The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-10-07
SING SUN, CECIL COUNTY, MD. FRIDAY OCTOBER Z, 1892


the first my infancy knew. How the
placid charm of the familiar scene
touched my heart as l moved slowly
down through the orchard to the old
homestead!
Mother slept, but as 1 stood by her
bedside a kindly smile suffused her aged
countenance, as if her spirit was aware
of my presence and gave me kindly
greeting. How long remained gazing
upon the wrinkles l am glad to think
were furrowed more by smiles than
tears, and the band of silvery hair
framing them at the frilled edge of her
snowy nightcap, | cannot say, but long
enough for the influence of calm and
peace and purity pervading there to
sink into and strengthen my soul. Sud-
denly happened to wonder what time
it was.
1t is really one of the most annoying
things in these astral experiences-as, l
am sure, will be generally admitted
that we have in this form no innate feel
ing of the lapse of time or limitations of
space. We lack standards of compari-
remedied, but it ought to be somehow
Moving to great distances by mere eff
fort of volition miles are absolutely
meaningless to our astral consciences,
and as for time, every one knows that
if we could not catch sight of dial or
draw deductions from things ON the ma
terial plane we would not know any diff
hot f1,a1 1o, ~ 10,
and week. Clearly the most needed
invention of the age is some good, relia-
bic sort of astral watch. When the idea
of time occurred to me l had to go down
into the sitting room for a look at the
face of the old tall clock that has licked
generations of my family into and out
of life.
To my horror l discovered that it
lacked but three minutes to four o'clock!
And that train was divided at Harris
burg nearly an hour before. For one
moment vague sense of alarm seemed
to paralyze me. Then darted to Har-
risburg,
Yes; the mischief had been done.
The train had come, split and gone away
phia, one-third toward Baltimore. Which
had carried off my body?
If the Car porter had as much sense as
a hen, reasoned, his line of duty would
be plain to him. My purchase of a
ticket obligated the company repre-
sented by him to transport my body
from Pittsburg to Baltimore. 1t was no
Of IL T al,1 IL.
sent myself during the carrying out Of
that contract. His business simply was
to slide my unconscious corporeality
aboard the Baltimore train, and in good
confidence of his having done so hur-
ried In pursuit Of it. But to my serious
displeasure l found the fellow had not
done what l counted upon. | searched
all the cars through and through, in
specting carefully all the bodies they
contained, and mine was not among
them.
Of course | felt annoyed; still there
was some satisfaction in knowing there
was but one other alternative action the
fellow could have taken. Finding it
impossible to wake my body up, he had
Juou 1cu IL Iic, u ltotliS L Woulu HAVE my
sleep out by the time the train reached
Philadelphia, or perhaps New York.
Somewhere between Conewago and
Mount Joy l overlook the main train
and ransacked it In vain. The "double
lower had occupied was empty. The
snoring girl still thrilled the echoes,
the familiar smells We're all there yet
and the porter, who had sworn to take
care of me, sat asleep in the smoking
compartment with his head thrown back
and his mouth open, looking like cash
in a black watermelon. But what had
he done with my body? How l longed
to kick him awake and demand that of
him! But for all practical purposes
was of no more good without my miss
ing corporeality than thought which
has not yet occurred to anybody. The
hideous fact forced itself squarely upon
my acceptance-I had lost my body.
TO BE Continued