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

32 'Tzvixt Two Worlds.
it carefully when it recurred in my house, and we have all been satisfied with its truth. Seven
different times my friend Lady G appeared to me fully materialised, when you were lying
apparently in a trance on my sofa in the drawing-room, visible to five or six of my friends who
were with 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 wine, and
then handed it to each of the sitters, that they might partake of this holy communion with her.
After this those present were requested to kneel, and, in their midst, the spirit with bended
knee poured forth a solemn invocation, asking Almighty God to bless each friend present, and
to make the New Year one long to be remembered.
When Mr. Eglinton recovered consciousness, he was persuaded that the seance had been
a failure, so rested and peaceful was his condition, and not until he saw the tearful eyes of his
friends, and received their grateful 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 Fitzgerald, had been sitting patiently at many seances for the development
of the power to produce manifestations inside a nailed box placed near the medium. The
conditions are thus described in the Spiritualist of January 18th, 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 are 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 conditions
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 present 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 to Cambridge, and had several really fine seances, which were attended by a
great many undergraduates. This, therefore, seems a fitting place to introduce the following
evidence of Mr. J. W. Campbell, then student of Jesus College.