de l'ester—comment vous portez vous, madame gentola̤. ha̤-moûfih is with us and awaits your greeting.

gentola—ento friend, i cannot find words with which to express my surprise and pleasure that you are here.

ha-moufih—your kindly welcome assures me that you do not consider my presence an intrusion. yes, since passing to our spirit world i have visited many planets, inhabited, or, as yet, uninhabited by humans, but, until now, neither my inclinations or duties have brought me to earth. now that i have had a cursory view of the natural divisions of your planet, of its scenery, its peoples and the expressions of their spiritual and intellectual growth, i perceive that in their characteristics the entoans and earthians are very much alike. upon visiting planets other than their own, spirits of a scientific turn experience great surprise at the striking resemblances existing between all planets approaching a like degree of evolvement. really, bulk, density and atmospheric conditions constitute the most noticeable differences. yes, through our own observation and that of spirits far more exalted than are we, we are convinced that everywhere the human, the god man, is expressed in the same form. i too regret that for the present i can devote no more time to observation of all that pertains to earth, but, like the swiftly flowing waters of a stream, the days glide by, and ere many years shall have elapsed you again will be a freed spirit, and then we both

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may become better acquainted with your earth-world, of which you know comparatively little. but i detain you, and de l'ester grows impatient to be off. with your and george's permission, i will assist you.

yes, the view is indeed grand. it is well that mortals have no conception of what awaits those who have fulfilled the laws of their being, otherwise their physical existence would be unbearable. i have been told that you greatly regret your inability to remember all that occurs during your absence from your physical body. were it possible for you to fully retain such memories you would become unfitted for the performance of the duties of your daily life. i also have been informed of the vicissitudes of your present embodiment. of how you have combated seen and unseen difficulties. of what your spirit friends have had to overcome in turning aside your aspirations in directions that would have unfitted you for this mission for which you were brought into the mortal plane. unwittingly you have been building better than you have dreamed of. sometimes in joy, sometimes in sorrow, yet ever you have been building the conditions of a higher, a more comprehensive existence.

yes, we near our destination and our friends have preceded us to the rinvoh. ah, how the memories of this scene hold me as by the links of an unbroken chain. so intimately was my mortal existence connected with all relating to this great galarēsa̤ that, as i gaze upon the stately structure adorned by most artistic statues, beautiful fountains, groups of towering bûdas trees, an endless variety of blooming plants, the acclinum (zoölogical department), the rinvoh (aquarium) and other admirable features, all forming a most comprehensive educational system, memory recalls bygone years when i believed, as all entoans still believe, that the present existence was all of

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life and that to fulfill to the utmost all righteous obligations and duties should be the chief pleasure of the life graciously bestowed upon his children by andûmana̤, the all wise, the loving creator of all things. this rule of righteous living requires no amendment; but, alas, obligations and duties fulfilled do not fill the measure of human happiness; one also must possess assurance of a to-morrow with all its possibilities. the present, which offers no promise of a joyous to-morrow, is as a night with no promise of the dawn; and thus it is with the entoans, who cherish neither expectation nor hope of the joyous to-morrow of continuous existence. that they may deserve the favor of andûmana̤ and his all seeing messengers their every thought and act is in accordance with the teachings of the holy writings which, indeed, contain many exalted precepts, but no intimation of continuous existence.

de l'ester, you are most patient in your endeavor to convey to gentola̤ a sense of what i wish she might directly understand. i shall regret if i may weary both you and her.

de l'ester—be assured that we are interested, not wearied, auditors. gentola̤ says that she will look forward to the time when she will be free to journey with you from world to world and, like you, be able to retain memories of all the wonders of spirit existence.

ha-moufih—knowing that the desire will bring its fruition—its joyous to-morrow—we contentedly will await its certain coming.

we now will join our waiting friends. ah, george, i see that you are observing an old acquaintance of mine, but i doubt if he will inspire in you a spirit of poesy. is he not a pompous, self-conceited looking for creature? gentola̤, you will kindly attempt a description of this impersonation of arrogance.

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gentola—i fear that my ability is inadequate to a description of the creature. he is nearly twice as large as an ostrich and his legs are so long and stout that he appears to be walking on tall stilts. his feet are webbed and of surprising length and breadth, as well they need be to support such a huge body. in proportion to his size his head is rather small. it abruptly rounds up from his long and very broad bill, and is surmounted by a large tuft of beautiful, snowy, drooping feathers. his neck is extremely long, slender and very erect and, like his body, is covered with an iridescent admixture of black, green, purple and bronze plumage. his wing and tail feathers are long, abundant and, like his plumed crest, snow white. as for his large, staring eyes, they are the coldest, haughtiest, disdainfulest eyes i ever have beheld. as he majestically struts away he is the impersonation of an aristocratic, an ineffable swell. really, his airs are most amusing, and certainly he is a very handsome bird.

ha-moufih—so he is, and, notwithstanding the cold, supercilious expression of his eyes, he has a not unamiable disposition, though i must say that his virtues are of a rather negative character.

i caught him in his very early youth and he is the sole survivor of four of his kind. when i brought him here from his semi-tropical home, i did not anticipate that he would outlive me, but he has and looks as though he may survive for years to come.

this species of bird is known as vûlna̤-kymos (crowned majesty), and they are found in but two localities. only when desired for some rinvoh do the authorities now permit them to be disturbed. in habit they are semi-aquatic, and they build their nests on the margin of bodies of fresh water. two years previous to my passing to our spirit world a strong desire for exploration overcame me and, with

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a scientific friend, some attendants and necessary supplies, we took passage on an air transport to a station on nearly the further side of ento, but in a latitude approaching the temperate zone. there we procured some burthen bearing animals and in an aimless fashion began a journey which would terminate when my appetite for wandering should become satiated. the charm of feeling myself free from cares, which never were to my liking, delighted me and for nearly two days we leisurely wandered along the shore of a considerable fresh water lake known as loisa̤ a̤ lûtyēnos (lake of rushes), so shallow, so limpid, that when rowing in our portable boat, we plainly saw fishes, large and small, darting hither and thither through its greatest depths, which were thickly grown with rushes, rodels and other aquatic plants. along the shore large trees and a close undergrowth of shrubs rendered our progress rather tedious, but as we were in no haste we and our animals enjoyed the shade and coolness of the forest, which like a wall of living verdure, encompassed the lake. toward evening of the third day we came upon a small, cleared place on the margin of the lake and an unexpected scene which quite upset our gravity. in the shallow water of the shore line amid a luxuriant growth of grasses, rushes and weeds, was a huge nest built of sticks, stones, grasses and clay and, with a leg on either side, the body of a large and consequential looking bird rested on its summit. evidently he was on guard duty and did not enjoy it. his attitude and preoccupied manner were sufficiently droll to cause us to burst into laughter. the unusual sound alarmed him, but courageous and faithful to his charge he stanchly remained on the nest, loudly calling to his mate who, at a distance, was feeding among the rank growths of the shallows. instantly, with shrill cries and hisses, half flying, half running, she rushed to the defense of her pos

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sessions. our attendants drew further away, but that we might observe the creatures, my friend and i secreted ourselves amid the underbrush. the two birds held a hurried consultation; then the female shaking her beautiful plumage dry, with one leg on either side of the nest brooded over its contents while the male bird in stately but watchful fashion promenaded in the margin of the lake, now and anon unbending his dignity that he might snatch from the water some unwary fish or other creature.

i was not unacquainted with this species of water fowl, but at that time our rinvoh did not possess them, and as then there were no restrictions against our doing so we resolved to await the appearance of the young brood which we would transport to camarissa̤. the brooding time being well advanced, on the morning of the third day of our waiting the birds exhibited much excitement, shaking themselves and uttering low cries, while, gazing into the nest from whence came a sound of continuous chirping. the parent birds were most devoted in their attention to their young; one or the other continually bringing them food and not for a moment were they left alone. on the morning of the third day of their advent, with her bill the mother lifted them one by one from the nest, dropping six downy little beauties into the shallow water, where they paddled about in apparent enjoyment. at sunset she carefully deposited them in the nest, hovering over them while her mate quietly, but alertly, watched by her side.

the young birds grew prodigiously and in a few days were able to care for themselves and were no longer returned to the nest, but, with the parent birds rested in the margin of the lake. when old enough to be removed with safety, at nightfall i cautiously approached them and with a large net captured the entire brood. the frightened parents fled away in the darkness but soon they returned

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and finding their young gone their cries of distress resounded through the night. their grief so appealed to my sensibilities that in the morning i returned to them two of the captives, over whom there was great rejoicing. in a commodious water receptacle the four young birds were conveyed to camarissa̤ and placed in this rinvoh. later on i gave to the rinvoh of dao a pair of them. the mate of this lonely widower lived until three years ago, and now her prepared body graces a space in the syffondû.

the incidents i have been relating may appear to you somewhat trivial; they are intended to serve the purpose of acquainting you with certain life forms and conditions of ento, thus enabling you to draw comparisons between what may come under your notice on this planet and such forms and conditions as you may have knowledge of on your own. after a glance at the creatures occupying compartments on the further side i shall regretfully leave you. here are shell covered reptiles which agassiz says are very like some of your salt water reptiles. this unhandsome creature, sluggishly lying in the shallow water of its capacious tank, is nearly one-third as broad as it is long, and its length is quite twenty feet. the large brown and white scales covering its body are erectile, as are the smaller ones on its long, slender neck to which its long, narrow head and vicious looking eyes give a serpentlike appearance. now, as it moves into deeper water, one sees the dull orange color of its belly. its tail, with which it partly propels itself through the water, opens and closes like a folding fan; see how it curves under, then is projected outward with much force, impelling the creature onward. you perceive that in swimming it also uses its short, sinewy legs and webbed feet. it is strictly a water reptile, never venturing into shallower water than that of the tank. it is known as

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pylo-akēdon (scaly armored), and is a species of reptile nearly extinct.

here are other water creatures which, in structure and form, are said to closely resemble life forms of earth. on other planets i have seen very similar forms.

of course only a limited number of ento's various aquatic creatures find homes in the different compartments of this rinvoh, but they represent both the rarest and the commonest species. the collections of the acclinum and syffondû? (museum) are very comprehensive, the latter containing a representation of life forms of the remote past and of more modern times. in the acclinum the collection of fossils is very curious, but as you will be shown all that may be considered necessary for the purpose in view, i need not particularize.

gentola̤, the moment has arrived when, for the present, i must leave you and these friends. it would delight me could i remain with you and them until the consummation of this mission, but it cannot be. may the divine spirit of all that is unfold in us a fuller consciousness that only through earnest endeavor can we attain to higher spiritual planes of being. emanos, info oovistû.

de l'ester—we now will proceed to the arbor where a learned ento spirit, zenesta̤ ha̤o, will join us. he is a kinsman of inidora̤ and genessano, and once was a teacher of languages in this galarēsa̤, but as we have requested him to relate to you some of his personal history i shall not further anticipate what, i doubt not, will interest you. ah, he awaits us. loha̤û loha̤û, zenesta̤. you are most welcome and i most happy in making known to you one whom you have expressed a desire to meet.

gentola—sir, i trust that i may not be so unfortunate as to cause you to regret your desire.

zenesta hao—long have we of our spirit world heard

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of you as of one who, in the fullness of time, would aid in conveying to the entoans an assurance of continuous existence. i offer to you the homage due to one who lovingly yields time, strength and an indulgence of personal aims for the welfare of others, and may the time quickly arrive when, through this mission, the darkness of certain conditions may be dispelled from the minds of the children of ento. you have been informed of their pitiable despair which ever grows more unbearable; it is the logical, natural result of the advanced spirituality of the masses, in whom every sense and emotion have become exalted. in them the love element is so spiritualized that when death takes from them their dearest ones they do not mourn as do those of grosser natures. they reach after them with a longing, agonizing, persistent, hopeless grief, only conceivable by those whose being is on an exalted spiritual and intellectual plane.

i know not your language perfectly, but when i may find myself at a loss these dear friends will supply my needs. i am here, not only through my own desire, but at the request of this band, who believe that i may serve a certain beneficent purpose. during many years of my mortal existence i was a professor of languages in this galarēsa̤; thus i am as a link connecting the past with the present and, if i may add to the interest of your experiences and of this mission, i also will add to my own happiness. friends, you will lead the way, and gentola̤ and i will follow.

ah, how memory recalls the years passed in this galarēsa̤. years so full of mingled joys and sorrows. certainly, if my mortal experiences may seem of value to you, i shall be greatly pleased. in my early youth i came here as a student, my mind filled with eager, glowing anticipations, and here i remained until i was fitted to graduate

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with honor to myself and credit to those whose patient labors and excellent ability had won my loving reverence and lasting regard. following my graduation i was offered the distinction of a professorship in the department of ancient and modern languages; i accepted the honor and entered upon a career which terminated only when mortal existence gave way to that which was a step higher on the ever ascending rounds of evolution. four years elapsed and i had won some renown as an instructor and what, to me, was my heart's dearest desire—the love of the woman whom i adored and who was, through the years of our wedded life, the heart of my heart. children as comely and as sweet as rodel buds came to us, but ever as their mother and i with fond solicitude watched these buds maturing and bursting into bloom, we looked into each other's eyes and saw sombre shadows lurking there. intelligent, generous hearted, our children grew to maturity. our sons were all that our fond hearts could desire. our daughters were as lovable and as lovely as their mother. i could desire for them no greater excellence. i then was in the full vigor of manhood, my wife in the full maturity of comeliness and of many virtues. our children were growing learned and accomplished in such directions as their abilities and inclinations led them. no perceptible danger threatened us or them. no cloud of evil portent rose above the horizon of our sky, yet ever in our minds and hearts the shadows lurked, for we knew, we well knew, that ever unseen an implacable foe drew nearer, nearer, and that inevitably, one by one, we must pass into the silence. we who shared each joy or sorrow, we who so loved that when apart time was robbed of half its value. ah, me! ere long a fatal hour arrived and now after the lapse of years and the inexpressible happiness that has come to us, i find myself shrinking from the memory of it.

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one day a party of youths went pleasuring on indoloisa̤'s treacherous water and our three sons were with them. with the heedlessness of youth they permitted the wind to waft their boat far out on its restless bosom. suddenly the wind became violent, the boat was capsized, then engulfed in the tempestuous waves and ere assistance reached them nearly all of the party were drowned. two of them were our sons liefton and clermond. a year later our remaining son, faladon, lost his life in a vain endeavor to save the life of a comrade who, recklessly leaning far over the guard of a rising air transport, lost his balance and faladon, who stood near at hand, attempted to seize him, but the sudden strain was greater than his strength, and both he and his friend were dashed to death. these repeated disasters were more than my dear wife could endure, and within a year her urned ashes were placed beside those of our three sons.

in my heart was desolation and anguish unspeakable, but, for the sake of our dear daughters, i strove to cheerfully bear my awful burthen of sorrow and to, as far as possible, brighten the darkness which overshadowed their young lives. they would not marry and we three bereft ones walked as in one pathway, and thus i reached a period of age equal to seventy of your years. then, as though death again remembered us, our youngest daughter was stricken with a fatal illness and ere we reckoned it serious the breath of her life had ceased. our eldest and last child survived until i had aged to ninety-two years; then, with scarcely more than a sigh, her worn heart ceased to beat and i was left alone—aged, sorrow stricken and without desire for a continuance of a life which no longer held for me either charm or hope. mechanically i fulfilled the duties of a position which had brought me the consideration of many worthier than myself, but, alas, no power could

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bring back my dear dead or give me peace. laden with a heavy burthen of sorrow, the years passed tardily, and among a youthful generation whose tastes, occupations and aims had quite outgrown my own, i walked almost alone. the friends of my youth and of later years had passed into the silence, or had sought other lands as dwelling places, and i no longer cared for new friends. in my home there were those who ever were kindly attentive to my simple wants, but my utter loneliness no one could alleviate. in the midst of a multitude i was as one lost, as one whom death had forgotten and at last i longed for oblivion.

ninety-eight years brought me to a hot, languorous day, and the humid air was laden with the fragrance of flowers, glowing amid the surrounding greenery, or in riotous luxuriance, climbing over walls, trellises and windows. i had come from the galarēsa̤, and ere entering my home i, for a little, gazed on the quiet, lovely scene. presently a sense of drowsiness stole over me and i entered my residence and laid down to rest, perchance to sleep. for a moment i experienced a peculiar sensation; then suddenly i slept and as suddenly awakened to perceive standing near me with a smile on her lips, a wondrously beautiful woman, whose face and form seemed strangely familiar. in great surprise and unaccountable awe i gazed upon her; then, breathlessly, i cried, "who art thou, oh vision of a dead past? art thou a goddess in the guise of my beloved, my lost armēna̤? speak, i implore thee, ere i die of anguish." smilingly she drew nearer to me. gently she stooped and clasped me in her arms. tenderly she murmured, "zenesta̤, knowest thou not armēna̤, thy wife, the mother of our children, who wait nearby to greet and embrace thee? my beloved, thou didst but sleep a moment, to awaken and find thy dearest ones. nay, shrink not from

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me; i am not dead and thou dost not dream," she said. "here are our children who will bear thee hence to the world of living ones, where is neither death or sorrowful separations, but where, with us, thou shalt learn of the immortality of the life essence and of joys beyond aught thou hast conception of." the joy and wonder of this was so great that i seemed to swoon, and, when again consciousness came to my senses i found myself in a beautiful home, surrounded by many dear ones and friends of my youth and later years, who welcomed me to the world of living ones. and wonder of marvellous wonders, my aged body had fallen away from me and i stood amid our three stately sons as young as were they. as i looked into the faces of those whom i had thought dead and forever gone into the silence, i could not utter one word. my wife and our beauteous daughters, all with their dear arms about me, whispered words of explanation and of assurance that i did not dream. then our dear girls, armēna̤ and irmian, gathered loveliest flowers and showered them over me and their mother. they led me through the beautiful white structure they said was our home and still, while countless questions surged through my mind, i was so overwhelmed by contending emotions that i only could mutely turn from one to another. finally i was made to comprehend the wondrous, unlooked for change which had come to me while i slept. birth, not death, having opened the gateway of the new phase of life, gladly, reverently, i took up the threads of the tangled web and woof of a past condition, and gladly, reverently, in an existence of illimitable opportunities, i have striven to weave a fabric adorned with loving thoughts, loving words, and loving service.

i beg your indulgence for this lengthy reminiscence of a bygone time.

gentola—sir, you owe me no apology for your relation

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of that which has more than interested me. through death i, too, have lost many dear ones, and only that i know that we shall meet again, i should be in as deep despair as were you, as are the peoples of ento. your sad recital has added to my desire to lend my poor aid toward bringing to your peoples the priceless knowledge of continuous existence. may i ask how long you have been in your spirit world?

zenesta hao—according to your computation of time, i passed from ento's physical realm nearly eighty years ago. yes, since then, but not very recently, i have visited ento, but only when duty has impelled me to do so. you may know that on entering the atmosphere, or aura surrounding the scenes of their mortal existence, spirits experience mortal sensations, and unless duty requires, or attractions are exceedingly powerful, spirits progressed beyond the first, or physical sphere, do not care to undergo the discomfort of return.

somewhat to my regret it has not fallen within my sphere of duties to be engaged in the work of this mission, but through my own desire and the solicitations of the members of this band, for a time i shall be with you and them. rather recently i have become acquainted with some of these friends, but my first meeting with de l'ester and giordano bruno occurred soon after i entered our spirit world, which, of course, was previous to your present re-embodiment, but not previous to your having been chosen as a possible instrument for the furtherance of this mission. you may have been informed that this is but one of many missions, for many purposes, in many worlds; that this one may prove successful it is necessary to use as an intermediary one still connected with the physical body. yes, through our own experiences and those of spirits of other planetary spirit worlds, we have learned that generally sensitives can be approached directly, but on ento

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conditions are so positive that although spirits can aid in developing in those who are highly sensitive such phases as are most prominent, they cannot become directly en rapport with them, so cannot control them. oh no, this is but one of many attempts to reveal to the entoans the truth of continuous existence, but never before have conditions been so favorable as they now are. the culmination of certain events, which must exert a tremendous influence in assuring the success of this mission, draws very near, and countless hosts of ento's, earth's and of other spirit worlds, watch the movement with deepest interest and ardent longing for the dawning of a glorious day for a people who long have lived and died in a hopeless faith.

gentola—while i am deeply interested in their spiritual condition, i should like to know more of the social condition of the entoans.

zenesta hao—within certain limits the government of ento is absolute, and the supreme rulers never exercise a power exceeding these limits. neither do they permit any infringement of the laws, which are simple, direct, forceful and just. in the supreme ruler is vested the privilege of appointing such counsellors and other officials as may be necessary for the proper administration of laws enacted for the general welfare, and being the representative of such laws, it is his or her bounden duty to see to it that they shall be strictly observed. by the entoans it is considered no more a duty than a privilege to be of one mind in their obedience to both civil and religious enactments.

nominally, ever since the establishment of the national religion, the supreme rulers have been its chief representatives, but through the following centuries, gradually, an ever arrogant priesthood assumed claims to certain prerogatives, which grew into such oppressive abuses that eventually the people, unable to longer endure, rebelled,

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and the priesthood were obliged to abolish the horrible rite of human sacrifice. yes, this occurred during a rather recent century. since then the entoans have grown, or rather they have outgrown the rigidity of old beliefs, still they have but one religion. if at times certain restless minds have dared to question the statements of the sacred writings, or impiously have indulged in new and vain theories they have been silenced. ever ento's supreme rulers have set an example of entire obedience to the priestly interpretation of the sacred writings, and as they have believed so have the people believed. should omanos fûnha̤, ento's present chief representative, arrive at a belief in a continuity of existence, generally, the priesthood will oppose such a radical innovation, but with the tide in the minds and hearts of the people setting in that direction, they will be obliged to yield, indeed many of them will gladly yield, for priests, like other people, love and sorrow.

gentola—but how will so great a change of religious belief be received by the less enlightened peoples? may it not occasion strife, or even war?

zenesta hao—oh, no. that is not possible. ento's peoples are too highly evolved to indulge in violent recrimination, which inevitably must result in harm to all concerned. war is purely barbaric, and on ento there are no really barbaric peoples. there are those who are somewhat primitive in their ideas and modes of living, but they are far too civilized to think of murdering their neighbors. largely, such peoples are engaged in agricultural pursuits, and not being constantly in touch with the finest expressions of civilization, they, to a degree, lack its nicest distinctions of speech, manner, dress and so on, but innately they are just, truthful, generous and humane peoples, possessing the essential principles of true civilization.

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oh, yes, the entoans are very human, and at times differences of opinion relating to commercial, social, scientific or other matters arise, but governors and advisory councils of the various provinces, being arbitrators of provincial affairs, such trifling difficulties are readily adjusted. it is an ento axiom that "he who injures or condemns his neighbor injures and condemns himself." so universally is this axiom accepted that seldom is it disregarded.

gentola—with deepest attention i have listened to what you have said, and i feel that i better understand not only the motive for but the conditions relating to this undertaking, which, through my increasing interest in all concerning it, renders it a little difficult for me to patiently await the unfolding of events.

de l'ester—the unfolding of events soon will oblige us to further enlighten you as to our plans. necessarily, we have been somewhat reticent so that gradually you might become prepared for your part in a drama upon which spirit worlds are anxiously gazing. ere long you, with our entire band, will repair to dao, the capital of ento, where dwells omanos fûnha̤, osy hûn, whose only child, sēlona̤ valloa̤, slowly but surely, is releasing herself from her physical body. the hour of her departure into ento's spirit realms cannot long be deferred, then a united and supreme effort will be made to open the way for the incoming of the new revelation, but ere the arrival of that hour much must yet be accomplished.

a highly spiritualized man is omanos fûnha̤, who reverently obeys what he has been taught to regard as andûmana̤'s divine law. ento never has been favored with a supreme ruler of broader views, of kinder heart, or of a finer sense of justice. i believe that you are aware that translated into your language osy hûn is supreme or sovereign ruler. early in omanos fûnha̤'s wedded life his

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adored wife, sēlona̤ valloa̤, passed to our spirit world, leaving as his chiefest consolation an infant daughter who bears her mother's name. she is the original of the portrait you saw in the first dwelling you visited on ento. yes, the young girl reclining on a couch while prince dano stands near smiling on her. she has grown a most beautiful and admirable woman, but is as frail as the phantom-like blossoms of the roina̤ draping yonder marble statue. her father idolizes the fair girl, and she returns his devotion with tenderest affection. of late into his mind has stolen a chilling dread, for, despite all that his love can suggest or science can accomplish to increase her strength, she grows weaker and more fragile. she is, as you are aware, affianced to prince dano, and ere long he will be summoned to dao, where his parents reside. ere now this would have occurred, but omanos fûnha̤ shrinks from admitting to himself that valloa̤ is in a perilous state. that gradually, but surely, she is being overshadowed by the invisible terror, the dread god phra (death). still he lays on the temple altar votive offerings, praying that the pitiful gods may restore her, and the days pass and the end draws near.

i tell you this, that you may to an extent understand the present situation at dao.

in the adjoining studio is prince dano, and other art students. we will enter and observe them and their work. dano, as he leans against a column, regarding a dainty piece of statuary, upon which evidently he has been working, wears an expression of care and preoccupation. yonder is a group engaged in drawing from the nude, the model a lad as symmetrical, as beautiful as one of their fabled gods. further away other youths and maidens draw from still life, and here is a large class engaged in modelling heads and other objects from a plastic material,

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and beyond dano, two girls and several youths are attempting to release from marble forms more or less attractive.

what a spacious studio, and each department so perfectly equipped. those carved panels, separating the sky lights of the lofty ceiling, are of exquisite design and execution, and the arrangement of the shades and draperies is very admirable. the drawing instructor is about to address his class, and dano draws near to listen. we will do the same.

instructor—i desire to impress upon your minds that each element of art is as perfect as is art in its finest, fullest expression; hence, to slight the minutest detail is to slight the whole. in the straight line are all the elements of highest art. the curve itself is a succession of minute straight lines which also are capable of expressing light, shade, form and color, for are not colors the results of light impinging upon various arrangements of the straight line?

in the admirable work of prince dano which very appropriately he names a dream child, we behold an example of the value of the straight line. the curves of the upraised arms and dainty limbs. the modelling of the beautiful head and exquisite face. even the dreamy expression of the half-closed eyes, all are the results of—but you are inattentive—and disturbed—why, dano, dear youth, are you ill? a cup of water, lēta. i believe there is no occasion for alarm, he only has swooned and shortly will revive. thanks, lēta, i will bathe his face which, doubtless, will arouse him.

leta—professor, i pray you to desist. he is subject to such attacks, and soon will return to consciousness. it is doctor vyonda̤'s opinion that he overtaxes his strength, and——

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de l'ester—zenesta̤, he is so thoroughly submerged that i believe you safely may attempt to possess his organism. gentola̤, do not move; the circle must remain unbroken, or zenesta̤ cannot hold him. be courageous, be firm, zenesta̤. ah! that is well done.

dano—friends, i who address you am not dano; i am zenesta̤ ha̤o, once a teacher of languages in this galarēsa̤, but now a denizen of the world of living ones. know that what you term the breath of life is your real, intelligent self. this self or personality is an expressed portion of the thon eyama̤ yanos (infinite intelligent energy), which in man finds its highest representation and, consequently, is as indestructible as andûmana̤ (god). friends, i pray you to hear me silently and patiently. once i was as you now are, and to me my wife armēna̤, bore sons and daughters. their urned ashes with their mother's and my own, may be found in the istoira̤ lēmah (temple of the dead). like you, i sorrowed for my dear dead. like you i knew not that in a world surpassingly fair, i should continue to exist in a state of inexpressible happiness. but finally death released my real self from my worn body, and to my unutterable amazement and delight i found myself possessed of what i shall term a spirit body, far more admirable than the one i had during my mortal existence inhabited. i also found myself possessed of enlarged capabilities, and of a sense of freedom indescribable. and, oh joy of joys, in my new life i found all my dear ones whom i had not hoped to ever find again. learn, dear friends, that death of the physical body does not mean death of the self. learn that continuity of existence is a law of the thon eyama̤ yanos (the infinite intelligent energy). learn that surrounding this ento world, invisible to physical vision are realms so glorious that language cannot describe them, and that

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at death of your bodies, in them your immortal selves will find all that loving hearts and highest aspirations can desire. oh, my friends, no longer walk with downcast eyes. no longer despair because you have been taught to believe that your loved ones and yourselves will go into the silence, and be no more. children of ento, lift up your hearts and rejoice, for so surely as you now exist, so surely will you continue to live, to love, and to learn lessons of divinest wisdom in a radiant world not subject to mortal conditions.

dano, your prince and fellow student, is one chosen as an instrument, through whom soon will be given to you a wonderful revelation, which will make of sorrowful ento a world of hopeful, happy men and women. dano does not dream. through his inner senses, which are the senses of the self, he discerns spiritual things, and you too, lēta̤ verona̤da̤s, are on the verge of enlarged spiritual perception, and in the swiftly approaching days you will stand by his side, a teacher of a new faith. now i will depart, and the self of dano will repossess his body, but ere i go hence with loving thoughts for all, and with loving memories for this institution in which i passed my youth, and ended my mortal usefulness, i, zenesta̤ ha̤o, say to all, info oovistû.

de l'ester—well done, well done, zenesta̤. i had not thought it possible for any fully freed one to so entirely possess the youth. but gentola̤ having paved the way you did so admirably. do not you think so?

zenesta hao—i congratulate both dano and myself that we have safely concluded this experiment, which nothing would induce me to repeat. he became so entirely submerged that had i retained possession a moment longer, he certainly would have become freed, and i—well, you all know what the consequence would have been. i under

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stand de l'ester. you are no more at fault than am i, but we must not again permit our zeal to get the better of our discretion.

leta—professor, this is not the first time i have seen dano in this strange condition, and almost i am persuaded that while he slumbers, some god communes with him. may not it be that andûmana̤ has taken pity on his sorrowful children, and that at his command his messengers are using dano as an instrument through whom to convey to us the knowledge that indeed existence is continuous? ah, he moves, and his color is returning, but his slumber is very prolonged. oh, that we soon may come to understand this mystery, if mystery it may be.

instructor—i am amazed beyond expression by this strange occurrence. zenesta̤ ha̤o, do not we all know of his great learning, of his deep researches into ancient languages and records? what can this mean? what report shall i make of it to our superiors? lēta̤, raise his head a little. he now appears to be in a quiet slumber, still it may be well to call doctor vyonda̤. hasten, rûfa̤, to call doctor vyonda̤ to come to dano.

oh, that it might be true, this story of continuous existence. have not i lost a noble son, who was your fellow student? a beloved daughter, too, with whose life her mother's life and mine were bound as with one chord. alas, alas, sorrow leads one to reach out after visionary nothings. ah, he is awakening. why, dano, apparently you have been slumbering, and really we have been a little disquieted, in fact so disconcerted as to scarcely know what course to pursue. you are not ill? speak if you can, and set our fears at rest. the cup of water, lēta̤. ah, now you are quite restored.

dano—friends, i regret that i have occasioned you some anxious moments. no, i am not ill, and i cannot

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explain these sudden attacks of unconsciousness. i only am aware that i have been in a deep slumber, which came upon me so suddenly that i could not avoid it. perhaps i should obey doctor vyonda̤, and for a time cease pursuing my beloved studies.

leta—dano, can it be that you are unaware that while you slumbered, you spoke to us strange, and in a measure unintelligible words? with permission of our instructor i will relate to you what you have said.

dano—lēta̤, your narrative fills me with dismay. surely you are not jesting. your serious face assures me that you are not. may andûmana̤ forgive if unwittingly i have spoken lightly of sacred matters. lately i have been subjected to what doctor vyonda̤ terms self-induced hallucinations. but i am not conscious of inducing them, and certainly i do not desire to indulge in such folly. i would not err, i would not sin, yet during these seizures i give utterance to expressions which are not in accord with our sacred writings. i pray the pitiful gods that i may not be held accountable for these unconscious utterances.

de l'ester—two professors and a physician are hastening this way.

professor—my dear dano, we have been quite alarmed to learn that again you have been attacked with faintness, and rejoice that you are recovering. here is our good doctor vyonda̤, who speedily will restore you.

dr. vyonda—certainly, certainly. it is nothing serious. really there is no occasion for alarm. such attacks are quite common. the high temperature of the season, and too close application to study superinduces such seizures. dano, you must relax a little of your ardent pursuit of knowledge. you must indulge in lighter veins of thought. youth is the age for enjoyment, inno

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cent enjoyment of course, and for acquiring knowledge, but with, moderation, my dear dano, with due moderation.

your eyes are yet a trifle heavy. allow me to administer this agreeable potion, which will dispel this sensation of lassitude. on retiring, you will take this palatable powder, which will insure quiet sleep. no visions, no hallucinations will disturb your repose, and in the morning we will counsel together as to the best course to be pursued. but no more study to-day, dano, you understand, no more——

de l'ester—quickly, quickly, gentola̤. he is not fully aroused from his entrancement, and his spiritual perception is very exalted. follow my dictation.

dr. vyonda—he again is relapsing into unconsciousness. order a litter at once, and have him conveyed to his apartment. really this seizure is inexplicable, but i doubt not will yield to——

dano—doctor vyonda̤, i am told to request you to quietly remain where you are.

dr. vyonda—this is most perplexing, most perplexing. apparently he is unconscious, yet he bids me to quietly remain where i am. no. no. not just now. we will wait a little. put the litter further away. give him more air.

gentola—dano, i am gentola̤. this name has been given me by some persons who understand your language. i have told you that i come from a world named earth, which is so far away in space that to entoans it appears as a brightly shining point in the night sky. try to understand that the vital, animating principle controlling all the activities of your physical body, is the immortal self, the real dano. aside from certain of your priests, but few entoans are so highly sensitive as are you, who

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soon readily will perceive wholly freed spirits. because that i still am connected with my physical body you see, hear, and feel the touch of my real self, the spirit woman. for the reason that your spirit consciousness, which is self perception, is highly evolved, you are thus favored.

this is no dream, no hallucination of an overtaxed mind. i am as real as are you. so are the wholly freed spirits who bear me from earth to ento. so was your sister onta̤, who has appeared to you, but who, until you are further prepared, will not again attempt to do so.

in time you will be made to comprehend the laws involved in spirit return, but at present i cannot explain them. the spirits with whom i am associated, and hosts of spirits, of spirit spheres, of other spirit worlds, have combined their forces in a supreme endeavor to release the peoples of ento from the hopeless religious beliefs, which long have held them in a state of such pitiful despair that as i gaze on their almost smileless faces, my heart throbs with sympathy for their perpetual sorrow. dano, fear not, but rejoice that you have been chosen as a message bearer to them. rejoice that through your instrumentality light from your spirit world soon will dissipate the shadows enshrouding the lives of your peoples.

the hour draws very near when omanos fûnha̤'s fair daughter, your affianced bride, must pass into your spirit world. only now does valloa̤'s father realize that her days may be drawing to a close, and through fear and grief he is well nigh crazed. daily in the temple zim he sacrifices to andûmana̤, imploring with agonizing moans and tears that his precious valloa̤ shall not be taken from him into the dread silence of death, but still she fades, as fade the lovely, fragrant rodels on bascama's limpid water. vainly your father, basto andûlēsa̤, endeavors to allay omanos fûnha̤'s fears, to assuage his grief,

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for at last he and your mother perceive valloa̤'s perilous state, and they propose to immediately call you home, hoping, as does omanos fûnha̤, that your presence may arouse and aid the drooping girl to prolong, if not to recover her waning life.

it is indeed pitiful to see the light dying out of her beautiful azure eyes, and the bloom fading from her lovely young face, which grows as pallid as roina̤ blooms. as her physical strength declines valloa̤'s vision grows more spiritualized, and as through a thin veil she sees the spirit forms of her mother and of other dear ones, who whisper to her unfolding spirit senses words of loving cheer for her, for her stricken father, and for you, dear youth. she fancies that she dreams, and when smilingly she relates to her father the loving messages from the dream-world he is filled with consternation lest her mind is being lost, and in the privacy of his own apartments he prostrates himself, crying to andûmana̤, and to the mighty gods to suffer her to live, or if that may not he, to take her in her perfection into astranola̤.

i am made to tell you this, that in a measure you may be prepared for the ordeal awaiting you, and to urge upon you to be strong and courageous, for you will require both strength and courage to sustain you. even now a swift messenger comes from omanos fûnha̤, bearing a letter from your father, so hasten to prepare for your journey to dao. to these persons who gaze on you in breathless expectation of they know not what speak of what i have been made to say to you, for i know that when you shall have regained control of yourself you will imagine that you have had a fanciful vivid dream. remember that i charge you to speak of what i have said to you. and now i am bidden to say info oovistû.

roina

dr. vyonda—ah, he is reviving, his pulsations are

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quickening, and his color returning. this seizure is peculiar, very peculiar. such long continued unconsciousness indicates a low state of vital energy. professor dalmaon, with your approval, i shall at once advise his father that he for a time must have entire mental rest and change of scene, which will assist in his recovery from his present devitalized state. why, my dear dano, you have been quite unconscious of the anxious interest which for a few moments has disturbed our minds. but as i have said, it is nothing serious, nothing really uncommon, quite a natural result of continued mental strain, and you must rest, dano, for a time, you really must rest and recuperate. do you now feel quite yourself?

dano—friends, i wish to say something that will surely try your belief in my sanity, but if your kindness may permit you to listen to what i desire to relate you will make me your grateful debtor. doctor, i believe that i am quite myself, but after i shall have related my story i shall not find fault should you all question my opinion.

while you have thought me unconscious i have been as fully conscious as yourselves, but unable to move, or to unclose my eyes, or to utter a sound. yet in some strange manner i have seemed to see for the fourth time a fair skinned, dark haired, strange woman enveloped in shining garments, who says that she is from a world known in her language, as earth, which is so far away in space, that to us it appears as a shining point in the night sky. she says that her ento name, gentola̤, has been given her by some who understand our language, which she does not. that she speaks from dictation of those who do understand it, and she has told me of something so sorrowful that for the present i shall not speak of it. she declares that through me a new religious revelation is about to be given to the children of ento. but as andûmana̤ only speaks

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through the great god tymonas to the most high priest, this declaration cannot be true. she also has said what is altogether improbable, that from our supreme ruler comes a swift messenger bearing a letter from my father, who desires that i shall at once return to dao, and that i shall make immediate preparation for the journey. do not i pray you, gaze upon me with so much concern. i realize that this peculiar experience is the result of too much abstinence from youthful pleasures for which i care but little, and of over close application to study, for which i perhaps care too much.

doctor vyonda̤, i promise you that this unpleasant experience will cause me to mend my ways, not so much for my own, as for the sake of those who love me. very true, doctor, very true, but since life is so full of sorrow, since the certainty of the approach of death so overshadows even youth's brightest days that ever our smiles are drowned in tears, life to me ever grows more valueless. oh, that andûmana̤, whose power is infinite, may make these dreams of mine prophecies of a reality so glorious that scarcely dare i think, much less speak of it.

gentle friends, i pray you pardon me for having caused you some moments of anxiety. make yourselves my debtors, and i shall be as patient with you as your affectionate kindness prompts you to be patient with my vagaries.

instructor—ever youth cherishes baseless hopes, dreams and illusions. age alone knows the tranquillity of the inevitable. although the midday of my life is gone, dreams wearing the semblance of realities come to me from the region of nowhere, then drift into the realm of shadows. no one is wise enough to account for the illusions of sleep, those phantasms emerging from the unknown and vanishing like mist wreaths from indoloisa̤'s waters. i

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pray that it may not be accounted a sin that to me has come the thought that these dreams may be shadows of somewhere realities. that while we slumber our senses may perceive what our waking vision is too imperfect to discover. who can say as to what may be in the regions of astranola̤? is not it written that to the lady camarissa̤, wife of genessano allis immo, came a vision which so impressed her husband that it led to the introduction of the vast irrigating and waterways system, which has made our waste lands so fruitful and prosperous? from whence came this vision? no one can certainly say, but andûmana̤, who knoweth his own ways, may have chosen the lady camarissa̤ as his instrument, through whom he spoke to genessano allis immo. and, friends, may not the woman of dano's dream be an instrument through whom he may be given a new revelation of andûmana̤'s love for his sorrowful children? do not we all know that when andûmana̤, through the great god tymonas declared to the most high priest moukara that no more should unwilling human sacrifice be offered, he also declared that in some coming time another revelation of his love for his children might be vouchsafed?

andûmana̤, creator and preserver, may if he so wills, perpetuate that which is the essential part, the life of every animated creature. adoringly and reverently i implore that he may take pity on his children, the children of his love, and grant us the ardent desire of our hearts that we may not pass into perpetual silence, but that in some unknown region, we, with our beloved ones may continue to exist forevermore.

so strangely have our lessons been interrupted that but little has been accomplished. however, every incident of life teaches some lesson, and we to-day have received an exemplification that in its expressions it is many sided, and

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that at times it affords us glimpses of what may be beyond what we now know of.

urvan, i advise that you shall remodel this foot, which is not quite up to your usual excellence. lēta, this hand so delicately, so perfectly modelled indicates true artistic sense. veradon, your execution is almost beyond criticism. kiafû rûvana̤, our greatest sculptor of either ancient or modern times, taught that the hand was the most expressive member of the body. that by its form, markings and movements, it afforded a true indication of the character and emotions of the possessor. as the hands of no two persons are exactly alike, there is in their expression an infinite variety which, to the observing student, may afford infinite opportunities. dano, we rejoice that you appear quite recovered from your very peculiar seizure, and i pray that you may heed doctor vyonda̤'s advice, for, truly of late, you have been over studious. surely you do not attach any importance to the dream prophecy of your speedy departure for dao? that you may wholly dismiss it from your thoughts i suggest that we all shall repair to the gymnasium, where vigorous exercise may restore us to our usual serenity. doctor, will not you and our honored professors favor us with your company?

dr. vyonda—certainly, for a little i shall attend this imprudent youth. come, dano, no more illusions, no more melancholy. look on the bright side of life; yes, yes, on the bright side of life. leave to age the shadows; walk in the sunshine while you may. come, gentlemen, we can do ourselves no better service than to look on while these young people take the exercise we older ones used to so enjoy. ah, me, age is very inconvenient, very inconvenient indeed.

de l'ester—gentola̤, from what the doctor and art instructor have said you may infer that the entoans are

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very like some of our beloved earth folk who consider everything outside their everyday experiences as illusions of diseased imaginations. certainly, soul consciousness, which should not be confounded with spirit consciousness, is subject to illusions; thus one should be patient with sensitives who, at times, unknowingly misrepresent spirit phenomena. only minds capable of earnest, critical, patient fairness should attempt to test the truth or falsity of unusual occult occurrences. but the messenger from dao is about to arrive, and we will proceed to the gymnasium that we may observe how the doctor and professors may receive the fulfillment of the prophecy.

these wide and lofty passageways lead to various departments of the galarēsa̤, but into many of them we cannot at present even glance. at the head of this grand staircase is a department we later on will visit. now we will enter the gymnasium and you, gentola̤, will briefly describe whatever may attract your observation.

gentola—knowing so little of gymnasiums of our own planet i fear that i may not intelligibly describe this one. the apartment itself is immensely large and the domed ceiling very lofty. there are many large windows and they and the ceiling or roof are filled in with what appears to be opalescent glass set in metal frames. depending from the roof are swings and ropes and various contrivances of whose uses i am quite ignorant. attached to some of the ropes are huge balls of apparently an elastic material, which dano and the other youths are so vigorously striking that they bound away, only to return again for further punishment which they are capable of resenting, for one has struck yonder youth a staggering blow.

that dark-skinned boy climbs that rope with the agility of a monkey, and yonder handsome blonde youth, hand over hand, climbs another rope depending from the

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very apex of the roof and now he comes down head foremost, and—oh—i thought he was about to fall, but he has turned a somersault and landed on his feet on a—ah, i see. that part of the floor is covered with spiral springs over which is a padding of some elastic material similar to curled hair; no, it is some sort of fibrous stuff and over it, stretched tightly, is a covering resembling rubber sheeting, which is so elastic that the gymnasts bound from it like so many rubber balls. many of the appliances i have no knowledge of, but there are horizontal bars on which some of the youths are exercising with what appears to me utter recklessness. see that young giant swinging, swinging from that suspended bar, and there he goes through the air, catching another bar, and, oh my, i do not like to see that. i suppose that if he should fall that net would catch him, but it looks dangerous. now he sits on the bar swinging to and fro, and now he drops and catches the bar, and now, with a great leap, he has caught a rope and is descending head foremost. i do not understand why any one takes pleasure in such risky performances.

if i say that those young men are practising with indian clubs will i be greatly mistaken? how gracefully they handle the clubs and they, like their classmates, may be called handsome; but, somehow, i do not grow accustomed to the extraordinary size of the entoans. why those dark-skinned youths, including dano, appear gigantic and the lighter hued youths, compared with you gentlemen also are giants.

the doctor and professors are looking on with apparent enjoyment and interest, especially commending dano's energetic movements, but—ah, see, an attendant is presenting to the white-bearded professor a letter. as he glances over its contents he pales visibly, and is greatly disturbed.

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in a low tone he says, "friends, i have received a letter from basto andûlēsa̤." now he calls to dano.

professor—dano, dano, i would speak with you. this moment a message from your honored father has arrived. you will listen while i shall read what concerns all here.

"to the renowned professor byra̤don ova̤dos and his honored co-workers of the galarēsa̤ of camarissa̤, in the province of ondû i, basto andûlēsa̤, send loving greeting.

"your sorrowful regret will equal my own when you learn that our beloved supreme ruler, omanos fûnha̤, grieves sorely over the continued ill health of his daughter, the lovely and amiable princess valloa̤, who slowly but, it is feared, surely declines toward the ending of her young life. she craves the presence of her affianced, my son, dano, whom i hasten to summon to dao. you, through all reasonable means, will facilitate his departure on the special transport awaiting him.

"your kind heart and good judgment will guide you in breaking to my son this painful news which otherwise might assail him with too sudden force.

"with profoundest regard i honor myself by being your friend,

"basto andulesa."

dano, dear youth, strive to compose yourself. alas, how strangely true were the words of your prophecy. andûmana̤, thy ways are incomprehensible. we implore thee to aid us to understand the lessons thou art offering to us, but which, in our ignorance, we fail to comprehend.

dano, our loving sympathy is with omanos fûnha̤, your parents and you, our beloved prince and pupil. hasten to prepare for your departure and we will arrange for your comfort and speedy conveyance to dao, where, we will pray the pitiful gods, you may find your beloved valloa̤ recovering her precious life.

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gentola—poor dano, i feel so sorry for him. that professor should not have announced the dreadful news so abruptly. a woman would have known better. these entoans are a peculiar people. i do not mean that i do not admire them, for indeed, i do. they are so sympathetic, so ingenuous that i could wish that our earth folk might be like them.

de l'ester—they are some centuries older than our disingenuous earth folk; consequently, have grown honest.

gentola—do you think our earth folk will ever grow equally honest?

de l'ester—it is to be hoped that they may. certainly, if our fair planet may continue to hospitably entertain them for an indefinite length of time they may improve their ways of thinking and, as a man thinketh, so is the man.

george—dano will journey by special transport. shall we see him off?

de l'ester—yes, and then gentola̤ must embark on our air transport which will bear her across millions of miles in less time than dano will journey to dao. aye, in less time than will be consumed in his passage between the galarēsa̤ and the station. he has made his adieux and is entering a motor conveyance. we will precede him and his friends.

gentola—i wonder if our earth folk will ever have such carriages? one, two, three, four, five, six, seven passengers in it, and it moves off so silently, so swiftly that it must be a pleasure to ride in it. what beautifully paved streets, and how perfectly clean they are.

oh, dear, i keep thinking of dano. i wish i might comfort him. i do not understand why there need be such misery of one kind and another. if i were——

de l'ester—pardon me for interrupting you, but here

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is the station and the conveyance approaches. ah, dr. vyonda̤ will accompany dano who, as you have remarked, seems dazed.

here is the special transport and a luxurious one it is. no, we cannot accompany the sorrowful youth. we have much to show to your inquiring eyes before you shall be taken to the capitol. then, too, affairs are not in readiness for our presence there, but, ere long, they will be.

the transport is rising and dano and the doctor are waving adieux to their friends. to you we offer a like courtesy. george and inez will again assist you back to earth. one week hence we will come for you. in the meantime, that you may renew your vital energy, live as much as possible in the open air.

info oovistû.