Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-04-06

OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON: FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL g. 1900
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

Observation-Disclosures
What an Eminent Writer Thinks Of Communi
cation with the Invisible World.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
An eminent divine recently avowed
his belief in the possibility of commu'
nicating with departed souls. He was
followed by two or more of his class
who made similar announcements oil
faith. 1t is difficult to understand
why these assertions should seem re.
markable, coming from students OF
the Bible-a book whose entire philos
fophy is founded upon spiritualism.
An orthodox young woman told me
that she believed the dead returned to
earth and spoke inspired words in
Bible times, but had never been al.
lowed to do so since then. She
seemed to think the Creators methods
of manifesting Himself were subject to
periodical fashions, and that spirit
manifestations were quite out OF date
since the times OF sacred history. But
the universe goes on unfolding itself
in very much the same manner CEN
tury after century; it is only the ideas
and habits of men which change.
However, to-day among the large
majority of religious minded people a
professed or secret belief in spiritual
ism" is almost universal. By spirit
ualism l mean possible communica-
ton with the dead.
Personally, after careful study and
experiment, I am convinced that such
communication exists much oftener
than even the believers are aware OF /;
but it rarely comes through paid me-
diums.
! Most of US who have set our heads
willfalIy to fellew seme absolutely
selfish impulse have experienced Pc
culiar loneliness and disappointment
when the goal was gained. This is be-
cause our guides cannot 60 with lis to
this goal and who has not felt the al
most material touch OF invisible arms
and wings when selfishness has been
overcome and the right road pursued?
1t does not seem to me that these
guides are the spirits OF our dead
friends. but rather beings who have
been delegated to look after us from
the hour OF our birth; divine nurses,
as it were; beings who have perhaps in
other incarnations and ON other
spheres been associated with our lives
mediums" have often in trance
given me messages which were said to
be spoken by the spirits of dead
friends, but / never found them to be
convincing. think many of these
psychic. people hear and see things
which are occurring in space about
us, and hear our desires and believe
they are in communication with
spirits of the dead when they are sim.
ply in touch with thought forces.
We are often asked why, if the dead
can come back at all, they do not fire.
quently return to aid, comfort and
protect the dear ones who remain
often to pass through the direst afflic.
tions and misfortunes.
This question have answered salts.
factorily to myself. We are pupils in
college; the dead are graduates gone
forth into the larger world. We may
write. telegraph and telephone them
back to US on rare occasions, to give
us their sympathy and assurances ol
their contiu ued regard; they may even
surprise us now and then by an unex'
pected visit. But were they to come
continually to assist us at every turn
and tell us the answer to every prob
lem, we would never develop our
characters, never acquire the educa.
ton we are sent here to obtain, and
they would not be able to 60 about
their Masters business.
If we develop the best, truest and
most unselfish qualities of our natures
We shall gradually be given the fore
sight and seership necessary to oui
own highest progress in this life
Then, if our dead have any message to
give us, they will find means of com
munication, and il we live absolutely
worthy of their association they will
come to us oftener than any medium
can bring them for the consideration
of a dollar.
| am convinced that the souls o.
the departed do sometimes, though
rarely, seek communication through
these mediums because we have moi
established our own spiritual wires
But these centrals" so mix the mes
sages with their own and our owl
thoughts and feelings that meagr'
satisfaction results.
i As study these experiences are in
teresting-no more; but it is through
the medium of our own souls we mus
look for absolute knowledge finally.
ERNEST Howell, who was for severa
years Superintendent of st. Paul.
Sunday school, at oakland, CAL, ha
, entered the dramatic profession
manager of a stock company. H
says: "I still believe in religion, an
, will ALWAYS do 80, but / see nothing in