A Servant Spirit
We extracted the following passages from a letter of one of our correspondents
from Bordeaux:
“Here you have, my dear Mr. Allan Kardec, a new report of extraordinary
facts which I submit to your appreciation, requesting your kindness
in verifying them, evoking the spirit who produced them.”
“A young lady, here called Mrs. Mally, is the person that operates as
an intermediary to the manifestations that constitute the subject of this
letter. She lives in Bordeaux and is the mother of three children.”
“She has had visions since the age of nine. One night, coming to the
house with her family, she sees at the corner of the stairs, the distinct form of
her aunt, who died four or five years back. She says in surprise: A! My aunt!
And the vision disappears. Two years later she heard a voice calling her, which
she assumed was from her aunt. The call was so strong that she said: Come
in aunt. As nobody come in she went to get the door. As she saw nobody she
went downstairs asking her mother if she had seen anyone going upstairs.”
“A few years later we find this lady under the influence of a guide, or
familiar spirit, who seems to be in charge of watching over her and her
children, doing a number of small services in the house, among others
waking up the sick ones when it is time for their tea, or waking up those
who need to go out. He reveals his moral state through other manifestations.
His character is not very serious; adding to the signs of frivolity he
has however given proof of sensibility and dedication.”
“Mrs. Mally generally sees him under the form of a spark or a great
clarity but to the children he appears under a human form. A somnambulist
said that she was the one who gave Mrs. Mally that guide, over whom
she would have influence. When Mrs. Mally spent some time without
worrying about her guide he took care of reminding her through some
more or less unpleasant visions. Every time, for example, that she went
downstairs, she noticed a shiny cadaver covered by bed sheets. This lady
has a strong strength of character, as we will see later. Nevertheless, she
could not avoid suffering a painful impression from all that. She would
seek refuge in her mother’s room, quickly closing the door behind her.
On other occasions she would have the impression that her clothes were
pulled or that someone or some animal touched her.
This naughtiness stopped as soon as she addressed one thought to her
guide or when the somnambulist warned the spirit, prohibiting him from
tormenting the lady.”
“In 1856 the third daughter of Mrs. Mally, a four-year old girl, fell ill.
It was in August. The child was permanently in a state of sleepiness, interrupted
by convulsions. For eight days I saw the child myself, who seemed
to have come out of that state, taking a happy and smiley expression, eyes
half closed, not looking around to those who surrounded her; then she
would extend her hand in a gracious gesture, as if receiving something;
she would take it to her mouth and eat, then appreciate that with a delightful
smile. During those eight days the child was fed by that invisible
food and her body recovered the usual appearance and freshness. When
she was able to speak she seemed to have come out of a profound sleep,
describing wonderful visions.”
“During the recovery in the same house, on August 25th, there was
the appearance of a non-entity. Around 10:30 pm Mrs. Mally was walking
downstairs, holding the child by the hand when she noticed a person
walking upstairs. The stairwell was perfectly clear, receiving light from
the kitchen, so that Mrs. Mally could distinguish very well the person
who had the appearance of a healthy person. They met face to face at the
stairway landing.
It was a young man of pleasant expression, well dressed, wearing a hat
and having something in his hand that she could not figure out. Surprised
by such an unexpected meeting, at that time and using the service stairs,
Mrs. Mally stared at him not saying a word, not even asking what he
wanted. The unknown person observed her for a moment, then turned
back and went downstairs, rubbing the object he had in his hand on the
handrail, producing a noise similar to a wooden stick. As soon as he disappeared
Mrs. Mally dashed into the living room where I was shouting that
there was an intruder in the house. We searched with the help of my dog.
Every corner of the house was examined. We noticed that the main door
to the street was closed; that nobody could have entered and that it would
not have been possible to close it without a noise. It was unlikely then that
an intruder had come to a lighted staircase, at the time when there was a
good chance of being seen by people from any room of the house. On another
hand, how could a stranger have been found walking on the stairs?
In any case, had he been there by mistake he would have said so to Mrs.
Mally. Instead he turned his back on her and calmly left, like someone
who is not in a hurry nor is a stranger to the whereabouts. All those facts
left no doubt about the nature of that individual.”
“That spirit manifests itself several times through noises which are
similar to the drums; by violent blows on the stove; by stumping feet
at the doors which open on their own; or by noises of gravel thrown at
the windows. One day Mrs. Mally was in the kitchen when she saw the
doors of a cabinet opening and closing several times, as if done so by an
invisible hand. Other times, when starting a fire she would feel someone
pulling her dress or holding her heel when climbing the stairs. Several
times she had the scissors and other working objects hidden from her and
after having already looked for them for a long time she would have them
deposited on her lap.”
“On a given Sunday she was working in the kitchen, seasoning a
knuckle of ham when the garlic clove was taken from her hands. She
though it had fallen, she then tried to find it, unsuccessfully. She then
turned the ham, finding the garlic buried in a triangular hole, without the skin, as if indicating that someone had intentionally hidden the garlic
there.”
“Mrs. Mally was strolling around with her oldest daughter, the four
year old, when she noticed that the child was entertained by an invisible
being which seemed to be asking for the kid’s candies. The girl would
close her hand and say:
• These are mine. If you want you can buy yours.
Surprised, the mother asked who she was talking to.
• It is this boy that wants me to give him my candies.
• Who is this boy? The mother asked.
• This boy here by my side.
• But I see nobody.
• Ah! He is gone. He was wearing a white frizzled garment.”
“On another occasion the sick girl that I have already mentioned was
entertaining herself, making paper birds.
• Mummy, mummy! Stop this boy. He wants to take my paper.
• Who? The mother asked.
• This boy, he took my paper. And the child was crying.
• But where is he?
• There! He is leaving through the window. Naughty boy.”
“The same girl was one day hopping on her toes to the point of becoming
breathless, despite her mother’s urging to stop as the mother was
afraid she would hurt herself. She suddenly stopped and said: Ah! It is
Mom’s direction. When asked about the meaning of that she said that she
had seen an arm holding her, forcing her to stop. She added that she was
not afraid and that she immediately thought that it was her mother’s direction.
Facts of that nature have repeated constantly, becoming familiar to the children that have no fear since the thought of their mother’s guide
immediately comes to mind.”
“The intervention of that guide has manifested in more serious circumstances.
Mrs. Mally had rented a house with a garden in the commune
of Caudéran. The house was isolated, surrounded by vast prairies.
She lived alone with the children and a young woman tutor. The neighborhood
was then infested by criminals who used to vandalize properties
around and that had naturally set their eyes on her property since they
knew that it was inhabited by two women only, thus they used to come
every night to try to force the doors and windows. For three years in a row
Mrs. Mally lived in that house, constantly alarmed, but every night she
would deliver herself to God. After her prayer, her spiritual guide manifested
in the form of a spark. Several times, at night, when the outlaws
tried to force their way into the house, a sudden flash of light illuminated
her room and she heard a voice telling her: ‘Don’t be afraid. They will not
come in.’”
“In fact, they had never been successful when trying to enter the
house. Despite that, and for precaution, she had acquired firearms. One
evening when she saw them coming around the house she fired her gun
twice, hitting one of them because she heard the groaning. But they had
disappeared the next day. The fact was reported by a Bordeaux newspaper
as follows:”
“We have been informed about a fact that demonstrates the courage
of a young lady who lives in the commune of Caudéran.”
“A lady that occupies an isolated house in that commune has for companion
another young lady who is in charge of educating her children.”
“On the eve of the fact that we will report, the lady was victim of an
attempt theft. They have then decided to be on the watch, and if necessary
at night.”
“They did what they had planned to do. Then when the thieves
showed up to conclude their unfinished business of the previous night
they found a reception. They were careful enough not to establish any
dialogue with the inhabitants of the surrounded house. When the young lady felt their presence she opened the door and fired a gun shot which
may have hit one of the thieves since they found blood stains in the yard.”
“So far the responsible persons for that second attempt have not been
found.”
“I will speak about other manifestations that occurred in that same
house in Caudéran, while those young ladies were there. Strange noises
were frequently heard at night, like balls rolling on the floor or firewood
thrown on the ground. However, everything was in perfect order in the
morning.”
“In case you think it to be convenient please evoke the guide of Mrs.
Mally and question him about the manifestations that I have reported.
Kindly ask him in particular if the somnambulist who has supposedly
given her that guide has the power of recalling him and if he would leave
in case the somnambulist died.”
