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„A
matic in -his denial of the existence of ghosts,
Mrs. Otis expressed her intention of joining the
Psychical Society, and Washington prepared a
long letter to Messrs. Myers and Podmore on the
subject: of the Permanence of Sanguineous Stains
when connected with Crime. That night all doubts
about the objective existence of phantasmata were
removed for ever. -
The day had been warm and sunny; and, in the
cool of the evening, the whole family went out for
a drive. They did not return home till nine o’clock,
when they had a light supper. The conversation in
no way turned upon ghosts, so there were not even
those primary conditions of receptive expectation
which so often precede the presentation of psy-
chical phenomena.
The subjects discussed, as I have since learned
from Mr. Otis, were merely such as form the ordi-
nary conversation of cultured Americans of the
better class, such as the immense superiority of
Miss Fanny Davenport over Sara Bernhardt as an
actress; the dificulty of obtaining green corn,
buckwheat cakes, and hominy, even in the best
English houses; the importance of Boston in the
development of the. world-soul; the advantages of
the, baggage check system in railway travelling;
and the sweetness of the NewYork accent as com-
pared to the London drawl. |
No mention at all was made of the supernatural,
nor was Sir Simon de Canterville alluded to in
any way. At eleven o'clock the family retired,
and by half-past all the lights were out. Some time
after, Mr. Otis was awakened by a curious noise
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