WCP519

Letter (WCP519.519)

[1]1

1 St Mary’s Terrace

April 25. 1874

Dear Mr. Wallace

I am so grieved to hear that my little pet is gone, I had thought him long out of danger & now he has slipped away from us & we shall not be able to watch him grow up & take his place in this world— Poor Mrs Wallace I am so very very sorry for her to be separated from her little man; I am [2] afraid she will fret for him, & yet she is happy in knowing she has the power of hearing him, if not from him, whenever she cultivates it—

How wonderful it is how completely Spiritualism alters one’s idea of death; but I think it increases one’s wish to know what they are doing— You have so many friends who can get information for you & I suppose Mrs Guppy having known dear little Bertie would be able to learn a good deal— I wonder [3] who will take care of him & educate him for you

I am afraid, even if my mediumship were not so uncertain, that as my sister & friends did not know the dear little man I should not easily learn anything reliable, but Janie says she will try—

I suppose you will soon have Mrs Wallace home again now. Please give her my very best love, perhaps it is better for you both that he died away from home, that you may think less of his [4] empty place & more of his new home & yet the gap is sad for a long time in spite of all we know.

Ever yours most sincerely | Arabella Buckley [signature]

April 23 PS. Since writing the above I have had a communication which I should hesitate to send so soon after your loss if I did not know that you are able to balance probabilities & take it for what it is worth— I wish I could get rid of this feeling that it may be partly my own imagination I cannot feel as if a communication was certainly true— I hope you will not mind my sending it as you need not show it to Mrs. Wallace lest you think

[5] April 25. 6 p.m.

(Question— Would it be possible for you to learn anything of Bertie Wallace?—)

We are going to try and find out about him, & let you know. Janie jumps at the opportunity of doing some-thing for Mr. Wallace who has been the means of bringing you to us — and if ……. (nothing more came)

April 26. 9.30 a.m.

Lie down at once please. We want to try & tell you something by writing. Lie down first & afterwards try to write— (after about half and hour) I want to tell you about Bertie Wallace. He is here under the care of his uncle Herbert Wallace who is watching over him. The mama is wanting to hear of him & little Bertie ought not to try and communicate yet but if she asks, his grandmamma may be able to ……… Aunt wishes us to make you lie still a little longer — about half an hour Janie -

[6] (after another interval) We want to tell you that Bertie Wallace is here; he is fast asleep and his Uncle Herbert watches over him. He will wake soon and all is ready for him his Mama will hear of him if she asks his grandmamma or even his uncle, they are anxious to tell her that it is well with him He is weary with long restlessness and weakness but his sleep will revive him. We cannot tell you more now. We write this at the instance of Herbert Wallace who cannot write with you himself — When you meet Mrs Wallace try for communications. Eager is his uncle to watch over Bertie & give tidings of him.

(Question Is any of this my own imagination?)

No it is not your own at all

Janie Uncle John and Aunt Alethea and Herbert Wallace.

(Question. May I really give this to Mr. Wallace as a communication?)

We gave you those words. You are making your own difficulties.

The sentence "You will remember I heard of your brother Herbert when I was last at Grays" is written vertically at the top left of page 1.

Please cite as “WCP519,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP519