Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-05-09
THE NAHATNAS' MESSAGE

In the deepening twilight of an au-
tumnal evening, Doris Shirley paced to
and fro beneath the trees, awaiting with
feelings of doubt and uncertainty the
issue of the most momentouS event Of
maiden's lfetime-the interview between
her lover and her parent. At the sound of
advancing footsteps she paused, and as
manly figure reached her side it needed
but one glance at his face to tell that
his mission had been one of failure.
He has refused?" she uueried.
Eyes, love, absolutely and without
hope"
Did he say why he would not con-
sent?"
He said that you are aware thai his
wishes run IN another direction"
Then the daughters heart rose in hot
rebellion against her sire, and her eyes
flashed fire as she cried
He wants me to marry Joshua Bent
worth because he IS a Theosophist but [
will not. so there, He is nearly double
my age and | hate him. Ever since
father embraced Theosophy he has been
quite a different man. His whole heart
and soul is in it. and eyeryb body and
everything must be subseryienr to his
creed. Marry joshua. Never And
then in softer tones: You know, Sgd
ney, i'll eighteen months l shall be of
age. and then
Eighteen months, pet-What q long,
long time to wait"
rs it not better than never? Well, if
you do not care TO wait we will say
Goodby' now and she held out her
hand, pretending to be offended. The
result was, of course, as she anticipated.
She found herself encircIed by her lovers
urbi l-iS of tpiti
greeted her brow.
Wait, darling? I would wait twenty
years, but I could not live without hear
ing from or seeing you, and your father
forbade me TO do either after this last
interview And then, as in thousands
of similar prohibitions, they plotted as to
the ways and means by which they
might hold communication unknown to
the antagonistic parent.
week passed away: it seemed like q
month TO Doris; and she wondered how
she could endure eighteen months like it.
der father had told her of his interview
with Sydney, and requested that the
subject might never be mentioned again
and Doris had given him to understand
that under no circumstances would she
marry any one else. And now week
had passed-seven long, weary days
without hearing from or seeing Sydney
ana poor Doris, driven to desperation,
had been wondering how she might best
breach the subject to her father and try
TO induce him to reconsider his decision.
But the task seemed hopeless; she felt
that she might as we'll appeal to a stone
wall as to his stubborn will Was there
no way but to wait?
II
Mr.. Shirley was sitting in the big arm
chair IN his own particular sanctum, gen
orally referred to as the study" and
letting his thoughts run riot. First, there
s1Nd how
of his new hobby, and then, taking a
sadder tone, conjured up the vision of
his only child, whose dearest wish he had
refused. Why was she so self-wiIled ::
There was Joshua, well provided with
worldly goods, hail-fellow- well-met with
everyone, and, above all, brother Theos-
ophist; why could not the girl be salts
fed with her fathers choice? Then the
truant thoughts pictured Sydney Wallace
as certainly the better looking of the
two, nearer Doris, age, man of energy
and excellent character; but-and there
was the rub-he had been so openly and
audaciousiy honest as to express his dis
belief III the manifestations of Theoso-
ply, and SO he had sealed his fate.
1t was now quite dark. and Mr.. Shir-
ley rose from his seat, lighted the gas,
drew down the blind, and locked the
door. 1t was his custom to spend his
evenings alone with his books. and reach
ing a volume from its shelf, he drew his
chair to the table. and was soon absorbed
n new INVESTIGATIONS, theoretical and I'M
practicable.
After reading for some time, he came
upon 4 marginal note giving reference to
another work which necessitated visit
to the bookshelyes at the other end Of the
room. He soon found the passage re-
ferred to, and was about to resume his
seat when he uttered an exclamation of
surprise. and cast 4 frightened glance
round the room.
There on the pages of the book open
where &c had been reading, was some
thing which was not there when he left
the table. A little roll of paper. With
quivering hand and beating heart he
picked it up and unrolled it. Apparently
the paper was of foreign manufacture
and the characters on it. although Eng
lish, did not seem to be inscribed with
any of the materials in common use il
this country. With indescribable feel
Ings of wonder and awe he read:
Coercion is abhorrent to us. Vex thy
offspring no longer. 1t is our command
-Thibet, August 18th"
message from the Mahatmas in far
off Thibet, and dated that very day
Could there be trickery? he wondered,
and to place the matter beyond the
shadow of doubt. he made an eXhaus-
tive examination of the room and its
contents The window was fastened,
the door locked and the chimney closed
and there was no other opening in the
walls. Continuing the search on his
hands and knees, under the table, chairs
and couch, he covered every square inch
of the carpet and then rose, convinced
that the room contained no living thing
beside himself
And there on the table lay the indis
putable eTidence that time, space and