New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-27
"H|CH GODS" TAKE
FLYER IN LITERATURE
Passaic Woman, Inspired by
Egyptian Scarab, Writes
40,0O0-Word Novel.
WILLIAM T. STEAD HELPED
Mrs. E. S. Billings, Author OF
Psychic Marvel, Tells Weird
Tale of Spirit Intimidation
Which Resulted in Book.

Kipling once wrote story OF London
hank clerk for whom the Lords OF Lire
and Death" left the gates of memory
altar. The clerk never had chance 10
tell more than a snatch Of what ne re-
membered of his past lives. for as 500"
as he discovered the love of woman ''e
High Gods" shut the gates with Ddne'
Passaic is not in England, ana R'
Lords of Life and Death" are more con
siderate than those of whom hlpll''e
wrote Not only have they left the ga'es
altar for Mrs. f. S. Billings, OF NO.
High street. but they have held the door
-, ,orc enough for her 10 fetch In
AO,O00-word novel.
Nor did their favors cease mere NO
sooner was the novel of past existences
finished than a message came 10 NlrS
Billings from the spirit world telling her
10 take the book to the society lot
Psychical Research, Room DO IN the
Tribune Building She gave the manu-
script 10 Richard II. Greaves, who has
investigated her story and believes II Is
true.
Mrs. Billings is the middle aged wife OF
a travelling salesman. She knows ho
Latin or French nor anything OF bSyP'
eYcept what she might have CLEANED from
once witnessing a moving picture version
20 ,.Ar+on,, and Cleopatra"' Her book,
nevertheless. deals intimately with life IN
ancient Egvpt. describing in great detail
the manners and customs of the people
Latin and French quotations ABOUND 0ne
can translate not one of them. In Only
one respect does the TRANSMISSION OF t"e
story from the spirit world seem 10 nave
been faulty. Many of the words In the
novel are misspeled.
Advice from Stead.
The High Gods" made allowance for
this also. Mrs. Billings says she mas &c
ceived a message from William 1 o'eau
advising her to take the book TO ma"
who would make the erring letters Kno"
their proper place.
Mrs Billings had never been interested
in any phase of spiritism until the III
spiration came TO her to write the move
of the four cycles. She attributes hei
lnspiration to an Egyptian scarab WHICH
she found in a trunk while rummaglhE III
the attic Of her home in Jersey Inv
trunk contained various Oriental ouus anu
ords which had come to her from al
aunt who had married an English Official
In Eevpt. Although she has been through
the collection several times, she does not
remember ever having seen the scdiao
Until this particular search.
AS soon as she picked 1t up Mrs' ID"
unzs says. she had vision OF the SPHINX
and the Pyramids and other remains %
ancient Egypt which she had never seen
The vividness of the vision frightened her
and she dropped the scarab IL sun III
spired her with fear and after putting II
a. q tomato can she buried can and scarsp
,,rder a peach tree in the orchard. Al
r,oet immediately the luck of the mouse
% R,,lines turned. Nothing prospered but
the neach tree. Previously IT had peeh d
neach tree only by courtesy. Tor II hau
horne no fruit Mrs. z. 1. bryan anu
.v,is Allen. neighbors on either side OF
~ billings are willing 20 give tesu-
,,o,,,. IN the peach trees sudden aggres-
sIveness.
Dies Up Scarab.
An abundance Of fruit did not compeh-
ssta Mrs. Billings for other mistortuhes'
and she at length dug up the SCARAB I'M
mediately she experienced an over"neii'i
ing desire to write novel. She pia0eu
the scarab on desk beside ner anu SCI
m work. Words flowed with renarh"o'e
facility. but each day when she hao CUM
,leted her stint from the spirits the su-
w. copld not remember single Inc
o,hiob she had written. Mrs. Billings was
.hsorbed In the book for she was III inc
sana position as any other reader anu
did not know how il was coming out
The Latin and French phrases bothered
her and she was obliged to take them 10
a friend for translation. Here ana theie
- H. ,ovel were snatches of poetry from
hsrds of whose work she had never heard
As we'll as one or two poems WHICH hia'
have been of her own making as she mas
not been able TO trace them to an! o'ier
source.
The novel is in four cycles. The hrst IS
laid in ancient Egypt the secohu III
Britain in the time of Claudius Cfesar'
the third in the England Of Richard ana
the last in England of to-day. Roughly
a thousand years elapse between each
cycle. and II takes just so long Tor the
characrsrs 10 come back TO realization
OF themselves as cosmic entities. the
hero remains the same in every cycle
although his name changes TO meet the
requirements of the time. The heroine is
also constant not only In heart but IN
hair as we'll which remains red, shot
with gold" throughout the fun three
thousand years
First Hero Phoenician.
First Of all, the hero is a prince of
Phunicia He goes on a mission TO fetch
home a bride for his uncle. King Hiram
Of Tyre. on the vessel he meets Greek
slave girl, who is to be his fate. The
princess falls in love with the man from
, Ph9nicia and orders sorceress 10 cast
spell on the Greek woman. fortunately,
the seereSs is prophet OF ohiy mean
ability, the direct ancestor perhaps Oh
those who yearly pick the Giants In the
produce a spell by the force OF which the
lovers can never be united until chariots
so without horses and men ny Ike bras.
Both witch and princess inquired that
this would be about all for the analrs OF
the slave girl and the Phenician. AS
patter OF fact, IL merely put the lovers
70 the trouble of Withdrawing the Wed-
oing invitations and substituting the sec
ono Friday in June three thousand years
later. Hero and heroine are separated
ana finally part. after making an appoint
ment for the next cycle I'm the wilds OF
britain. Here again they find difficulty
~ meeting and fate is still unbnd in the
une Of Richard /, though Robin Hood