W. T. Stead - The Blue Island: and Other Spiritualist Writings

It was not long before his friend was able togive him definite proofs of his continued existence and of his ability tocommunicate. His first proofs were given through Vout Peters, and were given through Vout Peters, and werefollowed by others through Gladys Osborne Leonard's mediumship and through the mediumship of friends gifted withpsychic powers. I was present at that first sitting with Mr. Peters; father wasthere also, and his friend said it was due to my father's presence and helpthat he was able to succeed so well in these first attempts at communication.Shortly after this, Mr. Woodman found that he himself had the power ofautomatic writing, and father and others were soon able to write through him.Father always prefers me to be present, as if I am not he seems to have moredifficulty, and very rarely will attempt writing. He explains the necessity ofmy presence in this way: he and I are so much en rapport, and so closely intouch with each other, that he is able to draw much power from me; I act as theconnecting link and form a sort of battery between him and Mr. Woodman. Imerely sit passively by whilst Mr. Woodman Writes. Certainly I see a lightaround us, and a strong ray of light concentrating on Mr. Woodman's arm.Sometimes I am able to see father himself, and always, when he is writing, Ifeel his presence very distinctly.

We have received many messages in this way. Fora while in 1918 we sat regularly every week, and were kept in touch with muchthat was going on at the Front and about what was about to happen, and wereadvised of occurrences often days before the news came through in the ordinaryway. In one case father gave us the actual headlines which would (and did)appear in the papers the following week.

It is interesting also of importance to notethat Mr. Woodman and my father met only once before the passing of latter. Iintroduced Mr. Woodman to him not long before he left England in theTitanic, and they only exchanged two or three words. Therefore, Mr. Woodmannever knew my father personally nor has he come into touch with his writings orwith his work in any way, and yet the wording and the phrasing of the messagesare my father's, and even the manner of writing is typical of him.

Mr. Woodman also writes with his eyes closed,and often holds a handkerchief over them. Some of the best messages were givenin the twilight when it was impossible for me to follow what was being written,and yet the words were never overwritten. The writing will stop sometimeswhilst father evidently reads over what has been written, and alterations willbe made, i's dotted and t's crossed correctly. It was a habit of my father's, whilst here, to go back overhis copy and cross his t's and dot his i's ; this habit was only known to a few, and was certainlyabsolutely unknown to Mr. Woodman.