further back as to who made the laws. I did not, of
course, believe in an anthropomorphic God, but I
believed then, as I believe now, in an intelligent
Force behind all the operations of Nature--a force so
infinitely complex and great that my finite brain could
get no further than its existence. Right and wrong I
saw also as great obvious facts which needed no divine
revelation. But when it came to a question of our
little personalities surviving death, it seemed to me
that the whole analogy of Nature was against it. When
the candle burns out the light disappears. When the
electric cell is shattered the current stops. When the
body dissolves there is an end of the matter. Each man
in his egotism may feel that he ought to survive, but
let him look, we will say, at the average loafer--of
high or low degree--would anyone contend that there was
any obvious reason why THAT personality should
carry on? It seemed to be a delusion, and I was
convinced that death did indeed end all, though I
saw no reason why that should affect our duty towards
humanity during our transitory existence.

This was my frame of mind when Spiritual phenomena
first came before my notice. I had always regarded the
subject as the greatest nonsense upon earth, and I had
read of the conviction of fraudulent mediums and
wondered how any sane man could believe such things. I
met some friends, however, who were interested in the
matter, and I sat with them at some table-moving
seances. We got connected messages. I am afraid the