'Twixt two worlds : a narrative of the life and work of William Eglinton

General Testimony to Psychography. 1 1
9
your father cannot write. He will probably be able another time.' Neither the medium nor
my son could have seen what I had written. My questions were in French ; the replies,
as all were, except the one about my friend W., in English. 5. The medium handed to
my son a pair of hinged folding-slates, furnished with lock and key, who wrote, on one
of the clean slates, a question, locked the slates together, put the key in his pocket, and laid
them on the table. The medium and I each laid a hand upon the slates ; writing was heard,
then three taps. On my son unlocking the slates he found an answer apposite to the
question he had written, of a private and personal nature. 6. Lastly, the medium placed two
large clean slates together upon the table. Then we heard sounds of writing for about a
minute. On separating them we found the lower one covered with writing entirely different
in character to Mr. Eglinton's. A few concluding :— lines were above the body of the writing
and written inversely to it. It was this ' We have long desired to have this opportunity.
The writing ivhich you have under your eye is produced under conditions which, under ordinary
circumstances, would be impossible. It consequently goes to prove the truth of what we arc
endeavouring to promulgate. What is the agent or acting cause in the phenomena That does
not much matter. The fact is here. Certain clever, lynx-eyed persons, who pretend to explain
what they have never seen, will one day have to admit their ignorance. But to those who, like
you, enjoy the consolation and advantage of knowing this truth, I say that the knowledge
they acquire and are able to impart, should compensate for what they endure in an unpopular
cause. Farewell.— Ernest.' In conclusion, it is needless to say that my son and I took
every precaution which men with their eyes open, seeking for truth, could take, and we
affirm that deception was simply impossible. All took place in full daylight, and when that
began to fade, in the light of a large lamp. I only record irrefragable facts. I leave others
to draw conclusions."
Mr. James Burns, the editor of the Medium and Daybreak, to whose courtesy I am
indebted for the engraving illustrating the following narrative, also reported the experience
of Mrs. Burns, a lady whose competence as a witness cannot be called in question except
by the ultra-sceptical.
" Mrs. Burns and Mrs. Megrue received a kind invitation from Mr. Eglinton to sit
privately with him. The sitting took place on Monday, April 28th, 1SS4, in the afternoon.
Previous to starting, Mrs. Burns bought a couple of slates, that there could be no
possibility of their having been written on in any way by Mr. Eglinton. Writing
was obtained on them, and also on slates produced by Mr. Eglinton, each one being
carefully cleaned before the experiments commenced. There was no attempt at mystery or
concealment. A plain table was used, at which the party sat ; Mr. Eglinton with his back
to the window, through which the sun was shining, Mrs. Burns to his right, and her friend
opposite to him. On the wall facing the vacant side of the table, a looking-glass as
large as a window is placed, so that the whole proceedings could be observed either in the
looking-glass or by scrutinising the table. Several messages were obtained by Mr. Eglinton
holding the slates close under the top of the table, a small piece of pencil being placed
on the upper surface of the slate so used. On these occasions, all hands were joined
on the top of the table, with the exception of Mr. Eglinton's right hand, which held the
slates, and which was in view. The writing, of which a facsimile is given (Fig. 22), was