The Late Mr. W. T. Stead.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 21, 22 May 1912, Page 36

The Late Mr. W. T. Stead.

Mrs Charles Bright, editor of the • Harbinger of Light.” the Australian spiritualist paper, relates in the current issue that she has had a communication front Air Stead since he was lost in the Titanic disaster. Site writes: — "It is not possible to write these notes without first mentioning the great defender ami exponent of spiritualism. Mr AV. T. Stead, whose tragic leaving of the earth life has thrilled us all. For those of us who realise to the full the transitoriness of life on this planet, viewing it merely as the seed time of human existence, and a school for the development of character, there is no room for terror, and even regret is shorn of half its bitterness at lives apparently cut short. For there is no actual break in life, which goes on beyond the elrange called death with renewed vigour and with opportunities that can scarcely be gauged in this struggling existence. "There has occurred in connection with Air Steads transition one of those remarkable and unsought for experiences which come unexpectedly in the early morning when my spiritual and bodily powers are being replenished for the work that is set before me to do. Alueh of it would -appear like a fairy tale to the uninitiated. as well as many similar experiences whose eorroboraton has come afterwards in my daily life. Suffice it to say that I was conscious of a great uplift luent, and the words, "Stead is here,’ came clearly to my spiritual ears. Then rapidly some writing which 1 was enjoined by him to give somehow or somewhere in this issue of the paper. He had read my article, that was not to be disturbed, but in ’Personals,’ or elsewhere, to let the world know something of the joy of the new-found world. ■••■ lust tell them,’ he said, ‘that I -am lull of delight at my new surroundings; full of delight that this world is even more full of joy and ecstasy than I had essayed to tell people in earth life; so full of joy that 1 want to wipe the tears from eyes that weep through this terrible disaster; so full of joy that 1 want to take doubt from every downeast soul. So full of delight that 1 can help my beloved.even more than when on earth. Aly affairs will go on all right. For myself it was a swift passage, a short, despairing time—chaos, confusion, only to find myself lifted out of it by loving spirits all round me. Everything so real and so tangible that I felt as if on some enchanted island, having escaped from -a ship wrecked on its shores. So close is this spiritual realm to the earth that we can understand how those with open vision get glimpses of beautiful scenery and angelic beings. The people still on earth are in a fog rushing after what is of no value, and only those can be happy who get attuned to spiritual things. I can write through you so easily.’ ”