716 A. From Proceedings S.P.R., vol. vi. p. 25. Mrs. P. writes:-

June 9th, 1885.

Our mother died while we were all very young; and as I, the fourth child of seven, was the eldest living daughter, I became early acquainted (from my eighth year) with sorrow of various kinds and degrees, principally caused, however, by the harshness and frequent neglect of housekeeper and servants towards my baby brother and sister. The two eldest boys - between whom and myself was a gap of some years - were almost always away from home, and ultimately went abroad, so that from the time I was quite a little child I was continually with my father, who made much of me, and at last I became his constant companion. He never married again, and our love was probably, therefore, a closer union even than commonly exists between a father and daughter while the latter is of tender years. It was a great pain to me ever to be away from him, especially after my fourteenth year, at which time he began to make me his confidante as well as companion; and we had frequent earnest talks and discussions on many subjects.

At length, when I was about eighteen years old, a terrible grief befell us, viz., the death of my two elder brothers within a few weeks of each other, while they were still abroad.

My father's sorrow was great; and at the same time he became seriously troubled with many doubts regarding various points of Christian faith, and so gradually lost nearly all his buoyancy of spirit, and became sadly depressed and worn-looking, though only forty-eight years old. For a year he thus suffered, when it was arranged that, so soon as he could plan to leave home, he should go to some seaside place, and try what new scenes would effect. He also persuaded - nay, insisted - that I should go away for awhile, without waiting for him, and accompany some friends to South Devonshire.

The writer then narrates how a sudden summons brought her back to find her father dead.

I went early to bed, to escape the presence and sympathetic ministrations of the many in that kind household who gathered around me; and by my own choice I shared the room of a motherly-looking personage, whom I supposed to be my cousin's nurse. She occupied the larger bed in the room, and I a smaller one placed at some distance from hers. She was soon asleep and breathing heavily; but I was lying in deepest anguish, beset not only with the grief of the sudden loss sustained, but with the wretched fear that my beloved father had died too suddenly to find peace with God, regarding those miserable doubts that had so troubled him. As the night wore on, the pain of heart and thought grew worse and worse, and at length I knelt in prayer, earnestly pleading that my distressful thoughts might be taken away, and an assurance of my father's peace be given me by God's Most Holy Spirit. No immediate relief came, however, and it was early dawn when I rose from my knees, and felt that I must be patient and wait for the answer of my prayer.

Now a longing suddenly seized me to creep into that kind-faced woman's bed, and to feel perhaps less lonely there. Her bed was opposite a window, over which a white blind was drawn, and as I softly lifted the bedclothes and sat for a moment after drawing my feet up into the bed, I noticed the pale dawn feebly lighting up the window, and the movement of a little bird on the sill outside; but the room itself was as yet almost dark.

I was just about to slip quietly down into the bed, when on the opposite side of it (that on which the nurse was sleeping) the room became suddenly full of beautiful light, in the midst of which stood my father absolutely transfigured, clothed with brightness. He slowly moved towards the bed, raising his hands, as I thought, to clasp me in his arms; and I ejaculated: "Father!" He replied, "Blessed for ever, my child ! For ever blessed!" I moved to climb over nurse and kiss him, reaching out my arms to him; but with a look of mingled sadness and love he appeared to float back with the light towards the wall and was gone ! The vision occupied so short a time that, glancing involuntarily at the window again, I saw the morning dawn and the little bird just as they had looked a few minutes before. I felt sure that God had vouchsafed to me a wonderful vision, and was not in the least afraid, but, on the contrary, full of a joy that brought floods of grateful tears, and completely removed all anguish except that of having lost my father from earth.

I offer no explanation, and can only say most simply and truthfully that it all happened just as I have related.

You may find a solution to the occurrence in the sympathy which had existed between my dear father and myself; or, as friends have often insisted, in the condition of excitement and exhaustion which I was suffering at the time; but after all these years of life and experience, the memory of that wonderful morning is ever vividly fresh, and real, and true.

The writer's husband adds, under date June 17th, 1885:-

The narrative, as related above, is substantially the same given to me by Mrs. P. as early as 1865, and at subsequent periods. W. B. P.

And Dr. and Mrs. C, referred to above, write, June 16th, 1885:-

The preceding narrative was related to us by Mrs. P., substantially as here recorded, some four or five years ago. James C.

Ellen H. C.

Now comes the case which has evidential importance.

In the year 1867 I was married, and my husband took a house at S--, quite a new one, just built in what was, and still is probably, called "Cliff Town," as being at a greater elevation than the older part of the town. Our life was exceedingly bright and happy there until towards the end of 1869, when my husband's health appeared to be failing, and he grew dejected and moody. Trying in vain to ascertain the cause for this, and being repeatedly assured by him that I was "too fanciful," and that there was "nothing the matter with him," I ceased to vex him with questions, and the time passed quietly away till Christmas Eve of that year (1869).

An uncle and aunt lived in the neighbourhood, and they invited us to spend Christmas Day with them - to go quite early in the morning to breakfast, accompanied by the whole of our small household.

We arranged therefore to go to bed at an early hour on the night of the 24th, so as to be up betimes for our morning walk. Consequently at 9 o'clock, we went upstairs, having as usual carefully attended to bars and bolts of doors, and at about 9.30 were ready to extinguish the lamp; but our little girl - a baby of fifteen months - generally woke up at that time, and after drinking some warm milk would sleep again for the rest of the night; and, as she had not yet awakened, I begged my husband to leave the lamp burning and get into bed, while I, wrapped in a dressing-gown, lay on the outside of the bed with the cot on my right hand. The bedstead faced the fireplace, and nothing stood between but a settee at the foot of the bed. On either side of the chimney was a large recess, - the one to the left (as we faced in that direction) having a chest of drawers, on which the lamp was standing. The entrance door was on the same side of the room as the head of the bed and to the left of it - facing, therefore, the recess of which I speak.

The door was locked; and on that same side (to my left) my husband was lying, with the curtain drawn, towards which his face was turned.

[Plan of room given, omitted here].

As the bed had curtains only at the head, all before us was open and dimly-lighted, the lamp being turned down.

This takes some time to describe, but it was still just about 9.30, Gertrude not yet awake, and I just pulling myself into a half-sitting posture against the pillows, thinking of nothing but the arrangements for the following day, when to my great astonishment I saw a gentleman standing at the foot of the bed, dressed as a naval officer, and with a cap on his head having a projecting peak. The light being in the position which I have indicated, the face was in shadow to me, and the more so that the visitor was leaning upon his arms which rested on the foot-rail of the bedstead. I was too astonished to be afraid, but simply wondered who it could be; and, instantly touching my husband's shoulder (whose face was turned from me), I said, "Willie, who is this?" My husband turned, and for a second or two lay looking in intense astonishment at the intruder; then lifting himself a little, he shouted "What on earth are you doing here, sir?" Meanwhile the form, slowly drawing himself into an upright position, now said in a commanding, yet reproachful voice, "Willie! Willie!"

I looked at my husband and saw that his face was white and agitated. As I turned towards him he sprang out of bed as though to attack the man, but stood by the bedside as if afraid, or in great perplexity, while the figure calmly and slowly moved towards the wall at right angles with the lamp in the direction of the dotted line [shown in the plan]. As it passed the lamp, a deep shadow fell upon the room as of a material person shutting out the light from us by his intervening body, and he disappeared, as it were, into the wall. My husband now, in a very agitated manner, caught up the lamp, and turning to me said, "I mean to look all over the house, and see where he is gone".