CORRESPONDENCE, 1846-55. 221 



guiue anticipations ; ' but what would be so odd as ' compli- 1852. 

 ments ' if used for the first time ? 



Surely the time must come when the vortex of London will 

 suck you in for a few days. In the meantime let us speculate 

 on the question whether we should know each other if we met 

 in the street after twenty-seven years of non-visual intercourse. 



Yours most sincerely, 



A. DE MORGAN. 



To. Rev. W. Heald. 



7 Camden Street, July 1853. 



# * * # * * 



I remember giving you my experience in regard to clairvoy- 1853 

 ance. I will now tell you some of my experience in reference 

 to table-turning, spirit-rapping, and so on. 



Mrs. Hayden, the American medium, came to my house, and 

 we had a sitting of more than two hours. She had not been 

 there many minutes ] before some slight ticking raps were heard 

 in the table apparently. The raps answered by the alphabet 

 (pointing to the letters on a card), one after the other (a rap or 

 two coming at the letter), to the name of a sister of my wife, 

 who died seventeen years ago. After some questioning, she 

 (I speak the spirit hypotheses, though I have no theory on the 

 subject) was asked whether I might ask a question. 'Yes,' 

 affirmative rap. I said, ' May I ask it mentally ? ' * Yes.' * May 

 Mrs. Hayden hold up both her hands while I do it ? ' 'Yes.' 

 Mrs. H. did so, and in my mind, without speaking, I put a 

 question, and suggested that the answer should be in one word, 

 which I thought of. I then took the card, and got that word 

 letter by letter C HESS. The question was whether she 

 remembered a letter she once wrote to me, and what was the 

 subject? Presently came my father (o&. 1816), and after some 

 conversation I went on as follows : 



* Do you remember a periodical I have in my head ? ' ' Yes.' 

 * Do you remember the epithets therein applied to yourself ? ' 

 ' Yes.' ' Will you give me the initials of them by the card ? ' 



1 This is true. About ten or fifteen minutes elapsed after we sat 

 down before the raps came ; but Mr. De Morgan has not mentioned in 

 this letter that for a few, perhaps five minutes, we sat waiting for them. 

 On his leaving the room they were heard at once, and went on when 

 he returned. S. E. DE M, 



