The St. Joseph observer. [volume] (St. Joseph, Mo.) 1906-1932, 1917-02-03
WORD FROM
HIS DEAD SON


ed a few weeks ago. Now another
famous Englishman, I Of England's
great scientists, has published a book
detailing spirit messages he has re-
Ceived from his own son. killed i'm
battle. a tremendous stir seems to
have been created in England by the
publication Of this book by Sir Oliver
Lodge. telling Of communications from
his son, 2nd Lieutenant Raymond
Lodge, who fell in battle a little more
than year ago. perhaps ii was
/ inevitable is the comment Of the
American Literary Digest that the
enormous death roll OF Europe should
start a revival Of spiritualism among
| those who have lost loved ones. and
| the space Is given tho book in the
| British press bctrays the hope that
fills many boreaved hearts" It is
the most remarkable book the war
has produced OF Is likely TO produce"
declares the London Christian Com
monwealth, an organ OF liberal and
progressive religious thought. The
! London Times deVotes . rather nom
committal column to It, The Lon
| don Commonwealth says this of the
| book: In any case, the book Is n
quite wonderful literary achievement,
more impressive than any formal BIZ
| ography more intensely moving than
| any tribute Of sorrowing affection, in
verse or prose. Ones 1st impressions
I OF the book can only be expressed in
! this antithesis; it is either a simple,
I straightforward record of events that
! have actually occurred or it is the
/ story Of a great scientists Creduiity
ard self-deceptiou." A prophesy of
/ Raymond's death was made az q se-
/ ance IN America month before he
/ died. Myers says you take the part
/ Of the poet" ran q sentence in the
| message, "aud he will act az Faunus
/ ask Norral!: she viii also uu-
| derstaad." Sir Oliver could rot make
| head nor tail of the message and so
/ he asked Mrs Norgan the meaning of
/ IT, Sna Immediately referred Sir OIL
! liver to certain famous ode i'm Tor-
! ace in which the poet speaks Of
/ himself as having been almost killed
| by the blow Of a failing tree had not
/ FaUnUs llshteued the blow. This in
! tcrprct3tiCR reached Sh. Oliver more
/ than q week before the blow Of his
| sons death fell on him. Shortly after
| HuyWou3's death, Lady Lodge had
/ an "aHOnymou&' sitting with a med
| ium. ana messages came about tho
/ boy from . control" or 2nd per-
/ soualitv ra'lcd "Nuoustouc." After
! "NooustoUc" had described Raymond
and given identifying messages" the
! trauCe~spceCh went on: Good God!
| how father viii be able TO speak out!
! mach firmer than he has ever done,
! because il viii touch our hearts" At
| the same sitting, a group photograph
Of which The Lodge family knew moth
/ ing was mentioned. ana at n later sit
! ting with different medium some
! details Of this photograph were given.
| a copy Of the photograph Of Ray
, mCud and several fellow officers ul-
] timatelv came from the front, and
! confirmed, 10 some extent, the desCrip>
/ zion given. The London Standard goes
/ thru the book and gives some citations
! to show how the son speaks from the
! "other side" as described by the fa-
( ther: For the most part, allowing
/ for the impedimeuts Gas one may eX-
! cGsably cal themJ of the methods Of
! communication, ne speaks like him
/ self. He shows solicitude for his moth
cr. Mother don't go doing so much
/ he pleads. I am very strong says
Lady lodge. You think you are he
! retOrts. but you tire yourself out too
much. u troubles me- Reminded by
/ his father on another occasion that it
is getting getting near Christmas, he
says: know. | shall lie there. Keep
Jolly or it hurts me horribly Truly,
! know it IS difficult. but you must
know by now that ! am so splendid.
! / SHAH never he instant ont of the
house on Christmas day lie is anX-
ious because his brother Alec can't
heal" him. 4 do wish he would be-
leYe that we are here safe; it isn't
a dismal hole as people think; 1t is a
place where there is lire.' As the
communications proceed he grows
happier, In / passage, placed by Sir
Oliver Lodge under the heading Of
lUnverifiable Matter he speaks OF
going to a gorgeous place which he
describes as the Highest Sphere. The
fun account Sir Oliver omits; until
the case for survival is considered es-
tablished, it is thought improper and
unwise to relate an experience of the
kind which may be imagined But
something, is given. 1 felt exalted,
says the supposititious speaker, 'puri-
fled, lifted up. was kneeling.
couldn't stand up, I wanted to kneel.
Mother, I thrilled from head 20 foot
feel / wanted to so near him. Didn't
feel that | ought. The Voice was like
a bell. ] can't tell you what he was
dressed or robed in. All seemed a
mixture Of shining colors.' Sir Oil
yer gives this general deduction from
thought and experiment on the great
mysterious: "Nor let us imagine that
existence hereafter will be something
so wholly remote and different as to
be unimaglnable; but let us learn by
the testimony OF experimentation
our own or that Of others-that those
who have been, still are; that they
care for us and help us; that they,
too are progressing and learning aud
working and hoping; that there are
grades of existence stretching upward
and upward to all eternity; and that
God himself thru His agents and mes
! sengers, is continually striving and
working and planning so as TO bring
, this creation OF His thru its prepara-
= tory labor and pain, and lead 1t on to
an existence higher and better than
,,vrt bipu NO haya ayar lypnup -