The Spiritualist newspaper > No.208, August 18th 1876

And. 18, 1876.
31
THE SPIRITUALIST.
gain much information as to the past history and present
state of the spiritual movement in France.
I am writing the last part of this letter in Miss Blackwell’s
little cabin on the sands at Wimereux, where we have been
spending the day. Miss Blackwell says she wishes she could
send to the National Association of Spiritualists sketches of
their secretary walking barefooted across the wet places on
the sands, and dabbling in the sea at low water, carrying the
canvas shoes, embroidered in gorgeous colours, with hempen
soles, which are the only possible and proper chawssure (only
to be translated by foot-gear) for this country.
WASHINGTON IRVING ON COMMUNION WITH SPIRITS. IJ
Among those who have testified to their longing for the IJ
consolation which the belief in angelic guardianship brings, I j
and to their high appreciation of the beautiful truths which |
underlie it, was Washington Irving, and it is in this lan- j!
guage his desires found utterance :
“ I am now alone in my chamber. The family have long j
since retired. I have heard their footsteps die away, and the j
doors clap to after them. The murmur of voices and the j
peal of remote laughter no longer reach the ear. The clock j
from the church, in which so many of the former inhabitants j!
of this house lie buried, has chimed the awful hour of [
midnight.
“ I have sat by the window and mused upon the dusky j!
landscape, watching the lights disappearing one by one from I;
the distant village; and the moon rising in her silent j <
majesty, and leading up all the silvery pomp of heaven. As j
I have gazed upon these quiet graves and shadowy lawns, i;
silvered over and imperfectly lighted by dewy moonshine, my !
mind has been crowded by (thick-coming fancies ’ concerning j
those spiritual beings which |
‘ walk the earth
Unseen both when we wake and when we sleep.’
cl Are there, indeed, such beings ? Is this space between !
us and the Deity filled up by innumerable orders of spiritual |
beings, forming the same gradations between the human j
soul and divine perfection that we see prevailing from ,j
humanity down to the meanest insect ? It is a sublime and j
beautiful doctrine inculcated by the early fathers, that there j
are guardian angels appointed to watch over cities and j
nations, to take care of good men, and to guard and guide j
the steps of helpless infancy. Even the doctrine of departed j
spirits returning to visit the scenes and beings which were I
dear to them during the body’s existence, though it has been |
debased by the absurd superstitions of the vulgar, in itself !
is awfully solemn and sublime.
“ However lightly it may be ridiculed, yet the attention j
involuntarily yielded to it whenever it is made the subject of I
serious discussion, and its prevalence in all ages and j
countries, even among newly-discovered nations, that have
had no previous interchange of thought with- other parts of |
the world, prove it to be one of those mysterious and in- I
stinctive beliefs to which, if left to ourselves, we should I
naturally incline. . . .
“ In spite of all the pride of reason and philosophy, a !
vague doubt will still lurk in the mind, and perhaps will |
never be eradicated, as it is a matter that does not admit of |
ositive demonstration. Who yet has been able to compre- j
end and describe the nature of the soul; its mysterious j
connection with the body ; or in what part of the frame it is j
situated ? We know merely that it does exist; but whence j
it came, and entered into us, and how it operates, are all |
matters of mere speculation and contradictory theories. If, |
then, we are thus ignorant of this spiritual essence, even j
while it forms a part of ourselves, and is continually present j
to our consciousness, how can we pretend to ascertain or j
deny its power and operations, when released from its fleshy j
prison-house ?
“ Everything connected with our spiritual nature is full of [
doubt and difficulty. ‘We are fearfully and wonderfully |
made,’ we are surrounded by mysteries, and we are mysteries
even to ourselves. It is more the manner in which this |
superstition has been degraded, than its intrinsic absurdity,
that has brought it into contempt. Raise it above the j
frivolous purposes to which it has been applied, strip it of [
the gloom and horror with which it has been enveloped, and
there is none in the whole circle of visionary creeds that
could more delightfully elevate imagination or more tenderly
affect the heart. It would become a sovereign comfort at
the bed of death, soothing the bitter tear wrung from us by
the agony of mortal separation.
“ What could be more consoling than the idea that the
souls of those we once loved were permitted to return and
watch over our welfare ?—that affectionate and guardian
spirits sat by our pillows when we slept, keeping a vigil
over our most helpless hours ?—that beauty and innocence,
which had languished into the tomb, yet smiled unseen
around us, revealing themselves in those blest dreams
wherein we live over again the hours of past endearments ?
A belief of this kind would, I should think, be a new in¬
centive to virtue, rendering us circumspect, even in our most
secret moments, from the idea that those we once loved and
honoured were invisible witnesses of all our actions.
“ It would take away, too, from the loneliness and desti¬
tution which we are apt to feel more and more as we get on
in our pilgrimage through the wilderness of this world, and
find that those who set forward with us lovingly and cheerily
on the journey, have one by one dropped away from our side.
I Place the superstition in this light, and I confess I should
like to be a believer in it. I see nothing in it that is in-
| compatible with the tender and merciful nature of our
! religion, or revolting to the wishes and affections of the
| heart.
“ There are departed beings that I have loved as I never
again shall love in this world ; that have loved me as I never
again shall be loved. If such beings do even retain in their
blessed spheres the attachments which they felt on earth;
if they take an interest in the poor concerns of transient
mortality, and are permitted to hold communion with those
whom they have loved on earth, I feel as if now, at this
| deep hour of night, in this silence and solitude, I could
| receive their visitations with the most solemn but unalloyed
I delight.” || -
The North of England Review of August 4th. contained an excellent
| portrait of Mr. Skipsey, of Ashington, Northumberland, also lengthy
| extracts from The Spiritualist concerning bis powers of clairvoyance.
| Picnic of the Newcastle Spiritualists.—On Monday, Aug. 7th,
| under the auspices of the Newcastle Spiritualist Society a picnic was
held in the grounds of Mr. W. R. Armstrong, at High Cross Lodge,
I Elswick-lane, near Benwell. This scene of the gathering is in the
extreme western suburb of the town, situated on the brow of a hill
overlooking the valley of the Tyne; southward may be observed the
Team Valley, leading towards Durham, with Ravensworth Castle on
the right; and on the west are uninterrupted views of Tynedale, with
its hills and vales for miles. The weather was all that could be desired,
with a soft westerly breeze and a grey sky, pleasant for out-door exer¬
cise, without being too warm; the consequence was that about one
hundred and fifty persons were attracted to the place. The vinery and
greenhouses were inspected; there was boating on a small lake,
and swings for the children under the trees. At tea-time the
visitors began to assemble on the croquet-lawn, when their attention
was arrested by the unexpected arrival of a photographer’s van, con¬
taining Mr. Mendhelson, of Oxford-street, Newcastle, with two assist¬
ants. These, in a short space of time, soon grouped, first the committee
and mediums, then as many of the general company as possible, so that
some lasting memento of a pleasing meeting will hereafter be obtainable.
Tea over, Mr. J. J. Morse addressed the meeting, with Mr. W. C. Robson
in the chair. Mr. Morse observed that twelve months ago he had bis
first experience of out-door camp-life in America among Spiritualists,
and he hoped that next year the society would—encouraged by their
present success—hold a meeting on a still more extended scale. After
an address in the trance condition on “ Life’s Four Seasons, their Uses
and Lessons,” Mr. Nicholson proposed, and Mr. Mould seconded, a
j vote of thanks to Mr. Armstrong for the free use of his beautiful
1 grounds. This was heartily accorded. Mr. Armstrong, in acknow¬
ledgment, said that he was only too happy to be able to do something
that would in some measure compensate for the benefit to him of the
great truths of Spiritualism. He had investigated the subject for some
| years now, and it had engaged his attention night and day. Mr. H. A.
Kersey, in proposing a vote of thanks to the chairman, said that he
stood there a living example of one of the uses of Spiritualism, for, in
November last, he was suffering from rheumatic fever and inflammation
of the lungs at the same time. He was attended by two of the most
eminent medical men in Newcastle, and was given up by them. Then
his sister, who was a medium, took the case in hand, and, acting solely
; under the direction of spirit guides, was enabled to restore him to his
| present state of health; he, therefore, felt it to be bis bounden duty to
i do all he could for Spiritualism. A vote of thanks having been passed
to the chairman and to the ladies, another hour or so was spent on the
lawn, in the cool breezes and evening moonlight, and thus terminated a
happy day, unalloyed by the slightest mishap or inharmonious action
* of any kind.