C^fr**^ -Tt-sf LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. BEING A DESCRIPTION OF LOCALITIES, EMPLOYMENTS, SUR- ROUNDINGS, AND CONDITIONS IN THE SPHERES. By Members of the Spirit-Band of MISS M. T. SHELHAMER, Medium of the Banner of Light Public Free Circle. The refulgent ray of Truth is all-piercing; it can never be quenched; ita light shall yet illuminate the world. SECOND THOUSAND. BOSTON: COLBY & RICH, PUBLISHERS. CORNER BOSWORTH AND PROVINCE STS. 188 5. Compliments of JAY BENSON HAMILTON. D. IX Editor, Bible Champion. fx* SOURCE UNKNOWN AUG 2 1940 PREFACE. When the thought of publishing this volume was first sug- gested to me by my spirit guides, I was led to ask, what good will it accomplish? and they replied: It will teach mortals that which it is impossible for them to obtain from any other source, but of which they are supremely desirous of being informed, — the conditions and surroundings, and the pleasures and pursuits of and influence exerted upon the denizens of earth by the inhabitants of the spirit world ; it will reveal somewhat of the life their departed relatives and friends live, and to which they themselves are rapidly approaching; it will show that that life is a tangible reality, that it is, in fact, the substance, this being but the shadow, — the eternal, while this is but transitory ; that while the joys they may there possess sur- pass all human power of conception, they are attained only by purity of thought, and a faithful performance of duty, and that every advance made in those essentials in this life places them in a correspondingly advanced state when they enter the spirit- ual realm. I had no desire to further question ; the accom- plishment of such a work seemed every way desirable ; I cheer- fully acceded to their wishes, and the result is here presented. I believe that all herein given has emanated from the minds of spiritual intelligences, that even the words employed have been chosen by them as most befitting the thoughts they wished to express. They have come to me in times of quiet seclusion, when there was nothing to disturb the harmony absolutely required for the transmission of the truths they wished tc convey. M. T. Shelhamer. CONTENTS. PART FIRST. CHAPTER I. Spirit Violet. Sympathy. Girls. Old Age. • 7 CHAPTER II. Spirit Echoes. A Meeting of Missionary Spirits. A Spirit Returns to Comfort Her Mother. Just Recognition of Returning Spirits. Consolatory Thoughts for Bereaved Mothers. The Ministration of Spirits. The Rain of the Summer-Land. Happiness of Spirits in Communing with Friends on Earth. Poetry of the Spirit Spheres. My Mother (poem) 23 CHAPTER III. Real Life in the Spirit World. A Darkened Spirit Led to See the Light. An Outcast from Earth Returns to Aid the Fallen. Unseen Helpers at a Conflagration. Advent of a Mortal into Spirit Life 37 CHAPTER IV. Zencollia City and its Surroundings. A Temple of Learn- ing. Hall of Metaphysics. Hall of Literature. Hall of Music. Social Life in Zencollia. Interior View of Zen- collia. A Convocation of Women; Equality of Sex. Dwel- lers in Zencollia. A Suburban View. My Home, its Life and Associations. 54 CHAPTER V. Places I Have Seen. The People of Spring Garden City. Children's Lyceum. Harmonial City. A Magnificent Tem- ple. City of Joy. Floralia, the Valley of Flowers. The Valley of Delight. The Happy Hunting Ground of the Indians. . . . .72 CHAPTER VI. Scenes and Incidents in the Spirit Land. Trial and Triumph. A Home for the Weary. The Condition of One Selfish on Earth. First Steps towards Enlightenment. Enfranchisement of a Spirit. Children's Progressive Lyce- ums. Methods of Instruction in Spirit Lyceums. A Golden Chain Recitation 81 CHAPTER VII. How Spirits Work. A Spirit Mother Relieves an Impover- ished Daughter. Parents Suddenly Bereaved. The Father's CONTENTS. 5 Grief Affects the Spirit. The Spirit Seeks to Make Her Presence Known. The Recognition and its Results. • . 103 CHAPTER VIII. An Echo from the Summer-Land. The Lesson of Self- Sacritice. Days of Darkness. Words of Cheer from the Spirit-Land. The Mists Clearing Away 11G CHAPTER IX. The Fortunes of Little Georgie. Shadows on Earthly Paths. A Spirit Mother Leads Her Child. Visions of the Night. Dreams that Appeared Strange. The Strange Dreams fulfilled. . . . . . . . .126 CHAPTER X. Lucy Aiken's Mission. Unseen Helpers. A Spirit's Efforts to Reach Her Father. The Last Penny and the Last Appeal. The Influence of the Spirit Begins to Show Itself. The Spirit Daughter's Presence. Happy Results of Spirit Efforts. Angel Visits not Few nor Far Between. . . 139 CHAPTER XL Experiences in Spirit Life. The Various Classes of Spirits near the Earth. The Power and Extent of Personal Influ- ence. Beulah, a Spirit Missionary. Beulah's Self-Sacrific- ing Beneficence. Reformation of Spirits in the Lower Spheres. Illustrative Instance of the Reformation of a Spirit. The Work Carried to Completion. The Reformed Spirit Returns to Earth to Reform Others. First Sensa- tions upon Entering Spirit Life. The Ultimate Reign of Peace and Happiness on Earth 154 CHAPTER XII. Sanitariums in Spirit Life. Localities and Characteristics. Methods of Treatment. Music as a Means of Recuperation. Restoration of the Mentally Diseased. Improved Medical Treatment on Earth. One of the Sanitariums of Spirit Life. Interesting Incident, — a Mother Finds Her Child. Cultivation of Inherent Talents. . . . . . . 172 CHAPTER XIII. Surroundings and Conditions of Spirits. Reasons for Different Views of Spirit Surroundings. Earthly Condi- tions that Retard Spiritual Progress. Worldly Success often a Misfortune. Earthly Conditions Continued in Spirit Life. Au Illustration. External Surroundings Produced by Mental Conditions. Materialistic Scientists in Spirit Life. The Dawning of Spiritual Light. The Liberal- Minded Scientist. Contrasted Causes and Effects. The Simply Intellectual. Cheerlessness of a Want of Spirituality. Blending of the Spiritual and Intellectual. Happiness Deriv- able only from Within. The Human nature of Spirits. Right and Wrong States of Contentment. .... 186 6 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. Our Co-operative Societies. Earthly Reforms Originate in Spirit Life. Divisions of Spirit Mission of Labor. Woman Suffrage. The Indians. Peace Arbitration. Heredity. An Organization of Spirits for the Elevation of Earth's Inhabi- tants. Care and Protection of Mediums. Development of New Mediums. Our Co-operative Society; what Consti- tutes Membership ; its Plans, Purposes, and Influence. • 214 PART SECOND. CHAPTER XV. Introductory. — Spirit May. The Council of the Flowers. For the Little Ones (poem). Who Can Tell (poem). Work (poem). To My Sister Genevieve (poem). Grandma's Pet (poem). Two Birdies (poem). Evening (poem). The Awakening of the Flowers (poem). Baby Nellie (poem). A Happy New Year (poem). Snow Drops (poem). An Evening Song (poem). Children (poem). Snow Flakes (poem)" 233 CHAPTER XVI. A Story for the Children. 253 CHAPTER XVII. The Children of the Summer-Land. .... 272 CHAPTER XVIII. Little Bertie and Others. . 290 CHAPTER XIX. Golden Nest and Other Places. Heavenly Love (poem). 307 PART THIKD. CHAPTER XX. John Critchley Prince. His Experiences in the Spirit World. I Come to Thee (poem). Heart Treasures (poem). "And He Will make it Plain" (poem). Down by the Sea (poem). Coming Home (poem). A Friend's Advice (poem). The Welcome Angels Give. . . . 326 CHAPTER XXI. My Life and Experiences on Earth. .... 345 CHAPTER XXII. My Life and Experiences in the Spirit World. . .351 CHAPTER XXIII. The Poet's Council 3G7 CHAPTER XXIV. A Visit to Robert Burns 383 CHAPTER XXV. My Spiritual Work 404 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. PART FIRST. CHAPTER I. SPIBIT VIOLET. Katie Ammidown Kinsey — the beautiful spirit to whom we are indebted for the larger part of the con- tents of this book — was the second daughter of Joseph and Ann Frances Kinsey, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Born in that city Oct. 7, 1856, the subject of this sketch lived in the home of her parents — save when she was away at school — until her twenty-lirst year, when, in the July of 1877, while making a visit at the home of an uncle in Milton, Indiana, she was suddenly sum- moned to enter the spirit world after an illness of only a few days. The character and disposition of Miss Kinsey were of the most exemplary and lovely nature. Of her it could be truly said: "None knew thee but to love thee, nor named thee but to praise." Hers was no common life ; imbued with an earnest and deep sym- pathy for humanity, and ever desirous of doing good, her days were spent in thoughtful care for others, and in seeking to give practical expression to the golden rule. In a memorial address framed by the officers of 8 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. the Sabbath school, at which Katie was a regular attendant, and presented to her parents as a token of the rare appreciation in which she was held by all, are to be found the following commendatory words of her earthly life : — "Her heart was open, frank, and transparent; we all recognized the loveliness and beauty of her charac- ter and life, and they have left an impression not easily removed. She has always been the same sweet, gentle spirit ; no expression which was not iitting to be made anywhere, no harsh word or unkind look marred her beautiful life ; always ready to discharge cheerfully any duty assigned to her, and always well. As a scholar she seemed to absorb all that was taught, and to drink in the great truth of redeeming love. Her long connection with our school, and her interest in everything that would promote its welfare, we record as worthy of all imitation." For some time before her physical decease Miss Kinsey displayed a taste for literary pursuits, whioh was very gratifying to her friends, as well as pleasing to herself. For a number of months previous to her last illness, she had filled the position of editress of a lively little paper called The Spectator, published by the Friends' Lyceum, an organization of which she was a member ; and it is needless to remark that she man- aged the sheet with becoming skill, ability, and discre- tion. Widely was the death of their beloved president and editress deplored by the various members of the society, and a set of resolutions, expressing grief at their loss, and the esteem in which she was held by the organization, was framed and adopted at its first meet- ing following her decease. SPIRIT VIOLET. 9 Notices of the death of Miss Kinsey appeared in the Cincinnati papers, and bore expression to the universal love and respect in which she was held ; while letters of condolence were forwarded to her parents from all quarters. Shortly after the decease of their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Kinsey collected the memorial addresses, resolu- tions, letters of sympathy, newspaper articles, etc., on her death, and in connection with the literary produc- tions of their ascended child, published them in an ele- gantly bound volume, copies of which were presented to the numerous friends who had known and loved her. This memorial volume bears the following inscrip- tion upon its title page : — "Thus, far beyond all noise of earthly strife, Or silent death, rest 'neath the long, green sod; Thou art gone triumphant into perfect life, The soul's true life ii/God." The articles that follow, from the pen of Miss Kin- sey, will indicate to the reader her mental ability, and the liberal opinions entertained by her. They were written while filling the position of editress of The Spectator, and published in its columns on the dates specified : — SYMPATHY. " Of all the gifts given to man, the power to sympa- thize is the most God-like, and the man who has it not knows not what life is ; when he reaches his journey's end on this side, having been supremely selfish all the waj^, he will discover that what he called life was but a living death after all. u Love and sympathy seem nearly synonymous, but the former can be selfish, while the very essence of the 10 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. latter is thought for others. Genius is but an intense power to sympathize, coupled with ability to express the same. In fact, this one word makes a part of so many good things that to enjoy life at all we must sympathize with nature, man, or God. "A sympathy with nature is the source of marvelous comfort; Shakespeare understood it when he said: 'And this our life, exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything.' " There are times when life grown burdensome hangs like a leaden weight upon our necks; we would get away from ourselves, and it is necessary to use all our pow r er to crush the wish that we had never been born ; then if we can go into the fields or woods, and, throw- ing ourselves upon the ground, rest our heads on the loving earth, how soon we find relief. The quiet breeze is like a friendly hand upon our brows; the voice of the brook, the song of birds, and hum of insects are like balm upon a wound ; we are children in our mothers' arms, and the grand old trees are our brothers and sisters. Whatever human friends may leave or disappoint us, we have always sweet sympa- thizers in the flowers, trees, brooks, rocks, grass, and everything which springs to life in the fields or woods, on the mountains or in the valleys. 4w A sympathy with our fellow-beings is higher than that with nature, because more active and requiring forbearance. 'Put yourself in his place' has a world of meaning. We should strive that ours may be the finger which shall touch the secret spring in our neigh- bor's heart, which shall unlock the good lying dormant there for want of help to bring it out. Strive to real- ize their griefs and temptations. If we could for one short hour put ourselves in the place of some one whom we now condemn with so much bitterness ; if we could see how circumstances have wrapped their fatal web SPIRIT YIOLET. 11 around him, how much the fatal tendency to do evil is the terrible legacy of his parents, how often would harsh judgment lie low in the dust, and loving mercy cover with her shielding mantle? If we could throw off this crust of ice, with which so many of us seem to have encased ourselves, how much more good we could do? iVW, we stand apart; then, joined together, each helping the other, we would fulfill the purpose of our being. "Sympathy with God! Is it blasphemous for weak mortals to think of such a thing? No! The loving Father alone is acquainted with us, and is therefore the only thorough sympathizer we have. 'He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.' We commence to be in harmony with God just as soon as by cultivating sympathy for man, we become fellow- workers with Him." MAPwCH 2, 1877. GIELS. " Girls are queer creatures, but we cannot help liking them. Under all the silliness and vanity there is a vein of gold in everyone which is undoubtedly genuine, — it comes to the surface sometimes, but is often so deeply imbedded in nonsense that a superficial observer would not have the slightest suspicion of its existence. Part of this want of sense is natural, but a great deal of it is acquired in a negative wa} r . The majority of girls have very little object in life, and can- not see the use of accumulating material which they never expect to use ; to be sure they all intend to be married some time, but, judging from the specimens of male suitors, they see that which requires but very lit- tle effort and less sense. So, when papa and mamma, after a great deal of consultation, decide upon a good school their daughter goes there, but she could hardly tell you why. If she has no positive love for study, her chief end and aim, while in school, will be to shuffle off the lessons for the day with the utmost dispatch, and 12 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WOULD. 4 there 's an end.' When school days are over, she expects to have nothing more to do with the subjects there considered, excepting a little reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic. She is to enter society, which to hundreds means spending the days with a little house-work, making a good many calls, and doing some shopping. The evenings are devoted to dancing or talking with vapid-brained young men, who never had an idea in their lives, and consider it an insult if a lady ventures one. Or worse than this, perhaps they must talk with young men whom they know have sense, but will not condescend to use it in their pres- ence. "After a while the girl is expected to marry one of these individuals. They do very well for a partner in a cotillion, but how about life ? Let us see what she has to say about it, talking to a confidential friend : ' Oh, yes, it is decided that Mr. B. and I are to be made one. I can't saj^ I love him devotedly, and really think him decidedly stupid sometimes; but I suppose it is all for the best, for you see I cannot do a single thing, and if papa should be taken away or lose his health, having nothing to depend upon but his salary now, what would become of us then? As it is, Mr. B. is rich, and I can give a nice, comfortable home to both mamma and papa at any time after we are married.' " What silly and romantic ideas we had about mar- riage when we went to school ? How soon they vanish in real life ! Here we have to take the best we can get and be thankful for it. We believe the above to be a fair sample of hundreds of the marriages made at the pres- ent day. The man wants a housekeeper, the woman a home. Each gets what he or she bargained for, and so much more that it is not strange the daily papers are full of accounts of divorce suits. Let the girls, as well as the boys, be educated to do something whereby they can make an honorable living, and we believe a great SPIKIT VTOLET. 13 deal of unhappiuess will be prevented. It seems to us but justice to allow women to do c whatsoever their hands find to do with their might,' whether it be dress- making, cooking, washing and ironing, or practicing law and medicine. It also seems no more than right that she should have a voice in the affairs of the coun- try under whose laws she lives and educates her chil- dren. "The sterner sex need have no fears that when wo- man has the ballot she will usurp their privilege of smok- ing, swearing, wearing the hair short, fighting at the polls, and other such delicacies; neither will she monopolize the stump at election times, and harangue the people, calling everyone who disagrees with her names that decent people would blush to address to a dog. Some people pretend to fear that when women vote they will have no time for domestic affairs, and that the institution of home itself will be destroyed. Heart-rending pictures are drawn of pater farnilias, seated by the deserted hearth-stone, vainly endeavor- ing to quiet a weeping infant, while its mother has gone to the fc pollsys, wollsys.' As the old woman said: ' We feel for that man, but we can't find him'; neither can we find the mother who would intrust her infant to such doubtful care. From the fuss made about the time taken from domestic duties one would think it took a week to put a small slip of paper into a medium-sized box. Why, we have known of men who could put in half a dozen in less than half that time, and no one suspects women to be less clever than men. "As for home, who made the home in the first place? Woman, of course ; and she loves it as she loves her life. Here the golden vein in her nature will come to the surface and sparkle resplendently. Will her home be any the less sweet when she feels that she can indeed be a help-meet to her husband if disaster over- take him in business? Will her children be less dear 14 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. because she has the consciousness that she can protect and care for them if the head of the house be taken away? Will she love her husband less, knowing that she married him to have a loving companion, and not simply a person to support her ? "A woman naturally wishes to respect and look up to her husband, therefore, we have decided that society, when it is perfected, should be looked upon as a flight of stairs, — conceding to man the position on the high- est step, if you please, but there is a woman on the one just below, and the steps are not very high. In this way they alternate until w^e reach the lowest step, and what find we there? A disconsolate old bachelor, with disheveled hair, croaking a tune, the burden of which is that women have no business to vote." May 18, 1877. The following little gem, published by Miss Kinsey in the Spectator early in 1877, is here reproduced at the earnest solicitations of many friends : — ■ OLD AGE. " It is a melancholy fact that the majority of mankind hate to grow old. If sin was looked upon with as much shrinking and dread as is the idea of growing old, there would speedily be a great reformation in the world. This is a bad state of affairs ; an evidence, in fact, that we are looking through the wrong end of the glass. If we had a journey to make, at the end of which there was a delightful country, more beautiful than anything the imagination could picture, where all that heart could desire should be ours, the one nearest his journey's end would not be looked upon as the most unfortunate. Yet this is often the case in life ; looking upon one far in advance, we think, because his body is feeble and nearly worn out, he must be unhappy ; he would not be so if, having understood the SPIKIT VIOLET. 15 journey, be had taken pains to know and accept the blessings by the way. " We confess that, looking upon life as seen now, there is often much excuse for those who think youth the only pleasant season. Stopping to think a moment, we see this is all wrong. Advancement, not retrogression, is the proper watchword in all undertakings. Is the bud more perfect than the flower, or the flower than the fruit? Old age is the ripened fruit of life, and it remains entirely with us to see that it shall be sweet and pleasant to the taste, instead of bitter and disagree- able. One cause for the latter condition we find lies in persons who, having been disappointed themselves, say to their children: 'Have a good time while you are young; old age brings nothing but care and responsibility.' Better give a child poison at once than start him out with that idea. Some will say: 'Children are so happy, being so innocent; do let them be children forever.' The innocence of child- hood is unfortunately the result of ignorance, and can never make character ; one who does good because he knows not how to do evil has no more character than the one who does evil because he knows no good. " In youth, knowing little, we have small ideas of life, and consequently cannot have a broad and full enjoy- ment of it. But we might as well remain children if the knowledge we gain with years does not make us wiser and prevent us running off into every by-path we see, getting nearly swamped in somebody else's opin- ion, and having to retrace our steps. Behaving in this manner, we cannot expect to reach old age without being tired and disgusted with the journey. Having worn out our brains endeavoring to make two parallel lines meet, and our bodies trying to follow them to the impossible point, time has been too short to con- sider that which is spiritual, and we must be miserable at the thought of entering a life entirely so. As the body becomes feeble the soul should grow strong and 16 LIFE AND LABOR IK THE SPIRIT WORLD. triumphant, for then we knoiv that our feet are just upon the border of the ' Promised Land,' only waiting till the thin mist which hides- it shall be dispersed by the sunlight of God's will." For some years Mr. Joseph Kinsey, the father of Miss Katie, has been an earnest and devoted Spiritual- ist, and his opinions concerning the future- life of man are well-known in the community where he resides, and among the business men of the country with whom he associates. His daughter, however, had not become convinced of the truths of the spiritual philosophy previous to her death. Let us quote her own words on this subject as given through her chosen medium, in a communication to her father some years after her tran- sition to the higher life : — u I was not well enough acquainted with Spiritual- ism, dear father, to understand and accept its reveal- ments ; nor was it until I myself became a disembodied spirit, and realized that I possessed the power to return and intelligently communicate with my mortal friends, that I cared to investigate its claims, and to profit by the teachings and privileges that Spiritualism affords to man." After her departure from the mortal form, Miss Kinsey embraced every opportunity to communicate with her father and other friends ; but it was not until Dec. 22, 1878, that she appeared at a circle in South Boston, Mass., and controlled the now well-known Banner of Light medium, Miss M. T. Shelhamer, who was at that time the message medium of the Voice of Angels, — a spiritual journal then and now published semi-monthly in Boston, — .and gave the following lengthy communica- tion, which appeared in that journal Jan. 15, 1879: — SPIRIT VIOLET. 17 "It was iii the beautiful summer time that I passed away from earth, but not from the love, the true home affections, of my parents' hearts. Then the birds, the zephyrs, and the flowers made life beautiful and glad, and earth rang with the melody of perfected spring. Now the blasts of winter have appeared, — the cold blast and the biting storm. I loved the glad, warm summer; I loved the winter too, with its diadem of glittering ice-gems, and its white drapery of snow, cov- ering all unsightly places with a robe of purity, just as the mantle of charity, drawn by the hand of pitying kindness, covers all unsightly blemishes in the lives of those around it. I come with gladness tonight, not weak and worn out with pain, but strong and robust, to bring the stalks of creamy, white Christmas lilies, that breathe only of purity and peace, and to plant them in the hearts of my darling father and mother, with the blessings of all their dear ones who have developed, and are developing the graces of spiritual culture in the higher life. "Oh, father, oh, mother, life is so beautiful! Here the forces and attributes of the spirit do not ripen at the expense of the external form. Spirit growth is so natural, so in harmony with outward law, that the inner keeps pace with the outer, and both expand together. The student presents no paling cheek, no wasted frame, for knowledge is gained while living in accordance with nature's laws. My spirit is expand- ing, developing ; I am daily gaining strength. My instructors are judicious and kind, and it is so glorious to express with perfected language the true, pure essence of thought that permeates the spirit. " By-and-bye we will meet and greet you, oh, so lov- ingly in our own dear spirit home. Until then we come to you daily, nestling in our sweet, old home, drawing love and sympathy from your souls, bringing peace and affection to crown your spirits. Eight 18 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. jewels* flash a radiance of celestial love toward you tonight from this distant place. Eight gems, polished by the hand of the Great Lapidary, shine in the crown of light that awaits .you above." " fc Yes, sir,' addressing Mr. Robert Anderson, the chairman of the Voice of Angels circle, fc I have returned from spirit life before, but not here. We frequently come. We have manifested tangibly and satisfactorily to our friends at different places. Last summer we did so in an unmistakable manner at the West. A year ago, some of us tried to manifest at Mrs. Boothby's, in Boston. We come as often as we can. Our home is full of harmony and love, and it strengthens our spirits to come, while it consoles our parents to believe that we are with them. My uncle, who passed away many years ago by accident, has gained a great deal of expe- rience and knowledge with my father at the bank, and in other business places; and he blesses father for his faith in spirit ministration, for it is of great assistance to him. " The spirit editorf of the Voice tells me that if I desire at any time to w r rite out my thoughts, or to give expression to my ideas through this medium (Miss Shelhamer), ho will be pleased to publish them. I thank him, and may avail myself of his kind offer; should I do so, father and all my friends will recognize me under the nom de plume of Spirit Violet, as that is the name I shall assume. I love the violets, their sweet perfume sheds an atmosphere of beauty around me, and they breathe of innocence and peace. "I know not as I have given all 1 could wish, but must not trespass longer. I thank you very kindly for receiving me. My name is Katie A. Kinsey. I come from Cincinnati, Ohio. My father is Mr. Joseph Kin- sey of that city." * Referring to herself and brothers and sisters in the spirit world. t L. J add Pardee, Hmuurh whose agency the Voice of Angel* was estab- lished and managed, in connection with D. C. Densinore, the publisher. SPIRIT VIOLET. 19 The paper containing the above was forwarded according to the spirit's direction to Cincinnati, and elicited a letter of inquiry from Mr. Joseph Kinsey, of that city, as to how and where the message was first obtained. Dr. D. C. Densraore, the publisher of the Voice of Angels, replied, giving all the facts of the case, as he had received them from the managers of the cir- cle. The following response, received in due time by Dr. Densmore, and which explains itself, was published in the Voice of Feb. 15, 1879, the very paper which con- tained the first literary production of Spirit Violet, given through the mediumship of Miss Shelhamer : — " Cincinnati, Feb. 3, 1879. D. C. Densmoee, North Weymouth, Mass. Dear Sir, — I have your valued letter of the 20th ult., in reply to my letter of inquiry for the particulars as to how and through what medium that beautiful message came from Katie A. Kinsey, published in your paper of Jan. 15th. Your very full statement of the facts and circumstances, together with her sweet mes- sage of love, affection, and sympathy, which has since been partially corroborated through J. V. Mansfield, at 61 West 42nd St., New York, leads me to conclude that the message is verily and truly from our darling daughter Katie, who left her mortal form about nine- teen months ago, aged twenty years. In that message she brings to my remembrance occurrences in my father's family of nearly fifty years ago, of which she probably never heard in her life. I send you this affirmation as a pleasing dutj^ in sustaining your work for the Voice of Angels. Truly yours, Joseph Kinsey." Shortly after the publication of the message above alluded to, Spirit Violet, Katie Kinsey, appeared to / 20 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIBIT WOULD. Miss Shelhamer for the purpose of writing for the press, and in the capacit}^ of a literary spirit has attended that lady from that time to the present, form- ing one of her band of spirit intelligences, whose work it is to assist other Spirits to communicate to their mor- tal friends through the message department pf the Ban- ner of Light, to instruct the denizens of earth concern- ing their duties to each other, and the best manner of preparing for their future life, and also to inform them of the condition, surroundings, and existence of spirits. Spirit Violet subsequently contributed regularly to the columns of the Voice of Angels, and it is from what she thus furnished to mortals from time to time con- cerning the real existence and experiences of spirits that we have selected the larger part of the contents of this book. In a private letter written to her father some time since, the spirit thus explains how she happened to learn and avail herself of the mediumship of Miss Shelhamer : — " When I learned that it was possible for spirits to take possession of certain sensitives on earth, and through the organisms thus provided, manifest their love and sympathy to their earthly friends, my great anxiety to reach you and mother led me to eagerly seek for a medium adapted to my purpose, and I availed myself of every opportunity to express myself to you and others. I remembered that you were strongly interested in the Message Department of the Banner of Light, and that you held a high opinion of the abilities of the medium who presided over it. So I expressed my desire to visit the Banner circle to my spirit brother John, who promised to accompany me there at an early date. But upon presenting myself \ SPIRIT VIOLET. 21 at that circle I was disappointed to find that it was utterly impossible for me to control, or to influence in any manner, the medium whom I found there. "Her magnetism did not in any degree assimilate with my own, and though I visited her circles many times, and watched the ease with which other spirits possessed themselves of her organism, yet I was never able to perform a like operation. "At those circles, however, I met the spirit Rev. John Pierpont, a frequenter of that place, who noticed my anxiety, and at length questioned me upon it. To him I related my troubles, and he kindly volunteered to direct me to a medium through whom he thought I could express myself. The spirit further stated that the lady to whom he referred was under the charge of a band of spirits of which himself and Mrs. Conant were members, who were developing her powers that they might be utilized by the spirit world upon the Banner of Light platform, as the lady who then pre- sided at that office would soon be unable to attend to her duties. And to further this end, a branch office had been established at South Boston, where spirits who desired to communicate with their friends, 'and were unable to do so at the Banner establishment, were given an opportunity to be heard through the col- umns of the Voice of Angels. " Mr. Pierpont then introduced me to the spirit brother of my present medium, and I was invited by him to attend a circle at his earthly home and to mani- fest myself through the organism of his sister. u This occurred in the early fall ; but though I became a regular visitor at the weekly circles of the medium, it was not until the following winter that I gained power to control her organism, and indite that message which was afterward received by )-ou through the dear little paper. In the meantime I had made the acquaintance of Mr. Pierpont, Mr. Pardee, John Critchley Prince, and other noble spirits at those 22 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. seances, by whom I was cordially invited to become a literary contributor to the Voice" The selections from the writings of Spirit Violet, which this book contains, consist mainly of accounts and narratives of life in the spirit world, together with an intelligent exposition of methods employed by spirits in their labor for the benefit of mortals. We shall now leave the subject of this sketch to speak for herself in the chapters that follow, concerning those things that appertain to the realms of spirit life. SPIRIT ECHOES. 23 CHAPTER II. SPIRIT ECHOES. What is more beautiful than a morning in the Sum- mer-Land ? All things breathe of harmony and peace. No jarring discords break upon the ambient air; no sense of unloveliness and distress disturbs the spirit ; no storm-clouds overcast the heavens with threatening anger. The golden sun tempers his rays in mildness and with beneficent warmth. The birds sing fearlessly in the tree tops ; the waters flow merrily to the laugh- ing sea; the breezes play in wanton glee, tossing the leaflets upon the trees, and robbing the flowers of their choicest perfume to greet the senses of the passer-by. Pure souls, to whom no taint of materiality clings; sweet spirits, who have never felt, or having felt, have risen above the influence of earthly passions, here abide, and, gathering together into convocations, — con- vened not for ceremony, nor from pride of station, but from sympathy and friendship, — interchange the rich treasures of the mind, cultivate through soul commun- ion, the true graces of the spirit and work in unity toge- ther, thus developing the adaptability of each one for his peculiar mission, and, above all, seek, by those united efforts, born of sincerity of purpose, and love for humanity, to devise ways and means for the ameli- 24 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. oration of suffering upon earth, as well as for the ele- vation of lowly, undeveloped beings in the spirit world. This is the dear Summer-Land of ascended souls. A Summer-Land as far removed from those spirits who still dwell in the darkness, emitted by their earthly career, and who continue to cling to the shadow of material dross, as it is from those inhabitants of clay, whose thoughts of the future are confined to longings for personal grandeur , alone, and whose souls never mount upon the wings of aspiration in reaching out toward the higher realms of purity and goodness, or in searching for the dear Father and his ministering angels. The silvery chime of bells floats upon the morning air, which bathes my spirit in waves of sweet, melodi- ous sound. Grandly, solemnly they chime, lifting the soul above all selfish thoughts and purposes ; bearing it upward and onward upon the wings of sacred music ; far upward in adoration toward the source of all this beautiful, beneficent, and immortal life. Faint and low the sweet chime flows downward also, bearing a sense of what is highest and best to those plunged in sorrow, pain, and doubt, and giving them hope of a sweeter life yet to be attained through honest endeavor and individual effort. Sweet and low, floating down, down, into the hearts of loved ones on earth, thrilling them with a calmness of heavenly peace, a sense of perfect rest, and bearing into their souls undying echoes of love, sympathy, and remembrance, from their dear ones who have gone before. SPIRIT ECHOES. 25 A MEETING OF MISSIONARY SPIRITS. "Waft, waft, ye winds the story; And you, ye waters, roll Till like a sea of glory It spreads from pole to pole. Progression, oh, Progression ! The joyful sound proclaim, Till earth's remotest nation Hath learned Progression's name." I have just listened to the above rendition of the inspiring missionary hymn, and my soul thrills in har- mony with the aspirations and the desire to spread the light of truth before all people, which was thus expressed. It was in no hall of worship and assembly that the words of the hymn fell upon my hearing. But in returning from the earthly home of loved ones, where I had been to whisper my matin greeting of sympathy and affection, to my peculiar haunts in the spirit world, I found a knot of spirit missionaries who had met to exchange reports of their labor, and to unite their pow- ers and energies in doing good to the needy by shed- ding a stream of light upon earth's darkened places. There were venerable men whose years had been spent in working for others. Their flowing robes, and the sandals upon their feet rendered their appearance patriarchal. There were elderly females in whose countenances appeared the light of pure love and benevolence. These latter were the nurses, the tender counsellors, the gentle mother spirits, whose lives are devoted to the ministering unto sin-sick, battle-worn souls, who enter spirit life without hope or faith. There were also young men and maidens, novices in 26 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. the work of teaching others, but who, from their earn- est desire to be of use and to do good, were drawn to this particular field of toil. The garb of all but the patriarchs was similar to that worn upon earth; but the females were clothed in plainer, less elaborate garments than I think any of their mortal sisters would have been content to wear. No badge of office glistened upon their breasts, or gleamed from the shoulder. Nor was this necessary ; their credentials shone from their sparkling eyes, and beamed in their tender, pitying faces. Theirs is a mis- sion of peace, and only the implements of love and good-will do they require, such as tender, earnest speech, faithful hearts and helping hands, to accom- plish their work. I could perceive the purpose of their meeting ; here, in a comparatively isolated spot, where the trees hemmed them in from external scenes, unmolested by others, they had met to make their reports, and to gain strength, cheer, and encouragement from their friendly and soul-felt intercourse. They had just begun to sing the old familiar hymn, a verse of which I have quoted, as I came up, and the melody, which trickled through the lines like a stream of light, together with their earnestness of expression, arrested my attention, and thrilled my being with a new purpose and aspiration. Oh, thought I, what a glorious mis- sion, to be of use to others, to be a beacon-star to some lonely wanderer amid the trials of life, to speak words of kindness, of hope and love to the broken-hearted and sad. Oh, that I might be like these people ! Instantly, one of the band, a gentle, beautiful female, SPIRIT ECHOES, 27 turned to me with out-stretched hand as if in greeting, her whole countenance suffused with joy, and said: " Dear child, thy mission hath already begun ; thine is the task to bear love and sympathy to weary mortals, to whisper words of peace and hope, and to point them to a higher life. What more heavenly task than this ! The divinest work for the soul is to fulfill the duty laid upon it. In thee we see the promise of labor to be wrought. Go on thy way, inspire the spirits of those thee doth approach with faith and trust in the love of God ; point each to the land of life beyond the rolling tide of death ; carry pure and gentle thoughts to mor- tals struggling with the trials of life ; drop the sun- light of peace upon all whom thou dost meet. Thus canst thou and every spirit become a messenger of joy, a missionary of hope and truth. God bless and guide thee in thy efforts for good." Like a holy benediction the words fell upon my spirit, filling me with a sense of love for all things. Then and there I resolved to do all in my power to cheer, enlighten, and instruct the sorrowing and the uninformed, feeling that in this I could perform my work, and also brighten the golden links binding me to loved ones on the mortal side. A SPIRIT RETURNS TO COMFORT HER MOTHER. Just now my mind is filled with thoughts of an inter- view I have recently held with a fair young girl, who but lately burst the bonds confining her to a material body. She was sad, very sad. All this life is new and strange to her, and though surrounded by tender care and loving sympathy, yet filial affection draws her 28 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. constantly back to those dear parents who, sorrowing as those without hope, cannot realize her presence with them. " My mother," she said to me, " oh, my mother ! if I could speak to her and tell her of my home in Heaven ! But my death was such a heavy blow to her; she is so sad, so miserable, and I cannot help her ! " " You can ; you will bless and comfort your mother," I replied ; " if you will come with me I will show you how to send a message to those you love on earth. You have heard of a medium ? " " Oh, yes, but it would be no use for me to visit one. My friends would not accept anything given them from such a source ; they would believe it all nonsense. No, it is no use." "But you can make such an effort to reach your mother, and if you fail it will be no worse to you than it is at present." " Oh, yes, it would," she exclaimed, " I might not be able to give facts enough through another organism to establish my identity to my friends, and I think it would break my heart to have my love rejected, I would rather not attempt it." However, in a little while I gained the young lady's consent to accompany me to a spirit circle, and I hope ultimately to induce her to send a message to her friends on earth. Her evident sorrow and distress have filled me with deep solicitude to unite her in spirit with her sorrowing mother. JUST RECOGNITION OF RETURNING SPIRITS. How true it is that hundreds of spirits, manifesting through organisms foreign to their own, and doing the SPIRIT ECHOES. 29 best they can, expressing their love and sympathy, and bringing words of counsel and cheer to mortals, have been repulsed with distrust and suspicion, even with a positive denial of their presence, because they were unable to give every item of material affairs demanded of them. Such a reception of their efforts to communicate causes sensitive, loving spirits untold pain and sorrow ; causes them to recoil from earthly conditions, and thus retards their manifestation to mortals. Were I upon earth, understanding this matter as I now do, I would accept a loving, kindly communication, purporting to come from a spirit friend, not with over credulity, but with the thought it inay' come from my friend who is not yet able to give me all I wish, to know : but I will not reject this token of love, lest in doing so I spurn and wound my loving spirit friend. In this way I would throw out a ladder of reciprocal love, upon which my dear one could descend and bear me tidings of immortal life, thereby strengthening conditions, until that spirit gained power to give me all my soul required. CONSOLATORY THOUGHTS FOR BEREAVED MOTHERS. Who can realize the anguish of a loving mother's heart when called upon to part with the mortal. form of a beloved child? Others may sorrow and weep ; the nearest kindred may realize with pain a vacancy in the family circle, a niche in their love unfilled, that can never be occupied again. But they have pursuits, and in time enjoyments, to call their attention, and soon their grief becomes a tender, sweet, yet holy, memory. And 30 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. well that it is so, for death was but a golden bridge over which their loved one passed to immortal shores, while she who left them bodily is unseen, simply because she has come so close to their hearts that she can enter into their love, and permeate them with a spiritual radiance. But the mother's heart is longest in healing. How she looks for her darling to come to her ! How she falls asleep weeping, and awakens with a sense of loss, of hopelessness that is almost akin to despair ; and how she hourly calls in spirit the name of the one child who is dearest to her because unseen ! Oh, darling mothers ! Oh, sorrowing, heart-broken mothers ! weep not ; your dear ones are all around you, bringing love, peace, and comfort to your souls. They are not lost ; sweet and low they whisper tidings of a happj^ reunion yet to come ; and though you know it not, their loving arms are around you, sustaining and strengthening. Their sweet lips meet yours; their white hands lead you onward toward the higher and the better life!* Happy, blessed mother, who accepts this truth! To you it is a pearl of great price, — a crown of unspeakable glory. THE MINISTRATION OF SPIRITS. Oh, let my mission be to impress the glowing truths of immortality upon the hearts of grief-stricken mor- tals. To bear to mourning parents, brothers, and sis- ters, sorrowing husbands, wives, and children ; to those who murmur because they believe death has torn their beloved ones from their grasp, this glorious conviction, that the dear ones are not beneath the sod, nor do they SPIKIT ECHOES. 31 dwell millions of miles away, beyond the stars, but amid the glowing sunbeams that fail around their mor- tal friends, their tender faces shine ; and through the golden mists of death their gentle voices are calling to loved ones here. Oh, friends, your dear ones are with you. Not one is lost, none are separated from you, they come to you in the gloom or sorrow, or in the stillness of night. They walk by your side and bless your lives. Whether your sight can pierce the clouds of doubt and fear or not, your loved ones surely come, and by permeating your lives with a holier thought and purer aspiration, they lead you nearer to the heavenly gates, which you shall one day enter, and finding your darlings close beside you, shall then know that they have never died. THE EAIN OF THE SmOIEB,-LAND. A veil of silvery mist has gathered over my Summer- Land home, which is so fine and ethereal that it scarcely hides the golden sunlight that shines through the glittering vapor, turning it molton gold, and now and then changing it to red and blue and every other rainbow hue. The shining mist, descending from snowj^ clouds, falls silently like a blessing of love upon the green sward, the fragrant flowers, and the branch- ing trees that look up with grateful joy to catch the refreshing bath. The far-off hills and mountains gleam through the lovely veil, with a softened and sub- dued light that adds a new charm to their beauty. The waters of stream and river murmur more musi- cally sweet, as if conscious of the new power they will have gained when the mists have cleared away. The 32 LIFE AXD LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. birds chirp contentedly in their leafy bowers, as if in welcome to this spiritual rain, and all life becomes ani- mated anew, and thrilled with a sweeter power and strength. No heavy storms, no tearing whirlwinds, come to sweep away the works of nature. Those are but the effects of forces working through matter alone, and belong solely to the mundane world; but softly, si- lently, and sweetly descends the rain of the Summer- Land, covering hill and dale, shrub and tree, with a tiny dew-like moisture, that brings new vigor and refreshment to all things. All alone in my quiet sanctum I sit and gaze out upon the golden mist ; half lost in wonder and delight I ask myself, was ever anything so beautiful a& this ? The very essence of life seems descending in that spiritual shower, and under its influence my spirit rises as with new energy, strength, and power. HAPPINESS OF SPIRITS IN COMMUNING WITH FRIENDS ON EARTH. From the contemplation of the beautiful works of God spread out before me, my thought flows out to dear ones who abide in the mortal form, and filled with love and sympathy it reaches out to their hearts, form- ing a magnetic chain which connects their lives with my own. A quiet peace stealing over those dear ones on earth, a happy sense of blissful repose filling their souls, prove them to be en rapport with the Higher Life ; and though I do not leave my apartment in my spirit home, yet I can see and commune with the loved ones, and send out to them my thoughts upon the SPIRIT ECHOES. 33 chain of affection that binds each soul to mine ; I know they receive the message, and respond in the inner consciousness of their hearts to these echoes from the spirit shore. But though spirits may thus live close to their earthly friends, without leaving their upper homes, yet it affords us sweet delight to return in spiritual presence to the homes we loved on earth, and, by mingling with dear ones in the mortal, partake of their joys, participate in their sorrows, bless them with our affection, and, by silent impression upon their minds, permeate their thoughts with our ideas, and ever seek to draw them upward and onward toward the beauti- ful and the good. Such is the blessed mission of many loving and devoted spirits who are working for the soul elevation of friends on earth. POETRY OF THE SPIRIT SPHERES. In my frequent visits to this medium I have some- times encountered one who, a poet when on earth, still delights to sing his melodies through the lips of mortals, and at such times I have felt my spirit bathed in a halo of light as I listened to his metrical utter- ances, or better still came en rapport with his spirit, saw the gems of thought therein, and watched him weaving them into lines of richest grace and beauty. Oh, ye mortals, the poems you receive from minds on earth, whether given forth by the acknowledged poet, or through the organisms of mediums, are but the shadows of a glorious reality above ; they are but as skeletons compared with the full and perfect forms, clothed with the majesty of perfected expression in the 34 LIFE AND LABOR IN" THE SPIRIT WORLD. soul world ; a mere outline, which conveys to you per- haps an idea of the beautiful whole, as it flashes forth from the realm of spirit. In poesy as in music, and indeed as in all the arts and sciences, you can never see its grand revealments, its possibilities and its powers, its radiance and its glory, until you drop from j^our shoulders the man- tle of materiality, and stand forth all spirit, with an abiding desire within your souls to find the beau- tiful, the holy, and the pure. This poet-soul,* of whom I speak, has at times requested me to give expression to some of my thoughts in the golden light of poesy, to drape them with the snowy robes of melodious song; but I shrink from the task, feeling that I cannot do justice to the noble rules of rhyme and rhythm. Spirits do not, as a rule, underrate their own powers ; there is no false delicacy to be assumed ; they under- stand something of the possibilities within, and eagerly and thankfully accept the opportunities afforded them to cultivate their powers, and to develop these possi- bilities of the soul. Therefore, though I do not at present feel to echo these sounds from the other shore through the channel of poetic expression, yet I do feel that some time I may so develop my inner powers as to sing in measured tones and cadences the song of my spirit, the melody of my soul. But there is one being on earth to whom I would bring the early efforts of my spirit, to whose name I would sing my first song, and over whose soul I would * John Critchley Prince. SPIRIT ECHOES. 85 pour the melody of my undying love. And so, feeble, crude, and imperfect though it be, I bring my song and sing it to MY MOTHER. Dear mother, when I found that I was dead, And that my soul had passed beyond the tomb, The first few, feeble words my spirit said Were : " Mother's heart is bowed in sadd'ning gloom ; And so I cannot leave her till you bring A balm of healing from the world above, And o'er the anguish of her spirit fling A perfect peace from God's eternal love." And so the angel forms who met me there Brought rest and consolation to thy heart, Which, in the hour of holy, sacred prayer, Found heavenly peace that never can depart. Then from the scenes of earth I turned awhile To roam with spirit feet through realms above, Where all receive our heavenly Father's smile, And bask within the sunlight of His love. l C J A perfect "home not made with hands" is there, But built by loving words and kindly deeds ; A heavenly heritage of beauty, where The spirit finds each attribute it needs ; And friendly faces throng the open door, With hands outstretched in welcome to the soul Who turns in gladness from the earthly shore, And seeks to gain perfection's heavenly goal. Oh, mother ! kind and true the angel friends Who cluster round me at the open gate ; My soul with theirs in perfect concord blends, As patiently for thee we watch and wait; We guard thee with the deathless light of love, We bless thee with the calm of holy peace, We guide thy spirit on to realms above, Where sad heart-longings shall forever cease. 36 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIKIT WOBLD. The heavenly fields are fair with glistening green, And gemmed with blossoms of immortal bloom, That beautify the sweet enchanting scene, And scent the breezes with their sweet perfume; The sunlight smiles, and waters flow in glee, The woods reveal new depths of light and shade ; The song-birds warble in each leafy tree, Or scatter dewdrops in the flowery glade. All life is gladness, and the spirit grows In perfect harmony with God above, And, catching higher inspiration, flows In grateful praises to the throne of Love. And so I cull its rarest gems and flowers To bless my mother, whom I love so well, And use its aspirations and its powers To guide her spirit home where angels dwell. REAL LIFE IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. 37 CHAPTER III. REAL LIFE TK THE SPIRIT WORLD. My object in writing these pages is to give mortals an idea of the real life that is constantly passing in the spirit world, and to inform them of the conditions, sur- roundings, duties, labors, and pleasures of the denizens of the immortal state. The unsightly and desolate places I shall describe are as real to their inhabitants as are the dark alleys and gloomy by-ways of j^our own large cities. But while city lanes and alleys have been occupied, and made unpleasant and unsightly by care- lessness and the neglect of physical comfort, these spiritually dark spots have been hedged in and ren- dered squalid and barren because of the sin and self- ishness gathered around the inner life of those who linger here, at the expense of the beautiful qualities of the soul that should shine out and make all places bright. Thus, spirits whose earthly lives have been impure , and selfish find themselves surrounded by darkness and gloom when they enter the other world. The objective scenes around them represent the wild, chaotic state and barren results of their past lives, and present an appearance of great disorder. But as soon as they fully realize their terrible condition, begin to 38 LIFE AND LABOR IX THE SPIRIT WORLD. mourn over their past errors and follies, and struggle to arise out of such an unhappy state, the darkness commences to vanish, light dawns upon them, they find sweet fields where before appeared sterile rocks and sandy wastes ; and they dimly feel and perceive the presence of ministering spirits, where previously all had appeared lonely and desolate. Then begins the struggle to break from old ties and associations that still fetter the soul ; then repentance and reformation commence, and the spirit pauses not until he or she has arisen out of old errors, and gained knowledge, light, and peace. Spirits of this class who have passed through the cleansing waters of suffering and trial, who have felt the purging fires of tribulation, remorse, and contrition, do not pause and rest content with their own deliverance from temptation and evil, but invariably become grand and efficient co-workers with those sweet missionary angels who delight to do good, and as messengers of light spend their time in seeking to aid other unfortunates out of the slough of error or despondency. In the spirit world there are many beautiful spots that present an appearance of peace and loveliness, even of grandeur and enchantment to those who linger therein. Of these places I will speak to you by-and-bye, and you shall learn of the life and doings of their inhabitants. But first, I desire to devote a portion of this chapter to scenes and incidents I have witnessed among the unlovely and darksome haunts and resorts of those spirits who have not yet arisen into the light. What I am about to describe to you is far from being a heavenly scene, and yet it is a scene I myself have wit- REAL LIFE IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. 39 nessed, when in company with a beloved aunt, a verit- able angel-missionary, I visited one of the many fields of her angelic labor. A DARKENED SPIRIT LED TO SEE THE LIGHT. A barren waste of sand and rocks spread out far and wide before us ; no blooming plants, no lofty trees, no singing birds, to awaken music with their melody ; all was silent, profound, deep desolation. At a distance I could perceive the white foam and the dashing waves of angry waters breaking upon a great line of cragged, dreary-looking rocks. Oh, what an appearance of unrestfulness was here ! At first I could perceive no signs of human life, not even a vestige of animal existence. The place was too sterile, barren, and forbidding for even the very lowest form of conscious being. I turned to my companion in surprise at having been brought to such an unhallowed spot; perceiving which, she silently pointed to an object slightly in advance of us, which appeared to me but one of the many rocks about us, so thickly was it enveloped in a cloud of darkness ; but which in a little time I discov- ered to bear a resemblance to a human form. The figure was crouching down in the sand, its head bowed upon its knees, presenting a most abject and despairing appearance. It was evidently a male, and he seemed to be suffering intensely. I shall never for- get the terrible pang that shot through me at the sight ; nothing more than that experience would I need through all my life, to pity, sympathize with, and seek to assist the miserable and unfortunate. 40 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. I clearly saw that this unhappy soul could not per- ceive our approach. His senses were absorbed in his own condition and discordant surroundings; but we could trace upon the cloud-like vapor enveloping him lines indicating that his had been a hard and bitter life. Misery, intemperance, impurity of life, had marked his way ; unmourned and unregretted on earth, he had entered spirit life, engulfed in degradation and despair. And then and there I learned that this place, appearing so terribly desolate, was typical of the earthly lives of those who came here for a time, because of their unhallowed existence through mortality. Drawing closer, the angel with me spread her hands above the unfortunate's head, and presently little lines of light streaming from her white fingers began to per- meate the darkness, and the being before us groaned and stirred restlessly. Continuing her work, my blessed companion made rapid passes over the form before us, the light still flowing down upon him from her fingers. He trem- bled, great tears coursed down his cheeks, and at last he cried : " Oh, Lord, save me ! Help me, and I will be a better man ! " It was the cry of a spirit, struggling through the darkness, the degradation and sin of years, yearning for light and praying for assistance. To me the place began to grow bright and beautiful. The gloom became permeated with streaks of rosy light. Sweet music floated through the air, w 7 hich had lost its stinging sharpness. I lost sight of the barren rocks, the desert sand, and the dashing waves. Only the praying, tearful being before me, bloated and dis« HEAL LIFE IK THE SPIEIT WOELD. 41 figured as he was, and the shining spirit at my side, were visible to me. The man's tears redoubled, great sobs shook his frame, heavy sighs came welling up from his heaving breast; broken murmurs of remorse, contrition, and despair fell from his lips. Still he did not see us ; but to me the place grew brighter and brighter, until no ray of gloom remained. Still continuing her magnetic passes, my friend cast a beam of light over the man's face, and, looking up, he discovered her angel form bent in pity above him. Stretching out his hands with an imploring gesture, but with no sound, the miserable being gazed and gazed, as if to drink in hope, encouragement, even life itself, from the beautiful sight. I soon became conscious of another presence beside me ; an elderly female, bright, shining, beautiful, yet sad, very sad. Catching sight of this new face bending over him, the suffering spirit cried : " My mother, oh, my mother ! " and bowed his head from sight. Drawing me away, my companion said : " We will leave him now to his mother's tender care; she will help him to redeem himself. He is in the valley of tribulation, but soon he will arise to liberty and hap- piness." In company with that angel-missionary, my dear aunt, who passed from earth many years ago, a sweet, innocent maiden, I have many times visited these dark by-ways where undeveloped spirits, surrounded by gloomy clouds, remain, many of them perhaps indifferent to their condition. Yet we are always sure of finding one or more among them, who has grown 42 LIFE AND LABOR IN" THE SPIRIT WORLD. weary, and become anxious for more light and good- ness ; and when we find them in this frame of mind, it is a beautiful task to talk to them, show them how they may grow better, and little by little lead them up to more pleasant conditions of existence. AW OUTCAST FROM EARTH RETURNS TO AID THE FALLEN. But to go on with my description of places I have seen : A thick, almost impenetrable forest, stretching out far and wide before us, its deep, dark undergrowth of shrubbery growing up in great thickets ; tangled vines covering the trunks of the trees, and so inter- laced that no sunbeams strayed through the leafy covert. No sound of singing bird, no scent of beauti- ful flower, could there be found. All was so dark, so lonely, so impervious, it seemed that not even a spirit might enter the confines of the gloomy place. But as we approached, the seemingly objective wood became subjective only; I found that we could pass through readily. In the depths of this forest, we came upon a female spirit, apparently asleep ; wan, pale, and haggard, she presented an appearance of deep suffering. My companion explained to me the meaning of this scene. This spirit had shortly before inhabited a mor- tal form. Tossed about here and there on the waves of poverty and misfortune, scorned and neglected and despised, she had felt herself an outcast from the human family, and in a fever of despair had ended her mortal life by poison. Her wild longing for solitude, the hatred of society of any kind, her dislike to the city, and her desire to HEAL LIFE IX THE SPIMT WOULD. 43 bury herself and her griefs in some uninhabited spot, had surrounded her spirit with this deep forest, within which no step disturbed her lonely vigils. She had realized that she eould not kill the soul ; she had found herself in this wild spot, alone and unclaimed, and for a time was thankful that no eye could look upon her. But the silence, gloom, and solitude produced such an effect upon her spirit that a terrible reaction set in. She had had time to reflect, to realize her past life, and the cause of much of her misery. She had wept, and at last even prayed; and here alone with herself she had recognized her dependence upon humanity, and the duties she owed to it and to her own immortal nature. Then came a longing for companionship, a desire to leave this dreadful place, and a wish that she might go away where she could begin a new life, and be happy, innocent, and good like others. Weary with contending emotions, she had sunk down exhausted, and her guardian spirit, who was no other than her own mother, and who had never left her, threw her into a deep trance, in which we found her, still attended by that mother-soul. Raising the stricken being in our arms, we three spirits bore her away from the solitude, gloom, and darkness out into a beautiful valley, where the sun shone warmly, the birds warbled in the branches of the trees, the blue waters of a stream gurgled playfully betw T een green banks, where flowers bloomed in fra- grance and beauty, and laying her gently upon one of the mossy beds, we assisted the mother-spirit in bring- ing back the senses of her child. Soon the blue eyes opened, and as they began to 44 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WOELD. take in the scene around her, they filled with a happy light, and a peaceful smile played around her pallid lips. Very weak was this child of God, and we left her upon the fragrant couch, where balmy breezes bore new healing to her weary frame. But not long; again and again we visited her, and shortly after found that she had been taken to a tiny, white cottage by her mother, where she was constantly growing stronger and better. At times, thoughts of the old life would cause her cheek to blanch and frame to shudder; but as she was so thoroughly regretful for whatever had been wrong in her life, and was filled with such a desire to atone for past errors, and to learn the laws of her being, to perform whatever work m y friend and teacher appointed her to do, she was so willing to learn and so anxious to aid others, that the memory of earth at last ceased to pain her, and now only serves to deepen in her soul a tender sympathy, and gentle, helpful love for the suf- fering and sin-tried souls who dwell on earth. We call her "Charity," and she has become a tender helper wherever a poor soul is in need of strength or encouragement ; she goes out alone into the darkness, where others are suffering, and with her spirit-love dis- pels the gloom, and sends rays of hope and mercy into the lowly depths of degradation and sorrow. Above I have described scenes I have witnessed in the inner or soul-life of individuals, whose moral per- ceptions were but insufficiently developed, or had been warped and limited in action during their residence in the material form. Let me attempt to convey to you an idea of a scene I not long since witnessed in connec- BEAL LIFE IK THE SPIRIT "WORLD. 45 tion with a terrible disaster occurring upon the earthly plane. UNSEEN HELPERS AT A CONFLAGRATION. A terrible conflagration was raging in one of your large cities. Down among the business portions of the place, tenement houses, to be filled with families of human beings, had been erected. They had grown brown and unsafe with age, yet were swarming with human beings — a family* of children, as well as grown persons, on every floor; and in this place a fire had broken out in the night, and had been raging for an hour before discovered. At last, relief came, but too late to save the lives of all those poor, helpless creatures. The bodies of a number of children, as well as men and women, were burned to a crisp in that holocaust of flame. Attracted to the scene by the sufferings and necessi- ties of human beings, hosts of invisible spirits pene- trated the smoke and flame (which, though having no power to destroy disembodied beings, yet caused a darkness and gloom to surround them), and in com- pany with dear spirits, whose work is ever for the amelioration of suffering and distress, I was privileged to approach with the hope of being of use to those who were passing out from mortal life in the midst of fiery flames. And what a sight was there ! Half-developed spirits, not realizing the grandeur of the triumph of right over wrong, were gathering around, as if to gloat over the sufferings of the stricken ones before us; gathered together by the fascinating attractions emanating from the spirit of that incendiary who had created this terri- 46 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. ble blaze ; and it seemed as if they were delighted at the calamity taking place before us. But a noble band of spirits, drawn together by the ties of sympathy, and attracted to the place by the tender pity in their souls for the suffering, approached, and with them brought such a radiant light that the evil-disposed influences speedily departed. And then we turned our attention to the spirits struggling out from the flesh; by gentle magnetic passes we released them from the flame and smoke and bore them away to pleasant scenes and blooming places in the spirit world, where nothing can destroy. Three little children it was our good fortune to release from a terrible sense of suffocation and fear — dear little children, whom we bore away to the Sum- mer-Land, and placing them in a bower of blooming roses, we left them in the charge of a kind mother- spirit, whose tender love and soothing care would hush all grief and fear which might overtake them when they awoke from the deep magnetic sleep cast upon them by spirit power, in order to remove all traces of suffering and anguish. Oh, could you witness from the spirit side of life the results of such a terrible conflagration as this, you would never rest until your streets were so laid out, your buildings so constructed, and so remote from each other, that it would be impossible for a fire to spread among them and carry such deadly mischief in its blaz- ing folds. And yet, in spite of the awful scene of blackening smoke and lurid flames, the presence of evil-disposed influences attracted thither by the destroying elements, REAL LIFE IN" THE SPIRIT WORLD. 47 the suffering, the misery and despair, — in spite of these, the sight of high and exalted intelligences, whose interior life brilliantly illuminated their features, and dispelled the darkness, abashed the evil-disposed, and stimulated the sympathizing efforts of mortals to aid the suffering, was a scene to be witnessed with joy ; creating within us a sense of thankfulness, that above and beyond all sorrow, evil and pain, there is a life peopled with unselfish, holy beings, who glorify their Father by alleviating the pangs of the sorrowful and distressed. And I observed that around those kind souls in mortal, who were working .with herculean efforts to save the lives and property of the tenants of these houses ; around the noble firemen ; the crowd who were putting forth powers and desires to be of use; around those who opened their homes for the destitute and suffering, a golden light shone, and bands of help- ful, shining spirits gathered, aiding with strength and sympathy ; and a light shone in the darkness of despair, a star gleamed brilliantly above the light of human sympathy, — the star of heavenly love. The unpleasant, disagreeable, desolate places I have seen in my experience of spirit life have been few indeed compared with the many beautiful spots I have visited, and the scenes of grandeur, sublimity, or sweet- ness 1 have been privileged to look upon. I find that the natural scenery of the spirit world far transcends in beauty of forms and coloring everything of the kind wdiich exists upon the earth ; for, though the glowing sunset, the fairy-like sunrise, the exquisite blending of colors in fragrant flowers, the blooming vales, the luxuri- ant forests, the grand old mountains and foamy oceans 48 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. belonging to earth combine to make up many a scene of indescribable beauty, yet these same forms and tints, existing as they do in the spirit world, are so refined, so delicate, yet so grand, majestic and glowing, that it is impossible for mortals upon earth to compre- hend their beauty, or to experience the emotions of reverential delight and solemnity that a spirit feels while gazing upon the wonderful forms of nature, and listening to the rapturous melody of sound rising from birdlings' throats, gurgling waters, and rustling leaves. ADVENT OF A MORTAL INTO SPIRIT LIFE. I will now describe to you, as well as I can, a beauti- ful scene I once witnessed, the memory of which runs through my spirit experience like a strain of music. Not a great while ago, there dwelt on earth a young girl of about twenty years of age. Of delicate organ- ization and slender mold, one could see that want and suffering had been no stranger to her. Her home was in one of your large cities, where, in an humble dwell- ing, she lived alone with her invalid mother, whom she supported by the fruits of her needle. For years she had plied that slender instrument- — which has indeed proved an instrument of torture to many a toiling, suffering woman — patient, resigned, and cheerful, as long as she could earn the necessities of life for her dear mother, who was unable to do much of anything for herself. It was thought that the mother would depart from the mortal life long before the daughter ; but exposure to a heavy storm had given a severe cold to the poor girl, and in a few clays she was pronounced dying with pneumonia. BEAL LIFE IN THE SPIEIT WOULD. 49 Who can describe the terrible grief of the stricken mother as the labored breathing of her child told only too well that the end was near ! But angels watched beside that humble bed, and when the last breath was drawn, they mercifully cast a spell of unconsciousness over the mother's senses, while they gently bore the arisen spirit to a haven of rest. In the midst of a charming spirit vale, where beauti- ful flowers bud and bloom, and fill the balmy air with fragrance, where the stately trees cast a pleasant shade over many a mossy bank, where glistening waters dash musically along between beds and thickets of roses, and where birds make music as they glance here and there in the soft and mellow light, there is a bower composed entirely of roses, red and white, which lift their regal heads and offer incense to the breeze. This bower has been constructed by loving angels for the resting place of that beautiful spirit, whose illness and death I have just described. Within the bower, upon a bed of dewy May-flowers and violets, the spirit form of the maiden reclines ; she is robed in garments of white, arranged about her by ministering spirits. She has been resting, drawing long draughts of health and strength from the flowers beneath and around her ; the paleness disappears from her cheek, which loses its thin, attenuated appearance ; the eyes no longer appear dim and sunken from exhaustion, but as they flash open, reveal a luster and beauty untold. She starts, looks around, but perceiving the flowers, utters a low cry of rapture, and grasping the roses, May-flowers, and violets in her arms, she presses them 50 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. to her bosom and buries her face in the rich fragrance of their leaves. Never before has she seen so many- fresh and beautiful flowers together; never has she possessed so great a quantity of blossoms in her life ; and she revels in their fragrant beauty with unmiti- gated delight. But she is not long allowed to remain thus alone ; loving spirits, gentle women, whose souls are all love and tenderness, enter the bower, and, taking the maiden by the hand, give her loving welcome in kindly words. She gazes upon them in delight ; they appear to her the embodiment of all that is lovely and pure ; and as they kindly greet her in her heavenly home, her spirit becomes filled with affection and gratitude for all that she sees. Now she has recovered strength and is rested ; her gentle companions bear her away from the bower of roses to a beautiful little cottage, embowered in flow- ers, which stands at the edge of the lovely valley. It is surrounded by a tiny flower garden, abounding with delicate colors and redolent with exquisite perfumes. The cottage is open on the side, being composed of snowy lattice work, through which the golden sun- beams and the tender rose leaves stray. The interior of this little dwelling is daintily though simply fur- nished in white and azure, and all betoken it to be an abode of purity and simplicity. The new-comer it? greeted at the entrance by a motherly, loving face, kindly hands out-stretched in greeting, and made to feel that she is indeed at home. The ministering band of spirits who have thus far cared for the newly-arisen one, now leave her in the REAL LIFE IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. 51 care of the motherly soul who has been awaiting her in the cottage home ; and she immediately learns that this new friend is her own grandmother, who has been dead for many years. This is a home never dreamed of by the poor, working girl, and it seems almost like enchanted ground to her. But a short time had passed since the spirit departed the body ; she had lain in the bower of roses, tended by gentle missionary spirits; sunk in a semi-uncon- scious condition, but wrapped in a sense of ecstasy, very exquisite to the weary soul, until after the burial of her body, when she had been aroused and borne to her spirit home by her attendants. Oh, how she enjoyed the sweet song of the birds, the balmy air and the fragrant flowers. The house she inhabited possessed no grand adornments ; only white drapery, rustic yet graceful furniture, polished floors, here and there a tiny picture or bit of color within ; climbing vines and fragrant flowers without ; yet all was beautiful and sweet; and best of all, this pretty home had been reared bit by bit from the daily life of its occupant. Patience, self-sacrifice, devotion to an invalid parent, cheerfulness, and a spirit of per- severance, that faltered not in the midst of suffering, poverty, and affliction, together with an almost passion- ate love of the beautiful, had thrown out material from the life of this young girl that had been eagerly seized on by her spirit guides with which to rear her cottage home. And within a tender grandmother had been domiciled to give her greeting and companionship. From the entrance of this little home, its occupants could look 52 LIFE AND LABOR IK THE SPIRIT WORLD. out, beyond the blooming garden, into the glowing valley, with its stately trees, its rippling brooks and mossy dells, with here and there a white homestead, around which gardens spread, and before the doors of which children made glad music. Nestling between two massive mountain ranges, the crags of which glowed in the sunlight like bronze, or deepened into purple radiance at twilight, the valley presented a scene of smiling peace and tranquility. But you are not to think the girl, who had been borne from the cares of material life to this beautiful spot, had forgotten that invalid mother whom she had left to suffer earthly sorrow and care. Not so ; her w 7 hole soul went out in love, sympathy, and longing toward that lonely parent, and guided by a slender cord of silvery light which, though invisible to others, yet was always visible to herself, and which extended from her own spirit home to the spot where her mother lay, she constantly returned to the side of her she loved so well, and by her ministrations soothed many a weary pain, and eased her mother's passage to the spirit land. She found that her mother had been removed from her former habitation to one of the wards of a hospital, and she — the spirit child — found among the nurses one whom she could influence to act tenderly towards the invalid under her care. But it was not long that tenderness of earth was needed. The shock of her daughter's sudden illness and death was too much for the poor invalid, and in one month from the decease of that daughter the mother joined her in the spirit world. REAL LIFE IK THE SPIRIT WORLD. 53 As I was privileged to be with the guardian band who had attended the younger spirit into the Higher Life, so I also had the privilege of being present at the spirit birth of the elder woman ; but the first to greet her was that daughter who had preceded her to the immortal realms, and who now, radiant as an angel of light, returned to bear her mother to rest in her own sweet, little home. The expressions of delight at her appearance from her mother first called the attention of the daughter to herself; for the first time since her change she discov- ered that she was no longer pale, wan, and weary-look- ing, but radiant, bright, and beautiful. With the self-devotion so natural to her, she had been so absorbed in her mother's condition that she had no idea of the beauty which now enveloped her own being like a halo of light. These spirits, — mother and daughter, — with the noble grandmother, dwell happily together in their valley home ; and their time is spent in doing good, and in influencing others to assist the needy and suf- fering. 54 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. CHAPTER IV. ZENCOLLIA CITY AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. Shall I speak of my surroundings in the Summer- Land? Shall I tell you of the beautiful city that we in the eternal world call Zencollia, — meaning, literally, "city of light," — so called from the brilliant rays which are reflected back from its towers, minarets, and gleaming walls when the sunlight falls upon them ? The spires and towers of this beautiful city gleam in the distance as I am seated by my eastern window. Its white walls, glistening with alabaster-like spotless- ness, seem to tell of purity and peace. A TEMPLE OF LEARNING. Amid that wonderful array of exquisite workman- ship a brazen temple arises, its massive dome seeming to crown the structure with a coronal of living light. This grand temple I have visited in company with dear brothers who have gained a comprehension of truth and knowledge in the wisdom-schools of spirit life, and who have become familiar with the interior of this shining temple from frequent attendance upon the instructive lectures delivered therein. The temple of learning in Zencollia is the most massive building I ZENCOLLIA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. 55 have ever beheld. It is surrounded by an open space paved with delicate pink and white tiles of shining, translucent stone. A flight of variegated marble steps leads to the vestibule, which is also paved with pink and white tiles. The building contains four spacious halls, the finest of which is dedicated to Science, the second to Litera- ture, the third to Metaphysics, and the fourth to Music. Each hall is furnished with roomy seats for the accommodation of the audience ; a raised platform at the farther end, upon which stands a marble table, and a cushioned seat, something like a capacious sofa, serves for the accommodation of the speakers or instructors. The floors are all paved with variegated marble, — white, streaked with delicate pink and sea green ; the pillars are of carved ivory ; the walls are adorned with beautiful paintings, representing some illustration of the nature of the work to which the hall is dedicated ; while the lofty ceilings are frescoed in the faintest azure, white and gold. One of my companions, a student in the hall of sci- ence, was eager for my admittance there as a spectator, which was soon obtained. At the time of my visit the seats were filled with a throng of people, young and old, and of both sexes. The lesson was on the laws of chemistry; and the speaker, a gentleman apparently forty years old, but whom my brother assured me had been in the spirit world many decades of years, had a number of strange-looking instruments before him, with which to illustrate his theme, and to prove the truth of his theories by experiments. 56 LIFE AND LABOR, IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. " Do you notice that gray-haired gentleman in front, the one with the high forehead, whose penetrating, searching gaze seems to be taking in every movement of the speaker?" whispered my companion. I nodded assent. " That is Michael Faraday, the scientist ; and I tell you he is as earnest a student as any of us ; he attends all our conventions. He has been invited to take part in the exercises, but declines, preferring to study rather than teach. Oh, I tell you, Sis, a good many of earth's smartest men come here or go to other places to learn, when they reach spirit life." The lesson of the day was very instructive, and the experiments interesting ; but as they were new to me, and far advanced, I did not understand them very well. " I '11 tell you what, Miss Ammidown," said brother J., playfully, as I expressed my amazement at some of the results of the professor's experiments, " I '11 bring you here when we have a lesson on Electrical Life, and you shall see the teacher produce some most won- derful results without the aid of instruments. You look incredulous ; but, Kitty, that is only because you have been used to earthly, material instruments. Here we can make use of the currents of electricity without any such adjuncts. You shall witness some of my own private experiments some time. You have a great deal to learn vet." And, indeed, I felt like a child who had just entered into the wonderful arena of knowledge, and saw spread out before her strange sights, and heard strange sounds, which she could not comprehend, but which seemed deliciously clear and interesting to those around her. ZENCOLLIA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. 57 This was long ago, but the feeling clings to me yet ; and I feel there is so much to learn and understand, one can never be idle. HALL OF METAPHYSICS. To the Hall of Metaphysics we wandered. Here the speaker was a female ; but although the ideas she expressed were grand and beautiful, the language with which they were clothed was almost too abstruse for me. " I brought you here, dear sister," said my compan- ion, "not because I expected you to understand the proceedings ; you are too familiar with earthly expres- sions for that as yet ; but that you might visit a place where those filled with lofty ideals concerning the soul, and its relations to life, meet to exchange thoughts and to learn of each other. Emerson* will delight to fre- quent this place when he comes over to our side of life. We have scores of other places," he continued, "where such teachers as Theodore Parker, Channing, and hundreds of like noble souls, hold forth with ear- nest utterance for the lifting up and sane tifi cation of the people. These you can understand; and their teach- ings are generally delivered in some airy chamber or leafy grove, where all the surroundings and conditions are conducive to the worship of God. You will visit many of these with those who love you." THE HALL OF LITERATURE. We did not tarry long in the Hall of Metaphysics. The teacher was grandly beautiful, clothed in flowing * This was written some time before Ralph Waldo Emerson ascended to the higher life. 58 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIBIT WORLD. robes of classic style; her speech gently modulated; her gestures graceful ; her mien earnest and convinc- ing; and to those who understood she appeared to furnish a feast of good things. I felt humbly penitent, because I could not comprehend the whole ; observing which, my guide hurried me away to the Hall of Litera- ture. Here I could appreciate, for I understood. The services were conducted by a number of men and women, who favored us with sketches of real life, not published, but what they had themselves witnessed ; also readings from eminent authors, bits of rare, descriptive power, rich delineations of gifted writers, with extracts from their productions; followed by expressions of gorgeous imagery and brilliant passages of poetry. Here I was deeply interested, and the more so, because my companion pointed out to me the presence of gifted men and women, whose works I had admired and read on earth with never the hope of meeting them in person. THE HALL OF MUSIC. But I must hasten. With all the wonderful things I had seen and heard, what shall be said of the Hall of Music? The whole front of this spacious hall is a raised balcony, upon which the performers and choris- ters are generally seated. Here we were joined by a dear sister, who I shall designate as May ; like the May-flowers, she is beauti- ful and sweet ; and hand clasped in hand, in silence, — and so far as I was concerned, in awe, — we listened to the enchanting strains of music evoked from stringed ZENCOLLIA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. 59 and keyed instruments, by the skillful fingers of their manipulators ; and to the deep, rich tones, or bird-like, thrilling notes of the singers' voices. I can never describe it. What I have said is but a faint type of all I witnessed in that marvelous temple ; but the music! — the music was so grand, so powerful, so uplifting, and yet so sweet, so subtle, so enchanting, that I seemed floating away, with no thought but to soar upward to the very throne of Life and Love. All petty affairs of life, all outward sense of exist- ence melted away; and in the pure atmosphere of that celestial melody, my soul asserted itself in all its purest aspirations for the perfect completeness of life. I love Zencollia for its divine harmony of sweet, inspiring music ; and, oh, dear ones I love on earth, could you have been with me in spirit, my bliss would have been complete. SOCIAL LIFE IN ZENCOLLIA. In walking through the streets of beautiful Zencollia City, I have observed the perfect freedom of its inhabi- tants, the undisguised manner of living, the open frankness, and the confidence each one seems to repose in his neighbor, and also the unceremonious hospitality of each household; for every passer-by is welcome to enter, rest, refresh himself, and examine whatever excites an interest in his mind. I have noticed this, because at first it appeared very strange to me — so at variance with the customs of mortals, who shut themselves up in their homes, becom- ing sometimes exclusive and ceremonious in their bear ing toward others. 60 LIFE AOT) LABOR IK THE SPIRIT WORLD. But I have learned that while it would be unwise and unsafe for mortals to leave their homes open to the inspection of every curious passer-by, and imprudent in the extreme for them to invite every stranger into their households, it is perfectly safe to do so in the spiritual city Zencollia, whose inhabitants are pure and spotless, who have become purged from all gross and carnal appetites and habits, who do not gossip and slander, who love each other, whose families are bound by the closest ties of tender sympathy and affection, and whose lives are so pure, so devoted to the welfare of others, they have nothing to conceal. Every home is a shrine of prayerful praise ; every family bows at the altar of Infinite Wisdom ; each inhabitant has some lesson to repeat, or some experi- ence to rehearse to the new-comer into these high spheres, that will be a guide to his feet ; every habita- tion contains something of interest to the stranger who may have but recently ascended to the upper courts of Zencollia. And there is no risk in entertaining the stranger; for no impure, selfish, worldly-minded spirit can enter Zencollia ; he could not breathe its refined atmosphere, the brilliancy of its light would blind hiin. For while it is true that exalted spirits can descend to lower spheres or conditions, where grossly-minded intelligences dwell, surrounded by the darkness which their mental state throws off, and there minister to the necessities of those earth-bound souls, yet it is as impossible for those spirits to ascend to the upper heights as it is for mortals to pierce the heavenly worlds with their material bodies ; for as the physical ZEXCOLLIA AND ITS SURKOUXDTKGS. 61 keeps you down to earth, so the weight of passion keeps those spirits down. Therefore, no impure spirit enters Zencollia, and none who dwell there fear to entertain the stranger, for all the inhabitants of that celestial city are pos- sessed of clear vision, and they can readily read the interior thought and desire of whoever comes within their sphere. The dwellers in that happy city associate together in groups, all working for the common good ; each obeys the law which all assist in framing ; everj^one contrib- utes to the welfare of the people, the beautifying of the city, the maintaining of free, open schools of instruction, and in upholding a good government. I have often thought of the beauty and glory of this sweet life, wishing that I could cause mortals to view it as I do,— to view and to emulate, to bring down something of its happy conditions to earth ; for then there would be no need of prison-walls, no cause for corporeal punishment, but love and justice would reign supreme, and the milennium, long foretold by prophet and seer, dawn upon the new earth. INTEBIOB, VIEW OF ZENCOLLIA. Zencollia, " City of Light," the sight of thy white walls, gleaming in the distance, recalls a vision of thy beautiful streets, so unlike the city streets that mortals know. No jarring noise disturbs the serenitj^ of thy places ; and yet the ceaseless murmur, the ever-present appearance of active, energetic life within thy limits, proclaim that therein is found sentient, individualized, conscious existence. 62 LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. The edifices so beautifully constructed of shining stone, artistically adorned with carvings of exquisite grace and symmetry, do not crowd and elbow each other for want of space; but each building stands within its own enclosure, surrounded by garden plats and banks of emerald green. Lofty trees, whose umbrageous foliage furnishes a cooling shade, are scat- tered here and there, giving an aspect of natural beauty to the scene. The very streets, though paved through their centres with polished stones, are fringed on either side with grassy leaves and nodding flowers, which no careless foot seeks to trample down. And yet, it is a city, vast and magnificent. Its mas- sive buildings, its countless inhabitants, all mark the difference between it and the town or country. At regular spaces, great plats, enclosing flowery beds of every variety of color and perfume ; tiny lakes and gushing fountains ; gleaming pavilions, furnished with rustic seats and tables; small groves of shade trees, tiny grottoes and fairy glens, where birds make music through all the sunny day — are kept under constant care and cultivation for the enjoyment of all who wan- der therein; and it is no uncommon thing for groups of harmonious spirits to gather together in one of these gardens, and spend an hour in that communion of soul expressed in the singing of hymns, the exhortations from inspired lips, or the encouraging words given from one to another, that lift the spirit still nearer the Infinite Light that pervades in some measure all space