(157) "I was deeply interested in the account of our mother's last illness, and was particularly struck by the circumstance of my name being called, because I heard it. I am not accustomed to dream, and am sure I speak far within the mark when I say that I have not dreamed a dozen times since my marriage, 23 years since. Dreams, too, are supposed to arise from something affecting one's mind, and producing some temporary strong impression, and in this case there was nothing which could affect me in that direction, but some quite the reverse.

"Our first horticultural show of the season took place on November 27th. I won several prizes; and after the show closed at 10 p.m. I had to take home some of my smaller exhibits, and arrange for getting the others home next morning. It was thus near midnight when I reached home, and the only things talked about by - and myself afterwards were the show and matters of local interest. If anything, therefore, were likely to be on my mind when I fell asleep, it would probably be one or other of the above matters. I do not know how long I slept, but my first sleep was over and I was lying in a sort of half-awake, half-asleep state, when I distinctly heard our mother's voice say faintly, 'Harry, Harry I ' and when daylight came and I thought the matter over, I wondered what could have possessed me to fancy such a thing. Our Uncle C. and his family called me Harry, and Uncle B. sometimes did so, and the D.'s also called me Harry, but with these exceptions I was called Henry by all our relations. It is possible our mother may have called me 'Harry ' during my very early childhood, but so long as I can remember she always called our father 'Papa' and me 'Henry.' It seemed to me, therefore, so utterly absurd that I should fancy her calling me by a name that I never recollected to have heard her use, that I mentally laughed at the idea and wondered how such a thing should have entered my head.

Still the circumstance struck me as so strange that I underlined the date on the margin of my working diary, in order that if anything should occur to corroborate it I might be certain as to the time. Directly, therefore; after I reached home with S.'s and your letters, I turned to the diary and found the underlined date was November 28th. It was evidently during the afternoon of November 27th that our mother uttered my name (this would have been so, A. F.); and allowing for the difference of longitude, the time would be early morning of the 28th with us, so that I don't think there can be any question that the call actually reached my ear. I am only sorry that I was not sufficiently awake to note the exact time, but should fancy it to have been between 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning, which would represent a few minutes later on the previous afternoon with you".

1 See Chap. xii., § 10. In Dr. Jessopp's experience (Athenoeum for Jan. 10, 18S0), the figure which he saw disappeared suddenly, and reappeared after about five minutes; and ray own collection includes a very similar case, for which I am allowed to name Mr. J. Champ, of High Street, Chelmsford, as my authority. What he saw (after a fatiguing march) was a grotesque, parti-coloured figure about as wide as high, which appeared on the wall of the room, disappeared, and reappeared after an interval of a few minutes.

2 Compare the dream-case No. 112 and examples in Chapters xiv. and xv.

The Rev. A. Field adds that in a subsequent portion of the letter his brother refers to a letter written a few weeks earlier, in which he had offered His sister a home, "and says that he believes he was led to do this partly in consequence of the idea which the circumstance he had described had left on his mind, viz., the probable death of our mother".

In his letter to us, Mr. H. C. Field says, "The voice, though not loud, was so distinct that, as I had not time to collect my senses, I started up in bed, expecting to see my mother beside it." His wife was aroused by this movement, and Mr. Field at once told her of his experience. He adds that he "is not superstitious," and "hardly knows what it is to dream," which he attributes to his active outdoor life.

Miss Field wrote to us in October, 1885: -

"On 26th November, 1873, while sitting by my mother's bed, I heard her say most plainly, ' Harry, Harry.' On the following day she died. In course of time we heard from my brother in New Zealand that at a corresponding time (their night) he distinctly heard the same in his mother's voice, and noted the fact in his diary.

"Sophia Hughes Field".

Later, the Rev. A. Field sent us the following extract from his diary: -

"November, 1873.

"'Thursday, 27th, arrived in London at 5.30 a.m., by train, to 70, Bassington Road. Found mother conscious, etc.; read, etc., with her at frequent intervals through the day. K. and A. (my brother and sister) arrived. Gradually weaker, and at last, 5.45 p.m., she passed away'.

"You will understand my object in giving you these full particulars. I myself heard (as I thought) my mother mention my brother's name, and spoke of it to my sister and my aunt. I think they told me that she had mentioned his name several times during her last brief illness. She was seized with paralysis on Wednesday, 26th, and her speech became more and more affected. It was this that made me feel uncertain whether my brother's name was really mentioned in my hearing by my mother or not. In consequence of what my aunt and sister said, I could have no longer any doubt".

[It will be seen that the percipient's impression probably coincided closely with the death, but that Miss Field's written recollections do not confirm (though they do not contradict) her brother's idea that the name was uttered on the same afternoon].

The next account is from Mrs. Stent, living at 14, Singapore Road, Ealing Dean, a former valued servant of Miss Craigie, of 8, McGill College Avenue, Montreal. I cite the account which she gave to Miss Craigie, rather than a later one (completely agreeing with it except in one detail) which she wrote for us on June 1st, 1885.