The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism

other-Phantom Prophetic Funerals-Vision

ldren (myself and the two younger ones, Margaretta and Catharine), has come out so strongly into what is called "mediumship," and which would seem to have been the cause why the "Spirits

d her maternal grandmother, whose maiden name was Margaret Ackerman, was also a descendant from Holland, and resided on Long Island with her parents until her marriage, after which she removed to New York City, where her only child, my grandmother, was born. She (Margaret Rutan), my mother's maternal grandmother, had, from childhood, evinced the power of foretelling events. She frequen

intense distress of mind, she besought them to never again urge her to reveal that which was made known to her during h

was there. She felt relieved as soon as the event transpired. She always visited the grave-yard between the hours of

ate their names, which used always to correspond with the fact as it afterward came about. She would even tell by whose horses the body was brought to the grave (in the country at that time there were no regular hearses, and this service was performed by some friend or neighbor). When the crowded phantom funeral was over she would awake to find herself alone in the gravey

H'S VISION OF HE

y relate them on the morning following. One morning, she gave us a relation of her dream. She said, laughingly, to her brother: "I dreamed I had a fall, last night. You and I were riding on horseback, when suddenly my horse st

nd they soon started off, each on a spirited horse, never thinking of her dream, until the horse stumbled and she fell and rolled dow

st sad fulfilment of a dream which she had some years previously to its fulfilment. She was then in her nineteenth year. She said, "I dreamed I was in a new c

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angels in Heaven." She was comforted and seldom referred to her dream. The gentleman to whom she was affianced died. Her father purchased a home, and moved to Sodus, Wayne County, N. Y., where she became acquainted with Mr. C. Higgins. They were married, and enjoyed five years of uninterrupted happiness. The time was drawing near when she expected to become a mother. Uncle Charles was a devot

ged to leave. There were many anxious hearts that feared, and silently prayed that their hopes of happiness might be realized. (I really do think that she had b

on business in the future. He alluded in glowing terms to their prospects of happiness, in the birth of their expected child, and warned her of the danger of yielding to superstition. He begged her not to repeat her dreams, as they were the result of a disordered condition of health. Then, taking her in his arms, he carried her back to the house, saying: "My darling, I

e cheerful, and frequently repeated what he had promise

ing baby! Oh! how happy I am." They were both doing well. Letters were sent to her husband by every mail, which were duly received b

days, the age marked on the tombstone she had seen in her dream of about nine years before. All the

ghted to find Bessie and the baby so well, and the little Charles looking "so exactly like his father, except that he had his mother's curly hair." The mother seemed perfectly happy, but there were anxious hearts that silently prayed to God to avert the fearful calamity, which they feared might now be hanging over them. The day was passing away. She was well and cheerful. Her family were near her, doing all th

n to the child, smiling on it the while; when suddenly she exclaimed, "Oh!" and placed

to call the doctor; but before they could enter the room

her dream, verbatim, in

g east and returning. (There were no railroads nor convenient telegraph wires at that time.) They publi

o o'clock P.M. He had twenty miles to ride, and it was nearly one o'clock then; he called for a horse, and started direct for the church, hoping to reach there before the burial. A large concourse had already assembled at the house, which was about two miles distant from the church. All were anxiously looking and waiting for the absent one. The weather was extremely warm, and they would proceed slowly; so it was thought best to start. Several times they halted o

ant about a quarter of a mile. Once more we halted. All hearts were high-strung with the hope that Uncle Charles might yet arrive; a prayer was said, the last sad offices were performed, and the friends returned, with aching hearts, to their bereaved home. Just as the family were entering the gateway, a tired, dusty rider came galloping at full speed. He came from the cemetery, where he had been seen to throw himse

. It can be better imagined

IC CLAI

family, but which I perfectly remember to have heard from her own li

urged him to get rid of, assuring him that they would cause his death if he did not. Her habitual manifestations of this faculty were durin

is spot (followed by Mr. Urie's wife and family), she ran up to the fence, and, taking off her apron, was seen to hold something, seemingly enfolded in it, with every indication of extreme agitation and distress. With her hands clasped together she was see

his dead body, with the bloody face so torn and disfigur

as that of dining with General Washington). The recurrence of that dream always brought with it great distress to he

running in our family may be found in Mr. Owen's "Foot-falls," he havin

HER

ofs of some form or degree of mediumship. David and his wife can, at almost any time, communicate with Spirits; not only by sitting at a ta

LE

in that condition. About twelve o'clock that night his sister, Aunt Elizabeth (Mrs. Higgins), at home, about thirty miles distant, both heard and saw him walk across her room, groaning in pain. As he did not answer when she spoke to him, she supposed he had not heard her,

went immediately to him, but found him unconscious and unable to speak. He eventually reco

ods. (See the curious story related on a future page.) I think he was the very noblest and grandest man I have ever

OOK'S

Rochester, where the nurse was standing with the babe Georgie in her arms. (George was an uncommonly lovely boy, named after Mr. Cook.) When taking the child in his arms Mr. Cook said, "O thou angel boy! I must not neglect to will thee thy dower." He remained with us through the evening and bade us good-night. His house was nearly a mile away. I retired with mother and her sister. I slept in a trundle-bed drawn from under their large bed. Our family was then boarding there, father being absent from home much of the time. It was my habit to study my lessons in bed before going to sleep, in which way I was sure to remember them

Cook had dropped dead in the mill at 6 A.M. He and Mr. Emerson were the wealt

d at the spot from which

e midnight hour, as he said to his foreman on entering the mill, in reply to his morning salutation, "I am well, and I

CES PRIOR TO GRA

le, by gently touching her fingers to the lightest of tables, to make it impos

d. About a week before his death my sister was called off to a room in the house, five rooms distant from the one he occupied, where some sewing women were at work, really in preparation for his fast-nearing e

artled by what we thought to be the report of a gun. A second time we heard the same report. Father said, 'The boys have got the gun in the barn,' and wanted them to be called into the house; but they had heard the second report, which they thought was in the house, and came in to see what was the matter. We were now all gathered in father's room, when a third report sounded still louder and seemed

N CHI

ered it. She wore a dress resembling her sister's wrapper, with its peculiar large flowered pattern. The bed being a wide one, she was not in contact with her sister, and supposed the figure to be Lizzie, and called to her to ask what she was a

d, and would say, "Leave a little light, mamma, 'cause the Spirits are rapping." Leah would come flying down-stairs, pale and almost breathless, at the least indication o

ent. All the rest of the company are requested to fix their thoughts on the object and its place of concealment, while careful not to do or say anything to suggest a clue. On her entrance she takes his hand and applies it to

L MEDI

armonica with astonishing accuracy and beauty, accompanying any musical performance and following every variation with whatever rapidity, with his face kindled with excitement and delight; the whole being spontaneous, without ever having had any instruction. He is (I hav

e generation succeeding ourselves is

remember the number of days with di