Alfred Russel Wallace 



telegraph in good order, to communicate, and will not think 

 of much else till that is done. While the first Atlantic cable 

 was being laid the messages would be chiefly reports of 

 progress, directions and instructions, with now and then 

 trivialities about the weather, the time, or small items of 

 news. Only when it was in real working order was a 

 President's Message, a Queen's Speech, sent through it. 



Automatic writing and trance speaking never yet con- 

 vinced anybody. They are only useful for those who are 

 already convinced. But you would begin this way. You 

 would not go to mediums and stances and see what you 

 could get that way. So now you must persevere; but do 

 not give up your own judgment in anything. Insist upon 

 having things explained to you, or say you won't go on. 

 You will then find they will be explained, only it may take 

 a little more time. . . . — Yours very faithfully, 



Alfred R. Wallace. 



To Miss Bucklby 

 The Dell, Grays, Essex. April 24, 1874. 

 Dear Miss Buckley, — ... On coming home this evening 

 I received the news of poor little Bertie's death — this morn- 

 ing at eight o'clock. I left him only yesterday forenoon, and 

 had then considerable hopes, for we had just commenced a 

 new treatment which a fortnight earlier I am pretty sure 

 might have saved him. The thought suddenly struck me to 

 go to Dr. Williams, of Hay ward's Heath . . . but it was too 

 late. As he had been in this same state of exhaustion for 

 nearly a month, it is evident that very slight influences 

 might have been injurious or beneficial. Our orthodox 

 medical men are profoundly ignorant of the subtle influ- 

 ences of the human body in health and disease, and can 

 thus do nothing in many cases which Nature would cure if 

 assisted by proper conditions. We who know what strange 



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