is at least a punctual man. Every time I called he came
right away without delay. Let those who are inclined to cavil at the
methods of the Spiritualists reflect how impossible it would be to
secure such punctuality on anything but a basis of absolute honesty.

In my first conversation with Great-grandfather, I found myself so
absurdly nervous at the thought of the vast gulf of space and time
across which we were speaking that I perhaps framed my questions
somewhat too crudely.

"How are you, great-grandfather?" I asked.

His voice came back to me as distinctly as if he were in the next room:

"I am happy, very happy. Please tell everybody that I am _happy_."

"Great-grandfather," I said. "I will. I'll see that everybody knows it.
Where are you, great-grandfather?"

"Here," he answered, "beyond."

"Beyond what?"

"Here on the other side."

"Side of which?" I asked.

"Of the great vastness," he answered. "The other end of the
Illimitable."

"Oh, I see," I said, "that's where you are."

We were silent for some time. It is amazing how difficult it is to find
things to talk about with one's great-grandfather. For the life of me I
could think of nothing better than:

"What sort of weather have you been having?"

"There is no weather here," said Great-grandfather. "It's all bright and
beautiful all the time."

"You mean bright sunshine?" I said.

"There is no sun here," said Great-grandfather.

"Then how do you mean--" I began.

But at this moment the head of the agency tapped me on the shoulder to
remind me that the two minutes' conversation for which I had deposited,
as a nominal fee, five dollars, had expired. The agency was courteous
enough to inform me that for five dollars more Great-grandfather would
talk another two minutes.

But I thought it preferable to stop for the moment.

Now I do not wish to say a word against my own great-grandfather. Yet
in the conversations which followed on successive days I found him--how
shall I put it?--unsatisfactory. He had been, when on this side--to
use the term we Spiritualists prefer--a singularly able man, an English
judge; so at least I have always been given to understand. But somehow
Great-grandfather's brain, on the other side, seemed to have got badly
damaged. My own theory is that, living always in the bright sunshine, he
had got sunstroke. But I may wrong him. Perhaps it was locomotor ataxy
that he had. That he was very, very happy where he was is