Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1861-04-11
FH,e,Bp Nj a. ~ 90 Per Ytar.
Il h1ha VA - ~ 90 In AdYMnre.

was appalled,.
How? ? by what misfortune or what sin =
The lad laughed again, and jumping ch lis
block Of rubbish, sidled away, mocking at me
as he went, with a vulgar gesture.
Z" Catch me at explaining, said he, and was
lost
Now a sort Of despair, but an intellectual
despair, seized me. | say intellectual, for with
all my amaze and all my sense Of solitude in
that crowd, | never felt sud nor unhappy on
the contrary, kept constantly saying TO my
self " After ALL it is great thing to have
done with life. And to ieel 50 well and so
young " Bat my intellect oppressed me it
WAS in my way my curiosity was 50 intense,
my porplexities so unsoyed, even by conjecture.
| got oatof The sqollid part Of the building
and IN small lobby encountered solitary
being like myself joined him
said You and | seem both alone in this
vast space Can we not explore it in company? q
+" Certainly not my way is not your way,
nor yours mine No two have the same paths
through ininity."
But said |, ongrily, " always understood
on the earth, that when we left it We should
come into region Of spirits Where are the
angels to guide us? have seen poverty and
su ufiering, and brote force, Bat Of blessed spr-
its above mankind, have beheld none. And il
this be inhnity, such spirits must be herr"
- Find them out for yourself then, as must
find them out for myself. This is my way, that
is yours.
=" One word more since | cannot discover
those who have gone before me. whom loved,
| will wait for some one whom have lei, on
earth, and he will be my companion, for he will
be as strange to this place as ! am, and will
want friend, as | want some one. Tell me
where can watch and soe the dead come here
from life
:" Yes, that can tell you. There are plenty
Of places in which you will see the dead drop
down-there is such place close by. You see
that passage; take it, and 90 straight on"
| did as the man told ne | came to an open
space always between blind walls. but the outer
wal seemed lar loftier, soaring up, and soaring
up, till the dull blue sky that rested on it ap-
peared mmcasuratly remote
And down at my feet from this wall dropped
a man. " You are one Of the dead" said |.
approaching anxiously, just left the world of
the living
lie seemed bcwildered for moment; at last
be answered, rubbing his eyes, and in a kind of
dreamy voice " Yes, am dead
i" Lct US look at each other, said | per
haps we were friends in HE. !"
We did look at each other without recogni
tion. Bat, indeed, as | had been told, not
amongst the myriads bad met, had recog
ui1cd one being had ever known on earth
Well, - said |, " this is the s,rangesi place
There is no getting along in it alone no one
will put you into the way of things Let you
and be friends now, whatever we were before
Take my arm we cannot fail to be more COM
Portable if We keep together.
The man, who seemed haliaslecp took my
arm, aud we went on together was very
much pleased and exceedingly proud to have
found at last companion. | told him of all |
had witnessed and experienced, ofall my doubts
and perplcxities He listened with very little
interest or attention, still was glad that had
got him safe by the arm
But the first thing" said |, is to find a
lodging to ourselves and are you not hungry ?
lam BY the by, what money have you brought
with you .
Thereon my man looked at me suspioiously
and cztrcatng himself from my arm, broke of
and though hastencd to follow him, he was
lost in the iniinity, and felt that was once
, more amidst Iniinty-dead and alone
: So awoke, aud wrote down this dream lust
f as it happened and attempting no explanation
for no explanation was given to me-