Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-28
VISION OF PARADISE.

NV friend Armand was married day
before yesterday at st. Cloilde's church.
When I arrived there was a great crowd,
and the ceremony was going forward. 1
managed to slip in. The priest was finish
ing his little harangue, and wound 1t up
with this sentence:
Therefore be united on earth until you
are eternally united in heaven"
| could not restrain q slight cXclanla-
ton. Armand's bride was not young
girl-he was marrying the pretty little
Countess Jeanne de Charmelieu, the widow
of my friend CASTOR de Charmelieu.
This charming widow was destined to
make my friends happy. After CASTOR,
Armand. On earth nothing could be
simpler; but above, il heaven, there
would be two aspirants for the eternal
union: CASTOR and Armand, the first and
eccond husbands.
fell into brown study. The sentence
used by the priest probably appeared in
all the short sermons that conclude the
wedding services. So FIVE years ago, Of
course, the same promise was made to
CASTOR; he was told that if he lived and
died like q Christian, ne would meet his
little Jeanne again IN paradise among the
angels, the archangelS, the principahties
and powers. Meantime there was.a great
Stir going on around me. Mass was over.
The great organ gave Us Mendelssohn's
march. / followed the crowd, which bore
me to the veStry room. l shook hands
with the bride, and shook hands with the
groom, but said not a single word. 1 was
very careful not 20 speak, for had piece
of folly at my tongues end, and II l had
spoken at all, don't think l could have
restrained myself from saying to Armand:
'tDid you take in the full meaning of
that sentence about the eternal union'
There'u be two candidates, my dear fell
low, for that eternal union"
left the church, I made some calls,
rode my horse, dined at the club, went
TO the opera, and still that idiotic perplex-
ity haunted me:
How viii Armand and CASTOR settle il
some day in another and better worh?''
/ went to bed and to sleep, and here the
dream begins. A dream, bear that well
in mind, nothing but dream.
+ 1 was in Paradise, at the station. Trains
were going in and out; the cars started
empty, and came back more or less well
filled.
st. Thomas was the station master. 1
chatted with him, and he very civiIly ex-
planned the working of the system.
1.-THE trains" said he, 'dstart from the
Earth, touch at He'll, touc at Purgatory,
and have their terminus in Paradise. We
are very crowded just at present. The
pope has been having rattle bad time of
it for the last few years. this was in
1870, during the occupati on of Rome,)
''and there has been a lit le atmosphere
of persecution surrounding religion that
has braced up the lettering and confirmed
the Indifferent. We have reason to be
very well satisfied; for the last few
months there has been q constant in
crease in the number Of our passengers for
Paradise; every day there is ademand for
more cars. Smallpox has something to
do with it. but the revival OF faith has
more. You can judge for y ourself. All,
seventeen. The express is clue. Yes. we
have ali express that comes right through
from the Earth. Do y'Du hear the
whistle? Here's the train. Our company
IS large one which issues shares by pub
lie subscription; the bonds are guaranteed
by Heaven. Our trunk lines are finished,
but we are not yet in communication with
all the planets. [ want you to
observe this incoming train. You
first, second and third; baggage car and
a compartments for dogs. The passengers
are alightng; watch them, and observe
this: not many people in the second class
cars; we don't recruit much from among
the lower middle class-restless, voltairian
and free thinking, the lower middle class.
In the third class cars we get crowds: tho
populace is wholly bad or wholly good;
ltxr Tha fircf
class cars are crowded, too. We must
recognize that rich people are admirably
facilitated for achieving salvation Their
time is their own, and even admitting
,hat they give Satan the best part Of their
existence they always find an hour here
and there, from time to tine, to make up
their religious negligences. God is not so
Severe as be is supposed to be. he is sat |
isfied with very little, do you know Only |
stay here two or three days, you will see !
half a hundred trains come in, and there /
cannot fail to be people that you know in /.
some of them. You'll see how easy it is
TO win heaven"
ST Thomas is q communicative saint /
He chacted away, but for the last few /
of his discourse / was not listen /
ing My st. Clodlde widow, Gaston's |
wife, Armand's wife, had comet l had |
seen her pretty head at the window of !
parlor car; then, light and dishing, she /
sprang out of the car, showing her ankles !
q little, but then they were very trim |
She ran about in every direction, chirping, |
Where's Paradise Where is its / have /
my ticket"
remembered seeing her just Ike that,
one day, at the Compiegne station, leaving
the special train that Brought the en-
press guests TO the chateau. That day
she showed her ankles, toe, and that day,
too, she tiuttered along the eInbarknent,
,hirping:
''My trunksi Don't let my trunks be
forgotten! 1 have fourteen
An officer of the imperial household
vent to her at the CompieSEe station and
said:
"Have no fears, madame Is comtesse, [
viii take care of your trunks. I have the
.runks in charge"
And now st. Peter went TO her at the
Paradise station and said:
Your ticket, madames VIII you be
lind enough to show me your ticketY'
"Here it is, sir"
Perfectly correct; you may so in.
Here are the gates OF Paradise"
My little friend bowed prettily, and
vent in An intense desire possessed ne
o follow her into Paradise. Who could
ells Perhaps Armand was dead, and my
widow would find herself confronted by
Ter two husbands.
asked ST. Thomas if he could manage
t so that might go in.
Easily" he replied.
''Only for an hour, you know" ]
fastened to add; 'I sha'n't be detained