Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-07-24
A DEFEATED AMBITION.
Curtis Kingsiake Tells OF Egotism in tn
Clouds.


The man who was known on earth
as Sidney Orion has been dead for
nearly 100 years. Whenever he thought
Of this he smiled in an amused way.
Time passes so quickly in the spirit
land! He had roamed about the uni
verse for almost a century, exploring
new worlds and rejoicing i'm the free.
dom that is begotten when the feshy
body is laid aside. as the butterfly
abandons the decaying crystals.
Sidney Orion he still calls himself
and once in awhile in his flights
| through space he would meet some
ellow-spirit who. in the old days on
earth. he had known and loved. He
still remembered poem he had once
admired that in his later knowledge
seemed absurd. 1t ran thus:
Somewhere in desolate, wind-swept
space,
I'm twilight land, i'm no man's land,
Two hurrying shapes met face to face.
And babe each other stand.
'And who are your cried one, agape,
6huddering in the cleaning light,
~ know not said the second shape,
II only died last night
'How little they realize on earth, {"
Sidney Orton used to remark, as he
quoted the poem to some sympath etic
spirit, that death is only transition
and that our individuality remains to
us for all time. This nameless ghost
of Aldrich-I think that was the poets
name-has been dead for few hours
md did not remember who he was.
You and / can understand the nonsense
Of all this. Come, let's take look at
Mars. They were having strike on
the canals there when | was up there
last. am rather anxious to see what
the situation is now"
The two congenial spirits hailed
passing cloud, and reclining luxurious
~ OH the fleecy couches sailed upward
toward the planet named above.
Sidney Orion was one of the most
popular spirits IN the realm of space.
He was always ready to go to the ends
Of the universe. and his conviction
that the final collapse of all creation
could have no evil effect upon the
myriads of beings who had abandoned
heir bodily form was a tonic to more
oessimistic ghosts who feared that
ZONE day the attraction Of gravitation
would become repulsion and that the
spirit world would suffer as severely
rs the material.
After his visit to Mars Sidney Or
;on became thoughtful. IL wonder, "
lie remarked to his companion quiet,
congeniai spirit who had once occa-
pied the form OF beautiful woman on
one of the luxurious luminaries in the
belt of Orion; II wonder if | am still
remembered on that dismal planet
they call the Earth. | recollect that
in former times | was very ambitious.
| was clever and Industrious and was
DESTROYS of placing my name high on
what those funny mortals call the
scroll of fame. Thus il was that,
while piled my pen on newspaper
md produced ephemeral stuff that |
depised, / devoted my leisure hours TO
fiction and poetry. | wrote novels and
poems that made great sensation at
the time. | suppose that although
century has passed, | still have
famous name among the writer's OF my
generation. If you don't mind we'll
nturn to Earth for few hours and
zee how my record stands.
"As you wish, my affinity" whis-
'ered the gentle spirit at his side.
Down, down, they went, and aftG
time struck our planet just as ths
city Of New York hove into sight
Assuming for awhile an earthly shape
our hero and his companion walked
the streets that only one of them had
ever known. Buying an evening
newspaper with Il coin made from the
remains of small asteroid. Sidney
Orion read the following item:
"Algernon Augustus Orion OF this
city died yesterday. He was one Of
the lineal descendants OF Sidney Orion
who, century ago, was the funny
man on local newspaper"
Come" said Sidney to his COM
5anion, ''let's go back to the realm
where justice prevails"
A cloud seemed to cross the sky for
moment, and sigh as though a
mighty wind was passing somewhere
through boundless space startled the
men of earth.