The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-04-07
doctrine of reincarna-
ton" said DR.. Phileas Inn
manuel to Tarrant and my

always Deen neio Dy advanced thinkers
In every civilized community. Though
I am Greek, may say, believe with
out contradiction, that the ancient
Greeks were the most shining ex-
ample Of civilization, that the
world has ever seen. 1t was
taught them by Plato and Py-
thagoras, the latter having evidently
brought 1t from India and the former
having studied it in Egypt. The Mys-
teries of Orpheus made the belief more
common among the religiously in
clined. Plotinus tells us that all the
world held to it about the time of our
Lord. And Christianity itself is based
on it."
But surely, doctor, the gospels do
not teach reincarnation," interposed
Tarrant-
81 maintain the contrary" said I'm
manuel. Though our Lord frequently
said that he spoke in parallels, that
certain things must be concealed, 1t is
impossible to read the Gospels with
out coming to that conclusion. Is 1t
not clearly stated in the seventeenth
chapter of st. Matthew that John the
Baptist was the reincarnated Elijah?
Yet" he continued, this doctrine
is too immensely dangerous ever to be
allowed to come into universal accept
ance. Even in India the masses have
but dim understanding of it. For
consider the lives of most of us, the
wrongs that are done, the friendships
that are broken never to be cemented,
the tragic failures, the sense of world
WEAKNESS that comes upon most of us
In middle life; well, IL memory per-
sisted, or If we knew assuredly that
at some distant epoch we should take
up our lives again. what incentive
would we have to make our exits
gratefully and to repair, as best we
can, our faults?
yet there are many recorded in
stances where memory does persist,
and shall relate one of these to you.
Here is a case where love was so
intense and the resolution for reunion
so strong that it was brought to sue
cess, and because that resolution was
unwise the result was not wholly sat
isfactory. Does either of you know
Field. the author?"
THE man who wrote The Trans
gressors? asked Tarrant Il met
him once. believe, years ago. A
cheerful sort of fellow with a fine
sense of humor?"
YES" answered Emmanuel. "a well
poised man In every sense. But The
Transgressors which is his last book
published, is not the last he wrote.
His latest novel was held back from
publication by the advice Of Morton
and James. They said it was too
fanciful, that it would impair the sale
of HIS more serious works. The plot
is laid in Atlantis. that ancient CONT
nent which. as Plato tells us. sank in
to the sea thousands Of years before
the dawn OF recorded history. And
the astonishing thing about 1t is that
1t L. not a fanciful work at all-it Ia
record OF experience"
How can one tell thatr asked Tar
rant
because" answered the doctor,
Field wrote that book By automatism.
You know what mean. believe II ID
not an uncommon process: Stevenson
Is said to have written his finest short
STORY In the same way. Field told me
thar he would awake out OF q deep
sleep and sit down at the table. mot
knowing what he was going to write.
As soon M his pen touched the paper.
however, It would begin to scrihble Of
a furious rate. while Field. looking on
merely az o spectator, saw the story
ahapang itself without any knowledge
on his part Of how It would turn out.
There Il nothing mysterious about
that process. IL simply means that the
submerged part OF the personality,
that part which lies Just beneath the
level OF consciousness. assumes con-
troll OF the nervous and muscular appa-
ratus. II you have ever performed any
very tedious task. such NJ addressing
500 envelopes from o INST or names,
you win know what mean.
sBut such feats have q much deep
er meaning than most OF M sunpcse
In rnany cases It h actu1lay the past
incarnation of the writer, or m earlier
one. which ne depicts. Al sinstlnct.
they say, lis memory, and fnany Of our
dreams are meTnory too. Some day
we shah remember Everything and 1t
the puzzles together; but that win be
ages hence and n . different world.
~FIeld fell IN love with his heroine.
Her nameswas Lota; she was a daugh-
ter OF priest or the river god. des-
tined to be q temple virgin. The hero
OF this weird story loved her. their
love was discovered. and both were
put to death, executed upon the sacri-
hciai altar. so much for the theme.
But the wealth Of imagery. the realism
az tie story overwhelmed me when /
read Il knew at once that memory
.alcne coald have given such store OF
treasure 10 the world. And sfferward
/ d1scovered fhst much OF the dsscrip-
tion tallied with ! strange account Civ
q ~ tke Popcl Vah - sscred book
4 The Guztsmslans.