Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-02-19

We sleep"
withih the last 80 years Spirit Nantes
lations have aroused the inhabitants Of
the United States aud all other civilized
countries, to frantic fever heat, IL refer
ence 10 the state Of the supposed dead
Horace Greeley was one Of the first 10 DO
interested In the Dorchester kneckings,"
aud wrote "if there Is one pee cent IN this
news ffOm the dead, II " worth mining
II IL u long, long while since We had any
reliable Information from our vanished
and buried friends, II We ever have"
some daring, and exploring ones, who
had no faiti IN the conflicting religious
schemes Of the day, 10 irritable jealous
God 10 offend, no wise cunning Deyll TO
fear aud but WAe faith in q future life
spared neither time, money, nor repnta'
ton, IN searching for the state OF our loved
ones who had passed from our sight And
great was our reward-nO tongue can eS-
press IL! The gold Of California, and ten
thousand years Of prolonged life with u
" clusters mental capacity and reputation
would be no comparison In worth OF val
No, with the future life aud happiness re-
yelled through the Fox family near Roeh'
ester, \, Y, There Is not, aud never has
been, any harmony or agreement among
all the religious institutions Of the civ
illzcd world In reference TO future life
The majority have ever annlhllated lheif
friends until judgement day. Tombs,
sepuchres, and grave'yards have no ter
rors for SIP irilualists.
The following extracts from Washing
ton IryIng's writings nearly nifty years
ago, viii show what one Of the most popu'
lar and sholarly writer's thought of belief
aud commuulngs with spirits would have
on the morals and happiness Of true be-
lleyers. The mass Of protested religion
lists aud clergy TO the contrary notwi'h'
standing. NATHL RANDALL NJ d.
Woodstock, VI. Feb. 10Th, 1870,
II Is q sublime and beautiful doctrine In
culcatcd by the early fathers, that there
are guardian angels appointed to watch
over cities aud nations, TO take care OF
good men, aud to guard and guide the
steps of helpless infancy. Even the doc
trlns of departed spirits returning to visit
the scenes aud beings, which were dear TO
them during the bodies existence, though
It has been dcbased by the absurd super
stltions of the vulgar, In itself Is awmlly
solemn and sublime.
However lightly 1t may be rldlculed, yet
the attention involuntarily yielded to 1t
whenever II Is made the subject of serious
discussion, and its prevalence In all ages
and countries, even among newly dlscov-
cred nations that have had no previous
interchange Of thought will. other parts
OF the world prove ito be one Of those
mysterious and instructive beliefs, to
which, If left to ourselves, We should nat
urally incline.
What could be more consoing than the
idea. that the souls of those we once loved
were permitted to return and watch over
our welfare THAT affectionate and guard
ian spirits sat by our pillows when we
slept, keeping vigil over our most help
less hours THAT beauty and innocence,
which had langushed into the tomb, yet
smiled unseen around us, revealing them
selves in those blest dreams wherein we
live over again the hours Of past endear.
ments2 A belief of this kind would, l
should think, be new incentive to virtue,
rendering us clrcumspect, even in our
most secret moments, from the idea that
those we loved and honored were invisi-
BILE witnesses of all our actions.
1t would take away, too, from that lone
Illness and restitution, which we are apt to
feel more and more as we get on in our
through the wilderness of this
world, and find that those who set for
ward with US loveingly and cheerily, on
the journey, have one by one dropped
away from our side. Place the supersti-
ton in this light, and, confess should
like to be believer in i'll see nothing
in it that is incompatible with the tender
md merciful nature Of our religion, or re-
Voting to the wishes and affections of
the heart.
There are departed beings that have
Owed as l never again shall loye in this
world; that have loved me as | never
again shall be loved. If such beings do
even retain in their blessed spheres the
attachments which they felt on earth; If
hey take an interest in the poor concerns
If transient mortality, and are permitted
% hold communion with those whom
hey have loved on earth, feel as If now,
1t this deep hour OF night, IN TINS silence
md solitude, could receive their vista
ion with the most solemn but unalloyed
lelight.
In truth such visitation would be too
Happy for this world: they would take
lway from the bounds and barriers that
lem US in and keep us from each other.
Dur existence is doomed to be made up OF
transient embraces and long separations.
The most intimate friendship-of what
,rief and scattered portions Of
line does it consist? We take each
,ther by the hand; and we exchange
ew words and looks Of kindness; and we
'ejoice together for few short moments;