Observations placeholder
Black dogs and daddies
Identifier
004627
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
The Boy had a great deal of rapport with Mr and Mrs Patmore who, unlike his mother, did not tell him off for seeing things, thus both he and the Patmores were open to communication via their composers.
I think in this instance it is a straightforward case of reading perceptions - two lots of perceptions again charged with emotion - a beloved dog who died and a father who died, so in both cases perceptions that were recorded with a great deal of emotion.
The fact the dog's tail wagged is insignificant. No doubt it wagged on enough occasions for the composer to select a 'film clip' suited to what was needed for both the Patmores.
The image of the father is as Mrs Patmore remembered him, as such this is a perception based image.
A description of the experience
The Boy who saw True - May 24th
To-day not being Sunday any more I can put down about the tea party on Saturday. Mr. Patmore's Mrs reminds me a bit of that Mrs. Bird who mamma calls such a nice unassuming little body. She is very small for a grown-up, but ever so pleasant and kind, and I liked her lights. They live in a terrace right the other side of the town and their house isn't nearly as big as ours, but very cosy. We had a grand tea. Hot buttered currant buns and lots of jam, and little cakes all covered over with sugar. Mrs. Patmore was very pressing and told me to eat as much as ever I could. There was no body else there but me.
When Mr. Patmore was sitting in his armchair after tea and smoking his pipe, which smelt very nice, I saw a big black dog sitting at his feet so I said, " Did you ever have a big black dog?"
And they both looked sad, and told me they used to have one called Jock, but that he died last Autumn, and wondered why I had asked. So I told them I saw it sitting by the chair, and it knew we were talking about it because it was wagging its tail. And that seemed to surprise and please them both very much. Mrs. Patmore said Mr. P. had told her I was such a clever little boy and had second sight, which made me feel a bit shy, because it was like as if she'd said I was a clever little boy because I could see without spectacles. But somehow I couldn't tell her that, so I just said it was very kind of her to say so. Mamma says one must always do that when a person says something special nice, and I think it's quite a good plan. Mr. Patmore said he had always thought animals ought to have souls, but most persons believed they hadn't. So he was a lot cheered up when I told him I had seen his dog, and so was his Mrs.
I wonder why the P's should think it fine when I tell them I see things, and mamma only gets waxy and thinks it's wicked? Really it's all very bewildering, I must say.
Before I had to go home, I saw a man who said he was Mrs. P's papa, though he didn't seem at all old. When she asked me what he looked like, I told her his face was a bit queer because he had sticking-out teeth. And she was a lot surprised, and said it was quite right, because her papa's teeth did stick out rather, and that he'd died when she was only ten years old. …..
At all events the P's were very pleased, and I enjoyed myself very much and was sorry when it was time to go home. I do think it is ripping to be able to make people feel sort of happy. But I did wish afterwards I hadn't eaten so many of those cakes and things I got a bit of bellyache.