A Book Written by the Spirits of the So-Called Dead Part 3

On the evening of the 8th of December, at the above-mentioned trumpet seance were present, besides me and my wife, the following persons: Mr.

and Mrs. Stebbins, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Catherine Remlin, Mr. and Mrs. Green and Mrs. Boggs. We had spirit singing and talking, with many other remarkable manifestations. Among the spirits who spoke were Garfield, Washington and Lincoln, three ex-Presidents. Two slates were put on the table by Mr. Green before the light was put out, and I had that afternoon bought two very small silica slates, of which I gave one to my wife, who held it in her hand, and the other, in the dark, I put on the corner of the table nearest me, which n.o.body else knew any thing about.

When the seance was over several names and messages were written on the two big slates, and on mine was the following on both sides:

"My Dear Daughter--Oh, how happy I am that I have found a way to communicate to you. I will be with you often.

"O. J. N. D."

On the other side appeared:

"My Dear Daughter--According to promise I am with you. I have many things to tell you. With my heart full of love for you,

"O. J. N. D."

These were the initials of my wife's father's Swedish name, Otto Jacob Natt och Dag, and we were highly pleased with the result. Subsequently he communicated often, signing his name in full, as above.

On the 23d of March, 1882, at Mrs. Green's, among other communications, was the following:

"Dear Papa--All of your Swedish friends are here, and intend to use their influence to-day and give you a surprise before the seance is over. All are present except Swedenborg, who we expect very soon. We are not sure of success, but we intend to try. The surprise will be Grandpa Franks trying to communicate inside of the double slate, with your a.s.sistance holding the slate and all of your friends influence combined. Madam Ehrenborg withheld her message to-day to add her strength and help grandpa with his surprise to mamma and you. * * * Swedenborg has come; get the slate. This is all you will get from me to-day. Your loving son,

"EMIL."

We cleaned the double slate and put it under the table, where I held on to one end of it and pressed the two slates together with my hand, while Mrs.

Green held the other end, and we both felt and heard the writing going on inside the two slates. The writing continued about ten minutes, after which a tap was heard, when I took the slate out, opened it, and in my father-in-law's handwriting found the following communication, which I had photographed and electrotyped as seen opposite:

On the 23d of July, from 9 to 11 A. M., at Mrs. Green's, I had cheerful writings from our three sons and grand-daughter, Julia Muth first, and afterwards there appeared on the slate the following communication in the Swedish language:

"Dyra G.o.da wan C. J. h.e.l.leberg! Jag prsenterar dig min Hogaktning och evinnerlig wanskap.

"FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

Which, translated into English is:

"Dear, good friend C. J. h.e.l.leberg, I present you my esteem and eternal friendship.

"FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

I had it photographed, as shown.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER IX.

INFORMATION OF A SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE--THE WEDDING AND THE WEDDING TOUR TO THE PLANET MARS.

For a long time I had regular slate-writing seances in the light and one dark trumpet seance every week at Mrs. Green's residence, No. 309 Longworth street, and at that time were generally present the following persons: Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Remlin, Mr. and Mrs. h.e.l.leberg, all of Cincinnati, and Mrs. Bogg, from Newport, Ky. In these trumpet seances the spirits not only played on musical instruments, which they carried over our heads, and very often touched us with them and their hands, but talked and sung to us with or without the trumpet. The 12th of January, 1882, our son Emil astonished us with the information that he was going to marry Miss Ida, the spirit daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

Stebbins, and that she would be his spirit wife. In a slate-writing seance, the 16th of January, he informed me that Mr. Swedenborg would perform the nuptial ceremony, and who also had determined the wedding to take place on Washington's birthday--the 22d of February. We were also informed that the spirit, Mr. Henry Nieman, Ida's cousin, would be the groomsman, and the spiritual Miss Mary Muth her bridesmaid, and that a bridal trip had been arranged in which many bright and exalted spirits would take part, including Madam Ehrenborg. Mr. Swedenborg would make the wedding speech on the spiritual side, and he requested Mr. Green to make one on this side. Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, my wife and I, agreed that this remarkable wedding ceremony should take place at Mr. Stebbins' residence at the appointed time--the 22d of February--and we concluded to ask the spirits who we should invite, and the 16th day of February, 1882, came on the slate the following names:

"Pa and ma Stebbins, papa and mamma h.e.l.leberg, Mr. and Mrs. Green and daughter, Mrs. Emma Muth, Mrs. Remlin, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Miss Nettie Williams, and Mrs. Keenan.

"EMIL AND IDA."

At a slate-writing seance, the 20th of February, came on the slate, among many other communications, the following:

"The ceremonies are to begin at four, and immediately after congratulation, supper. It will take one hour, Mr. Swedenborg says, to show the medium the ceremony and Mr. Green's address. When the vision is through, then Mr. Green, then supper, and, after that is settled, a trumpet seance.

"EMIL."

According to this arrangement the above persons were all invited and present, except Mrs. Keenan and Miss Nettie Williams, who could not come, at the afternoon and evening seances the 22d, the 150th anniversary of Washington's birthday. In the afternoon we a.s.sembled at 3 o'clock P. M., and at 4 Mrs. Green was in full trance, and Swedenborg controlled her and blessed the contracting parties, after which Mr. Green made a very appropriate and beautiful address. A private clairvoyant fell in a trance and described not only the clothing of the bride and bridegroom, but many other spirits present. The bride's dress was pure, sparkling white, frosted with gold dust, with long train full of the finest lace, and a very beautiful veil, frosted also, and adorned with a handsome wreath on her head of white flowers set with three beautiful diamonds on her forehead. She had also a diamond brooch and necklace, with a splendid ring on her finger, and slippers on her feet to match. Our son Emil had knee-breeches of royal purple, with a beautiful white toga frosted with gold, and gold ta.s.sels and a purple and gold crown set with diamonds. (At a subsequent seance Emil said: "Mine was Mr. Swedenborg's selection, Ida's was Madam Ehrenborg's.") During the trance state of Mrs. Green, the spirit Winnie described the dresses in the same way as the private medium already had told us. After we had had a splendid repast the requested trumpet seance was arranged, at which all were present, and had the pleasure of being spoken to by Swedenborg, Emil, Ida, and many other spirits, and some of them patted us with their hands. Madam Ehrenborg and my wife's father, Otto Jacob Natt-och-Dag (Frederick Franks), sung Swedish with me, and Mrs.

Jennie McKee took my hand and lifted my arm up and putting it over the table so I had to rise. It was a beautiful and most satisfactory and wonderful manifestation over which we all were highly delighted.

The 23d of February, 1882, came from our spirit friends the following:

"Good morning, dear papa, we are here yet, but will immediately after this sitting start on our bridal tour, accompanied by Swedenborg and a great many exalted spirits. We expect to return by next Thursday, then Mr.

Swedenborg will give the marriage ceremonies, and we hope to have something nice to write you then. Mr. Swedenborg is very much pleased because he is able to speak and control Mrs. Green, and was very much pleased also with the way it was conducted on your side. He says altogether it was a splendid affair on both sides, and I think so too, and now I will let my wife, Mrs. Ida h.e.l.leberg, write. Your loving son,

"EMIL h.e.l.lEBERG."

"Good morning, dear papa h.e.l.leberg; Emil makes me blush when he says my wife. It used to be a joke, but now it is a reality, and that is quite different. When we all meet on the evergreen sh.o.r.es of the summerland, then we will return the compliment and have the infair at our own home, no matter how far off it may be, you shall always receive our hospitality and our love in the cottage. With my heart full of love for you and dear mamma h.e.l.leberg and sister Emma, and my dear pa and ma, and Mrs. Green's family, I bid you good morning.

"IDA STEBBINS h.e.l.lEBERG."

"Good morning, Mr. h.e.l.leberg: I was very much delighted with the exercises of yesterday afternoon and evening. It could not have been more perfect on both sides. I was with you all the time. It was witnessed by thousands of spirits with much interest and delight. Whatever Mr. Swedenborg, does in the spirit world causes great commotion and interest. He is in the spirit world like some of your great men here, a leader. His every word, look, and gesture, is chronicled by the spirits; therefore you may imagine the interest they manifest towards him. Nettie could not and would not leave mother. She is so lonely without me, but she was here heart and soul in spirit. With my highest regards for you all, I am your friend,

"JENNIE."

"Good morning, my dear friend: As the marriage of our grand-daughter to your son has united my son Edwin and your family, and that event caused or rather brought us in a positive condition, and enabled us to pick up the trumpet and manifest our appreciation of that event, I thought I would write a few lines in regard to this happy marriage, and to show our very high appreciation of this medium's family, for, as Ida said, it has brought sunshine to her dear pa and ma that they could not find any-where else outside the spirit communion, and express our very high appreciation of your son Emil, and that we feel very proud of them both, and of our hearts full of love for Edwin and his wife, and highest regards for yourself and family and Mrs. Green's family, we subscribe ourselves your dear spirit friends,

"AMARIAH STEBBINS AND PERMELIA STEBBINS."