etching the hypothesis beyond
allowable limits. And these cases are, I repeat, numerous and very
interesting. I quote three for my readers' edification.

During the 46th[47] of the English sittings with Messrs Oliver and
Alfred Lodge as sitters, Phinuit suddenly exclaimed,--

"Oh, dear, there is something very bad about this. Here's a little child
called Stevenson--two of them--one named Mannie (Minnie?) wants to send
her love to her father in the body and the mother in the body--she had
sore throat and passed out. He is very bad and has gone away very
unhappy. She's clinging to me and begging me to tell you that she's
little Mannie Stevenson, and that her father's almost dead with grief,
he sits crying, crying dreadful, and he's gone away very unhappy. Tell
him she's not dead, but sends her love to him; and tell him not to cry."

Professor Lodge.--"Can she send her name any better?"

Phinuit.--"Oh, they called her Pet, and when she was ill they called her
Birdie. And tell mamma too, do."

Professor L.--"Well, I will if I can."

Professor Lodge could not discover the Stevenson family, which was a
pity, for two reasons; first, that a message from beyond the tomb might
have restored the despairing parents to a little hope and calm; and
secondly, because cavillers could not have attributed the incident to
the medium's cunning, which they would not fail to do if other
incidents of the same nature did not make this interpretation almost
inadmissible.

At the 45th English sitting,[48] when Messrs Oliver and Alfred Lodge and
Mr and Mrs Thompson were the sitters, Phinuit suddenly said,--

"Do you know Richard Rich, Mr Rich?"

Mrs Thompson.--"Not well; I knew a Dr Rich."

Phinuit.--"That's him; he's passed out. He sends kindest regards to his
father." And Phinuit began directly to speak of something else.

At the 83rd sitting, when Mr and Mrs Thompson were again present,
Phinuit said all at once,--

"Here's Dr Rich;" upon which Dr Rich proceeds to speak.

Dr Rich.--"It is very kind of this gentleman" (_i.e._, Dr Phinuit) "to
let me speak to you. Mr Thompson, I want you to give a message to
father."

Mr Thompson.--"I will give it."

Dr R.--"Thank you a thousand times; it is very good of you. You see I
passed out rather suddenly. Father was very much troubled about it, and
he is troubled yet. He hasn't got over it. Tell him that I am
alive--that I send my love to him. Where are my glasses" (the medium
passes her