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

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Tivixt
190
Two Worlds.
same muffled manner from the book, informed us (as usual) that we should open it, and on
doing so we found the lately blank sheet of note-paper covered with thirty closely-written
lines. The corner of the paper which was torn oft", with its edges sharp and jagged, on
account of the thickness of the paper, fitted exactly ;
while a later examination showed a slight
impression of this on the top page of the book, though not the slightest mark of the pencil.
The message was written in the English language, but was not finished, and only partly
answered the question which had been put. Mr. Eglinton now pushed the slates lying upon
the table nearer to us, and placed a blank sheet of paper in one of them, which was a doublefolding
slate, and another similar sheet between two ordinary slates, laid one on the other,
providing each with a point of pencil, and, with obvious effort, made several magnetic passes
above the folding slate, probably because the wooden frame in which it was bound rendered
the experiment more difficult. We then spread our hands on both slates, and Baron Hellenbach
declared, after a few seconds, that he could feel the writing going on inside the slates on which
his hands alone were resting. I laid my head down to the other, and distinctly heard the
writing going on within them. Now, again, the raps were heard ; we opened the slates, and
found on one sheet twenty-eight, and on the other twenty-four closely-written lines, completing
the answer already begun on the first sheet, which had been placed inside the book, and
written in well-chosen language, and very intelligently. The writing was quite unlike that of
Eglinton himself, with which I afterwards compared it. On the other hand, it exactly
resembled not only the signature of ' Ernest,' but the handwriting on another slate, which
had been given when I was not present, in the English, German, and Greek languages. If
the sceptic denies us the capacity of sight, and asserts that Eglinton was able to write with
rapidity eighty-two lines unseen by us, by the light of three gas-burners, in answer to a
question which had not yet been put, on the sheets of paper which had been handed to
him, it here really seems as though scepticism, carried to an undue point, strongly resembles
idiotcy."
The logical deductions drawn by Baron du Prel are. thus stated :— " One thing is clear ;
that is, that these slate-writings must be ascribed to a transcendental origin. We shall find
(1) that the hypothesis of prepared slates is inadmissible. (2) The place on which the writing
is found is quite inaccessible to the hands of the medium. In some cases the double slate
is securely locked, leaving only room inside for the tiny morsel of slate pencil. (3) That the
writing is actually done at the time. (4) That the medium is not writing. ($) The writingmust
be actually done with the morsel- of slate or lead pencil. (6) The writing is done by
an intelligent being, since the answers are exactly pertinent to the questions. (7) This being
can read, write, and understand the language of human beings, frequently such as is unknown
to the medium. (8)
It strongly resembles a human being, as well in the degree of its intelligence
as in the mistakes sometimes made. These beings are therefore, although invisible, of human
nature, or species. It is no use whatever to fight against this proposition. (9)
If these beings
speak, they do so in human language. (10) If they are asked who they are, they answer that
they are beings who have left this world. (11) When these appearances become partly visible,
perhaps only their hands, the hands seen are of human form. (12) When these things become
entirely visible, they exhibit the human form and countenance. . . . Spiritualism must be investigated
by science. I should look upon myself as a coward if I did not openly express my convictions,