The Sunday that Alice dropped in . . .

AFTER OUR FIRST HUNDRED demonstrations Spiritualist Mediums tend to forget the services we take. Firstly we would get permanent 'psychic indigestion' if we even attempted to remember what was said by whom to whom. Secondly this kind of information is personal to the recipient and we hold no charter for voyeurism.

Rarely do such demonstrations stay in the mind. One exception happened towards the end of last month when I took the Sunday service at a local Church here in one of our sleepier rural English shires.

We'd gone through the service, and had reached the point where the clairvoyance was flowing when, coming up the centre aisle I suddenly *saw* a spirit child halt a few feet from the rostrum. As I explained to the congregation she could only have been about six and wore a simple white smock dress and shiny black patent shoes. She did look very smart.

"Hallo poppet" I said aloud. But she just stood there looking very shy. So I tried to coax her; "Would you share your name with us please sweetheart ?" I gently asked. The congregation held its breath. But she just swayed on her spot and said nothing. At this point I clearly heard a woman's voice say clearly in my ear; "Alice". "Is your name Alice?" I probed. She nodded shyly.
"Do you belong to anyone here ?" I asked her and she slowly shook her head. I echoed her mannerism for the benefit of the audience. So I was left puzzled as to why she had suddenly manifested. Then that same mature voice whispered in my ear that she had volunteered to bring 'the animals'.

Then, suddenly, I clairvoyantly saw a church full of pets patiently lined up behind this spirit child. I started to reel off the breeds I could recognise and was relieved when a number of the congregation identified their long-lost and much loved four (and two) legged friends. I didn't look too closely but I think the man who had owned both the Alsation and a Yorkshire Terrier had tears in his eyes. And I can sill remember several parrots and budgies nibbling at their owners'ears.

Then it was time for Alice to go and she rounded up this excited mass of fur and feathers and started to return back down the aisle. As she did so that same woman's voice told me she was this spirit child's mother and confided that she was so proud of her daughter who had been so excited about being invited to take part in our service that she had worked hard and learned how to "thunk"her hair into the style she wanted.

On reflection I should have praised her for this spirit achievement; and it left me pondering on just how easy it is in the Spirit World, to mentally fashion our surroundings. I shall not forget Alice; or her very proud Mum. No matter how many hundreds or thousands of services and demonstrations we give there is, as I said earlier, always a handful that remain with us. This was certainly one of them.