CHAPTER XXXIII. "THE MISSING LINK."

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A. Leah Underhill

An Improvisation.

BY MRS. HELEN J.T. BRIGHAM.

Dark night lay over the land,
 O’er the graves of all the dead,
 And all hearts were stirred, and filled
 With feelings deep and dread;
 Not without doubt and fearing,
 But as chilled by sudden gloom,—
 No ray of comfort peering
 Through the door-way of the tomb!
Their souls were sad and trembling
 On the river’s dreary brink,
 They prayed that in death’s shadows
 They might find the Missing Link!
 Yet love still seemed to be lost,
 Or like bird with broken wing,
 So weak, and lone, and helpless,
 That it could not soar and sing.
How could this mouldered body
 Be renewed again, they said,
 When the golden day goes down
 To the midnight of the dead?
 See the little tender heart
 That love had so softly pressed,
 With its tiny dimpled hands
 Folded on its icy breast,
While the mother’s soul of love,
 Bends over the precious dead.
 Is it now by death transplanted
 Where no bitter tears are shed?
 Where, in answer to her prayer,
 In a region bright and fair,
 Safe beyond all earthly care,
 Angels lead her over there?
Dear ones stood with broken heart,
 Torn from all their loves apart,
 Fathers, mothers with their dead,
 While their hopeless words were said!
 O land of crape and mourning,
 Land dark with midnight gloom,
 Is there no hope beyond us,
 And beyond the silent tomb?
A land where there are no dead,
 Where no farewell tears are shed,
 Where there is no funeral pall
 Evermore—Does death end all?
 Like an infant’s cradle rocking,
 Then there came a gentle knocking,
 And little children’s hand
 Opened up the Spirit-land.
O Missing Link! O blessed hand!
 That opened wide the heav’nly land!
 Those who once filled earth’s fond places
 Watch and wait with angel faces.
 God speed thee, Book, that bears this truth—
 Eternal life, eternal youth!
 Go, bear the gratitude of souls
 Far as Truth’s endless being rolls![25]

[25] It is generally known that the “inspirational speaker,” Mrs. Nellie J.T. Brigham, has for several years conducted, at Republican Hall, West 33d Street, the religious services of the “First Association of Spiritualists” of New York, on Sunday mornings and evenings, with an improvised eloquence of extraordinary sweetness, strength, and holiness. The custom is this: After a prayer, etc., she improvises responses to questions or topics proposed by the audience, and also poems on subjects suggested by them on the spot. In the evening she improvises a single consecutive discourse, or what may be called a sermon, on some subject prompted to her by her Spirit guides. The practice in the morning is that as many of the promiscuous audience as choose deposit on the desk their questions, tending usually to the elucidation of topics more or less connected with Spiritualism. She has possessed and exercised this Spiritual gift since very early childhood. A few weeks ago, among the subjects for poems thus laid on her table was a copy of the title-page of this volume. Her improvisation in regard to it was the above poem, introduced by the following prefatory remarks.

“We have with us this morning a lady, a Medium, who has been known for years among the Spiritualists as one who has sown the seed in the early forming of our faith, and scattered it with open heart and hand. This lady, well known to you as Mrs. Underhill, Leah Fox, has written a book, to be called ‘The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism,’ which you will soon have an opportunity of reading for yourselves. The dedication of it is most beautiful, as follows: ‘To my husband, Daniel Underhill, who, before I had other claims than those of the Truth and the Right, when other friends wavered, nobly sustained me, this narrative is dedicated, gratefully and lovingly.’ This is an expression of just appreciation. It is the soul of the Worker, and the soul of Justice, and the soul of a Wife. Nothing is needed to be added to it, but this is suggested as a subject for a poem.” She then proceeded to deliver it.

Two other subjects having been also suggested at the same time, she responded to them as follows:

“THE ORIGIN OF THE SOUL.

“A drop from the infinite ocean, a ray from the infinite light,
 One thought from the God eternal, one impulse of his love and might,
 Held by the love of the Father in His circling arm’s embrace,
 One grain of sand on the wide-spread land, is a soul in this human race.
 It cannot fall from his being, it never can die from sight,
 For His soul is ever in it, and eternity is His light.”

“THE BENEFICENCE OF SUFFERING.

“No pain can be in vain, no loss an endless cross,
 From every earthly grief shall come a sure relief,
 From every leaden sorrow the jewel of to-morrow.”

In the ranks of Mediumship there are no small number of noble men and women possessing this splendid power. They are called Inspirational or Trance Speakers. They speak as the mouth-pieces of Spirit guides, using not the singular pronoun, but the collective “We.” The only two whom I happen to know are Mrs. Brigham and Mrs. Emma Hardinge Britten. One of the most competent of judges has said of Mrs. Britten: “No living orator could improvise, on half a dozen different high and deep subjects, in style to compare with her. I have heard most of the great orators of our times, pulpit, forensic, and parliamentary, and she is the most eloquent man of them all.” She and Mrs. Brigham have been well called “the Eagle and the Dove.”

A. Leah Underhill.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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