Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1894-10-05

X M 75' ~ " K ~ II M
and I, in the very presence OF God, "a
ing good upon earth through al
eternity, - we maydoing nothin
but good, ana enjoying an unsullied
undying love for each other such a
no mortal could experience. Do vo,
not understand, She cried, clutchin,
! my shoulder, ''that the hand of Coz
may have been in my refusal and il
your friends death? Who arc YOU
that, having never seen the light, pre-
tends to know?"
Fearing in my reason that she wa.
mad, bnt feeling in my heart that
stood within the presence of one of
those awful mysteries which Provi
dence1discloses to the very few only
to whom it has been given to under
(, stand them. j made no protest. TO,
my tongue had lost it's offices and nv
| purposes were astray. l had known
that this strange girl had aelvcd dee,,
| 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 I
felt that She ought to have received
compassion; and sometimes I had
wondered if really there might not be
inortals SO strangely endowed but at
TINS luncture grave, gray man en-
tered the room. had seen him be-
fore, and had heard much about him.
he was Il famous medium" whom
some people feared and others ridi-
cuicd. 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 MS man and wife,
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
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 We're asked and answered,
my friend responding through the
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
or the tender exchanges
Of speech between husband and
wife which followed the marriage: /
nor do deem it good taste to express |
Any opinion on the subject, preferring /
merely to report what l saw and |
heard. But | cannot refrain from
'aying that the look Of womanly !
'Weetness and happiness in Norma's !
ace surpassed in simple beauty and |
purity all that had ever seen in the |
aces of brides who had married living
nen. The light of heaven shone in
Ter glorious brown eyes, and ''peace
hat passeth understanding" sat like
coronet of pearls upon her brow.
After it was all over the grave man
laced his hand upon her head:
My sister," said he, ssthis has all
'een the work of the Most High. The
lght in your eyes tells me that hence
orth you can communicate with the
.eparted; this viii bring you in con-
tant companionship with your spirit
usband; and, aided by the advice
fhich his now superior wisdom will
nablc him to give you in your work
or the good OF humanity, you will
ecome one of the great and good
omen of the world
Still will express no opinion but
ow strangely has it all come true!
orma fknown by no other name) is
'-day one Of the most famous and
ideIy loved of the noble women who
ave given over their lives to the
snetitof humanity. I saw her last;
few years ago, but the strange scene
, my dead friends bedside was not
cntioned. Her brown hair is gray
& now. but there is still in her beau {
full eyes the ineffable light which /,
one in them that night. Her sweet ]
,ss and grace are matchless, and the ;
eatest regret of my life is that s
mot be always near her, to sit hum
Y at her feet and hear the words of {
ntle wisdom and unbounded COM {
ssion which fall from her lips.