474 THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. W. became assured that they proceeded from the sidetable. She then said, "If I take pencil and paper, can I be informed who it is?" Immediately there were three raps, as of assent; and when she sat down to write, her hand, writing backward, formed the same initials as before, R. G. D. Then she questioned, “For what purpose were these sounds?" To which the reply, again written backward, was, "To show you that we are thinking and working for you."* Nor was this all. Ten days after the last incident, namely, on Thursday afternoon, April 14, Mrs. W., happening to call to mind that R. G. D. had once presented to her a beautiful black Newfoundland dog, thought within herself, "How much I should like to have just such an animal now!" And, one of her servants happening to be near at the time, she said to her, "I wish I had a fine large Newfoundland for a walkingcompanion." The next morning, after breakfast, a gentleman was announced. He proved to be an entire stranger, whom Mrs. W. did not remember to have ever seen before. He was a surveyor, from a neighboring town, and led with him a noble black Newfoundland, as high as the table. After apologizing for his intrusion, he said ho had taken the liberty to call, in order to ask Mrs. W.'s acceptance of the dog he had brought with him. "You could not have offered me a more acceptable gift," said Mrs. W.; "but will you allow me to ask what induced you to think of bringing him to me?" "I brought him," he said, " because I do not intend, for the future, to keep dogs, and because I felt assured that in you he would find a kind mistress." Mrs. W. informed me that she had ascertained, to For fac-simile, see Plate II. 474 THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. W. became assured that they proceeded from the sidetable. She then said, "If I take pencil and paper, can I be informed who it is?" Immediately there were three raps, as of assent; and when she sat down to write, her hand, writing backward, formed the same initials as before, R. G. D. Then she questioned, "For what purpose were these sounds?" To which the reply, again written backward, was, "To show you that we are thinking and working for you. Nor was this all. Ten days after the last incident, namely, on Thursday afternoon, April 14, Mrs. W., happening to call to mind that R. G. D. had once presented to her a beautiful black Newfoundland dog, thought within herself, "How much I should like to have just such an animal now!" And, one of her servants happening to be near at the time, she said to her, "I wish I had a fine large Newfoundland for a walkingcompanion." The next morning, after breakfast, a gentleman was announced. He proved to be an entire stranger, whom Mrs. W. did not remember to have ever seen before. He was a surveyor, from a neighboring town, and led with him a noble black Newfoundland, as high as the table. After apologizing for his intrusion, he said ho had taken the liberty to call, in order to ask Mrs. W.'s acceptance of the dog he had brought with him. "You could not have offered me a more acceptable gift," said Mrs. W.; "but will you allow me to ask what induced you to think of bringing him to me?" "I brought him," he said, " because I do not intend, for the future, to keep dogs, and because I felt assured that in you he would find a kind mistress." Mrs. W. informed me that she had ascertained, to For fac-simile, see Plate II. |