The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-07

turned 10 me ana again 8LOO1t DG1OEG
me, regarding me with those blazing
ayes, from which shown a light not Of
this earth.
81 have sent" said she, ''for priest
Of my faith, who has power both to
SummOn the departed and to unite the
dead and the living in holy wedloclr.
Your friend can be my husband now,
his abode somewhere, everywhere,
but with God always; my abode here,
1ntil such pleasant time as God may
id me Of the gross flesh and the
grosser qualities which bear it COM
pany, and then-and then-we shall
dwell together forever, my husband
and I, in the very presence Of God, do
ing good upon earth through all
eternity, IL we may-doing nothing
but good, and enjoying an unsullied,
undying love for each other such as
40 mortal could experience Do you
not understand . she cried. clutching
my shoulder, ''that the hand of God
may have been IN my refusal and IN
your friends death2 Who are you,
that, having never seen the light, pre-
tends to known
Fearing in my reason that she was
mad, but feeling In my heart that
stood within the presence of one of
those awful mysteries which PrOvi-
dence disclOses to the very few only
to whom it has been given to under
stand them, I made no protest, for
my tongue had lost its offices and my
purposes were astray. / had known
that this strange girl had delved deep
into the secrets of the after life and
Of the unknown conditions which en-
compass us in the flesh; had known
that she had steadfastly pursued her
course in the face of ridicule, when
felt that she ought to have received
compassion; and sometimes had
wondered if really there might not be
mortals SO strangely endowed-but at
this juncture grave, gray man en-
tered the room. I had seen him be-
fore, and had heard much about him.
He was a famous medium" whom
some people feared and others ridi-
culed. Norma introduced us
my friend" she said, laying her
hand upon his arm, summon the
spirit of my lover, whose body lies
there and make us man and wife. D"
Sister replied the grave man,
gently, docs he wish to marry you?"
HE did in the flesh, brother. We
loved each other. If he does not wish
to marry me he will inform you; but
I know that now, since his passing to
the other life has cleared his vision
and made him understand my heart,
he loves me infinitely better than be-
fore. and will gladly marry me- His
friend, who sits here, will witness the
marriage"
Then by rappings and other devices.
the medium $50 they both believed)
brought back the spirit of my friend.
Questions were asked and answered,
my friend responding through the
mediumship of the grave, gray man
$50 he declared), that he loved Norma,
and desired more fondly than ever to
marry her. 1t would be tiresome
to repeat the words of the
marriage ceremony (Which was
performed), or the tender exchanges
of speech between husband and
wife which followed the marriage;
nor do I deem it good taste to express
any opinion on the subject, preferring
merely to report what 1 saw and
heard But 1 cannot refrain from
saying that the look of womanly
sweetness and happiness in Norma's
face surpassed in simple beauty and
purity all that had ever seen in the
faces Of brides who had married living
men. The light Of heaven shone in
her glorious brown eyes, and a peace
that passeth understanding" sat like
a coroDet of pearls upon her brow.
After it was all over the grave man
placed his hand upon her head:
ssMv sister, said he, ''this has all
been the work of the Most High The
light in your eyes tells me that hence
forth you can communicate with the
departed: this will bring you in con-
slant companionship with your spirit
husband; and, aided by the advice
which his now superior wisdom will
enable him to give you in your work
for the good of humanity, you will
become one of tbs great and good
women Of the world"
Still I will express no opinion, but
how strangely has it all come truei
Norma Clxnown by no other name) is
to-day one of the most famous and
widely loved of the noble women who
have given over their lives to the
benefit Of humanity. l saw her last
a few years ago. but the strange scene
at my dead friends bedside was not
mentioned. Her brown hair is gray
ing now, but there is still in her beau
tiful eyes the inefable light which
shone in them that night Her sweet
ness and grace are matchless, and the
greatest regret of my life is that I
cannot be always near her, to sit hum
bly, at her feet and hear the words Of
gentle wisdom and unbounded com
passion which fall from her lips