The Portland daily press., 1892-10-26
KAMA RUPA.

discussion of Theosophical matters that
my friend made the remark:
ssWell, 1 won't say there is nothing in
it, but in my opinion it is altogether too
abstruse and complicated for universal
comprehension and adoption. A re-
ligion to obtain among the masses must
be simple and easily understood, and
there never will be one so fitting as that
Of the Christ. Still, there is one thing
Theosophy teaches in which ] am firm
believer, and in that but one of thou
sands. That is the principle of Kama
Rupa, or the survival after death OF
the evil spirit which has animated de-
PRAYED man or woman in life.
s'This spirit fingers about the scene OF
its earth life, seeking to influence others
to wickedness, or it seeks out the lowest
haunts of vice and degradation where
evil natures gather, and tastes and
habits similar to its own are gratified.
Sometimes it is attracted to a nature
essentially wicked, but weak, and enters
in and dwells with it. Sometimes the
influence is only felt, and again the
demon spirit is so Indignantly strong as
to be at times visible. had a con-
vincing experience last summer He
paused and looked at me, a somber light
in his fine eyes
ssTell it, insinuatingly.
"You will not believe it, and will dish
it up for the delectation of your news
paper readers
ssOf course"
You are honest at any rate. Well,
YOU shall have the facts. am not sure
it will not be a relief to talk about it.
Last summer I, in company with sew
eral others, took possession OF an old
manor house, Economically situated on
high point of the Maryland side o.
Chesapeake bay. None of us had been
in that locality before, and had gone on
the recommendation of Roger Kent, a
real estate agent in whose hands the
property was for rent or sale.
"The party consisted of thirteen, but
this was not noted until after our az
rival there. There were my father and
mother, the Kents (pere and mere),
Roger and his sister Hope, who was my
promised wife; my usins Rose and
Haydn Upton and two young married
couples, named jackson and Cairns.
| These with myself made up the party.
| and YOU might search the world over and
not find such another happy one as that
| when the steamer deposited it at the
foot of the bluff that lovely July day.
s.We all lived on the same street at
home. and had been friends and neigh
| = Mn nf
had been partners in business for thirty
wears. Each knew the other to be a
man of the strictest integrity, and moth
| ing had ever come between them.
worshiped Hope Kent and she seemed to
return my love. Roger was very much
in love with Cousin Rose, and her brother
was very plainly smitten with my sweet
heart, though this last gave me not one
pang of jealousy, such confidence had |
| in her. The two other couples were
models of connubial happiness, never
/ quite content when out Of each others
sight.
Everybody was pleased with their
| new quarters and predicted a most en-
/ ioyable summer. 1t was huge, ram
bling old house, full of crooked passages
and winding stairs, and upon our az
/ rival we scattered over it, each selecting
the room that took his fancy. There
were half dozen parlors and sitting
| rooms, but the one that pleased us most
| for a general place of assembly fronted
on the bay, as we never tired OF watch
ing the blue sparkling water. The room
was scantily furnished, as was the whole
house, in fact, but there was a charm
about the queer, old time belongings te
which we modern men and women were
peculiarly susceptible.
"On the north of the room four long
windows afforded glorious view, while
on the east the same number let in the
morning sunshine. On the south a
heavily draped archway led into the
library, a rather gloomy apartment, but
it soon came to be much frequented be-
cause of the rows of old, old books still
upon its shelves. Opening from this
was a bedroom, so horribly gloomy with
it's black furniture and trappings that
we involuntarily shuddered on crossing
it's Threshold, and not one of the com
pany would consent to occupy it. There
seemed something eerie in its musty
atmosphere, and all confessed to feel
ing Of relief when the door was closed
and locked behind us, never. to my
knowledge to be reopened during ou1
day.
81 am thus particular in describing
this part of the house because of what
followed. For a time all went well.
We younger ones sailed on the bay
picnicked in the wood back Of the house
and made excursions to various points
of interest. Everybody seemed ideally
) happy. The only jar was felt by myself
when Haydn Upton was too graciously
smiled upon by my divinity, or in his
case when I was in first favor, as was
my right.
"The elders seemed equally happy and
content in their quieter modes of pass
ing away the long, drowsy summer
hours. The first sign Of the presence Oh
the serpent in our Eden was on return
ing one day from an excursion found
! | .o..x e,+l,o,, o,,1 Mr. Ko,,t anoo0a1 II