St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-22

leaping with an undreamed-of JOY in
mere existence. On the corner Of the
| first block whom should | meet but dear
| old DR.. S., who had brought me into the
world, and who had been my best friend
and counselor until three years before,
| when blood poisoning, contracted dur
ing critical surgical operation, had
carried him off. The recognition was
mutual, and we fell into each others
arms with exclamations of surprise and
delight.
"Why, doctor. God bless you. 1
thought you were dead"
''My dear boy! didn't know that
you had escaped"
looked at my friend in blank amaze
ment. "Escapedp' l cried. "What do
you mean? Escaped what?"
"Flesh," cried the doctor briefly,
while the same old laugh seemed to
ring in his kindly voice. "Bones!" And
he beamed upon me with his face like a
plastic chunk of sunshine.
looked down at my tweed suit and
cork-soled shoes. Then l gazed upon
the DOCTORS expansive waistcoat peep
ing through his half-buttoned mackin-
tosh. II don't see that | have even eS-
capped my clothes-or that you have,
either" l replied obviously,
''If you don't believe that you have
escaped flesh and bones," said the doc
tor, seriously, "try walking through
that lamppost."
advanced incredulously to the post,
backed off, with laugh, then moved
up again, with the doctors hand on my
shoulder, and melted through the solid
iron, or, to speak more correctly, the
solid iron melted through me.
FolI nj
apple-woman," chuckled the doctor,
and in an instant we had permeated a
half-bushel of wcrmy fruit and dame
as Withered and gaunt as the tree that
bore it.
Are you satisfied" cried the doctor,
as he dragged me through a solid wall
into the privacy of two closeted poll
ticians. who never noticed our intrusion
in the least.
"Perfectly, SO far as ocular demon
stration goes" | replied, admiring the
nonchalance and familiarity with which
the doctor leaned upon the shoulder of
one of the politicians, and, from force
OF habit while in the flesh, proceeded
to examine his tongue. YES" | con-
tinued, 81 am satisfied that | am not
what was, but will you have the kind
ness to explain why we both retain the
same semblance as when in the body?
"Certainly," replied my friend. "We
do not-that is, not really. In very
brief space of time now-perhaps before
these wirepullers have arranged their
slate-you will begin to experience me
as L do you. Your present notice OF
form is mere "reminiscences. All new
ly escaped persons-that is, all who
have recently rid themselves of the
fleSh-retain for time certain sense
consciousness. as the eye, which has
been gazing upon a bright object, re-
tains the image of that object after the
lids are closed.
"But, as that image gradually fades
away, so will your reminiscence of bod
lily form fade. Presently you will no
longer see, but experience. which is a
much more vivid and delightful opera
ton of the soul. With the transforma-
ton which comes, all the Strangeness
and unfamillarity of the mid.world, as
we call it, will pass away, and you will
not feel the least embarrassment for
instance, in walking through the poor,
dull. senSed bodies of the people, or
treating them in any way you please"
AS the doctor spoke became gradu-
ally conscious that his protruding waist
coat and voluminous macintosh were
fading awav. In their place appeared
nothing at first but little whirling col
umn of mist. Presently that, too, van
ished, and the doctors voice grew
fainter and fainter, till it utterly ceased.
In the place of seeing or hearing came
such sudden, vivid realization of the
presence and reality of my friend that L
glowed to the center of my soul with an
unspeakabe warmth of love and joy.
1.-The air about me seemed to quiver
with penetrating, yet unseen, life and
light. was about to enter into the per-
feet and unutterable ecstasy of spirit
ual being, when-Bromfield street
opened its slushy, dirty length before
me; compassionate bystander assisted
me to my feet, while another brought
me my hat out of the gutter. saying:
"'Well, my friend, your head had a
pretty sharp rap on the curb. l guess
you must have lain unconscious for a
minute or more.'"