"Spirits of the Living." Mistakes of Identity. Followed by Arrivalof Real Person. "Arrivals." Mark Twain's Phantom Lady. PhantomDogcart. Influence of Expectant Attention. Goethe. Shelley. TheWraith of the Czarina. Queen Elizabeth's Wraith. Second Sight. Caseat Ballachulish. Experiments in sending Wraiths. An "Astral Body".Evidence discussed. Miss Russell's Case. "Spirits of the Dying."Maori Examples. Theory of Chance Coincidence. In Tavistock Place.The Wynyard Wraith. Lord Brougham's Wraith Story. Lord Brougham'sLogic. The Dying Mother. Comparison with the Astral Body. TheVision of the Bride. Animals as affected by the supposed Presence ofApparitions. Examples. Transition to Appearances of the Dead."Spirits of the living" is the Highland term for the appearances ofpeople who are alive and well--but elsewhere. The common Highlandbelief is that they show themselves to second-sighted persons, veryfrequently before the arrival of a stranger or a visitor, expected orunexpected. Probably many readers have had the experience of meetingan acquaintance in the street. He passes us, and within a hundredyards we again meet and talk with our friend. When he is of verymarked appearance, or has any strong peculiarity, the experience israther perplexing. Perhaps a few bits of hallucination are sprinkledover a real object. This ordinary event leads on to what are called"Arrivals," that is when a person is seen, heard and perhaps spoken toin a place to which he is travelling, but whither he has not yetarrived. Mark Twain gives an instance in his own experience. At alarge crowded reception he saw approaching him in the throng a ladywhom he had known and liked many years before. When she was near him,he lost sight of her, but met her at supper, dressed as he had seenher in the "levee". At that moment she was travelling by railway tothe town in which he was. {85a}A large number of these cases have been printed. {85b} In one case agentleman and lady from their window saw his brother and sister-in-lawdrive past, with a horse which they knew had not been out for someweeks. The seers were presently joined by the visitors' daughter, whohad met the party on the road, she having just left them at theirhouse. Ten minutes later the real pair arrived, horse and all. {85c}This last affair is one of several tales of "Phantom Coaches," notonly heard but seen, the coach being a coach of the living. In 1893the author was staying at a Highland castle, when one of the ladiesobserved to her nephew, "So you and Susan _did_ drive in the dogcart;I saw you pass my window". "No, we didn't; but we spoke of doing it."The lady then mentioned minute details of the dress and attitudes ofher relations as they passed her window, where the drive turned fromthe hall door through the park; but, in fact, no such journey had beenmade. Dr. Hack Tuke published the story of the "Arrival" of Dr. Boaseat his house a quarter of an hour before he came, the people who sawhim supposing him to be in Paris. {86}When a person is seen in "Arrival" cases before he arrives, the affairis not so odd if he is expected. Undoubtedly, expectation doessometimes conjure up phantasms, and the author once saw (as hesupposed) a serious accident occur which in fact did not take place,though it seemed unavoidable.Curiously enough, this creation of phantasms by expectant attentionseems to be rare where "ghosts" are expected. The author has slept inseveral haunted houses, but has never seen what he was led to expect.In many instances, as in "The Lady in Black" (infra), a ghost who is afrequent visitor is never seen when people watch for her. Among themany persons who have had delusions as to the presence of the dead,very few have been hoping, praying for and expecting them."I look for ghosts, but none will force Their way to me: 'Tis falsely saidThat there was ever intercourse Between the living and the dead,For surely then I should have sightOf him I wait for day and nightWith love and longings infinite."The Affliction of Margaret has been the affliction of most of us.There are curious historical examples of these appearances of theliving. Goethe declares that he once met himself at a certain placein a certain dress, and several years later found himself there inthat costume. Shelley was seen by his friends at Lerici to pass alonga balcony whence there was no exit. However, he could not be foundthere. The story of the wraith of Catherine the Great is variouslynarrated. We give it as told by an eye-witness, the Comte deRibaupierre, about 1862 to Lady Napier and Ettrick. The Count, in1862, was a very old man, and more than thirty years have passed sincehe gave the tale to Lady Napier, whose memory retains it in thefollowing form:--
