346 MY LIFE [Chap. 



well as the numerous accents, are correct. General Lippitt 

 also prints a certificate that the medium knew no French ; 

 but that is quite unnecessary in view of the test conditions. 

 Esprit C, who signs it, is one of the medium's guides who 

 knows French. 



" L'Heure sonne ! on la compte ; elle n'est deja plus : 

 L'airain n'annonce, helas ! que des moments perdus. 

 Son redoutable son m'e'pouvante, m'eVeille ; 

 Et c'est la voix du temps qui frappe a mon oreille. 

 S'il ne m'abuse point, le lugubre me'tal 

 De mon heure derniere a donne* le signal : 

 C'est elle ! . . . ou retrouver tant d'heures e'coule'es ? 

 Vers leur source lointaine elles sont refoule'es ; 

 Le seul effroi me reste et l'espoir est banni. 

 II faut mourir, finir, quand je n'ai rien fini, 

 Ou vais-je ? et quelle scene a mes yeux se de'ploie 

 Des bords du lit fune'bre, ou palpite sa proie 

 Aux lugubres clarte's de son pale flambeau, 

 L'impitoyable mort me montre le tombeau. 

 Eternitd profonde : Ocdan sans rivage : 

 De ce terme fatal c'est toi que j'envisage ; 

 Sur le fleuve du temps, quoi ? c'est la que je cours ? 

 L'e'ternite' pour l'homme? il vit si peu de jours." 



Esprit C. 



At San Francisco my time was short, and my experiences 

 were limited to a slate-writing stance of a striking and very 

 satisfactory nature. I went with my brother John who had 

 lived in California nearly forty years, and who, the day 

 before, had bought a folding-slate bound with list to shut 

 noiselessly. The stance was in the morning of a bright 

 sunny day, and we sat at a small table close to a window. 

 Mr. Owen, the editor of the Golden Gate, with a friend (a 

 physician), accompanied us ; but they sat a little way from 

 the table, looking on. The medium, Mr. Fred Evans, was 

 quite a young man, whose remarkable gift had been developed 

 under Mr. Owen's guidance. 



From a pile of small slates on a side-table four were 

 taken at a time, cleaned with a damp sponge, and handed to 

 us to examine, then laid in pairs on the table. All our hands 

 were then placed over them till the signal was given, and on 



