Scenes from Spiritist Private Life.

In our last issue we presented the picture of spirit life as a whole; we followed the Spirits from the moment they leave the earthly body and gave a brief sketch of their occupations. Today we propose to show them in action, gathering into a single picture various intimate scenes, the testimony of which has been given to us through communications. The numerous familiar conversations from beyond the grave, already published in this review, can give an idea of the situation of the Spirits according to their degree of advancement, but here there is a special character of activity that makes us know even better the role that, in spite of ourselves, they play among us. The theme of the study, whose vicissitudes we are going to relate, presented itself to us spontaneously; it offers greater interest because it has, as its principal hero, not one of those superior Spirits who inhabit unknown worlds, but one of those who, by their very nature, are still bound to the Earth, a contemporary who gave us manifest proofs of his identity. It is among us that the action takes place, and each of us plays a role in it. Moreover, this study of Spiritist customs has, as its particular feature, the fact that it shows us the progression of the Spirits in erraticity and how we can contribute to their education.

One of our friends, after long fruitless experiments over which his patience triumphed, suddenly became an excellent writing and hearing medium. One time he was occupied in psychographing with another medium, his friend, when, to a question directed to a Spirit, he obtained a rather strange and hardly serious answer, in which he did not recognize the character of the Spirit evoked. Having questioned the author of the answer, after having summoned him in the name of God to make himself known, the latter signed Pierre Le Flamand [Peter, the Fleming], a name completely unknown to the medium. There was then established, between the two of them, and later between us and this Spirit, a series of conversations that we shall now relate. FIRST CONVERSATION.

Who are you? I know no one by that name.

Answer. – One of your old schoolmates.

I have not the slightest recollection.

Answer. – Remember the thrashing you took one day?

It is possible; among schoolboys that happens sometimes. Indeed, I remember something of the sort, but I also recall having paid it back in the same coin.

Answer. – It was I; but I bear you no ill will.

Thank you. As far as I can remember, you were a rather wicked rascal.

Answer. – There is your memory coming back. While I lived I did not change. I was hard-headed, but at bottom I was not bad; I would fight with the first one who came along: in me that was a necessity. Then, once my back was turned, I no longer thought about anything.

When and at what age did you die?

Answer. – Fifteen years ago; I was about twenty years old.

Of what did you die?

Answer. – A young man's folly… a consequence of my lack of good sense…

Do you still have family?

Answer. – I lost my parents a long time ago; I lived with an uncle, my only relative…; if you go to Cambrai promise to seek him out; he is a fine man, whom I greatly appreciate, although he treated me harshly; but I deserved it.

Does he have the same name as you?

Answer. – No; in Cambrai there is no longer anyone with my name; he is called W…; he lives in … street no. …; you will see that it is indeed I who am speaking to you.

Observation. – The fact was verified by the medium himself on a journey that he undertook some time afterward. He found Mr. W… at the indicated address;

this man told him that he had indeed had a nephew of that name, rather scatterbrained and unsuitable, who died in 1844, a short time after having been drawn by lot for military service. This circumstance had not been indicated by the Spirit; later he did so spontaneously. We shall see on what occasion.

By what chance did you come to my house?

Answer. – By chance, if you will; I believe, however, that it was my good genius that impelled me toward you, since it seems to me that we can only gain from the reestablishment of our relations… I was nearby, at your neighbor's house, occupied in looking at the pictures… no church portraits…; suddenly I caught sight of you and came. I perceived that you were occupied, conversing with another Spirit, and I wanted to join in the conversation.

But why did you answer the questions I was putting to another Spirit? That does not seem to come from a good comrade.

Answer. – I found myself in the presence of a serious Spirit who did not seem disposed to answer; by answering in his place, I imagined that he would loosen his tongue, but I did not succeed. By not telling the truth, I wanted to force him to speak.

That is not right, for it could have resulted in unpleasant things, had I not perceived the deception.

Answer. – You would always have known it, sooner or later.

Tell me roughly how you came in here.

Answer. – A fine question! Do we by chance need to pull the bell cord?

So you can go anywhere, enter any place?

Ans. – Of course!… And without having myself announced! We are not Spirits for nothing. n

Yet I thought that certain Spirits did not have the power to penetrate into all gatherings.

Answer. – Do you by chance believe that your room is a sanctuary and that I am unworthy to penetrate into it?

Answer my question seriously and set aside the jokes in bad taste. You see that I am not in the humor to put up with them and that mystifying Spirits are ill received in my house.

Answer. – It is true that there are gatherings where rascally Spirits, such as us others, cannot enter; but it is the superior Spirits who prevent us, and not men. Besides, when we go somewhere, we know very well how to keep ourselves quiet and aside, if necessary. We listen and, when we get bored, we go away… Ah!… yes! It seems that you are not satisfied with my visit.

And that I do not gladly receive the first one who comes along, and, frankly, I was not pleased that you came to disturb a serious conversation.

Answer. – Do not be angry…, I do not wish to disturb you… I am always a good fellow…; another time I shall have myself announced.

It is now fifteen years since you died…

Answer. – Let us understand one another. What is dead is my body; but I, who am speaking to you, am not dead.

Observation. – Often, even among the frivolous and jesting Spirits, words of great profundity are found. This I that is not dead is absolutely philosophical.

That is just how I understand it. By the way, tell me one thing: just as you find yourself now, can you see me as clearly as if you were in your body?

Answer. – I see you even better; I was nearsighted; that is why I wanted to get out of military service.

It is now, I was saying, fifteen years since you died, and you seem to me as scatterbrained as before; you have not advanced, then?

Answer. – I am what I was before: neither better, nor worse.

How do you pass the time?

Answer. – I have no other occupations except to amuse myself and to inform myself of the events that may influence my destiny. I see a great deal. I spend part of the time now at friends' houses, now at the theater… Sometimes I catch sight of very amusing things… If people knew that they have witnesses when they think they are alone!… In short, I proceed in such a way that time may be as little burdensome to me as possible… To say how long this is going to last, I would not know, and yet, I have been living this way for some time… Do you have convincing explanations for that?

In short, are you happier than you were when you were alive?

Answer. – No.

What do you lack? You have no need of anything; you no longer suffer; you do not fear being ruined; you go everywhere and see everything; you do not fear worries, nor illnesses, nor the infirmities of old age. Is this not a happy existence? Answer. – I lack the reality of pleasures; I am not advanced enough to enjoy a moral happiness; I desire everything that I see, and it is that which tortures me; I get bored and try to kill time as I can!… But, until when?… I experience a malaise that I cannot define…; I would prefer to suffer the miseries of life to this anxiety that oppresses me. Observation. – Is there not here an eloquent picture of the moral sufferings of the inferior Spirits? To envy everything they see; to have the same desires and really enjoy nothing, must be true torture.

You said that you went to see your friends; would that not be a distraction?

Answer. – My friends do not perceive that I am with them; besides, they do not even think of me. That hurts me.

Do you not have friends among the Spirits?

Answer. – Scatterbrained ones and rascals like me, who like me get bored. Their company is not very pleasant; those who are happy and reason keep away from me.

Poor fellow! I pity you, and if I could be useful to you, I would do so with pleasure.

Answer. – If you knew how much these words do me good! It is the first time I have heard them.

Could you not find occasion to see and hear good and useful things that would contribute to your progress?

Answer. – Yes, but for that it is necessary that I know how to take advantage of the lessons. I confess that I prefer to attend scenes of love and of debauchery, which have not influenced my Spirit toward the good. Before entering your house, I was there considering pictures that awakened certain ideas in me…; but let us set that aside… Nevertheless I knew how to resist the wish to ask to reincarnate, in order to enjoy the pleasures that I so abused. I see, now, how much I would have erred. By coming to your house, I feel that I did well.

Very good! I hope, in the future, that you will give me the pleasure, in case you want my friendship, of no longer concentrating your attention on these pictures that can awaken bad ideas, and that, on the contrary, you may think of what you will here hear that is good and useful for you. You will feel good about it, you can believe me. Answer. – If that is your thought, it will also be mine.

When you go to the theater, do you experience the same emotions you felt when you were alive?

Answer. – Several different emotions; at first, those; then I mingle in the conversations… and I hear singular things.

Which is your favorite theater?

Answer. – "Les Variétés". It often happens that I see them all in the same evening. I also go to the balls and to the gatherings where there is amusement.

So that, while you amuse yourself, you instruct yourself, since it is impossible to observe enough in your position.

Answer. – Yes, but what I most appreciate are certain colloquies. It is really curious to see the maneuvering of some creatures, above all of those who still want to pass for young. In all that rigmarole no one tells the truth: just like the face, the heart paints itself, so that no one understands each other. About this I have carried out a study of customs.

Well then! Do you not see that we could have good conversations, like this one, from which both of us can profit?

Answer. – Always; as you say, at first for you; then, for me. You have occupations necessary to your body; as for me, I can take every possible step to instruct myself without harming my existence.

Since it is so, you will continue your observations or, as you say, your studies of customs; up to now you have not profited much from them. They must serve toward your enlightenment, and for that, it is necessary that you do it with a serious aim, and not as a diversion and to kill time. You will tell me what you have seen: we shall reason and draw the conclusions for our mutual instruction. Answer. – It will really be quite interesting. Yes, I am certainly at your service.

That is not all. I would like to provide you with the occasion to practice a good deed. Do you want to?

Answer. – With all my heart! It will be said that I can serve for something. Tell me at once what it is that I must do.

No hurry! I do not entrust such delicate missions to those in whom I have no confidence. You have good will, there is no doubt; but will you have the necessary perseverance? That is the question. It is necessary, then, that I teach you to know yourself better, in order to know what you are capable of and to what point I can count on you. We shall talk about this another time. Answer. – You will see.

Farewell, then, for today.

Answer. – Until soon.

SECOND CONVERSATION.

So, my dear Pierre, have you reflected seriously on what we talked about the other day?

Answer. – More seriously than you imagine, for I make a point of proving to you that I am worth more than I appear. I feel more at ease, ever since I have something to do. Now I have an aim and I no longer get bored.

I spoke of you to Mr. Allan Kardec; I communicated our conversations to him and he was very pleased; he wishes to enter into contact with you.

Answer. – I already know it; I was at his house.

Who led you there?

Answer. – Your thought. I came back here after that day. I saw that you wanted to speak to him about me and I said to myself: Let us go there first; I shall probably find material for observation and, who knows, an occasion to be useful.

I am glad to see you with these serious thoughts. What impression did you have of the visit?

Answer. – Oh! A very great one. There I learned things that I did not even suspect and that enlightened me regarding the future. It is like a light that was made within me. Now I understand all that I have to gain by my improvement… It is necessary…; it is necessary.

May I, without committing an indiscretion, ask you what you saw at his house?

Answer. – Certainly. There, as at other people's houses, I saw so many things that I shall not speak of them except when I want… or when I can.

What do you mean by that? Can you not say everything you want?

Answer. – No. For some days now I have been seeing a Spirit who seems to follow me everywhere, who impels me or restrains me; one would say that he directs me; I feel an impulse, of which I am not aware and which I obey, in spite of myself. If I want to say or do something unsuitable, he places himself before me…, looks at me… and I fall silent… and I stop.

Who is this Spirit?

Answer. – I know nothing; but he dominates me.

Why do you not ask him?

Answer. – I do not have the courage. When I want to speak to him he looks at me and I feel my tongue locked.

Observation. – It is evident that here the word tongue is a figure of speech, since Spirits do not possess articulate language.

You ought to see whether he is good or bad.

Answer. – He must be good, since he prevents me from saying foolish things; but he is severe… Sometimes he has an irritated air; at other times, he seems to look at me with tenderness… The idea came to me that it could be the Spirit of my father, who does not want to make himself known.

That seems plausible. He must not be very satisfied with you. Listen to me carefully. I am going to give you some advice on the matter. We know that parents have the mission of educating their children and guiding them in the path of good. Consequently, they are responsible for the good or the evil that the children practice, according to the education they received, by which they suffer or are happy in the world of Spirits. The conduct of the children, then, influences to a certain point the happiness or the unhappiness of the parents after death. As your conduct on Earth was not very edifying, and as since your death you have not done much good, your father must suffer from it, in case he has something to reproach himself with for not having guided you well… Answer. – If I did not become a man of good, it was not for lack of the necessary chastisement, more than once.

Perhaps it had not been the best way to correct you; be that as it may, his affection for you is always the same and he proves it to you by drawing near to you, if it is indeed he, as I presume. He must feel happy at your change, which explains the alternation of tenderness and of irritation. He wants to help you in the good path that you have just entered, and when he sees you really committed to it, I am certain that he will make himself known. In that way, working for your own happiness, you will work for his. I would not even be surprised if it was he himself who impelled you to come to my house. If he did not do so earlier it was because he wanted to give you the time to understand the emptiness of your existence without accomplishments and to feel its bitterness. Answer. – Thank you! Thank you…! He is there, behind you… He has placed his hand on your head, as if he were dictating to you the words you have just uttered.

Let us return to Mr. Allan Kardec.

Answer. – I went to his house the night before last. He was occupied, writing in his study…, working on a new work in preparation… n Ah! He takes good care of us, poor Spirits; if we are not known it is not his fault.

Was he alone?

Answer. – Alone, yes, that is, there was no one with him; but there were around him a score of Spirits who were murmuring above his head.

Did he hear them?

Answer. – He heard them so well that he looked all over for where the noise was coming from, to see if it were not thousands of flies; then he opened the window to look whether it might not be the wind or the rain.

Observation. – The fact was absolutely exact.

Among so many Spirits, did you recognize any?

Answer. – No; they are not those with whom I gathered. I had the impression of being an intruder and I put myself in a corner in order to observe.

Did these Spirits seem to be interested in what he was writing?

Answer. – I believe so. Two or three, above all, prompted what he was writing and gave the impression of listening to the opinion of the others; as for Kardec, he firmly believed that the ideas were his own, seeming satisfied with that.

Was that all you saw?

Answer. – Then eight or ten people arrived who gathered in another room with Kardec. They began to converse; they asked questions; he answered and explained.

Do you know the people who were there?

Answer. – No; I only know that there were important persons, for one of them was always referred to as prince, and another as Monsieur the duke. The Spirits also arrived in great numbers; there were at least a hundred, several of whom had on their heads a kind of crown of fire. The others kept apart and listened.

And you, what were you doing?

Answer. – I too was listening, but above all I was observing. The idea came to me, then, to do a clever trick to be useful to Kardec; I shall tell you later what it was, once I have achieved success. Then I left the gathering and, wandering through the streets, I amused myself in front of the shops, mingling with the crowd.

So that, instead of going about your business, you were wasting time?

Answer. – I did not waste it, since I prevented a theft.

Ah! You also get involved in police matters?

Answer. – Why not? Passing in front of a closed shop, I noticed that something strange was happening inside; I went in and saw a young man very agitated, coming and going, as if he wanted to go to the shopkeeper's cash box. With him there were two Spirits, one of whom whispered in his ear: Come on, coward! The drawer is full; you will be able to amuse yourself at will, etc.; the other had the appearance of a woman, beautiful and full of nobility, something celestial and of goodness in her gaze; she said to him: Go away, go away! Do not let yourself be tempted; and she whispered to him the words: prison, dishonor. The young man was hesitating. At the moment when he approached the cash box, I interposed myself before him to stop him. The bad Spirit asked me not to meddle. I told him that I wanted to prevent the youth from committing a bad deed and, perhaps, from being condemned to the galleys. Then the good Spirit drew near to me and said to me: It is necessary that he undergo the temptation; it is a trial; if he succumbs, it will be by his own fault. The thief was about to triumph when the bad Spirit employed an abominable artifice, which produced its result: he made him see a bottle on a small table: it was brandy; he inspired in him the idea of drinking, to work up courage. The unfortunate man is lost, I thought to myself… let us at least try to save something. I had no other recourse but to warn the master… quickly! In the blink of an eye, here I am at his house. He was playing cards with his wife; it was necessary to find a means of making him go out.

If he had been a medium, you would have made him write whatever we wished. Would he at least believe in the Spirits?

Answer. – He did not have enough spirit to know what that is.

I was unaware of your talent for making puns.

Answer. – If you interrupt me I shall say no more.

I provoked in him a violent sneeze; he wanted to inhale snuff, but he had left his snuffbox at the shop. He called his son, who was sleeping in a corner, and told him to go fetch it…; that was not quite what I desired; the boy woke up grumbling… I whispered to the mother that she should say: Do not wake the child; you can very well go fetch it yourself. — Finally he made up his mind… and I accompanied him, so that he would go faster. Arriving at the door he noticed light in the shop and heard a noise. He was seized with fear; his legs were trembling; I pushed him so that he would advance; if he had entered suddenly he would have caught the thief as in a trap. Instead, the imbecile began to shout: Stop the thief! The thief escaped, but, in his haste, also disturbed by the brandy, he forgot to grab his cap. The owner of the shop entered when there was no longer anyone there… What will happen with the cap is none of my business… That fellow is in a bad spot. Thanks to me there was no time to consummate the theft, from which the merchant was saved by fear. That, however, did not prevent him from saying, on returning to his house, that he had knocked down a man six feet tall. — "Just look — he said — at how things happen! If I had not had the idea of inhaling snuff!…" — "And if I had not prevented you from sending the boy!" — retorted the woman. — "And one must admit that we were lucky. See what chance is!" There, my friend, is how they thank us!

You are a fine fellow, my dear Pierre, congratulations. Do not be discouraged by the ingratitude of men; you will find many others like that, now that you commit yourself to rendering them service, even among those who believe in the intervention of the Spirits. Answer. – Yes, and I know that the ungrateful will one day be paid with ingratitude.

I see now that I can count on you and that you are becoming truly serious.

Answer. – Later you will see that it will be I who teach you morality.

Like anyone else, I need it and I shall gladly receive advice, come from where it may. I told you that I wanted you to practice a good deed; are you disposed to?

Answer. – Can you doubt it?

I believe that one of my friends is threatened with great disappointments, if he continues to follow the bad path on which he finds himself; his illusions could ruin him. I would like you to try to lead him back to the good path, by means of something that could impress him vividly. Do you understand my thought? Answer. – Yes; you would like me to produce some pleasant manifestation for him, an apparition, for example; but that does not depend on me. However, I can give perceptible proofs of my presence when that is permitted to me. You well know it. Observation. – The medium to whom this Spirit seems to be attached is warned of his presence by a very perceptible impression, even when he does not think of calling him.

He recognizes him by a kind of shudder that he feels in his arms, in his back and in his shoulders; but sometimes the effects are more energetic. At a gathering that took place at our house, on the 24th of last March, this Spirit answered the questions through another medium. People were speaking of his physical strength; suddenly, as if to give a proof, he seized one of those present by the leg and, by means of a violent jolt, lifted him from the chair and hurled him, astonished, to the other side of the room.

You will do what you want, or rather, what you can. I warn you that he possesses some mediumship.

Answer. – So much the better; I have my plan.

What do you expect to do?

Answer. – First I am going to study the situation; to see by what Spirits he is surrounded and whether there are means of doing something with them. Once in his house I shall announce myself, as I did in yours. They will question me and I shall answer: "It is I, Pierre Le Flamand, spiritual messenger, who come to place myself at your service and who, at the same time, would like to thank you. I have heard it said that you cherish certain hopes that are upsetting your head and already making you turn your back on friends; I believe it my duty, in your own interest, to warn you of how far your ideas are from being profitable to your future happiness. On the word of Le Flamand, I can assure you that I come to visit you imbued with the best of intentions. Fear the wrath of the Spirits and, even more, that of God, and believe in the words of your servant, who assures you that his mission is entirely turned toward the good." (sic) If they drive me out, I shall come back three times and then I shall see what I have to do. Is that it?

Very good, my friend, but say neither more, nor less.

Answer. – Word for word.

But if they ask you who charged you with this mission, what will you answer?

Answer. – That it was the Superior Spirits. For the sake of good, I may not tell the whole truth.

You are mistaken; since we act for the good, it is always by inspiration of the good Spirits. Thus, your conscience can be tranquil, inasmuch as the bad Spirits never impel us to do good things.

Answer. – It is understood.

I thank you and I congratulate you on your good dispositions. When do you want to be called to give me an account of the result of your mission?

Answer. – I shall let you know.

(Continued in the next issue.)

[We have not found the continuation of this subject.]

[1]

[In another translation: It is not for nothing that we are Spirits.]

[2] Translator's note: This refers to the work What Is Spiritism. See the Spiritist Review of July 1859.