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

Conclusion. 195
ultimate success, he persevered, and at length got simple marks ; then short words ;
and finally
connected, intelligible messages, but not until another weary six months of experiment bad
passed. A distinct development can also be traced during the past two years, until success is
now almost uniform, just failures enough occurring to remind him and his visitors that it is not
always permitted to men, or spirits either, to command success. These failures are in many
cases the result of a manifest hostility to the subject on the part of the sitter. Such an
attitude is an infallible barrier to success. Honest sceptics, however, though more difficult to
deal with than sympathetic sitters, are sooner or later sure to obtain conviction. Amongst the
causes of failure constant observation shows the condition of the weather to be the most prolific.
In foggy, damp, or thundery weather, or during extreme heat, or if there is any disturbance of
the atmosphere, the seances are usually poor, if not total failures. The best phenomena have
occurred in cold, dry, crisp weather.
The readiness with which manifestations have been obtained at the private residences of
investigators is another noteworthy feature. For a long period he never gave a single seance on
his own premises, and he is still at all times ready to comply with any reasonable request of
this nature. In practice, however, he soon found that few people deemed it convenient to hold
seances at their own rooms.
Not the least valuable of the contributions to our store of knowledge concerning
Spiritualism obtained through Mr. Eglinton's mediumship have been those illustrating the
identity of returning spirits with our common humanity. Scattered through the foregoing pages
there are many instances in which it is recorded that the communicating intelligences have
exhibited the special peculiarities of personal appearance, and have displayed the same
idiosyncrasies of character and habit which they possessed during their term of earthly life.
They are reported to have given information oftentimes unknown to any one save themselves
and those for whom they wished to establish their identity—and in some instances they have
revealed facts concerning themselves unknown to any one present, which have only been
verified after prolonged inquiry. They have written their messages in a style of handwriting
characteristic of the persons they claim to be, and in many ways have given all reasonable
proof in support of their identity. Therefore, viewing the question in all its bearings, it
seems to me that unless we are prepared to reject human testimony altogether, and to consider
proof of identity (in the absolute) as unattainable, we cannot legitimately refuse to regard the
continuity of human personality after death as an established fact. If, however, this matter of
spirit identity is looked upon as lying outside the range of absolute proof, then, to be logical,
those who assume this position must also view the question of proving the identity of their own
individualities from the same standpoint. The argument is as potent in the latter case as in
the former ; indeed the absence of the chief motive (pecuniary gain), which tempts a man in
the body to personate another, makes the theory of personating spirits more difficult of belief.
I say nothing here of the view which regards these returning spirits as emissaries of the
prince of evil sent forth to delude and lead men astray, for I look upon that theory as
utterly inadequate, as a monstrous perversion of the truth— in short, as too silly, absurd, and
dishonouring both to God and man.
I have one more duty to perform before I close. It is to urge upon Spiritualists the
necessity and value of a comparative study of experimental Spiritualism. In this respect a