MRS. M’KEE PASSES AWAY AND HER SPIRIT ARRANGES HER OWN FUNERAL.
When the seance was over, I at once took the flowers to Mrs. Minor’s to have them arranged according to her art for preservation and now have them in all their original beauty. The 17th of November, 1881, I went to Mrs. McKee for a slate-writing seance, as for some time I have been used to do every Thursday morning at 9 o’clock, where I met at the door her step-father, R. J. William, who informed me that his daughter Jennie had, half an hour before, passed away to the spiritual world, and invited me up on the floor above to see her body. In the death-room I found my friend, the wonderful clairvoyant and trance medium, Mrs. Anna Rall, and Jennie’s mother, who found that her head was not quite cold. From the house of mourning I went to Mrs. Minor’s for the five flowers I had received from my dear spirit friend, Mrs. Fredrika Ehrenborg, through the medial power of Mrs. McKee, the 3d of November, and which now were preserved under glass, and afterwards went to have a seance at Mrs. Green’s, where I placed those beautiful flowers on the small stand between us. Soon we heard writing on the slate and a tap, when we found on it the following communication:
“Good morning, dear papa. How sad for you to look upon the face this morning, not yet cold, thathad afforded you so much real happiness, and pure as the flowers before you that came through her medial powers. She entered the spirit world to meet the loved ones gone before. Her suffering is no more. She saw you, and I shook hands with her. She knew me, and she was all smiles. She was glad she passed away on the morning she had an engagement with you; so your heavenly influenceswerethere to aid her spirit. She hoped for it. She will be able to communicate to you soon and tell you how she found the new life. She will write immediately, she understands it. Dear papa, try to make a house not of mourning; she wants joy, she is free from suffering and able to communicate. Will see her own funeral and wishes to have a real spiritualist’s funeral, becoming one who has passed away in its full faith. She wants Mrs. Green to repeat that beautiful poem that she so much admired: ‘IStillLive’ (herself).I would like Mr. Green, with others, to make some consoling remarks. The song ‘There is no death,’ sung.She says that every thing so far has turned out all right, and she wants every thing done according to her desire. They all know what a devotee she was in spiritualism.” (Here I mentioned to Mrs. Green that I would go back to the house of mourning and tell them of this as soon as possible, and now came.) “That is just it. She told me all and requested me to write it. She wants them to cast away the thoughts of her old body from their minds, and to think her free spirit moving through the house as of old. She wants her dear old parents not to mourn. She wants all the mediums next to her immediate family, and spiritualists, to strengthen her so she canmanifest, if possible. She saysthese areher wishes; they can do as they please. Dear papa, I have done my duty this morning for her beautiful free spirit, and happy for the honor conferred upon me as her amanuensis. We have nothing more to communicate this morning, only she wants Mrs. Rall, her near and dear friend, to control affairs as far as she can, as she knows her wishes and desires, and knows she will please her and do what is right. Love to dear mamma; kiss her for me.
“Emil.”
“Mrs. McKee says many thanks for your kindness She will be with you often. Much love to all.
“Emil.”
We were present at her beautiful funeral, where Jennie herself spoke through Mrs. Rall over her own body, and it was in truth remarked from the people that this was the most soul-uplifting funeral services they ever had witnessed. The spirit communicates with me often.
INVESTIGATIONS WITH MRS. GREEN—REMARKABLE DARK TRUMPETSEANCE AT WHICH I RECEIVED A MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWERFROM MY SON EMIL AND MISS MARY MUTH.
“My investigations through the excellent medium, Mrs. Green, commenced the 2d of September, 1881, and I received many interesting communications from my dear and near relatives, which I value very highly, but naturally would not have the same value for the general reader, and therefore I deem it best to exclude most of them and take in only writings from exalted spirits who are more generally known.
The 19th of September came:
“From the higher sphere of light I comeTo teach you the beauties of our home,And to impart to you the golden truthAnd make you feel its real worth.“And to my dear old friend, your wife,I wish to prove a future life,And to assist her while she remains here,And help to guide her to our heavenly sphere.“Oh, the beautiful birds that sing their lay,Come to bless me every day,The flowers of fragrance, sweet and rare,And heavenly music fills the air.“From your friend,“Fredrika Ehrenborg.”
The 20th of October, 1881, I was present at Mrs. Green’s trumpet seance in the evening in company with the following persons: Mr. Green, the medium’s husband; Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, a reporter from the “Enquirer,” who gave his name as Johnson, and Mr. Walker. On the stand was placed three slates, one of which was my own, three trumpets, one glass of water, and my spring music-box. On the floor stood the big tin trumpet and by it laid my guitar, and not far from Mr. Stebbins was his fiddle. After the light was put out and the doors locked I wound up my music-box and put it on the right hand corner of the stand before me. Soon after it was taken away while playing and carried around all over our heads, and some of us were touched with it. Finally it came back to me and was placed in my left hand with the spirit, whose hand I touched with both my hands. I wound it up again and the spirit took it away and carried it around the same as before, but when it came back it was placed on the left hand corner of the stand, and I laid the key close by it. Afterwards I played my orgamina when the spirit voices of both sexes joined in with their songs, and so they did when we sang.
I intended to wind up the music-box again and felt for it on the corner, when I discovered that both the box and key were gone. Soon after we heard the box playing and going over our heads as before, and the box was replaced on the corner of the stand with the key on top. All the trumpets and the guitar were moving around in the air high above our heads, the guitar was played on in time with themusic, and we all were touched and stroked on different parts of our bodies with these implements. The guitar was laid in my lap, and I sang a Swedish song, accompanied by the guitar, when we heard a spirit voice singing with me, and I and the others heard the words pronounced by the spirit, which I declare were the same Swedish words which I sung. Mrs. Stebbens was clasped around her neck by her spirit daughter Ida, who whispered to and patted both her and Mr. Stebbins. Mrs. Green and Mrs. Stebbens saw several spirit lights, and Mr. Walker was informed by striking and tolling on the big tin trumpet that his father in Kansas would soon pass away. I felt for my music-box again, intending to wind it up, when I, to my great surprise, found a fresh, beautiful flower on top of it, and my slate was placed in my hand. Soon after the seance was closed and when the room was lighted up, we found written on one slate the name of the reporter, and on my slate the following:
“Dear papa, we present you the flower we promised you some time ago. The passion flower.
“Emil and Mary.”
It was a large, very beautiful, quite fresh flower, which I now have preserved in a glass jar with deodorized alcohol. On seeing this flower my wife’s idea was that the flower had been brought from some garden, and I thought the spirits made it, which caused me, at a slate-writing seance the 24th of October, to ask which of us was right. On the slate was this answer:
“Mary and I, with the assistance of the medium’sband,created itfor you and dear mamma, and you will find a dove in the center.”
On a close examination we found to our astonishment a small dove there.
SURE IDENTITY OF MY FATHER-IN-LAW—MADAM EHRENBORGWRITES TO ME IN SWEDISH.
On the 8th of December, 1881, I and my wife had a slate-writing seance in the forenoon, and were present in the evening at a trumpet seance with Mrs. Green, and as my wife received a strong convincing test through the name of her father, it is necessary before relating the facts to make a short sketch of a part of his life. He was a Swedish nobleman, named Otto Jacob Natt och Dag, who, by the favor of the dethroned King Gustaf Adolf the Fourth, was educated in the military academy, and afterwards served as officer in a rank regiment in Stockholm, which the new King Charles the Fourteenth, Johan, the former Napoleon’s General Bernadott, looked upon with great favor. This young nobleman wrote an anonymous book about reorganizing the Swedish army, in which many good and necessary reforms were proposed. This book was not intended for sale, but a few copies had been printed for his intimate friends. Some of his so-called friends reported this, and mentioned his name to the King, who became enraged that a young officer should dare to have the impertinence to interfere with his business, and want to teach him, who had such a vast experience in military affairs, theconsequence of which was that he was transported to serve in a common infantry regiment, far up in the northern part of the country, a long distance from his near and dear relatives. Such treatment naturally made him feel bad, and he asked permission to travel in foreign countries, which he got, and went straight to Baden, in Germany, where he called on his former King, Gustaf Adolf, and was kindly received. There he republished his book in the German language, with some additions, which the Swedish minister reported to the King, who then considered him a traitor, and ordered his arrest, but his Swedish friends informed him of this in time, and he went to America under the name of Frederick Franks, which was the name of a German student, who gave him his passport, and which he afterwards adopted and used until his death. The King, Charles the Fourteenth, had him adjudged, unheard and absent, by a court for high treason, for daring to pay a visit to the dethroned King, and the judgment was that he should lose his place and rank in the army. Many years afterwards the King regretted his harsh and unjust treatment of his faithful, patriotic and skillful officer, and pardoned him, and ordered his Swedish minister at Washington to inform him of it, so he could go back and enjoy all his privileges; but his former guard officer had now been for many years a republican citizen, who, with his artistic and many other talents and business capacity, had made himself independent, and he never went back. Nobody here but the family knew any thing of his Swedish name, and my wife said to me that she would be more fully convinced of herfather’s identity if he would sign himself with that name.
In the slate-writing seance in the forenoon I had put my own slate, which Mrs. Green never touched, under the side of the stand nearest me, and on Mrs. Green’s slate the following appeared:
“Put out the slate and see if any thing is on it?”
I did so, and on my slate the following sentence appeared:
“God bless you both is the wish of your exalted friend,
“Fredrika Ehrenborg.”
Among other things was the following:
“Now, dear papa and mamma, we have done all we can this morning. Much love to you both. Grandpa will be with you to-night; Grandpa Helleberg, Mary and Julia, too, Emil, Gustaf and Charley. You will have many bright and beautiful spirits with you this evening to cheer you on your road to the beautiful spirit world. There all are in peace and happiness—Emil, Frances, Emma, Mary, Julia.
“Emanuel Swedenborg.”
On the evening of the 8th of December, at the above-mentioned trumpet seance were present, besides me and my wife, the following persons: Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Catherine Remlin, Mr. and Mrs. Green and Mrs. Boggs. We had spirit singing and talking, with many other remarkable manifestations. Among the spirits who spoke were Garfield, Washington and Lincoln, three ex-Presidents. Two slates were put on the table by Mr. Green before the light was put out, and I had that afternoon bought two very small silica slates, of whichI gave one to my wife, who held it in her hand, and the other, in the dark, I put on the corner of the table nearest me, which nobody else knew any thing about. When the seance was over several names and messages were written on the two big slates, and on mine was the following on both sides:
“My Dear Daughter—Oh, how happy I am that I have found a way to communicate to you. I will be with you often.
“O. J. N. D.”
On the other side appeared:
“My Dear Daughter—According to promise I am with you. I have many things to tell you. With my heart full of love for you,
“O. J. N. D.”
These were the initials of my wife’s father’s Swedish name, Otto Jacob Natt och Dag, and we were highly pleased with the result. Subsequently he communicated often, signing his name in full, as above.
On the 23d of March, 1882, at Mrs. Green’s, among other communications, was the following:
“Dear Papa—All of your Swedish friends are here, and intend to use their influence to-day and give you a surprise before the seance is over. All are present except Swedenborg, who we expect very soon. We are not sure of success, but we intend to try. The surprise will be Grandpa Franks trying to communicate inside of the double slate, with your assistance holding the slate and all of your friends influence combined. Madam Ehrenborg withheld her message to-day to add her strength and help grandpa with his surprise to mamma and you. * * * Swedenborghas come; get the slate. This is all you will get from me to-day. Your loving son,
“Emil.”
We cleaned the double slate and put it under the table, where I held on to one end of it and pressed the two slates together with my hand, while Mrs. Green held the other end, and we both felt and heard the writing going on inside the two slates. The writing continued about ten minutes, after which a tap was heard, when I took the slate out, opened it, and in my father-in-law’s handwriting found the following communication, which I had photographed and electrotyped as seen opposite:
On the 23d of July, from 9 to 11A. M., at Mrs. Green’s, I had cheerful writings from our three sons and grand-daughter, Julia Muth first, and afterwards there appeared on the slate the following communication in the Swedish language:
“Dyra goda wän C. J. Helleberg! Jag prsenterar dig min Högaktning och evinnerlig wänskap.
“Fredrika Ehrenborg.”
Which, translated into English is:
“Dear, good friend C. J. Helleberg, I present you my esteem and eternal friendship.
“Fredrika Ehrenborg.”
I had it photographed, as shown.
INFORMATION OF A SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE—THE WEDDING ANDTHE WEDDING TOUR TO THE PLANET MARS.
For a long time I had regular slate-writing seances in the light and one dark trumpet seance every week at Mrs. Green’s residence, No. 309 Longworth street, and at that time were generally present the following persons: Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Remlin, Mr. and Mrs. Helleberg, all of Cincinnati, and Mrs. Bogg, from Newport, Ky. In these trumpet seances the spirits not only played on musical instruments, which they carried over our heads, and very often touched us with them and their hands, but talked and sung to us with or without the trumpet. The 12th of January, 1882, our son Emil astonished us with the information that he was going to marry Miss Ida, the spirit daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, and that she would be his spirit wife. In a slate-writing seance, the 16th of January, he informed me that Mr. Swedenborg would perform the nuptial ceremony, and who also had determined the wedding to take place on Washington’s birthday—the 22d of February. We were also informed that the spirit, Mr. Henry Nieman, Ida’s cousin, would be the groomsman, and the spiritual Miss Mary Muth her bridesmaid, and that a bridal trip had been arranged in which many bright and exalted spirits would take part, including Madam Ehrenborg. Mr.Swedenborgwould make the wedding speech on the spiritualside, and he requested Mr. Green to make one on this side. Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins,my wife and I, agreed that this remarkable wedding ceremony should take place at Mr. Stebbins’ residence at the appointed time—the 22d of February—and we concluded to ask the spirits who we should invite, and the 16th day of February, 1882, came on the slate the following names:
“Pa and ma Stebbins, papa and mamma Helleberg, Mr. and Mrs. Green and daughter, Mrs. Emma Muth, Mrs. Remlin, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Miss Nettie Williams, and Mrs. Keenan.
“Emil and Ida.”
At a slate-writing seance, the 20th of February, came on the slate, among many other communications, the following:
“The ceremonies are to begin at four, and immediately after congratulation, supper. It will take one hour, Mr. Swedenborg says, to show the medium the ceremony and Mr. Green’s address. When the vision is through, then Mr. Green, then supper, and, after that is settled, a trumpet seance.
“Emil.”
According to this arrangement the above persons were all invited and present, except Mrs. Keenan and Miss Nettie Williams, who could not come, at the afternoon and evening seances the 22d, the 150th anniversary of Washington’s birthday. In the afternoon we assembled at 3 o’clockP. M., and at 4 Mrs. Green was in full trance, and Swedenborg controlled her and blessed the contracting parties, after which Mr. Green made a very appropriate and beautiful address. A private clairvoyant fell in a trance and described not only the clothing of the bride and bridegroom, but many other spirits present. The bride’sdress was pure, sparkling white, frosted with gold dust, with long train full of the finest lace, and a very beautiful veil, frosted also, and adorned with a handsome wreath on her head of white flowers set with three beautiful diamonds on her forehead. She had also a diamond brooch and necklace, with a splendid ring on her finger, and slippers on her feet to match. Our son Emil had knee-breeches of royal purple, with a beautiful white toga frosted with gold, and gold tassels and a purple and gold crown set with diamonds. (At a subsequent seance Emil said: “Mine was Mr. Swedenborg’s selection, Ida’s was Madam Ehrenborg’s.”) During the trance state of Mrs. Green, the spirit Winnie described the dresses in the same way as the private medium already had told us. After we had had a splendid repast the requested trumpet seance was arranged, at which all were present, and had the pleasure of being spoken to by Swedenborg, Emil, Ida, and many other spirits, and some of them patted us with their hands. Madam Ehrenborg and my wife’s father, Otto Jacob Natt-och-Dag (Frederick Franks), sung Swedish with me, and Mrs. Jennie McKee took my hand and lifted my arm up and putting it over the table so I had to rise. It was a beautiful and most satisfactory and wonderful manifestation over which we all were highly delighted.
The 23d of February, 1882, came from our spirit friends the following:
“Good morning, dear papa, we are here yet, but will immediately after this sitting start on our bridal tour, accompanied by Swedenborg and a great many exalted spirits. We expect to return by next Thursday,then Mr. Swedenborg will give the marriage ceremonies, and we hope to have something nice to write you then. Mr. Swedenborg is very much pleased because he is able to speak and control Mrs. Green, and was very much pleased also with the way it was conducted on your side. He says altogether it was a splendid affair on both sides, and I think so too, and now I will let my wife, Mrs. Ida Helleberg, write. Your loving son,
“Emil Helleberg.”
“Good morning, dear papa Helleberg; Emil makes me blush when he says my wife. It used to be a joke, but now it is a reality, and that is quite different. When we all meet on the evergreen shores of the summerland, then we will return the compliment and have the infair at our own home, no matter how far off it may be, you shall always receive our hospitality and our love in the cottage. With my heart full of love for you and dear mamma Helleberg and sister Emma, and my dear pa and ma, and Mrs. Green’s family, I bid you good morning.
“Ida Stebbins Helleberg.”
“Good morning, Mr. Helleberg: I was very much delighted with the exercises of yesterday afternoon and evening. It could not have been more perfect on both sides. I was with you all the time. It was witnessed by thousands of spirits with much interest and delight. Whatever Mr. Swedenborg, does in the spirit world causes great commotion and interest. He is in the spirit world like some of your great men here, a leader. His every word, look, and gesture, is chronicled by the spirits; therefore you may imagine the interest they manifest towards him. Nettie couldnot and would not leave mother. She is so lonely without me, but she was here heart and soul in spirit. With my highest regards for you all, I am your friend,
“Jennie.”
“Good morning, my dear friend: As the marriage of our grand-daughter to your son has united my sonEdwinand your family, and that event caused or rather brought us in a positive condition, and enabled us to pick up the trumpet and manifest our appreciation of that event, I thought I would write a few lines in regard to this happy marriage, and to show our very high appreciation of this medium’s family, for, as Ida said, it has brought sunshine to her dear pa and ma that they could not find any-where else outside the spirit communion, and express our very high appreciation of your son Emil, and that we feel very proud of them both, and of our hearts full of love for Edwin and his wife, and highest regards for yourself and family and Mrs. Green’s family, we subscribe ourselves your dear spirit friends,
“Amariah Stebbins and Permelia Stebbins.”
“Good morning, my friends, Mr. Helleberg and Mrs. Green: To say I was very much delighted, or, in fact, I have not language at my command to express to you my appreciation of yesterday’s proceedings, and happy of the opportunity presented that I can write to-day. Winnie described me as I was. Love to my dear daughter and her husband (Edwin Stebbins), and regard to all,
“Thomas Kelly.”
“Good morning, dear son: Father, brother, and all of us are here to give you our congratulations andto tell you how much we love dear Ida, and that she is so sweet and beautiful. We were all with you last night, and caressed you with the trumpet. It made us so happy. Father can not write to-day, but will soon. With our blessings on you and all, your loving mother,
“Ulrica Helleberg.”
“Good morning: I must not fail to give a few words in appreciation of the marriage feast. It was splendid, and I was very much pleased with the ceremony spiritually and mortal. Love to dear Anna and yourself and highest regard to all. Francis, Emily, Susan and Joseph join me and send much love to all. With my prayers for you all, I bid you good bye.
“Fredrick Franks.”
“Now, dear papa, we are all through, andGustafand Charles join in congratulations, and asked me to write for them, and tell you that they are so much pleased with their sister-in-law. Mary, Henry, and little Julia and Clarence, and many that I have not time to mention, join us with much love for all. Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one, we bid you good bye,
“Emil and Ida.”
The 2d of March came: “Good morning, my dear friend. The tourists, according to promise, have not returned. I have been sent as a messenger from Mr. Swedenborg to report to you that their reception on the planet Mars was so grand, and they are there so nicely entertained by the spirits of that planet that they have all been invited to participate in a similar feast to take place to-day, and they all send their love and best wishes to you, and hope to be withyou at your next sitting. With my highest regard and well wishes for your future prosperity, I am your spirit friend,
“Polheim.”
The 6th of March the exalted Swedenborg wrote on the slate: “Good morning, friends: I am here to give you the marriage ceremony I promised in pantomime on the 22d ultimo. It is brief, and does not include the address and prayer given on that occasion. * * * As you have already been united in the conjugal sense by the operation of the laws of spiritual attraction and magnetic affiliation, no formal cementation or consecration is needed, but in obedience to an ancient custom, originating in spirit life in the early dawns of the physical earth-planet, and from thence projected to mortal life, I have the pleasure of pronouncing the ceremony that blends you, in obedience to the custom stated, into blissful spiritual consociation as man and wife, which I now do in presence of the invited guests here assembled. In blissful happiness you are to live in peaceful joy, to move in heavenly love to act, so shall your onward march be unobstructed, and as you advance increasing in wisdom, expanding and abounding in love, and augmenting in power until the highest angels and seraphims shall claim you for angelic companionship. Now, while the choristers join inthemarriage anthem, I present for your congratulations this spiritually mated couple, who I now introduce as Emil Gabriel Helleberg and Ida Stebbins Helleberg.
“Emanuel Swedenborg.”
Just as Madam Ehrenborg’s communications werebeing copied for the printer, the “Banner of Light”—the oldest spiritual paper in existence—of date July 1, 1882, was placed in my hands, in which I find a communication from Helen Barnard Densmore, of Philadelphia, in which she says:
“Philadelphia has been favored recently with a course of lectures from Mr. W. J. Colville, which have been well attended and received with appreciation. This truly inspired speaker is doing a great work in spreading the new gospel of spiritualism wherever he is called. His discourses are of a high order, in an intellectual and literary sense, as well as of great spiritual elevation. At one of the social receptions given to him at the residence of Colonel S. P. Kase, he gave a very interesting discourse on the physical life and development of the planets of our solar system as compared with the earth, which was listened to with an earnest attention and evident acceptance by those present. It was taught in this discourse that worlds were brought into existence for the sole purpose of furnishing a theater for souls to express themselves in matter upon, to the end of gaining knowledge and overcoming temptations in all forms and of all kinds; that these lives make up a system of embodiments which closes with the soul’s triumph over all the evils to be found in material life.
“We were told that in Mercury the attainment of a high degree of physical perfection was the highest ambition of its inhabitants; that that planet was in a lower state of animal, vegetable and spiritual progress than the earth, and the cultivation of the soil was their almost universal occupation; that Venus was in a high state of artistic and æsthetic cultivation;that art and music were the dominant passions there, with less intellectual and spiritual development, sensuous delights every-where abounding, and the cultivation of the beautiful the highest aim of life. On the earth the demon to be overcome was declared to be intellectualism, man’s intellect being here worshiped and deified at the expense of the spiritual.
“On Mars and Jupiter is to be found a much higher state of existence, matter being dominated by the spirit to a much greater degree than on either this earth or those planets nearest the sun; that exalted spirits from those planets, especially from Mars, are sent as especial embodiments to the earth, as teachers and messengers for spiritual truth.
“Life on the more distant planets from the sun, beyond Jupiter, was declared to be of such an exalted character that there is no language understandable on earth in which to depict its glories and achievements.”
DESCRIPTION OF THE JOURNEY TO MARS, AND WONDERFULINFORMATION FURNISHED BY MADAM EHRENBORG.
“March 9, 1882. Our party of tourists, after having been carefully selected in accordance with their ability to utilize the magnetic currents that connect the planets in our solar system, and their adaptability to the electric and magnetic condition of Mars, whither we were bound, started on the journey at, according to your time, midnight, February 23. We proceeded without any incident of note until we reached Maluka Plains, where we met a party of excursionists on a visit to our planet earth. Maluka Plains, named after a great prophet of Mars, are located many millions of miles from the circling magnetic belts of earth, and immediately adjacent to the outer circle of the electro-magnetic atmosphere of Mars. We were surprised to find that these excursionists wereacquaintedwith our guide and leader, Mr. Swedenborg, for he had frequently visited the most interesting points of our stellar system. He had even been at Mars in spirit while he was in the body of flesh, but he finds many things quite different from what he thought he had discovered during his spiritual visits when embodied. The party we met were on a tour of scientific exploration, and gladly availed themselves of information imparted by Swedenborg and Polheim, and we inreturn were greatly aided by data and information furnished by them to us. While this conference, or rather exchange of information, was in progress a courier was dispatched by our newly-made acquaintances to the spiritual magnates of Mars concerning our coming. I shall here stop and defer a description of our first reception until our next sitting.
“March 13. As we entered within the magnetic radius of Mars, and were emerging from the outer into the inner concentric circles, so characteristic of that planet, we met a reception committee of several thousand, and after formal greetings, we were escorted to a magnificent edifice, where were in waiting innumerable throngs of spiritual dignitaries and others to receive us. I here desire to remark that in my use of words I resort to your own vocabulary, for the thought language of the Marsians is quite different from the sound of your words, and to employ their terms would only confound you and militate against your proper conception and understanding of the narrative. For instance, I use the word edifice to indicate a structure, but they use an entirely different term and form of expression, and so onad infinitum. The edifice referred to I am unable to describe, and it can only be fully understood in thought. In dimensions so great that your city of Cincinnati could be settled in one corner of it without attracting but very little attention. The material of which it is composed has no fitting representative on earth in its present state of development. Your diamonds and precious stones are as dim and unreflecting in comparison as a cloudy, murky day of autumn is to a bright summer day with the sun at meridian and the horizon unobstructed by cloud or asingle mist. This comparison may serve to give you some idea of the absorbingly intense brilliancy of the mammoth structure, yet this is of itself but as a mote in the sunbeam to what I am assured exists in the immeasurable immensity of the higher creations in the inconceivable and boundless universe of God. Oh, how diminutive is this little ball of matter called earth, when we only measurably take in the vast immensity of the infinite domain of God. And poor, puny man, what a mere speck—a mere infinitisimal animalcule. As we approached this mammoth structure, it seemed to be tremulous with motion, and the motion, superinduced by such intensely penetrating, soul dazzling strains of music as to perfectly appal with ecstatic emotion our enraptured tourists. But for the preparation of us for it by the scientific spirits, who they called the Ulaetta, we could not have withstood it. I will give you this process of preparation on some future occasion, and I am sure it will be interesting to you and valuable when you come over. The ceremonies of reception were performed, not in speech, but in musical opera, which, singular to state, we were enabled to understand by the preparation mentioned. When I say musical opera I do not mean singing accompanied by music, but that the music itself was intensely operatic, and infused thought by the most astonishing and utterly inexplicable process into our interior soul consciousness. It was something worth years of suffering and pain to enjoy, and in contemplating its inconceivable grandeur I return to my own sphere, feeling how little I am, and to weep for the children of earth, still in ignorance and superstition, and I lift my voice in prayerfulsupplication to God to rend the veil, that poor humanity may obtain even faint glimpses of the gorgeous splendors of God’s great kingdom; but I seem to hear a voice answering, Not yet; wait and be patient.
“March 20. We observed the most singular fact connected with the edifice wherein we were received. In approaching it we were unable to penetrate into its interior with our vision. It seemed to be a solid mass of exquisitely fine material, but on gaining admission into its interior, by some peculiar power that seemed to affect our spiritual vision and perceptions, we were enabled to see through and beyond it, and to perceive objects in the far distance. In other words, the whole structure seemed to vanish so far as to permit no obstruction to our vision far beyond its limits, and yet itwasthoroughly substantial, composed of finely attenuated and spiritually sublimated material. I have so much to tell you that I must forego the pleasure of indulging in details, however interesting they might be to you.
“The presiding personage at our reception was a figure of tall and commanding appearance, with a benevolent face, dignified mien, and large blue eyes, that seemed constantly tremulous with love and emotion. He held in his hand a magic wand, which ever and anon he would wave, and in harmony with these movements the most enchanting sounds of music seemed to be wafted far out in the viewless spiritual ether that surrounded and enveloped us. This wonderful fact baffles the skill of mortal pen and mortal language to describe, and you must be content with what is said as the best that can be said, so as to reach your comprehension.
“As I caught the eye of this great presiding spirit I perceived the idea emanating from his mind, ‘I am glad to meet you,’ yet not one of these words was spoken. I essayed to answer to express my thankfulness for his friendly recognition of us, and I found I could not speak audibly, but my thought he caught immediately, and bowed in acknowledgment. He had been many thousands of years before a sage and philosopher on the planet Mars, and bore about the same relation to his people as Mahomet, Confucius, Jesus, Swedenborg and others of their day have in your world; and he is pre-eminent in music. All the great spirits of Mars are eminent musicians. Music, intellectual expansion and spiritual growth seem to be wedded, and go hand in hand together. These are wonderful relations, but nevertheless are true.
“In my next I will introduce you to some of the societies and cities of the planet, to be followed from time to time by revelations that can not fail to impress you with the greatest interest, and not only be interesting and instructive, but will be of great value to you in your after life in the spheres. My clear and venerable friend, be of good cheer, and in the sweet bye and bye I will accompany you on this very tour, and then you will perceive the difficulties in the way of giving a description so as to be understood by mortals.
“March 27. After the ceremonies of reception, the details of which, fully set forth, would fill a large volume, we set out under the escort of a select delegation of forty-seven in number on a tour of inspection, a few only of the incidents of which I can imperfectly touch. Many things observed by us I amnot at liberty to mention, for the all-sufficient reason that you would not understand them and the world is not prepared to receive them.
“Our first visit was to a society of literary celebrities, located in a city of marvelous beauty. For our present use we will call the place the City of Learning, and the society, the Society of the Literati. These names are not the real ones, but serve our purpose fully as well, indeed much better. The city is located on the border of a vast expanse of water of a golden hue, and this limpid stream is a vast musical organ of sounds, whose very vibrations, as its currents flow along, disturb the surrounding atmosphere, resulting in the production of harmonies in musical intonations, not only delightfully enrapturing, but far beyond the power of portrayal in human speech. We stood upon its brink, and were enchanted by its soul-piercing melody. Ever and anon the mellowed rays of the spiritual sun of our solar system would strike upon the bosom of this majestic stream, producing in their rebound such marvelous, scintillating reflections as to cause the beautiful tints of your rainbow to pale into utter insignificance in comparison. You must elaborate in your own mind these feeble touches of my pen, for I can not stop to give minute delineations, but only the idea, and you can carry it onward in your imagination without fear of overdoing the picture or exaggerating the facts.
“The ladies and gentlemen composing the Society of the Literati of this one city are numbered by the many thousands, with vast numbers of co-operating branches in as many different localities. We are told that there exist still higher branches, which we werenot spiritually fitted to visit and comprehend. We, as spirits from earth, lacked planetary development, but we have the promise in the infinite justice of God’s eternal laws that in time, though very far distant, our earth, with its encircling spiritual spheres, will reach unto the gorgeous grandeur of Mars. Here letuspause and reflect.
“March 29. Herein may be found ample food for study, inspiring elements for reflection:
“First—How almighty is God, yet puny man is wondering whether there is a God.
“Second—How grand and noble may all his children become.
“Third—How patiently does God, through inflexible and unerring law, work out such stupendous results.
“Fourth—Man while in the flesh would arrogate unto himself the attributes of a God, when in truth it requires ages of effort and progress only to disclose to him that yet he is not yet an angel. But still how grand are the possibilities before man, inviting him onward. They can not be fully conceived by the finite mind, much less described.
“We saw many translucent streams, whose pellucid waters were charming to behold. There is a law appertaining to all advanced spiritual intelligences that induces the profoundest meditation,thesublimest adoration, when beholding, although only partially, the infinite variety and splendors of the creation; and I must occasionally pause in my narrative to give expression to this law of my soul.
“We were next conducted to a vast building, wherein was deposited the grandest library of books, and they were simply collections on scientific subjects alone.Elsewhere were vast collections on other subjects not intimately connected with science—books as tangible and objective to us as the slate on which I am writing is to your touch and sight. Mr. Swedenborg, being naturally of a scientific turn of mind, became absorbingly interested in this department, and it was with reluctance he took his departure therefrom. He made arrangements to return to study some things to be found here and which he has not been able to find elsewhere. He is promised aid by the members of the Society of the Literati.
“We then visited an assembly of representative men, and I am now about to tell you something that will surprise you, but it is nevertheless true. When I use the expression representative men I mean that each planet has representatives to every other planet in the solar system. I must reserve the next sitting for a description of the grand system of planetary diplomacy—envoys extraordinary or ministers plenipotentiary, as you would call them. The power is too nearly exhausted to enter upon the subject at this sitting. We notify you now that by these ministrations and recitals you are living many, many years in advance of this age of your planet.
“April 3. In your solar system you only claim eight planets, exclusive of the Asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, but the truth is there are thirteen in number; five of them have long since passed into their spiritual orbits, and consequently are not objective to your telescopes, and this state is to be the ultimate of all planets. Every planet, including the earth, is continually undergoing change, that is to say, gradually passing from the gross to the more refined, and by acontinually advancing series of geologic and progressive changes from the lower to the higher, from the crude to the more refined, from the material toward the spiritual, all will ultimately in time pass into spiritual conditions or orbits. But as this theme is scientific, and not directly in the line of or pertinent to my narrative, I will abandon it, at least for the present.
“In my last I told you that each planet was favored with representatives from every other planet in our system, and it is from this system, spiritually originating, that you have derived your system of international representation. I do not mean that any spirit communicated this to the nations, but that in the early formation of nationalities and the commercial intercourse between nations, susceptible public men, by reason of their exceeding impressibility, got the inspiration from surrounding spiritual influences, and to a certain degree and extent carried it into execution in the establishment of ambassadorial relations between friendly governmental powers. But there is a marked difference between your nations and the spiritual worlds in the objects and purposes of such system. In the spiritual worlds representatives are deputed one to the other for an entirely different purpose from yours in sending ministers to England, France, Russia, etc. Your accredited agents of government abroad are simply spies to watch other countries, lest some trivial advantage may be gained against you in some minor and unimportant matter. Selfishness is the law by which they are to be governed. They are expected to be, and generally are, lorded and feasted, dined and wined, all in the high-sounding names of civilization and national urbanity. Oursare sent on an entirely different mission—to gather knowledge for the benefit of all. Our public and representative men are not engaged in learning the rules and laws of the stock market, how to manipulate it and how to create corners in the bountiful productions vouchsafed by the Infinite, nor how to secure safe investments with large and profitable margins, but to learn the laws of the planets, to the end that they may be utilized in the development and progress of their varied and numerous peoples. Through whatever other planets, farther advanced than ours—have passed, we, too, must pass, and hence by our representative spirits learning of their varied progressive experiences, they are enabled to prepare for and assist in the changes that must inevitably ensue.
“I can not carry my thought further than to say in addition that our solar system, as a system in its entirety, has representatives to thousands of other solar systems revolving in space, circling around their respective central suns. You perceive thatthegrandeur of creative glory is looming up before us in majestic proportions, far beyond our power to comprehend and portray. We look forward with great pleasure to each succeeding meeting, when we hope to continue our narrative if conditions continue to favor us.
“April 6. After feasting in the examination of the library of the Society of the Literati I felt an intense desire to learn something in regard to the religious teachings on the planet in its past, as applied to the embodied Marsians, in the curious desire to find out whether their theological and religious history bore any resemblance to ours, and if dissimilar, whereinby contrast the dissimilarity consisted. Of course, in the very nature of things, this opened up a wide field of investigation, and I can only give you points condensed and with the utmost brevity, and without any attempt at elaboration. As I have already informed you, the denizens of Mars do not use our language or mode of speech, and therefore I am compelled to transfer their thoughts into our language, and you must consider that much will be lost in the transmission.
“The planet Mars, in point of time, is much older than the earth, and consequently has passed through many more changes; these successive changes or epochs have had their respective theologies, and I was utterly surprised to learn that in some respects they resembled ours—that is to say, their earlier theology—the later and truer has no resemblance whatever to ours or any that we have had in the past. The people of Mars in the dim and distant ages of the bygone have had many gods and many bibles. Their older books or bibles are now treasured as simple curiosities belonging to the infancy of the race, and the wonder now is how it was possible at any period of their history that a people could be found seemingly so hopelessly ignorant as to believe them. The same fate, my friend, awaits your Bibles, Korans, Zend-Avestas, etc. But in all their speculations in religion they were never taught to believe that their remote ancestors had fallen from an imaginary state of perfection, nor that somebody else’s sufferings and death were imperatively necessary to extricate them from the peril, and to reinstate them into the loving esteem and saving grace of their creator. While they hadmany follies in their early history, they had none like unto our own. They never believed God to be angry and revengeful nor that he would ever destroy their own or any other world by water, fire or otherwise, nor that men were made out of dust and women from ribs, nor that fish swallowed men, preserved them in good condition in their stomachs, and delivered them subsequently and in safety upon the dry land. These silly recitals of your bible will be ridiculed and laughed at some of these coming happy days.”
“April 10: If you could be instantaneously transferred to the planet Mars just as you are in the form you could not live a moment of time. The intensely rarefied and etherealized atmospheres surrounding that planet would not maintain animal life such as yours. Yet the time has been when beings more crude, dense and undeveloped have lived and figured on the stage of Mar’s history. The law of evolution or unceasing progression applies to all planets and in a degree of unfoldment according to the periodic duration of time of each. Hence, under the operation of this inexorable law of the creation you can readily and with quick discerning eye see the ultimate destiny of all—that is to say, the utter overcoming of the crude and unrefined by the spiritual absorption of the whole, and yet this law that lifts the lower into the higher has no limit or ending. You can therefore see in the myriad ages of future time with this law, all the while actively working, how inexpressibly refined and sublimated will become spiritual beings and spiritual essences. This constitutes a grand revelation, and presents in contemplation the grandpossibilities in store for man and the fittest of all things material. While the constituent elements are the same, yet in outward manifestation the atoms composing your physical bodies, and those in the form on Mars, are quite dissimilar. The same elements that exist here, either as applied to the spiritual or material, are essentially the same as exist in the remotest realms of the creation. They only differ in presentation or outward manifestation, and in the degree of their development and progression. Here is another theme for contemplation and study, and the fact as here disclosed ought to fill us with proud satisfaction, for the inherent elements and qualities possessed by the millions of worlds, revolving in the unexplored immensity of space and their countless myriad hosts of people, are possessed by our world and our denizens, only differing in the intensity of their action and the degree of unfoldment or approximation toward maturity—ah, a maturity that never matures. While the law of progression is infinite it deals with the finite, and as the finite can only advance toward but never become infinite, so will this mighty law of progression carry us onward and onward, upward and upward through all coming time, and yet will never cease from its labors or find repose. What a mighty destiny before and for man!
“April 14. In this and my next I will tell you some things that will surprise you, but they are veritably true. I am dealing with you in verities, however absurd and preposterous they may appear to the unprogressed mind. This is said, by your people, to be a remarkable age, and in many respects it is so. You are receiving some matter far in advance of theage in which you are living, but it will be properly recognized and appreciated in the years to come.
“On the planet Mars jails and prison houses for the confinement and punishment of malefactors are only historic reminiscences of the past. There are now no punishments inflicted because there are no offenders to punish.
“The doctrine of sacrificial atonement, with its retarding influence, was never taught to the people of that planet. They have always been taught the supreme goodness of the creator conjoined with wisdom and almighty power. God being supremely good, and supreme in the exercise of goodness, they have not for thousands of years last past entertained the slightest apprehension that any onslaught upon their peace, happiness, and future felicity, would be permitted. From this ennobling conception of God came the desire to manifest a spirit of devotion and veneration, and consequently at an earlier period of the history of Mars the worship of the people was low and groveling somewhat resembling, as I am informed, the ancient idol worship of the Egyptians and Israelites. At the present time the two worlds—the spiritual and material—of Mars are so closely allied and interblended that the spiritual forces are enabled to exercise a positively restraining influence over the conduct and actions of those still connected with the physical, so they can not, if they would, commit wrong, or perpetrate infractions upon the law of right. By reason of this high condition of development those passing out of the material form are at once intromitted into the higher conditions of the spiritual world, because they are fitted for them. Allare mediums and subject absolutely to spiritual action and control. This is what your spirit world is seeking to do for you, so, if possible, to pass over and beyond some of the rough experiences of other planets, and your people do not seem to have the good sense to see it. On Mars there are no murders, arsons, robberies, forgeries, slanders, and other crimes andmisdeeds, for they have progressed beyond them. Do you not perceive the sublimity of this condition? and will it not be a most glorious consummation when you shall have reached the same altitude of progress.
“April 17. Another subject of inquiry engrossed my attention, namely, marriage. I became interested to know something of the history of this people on this subject, and I found it to be an exceedingly interesting one. At this period of Mars there is no such institution as marriage in the sense you regard it. It is not an exaggeration to say that a very large per cent of your marriages are brought about as the result of the most unholy motives. Passion, lust, avarice, etc., are generally the impelling influences, and seldom is witnessed a union from purely spiritual causes. It is needless to say these marriages are not only temporal, ending with the death of the body, if not sooner by an unholy judicial system of divorcement, but entail a cruel blighting curse upon the race.
“The history of your own planet on the subject of marriage is but feebly understood by you. Enough however is known to induce all lovers of humanity to loathe and detest it as it has been practiced in the past. It is claimed that God created animate creatures in pairs, male and female, and that, as applied to man, he cemented a union of one man and one womanin the marriage relation, and that this occurred at the commencement of the creation in the Garden of Eden. Your conspicuous bible characters, such as Abraham,David, Solomon, and others, have not only ignored and trampled upon virtue in its simplest and purest forms, but with the hellish gluttony of the vampire feasting on blood, they debauched innocence, prostituted virtue to their unholy lust, and thereby destroyed the holiest relation of life. Their numerous wives and concubines attest this, and yet your pious Christians are waging a relentless warfare upon the Mormons of Utah and vehemently thundering against the polygamous practices of the Latter Day Saints. Shame for Christian consistency. On this subject your advanced thinkers do not discuss those eternal and enduring spiritual laws of attraction by magnetic and soul affinity upon which alone shines forth ineternalsplendor the blending of soul with soul in an everlasting conjugal union. The people of Mars understand and adopt these laws, or rather harmonize and abide in them, and now while embodied their marriages are for all unending future time. As the result we discover on that planet a race of people almost perfect in their mental, moral, and physical developments, requiring only time, experience, and progression, to disclose the still more wonderful proportions of their being. The union of one man and one woman under spiritual conditions is the highest type of marriage, and constitutes the paramount and supreme intention of the deity, and is the ultimatum and consummation of the law of conjugallove—all others are fleeting, dishonoring, and only evil.
“April 20. Your candidates for matrimony, firstobtaining each other’s consent, and the approval of parents or guardians, apply to the legally constituted authorities for a license or permit to enter the holy state, and when procured they repair to a priest or magistrate, who for a few shekels pronounces a few stereotyped phrases, followed by the solemn declaration pronouncing them man and wife, closing generally with the ludicrous andfarcicalcommand, ‘whom God has joined together let no man put asunder.’ Oh, what a caricature and farce. It is bad enough to declare whom the law has joined together, and so forth, but to assume with such solemn gravity that God has joined in wedlock’s sacred union many of the marriage alliances which are mere caricatures of marriage, is not only blasphemy, but the very apex of nonsense, and is the widest possible departure from truth.
“If it be true that God joins them together, no power, save himself could put asunder or disunite. To assert otherwise would amount to affirming that God is the author of failures. The difference between marriages that only have their basis in consent, license, and ceremony, and that marriage which God cements when two are joined by the divine laws of soul affinity and magnetic attraction—the one is of the earth earthy, the other is from the Lord through and by the operation of eternal law, and is therefore heavenly. Oh, that the children of earth might learn and conform to these subtle and glorious laws for their own good and in the interest of those to come after them.
“On the planet Mars the people have no license system on any subject. While you on earth arewrangling about licensing the sale of intoxicating beverages, on Mars they have none to license. While here you are exercised over measures of taxation to raise revenue to support the government, on Mars no taxes whatever are imposed, and public affairs for the general public good are administered freely and without compensation, purely as a labor of love. The truth is that the mundane affairs of Mars are more regulated, controlled, and conducted by the spiritual powers of the planet than by those in the form. The two worlds are so intimately related to each other, and are so closely brought together, that this is not only practicable but desirable and profitable.
“April 21. There is on the planet Mars a subterranean passage through it from pole to pole, which Mr. Swedenborg informs me he has thoroughly explored. There is more truth than poetry in what is known as Symmes’ hole as applied to your earth. When the time comes by the settlement of your as yet vast millions of uninhabited acres, and a change takes place in northern temperature and conditions, the people of that day will discover within and through the very heart center of your earth a countrynearly a thirdas large as the exterior surface, and by that time every thing therein will be sufficiently progressed and developed to supply the wants and invite the ambition and energies of the people of that period. But this discovery, or rather the occupation of this subterranean country, is very far off in point of time, and the human race of earth will then be quite different from what it is now. They will have so changed by the lapse of time and the law of progress as to beenabled to pass into the new country by way of the north pole with ease and safety. The north pole is the true opening, and can not be reached until the fullness of time, as I have indicated. As the area of territory of Mar’s surface was about being densely covered by population, and apprehensions were being entertained for the future of the race, lo and behold, the new interior country was discovered and subsequently peopled. By the time it is crowded no more will be needed, for the planet by that time will have passed into its spiritual orbit and into the ocean of spiritual ether, where suffering can never come from lack of room. This will be the future history of your planet, and you will pass through the same experiences and reach the same ultimate. Behold how infinitely wise all things are forearranged. Just as we need by our development new limits, new appliances and new things, they are ready for our use, and are never disclosed until we are ready for and need them.
“April 24. At this time those living on the planet Mars do not die or pass through the change called death as you do here. They have no diseases that cause the untimely taking off of the inhabitants. Disease has long since been banished. All of the procreating elements of disease residing in the materiality of the globe or the surrounding atmosphere have been by progressive development eliminated. And even before this had fully occurred the people had learned the laws of health and the process of neutralizing and rendering harmless the lurking germs that remained. You may perceive from this what a happy people they are. There are no untimely deaths on Mars. Children grow up to manhood andwomanhood; yet there is no fixed standard of time when all die, that is, no definite and invariable period of longevity. And right here comes in a great law, now operative on Mars, that the people of earth know nothing about, for it has never been communicated before, namely, children can not die there. It was never designed that they should die here. Marriage being brought about, as before stated, by the grand law of magnetic attraction or spiritual affinity, and all diseases being banished and their producing causes annihilated, nothing but absolutely sound and perfect physical and mental organizations are imparted to offspring by their progenitors. You see at once the idea, for I must be brief—the children being perfect in health of body and mind by procreation, and there being no diseases to affect them after birth, death can not touch them, in fact can touch none before the time arrives, varying in point of longevity for the separation of spirit and body. None die before the full maturity of stature, and some live to be a very advanced age. After reaching complete development or stature, they pass out of and away from the material in point of time, according to the antecedent conditions of their varied being. Some arrive after maturity to the estate of progressive experience in the form sooner than others, and when this period arrives, whether it be at thirty, forty, fifty or a hundred years, they pass on to their ultimate and higher state of being in the spiritual spheres. It is known when each shall pass out of the form long before the event transpires, and all due preparation is accordingly made therefor. Your scientists have discovered, and rightly, too, that about every seven years the atoms andparticles composing your physical organizations change and give way to new ones. But this is gradual and imperceptible. On Mars, at this period of development, the changes are much more frequent, and these successive changes determine the approach of dissolution, and instead of death in an hour or a day, it goes on perceptibly and without pain or suffering for years. Every change lessens the material composites of the body, and at each a nearer approach to the spiritual takes place, until finally the physical, by the gradual process of embodied sublimation or attenuation, passes away, and the spiritual becomes supreme. This culmination is equivalent to what you call death, except that there is no attending pain, no death struggle, and no physical body afterwards to take care of and lay away. The body, by successive changes, has seemingly vanished into nothingness and been absorbed in the atmosphere.
“April 27. We have been expecting you to inquire of us how the people live on the planet Mars, what kind of architecture in the construction of their business houses, habitations, etc.; what kind of food they eat, and with what raiment are they clothed, etc.
“You will have observed from what we have heretofore made known to you that the services of four classes of professional worthies have been dispensed with, simply because the people have progressed beyond their utility, namely, lawyers, doctors, preachers and politicians. Lawyers can only thrive and exist professionally in a land where conscience is not permitted to exercise its native simplicity and positive purity, and where the lower passions and propensities are largely dominant. When conscience,active, pure and simple, is allowed to manifest its functions in perfect unrestraint, and to act as the governing power in the regulation of human conduct, the presence and office of the barrister are no longer of use. Lawyers flourish as a general proposition on strife and contention, bad faith and unfair dealing; and when these shall happily end, like poor cashiered Cassio, their occupation will be gone. The doctors grow opulent by medication, because of the ignorance of the people with reference to the true laws of marriage, proper antenatal conditions, neglect of proper hygiene, and ignorance as to overcoming or rendering harmless the deleterious conditions, both atmospheric and from the undeveloped state of inherent nature. But when, by progressing beyond their harmful influences, or by enlightenment and healing gifts, the people shall obtain a complete mastery over them, disease shall be banished, then the avocation of the physician ends, and he will have to seek a livelihood in other pursuits.
“The preacher lives in comfortable indolence because of the ignorance and superstition of the people. His office is one of hypocrisy and fraud. Hypocrisy, because if he is not a fool, he knows his teachings are not true, and of fraud, because by dissembling he extorts from his parishoners a dishonorable subsistence. When the people grow sufficiently wise they will be taught by the denizens of the spirit world truth and righteousness. Then the mission or office of the sacerdotal gentlemen will be closed, and they can seek employment in the many more honorable occupations. The politician, cunning and subtle, swims along smoothly upon the rolling current of the credulity ofthe people and his own duplicity. He prospers because you have not as yet grown into full political manhood, and he succeeds in hoodwinking you with the belief that his heart is overflowing with patriotism and anxious solicitude for the public weal. But I must leave this class—the politicians—to the tender mercies of several gentlemen who are waiting the opportunity to contribute their part to your enterprise.
“April 28. The coarse food necessary for you in order to keep up the crude materiality of which your physical make-up is composed, is not needed by the denizens of Mars. In the composition of your physical bodies is a representative of all the material elements in nature—iron, calcium, wood, earth, etc.—and it is easily demonstrated by microscopic inspection and chemical analysis, that in every drop of blood in the human system all these varied and numerous elements are represented. Hence man may be safely considered a microcosm, or nature in her vast domain, reflected in miniature. But you still exist in the realm of the crude, and yet you are vastly more refined than in the ages past, and forward, onward, and upward is the line of march marked out for you by the infinitely wise director of all things. On the planet Mars no animal food is used, because among other reasons the physical properties of the body do not require the elements of animal flesh to replace nature’s wastes. Thousands of former species of animals have become extinct, swallowed up in theever surgingmaelstrom of progression or absorbed in the higher forms. Vegetation in the planet Mars is quite different, both in expression or appearance, and constituent compositionfrom the vegetation of your planet. Here the aroma residing in the vegetable and escaping therefrom, is largely absorbed and neutralized by the grossness of the vegetable itself, while on Mars the grossness has become so diminished that to the senses the aroma has almost become tangibly objective, and this aroma is food strengthening and invigorating, is nearly sufficient of itself to support existence in the form without the assistanceof the moresubstantial fibers of the parent vegetable. Yet in a certain prepared form the substantial material is used. The time is not very far distant, as I am assured, when the people there will subsist on aromatic emanations from material productions, aided by magnetic, electric, and other atmospheric properties used simply by inhalation. In the water you use are to be found teeming millions of living and moving animalcules. They are enabled to live on the elements of the water in its present gross state, but on the planet Mars the water has been dispossessed of its life germinating and life sustaining properties to aquatic productions, and has thus progressed with all other things and beings. No life or form of life is now brought into being there, but such higher types as are fitted to pass with the planet into spiritual conditions; and the water being so purified by nature’s refining processes is as different from your ordinary water as clear, sparkling sprays projected from your fountains and dancing in the sunbeams are to the murky waters of your rivulets immediately after aviolentrain-storm. I will resume this subject in my next.