All this Mr. Sparks wrote to Mr. Gurney in the same week.  He was inviting instructions on hypnotic experiments, and “launched a letter into space,” having read something vague about Mr. Gurney’s studies in the newspapers.  The letter, after some adventures, arrived, and on 15th March Mr. Cleave wrote his account, Mr. Darley and Mr. Thurgood corroborating as to their presence during the trance and as to Mr. Cleave’s statement when he awoke.  Mr. Cleave added that he made experiments “for five nights running” before seeing the lady.  The young lady’s letter of 19th January, 1886, is also produced (postmark, Portsmouth, 20th January).  But the lady mentions her first vision of Mr. Cleave as on last Tuesday (not Friday), and her second, while she was alone with her little brother, at supper on Monday.  “I was so frightened that I nearly fainted.”

These are all young people.  It may be said that all five were concerned in a complicated hoax on Mr. Gurney.  Nor would such a hoax argue any unusual moral obliquity.  Surtees of Mainsforth, in other respects an honourable man, took in Sir Walter Scott with forged ballads, and never undeceived his friend.  Southey played off a hoax with his book The Doctor.  Hogg, Lockhart, and Wilson, with Allan Cunningham and many others, were constantly engaged in such mystifications, and a “ghost-hunter” might seem a fair butt.

But the very discrepancy in Miss —–­’s letter is a proof of fairness.  Her first vision of Mr. Cleave was on “Tuesday last”.  Mr. Cleave’s first impression of success was on the Friday following.

But he had been making the experiment for five nights previous, including the Tuesday of Miss —–­’s letter.  Had the affair been a hoax, Miss —–­ would either have been requested by him to re-write her letter, putting Friday for Tuesday, or what is simpler, Mr. Sparks would have adopted her version and written “Tuesday” in place of “Friday” in his first letter to Mr. Gurney.  The young lady, naturally, requested Mr. Cleave not to try his experiment on her again.

A similar case is that of Mrs. Russell, who tried successfully, when awake and in Scotland, to appear to one of her family in Germany.  The sister corroborates and says, “Pray don’t come appearing to me again”. {91a}

These spirits of the living lead to the subject of spirits of the dying.  No kind of tale is so common as that of dying people appearing at a distance.  Hundreds have been conscientiously published. {91b} The belief is prevalent among the Maoris of New Zealand, where the apparition is regarded as a proof of death. {91c} Now there is nothing in savage philosophy to account for this opinion of the Maoris.  A man’s “spirit” leaves his body in dreams, savages think, and as dreaming is infinitely more common than death, the Maoris should argue that the appearance is that of a man’s spirit wandering in his sleep.  However, they, like many Europeans, associate a man’s apparition with his death.  Not being derived from their philosophy, this habit may be deduced from their experience.