"I cannot yet believe but if the form of the case is described I must
yield to conviction." And the form of the case was given.
"This certainly is very singular," said the doctor, "but still I cannot
believe. Now, if the young lady will give the color of the velvet lining
of the case, I really _must_ believe."
"The color is dark blue," was her prompt reply.
"True, true!" said the puzzled doctor, and he went away, saying, "It is
very curious, very, but still I cannot believe."
Now, if the doctor had not known that the case was in his pocket, or no
one present had known beforehand, no clairvoyant could have described it.
What does this prove? That her mind was led by his inquiry to his mind,
thence to the article on his mind at the moment. "This is a book" I say.
The fact of my saying it, or thinking it, leads my mind to the book.
As a person may look towards an object, as out of the window towards a
tree, and not see it till his mind is directed to it, so, on the other
hand, he may have his mind (thoughts) directed to a thing that his eyes
cannot see, and in a person whose superior brain is susceptible, it maybe
reflected so vividly as to permit a description of the object.
One may walk over a stream, upon stones, or ground, and not realize the
fact till the mind is directed to it; and the thing may be reversed, and a
susceptible person may be led to think that he or she is walking over or
through water when none is present. The mind must be directed to an object
in order to see it mentally.
A gentleman recently told me that a "medium brought up his old
grandmother."
"How did she describe the old lady as appearing?" I asked.
"In woollen dress and poke bonnet, with specs on, just as she used to
appear when I was a boy, forty years ago."
"I should have thought the fashions would have changed in the unseen
world, even if the clothes had not worn out in forty years' service," I
suggested.
This slightly staggered him, but he replied, "Perhaps fashions do not
change in the spirit-world."
"Then ladies can never be happy there. Besides, what a jolly, comical set
they must be down there; the newer fashions appearing hourly in beautiful
contrast with the ancient styles; especially the janty, little, precious
morsels called hats of to-day, all covered with magnificent ribbons, and
flowers, and laces, in contrast with the great ark-like, sombre poke
bonnets of forty and a hundred years ago!"
"Sir," I said, when he did not reply to this last poser,--"Sir, bring your
stock of common sense to bear upon the matter, and see that the mind of
the medium controlled yours, and led you to believe you saw, as the medium
did, through your thoughts, your ancient grandmother; for how else would
you imagine her, but as you remembered her, in woollen gown, poke bonnet,
and spectacles."