The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-02-28
yoLUME /. NUMBER Sc.

satisfy your inquiries, and give you'd
rectlons for your journey from this
point. Having done this, they both
issued forth to the lodge door. .sYou
see yonder gulf, said he, and the wide
stretching blue plains beyond. Its
the land ofisouls. You stand upon its
borders, and my lodge is the gate Of
entrance. But you cannot take your
body along. Leave it here with your
bow and arrows, your bundle and your
dog. You will find them safe on your
return" So saying, he re-entered the
lodge, and the freed traveller bounded
forward, as if his feet had suddenly
been endowed with the power Of wings.
But all things retained their natural
color and shapes. The woods and
leaves, and streams and lakes, were
only more bright and comely than he
had ever witnessed. Animals bound
ed across his path, with d freedom and
confidence which seemed to tell him
there was no blood shed here. Birds
of beautiful plumage inhabited the
groves, and sported in the waters.
There was but one thing, in which. he
saw very unusual effect. He noticed
that his passage was not stopped by
trees or other objects. HI. appeared
to walk directly through them. They
were, In fact, but the souls of shadows
ofmaterial trees. He became sensible
that he was in land of shadows
When he had travelled haifa days
journey, througha a country which was
continually becoming more attractive,
he came 10 the banks of a broad lake,
IN the centre of which was large and
beautiful island, He found a canoe of
shining white stone, tied to the shore.
He was now sure he had come the
right path, for the aged man had told
him of this. There were also shining
paddles. He Immediately entered the
canoe, and took the paddles in his hands,
when to his Joy and surprise, on turn
ing round, he beheld the object ofhis
search in another canoe, exactly its
counterpart in every thing. She had
exactly initiated his notions, and they
were side by side. They at once push
ed out from shore and began to cross
the lake. Its waves seemed to be ris-
ing, and at a distance locked ready to
swallow them up; but just as they en-
tered the whitened edge Of them, they
seemed to melt away, as if fthey were
butthe images of waves. But no soon
er was one wreath of. foam passed,
than another, more threatening still,
rose up. Thus they were in perpetu-
al fear; and what added to 1t, was the
clearness Of the water, through which
they could see heaps of beings who had
perished before, and whose bones lay
strewed on the bottom of the lake.
The Master Of Life had, however, de-
creed TO let them pass, for the actions
of neither OF them had been bad. But
they sawmany others struggling and
sinking in the waves. Old men and
young men, males and females, of all
ages and ranks, were there; some pass
ed, and some sank. 1t was only the
little children whose canoes seemed to
meet no waves. At length, every dh-s
ficulty was gone, as in moment, and
they both lcapt out on the happy island.
They felt that the very air was food.
1t strengthened and nourished them.
They wandered together over the bliss
ful fields, where every thing was form
ed to please the eye aud the ear
There were no tempests-there was no
ice, no chilly winds-no one shiyered
for the want of warm clothes: no one
suffered for hunger--no one mourned
for the dead. They saw no graves.
They heard of no wars. There was no
hunting of animals; for the air itself
was their food. Gladly would the
young warrior have remained there
forever, but he was obliged to go back
for his body. He did not see the Mas
ter of Life, but he heard his voice in
soft breeze. $50 back, said this voice,
"to the land from whence you came.
Your time has not yet come. The du-
ties for which made you, and which
you are to perform, are not yet finish
ed. Return to your people, and ac-
complish the duties of a good man.
You will be the ruler of your. tribe for
many days. The rules you musttob-
serye,will be told you by my messsen-
ger, who keeps the gate. When he
sttrenders back your body, he will tell
you what to do. Listen to him, and
you shall afterwards rejoin the spirit,
which You must now leave behind.
She is accepted and will be ever here,
as young and as happy as she was