A Spirit who believes herself a medium.

Madame Gaspard, a friend of Madame Delanne, was a fervent Spiritist; her regret was not being a medium; she would above all have wished to be a seeing medium. For a long time she had suffered greatly from an aneurysm. On July 2 last, during the night, the rupture of that aneurysm caused her sudden death. Madame Delanne had not yet been informed of the event when, in the daytime, she heard raps in various parts of the room; at first she paid little attention, but the persistence of the blows made her think that some Spirit wished to communicate. As she is an excellent medium, she took up the pencil and wrote what follows: Oh! good Madame Delanne, how you made me wait! I hurried to tell you of my new faculty: I am a seeing medium. I saw my dear Emile, my children, everyone, my mother, the mother of Monsieur Gaspard. Oh! how happy he will feel when he learns of it! Thank You, my God, for so great a favor!

Q. – Is it really you, Madame Gaspard, who speaks to me at this moment?

Answer. – What! do you not see me? I have been near you for a long time. I was impatient because you did not answer me. Come! you will come, won't you? Now it is your turn. And, besides, this will do you good; we shall go for a walk, now that I feel well. Oh! how happy one is, to see again those whom one loves! That is what cured me. How good the good God is and how He keeps His promises when one is faithful to His commandments! – Eh, my Emile! and to think that my poor father will still say that I am mad! That does not matter; I shall tell him so all the same. – Shall we set out? We must take your mother, for this will do her good. Poor woman! she has such a kind air! Q – Let us set out, Madame Gaspard; I follow you. Shall we go indeed to your house at Châtillon? Tell me what you see or, rather, what is happening there at the moment.

Answer. – Singular things!

Having said this, the Spirit departed and Madame Delanne could obtain nothing more.

For the understanding of this last part of the communication, we shall say that, for some time, the two friends had planned an outing at Madame Gaspard's country house, at Châtillon. Surprised by a sudden death, Madame Gaspard does not realize her position and still believes herself alive; as she sees the Spirits who are dear to her, she imagines she has become a seeing medium; it is a notable peculiarity of the transition from corporeal life to spiritual life. Moreover, finding herself free of suffering, Madame Gaspard believes herself cured and comes to renew her invitation to Madame Delanne. However, her ideas are confused, for she comes to notify her by means of blows around her, without understanding that she would not be warned in this manner if she were alive. Madame Delanne soon understands the singularity of the position, but, not wishing to take away her illusions, invites her to see what is happening at Châtillon. The Spirit transports herself there and perhaps was called back to reality by some unforeseen circumstance, since she exclaims: “Singular things!”, and interrupts the communication.

In any case, the illusion lasted little. From the following day Madame Gaspard was already completely detached and dictated an excellent communication, addressed to her husband and to her friends, congratulating herself on having known Spiritism, which had afforded her a death free from the anguish of separation.