{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_61253/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_61253","id":"gutenberg_61253","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61253","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy","Mars (Planet) -- Miscellanea","Spirit writings"],"text":"[Transcriber's note: The use of [a:] denotes the letter a/A with a\ndiaeresis below. I was unable to locate a utf8 equivalent. Original\nspelling has been retained, my limited knowledge of ENTOESE left me\nwith little choice.]\n\n\n\n\n JOURNEYS TO\n\n THE PLANET MARS\n\n OR\n\n OUR MISSION TO ENTO\n\n BY\n\n SARA WEISS\n\n Author of \"Story of Decimon Huydas: A Romance of\n the Planet Mars\"\n\n THE BRADFORD PRESS\n 45 BROADWAY      NEW YORK\n\n\n\n\n Copyright, 1903,\n\n BY\n\n SARA WEISS\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n\n CHAPTER                                                           PAGE\n\n I. Interview with the Evon-Thia                                     1\n\n II. Special Features of Mars                                       14\n\n III. Ento, and Entoans                                             35\n\n IV. Descriptive Features                                           53\n\n V. Giordano Bruno                                                  74\n\n VI. Inidora and Genessano                                         103\n\n VII. First Approach to Ento Sensitives                            132\n\n VIII. Spiritualized Man                                           166\n\n IX. Meeting with Camarissa                                        177\n\n X. Dr. Blank's Lesson                                             215\n\n XI. In the Galar\u00e9sa                                               249\n\n XII. Europe and the Far North                                     284\n\n XIII. Ento's Precious Stones                                      317\n\n XIV. Dano and Vallo[a:]                                           370\n\n XV. Re-embodiment                                                 382\n\n XVI. Concerning the Eskimos                                       434\n\n XVII. Culmination of the Mission                                  473\n\n\n\n\nEXPLANATORY NOTE.\n\n\nIn the Ento language, the accented A has the sound of [a:]h. The\nhorizontal line over E, gives it the long sound of a. The circumflex\nover \u0177 and \u00fb, closes them, and in certain words I takes the sound of\nE. Thus, Info st[a:] tiv[a:] Z\u0113noss[a:]a oovist\u00fb is pronounced Info\nst[a:]h tev[a:]h Z\u0113noss[a:][a:] oovist\u00fb. In English this signifies,\nTo the care of the gods until we meet again, and Info oovist\u00fb bears\nthe same meaning as the French expression, au revoir. Largely the Ento\nlanguage is a language of inferences, it expresses far more than words\nindicate. Various movements of the hands convey subtle meanings, adding\nto, or detracting from apparently simple statements, questions or\nreplies. Tyl\u00fb is Ento for city; y and \u00fb being closed it is pronounced\nTilloo. The interjection, Loh[a:]\u00fb is Ento for the English word,\nhail; a form of greeting, as Loh[a:]\u00fb, \u0113mano (Hail, friend!) and is\npronounced Lohowoo amano. These are simple examples of a language not\nat all complex, but replete with charming expressiveness.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\nTo all who may be concerned in an endeavor to acquire information\nrelating to affairs beyond the range of physical vision we offer for\nconsideration what may be regarded as an incredible narrative of\njourneys to, and explorations of the Planet known as Mars, and we\nentreat that you shall not pass unfriendly judgment upon that which\nmay impress you as a merely imaginative composition, but which, in all\nsincerity, is a statement of facts.\n\nDesiring to, as far as practicable, simplify the relation of this\nabsolutely truthful narrative, of a not unexampled undertaking, I,\nand others of the Evon-thia, have thought it well to present it in\ncolloquial form, as being more realistic than any other mode of\nexpression, and also we have thought it well, that only a limited\nnumber of our numerous Band shall present themselves as actors, in what\nmay appear a fanciful drama.\n\nWe are aware that we might offer certain special pleadings, which, in\nmany minds, would induce favorable consideration of the unvarnished\nrelation of our varied experiences, but we prefer to leave to the\nmore or less enlightened seekers after truth, such verdict as their\ninner perceptions may accord, not only for the facts and philosophy\ninvolved in the narrative, but also for the services of our intrepid\nconscientious and faithful instrument, who, during nearly two years,\ndevoted her time, her energy and such ability, as she alone of Earth's\nsensitives, at this period possesses, for the accomplishment of an\nobject which long has concerned the denizens of our and other spirit\nworlds, an object for which wittingly she became re-embodied.\n\nWith occasional brief interruptions, our journeys to the Planet,\nastronomically known as Mars, but to its inhabitants as Ento, which\nin the Ento language signifies \"chosen, or set apart,\" extended from\nOctober 6, 1892, to September 16, 1894. During this period, through a\nrather rare phase of mediumship, which we term semi-automatism, the\nobjective, or soul consciousness of our instrument was controlled\nto write certain observations and experiences, but through various\nunavoidable conditions, the record was somewhat imperfect, fragmentary\nand altogether too voluminous for the purpose in view. Hence, when\nafter quite two years, during which she gradually recovered from the\ndevitalized condition, to which her devotion to a most worthy object\nhad reduced her, she expressed her readiness to permit herself to\npass under my control for the purpose of revising the manuscript, the\ncontents of which she was almost wholly ignorant, I found myself a\nlittle dismayed over the magnitude of our mutual undertaking, which\nI well knew would tax our endurance to the utmost, and certainly,\nonly patient, persistent endeavor on the part of our instrument, and\nmyself, has resulted in what, at the best, we all consider a not very\nsatisfactory rendition of experiences as unique as ever have occurred\nto one yet embodied in physical form. So unique, indeed, that she\nshrinks from the probable, nay, the certain unpleasant criticism which\nthe presentation of not new, but unrecognized facts, may elicit, and\nit is only through the persistent entreaties of friends on both sides\nof life that finally she has decided to offer for publication the\nrather sketchy narrative of our journeys to Ento. Possessing neither\na natural, nor a cultivated ability, for a pictured presentation\nof form, our spirit artist, Aaron Poole, has found it difficult to,\nthrough her automatism, represent even some of the simpler examples\nof the Flora of your neighboring Planet, but I may assure you that,\nthough from an artistic standpoint, they are somewhat crude, they\nconvey a fairly correct idea of the form and color, of the species\nof plant life they represent. Also, I may state that our mission to\nEnto was undertaken for a specific purpose, the record of its various\nfeatures being a secondary affair, but of sufficient importance to\ninduce us to undertake the task, which to all concerned, has been\npurely a labor of love. Largely, it has been written for the purpose of\naffording our Earthians information which only through the mediation\nof discarnated spirits can be obtained. To scientific inquiry, in\nwhatsoever direction, there is a limit beyond which the physically\nembodied man cannot penetrate, but to freed, most exalted spirits from\nwhom we receive instruction, the depths of unthinkably boundless space\nare accessible. To spirits less exalted as we are, the planets of our\nsolar system afford free fields of observation, and in some far distant\ntime you and we, dear reader, through loving service for Humanity, may\nfind ourselves so purified, through earnest investigation and lofty\naspiration, so learned, so exalted, that together we may journey beyond\nsuns and worlds of which your photographers catch imprints, as faint\nas smiles on the white faces of your dear dead. And may we hope that\nin reading of our mission to Ento, you may find some expression of\nthought, some lesson which may aid you in ascending the heights, ever\nleading toward exalted states of being, thus nearer to a realizing\nsense of the all pervading, infinite spirit of an infinite universe. We\npray that it may be so.\n\nTo all who love their fellow man, to all who love truth, for truth's\nsake, and who earnestly, prayerfully seek for it wheresoever it may be\nfound, we dedicate this narrative of loving endeavor.\n\n Carl De L'Ester,\n\n Counsellor and Guide of one of the Spirit Bands, in\n Planetary language known as Evon-thia (for love's sake).\n\n\n\n\nJOURNEYS TO THE PLANET MARS.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nINTERVIEW WITH THE EVON-THIA.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Madame, we greet you, and rejoice to perceive that our last\nprolonged visit to Luna has not proven detrimental to your health, but\nhereafter we must endeavor to be more prudent. Now, I pray you, to\nattentively listen to what I may say to you.\n\nDuring the years of your present re-embodiment, for a definite purpose,\nand toward a definite period, certain Spirits have occupied themselves\nin shaping the unfoldment of your Mediumship, the anticipated period\nhas arrived, and with blended emotions, we, your Spirit friends,\nquestion the momentous future, which we trust contains the glorious\nfulfillment of a stupendous undertaking. Soon after your son Bernard\npassed to our side of life, we informed you that you no longer would be\nused for automatic writing, but that later on your Mediumship would be\nmanifested through an altogether different expression. We did not then,\nand we do not now deem it advisable, to more than refer to this change\nof phase, considering it best that, through your own experiences, you\nshall grow into an understanding of what otherwise no one can make\nplain to your comprehension. Our paper on Earth's Satellite nears a\nconclusion; indeed, for the present, in that direction, to-day will\nend our investigations. May we hope that your recent experiences have\nproven sufficiently interesting to have awakened in you a desire for a\nlarger knowledge and a more comprehensive view of the wonders of Starry\nSpace?\n\nWe are aware that in the minds of Earth's thinkers there is a lively\ninterest relating to a world of our Solar System, astronomically\nknown as the Planet Mars. We, too, are greatly interested in the same\ndirection, and it is our ardent desire that we may use you as a means\nthrough whom Earth's peoples may obtain a closer acquaintance with the\nPlanet, and through whom we may accomplish an aim very dear to our\nhearts. We also are aware that your desire to acquire knowledge, at\neven a sacrifice of personal ease, and other allurements, will induce\nyou to regard our proposal with favor, so I shall not urge you into\nhasty compliance with our wishes. You carefully will consider the\nmatter, and we with some anxiety will await your decision.\n\nNow close your eyes, tranquillize your thoughts, and quickly we again\nwill visit Luna.\n\n\n _October 4th, 1892._\n\nDe L'Ester--Yes, again we are with you, and are delighted to find you\nfully recovered from your exhaustive experience of yesterday. Are we\nto felicitate ourselves upon your having favorably considered our\nproposal? You hesitate; yet in the past you have trusted yourself to\nour care and guidance. Surely you safely may trust us for the future.\n\nMedium--If I seem to hesitate, it is not that I fear trusting myself\nto your care, but you are aware that this phase of Mediumship is very\ndevitalizing, so you will understand that I a little shrink from\nincurring possible injury to my health. Then, too, if you may consider\nit advisable, I should like to be informed concerning the proposed\nundertaking. Since my early youth I have greatly desired to study\nastronomy, but always circumstances have prevented my gaining more than\na very slight knowledge of this, to me, most wonderful of sciences, so,\nas in the undertaking some astronomical features are involved, without\nfurther hesitation I accept your proposal to attempt to make use of my\norganism for what I feel assured is a wise and beneficent purpose.\n\nDe L'Ester--Madame, in our undertaking much is involved that will\nbe unfolded as we progress toward its fulfillment. Aside from the\nprincipal object in view, we desire, and hope to give through you,\ndescriptive sketches of the geographical divisions, geological\nformations, fauna, flora, race characteristics, social conditions,\nreligious beliefs and rites, government, educational methods, arts,\nsciences, architecture, mechanics and other features of the planet\nMars. Certainly we fully understand the devitalizing effect of your\npeculiar Phase of Mediumship, and I will not conceal from you that your\nacceptance of our proposition may bring about possible undesirable\nconsequences which we cannot foresee, so again I say, we will not urge\nyou, but should you comply with our wishes to have you accompany us in\na series of journeys from Earth, to Mars, our gratification will be\nboundless, and your experiences will be so unique that in any event\nyou will find no cause for regret. Friends who are known to you, and\nothers with whom you will become acquainted, will share with us the\nresponsibilities and pleasures of the undertaking. For the most part\nthese persons are interested in such sciences and pursuits as engaged\ntheir attention while in physical form, thus they are specially fitted\nfor such purposes as they have been chosen to serve.\n\nNo, madame, we do not anticipate even a remote possibility of a fatal\ndisaster to your physical existence; but, through exhaustion, your\nhealth might receive injury, so you will weigh the matter well before\npositively deciding to devote yourself to what I may assure you is a\nbeneficent purpose. Should your decision meet our wishes, after the\nfirst step shall have been taken we will expect you to be steadfast to\nthe end.\n\nWe, as well as yourself, have duties and occupations, and in the event\nof your positive acceptance of our proposition, it will be necessary\nthat we shall make certain arrangements for the successful inception\nand after-progress of our journeys and investigations.\n\nYou are not yet fully developed in your peculiar Phase of Mediumship,\nand unfortunately you are extremely skeptical and over-cautious, which\nrenders you very positive, and doubtless there will be occasions when\nit will be difficult to harmonize conditions; still, as you possess in\nan unusual degree the graces of patience, perseverance and earnestness,\nmay we not expect that you will prove equal to such occasions as may\noccur? Indeed, we feel assured that you will.\n\nMedium--You know the conditions under which I consent to place myself\nat your service, and in as far as my ability may serve, I shall\nendeavor to meet your wishes.\n\nDe L'Ester--Your conditions are perfectly reasonable, and we promise\nyou that we faithfully will observe them. Shall we then consider your\ndecision as final?\n\nMedium--Yes; and as I also shall have to arrange my affairs so as to\nplace myself at your service, I shall require a delay of two days. On\nthe 6th I shall be ready to accompany you.\n\nDe L'Ester--At what hour?\n\nMedium--At 9 A.M.\n\nDe L'Ester--Let it be so, and remember that during the hours you may be\nwith us you positively must secure yourself against intrusion. This is\nimperative. Do you understand the necessity for this requirement?\n\nMedium--I do, and shall arrange for it.\n\nDe L'Ester--Then on the 6th day of October, 1892, our initial journey\nwill occur. Until then, adieu.\n\n\n _October 6th, 1892._\n\nDe L'Ester--Good morning, madame, I am pleased to find you quite\nprepared for our journey Starward. Accompanying me are George Brooks,\nan Englishman, whom ere now you should have known; Agassiz, one of\nearth's noted naturalists, and his close associate, Alexander Von\nHumboldt, whose fame is not confined to Europe. Allow me to make known\nto you these friends who are Members of the Band whom I have the honor\nof directing.\n\nMedium--Gentlemen, I indeed am pleased to make your acquaintance.\n\nAgassiz--Madame, our acquaintance _is not of to-day_, and our mutual\nfriendship dates further into the past than at present you are aware\nof. Through the immutable Law of Attraction, humans are as links of an\nunbreakable chain, and real friendships are as enduring as eternity.\n\nVon Humboldt--As no words of mine would add force to this statement, I\nshall only say that I am, and ever will be, your friend Alexander Von\nHumboldt.\n\nGeorge Brooks--And may I add that as all humans are akin I not only\nam your devoted friend, but, after a fashion, am your brother George\nBrooks.\n\nDe L'Ester--And it has been arranged that George shall assist you in\nyour flights through space, and that I shall take upon myself the\nresponsibility of conducting our observations and investigations. To\neach member of our Band has been allotted some special duty, thus no\nconfusion can occur, and from time to time Spirits of our Spheres, and\nof other Planetary Spheres, for certain purposes, will join us. When\ndesirable, further explanations will be offered you.\n\nEre we begin our journeys to another world, we will turn our thoughts\ntoward the Infinite One, in whom we indeed live, move and have our\nbeing.\n\nEarnestly, humbly, prayerfully, we turn toward Thee, Thou Eternal,\nInfinite Intelligence, who art the All Pervading, All Knowing Energy,\ncontrolling every atom of the Universe. Ever Thy children are seeking\nafter truth. Ever they who blindly grope their ways through mortal\nexistence, unconsciously, are striving to draw nearer to a realization\nthat Thou art. Oh, Thou Dual, yet indivisible One who art the All and\nin All, as now we are entering upon a mission of loving endeavor, with\nloftiest aspirations, and with perfect trust we offer ourselves for\nloving service, well knowing that in Thee are the issues of all things,\nand that Thou wilt give Thy angels charge concerning us. Amen and amen.\n\nMadame, you now will close your eyes and endeavor to render yourself\npassive. That is well. Now, with utmost assurance, rest upon George's\noutstretched arms. Have no fear. Remember our promise. Gently, gently,\nGeorge. Upward, upward now, and outward on this wondrous magnetic\ncurrent we glide. Swiftly as thought traverses space, so swiftly we\njourney toward Mars, which, like a great ruddy jewel, enmeshed in gold,\ngleams yonder in space.\n\nNow that we are nearing the Planet, we slowly will descend to such an\naltitude as will enable you to observe how varied is the scenery, and\nhow very similar it is to portions of our Earth World.\n\nA little lower, George. Madame, do you now see clearly? And are you not\nat all alarmed?\n\nMedium--I see quite distinctly, and am not at all alarmed.\n\nDe L'Ester--Truly you are a courageous woman.\n\nThrough personal observation you will learn that the geological\nformations, natural divisions, atmospheric conditions and other\nfeatures of Mars are very similar to corresponding features of our own\nPlanet.\n\nThe same may be said of its fauna and flora, which will surprise you\nby their familiar appearance. We will remain at this altitude, and as\nwe pass slowly onward we desire that you shall closely observe such\nviews as may be presented. We do not at present wish to discuss them,\nbut should they suggest to you questions which may be relevant to our\npurpose I shall be pleased to attempt replies.\n\nMedium--Then may I ask which of the two Planets, Earth and Mars, first\ncame into existence? And also I should like to know how Planets are\nformed.\n\nDe L'Ester--So much is involved in your questions that I cannot now\nafford you a comprehensive reply. So I may only say that we have\nbeen made to understand that Suns are, so to say, magnetic stations\nor centres of magnetic energy, and in so far as exalted spirits of\nhighest spirit spheres can determine, in their relative positions and\nfunctions, they are eternal and unchangeable, also, they affirm that\nthe elements, not only of Suns, but of all bodies of infinite space,\nare homogeneous. That periods arrive when through magnetic attraction\nof elemental substances Suns become surcharged and their pregnant\nenergies exhibit inconceivable activity, casting into space the\nextremely attenuated elemental substances of which worlds are made.\n\nWe, as well as those Wise Ones, are aware that during incalculable\nlapses of time, Infinite, Intelligent Law brings order out of chaos\nand formless aggregations of atoms become observable bodies of\nincandescent matter. That cycles upon cycles elapse, during which\ncooling and condensation proceed, and these gaseous bodies contract\nto the measurable dimensions of globes. In this manner Mars, and much\nlater Earth came into the family of our Solar System, and in the course\nof time about either Planet a crust was formed, encompassing their\nsuper-heated masses. Numberless cycles added unrecognized years to\nthe ages of the infant Planets. Continuously their confined energies\nburst forth with tremendous force, rending the gradually thickening\ncrust and casting into space masses of incandescent matter, some of\nwhich formed satellites of the Planets. Others, not projected with\nsufficient force, were drawn back within the mass of such Planet as\nhad cast them forth. No, I do not mean to say that all satellites\nof Planets have their origin in this manner, and at another time I\nshall speak to you of this matter. Backward, as the ages flew, the\nsurfaces of Mars and Earth were upheaved into mountain chains, anon\nthese were engulfed within fiery abysses whose measureless energies\ntumultuously threatened to burst asunder the entire surfaces of the\nyoung Worlds. But time flies on tireless wings, and at last atmospheres\nfor them become possible; not beneficent atmospheres, but such as\nheralded the possibilities of a later time, when dew and rain would,\nlike blessings, fall upon the hot bosoms of the new Worlds. The lapse\nof time from the beginning of the formation of a Planet to a period\nwhen the crust has cooled and thickened sufficiently to have become\nsomewhat stable, when natural forces have made it possible for, so to\nsay, the _generation_ of an atmosphere, is inconceivable, and quite\nas inconceivable is the time that must elapse ere the cooling of the\natmosphere and consequent condensation and deposition of moisture shall\nhave made life conditions possible; truly, my friend, only the Infinite\nMind is equal to such a conception. Understand, please, that I am not\nindulging in mere speculation. In a simplified and perspicuous manner\nI am trying to convey to you such facts as may furnish brief replies\nto your questions. I wish you to learn that World building is not only\na process of bygone ages, but that far off in the depths of space\ninnumerable Worlds are now being formed, just as this Planet and Earth\nhave been formed. As the primitive history of one corresponds with\nthe primitive history of the other, I shall say that in the earlier\nages strange conditions prevailed. Geographically the surfaces of the\ntwo Planets changed, as change the forms in the kaleidoscope. Oceans\nand Seas were being deposited, and from their depths Continents were\nupheaved, only to disappear beneath unquiet billows, leaving isolated\nIslands or Archipelagoes to mark their subsidence, and from the heated\nwaters dense vapors arose enveloping the new Worlds as in winding\nsheets.\n\nAs it is not possible to compute the ages, much less the years,\nduring which Mars and Earth passed through the various stages of\nevolvement, up to the period when either Planet became sufficiently\ncool and stable, the waters of a suitable temperature and atmospheric\nconditions favorable to a degree that life in its earliest expression\nbecame possible, necessarily I must remain silent in relation to that\nmatter. But in this connection I may say that the formative history\nof one Planet is the formative history of all Planets of all systems\nof Worlds. First, a nebulous condition of substance, which, through\nnatural activities or laws, gradually contracts into measurable\ndimensions. Secondly, a somewhat spherical, gaseous body extending\nin all directions into space. Thirdly, a positive, individualized,\nobservable body in a highly incandescent state, followed by such\ngradual evolvement as your geologists well understand. In a fragmentary\nand simplified fashion I have as concisely as possible replied to your\n_second_ question. As to the first, such authorities on our side of\nlife as are known to be unquestionable, declare that the Planet Mars is\nincalculably older than Earth. That during the ages when our globe was\nalmost wholly incandescent, Mars' crust was measurably solid and cooled\nand its earliest life expressions were teeming in its tepid waters. The\ninterval elapsing between the earliest appearance of life on Mars and\nthe period when it became possible for the earliest life expressions\nto appear on our Planet is not to be computed through years or through\ncenturies of years, the duration of such an interval is inconceivable.\n\nWe desire that you shall understand that _we do not propose_ that this\nshall be an astronomical, geological or other scientific work, but in\nso far as we may be able to use your organism we shall touch upon such\nrecognized sciences as may subserve our purposes of comparing degrees\nof knowledge attained to, in the same direction by the peoples of two\nPlanets, Mars and Earth.\n\nMedium--I should like to know how the lowest life forms of a new Planet\noriginate, where do they come from, and what are they?\n\nDe L'Ester--Truly a large question, to which I must make a very\nbrief reply. Your scientists declare that protozoa are the first,\nconsequently the lowest, forms or expressions of life. The statement\nto a degree is correct, but as the life, the active principle of the\ncell, relatively is as great as the active principle of a universe,\none cannot accurately designate it as either high or low. Life, the\nimponderable potentiality of the universe, is a unit, expressing\nitself in every atom, in the formation of every cell, floating in\nthe tepid waters of new Worlds. It is as truly _substance_ as is\nthe cell _brought into form_ through its intelligent activity. It\nis the Infinite, Intelligent Energy, permeating all that is. It is\nthe Infinite Spirit whose countless manifestations we recognize, but\nwhose nature is beyond the conception of angels or of archangels.\n_It is that which we term GOD._ On all Planets sufficiently evolved\nlife expressions first appear in cell formations. In these cells, for\nwhich scientists have various names, are _all the potentialities_\nnecessary for the evolvement of all forms of animal and vegetable life.\nThrough the ceaseless activity of Infinite, Intelligent, Immutable\nLaw, these germ cells, step by step, are evolved from lower to higher\nplanes of expression, _and this is a truth, the cells containing the\npotentialities of the human animal are unlike those containing the\npotentialities of the mere animal_. Infinite Intelligence makes no\nmistakes, and in the primordial cells are _all_ the possibilities of\n_all_ specific orders of animal and vegetable life. In every direction\nlife expressions strive to advance on straight lines, and however\nthwarted and baffled, go forward with invincible, intelligent energy\ntoward definite ends. But the subject is inexhaustible, and we must for\nthe present defer its further consideration.\n\nWe are now resting in space, about one English mile above Mars'\nsurface. Freed spirits see where mortal vision perceives naught. As you\nnow are, to a degree, liberated from physical limitation, you perceive\nthat all your senses are enlarged and intensified, and you will not\nfind it difficult to carefully observe the view presenting itself, and\nto describe what you may perceive.\n\nMedium--I cannot realize that I am gazing on the planet Mars, for it\nis so strangely similar to our own far distant Earth, I see cities\nand towns, some near by, others in the dim distance. There are Lakes\nand streams of shining water and there are wide spreading plains over\nwhich I see some animals moving, but I do not see them very distinctly.\nDirectly beneath us are fields of waving grain and meadows green with\nverdure, with here and there clusters of many bright hued flowers.\nAway off yonder I see what appears to be moving trains of railway\ncars, but the motive power must be different from that in use on our\nrailways, for I do not see either steam or smoke, and the locomotive\nis quite unlike any I have seen. What direction is that? South? Well,\nfar Southward I see a considerable body of water, and on it, moving in\nall directions, are large and small vessels, some with sails, others\nwithout any visible motive power. But, dear me, what is that moving so\nswiftly through the air? An air transport? How very wonderful, but I\nsee neither sails, balloons or any propelling power. I wonder how they\nrise, and what keeps them from falling? George, it is very impolite in\nyou to laugh at me. Of course I am excited; so would you be were you\nin my place. Oh, that one over yonder town is slowly, slowly dropping\ndown, and now it has landed on a great platform and passengers are\nalighting and others are entering, as one might enter a railway car.\nNow it is ascending with a sort of undulatory movement, dipping and\nrising like a bird in flight, and now it has risen to quite a height,\nand is going toward the South. Cannot we go nearer to one of the\nstrange conveyances? I am very curious to learn more about them. How\nthey are constructed, and what their motive power is, and what sustains\nthem in the air, and what--George, if you do not stop laughing at me\nyou will let me fall. De L'Ester, do tell me something about them.\n\nDe L'Ester--Patience, patience, madame. Your curiosity is quite natural\nand commendable, and in good time shall be gratified, but as this is\nan experimental trip we do not think it prudent to hold you longer. As\nyou grow accustomed to unusual conditions gradually we will prolong\nour journeys, but now we must return you to your Earth home, and if we\nmay find you sufficiently vitalized, to-morrow, at the hour of 9.30,\nwe again will come for you, and we promise you that your experience of\nto-day is but the beginning of a series of the same, which will greatly\nadd not only to your pleasure, but to the profit of many, for whose\nbenefit our journeys have been planned.\n\nNow, Earthward, George. Yes, the sensation of moving with such\ntremendous velocity is peculiar. To move so swiftly as to experience a\nsensation of immobility is quite beyond the conception of mortals, who\ncannot conceive the fact of an ever-present now in a spaceless universe.\n\nHere you are in your quiet room, and none the worse for your starward\njourney. Now you are in your normal state and I have something to say\nto you.\n\nFor a reason that later on you will appreciate, _you are not to read\nwhat your conscious self has been made, and will yet be made to write_.\nDo you understand? Then at the conclusion of each journey put away\nwhatever may have been written, and in some coming time together we\nwill read it, and then you will comprehend why I make this request.\n\nMay divine and loving influences guide and guard you. Au revoir.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nSPECIAL FEATURES OF MARS.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Again we have the pleasure of greeting you and of observing\nyour attempt to secure yourself from intrusion, and we urge upon you\nthe imperative necessity of continuing this precaution. Now, assume a\ncomfortable position. How close your eyes and endeavor to compose your\ntoo active mind by joining us in harmonizing prayer.\n\nEternal Infinite Intelligence! Eternal Infinite Energy, we, Thy\nchildren, desire to come into conscious relation with Thee. Unto Thee\nwe offer our loving, reverent adoration, and Thou wilt guide us in all\nour ways. Amen, amen.\n\nGeorge, for a little while, we will move slowly, so that madame may\nmore clearly observe the scene below us. To physical vision the Earth's\nsurface would appear somewhat depressed, but to our spirit vision this\nillusion is not apparent. To mortals, at this altitude, the atmosphere\nwould be too rarefied and too cold to be endurable, but, as you\nperceive, Spirits sufficiently evolved, are not subject to physical\nconditions. How deep is Earth's atmosphere? He who estimates the depth\nof the _oxygenated_ portion of Earth's atmospheric envelope at ten\nEnglish miles may safely add another half-mile, and the entire depth\nof Earth's atmosphere is so greatly in excess of what your scientists\nconceive it to be that on your account I a little hesitate to say that\nit runs into hundreds of miles, and through the activities of natural\nforces ever it is deepening. Yes, necessarily, all inhabited Planets\npossess oxygenated atmospheric envelopes, but you are not to confound\natmosphere with ether, which fills all interstellar space, _and is\nsubstance_, but so refined as to be imperceptible to physical sense.\n\nUpon all the planets of our solar system, our glowing, radiant Sun\nsheds its life-preserving beams. Its magnetic waves, pouring across\nspace, quicken into activity latent energies, thus making progress\nin all directions not only possible, but inevitable. Mars, being\nmany millions of miles further away from the Sun than is our Planet\nnecessarily it receives less direct solar heat. On the other hand,\nMars' atmosphere is such as to both receive and retain an amount of\nsolar heat sufficient to render its climatic conditions very favorable\nfor its various life expressions, and being much older, and hence, in\nproportion to its bulk, _far more magnetic than Earth_, its density,\nas compared with that of Earth, much less, its atmosphere rarer and\nlighter, it follows that to a limited degree its climatic conditions\nvary from those of Earth. Still, as you will have opportunity to\nobserve, the temperature of its different zones is not greatly unlike\nthat of the various corresponding zones of our own Planet.\n\nYes, the panorama now below us is a reminder of many similar views on\nvarious portions of our far distant World, which, to our vision, now\nappears as a rather diminutive, luminous sphere in immensity of space.\n\nCertainly, madame, ask such questions as may occur to you, to which, as\nwe slowly move onward, I shall to the utmost of my ability reply.\n\nNo, the depth and quality of a Planet's atmosphere does not altogether\ndepend upon the age of the Planet. With both its quantity and its\nqualities other factors are concerned. Were not this true, Mars'\natmosphere, relatively, would be deeper than that of Earth.\n\nAs a fact, the depth of Mars' _oxygenated_ atmosphere is rather under\nhalf the depth of that of Earth. As to its qualities you already are\ninformed. Yes, equability of temperature characterizes the various\nregions of Mars, only at the equator, and on either side for about\nseven hundred English miles, can the temperature be considered high,\nand even at the equator the heat is less torrid than in a corresponding\nlatitude on our Planet. Disintegration and attrition have so worn away\nMars' mountain ranges and other elevations that they offer slight\ndiversions for its air currents. Through ethereal disturbances cyclonic\nstorms occur, but at rare intervals. A noticeable peculiarity of\nMars' atmosphere, which later will attract your observation, is its\nextreme humidity, which ancient Mars spirits have told me increases\nas the Planet ages. Even the polar regions are under the influence of\nthis exceptionally humid condition, and there, during the year, snow\nfalls nearly continuously. As spring approaches, at the north pole\nvast accumulations of ice and snow begin to melt, and as the season\nadvances, immense volumes of water threaten to inundate portions of the\nPlanet. Against such a calamity wise provision has been made, but of\nthis presently you will become better informed.\n\nWe near our destination, and now, gently descending, we stand upon\nsolid ground. Madame, we salute you, and welcome you to a land visited\nfor the first time by a spirit yet embodied in the physical form. The\nenergetic and adventurous American is a born pioneer, so it seems quite\nin keeping with your national tendency that you are here.\n\nMedium--It may be quite in keeping with my nationality to be\nadventurous, but I confess that at this moment I do not feel very\ncourageous.\n\nDe L'Ester--Fear not. Many times you shall come hither, returning to\nEarth safely. You wish to know on what portion of Mars we now are? I\ncan only reply in this manner: Relatively we are in about the same\nlatitude and longitude as is St. Louis. For purposes of comparison,\nand for the instruction not only of yourself, but of some who possibly\nmay read these pages, we have decided that it will be well to afford\nyou a glimpse of Mars' interior, so you will stand beside me while I\nshall endeavor to direct your spirit perception, and that you may more\nreadily comprehend what I shall say I shall make use of such terms\nas our Earth scientists have established. In succession, the Azoic,\nthe Silurian, the Devonian, the Carboniferous, the Reptilian, the\nMammalian, and the crowning Age of Man have carried Mars and Earth\nto their present states of evolution. As we perceive, the merging of\none age into another was through such imperceptible degrees that it\nis not possible to note lines of demarcation, yet we easily can trace\nthe wondrous vestiges of the passing ages up to the appearance of the\nevolved human animal man, of whom, at another time, I shall further\ninform you.\n\nYes, gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, in short, all the minerals with\nwhich Earth abounds, are equally abundant as constituents of Mars, and\nlike our planet, Mars contains vast stores of mineral salts, which in\nsolution form nature's remedial springs.\n\nNaturally, as cooling of the Planet has proceeded, the primitive\nstratum has deepened, and as we perceive within its compass is a vast\nvolume of highly heated matter, which, to a degree, corresponds with\nthe interior of the World upon which you so serenely dwell.\n\nVery true, to one unaccustomed to such a view, it appears amazing and\nawe-inspiring.\n\nFollowing the Devonian age the dank atmosphere was laden with noxious\ngases, and the fauna and flora of this Planet attained to gigantic\nproportions. This was the Carboniferous age, during which largely the\ncoal fields were formed, and I may say that during a corresponding age\nof Earth like causes produced like effects. All over this planet, in\nvarious localities, deposits of coal abound, and through unnumbered\ncenturies, it served for the Marsians the purposes of fuel and\nillumination.\n\nNow, madame, turn away your gaze from yonder fiery abysses and allow it\nto rest upon pleasanter views.\n\nFrom the slight elevation on which we stand we gaze upon a very\nattractive scene. Stretching away into the distance are level plains,\nsustaining luxuriant verdure and a wealth of grains and other\nvegetation. The plains are dotted with towns and villages and animals\nof several kinds are grazing in the nearby inclosed fields.\n\nA silvery haze veils the distant landscape, partly revealing, partly\nobscuring its exquisite beauty, and in all directions the land is\nabloom with many-hued flowers, each exhaling a fragrance all its own.\nNature adorned as a queen demands her rightful measure of homage, and\nthus we salute thee, thou beauteous expression of the Infinite Good.\n\nThe ceaseless activities of nature accomplish manifold wonders, and in\nthe peculiar looking animals under the shade of yonder great trees we\nobserve one that may surprise you. Madame, we will draw nearer them.\nAt times I forget that your vision is not as far reaching as our own.\nYou will allow me to assist you. Do you now see them clearly? Yes?\nThen for a little we will pause here. Your amazement does not at all\nsurprise us, for indeed those creatures are strangely formed, colored\nand clothed. We desire that you shall attempt a description of that one\nstanding apart from the others.\n\nMedium--But where shall I begin? With its head? Certainly that is its\nstrongest, strangest feature, and it is formed very like the head of a\ngiraffe, but its enormous horns, curved spirally, extend upward, and\nits ears are small and drooping. No one on Earth ever will believe me\nwhen I say that its large, gentle eyes are placed, one in the front,\nthe other in the back of its head, yet truly they are there. Its neck\nis very like that of a horse, but rather longer, and its shoulders are\nmuch higher than its haunches. It is covered with short, reddish brown\nhair, perhaps I should say wool, for it is rough and crinkled, and on\nthe end of its tail, which nearly touches the ground, is a great tuft\nof long, crinkled hair. Its mane is short, thick and upright, and both\nmane and tail are of a lighter tint of brown than is its body. At its\nshoulders it is the height of an ordinary horse, but its long neck and\nits great horns extending upward adds to its apparent height. I cannot\nimagine a more grotesque looking animal. I wonder what purpose it may\nserve?\n\nGeorge Brooks--I should say, to illustrate that when nature sets about\nit she can turn out enigmas difficult of solution. Another reason for\nthe existence of such queer-looking animals may be that nature intends\nthem as a background on which to exhibit the good looking ones, for\ngrazing near yonder clump of shrubbery is an exceptionally handsome\nanimal.\n\nDe L'Ester--George, you may not be either a philosopher or scientist,\nbut certainly you are original.\n\nMadame, will you also attempt a description of this animal?\n\nMedium--I shall do my best, and where I fail you will prompt me. This\nanimal reminds me of a horse, but it is larger than any horse I ever\nhave seen. Its head is well proportioned to the size of its body and\nis as delicately formed as the head of a deer. Its ears are erect,\npointed, rather small and set closely to its head. Its eyes are large,\ngentle and beautiful. Its neck is rather short, but symmetrical, and\nfringed with a long, silken mane. Its legs are well proportioned and\nits hoofs are daintily formed and semi-transparent. Its tail, almost\nsweeping the ground, is covered with long hair the color of its mane,\nwhich is a very dark brown, and its body is clothed with hair of a\nlighter shade of brown, rather, I should say, with shades of brown and\nwhite arranged in spots, like those of a leopard. I think it a very\nhandsome animal. Is my description at all accurate?\n\nDe L'Ester--Quite so; and this animal is a L\u00fbm[a:], and the other is\na Vetson. As I already have intimated on this Planet there are in its\nanimal kingdom forms bearing striking resemblances to some existing\non Earth, but owing to Planetary conditions they are of a larger type\nthan their kindred of our Planet. You are to remember _that all life\ngerms are homogeneous_, their varying expressions being the result\nof varying conditions. Thus throughout the myriad life expressions\nof different Planets there are endless strong resemblances. Why not?\nThe conditions of the several Planets of our Solar System are not so\nutterly dissimilar as some of your learned persons declare them to be.\nAnd mark what I shall say: On Earth's physical plane there are at this\ntime re-embodied ones whose inherent qualities will within the next\nhalf-century enable them to give to Earth's peoples undreamed of facts\nconcerning other Worlds. Facts which will necessitate a _readjustment\nof accepted scientific conclusions_. Yes, necessarily, resemblances\nbetween the fauna and flora of Mars and Earth are closer than between\nthose of any other two Planets of our Solar System. I say necessarily,\nfor the reason that like produces like, and the conditions of Mars and\nEarth, being more nearly similar than are the corresponding conditions\nof any of their Planetary kindred, it follows that their productions\nmust keep pace with conditions.\n\nAnother question? Certainly, but I must make a brief reply. Throughout\nthe animal and vegetable kingdoms of all inhabited Planets structural\ndivergences ever have marked the lines of evolution, _the human animal\nalone excepted_. True, the human animal evolves through all the\ngradations of animal existence, but unlike other animals, he diverges\nneither to the right nor to the left. _His specific, inherent energy\nimpelling him ever onward, ever upward and straight ahead._ Man is the\nculmination not only of forces but of qualities which set him apart\nfrom all other physical existences. _He is the apex of intelligent\ndirection, the final, expression of God in form, not only on Mars and\nEarth, but in the human everywhere._\n\nWe will now proceed, observing as we move onward whatever may be\ninstructive or interesting. Embowered in yonder grove of magnificent\ntrees is a stately dwelling. We will approach it more nearly, we even\nmay enter it, for I doubt not, madame, we might find in it much that\nto you would be new and of interest. From its dimensions and imposing\nstyle we may conclude that it is the home of persons of wealth and\ndistinction. For a little we will pause under the shade of these great\ntrees, which impart a sense of restfulness.\n\nMedium--You speak of a \"sense of restfulness.\" May I ask do spirits,\nlike mortals, experience a sense of fatigue?\n\nDe L'Ester--What I mean by a sense of restfulness is a state of\ntranquillity, through which a Spirit comes into harmonious relations\nwith its surroundings. _Spirits do not become wearied as expressed\nby the word fatigue_, but upon entering the physical plane, Spirits,\nto a certain extent, take on the conditions with which they come in\ncontact, and they experience what may be termed _a sense of unrest or\ninharmony_, and in exact proportion to the progress attained by Spirits\nis this sense of unrest accentuated. _Hence, Spirits of the higher\nspirit realms seldom enter the physical plane._ Have I made the matter\nclear to your comprehension?\n\nMedium--Perfectly so.\n\nDe L'Ester--We now will look at this massive and really fine structure.\nAs it is a good example of the many imposing residences to be found\nthroughout this North temperate region, it shall serve as an object\nlesson for you, madame, and I shall take upon myself a description of\nits exterior.\n\nA large structure of gray stone, extending on either side of a central\nentrance for at least forty feet. The entrance, which is wide and\nlofty, is approached by a fine flight of stone steps, leading easily\nup to it. Artistic and elaborate sculpture frames in the doorway,\nand on either side of the entrance are sculptured life-size forms\nin bas-relief. Their upturned eyes and upreaching hands lead one to\nconclude that they represent a guardian God and Goddess.\n\nThe entire front is pierced by many large windows surrounded by wide\nbands of intricate sculptured designs. Story above story to the height\nof four, the central portion of the building rises, and on either side\nof it are wings, two stories in height. Its entire front is beautified\nby traceries of delicate sculpture, among which are groups of life\nforms of various kinds. No doubt these forms hold certain meanings, and\nwe regret that our Mars friends have not yet joined us, as they might\nenlighten us in this direction.\n\nWe now will move around to the right. Ah, here is a sort of annex and\nevidently devoted to pious purposes. Being a Frenchman I would term it\nune Temple, and you, madame, would name it a Chapel. It appears to be\nan extension of the dwelling, but really is quite a separate structure,\nwhich later on we will examine. As we perceive, these spacious and\ncomfortable apartments at the rear of the dwelling are occupied by the\ndomestics. As you, madame, are aware, to most Earth dwellers, Spirits\nare invisible; to the Marsians they are even less so, so we safely may\nenter the dwelling to have a view of the interior, but, George, you are\nto play no pranks to startle the occupants.\n\nWe will enter at the front. What a beautiful interior. This grand\nstaircase, rising from this central hall, is fine enough for a royal\npalace. Evidently an able architect designed this dwelling, and\nintelligent and cultivated persons occupy it.\n\nHow very quiet it is. What is it, George? Not a soul in the house?\nBetter so, for really this seems a sort of intrusion, all the more so\nwere the occupants at home. Now, madame, which part of the dwelling\nshall we first investigate? Ah, we might have guessed that, as you are\nsuch a devoted housewife. To the kitchen then, but I shall expect you\nto describe this apartment, as really it is more than I am equal to.\n\nMedium--I fear that I also am unequal to a description of it. It\nappears to be better fitted for chemical experiments than for a\nkitchen. What a large, sunny, airy room it is and what a variety\nof utensils. I cannot even guess at the uses of many of them. Am I\nmistaken in supposing that these bowls and platters and some of these\npretty vessels are of gold and silver? No? Then those metals must be\nvery plentiful, or the owner of this residence very rich. As sure as I\nlive here is a weighing apparatus, and in design not very unlike one I\nuse in my own kitchen. What are you saying, George? That one touch of\nnature makes worlds akin. Well, while this is not a touch of nature, it\nhas a wonderfully homelike appearance. And here is a cooking range, but\nit is not designed for the use of coal, wood or gas. I wonder what kind\nof fuel these people use? De L'Ester, can you enlighten me?\n\nDe L'Ester--Since a very remote time the people of this Planet have\nfor heating, lighting and as a motive power used electricity. In this\ninstance it is the heating agent.\n\nMedium--And Earth's peoples, who regard themselves as highly evolved\nhumans, are only beginning to learn of the many uses to which it may\nbe applied. One cannot question the fact that the same metals used on\nEarth are used on Mars, for here are vessels and utensils of gold,\nsilver, iron, copper, tin, and what looks like brass, and of alloys new\nto me. Then here are vessels which I shall call porcelain, and there\nare various other wares similar to some with which I am familiar. I\ncannot find words to express my amazement at all this, it seems so\nutterly incredible, and yet I cannot question the evidence of my own\nsenses. A woman with a genius for cooking would be enchanted with this\nkitchen. Is the dining-room as well worth seeing?\n\nDe L'Ester--It may be, but the family being absent, to an extent it is\ndismantled, so we prefer that you should not see it. Then, too, we have\nin mind a certain dining-hall which we purpose showing to you.\n\nNow we will look through the rooms at the front of the dwelling. We\nwill enter this one on the right. What a superb apartment, so spacious,\nso sumptuously furnished. Art and luxurious appointments combined\nhave produced charming effects. Here, and elsewhere, we anticipate\nthe pleasure of showing you many evidences of the wealth and culture\nof the Marsians. Before proceeding further we desire to inform you\nof something which, for a reason, until now, we have withheld. This\nPlanet, known to Earth's peoples as Mars, is, by its inhabitants, known\nas Ento, which, in their language, signifies CHOSEN, or SET APART.\nThey believe that as an expression of His love, And\u00fbmana, the Supreme\nOne, created Ento, and that when their home was prepared for their\noccupation He created His children, who with other living things should\nmanifest the power and greatness of His Divinity. In future we will\nspeak of the Planet as Ento, and of its peoples as Entoans, and during\nour journeyings and investigations you will learn that on Ento there is\na state of civilization and consequent culture quite in advance of that\nof our own immature Planet.\n\nObserve now those paintings. What marvellous creations they are. And\nthose sculptured forms, so beautiful, so true to nature. Only the mind\nof a genius and the hand of a master could have conceived and executed\neither of them.\n\nHere is a masterpiece. I know not what title the artist may have given\nit. I shall name it \"Love's Awakening.\" It represents the sculptured\nform of a young girl just budding into womanhood. How charming is the\nangelic expression of her upturned eyes and smiling lips. The face,\nno longer that of a child, yet scarcely that of a woman, is rarely\nbeautiful. She seems to be listening to Love's first whisperings, and\nalmost one can fancy her lovely mouth tremulous.\n\nSo eloquent is the silence of her slightly parted lips, that in\nexpectant attention, one listens for the faint murmurings of a soul\nawakened to the infinite possibilities of the passion, which welds into\na unit all things animate and inanimate. Observe that the drapery,\nhalf concealing, half revealing the exquisite form, is as transparent\nas a mist wreath. Truly it is a marvellous expression of art. These\nfriends and I are not unused to the finest representations of art\nof many planets, yet seldom have we seen a piece of sculpture equal\nthis; still less seldom have we seen one surpassing it in design, or\nexcellence of execution.\n\nNo, madame, the extent of this collection is not unusual, for the\nEntoans are liberal patrons of the arts. But we will look further.\n\nHere, on a grassy knoll, is a group of three quite young boys, their\nforms lightly clothed in loose garments, which but partly conceal their\nrounded, shapely limbs. The middle, and larger boy, holds on his knees\na book, from which apparently he reads a stirring story, to which the\nother boys listen with rapt attention, their beautiful faces expressing\nliveliest emotion. Notwithstanding that this group does not strongly\nappeal to the imagination, there is that which obliges one to feel that\nin it the sculptor has embodied much love and a reverence for art.\n\nNow we will learn what this draped recess may contain. Ah, a\ndescriptive composition, and in _tinted_ marble. Not an agreeable\nrepresentation, but an instructive reminder of a religious rite of\nhappily bygone centuries.\n\nBefore us is an altar, on which lies the draped form of a young girl,\nher eyes closed as though in sleep. The loose robe drawn aside from her\nbosom reveals the contours of a maiden in the first blush of womanhood.\nAt her side, holding in his upraised hand a long, keen bladed knife,\nwhich he is about to thrust into the heart of the unconscious\nvictim, stands an aged, majestic looking Priest, his crimson robe in\nstrong contrast to the white robed, golden-haired girl, who is to be\nsacrificed by knife and flames to an imaginary god or gods.\n\nWhile one must admire the consummate art which so faithfully has\nrepresented this scene, one shudderingly turns from it, as being a\nhorrible reminder of the many crimes and cruelties, which in the name\nof Religion, have been, and still are perpetrated.\n\nMadame, it is a lamentable truth, that incorrect conceptions of the\nattributes of the Supreme One, ever are allied to cruelty. This\nstatement applies not only to Ento, and Earth, but to all Planets\ninhabited by humans. It is only when man has become highly evolved,\nthat spirit, the ego, dominates the animal soul, and God is apprehended\nas love, not hate.\n\nAncient Ento spirits, and others of comparatively modern times, have\ninformed us concerning their religious rites and customs, which during\nthe passing centuries have, with the exception of the sacrificial\nrite, remained almost unchanged. They relate that the victims of that\nhorrible rite generally were drugged into unconsciousness, yet at\ntimes, willing victims, hoping thereby to appease the offended Gods,\nand thus avert some calamity, went consciously, courageously, to their\ndeath. Though deploring the ignorant fanaticism of such an act, one\nfeels impelled to admire the heroic and generous nature of one willing\nto yield his or her life as a sacrifice for the real or fancied good of\nothers.\n\nIn this adjoining recess is another composition, scarcely less\npathetic, but devoid of the element of cruelty. On a large malachite\nbase is a stone altar, on which lies the nearly nude body of a dead\nboy, and over and about him is a mass of inflammable material, bursting\ninto flames. Thus in very ancient times the Entoans disposed of their\ndead. It is a very realistic representation of a custom of remote\ntimes, and certainly is not the production of an artist of recent days.\nYes, incineration of their dead, is with the Entoans, a universal\ncustom but during many centuries it has been accomplished in a more\nscientific, and less repellent manner.\n\nYou still express surprise, that the Entoans, physically, are formed as\nare we, and the peoples of our Planet. My dear madame, believe me, when\nI reiterate, that _humans_, no matter of what Planet, are essentially\nthe same. Disabuse your mind, now, and for all time, of the idea,\nthat necessarily, different Planets must produce entirely different\nexpressions of life. One Intelligent Energy directs the universe, and\none universal Law prevails. Should you visit Venus, Jupiter, or indeed\nany Planet inhabited by _humans_, you would find _man_, only as you\nknow him. Evolved, it is true, on some Planets, to a higher spiritual,\nconsequently to a more perfected physical plane, and a more advanced\nstate of civilization. Spiritualized humans are the expressions\nof spirit entities. These spirit entities must act within their\nlimitations, and _never, never_, by any possibility, does a _spirit_\nentity take possession of any other than the evolved _human_ organism.\n_Spirit knows no such negation as retrogression._ When _man_ on any\nPlanet has evolved to a certain condition, or degree, he becomes a\npartially self-conscious _soul_, and then he walks erect. Ages pass and\nhe becomes a Spiritualized Being, Spiritualized through the incarnation\nin him of a Spirit entity, which enables him to fully _recognize\nhimself_. Not until then, is he evolved into the Spiritualized\nIMMORTAL--THE GOD MAN, as are all Spiritualized MEN everywhere.\n\nNay, you owe me no apology. I quite understand your mental state, and\ndesire that you shall ask such questions as naturally must occur to you.\n\nObserve now the very beautiful hangings of this apartment. They are of\nthick, lustrous silk, and their rich shades of crimson and gold form\nan excellent background for these superb paintings and marbles. It is\nto be regretted that limited time and space will not admit of a more\ndetailed description of the many works of art in this collection. As\nit is, we must content ourselves with glances here and there. We think\nit advisable to notice this large painting, which vividly illustrates\nanother feature of the sacrificial observance. It represents the\ninterior of a richly ornate temple, and on a raised space stands a\nnumber of Priests and Priestesses, clothed in long, flowing, crimson\nand yellow garments. With the exception of three Priests, who are brown\nhaired, blue eyed, and fair skinned, all are very dark hued. The hair\nof the younger, dark complexioned Priests is very black, and worn quite\nto their shoulders, and that of the aged ones is as white as wool, and\nworn in the same fashion. Around the heads of all are narrow fillets\nof gold, binding back their flowing locks. On these fillets, directly\nover the forehead, are golden suns, the points of the rays tipped with\nyellow jewels--topazes, I should say--and the centre of each sun is\nwhat appears to be a fine ruby, encircled by topazes.\n\nThe Priestesses are young, dark skinned, and dark eyed, and their\nlong black hair falls loosely toward their feet, which are concealed\nby their crimson and yellow robes. Around their heads are fillets,\ncorresponding with those worn by the Priests. In the foreground are\na number of youths and maidens, and back of them a throng of men and\nwomen, all with anxious, terror stricken faces. Well may the eyes and\nfaces of the assemblage be full of fear, for some one's child will be\nselected as a sacrifice to their Gods, whose dwelling place is beyond\nthe clouds which veil the portals of Astranol[a:], lest impious,\ninquiring eyes gazing upward, may behold what mortals may not see, and\nlive.\n\nThis painting depicts a scene once of frequent occurrence, but during\nfour centuries past the horrible cruelty has not been practiced.\n\nWe now will pass into the adjoining apartment. This appears to be a\nsort of lounging room, in which form and color combined have produced\nsome fine effects. Over the lofty corniced windows and doorways,\nvelvet-like, crimson drapery falls in graceful folds. Luxurious divans\nline the cream tinted walls, over which sprays of lovely, dainty\nblossoms are scattered. The floor is a mosaic of exquisite effects.\nThe field, a rich cream color, the designs, graceful, lifelike flower\npieces, united by trailing vines. A deep border of aquatic plants,\ngrasses and vining lily blooms, forms a fitting frame to the lovely\nfloor picture, over which very beautiful rugs are disposed.\n\nThis large and massive table, so exquisitely carved, and inlaid with\nrare colored woods, in a design partly arabesque, partly floral, is\nindeed a thing of beauty, but more beautiful still is this superb vase,\noccupying its raised centre.\n\nThese portfolios of pictured illustrations we can only glance at. Yes,\nin conception, coloring, and execution, they are highly meritorious.\nThe same may be said of these handsomely bound volumes. You had\nnot thought to find books on Ento? Why not, madame? Do not you yet\ncomprehend that the inherent attributes of the genus homo, not only\n_impels_, but inevitably _compels_ him in one common direction? This\nis a universal law, and there is no escape from it. As I already have\ndeclared, its expression, wherever demonstrated, is essentially the\nsame. We doubt not that many things we shall show you on Ento will\nsurprise you, more by their likeness than by their unlikeness, to what\nmay be found on our Planet.\n\nThe entire ornamentation and appointments of this apartment are rather\nquiet in tone, but _le tout ensemble_, is very refined and beautiful.\n\nGeorge is so urgent to hasten our movements that I suspect he is up\nto some mischief. Yes, yes, we are coming. George, George, you are\nincorrigible; it is not surprising that madame is startled, for this\nfigure is wonderfully lifelike, and what an odd conceit, to use one of\nits long arms to hold back this heavy drapery.\n\nMedium--Really, for a moment, I thought it a living creature. Does it\nrepresent a human being? It looks very like one.\n\nDe L'Ester--Truly it does appear very human, but it represents a\nspecies of Ento anthropoid, so intelligent, that frequently it is\ntrained for simple requirements, mostly of a domestic nature. As later\non, you will see living specimens of the same creature, I shall not\nnow describe it. Enough cannot be said of the fidelity with which the\nartificer has reproduced the form, coloring, and expression of the\nliving animal. Of what metal is it made? Of a composition of copper and\ntin, and if you choose, you may call it bronze, for that is what it is.\nYes, the enamelling is very fine, the tinting is true to nature.\n\nHere is a collection of miniature paintings, and be assured that these\nillustrations of Ento female loveliness are not at all exaggerated.\nSome are types of the blonde, blue eyed Northern races, others of the\ndark skinned, lovely women of the Orient, with eyes as dark and liquid\nas quiet pools in shady nooks. As you perceive, all are arrayed in\ngraceful flowing garments, unlike the hideous robes worn by even the\nmost highly civilized women of our Planet.\n\nAh, what a gem! We cannot pass this by unnoticed. Madame, you will\ncarefully observe this painting, as some time you may have occasion to\nrecall a memory of it. In the foreground is a youth in the early flush\nof manhood, whose shapely head is crowned with black hair waving down\nto his shoulders, and bound away from his fine forehead by a jewelled\nsilver fillet. His smiling, parted lips, form a perfect Cupid's bow,\nand above them is a nose as straight and finely formed as ever graced\nthe face of a Grecian statue. A robe of azure blue, bordered with\nsilver embroidery, clothes his very tall, graceful form, and falls\nin artistic lines to his sandalled feet. Looped high on his left\nshoulder is a loose sleeve drapery, caught into folds by a jewelled\nornament, indicating that this youth is of exalted rank. Bending\nslightly forward, he smilingly listens to the words of a young girl,\nreclining on a low couch, who is costumed in a soft, clinging, white\nrobe, which scarcely conceals the outlines of a fragile but perfect\nform. Her golden hair, which is caught back from her low, wide, white\nforehead, by a silver fillet, adorned with sapphires no bluer than her\nlovely eyes, seems to have caught sunlight in its tresses, as it falls\nin rippling masses over her shoulders and onto the floor, where it\nlies in golden confusion, on a rug of rich, dark hued fur. She is as\nfair as the youth is dark, and in her beautiful face is the innocence\nand mirthfulness of the child, with the promise, too, of a gracious\nwomanhood. Remember these faces, for one day you may see the originals.\n\nHow true it is that art expressions are the mute speech of genius, and\ngenius is but another name for inspiration. It has been said \"back of\nthe artist is art, and back of art is that which men name God.\" That is\na fine expression of the unity of things.\n\nGeorge, Agassiz, Humboldt, hasten here. Ah! you too, recognize, this\nscene, Is not it an agreeable surprise? Madame, I will explain. This\nis a most exact representation of a locality these friends and I have\nvisited. Rather recently we with some scientific and other persons\nwere, for a certain purpose, making a tour of Ento, and while slowly\njourneying toward a distant portion of the planet we found ourselves\npassing over the spot illustrated by this painting. It attracted our\nattention, and descending, we found it such a quiet, tranquil spot that\nunanimously we named it the Valley of Repose. With wonderful fidelity\nand consummate art the painter has reproduced the lovely scene. Stand\nhere, madame, and I will attempt to describe it.\n\nA spacious valley surrounded on three sides by gently rising uplands,\nwhich in long gone ages were portions of a mountain range. From a rocky\nformation in the upper end of the valley debouches a considerable\nvolume of water, forming this sparkling stream, which empties itself\ninto yonder pretty lake, dotted with tiny islands. Those rather\nfragile looking bridges thrown from island to island form continuous\npassageways to either side of the valley. The villages dotting the\nrim of the lake, and those white structures on the larger islands, to\none's imagination suggest flocks of white plumaged water fowl nestling\namid the luxuriant greenery. Boats laden with the products of labor.\nCrews intent upon landing their crafts. Other boats carrying pleasure\nseekers, who call to passing friends, fill up the animated picture.\nGazing with admiring eyes upon the lovely scene, we tarried awhile\nunder these great trees laden with sweet scented blooms.\n\nYou may like to know that this valley is in the North Temperate Zone,\nin latitude and longitude corresponding nearly to that of the northern\ncentral portion of your State of Tennessee. Being sheltered by the\nuplands, the climate is very genial, and the loamy soil produces\ngrains, vegetables and fruits in great abundance.\n\nContinually artists frequent this valley to sketch its beauties, and\nthe painter of this picture, who signs himself as Lafon Th\u0113doss[a:],\nhas literally transferred the lake and its surroundings to his canvas.\nIt seems as though we have met face to face a well known friend.\n\nMy dear madame, do not vex yourself that we cannot use your organism\nfor all purposes. Were we engaged in a purely scientific work it would\nbe altogether necessary that we should have a Sensitive through whom we\nmight express technicalities pertaining to matters under investigation\nor discussion. All along we have fully understood your limitations,\nas well as your extremely skeptical and cautious nature, and we\nwell know that should we attempt to express through you statistics,\ntechnicalities, latitude, longitude, and other matters your nearly\nmorbid dread of making mistakes would render you so positive that we\ncould not use you at all. At present we are quite satisfied with what\nwe can accomplish through you, and we anticipate a time when you shall\nhave so developed that we shall be able to use you for ends you little\ndream of. So we pray you to fret no more that you are not equal to our\nwishes, for you quite satisfy our requirements.\n\nWe must not hold you longer to-day. Gradually you are adjusting\nyourself to present conditions and ere long we may lengthen our visits\nto this Planet, but now at once you must be returned to your Earth\nhome. There are indications that the occupants of this residence are\nabout to return to it, so endeavor to hold yourself in readiness, for\nwe may come for you at an unusual hour. Now, George, Earthward. Not\nanother question, madame. We must not allow you to become exhausted.\n\nSafely arrived, and some one is knocking at your door. May loving\nangels have you in their keeping. Au revoir.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nENTO, AND ENTOANS.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--To our faithful comrade we tender our greetings, and an\napology for our early appearance. You will arrange quickly for our\ndeparture, for the family have returned, and we desire to visit them\nere day dawn on Ento. Madame, you have not locked the rear door of the\nroom, and some one might disturb you, which would not be well for you.\nNow you are comfortably seated, and will endeavor to tranquillize your\ndisturbed equilibrium. We feared that our somewhat abrupt _entr\u00e9e_\nmight startle you. George, I think that madame may find herself\nsufficiently sustained, through simply resting on your extended arm.\nYou are rapidly growing stronger, madame, and accustomed, too, to\nthe peculiar conditions of your unusual phase of Mediumship, and we\nanticipate that soon you will overcome the timidity you at times\nexperience.\n\nNow you are quieted, and we at once may begin our journey. Upward now,\nand outward. You are at ease, madame? That is well.\n\nYonder is the Planet Venus, regal, beautiful Queen of the Earth-night.\nAnd in the northwest is the grand constellation known to you as The\nGreat Dipper--whose family of worlds, like Ento, and Earth, pursue\ntheir law compelling ways. Four of them are peopled with humans, far\nin advance of those of either Earth or Ento. In every direction are\nmyriads of Worlds, inhabited by human beings in various stages of\nevolvement. Throughout limitless space are Suns and Systems of worlds,\nvarying in bulk, and of diverse conditions, yet through intelligently\ndirected energy, each shining wonder traverses pathless space, in\nconformity with unvarying law. In striving to conceive an idea of the\nuniverse, one is overwhelmed by its boundless immensity. Only Infinite\nIntelligence can compass a thought so far beyond the limit of the\nfinite mind.\n\nWe near the residence, and now will descend. Yes, near the fountain,\nGeorge. Madame, you perceive that there are lights in portions of the\nhouse. With the Entoans it is a universal custom to keep lights burning\nduring the night. Later on, you will learn their reason for doing this.\nThere are no developed clairvoyants in this family; of that we have\nassured ourselves. In what manner? Well, previous to coming for you\nwe investigated their condition. We now will enter the home, so that\nyou, madame, may obtain a general view of the apartments and their\noccupants, on the second floor.\n\nThe front room to the left, George, and you, madame, will please\ndescribe whatever may attract your attention.\n\nMedium--This is a large, almost square room, elegantly, yet rather\nscantily furnished; that is, it is not overfurnished. The ceiling is\nlofty, of the tint of old ivory, and decorated in a delicate design of\nwreaths and sprays of foliage and flowers. The walls also are ivory\ntinted, but of a deeper shade than the ceiling, and are decorated in\ndesigns harmonizing with those of the ceiling. On the highly polished\nfloor, which is of some light, rose colored wood, are fine Oriental\nlooking rugs, and there is a very handsome divan, and some richly\nupholstered chairs, and a large, beautifully carved wood table, and a\nmassive dressing bureau, which is built into the wall, and on it\nare many pretty toilet articles, some of which have a very familiar\nappearance. Near the one lofty, wide, front window, in an ornamental\ntub, is a large growing plant, which looks like some species of palm,\nbut is unlike any palm I know of. It bears an enormous truss of lovely\nscarlet flowers, which give out a fragrance resembling that of the\nhyacinth. I am pleased that it is to be included in the illustrations\nof Ento's flora.\n\n[Illustration: RUVACC[A:] PLIMOS]\n\nDe L'Ester--It is not related to the palm family. Observe carefully the\nforms of both calyx and flower, and you will consider its Ento name,\nRuvacc[a:] plimos, quite appropriate. You may name it trumpet flower.\nNow, madame, you will proceed.\n\nMedium--How shall I describe the sleeping occupant of this beautiful\ncouch? I am at a loss for words that might do justice to this\nrevelation of Ento female loveliness. Allow me to be silent, De\nL'Ester, while you, who are more competent than am I, shall attempt the\nimpossible.\n\nDe L'Ester--As you will, madame, though I confess to an unwillingness,\nto attempt through words to convey an idea of the appearance of\nthis extremely beautiful woman. The invasion of the privacy of her\napartment, to you, seems an impertinence. But that you may learn many\nthings pertaining to the Entoans, we must use means at our command, so\nI think we may be pardoned for this intrusion.\n\nThe woman sleeping upon this shell shaped couch is young, and indeed\n\"tall, and divinely fair.\" Below a wide, shapely forehead, shaded by\nflossy curls, long, silken lashes fringe white eyelids concealing\nlarge, luminous blue eyes. A profusion of golden brown hair lies in\ncurling, waving masses, over snowy pillow, and bare, blue veined,\nwhite throat. Her complexion is as fair and rosy as pink rose petals,\nfor this is not one of Ento's dark skinned beauties, but one of a\nNorthland race. In her sleep she dreams and smiles, her slightly parted\nlips revealing a hint of two rows of pearls, in keeping with this shell\nshaped couch, so closely inlaid with pearl that one can imagine it the\nformer abode of some great ocean creature and the white fleecy covering\nof its present occupant the foam of storm tossed waters.\n\nFair dreamer, may you long experience joyous awakenings to happy days\nand happier years!\n\nWe now will pass to the apartment across the hallway.\n\nThe dimensions of this chamber are the same as those of the one we have\nbut now left, and the decorations and furnishing is much the same, the\nnoticeable exception being this low, broad couch, of some fine wood,\nartistically inlaid with a variety of colored woods in a floral design.\nIts corners are held by heavy, ornamental silver clasps, which add much\nto its sumptuous beauty. Lying on it in a profound sleep, is a man of\napparently middle age, and though quite dark skinned, he is extremely\nhandsome. He is very tall, and finely formed, as are all of his race,\nand in his quiet face one reads dignity of character, and gentleness.\nThrough his black, silken, curling beard one perceives that he has\nfinely curved lips, and that his black, abundant curling hair graces an\nadmirably statuesque head, neck and shoulders. Yes, all Entoans have\nabundant hair. Their head covering, which seldom is worn, is not of a\nkind to destroy the growth of their hair.\n\nThis man is a fine specimen of a race known as the Hovan[a:], and\ndoubtless were he awake, and clear-seeing, he would find himself\ngreatly surprised, if not alarmed, on perceiving a group of strange\nappearing persons gazing upon him so intently. Adieu, monsieur, and\nshould we again meet, may it be under more favorable conditions for a\nmutual acquaintance.\n\nA bath and dressing room adjoins this apartment, which now we will\nexamine.\n\nQuite a large, and well appointed room, with floor of very beautiful\nmarble, its whiteness relieved by veinings of gray and pale rose color.\nFrom the floor to half the height of the room the walls are of silver\nrichly wrought in festoons of vines and flowers of various kinds, all\nsuggesting aquatic growths. Thence, to the slightly curved ceiling, the\nwalls are of highly polished wood, of a deep rose color. The ceiling,\ntoo, is of wood, of a paler shade of rose, and is carved in exquisite\nfloral designs. The bath is of snowy marble, lined with burnished\nsilver, which curves over, forming a broad rim. The outer surface of\nthe bath is chiselled into a composition of aquatic plants and grasses,\nwhich are very artistic and effective.\n\nHere is a large onyx dressing table, on which are various toilet\naccessories of admirable designs and workmanship. Truly, \"Necessity is\nthe mother of invention,\" and the necessities of humans, everywhere,\nlead to very similar results, hence these familiar looking objects.\n\nI recall that during my Earth life I imagined that if any of the\nPlanets might be the abodes of intelligent life forms owing to varying\nconditions, necessarily such forms, and their requirements, must\naltogether differ from those of Earth, and I assure you that one of the\ngreatest, and most pleasing surprises awaiting my renewed acquaintance\nwith the spirit side of life was the realization, that not only was the\ngenus homo of other worlds essentially like myself in appearance, but\nthat their characteristics, pursuits and requirements were very like\nmy own, and that the Spirits of all Planetary spirit worlds recognized\ntheir common origin, and universal relationship.\n\nYour mental state is similar to what mine was, hence you find it\ndifficult to realize the universal homogeneity of substance, which\nunder like, or similar conditions, _must_ manifest itself, in harmony\nwith intelligent, universal laws. I am aware, that as factors, or\npotentialities, forces and qualities, known as gravity, attraction,\nrepulsion, density, volume, distance from Solar influences, position\nof Planets, etc., are to scientific minds the pivotal points upon\nwhich certain results must of necessity turn, and largely they are\ncorrect. But while drawing conclusions from real or apparent facts\nscientific minds seldom consider the one all-powerful factor, The\nInfinite, Intelligent energy, the adjuster of causes and effects into\na harmonious whole. But really at present we have not time for either\nscientific or philosophic dissertations, and I must conclude this\ndigression into which your remark has beguiled me by saying that on\nEnto you will find the same humans, with the same requirements, as may\nbe found on numberless Planets.\n\nEverywhere the man creature evolves along fixed lines, and sooner or\nlater this hairy-headed person requires combs, brushes, mirrors and\nother appliances with which to enhance his charms or to contribute\nto his comfort, his well-being or his vanity, consequently here are\nveritable combs, brushes and mirrors, and here, too, is a familiar\nlooking cleansing preparation. You may doubt it, madame, but I swear\nit is soap, and a very excellent soap it is. It is delicately scented,\ntoo, which may indicate that my lord and his lady are somewhat dainty\nin their requirements.\n\nYou may know that on our Planet, in various localities, there are\ndeposits of a saponaceous character. Such deposits exist not only on\nEarth, but on Ento and other Planets, which affords another bit of\nevidence that worlds are akin.\n\nThese bath appliances are quite admirable. Overhead are faucets with\nspraying attachments for both hot and cold water, and here, at the foot\nof the bath, are silver faucets for the same, and from these yawning\nmouths of silver nondescript heads both cold and hot water pours\ninto this great silver bowl. But we cannot devote more time to this\nroom. Certainly, for a country house, one scarcely would expect such\nluxurious appointments.\n\nThis door opens into the sleeping apartments of the wife of the\nslumbering gentleman. Shall we enter it, madame? You are silent. I have\nobserved that curiosity is not your ruling trait. Ah, I see. You think\nthat we gentlemen should not intrude upon the privacy of the lady.\nThen, that you may acquire certain information, I suggest that you\nshall go alone, and in the hallway we will await your return.\n\nMedium--Well, here I am, and will relate what I have seen and heard.\nAsleep on a couch very like that on which the gentleman lies is a\nlarge and very beautiful woman with a most charming expression of\ncountenance. Her complexion is rather dark, but much fairer than that\nof her husband, and her hair is very black and luxuriant, flowing\nloosely over the pillow and down on to the floor. Never have I seen\nhair so abundant or so beautiful, and she has such lovely arms and\nhands. On tables and on the side shelves of a magnificent dresser are\nbeautiful toilet articles and the loveliest jewel caskets. Of what are\nthe caskets made? Dear me, I cannot say, but I should think of gold\nand silver. One looks like gold filagree set with different colored\nstones forming flower sprays, and one appears to be of silver closely\nincrusted with diamonds and rubies in a peculiar pattern. Another is\na rather large shell clasped with some kind of metal hinges, the edge\nof the upper half set closely with large, lovely pink pearls, which I\nshould think might be worth a fortune. There are several other caskets,\nbut I did not observe them closely.\n\nClothing of beautiful texture and exquisite coloring hangs in closets\nand other receptacles. There are robes of what I should call Grecian\nstyle. Some are of a plain weave, others are brocaded in admirable\ndesigns. Some are of silken texture, others are of wool or silk and\nwool. Some are undecorated, but almost all of them are trimmed around\nthe neck, sleeves and hems with borders of very beautiful embroidery\nof gold, silver or in colored silks, imitating foliage and flowers or\nin arabesque designs, some of them set thickly with small jewels of\nseveral kinds. They are the most beautiful garments I ever have seen.\n\nClose by the lady's couch is a smaller one, on which lies the dearest,\nloveliest child. She appears to be about four years old and is very\nlarge for that age. I felt inclined to kiss the darling, but feared\nthat I might awaken her, so stood intently looking at her, when\nsuddenly she stirred and opened her eyes in a startled manner, crying\n\"Omm[a:], Omm[a:].\" Instantly I retreated behind the window drapery\nand peered through. The mother arose in haste and knelt beside the\nchild, murmuring as she caressed her, \"Omm[a:] estro, Omm[a:] estro,\ngentol\u0113n[a:]. Emenol[a:] grand\u00fb, emenissema grand\u00fb.\" That is all I can\nremember of what she said, but soon the child fell asleep, the mother\nstole softly to her couch and I came away. I hope, monsieur, that I\nhave satisfied your curiosity.\n\nDe L'Ester--Madame, your complaisance overwhelms me. My curiosity.\nTruly I do not find myself equal to an expression of my appreciation\nof your effort on my behalf, and can only bow my acknowledgment. May\nI ask if you looked into the apartment adjoining the one you visited?\nGeorge informs us that in it is a younger and handsomer woman than the\none you have described.\n\nMedium--I only glanced at a very youthful and handsome girl who was\nasleep on a couch. Although I realize that these persons are unaware of\nour presence, I cannot avoid an unpleasant consciousness that we are\ntaking advantage of their unconscious state. Of course I know that idle\ncuriosity has nothing to do with it, and that you all are doing your\nutmost to assist in my Ento education, for which you have my thanks.\n\nGeorge, how do you know that there is a young and handsome woman in\nthat room? I shall have to report you to Inez.\n\nGeorge--While looking through the house I came to her room, merely\nglancing in as you did. Inez has too much confidence in her other self\nto listen to an ill report of him; then, too, madame but jests.\n\nWhile looking through this spacious dwelling and into its history, I\nhave learned that it is modelled in a style antedating what we will\nterm Ento's modern architecture. This style was in high favor four\ncenturies ago, Ento time and for suburban and country residences is yet\nmuch favored. It was designed for the requirements of a large family\nand has served its purpose during several generations and still is so\nsubstantial that its massive walls may shelter generations yet to come.\nAt present, only the first and second floors are occupied or furnished.\n\nFrom the conversation of the domestics I also have learned that the\nproprietor is a distinguished Government Official, who, with his\nfamily, resides in the Capitol and that occasionally he and they come\nhere for recreation and to look after his estate.\n\nIt may surprise you, my sister, to learn that all the lands of Ento are\nheld in trust by the government, only the improvements of an estate are\nowned by the proprietors. Later on we will have occasion to further\ninform you concerning this regulation.\n\nIn the Istoira is a sort of genealogical record of this family and De\nL'Ester suggests that, as our time is limited, it will be well to at\nonce go there.\n\nDe L'Ester--We will enter by way of this inner doorway, and for a\nmoment we will pause here. As you may not correctly estimate the\ndimensions of this Istoira, I will inform you, madame, that its\ndepth, including the sanctuary, is about one hundred and twenty feet;\nits width about sixty feet. These private Istoiras are attached to\nthe residences of all large country estates and are used, not only\nfor religious purposes, but for placing of memorial records, and as\ndepositories of the ashes of the dead. As you perceive, the seats are\nplaced only along the sides, and facing us is a beautiful altar, back\nof which falls heavy drapery concealing from view the sanctuary. In\nthis subdued light the white, very ornately sculptured marble altar\ngleams like masses of snow flowers. In contrast to its whiteness\nhere are some red and yellow blooms so recently laid on it that the\natmosphere is laden with their sweet fragrance.\n\nAll over the planet at high noon and at the moment of the disappearance\nof And\u00fbman[a:]'s shining abode in the numerous Temples and Istoiras\nreligious observances occur. At high noon, on occasions, animals are\nsacrificed and offerings of value are laid on altars. At the evening\nservice only grains, fruits and flowers, the sacred red and yellow\ntsoina and valseta blooms are offered. Soon, we believe, sacrifices\ninvolving animal life will be known no more on Ento.\n\n[Illustration: ISOINA]\n\nMedium--De L'Ester, pardon me for interrupting you. You have informed\nme that the Entoans, as a whole, are more highly civilized than are\nthe peoples of our planet. Why, then, do they still practice these\nsuperstitious observances?\n\nDe L'Ester--Superstition, madame, is a feature of all religions. The\nEntoans who offer to And\u00fbman[a:], or the Deific Ones, an animal as\nan atonement for wrong doing, or to perhaps appease an angry God or\nGoddess, are no more superstitious than the Christian who believes\nin the vicarious atonement of Jesus of Nazareth, whom he regards as\nan embodiment of God. In the early ages of man's evolvement (I speak\nof man of any Planet) he gropes his way with uncomprehending senses\nuntil a period arrives when he becomes a spiritualized being. Then he\nlooks about him. Effects present themselves to his wondering, fearful\ngaze, and more or less clearly he perceives them, but as yet he is\ntoo immature to associate effects with causes of which he has no\nconception. Gradually he becomes conscious that back of effects there\nappears to be an intelligent cause or causes, and in accordance with\nthe degree of his spiritual unfoldment he invests this cause or causes\nwith beneficent or maleficent qualities, frequently with both. In time\nhis unfolding ideas become more distinctive, and from them he evolves\ntwo personalities, one good, the other evil. The former he reverently\nadores, the latter he regards with fear and disfavor, yet with a\ncertain respectful consideration. The human ages and ever _intuitively_\nhe seeks after truth. In his uncertainty he looks this way and that,\ngathering as he goes fancies which, by and by, he formulates into\nfacts, and these fanciful facts keep pace with his growth, and a\nperiod arrives when he establishes a religion which is a concretion\nof inherited tendencies conjoined to such legendary and other myths\nas may have come his way. Further along his larger unfoldment obliges\nhim to discard beliefs which do not fit into his wider views which are\nthe logical consequences of his wider experiences, and in his unrest\nhe grows desperate or indifferent as to what may or may not be true.\nYou are aware that at this time among Earth's peoples many are in\nthis unhappy state of mind, and that, what is little less deplorable,\nmultitudes are held in the bonds of ecclesiastical legends and dogmas\nwhich ever obscure the truth, and superstition ever is where truth is\nnot.\n\n _But the God-Man is coming; he will break his bonds asunder,\n   And go marching through the ages, his gaze turned toward the blue;\n Where the Angel hosts, in tones as of reverberating thunder,\n   Sing hosannahs to The Highest, who alone is true._\n\nTo the Entoans And\u00fbman[a:], the Supreme One, is absolutely perfect,\nyet his perfection admits of righteous anger against his willfully\noffending children whom He, for their own good, chastises until,\nrealizing their culpability, they make atonement for their sinfulness.\nIn bygone times the atonement for sin against their Creator demanded\nhuman sacrifice, or, perhaps an offering of their most valued\npossessions, against which no one dared offer a protest.\n\nGods and Goddesses who are And\u00fbman[a:]'s Ministers and Messengers, He\ncreated less perfect than Himself, and to appease their anger or to\nsecure their favor sacrifices and offerings without number have been,\nand are, laid upon the altars of Temples and Istoiras.\n\n[Illustration: VALS\u0112T[A:]]\n\nCertainly such beliefs are very childish, very superstitious, but\nchildhood conceives of childish fancies, and man on Ento and on\nEarth, spiritually, is yet in swaddling clothes.\n\nBeyond the limits of his present unfoldment his infinite possibilities\nare as little understood as are abstruse utterances by a lisping child,\nbut intuitively, within his being, he perceives godlike attributes, and\never he is impelled toward higher spiritual unfoldment, which is but\nanother expression for what is termed civilization.\n\nOn Ento, as on Earth, the Priesthood stem the tide of human progress.\nAlways the Priesthood are conservative, holding tenaciously to old\ntraditions, rites and ceremonies, and, as a rule, they are sincere\nin their professions, for it is a fact that through their constant\naffirmations of the tenets of their various faiths they become so\nself-psychologized as to be unable to perceive beyond their established\nviews. Never are the Priesthood in advance of the people. It is only\nwhen the multitudes demand larger views of truth that they yield to the\nnecessity of moving forward, and always under protest.\n\nYes, certainly, to be religious is a natural impulse; natural, because\nman is a spiritualized being, the expression of Infinite Intelligence\nand Infinite Energy in form.\n\nYou will allow me to repeat that notwithstanding certain features,\nthe Entoans as a whole are more highly evolved spiritually, hence\nmore highly civilized, than are the peoples of Earth. In the arts,\ntheir attainments are productive of most excellent results. As much\nmay be said of the sciences, in which, with two notable exceptions,\nof which presently we shall speak, they are far more learned than are\nEarth's scientists. But they are dominated and restricted by their Holy\nWritings, which declare that Aud\u00fbman[a:], the Supreme One, ever has\nbeen, and ever will be. That in a remote time he said, \"I no longer\nwill dwell alone and in silence.\" So, out of himself he created\nAstranol[a:], a beautiful realm beyond the clouds. A realm ever abloom\nwith loveliest flowers and watered by flowing streams as sweet as\nnectar. A realm where deep darkness never comes and its dim twilight is\nirradiated by the innumerable lamps of the Deific Ones, which Ento's\nchildren may behold gleaming in the quiet night sky. A realm where\nstorms, sickness and death are unknown and where the air is filled with\nsweetest perfumes and the land is bathed by dews which fall like clouds\nof silvery mist. A realm where birds of wonderfully beautiful plumage\nfill the air with melodious songs, and where no noisome thing exists.\n\nWhen the creation of Astranol[a:] was completed And\u00fbman[a:]\ncontemplated the expression of His will and was satisfied. Then he\nspoke into existence Gods and Goddesses, who should dwell in this realm\nand who should be his Ministers and Messengers, and then he created\nEnto, which, in the beginning, was as beautiful as the children of His\nlove whom He also spoke into existence and for whom he declared Ento\nshould be a home for evermore. Through his Messengers he gave to them a\nrevelation of His will, which instructed them as to their duties toward\ntheir Creator, toward his Messengers, toward each other, and toward all\nliving creatures whom He had created for their uses and pleasure. And\nit was specially enjoined upon them _that no eye should ever attempt\nto penetrate the cloud veil falling between them and the abode of\nthe dwellers in Astranol[a:]. Should any one presume to disobey this\ncommandment, swift vengeance would be visited upon the offender._ To\na people entertaining no conception of a continuity of existence and\nto whom death is an ever present terror, curiosity is not a powerful\nenough incentive to induce the Entoans to risk their chiefest treasure,\nlife, or to bring upon them and theirs the wrath of the offended\ndeities of Astranol[a:]. Thus, as a science, astronomy is unknown to\nthe Entoans.\n\nThe Holy Writings do not forbid an investigation into, or even allude\nto, Ento's physical constitution, but for cogent reasons the learned\nPriesthood ever have opposed themselves to whatever might remotely\nimperil their cherished dogmas. Thus it occurs that, while many\nscholars possess a minute knowledge of the science of mineralogy,\ngeology as a science finds small favor. No, nowhere in the Holy\nWritings is there even a suggestion of human or other living sacrifice.\nIt was not until after a fanatical and powerful Priesthood became\nthe sole interpreters of the mysteries of religion that And\u00fbman[a:],\nthrough a revelation of His will, demanded human sacrifice as a test of\nobedience or as an atonement for sin.\n\nAt another time I may inform you further in relation to the Ento\nScriptures, which embody not only the revelation of And\u00fbman[a:]'s will\nand the fanciful story of Ento's creation, but also much of the history\nof ancient times. How far back do the Ento Scriptures date? We have\nbeen informed that unquestionably this supposed revelation occurred\nnearly fifty centuries ago. Yes, Ento time. The age of the Planet no\nEntoan either in or out of the physical body assumes to know. Soon we\nshall have with us some learned Ento Spirits, who, we doubt not, will\ngladly afford us exact information upon this and other subjects of\ninterest. No further questions at present, madame, for time flies and\nsoon we must return you to Earth.\n\nThe Sun held aloft in the hand of the statue surmounting the altar\nis emblematic of And\u00fbman[a:]'s supposed abode, and this really fine\nmosaic, representing sun rays radiating from the circular altar, also\nis an emblem of the same.\n\nObserve, now, this central marble shaft, which rises nearly to the\ndomed roof. Both base and capital are sculptured masses of grains,\nfruits and flowers. The surface of the shaft is divided into sections\non which are engraved names and brief records of departed Entoans.\nAbove each legend is a head in bas-relief, and so well executed are\nthese images of the dead that one can easily determine as to age and\ncharacteristics of the originals. Through such knowledge of their\nwritten language as I possess I shall attempt to gain some information\nrelating to these people of a bygone day.\n\nMuyolos Kalaf and Feniston Inisella were ancestor and ancestress to\nInisell\u0113na. Their sculptured faces indicate that they were handsome and\nintellectual persons and that all lived to a good old age.\n\nHere it is stated that the original of this admirable bust was one\nH\u00fbyten D\u0113mos, who was sire to Endoifan Inivos, who became the mother of\nRosilla, who in time gave birth to Stivon Izamma, which also was the\nname of his sire, who was greatgrandsire to Silvano Izam, the present\nproprietor of the residence we have been viewing. Engraved on this\nshaft is quite a family history, but we shall find matters of greater\ninterest to enlist our attention.\n\nThis edifice in itself is both Istoir[a:] and F[a:]v[a:] a croidas,\nwhere the ashes of the departed are deposited, and in those sealed,\nornamental receptacles are the incinerated remains of past generations.\nObserve the many sculptured forms on this and on the opposite wall.\nHere is a face, hoary with age, but with a fine, majestic expression,\nand here are others of the midday of life, representing splendid types\nof the human.\n\nHere are faces of youths and maidens as entrancing as dreams of love.\nOf children, too, angelic in their beauty and innocence of expression.\nAh, me! Were mortal life the end of all, better to not have been born\ninto it. Think of all that these sculptured faces stand for. Smiling\ninfants, youths and maidens and mature men and women, who loved with\nintensest devotion and who passed to their spirit world without either\nhope or expectation of reunion.\n\nAll, all lived and loved, joyed and sorrowed and when death came\nhopeless despair came also. How could it have been otherwise? To live,\nto love, to die, and then--nothing. This was their belief and is yet\nthe belief of the entire peoples of Ento, whom it holds in a state of\nhopeless despair, of measureless anguish.\n\nMedium--Have the Entoans never believed in a continuity of existence?\n\nDe L'Ester--We have learned that previous to the establishment of the\nnational religion, which largely was based upon their legendary Holy\nWritings, there were those who entertained vague theories relating to\nit, so vague indeed that they do not appear to have influenced those\nwho formulated the Ento religion.\n\nYou have been informed that planetary influences are controlling\nfactors, accelerating or retarding the spiritual unfoldment of humans\nof whatever Planet. The influences dominating the Entoans ever have\ntended toward a positive mental materialism, but their spirituality has\nconserved and exalted them, thus enabling them to submissively yield to\nthe will of their Creator.\n\nThen, too, there is that in the human which impels him to submit to the\ninevitable. In agony unspeakable he may for a time rebel, but in the\nend he submits. Thus it has been with the peoples of this Planet. They\nhave hopelessly, despairingly submitted to what they have considered\ninevitable. But for them a brighter day is dawning, and is near at\nhand; the darkness of a hopeless belief ere long will pass away, for\nbright rays from their spirit realms are irradiating their inner\nconsciousness and death, the dread messenger who ever stands between\nthem and happiness, soon will be known as the angel who will open for\nthem the gateway into a continuous, glorious existence. To their soul\nconsciousness there is yet no visible sign of the coming religious\nrevolution, yet events are so shaping themselves that you shall see\nthis prediction verified; not only see it, but you will aid in bringing\nit to pass. Ere long you will better understand my meaning; at present\nit would not be well to say more in this direction.\n\nWe might with pleasure and advantage remain here for another hour, but\nyou are somewhat exhausted, and we must act prudently, else we may find\noccasion for regret.\n\nGeorge alone will attend you on your Earthward journey. Special duties\nelsewhere demand our immediate attention. To-morrow at the appointed\ntime we will come for you. No, madame, we will not again return to this\nlocality. Adieu.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nDESCRIPTIVE FEATURES.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--With pleasure we salute you, and we are gratified to find\nyou awaiting us. But before starting on our journey I must again insist\nthat you shall protect yourself against interruption. Yes, I see how\nyou are situated, but the fact remains that it is harmful to you to be\ndisturbed. Yesterday, while you were with us, some one attempted to\nenter your apartments. The locked doors prevented the intrusion but you\nwere so disturbed that it was all we could do to keep control of you.\nIt is not well that you shall be suddenly called back to your physical\nbody. It injures you, and is a great disappointment to your comrades.\nCannot you take further precaution against intrusion?\n\nMedium--I do not see that I can. I fully realize that it harms me to be\ndisturbed, but at times I cannot prevent it.\n\nDe L'Ester--Well, what cannot be cured must be endured, but we shall\nhope that you may be left in peace to-day. Your sister Inez accompanies\nus, and desires to speak to you.\n\nInez--Dear sister Sara, I bear greetings to you from many loved and\nloving ones, who, with delight and boundless interest, watch the\nprogress of our mission of loving endeavor to which you and many other\ndevoted ones are for its accomplishment applying such talents and\nenergy as are at your and their command. But our Counsellor and guide\ngrows restive, and we must not delay our journey.\n\nDe L'Ester--Now, madame, we are ready for our flight to Ento. Compose\nyour too active soul forces and trust yourself unreservedly to our\ncare. George, we are a little late, so will make a hasty passage.\nUpward now and outward. More swiftly than the lightning's flash cleaves\nthe sky we are borne on this wondrous magnetic ocean which knows no\nshore but is as boundless as the universe and changeless as God.\n\nIn grandest, sweetest cadences ever its magical undulations are\nmurmuring, \"Glory to the Highest! Glory to the Highest!\" and angel\nchoirs innumerable join the glad p\u00e6an, \"Glory to the Highest! Glory\nto the Highest!\" Ah, madame, little do or can mortals know of the\nwonderful existence on our side of life, and in some not very far away\ntime you again will enter the marvellous spirit realms, which language\nis too poor to describe, and we, with our dear ones who watch and wait\nfor you will meet and greet you on the threshold of two worlds, the\nspiritual and the physical.\n\nYes, madame, we are nearing Ento. Lower, lower, George. That is well.\nWe will move slowly, so that we may closely observe such scenes as may\ncome into view. We now are about 1,400 miles north of the equator, and\nbelow us is a mountain range of no great altitude. The height of its\nloftiest peak is not over 3,000 feet. Those rugged heights are but the\nvestiges of snow-capped, cloud-piercing giants of bygone ages. Yes, in\nthat shaded cleft is some snow, and to mortal sense the air here would\nappear quite cool. Lower still, George. Madame, look downward now, for\nbeneath us is the deepest canyon on Ento, but in either area or depth\nit is not to be compared with many such formations on our Planet.\n\nGeorge, we will alight near the margin of the stream.\n\nMedium--What a quiet, solitary spot.\n\nDe L'Ester--It is indeed a quiet, solitary spot. Here is a scant growth\nof grass amid which are some tufts of flowering plants and on yonder\nrocky elevation are some low-growing shrubs and stunted trees. From\nits base upward the mountain's side is worn into deep fissures, partly\nscreened from view by shrubs and several species of conifera. There\nis no sight or sound of bird or bee or of any living thing. From the\nrocky ledges tiny rivulets of sparkling water trickle downward, finding\ntheir ways to the level and into this limpid stream. From yonder cleft\nin the mountain side a volume of water gushes with such energy that as\nit strikes the ledge lower down it is dashed into silvery spray whose\nmyriad drops fall into the deep, dark pool whose over-flow is tributary\nto this stream, which flows southward, then eastward, finding entrance\ninto an underground channel at the base of the mountain, where it too\ncurves outward, thence debouching on the further side, where it is\njoined by other streams, all flowing into a small but pretty lake,\nwhich later on you shall see.\n\nMadame, you are silent. Does the quiet of this solitary spot oppress\nyou?\n\nMedium--Friends, I feel absolutely dazed. I had thought to find\neverything on Ento altogether unlike anything on Earth, yet here is\nwater and there are tufts of star-shaped white and pink flowers very\nlike some I have seen on Earth. Then see those pretty purple flowers,\nso closely resembling violets, and on that elevation and up the\nmountain's side are shrubs, trees and vegetation so very similar to\ngrowth on our own Planet that you will pardon me for saying that not\nonly am I surprised, but in a sense am disappointed. No, George, I did\nnot imagine that I should find either people or trees growing upside\ndown, but I did imagine that surely there must exist more striking\ndissimilarities between the life expressions of this Planet and our\nown. Such speculations relating to it as I have become aware of have\nled me to expect something very different from what thus far I have\nobserved on Ento.\n\nVon Humboldt--Madame, with your and our Counsellor and guide's\npermission, I shall say that since I have been not of Earth, I have\njourneyed far and have looked closely into nature as expressed on\nmany habitable Planets, and I have learned that everywhere Infinite,\nIntelligent Energy is manifested in strikingly similar ways. You\nhave been told that the homogeneity of matter is universal. That the\nqualities of metals of all Planets are exactly the same and that the\nconstituents of water never anywhere vary, neither do the crystallized\nforms of either ever vary. So it should not surprise you to find here\nwater quite as palatable as the sparkling beverage of our Earth-world.\n\nOf course their relative positions to, and their distances from central\nSuns, occasion differences in the bodies of Planets, particularly as to\ntheir density; then, too, in accordance with conditions, atmospheres\nvary as to being rarefied or dense, humid or dry and so on, but life\ngerms of fauna and flora ever are the same, and given like or similar\nPlanetary conditions their expressions will present more or less close\nresemblances. Yes, environments occasion differences, but environments\nare the results of Planetary conditions. But that is too comprehensive\na question for present consideration. At another time we may recur to\nit.\n\nThe physical and atmospheric conditions of Ento and Earth being so much\nalike, naturally their Fauna and Flora must present mutual likenesses.\nAs for chemical affinities and their unvarying expressions, they are\nuniversal.\n\nAs has been said to you the universe is indeed a unit. Everywhere\nInfinite, Intelligent Energy seeks to express itself not only in\nharmony and beauty, but along the same lines, and ever toward a state\nof _perfection_, beyond the highest conception of Spirit or mortal,\nfor who can conceive an idea of that which is known by many names, but\nwhom you name God? From my own observation and through association with\nspirits of advanced spheres whose mission, like my own, is Planetary\nresearch, I can say with assurance that among the life expressions\nof all sufficiently evolved Planets there is what may be termed a\nuniversal homogeneity, for while there are dissimilarities there are\nequally close resemblances which may be expressed as unity in variety.\n\nAs to man on Ento, Earth and other Planets, we find our brethren so\nlike ourselves that, logically, we all must claim the same origin. Yes,\nmadame, I do assure you that in limitless space there are myriads of\nworlds, varying as to bulk, density, and atmospheric conditions, but\nin other respects so like Ento and Earth as to present fauna and flora\nvery similar to those of either Planet. They are peopled by humans like\nourselves, in various stages of evolvement, and all, like the peoples\nof Ento and Earth, are engaged in the endeavor to solve the problem of\neternal progress. Between those on the lowest and those on the loftiest\nheights of progress on different Planets, the intermediate stages\nrepresent man in all degrees of evolvement. On some Planets I have\nvisited, man,--the human animal, slowly, through ages,--has pursued\nhis _certain_ way, toward the period in which he is destined to become\na Spiritualized being, and now the hairy, unshapely limbed creature\nwho scarcely walks erect, with face full enough of the mystery of\nexistence to startle one, approaches nearly the line of demarcation\nbetween the human animal and the Spirit man.\n\nOn other Planets, compared with man on either Ento, or Earth, the\nspiritualized human is as a god.\n\nIf what I have said may suffice as replies to your questions and\nremarks, or may in some measure reconcile you to the close resemblances\nbetween features of Ento and Earth, I shall account myself more than\nfortunate.\n\nDe L'Ester--Thanks, Von Humboldt, for your timely remarks, which we\nhope may lessen madame's regret at finding Ento so like our own beloved\nPlanet, and its human denizens so like ourselves,--with but one head,\ntwo arms, and as many legs. Madame, I but jest that I may bring a smile\nto your perplexed face. Since I have accomplished that I feel that I\nmay hope for pardon.\n\nAside from affording you a general idea of the varied formations and\nscenery of Ento, we have a special purpose in bringing you to this\nspot. We desire that you now shall closely observe these rose-colored,\nlily-shaped blooms, whose long slender stems springing from tufts of\ndark green, glossy foliage are crowned with a profusion of the pretty,\ndainty flowers. As they will be used for one of our illustrations, I\nwill give their Ento name--which is Lois[a:] yan\u00fb, in your language\nwater gems or jewel. These compact masses of prettily leafed plants\nwith their numerous white, star-like blooms are named Oin[a:] mist[a:].\nOin[a:] signifying lamp and mist[a:], snow. You will remember that to\nthe Entoans the shining points in space are the lamps of Astranol[a:],\nhence Oin[a:] mist[a:], or snow lamp.\n\nYes, these purplish blue flowers, almost hidden by abundant foliage, in\nform, color and fragrance are very like Earth's wild violets. Entoans\nknow it as Lois[a:] inf\u00fben, but you may name it, Water drinker, for\nthat is as near the significance of its Ento name as I can arrive\nat. Lois[a:] yan\u00fb, oin[a:] mist[a:], and lois[a:] inf\u00fben, always are\nfound growing in marshy places, or by the margin of flowing streams.\n\n[Illustration: LOISA INFUEN]\n\nNow we will learn what yonder elevation may offer. No, it is not an\nisolated mass. Do not you perceive that on the further side it connects\nwith the mountain of which, doubtless, it is a small spur? I have said\nthat in bringing you here we have had a special purpose in view. In\nthis pretty, flowering plant our purpose stands revealed. Yes, this is\nThe Hinifro enor[a:]. The yellow wonder which requires so little soil\nor moisture as to be practically independent of either. When, nearly\ntwo years ago, through your automatism, Poole created a copy of it,\npromising to sometime on another Planet show it to you growing and\nin bloom, you smiled rather incredulously. As we have fulfilled that\npromise, so shall all else that we have promised you come to pass.\n\nThese densely foliaged trees are known as Oon[a:]mos[a:] t\u00fbl[a:].\nIn your language this would signify burr-berry. They seldom grow to\na greater height than thirty feet. Yes, they do resemble chestnut\ntrees, but the burrs contain berries, not nuts, and they now are fully\nripened. Certainly it could not harm you to taste the fruit, but\nthrough its extreme acidity and astringency it is very unpalatable.\n\nWe now will examine these pretty shrubs whose dark green, glossy\nfoliage renders them quite attractive. The fruit has a luscious\nappearance but is unfit for human food. Its Ento name is G\u00fbfon\nlitz[a:], which I shall translate into Bitter sweet. Once Inez was\ncurious enough to taste this fruit and very much to her discomfiture.\nAs you are aware, your sister was a still born child, consequently her\nmortal education has been acquired under such difficulties as you, in\nyour present state, little comprehend. Being of an inquiring turn of\nmind she investigates for herself, at times gaining information at some\ncost, which makes it all the more valuable.\n\nInez--De L'Ester, I owe you thanks for regarding my overweening\ncuriosity so leniently. I confess that I am of a very inquiring turn of\nmind, but since largely through this means I acquire necessary mortal\nexperiences which, through my premature return to the spirit side, were\ndenied me, I feel assured that your forbearance will condone what may\namount to a fault.\n\nDe L'Ester--Inez, dear friend, I did not mean that my brusquerie should\noccasion you even a passing thought. Pardon me if I may have caused you\na suggestion of pain.\n\nInez--Pardon is not a word that should pass between two such close\nfriends as are we. There, I offer you my hand with my heart in it and\nthus the fancied wound is healed.\n\nMedium--De L'Ester, George, what a strange looking animal is emerging\nfrom that cleft in the mountain. What an ungainly, ugly creature and\nwhat vicious looking eyes it has.\n\nDe L'Ester--Really, the creature is as much a surprise to us as to you.\nAs none of us have seen its like on Ento, we must conclude that it\nbelongs to a nearly extinct species. That it is of the marsupial family\nis apparent. Its structural formation, hair and other characteristics\nare those of your American opossum, but its size is much greater than\nthat of those creatures. I should say that it is quite two feet in\nheight, four in length, and its weight not under one hundred pounds.\n\nAs it comes this way sniffing, grunting and rooting under the leaves\nfor the fallen fruit of the Oonamosa t\u00fbl[a:], it impresses one with the\nidea that it is an ill-tempered, pugnacious animal. When our Ento\nspirit friends join us we may learn its name, habits and so on.\n\n[Illustration: HINIFRO ENOR[A:]]\n\nAlthough we twice have visited this canyon we have not, until now, seen\nin it an animal or bird of any kind, but we have been informed that\nduring the mid-summer season of this latitude a species of water-fowl\ncomes here for breeding purposes, but that as soon as their young are\nable to fly they migrate to other regions. We know that very recently\nthey were here in considerable numbers, now not one remains. Earlier\nin the summer the canyon produces a harvest of wild grains, and those\nlow growing shrubs bear an abundance of fruit which affords them\nsubsistence.\n\nMadame, you perceive that the mountain curves toward the east; now\nlook quite to our left and you will observe a rift in it extending\nsouthward. Once when George with these and other friends were examining\nthis region they discovered an opening in the rift, leading into a\ncavernous formation which they consider worthy of observation. As\nneither Inez nor I have yet seen it, we will share with you whatever of\ninterest it may offer. George, you and Inez will lead the way, and I\nshall have the pleasure of assisting madame.\n\nYes, the entrance is somewhat forbidding. We will remain here while\nGeorge lights up the interior. How? Through the ignition of elemental\nsubstances. Sooner or later all Spirits learn the laws of chemical\naffinities. It is a simple matter, the production of molecular\ncombustion. We now will proceed.\n\nThis rather low and narrow passage widens as we descend, and now\nterminates in this vast chamber, which truly is wondrously beautiful.\nStalactites depending from the lofty ceiling meet upspringing\nstalagmites, forming seemingly endless rows of columns, united by\nsnowy arches so singularly perfect in their outlines as to present\na spectacle strangely, weirdly, marvellously lovely. In this soft\nradiance columns, arches, and walls appear as though incrusted with\ncountless, many colored jewels, whose splendor might bedim the rarest,\ncostliest gems worn by Ento's or Earth's rulers.\n\nWe now will approach more nearly yonder grotesque formations, which\ncertainly are very remarkable. Sufficiently so to suggest a sermon\non what some learned persons might term unintelligent energy in\nunintelligent matter. Be not alarmed, friends, though in these peculiar\nformations there are many sermons of a nature to arouse earnest\ninquiry; at present I am not in a mood for sermonizing but I must say\nthat they positively are startlingly strange. One readily can imagine\nthem animal forms of some far away age whom suddenly death stilled into\nimmobility, leaving to pitiful nature the kindly office of enveloping\nthem in snowy winding sheets.\n\nIn this spacious niche is another group, apparently composed of\nthe forms of a man, two females and the torso of a child, all so\nadmirable in outline, pose and drapery as to suggest the skill of an\nable sculptor. It, indeed, would require uncommon artistic ability to\nsurpass, or even equal the grace of this snowy group.\n\nHere is another formation still more wonderful than those we have\nbeen observing. George, you have done well to hold in reserve this\nmasterpiece of nature. It really is marvellous. It is as though some\nweary mortal of a past age laid down to rest, Death coming this way\nblew upon him his icy breath and froze him into perpetual silence, then\ngently enshrouding him in purest whiteness passed on, leaving him to\nthe peacefulness of endless sleep.\n\nHow many years have elapsed since nature began these strangely\nbeautiful formations? Who can say? Not I, madame. Such a lapse of time\nis inconceivable. But we know that here, during an unrealizable length\nof time, from dripping water charged with lime, atom has been added\nto atom and thus the stupendous wonder has grown, grown in darkness,\nand silence, and never have any but Spirit eyes gazed with admiring\nawe upon the splendor and loveliness of this scene which naught but\nInfinite, Intelligent activity could create.\n\nOn no other Planet have we found formations of this nature excelling\nthese, seldom have we seen them equaled. Those arched openings invite\nus into other divisions of this underground fairyland. We will\nenter this chamber on our right. These formations differ somewhat\nfrom those we have seen, but are quite as beautiful. See how those\ngreat stalagmites, singly and in groups, unite themselves with the\nwhite loveliness of descending stalactites, all apparently forming\na gateway to a veritable garden of snow trees and vegetation, the\ndrooping branches laden with blossoms and fruit, forbidden fruit, we\nmay conclude, as between it and ourselves there is a swiftly flowing\nstream. What do I think of the Biblical legend concerning Adam and Eve?\nMadame, my opinion is, that had the mythical garden been as beautiful\nas this the commendably inquisitive Eve would have been content with\nthe prescribed diet and the amiable Adam would, to this day, be\npromenading under the Edenic trees. One is tempted to linger in this\nstrangely beautiful spot, but we must pass on.\n\nWe pointed out to you that the stream traversing the canyon entered an\nopening, at the northern base of the mountain; it is the same stream\nnow rushing by us toward an exit at the southern side of the mountain,\nthence into the lake of which we have spoken. We now will cross it to\nglance through other portions of the cavern, some of which, George\nsays, are not greatly unlike those we already have explored.\n\nMedium--Although I have not seen them, I know that on our Planet there\nare formations similar to these; may I ask are such formations features\nof all Planets you have visited?\n\nDe L'Ester--Yes, of all Planets sufficiently aged. Do not you remember\nthat on our moon we once showed you a cavern similar to, but not\nnearly so extensive as this that contained stalactites and stalagmites\ntoo, but of rather diminutive proportions? You also may remember\nthat we demonstrated to your satisfaction that there was a time when\nLuna was capable of and did sustain many life expressions of both\nfauna and flora, but that now the internal heat of the little Planet\nis so nearly exhausted that but a limited number of peculiar life\nexpressions survive the rigor of its extremely low temperature? The\nhistory of a planet may be likened to that of a human. In the case\nof the Planet, birth, growth, maturity, with a gradual but unceasing\nwithdrawal of vitalizing heat and energy, which finally must culminate\nin the extinction of all its life forms, aye, of even the cohesive\nenergy which has so long held it in form, followed by inevitable\ndisintegration of its atoms which are the building material of new\nworlds.\n\nThe parallel history of the human includes birth, growth, maturity,\nthen gradual withdrawal of vital energy, during which the heart beats\nrespond less vigorously to the crimson current which flows more\nand more sluggishly and the history draws near its conclusion. The\nextremities grow colder, colder, animation dies out of the expressive\nfeatures, the eyes grow dim and sightless, pulseless, breathless, lies\nthe mortal body, but it is not dead. No, no, there is no death. Life is\nin every atom of the universe and the disintegrated particles of the\nphysical body afford material for new life expressions, while the freed\nEgo, the ever conscious, cohesive, vitalizing spirit force which held\nthe mortal body in form assumes other and higher relations and thus\nrevolves the wheel of evolution whose circumference is the universe,\nwhose centre is God.\n\nMadame, you are so given to asking questions and I to loquacity that\nwe too much delay our progress. Your pardon, friends, for having kept\nyou waiting. Now we will move on. Yes, it would be rather difficult for\neven a diminutive mortal to penetrate this passage which now widens\nand grows loftier, and now we have reached the last of the series of\ncaverns. Gradually we have been descending and now are far below the\nlevel of the entrance and on the brink of a deep and narrow chasm. No\noccasion for alarm, madame, but to reassure you we will join hands.\nInez, you will take your sister's right hand, giving your right hand\nto Humboldt. I will hold your left hand, madame, and Agassiz, with\nGeorge, will precede us. George, you will be good enough to light us\ndown the abyss. Yes, it is a tremendous chasm, but here we stand, safe\nand sound, and you perceive that there was no danger. It is too much to\nexpect that, while you yet are on the physical plane you will wholly\nfree yourself from apprehension. Indeed, we have experienced some\nmisgiving as to the amount of courage you might exhibit on occasions to\nwhich, during your mortal existence, you must be unaccustomed.\n\nGeorge, as you are acquainted with this uncanny locality, I desire\nthat I now may stand aside while you shall act as guide and I suggest\nthat you shall say to madame something relating to our mission. Your\ndiscretion will limit your statements.\n\nGeorge--You, madame, have been informed that certain Spirits being\naware that you possessed such qualities as gave promise of a peculiar\nphase of mediumship, _suited to a special purpose_, have since your\nbirth, been endeavoring to prepare you for it. With measureless\npatience and loving care they have guarded and guided you, sometimes\nby straight, ofttimes through devious ways, but ever toward a definite\nend. Finally it became possible to control you for our purpose and\nI, with Von Humboldt, Darwin, Agassiz, Bulwer Lytton, Giordano Bruno\nand others of our band traversed Ento, with the purpose of arranging\na programme against the time when we should have you with us. As\nunfavoring events may oblige us to accommodate our movements to such\ncircumstances as may occur, we do not anticipate that our programme\nwill, in its entirety, be carried to its conclusion, but to that end we\nall will do our utmost, and we feel assured that Divine influences will\naid us in our mission which, as yet, you but slightly comprehend, but\nwhich in time will unfold itself.\n\nOne purpose we have in view is to show you much that will be of\ninterest to you, through whom we hope to bring to the peoples of our\nPlanet the positive knowledge that the neighboring world, about which\nthey are so curious, has much in common with Earth.\n\nYes, it is matter for regret, that much concerning our journeys and\nmission must be left unsaid and that necessarily the written account\nof our experiences must be somewhat sketchy, otherwise it would be too\nvoluminous for the average reader's patient perusal.\n\nThrough some Ento spirits we learned of the existence of these great\ncaverns and of a very unique spectacle which, presently, we will\nobserve. This one is much larger than any of those we have examined\nand, as you perceive, it contains no formation to break its immensity.\nWe are about eleven miles distant from the outer entrance and quite\none thousand feet below its level. A half mile further on will reveal\nthe cause of this continuous vibration and the tumultuous detonations\nwhich resemble the discharge of artillery. Thanks to our spirit\ncondition, we are invulnerable to the condition existing here, else we\nwould not dare to approach the fiery horror we are nearing.\n\nThe roaring of ocean's storm-tossed waves is as nothing to the sounds\nbreaking upon the stillness of these cavernous depths; but fear not,\nmadame, for with safety you may, with us, approach a scene so grand, so\nappalling that you are not likely to ever forget it.\n\nWe now are in another great cavern whose floor slopes abruptly to this\nprecipitous elevation and, standing on its edge, we look down upon a\nvery hell of tumultuous flames. Yes, lacking a stirring feature or two,\nit easily might hold its own against Dante's \"Inferno.\"\n\nLook, now, away toward the left where is bursting forth a huge column\nof flame. Up, up, toward the vaulted roof it climbs, twisting, curving,\nwrithing like a gigantic serpent; now it slowly sinks downward and is\nengulfed. Now in the distance a storm is raging. See how the fiery\nbillows are rising; higher, higher, leaping and curving their angry\ncrests they madly rush toward us as though they would overwhelm us and\nas they burst against this precipice, involuntarily one shrinks back\nfrom their hot, mephitic breath.\n\nObserve that pyramidal fountain near the centre. Is not it grandly,\nwonderfully beautiful? See how it forms itself into a rose shape, while\nfrom its heart numerous jets shoot upward. A moment and it is gone\nand all over the surface of the fiery lake myriad fantastic shapes of\nmany hued flames are glowing, scintillating and projecting themselves\ntoward the lofty roof, forming a magnificent pyrotechnic display.\n\nThe noise is indeed deafening and the ever changing spectacle so awe\ninspiring that words cannot adequately describe its terrible, but\nwondrous beauty. Truly, silence is at times golden.\n\nMedium--Still, I should like some one to break the silence by an\nexplanation of this, to me, strange phenomenon. Is it volcanic?\n\nVon Humboldt--One does not desire to long remain in proximity to this\nunderground conflagration, for, madame, that is what it is. Not for one\nmoment could a mortal live in this mephitic atmosphere. As you perceive\neven Spirits are, to a degree, sensitive to it. As we return toward\nthe upper world I shall briefly explain to you the origin of the truly\nwonderful spectacle. We have reached the cavern at the bottom of the\nchasm and if it may please you, friends, we will pause here while I\nshall attempt to satisfy Madame's laudable curiosity.\n\nAll over Ento in certain localities, are deposits of the various\ncoals of sulphur, of naphtha, of natural gas, and of such mineral\nformations as are found on other Planets, and since remote times coal,\nnaphtha, natural and manufactured gases as fuel and for lighting were\nuniversally used. Then came a knowledge of applied electricity, and\nwith this knowledge a disinclination for the old, cumbrous methods\nof heating and lighting, and ere long, save in rural localities,\nelectricity became almost the sole illuminant and heating energy, and\ncoal as fuel fell into disuse; but for certain uses, to a limited\nextent, it yet is mined.\n\nThe region in which, for a period equaling nearly twenty years of\nyour time this conflagration has been raging, contained vast stores\nof bituminous coal, sulphur and naphtha. Through some mischance a\ncolliery became ignited, and ere the danger became apparent, the fire\nwas inextinguishable. A large area has been burned out, extending to\nthe southern base of the mountain where the fire burst into the immense\ncavern which holds, as in a basin, the terrific, raging, incandescent\nvolume of heterogeneous matter. As the coal deposit extends no further\nthan the base of the mountain and other inflammable materials involved\nfinally must become exhausted, we may conclude that at no very distant\ntime the conflagration will die out. Soon an opportunity will be\nafforded you for observing the devastation it has wrought elsewhere.\n\nMadame, you owe me no thanks. It is both my duty and my pleasure to\ncontribute what I may to the interest of our undertaking.\n\nMedium--May I ask if you still are interested in such researches as\nengaged your attention while in earth life?\n\nVon Humboldt--Madame, the bent of mind which, during earth life, has\nimpelled mortals in certain directions or toward special pursuits,\nis an inherent part of each individual. Entering upon an advanced\nplane of existence I found myself possessed of the same inclinations\nand traits as formerly characterized me. The same may be said of our\nfriends, Agassiz, Darwin, Bulwer Lytton, Bruno and others of this\nBand. The chemist, the mathematician, the geologist, the naturalist,\nthe astronomer, the mystic each is true to his inherent traits or\ntendencies. When freed from the ills and cares incident to mortal\nexistence, with quickened senses and desires, with enlarged abilities\nand the universe an open book in which all who strive for attainment\nmay learn to read the wondrous story written by Infinite Intelligent\nEnergy, strange, indeed, would it be did not these and all aspiring\nSpirits in time acquire a larger knowledge of such arts, sciences or\npursuits as dominated their lives on the physical plane.\n\nIn contradistinction one must use such terms as Spirit, mortal,\nspiritual, physical and others. Yet, substantially, they all are\nstates of being. Spirit, _per se_, as we understand it, is the\nvitalizing, unchanging principle which expresses the infinite,\nintelligent, indestructible, unvarying, all pervading energy and in\nevery atom of the universe this indivisible spirit is manifested.\nAs without substantiality there can be no existence or state of\nbeing, conclusively, spirit is substantial and all entities or\nindividualized expressions of substance hold within them the\nspiritualized potentiality of evolution or growth. And, as in each\nindividualized expression of substance there is a quality which may be\ntermed plasticity, it follows that through inheritance and environment\nentities evolve in various directions, thus manifesting the scientific,\nthe artistic and other tendencies.\n\nYes, the spirit body is as substantial as is the physical body, _but of\na finer expression of substance_. You now are apart from your physical\nbody, yet you are conscious that your spirit body is substantial, and\nwhere there is consciousness there is being, which is but another name\nfor spirit. I may add that there is not an atom of the universe that\nis not, in a certain sense, _conscious_, hence, in a certain sense,\n_individualized and intelligent_.\n\nI am aware, madame, that I have answered your questions in a\nsuperficial manner; at present I cannot do otherwise.\n\nOur chemist is ready to light our way to the outer world and you will\nallow me to assist you. As we proceed, I shall, with your permission,\nrelate a past personal experience.\n\nAge and infirmity came to me as it comes to many, and the hour of\nmy departure from earth life drew near. For a time I had lain\napparently unconscious, though really I was fully alive to all that was\ntranspiring about me, and gradually, yet with a certain suddenness,\nI experienced a most peculiar sensation. I felt as though I were\nascending what seemed to be a rift between walls of adamant. Darkness\nso profound I never before had experienced and, in some perplexity,\nI reached out my hands and groped blindly, hoping to touch something\nthat might indicate my whereabouts; but in vain. The sensation of\nbeing between two walls continued and I felt myself ascending, ever\nascending. I do not recall that I experienced a sense of alarm, but in\nan indolent fashion I queried as to what the peculiar sensation might\nmean. Certainly, I did not associate it with the change called death.\nSuddenly, as we now come into the sunlight, I emerged into a soft\nradiance, indescribably, gloriously beautiful, and in great surprise I\nlooked about me, seeing nothing but the soft radiance which wrapped me\nabout as with a garment. Great as was my surprise, I at once began to\nwonder where I was and as to what had occurred to me. Was I dreaming?\nWas I delirious? No, I was fully awake and in possession of all my\nsenses. Yet something unusual had occurred. Surely I had not died. No,\nthat could not be, for here, I said, is my body, and I am as alive as a\nman can be. Perceiving that I could move about through the bewildering,\nunaccountable radiance, I began to investigate my surroundings which,\nimperceptibly, had assumed an air of strangeness. Imagine, if you can,\nmy amazement when, after a little, I found myself standing near my old,\nworn body over which friends were tenderly bending, closing its wide\nopen, dim eyes, smoothing its scant locks, and otherwise preparing it\nfor its last resting place.\n\nAs spellbound I gazed upon the pitiful scene, I felt, rather than saw,\nsome one near me. Turning, I, in great surprise beheld a company of\nradiant beings, who called to me in joyous tones: Alexander! Alexander!\nWe have come to meet and greet you; come with us, come away from this\nSorrowful Star[1] to our glorious spirit realms.\n\nIn a moment I recognized dear, long-lost friends of my youth. In\na moment I was in the embraces of my parents, no longer aged, but\nglowing with life, with love, with the beauty of immortals. There were\nmy nearest and dearest ones, each vieing with the others in joyous\ncongratulations upon my having been freed from Earth life. All, all\nwith loving embraces and tenderest speech, drew me away from my mortal\nhome to the realms of immortals, the realms which know neither death or\nhopeless partings.\n\nHas this reminiscence wearied you? No? Then I shall not regret having\nrelated it. You, and all mortals, must pass through the change called\ndeath. When this change shall come to you the memory of this recital\nmay aid you in your ascent from the physical to the spiritual plane of\nbeing.\n\nDe L'Ester--Dear friend, you are silent. Nay, you need not tell me why.\nI read your thoughts, as you might read an open book. True, the change\ncalled death must come to you, as it must come to all mortals, yet\ndread it not, for so frail is the tie between your real self and your\nphysical body that almost ere your physical eyes shall be closed as in\nsleep, your spirit eyes will open to undreamed of glories.\n\nNow make your adieux, for we must not hold you with us longer. George,\nI shall accompany you and this somewhat wearied comrade to her home,\nwhere approaching night is already enfolding her physical body with\ndarkening shadows.\n\nAcross space with the speed of thought we have journeyed. And now\ncommending you to the care of angelic guardians, whose watchful love\never protects you. Au revoir.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[Footnote 1: Spirit name for Earth, \"The Sorrowful Star.\"]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nGIORDANO BRUNO.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Good morning, madame. It gladdens us to find you quite\nrecovered from the exhaustion of yesterday and in such a cheerful mood,\nand ready for our journey to Ento, which only for a few moments will we\ndelay.\n\nYes, we propose returning to the locality of our visit of yesterday,\nfrom whence we shall prosecute our quest for further experiences. How\nlong shall we hold you with us to-day? For at least three, possibly\nfour hours. All will depend upon your endurance, and may loving angels\nstrengthen and sustain you, for only through your instrumentality can\nwe hope to attain the fulfillment of the emprise so ardently desired by\ncountless hosts of many spirit worlds.\n\nNow, away for Ento. Our swift movement no longer disturbs you? No? We\nknew that soon you would adjust yourself to it. George, we will descend\nto the rift in the mountain. You recognize the spot, madame? Yes, that\nis the entrance to the cavern, and our way lies through this rugged,\nfern-clad rift to the further side of the mountain. The convulsion\nwhich rent it asunder must have been a terrific one. How long ago did\nit occur? It is our opinion, madame, that it may have occurred at about\nthe period during which our planet was assuming recognizable form,\nwhich was so long ago as to be not a matter of years, but of ages.\n\n[Illustration: OINA MISTA]\n\nAs we proceed, the rift narrows into this gloomy defile, overhung by\ninsecure-looking crags, from which, we emerge into the sunlight. What\na beautiful spot is this niche in the southern slope of the mountain!\nIt is a veritable flower garden. Indeed, madame, I wish you might\nbear to your Earth home some of these lovely, fragrant, white star\nflowers. Yes, they are a variety of Oin[a:] mist[a:]. The tiny stream\ntrickling from the mountain's side provides necessary moisture, and the\nsun so warms the sheltered nook that the growth of the plants is very\nluxuriant.\n\nThese star-like blooms are fitting emblems of the spirit group of\nwhich you and Inez are members. What do I mean? Why, have not you\nbeen told that in our spirit realms, as in the spirit realms of all\nworlds, the law of affinity, holds Spirits in different groups, which\nare designated by different names? Both you and Inez belong to the\ngroup known as Star Angels. Onerous as is your present mission, on\nyour return to the spirit side it will be no less so, for the Star\nAngels are the teachers of the Spirits who wander in darkness in the\nEarth spirit sphere, multitudes of whom scarcely, if at all, realize\nthat they have left the physical body, _and ever are hovering about\nthe places where formerly they existed_. Not alone to those whose\nmortal lives were passed amid vice and squalor and wretchedness; not\nalone to those who were the very undertow of the murky tide of human\ndegradation and misery; not alone to these do the Star Angels minister.\nThere are myriads of men and women who have passed, and continually are\npassing, to the spirit side of life, who have dwelt in luxurious homes,\nsurrounded by all the splendors and delights their selfish, perverted\nnatures craved; having, during their Earthly existence, chosen\nspiritual darkness rather than light, they reap as they have sowed, and\nin sorrow and bitter anguish gather up their sheaves of tares. To such\nunhappy ones the Star Angels also minister.\n\nIn the Earth spirit sphere licentiousness, selfishness,\nuncharitableness, envy, cruelty and all the baser animal passions\nare the chains which hold the Spirit in bondage. Separation from\nthe physical body makes no change in the status of the physically\ndisembodied Spirit. _It goes to its own place, and cannot go elsewhere,\nuntil it has earned advancement to a higher plane_.\n\nMadame, I should like to make my replies as endless as your questions,\nbut this mutual pleasure must be deferred.\n\nWe will now move toward what has aptly been named Mo\u00fbentos ho[a:]\nfalados, for, truly, it is a desolate valley, made so through the\nconflagration to which Humboldt has alluded. We will pause on this\nelevation, underneath which is the remarkable spectacle we recently\nobserved. The roaring, rumbling, hissing sounds and constant vibration\nof this spot are rather disquieting, but as they can work us no injury\nwe need not hasten our departure. In this region during the winter\nseason there is a heavy snowfall as spring advances, the snow rapidly\nmelts, rains add to the volume of water which pour down the mountain\nside and into those fissures from which gases and smoke are issuing.\nThe water coming in contact with the fire raging deep down beneath the\nsurface, tremendous explosions occur, casting out such quantities of\nashes that, as you perceive, the entire valley is covered as with a\nparti-colored mantle. Vegetation there is none, and living creatures\nshun the pestilent locality. Previous to the conflagration the valley\nafforded sustenance for a large number of agriculturists and others\nengaged in various occupations. At the further end of the valley we\nyet perceive vestiges of the wrecked homes and industries of a busy\ncommunity.\n\nOn our right the mountain spur separates this valley from another\nof about the same conformation and area. We will now pass on to\nit. George, you will allow me to assist your sister. As you see,\nmadame, the summit of this mountain spur is nearly level. Its eastern\nside, which forms the western boundary of the Valley of Desolation,\nis somewhat abrupt, while on the west it gently slopes toward the\npicturesque and lovely valley at its foot. As this spot affords a fine\nview of what we desire that you shall observe we will for a little\nremain here.\n\nNearly two centuries of Earth time have elapsed since this valley\nbecame a solitude. The climate is temperate and salubrious, the soil\nprolific, and water abundant, yet no Entoan could be induced to attempt\nto dwell in this ill-fated locality. From Ento spirits we have learned\nthe story of the horror which led to its abandonment. As briefly as\npossible I shall relate it.\n\nWhile in the canyon you were told that its converging streams, through\nan underground channel, flowed into a lake, which later on you should\nsee. Behold the sparkling waters of the canyon, the swiftly flowing\nstream of the cavern gushing forth nearly at our feet. Observe that\nseveral mountain rivulets add to its volume, which empties itself\ninto yonder tranquil, oval sheet of water, which, like a great mirror\nframed in emeralds reflects in its depths the sapphire sky, and white,\never-changing forms of fleecy clouds.\n\nPrevious to its abandonment the valley, which is about seventeen\nEnglish miles in length, and half as many in width, was for the\nmost part devoted to the cultivation of grains and fruits. For the\nconvenience of those dwelling on either side it became necessary to\nbridge the little river. Those substantial piers of stone and iron,\nattest to the dimension and stability of the structure of nearly two\ncenturies ago. Where the river empties into the lake was another\nand more imposing bridge, and there we perceive a number of great\nwhite piers, like ghostly sentinels, keeping watch over the ruins\nof a once populous city, extending from the bridge to far along the\neastern and western shores of the lake. The name of the city was\nP\u0113t\u00fbs[a:][a:] Tyl\u00fb. In your language P\u0113t\u00fbs[a:][a:] signifies pearl.\nHence, P\u0113t\u00fbs[a:][a:] Tyl\u00fb signifies City of Pearls, so named because\nof certain pearl-bearing mollusks inhabiting the lake and river.\nIn P\u0113t\u00fbs[a:][a:] Tyl\u00fb were magnificent temples and institutions of\nlearning, and its private residences, were surpassingly beautiful. Its\nvarious industries flourished and prosperity smiled upon a cultivated\nand opulent community. Suddenly an ominous oppressiveness weighted\nthe atmosphere, and, nature aghast, was as silent as death. Then from\ntoward the south came a seismic wave, the ground trembled, heaved\nand burst asunder into yawning fissures, towering temples crashed to\nthe ground in fragments, and public buildings and private dwellings\nwere shaken from their foundations in ruinous masses. Fire added\nto the horror of the catastrophe and no one attempted to stay the\nconflagration. Terror-stricken, all who survived the sudden disaster\nstrove to escape from the deadly peril to a place of safety. At\nintervals, during two days and nights, the appalling shocks continued,\nand it was estimated that fully one-third of the population of\nP\u0113t\u00fbs[a:][a:] Tyl\u00fb, and the valley perished outright, or died from\ninjuries, terror and exposure.\n\nAfter the subsidence of the seismic disturbances the survivors returned\nto look after their dead, and, peradventure, to find some remnants of\ntheir belongings; but so effectually had fire and destructive elements\ndone their work, that but few of their dead were recovered, and only\nthe ruins of their beautiful city remained. Ever since that dread\nvisitation, at intervals in this locality slight seismic shocks have\noccurred, and no one has been found adventurous enough to attempt to\ndwell in it.\n\nPrevious to this destructive event, this valley was one of the most\ndesirable spots on this portion of the planet. Sheltered as it is by\nthe mountain, its mean temperature is considerably higher than that of\nother regions of the same latitude, and being thoroughly cultivated it\nproduced certain grains, fruits and vegetables in unusual abundance.\nNature, left to her own devices, has perpetuated some grains, fruits\nand vegetables, but the harvests are gathered by wild creatures, who,\nbeing undisturbed, have increased prodigiously. The air is vocal with\nthe notes of many birds, some of gay, others of modest plumage, and\ntrees and undergrowth are alive with small animals, whose chatterings\nare to you unfamiliar.\n\nUnderlying the valley and the outlying region are coal fields,\nreservoirs of naphtha, and deposits of various kinds, exactly\ncorresponding with those of our Planet, and in this mountain range are\nimmense stores of gold, silver and other minerals. Elsewhere these\nminerals are mined or otherwise procured, but this locality will remain\nundisturbed for as long as occasional slight seismic disturbances occur\nor those ruins serve as reminders of the terrible catastrophe which\ndestroyed P\u0113t\u00fbs[a:][a:] Tyl\u00fb.\n\nTo the Entoans life is the chiefest consideration, and no inducement is\nstrong enough to tempt them to risk losing it. Could our daring Earth\nmen voyage between our Planet and Ento, how quickly would this solitude\nbe overrun with a gold mad multitude. Come here, they some time may,\nbut, heigh-ho, they will then care not at all for all the gold in the\nuniverse.\n\nMedium--Do the peoples of Ento and of other Planets consider gold and\nsilver more precious than other metals?\n\nDe L'Ester--We have visited many Planets peopled by humans, and\nwherever we have found them sufficiently evolved to be able to\ndistinguish the qualities of things, we also have found gold and\nsilver taking precedence of all other metals. The Ento name of gold\nis Vybo, which in your language might mean either glittering, shining\nor brilliant. On this Planet gold is almost the only currency, and\nyou will have an opportunity for observing that it is coined in flat,\noblong pieces of varying weights. On the largest coin is what may be\ntermed the national emblem, a hand holding a full blown Rodel. On other\npieces are characters or symbols denoting their values. The Ento name\nfor silver is Rytz[a:], and as currency, it relatively holds about the\nsame value as copper holds in the estimation of your nation. Indeed,\nwith the Entoans, copper is little less valuable than silver, but for\nornamentation and the finer uses they prefer gold and silver to any\nother metals.\n\nRepeatedly you have been told that the components of all Planets are\nthe same. From unquestionable sources the truth has come to us that\nthe formulas of the Divine Chemist never vary. Thus Ento, Earth and\nother planets, in proportion with their bulk and density, contain a due\namount of each universal component. On this Planet during past ages,\nattrition and disintegration have been releasing the precious metals so\nthat they are easily procurable, and this has led to their application\nto common uses.\n\nYou say that you find it difficult to adjust yourself to a belief in\nor, rather, to a realization of the homogeneity of matter. That is not\nto be wondered at. Old beliefs which, as a rule, are old superstitions,\ncling to one with great tenacity. Nevertheless, it is a fact, and a\ncomprehension of it will enable you to adjust yourself to other facts,\none of which is that the Infinite Intelligent Energy compels each and\nevery atom to assume its orderly relation to all other atoms. Further,\nthat indeed, atoms are embryotic universes, each atom containing within\nitself all the properties which anywhere exist, and any one atom may\nform the nucleus about which other atoms may congregate, until a world\nis in process of formation. But such was not the formative process\nwhich brought this Planet and our distant World into recognition as\nmembers of our Solar System.\n\nTo reply intelligibly to your questions is one thing, to do so\nsatisfactorily is another affair. At least I may hope that I have not\nshocked you. No! Then on some other occasion I may feel emboldened to\nrecur to this subject. Now, one more look at the tranquil lake still\nmirroring in its limpid water fleecy clouds and sapphire sky. One\nmore look at this lovely valley so luxuriantly clothed with grasses,\nflowering plants, shrubs, trees and blossoming vines, and we will flit\nto yonder distant mountain peak. Allow me the pleasure of aiding you.\nAh, what a pleasing view! Madame, you will kindly attempt a description\nof it.\n\nMedium--To the best of my poor descriptive ability I shall try to meet\nyour wishes. Extending westward are plains reaching further than my\nsense of vision. From the base of the mountain, southward, the surface\nof the land is broken into shallow, valley-like depressions, covered\nwith luxuriant vegetation. To the left is a forest of gigantic trees,\nand in the distance and toward the south I see houses and cultivated\nlands and some animals grazing. Thanks, George, I do not care to\napproach them more nearly, I see them quite distinctly, and they\nclosely resemble one of the animals already described. I mean the one\nso like a horse, but they are smaller, and they are altogether white,\nexcepting their black, short, erect manes and long black tails.\n\nDe L'Ester--They are a smaller variety of the same animal, and they\nand their larger relatives, are at times used for such purposes as the\npeoples of our planet use the horse. They are designated as L\u00fbm[a:]\nZ\u0113on, and their services as draught animals are but seldom required,\nthe Entoans regarding them more as a luxury than as a necessity.\n\nThe animal near yonder clump of shrubbery is a cross between the\nL\u00fbm[a:] Z\u0113on and another animal known as the Algo\u00fb. Yes, it is a\ngraceful and handsome creature, its marked peculiarities are its coat\nof long, silken brown hair and its very erect appearance, the result\nof its shoulders being a trifle higher than its haunches. Otherwise it\nclosely resembles the L\u00fbm[a:] Z\u0113on. George will now assist you downward\nto the level.\n\nGeorge--Ever at your service, my sister.\n\n _Gently gliding toward the plain,\n   In my arms I safely hold you;\n Downward, downward, once again,\n   Here we are on terra firma._\n\nI take it for granted that you all admire my poetry.\n\nDe L'Ester--Your doggerel, rather.\n\nGeorge--Unadulterated envy prompted that ungracious remark. Alas! how\noften genius excites jealousy or goes unrecognized save by superior\nminds. But I am magnanimous and I forgive you. A poet can afford to be\ngenerous to one less gifted than himself. It really appears as though\nyou all are more interested in this browsing Algo\u00fb than in my inspired\nutterances. I shall console myself with the reflection that as time is\nendless I can afford to wait for appreciation. In the meantime, shall\nwe follow the course of this sparkling rivulet, which further on loses\nitself in a marshy tract? De L'Ester, as you are more familiar with the\nflora of Ento than am I, I shall now be silent. A poet should not be\nexpected to know everything.\n\n[Illustration: LOIS[A:] MICAN[A:]]\n\nDe L'Ester--Your modesty, George, is only a little less admirable than\nyour poetry. What more can I say? You perceive, madame, that Spirits,\nas well as mortals, at times indulge in a bit of nonsense. Ah! you\nrecognize these tufts of pretty flowers. Yes, it is the vining water\nlily, which our artist friend, Poole, drew for you two years ago. See\nhow bees are extracting sweets from its pink chalices, which are quite\nas fragrant as the flower you name tuberose.\n\nYou have been informed that the Ento word Lois[a:] stands for our words\nwater, lake, pond, reservoir, stream and so on, and that the Rodel\nis the representative of the Ento lily family. Lois[a:] m\u012bcan[a:]\nis a diminutive relative of the true Rodel, and, with the Entoans,\nwho are flower lovers, it is a universal favorite. In your language,\nm\u012bcan[a:] would mean angular, crooked, curved and twisted, and you\nwill pronounce it M\u0113can[a:]h.\n\nThis variety of the Rodel always is found by the margins of streams or\nin marshy localities. Its long, slender, crooked leaf and flower stalks\nconvey the impression of a vining tendency, hence its name. See how the\nrivulet is bordered with this and other blooming plants whose white,\nred, blue and yellow tints present an endless array of floral beauties.\nYes, several of them have been drawn for you by Poole and Jared James.\nI believe you and Jared had a slight unpleasantness over one of his\ndrawings. He is a very right minded person, but does not take kindly to\ninterference with his plans.\n\nAs we move along you may observe that the rivulet is widening and\nlosing itself in yonder great marshy tract, and if you will look toward\nour left you will see something that may surprise you. Certainly, we\nmay go nearer. Yes, this is the same gorgeous, carmine hued, many\npetaled, golden centred Water Queen, so faithfully reproduced for\nyou by Aaron Poole. You may recall that at the time it was drawn we\npromised to some time show you the growing plant. Poised on their long,\nslender flower stalks and stirred by the breeze, the stately beauties\nbow this way and that, as though in gracious acknowledgment of the\nhomage of the myriad blooms growing luxuriantly all over the marsh and\nfilling the air with their sweet perfume.\n\nThe queen, though holding her head so loftily, has only her beauty to\ncommend her. Such odor as she exhales is very objectionable, and her\ntrain of many slender stemmed leaves falling about her feet and onto\nthe limpid pool which serves her majesty for a looking glass, are\ncovered with a viscid exudation, and woe to such insects as may alight\non their treacherous surface. Her royal highness is known as Lois[a:]\nGentolissima. In these nearby, showy masses of bloom you will recognize\nthe Water Princess. Considering the difficulties in the way, Poole\ncertainly very fairly reproduced those two plants. You may observe\nthat the Princess differs from the Queen in having shorter, thicker\nflower stalks, smaller leaves, fewer petals of a paler carmine, and her\npistils and stamens are of a brownish tint. This near relative of the\nqueen is Lois[a:] Gentolan[a:].\n\nYour English words, lady, friend, gentle, loving, kind, beloved and the\nlike, in the Ento language is represented by the word Gentol[a:]. The\naffixes an[a:], an[a:][a:], issima, issim[a:][a:], en[a:], \u0113n[a:][a:]\nand others add to the word gender, number, dignity, distinction,\ntenderness and so on. Frequently one or more of these or other affixes\nare used as diminutives. You will remember this, as the word is a\ncommon one and used in varying senses.\n\nMedium--You speak of this or that as being known to the Entoans by such\nor such a name. Am I to understand that all Entoans speak the same\nlanguage?\n\n[Illustration: LOIS[A:] GENTOLISSIM[A:]]\n\nDe L'Ester--Strictly speaking, the Entoans have but one language,\nwhich is spoken by all educated persons, but among what you might\nterm the common people of different Provinces there are dialects\nand provincialisms, but not of a very marked character. Yes, all\nthe peoples of Ento are, to a greater or lesser degree, educated.\nNowhere on the planet does a condition approaching barbarism exist.\nIn every community there are industrial and other schools, which the\nyouthful Entoans are obliged to attend; thus all become fitted for such\noccupations as they may choose.\n\nEre long two friends from Ento's spirit spheres, who at times serve\nwith our Band, will join us. They are more competent to afford you\nspecial information relating to Ento educational matters than are we.\n\nMedium--Allow me to remark that, having all my life heard of but one\nHeaven, it seems strange to hear you speak of other heavens or spheres,\nas belonging to other Planets.\n\nDe L'Ester--Doubtless it may appear strange to you. For myself, upon\nentering our spirit world, one of my great surprises was to meet\nSpirits from other Planetary spirit spheres who had come into our\nrealms on voyages of discovery or to make acquaintance with us and\nour ways. No, only very advanced spirits can journey _unaided_ beyond\ntheir own spirit spheres. Those less advanced, by which I mean less\nspiritualized, may, when assisted, visit other planets and their spirit\nspheres.\n\nYes, all Planets inhabited by the spiritualized human are surrounded by\ntheir own spirit spheres.\n\nYour beloved and loving son implores us to allow him to accompany\nhis dear mother on these journeys, and, through earnest endeavor\nhe progresses so rapidly that we purpose attempting soon to bring\nhim with us. Nearly five of earth's fleeting years have greatly\nadded to Bernard's spiritual growth and strength. Earth life with\nits temptations, its defeats and victories, now appear to him as a\ntroubled, vanishing dream, dreamer and dream alike sorrowful.\n\nHeredity, overlapping tendencies of previous embodiments and\nenvironments, largely, are the influences which act as character\nbuilders. Bernard's really fine, generous nature on one hand served him\nas armor against foes without and within, on the other hand it rendered\nhim vulnerable to assaults to which impetuous youth ever is subjected.\n\nBut he builded as well as he could. _So do all._ Every one rough hews\nhis own character and, through the Divinity who shapes all ends,\neventually all learn to build according to the perfect law of love.\n\nYes, we are aware that Bernard has made you acquainted with his\nexperiences and progress, and be assured that all that loving service\ncan offer is aiding him in his highest aspirations.\n\nWe have not yet informed you that a dear friend, a member of our Band,\nis to meet us here, and at any moment he may arrive. No, you have not\nyet met him, but--Ah, here he comes! Hail! hail! and a welcome from all.\n\nMadame, this is Giordano Bruno, of whom I doubt not you have some\nknowledge. We are delighted that you are to have the pleasure of a\nmutual acquaintance.\n\nBruno--Madame, I kiss your hand and shall be honored if I may place you\namong my closest friends.\n\nMedium--I assure you that I appreciate the kindness which prompts you\nto meet me in such a friendly fashion.\n\nDe L'Ester--According to prearrangements, our friend and comrade,\nBruno, has come to take an active part in our plans. He and George,\nhaving made a study of certain features of our programme will, from\ntime to time, lead our movements. I now shall give way to one whom we\nall delight to honor.\n\nBruno--I am charmed, madame, that henceforth I shall have a place in\nthe Band of which you are the valued instrument. Since my entrance into\nour spirit world, I have experienced much pleasure in visiting this and\nother Planets, but seldom have I desired to return to our own sorrowful\nStar. Memories of the terrible, woeful torture that freed me from my\nphysical body have disinclined me to look upon the land of my birth.\nAh, how often recollections of that sorrowful time force themselves\nupon my consciousness. Never have I been able to forget the hour\nwhen, rather than renounce what I knew to be a truth, I yielded up my\nmortal existence. But Giordino Bruno lives. Aye, despite the ignorance\nand cruelty of men who, in the name of the gentle, loving Nazarene\ncondemned him to an ignominious death; he lives and knows as many\nof earth's learned ones now know, that worlds do revolve. Aye, that\nsystems of worlds as infinite in number, as the universe is infinite in\nextension, pursue their appointed ways through space, proclaiming as\nthey fly: God is Infinite, God is Law, God is Truth, God is All.\n\nDespite Papal excommunication and condemnation to eternal torment,\nGiordino Bruno lives in a realm so surpassingly fair that even tongue\nof archangel cannot declare the glory thereof.\n\nMadame, will you bear from me a message to the peoples of your native\nland? Yes? Then I thank you.\n\nChildren of earth's most favored land--children of America, I, Giordino\nBruno, once a citizen of sun-kissed Italy, greet you.\n\nRejoice unceasingly that freedom of thought and speech are yours.\n_Guard jealously this priceless blessing_ which through centuries of\nbloodshed, torturing flames and agony unspeakable has become your\nheritage. Glorious indeed are your United States of America, blest\nbeyond expression in being as a \"City of refuge\" to the oppressed of\nother nations. Not yet, Heaven born one, have you outgrown your years\nof infancy and, though yet with uncertain steps you totter and waver,\never your generous hands are extended toward the helpless, ever your\nloving heart is pitiful for those who drink of the overflowing cup of\nhuman misery. Ever your eyes are brimful of compassionate tears for the\nunfortunates beyond ocean's watery wastes to whom your voice is as the\nvoice of an angel crying: \"Come to us! come to us! and share with us\nour bounteous store. Come to us and be free as we are free.\" I greet\nyou, child Republic. Thou, indeed, art the brightest jewel in earth's\ndiadem of nations. Freedom is thy most precious possession; lest\nselfish greed and love of power may seek to wrest it from thee, wear\nit next thy heart. Swear by all that to you is sacred, that neither\npolitical nor religious intolerance shall find foothold upon your soil.\nLet your unalterable declaration be: Liberty of conscience, liberty of\nspeech for all; license for no one.\n\nCherish in your heart of hearts a love of justice, of forbearance, of\ntoleration, of that charity which neither thinketh nor doeth evil,\nbut permit no faction or Religion to interfere with your liberty of\nrighteous action.\n\nInsidiously, aristocratic ideas are striving to cross the threshold of\nyour Temple of Equality. Guard well its doorways. Sacrilegious hands\nare seeking to smirch the records of your courts of justice; let your\nvengeance fall swiftly upon the offenders.\n\nOn the fair face of your Goddess of Liberty there is a troubled frown;\nbeware lest she turn from you in anger. Spotless is her snowy robe,\nchildren of earth's greatest Republic. See to it. See to it that in\nthe coming years you shall not stain it with your heart's best blood.\n\nMay the angels who watch over the destinies of nations be strong enough\nto guide through the perilous future your \"Ship of State,\" which,\nthrough calm and storm steers toward an unknown shore. Amen! Amen!\n\nMadame, our spirit realms are deeply interested, not only in the\nprogress of the United States of North America, but of the entire\ncontinent. It is a matter for regret that your people do not more fully\nrealize _that they are an object lesson for all the other nations of\nEarth_. The heart-beats of your Republic send a vitalizing current\nthrough all the peoples of our planet. How all-important then, that\nthis life current shall flow unpolluted to the hearts and brains of all\nnations.\n\nMadame, through your kindly attention to my words you have made me your\ndebtor, but I feel assured that if these friends can bear with me, I\nmay ask as much of your courtesy.\n\nNow, with your permission, we propose conferring on you a new name.\nIn madame there is no comradeship. Medium you do not fancy. Sara\nis somewhat familiar. Gentol[a:], an Ento name, we consider very\nappropriate. Will you allow us to know you by this name, whose\nsignificance you understand? Yes? Then with Love and Truth as sponsors,\nyou shall be to us Gentol[a:].\n\nGeorge--Congratulations are in order. With tenderest, truest affection,\nI offer mine.\n\nDe L'Ester--As all are children of The One, I offer a brother's love\nand devotion.\n\nAgassiz--De L'Ester's sentiment is also mine.\n\nHumboldt--And mine, too, our friend, our sister.\n\nInez--And mine, for my sister by birth and \"for love's sake.\"\n\nGentola--Friends, this is a strange christening, and for a time, I\nfancy that my new name will to me seem equally strange. I promise you\nthat I shall strive to be all that it signifies.\n\nBruno--We chose the name because we know that it indicates your nature,\nwhich is in tune with all that is best in the human.\n\nNow, Gentol[a:], what I have to say is in line with the pursuits of our\nfriends, Agassiz and Von Humboldt, consequently, quite aside from the\nscience which engages me. But, having, with George, and other friends,\nexplored this portion of Ento it is thought that I am qualified to\noffer you such information as may be pertinent to the present stage\nof our mission. On Ento during a remote age, there existed certain\namphibious creatures so enormously large and unwieldy that only through\ntheir prodigious strength could they have coped with other fierce,\nactive, gigantic forms of that early time. Scarcely can one realize\ntheir size, their uncouth forms or their extreme ferocity, which\nimpelled them to a continuous warfare against not only their own kind,\nbut against other species equally huge and aggressive. As has been\nsaid, Spirits, on our side of life, sufficiently progressed, can and do\nvisit Planets, not only of our Solar System, but of other systems of\nworlds, and now, as at all times, there are Planets of our and other\nsystems evolved to a degree analogous to that of Ento, during the age\nin which these and similar creatures existed. Through observation of\nconditions obtaining on such Planets, we arrive at a conception of\nthe appalling conditions that must have existed on Ento during the\nReptilian Age, when the steaming waters teemed with countless life\nforms and on unstable shores huge creatures fought to the death,\nfilling the hot, moisture-laden atmosphere with their savage cries,\nroarings and hissings.\n\nCunning, sagacity, instinct, call it what we may, is an accumulated\nunfoldment of innate ability expressed as the sum of inherited\nexperiences; hence, on Ento, in that age, the cunningest, the\nstrongest, the most active and tenacious of certain species survived\nthe many calamitous occurrences which swept out of existence myriad\nreptilian creatures. Yes, modified through environments, even yet pigmy\nrepresentatives of ancient, huge ancestors inhabit the watery divisions\nof Ento.\n\nPrevious to the spiritualized man epoch there was an enormous\nproduction and destruction of life forms, and in time Ento became a\nvast repository of fossilized remains. Time, climatic changes and\nother causes so contributed to their destruction that only petrified\nspecimens of the larger and later reptiles are occasionally discovered.\nHow long ago did the earliest Ento humans appear? Gentol[a:], the\ngerminal man of Ento appeared when the first life cells swarmed in\nthe warm waters of the young Planet. But the evolved human, the\nSpiritualized Man, became conscious of himself long after the great\ncreatures of the Reptilian Age had of necessity yielded place to no\nless huge quadrupeds, who were more highly evolved expressions of life.\n\nWhen one speaks of an event as having occurred some hundreds of\nthousands of years gone, in the mind of an uninformed auditor it is\nlikely to occasion a sense of incredulity. But I safely may say that\nthe lapse of time which merged the Reptilian into the Mammalian Age,\nduring which came to the evolved human animal his crowning glory, _a\nspiritualized, conscious existence_, if measured by years, might be\ncompared with the countless sands upon the seashore.\n\nNow we must recur to the matter under consideration. As you perceive,\nthis division of the plain extends from the base of the mountain to\nthe verge of this extensive morass, which rests in a basin-shaped\nformation of limestone. The plain itself is the result of ages of\nattrition and disintegration of the foothills of the mountain chain,\nand the morass is the result of many centuries of accumulated remains\nof vegetable growths and d\u00e9bris washed from mountain and plain into\nthe basin of what once was one of a chain of fresh water lakes.\nIts southern rim is a rather narrow ledge of limestone, once of\nconsiderable elevation, but now a mere barrier between the morass and\na much lower level. Prior to the filling up of the lake it extended\nwestward quite thirty English miles, where it connected with a series\nof smaller lakes leading into a great fresh water lake known to the\nEntoans as Lois[a:] Bascam[a:], of which later on you will learn more.\nFor the double purpose of draining the morass, thus rendering it\ntillable, and also that the mountain streams flowing into it may be\nused for irrigation of the lands southward at the foot of the ledge, a\ngreat basin is being excavated, into which they will be led. Already\nthe ledge has been pierced to afford them egress.\n\nAt a depth of about eighty feet the excavators unearthed some\npetrifications of remote life forms. One of a prodigious size, has,\namong the learned ones, occasioned excited interest. Savants from all\nover the Planet are hastening to examine the fossils, especially the\nlarger one, and to no doubt talk learnedly of those relics of bygone\nages. When, very recently, George and I visited the spot we learned\nthat the large petrifaction is the well preserved skeleton of an\namphibian quite sixty feet in length. How came it there? One can only\nconjecture as to that. Certainly there was a time when the temperature\nof this latitude was much higher than at present, and the waters of\nthe entire chain of lakes teemed with forms of life now extinct. It\nis quite as certain that the enormous spring floods so increased the\nvolume of the lakes that their waters then poured over the ledge,\nwhich was loftier than it now is. It is not so certain as to how the\namphibian came to find lodgment at the base of the ledge. Perhaps,\nin fleeing from a foe it rushed over the ledge, or having through\nsome mischance lost its life, its body may have been swept over it,\nthus adding its skeleton to an already large accumulation of similar\nstructures. George and I observed a number of learned men and women\neagerly examining and discussing the probabilities and possibilities\nrelating to the great fossil, which is but slightly mutilated and is to\nbe removed to some museum.\n\nAs we looked and listened we were somewhat amused by the remarks of\nsome of the assemblage who evidently were quite sincere in their\nstatements.\n\nOne studious looking man mildly declared that the Holy writings clearly\nintimated that in the beginning And\u00fbman[a:] created from within Himself\nall things. Another man warmly disputed this declaration on the basis\nthat And\u00fbman[a:] being perfect, could not out of his own Personality\nhave created creatures so monstrous, so hideous as was this and many\nothers. No, clearly it was through a misunderstanding of the Holy\nwritings that such an illogical conclusion could be arrived at. Then\na person of great dignity of mien gave his opinion, which, evidently,\nhe considered final, that in the beginning, after And\u00fbman[a:] created\nAstranol[a:] and His messengers, He created Ento. Having prepared homes\nsuited to their needs He created all living creatures. Some He found\nunsuited to His pleasure; such He destroyed, as is evidenced in these\nfossilized structures, which, for the most part, find no correspondence\nin creatures now existing. Having perfected His designs, He, _out\nof Himself_, created His children who perpetually should dwell on\nEnto. Then, with conviction, he exclaimed: And\u00fbman[a:], through His\nMessengers, who dwell in the best realms of Astranol[a:], revealed to\nHis children the origin of all things, all of which is contained in the\nHoly writings, and I call His Messengers to witness that I, K\u0113lof[a:]\nIrdomyn, am not so impious as to question His divine words.\n\nNo one seemed inclined to dispute with this expounder of mysteries and\nwith a self-satisfied air he resumed his critical examination of the\nancient fossil.\n\nTo be told that in nearly all directions the Entoans are further\nadvanced than are the peoples of Earth, and in a breath to bring you\nface to face with their extremely circumscribed and absurd religious\nideas and beliefs, out of which have grown equally circumscribed and\nabsurd notions relating to certain scientific matters, naturally, may\noccasion you to hesitate as to your acceptance of other statements we\nhave made and others yet to follow. Realizing this, we consider it\nadvisable to offer an explanation of a seeming paradox.\n\nThrough the process of unfoldment, spiritualized humans grow into\nclearer, higher conceptions of personality. Through ages of ignorance\nand savagery intuitively they grope their ways toward truth, which,\nlike a beacon light, beckons them onward and upward, and slowly, but\nsurely, their consciousness grows and unfolds as lotus blooms grow and\nunfold from ooze and darkness into sunlight. _Thus, through ages the\nEntoans evolved into a recognition of self as personality, but not\nas spirit_, for And\u00fbman[a:], being to them a Material Personality,\nnaturally, they could not conceive of aught more sublimated than their\nCreator. Still their unrecognized spiritual forces inevitably urged\nthem forward, and in their history a period arrived when to a degree,\nsociety became organized, and about certain centres congregated\nthose most learned in such sciences and arts as had resulted from\nages of evolution. As yet the masses were almost wholly uneducated,\nconsequently their ideas relating to social obligations and other\nniceties of civilization were extremely crude. Wars between different\nnations were continually waged, and of necessity, the weaker succumbed\nto the stronger. Selfish, ambitious, cruel and successful leaders\ngrew arrogant, and the people were impoverished and enslaved and such\ncivilization as existed seemed threatened with extinction.\n\nIt is a fact that under adverse conditions, humanity degenerates more\nrapidly than under favoring conditions it is capable of progression.\nWere this truth generally recognized, it might act as a deterrent\nagainst the reckless, criminally foolish conduct of nations who rush\ninto wars as though they were a pleasurable pastime, rather than\na damning process for the breeding of generations of preordained\nmurderers, suicides, thieves and prostitutes--the inevitable results of\ninherited tendencies.\n\nThe Entoans, being no exception to a universal rule, were in a\ndeplorable condition, when a memorable epoch arrived which ushered\ninto mortal existence a man fitted for his arduous mission. A man wise\nand humane beyond any one of his time. A man of high courage, firm\nwill, a fine sense of justice and a wonderful ability for controlling\nother men. About him he gathered not only an immense army of soldiery,\nbut all who cared for their own safety and the welfare of the people,\nhastened to join him in his efforts to bring about a better state of\naffairs. In an incredibly brief time he subdued the vicious oppressors\nof the people. Forced warring elements into peaceful subjection.\nEstablished in the fullest sense, a centralized government, based\nupon equitable principles. Autocratic, certainly it was, but with the\npeculiar feature that rulers and people should he amenable to the same\nlaws. When through peace and prosperity the peoples of the Planet were\nbrought into harmonious relations with each other and with their newly\nfound freedom from oppression and dissension, Zoifan Ouidas, their\ndeliverer and Supreme Ruler announced that through a shining messenger,\nAnd\u00fbman[a:] had communicated to him certain instructions relating to\nHis now obedient children. A congress of Ento's learned and pious ones\nhaving been convened, Zoifan Ouidas made known the revelation he had\nreceived which constituted a basis for what was to be accepted as the\nHoly writings. To this revelation was added such beliefs and legends as\nappeared reasonable and desirable, and from these writings a creed was\nformulated and a ritual established.\n\nTo this day the creed remains unchanged, but from time to time the\nritual has been added to or modified to suit the views or aims of an\nall-powerful priesthood.\n\nSince the establishment of their national religion, centuries have\nbeen added to centuries. Steadily the generations of Entoans have been\nevolving, and were it not that an unyielding ecclesiasticism has held\nthem in spiritual bondage, this closing of their fiftieth century of\npeace and equal rights for all would find them not only with knowledge\nof all the arts, but of all the sciences known to the people of our\nplanet, and their faces on which pathos, sorrow and despair are written\nin every line would be beaming with the priceless consciousness of a\ncontinuity of existence which ere now should have been a possession of\nthe plane of their unfoldment.\n\nTo a degree you now may comprehend the paradoxical situation,\nand I trust that what I have related, may serve to explain other\nincongruities which from time to time may attract your attention.\n\nDe L'Ester--George, with an excited air, is returning from the\nexcavation. What so perturbs you, mon ami?\n\nGeorge--Hasten, friends, hasten. A professor is about to hold an\nautopsy over the remains of the ancient amphibian, and I fancy it will\nbe an edifying occasion.\n\nDe L'Ester--We immediately will accompany you. You with Inez and our\nfriends will lead the way. Gentol[a:], allow me to aid you. Direct your\ngaze southward, and toward the right. Yes, quite a large assemblage\nwhich will afford you an opportunity of seeing some of the eminent\npersonages of Ento, scientists, writers and others.\n\nWe need not approach nearer. Gentol[a:], attend closely to what the\nvery modest and intellectual appearing Professor may say. I shall\ntranslate it word for word.\n\nProfessor--I have been requested to express an opinion as to what\norder of life this fossilized structure may represent. Also as to the\nprobable date of its existence. Speaking with exactitude, this creature\nwas, like its diminutive descendants of the present, at home on the\nland, or in the waters of Ento's lakes and rivers of temperate and\nwarmer climes. I need only allude to a fact that is well understood\nthat all this order of life, of which in ancient times there was a\ngreater variety than now exists, belongs to the Acrocust\u0113no ingo-lavion\n(amphibious flesh-eaters). Of the probable date of the creature's\nexistence I hesitate to speak. In these days many men and women\nof learning and research find themselves in a state of unrest and\nindecision. On one hand science demonstrates what appears to be facts.\nOn the other hand these apparent facts are opposed by the declarations\nof our Holy writings. To state the matter briefly through ancient\nrecords we learn that nearly two hundred centuries have elapsed since\nthe Creation of our beloved Ento. Our Holy writings declare the same,\nand also make mention of and describe huge forms of life similar to,\nif not exactly like this as having been of the first created creatures\nwho long previous to the establishment of our Holy religion had become\nextinct.\n\nHow shall I proceed? Step by step scientific research has led us\nbackward, and now we face the indisputable fact that in this fossilized\nstructure, and the formations about it is positive evidence that the\ncreation of Ento dates incalculably further back than two hundred\ncenturies.\n\nFriends, how shall we reconcile the positive statements of our Holy\nwritings, with this equally positive statement in stone? May the gods\nbe merciful, for, alas, I see no way out of the dilemma, and I refuse\nto further incur the wrath of And\u00fbman[a:]'s messengers.\n\nBruno--This person is in a fair way to get himself into trouble. As we\nread the thoughts of the assemblage we learn that were some of them\nas outspoken as this professor he would not find himself alone in his\nskepticism. As it is a craven fear of their gods and the priesthood\nseals their lips, and as the professor with a troubled face turns away,\nthey regard him with an air of disapproval.\n\nIn the reports these scribes are writing many learned terms will be\nused, many learned opinions expressed, and doubtless many learned lies\nwill be told, all for the glory of And\u00fbman[a:], to whom it is believed\nHis messengers will bear an account of these proceedings.\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], you will attempt a description of this scene.\nYou need not hesitate. Where you may fail we will prompt you.\n\nGentol[a:]--Extending eastward and westward I see a not very broad\nledge of limestone rock. On its southern side it is so perpendicular\nand its surface is so smooth that it presents the effect of well\nexecuted masonry. I cannot estimate the distance from where the\npetrifactions lie on a broad shelf-like projection to the top of the\nledge, or from the projection to the bottom of the excavation.\n\nDe L'Ester--From the projection to the top of the ledge is quite one\nhundred feet, but at the time of the creature's misadventure the\naltitude of the ledge must have been considerably greater. From the\nprojection to the bottom of the excavation the distance is, I should\nsay, about eighty feet.\n\nGentola--On the south side of the ledge an immense excavation is being\nmade. On the north side the morass is on a level with the top of the\nledge, but on the south side the ground slopes rather abruptly to a\nplain which appears to greatly need irrigation.\n\nAside from the large and very perfect petrifaction there are numerous\nsmaller ones which do not appear to interest the investigators. Indeed\nthey are in a very fragmentary state, and I suspect that my description\nis of the same character.\n\nI see a large number of men at work in the excavation. Some are engaged\nin lining the sides with huge cut stones, which are mechanically lifted\nand laid with much precision, some kind of cement being used to fill\nthe interstices. Other men attend the working of scoops, which take up\ngreat quantities of soil, which is hoisted to the top of the excavation\nand dumped into receptacles which run swiftly on a tramway to the plain\nwhere it is thrown out, the empty receptacles returning on another\ntrack. Nearly all of the labor is done by machinery, but I cannot say\nwhat the motive power may be.\n\nDe L'Ester--Electricity furnishes the motive power, not only for those\nmachines, but as you will have occasion to observe for nearly all\nmechanical purposes of the Entoans.\n\nGentola--One noticeable feature of this scene is the behavior of those\nlaborers who move about so quietly and speak in such a polite and\ngentle fashion. The work proceeds very expeditiously, yet no one seems\nin haste, or exhibits the least excitement or impatience.\n\nHow very tall those dark skinned men are, and they are so erect and\nfinely proportioned. Yes, notwithstanding their lustrous bronze\ncomplexions they certainly are handsome men. Their long, black, wavy\nhair, large dark eyes, regular features and very intelligent expression\nis in strong contrast with the fair complexioned, brown or blond\nhaired, gray or blue eyed, and smaller men who are working on the\ntramways.\n\nAll, both dark or fair, wear their hair to their shoulders, parted in\nthe middle or on one side, pushed well back from the forehead and held\nin place by what appears to be fillets of silver. All wear shapely,\nhalf loose garments, reaching to the knees, and the lower limbs are\nclothed in loose fitting--well, as I do not know the Ento name, I shall\nsay trowsers.\n\nDe L'Ester--The Ento name for the upper garment is lenivo. For the\ntrowsers, as nearly as I can pronounce it, the Ento name is birrsch.\nAnd for the foot covering, which you perceive is a very nicely formed\nshoe, not of leather, but of a manufactured material, the name is--no,\nnot fettos, but pfettos.\n\nWe now will move to the tented space, and in a general way, but\nbriefly, you will further describe the appearance of those men and\nwomen who are engaged in quiet discussion over fragments of the smaller\nfossils.\n\nGentola--Both men and women of the dark skinned race are exceedingly\ntall. The men are very handsome, very distinguished looking, with a\ndignity of bearing quite devoid of ostentation.\n\nThe women are very beautiful, very graceful, very gentle, and quiet,\nand with such fine, intelligent expression, that I cannot find words to\nexpress my sense of their superiority to any women I ever have seen.\n\nI do not quite so much admire the fair skinned men and women who are\nmore slightly built, but who are taller and stouter than any earth race\nthat I know of, and certainly they are in appearance very admirable.\n\nBruno, were you sufficiently tall, you might claim kindred with some\nof those handsome, olive skinned men and women, who are but slightly\ndarker than yourself. They appear to represent one race, the bronze\ncomplexioned ones another, the fair skinned men and women an entirely\ndifferent race.\n\nIt seems odd that the men, as well as the women, wear their hair long\nand flowing. The hair of the men to their shoulders, that of the women\nquite below their waists, and all wear fillets of various kinds. I must\nsay that I think the effect very pretty. As for the garments of both\nsexes, they seem to me simply perfection, not at all voluminous, but\nloose, graceful and of textures so admirable as to weave and coloring\nthat seldom have I seen fabrics so beautiful.\n\nDe L'Ester--You have mentioned the fillets worn by both sexes. The\nmetals, the width, form and settings of the fillets indicate the\nofficial positions and occupations of the wearers. Not alone are they\nworn for convenience or as ornaments, but also as badges of certain\ndistinctions, for which all are urged to strive. Class distinctions\nin the sense of caste do not exist, and all are incited to a spirit\nof emulation in the direction of meritorious achievements, which are\nconsidered the only real distinctions. From the laborer yonder to the\nSupreme Ruler, all men and women strive to attain to the utmost of\ntheir capabilities. The cut, color, ornamentation and other features\nof apparel also indicate the position and occupation of the wearer. As\nour mission progresses you will have opportunities of further observing\nsuch matters.\n\nNo, for decorative purposes the Entoans do not wear head coverings.\nThey too much prize their beautiful, abundant hair to risk such\nabominations as hats and bonnets. Then, too, their taste is too finely\ncultivated to admit of personal disfigurement.\n\nGentola--I commend both their judgment and taste, and I wish I might\nunderstand what those learned persons are saying. The scene itself\nI shall not soon forget. It is worth the experiences of an ordinary\nlifetime.\n\nDe L'Ester--These friends and I possess a general knowledge of the\nlanguage, but of scientific technicalities we know next to nothing. If\nwe did both time and space are too limited to devote ourselves to their\nconsideration.\n\nNot another word. We have held you long enough. One momentary,\ncomprehensive glance at the scene and then Earthward. George and Inez\nwill bear you swiftly to your quiet home. Au revoir.\n\nGeorge--Safe you are in your own room, and some one desires to enter.\nIt is your friend, Mrs. S----le, who always brings you flowers.\n\nMay divine and loving influences abide with you until we again come for\nyou. Adieu.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nINIDORA AND GENESSANO.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Like musical chords touched by unskilled fingers are your\nthoughts, Gentol[a:]. For some minutes we have watched your hurried\npreparations for our journey and it is evident that, though your\nspiritual aspirations reach out toward highest ideals, material duties\nequally claim your attention. Yours is a harmonious combination of\nthe Mary and Martha natures. Martha, now, will please close her eyes,\nfold her active, capable hands and rest while Mary shall accompany us\nstarward.\n\nWe too, wish that it might be possible for you in your fully conscious\nmoments to recall the memory of events, scenes and other matters\npertaining to our journeys. As you cannot, that which your soul self\nwill be made to write must serve as a record of your experiences while\nabsent from your body. And when under my supervision you will, for\npublication rewrite the record, you will vividly realize all that has\nor will occur during our mission. You now are in a tranquil state and\nwe will be off. George, we are ready.\n\nAh, how grand, how exhilarating is the movement of this inconceivably\nswift magnetic current, bearing us on its glowing, undulating bosom\ntoward our destination, which we are nearing. Lower, lower, George.\nLook downward now, Gentol[a:], for we are over the morass.\n\nWe perceive that the learned visitors have departed and that the\ngreat fossil is being carefully prepared for removal. The ledge is\nbeing further pierced to afford a passage for the waters of the\nmorass, and the excavation is nearly completed. Some time we again\nwill pass this way to observe the result of the skill and labor\nexpended in accomplishing so considerable an undertaking. This being an\nagricultural region, the irrigating reservoir will greatly add to its\nfertility.\n\nWe now will move southward for about fifty miles, and you will observe\nhow thickly populated is the region over which we shall pass and that\nthe inhabitants enjoy a degree of the comforts and luxuries of life\nfound only among a highly civilized, consequently prosperous, people.\nObserve too, the fine architectural effects, the well tilled fields\nand roadways as smooth and level as floors. And let me tell you, fine\nroadways always indicate an advanced civilization.\n\nYou are surprised at the paucity of animal life, but if you will\nconsider that but few Entoans are flesh eaters, that but a limited\nnumber of milch animals, known as Vochas, are required; that\nagricultural machinery and most vehicles are propelled by electrical\nappliances, you will perceive the reasons why animals are not more in\nevidence. However, on portions of the Planet there are herds of animals\nknown as Angossa, which are bred solely for their wool. By but one\nrace, who are flesh eaters, are they used as food.\n\nHaving reached the southern limit of this cultivated plain, we now\nwill turn eastward. Yes, owing to porosity of the soil throughout this\nregion irrigation is prevalent. Now that we are about to lose sight of\nthe mountain range, it occurs to me that I have neglected to acquaint\nyou with its name, which is Keneto alista. The exact significance of\nKeneto I cannot find in your language, but the shades of meaning would\ninclude giantlike, enormous, immense and the like. Alista is the Ento\nword for mountain. From northeast to southwest its length is about two\nhundred miles, and for the most part it lies almost parallel with the\nequator. Its greatest elevation is but little more than 6,000 feet\nabove sea level, and among mountain ranges north of the equator it\ntakes first rank.\n\nWe now approach a region whose natural water supply is quite\nexceptional and the inhabitants equally so. To say why would but mar\nyour interest in what may come under your observation. We now will\ndescend to yonder slight elevation, and you, Gentol[a:], will speak of\nwhatever to you may appear noteworthy.\n\nGentola--All about us is a level country, luxuriantly clothed with\ngrains, grasses, flowers, shrubs and groves of great forest trees.\nHere and there are gray stone buildings, some quite large, others\nsmaller--apparently outbuildings. At a distance are a few animals like\nsome we have seen elsewhere. In front of us is a large meadow on which\nthe grass grows luxuriantly and at its further side, in a grove of\ngreat trees, is a rather large gray stone building with smaller ones\nnearby. From that direction a man and woman come toward us; both are\ntaller than any persons I have seen on Ento. Really, they are gigantic\nin stature and well proportioned. They are dark skinned, black haired\nand black eyed, and in their faces is an expression of gentleness and\nsimplicity which renders them quite attractive. Both are clothed in\nloose garments of what appears to be a coarse, brown woolen cloth. The\nupper garment of the man falls a little below his knees and he wears\nwhat you term birrsch (trowsers) of the same cloth, and pfettaa (shoes)\nof what seems to be leather, or a material very like it. His heavy\nblack locks are held back by a really pretty filagree, silver fillet,\nwhich is wider in front than at the sides or back of the head. The\nrather loose fitting upper garment of the woman falls nearly to her\nfeet, which are incased in shoes similar to those worn by the man. The\ndistinguishing feature of her very simple costume is the queer head\nornament she wears. It is very like a gilt bird cage without top or\nbottom. The lower band fits closely about her head and her long, black\nhair is drawn upward through the cage, falling over the upper band and\ndown onto her shoulders in a heavy fringe. Sheltered, as though under\na canopy, she walks behind the man, and both seem to be searching in\nthe grass for something. Carefully parting the grass with his hands,\nthe man eagerly hastens forward, snatching at some creature running\naway from him. Now he springs forward and seizes--ugh, it is a large\nserpent, and he with one stroke of a large knife severs it in pieces.\nThe woman laughs delightedly, and pats him on the back, but evidently\nthe hunt is not ended, for Giant resumes his search in the tall grass,\nand Giantess follows timidly. Now he waves her back, and with a great\nleap he has caught another serpent, which he also decapitates and casts\nfrom him. You may laugh at me if you like, but I am not fond of snakes.\nAn inherited aversion? Perhaps so, and a very positive one.\n\nFrom their exultant exclamations, it is apparent that Giant and\nGiantess are greatly elated over the destruction of the serpents. De\nL'Ester, do you understand what Giant is saying?\n\nDe L'Ester--He says \"Hildian, Gand\u00fblan[a:][a:] sal\u0113no ran[a:]v\u00fb\ncominist[a:] testo. Ino d\u00fb lan[a:]. Ah, viamon d\u00fbl[a:] testo, landisto\nosten vi, on[a:] pr[a:]-o Gentol[a:].\" This is not pure Ento, but a\ndialect of this race. I can only attempt a very free translation of\nwhat he has said. Hildian is the woman's name, and he says, \"The bad\nserpents are killed, and I am glad. Ah, they are dead, and can no more\nharm thee, dear.\" Listen, Giantess calls some one.\n\nGiantess--Oua[a:]men istan! Oua[a:]men istan! Gand\u00fblan[a:], fanist\u00fb\ntesto.\n\nDe L'Ester--In answer to her reassuring call, \"That surely the serpents\nare dead,\" two boys and a girl are bounding across the meadow, and as\nthey rush to their mother's arms, they fill the air with their excited\nexclamations and inquiries. Now Giant swings the girl to his shoulder,\nand like a conquering hero, leads the way toward the dwelling. The boys\ncling to the mother's gown, and all follow the father who relates to\nthe delighted children the story of his prowess.\n\nWe will follow them to the dwelling, which is a fair example of the\nhomes of this giant race. All their dwellings are built of stone, and\nthough simply constructed, are well suited to their requirements. The\naverage height of this pastoral race is quite eight feet and they are\nsymmetrically proportioned. They are affectionate, gentle, industrious,\ndevoted to their families, and in their way, intensely religious. They\nare the Ken\u0113to So\u00fbvanallo, which I shall translate as meaning giant\nflesh eaters. They never intermarry with other races, and what they now\nare as a race they have been for as far back as their history reaches.\nThey cultivate only such grains, fruits and vegetables as their needs\nrequire, their chief sustenance and possession being animals, which\nare herded in the surrounding luxuriant grass lands. These animals are\nunlike any we have shown you, later we will afford you an opportunity\nof seeing them. The region occupied by this race is about two hundred\nmiles long by one hundred and fifty in width, and its southern border\napproaches equatorial lands. You now will describe the exterior of this\ndwelling.\n\nGentola--It is built of a grayish stone, the surface rather rough, but\nthe stones are very accurately fitted and cemented. It is two stories\nhigh and of ample width, and there are a number of windows filled in\nwith what looks like glass. Some stone steps lead up to the front door\nand a flight of stone steps at the north side of the house leads up to\nthe roof, which slopes a little from front to rear. Around the roof is\na low balustrade, and spread all over it are several kinds of fruits\ndrying in the warm sunshine. I think that is all I can say of the\nexterior. As I do not possess fine descriptive ability I fear that I\nfail to convey adequate ideas of things.\n\nDe L'Ester--You are too modest. True, your style is not ornate, but you\npossess the greater virtues of conscientiousness and conciseness. We\nnow will enter and learn what of interest the interior of the dwelling\nmay offer. This hallway, running the depth of the house, divides it\nequally, and in the front room on our left, on a couch covered with\nskins, lies Giant, talking excitedly with Giantess. I gather from their\nconversation that in this region the presence of venomous serpents is\nvery uncommon, but that there are harmless varieties, which these flesh\neating giants consider delicacies. No, they are true serpents, and not\nallied to the eel, which on Ento has some close kindred, known as Chifa.\n\nWe now will look into the room across the hallway. Ah, this is the\nsanctum sanctorum, the invariable feature of all rural Ento dwellings,\nnot pretentious enough to afford an Istoira. On the draped altar are\nfruits and flowers and the floor is covered by a really handsome rug.\nThese gentle, simple minded folk are faithful observers of the all\npervading religion, and their spiritual conceptions are on a level with\nthose of their teachers, the priesthood, who regard And\u00fbman[a:] and\nGods and Goddesses as personalities who are to be adored, or appeased,\nas occasions may require. With great sincerity they fulfill their\nreligious obligations and peacefully await whatever of good or ill may\ncome to them.\n\nAh, Giant, Giantess and the children have left the house and are\nwending their way toward the forest. During their absence we will look\nthrough the dwelling. In this and the adjoining sleeping room are\ncouches, tables, chairs, some garments and nothing more. We now will\nascend the stairway to learn what may be on the upper floor. As is the\ncustom of this race, the upper floor is used for storage purposes, and\nhere are grains, fruits and nuts in abundance. You will describe the\ncontents of some of these receptacles.\n\nGentola--Here are two varieties of berries, and were I on earth I\nshould say that they are raspberries and blackberries. Taste them?\nShall I? They are slightly acidulous and well flavored, but do not\ntaste like either raspberries or blackberries. These pretty scarlet\nberries look like very large cranberries.\n\nDe L'Ester--Do not taste them; they are not berries, but what you may\nterm Ento Capsicum.\n\nGentola--Thanks for your warning. I have a sort of mania for tasting\nthings, so, if you do not object, I shall taste this grapelike fruit.\nIt is delicious, quite like fine raisins. I am especially fond of\ngrapes, so, if in the dim future I must again become re-embodied,\nthis fine fruit might induce in me a desire to be reborn on Ento. De\nL'Ester, that reminds me of a question I have wished to ask. After the\nchange called death can spirits choose their homes? Yes, I mean the\nlocality and their manner of living.\n\nDe L'Ester--Time and opportunity permitting, I always am pleased to\nreply to your questions. As both are limited I must reply briefly.\n_Spirits, while yet in the physical body, in a sense earn their\nhomes_, or places, they must occupy on our side of life, and also in\na sense they have a _choice_ as to the place of their abode, but the\n_choice_ must be made while on the physical plane. As you have learned,\nspirits are entities, individualized personalities, requiring homes,\nassociations and pursuits. According as life on the physical plane has\nbeen elevated, pure, loving, true, or the reverse, so are spirit homes\nand pursuits beautiful and supremely enjoyable, or lamentably wretched.\nAll newly-freed spirits gravitate to the sphere and condition for which\ntheir degree of evolvement has fitted them, there to remain until\nthey have progressed to a more exalted state of being. Do all spirits\nprogress? Most assuredly. Evolution is not confined to the physical\nplane. Progress, everywhere, is continuous. Yes, spirits, who through\ncountless trials and experiences have _earned_ the exalted position of\nteachers, lovingly, patiently labor to aid all unevolved freed spirits\nto outgrow conditions which, like soiled garments, cling to those of\nthe lower or Earth spirit sphere. Seldom does a newly-freed spirit\ngravitate to the higher realms. Only exalted spirits, _who, for some\nspecial purpose, have become re-embodied_, do, when freed from the\nphysical body, return to their former place of abode, or, perhaps, to a\nhigher sphere.\n\nThe legend of Jacob's ladder, on which angels descended and ascended\ninto heaven, is a fitting symbol of the spirit's progress. Ever\ndescending angel teachers reach downward to those walking in darkness\non both the mortal and the spirit side of life, instructing, inspiring,\nencouraging and strengthening them, until emerging _from the shadows_\nof sense, their quickened vision perceives the descending angels of\nlove, and with eager, outreaching hands and trembling feet, they strive\nto climb the ladder of eternal progress, _finding on each round the\nhome, the place, the plane suited to the degree of their advancement_.\nHave I made myself understood?\n\nGentola--Yes, as far as I am fitted to comprehend such an abstruse\nmatter. Another question occurs to me. You have said that certain Ento\nand other planetary spirits visit Earth's spirit spheres. Can they also\ncome to our planet, as you and other spirits come?\n\nDe L'Ester--Yes, after they have learned how to accommodate themselves\nto Earth's conditions. Some Ento friends who are learning this strange\nprocess soon will be able to visit you in your own home. Not another\nquestion, I beg. We have already consumed too much time.\n\nGeorge--If you are ready to descend from celestial to terrestrial\naffairs, come to the adjoining room, Gentol[a:], and tell us what you\nthink of its contents.\n\nGentola--What do I think of its contents? Well, I think that if these\nears are not corn they are surprisingly like it, and in this round\nreceptacle is a white grain very like, though considerably larger\nthan grains of rice. And here is a small, round, black grain of which\nevidently this dark meal is a product. I wonder if Giantess makes bread\nof it? What a noise! What is it, De L'Ester?\n\nDe L'Ester--As there is nothing more of note here, we will learn what\noccasions the disturbance. Ah, it is the family returning, and what\na spectacle! Giant holding at arm's length a reptile which writhes\nand coils about his arm, and now, playfully, he thrusts it toward the\nchildren, who are in an ecstasy of excitement and delight.\n\nGiantess does not appear to have an aversion for snakes, for see, she\ntakes from her spouse the harmless ophidian, allowing it to coil about\nher arms and holding it so that the children may toy with it. Now she\nbrings it into the house, and very unceremoniously cuts off its head,\nskins it, cuts it in pieces, which she tosses into a large cooking\nvessel, adds some seasoning, covers the vessel and suspends it over\nthe fire, which Giant has kindled in the great stone fireplace. Now\nshe puts into a broad, deep pan, some of the dark colored meal we have\nseen on the upper floor, adds milk until the pan is two-thirds full\nof a thin batter, and, with the addition of some honey and a quantity\nof yellow sliced fruit, we have before us a pudding which, if not to\nthe queen's taste, is quite to the taste of our Giant friends. Yes,\ngenerally, the Entoans use cooking stoves of various kinds, but these\nSouvanallos appear content with a more primitive method. The brazier\nover which the pudding is boiling and bubbling is something of a\ncompromise between a fireplace and a stove.\n\nAs you have learned that the Entoans have both milch animals and bees,\nyou no longer are surprised that they have both milk and honey. They\nalso have sugar as excellent as you have on Earth.\n\nHave you observed the animal lying under the projection near the\nfireplace? What a short-legged, long-bodied creature it is, and as\nspotted as a leopard, which, but for its short legs, it closely\nresembles. Now it yawns, stretches itself, and follows Giantess\nabout, purring and rubbing itself against her garments, and as she\nstoops and smooths its glossy fur in a caressing tone she murmurs:\n\"Fen\u0113t[a:], Fen\u0113t[a:], In\u0113vo Gand\u00fblan[a:], casto seffil[a:] dissim[a:].\nGand\u00fblan[a:] essin [a:] tuno, espen d\u00fbro.\"\n\nWhat does she say? What I have learned of the Ento language I have\nlearned correctly, so find it difficult to translate this dialect.\nThe sense of what she says is about this: \"Fen\u0113t[a:], Fen\u0113t[a:], you\nshall have some of the serpent broth. The serpent will soon be cooked.\"\nFen\u0113t[a:] appears to understand his mistress's hospitable intention\nand he has taken a position where he can keep an eye on the odorous\nmess.\n\nAnimals generally can perceive spirits. Approach Fen\u0113t[a:], Gentol[a:].\nHe snarls and shrinks from you as though affrighted, and Giantess seems\ngreatly surprised at the behavior of her pet. Now touch her hands. She\nregards one hand, now the other, evidently puzzled over the peculiar\nsensation. Touch both her hands and face. She cries out in alarm,\nlooking about her fearfully. Again touch her face. She flies to Giant\nand clings to him, crying, \"Gand\u00fblan[a:], oin[a:] dos [a:] corrend[a:],\nespen v[a:]o [a:] tos[a:] testo.\"\n\nShe tells him that the serpent's life is not gone, that it or something\nhas touched her. Valiantly Giant lifts the cover from the cooking\nvessel and critically inspects the contents. With evident satisfaction\nhe reassuringly says: \"Gand\u00fblan[a:], [a:] testo, espen eno n\u00fby[a:]n\nd\u00fbro.\" Giantess, as though doubting his assertion, that not only is the\nserpent dead but well cooked, timidly approaches and takes a rather\nfurtive look at the bubbling mess. Apparently satisfied that no harm\ncan come from that quarter, she excitedly relates her experience, to\nwhich Giant listens sympathizingly but evidently incredulously. Not so\nFen\u0113t[a:], who has crawled under the projection and is regarding us\nwith strong disfavor, but is keeping a sharp outlook for the promised\nsavory stew. As Giantess, with nervous apprehensive glances, stirs some\nmeal into the mess the escaping odor fills the room and Giant says\napprovingly: \"Es f\u00fby[a:]n m\u00fbs[a:],\" and Fen\u0113t[a:] quite agrees with\nhis master, that the odor is good, so tempting, indeed, that he seems\ninclined to crawl out of his lair, but seeing such uncanny folk about,\nhe draws back. On the long table across the front of the room Giantess\nplaces plates, spoons and drinking cups. Into a large deep platter\nshe ladles the stew and carries it steaming to the table. The pudding\nfollows and the luncheon is ready. Giant places some seats, while from\nthe rear doorway Giantess calls, \"Ferr[a:]nd, T\u0113d[a:], Listano,\" and\nthe children rush into the house and to their seats at the table. The\nmother serves the father and them bountifully and Fen\u0113ta, reassured by\nthe coaxing invitation of his mistress and the children, goes shyly to\nthe generous platter of stew placed for him near his mistress's feet.\n\nThis meal is an appetizer for a more substantial one later in the day,\nand as two of our Ento friends are to join us here we may witness it,\nnot that it is likely to be of particular interest, but it is a part of\nour plan to show you various features of Ento life. While awaiting the\narrival of our friends we will further observe this family.\n\nGentola--What an incongruity there is between the stature of these\nchildren and their apparent ages. The boys are nearly as tall as any\nof you gentlemen, and the girl is nearly the height of a medium-sized\nwoman. I wonder how old they may be?\n\nDe L'Ester--I should say that their respective ages are about eight,\nten and twelve years. The luncheon is ended and the family are\nrepairing to the sanctuary. The father with a boy on either side of\nhim, the mother with the girl by her side, stand before the altar\nwith bowed heads and outreaching hands. Reverently the father returns\nthanks, the mother and children repeating after him: \"And\u00fbman[a:],\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], Omi felist\u00fb, Gand\u00fblanos ino testo. Omi felist\u00fb ond[a:] ino\nomi m\u00fbs[a:] fer-\u00fbj[a:], Oir[a:]h, Oir[a:]h, Oir[a:]h.\"\n\nThe sense of this is: \"Supreme One, Supreme One. We offer thanks that\nthe venomous serpents are dead, and again we offer thanks for the good\none we have eaten.\" Oir[a:]h means praise, thanks, it is so, and the\nlike.\n\nThe children return to their play. Giant reclines on the couch,\nGiantess busies herself with household affairs, and Fen\u0113ta has\nretreated to his lair, from whence he suspiciously but rather drowsily\nwatches our movements. We now will go out under the trees to await the\ncoming of our friends.\n\nThe Souvanallos occupy a position midway between Ento's most advanced\nraces and several isolated communities of people who are little more\nthan semi-civilized, yet who are far from a condition of barbarism.\nThey, like nearly all the Entoans, through a reverential regard\nfor life, abstain from eating the flesh of animals, yet, rather\nillogically, all eat fishes of various kinds. The Souvanallos alone\nraise herds of angossa for food and for their wool, which they exchange\nfor such commodities as they require, in this manner procuring textile\nfabrics, household furniture and utensils, agricultural implements,\nornaments for personal adornment and so on. In no sense are they\nartisans. Their dwellings and other structures are erected by men of\nother lands, and such materials as are not procurable at home are\nbrought by air or other transportation from elsewhere. Their priests\nare of their own race, they having been from early youth trained\nand educated for the office. They instruct the people in religion,\nin government, and in educational branches, officiate at marriages,\nat funerals, and adjust any differences between neighbors. Being a\ntruthful, virtuous, generous and loving people, differences seldom\noccur to mar the serenity of their lives.\n\nAgain the family go toward the forest, and yonder are our Ento spirit\nfriends, Inidor[a:] and Genessano, who are calling to us a greeting.\n\nGenessano--Loh[a:]\u00fb, Loh[a:]\u00fb, \u0113manos. Itsu fon ipsoien?\n\nDe L'Ester--We impatiently have awaited your coming and truly you are\nwelcome. But while we exchange greetings we must remember that one\nwhom you never have met is with us. Gentol[a:], as these Ento spirits\ndo not understand your language, or you theirs, it will be both my duty\nand pleasure to interpret for you and them. Inidor[a:], Genessano, this\nis our missionary, Gentol[a:], of whom you have heard and of whom we\nall expect so much.\n\nGenessano--My brother Inidor[a:] and I gratefully appreciate your\nefforts on behalf of our people and we pray you accept our homage and\nthe earnest desire of our hearts that we may come to be numbered among\nyour friends. Strangely do we come together, Gentol[a:] \u0113man[a:], you\nfrom a distant planet, we from our spirit realms. Appropriate indeed is\nyour new name, for well beloved are you by your dearest ones and your\nmany friends on the spirit side who also give to my brother and me a\nplace in their affection. Drawn by varied duties and inclinations, we\nhave visited other planets and their spirit realms, and, although we\nhave visited Earth's spirit realms, we as yet have not visited your\nplanet, and only twice, since passing hence, have we returned to our\nbeloved Ento. On this, our third return, we find ourselves amid scenes\nonce familiar but now so changed that we are as strangers in a strange\nland. Through tender ties or weighty interests, often spirits are drawn\nto their former abodes, but Inidor[a:] and I, being, save for some\ndistant kindred, the last of our race, have felt no attraction on Ento\nstrong enough to draw us away from dearer ties. You, perhaps, are aware\nthat we now return for a special purpose, and may the Supreme One aid\nus all in our loving endeavor. This my brother Inidor[a:] will speak\nfor himself.\n\nInidora--I am happy in being a member of this group of earnest, loving\nspirits. Gentol[a:] \u0113man[a:], you are devoting yourself to a grander,\na loftier mission than you have yet been made to understand. Myriad\nspirits of many planetary spirit realms eagerly, anxiously, hopefully\nwatch its progress. From star to star a message has been heralded,\nsummoning angel hosts to unite with us in a mighty effort to tear\nasunder the dense veil of materialism which so long has blinded the\neyes of Ento's despairing ones. To come in the might of their love\nand wisdom, that they may strengthen our hands and make firm our\nfootsteps, while we strive to bring to the children of Ento a knowledge\nof continuous existence. In answer to this message, angel hosts are\ncombining their forces to aid us in the momentous hour which swiftly\napproaches. In that hour your spirit senses will be so unfolded that\nthen you will comprehend what now you but dimly perceive. And may\ndivinest influences aid us in this, as in all righteous undertakings.\n\nGentola--I well know that I do not understand the supreme aim of what\nyou and these friends are pleased to term our mission. It is my nature\nto trust all, or not at all, so, implicitly, I trust you and them,\nbelieving that whatever information may, for the time, be withheld\nfrom me, will be for a kind and wise purpose. At present I am more\ninterested in what you may tell me of yourself and brother than in what\nmay be the special object of bringing me to Ento.\n\nInidora--Our friends approving, it will afford me pleasure to make\nGenessano and myself better known to you. I regret that I do not\nknow your language or you mine but, through our kind interpreter,\nDe L'Ester, we may arrive at a mutual understanding. We are sons of\nGenessano Allis Immo, a former governor of the province of Ond\u00fb, and\nof Camariss[a:], his wife. My brother, Genessano, is but two years\nyounger than myself, and since his birth seldom have we been separated.\nSince passing to our spirit world, at times certain duties have sent us\nfar apart, but ever our mutual affection hastens our return to each\nother's presence. How long have we been on the spirit side? Nearly\nfour centuries of our time. I passed from my physical body first and\nalmost suddenly, and the memory of that hour saddens me even now.\nAs the nearness of approaching death grew into dread certainty, my\nbrother and I frantically clung to each other, our despair that we\nwere about to part to meet no more, finding expression in grievous\nsobs and moans. Even while Genessano held me in his arms, our voices\nblending in entreaties that And\u00fbman[a:] might stay the coming of Phra\n(death) the cruel messenger, my spirit departed from the physical body\nand I was received by our dear parents and friends to be borne into\nour spirit realms and to my own place. I find no words to express my\noverwhelming surprise and joy when I at last realized that I still\nlived, that my adored parents held me to their hearts in rapture\nunspeakable; that dreaded death was but a birth into a higher life.\nAye, life, life, life forevermore. Then very soon we joyfully realized\nthat ere long our beloved one, our Genessano, would be with us. Yes,\nsurely he would be with us, who would watch and wait for him. Often the\nmemory of that wondrous time comes to me and so fills me with ecstatic\nexultation, that had I at my command the combined voices of all the\nangelic hosts I would strive to fill the universe with the amazing, the\npriceless message, life is continuous, life is continuous, for spirit\nis indestructible and unchanging, as is God, who is spirit, and all\nthat is is an expression of the One Divine Being. We waited and watched\nfor the release of this dear brother, our Genessano, for we were aware\nthat his despair that he was left alone and that never again would he\nbehold the forms and faces of his beloved ones was fast sapping his\nvital force and that soon his breaking heart would be stilled and he\nwould be with us. I was not yet strong enough to go to him, but our\nbeloved parents ministered to him, and when he was freed they bore him\nto his beautiful spirit home, where I awaited him. Oh, the rapture\nof that moment, when again I gazed upon the dear, familiar face and\nform of my brother, and the still greater rapture, when his slowly\nunclosing eyes rested upon our adored parents, then, in indescribable\nbewilderment upon me. Not yet could he realize the wonder that had\noccurred. As though he were dreaming, he murmured: \"I--ah--I thought\nI--was dying, I thought--Inidor[a:], my brother Inidor[a:]--leaned\nover me, and my--But I dream--I only--dream. I shall see him no\nmore--no more.\" I stooped and kissed his lips, and he smiled, again\nmurmuring, \"I dream--I dream.\" Again I kissed him, crying to him our\nold time greeting, \"Loha\u00fb, loha\u00fb, Genessano.\" In extreme amazement\nand perturbation, and with widely-opened, affrighted eyes, he gazed\ninto the faces of our parents, and then into mine, and as he gazed his\nwonder grew, but not his comprehension of the marvellous change which\nhad come to him. Tremblingly, incoherently, he cried, \"Father, mother,\nInidor[a:]--oh, pitiful Gods, deceive me not. Do I yet live? Have not I\ndied? Phra, Phra, come quickly and end this dream, which bewilders me\nwith its alluring unreality, which\"---- Again, in joyous tones I cried,\n\"Loha\u00fb, Genassano, loha\u00fb,\" and into his dear eyes grew an expression\nof recognition and of joy so unspeakable that, as he reached toward us\nhis trembling hands, no words fell from his lips, but on his radiant\nface was the smile of one arisen from the depths of despair to the very\nheights of supremest bliss. Then came to him the full realization that\nwe his dearest ones were embracing him, that our tears and laughter,\nour endearing words, were a joyous, a blessed reality. Ah, Gentol[a:],\nyou who have ever known that life is continuous, can little comprehend\nthe depth of the unutterable despair of a people ardent in their\nloving, constant in their affection, but without even a thought that\nlife may not end with death of the body. But the hour is coming,\nquickly coming, when, through a knowledge of the glorious truth of a\nconscious continuity of existence, the shadows ever brooding over the\nlives of our people shall forever flee away.\n\nIf I have spoken at too great length I pray you pardon me. Could you\nspeak the planetary language, which, in your present but partly freed\nstate, you do not remember, we would not be obliged to tax the patience\nof our comrades. As it is I find myself at a disadvantage and must beg\nDe L'Ester's forbearance.\n\nDe L'Ester--Make no apologies, I am at your and Gentol[a:]'s service.\nAs we shall await the return of the family, I suggest that you shall\nrelate to us whatever you may know concerning this gigantic race.\n\nInidora--With pleasure. Long previous to, and during the life of our\nfather, Genessano Allis Immo, this region was a portion of the Province\nof Ond\u00fb, of which, as these friends are aware, my father was r\u00fbh[a:]\n(governor). Later it became, and at this time is, the southernmost\nregion of the Province of Esven\u0113mo. While yet it was a portion of the\nProvince of Ond\u00fb, our father resolved to visit it, and in such ways\nas might appear best, add to the well being of its inhabitants, of\nwhom little was known. Calling together a number of learned persons,\nartisans and laborers, he prepared for the journey. With the eager\ncuriosity of a boy I begged for and received from my ever indulgent\nparents permission to accompany the expedition, which, in an uneventful\nmanner, soon arrived at our destination. We found the country well\nwatered and fertile, and its inhabitants, the Ken\u0113to So\u00fbvanallo,\na gentle, hospitable and industrious race, owning great herds of\nanimals, and cultivating some land, but not to the extent or so well\nas they do now. They occupied rather rudely constructed wooden houses,\nwhich imperfectly protected them from inclement weather, and their\nclothing was as rude as their dwellings. As it was for the purpose of\nteaching Souvanallos better modes of living that our father had come\nto them, he had brought cloths and stores of various materials which\nhe thought might become useful. Artisans and laborers soon throughout\nthe country erected stone dwellings and constructed furniture suited\nto the simple needs of the people. The women were taught to design and\nmake garments of a better fashion than they wore, and to prepare food\naccording to more highly civilized ideas. More thorough communication\nwas established between the singularly isolated race and the different\nprovincial governments, and for the elevation of the people schools\nwere more perfectly organized, in which religious instruction, an\nunderstanding of the laws, industrial arts and educational branches\nshould be taught. Without exception the people were found eager and\nfairly apt in receiving instruction, and while witnessing the result\nof his expenditure of time and means our dear father felt himself\nhighly gratified and more than repaid. When, after the lapse of more\nthan half a year he turned his face homeward, he experienced profound\nsatisfaction in the assurance that he had sowed good seed in a prolific\nsoil.\n\nOnce, previous to our passing into our spirit world, Genessano and I,\nimpelled by both interest and curiosity, visited this region. Great was\nour surprise and pleasure to learn of the rapid progress made by this\nrace. Truly our father had sowed his seed in a prolific soil. Up to\nthe time of his coming among them they rarely had come in contact with\ntheir highly civilized neighbors, only, indeed, when their necessities\nobliged them to barter their wool and pelts for such commodities as\ntheir simple tastes and wants required. After the lapse of but a few\nyears we found them occupying comfortable, and in many instances,\nwell appointed homes, their newly acquired liking for the luxuries of\ntheir neighbors having accelerated their progress in many directions.\nPrevious to the visit of our father only rude vehicles drawn by animals\nwere used for draught and other purposes; now we found well made\nroadways, modern carriages and well tilled fields, yielding grains,\nvegetables and fruits in abundance. Clothing of a finer texture had\nreplaced the former coarse and badly fashioned garments, and the people\nwere earnestly striving for education, and the niceties of polite\nconduct generally were observed.\n\nThrough various sources we have learned that still they are a wholly\npastoral people. Nowhere throughout their country is there a city, town\nor village. There are depots where Air transports deliver and receive\nfreight and travellers, but about these depots there are only the\nnecessary officials and assistants. As an illustration of the average\ncondition of this race this family has been selected. There are others\nof larger means and finer culture, others still of smaller means who\nare refined and well informed. Of all it may be said that they are good\ncitizens, and the good citizen must be a man of many virtues.\n\nDe L'Ester--The family are returning, and in a very hilarious mood.\nAcross the meadow a party of three men and two women also come\nthis way. Giantess waves them a welcome and calls, \"Sist\u00fb, \u0113manos,\nsist\u00fb,\" and they quicken their steps. Gentol[a:], have you ever seen\nan antelope? Yes? Well, Giant carries in his arms a very similar\ncreature. Its large, beautiful eyes are full of alarm, and it bleats\nand struggles to escape, but Giant is not a sensitive person, and\nits bleatings and struggles do not appeal to him, for while Giantess\nand the visitors exchange greetings, he coolly cuts its throat and\ndexterously removes its skin.\n\nThe ladies have retired to the house, leaving the gentlemen to the\nsociety of Giant, who proceeds to dress the slain rimoh, meanwhile\nexchanging with them views upon the topics of the day, which indicates\nthat though they live somewhat apart from the world they are interested\nand informed as to its movements. Poor rimoh is in readiness for the\nattention of the cook, and Giant, escorted by his friends, bears him to\nthe waiting Hildian, who smilingly approves of the appearance of his\nremains, which she quickly dismembers and places in a large cooking\nvessel, adds a quantity of vegetables, seasoning and water, covers\nthe vessel closely and suspends it over the fire. Now, with quite an\nair, she prepares a pudding. We will hope that the family and guests\nmay possess good digestive power, for what with sweets, spices, fruits\nand other ingredients, it promises to be a rich and savory compound.\nGiant fills the brazier with glowing coals, on which Giantess deposits\nthe capacious vessel containing the pudding, and having gotten this\nimportant feature of the feast off her mind, she busily arranges the\ntable and supervises a beverage which Giant is brewing, the guests\nlooking on with evident interest and approval. There are juices of\nfruits, honey and spices, over which he pours boiling water, closing\nthe lid of the great jug to prevent the escape of the spice-laden\nsteam. The combined odors of the stew, the pudding and the fragrant\nbeverage are so alluring that Fen\u0113t[a:], who, on our entrance prudently\nretired to his lair, cautiously crawls out but keeps close to his\nmistress, regarding us with evident distrust and aversion.\n\nGentol[a:], you were wondering if these people use bread. In this\nhigh heaped platter of small, nice-looking loaves is a reply to your\nquery. Giantess is preparing a batter of meal and milk, which she\npours into the stew, stirs it about and removes it from the fire. With\na large fork she lifts the meat on to a huge platter and ladles the\ngravy over it. Into another platter she ladles the vegetables and bears\nto the table the steaming viands. The pudding being done to a turn\nis placed in the centre of the feast, flanked by bowls of honey and\nconfections of fruits, and now Giantess politely and very cordially\nsays: \"Em\u0113ntos, rimoh ouman d\u00fb ran[a:] dos lito, passen tento \u0113voss\u00fb.\"\nIn your language, Gentol[a:], the sense of the invitation would be:\n\"Friends, rimoh and we wish you to partake of our hospitality.\" Giant\nsits at one end, Giantess at the other end of the table. The guest of\nhonor is the white-haired, white-bearded giant at Giantess's left side,\nthe remaining guests occupying the side of the table on her right.\nThe children, who have quietly entered, sit on the opposite side. All\nbeing seated, Giant fills the drinking cups and Giantess serves the\nmeal, which evidently meets with flattering appreciation. Fen\u0113t[a:]\nhas not been neglected, and, as he carefully finishes the remains of a\nbountiful supply of stew, he regards us apprehensively, and retreats\nunder the table.\n\nLeaving these kindly disposed, gentle humans to the enjoyment of the\ngood things, they regard as having been specially provided for them by\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], the Creator of all things, we will bid them adieu.\n\nGentol[a:], George and Inez will bear you to your Earth home and we\nwill attend to a duty demanding our presence elsewhere. But our loving\nthoughts will keep us in touch with you until we shall meet again.\n\nGeorge--Come, sister, rest your hands on our shoulders. You require\nless assistance than formerly. As you are but slightly exhausted\nwe need not hasten. How do we move through space? That I cannot\ndemonstrate to your present understanding. No words can convey to you\nthat which is outside your sense of realization. Not until you shall\nagain become a wholly freed spirit will your consciousness compass this\nand other marvels. So rest satisfied and await such knowledge as in\nthe nature of events must ere long come to you. No, I do not mean in\na month or a year, but after your work shall be ended. Inez, dear, we\nwill pause for a little.\n\nYonder, Gentol[a:], is our planet. See how its luminous envelope pulses\nand palpitates as though imprisoning the throbbing heart of some living\nthing. Imagine some of your learned astronomers, with one or more of\nyour great telescopes, out here in space; do you not think that through\ntheir observations they might arrive at some surprising conclusions?\nWere you less sensitive to possible scientific criticism, Bruno and\nothers might use your organism for a grand purpose, and we are hoping\nthat you may gain sufficient confidence in yourself and spirit friends\nto allow them to give through you some facts now only guessed at.\n\nCan you realize that beyond that luminous veil is your home? It is not\nsurprising that you cannot, for I, whose quickened senses are more\nacute than your own, can scarcely realize that once on the swiftly\nflying globe I, too, dwelt. Where? In England, on an estate near\nthe banks of the Thames. Heretofore no opportunity has favored my\nacquainting you with the story of my Earth life. Now I will briefly\nrelate it.\n\nFor services rendered their sovereign some of my ancestors were\nrewarded with wealth and distinction. Thus the members of our family\nwere regarded as eminently respectable Commoners. My father, who was in\nthe army, was engaged in the War of the Revolution. At its close he\nreturned from America to England and soon afterwards suddenly passed\nto the spirit side, leaving my dear mother a young and handsome widow.\nSome years later, when I was nearly sixteen years old, she became\nthe wife of a titled gentleman, and in less than one year she, too,\npassed to the spirit world, leaving me to the care of my stepfather,\na kind and honorable man. A year later, with a party of youths I went\nboating on the river Thames. Some of the lads, in a mischievous mood,\nbegan rocking the boat from side to side, the remonstrances of the\nmore prudent ones only serving to render them more reckless. One more\nheedless than the others, stood up and shouting, \"Here we go,\" gave\nsuch an impetus to the rocking boat that it was capsized and all were\nthrown into the water. Some of the party could swim, and thus saved\nthemselves and assisted others to the shore. I had nearly reached it\nwhen I discovered that the lad who had caused the catastrophe was\ndrowning, and I turned about to rescue him. Twice he had gone under,\nand as he again came to the surface I seized him by his hair, hoping to\nsustain him and myself until assistance should arrive. In his frantic\nstruggling he caught me about the neck, and I being too exhausted to\nrelease myself, we both were drowned. My quickly freed spirit was by\nits own gravity borne to a realm suited to my condition, and there\nmy dear parents immediately found me and with loving ministrations\nassisted my recovery from the terror of my sudden change from Earth\nlife to the spirit world. Subsequently, they also assisted me in my\nefforts to complete my mortal education, which as you are aware, is a\nrequisite of spiritual growth.\n\nI shall pass over the time intervening between my entrance into the\nworld of spirits and the coming of your infant sister, Inez. Being my\nsoul mate, my dear mother brought her into our home, where she has ever\nremained. When your and Inez's mother came to our side of life she of\ncourse, claimed her daughter. Inez, with a joyful recognition of their\nrelationship, and with the natural love of a child for its mother,\nwas drawn hither and thither, but in the end the law of affinity was\nrecognized by both mother and child, as eventually it became recognized\nby all spirits, and Inez remained with me. Now you know who I am, and\nhow it is that I am your brother, George Brooke.\n\nYes, that is Earth's satellite, the little planet Luna, and it occurs\nto me that from our vantage ground we behold what no astronomer or\nother mortal has ever seen or ever will see through the medium of\nmortal vision. Desolate and well nigh inanimate it indeed is, and\nin coming time, atom by atom, its disintegrated particles will be\nattracted to other combinations of matter, and ages hence a period must\narrive when its shadowy valleys, its frozen waters, its toppling crags\nand cavernous depths will no longer afford a spectacle for the learned\nor the curious. It is the purpose of our Band to some time afford you\nanother series of visits to Luna, so you will pardon me for declining\nto now approach it more nearly.\n\nGentola--It is I who should apologize for having made the request, but\nI so dimly recall what was shown me, that I am curious to again observe\nthe peculiar features of Earth's satellite. May I ask if your Band\nalways journeys together?\n\nGeorge--Always, unless one or more may be detailed for some special\nduty or mission. Yes, together, we repeatedly have visited Venus,\nscintillating yonder like a great diamond on the bosom of space.\nWillingly I would tell you of the grandly beautiful planet, but as I am\naware that our Band has under advisement certain plans relating to it,\nin which it is desired that you shall participate, I do not consider\nit advisable to further speak of it. My dear sister, your mortal\nexistence will yet be so prolonged that you will take many starward\njourneys with us.\n\nHas it occurred to you that this is January 4th, 1893? No? It would\nbe well that all mortals should cease setting up milestones along the\nroadway of life. On our side of life there is only the ever present\nnow. Why? Because, to a degree, spirits realize what mortal mind cannot\ngrasp, the meaning of Eternity.\n\nGentola--Have spirits a knowledge of how long ago Venus or any of\nyonder shining worlds came into existence as worlds?\n\nGeorge--Not the slightest. Why, my sister, the immensity of time that\nhas elapsed since Venus or any of the planets of our Solar System\ncame into our galaxy of worlds is inconceivable, yet, compared with\neternity, their birth was as of yesterday. When I said that spirits\n(and I do not mean all spirits) to a degree realize the _meaning_\nof eternity, I do not wish you to understand that any spirit has a\nconception or realization of the duration of eternity. Yes, I know\nhow flippantly mortals, who have no conception of either, prate of\nGod, of time and of eternity, yet that is less remarkable than the\nstupendous egotism inducing mortals to believe that the Infinite Spirit\nof an Infinite Universe became incarnated in the body of a finite\nhuman creature, that thus to the humans of one small planet (which is\nbut one of a countless number of inhabited planets) certain benefits\nmight be secured and yet once I regarded any other religious belief as\nsacrilegious. What a puerile conception of Infinity, but one on a level\nwith the evolvement of those entertaining it, and spirits constantly\nenter the world of realities who must outgrow this and other mistaken\nconceptions and in numerous instances a long time elapses before they\nyield to the evidences of their experiences. _But, on both the mortal\nand spiritual planes of life_ evolution goes steadily, invincibly\nforward, and inevitably all grow into a clearer comprehension of truth.\n\nGentola--As we need not hasten our, or, rather, my return to Earth, I\nshould like you to tell me how spirits define time, space and spirit.\n\nGeorge--That which never had a beginning, and can never have an\nending, may be denominated Eternity or infinite duration of time,\nand what is termed time as a separation of periods for the purpose\nof making definite statements, or for marking definite occurrences.\nUnderstand, I now am considering your question from a mortal, not a\nspirit standpoint, for, on the spirit side, we are not conscious, in\nthe sense that mortals are conscious, of the divisions of time. As\nneither time or space are dimensional, they can have no real existence\nor recognition, so we do not assume to define that which is not.\nFor purposes of convenience, conscious mortal mind takes cognizance\nof phenomena, _but the subconscious self, the Ego, recognizes only\nrealities_, hence, unlike mortal mind (which is the intelligent human\nanimal soul), bears no relation to the phenomena of so termed time and\nspace. Thus, from a spirit view, neither time or space are definable.\nNeither can angel or archangel define spirit, yet all spirits\nprogressed beyond the first, or Earth sphere, are conscious of their\nspirit being. We are taught by those of higher spheres, and our own\nexperiences teach the same truth, that every progressive step affords\nthe high reward of a clearer consciousness that all spirit entities are\nthe expressions of the One Infinite Spirit, and are one and inseparable\nfrom their origin. Hence, is not it reasonable to assume that if all\nspirits in or apart from physical bodies are inseparable parts of the\nInfinite Spirit, vicarious atonement for sin, which is a misnomer for\nundevelopment, is an uncalled for proceeding.\n\nGentola--I rejoice to say that I have outgrown that belief, but I\nendured years of agony of mind while passing through the process. But,\nGeorge, do the peoples of other planets entertain religious beliefs\nsimilar to those of Christians, Hindus and others of Earth's peoples?\n\nGeorge--None of the peoples of planets we have visited entertain a\nbelief corresponding with the dogmas involving the incarnation and\ncrucifixion of God. Human sacrifices are a concomitant of religious\nsuperstitions of the crude civilizations or dominant ecclesiasticisms\nof many planets. Animal sacrifices of a less cruel, hence of a more\nadvanced state, offerings of grains, fruits, flowers and objects\nof value, of a still higher spiritual unfoldment, while devotional\naspirations and a desire to benefit others, indicate a tendency toward\nrational views of the possible attributes of the Infinite Good.\n\n_All spiritualized humans are of necessity religious_, and all adore\nsuch gods as the degrees of their evolvement fashion. Our Earth peoples\nhave fashioned gods suited to their various immature conceptions, and\nfor the selfish purpose of having their real or fancied wants supplied.\nAll the divinities of all religions are the exact indicators of the\nspiritual status of their worshippers, and as the peoples unfold higher\nspirituality they will oblige their gods to keep pace with them. So\nwill it continue to be and in some coming age Earth's peoples will have\nso evolved as to recognize but one God--the Infinite, All Pervading\nSpirit, in whom all things live, move and have their being.\n\nYes, truly, the Entoans in nearly all ways are more highly evolved\nthan are our Earth peoples, and when the bonds of ecclesiasticism and\nsuperstitious beliefs, shall have been broken they will emerge from\nspiritual darkness into light, casting from them forever the shackles\nwhich have held them in slavery to a dreary, deadening materialism.\n\nGentola--If I should pass to the spirit side, would that interfere with\nwhat you all term our mission?\n\nGeorge--It would prolong the night of Ento's spiritual darkness. Our\nand other spirit Bands have been, and now are, endeavoring to prepare\nsensitives for this and similar missions, but as yet we can only use\nyou for this special work. We find you fitted for it quite beyond our\nhopes and expectations, and now feel assured of entire success. Success\nthat means life for death, joy for sorrow, to the present and coming\ngenerations of Ento.\n\nNot yet, my sister, will you come to our side of life, not until your\nwork shall be finished. We have journeyed so leisurely that night\nshadows are falling over your city of St. Louis. Now we will descend,\nand in good time, for your husband is rapping at your door. A hasty\ngood-bye until we again come for you.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nFIRST APPROACH TO ENTO SENSITIVES\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Good-morning, Gentol[a:]. Our satisfaction over the\ndeparture of your early visitor quite equals your own. You have\nforgotten to lower the shades over the south window, and soon the sun\nwill be shining through the blinds. Sit in the armchair, it is more\nrestful than this armless one. Now, render yourself passive. That is\nwell. As we are late, we will swiftly and directly pass to the country\nof the So\u00fbvanallo.\n\nYes, that is Giant's dwelling and we now are moving directly southward.\nFrom this low altitude we have a fine view of the country, and we\ndesire that you shall speak of whatever may to you appear noticeable.\n\nGentola--In all directions there are extensive plains, with here\nand there forests heavily timbered with enormously large trees and\nundergrowths of shrubbery. Toward the west are numbers of small lakes\nor, perhaps, they may be reservoirs connecting with each other through\nchannels on which are small boats passing to and fro. Far eastward is\na river, flowing southward, and it is the only flowing water within\nrange of my vision. The entire region is dotted with residences and\nother structures. Some are very like the one occupied by Giant and\nhis family, others are more pretentious and picturesque and all are\nsurrounded by orchards, gardens and cultivated fields, in which are\nmany men busily engaged. I see, too, immense herds of grazing animals\nwhich are quite unlike any you yet have shown me.\n\nDe L'Ester--George, we will alight near the herds toward our left, and\nyou, Gentol[a:], will describe the creatures.\n\nGentola--What gentle looking, pretty animals they are. They are twice\nas large as our domestic sheep, and from their heads to the tips of\ntheir short tails they are covered with a close growth of long waved,\nsilken wool. Some herds are white, some brown, others of a light\nreddish, brown, and their hornless heads, large pointed, erect ears,\nand large wide open eyes, give them such a surprised expression that it\nreally is amusing. Even to their cloven hoofs, they resemble, but are\nhandsomer animals than sheep.\n\nDe L'Ester--Your description is accurate. Yes, the creatures,\nnaturally, are hornless; that is why they are known as the Angossa.\nHaving already informed you as to their uses, we will not devote\nfurther time to them. Those bodies of water are, for the most part,\nreservoirs for the retention of the spring over-flow of the river you\nhave seen in the distance. Indeed, all are reservoirs, though formerly\nsome of them were diminutive lakes which have been enlarged. Along\nthe entire length of the river at intervals its banks are pierced by\nchannels through which its surplusage is conveyed into reservoirs\nto be used for irrigation and other purposes. Inidor[a:] informs us\nthat previous to his father's visit to these people their methods of\nirrigation were very imperfect, but quickly they were taught a better\nsystem.\n\nApart from general irrigation, which is a necessary process on this\nleveled planet, you have been informed that there is what is termed\nthe Irrigating and Waterways System; as we journey toward the equator\nwe will cross the northern half of this System, which is about 1,400\nmiles wide, and at present nearly 5,000 in length. The central\nwaterways traverse the equatorial and temperate regions, and in time\nthe system will, through connections with natural water divisions,\nencircle the entire Planet. During the time allotted to our mission\nit will not be practicable to visit the entire planet, so only such\nportions and features of it as may best subserve our purpose will be\nshown you.\n\nThroughout the north and south temperate regions the lands, wherever\npracticable, are cultivated, and densely populated by highly civilized\nand cultured people. Further northward and southward, even within\nthe frigid zones, and under most unpromising conditions, the lands\nare well occupied by educated and refined races, who, possessing a\nknowledge of natural forces, do not so much accommodate themselves to\ntheir environments as that they, to a degree, oblige their environments\nto yield to their requirements. They are not at all nomads, but the\nvicissitudes and exigencies of many centuries of warfare with nature's\npitiless and at times unconquerable forces has developed in them a\nmigratory tendency, hence during the long winter season, through the\nagency of air and other transportation, they in large numbers flit to\nother climes, returning in the spring to their homes and occupations.\nThese races are most interesting and some time you shall visit them.\n\nWe now will move southward. The plateau over which we now are passing\nis the southern boundary of Esvenemo, and a vestige of a once great\nmountain chain extending in a southwesterly direction and forming the\nnorthern boundary of Indolois[a:], which is one of Ento's largest salt\nseas. Is not this a beautiful country? Certainly you have seen nothing\nsurpassing it.\n\nGentola--Truly, I have not, and I wish that I may be able to retain a\nmemory of the wonderfully beautiful land which seems a very paradise.\nThere are fields cultivated like gardens, and gardens amid which are\nfountains and statuary, and there are groves and groups of gigantic\ntrees. The finest, I think, are those great B\u00fbd[a:]s trees, whose\nfeathery foliage is ever in tremulous motion. There are reservoirs like\nminiature lakes, and all are bordered by small, pretty structures, with\nstatuary, trees, shrubbery and blooming plants, and all are surrounded\nby wide paved roadways, over which people in motor vehicles or on foot\nare passing, and overhead air transports, like huge humming birds, are\nrushing in all directions. What an amazing, bewildering scene! I cannot\nconceive of even spirit realms being lovelier than this enchanting view.\n\nDe L'Ester--Of its kind it is very attractive; but you will be shown\nother views much finer. You have mentioned the tremulous motion of\nthe foliage of B\u00fbd[a:]s trees. They are so named because of the\ntremulousness of their leaves.\n\nWe now will move slowly onward. As you perceive, the scenes vary, but\neverywhere are indications of high intelligence, luxury and refined\ntastes. George, again we will pause for a little. What do you now see?\n\nGentola--What do I see? I cannot say. The scene is so unlike anything I\never have beheld that I cannot even attempt to describe it.\n\nDe L'Ester--We have reached the northern limit of the Irrigating and\nWaterways System, and are 700 miles from the equator. Within the\nlimits of this system, the civilization of Ento manifests its highest\nexpression in sciences, arts, literature, mechanics and all that\nconstitutes a very advanced social condition. As we move onward we\nperceive two parallel waterways running diagonally across the equator,\nand they at greater or lesser intervals are intersected by smaller,\nbut navigable, waterways. Those lofty structures are the stations\ncontaining the machinery through which the waterways and irrigating\nsystem is controlled. To such perfection has hydraulic and civil\nengineering been brought, and so adequate are the receiving reservoirs\nthat little if any difficulty is experienced in regulating the water\nsupply of Ento.\n\nAs we already have intimated, owing to Ento's excessively humid\natmosphere and rather high temperature, as spring approaches and\nadvances, the vast accumulations of ice and snow at the North Pole, and\nthroughout the Arctic, Antarctic, frigid and temperate regions, melt\nwith phenomenal rapidity, and water courses, lakes, rivers, canals,\nand waterways are filled to overflowing. Were it not that the soil\nto a great depth is as porous and absorbent as a sponge, even Ento's\nadvanced methods would inadequately cope with its annual floods. The\ngenerally cloudless skies might lead you to suppose that necessarily\nrains must be of rare occurrence; quite the contrary, throughout the\nirrigated equatorial belt and temperate regions you will have occasion\nto observe sudden, frequent, heavy showers, but the porous soil so\nquickly absorbs them that they serve merely as additions to irrigation.\n\nPrevious to the introduction of the Irrigating and Waterways System,\nthe entire equatorial regions largely were arid and unproductive; but\nas the great and beneficent work progressed, and the soil was supplied\nwith life giving streams, vegetation was quickened into immediate\ngrowth, and gradually the then very infrequent rains came to be of\ncommon occurrence, and the lands of the progressing System prolific to\na high degree.\n\nInidor[a:] now will speak of matters which I doubt not will be\ninteresting to all.\n\nInidora--Ere I attempt to continue the conversation I propose that we\nshall pass directly to the height overlooking the City Camariss[a:].\nWith your approval, friends, I will lead the way.\n\nAh, here is a pretty vine covered arbor, in which we may rest while\nI shall endeavor to entertain you. The imposing edifice so grandly\ncrowning this portion of the height marks the site of Genessano's and\nmy ancestral home, of which at another time I may further speak. As\nan introduction to other themes I shall presume to speak of matters\nrelating to personal history. This eminence was in a remote age, a\nlofty spur of the mountain range, a vestige of which we crossed on our\njourney hither, and for centuries its levelled summit was beautified\nby the residences of the governors of this Province of Ond\u00fb, and by\nother structures quite as admirable. After the death of our parents, my\nbrother and I resolved to carry into execution a work contemplated by\nthem, and left to us as a sacred trust. In pursuance of this resolve\nwe decided that our home which had sheltered so many generations of\nour kindred should be demolished, and the height lowered to afford a\nsuitable site for an institution which should be of lasting benefit to\nmany generations of Ento's sons and daughters, and a fitting monument\nto perpetuate the memory of our beloved parents. We lived to see our\nwork only well begun; but in yonder stately edifice we find our plans\nand desires embodied. It is an institution devoted to science, art,\nand other educational purposes of a most comprehensive nature, and is\nwhat our parents contemplated that it should be, the best equipped and\nrichly endowed Galares[a:] of Ento.\n\nAfter the death of his father, our father became hereditary governor\nof this Province of Ond\u00fb, and it was he who conceived and carried into\nexecution the plan of the Irrigating System. The Waterways were an\nafterthought, the result indeed of obvious necessity. You will make\na distinction between the Irrigating and Waterways System, and the\nimperfect methods of irrigation, which for many centuries previous to\nits introduction prevailed over a large portion of the arable lands of\nEnto, and which, owing to adverse conditions ever were unsatisfactory.\nThe new and improved method revolutionized the old practices, and\nour father lived to witness the successful inception and assured\nprogress of an undertaking which promised perpetual prosperity to the\nchildren of Ento, then with a mind at peace with himself and all men,\nhe followed our dear mother, the Lady Camariss[a:], into our world of\nspirits.\n\nThe great and beautiful city covering the slope, and spreading far\neastward, northward and southward, is named Camariss[a:], in honor and\nmemory of our mother. It is at the head of what is termed the Great\nCentral Waterway, and as you perceive it is intersected by canals, on\nwhich small boats carrying passengers, or laden with various wares,\npass to all parts of the city. Over intersections of the canals are\nlight, beautifully constructed bridges, affording passageways for\npedestrians and vehicles of various kinds.\n\nYonder huge vessel coming into view is one of many coming or going\non the Central Waterway. Electricity is the motive power urging it\nswiftly forward. Our friends inform me that on your planet, electrical\nappliances are only coming into general use. On Ento, during many\ncenturies of our time this force has been so well understood that aside\nfrom vibratory and atmospheric forces it has, as a motive power, nearly\nsuperseded all other applied energies. Now the vessel approaches the\ncallois[a:] (landing) and draws alongside. While the busy crew attend\nto their duties the numerous passengers disembark and greetings and\nembraces are exchanged with friends awaiting them.\n\nNow a number of men, women and children also are disembarking and\nunder guidance of an official of the Galares[a:] they are coming this\nway. It is apparent that they all are natives of a Southland town,\nknown as Kyf\u00fb. They will attend courses of special instruction in the\nGalares[a:], and, when qualified, will return to their own people to\nserve as teachers in industrial and other vocations. This is a custom\nwhich has long existed on Ento. You perceive, Gentol[a:], that they are\nfair skinned, blue or brown eyed, brown haired, of medium height and\nof a more vivacious manner than are our darker complexioned peoples.\nYes, they will reside in the Galares[a:] until sufficiently educated\nto assume the duties of instructors. What did I mean by medium height?\nWhy, that they are not so tall as are Genessano and myself, whose\naltitude is above seven English feet.\n\nLooking downward over this terraced slope, with its many statues,\nfountains, and stately and beautifully picturesque dwellings, embowered\namid trees and flower laden vines, it is difficult to realize that once\nnear this spot was our home. All is changed, but, as the improvement\nis as great as the change, my brother and I experience no regret. At\nthe time of our passing into our spirit world this beautiful city was\nscarcely a promise of what it long has been, one of Ento's finest and\nmost populous cities.\n\nThe imposing structures crowning the height to the north and south\nare devoted to educational and beneficent purposes, and all, in their\nseveral ways, are very admirable, but through personal reasons my\nbrother and I are more interested in yonder Galar\u0113s[a:] than in other\ninstitutions, and we feel assured that within its walls we all shall\nfind much that will be pleasing and instructive. If it may please you,\nfriends, we will turn our steps in that direction.\n\nNowhere on Ento is there a more beautiful or imposing edifice than is\nthis great Galar\u0113s[a:]. The grand flights of steps leading up to the\nspacious porticos, with their golden domed roofs, supported by many\nlofty, massive, flower crowned columns, present a most harmonious and\npleasing effect. The group surmounting the roof of the central portico\nrepresents the forms of eminent Entoans. In the admirable statue at\nthe front of the portico is a faithful representation of our father\nGenessano Allis Immo, as he appeared during the middle years of his\nmortal existence. He was, and is a man of noble and gracious mien, with\nfeatures as harmoniously beautiful as a musical chord, and though of\nunusually lofty stature, he is so finely molded as to leave nothing\nfurther to be desired. As you may perceive my brother Genessano closely\nresembles our father, and in spirit they are two entities, with one\nthought. Nay, my brother, I do not overrate you, for like our father\nyou are an embodiment of all the virtues and graces.\n\nThis Galar\u0113s[a:], having been built nearly four Ento centuries ago,\nits architecture is unlike that of the more modern style of some of\nthe structures to the north and south, but to my taste it compares\nmore than favorably with either of them. The rotunda, which we now are\nentering, De L'Ester will be good enough to describe.\n\nDe L'Ester--From foundation to apex its height is quite two hundred\nfeet, its diameter little less than half its height. Looking upward we\nperceive that the upper portion, including the domed roof, is filled in\nwith glass of a soft opalescent tint, through which the sun's rays fall\nwith a pleasing radiance. As we cannot avail ourselves of the lifting\napparatus we will, like mortals, try the experience of ascending the\nstaircase, which winds and climbs upward around the walls to the\nlandings, opening into balconies, until this topmost one is reached,\nand as it encircles the dome it affords a comprehensive view of the\nlandscape. Yes, the view is really fine. Far westward and southward\nextends the waters of yonder inland sea, which is but little less than\nthe largest salt sea of Ento. So tranquil are its waters that scarcely\na ripple disturbs its sparkling surface. What a number of small boats\nare gliding hither and thither. Some of the occupants appear to be on\npleasure bent, and the western breeze bears to us musical notes of\nstringed instruments.\n\nThe great vessels coming, going or lying by the piers, extending\nfar outward from the eastern shore, are of the same class as those\ntraversing the waterways and large bodies of water with which they\nconnect. They are most scientifically and stanchly built, and as on\nEnto's waters dangerous gales seldom occur, and their motive power is\nelectric, they rarely are exposed to the destructive forces of storms,\nor of fire. Then, too, Ento's ethereal signal system is so perfect that\ncollisions never occur. Indeed, by the Entoans accidents are regarded\nas little less than crimes. Life is considered so sacred, and death so\ndeplorable that all possible precautions are taken to preserve the one,\nand ward off the other. Inidor[a:], you will kindly resume.\n\nInidora--Genessano and I remember seeing the same kind of vessels\nplying between this and other ports. At that time Indolois[a:]'s\neastern shore was further away, and with surprise we note how its\nwaters have encroached upon the land. I am informed that in your\ntongue Indolois[a:] would be quiet or tranquil water. Compared with\nother large bodies of water it is tranquil, yet I have seen it very\ntempestuous indeed. Yonder massive sea wall is being constructed for\nthe purpose of arresting its aggressive waters, which have bitten\ndeeply into its eastern and northern shores. De L'Ester says that some\nof your astronomers have decided that the surface of Ento is about\nequally divided between land and water. In a sense, this is true, but\nits natural divisions of water fall far short of occupying one-half\nof its surface. Considered as a whole, the made areas fully equal\none-third of the natural water areas of our planet. At other times we\nmay call your attention to this matter, so for the present we will pass\nit by.\n\nIndolois[a:] is a very salt body of water, but during the season of\nfloods its volume being enormously increased, it, of course, is less\nso. Were it a fresh water sea long ago the plateau would have been\npierced to form a connection between it and the Central Waterway. As\nit is, it is included in the System, interchange of transportation\nbeing as you perceive, effected by means of both air transportation\nand soitz\u0113n[a:] (tramways). We now will descend, but before proceeding\nfurther De L'Ester has something to say to you.\n\nDe L'Ester--I indeed have something to say to you, and am somewhat\nat a loss how to word it. From time to time we have intimated to you\nthat our purpose in bringing you to Ento, is that we may use you as\nan instrument through whom we hope to accomplish a certain mission,\ntrusting that its gradual unfoldment might induce in you a willing\nacquiescence with our desires until now we have deferred acquainting\nyou with our entire purposes. Be assured, Gentol[a:], that your\npersonal safety and welfare is to us as sacred as is our mission, and\nwe pray you to trust yourself unreservedly to our care and guidance.\n\nGentola--I confess that you startle me, but as I already have said, it\nis my nature to trust all, or not at all, and I hope that the success\nof this mission may be as unbounded as is my faith in you all.\n\nDe L'Ester--Then understand that in the lecture hall we now are\nentering an important step is to be taken, and now we will attempt it.\nOn yonder slightly raised platform are several scholarly, dignified,\nfine looking professors, one of whom has just ceased addressing the\nyouths and maidens about the hall. With their spiritual and mental\nstates we have made ourselves acquainted, and we know that three\nof those youths are highly sensitive. As a subject for our first\nexperiment we have chosen the handsome, grave looking youth, clothed\nin dark blue. Remain where you are, we will approach and address him.\nYou perceive that he is not aware of our presence. Now you, who are not\nso etherealized as ourselves, will stand by his side, repeating to him\nwhat I shall say to you.\n\nGentola--Commist[a:] estand\u00fb, Ento lisson?\n\nDe L'Ester--He starts, looks about him in great surprise, and\ninvoluntarily replies, \"R\u0113vol antiss[a:], Ento \u0113man[a:].\" Professors\nand students stare at him inquiringly.\n\nGentola--Indolois[a:], esto [a:] fond\u00fb, comprano gardo, \u0113von non ista\nparo mano. G[a:]-fon vos tran ist[a:] Gand\u00fblan[a:]. Gand\u00fblanos inos\nest[a:] companist[a:] r\u0113mond\u00fb. Illo \u0113mano, Illo.\n\nDe L'Ester--Trembling and amazed he springs to his feet, crying,\n\"Who speaks to me? Who speaks to me?\" This youth, L\u0113ta Verronadas,\nis both clairvoyant and clairaudient, but cannot yet perceive wholly\nfreed spirits. Neither does he quite clearly perceive you, but he\nis developing rapidly, and soon will both see and hear in a manner\nthat will greatly surprise himself and others. You wish to know what\nyou said to him, and the sense of his replies? You asked, \"How are\nyou, Ento lad?\" He replied, \"Very well, Ento friend.\" You remarked,\n\"Indolois[a:] oversteps its bounds. Like some huge serpent it\nstealthily crawls onward. Serpents are treacherous. Remember, friend,\nremember.\"\n\nThe commotion is disturbing conditions. Quickly approach the student\nclothed in purple. He is Dano And\u00fbl\u0113sa, son of Prince Basto And\u00fbl\u0113sa,\nand is destined to be one of the chief instruments for the spiritual\nenlightenment of Ento's sorrowful peoples. He is so highly sensitive\nthat already he perceives your presence, and glances about in an\ninquiring and perplexed manner. Touch his head with the tips of your\nfingers. Now he sees you, and oblivious of his surroundings, he\ntremblingly exclaims: \"Emana \u00fbts[a:] istan t[a:] \u00fbfan val? Efon foist\u00fb\nlan[a:] \u0113dos[a:].\"\n\nGentola--Emano, Ento nouist[a:] m\u00fb[a:] vilo. Efon par[a:] nos oirand\u00fb\nl\u00fbtza kiaf\u00fb z\u0113tos antista.\n\nDe L'Ester--Confusion reigns. The professors imagine that L\u0113ta and\nDano have been attacked by sudden illness, and with much solicitude\nthey question the youths, who are greatly agitated, and who are\ngently advised to walk in the open air until they regain composure.\nWhat did Dano say? He asked, \"From whence come you, friend?\" Then he\nregarded you very earnestly, and remarked, \"I do not recognize you.\"\nYou replied, \"Friend, Ento is not my home, I am of another world than\nthis.\" Later on, Gentol[a:], you and these youths will know each other\nbetter, for both L\u0113ta and Dano are instruments chosen to assist in\nthe accomplishment of our mission, and the result of this experiment\ngives us assurance of a degree of success we scarcely have dared to\nanticipate. At present conditions are too disturbed to attempt further\nexperiments.\n\nObserve this large assemblage of students, for they fairly represent\nthe various races of Ento. Sitting somewhat apart from the others,\nand near yonder great vase of flowers, there is a golden-haired,\nblue-eyed, fair-skinned son of a race dwelling in a Northland, known as\nQuend. His name is Fav\u0113on Myssonda, and he also is both clairvoyant\nand clairaudient. The average stature of the Quends is a trifle less\nthan that of the darker races of Ento. They are a very symmetrically\nformed and handsome race, and they excel in intellectual and artistic\npursuits. Their women are exceedingly gracious and graceful, and are\nknown as Rud\u0113vos Quend[a:][a:]. (Beautiful Quend women.)\n\nAs far back as their history can be traced, this race has guarded\nits purity of lineage, permitting no intermarriage with other races.\nGenessano has related to us a characteristic event which occurred\nduring his mortal existence. Adjoining Quend Province on the east is\nthe province named Zand\u00fb. The Zand\u00fbs are also a fair-skinned race,\nwho for many centuries have been noted as manufacturers of rich\ntextile fabrics. A Quend woman, and a Zand\u00fb gentleman, both persons of\ndistinction, loved and desired to wed. This the Quend custom utterly\nforbade. In this strait the lovers appealed to the Supreme Ruler,\nTyvon Oiranz[a:], but it was not within his province to interfere in a\ndomestic affair. Being more ardent than prudent, the lovers resolved to\ndefy consequences, and the lady fled with, and wedded the man of her\nchoice. The Quends demanded her restoration to her own family. This the\nZand\u00fbs refused, and a bitter strife ensued, during which the husband\nand some others were killed, or injured, and the lady was recovered and\nconsigned to perpetual seclusion. This affair put an end to exploits of\nthis nature, and up to this time the Quends remain an unmixed race.\n\nDano and L\u0113ta are returning, but their nervous, disturbed manner\nindicates that they have not quite regained composure. It is not\ndesirable that they shall still sense our presence, so we will draw\nfurther away from them.\n\nTo all Entoans this is a memorable day, for it is the anniversary of\nthe birth of one of the most noted personages of comparatively modern\ntimes, and as it will be observed by all connected with the Galar\u0113s[a:]\nyou will be afforded the privilege of seeing male and female\nrepresentatives of the various races of Ento. The great hall is filling\nto repletion with youths, maidens and their relatives and friends, and\nprofessors and teachers are crowding the spacious rostrum. One of the\nprofessors is about to address the quiet, attentive assemblage. You\nalso will be attentive, while to the best of my ability I shall attempt\nto translate into your language, what he may say.\n\nProfessor--Children of the Supreme One, through whose will you and\nall things have come into existence, it is my privilege and my\npleasure to address you this day upon a theme ever dear to the hearts\nof the children of Ento. You are of various races, and your diverse\nsurroundings have to a degree engendered in your minds a diversity\nof ideas, still, I doubt not that all present yield ready obedience\nto the will of And\u00fbman[a:], whose laws control all things. Although\nour Holy Religion permits a certain freedom of thought and action,\nit is of paramount importance that the unformed minds of our youths\nand maidens shall be trained to think and act aright. To this end all\ninstruction should tend, and all examples of right living should serve\nas incentives for righteous endeavor.\n\nIn the beginning it pleased And\u00fbman[a:] that his children should be\nunlearned, beyond what might be necessary for self preservation and\nfor their happiness, well knowing that knowledge acquired through\nlaborious and painful experiences would be to them as valued treasures\nearned at great cost. Since remotest times these treasures have been\naccumulating, until now, we, who are the inheritors of all the past,\nare rich, not only in knowledge, but in memories of noble deeds of\ngreat and admirable men and women. On this commemorative occasion I\nshall attempt to repeat the story of one whose name ever will be set\nabove and apart from all other names. It is the story of one whose\ndeeds ever will call forth the loving homage due to an illustrious\nbenefactor of Ento's children. It is the story of one of the greatest\nmen of any time. To him not only do we owe the prosperity of our\nbeautiful lands, but to Genessano Allis Immo and his most admirable\nwife, the Lady Camariss[a:], we also owe our love and gratitude for\nthe creation of this, the greatest of Ento's institutions. True, ere\neven its foundations were laid, they were in the voiceless silence,\nbut it was through their wise and generous munificence that means were\nprovided wherewith their two sons, Inidor[a:] and Genessano, might\ncarry into effect their wishes, thus perpetuating the memory of their\nbeloved parents and conferring upon the children of Ento an inestimable\nbenefit.\n\nGenessano Allis Immo's greatest achievement, which, as I have\nsaid, will set him above and apart from the renowned ones of the\npast, present and future, was his conception and execution of the\nIrrigating and Waterways System. It is a subject of history that many\nRyzo-entev[a:][a:] (centuries) preceding the period in which Genessano\nAllis Immo's father, Apsidon Genessano Allis Immo, was governor of\nthis province, Ond\u00fb (which then, as now, extended from the western\nshore of Indolois[a:] to the eastern shore of Gand\u00fblan[a:] Lois[a:] and\nnorthward and southward from Bascam[a:] Lois[a:] to T[a:]imon), not\nonly this province, but the provinces of the entire central regions\nhad, through the action of natural forces, grown more and more arid\nand unproductive, and that gradually, in despair of a betterment of\ntheir condition, multitudes had deserted homes and country for more\nhospitable regions. Eventually it became lamentably apparent that\nif the lands could not in some way be retrieved, at no very distant\ntime the central regions must become entirely depopulated. The peoples\nwho still tenaciously clung to homes and country, having, through no\nfault of their own, grown impoverished and unable to longer passively\nsilently endure the hopeless situation, became not only discontented\nbut to an extent rebellious against the ruling powers, ascribing to\nthem lack of wisdom as well as lack of interest in the general welfare.\nAt this critical juncture Apsidon Genessano Allis Immo passed into the\nsilence, and his son Genessano Allis Immo became hereditary governor of\nOnd\u00fb.\n\nAt the very outset of his official career, two grave matters confronted\nhim. Gradually, during the past centuries in Indolois[a:]'s basin had\nbeen deposited the disintegrated substances of the lessening mountain\nrange and the wreckage of other parts carried into it by the annual\nfloods. As its bed raised, its waters encroached upon the lands to the\nwest and south and Genessano Allis Immo realized that this disastrous\nand alarming condition must be remedied. The other and more momentous\nmatter was the ever increasing aridity of the lands of the central\nregions. Genessano, the wise one, rose equal to these perplexing\nconditions. Hastening to the capitol, he conferred with the supreme\nruler, Tyvon Oiranza, and his Council of State, who, being impressed\nnot only with the necessity for immediate and vigorous action, but by\nhis comprehensive grasp of the very serious situation, at once issued a\nproclamation to the R\u00fbh[a:]s (governors) of all the provinces, eminent\nengineers and other learned ones to immediately repair to the capitol\nin order that, if possible, their united wisdom and knowledge might\nfind a solution of existing calamities. The congress being convened,\nGenessano Allis Immo addressed the assemblage. On this occasion it\nis not fitting to give more than the substance of his oration. Amid\nprofound silence and strained attention he said: \"Our gracious and\nSupreme Ruler has called to this congress those upon whom he relies,\nas being devoted to the interest of the peoples of our beloved Ento.\nUpon your combined wisdom and knowledge he also relies, as being the\nfoundation upon which he hopes to build for the future prosperity\nand happiness of our children and their descendants. To the R\u00fbh[a:]s\nof the several provinces of Ento I, your co-worker, offer a loving\ngreeting. To you, the learned ones of Ento, I proffer my profoundest\nconsideration. To you all it is known that Indolois[a:]'s waters\nencroach upon the lands along its western and southern shores. From an\ninconvenience this condition has grown into a menace. What shall be\ndone to avert it? We rely upon your united wisdom and skill to find a\nremedy.\n\n\"It is, alas, a woful, an overwhelming fact that gradually natural\nagencies have changed the surface of Ento, more especially the surface\nof the central regions, until now the soil is so arid and unproductive\nthat poverty and consequent discontent of the peoples is leading\nto their depopulation. Is it possible for science, aided by self\nsacrifice, by unlimited means, by unremitting labor, to restore the\nvanquished fertility of the lands of the vast, desolated area? It is my\nthought by day, my dream of the night, as to how the glory, beauty and\nprosperity of past times may be restored to them. We know that ere long\nwe must go into the silence, but And\u00fbman[a:] will create, and others\nof his children will reap that which we shall sow. Teach us, ye wise\nand learned ones, that we may sow to be remembered as benefactors and\nnot as foolish and unkind ones who have gone into the silence leaving\na heritage of barren fields, of poverty and wretchedness.\" Genessano\nAllis Immo then laid before the congress his plans for deepening and\nconfining the waters of Indolois[a:] and also for the reclamation of\nthe lands of the central regions. At first both plans were considered\nimpracticable, but, after much thought and careful calculation, the\nSupreme Ruler and the entire Assemblage came to regard them favorably.\nThe very necessities of the situation created in their minds and in\nthe minds of the people a sort of enthusiasm and ere long the gigantic\nundertaking was inaugurated. Thus far the results have been beneficent\nbeyond all expectation. Of that all are aware, but of the inevitable\ndifficulties and discouragements attached to the earlier years of\nwhat, at the best, was considered a stupendous experiment, we can form\nno estimate. True, the people, understanding that upon its success\ndepended their well being and that of their posterity, gave willing\nco-operation, but so many difficulties and exigencies occurred that\nmany times Genessano's firm will and loving heart well nigh failed him.\nThen it was that his spouse, the amiable and lovely Camariss[a:], stood\nunswervingly by his side.\n\nIt is related that during this critical and trying period she gathered\nabout her many women of lofty station, of youth and loveliness, and\nthat she and they made it their duty to go among the laborers, bearing\nto them cordials and palatable viands and so cheering and encouraging\nthem by their sympathy and gracious presence that the work progressed\nwith such astonishing rapidity that at the end of m\u0113os elips[a:]a\n(three years) the waters of the great storage reservoirs and of\nBascam[a:] Lois[a:], flowed southward, irrigating a considerable\narea of arid land, which burst into verdure and bloom as though\nnewly touched by And\u00fbman[a:]'s creative hands. This demonstration\nso quickened the enthusiasm of all concerned that thereafter\ndiscouragements and uncertainty had not to be combated.\n\nIn planning the irrigating system, Genessana Allis Immo did not include\npossible waterways, much less our great system of waterways, but as\nthe work progressed the necessity for providing further storage for\nthe annual over-flow became apparent, and it was Genessano Allis\nImmo's comprehensive mind that conceived the idea of turning to\nadvantage that which at first seemed a deplorable requirement. The\nidea once conceived, its utility was quickly perceived and with great\ndetermination and vigor the added enterprise was quickly under way.\nThat it has been and ever will be of incalculable service and profit to\nEnto is obvious.\n\nToward the close of the seventh year (ofen elips[a:][a:]) the\nIrrigating and Central Waterways System reached Gand\u00fblana Lois[a:],\nthence eastward through the province of Wy[a:]mo and onward the work\nhas continuously been prosecuted. Ere Genessano Allis Immo passed into\nthe silence, as the results of his grandly conceived and executed\nplans he beheld fertile fields yielding rich abundance and growing\ncommunities of industrious, contented people surrounding themselves\nwith the luxuries and refinements of prosperous conditions. He lived\nto realize that even as a child nestles in the arms of its mother, so\nwould the thirsty lands of his beloved Ento nestle in the encircling\nembrace of the life giving element. He lived to behold the infant\ncity Camariss[a:] smiling downward upon the sparkling waters of the\nCentral Waterway, with its many outreaching arms. He lived to see great\nvessels traversing the waterway between Camariss[a:] and Gand\u00fblan[a:]\nLois[a:]. He lived to see his adored wife, the Lady Camariss[a:], whose\nvirtues and beauty were themes for poets, painters and sculptors,\npass into the dread silence, while over her beloved form rained his\nand their two sons' woful tears. He yet lived to see the basin of\nIndolois[a:] greatly deepened and confined by strong embankments and\nstronger walls. He lived until he arranged for the erection of this,\nthe greatest of Ento's Galar\u0113s[a:]s, then with the quiet resignation\nof one who has wisely and lovingly fulfilled the will of And\u00fbman[a:],\nhe too was no more. Passing into the silence he left his two young\nsons to perpetuate his and their mother's name and honors. As R\u00fbh[a:]\n(governor) of Ond\u00fb, Inidor[a:], the elder son, emulated the virtuous\nexample of his revered father, and Genessano, the younger son, who\nin resemblance and characteristics was very like his father was his\nbrother's inseparable companion. It is related of them that the life\nof one seemed inseparably involved in the existence of the other.\nAs two vigorous saplings growing side by side, their leafy boughs\nso interlaced as to cast but one shadow, so were the lives of the\ntwo youths interblended. The thought of one was the thought of both.\nThe desire of either one found fullest response in the heart of the\nother. It was the will of And\u00fbman[a:] that Inidor[a:] while yet in\nearly manhood should cease to exist. His brother Genessano, bereaved\nand inconsolable, unable to endure the despair of knowing that no\nmore should he behold the dear face and form of the brother he loved\nso well, that nevermore should he hear the voice that was to him as\nsweetest music, also soon passed into the silence from whence, alas,\ncometh no faintest whisper of our lost, our beloved dead.\n\nBeing the last representatives of their direct family line, and dying\nunwedded, the title and office of governor reverted to the general\ngovernment, whose Supreme Ruler was Vestamon Oiranz[a:], whose father,\nTyvon Vestamon Oiranz[a:], had recently passed into the silence.\n\nThis great Galar\u0113s[a:] was only well begun when the deaths of\nInidor[a:] and Genessano left to others the completion of their\nparents' and their own plans. Those who took up the work which death\nhad obliged them to lay down, took it up lovingly, reverently,\nnot as a burdensome task, but as a great and precious trust, whose\nfaithfulest fulfillment should be reckoned no higher than a simple duty\nto the memory of the generous dead. Ah me, were life continuous with\nwhat gracious approval might they not regard this grand institution\nwhich, like the radiant beams of And\u00fbman[a:]'s glorious abode, blesses\nall alike? To us the memory of Genessano Allis Immo, of the Lady\nCamariss[a:] and their two sons has been handed down through song and\nstory. On yonder flower wreathed pedestals their sculptured images\nform lovely groups. Seldom, if ever, has And\u00fbman[a:] given to Ento\nfour such adorable children. Alas, that such admirable beings should\nhave forever perished. Alas, that there is no perpetuity of existence.\nWere it possible for father, mother and sons to revisit their former\ndomain, and this institution dedicated to their memory, would not it\nenhance their happiness to learn how far reaching is the blessing which\ntheir beneficence has conferred upon the sons and daughters of Ento?\nOn this memorial day let us resolve to strive to profit by the example\nof these illustrious ones, and though we may not hope to attain to the\ngreatness of their exalted characters, in some degree we may merit the\nbenediction of their wise and generous munificence.\n\nIt is written that the mighty gods are immortal, and may not\nAnd\u00fbman[a:] in some blest abode still continue the existence of those\nwhose lives were so nearly Deific? Only And\u00fbman[a:] knoweth. Our sacred\nwritings contain no revelation relating to such momentous questions,\nneither have our priesthood; whose lives are most virtuous and exalted,\nany knowledge concerning a possible continuity of existence, and to our\ndespairing importunings the mighty gods make no reply. But this we do\nknow, that the good and evil deeds of men are as seed sown broadcast.\nHas good seed been sowed? Then shall golden sheaves of a bounteous\nharvest be gathered. Have noxious seeds been cast upon the bosom of the\nwind to be wafted into the highways and byways? Then shall the unwise\nsower gather his harvest in weariness and sorrow.\n\nDear youths and maidens, and you of maturer years, on this\ncommemorative occasion it will be well that we shall begin anew to sow\nthe seeds of righteous conduct, of loving thoughts, of generous deeds,\nof helpful care for all who need our best service, for are not we all\nthe children of And\u00fbman[a:], the Creator of all that is? Then when we,\ntoo, shall pass into the silence, may we leave in the minds and hearts\nof those who may succeed us, memories as sweet as the fragrance of\nthese rodel blooms, which now we will lay upon And\u00fbman[a:]'s altar, in\nrecognition and remembrance of His love for having given to Ento those\nwho surely were His most admirable children.\n\nDe L'Ester--Were it not so touching, it might be amusing to watch the\nfaces of Inidor[a:] and Genessano, but so worshipful is their love\nfor their parents that they, like the assemblage, accord to them the\nfullest measure of their admiring homage. How, as those dignified,\ngentle mannered professors, followed by students and visitors from many\nlands, reverently go toward the Istoir[a:] to lay their flower offering\nupon the altar dedicated to And\u00fbman[a:] and His Messengers, the Deific\nones, one is filled with wonder that despite the hopeless creed of\nthese people, their faces wear an expression of serene composure.\n\nGentola--Yes, their faces do wear a look of serenity, but to my mind\nthey also wear an expression of profound pathos. Their faces also\nexpress much intelligence, refinement and spirituality. Though when one\nrealizes that they have no conception of the indestructible ego, the\nlatter terms seems misapplied.\n\nThose wonderfully beautiful, gentle, graceful and gracious youths and\nmaidens are quite unlike the vivacious, self-assured young people of\nsome portions of our planet. If the lesson of to-day has in their\nhearts found as full a response as it has found in my own, the\nprofessor will not have spoken in vain.\n\nWhat a grand thing it is to have lived to such splendid purpose as have\nGenessano Allis Immo, the Lady Camariss[a:], and these, their sons.\n\nDe L'Ester--Truly so, and grander still that they continue to exist,\nand that through their lofty spirituality they exert over the minds of\nthe Entoans an incalculable influence.\n\nWe now also will proceed to the Istoir[a:]. Yes, it is a pleasing\nceremony. Scarcely less white than the marble altar are the fragrant\nrodel blooms laid on it by students and visitors, as they reverently\nsalute the stately statue of Genessano Allis Immo, crowning its\nsummit. This ceremony closes the observances of the present hour,\nand the assemblage is quietly dispersing. In the hall we will await\ntheir return. You have observed that a gentle seriousness is a marked\ncharacteristic of all the Entoans you have seen, and I will add that\npathos is the minor chord of their being ever moaning out an appeal\nfor that light whose radiance alone can pierce the veil between mortal\nconsciousness and the spirit side of life.\n\nGentola--Inidor[a:], the more I see of your people the greater is my\nsurprise that in certain directions their knowledge is so limited.\nFor instance, it seems very strange that such intelligent, and as I\nhave been informed, such learned persons, as many of them are, have\nnot, despite all obstacles, some accurate knowledge of the science of\nastronomy.\n\nInidora--Civilization and its expressions are not always along\nstraight or even lines. Thus, a people, in certain directions, may have\nevolved to a lofty plane, while, through the retarding influences of\nspecial environments, they, in other directions, may have progressed so\nslowly as to have for a time remained practically inert. This condition\napplies to the Entoans, who, though spiritually and intellectually,\nhighly evolved, have been for a time, and yet are, through the\nretarding influences of special mental environments, in a state of\nspiritual inertia.\n\nThrough ancient records and yet more ancient Ento spirits we have\nlearned that centuries previous to the establishment of our national\nreligion, the arts and sciences had attained a high degree of\nexcellence, and that among the different races were various phases of\nreligious beliefs, with universal tolerance of the same. That among\nthe learned ones were some who asserted that Ento was but one of many\nworlds, and that through means of certain instruments these persons\nattempted to prove their sacrilegious theories. But at the time of the\nestablishment of the national religion all these wild and reprehensible\nfancies were set aside as unholy and as tending to invalidate the\nstatements of the Sacred Writings.\n\nFrom what our friend Bruno and some ancient spirits of your spirit\nspheres have related to me it appears that on your planet in a very\nremote period civilization was in a very advanced state and that a\npeople known as the Chaldeans were learned in astronomy, chemistry\nand other sciences and also were wonderful seers. That one Aromanes\ncalculated the procession of the equinoxes and the occurrences of\neclipses. Sosthene, another Chaldean, with whom I am personally\nacquainted, calculated very accurately the distances of the planets\nof our solar system from the Sun and their revolutions about it. Yet\nmany centuries later, through religious intolerance, our dear friend\nBruno was burned to death for like assertions. Thus you perceive that\nthe Entoans are not exceptional in not having evolved equally in all\ndirections. Even after the establishment of our national religion, from\ntime to time, daring and irreverent seekers after knowledge attempted\nto teach the people strange doctrines, subversive of established\nbeliefs. One declared that the shining points in space were worlds\nlike Ento and that And\u00fbman[a:] having created them he perhaps also\nhad peopled them as he had peopled Ento. And, heresy of heresies, one\nSivonadas more than hinted that the children of Ento had evolved from\nlower life forms. Such pernicious teachings could not be tolerated, and\neffective means were used to efface them. An instance illustrative of\nattempts to break up the shackles of ecclesiasticism I will at another\ntime relate to you.\n\nTo you the religious beliefs of the Entoans appear extremely\nsuperstitious, as indeed they largely are, yet, if I may draw a\nconclusion from what I have learned relating to the many faiths of\nEarth's peoples, I do not perceive that they have, as a whole, come\ninto a truer conception of the Infinite One who is the sum total of all\nspirituality than have the peoples of this and many other planets.\n\nReligious creeds and observances, albeit the expressions of states\nof civilization, to an extent retroact as restraints, if not actual\nbarriers to progress, and rarely are the spiritual impulses of a people\nforceful enough to divert into new channels the extreme conservatism\nof established religions. Thus, though during later centuries the\nspiritual impulses of the Entoans have been greatly intensified,\nthey tenaciously have clung to their hopeless beliefs as being the\nonly known channel through which their spiritual energy might find\nexpression. Like children learning to walk alone, they have not dared\nto let go of one support while no other has been within reach.\n\nBelieving absolutely that Ento and all pertaining to it are special\ncreations of And\u00fbman[a:], the Supreme One, whose glorious abode is in\nDiafon \u0113voiha (the Sun), whose beams are effulgent and life giving\nbecause they are reflections of His majesty and power, and that beyond\nthe screen of the fleecy clouds is Astranol[a:], where dwell His\nmessengers, who note and bear to Him a record of the thoughts and deeds\nof His children. Believing that Phra (death) the dread God, surely\nwill destroy those who may be sacrilegious enough to question the\nstatements of the Sacred Writings, or who may attempt to peer into the\ndwelling place of the Gods, or to search into forbidding mysteries.\nBelieving that life, the jewel beyond price, is prolonged through\nstrict obedience to the commands of And\u00fbman[a:], which, through His\nmessengers have from time to time been revealed to the priesthood, who\nare the chosen custodians of all truth; believing all this, and more,\nthe Entoans are not likely to forsake old beliefs until they are shown\nthe way to a truer, happier faith. That spiritually, they are prepared\nto accept a happier, more rational faith, is beyond question, and that\nthe time and means are at hand for this glorious consummation we do not\nfor a moment doubt.\n\nDe L'Ester--From what Inidor[a:] has said you may infer that he does\nnot regard civilization as a result of religious concepts. Neither\ndo we, for, through observation and experience, we have learned that\nit is despite religious concepts, which invariably are more or less\nerroneous, that the spirituality _innate_ in the spiritualized human,\nimpels the forward progress of civilization, which means clearer\nrecognition of truth, hence a clearer, higher conception of the all\npervading Infinite Spirit.\n\nSpirit, recognized or unrecognized, is the positive, potential,\nintelligent force of the universe, whose energies ceaselessly,\nunerringly turn the wheels of evolution. So called decadence of\ncivilizations is but the recouping of spiritual forces adjusting\nthemselves to changing conditions. All man inhabited planets\nnecessarily pass through similar experiences. Like the alternate\nflowing and ebbing of ocean's tides are the advancements and\nretrogressions of civilizations, both being a fulfilling of natural\nlaw, whose infinite, intelligent, forceful activities are known by many\nnames. From very advanced ancient spirits of Ento and Earth we have\nlearned of civilizations of both planets adorned by arts, sciences\nand social conditions of a high order, but of an antiquity so remote\nthat, compared with them, the civilization of their time was more\nthan crude, and the revelations of their Yohoid[a:]s and Ts\u00fbf[a:]len\n(teachers of the divine mysteries) of Ento and those of the alchemists,\nastrologers and astronomers of Earth were as echoes of a dead past.\nYes, it is a truth that there is nothing new under the sun. That which\nbecomes perceptible to human consciousness is new only in the sense\nthat it is a special presentation and recognition of that which always\nhas existed. It is quite as true that all life forms of all inhabited\nplanets invariably evolve from involved conditions, that is they evolve\nfrom the unseen into the perceptible, which is the symbol of the real,\nand all ever are evolving into higher expression.\n\nCertainly no thought or act (which is thought expressed) is ever lost,\nand though peoples of remotest times have left no written history or\nother record of their day, the impressions of their thoughts and deeds\nunquestionably are an active force in the present.\n\nSpirit force is the one and only force, and the spiritualized force\nof humanity is cumulative, hence each succeeding generation becomes\nheir to the accumulated energies of their predecessors. I am aware\nthat the records of extinct races and nations may appear to contradict\nthis statement, nevertheless it is correct. Thus it occurs that\nEnto's peoples inherit a tremendous spiritual force, and the bonds of\necclesiasticism once severed, eagerly they will turn from the old to\naccept the new faith, and the very heavens will resound with their\np\u00e6ans of joy and praise to the Supreme One, who, in answer to their\nceaseless prayers, has at last vouchsafed them the priceless boon of\nan assurance of a continuity of life. Ah, professors and students are\nreassembling, and for the present your questionings and our replies\nmust cease. The very distinguished looking person robed in white and\nmaroon is about to address the young people. Be attentive, Gentol[a:],\nfor I shall attempt to translate into your language what he may say.\n\nProfessor--Dear youths and maidens, in further commemoration of\nthe virtues and deeds of the illustrious dead, to whom we, and all\nEntoans, owe so great a debt of reverential love, we have decided\nthat on this occasion it will not be amiss to deviate from our usual\norder of exercises. Thus, in addressing you, I shall venture to touch\nupon subjects hitherto considered too abstruse for immature minds. In\nthese enlightened days it is thought that the education of the young\nshould be of a more comprehensive nature; that, although a positive\nknowledge of facts is an imperative requirement, it is well that\nyouthful minds shall also consider speculative theories, so that they\nmay readily judge between truth and untruth. Until recently it has been\nthought not only unwise but irreverent to discuss the many theories,\ndoctrines and unscrupulous declarations of illy regulated persons, who,\nthrough all times, have sought to mislead the people through calling\nin question the authenticity of statements of the Sacred Writings.\nBut of late a growing belief of observant, thoughtful minds is that\nthat which is true is indestructible, and that the intelligence of the\npeople is quickened through comparing the spurious with the genuine.\nBelieving that these propositions are irrefutable I have carefully\nprepared a paper which I anticipate will both interest and instruct\nyou. At least it will inform you of some of the strange and erroneous,\nthough possibly sincere, ideas which, from time to time, have occupied\nthe attention, not only of the ignorant and credulous, but also the\nattention of some miscalled scientists.\n\nTo you all it is well known that Genessano Allis Immo and his family\never were faithful observers of the teachings and rites of our\nHoly Religion. Also you are aware that when the body of the Lady\nCamariss[a:] was incinerated it was made known to the people that\nno ashes remained, and that when the body of her adored husband was\nconsumed the same strange mystery occurred. By many it was and is\nbelieved that because of the sublime purity and nobility of their\nstainless lives they were, by the Deific Ones, borne to Astranol[a:].\nBut it is not for us to attempt to learn the secrets of the gods, to\nwhom our reverent thoughts are ever due.\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], stand near the youth in purple. He is Prince\nDano, and presently you will speak to him.\n\nProfessor--You will now honor me with your attention while I shall\nread the result of some recent researches into records written in a\nlanguage of ancient times. It is related by Tsoh\u00fbta that during the\nofen ryzo entevah (seventh century) succeeding the establishment of our\nholy religion, Z\u0113nano Yod[a:]s, a very learned man, but of a perverse\nnature, who feared neither And\u00fbman[a:] or the vengeance of the gods,\nsought to gain a knowledge of forbidden things. Through the aid of\nsome strange device he professed that he had learned the mystery of\nthe realms of Astranol[a:], which he blasphemously averred had no\nexistence, and that neither did And\u00fbman[a:] dwell in Diafon \u0113voih[a:]\n(the Sun), but was an ever active, all pervading, intelligent,\nunknowable personality or principle. That there were neither gods nor\ngoddesses. He also dared to declare, and what was, if possible, more\nsacrilegious, that And\u00fbman[a:] had not created Ento, which was in a\nsense self-created. With utmost seriousness he declared that in man\nwas an essence which was his life, and that at death of the body this\nessence, which was intelligent, took form and somewhere continued to\nexist. That these essences, not the gods, peopled space, and that,\nunder certain conditions, he had even seen these essences in form, had\nconversed with them, had been touched by them, and, most incredible\nof all, he claimed to have recognized in certain forms, friends and\nloved ones who had gone into the silence. Of course these assertions\nwere the ravings of one of lost mind or the hallucination of one who\nirreverently sought to gain knowledge of things known only to the\nDeific Ones. We who continually mourn for our loved ones who have gone\ninto the silence, whither, reluctantly, our footsteps also tend, can\nwell understand that Z\u0113nano Yod[a:] may have been bereft of his dearest\nones and in his despair became so disturbed in mind as to really have\nthought the vagaries of a diseased imagination were realities. It is\nwell known that similar cases have been and are treated in our retreats\nfor mental illness. Certainly no man mentally whole would have dared to\nbe so impious as was he, and only one of unbalanced senses could have\nimagined a thing so strangely preposterous as that the life essence\ncontinued to exist after the form which had contained it had been\nwholly consumed and whose ashes----\n\nDe L'Ester--Now, Gentol[a:], speak to Prince Dano.\n\nGentola--Emano, Ento noan ist[a:] par\u00fb ten\u00fb. Efon analos esto par[a:]\ncom bano Earth. And\u00fbman[a:] esti com ban\u00fb \u0113los tissim[a:].\n\nDe L'Ester--Springing to his feet in great excitement, he cries aloud:\n\"Z\u0113nano Yodas, est[a:] p\u00fbrv[a:]. Z\u0113nano Yodas, esto p\u00fbrv[a:]. Emanos,\nEmanos, Efon val[a:] genist[a:] tima. Ah, camano \u00fbfan tsi non ist[a:]\nvalo? Camano \u00fbfan tsi non ist[a:] valo?\"\n\nDe L'Ester--Touch him on his face and hands. That will do. Trembling\nand amazed, swooning almost, he staggers and falls into the arms of\nhis alarmed friends. The startled professors endeavor to quiet the\nexcited students who are crowding about them, eagerly questioning them\nas to the cause of Prince Dano's strange seizure. All heard him cry\nout: \"Z\u0113nano Yodas spoke truly, Z\u0113nano Yodas spoke truly. Friends,\nfriends, I see a form. Ah, cannot you see it? Cannot you also see it?\"\nProfessors and students alike are greatly disturbed. Really, I am sorry\nfor the professor, whose paper is thought to have had an effect quite\ncontrary to his anticipations. His mind is so full of misgivings as to\nthe propriety of having called attention to such an unusual subject\nthat he declines, though urgently pressed, to further pursue it. What\na commotion. Dano quietly, but strenuously, asserts that he did see a\nform, the form of a strange appearing woman who was clothed in shining\ngarments. He also declares that she touched him on his face and hands\nand that she said, \"Friend, Ento is not my home. I come from another\nworld called Earth. Truly, And\u00fbman[a:] is everywhere.\" He expresses\nthe hope and earnest desire that he may again see the Earth woman, and\nhe shall not be disappointed. Z\u0113nano Yodas at least has one convert\nto his belief. As yet we only can convey the consciousness of these\nsensitives' detached sentences, but soon they will grow accustomed to\nthe new and strange experience, and will learn to remain passive, hence\nreceptive.\n\nGentola--Have not I, elsewhere, seen this Prince Dano?\n\nDe L'Ester--In the dwelling we first visited I called your attention\nto the portraits of a youth and maiden. Dano is the original of the\nportrait of the youth.\n\nGentola--Ah, yes, I recall the circumstance. The portrait is very like\nthe young man, who possesses a very fine and exceedingly handsome face\nand form.\n\nDe L'Ester--We have held you overlong to-day, and having for the\npresent no further designs upon Dano or others we will now return you\nto your physical form.\n\nGentola--May I ask if you have considered my request for an absence of\nsome weeks from home?\n\nDe L'Ester--We have, and very regretfully we acquiesce in your desire\nfor rest and a visit to your World's Fair. Of course we are aware that\nyour journeys to Ento exhaust your vitality, but constantly we have\nguarded you with utmost care, and thus far the result is so encouraging\nthat it leads us to hope and expect that you will return home renewed\nin health and with a willingness to fulfill your promise to us.\n\nGentola--When I return home I shall gladly place myself at your\ndisposal. Must I immediately return to Earth? I should like to hear the\nnext speaker, who appears to be greatly agitated.\n\nDe L'Ester--We do not consider it safe to hold you longer. You shall be\ninformed as to what may further occur or be said that may indicate that\nthe present state of involution is likely to be superseded by a marked\nevolution of the religious thought of the Entoans.\n\nHow, with the promise that during your absence from home we will, as\nfar as we may, guard and guide you in all your ways, we will consign\nyou to the care of George and Inez, who will bear you safely to your\nsoul self, your objective personality, which, in a semi-conscious\nstate, awaits your return.\n\nNow, make your adieux to these friends and then we all may say au\nrevoir.\n\nGeorge--Not one question, my sister. Always we are inclined to hold you\nwith us too long. You are surprised that the shadows of night already\nare brooding over your city, and that here in your quiet room twilight\nhas deepened into darkness.\n\nGentola--George, Inez, bear my loving greetings to all our dear ones.\nGood-bye, good-bye.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nSPIRITUALIZED MAN.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Again you are at home, and we, your ever faithful friends\nare here to greet and congratulate you on your improved health.\n\nGentola--And I with greater pleasure than I can express reciprocate\nyour friendly greeting. Yes, during my visit I was on several occasions\nconscious of your presence, once especially so.\n\nDe L'Ester--That was when you questioned your architect escort as to\nthe dimensions of the rotunda of the building you were observing.\nMentally you were comparing it with the rotunda of the Galar\u0113s[a:].\n\nGentola--That was the time to which I have alluded. I knew you were\ntouching my head, and once I knew that you and George were walking\nbeside me.\n\nDe L'Ester--Indeed we did not at any time leave you unattended. We\nnever do. You have such a genius for falling and other mishaps, that\never we are on guard to if possible avert them. No, we will not go to\nEnto to-day, but with your permission we will talk with you.\n\nGentola--I shall be only too happy to have you do so. May I ask for\nyour opinion of our World's Fair? Did it at all interest you?\n\nDe L'Ester--Truly, we all feel a degree of pleasure and pride in such\nan exposition of the achievements of Earth's peoples. It was a grand\nresult of ages of evolution, and a fine illustration of the history of\ntheir progress. Should we say that largely the marvellous exhibit was\nthe reflex of activities of the spirit side of life, you scarcely would\ncredit the assertion, nevertheless it is true. _All_ spirits submerged\nin mortals, _subconsciously_ are en rapport with the spirit spheres,\nand when the subjective and objective consciousness are fully en\nrapport, they establish a medium, through which very advanced spirits\nof exalted spheres can convey into visible expression the results\nof their wisdom and attainments. But this is a topic we cannot now\nconsider.\n\nWe observed that you were greatly interested in the parliament of\nreligions, and the various ethical and other congresses. Could the\naudiences have seen the multitudes of spirits who listened, applauding\nor disapproving, they would have been astounded. Myriads of Earthbound\nspirits were there, and spirits too from the higher spheres, not only\nof our own planet, but of others, and all were deeply interested in the\nproceedings. If it be true that in a multitude of counsellors there is\nwisdom, at the parliament that somewhat rare jewel should have shone\nresplendent. The numerous representatives of Earth's leading faiths,\neach vieing with the others in presentations of their claims, as\npossessors of truth, afforded a stirring spectacle. We also observed\nyour lively interest in the Orientals and their expositions of their\nvarious faiths, which are more truly spiritual than are some of more\nmodern times. You have come to understand that a people may believe\nan erroneous doctrine, yet be a spiritualized people. What they may\naccept as truth is not so momentous as is their manner of living it.\nThe spirit of the Golden Rule is found not only in all the great\nreligions of Earth's peoples, but in all the religions of all peoples\n_everywhere_, and if those who profess a belief in it practice it\nthey are not far from the kingdom of Heaven. Yes, positive beliefs in\nthis or that do, to a degree, influence conduct, and it is quite as\ntrue that beliefs are the results of heredity and environment, which\nare most forceful mediums for the perpetuation of good and evil,\ncharacteristics of human good and evil being terms expressive of states\nof development. _Truth is God, perfectly expressed_, and truth may\nbe likened to light which, falling through color, takes on the hue\nof the medium through which it falls, but is light still. So truth\nthough discolored by its passage through the medium of Hindu, Buddhist,\nConfucian, Christian, and other imperfect faiths, is truth still, and\never its radiance steadfastly shines for the guidance of humanity.\n\nGentola--You have mentioned my interest in the Orientals. I assure you\nthat when I first saw Swami Vivekananda and other Orientals enter the\ngreat hall, I was quite startled. It seemed to me that at some time\nsomewhere I had known them, or people like them, and I found myself\ntrembling from a sort of shock or surprise. To this day I cannot\naccount for the peculiar sensation.\n\nDe L'Ester--Do not try to account for it; later on you may be able to\ndo so.\n\nGentola--Doubtless you are aware that among scientists of our planet\nthere is much speculation as to a possible missing link between the\nearliest humans and the most highly evolved animal forms preceding\nthem. While observing at the parliament the representatives of various\nraces it occurred to me that between them and their animal progenitors\nthere may have been a variety of missing links.\n\nHumboldt--Gentol[a:], I fear that you have not well remembered some\nlessons we have endeavored to convey to you. In the so termed chain of\nhuman evolution, no link is missing. The expression is misleading, and\naltogether unscientific. In a chain no one link is an outgrowth of\nanother link. It is an individual, special, observable creation of the\nartisan, but from the earliest physical expression of the human to _the\nperiod when the Earth man became a Spiritualized Being_, the degrees or\nstages of his unfoldment were so indistinct, _so slightly emphasized_\nas to have been imperceptible, save by the Infinite One.\n\nGentola--Do you know at what stage of his evolvement, and _how_ the\nEarth man became spiritualized?\n\nHumboldt--You have been informed that apart from the physical plane the\nterm time has no significance. When we freed spirits think of eternity\nwe think of that which had no beginning and can have no ending. When\nwe think of the universe, we think of that which is dimensionless, and\nwhen I say that _always_ throughout the dimensionless universe, new\nworlds have been, and are coming into existence, and that dead worlds\nhave been, and are undergoing disintegration, I but state accepted\nfacts. Always, when new worlds become fitted for it, they receive\nthat which Earth's scientists have not yet discerned--the quickening\npotentiality, the life impulse, which is the Divine Energy pervading\nthe universe. In their tepid waters the first life expressions of the\nvegetable, of the animal, and of the human animal are manifested.\nOn our planet, as on other planets, quickened protoplasmic, human\ngerms passed through all the gradations incident to their onward,\nupward, ceaseless progress toward a period when as hairy creatures\nwith low retreating foreheads, protruding jaws, repulsive features,\nand unshapely limbs, upon which they scarcely stood erect, they\ninstinctively drew themselves apart from all other life forms. No, in\nno sense were they related to anthropoids; animals they were, but human\nanimals, with faculties so specialized as to place them above all other\ncreatures. Ages elapsed, and when sufficiently evolved, they became\nspiritualized. How? As you cannot yet accept a belief in re-embodiment,\nyou may not accept my statement and the added testimony of these\nfriends, that in the spirit spheres of inhabited planets of our Solar\nSystem and of other systems of worlds, there are myriads of Spirits,\nof low planes of development, who, through the ministrations of those\nknown in the Spirit Worlds as Angels of the Visitation, are conveyed to\nsuch human creatures as I have spoken of, and through their organisms\nthey are re-embodied, and become reborn as their spiritualized\nchildren. And that was how the first spiritualized humans appeared on\nEarth, and how they appeared on other planets prepared to receive them.\nCould I not read your thoughts, your perplexed expression would assure\nme that another question is on your lips.\n\nGentola--Yes, that is so. I am wondering where the first spirits ever\nembodied came from.\n\nHumboldt--My dear madame, when we shall have learned when the first\nworld came into existence, we also may learn where the first embodied\nspirits came from. Concerning these propositions, my ignorance compels\nsilence. On what authority do I make the statement relating to the\nspiritualization of the human animal? Upon such authority or proofs\nas I have accumulated through visiting worlds in various stages of\nevolvement. Worlds yet too young to receive in their waters the first\ninflux of life germs. Worlds in whose tepid waters, protoplasmic cells,\nthe wombs containing the germs of all life forms are teeming. Worlds\nwhich have evolved vegetable and animal forms so huge, so grotesque\nas to be appalling. Worlds on which the human animal is on the verge\nof becoming spiritualized. Worlds where having become a spiritualized\nconscious being, man is looking about him in fear and amazement.\nWorlds where man has evolved varying degrees of civilization, and yet\nother worlds, where the peoples, compared with those of Ento or Earth,\nare as gods.\n\nGentola--You will pardon me, sir, if my question may have seemed to\ninvolve a doubt as to the correctness of your statements. No such\nthought was in my mind. On the contrary, I so implicitly believe what\nyou have said, that I realize that I am as an atom of a boundless\nuniverse.\n\nBruno--But relatively the atom is as great as the universe. You have\nbeen told that an atom is a universe in embryo, for in it are all\npossible qualities, and in it are all the activities of Infinite\nIntelligent Energy. So were you no greater than an atom, you yet would\nbe a necessary factor of Infinity.\n\nGentola--I do not question the truth of your statement, which humbles\nrather than exalts my estimate of my own personality.\n\nBruno--He, who was the divinest man of any of Earth's saviors,\ncounselled his disciples to be as humble as little children, that thus\nthey might be great in the Kingdom of Heaven, and you will learn that\nthe further you progress in an understanding of the Infinity of God,\nWho is the all, and in all the more will you desire to humbly adore the\nDivine Spirit of the atom and the universe.\n\nGentola--I realize that I know so little. That I only am approaching\nthe threshold of the temple of knowledge. You, on the spirit side,\nbetter than I, comprehend the limitations of mortals, so you will\nnot wonder that I grow impatient, because of my slow progress in a\nspiritual direction; but with you, dear friends, to aid and instruct me\nI shall hope to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the truth.\n\nDe L'Ester--Courage, Gentol[a:], remember that ever the stream must\nflow onward to the sea. So if in your present incarnation you cannot\nattain to loftiest heights the law of eternal progress will oblige\nyou to unfold the divinity within you. Neither you nor we will ever\nfind a halting place on this endless journey, which is ever onward,\never upward toward the unattainable perfection of Infinite Spirit,\nIntelligence, Energy and Love.\n\nBut we have grown too serious, and will talk of lighter matters. With\ncuriosity and amusement we regarded your perplexity, upon viewing for\nthe first time the beautiful white city. You were quite bewildered by\nthe oddly familiar appearance of the architecture, decorative, and\nother features of the buildings, bridges, statuary, and so on. _Le tout\nensemble_ reminded you of scenes you could not at once localize.\n\nGentola--Yes, really I was for the moment rather bewildered. I thought\nthat I must have dreamed of a similar scene, then it came to me that on\nEnto I had beheld that of which the White City reminded me. Did not you\nall think it beautiful?\n\nDe L'Ester--Very, and we now promise you that some day we will show you\na greater and far more beautiful White City, than that ephemeral one on\nthe shore of Lake Michigan.\n\nGentola--I shall try to remember your promise. May I ask where are\nInidor[a:] and Genessano?\n\nDe L'Ester--Since your last visit to Ento a dread catastrophe has\noccurred, and they and other Ento spirits have been, and yet are\nengaged in aiding sufferers, both in and out of the physical body. They\nwere to meet us here, and we expect them at any moment.\n\nTo-day is the 29th of October, 1893. When will it suit your convenience\nto accompany us to Ento? We hope that you may name an early day.\n\nGentola--You cannot be more anxious than am I to resume our journeys.\nOn November 1st I shall be ready. Ah, here are Inidor[a:] and\nGenessano. You are most welcome. I have been inquiring about you, and\nwith regret have learned that some calamity has befallen Ento.\n\nInidora--I can say for my brother and myself that we are delighted to\nagain meet you, and doubly glad that soon you with our Band will resume\nthe duties of our mission to our sorrowful people. Yes, truly, a dread\ncalamity has befallen the inhabitants of a densely populated region\nin a locality, corresponding, De L'Ester says, to about the latitude\nand longitude of Berlin, in Germany. It is regrettable that fear of\nridicule, in case of mistakes, renders you too positive to be able to\nrecord some scientific matters. Believe that I do not mean to chide\nyou. You do your best, and we are satisfied with your efforts.\n\nNearly two centuries of your time have elapsed since Ento has been\nsubjected to a destructive earthquake. Occasionally, in various\nlocalities, slight seismic disturbances have occurred, but not since\nthe destruction of Petucy has there been a serious convulsion.\nCorresponding with your morning of the 26th of September, peculiar\nand alarming rumblings and tremors of the underground attracted the\nattention of the people on the southern confines of the Province of\nDyrin. At intervals during two days and a night these disturbances\noccurred, and in affright many of the more timorous or prudent\nfled to other parts for safety; but thousands remained, praying to\nAnd\u00fbman[a:] and the Deific ones for protection. Their priests offered\nthe propitiatory animal sacrifices and the temple altars were laden\nwith offerings of the most precious things; but alas, And\u00fbman[a:] and\nthe dwellers in Astranol[a:] were deaf to all entreaty. On the evening\nof the second day Diafon \u0113voih[a:] (the Sun), enshrouded in a mantle of\nlurid clouds, from which angry gleams emanated, sank from view below\nthe faintly outlined horizon, and for a space deathlike stillness\nreigned, and in mute terror the people waited. But not for long, for\nsuddenly tremors, faint at first, but quickly increasing in violence\nseemed to shake the very foundations of Ento. Temples and other great\nstructures tottered, then fell in shapeless ruins, and smaller edifices\nand private residences were utterly demolished. So appalling were\nthe convulsions that the affrighted, frenzied people ran hither and\nthither, seeking to save their own and the lives of their dear ones;\nbut many were crushed under falling buildings, and thus passed from\ndeath to unlooked-for life in our spirit realms. In one locality,\nsuddenly a great fissure opened, and as suddenly closed, engulfing\nalmost an entire village. Then the disturbance subsided, and on the\nfollowing morning the rising glory of Diafon \u0113voih[a:] gleamed athwart\na pitiable spectacle. Homes destroyed. Great public structures fallen.\nThe living seeking the dead, and rescuing the injured, and to our\nspirit vision spirits releasing themselves from their crushed physical\nbodies were some of the features of the deplorable event.\n\nOf course, our duty, as well as our sympathy, has impelled us to\nassist them, and we have been engaged in the work of restoring to full\nconsciousness the many bewildered ones, who scarcely can be made to\nrealize the marvel, the joy of continued existence. So touching has the\nexperience been that many times my eyes have filled with tears. Other\nEnto spirits are engaged in the incomplete work, for as you are aware,\nsome newly freed spirits, especially those who suddenly pass to the\nspirit side, remain unconscious, not only for days, but for prolonged\nperiods. No, the spirit spheres of different planets are not alike, for\nall correspond with the conditions of such planets as they surround.\nYet in a sense the conditions of all spirit spheres are so in harmony\nwith each other that spirits sufficiently progressed, and who have\nlearned the laws involved in these conditions, can visit any Spirit\nSphere of any planet. Yes, I recall that once during my childhood a\nconsiderable seismic disturbance occurred under, and adjacent to the\nplateau on which was our home, and that the alarmed people hastened to\noffer sacrifices, and And\u00fbman[a:] spared his offending children. The\nBand approving, you may be shown the scene of the late catastrophe.\nAt present the conditions are so harrowing that it would not be wise\nto subject you to them. The local and neighboring crematories, not\nbeing equal to the incineration of the dead, many of the mutilated\nbodies have been taken elsewhere. The cries and lamentations of the\nliving that no more shall they behold the forms of their dear ones is\npitiable in the extreme. Oh, that the time may quickly arrive when\nEnto's despairing people may learn that their sorrowful belief in utter\nannihilation is false. That continuity of existence is a glorious\nreality.\n\nGentola--With all my heart I pray that it may be so, and if I, in\nthe slightest degree, may be made to further the fulfillment of your\ndesire, I shall rejoice that I have not lived in vain.\n\nGenessano--Eman[a:] (friend), no one lives in vain. From the least\ndeveloped to the highest evolvement of the human of any planet, all are\nfulfilling the Infinite, Intelligent, Divine Will. All are portions of\nthe waves of human progress, and no one can go forward without directly\nor indirectly aiding his weaker, consequently less highly evolved\nbrother. In the spirit worlds, so well understood is this law that\nsooner or later all spirits desire re-embodiment, that thus they may\nnot only aid mortals less evolved than themselves, but that in so doing\nthey also may advance their own spiritual evolvement. Yes, it would\nappear that in this desire there is an element of selfishness. Not so.\nIt simply is the fulfilling of a law of the All Wise, Infinite One,\nwhom you name God.\n\nBoth Inidor[a:] and I long for the time when we shall be fitted to\nreturn to mortal existence. Would we prefer re-embodiment on Ento?\nI cannot say that our inclination is not in that direction, still\nthe feeling scarcely amounts to a preference. Then we well know that\nthe Angels of the Visitation will choose birthplaces best suited,\nnot only to our further evolvement, but where we may aid others in\ntheir progress. Many spirits strongly desire to be reborn on the\nplanet of their last re-embodiment, and conditions favoring, they\nmay do so. Spirits from the higher spheres, reborn on any planet, as\nsaviors, leaders, prophets, or teachers, may or may not have been\nformer inhabitants of such planet. Through the law of fitness all\nre-embodiments are controlled. You, \u0113man[a:], largely because you\ncannot recall the past, cannot yet accept a belief in re-embodiment;\nbut when you shall have returned to the spirit side you again will\nrecognize its beneficence, just as in time all spirits recognize that\nInfinite Intelligence, Love and Justice give to all, that which is for\ntheir greatest good.\n\nDe L'Ester--We now will leave you. On the morning of November 1st\nwe will come for you, and you will not forget to take the usual\nprecautions against being disturbed. I may mention that on your\nnext visit to Ento, you will have the pleasure of meeting the Lady\nCamariss[a:], mother of Inidor[a:] and Genessano. She will meet us at\nCamariss[a:]. Until then, adieu.\n\n_October 29th, 1893._\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nMEETING WITH CAMARISSA.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--We salute you, and are gratified to find you prepared for\nour flight to Ento. As Inidor[a:], Genessano, and their mother await\nus at Camariss[a:] we will journey quickly. George, allow your sister\nto merely rest on your arm; thus she will grow stronger and more\nself-reliant. Yonder is ruddy Ento, glowing and palpitating like the\nheart of some living creature. Now glance backward at our own distant\nplanet. Yes, its radiant envelope differs in color from that of Ento.\nWhat occasions the difference in the atmospheric coloring of the two\nplanets? Qualities of atmosphere, reflection and refraction.\n\nYes, it is difficult to realize that on our Earth world myriads of\ncreatures, humans and animals each in accordance with their inherent\nqualities are reaching out toward the light which lighteth, not only\nevery man that cometh into the world, but which shines for the Earth\nworm as well as for the angel. You think that a very comprehensive\nstatement? So it is; but is not the Infinite, Omni-present Spirit in\nthe atom as well as in the universe? Aye, and spirit is the one light,\nand there is no other.\n\nThe beautiful city Camariss[a:] lies below us, and we will now descend\nto our friends who await us in the arbor.\n\nGenessano--Loh[a:]\u00fb \u0113mentos. We have been watching and welcoming your\napproach. Gentol[a:], allow me the pleasure of making known to you our\ndear, our honored mother.\n\nCamarissa--At last I meet you, of whom I so often have heard. You have\ngiven my sons a place in your regard, may I hope to also be so favored?\n\nGentola--It is I who am the favored one, and I shall esteem it a\nprivilege and a pleasure to number you among my friends. Your sons have\npromised a relation from your own lips, of events occurring during your\nmortal existence; so aside from the pleasure of mutual acquaintance\nwith much interest I have looked forward to your coming.\n\nCamarissa--To recall events of my mortal existence will be like\nrecalling a not very well remembered dream. It may surprise you to\nlearn that not since my dear sons entered our spirit world, nearly four\ncenturies ago, have I visited Ento's physical plane. To explain why I\nhave not, would not suit the present occasion.\n\nI perceive that since last my eyes gazed upon the once familiar face of\nEnto, marvellous changes have occurred; not the least noticeable is the\neducational institution erected near the site of my former home.\n\nLong ere our departure into the world of spirits, my dear husband,\nGenessano Allis Immo, and I were engrossed with the anticipation\nof at some not far future time rearing a great Galar\u0113s[a:], which\nshould not only serve to perpetuate our memory, but also should serve\nthe nobler purpose of educating future generations in science, art,\nindustries, and gentle modes of living. Other important interests so\noccupied our time and attention that the fulfillment of our cherished\nplan was delayed and the years passed, and still we found no time to\ndevote to the achievement of a work so dear to our hearts. At last a\nperiod arrived when we felt that we might arrange for the erection\nof the Galar\u0113s[a:], but suddenly and most unexpectedly I passed into\nour spirit world, and ere long my husband followed me. Age and most\narduous duties had brought him quite beyond the years of middle life,\nbut a still vigorous manhood gave promise of many years of usefulness;\nbut so stricken was he that I who had so long worked by his side,\nwho had been to him as the heart of his heart, the life of his life,\nsharing with him the joys and sorrows of our mutual existence, that I,\nhis adored wife and the mother of our two sons had forever gone from\nhis sight, that he had not courage to long survive so great a calamity.\nRealizing that he too was about to pass in to the silence, calmly he\narranged his affairs, and instructed our dear sons as to his wishes.\nThen with the fortitude of a just man he yielded to the inevitable,\nand passed, not into the silence, but into a glorious spirit realm,\nwhere I awaited him. Soon our beloved sons, one by one, came to us;\nbut ere they came, they had well begun the work which their father\nhad delegated to them as a sacred trust, but which was to be left for\nother faithful hands to complete. Now, as I gaze on yonder grandly\nbeautiful structure I am grateful that the Infinite One, who directs\nthe ways of his children, has made of me and mine instruments for the\ngood of others. Since passing into our spirit world my husband and I\nhave been informed as to events and affairs occurring on Ento, and our\nsatisfaction over the beneficent results of the introduction of the\nirrigating and waterways system, which obviously is of incalculable\nbenefit to Ento, is inexpressible.\n\nChanges which impress me with a sense of strangeness relate to this\nplateau which, as I remember it, was considerably loftier than now,\nand where in former times was an abrupt declivity, is now a gentle\nincline eastward to the level of the waterway. I perceive too that\nthe massive seawall, built during the lives of my husband and myself\nhas disappeared beneath the waves of Indolois[a:], whose waters have\ngreatly encroached upon the land. At the time of my departure from\nEnto, between Indolois[a:]'s eastern shore and the western face of\nthis plateau, there was a broad stretch of land, many dwellings and\nother structures. Now I perceive that they and the great stone piers\nand seawall have disappeared beneath the restless waves which have\nso encroached upon the land as to threaten to wholly engulf it. None\ntoo soon is yonder massive barrier being constructed as a protection\nagainst further destruction of the greatly narrowed shoreland. As I\nlook about me I find it difficult to realize the many changes which\nhave occurred since I, a proud and happy wife, came to the home of my\nadorable and adored husband. The winged years fled away, and our two\nsons came to enhance our felicity. Other years added their days to\nthose of the past, and troublous forebodings, like creeping shadows\ndrew nearer, ever nearer. As you already are aware of the deplorable\nconditions at that time prevailing throughout nearly all of Ento's\ncentral regions, you will understand that finally the situation became\nalarming, and one day, hand in hand, my husband and I walked to the\nmargin of the declivity, which abruptly fell away to the plain, and\nas we gazed afar eastward over the dry and arid lands our eyes filled\nwith tears, and our hearts were sorely troubled. Imperceptibly, but\ngradually, the fleeting years, nay, I should say ages, had brought\nabout a condition of such extreme aridity that the lands refused to\nlonger yield sustenance to the people, whose minds became filled with\ndespair, and a sense of enmity against those in authority over the\nProvinces of the central regions. Like children deprived of proper\nnourishment they grew fretful, rebellious and unreasoning, demanding\nrelief where more than temporary relief was unattainable.\n\nFor years my husband and I had vainly, incessantly striven to\nalleviate the general distress and consequent discontent of the people\nof our province, and now in silence we stood thinking, thinking.\nPresently my husband, sighing heavily, said, \"Camariss[a:], my dearest\none, I fear that my days are well nigh ended. The want and despair of\nthe people weighs so heavily upon me, that I stagger, and grow faint\nunder the burden. I know of no means by which we may afford them\nprosperity and happiness. Have the pitiful Gods put into your mind\nany thought that may serve to direct our future course?\" After some\nhesitation I replied, \"Lord of my life and love of my heart, I know\nnot if in my slumber some God may have spoken to me, but I have had a\nsingular, and what your wisdom may deem a foolish dream. Shall I relate\nit to you?\" Smiling tenderly and sadly, he said, \"Perchance in our\nextremity, And\u00fbman[a:] may have sent a messenger to whisper to your\nsleeping senses. Tell me your dream. At least it will serve to occupy\nthe passing moments.\"\n\nI then related that while I slumbered I dreamed that standing by his\nside, just as we then were standing, we looked far eastward, and from\nthe base of the plateau, abounding streams flowed in that direction,\nwhile at intervals other waters flowed from the north and from the\nsouth, and borne on the bosom of a great waterway, huge vessels laden\nwith people and the products of many lands passed to and fro, and\nthat like some great bird with wide spreading wings, a beautiful city\nseemed as though brooding upon the shining waters. It was a grandly\nbeautiful scene, and the wonder of it still remains in my memory.\n\"Heart of my heart,\" I said, \"I have told you my dream. How shall it\nbe interpreted?\" Silently, but with earnest attention my husband had\nlistened to the recital of my dream, and as I proceeded, his flushing\nface, beaming eyes, and hurried breathing gave evidence of intense\nemotion. Clasping me to his heart he cried, \"Surely, And\u00fbman[a:],\nthrough His messenger has spoken to you, showing us a possible means\nwhereby our unproductive lands may be reclaimed, and the impoverished\npeoples rescued from their present lamentable state. Camariss[a:], my\ndearest, we will strive to understand the full meaning of the message,\nand may And\u00fbman[a:] and the pitiful gods aid us in our loving endeavor.\"\n\nDays and nights of closest consideration, of closest calculation as\nto adaptation of means to ends followed. So absorbed were we with the\ntremendous problem which so suddenly had presented itself that we\nscarcely ate or slept. At length greatly wearied I one day threw myself\non my couch and slumbered. Again the scene of my dream was before me,\nbut some years seemed to have elapsed since first I had gazed upon\nit. How my vision was very far reaching, and I beheld fruitful lands\nrichly clothed with verdure. Cities, towns and villages adorned the\nlandscape. Want and discontent had disappeared, and prosperity like a\ngracious ruler smiled upon the people. From overhead the fleecy clouds\ndropped into the chalices of myriad, many-hued blooms, their sparkling\ntreasures. Among the spreading tree branches sweet throated birds sang\ntheir love notes. Everywhere the shining waters gave drink to the\nthirsty lands, and everywhere all things seemed to be breathing praise\nand thankfulness to And\u00fbman[a:], their creator.\n\nAfter awaking, my dream remained a vivid, pleasant memory, but fearing\nthat my husband might think me grown fanciful, I shrank from speaking\nof it; but as our thoughts and experiences ever were mutually shared,\nI at length made my dream known to him. As before, he considered\nit a message given not only for our guidance, but also for our\nencouragement. \"Ah, heart of my heart,\" he said, \"your dreams may\nyet become realities;\" and my thoughts grew full of hope and eager\nanticipation of some great good which might come to the suffering\npeople. Very soon afterwards, my husband proposed that we should go\nto the capitol to lay before the supreme ruler, Tyvon Oiranz[a:], our\nplans whereby we hoped to at least reclaim a portion of our unfruitful\nlands, and thus rescue the people from their pitiable condition. But I\nentreated that I might remain at home with our children, and he went\nalone. With the result of his interview with Tyvon Oiranz[a:], you\nalready are acquainted.\n\nBefore the conclusion of our mortal existence the vast enterprise had\nprogressed far beyond our original plans and most sanguine hopes, and\nmy dear husband and I passed to our spirit world, fully assured that,\neven as the arms of the loving mother encircle her child, so in coming\ntime would the beneficent system encircle Ento's entire central regions.\n\nEre meeting you, Gentol[a:], I with my sons surveyed the length and\nbreadth of the system, and my gratification that the great work goes\nforward toward completion is beyond expression. My joy too, that the\ntime approaches nearly when Ento's sorrowful peoples shall rejoice\nin the knowledge that life is continuous, is boundless. To you who\nare devoting toward its accomplishment your time and very life force\nwill come your reward. That I may not by one hour retard the glorious\nmission I shall for the present leave you, but not for long; for I\nshall, from time to time, give myself the pleasure of meeting you and\nthese friends, and also of witnessing the progress of the children of\nEnto out of darkness into the light of spiritual knowledge.\n\nDe L'Ester, I owe you more than thanks for your patient attempt to\ntranslate into Gentol[a:]'s language my poorly expressed words, which\nhave at least made us better acquainted with each other. With loving\nthoughts for all, I regretfully hid you Info oovist\u00fb (adieu).\n\nDe L'Ester--We now will proceed to the Galar\u0113s[a:]. Ah, seated under\nyonder vineclad arbor are two of our student friends, Prince Dano and\nthe Quend youth, Fav\u0113on. They very earnestly are discussing some topic\nwhich may interest us. We will draw nearer.\n\nDano--Fav\u0113on, you are quite mistaken in your conclusions. Only\nyesterday I had a demonstration of this not at all understood law.\nAfter classes I as usual retired to my apartment where I amused\nmyself by sketching whatever for the moment caught my imagination.\nNow it was a fragment of a half-remembered scene, anon it was a dream\nface or some grotesque fancy, and thus in an idle fashion I whiled\naway the moments. Presently, in some unremembered manner and through\nwhat means I know not, I seemed to drift into an unknown country\nwhere, through some unrecognized agency, I moved from one locality\nto another beholding unfamiliar scenes, while beings of surpassing\nbeauty greeted me exchanging with me such kindly courtesies as one\nstranger offers to another. Amazed, I asked myself can it be that the\ngods have transported me to Astranol[a:] that I may behold the glories\nof their blest abode? Although I felt exceedingly curious as to how\nI had arrived in this strange country, it did not occur to me to\nquestion any one; but as I stood musing over my perplexing position I\nwas amazed to see approaching me one whom in my childhood I had known\nwell, and whose surprise appeared to equal my own, as with extended\nhand he hastened toward me, exclaiming: \"Dano, Dano, son of my dearest\nfriend, Basto And\u00fbl\u0113s[a:], I give you a loving welcome to our world\nof living ones, our world so beautiful, so glorious.\" For the moment\nI seemed too shocked, too overwhelmed to reply, then collecting my\nsenses, I evasively answered: \"My father often recalls the memory of\nIklos M\u00fbyt[a:], and mourns that no more shall he behold your beloved\nform or feel the warm clasp of your ever generous hands.\" Then I cried:\n\"Has not death claimed you? Do you indeed live here in Astranol[a:]?\nI remember the lamentations of your family and friends over your dead\nbody and urned ashes, and I doubt the seeming evidence of my confused\nsenses. Tell me truly, do I behold Iklos M\u00fbyt[a:]? Do I hear the\nwell-remembered voice of my father's honored, well beloved friend?\nSurely, surely, I dream or my mind wanders, and I grow afraid, I grow\nafraid,\" I tremblingly cried.\n\nTaking my hands in his own he gently, soothingly said: \"Dano, Dano,\ndear youth, be not alarmed, calm your agitation, and listen to what I\nshall say. As all of Ento's children have been taught, so was I taught\nthat only for And\u00fbman[a:] and his messengers was immortality possible.\nThat when breath, the life of the body ceased, endless silence was the\nfate of all. Ah me, I yet remember the bitter, hopeless anguish that\nfilled my mind, my heart, my days, when death came and I was bereft of\nmy dear ones. I only recall such sorrowful memories that you may be\nreminded that the belief that death ends all of existence still holds\nin bondage the heavy hearted children of Ento; and that you may be\nassured that this dread belief is untrue let your visions wander over\nthe marvellously beautiful scenes of this world, which far exceed aught\nthat you may behold on Ento, and over these multitudes of happy men,\nwomen and children who once lived, loved and labored and then passed\ninto this world of living ones, and who, with myself are taught that\nthrough earnest striving to fulfill the law of love we all shall attain\nto other realms far exceeding this in the glory of their inexpressible\nbeauty, and a happiness so exalted that I can neither comprehend or\nrealize it.\"\n\nHe further said that when death has stilled the activities of the body\nthe living principle, the real self, invisible to limited physical\nvision continues a conscious, individualized existence in realms suited\nto the requirements of the changed condition of the self. \"This, dear\nDano,\" he said, \"is not Astranol[a:], the fabled abode of fabulous\ngods; it is but one of the realms surrounding Ento, as its petals\nsurround the heart of the rodel.\"\n\nWith profound attention I listened to this strange speech which so\nmoved me that I cried: \"Oh, Iklos M\u00fbyt[a:], tell me, I implore you,\nwill my dear ones, will I, continue to exist after passing into the\nsilence?\" Releasing my hands, he, with a dignity, a majesty and a\ntenderness of manner inexpressible, said: \"There is but One Infinite,\nEternal, Intelligent Life Principle, and all things are partakers\nof _it and cannot cease to exist_. Your body and the bodies of all\ncreatures must return to the elements from whence they originated;\nbut the self, the indestructible principle, will continue to exist in\nthe world of the immortals, and to the children of Ento this glorious\ntruth shortly will be revealed. Throughout our realms of the living\nones there is one thought, one resolve, one expectation, that but\nlittle longer shall darkness and despair, like evil birds, brood over\nyour lives, turning your smiles into weeping, your joys into hopeless\nsorrow. In this grand work I, alas, have no part. Not yet have I grown\nstrong enough to enter the repellent atmosphere surrounding Ento's\npeoples; but in higher realms there are those who are as gods, and\nthey long have been striving, through such means as they command, to\npenetrate this atmosphere; and to all who dwell in highest or lowest\nrealms the glad tidings have been heralded that soon the children of\nEnto will emerge from the shadows of their cheerless beliefs into\nthe light of a joyous truth. I am not fully informed as to how this\nglorious event is to be brought about. I only know that the means will\nbe equal to the desired end and I and all await with eager anticipation\nthe consummation of our dearest wishes. Dano, you now will return to\nEnto, but remember that surely you will again come to this realm of\nliving ones, and I, Iklos M\u00fbyt[a:] will be but one of many friends and\nloving ones who will give you greeting.\"\n\nSuddenly I awakened and found myself still seated by the table, pencil\nin hand, and strangest of all this strange experience, as I slept and\ndreamed, I had written all, and more than I have related. In what\nmanner can you account for this unusual dream, if dream it was?\n\nFaveon--My dear Dano, I shall not attempt to account for your singular\ndream further than that I presume that your waking thoughts and\nimaginings were so impressed upon your mind that during sleep they\nassumed familiar shapes, one of which appeared to utter unheard of\nmysteries. I pray you, put away further indulgence in such misleading\nfancies which may harmfully excite your too emotional nature. Through\nour Holy Writings we are taught, and all experience confirms the fact,\nthat only And\u00fbman[a:]'s Messengers dwell above yonder fleecy, floating\nclouds, which, like a mistlike veil hide the glory of their shining\nfaces, which, as we know, sometimes irradiates the sky reminding Ento's\nchildren that their sleepless eyes ever observe our good or evil deeds.\nAlways has it been and always must it be that when the breath of life\nceases the dead go into perpetual silence. Ah me, scarcely do we learn\nto live, to love, to enjoy, ere death tears us from the embraces of\nour loved ones, and naught is left us save a handful of ashes to be\ncherished, to be ceaselessly wept over.\n\nDano--Think me not impious that I question _why_ And\u00fbman[a:] has so\ndecreed that a life full of good deeds, of noble aims and achievements,\nshall end as ends the life of the animal; shall suddenly, in the full\ntide of a glorious career, cease to live and be no more. That we\nnow exist, and are conscious of the fact, is to my mind, as great a\nmarvel as that, in some unimagined state, we may continue a conscious\nexistence. Aye, a conscious existence in which to unfold our highest\nabilities. You are aware, Fav\u0113on, that I am betrothed to Vallo[a:],\ndaughter and only child of our supreme ruler, Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], whose\nwife, S\u0113lon[a:], died in giving birth to their only child. Emerging\ninto womanhood, Vallo[a:] displays such beauty of character, such\nelegance of manner, such loveliness of face and form, such intelligence\nand vivacity, that she enthralls me beyond expression, and I love her\nwith adoring tenderness. When I think of the possibility of death\napproaching this charming, this adorable woman, stilling the breath of\nher life, closing her luminous eyes and ending the music of her gentle\nspeech, I am filled with unutterable anguish. Oh, Fav\u0113on, if I sin, may\nAnd\u00fbman[a:] forgive, but to me it seems cruel that he permits the dread\nMessenger Phra to take our all without making us, his children, some\nrecompense for the agony of bereavement, for the sorrowful certainty,\nthat we, and our dear dead shall meet no more.\n\nFaveon--Dano, Dano, you shock and alarm me. No longer am I surprised\nthat your waking thoughts fill your sleep with strange, if not with\nimpious, dreams. I implore you to restrain your thoughts, your vivid\nimagination, lest some harm come to you. You well know that your ideas\nare contrary to the teachings of our sacred priesthood, who are the\nexpounders of our Holy Writings, which declare that in the beginning\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], through His love for His ignorant children instructed the\ngods to commune with them, that thus they might gain knowledge, but as\nthey grew wise they also grew so arrogant and impious that they sought\nto wrest from the gods the secrets pertaining to sacred things. Then\nAnd\u00fbman[a:] wrathfully forbade His Messengers to hold further communion\nwith His sinful children. In the beginning there was no death, but for\ntheir sins And\u00fbman[a:] decreed that henceforth death should serve as\na constant reminder that the Creator is greater than the created. We\nbeing the created cannot, without sin, question And\u00fbman[a:]'s laws,\nhence, dear Dano, we should not only willingly submit to the will of\nour Creator, but as obedient children, we should humbly revere the hand\nthat smites us.\n\nDeath having come to the children of Ento because of their impious\ndesire to obtain a knowledge of sacred mysteries, it does not appear\nreasonable that even you, our beloved prince, may have been admitted\ninto Astranol[a:], and the Holy Writings mention no other realm of\nliving ones. To my mind, your dream partakes of the nature of the\nhallucination which recently possessed you in the lecture hall. You\nthen insisted, and still insist, that a foreign-looking woman spoke to\nyou, and even touched you, yet no one save our fanciful friend, L\u0113ta\nVerronadas, imagined that they saw or heard aught. Certainly, it was\nnothing more than the effect of a too highly excited imagination, to\nwhich, I confess, I, too, occasionally am a victim. It appears that\nL\u0113ta is becoming subject to these annoying seizures, and his friends\nare somewhat anxious for his health, which really appears excellent.\n\nIf my very practical remarks have served to becloud your usually serene\ncountenance, you will forgive me, and may And\u00fbman[a:] forgive if I,\ntoo, am sometimes filled with fear and bitter regret that inevitably\ndeath is drawing near, that even in my youth I may pass into oblivion.\nWere it not impious, gladly would I welcome a belief in a possibility\nof a continuity of existence. Alas, we have no hope, or slightest\nindication, that after death has seized the breath of our life, we and\nour beloved ones ever shall meet again. So, my friend, it will be well\nfor us to strive to be thinkers and workers, not dreamers of dreams\nwhich have no foundation in realities. Your heavy sigh finds an echo in\nmy own heart, and I fear that my face like your own tells the secret of\nour sorrowful thoughts, so the signal for our return to study comes in\ngood time to end this profitless conversation.\n\nDe L'Ester--You perceive, Gentol[a:], that a spiritual force is\nagitating the minds of some of Ento's people. All through the\ncenturies of their established religion there have been minds more\nor less illumined by gleams of Spirit Inspiration, but necessarily\nthey have been so faint, so uncertain, so quickly repressed as to\nhave made but slight impression upon the masses of the people. Always\nthe priesthood of Ento have been an impregnable barrier between the\ndarkness of superstition and the light of Inspiration. That generally\nthey have been, and are sincere, we do not question. Sincere, or\notherwise, everywhere and always the priesthood move forward only\nwhen the spiritual unfolding of a people obliges them to yield to an\nirresistible pressure. Largely it was through the spiritual growth of\nthe people that, some centuries ago, Ento's priesthood were obliged to\ndiscontinue human sacrifices, and it is through their further spiritual\nevolvement that the densely positive barrier which ever has enfolded\nthem at length is yielding to forces from the spirit worlds. We rejoice\nthat now, as never before, spirits from Ento's and other spirit worlds\ncan penetrate and come en rapport with the consciousness of many\nof the people. True we cannot, as you can, approach them directly,\nbut soon conditions will become changed and we too, will be able to\ncommunicate with many sensitives.\n\nWe have shown you that all organisms throw off certain emanations,\nthe condition of the organism determining the quality of the\nemanation. In their activities these emanations are either centrifugal\nor centripetal. The centrifugal or positive being forceful, the\ncentripetal, or negative being passive, but, if I may use a paradoxical\nterm, energetically passive, and they form about inhabited planets\nlike, or similar to, Ento and Earth, a spiritualized atmosphere,\nwhich, to freed spirits, is as palpable as is a stone wall to physical\ntouch. The positive atmosphere enveloping the peoples of Ento is very\nrepellent; but you, who are yet connected with a physical body, are\nnot so etherealized as we are, hence we can use you as a means of\ncommunication with persons upon whom we can make no impression.\n\nNo, this spiritualized envelope is not what some of Earth's people term\nthe astral sphere, but it is a constituent of the first or so-called\nastral sphere, within whose limits abide spirits not sufficiently\nevolved to gravitate to a higher plane of being. In a sense such\nspirits are _confined_ within the limits suited to their several\nconditions. Confined, not through the arbitrary sentence of a just or\nan unjust judge, but through an inevitable process of Natural Law,\nwhich is God's Law. Around all planets inhabited by Spiritualized\nhumans and other organisms, the first Spirit Sphere, so to say,\nmaterializes. As ages pass and humanity evolves to higher Spiritual\nPlanes other and in all directions greater, grander spheres, suited\nto the requirements of more highly evolved beings are formed, each\nsucceeding sphere surpassing the preceding one.\n\nGentola--Do you know if there is a limit to the number of spirit\nspheres surrounding any or all inhabited planets?\n\nDe L'Ester--I know there is no limit to the questions you can ask, and\nfor the present I must end our conversation by saying that we know of\nno planet having more than seven spirit spheres, and by the time you\nor we shall have arrived at the highest, Ento and Earth will have been\nadded to the list of dead worlds, and we may have become archangels.\n\nGentola--Please allow me to ask one more question. Am I to understand\nthat there is a law compelling spirits to abide in certain spirit\nspheres?\n\nDe L'Ester--Spirits freed from the physical body, each according to\nhis or her evolvement inevitably go to \"their own place,\" the only\nplace they are fitted for. No spirit can long remain in a sphere\nwith whose _vibrations_ he or she is not in harmony. Spirits from\nthe higher may, and do, enter the lower spheres, but, speaking from\nexperience, not with pleasurable sensations. You once were adventurous\nenough to descend to the lowest level of one of the deepest mines on\nyour continent. You may recall the sense of oppression and difficulty\nof breathing which nearly overcame you. Well, that is the best\nillustration I can offer of the sensations experienced by spirits of\nhigher spheres who, for instance, enter our Earth's First or Spirit\nSphere. Why, then, do we return to mortal environments? Oh, my friend,\nyou yet must learn many sad lessons. You, whose destined work is to\nserve as a teacher to spirits in darkness, will find the answer to your\nquery. You will learn, as we are learning, that only through loving,\nunselfish service for those more needy than ourselves do we find the\nstepping-stones by which we shall ascend to the heights where are the\nexalted ones, who, through self-sacrifice and deepest self-abasement,\nhave attained knowledge and bliss unspeakable. It is they who inspire\nus to strive for a like beatific state of being.\n\nIt occurs to me that of one feature relating to emanations I have\nnot informed you. I have stated that all organisms throw off certain\nemanations, hence animal emanations are constituents of all First\nSpirit Spheres. After physical death the myriad forms of animal, indeed\nof all organized forms of life, for a time continue to exist within\nthe limits of the First Sphere. Then, through the activity of natural\nlaw they in a sense become reincarnated, but not on the same plane of\nexistence as before, but a step higher, and always in a species of\ntheir own order. That is to say, the soul of the horse never reappears\nin the form of an ox, or the soul of the ox in the form of the dog, and\nso on. No expression of life is ever lost. Thus the endless movement of\nevolution is continuous, and the bird of prey swooping down upon the\nfinned beauty of lake or stream is quite oblivious of the fact that he\ndesires to dine off a distant relative of whose family he is a highly\nevolved representative.\n\nGenessano--With interest I have heard De L'Ester's lesson, and it\nreminds me of an experience of Inidor[a:]'s and my own. When we passed\nto the spirit side we were not sufficiently evolved to continuously\nexist in a sphere higher than Ento's first Spirit Sphere, and for\nmore than half a century of earnest striving, assisted by the loving\ndevotion of our parents and dear friends who were more highly evolved\nthan were we, we were dwellers on the threshold of our second Spirit\nSphere.\n\nDuring this period of instruction and progress our condition was far\nmore agreeable than that of mortals, but through brief visits to other\nspheres, we soon learned that the degree of happiness we were enjoying\nwas but a promise of a more exalted state, and naturally we aspired,\nnot only to greater joys, but to higher attainments, through which we\nmight find closer association with our adored parents.\n\nNo, this period of instruction and progress did not appear to pass\nslowly. You do not yet realize that to freed spirits time and space\nare mere terms possessing neither value or significance. With us is\nonly an ever present now. The terms past and future involve an idea of\na beginning and an ending, and, as our friend Humboldt has stated, we\ncannot conceive of either a beginning or ending of what is termed time\nor a limit outside of which is nothing. No spirit of highest spirit\nspheres claims to have a realization of either time or space or a\nconception of the Infinite One, who ever has been, is, and ever must be\nthe dimensionless, unthinkable all.\n\nDe L'Ester--To-day we will see and hear what may transpire in the\nclassrooms. First we will observe what we may designate as an\nastronomical lesson. The apparatus which the young, intellectual\nlooking instructor is arranging is unlike anything you have seen, and\nI imagine that the lesson will be quite as unique as the apparatus. I\nshall not attempt to give you more than a mere synopsis of it. Now he\ncalls the attention of the class to the well known fact that Ento is\nnot a perfectly globular body, but a somewhat elongated sphere, deeply\ndepressed at its extremities and revolving in space as And\u00fbman[a:] in\nthe beginning decreed, that thus life giving beams of his abode might\nvivify all portions of the home of his children. He alludes to the\nSacred Writings, which declare that in a very remote time And\u00fbman[a:]\nrevealed to certain holy men an account of the creation of Ento and of\nthe living creatures who came into existence through the exercise of\nHis Will, and that later, when Ento was prepared for their reception,\nHe created His children, who should dwell upon it, and be the\nrecipients of His bounteous provision for their happiness. Evidently\nthis Instructor has no knowledge of the revolution of Ento around the\nSun, for he talks of the marvel of atmospheric pressure holding Ento in\nposition and also supporting the fair regions of Astranol[a:], beyond\nwhich is the shining abode of And\u00fbman[a:], which, with its foundations,\nfill all outer space. It would not serve a useful purpose to further\nspeak of his lecture to his deeply attentive pupils, but it will please\nus if you will attempt a brief description of this scene.\n\nGentola--Around a massive table, on which is an object suggesting a\nglobe, a number of boys and girls are assembled. The globe, if it may\nbe so called, is quite elongated, and, as you have said its ends are\ndeeply depressed. In the centre of the depressions are pivots which\nrest in sockets in the ends of two upright supports. The surface of\nthe globe is divided into spaces by metal bands suggesting latitude\nand longitude. Midway between the extremities of the globe is a broad\nband with three narrower ones on either side of it. Extending from\nthe central band at intervals are seven metal rods tipped with what\nappears to be diamond stars. Now the Instructor attaches to the ends\nof the two protruding pivots flexible wires covered thickly with some\ndark substance. The globe begins to revolve and now its velocity is so\ngreat that the star tipped rods appear to form a luminous, iridescent\nband about it, but I do not perceive what force makes it revolve. How\nbeautiful it now appears. All the bands are luminous, and I now see\nthat they are incrusted with different colored small jewels, and there\nis a soft singing sound, like the notes of some musical instrument. I\ndo not understand where the sound comes from, and I cannot describe\nthe scene intelligibly.\n\nBruno--Be at peace, Gentol[a:]. We have neither anticipated or desired\nthat you should more than offer your impressions of the scene and of\nthis object which the Entoans believe represents the form of this\nplanet. The seven diamond stars symbolize the seven divisions of\nAstranol[a:], but the Entoans do not venture to conjecture as to what\nthe abode of And\u00fbman[a:] or those of their deities may be like.\n\nPresently we will show you a marvellous piece of mechanism which is\nan embodiment of vibratory energy. These wires form a connection\nbetween it and this globe, and through its measureless energy this\nand all the mechanical apparatus of the great Galar\u0113s[a:] may be\nset in motion. On Ento, for many purposes, vibratory energy has\nsuperseded electrical energy, yet, in a sense, vibratory energy is an\nexpression of electrical force, which is the basic principle of all\nenergy. It permeates every atom of the universe, and its expressions\nare so manifold that, though its presence may not be apparent, its\never present energy is a fact. Ento is but one of many planets whose\ninhabitants understand and apply both electrical and vibratory energy,\nand, ere long, in the advancement of civilization on our own planet, it\nwill become a tremendous factor.\n\nThe Ento name for this object is esploin[a:], and it conveys the\nEnto idea of latitude, longitude, the equator and zones. The colored\noutlines indicate the natural divisions of land and water, which, as\nyou perceive, are not nearly equal. The revolution of the planet on\nits axis is recognized as producing day and night, but the idea of a\nvery pronounced concavity at its extremities, or, as we would say,\nat its poles is, of course, a conjectured absurdity. How did such an\nerroneous idea originate? Inidor[a:] says that in the Sacred Writings\nthere are intimations of the form of the planet, and it would be a bold\nadventurer who would dare to dispute such infallible authority.\n\nI grow impatient for the ushering in of the coming revelation when this\ngrand civilization shall leap to the level of its evolution. And it is\ncoming, it is quickly coming. Even these youths and maidens shall share\nin the splendor of Ento's religious freedom, which, like a radiant sun,\nshall dissipate the shadows of its long Spiritual night. When that\nlong-hoped-for period shall have arrived, and Ento's peoples shall dare\nto investigate in all directions, they soon will arrive at correct\nconclusions concerning two sciences which to them are as unread books.\nOf astronomy they are ignorant, of geology nearly so, their religious\nbeliefs deterring them from arriving at logical conclusions, lest they\nmight incur the displeasure of And\u00fbman[a:] and His Messengers. You may\nrecall the Professor's dilemma over the fossilized saurian, and in the\nrecord of the rocks they yet will learn equally startling lessons.\n\nYes, we are informed as to all important affairs of Earth, and we are\naware that daring minds contemplate the possibility of establishing\ncommunication between Earth and Ento. Altogether a futile idea, as you\nnow must perceive. Why, the Entoans do not even dream of the existence\nof a world other than their own. Inidor[a:], is not this true?\n\nInidora--Quite true. Ento's Sacred Writings, which are believed to be\ninfallible, make no mention of And\u00fbman[a:] having created any other\nworld than Ento, but historians have written that antecedent to the\nestablishment of Ento's Religion there was a powerful nation south of\nthe equator which was in a very advanced state of civilization. This\nnation was known as the Avalano nation. Z\u0113non Avados, one of their\nlearned men, who at this time is a Teacher in one of our Spirit\nRealms, declares that he and other scientists of his time demonstrated\nto their entire satisfaction that Ento was but one of many similar\nworlds. They also made other astronomical discoveries, all of which\nthey made known to the people. Unfortunately, this nation grew very\nrich and consequently very corrupt, and an inevitable decadence came\nupon them. Their civilization lapsed into chaotic conditions, their\nlearned ones passed away, and thus to the Entoans a knowledge of facts\nwas lost, which, when again presented, they will be prepared to accept.\n\nBruno--Already you have learned that in many directions Ento's\nscientific discoveries equal or surpass those of our own Planet. That\nart, in its various expressions, has attained surpassing excellence.\nThat the luxuries and refinements of living are within the reach of\nall. That constant and untiring effort is being put forth to elevate\nthe entire peoples. And that want and crime are so nearly minimized as\nto seldom demand attention. Thus the soil is prepared to receive the\nseed which soon will be sowed, and which surely will yield a bounteous\nharvest. Ah, the demonstration is concluded and the Instructor is about\nto address the class.\n\nInstructor--This lesson demonstrates that as a cherished child rests\nupon the bosom of its mother, so Ento, beloved of And\u00fbman[a:], rests\nupon the bosom of space. Afar off, in Diafon Evoih[a:], is the glorious\nabode of Him who is the Creator of all things. When we, His children,\nhave done well He smiles, and Diafon Evoih[a:], golden and glowing,\nsheds its life-giving beams over our beautiful world. He smiles and\nfruits and grains multiply, that His children may have sustenance. He\nsmiles, and b\u00fbd, bloom and verdure cover as with a mantle the home of\nall His creatures, for are not all living things precious in the sight\nof their Creator? From the lowest to the highest expression of His love\nall find their allotted places. All act in accordance with His Divine\nWill. This esploin[a:] not only conveys a correct idea of the form of\nEnto, but also it illustrates how we are encompassed by the abodes of\nAnd\u00fbman[a:]'s Messengers, whose ever-watchful eyes discern our inmost\nthoughts, our most secret acts. Even as the Divine Ones guard the\nSacred Mysteries may we, O And\u00fbman[a:], guard ourselves against wayward\nthoughts and unhallowed desires and may we ever reverently adore Thee\nthat Thou didst create this World so fair and a people so blest as are\nthe children of Ento.\n\nDe L'Ester--Leaving this Instructor and his pupils to a discussion of\ntheir odd mixture of science and religion, we will ascend to the second\nfloor. Yes, truly their religious beliefs dominate the lives of the\nEntoans. Fear of consequences, quite as much as love of And\u00fbman[a:] and\nHis messengers, occasions in them a constant watchfulness. Genessano\nhas related a droll occurrence which illustrates this very point. Once,\nin his childhood, a falling meteorite attracted his attention, and he\nran to his parents shouting: \"A god has fallen out of bed! a god has\nfallen out of bed and broken his lamp.\" Both father and mother were\nhorrified at his irreverent exclamation, and in terror, lest harm might\nbefall their thoughtless lad, they hastened with him to the Istoir[a:]\nto lay upon the altar a propitiatory offering.\n\nGentola--Genessano, you will pardon me for saying that the contrast\nbetween the advanced civilization and the peculiar religious beliefs\nof your people still surprises me. That they are intellectual and\ngenerally highly cultivated is very apparent, and it seems remarkable\nthat they yield obedience to a creed so utterly at variance with\ncommon sense. Have they never believed in a continuity of existence?\nHave they never had clearer conceptions relating to the ego than they\nnow have?\n\nGenessano--Since passing to our spirit world we have learned that long\nprevious to Ento's ancient written history, which antedated the Sacred\nWritings, there were those who, through many embodiments, on various\nplanets, retained overlapping, partial consciousness of previous\nstates of existence. Through this consciousness, which is a feature\nof so-called intuitive perception, such persons more or less clearly\nrealize the indestructibility of the ego, hence the continuity of\nperhaps conscious existence. But, through natural causes too complex\nfor present consideration to the consciousness of the masses of Ento,\nno idea of a continuity of existence ever has occurred.\n\nWhen through repeated embodiments and attendant experiences humans\nof any planet have evolved to a certain plane, conditions being\npropitious, they unfold Intuitive perception, or more correctly Soul\nconsciousness. Evolvement and unfoldment proceeding the Soul faculties\ntend to become dominant, and the Human seeks to discover the causes\nof phenomena. He theorizes, he analyzes, he dogmatizes, and grows\npresumptuous, and if unwisely, he ignores his inner consciousness,\nthe real spirit self, he is likely to stultify himself, and conclude\nthat there is no other than a physical existence, and no intelligence\nhigher than his own. Conditions favoring, soul consciousness may\nbecome en rapport with the inner or spirit consciousness, and despite\nintellectual materialism, which ever clamors for dominion, the human\nmay evolve a recognition of Spirit, hence a realization of the One All\npervading Spirit known to you as God.\n\nThough their history cannot be traced back to their earliest appearance\non our planet, we know that inevitably the Entoans, like the humans\nof other planets, have passed through all the phrases incident to the\nonward and upward progress of humanity.\n\nSince the establishment of the national religion, and consequent\necclesiastical oppression and repression, which ever have been so\nabsolute that they have not dared to think for themselves, their Soul\nconsciousness has found expression in ceaseless prayers that death may\nnot seize upon their lives, or those of their dear ones.\n\nAs the bud, infolding flower and fruit, is quickened by the breath\nof spring, so Ento's peoples will be spiritually quickened by the\neffulgence of the coming revelation, and then they joyfully will claim\ntheir birthright of ever increasing happiness and life eternal.\n\nDe L'Ester desires me to relate something I once read in an ancient\nrecord now stored in the Library of this Galar\u0113s[a:]. It states that\nimmediately succeeding the Establishment of the national religion\ncertain fanatics held peculiar beliefs. They asserted that And\u00fbman[a:]\nhad spoken to them, assuring them that they were possessed of an\nEssence, or Principle, which was the life of the body, and that this\nEssence, or life Principle, after death of the body continued a\nconscious, happy existence in a world unseeable by physical eyes. They\nalso asserted that And\u00fbman[a:] revealed to them Laws which commanded\nthem to refrain from all evil conduct. To love one another. To act\njustly, and to be merciful to all living things. Other Laws relate to\nthe duties of parents, of children, of those in authority, and so on.\nCertainly they were of a character indicating a Law Giver of a high\norder of intelligence. The record further states that this fanatical\nsect for a time increased prodigiously, but persecution and other\ncauses finally led to its extinction.\n\nAnother historian relates that during the third century of the\nEstablished Religion one M\u0113ro Kalmon invented an instrument through\nwhich he daringly and impiously gazed toward Astranol[a:]. He not only\ndeclared that Astranol[a:] did not exist, but that there were other\nworlds than Ento. He went so far as to declare that these worlds moved\nthrough space, and he even made drawings and calculations relating\nto these fanciful Worlds, which misled many into a belief in his\nreprehensible teachings. Not content with filling the minds of people\nwith these vain imaginings he also hinted that these newly discovered\nworlds might be peopled as was Ento. So eager is humanity to indulge in\nnew fancies that ere long he made many converts, and the Sacred Faith\nwas seriously menaced. Word of M\u0113ro Kalmon's proceedings was brought to\nthe Supreme Ruler Most\u0113n\u00fb Stoiv[a:], who directed that he be admonished\nto cease teaching fancies so pernicious, so sacrilegious, so devoid\nof intelligence. He was admonished, but being either very perverse\nor very much in earnest, he continued to teach his senseless ideas.\nGentle admonitions failing to correct his heterodox opinions, severer\nmeasures were exercised, but still he held to what he pretended to, or\ndid believe, and it became necessary to offer him as a Sacrifice to\nappease the righteous wrath of And\u00fbman[a:]. The historian also relates\nthat as he was about to be Sacrificed, suddenly the sky became overcast\nwith threatening clouds, and partial darkness reigned, but that at the\nmoment that the priestly knife reached the heart of the blasphemous\nM\u0113ro Kalmon, And\u00fbman[a:] smiled, and Diafon Evoih[a:]'s golden beams\ngladdened the hearts of the assembled multitude. And thus, adds the\nhistorian, was demonstrated the truth of our Holy Religion. At this\ntime _M\u0113ro Kalmon is a re-embodied spirit_, and amid the galaxy of your\ninspired, scientific minds he shines as a star of the first magnitude.\n\nNay, Gentol[a:], it would not be wise to divulge the present name of\nthe re-embodied M\u0113ro Kalmon; but from this recital you will perceive\nthat notwithstanding opposing influences at various periods, light\nfrom Inspired minds has striven to dissipate the spiritual darkness\novershadowing the lives of the Entoans. Yes, M\u0113ro Kalmon was a\nsensitive, as he now is.\n\nDe L'Ester--In this well lighted and well appointed room Dano, Fav\u0113on,\nand others are engaged in microscopical studies. We desire, Gentol[a:],\nthat you shall become en rapport with Dano, but so absorbed is he in\nhis investigation that we doubt if you will succeed. We will wait for a\nless positive condition of the youth's mind. In the meantime you will\nplease attempt a description of this scene.\n\nGentola--Seated around a long table are five young men, and two dark\nskinned, handsome girls in the bloom of early womanhood. On the table\nare instruments of a kind, quite unlike any I ever have seen, through\nwhich all are intently gazing. All are taking notes, and making\ndrawings, and a most animated conversation is being carried on, in\nwhich the young women take part. You say that those instruments are\nmicroscopes, but they are quite unlike any microscopes I have ever\nseen. There are five convex lenses, one above the other, but slightly\napart, and they are suspended between two slender rods, a few inches\nin length. Above each microscope a tiny, blindingly brilliant light\nis suspended, above which is a reflector which seems to focalize the\nlight and reflect it downward through the lenses, onto some odd looking\nobject. You say it is the eye of some small animal? Oh, I never could\nhave imagined that the eye is so complex, so wonderfully beautiful.\nYes, I now see it very clearly. Through the glasses it appears greatly\nenlarged. Describe it? No, indeed, I am not so presumptuous as to\nattempt it. You clever ones should describe things of which I am quite\nignorant.\n\nDe L'Ester--You have said all that we really have desired you to\nsay. Should a competent person give a technical description of these\ninstruments, and object under investigation, your caution would take\nalarm, and you would become too positive for our purposes, one of which\nis to inform the peoples of our planet that the Entoans are very like\nthemselves, and that their methods of acquiring knowledge are somewhat\nsimilar to those of the neighbors who are so curious about them.\n\nGentola--Now that I better understand your motive in asking me\nto describe various things I shall feel less sensitive over my\nincompetence, and you may rest assured that after this microscopic\nobservation I shall set a higher value on my own eyes.\n\nDe L'Ester--I thought you might, and it is high time you should, for\nyou not only use, but you abuse your eyes. The controversy over the\nlesson grows very animated. Be attentive, and I will interpret what may\nbe said.\n\nFaveon--Nitana, both you and Dano certainly are mistaken in your\nconclusions. Our Sacred Writings distinctly declare that And\u00fbman[a:]\nis Infinite in all His attributes. That He creates and destroys as He\nWills, but nowhere is it written that He modifies any creature in order\nto fit it to changed conditions. To my mind it savors of impiety to\nquestion the accepted interpretation given our Sacred Writings by our\nscarcely less Sacred Priesthood.\n\nDano--I do not doubt but that And\u00fbman[a:] is Infinite in all His\nattributes, and I do not question but that He creates in accordance\nwith His own purposes, but I do not believe that any _one_ living\ncreature is a special act of His creative Will, but that through His\nfixed purposes or Laws, which are a part of Himself, all things\ncome into existence. If each living creature is a special act of\nHis creative power, logically one must infer that all creatures are\nperfect expressions of His Will. Yet it is an indisputable fact that\nif animals of any species are for a prolonged period kept in darkness,\ntheir organs of vision will become modified to fit them for their\nenvironment. I cannot but think that our Priesthood misinterpret the\nmeanings of portions of our Sacred Writings, and that they are prone\nto cling too closely to ancient interpretations. May And\u00fbman[a:]'s\nMessengers understand that I do not desire to offer my immature\nideas as infallible truths, and I pray that they may direct my ever\nquestioning thoughts.\n\nNitana--Ever our scientific investigations oppose themselves to the\nteachings of our Holy Religion, occasioning in our minds unrest and\ndissatisfaction with our conditions. Though our devoted Priests\ncontinually admonish us against an indulgence in profane imaginings,\nour truant thoughts go far astray, and we grow bewildered and afraid\nlest the justly offended gods may visit upon us dire punishment. Even\nwhile we strive to learn the complex meanings of life, we are shrinking\nfrom death, and crying to And\u00fbman[a:]'s messengers to bear to Him our\nunceasing prayers for release from the dread God Phra (death), whose\ndark form overshadows all our days.\n\nScientific research has reached a limit where boldest and most earnest\nminds pause uncertain and appalled. They cannot turn backward, and\nthey dare not go forward. Oh, that And\u00fbman[a:] may as in ancient times\nhearken to the prayers of His sorrowful children, and grant to them a\nclearer understanding of truth.\n\nFaveon--Nitana, it is not we alone whose minds are full of unrest, for\nalas, the people too are questioning and doubting, and none too firmly\nare the priesthood opposing themselves to the further advance of\nskepticism. I fear that we too indulge in too free thought and speech,\nand are becoming dreamers rather than thinkers. Dano, your example is\ncontagious. I pray that I may not find myself also dreaming strange\ndreams, or yielding to baseless imaginings.\n\nDano--And yet it may come to pass. Truly, it has not been through my\ndesire that recent strange experiences have come to me. May the Gods\npardon my presumption, if I sometimes dare to hope that they in their\nown way may, through me, convey some new Revelation of And\u00fbman[a:]'s\nlove for His sorrowful children, whose entreaties for release from\ndeath, ever are the burden of their prayers.\n\nIf Mylta, V\u0113rian, and you, dear friends, may not consider me of lost\nmind, or altogether given to preposterous fancies, at least I may amuse\nyou by a recital of what you may regard as merely a dream. To Fav\u0113on I\nhave related a former experience, and his incredulous smile assures me\nthat he yet remembers it.\n\nYesterday after classes I laid on my couch to meditate and rest. I did\nnot at all feel inclined to sleep, but soon a semi-conscious state\nstole over my senses. At the moment my gaze was resting on a great\ncluster of t\u0113mos blooms sent me by Vallo[a:], my betrothed, to whom\nmy tenderest thoughts, like bright plumaged song birds, were flying.\nPresently the t\u0113mos blooms were blurred from my sight by a shining\nvaporous cloud, from which emerged a female form, so wondrously\nlovely that I was overawed and amazed. The form was tall, and of\nproportions suited to the form of a Goddess. Over her shoulders her\nhair fell like a golden mist, and her eyes blue as the azure floor of\nAstranol[a:], gazed tenderly, smilingly into mine. Rodels, floating on\nNaro's gleaming waters are not whiter than was her face, which shone\nwith an indescribably strange, luminous glow. Floating rather than\nwalking toward me she extended her hands, and in a voice so gentle, so\ntender, so mellifluous that it yet lingers in my memory like strains of\nsweetest music, she said, \"Dano, Dano, my brother, do not you recognize\nyour sister Ont[a:]? I am not dead, I live, and love you, my brother\nDano. It was but my physical body that died. I, the real Ont[a:],\nam as alive as when hand in hand we strayed by Naro's waters. Dano,\nbelieve that I am Ont[a:], for I shall again and again come to teach\nyou the mystery of life after death of the body. Happily you possess\nclear seeing vision, which perceives the real, Immortal Self, and you\nare to be a Teacher of our people, who through you will attain to a\nhigher conception of divine things. Already you begin to apprehend\nthe oncoming glory of a New Revelation, which will bring to the heavy\nhearted children of Ento gladness immeasurable. Fear not, my brother,\nyour message of joy will not fall upon deaf ears, for the way is being\nprepared, and the invisible ones, who possess the strength and wisdom\nof the fabled gods, will not fail you in your hour of greatest need. I\nknow that already they have spoken to you through one of another World,\nand soon your vision will grow so strong and clear that you will be\nable to perceive them, as you now for the first time perceive me. I can\nremain no longer, but soon will come again,\" she said, and as she came\nshe went.\n\nAs I dreamed I seemed to weep for joy that my beloved Ont[a:] still\nlived, and as she ceased speaking I strove to clasp her to my heart,\nbut she eluded me, and ere I more than realized her presence she\nvanished from my sight, and I sprang to my feet, not in fear, but in a\nstate of trepidation indescribable.\n\nMylta--But, Dano, do you believe that you really saw your sister\nOnt[a:], or do you consider it all a vivid dream? Of course, as your\nsister has long been in the Silence, it could have been naught else\nthan a dream. Fav\u0113on, be quiet. Yes, I am excited. Oh, how I should\nlike to have such a dream; and only think, if it really might be\ntrue! It is so dreadful to die, to leave all that one loves, and more\ndreadful still to lose one's loved ones, knowing that the utmost one\ncan do is to mourn until we too shall pass into the Silence. Ah, my\nV\u0113rian, our tears will not ward off----\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], quickly draw near to Dano. Touch his head\nwith your finger tips. That will suffice. Drowsily he leans back in\nhis chair, and passes his hands over his forehead and eyes. Now in a\nstartled manner he whispers, \"Ont[a:], Ont[a:]; nay, it is not Ont[a:].\nOnt[a:] has golden hair, and this woman's hair is dark hued, and she is\nof a strange race. Ah, I now see her clearly, and it is the same woman\nwho twice has appeared to me. Speak, I pray you, that I may know who\nyou are, and why you come to me.\"\n\nDe L'Ester--Follow closely my dictation.\n\nGentola--Though I am not of Ento I have been named Gentol[a:]. Twice I\nhave been made to speak to you, and now I shall say that which you are\nto remember for it relates to gravest interests.\n\nI have come from a world closely resembling Ento. It is far away in\nspace, and by its inhabitants it is known as Earth. I have been brought\nto you by persons who once lived on either Earth or Ento, but death\nof their physical bodies having freed the imperishable, intelligent\nPrinciple, they are known as Spirits and may go from World to World. I,\ntoo, am a spirit, but, like yourself, am yet connected with a physical\nbody, to which I shall soon return. Through the activity of a wonderful\nnatural sense you are enabled to perceive me and to hear my words; and\nlater on, when your Spirit senses shall have grown clearer, you also\nwill see and hear Spirits who are wholly freed from the physical body.\nAlready you have perceived freed Spirits and your quickened senses are\nunfolding, as unfolds a flower. Two of the Spirits accompanying me\nare of Ento's Spirit World. During their mortal lives they were known\nas Inidor[a:], and Genessano, sons of Genessano Allis Immo and of his\nWife Camariss[a:], who long have existed in a World invisible to your\nmortal vision, but which is as real as is Ento. As I am unacquainted\nwith your language I speak from dictation of a Spirit who, from time\nto time, will reveal to you truths which will bring to you and to\nyour people joys unspeakable. This spirit bids me say to you that in\nboundless space there are countless Worlds inhabited by beings like\nyourself. That all are And\u00fbman[a:]'s children, and all, like yourself,\nare immortal. That when, through death of the body, their spirits\nbecome freed, they continue to exist in worlds' far more beautiful\nthan Ento, whose peoples now are on the eve of a revelation which, to\nthem, will be as the dawning of a day of supremest joy. But for you,\ndear youth, will come a sorrow so overwhelming, a grief so poignant,\nthat it will well nigh rend you from your body. But courage, courage,\nsufficient for your days will be your strength. You have chosen and are\nbeing prepared to give to your despairing peoples a message so glorious\nthat its Divine effulgence will dissipate the shadows of the hopeless\nbeliefs which so long have held them in Spiritual bondage. Already\nin the minds of many of your people there is a sense of unrest and\ndiscontent with old beliefs and forms of worship. It is a premonition\nof wonderful events which ere long will occur, for spirits of Ento's\nand other Spirit Worlds have combined their forces to awaken the inner\nconsciousness of your peoples, and they feel the quickening impulse but\nare unaware of its significance. Many are prepared to receive the glad\ntidings that existence is continuous, and when this knowledge shall\nhave been revealed to them quickly they will emerge from the depths of\nperpetual sorrow into the radiance of a consciousness of immortality.\n\nYou would know the nature of the sorrow that is to come into your life?\nI shrink from saying that it has become necessary to inform you that\nyour betrothed, Vallo[a:] F\u00fbnh[a:], slowly but surely is releasing\nherself from her frail physical body. Slowly but surely, like some\nsweet flower of an untimely season, she droops and fades away, and ere\nlong she will be your Spirit, not your Mortal Bride. Her father does\nnot realize that her days are nearly ended or even that she is really\nill, else ere now he would have called you home. You are to await his\nor your father's summons, and you are not to speak of this or of aught\nI have said to you. Soon again I shall be with you to further reveal to\nyou that which concerns yourself and others, and now, Info oovist\u00fb.\n\nDe L'Ester--Fav\u0113on, Nitana and the others are greatly amazed and\nalarmed at Dano's strange condition, but as he breathes and moves they\nknow that he has not swooned, so silently they await his awakening, and\nnow he is arousing from his partially submerged state. He is so highly\nsensitive that while en rapport with you he is almost wholly conscious\nand fully remembers all that you have said to him, and though as yet\nhe does not comprehend his condition, in time he will do so. It is to\nbe regretted that such a heavy sorrow must fall into his young life,\nbut when finally he shall realize that his adored Vallo[a:] will not be\nforever lost to him, with his sorrow will be blended joy inexpressible.\n\nDano--Have I again been dreaming? Surely it was more than a dream.\nHeard you no one speaking? Saw you no form, dear friends? Yet truly\nI again have seen a fair-skinned, dark-haired woman, clothed in\nstrange, shining garments, who has spoken to me of marvellous things.\nIf what she has said may be true, ere long into my life will come\na heavy sorrow and a great joy. But And\u00fbman[a:] alone knoweth all\nsecret things. Through His love He created me and patiently I shall\nawait whatever of good or ill He may send to me. You, my friends, will\npardon me if I cannot now relate what this woman, who calls herself\nGentol[a:], has said to me.\n\nFaveon--Dano, I pray you compose yourself. No, we heard nothing,\nsaw nothing, but I confess that I so sympathized with your abnormal\ncondition that for a moment I experienced a most peculiar sensation.\nI seemed to feel some invisible presence near me, but soon I realized\nthat it was the merest foolish fancy, and quickly I aroused myself to a\nsense of my surroundings.\n\nV\u0113rian, sweet cousin V\u0113rian, your pallor betrays your perturbation, and\nMylt[a:]'s humid eyes evince a lively sympathy if not a positive belief\nin Dano's hallucinations. Come, friends, we will walk abroad and soon\nthese baseless, idle fancies to which, I fear, we all are inclined,\nwill be dispelled.\n\nNay, Dano, you shall not be left to yourself to brood and dream. Too\nclose study and a natural inclination toward Mysticism are misleading\nyou, and we, your devoted fellow students, will be doing less than\nour duty if we do not endeavor to induce you to yield to lighter,\npleasanter veins of thought.\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], to you this demonstration is little more than\ncurious. To estimate its meaning and value you would have to realize\nwhat we and many other spirits long have been striving to bring about.\nThis we cannot now make plain to you, for could you fully realize its\nsignificance it would so overwhelm you as to unfit you for the work\nyou alone can accomplish. This much I may say, that now as never before\nwe feel assured of the success of our mission.\n\nFav\u0113on felt not only your presence but also the wave of Magnetism\nwe passed over him. He is very sensitive, and when the time of his\nenlightenment shall have arrived he no longer will imagine that Dano is\nafflicted with morbid fancies, for he too shall stand as an Inspired\nTeacher of his own people.\n\nIn the adjoining class room other students are engaged in Microscopic\nexamination of Crytogamic growths. For a short time we will observe\nthem. We perceive that the specimens are of various species found in\nmoist localities, or in ponds or other sluggish waters. That their\nsporules, wafted by winds or through the agency of aquatic fowls, are\nborne from one locality to another. That some are known to be inimical\nto health, even to life, but that science has found means to oppose and\nrender ineffectual their virulence.\n\nYonder dark-skinned intellectual maiden is strongly inclined to\nskepticism. Not perceiving the utility of these growths she contracts\nher pretty brows, and, after some moments of inconclusive thought, she\nturns her large, luminous, questioning eyes on the stately Professor\nwho stands near her, regarding her attentively, and says: \"Professor\nDoiko, will you inform us as to why And\u00fbman[a:] has created these, so\nfar as science has discovered, worse than useless growths, and also\nthe parasites which infest the bodies of His children, and of all\ncreatures?\"\n\nProfessor Doiko--Our purpose is to study the structure and habits of\nthese growths, not to question the purpose of their Creator. When we\nshall have grown wise enough doubtless we will understand the mystery\nof many things which now are obscure. As to parasites which infest the\nbodies of living organisms science regards some of them not as enemies,\nbut as scavengers of refuse, which, when not speedily removed, generate\ndiseases of various kinds. Through our lack of knowledge we count as\nfoes many forms of life which probably, in time, we will come to regard\nas friends. And\u00fbman[a:], Creator of all things, makes no mistakes. It\nis His children who err in questioning the results of His infallible\nwisdom.\n\nDe L'Ester--The maiden looks rather discomfited than convinced. To\nthe quiet girl on her left, in a low tone she earnestly says: \"One is\never asking questions to which our learned ones give but half replies.\nAlways within me something cries out for a fuller knowledge of things.\nIf I question our Instructors or our Priests, or if I search written\nauthorities, the answer is ever the same, 'And\u00fbman[a:] knoweth,\nAnd\u00fbman[a:] doeth according to His will,' and our Priests say that we\nsin when we question the meanings of mysteries. Ton\u0113ne, what is that\nwithin us which ever is impelling us to search into forbidden things?\"\n\nTonene--Could I answer your query, Cassa, I should perhaps be wiser\nthan our Instructors. I know not why you are so perversely inclined,\nbut I think it may be well for you to defer to the opinions of those\nwho at least are far more learned than are we.\n\nCassa--But, Ton\u0113ne, it is said that Prince Dano believes that we are\nmore than we appear to be; that when the body dies the breath of life\ndoes not die; that the real self is invisible, but that it possesses\nintelligence and memory and speaks and moves about. I cannot quite\nremember what else it can do. What perplexes me is, how can the breath\nof life speak and move about without a body? I know not how Prince\nDano explains that. We all know that he is wise and learned beyond his\nyears, and there are those who regard him as one whom And\u00fbman[a:] has\nspecially endowed, but others fear that overmuch study and thought\nrender him visionary.\n\nTonene--Any one hearing this inconsequent conversation would probably\nconsider us as visionary as is Prince Dano, and we will serve ourselves\nbetter by attending to our lessons.\n\nDe L'Ester--In Cassa's somewhat rash remarks we find further evidence\nof the unrest stirring the minds of the people, and it augurs well for\nthe success of our Mission when, despite their fears, even youthful\nminds are questioning old beliefs.\n\nShould we attempt further notice of the students and studies of this\nclass room it would oblige us to exceed our purpose, which is to simply\nrecord sketches of people and things. You will bear in mind that in\ncalling your attention to apparently trivial matters we do so that you\nmay perceive that ideas and pursuits of the Entoans are noticeably like\nthose of Earth's peoples. Again we are holding you too long and must\nimmediately return you to Earth. Three days hence we will come for\nyou. George and Bruno will attend you. Until we all meet again, Info\noovist\u00fb.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nDR. BLANK'S LESSON.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Notwithstanding that, logically, neither time or space\nare realities, we, very illogically, have found ourselves somewhat\nimpatient with your visitors, whose prolonged stay has delayed us a\nfull hour. Ah that is well. Always secure yourself against sudden\nrecall. We are ready, George. Yes, to-day Earth's outer atmosphere is\nvery tranquil. You will find Ento's even more so. George, we will pass\ndirectly to the Galar\u0113s[a:]. Gentol[a:], an hour hence a friend will\nmeet us there. No, you are not acquainted with the gentleman, but you\nhave heard of him as a guide of your very dear friend, Mrs. S----le,\nto whom he writes and for whom he makes slate drawings. She, for a\nsufficient reason, has not given you his name. Should I do so I should\nviolate his and her expressed wishes. On this occasion he will be known\nas Doctor Blank. Yes, we have journeyed quickly. In seven minutes to\na second. We will now proceed to the class room adjoining the one we\nvisited three days ago.\n\nGenessano--Gentol[a:], you perceive that you and we pass through what\nmortals term solid substances without experiencing any resistance. I\nrecall that after my release from my physical body I thought it one of\nmy strangest experiences of my new state of existence, and for a time I\ncould not realize that I could pass through a wall or other substance\nas easily as through an open door. Newly freed spirits ever are\ngreatly surprised upon finding themselves possessed of this ability.\nIndeed, Spirits of low planes of evolvement rarely realize that in\norder to enter a dwelling they need not await the opening of a door or\nwindow.\n\nGentola--I have observed and thought of it, but always there is so\nmuch that is marvellous in this new experience that I have not found\nopportunity to speak of it. Now I shall be pleased if some one will\nexplain the matter.\n\nDe L'Ester--All so termed solids are composed of extremely minute\nparticles of substance. Resolve the molecule into its most attenuated\nstate and atoms result. All energy is atomic, hence substantial.\nExpressions of energy known as attraction, cohesion, gravity and\nothers, are embraced within what your learned ones term Magnetism, and\nwere it possible to comprehend what this term implies and involves,\nit might be possible to comprehend the Infinite. Atoms contain all\nqualities, and not only the atoms filling all space, but those\ncomposing so termed solids are each surrounded by an aura all its\nown. In Planetary language this aura is known as R\u0113, which signifies\nSpiritualized Substance. It is a quality of all things everywhere, and\nis so sublimated as to be incomparable to aught else. Yes, your learned\nones admit the separateness of the molecule and the atom, but they\nfail to recognize the Spiritual quality of either. The Spirit body is,\nso to say, organized from the atomic aura of the physical body, its\ndensity depending upon the quality of the aura. The Spirit body of one\non the very lowest sensual plane necessarily is dense and gross; hence,\nSpirits possessing such bodies find it difficult, perhaps impossible,\nto pass through walls or closed doors. Were your mortal existence on a\nlow plane we could not use you for our present purpose; were it on a\nstill more advanced plane both you and we would not occasionally be at\ncross purposes. It is not a flattering statement, but it is a fact, and\nyou will not misunderstand me.\n\nGentola--Not in the least. I am very sensible of my imperfections, and\nam full of regret that my entire life has not been devoted to highest\naims and pursuits. I am only a little reconciled to my own shortcomings\nthrough believing that I shall have endless time in which to amend them.\n\nDe L'Ester--So you will, and though we may not hasten the passing\nyears, we all may improve each moment of that which possesses neither\nbeginning or ending. Oh, yes, many persons are given to flippant\nmention of eternity and perfection. Only the Infinite can comprehend\nthe one or possess the other, but through constant striving all may\nattain to loftiest heights of Spiritual unfoldment. Yes, through\nconstant striving for higher unfoldment, both physically embodied and\nfreed Spirits grow wiser, purer and stronger. Spirit bodies being\norganized from atomic aura, it follows that if the aura be sufficiently\npure, even as wind may pass through the meshes of a gossamer web, so\nmay the sublimated atoms of Spirit bodies penetrate any aggregation of\ngrosser atoms.\n\nGentola--At what period of a child's physical existence is its Spirit\nbody fully formed?\n\nDe L'Ester--From the moment of conception the formation of the Spirit\nbody begins, but not until the midway period of gestation does the\nSpirit body assume a distinctive outline. From this period onward the\nLaw of Being compels the atoms composing the Spirit body to arrange\nthemselves in accordance with the Divine plan of organization. At seven\nmonths' gestation the Spirit body of a child is fully formed.\n\nYes, the qualities of both the physical and Spirit bodies of children\nlargely depend upon parental conditions. So, also, if conditions\nare of a high order, children begin their mortal life journey well\nprepared for inevitable exigencies. If, unfortunately, conditions are\nof a low order, they must encounter mortal experiences handicapped\nfrom the moment of conception. Yes, this Law would seem to work an\ninjustice to myriads of humans born under untoward conditions, but,\nto quote Professor Doiko, \"And\u00fbman[a:], creator and preserver, makes\nno mistakes.\" When humanity evolves sufficiently to realize the vital\nimportance of conditions and the certain transmission of hereditary\ntraits, children become well born and in time the peoples of all\nPlanets do evolve to an understanding and observance of this, the most\nimportant law of the ever ascending planes of evolution.\n\nWhat becomes of children prematurely born? As the doctor has not yet\narrived I may briefly reply that the souls of infants prematurely\nexpelled from the matrix, are by appointed Spirits borne to a Realm\nin which are conditions specially adapted to their requirements and\ndevelopment, where, at the full period of gestation, they, in a sense\nare born into conscious existence. Thenceforward until maturity,\nguardian Spirits continuously conduct them to the physical plane, where\nthey are placed en rapport with their parents or with such conditions\nas are required for their growth and development, bodily, mentally, and\nto a degree Spiritually. Should the parents, especially the mother,\nhave passed to the Spirit side, the child will be brought into contact\nwith the family life of persons as nearly related as possible to its\nparents. Generally such children are attended by the Spirit Mother\nor one with a strong mother nature. It is a Law that children born\nprematurely or who otherwise have passed to the Spirit side, must\nbecome acquainted with mortal experiences; _thus the unseen members of\nmany families outnumber the recognized sons and daughters_.\n\nOn the Spirit side are countless numbers of women who, in their last\nre-embodiment, did not fulfill the Law of their being; gladly they\nbecome guardians of children requiring a mother's care and love.\nEspecially do such Spirits charge themselves with the care of waifs\nprematurely expelled from the matrix by ignorant, thoughtless or\nheartless mothers, who, on passing to the spirit side, are confronted\nby the unlooked for evidence of their ignorant or criminal folly.\nYes, children prematurely born as the result of accident or of other\nunavoidable conditions, are subject to the same laws that govern\nchildren purposely thrust into the Spirit World. You are aware that\nyour sister Emma was prematurely born, consequently, her form is rather\ndiminutive and of a substance so refined as to remind one of that of a\npure white lily.\n\nYes, truly, it was Emma who came to Mynheer Weiss and you at Mrs.\nDrake's seance. We were not surprised that Mrs. Drake thought her a\ngirl of about twelve years. Yes, it was she who knelt at the knees of\nMrs. S----r, and who afterward partially materialized her form. We\nassisted her to our utmost, but much to her disappointment and our\nown, she did not quite succeed. She is very devoted to your son, who\njocularly terms her the Infant Phenomenon. In form, features and traits\nshe resembles your and her gentle, gracious, loving mother.\n\nYes, so far as we have learned, the law of generation on other planets\nis the same as that of Ento and Earth. Indeed the male and female\nprinciples appear to be so universal that all advanced Spirits firmly\nbelieve in even the duality of the Infinite Spirit. Yes, it requires\nvery robust faith to enable any one to realize the possibility of a\nmother bearing a child whose father is too etherealized to wear a\nphysical body. My imagination is unequal to such a concept.\n\nAh, here is our friend the doctor. You are most welcome. As you all\nhave exchanged greetings, I now shall have the pleasure of presenting\nyou to our medium, Gentol[a:].\n\nDr. Blank--Madame, it pleases me to meet and greet you. At the request\nof our mutual friend, Mrs. S----le, I have obtained permission to join\nfor an hour these mutual friends and you who are engaged in a mission\nof loving endeavor which I pray may bear fullest fruition. If I also\nmay receive your gracious permission to, for an hour, join your Band I\nshall feel more at ease.\n\nGentola--Truly, I am more than pleased to have you with us, if but for\nan hour.\n\nDr. Blank--You will not I trust esteem me churlish because I, for a\nwell considered reason, desire that I may be known to you and to those\nwho may peruse these pages, as Dr. Blank? You will not? I thank you.\nAs I am something of a chemist, De L'Ester desires me to reply to such\nquestions as may arise relating to the lesson engaging this class of\nstudents. So, madame, I am at your service.\n\nGentola--I perceive that the students are being taught as to the\nproperties and effects of poisons. As I am wholly unlearned in the\nscience of chemistry, I am not prepared to ask questions concerning the\nlesson, but, if you may not consider the question absurd, I should like\nto ask if poisons have any effect upon the spirit, either in or apart\nfrom the physical body.\n\nDr. Blank--Here, madame, are a collection of mineral poisons, here\na collection of vegetable poisons, and here again an assortment of\nanimal poisons. Some are in the form of powders, others in the form of\nliquids. All are labelled poison, yet strictly speaking there are no\npoisons. The law of affinity, which is one expression of magnetism,\nrules the domains of attraction and of repulsion. That like attracts\nlike is an axiom, and the inspired Hahnemann caught a ray of truth\nwhen he perceived that similia similibus curanter. I must not allow\nmyself to offer a dissertation on this point, but I may say that\nchemical affinities are qualities inherent in all substances and in all\norganisms. Equilibrium of chemical affinities means health; the reverse\nmeans disease. Remember that in all atoms are all possible qualities,\nand that any one aggregation of atoms contains exactly the same\nproportion of these qualities as are in any other equal aggregation\nof atoms. It may come about that in a physical organism, through the\nenergies of attraction and affinity, an undue amount of a certain\nquality may become preponderant; a condition of repulsion ensues, and\nif extremely violent it may occasion dissolution of such organism. By\ncertain of your learned ones, so termed poisonous effects are fairly\nwell understood, the involved principles less so.\n\nThe foregoing remarks are preliminary to a more direct reply to your\nquestion, the importance of which cannot be overestimated.\n\nYou are aware that Spirits possess tangible bodies. Tangibility\nimplies substantiality, and substance is a more or less close impact\nof finer or coarser atoms. The seminal substances and all ovaria are\naggregations of atoms, to a degree impressed by the personality of such\ncreatures as may possess them. We will imagine a father addicted to\ndrunkenness, or continually under the influence of narcotics. In such\ncase the seminal substance being impressed or impregnated by alcoholic\nor narcotic atoms, the germ of a new being must, from the moment of\nconception, possess a bias toward alcoholism or narcotism. The mother\nmay be of a superior type of woman, but, through association with the\nfather of her unborn child, her mental emotions, which are substantial,\nare reflected or impressed upon its organism, and if she is not strong\nenough spiritually to equalize the influences of her environment, she\nalmost certainly will give birth to a being accursed, poisoned, if you\nwill, through the vicious habit of its father.\n\nDuring the period of gestation such unfortunates form not only the\natomic physical body, but also the atomic spiritualized soul body,\nand every atom of the new being has, through attraction and affinity\nbecome, so to say, imbued with a tendency toward an indulgence in\nso termed alcoholic or other poison. We have glanced at the effect\nupon the physical plane and when, sooner or later, the victim must\npass to the spirit side, then, alas, the laws of attraction and of\naffinity impel the impregnated atoms of the spiritualized soul body to\ngravitate to their own kind. Truly, the child of a drunken father or\nof an opium-eating mother is as surely poisoned as is one who swallows\nprussic acid, and the father or mother who indulges in alcoholics\nor in narcotics commits a damnable offense against their children,\nagainst humanity and against themselves, for inevitably they and their\noffspring enter the spirit world clothed with bodies so atomically\npoisoned, so out of equilibrium that they are tortured through a\nconstant, insatiable desire for a gratification of their abnormal\npropensities. A desire which personally they cannot gratify and which\nto a degree they must outgrow before they can advance _one step_ onward\nand upward. This overpowering desire for the gratification of abnormal\npropensities leads many spirits to strive to influence unwary ones to\nindulge in intoxicants, in narcotics and to commit various offences\nagainst decency and against the interests of society, and I regret to\nsay that very frequently they succeed not only to their own, but to\nthe detriment of their victims. Yes, certainly, in time all Spirits\noutgrow the evil tendencies of their physical existence, but if\nmortals could realize that during this process, a century aye, in many\ninstances centuries, may elapse ere the progressed spirit can endure\nthe white light of higher realms, surely they would strive to avoid so\ncalamitous an experience.\n\nBut I must hasten. As I have intimated, when some one quality or\nqualities preponderates over some other quality or qualities of\nan organism, non equilibrium ensues, and thus persons become ill,\npoisoned, so to say, through partaking of certain foods or liquids.\nOne may become ill, poisoned, through inhaling the perfume of a flower\nwhich to another may afford exquisite enjoyment. Another may become\nill, poisoned through the aura of an animal whom another will unharmed\nfondly caress. Thus, the fact is apparent that poisons, per se, do not\nexist, but that under certain conditions all qualities are inimical to\nphysical existence.\n\nGentola--As you are aware, doctor, many persons with impunity\nconsume alcoholics and narcotics sufficient in quantity to kill one\nunaccustomed to their use. How do you account for it?\n\nDr. Blank--Persons addicted to the constant use of these so-called\npoisons, gradually become abnormal. The atoms composing their organisms\nhave, so to say, become saturated to a degree that will not admit\nof the further entertainment of the qualities offered. Just as a\nfully-saturated sponge, though plunged into an ocean, would reject\nanother drop of water.\n\nWe have drifted somewhat apart from our starting point, and I regret\nto perceive that the lesson has disturbed your serenity, but I feel\nassured that you desire that humanity may come to realize that in all\nthings cause and effect go hand in hand. That both in and apart from\nthe physical body, all are their own jury and judge. That mortal life\nis the preparatory school in which all learn their lessons well or\nill, and that on the spirit, as on the physical side, _the school of\nexperience knows no vacation_.\n\nFrom what I have said you will understand that the effects of some\nso termed poisons are far reaching. I may add that every emotion of\nthe mind, food, drink, the dyes in textile fabrics, especially for\nclothing, in fact the atoms composing all substances, more or less\naffect the physical, consequently the spiritualized soul body. In\nsome persons a certain color or colors produces either exhilaration\nor depression. They may not be conscious of the cause, though very\nconscious of the effect. Your strong dislike for wholly black garments\nis an indication that you should not wear them. _Sensitives never\nshould wear colors darker than the red corpuscles of their blood._\nAzure blue, yellow, rose red, very light shades of purple and a certain\nlight shade of green are the colors suited to your temperament. Always,\nadvantageously, you may wear white.\n\nI simply have touched upon some points which, with your and your\nfriends' permission, I may at another time elaborate. In chemistry I\nam well enough versed to perceive that this is a splendidly equipped\nlaboratory and I learn from his remarks that the stately Professor is a\ncompetent Instructor.\n\nDuring my mortal existence I regarded myself, and was considered,\nan authority in the science of chemistry, but I have learned that,\ncompared with Ento chemists, I was a mere tyro. They, through a larger\nknowledge of the wondrous science, have made of the elements tractable\nservants whose energies are tireless; whose adaptability is limitless.\n\nMadame, the allotted hour has quickly flown. My promise to our mutual\nfriend is fulfilled and with measureless hopes and fervent wishes for\nthe success of your most worthy efforts on behalf of the mission, I\nmust bid you and these friends adieu.\n\nGentola--Adieu, and believe that I greatly appreciate the thoughtful\nkindness of our mutual friend, at whose request you have afforded me\nanother strange and useful lesson.\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], at present we will look no further through the\nGalar\u0113s[a:], but will turn our attention to the zo\u00f6logical department\nof this very comprehensive institution. This great corridor, lined with\nadmirable statuary, gleaming whitely through a luxuriance of palmlike\ngrowths and blooming plants, conducts us to this broad flight of steps\nleading downward to the Rinvoh (aquarium) of which this spacious and\nimposing landing affords a fine view. You will attempt a description of\nsome of its features.\n\nGentola--Extending eastward and a little northward I see a small lake\ndivided into two sections by--and also surrounded by--a massive stone\nwall the top of which serves as a promenade on which many persons are\npassing to and fro. What appears to be heavy metal netting divides\nthe lake into numerous compartments and there are lightly constructed\nbridges from which attendants are casting food to creatures in the\nwater. A portion of the lake is roofed over by a substantial wire\nnetting, and in many of the compartments are luxurious growths of\naquatic plants. The lake extends a little further north than the\nnorthern wall of the Galar\u0113s[a:], and bordering its northern extremity\nand around on its western side I see a grove of great trees and\nshrubbery, amid which are large and smaller structures and also numbers\nof men, women and children, who are passing from one building to\nanother. In front and toward our right, basking in the vertical rays of\nthe sun, is a huge creature of familiar, if not pleasing, appearance.\nDo you know its Ento name?\n\nDe L'Ester--Were the repulsive creature a denizen of earth we might\nwith propriety call it an alligator. Its Ento name is Inadillo, which\nI shall translate as scaly armored. It differs from the alligator of\nour planet in having larger and very protuberant eyes, a shorter and\nmore bulky head, a larger body and webbed legs. It is quite as much\nat home on land as in the water, but is a very sluggish creature and\nof a species nearly extinct. The lakes, for there are two, are wholly\nartificial. One is supplied by fresh artesian water, the other with\nsalt water from nearby Indolois[a:], and in their many compartments\nare specimens of Ento's various amphibious creatures and fishes. Now\nlook into the adjoining wire-covered tank. Ah! you shrink back from the\nhideous creature moving its sinuous length through the limpid water.\nYes, it is a veritable sea serpent, and it has been in this Rinvoh\nfor about fifty years of our time. When captured in Tsoivan Cryfimo,\nit was about one-third its present length which is quite eighty feet.\nExtending backward from its neck are large webbed appendages with\nwhich it swiftly propels itself through the water. When angered or\nexcited those folds at the back of its broad, flat head are erected\nand projected forward over its vicious looking eyes, which glow and\nscintillate in a most alarming manner. George is endeavoring to arouse\nhis snakeship and, evidently, is succeeding. See how he arches his\nlong, slender neck, turning his ugly hooded head this way and that in\nquest of his disturber. Naturally, he does not find his enemy, and now\nwith hisses of fear or defiance he rushes away, lashing the water into\na line of white foam. Now he has reached the further limit of the lake\nand is quieting down. George, we echo your _requiescat in pace_, for\nGand\u00fblan[a:] rushing like a comet through the water is not a pleasing\nobject.\n\nFrom reliable authority we know that this serpent is the last of his\nspecies. In Ento's inland seas there are creatures of allied species,\nbut in comparison with yonder great serpent, now gently rocking himself\non the bosom of the tranquil lake, they are quite insignificant. If\nGand\u00fblan[a:] has not quite fascinated you, you will please turn your\nattention toward this ungainly object which appears to be intent upon\nbaking itself in the hot sunbeams.\n\nGeorge--I say, Gentol[a:], if we could drop this fellow through space\nand he should arrive--say, in St. Louis--what do you suppose he would\nbe taken for?\n\nGentola--Soup, I suspect.\n\nGeorge--Ah, thanks. And what, may I ask, do you imagine the soupmakers\nwould name him?\n\nGentola--Without doubt they would think him a turtle.\n\nDe L'Ester--Certainly they would, for he differs very slightly from the\nlarge sea tortoises of our planet. You understand, Gentol[a:], that we\nare not showing you these creatures for the mere purpose of gratifying\na curious interest, but that you may through personal observation, note\nthe striking resemblance of many of Ento's to many of Earth's life\nforms, and I pray you to observe closely, so that in coming time you\nmay remember the object lessons we are presenting to your notice. I\nwish to reiterate that advanced Spirits of Planets of our, and of other\nSolar Systems, unite in declaring that everywhere life expressions\nare alike or very similar. That dissimilarities through environments\npertain more to bulk and density than to form.\n\nAs we move along you perceive that these compartments are occupied by a\ngreat variety of fishes. Some of huge proportions and voracious enough\nto devour their attendants; others as dainty as ever tickled palate of\nan epicure, and others still too minute and pretty to serve a nicer\npurpose than to flash their scales of gold or of silver within the\ncrystal walls of an aquarium.\n\nIn the bass or treble notes of the croakers who hide amid the shade and\ncoolness of those aquatic plants and grasses, is an indication that\nfrogs of various species are quite at home with the eel-like creatures\ngliding through the water.\n\nWith both pleasure and profit we might devote more time to this\ndepartment, but only a glance here and there is possible, otherwise our\nobservations would fill a tome. We now will pass to the Acclinum (the\nzo\u00f6logical section), where Genessano and another Ento Spirit friend\nwill join us.\n\nHere at the entrance is an individual who regards us with both\ncuriosity and disfavor. Did not the strong bars of his cage interfere\nhe might attempt to resent our gazing at him. That he more or less\nclearly perceives us is quite apparent, and it is quite as apparent\nthat he does not admire us. He, like many animals, possesses the\nability to see what is hidden from the majority of humans. No, neither\nclairvoyance or clairaudience are in any sense spiritual gifts. They,\nso to say, are qualities of the personalities of all highly organized\ncreatures, as the human, the anthropoid, the horse, dog and some other\nanimals. These qualities constitute an inner perceptivity of the\nanimal soul, by some of your thinkers designated as conscious mind or\nobjective self. They are independent of physical visuality and are\ncontrolled through vibratory activity. You question as to how it is\npossible for the law of vibration to affect the senses. I answer that\ntruly, \"Nature knows no vacuum,\" that the atom is everywhere and mind\nis as much substance as is the body of this forbidding looking creature\nin whom we see a representative of a species of anthropoid named Bom\u00fbz\nhimm\u00fb, which in your language would signify manlike tree climber.\nGrasping with his great hands the strong bars of his cage, he gazes at\nus as though fascinated, affording us a rather disturbing spectacle.\nHis height, his anatomical structure, his intelligent expression and\npose, is painfully suggestive of a low type of the human, to whom in no\nsense is he allied. George, he does not regard your friendly advances\nwith favor, he shrinks away from you, but his deeply set gleaming eyes,\ndrawn lips, and gnashing teeth, indicate a disposition to defend his\nrights. If you feel poetically inclined in this adjoining compartment,\nis a subject for lachrymose verse. Bom\u00fbz's mate evidently is in a\nvery despondent condition; her long, coarse hair falls over her low,\nretreating forehead; her face is buried in her great hands, and she is\na picture of utter dejection. Pining perhaps for her home and friends\nin some tropical jungle, or for orphaned children, bereft of a mother's\ntender care, or who knows but that she bemoans a forsaken lover, or----\n\nGeorge--Since you have grown so sentimental I shall not be surprised\nto soon find my occupation gone. All I ask is that you shall wear your\nlaurels as modestly as ever I have worn mine.\n\nDe L'Ester--With your illustrious example ever present I shall endeavor\nto emulate your exalted virtues. In the meantime, Madame Bom\u00fbza,\naroused from her melancholy mood, appears to take a lively interest in\nMonsieur Bom\u00fbz who utters peculiar sounds, pounds his hands against\nthe bars and probably is informing her of the proximity of strange,\nsinister looking beings. That she now perceives us is evinced by her\nalarmed manner, whimpering cries and poundings on the bars of her\ncage which have attracted the attention of a keeper who hastens in\nthis direction. Yonder, too, are our friends hastening to join us.\nLoha\u00fb, Loha\u00fb \u0113manos, you are as welcome as you are prompt in keeping\nyour appointment. H[a:]-Mo\u00fbfih, the favor of your presence with us is\nesteemed at its full value.\n\nGenessano--Gentol[a:] \u0113man[a:], one is with us who has not been so\nlong in our spirit world as have Inidor[a:] and I, consequently he\npossesses personal knowledge of events transpiring on Ento during\nrecent times. Like my brother and myself, he does not at all understand\nyour language, and as a means of communication with you he must avail\nhimself of De L'Ester's kind assistance. It is my privilege and\npleasure to make known to you, H[a:]-Mo\u00fbfih Ad[a:]ssi, whom we all hold\nin our hearts as a dearly beloved and valued friend.\n\nGentola--I regret that I cannot converse with you directly, but through\nthis kind interpreter we shall become acquainted and I shall hope to\nfind myself no less in your favor than are these our mutual friends.\n\nHa-Moufih--Gracious lady, I salute you and owe you thanks that you\nreceive me so courteously. I too regret that we cannot more readily\nexchange converse, but doubtless a degree of patient persistence will\nsuffice to make us mutually understood.\n\nIn accordance with a prearranged plan I shall undertake a relation of\nsome events which may serve to illustrate certain points. To do so will\noblige me to be more prominently personal than I could wish, but you\nand our friends will excuse my using such means as may seem best fitted\nfor the accomplishment of a desired end. At the time of my birth my\nfather, H[a:]-Mo\u00fbfih Ad[a:]ssi, was governor of the Province of Ond\u00fb.\nI being the first born of my parents was given the name of my father.\nYou may not have been informed that on Ento nearly always the first\nborn son takes the name of the father as the first born daughter takes\nthe name of the mother. I am aware that with much of Ento's history\nof the past four centuries you are acquainted, so for the most part\nI shall confine myself to a relation of events occurring within the\nyears of my mortal existence, and of those following my departure into\nEnto's Spirit World, where quickly I learned the law of return into\nmortal conditions, and thus through observation and association with\nrecently freed spirits I have kept myself informed as to many things\nrelating to Ento's peoples and affairs to which I may find it expedient\nto refer. During my youth I attended several Institutions of learning,\nbut the greater part of my education I received in this Galar\u0113s[a:] of\nCamariss[a:], and when my parents considered me sufficiently advanced\nin age and in my studies, I, with other youths under the care of a\nguardian, were permitted to travel through foreign countries, observing\nthe peoples, their customs and attainments with such other features as\nmight afford us a general knowledge of Ento.\n\nAn exhaustive investigation of natural history possessing for me\nan absorbing interest, on my return home I besought and obtained\npermission of my parents to, in my own way, pursue the engrossing study\nwhich during the remainder of my mortal existence largely occupied my\ntime and attention.\n\nAt this moment it occurs to me that to avoid confusion of mind it\nmay be well for me to use your standard of time. Also to state that\nI date my birth at a time corresponding to about the middle of your\nseventeenth century, hence am an Entoan of a comparatively modern time.\nEre I began my journeyings a quarter of a century of my youth had\nelapsed, and the close of another twenty-five years found me still a\nwanderer over the lands of Ento. During all these years my restless\nmind and untiring investigations led me to an exploration not only of\neasily accessible climes, but also of the planet's frozen extremities.\nDoubtless you have become informed that air transports traverse the\nentire planet, and that wherever necessary or desirable, stations for\nthe convenience of travel and commerce long have been established. Thus\nfavored I pursued my travels until, save for one extensive equatorial\nregion far westward of Indolois[a:], of which presently I shall speak,\nI had traversed the entire surface of Ento.\n\nMy absences from Camariss[a:] were of longer or shorter duration, but\nthe love of my pursuit so grew upon me that only affection for my\naging parents drew me to the arms ever ready to welcome me. Early in\nmy fifty-second year my mother passed to our Spirit World. My father,\ngrief stricken and aged beyond a century, quickly followed her, as, I\nthen believed, into endless silence, but as I how know, into realms\ninconceivably glorious. Thus I became hereditary governor of Ond\u00fb.\n\nMuch against the wishes of my parents I had not married, my pursuit\naffording me little time or inclination for the society of women.\nThen, too, early in my youth I had observed that the most poignant\nsorrows had their roots in human affection; that those who loved least,\nsorrowed least. With pitying eyes and a pained heart I had often had\noccasion to sympathize with those whose light of life went out, when\ndeath tore from their clinging arms their dearest ones, and I fully\nrealized that should I allow myself the ecstasy of loving an adorable\nwoman I should only be courting for her or for myself eventual despair.\nSo I did not marry.\n\nOn becoming governor of Ond\u00fb I learned that the duties of my office\nand other affairs left me insufficient leisure to care for the\nvaluable collections of many years, and I resolved to add them to the\nalready priceless treasures of the Syffond\u00fb (museum) of the Acclinum\n(zo\u00f6logical department) and the Rinvoh (aquarium). During my wanderings\nI had from time to time become possessed of strange creatures, some\nliving, some dead. The water serpent, which I learn you already have\nseen, was captured in Tsoivan Cryfimo, which is one of a series of\nsalt lakes, or, as De L'Ester terms them, inland salt seas, nearly on\nthe opposite side of Ento. At the time of his capture Gand\u00fblan[a:] was\nabout one-third his present size and I had been governor of Ond\u00fb for\nquite forty years. Three years later I passed to our Spirit World,\nand my paternal uncle, Und[a:] Gamond[a:], became my successor, but\nonly for a period of twelve years, when he followed me, and his son,\nUnd[a:] Gamond[a:], became and at this time is governor of the Province\nof Ond\u00fb. Thus you may perceive that Gand\u00fblan[a:] is not in his early\nyouth. How long he may yet survive as the last of his species no one\ncan say.\n\nUnd[a:] Gamond[a:] is a learned and most admirable man, under whose\nadministration this Province is most prosperous. Under his fostering\ncare manufactures, arts, sciences and industries are afforded every\npossible opportunity for favorable progress, and those engaged in\nthe cultivation of the wonderfully productive irrigated lands which\noccupy the entire Province of Ond\u00fb ever find him more than willing to\nfurther their interests. He is an artist, too, of excellent ability,\nand on yonder ornate pedestal symbolizing Commerce and Agriculture is\na statue, the work of his dexterous mind and hands, which is admirable\nenough to command attention and high praise. In the poise of the noble\nhead, in the expression of the intellectual and extremely handsome face\nand in the majestic pose of the stately form, true genius has found\nfine expression. Und[a:] Gamond[a:], artist and kinsman in saluting\nthis symbolic marble I salute thee, and in the world of spirits one day\nI shall meet thee face to face.\n\nYou are aware that the Entoans have no knowledge or even hope of a\ncontinuity of life, so you may believe that when in our Spirit World\nI became conscious of the stupendous, the glorious, fact that I still\nexisted, and that my dearly beloved ones who had preceded me were\nembracing and greeting me, I was overwhelmed with amazement and a joy\nso profound that for a time I found no utterance. Oh, the wondrous\ndelight of finding myself young and strong, with all my faculties\nenlarged, and yet the greater delight of realizing the presence of\nthose over whose ashes I had shed many bitter tears. I was as one\nintoxicated. I rushed hither and thither, eager to behold the strange,\nbeautiful World of Spirits. I took no thought of the past or of Ento.\nI lived, I lived, and the unlooked for joy of it for a time rendered\nme oblivious of the memories of mortal existence, but ere long they\nrevived, enkindling a desire to visit scenes which were still dear\nto me. Under instruction of friends soon I learned to accomplish my\ndesire, and since then it has been my duty as well as my pleasure to\nfrequently revisit Ento. Thus I have kept in touch with such events and\nconditions as concern its peoples.\n\nI shall now speak of a past which also in a measure will involve\nmention of more recent times.\n\nAbout ten years prior to my demise a party of adventurous hunters\njourneyed to a far northern region known as Tsoman[a:]. It lies well\nwithin the Arctic Circle, where in certain localities, are great\nmining interests and a dense population. Well equipped for their\npurpose these hunters journeyed by air transport to one of the mining\ncentres, thence by other means they sought the habitat of a species of\nanimals of a very fierce and courageous nature. De L'Ester and others\nhave informed me that on your planet there is no weapon even remotely\nresembling our yar\u00fb-testo, which is an electric instrument of deadly\npower. With it some of the animals were slain and several of their\nyoung captured and brought to this Acclinum, where, in apartments\nsufficiently cooled, they grew to maturity, and since then largely the\nAcclinums of other countries have been supplied from their increase.\nPerhaps you may not have been told that through various natural causes\nanimal life on Ento is not very abundant, more especially domestic\nanimal life. The animals of whom I have spoken are known as gowhy[a:],\nand if it may please you to enter their abode you now may do so.\n\nGentola--Am I dreaming, or have I suddenly dropped into an Earth\ncavern? Surely those are bears or animals very like them. Now that I\nlook more closely the resemblance is not quite so striking. Describe\nthem? I will try. They are larger than any bears I have seen. Their\nlimbs are long and so are their bodies, which are not very bulky. Their\nheads are large in proportion to their bodies, and their necks are\nlonger and more slender than are the necks of our polar or other bears.\nTheir long, drooping ears and deeply set eyes give them a peculiarly\nsinister expression, and with their enormous, savage looking jaws and\nhuge feet, armed with long, sharp claws, they look as though they in an\ninstant might tear one to bits.\n\nGeorge--Gentol[a:], come here. See these cubs, they are not at all\nrepulsive in appearance.\n\nGentola--Oh, the queer looking little creatures. How soft and pretty\ntheir brown hair is. It seems a pity that they must grow to be such\nbig, savage, shaggy haired, ugly animals as are their parents.\n\nDe L'Ester--In appearance and characteristics these animals are enough\nlike our polar bears to claim close kinship with them. They are\nhibernating animals, as are some others of Ento, but their present\nenvironments are not conducive to that habit, and it is growing less\nand less marked. If your curiosity is satisfied we will look elsewhere.\nOur dear friend H[a:]-Mo\u00fbfih's visit with us will be so brief that we\nmust take advantage of its every moment.\n\nHa-Moufih--Friends, I regret that I can remain with you for only a\nlimited time. I, Gentol[a:], am in our Spirit World a teacher of\nnatural history, but for a purpose have been assigned for this duty\nwhich affords me much pleasure. On my return to my pupils we will visit\nand investigate a planet on which De L'Ester was once re-embodied.\nWhere is it? In the constellation known to you as the Great Dipper.\nThe planet is in the angle between the handle and the cup. No, neither\nthese friends nor I are sufficiently progressed to journey beyond\ncertain limits. Yes, it is a great pleasure to visit other planets with\nmy pupils who like myself ever are eager to observe, to compare or to\ndemonstrate and then to return to our own place to dear friends, and to\nfurther study. Because of my limited stay with this Band you have been\nturned aside from observation of the Comin[a:] da[a:] (class rooms),\nbut later that will be resumed.\n\nYou have seen Bom\u00fbz himm\u00fb, one of the largest of the A-M\u00fbista[a:]\n(anthropoids). Now you will see one of the most remarkable members of\nthe A-M\u00fbist[a:] family of this or of any planet we have visited. We\ndesire that you shall describe it.\n\nGentola--Stretched along on a thick limb of a low, wide spreading tree\nis a creature so very human in appearance as to be unpleasant to look\nat, at least it is to me. It is as tall almost as am I, and that is\nfive and a half feet. Its body, hands and feet are extremely like\nthose of a human; were its head equally so I should feel rather abashed\nto be standing here staring at the sleeping creature. Its arms clasping\nthe limb on which it lies, are quite shapely, its legs less so. Now\nit opens its large, expressive eyes, raises its head and evidently is\nobserving us. Its head, in proportion to its body, is rather small, the\nforehead narrow, low and retreating. Falling over its forehead and eyes\nis a white, silky fringe, which is in strong contrast with its very\ndark gray covering of short, coarse hair. To me its oddest feature is\nits long, white beard, falling over its breast. As George approaches it\nit grows alarmed and now it scrambles feet foremost to the ground, and\non its hands and feet rushes away in long leaps. Really, it is so like\na human that it is revolting.\n\nHa-Moufih--Kyn-n\u00fbyn[a:]o (tree dweller) is what the Entoans name this\nspecies of anthropoid. Structurally this tailless animal is very like\nthe earlier human forms of young planets. Its most marked unlikeness to\nthem is in its head and face. There, ages ago, as is evinced in fossil\nremains, development came to a conclusion.\n\nAt no great distance from Indolois[a:]'s western shore its waters\nencompass an island of considerable area, which is clothed with\ngigantic trees and luxuriant vegetation. This island is inhabited\nby a peculiar people who for many centuries have led most peaceful,\nuneventful, secluded lives. For the most part their priests are their\nteachers, not only of religion, but of such educational branches as\nare not sufficiently advanced to come within courses of instruction of\neducational institutions. The island is very salubrious and so prolific\nof grains, fruits and fine woods, that air and water transportation\nare in constant demand for carrying to other parts these and other\nproducts. In the interior of the island the kyn-n\u00fbyn[a:]o find their\nhabitations in the gigantic b\u00fbd[a:]s tree tops, where their young are\nborn and reared with watchful care, their human neighbors regarding\nthem with a sort of veneration. Never wilfully are their homes\ndisturbed, and only by order of the supreme authorities is any one\npermitted to capture and remove one or more of the creatures. Then\nit is done under protest of the islanders, who consider them their\nespecial possession. They do not breed in or long survive captivity,\nyet when placed anywhere away from the island they never attempt to\nescape.\n\nDarwin, your great naturalist and my friend, pronounces the\nkyn-n\u00fbyn[a:]o a marvel of structural formation, but like myself, he\nconsiders the line of demarcation between them and the human as being\nsharply and unmistakably defined.\n\nIn this Acclinum are representatives of all the existing animals of\nEnto, but for lack of time we can only glance at some of them as we\npass along. Those small animals racing across the sward and through\nthe branches of the trees are of the A-M\u00fbist[a:] family, and in some\nlocalities they so multiply as to become pests. They are very cunning\ncreatures who are given to forming themselves into multitudinous bands,\nand with a unanimity denoting an understanding of the situation, they\nswoop down on fields of grains and fruits, eating their fill and\ndeftly carrying off all that their hands will hold. Yonder are two\nof the little creatures engaged in conversation. One chatters and\ngesticulates, the other emits some faint, listless sounds. Now the\nchatterer grows excited and angry, and the other shows its sharp,\nwhite teeth and breaks away a little, followed by the aggressor, who\nstrikes out with one hand, now with the other, dodging return blows\nas it scrambles to the ground followed by the other, and now they are\njoined by a number of their friends and foes, who are all scratching,\nscreaming, biting and altogether behaving in a most unruly manner.\n\nGentola--Certainly they are very amusing, droll looking little animals.\nTheir round, upright ears, small, round heads and impish faces give\nthem the appearance of aged dwarfs. See how they wrap their long tails\naround the tree branches and swing to and fro like so many pendulums.\nYes, George, I should like one for a pet, and really it seems strange\nthat I cannot carry anything back to Earth. This body of mine appears\nto be as substantial as my physical body, and often I forget that I am\nmillions of miles away from it.\n\nGeorge--After you shall have again become a fully freed Spirit you soon\nwill lose all sense of having possessed a physical body, from which,\nas you are aware, your spiritualized soul body differs only in being\ncomposed of more sublimated substance.\n\nHa-Moufih--Pardon my interrupting you, but we must attend to more\ncommonplace matters. Here is an animal nearly allied to bom\u00fbz and\nbom\u00fbza. One of the peculiarities of this species is that always they\nbuild their homes near fresh water in which they delight to pass much\nof their time. They are known as the frilvodii (housekeepers) from the\nfact that their habitations in the loftiest trees are constructed on\na special plan and are kept with much neatness. Observe how this one\npicks up particles from the floor, thrusting them outward through the\nbars of his cage. He is a much handsomer animal than is bom\u00fbz and the\nexpression of his eyes is remarkably amiable and intelligent. A keeper\nis entering the cage and frilvodii rushes at him and embraces him, rubs\nhis face against the man's breast, emitting soft, plaintive murmurings\nsuggestive of pleasure and affection. Now he discovers something in the\nkeeper's hand and playfully but earnestly wrestles for its possession,\nthe keeper tantalizingly holding it out of his reach. Frilvodii is a\ncunning fellow and while he pettishly goes into a corner of the cage\nand covers his face with his hands he peers between his long fingers at\nthe amused keeper who shows him a luscious scarlet etz[a:] (a sweet,\npulpy fruit resembling an orange), coaxingly entreating him to come for\nit. Finding his blandishments of no avail the keeper tosses to him the\nfruit which he deftly catches in his hands and proceeds to eat it with\nevident satisfaction and much daintiness.\n\nDuring my early wanderings I captured a young male of this species\nand sent him to my parents, who made much of him and he grew to be a\ngeneral favorite. His intelligence and affection were indeed remarkable\nand he was permitted to roam at will through our residence and grounds,\nplaying with children, who taught him to carry things and to accompany\nthem in their rambles and frolics. What most delighted the creature was\nto be arrayed in garments such as the children wore. On such occasions\nhis pride and satisfaction knew no bounds. Once, while decked out in\nsome cast-off finery something angered him and in his fury he rolled\nover and over in a pool of water, and when he came to his senses\nhe found himself very much bedraggled and the children laughing in\nderision at his forlorn appearance. Seeming to realize his ludicrous\nplight, he tore off every shred of his garments and with an air of\nintense mortification, fled to his own domicile. For some time he\nrefused to be adorned, but finally his vanity got the better of his ill\nhumor and again he strutted about decked in gorgeous habiliments. Poor\nD\u0113ho; a host of his friends sincerely mourned over his unlooked for,\nhis untimely end. Climbing to the topmost branches of a lofty tree for\nfruit he attempted to carry some down to the waiting children, lost\nhis footing and falling to the ground was instantly killed.\n\nGentola--It seems to me that I have seen an animal like this, but I do\nnot recall when or where.\n\nDe L'Ester--We have been expecting you to see the resemblance between\nthis living creature and his metallic representative in the mansion we\nlooked through during an early visit to Ento.\n\nGentola--Ah, I now remember.\n\nHa-Moufih--We now will proceed to the Rinvoh (aquarium) where, under\na wire-covered space you will see some creatures which ever are the\nmarvel of Ento's naturalists and ornithologists. The habitat of the\nprogenitors of these singular birds, perhaps I should say water fowl,\nnow so serenely floating on the bosom of the little lake, is far\nwestward of Indolois[a:], and is a considerable body of salt water\nwhich, until quite recently, was so out of the route of general travel\nas to be little known to modern Entoans. Yes, once the entire region\nbetween it and Indolois[a:] was densely populated, but during many\ncenturies preceding my birth it, like other unirrigated equatorial\nregions, was too arid for occupation and few cared to traverse its\nwastes.\n\nThe wings of those great creatures have an expanse of from twelve to\nfourteen feet, which, with the broad, strong membrane connecting wings\nwith thighs affords a tremendous lifting power, enabling them to rise\nwith marvellous velocity to a great height. When in flight their long\ntail feathers spread like a huge fan, not only augmenting the rapidity\nof their flight but steadying it. Observe their feline heads, which,\nlike their short, thick necks, are covered with feathers so minute as\nto resemble hair. Instead of bills they have protuberant mouths lined\nwith a bony structure in which are embedded short, sharp teeth with\nwhich they can, as once I learned to my cost, inflict severe injury,\nthough really they are of a gentle nature, as is evinced in their\nlarge, mild, fearless, inquiring eyes.\n\nWhen fully grown, from tip of mouth to tip of tail, they are about\neight feet long. Their great plumed wings and tails and their heads so\nfeline in form and appearance suggest the idea of composite creatures,\npartaking of the characteristics of both bird and animal, and when in\nflight they present an imposing but most uncanny appearance. Only the\nmales have mottled plumage; the females uniformly are of a dull brown\ncolor.\n\nAs I have stated, west of Indolois[a:] is an extensive region which,\nfor many centuries, has been a desert waste, which has been shunned\nand left to the forces of the hot winds, ever blowing its loose sands\nin blinding, stifling clouds over its levelled surface. Recently air\ntransports passed over this forbidding waste, but at the time of which\nI shall speak, practically it was nearly an unknown land. Prior to the\ndeath of my parents I, with some scientific friends, some students\nand attendants, were, for the purpose of ascertaining the feasibility\nof reclaiming some portions of the waste lands, exploring the desert,\nwhich, to our inquiring minds, offered many attractions. Leisurely we\nhad journeyed from southward to northward, but we were very weary,\nas were our milch and burthen bearing animals, who were panting from\nfatigue and the excessive heat. Overhead the azure sky was like a great\ncanopy in which the glowing sun with slanting beams gave promise of the\nlonged for coolness of the approaching evening. Suddenly, high overhead\nappeared a large, shadowy form, flying with exceeding swiftness. As it\nflew farther away our gaze followed it with eager curiosity, for in our\nindistinct view of it we recognized that it was a bird quite unknown\nto us. When it had almost disappeared from our view it turned about and\nwith incredible velocity came toward us, curiosity seemingly impelling\nit to a closer scrutiny of our party. When nearly overhead, in ever\nnarrowing circles it dropped lower and lower until it was no more than\ntwo hundred feet or so above us. A strange bird, cried some. A winged\nanimal, cried others. A monster, was the final verdict of all. As it\ngazed at us curiously and apparently without apprehension, we, agape,\nstood as though spellbound. With much astonishment we observed that\napparently it had become motionless above us, and we distinctly heard\na humming sound with rising and falling inflections which we supposed\nwere vocal notes, but later we learned that the sounds were occasioned\nby the rapid vibrations of a peculiar wing attachment. For a short time\nthe creature remained intently regarding us, then swiftly, in ever\nwidening circles, it rose to a great height and again flew westward.\n\nWith the enthusiasm of one whose bent of mind mainly is in one\ndirection I at once resolved to search for the habitat of our strange\nvisitor. Of the islands of Indolois[a:]'s waters and of its boundaries\nsouthward and northward we possessed accurate knowledge. With its\nimmediate western shore lands we also were acquainted, but of the\ndesert extending far westward we knew comparatively little. After\ncounselling together we decided to proceed northward until we should\nreach an irrigated region, where we would rest, supply ourselves\nwith food and possibly with some information relating to our strange\nvisitor. Four days' travel brought us to the northern limit of the\ndesert and to a pastoral people inhabiting the irrigated productive\nlands extending along its arid border. From them we learned that only\nvery recently had any one beheld the great birds, whose lofty flight\nprecluded more than an indistinct view of them. That it was thought\nthat they made their home near Lois[a:] R\u00fbm\u0113s[a:] (R\u00fbm\u0113s[a:], a\ngoddess), which with burthen bearing animals we might reach in about\nsix days. That Lois[a:] R\u00fbm\u0113s[a:] was a body of fresh water we knew and\nthat its northern shore was waste and uninhabited we also knew, so,\nwith some misgiving, but with determination to succeed in our quest\nwe left our hospitable entertainers and travelled westward along the\nnorthern limit of the desert, gathering such information as might serve\nour purpose of a coming time. So impatient were we to reach Lois[a:]\nR\u00fbm\u0113s[a:] that we travelled early and late and the afternoon of the\nsixth day brought us to its northern shore, where its sparkling waters\nsharply indent the sandy waste.\n\nIt is a matter of regret to your friends, and I doubt not to yourself,\nthat an attempt to impress upon your memory anything of a technical\nnature immediately arouses your cautiousness and renders you so\npositive as to be unreceptive. No, I shall not vex you by attempting to\nurge you to give the latitude and longitude of localities.\n\nGentola--Do not, please, for I so fear mistakes that I cannot risk\nmaking them. I do indeed regret that I possess such an inconvenient\nmental trait, for I have found it so much in my own way that I do not\nfind fault with my Spirit friends for objecting to it.\n\nGeorge--Never mind, Gentol[a:], we are glad enough to take you as you\nare and thankful that you are no more objectionable.\n\nHa-Moufih--You understand George's badinage, and you also understand\nthat I do not mean to chide you. On the contrary I am surprised and\ndelighted with your docile and matter-of-fact manner of accommodating\nyourself to an experience that well might overwhelm you.\n\nLois[a:] R\u00fbm\u0113s[a:] is about one hundred and forty miles long and\nnearly one-third as wide. On the west its waters wash the base of a\nlow, picturesque mountain range named Diaf[a:]-avin[a:] (many hued),\nwhich, from northward to southward extends the entire length of the\nlake, thence curving eastward it grades itself into inconsiderable\nhills, which at length are lost in an irrigated fertile plain. Your\nfriends contemplate showing you Lois[a:] R\u00fbm\u0113s[a:], but I shall not\nhave the pleasure of accompanying you.\n\nFor seven days we remained on its northern shore where nearby was some\nherbage for our animals, and constantly we were on the lookout for the\ngreat birds. Each succeeding day brought us only disappointment, yet\ndid not lessen our ardor or determination to find them. Then, slowly,\nfor three days we journeyed along the eastern shore when again we\nencamped amid a broken, fertile space of considerable extent. Here\nwe found herbage and wild fruits in abundance, and such numbers and\nvariety of birds that the air was vocal with their notes. Water fowls,\ntoo, of various kinds made of the rocky locality a breeding ground and\nthe contents of their nests afforded a welcome addition to our food\nsupply.\n\nDuring out first day in our new camp my eyes continually scanned\nthe sky and the surface of the lake but the sun disappeared beyond\nthe mountain, and the shadows of night, lighted by Entol[a:] and\nEmentol[a:] (Ento's moons) brooded over the quiet water of Lois[a:]\nR\u00fbm\u0113s[a:]. Scarcely had twilight deepened into darkness when our ears\nwere assailed by murmuring musical sounds interspersed with harsh\ngrating cries and sharp hisses, and by the dim moon light we perceived\nhuge, shadowy forms, slowly descending to the quiet surface of the lake\nwhere they remained silent and apparently motionless. The night waned,\nand earliest dawn illuminated a scene so weirdly strange that our\nhearts beat with unwonted celerity. High up in the quiet air, so high,\nindeed that they appeared like mere shadows, ten of the great birds\nwith wide-spreading wings sailed in circles or were as motionless as\nthe stars, which yet were shining dimly. So startling, so unusual was\nthe spectacle that our attendants were quite alarmed; even our animals\ngrew restless, crowding together in evident terror. As dawn brightened\ninto day and the sun arose above the horizon the creatures slowly and\nwith the same peculiar humming sound, descended to the bosom of the\nlake where, for a time, they were rocked by the undulating waves, then,\nin a body, they arose to a great height and flew westward. During\nfourteen days they came at nightfall and in the morning disappeared,\nalways in the same direction from which we inferred that elsewhere,\nwhile the females were brooding or rearing their young the male birds\nmade of the shallow waters of the eastern shore of R\u00fbm\u0113s[a:], a night\nresort; so, patiently we awaited developments. So fearless were the\ncreatures that frequently they swam ashore, walking leisurely along its\nmargin and eyeing us with amusing curiosity, but when we attempted to\napproach them they hissed sharply, and, stepping into the water, swam\naway. We might have killed or captured the great fearless creatures,\nbut such an ignominious act was far from our thoughts. It seemed\nlittle less than a crime to disturb their serene confidence in their\nsecurity, so while we closely observed their habits we were careful to\nneither molest or alarm them. At nightfall of the fifteenth day among\nthe creatures, for a time there was an unusual commotion, followed\nby profound stillness. At earliest dawn there was the usual rush of\nwings and upward flight of shadowy forms, and when the light grew\nstrong enough to see objects clearly the sight that greeted our eyes\nfilled us with amazed delight. Leisurely moving on the bosom of the\nlake were seven great birds of a dull brown color and of the same\nspecies as those sailing overhead. Each female was accompanied by one\nor two young birds about as large as a--Ah, De L'Ester, to what shall I\ncompare them? A duck? What a droll word. Later we learned that on the\nmountainous, western shore of Lois[a:] R\u00fbm\u0113s[a:] the young had come\ninto existence from whence on the broad backs of their mothers, who\nnow solicitously were caring for them, they had been borne hither. At\nonce we set about arranging for the conveyance of some of the young\nto Camariss[a:]. As we were provided with water tight receptacles in\nwhich to place them, it only remained for us to learn how the little\ncreatures were nourished. This we quickly observed was accomplished\nthrough their mothers feeding them small fishes, or larger ones torn in\nbits by their strong teeth and webbed talons.\n\nAll things being in readiness we launched our portable boat, and\neasily captured three pairs of the pretty struggling creatures. To\nour surprise the parents offered but slight opposition, and quietly\nfollowed their progeny quite to the shore, then turned and swam away.\n\nEarly in the dawn of the following day we began our return journey to\nCamariss[a:]. That we might remain within easy reach of fresh water\nand live fishes we travelled southward along the eastern shore of the\nlake. Five days brought us to its southern extremity, and at the close\nof two days' further travel in a southeasterly direction, we arrived at\nan air transport and Tuzamo Station, and quickly thereafter we and our\ncaptives were in Camariss[a:]. Not all of them, however, for two had\nsuccumbed to the vicissitudes of the journey.\n\nThis great wire-covered compartment afforded the survivors conditions\nsuited to their requirements, and although the young creatures were\nvery delicate, one male and two females survived, and during after\nyears their offspring so increased in numbers that several pairs have\nbeen presented to other Rinvohs. They are known as gariffo ts\u00fbvon\n(bird of the cloudgod, Ts\u00fbvon). No, they are neither long lived or\nof a migratory habit, and previous to our unlooked for discovery of\nthem they were thought to be an extinct species, and strangely enough,\nwithin a few years afterward, not one in a wild state survived.\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], again we are holding you too long, and at once\nmust return you to Earth. It might be wise to defer for a few days your\nnext visit to Ento, but as H[a:]-Mo\u00fbfih soon must leave us, we greatly\ndesire that you shall be with us to-morrow. If we find you unequal to\nthe journey, we will not risk your safety. Previous to coming to you we\npropose that H[a:]-Mo\u00fbfih shall attempt a short visit to Earth, so we\nwill not be with you until two o'clock P.M. Now, George and Inez will\nconvey you to your home where you must _rest, rest, rest_, and where\nministering loving ones will strengthen you.\n\n Info oovist\u00fb.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nIN THE GALARESA.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Comment vous portez vous, Madame Gentol[a:]. H[a:]-Mo\u00fbfih\nis with us and awaits your greeting.\n\nGentola--Ento friend, I cannot find words with which to express my\nsurprise and pleasure that you are here.\n\nHa-Moufih--Your kindly welcome assures me that you do not consider my\npresence an intrusion. Yes, since passing to our Spirit World I have\nvisited many Planets, inhabited, or, as yet, uninhabited by humans,\nbut, until now, neither my inclinations or duties have brought me to\nEarth. Now that I have had a cursory view of the natural divisions\nof your planet, of its scenery, its peoples and the expressions of\ntheir spiritual and intellectual growth, I perceive that in their\ncharacteristics the Entoans and Earthians are very much alike. Upon\nvisiting planets other than their own, spirits of a scientific turn\nexperience great surprise at the striking resemblances existing between\nall planets approaching a like degree of evolvement. Really, bulk,\ndensity and atmospheric conditions constitute the most noticeable\ndifferences. Yes, through our own observation and that of Spirits far\nmore exalted than are we, we are convinced that everywhere the human,\nthe God man, is expressed in the same form. I too regret that for the\npresent I can devote no more time to observation of all that pertains\nto Earth, but, like the swiftly flowing waters of a stream, the days\nglide by, and ere many years shall have elapsed you again will be a\nfreed spirit, and then we both may become better acquainted with your\nEarth-World, of which you know comparatively little. But I detain\nyou, and De L'Ester grows impatient to be off. With your and George's\npermission, I will assist you.\n\nYes, the view is indeed grand. It is well that mortals have no\nconception of what awaits those who have fulfilled the laws of their\nbeing, otherwise their physical existence would be unbearable. I have\nbeen told that you greatly regret your inability to remember all that\noccurs during your absence from your physical body. Were it possible\nfor you to fully retain such memories you would become unfitted for the\nperformance of the duties of your daily life. I also have been informed\nof the vicissitudes of your present embodiment. Of how you have\ncombated seen and unseen difficulties. Of what your spirit friends have\nhad to overcome in turning aside your aspirations in directions that\nwould have unfitted you for this mission for which you were brought\ninto the mortal plane. Unwittingly you have been building better than\nyou have dreamed of. Sometimes in joy, sometimes in sorrow, yet ever\nyou have been building the conditions of a higher, a more comprehensive\nexistence.\n\nYes, we near our destination and our friends have preceded us to the\nRinvoh. Ah, how the memories of this scene hold me as by the links of\nan unbroken chain. So intimately was my mortal existence connected with\nall relating to this great Galar\u0113s[a:] that, as I gaze upon the stately\nstructure adorned by most artistic statues, beautiful fountains, groups\nof towering B\u00fbdas trees, an endless variety of blooming plants, the\nAcclinum (zo\u00f6logical department), the Rinvoh (aquarium) and other\nadmirable features, all forming a most comprehensive educational\nsystem, memory recalls bygone years when I believed, as all Entoans\nstill believe, that the present existence was all of life and that to\nfulfill to the utmost all righteous obligations and duties should be\nthe chief pleasure of the life graciously bestowed upon His children\nby And\u00fbman[a:], the All Wise, the Loving Creator of all things. This\nrule of righteous living requires no amendment; but, alas, obligations\nand duties fulfilled do not fill the measure of human happiness; one\nalso must possess assurance of a to-morrow with all its possibilities.\nThe present, which offers no promise of a joyous to-morrow, is as a\nnight with no promise of the dawn; and thus it is with the Entoans,\nwho cherish neither expectation nor hope of the joyous to-morrow of\ncontinuous existence. That they may deserve the favor of And\u00fbman[a:]\nand His all Seeing Messengers their every thought and act is in\naccordance with the teachings of the Holy Writings which, indeed,\ncontain many exalted precepts, but no intimation of continuous\nexistence.\n\nDe L'Ester, you are most patient in your endeavor to convey to\nGentol[a:] a sense of what I wish she might directly understand. I\nshall regret if I may weary both you and her.\n\nDe L'Ester--Be assured that we are interested, not wearied, auditors.\nGentol[a:] says that she will look forward to the time when she will be\nfree to journey with you from world to world and, like you, be able to\nretain memories of all the wonders of Spirit existence.\n\nHa-Moufih--Knowing that the desire will bring its fruition--its joyous\nto-morrow--we contentedly will await its certain coming.\n\nWe now will join our waiting friends. Ah, George, I see that you are\nobserving an old acquaintance of mine, but I doubt if he will inspire\nin you a spirit of poesy. Is he not a pompous, self-conceited looking\nfor creature? Gentol[a:], you will kindly attempt a description of this\nimpersonation of arrogance.\n\nGentola--I fear that my ability is inadequate to a description of the\ncreature. He is nearly twice as large as an ostrich and his legs are\nso long and stout that he appears to be walking on tall stilts. His\nfeet are webbed and of surprising length and breadth, as well they\nneed be to support such a huge body. In proportion to his size his\nhead is rather small. It abruptly rounds up from his long and very\nbroad bill, and is surmounted by a large tuft of beautiful, snowy,\ndrooping feathers. His neck is extremely long, slender and very erect\nand, like his body, is covered with an iridescent admixture of black,\ngreen, purple and bronze plumage. His wing and tail feathers are\nlong, abundant and, like his plumed crest, snow white. As for his\nlarge, staring eyes, they are the coldest, haughtiest, disdainfulest\neyes I ever have beheld. As he majestically struts away he is the\nimpersonation of an aristocratic, an ineffable swell. Really, his airs\nare most amusing, and certainly he is a very handsome bird.\n\nHa-Moufih--So he is, and, notwithstanding the cold, supercilious\nexpression of his eyes, he has a not unamiable disposition, though I\nmust say that his virtues are of a rather negative character.\n\nI caught him in his very early youth and he is the sole survivor of\nfour of his kind. When I brought him here from his semi-tropical home,\nI did not anticipate that he would outlive me, but he has and looks as\nthough he may survive for years to come.\n\nThis species of bird is known as V\u00fbln[a:]-kymos (crowned majesty), and\nthey are found in but two localities. Only when desired for some Rinvoh\ndo the authorities now permit them to be disturbed. In habit they\nare semi-aquatic, and they build their nests on the margin of bodies\nof fresh water. Two years previous to my passing to our spirit world\na strong desire for exploration overcame me and, with a scientific\nfriend, some attendants and necessary supplies, we took passage on an\nair transport to a station on nearly the further side of Ento, but\nin a latitude approaching the Temperate zone. There we procured some\nburthen bearing animals and in an aimless fashion began a journey which\nwould terminate when my appetite for wandering should become satiated.\nThe charm of feeling myself free from cares, which never were to my\nliking, delighted me and for nearly two days we leisurely wandered\nalong the shore of a considerable fresh water lake known as Lois[a:]\n[a:] l\u00fbty\u0113nos (lake of rushes), so shallow, so limpid, that when rowing\nin our portable boat, we plainly saw fishes, large and small, darting\nhither and thither through its greatest depths, which were thickly\ngrown with rushes, rodels and other aquatic plants. Along the shore\nlarge trees and a close undergrowth of shrubs rendered our progress\nrather tedious, but as we were in no haste we and our animals enjoyed\nthe shade and coolness of the forest, which like a wall of living\nverdure, encompassed the lake. Toward evening of the third day we came\nupon a small, cleared place on the margin of the lake and an unexpected\nscene which quite upset our gravity. In the shallow water of the shore\nline amid a luxuriant growth of grasses, rushes and weeds, was a huge\nnest built of sticks, stones, grasses and clay and, with a leg on\neither side, the body of a large and consequential looking bird rested\non its summit. Evidently he was on guard duty and did not enjoy it. His\nattitude and preoccupied manner were sufficiently droll to cause us to\nburst into laughter. The unusual sound alarmed him, but courageous and\nfaithful to his charge he stanchly remained on the nest, loudly calling\nto his mate who, at a distance, was feeding among the rank growths of\nthe shallows. Instantly, with shrill cries and hisses, half flying,\nhalf running, she rushed to the defense of her possessions. Our\nattendants drew further away, but that we might observe the creatures,\nmy friend and I secreted ourselves amid the underbrush. The two birds\nheld a hurried consultation; then the female shaking her beautiful\nplumage dry, with one leg on either side of the nest brooded over its\ncontents while the male bird in stately but watchful fashion promenaded\nin the margin of the lake, now and anon unbending his dignity that he\nmight snatch from the water some unwary fish or other creature.\n\nI was not unacquainted with this species of water fowl, but at that\ntime our Rinvoh did not possess them, and as then there were no\nrestrictions against our doing so we resolved to await the appearance\nof the young brood which we would transport to Camariss[a:]. The\nbrooding time being well advanced, on the morning of the third day of\nour waiting the birds exhibited much excitement, shaking themselves\nand uttering low cries, while, gazing into the nest from whence came\na sound of continuous chirping. The parent birds were most devoted in\ntheir attention to their young; one or the other continually bringing\nthem food and not for a moment were they left alone. On the morning of\nthe third day of their advent, with her bill the mother lifted them\none by one from the nest, dropping six downy little beauties into the\nshallow water, where they paddled about in apparent enjoyment. At\nsunset she carefully deposited them in the nest, hovering over them\nwhile her mate quietly, but alertly, watched by her side.\n\nThe young birds grew prodigiously and in a few days were able to care\nfor themselves and were no longer returned to the nest, but, with the\nparent birds rested in the margin of the lake. When old enough to be\nremoved with safety, at nightfall I cautiously approached them and with\na large net captured the entire brood. The frightened parents fled away\nin the darkness but soon they returned and finding their young gone\ntheir cries of distress resounded through the night. Their grief so\nappealed to my sensibilities that in the morning I returned to them two\nof the captives, over whom there was great rejoicing. In a commodious\nwater receptacle the four young birds were conveyed to Camariss[a:] and\nplaced in this Rinvoh. Later on I gave to the Rinvoh of Dao a pair of\nthem. The mate of this lonely widower lived until three years ago, and\nnow her prepared body graces a space in the Syffond\u00fb.\n\nThe incidents I have been relating may appear to you somewhat trivial;\nthey are intended to serve the purpose of acquainting you with\ncertain life forms and conditions of Ento, thus enabling you to draw\ncomparisons between what may come under your notice on this planet and\nsuch forms and conditions as you may have knowledge of on your own.\nAfter a glance at the creatures occupying compartments on the further\nside I shall regretfully leave you. Here are shell covered reptiles\nwhich Agassiz says are very like some of your salt water reptiles.\nThis unhandsome creature, sluggishly lying in the shallow water of its\ncapacious tank, is nearly one-third as broad as it is long, and its\nlength is quite twenty feet. The large brown and white scales covering\nits body are erectile, as are the smaller ones on its long, slender\nneck to which its long, narrow head and vicious looking eyes give a\nserpentlike appearance. Now, as it moves into deeper water, one sees\nthe dull orange color of its belly. Its tail, with which it partly\npropels itself through the water, opens and closes like a folding fan;\nsee how it curves under, then is projected outward with much force,\nimpelling the creature onward. You perceive that in swimming it also\nuses its short, sinewy legs and webbed feet. It is strictly a water\nreptile, never venturing into shallower water than that of the tank. It\nis known as Pylo-ak\u0113don (scaly armored), and is a species of reptile\nnearly extinct.\n\nHere are other water creatures which, in structure and form, are said\nto closely resemble life forms of Earth. On other planets I have seen\nvery similar forms.\n\nOf course only a limited number of Ento's various aquatic creatures\nfind homes in the different compartments of this Rinvoh, but they\nrepresent both the rarest and the commonest species. The collections of\nthe Acclinum and Syffond\u00fb? (museum) are very comprehensive, the latter\ncontaining a representation of life forms of the remote past and of\nmore modern times. In the Acclinum the collection of fossils is very\ncurious, but as you will be shown all that may be considered necessary\nfor the purpose in view, I need not particularize.\n\nGentol[a:], the moment has arrived when, for the present, I must leave\nyou and these friends. It would delight me could I remain with you and\nthem until the consummation of this mission, but it cannot be. May the\nDivine Spirit of all that is unfold in us a fuller consciousness that\nonly through earnest endeavor can we attain to higher Spiritual planes\nof being. Emanos, Info oovist\u00fb.\n\nDe L'Ester--We now will proceed to the arbor where a learned Ento\nspirit, Zenest[a:] H[a:]o, will join us. He is a kinsman of Inidor[a:]\nand Genessano, and once was a teacher of languages in this Galar\u0113s[a:],\nbut as we have requested him to relate to you some of his personal\nhistory I shall not further anticipate what, I doubt not, will interest\nyou. Ah, he awaits us. Loh[a:]\u00fb loh[a:]\u00fb, Zenest[a:]. You are most\nwelcome and I most happy in making known to you one whom you have\nexpressed a desire to meet.\n\nGentola--Sir, I trust that I may not be so unfortunate as to cause you\nto regret your desire.\n\nZenesta Hao--Long have we of our Spirit World heard of you as of one\nwho, in the fullness of time, would aid in conveying to the Entoans an\nassurance of continuous existence. I offer to you the homage due to\none who lovingly yields time, strength and an indulgence of personal\naims for the welfare of others, and may the time quickly arrive\nwhen, through this mission, the darkness of certain conditions may\nbe dispelled from the minds of the children of Ento. You have been\ninformed of their pitiable despair which ever grows more unbearable;\nit is the logical, natural result of the advanced spirituality of the\nmasses, in whom every sense and emotion have become exalted. In them\nthe love element is so spiritualized that when death takes from them\ntheir dearest ones they do not mourn as do those of grosser natures.\nThey reach after them with a longing, agonizing, persistent, hopeless\ngrief, only conceivable by those whose Being is on an exalted Spiritual\nand intellectual plane.\n\nI know not your language perfectly, but when I may find myself at a\nloss these dear friends will supply my needs. I am here, not only\nthrough my own desire, but at the request of this Band, who believe\nthat I may serve a certain beneficent purpose. During many years of my\nmortal existence I was a Professor of Languages in this Galar\u0113s[a:];\nthus I am as a link connecting the past with the present and, if I\nmay add to the interest of your experiences and of this mission, I\nalso will add to my own happiness. Friends, you will lead the way, and\nGentol[a:] and I will follow.\n\nAh, how memory recalls the years passed in this Galar\u0113s[a:]. Years so\nfull of mingled joys and sorrows. Certainly, if my mortal experiences\nmay seem of value to you, I shall be greatly pleased. In my early\nyouth I came here as a student, my mind filled with eager, glowing\nanticipations, and here I remained until I was fitted to graduate with\nhonor to myself and credit to those whose patient labors and excellent\nability had won my loving reverence and lasting regard. Following my\ngraduation I was offered the distinction of a professorship in the\ndepartment of ancient and modern languages; I accepted the honor and\nentered upon a career which terminated only when mortal existence\ngave way to that which was a step higher on the ever ascending rounds\nof evolution. Four years elapsed and I had won some renown as an\ninstructor and what, to me, was my heart's dearest desire--the love of\nthe woman whom I adored and who was, through the years of our wedded\nlife, the heart of my heart. Children as comely and as sweet as rodel\nbuds came to us, but ever as their mother and I with fond solicitude\nwatched these buds maturing and bursting into bloom, we looked into\neach other's eyes and saw sombre shadows lurking there. Intelligent,\ngenerous hearted, our children grew to maturity. Our sons were all that\nour fond hearts could desire. Our daughters were as lovable and as\nlovely as their mother. I could desire for them no greater excellence.\nI then was in the full vigor of manhood, my wife in the full maturity\nof comeliness and of many virtues. Our children were growing learned\nand accomplished in such directions as their abilities and inclinations\nled them. No perceptible danger threatened us or them. No cloud of evil\nportent rose above the horizon of our sky, yet ever in our minds and\nhearts the shadows lurked, for we knew, we well knew, that ever unseen\nan implacable foe drew nearer, nearer, and that inevitably, one by one,\nwe must pass into the silence. We who shared each joy or sorrow, we who\nso loved that when apart time was robbed of half its value. Ah, me!\nEre long a fatal hour arrived and now after the lapse of years and the\ninexpressible happiness that has come to us, I find myself shrinking\nfrom the memory of it.\n\nOne day a party of youths went pleasuring on Indolois[a:]'s treacherous\nwater and our three sons were with them. With the heedlessness of youth\nthey permitted the wind to waft their boat far out on its restless\nbosom. Suddenly the wind became violent, the boat was capsized, then\nengulfed in the tempestuous waves and ere assistance reached them\nnearly all of the party were drowned. Two of them were our sons Liefton\nand Clermond. A year later our remaining son, Faladon, lost his life in\na vain endeavor to save the life of a comrade who, recklessly leaning\nfar over the guard of a rising air transport, lost his balance and\nFaladon, who stood near at hand, attempted to seize him, but the sudden\nstrain was greater than his strength, and both he and his friend were\ndashed to death. These repeated disasters were more than my dear wife\ncould endure, and within a year her urned ashes were placed beside\nthose of our three sons.\n\nIn my heart was desolation and anguish unspeakable, but, for the sake\nof our dear daughters, I strove to cheerfully bear my awful burthen\nof sorrow and to, as far as possible, brighten the darkness which\novershadowed their young lives. They would not marry and we three\nbereft ones walked as in one pathway, and thus I reached a period\nof age equal to seventy of your years. Then, as though death again\nremembered us, our youngest daughter was stricken with a fatal illness\nand ere we reckoned it serious the breath of her life had ceased. Our\neldest and last child survived until I had aged to ninety-two years;\nthen, with scarcely more than a sigh, her worn heart ceased to beat\nand I was left alone--aged, sorrow stricken and without desire for a\ncontinuance of a life which no longer held for me either charm or hope.\nMechanically I fulfilled the duties of a position which had brought me\nthe consideration of many worthier than myself, but, alas, no power\ncould bring back my dear dead or give me peace. Laden with a heavy\nburthen of sorrow, the years passed tardily, and among a youthful\ngeneration whose tastes, occupations and aims had quite outgrown my\nown, I walked almost alone. The friends of my youth and of later years\nhad passed into the silence, or had sought other lands as dwelling\nplaces, and I no longer cared for new friends. In my home there were\nthose who ever were kindly attentive to my simple wants, but my utter\nloneliness no one could alleviate. In the midst of a multitude I was\nas one lost, as one whom death had forgotten and at last I longed for\noblivion.\n\nNinety-eight years brought me to a hot, languorous day, and the\nhumid air was laden with the fragrance of flowers, glowing amid\nthe surrounding greenery, or in riotous luxuriance, climbing over\nwalls, trellises and windows. I had come from the Galar\u0113s[a:], and\nere entering my home I, for a little, gazed on the quiet, lovely\nscene. Presently a sense of drowsiness stole over me and I entered my\nresidence and laid down to rest, perchance to sleep. For a moment I\nexperienced a peculiar sensation; then suddenly I slept and as suddenly\nawakened to perceive standing near me with a smile on her lips, a\nwondrously beautiful woman, whose face and form seemed strangely\nfamiliar. In great surprise and unaccountable awe I gazed upon her;\nthen, breathlessly, I cried, \"Who art thou, oh vision of a dead past?\nArt thou a Goddess in the guise of my beloved, my lost Arm\u0113n[a:]?\nSpeak, I implore thee, ere I die of anguish.\" Smilingly she drew\nnearer to me. Gently she stooped and clasped me in her arms. Tenderly\nshe murmured, \"Zenest[a:], knowest thou not Arm\u0113n[a:], thy wife, the\nmother of our children, who wait nearby to greet and embrace thee? My\nbeloved, thou didst but sleep a moment, to awaken and find thy dearest\nones. Nay, shrink not from me; I am not dead and thou dost not dream,\"\nshe said. \"Here are our children who will bear thee hence to the world\nof living ones, where is neither death or sorrowful separations,\nbut where, with us, thou shalt learn of the immortality of the life\nessence and of joys beyond aught thou hast conception of.\" The joy and\nwonder of this was so great that I seemed to swoon, and, when again\nconsciousness came to my senses I found myself in a beautiful home,\nsurrounded by many dear ones and friends of my youth and later years,\nwho welcomed me to the world of living ones. And wonder of marvellous\nwonders, my aged body had fallen away from me and I stood amid our\nthree stately sons as young as were they. As I looked into the faces\nof those whom I had thought dead and forever gone into the Silence,\nI could not utter one word. My wife and our beauteous daughters, all\nwith their dear arms about me, whispered words of explanation and of\nassurance that I did not dream. Then our dear girls, Arm\u0113n[a:] and\nIrmian, gathered loveliest flowers and showered them over me and their\nmother. They led me through the beautiful white structure they said was\nour home and still, while countless questions surged through my mind, I\nwas so overwhelmed by contending emotions that I only could mutely turn\nfrom one to another. Finally I was made to comprehend the wondrous,\nunlooked for change which had come to me while I slept. Birth, not\ndeath, having opened the gateway of the new phase of life, gladly,\nreverently, I took up the threads of the tangled web and woof of a\npast condition, and gladly, reverently, in an existence of illimitable\nopportunities, I have striven to weave a fabric adorned with loving\nthoughts, loving words, and loving service.\n\nI beg your indulgence for this lengthy reminiscence of a bygone time.\n\nGentola--Sir, you owe me no apology for your relation of that which\nhas more than interested me. Through death I, too, have lost many dear\nones, and only that I know that we shall meet again, I should be in as\ndeep despair as were you, as are the peoples of Ento. Your sad recital\nhas added to my desire to lend my poor aid toward bringing to your\npeoples the priceless knowledge of continuous existence. May I ask how\nlong you have been in your spirit world?\n\nZenesta Hao--According to your computation of time, I passed from\nEnto's physical realm nearly eighty years ago. Yes, since then, but not\nvery recently, I have visited Ento, but only when duty has impelled\nme to do so. You may know that on entering the atmosphere, or aura\nsurrounding the scenes of their mortal existence, Spirits experience\nmortal sensations, and unless duty requires, or attractions are\nexceedingly powerful, spirits progressed beyond the first, or physical\nsphere, do not care to undergo the discomfort of return.\n\nSomewhat to my regret it has not fallen within my sphere of duties to\nbe engaged in the work of this mission, but through my own desire and\nthe solicitations of the members of this Band, for a time I shall be\nwith you and them. Rather recently I have become acquainted with some\nof these friends, but my first meeting with De L'Ester and Giordano\nBruno occurred soon after I entered our Spirit World, which, of course,\nwas previous to your present re-embodiment, but not previous to your\nhaving been chosen as a possible Instrument for the furtherance of\nthis mission. You may have been informed that this is but one of\nmany missions, for many purposes, in many worlds; that this one may\nprove successful it is necessary to use as an intermediary one still\nconnected with the physical body. Yes, through our own experiences and\nthose of spirits of other Planetary Spirit Worlds, we have learned\nthat generally sensitives can be approached directly, but on Ento\nconditions are so positive that although spirits can aid in developing\nin those who are highly sensitive such phases as are most prominent,\nthey cannot become directly en rapport with them, so cannot control\nthem. Oh no, this is but one of many attempts to reveal to the Entoans\nthe truth of continuous existence, but never before have conditions\nbeen so favorable as they now are. The culmination of certain events,\nwhich must exert a tremendous influence in assuring the success of this\nMission, draws very near, and countless hosts of Ento's, Earth's and\nof other Spirit Worlds, watch the movement with deepest interest and\nardent longing for the dawning of a glorious day for a people who long\nhave lived and died in a hopeless faith.\n\nGentola--While I am deeply interested in their spiritual condition, I\nshould like to know more of the social condition of the Entoans.\n\nZenesta Hao--Within certain limits the government of Ento is absolute,\nand the Supreme Rulers never exercise a power exceeding these limits.\nNeither do they permit any infringement of the laws, which are simple,\ndirect, forceful and just. In the Supreme Ruler is vested the privilege\nof appointing such Counsellors and other officials as may be necessary\nfor the proper administration of laws enacted for the general welfare,\nand being the representative of such laws, it is his or her bounden\nduty to see to it that they shall be strictly observed. By the Entoans\nit is considered no more a duty than a privilege to be of one mind in\ntheir obedience to both civil and religious enactments.\n\nNominally, ever since the establishment of the national religion, the\nSupreme Rulers have been its chief representatives, but through the\nfollowing centuries, gradually, an ever arrogant Priesthood assumed\nclaims to certain prerogatives, which grew into such oppressive abuses\nthat eventually the people, unable to longer endure, rebelled, and\nthe priesthood were obliged to abolish the horrible rite of human\nsacrifice. Yes, this occurred during a rather recent century. Since\nthen the Entoans have grown, or rather they have outgrown the rigidity\nof old beliefs, still they have but one religion. If at times certain\nrestless minds have dared to question the statements of the Sacred\nWritings, or impiously have indulged in new and vain theories they\nhave been silenced. Ever Ento's Supreme Rulers have set an example of\nentire obedience to the Priestly interpretation of the Sacred Writings,\nand as they have believed so have the people believed. Should Omanos\nF\u00fbnh[a:], Ento's present chief representative, arrive at a belief in a\ncontinuity of existence, generally, the Priesthood will oppose such a\nradical innovation, but with the tide in the minds and hearts of the\npeople setting in that direction, they will be obliged to yield, indeed\nmany of them will gladly yield, for Priests, like other people, love\nand sorrow.\n\nGentola--But how will so great a change of religious belief be received\nby the less enlightened peoples? May it not occasion strife, or even\nwar?\n\nZenesta Hao--Oh, no. That is not possible. Ento's peoples are too\nhighly evolved to indulge in violent recrimination, which inevitably\nmust result in harm to all concerned. War is purely barbaric, and on\nEnto there are no really barbaric peoples. There are those who are\nsomewhat primitive in their ideas and modes of living, but they are\nfar too civilized to think of murdering their neighbors. Largely, such\npeoples are engaged in agricultural pursuits, and not being constantly\nin touch with the finest expressions of civilization, they, to a\ndegree, lack its nicest distinctions of speech, manner, dress and so\non, but innately they are just, truthful, generous and humane peoples,\npossessing the essential principles of true civilization.\n\nOh, yes, the Entoans are very human, and at times differences of\nopinion relating to commercial, social, scientific or other matters\narise, but Governors and Advisory Councils of the various Provinces,\nbeing arbitrators of provincial affairs, such trifling difficulties are\nreadily adjusted. It is an Ento axiom that \"he who injures or condemns\nhis neighbor injures and condemns himself.\" So universally is this\naxiom accepted that seldom is it disregarded.\n\nGentola--With deepest attention I have listened to what you have said,\nand I feel that I better understand not only the motive for but the\nconditions relating to this undertaking, which, through my increasing\ninterest in all concerning it, renders it a little difficult for me to\npatiently await the unfolding of events.\n\nDe L'Ester--The unfolding of events soon will oblige us to further\nenlighten you as to our plans. Necessarily, we have been somewhat\nreticent so that gradually you might become prepared for your part in a\ndrama upon which Spirit Worlds are anxiously gazing. Ere long you, with\nour entire Band, will repair to Dao, the capital of Ento, where dwells\nOmanos F\u00fbnh[a:], Osy H\u00fbn, whose only child, S\u0113lon[a:] Vallo[a:], slowly\nbut surely, is releasing herself from her physical body. The hour of\nher departure into Ento's Spirit Realms cannot long be deferred, then a\nunited and supreme effort will be made to open the way for the incoming\nof the new revelation, but ere the arrival of that hour much must yet\nbe accomplished.\n\nA highly spiritualized man is Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], who reverently obeys\nwhat he has been taught to regard as And\u00fbman[a:]'s Divine Law. Ento\nnever has been favored with a Supreme Ruler of broader views, of\nkinder heart, or of a finer sense of justice. I believe that you\nare aware that translated into your language Osy H\u00fbn is Supreme or\nSovereign Ruler. Early in Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]'s wedded life his adored\nwife, S\u0113lon[a:] Vallo[a:], passed to our spirit world, leaving as his\nchiefest consolation an infant daughter who bears her mother's name.\nShe is the original of the portrait you saw in the first dwelling you\nvisited on Ento. Yes, the young girl reclining on a couch while Prince\nDano stands near smiling on her. She has grown a most beautiful and\nadmirable woman, but is as frail as the phantom-like blossoms of the\nroin[a:] draping yonder marble statue. Her father idolizes the fair\ngirl, and she returns his devotion with tenderest affection. Of late\ninto his mind has stolen a chilling dread, for, despite all that his\nlove can suggest or science can accomplish to increase her strength,\nshe grows weaker and more fragile. She is, as you are aware, affianced\nto Prince Dano, and ere long he will be summoned to Dao, where his\nparents reside. Ere now this would have occurred, but Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]\nshrinks from admitting to himself that Vallo[a:] is in a perilous\nstate. That gradually, but surely, she is being overshadowed by the\ninvisible terror, the dread god Phra (death). Still he lays on the\ntemple altar votive offerings, praying that the pitiful gods may\nrestore her, and the days pass and the end draws near.\n\nI tell you this, that you may to an extent understand the present\nsituation at Dao.\n\nIn the adjoining studio is Prince Dano, and other art students. We\nwill enter and observe them and their work. Dano, as he leans against\na column, regarding a dainty piece of statuary, upon which evidently\nhe has been working, wears an expression of care and preoccupation.\nYonder is a group engaged in drawing from the nude, the model a lad as\nsymmetrical, as beautiful as one of their fabled Gods. Further away\nother youths and maidens draw from still life, and here is a large\nclass engaged in modelling heads and other objects from a plastic\nmaterial, and beyond Dano, two girls and several youths are attempting\nto release from marble forms more or less attractive.\n\nWhat a spacious studio, and each department so perfectly equipped.\nThose carved panels, separating the sky lights of the lofty ceiling,\nare of exquisite design and execution, and the arrangement of the\nshades and draperies is very admirable. The Drawing Instructor is about\nto address his class, and Dano draws near to listen. We will do the\nsame.\n\nInstructor--I desire to impress upon your minds that each element\nof art is as perfect as is art in its finest, fullest expression;\nhence, to slight the minutest detail is to slight the whole. In the\nstraight line are all the elements of highest art. The curve itself\nis a succession of minute straight lines which also are capable of\nexpressing light, shade, form and color, for are not colors the results\nof light impinging upon various arrangements of the straight line?\n\nIn the admirable work of Prince Dano which very appropriately he names\na dream child, we behold an example of the value of the straight line.\nThe curves of the upraised arms and dainty limbs. The modelling of the\nbeautiful head and exquisite face. Even the dreamy expression of the\nhalf-closed eyes, all are the results of--but you are inattentive--and\ndisturbed--why, Dano, dear youth, are you ill? A cup of water, L\u0113ta. I\nbelieve there is no occasion for alarm, he only has swooned and shortly\nwill revive. Thanks, L\u0113ta, I will bathe his face which, doubtless, will\narouse him.\n\nLeta--Professor, I pray you to desist. He is subject to such attacks,\nand soon will return to consciousness. It is Doctor Vyond[a:]'s opinion\nthat he overtaxes his strength, and----\n\nDe L'Ester--Zenest[a:], he is so thoroughly submerged that I believe\nyou safely may attempt to possess his organism. Gentol[a:], do not\nmove; the circle must remain unbroken, or Zenest[a:] cannot hold him.\nBe courageous, be firm, Zenest[a:]. Ah! that is well done.\n\nDano--Friends, I who address you am not Dano; I am Zenest[a:] H[a:]o,\nonce a teacher of languages in this Galar\u0113s[a:], but now a denizen of\nthe world of living ones. Know that what you term the breath of life is\nyour real, intelligent self. This self or personality is an expressed\nportion of the Thon Eyam[a:] Yanos (Infinite Intelligent Energy),\nwhich in man finds its highest representation and, consequently, is\nas indestructible as And\u00fbman[a:] (God). Friends, I pray you to hear\nme silently and patiently. Once I was as you now are, and to me my\nwife Arm\u0113n[a:], bore sons and daughters. Their urned ashes with their\nmother's and my own, may be found in the Istoir[a:] L\u0113mah (Temple of\nthe dead). Like you, I sorrowed for my dear dead. Like you I knew not\nthat in a world surpassingly fair, I should continue to exist in a\nstate of inexpressible happiness. But finally death released my real\nself from my worn body, and to my unutterable amazement and delight I\nfound myself possessed of what I shall term a spirit body, far more\nadmirable than the one I had during my mortal existence inhabited. I\nalso found myself possessed of enlarged capabilities, and of a sense\nof freedom indescribable. And, oh joy of joys, in my new life I found\nall my dear ones whom I had not hoped to ever find again. Learn, dear\nfriends, that death of the physical body does not mean death of the\nSelf. Learn that continuity of existence is a law of the Thon Eyam[a:]\nYanos (the Infinite Intelligent Energy). Learn that surrounding this\nEnto world, invisible to physical vision are realms so glorious that\nlanguage cannot describe them, and that at death of your bodies, in\nthem your immortal selves will find all that loving hearts and highest\naspirations can desire. Oh, my friends, no longer walk with downcast\neyes. No longer despair because you have been taught to believe that\nyour loved ones and yourselves will go into the Silence, and be no\nmore. Children of Ento, lift up your hearts and rejoice, for so surely\nas you now exist, so surely will you continue to live, to love, and\nto learn lessons of Divinest Wisdom in a radiant world not subject to\nmortal conditions.\n\nDano, your Prince and fellow student, is one chosen as an instrument,\nthrough whom soon will be given to you a wonderful revelation, which\nwill make of sorrowful Ento a world of hopeful, happy men and women.\nDano does not dream. Through his inner senses, which are the senses\nof the Self, he discerns Spiritual things, and you too, L\u0113t[a:]\nVeron[a:]d[a:]s, are on the verge of enlarged spiritual perception, and\nin the swiftly approaching days you will stand by his side, a teacher\nof a new faith. Now I will depart, and the Self of Dano will repossess\nhis body, but ere I go hence with loving thoughts for all, and with\nloving memories for this Institution in which I passed my youth, and\nended my mortal usefulness, I, Zenest[a:] H[a:]o, say to all, Info\noovist\u00fb.\n\nDe L'Ester--Well done, well done, Zenest[a:]. I had not thought it\npossible for any fully freed one to so entirely possess the youth. But\nGentol[a:] having paved the way you did so admirably. Do not you think\nso?\n\nZenesta Hao--I congratulate both Dano and myself that we have safely\nconcluded this experiment, which nothing would induce me to repeat. He\nbecame so entirely submerged that had I retained possession a moment\nlonger, he certainly would have become freed, and I--well, you all know\nwhat the consequence would have been. I understand De L'Ester. You are\nno more at fault than am I, but we must not again permit our zeal to\nget the better of our discretion.\n\nLeta--Professor, this is not the first time I have seen Dano in this\nstrange condition, and almost I am persuaded that while he slumbers,\nsome god communes with him. May not it be that And\u00fbman[a:] has taken\npity on His sorrowful children, and that at His command His Messengers\nare using Dano as an instrument through whom to convey to us the\nknowledge that indeed existence is continuous? Ah, he moves, and his\ncolor is returning, but his slumber is very prolonged. Oh, that we soon\nmay come to understand this mystery, if mystery it may be.\n\nInstructor--I am amazed beyond expression by this strange occurrence.\nZenest[a:] H[a:]o, do not we all know of his great learning, of his\ndeep researches into ancient languages and records? What can this\nmean? What report shall I make of it to our superiors? L\u0113t[a:], raise\nhis head a little. He now appears to be in a quiet slumber, still it\nmay be well to call Doctor Vyond[a:]. Hasten, R\u00fbf[a:], to call Doctor\nVyond[a:] to come to Dano.\n\nOh, that it might be true, this story of continuous existence. Have not\nI lost a noble son, who was your fellow student? A beloved daughter,\ntoo, with whose life her mother's life and mine were bound as with\none chord. Alas, alas, sorrow leads one to reach out after visionary\nnothings. Ah, he is awakening. Why, Dano, apparently you have been\nslumbering, and really we have been a little disquieted, in fact so\ndisconcerted as to scarcely know what course to pursue. You are not\nill? Speak if you can, and set our fears at rest. The cup of water,\nL\u0113t[a:]. Ah, now you are quite restored.\n\nDano--Friends, I regret that I have occasioned you some anxious\nmoments. No, I am not ill, and I cannot explain these sudden attacks\nof unconsciousness. I only am aware that I have been in a deep slumber,\nwhich came upon me so suddenly that I could not avoid it. Perhaps I\nshould obey Doctor Vyond[a:], and for a time cease pursuing my beloved\nstudies.\n\nLeta--Dano, can it be that you are unaware that while you slumbered,\nyou spoke to us strange, and in a measure unintelligible words? With\npermission of our Instructor I will relate to you what you have said.\n\nDano--L\u0113t[a:], your narrative fills me with dismay. Surely you are not\njesting. Your serious face assures me that you are not. May And\u00fbman[a:]\nforgive if unwittingly I have spoken lightly of sacred matters. Lately\nI have been subjected to what Doctor Vyond[a:] terms self-induced\nhallucinations. But I am not conscious of inducing them, and certainly\nI do not desire to indulge in such folly. I would not err, I would not\nsin, yet during these seizures I give utterance to expressions which\nare not in accord with our Sacred Writings. I pray the pitiful gods\nthat I may not be held accountable for these unconscious utterances.\n\nDe L'Ester--Two Professors and a Physician are hastening this way.\n\nProfessor--My dear Dano, we have been quite alarmed to learn that\nagain you have been attacked with faintness, and rejoice that you\nare recovering. Here is our good Doctor Vyond[a:], who speedily will\nrestore you.\n\nDr. Vyonda--Certainly, certainly. It is nothing serious. Really\nthere is no occasion for alarm. Such attacks are quite common. The\nhigh temperature of the season, and too close application to study\nsuperinduces such seizures. Dano, you must relax a little of your\nardent pursuit of knowledge. You must indulge in lighter veins of\nthought. Youth is the age for enjoyment, innocent enjoyment of course,\nand for acquiring knowledge, but with, moderation, my dear Dano, with\ndue moderation.\n\nYour eyes are yet a trifle heavy. Allow me to administer this agreeable\npotion, which will dispel this sensation of lassitude. On retiring,\nyou will take this palatable powder, which will insure quiet sleep. No\nvisions, no hallucinations will disturb your repose, and in the morning\nwe will counsel together as to the best course to be pursued. But no\nmore study to-day, Dano, you understand, no more----\n\nDe L'Ester--Quickly, quickly, Gentol[a:]. He is not fully aroused from\nhis entrancement, and his spiritual perception is very exalted. Follow\nmy dictation.\n\nDr. Vyonda--He again is relapsing into unconsciousness. Order a litter\nat once, and have him conveyed to his apartment. Really this seizure is\ninexplicable, but I doubt not will yield to----\n\nDano--Doctor Vyond[a:], I am told to request you to quietly remain\nwhere you are.\n\nDr. Vyonda--This is most perplexing, most perplexing. Apparently he is\nunconscious, yet he bids me to quietly remain where I am. No. No. Not\njust now. We will wait a little. Put the litter further away. Give him\nmore air.\n\nGentola--Dano, I am Gentol[a:]. This name has been given me by some\npersons who understand your language. I have told you that I come from\na world named Earth, which is so far away in space that to Entoans it\nappears as a brightly shining point in the night sky. Try to understand\nthat the vital, animating principle controlling all the activities of\nyour physical body, is the immortal Self, the real Dano. Aside from\ncertain of your Priests, but few Entoans are so highly sensitive as\nare you, who soon readily will perceive wholly freed Spirits. Because\nthat I still am connected with my physical body you see, hear, and feel\nthe touch of my real Self, the Spirit woman. For the reason that your\nSpirit consciousness, which is self perception, is highly evolved, you\nare thus favored.\n\nThis is no dream, no hallucination of an overtaxed mind. I am as real\nas are you. So are the wholly freed spirits who bear me from Earth to\nEnto. So was your sister Ont[a:], who has appeared to you, but who,\nuntil you are further prepared, will not again attempt to do so.\n\nIn time you will be made to comprehend the laws involved in spirit\nreturn, but at present I cannot explain them. The Spirits with whom\nI am associated, and hosts of Spirits, of Spirit Spheres, of other\nSpirit Worlds, have combined their forces in a supreme endeavor to\nrelease the peoples of Ento from the hopeless religious beliefs, which\nlong have held them in a state of such pitiful despair that as I gaze\non their almost smileless faces, my heart throbs with sympathy for\ntheir perpetual sorrow. Dano, fear not, but rejoice that you have\nbeen chosen as a message bearer to them. Rejoice that through your\ninstrumentality light from your spirit world soon will dissipate the\nshadows enshrouding the lives of your peoples.\n\nThe hour draws very near when Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]'s fair daughter, your\naffianced bride, must pass into your Spirit World. Only now does\nVallo[a:]'s father realize that her days may be drawing to a close,\nand through fear and grief he is well nigh crazed. Daily in the Temple\nZim he sacrifices to And\u00fbman[a:], imploring with agonizing moans and\ntears that his precious Vallo[a:] shall not be taken from him into\nthe dread silence of death, but still she fades, as fade the lovely,\nfragrant rodels on Bascama's limpid water. Vainly your father, Basto\nAnd\u00fbl\u0113s[a:], endeavors to allay Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]'s fears, to assuage his\ngrief, for at last he and your mother perceive Vallo[a:]'s perilous\nstate, and they propose to immediately call you home, hoping, as does\nOmanos F\u00fbnh[a:], that your presence may arouse and aid the drooping\ngirl to prolong, if not to recover her waning life.\n\nIt is indeed pitiful to see the light dying out of her beautiful\nazure eyes, and the bloom fading from her lovely young face, which\ngrows as pallid as roin[a:] blooms. As her physical strength declines\nVallo[a:]'s vision grows more Spiritualized, and as through a thin\nveil she sees the spirit forms of her mother and of other dear ones,\nwho whisper to her unfolding Spirit senses words of loving cheer for\nher, for her stricken father, and for you, dear youth. She fancies\nthat she dreams, and when smilingly she relates to her father the\nloving Messages from the dream-world he is filled with consternation\nlest her mind is being lost, and in the privacy of his own apartments\nhe prostrates himself, crying to And\u00fbman[a:], and to the mighty gods\nto suffer her to live, or if that may not he, to take her in her\nperfection into Astranol[a:].\n\nI am made to tell you this, that in a measure you may be prepared\nfor the ordeal awaiting you, and to urge upon you to be strong and\ncourageous, for you will require both strength and courage to sustain\nyou. Even now a swift Messenger comes from Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], bearing a\nletter from your father, so hasten to prepare for your journey to Dao.\nTo these persons who gaze on you in breathless expectation of they\nknow not what speak of what I have been made to say to you, for I know\nthat when you shall have regained control of yourself you will imagine\nthat you have had a fanciful vivid dream. Remember that I charge you\nto speak of what I have said to you. And now I am bidden to say Info\noovist\u00fb.\n\n[Illustration: ROINA]\n\nDr. Vyonda--Ah, he is reviving, his pulsations are quickening, and\nhis color returning. This seizure is peculiar, very peculiar. Such\nlong continued unconsciousness indicates a low state of vital energy.\nProfessor Dalmaon, with your approval, I shall at once advise his\nfather that he for a time must have entire mental rest and change of\nscene, which will assist in his recovery from his present devitalized\nstate. Why, my dear Dano, you have been quite unconscious of the\nanxious interest which for a few moments has disturbed our minds. But\nas I have said, it is nothing serious, nothing really uncommon, quite\na natural result of continued mental strain, and you must rest, Dano,\nfor a time, you really must rest and recuperate. Do you now feel quite\nyourself?\n\nDano--Friends, I wish to say something that will surely try your belief\nin my sanity, but if your kindness may permit you to listen to what\nI desire to relate you will make me your grateful debtor. Doctor, I\nbelieve that I am quite myself, but after I shall have related my story\nI shall not find fault should you all question my opinion.\n\nWhile you have thought me unconscious I have been as fully conscious as\nyourselves, but unable to move, or to unclose my eyes, or to utter a\nsound. Yet in some strange manner I have seemed to see for the fourth\ntime a fair skinned, dark haired, strange woman enveloped in shining\ngarments, who says that she is from a world known in her language,\nas Earth, which is so far away in space, that to us it appears as\na shining point in the night sky. She says that her Ento name,\nGentol[a:], has been given her by some who understand our language,\nwhich she does not. That she speaks from dictation of those who do\nunderstand it, and she has told me of something so sorrowful that for\nthe present I shall not speak of it. She declares that through me a new\nreligious revelation is about to be given to the children of Ento. But\nas And\u00fbman[a:] only speaks through the great God Tymonas to the most\nhigh Priest, this declaration cannot be true. She also has said what\nis altogether improbable, that from our Supreme Ruler comes a swift\nMessenger bearing a letter from my father, who desires that I shall at\nonce return to Dao, and that I shall make immediate preparation for\nthe journey. Do not I pray you, gaze upon me with so much concern.\nI realize that this peculiar experience is the result of too much\nabstinence from youthful pleasures for which I care but little, and of\nover close application to study, for which I perhaps care too much.\n\nDoctor Vyond[a:], I promise you that this unpleasant experience will\ncause me to mend my ways, not so much for my own, as for the sake\nof those who love me. Very true, doctor, very true, but since life\nis so full of sorrow, since the certainty of the approach of death\nso overshadows even youth's brightest days that ever our smiles are\ndrowned in tears, life to me ever grows more valueless. Oh, that\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], whose power is infinite, may make these dreams of mine\nprophecies of a reality so glorious that scarcely dare I think, much\nless speak of it.\n\nGentle friends, I pray you pardon me for having caused you some moments\nof anxiety. Make yourselves my debtors, and I shall be as patient with\nyou as your affectionate kindness prompts you to be patient with my\nvagaries.\n\nInstructor--Ever youth cherishes baseless hopes, dreams and illusions.\nAge alone knows the tranquillity of the inevitable. Although the midday\nof my life is gone, dreams wearing the semblance of realities come to\nme from the Region of Nowhere, then drift into the Realm of Shadows.\nNo one is wise enough to account for the illusions of sleep, those\nphantasms emerging from the unknown and vanishing like mist wreaths\nfrom Indolois[a:]'s waters. I pray that it may not be accounted a\nsin that to me has come the thought that these dreams may be shadows\nof somewhere realities. That while we slumber our senses may perceive\nwhat our waking vision is too imperfect to discover. Who can say as\nto what may be in the regions of Astranol[a:]? Is not it written that\nto the Lady Camariss[a:], wife of Genessano Allis Immo, came a vision\nwhich so impressed her husband that it led to the introduction of the\nvast Irrigating and Waterways System, which has made our waste lands\nso fruitful and prosperous? From whence came this vision? No one can\ncertainly say, but And\u00fbman[a:], who knoweth His own ways, may have\nchosen the Lady Camariss[a:] as His Instrument, through whom He spoke\nto Genessano Allis Immo. And, friends, may not the woman of Dano's\ndream be an Instrument through whom he may be given a new revelation of\nAnd\u00fbman[a:]'s love for His sorrowful children? Do not we all know that\nwhen And\u00fbman[a:], through the great God Tymonas declared to the Most\nHigh Priest Moukara that no more should unwilling human sacrifice be\noffered, He also declared that in some coming time another Revelation\nof His love for His children might be vouchsafed?\n\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], Creator and Preserver, may if He so wills, perpetuate\nthat which is the essential part, the life of every animated creature.\nAdoringly and reverently I implore that He may take pity on His\nchildren, the children of His love, and grant us the ardent desire of\nour hearts that we may not pass into perpetual Silence, but that in\nsome unknown region, we, with our beloved ones may continue to exist\nforevermore.\n\nSo strangely have our lessons been interrupted that but little has been\naccomplished. However, every incident of life teaches some lesson, and\nwe to-day have received an exemplification that in its expressions it\nis many sided, and that at times it affords us glimpses of what may be\nbeyond what we now know of.\n\nUrvan, I advise that you shall remodel this foot, which is not\nquite up to your usual excellence. L\u0113ta, this hand so delicately,\nso perfectly modelled indicates true artistic sense. Veradon, your\nexecution is almost beyond criticism. Kiaf\u00fb R\u00fbvan[a:], our greatest\nsculptor of either ancient or modern times, taught that the hand was\nthe most expressive member of the body. That by its form, markings\nand movements, it afforded a true indication of the character and\nemotions of the possessor. As the hands of no two persons are exactly\nalike, there is in their expression an infinite variety which, to the\nobserving student, may afford infinite opportunities. Dano, we rejoice\nthat you appear quite recovered from your very peculiar seizure, and I\npray that you may heed Doctor Vyond[a:]'s advice, for, truly of late,\nyou have been over studious. Surely you do not attach any importance\nto the dream prophecy of your speedy departure for Dao? That you may\nwholly dismiss it from your thoughts I suggest that we all shall repair\nto the gymnasium, where vigorous exercise may restore us to our usual\nserenity. Doctor, will not you and our honored Professors favor us with\nyour company?\n\nDr. Vyonda--Certainly, for a little I shall attend this imprudent\nyouth. Come, Dano, no more illusions, no more melancholy. Look on the\nbright side of life; yes, yes, on the bright side of life. Leave to age\nthe shadows; walk in the sunshine while you may. Come, gentlemen, we\ncan do ourselves no better service than to look on while these young\npeople take the exercise we older ones used to so enjoy. Ah, me, age is\nvery inconvenient, very inconvenient indeed.\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], from what the doctor and Art Instructor have\nsaid you may infer that the Entoans are very like some of our beloved\nEarth folk who consider everything outside their everyday experiences\nas illusions of diseased imaginations. Certainly, Soul consciousness,\nwhich should not be confounded with Spirit consciousness, is subject to\nillusions; thus one should be patient with sensitives who, at times,\nunknowingly misrepresent Spirit phenomena. Only minds capable of\nearnest, critical, patient fairness should attempt to test the truth\nor falsity of unusual occult occurrences. But the Messenger from Dao\nis about to arrive, and we will proceed to the gymnasium that we may\nobserve how the doctor and professors may receive the fulfillment of\nthe prophecy.\n\nThese wide and lofty passageways lead to various Departments of the\nGalar\u0113s[a:], but into many of them we cannot at present even glance.\nAt the head of this grand staircase is a department we later on will\nvisit. Now we will enter the gymnasium and you, Gentol[a:], will\nbriefly describe whatever may attract your observation.\n\nGentola--Knowing so little of gymnasiums of our own planet I fear\nthat I may not intelligibly describe this one. The apartment itself\nis immensely large and the domed ceiling very lofty. There are many\nlarge windows and they and the ceiling or roof are filled in with what\nappears to be opalescent glass set in metal frames. Depending from\nthe roof are swings and ropes and various contrivances of whose uses\nI am quite ignorant. Attached to some of the ropes are huge balls of\napparently an elastic material, which Dano and the other youths are\nso vigorously striking that they bound away, only to return again for\nfurther punishment which they are capable of resenting, for one has\nstruck yonder youth a staggering blow.\n\nThat dark-skinned boy climbs that rope with the agility of a monkey,\nand yonder handsome blonde youth, hand over hand, climbs another rope\ndepending from the very apex of the roof and now he comes down head\nforemost, and--oh--I thought he was about to fall, but he has turned\na somersault and landed on his feet on a--ah, I see. That part of the\nfloor is covered with spiral springs over which is a padding of some\nelastic material similar to curled hair; no, it is some sort of fibrous\nstuff and over it, stretched tightly, is a covering resembling rubber\nsheeting, which is so elastic that the gymnasts bound from it like so\nmany rubber balls. Many of the appliances I have no knowledge of, but\nthere are horizontal bars on which some of the youths are exercising\nwith what appears to me utter recklessness. See that young giant\nswinging, swinging from that suspended bar, and there he goes through\nthe air, catching another bar, and, oh my, I do not like to see that. I\nsuppose that if he should fall that net would catch him, but it looks\ndangerous. Now he sits on the bar swinging to and fro, and now he drops\nand catches the bar, and now, with a great leap, he has caught a rope\nand is descending head foremost. I do not understand why any one takes\npleasure in such risky performances.\n\nIf I say that those young men are practising with Indian clubs will I\nbe greatly mistaken? How gracefully they handle the clubs and they,\nlike their classmates, may be called handsome; but, somehow, I do not\ngrow accustomed to the extraordinary size of the Entoans. Why those\ndark-skinned youths, including Dano, appear gigantic and the lighter\nhued youths, compared with you gentlemen also are giants.\n\nThe doctor and professors are looking on with apparent enjoyment and\ninterest, especially commending Dano's energetic movements, but--ah,\nsee, an attendant is presenting to the white-bearded Professor a\nletter. As he glances over its contents he pales visibly, and is\ngreatly disturbed. In a low tone he says, \"Friends, I have received a\nletter from Basto And\u00fbl\u0113s[a:].\" Now he calls to Dano.\n\nProfessor--Dano, Dano, I would speak with you. This moment a message\nfrom your honored father has arrived. You will listen while I shall\nread what concerns all here.\n\n  \"To the renowned Professor Byr[a:]don Ov[a:]dos and his honored\n  co-workers of the Galar\u0113s[a:] of Camariss[a:], in the Province of\n  Ond\u00fb I, Basto And\u00fbl\u0113s[a:], send loving greeting.\n\n  \"Your sorrowful regret will equal my own when you learn that our\n  beloved Supreme Ruler, Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], grieves sorely over the\n  continued ill health of his daughter, the lovely and amiable Princess\n  Vallo[a:], who slowly but, it is feared, surely declines toward the\n  ending of her young life. She craves the presence of her affianced,\n  my son, Dano, whom I hasten to summon to Dao. You, through all\n  reasonable means, will facilitate his departure on the special\n  transport awaiting him.\n\n  \"Your kind heart and good judgment will guide you in breaking to\n  my son this painful news which otherwise might assail him with too\n  sudden force.\n\n  \"With profoundest regard I honor myself by being your friend,\n\n \"Basto Andulesa.\"\n\nDano, dear youth, strive to compose yourself. Alas, how strangely\ntrue were the words of your prophecy. And\u00fbman[a:], thy ways are\nincomprehensible. We implore Thee to aid us to understand the lessons\nThou art offering to us, but which, in our ignorance, we fail to\ncomprehend.\n\nDano, our loving sympathy is with Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], your parents and\nyou, our beloved Prince and pupil. Hasten to prepare for your departure\nand we will arrange for your comfort and speedy conveyance to Dao,\nwhere, we will pray the pitiful gods, you may find your beloved\nVallo[a:] recovering her precious life.\n\nGentola--Poor Dano, I feel so sorry for him. That Professor should\nnot have announced the dreadful news so abruptly. A woman would have\nknown better. These Entoans are a peculiar people. I do not mean that\nI do not admire them, for indeed, I do. They are so sympathetic, so\ningenuous that I could wish that our Earth folk might be like them.\n\nDe L'Ester--They are some centuries older than our disingenuous Earth\nfolk; consequently, have grown honest.\n\nGentola--Do you think our Earth folk will ever grow equally honest?\n\nDe L'Ester--It is to be hoped that they may. Certainly, if our fair\nplanet may continue to hospitably entertain them for an indefinite\nlength of time they may improve their ways of thinking and, as a man\nthinketh, so is the man.\n\nGeorge--Dano will journey by Special Transport. Shall we see him off?\n\nDe L'Ester--Yes, and then Gentol[a:] must embark on our air transport\nwhich will bear her across millions of miles in less time than Dano\nwill journey to Dao. Aye, in less time than will be consumed in his\npassage between the Galar\u0113s[a:] and the station. He has made his adieux\nand is entering a Motor conveyance. We will precede him and his friends.\n\nGentola--I wonder if our Earth folk will ever have such carriages? One,\ntwo, three, four, five, six, seven passengers in it, and it moves off\nso silently, so swiftly that it must be a pleasure to ride in it. What\nbeautifully paved streets, and how perfectly clean they are.\n\nOh, dear, I keep thinking of Dano. I wish I might comfort him. I do not\nunderstand why there need be such misery of one kind and another. If I\nwere----\n\nDe L'Ester--Pardon me for interrupting you, but here is the station\nand the conveyance approaches. Ah, Dr. Vyond[a:] will accompany Dano\nwho, as you have remarked, seems dazed.\n\nHere is the special transport and a luxurious one it is. No, we cannot\naccompany the sorrowful youth. We have much to show to your inquiring\neyes before you shall be taken to the capitol. Then, too, affairs are\nnot in readiness for our presence there, but, ere long, they will be.\n\nThe Transport is rising and Dano and the doctor are waving adieux to\ntheir friends. To you we offer a like courtesy. George and Inez will\nagain assist you back to Earth. One week hence we will come for you.\nIn the meantime, that you may renew your vital energy, live as much as\npossible in the open air.\n\nInfo oovist\u00fb.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nEUROPE AND THE FAR NORTH.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--This is the seventh day since we have had the pleasure of\ngreeting you. We are a little early but, as we have in store a joyful\nsurprise for you, you will not chide us for our haste. Why, how sad\nyou are. Ah, I understand. It is four years to-day since your son,\nBernard, passed to our side of life. We have informed you that, aside\nfrom other motives, the stimulus of a strong desire to be all that\nyour mother love wishes him to be has impelled him to strive for rapid\nprogress, and that his urgent entreaties to allow him to accompany you\non these journeys had won our consent. Yes, he soon will be with us;\nbut now close your eyes and be passive. That is well, and--here is your\nsurprise.\n\nGentola--Oh, my boy, my boy, my own dear boy! Is it indeed my boy,\nBernard?\n\nBernard--Dear mother. Dear, darling mother. Yes, it is I. Do not I\nlook as I used to look? Do you see me clearly? Am I indeed so greatly\nchanged? Why, mother, on entering the Spirit World every one changes\nin appearance. And you think I look younger than when I was on Earth\nand more spiritualized? I am glad if you see that for, mother, dear,\nas you well know, during my mortal existence I was not a spiritually\nminded man. I, foolishly, and against your loving entreaties, lived on\na very material plane, and when I passed to the spirit side I went to\nthe place or condition I was fitted for--_the home I had earned_. Do\nnot cry, mother, please do not cry, for that bitter, but necessary,\nexperience is a lesson of the past. Yes, mother, from soon after I\npassed to the Spirit side until now, I often have been with you and\nhave so regretted that, while I could see and talk with you, you could\nnot see me. On that morning when I kissed you good-bye how little\neither of us thought that we would in the mortal body, see each other\nno more. Mother, you know I was such a strong man and death seemed\nso far off that I did not think it possible that it could, for many,\nmany years, come to me. When I found myself in the Spirit World, grief\nand dismay so filled my soul that I cried and prayed that I might\nreturn to mortal existence, if only for a little while so that, as\nfar as possible, I might undo some thoughtless acts which, for the\nfirst time, I saw in their true light. To add to my despair your grief\nover my unlooked for death was so agonizing, that it was feared that\nyou might pass from your physical body which, accidentally, had been\nmore seriously injured than you or any one realized. During the first\nthree days of my new existence I, with others of your dearest ones,\nwatched for the change that might come to you. Mother dear, the aid you\nreceived from the Spirit Side was what kept you here to do the work you\nnow are engaged in. On the fourth day the crisis was passed and you\nknow what followed. Yes, because of your devitalized state, we were\ndeterred from further communion with you.\n\nFor myself, under the loving care and instruction of dear friends, I\nsoon came to understand that the change called death was a rebirth into\na higher life and that, through earnest endeavor, I might progress out\nof conditions that held me where I was. I learned that on entering the\nSpirit World, one finds themselves the result of all the successes and\nfailures of all their past, including their last embodiment. For such\nsuccesses as I found to my credit, I was thankful. For my failures,\nthrough loving service for mortals and Spirits, I have been, and am\nstriving to pay my indebtedness. I also have learned that earned\nprogress is a righteous law and that only through its fulfillment can\nany one grow in grace and such knowledge of truth as may further their\nSpiritual unfoldment.\n\nFrom time to time you have entreated me to inform you as to my\ncondition on the Spirit Side and always, for a reason, I have evaded\na reply, but now that I have risen far above the shadows of the Earth\nsphere, I am rejoiced to be able to quiet your anxious thoughts and\nfears. No, dear mother, I do not now desire to return to Earth life.\nSince I have risen above the shadows I am very happy and exultant in my\nfreedom from physical conditions. Then, mother dear, you know that it\nwill not be very long before you and other dear ones will come to the\nglorious Spirit World, and until then we will be waiting and watching\nfor you and them.\n\nBut, dear friends, we are forgetting that we are delaying the journey\nto Ento.\n\nDe L'Ester--Dear lad, no apology is required. Yours and your mother's\njoy but adds to our pleasure. Yes, you shall journey by her side, and\nsuch assistance as you may need gladly will be offered.\n\nGentol[a:], we will not immediately pass to Ento. That you may be\nbetter prepared to compare certain of Ento's with some of Earth's\ndivisions, we will direct our course across the Atlantic Ocean to\nEngland, of which, with her immediate possessions we will take a\nhasty survey. Also we will glance at France, Italy, Germany, Russia\nand Siberia, and, if we may find it expedient, we may pass over that\ndimensionless point termed the North Pole, where reigns perpetual\nwinter and unbroken silence, save when crashing avalanches of ice and\nsnow break the somber stillness, or when ethereal disturbances occasion\ntempestuous storms to rush and roar across the frozen, desolate wastes\nof the extreme north.\n\nYes, we are aware that at this time some daring and ambitious men\nare determined to reach the North Pole, and their heroic enterprise\ndeserves a richer reward than they will obtain. No, I do not mean to\nsay that no one in the physical body will ever reach the North Pole,\nfor, in time, it will be accomplished. Spirits, scientifically trained,\nare engaged in impressing Earth minds who steadily are progressing in a\nknowledge of electrical forces and appliances, while other scientific\nminds whose attention is directed towards solving the problem of a\u00ebrial\nnavigation are becoming more and more nearly en rapport with spirits\nwho are aiding them, and at no very distant time Air Transports will\ntraverse Earth's a\u00ebrial passageways with the same ease and security\nthat Air Transports pass over Ento's North and South Polar regions.\n\nNow we must be off. George, that is well arranged though, really,\nBernard will require but slight assistance. Gentol[a:], below us is\nNew York city and harbor. We have come this way that you may form an\nidea of the number of vessels passing between the eastern seaboard and\nEurope. Truly, Liberty does enlighten the world, and license, which so\noften masquerades in the garments of the famed goddess, plunges nations\ninto crime and barbarism. Yonder symbolic statue accentuates the fact,\nthat at least one aspiring mind comprehends the divine idea of freedom.\n\nWhat an immense number and variety of vessels are moving in all\ndirections, and what an immense number and variety of vessels rest\non the bed of this vast ocean; while over them and the pallid hosts\nwho are entombed beneath its waters, white crested billows moan a\nperpetual requiem. Its bed is indeed a vast cemetery on which, side by\nside, lie noble and ignoble, rich and poor, friend and foe, for death,\nthe reaper, makes no distinction. The tares are garnered with the wheat.\n\nWe are approaching England, the marvellous. England the heroic,\nthe masterful, but _never the magnanimous_. The lion well typifies\nher people who are courageous, aggressive, persistent and, where\nher interests are involved, _politic_ in an extreme degree. Ever\nwith unclosed eyes, with but half sheathed claws, the lion waits\nand watches, waits and watches. So wait, so watch, thou guardian of\nEurope's, aye, of the World's peace, and seldom may thy vigilance be\ndisturbed.\n\nYou have expressed a desire to see the Thames River. Below us is the\nnoisome stream, and this is the great city of London. Observe it\nclosely so that you may compare it with a certain city you will see on\nEnto. A city not so extensive or so populous, but far more beautiful.\n\nYonder, toward the east, is St. Paul's with its great dome and crucifix\ncrowned spire; and that is Bow Church and facing us is old St. Paul's,\nwith its spire reaching some hundreds of feet into the rather smoky\natmosphere. Yes, it is a somber but also an impressive structure. That\nrather squat looking building is the Bank of England. No, it is not an\nimposing edifice. Yes, that is the famously infamous Tower, where so\nmany unfortunates have found time to consider the vanity of ambition,\nthe insecurity of royal or of popular favor, and of other unstable\nquantities. No, this really fine Shaft does not compare favorably\nwith those you have seen in Camariss[a:]. You wish to see Buckingham\nPalace? Then look at the structure facing us. And you are disappointed?\nYet it is quite a grand structure. Ah, I see, you are comparing its\narchitecture with that you have seen on Ento. I confess I anticipated\nhearing expressions of disappointment, so am not surprised. Yes, I\npromise you that, after the inauguration of our mission if you may so\ndesire, we will bring you here and, at your leisure, you may observe\nwhatever may interest you.\n\nGeorge, we now will hastily pass over England's rural-districts, then\nwe will move northward. Yes, the landscape views are indeed fine.\nNature, in her tranquil moods, ever is charming.\n\nBeneath us is bonnie Scotland, with her many lakes and heathery\nheights. Yonder is Loch Lomond and is not it a lovely sheet of water?\nBut, to my mind, not more so than others of Scotland's many lakes. No,\nwe cannot now devote time to seeing cities; it is the geography of the\ncountries we are passing over that we wish you to observe.\n\nGeorge, we will devote a few moments to an observation of the Isle of\nMan. Gentol[a:], on our side there are Spirits who remember a time when\nthe ocean was many fathoms deep above its slowly rising surface. That\nis the island, and it appears a rather precarious abiding place. Some\ntime I may tell you of its origin, which differs from the accepted\nscientific view.\n\nNow you may salute the Emerald Isle, the birthland of your nearest\nancestors, who were of Scotch blood. You have desired to see Lough\nNeagh, near which your father was born. Its rippling water is beneath\nus now. Of Ireland's lakes, mountains, holy wells and fairy lore\ndoubtless your father has told you many strange stories, but the\nstrangely tragic story of wrong and oppression for which Ireland\nfurnishes a piteous theme is as yet, unwritten.\n\nYes, this southern portion of the island is very picturesque and\nbroken; the same may be said of the inhabitants. No, we will not visit\nWales. From Ireland we will pass directly to France and to Paris\nwhich, as has been aptly said, is France. Is not it a very beautiful\ncity? During my Earth life I regarded it as being so perfect as to be\nchangeless, but now as I gaze upon it, I see but few vestiges of nearly\nthree hundred years ago.\n\nOh, Paris, Paris, thou aggregation of opulence and squalor; of much\nthat is admirable and more that is detestable; aye, of all that is\ngood, bad or indifferent in human nature; since first I knew thee in\nthy beauty, luxury and arrogance, thou hast grown superb, but while\ndecking thyself with costliest raiment and priceless jewels, thy feet\ntread in the mire of debauchery. In thy hands thou bearest a crucifix\nyet in thy heart thou art a wanton. With one breath thou chantest Laus\nDeo, with the next thy lips are smirched with ribald song.\n\nOh beautiful, oh pitiable Paris! Through whose broad or narrow ways\npass unseen angels of mercy, who continually are striving to raise the\nthoughts and aspirations of thy sensuous people above the insensate\nfollies of vicious tendencies. Not yet, not yet, but in a coming time\nthe tribulations of thy people will turn them away from the spell of\nthy enchantments, and with clearer eyes and purer aspirations they\nwill seek the heights of Spiritual progress. Beloved France, land of\nmy birth, home of my childhood, youth and manhood, I look backward\nthrough the years and I behold thee regnant in power, or tossed as a\nshuttlecock in the hands of thy foes. Then I behold thee dancing gaily\non the brink of a precipice and, as I gaze, out of the shadows emerges\nthe dread Reign of Terror, which stained thy garments with the best\nblood of thy children. Still I gaze, and out of the blackness of thy\ndespair a strong hand, guided by indomitable will, and measureless\nambition, rescues thee from the abyss into which thy mad and ignorant\nfolly hath plunged thee, and then a new day, whose effulgent glory\nblinds the eyes of other nations, dawns for thee. Again deep shadows\neclipse the effulgence of thy glory, whose beams gleam fitfully\nthrough some troublous years, and thus amid brightness and shadows the\ncenturies have flown, and again, though in their hearts they spurn the\nplebeians whom they have chosen as rulers, thy children cry, \"Liberty,\nEquality, Fraternity,\" and the fateful years go by.\n\nLiberty and equality are the finest jewels in the crown of any nation,\nbut alas, it is the few, and not the many, who are able to estimate\nthem at their full value.\n\nNow reluctantly my gaze turns toward Alsace and Lorraine, who, like two\norphaned children are obliged to carry water on both shoulders, yet no\none dares to lift their burthens, or to restore them to their own. With\nsorrowful sympathy I have watched their changeful history, and the end\nis not yet.\n\nAn Alsatian born am I, and though it is nearer three than two centuries\nsince I passed to the Spirit Side, my heart clings to the land of my\nbirth and I dream of a time that may, nay, will, arrive, when France,\nregenerated and with garments undefiled, shall take her rightful place\namid the galaxy of Earth's greatest nations.\n\nSouthward now to Italy, the land of music, of art, of sunshine and of\nflowers. As we gaze upon the verdure clad slopes, the smiling valleys\nand upon the cities whose storied greatness reaches backward into\nclassic times, I recall that one has written, \"Oh, Italy, thou art in\none the glory and the shame of Christianity, for while upon the pages\nof thy history are names heroic, thy garments are stained with the best\nblood that hath flowed in the veins of thy children. Alas! that through\nthy ignorant zeal thou, in a bygone time, didst torture those whom thou\nshouldst have worn upon thy bosom as jewels beyond price. Tortured\nthem, too, in the name of the genuine Teacher of a religion of peace\nand good will toward all men.\"\n\nGentol[a:], two members of our band, Galileo and Giordano Bruno, attest\nto the horrible cruelties and crimes which, in their days, were, in the\nname of religion, perpetrated upon helpless men and women. No, Spirits\ndo not forget; but ere they can progress they must and do forgive.\n\nAlthough at this time a humane, wise and liberal minded man is King of\nItaly, there is a power _under his throne_ that chafes and schemes to\noverturn it but, happily comprehensive ideas are illumining the minds\nof his people who stand as a bulwark between it and those who, for\ntheir own selfish, ambitious and unrighteous ends seek its destruction.\nYes, all religious systems are beset with fanaticism and always\nfanatics are, in some sense, dangerous. Then, too, to what lengths will\nnot ambitious self-seeking, lead mortals, even blinding them to every\nprinciple which ennobles and elevates humanity.\n\nOn your account we regret that our time is too limited to admit of\nsightseeing, but we will slowly pass over Rome so that you may gain a\ngeneral idea of the appearance of the antiquated one who, despite her\npowdered and patched wrinkles, still dreams that she again will be\nmistress of the world's destinies; that her voice is as the voice of\nGod and that her outreaching arms will yet embrace spiritually, if not\ntemporally, all the nations of the Earth.\n\nGermany next claims our attention. Below us is Berlin, where dwells\nthe young Emperor whose highest ambition is to act as arbitrator for\nall Europe. Naturally aristocratic and domineering, his tendency is to\noverride all obstacles. He cannot tolerate advice, much less coercion.\nHe is angered easily, yet with a kindly word is pacified. He is quick\nto take offense, and as quickly he forgives. When he conceives that the\nglory of Germany or his personal honor are called in question in his\ndemand for redress he is adamantine. At an hour's notice he is ready\nto appeal to arms, yet he is moved to pity by a cry of distress. In\nthis scion of a stern, as well as gentle ancestry, ambition, arrogance,\ncourage, integrity and a large admixture of the love element, serves to\nform a most unique character.\n\nYes, Berlin is an imposing city, but in it, as in all large\naggregations of humanity on our planet, luxury and squalor are such\nnear neighbors that the songs and laughter of the fortunate do not\ndrown the moans of the wretched.\n\nWe now are crossing the border line between Germany and Russia. Over\nwhat a vast area the autocratic Czar holds sway. Does it not seem\nmarvellous that to one man millions of people yield more or less\nwilling obedience? Yet marvellous only when one loses sight of the\nfact, that in all manifestations of nature; or, if it may please you\nbetter, of God, necessarily there is a central, dominant principle.\nAmong the millions of this great empire are many who are the Czar's\nequal, and others who, in the sense that makes a man worthier than his\nfellows, are his superiors. Yet these millions of humans are subject\nto him, because that in his rank is involved all the principles that\nthe government of Russia stands for, and all governments require a\nfigure-head, be it emperor, king or president.\n\nThe Czar is a man of fine intelligence, of an affectionate and generous\nnature, but he is so hedged in by pride of birth, by love of power and\nthe precedents of usages that he possesses but a scant understanding\nof the needs of the diverse races who people his dominions. Yes, he,\nlike most of Earth's rulers, walks on the verge of a precipice over\nwhich, at any moment, some ruthless hand may topple him. No nation of\nEarth has yet outgrown the naturally turbulent animal element which,\nin the human, ever is snapping and snarling, and it is only when\nhumanity has evolved beyond it that an observance of the Golden Rule\nbecomes possible. Earth's peoples not having evolved to the height of\nsuch a possibility, rulers must needs be guarded by steel and served\nby slaves, both rulers and slaves being held in bondage through fear\nof consequences. No, I do not recall that I ever have cared for the\nephemeral distinctions of mortality's brief days.\n\nWe near St. Petersburg, an extensive and populous city, which, like the\ncountry, is covered with snow. Yes, the cold is very severe, and rivers\nand lakes are bound in icy fetters. Never mind, the time is not very\nfar distant when you shall be free to not only visit the city, but you\neven may unceremoniously call on the royal family.\n\nNow we are crossing the Ural Mountains, and in a moment we will be\npassing over Siberia. One is tempted to moralize over those exiled from\nhome and country to this far northern land. Ah me! What tragedies have\nbeen enacted, what crimes committed against humanity, perpetrated, too,\nin the name of justice, who is not so blind that she will not some time\nreckon with the perpetrators.\n\nSince starting on our journey but little more than an hour has elapsed,\nand--yes, we have reached the North pole of our planet. For certain\nmentalities there is a charm in attempting difficult undertakings, and\nserious obstacles but spur them on to greater enthusiasm, to higher\nendeavor. To ordinary mortals the awful wastes of ice and snow over\nwhich we have passed would be utterly appalling, but for some the scene\nwould possess a sort of enchantment. So courageous explorers will\ncontinue to seek for this point, and many valuable lives will yet be\nlost in the attainment of a nearly futile object. Yes, ambition and\ncuriosity are forceful and apparently necessary incentives of human\nendeavor.\n\nNow gaze downward and as far as your vision may extend and describe the\nnot at all pleasing view.\n\nGentola--How shall I describe the wonderful spectacle so terrible, yet\nso weirdly fascinating. Overhead the clouds are heavy and threatening,\nand a shadowy darkness as deep as twilight prevails, and in the partial\nlight there is a peculiarly luminous quality as though the atmosphere\nmight be laden with diamond dust, on which light from somewhere\nis falling. De L'Ester, do you know what occasions the singularly\nbeautiful radiance?\n\nDe L'Ester--This luminosity is the effect of the magnetic aura\nemanating from the polar centre. No, I do not mean magnetic centre, but\npolar centre. Under certain conditions it produces or creates what is\nknown as Aurora borealis. Yes, I mean that there are certain planetary\nactivities which create magnetic storms, and when such disturbances\noccur our northern earth sky presents a more or less beautiful display\nof what, by many, are termed northern lights.\n\nGentola--Were I in my physical body would I perceive this luminous\nappearance, and is it at all times luminous?\n\nDe L'Ester--You and very many, but not all persons in the physical body\nwould be able to perceive the magnetic aura, particularly when, as at\npresent, it is very pronounced. You forget that I already have said\nthat the emanation is continuous, which is the same as saying that it\nis at all times luminous to those who can perceive it. Please resume,\nfor we soon must hasten to Ento.\n\nGentola--I cannot find words adequate to a description of this scene\nwhich is so peculiar that it overwhelms me. The loveliness of color,\nradiating and pulsating through the atmosphere like some living thing,\nis so marvellous that one can imagine its pulsations are the heart\nthrobs of the planet.\n\nAs far as my vision reaches I see no land, no water, no living thing,\nand everywhere it looks as though great waves of a tempestuous sea had\nclimbed toward the sky and suddenly were frozen into immobility. Amid\nthe swirl and commotion of the elements, avalanches of ice and snow are\ncrashing downward from the crests of snow mountains, whose peaks tower\ntoward the clouds. To my mind it is not only a sublime but an awful\nscene. I should think one might go mad if obliged to long remain amid\nsuch desolation and such tremendous sights and sounds. But, De L'Ester,\nonce you mentioned the existence of a former open Polar Sea. Will you\ntell me of it?\n\nDe L'Ester--As you please, madame, though but in a few words. At\nanother time a member of the Band will speak of it at length. Our\nplanet has experienced two Glacial periods. Previous to the first\nperiod there was at the then North Pole an unfrozen, but very limited\nsea. Twice through the activities of natural laws a slight tilting of\nour planet has occurred. During its existence, again and again the\nsame catastrophe must repeat itself. Always accumulations of ice and\nsnow at the North Pole preponderate over the same at the South Pole.\nThe centre of gravity seeking an equilibrium, necessitates a changed\nposition of the planet, which will account for the finding of tropical\nvestiges so very far north. Some of Earth's scientists very naturally\nhave concluded that the glacial drift forced these vestiges to their\npresent position, but through eminent scientists on our side of life\nwe know that this is a mistaken idea. Were it possible for mortals to\nsearch under these tremendous accumulations of ice and snow, they would\nfind the fauna and flora of a tropical region, and what would be more\nstartling, the well preserved remains of very primitive humans and\nsomewhat of their belongings.\n\nDuring our too brief hours of camaraderie, it is not practicable to\nnote all that comes under our observation, but be assured that much\nthat cannot be written you, more or less vividly will remember as food\nfor thought through coming years of your mortal existence.\n\nNow take a last survey of the dreary expanse below us, to which you\nwill not say good-bye, but au revoir, for, doubtless after you shall\nhave been freed from the physical plane of being, under more favorable\nconditions you will revisit this scene of which you now have but a\nlimited view. And now, mes amis, off for Ento.\n\nGentol[a:], recently you inquired of Genessano if the Entoans composed\npoetry and he replied yes, but his modesty forbade his saying that\nprevious to passing to the Spirit World he had attempted versification.\nWe have prevailed upon him to recall some sad lines which we deem\napropos to the object of our mission, and as on this ever wondrous\nmagnetic current we speed toward Ento, he will recite them and I, to\nthe best of my ability, will translate them into your language.\n\n  _An ocean whose waves reach Eternity's shore,\n  Rolls silently on; not a sound is heard\n  Of the wrecks that go down in its depths profound,\n  To rest on its bed and are heard of no more._\n\n  _Oh, Ento, thy children so loved, so deplored,\n  Ever fade from our sight never more to return,\n  And in measureless anguish we cry unto Thee:\n  Spare, spare us our dear ones, And\u00fbmana, dread Lord._\n\n  _Around us are falling, like leaves from the trees,\n  Our loved ones, our friends whose forms are so dear\n  That we wear them as jewels enshrined in our hearts,\n  And yield them to Death, so And\u00fbmana decrees._\n\n  _Oh, pitiful gods! And\u00fbmana implore.\n  To succor His children who lie at His feet,\n  And cry in their anguish and deep despair:\n  Give lack to our arms our loved ones once more._\n\nDe L'Ester--As I have done my best, I shall not apologize for my\nunmeritorious translation of Genessano's meritorious poem, which voices\nthe ceaseless cry of Ento's sorrowful peoples.\n\nGentola--Genessano, my friend, so worshipful is my love for my dearest\nones, that I understand the emotion impelling you to give expression\nto this wail of despair. When this dear boy, journeying by my side,\npassed into the world of spirits, only my knowledge of a continuity\nof conscious existence sustained me under my sudden bereavement, so I\nrejoice that the time draws near when the peoples of Ento may come into\na knowledge of this consoling truth.\n\nGenessano--Oh, Ento! beloved Ento! I too, rejoice that ere long the\nshadows which have so obscured thy spiritual radiance shall drift away\nfrom thee, even as under the golden beams of Diafon-evoiha the mists\nof dawn drift from off thy fair face. Hail to thee! Hail to thee Ento,\nthou beauteous world of the starry realms of space! With exultant heart\nI gaze on thee, for soon in thy spirit realms the glad words will be\nheralded that the day of thy rejoicing has come; that henceforth the\neyes of thy downcast children shall be filled with the light of a joy\ndivine, the joy of knowing that death of the physical body releases\ninto a higher life--the immortal self. Only those who have loved, lost\nand sorrowed for the dear ones gone into endless silence can comprehend\nthe joy that pervades my Being as I realize the ineffable gladness that\nsoon will fill the hearts of the peoples of Ento.\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], you perceive how enthused we all are over, I\nmay say, the certainty of the success of our mission, which is ours\nonly in the sense that we are assisting others who, like ourselves, are\ninterested in the righteous undertaking.\n\nYes, all greatly beneficent enterprises for the uplifting of humanity\nof any planet originate in the spirit realms. You are aware that on\nour planet all persons are not equally receptive, which is the same as\nsaying that they are not equally sensitive. The same is true of the\npeoples of other planets. The law of Being is universal, but, through\nheredity, which is the sum of preceding existences, also through the\ninfluences of social and other conditions always, among all peoples,\nthere are individuals apparently ahead of their time. Not through\ntheir own desire, but through conditions, to which I have alluded, the\nmost dominant being ecclesiastical repression. As a whole, the Entoans\nare very positive, but among the ascetic priesthood are individuals\nso sensitive that, like Dano, L\u0113ta and others, they are impelled to\nmanifest it. These are they who apparently are ahead of their time; in\nreality they are the forerunners of spiritual upheavals, not of to-day,\nperhaps not of to-morrow, but of a time that surely will come.\n\nLargely through their ardently affectionate nature the Entoans are\ngrowing approachable. Love and sorrow are retorts in which are\nconsumed the dross of human passions, beliefs and prejudices. Thus,\nthrough their love and their sorrow, their souls are unfolding for\nthe reception of spiritual influences and the perception of spirit\npresences.\n\nWe have so loitered that Zenest[a:] H[a:]o, who awaits us yonder at the\nGalar\u0113s[a:], well may have grown impatient. Loh[a:]\u00fb emano, Loh[a:]\u00fb.\n\nZenesta Hao--Friends, you are late. What has so delayed you?\n\nDe L'Ester--We fear that we may have taxed your amiability and\npatience, but, after consideration, we decided to afford Gentol[a:] a\nview of certain of earth's regions with which she was unacquainted, so\nthat she might compare them with regions of a corresponding latitude\nand longitude of Ento. The youth who accompanies us is the son of\nGentol[a:], who four years ago passed into our spirit world and this\nis his first visit to Ento. Bernard, dear boy, this is our esteemed\nEnto friend, Zenest[a:] H[a:]o, once a Professor of Languages in this\nGalar\u0113s[a:].\n\nBernard--Sir, I am happy in making your acquaintance, and deeply\ngrateful that these dear friends have allowed me to accompany my mother\nto your planet.\n\nZenesta Hao--Inidor[a:], Genessano and I, as representatives of our\npeople, with much good will offer the son of Gentol[a:] a cordial\nwelcome to Ento.\n\nBernard--For which you and they have my thanks.\n\nZenesta Hao--Friends, previous to my coming here, I visited the invalid\nat D[a:]o. Dano's arrival has stimulated Vallo[a:]'s life forces, and\na ray of hope lights up Omanas F\u00fbnh[a:]'s despairing heart. It is but\nthe fitful burning of the expiring flame and the young creature can\nsurvive but for a brief time. As the union between herself and her\nphysical body weakens, she grows more spiritualized and sensitive; so\nalso does Prince Dano, who does not deceive himself with false hopes\nof Vallo[a:]'s recovery, and both gladly are growing into a clearer\nunderstanding of the wondrous truth that life is continuous. With\ntimorous joy they whisper of a time when they may be reunited to part\nno more, but it is pitiful to listen to their murmured words of love,\nof sorrow and of the newly born hope which yet is too marvellous to be\nfully realized. With tears in my eyes and tenderest pity in my heart I\nturned from them, for I remembered, aye, I remembered when my beloved\nArmen[a:]'s life went out and left me desolate and despairing.\n\nDe L'Ester--For your report which partakes of both joy and sorrow,\nwe thank you, and we will so shape our movements as to meet all\nemergencies.\n\nGentol[a:], you are aware that early in the present century there lived\na man of Scotch birth named Hugh Miller, who was so orthodox that\nhe found himself unequal to the feat of balancing the Bible in one\nscale, and the results of his geological investigations in the other.\nDespairingly he abandoned the futile attempt, and suddenly crossed over\nthe Scottish border into a world, not of effects, but of causes. Come\nforward, sir, and afford me the pleasure of introducing to you our\nintrepid medium Gentol[a:].\n\nHugh Miller--Madame, this is a strange meeting between one who was,\nand one who yet is an inhabitant of our Earth plane, where once I\nearnestly, anxiously, prayerfully strove to go toward the light. During\nmy investigations evidences, which I could neither dispute or explain\naway, so perplexed me that I fell into a vortex of doubt and dismay\nthat whirled me into the world of spirits. I perceive that you do not\nknow my story. I pray you acquaint yourself with it.\n\nWhile in the physical body the study of geology was with me a positive\npassion, and when in the world of spirits I recovered from my temporary\naberration of mind, gladly and naturally I continued my favorite\npursuit.\n\nYes, madame, I was greatly surprised, I may say overwhelmed, when upon\nregaining full consciousness I found the spirit world so unlike all\nmy preconceived notions, but as real, as substantial, as the old red\nsandstone which had so perplexed and upset all my ideas concerning the\ncreation of our world. I had been taught and did believe that in six\ndays God created the heavens and the earth, and all that was therein,\nbut geology told another story. It related that the Earth had not been\ncreated, but that through ages and ages it had evolved from cosmic\nmatter into a measurable world, which through other ages had become\nfitted for the abode of myriad life forms. As a thoroughly orthodox\nbeliever my very Soul revolted against these evidences of nature, and\nfinally under blows of a small hammer upon a leaf of God's revelation\nin stone my reason reeled, and I---- But no more retrospection.\n\nFriends, I am at your service, and shall be happy if in the least I may\nadd to your profit or your pleasure.\n\nAh, this is the geological department which is very complete, very\ncomprehensive. What a vast apartment and so beautifully arranged and\nkept. Madame, observe those supporting columns; are they not in style\nnearly Corinthian? To you it may appear a somewhat startling fact,\nbut when understood it is not. The so-termed Primary colors are an\nexpression of a universal natural law, and form is equally so. As\nwater, in freezing, inevitably forms certain crystallized shapes, so\nin the human mind, inevitably, form assumes certain curves, lines and\ndimensions. These friends will bear witness that not only on Ento and\nEarth, but on other inhabited planets we have found the Arch, with its\nKeystone, and columns of the various orders employed in architecture\nhere and on our Planet.\n\nYou observe that this great apartment is divided into several\ndepartments. In this one is a fine collection of fossils which, for\nlack of time, we must pass by. De L'Ester says that we shall only\nglance at this wonderfully complete display of gems which ever are\ndear to the heart of a woman. Now here----\n\nDe L'Ester--Friends, for a little while we will defer the examination\nof the gems. Nearby an Instructor is addressing a Class of students who\nmay afford us opportunity for an experiment.\n\nInstructor--For as in it there is much that cannot be accounted\nfor, geology affords room for speculation (and I regret to say for\nirreverent expression), not found in any other science. Our Sacred\nWritings declare that out of substances within Himself And\u00fbman[a:]\ncreated Ento and all living creatures, into whom He breathed the\nbreath of life and to whom He gave the power of procreation. That at\ndeath of the body the breath of life returns to Him, and again and\nagain is breathed into the newly born. One of our most learned men,\nZiro Emyd[a:]s, estimates the circumference of Ento as being koid[a:]s\nferm[a:] itsa[a:] fonit\u00fb \u00fbvon soynas (little less than 12,000 miles).\nNo mind can realize the immensity of And\u00fbman[a:], Who out of His\npersonality, created Ento and all things.\n\nZiro Emyd[a:]s intimates that after the creation of Ento, And\u00fbman[a:]\ndid not at once create all living things, but his deductions are\nsomewhat illogical and by some are thought to be impious. His statement\nhe terms the Theory of Stratification, and it is so specious that I\nhesitate to quote from it. Generally it is admitted that the science of\ngeology demonstrates that the formation of Ento is stratified, and that\neach stratum presents an appearance peculiar to itself. For instance,\nhere is a stone from the third stratum which largely is composed of a\nvariety of minute shells. Here are others from the fourth and fifth\nstrata, each varying from the others in their composition, and the same\nmay he said of the strata nearer the surface. Phrysos, you who, to an\nextent, favor Ziro Emyd[a:]s's theory, dare you give utterance to what\nthese stones indicate?\n\nPhrysos--May the gods prevent my uttering aught that may oppose the\ntruth. At times the thought enters my mind that possibly our Priesthood\nmay not fully comprehend the meanings of certain words of our Sacred\nWritings. Ziro Emyd[a:]s questions the infallibility of their\ninterpretations. He declares that And\u00fbman[a:] alone is infallible, and\nthat Gods and men are but His Instruments through whom He works His\nwill. That the Priesthood have called him to account for what they\nterm his lack of reverence for Sacred things has not deterred him\nfrom firmly adhering to his declarations, and I confess that while my\nimmature mind does not wholly grasp the presentation of his Theory,\nI greatly admire his courage and no one, I believe, questions his\nsincerity.\n\nI am but a beginner in this fascinating study, but already I realize\nthat one must closely adhere to established theories else one easily\nmay drift into unauthorized and dangerous speculations, but I, no more\nthan yourself, question the infallibility of the Sacred Writings, and\nyet----\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], place the tips of your fingers near his head,\nnow speak to him.\n\nPhrysos--And yet--and--yet--friends, I seem to hear a voice--it speaks\nto--speaks to me, and I feel--a strange--sensation stealing--over--me.\nI--I----\n\nDe L'Ester--Now place your hands over his eyes. Ah, how readily he\nyields.\n\nInstructor--What ails you, Phrysos? Why, I believe he is falling into a\nswoon. Phrysos! Phrysos! Triss[a:], hasten for a cup of water. Raise a\nwindow, Avilla the air may be too close.\n\nDe L'Ester--Rapidly but distinctly follow my dictation.\n\nGentola--I am one who already hath spoken to thy friend, Prince Dano,\nof a new and glorious Revelation which very soon will be given to the\npeoples of Ento. Thou hearest my voice but seest not my form standing\nnear thee, even as thou shalt stand near Dano as a Priest of the new\nRevelation. I am Gentol[a:]. Remember and fear not.\n\nInstructor--Thanks, Triss[a:]. It was but a momentary faintness,\nprobably occasioned by the oppressive atmosphere.\n\nWhy, Phrysos, really we thought you were about to swoon; you whose\nboast is that you never have known a moment's illness. Was it the\ncloseness of the atmosphere that occasioned the attack?\n\nPhrysos--I cannot say what occasioned it. I fancied I heard a voice\ncoming from some one or somewhere, and I grew faint. No, I was not\nunconscious, but could not open my eyes or reply to your inquiries. It\nmust have been occasioned by the closeness of the atmosphere. You will\nexcuse me and I will walk about, and in a few moments I shall recover\nmyself.\n\nEvylon--To what strange days have we come. Phrysos, one of our\nathletes; Phrysos, one of our brightest and closest students, attacked\nmuch as was Prince Dano. Yes, I was in the art studio when Dano became\nunconscious, and when he was revived he spoke strange words which\nsurprised and shocked all who heard them. But, evidently, Phrysos was\nnot unconscious, for his countenance expressed great surprise and\nlively emotion. He says that he seemed to hear a voice, but we heard no\nsound. I pray the Gods that no such attack may seize any of us.\n\nDe L'Ester--Touch this youth's hands. First the right, now the left\nhand. See how he stares and rubs one over the other. Touch them again.\nGreatly excited he springs to his feet, exclaiming, \"Something has\ntouched me! Touched me twice on my hands! No, I see nothing that could\nhave caused the sensation. I fear that my sympathy for Phrysos has\nrendered me imaginative. I, too, pray you excuse me and soon I shall\nwalk off all morbid fancies.\"\n\nInstructor--As our lesson is concluded we will join you. You do well\nnot to yield to what you very properly term morbid fancies. It is well\nunderstood that one mind can affect another mind, and then the question\narises, what is mind? Fr[a:]tos, one of our most learned and brilliant\nthinkers, declares that----\n\nDe L'Ester--We cannot afford time to learn what Fr[a:]tos declares,\nprobably that mind is matter in an active state.\n\nGentol[a:], we are delighted that you can so successfully approach Ento\nSensitives. One other of those students could have been made to sense\nyour presence, but we must not permit our enthusiasm to get the better\nof our judgment, else a panic might occur.\n\nGenessano, you have reason to be hopeful for the success of our Mission\nfor, evidently, the Spiritualized faculties of many of your people are\nhighly evolved.\n\nGenessano--Oh, that the hour may swiftly arrive which shall usher in\nthe dawn of the brightest day that ever has come to Ento. A day that\nwill mark an epoch of gladness in the history of a sorrowful people.\n\nBefore proceeding with our investigations, you desire to know the\nresult of my very recent visit to D[a:]o. As Zenest[a:] has said,\nDano's arrival momentarily has stimulated Vallo[a:]'s life forces, but\nshe fades away as fades a rodel broken from its stem. As gradually she\nreleases herself from her physical body her inner vision grows clearer\nand she reaches out and greets the dear ones who have preceded her\ninto our spirit realms. S\u0113lon[a:] Vallo[a:], the golden haired, died\nin giving birth to Vallo[a:]. She was the wife of Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]'s\nyouth, and no one has taken her place in his affection or by his side.\nWhile mourning his irreparable loss, ever his chiefest solace has\nbeen the golden haired, blue eyed child who now is the image of her\nmother. In the hour of his approaching bereavement Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]\nwill, when convinced of its truth, gladly embrace a faith that shall\ngive assurance of a reunion with those whom he holds dearer than all\nelse. Basto And\u00fbl\u0113s[a:], his nearest kinsman and closest friend, in all\npossible ways sustains him. In character they are much alike and both\nare wise, loving and spiritualized men. To them Vallo[a:] smilingly but\nearnestly, insists upon the reality of her visions, and the Messages\nher mother, S\u0113lon[a:], sends to her husband and the And\u00fbl\u0113s[a:]s. And\nthus the days and nights pass, and the way is being prepared against\nthe time when the lovely girl shall be borne from them into higher\nRealms.\n\nDe L'Ester--Dear friend, your report favors our Mission, but how\npitiful it is, and geology is an interesting science, but as we are\nhumans, the affairs of humans lie nearer our hearts and I confess\nthat my sympathy for Dano, Vallo[a:], and the grief stricken father,\nis greater than my interest in all the Sciences of all the Planets\nin the Universe. Gentol[a:], you are surprised and our friends smile\nat my impulsive utterances, but they understand, as you do not, that\nwith longing unspeakable, I look forward to the hour when my own shall\nreturn to me. Ever I am waiting and watching for an angel of love and\nmercy, who strives to lift out of degradation and wretchedness mortals\nwhose ignorance and debaucheries drag them down into darkness. Her\npresent embodiment has placed us far apart, but duties fulfilled are\nconverging our ways and ere long, face to face, we again will gaze into\neach other's eyes and read there the assurance of our Eternal Union.\nIt should not so surprise you to learn that in the spiritual marriage\ntwo entities, male and female, form an inseparable whole, and that\nthere is no other real union possible, all others being temporary, yet\nnot necessarily on the merely animal plane. When, to a certain point,\nwe shall have completed our present undertaking, we hope that you may\nbe induced to listen to talks on this and other subjects, for the more\nclearly you understand Spiritual Laws, the better you will be prepared\nto enter the Spirit World.\n\nAs our Scotch friend is accustomed to our erratic ways I need not\napologize for so abruptly interrupting him.\n\nHugh Miller--Certainly not. Indeed I have been so interested in what\nhas transpired that, for the time, I quite lost sight of the occasion\nof our coming here. Madame, you will observe that here, arranged in\norderly sequence, are fragments of the various stratifications of the\nseveral ages of this Planet which exactly correspond with those, not\nonly of Earth, but of all planets sufficiently evolved to have become\nfully stratified. Perhaps you have been informed that in matter there\nis a universality of homogeneity, and that vibration, attraction,\ncohesion and gravity are the observable expressions of Infinite\nIntelligent Energy, the _one_ law controlling all things that live,\nmove and have Being. In a general way, the Entoans recognize this Law,\nalso in a general way, they recognize the structure of their Planet,\nbut in certain of their conclusions they are quite mistaken. When one\ntakes into account their religious beliefs and their consequent lack of\nknowledge of astronomical and geological facts, it is not surprising\nthat some of their conclusions are altogether erroneous. Happily the\nnew Revelation will dissipate their fears of And\u00fbman[a:] and His\nMessengers, and with their wonderful mathematical and mechanical\nability, soon they will construct such aids to physical vision as will\nfill the minds of their Star-gazers with amazement.\n\nOwing to its exceedingly level surface, during the spring this planet\nbecomes inundated and engineering skill of a high order long has been\nrequired to not only obviate disasters, but to provide storage for\nwater which later on furnishes a necessary but inadequate supply for\nthe requirements of the peoples. To in a measure meet this demand,\nwells of enormous depth are bored and from them volumes of sweet, cool,\nrefreshing water gush forth. Through the agency of these borings many\ngeological facts have been forced upon the attention of the learned\nand through other agencies these facts have been confirmed. But always\nreligious beliefs have stood as barriers between fact and fancy, and\nthus the science of geology is but partially comprehended, much less\nare its conclusions admitted.\n\nHere are specimens of various coals whose properties are the same as\nthose of Earth. And here are specimens of peat or bog fuel. Embedded in\nthis block of peat is a piece of wood closely resembling oak, and here\nis another in which is embedded wood much like the beech.\n\nIn this compartment are specimens of gold-bearing quartz, and here are\nnuggets of free gold and a receptacle filled with grains of gold; and\nhere are samples of scale gold which are nearly pure.\n\nHere, too, is an exhibit of Ento's various silver ores. Observe these\npeculiar formations which resemble skeins of silver threads, snarled\ninextricably. In these compartments is an effective arrangement of\nspecimens of all minerals not accounted precious, as copper, iron, tin,\nzinc, lead, in short all minerals of our Planet are represented here.\n\nTo spirits sufficiently advanced, two facts are evident. One is the\nuniversal homogeneity of what you term matter. The other is the\nuniversality of a Law whose activities everywhere are the same, but\nI do not mean to say that everywhere the results are the same for,\nof course, environments and conditions modify results; but where, as\non Ento and Earth, environments and conditions so nearly correspond,\nnecessarily, results must at least bear a general resemblance.\n\nWe now will pass to the adjoining apartment where an aged custodian is\nporing over an ancient looking volume, which is one of many ancient\nvolumes stored in this Galar\u0113s[a:]. What a quaint but pleasing figure\nhe presents. His long white hair waving over his shoulders forms a\nfitting setting for his dark-hued, intellectual and refined face, and\nthe blue gemmed silver fillet confining his hair harmonizes with his\nloose, graceful, dark blue robe falling quite to his feet. Despite his\nhoary locks and aged appearance, to my mind he is a very handsome man.\nThe volume he so earnestly endeavors to read is quite unknown to me.\nPerhaps Zenest[a:] may be acquainted with it.\n\nZenesta Hao--Let me see. Ah, yes, this was the language of a race\nknown as the D[a:]h\u00fblo, who occupied the Province of D[a:]h\u00fblo which,\nsome thirty centuries ago, bordered on Indolois[a:]'s southern shore.\nThey were highly civilized and, like the Quends of to-day, did not\nintermarry with other races. The province was not then infertile,\nand through their manufacturing industries, one of which was the\nproduction of rich silken stuffs, they became the most opulent race\nof Ento. Then gradually arrived the not infrequent sequence. The very\nrich grew arrogantly selfish, and the masses with unperceiving senses\nyielded their rights and fell into idleness and consequent poverty\nwhich bred discontent, and soon discontent merged into turbulence\nand almost suddenly they turned upon their despoilers and in an\nincredibly brief time such devastation occurred that cities, towns and\nvillages and country places were little less than ruins. The Governor\nof the Province appears to have been a timorous, incapable man who,\nrealizing that he could not control the frenzied people, appealed for\naid to the Supreme Euler, Imra\u00fb Ilvoit[a:]s, who was a wise, just\nand thoroughgoing man, who quickly adjusted affairs by renaming the\nProvince Zil-Ammon, and obliging those whose selfish greed had led to\nthe riotous proceedings, to make reparation to the wronged people and\nalso to remove elsewhere. These vigorous measures must have been an\neffective object lesson, for never since has a like event occurred.\n\nThe volume further relates that through the encouragement of Imra\u00fb\nIlvoit[a:]s, people from other Provinces emigrated to Zil-Ammon and\nthus the exclusiveness of the D[a:]h\u00fblo race was broken up, but the\nProvince never regained its former prosperity. At that time there was\na lack of systematic irrigation and the central regions were steadily\ngrowing so infertile that long previous to the birth of Inidor[a:] and\nGenessano the Province of Zil-Ammon was little less than a desert. Only\nwithin two Ento centuries has an attempt been made to reclaim this\nwaste country.\n\nThis volume, which once I translated into the present Ento tongue, is a\nhistory of the extinct race of D[a:]H\u00fblo; from its pages I have culled\nthe fragment I have related. I should like to assist this gentleman in\nhis effort to read the volume, but I fear he might be greatly alarmed\ncould he even perceive me looking over his shoulder.\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], you now understand the process. Try to lightly\ntouch his hands.\n\nIt is more than amusing to note the haste with which he deposits\nthe volume on the table and turns his hands this way and that in\nan endeavor to learn what has occasioned the singular sensation.\nTouch him again, but only on his left hand. There, that will do.\nWe do not desire to alarm him. He is quite startled and looks about\nquestioningly, but as he perceives nothing out of the common he picks\nup the volume murmuring, \"Ah me, age is burthened with infirmities and\nstrange fancies, and I grow old, old, and the dread Silence draws very\nnear.\" Again he lays the volume down and with a pathetic, troubled\nexpression, paces back and forth. Too bad to have so disturbed him, and\nwe beg his pardon.\n\nHugh Miller--Madame, will you now observe this department, which\ncontains examples of all the precious stones of Ento.\n\nGentola--I have been thinking of how beautiful all this is. The great\napartment itself is exquisitely finished in various beautifully colored\nwoods so richly, yet so daintily carved, that they match the loveliness\nof the Mosaic floor, which seems too fine for common use. These\ncrystalline compartments, too, with their velvety linings and fine\nmouldings, containing this great collection of cut and uncut, set, and\nunset jewels, forms a spectacle beyond my ability to describe. In this\nfirst compartment are many gems of various tints of green, and how very\nbeautiful they are. Are they not emeralds?\n\nHugh Miller--Yes, and they are very large and very fine gems. I am\ninformed that Officials of a certain Rank wear emeralds as Insignia of\ntheir special dignity. For instance, the fillets worn by Zenest[a:],\nInidor[a:] and Genessano, are only worn by Governors of Provinces.\nOh, yes, all who choose may wear the gems as ornaments, but only the\nfillets worn by governors are set in this peculiar style. No, the\nSupreme Ruler does not wear a Crown. His golden fillet of a certain\nwidth, richly ornamented with diamonds and sapphires, is the Badge of\nhis high Office. As fillet gems, Princes and Princesses wear diamonds\nand rubies. Other persons of distinction wear their fillets variously\ngemmed. Yes, the fillet, its gems and style of setting, always denotes\nthe Station of the wearer, in which there is no suggestion of caste\nor special privilege. But of this and other matters, you later on\nwill learn more. By the Entoans diamonds are not regarded as being\nmore valuable than are some other gems. Inidor[a:] will offer you an\nexplanation of the matter.\n\nInidora--The Irrigating and Waterways System starting at Camariss[a:],\npasses eastward until it emerges into Gand\u00fblan[a:] Lois[a:]. The great\nwork being completed to its western shore, immediately its eastern\nshore became a centre of ceaseless activity. Ere the lapse of many\ndays a diamond deposit was discovered, which induced such a state\nof excitement that, for a time, work on the System was abandoned.\nIn their eagerness to secure the gems, laborers set aside all other\nconsiderations and I well remember that such numbers of stones were\nfound that dealers in the gems were threatened with financial ruin.\nQuickly the situation grew so serious that a General Council was\nconvened, which resulted in our Supreme Ruler issuing an edict to the\neffect that all diamonds found in that locality should be the property\nof the government; that they should be sold at their value, and that\nthe proceeds should be used toward defraying the cost of the Irrigating\nand Waterways System, which, as all persons knew, was for the general\ngood. This ended the excitement and thereafter the work of the system\nproceeded uninterruptedly. During many years the Government worked\nthe diamond deposit, and the accruing revenue greatly assisted in\nfurthering the interests of the System. A time arrived when the deposit\nbecame exhausted, but that was after our parents, my brother and I had\npassed into our Spirit Realms. Never since the finding of such numbers\nof the gems have they, as previously, been valued beyond what you name\nthe emerald, the ruby and some other fine gems.\n\nGentola--I never have much cared to possess jewels, but this display is\nso very beautiful that I cannot find words to express my admiration of\nit. Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds--glowing and scintillating like stars,\nand what a range of coloring they possess--blue, rose, yellow and\nvarious other hues, and all so beautiful. Do you think, sir, that on\nour Planet there are diamonds comparable in size, purity and coloring\nwith these?\n\nHugh Miller--Yes, in size, purity and coloring, our planet possesses\ndiamonds equal to the finest of these. Why not? The constituents of the\ntwo planets being exactly alike and conditions sufficiently similar,\nnaturally the same causes that produced the crystallization of these\nbeautiful gems, would be operative in the formation of the diamond and\nother gems of our planet. Yes, the diamond is pure carbon, and to my\nmind it is the most attractive of gems. We will now pass to the next\ncompartment.\n\nGentola--Oh, how lovely, how very, very lovely. I am sure that those\nare rubies, and to my taste they are far more beautiful than diamonds.\nWhat a variety of shades of color--some pale to deep rose, from deepest\nrose to blood red and in their hearts is a glint of fire that makes\nthem seem alive. I never have seen a ruby so large or so brilliant as\nthat beautifully cut, unset stone on the white velvet cushion. How I\nshould like to hold it in my hand.\n\nDe L'Ester--You may attempt it.\n\nGentola--Ah, I cannot lift it. Why is it that I cannot? I feel quite as\nsubstantial as when in my physical body, yet I cannot lift even that\ndiminutive stone, which is no more than an inch in diameter.\n\nDe L'Ester--Your _physical_ body has an affinity for matter on the\n_physical plane_. Your Spirit body has an affinity only for that which\nis Spiritual. Diamonds, rubies, indeed, all things are composites of\nmatter and vitalizing spirit. At present, you attract only the spirit\nof things, but as you are not strong enough, we will form a battery,\nwhich will assist you to accomplish your desire. Friends, you will aid\nus. Now place your left hand on mine, your right hand under the stone\nand strongly desire that you shall hold in it the Spirit of the ruby.\nTry again, concentrate your will power, and--ah, that is well. Now\nslowly withdraw your hand, and lo, in your palm is the glowing Spirit\nof the rose hued gem, which in a moment must be returned to its home.\n\nGentola--This is a marvellous lesson. Now I better comprehend what\nyou term the Spirit of things. How wondrously lovely is this glowing,\npalpitating Spirit gem. Why, really, it appears to possess life. Oh,\nmust I so soon return it?\n\nDe L'Ester--Yes, unless you would have its now lustreless home quickly\nvanish into imperceptible atoms. Touch with your finger tips the\nmaterial stone. Now we will break the circle, and you will have an\nillustration of the Law of Affinity. Observe that as the Spirit is\nbeing absorbed the material stone is regaining its glowing beauty, and\nnow it is as it was before its Spirit Self was attracted by Spirit on a\nhigher plane of Being.\n\nOur experiment concluded, and your vital energy well nigh exhausted, we\nmust return you to your material home.\n\nThat we may intelligently direct our future movements, we now will\nvisit Vallo[a:], and George, Inez and your loving lad will accompany\nyou Earthward. If possible, to-morrow at nine o'clock, be in readiness\nfor our journey.\n\nAu revoir.\n\nBernard--Oh, mother, I am so happy to be near you and to know that to\nyou I am as real as when in Earth life you tried to impress Spiritual\ntruths upon my very material mind. Never mind, mother, the Law of Self\natonement is a righteous law, and having emerged from the shadows of\nearthly conditions to me the light is all the more glorious. Seeing\nwith clearer eyes, earnestly I desire and strive to grow in grace and\nin a knowledge of all truths. Mother, is not this a strange experience?\n\nGentola--Very strange, my dear; so much so, that often I imagine that\nI must have been dreaming strange dreams. While, as now, I am apart\nfrom my physical body, it seems as real as is my daily home life, but\nwere it not that I have been made to keep a record of these journeys, I\nwould retain no realizing sense of them.\n\nHow quickly we have journeyed, and until to-morrow I must lose sight of\nyou dear ones.\n\nBernard--While you yet can see me, kiss me, mother, dear.\n\nGeorge--And kiss us, too, dear sister. Good-bye until to-morrow.\n\n_January 12th, 1894._\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nENTO'S PRECIOUS STONES.\n\n\nBernard--Good-morning, mother, dear.\n\nGentola--Good-morning, my son, a thousand kisses for my dear boy.\n\nDe L'Ester--We, too, greet you, and regret that mentally you are so\ndisturbed. Pray console yourself; affairs seldom go so awry that they\ncannot be righted. Soon yours will be so adjusted that you will not be\nsubjected to interruptions, which are harmful to you and vexatious to\nus. Your west window is not sufficiently shaded. Be pleased to arrange\nit. Now try to tranquillize yourself. Join with us in Invocation to the\nOne who is the Spirit of Harmony; thus we also will grow harmonious.\n\nInfinite, Divine Intelligence of the Universe, we, the children of Thy\nLove, aspire to grow into a more conscious realization that we are,\nbecause that Thou art. As step by step, we strive to climb the ever\nascending heights of progress, Thou art our support. When, through our\nweakness and lack of wisdom we go astray, Thou leadest us into straight\npaths. Ever are we reaching toward Thee, who art our Father and our\nMother, and Thou givest Thy Angels charge concerning us. So will it\never be, and lovingly we adore Thee, in Whom ever we will abide. Amen,\namen.\n\nGeorge, we are ready. Nay, dear lad, you will require all your\nstrength, for we are late and must journey quickly, but you shall\nremain by your mother's side. Gentol[a:], previous to these visits to\nEnto you could not have conceived an idea of the rapidity with which we\nare traversing space.\n\nGentola--No, and I cannot yet realize it. We must be moving with the\nvelocity of lightning, still I perceive but a slight sensation of\nmotion. It seems as though we are nearly stationary, while space glides\naway from us. As I grow accustomed to this sensation, I, too, at times\nlose consciousness of time and space.\n\nDe L'Ester--To fully freed spirits this sensation is even less\nemphasized. This leads me to mention that, upon becoming wholly freed,\nSpirits, as a rule, are not for a time able to recall vivid memories\nof their mortal existence. Upon attempting to manifest through some\nSensitive almost invariably they are asked, \"What is your name?\nWhere did you live? When did you die?\" The Spirit endeavors to place\nhimself or herself en rapport with physical conditions involving\ntime and space, and becomes too bewildered to give a correct reply.\nShould some other Spirit be present, as is usual, the bewildered one\nmay be instructed as to how to make a proper statement. Those who\nhave made a study of the spiritual philosophy and phenomena possess\nsome understanding of the process of communication between the two\nworlds, and though both their premises and conclusions may be faulty,\nsuch knowledge as they may have acquired will, when they exchange\nthe physical for the spiritual, serve them well. Not only will it\nprepare them for the surprises in store for them, but also for a more\nintelligent and intelligible return into the conditions of their mortal\nexistence.\n\nGently, gently George, we must not forget that neither your sister or\nBernard are as strong as some time they will be.\n\nThere are our friends awaiting us. Loha\u00fb, \u0113mentos. Ah, Zenest[a:], you\nare ever punctual, and you, Humboldt and Bruno, shame us for our late\narrival. It seems very ungallant to say that Gentol[a:] belated us.\n\nGentola--Nevertheless it is true, and I beg your indulgence. I am\nlearning that things temporal are likely to conflict with things\nspiritual, and this morning I have had an unpleasant demonstration\nof the fact. However, I believe that it was less my fault than my\nmisfortune to be unprepared at the appointed time.\n\nDe L'Ester--As we, the jury, are in possession of the facts, we\nunanimously pronounce you not guilty, and now we will proceed to the\ndepartment we visited yesterday. Here is the venerable antiquary still\npatiently poring over the story of the D[a:]-H\u00fblos.\n\nZenesta--I sympathize with the earnest, gentle looking man, for\nI recall having passed many days and sleepless nights in similar\nundertakings. For many minds there is a peculiar fascination in\nstriving to translate an unknown language. I well remember what delight\nit once afforded me, and the charm of it yet clings to me. But here is\nour geologist who will afford you further instruction in relation to\nthese gems.\n\nHugh Miller--Madame, we first will observe this magnificent collection\nof sapphires which are so varied in their hues, so large and\nbeautifully cut that they challenge our highest admiration.\n\nGentola--They are indeed wonderfully beautiful gems. It is a delight\nto only look at them. You say that oriental rubies are a species of\nsapphire. Why, I supposed that all sapphires were blue. And this, you\nsay, is an oriental amethyst, which also is of the sapphire family. I\nfear that you think me, as indeed I am, very ignorant in this direction.\n\nHugh Miller--My dear madame, we do not expect you to be learned as\nto the varieties or qualities of these collections of gems; I am only\nconcerned in instructing you for a purpose. The blue varieties are the\ntrue sapphires, as they alone possess both quality and color. They bear\nto both the oriental amethyst and ruby the same relation that the true\nwhite diamond bears to stones off color.\n\nGentola--Pardon me if I am interrupting you. Here is a gem--that one\nresting on the white cushion--that is so large, so radiantly beautiful,\nthat one can imagine it of Celestial origin. Is it not a true sapphire?\nYes? Ah, I thought so; it possesses such a living radiance. Since I\nhave learned that gems are both Spirit and matter, I shall admire them\nall the more. How very lovely those rainbow-hued gems are; are they not\nopals?\n\nHugh Miller--Yes, they are opals, in whose depths the Spirit of the\ngem glows like fire. Some persons regard these gems as uncanny. Some\ntime I will tell you something uncanny concerning them. No, not now;\nit would be unwise. A sober-minded scientist would declare that it is\nthrough the arrangement of the silicious matter largely composing these\ngems that the iridescent effects are produced. Such an assertion would\nbe but part of a fact. Spirit is infinite in its modes of expression,\nand were it withdrawn from those gems, bits of flint would be quite\nas valuable as those glowing, scintillating jewels, which are lovely\nenough to adorn the Crown of an Empress. Now, madame, what do you\nsuppose these green gems are? Emeralds? No, they are beryls; and these\nare aqua marines; they are of the same family, the aqua marines being\nthe transparent variety. Yes, both are pretty stones. In this adjoining\ncompartment is an admirable collection of--but perhaps you know what\nthey are.\n\nGentola--From their color I should think that they are topazes. I do\nnot greatly admire yellow jewels.\n\nHugh Miller--Do not make the mistake of thinking that all topazes are\nyellow, for there are other colors of the same gem, but the pellucid\nyellow stone is considered the most desirable variety. These are\ngarnets, and are fine specimens of the stone. Here are deep red ones\nholding in their hearts imprisoned flames and yellow stones like bits\nof sunshine. And here are green, brown and black varieties, all more or\nless attractive and useful for various purposes. The next compartment\ncontains carbuncles and some of them are beautiful enough to grace a\ncoronet. Yes, there is a resemblance between the carbuncle and the red\ngarnet, but their qualities are dissimilar.\n\nYou have been shown this collection of jewels as a demonstration of\ntheir existence on this planet, and be assured that the Entoans, like\nour Earth peoples, regard them with high favor. For lack of time we\ncannot critically examine this wonderfully fine and comprehensive\ncollection of stones and minerals, whose exact counterparts are\nportions of Earth's treasures.\n\nYou express surprise that this enormously valuable collection is not\nbetter protected against evil-minded persons. Perhaps Inidor[a:] or\nGenessano may enlighten us as to that and other features pertaining to\nthis department.\n\nInidora--Previous to the death of our father, he made known to my\nbrother and me that he possessed a large and valuable collection of\njewels which were the accumulations of generations of both his and our\nmother's ancestry, and that some of them, through certain associations,\nwere especially prized. The ruby which Gentol[a:] held in her palm\nbelonged to our dear mother, who received it as a bridal gift from her\nmother, and it was worn sometimes on the arm or bosom, but generally\nas a brow ornament. Our maternal grandparents possessed a remarkably\nfine collection of gems, which, at their death, our dear mother, who\nwas their only child, inherited, and as with our father gem collecting\nwas a passion, and as he also had inherited many rarely fine gems, it\ncame about that at his death my brother and I found ourselves possessed\nof these joint accumulations of Ento's most beautiful and valuable\njewels. As neither my brother or I desired to marry, we entered into an\nagreement concerning them that was mutually satisfactory.\n\nI need not more than refer to the desires and plans of our parents to\nfound at Camariss[a:] a great Galar\u0113s[a:] which should be of lasting\nbenefit to the children of Ento. But I may say that our minds were as\none in our desire to carry out their wishes, and that we might speedily\naccomplish our purpose, we resolved that our vast inheritance should\nbe devoted to accomplishing the object so near our hearts. As we were\nyoung and inexperienced, we counselled with our Supreme Ruler, Tyvon\nOiranz[a:], who was a man of most generous views, and he encouraged\nand aided us in various ways. So with the enthusiasm of youth and with\nample means at our command, we began to prepare for the inception of\nour work, and soon, to our boundless joy, we saw our cherished plans\ntaking form. As the massive walls began to rise, our hearts were\nfilled with exultation and as the great structure assumed proportions\nand the various outer departments began to environ it, we grew so\nexcited, so absorbed, that we scarcely ate or slept. Day and night\nwe counselled together and planned for the glory and usefulness of\nthe Institution which for all time should stand as a reminder of our\nhonored and adored parents. As though it were but yesterday, I recall\nthe last conversation between my brother and myself relating to this\nGalar\u0113s[a:]. The day had been sultry and the darkening clouds gave\nintimation of a storm, but in our eagerness to hasten the work we had\nlabored until the day was nearly ended, and as we slowly walked toward\nour nearby home, the lurid Sun was dropping below the further shore of\nIndolois[a:]'s quiet waters. Suddenly Genessano passed an arm about my\nshoulders, and in a voice tremulous from emotion, said, \"Inidor[a:],\nwhat if death should come to one or both of us ere our work shall be\ncompleted? May And\u00fbman[a:] preserve us, for what should I do shouldst\nthou be taken and I left? Should I be taken, thy wisdom would suffice\nfor thy needs, but I, alas! I dare not further speak of it.\"\n\nAs we gazed into each others' startled faces tears filled our eyes, and\nsadly, silently, we entered our home, the dread shadow of Phra (death)\nfalling over our hearts like a pall. But I strove to be courageous,\nand at once set about arranging our affairs so that should Phra, at an\nuntimely hour, claim me, Genessano would understand my wishes which I\nwell knew he would make his own. Ere long Genessano was left to execute\nour mutual wishes which he did with faithfulness and zeal. Heavy\nhearted he labored until death claimed him, and to others was left the\nfulfillment of our plans. That they did so faithfully and efficiently\nno one can question.\n\nConcerning the security of the gems, I have only to say that the\nGalar\u0113s[a:] and all pertaining to it belongs to the peoples of Ento\nand they are not so foolish or so evil minded as to despoil their own\npossessions.\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], the time allotted for this series of object\nlessons has expired, and to the Galar\u0113s[a:] and our friend the\nantiquary who is tranquilly dozing, we will say au revoir.\n\nWe now will view Camariss[a:], so that you may form an idea of its\nextent, its architecture and other features. Observe this slope\nlargely is devoted to detached private residences, and that the\nwide, beautifully paved streets intersect at right angles. At\neach intersection is a statue or group of statuary, or a fountain,\nor column, or other ornamental feature. This group of heroic size\nrepresents Genessano Allis Immo and his wife, through whom this great\ncity honors itself by bearing her name. These statues are faithful\nrepresentations of two of the most admirable spirits I ever have met.\nYes, Genessano is very like his father, and Inidor[a:] resembles his\nmother, who is a marvellously lovely woman.\n\nFrom the slopes eastward the city extends about ten English miles,\nbut from its northern to its southern limit is quite twenty English\nmiles. Being the head of the Irrigating and Waterways System, naturally\na large population has centred here and it is, with the exception of\none other, the most populous and wealthy city of Ento. The population\nis about one million seven hundred thousand, and it is the greatest\nmanufacturing and commercial city on the Planet.\n\nBeneficent, indeed, was the conception and execution of the System\nwhich has recovered for the uses of the people lands which long ago\nwould have become deserts. The system now extends more than four\nthousand miles, and rapidly is progressing toward encircling the\nplanet. On our planet the undertaking would not be considered feasible,\nbut with the means at command of the Entoans, it is not now regarded\nas extraordinary. With them the science of engineering in all its\nexpressions is far in advance of what is known of it on Earth. Then,\ntoo, they so well understand the energies of electricity and vibration\nthat, if they desired, they might shatter their planet into fragments.\nLooking along the waterway we see lofty columns whose massive bases\nare of stone, but the columns are of a metal known to the Entoans as\nFla\u00fben. It is very light and very ductile. As yet it is unknown on\nEarth. The elements do not corrode it, and it is a non-conductor\nof electricity, which renders it suitable for this and some other\npurposes. Those columns are used as electric light towers, and so\nhigh is the illuminating power that it well nigh turns night into\nday. Electricity as an illuminant and for all possible purposes is so\ncheaply procured as to be within the means of all requiring its use.\nThroughout the irrigated belt and on most portions of Ento there are\nStations where thoroughly trained persons attend to the production and\ndistribution of electric currents, and so valued is life that accidents\nare of very rare occurrence.\n\nWere we not obliged to hasten our movements, we would take you through\nsome of those stately as well as through some of those less pretentious\nresidences. As you perceive there are no mean or squalid homes.\nNowhere on Ento are there impoverished persons, and everywhere there\nis cleanliness, comfort and more or less of the elegancies of culture.\nEnto has progressed beyond the crime of privileged classes, those\ngenerators of debauchery and poverty. Industry is made obligatory upon\nall able to work and few, excepting the very aged, are unable to labor.\nRight living engenders health and aside from their dread of death which\ndepresses them mentally, consequently physically, the Entoans live\nrighteously and enjoy length of days.\n\nNo, there are no jails, penitentiaries, or almshouses. Those whom age,\naccident, disease or other causes have rendered helpless, are cared\nfor, not as paupers, but as hapless children of And\u00fbman[a:] for whom\nit is a pleasure and a duty to provide. Alcohol in its various forms\nis a commercial commodity, but drunkenness is forbidden and unknown.\nChastity is universal. Polygamous relations do not exist. Official\ncorruption or betrayal of a trust are reckoned as heinous crimes\nagainst society, and no one seems inclined to sin in either direction.\nHave I answered all your questions?\n\nGentola--Yes, all that occur to me at this time, and while paying\nclose attention to your replies I have been gazing at this great and\nbeautiful city and those wonderful Air Transports, rising like huge\nbirds, then moving away so steadily, so noiselessly, save for that\nsinging sound which is rather agreeable. I am curious to see their\nmechanism, but first allow me to see more of Camariss[a:]. When all\nthose great light towers are ablaze, from this elevation the view must\nbe magnificent. You have said that some time I should see Ento by\nnight. Pray do not forget your promise.\n\nWith all my heart I wish that some of our Earth architects might see\nsome of those grandly beautiful temples and public buildings. I miss\none feature of our temple architecture, which is the spire, but I\nconsider those great shining domes with their delicate ornamentation,\nfar more beautiful.\n\nWhat flower lovers the Entoans must be. Wherever we have gone there is\nsuch an exquisite display of blooms that constantly I am wishing that I\nmight carry some of them home with me, and really it seems odd that I\ncannot.\n\nSee that great vessel coming so swiftly along the waterway and what a\nswarm of smaller ones go darting along the street canals. De L'Ester,\nhow are they propelled?\n\nDe L'Ester--By an electric appliance. On Ento an understanding of the\nscience of mechanics is far in advance of the same on Earth. You may\nhave observed that in persons who have lost or never have possessed the\nsense of sight, there is an abnormal development of other senses, for\nnature ever is striving to maintain an equilibrium. Thus, the Entoans,\nwhose religious beliefs have for so long stood as an impassable barrier\nbetween them and an understanding of certain sciences, notably\nof astronomy and to a degree of geology, have developed in other\ndirections.\n\nYou have expressed a desire for a closer view of the Air Transports,\nso we will visit yonder Station. I will assist you. Look downward now.\nIs not Camariss[a:] a wonderfully beautiful city? Ah me, it will be a\nlong time before Earth will possess a city so free from the blemishes\nof poverty and degradation. The architecture, the statues, fountains\nand other features form such a harmonious and charming picture that one\nis constrained to admire the genius and culture of a people capable of\npresenting such fine effects. I have said that the Entoans make small\nuse of more than two motive powers. I must correct that statement,\nfor, to a very considerable extent, for certain purposes, they also\nuse compressed and liquefied air. We now will descend to the Station.\nNone of our present party are learned as to electrical appliances,\nbut we may enlighten you a little. One of a line of Transports is\nabout to rise, and it is laden with passengers and merchandise. Stored\nelectricity is the motive power of this and of most Air Transports,\nbut all are provided with Generators, to if necessary, increase the\nsupply. It is not advisable to attempt a detailed description of the\nform and dimensions of this Transport, which is one of average size,\nbut I shall call your attention to its principal features. You perceive\nthat underneath and running its entire length is a cylindrical shaft\nof the metal known as Fla\u00fben. Around it, arranged spirally, are huge\nFla\u00fben fans, which are set in motion by the swift revolutions of the\nscrew like cylinder. At the rear is a fan shaped Fla\u00fben structure,\nwhich presently you will see revolving with tremendous velocity. Across\nthe front is this great horizontal Fla\u00fben rod, which is held in place\nby strong metal sockets, in which it revolves. The ends or arms of\nthe rod, extending on either side, are surrounded by Vossal[a:][a:]\n(climbers). When the Transport rises you will better understand this\npart of its mechanism. All Transports are cigar shaped, so that they\nmay offer slight resistance to the atmosphere and when they alight,\nthose compressed air cylinders prevent concussion.\n\nThe doorways are being closed. From the windows the passengers call\nInfo Oovist[a:][a:] (adieus) and now the Transport is about to\nrise. Now the fan encircled, cylindrical shaft and the arms of the\nVossal[a:][a:] begin to revolve, the climbers, like great wings, open\nout and the Transport, with long sweeping undulations rises, rises, and\nat an altitude of a thousand or more feet, goes eastward.\n\nTo at all understand the construction of these truly wonderful\nAir Carriers one must be versed in both mechanics and electrical\nengineering, and we are not learned in either of them. Do not make the\nmistake of thinking that Spirits know everything; we know only what we\nhave learned, and we are and ever will be students in a school which\nnever graduates its pupils.\n\nAnother transport is about to rise and we will be invisible passengers.\nAll aboard, friends. Now we rise for a hundred feet or so; now we dip a\nlittle; again we rise, and with an undulating movement we have ascended\nfar above Camariss[a:], which sits among the shining waters and under\nthe silvery mist veiling, but not concealing its beauties.\n\nGenessano--Gentol[a:], let me ask you to turn your gaze toward the\nGalar\u0113s[a:]. Is not it a grandly beautiful structure? And even at this\ndistance, you may perceive the majestic form and benignant face of my\nfather smiling us a farewell.\n\nGentola--It is indeed grandly beautiful. Its lofty, cream-tinted walls\nsurmounted by those magnificent statues, and its great, shining dome\ntowering toward the blue sky, present a most charming spectacle. I\nclearly perceive the statue of your father, whose majestic form and\nbenignant face will retain a place in my memories of Ento.\n\nDe L'Ester--The leaves of the climbers and the fans of the cylindrical\nshaft are revolving with tremendous velocity, and the Transport is\nmoving through the air, nearly a hundred miles an hour; yet one\nperceives only a slight vibration. The entire mechanism is under\nperfect control of the engineer and his assistants, and not for a\nmoment do they relax their alert attention to their duties. The\npassengers, who appear quite at their ease, converse or gaze from\nthe windows at the widespread panorama. We will repair to the rear\nplatform, which will afford us a finer view. No, accidents scarcely\never occur to these a\u00ebrial conveyances.\n\nGentola--How marvellous this all is. This swiftly moving Transport,\nlike a great bird flying through the air, and yonder wonderful System\nof Irrigation and Waterways on which vessels great and small are\npassing in all directions. At night, when those great light towers\nillumine cities, towns and country, the scene must be enchanting. Two\nfeatures of Ento strike me forcibly. One is the universally apparent\nprosperity of its peoples, the other is the architecture of cities,\ntowns and country places. Even the country houses are picturesque\nand very pretty. I do not recall that I have seen one squalid, mean\ndwelling. I shall not soon forget the first time I stood in the Court\nof Honor of the White City of our World's Fair. It looked so familiar,\nso like some scenes that some time, somewhere, I had beheld, that a\nsense of bewilderment came over me, and for a time I thought that I\nmust have dreamed of some similar scene. Then you, De L'Ester, spoke\nto me, and I recalled that on Ento I had beheld structures and scenes\nsimilar to, but far more beautiful than those presented by the Court of\nHonor. No, I do not as distinctly remember these Ento experiences as I\nremember some dreams which really sometimes come true.\n\nBruno--By some persons dreams are regarded as the reflex of incidents\nand impressions of waking hours, and frequently they are the result of\nmore or less related and distorted images, which from time to time are\nimpressed upon the Animal Soul, or so termed objective consciousness.\nBut there are dreams and dreams. A genius, so called, is a Sensitive\nwhose waking dreams are the conceptions of exalted Spirit minds,\nreflected or projected upon his or her aura, which, like a mirror,\nreceives the impression and in turn reflects it upon the brain of the\nSensitive. To the great poet Sensitive come the words and rhythm of\nsongs which stir the hearts of the world. To the great sculptor comes a\nwaking dream of beauty, and from marble he releases a form so flawless\nthat through centuries it commands the adoring admiration of artistic\nsouls. To the great painter comes a conception of enchanting scenes\nor of forms and faces whose witchery enthralls all beholders. To the\ngreat architect, the true builder, come ideals so exalted that neither\nhuman intelligence or human hands have yet executed them. Ask the great\narchitect and builder of your time, if he has even once succeeded in\nembodying his highest ideal of his art, and I do not hesitate in saying\nthat he will answer no, no.\n\nBe assured that all so called geniuses are Sensitives, whose births\nwere not of yesterday, for to spirit there is neither beginning or\nending.\n\nEnto's fine architecture is the result of impressions received not only\nfrom exalted Ento Spirits, but also from Spirits of other Planetary\nSpirit Realms. As there can be but One Mind in the Universe, all its\nexpressions must vibrate in harmony with either its major or its minor\nchords; thus, the architects, designers and other artists who spoke\ninto form and color, your beautiful White City, were as truly inspired\nas were some of olden times, who declared, Thus \"saith the Lord.\"\n\nDe L'Ester--Below us is Gand\u00fblan[a:]'s shining waters, extending from\nnorth to south, a little more than one hundred miles. From its western\nto its eastern shore its length is quite sixty miles. You perceive\nthat its outline is nearly oval, and that at intervals its shores are\ndotted with towns and villages, whose inhabitants are engaged in the\nvarious pursuits of well conducted communities. In the larger towns are\nmanufacturing and commercial interests, but residents of the villages\nare engaged in cultivating the surrounding lands. For the convenience\nof transportation and for the retention of the yearly over-flow,\nEnto's lakes and rivers have been greatly enlarged; thus, the depth\nof Gand\u00fblan[a:] Lois[a:] nearly equals that of Indolois[a:]. Ento's\natmosphere being extremely humid, and the rain and snowfall of both\nthe northern and southern hemispheres being very heavy, since time\nimmemorial it has been necessary to provide means of protection against\nthe annual inundation, which comes and goes with phenomenal rapidity.\n\nAll over the cultivated portions of the planet are artificial lakes of\nconsiderable extent, which really are storage receptacles, at times,\nof much needed water. What were the principal causes leading to the\naridity of the Equatorial lands? We have informed you that largely it\nwas through the levelling of the planet, which led to extreme porosity\nof the soil. But another factor contributed to the calamity. Previous\nto and for centuries after the establishment of the national religion,\nthe Entoans were so unwise as to, for various purposes, denude the\nequatorial forests. In time they perceived their error, and during\nlater centuries they have been endeavoring to restore them, thereby\nincreasing the rainfall and oxygenating the impoverished atmosphere.\nYes, we know that ages ago the equatorial regions were traversed\nby mountain ranges that now are mere vestiges of their once lofty\ngrandeur, and where now are desert lands, were lakes and abounding\nwater courses. Once Gand\u00fblan[a:] Lois[a:] was one of a series of great\nfresh water lakes, extending far toward the northeast, but for many an\nEnto century previous to the inception of the Irrigating and Waterways\nSystem it had been an ever lessening and isolated lake. Since then\nit has been greatly deepened. Naturally, the equatorial lands have\nsuffered from the levelling process to a greater degree than have the\nlands of the temperate and colder regions. The temperature of the\nequatorial regions being high, induces rapid evaporation, and the soil\nto a great depth being very porous, it so quickly absorbs water that\nthe flood of to-day is the drought of to-morrow. Thus the necessity of\nwater storage is apparent.\n\nBeneath us is the eastern shore of Gand\u00fblan[a:] Lois[a:], which marks\nthe boundary line between the Provinces of Ond\u00fb and of Wy[a:]mo.\nCamariss[a:], the capital city of Ond\u00fb, is a little south of the\nequatorial line, which at this moment we have crossed, and now the\nTransport is descending to the large town on the lake shore. Down,\ndown, we are dropping. How carefully the descent is regulated, and with\nwhat precision the Transport alights upon the platform. Gentol[a:],\nobserve the passengers as they descend from the transport.\n\nGentola--That is what I am doing. That magisterial looking personage,\nwearing a white robe, bordered with purple, has exceedingly fine eyes,\nso large, so brilliant, so full of expression. And that swarthy\ngentleman, robed in dark blue, with gold embroidered collar and\nsleeves, is a very striking figure. What a number of passengers there\nare. Some are very dark complexioned, others less so, and here are two\nmen and a woman, who are blue eyed, very fair complexioned, and they\nhave the loveliest blonde hair, waving quite to their shoulders. I\nmust say that of all the Entoans I have seen, not one could be called\nill-favored, and very few less than handsome. Then their sincere and\ngentle expression, their nobility of carriage and pensive gravity of\nmanner inspire me with both admiration and sympathy, especially so,\nsince I have come to understand their hopeless religious belief.\n\nYes, I greatly admire the clothing worn by both men and women. The\nRobes worn by those gentlemen add much to the grace and dignity of\ntheir appearance, but the Robes worn by the women, to my mind, are\nstill more admirable. They are not so voluminous as to conceal the\noutlines of the form, and at the waist line they are loosely confined\nby beautiful girdles of various designs and materials. As to fabrics,\nstyle of cut, and ornamentation, there is much diversity, but all are\nmore or less attractive, and certainly they must be comfortable. No, I\nhave not on Ento seen one shabbily clothed person, which is more than\nI can say of our planet, for among the many millions of earth there\nare multitudes of poor, degraded, wretched beings, whose poverty,\nmisery and rags are a continual protest against the selfish inhumanity\nof those of higher estate. It seems strange that although the peoples\nof our planet for the most part believe in a continuity of existence,\nthey live as though the present existence is the end of all. Each\nman's hand is against his brother, and among nations the struggle\nfor place and power drenches our world with blood and our prisons,\nalmshouses, asylums for the insane are filled with criminals and other\nunfortunates. Compared with the gentle, civilized, unbelieving Entoans,\nwe are uncivilized, believing savages. I no longer wonder that to the\nSpirit Worlds our Planet is known as the Sorrowful Star.\n\nDe L'Ester--Patience, patience, Gentol[a:]. Although the contrast\nbetween Ento's and Earth's social conditions is very marked, evolution\nmeans progress, and slowly, but surely, the peoples of our planet are\nemerging into higher conceptions of truth. Inevitably, a period will\narrive when the surface of Earth will have become as level as is the\nsurface of Ento. Just so surely a period will arrive when the unequal\nsocial conditions of Earth will be a thing of the past, and there will\nbe a universal recognition of the rights of all. What is it, Genessano?\n\nGenessano--I wish Gentol[a:] to observe the person who, at this\nmoment, is ascending the steps of the Transport. He is a Priest of\nthe Inner Sanctuary of the Temple Zim. One of those with whom the\nGods commune. One whom we would term a Sensitive. Accompanying him\nare several Novices, who have not yet made Vows of Consecration. I\nrecall days of long ago, when as youths, Inidor[a:] and I knelt before\nPriests of this Order, receiving from them instruction relating to our\nreligion. To us they then appeared too holy to share the common fate\nof And\u00fbman[a:]'s other children. Indeed, outside of their Order, no\none ever learns of their death. They disappear and no one questions\nas to what has become of them. Knowing this, our boyish imagination\ninvested them not only with uncommon sanctity, but, as did our parents,\nwith a certain mystery. You have become aware that usually Spirits can\nread the thoughts of mortals, and thus I can say that, as a rule the\npriesthood of Ento, especially the Sensitive Priests, serve sincerely\ntheir conception of the Infinite One. It may interest you to learn\nthat the Ento name of this order is Oim\u00fb vosten-d[a:] fan\u00fblist[a:],\nwhich in your language, De L'Ester says, would mean \"consecrated to\nthe mystery.\" It is true that they are consecrated to a mystery which\nthey wholly misunderstand. Being Sensitives, they commune with Spirits\non a level with or possibly above the level of their own spiritual\nevolvement, who still cling to and encourage them in an observance of\nthe old superstitions.\n\nFor the reason that a peculiar qualification is requisite, the number\nof Priests admitted into this Order is quite limited. Of course, we\nunderstand that the qualification is the Sensitive condition.\n\nDe L'Ester--Friends, as the Transport is about to rise, we will embark.\nGeorge, George, you are incorrigible. Gentol[a:], if you lend yourself\nto participation in his mischievous pranks you will demoralize those\nstaid Entoans. By your touches on his face and hands, you have so\ndisconcerted that Official that he has quite forgotten the dignity of\nhis position. It is amusing to see him turning this way and that, in\na vain quest for the person who has taken such uncourteous liberties.\nGentol[a:], with all your gravity you, too, are inclined for a bit of\nfun.\n\nGentola--It is the old story: George did tempt me and I weakly yielded.\nThat Official looked so serene and so very dignified that I felt a\nstrong desire to startle him. His expression of dismay as he looked\nat his hands and rubbed his face and found no one near him, who could\nhave touched him, was most laughable. He still looks disturbed and\nthoughtful. If he could hear me, I would ask his pardon.\n\nGeorge--Upon my word, I think he might hear you. I perceived that he\nis a very sensitive person, else I should not have asked you to touch\nhim. Shall we test him, De L'Ester?\n\nDe L'Ester--Not now. The Transport is rising and we must not delay our\njourney. We will remain on the balcony, so that Gentol[a:] and Bernard\nmay view the country.\n\nWe still are passing in a direction north of east, and across the\nProvince of Wy[a:]mo, which is more extensive than is Ond\u00fb. You\nperceive that the surface of the country grows a trifle more rugged,\nand now we are passing over the diamond bearing locality, spoken of by\nInidor[a:]. Though unlearned in the sciences of civil and hydraulic\nengineering, one realizes the wonderful skill through which this\nvast area of irrigation and navigation is controlled, so that even\nduring the season of floods, no disasters occur. The elevation we are\ncrossing is a vestige of an ancient mountain range. Not seriously\ninterfering with the System, it was because of its picturesqueness,\nleft undisturbed. Its length is about one hundred miles and at\nintervals there are natural rifts through which this Waterway and\ncanals have been carried. Later you will observe that Ento's Waterways\nare double; that is, there is the Waterway proper and its Feeder, which\nat times furnishes such supplies of water as may be needed to keep the\nmain Waterway at a proper depth. Yes, the Feeder is for small vessels\nnavigable, but as you will see a large portion of the System, you\nwill better understand this matter. You perceive that the height is\nclothed with verdure and dotted with residences, istoir[a:]s and other\nstructures. How prolific this region is, yet not so very long ago it\nwas nearly a desert. Now its large population obtains from its rich\nlands not only ample sustenance for themselves, but great quantities\nof grains, vegetables and fruits are exported to other localities.\nAll manner of tropical fruits are grown, and I can assure you that\nsome varieties are very like some fruits grown in our own tropical\ncountries. I know your fear of ridicule through making such statements.\nDo not concern yourself. Your astronomers and other scientists of less\nthan half a century hence, will have obtained information concerning\nEnto that now they do not even dream of.\n\nOur journey of to-day embraces a portion of the Irrigating and\nWaterways System, which is continuous toward the east. I have mentioned\nthat the system is about 1,400 English miles wide, and that at this\ntime it is more than 4,000 miles long. Understand that I now am\nspeaking of the system embracing the equatorial desert lands, and\nother arid lands adjacent, for, as you will have occasion to observe,\nirrigation is general all over the arable portions of the planet, and\nI do not wish to have you confound the general with the _special_\nSystem, which is a most scientific work and quite apart from ordinary\nmethods of irrigation. The waterway which now is beneath us, runs in a\nstraight line to Lois[a:] Taimon, which we are nearing. On its shores\nare many towns, villages and a not very extensive city, named G\u00fblnoyas\n(crescent shaped). There is another city--but of that I shall not now\nspeak. A feature of Ento is that wherever there is a body or stream of\nfresh water, there the people congregate. Thus, around Taimon there\nis a dense population, many of whom farm the rich and fertile lands\nbeneath us. Next to death, the Entoans dread isolation and darkness. By\na residence in cities, towns and villages they escape both.\n\nGentola--Why is it that to-day we have seen no animals?\n\nDe L'Ester--For the reason that Ento's orientals seldom, if ever, eat\nmeat. For other purposes they do not require animals. No, there are\nno positive religious restrictions relating to the eating of meat,\nbut orientals do not seem to care for it, and then nearly all Entoans\nshrink from taking life, even of animals.\n\nClimatic conditions on this, as on other planets, exercise a strong\ninfluence in the selection of human foods. In the colder regions an\noleaginous diet is necessary. In temperate climes this requirement is\nless marked, and in oriental countries generally there is a positive\naversion for animal food. Aside from climatic influences there is\nanother factor to be recognized. As humans evolve beyond the influence\nof the animal plane, they grow less inclined to kill that they may eat.\nThis is a universal, though generally unrecognized law. In earlier\nages, the Entoans, to a greater extent than now, were meat eaters, and\nat present, in colder climes, the people consume larger quantities of\nvarious fishes, which rather illogically, they scarcely regard as meat.\nAs air transports bear to them the products of all lands, they do so\nfrom choice.\n\nYonder is Taimon, the beautiful, reflecting in its placid depths,\nfleecy clouds and sapphire sky. That it might serve as part of the\nSystem centuries ago, it, like Gand\u00fblan[a:] Lois[a:], was greatly\ndeepened; otherwise the huge vessels traversing the waterways could\nnot ride on their waters. On your first visit to Ento you saw in the\ndistance something resembling railway cars. You now may have a closer\nview of Ento's Tuzamos, for yonder is a long train drawing into a\nstation, nearby the Transport Station to which we are descending. Those\ntramway carriages traverse a large portion of the Planet, the motive\npower being electric. We will not await the landing of the transport,\nbut will proceed to the Tuzamo Station, where doubtless we shall find\nmatters of interest to you two voyagers. First, we will visit this\ntelegraphic station where dispatches are being sent to and received\nfrom all portions of the Planet. We are not learned in this marvel of\natmospheric telegraphy, which is the system generally in use on Ento.\nBy means of this delicate mechanism, which appears so simple, but is\nso complex, messages instantaneously reach any designated point. The\nclumsier method of ground currents, still to a limited extent, connects\nrural Istoir[a:]s with Temples. Not for many centuries have wires been\nused. Ground currents superseded that system, which in turn has been\nset aside by the atmospheric system. We have informed you that the\nentire public service of Ento is under the supervision and control of\nthe general government, which holds all officials and employes to a\nstrict account of their several duties. The general government not only\ncontrols, but also owns, the Tuzamo System, the Transport System, the\nIrrigating and Waterways System, the Telegraphic and other Systems in\nwhich the interests of all the peoples are concerned. The lands, too,\nare owned by the general government, and no proprietor occupies more\nthan a specified acreage, which in no case exceeds the needs of his\nor her household. On occupied lands there is a rental, or taxation,\nwhich is so slight as to be far from oppressive, and the revenues\nderived from this and other sources are used for the support of the\ngeneral government, and for the prosecution of enterprises for the\ngeneral good. Always, residences and other improvements, belong to the\nproprietor and may be sold or transferred.\n\nBernard--Mother, dear, although this spacious Station and all\npertaining to it is new to you and to me, and those people of various\nraces are, in size, dress and other peculiarities, somewhat unlike our\nearth people, still there is such a strong, general resemblance to them\nand to this scene that I scarcely can realize that I am on another\nPlanet. Then, look at those Tuzamos, are not they in appearance, very\nlike our Railway Cars?\n\nDe L'Ester--Certainly, their construction is similar to that of our\nrailway cars, but if you will observe closely you will perceive that\nthey present several striking differences. For instance, the driving\nwheels are enormously large, and there are three sets of truck wheels,\nthe middle set running in the groove of the central rail, and the rails\nare not in sections, all being firmly welded into continuity, which\ngreatly adds to their permanence and to the safety of those connected\nwith the Tuzamo service, or who travel in those elegantly appointed\ncarriages. Genessano, can you inform us as to when Tuzamos first came\ninto use on Ento?\n\nGenessano--I am not quite certain, but Inidor[a:] may know. Inidor[a:],\nino intess[a:] varo m\u00fby[a:] Tuzamos inga fosd\u00fb?\n\nInidora--At the time of the Establishment of the National Religion\nthey were known, for in the Sacred Writings they are referred to, and\nnot as though they then were a modern invention. I recall that during\nmy mortal existence I saw pictured representations of those ancient\nconveyances, which were quite unlike these admirably constructed and\nartistically finished carriages.\n\nGeorge--I have been looking about the city and if you are through with\nyour observation of the Tuzamos, I can promise Gentol[a:] and Bernard a\nview of something that may interest them.\n\nDe L'Ester--Come, friends, and learn what our enterprising Englishman\nhas discovered. Gentol[a:], allow me to assist you. Ah, a temple, and\nhow beautiful it is. In form it is perfectly circular, with great\nflights of steps surrounding about two-thirds of its circumference.\nIt is built of white marble, and from base to dome its walls are\nso covered with intricate and delicate sculpture that it presents\nthe appearance of beautiful filmy lace. George, this will interest\nmore than Gentol[a:] and Bernard, for this is the first time that\nInidor[a:], Genessano or I have seen this somewhat noted Temple\nSoy[a:]von Teliss[a:]. (Name of And\u00fbman[a:]'s cup bearer.) Gentol[a:],\nyou will attempt a description of its interior, but as you are not apt\nat estimating dimensions, I will say that its diameter is about one\nhundred and twenty feet, and that its height from the floor to the apex\nof the dome is quite one hundred feet. You now will proceed.\n\nGentola--Though it is not so spacious or so magnificent as some of the\ntemples of Camariss[a:], to my mind it is the most beautiful temple I\never have seen. The walls are marvels of decoration in tinted woods,\npaintings and sculpture, which I cannot attempt to describe. The seats\nare arranged as in an amphitheater, thus affording a full view of\nthe altar, which is in the centre of the temple and directly under\nthe dome. The altar of pure white marble is circular in form, and it\nrises tier above tier to a height, I should say, of thirty feet, and\nis surmounted by a wonderfully lovely life-size female figure, whose\nmarble lips are parted by a smile of adorable sweetness. The three\ntiers are supported by flower-wreathed marble columns and male and\nfemale forms, their drapery falling about them in such filmy folds that\nit seems as though a breath of air might stir it.\n\nEach tier of the altar is sculptured in designs of grains, fruits and\nflowers, so delicate, so exquisite, that one scarcely can believe it\nthe work of mortals. On the lower tier are great golden bowls filled\nwith grains and fruits, and the air is perfumed with the fragrance of\nflowers, whose yellow and crimson blooms are in vivid contrast with the\nsnowy altar and its adornments. The floor is a mosaic, realistically\nrepresenting the azure sky, and radiating from the base of the altar\nof sun rays in shades of red and yellow. The temple is lighted through\nthe great crystal dome, whose blended sun-rays, falling downward onto\nthe whiteness of the altar, produce an indescribably beautiful and\npeculiar effect. Over the temple entrances are inscriptions which you,\nZenest[a:], will be kind enough to translate into my language.\n\nZenesta Hao--I shall do so with pleasure. Over the eastern entrance\nis inscribed, \"To And\u00fbman[a:], the Supreme One, Who giveth life and\nall that is.\" Over the northern entrance I read, \"Divine Messengers of\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], we implore you to bear to Him our ceaseless supplications\nfor prolonged life.\" Over the southern entrance is a prayer which is\nthe keynote of all Ento prayers. \"Sorrowfully, but submissively, we\nyield ourselves to Thy decrees, oh Thou Who at Thy pleasure createst\nand destroyest.\"\n\nGentol[a:], you have come to realize that love of life is the dominant\ndesire of my people, and I who remember the desolation which death\nbrought into my own mortal existence can well understand their ever\nincreasing dread of the certain approach of the unseen, relentless God\nPhra (death).\n\nObserve that the western doorway opens into a lofty and wide hallway,\nleading to the residence of the high priest and his attendant Priests\nand Priestesses. It now is on the stroke of the noon hour, and in all\nthe temples of Ento prayers and offerings will be made to And\u00fbman[a:]\nand His Messengers. You now will resume your descriptive remarks.\n\nGentola--In the gallery over the western doorway male and female\nvoices, accompanied by the low tones of a vo\u00fbhoid[a:] (resembles a pipe\norgan) chant softly and continuously. Now the wide doors slide into the\nwall, and six boys clothed in red garments enter, bearing golden bowls\nfilled with grain. They are followed by six girls clothed in yellow,\nwho bear golden trays of various fruits. Ranging themselves around the\naltar, these children place upon it the bowls of grain and trays of\nfruit, and retire backward a short distance. Now six youths and as many\nmaidens approach; the youths bear vases of red, the maidens, vases of\nyellow blooms, which also are placed on the altar, and all retire to\nnear where the children with an expectant air are standing. Quietly\nthe worshippers have entered, and the chanting of the singers and the\nstrains of the vo\u00fbhoid[a:] have grown so mournfully pathetic that I\ncannot refrain from tears.\n\nNow the music swells into fuller tones, and with stately tread a\nmajestic looking Priest advances through the western doorway. He is\nclothed in a rich silken red robe, and around his head, holding back\nfrom his forehead his dark, abundant, waved hair is a gold fillet\nornamented with red jewels. Over his forehead the fillet supports a\nSun of red and yellow jewels which are dazzling in their splendor.\nIn his left hand he carries a long golden rod tipped with a Sun of\nred and yellow jewels. As he approaches the altar the people rise,\nand with bowed heads stand motionless. Attending him are priests and\npriestesses robed in red and yellow, wearing gold fillets adorned with\nred and yellow jewelled Suns which gleam against their dusky hair.\nNow the high priest raises the Sun tipped rod toward the dome. The\nattendant Priests and Priestesses with uplifted hands bend low before\nthe altar. The people still stand with bowed heads, and the vo\u00fbhoid[a:]\nseems to be murmuring a wordless prayer as he passes around the altar,\ntouching with the rod each bowl and vase. Having made the circuit of\nthe altar he bends low toward the east, the north, the south, and the\nwest, and now, with upturned face, he extends his hands toward the sun\ncrowned dome, and his lips utter words that I do not understand. Now\nas he turns toward the altar his dark hued face glowing with religious\nfervor, his luminous eyes shining with the brightness of the jewelled\nSun above his forehead, his majestic form towering above the low\nbending worshippers, one might imagine him a veritable God. Zenest[a:],\nI beg of you to conclude the description of this scene.\n\nZenesta Hao--The sun is at its meridian, and its glowing radiance,\nfalling through the red and gold of the dome, glorifies the snowy altar\nand the high priest, who with upraised arms reverently intones a prayer.\n\nHigh Priest--And\u00fbman[a:], onos zelois[a:] noifen finos endess[a:] raos\nt[a:] valo, m\u00fbyen quandest[a:]. Raos t[a:] fl\u00fben, tsensen toivan oomii.\nNeffan imh[a:] vam\u00fbny[a:] \u0113dist[a:] oimen. Endemiss[a:] kenoit[a:]\nlotas talit[a:] Neffan doy[a:] t\u0113man gamin[a:]s Di[a:][a:]. R[a:]\u00fb.\nR[a:]\u00fb. R[a:]\u00fb.\n\nZenesta Hao--The midday service is concluded, and to the tremulous\ntones of the vo\u00fbhoid[a:] and the low chanting of the Singers, the High\nPriest followed by his attendants and the offering bearers, retires\nthrough the western entrance. Silently the worshippers have dispersed,\nand we are the sole occupants of the temple.\n\nRendered into your language this is the sense of the High Priest's\nclosing prayer:\n\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], we beseech Thee to accept our humble offering and our\nreverent adoration, and we implore Thee to bestow upon us Thy most\nprecious gift, lengthened life.\n\nIn this instance R[a:]\u00fb signifies so be it.\n\nGentola--Inidor[a:], I should think that this service would remind you\nof bygone days.\n\nInidora--Truly, it does, for my brother and I, with children of\nfamilies attached to our parents' estate, were offering bearers of our\nhome Istoir[a:], of which our father's brother Foras Immo, was Priest.\nIt was the ardent wish of our Uncle, Foras Immo, that Genessano should\nenter the priesthood, but my brother did not favor the idea, so it was\nabandoned. On our estate were a number of families whose co-operative\nlabor afforded them more than an ample subsistence, and Genessano\nand I, with their children, who were to us as brothers and sisters,\nattended the estate school, over which, for as long as his short life\nlasted, our beloved Uncle Foras presided.\n\nDe L'Ester informs me that on your planet strange social distinctions\nprevail. That employer and employed occupy different social levels.\nSince all are the children of the same creative power, how can that be?\n\nGentola--For the reason that our people are yet very immature; they\ndo not, as a rule, act justly; thus, there are various grades of\nsociety whose members may be worthy or the reverse. I regret to say\nthat, on Earth, frequently the accident of birth or the inheritance or\naccumulation of wealth, confers upon very unworthy persons high social\ndistinction and power. I should like to know how this state of affairs\ncompares with social conditions of Ento.\n\nZenesta Hao--As De L'Ester desires that I shall reply to your query, I\nshall say that with all Entoans merit is the measure of men and women.\nI have learned that on your planet official position confers honor and\ndignity upon an incumbent. On Ento it is the character and conduct of\nthe incumbent that confers honor and dignity upon the office. On Ento\nofficial position is regarded as a trust, and woe be to the man or\nwoman weak or wicked enough to betray it. I may safely say that not\nwithin many centuries have men or women been base enough to, through\nofficial misconduct, forever set themselves apart as something to be\nshunned by right minded people. I also have learned that on your\nPlanet all persons are not equal before the laws of your various\nnational governments. On Ento, from the Supreme Ruler to the humblest\ncitizen, all possess equal rights and all are held amenable to the\nwritten and unwritten laws and customs, recognized as being standards\nof right conduct. It is true that Ento's Supreme Rulers, in a sense,\nare autocratic, their decisions confirming or annulling any law or\nusage deemed unsuited to conditions or times; but, whatever the laws\nmay be, their observance applies to ruler and citizen with equal force.\n\nOf course, this state of society has not always existed; indeed, Ento's\nhistorical records relate that, during many centuries preceding the\nestablishment of the National Religion, between nations whose rulers\nwere cruel, ambitious men or women, there was continuous warfare, and\nthus the peoples were urged on to mutual destruction. Finally, one\nForas Ah-H\u00fb, of a far north land, gathered about him an immense army,\nwith which he subdued all opposition and established absolute law and\norder. As he proceeded in his mission, the common people hailed him\nas their deliverer, as one sent by And\u00fbman[a:] to rescue them from\nextermination, but it took quite ten Ento years to allay all disorder\nand to establish the government under one Supreme Ruler. Thereafter,\nfrom time to time, insurrections occurred, but ere long unruly persons\ncame to understand that the laws were for all, and that all must obey\nthem. The reign of Foras Ah-H\u00fb was one of continuous effort for the\nrights of all peoples, and he lived to see the Entoans united under one\nruler, and at his death his eldest son, Foras Ah-H\u00fb, succeeded him as\nSupreme Ruler. Emulating his father's admirable example, he established\nmore firmly such laws and usages as were found to subserve the highest\ninterests of the entire peoples. From that period onward, the\nEntoans, under the protection and control of a firm but beneficent\ngovernment, have continuously unfolded in their conceptions of all\nthat pertains to the welfare of humanity, until in these days the\nexpressions of their civilization give promise of a grand future. Not\nyet have they conceived an idea of the impersonality of the Infinite\nSpirit. Not yet have they learned the inestimable fact of their own\nimmortality. But in thy time and way, oh Thou Infinitely Supreme One,\nThou wilt bring them into a knowledge of the grandest of all truths,\nthe continuity of life. Friends, if I have spoken at too great length,\nyou will pardon me. One thought so easily leads to another, and old\nmemories, like ghostly shades, so clamor for recognition, that they,\nnot I, must make my apology.\n\n[Illustration: ERINC[A:] MICAN[A:]]\n\nDe L'Ester--Make no excuses for having made us your debtors, but here\nis George, every line of his face suggesting that he has discovered\nsomething of interest.\n\nGeorge--I cannot say that I have made a discovery, but nearby is\nsomething that will interest Gentol[a:] and Bernard.\n\nDe L'Ester--Lead the way and we will follow. Ah, a fountain and the\ntemple garden and conservatories. Gentol[a:], more than two years ago\nAaron Poole drew for you a flowering vine he named Enrica; look about\nyou and learn if it may be one of this great variety of shrubs, plants\nand vines.\n\nGentola--It is indeed; the moment we came here I noticed it draping\nthat trellis and climbing up yonder wall. With its luxuriant foliage\nand profusion of pink blossoms, how very pretty it is. Poole did not\ntell me that it was an Ento vine, and when I questioned him he only\nsaid, \"It is not of this Planet.\"\n\nDe L'Ester--That is just like him. I fancy that he thought to some time\nsurprise you by showing you the original.\n\nGeorge--He has promised to meet us here, for indeed it was here that\nhe sketched the Enrica vine which afterward he drew for Gentol[a:].\nAlways he is so prompt in his engagements that I am surprised that he\nhas not yet arrived. While awaiting his coming we may look at this\npretty fountain. The central figure of the group, holding aloft the\ncluster of rodels (the national flower) is very fine, indeed the entire\ncomposition of male and female figures is admirable. That sun illumined\njet of water, thrown high into the air, thence felling downward\nenvelops the group as with a shining veil. Gentol[a:], Bernard, come\nand look into this basin.\n\nBernard--Mother, dear, as sure as anything these are gold and silver\nfishes. Do not they exactly resemble those you have on Earth? Yes, they\nare larger, and their tails and fins are oddly shaped; otherwise the\nresemblance is very close.\n\nDe L'Ester--Loha\u00fb, loha\u00fb, \u0113mano Poole. For some time George has been\nfretting and fuming over your late arrival; now he is so occupied as to\nbe oblivious of your presence.\n\nAaron Poole--I greet you all, and I beg a thousand pardons for having\nkept you waiting.\n\nGeorge--Aaron, I shall no longer hold you up to admiring worlds as a\nmodel of punctuality. You are a full hour late.\n\nAaron Poole--Allow me to greet Gentol[a:], then I shall explain my\ndelay. Gentol[a:], I rejoice that at last we meet face to face.\nAlthough for nearly ten years we have held frequent converse, and your\nface has grown as familiar to me as is my own, only now you see me.\n\nGentola--I am equally rejoiced that I can see you. Ever since I have\nknown you and some other spirit friends, I have been curious as to your\nand their appearance. I have thought of you and of them as one thinks\nof physical personalities. Yet in some way I have formed nearly correct\nideas of your and their forms and features. But I must say that you are\ntaller than I had thought you might be.\n\nAaron Poole--My height is six feet and one inch, and that is nearly\nthe height of a particular friend of yours who has been permitted to\naccompany me on this visit to Ento. This way, my blond Apollo.\n\nGentola--Well of all the wonders of this wonderful experience, this to\nme is the most surprising. Will Cox, you dear, dear boy. Oh, I am so\nglad to see you. So, so glad, and to think that after all these years,\nwe meet on the Planet Mars--I mean on the Planet Ento. George, do be\nquiet; I shall cry if I wish to. Will, you dear boy, you are handsomer\nthan you were in Earth life. Oh, I wish your mother could see you, your\nmother who so adored you, and who never ceases to mourn for you. While\nI laugh and cry, do tell me something of yourself. Why, Will, you, too,\nare crying. Don't do that. I was so surprised that I--I forgot myself;\nbut I won't cry any more, and you shall smile too. There, that is like\nyourself.\n\nWilliam Cox--My dearest friend, let me call you Lady Sara, as I once\ndid. I am so overjoyed to meet you, so glad, so thankful to the Divine\nSpirit that we both have learned that life is continuous. When at the\nhome of Mr. Wicks we were about to part to meet no more on Earth, you\nsaid, \"Oh, Will, promise me that if you die before I do, and shall\ncontinue to exist, and can return to this world, that you will come to\nme to tell me if there is another life than this,\" how little I knew of\nwhat would come to me and to you, too, dear Lady Sara. When I passed to\nthe Spirit side and to my own place, almost my first Earth memory was\nof my promise to you, and for your sake, and that you might be better\nable to comfort my dear, sorrowing mother, I, with the assistance of\nkind spirit friends, strove to reach your consciousness, and when,\nafter two years, we succeeded, I wept for very joy. I should so like to\ntalk with you indefinitely, but I must not abuse the special privilege\nof this visit to you. Then, too, I am one of a Band of Spirits to whom\nhas been assigned the accomplishment of a certain mission, and my leave\nof absence must not exceed the time specified. Be assured, dear friend,\nthat I never lose sight of you. Your sorrows have been my own, and when\nBernard passed to our side of life, and your condition was so critical\nthat we feared that you, too, might come before this Mission should be\naccomplished, your friend Will was one of many who sustained you with\nour strength until you regained composure and a degree of health.\n\nI have learned that these friends have given you a new and I must say\nan appropriate name, but for the sake of old times and memories, to\nme you are Lady Sara, and when the hour of your coming to the Spirit\nside shall arrive, I will be one of many loving friends to meet and\ngreet you. Some day my dear mother and other dear ones may learn of\nthis meeting, and she and they will know that I love them always. Now\nkiss me good-bye until we shall meet where not even a thin veil hides\nbeloved faces from the gaze of lovelit eyes.\n\nGentola--Good-bye, Will, good-bye, and watch out for me, for the years\nare falling away like beads off a broken string, and it will not be\nlong before I shall come to the World of Spirits. Until then I may not\nagain see your face, but I will not forget, no, I will not forget.\n\nAaron Poole--It was a little unfair to take you so by surprise, but\nWill, dear fellow, insisted upon it. He was curious to learn if you\nwould recognize him. You will be glad to know that he is very\naspiring and ever ready to lend a helping hand, and that his progress\nis all that those who love him could desire.\n\n[Illustration: FLOITZA]\n\nNow I shall tell you why my coming was so delayed. You all are aware\nthat I have been on the Spirit Side nearly thirty years, and that at\nthe time of my passing over I was a little under thirty years old.\nWithin a few following years, my dear parents also passed to the Spirit\nSide, my four brothers and two sisters, all younger than myself,\nsurviving them. Suddenly, this morning, my eldest brother also came.\nLeaving him in the care of our parents and other loving ones, I have\nhastened here, but desire to as quickly as possible return to assist in\nrestoring him to consciousness. Gentol[a:], you may not know that those\nwho suddenly pass from the physical body require special treatment for\nrestoration to a consciousness of their changed condition. The occasion\nof his sudden passing over was arterial suffusion of the brain, which\nalmost instantaneously released him.\n\nGentol[a:], the special reason for my coming at this time is that we\nmay select from this fine collection of plants a subject or two for\nillustration. You no doubt have recognized the Enrica vine. I had\nthought to have the pleasure of showing it to you, but, as De L'Ester\nwould say, \"L'homme propose, et Dieu dispose,\" which perhaps is as true\nas many other aphorisms. Now we will look about for a subject or two.\n\nGentola--Here is a pretty vine laden with pink blooms. Is it too\ndelicate for our purpose?\n\nAaron Poole--Rather so; still I will sketch it. Its name is Ilsoimen\ngalistan (bride of morning). As it is difficult to control we must\nselect simple if less beautiful forms. Here is a flowering shrub, the\nFloitza, that I will venture to sketch. It is attractive, and its\nfoliage and blooms are not at all complex in structure. Yes, those\nare varieties of the same shrub, pink, purple, blue and white. We will\nattempt the blue variety. Now we will look through the conservatories\nand you shall select the next subject.\n\nGentola--Dear me, there is such an endless variety, and all so pretty\nthat I cannot decide; were it not so difficult to control me, I should\nselect this lovely crimson flower, but the foliage is so extremely\ndelicate that it is not to be thought of. George, you have mentioned a\ncertain plant that I should like to see; then I will decide. Ah, that\nis indeed a very attractive plant; looks as though it might be of the\ncactus family. Aaron, what do you think of it? Is it too complex for my\npoor ability?\n\nAaron Poole--I cannot quite determine, but we will try it. I shall\nhave to ask one of our Ento friends to give us the name of this plant.\nInidor[a:], as you are something of a botanist, you may enlighten us.\n\nInidora--It is Ilno bers[a:]. Zenest[a:] says that in Gentol[a:]'s\nlanguage it would be hairy crawler. The habit of the plant is to crawl\nover rocks or any like support, though here it is trained over both a\nrockery and a low trellis.\n\nAaron Poole--This hairy crawler is Ilno bers[a:], and the vine with\nits wealth of pink blooms is Ilsoimen. The shrub is the blue Floitza,\na pretty name for a pretty shrub. With these three sketches for the\npresent we will content ourselves.\n\nNow I must leave you, but as soon as my dear brother shall have\nregained consciousness and grown somewhat accustomed to his changed\ncondition, I shall be free to again be with you. Gentol[a:], while all\nyour dear ones are deeply interested in this Mission, they long for its\nculmination, so that you may find leisure to receive them, for they,\nperhaps more than yourself, miss their former frequent communion\nwith you. With pleasure I shall bear to them your loving message. Now,\nmes amis, au revoir.\n\n[Illustration: HNOBERSA]\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], these great conservatories, devoted to the\nspecial cultivation of these red and yellow blooms, furnishes the\ntemple flower offerings, which, with the crystal Sun of the dome, the\nmosaic Sun radiating from the altar, and the red and yellow robes\nand ornaments of the High Priest and his assistants, symbolize the\nimaginary abode of And\u00fbman[a:].\n\nNow, George, we will rise and move slowly around Taimon, thus affording\nGentol[a:] and Bernard a view of the scenery and architecture of the\nmany towns and villages beautifying its shores. Gentol[a:], again we\nhave for you a surprise and the fulfillment of a promise, which we\nanticipate will add to your enjoyment of your visits to Ento. Bernard,\ndear boy, you are only strong enough to sustain yourself. Allow George\nto assist your mother. Is not it pleasure enough to journey by her\nside? Ah, fond hearts, I understand, I understand.\n\nGentola--I am sure that you do. Never mind, dear lad, I will take the\nwill for the deed. Do not rise higher, friends, else I shall not see so\nclearly as you all do. What lovely views. Certainly the architecture of\nthose towns and villages is very beautiful. Yonder is a long train of\nTuzamos rushing across the country, and see those huge vessels crossing\nthe lake in all directions and coming and going on the Waterway. To me\nthose Waterways are a source of continual wonderment. How were they\nexcavated? How have the Entoans found courage, endurance or means to\naccomplish such gigantic works?\n\nDe L'Ester--To show you the process of excavation, which is so\nexcellent as to not require extraordinary courage or endurance, will\nbe the most satisfactory reply to your first two questions; as for the\nmeans required, the general government attends to that. I promise\nyou that, a little later on, you shall observe the construction of a\nWaterway.\n\nGentola--I shall not forget to remind you of your promise. Yonder is\nanother pretty town, and there are one, two, three circular temples,\nand again it occurs to me that nowhere have I seen a spire.\n\nDe L'Ester--The tall, pointed spire is not a feature of Ento\narchitecture. On our planet its origin dates back to a period when\nhumanity was on a low animal plane. Yes, the architecture of Ento is\nexceedingly ornate; exteriorly, to my mind, it is used to excess,\nwhile interiorly, sculpture, carvings and mosaics produce wonderfully\nrich and beautiful effects. In some of the public edifices and\nsumptuous private residences which you yet will see there are mosaics\nso exceedingly fine that nowhere have we seen anything of the kind\nsurpassing them. On certain edifices you have observed lofty towers\nof excellent design. They are not merely architectural features, but\nare towers of observation. Not skyward, oh, no, but for horizontal\ndistances.\n\nYou have been informed that their religion prohibits the Entoans from\nattempting to learn aught concerning Astranol[a:], the imaginary realm\nbeyond the clouds, wherein dwells their revered and feared Gods and\nGoddesses, so their telescopes, which are of great excellence, are\nused only for field purposes; that is, for observation of the annual\nfloods and the like. But soon the radiance of their Spirit World will\npenetrate their consciousness, and advanced Spirits will be able to\ndisabuse their minds of their fallacious beliefs relating to the here\nand the hereafter, and ere long, aided by enlarged telescopes, their\nlearned ones will be gazing upon the wonder of myriad worlds, moving in\nstately grandeur through measureless space.\n\nExtending from northward to southward is an elevation covered with\ngreat forest trees, undergrowth and vegetation. It is another mountain\nvestige, and once the waters of Lois[a:] T[a:]imon bathed its rocky\nbase, but now a level stretch of some miles lies between it and the\nlake. Look now far along the plateau toward the north, and tell us what\nyou see.\n\nGentola--Afar off I see a great city, extending from the lake shore\nacross the plain, up the slope, across the plateau, down its further\nside, and--that is as far as my vision reaches.\n\nDe L'Ester--We will draw nearer. Now what do you see?\n\nGentola--I see a city so extensive, so marvellously beautiful, that I\nam almost persuaded that you have brought me into some spirit realm.\nNever have I seen anything so grandly, so magnificently beautiful as\nyonder white and gold city, and this is the fulfillment of your promise\nto some time, somewhere, show me a city surpassing any city of Earth.\nTo, if possible, enhance its beauty, nature has luxuriantly draped\nsculptured walls and loftiest towers with wreaths of flower-laden\nvines, amid which are bees and birds innumerable, all adding their\nbeauty to the enchantment of the scene. The streets are of great width\nand paved as smoothly as floors. There are no small, mean-looking\nhouses, no evidences of poverty or degradation. With all my heart I\nwish that this city might be exhibited to our Earth peoples as an\nexample of what humanity may attain to. The streets are alive with\npeople, and motor and tramway carriages are passing in all directions,\nyet there is very little noise and no apparent confusion. I should like\nto know why those tramway carriages are so noiseless.\n\nDe L'Ester--I only can say that they are so scientifically constructed\nthat I cannot explain their mechanism. The tramway rails are welded\ninto unbroken lines, which, at short intervals, rest on cushions\nof an elastic substance very like caoutchouc, which prevents noisy\njolting and jarring. Then, too, the speed of all manner of vehicles is\ncarefully timed and regulated. Unlike the immature peoples of our own\nimmature Planet, the Entoans are exceedingly careful of their own and\nthe lives and rights of others.\n\nYou perceive that all street intersections are spanned by elegantly\nconstructed bridges, over which people and vehicles pass slowly and\nsafely. No, the Entoans are not indolent, but they are too wise to rush\ntoward the undesired end of their existence. Indeed, every possible\nprecaution against injury or death is observed. No, owing to the annual\ninundation, underground transit is not feasible. Yes, of course, the\nconstruction and maintenance of such public utilities is costly, but as\nEnto has no wars, the governmental revenues are amply sufficient for\nall necessary purposes.\n\nNow we will descend to the lawn of yonder white golden-domed residence\nof the governor of this Province of Wy[a:]mo, whose capital is the\nwhite and gold city K\u00fbltymo Tyl\u00fb, which, in the English language would\nbe Elevated City. It is the largest, and to my mind, the most beautiful\ncity of Ento.\n\nFacing us is the governor's residence. To the right are the official\ndepartments. To the left is a spacious structure devoted to such\namusements as Entoans indulge in. Yes, they dance, but in a rather\nserious fashion. The movements of the various dances are slow,\ngraceful, stately and rhythmically in harmony with the musical\nmeasures, with which their forms, more than their feet, keep time. Yes,\nthe drama, too, finds its place among the amusements of the people, but\nits purpose is to instruct as well as to amuse. I scarcely know how\nto characterize the plays. Certainly, they are not tragic, neither do\nthey represent the serio-comic. I should say that they are more nearly\non the plane of high comedy, and Earth's pleasure loving peoples would\nconsider them very tame. I can say for them that, in composition and\nrepresentation, they are models of purity and of art. This is one of\nEnto's finest official residences, and in every niche and angle of its\nmassive walls are sculptured forms of divinities or of distinguished\nEntoans, so finely executed as to command one's profound admiration.\nA grand flight of steps leads up to the spacious portico, whose lofty\nroof is supported by massive fluted marble columns, whose capitals are\na strong reminder of the Corinthian capital.\n\nObserve this imposing entrance, whose rose tinted doors are framed\nin rose tinted woods, so highly, so exquisitely colored, that their\nbeauty is but slightly enhanced by these very artistic carvings. We\nwill now enter and afford you and Bernard a view of the interior of the\ndwelling. This wide and deep hallway, with its broad staircase, leading\nupward to a second floor, thence to other floors and the domed roof,\nis very admirable. It is a composition of rose marble, onyx, carved,\nrose colored woods and mosaics so exquisitely beautiful, as to be\nincomparably artistic. It is well that the dainty blooms, child faces\nand lovely arabesques of the floor are protected by these fine rugs.\n\nEvidently the staircases are more for ornamentation than for use, for\nat the further end of the hallway is an elegantly appointed elevator,\ninto which, at this moment, a stately looking gentleman is stepping. He\nis Darraon Ol\u0113v[a:]s, Governor of Wy[a:]mo, and as uninvited guests we\nwill proceed to the dining hall of his excellency's residence. To do\nso we will pass through this panelled vestibule, whose ornamentation\nof inlaid fruits and flower designs, is indeed very fine. The light\nfiltering through the large rose and opalescent crystal window\nirradiates it with a softened glow which is a fitting prelude to the\nrich coloring of the apartment beyond this sumptuous silken drapery.\nStand here, Gentol[a:], and attempt a short description of this\nimmense, elliptically formed room and its appurtenances.\n\nGentola--Where shall I begin? With the floor? Well, to my taste, it\npresents the most beautiful mosaic work I yet have seen. It is so\nexceedingly lovely that it seems a profanation to step on it. The\nfield is opal tinted, and the border is very broad and rich, but not\nat all highly colored. From among its foliage and flowers, vines and\ndelicately hued blossoms trail all over the field, and they are so\nrealistic that they seem to be growing there.\n\nAt equal distances around the walls of the great room are wide panels\nof a wood resembling mahogany, but tinted a dull rose color. In the\ncentre of each wide panel is a narrow fluted one of a lighter shade\nof rose colored wood, and all are carried up the walls and across the\ncurved ceiling, where they meet under large rosettes of rose colored\nwoods. In the centre of each rosette is a lighting apparatus, which is\nnot at all like a chandelier, and which I am not competent to describe.\nI can only say that it is a combination of gold filigree work and many\nrose tinted crystal lilies inclosed in a gauzelike network of some\ntransparent material.\n\nDe L'Ester--You might add that when the electric light is turned on,\nthe network forms a sort of halo about the flowers, whose pale rose\ntints lend a softened and beautiful effect, and I will add, that, in\nthe near future, one of your inspired ones will invent a very similar\nelectric appliance.\n\nGentola--Where the panels curve between the walls and ceiling there\nare great carved clusters of flowers and foliage, of woods of various\ncolors and the shadings are so fine that the compositions are very\nbeautiful and lifelike. Between the panels, the walls are opalescent,\nand are adorned with paintings and handsome shelf-like projections, on\nwhich are the loveliest vases, statuettes and other bric-a-brac. At the\nwest end of the room are two wide and lofty windows, over which falls\nexquisite lace and rich rose colored silken draperies, the borders\nornamented with gold embroidery. Between the windows is an immense\nbuffet, built into the wall, which appears to be a combination of\ncarved and inlaid woods, of precious metals and jewels. On its highly\nornamental shelves are various wares, very like some of the fine wares\nwe have on our planet, and there are goblets and other vessels of\ncrystal that shine with the brilliancy of diamonds. Some pieces are set\nwith jewels of various colors, and they are exceedingly pretty. Through\nthe crystalline doors of its compartments I see vessels of gold, of\nsilver and of a metal that appears to be enamelled in tints of pale,\nlustrous green. The latter are ornamented with stones of a deeper tint\nof green, and they are so beautiful that I should like to have one of\nthem. As for the shapes of these many lovely things, I am surprised\nthat they are so like the forms of Earth's china, glass and other wares.\n\nDe L'Ester--Recall a lecture you heard in the Galar\u0113s[a:], in which it\nwas stated that not only is art long, but that form in its manifold\nexpressions is universal. It is the manifestation of a natural law, and\nin accordance with the degree of their evolvement, everywhere, not only\nhumans, but all orders of life express it in finer or cruder fashion.\n\nGentola--I believe that it is true, for through my limited observation\nof our moon, and my larger observation of Ento's and Earth's forms,\nwhether natural or mechanical, I have found startling resemblances;\nfrequently exact likenesses of the forms of either planet.\n\nTo return to a further description of the buffet. Its table of pearl\ntinted onyx, veined with palest green, is bordered by a luxuriant\nvine, whose leaves are composed of minute green stones, so shaded as\nto present a very natural effect. The vine and tendrils also are of\nstones, representing their brown and green tints. The large, purple\nclusters of fruit are of amethysts or similar stones. Genessano says,\nthat the vine is a taliss[a:] f\u00fben[a:], but I should say, it is a\nveritable grape vine. Anyway, it is very pretty, and its purple fruit\nsuggests a question. Do the Entoans make wine and other intoxicants?\n\nDe L'Ester--These Ento friends, Inidor[a:], Genessano and Zenest[a:]\nH[a:]o, say that, since time immemorial the Entoans have used fermented\nand distilled liquors, but never as intoxicants, their Sacred Writings\nforbidding the abuse of any of And\u00fbman[a:]'s gifts to His children. No,\nalthough of a wine drinking race, I never during my mortal existence,\nexperienced a sense of intoxication. Did mortals understand that\ndrunkenness is not alone a benumbing of the senses, a more or less\npronounced anaesthesia, but that gradually it occasions a separation\nbetween the ego and the animal soul or conscious self, and that\ncontinued excesses lead to a wider separateness, a final domination\nof the animal soul, and that when dissolution occurs, the alcoholized\nspirit body has become a fit tenement for its wretched occupant, in\nfear and horror they would recoil from a peril so deadly. These friends\nwill verify my statement that on no other planet have we observed such\na strong tendency toward drunkenness as exists on Earth. Why is this\nso? Briefly then, the activities of heredity never fail, and some\ndominant primitive races of Earth, having looked upon wine when it was\nred, transmitted the vicious tendency to their descendants, and they\nin turn to after generations unnumbered. Certainly, it is true that,\nwhat are termed acquired tastes for this or that, are nearly, if not\nalways based upon hereditary tendencies. Now, pray proceed.\n\nGentola--Against the walls are many chairs of beautifully carved,\nrose tinted wood. The seats are not upholstered, but are of a highly\npolished, very pale rose tinted wood, and oddly enough they are held or\nrather they hang on pretty golden brackets projecting from the walls.\nThere is no dining table or even one small one. On what is food served?\n\nDe L'Ester--Wait a little and you shall learn. In the meantime we\nwill enter an adjoining room used for the storage of table and other\nappointments, which doubtless we will find attractive. You will please\nmention such as may interest you.\n\nGentola--How very beautiful. What a wonderful collection. Gold, silver,\ncrystal and other lovely wares in endless profusion. Evidently many\nof them are for decorative purposes. Such a collection is enough to\nmake one covetous. Imagine me landing in my own home with one of these\nmagnificent vases in my arms. Not for a moment would any one believe\nthat it came from the planet known to them as Mars. Neither would I\nbelieve it were I some one else.\n\nAgain, I cannot refrain from a sense of surprise that I find here\nplates, pitchers, bowls, cups and saucers and all that constitutes an\nelaborate table service. And here are goblets, and a great variety\nof drinking glasses and other pieces of glassware, of such beautiful\nshapes and of such exceeding brilliancy that it is superior to any cut\nglass I ever have seen.\n\nDe L'Ester--Zenest[a:] says that in a province immediately south\nof Ond\u00fb is a deposit of a peculiar sand especially adapted to the\nmanufacture of this fine glass. Although diligently sought for,\nnowhere else has a like deposit been discovered; hence, this ware is\nhighly prized. Observe this elaborate centre piece of gold, crystal\nand precious stones. It is a great, four handled bowl with a small,\nbeautiful vase on either handle. The bowl is for fruit, the vases for\nflowers.\n\nAs your question relating to the serving of food is about to be\nanswered, we will stand in this doorway, which, you perceive, is\nslightly above the level of the dining hall floor. Observe that nearly\nthe entire length of the floor is in two equal divisions, so nicely\nadjusted as not to be perceptible. Now they separate, and noiselessly\nare drawn under this and the opposite apartments, and from below rises\na sumptuously appointed table laden with viands of most tempting\nappearance. Thus is your question answered.\n\nObserve that the floor on which the table rests is of highly polished,\ndeeply tinted, rose colored wood, which exactly fits into the space\nleft vacant by the withdrawal of the mosaic floor. Yes, in most fine\nEnto dwellings dining halls for special occasions are arranged in this\nmanner. In ordinary dwellings dining room floors are stationary, as is\nthe floor of the adjoining family dining room. Now a very important\nlooking person enters, takes a critical survey of the table, touches\na button in the wall, and a number of attendants enter and quietly\ndetach the seats from the walls and place them about the table. There\nare twenty covers, and evidently the repast is more of a luncheon than\na dinner. Observe the floral decorations. A centre piece, quite as\nbeautiful as the one we have been admiring, is filled with golden hued\nfruit and sweet scented, creamy blooms, and at either end of the table\nare lovely vases filled with clusters of the same fragrant blossoms.\nThough the food is generous in quantity and variety, the table is not\noverladen. There are breads of various kinds with dainty dishes of\nfruits and confections nice enough to tempt an epicure, but you will\nobserve that there are no meats, save fishes, which are prepared as a\nsalad. Inidor[a:], what is the name of this luscious looking fruit?\n\nInidora--Oond[a:] we name it. It is agreeably acidulous, of an aromatic\nflavor and grows only in tropical and in semi-tropical countries.\nGentol[a:] may recall that in the vicinity of Camariss[a:] and somewhat\nfurther northward there are many extensive plantations of low, wide\nspreading trees, wearing dark green, glossy foliage. Those were\noond[a:]s lot[a:]s (oond[a:]s trees) and these are their fruit and\nfragrant, lovely blooms. Nay, you owe me no thanks.\n\nGentola--I hear a sound as of sweet, low toned bells, and voices of\npersons coming nearer and nearer; and now they are entering preceded\nby a very tall, extremely handsome youth of bronze complexion, fine\nfeatures, large, dark, brilliant eyes, blue-black, waving hair, held\nback by a gemmed fillet, and white teeth gleaming between his parted\nscarlet lips. As he approaches, bearing aloft a golden tray heaped high\nwith oond[a:] blooms, he presents a picture of uncommon beauty. There\nare nine men and as many women, the latter clothed so beautifully in\nloose, graceful, white silken, gold embroidered robes that, henceforth,\nI shall detest the dress with which I have been accustomed to torment\nand disfigure myself. The important looking person seats the guests,\nand the youth crowns each one with a chaplet of oond[a:] blossoms. But\ntwo seats, one at either end of the table, are still vacant. Again\nthe sweet toned bells are sounding. The guests rise, and with a most\ngraceful movement of their hands, salute a stately, handsome man and a\nvery lovely woman, who with gracious smiles and graceful salutations,\napproach and take the vacant seats, and the guests resume theirs. Now\nthe youth approaches the host and hostess, tendering them chaplets\nof oond[a:] blossoms, which they receive and retain in their hands.\nInidor[a:] will be kind enough to continue the description which to me\ngrows somewhat unintelligible.\n\nInidora--As a recognition of And\u00fbman[a:]'s gift of this golden fruit\nto his children the annual feast of the oond[a:] is observed by all\nEntoans. Oond[a:] in your language would mean divine, and as it is the\nfavorite fruit of the dwellers in Astranol[a:], it is thought to be\nappropriately named.\n\nThose who have this moment entered are the governor of Wy[a:]mo,\nDarraon Ol\u0113v[a:]s and his wife, the Lady No\u00fbni[a:]. Now the governor\nrises, and bearing aloft his chaplet, he approaches his wife and places\nit on her head, fervently praying: \"And\u00fbman[a:], Creator and Giver of\nall good gifts even as I crown Thy child with oond[a:] blooms, so crown\nThou her with the priceless blessing of a long and happy life;\" and the\nguests respond, \"R[a:]\u00fb, r[a:]\u00fb, r[a:]\u00fb.\" Now he kneels by the side of\nhis wife, and as she places her chaplet on his head, with trembling\nlips she implores And\u00fbman[a:] to prolong the days of her beloved,\nand that they may be as full of the fragrance of noble deeds as are\noond[a:] blooms full of the perfume of And\u00fbman[a:]'s breath, and again\nthe guests respond, \"R[a:]\u00fb, r[a:]\u00fb, r[a:]\u00fb.\"\n\nDe L'Ester--We regret that we cannot devote further time to\nobservation of this attractive festival, but affairs relating to\nour mission grow more pressing than you are aware of, and we must\nhasten our movements. We now will ascend to the upper floors. Yes,\nthe decorations and furnishings of these spacious apartments are\nof the best art productions of Ento, and certainly they are beyond\nunfavorable criticism. You have learned that Ento's textile fabrics\nare surpassingly excellent; so you are not surprised at the beauty of\ndesigns, coloring and quality of these draperies, rugs, upholstery and\nother appurtenances of this elegantly appointed residence. Yes, in most\nEnto residences, large or small, somewhat sumptuous furnishings are the\nrule, rather than exception. In arts and manufactures the Entoans have\nprogressed beyond the tawdry and mean, and all who so desire, may, at\nsmall cost, gratify cultivated tastes.\n\nWe now will go out on the balcony, George. Yes, the dome balcony. Do\nnot you think that Vil Tyl\u00fb (White City) would be as appropriate a name\nfor this city as it was for your World's Fair City? And now that we\nhave fulfilled our promise, may we hope that you are not disappointed?\n\nGentola--Dear friends, the fulfillment of your promise exceeds my\nanticipations, and as I gaze in all directions I am filled with wonder\nand admiration for this extensive, this grandly beautiful White and\nGold City. The absence of all indications of poverty is in itself a\ncharm, and it appears so immaculately clean and so new, that one might\nimagine it the creation of a very recent time.\n\nGenessano--On the contrary, previous to the inception of the Irrigating\nand Waterways System, it was a city of importance, and as now, the\ncapital of Wy[a:]mo. At the time that the proposed irrigating system\nwas under consideration the then governor of Wy[a:]mo was one of\nits most enthusiastic supporters and later an indefatigable worker\nwho lived to see the System assume unlooked for proportions and\nincalculable beneficence. His successors followed his fine example,\nand a time arrived when the Irrigated Belt touched K\u00fbltymo's limit\non the north, and you perceive that now it penetrates quite into the\nSystem. During later centuries the population has so increased as to\nnecessitate encroachment upon the agricultural lands northward, and\nnow in that direction the city's suburb is parallel with the northern\nshore of T[a:]imon.\n\nK\u00fbltymo Tyl\u00fb is favored beyond any city of our planet, for though\nit is within the equatorial zone, it is far enough northward to\npossess a moderately temperate and most salubrious climate. Then\nnorthward, Lake T[a:]imon and the great Waterway affords an outlet for\nshipping, passing not only in that, but in all directions, and C\u0113hyl\u00fb\nOolt\u0113m[a:]h, rising in the far north, runs southward, pouring its\nimmense volumes into the System, thus affording highways for vessels\nof the largest size. In the distance, and toward the northeast, is\nLake Kom\u00fb-t\u0113les[a:] (lake of Springs) another considerable body of\nfresh water, and if you will look in that direction you will perceive\nthat, through a continuation of the Waterway, it communicates with\nT[a:]imon, and that on its placid bosom vessels great and small are\npassing to and fro. Later, through observation, you will learn that the\nWaterways with their attendant feeders, directly or indirectly connect\nwith nearly all the freshwater lakes and rivers of our Planet, and that\nall within certain degrees of latitude are embraced by the system.\nThus, K\u00fbltymo Tyl\u00fb has at its doors extensive water transportation,\nadded to which T\u00fbz[a:]mos and air Transports bring it into ready\ncommunication with all portions of the planet, from whence it receives\nall manner of products. In turn K\u00fbltymo Tyl\u00fb exports immense quantities\nof manufactured goods and art wares, but its principal distinction\nis its great art school and library, to which come students from all\nover Ento. I, like yourselves, am enchanted with the beauty of this\nwhite and gold city, which to me suggests a great white bird, its\nbody resting on the broad plateau, the tip of one snowy wing touching\nT[a:]imon, the other spreading toward the lovely valley Ins[a:]l\u00fb,\nand the neck and head gracefully curving downward over the northern\nslope of the plateau, to drink of the shining, vivifying waters of the\nbeneficent System. Bernard, have you naught to say of this great city?\n\nBernard--Yes, aside from cities of our Spirit World, I have seen none\nto compare with it. As my dear mother has said, the beauty of its\narchitecture, its exceeding cleanliness and absence of poverty are its\nmost attractive features, and I quite agree with her. But, Genessano,\nyou did not complete your simile; you forgot to give your bird a tail.\n\nGenessano--You are very right; I did forget. Well, for my tailless bird\nI shall from among yonder gleaming, golden domes and snowy towers,\nwhose symmetrical beauty is heightened by a southern background\nof fleecy clouds and azure sky, gather plumage as fine as that of\nalzoyt[a:]s, the sacred bird of Astranol[a:], whose wide-spreading\nwings over-shadow death's darkened realm.\n\nGentola--I beg that you will not take offense at my boy's inconsiderate\nspeech. During his Earth life always he saw the droll side of things,\nand in that direction I do not find him changed.\n\nBernard--Mother, dear, I meant no offense; so Genessano could take none.\n\nGenessano--That is as true as truth. Bernard and I are as two opposing\nmirrors, each reflecting images upon the other's face; thus one never\nmisunderstands the other's motives, and Bernard's ever are kind. Let\nthis fraternal embrace assure you of our mutual good will.\n\nDe L'Ester--We will rise to the upper balcony, from which we will\ncommand a still more extensive view of the city and its suburbs, and\nyou, Gentol[a:], will give expression to whatever may impress you.\n\nGentola--To me the extent of this city is surprising. Eastward its\nlimit is beyond my power of vision. Southward domes, turrets and lofty\ncolumns lose themselves amid the mists of the horizon. Northward,\nfor mile after mile, on the level; thence down the sloping plateau\nand across the far reaching plain, the white and gold wonder spreads\nitself. In that direction, in the middle of some of the wide streets,\nare canals, on which small boats, carrying passengers or freight, are\npassing to and fro. At intervals the canals are spanned by handsome\nbridges, over which a variety of vehicles are passing. Toward the\nsouthwest T[a:]imon, which you say is nearly twenty miles away, mirrors\nin its waters the great warehouses and manufactories which line its\nshores. It occurs to me to ask why chimneys are not features of Ento\narchitecture. Even those great structures have none.\n\nInidora--Many centuries previous to my existence on Ento electrical\nappliances had come into such general use that in all cities, towns,\nvillages and pretentious country places, they almost were the sole\nagencies for heating, lighting, culinary and other purposes, and yet\nsome families of the So\u00fbvannallos and of another race far southward,\nstill adhere to ancient domestic usages. Certainly they are the only\nEntoans who persist in using fireplaces and chimneys, which no longer\nare features of Ento architecture.\n\nDe L'Ester--Northward and southward, along the level of the plateau,\nand eastward and westward, toward Ins[a:]l\u00fb-Valley and Lake T[a:]imon,\nthere are many stupendously tall and massive towers, whose average\nheight is about one thousand feet, and whose bases seem substantial\nenough to support Ento's satellites. The skill and daring involved in\ntheir construction is both admirable and surprising. In their interiors\nare elevators which carry to the height of their summits persons and\nthings connected with their service. They are used for a system of\nelectric lighting, and also as watch towers during the annual floods\nand on their summits are as fine observation telescopes as we have\nseen. Yes, when those great towers are lighted, night is well nigh\nturned into day. How little the peoples of our planet yet comprehend\nwhat may be, and ere long will be, accomplished through the agency of\nelectricity, whose civilizing power is illimitable. I should like to\ninform you as to one of its achievements, and at another time will do\nso.\n\nYou are exhausted, and we must hold you no longer. We will not come for\nyou to-morrow morning, but at two o'clock in the afternoon. Earlier we\nwill be at D[a:]o to meet friends who are interested in our mission.\nYes, friends from Ento's and other planetary Spirit Worlds. Be patient;\nthe time is near when you will see them as you see us. For yet a little\nwhile Spirit forces will hold Vallo[a:] in her physical form, for it\nwould not be well should she pass to the Spirit side before all things\nare in readiness for the culmination of our mission.\n\nFriends, George, Bernard and I will bear Gentol[a:] safely to her home;\nthen I must go elsewhere, but to-morrow we all will meet at D[a:]o.\n\nGentol[a:], rest your right hand on George's shoulder. Bernard, place\nyour right arm about your mother and your left hand on my shoulder, and\nnow for the Sorrowful star, toward which this mighty magnetic current\nbears us with the velocity of thought, and here in your quiet room,\nwhere twilight shadows have fallen, we leave you until the morrow.\nBernard, make your adieu, for before she may be disturbed, I desire\nto see your mother recover herself. Ah, that is well. Yes, we still\nare here, and pleased that you so readily have regained your usual\ncondition. As we have held you overlong to-day, I pray you, rest, rest,\nrest. Now au revoir.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nDANO AND VALLOA.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Exactly two o'clock, and you are awaiting us, so at once\nwe will be off. Only George and I have come for you. Bernard and our\nfriends will meet us at K\u00fbltymo Tyl\u00fb. Now, be at rest. Ready, George.\nNo, mortals can have no realization of the rapidity with which wholly\nfreed spirits are able to move. You, who to a degree are freed, do not\nrealize it.\n\nGentola--No, I do not. Always, to me, we appear to be stationary, while\nall else is falling away from us. Now, as we near Ento, it seems to be\nrushing toward us, and now I perceive its divisions of land and water,\nand yonder is K\u00fbltymo Tyl\u00fb, and on yonder great tower our friends and\nmy dear boy are watching and waiting for us. A greeting for you all,\ndear friends, and for you, too, my dear lad. Yes, from afar off I saw\nyou waving your hand to me, you dear, dear boy.\n\nGeorge--While De L'Ester shall relate to you something that certainly\nwill interest you, Inez and I will make a hurried visit to D[a:]o, but\nere he shall have concluded his narration we again will be with you.\n\nDe L'Ester--We find that, until our mission shall have culminated, we\nmust defer visiting certain localities of peculiar interest, and as\nsome untoward event might, during your mortal existence, prevent your\ngaining through personal observation, information concerning them, we\nhave decided that I shall endeavor to acquaint you with some of their\nfeatures.\n\nFar within Ento's Arctic and Antarctic regions there are lands which,\nduring a large part of the year, are covered with ice and snow. Still\nfarther northward and southward and at the poles such intense cold\nperpetually prevails that the land surfaces are uninhabitable. In\nthese regions are vast deposits of precious and other ores, and to\ngain access to them many difficulties had to be surmounted. I say had\nto be surmounted; for, during many centuries, mining within the Arctic\nand Antarctic Circles has been a settled industry. In remote times, as\nat present, throughout Ento's Torrid and Temperate Zones, the mining\nindustry has progressed northward, and to a lesser degree southward,\nand so gradual have been its movements that, almost imperceptibly,\nit has penetrated polar lands, and mainly through the agency of\nelectrical appliances has the achievement been made possible. You have\nbeen informed that more than fifty Ento centuries ago, the Entoans\nunderstood electrical engineering and many electrical appliances, and\nthat then, as now, T\u00fbz[a:]mos and air Transports were used as common\ncarriers, but, of course, they were less perfect than those of to-day.\nStill, they served the requirements of their time, which were less\nexacting than the requirements of to-day. But you have not known that,\nquite within Ento's Arctic and Antarctic Circles, there are large\nunderground communities of men, women and children, whose occupations,\nalmost solely, are connected with the mining industry. Naturally, one\nmight infer that the disadvantages of their environments would be both\ndiscouraging and depressing. Not so. Through the agency of electricity\ntheir underworlds are brilliantly lighted and where necessary\ncomfortably warmed, and it enables them to keep in constant touch with\nthe outer world which, at any time, they may visit, and from whence\nthey may command such luxuries and comforts as they may desire.\n\nLines of T\u00fbz[a:]mos penetrate far northward and southward, and where\nthey cannot go air Transports can and do go. Thus these communities\nare not at all isolated, and they go and come where and when they\nwill. Some time, if you may so desire, you shall visit some of them,\nand I may assure you that you will find them very interesting. Yes,\nall mines are owned by the general government, and the remuneration\nof those engaged in them is so liberal, so equitable, as to assure\nto them prosperity and contentment. At the entrances of the various\ngreat mines are enormously lofty light towers, whose several floors\nare devoted to educational and other purposes. In the schools some of\nEnto's foremost scientists of the past and of the present day have\nbeen taught electric and hydraulic engineering, geology, mineralogy\nand other specialties. Other floors are for living rooms, nurseries,\nhospitals and the inevitable Istoir[a:]. The several departments are\nattractively finished and furnished, and are quite as desirable as are\nwell appointed dwellings of milder climes. On the summits of these\nlofty towers are immense electric lights which are to navigators of\nspace what beacon lights are to mariners of seas. To air voyagers\nthey afford cheering assurance of their whereabouts and of hospitable\nentertainment; for, at all mining centres, are air Transport Stations\nfor the accommodation of travellers and for shipping purposes.\n\nFrequently, in Arctic and Antarctic regions, terrific snow storms\noccur, and were it not for the far reaching tower lights, air pilots\nwould not be able to find Transport landings, which ever are kept in\nreadiness for their arrival. Yes, the mines are located in mountainous\nregions, for as the poles are approached the planet's surface is\nvery rugged and mountainous, and as on all stable planets the more\nnearly the poles are approached the vaster are the mineral deposits.\nYes, the same law applies to Earth, and were I not somewhat opposed\nto prophesying, I might say that within ten years the insatiable gold\nworshippers of our planet will set up their altars in localities nearly\nas frigid as are Ento's northern and southern mining regions. Much more\nin this direction I might relate, but we anticipate that later on we\nmay afford you views of what I have given you a mere idea. Ah, here are\nGeorge and Inez.\n\nGeorge--I fear that we may have abused our leave of absence; if so I\ncan only say that we have been so engrossed as to not note the passing\nmoments. Since our visit of the early morning her Spirit attendants\nhave succeeded in temporarily stimulating her vital energy, but ere\nlong they will have to yield to the inevitable, and Vallo[a:], the\ngolden haired, will be borne to Ento's Spirit World. Evidently she\nrealizes that death, the dread terror, is drawing near and it is\ntouching to see her young, lovely face wearing a smile while her\nfaintly throbbing heart is full of anguish at thought of leaving her\nadored father and Dano, her betrothed. Inez, my dear one, will you tell\nour sister about the dying girl?\n\nInez--Words cannot describe the pathos of the scene. Since witnessing\nit my heart is burthened with measureless sympathy for mortal sorrow.\nBy one side of Vallo[a:]'s couch sat her father, his woful face\nbetraying his consuming grief and anxiety. By the other side knelt\nDano, his rapt gaze wearing the expression of one who sees with clear\neyes. So emaciated, so wan is Vallo[a:]'s lovely face that it is as\nsnow amid the wealth of her golden, flowing hair. As we looked and\nlistened she turned to her father with encouraging words, then she\nsmiled into his and her lover's eyes, and said, \"Dearest ones, pray\ndo not regard me so wistfully. I am growing stronger; soon I shall\nbe well;\" and they, to hide from her their despair, smiled back at\nher, assuring her of their confidence in her speedy recovery. About\nher were Ministering Spirits who, to their utmost were sustaining her\nphysical energy, and for a moment I stood near her and Dano, who with\na startled look, turned toward me, and quickly I moved away. He grows\nvery sensitive, and Vallo[a:]'s Spirit vision is so clear that as she\nrecedes from the mortal condition, in exceeding bewilderment she gazes\ninto the thinly veiled Spirit World, whose glory fills her soul with\necstasy. I now am satisfied that our Band have acted wisely in not\ntaking you into the presence of the dying girl, for assuredly your\neasily aroused sympathy would endanger your safety.\n\nDe L'Ester--Which we dare not trifle with, as in it is involved the\nsuccess or failure of our Mission. This, you perceive, is the loftiest\ntower of the city. It is a signal tower, and through this telescope,\nwhich is one of its scientific features, it commands a view of the\nimmense distances of this levelled portion of the planet. Gaze now over\nthe city and express your impression of the view.\n\nGentola--Beautiful, wondrously beautiful! Toward the east the city\ngently inclines downward, and across Ins[a:]l\u00fb Valley, merging itself\ninto the country, which is so closely dotted with white dwellings and\nIstoir[a:]s, gleaming amid the green of lawns, orchards and lofty\nb\u00fbd[a:]s and other forest trees, that one cannot say where the city\nends and the country begins. Southward the plateau rises gradually in\nbroad terraces, on which are white and gold structures like stately\npalaces, amid blooming gardens and the feathery foliage of b\u00fbd[a:]s\ntrees. Some are less spacious, but scarcely less attractive in the\nbeauty of their architecture and surroundings. There are open squares\nlined with palatial white and gold residences and other structures\nwhose great domes and towers look down upon fountains so lovely as\nto defy my descriptive ability. Upward and upward the terraces rise\nuntil against the background of the deep blue sky the southern portion\nof the city appears as a dim, mist-veiled, never-to-be-forgotten,\nmagnificently lovely picture. I cannot imagine a scene more beautiful;\nno, not even in Celestial Worlds. Seeing this wonderful city and\nlearning to what heights humanity may attain arouses within me a hope\nfor the future of our own sorrowful planet.\n\nDe L'Ester--Alas and alas, that many, many centuries must elapse ere\nyour hope shall bear fruition. Development of the peoples of a planet,\nas a whole, is not a matter of centuries, _but of ages_. Centuries come\nand go, and only Infinite Intelligence can discern that all along the\nline one step has been taken. Like the rising and falling of ocean's\nunquiet waves, now amid mad tempests, dashing their white crests toward\nthe sky, anon with gentle undulations laving the sand strewn shore, so\namid storm and calm, the peoples of planets slowly, but surely, evolve\ntoward higher planes of being.\n\nWars, with their lamentable features, are the upheavals of the animal\nimpulses of crude civilizations, and Earth's peoples are far from being\ncivilized. All over our planet civil corruption and social, selfish\ngreed and ambition for place and power are eating into the very vitals\nof society, hence of governments, and if Spirit agencies cannot sway\nthe minds of some who may serve as Saviors, the poverty and agony of\nthe masses in time will produce a state of delirium, in which the sense\nof accountability will be lost; then woe be to those who, through\nstanding on the shoulders of their defrauded and oppressed brethren,\nhave climbed to high places.\n\nMan is in one, angel and animal, and ever as the angel strives\nfor ascendency, the animal snarls and shows its teeth, and you may\nbelieve me that, were it not that Spirits of highest Realms control\nillumined minds of Earth, who serve as restraining influences in the\nconsciousness of the masses, a chaotic state of society quickly would\nensue. Apparently, it is a provision of Divine Law that the wise and\nstrong shall aid the unwise and weak; that the higher shall reach down\nto uplift the lowly, and those who fail to fulfill this righteous\nlaw thereby so lessen their Spiritual estate that, in the world of\nequitable adjustments, they find themselves in a state of poverty\nundreamed of by mortal man.\n\nYes, even as the peoples of Earth agonize in the throes of evolution,\nso in past ages have the Entoans agonized; so, to a degree, do they yet\nagonize, for though they are more highly evolved than are the peoples\nof our planet, they, as I have once said, are yet in their swaddling\nclothes.\n\nYes, ages elapsed ere they evolved from savagery to a civilization\nwhich made it possible for their ideals to assume form and expression\nin the construction of this wonderful and beautiful city. Wonderful not\nonly in its architecture, but in its many fine expressions of science,\nof art, of social amenities and usages, and other admirable features of\nan advanced evolution, which has carried from the past into the living\npresent such lessons of wisdom as have been learned in the school of\nexperience. The school whose pupils never play truant and who ever are\nlearning their lessons well or ill, and who, perforce of natural law,\n_must_ advance onward toward clearer, higher views of the meaning of\nlife, of love, of God in humanity.\n\nNow again look southward. Is not it a vision to enrapture the soul\nof an artist or a lover of the beautiful? See how temples, domes and\nlight towers lose themselves in the cloudlike, luminous haze which\nthe slanting sun rays glorify into an indescribable loveliness. Toward\nthe lovely valley Ins[a:]l\u00fb the shadows of declining day are falling\nover the whiteness of the city and over domed temples and light towers.\nAfar, gray and empurpled mist wreaths are rising and veiling the pallid\nbeauty of fountain groups, whose silvery treasures, thrown high into\nthe quiet air, are tinted by the glory of the setting sun, which gleams\nathwart T[a:]imon, over which, like dream phantoms, vessels great and\nsmall are noiselessly gliding. Lower, lower sinks the red disk of the\nsolar king, and fleecy clouds, catching the reflection of his last\nbeams, put on their robes of crimson and gold, and like angels in\nflight, drift across the deepening azure of the sky.\n\nGeorge, we now will ascend, but not to a great height, for soon the\nlight towers will be ablaze, and you, Gentol[a:] and Bernard, will\nwitness a spectacle you will not soon forget.\n\nLook downward now. Shadows are brooding over the great city, and save\nfor the musical tones of the temple bells every sound is hushed, but\nwait a little and the scene will change.\n\nAh, you are startled, as well you may be. Is not the transformation\nmarvellous? Is not the scene grandly, weirdly beautiful? Below us is\nthe wide-spreading city, whose lofty electric light towers suddenly\nhave turned night into day, and southward, where the terraced plateau\nattains its greatest elevation, is the great light tower on whose\nsummit is an immense golden and crimson crystal Symbol of And\u00fbman[a:]'s\nabode, and as the afterglow of its radiance fades from the sky,\nsuddenly the Sacred Symbol will blaze into the splendor of its amazing\nbeauty. Now, from every temple, the music of chiming bells floats\nupward and the atmosphere is vibrant with their rhythmic notes.\nWith expectant gaze, all eyes are turned toward the Symbol of their\nReligion, and now flashing upon the bosom of night behold the glowing,\nscintillating, radiant wonder. Simultaneously from every lip bursts\nforth a prayer, which I will translate into your language.\n\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], Creator and Preserver, even as the shadows of night\nwrap us about, so may Thy Love infold us while we sleep, and may Thy\nMessengers, who read our inmost thoughts, bear to Thee the fervent\nadoration of Thy loving but ever sorrowful children. Oirah, oirah,\noirah. (So be it.)\n\nIn low, plaintive tones the chiming bells accompany the intoned prayer,\nand every face is uplifted toward the great glowing Sun, whose dazzling\nradiance penetrates the dense fog enveloping the city as with a snowy\nmantle.\n\nGentola--Ever since you promised me that some time I should at night\nbehold some portion of Ento, I have tried to imagine how it might\nappear, but never have I imagined a scene so grand, so beautiful, so\nmarvellously strange as this.\n\nOh, that the peoples of our planet might, if but for a moment, behold\nthis illustration of the possibilities inherent in humanity, for surely\nit would stimulate them to higher endeavor, to emulate the attainments\nof the Entoans, whose peace, prosperity, learning, culture, refinement\nand kindliness is in strong contrast with the turmoil, poverty,\nselfishness and lack of real friendliness prevalent among the masses\nof our rightly named Sorrowful Star. Yes, I know that the Entoans are\nsorrowful, but it is not of a nature that debases them, and I hope and\npray that soon it may give way to measureless joy.\n\nDe L'Ester--So hope, so pray all who are engaged in this Mission.\n\nGentola--As I listen to the chiming of the temple bells I do not\ndistinguish one discordant note, and all ring in perfect unison. I\nshould like to know how this is accomplished?\n\nInidora--All Ento temples possess chimes of bells, and all the chimes\nof each city are tuned to the same key note. They are electrically\nconnected, and by means of electrical mechanism all are simultaneously\nrung. Our people have stated times of worship, which are at sunrise, at\nmidday and at sunset, and when in a few moments yonder radiant Symbol\nof Ento's faith shall be extinguished, again the waiting people will\nimplore Divine protection through the night, and the chiming bells\nagain will ring their plaintive Oirah, oirah, oirah. (Amen or be it so.)\n\nYes, in cities and towns and country places the same religious\nceremonies are observed. At sunrise the blessing of And\u00fbman[a:] and the\nprotection of the Divine Ones who dwell in Astranol[a:] are invoked. At\nmidday all Sacrifices and Offerings of value are laid upon the altar.\nAt sunset in temples flowers alone are laid upon the altar, and the\nHigh Priest invokes for his people the protection of And\u00fbman[a:]'s\nMessengers. No, it is only in K\u00fbltymo, D[a:]o, Camariss[a:] and two\nother cities of Ento that there are such Symbols as we now are gazing\nupon. But see, the glory of its beauty is paling and--now it has\ndisappeared. Again the chiming bells fill the air with melody. Again\nfrom every lip ascends a prayer for protection through the darkness\nof night. Gradually the melody dies into silence, and through the\ndeepening twilight and the soft radiance of its many light towers,\nK\u00fbltymo Tyl\u00fb gleams in pallid whiteness, in phantom-like loveliness.\nQuietly, tranquilly, the people are returning to their homes. No sounds\nof traffic or of labor break the stillness of the great white and gold\ncity, but from soiv[a:]s (parks) and ilof\u0113n m\u00fbn[a:][a:] (amusement\ngardens) strains of sweet music float upward and thither, presently,\nmen, women and children will wend their ways.\n\nAnd thus, K\u00fbltymo Tyl\u00fb, queen city of my beloved Ento, we leave thee,\nand as our faces turn away from thee, our backward, lingering glances\nstray over thy peerless loveliness, and we regretfully murmur Info\noovist\u00fb.\n\nGentola--Dear friends, so strange, so enchanting are some of the\nexperiences that you are affording me that I am at a loss to express\neither my emotions or my boundless gratitude. Oh, if only I might\nremember all that I see, all that occurs. Why is it that, after I have\nregained full consciousness, I can no more recall these experiences\nthan I can recall a dimly remembered dream?\n\nDe L'Ester--Cannot you comprehend that it is _you_, the Ego or Spirit\nSelf which alone takes cognizance of these experiences? That the\nmagnetic chord connecting _you_, the Spirit Self, with your conscious\nmind, which is the animal soul consciousness, is, so to say, the\ntelegraphic wire through which, under our control, your physical\norganism is made to automatically record the words transmitted by\nwhichever member of our Band may be acting as operator? While you are\nwith us your Soul consciousness is in abeyance; hence, is not an active\nfactor in these experiences, and can record nothing concerning them.\nTake comfort from this statement. When under my control you shall\nrewrite, and as far as feasible correct the imperfect record of our\njourneys to and experiences on Ento; imperfect because you are not yet\nfully developed in your peculiar phase of mediumship; your memories\nrelating to our Mission will experience a sort of resurrection, and you\nwill recall much, if not all, that has and yet will transpire while\nengaged in our endeavor to serve as we would be served. Not until\nyou shall be wholly freed, will you fully comprehend this statement,\nbut when you shall be enabled to recall these experiences, also\nto a degree, you will realize that they are more than dreams. Yes,\ndoubtless, there are those who will regard you as a visionary. That\nwill be their mistake, not yours.\n\nNow we are over the intersection of the Central Waterway, with one\nrunning toward the northwest, which also intersects with one traversing\na portion of the North Temperate Zone. Since Genessano Allis Immo\ndemonstrated the practicability of great Waterways, several have been\ncompleted and others are in course of construction. Through them\nand their feeders the retention of the annual floods and control of\nirrigation has been greatly simplified and their measureless value\ndemonstrated.\n\nTo-morrow we all will meet at this point. We held you too long\nyesterday and you are yet somewhat devitalized. We will see to it that\nyou shall sleep restfully to-night, and in the morning at nine o'clock\nwe will be en evidence.\n\nGeorge, Inez and your wistful-eyed lad will see you safely home, and we\nwill repair to D[a:]o.\n\nAu revoir.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nRE-EMBODIMENT.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--We find you difficult of control this morning. Like the\nlegendary Martha you are anxious about many things. Our journey of\nto-day is less in your thoughts than are the exasperatingly high prices\nof household supplies or the letter you have been reading. How do I\nknow? Have not I said that I can read your thoughts as you might read\nan open book? No, I cannot at all times do so; it is only when, as now,\nI am en rapport with your soul consciousness.\n\nYou are not resting easily. Ah, that is better. Now you are tranquil,\nand now--you are free, and we are off for Ento. Yes, glorious indeed\nis this sense of freedom from physical conditions, which only to a\nlimited degree can you either perceive or realize. It may surprise\nand disappoint you to be told that in your present state you cannot\nperceive Spirit Worlds. That you may perceive us, we and these Ento\nSpirit friends are obliged to, in a sense, etherealize. No, not as\nCabinet Spirits etherealize, but in a more sublimated sense. At the\nculmination of our Mission conditions may be such as to enable you to\nbehold Spirits as they really are. No, I do not promise it, but it may\noccur.\n\nNo, mortal ears are not attuned to sense ethereal vibrations. Hearken\nto the grandly sublime, sonorous under-tone coming from Eternity's\nshoreless sea and rolling in rhythmic measure onward, onward\nforevermore. Beethoven, Handel, Mozart and others of Earth's illumined\nones, in moments of inspiration caught faint notes of music celestial,\nand with ardent longing strove to give them expression. Believe me that\na so termed musical genius is a musical medium, whose subconscious\nmind, like an aeolian harp, vibrates in unison with the unwritten music\nof the Soul of the Universe.\n\nWe are nearing the intersection of the Waterways, and our friends\nperceive our approach. Loha\u00fb, \u0113menos. We greet you all and apologize if\nwe have kept you waiting.\n\nGentol[a:], you will please give me your attention. At no great\ndistance the branch running in a southwestward direction forms a\njunction with another Waterway which is not yet completed, and which\nlater on we may observe. For the present we will continue our course\ntoward the northwest. The large town at this intersection is an\nimportant shipping point, and yonder is quite an imposing temple, two\nsmaller ones and some pretty suburban Istoir[a:]s. There are some\nimposing public buildings, many handsome private residences, a pretty\npark, and the streets are wide and beautifully kept, and along the\nmargins of the street canals are borders of blooming plants. Really,\nit is an attractive town, but at present we cannot give it further\nattention. It is named F\u00fbn[a:]voh Ritz[a:], which in your language\nwould mean Town of the Intersection. Passing in either direction are\nvessels of various sizes, some of them equaling in dimension and\ntonnage the huge steamships traversing the seas and oceans of our\nplanet, and it is not too much to say that in point of scientific\nconstruction and beauty of finish and furnishing Earth does not\npossess their equal. They are so scientifically constructed as to be\npractically indestructible, and electricity is the propelling energy;\nalso it lights them, and when desired heats them. For a brief period\nwe will take passage on the vessel about to leave port. Gentol[a:],\ncome to the bow and observe how swiftly and almost noiselessly it\ncleaves the water. At this rate of speed it will soon cross the second\nintersection, and before to-morrow will be traversing the broad expanse\nof Villost\u00fb Nykon (Sea of Many Islands). We now will glance through\nthe interior. These great saloons and luxuriously appointed sleeping\napartments are finished in rare carved woods and inlaid designs of\nEnto's fruits and flowers through which peer lovely child faces of\nmarvellously delicate and artistic execution.\n\nYou perceive that this vessel carries many passengers, and all in\nequal comfort. Unlike the vessels of our planet it carries no steerage\npassengers, for on Ento such an atrocity is as unknown as are class\ndistinctions, which the Sacred Writings distinctly forbid. This is the\nSacred statement: \"I, And\u00fbman[a:], the Creator of all that is declare\nthat of one blood, one bone, one flesh, I have made all the children of\nMy Love, so let no man dare say, I am better than my brother,\" and I\ncan assure you that the Sacred commandment is obeyed.\n\nOn this deck are the offices, saloons, sleeping, culinary and dining\napartments. On the deck below, to which we will now descend, are the\nengineer's and his assistants' apartments and departments, and also\nstorage for freight. For the motive energy, the mechanism is partly\nhere, and partly in what may be termed the hold. These vessels are\nso like and so unlike the seagoing vessels of our planet that should\nI attempt to describe existing differences I would consume too much\ntime and space, but we desire that you shall bear to the peoples of\nEarth a knowledge of the fact that it is possible for vessels of the\nlargest size to be propelled by electric energy, and also that now on\nEarth there are men inspired by Spirit Electricians who are working\nto that end, and that ere long there will come into the Earth sphere\nmen, who, on the Spirit side, have learned the higher applications of\nelectric energy, and who will know how to use them. The time is not far\ndistant when, on our planet, steam as a motive power will have become\nas obsolete as it is on Ento.\n\nYour continued surprise, at seeing on Ento much that corresponds with,\nor at least bears a resemblance to Earth forms, is so natural that we\ndo not marvel at it; still, if you will bear in mind a fact we already\nhave stated, that form is the expression of a universal principle, and\nthat in conformity with the degree of his evolvement, man expresses\nit, you will cease to wonder that our next door neighbors, the\nEntoans, shape the keels of their vessels on the same lines as Earth's\nshipbuilders shape the keels of their vessels. Adaptation of means to\nends is an expression of form. Thus the savage who shapes the primitive\ndugout, or his more advanced brother who constructs the more shapely\nbark canoe, intuitively applies the principle of form as a means to an\nend. As the Entoans of the present are the result of the Entoans of the\npast, you may rest assured that their progenitors also used dugouts and\nbark canoes, and only through their larger accumulated experiences do\nthey, in some directions, take precedence of their less mature Earth\nbrethren, who, in time, will outgrow their youthfulness. We now will\nascend to the upper deck, for we are approaching one of the circular\nbasins which are features of all Waterways. They occur at intervals\nof about twenty English miles, and through the system of atmospheric\ntelegraphy the movements of all vessels are so perfectly controlled\nthat their passage in opposite directions is accomplished through the\nmedium of the basins, and thus collisions never occur.\n\nObserve how swiftly, how gracefully, yonder huge vessel sweeps around\nthe further curve of the basin, cleaving the water like a thing of\nlife, and leaving in its wake great undulating billows of snowy foam.\nAcross the basin friendly salutations come to our fellow voyagers, and\nthey cry back, \"Loha\u00fb, loha\u00fb. F[a:]endos [a:]yon m\u00fbya.\" Ah me, it is\nhail and good-bye to most things, and now it is good-bye to this fine\nvessel which for a time has given us hospitality and you an object\nlesson.\n\nGeorge, we now will ascend. Sweeping northward and southward, yet\ntending eastward, we will afford you a comprehensive view of the\nequatorial lands and portions of the North and South Temperate\nZones. Observe how diversified is this Equatorial region. Cities,\ntowns and villages dot the wide expanses which largely are devoted\nto agricultural pursuits, and so productive are the lands that they\nnot only afford sustenance for local populations but admit of great\nquantities of grains, fruits and vegetables being shipped to other less\nfavored localities. Truly, Ento's Irrigated Belt is the garden of the\nPlanet. George, we now will quickly pass northward to the headwater of\nC\u0113hyl\u00fb Ooltom[a:]h (Rushing River).\n\nGentol[a:], in this chain of spring-fed lakes the great river rises,\nand during a considerable portion of the year its volume is greatly\nenlarged through melting snows and frequent rains of this rather cold\nbut humid region. We will follow its course southward so that you\nmay observe the cities, towns and villages lining its banks, and the\nvarious kinds of craft traversing its navigable length. You perceive\nthat Pfylonna, the city beneath us, is at the head of navigation, and\nwe with profit and pleasure might pass an hour in viewing its points of\ninterest, but not now, for time is flying and at any moment we may be\ncalled to D[a:]o.\n\nYes, this northern region is more picturesque than are the lands of the\nTemperate and Equatorial countries, which, as we proceed southward,\nstretch into great level plains which sustain a dense population,\nlargely of agriculturists. Yonder, on the eastern bank of the river,\nis a pretty, wooded height, the remnant of a mountain chain of the\nlong ago. Now its slight elevation is little more than a sufficient\nbarrier against the tumultuous floods, which during the spring pour\ndown between it and the stone embankments of C\u0113hyl\u00fb Ooltom[a:]h's\nwestern shore. Yes, Ento's Waterways, Irrigating System, Embankments\nand other stupendous works excite wonder and admiration for the skill,\nindustry and enterprise involved, but generally, when self-preservation\nis at stake, humanity rises superior to emergencies. Inidor[a:], while\nwe hastily survey the surrounding country, will you learn if the\nIstoir[a:] may be interesting enough to engage our attention? Some\nrural Istoir[a:]s possess very attractive features.\n\nInidora--I feel strongly impelled to gratify your curiosity and my own.\nI shall be gone but a moment, and if worth while will summon you.\n\nDe L'Ester--Again we are near the northern limit of the Irrigating\nand Waterways System, and to what a state of perfection it has been\nbrought. Those great Structures are pumping Stations, and so excellent\nis the mechanism employed that the water distribution is under perfect\ncontrol. The government of Ento indulges in no half-way measures.\nWhatever is done is done as well as can be accomplished.\n\nWhat can so delay Inidor[a:]? He must have found the Istoir[a:]\nunusually interesting. We will seek him there. Ah--see how like one\nenchanted he stands gazing upon a woman kneeling before the flower\nladen altar. Over her white robes falls a wealth of dark, waving hair,\nwhich, like a silken mantle, partly conceals her large, dark, luminous\neyes and marvellously lovely face, in which yet lingers the timidity\nand guilelessness of childhood. So entrancing is the young creature\nthat Inidor[a:] is unconscious of our presence. Now she prays to\nAz\u0113on, God of Love, to send her a lover who shall be handsome, tender\nand true, and she will be faithful and loving until death shall call\nthem into the Silence. Prayer from a heart so pure, uttered by lips so\ntremulous, so beautiful, might move either mortal or Spirit. Genessano,\nspeak to your brother, for truly he is lost to all save this lovely\ngirl.\n\nGenessano--Inidor[a:], my brother, have you found in this beautiful\nsuppliant your other Self? Nay, start not; it is I, Genessano. You were\nso absorbed that you did not observe our coming in search of you.\n\nInidora--Yes, yes, I indeed have found my other Self, and cannot claim\nmy own. Oh, thou beauteous Spirit Amilla, for whom I have searched the\nworlds of space, clothed thou art in flesh, which holds thee as the\nshell holds the pearl. Blind and deaf thou art to the presence of thy\nlover, thy other Self, whom thou prayest Az\u0113on to send thee. Drawn to\nthee through the law which attracts each to its own, I again have found\nthee, and henceforth I shall guard and guide thee until thou art free;\nthen again wilt thou find thy lover tender and true, and I shall claim\nthee for my very own. Amilla, dearest, loveliest one, reverently I\nkiss thy perfumed hair, thy upturned brow, beneath which thy luminous\neyes shine like twin stars. I touch with mine thy parted lips, and the\nfragrance of thy breath is as the fragrance of rodels, but thou knowest\nnot that I am near thee. Amilla, Amilla, oh, couldst thou know, that as\nof old thy lover so tender, so true, stands beside thee, how quickly\nwouldst thou turn toward me thy face, which is as beautiful as is the\nface of an angel. But thou dost not know, thou dost not know. Alas,\nthou hast so forgotten the past that I am as naught to thee. Oh, it is\npitiful, pitiful, that I cannot make thee understand. Fain would I\nthis moment free thee, but I must not, I dare not. Friends, bear with\nme, for until I shall have brought her Soul into harmony with my own\nI shall remain with my regained Amilla, whose repeated embodiments,\nlike my own, have held us far apart. This accomplished, I at intervals\nwill be with you, and when my love shall be freed, oh, joy of joys!\nwe together with you dear friends will for love's sake labor for the\nupliftment of humanity.\n\nDe L'Ester--Even as thine own shall one day come to thee, so ere long\nshall mine own come to me. Inscrutable are the Laws of the Infinite\nDuality through whose seemingly devious ways apparently we are impelled\ntoward destined ends. As to-day I walk alone, so one brief hour ago,\nwalked our Inidor[a:]. A seeming chance, a sudden impulse, and lo!\nfor our friend the face of the universe is changed. Gentol[a:], you\ncomprehend that, during past embodiments, Inidor[a:] and Amilla have\nknown of their indissoluble relationship. That you may come to further\nunderstand the law of re-embodiment, I briefly will relate a portion\nof my life story, involving comparatively recent experiences of my\nown, and of one who is my other Self, for, as you have been told, the\nmale and the female are the two halves of a whole, and it is a law of\nnature, or if it pleases you, of God, that, somewhere or somehow, the\nhalves shall become as one, not as one entity or individual, but as one\nin perfect Spiritual harmony.\n\nMore than a century ago, after a prolonged separation, suddenly my Soul\nMate and I came face to face, and I knew my own. I a freed spirit,\nshe a creature born of lust and fallen in the mire of a dissolute\nexistence. Vainly her Spirit Self warred against and strove to escape\nfrom the bondage of inherited animal passions which held her fast as\nwith chains of steel; so, patiently, lovingly I did for her what I\ncould, until one drunken with wine and frenzied with jealousy, struck\nher body dead at his feet. I, who waited and watched for her release,\ndrew her away from the scenes of her degraded mortal existence to\nher own place, aiding her as other loving ones also did, to undo the\ntangled threads of her sorrowful Earth life. She, who well understood\nthe Law of Being, quickly realized that if she would progress out\nof the conditions of her previous embodiments, she again must enter\nthe Mortal Sphere of our or of some other planet, and with slight\nhesitation, this she resolved to do.\n\nIt is well that you shall learn _that all mortal experiences_ are\nnecessary for the perfecting of character, which is but another term\nfor Spiritual growth. The tendency of the real Self, the Spirit, is\never onward, ever upward. The tendency of the animal Soul or conscious\nSelf, ever is toward the material plane of Being; thus, in the\nSpiritualized human, there is a constant warfare between the Positive\nor Spiritual man and the Negative or Animal consciousness and no one\ncomes out of the battle unscathed.\n\nYou question the justice of a law which demands from humanity that\nwhich from an elevated mortal standpoint is objectionable; but, my\nfriend, have not you learned that the crust of bread earned by sweat\nof the brow is sweeter far than the whitest loaf to the palate of the\nidler? Be assured that when again you shall find yourself on our side\nof life, you will prize the crusts you have, through sad experiences,\n_earned_, far more than the white loaves you might have eaten to\nyour hurt, and I do not question but that in time you not only will\nacquiesce in the justice but in the beneficence of a law which admits\nof the undoing of mistakes, and of the acquisition of much that only\ncan be learned through repeated mortal experiences, and of what is of\ngreatest moment, the Rebirth of exalted Spirits, who may be Saviors of\nhumanity.\n\nYou, who in your mortal state, but partly realize that Love, the\nDivine Principle, impels all things into harmonious relations, into a\nfulfillment of the Law of Love, may experience a sense of surprise,\nthat after a period equalling no more than forty of Earth's fleeting\nyears, my Rom\u0113ne, grown strong and learned in many things, announced\nher desire to at once take on mortal form, that as a Teacher she might\nserve women undergoing such experiences as to her were most sorrowful\nmemories.\n\nYes, Rom\u0113ne is the name of my other Self, and at her desire one of\nthe Spirit Bands, known as Angels of the Visitation, sought out\nsuitable environments for her next step on the ever ascending ladder of\nprogress. Why did she so quickly become re-embodied? She did so that\nthus she might fulfill the Law of Love, for remember _that it is only\nthrough loving service_ that Spirits in or out of the mortal body grow\nstrong, wise and purified. Although Rom\u0113ne and I understood the _fact_\nthat for all losses there are adequate compensations, it but slightly\nmitigated the sorrow of our separation. We simply submitted, as all\nmust, who desire to progress toward the unattainable perfection of the\nInfinite Spirit, Who alone is Perfection. Desiring that I should not\ninterfere with, or even be cognizant of her mortal experiences, Rom\u0113ne\nexacted from me a promise that I should not seek for her or endeavor\nto learn on what planet she might be re-embodied, and I have kept my\npromise. When the moment of our parting arrived, there was one close\nembrace, one lingering look into each other's eyes, then a loosening\nof clinging hands, and then--and then I stood alone, for the Angels of\nthe Visitation had borne my Spirit Rom\u0113ne away to, I know not where.\nAt times word comes to me of one who lives a life of self-abnegation,\nof an Angel of pity, who ministers to fallen ones, inspiring them with\nclearer views of their duties to others, to themselves, thus to God.\nThat ceaselessly she walks amid the squalid homes of the ignorant,\nthe wretched children of men, instilling into their dulled minds a\ndesire for knowledge, which is the bread and water of life. Thus she\nis _earning_ her crust of bread. Thus she is _earning_ the reward for\nduties fulfilled.\n\nIt is a provision of the Law of Re-embodiment that those who return to\nthe Mortal Plane retain little or no recollection of past experiences,\nbut to some peculiarly constituted persons, in moments of Spiritual\nexaltation, come gleams of memories of a wondrous past existence,\nwhich, like the lightning's flash, come and are gone. I know not if\nto my Rom\u0113ne these gleams of memories ever come, but I know that with\nme her Spiritualized Image ever abides, and that with measureless\nlonging I wait and watch for her return. Never have I purposely sought\nfor my vanished one, but ever as I journey from world to world, with\nvague expectation I scan the faces of women, hoping that in some one\nof them I may find at least a resemblance to her who on some planet is\nfulfilling the Law of Love, and the years go swiftly by and soon, ah,\nyes, at any moment she may return to me.\n\nThis recital I purposely have given as a lesson for you who so revolt\nagainst the Law of Re-embodiment.\n\nGentola--Certainly I do not desire to avoid learning any truth, however\nunpalatable it may be, but to one whose latest religious education has\nbeen thoroughly orthodox, the facts and statements of the Spiritual\nPhilosophy are somewhat startling. I have outgrown some of my former\nbeliefs, but I confess that I have not grown far enough to receive with\nequanimity a belief in Re-embodiment. Yes, I am aware that the belief\ndid not originate in Modern Spiritualism, indeed it is only of late\nyears that I have heard any Spiritualist advocate it. If it is a truth,\nwhy is it that most returning, perhaps I should say communicating\nSpirits are so reticent concerning it? During the twelve years of my\nMediumship, to me it has not been more than hinted at. From your own\nstory I infer that Re-embodiment is a matter of choice, yet clearly in\norder to progress of necessity one must yield to this law. When it may\nsuit your inclination I should like you to more fully explain this very\nmystifying matter.\n\nDe L'Ester--To your quite reasonable remarks I cannot now reply, but\nat a more opportune time I shall do so. This much I may say, that\nalthough a willing consent to an _unavoidable necessity_ is somewhat\nparadoxical, when there is a choice between a lesser and an infinitely\ngreater good, even at cost of ease or inclination, one is apt to choose\nthe greater good. As with most persons some of the experiences of your\npresent Embodiment have not been so agreeable as to induce in you a\ndesire for their possible repetition, yet I venture to predict that a\ntime will arrive when, through your own desire, you again will take on\nmortal conditions.\n\nGentola--It may be as you say, but now I recoil from the thought of\nagain passing through the sorrowful experiences that of necessity are\na part of mortal existence. But come what may, in all sincerity I can\nsay, \"Thy will be done.\"\n\nWhile we have been conversing I have been watching Inidor[a:] and the\nkneeling girl and it seems strange that she does not perceive his\npresence, he who appears so real, so substantial. As he gently touches\nher hair, she thinks the breeze is toying with it, and with her shapely\nhand she smooths its rippling waves. He kisses her forehead over which\nflossy curls are straying; again she fancies that the breeze is playing\nwith her tresses, and somewhat impatiently she tucks them under her\njewelled fillet. Now she rises to her feet, raises her hands toward\nthe golden Sun crowning the altar and silently, but with an expression\nof intense devotion on her lovely face, bows low, murmuring, \"Oirah,\noirah, oirah,\" and now with Inidor[a:] by her side, quietly, serenely\nshe passes from the Istoir[a:]. What a strange scene, but in keeping\nwith all these strange experiences.\n\nDe L'Ester, all my preconceived ideas relating to spirits are\nvanishing. What were my preconceived ideas? I scarcely can say, but\ncertainly I have not conceived it possible that such a scene as the one\nwe have witnessed could occur. Like other mortals, in a sense, I have\nregarded Spirits as superhuman, and I confess that it is something of\na shock to realize that you are as human as myself. Then again, as I\nbelieve that you would not mislead me, I am constrained to accept your\ndeclaration that Re-embodiment is a fact, and in my mind the question\narises, why does not the Infinite Potentiality create humans so perfect\nas to preclude the necessity of their experiencing the many trials and\nsorrows incident to repeated Embodiments?\n\nDe L'Ester--Why the Infinite Duality does this, or does not do that,\nonly the Infinite can reveal, but this we do know, that as Spirits in\nor out of the mortal body through high endeavor and loving service for\nothers unfold their infolded attributes they _grow_ into a _clearer\nrealization_ that whatever really is is right, and that in the Universe\nthere is but one Principle which is wholly good, hence, logically,\nthere can be no evil, and that so termed evil is a manifestation of\nunevolvement, which inevitably must yield to the divinity inherent in\nall that is real.\n\nAs to Spirits, the only difference between those in and those out of\nmortal bodies is the change in their environments. So termed death is\nthe casting off of a coarse garment for one of finer texture, and a\nsubsequent removal from one to another condition of existence, which in\nno way changes the higher emotions.\n\nWhy does not the Infinite Potentiality create humans so perfect as\nto not require added virtues? As well may we ask when, where, how,\ndid the first humans of the universe appear, for neither we, or\nmost exalted Spirits, or Angels of the highest Heavens know. The\nutmost that is known is that in the evolution of the human animal\ngerms, of any planet, a period arrives when the evolved human animal\nbecomes a conscious Soul, and in him the Ego, the Spirit entity,\nfinds an instrument through whom it may express its God likeness or\nattributes. How do we know this? Because that on various planets we\nsee it exemplified. Upon what basis do we declare Re-embodiment to be\na fact? Because we constantly see its demonstration. Why do not all\ncommunicating Spirits declare this truth? May I ask why do not you\nspeak Greek, Hebrew or Sanscrit? You may reply, because I have not\nlearned those languages; besides, should I speak them but few persons\nwould understand them. Precisely so, and it is quite as true, that\nonly Spirits advanced to certain planes of Spiritual Being are learned\nin the Law of Re-embodiment, and equally as true that until of late\ncomparatively few Occidentals have been prepared to accept a truth so\nrepellent not only to orthodox Christianity but to the many whose minds\nreject all beyond the material plane of Being. Communicating Spirits\nmay be ignorant concerning Re-embodiment, or too wise to offer that\nwhich might excite distrust or aversion. At times silence is indeed\ngolden.\n\nAmong the older civilizations of our planet a knowledge of this truth\nand of the significance of the Karma are so incorporated with all that\nconcerns their existence that their every thought and act are shaped\nthereby, and it is but a question of time when the western peoples will\nreceive and retain the impress of their forcefulness.\n\nYes, I am aware that by most of your thinkers the law of heredity\nis thought to be accountable for the great diversity of forms,\nfeatures and mental characteristics of families, and to a degree\nthey are correct, but only to a degree. For instance, you are one of\nten children (not including Inez and Emma, whose growth has been on\nthe Spirit Side) of the same parents, subjected to nearly the same\nantenatal influences and after environments, yet in physical likeness,\ntemperament and mentality, you were so unlike your brothers and sisters\nas to be regarded as somewhat uncanny. We know that heredity only\npartly covers your case.\n\nAs another illustration, we will select a not exceptional instance of\na low type of parents, whose ancestors may or may not have been below\ntheir own level, _but certainly not above it_. To these parents are\nborn a number of children who may more or less closely resemble them,\nbut among the brood is one so entirely unlike any of the others as\nto perhaps arouse suspicion as to his or her paternity. Though the\nother children possess very ordinary mentality, and physically are\nuncouth, the exceptional child is unusually intelligent, straight of\nlimb, erect of head, open eyed, handsome featured, and with a certain\ngrace of bearing which sets him or her quite apart, not only from the\nother children, but from the parents to whom he or she ever is as\nmuch a stranger as though of another family. Does the law of heredity\nsatisfactorily account for an instance of this kind? _And it is not an\nisolated one._\n\nYour scientists assert that not only through successive, but\n_intermittent_ generations, mental and physical traits are\ntransmitted, and I admit the fact; on the other hand I assert that\nit is not possible _through heredity_ or fortuitous circumstances\nto, through a low type of parentage, produce a type possessing the\nvery best characteristics of the human. One does not gather figs\noff thistles or roses from noxious weeds. Believe me, Gentol[a:],\nentertaining Angels unawares is of common occurrence, and Angels are\nSpirits who, through repeated embodiments, have attained to more or\nless exalted states of Being.\n\nYes, very exalted Spirits, desiring to compass certain ends, on our\nor other planets, are, so to say, reborn, and generally into lowly\nconditions. If you will acquaint yourself with the mortal origin of\nthe Saviors of our Planet, the men and women who, during the crises of\nhumanity's upheavals, have come to the front as leaders or teachers,\nyou will learn that as a rule it has been, not the nobly born, but the\nlowly born, who have been the champions, the deliverers of the people,\nwhom \"in the fullness of time\" they came to serve, perchance to save.\n\nTo return to your own case. You are aware that your parents were\nvery upright, very pious and intelligent persons; these and other\ncharacteristics fitted them for parentage of more than average merit.\nYour father was strong physically and mentally, and of a most generous\nnature, which impelled him to assist all who came his way. At the same\ntime he exhibited a certain ruggedness of character, amounting to\nbrusqueness. Your mother, frail physically, but with high Spiritual\ndevelopment which afforded her fine intuition, formed with your father\na combination through whom Spirits well advanced might return to\nfurther fulfill the Law of their Being. Physically, you are somewhat\nlike your father, and also your mentality possesses a coloring of his\npositive, unswerving honesty of purpose, but largely it is through your\nmother's Spirituality that you possess a free entrance into the Realm\nof Intuition. So much and more I yield to the law of heredity. Then\nagain arises the question, all having been born of the same parents\nand under like conditions and environments, why are not you and your\nbrothers and sisters more alike? When you return to our side of life\nyou will be better able to reply to this question.\n\nYou desire that I shall tell you something of your embodiment preceding\nyour present one. You were an Oriental, your parents being Egyptians,\ndwelling in Alexandria. Your father was a dealer in rich stuffs and\njewels. A man of stern character, yet withal of a rare tenderness of\nnature. Your mother, a woman of great beauty and fine intelligence,\ngave you birth, and almost immediately passed to the World of Spirits.\nToward the close of eleven years of Earth life you joined your mother\nwho had guarded and guided you until you were released. Yes, previous\nto your present Embodiment you clearly understood that you were to be\nthe Special Instrument for the accomplishment of this Mission, and\ngladly you re-entered the mortal plane that thus you might further\nfulfill the Law of Love. Throughout your present Embodiment you have\nshown decidedly Oriental tendencies. Your love of light, of high\ntemperature, of rich colors, of flowers and fruits, and your equally\nstrong dislike of darkness, of cold and of animal food, indicates\na sort of overlapping of the tendencies of your previous Earthly\nexistence.\n\nFor some time I have had it in my thoughts to answer some of the\nunasked questions agitating your mind, but until now no opportunity has\npresented itself. I am quite aware of the inadequacy of my replies, and\nof my inability to verify such statements as I have made, nevertheless\nthey are as true as Truth.\n\nGentola--I thank you for your patient endeavor to instruct me, and I\nearnestly desire that I may grow into a knowledge of all that is true.\n\nDe L'Ester--We better than yourself comprehend why you so revolt\nagainst the idea of Re-embodiment. Your nature is very pitiful, very\nsympathetic, and it is not so much your personal sorrows as your\nconsciousness of the fact that on our Planet ignorance, injustice,\ncruelty and poverty so prevail as to render life undesirable, that\noccasions you to shrink away from further mortal experiences.\n\nYes, it is true that the struggle for power and luxury among those best\nequipped for the battle is indeed a sad spectacle, only a little less\nsad than is the struggle for mere existence among the toiling millions\nof Earth's children. On the surface the strife between prosperity\nand poverty appears very unequal, but to those who see beyond mortal\nexistence, and who know that it is the sum of mortal deeds that\ndetermines the condition of all on the Spirit Side, how pitifully small\nand mean are all the ephemeral dignities and luxuries for which men and\nwomen barter their best, their immortal interests!\n\nWe are not surprised that you now shrink from the thought of again\nreturning into this seething maelstrom of human passions and misery,\nbut remember that under all this strife and agony is the ever uplifting\nlever of evolution which unfailingly brings to the surface and\nperpetuates that which is worthiest. Cannot you yet conceive of the\nlofty devotion of discarnated ones, who, seeing their opportunity and\ntheir duty, hasten to the rescue of struggling humanity, sustaining\nthe weak, restraining the wayward and consoling the sorrowful, thus\nfulfilling the Law of Love? Thus presenting to humanity higher views of\nTruth.\n\nEver the onward marching army of humanity is calling for leaders who\nshall direct their ways toward a better land, and ever the supply\nis equal to the demand; for ever the Angels of the Visitation are\npreparing the ways and making them straight for the advent of Saviors\nwho are to be the Leaders and Teachers of humanity. At present the\naffairs of Earth's peoples are tending toward a most destructive\nculmination. It would seem that only the Infinite One can stay the\nmad strife for place, for power, for gratification of selfish greed,\nwhich, from day to day, grows fiercer and more aggressive. Almost\ncertainly they are sowing a wind that will develop into a whirlwind\nwhose destructive fury will efface so many landmarks that survivors\nwill find themselves at a loss to discover their whereabouts. Those who\nare at the head of Humanity's Signal Service should heed the outlook.\nWill they? We think not. They and the accumulators and hoarders of\nthe wealth that should serve humanity's needs are so besotted with\nselfishness that they are blind and deaf to the cries of suffering\nmillions who know not where to turn for bread, and who now dumbly\nendure, but who, when the day of reckoning shall come as come it will,\nwill hold their oppressors to an account of their Stewardship. At no\ntime during the history of our Planet have the Rulers of the Nations\nbeen less humane, less selfish, less merciful, less just than at\npresent. True, the Sovereigns of some of the more enlightened Nations\ndo not, as in times past, indulge in wholesale or ruthless butcheries\nof their subjects, who have evolved too far to tamely submit to such\ncruelties, but it is a Truth as true as God that a sovereign or nation\nwho idly, perhaps exultingly, looks on while another nation is being\nbutchered for the crime of self-defense, are aiders and abettors of\nmurderous crime. At this moment fear of consequences alone stays the\nhands of the leading Sovereigns of Europe from flying at each other's\nthroats and sacrificing on the altars of their unrighteous ambition\nhecatombs of innocent, unwilling victims. Understand, Gentol[a:], I\nam not finding fault with a condition, which, in the present state of\nevolution of the peoples of our Planet, cannot well be otherwise. I\nsimply state facts and deplore their unwelcome existence.\n\nNot only I, but all Spirits of right mind, long unutterably for an\nopportunity to say to mortals, if but this much: Learn to love one\nanother. Learn that the good of one is the good of all. Learn that a\ncup of cold water from the hand of a friend is better far than a cup\nof choicest wine from a grudging hand. Learn that loving charity and\npitiful mercy are as two radiant Angels whose brightness will lighten\nyour pathway to the brink of the river beyond whose further shore you\nwill reap the harvest whose seed you have sowed while on the mortal\nside of life. Learn that gentle words spoken and kindly deeds done are\ntreasures laid up in the heaven of your own consciousness, and that\nthroughout eternity they will be as precious jewels in your crown of\nendless existence. And learn, oh, learn that, above and beyond all\nelse, Love is the fulfilling of the Law of the Infinite.\n\nYes, everywhere the processes of the progress of humanity appear to be\nmuch the same, and so advanced and harmonious are some of the peoples\nof some Planets of our and other Solar Systems, that compared with the\nunevolved, inharmonious peoples of our Planet they are as Gods. Yet so\nsurely as on this height the Sun is shining, so surely will a period\narrive when Earth's peoples will be as brethren living in perfect unity.\n\nCourage then, my friend, courage. With such ointment as you may\npossess, anoint the worn and weary feet of your fellow travellers,\nand though on Earth's plane they may neither understand or value your\nservice, be assured that on the Spirit Side their risen Selves will\nturn and bless you.\n\nI have consumed so much time that only in the briefest manner can\nI reply to further questions. You desire to know if all mortals of\nour Planet have been Re-embodied? Yes, repeatedly. You think it\nstrange that Spirits of a low plane of evolvement willingly become\nreborn under such conditions as inevitably must occasion them much\nwretchedness. I reply that Spirits seeking Rebirth are aware that they\ncannot re-enter mortal existence on a plane higher than the one for\nwhich their progress on the Spirit Side has fitted them, and gladly\nthey take up their cross that thus they may _earn_ their crown of\nSpiritual progress. At another time I will inform you as to how Spirits\nrecognize their Spirit mates. Too long we have tarried on this pleasant\nheight. Now we must hasten elsewhere. George, your sister awaits your\nassistance.\n\nGeorge--I have been taking a survey of this locality, and have learned\nthat the proprietor of the surrounding estate, with his family and\ndomestic assistants, occupies the nearby fine residence, to which is\nattached this attractive Istoir[a:]. On its eastern side the height\ngently slopes toward an extensive area of irrigated lands. When we\nrise you will observe the pretty village occupied by those who, with\nthe proprietor, are engaged in their cultivation, which apparently is\nvery successful. De L'Ester has informed you that on Ento seldom are\nlaborers mere wage earners; all enterprises, of whatever nature or\nmagnitude, being conducted on a co-operative plan.\n\nI also have glanced into the residence and found it a finely appointed\nand luxurious rural home. I left Inidor[a:] enraptured with Amilla, who\nsang a love song accompanying her voice with the soft, sweet notes of\nthe harplike Loit[a:]. She is the only surviving child of parents quite\npast middle age, and she resembles her rather dark skinned father,\nthough indeed she also resembles her mother, who is fair enough to be\nof the Quend race. In the Istoir[a:], back of the altar, are tablets\nsetting forth the family history of births and deaths. R[a:]imon\nKenoid[a:]s is the father's name. Amilla bears the name of her mother.\n\nDe L'Ester--As usual, George, you make us your debtors. Now we will\nrise, and while following the course of the river we will obtain a view\nof areas of the Irrigated Belt. We are journeying nearly due south,\nthough further on the river curves slightly toward the east, then\ngradually toward the west, but the general direction is southward until\nit empties into H\u00fbyd[a:]fon Lois[a:] (Bottomless Lake), a fresh water\nlake, partly within the South Temperate Zone, and which is a part of\nthe system. Now the river widens and the elevation grows so pronounced\nas to suggest a period when its rocky peaks pierced the clouds. Yes,\nages have passed since that remote time.\n\nThose great embankments along the western shore are for the purpose\nof confining the prodigious volume of water which in the spring pours\ndown from the north, threatening to inundate the broad, level stretches\ntoward the west. You have yet to witness, and shall, if all goes well,\nthe spring floods of melted snow, to which are added such downpours\nof rain as will astonish you. To one unused to the spectacle it might\nappear as though Ento were about to have an experience similar to the\nlegendary Noachian deluge. As already stated engineering skill has\nrisen equal to all emergencies arising from the spring floods, which no\nlonger are regarded as disastrous, but as a special blessing.\n\nWhat vast expanses of growing grains, of vegetables and fruits. Yes,\nEnto's labor saving machines are of such a high degree of excellence\nthat they serve all the purposes of a fine system of cultivation.\n\nBelow us now the mountainous height abruptly slopes to the level\nof the plain, rendering necessary the great embankment which, as\nyou perceive, is carried to the further side of the gap, where it\nterminates at the foot of the broken mountain, which extends the length\nof the river. Gam[a:]l\u00fbfan (Town of the Gap), the large town below\nus, whose wharf is lined with vessels great and small, and in whose\nBasin a number of large vessels await opportunity for discharging or\nfor taking aboard lading and passengers, is a manufacturing centre of\nsome importance, and its wide, beautifully paved, flower bordered and\nshaded streets and numerous fine residences indicate a considerable\npopulation of highly cultivated people. As is usual, the Temple is\nthe most attractive feature of the town. Its white, sculptured walls\nand lofty golden dome, on which glows the many rayed emblem of Ento's\nreligion, stands out in bold relief against the background of the\nverdure covered slope at whose foot it is built. In the large building\nto the right of the temple is a fine library, and to the right of it\nis the town school, to which at this moment a large number of children\nare hastening; not with the noisy hilarity of youths of our Planet,\nbut with the gravity of their elders. It is a pathetic feature of Ento\nchild life which we will hope may ere long disappear.\n\nWhy do not we in this region see any Tuzamos For the same reason\nthat on our Planet a time will arrive when, as on Ento, railways, in\ncertain localities, will be impracticable. You have been informed\nthat, in certain regions of this planet, to a considerable depth, the\nsoil is friable and as porous as a sponge, rendering it too unstable\nfor a T\u00fbz[a:]mo roadbed, which the spring floods undermine and render\nunsafe for transportation. It is only where the soil is coherent that\nT\u00fbz[a:]mo lines are practicable. Of course, as Air Transports can go\nanywhere over the Planet, for many purposes they are preferable to land\nor water transportation.\n\nYonder is a fruit laden vessel drawing to its mooring at the wharf. We\nwill descend so that you and our lad may examine the crates and baskets\npiled high with the luscious fruits of the various countries. Observe\nhow each variety of fruit is surrounded by its own peculiar aura, which\nmortals term aroma. It is the vital principle or Spirit essence of the\nfruit, and is the portion of which Spirits partake, and I can assure\nyou that an indulgence in this direction is never followed by a fit\nof indigestion. You may believe my assertion that the aura of animal\nfoods attracts Spirits of gross appetites, and the feasters at meat\nladen boards ever have guests they little dream of entertaining, and\nthe drinker of intoxicants hobnobs with boon companions for whom he\nunwittingly pays the score.\n\nWhile on this subject I shall tell you another fact. In all households\nthere is a certain fluidic condition originating in the emanations\nof the persons composing the family, and also from the emanations of\nthe foods partaken of by the family, and of visitors who in a slight\nmeasure contribute to the condition. So sublimated is this fluid that,\nas a rule, only discarnated Spirits fully perceive it, yet there are\ninstances where it is so decided, so perceptible, that, to a degree,\nvisitors unconsciously are influenced by it, and according as this\nfluid is Spiritualized or sensualized, will be the class of persons\nattracted by it. Hereafter, upon entering different homes, observe your\nsensations, and soon you will recognize the meaning of this statement.\n\nNo, animal food does not necessarily debase Spirituality; yet I would\nnot advise you or any one to partake of it. Comparatively few persons\nare positive enough to repel unseen, uninvited guests, but only decided\npositives have any assurance that they are not entertaining to their\nhurt, guests whose mere proximity is a menace. But enough of this,\nfor I do not feel quite certain that this information is not somewhat\npremature, but let it pass.\n\nNow we will resume our journey. Yes, the generally levelled surface\nof these Equatorial lands precludes much variety or picturesqueness\nof scenery. We now have reached the southern confine of the Province\nof Voh\u00fbak[a:], and the river curves a little toward the southwest,\nrushing through this rift in the mountain, which is known as Yoid[a:]s\nh\u00fb[a:] (bow shaped). Below us, in the angle formed by the mountain\nand the river, is the capital city of Voh\u00fbak[a:], which is known as\nEndoin[a:][a:] Tyl\u00fb (City of Bridges), and aptly it might be termed\nthe Venice of Ento. To my mind it is a very beautiful and unique city.\nGentol[a:], what do you think of it?\n\nGentola--It also impresses me as being a very beautiful city. Through\nnearly all of the streets are canals spanned at intervals by handsome\nbridges, so ornamental, so apparently unsubstantial, that it seems\nsurprising that they sustain the weight of the numerous vehicles and\nmultitudes of people passing over them. The margins of the canals are\nlined with great palmlike trees, whose leaves are in incessant motion,\nand as the pretty, passenger laden and other boats glide along under\ntheir rustling branches they seem to be whispering to each other.\nAnd, dear me, see those lovely, lovely flowers, growing all along the\nmargins of the Waterways, their rich, glossy green leaves and great\nsnowy blooms trailing down the walls and onto the water, where they\nrest like enthroned Queens of the flower world. Yes, I perceive their\naura, and how wonderful it is. Please take me nearer, so that I may see\nthem more clearly. Genessano, you are a flower lover, will not you tell\nus something concerning these beauties?\n\n[Illustration: RODEL. The National Flower.]\n\nGenessano--This is the rodel, the beauteous flower whose delicate\nperfume is considered far more exquisite than that of any other of\nthe many fragrant blooms of Ento. With fervent prayers to And\u00fbman[a:]'s\nMessengers that, through loving deeds and duties fulfilled, its life\nmay be made as beautiful as is the heart of the rodel, its unfolding\nbuds are placed in the hands of the newly created infant. Bridal and\nother special ceremonies are graced by its peerless loveliness, and\nits snowy blooms cover from tear dimmed eyes the pallid faces of the\nbeloved dead. Also it symbolizes Life and Death. In early morning its\nopening chalices turn their hearts toward And\u00fbman[a:]'s rising abode,\ntheir sweet fragrance ascending as an Offering to Him Who is the Source\nof all life. At close of day its white petals fold themselves over its\ngolden heart and it sleeps the sleep of death, for it blooms but a day,\nere its sweet life ends. Look into its heart and you will see a golden\nrepresentation of the shining rays surrounding And\u00fbman[a:]'s glorious\nabode, hence it is regarded as a Divine Symbol, and in a sense it is\nidolized, or perhaps I should say reverenced as being possessed of\nSacred qualities. Where nature has not provided suitable conditions for\nits growth it is artificially cultivated; besides, the matured buds are\nshipped all over the Planet, so that no occasion need lack the office\nof the Sacred flower.\n\nGentola--Many thanks for your interesting information. To me all\nflowers are more or less beautiful; these are especially so. What\nimmense leaves and how oddly pretty their frilled edges are, and they\nstand up in a rim all around the---- Oh, my, Bernard, look at that\ndroll little creature blinking at us from that large leaf. What is it,\nDe L'Ester?\n\nDe L'Ester--If you should come across one of its kind on Earth probably\nyou would call it a frog. Genessano may have another name for it.\nBrillo? That is rather a nice name for the comical looking creature.\nAh, there it goes headforemost into the water, and now may be relating\nto its comrades its narrow escape from the clutches of some strange\nlooking beings. Observe how substantially these canals are walled.\nThe masonry is about six feet thick and impenetrable by water, and\nat intervals spaces are arranged for the growing of rodels and other\nplants of an aquatic nature. The Entoans, universally, are flower\nlovers; so, in your next Re-embodiment, you will find other inducements\nthan grapes to tempt you to become an Entoan. We will ascend a little\nso that we may command a better view of the city. Yes, the scene is\nvery attractive. The canals are alive with passing boats, and overhead\nare Transports coming or going.\n\nYou have observed the immense basin wherein a number of large river\nvessels await their turn to load or unload their freight. Those\nnumerous small, heavily laden boats are the carriers to or distributors\nfor the large vessels which, of course, could not navigate the canals.\nAn admirable feature of Entoan cities is the absence of avoidable\nnoises, haste and confusion. Always the people work in harmony, each\nrespecting the rights of their neighbors, and all intent upon doing\ntheir duty, thus honoring their calling and themselves. Back of their\nharmonious relations with each other is the intelligent force of a\nSpiritually evolved people, expressing itself in elevated thoughts and\naims, and in the beautiful in art, architecture, industry and thrift,\nwhich ever are the concomitants of properly adjusted social relations\nand of an intelligent sense of duty. The Entoans consider idleness so\nutterly at variance with right conduct as to be disgraceful and not at\nall permissible, save in cases of disability. Although they never have\nheard that Satan finds mischief for idle hands to do, they have learned\nthat idleness is the begetter of all manner of social corruption, so,\nsternly it is frowned out of Ento's code of ethics. What is known\non our planet as the social evil, which, indeed, is a condition of\nundevelopment on a level with mere animalism, long, long ago, through\ntheir ever increasing Spirituality and consequent refinement, was,\nby the Entoans, outgrown. Even by persons least observant of social\nniceties, strictest chastity is practiced. Yes, Ento's religion demands\nchaste conduct; but, aside from that, the Entoans have evolved beyond\nmere animalism. Idleness is a vestige of barbarism, and inevitably it\nbegets vicious tendencies and vicious abuses of natural functions;\nhence it is all important that the law-makers of a people shall not\nonly recognize the importance of this fact, but that also they shall\nin themselves furnish fine examples of honesty, industry, chastity and\ntemperate living, which, alas, generally they do not. Our acquaintance\nwith the peoples of various Planets affords us wide opportunities for\nobservation of their modes of thought and habits, and wherever we have\nfound degradation of the sacred function of procreation, we have found\na corresponding lack of Spirituality, and of all ideals constituting\nthe basis of true civilization, which invariably is the reflection of\nthe degree of Spirituality of peoples who never are truly civilized\nuntil they recognize that the human body is a temple for the indwelling\nof the holy Spirit, the God-man.\n\nNow we must turn our attention elsewhere. It will not, I think, be\namiss to devote a short time to an investigation of yonder mercantile\nestablishment, so that you may compare it with those of--well, of your\ncity of St. Louis. You perceive that the structure is seven stories in\nheight, and its frontage is quite two hundred feet, its depth about\nthe same. Enter without hesitation. You are not yet quite accustomed\nto the fact of your invisibility. Including the interiors the entire\nstructure is of stone and various metals, rendering it fireproof.\nThose elevators, swiftly carrying patrons to the various floors, also\nare entirely of metal. Yes, the lightweight metal metsz\u00fb.\n\nThese plant spaces surrounding the fountains are quite attractive,\nand the fountains themselves are exquisite in design and execution.\nI imagine that they are intended to serve the double purposes of\nornamentation and of cooling the heated atmosphere. Observe this\none. In the centre of the basin, on an ornate pedestal, is poised\nthe graceful form of a lovely, smiling girl, holding in her arms and\noutreaching hands a mass of blown rodels and buds, whose long, slender\nstems and frilled leaves seem to float on the water. From the hearts of\nthe full blown flowers jets of crystal water are thrown nearly to the\nlofty ceiling, thence falling in silvery spray over the upturned face\nof the girl and her armful of rodel blooms. The rim of the marble basin\nis a composition of rodel blooms and foliage, as perfect of execution\nas is the marble form of the girl or the lifelike blooms she holds in\nher arms. Here is another basin in which is a great white marble vase\nfilled with growing aquatic plants and grasses. Around its rim, at\nintervals, are sculptured water fowls from whose bills fine jets of\nwater are thrown upward, falling downward into the vase and basin like\na gentle shower of rain.\n\nThere are four fountains, and the basin of the next one is shaped\nlike a shallow fluted shell, in which is a group of semi-human,\nsemi-fishlike creatures of a mythical character. Oh, yes, the Entoans,\nlike all other peoples, have their myths. Genessano may enlighten us as\nto the meaning of these nondescript creatures, whose present occupation\nis throwing a bewildering number of tiny streams of water in such a\nfashion as to partly conceal their lovely faces and fishlike forms.\n\nGenessano--It is a very ancient story, and reckoned something more than\na myth, that once in a remote time a mother and her three children\nfled from one who sought to destroy her and them. Being closely\npursued, she cried to the Gods for succor, and with her children\nsprang into Indolois[a:]. The Deific Ones, compassionating her and\nher children, metamorphosed her and them in such a manner that easily\nthey eluded their pursuer, who, in his fury, still sought for them,\nbut the avenging Gods raised such a tempestuous storm that quickly he\nand his followers were destroyed. I recall that during my childhood,\nwhen storms swept over Indolois[a:]'s bosom and the moaning winds\nsounded like wails of distress, it was a common saying, \"Ah, Rinahdo,\nthe cruel one, pursues Noyn[a:] a Vonn[a:] and her children,\" and our\nmother would shelter in her loving arms her two timorous boys. This\ngroup commemorating the legend is, of course, purely fanciful, and\nthe smiling mother and her laughing children are very unlike what my\nchildish fancy used to conjure into something terrifying. This fourth\nfountain also illustrates a mythical legend, but it is not so regarded\nby my people.\n\nIn the centre of this beautiful flower rimmed basin is a mass of large\nleaves of a heart shaped growth. Up-springing from them is a long and\nstrong stem, bearing two great, many petalled flowers, from whose\nhearts are rising with outspread wings, two softly plumaged birds, each\none carrying in its beak a bud just bursting into bloom. Our Sacred\nWritings declare that out of Himself And\u00fbman[a:] created and caused to\ncome forth from the buds the infant progenitors of Ento's children.\nThat at His command the Gods so assiduously cared for the infants, that\nwith miraculous quickness they grew to maturity, and in time their\noffspring peopled Ento. Since most ancient times this myth has been\nperpetuated in sculpture, painting and in religious ceremonies.\n\nDe L'Ester--This story of the origin of the Ento human is no more\nabsurd or illogical than are legends of the same nature of peoples of\nother planets, who cling to senseless superstitions because they are\nyet too immature to perceive the truth.\n\nNow, Gentol[a:], you will speak of whatever may interest you.\n\nGentola--Where everything is interesting it is difficult to choose,\nbut certainly this great structure is worthy of notice. The roof is\ncomposed of four great domes, filled in with plates of glass, so\ntransparent as to not obstruct the light, which falls through shades so\nadjusted as to permit the sunlight to fall only on the groups of plants\nand fountains. To me the whole interior, including the displays of the\nvarious wares, appears very admirable. As we pass from one department\nto another I scarcely can realize that we are not in some similar\nestablishment on Earth. Here are textile goods whose coloring, weave,\ndesigns and quality equal, if they do not surpass, any fabrics I ever\nhave seen. After all you have said to me relating to the universality\nof substance, the homogeneity of the mind of man and of the natural\nand inevitable results of certain universal laws, perhaps I should not\nexpress surprise to find here silks, satins, velvets and other fabrics\nvery like those of our own Planet. Here, too, are woolens of a great\nvariety of weaves and colorings, but I do not see any black goods of\nany kind.\n\nGenessano--To the Entoans black suggests darkness, for which they\nentertain a positive aversion, and darkness suggests death, the ever\npresent terror of their lives. Black, the symbol of death, is never\nworn or used in any avoidable manner. You may not have observed that\nin the homes of the people lights ever are shining. Light being the\nsymbol of life, on every home altar a light burns perpetually.\n\nGentola--As I have been on Ento but twice during the night I had not\nnoticed the custom. A dread of darkness may to some appear rather\nchildish, but I can sympathize with the Entoans, for I have an intense\ndislike for darkness. In the absence of light, I cannot locate myself.\nI feel as though I were drifting through illimitable space, and the\nsensation is excessively disagreeable. De L'Ester, can you explain this\nmental condition?\n\nDe L'Ester--Not now. I merely will say that you lack what phrenologists\nterm locality, which will account for the fact that always you are\ngetting lost.\n\nGentola--That is true. At present I am lost in admiration of the very\nattractive garments worn by Ento men and women. I know that I never\nagain will desire to wear the close fitting, ungraceful clothing I\nalways have worn. See that stately woman whose inner-robe outlines her\nsuperb form, yet is modesty itself, and the over garment, loose, but\nextremely graceful of cut, has such an air of distinction that it seems\nto me any change would detract from its beauty. Oh, yes, indeed, I\ngreatly admire the manner in which the Ento women wear their abundant\nwaved or curled hair. The fillet is far prettier than any millinery\ncreation.\n\nDear me, what exquisite laces. As delicate as gossamer and of such\nlovely designs. I profoundly admire fine laces, and am a fair judge\nof their qualities, especially handmade laces, and these in texture,\ndesigns and workmanship are as fine and beautiful as any I ever have\nseen. Here, too, is a display of embroidery, which is surpassingly\nlovely. I perceive that in their production gold, silver and silk\nthreads in a great variety of colors are combined harmoniously\nand most artistically, and here are bands in which the flowers are\nsimulated by minute stones closely imitating the natural blooms. Yes,\nfrequently I have observed robes of both men and women bordered and\ntrimmed with such embroidery, and--no, it does not make the men appear\neffeminate, quite the contrary. I cannot attempt a detailed description\nof this adjoining department, devoted to an endless array of articles\nfor the toilet. Should I do so, certainly my Earth friends would laugh\nat such an exhibition of my vivid imagination. Quite as certainly I\nwould not find fault with their incredulity. I, however, will say that\nI find here combs, brushes, manicure implements, perfumes, soaps and an\nendless array of articles whose uses I only can guess at. Could some of\nour Earth folk walk into this establishment, which they would term a\ndepartment store, they, like myself, would find themselves amazed, not\nso much by the strangeness, as by the familiar appearance of a thousand\nand more articles.\n\nDe L'Ester--Do not forget that in the universe there is but _One Mind_\nwhich _must_ everywhere express itself harmoniously, and you will cease\nto marvel at many things.\n\nAh, George is experimenting and Genessano looks on with curious\ninterest. _Mon ami_, what are you attempting?\n\nGeorge--I am trying to find out if any of these salespeople are\nSensitives. Ah, my gentle sir, as you look about you seeking to learn\nwho has spoken to you, your dreamy eyes are opening wide with surprise.\nGenessano, through Gentol[a:], address him. I fancy that he does not\nunderstand English.\n\nGentola--Emano, r[a:]\u00fbdoss[a:] ill\u00fbm[a:] voi h\u00fb[a:]. Voiha istan\nfinost\u00fb tsoin[a:].\n\nGeorge--He grows alarmed, but stands in an attitude of intense\nattention.\n\nGentola--O\u00fbna \u00fbfan yoidas \u0113mano. Info oovist\u00fb.\n\nGeorge--Now he is thoroughly alarmed and rushes away, exclaiming,\n\"Z\u0113mos, Z\u0113mos, d\u0113l\u00fbsa ilmo evantos.\" His comrades and the people stare\nand question as to the cause of his alarm, and two young men have gone\nafter him, evidently thinking him attacked with sudden illness. Very\ncertainly Ento possesses many Sensitives, and when the Spirit Worlds\nshall have succeeded in changing the positive conditions surrounding\nthem they will become amenable to Spirit Control. What did Genessano\nprompt you to say to the youth? In effect you remarked, \"Friend, the\nweather is fine.\" Then you asked, \"Do you hear what I say?\" Then you\nadded, \"Be not alarmed. Info oovist\u00fb.\" Evidently he did not heed your\nadvice, and certainly he does not desire further acquaintance with you,\nfor his cried to Z\u0113mos, a god, to protect him. The experiment being\nconcluded, I shall not further interrupt you.\n\nDe L'Ester--Of course it is not practicable for you to give a detailed\ndescription of the contents of this establishment or of the structure\nitself, which is a fine example of its kind, but when the time\nshall have arrived for you to compile for publication our somewhat\nimperfect manuscript, under my control you will arrange it, and then\nyou will recall all that you have seen, heard or experienced during\nyour journeys to Ento, and it may be worth while to describe to some\ncompetent architect the style, including interior arrangements, of\nthis and of other structures you have observed. Being within the\nequatorial belt, you may imagine that artificial heat is not required;\nbut, in this latitude at times the temperature falls so low as to be\nuncomfortably cool; hence this electrical appliance for heating.\n\nOur clairaudient friend, wearing an abashed and nervous air, is\nreturning. Be at peace, gentle souled one, for at present we will not\nfurther disturb you.\n\nGentol[a:], you gaze longingly at those lovely laces. I wish it might\nbe possible for you to bear with you to Earth such a pretty memento\nof your visit to Endoin[a:][a:] Tyl\u00fb. George, what is next on the\nprogramme?\n\nGeorge--Gentol[a:], in this city there is a library which save for\none in Dao, equals any other of Ento, and now we will afford you and\nBernard a view of it.\n\nGentola--I have meant to ask you to show me a library, but always the\ntime at our disposal is so fully occupied.\n\nDe L'Ester--Come, then, for the hours are flying and we cannot much\nlonger hold you. Allow me to assist you. This large edifice contains\ntreasures in books and various objects of value, but I do not greatly\nadmire its style of architecture, still it is a grandly imposing\nstructure and well adapted to its purposes. Those fine statues over the\nmain portico are representations of certain of Ento's authors, and you\nwill observe that those columns supporting the portico and them are in\nstyle nearly as purely Doric as any you may find on our Planet. They\noffer another illustration of the universality of form ideals. The main\nentrance, though severely plain, is very imposing. We will enter it\nand view the interior. You perceive that the roof is a series of four\ndomes through which the interior is lighted, ventilation being secured\nthrough a scientific mechanism which thoroughly serves its purpose.\nAlso you perceive that five galleries encircle the interior, and that\nthe walls are fitted with glass inclosed shelves, which are filled\nwith books, largely bound in a material similar to papier-mache, which\nits manufacturers know how to render flexible, and indestructible by\ninsects. Others are bound in leather of a very fine quality. No, cloth\nbindings are not at all used, the Entoans being of the opinion that\nbooks worth preserving are worthy of meritorious covers.\n\nOn this table is a large open book. Examine the leaves, and you\nwill see that they are of an excellent quality of paper, resembling\nparchment. Its texture is very close, and it is almost as thin as\ntissue paper, yet it is quite opaque. As Zenest[a:] is absent, you,\nGenessano, will tell us something concerning the language of this book.\n\nGenessano--Gentol[a:], you have been informed that on Ento one language\nuniversally is spoken. True, there are other languages and dialects\nwhich, on occasions, are both spoken and written, but practically\nAv\u00fbnass[a:] is the language of Ento. By Spirits of your and other\nplanetary Spirit Spheres I have been informed that they find it a\nsingularly elegant and easily learned language. The alphabetical\nletters are not complex, and during many centuries Ento's scholars\nhave made a study of simplifying the language. Did you understand\nAv\u00fbnass[a:] you would perceive that through terminal letters and\naccentuation a limited range of words serves for a wide range of\nexpression. No, this book is not Av\u00fbnass[a:], but V[a:][a:]m\u00fb, the\nlanguage of a southern race, of a period preceding the establishment\nof Ento's religion. You perceive that the letters or rather the\ncharacters, are quite unlike those of the Av\u00fbnass[a:] alphabet. Our\nfriend, Poole, is studying Av\u00fbnass[a:], and should you so desire, he\nmay draw the alphabet for you. Yes, I am his Instructor and find him an\napt pupil.\n\nOur father, who, during his mortal existence, was a learned man, owned\na volume of this rare work, and through him Inidor[a:] and I became\na little acquainted with the V[a:][a:]m\u00fb language and the contents\nof this book, which treats of the sciences of eighty Ento centuries\nago. As the lesser is contained in the greater, so the accumulated\nknowledge of one era contains the germs which in after times unfold\ntheir potencies. Thus the sciences as understood in the days of Dylos\nR[a:]\u00fbmo, the author of this book, were the germs of achievements of\nthe past and present, which you have learned are in many directions of\na high degree of excellence.\n\nI am told that your word paper signifies the same as our word\nbillos[a:], which largely is the product of a fibrous plant known as\nek\u0113tos, which blooms prettily, producing large seed pods containing a\nwhite, silken fibre, which is utilized, not alone in the manufacture\nof billos[a:] but also for the production of textile fabrics, some of\nwhich you recently have been admiring. Does this scene impress you\nagreeably?\n\nGentola--Certainly; this is a large and beautifully arranged library,\nand what numbers of people are coming, going, or entering the adjoining\nroom. A reading room? Yes, I should like to look into it. Why, it is\nquite crowded with men and women, all intently perusing books, papers\nand publications which wear a very familiar appearance; so familiar\nindeed as to nearly make me doubt the evidence of my own eyes. De\nL'Ester, please ask Genessano if the Entoans possess a literature\ncorresponding with what we term romances.\n\nGenessano--Indeed, yes, and it constitutes a considerable portion of\nEnto's literature. One story, which was based upon actual occurrences,\nInidor[a:] and I used to read with profound emotion, and when this\nmission shall have culminated, and you may find leisure and inclination\nto hear it, I will relate what De L'Ester may translate into your\nlanguage, and you may name it \"A Romance of Ento.\"\n\nGentola--I am sure that I shall be even more pleased to hear it than\nyou can be in relating it.\n\nGeorge--Yonder is another clairaudient Sensitive, the youth robed in\nblue, who apparently is seeking for some special book.\n\nDe L'Ester--Yes, and he also is somewhat clairvoyant. Gentol[a:], he\nmay be able to perceive or to hear you. Stand near him and follow my\ndictation.\n\nGentola--Voian \u0113los toy[a:] \u0113mano?\n\nEntoan--Efon ist[a:] voian----Ah, And\u00fbman[a:] k\u0113toivan froy[a:]----\n\nDe L'Ester--Come away, come away, Gentol[a:], the man is scared out\nof his wits, and has fallen in a swoon. What a commotion. Employees\nand visitors hasten to his assistance, expressing much concern and\nsurprise. What a pity that he is such a nervous and timid person. Ah,\nhe is reviving and looking about him in an apprehensive manner, and\nevery one is plying him with questions. Genessano, what is he saying?\nHe speaks in such an excited and rapid manner that I cannot follow him.\n\nGenessano--He says: \"I was seeking for a copy of Broh\u00fb\u00fb L\u00fbitszen,\nwhen I thought some one inquired as to what I searched for. I was\nabout to reply, 'I am searching for Broh\u00fb\u00fb L\u00fbitszen,' when I felt\nimpelled to turn my gaze in the direction of the voice, and I call\nthe Gods to witness that I thought I saw a strange woman, unlike any\nI ever have beheld. It was not that her appearance was forbidding,\nbut there was in her face or form or expression that which I cannot\nexplain or describe, and in an instant I was so overawed that I lost\nconsciousness. I am ashamed of my weakness for, of course, it was a\nfreak of my imagination.\" They ask him how the woman was clothed, and\nhe replies that she was very singularly clothed, but that really he\ncannot describe her garments. He also says that he and his auditors\nhave heard the strange stories relating to Prince Dano and some of his\nfriends, and he prays the Gods that he may not find himself similarly\nafflicted. Now he says, \"I feel myself quite restored, and am convinced\nthat the seizure was due to an overtaxed brain, for lately I have been\ntoo studious and must desist from such imprudence.\" Although the youth\nassumes a careless air, it is very apparent that he is ill at ease,\nand his fellow employees and visitors to the library express concern\nover what has occurred. From their conversation it is evident that the\nexperiences of Dano, L\u0113ta, Fav\u0113on and other Sensitives have gained wide\npublicity, and from their peculiar nature are exciting attention and\ngreater unrest in the minds of Ento's sorrowful peoples. A favorable\nomen, friends, a favorable omen of the swiftly coming dawn of the\nnew religion, and as the day draws near I scarcely can restrain my\nimpatience.\n\nDe L'Ester--As little can we, but the hours are swiftly flying and well\nmay our hopes rise high, for surely, surely the light is penetrating\nthe Spiritual consciousness of many of Ento's children.\n\nGentol[a:], we cannot attempt even a limited description of the vast\ncollection of books, manuscripts and many curious objects. You must\ncontent yourself through storing up memories of many things which in\ncoming years you may recall with pleasure to yourself and possibly to\nothers.\n\nGentola--I wish that I might retain memories of all that I experience\nduring these journeys to Ento, but always when I try to recall scenes\nand the appearance of peoples and places it is like attempting to\nrevive illy remembered dreams. Now I gaze on this great library, on\nthese magnificently beautiful marbles, bronzes and many lovely and\ninteresting objects and I know that when I shall have returned to Earth\nit all will appear as \"the baseless fabric of a vision.\"\n\nDe L'Ester--You cannot retain memories of your Ento experiences\nbecause your subconscious Self or Ego is too deeply submerged to be\nin conscious rapport with your animal or Soul Self, which receives\nnegative imprints, which I promise you shall in time be developed into\nmemory pictures as vivid as are these realities. From the inception\nof our Mission we have known that in your normal state you would not\nremember your Ento experiences; hence the necessity of an automatic\nrecord of them. Yes, I assure you that our expectation of your\nefficiency in this undertaking has been more than fulfilled and we\npromise you that the future shall not disappoint you. You yet are only\non the verge of surprising experiences; soon your Spirit senses will be\ngreatly quickened and then your work will be made plain to you. Ento is\nbut one of the Planets of space which, with us, you may visit, should\nyou so elect, but of this we will speak later on.\n\nFriends, we yet have an hour at our disposal; how shall we best apply\nit?\n\nGenessano--I suggest that as Gentol[a:] and Bernard have seen but\nlittle of Ento home life they shall be afforded a view of the interior\nof some residence.\n\nDe L'Ester--A good suggestion, Genessano, and we will ask you to select\nthe residence.\n\nGenessano--Then we will visit yonder massive and spacious dwelling\njust beyond the sun-crowned column. Observe that its architecture is\nnot modern, neither is it of a very remote period. It may have been\nerected two centuries ago of our time. Its massive stone foundation and\nstone walls carried to the height of three stories show no evidences\nof disintegration, and around the doors and windows the finely\nexecuted sculpture appears as perfectly preserved as though chiselled\nrecently. About the handsome structure the spacious lawn is abloom\nwith a variety of flowering shrubs and plants and doubtless we will\nfind the interior of the home equally as attractive. We will enter\nand ascertain. This wide, central hallway and the fine staircases are\nof Ento's rose tinted woods, and the mosaic floor, rugs, tapestries,\nstatuary and decorative features are in every way admirable.\nGentol[a:], I have not yet experienced the pleasure of viewing the\ncities and homes of your Planet, but ere long I may be afforded the\nopportunity of comparing them with the cities and homes of Ento.\n\nDe L'Ester--It may add to the sum of your information, but it will\nnot add to your happiness to view some features of Earth's cities and\nhomes. Some of these friends and I have viewed the best and the worst\nof them, and I assure you that the contrast between the sumptuous homes\nof the rich and the squalid homes of the poor is very saddening.\n\nOn our Planet this residence with its beautiful appointments would be\nconsidered exceptionally luxurious, on Ento such homes are the rule\nnot the exception. We will enter the apartment on the left, and you,\nGentol[a:], will describe it.\n\nGentola--We are in a very spacious room, through whose large alcoved\nwindows one obtains a fine view of the lawn with its great beds of\nblooming plants and a lovely fountain throwing jets of sparkling water\nhigh into the air. The room is panelled in rose colored woods which\nrise to the ceiling and curve to its centre, meeting under a great\ncluster of carved foliage and rodel blooms. In the hearts of the\nrodels, which are of exaggerated size, are crystal bulbs, and I wish I\nmight understand Ento's system of electric lighting, which is so unlike\nthat of Earth. The floor is a mosaic of a very delicate rose tinted\nfield, with shaded sprays of rose colored flowers scattered over it,\nand the wide border is of shades of rose colored foliage, grasses and\nflowers. The effect is delicate, very unique, and I think extremely\npretty. In the centre of the apartment is a fountain, whose large basin\nis of white marble, veined with palest rose. It is in the form of a\nfull blown rodel, and from its heart, tiny jets of water are thrown\nupward, striking a peculiar arrangement of crystal cups, producing\nsoft musical sounds similar to the notes of a music box. All about the\napartment are handsome divans, chairs and tables, on the latter are\nbooks, papers and other reading matter. There are swings and hammocks,\nand in the further one reclines a young girl with flowing dusky hair,\nolive-hued skin, lovely features, dark large, luminous eyes, full\nscarlet lips, through which her teeth gleam like pearls, and a form\nof perfect proportions. To me the eyes of the Entoans are their most\nnoticeable feature. They are so large, so luminous, but always I see in\nthem a sort of brooding expression as though in their depths lies some\nsorrowful memory.\n\nSurely, yonder youthful looking woman near the window is not the mother\nof all those children, four of whom are swimming or playing in the\nbasin of the fountain; three are swinging, and the two smaller ones are\nplaying at her feet. Near her, reclining on a pretty wicker lounge,\na fine looking man of apparently middle age reads aloud from a book\nwhich seems to greatly interest them, and now an aged man and woman,\nwhom the children hail with delight, are entering the room, and the\nman and woman hasten forward, and as they lead them to seats, they\naffectionately welcome them and speak to them in gentle, solicitous\ntones. Now quite a youthful man and woman approach, and the two younger\nchildren scramble to their feet, and hasten to the arms outstretched\nto receive them. The man swings the older child to his shoulder, and\nthe woman takes up the younger one who is little more than a baby, and\nturns to salute a beautiful, but sad faced young woman, who quietly and\nalone enters the room where all with much tenderness of manner greet\nher, and an attendant quickly robes the children playing in the basin\nof the fountain, who hasten to her and fondly cluster about her. Allow\nme to be silent, while Genessano shall explain the relationship of\nthese persons.\n\nGenessano--From their conversation I learn that the woman who entered\nalone recently has been widowed, and that she is the mother of the four\nchildren grouped about her. Her robe is not so much a badge of mourning\nas it is an indication of her widowhood. Only widows wear this peculiar\nshade of hinifro (yellow). The young girl in the hammock, the widow and\nthe father of the other five children are the son and daughters of the\nmiddle aged couple, and the aged pair are the father and mother of the\nmiddle aged man, and all reside in this spacious home, of which this\nliving room is a feature common to Ento.\n\nDe L'Ester--Another feature is about to be added to the already\nattractive scene, for here are a number of attendants bearing trays\nladen with delicacies and fruits, to be served for the family luncheon.\nThe hour has expired, and after a hasty survey of other apartments\nof the residence, we must bid adieu to it and to Endoinas. At a low\naltitude we still will follow the course of the river, which from this\npoint flows in a southwestward direction, and soon we will arrive at\nHom-ar\u00fb, (City of Palms), a city situated very near the line of the\nequator. It is on the west bank of the river which forms a boundary\nbetween the provinces of Voh\u00fbak[a:] and H[a:]m\u00fbyen, where we will meet\na Messenger from D[a:]o, who will inform us of the precise condition\nof Vallo[a:]. The purport of the message will determine our movements\nof the near future. George, pause for a moment that Gentol[a:] and\nBernard may again view this city of bridges. Is not it quite attractive?\n\nGentola--It is more than attractive, it is a view so impressively\nbeautiful that one is not likely to forget it. You, who have seen\nthe great cities of Earth, those aggregations of magnificence and\nsqualor, will understand how my son and I are impressed and surprised\nby the beauty, thrift and cleanliness of the cities and towns of Ento.\nAs I gaze in all directions the scene impresses me with a sense of\nunreality, much as though I were beholding the creation of a mirage.\nThe humid, hazy atmosphere lends a sort of indistinctness to the far\nreaches of the country, where various kinds of water-craft are passing\nalong canals and the larger Waterways; while below us the streets and\nbridges are alive with the movement of people and vehicles, and, De\nL'Ester, I observe several animals running about the streets or lying\non porches; what are they?\n\nDe L'Ester--Do not you remember Fen\u0113to, in Giant's dwelling? Well,\nthose animals are Fen\u0113to's kindred, and a naturalist would inform us\nthat they belong to the feline family, which they do. No, on Ento there\nare no animals even similar to our wolf or its kindred. Indeed, on\nEnto, nearly all savage life forms have disappeared, and, in time, such\nforms will disappear from our planet. It is a fact that on all planets\nevolved to the Spiritualized man period, in proportion as humanity\nadvances, the coarser life forms recede; for it is a law of nature\nthat, as the Spiritual atmosphere of Planets increases in quality and\nquantity, through lack of proper vital sustenance, coarser life forms\nperish. Were the lion, tiger, bear and other savage animals of our\nPlanet left unmolested, of necessity, in time, they would cease to\nexist. The activities of generation demand specific conditions, and\nEnto no longer offers conditions favorable to the generation of savage\nlife forms. Yes, domesticity of certain animals enables them to for a\ntime ward off the day of their doom, but it is only delayed. Have you\nobserved those lofty Light Towers?\n\nGentola--Yes, and when at night they are ablaze, the scene must be\nbeautiful. Some time, like you, I may be free to go where I will. Then\nI may come to Ento to view all the wonders we now have not time to even\nglance at. You all are most patient with my dear son and me, and I\nthink that you know that we appreciate all your goodness to us.\n\nDe L'Ester--Progress, spiritually, comes only to those _who stand and\nserve_. You partly comprehend our present service of love, but you do\nnot at all comprehend your service of a coming time, which to a greater\ndegree will make us your debtors, even as we now are. Now we will\ncontinue our journey.\n\nBernard--Mother, dear, rest your hand on my shoulder. No, it does not\nhinder me, and it is so pleasant to feel your touch.\n\nGentola--You dear boy, I shall be glad to do so.\n\nBernard--What do you imagine the folks at home would think could they\nsee you and me with this large Band of Spirits passing through the air?\n\nGentola--Dear me, I cannot imagine what they would think, but I suspect\nthat they would think us in danger of an awful fall. De L'Ester, at\nwhat altitude are we?\n\nDe L'Ester--About one English mile above the surface of Ento, and we\nare moving rather slowly so that you may obtain a good view of the\nriver and its shipping, of the irrigated country and its many towns,\nvillages and fine suburban estates. The town we are nearing offers a\nrather pretty view. Through the arrival and departure of those great\nvessels its commodious shipping basin presents quite an animated\nappearance. Being a distributing centre it possesses a handsome Air\nTransport Station which adds to its importance.\n\nIt is near high noon and the chime of yonder sun-crowned temple dome\nis softly pealing, and men, women and children hasten to the midday\nservice. Were we not so pressed for time we might witness it, but we\nmust pass on. Gentol[a:], direct your gaze toward those low-lying,\ngrayish clouds, for soon, in that direction, you will behold the light\ntowers and golden domes of Hom-ar\u00fb Tyl\u00fb, where Sylvian, the messenger\nfrom Dao, will meet us. She is a relative of the sick girl, Vallo[a:],\nbeing an aunt on the maternal side. She and the Spirit mother of\nVallo[a:], are in constant attendance, sustaining and strengthening\nher so as to as far as possible prolong her mortal existence. Why do\nthey desire to prolong her mortal existence? For the reason that she is\none of the principal instruments through whom is to come to Ento the\npriceless knowledge of a continuity of existence. Then each added day\nof her mortal experience more fully unfolds her Spirit senses, thus\nbetter fitting her not only for our purpose but for her entrance into\nEnto's Spirit World.\n\nIncluding the human, the stages of animal existences find\ncorrespondences in the vegetable kingdom. First, the germination of\nthe sown seed, followed by growth and the unfolding of the infolded\nbud into the full blown flower; then the ripening of the seed and the\nharvesting. Humans who pass from mortal existence ere the culmination\nof corresponding stages of growth and maturity, lack, so to say,\n_ripeness_, and upon entering the Spirit World they are at such a\ndisadvantage that they find it necessary to again return into mortal\nenvironments where, through association with mortals, they may acquire\ngrowth and experience. The spirit friends of Vallo[a:], understanding\nthis Law, will, for as long as may be possible, hold her in her\nphysical body.\n\nThe low-lying clouds have drifted away, and yonder amid a sea of\nverdure is Hom-ar\u00fb Tyl\u00fb (city of Palms), where, in a certain park,\nour friend, Sylvian, will meet us. It is now beneath us, and we will\ndescend to the Palm fountain. Is not this a peculiar conceit?\n\nGentola--Very, and as pretty as it is peculiar. Instead of the usual\nhuman, animal or fanciful composition, is this great metallic palmlike\ntree. Bernard, see how from that central cluster of upright leaves the\nwater is thrown into the air from whence in silvery spray it falls\nupon the luxuriant foliage, from which, in a copious shower, it rains\ninto the basin. Really, I think it almost the prettiest of the many\nfountains I have seen on Ento. In form and coloring both tree and\nfoliage are true to nature. I wonder how the color effects are produced?\n\nDe L'Ester--Genessano says that the coloring is effected through a\nprocess of enamelling which resists corrosion. He also says----Ah,\nSylvian approaches.\n\nSylvian--Efon fiest\u0113mos, \u0113manos. (I greet you kindly, friends.)\n\nGenessano--Onos t[a:] fiest\u0113mos[a:][a:], Sylvian. (We as kindly greet\nyou, Sylvian.)\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], I shall serve as interpreter between Sylvian,\nyourself and Bernard, who yet but slightly understands the Ento\nlanguage. Eman[a:] Sylvian, this is Gentol[a:], of whom you have heard,\nand this is her son, Bernard, who recently passed from the mortal to\nour side of life.\n\nSylvian--Only as a matter of courtesy need I be presented to one whose\nname to me is as a household word. Gentol[a:], as I look into your eyes\nmy heart goes out to you in fonder greeting than my lips can utter, for\nI recall cherished memories of long ago, memories which happily you\ncannot now recall, but which, at times, like evanescent mist wreaths\ndrift athwart your mental vision. De L'Ester's warning glance deters\nme else I might grow too reminiscent, which, at this time, would be\nunwise. Gentol[a:], I cannot express my joy, my gratitude, that across\nthe vast space between Earth and Ento an incarnated spirit has been\nbrought to deliver to Ento's sorrowful children a Message of hope; a\nMessage which shall lift out of an abyss of darkness into effulgent\nlight a people who now with heavy hearts and downcast thoughts ever\nwalk in the shadow of a great fear; for ever, as they courageously\nsmile and strive to forget, they are conscious of the approach of the\ndread horror death. Gentol[a:], see you not how my people in whom the\nlove element is so evolved as to dominate all other emotions, count all\nthings valueless when compared with the intense affection they bear\nfor their nearest and dearest ones? To them death is the synonym of\ndespair, for when their dear ones pass into the Silence only despair\nand darkness of mind remain. But our hopes are high for the success\nof the Mission; for at last through the ceaseless efforts of Spirits\nof many Spirit Worlds the inner consciousness of the Entoans is being\nso aroused that in their despair, blindly they are reaching out for\nrelief. More wonderful still, my kinsman, Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], Osy H\u00fbn,\nlistens with rapt attention as his child Vallo[a:] relates her wondrous\nexperiences, which he no longer regards as the vagaries of a diseased\nbrain, but begs her to repeat again and again the story of her beatific\nvisions. Vallo[a:] stands upon the threshold of our Spirit Realms, and\nher Inner senses are so unfolded that she sees and holds converse with\nher mother, with me and with other Spirits who minister to her. To her\nfather and others about her she conveys messages from her mother, from\nme and from other Spirits. To her father she relates incidents known\nonly to himself, and she whispers to him of private affairs, and he\nmarvels at her knowledge and eagerly questions as to the source of her\ninformation. So rapidly are his Spiritual Senses unfolding that at any\nmoment they may burst into bloom; then the old, hopeless beliefs will\npass into oblivion.\n\nPrince Dano, my young kinsman, who is Vallo[a:]'s betrothed, scarcely\nquits her presence, and his heart is heavy with grief, that his beloved\none is so near the conclusion of her mortal existence; but with a\nstrength born of the new faith, he cheers and consoles her. Constantly\nhis cry is, \"Courage, my Vallo[a:], my own, for thou art not going\ninto the dread, endless Silence, but into a gloriously beautiful world\nof living, loving ones. I, who for a time must remain on Ento, will\nceaselessly proclaim the joyful tidings of continuous existence, and\nthe swiftly fleeting years will pass, and then I shall come to thee,\nmy beloved, mine own forevermore.\" Spiritually, he sees and hears with\nphenomenal clearness, and to all about him he earnestly proclaims his\nabsolute faith in the declarations of the strange woman Gentol[a:], and\nimplicitly he relies upon your declarations and promises.\n\nHis father, Basto And\u00fbl\u0113s[a:], who was in despair over what he\nconsidered the lost mind of his son, now cherishes Dano's words as\nthough they are the very strength of his life, and Ontell\u0113n[a:], Dano's\ngentle mother, smiles or weeps as she listens to her son's glowing\nportrayal of the life that is to be. Thus, Gentol[a:], you perceive\nthat the seed you have sown has germinated and gives promise of a\nharvest of joy inexpressible.\n\nThe hour draws very near when we no longer will be able to hold in\nher physical form our precious Vallo[a:]. When that hour shall arrive\nwe well know that Spirit forces from many Spirit Realms will with\nyou dear and devoted friends unite in a supreme effort to reveal to\nOmanos F\u00fbnh[a:] and others irrefutable knowledge of the continuity of\nlife, and, Gentol[a:], that which more than all else will hasten the\nacceptance of the new religion will be the promise and proof of escape\nfrom ever impending annihilation, from which Priests and people shrink\nwith ever increasing horror. Unquestioningly the people have been\nobliged to accept the ancient faith, whose exponents, the Priesthood,\nhave interpreted to fit their own ideas and ends; but, ceaselessly,\nevolution proceeds, and despite most unfavoring conditions the peoples\nof Ento now are prepared for the ushering in of a brighter day than\never has dawned upon their consciousness; and, like many others, I\nscarcely can await the culmination of this momentous event.\n\nYes, Ento possesses many Sensitives, but hitherto, to a greater degree\nthan now, the aural atmosphere has been so positive as generally to\nprevent their approach by wholly freed Spirits. Being yet physically\nembodied, your Spirit body is of a less sublimated character than\nare those of wholly freed and advanced spirits who are visible only\nto certain Priests and Priestesses of inner sanctuaries, whose lives\nare most ascetic and in a sense Spiritualized. When, through the\ninfluence of the new religion, the hopeless mental state of the people\nshall yield to joyful expectation, the aural atmosphere gradually\nwill grow penetrable, and Sensitives whom now we cannot approach will\ndevelop into Mediums through whom Spirits will communicate to mortals\nthe glorious truth that their present existence is but a momentary\nexperience of unending life. De L'Ester informs me that now you fully\nunderstand the aims of those conducting and assisting in this Mission,\nwhich, as you may know, is not an unusual one, for all revelations to\nmortals are the results of Spirit activities, and all Saviors are\nMissionaries Re-embodied for a fixed purpose, which, alas, is not\nalways accomplished.\n\nVallo[a:] being near the time of her release from her physical body\nthese friends and I have arranged for constant communication between\nthem and the watchers at D[a:]o. Thus, until summoned thither, they may\nwithout further anxious thought, devote every possible moment to your\ninstruction concerning Ento.\n\nWith you, Bernard, who stand so silently observant, ere long I shall\nmake it my affair to become acquainted, and with you, Gentol[a:], I\nrejoice to renew our friendship of a time when we were co-workers in\nan undertaking similar to this Mission. When you return to the Spirit\nside you will comprehend what now I must leave unexplained. Let these\nembraces assure you and this dear boy that as of yore I am your loving\nfriend, Sylvian Ravvect[a:]. And now, \u0113manos, Info st[a:]-tiv[a:]\nZ\u0113nos[a:][a:] oovist\u00fb. (To the care of the Angelic ones, until we again\nmeet.)\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], it is arranged that constantly Sylvian shall\nbe informed as to our movements, and as constantly she will keep us in\ntouch with affairs at D[a:]o, for in a few days we will be summoned\nthere to share with others the responsibilities of a most momentous\noccasion. In the meantime we must improve the swiftly fleeting hours.\nTo-day we have held you with us overlong, and now must return you to\nyour home, over which the shadows of twilight are falling.\n\nBernard--Mother, dear, do not you think Sylvian very gracious and\nbeautiful? Really, I felt quite abashed when she kissed and embraced me.\n\nGeorge--Bernard, your modesty is very commendable. Evidently Sylvian\ndiscriminates between men and boys, as she kissed and embraced no one\nbut you and your mother.\n\nBernard--All right, my British kinsman, for as long as Sylvian may\ndiscriminate in that manner I shall be content to remain a boy. But,\nmother, you have not answered my question.\n\nGentola--Sylvian is indeed both gracious and beautiful. The rich olive\nof her complexion is to my taste as much to be admired as are the\nroses and lilies of fair skinned beauties. On first coming to Ento the\nstature of the people impressed me rather unpleasantly; indeed, when I\nmet Inidor[a:] and Geness[a:]no I imagined them specimens of a race of\ngiants, and was surprised when I learned that they were of the average\nheight of Ento's Oriental and most other races. Sylvian's height is, I\nshould say, quite seven feet, but she is so symmetrically formed that\nshe appears a grandly beautiful woman. Our friends tell me----\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], positively you must defer further conversation,\nand I shall take it upon myself to see you safely landed on Earth.\nBernard, as your mother is quite exhausted, George and I will bear her\nhome, where ere now she should have arrived.\n\nGentola--Good-bye, dear son, good-bye until to-morrow.\n\nDe L'Ester--Yes, in interstellar space there are countless magnetic\ncurrents, each varying from others in their ever onward inconceivable\nvelocity, in never varying directions. This current on which, or rather\nin which, we are speeding to Earth is not one in which previously\nyou have journeyed, but which has speedily borne us within Earth's\natmosphere, and--again you are safe at home, where loving ones will\nguard you until we meet to-morrow.\n\nAdieu.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nCONCERNING THE ESKIMOS.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Madame, we offer you our warmest greetings, and are highly\ngratified to perceive that a night of profound sleep has quite restored\nyour exhausted vitality. We have felt somewhat solicitous as to the\nresult of yesterday's prolonged stay on Ento, and are delighted that\nyou have not suffered through our imprudence.\n\nGentola--I retired early and fell asleep immediately. This morning I\nfeel quite restored, and am ready for our starward journey.\n\nDe L'Ester--Then at once we will depart for Ento, where in the City of\nPalms, nearby the palm tree fountain, our friends will meet us. For a\nreason we shall remain there for perhaps an hour, and Von Humboldt will\nspeak to you in relation to a question you recently asked.\n\nGentola--Another question to which you kindly may reply, is, do Spirits\nreleased from the physical body find their perceptions greatly enlarged?\n\nDe L'Ester--Yes, if sufficiently unfolded to realize that they\nare on the Spirit side, and, alas, myriads of Spirits are not so\nunfolded. Spirits progressed to an advanced plane of Being, are so\nin harmony with the Infinite Mind, that they know all relating to\nthat plane, hence, in a sense, are partakers of that mind. But we\nnear Ento, and--yes, yonder swiftly revolving, tiny moons, Entol[a:]\nand Emantol[a:] are interesting objects, the more so as they are a\nterrible menace to Ento. Why? For the reason that some time, aye,\nat any time, one and the other will rush onto and rend the bosom of\nthe mother who gave them birth. At another time you will learn more\nconcerning those frisky satellites. Yonder near the fountain, our\nfriends are observing our arrival, and Inez and Bernard are coming to\nmeet us. Hail, hail, bright ones.\n\nBernard--Mother, dear, it makes me so happy to be by your side.\n\nGentola--And I, dear son, cannot express my joy that once again your\nstrong arms embrace me. Yes, from afar we saw you and this sweet sister\nInez approaching.\n\nDe L'Ester--Friends, we greet you all, and hope for favorable word from\nD[a:]o.\n\nInez--Within a half hour I have returned from a visit to Vallo[a:].\nSave that her vital energy gradually decreases, and her Spirit vision\ngrows clearer the situation is unchanged.\n\nDe L'Ester--Then while we await--I should say that we shall remain here\nfor an hour, and you, Von Humboldt, kindly will occupy the time by\nreplying to Gentol[a:]'s question of yesterday.\n\nVon Humboldt--Madame, in replying to your question, relating to a\nremark of mine, concerning a race of comparatively diminutive Entoans,\nI shall include other of your unanswered questions. The poles of\nPlanets inclined as are those of Ento and Earth receive comparatively\na small amount of solar heat, hence, the crust surrounding the poles\nof either newly formed Planet, cooled and thickened at an earlier\nperiod than did areas nearer their equators. In time the areas known\nto us as the north and south temperate zones of either Planet became\nfitted for the germination and habitations of earliest life-forms,\nwhich as you are aware first appeared in the tepid waters of the new\nworlds. Man, being a warm blooded animal, in early ages on either\nPlanet, his natural habitat was in their warmer divisions, which\nin the fullness of time became suited for the entertainment of the\nevolved, Spiritualized human, who through succeeding exigencies of\nexistence, has learned to adjust himself to manifold conditions which\nmay apply to the race under consideration who, since a remote time,\nhave occupied localities extending from the southern limit of Ento's\nsouth temperate zone, to near the south pole. Owing to the rigor\nof the climate, and their occupation of mining, their habitations,\nlike those of all Ento polar peoples, are subterranean and very\ncomfortable and attractive abodes they are. Climatic conditions\nsomewhat incline this race to an indulgence in flesh food, which with\nthe products of all lands, Air Transports abundantly supply them. The\nsummers of Ento's arctic and antarctic circles being, what may be\ntermed, phenomenally mild, in the spring the released waters of the\npolar regions teem with myriad life forms upon which the diminutive\nD[a:]hov[a:]s and their polar neighbors largely subsist. In those\nantarctic localities are vast deposits of precious and other minerals,\nand of various gems, all of which find disposition in the marts of the\nEnto world. Notwithstanding their inhospitable climatic surroundings,\nthe D[a:]hov[a:]s number some millions of educated, refined persons,\nwhose occupation in no way interferes with their social standing. The\nfair-skinned, blond-haired, blue-eyed persons whom frequently you have\nobserved were D[a:]hov[a:]s, who are greatly inclined to travel, the\nfacilities of Air Transportation encouraging them in their desire for\nchange of scene. Their average height is about six feet, and they are\na handsome featured and finely proportioned race. The average height\nof other fair-skinned Ento races is about six feet ten inches, which\nis quite one foot less than that of the dark-hued Orientals, of whom\nour friends, Inidor[a:] and Genessano are examples. Yes, it appears\nsingular that, though genial climes invite them elsewhere, humans\nsubmit themselves to such inhospitable environments; but, in their\naffairs force of circumstances and an inclination for certain pursuits\nor gains are forceful potencies. The natural tendency of the genus homo\nis away from, not toward, inclement regions, but through upheavals or\nsubsidences of portions of planets, or perhaps through the fortunes of\nwars, surviving peoples, in opposition to tendencies and desires, may\nbe compelled to submit to the unavoidable.\n\nYou have expressed surprise over the absence of social distinctions\namong the Entoans, who consider labor of whatever kind as elevating.\nVery properly they regard idleness as a species of crime against the\ncommon weal, and only when incapacitated, do either men or women cease\nto labor either with head or hands. They understand that all well\nbalanced minds require a certain amount of active occupation, and that\nidleness induces pernicious conduct. One of their aphorisms is, to\nlabor righteously is to emulate the example of the ever active Deific\nOnes, and I quite agree with them. If instead of the yearly expenditure\nof millions of money for the maintenance of armies of men engaged in\nmurdering each other, and for the erection and support of prisons,\nreformatories, almshouses and the like, Earth's several governments\nwould, as does the government of Ento, oblige every able-bodied man and\nwoman to engage in some useful occupation, how quickly would poverty,\ndegradation and discontent disappear and the wealth now worse than\nwasted would produce great and beneficent public utilities, would\nerect and maintain majestic institutions for the free education of\nall peoples, would supply elevating amusements for the masses, and\nalso would construct and maintain public baths, gymnasiums, excellent\nroadways, in short, all the admirable features of the civilization of\nEnto, which yet is but a promise of a higher, grander civilization of a\ncoming time.\n\nNo, we have not found any planet overpopulated. When sufficiently\nevolved, humans elevate the offices of paternity and maternity above\nthe merely animal plane; then children are not inconsiderately\nbegotten. You may not have observed that, in Ento families, seldom are\nthere more than four children; generally there are no more than two.\n\nYes, certainly, a period will arrive when Earth's peoples will have\nadvanced far beyond their present uncivilized condition. Really\ncivilized peoples do not murder each other, do not in any manner\nwilfully injure each other. Though one person's opinions may differ\nfrom those of another, civilized peoples do not, for that reason,\nfly at each other's throats. Everywhere civilized peoples do as they\nwish others to do unto them. So you may perceive that even Earth's\nmost advanced peoples have not wholly emerged from barbarism; no, not\neven those who pompously profess to follow the precepts of Earth's\nDivinest Teacher, the meek and lowly Nazarene, have arrived at a clear\nperception of what constitutes Christian or other civilization, else\nthey, too, would be so meek and lowly as to shrink from attempting\nto force upon others their very crude beliefs and superstitious\nobservances. Yes, like all freed spirits, I have found occasions to\nchange my views, and to endeavor to outgrow my errors.\n\nUnlooked for occurrences having brought about changes in our programme,\nfor the present we must forego the pleasure of showing you and Bernard\ncertain interesting portions of Ento's South Temperate and Antarctic\nregions; but we anticipate that this slight mention of some of the\ninhabitants of Antarctica may stimulate in you a desire for future\nexploration in their direction. I yet have some moments I may devote to\nyou.\n\nGentola--Then will you inform me as to the origin of the Eskimos and\nother polar races of our planet? Are they direct descendants of a\nprimitive ancestry.\n\nVon Humboldt--Neither the Eskimos or other polar peoples are _direct_\ndescendants of primitive man. Of course, all peoples, indirectly, are\ndescendants of early races, whose low, retreating foreheads, misshapen\nforms and features offered slight promise of evolvement into the\nshapely humans of to-day. Though the Eskimo is somewhat uncouth of\nform and feature, compared with primitive man he is a God. Are you\naware that when primitive men first essayed to walk erect they used\nas a means of support and for offense and defense, clubs, which to\nthis day are perpetuated in the staff or walking stick? As the feat of\nwalking erect is accomplished through a series of threatened falls and\naccomplished recoveries, primitive men do not in a day learn to walk\nunaided, and from the period when through infoldment of the Divine\nSpark man becomes a conscious, living soul, until unaided he walks\nerect, time may be reckoned by ages. Yes, in a sense, all humans are\ndescendants of primitive races, but so far removed from their primitive\nancestry, that the fact is unrealizable. No, madame, in no sense is\nthe human related to the anthropoidal races. Through environment\nand survival of the fittest, all life forms continuously evolve and\nre-evolve into higher expression, but man alone is capable of becoming\nSpiritualized. Constantly the positive law of evolution impels all\nlife forms onward and upward toward higher planes of existence; it is\nquite as true that the little less forceful negative law of degeneracy\nis a perpetual obstacle and menace to human advancement. By some of\nEarth's advanced thinkers these opposing laws are recognized, filling\ntheir minds with disquiet and apprehension for those who, besotted by\nthe love of power and luxury, are approaching the line of demarcation\nbetween progress and degeneracy.\n\nMadame, the Eskimos and other peoples of Earth's frigid regions are\ndescendants of races once of vast numbers, who, in an early age,\ninhabited _the then_ temperate northern and southern climes; but\nEarth's crust cooling, thickening and radiating an ever lessening\ndegree of internal heat, its great fiery heart could not perpetually\nvivify its extremities, and at the poles gradually ice and snow\naccumulated, the preponderant accumulation being at the North Pole.\nSlowly, but surely, human and animal races were impelled toward the\nequator, multiplying prodigiously, and warring upon each other with\nferocity indescribable. Your scientists have not yet declared the\ncertain existence of preglacial man, thus my assertion that Earth has\nexperienced two glacial horrors, and that previous to the last one the\ngenus homo was distributed over nearly all portions of the inhabitable\nglobe is not likely to be received as a conclusive statement, which\nhowever is a correct one. It also is true that the survivors of the\ncatastrophe were as mariners cast upon unknown shores, for they\nand other life forms experienced such a redistribution that your\nethnologists and naturalists are unable to solve some problems which,\non passing to the Spirit side, will be made plain to them. The remote\nprogenitors of the Eskimos and other peoples of the frigid north and\nsouth were survivors of the awful calamity which swept out of physical\nexistence entire races of humans and many species of animal and\nvegetable life. Gradually, through isolation and extreme privations,\nthe descendants of those remote ancestors experienced nearly arrested\nmental and physical development, and until comparatively a recent\nperiod, they were as lost members of the human family. Through\ninherited qualities and long usage they are so inured to their wretched\ncondition that to a degree they do not realize its discomforts; but\nsteadily advancing agencies are approaching their lands, and at a not\nvery remote period their _present_ inhabitants will have disappeared,\nand for the same reason that Ento's polar regions are, I may say, well\npopulated, ere long Earth's polar regions will sustain a large number\nof inhabitants.\n\nGentola--Sir, I thank you for your replies to my not very coherent\nquestions. You are aware that I have not been permitted to acquire\nsuch knowledge as would have unfitted my skeptical mind for the work\nin which we are engaged, but certainly I do not doubt the correctness\nof your statements. If the hour has not quite expired I should like to\nask----\n\nVon Humboldt--The hour has expired, and a pleasant surprise for you is\nat hand.\n\nGentola--Truly, sir, this is a pleasant surprise, and with my heart in\nmy hand I greet you. It has been a long time since you bade us adieu.\n\nHa-Moufi--Gentol[a:] \u0113man[a:], though absent in Spirit not so have I\nbeen in thought. And you, dear friends, how gladly I exchange with you\nloving embraces and words of kindliest greeting. You are aware that\nyour movements and events relating to the Mission are known in our\nand other Spirit Worlds, and anxious hearts and eager eyes hope and\nwatch for the success of the near culmination of the struggle between\nSpiritual and material forces. I have longed to be with you that I\nmight share with you the preparation for and the anticipation of the\napproaching Spiritual enlightenment of my people. Scarcely have I been\nable to restrain my impatience, and only that my duties as a teacher\nhave fully occupied my time, ere now I would have been with you. Now I\nrejoice to say that I shall be with you until the culmination of the\nMission. But where is Zenest[a:] H[a:]o? I had thought to find him with\nyou.\n\nDe L'Ester--I am pleased to say that soon he will join us, and also\nI desire to assure you that in again having you with us, our delight\nquite equals your own. Continually we have missed your genial presence\nand engaging conversation; so indeed you are more than welcome. Ere now\nZenest[a:] and Aaron Poole should have arrived; doubtless they soon\nwill appear. You have been informed that in the person of a gentle\ngirl Re-embodied on this Planet Inidor[a:] has found his other Self.\nFrequently Genessano visits them and gives favorable reports of their\nharmonious relations. When we shall be summoned to D[a:]o Inidor[a:],\ntoo, will join us.\n\nWhat can so delay Zenest[a:] and Poole? Even as I speak of our wingless\nAngels they are approaching, and as usual are as radiant and joyous as\ntwo Seraphs. Ah, you tardy ones, you have completely upset our plans.\nThrough your and Ha-Moufi's simultaneous arrival we had thought to\noverwhelm Gentol[a:].\n\nPoole--Should we offer the whys and wherefores of our late arrival you\nwould not find yourselves edified. So I shall only say that it was\nunavoidable. Gentol[a:], I am delighted to learn that your interest\nin these journeys from Earth to Ento and still more in our Mission\nof loving endeavor increases and also I am delighted to perceive\nthat your Psychic Senses are unfolding and that your vital energy\nis not yet greatly lessened, all of which rejoices all of us. From\nyour dearest ones in our Spirit World I bear to you fondest greetings\nand measureless love, which, with my own, I express in this embrace.\nBut tell me, my sister, have you at any time regretted having given\nyourself to this grand Mission?\n\nGentola--Indeed no. Not for a moment have I regretted that I have\nbeen chosen as an instrument through whom loving Spirits may bring\nto a sorrowful people the priceless knowledge of the continuity of\nexistence. It is true that such constant association with Spirits\nwho have outgrown the frailties common to the physical plane has not\nenhanced my enjoyment of mortal existence, in which I find myself so\npainfully sensitive that I shrink from much that previous to this\nexperience, scarcely, if at all, disturbed me. Still I do not regret\nhaving given myself to this service, for through it I have learned that\nI am my brothers' keeper, and that from this duty neither I or any\none can, if they would, escape. Having learned this lesson, I cannot,\nif I would, escape knowledge of the injustice, cruelty, ignorance and\ndegradation prevailing on our Sorrowful Star, and at thought of it my\nSoul grows faint. You assure me that through evolution Earth's immature\npeoples will, as have the Entoans, become elevated in their ideas of\nright, and I do not doubt it, but in the meantime one must lament the\nmiseries of to-day. Nearly all of Earth's peoples believe more or\nless in a continuity of existence, in Heaven, Hell or in some unknown\ncondition of rewards and punishments, yet neither that or any other\nbelief prevents them from persecuting and even killing each other. How\nthen is it that possessing neither a belief or a hope of continued\nexistence the Entoans are so far advanced in all that constitutes\na high standard of ethics, and is it thought that a knowledge of\ncontinuous existence will render them a more just or moral people?\n\nDe L'Ester--Observation of the peoples of various Planets, including\nEarth and Ento, leads us to the conclusion that religious beliefs\nexert but a very limited influence upon the inner life and conduct of\neither individuals or peoples, such limited influence being of a reflex\ncharacter. Certainly Spiritual ideals are the outgrowth of evolution of\nindividuals, and in a tardier degree of peoples, and are the natural\nsequences of the unfoldment of the infolded Soul. Morality is not a\ngrace of some mental process, but a Principle inherent in the Soul of\nman. It is the objective consciousness of subjective righteousness,\nand when the Soul and the Ego are in harmonious relation each with the\nother a high moral standard is the result. Spiritual ideals enunciated\nby such exalted men as Buddha, Jesus, Confucius and others, were, and\nyet are, in advance of the masses who do not comprehend them, and by\nsome who dimly catch their meaning they serve as ignes fatui with which\nthey mislead the minds of the ignorant. Here and there are those whose\nSouls are irradiated by the light of the Divine Spirit. These do not\nkill, or counsel murder of their brethren, neither do they steal, or\nlie, or indulge in the baser traits of the unevolved human, and in time\nall of Earth's children will so evolve that gladly they will practice\nEnto's golden rule, \"I will do unto my neighbor as I would have my\nneighbor do unto me.\"\n\nNo, simply a knowledge of the continuity of existence will not make\nthe Entoans juster or more moral, but it will bring to them happiness\nimmeasurable. They, as it were, now exist within a circle outside of\nwhich is nothing. No anticipated renewal of loving ties, no reunion\nwith parents, with children, with consorts or friends. Naught for the\ndead but perpetual Silence; naught for the living but hopeless longing\nfor the beloved dead, forever lost to sight, to touch, to all but\nundying memories and to measureless sorrow.\n\nYes, ancient Ento spirits have informed us that long antecedent to the\nestablishment of their religious system Ento's various races held\nvarious religious beliefs and violent religious differences were of\ncommon occurrence. Like the peoples of our own and other planets they\ncreated Gods on a level with their evolvement, and loyally fought for\ntheir supremacy, but at the time of the establishment of the national\nreligion this chaotic condition was regulated. The creeds of the\nvarious sects with their attendant legends, as far as practicable were\nharmonized and formulated, and thus the Sacred Writings, the Ento\nConfession of Faith, became the Sacred Law from which there was no\nappeal. These Sacred Writings contain many admirable lessons, but so\ninwrought with cruel Commandments, puerile conceptions and chimerical\nlegends, that during later centuries the evolved intelligence of\npriests and peoples gradually has brought about a tacit disuse of rites\nand ceremonials once strictly observed. The worst feature of these\nSacred Writings is the doctrine of utter annihilation of the Life\nPrinciple, inducing in the minds of the people the hopeless attitude\nof one ever walking in the shadows of death and despair, but having\noutgrown some of the worst features of their religion the Entoans now\nare prepared for still larger liberty of thought, and soon they will\nbe released from the bondage of ecclesiastical tyranny. Of course,\nthere are priestly zealots, who as far as they may dare, will oppose\nthe introduction of a new religion, but so overwhelming and universal\nis the desire for relief from their ever present despair that as\nthirsty travellers in a barren land eagerly the people will drink of\nthe life giving waters of hope and joy held to their lips by hands of\ntheir dear ones whom they had consigned to the Silence. Gentol[a:],\nyou little realize the joy that will fill your Soul when you shall\nbehold the smileless faces of the gentle Entoans irradiated through the\nconsciousness that like a worn garment the dread past has fallen away\nfrom them, and that from glorious Spirit Realms radiant Angels have\nproclaimed for them life, life, life forevermore, is the heritage of\nall of And\u00fbman[a:]'s children of Ento, and of countless worlds in space.\n\nNay, Gentol[a:], not another question, for inevitably soon we will be\ncalled to D[a:]o, so we must improve the hours remaining to us. There\nare features of this city that would interest you and Bernard but we\nmust defer the pleasure to a more opportune time. I now may say to you\nthat the approaching climax of our Mission will not at all end it, and\nalthough it will not be necessary that you shall continuously accompany\nus, emergencies are likely to arise in which your services will be\nof vital importance. At such times we may take advantage of your\npresence on the Planet to observe much that now we cannot even glance\nat. In pursuance of our plans we will survey other irrigated regions\nand adjacent waste lands, thus you and Bernard will acquire a general\nknowledge of a large portion of Ento.\n\nGentola--Do not make too much of my now seeing this or that. I am not\nover curious and can wait for times that may be more propitious for\nobserving whatever may be instructive or interesting.\n\nDe L'Ester--It is my opinion that curiosity is not strictly a feminine\ntrait. As for you, you are incurious to a fault. You would have been an\nadmirable Eve.\n\nGentola--I am not so sure of that, but certainly I never would have\nlooked at, much less have listened to such a monstrosity as a talking\nserpent.\n\nGeorge--Gentol[a:], Bernard is resolved to share with me the pleasure\nof assisting you. Dear boy, you grow so strong that I suspect you soon\nwill oust me altogether.\n\nBernard--I wish I were strong enough to assist you unaided, and,\nmother, dear, soon I shall be.\n\nDe L'Ester--If you two boys have arrived at a decision as to who shall\nassist our traveller, we will rise a little higher so as to gain a\nmore comprehensive view of this large and very beautiful city, which\nis one of the greatest manufacturing centres of Ento. Below us now is\nan extensive shipyard where are built and launched into that extensive\nBasin many of Ento's largest vessels; thence they find their ways\nthrough nearly all the navigable waters of the planet. Toward the\nsoutheast you may observe a series of large buildings. In them are\nconstructed Air Transports and various motor vehicles.\n\nAs you have seen many rich silken stuffs it may interest you to learn\nthat this city is the principal centre of Ento's silk industry. Those\nwide spreading groves, to which at times we have called your attention,\nafford sustenance for the myriads of cocoon producing worms, which,\nstructurally, are exactly like the silkworm of our Planet. Zenest[a:]\ninforms us that since very ancient times the silk industry has for the\nmost part been in the hands of certain peoples, and as an inheritance\nis transmitted from generation to generation of the same families who\nhave become experts in all pertaining to it. Dyeing processes are\nsimilar to some in use on Earth, though Ento chemists also produce\nexquisite dyes from atmospheric substances as yet unknown to chemists\nof our Planet, but during the coming century in this direction they\nwill make surprising discoveries.\n\nOn the further bank of the river, embowered amid great palmlike trees\nand other greenery is a group of imposing buildings, their white\nwalls and domed summits presenting a very picturesque and handsome\nappearance. George, we will approach them more nearly. Gentol[a:],\nin those commodious structures are housed all the homeless infirm\nand homeless aged persons of this province, and truly in the fullest\nsense possible it is a home, for the care of the inmates is regarded\nas a Sacred trust, and they receive every attention that love and a\nhigh sense of duty can suggest. You have been told that the Entoans\nregard life as the most precious of all possessions, and that it may\nbe prolonged to the utmost is their chiefest desire. Those who live\nto an unusual age are regarded as being specially favored by the God\nPhra (death), and they receive tenderest care and marked consideration.\nThis and like beneficent institutions are known as Ro\u00fbv[a:] n\u00fb Vastimo\nOdalliss[a:][a:]. Translated into your language this would mean home\nfor the fortunate. Zenest[a:] says that my translation is not quite\ncorrect. I should have said favored, not fortunate, ones.\n\nYes, I am aware that on our Planet, particularly among so termed\ncivilized peoples, there is small sympathy for such unfortunates as\nfill insane asylums. In such institutions we often witness fiendish\ncruelties perpetrated by semi-savage attendants upon helpless\nunfortunates. Cruelty in all its manifestations is the unerring\nindication of savagery, hence individuals or peoples who entertain low\nviews as to their duties toward the aged, the helpless and unfortunate\nare still in an unevolved state and of necessity upon entering the\nSpirit World will find themselves on a low plane of Being. As there is\nno escape from the consequences of one's acts, the fate of undutiful\nchildren, of unfaithful friends, of cruel and selfish guardians of\nthe poor and helpless is not an enviable one, for on the Spirit side,\nto their lasting regret they must learn the full meaning of _personal\natonement_.\n\nIn every province are Ro\u00fbv[a:] n\u00fb Vastimo Odalliss[a:][a:], and nowhere\non Ento is one man, woman or child homeless or without ample care and\nkindliest protection.\n\nWhat a glorious day this is. The atmosphere is vibrant with life giving\nforces and how grand it is to be conscious of one's existence and of\nthe ever unfolding capabilities inherent in the ego. At thought of it\nmy exultation is beyond expression.\n\nGentol[a:], is not the view wonderfully fine? The engineering skill\nwhich has so perfected the vast Irrigating and Waterways System in\nitself is marvellous, all the more so when one considers the peculiar\ndifficulties encountered and surmounted. See that huge vessel coming\nso swiftly from the northeast. Consider the enormous energy of the\nmotive power impelling it through the quiet Waterway at a rate of speed\nunattained by the swiftest ocean steamers of our Planet.\n\nGentola--Certainly such results of applied electricity and of vibratory\nforce are amazing, and while observing vessels great and small rushing\nalong at what to me appears dangerous speed, continually I anticipate\naccidents, which thus far have not occurred. Transports, too, traverse\nthe air apparently as secure as birds on wing, and great trains of\nTuzamos, at a speed that to me is appalling, come and go without\nexciting more than passing attention.\n\nDe L'Ester--Naturally these features must impress you, but at this time\nI cannot more than repeat that the speed and movements of all vessels\nand other conveyances are carefully regulated, and that the Entoans\nregard it as a supreme duty to guard from injury themselves and others.\n\nGeorge, that we may afford our travellers a view of W[a:]n[a:] Vinost\u00fb\nyar\u00fb (expiatory fire fountain) we will move toward the northeast.\nWe are nearing the phenomenal marvel from which clouds of steam are\nrising and violently swirling as they are dissipated in the atmosphere.\nSunbeams falling athwart the vaporous clouds tint them with rainbow\nhues, and like those of a kaleidoscope, ever the shapes are changing\ninto new forms of loveliness. Now we perceive a boiling, bubbling\nlake, at intervals pulsing upward, upward to the rim of the massive\nstone wall inclosing it, and now slowly it subsides to again and again\nrepeat the singular movement. Once the basin of the lake was an active\nvolcano, but through a seismic convulsion an underground channel was\nopened between it and a large spring fed lake whose volume of water\npoured into the crater, whose ever lessening diameter is little more\nthan a mile, but whose depth is so incredible that I hesitate to state\nit. Von Humboldt, will you further inform us concerning this expression\nof nature's ever surpassing handiwork?\n\nVon Humboldt--Soon after entering the Spirit World I became acquainted\nwith Lief Bjornson, a learned Norwegian, who informed me that\nfrequently he had visited this Planet, and that with some ancient\nEnto Spirits he had thoroughly explored it. Also, he informed me that\namong other interesting features of Ento, near the northern boundary\nof the Irrigating and Waterways System, there was a hot water lake\nwhich periodically overflowed, occasioning engineers and laborers much\nannoyance and destroying all adjacent vegetation. Later on he again\nvisited the locality and found the lake inclosed within a substantial\nwall of masonry. Through these ancient Spirits he learned that the\nconvulsion which converted an active volcano into a hot water lake\noccurred long previous to the centralization of Ento's Government and\nthe Establishment of the National Religion. My natural tendencies\naugmenting my curiosity I took advantage of a recent visit to the\nPlanet to investigate the phenomenon. The diameter of the nearly\ncircular lake is, as De L'Ester has said, a little over one mile, its\ndepth varying with the flow and ebb of its volume of boiling water,\nwhich at regular intervals sinks downward, downward, until to mortal\nvision it becomes imperceptible. During the day the pulsating lake\nis at flood, but with the decline of the Sun it ebbs downward, and\ntwilight falls over an abyss whose depth more than equals its diameter.\nAs I with my Ento friends hovered over the emptied crater, listening\nto the strangely uncanny noises far down in its depths we felt no\nsense of surprise that in ancient as in modern times the Entoans have\nshunned the lake, believing it tenanted by offending Gods, condemned by\nAnd\u00fbman[a:] to dwell there as an expiation of some misdemeanor. Will\nour friend Hugh Miller, who has examined the geological formation of\nthis locality, give to us the result of his observations?\n\nHugh Miller--We are aware that on Ento, as on other Planets volcanic\nactivities afford a vent for the surplusage of interior energies, which\never are more or less phenomenal, but as I must confine myself to our\npresent subject, I only shall say that a personal examination of this\nlocality assured me and those accompanying me, that in a remote age\nin this and the adjacent region a volcanic group existed, which as\nEnto's interior heat lessened, became inactive and at length this, the\ngreatest of the group, alone remained intermittently active, and at the\ntime of the seismic convulsion this was its condition. To explain its\npresent phenomenal features would consume more time than we can afford,\nbut on some other occasion, if desirable, I may do so. I, however,\nmay say that the energies which have levelled the once elevated cone\nof this crater have obliterated all surface traces of its lesser\nneighbors, whose location only Spirit vision perceives. Where was the\nspring fed lake? At no great distance northward, and its extent was\nfrom north to south about thirty miles, from east to west quite twenty\nmiles.\n\nGentola--I am greatly interested in this peculiar scene, and in what\nhas been said concerning it. I cannot conceive of a more beautiful\nspectacle of its kind, and I can liken those volumes of heaving,\nswirling, tumultuous, iridescent vapor to nothing but an enormous\nfountain of all manner of jewels, tossed hither and thither in\nbewildering confusion.\n\nGeorge--Well said, well said, Gentol[a:]. Your simile is so well\nchosen, that not even my brilliant imagination is equal to conjuring\nup a fitter one. Beauteous wonder, may time touch thee so lightly that\nwhen centuries hence we again may gaze on thee not one of thy jewels\nshall be missing.\n\nDe L'Ester--Bravo, bravo, George. Now we all are convinced that the\nquality of your imagination and the quantity of your modesty are\nequally balanced, and altogether admirable. Our chaffing at an end we\nnow will move southward, then eastward. Higher, George, still higher,\nso that we may obtain the widest view possible of the underlying\nregions and of Fondor\u00fbveh, which soon will come under our observation.\nFondor\u00fbveh (named after its founder, Tamon Fondor\u00fbveh) contains\nabout two hundred thousand inhabitants and possesses some of the\nlargest chemical works on Ento in which are prepared great quantities\nof condensed foods, the product of grains, fruits, vegetables and\natmospheric substances. That statement need not so surprise you, as\nsome of your scientists are of the opinion that your atmosphere holds\nall the elements composing your varied food supply, and in time Earth's\nchemists will learn, as the Entoans have learned, how to utilize these\nelements, thus greatly simplifying domestic cares, and adding to the\ngeneral welfare of the peoples. No, the Entoans do not adulterate their\nfood supplies. They are not given to taking or administering poisons\nunder another name.\n\nYes, these regions present a sameness of landscape, yet once the\nsurface was as varied as is the larger portion of our Planet. The same\nforces that have levelled the surface of Ento gradually are levelling\nthe great snow crowned mountain chains of Earth. The towering Alps,\nthe vast mystery laden Himalayas, the tremendous Sierras, to mortal\nmind appear as indestructible as the globe itself, yet during every\npassing moment their disintegrated particles, through the agencies of\nmelting snows, of rains, or of tempestuous winds are being borne to all\nparts of the ever changing surface of Earth. The existence of a Planet\nbeing of such inconceivable duration, the passing of a thousand years\nis as the passage of a fleecy cloud across the sky, leaving no traces\nof its vanished loveliness. Ten thousand years hence the appearance\nof Earth's great mountain chains will not have perceptibly changed,\nyet their disintegrated particles will have filled depressions, raised\nthe beds of oceans and of lakes and changed the courses of all flowing\nwaters, and inevitably a period will arrive when the surface of Earth\nwill be as monotonously level as is the surface of the lands over which\nwe now are passing. Ere the arrival of that distant period our globe\nwill have lost much of its interior heat and the temperature of the\natmosphere will have become perceptibly lowered, then our equatorial\nregions having lost their torrid heat will offer the highest conditions\nfor the further progress of the already greatly evolved peoples and\nwill become Centres of Civilization of which they now have but an\nindefinite conception. From these Centres will radiate the accumulated\nknowledge of ages, and as do the Entoans, the peoples will understand\nthat though knowledge is power, it may be made to serve evil purposes,\nbut that wisdom, the fadeless flower of Soul culture, ever is Divinely\nbeneficent.\n\nGentol[a:], we all are conscious that our reiterated instruction may,\nto you, become tiresome, but through this process you now possess\na comprehensive idea of the social conditions of the Entoans, of\ntheir high ethical standards, of their universal prosperity, of their\nadvanced knowledge concerning such sciences as their religion has\npermitted them to investigate, of their admirable proficiency in\nthe various arts, and of their exceedingly lofty conception of the\nlove principle which permeates their entire being, rendering them so\nunselfish, so ready to serve each other, so devoted to righteous deeds,\nthat indeed they have entered the Kingdom of Good.\n\nFor the present we will turn our attention in another direction,\nfor yonder is Fondor\u00fbveh, extending eastward to the boundary line\nbetween this province, H[a:] M\u00fbyen and that named Effondelus[a:].\nFondor\u00fbveh is to Camariss[a:] nearly an antipodal city, for since we\nleft Camariss[a:], though we have afforded you a comprehensive view of\nthe Equatorial and the North and partly of the South Temperate zones,\nwe constantly have been tending eastward a distance of more than five\nthousand miles, and now we are nearing the present terminus of the\nIrrigating and Waterways System. We do not consider it expedient to\nalight in Fondor\u00fbveh, but we will pass over it slowly so that you and\nour lad may perceive its extent, and most noticeable architectural and\nother features. Like those of most Ento cities its principal streets\nare provided with Waterways, on which we perceive numerous small\npassenger or ware laden boats passing to and fro, and, as is usual,\non either side of the Waterways are wide, well paved streets for the\naccommodation of pedestrians and motor vehicles. Yes, the scene is\nanimated and attractive and we regret that our time is too limited for\nthe present to more than glance over the quite modern city. It now is\nhigh noon, and should we enter yonder beautiful Temple we would behold\na multitude of worshippers engaged in adoration of And\u00fbman[a:], the\nSupreme One. Yes, we have been in it and in all other fine structures\nof Ento.\n\nI have mentioned that Fondor\u00fbveh is quite a modern city, but deep down\nunder its foundation are the ruins of what in ancient times was a more\nextensive, populous and affluent Fondor\u00fbveh. Centuries antecedent to\nthe inauguration of the Irrigating and Waterways System, the increasing\naridity of this region obliged the rural, and in time the urban\npopulation to emigrate elsewhere, and finally the ancient Fondor\u00fbveh\nwas abandoned and gradually felt into ruinous decay, and in time the\nannual floods and tempestuous winds buried its crumbling structures\nunder masses of d\u00e9bris or shifting sands. From the inception of the\ngreat work the system has progressed without cessation and nearly half\na century ago its beneficent arms bore to this then desert region\nabounding life expressions and prosperous conditions. This locality\noffering special advantages enterprising persons conceived the idea\nof using the site of the ancient buried city as a foundation for\nthe new Fondor\u00fbveh, which is in evidence in all the glory of modern\narchitecture and modern appliances. Could the ancient ruins exchange\nsentiments, what a shaking of heads and raising of eyebrows would\nensue. Almost, one can fancy them sighing over the glories of the\npast, the degeneracy of the present, and the uncertain future of the\npresumptuous young upstart so serenely sitting on the ruins of its\nbetters.\n\nNow we will move on. Almost suddenly the scenery is changing. The\ncountry on our right and left grows a little more broken and away\nsouthward are some low hills, the vestiges of former mountainous\nelevations, curving in an eastward course until they are lost in the\ndistance. The entire region wears an appearance of newness, and its\nmany pretty towns, villages and country estates dotting its irrigated\nand now fertile fields renders it more picturesque and pleasing than\nthe exceedingly level lands we recently have observed. A few more years\nwill bring to greater maturity much that is in an incomplete state, and\ntrees and shrubs and glowing blooms will make of this recently desert\ncountry a veritable paradise, populated by a happy and prosperous\npeople.\n\nBefore reaching the eastern terminus of the System I will inform you\nthat the Waterway to our left, having reached a certain locality\nits further progress was stayed by two peculiar barriers which have\noccasioned a prodigious outlay of time, energy and means. For a time\nengineers thought them nearly impregnable, but chemistry coming to\ntheir aid with explosives of tremendous energy, the work of demolition\nbegan, and so successfully has it proceeded that ere long through\nboth barriers the Kemin[a:] Lois[a:]vaon (central waterway) will find\npassageway eastward. Now we will stay our flight and you will tell us\nwhat you see.\n\nGentola--I see quite an extensive oval lake inclosed by a great wall\nwhose inner surface is so smooth as to present a peculiar appearance.\nAt its southern extremity is a mountainous mass, and from there the\nheight of the wall decreases until at its northern limit it is only\nslightly above the level of the water, which is as unruffled as the\nface of a mirror. On both the western and eastern sides of the lake\nmany men are engaged in drilling and blasting wide passageways through\nthe walls and the work appears to be nearing completion. Also I see\ntrains of tramway cars bearing away the d\u00e9bris, which does not resemble\nordinary stone. Nearby is quite a village of wooden structures and\ntents, which I presume are occupied by laborers and others engaged in\nthe destruction of the wall. On the Irrigating Canals small boats are\ncoming or going as silently as though steersmen and passengers may be\ndeaf and dumb. These Entoans are such silent folk that they impress me\nwith a sense of sadness. An Air Transport is coming from toward the\neast, and--see, see, its passengers are throwing flowers down to the\nworkmen and are calling, \"Loh[a:]\u00fb, loh[a:]\u00fb, \u0113manos.\" What a strange,\nstrange scene. I wish some of our Earth folk might witness it, for\nshould I tell of it I fear that no one would credit my story.\n\nDe L'Ester--Be not disturbed; fulfill the Mission for whose\naccomplishment you returned into mortal existence, and leave to coming\nyears and enlightened minds a justification of what you and we know to\nbe a simple statement of facts. Yes, the material composing the wall of\nthe lake is somewhat peculiar. During some early age of the Planet one\nof its satellites, unable to resist the attractive force of its parent,\nwith tremendous impetus and in a state of high incandescence, rushed\non to its surface, striking it at a low angle and plowing deeply into\nits bosom. In its furious progress it distributed its molten matter in\nthe form of a deep oval basin, until its energy, and largely its volume\nbeing spent, its career ended in the deposition of the mountainous mass\nyou have observed. Yes, the constituents of all Celestial bodies are\nthe same, and when suddenly reduced from a state of high incandescence\nto a condition of solidity a sort of vitrefaction results, and that is\nwhat occurred to Ento's satellite when in such hot haste it returned to\nthe bosom of its parent.\n\nYour conjecture is correct, for soon the passageway through both walls\nwill be completed, and ere long vessels will be crossing to the further\nside of the lake beyond which the system steadily is progressing.\n\nGentola--I should like to witness the opening of the Waterway. I\nimagine that it will be a fine spectacle to see great vessels rushing\nthrough the wide gateway into the lake.\n\nDe L'Ester--Without doubt it will be a stirring occasion, but it will\nnot occur previous to the culmination of our Mission. However we\npromise you that, conditions being propitious, in a body we will come\nto escort you hither to witness the entrance of the first great vessel\ninto the placid water of Etzoin[a:] Lois[a:] (placid water). We now\nwill proceed to view the vitreous mass at its southern extremity, which\nwill remain a perpetual evidence of a not unusual disaster. Planets\nin their earlier formative processes throw off into space masses of\nmatter of greater or lesser magnitude. When the projective energy is\nnot forceful enough to hurl them sufficiently beyond the attractive\nenergy of the planet, quickly they are drawn back, and within its body,\notherwise they become small globes, and through specific conditions and\nactivities for an indefinite length of time they serve as satellites.\nIn this instance the indications are that the disaster occurred while\nyet the crust of Ento was comparatively thin, and certainly previous to\nthe appearance of organized life forms, consequently no serious results\ncould have ensued. What the dimensions of the satellite were we cannot\ncertainly say, but from a careful estimate we conclude that its bulk\nwas about equal to that of Ementol[a:]. We do not consider it desirable\nto at this time enter into details, but I may say that the basin of the\nlake is little less than seventeen miles long and a little over eleven\nmiles wide.\n\nGentola--You say that the disaster which resulted in the formation of\nthe basin and this great vitreous mass is not an unusual one; if then\nit might be possible for Entol[a:] and Ementol[a:] to some time suffer\na like disaster, would they in their flight through space and at the\nmoment of impact with the Planet be in a molten condition?\n\nDe L'Ester--Your question is very apropos, and Bruno shall have the\npleasure of replying to it.\n\nBruno--Thanks for your consideration. Gentol[a:], you may remember that\nonce on our way to Ento we, in compliance with your desire, alighted on\nEntol[a:]. You then learned that ages ago the swiftly revolving moon\nbecame a cold body and that neither it or its sister satellite had\never sustained organic life forms. Your supposition as to a possible\ncontingency is, I regret to say, a fact so inevitable that it is not an\nagreeable one to contemplate. As planets age they grow more magnetic\nand a time will arrive when Ento's attractive force will draw to its\nbosom one after the other its two satellites in a molten state. At what\nperiod these catastrophes may occur no one can certainly determine, but\nthey will occur.\n\nActivities of the universe may be likened to \"the mills of the\nGods.\" Slowly but surely, with absolute accuracy, they each to all\nothers adjust themselves, thus no displacement of substance ever\ncreates a vacuum. Thus it occurs that the activities concerned in the\ncertain displacement and destruction of Entol[a:] and Ementol[a:]\nare so precise, so minute, so incalculably tardy that the period of\nculmination of the energy which will force them from their orbits is\nnot cognizable save by the Infinite Mind, but when the momentous period\nshall arrive the inner satellite will plunge onto Ento's surface with\nnecessarily disastrous consequences, much depending upon the locality\nof its impact. No, it will not destroy the Planet, but it will jar it\nto its very centre. Ementol[a:], the outer satellite, being the smaller\none, possibly, nay probably, may first suffer extinction, but of course\nthat is a matter of conjecture. Have I made my reply intelligible?\n\nGentola--Quite so, but I rather regret having asked the question to\nwhich you so satisfactorily have replied. Why? Well, I like to regard\nGod as all knowing, all powerful, and wholly beneficent. Possessing\nsuch attributes, naturally one asks, why does He permit such disasters\nto occur? Spirits freed from the environments of the physical plane,\nwith senses quickened to a degree that mortals cannot comprehend,\nmay adjust themselves to occurrences and conditions which to me are\ndeplorable and terrifying, for I confess that I shrink aghast from a\ncontemplation of some of the effects of what science terms natural law,\nback of which it would seem there must be a Lawmaker who arbitrarily\nadjusts all things, both good and evil. Tell me, friends, have you\nbecome so reconciled to the apparently unequal relation between the\ncreator and the created, that unreservedly you can say, \"Whatever is\nis right?\" For instance, should Entol[a:] and Ementol[a:], through\nthe activity of natural Law, be forced from their orbits and onto the\nplanet, with such attendant horrors as appalls one to think of, would\nyou then say, \"Whatever is is right?\" Cognizant as you are of the\ncataclysms, earthquakes, destructive storms, wars and other frightful\nevents occurring on Ento, on Earth and on other planets, can you\ncandidly say, \"Whatever is is right?\"\n\nDe L'Ester--You are too deeply moved. I pray you to tranquillize\nyourself, else we cannot hold you, and you may suffer injury.\nBelieve me, believe us, when, as now, we declare that in our Spirit\nconsciousness only a recognition of good is possible. Conscious mortal\nmind is unable to perceive beyond the plane of mortal being; only the\nsubconscious or Spirit Self rises to the height of real perception.\nAlthough now you are partly freed from physical influences, you yet\nare held on the plane of mortal being, and cannot comprehend that\nwhich Spiritually you but dimly perceive. Although Spiritually you\nrealize that the Infinite All Pervading One is wholly good, your\nmortal consciousness is so dominant that, like all mortals, you yet\nare seeking the _shadows_ of physical demonstrations and are slow\nto comprehend that the activities of the Universe are harmonious\nrealities, working through intelligent means, toward intelligent ends,\nand that ever the ends are Good, for Evil, per se, does not exist.\nAlong all lines progress, like the fabled phoenix, rises from the ashes\nof consumed ignorant conceptions concerning Spirits, and out of seeming\nevils positive good emerges. Only conscious mortal mind fears death\nand disaster. Like an armed warrior it stands at the entrance of the\ncitadel of mortal existence, challenging all invaders. It is the Human\nSoul arrayed against intangible, supposable foes, who ofttimes are\nunrecognized friends.\n\nTo freed spirits, aware of their indestructibility, and of their\ninherent tendency toward ever ascending planes of progression, the ever\nchanging conditions of substance are of but slight moment. Only through\ntheir loving sympathy for their suffering or terrified brethren of the\nphysical plane do they experience special regret over the occurrence\nof physical disasters. So assured are we that out of apparent evil\nonly good, or what is the same, higher conditions must result, that in\nall sincerity, unitedly we declare that not only do we believe, but we\nrealize, that whatever is is right.\n\nWe perceive that you do not wholly agree with our conclusions, but\ntime will not end to-morrow, and you may change your mind. Also we\nperceive that your natural love of life inclines you to cling to\nmortal conditions, and that is well, for your experiences yet lack\ncompleteness. But be assured that when the change termed death shall\ncome to you you will be undismayed, and in our Spirit World, with\nserenity you will regard the dreamlike memories of your past terrors\nand dread anticipations. With unquestioning trust you then will realize\nthat the Infinite Intelligent Energy is only good.\n\nAs from the apex of this mountainous mass we gaze across the expanse\nof the lake in whose quiet depths are mirrored the azure sky and snowy\nclouds, it is difficult to realize that in a bygone age suddenly the\nsurface of the Planet was rent asunder and in the rift a molten moon\nmolded itself into a convex basin, in whose rim and bottom, during\ncooling and contraction great crevices opened through which annual\nfloods have poured and perennial springs have welled up from their\ndepths, thus affording an unfailing supply of clear, cold, delicious\nwater. No, the eastern wall of the lake will not be wholly pierced\nuntil the System shall be prepared to receive the outflowing water, and\nthat will be later than the culmination of our Mission. To the Entoans\nthis lake ever has been a mystery. Were they learned in astronomy they\nof course would understand its origin.\n\nFrom its eastern wall onward around the planet to the western shore of\nIndolois[a:], the lands of this Torrid zone generally are so arid as to\nbe altogether infertile. At intervals there are limited oases where,\nthrough natural or other means, the soil is sufficiently moist to admit\nof cultivation. The inhabitants, through air transportation, enjoy\ncommunication and association with other peoples.\n\nIn our progress eastward we will cross several low mountain ranges, a\nnumber of lakes and some inconsiderable streams flowing from the north\nand losing themselves in the oases of which I have spoken, and soon\nwe will near a rather extensive lake on whose northeastern shore is a\ncity of about three hundred thousand inhabitants. Its name Ro\u00fbv[a:]\n(favored) probably was chosen because it is favored by an abundant\nwater supply. But I shall not further anticipate what presently you\nwill have the pleasure of observing.\n\nThis seems an opportune time to inform you that this morning, previous\nto our coming for you, we visited D[a:]o, finding all things relating\nto our Mission indicating a successful issue. Vallo[a:], pallid as a\nwhite lily, is as a bird poised for flight, her senses so marvellously\nquickened that she perceives and converses with the radiant ones\nsurrounding her. Dano, too, unfolds surprisingly, and eagerly,\nanxiously awaits the fulfillment of your promise to be with him in his\nhour of supremest trial. Through grief over the certainty that his\nidolized child nears the end of her young life, Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] is\nwellnigh prostrated. Only through the dawning hope of again finding his\nadored daughter, the wife of his youth, and other dear ones, is his\ndespair a little lessened, and bravely he smiles into the troubled eyes\nand wan, lovely face that soon will wear the reposeful smile of the\ndead.\n\nNow, friends, we must attend to material affairs. The region over which\nwe are passing is a reminder of an American desert, minus a fauna\nand flora, of which there is no indication, but when the beneficent\nsystem shall have watered its parched soil all that will be changed.\nGentol[a:], you perceive that away northward and southward there are\nirrigated tracts, made possible through immense reservoirs which\nthe annual floods fill to repletion, and which with the addition of\noccasional showers, suffices to moisten the thirsty lands. Also there\nare deep wells which supply water for domestic and other purposes.\nCertainly the general Government spares neither expense or labor for\nthe protection of those engaged in the conflict with such adverse\nforces. Yes, doubtless, in time, the System will reclaim Ento's entire\nwaste lands, and again the equatorial regions will become the most\nfertile and populous portions of the planet.\n\nFor the reason that the waste over which we have passed offers little\nto either instruct or interest you or our dear lad, Bernard, we have\njourneyed rather hurriedly. For the scientist, deep under its surface\nthere are treasures untold. Histories of races so ancient that neither\nrecord or legend hints of who or what has been buried there. No trump\nof Angel ever will awaken to animation the ashes of peoples who ages\nago lived and loved upon the highlands and amid the verdant vales of\nthe long since levelled lands, but as no atom of the universe can go\nastray or cease to be, somewhere those ancient ones yet are living,\nloving and filling their allotted places among the countless myriads of\nthe children of the Infinite Father, Mother God.\n\nBefore us, gleaming in the sunlight, is H\u00fbnd[a:]ffon (name of\nAnd\u00fbman[a:]'s cup bearer) and lining its northwestern shore and gracing\nits slightly rising background is Ro\u00fbv[a:] Tyl\u00fb, one of Ento's ancient\ncities. We will alight on yonder lofty Temple dome, near the centre of\nthe city.\n\nGeorge--Although previously I have passed this way, I have not\nlooked through this antiquated city, so with your approval, friends,\nGenessano, Bernard and I will make a hurried exploration of its\nhighways and byways.\n\nDe L'Ester--Your pleasure is ours, and you, Zenest[a:], who are so\nwell versed in the histories of Ento's ancient and modern cities, will\nkindly relate whatever you may know of Ro\u00fbv[a:].\n\nZenesta Hao--With somewhat of pleasure and somewhat of sadness I shall\ncomply with your request. It may surprise you to learn that this city\nwas the home of my parents and also my home during a portion of my\nlast Re-embodiment. You who understand the Law know that in referring\nto my parents I mean those through whom I last was reborn into mortal\nexistence, and who were a newly wedded pair, wealthy, cultivated and\npossessed of virtues of an exalted nature. See you yonder stately\ndwelling nearby whose portals a fountain throws into the air its\nsilvery spray? In that dwelling the Angels of the Visitation found for\nme suitable environments for my rebirth, and when I grew self-conscious\nI found myself cradled on the bosom and gazing into the eyes of the\nloveliest and gentlest of women. As an infant thinks, so thought I of\na wonderful past existence, but I looked into my mother's lovelit eyes\nand I forgot, I forgot. Soon for me was naught but a blessed present,\nthe present of my mother's caresses, the present when from her fair\nbreasts I drew into my life a part of her life, and the days passed,\nand as other children unfold, so did I until three birth anniversaries\nhad marked the passing years of my mortal existence, then an awful\nshadow began to creep over our threshold. My lovely, gentle mother,\nwho, from the time of my birth, had not been strong, rapidly grew\nweaker, and my father, in an agony of grief and terror scarcely left\nher side. As memory recalls that sorrowful time, I see the look of fear\nand despair in my mother's eyes, and I hear her pathetic appeals to\nthe physicians, to my father, to save her life, to hold her fast, lest\ndeath might tear her from her husband, from her child, but the shadow\ncrept nearer, ever nearer, and child as I was, her prayers for succor,\nand my father's moans and sobbing cries to And\u00fbman[a:], to Phr[a:], to\nthe Gods to save the dear life so surely ebbing away, filled me with\nterror indescribable.\n\nAt the last my father sought to keep me away from the closing scene\nof my mother's life, but with the depth and tenacity of a mother's\nlove she held me close within one arm and with the other she drew my\nfather's face to hers, and her breathing grew fainter, fainter, and\nafter a little ceased and there was Silence, and the dear arms relaxed\ntheir caress, the throbbing heart-beats were stilled, and in affright\nI raised my head from my mother's breast to look into her pallid face\non which the calm of death was resting. In terror I reached out my\narms, crying, \"Father! father!\" No answer came to my cries, but a\nmoment later alarmed attendants hurried into the apartment and lifted\nme from my dead mother's breast. As they bore me away some one raised\nmy father's head, and on his face, too, was the calm of death, and from\nhis lips a crimson stream fell upon my mother's white robe.\n\nPardon me, friends, I had not meant to sadden you, or to wet my own\neyes with infrequent tears over the memories of a bygone time.\n\nAfter the untimely death of my parents I was cared for by my father's\nbrother until, as a pupil, I was placed in the Galar\u0113s[a:] of\nCamariss[a:], which, I may say, thereafter was my home until I joined\nmy dear ones in our Spirit Realms. Your sympathetic expressions assure\nme that I have not too greatly presumed in offering this recital of\nmy earliest days, recalled through viewing remembered scenes of my\nchildhood and of later years.\n\nNow I will hasten to acquaint you with a condensed history of this\nreally ancient city. Fourteen Ento centuries ago Ro\u00fbv[a:] was a\nrich and very populous city, situated on ground so elevated as to\nafford an extended view of the expanse of H\u00fbndaffon and somewhat of\nthe lands beyond its further shore. A reliable historian of that\nperiod says: \"From some very ancient writings in my possession I have\nlearned that in remote times the region north of Ro\u00fbv[a:] was broken\nby mountainous elevations and vales through which tumultuous streams\nfound their way into Lois[a:] H\u00fbndaffon, which in the spring season\noverflowed its banks to the great detriment of contiguous low lying\nlands.\" The historian to whom I have alluded was Lotis Oovan Issillo,\nwhose Writings are considered standards of excellence. Of the ancient\nWritings of which he makes mention no trace remains, but through\nancient Ento Spirits we know that their statements were correct. During\nthe passing centuries unfavoring conditions have greatly changed\nRo\u00fbv[a:], which retains but slight traces of its ancient greatness.\nStill it is an attractive and quite prosperous city.\n\nH\u00fbndaffon is about thirty English miles long and quite twenty miles\nwide. Through continuous dredging its depth of about two hundred feet\nis maintained, and largely it furnishes irrigation for certain low\nsouth lands, and affords carriage for various craft plying between\nRo\u00fbv[a:] and villages along its shores. Toward the northwest we\nperceive a very considerable river pouring its sparkling waters into\nthe lake, the fine bridge spanning it affording communication between\nthe two divisions of the city. This river, which now is the only stream\nof importance flowing into H\u00fbndaffon, is known as Som\u00fb-ikaton (Blessing\nRiver). It rises in the far north, and truly it is appropriately named,\nfor its life giving water supplies ample irrigation for the lands\nlying along its length, from which agricultural and other communities\nderive sustenance. Along its shores are towns and villages in which\nare excellent schools, libraries, temples and other features for the\nadvancement and enjoyment of highly cultivated communities. From\nLois[a:] H\u00fbndaffon northward the river has been deepened and widened,\nculminating at its head in an immense reservoir, which we have learned\nis to be increased to twice its present dimensions. The river, too, is\nto be further deepened and widened, that it may afford carriage for\nvessels of large tonnage. During the efficient Administration of Omanos\nF\u00fbnh[a:] many extensive reservoirs have been constructed and flowing\nstreams deepened and widened, the growing needs of the people demanding\nthe exercise of all possible means favoring their natural, therefore\njust, requirements. You are aware that Ento's entire Public Works\nare owned and maintained by the General Government, thus abuses of\nprivileges, consequently of peoples, are avoided, and so energetically\nis the construction of the Waterways and Irrigating System being\nexecuted that ere long Ento will experience a degree of prosperity\ngreater than at any time during the history of the Planet. Then, too,\nknowledge of the coming new religion will usher in universal happiness\nwhere now is universal sadness.\n\nYou express surprise at the stupendous excavations that have been\nand now are being made on Ento. Generally one ceases to wonder at an\naccomplished fact, so I perhaps cannot quite appreciate your state\nof mind, my last rebirth having occurred long after such excavations\nhad become a common feature of Ento. Many centuries previous to the\ninception of the System, through the agencies of scientific appliances,\nexcavations of Ento's light, porous soil were easily accomplished. To\nrender them watertight was the greatest embarrassment, but through the\nformation of a conglomerate cement for linings of reservoirs, canals\nand the like science arranged that difficulty. The great Waterways\nalso are lined with a combination of cement and stone, the exceeding\nporosity of the soil requiring it.\n\nI now will conclude my reminiscences associated with Ro\u00fbv[a:]. During\nmy youth and later years at intervals I returned to my old home to\nattend to such interests as I had inherited from my parents, but at\nlength age and infirmity disinclining me for further journeyings, in a\nmanner agreeable to my sense of justice I disposed of my possessions\nand as I then thought bade a last farewell to Ro\u00fbv[a:]. Since then it\nappears to have but slightly changed, yet I doubt not ere long it shall\nfind itself within the hospitable embrace of the System, it will so\nrejuvenate itself as to again become one of the foremost cities of Ento.\n\nDe L'Ester--For having afforded us an interesting half hour we are\nyour debtors. Certainly it is a surprise to learn that in this city\nyour last rebirth occurred, and that in yonder stately Kinos draped\nresidence your earliest Ento experiences came to you. Since we all at\none time or another have tasted of the sweets of joy and the bitterness\nof sorrow, we know how to sympathize with the joys and sorrows of\nothers, and what sorrow is so pathetic as that of a young child Soul,\nwhose tender feet are essaying their first steps upon the rugged\npathway of mortal existence. No, Gentol[a:], repeated embodiments\ndo not inure the mortal expression of the Ego to the sorrows and\nvicissitudes of the physical plane, but through such experiences the\nEgo evolves into loftier, grander states of Being. Does the Ego and\nits mortal expression mutually experience joy and sorrow? Aye, truly,\nbut the ego _knows_, while the objective expression or Soul only\nsees through a glass darkly. Only the fully freed Ego is capable of\ncomprehending this occult statement, so patiently you will await its\nsolution.\n\nHere are our explorers. Have you found aught of interest?\n\nGeorge--We only have glanced here and there, but can assure you that\nwe might linger here for a day and then leave this hoary Ro\u00fbv[a:] with\nregret. It is so quaint, so enchanting, that I propose that some time\nwhen you and my sister may feel so inclined we will again bring you to\nRo\u00fbv[a:], that together we all may view its many objects of interest.\nYou will be delighted to come? Then that matter is settled, and\nBernard will relate an incident of our half hour ramble that may amuse\nyou.\n\nBernard--Mother, dear, you should have seen how George startled a young\nPriest who stood in the doorway of a Temple talking to an elderly,\ndignified personage. As we approached them the priest said: \"Yes,\nyes, we are hearing of strange proceedings in many places, but more\nparticularly in the Palace of our Supreme Ruler, where the Princess\nVallo[a:] is thought to be dying. May the pitiful gods prolong her\ndays. Think of it, sir, think of it, it is openly said that Prince\nDano, as also the Princess Vallo[a:], declare by the Gods that they\nboth see and converse with those who long have been in the Silence,\nand whose ashes attest to their nothingness. Your pardon, sir, but\ntruly it is so very absurd that I cannot forbear smiling when I think\nof what Prince Dano has given utterance to. Why, he goes so far as to\nassert that not only has he talked with the dead, but with a woman\nwho says she belongs to a World somewhere in space. I cannot at this\nmoment recall the name of this World, and have not learned where it is\nsupposed to be located, but he declares that she not only spoke to him,\nbut touched him, yes, sir, really touched him. Of course this is the\nmerest hallucination, for persons of healthful minds never are subject\nto such vagaries. It is true that in past times on momentous occasions\nthe Gods have, and do now, speak to our High Priests, and with the Most\nHigh Priest of the Inner Temple Zim, but with the people, never. Fancy\nyourself, sir, indulging in such wild imaginings as that the dead,\nor a being from an unimaginable World have spoken to you, or what is\nquite as impossible, touched----\" Just then George touched him on the\nextended right hand, and with a start instantly he stopped talking, and\nfor a moment looked at his hand, then glanced about him with such a\nperplexed expression that the man with whom he was speaking regarded\nhim with some surprise, and an inquiry as to what had disquieted him.\nRecovering himself, he attempted to explain that he had experienced a\npeculiar sensation, but he got no further, for George gave him such a\npalpable touch on his left hand, then on his face, that he cried out\nin terror: \"Save me, And\u00fbman[a:], save me, save me,\" and fled through\nthe temple and out at a rear door, leaving the dignified personage in a\nstate of bewilderment. Mother, it was such a droll performance that I\nshall laugh whenever I think of it. Oh, no, I did not understand what\nthe Priest said; George translated it for me.\n\nDe L'Ester--George, if your exploit is not altogether commendable,\nat least it is amusing, and certainly you have given the priest who\nevidently is a Sensitive, a novel experience, which may serve as a\nstepping stone toward his later enlightenment. I fancy that he will not\nrelate his strange experience to his Superiors, who already are greatly\nagitated over the weird reports with which the air is vibrant, and\nwhich soon will be so augmented as to overwhelm both priests and people.\n\nRo\u00fbv[a:], we now must say to you Info Oovist\u00fb. The hours are swiftly\npassing and at any moment we may be called upon to turn our faces\ntoward D[a:]o. No, we do not consider Vallo[a:]'s departure imminent,\nbut in her devitalized state it soon may occur, and we must hold\nourselves in readiness for our part in the closing scene of the\nmomentous occasion.\n\nGeorge, we will rise to a greater height, so that Gentol[a:]'s vision\nmay command extensive views of the countries over which we shall pass.\nIt is not likely that we shall alight more than twice between Ro\u00fbv[a:]\nand the western shore of Indolois[a:].\n\nAh, Gentol[a:], you have grown weary. In our eagerness to afford\nyou views of many things we forget that you are not like ourselves,\ntireless. George will escort Bernard to his bright home, so make your\nadieus to him and our friends, and then I shall bear you swiftly to\nyour home, where ere now you should have arrived.\n\nIn no more than five minutes we have crossed the space between Ento\nand Earth. Yes, a speedy passage, but when again you shall be a freed\nSpirit, you will journey with the quickness of thought.\n\nI pray you to retire early and rest; rest until to-morrow, when we will\ncome for you.\n\nAdieu.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nCULMINATION OF THE MISSION.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Good morning, madame. We are delighted to find you in\nsuch a favorable mental and physical state. Yes, Dr. Merthel, White\nCloud and your humble servant gave you a treatment last night, and we\nwere somewhat amused at your idea that suddenly your room had grown\nvery warm. Hereafter, when you shall perceive white, vaporish clouds\ndrifting or falling over your closed eyelids, you may feel assured\nthat White Cloud is paying you a visit fraught with beneficence. Yes,\nwhen properly administered, invariably Magnetization produces in the\nrecipient a sense of warmth and increased vigor. But your son, with\nour Band, awaits us at a point near Ro\u00fbv[a:], and we must hasten\nour departure. George, allow me to assist madame. We regret that we\nfind it necessary to still further change our original programme,\nwhich included views of the extreme northern and southern portions\nof the Planet. Events are so shaping themselves that until after the\nculmination of our Mission and your recovery from the effects of the\nordeal to which presently we must subject you, we must defer this\nfeature of our purposes. Be not disturbed; rest assured that we will\nsee to it that you shall not be tried beyond endurance.\n\nGentola--I am not in the least alarmed, but when I think of a cessation\nof continuous association with my dear lad and you, my dear friends,\nlike a shadow a sense of sadness and loneliness steals over me, and I\nshrink from the coming----\n\nDe L'Ester--No more; say no more; your every thought is apparent to\nus, and this emotion endangers your safety. We, better than you have\nbeen able to count the cost of this to you strange and engrossing\nexperience. All along we have known that to a degree it would unfit\nyou for the common avocations of your mortal existence, and for this\nreason, for the time being, we have induced in your mind a state of\nforgetfulness, but when the proper time shall arrive you will be made\nto recall all that has occurred during the pursuance of our Mission,\nand you will recall it without pain or regret, and as the years of your\nmortal existence shall pass, we will be with you, not as now, but in a\nmanner that will add to your interest in the affairs of your daily life.\n\nAh, our friends have not awaited our arrival, but are coming to meet\nus. Loh[a:]\u00fb; loh[a:]\u00fb; Onos isson \u0113 tw[a:], \u0113manos. (Hail, hail; we\nwelcome you, friends.) Bernard, you find your mother in a sad mood, and\nyou will comfort her, and you, Robert, will improvise a song in which\nwe may join; thus we may restore our disturbed harmony.\n\nRobert--\n\n  _From a faraway shore come the notes of a song,\n    Its music in waves of sweet melody falling,\n  Are drifting, are drifting the bright way along,\n    From the homes where our dear ones are calling, are calling._\n\n  Refrain.\n\n  _We are waiting for you, we are watching for you,\n    As your boat drifts along toward our fair, shining shore,\n  And when Earth's troubled scenes shall recede from your view,\n    We will greet you where sorrow shall come nevermore._\n\n  _Our souls thrill with joy, as the glad notes come swelling\n    From the lips of our loved ones, so fond and so true,\n  Hear you not the sweet message their voices are telling,\n    We are waiting, yes, waiting, and watching for you._\n\n  Refrain.\n\n  _We are waiting for you, we are watching for you,\n    As your boat drifts along toward our fair, shining shore,\n  And when Earth's troubled scenes shall recede from your view,\n    We will greet you where sorrow shall come nevermore._\n\nDe L'Ester--Ah, now you are smiling; the shadows have flown, and you\nare serene. Thus may it ever be until the shadowy veil falling between\nthe seeming and real World shall be lifted and you shall join the\nloving, joyous Band who are ever waiting and watching for you.\n\nNow we will journey eastward. In all directions the lands are somewhat\nbroken by low plateaus, the vestiges of mountain ranges or of spurs of\nmountain ranges, and at intervals we catch views of existing mountains\nof no great altitude. The lands lying between the plateaus, although\nnot thoroughly irrigated, are more or less fertile, and northward and\nsouthward are scantily timbered lands and inconsiderable streams,\nboth of which are rare features of Ento's equatorial natural scenery.\nSpeaking of irrigation reminds me of something that I have desired\nto mention. Through telescopic observations, one of Earth's foremost\nastronomers is inclined to believe that the Entoans (Marsians) have\nresorted to irrigation. To him and to another illumined scientific\nman, who, I am proud to say, is my countryman, you will convey this\nmessage: \"Gentlemen, to your vision your telescopes convey faint, and\ngenerally misleading gleams of what may be facts, but in the instance\nmentioned, I assure you that the surmise is entirely correct, and\ninevitably a period will arrive when Earth, like Ento, will require the\nsame treatment.\" Indeed, it is not too much to say that already the\ninception of the period has arrived, and as the centuries pass it will\ngrow more and more apparent, and were Earth's peoples as wise as some\ntime they will be, they would value the ounce of prevention beyond the\npound of cure.\n\nFlammarion, my countryman, I greet you, not as one greets a stranger,\nbut as one co-worker greets another. Ofttimes, son of our beloved\nFrance, while you have striven to learn the secrets of our glowing\nCentral Sun, or to read the hither side of the inscrutable face of\nEarth's shining satellite, or when through the hours of quiet nights\nyou have sought to wrest from illimitable starry spaces the meaning of\nthe Universe, I, with others interested in your life work, have been\nby your side, striving to assist your aspiring Soul, and be assured\nthat when you again shall come into the realm of causes, you will find\nthe reward of your loving, patient labor, of your aspiring, exalted\nendeavor.\n\nAnd you, son of a land whose deeds of good and of ill have been sung\nby lips more tuneful than are mine, with kindest thoughts I and those\nwith me greet you. When, with questioning eyes and reverent Soul,\nyou too, have gazed into the immeasurable distances, in whose depths\ncountless Worlds, peopled and unpeopled, move in stately order toward\ntheir allotted destiny, not I alone, or this grand Spirit, Giordano\nBruno, whose ashes attested to the steadfastness of his integrity and\nhallow the soil of Italy with the sacredness of martyrdom for truth's\nsake, but others yet more exalted, have held vigil with you, when you\nhave been alone with the night, with the World Invisible to mortal\nken, and with the all pervading, Infinite Intelligent Energy, known\nby many names. May success crown your ceaseless endeavors to discern,\nnot to obscure, Truth, is the earnest desire of your co-worker, Carl\nDe L'Ester, and of those with me, who, like yourself, are workers for\nLove's sake.\n\nNow, Gentol[a:], direct your gaze far, far toward the northeast. Yes,\nthat is the right direction. Do you perceive anything peculiar?\n\nGentola--Afar I see a body of water so extensive that my vision does\nnot reach the farther shore. A silvery vapor partly obscures the view,\nbut as we draw nearer I see the water sparkling in the sunlight, and\nover its slightly disturbed surface vessels great and small are passing\nin all directions. As we approach still nearer I perceive that from its\neastern shore gradually the ground rises to quite an elevated plateau,\nand through the mist, which really is a gentle shower of rain, upon\nwhich the sun is shining, I seem to perceive tints of all the colors\nof a rainbow. I should have said hints rather than tints, for they\nare mere suggestions of color. The shower has ceased, and--dear me, a\ngreat city covers the slope and extends away across the plateau. What a\nstrangely peculiar scene. Is it real, or is it a mirage?\n\nDe L'Ester--We will go nearer, and you shall decide. A little lower,\nGeorge. Now look and describe the view.\n\nGentola--As before, I see a great expanse of water, which, as far as\nmy vision reaches, is inclosed by a wall so broad that the top of\nit is a roadway on which people are walking and motor vehicles are\npassing to and fro. The top of the wall is quite above the level of\nthe water, and on the farther side are massive buildings which appear\nto be warehouses and manufactories. The first street away from the\nwater is very wide, beautifully paved and appears to be devoted to\nbusiness purposes. The second street is parallel with the first,\nand from it the city is terraced upward to the level of the plateau.\nAll the streets cross at right angles, and they are so wide, so well\npaved and kept that it is a pleasure to look at them. On the crest of\nthe plateau illuminating columns, domes, turrets and lofty structures\nof various kinds are outlined against the now cloudless sky. Tramway\ncars and motor vehicles swiftly climb the ascending streets to the\nwide, level ways of the city. In all directions air Transports, like\nhuge birds, are passing through the quiet air. On the streets are many\npeople, walking or riding in tramway cars or in motor vehicles, and on\nthe outgoing or incoming vessels are many passengers. Altogether the\nscene is very animated. The city itself is indescribably and peculiarly\nbeautiful. From its front upward and throughout its extent there is a\nsort of diffusion of color resembling the tints of a fading rainbow.\nNow a passing cloud partly obscures the sun, and the tints deepen into\npositive color. The effect is charming but bewildering, and to me so\ninexplicable that I shall feel obliged if some one will inform me\nconcerning it.\n\nDe L'Ester--Phoemadon, the body of water bathing the feet of the\nfar famed Bendol\u00fb iffon, which in your language would mean rainbow\nhued, is little less extensive than is Indolois[a:]. By the Entoans\nit is regarded as an inland sea, but it is so slightly saline as to\nserve the city for all domestic and other purposes. Properly it is a\nlake, its depth varying with the season, for during the spring, when\nmelting polar and snows of more temperate climes flow over the face\nof the Planet, yonder great seawall scarcely restrains its increased\nvolume. The plateau upon which Bendol\u00fb-iffon is built is a remnant\nof a mountain which in a bygone age reared its lofty peaks along the\nentire length of Phoemadon, then curving in a northwesterly direction\nlost itself very near the North Pole. Zenest[a:], _mon ami_, in all\nthat relates to your Planet you are better informed than am I. Will you\nkindly devote some moments to our enlightenment?\n\nZenesta Hao--Always your pleasure is mine. Bendol\u00fb-iffon is one of the\noldest cities of Ento. Through a study of historical works, personal\ninvestigation, and an acquaintance with ancient Ento Spirits, I\nhave learned that its origin dates back to a period anterior to the\nestablishment of the Government under one Supreme Ruler. Previous to\nthis period the various countries of Ento were ruled by might, each\nruler with his people occupying either an offensive or defensive\nattitude. Naturally the results of such a condition were inharmonious,\nyet strangely enough out of such inharmony Bendol\u00fb-iffon came into\nexistence. Notwithstanding its apparent newness it is not built upon\nthe ruins of an ancient city. Not at all. Despite its age, it never\nhas been in a ruinous state, its inhabitants ever having considered it\na Sacred obligation to maintain it at its best. Although it is built\nupon rock, everywhere are towering trees, shrubbery, climbing vines and\na wealth of blooming plants. Chiefly through extensive excavations,\nfilled with soil, this has been brought about; indeed largely the\nsurface soil of lawns and gardens has been borrowed from elsewhere.\nFrom Phoemadon the city receives a plenteous water supply, and the\nclimate of this region being all that can be desired, vegetation grows\nluxuriantly. Were we less pressed for time, you, Gentol[a:], and your\nson would find much of interest in the really wonderful system of water\nsupply of this rainbow hued city. No, no other city of Ento exhibits\nthis peculiar color effect, and the story of its origin may serve to\ninterest you. Unlike many historical and legendary narratives the story\nis absolutely true, the proofs of its integrity being indisputably\nevident.\n\nDuring a period antecedent to the establishment of the National\nGovernment, Azok\u0113on, King of R[a:]\u00fbh\u00fb, was at enmity with M\u0113dos,\nKing of Tsirma, and out of the angry impulses of the two Sovereigns\ngrew bitter strife and warfare. Again and again, fierce relentless\nbattles were fought, and in both armies so many were slain that at\nlength both sovereigns grew alarmed lest complete extinction of their\nsubjects might result, or, that what was more to be feared, other\nrulers perceiving their exhausted state, might take advantage of it to\nsubjugate them, even as they sought to subjugate each other. Finally\nmutual adversity brought about a mutual desire for reconciliation, and\nthat they might amicably adjust their real, or fancied grievances, a\nconference was agreed upon, and at a specified time the Sovereigns with\ntheir armies met on the crest of this plateau, across which was the\nboundary line between their two kingdoms.\n\nThe morning of the day set apart for the conference was fine and clear,\nthe radiance from And\u00fbman[a:]'s abode bathing the home of His children\nas in a sea of light. With an exchange of courteous greetings the\nconference was opened, but as it proceeded, each Sovereign inclining\ntoward his own interests, demanded more than either one was willing\nto concede to the other, and ere long their hostile minds threatened\nthe conference with a disastrous conclusion. Suddenly ominous clouds\nswiftly climbed up from the western horizon, and a strange stillness,\nlike that preceding the dread approach of Phra (Death) hushed all\nthings into frightened silence. Over land and sea fell a ghastly\nshadow, deep as twilight, and in terrified dismay, Sovereigns and\nsoldiery gazed into each other's eyes. Swiftly the tumultuous, inky\nclouds rushed across the sky, and fitful gusts of wind stirred all\nthings into motion. Blinding lightning set the lurid air ablaze,\nand thunder so terrific, that it shook the foundations of Ento,\nattested to the anger of the incensed Deities. Then an unprecedented\nstorm, in all its fury, burst upon the two armies, and so fierce was\nthe lightning that many were stricken dead. Blinding torrents of\nrain fell from the dark, angry clouds, and mad gusts of wind swept\nacross the rocky plateau, hurling confused masses of camp equipage\nand soldiery down the slope and into the surging waves of Phoemadon.\nAbove the rushing, roaring fury of the tempest, arose the shrieks,\ngroans and prayers of the terror stricken, unsheltered men who were\npowerless against the terrific onslaught of the elements, and the\ntwo sovereigns being equally endangered, were overwhelmed with awe\nand despair, recognizing that their iniquities had brought upon them\nand their inoffensive people the just vengeance of And\u00fbman[a:] and\nthe Deific ones. In their dire extremity they implored the Divine\nMessengers to entreat And\u00fbman[a:] to stay His wrath lest Phra should\nutterly destroy them and their armies. Azok\u0113on, the Sovereign of\nR[a:]\u00fbh\u00fb, being a man of high courage, fine character and very devout,\nwith hands upraised toward And\u00fbman[a:]'s obscured abode, cried aloud,\n\"Creator and Preserver, and at Thy Will, Destroyer of the work of Thy\nhands, Sovereign of Sovereigns, God of all Gods, and Father of Thy\nrighteous and unrighteous children, I beseech Thee to listen to Thy\nhumbly repentant Son, who in taking vengeance into mine own hands\nhave impiously offended Thee. Destroy me, oh destroy me utterly, but\nspare Thy unoffending children, who at my command and that of M\u0113dos,\nhave striven to slay each other. For shame, that we have forgotten\nthat we are brothers, we cover our faces and implore Thy mercy.\" Then,\nas in trembling expectancy, he awaited the dread touch of Phra's icy\nfingers, M\u0113dos clasped him about his knees, crying in piteous tones,\n\"And\u00fbman[a:], I, too, have grievously sinned against Thee. Destroy me\ntoo, if it may please Thee, for it is I, not my people, who foolishly\nhave forgotten Thy Commandments. It is Azok\u0113on and I who have forgotten\nthat Ento and Ento's children are Thine, and that all men are our\nbrothers. For him and for myself I implore Thy mercy, and Thy pardon,\nand henceforth, as we may do unto others, so do Thou unto us;\" and\nAzok\u0113on's Ra\u00fb, Ra\u00fb, Ra\u00fb, was as fervent as his own. While they prayed\nthe awful tempest raged, and the face of nature was as a distorted\nmask, then as suddenly as the tempest had burst upon the assembled\narmies, so suddenly came a lull in its activities, and presently the\nfierce turmoil subsided into comparative quiet, and slowly from his\nshining abode, And\u00fbman[a:] drew away the dark cloud drapery, and a\nglorious effulgence irradiated the woful scene of the prostrate and\nstricken armies. At the same moment the archway to the entrance of\nAstranol[a:] became visible to the eyes of the adoring Sovereigns\nand their soldiery. Stooping, Azok\u0113on raised M\u0113dos to his feet, and\nas with extended arms and uplifted faces, they reverently gazed upon\nthe gloriously beautiful archway, Azok\u0113on's trembling lips brokenly\nmurmured, \"To Thee, Thou Supreme One, Who art All seeing, All knowing,\nand to Thy Messengers the Deific ones, to whom the thoughts and deeds\nof men are known, we, Azok\u0113on and M\u0113dos, vow that as through Thy\npitying love for Thy erring children, Thou hast not utterly destroyed\nus and our people, but hast shown to us the glorious archway, the\nsign that Thy displeasure is turned away from us, we, on this spot,\nwill build cities which shall be a memorial of Thy mercy to us, and a\nperpetual reminder that henceforth we and our people, side by side,\nshall dwell in peace and unity;\" and with fervor M\u0113dos responded, \"As\nAzok\u0113on hath said, so may it be, and should I fail in the performance\nof this vow, may the Gods visit upon me and mine swift and certain\ndestruction.\"\n\nThus through the dread visitation of an unparalleled tempest, those\ntwo conscience stricken and humbled Sovereigns arrived at an amicable\nadjustment of their several differences, and thereafter they not only\nsustained toward each other harmonious relations, but remembering their\nmutual vow to And\u00fbman[a:] and His Messengers, at once they set about\nits fulfillment. We now will move to a more central position over the\ncity.\n\nBeneath us now is a stupendous Column, whose dimensions exceed those\nof the loftiest Light Towers of Ento, its coloring being quite as\npeculiar as that of the edifices of the city. From base to capital,\nthe stones of which it is composed represent all the colors of the\nrainbow, but so delicate are the tones that they are more pearly\nsuggestions of, than positive colors. When at nightfall those two\ngreat arches on its apex are aglow with iridescent lights, the effect\nis enchantingly beautiful. I have mentioned that the conference was\nheld on the boundary line separating the two kingdoms, and on the spot\nwhere they had learned their Wisdom Lesson, Azok\u0113on and M\u0113dos reared\nthe Memorial Column, which to this day is one of the noted objects of\nEnto. Do I believe that And\u00fbman[a:] inflicted the tempest upon them for\nthe special purpose of affording them much needed lessons of humility\nand mutual forbearance? Certainly not, but I do believe that every\nmortal experience is fraught with beneficence for those wise enough to\ncomprehend the plainly expressed Laws of The Infinite One, who is the\nembodiment of unerring, unchanging law.\n\nThe wide avenue in which the column stands was the line of division\nbetween the two kingdoms, and peace having been declared, Azok\u0113on\nand M\u0113dos, in fulfillment of their vow, began the erection of the\ntwo cities which should be so closely adjoined as to present the\nappearance of one city, and which ever should be known as Bendol\u00fb-iffon\nTyl\u00fbs[a:][a:] (rainbow hued cities).\n\nIn this region, as in others of Ento, there are quarries of most\nbeautiful marbles and stones, and in numerous caverns there are great\ndeposits of what to the Entoans is known as Ingloit[a:], possessing a\nrange of exquisite colorings. These varied materials were and still\nare used in the construction of Bendol\u00fb-iffon. Some persons might\nquestion the taste of Azok\u0113on and M\u0113dos in building iridescent cities,\nbut to them the accomplishment in a marked manner of their vow to\nAnd\u00fbman[a:] and the gods was the all important matter. In pursuance of\nthis object they issued a joint decree that thenceforth and forever all\npersons erecting structures in Bendol\u00fb-iffon Tyl\u00fbs[a:][a:] must build\nin harmony with the coloring of the Memorial Column, and thus far the\ndecree has been observed. On the base of the column is inscribed the\nstory of the war, of the storm, of the vow of Azok\u0113on and M\u0113dos, of\nthe appearing of the sign of peace, of the reconciliation of the two\nSovereigns, and of the decree which should perpetually be observed lest\nAnd\u00fbman[a:] might avenge himself for the infidelity of his children of\nBendol\u00fb-iffon Tyl\u00fbs[a:][a:].\n\nAt that time the religion of the Entoans included much that was\ndeplorably irrational and superstitious, but you who have come to\nunderstand that the Spiritual or real man and the natural or animal\nman sustain toward each other a most complex relation, are aware that\nsuperstition is wholly of the lower or physical plane of Being. As the\nDual man creature evolves into finer conditions the Ego, the Spiritual\nSelf, is better able to manifest its higher attributes, thus, though\nthe Entoans still observe the superstitious beliefs of their religion,\nSpiritually they have outgrown them, and at a fitting opportunity\ngladly they will discard them and quickly they will manifest that\ndespite ancient usages, Priestly influences, fear of the Deific Ones\nand a lack of knowledge concerning the continuity of existence, they\nare a Spiritualized people. Yes, superstitions become involved in the\nmentality of humans, forming what may be termed hereditary tendencies\nor traits. Fear being a most forceful trait of the Entoans, no one has\ndared, or perhaps cared, to act in opposition to the Decree chiselled\nin yonder majestic Column, and not until the new religion shall have\ndispelled old superstitious beliefs will the Entoans venture upon\nfreedom of thought and conduct which we trust will not lead to the\neffacement of the unique beauty of Bendol\u00fb-iffon Tyl\u00fbs[a:][a:], which\nlong has been known as Bendol\u00fb-iffon, for when the Government became\nCentralized, kingdoms went out of fashion and the two cities became one.\n\nDe L'Ester--We are pleased that you and Bernard are as charmed as\nourselves with this matchlessly lovely iridescent city, and we,\ntoo, will hope that a lessening belief in imaginary Gods and other\nsuperstitions may not lead to a modernizing of its unique features.\nYes, Earth contains marbles and stones presenting the same colorings,\nbut they are not likely to serve architectural purposes, at least not\nto the extent of building of them an entire city. We cannot now devote\nfurther time to Bendol\u00fb-iffon, but our future is all before us, so we\nonly will say to it au revoir, for ere long we will return and you,\nGentol[a:], and this interested lad will be with us.\n\nNow we will journey toward Yoitan-dyl\u00fb (tempest tossed), which lies\ndirectly eastward. It is a long, narrow, very salt sea, and it is\nthe most tempestuous water of the Planet. Once it was a great body\nof water, but gradually during passing centuries it has so decreased\nin extent and depth as to have become one of Ento's smaller salt\nseas. A little higher, George. Now glance backward. Is not the scene\nwonderfully beautiful? Over the receding city and over the ruffled\nsurface of Phoemadon a luminous, opalescent veil has fallen and the\nscene is vanishing, vanishing, and now--it is gone.\n\nIn a certain locality on the northern shore of Yoitan-dyl\u00fb we will\nfind our friend Sylvian, who will inform us of affairs at D[a:]o. Yes,\nwe were there this morning and perceived that the hour of Vallo[a:]'s\ndeparture is very nigh. Why do not we go there at once? For the reason\nthat it would not be well to subject you to the powerful influences\nconcentrating there. Were you physically strong we might venture to do\nso; as it is, your vitality must be conserved for a special occasion.\n\nInland about four English miles from Yoitan-dyl\u00fb are the noted ruins of\nan ancient city whose principal features are several immense statues.\nVery ancient Ento Spirits say that the now arid regions surrounding\nthe ruins of a great city were in their time sufficiently productive\nfor the sustenance of a large agricultural population, but for many\ncenturies they have not been inhabitable. The name of the city was\nTen[a:]v[a:]h, and once the waves of Yoitan-dyl\u00fb tumultuously rushed\nto its very feet, and to it at stated times, from all over the\nPlanet, came multitudes of people to offer and to witness sacrifices\nto And\u00fbman[a:] and the lesser Deities. When we shall have reached\nthe ruins Zenest[a:] will tell us something concerning them. Yes,\nthe underlying lands present the same desolate appearance as others\nthat we have traversed. Here and there springs of pure water well up,\nsupplemented by deep borings which furnish a limited water supply,\nrendering somewhat productive small areas of land, which afford a\nprecarious subsistence for small communities of frugal and industrious\npeople, but were it not that the general Government keeps over these\nisolated peoples a paternal supervision they would not be able to\nsustain themselves. A special air Transport service holds them in touch\nwith other portions of the Planet, bearing to them such commodities as\nthey require, in turn carrying away the surplusage of their several\nindustries. As it is the fixed policy of the General Government to\ncarry the Irrigating and Waterways System around the Planet, in time\nthese fertile localities will become a part of the System. No, it\nwill not be very long before this will occur, for by far the heaviest\nportion of the stupendous work already is accomplished. Owing to the\nmany rocky formations existing between Camariss[a:] and Etzoin[a:]\nLois[a:] the undertaking thus far has been very arduous, the remaining\nwork will be far easier of accomplishment. Indolois[a:], Etzoin[a:],\nPhoemadon, Yoitan-dyl\u00fb and other bodies of water lying within the\narea of the system will obviate the necessity of excavations for the\nWaterways. Through hydraulic and mechanical engineering all bodies of\nsalt water are kept within their own bounds, only fresh water being\npermitted to flow in the Waterways and Irrigating Canals.\n\nSlowly, George, and we will descend a little. Gentol[a:], what do you\nnow see?\n\nGentola--Upon an immense oblong platform, which is quite elevated above\nthe level of the sandy plain, I see one, two, three, four, five, six,\nseven enormously large statues. On the raised centre of the platform\nis a statue very much larger than the others. Its proportions are\nindeed gigantic, and its form and features are so finely modelled, so\nmajestically beautiful that it seems incredible that mortals could\nhave fashioned it. Above the forehead of this colossal statue is a\ngolden Sun, its rays set close with jewels which gleam and scintillate\nas though endued with life. In its extended right hand is a great\ncluster of golden rodels, and in the less extended, partly closed left\nhand is what appears to be a large golden egg. The other statues are\nvery beautiful; three are male and three are female figures, at whose\nfeet are altars in the form of great oblong basins. Why is it that the\nplatform, the altars and the statues are so perfectly preserved and\nonly fragmentary ruins of the great city remain?\n\nZenesta--Before replying to your question allow me to say that the\nfounding of this ruined city antedated the Establishment of the\nNational Government and Religion, and that aside from what has been\nlearned through the inscriptions on the base of the platform and on\nthe altars to the Entoans of to-day, its history is little more than\nlegendary. On our side of life we possess its authentic history. That\nyou and Bernard may obtain a clearer view of the statues we will\ndescend.\n\nNow you perceive that though the foundation of the platform is of stone\nits upper portion upon which the statues stand is of a non-corrosive\nmetal known as Sauv[a:]. The central figure represents And\u00fbman[a:],\nthe Supreme One. The three female figures on His right, and the three\nmale figures on His left hand, are Deific Ones of Astranol[a:]. Yes,\nthe coloring of the statues is very fine. Enamelling is an art in which\nthe Entoans excel. Observe that the statues are composed of sections so\nnicely adjusted as to be nearly imperceptible. De L'Ester says that the\nmetal is very like what you term bronze.\n\nAs briefly as possible I will relate somewhat of the history of the\nruined city and of the temple of which this great altar and these\nwonderfully fine statues were features. Yes, this that you have thought\na platform is an altar.\n\nAt a period when the equatorial regions were yet to a degree fertile\nK\u0113hoivas Edda, the sovereign of the most powerful nation of Ento,\nresolved to build on this spot a magnificent Temple and altar of\nsacrifice to the Supreme One and his chiefest Messengers, and in\npursuance of this resolve he issued a proclamation, requesting all\nother sovereigns to join him in this pious undertaking. At this time,\nbetween the various races of Ento, wars were of frequent occurrence,\nand K\u0113hoivas Edda proposed that during the building of the Temple, and\nthereafter at stated periods, all wars and animosities of whatever\nnature for a certain number of days should cease, that thus all of\nAnd\u00fbman[a:]'s children might pass to and from the temple to their own\nplaces without fear of molestation. Calling upon And\u00fbman[a:] and His\nMessengers to bear witness to his sincerity he declared that for all\ntime the Temple, which should be known as Infadoihan-l\u00fbv\u0113tas (place\nof sacrifice), should belong to the several nations of Ento. K\u0113hoivas\nEdda, being the most powerful Sovereign of Ento, and his purpose a\nmost pious one, his proposal received universal acceptance, and very\nsoon from all parts of Ento came a multitude of artisans and laborers\nto assist in the building of the Temple. Each nation contributing\naccording to its means, quickly vast treasure and material for the\nundertaking accumulated and within two Ento years the great temple\nreared its majestic beauty above the loftiest structures of the wide\nspreading city.\n\nDuring the building of the temple, and for many succeeding years,\nalmost universal peace prevailed, and through many centuries the\nfires of those great altars consumed many, many victims of the dread\nsuperstitions of perverted religious ideas. Could these mute statues\nrelate the story of the tragedies enacted upon their altars, we would\nturn away in horror from their recitals of scenes upon which loving,\npitiful spirits once gazed and wept. You perceive that each statue has\nits own altar upon which special sacrifices were offered. On the altar\nof the statue representing And\u00fbman[a:] the Supreme One, the fairest\nand dearest of Ento's youths and maidens were sacrificed. On the\naltars of His six servitors animals set apart for the sacred purpose\nwere burned. Other altars, no longer in existence, scarcely sufficed\nto contain the profusion of precious things and of grains, fruits and\nflowers offered for the purpose of securing the kind offices of the\nGods and Goddesses of Astranol[a:]. Happily all this is of a bygone\nday, and even the ruins of the grandest Temple of that ancient time\nhave nearly disappeared. The massive walls, the towering dome, the many\nhuge columns, the great interior, enriched by all that treasure could\ncommand or art could produce, all, all, long since have been scattered\nabroad or buried beneath the shifting sands of this desert waste. Only\nthese indestructible statues, the great altar supporting them, with\nhere and there a broken column or a fragment of sculpture hints of the\nvanished glories of Inf[a:]doih[a:]n l\u00fbv\u0113t[a:]s and of the great city\nTen[a:]v[a:]h.\n\nPrevious to the building of the Temple, and for centuries afterward,\nthe Entoans scarcely realized the increasing aridity of the soil of the\nequatorial countries. Thus while they gloried in and bore to the altars\nof their great and beautiful Temple their most valued possessions,\nthe already greatly lowered mountains were growing less majestic,\nelevations imperceptibly were becoming levelled, valleys were being\nfilled to the level of the plains, and flowing streams were being lost\nor diverted from their courses. The changes of centuries are as the\nlong, long thoughts of the Infinite Mind. They go forward, perhaps\nalmost imperceptibly, but they go forward.\n\nThus in time the region about Ten[a:]v[a:]h grew infertile, and\ngradually the population drew away to more favorable lands. The\nmultitudes who, during many centuries, had journeyed to the Temple to\nworship and to offer sacrifices, gradually ceased their attendance. The\naltar fires which, during centuries, had glowed incessantly, burned\nfitfully, then died away and the Temple fell into disuse, then into\ndecay, its treasures serving for the enrichment of other shrines. With\ndisuse of the Temple, Ten[a:]v[a:]h became entirely deserted, and for\ncenturies past its ruins have found sepulture beneath the shifting\nsands, which, ere long, through the influence of the beneficent system,\nwill yield up many buried pages of its history.\n\nNow I will reply to your question. These statues are regarded with such\nreverential awe that ever the Priesthood have protested against their\nremoval elsewhere, and the Government sees to it that at stated times\ncompetent persons are dispatched to this lonely spot to clear away\ndrifting sands and to keep them and the altars in perfect repair.\n\nFrom Entoans who recently have come into our Spirit Realms, we learn\nthat when the system shall have reached this locality, on this spot the\nGovernment will erect another Temple. Is it too much to hope for, too\nmuch to expect, that it will be dedicated to the One Whose chiefest\nattribute is love?\n\nDe L'Ester--We will hope that it may be so. This we know, that no more\non these altars will the crime of human sacrifice be perpetrated. These\nsurvivals of a tragic past do well to observe perpetual silence, for if\nthey might even whisper the story of the atrocities committed in their\nnames, the more enlightened, gentler Entoans of to-day would shrink\nfrom it in horror.\n\nNow we must be up and away. Gentol[a:], of all the scenes you\nhave observed, none, I think, have appeared so utterly lonely, so\npathetically forsaken as this verdureless plain and those sombre,\ngigantic statues standing like silent sentinels over the buried city\nand temple.\n\nWe now will follow northward the western shore of Yoitan-dyl\u00fb, and\nshortly we will arrive at some irrigated lands and an inconsiderable\nand rather modern city named Cryst[a:] F\u00fbyon, the name of its founder,\nand it is the capital city of this province, A-Shinoh. Yes, those\ngreen, luxuriant growths are in strong contrast to the adjoining\ndesert lands. No, they are not irrigated by the water of Yoitan-dyl\u00fb.\nYou forget that it is a salt sea. To procure water for irrigation and\nfor the service of the city, Cryst[a:] F\u00fbyon instituted a system of\nartesian wells, which was not difficult of accomplishment, as at no\ngreat depth, even under desert lands, there is an abundance of water.\n\nGeorge, for a few moments we will pause here. Yes, it is an attractive\nscene. In the near distance is Yoitan-dyl\u00fb, on whose foam capped waves\nvessels of various kinds are tossing on their ways, and on its hither\nshore is white Cryst[a:] F\u00fbyon, with its beautiful snowy temple and\nmany fine structures. On its landward side the city and its pretty\nsuburban homes are surrounded by the luxuriant greenery of grains,\ngrasses, fruit-bearing and other trees, and a wealth of blooming\nshrubs, vines and plants. Certainly Cryst[a:] F\u00fbyon, the founder of\nthe city and of the Irrigating System which has reclaimed many miles\nof arid lands, deserves high praise for his efforts. Oh, yes, for over\nhalf an Ento century he has been on the spirit side, yet his interest\nin the city and its fortunes is unabated. Ah, Sylvian and Inidor[a:]\nare coming to meet us.\n\nInidora--Loha\u00fb, loha\u00fb, \u0113manos.\n\nDe L'Ester--Hail, and a loving welcome for you, dear friends.\n\nSylvian--And for you all our hearts speak a fond greeting. No, we have\nnot long awaited your coming, but long enough for Inidor[a:] to relate\nto my willing ears the story of his unlooked for finding of his other\nself and his attempts to establish a mutual rapport, in which, happily,\nto a degree, he has succeeded. What word do I bring you from D[a:]o?\nIt is that for the present your journeyings must cease. Vallo[a:] is\nabout to pass into our Spirit Realms, and in anticipation of the event\nwhich can no longer be delayed, a vast number of our friends of many\nPlanetary Spirit Realms have assembled to witness and to aid in the\nanticipated successful culmination of our Mission. That it will be\nsuccessful we no longer doubt. Vallo[a:] and Dano now fully realize\nthat life does not end with death of the body, and in a measure this\nassurance assuages the sorrow of their approaching brief separation.\nFor Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] there is but one step to be taken, when gladly he,\ntoo, will embrace the faith that will assure him of the existence of\nanother world, where he will find his dear ones. Unconsciously he and\nmany others are shrinking away from the old dread beliefs, and light\nfrom Spirit Realms is penetrating their consciousness and inspiring\nthem with the hope that at last And\u00fbman[a:] has heard their importunate\ncries and is about to grant them continuous existence.\n\nVallo[a:] now scarcely animates her physical body, and like an\nimprisoned bird she struggles for freedom, yet even as she tries\nto escape, her beautiful eyes, full of love and pity, turn to\nher despairing father, then upon her grief stricken lover, Dano\nAnd\u00fbl\u0113s[a:], who kneels by her couch murmuring words of tenderness and\ncovering her cold hands with tears and kisses. His Spirit vision has\ngrown very clear and as in bewilderment he gazes upon the partially\nfreed Vallo[a:], then upon the wasted form he so long has adored, in\npiteous tones he cries, \"Vallo[a:], Vallo[a:], whither goest thou? I\nsee thee, and thou art escaping from thy body, and thou art not dead.\nOh, thou dread mystery death, take me, oh take me too, for wheresoever\nmy love may go, I, too, would go.\" Then again he cries, \"Woman, woman\nof another world, come to me, come to me. Thou didst promise that in\nthe supreme hour of trial thou wouldst come to me. Oh, come and teach\nto me the meaning of death.\" And thus the pitiful scene repeats itself,\nand the change is very near.\n\nGentol[a:], the time has arrived for our departure for D[a:]o, and soon\nin the presence of Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] and those about him, you, through\nthe departing Vallo[a:] and her affianced, Prince Dano, will proclaim\nthe glad tidings that death of the physical body affords release of the\nimmortal Spirit. That life is unending, and that in a World unseen of\nmortal eyes all surely will find their loved ones whom they had mourned\nas having gone into eternal Silence.\n\nAmong those about the couch of Vallo[a:] is Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], the Most\nHigh Priest of the Temple Zim, which you may know is the most sacred\nof Ento's Temples. Through purity of life and most ascetic habits this\nMost High Priest has to an unusual degree developed the Senses of\nClairvoyance and Clairaudience, and when he shall come to understand\ntheir real meaning he will become a powerful force in the introduction\nof the new religion. Perhaps you are aware that all humans possess\nthese senses, and that under favorable conditions all may exercise\nthem. No, the case of this Priest is not exceptional. All high Priests\nare chosen for the position because of their supposed ability to hold\nconverse with the Deific Ones. That they hold converse with discarnated\nSpirits is true, and naturally you may wonder why they and the peoples\nhave not learned of the continuity of existence. The reason is obvious.\nSince ancient times a harsh, unyielding religious creed has held in\nbondage both Priests and peoples, and lest the Gods might call them to\na fearful account for their impiety, none have dared to assail it. Such\nSpirit communications as from time to time the Priests have received,\nif opposed to the creed, have been dismissed as mere hallucinations,\nbut when in harmony with the creed they have been regarded as of Divine\norigin. Without such intervention as our Mission proposes this unhappy\ncondition must indefinitely continue, but when, through such evidence\nas the Mission will offer, Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] and those nearest him shall\nhave accepted the new faith, the way will be made clear for Priests and\npeoples to follow the light which shall lead them into ways of greater\nhappiness than ever they have dreamed of.\n\nOzynas D\u00fbls[a:], who is nearing the threshold of truth, is a\ncourageous, eloquent and very spiritual man. Through recent experiences\nof Vallo[a:] and Dano he is so nearly convinced of the continuity\nof existence that he is ready to battle against the old faith and\nfor the reception of the new religion, whose heralds noiselessly\nbut determinedly are approaching the sorrowful peoples, resolved to\ndissipate the darkness which ever has enshrouded their lives.\n\nNow look straight ahead and in a moment you will perceive the dim\noutlines of the lofty domes and loftier Light and Signal Towers of\nEnto's capital city. To the left of the loftiest Signal Tower which\noverlooks the city is the residence of the Supreme Rulers of Ento, and\nwhere now Spirit hosts are concentrating their forces, and where very\nsoon you will be the central figure of what to you and this dear youth\nwill be a strange drama. I much regret my inability to converse with\nyou directly, but I trust that our mutual friend has made my meaning\nclear to you.\n\nDe L'Ester--I believe that I have correctly translated all that you\nhave said, and now that the momentous hour has arrived for a brief time\nour Sensitive must return to her home so that she may arrange for an\nunusually prolonged absence from her physical body. Within a half hour\nwe will meet you near or in the palace.\n\nInfo oovist\u00fb.\n\nGentol[a:], George and I will swiftly bear you to your home, where I\nshall have something of moment to say to you. You will close your eyes,\nfor we shall traverse the space between Ento and Earth with utmost\nspeed. Ah, ah. That is well. Now unclose your eyes, for you are safe\nwithin your quiet, darkened room, and no one but the faithful Vena is\nin the house, and she is preparing to leave it, but you will request\nher to remain at home, for you must not be left unattended. Now listen\nattentively to what I shall say. As you have learned, but do not now\nclearly remember, Vallo[a:], daughter of Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], Osy H\u00fbn, is\nabout to pass into Ento's Spirit Realms, and that success may attend\nthe Mission of Love in which you and we are engaged, we must ask you to\nunreservedly submit yourself to our requirements. Rest assured that we\nwill guard you carefully, and by all that is Divine we pledge ourselves\nthat you shall not be tried beyond your strength. To prevent possible\ninjury, we desire that you shall charge Vena to, on no account, permit\nany one to enter the house during your submergement, and that will\noccupy six, probably seven, hours. Say to her that she must not attend\nthe door bell or open the door of your room, and do so at once, for we\nmust hasten our return to Ento.\n\nGentola--I have instructed Vena to remain in the house, to allow no one\nto enter it, and to leave me undisturbed until five o'clock, which will\nbe seven hours hence.\n\nDe L'Ester--We have heard your conversation with the girl, who is in\na state of nervous alarm lest some evil may befall you. Ask her to\nlower the window shade in the adjoining room. Some rays of light are\npenetrating the desired darkness of this one, and it may be well to\nfurther reassure her, so that she may not feel impelled to disturb you.\nThat is well, and all things being arranged to our satisfaction we at\nonce will depart. Close your eyes and render yourself passive. You are\nnot afraid?\n\nGentola--Not afraid, but a little nervous. As I ever have found you\ntrue to your word, I will trust you to the end.\n\nDe L'Ester--That you safely may do, for aside from all other\nconsiderations we greatly desire that you shall yet a while remain on\nthe Earth plane, that with your approval we may make further use of\nyour peculiar phase of Mediumship. We have not labored all these years\nto fit you for a definite purpose to now willfully permit injury of our\nInstrument. You may believe, too, that in our demands upon your time\nand strength for the furtherance of our Mission, we are not actuated\nby selfish motives, and in time you will understand that if you have\nsuffered and practiced much self-denial, we, too, have sacrificed much\nthat we might aid in the accomplishment of what you and we regard as a\nsacred duty. Now you are tranquil and we are ready for our flight to\nEnto.\n\nYou now may unclose your eyes for we are nearing D[a:]o, and you may\nperceive its many stately structures, whose domes and towers are\nin relief against a background of cloudless azure sky. We now will\napproach the Palace, which you will observe is enveloped in a shining,\nmistlike aural cloud, within which a host of exalted Spirits are aiding\nin the Spiritual unfoldment of Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] and others who, ere\nlong, will proclaim to the peoples of Ento the glorious truth that the\nSpirit, the real Self, survives the change called death. When presently\nwe shall enter within the aural cloud you will clearly see what you\nnever--But I must not anticipate, and you will strive to regain your\nusual tranquillity.\n\nOne seldom sees a more artistic structure than this massive, stately,\nharmoniously designed residence of the Supreme Rulers of Ento, its\nlovely surroundings affording an admirable setting for such a gem of\narchitecture. Indeed the entire city is an architectural dream. It\nstrictly is a residence city, though of necessity in it are bazaars\nand marts containing all that is finest and best pertaining to art,\nmanufactured wares and natural products. No, it is not an extensive\ncity, the population not exceeding a half million, but it is the\nrichest city of Ento, and one of the oldest.\n\nNow you are quieted and we will join our Band within the aural cloud.\n\nGentola--De L'Ester, friends, wait a moment; I believe I am frightened.\nOh, who are those wonderfully beautiful Beings? Are they Angels or are\nthey Spirits? Oh, I am overwhelmed by the amazing spectacle.\n\nDe L'Ester--Tranquillize yourself, I pray you, tranquillize yourself;\nnone but loving friends are here. Those radiant Beings are exalted\nSpirits from many Spirit Worlds, and conditions are such that for the\nfirst time during our Mission you see Spirits as _they really are_. You\nare aware that the physical body is composed of grosser elements of\nsubstance, and the Spirit body of elements more refined, the elemental\nquality of the Spirit body depending upon the manner of existence of\nthe mortal, so you readily may conclude that those Spirits are of an\nexalted plane, else they would not present such a glorified appearance,\nneither would they be able to serve the purpose for which they have\nassembled. Adon\u0113on, the leader of a Band, desires to address you.\n\nAdoneon--Trembling one from the Earth-world, the Sorrowful Star, upon\nwhich I, too, once dwelt, I pray you to accept our gentlest, our most\nloving greeting. Once we all existed in mortal forms, but having been\nfreed from physical expression we present to your unaccustomed gaze\nan appearance which startles and occasions you some trepidation. Will\nit calm your disquietude if I say that could you see yourself as we\nsee you, you would be as greatly amazed at your real appearance as\nyou are at our own. Then be at peace, for as we are, you some time\nwill be, and then, as now, gladly you will serve the lowliest of the\nhuman Brotherhood. Gentol[a:], you are rightly named, for only one of\nkindliest nature would risk the severance of the ties of your present\nEmbodiment, that thus you may aid this Mission of Loving endeavor. You\ndesire to learn somewhat of my earthly history. As you will, but it\nmust be as the merest fragment of the whole.\n\nRome was my birthplace, and I was the only child of persons of\ndistinction. From my earliest youth I revolted against the gross\nlicentiousness and debauchery, not only of the masses, but of those\nin highest places, whose criminally bestial orgies were beyond\ndescription, vile and demoralizing. My parents, too, shrank in horror\nand disgust from a condition of society which words cannot express. So\ndid others, but those who dare oppose themselves against the example\nof the conscienceless Emperor Nero, and his equally conscienceless\ncourtiers, did so at the peril of life and estate. Through his\nintolerable tyranny I, with other youths of the best blood of Rome,\nwere driven to plot rebellion against his misrule, and when our hopes\nof success were at the highest, a treacherous youth betrayed us and we\nwere arrested and sentenced to death in the arena. My beloved father\nwas shorn of his rank and possessions, and with my gentle mother, was\ndriven into exile, which they did not long survive. But Nero, the\ninsane, brutal tyrant, the ferocious, drunken beast, and the curse of\nhis unhappy time; Nero, who made human agony his pastime, still lived\nto gleefully laugh while naked, empty handed victims were cast into\nthe arena to be torn limb from limb by creatures no more savage, no\nmore relentless than the insensate wretch who gloated over the horrible\nscene. Earth has not harbored a more ignoble mortal than he who styled\nhimself, and indeed regarded himself, as the \"Divine C\u00e6sar.\"\n\nWhen the hour of my agony arrived, I, with many others, one a fair\ngirl scarcely beyond childhood, were driven to our doom. Some, through\nterror, swooned into merciful oblivion, others shrieked wildly and\npitifully, frantically strove to escape from the great beasts who\ntore them into fragments, and still others instinctively fought for\nlife, or coweringly shrank from their hideous fate. But not I, not I.\nAs an enormous lion rushed like an avalanche from the opened door of\nhis cage, the young girl clung to me for protection. One glance at\nher wide open eyes and terror stricken, lovely face, round which her\ngolden hair fell in curling profusion, inspired me with courage born\nof pity and despair. Putting her behind me, I strode toward the lion,\nmy burning, unwavering gaze meeting the glowing eyes of the famished\nand enraged beast, and for a moment the crouching creature hesitated,\nand Nero shouted and clapped his jewelled hands. The next instant the\nlion launched himself against my naked form and in another moment I was\nfreed and beyond the reach of the cruelest of all creatures--the _human\nanimal_.\n\nAfter the lapse of half a thousand of your years, at my own desire,\nand for a purpose, the Angels of the Visitation found me a birthplace\non the glorious planet Jupiter. Your astronomers would question this\nstatement. They do not take into account the fact that necessarily they\npossess but a limited knowledge of the constitution and conditions of\nthe Planets of our Solar System, or of the Beings who may inhabit them,\nand they do not recognize the more important fact that Spirit, the\nLife Principle, is indestructible, and that it possesses the ability\nof adjusting itself to other environments than those of Earth. From\nJupiter's Spirit Realms I, and these my comrades have come to aid in\nthis attempt to bring Spiritual enlightenment to the sorrowful children\nof Ento. Our Band of nine Spirits will endeavor to come into harmonious\nrelations with Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]. To other Bands of Spirits from other\nPlanetary Spheres have been assigned special duties. Upon De L'Ester\nand his Band will rest the responsibility of controlling and directing\nyou. As far as possible our plans have been perfected, and the supreme\nmoment having arrived, may the Divine, Intelligent, All Potent One\ndirect and aid us in our endeavor to fulfill the Law of Love.\n\nDe L'Ester--Gentol[a:], now that you have grown tranquil, we will enter\nthe apartment of the passing Vallo[a:]. Be attentive while I inform you\nas to who some of the assembled personages are, then you will describe\nthe surroundings of this pitiful scene. Later, your deeper submergence\nwill oblige me to continue a narration of what may occur. Do you\nunderstand?\n\nGentola--I do, and shall try to meet your wishes. I find myself\nstanding at the foot of Vallo[a:]'s couch, which is near the centre\nof the very spacious apartment, whose walls and ceiling are marvels\nof beauty. Upon their ivory white surfaces are sprays of exquisite\nblossoms so true to nature that it seems as though one might gather\nthem from their delicate foliage. Rich tapestries of palest blue,\ncombined with snowy laces, drape the lofty windows, and fluted panels\nof the same tapestry separate the flower designs on walls and ceiling,\nthe effect being very refined and beautiful. On opposing sides of the\napartment great mirrors are let into the walls, their frames and the\nwoodwork of doors and windows being in white and gold and the floor is\nsuch an exquisitely dainty mosaic that it seems a profanation to step\non it. There are some very beautiful divans and chairs and a large,\nhandsome table which, with the exception of the lovely couch on which\nVallo[a:] lies, completes the furnishing of the apartment.\n\nThrough a window from which the drapery is drawn aside the light\nfalls upon a young girl whose angelically lovely face is framed in a\nmass of curling, golden hair. It is the face of the young girl you\nonce showed me in a picture, but it is more mature, more expressive,\nmore spirituelle, than the pictured face. The soft, fleecy, white\ncouch clothing outlines a tall, slender form, somewhat emaciated, but\nmodelled most beautifully, and as she lifts her hands to push away\nfrom her low, wide forehead her shining hair, I see that they are as\nwhite as lilies and exceedingly shapely. On one side of the couch\nsits Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], a majestic, very handsome, dark skinned man of\nabout middle age. On the other side of the couch kneels Dano, his\nmournful gaze fixed upon the face of the dying girl, whose expression\nis serene but very pathetic. In Dano's clasp is her left hand, which he\nholds against his tremulous lips. With her right hand she fondly but\nfeebly caresses her father's stately head, bowed near her own, and her\nlarge, beautiful azure hued eyes look into his despairing face, then\nturn toward the sorrowful face of her affianced, and she murmurs low,\nbroken words of endearment for both. Dano's father, Basto And\u00fbl\u0113s[a:],\nwho, with bowed head and folded arms, stands near the head of the\ncouch, is a picture of woe. By Dano's side stands his mother, a very\ntall, olive skinned, strikingly handsome woman, whom her son closely\nresembles. On her face is an expression of great tenderness, as she\nwhispers fondly pitiful words to the dying girl, who gently touches\nher face and smiles up at her. Suddenly, with a quivering moan and a\nlook of terror in her dark eyes, she draws away, but quickly recovers\nherself, and again she stoops to murmur loving words to Vallo[a:] and\nto Dano, upon whose dark, flowing hair her tears fall like rain. Near\nOmanos F\u00fbnh[a:] stands the Most High Priest Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], and what\na singularly grand looking man he is. He is taller than any Entoan I\nhave seen; taller even than Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] whom I think he resembles.\nAs he stands erect, silent and motionless, he looks like a draped\nbronze statue. There is a peculiar expression on his quiet face, a\nsort of introspective expression which suggests the thought that he is\nquestioning himself as to the mystery of death, whose dread shadow is\nstealing over the beautiful face of Vallo[a:].\n\nOf the host of Spirit men and women thronging this apartment, the\nentire residence and the aura inclosed space about it, what can I,\nwhat shall I say? To my unfolded vision the walls oppose no barrier,\nand with inexpressible awe and wonder I gaze upon these luminous ones,\nwhose faces and forms possess a beauty and majesty indescribable. I can\nthink of no other word than Godlike that will convey my idea of their\nappearance, but I--but language fails me--I--can say--no--more.\n\nDe L'Ester--Before narrating what occurred after Gentol[a:] ceased\nspeaking I will say that the Organization controlling this Mission\nconsists of seven Bands of advanced Spirits of various Planetary\nSpirit Spheres, and that our Mission is not an isolated one. On all\nPlanets inhabited by Spiritualized humans, Spirit Missions for the\naccomplishment of various purposes, constantly are being carried\nforward. On Earth, at this time, more than one Mission is in progress.\nSome will elevate humanity; others, under control of Spirits not of\nbad intentions, but of a low plane of evolvement, hence ignorant as to\nresults, will debase and retard progress. I make mention of this matter\nso that if perchance some may read this story of our Mission they will\nunderstand that it is but one of many.\n\nHaving become submerged to a degree that rendered her incapable of\nfurther speech, and the moment of Vallo[a:]'s departure being close at\nhand, it became imperative that our Instrument should be illumined to\nher highest capacity, so that she might deliver our message to Omanos\nF\u00fbnh[a:], to Dano, to the Most High Priest, and to others surrounding\nthe passing girl.\n\nAt the moment of midday Gentol[a:] was made to call softly but\ndistinctly, \"Dano! Dano!\" All heard the voice, and a look of startled\ninquiry was on each face. Raising his head for a moment Dano intently\nlistened, then breathlessly he questioned, \"Who calls me? Who calls\nme?\" But for a little there was no reply, and only the faint, fitful\nbreathing of the dying girl broke the profound stillness. Then the\nseven Bands of Spirits formed in Circles, and their combined forces\nwere brought to hear upon Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], Dano, Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:],\nand upon Vallo[a:], whose vital energy for the moment was augmented.\nInstantaneously Dano's Spirit Senses were so quickened that he\nperceived not only Gentol[a:], but in a less perfect manner our entire\nBand, upon whom he gazed curiously, evidently doubting our reality.\nHis interest being centered in Gentol[a:], quickly he turned toward\nher, his face irradiated with surprise and joy. Inclining his head near\nVallo[a:]'s in low, trembling tones he exclaimed, \"She has come, as\nshe promised; she has come, Vallo[a:]. Vallo[a:], my dearest one, see\nyou not a strange Being by the side of your father?\" The yet conscious\ngirl smiled and murmured, \"Yes--yes.\" Looking about him the greatly\ndisturbed Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] exclaimed, \"I see no one, I see no one. Oh,\nmy children, our mutual sorrow confuses our senses, and we imagine\nunrealities. Dano, Dano, I pray you compose yourself lest we disquiet\nour dearest one.\" As Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] uttered these words an expression\nof intense surprise and bewilderment stole over his face, and over the\nface of Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], for at that moment their Spirit Senses were so\nunfolded that in awed and terrified silence _they saw and heard_.\n\nThen, at my dictation, in a voice low but audible to all, Gentol[a:]\ndelivered our message. \"Dano, Dano,\" she said, \"as I promised so\nhave I in your hour of deepest sorrow come to you. You perceive that\nVallo[a:], the Real Spiritual Vallo[a:], is well nigh freed from the\nfrail, beautiful form you all love so well. In a few moments she will\nbe released; then her golden haired mother and her Aunt Sylvian, whom\nyou also perceive hovering above the couch, will bear your love to\nher home in the glorious Spirit World, where you and all her dear\nones ere long will rejoin her. In this hour of your greatest sorrow I\nbear you a Message that henceforth will fill your life and the lives\nof Ento's children with immeasurable peace and joy. Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:],\nand you, Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], Priest of a hopeless religion, listen that\nyou, too, may receive knowledge of the grandest Truth that can be\nrevealed to man. Through purity of life, and a noble ambition to\n_serve_ rather than to rule, and recently through keenest anguish\nof soul, you, Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], have so unfolded your Spiritual Self\nthat you are prepared to accept this Truth, and you, Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:],\nthrough lofty aspiration and exceptional ability to perceive that which\nhitherto you have not understood, will proclaim the Revelation that\nthe physical body is but the casket in which the priceless jewel, the\nImmortal Self, which is the deathless expression of the Infinite Spirit\nwhom you name And\u00fbman[a:], is enshrined. Hitherto, because of the\npositiveness and materialism of your religious beliefs, so dense has\nbeen the aural atmosphere about you, that light from Ento's and other\nSpirit Worlds has not penetrated your Spiritual consciousness. During\npast centuries the Immortals of many Spirit Worlds have striven to\ncommunicate with the children of Ento, that thus they might bring hope\nto despairing ones who have lived, loved and sorrowed, even as you who\nlove this, your dearest one, now sorrow. Striving, watching, waiting,\nloving, pitiful spirits, who once were mortals like yourselves, at\nlast have found their opportunity and have hastened to bring light\ninto darkness, joy for sorrow and hope for despair. They, with glad\nhearts, have come to proclaim to you that life and Spirit are one and\nindestructible. That, though unseen by mortal eyes, the animating\nPrinciple, the Real Self, is Immortal, and in Realms indescribable by\nhuman language, those who have passed from Ento and other Worlds, live,\nlove and enjoy, or sorrow, in accordance with the purity or impurity\nof their mortal existence. They also have come to proclaim to you that\nthere is but One God, Who is the Infinite Spirit, Who permeates all\nthings. The Infinitely Intelligent Spirit, who knows all things. The\nInfinite Energy, who is the Source of all things. The Dual, Unseeable,\nUnknowable One, whose manifestations alone declare the Infinity of\ntheir origin. They have come to proclaim to you that Ento is but one\nof myriads of Worlds, comprising an illimitable Universe, whose every\natom is vitalized and permeated by this Infinite Spirit, who no more\nlives in the shining Orb which sheds its radiant beams over the lands\nand seas of Ento and over other greater Worlds far away in space than\nin the petals of the rodel, or in the atoms floating in the atmosphere.\nWhen the great flaming Star you ignorantly have thought the abode of\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], the Supreme One, has for a time disappeared from your\nview, and the darkness of night has fallen over this portion of your\nEnto World, reverently you have gazed toward the shining points in\nspace, aye, so far away in space, that you can form no conception of\nthe immensity of their distances from Ento, and you have believed\nthem the Lamps of the Realm of Astranol[a:]. Learn, oh children of our\ncommon Father, Mother God, that they are Worlds, some of them of such\nvast proportions that, compared with them, Ento and the Earth World,\nwhere I dwell, are dwarfed into insignificance. Some of these worlds\nare peopled by very advanced and exalted humans, others by mortals in\nvarious stages of evolvement, and all are the children of the Infinite\nOne. I cannot now speak more fully of these matters, but, concerning\nthem, later on you shall receive further instruction.\n\n\"Dano, dear youth, let the words of our Message sink deeply into your\nheart, for you are the chosen herald, who first shall proclaim the\nnew Faith to the children of Ento. Be courageous, be faithful, and in\naccordance with the measure of your courage and your faithfulness shall\nbe your consciousness that ever by your side will walk your spirit\nbride, your other Self, Vallo[a:]. Dano, Dano, are you strong enough,\nare you courageous enough to give to your sorrowful people the Message\nof the new faith?\"\n\nFor a little Dano hesitated, and Vallo[a:], over whose fair\nface the whiteness of death was stealing, reached toward him\na tremulous hand and faintly murmured: \"Dano--my beloved--you\nwill--you--will--give--this truth--to--our--despairing--people,\nand--and--your Vallo[a:] will--walk--with you--until--your\nglorious--work--shall--be--ended.\"\n\nIn her dimming, azure hued eyes was an expression of immeasurable\nentreaty, and, overwhelmed with emotion, gently, tenderly, Dano pressed\nher cold hand to his lips, and in low, fervent tones said: \"I believe\nin One Supreme Being, who is beyond my finite comprehension. I believe\nthat beyond this sorrowful life there is another state of existence,\nwhere all will find their beloved dead, with whom they will live and\nlove forever, and I promise you, oh, my dearest, that for as long\nas I may live in my mortal body, I will proclaim to our peoples the\namazing, the glorious Truth that has been revealed to us. That it is a\ntruth I well know, for even as I gaze upon your beloved mortal form,\nrising above your head I see your Real Self, radiant and lovely beyond\nall beauty of mortal woman. I see, too, your mother, your wondrously\nbeautiful golden haired mother, and Sylvian, the lovely and gracious\nwoman whom in my childhood I revered as I revered the Goddesses of\nAstranol[a:]. They support you in their arms, my dearest, and they\nare about to bear you away from my sight. Vallo[a:]--Vallo[a:]--oh,\nmy beloved, open your beautiful eyes--oh, speak to one once more.\nDo you hear me, Vallo[a:]? Do you hear me? Answer me if but with a\nword, or a smile, so that I may know that you have heard my vow.\" As\nthough in answer to his piteous appeal Vallo[a:]'s eyelids quivered\nand slowly her blue eyes unclosed and gazed into Dano's, and a faint\nsmile played about her parted lips. Then, with a supreme effort, her\ngaze turned upon her father, who bent his head near her to catch her\nwhispered words, the last he would hear from the mortal lips of his\nidolized child. \"Father, father,\" she sighed, rather than said, \"it is\ntrue--promise--me--your--child--to--give--this--truth--to our--people.\nFath--er, prom--ise----\" The blue eyes closed, a smile wreathed itself\nabout the sweet mouth, and--all was still.\n\nWe, who have observed the release of many Spirits, seldom have\nwitnessed a scene so pathetic, so profoundly touching. About the\nspacious chamber were grouped the Seven Spirit Circles, deeply\nsympathizing with the bereft ones, who for a time remained in voiceless\napathy, their overwhelming grief finding no utterance in word or\noutcry. Cradled in the arms of her Spirit mother and of her Aunt\nSylvian, the Spirit Vallo[a:] laid like a smiling, sleeping infant.\nBy the side of the couch knelt Dano, holding in his warm clasp the\ncold, lifeless hands of his love, and gazing upon her pallid face in\nspeechless agony. Bending over him his mother by her silent sympathy\nsought to console him, her fast falling tears evincing the depth of\nher own sorrow. Still by the side of Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] stood Gentol[a:],\nand though intently listening to our Message, not once had he looked\nat her, but now impelled by our concentrated desire, slowly, timidly\nhe turned his gaze upon her, and for the first time fully realized\nthe presence of a spirit. She alone of the assembled spirits being\nperceptible to his but partially unfolded Clairvoyant and Clairaudient\nSenses, awe stricken and trembling he sank to his knees, and in broken\naccents questioned: \"Who art thou? What art thou?\" At my dictation she\nreplied:\n\nGentola--By some spirit friends I have been named Gentol[a:], and am\nnot of your people, but am of a World afar in space, which by its\npeoples is known as Earth. In a manner which I now cannot explain I can\nleave my living physical body, and by some wise and strong Spirits who\nunderstand Spiritual Laws, I have been borne from Earth to your World,\nthat through me they might reveal to you and to your people that the\nSpirit, the Real Self of humans survives death of the physical body.\nFor the reason that I am less etherealized than wholly freed Spirits,\nyou, Dano, and you, Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], perceive me, and were your\nsuperior Senses more fully unfolded, you would behold S\u0113lon[a:], the\npurple eyed, golden haired wife of your youth, and her sister, Sylvian,\ntoo, who will assist in bearing to her beautiful home in your Spirit\nWorld your angel daughter Vallo[a:]. S\u0113lon[a:] and Sylvian implore you\nto remember Vallo[a:]'s last words, and if in your consciousness the\nnew Faith may find a steadfast abiding place you will gladden the\nhearts of your beloved and loving ones by openly declaring it. Remember\nthat though you are not conscious of their presence, often they are\nnear you, reading your every thought, and that your joy is their joy,\nand that in their hearts your griefs find quick response. Ever your\ngentle, loving wife guards and guides you in your ways. Ever, as you\nwalk to and fro, silently her foot-falls keep pace with yours, and when\nthe hour of your release from your mortal body shall arrive she and\nVallo[a:] will be with you, and in a World whose skies are ever radiant\nwith a light unknown to mortals, over whose brightest days shadows ever\nare falling, you will be reunited with those whom you have mourned as\nhaving gone into perpetual Silence. In this Spirit World the flowers\nare fadeless, the balmy air is vibrant with Divinest harmonies and joys\nsuch as mortals cannot conceive of await all whose exalted lives have\nprepared them for lofty states of Being. The Guiding Spirits who have\nbrought me here say that ere long I shall come again to offer to you a\nfuller knowledge of the Truth we are striving to reveal to you, a Truth\nwhich shall dispel your fear of death, which is but a transition to a\nhigher state of existence, and shall bring to you and to your people\nconsolation and peace inexpressible.\n\nDe L'Ester--Ere Gentol[a:] ceased speaking, through grief and amazement\nOmanos F\u00fbnh[a:] was so overwhelmed that had not Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:]'s\nstrong arms sustained him he would have fallen prone. Swaying like a\ndrunken man, he extended his trembling hands toward Gentol[a:], crying:\n\"Thou sayest thou art from another World, a World afar in space. Thou\nsayest that my child Vallo[a:] still lives, and that her mother and\nSylvian are here to bear her away to a World invisible to me. Where is\nthis invisible World of living ones, and do my dear ones indeed dwell\nthere? And when the breath of my life shall cease shall I, too, surely\ncontinue to exist, and with them abide forever? And truly are there in\nspace other Worlds, where men and women live, love and die as do we\nof Ento? The thought is too stupendous. I cannot realize it. Speak, I\nentreat you, ere my senses totter to their destruction.\"\n\nQuickly our Forces combined to quiet his somewhat frenzied state, and\nagain Gentol[a:] was made to address him and those about him.\n\nGentola--I, who am but the Instrument for Spirits more exalted than\nmyself, can only say that which they dictate to me. When daylight has\nmerged into twilight, and twilight has deepened into darkness, myriads\nof shining points dot the vast expanse of the night sky, and you\nhave been taught that these shining points are the Lamps illumining\nthe abode of your Gods and Goddesses, whom you have regarded as the\nMessengers of And\u00fbman[a:] the Supreme One. Among those shining points\nis one gleaming with a soft, silvery radiance, which your Priests have\nnamed Inglos \u0113vecto Fryd[a:], which, I am told, would in my language\nmean Fryd[a:]'s lamp or light. Truly this silvery point is the Earth\nworld where I dwell. Like all the Worlds in space it is spherical in\nform and nearly twice the size of Ento, which it closely resembles,\nand, like your world, its surface is composed of divisions of land and\nwater, and its products of all kinds are very similar to those of Ento.\nOur learned ones believe that it is a younger World than this, as much\nof its land surface is quite rugged, and there are mountains so lofty\nthat their peaks pierce the clouds. Its hills, too, are still elevated,\nand its valleys deeply depressed, whereas time has nearly levelled\nthe surface of Ento, necessitating your vast System of Irrigation,\nwhich on the Earth World only in isolated instances is required. We\nconsider your civilization more advanced than is ours, which indicates\nyour greater maturity, and in the arts and most of the sciences your\nattainments equal or surpass those of our people, who generally aspire\nto acquire wisdom and a knowledge of all that may advance their best\ninterests. Like the Entoans we have trials and sorrows for our loved\nones also pass to the World of Spirits, and we miss their presence, as\nyou will miss Vallo[a:]'s, but our knowledge of continuous existence\nenables us to endure what cannot be avoided, and we well know that when\nwe too shall pass to our Spirit World we will find all our dear ones\nwho have preceded us.\n\nAmong our learned ones are those who have constructed instruments very\nlike those through which from the summits of your great Watch Towers\nyou gaze across the surface of Ento. Through these Instruments, known\nas Telescopes, men and women versed in the science of astronomy are\nenabled to observe and study the Worlds in space just as the learned\nones of Ento may do when an acceptance of the new Faith shall free them\nfrom their superstitious fears of the Gods and Goddesses who do not\nexist, the only God being the Supreme One, who is a God of Love, and\nnot a vengeful destroyer of his children.\n\nLike Ento, our Earth World also has divisions of day and night, which\nin their duration very nearly correspond with your own, and the Sun,\nthe same glorious Orb that blesses Ento with light and heat, shines\non our World as well. During a certain period of our year, which is a\nlittle more than half the length of yours, when darkness falls and the\nsky is unclouded, afar we behold a beautiful ruddy Star, known to us as\nthe planet Mars, and of all the Worlds in space none so attracts our\nattention as this Star, which truly is this, your Ento World. Those who\nhave brought me here desire me to say that certain instruction they\nnow would gladly offer for your consideration must for the present be\nwithheld, but that when a more propitious hour shall arrive, through me\nthey will reveal to you much that will add to the happiness and well\nbeing of yourself and peoples.\n\nTo your question relating to the locality of the World of living\nones I must reply briefly. About all Worlds sufficiently matured to\nafford sustenance and habitation for various life forms and for the\nchildren of the Incomprehensible, Infinite Intelligent Energy you name\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], there are a Series of Spirit Realms which envelop material\nWorlds as the husk of the Pl\u00fbym[a:] envelops its crimson fruit. These\nRealms are suited to the requirements of their inhabitants, who are\nSpirits, who through death of the physical body have been released,\nand as men, women and children live a more real life than do mortals.\nIn these Realms all progress toward higher attainments and greater\nperfection, and when fitted for the change they pass from lower to\nhigher realms and greater joys. In Ento's Spirit Realms your real\nSelf will find all whom you have loved but not lost, for they live\nand love you, and in the grandly beautiful home prepared for you they\nawait your coming. Be patient, then, and from time to time all that is\nfor your good will be revealed to you. Now, as never before, Spirits\nof the higher Realms can penetrate the aura surrounding the peoples\nof Ento, and to you three illumined ones will be revealed that which\nwill inspire and unfold your inner consciousness, so that with clearer\nvision you will perceive the Immortals who ever are about you and all\nwho yet abide in the mortal form. At this moment this apartment is\nthronged with Immortals, who are here to assist in your unfoldment and\nthat of Dano and Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], who better than yourself comprehends\nthis, to you, strange occurrence. Gladly these exalted Spirits will\naid you in your search after Truth, which is wholly Divine and which\nalone can assist humanity in its ever onward progress. There, Omanos\nF\u00fbnh[a:], lies the inanimate form of your beloved daughter, and Dano's\naffianced wife, the form which for a brief time was the dwelling place\nof the Spirit Vallo[a:], who now in the arms of her mother and Sylvian\nis about to be borne to their and her home in your Spirit World. What\nMessage shall they convey to other dear ones who await their coming?\n\nDe L'Ester--While Gentol[a:] was speaking, Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], Dano,\nOzyras D\u00fbls[a:] and Dano's parents, who heard her quite audible voice,\nstood like so many statues, every sense absorbed in the intense desire\nto catch her every word, and when silence followed speech they looked\ninto each others' faces with an expression of awed inquiry, but no one\nuttered a sound. Some moments elapsed, then Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] slowly\nturned toward the couch and silently gazed upon the pallid face framed\nin a wealth of golden, curling tresses, then within his trembling palms\nhe folded Vallo[a:]'s small, cold, stiffening hands, covering them with\nkisses and wetting them with his tears, then tenderly he laid them over\nher bosom and turned away from the couch. Standing erect, with uplifted\neyes and hands, and with an expression of deep emotion on his dark,\nhandsome face, in impassioned tones his voice broke the stillness.\n\nOmanos Funha--Oh thou Infinite and Supreme One, whose ignorant but\nadoring children we are, as our fathers and mothers have worshipped\nso have Thy children of a later time worshipped Thee. When light and\nheat have brooded over Ento, causing all living things to fructify and\nyield sustenance to Thy children and the creatures of Thy Creation, we\nhave said, \"Praise be unto And\u00fbman[a:], the Supreme One, who, from His\nshining abode, smiles upon us His children, and with such offerings as\nwe have conceived acceptable we have sought to manifest our gratitude\nfor Thy beneficence. Yet ever as we have rendered homage unto Thee our\nhearts have been heavy through fear and despair. Ever the noiseless,\ndusky wings of the dread Messenger Phra have so overshadowed our lives\nthat now that Thou callest to us we are too blind to see our way to\nThee, too deaf to clearly hear Thy voice, but since it is Thy Will that\nnow we shall receive the light of the grandest, most priceless Truth\nthat Thou canst vouchsafe to us, Thou Wilt lift the shadows from our\neyes and humbly, adoringly, we will strive to find our ways to Thy\nglorious presence. The brightest, most precious jewel of the crown of\nmy life this day hath gone from me, and I am desolate, but it is Thy\nWill and I murmur not, for through this Thy Messenger Thou sayest that\nafter the body ceases to live, in an invisible but fairer World than\nEnto the Real Selves of Thy children consciously continue to exist, and\nafter what Thou hast made us to see and to hear, I, Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:],\ndoubt it not. Then praise be unto Thee, that through Thy love for\nThine own, after the breath of our lives shall cease we shall find our\nbeloved ones, and with them ceaselessly adore Thee for this Thy most\nprecious gift to Thy undeserving but loving children. Ra\u00fb, ra\u00fb, ra\u00fb.\"\n\nDe L'Ester--All in attendance, spirits and mortals, fervently\nresponded, \"Ra\u00fb, ra\u00fb, ra\u00fb.\" After a brief pause he turned to the Most\nHigh Priest and said: \"Your Sacredness, Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], long hast\nthou administered the rites of the old faith; what sayest thou of this\nnew Revelation from And\u00fbman[a:], the Supreme One to whom be adoration\nforever, that He hath heard our fervent petitions and hath granted to\nus and to our sorrowful peoples a knowledge that though our bodies\nshall die we shall continue to exist. So long hast thou been my close\nfriend that thou wilt bear with my rapture, which alas is tinged with\ndeepest sorrow,\" and he stooped and kissed Vallo[a:]'s smiling lips\nand folded hands. Silently, attentively, Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:] listened to\nOmanos F\u00fbnh[a:]'s words, then with a certain tenderness of manner he\nreplied: \"Thou art the Supreme Ruler of Ento, and thou art a wise,\njust, loving and learned man, and even as the chalices of the snowy\nrodel turn their perfumed hearts toward Diafon \u0113voih[a:] (the sun) so\ndo the hearts of the people turn toward thee for counsel and sympathy.\nThou knowest why the people sorrow, and thou knowest that even at their\nfeasts joy is a rare guest. It hath pleased And\u00fbman[a:] to withhold\nfrom His children of past times this wondrous Revelation that life is\ncontinuous and that in Realms invisible to mortal vision the children\nof His Love shall abide forever. It is not for us to question His Will\nor His Wisdom. It is for us to listen and to obey, so I pray that thou\nwilt not withhold from the children of Ento the glad Revelation which\nhath been vouchsafed to us in this the hour of our deepest sorrow.\n\n\"It may greatly surprise thee to learn that many Priests and\nPriestesses of the Temples see and hear as thou now seest and hearest,\nbut the meaning of it hath not been understood, and fear of And\u00fbman[a:]\nand the Deific Ones hath caused them to keep silent and to cling to\nold traditions. So convinced am I that the Truth is being Revealed\nto us that with thy approval I, Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], gladly will aid\nin proclaiming the glorious, the wondrous words of And\u00fbman[a:]'s\nRevelation to His children.\"\n\nWhile Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:] spoke, Dano knelt by the side of the couch,\nsteadfastly gazing upon the lovely face which soon would be naught but\nashes, but toward the close of Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:]'s speech he arose and\nin deep entrancement stood motionless. Aided by our combined Forces,\nZenest[a:] H[a:]o was enabled to control his Senses and through him to\naddress Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], Dano's parents and Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:].\n\nZenesta Hao--I, who through the lips of this entranced youth will\nattempt to address you, may be remembered as Zenest[a:] H[a:]o, long\na Professor of languages in the renowned Galar\u0113s[a:] of Camariss[a:].\nDuring my mortal existence I, like all the peoples of Ento, was\nignorant of the fact that death of the mortal body releases the\nImmortal Spirit, which is the real Self of man, or, to state the fact\nmore clearly, when the real Self, the Immortal Spirit, finds the\nmortal body no longer suited to its requirements, it releases itself\nand under the higher, better conditions of the Spirit World, continues\nits progress onward, onward forever. Not until I was released from my\nworn and aged body did I learn the glorious truth that I was Immortal.\nIn the sorrowful belief that death was the end of all, I fell asleep.\nI awakened to find about me my dearest ones who had come to bear\nme to their and my home in the World of the Immortals. Oh, the joy\nthat filled my enraptured Being when I became fully conscious that\ncontinuous existence, progress and happiness inexpressible was the\nreward of a life devoted to virtuous conduct and loving service for\nothers, and that for those who had not lived in accordance with their\nhighest ideals there was endless time and opportunity for the amending\nof the mistakes and wrongs of mortal life, and for progress as endless\nas eternity.\n\nDear friends, were your Spirit vision fully unfolded, in this chamber\nyou would behold forms and faces of Spirits who are revered and\nfamous in the history of Ento. Here are Genessano Allis Immo R\u00fb, and\nhis little less famous spouse, the Lady Camariss[a:], and their two\nsons Inidor[a:] and Genessano, who offer to you all their kindliest\ngreetings and an assurance of their immeasurable joy that at last the\nlight of a great Truth is about to irradiate the sorrowful lives of the\npeoples of their ever beloved Ento. Here, too, is H[a:]-Mo\u00fbfi Adassi\nwhose name ever is on the lips of all students of nature. He also\ngreets you all and joins with all the Invisibles present in expressions\nof love and sympathy for you in this your hour of mingled joy and\nsadness.\n\nOmanos F\u00fbnh[a:], thou art favored beyond all men who ever have lived\non Ento, for even in the hour of thy deepest anguish a joy hath come\nto thee, which henceforth shall fill thy days with blessedness and\npeace. Then hasten, oh, hasten to crown the days of the children of\nEnto with unlooked for gladness. Give to them the assurance that the\nold, hopeless faith is no more. That And\u00fbman[a:], the Supreme One, hath\nrevealed to His ever sorrowful children the highest expression of His\nlove for them, and that henceforth death shall be known as the Angel\nwho guards the portal between mortal and Immortal Life.\n\nBasto And\u00fbl\u0113s[a:], I salute thee and thy gracious spouse, and it is my\npleasant duty to convey to her beloved parents a most tender and most\nloving greeting from one who in her early youth passed to the World\nof Spirits. I speak for thy ceaselessly mourned daughter Ont[a:], who\njoins her entreaties with ours that you earnestly shall assist in the\nintroduction and acceptance of the new Faith, which for you and Ento's\npeoples shall change the face of all things, and she entreats you and\nher mother to encourage her brother Dano, whose clear seeing vision and\nunderstanding of Spiritual things, fits him for a Teacher who shall\nproclaim to the peoples the glorious Truth which is being Revealed\nto you chosen ones. Since entering our Spirit World I have learned\nthat during the passing centuries advanced Spirits with but slight\nsuccess, persistently have endeavored to penetrate the consciousness\nof Ento's peoples, but ever the gross materialism of their religion,\nwhich is founded upon the legends and crude conceptions of undeveloped,\nignorant, primitive peoples, has opposed an impenetrable barrier\nto their approach. Baffled and wearied through perpetual failures,\nfinally Bands of strong, determined Spirits of our and other Spirit\nWorlds resolved to attempt to fit this Earth woman, whom we have named\nGentol[a:], to serve as a means of communication between Spirits\nand certain Sensitives of Ento. Being yet embodied in flesh she is\nless Spiritualized than ourselves, whose Spirit bodies like that of\nVallo[a:], are of such inconceivably refined substances as to be\nimperceptible to most mortals. To Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], to Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:],\nand to thy son Dano, whose Spiritual Senses to a degree are unfolded,\nshe is perceptible, and later on they and thee and thy spouse Ellit[a:]\nwill unfold the ability to perceive wholly released spirits.\n\nOf necessity this Revelation from the World of Spirits is so\nfragmentary as to be confusing to minds accustomed to other beliefs,\nbut from time to time Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:] and this thy\nson Dano shall receive distinct instruction pertaining not only to\nthe new Faith, but to other affairs of moment. When Dano shall have\nawakened we desire that he shall be informed as to what I have said,\nthen, through Gentol[a:], will be given to you all some parting words,\nand may the Spirit of All Spirits, the Infinite One, whom Entoans name\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], ever be present in your thoughts, for from this Divine\nand inexhaustible Source cometh all that is beneficent. And now, dear\nfriends, I must say Info oovist\u00fb.\n\nDe L'Ester--During Zenest[a:] H[a:]o's address Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] and\nOzynas D\u00fbls[a:] gazed upon Dano in amazement and alarm, and his parents\nwho stood near the apparently sleeping youth in awed silence listened\nto the strange speech issuing from his lips, but no one ventured to\nspeak to him or to touch him. When Zenest[a:] H[a:]o spoke of Genessano\nAllis Immo and his wife and sons and of HaMo\u00fbfi Adassi and Ont[a:]\nAnd\u00fbl\u0113s[a:], surprise tinged with terror sat on every face, and in\nspeechless, questioning wonder they looked into each others' eyes.\n\nWhen he delivered Ont[a:]'s greeting and Message, a great trembling\nseized Basto And\u00fbl\u0113sa, who scarcely could sustain his own form and\nthat of his weeping wife, who, through violent emotion, swooned\ninto unconsciousness. Gentol[a:], in her now partially conscious\nstate, realized what was occurring, and to our momentary dismay, her\nsympathies became so active that only through our instantly united\nefforts were we enabled to prevent her release from her greatly\ndevitalized physical body. Restoratives quickly revived Dano's mother,\nwho was gently entreated to withdraw from the chamber, but she refused\nto do so, and sat sobbing and murmuring: \"She lives--she--lives,\nour--Ont[a:], our precious--Ont[a:], our--roina blossom lives, and\nsome--time we shall find--her. Oh, the joy--of it, the joy--and\nwonder--of it. And\u00fbman[a:], we adore Thee that Thou hast taken--pity\nupon Thy sorrowful--children; that Thou hast shown us--that we\nshall--find our beloved child, our--Ont[a:].\" And thus as a loving\nmother would she, between smiles and tears continued her gentle, loving\ncrooning. Now there was a quivering of the eyelids, a slight start,\nand Dano, in a bewildered manner looked about him and in a hushed\ntone eagerly questioned: \"What has occurred? Have I been asleep and\ndreaming? Have I said aught to disturb you, that you regard me so\nstrangely?\" At our desire Gentol[a:] drew near him and at my dictation\nagain spoke to him audibly.\n\nGentola--Dano, dear youth, even as the dew silently falls into the\nperfumed hearts of night's snowy blooms so early into your heart\nentered Vallo[a:]. In the flower of her beautiful womanhood she has\ngone from you and from those dear to her, but she has not gone into\nSilence and nothingness, but into a higher state of existence, where,\nafter your work shall be done, you, too, will go and with her forever\nwill glorify the Infinite Spirit of all that is. That I may comfort\nyou I will reveal to you the wondrous fact that all existences in\ntheir nature are dual, the Male and Female Principles constituting the\nDuality, and truly Vallo[a:] is your other Self, and for all time you\ntwo are one and inseparable. Until you shall release yourself from your\nphysical body, as your guiding Star ever she will be near you, and when\nyou shall fall into your last slumber ere long you will awaken to meet\nthe enraptured gaze of Vallo[a:]'s azure eyes.\n\nDano, our Mission to Ento is only in its inception, but now I must\nreturn to Earth, where other duties await my attention, but you\nwill not be left unaided, for now that the way has been made plain,\nVallo[a:], her mother, Sylvian, your sister Ont[a:] and other Spirits\nwill be able to communicate with you three illumined ones, and very\nsoon other Sensitives will become unfolded, through whom Spirits can\nconvey instruction to the people, and I am informed that when you may\nneed me I shall be brought to you, so be courageous, be faithful to the\nduties our Mission has imposed upon you, and all will be well with you\nand with the children of Ento, before whom you will stand as a Priest\nof the New Religion.\n\nThe moment has arrived in which, for the present, we must say Info\noovist\u00fb, and may a sense of the joys awaiting you all in the glorified\nexistence of Ento's Spirit Realms illumine your lives and console and\nsustain your sorely grieved hearts until in the hour of your release\nfrom your physical bodies you shall hear the glad cry, \"Loh[a:]\u00fb,\nloh[a:]\u00fb, vraim\u0113on m\u0113nois[a:].\" (Hail, hail, dearly beloved.)\n\nDe L'Ester--At this moment a ray of the setting Sun stole through the\nslightly parted window drapery, falling upon Dano, who, with uplifted\nface and outreaching hands, entreatingly whispered: \"You will come\nagain, oh, you will come again?\" and Gentol[a:] was made to reply: \"I\nwill, I surely will,\" and Dano sank to his knees beside the couch. It\nstole athwart the white, calm, lovely face of Vallo[a:], and for a\nlittle it lingered in the silken mesh of her golden hair, glorifying\nthe majesty and mystery of the change called death. It crowned Dano's\nflowing blue black hair as with a halo and it stole across the stilled\nform of the dead girl and rested upon two faces one would not be likely\nto forget--the faces of the stately Supreme Ruler of Ento, Omanos\nF\u00fbnh[a:], and that of the Most High Priest of the Most Sacred Temple\nZim, Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], than whom no handsomer or gracious gentlemen\nexist on Ento. As, side by side they stood, the fading sun ray revealed\nin the face of the bereaved father an expression of infinite sadness,\na little lighted by the dawning of a priceless hope. In the eyes of\nOzynas D\u00fbls[a:] was the expression of one whose Inner Vision has\npenetrated the Veil falling between the hither and the thither sides of\nexistence. A moment longer and the sun ray disappeared, a passing cloud\nobscured its afterglow, and in the spacious apartment were shadows and\nsilence. Then, through the activity of Forces ever at our command,\nslowly with a soft, silvery radiance we so illumined the chamber that\nthe strange glory of it overwhelmed Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], Dano, and his\nparents, but Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], who, in the Inner Sanctuary of the most\nSacred Temple Zim, had beheld Spirit Illumination, murmured: \"Tymonas,\nTymonas, thou hast said to me that thou art not a God, but a man,\nlike other men, and I understood thee not, but now with an humble and\ngrateful heart I recognize that thou art an exalted Spirit man, and\nthat thou hast been infinitely patient with me as with other Priests\nwho have served in the Temple Zim, and now I Vow that henceforth I\nwill be as faithful to the new Revelation as ever in my ignorance I\nhave been faithful to the superstitions which soon will be of a dead\npast,\" and through the stillness an audible whisper ran: \"Well done,\nthou good and faithful servant; though thou hast not understood,\nsincerely thou hast worshipped the Most High,\" and tremblingly Ozynas\nD\u00fbls[a:] recognized that Tymonas, the Spirit of the Inner Sanctuary,\nhad spoken.\n\nAt the height of the radiance musical notes, soft as zephyrs whispering\nto flowers, filled the chamber with vibrant melody, and the minds and\nhearts of those about the couch with emotions indescribable. Gradually\nthe melodious tones died into silence, and the silvery glow faded into\nthe gray of deepest twilight, whose shadows, like dark hued drapery,\nfell over the snowy couch and stilled form of the dead girl and over\nthe awed but enraptured faces of the living. Then the tremulous,\nhushed, adoring tones of Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]'s voice broke the stillness.\n\nOmanos Funha--Supreme, all Wise, loving and most merciful One, Whom in\nour blindness we have not rightly perceived, in Thine own time and way\nThou hast more clearly revealed Thyself and the marvel of Thy glory to\nus, Thy humbly adoring children. So dulled by erroneous beliefs are\nour Senses that as little children we reach our hands toward Thee,\nand I doubt not that Thou wilt guide our ways. Since to us hath been\nrevealed the amazing, the glorious Truth that the Real Self of Man does\nnot die, and that our dear ones who have gone from our sight can, in\nsome not yet understood manner, hold converse with us, and that they\nwill instruct us as to how we may attain greater knowledge concerning\nthis life and the life to come, we cannot find words to express our\ngratitude to Thee or to those of Thy Spirit children whose love hath\nprompted them to serve us, who are so unworthy of Thy pity, or their\nimmeasurable goodness to us. We know not how to repay Thy Infinite\nbeneficence or their goodness, but I, Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], am inexpressibly\ngrateful to Thee and to Thy Messengers, and with all the ability with\nwhich Thou hast endowed me, henceforth I will proclaim to the children\nof Ento that Life is continuous, that endless progression is a Law of\nthe Infinitely Supreme One, and that there is one God, and none other.\n\nDe L'Ester--Through the silence and the shadows fervently the lips of\nImmortals and Mortals responded, \"Ra\u00fb, ra\u00fb, ra\u00fb,\" and then the living\nwere left with the beautiful dead body, whose released inmate swiftly\nwas borne to her Celestial home, and through the measureless spaces\nfrom joyous Spirit Bands rang out the glad P\u00e6an, \"Glory to the Infinite\nSpirit in Whom we live and move and have our Being. Glory be to Thee\nthrough whom success has crowned our Mission to Ento. Glory and highest\npraise be unto our Father and Mother God, forever and forever.\"\n\n  _September 16th, 1894._\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX.\n\nINTERVIEW WITH MEMBERS OF THE EVON-THIA, JANUARY 10TH, 1895.\n\n\nDe L'Ester--Yes, madame, again we are here to greet you, but our\nvisit must be brief, as neither you or we can afford to overtax your\nreturning vital energy. Nearly four months of Earth's fleeting days\nhave elapsed since your Spirit gaze rested upon the dead form of the\nmortal Vallo[a:] and upon the living form of the Spirit maiden as in\nthe arms of her equally youthful mother and of her Aunt Sylvian she\nwas borne from the darkening chamber and the presence of her stricken\nfather and of her weeping lover, whose tearful eyes beheld her\ndeparture. That during this lapse of time we have maintained over you\na careful watchfulness you may feel assured, and you cannot so much\nregret as do we, that at the culmination of our Mission we felt obliged\nto tax to the utmost your depleted vitality, and we rejoice that under\nthe constant ministrations of loving friends, you are recovering your\nusual strength. We are aware that your peculiar experiences of the\npast two years are as slightly remembered dreams, yet to a degree you\nare curious as to what recently has been transpiring on Ento. Shall I\ninform you as to the progress of the new Faith?\n\nGentola--It will greatly please me if you will do so, for I feel more\nthan curious to learn how it may be affecting the people.\n\nDe L'Ester--I am sure that it will gratify you to learn that Dano's\nparents are converts to the new Faith, and that their hitherto sombre\nfaces are irradiated with the joyous expectation of Immortality, not\nonly for themselves but for all of And\u00fbman[a:]'s children. Through Dano\nAnd\u00fbl\u0113s[a:] they receive cheering Messages from their daughter Ont[a:]\nand other dear ones whose words they value as jewels beyond price, and\nthe passing days do not suffice for their continuous adoration of the\ngoodness of And\u00fbman[a:], Who has heard and granted the desire of the\nhearts of His children.\n\nDano has renounced his claim to the Supreme Rulership of the Planet and\nhas declared himself a Priest of the new Revelation, which he devotedly\noffers to the despairing multitudes, who eagerly listen to his eloquent\npresentation of its wonderful declarations. All over the Planet the\nminds of the people are profoundly stirred, and some are filled with\nconsternation, dreading they know not what. Though still clinging\nto the old beliefs, others timidly reach toward the new Faith which\npromises that for which ever they have prayed, and still others are in\na state of dumb amazement, not daring to voice either hope or fear. Of\ncourse, largely, the Priesthood stand aghast at the threatened downfall\nof the Time-Honored Religion, which ever has made them the dominant\npower of Ento. They declare that Dano's utterances are the result of\nmere hallucinations, and that the experiences of Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], of\nwhich he speaks openly, are outgrowths of grief over the death of\nVallo[a:]. On the other hand, an ever increasing number of Priests and\nPriestesses are listening to the Most High Priest Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:],\nand joyfully professing their belief in the new Revelation, which he\nboldly declares to the multitudes who daily crowd the great Temple\nZim. To them he relates his experiences with Tymonas in the inner\nSanctuary, and with amazement, not unmixed with terror, they ponder\nover his strange revelations. He has gone so far as to prohibit animal\nsacrifices and offerings to the Deific Ones, whom he pronounces myths,\nAnd\u00fbman[a:] being the One and only God, Whom fervently he adores.\n\nHow fares Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]? One moment he cries to And\u00fbman[a:] to\nrestore to him his lost Vallo[a:], to grant to him one glimpse of her\nbeautiful and beloved form and face, one tone of her voice, that was\nthe sweetest music of his desolated life. Anon, he entreats Dano to\ncomfort him with a Message from the dear ones who are veiled from his\nsight, and at times his Clairvoyant and Clairaudient Senses become\nso quickened that he communes with them. Then his soul is so filled\nwith ecstatic fervor that to all about him he proclaims that truly\nlife is continuous, that the dead do communicate with the living, and\nthey, with beating hearts and breathless attention, listen to his\nrapt utterances. As time passes he grows into a clearer perception\nand realization of the Truth, and soon his feet will stand upon firm\nground; then confidently and authoritatively he will offer to the\npeople that which shall be to them as the very bread of life.\n\nDano, whose Clairvoyant and Clairaudient Senses are unfolding in a\nsurprising manner, holds continuous communication with Vallo[a:]\nand other freed Spirits, who are instructing him, and his faith has\ngrown into actual knowledge. Thus he no longer doubts or questions\nthe reality of his own experiences, and of course, this state of mind\nrenders him very receptive to exalted Influences from the Spirit side\nof life. In his zeal to offer to the people the wondrous truths which\nhave been revealed to him and to others he addresses them in Temples\nand elsewhere. Recently we listened to the youthful disciple, as, with\nglowing face, luminous eyes, and form trembling from emotion, he\nspoke to a large assemblage of people in a Temple of D[a:]o. Firstly\nhe addressed himself to the people, then, as one who speaks because\nhe must, in tones that filled the vast edifice, he cried, \"Oh, ye\nPriests, ye blind leaders of the blind, open your eyes that you may\nsee, your ears that you may hear the glorious truth, which, through\nHis appointed Messenger, And\u00fbman[a:] hath revealed to His despairing\nchildren. Long have the peoples of Ento listened to the manifestations\nof the ignorance of bygone centuries, and now that light hath entered\nthe darkened chambers of our minds, you would build yet higher walls\nof superstitious reverence for what hath been misnamed religion, which\never hath stood between us and the light. Ever you have walked in the\nshadows of a hopeless faith, and your mummeries have so dulled the\nsenses of the people that, as from birth to death they grope their\nways, bewildered they sink into the darkness of hopeless despair. Then\nawake, oh, awake, ye sleeping guides of the people, for a new day hath\ndawned for the children of Ento, a day whose effulgence shall fill all\nhearts with gladness inexpressible.\"\n\n\"Since most ancient times it hath been taught that the home of\nAnd\u00fbman[a:], the Supreme One, is in radiant Diafon \u0113voih[a:], which\nsheds life giving beams on land and on sea. Now, concerning this matter\nI will tell you an amazing truth. Those exalted ones with whom I am\npermitted to hold converse, some of whom once were men and women of\nEnto, but who now dwell in Realms so glorious that mortal eyes cannot\nendure their radiance, declare that And\u00fbman[a:] is Spirit, and is\neverywhere, formless, unseeable, unthinkable, even by those who have\nattained to the highest wisdom. Also they declare that Ento is but one\nof innumerable Worlds peopled with beings like ourselves, and that\nthe shining points in the night sky, which we, in our ignorance, have\nregarded as the lamps lighting Astranol[a:], are Worlds, many of them\nvaster far then Ento, and that the dreaded Gods and Goddesses are the\nmyths of ancient ignorance, perpetuated by a sincere but unenlightened\nPriesthood.\"\n\nThis and much more he teaches, and both Priests and people, in doubt,\nfear and perplexity question as to which may be true, the old,\nhopeless, cheerless faith, or the new promise of joys immeasurable. But\nthe leaven is leavening the masses, and ere long Priests and people\nwill embrace the Truth.\n\nYou are aware that through electrical and vibratory forces between all\nportions of the Planet communication is instantaneous, thus quickly\nto nearby and remotest places the utterances of Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:] and\nof Dano are heralded, and you cannot imagine the effect, which is\nbeyond our fondest expectations, and it is but the beginning of what\nnecessarily must result, for now that the positiveness of the Spiritual\natmosphere is penetrable, hosts of Spirits from various Realms will\nsee to it that the darkness which long has enshrouded the lives of the\nEntoans shall flee away, and then the effulgence of the grandest Truth\nthat mortals can know will forever abide with them.\n\nGentola--You who more easily read my thoughts than I can express them\nwill understand that what you have related fills my heart with joy.\nEven at greater cost to myself I would not for a moment hesitate to\nundertake a like Mission. But, friends, may not I soon again go with\nyou to Ento?\n\nDe L'Ester--Yes, soon, but not until you shall have grown a little\nstronger. Then we will make good a promise made to you, but which you\ndo not now remember. That you may more quickly regain your strength we\nadvise that you shall go outdoors every day, so that your feet may come\nin contact with the earth, thus you will rid yourself of devitalized\nmagnetism, and at the same time you will accumulate energized\nmagnetism, which you greatly need. It would delight us to prolong our\nvisit, but we must consider the urgent necessity for your speedy return\nto health. With kindest, truest regard, we must say adieu.\n\n\n\n\nOPENING OF THE WATERWAY INTO ETZOINA LOISA.\n\n\n _January 19th, 1895._\n\nDe L'Ester--Good-morning, madame. As we promised, so have we come\nin a body to escort you to Ento, and we have joined in your earnest\ninvocation to Divine Influences to guard and guide you in the ways\nof truth, and to Inidor[a:]'s fervent response, \"Evoih[a:][a:], ino\n\u0113vost[a:]n, ts\u00fb felistan, r[a:]\u00fb, r[a:]\u00fb, r[a:]\u00fb,\" we also have\nresponded, for we, too, desire the guardianship and guidance of exalted\nspirits, whose angelic ministrations assist all aspiring souls. This\nmorning we find you difficult of control. You appear timorous and\ndisturbed. Cannot you trust yourself to our care, who never have\nfailed you? Compose yourself, pray, and passively yield yourself to\nour protection, but first instruct your watchful Vena to not allow you\nto be disturbed for two or more hours. That is well arranged, and now\nclose your eyes and be at rest.\n\nGeorge, we are ready for our journey, and you, comrades, will lead\nthe way. You no longer are afraid, and is not this motion and the\nviews grand, glorious and exhilarating? Truly, it is well that your\nexperiences while with us are as half remembered dreams, _otherwise\nthey would unfit you for the routine of mortal existence_. You now\nunderstand that this journey to Ento is the fulfillment of our promise\nto afford you the pleasure of witnessing the opening of the great\nCentral Waterway into Etzoin[a:] Lois[a:]. Yes, the further wall of\nthe Lois[a:] has been pierced, but the continuation of the System is\nnot yet in readiness for either navigation or irrigation. Yes, we will\nproceed directly to Etzoin[a:] Lois[a:], else we may miss some features\nof the pageant. Now that we are nearing the lake we will descend to\nsuch an altitude as will afford you a view of the entire spectacle. At\ntimes we lose sight of the fact that your vision is not so far reaching\nas our own. A little lower, George. Now is every object clear to your\nvision?\n\nGentola--Quite so.\n\nDe L'Ester--Then for the present we will remain where we are, and we\nhave arrived none too early, for, coming from every direction are air\nTransports laden to repletion with eagerly curious Entoans, and from\nnorth, south and west small water craft laden with men, women and\nchildren are hastening along the canals leading to the lake, where\nalready a multitude of people have assembled. Look westward, madame,\nand attempt a description of the scene presenting itself.\n\nGentola--As far as my vision reaches I see the sparkling water of the\ngreat Waterway, and of the intersecting canals. Scarcely four months\nhave elapsed since we visited this region and at that time you informed\nme that only recently had the barren lands come under the influence of\nirrigation. In this brief interval nature has accomplished a miracle in\nso quickly converting what then was little more than waste lands into\nfertile fields, covered with luxuriant verdure and blooming plants,\nand it is quite as amazing to observe the many villages and structures\nof various kinds which have been erected since we were here. It seems\nincredible that such vast improvements should have been accomplished\nin such a brief time. Some of the peoples of our Planet are very\nenterprising, but I question their ability to successfully compete\nwith the quiet, persistent, industrious Entoans, whose very superior\nmechanical appliances greatly facilitate their undertakings, but even\nthen the results are surprising.\n\nDear me, what a wonderfully strange scene. Those air Transports hover\nover the lake like great birds, and the rising and falling tones of\ntheir whirring climbers are really musical. I wish I were clever\nenough to understand how they are constructed and controlled in their\nmovements, and how--oh, De L'Ester, George, Bernard, see, see, yonder\nin the west is a fleet of large vessels and numerous smaller ones\ncoming toward Etzoin[a:]. How swiftly the great vessels are advancing,\nleaving in their wake tumultuous billows of snowy foam. The foremost\nvessel is quite covered with rodels, and there are ropes of rodels,\nwreaths of rodels, banners of rodels, and around the entire deck is a\nfringe of rodels trailing their creamy beauty quite to the surface of\nthe foaming water. Surely it has taken all the rodels on the planet\nto so bedeck the great vessel. All the large vessels are similarly\ndecorated, each one with a single variety of flower, and how very\nbeautiful they all appear. Now I hear strains of music, and on the\ndecks of the vessels I perceive many people, and as the fleet draws\nnearer, nearer, I perceive on the rodel-decked vessel a group of\npersons whom I seem to remember. Yes, surely, one is the Supreme Ruler,\nOmanos F\u00fbnh[a:], and by his side is Basto And\u00fbl\u0113s[a:] and other stately\nlooking officials, accompanied by a number of lovely women, one of\nwhom is Madame Ontellena And\u00fbl\u0113s[a:], by whose side are the Most High\nPriest Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:], and Dano, in Priestly garb. Ah, how vividly\nthe closing scene of our Mission returns to my memory, but I must not\nnow think of that. On Dano's youthful, handsome face is an expression\nof exaltation and of peace passing the understanding of those who know\nnot that the individual conscious existence of Spirit has neither\nbeginning or ending, and it fills my heart with gladness to know that\ninto the lives of the once despairing Entoans has entered the joy of\nthe new Revelation. De L'Ester, really I cannot convey a correct idea\nof this marvellous scene, so I pray you to permit me to desist from\nattempting the impossible.\n\nDe L'Ester--As you will, madame, but I am of the opinion that my\nattempt will be quite as unsuccessful as your own. However, as no\none is expected to describe the indescribable, our failures may be\nexcusable.\n\nBelow us is the quiet lake, mirroring in its unruffled water the nearly\ncloudless azure sky and the slowly moving air Transports laden with\npeople who evidently are enjoying the unusual scene. On either side of\nthe entrance to the lake large numbers of people are massed, and as\nyou perceive perfect order and decorum are observed. Indeed, among the\nEntoans, disorder is considered not only impolite, but indecent, as\nreally it is.\n\nThe group occupying the foreground on this side of the entrance to\nthe lake is composed of those who have conducted the stupendous\nundertaking, which has demanded infinite patience, endurance,\nversatility and engineering skill of the highest degree of excellence,\nyet not alone to engineering skill is due the credit of this\nachievement, for chemistry, too, has been a powerful factor in the\ndestruction of the nearly impregnable vitrified wall of the lake. But\nthe moment for the grand entry has arrived, so attention all.\n\nAs he advances toward the prow of the vessel what an imposing figure\nOmanos F\u00fbnh[a:] presents. His tall, fine form, clothed in crimson and\ngold, his long, curling, raven hued hair, bound back from his serene\nbrow by a richly gemmed gold fillet, his large, dark, expressive eyes,\nlike two veiled lamps, lighting up his bronze hued face, his handsome\nfeatures expressing kindliest emotions, all contribute to render\nhim a very striking and attractive man. Now, to stirring music, the\nrodel-decked flag ship moves toward the entrance to the lake, followed\nby the flower clad fleet of seventeen huge vessels. From a hundred\nor more air Transports showers of rodels and other blooms rain down\nupon them and the air is rent with the enthusiastic acclamation of\nthe people in the Transports and of the multitudes below. It quickens\none's pulsations, this wave of human emotion, but see now the flag ship\npauses at the entrance of the passageway through the wall of the lake\nand the Most High Priest advances to Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]'s side, bearing\nin his hands a great tray of rodel blooms. We will descend a little\nso that you may more closely observe the Ceremony of the union of the\nWaterway with the lake.\n\nOmanos Funha--Even as these fragrant rodel blooms open their golden\nhearts to the radiant beams of Diafon \u0113voih[a:], so we, oh And\u00fbman[a:],\nopen our hearts to Thee that thus we may receive Thy love, which is the\nlight and life of Thy children and of all living things. Through the\nknowledge which Thou hast imparted to Thy chosen ones they have brought\nto a successful conclusion this gigantic undertaking which through Thy\nbeneficence, shall be a perpetual blessing to the peoples of Ento, to\nwhom, oh Thou Supreme One, it hath pleased Thee to reveal that truly we\nare the children of Thy love, and that through endless time we shall\ncontinue to live and to praise Thee for all Thy goodness to us. R[a:]\u00fb,\nr[a:]\u00fb, r[a:]\u00fb.\n\nDe L'Ester--Through an atmospheric system of communication every word\nuttered by Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] has been made known not only to the vast\nassemblage in the air and below us, who reverently have joined in the\ninvocation and fervent amen, amen, amen, but to the peoples of the\nentire Planet.\n\nOmanos Funha--These rodel blooms, which no longer shall serve as\nemblems of death but of life and its joyous occasions, I now cast upon\nthe lips of this great Waterway as, for the first time, they kiss the\nsparkling water of Etzoin[a:] Lois[a:].\n\nDe L'Ester--Amid profound silence the barrier separating the Waterway\nand the lake is quickly removed and Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] casts the rodels in\nfront of the slowly moving vessel. Now an immense banner of rodels is\nrun up to the apex of the flagstaff and a grand volume of musical notes\nfills the air with sweetest melody. Now the great vessel, followed\nby the fleet, moves swiftly through the ample passage, while from\noverhead as well as from below cheers upon cheers rend the air and\nfrom the Transports, which keep pace with the fleet, showers of blooms\nin glowing beauty rain down upon the heads of the people crowding the\nupper decks, and now the flag ship has plunged onto the lake as though\npurposing to pass straight across to the further side, but no, it turns\nto the right, leading the fleet in a triumphal procession around the\nlake. May I ask for an expression of your impression of the spectacle?\n\nGentola--Truly, it is both magnificent and to me, very wonderful,\nand I shall not forget, dear friends, that to your kindness I owe my\nthanks for the pleasure of witnessing it. Yes, I feel assured that if I\nshall attempt to tell my friends of this strange experience they will\nconclude that my imagination has been running wild, or that I have been\ndreaming, and as I gaze upon the flower-decked fleet so noiselessly,\nso swiftly, passing around the lake, upon the air Transports hovering\nabove them and mirroring themselves in the now gently undulating water,\nupon the multitude of people, in boats and motor vehicles, or swarming\non the broad rim of the lake, really I am at a loss to realize the\nsituation, and shall not find fault with any one who may question,\neither my sanity or my veracity.\n\nDe L'Ester--We who understand the relation between what some of your\nwise ones term the conscious and subconscious self, but which we\nrecognize as the intelligent, human animal Soul, and Ego, or Spirit\nSelf, readily comprehend your difficulty of realization when applied\nto matters outside the plane of your earthly existence, and until\nyou become a fully freed Spirit you cannot escape certain physical\nconditions. But come, friends, we will pay Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] and Dano a\nbrief visit. At this moment they are the central figures of a group of\npersonages intent upon viewing the eastern exit of Etzoin[a:] into the\ncontinuation of the System, which ere long will be in readiness not\nonly for navigation but also for the irrigation of the wide stretches\nof arid lands extending eastward. Now the flag ship, followed by the\nfleet, continues its course around the lake, whose rim presents a\nliving front of enthusiastic people, whose unceasing acclamations\nexpress their satisfaction over the completion of a most difficult and\nseriously necessary enterprise.\n\nGeorge, we will alight, taking a position quite apart from the group\nsurrounding Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], and you, Bruno, will attempt to impress\nDano to move in our direction. Well done, well done. Our young Priest\nis so very sensitive that, with a startled, listening air, he turns\nhis head, thinking that some one has addressed him, and now slowly\nand apparently aimlessly he draws away from the group and toward us.\nGentol[a:], touch him lightly on his lips, and he will understand that\nit is the signal of your presence. Ah, he is so startled that he covers\nhis eyes with his hands, murmuring, \"Can it be, can it be? Oh, art thou\nhere, thou whose name is Gentol[a:]?\" In a moment he will perceive you,\nthen you will follow my dictation.\n\nGentola--Yes, Dano, I am here, and joyfully greet you as a Priest of\nthe new Revelation which has come to you and to your people, and I and\nthose who are with me rejoice with you that the old dread faith surely\nis yielding to a belief in the glorious Truth of the continuity of\nlife, and that all men and women are their own Saviors. We rejoice,\ntoo that we perceive that already this knowledge is illumining the\nminds of many, and be assured that even as the vertical beams of Diafon\n\u0113voih[a:] irradiate this beautiful scene, so, ere long, knowledge of\nthe Truth will irradiate the lives of your people, who will learn that\nthe dwelling Place of the Supreme One is the limitless Universe, yet\nthat He is ever present in the hearts of those who seek to know Him Who\nis the Father, Mother God, the Dual One, in whom we all exist.\n\nNay, it is not an illusion--the forms you dimly perceive, are the\nSpirit friends who have borne me across the vast space between Earth\nand Ento, and through me they extend to you a loving greeting. Your\njoy that light from Spirit Realms is dispelling Ento's long night of\ndespair, finds in them fullest response, and an earnest assurance\nthat they and countless Spirits of Ento's and other Spirit Worlds\nunceasingly will aid you and those who like yourself are teaching the\nGospel of the new Revelation. And now, Dano, for these friends and\nmyself I must say Info oovist\u00fb.\n\nDano--I pray you, stay one moment. Will you come again, will you surely\ncome to instruct my ignorance, to strengthen me in the new Faith, which\nis so glorious, so overwhelming, that did not my Vallo[a:], by her\nsweet presence and counsel sustain me, I indeed might faint by the way.\n\nGentola--These spirit friends say that many times I shall come to\nyou, that through me they may afford you such Wisdom Lessons as they\nand Spirits of your and other Spirit Worlds have learned. They and I\nentreat you to be courageous and steadfast. Trust to the guidance of\nVallo[a:] and of other dear ones who ever are near you, and all will be\nwell with you. Again Info oovist\u00fb.\n\nDe L'Ester--Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:] and those about him are curiously observing\nDano, who now arouses as from a profound reverie. As quietly he returns\nto his friends on his fine, youthful face is an expression of smiling\nexaltation, and in the splendor of his dark, luminous eyes is the\nreflected radiance of Realms unseen of mortal vision.\n\nThe Ceremonial we have so slightly sketched is drawn to a close and\nnow you must take a last view of the great flower-decked vessels, so\nswiftly pursuing their way westward. Of the air Transports, like huge\nbirds winging their ways through the quiet atmosphere, of the numerous\nsmall water craft, gliding off through the canals, of the many motor\nvehicles, which rapidly bear away many of the dispersing assemblage, of\nthe placid water of Etzoin[a:], in which the rays of the glowing sun\nsparkle like gleams of fire, and of the face of the verdure-clad lands\nwhich well may typify the Resurrection of Death into Life.\n\nEnto, thou redeemed one, in our gladness we cry, Hail, hail, thou\nwho art one of the blest among the System of Worlds, ever pursuing\ntheir unvarying, ceaseless journeys around our Sun, which is but one\nof countless Suns, _encircling the one Central Sun_, whose immensity\nand glory is beyond all conceptions of Angels or Archangels, whose\nvivifying energy controls the heart-beats of the Universe, whose\nintelligent, tireless, ceaseless activity is that which is known of\nby many names, to us is known as God, the Infinite One, _whom only\nin accordance with the degree of our spiritual unfoldment can we\napprehend_.\n\nNow we must return you to Earth, else we may not return you at all,\nand the time has not yet arrived for such a desirable consummation\nof your present life work. Make your adieus to our friends, and,\nto your wistful eyed son, for George and I will see that you shall\nsafely arrive in your quiet home, where Vena impatiently and somewhat\nanxiously awaits you.\n\nNow unclose your eyes, for you and your soul again are united and Vena\nbreathes a sigh of relief as she sees you move and hears you call,\n\"Vena, please bring me a glass of water,\" and we may say the same for\nourselves, for indeed we have held you over long for your safety, but\nobey our instructions and soon you will recover your usual condition.\n\nYes, soon again we will make our presence known to you. Until then,\nadieu.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nGLOSSARY.\n\n\n  A.\n\n  And\u00fbman[a:]--Supreme One. Creator of all things.\n\n  Acclinum--Zo\u00f6logical collection.\n\n  Acrocust\u0113no ingol[a:]vion--Amphibious flesh eater.\n\n  Angoss[a:]--Hornless animal. Hornless.\n\n  Astranol[a:]--Realm of Deific ones.\n\n  A-M\u00fbist[a:]--Manlike Anthropoid.\n\n  Andom[a:]h--Primary school.\n\n  Az\u0113on--God of Love.\n\n  Alist[a:]--Mountain. Very lofty, etc.\n\n  Alzoytas--Sacred bird of Astranol[a:], whose wings over-shadow the\n  Death Realm.\n\n  Ayon m\u00fby[a:]--Good bye, or may the Gods protect you.\n\n  Anadillo Pylo--Scaly armored amphibian.\n\n  Anadillo ak\u0113don--Scaly armored reptile.\n\n\n  B.\n\n  Bom\u00fbz himm\u00fb--Manlike tree climber.\n\n  Birrsch--Trowser.\n\n  Birrsch[a:]--Trowsers.\n\n  Bom\u00fbz--Man.\n\n  Brillo--Froglike creature.\n\n  Bendol\u00fb--Rainbow.\n\n  Bendol\u00fb iffon--Rainbow hued.\n\n  B\u00fbd[a:]s--Tremulous.\n\n  B\u00fbdas lot[a:]--A gigantic tree, whose palmlike foliage trembles\n  incessantly.\n\n\n  C.\n\n  Camariss[a:]--Capitol of Province of Ond\u00fb.\n\n  Comin[a:] d[a:][a:]--Class rooms.\n\n  Callo--Wharf landing.\n\n  Cryfimo--Great Ocean.\n\n  Cryfiman\u00fb--Small Ocean. Sea.\n\n  C\u0113hyl\u00fb--Rushing. Tumultuous.\n\n  Chif[a:]--An eel-like fish.\n\n  Chim[a:] Lois[a:]--Mirror Lake.\n\n\n  D.\n\n  Di[a:]fon \u0113voih[a:]--Sun, the dwelling place of And\u00fbman[a:].\n\n  D[a:]o--Capitol of Ento.\n\n  Di[a:]--Life. Life Essence, or Principle, animating the body.\n\n  D[a:][a:]--Room.\n\n  Dyl\u00fb--Tossed. Shaken.\n\n  Diaf[a:] avin[a:]--Many hued. Iridescent.\n\n\n  E.\n\n  Efon--Personal pronoun, I.\n\n  Esploin[a:]--Globe. Sphere.\n\n  Eyamo Yanos--The Infinite, Intelligent energy.\n\n  Endoin[a:]--Bridge. Endoinaa. Bridges.\n\n  Ento--Chosen. Set apart.\n\n  Elipso--Year. Elips[a:][a:]. Years.\n\n  Emano--Friend, masculine gender. S gives the plural.\n\n  Eman[a:]--Friend. Feminine gender. A gives the plural.\n\n  Etzoin[a:]--Placid, quiet, still.\n\n  Etzoin[a:] Loisa--Placid Lake, or water.\n\n  Enor[a:]--Strange. Remarkable, wonderful.\n\n  Etz[a:]--Sweet pulpy fruit, resembling an orange.\n\n  Entol[a:], and Ementol[a:]--Moons of Ento.\n\n\n  F.\n\n  Fen\u0113ta--Catlike animal.\n\n  Fav[a:] [a:] croidas--Burial place, or place for urned ashes of the dead.\n\n  Frilvodii--Species of Anthropoid, known as housekeepers.\n\n  F\u00fbnaveh--Intersection.\n\n  F\u00fbnaveh Ritz[a:]--Town of the Intersection.\n\n  Fondor\u00fbveh--City, named after its founder, Tamon Fondor\u00fbveh.\n\n\n  G.\n\n  Gentolano--Prince. Son of Supreme Ruler, or heir apparent.\n\n  Gentolan[a:]--Princess. Daughter of Supreme Ruler.\n\n  Gentol[a:]--Lady. Friend. Gentle one, and other gracious meanings.\n\n  Gentolissim[a:]--Queen, or Supreme Lady. Applied to the wife of the\n  Supreme Ruler.\n\n  Gentol\u0113n[a:]--Darling, dear one. Also little one, when applied to\n  children, or pets.\n\n  G\u00fbfon--Bitter.\n\n  Gand\u00fblan[a:]--Serpent. Gand\u00fblanos, serpents.\n\n  Gowhy[a:]--Hibernating animal, resembling a bear.\n\n  Gariffo Ts\u00fbvon--Bird of the cloud God, Ts\u00fbvon.\n\n  G\u00fblnoyas--Egg shaped.\n\n\n  H.\n\n  Himm\u00fb--Tree climber. A species of anthropoid.\n\n  Hinifro enor[a:]--Yellow wonder.\n\n  Hinor imados--Irrigating canal.\n\n  Hinor tzow[a:]--Canal for transportation.\n\n  Hinifro--Yellow.\n\n  Hom ar\u00fb--A palmlike tree.\n\n  H\u00fbndaffon--And\u00fbman[a:]'s cup bearer.\n\n\n  I.\n\n  Indolois[a:]--Tranquil water.\n\n  Istoir[a:]--Small temple.\n\n  Info st[a:] tiv[a:] Z\u0113nos[a:][a:] oovist\u00fb--To the care of the Gods,\n  until we meet.\n\n  Inf[a:]doihan l\u00fbv\u0113tas--Place, or temple of sacrifice.\n\n  Info oovist\u00fb--Until we meet again, farewell.\n\n  Ilsoimen--Morning.\n\n  Ilofen m\u00fben[a:]--Amusement garden.\n\n  Istoir[a:] l\u0113m[a:]h--Temple of urned ashes, of the dead, for private\n  uses.\n\n\n  K.\n\n  Ken\u0113to Souvan[a:]llo--Gigantic flesh eaters.\n\n  Ken\u0113to alist[a:]--Mountain range, 200 miles long, 6,000 feet above\n  sea level.\n\n  Ken\u0113to--Gigantic, enormous, very large.\n\n  K\u00fbltymo Tyl\u00fb--Elevated city.\n\n  Kynos--Vine.\n\n  Kyn n\u00fbynao--An anthropoid of a peculiar species.\n\n  Kyn--A tree resembling an oak tree.\n\n  Kymos--Majesty, or majestic.\n\n  K\u0113min[a:]--Central.\n\n\n  L.\n\n  Loit[a:]--Harplike musical instrument.\n\n  Lenivo--Upper garment for men. A sort of tunic.\n\n  Luitzen--History. Record.\n\n  Lo\u00fbv[a:]h--God of Agriculture.\n\n  Lot[a:]--Tree of any species.\n\n  L\u00fbm\u0113nas--Botanical garden.\n\n  Lois[a:]--Water, lake, pool, etc.\n\n  Lois[a:] yan\u00fb--Water gem, or jewel.\n\n  Lois[a:] mican[a:]--Vining water lily.\n\n  Lois[a:]-Gentolissim[a:]--Water Queen.\n\n  Lois[a:] Gentolan[a:]--Water Princess.\n\n  Litzen--Sweet.\n\n  Lois[a:] a l\u00fbtyenos--Lake of rushes.\n\n  Lois[a:] inf\u00fben--Water drinker.\n\n  Loisav[=a]on--Waterway.\n\n  Lafon Th\u0113odoss[a:]--A noted Ento painter.\n\n  Loh[a:]\u00fb vr[=a]im\u0113on--Hail, dearly beloved.\n\n\n  M.\n\n  Mo\u00fbentos ho[a:] falados--Valley of desolation.\n\n  Mican[a:]--Lily, corresponding with Earth's lily family.\n\n  Mist[a:]--Snow.\n\n  Mets\u00fb--Light weight, non-corrosive, non-conducting metal.\n\n\n  O.\n\n  Onos--Personal pronoun, we.\n\n  Oir[a:]h--Thanks. Praise. The word is used in several similar senses, and\n  is pronounced, W[a:]hr[a:]h. It bears the same meaning as Amen, or\n  be it so.\n\n  Oina mist[a:]--Snow flower.\n\n  Oonamos[a:] t\u00fbl[a:]--Burr berry.\n\n  Oifen ts\u00fb--Endless time.\n\n  Oond[a:] lotas--Tree, and fruit, similar to our orange.\n\n  Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:]--Present Supreme Ruler of Ento.\n\n  Osy H\u00fbn--Supreme Ruler.\n\n  Oonamos[a:]--Burr.\n\n  Oond[a:]--Divine. Godlike.\n\n  Ozynas D\u00fbls[a:]--Present Most High Priest of the Most Sacred Temple Zim.\n\n\n  P.\n\n  P\u0113t\u00fbs[a:]--Pearl.\n\n  Pfettos--Shoe. Pfetta shoes.\n\n  Plimos--Plant.\n\n  Phr[a:]--God, or messenger of death.\n\n\n  Q.\n\n  Qu[a:]n[a:]--Eclipse. When And\u00fbman[a:] frowns.\n\n  Quend--A region in the North Temperate Zone.\n\n\n  R.\n\n  Ryzo elips[a:][a:]--Century.\n\n  Rinvoh--Aquarium.\n\n  Rimoh--An animal resembling an antelope.\n\n  Rodel--The national flower of Ento. Resembles our lotus.\n\n  Ruvacc[a:]--Trumpet.\n\n  R\u0113[a:]--Life essence, or principle.\n\n  R\u00fbh[a:]--Governor.\n\n  Ro\u00fbv[a:] n\u00fb Odaliss[a:]--Homes for the favored ones.\n\n  Ro\u00fbv[a:]--Favored.\n\n  R[a:]\u00fb--Same meaning as oir[a:]h. (Pronounced R[a:]hoo.)\n\n  Ruvacca plimos--Trumpet flower, or plant.\n\n  Ritza--Town.\n\n\n  S.\n\n  Syffond\u00fb--Museum.\n\n  Samman[a:]h--Collegiate school.\n\n  Soitzen--Tramway. A gives the plural, as soitzena.\n\n  Som\u00fb Ikaton--Blessing giver.\n\n  Soiv[a:]--Park. Soiv[a:][a:], parks.\n\n  S\u0113lon[a:] Vallo[a:]--Wife of Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:], and mother of S\u0113lon[a:]\n  Vallo[a:] F\u00fbnh[a:].\n\n  Sauv[a:]--A non-corrosive metal.\n\n  Sylvian--Sister of S\u0113lona Vallo[a:], wife of Omanos F\u00fbnh[a:].\n\n\n  T.\n\n  Ts\u00fbf[=a]len--Teachers of divine mysteries.\n\n  T\u00fbla--Berry.\n\n  Ts\u00fbvon--Bird.\n\n  Thon eyam[a:] Yanos--Infinite, intelligent energy.\n\n  Tyl\u00fb--City. Tyl\u00fbs[a:][a:], cities.\n\n  Testo--Death, the killer.\n\n\n  U.\n\n  Ufan--Personal pronoun, you.\n\n\n  V.\n\n  Var\u00fb testo--Death fire.\n\n  Var\u00fb--Fire.\n\n  Vybo--Gold. Also it signifies glittering, shining, brilliant, and\n  sparkling.\n\n  Voss[a:]--Leaf. Climber. Vossal[a:][a:], climbers. The use of\n  the word determines its significance.\n\n  Voch[a:]--An animal resembling a cow, but much larger.\n\n  Vo\u00fbhoid[a:]--Resembles a pipe organ.\n\n\n  W.\n\n  Wan[a:] vinost\u00fb yar\u00fb--Expiatory fire fountain.\n\n\n  Y.\n\n  Yan\u00fb--Gem, or jewel.\n\n  Yento--A place of punishment for disobedient gods and goddesses.\n\n  Yoidas h\u00fb[a:]--Bow shaped, or bent.\n\n  Yoihod[a:]--Priest. S gives the plural.\n\n  Yoitan--Tempest. Storm. Tornado.\n\n  Yoitan[a:]--Severe storm.\n\n  Yoitano--Tornado. The suffixes a, or o, determining the degree of\n  the disturbance.\n\n  Yoihodas[=a]--Priestess. Yoihodass[a:][a:], priestesses.\n\n\n  Z.\n\n  Zenno--God.\n\n  Zenn[a:]--Goddess.\n\n  Z\u0113on--A horselike animal.\n\n  Zindo--God of rain and snow.\n\n  Z\u0113tos--World, applied to Ento.\n\n  Zim--The most Sacred Temple of Ento.\n\n  Z\u0113nosa[a:]--The deific ones.\n\n\nNUMBERS.\n\n Fon--1.\n\n It\u00fb--2.\n\n M\u0113os--3.\n\n Len--4.\n\n Vod\u00fb--5.\n\n M\u00fben--6.\n\n Ofen--7.\n\n Z\u00fb--8.\n\n T\u0113von--9.\n\n R\u00fby[a:]--10.\n\n Yodis--11.\n\n Fonit\u00fb--12.\n\n R\u00fby[a:]--10.\n\n It[a:]--20.\n\n M\u0113os[a:]--30.\n\n L\u0113n[a:]--40.\n\n Vod[a:]--50.\n\n M\u00fben[a:]--60.\n\n Of\u0113n[a:]--70.\n\n Z\u00fb[a:]--80.\n\n T\u0113von[a:]--90.\n\n Ryzo--100.\n\n\nCOLORS.\n\n White--Vil.\n\n Red--Ilo.\n\n Yellow--Hinifro.\n\n Green--Mostu.\n\n Blue--Grel.\n\n Purple--Apru.\n\n Violet--Lub[a:].\n\n Brown--Ikro.\n\n Black--Gilnas.\n\n Orange--Drufi.\n\n\nPERSONAL PRONOUNS.\n\n Efon--I.\n\n Onos--We.\n\n Ufan--You.\n\n Nofan--Thou.\n\n Noifan--Thee.\n\n Neffan--Thy.\n\n Tofan--He.\n\n Toifan--She.\n\n Ista--It.\n\n Tsya--They.\n\n Esto. Ye.\n\n V[a:]h\u00fb[a:]--Day.\n\n Vahua[a:]--Days.\n\n Voina--Night.\n\n Voinaa--Nights.","title":"Journeys to the Planet Mars; or, Our Mission to Ento","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":167979}