Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-10-22
Has Frank Stockton Returned ?

''Is the author of The Lady or
the Tiger still engaged in literary
work on this side? We feel disinclined
to express positive opinion on the
matter, but it certainly looks like it. -
says Light. land we fancy that the
judicially- minded reader of The Re-
turn of Frank K. Stockton (cloth, 1. 35
dol, Macoy Publishing Company, New
York. and VIM. Rider & Son, London), |
will find it difficult to answer the ques-
ton with direct negative. Here is
book. the bulk of which consists of
short stories and other communications |
purporting to be the posthumous
work of well-known American
author not long deceased. 1t must be
remembered that if we accept this
claim as to their authorship we are
| not thereby committing ourselves to
the idea that the language in which
the stories are related is necessarily.
| word for word, that which the author
would have employed were he still in
the flesh. Indeed, Miss Eta de Camp,
the lady through whom they have been
received, seems to be herself conscious
she believes. be due in part to inter-
ruptions and in part to the imperfect
! instrument through which the matter
came. But such faults, if they exist,
are not conspicuous, and it may at
least be admitted that the stories are
clever, and that the whimsical
situations in which they abound are
| conceived in the true Stockton vein. a
particularly good instance Of this
whimsical element is afforded by
What became of the Ghost of Mike
O'Flynn, in the ghosts reflections as
he witnesses his own funeraI.) The
me- ium states that the writing is done
in darkened room, as, owing to the
abnormal state in which she is at the
time, AUTHORIZATIONS disturb her.
My conscious mind she says, is
keen, critical ard alert, and yet have
no knowledge Of whct the next word
is to be until it appears on the paper.
She tells how las related in The
American Journal for Psychical Re
search for April, 1919 she had, at
DR. Hyslop's proposal three sittings
in Boston with Mrs. Chenoweth.
/ was registered at an hotel in Bos
ton under an assumed name, so that
no one could possibly know | was
there. | had never met Mrs. Cheno-
weth, nor had she heard of me or my
work. She lid not near my voice nor
see me in her normal state, for when
| entered ard left the room she was in
a trance condition. DR.. Hyslop was
present at all sittings and made
record of what occurred Mr.. Stock
ton manifested clearly, gave his name
in full-Francis Richard Stockton.
The middle name and the correct SPELL
ing of the first being unknown to
either DR.. Hyslop or myself, we were
obliged to look up the record before
being assured that the full name was
given correctly. Mr.. Stockton
spoke of both the long and short
stories which had been written
through me and of others to come.
In thoughtful summary appended
to the volume, Floyd B. Wilson, a
we'll known New York lawyer, afirms
thorough personal study. He says -
After carefully and critically exam
lining all these manuscripts. and
learning from Miss de Camp. whose
honesty and earnestness [ have never
4 doubted, every detail Of this strange
embodiment, I find no conclusion
possible but that Stockton is writing
through her.
DIR. Hyslop, though evidently ia
vourably impressed, is. as becomes a
man of science, rather more guarded
in his utterance. Mr.. Wilson quotes
the report of an interview published in
the New Y DIRK Herald OF July 18th,
1909, together with one of the stories
received through Miss de Camps
mediumship, in the course of which
the doctor said -
I am led to believe that in the writ
ings of Miss de Camp there is a strik-
ing resemblance to those of the author
she says she has been in communica-
ton with. and that this extends to
style and to the manner of developing
the plots. l know. also. that she has
received personal messages, some of
which have contained good evidential
matter By this she has established
the fact that she is really sensitive to
, spirit control. When both these cir
; cumstances are taken together and
applied to the stories. they assume a
! notable Importance in transmitted
literature