and the next day something wonderful
would occur and upset his latest theory completely, so that he finally
gave up in despair and became simply a passive spectator. Things went on
in this way until December, when Esther was taken ill with diphtheria,
and confined to her bed for about two weeks, during which time the
manifestations ceased entirely. After she had recovered from her
illness, she went to Sackville, N.B., to visit her other married sister,
Mrs. John Snowden, remaining at her house for about two weeks. While
there she was entirely free from the manifestations.

On returning to Dan's cottage the most startling part of the case was
developed. One night while in bed with her sister Jane in another room,
her room having been changed to see if that would put a stop to the
affair, she told her sister that she could hear a voice saying to her
that the house was to be set on fire that night by a ghost. The voice
also said that it had once lived on the earth, but had been dead for
some years. The members of the household were called in at once, and
told what had been said. They only laughed and remarked that no such
thing as that could take place, because there were no ghosts. Dr. Clay
had said it was all electricity. "And," added Dan, "electricity can't
set the house on fire unless it comes from a cloud in the form of
lightning." As they were talking the matter over, to the amazement of
all present, a lighted match fell from the ceiling to the bed, and would
have set it on fire had not Jane put it out instantly. During the next
ten minutes, eight or ten lighted matches fell on the bed and about the
room, but were all extinguished before any harm could be done. In the
course of the night the loud knockings commenced. The family could now
all converse with the invisible power in this way. It would knock once
for a negative answer, and three times for an answer in the affirmative,
giving two knocks when in doubt about a reply. Dan asked if the house
would be set on fire, and the reply was three loud knocks on the floor,
meaning yes; and a fire was started about five minutes afterwards. The
ghost took a dress belonging to Esther that was hanging on a nail in the
wall near the door, rolled it up, and, before any of the persons in the
room could remove it from under the bed, where the ghost had placed it
before their very eyes, it was all in a blaze. It was extinguished,
however, without being much injured by the fire. Th