Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-09-03
THE SEAL OF HEAVEN.
Minneapolis Tribune.

A young lady in whose face look OF
perfect happiness always beams, and
whose voice is always wonderfully kind,
has been for some time sort OF sight
and wonder of the world among those
who have been associated with her In
Minneapolis and have heard the strange |
story which she tells. Marvellous II lie.
and many who have heard'it believe that |
her experience has something Of the |
supernatural about 1t. She Is twenty |
years OF age, and her hair is rs white MS |
snow, silky, and so long that 1t falls in a
braid well down toward the ground. Her
name Is Wendels Johanson, and she has |
been in Minneapolis for some months liv- |
ing with friends, and as they say, when |
not 81 work is "going about doing good"
Like the prisoner Of CLillon, she can
truly say: "My hair is gray, but not with
age"
But that whiteness came not from long
years OF mental and bodily anguish, as
did that of the one whom the poet sang.
II turned white In a single Eight while
she slept and saw vision, so she says.
She believes that her snowy hair Is the
mark Of Christ upon her, and the seal of
her own redt mption. Those who know
her say that her daily life is such as one
might lead whose whole soul was wrapped
up In the belief that she stood on the
very threshold OF the pearly gates. She
| has told her story to several reliable peo-
| pie, who cannot account for tie strange
phenomenon on any natural causes.
| Miss Johauson stops sometimes with
| friends at 1919 Polk street northeast, and
while there she told her story to Mrs
Phoebe Dell Plain, who lives next door at
23l7. Mrs. Dell Plain ia willing to be
| vuoted To the elect that the young lady
has hair of unnatural whiteness and u
face that is always beaming with happi-
ness. Mrs. Frank E. Rea, who lives at
10 Twenty-filth avenue northeast, also
vouches to the truth of the same state
ment. Ohers In the vicinity and other
parts of the city say the same. Clergy
men have heard of the case and are pug-
zled over 1t, and physicians point to the
books and say that such things have hap
pened before.
The story, as Wendela Johnsou tells it
herself, ia full of interest and passing
strange. She was born in Sweden, and
when fifteen years old she had "a dream
one night. Ste thought she was taken
by guide, who was an old mar, homely
10 appearance and hateful to her sight,
70 tile very brink of he'll. All was dark
ness, more profound than any bhe had
ever known before and there were sounde
of the damned that filed hear eaIs and
frightened her so that she was dumb and
ready to fall. 1t was as real as life TO
her. She could her the moans and
snrieks Of the lost ones coming up from
the bottomless pit.
Some cried and:cu-sed themselves and
their Maker; others sent fearful shrieks
up from tho darkness, and some walled
as In utter woe. The noise was most ter
rlfying, and, as the dreamer thought she
was about to be plunged down with the
rest, she, too, shrieked in agony. 1t was
terrible ordeal.
al was standing Within Just three steps
of the brink" she said, land my guide
stood beside me in the darkness"
But she was not doomed to enter this
dark abode, even In her dreams, for soon
there came the form OF an old man, ben
and with flowing white hair and beard.
He stood beside her, and the ugly one
who had led her there, fled at bis ap-
proach. In gentle tones the white-ha'red
man asked her II she would not go witt
him and look at the abode Of the blessed
and ehe went gladly:
In her dream she stood within the city,
whose walls are set with precious stones
whose pillars diamonds are"-the New
Jerusalem.
She saw the redeemed about great
white throne and heard their songs in {
tongue that was not her own. The light
she saye, was not like that OF the sun.
was pure white light, that fell on every
= thing with an elect that che could no
describe. She heard little children sing
r ing praises, and saw angels of old saint
falling down before the great whit,
throne. In the dream her white-hairet
guile led her to the Savior, and He sal,
10 her:
"My child, do you want to dwell for
ever in this placeP
81 was so happy" said Miss Johanson
, ito get away from the dark Place hal
seen that said would be willing to en-
dure anything II l might be allowed tt
stay there.
She says that the radiant figure befor
her said TO her that he would put mari
upon her, that she might be known OF o.
who saw her for his own. And then h
stretched out his hand and placed 1t Of
7 her head, saying that her hair should eve
:, !, after be white as snow. Then her dreaI
ii faded from her mind, and she sleI
:. naturally until morning. When sh
N N awoke her hair was as 1t now is-lik
:, snow as she dreamed 1t was to be.
o. Q, "When my mother saw me that mort
10 ing" said Miss Johapson, "she did nj
know me. My hair had always bee
iie brown before. When spoke to her an
i size knew my vo ce she thought nu
have been sick, but / had not. l ie
perfectly we'll. l told my mother m
dream aud at first she crivd, but after
while she stopped crying and was glat
because she said she knew then that
should always be good girl. She wi
glad, and always believed that my ha
Turned white because 1 was marked Fl
one of Ckrist's own"
This lie tbs story Of Miss Johanson
vision. She told 1t In plain, natur