Evening star., 1922-10-20

for the first century. stands as an
was written.
Mr.. wiggin has a claim for an
other phase of mediumship which Is
both more interesting and more Ques-
tionable. 1t is that at times the
greatest OF all world figures. Jesus Of
Nazareth. descends to the earth plane
and uses him as a means Of communi-
cation. Greatly daring. he has actu-
ally published a book recently. The
Living Jesus" which embodies such
fully and no one can deny that it
consists Of high teaching for which
the world would be much the better.
So much is certain. Equally certain
is it that the mode OF expression is
that of an American pastor. This is
no final argument against it's authen-
ticity, as in all cases where the me-
dium Is not in deep trance messages
are given rather in complete thoughts
to be expressed by the writer than In
very nature Of things it is impossible
to test such a claim. but I admit IT
is disillusioning to the reader when in
discourse which alludes to Martha
and Mary he comes upon expressions
such as most always" or way back"
"Book, Is EdffyinE."
I am quite convinced of Mr.. Wig
gins psychic power and of his hon.
esty in the matter. but II is very pos
sible that a teacher on the other side
may personate something higher than
himself in order to give force to his
utterance- One can only say that the
book Is edifying and leave 1t at that
have reason to know that Mr.. Wig
gins own congregation is sharply di-
vided upon the issue. 30 much so that
a big storm seemed to me to be brew
ing.
of some wild statement in the press.
hope that the public does not take
seriously all that 1 am reported to
have said, or they may feel with
Bishop Barry that I should be placed
under restraint. 1t works like this:
Enter a very young and frivolous fe-
male reporter. Well, now. Mr.. Doyle,
say! Do they have golf in the next
world?" She has come to make you
say they have, as it has occurred to
the subeditor that it would make a
good headline. Fight as you may you
will most certainly have to say it.
NO" you answer. II have no reason
to say that, You never heard them
We'll. you said they had amuse-
ments." Yes. they say they have
more than we" We'll, maybe golf is
among them" Il never heard them,
say So" So runs the interview
Next morning you open the paper.
Possibly there is a leaderette to say
how wild is all this talk. One has to
harden ones heart and just go ahead,
trusting to first principles. Indeed,
on the whole I have very little to
complain of. The press has treated
me royalty, and many of the inter-
views were both accurate and very
clever as impressionist sketches.
Greeted by Boxtonians.
On Monday. April "a. had my first
Boston meeting at Symphony Hall.
The house was full. but not packed.
fear New York has spoiled me and
want capacity" always. A Boston
audience is very like an Edinburgh
one. reserved. dignitied, silent. and
yet splendidly responsive in a very
subtle way. if. only by the total ab-
sence of movement or sound. spell
bound" said the papers next day, a
condition hard to maintain for an
| hour and a half. I had no chairman.
| and spoke without notes. but felt
much uplifted and very confident. All
| the comments were as kind as possi-
,, converts. and am sure got those by
the hundred. / mentioned Mr.. Wig
gin and Nicholson by name. so 1 hope
their psychic powers will meet with
more attention. 1 felt nearly worn
out that night. with the incessant
strain. II it were not for the splendid
cutoff which Capt. Widdecombe
forms I could not get through.
I wish had spare evening to go
to Concord, which is twenty miles
away. There Is a little farmer there
named Voss. who seems to be one of
the greatest mediums in the world. !
had a full description from an evan
gelicai clergyman named Garrett.
who had sat with him many times.
tion, levitation and, indeed. every
| thing. Foss does not go into trance,
and is said to be more interested in
his asparagus and his cows than in
psychic matters. He is seventy-one.
hale and hearty, and takes no fees. /
am tolu tHat potn tne !Ate "lllldth
James and W. D. Howells have sat
with Voss and were entirely con-
verted by what they saw. 1t is these
folk who are close to nature who are
nearest to spirit The fisherman
makes the apostle. BY the way, James
was a Swedenborgian by birth, SO he
had not to travel far to get the truth.
Copyright. 1872. BY Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
for the United States and Great Brittany