The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-10
VISION OF PARADISE.

managed 10 clip in The priest was finish
Ing his little harangue, and wound It up
with this sentence:
Therefore be united on earth until you
are eternally united ia heaven
could not restrain slight eXclama
ton. Armands bride was not Il young
Cirl--he was marrying the pretty little
Countess Jeanne dc Charmelieu, the widow
of ny friend Castor de Charmelieu.
This charming widow was destined To
make my friends happy. After CASTOR,
Armand. On earth nothing could be
simpler; bnt above, in heaven, there
would be two aspirants for the eternal
union: CASTOR and Armand, the frs, and
second husbands.
| fell into a brown study The sentence
used by the priest probably appeared IN
all the short sermons that conclude the
wedding services. 30 five years ago, oil
course. the same promise was made 10
CASTOR; he was told that II he lived ana
died ike Christian, he would meet his
lttlc Jeanne again IN paradise among tAe
ANGELS tie nrchangcis, the principNliticS
and powers Meantime there was u great
stir going on around me. Mass was over.
The great organ gave us Meudeissohn'
march. followed the crowd, which bore
me % the vestry room. shook hands
with the bride, and shook hands with the
groom but said not Il single word. was
very careful not 10 speak, for had a piece
of folly at my tongues end, and II had
spoken at all, don't think could have
restrained myself from saying TO Armand;
Did yOn take IN The iull meaning oil
that sentence about the eternal uulon'
There i be Two candidates, my dear Eel
low, for that eternal union.
left the church / made some calls, |
rode my horse, / dined 1T the club, ! went
10 the opera, and still that idiolic YerpleX-
ity haunted me:
Glow VIII Armand and CASTOR settleit
some day in another and better worldY'
went 10 bed and ~ sleep, and hele The
dream begins \ dream, bear that well
IN mind, nothing but dream.
wa IN Paradise ut the station. Trains
were going in and out the ears started
empty, and came bac-. more OF less well
filled.
- Thomas was The station master.
chattcd with him. and he very civiLy eX-
planned the working Of the system
Earth. touch 1t Hell, touch at PurgatOryl
and have their terminusin Paradise We
arr very crowded just AZ present The
pope has been having rather bad time OF
IL Tor the last few years. this was il
1870, during the occupation of Rome,)
"and there has been little atmosphere
Of persecution surrounding relIs iOn that
has brHced Up the lettering and confirmed
the Indifferent We have reason 10 be
very well satisfied; for the last few
months there has been constant in
crease IN the number of our passengers FOR
Paradise; every day there is a demand for
more cars. Smallpox has something 10
do with il, but the revival OF faith has
more You can judge for yourself Al.
seventeen The express is due. Yes, we
have an express that comes right through
from the Earth. Do you hear the
whistle Here's the train Our company
is large one which issues shares by pub
lie subscription; the bonds are guaranteed
bv Heaven Our trunk lines are finished,
bur we are not Yet IL communication with
all tie planets want You TO
observe This incoming train You
see we have three classes of cars,
lrst second and third; a baggage car and
a compartment for dogs. The passengers
are alixhtMg: watch them, and observe
this: not lLuny people In the second class
cars, We don't recruit much from among
the lower middle class RESTLESS, vOltalrian
and free thinking, the lower middle class.
In the thir,lCiss3 cars we get crowds: the
poDuiace IS wholly bad OF wholly good;
but generally speaking, good. The first
10 -
recognize that rich people are admirably
facilitated for achieving salvation Their
time is their own, and even admitting
that thcy give Satan the best part Of their
existence, they always find an hour here
and there, from time 20 tiide, 10 make up
their religious negligences. God IS not 50
severe as he is supposed to be. lie Is sat
isfed with very little, do you knows Only
stay here two or three days, you viii see
half hundred trains come in, and there
cannot t;ti to be people that you know In
some Of them YOu'n see how easy ii is
to win heaven
ST. Thomas is a communicative saint
lie chatted away, but for the last few
moments OF his discourse WAS not listen
Ing. My S. Ciotilde widow, Gastou's
wife, Armands wife, had come! had
seen her pretty head at the window of u
parlor car; then, Tight and dashing, she
sprang out Of the car, showing her ankles
a little, but then they were very trim.
She ran about in every direction, chipping
where's Paradise Where is its l have
my ticket
remembered seeing her Jus, like that
one day, at the Conpicgne station leaving
the special train that brought the en-
press guests 10 the chateau. That day
she showed her ankles, too, and that day.
too, she iiuttered along the embankment,
chipping
"My trunks Don't let my trunks be
forgotten have fourteen
An officer of the imperial household
went TO her at the Compiegne station and
said:
"Have no fears, madame Ia comtesse,
will take care Of your trunks have the
trunks In charge"
And now 81. Peter went TO her at the
Paradise station and said:
Your ticket, madame' Will you be
kind enough 10 show me your ticket"
"Here il is sir -