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

CHAPTER XVIII.
PHASES OF OPPOSITION ;
SPIRITUALISM AND ART; AND A PROBLEM
FOR CONJURERS.
T had long been a moot point among intelligent Spiritualists whether it was
permissible to admit neophytes or inquirers, with little prior knowledge, to materialisation
seances. Having through long experience come to regard indiscriminate
introductions to meetings of this nature as injurious to the medium, and productive
of little, if any good to Spiritualism, Mr. Eglinton determined to make a
bold stand in the matter, as far as he was personally concerned, with, I think,
good results. Looseness of conditions has ever been the curse of Spiritualism. In a letter replying
to one received by him containing a request for a materialisation seance, at which it was confessed
there would be present several persons entirely ignorant of the subject, he pointed out
his position, and as the reasons given are sound and sufficient, I think it desirable to place them
on record in his own words "
: I hold that a medium is placed in a very responsible position,
and that he has a right to satisfy, as far as he possibly can, those who come to him. Now,
my experience, which is a varied one, leads me to the conclusion that no sceptic, however wellintentioned
or honest, can be convinced by the conditions prevailing at a materialisation seance,
and the result is further scepticism on his part, and condemnation of the medium. It is different
when there is a harmonious circle of Spiritualists, who are advanced enough to witness such
phenomena, and with whom I shall always be delighted to sit ; but a neophyte must be
prepared by other methods. If your friend cares to come to a slate-writing seance I shall
be happy to arrange an hour, otherwise I must decline to sit for the reasons stated above, and
which must commend themselves to you as to all thinking Spiritualists." His correspondent,
I am pleased to say, saw the force and wisdom of these remarks.
I have, as previously intimated, only quoted sample cases out of hundreds of reports of Mr.
Eglinton's seances which, during 1884 and 1885 especially, have flooded the Spiritualistic press,
and I am again obliged to do little more than briefly mention what were in reality very
important pieces of evidence.
The Whitehall Review had for a long time, while under the able editorship of Mr. Watson
Lyall, himself a candid and patient investigator, preserved a calm, philosophical attitude
towards Spiritualism, if it could not be said to have thoroughly endorsed it. " But a king
arose in Egypt that knew not Joseph," and on Mr. Lyall's retirement it fell into evil courses.
Amongst its regular correspondents, however, were some who had had practical experience in
Spiritualism through Mr. Eglinton's instrumentality, and a well-deserved rebuke was forth-