The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09
LIGHTS, VISIONS, VOICES.
TALES or PSI CHIClL RESEARCH TOLD
NJ 4 BELIEVER
Hands Seen by n Drunknrd-A Sons Fate
Revenled-spiritual Compnnionship of n
Brother.-Messngea from the Sea-Wnrn-
inga of thu. Stcn Iner PnriInnL,a Lns..

| Tho following stories were related by per-
| son interested in psychical research and were
believed at least by him
might az we'll begin" he said with a
| fellow right hero in New York. He has been
going Dc wn hill long time; all through one
failing. weakness OF will. At the time / am
going to tell you about. he had been passing for
| a week or more about az ragged an existence
as any fellow could well rass through and live
| drinking as often as he could and eating moth
| ing except u bite now and then from the free
| lunch counter. He happened to be living in
| the same house with me at that time. and after
| this'thing had been going on tor several days |
was attracted Quo evening by II succession OF
| low but decidedly sharp cries from his room.
l hurried in II was about dusk There he
STOOD Just % he had tumbcd out Of bed.
staring at the wall. his eyes dIsended with a
sort OF fascinated terror that held them there
| went up. grasped him by the shoulder and
shook him
Don't you see It ? he CRIED There on the
wall. and he pointed to tho spot with his finger
:" saw nothing. but felt he was in for it,
The poor devil has 1t at last ] thought, de-
lirum trcmeus'
He clutched my hand. ] released 1t: and
then. remembering that | had had some ex-
perience in seeing inpalrahlo lights before. I
took both his hands in mine and firmly held
indicated. on the wall above his head, streak
OF pale electric light. As / continued to hold
his hands and looked intcntly. the light grad
ually grew stronger and wid.nel into a circle
in the midst Of which there presently appeared
a hand 1t hung downward. visible only from
the wrist. The hand was plainly that Of an
aged woman. rather bonv, with prominent
knucklcS and distendcd vcins--for tho back Of
the hand was toward us.
do you recognize it 2 whispered.
So MY God. yes; it is my mothers. I could
swear to it. he moaned
AS we continued TO look. tho light began to
tremblc. waver. the hand seemed as II about to
roccde from view. then grew into sharper out
lnc and finally We saw a hand of another
character. younger and flrmer. | questioned
him again.
That he said. looks like the hand OF a
sister. but she is living, or was when last
heard from her l can't stand this! Let me get
out Of hero" He broke away from me. caught
up his hat ana made for the door. ] went
out with him. leaving tho pale light still flick
crtng about the vanishing hand on the wall.
I'VE were then living pretty well down town
| suggested that we take a long ride by trolley
My companion refused. He wanted to walk
Walk. he said. ill walk the devil out Of me
He was now. and had been for some hours So
her. We walked up broadway. On a side
street near the paark We noticed the oren, doors
OF a church, The interior was brilliantly
lighted and looked inviting. Tho church was
pretty well iiled-somc sort OF experience
my companion and he entered | followed
We took ,S , seats w in an, an obscure corner
tice; but that was not to he; An oflicious
female church member. who had been eXhort-
ing people to come forward, fixed her eye on
| concerning our spiritual state. till my compan-
ion. without vouchsating an answer. bolted
n m n NAh f,tt't
give the name Of that church. but | wish that
woman and many other Christians like her
mon sense loses to many suffering mortal.
Two days later letter lnrlosing some
| whose hand he had recognized. The letter tod
how she had been impressed In dreams and
mother ana nHnfs ham to
| would like to ind up this story by telling
| you that incident redeemed that follow. but
alas! that sequel would not be true. No
mother. sister. or wife. living or dead. can re-
deem man who has not tho backbone to
powerful but personal will is the foundation
| rock.
| is totally different except that similar light
was the pivotal point also. few seasons ago
| spent summer in Maine, making my head;
| harbor. A widowed daug hter OF the house. It
most ,amiable and capable woman who made
! herself practically its head. had lost her only
son under most painful circumstances. Tn"
youth was very fond Of cunning, and one day
not far from the house, dead. with a
bullet wi! through his body and his gun be;
sden s there we're ysFy r6s
| heartbroken mother would have given worlds.
her nST
| had he suffered much. &c. ono would have
| supposed that if the boy could send message
| 1t would have been to his mother. but nobody
has ever yet been able to explain why those
occurrences are as they are. SO tltful. so unac-
countahle coming to some and not to others.
| a lew nights dter, u young cousin OF the
dead boy. his most intimate friend and insep
arabic PLAYMATE from bobyho9d; was lying in
they had often occupied together, As he lay
awake thinking 81 the one gone. he noticed a
wall. As he lay wondering what It could
mean and whether il might not be q
s1tIy Shinas L, s!tsrs SPieh i%rmfd sHsm
could be no longer any doubt Of its meaning
it was the odd given name of the dead boy. and
other was near him and that this was the only
means. perhaps In his power to acIuaint him
h He OF ho 'nG %.srs
light. too. They tried to get more evidence.
shortly after this they heard or read that a
tests from platform at Portland, aud thither
ed themselves when she launched into speech,
Then shr n gave them the story Of the boys X,
mothers unspoken question His suffering
was brief The gun hit against something
| went of. and he knew nothing till he awokc
| elsewhere They coud not be sure, of course.
that tho woman had not heard the clrcum-
| stance OF their loss from some Of her cOnfed-
| crates. Still. she told other things only known
| to themselves, and, anyway, the light in the
| chamber remained fact.
| Before | pass from this subject OF mys-
| FERROUS lights must relate n little story told
me by "A woman whose veracity ] have mover
| had cause to doubt she Is a woman tar above
the average in mental ability and before mar;
| rage was teacher OF mathematics. She had
two children, both boys One died when 7 orS
| years old. the younger survived. They had
| been extremely attached to each other. Yet
after the death of the elder tho Younger child
| never seemed to miss him or sorrow for him.
and when alone in the room they used to oc;
cupy together the mother often heard
| the child laughing as if in playful glee.
When questioned he Invariably answered
him. AS he grew older this thing continued,
Once in passing the mother went to throw
some heavy parcel on the bed when the hoy
scrramSd aloud Don't. don't! You'l hurt
This mother declares that she has often seen
the room brilliantly illumncd when no light
| was In It, and her husband corrOhoratcs the
statement. The lad who sees and talks with