The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-30
SPIRITUALISM,

NufcO 1Ortn III tue lOliVNinE MtAN-SANheAl
by Francis Gerry Fairfield;
NY body slept stood and studied long
The set white lips. All things to me did
seem
AS unto one who wakcns from a dream
Around the bed they talked In voices low
OF things that were as though / dreamed
Nv wife sat weeping by. bent and kissed
Her brow, her deep brown hair and pallid
Her tear-stalned eyes and the velvet finger.
tips
That, ID my fever-dreams had spelled the
pain
with soft and magnet influence from my
tortured brain.
They spoke Of me as IL one Just dead
saw their shapes ms phantoms; and could
hear
Their m1rmured tones-as with the inner
One hears sometimes, the yet unspoken
thought
mat stirs within the brain, But stnl is
uttered not.
Ali things that real things had been be.
fore
solid OPAQUE now pcllucid; and, like
the shadows.
Cleft asunder with the hand
And ] could pass through stone and NOR
AS though 'twere but a thing of yapor-
] whispered in her ear. She started not.
Nor seemed to hear me. Were her senses
numb
with pcw,made woe? Or was my utterance
dumb
To human ears? drew a deep deep slgn
In vainno answering look sudused her
lovely eyes.
BY slow degrees, upon my senses came
4 world Of new realities and ! saw
of -
While forms whose loneliness all earthly
things transcribed
lowered DER me on extended wings
A strange. strange impulse through my
being stole
\ seemed as one who, until then. had been
Encystcd long cold stone statue in;
soft. sweet, mystic life-pulse trembled
through
My limbs. saw not, heard not, thought
not; only knew.
Yes. knew. And outer senses needed not.
Soft notes Of music seemed to stir and
with vague pulsatlon through me; yet were
was as one whose being has been set
To melody; that, once heard, none ever
can forget,
Like things OF mist were solid rocks ana
Like things of mist the shapes of living
The universe was peoplcd DER again.
So, through the outer world Of matter, ran
A world whose beauty Is intangible 10 man.
Bewiidored in thoueht-Ike one in
trance,
or one who threads by night some lone
Vague and uncertnln-wo ndcring-I stood
one Ike an angel took my hand and said,
Like thee. I am the soul of one but lately
dead"
And how wondrously does this view or
passing onward differ from those held up
Tor my consideration when a child was
consolingly referred to "the dark river Of
death" which ! must cross. because was
'born In SIM and somehow was made to
feel that was responsible for being so
born. on the other side of this beauteous
stream / was sure to he met by a fierce
judge who would demand an account of
every secret thought; for the thinking Of
which, II any failed to please him, should
be condemned to eternal punishment In a
lake of fire and birthstone. Comforting
was II not? Which might we naturally
prefer? The CORNER, with many added
characteristics tending to allure the soul
heayenward, Is taught by our grand and
molly faith. SpirituuIism: and ciHdlv Ma
learn II, for, while the old orthodox picture
could not well do less than awaken in n
enid mind AS Il fell asleep visions of all
conceivable horrors. comforting and
strength-renewing, for the .llttle form to
grow Drauteous upon while uuconSci ous
Splrtuaism beaches that when the weary
one IS ready TO close mortal eyes in the
last sleep he Is gently laid upon the conch
as "A loving mother places her slpoping in
1dnt TO rest the released soul awakinr In
happy land of loneliness more cntrauCing
thah any dream could hC. Have we any
knowledge that This is true9 DO we know
aught OF our beloved faithf Let US con
Without speaking one word against any
religious movement which might to many
prove stepping stone toward more eXnltcd
spheres ! am yet led quito often to com
pare the prevalent condition of what il
meant for religious Thought among the
masses, to the spectacle of the man or
whom 1 read not long since being so
moved with establishment at his own wis.
uom, that ne lnyoluntnrlly raised his hat
10 MS own shadow whenever he CHANGED
10 see IT, Many latter-day worshippers OF
cfeeds aud dogmas stand so much In awe of
perceiving that anything awe-inspring may
possibly exist outside themselves i
formed the acquaintance of woman IL
Few years ago who posed ms wiser than
the average, and Il leader OF ethics general
~ in her somewhat limited sphere of ac-
ZION. Converse, somehow, turned upon
the question of politics. and. taking my
part in Its march, lcd me to state my ad-
hercnce TO democratic principles. She was
umnzed, and swift to say 50. | proceeded
10 inquire why she was a republican? what
constituted the difference between the two
parties? What principles they first sprang
ifomI etc, etc. y very brief examination
OF this order disclosed her utter Ignorance
of all political science, and the only reason
she was able TO offer for having a political
bias at all was because her father had
been republican. Later the unfortunate
subject OF equal suffrage was Introduced
Turning to me she said: 81 suppose YOU
belong TO this uprising also | pleaded
guilty, and whereas she had been amazed
before she was now horrided. I strovc 10
defend my unwomanly o. position through
the old "survlval-of- thetttest" argument;
that inasmuch as when God commenced
creating animals, He made the lower orders
first, proceeding to higher and higher types
consummated the last grand act of creative
power, hence 1t seemed TO me she was
qualified to assume some OF llfeS most i'm
portant responsibilities With a look OF
blank surprise she said: "Why, | didn't
know God made the lower animals hrst."
] gave 1t up and retired. defeated by ig-
nOrance Within the last few days, how
ever, good Presbyterian friend undertook
to prove that, being Sprituallst,
was outside the fold. l commgnccd asking
him questions, also, only TO discover that
be did not know how many articles OF
faith or how many sacramcnts his clurch
owned: did not know its origin or history
why Its name, nor, Indeed, was he In the
east equipped with any OF the knowledge
81. Paul must have meant when he admon-
shed his followers to be able TO give
eason for the faith they proclaimed; and
was constrained TO agree with the prophet
Hosea when he said My people are de-
troyed for lack of knowledge"
tlur subject, "Spiritualsm-Its Source,
. ~ - L.. Hl..a.. 81. fna