This book is divided into two parts; the first containing records of 1912, the second those of 1913. It includes the testimony of Mr. James Coates of Rothesay, who writes his own account of the excellent sittings held in his hospitable house at Ardbeg in 1913. His experiences of 1912 are to be found in LIGHT.

In part 1, I have reprinted a number of articles in LIGHT, written by myself and others, with the kind permission of the editor of that journal.

The object of the work is to present to those who have neither the leisure, the opportunity, nor the means to investigate for themselves, a compact story of the exhibition of what is called the “direct voice” through the mediumship of Mrs. Etta Wriedt of Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., when she visited England in the spring and summer of 1912 and 1913 at my invitation. In 1911 she was at Wimbledon under the care of the late Mr. W.T. Stead, and also in Glasgow, where she held one or two Séances; these Séances are referred to, but not discussed at length. Some details will be found in my epilogue to Chapter X in Glimses of the Next State, published in October, 1911.

I address myself specially to those that mourn, who may, by these pages, which give evidence of the return of the dead, be, in some measure, consoled by reflecting on the proximity of the spirits of those they have lost, and who, they may rest assured, are watching over them and awaiting re-union.

The communications from the spirits to the sitters are usually made through an aluminium trumpet which magnifies the voices, the spirit talking into the mouth, and the sound emanating from the smaller end. The trumpet is made in three lengths of thirteen inches each. These are put one inside the other, and gently pulled out until fixed. When it is on the floor ready for use, the trumpet stands thirty-two inches; the small orifice being from one half to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, the mouth five inches. Some spirits do not require the trumpet; it is a common occurrence for two spirits to talk to two people at different positions in a circle, one with, and the other without, its assistance. The weight of the trumpets varies from eight to thirteen ounces.

In 1912 Mrs. Wriedt had her own light trumpet in the circle ; in 1913 she preferred to place one or both of mine , though they are slightly heavier. In 1912 a cabinet was left in the room which Mr. Stead had set up in previous years for materialisation experiments; in 1913 it was removed.

The room where we always sat in Cambridge House, known as “Julia’s Bureau,” is twenty-two feet long by fourteen feet broad. It contained a musical box of the disk type (symphonion), twelve chairs, a bookcase, and two tables. Plenty of flowers were provided by the sitters. It was lighted by electric light, one of the globes being covered with red paper.

I desire to express my thanks to my publishers’ press reader for suggestions and corrections.

W. U. M.

WESTERN PARADE, SOUTHSEA. October 1, 1913