Twixt Two Worlds the work of Wm Eglinton - New Age Spiritual Mission

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Tzuixt Tivo Worlds.
it t-aivlully wlu-ii it > ccuncd in 1113' liousc, and \\c liavc all liccn batisiicd with its Irntli. Seven
dilllivnt limes my friend I.niy (i appeared to me fully materialised, when you were lying
apparently in a tiaiiee on my sofa in the drawing-room, visible to live or six ol my Iriends who
were v. ith me at the time."
What could be more beautifully impressive than this midnight scene on New Year's night?
The spirit, after requesting cake and wine to be brought, tasted the cake, touched the wnie, and
then handed it t.i each of the sitters, that they might partake of this holy conmiunion with her.
After this those present were requested to kneel, and, in their midst, the spii it with bendeil
knee jjoured forth a soleiini invocation, asking Almighty Cod to bless each friend present, and
to make the New Yeai' one li>ng to be remembered.
When Mr. ICglintim recovered consciousness, he was persuaded that the scana' had been
a faihne, so rested and p( acclnl was his condition, and mH until he saw the tcarlul eyes ol his
friends, and recei\cd their giatehd thanks, did he fully realise this memorable event.
For some time the question had been discussed, as to whether "spirits" had the power to
penetrate a locked and sealed box, and the Research Committee of the British National
Association of Spiritualists, composed of professional and other gentlemen, under the presidency
of Mr. Desmond Fitzgei-ald, had been sitting patiently at many seances for tlie development
of the power to produce manifestations inside a nailed box placed near the medium. The
conditions arc thus describeil in the Spiiitualisl of Jaiuiary l8th, 1878:— "The box is
nailed to the inside of a cabinet, and has no aperture whatever inside the cabinet. It has
an opening outside, in full view of the observers, but a board is screwed over that opening.
Inside the box is an ordinary electro-magnet with its armature, and the depression of the
armature completes an electrical circuit, and causes an electrical bell to ring in the usual way.
The object to be achieved was, that the spirits should pass power enough through the wood to
depress the armature. The connecting wires to the electric apparatus arc all outside the
cabinet, and in full view. Inside the cabinet with the medium, there is nothing but the smooth
wooden outside of the box."
Under these conditions the bell was made to ring at will at two seances, held by Mr.
Eglinton with the Research Committee. More force than necessary to depress the armature was
used inside the box, for a spring was strained and an electro-magnet disarranged. As the
recorder remarks, this was a valuable manifestation. Although not new, yet the con^litions
under which it was observed were exceptionally good. At this time a series of seances was given
to the Psychological Society, of which the late Serjeant Cox was president. The results were,
however,
poor.
In the course of a seance held at Mrs. Macdougal Gregory's, in March, 1878, Mr. Eglinton
was, at the request of Serjeant Cox, who was present, under strictly test conditions, carried out
of a closed room into one on the floor above. This case of levitation is paralleled by others in
the history of modern Spiritualism as well as by ancient church legends. On the occasion in
question all [iresent were satisfied that the phenomenon was genuine.
One of the Universities was the next stronghold to be stormed, and in March, 1878, Mr.
Eglinton went \.o Cambridge, and had several really line seances, which were attended by a
great many undergraduates. This, therefore, seems a lilting place to introduce the following
evidence of Mr. J. W. Campbell, then student of Jesus College.