A former carter.

— The excellent medium Mr. V… is a young man who is generally distinguished by the purity of his relations with the spiritual world. Nevertheless, since he has occupied the room in which he currently resides, an inferior Spirit interferes in his communications, intruding even into his personal work. Finding himself one evening — September 6, 1859 — at the home of Mr. Allan Kardec, with whom he was to work, he was importuned by that Spirit, which made him trace incoherent things or prevented him from writing. Addressing the Spirit, Mr. Allan Kardec held with it the following conversation:

Why do you come here if no one has called you?

Answer. – I want to torment him.

Who are you? Tell your name.

Answer. – I will not tell it.

What is your purpose in meddling in what does not concern you? This brings you no profit.

Answer. – No; but I prevent him from having good communications and I know that this hurts him greatly.

You are an evil Spirit, since you rejoice in doing harm. In the name of God, I command you to withdraw and let us work in peace.

Answer. – Do you think to frighten me with that big voice?

If it is not me that you fear, you will surely fear God, in whose name I speak to you and who may well make you repent of your wickedness.

Answer. – Let us not get angry, bourgeois.

I repeat that you are an evil Spirit and once more I ask you not to prevent us from working.

Answer. – I am what I am; it is my nature.

— A superior Spirit having been called, and asked to drive away the intruder so that the work would not be interrupted, the evil Spirit probably went away, because during all the rest of the evening there was no further interruption.

A superior Spirit having been called, and asked to drive away the intruder so that the work would not be interrupted, the evil Spirit probably went away, because during the rest of the evening there was no further interruption. Questioned about the nature of that Spirit, the one who had been called answered: That Spirit, of the lowest class, is a former carter, deceased near the house where the medium V… lives. He chose for his dwelling the very room of the medium and for a long time it is he who obsesses and continually torments him. Now that he knows the medium must leave the lodging, by order of the superior Spirits, he torments him more than ever. It is yet another proof that the medium does not write his own thought. You see, thus, that there are good things even in the most disagreeable adventures of life. God reveals His power by every possible means.

When alive, what was the character of this man?

Answer. – All that comes closest to the animal. I believe his horses had more intelligence and feeling than he did.

By what means can Mr. V… rid himself of him?

Answer. – There are two: the spiritual means, by asking God; the material means, by leaving the house where he is.

So there really are places haunted by certain Spirits?

Answer. – Yes, Spirits who are still under the influence of matter attach themselves to certain places.

Can the Spirits who haunt certain places render them fatally baleful or propitious for the persons who inhabit them?

Answer. – Who could prevent them? Dead, they exercise their influence as Spirits; living, they exercise it as men.

Could someone who was not a medium, who had never heard of Spirits or who did not believe in them, suffer that influence and be the target of the vexations of such entities? Answer. – Undoubtedly; this happens more frequently than you think, and explains many things.

Is there any foundation in the belief that Spirits frequent by preference ruins or abandoned houses?

Answer. – Superstition.

So Spirits will haunt a new house on the Rue de Rivoli as much as an old hovel?

Answer. – Certainly, for they may be attracted to one place rather than to another, according to the disposition of mind of its inhabitants.

— Having been evoked at the Society through Mr. R…, the Spirit of the carter manifested itself by signs of violence, breaking the pencil, which it forced against the paper, and with a coarse handwriting, trembling, irregular, and barely legible.

Evocation Answer. – Here I am.

Do you recognize the power of God over you?

Answer. – Yes; and so?

Why did you choose the room of Mr. V… and not another?

Answer. – It pleases me.

Will you remain there a long time?

Answer. – As long as I feel well there.

So you have no intention of improving?

Answer. – We shall see about that later; I have time.

Are you vexed that we called you?

Answer. – Yes.

What were you doing when we called you?

Answer. – I was at the tavern.

Were you drinking?

Answer. – What nonsense! How could I drink?

What did you mean by speaking of a tavern?

Answer. – I meant what I said.

When alive, did you mistreat your horses?

Answer. – Are you a police officer?

Do you wish us to pray for you?

Answer. – Would you do that?

Certainly. We pray for all who suffer, because we have pity on the unfortunate and because we know that great is divine mercy.

Answer. – Oh! Even so you are good fellows. I should like to be able to shake your hand. I shall try to deserve it. Thank you!

— Observation: This conversation confirms what experience has already proved many times, regarding the influence that men can exercise over Spirits, and by means of which they can contribute to their improvement. It shows the influence of prayer. Thus, that brutish, shy, and almost savage nature finds itself as if subjugated by the thought of the interest that one may take in him. We have numerous examples of criminals who came to communicate spontaneously through mediums who had prayed for them, in order to testify to their repentance. To the observations above, we shall add the considerations that follow, concerning the evocation of inferior Spirits.

Because jealous of preserving their good relations from beyond the grave, we have seen mediums who refuse to serve as interpreter to the inferior Spirits whom we may evoke. And on their part it is a misunderstood susceptibility. The fact that we evoke a vulgar, and even evil, Spirit does not mean that we will fall under its dependence. Far from it; on the contrary, it is we who will dominate it. It is not the Spirit who comes to impose itself upon us, against our will, as in obsession; it is we who impose ourselves; it does not command, it obeys; we are its judge and not its prey. Moreover, we can be useful to them by our counsels and our prayers, and they will be grateful to us for the interest we show them. To extend a hand in aid is to do a good deed; to refuse it is to fail in charity; and even more: it is egoism and pride. These inferior beings, besides, are for us a great teaching. It was through their intermediary that we learned to know the inferior layers of the spiritual world, as well as the lot that awaits those who here make poor use of their life. Let us note, moreover, that it is almost always trembling that they appear at serious meetings, where the good Spirits dominate; they are ashamed and keep themselves apart, listening in order to instruct themselves. Often they come with this purpose, even without having been called. Why, then, should we refuse to hear them, when often their repentance and their sufferings are a motive for edification or, at least, for instruction? There is nothing to fear from these communications, provided they occur with a view to good. What would become of the poor wounded if physicians refused to touch their sores?