The Washington herald., 1915-02-21

]
a whirling disc of luminous glittcring,
and now to one minute disc of hazv
light. In little while it would shrink
to point, and at last would vanish
altogether
Suddenly feeling came back to me:
feeling in the shape OF overwhelming
terror-such a dread OF those dark
vastitudeS as no words can describe,
a passionate resurgcnce OF sympathy
and social desire. Were there other
souls. invisible to me as | to them,
about me in the blackncss2 or was
indeed, even as ! felt, alone Had
! passed out OF being into something
that was neither being nor not-beingo
The covering OF the body. the cover
! ing of matter had been torn from
me, and the Authorizations of compan-
ionship and security. Everything was
black and silent. had ceased to be.
was nothing There was nothing.
save only that inhnitesimal dot OF
light that dwindlcd in the gull
strained myself to hear and see, and
for a while there was naught but in
finite silence. intolerablc darkness,
horror, and despair.
Then ] saw that about the spot OF
light into which the whole world OF
matter had shrunk, there was faint
glow. And in a band on either side
OF that the darkness was not absolute.
| watched it for ages. as it seemed to
me, and through the long waiting the
haze grew impcrceptibly more dis
tinct. And then about the band ap-
pcared an irregular cloud of the faint
est, palest brown. ! felt passionate
mpatiencc; but the things grew
brighter so slowly that they scarce
seemed to change What was unfold
ing itself? What was this strange red
dish dawn in the intcrminablc night
of space?
The clouds shape was grotcsque.
1t seemed TO be loopcd along its low
or side into four projecting masses,
and, above, it ended in a straight line.
What phantom was it, felt assured
| had seen that figure before; but |
could not think what, nor where, nor
when it was. Then the realization
rushed upon me.
1t was clcnchcd hand. I was alone,
in space. alone with this huge,
shadowy hand, upon which the whole
universe of matter lay like an un-
considered spcck of dust. 1t seemed
as though ] watched it through vast
periods OF time. On the forehngcr
glittercd a ring; and the universe
from which | had come was but a
spot OF light upon the rings curva-
turc. And the thing that the hand
grippcd had the likeness OF a black
rod
Through a long eternity | watched
the hand, with the ring and the rod,
marvtling and fearing and waiting
hclplcsslv on what might follow. 1t
seemed as though nothing could fol-
low: that ! should watch forever. see
ing only the hand and the thing it
held. and understanding nothing of
its import. Was the whole universe
but rcfracting spcck upon some
greater Being Were our worlds but
the atoms OF another universe. and
those again OF another. and so on
through an endless progression And
what was J. Was | indeed imma-
tcrial2 y vague persuasion OF body
gathering about me came into nv
suspense. The abysmal darkness
about the hand filled with impalpa-
bic suggestions. with uncertain, fuc-
tuating shapes.
Then. suddenly. came a sound, like
the sound OF tolline bell: faint. as If
infinitely lar: muitlcd, as though
heard through thick Swathings OF
darkness deep. vibrating reso-
nance with vast guliS OF silence be
tween each stroke. And the hand APP
pearcd TO tighten on the rod. And
| saw far above the hand. toward the
apex OF the darkness, circle OF dim
phOsphOrcscCncc, 4 ghostly sphere
whence these sounds came throbbing:
and at the last stroke the hand van
ishcd, for the hour had come, and I
heard noise OF many waters. But
the black rod remained as a great
band across the sky. And then
voice. which seemed to run to the
uttcrmoSt parts OF space. spoke, say
ing: There will be no more pain"
At that an almost intolcrablc glad
ness and radiance rushed in upon me,
and | saw the circle shining white
and bright. and the rod black and
shining. and many other things else
distinct and clear. And the circle was
the face of the clock, and the rod
the rail OF my bed Haddon was
standing at the foot, against the rail,
with a small pair OF scissors on his
fingers: and the hands OF my clock
on the mantcl over his shoulder were
claspcd together over tho hour of
welvc. Mowbray was washing some
hing in a basin at the oCtapOnaI