't make out what he says.) He's thinking. It's Feda's fault, he says. o. J. L. Well, never mind. Report anything he says, whether it makes sense or not. He says he fell down. He's sure of that. He hurt himself. He builds up a letter T, and he shows a gate, a small gate looks like a foot-path ; not one in the middle of a town. Pain in hands and arms. TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 257 o. j. L. Was he a friend of the family ? No. No, he says, no. He gives Feda a feeling of tumbling, again he gives a feeling as though (Feda thinks Y ay mond's joking) he laughed. He was well known among us, he says ; and yet, he says, not a friend of the family. Scarcely a day passed without his name being mentioned. He's joking, Feda feels sure. He's making fun of Feda. o. j. L. No, tell me all he says. He says, put him on a pedestal. No, that they put him on a pedestal, lie was considered very wonderiul. And he 'specs that he wouldn't have appreciated it, if he had known; but he didn't know, he says. Not sure if he ever will, he says. It sounds nonsense, what he says. Feda has got an impression that he's mixing him up with the bird, because he said something about ' bird ' in the middle of it just while he said something about Mr. Jackson, and then he pulled himself up, and changed it again. Just before he said ' pedestal \ he said ' line bird/ and then he stopped. In trying to answer the one, he got both mixed up, Mr. Jackson and the bird. o. J. L. How absurd ! Perhaps he's getting tired. He won't say he got this mixed up ! But he did ! Because he said ' fine bird/ and then he started off about Mr. Jackson. o. j. L. What about the pedestal ? On a pedestal, he said. o. j. L. Would he like him put on a pedestal? No, he doesn't say nothing. [Contemporary Note by 0. /. L. The episode of Mr. Jackson and the bird is a good one. ' Mr. Jackson ' is the comic name of our peacock. Within the last week he has died, partly, I fear, by the severe weather. But his legs have been rheumatic and trouble- some for some time ; and in trying to walk he of late has tumbled down on them. He was found dead in a yard on a cold morning with his neck broken. One of the last people I saw before leaving home for this 17 258 PART II CHAPTER XXI sitting was a man whom Lady Lodge had sent to take the bird's body and have it stuffed. She showed him a wooden pedestal on which she thought it might be placed, and tail feathers were being sent with it. Hence, the reference to the pedestal, if not tele- pathic from me, shows a curious knowledge of what was going on. And the jocular withholding from Feda of the real meaning of Mr. Jackson, and the appropriate remarks made concerning him which puzzled Feda, were quite in Raymond's vein of humour. Perhaps it was unfortunate that I had mentioned a bird first, but I tried afterwards, by my manner and remarks, completely to dis- sociate the name Jackson from what I had asked before about the bird ; and Raymond played up to it. It may be that he acquires some of these con- temporary items of family information through sittings which are held in Marie- mont, where of course all family gossip is told him freely, no outsider or medium being present. But the death of Mr. Jackson, and the idea of having him stuffed and put on a pedestal, were very recent, and I was sur- prised that he had knowledge of them. I emphasise the episode as exceptionally good.] He's trying to show Feda the side of a house ; not a wall, it has got glass. He's taking Feda round to it ; it has got glass stuff. Yes, and when you look in, it's like flowers inside and green stuff. He used to go there a lot be there, he says. Red- coloured pots. o. j. L. Is that anything to do with Mr. Jackson ? He's shaking his head now. That's where mother got the flowers from. Tell her, she will know. [There is more than one greenhouse that might be referred to. M. F. A. L. got the yellow jasmine, which she thinks is the flower re- * W." 'MR. JACKSON" WITH M.F.A.L. AT MARIEMONT TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 259 fcrred to, from the neighbourhood of one of them. And it is one on which the peacock used commonly to roost ; though whether the reference to it followed on, or had any connexion with, the peacock is uncertain, and seems to be denied.] Yes, he's not so clear now, Soliver. He has enjoyed himself. Sometimes he enjoys himself so much, he forgets to do the good things he pre- pared. I could stay for hours and hours, he says. But he's just as keen as you are in getting tests through. I think I have got some. When I go away, I pat myself on the back and think, That's something for them to say, " Old Raymond does remember something." What does aggravate him sometimes is that when he can't get things through, people think it's because he has forgotten. It isn't a case of forgetting. He doesn't forget anything. Father, do you remember what I told mother about the place I had been to, and whom I had been allowed to see ? What did they think of it ? [See M. F. A. L. sitting with Mrs. Leonard, 4 February 1916, Chapter XX.] o. J. L. Well, the family thought that it wasn't like Raymond. Ah, that's what I was afraid of. That's the awful part of it. O. J. L. Well, I don't suppose they knew your serious side. Before he gave that to his mother, he hesitated, and thought he wouldn't. And then he said, Never mind what they think now, I must let mother and father know. Some day they will know, and so, what does it matter ? He knew that they might think it was something out of a book, not me ; but perhaps they didn't know that side of me so well. o. j. L. No. But among the things that came back, there was a Bible with marked passages in it, and so I saw that you had thought seriously about these things. [Page ii.] Yes, he says. Yet there's something strange 2 6o PART II CHAPTER XXI about it somehow. We are afraid of showing that side ; we keep it to ourselves, and even hide it. o. j. L. It must have been a great experience for you. I hadn't looked for it, I hadn't hoped for it, but it was granted. o. j. L. Do you think you could take some opportunity of speaking about it through some other medium, not Feda ? Because at present the boys think that Feda invented it. Yes, that's what they do think. He says he will try very hard. o. J. L. Have you ever seen that Person otherwise than at that time ? No, I have not seen Him, except as I told you ; he says, father, he doesn't come and mingle freely, here and there and everywhere. I mean, not in that sense ; but we are always conscious, and we feel him. We are conscious of his presence. But you know that people think that when they go over, they will be with him hand in hand, but of course they're wrong. He doesn't think he will say very much more about that now, not until he's able to say it through some one else. It may be that they will say it wrong, that it won't be right ; it may get twisted. Feda does that sometimes. (Feda, sotlo voce. No, Feda doesn't !) Yes she does, and that's why I say, go carefully. o. j. L. Has he been through another medium to a friend of mine lately ? [This was intended to refer to a sitting which Mr. Hill was holding with Peters about that date, and, as it turned out, on the same day.] He doesn't say much. No, he doesn't say nothing about it. He hasn't got much power, and he's afraid that he might go wrong. Good-bye, lather, now. My love to you, my love to mother. I am nearer to you than ever before, and I'm not so silly about [not] showing it. Love to all of them. Lionel is a dear old chap. My love to all. SKCOND EfHTfOM OF SANIM'.OAT, AT MAR1KMONT, UNSHIPPED AM) TAKKN '10 WOOLArOMUK, li07 RAVMOM) NVORKINd AT THK SAM)-1H)AT IN THK T-OVS LAUORATORV AT MARIKMON'l' TWO EVIDENTIAL SITTINGS 261 Don't forget to tell mother about the roses I brought her. There's nothing to understand about them ; I just wanted her to know that I brought her some flowers. Good night, father. I am always thinking of you. God bless you all. Give Feda's love to SrAlec. o. j. L. Yes, I will, Feda. We are all fond of you. Yes, Feda feels it, and it lifts Feda up, and helps her. Mrs. Leonard speedily came-to, and seemed quite easy and well, although the sitting had been a long one, and it was now nearly 11.30 p.m. [I repeat in conclusion that this was an excellent sitting, with a good deal of evidential matter. 0. J. L.] CHAPTER XXII MORE UNVERIFIABLE MATTER ON 24 March, we had some more unverifiable material through Mrs. Leonard ; it was much less striking than that given on 4 February, and I am inclined myself to attribute a good deal of it to hypo- thetical information received by Feda from other sitters : but it seems unfair to suppress it. In accordance with my plan I propose to reproduce it for what it is worth. Sitting with Mrs. Leonard at our Flat, Friday, 24 March 1916, from 5.45 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Present O. J. L. AND M. F. A. L.) REPORT BY O. J. L. (Mrs. Leonard arrived about 5.30 to tea, for a sitting with M. F. A. L. I happened to be able to come too, in order to take notes. She had just come away from an- other sitting, and had had some difficulty in getting rid of her previous sitter in time, which rather bothered her. The result was not specially conducive to lucidity, and the sitting seemed only a moderately good one. When Feda arrived she seemed pleased, and said : ) Yes it is, yes, it's Soliver ! How are you ? Raymond's here 1 M. F. A. L. Is he here already ? Yes, of course he is ! (Feda, sotto voce. What's he say ? ) He says he hasn't come to play with Feda, or make jokes ; he's come about serious things. Do you remember, Miss Olive [Feda's name for Lady Lodge], some time ago, about that beautiful MORE UNVERIFIABLE MATTER 263 experience what he had ? He's so glad that you and Soliver know about it, even though the others can't take it in. Years hence he thinks they may. He says, over there, they don't mind talking about the real things, over there, 'cos they're the things that count. He thinks the one that took it in mostly was Lionel. Yes, it seemed to sink in mostly ; he was turning it over afterwards, though he didn't say much. He's more ready for that than the others. He says he would never have believed it when he was here, but he is. He hasn't been to that place again, not that same place. But he's been to a place just below it. He's been attending lectures, at what they call, " halls of learning " : you can prepare yourself for the higher spheres while you are living in lower ones. He's on the third, but he's told that even now he could go on to the fourth if he chose ; but he says he would rather be learning the laws ap-per-taining to each sphere while he's still living on the third, be- cause it brings him closer at least until you two have come over. He will stay and learn, where he is. He wouldn't like to go on there and then find it to be difficult to get back. He will wait till we can go happily and comfortably together ! Would it interest you for him to tell you about one of the places he's been to ? It's so interesting to him, that he might seem to exaggerate ; but the experience is so wonderful, it lives with him. He went into a place on the fifthsphere a place he takes to be made of alabaster. He's not sure that it really was, but it looked like that. It looked Like a kind of a temple a large one. There were crowds passing into this place, and they looked veryjL^ppy. And he thought, " I wonder what I'm going to see here." When he got mixed up with the crowd going into the temple, he felt a kind of (he's stopping to think). It's not irreverency what he says, but he felt a kind of feeling as if he had had too much champagne it went to his head, he felt too buoyant, as if carried a bit off the ground. 264 PART II CHAPTER XXII That's 'cos he isn't quite attuned to the conditions of that sphere. It's a most extraordinary feeling. He went in, and he saw that though the building was white, there were many different lights : looked like certain places covered in red, and . . . was blue, and the centre was orange. These were not the crude colours that go by those names, but a soft- ened shade. And he looked to see what they came from. Then he saw that a lot of the windows were extremely large, and the panes in them had glass of these colours. And he saw that some of the people would go and stand in the pinky coloured light that came through the red glass, and others would stand in the blue light, and some would stand in the orange or yellow coloured light. And he thought, "What are they doing that for?" Then some one told him that the pinky coloured light was the light of the love-colour ;"and the blue was the light of actual spiritual healing ; and the orange was the light of intellect. And that, accord- ing to what people wanted, they would go and stand under that light. And the guide told him that it was more important than what people on earth knew. And that, in years to come, there would be made a study of the effect of different lights. The pinky people looked clever and developed in their attitude and mentality generally ; but they hadn't been able to cultivate the love-interest much, their other interests had overpowered that one. And the people who went into the intellectual light looked softer and happy, but not so clever looking. He says he felt more drawn to the pink light him- self, but some one said, " No, you have felt a good deal of that," and he got out and went into the other two, and he felt that he liked the blue light best. And he thinks that perhaps you will read something into that. I had the other conditions, but I wanted the other so much. The blue seemed to call me more than the others. After I had been in it some time, I felt that nothing mattered much, except preparing for the spiritual life. He says MORE UNVERIFIABLE MATTER 265 that the old Raymond seemed far away at the time, as though he was looking back on some one else's life some one I hadn't much connexion with, and yet who was linked on to me. And he felt, " What does anything matter, if I can only attain this beautiful uplifting feeling," I can't tell you what I felt like, but reading it over afterwards, perhaps you will understand. Words feel powerless to de- scribe it. He won't try, he will just tell you what happened after. We sat down the seats were arranged some- thing like pews in a church and as he looked towards the aisle, he saw coming up it about seven figures. And he saw, from his former experience, thaf they were evidently teachers come down from the seventh sphere. He says, they went up to the end part, and thev stood on a little raised platform ; and then one of them came down each of the little aisles, and put out their hands on those sitting in the pews. And when one of the (iuides put his hand on his head, he felt a mixture of all three lights as if he understood everything, and as if everything that he had ever felt, of anger or worry, all seemed nothing. And he felt as if he could rise to any height, and as if he could raise everybody round him. As if he had such a power in himself. He's stopping to think over it again. They sat and listened, and the first part of the ceremony was given in a lecture, in which one of the Guides was telling them how to teach others on the lower spheres and earth plane, to come more into the spiritual life, while still on those lower planes. I think that all that went before was to make it easy to understand. And he didn't get only the words of the speaker, words didn't seem to matter, he got the thought whole sentences, instead of one word at a time. And lessons were given on concentration, and on the projection of uplifting and helpful thoughts to those on the earth plane. And as he sat there he sat, they were not kneeling he felt as if something was 266 PART II CHAPTER XXII going from him, through the other spheres on to the earth, and was helping somebody, though he didn't know who it was. He can't tell you how wonderful it was ; not once it happened, but several times. He's even been on to the sixth sphere too. The | sixth sphere was even more beautiful than the fifth, but at present he didn't want to stay there. He would rather be helping people where he is. o. j. L. Does he see the troubles of people on the earth ? Yes, he does sometimes. I do wish that we could alter people so that they were not ashamed to talk about the things that matter. He can see people preparing for the summer holidays, and yet something may prevent them. But the journey that they have got to go some time, that they don't prepare for at all. M. F. A. L. How can you prepare for it ? Yes, by speaking about it openly, and living your life so as to make it easier for yourself and others. o. j. L. Is Raymond still there ? Has he got any more tests to give, or anything to say, to the boys or anybody ? Did they understand about the yacht ? o. j. L. Yes, they did. And about the tent ? o. j. L. Yes, they did. He's very pleased it bucks him up when he gets things through. o. j. L. Have you learnt any more about [the Colonel *] ? He's not on the spirit side. He feels sure he isn't, Somebody told him that there was a body found, near the place where he had been, and it was dressed in uniform like he had had. But something had happened to it here (pointing to her head), o. j. L. Who was it told you ? Some one on the other side ; just a messenger, not one who knew all about it. No, the messenger didn't seem to know J. K. personally, but he had 1 See record on p. 254. MORE UNVERIFIABLE MATTER 267 gathered the information from the minds of people on the earth plane. And Feda isn't quite sure, but thinks that there was something missing from the body missing from the body that they took to be him, which would have identified him. o. j. L. Do you mean the face ? No, he doesn't mean the face. (M. F. A. L., here pointing to her chest, signified to me that she knew that it was the identi- fication disk that was missing.) M. F. A. L. Why was it missing ? Because it wasn't he ! In the first place, it couldn't be, but if that had only been there, they would have known. He can't say where he is at the present moment, but he heard a few days ago that he is being kept somewhere, and as far as he can make out, in Belgium. It's as though he had been taken some distance. Raymond's not showing this but Feda's shown in a sort of flash a letter. First a B, and then an R. But the B doesn't mean Belgium ; it's either a B or an R, or both. It just flashed up. It may mean the place where he is. But Raymond doesn't know where he is, only he's quite sure that he isn't on the spirit side. But he's afraid he's ill. o. j. L. Have you anything more to say about E. A. ? [See 3 March record, p. 243.] No, no more. Raymond came to Feda to help the lady who came. Feda started describing Raymond. And he said, no, only come to help. And then he brought the one what was drownded. He came to help also with another, but Feda didn't tell that lady, 'cos she didn't know you. He doesn't like Feda to tell. Feda couldn't under- stand why he wanted to help, because she didn't know he knew that gentleman. He helped E. A. to build up a picture of his home. Perhaps she thinks it was Feda being so clever ! o. j. L. Yes, I know, she's been there to see it. [See p. 245.] Yes, and she found it what she said. He told 268 PART II CHAPTER XXII her that she wouldn't be seeing his mother. She couldn't see why she shouldn't see his mother ; but she didn't. [True.] Raymond hasn't got any good tests. He can't manufacture them, and they are so hard to re- member, o. j. L. Is he still in his little house ? Oh yes, he feels at home there. o. j. L. He said it was made of bricks I could make nothing of that. I knew you couldn't ! It's difficult to explain. At-om- ; he say something about at-om-ic principle. They seem to be able to draw (?) certain unstable atoms from the atmosphere and crystallise them as they draw near certain central attraction. That isn't quite what Feda thinks of it. Feda has seen like something going round a wheel something like electricity, some sparks dropping off the edge of the wheel, and it goes crick, crick, and becomes like hard ; and then they falls like little raindrops into the long thing under the wheel Raymond calls it the accumulator. I can't call them anything but bricks. It's difficult" to know what to call them. Wait until you come over, and I'll show you round. And you will say, " By Jove, so they are ! " Things are quite real here. Mind, I don't say things are as heavy" as on the earth, because they're not. And if he hit or kicked something it wouldn't displace it so much as on the earth, because we're lighter. I can't tell you exactly what it is ; I'm not very interested in making bricks, but I can see plainly how it's apparently clone. He says it appears to him too, that the spirit spheres are built round the earth plane, and seem to revolve with it. Only, naturally, the first sphere isn't revolving at such a rate as the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh spheres. Greater cir- * cumference makes it seem to revolve more rapidly. That seems to have an actual effect on the atmos- pheric conditions prevailing in any one of the spheres. Do you see what he's getting at ? o. j. L. Yes. He only means that the peripheral MORE UNVERIFIABLE MATTER 269 velocity is greater for the bigger spheres, though the angular velocity is the same. Yes, that's just what he means. And it does affect the different conditions, and that's why he felt a bit careful when he was on a higher sphere, in hanging on to the ground. [A good deal of this struck me as nonsense ; as if Feda had picked it up from some sitter. But I went on recording what was said.] Such a lot of people think it's a kind of thought- world, where you think all sort of things that it's all " think." But when you come over you see that there's no thinking about it ; it's there, and it does impress you with reality. He does wish you would come over. He will be as proud as a cat with some- thing tails two tails, he said. Proud as a cat with two tails showing you round the places. He says, father will have a fine time, poking into everything, and turning everything inside out. There's plenty flowers growing here, Miss Olive, you will be glad to hear. But we don't cut them here. They doesn't die and grow again ; they seem to renew themselves. Just like people, they are there all the time renewing their spirit bodies. The higher the sphere he went to, the lighter the bodies seemed to be he means the fairer, lighter in colour. He's got an idea that the reason why people have drawn angels with long fair hair and very fair complexion is that they have been in- spired by somebody from very high spheres. Feda's not fair ; she's not brown, but olive coloured; her hair is dark. All people that's any good has black hair. Do you know that [a friend] won't be satisfied unless he comes and has a talk through the table. Feda doesn't mind now, 'cos she has had a talk. So she will go now and let him talk through the table all right. Give Feda's love to all of them, specially to SLionel Feda likes him 270 PART II CHAPTER XXII (Mrs. Leonard now came-to, and after about ten minutes she and M. F. A. L. sat at a small octagonal table, which, in another five minutes, began to tilt.) [But the subject now completely changed, and, if reported at all, must be reported else- where.] I may say that several times, during a Feda sitting, some special communicator has asked for a table sitting to follow, because he considers it more definite and more private. And certainly some of the evidence so got has been remarkable ; as indeed it was on this occasion. But the record concerns other people, distant friends of my wife, some of whom take no interest in the subject whatever. NOTE IN TENTH EDITION The episode of " E. A." has developed a good deal since the book appeared. " Dr. A." himself has died, and has proved unexpectedly competent in giving messages himself giving them through several independent mediums, and in a very characteristic style. He has clearly shown that he remembers some of our talks on the subject, and has described the circum- stances under which they occurred. Mrs. D. also has had further communications from E. A. ; and the whole episode has now grown so much that a detailed account of it must be reported either in the Proceedings S.P.R. or elsewhere. CHAPTER XXIII A FEW ISOLATED INCIDENTS THERE are a number of incidents which might be reported, some of them of characteristic quality, and a few of them of the nature of good tests. The first of these reported here is decidedly important. I. SIMULTANEOUS SITTINGS IN LONDON AND EDGBASTON SPECIAL M HONOLULU' TEST EPISODE * Lionel and Norah, going through London on the way to Eastbourne, on Friday, 26 May 1916, arranged to have a sitting with Mrs. Leonard about noon. They held one from 11.55 to 1.30, and a portion of their record is tran- scribed below. At noon it seems suddenly to have occurred to Alec in Birmingham to try for a correspondence test ; so he motored up from his office, extracted some sisters from the Lady Mayoress's Depot, where they were making surgical bandages, and took them to Mariemont for a brief table sitting. It lasted about ten minutes, between 12.10 and 1 2. 20 p.m. And the test which he then and there suggested was to ask Raymond to get Feda in London to say the word " Honolulu/' This task, I am told, was vigorously accepted and acquiesced in. A record of this short sitting Alec wrote on a letter- card to me, which I received at 7 p.m. the same evening at Mariemont : the first I had heard of the experiment. The postmark is " i p.m. 26 My 16," and the card runs thus : 272 PART II CHAPTER XXIII " Mariemont, Friday, 26 May, 12.29 P- m - Honor, Rosalynde, and Alec sitting in drawing-room at table. Knowing Lionel and Norah having Feda sitting in London simultaneously. Asked Raymond to give our love to Norah and Lionel and to try and get Feda to say Honolulu. Norah and Lionel know nothing of this, as it was arranged by A. M.-L. after 12 o'clock to-day. " (Signed) ALEC M. LODGE HONOR G. LODGE ROSALYNDE V. LODGE" It is endorsed on the back in pencil, " Posted at B'ham General P.O. 12.43 p.m." ; and, in ink, " Received by me 7 p.m. O. J. L. Opened and read and filed at once." The sitters in London knew nothing of the contem- poraneous attempt ; and nothing was told them, either then or later. Noticing nothing odd in their sitting, which they had not considered a particularly good one, they made no report till after both had returned from East- bourne a week later. The notes by that time had been written out, and were given me to read to the family. As I read, I came on a passage near the end, and, like the few others who were in the secret, was pleased to find that the word " Hono- lulu " had been successfully got through. The subject of music appeared to have been rather forced in by Raymond, in order to get Feda to mention an otherwise disconnected and meaningless word ; the time when this was managed being, I estimate, about i.o or 1.15. But of course it was not noted as of any interest at the time. Here follow the London Notes. I will quote portions of the sitting only, so as not to take up too much space : Sitting of Lionel and Norah with Mrs. Leonard ^n London, Friday, 26 May 1916, beginning 11.55 a.m. EXTRACTS FROM REPORT BY L. L. After referring to Raymond's married sister and her husband, Feda suddenly ejaculated : How is Alec f A FEW ISOLATED INCIDENTS 273 L. L. Oh, all right. He just wanted to know how he was, and send his love to him. He does not always see who is at the table ; he feels some more than others. 1 He says you (to Norah) sat at the table and Lionel. He felt you (Norah) more than any one else at the table. [This is unlikely. He seems to be thinking that it is Honor.] Feda feels that if you started off very easily, you would be able to see him. Develop a normal . . . [clairvoyance probably]. Raymond says, go slowly, develop just with time, go slowly. Even the table helps a little. He can really get through now in his own words. When he is there, he now knows what he has got through. The Indians have got through their hanky- panky. [We thought that this meant playing with the table in a way beyond his control.] He says that Lily is here. (Feda, sotto voce. Where is she ?) She looks very beautiful, and has lilies ; she will help too, and give you power. Sit quietly once or twice a week, hold your hands, the right over the left, so, for ten minutes, then sit quiet only patience. He could wait till doomsday. He says, Wait and see ; he is laughing I He has seen Curly (p. 203). L. L. Is Curly there now ? No, see her when we wants to. That's the one that wriggles and goes . . . (here Feda made a sound like a dog panting, with her tongue out quite a good imitation). Raymond has met another boy like Paul, a boy called Ralph. He likes him. There is what you call a set. People meet there who are interested 1 It is noteworthy, in connexion with these remarks, that Honor and Alec were sitting for a short time at Mariemont just about now.- O. J. L. 18 274 PART II CHAPTER XXIII in the same things. Ralph is a very decent sort of chap. 1 (To Norah). You could play. N. M. L. Play what ? Not a game, a music. N. M. L. I am afraid I can't, Raymond. (Feda, sotto voce. She can't do that.) He wanted to know whether you could play Hulu Honolulu. Well, can't you try to ? He is rolling with laughter [meaning that he's pleased about some- thing]. He knows who he is speaking to, but he can't give the name. [Here he seems to know that it is Norah and not Honor.] L. L. Should I tell him ? No. He says something about a yacht ; he means a test he sent through about a yacht. Confounded Argonauts 1 * He is going. Fondest love to them at Marie- mont. The sitting continued for a short time longer, ending at 1.30 p.m., but the present report may end here. NOTE ON THE 'HONOLULU' EPISODE BY O. J. L. In my judgement there were signs that the simultaneous holding of two sittings, one with Honor and Alec in Edgbaston, and one with Lionel and Norah in London, introduced a little harmless confusion ; there was a tendency in London to confuse Norah with Honor, and Alec was mentioned in London in perhaps an unnecessary way. I do not press this, however, but I do press the ' Honolulu ' episode (i) because it establishes a reality about the home sittings, 1 This is the first mention of a Ralph presumably the one whose people, not known to us personally, had had excellent table sittings with Mrs. Leonard. See Chapter XII. O. J. L. 8 This is too late to be of any use, but ' Yacht ' appears to be the sort of answer they had wanted to ' Argonauts.' O. J. L. A FEW ISOLATED INCIDENTS 275 (ii) because it so entirely eliminates anything of the nature of collusion, conscious or un- conscious, (iii) because the whole circumstances of the test make it an exceedingly good one. What it does not exclude is telepathy. In fact it may be said to suggest telepathy. Yes, it suggests distinctly one variety of what, I think, is often called telepathy a process sometimes conducted, I suspect, by an un- recognised emissary or messenger between agent and percipient. It was exactly like an experiment conducted tot thought transference at a distance. For at Edg- baston was a party of three sitting round a table and thinking for a few seconds of the word ' Honolulu ' ; while in London was a party of two simultaneously sitting with a medium and recording what was said. And in their record the word ' Honolulu ' occurs. Tele- pathy, however of whatever kind is not a normal explanation ; and I venture to say that there is no normal explanation, since in my judgement chance is put of the question. The subject of music was forced in by the communicator, in order to bring in the word ; it did not occur naturally; and even if the subject of music had arisen, there was no sort of reason for referring to that particular song. The chief thing that the episode establishes, to my mind, and a thing that was worth establishing, is the genuine character of the simple domestic sittings without a medium which are occasion- ally held by the family circle at Mariemont. For it is through these chiefly that Raymond remains as much a member of the family group as ever. II. IMPROMPTU MARIEMONT SITTING Once at Mariemont, I am told, when M. F. A. L. and Honor were touching it, the table moved up to a book in which relics and reminiscences of Raymond had been pasted, and caused it to be opened. In it, among other things, was an enlargement of the snapshot facing page 278, showing him in an old ' Nagant ' motor, which had been" passed on to him by Alec, stopping out- side a certain house in Somersetshire. He was asked 276 PART II CHAPTER XXIII what house it was, and was expected to spell the name of the friend who lived there, but instead he spelt the name of the house. The record by M. F. A. L., with some unim- portant omissions, is here reproduced merely, however, as another example of a private sitting without a medium. Impromptu Table Sitting at Mariemont, Tuesday, 25 April 1916 (REPORT BY M. F. A. L.) I had been thinking of Raymond all day, and wanting to thank him for what he did yesterday for [a friend]. Honor had agreed that we might do it some time, but when I mentioned it about 10.50 p.m., she did not want to sit then she thought it too late. We were then in the library. Honor, sitting on the Chesterfield, said, " I wonder if any table would be equally good for Raymond ? " placing her hands on the middle-sized table of the nest of three. It at once began to stir, and she asked me to place mine on the other side to steady it. I asked if it was Raymond, and it decidedly said YES. I then thanked him with much feeling for what he had done for [two separate families] lately. I told him how much he had comforted them, and how splendidly he was doing ; that there were quite a number of people he had helped now. We discussed a f ew others that needed help. Then I think we asked him if he knew what room we were in YES. And after knocking me a good deal, and making a noise which seemed to please him against my eyeglasses, he manr.ged, by laying the table down, to get one foot on to the Chesterfield and raise the table up on it ; and there it stayed, and rocked about for a long time answering questions I thought it would make a hole in the cover. I don't quite remember how it got down, but it did, and then edged itself up to the other larger table, which had been given me by Alec, Noel, and Raymond, after they had broken a basket table I used to use there it was brought in with a paper, " To Mother from the culprits." A FEW ISOLATED INCIDENTS 277 (This was a year or two ago.) Well, he got it up to this table, and fidgeted about with the foot of the smaller table on which we had our hands, until he rested it on a ledge and tried to raise it up. But the way he did this most successfully was when he got the ledge of our small table on to a corner of the other and then raised it off the ground level. This he did several times. I took one hand off, leaving one hand on the top, and Honor's two hands lying on the top, no part of them being over the edge, and I measured the height the legs were off the ground. The first time it was the width of three fingers, and the next time four fingers. Honor told him this was very clever. I then tried to press it down, but could not a curious feeling, like pressing on a cushion of air. He had by this time turned us right round, so that Honor was sitting where I had been before, and I was sitting or sometimes standing in her place. Then we were turned round again, and he seemed to want to knock the other table again ; he went at it in a curious way. I had with one hand to remove a glass on it which I thought he would upset. He continued to edge against it, until he reached a book lying on it. This he knocked with such intention, that Honor asked him if he wanted it opened. YES. [This was a scrap-book in which I collect any- thing about him photographs, old and new ; poems made about him, or sent to me in consolation ; and it has his name outside, drawn on in large letters. M. F. A. L.] So I opened it, and showed him the photograph of him- self seated in the ' Nagant/ [A motor-car which Alec had practically given him not long before the war, and with which he was delighted.] Honor asked if he could see it, and he said YES, and seemed pleased. She asked if he could tell her what house it was stand- ing in front of, and he spelt out ST. GERMINS. [This was pretty good, as the name of the Jacques's house is ' St. Germains.'] 278 PART II CHAPTER XXIII (Honor had forgotten the name till he began, ' ' and expected him to say Jacques's.) We told him he had got it, but that his spelling wasn't quite as good as it had been. Honor talked to him then about the ' Nagant ' and the ' Gabrielle Horn,' all of which seemed to delight him. We then showed him some other photographs, and the one of his dog, and asked him to spell its name, which he did without mistake LARRY. He couldn't see the little photograph of the goats, as it was too small. But he saw himself in unifftrfn the one taken by Rosalynde and enlarged and he seemed to like seeirigthat. We talked a lot to him. I asked if he remembered his journey with me out to Italy, and the Pullman car, etc. At this he knocked very affectionately against me. We then thought it was time for us all to go to bed. But he said No. So we went on telling him^amily news. He listened with interest and appreciative knocks, and he then tried his balancing trick again, sometimes with sticcess, but often failing to get the leg right. But he did it again in the end. We tried to say good night, it being then nearly one o'clock, but he didn't seem to want to go. We said au revoir, and told him we would see him again soon. III. EPISODE OF ' MR. JACKSON ' A striking incident is reported in one of my ' Feda ' sittings that on 3 Marcfo 1916 shortly after the death of our peacock, which went by the comic name of f Mr. Jackson, ' his wives being Matilda Jackson and Janet. He was a pet oi M. F. A. L.'s, and had recently met with a tragic efoci. It was decided to have him stuffed, and one of the last things I had seen before leaving Mariemont was at wooden pedestal on which it was proposed to put him. When I asked Feda if Raymond remembered Mr. Jackson, he spoke of him humorously, greatly to Feda's puzzlement, who said at la^t that he was mixing him up with a bird, about whom I had previously inquired ; because he said, ' Fine bird, put him on a pedestal.' ('I! KhV" AN1> %i VJX."<'t'KI,V 1JKIN<; TH K SIIA(J<iY ONK. VIX WAS THK MOTHER <>t- s RAVMUND'S ''LAKRV RAYMOND IN HIS "NAGANT \MK)K, I'.M:', OUTSIDE A FRIKND'S HOUSE IN SOM KKSKTMIIKK A FEW ISOLATED INCIDENTS 279 If this was not telepathy from me, it seems to show a curious knowledge of what is going on at his home, for the bird had not been dead a week, and if he were alive there would be no sense in saying, ' put him on a pedestal.' Feda evidently understood it, or tried to understand it, as meaning that some man, a Mr. Jackson, was metaphori- cally put on a pedestal by the family. The fact, however, that Mr. Jackson was at once known by Raymond to be a bird is itself evidential, for there was nothing in the way I asked the question to make Feda or anyone think he was not a man. Indeed, that is precisely why she got rather bewildered. See Chapter XXI. IV. EPISODE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS It is unnecessary to call attention to the importance of the photograph incident, which is fully narrated in Chapter IV ; but he spoke later of another photograph, in which he said was included his friend Case. It is mentioned near the end of Chapter IV. That photograph we also obtained from Gale & Polden, and it is true that Case is in it as well as Raymond, whereas he was not in the former group ; but this one is entirely different from the other, for they are both in a back row standing up, and in a quite open place. If this had been sent to us at first, instead of the right one, we should have con- sidered the description quite wrong. As it is, the main photograph episode constitutes one of the best pieces of evidence that has been given. REMARKS BY O. J. L. IN CONCLUDING PART II The number of more or less convincing proofs which we have obtained is by this time very great. Some of them appeal more to one person, some to another ; but taking them all together every possible ground of suspicion or doubt seems to the family to be now removed. And it is legitimate to say, further, that partly through Ray- mond's activity a certain amount of help of the same kind has been afforded to other families. Incidentally it has 280 PART II CHAPTER XXIII been difficult to avoid brief reference to a few early in- stances of this, in that part of the record now published. For the most part, however, these and a great number of other things are omitted ; and I ought perhaps to apologise for the quantity which I have thought proper to include. Some home critics think that it would have been wiser to omit a great deal more, so as to lighten the book. But one can only act in accordance with one's own judgement ; and the book, if it is to achieve what it aims at, cannot be a light one. So, instead of ending it here, I propose to add a quantity of more didactic material expressing my own views on the subject of Life and Death the result of many years of thought and many kinds of experience. Some people may prefer the details in Part II ; but others who have not the patience to read Part II may tolerate the more general considerations adduced in Part III the " Life and Death " portion which can be read without any reference to Raymond or to Parts I and II. PART III LIFE AND DEATH " Eternal form shall still divide The eternal soul from all beside; And I shall know him when we meet." TENNYSON, In Memorial* INTRODUCTION IN this " Life and Death " portion a definite side is unobtrusively taken in connexion with two outstand- ing controversies ; and though the treatment is pur- posely simple and uncontroversial, the author is under no delusion that every philosophical reader will agree with him. Explicit argumentation on either side is no novelty, but this is not the place for argument ; moreover, the opposing views have already been presented with ample clearness by skilled disputants. Briefly then it may be said that Interactionism rather than Epiphenomenalism or Parallelism is the side taken in one controversy. And the non-material nature of life the real existence of some kind of vital essence or vivifying principle as a controlling and guiding entity is postulated in another : though the author never calls it a force or an energy. Philosophical literature teems with these topics, but it may suffice here to call the attention of the general reader to two or three easily readable summaries one an explanatory article by Mr. Gerald Balfour, in The Hibbert Journal for April 1910, on the Epiphenomenon contro- versy, and generally on the alternative explanations of the connexion between Mind and Body, in the light thrown on the subject by Telepathy and Psychical Research ; while on the vitality controversy a small book embodying a short course of lectures by the physiologist and philo- sopher Dr. J. S. Haldane under the title Mechanism, Life, and Personality, or a larger book by Professor M'Dougal called Body and Mind, may be recommended. On this subject also the writings of Professor J. Arthur Thomson may be specially mentioned. The opinions of the present author on these topics, whatever they may be worth, are held without apology or hesitation, because to him they appear the inevitable 83 284 PART III INTRODUCTION consequence of facts of nature as now known or knowable. Some of these facts are not generally accepted by scientific men ; and if the facts themselves are not admitted, naturally any conclusion based upon them will appear ill-founded, and the further developed structure illusory. He anticipates that this will be said by critics. In so far as the author's manner of statement is in terms of frank Dualism, he regards that as inevitable for scientific purposes. He does not suppose that any form of Dualism can be the last word about the Universe ; but, for practical purposes, mind and matter, or soul and body, must be thought of separately, and it must be the work of higher Philosophy to detect ultimate unity a unity which he feels certain cannot possibly be material- istic in any sense intelligible to those who are at present studying matter and energy. It may be doubted whether Materialism as a philo- sophy exists any longer, in the sense of being sustained by serious philosophers ; but a few physiological writers, of skill and industry, continue to advocate what they are pleased to call Scientific Materialism. Properly regarded this is a Policy, not a Philosophy, as I will explain ; but they make the mistake of regarding it as a Philosophy comprehensive enough to give them the right of negation as well as of affirmation. They do this in the interest of what they feel instinctively to be the ultimate achieve- ment, a Monism in which mind and matter can be recognised as aspects of some one fundamental Reality. We can sympathise with the aim, and still feel how far from ac- complishment we are. Nothing is gained by undue haste, and by unfounded negation much may be lost. We must not deny any part of the Universe for the sake of a pre- mature unification. Simplification by exclusion or denial is a poverty-stricken device. The strength of such workers is that they base them- selves on the experience and discoveries of the past, and, by artificial but convenient limitation of outlook, achieve practical results. But they are not satisfied with results actually achieved they forget their limitations and, by a gigantic system of extrapolation from what has been done, try to infer what is going to be done ; their device being to anticipate and speak of what they hope for, as INTRODUCTION 285 if it were already an accomplished fact. Some of the assumptions or blind guesses made by men of this school are well illustrated by an exposition in The Hibbert Journal for July 1916, where an able writer states the main propositions of Scientific Materialism thus : 1. The law of universal causation ; 2. The principle of mechanism i.e. the denial of purpose in the universe and all notions of absolute finalism or teleology ; 3. The denial that there exists any form of ' spirit- ual ' or ' mental ' entity that cannot be expressed in terms of matter and motion. These appear to be its three propositions, and they are formulated by the exponent " as being of the first im- portance in the representation of materialistic thought." Now proposition i is common property ; materialistic thought has no sort of exclusive right over it ; and to claim propositions 2 and 3 as corollaries from it is farcical. Taking them as independent postulates which they are all that need be said about proposition 2 is that a broad denial always needs more knowledge than a specific assertion, and it is astonishing that any sane person can imagine himself to know enough about the Universe as a whole to be able complacently to deny the existence of any " purpose " in it. All he can really mean is that scientific explanations must be framed so as to exhibit the immediate means whereby results in nature are ac- complished ; for whether, or in what sense, they are first or simultaneously conceived in a Mind as human under- takings are is a matter beyond our scientific ken. Thus Darwinian and Mendelian attempts to explain how species arise, and how inheritance occurs, are entirely legitimate and scientific. For our experience is that every event has a proximate cause which we can investigate. Of ultimate causes we as scientific men are ignorant : they belong to a different region of inquiry. If the word " denial," therefore, in the above proposition is replaced by the phrase " exclusion from practical scientific atten- tion," I for one have no quarrel with clause 2 ; for it then becomes a mere self-denying ordinance, a convenient limitation of scope. It represents Policy, not Philosophy. 286 PART III INTRODUCTION But attention may be more usefully directed to the extravagantly gratuitous guess involved in hypothesis 3. As a minor point, it is not even carefully worded ; for entities which cannot be expressed in terms of matter and motion are common enough without going outside the domain of physics. Light, for instance, and Electricity, have not yet proved amenable, and do not appear likely to be amenable, to purely dynamical theory. Certain phenomena have been reduced to matter and motion, heat, for instance, and sound, the phenomena of gases and liquids, and all the complexities of astronomy. And in a famous passage Newton expressed an enthusi- astic hope that all the phenomena of physics might some day be similarly reduced to the attractive simplicity of the three laws of motion inertia, acceleration, and stress. And ever since Newton it has been the aim of physics tcr explain everything in its domain in terms of pure dynamics. The attempt has been only partially successful : the Ether is recalcitrant. But its recalcit- rance is not like mere surly obstruction, it is of a helpful and illuminating character, and I shall not be misleading anyone if I cheerfully admit that in some modified and expanded form dynamical theory in mathematical physics has proved itself