Suicide prevented by Spiritism.

— They write to us from Lyon, on October 3, 1864:

“You know the reputation of Captain B… He is a man of ardent faith, of proven conviction; you have already spoken of him in your Review. [see Demonic epidemic in Savoy.] Some time ago he found himself on the banks of the river Saône, in the company of a lawyer, a Spiritist like himself. Prolonging the walk, those gentlemen entered a restaurant to have lunch and soon saw another traveler entering the same establishment. The newcomer spoke loudly, ordered his dish brusquely and seemed to want to monopolize the restaurant staff. Seeing this lack of ceremony, the captain said in a loud voice a few somewhat severe words to the newcomer. Suddenly he felt himself seized with strange sadness. Mr. B… is an auditory medium; he hears distinctly the voice of his son, from whom he receives frequent communications, murmuring in his ear: ‘The man so rude whom you are seeing is going to commit suicide.

He comes here to have his last meal.’ “The captain rises hastily, goes to the troublemaker and asks his pardon for having expressed his thought so loudly. Then he draws him outside the establishment and says to him: ‘Sir, you are going to commit suicide.’ There was great stupefaction on the part of the individual, an old man of seventy-six years, who answered him:

‘Who can reveal such a thing to you?’ – ‘God,’ answered Mr. B… Then he began to speak to him gently and with kindness about the immortality of the soul and, leading him back to Lyon, he entertained him about Spiritism and all that in such cases God can inspire, in order to encourage and console.

“The old man told him his story. A former orthopedist, he had been ruined by an unfaithful partner. Falling ill, he saw himself forced to remain a long time in the hospital; but, once cured, his health threw him out into the street, with no resources. He was taken in by a poor working woman, a sublime creature who, for months on end, fed him, without being obliged to this by any tie other than pity. But the fear of continuing to be a burden to her had impelled him to suicide. “The captain went to see the worthy woman, encouraged her, helped her; but when one has to live, money runs out quickly, and yesterday all the meager furniture of the working woman would have been sold if some Spiritists had not redeemed the few pieces of furniture of her only room, for, ever since she began to feed the old man, a year ago, the pawnshop had seized mattresses, blankets, etc. The seizure was suspended thanks to the good hearts, touched by this generous devotion. But that is not all: it is necessary to continue until the old man has obtained a refuge with the sisters of charity. In this regard, Cárita had me write a communication, which I send to you, with every expression of our gratitude, to you, dear sir, who made us Spiritists. As for me, I do not forget that you invited me to come to you when you return.”

— Here is the communication:

Appeal to good hearts.

“Spiritism, this star of the Orient, does not come only to open to you the doors of Science. It does more than this: it is a friend that leads you to one another, to teach you love of neighbor and, above all, charity. Not this degrading alms, which seeks in the purse the smallest coin to cast into the hand of the poor, but the sweet meekness of the Christ, who knew the path where hidden misfortune is to be found.

“My good friends, I found on my path one of those miseries of which History does not speak, but which the heart remembers when it has witnessed such harsh trials. It is a poor woman; she is a mother; she has a son who has been unemployed for several months; besides this, she feeds an unfortunate working woman, like herself. And, as if that were not enough, an old man comes daily to find her at the lunch hour, when there is something to eat. But on the day when what is necessary is lacking, the two poor women, creatures admirable for their charity, give their meal to the two men, the old one and the young one, under the claim that, having been hungry, they ate beforehand. I saw this repeated many times; I saw the old man, in a moment of despair, sell his last garment, and wish, by a remarkable act of madness, to bid the last farewell to life, before departing for the invisible world, where God judges you all. “I saw hunger imprint its marks on these disinherited of social well-being, but the women prayed to God with fervor, and were heard. He has already placed brothers, Spiritists, upon their steps, and when charity calls, devoted hearts respond. The tears of despair have already dried; there remains only the anguish of the morrow, the threatening phantom of winter, with its train of frosts, of ice and of snow. I extend my hand to you in favor of this misfortune. The poor, friends, are envoys of God. They come to say to you: We suffer; God wills it; it is our chastisement and, at the same time, an example for our betterment. Seeing us so unfortunate, your heart is moved, your sentiments expand, you learn to love and to pity the unfortunate one. Succor us, so that we may not murmur and, also, so that God may smile upon you from the summits of His beautiful paradise. “This is what the poor woman said in her rags; this is what the guardian angel who watches over you repeats, and what I repeat to you, a simple messenger of charity, an intermediary between Heaven and you.

“Smile upon misfortune, O you who are so richly endowed with all the qualities of the heart; help me in my task; do not let that sanctuary of your soul, where the gaze of God has plunged, close itself. And one day, when you enter the mother-homeland, when, with uncertain gaze and unsteady step, you seek your path through the immensity, I will open to you the door of the temple wide, where all is love and charity, and I will say to you: Enter, my beloved, I know you!” Cárita. n

— To whom will they make believe that this is the language of the devil? Was it the voice of the devil that made itself heard in the ear of the captain, under the name of his son, to warn him that the old man was going to commit suicide and, at the same time, to express to him regret for having said words that must have wounded him? According to the doctrine that a party seeks to make prevail, according to which only the devil communicates, that captain ought to have repelled as satanic the voice that spoke to him; from this would have resulted the suicide of the old man, the furniture of the poor working women would have been sold and they perhaps would have died of hunger. Among the donations we received on his behalf, there is one we must mention, though without naming the author. It was accompanied by the following letter:

“Monsieur Allan Kardec, “I learned from a relative, who obtained it from you, the account of the beautiful action, truly Christian, performed by a poor working woman of Lyon, for the benefit of an unfortunate old man. The relative also showed me a very eloquent appeal in her favor, by a Spirit who gives himself the name of Cárita. To his question, whether I recognized in it the language of the demon, I answered that our best saints would not speak better. That is my opinion, and it was for this reason that I took the liberty of asking him for a copy. “Monsieur, I am only a poor priest, but I send you the widow’s mite, in the name of Jesus Christ, for that brave and worthy woman. Enclosed, you will find the modest sum of five francs, regretting that I cannot give more. I beg the favor of keeping my name silent.

“Deign to accept, etc.”

Abbé X…

[1]

[see Cárita.]