The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-22


room TO another. swiftly as the
soul passes from time TO eternity,
the intelligent part of Lucien
passed over a scarlet path to a new
land-a land with vegetation of soft.
rosy color and skies of ale gold and
emerald. A land where the pyramid
! seemed 20 be natures ideal form, all
vegetation striving TO reach it, from
the seeds on the moss-like grass to
trees mighty as CheoDs inverted. The
| clairVoyant perceived that even roots
| took that form. He saw no animals
He travelled inconceivable distances in
second of time. and observed, with
| the perspicuity of the bodiieSs, many
mysterious things. He saw great cities
in which there were moving objects
that looked like people walking. He
| found it impossible to approach these
places. for some invisible cause pre-
vented. and he could make no more
progress against it than an insect can
against a gale of wind.
Finally, after many of these failures,
| he saw in the distance a place where
building seemed TO be going on and
host of shining creatures moved bus
lily about. Lucien endeavored to draw
near. and succeeded. In fact, the force
that had before impeded, not gently
impelled him forward.
A cluster of enormous buildings lay
in the center of a plain. The body of
each house resembIed a great cylinder
lying uDon the ground. Graceful pro-
jections and airy ornaments gave many
of them the appearance of stipend
ously large brilliant insects. Others
were of cylinders so combined as to
present geometrical figures, the tri-,
angle being especially prominent. The
buildings were all of a luminous rock
thickly studded with gatherings points
n Oh daz al htr hait
magnificence and their harmonious
but mighty proportions. The plain was
bordered on two sides by wide streams
of opalescent liquid, flowing in straight
lines parallel 70 each other, toward
regions unexplored by Lucien.
In one spot many beings were busy
with the erection of a building that
promised to be grander than any of the
others. Lucien was amazed to see that
the inhabitants were much like men in
form. but finer. The difference con-
sisted in a superior delicacy and SYM
metry of form, an increase in the size
of the head and of the brightness of
the eyes. They had no hair, but their
heads were enveloDed in a soft yellow
radiance like the haloS of saints. Every
form was enrobed in a network of
oobweb-like threads of fiery brightness.
which proceeded from the radiant head
covering and was the only raiment.
Lucien could not tell whether this was
an emanation or an overshadowing
light, but it awed him so that he felt
great fear when one of the beings, who
appeared to be the director of the work
at the building, approached him.
BE not afraid said this person. in
a sweet voice. Lucien felt his fear dis
PEELED, and his amaZement was in
creased.
DO you speak earth's language
here?' he asked.
Il am of the seventh order" replied
the Marian, and your method of COM
municating with others must be known
to mel Welcome. mani You are the
only visitor your planet has sent us
in 5000 of its years. The last from there
spake in this tongue
He repeated some words unintelli-
gible TO Lucien. although the latter
knew Sanscrit. Hebrew, ancient Greek
and many modern languages.
Il was governor here then, but was
of only the sixth order. The visitor,
who was of the ninth, left an inscri9-
ton here which l hope to comprehend
after my next promotion. He passed on
to one of the outer stars"
The Marian led Lucien to a spot
where the wall of one of the buildings
was smooth. and showed him Two
words written there with gray pig
ment Luoien could not read the words
but he remembered that he had once
seen writing like it on a table sup
posed to be of antediluvian date.
His awe returned. who could the |
writer have been?' he said to himself, |
land what place is this?'
The last question was instantly
answered by his companion. This is
the Hall of Beginning" said he.
Those enrolled here are of the first or
birth order"
1T seems. then, that there are births |
here, though not Deaths, soliloquized |
Lucien.
The Marian smiled For the first !
time it was borne in upon Lucien's |
mind that between his conductor and |
the busy creatures about him was a /
vast difference. He was grander than |
they, and the halo about his head |
burned with a white luster.
The Marian did not interrupt these
thoughts. Lucien noticed that from
time TO time his companion turned his
head toward some portion of the group
of workers, and the radiance over his
head deepened, while a sort of flush
passed over the delicate covering of his
body. This was always followed by the
of new activity by those
builders toward whom the attention of
the director had been turned This in
dicated to Lucien that spoken language
was EOl uScu lOT- the communication OF
Other observations convinced |
him that most of the faculties indis-
pensable to man were superseded by
higher powers known to Mars.
The work in progress was most inter
esting to Lucien. Some of the work.
men We're moulding transparent ce-
ment into great blocks that looked like
concavo-convex lenses. Others COW
cred the surface of these blocks with
dust. Still others dug great
cleaning pebbles out of the ground,
which were quickly polished and set
in the blocks in patterns. The speedy
drying of the cement held theSn firmly
in place.
What are those beautiful bright
stones2" asked the visitor
In your world they are called dia-
answered the Marian
This reply so excited the man. that
he was flung out of his quiet condition
and lost his self-control- The shining
landscape seemed to recede and he
himself TO slip down an inclined plane
Of light TO an incredible depth.
Gently, gently" said a voice in his
ear. DO not struggle so. Now sit up
and tell what you have seem
The clairvoyant stared wildly. With
the return of bodily consciousness
came pain and a weakness like that of
face of the strange man was close 10
his own, and its expression DESTROYED
all hope that his misery would be re-
lieved till after the command was
obeyed, and Lucien complied
THE stones are there. them" ex-
claimed the stranger. 1T was no mere
dream of mine"