717 B. In the following case, a child, while apparently quite well, feels the impression of approaching death, and ascribes it to his dead brother's call. (From Proceedings S.P.R., vol. xi. p. 429).

This case was first printed in the Religio- Philosophical Journal, May 5th, 1894. Mr. B. B. Kingsbury, who contributed it, states that the informant is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and her husband has confirmed her as to the statement of voices heard by the little boy calling him. Mr. Kingsbury adds that both are worthy of the highest credit. The father is somewhat of a "sensitive" and the mother has had two or three clairvoyant experiences herself. The statement just as it was given by the mother runs as follows:-

Is there a life beyond the grave? Had I ever doubted that there is a life beyond (which I never for a moment did), my doubt would have been removed by what I call a vision. In 1883 I was the mother of two strong healthy boys. The eldest was a bright boy of two years and seven months. The other, a darling baby boy of eight months. August 6th, 1883, my baby died. Ray, my little son, was then in perfect health. Every day after baby's death (and I may safely say every hour in the day) he would say to me, "Mamma, baby calls Ray." He would often leave his play and come running to me, saying, "Mamma, baby calls Ray all the time." Every night he would waken me out of my sleep, and say, "Mamma, baby calls Ray all the time. He wants Ray to come where he is; you must not cry when Ray goes, mamma, you must not cry, for baby wants Ray." One day I was sweeping the sitting-room floor, and he came running as fast as he could run, through the dining-room where stood the table with baby's high chair (which Ray now used) at the side.

I never saw him so excited, and he grabbed my dress and pulled me to the dining-room door, jerked it open, saying, "Oh, mamma, mamma, come quick; baby is sitting in his high chair." As soon as he opened the door and looked at the chair he said, "Oh, mamma, why didn't you hurry; now he's gone; he laughed at Ray when he passed the chair; oh, he laughed at Ray so nice. Ray is going with baby, but you must not cry, mamma." Ray soon became very sick. Nursing and medicine were of no avail. He died October 13th, 1883, two months and seven days after baby's death. He was a child of high intelligence and matured far beyond his years. Whether it is possible for the dead to return, and whether my baby came back and was seen by his little brother or not, we leave for others to judge.

In reply to Dr. Hodgson's inquiries, Mrs. H. wrote:-

Defiance, Ohio, December 13th, 1894.

In reply will say that Mr. Kingsbury's account in the Religio-Philosophical Journal for May 5th last of my little boy's clairvoyance shortly before his death is correct in every detail. When the child ran to me telling me the baby was sitting in his chair at the table, there was no one in the house but the servant girl, little Ray, and myself. I told the girl nothing about it and she did not hear the child; but as soon as my husband came to dinner I told him. After that we talked freely of the matter to several of our friends. Little Ray knew nothing of death, we had never spoken of it to him in any way; the last time I took him to the baby's grave shortly before he was taken sick we were sitting by the grave, and I thought, "Oh! if I could only take baby up and look at it for just one minute, I would feel so glad." Instantly Ray said to me, "Mamma, let us take baby up and look at it just one minute; then we will feel better." Just as we were leaving the grave he smoothed it with his little hand, and said, "Ray is going to lie down and sleep right here beside little brother, but you must not cry, mamma." He is now lying just where he said he would.

P.S. - I wish to say that I have never known much of what is called modern Spiritualism, but was born and reared a Presbyterian and still belong to that Church, of which I am an active member. F. H.

Mr. H. wrote as follows:-

February 27th, 1895.

Mr. R. Hodgson, - Dear Sir, - In regard to B. B. Kingsbury's statement in the Religio-Philosophical Journal of May 5th, 1894, I can truly say that my wife related it to me the day it occurred when I came to dinner. I frequently heard our little boy tell his mamma that the baby called him all the time. - Yours respectfully, W. H. H.

The following corroboration was also received:-

116 Summit Street, Defiance, Ohio, February 27th,1895. R. Hodgson, - Dear Sir, - I can truly say that Mrs. and Mr. H. often spoke to me of Ray seeing the baby in the chair before he took sick. They told me the next day after it happened. Mrs. J. H. Shulters.

717 C. The next case appeared originally in Phantasms of the Living, vol. ii. p. 208. It came from Captain Cecil Norton, late of the 5th Lancers, who wrote as follows:-

5 Queen's Gate, S.W., December 20th, 1885.

About Christmas time, 1875 or 1876, being officer on duty, I was seated at the mess-table of the 5th Lancers in the West Cavalry Barracks at Aldershot. There were ten or twelve other officers present, and amongst them Mr. John Atkinson (now of Erchfont Manor, near Devizes, Wilts), the Surgeon-Major of the regiment, who sat on my right, but at the end of the table furthest from me and next to Mr. Russell. [Captain Norton was sitting at the end of the table and directly facing the window.] At about 8.45 p.m. Atkinson suddenly glared at the window to his right, thereby attracting the notice of Russell, who seizing his arm, said, "Good gracious, Doctor, what's the matter with you?" This caused me to look in the direction in which I saw Atkinson looking, viz., at the window opposite, and I there saw (for the curtains were looped up, although the room was lighted by a powerful central gas light in the roof and by candles on the table) a young woman, in what appeared a soiled or somewhat worn bridal dress, walk or glide slowly past the window from east to west. She was about at the centre of the window when I observed her, and outside the window.