The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-10-02
The Other Life.

sooner or later for each Of Us and
ust 7r asiato another 'ife IL 10 won
derful how little we know regard
ing that life and how small is our in
terest in the subject. For some rea-
son OF its own, which need not par
tioularly concern us, the Society of
Physical Research has sent out thous-
ands Of circulars to representative
people with the request that the ques-
tions asked therein be candidly sd
swered and the replies returned to
the president Of tho society. Tho
following are some Of the questions:
II. Would you prefer to live after
death or not2"
"2. Do you desire q future life,
whatever the conditions may be2
"3. Would you be content with
life more or less like the present one2
-. Can you say what elements in
your life, if any, call for its perpetu-
ity?
IS. Do you feel that the question
OF future life is of urgentimportauce
to your mental comfort?
1t is said that more than two thous-
AID answers have already been receiv-
ed; but unfortunately they are to be
treated as strictly confidential, SO
that it is impossible to form any con-
ception Of the real feeling of the
writer's on the above most important
topics, interesting as it would be to
know how the majority Of men and
women feel about them. There is
alse another reason why the truth
would be difficult to find out; vhich is
that 80 few would answer them in
absolute sincerity. Deny it though
we may, there is certain amount of
conventionality in, religion, just as in
almost every other phase of civilized
life, and the average person no more
ventures to outrage it by uttcrance or
behavior than he would to fly in the
face Of social conventionalities. For
instance, we do not believe many per.
sons would answer the first question
by saying they did not care to live
after death; nor question the fifth by
a negative reply; and yet, in their
lives there may De no indication that
they have the slightest interest in the
matter, unless when death stares them
in the face aud it becomes Of vital
Importance to them. With too many
of us not only the evil, but the good,
of the present day is sufficient unto
itself, and we take no thought Of the
morrow. There is nothing more diff
cult than to rid ourselves Of conven-
tionality in religious things, for it is
SO ingrained in our speech that it
hides our true sentiments not only
from our neighbors, but from our
selves. We make certain professions
as matter Of course; we say believe
this or that, and we condemn our
selves as vile sinners, but too often
allthis is words and nothing more. In
our innermost hearts we have given
the facts but little consideration, and
we in reality have quite good opinion
OF our own character and merits.
When anyone who is very promi-
nent in the land, in sooiety, OF in our
immediate circle Of friends is sudden.
ly called away, it brings the subject
Of . future life home to US for little
while, until the cares szd pleasures os
the present world again Danish refec-
tion. One moment here, the next in
eternity-in whatever there is beyond
dea.i,-how much preparation had the
soul made for the tremendous change?
How many Of its interests, hopes, as
pirations was it able to carry with it
into that unknown sphere? All
through the earthly. life the body and
its desires and material wants is al
ways our first consideration; we can
not neglect il if we wcald, and the
struggle to provide for it so constant
and eugrosaing that We have hardly
time to learn whether we have soul
or not; certainly not to become in any
great degree acquainted with it. But,
when at death the body is left be-
hind and the soul alone enters that
other world, what will be its occupa-
tions there; how well will it be adapt
ed to its environment?
A person who contemplates visiting
a foreign land usually makes some
preparations for it by studying the
language, reading about its history,
political condition, the manners and
customs of its Inhabitants and the
score of subjects that will help him
to understand what he sees and hears
n 4