Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-20
SARAH y. LOWRLE'S
SATURDAY EVENING TALK
Discussion OF the Possibility and Wsdom OF Communicating
s With the Spirits of the Dead

sworn to secrecy he went to seek the
medium in her hiding place. !
Endor. so named from the spring OF
Dor that welled silently in a grove. OF
ancient oaks, was probably even then
the ruin of some bygonc temple of n
religion long dead. The woman who
lived there seemingly alone. although
she 10 longer practiccd her art openly
was known to those who whispered be-
hind her back as the Witch of Endor
bcng practiccd in strange rites.
The word witch conveys only one
meaning nowadays. hag with bris-
tling chin and u peaked hat and broom
stick and Il wicked. aged face But
there is no reason to suppose that th"
Medium of Endor was aged or ugly or
wicked in appearance. She seems TO
have been n discerning person and one
of considerable will power and (" have
had instincts of kindness. and even of
personal loyalty to the King. She was
also. daring in her way, for she ran
the danger of being trapped into the
desired Scancc. for her own undoiny.
She literally. rs she told Saul. put her
life in his hands by complying with his
desire.
CHE was, without doubt. used to
~ having her clients approach her
dwelling sccrc ~ and under cover OF the
darkness. and there could have been
nothing surprising to her that these par
ticUIar visitors were disguised with an
intent to be unrccognizable by her or by
any they might chance to meet coming
or going. On this occasion there was
evident hurry and there were visible
Signs of tCuSpneSs about all three men.
hnt especially about the tallrst of the
three, who was also the leader.
VI" Il was wh" stated briefly what was
demanded of her: "Divine for me. !
pray thee. and bring up whomsocvcr
shall name unto thee
The woman. fearing Il trap. refused
She reminded her visitors that Saul had
cut off those having familiar spirits.
tn" So-callcd wizards and witches. out
OF tn" land. She even tauntcd the man
VIII" had biddon her divine for him with
>nar!ng her in order to bctray hNr 20
Saul. Whcrcupon the king SworC a
solemn oath that no punishment should
bctall her. Still doubling she asked
him whom she should bring up from the
dead for him. and he told her-Samuel
As SHE was going into her trance
~ she became greatly alarmed and
rricd out in fear that her questioncr
had deceived her. since he was evidently
himself the King. Whcrcupon Saul re-.
assured h"r, demanding of her with
tense insistenCr. to tell him what she
saw.
She told him that she saw forms COM
ing ont of the Carth forms like gods.
and on the Kings further questioning
she said that ono lie an o!d man was
there. covered with Il long robe, upon
which Saul proS;ratcd himself OH the
ground and did obrsancc. And Sam
uel'> voice said:
"Why hast thou diSquctcl me to
bring me up:'
And Saul >aid II am sore dis
tresSed, for the ph.listincs make war
against me. and God is departed from
me. and an>wercth III" no more neither
by prophets nor b. dreams. therefore
! nave called the" to know what | must
do.
The vote taunt"l him with his
lIignt. foretold the loss of his king
dom to David and his own death anil
mat of his sons on the morrow. II
prophesied Hl'o Il victory of the Phil.
!Stin"s over jhr Isracltcs in the APP
pr"n"hing battle.
Saul fell in Il heavy faint at the feet
- III" medium, partly from ,ickening
Tear. partly from actual physical weak
ness, for ne had eaten nothing in his
agitation all day.
The woman and the two comranions
OF the King lifted him to bed, and
the woman prepared some food for all
three. OF which the King was with dIf.
hculty persuaded to eat his share. Be-
tore daFbreak h" rosc up and went
iorth with ais two companions into the
night.
50 certain was he Of his doom that he
appears to have made no attcmpt to re
treat in any order with his ill., rreparod
lorc'S, or to cover his sons $ escape bv
any Wcl!-deviscd feint of attack. From
the first the battle seems to have been
Il rout. and the Kings suicide nfter
h,a sons lives had been sacrificed wos
Axe the fatal ending Of IN evil dream,
The vision of the woman of Endor hoI
snapped the last thread of will mower
ana Sapped his vital strength. Whether
II was true vision or not he made il
true with the last wild vchempnce of
purpose that he possessed.