Evening star., 1922-11-03
DO not for a moment suppose that


amid the constant rush and
pressure Of American life my
presentation of vital truth will
make any Immediate effect, save upon
those who were very specially ready
for it, But 1t will come later. To
every man there may happen the day
when the Doctor puts away his stetho-
scope. a,sArts his eyes. stammers out
that his duty compels him. etc. Then
in the next hour tnat man may think
of what I have told him of the vanity
of theological terrors. of the natural
sequence of events at death. OF the
placid prospect Of the hereafter if life
here has not been wholly material.
So also at that moment when he
waits in an agony of apprehension.
and there comes down the passage
the slow, reluctant step which bears
the tidings of death. once more after
the first shock of this teaching ana
he may steady his shattered life with
the words, We'll, that fellow said he
got his loved ones back. Why may
not II" 1t was Fenimore Cooper, the
novelist, who on his death bed said.
BLESS the Fox sisters for the peace
wh'.', now fenl'' What greater re-
WarO TO any tedcHeI ludh lho'' <A'Ao
~" 49, 'e-,ae,on oi any thihS
but pity for those who reject such
Q gift?
/ sometimes fear that these Won
derful manifestations are only tenn
porary glimpse, that the sullen waters
of materialism may submerge the lit
tie island of other-world light. In
that case it is more than ever neces-
sary that we take careful records OF
what occurs. There Is psychic change
all the time. Many material signs,
such as raps, which were once COM
mon are now rare. When the door is
opened the knocks cease. The ten
0ency Is away from physical signs
and toward more subtle and spirit
ual ones, automatic writing and the
like. Possibly, the physical signs may
cease altogether and remain as
wonderful incredible legend. like
those of the days of the Apostles. We
move slowly toward some definite
goal, but none of us can clearly see
what that goal may be. How little
Christ could have foreseen the de-
velopment of Christianity!
Goal Not Clearly Seen.
II He had visioned the whole pano-
rama, the bitterness, the bloodshed,
the futility, II would surely have
caused Him greater pain than any
thing that He endured in Gethsemane
The gentle Jesus contemplating the
lnQulSltlOn. SOulu Uc d WlucT
contrast than that?
No, we do not clearly see our goal.
But we can see enough to assure our
selves that it will be the greatest up
ward movement of human thought
and knowledge ever experienced, SO
that 1T will mark the definite end Of
the dark ages. But when? All the
omens say soon. And yet when one
reflects that Those of Caesars house.
hold" were Christians about the year
so. and that 1t did not reach Caesar
himself until 327, it makes one less
optimistic.
I have had little time for literary
recreation since / have been here, and
my reading has necessarily been
largely psychic, but it amused me to
read with care the two novels which
have been the largest sellers and.
therefore. the most popular with the
American public. These are Main
Street" and IF Winter Comes" L
think that the fact reflects great
credit upon the judgment of the
books. honest. conscientious and
artistic. Main Street" is difficult
reading. l fancy many a pedestrian,
like myself. has stuck half way down
the leading thoroughfare of Gopher
Town. But, none the less. it has en-
balmed forever a little middle western,
township. the exact image and type OF
10000 others in the great corn lands. II
the book is ever dull it is because the
town and the people are dull when
reproduced with such exact detail. 1t
is wonderful. faithful picture. like
the careful. realistic stippling Of some
old Dutch artist, where every loop of
lace in every collar must needs be
outlined. IF Winter Comes" Is very
different, for. though 1t incidentally
touches on the humors of an English
Gopher Town. 1t concerns itself less
with externals and more with the
spiritual development Of Mark Sabre,
the saint who never dreamed that he
was saint. for he was too sanity
to ever fancy such a thing. The
book rises to great heights and is
wonderfully English in atmosphere
and sentiment. which makes its COM
plete acceptance by Americans the
more pleasing. There is one passage.
the death of the old woman. Mrs
Perch, which is hardly to be matched
in modern literature and is the more
moving to me because l believe that
it is psychically true. A wonderful,
uplifting book. taking one back with
poignant reality through all that we
have gone through in these years of
fear and effort.
Psychic Group In Brooklyn.
1t was about this time. after our
return to New York. that we were
brought into contact with an extreme
ly interesting psychic group in Brook
lyn. They consisted of two profess
sional gentlemen of the highest
standing, whom / will call Mr.. Brady
and Mr.. Soames, for in this case, and
this case only. I have found it neces-
sary to use a pseudonym. Mr.. Soames
has a young and charming wife who
has suddenly developed strong me-,
diumistic qualities. which 1 was ask ed
to observe. We sat in dim light the
husband taking a rapid record Of all
that passed, so that 1 have verba-
tim account before me as 1 write. The
lady falls into a semi-trance and talks
slowly in a deep, level voice, the into
nation never varying. AS she speaks
1 observed that her hand moved as II
she would have written the word au-
tomatically IL her tongue had not ut
tered 1t. 1t was curious scene. the