ObituaryDeath of Mr. Didier
Editor and Book SellerSpiritism has just lost one of its most sincere and dedicated followers with Mr. Didier’s death, on Saturday 2nd, 1865. He was a member of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies since its foundation in 1865, and as well-known, he was the editor of our books about the Doctrine. He attended a session at the Society on the eve, and suddenly died, the following day, at a bus station, a few steps from his home; fortunately, there was a friend nearby that took him home. The funeral took place on December 5th.
The “Petit Journal” said this, on announcing his death: “More recently Mr. Didier had edited Mr. Allan Kardec and had turned into a follower of Spiritism, out of education or conviction”.
We don’t believe that the extreme education of an editor force him to adopt the opinions of his clients, as he would not become a Jewish by editing the works of a rabbi. Such restrictions are not worthy of a serious writer. Spiritism, like others, is a belief that counts on more than one editor in its ranks. Why would it be stranger to a book seller to be Spiritist, rather than Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Saint-Simonist, Fourierist, or Materialist?
When will you, free thinkers, admit the freedom of conscience to everybody? Would you have the pretension of exploiting intolerance to your own benefit, after fighting it in others? Mr. Didier’s Spiritists’ ideas were well-known, and he never hid them, for he frequently discussed them with the skeptical. His belief was profound and went back many years, and not like the author of the article supposes to be a matter of convenience or education of the editor.
But it is so difficult to these gentlemen, to whom the Spiritist Doctrine is thoroughly contained in the closet of the Davenport’s brothers, to conceive that a man of notorious intellectual value may believe in Spirits! Nonetheless, they will need to get used to such idea because there is more than they think, and it will not be long for them to get proof of that.
“The Grand Journal” registered the event in the following terms: “Mr. Didier has also died; he edited good and beautiful books in his modest store at “Quai des Grands-Augustin”. Lately, Mr. Didier was a follower – and even more notable – a zealous editor of the Spiritist books. The poor man must know now what to make of the doctrines of Mr. Allan Kardec.”
It is sad to see that not even death is respected by the skeptical, and that they even chase the honorable followers with their mockery beyond the grave. What did Mr. Didier think about the doctrine when alive? There is something that demonstrated to him the inefficacy of the attacks suffered by the Doctrine: at the time of his death he was printing the 14th edition of The Spirits’ Book. What is it that he is thinking now? That there will be great disappointments and more than one defection among its adversaries!
What we can say, in such circumstance, is summarized in the following speech, given at the Parisian Society of Spiritists Studies, on the December 8th session:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Colleagues,
Another one of our ranks has just returned to the Celestial Home! Our colleague, Mr. Didier, left his mortal remains on Earth to then dress up with the envelope of the Spirits. Although his frail health had endangered his life several times, and despite the fact that the idea of death had nothing of fearful to us, Spiritists, his sudden end, and so unexpectedly on the very day after attending our session, gave us cause of profound emotion.
There is in this somewhat abrupt death a great teaching, or better said, a great warning: the fact that our lives are kept by a thin line that can break when least expected, because death sometimes comes without forewarning. It thus alerts the survivors to be always prepared to respond to the Lord’s call and report the usage of the life that was given to us.
Even though Mr. Didier, personally, did not have a very active role in the works of the Society, where he rarely gave his opinion, he, nonetheless, was one of the most respected members for his seniority, as a founding member, for his diligence, and above all for his position, influence and incontestable services to the cause of Spiritism, as a spreader and editor.
The relationship I had with him over seven years allowed me to appreciate his righteousness, loyalty and special skills. He undoubtedly had, like each one of us, small things that did not please everybody, even eventually an abrupt gesture with which one needed to get used to, but nothing that diminished his distinguished qualities. The best praise he could receive was to tell him that one could to business with him blindfold.
A businessman should look at things with a commercial eye, but he was never greedy. He was great, generous and non-avaricious in his operations; profit alone would not lead him to publish something, however advantageous it might be. In a word, Mr. Didier was not a book dealer that calculated his profit cent by cent, but an intelligent editor, just, mindful and judicious, as it need be to establish a serious business like his. His relationships with the enlightened world, that loved him and cared for him, broadened his horizons and gave his store a seal of seriousness and a place of first order, less by the numbers and more by the specialty of the published books and the commercial respect that he enjoyed for many years.
As for myself, I am glad to have met him in my path, something that I certainly owe to the good Spirits; I sincerely say that Spiritism loses a support and I lose a precious editor that understood the spirit of the Doctrine and had true satisfaction in propagating it. Some people were surprised that I did not give a speech in his funerals. The reasons for my abstention are very simple.
First, his family did not ask for that and I did not know if that would have pleased them. Spiritism reproaches others to try to impose themselves and should not incur in the same mistake. It never imposes itself; it waits for others to come. Besides, I knew that there would be a large crowd and that among them there would be many that were little sympathetic or even hostile to our beliefs. It would have been inconvenient, in such a solemn occasion, to publicly shock contrary opinions, providing our adversaries with a pretext for new aggressions. It could, perhaps, have been a good opportunity to talk about the Doctrine but wouldn’t that neglect the grave moment that had us all gathered, and perhaps a lack of respect to the memory of the departed one? Should we counter those that challenge us before an open tomb? You will agree, ladies and gentlemen, that the occasion would have been badly chosen. Spiritism will always gain more with the strict observation of conveniences than it will lose for letting go opportunities to show itself. Spiritism needs no violence; it aims at the hearts; its means of attraction are kindness, consolation and hope; that is why we find accomplices even among the enemies. Its moderation and conciliating spirit make us bold by contrast. Let us not lose such precious advantage. Let us seek the large number of distressed hearts and souls tormented by doubt. Those will be our most useful supporters; we shall do more proselytes with them than propaganda or exhibition.
I could, undoubtedly, have limited myself to generalities, abstraction made of Spiritism, but such reservation could have been interpreted as fear or denial of our principles. In such cases I can only speak openly or remain silent. This was the path I chose. If it were about a common speech and about a banal subject, it would have been different. But at that moment the words would have a special meaning.
I could also have said the prayer found in the “Gospels According to Spiritism” in favor of those that have just left Earth and that in similar leave a profound impression. But there is another inconvenient here. The priest that followed the body stayed until the end of the ceremony, something that is contrary to common practice; he payed careful attention to the speech given by Mr. Flammarion and perhaps expected a more explicit manifestation, given Mr. Didier’s known positions and his relationships with the Spiritists.
After having said a prayer, enough in his soul and according to his conscience, it would have sounded boastful to hear other words with a summary of principles that are not his, and that is not in the essence of Spiritism. Some people, perhaps, would not have gotten upset by seeing the clear contrast that could have resulted but that had to be conveniently avoided. The prayers privately said by each one of us, and that can be said among us, shall be as much beneficial to Mr. Didier, in case he needs them, as if they were said with ostentation.
Believe me, ladies and gentlemen, that the interests of the Doctrine are in my heart, as much as in any other, and that when I do or do not do something, it is with mature reflection and after having weighed its consequences.
Our colleague, Mrs. R…, requested in the name of some attendants, that I gave a speech. She added that some people that she did not know had just told her that they had come in hopes to hear me. This was, no doubt, flattering to me but those persons were mistaken with respect to my character by believing that stimulating my self-love could drive me to speak to satisfy the curiosity of those that had come for another reason other than paying tribute to the memory of Mr. Didier. Those persons clearly ignore the fact that I greatly dislike imposing myself and do not like self-exhibition. That is what Mrs. R… could have told them, adding that she knew me and liked me enough to be certain that the desire to put myself in evidence would have no influence upon me.
In different circumstances, ladies and gentlemen, I would have considered it a duty and would be glad to pay a public tribute to our colleague, in the name of our Society, represented by a large number of members in the funeral. But, since feelings are more in the heart than in demonstration, there is no doubt that each one of us had already done that on their own. In this very moment in which we are gathered let us pay the tribute among us, a tribute of esteem and consideration that he deserves, hoping that he may wish to return to our circle, as in the past, and continue, as a Spirit, the Spiritist task that he had endeavored as a man.
