de l'ester—notwithstanding that, logically, neither time or space are realities, we, very illogically, have found ourselves somewhat impatient with your visitors, whose prolonged stay has delayed us a full hour. ah that is well. always secure yourself against sudden recall. we are ready, george. yes, to-day earth's outer atmosphere is very tranquil. you will find ento's even more so. george, we will pass directly to the galarēsa̤. gentola̤, an hour hence a friend will meet us there. no, you are not acquainted with the gentleman, but you have heard of him as a guide of your very dear friend, mrs. s——le, to whom he writes and for whom he makes slate drawings. she, for a sufficient reason, has not given you his name. should i do so i should violate his and her expressed wishes. on this occasion he will be known as doctor blank. yes, we have journeyed quickly. in seven minutes to a second. we will now proceed to the class room adjoining the one we visited three days ago.
genessano—gentola̤, you perceive that you and we pass through what mortals term solid substances without experiencing any resistance. i recall that after my release from my physical body i thought it one of my strangest experiences of my new state of existence, and for a time i could not realize that i could pass through a wall or other substance as easily as through an open door. newly
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freed spirits ever are greatly surprised upon finding themselves possessed of this ability. indeed, spirits of low planes of evolvement rarely realize that in order to enter a dwelling they need not await the opening of a door or window.
gentola—i have observed and thought of it, but always there is so much that is marvellous in this new experience that i have not found opportunity to speak of it. now i shall be pleased if some one will explain the matter.
de l'ester—all so termed solids are composed of extremely minute particles of substance. resolve the molecule into its most attenuated state and atoms result. all energy is atomic, hence substantial. expressions of energy known as attraction, cohesion, gravity and others, are embraced within what your learned ones term magnetism, and were it possible to comprehend what this term implies and involves, it might be possible to comprehend the infinite. atoms contain all qualities, and not only the atoms filling all space, but those composing so termed solids are each surrounded by an aura all its own. in planetary language this aura is known as rē, which signifies spiritualized substance. it is a quality of all things everywhere, and is so sublimated as to be incomparable to aught else. yes, your learned ones admit the separateness of the molecule and the atom, but they fail to recognize the spiritual quality of either. the spirit body is, so to say, organized from the atomic aura of the physical body, its density depending upon the quality of the aura. the spirit body of one on the very lowest sensual plane necessarily is dense and gross; hence, spirits possessing such bodies find it difficult, perhaps impossible, to pass through walls or closed doors. were your mortal existence on a low plane we could not use you for our present purpose; were it on a still more advanced plane both you and we
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would not occasionally be at cross purposes. it is not a flattering statement, but it is a fact, and you will not misunderstand me.
gentola—not in the least. i am very sensible of my imperfections, and am full of regret that my entire life has not been devoted to highest aims and pursuits. i am only a little reconciled to my own shortcomings through believing that i shall have endless time in which to amend them.
de l'ester—so you will, and though we may not hasten the passing years, we all may improve each moment of that which possesses neither beginning or ending. oh, yes, many persons are given to flippant mention of eternity and perfection. only the infinite can comprehend the one or possess the other, but through constant striving all may attain to loftiest heights of spiritual unfoldment. yes, through constant striving for higher unfoldment, both physically embodied and freed spirits grow wiser, purer and stronger. spirit bodies being organized from atomic aura, it follows that if the aura be sufficiently pure, even as wind may pass through the meshes of a gossamer web, so may the sublimated atoms of spirit bodies penetrate any aggregation of grosser atoms.
gentola—at what period of a child's physical existence is its spirit body fully formed?
de l'ester—from the moment of conception the formation of the spirit body begins, but not until the midway period of gestation does the spirit body assume a distinctive outline. from this period onward the law of being compels the atoms composing the spirit body to arrange themselves in accordance with the divine plan of organization. at seven months' gestation the spirit body of a child is fully formed.
yes, the qualities of both the physical and spirit bodies
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of children largely depend upon parental conditions. so, also, if conditions are of a high order, children begin their mortal life journey well prepared for inevitable exigencies. if, unfortunately, conditions are of a low order, they must encounter mortal experiences handicapped from the moment of conception. yes, this law would seem to work an injustice to myriads of humans born under untoward conditions, but, to quote professor doiko, "andûmana̤, creator and preserver, makes no mistakes." when humanity evolves sufficiently to realize the vital importance of conditions and the certain transmission of hereditary traits, children become well born and in time the peoples of all planets do evolve to an understanding and observance of this, the most important law of the ever ascending planes of evolution.
what becomes of children prematurely born? as the doctor has not yet arrived i may briefly reply that the souls of infants prematurely expelled from the matrix, are by appointed spirits borne to a realm in which are conditions specially adapted to their requirements and development, where, at the full period of gestation, they, in a sense are born into conscious existence. thenceforward until maturity, guardian spirits continuously conduct them to the physical plane, where they are placed en rapport with their parents or with such conditions as are required for their growth and development, bodily, mentally, and to a degree spiritually. should the parents, especially the mother, have passed to the spirit side, the child will be brought into contact with the family life of persons as nearly related as possible to its parents. generally such children are attended by the spirit mother or one with a strong mother nature. it is a law that children born prematurely or who otherwise have passed to the spirit side, must become acquainted with mortal experiences; thus the unseen mem
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bers of many families outnumber the recognized sons and daughters.
on the spirit side are countless numbers of women who, in their last re-embodiment, did not fulfill the law of their being; gladly they become guardians of children requiring a mother's care and love. especially do such spirits charge themselves with the care of waifs prematurely expelled from the matrix by ignorant, thoughtless or heartless mothers, who, on passing to the spirit side, are confronted by the unlooked for evidence of their ignorant or criminal folly. yes, children prematurely born as the result of accident or of other unavoidable conditions, are subject to the same laws that govern children purposely thrust into the spirit world. you are aware that your sister emma was prematurely born, consequently, her form is rather diminutive and of a substance so refined as to remind one of that of a pure white lily.
yes, truly, it was emma who came to mynheer weiss and you at mrs. drake's seance. we were not surprised that mrs. drake thought her a girl of about twelve years. yes, it was she who knelt at the knees of mrs. s——r, and who afterward partially materialized her form. we assisted her to our utmost, but much to her disappointment and our own, she did not quite succeed. she is very devoted to your son, who jocularly terms her the infant phenomenon. in form, features and traits she resembles your and her gentle, gracious, loving mother.
yes, so far as we have learned, the law of generation on other planets is the same as that of ento and earth. indeed the male and female principles appear to be so universal that all advanced spirits firmly believe in even the duality of the infinite spirit. yes, it requires very robust faith to enable any one to realize the possibility of a mother bearing a child whose father is too etherealized to
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wear a physical body. my imagination is unequal to such a concept.
ah, here is our friend the doctor. you are most welcome. as you all have exchanged greetings, i now shall have the pleasure of presenting you to our medium, gentola̤.
dr. blank—madame, it pleases me to meet and greet you. at the request of our mutual friend, mrs. s——le, i have obtained permission to join for an hour these mutual friends and you who are engaged in a mission of loving endeavor which i pray may bear fullest fruition. if i also may receive your gracious permission to, for an hour, join your band i shall feel more at ease.
gentola—truly, i am more than pleased to have you with us, if but for an hour.
dr. blank—you will not i trust esteem me churlish because i, for a well considered reason, desire that i may be known to you and to those who may peruse these pages, as dr. blank? you will not? i thank you. as i am something of a chemist, de l'ester desires me to reply to such questions as may arise relating to the lesson engaging this class of students. so, madame, i am at your service.
gentola—i perceive that the students are being taught as to the properties and effects of poisons. as i am wholly unlearned in the science of chemistry, i am not prepared to ask questions concerning the lesson, but, if you may not consider the question absurd, i should like to ask if poisons have any effect upon the spirit, either in or apart from the physical body.
dr. blank—here, madame, are a collection of mineral poisons, here a collection of vegetable poisons, and here again an assortment of animal poisons. some are in the form of powders, others in the form of liquids. all are
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labelled poison, yet strictly speaking there are no poisons. the law of affinity, which is one expression of magnetism, rules the domains of attraction and of repulsion. that like attracts like is an axiom, and the inspired hahnemann caught a ray of truth when he perceived that similia similibus curanter. i must not allow myself to offer a dissertation on this point, but i may say that chemical affinities are qualities inherent in all substances and in all organisms. equilibrium of chemical affinities means health; the reverse means disease. remember that in all atoms are all possible qualities, and that any one aggregation of atoms contains exactly the same proportion of these qualities as are in any other equal aggregation of atoms. it may come about that in a physical organism, through the energies of attraction and affinity, an undue amount of a certain quality may become preponderant; a condition of repulsion ensues, and if extremely violent it may occasion dissolution of such organism. by certain of your learned ones, so termed poisonous effects are fairly well understood, the involved principles less so.
the foregoing remarks are preliminary to a more direct reply to your question, the importance of which cannot be overestimated.
you are aware that spirits possess tangible bodies. tangibility implies substantiality, and substance is a more or less close impact of finer or coarser atoms. the seminal substances and all ovaria are aggregations of atoms, to a degree impressed by the personality of such creatures as may possess them. we will imagine a father addicted to drunkenness, or continually under the influence of narcotics. in such case the seminal substance being impressed or impregnated by alcoholic or narcotic atoms, the germ of a new being must, from the moment of conception, possess a bias toward alcoholism or narcotism. the mother
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may be of a superior type of woman, but, through association with the father of her unborn child, her mental emotions, which are substantial, are reflected or impressed upon its organism, and if she is not strong enough spiritually to equalize the influences of her environment, she almost certainly will give birth to a being accursed, poisoned, if you will, through the vicious habit of its father.
during the period of gestation such unfortunates form not only the atomic physical body, but also the atomic spiritualized soul body, and every atom of the new being has, through attraction and affinity become, so to say, imbued with a tendency toward an indulgence in so termed alcoholic or other poison. we have glanced at the effect upon the physical plane and when, sooner or later, the victim must pass to the spirit side, then, alas, the laws of attraction and of affinity impel the impregnated atoms of the spiritualized soul body to gravitate to their own kind. truly, the child of a drunken father or of an opium-eating mother is as surely poisoned as is one who swallows prussic acid, and the father or mother who indulges in alcoholics or in narcotics commits a damnable offense against their children, against humanity and against themselves, for inevitably they and their offspring enter the spirit world clothed with bodies so atomically poisoned, so out of equilibrium that they are tortured through a constant, insatiable desire for a gratification of their abnormal propensities. a desire which personally they cannot gratify and which to a degree they must outgrow before they can advance one step onward and upward. this overpowering desire for the gratification of abnormal propensities leads many spirits to strive to influence unwary ones to indulge in intoxicants, in narcotics and to commit various offences against decency and against the interests of society, and i regret to say that very frequently they succeed not only
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to their own, but to the detriment of their victims. yes, certainly, in time all spirits outgrow the evil tendencies of their physical existence, but if mortals could realize that during this process, a century aye, in many instances centuries, may elapse ere the progressed spirit can endure the white light of higher realms, surely they would strive to avoid so calamitous an experience.
but i must hasten. as i have intimated, when some one quality or qualities preponderates over some other quality or qualities of an organism, non equilibrium ensues, and thus persons become ill, poisoned, so to say, through partaking of certain foods or liquids. one may become ill, poisoned, through inhaling the perfume of a flower which to another may afford exquisite enjoyment. another may become ill, poisoned through the aura of an animal whom another will unharmed fondly caress. thus, the fact is apparent that poisons, per se, do not exist, but that under certain conditions all qualities are inimical to physical existence.
gentola—as you are aware, doctor, many persons with impunity consume alcoholics and narcotics sufficient in quantity to kill one unaccustomed to their use. how do you account for it?
dr. blank—persons addicted to the constant use of these so-called poisons, gradually become abnormal. the atoms composing their organisms have, so to say, become saturated to a degree that will not admit of the further entertainment of the qualities offered. just as a fully-saturated sponge, though plunged into an ocean, would reject another drop of water.
we have drifted somewhat apart from our starting point, and i regret to perceive that the lesson has disturbed your serenity, but i feel assured that you desire that humanity may come to realize that in all things cause and effect
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go hand in hand. that both in and apart from the physical body, all are their own jury and judge. that mortal life is the preparatory school in which all learn their lessons well or ill, and that on the spirit, as on the physical side, the school of experience knows no vacation.
from what i have said you will understand that the effects of some so termed poisons are far reaching. i may add that every emotion of the mind, food, drink, the dyes in textile fabrics, especially for clothing, in fact the atoms composing all substances, more or less affect the physical, consequently the spiritualized soul body. in some persons a certain color or colors produces either exhilaration or depression. they may not be conscious of the cause, though very conscious of the effect. your strong dislike for wholly black garments is an indication that you should not wear them. sensitives never should wear colors darker than the red corpuscles of their blood. azure blue, yellow, rose red, very light shades of purple and a certain light shade of green are the colors suited to your temperament. always, advantageously, you may wear white.
i simply have touched upon some points which, with your and your friends' permission, i may at another time elaborate. in chemistry i am well enough versed to perceive that this is a splendidly equipped laboratory and i learn from his remarks that the stately professor is a competent instructor.
during my mortal existence i regarded myself, and was considered, an authority in the science of chemistry, but i have learned that, compared with ento chemists, i was a mere tyro. they, through a larger knowledge of the wondrous science, have made of the elements tractable servants whose energies are tireless; whose adaptability is limitless.
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madame, the allotted hour has quickly flown. my promise to our mutual friend is fulfilled and with measureless hopes and fervent wishes for the success of your most worthy efforts on behalf of the mission, i must bid you and these friends adieu.
gentola—adieu, and believe that i greatly appreciate the thoughtful kindness of our mutual friend, at whose request you have afforded me another strange and useful lesson.
de l'ester—gentola̤, at present we will look no further through the galarēsa̤, but will turn our attention to the zoölogical department of this very comprehensive institution. this great corridor, lined with admirable statuary, gleaming whitely through a luxuriance of palmlike growths and blooming plants, conducts us to this broad flight of steps leading downward to the rinvoh (aquarium) of which this spacious and imposing landing affords a fine view. you will attempt a description of some of its features.
gentola—extending eastward and a little northward i see a small lake divided into two sections by—and also surrounded by—a massive stone wall the top of which serves as a promenade on which many persons are passing to and fro. what appears to be heavy metal netting divides the lake into numerous compartments and there are lightly constructed bridges from which attendants are casting food to creatures in the water. a portion of the lake is roofed over by a substantial wire netting, and in many of the compartments are luxurious growths of aquatic plants. the lake extends a little further north than the northern wall of the galarēsa̤, and bordering its northern extremity and around on its western side i see a grove of great trees and shrubbery, amid which are large and smaller structures and also numbers of men, women and children, who are
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passing from one building to another. in front and toward our right, basking in the vertical rays of the sun, is a huge creature of familiar, if not pleasing, appearance. do you know its ento name?
de l'ester—were the repulsive creature a denizen of earth we might with propriety call it an alligator. its ento name is inadillo, which i shall translate as scaly armored. it differs from the alligator of our planet in having larger and very protuberant eyes, a shorter and more bulky head, a larger body and webbed legs. it is quite as much at home on land as in the water, but is a very sluggish creature and of a species nearly extinct. the lakes, for there are two, are wholly artificial. one is supplied by fresh artesian water, the other with salt water from nearby indoloisa̤, and in their many compartments are specimens of ento's various amphibious creatures and fishes. now look into the adjoining wire-covered tank. ah! you shrink back from the hideous creature moving its sinuous length through the limpid water. yes, it is a veritable sea serpent, and it has been in this rinvoh for about fifty years of our time. when captured in tsoivan cryfimo, it was about one-third its present length which is quite eighty feet. extending backward from its neck are large webbed appendages with which it swiftly propels itself through the water. when angered or excited those folds at the back of its broad, flat head are erected and projected forward over its vicious looking eyes, which glow and scintillate in a most alarming manner. george is endeavoring to arouse his snakeship and, evidently, is succeeding. see how he arches his long, slender neck, turning his ugly hooded head this way and that in quest of his disturber. naturally, he does not find his enemy, and now with hisses of fear or defiance he rushes away, lashing the water into a line of white foam. now he has
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reached the further limit of the lake and is quieting down. george, we echo your requiescat in pace, for gandûlana̤ rushing like a comet through the water is not a pleasing object.
from reliable authority we know that this serpent is the last of his species. in ento's inland seas there are creatures of allied species, but in comparison with yonder great serpent, now gently rocking himself on the bosom of the tranquil lake, they are quite insignificant. if gandûlana̤ has not quite fascinated you, you will please turn your attention toward this ungainly object which appears to be intent upon baking itself in the hot sunbeams.
george—i say, gentola̤, if we could drop this fellow through space and he should arrive—say, in st. louis—what do you suppose he would be taken for?
gentola—soup, i suspect.
george—ah, thanks. and what, may i ask, do you imagine the soupmakers would name him?
gentola—without doubt they would think him a turtle.
de l'ester—certainly they would, for he differs very slightly from the large sea tortoises of our planet. you understand, gentola̤, that we are not showing you these creatures for the mere purpose of gratifying a curious interest, but that you may through personal observation, note the striking resemblance of many of ento's to many of earth's life forms, and i pray you to observe closely, so that in coming time you may remember the object lessons we are presenting to your notice. i wish to reiterate that advanced spirits of planets of our, and of other solar systems, unite in declaring that everywhere life expressions are alike or very similar. that dissimilarities through environments pertain more to bulk and density than to form.
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as we move along you perceive that these compartments are occupied by a great variety of fishes. some of huge proportions and voracious enough to devour their attendants; others as dainty as ever tickled palate of an epicure, and others still too minute and pretty to serve a nicer purpose than to flash their scales of gold or of silver within the crystal walls of an aquarium.
in the bass or treble notes of the croakers who hide amid the shade and coolness of those aquatic plants and grasses, is an indication that frogs of various species are quite at home with the eel-like creatures gliding through the water.
with both pleasure and profit we might devote more time to this department, but only a glance here and there is possible, otherwise our observations would fill a tome. we now will pass to the acclinum (the zoölogical section), where genessano and another ento spirit friend will join us.
here at the entrance is an individual who regards us with both curiosity and disfavor. did not the strong bars of his cage interfere he might attempt to resent our gazing at him. that he more or less clearly perceives us is quite apparent, and it is quite as apparent that he does not admire us. he, like many animals, possesses the ability to see what is hidden from the majority of humans. no, neither clairvoyance or clairaudience are in any sense spiritual gifts. they, so to say, are qualities of the personalities of all highly organized creatures, as the human, the anthropoid, the horse, dog and some other animals. these qualities constitute an inner perceptivity of the animal soul, by some of your thinkers designated as conscious mind or objective self. they are independent of physical visuality and are controlled through vibratory activity. you question as to how it is possible for the law
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of vibration to affect the senses. i answer that truly, "nature knows no vacuum," that the atom is everywhere and mind is as much substance as is the body of this forbidding looking creature in whom we see a representative of a species of anthropoid named bomûz himmû, which in your language would signify manlike tree climber. grasping with his great hands the strong bars of his cage, he gazes at us as though fascinated, affording us a rather disturbing spectacle. his height, his anatomical structure, his intelligent expression and pose, is painfully suggestive of a low type of the human, to whom in no sense is he allied. george, he does not regard your friendly advances with favor, he shrinks away from you, but his deeply set gleaming eyes, drawn lips, and gnashing teeth, indicate a disposition to defend his rights. if you feel poetically inclined in this adjoining compartment, is a subject for lachrymose verse. bomûz's mate evidently is in a very despondent condition; her long, coarse hair falls over her low, retreating forehead; her face is buried in her great hands, and she is a picture of utter dejection. pining perhaps for her home and friends in some tropical jungle, or for orphaned children, bereft of a mother's tender care, or who knows but that she bemoans a forsaken lover, or——
george—since you have grown so sentimental i shall not be surprised to soon find my occupation gone. all i ask is that you shall wear your laurels as modestly as ever i have worn mine.
de l'ester—with your illustrious example ever present i shall endeavor to emulate your exalted virtues. in the meantime, madame bomûza, aroused from her melancholy mood, appears to take a lively interest in monsieur bomûz who utters peculiar sounds, pounds his hands against the bars and probably is informing her of the proximity of strange, sinister looking beings. that she now perceives
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us is evinced by her alarmed manner, whimpering cries and poundings on the bars of her cage which have attracted the attention of a keeper who hastens in this direction. yonder, too, are our friends hastening to join us. lohaû, lohaû ēmanos, you are as welcome as you are prompt in keeping your appointment. ha̤-moûfih, the favor of your presence with us is esteemed at its full value.
genessano—gentola̤ ēmana̤, one is with us who has not been so long in our spirit world as have inidora̤ and i, consequently he possesses personal knowledge of events transpiring on ento during recent times. like my brother and myself, he does not at all understand your language, and as a means of communication with you he must avail himself of de l'ester's kind assistance. it is my privilege and pleasure to make known to you, ha̤-moûfih ada̤ssi, whom we all hold in our hearts as a dearly beloved and valued friend.
gentola—i regret that i cannot converse with you directly, but through this kind interpreter we shall become acquainted and i shall hope to find myself no less in your favor than are these our mutual friends.
ha-moufih—gracious lady, i salute you and owe you thanks that you receive me so courteously. i too regret that we cannot more readily exchange converse, but doubtless a degree of patient persistence will suffice to make us mutually understood.
in accordance with a prearranged plan i shall undertake a relation of some events which may serve to illustrate certain points. to do so will oblige me to be more prominently personal than i could wish, but you and our friends will excuse my using such means as may seem best fitted for the accomplishment of a desired end. at the time of my birth my father, ha̤-moûfih ada̤ssi, was governor of the province of ondû. i being the first born of my parents
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was given the name of my father. you may not have been informed that on ento nearly always the first born son takes the name of the father as the first born daughter takes the name of the mother. i am aware that with much of ento's history of the past four centuries you are acquainted, so for the most part i shall confine myself to a relation of events occurring within the years of my mortal existence, and of those following my departure into ento's spirit world, where quickly i learned the law of return into mortal conditions, and thus through observation and association with recently freed spirits i have kept myself informed as to many things relating to ento's peoples and affairs to which i may find it expedient to refer. during my youth i attended several institutions of learning, but the greater part of my education i received in this galarēsa̤ of camarissa̤, and when my parents considered me sufficiently advanced in age and in my studies, i, with other youths under the care of a guardian, were permitted to travel through foreign countries, observing the peoples, their customs and attainments with such other features as might afford us a general knowledge of ento.
an exhaustive investigation of natural history possessing for me an absorbing interest, on my return home i besought and obtained permission of my parents to, in my own way, pursue the engrossing study which during the remainder of my mortal existence largely occupied my time and attention.
at this moment it occurs to me that to avoid confusion of mind it may be well for me to use your standard of time. also to state that i date my birth at a time corresponding to about the middle of your seventeenth century, hence am an entoan of a comparatively modern time. ere i began my journeyings a quarter of a century of my youth had
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elapsed, and the close of another twenty-five years found me still a wanderer over the lands of ento. during all these years my restless mind and untiring investigations led me to an exploration not only of easily accessible climes, but also of the planet's frozen extremities. doubtless you have become informed that air transports traverse the entire planet, and that wherever necessary or desirable, stations for the convenience of travel and commerce long have been established. thus favored i pursued my travels until, save for one extensive equatorial region far westward of indoloisa̤, of which presently i shall speak, i had traversed the entire surface of ento.
my absences from camarissa̤ were of longer or shorter duration, but the love of my pursuit so grew upon me that only affection for my aging parents drew me to the arms ever ready to welcome me. early in my fifty-second year my mother passed to our spirit world. my father, grief stricken and aged beyond a century, quickly followed her, as, i then believed, into endless silence, but as i how know, into realms inconceivably glorious. thus i became hereditary governor of ondû.
much against the wishes of my parents i had not married, my pursuit affording me little time or inclination for the society of women. then, too, early in my youth i had observed that the most poignant sorrows had their roots in human affection; that those who loved least, sorrowed least. with pitying eyes and a pained heart i had often had occasion to sympathize with those whose light of life went out, when death tore from their clinging arms their dearest ones, and i fully realized that should i allow myself the ecstasy of loving an adorable woman i should only be courting for her or for myself eventual despair. so i did not marry.
on becoming governor of ondû i learned that the duties
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of my office and other affairs left me insufficient leisure to care for the valuable collections of many years, and i resolved to add them to the already priceless treasures of the syffondû (museum) of the acclinum (zoölogical department) and the rinvoh (aquarium). during my wanderings i had from time to time become possessed of strange creatures, some living, some dead. the water serpent, which i learn you already have seen, was captured in tsoivan cryfimo, which is one of a series of salt lakes, or, as de l'ester terms them, inland salt seas, nearly on the opposite side of ento. at the time of his capture gandûlana̤ was about one-third his present size and i had been governor of ondû for quite forty years. three years later i passed to our spirit world, and my paternal uncle, unda̤ gamonda̤, became my successor, but only for a period of twelve years, when he followed me, and his son, unda̤ gamonda̤, became and at this time is governor of the province of ondû. thus you may perceive that gandûlana̤ is not in his early youth. how long he may yet survive as the last of his species no one can say.
unda̤ gamonda̤ is a learned and most admirable man, under whose administration this province is most prosperous. under his fostering care manufactures, arts, sciences and industries are afforded every possible opportunity for favorable progress, and those engaged in the cultivation of the wonderfully productive irrigated lands which occupy the entire province of ondû ever find him more than willing to further their interests. he is an artist, too, of excellent ability, and on yonder ornate pedestal symbolizing commerce and agriculture is a statue, the work of his dexterous mind and hands, which is admirable enough to command attention and high praise. in the poise of the noble head, in the expression of the intellectual and extremely handsome face and in the majes
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tic pose of the stately form, true genius has found fine expression. unda̤ gamonda̤, artist and kinsman in saluting this symbolic marble i salute thee, and in the world of spirits one day i shall meet thee face to face.
you are aware that the entoans have no knowledge or even hope of a continuity of life, so you may believe that when in our spirit world i became conscious of the stupendous, the glorious, fact that i still existed, and that my dearly beloved ones who had preceded me were embracing and greeting me, i was overwhelmed with amazement and a joy so profound that for a time i found no utterance. oh, the wondrous delight of finding myself young and strong, with all my faculties enlarged, and yet the greater delight of realizing the presence of those over whose ashes i had shed many bitter tears. i was as one intoxicated. i rushed hither and thither, eager to behold the strange, beautiful world of spirits. i took no thought of the past or of ento. i lived, i lived, and the unlooked for joy of it for a time rendered me oblivious of the memories of mortal existence, but ere long they revived, enkindling a desire to visit scenes which were still dear to me. under instruction of friends soon i learned to accomplish my desire, and since then it has been my duty as well as my pleasure to frequently revisit ento. thus i have kept in touch with such events and conditions as concern its peoples.
i shall now speak of a past which also in a measure will involve mention of more recent times.
about ten years prior to my demise a party of adventurous hunters journeyed to a far northern region known as tsomana̤. it lies well within the arctic circle, where in certain localities, are great mining interests and a dense population. well equipped for their purpose these hunters journeyed by air transport to one of the mining centres,
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thence by other means they sought the habitat of a species of animals of a very fierce and courageous nature. de l'ester and others have informed me that on your planet there is no weapon even remotely resembling our yarû-testo, which is an electric instrument of deadly power. with it some of the animals were slain and several of their young captured and brought to this acclinum, where, in apartments sufficiently cooled, they grew to maturity, and since then largely the acclinums of other countries have been supplied from their increase. perhaps you may not have been told that through various natural causes animal life on ento is not very abundant, more especially domestic animal life. the animals of whom i have spoken are known as gowhya̤, and if it may please you to enter their abode you now may do so.
gentola—am i dreaming, or have i suddenly dropped into an earth cavern? surely those are bears or animals very like them. now that i look more closely the resemblance is not quite so striking. describe them? i will try. they are larger than any bears i have seen. their limbs are long and so are their bodies, which are not very bulky. their heads are large in proportion to their bodies, and their necks are longer and more slender than are the necks of our polar or other bears. their long, drooping ears and deeply set eyes give them a peculiarly sinister expression, and with their enormous, savage looking jaws and huge feet, armed with long, sharp claws, they look as though they in an instant might tear one to bits.
george—gentola̤, come here. see these cubs, they are not at all repulsive in appearance.
gentola—oh, the queer looking little creatures. how soft and pretty their brown hair is. it seems a pity that they must grow to be such big, savage, shaggy haired, ugly animals as are their parents.
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de l'ester—in appearance and characteristics these animals are enough like our polar bears to claim close kinship with them. they are hibernating animals, as are some others of ento, but their present environments are not conducive to that habit, and it is growing less and less marked. if your curiosity is satisfied we will look elsewhere. our dear friend ha̤-moûfih's visit with us will be so brief that we must take advantage of its every moment.
ha-moufih—friends, i regret that i can remain with you for only a limited time. i, gentola̤, am in our spirit world a teacher of natural history, but for a purpose have been assigned for this duty which affords me much pleasure. on my return to my pupils we will visit and investigate a planet on which de l'ester was once re-embodied. where is it? in the constellation known to you as the great dipper. the planet is in the angle between the handle and the cup. no, neither these friends nor i are sufficiently progressed to journey beyond certain limits. yes, it is a great pleasure to visit other planets with my pupils who like myself ever are eager to observe, to compare or to demonstrate and then to return to our own place to dear friends, and to further study. because of my limited stay with this band you have been turned aside from observation of the comina̤ daa̤ (class rooms), but later that will be resumed.
you have seen bomûz himmû, one of the largest of the a-mûistaa̤ (anthropoids). now you will see one of the most remarkable members of the a-mûista̤ family of this or of any planet we have visited. we desire that you shall describe it.
gentola—stretched along on a thick limb of a low, wide spreading tree is a creature so very human in appearance as to be unpleasant to look at, at least it is to me. it is as tall almost as am i, and that is five and a half feet. its
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body, hands and feet are extremely like those of a human; were its head equally so i should feel rather abashed to be standing here staring at the sleeping creature. its arms clasping the limb on which it lies, are quite shapely, its legs less so. now it opens its large, expressive eyes, raises its head and evidently is observing us. its head, in proportion to its body, is rather small, the forehead narrow, low and retreating. falling over its forehead and eyes is a white, silky fringe, which is in strong contrast with its very dark gray covering of short, coarse hair. to me its oddest feature is its long, white beard, falling over its breast. as george approaches it it grows alarmed and now it scrambles feet foremost to the ground, and on its hands and feet rushes away in long leaps. really, it is so like a human that it is revolting.
ha-moufih—kyn-nûyna̤o (tree dweller) is what the entoans name this species of anthropoid. structurally this tailless animal is very like the earlier human forms of young planets. its most marked unlikeness to them is in its head and face. there, ages ago, as is evinced in fossil remains, development came to a conclusion.
at no great distance from indoloisa̤'s western shore its waters encompass an island of considerable area, which is clothed with gigantic trees and luxuriant vegetation. this island is inhabited by a peculiar people who for many centuries have led most peaceful, uneventful, secluded lives. for the most part their priests are their teachers, not only of religion, but of such educational branches as are not sufficiently advanced to come within courses of instruction of educational institutions. the island is very salubrious and so prolific of grains, fruits and fine woods, that air and water transportation are in constant demand for carrying to other parts these and other products. in the interior of the island the kyn-nûyna̤o find their habitations in the
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gigantic bûda̤s tree tops, where their young are born and reared with watchful care, their human neighbors regarding them with a sort of veneration. never wilfully are their homes disturbed, and only by order of the supreme authorities is any one permitted to capture and remove one or more of the creatures. then it is done under protest of the islanders, who consider them their especial possession. they do not breed in or long survive captivity, yet when placed anywhere away from the island they never attempt to escape.
darwin, your great naturalist and my friend, pronounces the kyn-nûyna̤o a marvel of structural formation, but like myself, he considers the line of demarcation between them and the human as being sharply and unmistakably defined.
in this acclinum are representatives of all the existing animals of ento, but for lack of time we can only glance at some of them as we pass along. those small animals racing across the sward and through the branches of the trees are of the a-mûista̤ family, and in some localities they so multiply as to become pests. they are very cunning creatures who are given to forming themselves into multitudinous bands, and with a unanimity denoting an understanding of the situation, they swoop down on fields of grains and fruits, eating their fill and deftly carrying off all that their hands will hold. yonder are two of the little creatures engaged in conversation. one chatters and gesticulates, the other emits some faint, listless sounds. now the chatterer grows excited and angry, and the other shows its sharp, white teeth and breaks away a little, followed by the aggressor, who strikes out with one hand, now with the other, dodging return blows as it scrambles to the ground followed by the other, and now they are joined by a number of their friends and foes, who are all scratch
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ing, screaming, biting and altogether behaving in a most unruly manner.
gentola—certainly they are very amusing, droll looking little animals. their round, upright ears, small, round heads and impish faces give them the appearance of aged dwarfs. see how they wrap their long tails around the tree branches and swing to and fro like so many pendulums. yes, george, i should like one for a pet, and really it seems strange that i cannot carry anything back to earth. this body of mine appears to be as substantial as my physical body, and often i forget that i am millions of miles away from it.
george—after you shall have again become a fully freed spirit you soon will lose all sense of having possessed a physical body, from which, as you are aware, your spiritualized soul body differs only in being composed of more sublimated substance.
ha-moufih—pardon my interrupting you, but we must attend to more commonplace matters. here is an animal nearly allied to bomûz and bomûza. one of the peculiarities of this species is that always they build their homes near fresh water in which they delight to pass much of their time. they are known as the frilvodii (housekeepers) from the fact that their habitations in the loftiest trees are constructed on a special plan and are kept with much neatness. observe how this one picks up particles from the floor, thrusting them outward through the bars of his cage. he is a much handsomer animal than is bomûz and the expression of his eyes is remarkably amiable and intelligent. a keeper is entering the cage and frilvodii rushes at him and embraces him, rubs his face against the man's breast, emitting soft, plaintive murmurings suggestive of pleasure and affection. now he discovers something in the keeper's hand and playfully but
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earnestly wrestles for its possession, the keeper tantalizingly holding it out of his reach. frilvodii is a cunning fellow and while he pettishly goes into a corner of the cage and covers his face with his hands he peers between his long fingers at the amused keeper who shows him a luscious scarlet etza̤ (a sweet, pulpy fruit resembling an orange), coaxingly entreating him to come for it. finding his blandishments of no avail the keeper tosses to him the fruit which he deftly catches in his hands and proceeds to eat it with evident satisfaction and much daintiness.
during my early wanderings i captured a young male of this species and sent him to my parents, who made much of him and he grew to be a general favorite. his intelligence and affection were indeed remarkable and he was permitted to roam at will through our residence and grounds, playing with children, who taught him to carry things and to accompany them in their rambles and frolics. what most delighted the creature was to be arrayed in garments such as the children wore. on such occasions his pride and satisfaction knew no bounds. once, while decked out in some cast-off finery something angered him and in his fury he rolled over and over in a pool of water, and when he came to his senses he found himself very much bedraggled and the children laughing in derision at his forlorn appearance. seeming to realize his ludicrous plight, he tore off every shred of his garments and with an air of intense mortification, fled to his own domicile. for some time he refused to be adorned, but finally his vanity got the better of his ill humor and again he strutted about decked in gorgeous habiliments. poor dēho; a host of his friends sincerely mourned over his unlooked for, his untimely end. climbing to the topmost branches of a lofty tree for fruit he attempted to carry
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some down to the waiting children, lost his footing and falling to the ground was instantly killed.
gentola—it seems to me that i have seen an animal like this, but i do not recall when or where.
de l'ester—we have been expecting you to see the resemblance between this living creature and his metallic representative in the mansion we looked through during an early visit to ento.
gentola—ah, i now remember.
ha-moufih—we now will proceed to the rinvoh (aquarium) where, under a wire-covered space you will see some creatures which ever are the marvel of ento's naturalists and ornithologists. the habitat of the progenitors of these singular birds, perhaps i should say water fowl, now so serenely floating on the bosom of the little lake, is far westward of indoloisa̤, and is a considerable body of salt water which, until quite recently, was so out of the route of general travel as to be little known to modern entoans. yes, once the entire region between it and indoloisa̤ was densely populated, but during many centuries preceding my birth it, like other unirrigated equatorial regions, was too arid for occupation and few cared to traverse its wastes.
the wings of those great creatures have an expanse of from twelve to fourteen feet, which, with the broad, strong membrane connecting wings with thighs affords a tremendous lifting power, enabling them to rise with marvellous velocity to a great height. when in flight their long tail feathers spread like a huge fan, not only augmenting the rapidity of their flight but steadying it. observe their feline heads, which, like their short, thick necks, are covered with feathers so minute as to resemble hair. instead of bills they have protuberant mouths lined with a bony structure in which are embedded short, sharp
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teeth with which they can, as once i learned to my cost, inflict severe injury, though really they are of a gentle nature, as is evinced in their large, mild, fearless, inquiring eyes.
when fully grown, from tip of mouth to tip of tail, they are about eight feet long. their great plumed wings and tails and their heads so feline in form and appearance suggest the idea of composite creatures, partaking of the characteristics of both bird and animal, and when in flight they present an imposing but most uncanny appearance. only the males have mottled plumage; the females uniformly are of a dull brown color.
as i have stated, west of indoloisa̤ is an extensive region which, for many centuries, has been a desert waste, which has been shunned and left to the forces of the hot winds, ever blowing its loose sands in blinding, stifling clouds over its levelled surface. recently air transports passed over this forbidding waste, but at the time of which i shall speak, practically it was nearly an unknown land. prior to the death of my parents i, with some scientific friends, some students and attendants, were, for the purpose of ascertaining the feasibility of reclaiming some portions of the waste lands, exploring the desert, which, to our inquiring minds, offered many attractions. leisurely we had journeyed from southward to northward, but we were very weary, as were our milch and burthen bearing animals, who were panting from fatigue and the excessive heat. overhead the azure sky was like a great canopy in which the glowing sun with slanting beams gave promise of the longed for coolness of the approaching evening. suddenly, high overhead appeared a large, shadowy form, flying with exceeding swiftness. as it flew farther away our gaze followed it with eager curiosity, for in our indistinct view of it we recognized that it was a bird quite un
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known to us. when it had almost disappeared from our view it turned about and with incredible velocity came toward us, curiosity seemingly impelling it to a closer scrutiny of our party. when nearly overhead, in ever narrowing circles it dropped lower and lower until it was no more than two hundred feet or so above us. a strange bird, cried some. a winged animal, cried others. a monster, was the final verdict of all. as it gazed at us curiously and apparently without apprehension, we, agape, stood as though spellbound. with much astonishment we observed that apparently it had become motionless above us, and we distinctly heard a humming sound with rising and falling inflections which we supposed were vocal notes, but later we learned that the sounds were occasioned by the rapid vibrations of a peculiar wing attachment. for a short time the creature remained intently regarding us, then swiftly, in ever widening circles, it rose to a great height and again flew westward.
with the enthusiasm of one whose bent of mind mainly is in one direction i at once resolved to search for the habitat of our strange visitor. of the islands of indoloisa̤'s waters and of its boundaries southward and northward we possessed accurate knowledge. with its immediate western shore lands we also were acquainted, but of the desert extending far westward we knew comparatively little. after counselling together we decided to proceed northward until we should reach an irrigated region, where we would rest, supply ourselves with food and possibly with some information relating to our strange visitor. four days' travel brought us to the northern limit of the desert and to a pastoral people inhabiting the irrigated productive lands extending along its arid border. from them we learned that only very recently had any one beheld the great birds, whose lofty flight precluded more than an in
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distinct view of them. that it was thought that they made their home near loisa̤ rûmēsa̤ (rûmēsa̤, a goddess), which with burthen bearing animals we might reach in about six days. that loisa̤ rûmēsa̤ was a body of fresh water we knew and that its northern shore was waste and uninhabited we also knew, so, with some misgiving, but with determination to succeed in our quest we left our hospitable entertainers and travelled westward along the northern limit of the desert, gathering such information as might serve our purpose of a coming time. so impatient were we to reach loisa̤ rûmēsa̤ that we travelled early and late and the afternoon of the sixth day brought us to its northern shore, where its sparkling waters sharply indent the sandy waste.
it is a matter of regret to your friends, and i doubt not to yourself, that an attempt to impress upon your memory anything of a technical nature immediately arouses your cautiousness and renders you so positive as to be unreceptive. no, i shall not vex you by attempting to urge you to give the latitude and longitude of localities.
gentola—do not, please, for i so fear mistakes that i cannot risk making them. i do indeed regret that i possess such an inconvenient mental trait, for i have found it so much in my own way that i do not find fault with my spirit friends for objecting to it.
george—never mind, gentola̤, we are glad enough to take you as you are and thankful that you are no more objectionable.
ha-moufih—you understand george's badinage, and you also understand that i do not mean to chide you. on the contrary i am surprised and delighted with your docile and matter-of-fact manner of accommodating yourself to an experience that well might overwhelm you.
loisa̤ rûmēsa̤ is about one hundred and forty miles long
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and nearly one-third as wide. on the west its waters wash the base of a low, picturesque mountain range named diafa̤-avina̤ (many hued), which, from northward to southward extends the entire length of the lake, thence curving eastward it grades itself into inconsiderable hills, which at length are lost in an irrigated fertile plain. your friends contemplate showing you loisa̤ rûmēsa̤, but i shall not have the pleasure of accompanying you.
for seven days we remained on its northern shore where nearby was some herbage for our animals, and constantly we were on the lookout for the great birds. each succeeding day brought us only disappointment, yet did not lessen our ardor or determination to find them. then, slowly, for three days we journeyed along the eastern shore when again we encamped amid a broken, fertile space of considerable extent. here we found herbage and wild fruits in abundance, and such numbers and variety of birds that the air was vocal with their notes. water fowls, too, of various kinds made of the rocky locality a breeding ground and the contents of their nests afforded a welcome addition to our food supply.
during out first day in our new camp my eyes continually scanned the sky and the surface of the lake but the sun disappeared beyond the mountain, and the shadows of night, lighted by entola̤ and ementola̤ (ento's moons) brooded over the quiet water of loisa̤ rûmēsa̤. scarcely had twilight deepened into darkness when our ears were assailed by murmuring musical sounds interspersed with harsh grating cries and sharp hisses, and by the dim moon light we perceived huge, shadowy forms, slowly descending to the quiet surface of the lake where they remained silent and apparently motionless. the night waned, and earliest dawn illuminated a scene so weirdly strange that our hearts beat with unwonted celerity. high up in the quiet air,
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so high, indeed that they appeared like mere shadows, ten of the great birds with wide-spreading wings sailed in circles or were as motionless as the stars, which yet were shining dimly. so startling, so unusual was the spectacle that our attendants were quite alarmed; even our animals grew restless, crowding together in evident terror. as dawn brightened into day and the sun arose above the horizon the creatures slowly and with the same peculiar humming sound, descended to the bosom of the lake where, for a time, they were rocked by the undulating waves, then, in a body, they arose to a great height and flew westward. during fourteen days they came at nightfall and in the morning disappeared, always in the same direction from which we inferred that elsewhere, while the females were brooding or rearing their young the male birds made of the shallow waters of the eastern shore of rûmēsa̤, a night resort; so, patiently we awaited developments. so fearless were the creatures that frequently they swam ashore, walking leisurely along its margin and eyeing us with amusing curiosity, but when we attempted to approach them they hissed sharply, and, stepping into the water, swam away. we might have killed or captured the great fearless creatures, but such an ignominious act was far from our thoughts. it seemed little less than a crime to disturb their serene confidence in their security, so while we closely observed their habits we were careful to neither molest or alarm them. at nightfall of the fifteenth day among the creatures, for a time there was an unusual commotion, followed by profound stillness. at earliest dawn there was the usual rush of wings and upward flight of shadowy forms, and when the light grew strong enough to see objects clearly the sight that greeted our eyes filled us with amazed delight. leisurely moving on the bosom of the lake were seven great birds of a dull brown color and of
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the same species as those sailing overhead. each female was accompanied by one or two young birds about as large as a—ah, de l'ester, to what shall i compare them? a duck? what a droll word. later we learned that on the mountainous, western shore of loisa̤ rûmēsa̤ the young had come into existence from whence on the broad backs of their mothers, who now solicitously were caring for them, they had been borne hither. at once we set about arranging for the conveyance of some of the young to camarissa̤. as we were provided with water tight receptacles in which to place them, it only remained for us to learn how the little creatures were nourished. this we quickly observed was accomplished through their mothers feeding them small fishes, or larger ones torn in bits by their strong teeth and webbed talons.
all things being in readiness we launched our portable boat, and easily captured three pairs of the pretty struggling creatures. to our surprise the parents offered but slight opposition, and quietly followed their progeny quite to the shore, then turned and swam away.
early in the dawn of the following day we began our return journey to camarissa̤. that we might remain within easy reach of fresh water and live fishes we travelled southward along the eastern shore of the lake. five days brought us to its southern extremity, and at the close of two days' further travel in a southeasterly direction, we arrived at an air transport and tuzamo station, and quickly thereafter we and our captives were in camarissa̤. not all of them, however, for two had succumbed to the vicissitudes of the journey.
this great wire-covered compartment afforded the survivors conditions suited to their requirements, and although the young creatures were very delicate, one male and two females survived, and during after years their offspring
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so increased in numbers that several pairs have been presented to other rinvohs. they are known as gariffo tsûvon (bird of the cloudgod, tsûvon). no, they are neither long lived or of a migratory habit, and previous to our unlooked for discovery of them they were thought to be an extinct species, and strangely enough, within a few years afterward, not one in a wild state survived.
de l'ester—gentola̤, again we are holding you too long, and at once must return you to earth. it might be wise to defer for a few days your next visit to ento, but as ha̤-moûfih soon must leave us, we greatly desire that you shall be with us to-morrow. if we find you unequal to the journey, we will not risk your safety. previous to coming to you we propose that ha̤-moûfih shall attempt a short visit to earth, so we will not be with you until two o'clock p.m. now, george and inez will convey you to your home where you must rest, rest, rest, and where ministering loving ones will strengthen you.
info oovistû.
