Mr. Woodman also writes with his eyes closed, and often holds a handkerchief over them. Some of the best messages were given in the twilight when it was impossible for me to follow what was being written, and yet the words are were never overwritten. The writing will stop sometimes whilst father evidently reads over what has been written, and alterations will be made, i's dotted and t's crossed correctly. It was a habit of my father's, whilst here, to go back over his copy and cross his t's and dot his i's; this habit was only known to a few, and was certainly absolutely unknown to Mr. Woodman.
Two of the messages obtained in this way have already been published. They were given by my father for Armistice Day, 1920, and Armistice Day, 1921. For the first, we had no idea he contemplated giving a message. A few friends, including Mr. Woodman, were taking tea with my mother and myself on the Sunday before the 11th of November. We had been chatting on various subjects, when I suddenly felt my father come into the room and could tell by the feeling he gave me that he wished us to give him an opportunity to write, and that it was urgent. It was impossible to arrange for that evening, so we made an appointment for the evening following. Mr. Woodman came about nine o'clock. We sat chatting by the fire for a few minutes; then we felt father come in, and we sat at once. Father's manner was exactly as it used to be when here in the body and he wanted to get something important done. He must concentrate on that and on nothing else. Directly we sat, Mr. Woodman's hand began to move, and father wrote words to this effect "I have my message ready, and if you do not interrupt I hope to succeed in getting it through." He wrote at tremendous speed, and in about half an hour had given his message. Having finished, he gave directions that it should be read through and punctuated, if necessary. Then left us, not a word about anything else. It was a strenuous half-hour for us all, but it was worth it. The message was printed the next day and many thousands distributed to those visiting the Cenotaph that year. The 1921 message was given in the same manner, and thousands of copies of the two messages, now printed in pamphlet
form, were distributed on Armistice Day, 1921.
It was soon after giving this last message that father expressed the wish that we should sit for the messages given in this book. We had felt for some time that he was wanting us to sit for a series of messages, but asked that if this were so he would give us definite instructions to this effect from an outside source. This he did by asking Mrs. Kelway-Bamber, the author of "Claude's Books," at a sitting which she was having with Mrs. Leonard, to tell us that it was quite true he did wish us to sit for a series of messages which, he said, would tell of his arrival and some of his experiences on the Other Side.
Both Mr. Woodman and I are busy people, and can only give what spare time we have from our ordinary work to psychic matters, so that it was difficult to fit in times; therefore it was a few months before we had finished taking the messages. These were all given in the manner already described. They were consecutively, but definite instructions were not given as to how the whole series was to be arranged.
Father's foreword explains his object in writing this book, so there is no need to dwell on that here. When he started, he had a rather longer book in view, but decided in favor of a short book, as it is more likely to be read, can be published at a reasonable price, and so stand the chance of reaching more people. All who worked with my father here will know that such reasoning was characteristic of him.
The photograph given as frontispiece to this volume was taken by the Crewe Circle at Crewe in the autumn of 1915. In the spring of that year, I had met Mr. Hope and Mrs. Buxton at the house of a mutual friend in Glasgow, and they very kindly invited me to call and see them in Crewe if I should ever have an opportunity to do so. Soon after my return to London father asked me to arrange to go to Crewe, as he said he wanted to try to give us his picture on the same plate with mine. Accordingly I arranged to spend a week-end with some friends at Crewe and have some sittings with Mr. Hope and Mrs. Buxton.
I bought a box of plates in London and took them with me, and I can truthfully say that, that box of plates never left my sight or my possession all the time I was there. I even slept with the box clasped tightly in my hands. We had our first sitting on the Saturday, when I obtained two extras, neither resembling my father. One was of interest because it was the picture of a lady who had appeared on a plate with my father when he was experimenting with Mr. Boursnell in the 'nineties. I took my box containing the rest of the plates away with me after the sitting; bought another box of plates in Crewe, and took both boxes with me to the sitting on the Sunday. We did not use my first box at all at this sitting, and I kept it all the while just inside my dress. We sat around the table, putting our hands over and under the second box for a few minutes; I then held the box for a minute against Mrs. Buxton's forehead. After this I was instructed by Mr. Hope's guide to take the box myself into the dark room (note the box had not been unsealed or the plates exposed to the light). When in the dark room, I was to unseal the box and take out the two bottom plates, taking particular care to note which was the bottom plate, and then to develop both plates. Mr. Hope was to come in with me, but not to touch box or plates. I carried out instructions. I found the bottom plate not even fogged, and on the other plate two messages, one from Archdeacon Colley, deploring father's inability to write; one from Mr. Walker, the father of my host, and in one corner of the plate a faint outline of my father's face. When I got back to my friends that evening, we had a sitting at which father expressed his keen disappointment at his failure to give his picture. "It is all my fault", he said. "I am so excited at the idea of getting my picture beside yours after I have been so-called 'dead' for so many years that I break the conditions; however, many have promised to help me tomorrow, and if I fail again we have something else prepared to slip on so that you will not be quite so disappointed." On the following morning I went for my last sitting. Two of my own plates were used. On both of these are pictures of my father; one is reproduced in this book, the other is a large face of father which completely covers me.
Now, having, I hope, given a little idea as to how these messages were obtained, and our reasons for feeling that they do indeed come from my father, I am content to let The Blue Island do the rest. I am sure it will interest many, and if it awakens some to a truer realization of what is to come, and makes them seek for further definite proofs themselves, then the three chiefly concerned in giving these messages to the public—my father, Mr. Woodman and myself—will be amply satisfied.
Estelle W. Stead
September 1922
A FOREWORD FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD
By William T. Stead
There is great trepidation on the part of all the uninitiated when first coming into contact with the occult, psychic or unknown forces. In many of life's mysteries there is much pleasure to be had in probing the secret, and the mystery is in itself an incentive to search and to inquire, to overcome the unknown and to gain knowledge on subjects not previously known or proven. This, however, does not seem to apply when dealing with the mysteries surrounding the after-life. There is always a fear of something. Frequently personal, but sometimes fear of harming the individual known and loved on earth. In itself that is a good sign; it argues unselfishness, and consequently the individual who holds off for that reason deserves enlightenment. If he is sufficiently advanced to seek, he will get enlightenment together with great help. Again, there are those who, imbued with theosophical ideas, fear to come in contact with what is to their minds the shell of a former loved one, and those who fear through ignorance due to an undeveloped and somewhat uneducated mentality. By that I do not necessarily mean an unschooled mentality. I speak of "uneducated" in the sense of lacking understanding and appreciation of the higher things of life.