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on　quicker。　　But　there　is　that　about　the　medium；　I　am　told；　which　
appeals　to　a　spirit。　　Well；　it　is　his　affair；　not　mine；　and　I　waive　
the　argument。　　My　real　stumbling…block　is　the　spirit　himselfthe　
sort　of　conversation　that；　when　he　does　talk；　he　indulges　in。　　I　
cannot　help　feeling　that　his　conversation　is　not　worth　the　
paraphernalia。　　I　can　talk　better　than　that　myself。

The　late　Professor　Huxley；　who　took　some　trouble　over　this　matter；　
attended　some　half…dozen　seances；　and　then　determined　to　attend　no　
more。

〃I　have；〃　he　said；　〃for　my　sins　to　submit　occasionally　to　the　society　
of　live　bores。　　I　refuse　to　go　out　of　my　way　to　spend　an　evening　in　
the　dark　with　dead　bores。〃

The　spiritualists　themselves　admit　that　their　table…rapping　spooks　
are　precious　dull　dogs；　it　would　be　difficult；　in　face　of　the　
communications　recorded；　for　them　to　deny　it。　　They　explain　to　us　
that　they　have　not　yet　achieved　communication　with　the　higher　
spiritual　Intelligences。　　The　more　intelligent　spiritsfor　some　
reason　that　the　spiritualists　themselves　are　unable　to　explaindo　
not　want　to　talk　to　them；　appear　to　have　something　else　to　do。　　At　
presentso　I　am　told；　and　can　believeit　is　only　the　spirits　of　
lower　intelligence　that　care　to　turn　up　on　these　evenings。　　The　
spiritualists　argue　that；　by　continuing；　the　higher…class　spirits　
will　later　on　be　induced　to　〃come　in。〃　　I　fail　to　follow　the　
argument。　　It　seems　to　me　that　we　are　frightening　them　away。　　Anyhow；　
myself　I　shall　wait　awhile。

When　the　spirit　comes　along　that　can　talk　sense；　that　can　tell　me　
something　I　don't　know；　I　shall　be　glad　to　meet　him。　　The　class　of　
spirit　that　we　are　getting　just　at　present　does　not　appeal　to　me。　　
The　thought　of　himthe　reflection　that　I　shall　die　and　spend　the　
rest　of　eternity　in　his　companydoes　not　comfort　me。

＇She　is　now　a　Believer。＇

A　lady　of　my　acquaintance　tells　me　it　is　marvellous　how　much　these　
spirits　seem　to　know。　　On　her　very　first　visit；　the　spirit；　through　
the　voice　of　the　mediuman　elderly　gentleman　residing　obscurely　in　
Clerkenwellinformed　her　without　a　moment's　hesitation　that　she　
possessed　a　relative　with　the　Christian　name　of　George。　　（I　am　not　
making　this　upit　is　real。）　　This　gave　her　at　first　the　idea　that　
spiritualism　was　a　fraud。　　She　had　no　relative　named　Georgeat　
least；　so　she　thought。　　But　a　morning　or　two　later　her　husband　
received　a　letter　from　Australia。　　〃By　Jove！〃　he　exclaimed；　as　he　
glanced　at　the　last　page；　〃I　had　forgotten　all　about　the　poor　old　
beggar。〃

〃Whom　is　it　from？〃　she　asked。

〃Oh；　nobody　you　knowhaven't　seen　him　myself　for　twenty　yearsa　
third　or　fourth　cousin　of　mineGeorge〃

She　never　heard　the　surname；　she　was　too　excited。　　The　spirit　had　
been　right　from　the　beginning；　she　HAD　a　relative　named　George。　　Her　
faith　in　spiritualism　is　now　as　a　rock。

There　are　thousands　of　folk　who　believe　in　Old　Moore's　Almanac。　　My　
difficulty　would　be　not　to　believe　in　the　old　gentleman。　　I　see　that　
for　the　month　of　January　last　he　foretold　us　that　the　Government　
would　meet　with　determined　and　persistent　opposition。　　He　warned　us　
that　there　would　be　much　sickness　about；　and　that　rheumatism　would　
discover　its　old　victims。　　How　does　he　know　these　things？　　Is　it　that　
the　stars　really　do　communicate　with　him；　or　does　he　〃feel　it　in　his　
bones；〃　as　the　saying　is　up　North？

During　February；　he　mentioned；　the　weather　would　be　unsettled。　　He　
concluded：

〃The　word　Taxation　will　have　a　terrible　significance　for　both　
Government　and　people　this　month。〃

Really；　it　is　quite　uncanny。　　In　March：

〃Theatres　will　do　badly　during　the　month。〃

There　seems　to　be　no　keeping　anything　from　Old　Moore。　　In　April　〃much　
dissatisfaction　will　be　expressed　among　Post　Office　employees。〃　　That　
sounds　probable；　on　the　face　of　it。　　In　any　event；　I　will　answer　for　
our　local　postman。

In　May　〃a　wealthy　magnate　is　going　to　die。〃　　In　June　there　is　going　
to　be　a　fire。　　In　July　〃Old　Moore　has　reason　to　fear　there　will　be　
trouble。〃

I　do　hope　he　may　be　wrong；　and　yet　somehow　I　feel　a　conviction　that　
he　won't　be。　　Anyhow；　one　is　glad　it　has　been　put　off　till　July。

In　August　〃one　in　high　authority　will　be　in　danger　of　demise。〃　　In　
September　〃zeal〃　on　the　part　of　persons　mentioned　〃will　outstrip　
discretion。〃　　In　October　Old　Moore　is　afraid　again。　　He　cannot　avoid　
a　haunting　suspicion　that　〃Certain　people　will　be　victimized　by　
extensive　fraudulent　proceedings。〃

In　November　〃the　public　Press　will　have　its　columns　full　of　important　
news。〃　　The　weather　will　be　〃adverse；〃　and　〃a　death　will　occur　in　
high　circles。〃　　This　makes　the　second　in　one　year。　　I　am　glad　I　do　
not　belong　to　the　higher　circles。

＇How　does　he　do　it？＇

In　December　Old　Moore　again　foresees　trouble；　just　when　I　was　hoping　
it　was　all　over。　　〃Frauds　will　come　to　light；　and　death　will　find　its　
victims。〃

And　all　this　information　is　given　to　us　for　a　penny。

The　palmist　examines　our　hand。　　〃You　will　go　a　journey；〃　he　tells　us。　　
It　is　marvellous！　　How　could　he　have　known　that　only　the　night　before　
we　had　been　discussing　the　advisability　of　taking　the　children　to　
Margate　for　the　holidays？

〃There　is　trouble　in　store　for　you；〃　he　tells　us；　regretfully；　〃but　
you　will　get　over　it。〃　　We　feel　that　the　future　has　no　secret　hidden　
from　him。

We　have　〃presentiments〃　that　people　we　love；　who　are　climbing　
mountains；　who　are　fond　of　ballooning；　are　in　danger。

The　sister　of　a　friend　of　mine　who　went　out　to　the　South　African　War　
as　a　volunteer　had　three　presentiments　of　his　death。　　He　came　home　
safe　and　sound；　but　admitted　that　on　three　distinct　occasions　he　had　
been　in　imminent　danger。　　It　seemed　to　the　dear　lady　a　proof　of　
everything　she　had　ever　read。

Another　friend　of　mine　was　waked　in　the　middle　of　the　night　by　his　
wife；　who　insisted　that　he　should　dress　himself　and　walk　three　miles　
across　a　moor　because　she　had　had　a　dream　that　something　terrible　was　
happening　to　a　bosom　friend　of　hers。　　The　bosom　friend　and　her　
husband　were　rather　indignant　at　being　waked　at　two　o'clock　in　the　
morning；　but　their　indignation　was　mild　compared　with　that　of　the　
dreamer　on　learning　that　nothing　was　the　matter。　　From　that　day　
forward　a　coldness　sprang　up　between　the　two　families。

I　would　give　much　to　believe　in　ghosts。　　The　interest　of　life　would　
be　multiplied　by　its　own　square　power　could　we　communicate　with　the　
myriad　dead　watching　us　from　their　mountain　summits。　　Mr。　Zangwill；　
in　a　poem　that　should　live；　draws　for　us　a　pathetic　picture　of　blind　
children　playing　in　a　garden；　laughing；　romping。　　All　their　lives　
they　have　lived　in　darkness；　they　are　content。　　But；　the　wonder　of　
it；　could　their　eyes　by　some　miracle　be　opened！

＇Blind　Children　playing　in　a　World　of　Darkness。＇

May　not　we　be　but　blind　children；　suggests　the　poet；　living　in　a　
world　of　darknesslaughing；　weeping；　loving；　dyingknowing　nothing　
of　the　wonder　round　us？

The　ghosts　about　us；　with　their　god…like　faces；　it　might　be　good　to　
look　at　them。

But　these　poor；　pale…faced　spooks；　these　dull…witted；　table…thumping　
spirits：　　it　would　be　sad　to　think　that　of　such　was　the　kingdom　of　
the　Dead。



CHAPTER　XVII



＇Parents　and　their　Teachers。＇

My　heart　has　been　much　torn　of　late；　reading　of　the　wrongs　of　
Children。　　It　has　lately　been　discovered　that　Children　are　being　
hampered　and　harassed　in　their　career　by　certain　brutal　and　ignorant　
persons　called；　for　want　of　a　better　name；　parents。　　The　parent　is　a　
selfish　wretch　who；　out　of　pure　devilment；　and　without　consulting　the　
Child　itself　upon　the　subject；　lures　innocent　Children　into　the　
world；　apparently　for　the　purpose　merely　of　annoying　them。　　The　
parent　does　not　understand　the　Child　when　he　has　got　it；　he　does　not　
understand　anything；　not　much。　　The　only　person　who　understands　the　
Child　is　the　young　gentleman　fresh　from　College　and　the　elderly　
maiden　lady；　who；　between　them；　produce　most　of　the　literature　that　
explains　to　us　the　Child。

The　parent　does　not　even　know　how　to　dress　the　Child。　　The　parent　
will　persist　in　dressing　the　Child　in　a　long　and　trailing　garment　
that　prevents　the　Child　from　kicking。　　The　young　gentleman　fresh　from　
College　grows　almost　poetical　in　his　contempt。　　It　appears　that　the　
one　thing　essential　for　the　health　of　a　young　child　is　that　it　should　
have　perfect　freedom　to　kick。　　Later　on　the　parent　dresses　the　Child　
in　short　clothes；　and　leaves　bits　of　its　leg　bare。　　The　elderly　
maiden　Understander　of　Children；　quoting　medical　opinion；　denounces　
us　as　criminals　for　leaving　any　portion　of　that　precious　leg　
uncovered。　　It　appears　that　the　partially　uncovered　leg　of　childhood　
is　responsible　for　most　of　the　disease　that　flesh　is　heir　to。

Then　we　put　it　into　boots。　　We　〃crush　its　delicately　fashioned　feet　
into　hideous　leather　instruments　of　torture。〃　　That　is　the　sort　of　
phrase　that　is　hurled　at　us！　　The　picture　conjured　up　is　that　of　some　
fiend　in　human　shape；　calling　itself　a　father；　seizing　some　helpless　
cherub　by　the　hair；　and；　while　drowning　its　pathetic　wails　for　mercy　
beneath　roars　of　demon　laughter；　proceeding　to　bind　about　its