An account

September 8th, 1884. I think that in cases of this sort one cannot be too careful as to identity, because I know practically how apt the imagination is to outrun the judgment. But of this particular instance under notice, the most I can say is, that if it was one of self-deception or mere subjectiveness, I was most completely deceived indeed. Certainly I had reason to expect my friend, as he came past my place nearly every morning at about 1 1 o'clock, looked up at my window, and when I saw him, I waved my hand in the direction in which I implied I would follow him. As I did so on the morning to which I am referring, I saw him and nodded to him two or three times, never for an instant doubting that the figure was his. I saw, through the leaves and branches of the trees, on the walk opposite to my house, his white hat, silver-rimmed spectacles and dark grey beard, as well as his peculiar contour and gait. He is 72 years of age, tall, slow of movement, and not very quick of sight ; and as he appeared at first to hesitate, I waved my hand again, when he indicated, by his head, in his usual way, that he understood me, and then he walked on. I was but a few minutes in my effort to join him ; and it was when I found I could not see him, or anybody like him, in any direction, that I was struck with the remarkableness of the occurrence, and I stood fairly puzzled, as I must have shown, for I noticed a passer-by looking at me in a sort of wondering way. The illness was quite sudden, and neither my friend nor myself had any reason, prior to his seizure, to suppose that we should not meet, as customary, on the morning mentioned. The case has been my only experience of a visual hallucination, with the exception of one (of a difierent character) I had in my very youthful days.