The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-02-17
WHO CAN EXPLAIN IT.

WIN JAN EAPLAlN III.
1t was at the close of an interes ting
discussion of theosophical matters
that my friend made the remark:
SWELL, l won't say there is nothing in
1t.but in my opinionitis altogether too
abstruse and complicated for univers-
al comprehension and adoption A
religion 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
l ana a firm believer and in that but
one OF thousands. That is the prin-
ecipie OF Kama Rupa, or the survival
after death Of the evil spirit which has
animated depraved man or woman
in life.
"This spirit fingers about the scene
OF earth life, seeking to influence 9TH.
.ers to wickedhess, or it seeks out the
lowest haunts of vice and degra-
dalton where evil natures gather and
tastes and habits similar to it's own
are sratifed. Sometimes it is at
tracted to q nature essentially wick
ed 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 convincing ex-
perience last sumner" He paused
and looked at me, a scmbre light in
his fine eyes.
@'Tell it, insinuatingly.
"'You will not believe it and will
dish it up for the delectation OF your
newspaper readers"
e'Of course"
'You are honest at any rate. Well,
you shall have the facts. | am not
sure it will not be relief to talk
about it. Last summer 1, in COM
pany with several others, took possess
sion Of an old manor house, romantic
ally situated on a high point of the
Maryland side of the Chesapeake bay.
None of us had been in this locality
before and had gone on the recon-
mendation OF Roger Kent, a real es-
tate agent in whose hands the prop
erty was for rent or sale.
1.-The party consisted of thirteen,
but this was not noticed until after
our arrival there Kents, pere and
mere. Roger and his sister Hope, who
was my promised wife; my cousins,
Rose and Haydn Upton, and two
young married couples named Jack
son 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 June day.
awe all lived on the same street at
home and had been friends and neigh.
bors all our lives. Father and Mr.
Kent had been partners in business
for thirty years. Each knew the 9TH
er to be a man of the strictest integ-
rity and nothing had ever come be-
tween them. l 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 sweetheart,
though this last gave me not
one pang Of jealousy, such confidence
had | in her. The two other couples
were models of cohnubial happiness,
never quite content when out Of each
Others sight.
Everybody was pleased with their
new quarters and predicted a most
enjoyable summer: It was q huge,
rambling old house full of crooked
passages and winding stairs, and up
on our arrival we scattered over it,
each selecting the room that took his
fancy. There were half dozen par
Tors and sitting-rooms, but the one
that pleased us most for general
place OF assembly fronted on the bay,
as we never tired of watching the
blue. sparkling water. The room was
scantily furnished, as was the whole
house, in fact, but there was charm
about the queer. old-time belongings
to which we modern men and women
were particularly susceptible.
ION the north of the room four long
windows afford glorious view, while
on the east the same number let in
the morning sunshine. On the south
q heavily draped arch-way led into
the library, a rather gloomy apart
ment, but it soon came to be much
-frequented because OF the rows of old,
old books still upon its shelves.
Opening from this was a bed.
room, so horribly gloomy with
it's black furniture and trappings that
we involuntarily shuddered on cross.
ing its threshold, and not one Of the
company would consent to occupy it.
There seemed something eerie in its
musty atmosphere and all confessedt to
feeling of relief when the door was
closed and locked behind US,
never to my knowledge to be reopened
during our day.
II am thus particular in describing
this part of the house because ofwhat
followed. For time all went we'll
We younger ones sailed on the bay,
picnicked in the wood back Of the
house and made excursions to various
points ofinterest. Every body seemed
ideally happy. The only jar was telt
by myself when Haydn Upton was toe