Evening star., 1921-06-19
Tranxlated From the French by
WILLIAM l.. MCPHERSON.

IIv lSl-, Sd!o my eAcehehl
friend, Prof. John Coxswain.
whose remarkable works on
psychical phenomena are
known everywhere. there WAS much
talk about the communications which
"A medium. Mrs. Margaret Allen of
Edinburgh. was receiving from the
disincarnated spirit of the poet Byron.
These presented character of au-
thenticity which Was particularly
striking and, il must be admitted.
very unusual in such cases. Not only
markable poetry aid express itself
directly through the mouth of the
medium, instead of employing QUIZ.
board or some other form vi auto
matte writing. but it also spoke in
a masculine voice, decidedly differ
ent from that u1 Mrs. Alien iu her
normal personality. and used English
prCnunc.at. .UIis Ia vogue at the Ur2in-
ming Of the nineteenth century, from
winch those of our own period are
ScnSi bly, different. Moreover. II had
indicated where letters and even un-
ISubfishcG poems of the iuustrious au-
thor Of -Childe Harold might be found.
These happenings were considered SO
important by the London Society for
Psychical Research that il asked me
scanccs and make report on them.
The society never published my re-
port in its proceedings because of a
singular. and ] may say. without be-
ing taxed with exaggeration. dis-
concerting, turn given to the COM
munications shortly after my arrival.
1t is impossible to accuse Mrs. Allen
of trickery. She is a woman of unim-
peachable morals. widow about
thirty-five years old. with a high
-
levity in her conduct or conversation.
| Should add that she possesses "A con-
siderable fortune. that she gave her
services free and that her exceptional
gifts were discovered by Mr. Archi-
bald MacBraid. the highly respected
minister of the Presbyterian chapel
which she fIequcnteu and IN which
she had always shown spirit OF
active and enlightened piety.
"N r. MaeRRAlD attended the Sc
ances regularly. He was great
ly edited by the religious sentiments
which George Gordon. Lord Byron.
professed. That great poet declared
that he regretted the errors of his
earthly existence and the scandal of
his love affairs, which he mentioned
only with great reserve, seeking to
excuse himself by saying that it was
in Italy. for the most part. that he had
ceal the fact that they had prevented
him from attaining as yet a high
rank in the hierarchy of spirits. and
that, for example. such an imbeciIe as
John RuSkin had a place above him
Having been reproached for the un-
just expression he used with regard
to a glorious writer who had kept the
faith. he attributed his bad humor
with touching modesty. to literary
vanity. of which he blushed to say he
had not yet been entirely cured. 4
"At the first seance at which l as
sisted l asked him about Shelley. his
friend, whose body he had burned
with sublime ceremony on sandy
beach in Livurnia. committing 1t to a
pyre of cedars and myrtle. He replied
in a grieved tone that he had never
ceased 10 regret the fact that poor
Shelley had lived and died a pagan.
But at the last seance our surprise,
and, / must admit. our disappoint-
ment. were great at hearing an en-
tirely different voice speaking through
the medium. This new spirit hastened
to introduce himself. He was Angus
tus Lewis Barnard, who died in lS47.
and was during his life minister of
the little Presbyterian Church which,
already at that time existed in
Florence.
MI. MdCbTdlu pOlItely expressed the
pleasure he found in entering into re-
lations with colleague from the
other world. But that didn't prevent
his disclosing that we had counted on
conversing with another person.
"T know that said Lewis Barnard
.. 1T was Byron. But he will not come
today-and probably not Tor several
days. In fact. I am here to tell you
that he can't come. 1t would have been
annoying to me that a pastor of the
church to which ] belonged should
wait in vain to talk to him. to say
nothing of gentleman who has come
here all the way from London
"He added some little compliments
addressed to me. l ask permission
not to repeat them. the more SO as
they were Of no scientific Importance.
But since I seemed to be unknown to
I ventured to ask him how we were
to account for the ABSENCE was
on the point Of saying the desertion
|-of Lord Byron.
He has cold.' declared the dis
incarnated Lewis Barnard.
ssLI1E noted a certain hesitation in
this curt response. You can
imagine also that the explanation
seemed to ussincredible. Mr.. Mac
Braid remarked that he had never
heard of a spirit catching cold.
"'why not?" his colleague rejoined.
Everything with us is like IL is here.
There was recently an epidemic Of
grippe on the other side! 4 man
ubo has followed sacred profession