Voices

At the time, I am sure she did not connect the appearance with her own mother, nor did she recognise the voice. All she told us was that she thought it was Madame Nyo. May's mother was very much the same sort of person in appearance as Madame Nyo,^ without there being any likeness ; they were about the same age, figure, and position in life. We only connected May's story with her night of terror, when she received the news from England. [We cannot now ascertain the exact times of the apparition and of the death ; but they probably occurred within a few hours of each other. If, as seems nearly certain, the call of the Christian name, as well as the visual experience, was a hallucination, that point is decidedly in favour of the telepathic explanation of the case.] (636) From Mr. Louis Lyons, 3, Bouverie Square, Folkestone. 1882. Madame Laramea Esperon, of Nantes, since dead, told me the following some 16 or 1 7 years ago. She had an only son, fond of fishing, which recreation he indulged in during the forenoon, and had been for some years most punctual to be home for dinner at 12 o'clock. One day he did not make his appearance at the usual hour. His mother opened the window to look out for him, when she heard him call her several times, and on turning round she saw her son coming through the wall, and making his exit through the opposite wall.^ An hour or so afterwards, a message was brought to her, that her son fell over the pier an hour ago, and was drowned. Madame Esperon was a most worthy woman, and told me her story bathed in tears. A mother weeping for her only son tells no lies. In answer to inquiries, Mr. Lyons adds : — Madame Esperon was in mourning for her son when she told me the sad story. I was very intimate with her, and my daughter, who went with me to Nantes, was a frequent visitor at her house. (637) From Mr. John Williams, 99, Wellington Road, Dudley. April 7, 1884. On December 3rd, 1849, my mother died, between the hours of 9 and 10 p.m. Her sister, living from 3 to 4 miles away, saw her on the top of the staircase, she having just gone to bed, at the same time that mother expired. Such was the effect, that she sent a messenger next morning to see if her sister was really dead. In answer to inquiries, Mr. Williams states that his mother died at The Hays, Old Swinford, Worcestershire. His aunt (Sarah Piper, formerly 1 See p. 48, note. 2 As to the mis-recognition, compare cases 170, 171, and 676. 3 See Vol. i., pp. 432 (note) and 573. 584 SUPPLEMENT. [chap. of JSTetherton, Dudley) is now deceased. He heard of her experience from his sister, Mrs. Raybould, of Stourbridge (aged 14 at the time), who, he says, well remembers aunt coming in the afternoon, after the return of the messenger, and telling father and her as to seeing her sister at the top of the staircase. I was not at home when she (aunt) called, so I heard it from my sister, or father, when I got home the same evening of aunt's visit. My sister well remembers what her aunt said, and to-day (February 16, 1886) she told me that aunt said, mother called her by name (Sarah) 3 times -^ so she not only saw, but heard her.