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Light (1910, page 569) - Mrs. E. d' Espérance,

Two years ago, when I was in Sweden, an old friend of my family, sitting next to my desk, noticed that my little silver watch on the furniture was stopped and told me that I should not have neglected such a graceful object. By saying that, he had taken it and put it back up, setting it on time.

I laughingly replied: "Since you admire my watch so much, I will leave it to you as a legacy in my will".

Very well, he said, but if I died before you I would not have it, if, however, I did not come to seek it in the form of a spirit.

- Do so, if you like it; I authorise you to do so now.

- "Thank you," he replied. "All right, I'll come if I can.

" My friend was not a spiritualist, but rather a "saint Thomas" - a nonbeliever on this subject, while eagerly wishing to believe. Quite often, he thwarted my patience with his arguments as an irresistible adversary. He did not allow, however, that in his presence spiritualism and spiritism were denigrated.

The other day - and, to be precise, on October 30 - the mentioned watch was placed on the table near my bed, where it always stayed during my illness. A little sound on this side drew my attention to the watch; while I was looking at it, I saw it bounce a little bit, as if it had wanted to stand up and fell down.

My nurse, who was near the table, threw a little scaremongering and cried out: "But this time it can't be the north wind!" To understand her reaction, it is necessary to explain that, lately, there have been so many blows, noises and various manifestations in my room that the good Frau Schaffer was kept in a continuous state of alarm. I did not dare to utter the word "spirits" with her, and whenever a blow was heard, or any other unexplained manifestation, both auditory and visual, I suggested that it was probably due to the north wind, and I added: "There is no need to worry about it; when the wind comes from the north, we hear all kinds of blows and noises".

She seemed to be satisfied with my explanation, since she did not show any more excessive fear when the phenomena were repeated, even though the wind had begun to blow to another side. Only the fact of a spontaneously moving watch was too eloquent even for her understanding, and soon afterwards she declared that since my health had improved a lot, she no longer saw the need to continue sleeping in my room. I did not object, allowing her to sleep elsewhere. As for the meaning of the watch's movement, I had no difficulty understanding it.

The next morning, on October 31, I received news of the death of my old friend, who had died in Gothembourg, Sweden, following an operation. I assume, of course, that my friend, once he had been freed from his bodily connection, and remembering our conversation and his promise, tried to lift the watch to tell me that he had died. I then found out that he had died on October 2, two days earlier. (Signed E. D' Espérance.)