,illustration3 ,hand in hand1 a dark-eyed lad and a fair-haired lassie approached4 ,page #d4 ,,reinstern ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,by ,,eloise ,o4 ,,richberg ,illustration ,,cincinnati ,,the ,,editor ,,publishing ,,company #aijj ,,copyright ,,the ,,editor ,,publishing ,,company #aijj4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,contents ,,reinstern ,,love',s ,,destiny ,,reinstern4 ,on1 and on1 and on6 ,for interminable hours had we been rushing headlong over yellowish-brown plains1 punctuated here and there by willow-fringed streams2 past huge water-tanks standing guard over dreary little cabins already cowering before the approach of fierce wintry assaults2 past forlorn specimens of unkempt and altogether hopeless humanity1 who straggled away toward invisible habitations beyond the horizon1 or1 swaddled in accumulated filth and ragged shawls1 squatted in solemn stolidity by the roadside for a vanishing glimpse of fleeting civilization4 ,from profitless window-gazing1 to that supposedly restful twist invariably assumed by the weary woman-traveler2 from contemplation of barren and boundless distance without1 to closed eyes and anxious retrospection1 within2 from the sterility of facts present1 to the incomparably cruel suggestions of merciless imagination1 involving the health1 happiness1 even the life of loved ones left behind2--till1 gradually1 ,creation resolved itself into a jumble of indefinable sounds and fancies2--a rumbling1 jolting1 wheezing dizziness3 ,a crash and lurch brought every would-be-dozer to his feet1 the train suddenly ceased moving1 and apprehensive of danger1 we promptly responded to the peremptory call3 8,all out here60 to find ourselves on a wide springy platform surrounding a station-building quite unlike any previously observed2 in an atmosphere laden with the perfume of--was it pine-woods--newly mown hay--violets--lilies or jasmine8 ,it seemed rather a mixture of many delicious odors4 ,fertile fields and wooded hills stretched away before us2 men1 women and children in ideal peasant costumes moved gaily about1 chatting together1 singing1 dancing over the velvety sod1 or leaping and swinging from the supple boughs while pelting each other with blossoms or gathering the luscious fruit which was everywhere temptingly abundant4 ,through the shrubbery1 glimpses of rock-built and vine-covered homes told of individual prosperity2 flowering mosses outlined the roadways2 and luxuriant hedges1 also in full bloom1 divided the grounds one from another2 fountains and myriad birds filled the air with happy melodies4 ,hand in hand1 a dark-eyed lad and a fair-haired lassie approached1 saluted1 and simultaneously asked in voices perfectly attuned1 8,guides for the city80 ,urban instincts immediately awakened and asked1 8,how far is it1 and how much--by the hour80 ,again1 gracefully and respectfully saluting1 they replied1 8,this is the ,center2 the ,fields are to the right and left2 our services are paid by the government40 ,slightly disconcerted at such unexpected hospitality1 but also convinced that our reputation as workers for the elevation of mankind had preceded us1 and rather self-exalted thereby1 we said1 affably enough2 8,very well2 let the young lady show us about40 ,with an indulgent smile1 they explained1 8,we always help each other40 78,born twins likely10 being our mental comment47 8,these buildings near the ,depot1 for the convenience of producers and consumers1 are the ,supply ,stations1 whence are shipped the government products from fields and factories4 8,producers are supplied at cost1 non-producers at a small advance4 ,the general ,store-houses are farther down this1 the ,poplar ,valley1 but also on the line of public travel4 8,the ,mother-fields are to the right1 in the ,maple-valley1 while the ,father-fields fill the ,elm-valley1 to the left4 8,yonder1 where the hill-side appears checked with different tints1 are the ,schools of ,natural ,history40 8,schools80 we interrupted1 quite prepared to exploit the superiority of certain educational institutions farther east1 in the organization and regulation of which we had offered several valuable suggestions3 8,how many schools have you80 8,they vary according to our needs2 one for every ten students1 from four to twenty years of age40 ,we neglected to dilate upon the immense advantages of our systems4 ,we may have been intoxicated by the invigorating atmosphere1 the beautiful scene1 or the chanting and enchanting guides4 ,we did1 however1 venture to ask1 deprecatingly1 8,do you study only ,natural ,history80 ,with a merry laugh1 they answered1 8,indeed6 ,that is much1 we think3 ,to learn of the birth1 growth1 development and decay of ,nature's products1 from the tiniest manifestation of life--animal1 vegetable and mineral--to man's perfect evolution1 from this physical form into spirituality4 8,we1 children1 learn only the rudiments of each change1 the ,scientists and ,philosophers make it their life work40 8,and live and die poor1 here as elsewhere80 we facetiously suggested4 8,indeed1 no60 they answered again1 with a merry peal of laughter at so dire a possibility4 8,we have no #8poor' as you call them4 ,the government is the friend of everyone40 ,with a skeptical sniff1 and a suspicion that we were in the heart of one of those 8,ideal communities10 of whose birth1 growth and early collapse we had read1 we asked3 8,where are the other schools1 or are those enough for your population80 8,on ,bald ,hill1 toward the east--you can see the brick buildings and scaffoldings--are the schools for ,mechanics2 where those who are so fitted by heredity1 learn the use of tools and machinery40 8,the children of mechanics1 must then follow their father's calling80 8,not necessarily3 ,if a carpenter-man does not wish to raise carpenter-children1 he seeks a wife among the farmers1 philosophers1 professions or wherever his preferences tend4 ,their united desire calls to their home souls harmonious1 in development with their intentions4 8,your people have not yet learned this law--in ,natural ,history20 with a roguish twinkle1 8it is taught in our lowest grades40 8,taught to children80 we asked horrified at this depravity4 8,to little children4 ,your people ignorantly imagine marriage and birth a game of chance1 attended by much nonsense and immorality2 in which parents may draw anything from a blank or a monstrosity to a saint4 ,you are here to learn the beautiful truth2--or as much of it as you are capable of grasping40 ,their conversation seemed so illy fitted to their years1 that we asked their age4 8,fifteen and eighteen years of this incarnation1 while you are nearly fifty2 but1 in ,eternity1 we are your seniors and can teach you to crush the shell by which ,earth-children have surrounded themselves40 8,you speak of #8,earth-children2'--are you not of them80 8,no2 this is ,reinstern4 ,you have been brought to us to learn the possibilities of your people40 8,isn't ,reinstern in the western part of the ,united ,states80 we asked1 greatly mystified4 8,it is a planet as yet undiscovered by your astronomers1 who waste lifetimes searching with telescopes for what the inner vision will readily disclose when you allow the real self to predominate40 8,this is a flimsy dream1 after all10 was our immediate conclusion1 which though unexpressed1 was quickly answered4 8,no2 you are not dreaming2 but thoroughly awake1 at last4 ,upon your planet1 generation after generation have been given over to materialism and hypocrisy2 till ,life1 which is only embodied in ,love and ,truth1 is nearly extinct2 it is1 in your best1 torpid4 8,again and again have ,teachers and ,physicians from a higher plane of existence been clothed in your ,earth-garb1 and lived among you that your eyes might be opened4 8,you have either persecuted or shunned them1 but occasionally1 after their departure1 dully recognizing their mission and superiority1 have worshipped their materialization2 giving no heed to their precepts4 8,it is now feared1 among the sister-planets1 that ,earth will lose her spirituality1 which is her life1 and become1 again1 a nonentity among the spheres2 a mass of corruption which must1 eventually1 return to its original state of floating matter1 to be elsewhere utilized4 8,as all progress in humanity is accomplished through loving effort for the good of others1 ,reinstern is now making a vigorous attempt to elevate your people2 to teach them the great truth that soul-life is one with ,universal life1 and must be allowed its only expression1 ,love2 not love in the corrupt sense1 received by most of your people1 which is not ,love at all1 but only a low grade of selfishness4 ,true ,love seeks the good of all1 and thereby1 wins the best for self4 ,this too is selfishness2 but such is a duty4 ,the ,father has clothed us in individuality1 that we may1 through our own exertions1 become stronger in virtue2 unless we avail ourselves of the opportunities he supplies1 we are ungrateful and unworthy4 8,our bodies are self-built ,temples in which to worship1 not the outward manifestations of ,his power1 but ,his ,spirit of ,love1 which1 though all-pervading1 all-knowing1 all-powerful and all-loving1 must ever be invisible to finite eyes4 8,according as we truly worship and enjoy all within human possibilities1 recognizing ,his presence in every blessing1 we live2 if we ignore ,love's voice1 we are committing suicide1 crowding out of the physical1 ,life2 hastening the decay1--individual1 national and planetary1 which inevitably follows injustice and unkindness4 ,this decay manifests itself in your ill-health1 moral and physical40 8,do ,reinstern people all speak ,english80 we asked1 rather quizzically1 after this broadside of philosophy4 8,you have been magnetically prepared for this experience1 and psychically understand all that is presented3 this is in the hands of the electrical students1--is one of their object lessons4 8,were it possible for you to come here unattended and unheralded1 you would see1 hear and understand nothing1 as our language resembles your thought communication4 ,we are not so advanced in spirituality as in many other planets1 the inhabitants of which float in the atmosphere at will1 conversing at all distances as freely as you with your family around the breakfast table4 ,with such the physical is quite subordinate to the spirit2 but we are much above your plane and do not appear materialized in your eyes4 8,your spirit is1 for the time1 magnetically maintained by those who are striving for the salvation of ,earth from annihilation4 8,you will carry your experience back to your people1 and devote your life to their uplifting4 ,the physical life of those fortunate ,earth inhabitants who have been found susceptible to our efforts1 will be greatly prolonged by our people1 that all possible good may be accomplished40 ,after a few minutes--or hours1 of riding1--or was it floating8 we found ourselves in ,maple ,valley4 ,would that we were sufficiently gifted to paint that wondrously beautiful scene6 to portray the glories of human life among the ,good1 the ,pure1 the ,true1 the ,happy6 ,it were then indeed an object lesson to all of ,earth's sorrowing people4 ,to the left1 lay broad fields of grains and grasses1 bending timidly before the fervent caress of ,august zephyrs2 gardens of unfamiliar fruits and vegetables stretched before us2 to the right rose tier after tier of grassy knolls dotted with low1 spreading shrubbery2 while farther up the slope1 ideal groves of magnificent ,maples1 seemed beckoning to the pleasure-lovers4 ,perfectly developed humanity supplied the ,highlights for the fascinating picture4 ,the grassy knolls swarmed with babyhood1 whose rosy-cheeked mothers in gay colored1 tunic-like garbs1 busied themselves among the rustling foliage2--pruning1 training1 planting and cultivating4 ,one could hardly believe that work1 considered by us as too laborious1--nay--positively injurious for womankind1 was being accomplished by this band of merry-makers4 ,when we could distract our attention from the bewildering scene1 the guides were saying3 8,these fields are tilled and the crops harvested by the mothers of the ,yearlings1 as you see40 8,who owns or controls the fields and pays for the labor80 8,it is government land40 8--and the government80 8--is officered by citizens who have outlived the parental term and successfully graduated into full citizenship three or more children40 ,after our mumbled comment1 8,a premium on parentage1 at last10 we asked3 8,who takes care of the #8,yearlings1' as you have called them80 8,their mothers20 with a puzzled look at each other--8with a little help from the ,applicants after noon40 8,women doing farm work and baby-tending8 ,that seems incredible20 we exclaimed4 ,with a peal of happy laughter that proved contagious1 and a quickly executed1 waltz-like whirl of amusement1 they preceded the explanation3 8,until children pass their first birthday1 they accompany their mothers daily to these fields1 to roll about on the sod1 dig in the soil or sleep in their baskets1 while their mothers plant1 prune1 graft1 harvest or cultivate according to the season2 meanwhile1 the ,applicants are attending to the house and preparing for the noon home-coming2 after which they share the ,yearling duties40 8,who are the ,applicants80 8,young men and maidens1 who desire to marry1 after having passed with honor through several departments of ,education and ,preparation2 and1 by the ,state ,records1 have proved their ability to provide for the material and spiritual needs of a family2 and have received1 from the ,board of ,public ,health their ,certificates of physical fitness1 are granted the ,applicant's degree4 8,this entitles them to assist and relieve ,fathers and ,mothers in their home and field duties1 until they pass their twenty-fifth birthdays and have selected life partners4 ,if they can then show records of at least one year's satisfactory administration of such duties1 the ,government issues their ,marriage-license4 8,this is1 in every family1 a period of great rejoicing2 each licensed child being then honored by visits and gifts from all relatives and friends2 and1 if he or she happens to have merited special recognition from the city or ,state1 by any act of peculiar heroism or self-sacrifice1 the ,officials add a generous tribute4 8,in some notable cases1 the bride or groom must build a house in which to store the ,ante-wedding presents40 8,you make as much of the license-granting as of the wedding80 8,the public is not expected to take cognizance of the wedding day4 ,it would be regarded on ,reinstern1 as grossly immodest and cruel1 to call general attention to the exact hour wherein the young couple are legally empowered to exercise the marital privileges4 ,it is the culmination of the most sacred desires of the human heart40 ,as with curtained eyes1 they bowed modestly before us1 we felt unaccountably ashamed of our crude practices1 though but dimly comprehending the mystic purity of which we were thus vouchsafed a brief glimpse4 8,shall we tell you more of the fielding system80 8,is there more80 8,you have heard but the beginning4 ,while the mothers and applicants are thus busied1 the fathers are caring for the three-year-olds1 the ,buds1 in the ,elm-valley1--0 8--and the two-year-olds are at home with the servants80 8,we have no servants2 there is no dominating or servile class2 all try to serve the same ,divine ,will1 as interpreted by the ,higher ,self4 8,our oldest citizens are advisers in time of doubt2 being more highly developed and able to read the ,truth more clearly through the delicate material veil they will soon discard40 8,death can have no terrors for them80 8,what you term #8,death'1 the change to the next higher plane of materiality1 is1 with us1 but the passing of night-time2 we anticipate the glories of the approaching dawn4 8,you are to see this change before you leave us4 ,you asked of the two-year-olds1 or1 as we know them1 the ,restless4 ,they are in the charge of the recently married women1 who thus acquire a practical knowledge of the motherhood to which they aspire4 8,they1 also have field and garden duties1 not so absorbing or laborious as those of the parents1 for two reasons3 ,the ,restless need rather more attention than the ,yearlings2 and the young wives themselves require more leisure for study and preparation40 8,but who earns the living for the family80 ,again the waltzing whirl of suppressed amusement1 before they said gravely3 8,parents are the highest priced laborers in the land2 mothers and fathers receiving equal honors1 salaries and privileges40 8,it is all very beautiful--very--too beautiful to be true40 8,it is true2 and its simplicity brings its realization within the reach of all4 ,it must be realized by ,earth3 ,you have the conditions1 everything1 except the will to accomplish the change4 ,all blessings are yours to take4 ,you are only self-blinded2 and by your bigotry1 are in danger of blood-poisoning4 8,bathe your eyes in ,truth2 open them to ,his everlasting and all-powerful ,love1 and wash away the putrefaction that threatens your ,eternal welfare1 your planet's existence40 ,a radiant light enveloped them1 an invisible choir flooded the air with celestial harmonies2 we bowed ourselves1 reverently1 before an unseen but overpowering presence1 and covering our faces answered1 fervidly3 8,with ,thy help1 ,lord1 we will40 8,after the third year80 8,the recently married men receive the graduating ,buds into the ,youth's department1 and devote their first year to them2 their work is also in the open air and completes the ,field course4 8,after these young benedicts promote a class of ,youth1 they receive their full certificates of ,fatherhood4 ,they are then of age1 as you would call it40 8,are not many of these young people unfit for the responsibilities1 the custody of children1 the field work or--0 8,you have forgotten that marriage-licenses are granted only after the ,applicants are fully qualified4 ,our ,committee on ,generation thoroughly investigate every case40 8,the five-year-olds80 8,are taken in groups of ten1 by teachers1 who1 during the following two years1 instruct them in the first principles of birth1 growth and change as presented by plant and animal life in field1 forest1 garden and home3 ,this includes much you would classify as rudiments of ,physiology1 ,chemistry1 ,astronomy1 ,psychology1 ,paleontology1 ,arithmetic1 ,language1 ,geography1 ,history and ,agriculture1 besides ,cleaning and ,cooking4 ,it is accomplished however without books or tablets1 and1 much of it outside the class-rooms4 8,flowers1 fruits1 vegetables and grains2 birds1 fish1 reptiles and many other forms of animal life1 are germinated and developed to maturity2 nurtured and experimented upon2 but ever to the benefit of the life involved40 8,are your teachers men or women80 8,both2 always in pairs2 the government believing that by constant and familiar association1 only1 can the present standard of purity and liberty be maintained40 ,a strain of flute-like music interrupted us4 8,a sick call10 explained the guides4 8,you see the flags floating from occasional nursery knolls2 they locate ailing babes1 and demand attention from any passing mother2 while every staff-whistle is distinctive and quickly recognized by the mother whose offspring has special need of her presence4 ,knowing this1 each is free from that harrowing anxiety experienced by ,earth mothers1 who must watch constantly over their teething or otherwise ailing little ones2 or suffer untold agonies with apprehension1 during an absence2 thus poisoning the nourishment1 in preparation1 which ,nature intends to serve as a cure for every infantile ill40 8,but it seems positively cruel to force mothers with sick children into the field40 ,we were really indignant about it4 ,again those merry children laughed in great glee at our innocence3 8,reinstern mothers are forced to--nothing2 they are their own sovereigns4 ,they have fitted themselves for their positions1 and their responsibilities are the greatest possible--the reproduction of the race4 ,their salaries are generous1 and continue without interruption or diminution throughout the parental term40 8,how long is that80 8,never more than fifteen years1 though contingent upon the age of marriage4 ,the term limit1 in years1 is from forty to forty five40 8,how do parents invest their earnings80 8,according to individual tastes and preferences4 ,as with you1 many have beautiful homes1 with extensive grounds1 indulge in ,art ,galleries1 ,libraries1 ,theaters1 or ,conservatories1 while others devote the later years to special sciences or enter the ,school of ,physicians40 8,then even this hygienic regime entails occasional illness80 8,accidents will always attend immaturity and inexperience2 ,infinite ,wisdom alone can insure perfect harmony2 but our physicians are also a salaried class1 who teach as well as heal4 ,ill health which incapacitates members of his families for daily usefulness1 is recorded against the physician2 and a succession of such reports count to his discredit1 even to the extent of depriving him of his diploma4 ,in such cases1 he1 through the advice of the sages1 seeks a less responsible avocation1 or one for which he is better qualified4 8,we do not1 like you1 bribe our doctors to neglect their patients or retard their cure4 8,our medical course is in three departments3 ,chemistry1 ,magnetism and ,materia ,medica4 ,the first concerns the elements and combinations forming the physical body of man4 ,magnetism teaches the application of these principles and elements to the upbuilding and repairing of the body1 while in ,materia ,medica we are taught to locate and extract these required principles from the animal1 vegetable and mineral world4 ,we hope to be physicians1 after a time40 ,this wish was uttered with a deep joyousness that told of a riper understanding than is expressed when the ,earth-born youngster1 during a brief cessation from banister-sliding or somersault-turning1 exclaims1 8,i am going to be a doctor--a lawyer--or a policeman10 and yet there was an enthusiasm that was almost a parallel4 8,you have not mentioned lawyers40 8,we have none2 yours are an outgrowth of dishonesty and cruelty2 a finger pointing to dissolution4 8,your law is a demoralizing human rule1 through the enforcement of which you would compel mankind to do what should be in accordance with his ardent desire4 ,if he disobeys your petty law1 you inflict penalties2--even daring to shorten his physical existence4 ,from the effects of this treatment1 he1 like you1 must suffer for ages to come1 so seriously is his growth retarded4 8,we1 on the other hand1 feel deeply humiliated by any act of wrong among our people1 which demands public notice2 it reflects upon the moral atmosphere of the community40 8,do your people never1 in anger1 disappointment or unusual depression or excitement1 injure others1 or trespass upon their rights80 8,occasionally20 they admitted1 sadly4 8,and the punishment80 ,we were most curious to learn the treatment of evil among the good4 8,if it be fully proved1 before the officials1 one has committed a really flagrant offense1 he is uniformed in red1 as a symbol of materialistic domination1 and sent to the ,school of ,philosophy1 where the ,sages meet for discussions4 ,your ,socrates was a philosopher of their class4 ,there1 he has the best possible atmosphere in which to recognize and correct his faults4 8,during this term of reformation1 his parents1 if still in the flesh1 usually wear mourning1 from choice1 in recognition of their own shortcomings during his conception or earlier years40 8,how long is this term of punishment80 8,not punishment2 development2 we consider it the ,second ,childhood4 ,the time varies from one to six months of your counting4 8,we have only one bad case on our records10 they added proudly4 8,are you allowed to state the facts80 8,it is of public record and ,history3 ,a father knocked down his own son--because he kicked him40 8,kicked his father80 8,yes2 poor little fellow60 8,surely the boy should be punished2--not the father80 ,after a startled glance of indignation1 which quickly faded into pity1 they continued3 8,children inherit all physical tendencies from their physical parents4 ,in the case under discussion1 the lad received vicious inclinations from the father1 who had1 however1 so controlled his temper as to successfully pass all ante-marriage tests4 8,had he taught that son by example the self-discipline he so well understood1 the boy would never have disgraced us4 8,through whose neglect was the boy injured8 ,clearly the father's4 ,the mother was also considered at fault1 to this extent3 8,through a mistaken charity1 a desire to shield her beloved from criticism1 she had endured1 without complaint several outbreaks previous to the one reported2 for this she resigned1 temporarily1 her maternal rights and colors4 ,our future generations must be protected at any cost40 8,then she finally delivered him over for the sake of the future80 8,the offense was committed in the field and was reported by the ,agent1 as it should have been by whomever witnessed the relapse4 8,all feared the most disastrous effect upon our community4 ,you may not fully understand that such manifestations act as carrion1 attracting from lower atmospheres those ravenous thought-creatures1 bred by evil-doers1 and called by some of your inspired writers1 #8,elementals'1 who swarm around unhealthy humanity1 endangering the welfare of every sensitive organism within their reach1 in their senseless frenzy to prolong a shadowy and useless existence4 8,bereft of filth1 they gradually lose their electrical vitality and power to harm2 and finally disintegrate into crude matter4 8,this father was uniformed in red and delegated to the ,school of ,philosophy for one entire season4 ,there he was also subjected to the influence of most refining music1 and his reformation was complete2 for we have not a more patient and conscientious father or husband in the city4 8,he was restored to his paternal colors and is a much better man than ever1 for his victory over the parasites that were sapping his life40 ,during the conversation1 we had been slowly traversing the length of the valley1 noting as we passed1 elastic health and unalloyed happiness upon every side4 ,most strongly were we impressed by the vigorous girlish beauty of the matrons1 who were at regular intervals1 as fondly absorbed in their nursing darlings1 as the most devoted of ,earth mothers4 ,during these brief intervals1 when the ,nursery knolls were thronged with mothers1 attention was called to occasional workers1 who though resting1 like the others1 from their field labors1 were busily writing in small volumes suspended from their girdles4 8,government ,agents who keep the ,time accounts that the mothers may not be harassed or disturbed2 they only of all the field workers are not parents40 8,why1 if salaried and free1 are they timed80 8,time is an important factor in determining the value of the crops2 seasons differ in the amount required1 as with you4 8,the sod and soil must at times be too cold and damp for these tender human germs4 8,we need every variation of temperature1 and are1 by this close companionship with nature1 able to absorb the physical elements which give us strength and endurance2 by this very course1 we are enabled to preserve a youthful vigor to which ,earth-folk are strangers4 ,during the time of physical growth we court every opportunity for absorbing ,force2 this1 assimilated1 we may in later years live according to our tastes and preferences1 as we have then the power to attract and adjust whatever may be required for recreation40 ,we suddenly became conscious of an uncomfortable rumbling and jarring1 similar to the sensations we had experienced during the ,earth-life1 from which we had till now seemed so widely separated2 as this confusion ceased1 we heard in those sweet tones we were rapidly learning to love3 8,we will dine now1 if you wish20 and simultaneously felt ourselves borne rapidly through space and finally into a large1 airy apartment--an ideal dining room4 ,we had hardly taken cognizance of its many beauties1 before we were again attacked with the jolting1 rocking1 lurching consciousness of ,earth-life1 and became dimly aware of harsh voices unpleasantly near us4---- ,our guides announced us simply as 8,voyagers from ,earth10 in response to which the matronly queen who presided1 greeted us cordially1 directing us toward capacious easy chairs which nearly surrounded the room4 ,after several ineffectual efforts to rise above the haunting spectres of our former life1 we were dully conscious of being addressed by the host1 as follows3 8,your ,earth ,people are in their ignorance robbing you of this opportunity2 being greatly disturbed over your absence from the body1 which they have discovered notwithstanding our efforts to hold their attention elsewhere4 8,the one poor harassed soul1 less gross than the rest1 upon whose instincts we have relied for your safe return1 has yielded to their importunities sooner than we anticipated1 and has now resorted to ,prayer4 ,an earnest ,prayer to the ,father from a sincere and faithful heart is a ,power we can not safely combat4 8,you must now return2 but we will try to raise you again from the depths1 when you are in the quiet of your own home1 alone1 and the prospects are favorable40 ,deeply disappointed and violently struggling against the power that would thus wrench us from the happy haven into which we had drifted1 we heard--,o1 so faintly1 as from a great distance---- 8,rest easily1 ,earth-child2 you are doing yourself only harm4 ,all will be made clear in the ,good ,father's own time40 ,then the horrible whistles1 the jolting of the train1 and an indignant voice saying3 8,didn't you see her shiver8 ,such a fuss over nothing6 ,she is coming to1 all right4 ,better keep your bottle for those that need it4 ,some doctors think that brandy will start or stop the universe40 ,this last in an undertone4 ,we opened our eyes very reluctantly1 to find a red-faced1 wrinkled and be-whiskered man bending over us1 with a breath strongly indicative of the contents of a bottle held threateningly near4 ,pushing it angrily away1 we exclaimed in a far-from-,reinstern-like tone3-- 8,why are you meddling with our affairs8 ,we did not want to come back yet2 we have not seen the father's field2--not even had dinner--and things looked so attractive60 ,he shook his head with a professional air1 and murmured3 8,not right yet2--better1--decidedly better40 ,then we sat up as straight as a clothes-pin1 and glaring at the passengers about our seat rudely demanded3 8,just trot right off about your own affairs1 now1 all of you2 you have treated us shamefully1 and10 we sniveled and wept a little at this point1 8we don't even know your names40 ,the conductor now interposed3 8,madam1 you fainted1 and but for the kindness of this physician1--0 8,kindness of fiddlesticks60 we interrupted1 8we were out of town1 off on a voyage1--visiting friends1--and should have returned in good time1 if--0 ,the doctor hastily returned to his post1 while the others with horror-stricken faces1 as promptly retreated4 ,resourceless before their suspicions1 we relinquished all intentions to elucidate1 and added1 simply3 8,who thought we were all right if left alone80 ,whereupon a mild-mannered miss of probably sixteen well-invested summers1 turned toward us to say1 modestly3 8,i've seen people that way before2 ,aunt ,sophronia often is2 ,i don't understand it2 but you didn't look a bit dead40 8,dead60 we ejaculated2 8,we'd like to die that way often1 every day or two4 ,you must have some common sense40 ,then we straightened up our traveling cap1 and stared savagely at the outside panorama of brown fields1 while we tried to imagine a life of love1 truth1 justice1 charity2--among idiots4 ,later1 we convinced our fellow-passengers of our sanity1 by expressing our grateful appreciation of their solicitude2 how could they know8--and assurance of our complete recovery4 ,,love',s ,,destiny4 ,where the gray crag kisses the virgin sky1 ,and the fledgling eagles half-famished cry1 ,where the sun's kind glance warms the cloud to tears1 ,and the snow-bank clings to the earth for years2 ,where the lichens starve and the sad winds mourn1 ,there1 a host of cupids at eve were born4 ,they came tumbling out from their rocky nest1 ,nor regretful wailed for the rugged breast2 ,but astride the crest of a stream as blue ,as the star-lit sky2 with their arrows true1 ,downy1 sun-tipped wings and the briefest legs1 ,just like dear young ducklings released from eggs4 ,they are fluttering1 splashing in frolic gay1 ,whirling here and there in the misty spray2 ,now1 anon1 down dizziest steeps they glide1 ,all demurely1 roguishly1 side by side2 ,in their path1 huge bowlders await1 but see6 ,with a somersault they are passed in glee4 ,through a rock-bound glen next they gurgling go4 ',neath caressing1 whispering branches1 low1 ,for a splashing romp1 undisturbed by fear1 ,in a broad lake1 billowy1 deep and clear2 ,but they're nearing1 blindly1 the crumbling edge ,of a ragged1 cruel and treacherous ledge2 ,while those countless myriads are hurrying in1-- ,crowding1 racing1 chasing from brim to brim3 ,hark6 ,with hands clasped over an aching breast1 ,a poor ,soul moans1 8,come to me1 ,love1 and rest2 ,long and patiently have ,i watched for you3 ,fill my heart and home with yourselves so true40 ,do you hear them chant1 in their rapturous glee1 8,never tires ,love1 ,soul2 we are not for thee4 ,we must on and on1 like the water blue2 ,bravely wait1 work1 hope1 till your ,love finds you4 ,danger waits below2 you are tempting ,death20 ,she is calling1 still2 for1 with bated breath1 ,has she watched1 benumbed1 while a sportive elf ,laughing wildly1 recklessly1 cast himself ,from their midst1 to the surging depths below2 ,and she moans1 8,dear ,love1 ,i shall miss you so40 8,love but laughs at dangers2 fear not20 they say1 8,fancy not he dies3 ,we all live for aye40 ,right over they tumbled2--she peers down to see-- ,not death2--but mad revels of exquisite glee3 ,joyous myriads whirled in the dashing spray6 ,think ye not love dies in an hour--a day2 ',tis his dim1 dull shadow1 o'er which men weep1 ,when a sun-cloud gives to the shadow1 sleep2 ,but ,immortal love1 ever close beside1 ,through life's midnight hours will undimmed abide4 ,watch and pray1 lone ,soul1 for the love that lasts2 ,sighing not o'er shadows another casts2 ,lest a passion-cloud should engulf your way1 ,till you1 helpless and hopeless1 drift astray4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,transcriber',s ,,notes #a4 ,table of ,contents added by transcriber4 #b4 ,silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling4 #c4 ,archaic1 non-standard1 and uncertain spellings retained as printed4 #d4 ,enclosed italics font in underscores4