Produced by Bryan Ness and the Online Distributed
Internet Archive.)

[Illustration: C. G. Helleberg]

  A BOOK
  WRITTEN BY THE
  SPIRITS OF THE SO-CALLED DEAD,

  WITH THEIR OWN MATERIALIZED HANDS, BY THE
  PROCESS OF INDEPENDENT SLATE-WRITING,

  THROUGH
  MRS. LIZZIE S. GREEN AND OTHERS,
  AS MEDIUMS.

  COMPILED AND ARRANGED BY
  C. G. HELLEBERG,
  OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

    Life is real! life is earnest!
    And the grave is not its goal.
    Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
    Was not written of the soul.
                  --LONGFELLOW.

  CINCINNATI:
  1883.

  COPYRIGHTED, 1882,
  BY C. G. HELLEBERG.

CONTENTS.

                                                                    PAGE
  CHAPTER I.

  Introduction and Biographical Sketches of C. G. Helleberg,
  Madam Fredrika Ehrenborg, and Mrs. Lizzie T. Green                   1

  CHAPTER II.

  First Investigations with Mrs. Laura Mosser and Mrs. Cooper          6

  CHAPTER III.

  Remarkable Materialization Seance--Letters from Mrs. Ehrenborg
  describing Inhabitants of other Planets                             14

  CHAPTER IV.

  Madam Ehrenborg and others Materialize                              23

  CHAPTER V.

  Investigations by Mrs. Jennie McKee--First Letter from Emanuel
  Swedenborg and Communications from Polheim and others--Received
  five beautiful Flowers from Madam Ehrenborg                         26

  CHAPTER VI.

  Mrs. McKee passes away and her Spirit arranges her own Funeral      33

  CHAPTER VII.

  Investigations with Mrs. Green--Remarkable dark Trumpet Seance,
  at which I received a most beautiful Flower from my Son Emil
  and Miss Mary Muth                                                  36

  CHAPTER VIII.

  Sure Identity of my Father-in-Law--Madam Ehrenborg writes to me
  in Swedish                                                          40

  CHAPTER IX.

  Information of a Spiritual Marriage--The Wedding and the Wedding
  Tour to the Planet Mars                                             45

  CHAPTER X.

  Description of the Journey to Mars, and wonderful Information
  furnished by Madam Ehrenborg                                        54

  CHAPTER XI.

  Communications from Emanuel Swedenborg                             108

  CHAPTER XII.

  Communications from George Washington                              141

  CHAPTER XIII.

  Communications from my Son Emil about Ex-President Garfield--
  Greetings from Madam Ehrenborg--Letter from Rev. Goddard and
  Swedenborg's Answer                                                157

  CHAPTER XIV.

  Communications from President Garfield, Madam Ehrenborg,
  Governor J. D. Williams, President Abraham Lincoln, Judge
  Edmonds                                                            163

  CHAPTER XV.

  New Years' Greetings from many of my dear Spirit Friends and
  near Relations                                                     170

  CHAPTER XVI.

  A Prayer from Madam Ehrenborg                                      173

  CHAPTER XVII.

  Greeting from Horace Greeley, J. G. Bennett, and Henry J.
  Raymond to F. B. Plimpton, Associate Editor of the Cincinnati
  Daily Commercial                                                   176

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  Communications from Horace Greeley, Governor O. P. Morton,
  A. P. Willard                                                      180

  CHAPTER XIX.

  Communications from the Drunkard, a Miser, William Gailard,
  William Lloyd Garrison, Wilberforce, Tecumseh, a Suicide           187

  CHAPTER XX.

  Communications from Thomas Paine, Margaret Fuller, and Thanks
  of Spirits                                                         199

  CHAPTER XXI--APPENDIX.

  Mrs. Green's Medial History                                        204

  CHAPTER XXII.

  A Visit to Split Rock, Kentucky--Christmas Greetings from
  Ida to her Parents--Annie Winterburn to her Brother, John
  Winterburn, and his Testimony, and her Farewell to the Medium,
  Mrs. Green                                                         222

  CHAPTER XXIII.

  A Spirit peels a Banana, eats some of it, and divides the rest
  in four equal parts--Reports of Cincinnati Enquirer about
  Spirit Seances at Mrs. Green's                                     231

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  Extracts from each of two Funeral Discourses by Bishop Simpson
  and Rev. W. H. Thomas, D. D., with Conclusions of C. G.
  Helleberg                                                          239

ERRATA.

  Page  3, line 26, for most communications, read most of the
                    communications.
    "  24, line  7, for Mrs. Stebbins, read Mr. Stebbins.
    "  29, line 18, for are, read is.
    "  30, line 27, for their, read his.
    "  30, line 28, for them, read him.
    "  34, line  8, for was, read were.
    "  35, line  1, for this is, read these are.
    "  46, line  2, for me and my wife, read my wife and I.
    "  49, line  7, for Edward, read Edwin.
    "  50, line 15, for Guthof, read Gustaf.
    "  51, line 26, for thy, read the.
    "  57, line 16, for were, read was.
    "  60, line  6, for me, read us.
    "  60, line 26, for a, read the.
    "  63, line 21, for our, read the.
    "  68, line  8, for miscreants, read misdeeds.
    "  69, line  4, for Daniel, read David.
    "  69, line 31, for laws, read love.
    "  71, line 24, for nearly, read nearly a third.
    "  76, line 30, for ever, read ever surging.
    "  77, line  9, for of more, read of the more.
    "  77, line 30, for rivulet, read violent.
    "  80, line 27, for of, read and.
    "  82, line 13, for formed, read former.
    "  83, last line read, and out of the ambient.
    "  84, line 17, for then, read there.
    "  86, line  1, for mighty, read weighty.
    "  88, line 20, omit again regained, and read required.
    "  90, line 14, for glory, read misery.
    "  91, next to last line for when, read where.
    "  94, line 16, for constitutional, read constituent.
    " 100, line 26, for beautiful, read beautifully.
    " 101, line  5, for originated, read originating.
    " 107, line 18, for you, read your.
    " 109, last line, for question, read questioned.
    " 111, line 18, for figures, read pigmies.
    " 115, line 10, for needs, read needs but.
    " 120, line  6, for or, read are.
    " 121, line 14, for early, read latter.
    " 133, line 22, for unbeliefs, read erroneous belief.
    " 136, line 11, for hearsay, read heresy.
    " 147, line 28, for he, read the.
    " 157, line 22, for with, read by.
    " 165, last line, for you thought, read your thoughts.
    " 167, line 14, for nationalism, read rationalism, etc.
    " 174, line  4, for almighty, read mighty.
    " 174, last line for to, read through.
    " 180, line 24, for arises, read arise.
    " 183, line  3, for pacified, read purified.
    " 184, line 27, for subsequent, read consequent.
    " 187, line 25, for trifling, read toiling.
    " 200, line  5, for actuate, read actuates.
    " 200, line 23, for adapting, read adopting.
    " 210, line 30, for J. & J. W. Gaff, read T. & J. W. Gaff.
    " 211, line 14, for mission, read vision.
    " 211, line 19, for literary, read literally.
    " 221, line next to bottom, for assimilation, read dissemination.
    " 231, line  2, for bonana, read banana.
    " 240, line 21, for of, read to.

SPIRIT COMMUNICATIONS.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

The communications in this little volume, purporting to come from
disembodied spirits, came in the manner hereinafter stated, and all that I
had to do with them was to faithfully and to the letter transcribe them
from the slate on which they were written into blank memorandum books
which I procured for the purpose. Before laying before the reader the
_modus operandi_ of their delivery, I deem it proper that I should give a
brief outline of my own history, especially do I feel the importance of
this since I am little known outside of the circle of my immediate
acquaintances. It has always been my aim in life to live uprightly before
God and man, and as to the success of this noble purpose, formed in early
life, I may confidently refer to my neighbors, and many of the leading
citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio, with whom I have enjoyed an intimate social
and business acquaintance for nearly forty years. I do not know why I
should have been made the recipient and custodian of the truly remarkable
spirit communications contained in the following pages, except from a long
lifetime of honest endeavor to do right I was deemed worthy, and from the
additional consideration that the spirits interested in the work knew I
would cordially co-operate with them in laying the matter presented before
the world, and that, happily, I possessed the pecuniary means to do so.

I was born at Grafriset, near Fahlun, in the kingdom of Sweden, March 1,
1811, and have now passed my seventy-first year. At the age of sixteen I
entered the Swedish army, and at nineteen became a student at Upsala
University, where I remained for two years. After rendering military
service for five years, and passing a successful examination, I was
permitted to enter the civil service of my country. In the capacity of
land surveyor I served for over ten years, when a desire to personally
witness the workings of republican institutions induced me to make an
application to travel in foreign countries, which permission I obtained
for the period of two years. In 1844 I left my native land for the United
States, and in 1845 located at Cincinnati, Ohio, and soon thereafter
engaged in the art of daguerreotyping, and afterwards photographing, and
in the following year married Miss Annie E. Franks, daughter of Frederick
Franks, a leading and influential citizen of the city, who is still
remembered as the proprietor of Cincinnati's early famous museum. In
religion I was raised a Lutheran, but at the time (1879) of embracing
spiritualism and for thirty years preceding I was a devout and earnest
Swedenborgian. I commenced the investigation of spiritual phenomena in
1879, and soon became convinced of the sublime truths of the spiritual
philosophy.

As in the following pages the exalted spirit of Madam Fredrika Ehrenborg
imparts, among other things, marvelous information in regard to the
Planet Mars, of our solar system, it is deemed fitting that somewhat of
her history should be made known in this connection:

She was born March 15, 1794, in the Province of Wermland, in the kingdom
of Sweden, and at the age of seventeen married a highly esteemed nobleman,
Casper Isac Michael Ehrenborg. He left the body in 1823, and was at the
time Chief Justice of Sweden. Madam Ehrenborg was an enthusiastic
Swedenborgian, and she passed to the higher life in the Swedish city of
Linköping on the 20th of May, 1873. Her life in many respects was an
eventful one, and largely devoted to literary pursuits. She translated
writings on religious subjects from several languages into Swedish, and
wrote books and pamphlets in the interest of Swedenborgianism, and visited
England, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and France in search of materials
for her works. It was not my good fortune to have met this eminent lady
during her mortal life, but I happily enjoyed a truly instructive and
pleasant correspondence with her during the last three years of her life
in the form.

I commenced my investigations in September, 1881, with the celebrated
medium Mrs. Lizzie S. Green, through whose mediumship most of the
communications to follow were written. For ten months I had never less
than two sittings a week, and the largest portion of that time four per
week, and have had ample opportunities to study her true character. As the
result I am justified by the truth in proclaiming to the world my thorough
conviction of her honesty, purity and simplicity of character. Her
education, as I have been informed, was sadly neglected in youth, and she
has had few opportunities to improve in later years. She married the Hon.
Edward H. Green, of Aurora, Indiana, before her eighteenth year, and has
devoted her succeeding years until recently to the domestic duties of life
and to the raising of a family, of whom only one, a daughter, survives.
Her husband served with ability a numerous and intelligent constituency in
the Indiana legislature of 1866-7, and served recently and to general
acceptance two terms of two years each as Mayor of Aurora, Indiana, his
native city.

The communications of spirits contained in this volume were written by the
spirits with their own materialized hands, and the process was generally
as follows: A small stand of the ordinary kind in construction, covered by
a table cloth, was used, the medium placing with one hand under the
covering of the stand a slate on which was placed a small piece of pencil.
The other hand of the medium was continually exposed to full view, as was
also her entire form. Both double and single slates were used. We heard
the writing as it progressed, and when the slate was filled it would be
indicated by distinct taps on the slate and the dropping of the pencil.
The slate would be then taken out, and as the chosen scribe I would
faithfully transcribe the written matter into the book aforementioned, and
the slate would then be cleaned and returned under the stand, and in this
manner all the matter hereinafter set forth was produced. I have reported
it _verbatim et literatim_, without changing it in the slightest degree,
neither adding nor taking therefrom a single word. Each sitting would
occupy from one to two hours, and in broad daylight. I have taken occasion
to preface some of these communications with a few lines, by way of
explanation and to secure clearness of understanding in relation to them.

This volume is truly a book written by the spirits themselves, and
whatever merit it may possess, they alone are entitled to the credit, and
whatever of demerit, if any, they alone are chargeable and responsible. Of
one thing both the mediums and myself can truly avouch, and are willing to
solemnize with our oaths, namely, that we had nothing whatever to do with
the production of the communications except so far as we may have aided
the communicating intelligences by furnishing them with the necessary and
required conditions.

I launch forth the work not, however, without misgivings as to its
reception and fate in this age of incredulity and skepticism, and my only
hope is that it may be instrumental in doing good, if but only in a feeble
degree, which alone will be ample compensation for my time and labor.

CARL GUSTAF HELLEBERG.

_177 Auburn street, Cincinnati, Ohio._

CHAPTER II.

My investigations of spiritualism commenced with the excellent medium,
Mrs. Laura Mosser, now Mrs. Carter, through whose mediumship I had the
first slate-writing, August 31, 1879, at her residence, No. 253 Laurel
street, Cincinnati, Ohio, from my spirit friend, William Gailard, and my
dear son Emil. My truth-loving friend, Mr. S. G. Anderson, at my request,
introduced me to Mrs. Mosser, at her residence, where we both on a clear
Sunday morning, after we had some communications between a double slate
from Mr. Gailard and my son, saw a spirit hand between us, into which Mr.
Anderson put his handkerchief, which was taken under the stand, and
afterwards came out tied in three knots. It was written on the slate at
the same time that Mr. Anderson's two sisters and his brother John, who
all many years ago had passed away in Sweden, each of them had tied a
knot. During this occurrence we had Mrs. Mosser in full view, who was
rocking in a rocking chair, and the only part hidden was her right hand
when it held the slate under the small stand. From this remarkable result
I concluded to go on with the investigation, and had many interesting
communications, mostly concerning family relations, until the 8th of
December, 1880, when I became acquainted with that most respectable lady,
Mrs. Annie Cooper, who is a true and honest medium. Through her gifts I
had many wonderful manifestations, consisting of slate-writings and
materializations, etc. I will mention only a few. On the 11th May, 1881,
among other things which appeared on the slate was the following:

"Good morning, my dear friend. Across the deep I have communicated to you.
With great pleasure I accept the opportunity of still doing so. I am
anxious that all I hold dear should understand this phenomenon. Hope
lingers around me that I shall be able to make myself known as if on
earth. One thing I thank you for, the kind appreciation of a small tribute
of friendship I tried to bestow. Every day since I came here I have
learned something. Knowledge is not stopped by the change. My friend, many
persons think that when the change called death comes and the spirit is
released from the body, it becomes perfect at once. That is a mistake; we
come out of the earthly body with all the propensities which actuate us
while in it, and we come out of them only as we are educated and progress.
Oh, dear friend, I can see now that there are many human beings dazed at
the wiles of mistakes made by early education, instead of looking up to
something higher and brighter. Yes, man still asks, with prayerful heart,
what are his wants to be in the future? and why was he born? and why does
he die? Oh, why does man mourn over a law that was ordained for the
benefit of all mankind? Why tears fall when he stands where the form of
some loved one is laid? Is hope gone? Yes, because they know not where
they are gone and what they are now. No one should mourn at death, for
death is as legitimate as birth. Yes, no science, with all its bright
knowledge, has been able to penetrate this system or sphere peopled by
those who once dwelt as you do now. Oh, if suffering humanity could
realize these beautiful truths, it would remove every doubt and dispel
every fear that death transports man far away from earthly loved ones. My
dear friend, to you this knowledge has been like a gentle zephyr that
cools the cheeks on a warm summer evening. I am happy to be able to see
you in possession of these noble sentiments. Let eternal progression be
engraved on your banner and you will soar far above doubt and mystery,
that surround so many in earth life. Man no longer bows to an angry God,
nor needs a mediator to propitiate him. I am so happy to be able now to
enjoy and fully realize what I believed to be true, with but little
besides my own evidence and knowledge to convince me that it was a truth.
I have been reproved even for an acknowledgment, but all do not understand
alike. I was fully assured before my spirit left the physical habitation
for spiritual inheritance that I was surrounded by angels, kind and
loving, guarding and guiding me to a higher and better life. I passed
through as if in a gentle slumber, awakening to meet many bright faces,
yes, too many to number, that had gone before and landed safely on the
bright, celestial shore. Earthly views can not comprehend heavenly joys.
Oh, think of it, my friend, to meet those to whom you are bound to by the
ties of nature in early affection, never, never to part again, but to
dwell in the light of a harmonious atmosphere of love, surrounded by
angels and music from the bright realms above. There is no end to life,
the spirit is eternal, and as we travel onward we can look upward in hope,
for there is always something above. I will be able to communicate to you
on different subjects the next interview. Give my love to your dear lady.
I will now call on her, and we will yet meet, but not as strangers. In the
language of flowers, we remember in the sweet forget me not.[1] Adieu for
the present. Your most sincere friend,

    "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

This was the first communication between the double slate from Madam
Ehrenborg, and on the 19th of May she gave another one, as follows:

"Good morning, my clear friend. In love and justice for your kindness I
come this morning. I feel like writing on that subject, justice, for it
enters into the divine unfolding of eternity. Millions stand at the bar of
the great tribune waiting to hear their sentence pronounced. Justice
enters into the majesty of universal law. What generation can gather it
and hold it in their embrace? Yes, justice is the universal law, that no
age, no nation can control or hold in subjection. When they have gained
one step in the right direction they may then think they have gained it
all, but as we ascend the steps to that mighty throne of infinity we see
justice beyond the ken of hundreds of humanity that have passed away.
Justice is so unlimited we can compass only a part of it, according to the
knowledge we possess, and have cultivated the principal subject of the
development. No people or nation can make laws to govern any other nation
or people who can succeed them or figure on this planet. What can finite
man do to control the Infinite? Can he gather and control the winds and
the seasons as they come and go with all their powerful influences on the
globe? No; neither can he gather and control the developments of minds, or
subject them to any law that he may enact. History records the rise and
fall of empires; behold, they have all passed away; each gives place to
another form of government, better adapted to the wants and conditions of
the then existing humanity. Dear friend, the heavenly trees are filled
with divine fruit, whose beauty is reflected to earth. Truth is mightier
than man, sharper than a two-edged sword, and it will mow down every
obstacle in the way of progress. The spirit world is united in trying to
lay the corner-stone of a temple so large that it will contain the whole
human family. Oh, how grand when all can offer up the highest tribute of
love to the divine unfolding spirit, and receive the sacred knowledge and
love which shall bring humanity together in peace and harmony, then in
truth all will be free. It gives me renewed strength to see the new and
beautiful ideas floating about, spirit messengers wafted to earth,
blending with man, woman and child as they go forth clearing the pathway
to their eternal home, where all is love and harmony. The light of this
beautiful truth is fast dawning, and suffering mortals will awake in joy
to the light of it, and be crowned in the glory of the morning. It is not
hard for spirits to communicate with friends on earth, but often difficult
to have conditions. Man must have some spirituality in his soul before he
can realize the truth that his loved ones are waiting, willing to help him
upwards as they stand on the bright, celestial shore. Dear friend, I am
sure I am gaining power, and would be able to say a great deal in a short
time through this medium if no change of conditions come. I hope to help
you to do what you so much desire. I can go to my dear friends across the
water and help you by impressing them that all is true. Now I must
withdraw, but will be very happy to come again to you, and give you all
the knowledge I can. I am glad to see you so interested in learning what
can only be taught by those who have passed the sands of earth life, and
are happy exploring the unexplored field of life beyond. Good by, go on,
fear not, the course you pursue is right. Your true friend in spirit life,

    "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

On the 24th of May, from 9 to 12 A. M., the same highly esteemed spirit
friend wrote on the slate:

"Good morning, my dear friend. I greet you this morning, united with so
many of your loved ones. Your beautiful mother says it would not be heaven
if we were shut out from the knowledge of our friends in the form. No, it
could not be heaven if it made us selfish. I am glad you have reached that
part of life and find bright rays daily. Freedom brings its own reward,
and the light that has been given to you will enable you to have yours
while life lasts. You will never be bereft of friends on this shore. You
will have them in both spheres. Is it not grand to be able to understand,
and even more, to appreciate, this knowledge? Light is pouring in, and the
minds of men are becoming more active every day. Mankind are like hungry
children who want food; yes, so great do they crave the knowledge of the
immortality that it will take firm reasoning and true workers to supply
them. We rejoice, for we are sure that progress is rapid. Earth friends
often wonder what spirits find to do. If they could realize even half the
wonderful work that is going on, they would be astonished that spirits had
accomplished so much for the welfare of humanity. I am so happy my soul
expands in love. I feel I am young, and I am, for I am born again. I am
contented to have struggled so many years in earth life, for it has
brought me grand reward. All trials are worth the privilege and pleasure
we enjoy when we reach our spirit home. I can see now that it is no
hiding-place in man's true nature, and if they are not learned upon the
terrestrial planet, they will have to learn before they can become
celestial angels. Selfishness is cold and freezing, love is genial and
warms up the human soul, and thereby will promote its happiness. Let love
be cultivated by man, for it is a favorite flower, the flower of life and
the beauty of the soul, and by it humanity is renewed continually and
brought to the newness of life's beauty, truth, beauty and higher spheres
of eternal existence, and without it man can never understand or have any
conception of his heavenly home. Oh, if love were the ruling influence,
sorrow would be hard to find, heart aches would be nowhere felt. An early
writer said: 'If you can not love him whom you have seen, how can you love
them whom you have not seen and be beloved in return?' In loving one
another we love God, for God is love. His love is manifesting in man. Oh,
that it may be cultivated, and not destroyed. Dear friend, I feel I have
given you an introduction at least in my three letters of what I believe
would be a benefit to man if they could but understand how much depends
upon them, not alone for themselves, but for the welfare and happiness of
others. I will be able, as conditions are given, to write of my
surroundings in my beautiful home, where all is love and harmony, peace
reigns and all willing to submit to the ruling power. You have done more
good than you are aware of. It is the greatest workers that always feel
they are doing least. You send forth subjects that give new ideas to those
who read them, awakening interest without any desire on their part. As I
said before, if conditions are not interrupted, you will have much to read
and to write. I have said all on this subject that I can, but I am not at
a loss for something more to write about, for in spirit home how many
beautiful things that have never yet been talked about too glorious to be
enjoyed without giving the knowledge of their existence to our earth
friends! A circle surrounds you this morning of loved ones near and dear,
and your mother is cherished in loving kindness by children, children's
children. Emil is a bright spirit, and will be able to give much knowledge
to those who are a great deal older. Dear friend, I must withdraw and obey
the law that governs my comings. All looks well for you so far as I see.
No one can be really happy until their spirit is free to enjoy that
happiness which is permanent, for all earthly pleasures are but temporary.
Farewell for the present. In God's love may you continue your journey
until you arrive on the mount where no dark ravines can intervene your
happiness. Good bye for the present. Your sincere friend in spirit life,

    "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

CHAPTER III.

REMARKABLE MATERIALIZATION SEANCE--LETTERS FROM MRS. EHRENBORG AND OTHERS
DESCRIBING INHABITANTS OF PLANETS.

In the evening of the same day I was at a materializing seance at Mrs.
Cooper's, where the following persons besides myself were present: Mr.
Cooper, his wife, Mrs. Annie Cooper, the medium; Dr. Joseph R. Wittemore,
No. 50 Dayton street; John Winterborn, No. 19 Freeman avenue; Mr.
Oberline, Mr. S. G. Anderson, and Mr. Charles Wilhelm, all of Cincinnati.

First, Mrs. Cooper sat herself in full gas-light by the small covered
stand, under which was placed three bells, a walking stick, and my small
spring music-box, after I had wound it up. Soon after the spirits moved
the box up and down and put it on end during playing, which we could see,
because I put the box only half under the curtain. As soon as the playing
stopped, the box was taken entirely under and finally pushed out for me to
wind up. The bells were ringing and the walking stick was held up and
extended to all of us to take hold of, which we did, and the spirits shook
hands with us in that way. I had laid Madam Ehrenborg's photograph on the
table, and I expressed a wish that she would materialize, when on the
slate, which Mrs. Cooper held under the table-leaf, was written: "Good
evening, friends; yes, I am with you; I will try to appear; we are so
happy." The gas was now turned down, but not lower than we could see each
other right well, and Mrs. Cooper took her seat in a chair behind the
curtains stretched across a corner of the room, and soon after a lady
spirit greeted Dr. Wittemore, who, he said, was his first wife. His sister
also came and nodded to him. Then came a sister to Anderson and a sister
to Mr. Winterborn, together with his mother, who took a flower from him,
and nodded to him very cordially. A spirit lady did the same to Mr.
Wilhelm. Mr. Cooper brought now my music instrument, orgamina, from the
upper room and placed it before me and I played on it with the crank. Soon
after a lady spirit came, dressed in a white shining robe, and beckoned to
me, when Mrs. Cooper, who was not in a trance, invited me to come up to
the curtain where the spirit stood in the opening, and I asked if it was
my friend Madam Ehrenborg who died in Sweden, Europe, eight years ago, and
she bowed and nodded assent. Mr. Winterborn gave me a flower, which I took
and offered to Madam Ehrenborg, who took it, smelled it, and stuck it
under my nose to smell, and afterwards kept it. I expressed my gladness to
see her and she made graceful bows, which I answered with mine. I then
went back to the music instrument to play, when Madam Ehrenborg came out
again with a beautiful long piece of lace on her arm and wafted it to and
fro, and afterwards dematerialized before us. After that came a lady and
sat herself in the rocking-chair, and there dematerialized before us. Mrs.
Cooper took now a standing position in the opening of the curtain, when a
male spirit came out, stood beside her, and kissed her. When Mrs. Cooper
took her seat behind the curtain again a tall gentleman spirit came
dressed in some kind of a uniform, with a glittering star on his right
breast, and Mr. Winterborn offered him a nosegay, which he took and held
out with his hand, swinging his arm up and down, keeping time to the music
of the orgamina and that for a long time. As he came out the next time he
took hold of the rocking chair outside the curtain before him and swung it
over his head for a long time, and afterwards lowered it down to about a
foot from the floor, when he dropped it. At the same time we saw Mrs.
Cooper, who expressed her anxiety lest the chair might fall on her. Next
he placed himself at the opening of the curtain, when a lady spirit took
her place at his left side, and they kissed each other. Mrs. Cooper asked
for a glass of water, which Mr. Cooper went after, intending to give it to
his wife, but the gentleman spirit took it from him and gave it to Mrs.
Cooper, who drank the water out of the glass. The same spirit sat himself
in the lap of Mrs. Cooper and kissed her after he had placed a flower in
her hair. Mrs. Cooper was coughing, and Mr. Winterborn gave two cough
lozenges to the spirit, who gave them to Mrs. Cooper. The uniformed
gentleman spirit came again out and took the rocking-chair with his right
hand and swung it very vigorously over his head for a good while, then put
it down. All the other spirits had white robes shining as snow, and all of
us were exceedingly gratified at such wonderful performance.

The 29th of June, 1881, among other valuable communications, came:

"Good morning, my dear friend; it is with the greatest pleasure I again
come to communicate with you. Your star of hope is increasing in
brightness. I called on you and your dear lady last night (your night).
You appreciate the beauties of the heavens, it was indeed grand to the
natural eye." (My wife and I last evening were on the roof of our house on
Mount Auburn looking at the comet and the stars.) "Oh, I thought if I
could lift the veil and show you the inner life so brightly beaming once
again, what joy it would give. I have visited three planets, each one had
a distinct race (of people) and different one from another, and had mostly
white skin, walked erect, were all of the same physical shape, very much
like the inhabitants of our planet; their features are more regular and
not much contrast in size. On the first planet they were small in
stature--about four feet high. On the second sphere, about five feet high
and of uniform size and shape. On the third they were six feet high, with
large limbs and muscles, language quite different from ours, but were
highly educated; eat no animal food, subsist entirely on vegetable. The
day and night are of equal length; and as this last named planet was most
interesting to me I will speak first of it: They have a better system of
astronomy than we do and understand it more perfectly. This planet has
large water courses and a great deal of commerce. They have no religion,
such as Christians call religion, but a very high order of morals. They
know little of the immortality of the soul. They have no wars, no courts
nor prison houses, and murder is unheard of. They have no kings, no
politics, no religion, consequently no wars. They live in perfect
harmony; women suffer very little inconvenience in bearing children; the
families are large, with eight or ten children; they are contented and
happy. They have better painters in coloring in both landscapes and
portraits. Their architecture is perfection; their buildings are the most
beautiful I ever beheld. The climate is genial the year round, never too
hot, and never necessary to have fire to keep warm; but little variety in
temperature. Dear friend, I could say much more if I had power. I thank
you for your kind attention. I will be able another time. Good bye for the
present. Your sincere friend in spirit life,

    "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

The 27th of July at a seance at Mrs. Cooper's, her control informed me
that we meet to-day under disturbed conditions, and when I asked Mrs.
Cooper what that meant, she said her husband wanted her to move back to
Louisville, as his prospects there now were better, and she had concluded
to do so, in consequence of which she intended to pack up her furniture
immediately after the present seance. Madam Ehrenborg wrote now a
communication from which I will extract the following: "This dear, good
woman, whom the angels will bless, is the first channel through which I
have been able to reach earth and friends in this way, and now to be
disturbed and taken away for a while is a loss to us. I could go to her,
but not write as I write to you, the friendship formed between us before I
passed away gives me strength and desires I might not have in any other
way, but this form of condition will not last long. * * * I will try to
communicate to you whenever condition is given, it is so easy for me to
write here. There are but few who I could say so much through in so short
a time. * * * Mrs. Cooper, if you will sit for me next Wednesday from
there (Louisville) I hope to be able to write frequently, but not like if
he was present. Good bye for the present. Your most sincere friend in
spirit land.

    "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

Mrs. Cooper promised to do as she was requested and we agreed, as the
spirits wanted, that I at the usual hour, 9 o'clock A. M., should sit
alone at home the same time as the seance should take place in Louisville.
Wednesday, the 3d of August, I picked a few flowers and kept some of them
with me, as my spirit son Emil directed, and the rest were placed in a
glass on the stand, which was covered, and under it I put Madam
Ehrenborg's photograph and her letters sent me from Sweden. The 5th of
August I received a letter from Miss Sadie Hare, No. 222 St. Catherine
street, Louisville, Ky., wherein she states that "Mrs. Cooper came quite a
distance to our home the 3d of August to fulfill her engagement with you
and the dear spirit friends, not having conditions at her sister's that
would enable her to give opportunities to the spirits. We live a long
distance apart and some distance from the street railway, but you know the
distance would have to be very great to prevent Mrs. Cooper from keeping a
spiritual engagement. * * With this you will find your communications
which I have copied. Respectfully yours,

    "SADIE HARE."

"LOUISVILLE, _August 3, 1881_.

"Yes, we see the photographs of our dear friend, and he has obeyed the
request made. We wish we could bring just one of the white blossoms he has
gathered for the occasion to you. The dear spirit friends he desired to
hear from were present when he made preparations for conditions to assist
them to come to you. Tell him all will be well with him. The knowledge he
has gained of the spirit world will not decay like the blossoms he has
gathered in his beautiful bouquet. His friend Doc." The control of Mrs.
Cooper.

"We have come, and see that you have had a long distance to come to make
conditions for us. Emil is with me, and we will do all we can to write a
message to my dear friend C. G. Helleberg. I have reached the medium
through which I have been able to write so much in so short a time. I find
her much troubled and disturbed and will not be able to say to you what I
could if you were present as in former conditions, but remember what I
have told you, my work in spirit life has only began, and I yet hope to
say much to you and through this medium. All the changes that come to our
friends in the form are not pleasant for them, but changes that come to us
in our spirit home increases the happiness and joy that we dwell in, but
not alone, for there is no real happiness that can be enjoyed alone, for
we are united in love and harmony, and we are happy that the change called
death does not sever the friendship formed in earth life. Progression is
the highest ambition of all good spirits.

"Man does not see or know the need of knowledge while in earth life, but
when he enters real life and knows there is no turning backwards he feels
forced by law of goodness to help all those who are yet in darkness; but,
my friend, there are so many who are forgotten as soon as the spirit has
left the form and believed to be dead by all they once held dear. I feel
like repeating over and over again the joy I continually receive, being
remembered by you who have opened the avenue for me to give and receive.
Be assured that your reward will come and inscribed in bright, shining
letters on a banner of truth--your work well done, good and faithful
servant. Emil is present, and desires to send a few words to his papa and
mamma. I know, my dear friend, how you missed the interview this morning
you would have enjoyed so much; but be reconciled, they are more disturbed
than our dear medium; but could she behold the bright spirits that stand
in circle around her she would not despair. It will not be long till the
way is cleared and we can draw nearer to communicate through her to you,
and of every thorn comes a blessing, the severest cross is a crown to
those who are willing to bear for the sake of truth and progression. I
desire, my dear friend, to have these interviews repeated. Had there not
been a kind, genial lady to sit for you to copy what was written I would
not have been able to say this much in a strange place. I thank you, my
young friend, for assistance and willingness on your part, and remember,
though the act may seem small to you, it is worth gratitude from us, and
you may rely upon an increase of spiritual influence to assist you.
Accept this, my dear friend; I hope to say more again. Your most sincere
friend in spirit life,

    "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

CHAPTER IV.

MADAM EHRENBORG AND OTHERS MATERIALIZE.

I received several other valuable letters of my spiritual friends from
Louisville, and in one of them, the 18th of August, Madam Ehrenborg wrote:

"A request has been made for Mrs. Helleberg to write a letter to her
sister Emma and her father, that it may enable them to remain long enough
to communicate that she may hear direct from them, for they are often with
her, and want her to know it is not wrong for them to come or for her to
look for them."

In consequence of this I persuaded my wife to write a letter to them,
which she did, and I sealed it up with red sealing wax, with my seal on,
and sent it by mail to Mrs. Cooper, without any superscription. On the
25th of August we received a letter from Miss Hare and Mrs. Cooper,
together with my wife's sealed letter unopened, and a long and beautiful
letter from her spirit sister, Emma, who had also answered for her father,
which was so true and striking that her fear melted away, and concluded to
investigate these strange facts. In October, Mrs. Cooper revisited
Cincinnati, during which time my wife and I had several very satisfactory
seances, and on invitation from her we were present at a social
materialization seance on the 28th of said month, in the evening, in
company with the following persons: Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, Miss Sadie
Hare, Mrs. Gano, Mr. and Mrs. Green, Mr. Cooper's mother, Mr. and Mrs.
Macky, Mr. and Mrs. Nicely, Miss Sneider, Mrs. Artzman, Dr. Taylor and Mr.
Winterborn. A curtain was stretched across a corner of the room, and the
small stand was put on the floor, and under it was placed two call bells,
a big brass bell, and a drum, with sticks and a walking stick. When Mr.
Stebbins played on the violin, or we sung or played on the orgamina, the
spirits kept time with the bells and drum. The walking stick was pointed
to different individuals of the company, who had mental questions answered
when they took hold of the uplifted stick. Mr. Stebbins put the end of the
bow under the table, and the fiddle he laid on the floor, about a foot
from the table, when the spirits played on it. The table was also lifted
up and down, keeping time with our music. When Mrs. Cooper took her seat
behind the curtain soon after, several spirits materialized to many of
their relatives and friends, who recognized them, among whom were Miss
Mary Muth and Madam Ehrenborg. I and my wife went up to the curtain, when
Miss Mary Muth touched my wife's hand and took a flower from her.
Afterwards Madam Ehrenborg came in full form, dressed in a fine dark suit,
with a black lace cap, and when my wife asked if it was Mrs. Ehrenborg,
she nodded her head smilingly several times, and then dematerialized. We
took our seats, but Madam Ehrenborg came again twice, when I went up to
the curtain with Mr. Stebbins, who also saw her very plainly, how she
nodded to me and kissed my hand, which was touched by her lips, and had a
warm feeling. She afterwards dematerialized before us. At the same time
this took place we saw and conversed with Mrs. Cooper, who is never in a
trance state at any time. When we came home we examined Madam Ehrenborg's
photograph, and we found her dress and every thing else apparently exactly
the same as that in which the photograph was taken. Her features were also
the same. I had seen her materialized several times before, but always in
shining white robes, and now she took on the same garment as that worn
when the photograph was taken, probably to convince my wife of her
identity.

CHAPTER V.

INVESTIGATIONS BY MRS. JENNIE M'KEE--FIRST LETTER FROM EMANUEL SWEDENBORG,
ETC.

After Mrs. Cooper moved to Louisville I made acquaintance with Mrs. Jennie
McKee, a real lady of high moral and truthful qualities, who had wonderful
medial gifts, and permitted me to come to her residence, No. 47-1/2
Sherman avenue, Cincinnati, for a slate-writing seance weekly, every
Thursday, from 9 to 11 A. M. The spirits wrote independent, in broad
daylight, when she held the slate under the stand, which was never covered
with any thing, and with a pencil so small (about one-eighth part of a
common wheat grain) that no human fingers in the body could write with it.
I commenced with her the 4th of August, 1881, and continued until she
passed away to the higher life, the 17th of November the same year. During
that time I received many highly valuable and remarkable communications
and gifts, of which I will only mention a few. On the 8th day of September
there appeared among other communications on the slate the following:

"My friend, I come from a higher sphere of light and truth, in compliance
with your request, and I greet you this morning in God's most holy name. I
will speak to you not as I would have done when inhabited in earth form,
but with a more expanded vision, and the more profound knowledge and the
clearer understanding of the fundamental laws and governing principles of
the Great Ruler of the universe. In those days in which I wrote it would
have been a very unwise and dangerous thing to have given these spiritual
manifestations to the people, from the fact that they were not prepared to
receive the blessings, and the ultimate desire for the amelioration of
mankind would have been defeated, and the result would have been
disastrous."

I had wished a clearer understanding about our guardian spirits, and on
the slate came:

"At the time of birth there are two self-constituted guardians, one from
the light sphere and one from the dark, and as the child advances toward
maturity, the number is greatly increased; but whether good or bad,
depends entirely upon the persons themselves. Thus, for instance, if man
leads a life of depravity and vice, he naturally attracts spirits of a
like character; on the other hand, if a man leads a moral life of purity,
bearing in his heart love and good will to others, he is surrounded by
pure spirits, who are attracted by those elements. Thus, my friend, you
see how essential it is, both for happiness here and through all eternity,
that you conduct yourself so that the pure spirit of love can come and
minister to you. I must leave, but will shortly come again."

Here I said to Mrs. McKee: "If he signs his name, I would like to have the
slate, so I could show it to my wife;" and he said to her (but I could not
hear him): "Put a paper on the slate." I cut a leaf from my annotation
pocket book, and we put it on the slate loose, and Mrs. McKee held the
slate, with the paper and a short lead pencil on it, under the table, and
on the paper, now in my possession, was the following:

"Dear heart, so true to my memory, my blessing with you,

    "EMANUEL SWEDENBORG."

On the 13th of October, at a seance by Mrs. McKee, from 9 to 9:30 A. M.,
the following communication appeared on the slate:

"My beloved, I am with you, and I greet you with my blessing in the name
of the Most High and Ruling Power, and not only is it I who bless you, you
have attracted to you a number of highly exalted spirits, who love you for
your singleness of purpose and purity of heart, with which you are
promulgating the teachings you receive from us; that is why you have been
selected by us, because you have been upright and moral in your life;
because those who wish to investigate would be more impressed than did the
communication come from other sources. Fear not, we will be with you, and
each word will have weight. You must expect to be criticised and doubted;
but again I say, fear not, we are with you, and will turn the thought of
the people. We shall eventually see our efforts crowned with success. We
appeal to the senses; it would be a vain and useless thing to set up a
higher authority than man's own conscience, for that is the last final
tribunal at which he is judged. The errand of life, the education,
unfolding and strengthening the combination of the mind, the exigencies of
business, the duties of citizenship, the cares of the household, all this
requires the utmost seriousness of purpose and activity; but activity is
neither in the development of manhood. It is far more essential that the
mind and moral nature should have careful cultivation. Man should not care
so much concerning the short period of natural life. From this side,
through us who live by deeds, not years, in thought and feeling, instead
of figures on the dial, by the happiness we produce, is our only gauge of
time. There is an embodiment of selfishness underlying the human family
which will first have to be eradicated through education, and it is the
desire of the spirit world that man should be a brother to his fellow-man.
I go now, but will be with you as often as I can. I leave my blessing for
you and your household.

    "SWEDENBORG."

"My friend, I come to say how much I enjoy and sympathize with you, that
those who were blind are beginning to see, and are in better condition for
the reception and appreciation of the spiritual blessing which is being
prepared for you and yours by the loved ones who are gone before. I have
brought my dear life companion with me this morning, who is working with
me in acquiring the knowledge which will be necessary for you in the
fulfillment of the mission you have been selected for to give out the
knowledge of this glorious philosophy. It is the truth, for it is vouched
for by the testimony of every atom, every bright world you observe in the
firmament, and lastly by the spirit of the past man made perfect. You may
be called fanatic, but if spiritualism is fanaticism, it is of more value
to mankind than the whole circle of the sciences. We are called away now,
but will come this evening.

    "FREDRIKA."

"Dear papa, there is much joy and rejoicing among your spirit band. I am
so happy that I can come to dear mamma, and have her receive me as you do.
Kiss her for me. The power is too far gone to write any more.

    "EMIL."

On the 20th of October, 1881, between 9 and 11 A. M., at a seance with
Mrs. McKee, the following communication appeared on the slate:

"Good morning, my friend. I am here, and greet you with my love and my
blessing as the one chosen by me to help me in correcting the teachings I
have put forth, and which at that time were not clearly understood even by
myself, consequently I failed to render myself sufficiently intelligible
to be properly understood by others. Now these mistakes must be rectified,
and the erroneous impression replaced by the truth. I am preparing my
statements, and they will be given to you in proper time through the
channels we have chosen. I have chosen you as my assistant, well knowing
your loyalty, steadfastness of purpose and your fearless disposition, so
like what my own was, so it would be a matter of perfect indifference
whether you received commendation of the people or only arouse their
condemnation. It was this prominent characteristic which proved the
attractive power that has drawn me to you. I ask no one to give up his
principles; I simply desire to place truth before him, and let each
individual reason according to the light surrounding him. Surely truth can
defend itself, so we will let it speak for itself. I am happy and content
with my surroundings, but I come to bring to the children of my love, the
people of the new church, more light, if they will only receive it. I am
impressed more fully each time I revisit your earth sphere that, had I
lived at the present day, my labors would have been understood and
appreciated, and I should not have felt that my best efforts were but a
sad failure in comparison to what I expected or desired. I am now called
away, so I now leave for this time, but will be with you soon. Good bye.
God bless you and yours.

    "SWEDENBORG."

On the 27th of October, 1881, at Mrs. McKee's, Swedenborg gave me a short
communication, both on slate and paper, and afterwards came:

"Good morning, my friend, Swedenborg has been called away, but he has
brought me to say a word and to assist in promulgating the truth. Many
high and elevated spirits are banding together to spread the truth.

    "POLHEIM."[2]

On the 3d of November, 1881, I had a seance with Mrs. McKee, and after the
slate had been under the bare stand for about ten minutes a tap was heard,
by which sign it was taken out from under the stand, and five exceedingly
beautiful, fresh flowers, giving out a delicious perfume, were on the
slate, and little dew drops had made some wet spots under them. On the
slate was written the following:

"Good morning, my friend. I bring you some flowers. Let them convey to you
the dearest essence of the high power to produce. They are the handiwork
of God. In them we see His ever living presence.

    "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

Afterwards the following communication appeared:

"Good morning, my beloved. I am again with you, weighty with rich
blessings for you and yours, and I come also with a heart overflowing with
love, tenderness and gratitude, that I am permitted, through the goodness
and wisdom of the most High Power, to return, and through you, my
trustworthy assistant, give my thoughts and ideas to the people. We love
our mediums, our channels and our doorway, through which we come to love
and bless. Take no heed of any unkind remarks, it is only an evidence of
ignorance. Keep straight on, turn neither to the right nor to the left,
continue to scatter seeds by the way-sides, which will furnish food for
thought, and thought will lead to investigation. Investigation must
necessarily lead in the acknowledgment of the truth. You can not expect to
convince at once--it must be the work of time--and bear in mind, no one
ever yet sought to benefit mankind who was not placed under the dark ban
of suspicion. As you say, nothing can be gained by denunciation. Keep on.
My blessing with you.

    "SWEDENBORG."

CHAPTER VI.

MRS. M'KEE PASSES AWAY AND HER SPIRIT ARRANGES HER OWN FUNERAL.

When the seance was over, I at once took the flowers to Mrs. Minor's to
have them arranged according to her art for preservation and now have them
in all their original beauty. The 17th of November, 1881, I went to Mrs.
McKee for a slate-writing seance, as for some time I have been used to do
every Thursday morning at 9 o'clock, where I met at the door her
step-father, R. J. William, who informed me that his daughter Jennie had,
half an hour before, passed away to the spiritual world, and invited me up
on the floor above to see her body. In the death-room I found my friend,
the wonderful clairvoyant and trance medium, Mrs. Anna Rall, and Jennie's
mother, who found that her head was not quite cold. From the house of
mourning I went to Mrs. Minor's for the five flowers I had received from
my dear spirit friend, Mrs. Fredrika Ehrenborg, through the medial power
of Mrs. McKee, the 3d of November, and which now were preserved under
glass, and afterwards went to have a seance at Mrs. Green's, where I
placed those beautiful flowers on the small stand between us. Soon we
heard writing on the slate and a tap, when we found on it the following
communication:

"Good morning, dear papa. How sad for you to look upon the face this
morning, not yet cold, that had afforded you so much real happiness, and
pure as the flowers before you that came through her medial powers. She
entered the spirit world to meet the loved ones gone before. Her suffering
is no more. She saw you, and I shook hands with her. She knew me, and she
was all smiles. She was glad she passed away on the morning she had an
engagement with you; so your heavenly influences were there to aid her
spirit. She hoped for it. She will be able to communicate to you soon and
tell you how she found the new life. She will write immediately, she
understands it. Dear papa, try to make a house not of mourning; she wants
joy, she is free from suffering and able to communicate. Will see her own
funeral and wishes to have a real spiritualist's funeral, becoming one who
has passed away in its full faith. She wants Mrs. Green to repeat that
beautiful poem that she so much admired: 'I _Still_ Live' (herself). _I
would like Mr. Green, with others, to make some consoling remarks. The
song 'There is no death,' sung._ She says that every thing so far has
turned out all right, and she wants every thing done according to her
desire. They all know what a devotee she was in spiritualism." (Here I
mentioned to Mrs. Green that I would go back to the house of mourning and
tell them of this as soon as possible, and now came.) "That is just it.
She told me all and requested me to write it. She wants them to cast away
the thoughts of her old body from their minds, and to think her free
spirit moving through the house as of old. She wants her dear old parents
not to mourn. She wants all the mediums next to her immediate family, and
spiritualists, to strengthen her so she can manifest, if possible. She
says these are her wishes; they can do as they please. Dear papa, I have
done my duty this morning for her beautiful free spirit, and happy for the
honor conferred upon me as her amanuensis. We have nothing more to
communicate this morning, only she wants Mrs. Rall, her near and dear
friend, to control affairs as far as she can, as she knows her wishes and
desires, and knows she will please her and do what is right. Love to dear
mamma; kiss her for me.

    "EMIL."

"Mrs. McKee says many thanks for your kindness She will be with you often.
Much love to all.

    "EMIL."

We were present at her beautiful funeral, where Jennie herself spoke
through Mrs. Rall over her own body, and it was in truth remarked from the
people that this was the most soul-uplifting funeral services they ever
had witnessed. The spirit communicates with me often.

CHAPTER VII.

INVESTIGATIONS WITH MRS. GREEN--REMARKABLE DARK TRUMPET SEANCE AT WHICH I
RECEIVED A MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER FROM MY SON EMIL AND MISS MARY MUTH.

"My investigations through the excellent medium, Mrs. Green, commenced the
2d of September, 1881, and I received many interesting communications from
my dear and near relatives, which I value very highly, but naturally would
not have the same value for the general reader, and therefore I deem it
best to exclude most of them and take in only writings from exalted
spirits who are more generally known.

The 19th of September came:

  "From the higher sphere of light I come
  To teach you the beauties of our home,
  And to impart to you the golden truth
  And make you feel its real worth.

  "And to my dear old friend, your wife,
  I wish to prove a future life,
  And to assist her while she remains here,
  And help to guide her to our heavenly sphere.

  "Oh, the beautiful birds that sing their lay,
  Come to bless me every day,
  The flowers of fragrance, sweet and rare,
  And heavenly music fills the air.

      "From your friend,
          "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

The 20th of October, 1881, I was present at Mrs. Green's trumpet seance in
the evening in company with the following persons: Mr. Green, the medium's
husband; Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, a reporter from the "Enquirer," who gave
his name as Johnson, and Mr. Walker. On the stand was placed three slates,
one of which was my own, three trumpets, one glass of water, and my spring
music-box. On the floor stood the big tin trumpet and by it laid my
guitar, and not far from Mr. Stebbins was his fiddle. After the light was
put out and the doors locked I wound up my music-box and put it on the
right hand corner of the stand before me. Soon after it was taken away
while playing and carried around all over our heads, and some of us were
touched with it. Finally it came back to me and was placed in my left hand
with the spirit, whose hand I touched with both my hands. I wound it up
again and the spirit took it away and carried it around the same as
before, but when it came back it was placed on the left hand corner of the
stand, and I laid the key close by it. Afterwards I played my orgamina
when the spirit voices of both sexes joined in with their songs, and so
they did when we sang.

I intended to wind up the music-box again and felt for it on the corner,
when I discovered that both the box and key were gone. Soon after we heard
the box playing and going over our heads as before, and the box was
replaced on the corner of the stand with the key on top. All the trumpets
and the guitar were moving around in the air high above our heads, the
guitar was played on in time with the music, and we all were touched and
stroked on different parts of our bodies with these implements. The guitar
was laid in my lap, and I sang a Swedish song, accompanied by the guitar,
when we heard a spirit voice singing with me, and I and the others heard
the words pronounced by the spirit, which I declare were the same Swedish
words which I sung. Mrs. Stebbens was clasped around her neck by her
spirit daughter Ida, who whispered to and patted both her and Mr.
Stebbins. Mrs. Green and Mrs. Stebbens saw several spirit lights, and Mr.
Walker was informed by striking and tolling on the big tin trumpet that
his father in Kansas would soon pass away. I felt for my music-box again,
intending to wind it up, when I, to my great surprise, found a fresh,
beautiful flower on top of it, and my slate was placed in my hand. Soon
after the seance was closed and when the room was lighted up, we found
written on one slate the name of the reporter, and on my slate the
following:

"Dear papa, we present you the flower we promised you some time ago. The
passion flower.

    "EMIL AND MARY."

It was a large, very beautiful, quite fresh flower, which I now have
preserved in a glass jar with deodorized alcohol. On seeing this flower my
wife's idea was that the flower had been brought from some garden, and I
thought the spirits made it, which caused me, at a slate-writing seance
the 24th of October, to ask which of us was right. On the slate was this
answer:

"Mary and I, with the assistance of the medium's band, _created it_ for
you and dear mamma, and you will find a dove in the center."

On a close examination we found to our astonishment a small dove there.

CHAPTER VIII.

SURE IDENTITY OF MY FATHER-IN-LAW--MADAM EHRENBORG WRITES TO ME IN
SWEDISH.

On the 8th of December, 1881, I and my wife had a slate-writing seance in
the forenoon, and were present in the evening at a trumpet seance with
Mrs. Green, and as my wife received a strong convincing test through the
name of her father, it is necessary before relating the facts to make a
short sketch of a part of his life. He was a Swedish nobleman, named Otto
Jacob Natt och Dag, who, by the favor of the dethroned King Gustaf Adolf
the Fourth, was educated in the military academy, and afterwards served as
officer in a rank regiment in Stockholm, which the new King Charles the
Fourteenth, Johan, the former Napoleon's General Bernadott, looked upon
with great favor. This young nobleman wrote an anonymous book about
reorganizing the Swedish army, in which many good and necessary reforms
were proposed. This book was not intended for sale, but a few copies had
been printed for his intimate friends. Some of his so-called friends
reported this, and mentioned his name to the King, who became enraged that
a young officer should dare to have the impertinence to interfere with his
business, and want to teach him, who had such a vast experience in
military affairs, the consequence of which was that he was transported to
serve in a common infantry regiment, far up in the northern part of the
country, a long distance from his near and dear relatives. Such treatment
naturally made him feel bad, and he asked permission to travel in foreign
countries, which he got, and went straight to Baden, in Germany, where he
called on his former King, Gustaf Adolf, and was kindly received. There he
republished his book in the German language, with some additions, which
the Swedish minister reported to the King, who then considered him a
traitor, and ordered his arrest, but his Swedish friends informed him of
this in time, and he went to America under the name of Frederick Franks,
which was the name of a German student, who gave him his passport, and
which he afterwards adopted and used until his death. The King, Charles
the Fourteenth, had him adjudged, unheard and absent, by a court for high
treason, for daring to pay a visit to the dethroned King, and the judgment
was that he should lose his place and rank in the army. Many years
afterwards the King regretted his harsh and unjust treatment of his
faithful, patriotic and skillful officer, and pardoned him, and ordered
his Swedish minister at Washington to inform him of it, so he could go
back and enjoy all his privileges; but his former guard officer had now
been for many years a republican citizen, who, with his artistic and many
other talents and business capacity, had made himself independent, and he
never went back. Nobody here but the family knew any thing of his Swedish
name, and my wife said to me that she would be more fully convinced of
her father's identity if he would sign himself with that name.

In the slate-writing seance in the forenoon I had put my own slate, which
Mrs. Green never touched, under the side of the stand nearest me, and on
Mrs. Green's slate the following appeared:

"Put out the slate and see if any thing is on it?"

I did so, and on my slate the following sentence appeared:

"God bless you both is the wish of your exalted friend,

    "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

Among other things was the following:

"Now, dear papa and mamma, we have done all we can this morning. Much love
to you both. Grandpa will be with you to-night; Grandpa Helleberg, Mary
and Julia, too, Emil, Gustaf and Charley. You will have many bright and
beautiful spirits with you this evening to cheer you on your road to the
beautiful spirit world. There all are in peace and happiness--Emil,
Frances, Emma, Mary, Julia.

    "EMANUEL SWEDENBORG."

On the evening of the 8th of December, at the above-mentioned trumpet
seance were present, besides me and my wife, the following persons: Mr.
and Mrs. Stebbins, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Catherine Remlin, Mr. and
Mrs. Green and Mrs. Boggs. We had spirit singing and talking, with many
other remarkable manifestations. Among the spirits who spoke were
Garfield, Washington and Lincoln, three ex-Presidents. Two slates were put
on the table by Mr. Green before the light was put out, and I had that
afternoon bought two very small silica slates, of which I gave one to my
wife, who held it in her hand, and the other, in the dark, I put on the
corner of the table nearest me, which nobody else knew any thing about.
When the seance was over several names and messages were written on the
two big slates, and on mine was the following on both sides:

"My Dear Daughter--Oh, how happy I am that I have found a way to
communicate to you. I will be with you often.

    "O. J. N. D."

On the other side appeared:

"My Dear Daughter--According to promise I am with you. I have many things
to tell you. With my heart full of love for you,

    "O. J. N. D."

These were the initials of my wife's father's Swedish name, Otto Jacob
Natt och Dag, and we were highly pleased with the result. Subsequently he
communicated often, signing his name in full, as above.

On the 23d of March, 1882, at Mrs. Green's, among other communications,
was the following:

"Dear Papa--All of your Swedish friends are here, and intend to use their
influence to-day and give you a surprise before the seance is over. All
are present except Swedenborg, who we expect very soon. We are not sure of
success, but we intend to try. The surprise will be Grandpa Franks trying
to communicate inside of the double slate, with your assistance holding
the slate and all of your friends influence combined. Madam Ehrenborg
withheld her message to-day to add her strength and help grandpa with his
surprise to mamma and you. * * * Swedenborg has come; get the slate. This
is all you will get from me to-day. Your loving son,

    "EMIL."

We cleaned the double slate and put it under the table, where I held on to
one end of it and pressed the two slates together with my hand, while Mrs.
Green held the other end, and we both felt and heard the writing going on
inside the two slates. The writing continued about ten minutes, after
which a tap was heard, when I took the slate out, opened it, and in my
father-in-law's handwriting found the following communication, which I had
photographed and electrotyped as seen opposite:

On the 23d of July, from 9 to 11 A. M., at Mrs. Green's, I had cheerful
writings from our three sons and grand-daughter, Julia Muth first, and
afterwards there appeared on the slate the following communication in the
Swedish language:

"Dyra goda wän C. J. Helleberg! Jag prsenterar dig min Högaktning och
evinnerlig wänskap.

    "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

Which, translated into English is:

"Dear, good friend C. J. Helleberg, I present you my esteem and eternal
friendship.

    "FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."

I had it photographed, as shown.

CHAPTER IX.

INFORMATION OF A SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE--THE WEDDING AND THE WEDDING TOUR TO
THE PLANET MARS.

For a long time I had regular slate-writing seances in the light and one
dark trumpet seance every week at Mrs. Green's residence, No. 309
Longworth street, and at that time were generally present the following
persons: Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Remlin, Mr. and
Mrs. Helleberg, all of Cincinnati, and Mrs. Bogg, from Newport, Ky. In
these trumpet seances the spirits not only played on musical instruments,
which they carried over our heads, and very often touched us with them and
their hands, but talked and sung to us with or without the trumpet. The
12th of January, 1882, our son Emil astonished us with the information
that he was going to marry Miss Ida, the spirit daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Stebbins, and that she would be his spirit wife. In a slate-writing
seance, the 16th of January, he informed me that Mr. Swedenborg would
perform the nuptial ceremony, and who also had determined the wedding to
take place on Washington's birthday--the 22d of February. We were also
informed that the spirit, Mr. Henry Nieman, Ida's cousin, would be the
groomsman, and the spiritual Miss Mary Muth her bridesmaid, and that a
bridal trip had been arranged in which many bright and exalted spirits
would take part, including Madam Ehrenborg. Mr. Swedenborg would make the
wedding speech on the spiritual side, and he requested Mr. Green to make
one on this side. Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, my wife and I, agreed that this
remarkable wedding ceremony should take place at Mr. Stebbins' residence
at the appointed time--the 22d of February--and we concluded to ask the
spirits who we should invite, and the 16th day of February, 1882, came on
the slate the following names:

"Pa and ma Stebbins, papa and mamma Helleberg, Mr. and Mrs. Green and
daughter, Mrs. Emma Muth, Mrs. Remlin, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Miss Nettie
Williams, and Mrs. Keenan.

    "EMIL AND IDA."

At a slate-writing seance, the 20th of February, came on the slate, among
many other communications, the following:

"The ceremonies are to begin at four, and immediately after
congratulation, supper. It will take one hour, Mr. Swedenborg says, to
show the medium the ceremony and Mr. Green's address. When the vision is
through, then Mr. Green, then supper, and, after that is settled, a
trumpet seance.

    "EMIL."

According to this arrangement the above persons were all invited and
present, except Mrs. Keenan and Miss Nettie Williams, who could not come,
at the afternoon and evening seances the 22d, the 150th anniversary of
Washington's birthday. In the afternoon we assembled at 3 o'clock P. M.,
and at 4 Mrs. Green was in full trance, and Swedenborg controlled her and
blessed the contracting parties, after which Mr. Green made a very
appropriate and beautiful address. A private clairvoyant fell in a trance
and described not only the clothing of the bride and bridegroom, but many
other spirits present. The bride's dress was pure, sparkling white,
frosted with gold dust, with long train full of the finest lace, and a
very beautiful veil, frosted also, and adorned with a handsome wreath on
her head of white flowers set with three beautiful diamonds on her
forehead. She had also a diamond brooch and necklace, with a splendid ring
on her finger, and slippers on her feet to match. Our son Emil had
knee-breeches of royal purple, with a beautiful white toga frosted with
gold, and gold tassels and a purple and gold crown set with diamonds. (At
a subsequent seance Emil said: "Mine was Mr. Swedenborg's selection, Ida's
was Madam Ehrenborg's.") During the trance state of Mrs. Green, the spirit
Winnie described the dresses in the same way as the private medium already
had told us. After we had had a splendid repast the requested trumpet
seance was arranged, at which all were present, and had the pleasure of
being spoken to by Swedenborg, Emil, Ida, and many other spirits, and some
of them patted us with their hands. Madam Ehrenborg and my wife's father,
Otto Jacob Natt-och-Dag (Frederick Franks), sung Swedish with me, and Mrs.
Jennie McKee took my hand and lifted my arm up and putting it over the
table so I had to rise. It was a beautiful and most satisfactory and
wonderful manifestation over which we all were highly delighted.

The 23d of February, 1882, came from our spirit friends the following:

"Good morning, dear papa, we are here yet, but will immediately after this
sitting start on our bridal tour, accompanied by Swedenborg and a great
many exalted spirits. We expect to return by next Thursday, then Mr.
Swedenborg will give the marriage ceremonies, and we hope to have
something nice to write you then. Mr. Swedenborg is very much pleased
because he is able to speak and control Mrs. Green, and was very much
pleased also with the way it was conducted on your side. He says
altogether it was a splendid affair on both sides, and I think so too, and
now I will let my wife, Mrs. Ida Helleberg, write. Your loving son,

    "EMIL HELLEBERG."

"Good morning, dear papa Helleberg; Emil makes me blush when he says my
wife. It used to be a joke, but now it is a reality, and that is quite
different. When we all meet on the evergreen shores of the summerland,
then we will return the compliment and have the infair at our own home, no
matter how far off it may be, you shall always receive our hospitality and
our love in the cottage. With my heart full of love for you and dear mamma
Helleberg and sister Emma, and my dear pa and ma, and Mrs. Green's family,
I bid you good morning.

    "IDA STEBBINS HELLEBERG."

"Good morning, Mr. Helleberg: I was very much delighted with the exercises
of yesterday afternoon and evening. It could not have been more perfect on
both sides. I was with you all the time. It was witnessed by thousands of
spirits with much interest and delight. Whatever Mr. Swedenborg, does in
the spirit world causes great commotion and interest. He is in the spirit
world like some of your great men here, a leader. His every word, look,
and gesture, is chronicled by the spirits; therefore you may imagine the
interest they manifest towards him. Nettie could not and would not leave
mother. She is so lonely without me, but she was here heart and soul in
spirit. With my highest regards for you all, I am your friend,

    "JENNIE."

"Good morning, my dear friend: As the marriage of our grand-daughter to
your son has united my son Edwin and your family, and that event caused or
rather brought us in a positive condition, and enabled us to pick up the
trumpet and manifest our appreciation of that event, I thought I would
write a few lines in regard to this happy marriage, and to show our very
high appreciation of this medium's family, for, as Ida said, it has
brought sunshine to her dear pa and ma that they could not find any-where
else outside the spirit communion, and express our very high appreciation
of your son Emil, and that we feel very proud of them both, and of our
hearts full of love for Edwin and his wife, and highest regards for
yourself and family and Mrs. Green's family, we subscribe ourselves your
dear spirit friends,

    "AMARIAH STEBBINS AND PERMELIA STEBBINS."

"Good morning, my friends, Mr. Helleberg and Mrs. Green: To say I was very
much delighted, or, in fact, I have not language at my command to express
to you my appreciation of yesterday's proceedings, and happy of the
opportunity presented that I can write to-day. Winnie described me as I
was. Love to my dear daughter and her husband (Edwin Stebbins), and regard
to all,

    "THOMAS KELLY."

"Good morning, dear son: Father, brother, and all of us are here to give
you our congratulations and to tell you how much we love dear Ida, and
that she is so sweet and beautiful. We were all with you last night, and
caressed you with the trumpet. It made us so happy. Father can not write
to-day, but will soon. With our blessings on you and all, your loving
mother,

    "ULRICA HELLEBERG."

"Good morning: I must not fail to give a few words in appreciation of the
marriage feast. It was splendid, and I was very much pleased with the
ceremony spiritually and mortal. Love to dear Anna and yourself and
highest regard to all. Francis, Emily, Susan and Joseph join me and send
much love to all. With my prayers for you all, I bid you good bye.

    "FREDRICK FRANKS."

"Now, dear papa, we are all through, and Gustaf and Charles join in
congratulations, and asked me to write for them, and tell you that they
are so much pleased with their sister-in-law. Mary, Henry, and little
Julia and Clarence, and many that I have not time to mention, join us with
much love for all. Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that
beat as one, we bid you good bye,

    "EMIL AND IDA."

The 2d of March came: "Good morning, my dear friend. The tourists,
according to promise, have not returned. I have been sent as a messenger
from Mr. Swedenborg to report to you that their reception on the planet
Mars was so grand, and they are there so nicely entertained by the spirits
of that planet that they have all been invited to participate in a similar
feast to take place to-day, and they all send their love and best wishes
to you, and hope to be with you at your next sitting. With my highest
regard and well wishes for your future prosperity, I am your spirit
friend,

    "POLHEIM."

The 6th of March the exalted Swedenborg wrote on the slate: "Good morning,
friends: I am here to give you the marriage ceremony I promised in
pantomime on the 22d ultimo. It is brief, and does not include the address
and prayer given on that occasion. * * * As you have already been united
in the conjugal sense by the operation of the laws of spiritual attraction
and magnetic affiliation, no formal cementation or consecration is needed,
but in obedience to an ancient custom, originating in spirit life in the
early dawns of the physical earth-planet, and from thence projected to
mortal life, I have the pleasure of pronouncing the ceremony that blends
you, in obedience to the custom stated, into blissful spiritual
consociation as man and wife, which I now do in presence of the invited
guests here assembled. In blissful happiness you are to live in peaceful
joy, to move in heavenly love to act, so shall your onward march be
unobstructed, and as you advance increasing in wisdom, expanding and
abounding in love, and augmenting in power until the highest angels and
seraphims shall claim you for angelic companionship. Now, while the
choristers join in the marriage anthem, I present for your congratulations
this spiritually mated couple, who I now introduce as Emil Gabriel
Helleberg and Ida Stebbins Helleberg.

    "EMANUEL SWEDENBORG."

Just as Madam Ehrenborg's communications were being copied for the
printer, the "Banner of Light"--the oldest spiritual paper in
existence--of date July 1, 1882, was placed in my hands, in which I find a
communication from Helen Barnard Densmore, of Philadelphia, in which she
says:

"Philadelphia has been favored recently with a course of lectures from Mr.
W. J. Colville, which have been well attended and received with
appreciation. This truly inspired speaker is doing a great work in
spreading the new gospel of spiritualism wherever he is called. His
discourses are of a high order, in an intellectual and literary sense, as
well as of great spiritual elevation. At one of the social receptions
given to him at the residence of Colonel S. P. Kase, he gave a very
interesting discourse on the physical life and development of the planets
of our solar system as compared with the earth, which was listened to with
an earnest attention and evident acceptance by those present. It was
taught in this discourse that worlds were brought into existence for the
sole purpose of furnishing a theater for souls to express themselves in
matter upon, to the end of gaining knowledge and overcoming temptations in
all forms and of all kinds; that these lives make up a system of
embodiments which closes with the soul's triumph over all the evils to be
found in material life.

"We were told that in Mercury the attainment of a high degree of physical
perfection was the highest ambition of its inhabitants; that that planet
was in a lower state of animal, vegetable and spiritual progress than the
earth, and the cultivation of the soil was their almost universal
occupation; that Venus was in a high state of artistic and æsthetic
cultivation; that art and music were the dominant passions there, with
less intellectual and spiritual development, sensuous delights every-where
abounding, and the cultivation of the beautiful the highest aim of life.
On the earth the demon to be overcome was declared to be intellectualism,
man's intellect being here worshiped and deified at the expense of the
spiritual.

"On Mars and Jupiter is to be found a much higher state of existence,
matter being dominated by the spirit to a much greater degree than on
either this earth or those planets nearest the sun; that exalted spirits
from those planets, especially from Mars, are sent as especial embodiments
to the earth, as teachers and messengers for spiritual truth.

"Life on the more distant planets from the sun, beyond Jupiter, was
declared to be of such an exalted character that there is no language
understandable on earth in which to depict its glories and achievements."

CHAPTER X.

DESCRIPTION OF THE JOURNEY TO MARS, AND WONDERFUL INFORMATION FURNISHED BY
MADAM EHRENBORG.

"March 9, 1882. Our party of tourists, after having been carefully
selected in accordance with their ability to utilize the magnetic currents
that connect the planets in our solar system, and their adaptability to
the electric and magnetic condition of Mars, whither we were bound,
started on the journey at, according to your time, midnight, February 23.
We proceeded without any incident of note until we reached Maluka Plains,
where we met a party of excursionists on a visit to our planet earth.
Maluka Plains, named after a great prophet of Mars, are located many
millions of miles from the circling magnetic belts of earth, and
immediately adjacent to the outer circle of the electro-magnetic
atmosphere of Mars. We were surprised to find that these excursionists
were acquainted with our guide and leader, Mr. Swedenborg, for he had
frequently visited the most interesting points of our stellar system. He
had even been at Mars in spirit while he was in the body of flesh, but he
finds many things quite different from what he thought he had discovered
during his spiritual visits when embodied. The party we met were on a tour
of scientific exploration, and gladly availed themselves of information
imparted by Swedenborg and Polheim, and we in return were greatly aided
by data and information furnished by them to us. While this conference, or
rather exchange of information, was in progress a courier was dispatched
by our newly-made acquaintances to the spiritual magnates of Mars
concerning our coming. I shall here stop and defer a description of our
first reception until our next sitting.

"March 13. As we entered within the magnetic radius of Mars, and were
emerging from the outer into the inner concentric circles, so
characteristic of that planet, we met a reception committee of several
thousand, and after formal greetings, we were escorted to a magnificent
edifice, where were in waiting innumerable throngs of spiritual
dignitaries and others to receive us. I here desire to remark that in my
use of words I resort to your own vocabulary, for the thought language of
the Marsians is quite different from the sound of your words, and to
employ their terms would only confound you and militate against your
proper conception and understanding of the narrative. For instance, I use
the word edifice to indicate a structure, but they use an entirely
different term and form of expression, and so on _ad infinitum_. The
edifice referred to I am unable to describe, and it can only be fully
understood in thought. In dimensions so great that your city of Cincinnati
could be settled in one corner of it without attracting but very little
attention. The material of which it is composed has no fitting
representative on earth in its present state of development. Your diamonds
and precious stones are as dim and unreflecting in comparison as a cloudy,
murky day of autumn is to a bright summer day with the sun at meridian and
the horizon unobstructed by cloud or a single mist. This comparison may
serve to give you some idea of the absorbingly intense brilliancy of the
mammoth structure, yet this is of itself but as a mote in the sunbeam to
what I am assured exists in the immeasurable immensity of the higher
creations in the inconceivable and boundless universe of God. Oh, how
diminutive is this little ball of matter called earth, when we only
measurably take in the vast immensity of the infinite domain of God. And
poor, puny man, what a mere speck--a mere infinitisimal animalcule. As we
approached this mammoth structure, it seemed to be tremulous with motion,
and the motion, superinduced by such intensely penetrating, soul dazzling
strains of music as to perfectly appal with ecstatic emotion our
enraptured tourists. But for the preparation of us for it by the
scientific spirits, who they called the Ulaetta, we could not have
withstood it. I will give you this process of preparation on some future
occasion, and I am sure it will be interesting to you and valuable when
you come over. The ceremonies of reception were performed, not in speech,
but in musical opera, which, singular to state, we were enabled to
understand by the preparation mentioned. When I say musical opera I do not
mean singing accompanied by music, but that the music itself was intensely
operatic, and infused thought by the most astonishing and utterly
inexplicable process into our interior soul consciousness. It was
something worth years of suffering and pain to enjoy, and in contemplating
its inconceivable grandeur I return to my own sphere, feeling how little I
am, and to weep for the children of earth, still in ignorance and
superstition, and I lift my voice in prayerful supplication to God to
rend the veil, that poor humanity may obtain even faint glimpses of the
gorgeous splendors of God's great kingdom; but I seem to hear a voice
answering, Not yet; wait and be patient.

"March 20. We observed the most singular fact connected with the edifice
wherein we were received. In approaching it we were unable to penetrate
into its interior with our vision. It seemed to be a solid mass of
exquisitely fine material, but on gaining admission into its interior, by
some peculiar power that seemed to affect our spiritual vision and
perceptions, we were enabled to see through and beyond it, and to perceive
objects in the far distance. In other words, the whole structure seemed to
vanish so far as to permit no obstruction to our vision far beyond its
limits, and yet it was thoroughly substantial, composed of finely
attenuated and spiritually sublimated material. I have so much to tell you
that I must forego the pleasure of indulging in details, however
interesting they might be to you.

"The presiding personage at our reception was a figure of tall and
commanding appearance, with a benevolent face, dignified mien, and large
blue eyes, that seemed constantly tremulous with love and emotion. He held
in his hand a magic wand, which ever and anon he would wave, and in
harmony with these movements the most enchanting sounds of music seemed to
be wafted far out in the viewless spiritual ether that surrounded and
enveloped us. This wonderful fact baffles the skill of mortal pen and
mortal language to describe, and you must be content with what is said as
the best that can be said, so as to reach your comprehension.

"As I caught the eye of this great presiding spirit I perceived the idea
emanating from his mind, 'I am glad to meet you,' yet not one of these
words was spoken. I essayed to answer to express my thankfulness for his
friendly recognition of us, and I found I could not speak audibly, but my
thought he caught immediately, and bowed in acknowledgment. He had been
many thousands of years before a sage and philosopher on the planet Mars,
and bore about the same relation to his people as Mahomet, Confucius,
Jesus, Swedenborg and others of their day have in your world; and he is
pre-eminent in music. All the great spirits of Mars are eminent musicians.
Music, intellectual expansion and spiritual growth seem to be wedded, and
go hand in hand together. These are wonderful relations, but nevertheless
are true.

"In my next I will introduce you to some of the societies and cities of
the planet, to be followed from time to time by revelations that can not
fail to impress you with the greatest interest, and not only be
interesting and instructive, but will be of great value to you in your
after life in the spheres. My clear and venerable friend, be of good
cheer, and in the sweet bye and bye I will accompany you on this very
tour, and then you will perceive the difficulties in the way of giving a
description so as to be understood by mortals.

"March 27. After the ceremonies of reception, the details of which, fully
set forth, would fill a large volume, we set out under the escort of a
select delegation of forty-seven in number on a tour of inspection, a few
only of the incidents of which I can imperfectly touch. Many things
observed by us I am not at liberty to mention, for the all-sufficient
reason that you would not understand them and the world is not prepared to
receive them.

"Our first visit was to a society of literary celebrities, located in a
city of marvelous beauty. For our present use we will call the place the
City of Learning, and the society, the Society of the Literati. These
names are not the real ones, but serve our purpose fully as well, indeed
much better. The city is located on the border of a vast expanse of water
of a golden hue, and this limpid stream is a vast musical organ of sounds,
whose very vibrations, as its currents flow along, disturb the surrounding
atmosphere, resulting in the production of harmonies in musical
intonations, not only delightfully enrapturing, but far beyond the power
of portrayal in human speech. We stood upon its brink, and were enchanted
by its soul-piercing melody. Ever and anon the mellowed rays of the
spiritual sun of our solar system would strike upon the bosom of this
majestic stream, producing in their rebound such marvelous, scintillating
reflections as to cause the beautiful tints of your rainbow to pale into
utter insignificance in comparison. You must elaborate in your own mind
these feeble touches of my pen, for I can not stop to give minute
delineations, but only the idea, and you can carry it onward in your
imagination without fear of overdoing the picture or exaggerating the
facts.

"The ladies and gentlemen composing the Society of the Literati of this
one city are numbered by the many thousands, with vast numbers of
co-operating branches in as many different localities. We are told that
there exist still higher branches, which we were not spiritually fitted
to visit and comprehend. We, as spirits from earth, lacked planetary
development, but we have the promise in the infinite justice of God's
eternal laws that in time, though very far distant, our earth, with its
encircling spiritual spheres, will reach unto the gorgeous grandeur of
Mars. Here let us pause and reflect.

"March 29. Herein may be found ample food for study, inspiring elements
for reflection:

"_First_--How almighty is God, yet puny man is wondering whether there is
a God.

"_Second_--How grand and noble may all his children become.

"_Third_--How patiently does God, through inflexible and unerring law,
work out such stupendous results.

"_Fourth_--Man while in the flesh would arrogate unto himself the
attributes of a God, when in truth it requires ages of effort and progress
only to disclose to him that yet he is not yet an angel. But still how
grand are the possibilities before man, inviting him onward. They can not
be fully conceived by the finite mind, much less described.

"We saw many translucent streams, whose pellucid waters were charming to
behold. There is a law appertaining to all advanced spiritual
intelligences that induces the profoundest meditation, the sublimest
adoration, when beholding, although only partially, the infinite variety
and splendors of the creation; and I must occasionally pause in my
narrative to give expression to this law of my soul.

"We were next conducted to a vast building, wherein was deposited the
grandest library of books, and they were simply collections on scientific
subjects alone. Elsewhere were vast collections on other subjects not
intimately connected with science--books as tangible and objective to us
as the slate on which I am writing is to your touch and sight. Mr.
Swedenborg, being naturally of a scientific turn of mind, became
absorbingly interested in this department, and it was with reluctance he
took his departure therefrom. He made arrangements to return to study some
things to be found here and which he has not been able to find elsewhere.
He is promised aid by the members of the Society of the Literati.

"We then visited an assembly of representative men, and I am now about to
tell you something that will surprise you, but it is nevertheless true.
When I use the expression representative men I mean that each planet has
representatives to every other planet in the solar system. I must reserve
the next sitting for a description of the grand system of planetary
diplomacy--envoys extraordinary or ministers plenipotentiary, as you would
call them. The power is too nearly exhausted to enter upon the subject at
this sitting. We notify you now that by these ministrations and recitals
you are living many, many years in advance of this age of your planet.

"April 3. In your solar system you only claim eight planets, exclusive of
the Asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, but the truth is there are
thirteen in number; five of them have long since passed into their
spiritual orbits, and consequently are not objective to your telescopes,
and this state is to be the ultimate of all planets. Every planet,
including the earth, is continually undergoing change, that is to say,
gradually passing from the gross to the more refined, and by a
continually advancing series of geologic and progressive changes from the
lower to the higher, from the crude to the more refined, from the material
toward the spiritual, all will ultimately in time pass into spiritual
conditions or orbits. But as this theme is scientific, and not directly in
the line of or pertinent to my narrative, I will abandon it, at least for
the present.

"In my last I told you that each planet was favored with representatives
from every other planet in our system, and it is from this system,
spiritually originating, that you have derived your system of
international representation. I do not mean that any spirit communicated
this to the nations, but that in the early formation of nationalities and
the commercial intercourse between nations, susceptible public men, by
reason of their exceeding impressibility, got the inspiration from
surrounding spiritual influences, and to a certain degree and extent
carried it into execution in the establishment of ambassadorial relations
between friendly governmental powers. But there is a marked difference
between your nations and the spiritual worlds in the objects and purposes
of such system. In the spiritual worlds representatives are deputed one to
the other for an entirely different purpose from yours in sending
ministers to England, France, Russia, etc. Your accredited agents of
government abroad are simply spies to watch other countries, lest some
trivial advantage may be gained against you in some minor and unimportant
matter. Selfishness is the law by which they are to be governed. They are
expected to be, and generally are, lorded and feasted, dined and wined,
all in the high-sounding names of civilization and national urbanity.
Ours are sent on an entirely different mission--to gather knowledge for
the benefit of all. Our public and representative men are not engaged in
learning the rules and laws of the stock market, how to manipulate it and
how to create corners in the bountiful productions vouchsafed by the
Infinite, nor how to secure safe investments with large and profitable
margins, but to learn the laws of the planets, to the end that they may be
utilized in the development and progress of their varied and numerous
peoples. Through whatever other planets, farther advanced than ours--have
passed, we, too, must pass, and hence by our representative spirits
learning of their varied progressive experiences, they are enabled to
prepare for and assist in the changes that must inevitably ensue.

"I can not carry my thought further than to say in addition that our solar
system, as a system in its entirety, has representatives to thousands of
other solar systems revolving in space, circling around their respective
central suns. You perceive that the grandeur of creative glory is looming
up before us in majestic proportions, far beyond our power to comprehend
and portray. We look forward with great pleasure to each succeeding
meeting, when we hope to continue our narrative if conditions continue to
favor us.

"April 6. After feasting in the examination of the library of the Society
of the Literati I felt an intense desire to learn something in regard to
the religious teachings on the planet in its past, as applied to the
embodied Marsians, in the curious desire to find out whether their
theological and religious history bore any resemblance to ours, and if
dissimilar, wherein by contrast the dissimilarity consisted. Of course,
in the very nature of things, this opened up a wide field of
investigation, and I can only give you points condensed and with the
utmost brevity, and without any attempt at elaboration. As I have already
informed you, the denizens of Mars do not use our language or mode of
speech, and therefore I am compelled to transfer their thoughts into our
language, and you must consider that much will be lost in the
transmission.

"The planet Mars, in point of time, is much older than the earth, and
consequently has passed through many more changes; these successive
changes or epochs have had their respective theologies, and I was utterly
surprised to learn that in some respects they resembled ours--that is to
say, their earlier theology--the later and truer has no resemblance
whatever to ours or any that we have had in the past. The people of Mars
in the dim and distant ages of the bygone have had many gods and many
bibles. Their older books or bibles are now treasured as simple
curiosities belonging to the infancy of the race, and the wonder now is
how it was possible at any period of their history that a people could be
found seemingly so hopelessly ignorant as to believe them. The same fate,
my friend, awaits your Bibles, Korans, Zend-Avestas, etc. But in all their
speculations in religion they were never taught to believe that their
remote ancestors had fallen from an imaginary state of perfection, nor
that somebody else's sufferings and death were imperatively necessary to
extricate them from the peril, and to reinstate them into the loving
esteem and saving grace of their creator. While they had many follies in
their early history, they had none like unto our own. They never believed
God to be angry and revengeful nor that he would ever destroy their own or
any other world by water, fire or otherwise, nor that men were made out of
dust and women from ribs, nor that fish swallowed men, preserved them in
good condition in their stomachs, and delivered them subsequently and in
safety upon the dry land. These silly recitals of your bible will be
ridiculed and laughed at some of these coming happy days."

"April 10: If you could be instantaneously transferred to the planet Mars
just as you are in the form you could not live a moment of time. The
intensely rarefied and etherealized atmospheres surrounding that planet
would not maintain animal life such as yours. Yet the time has been when
beings more crude, dense and undeveloped have lived and figured on the
stage of Mar's history. The law of evolution or unceasing progression
applies to all planets and in a degree of unfoldment according to the
periodic duration of time of each. Hence, under the operation of this
inexorable law of the creation you can readily and with quick discerning
eye see the ultimate destiny of all--that is to say, the utter overcoming
of the crude and unrefined by the spiritual absorption of the whole, and
yet this law that lifts the lower into the higher has no limit or ending.
You can therefore see in the myriad ages of future time with this law, all
the while actively working, how inexpressibly refined and sublimated will
become spiritual beings and spiritual essences. This constitutes a grand
revelation, and presents in contemplation the grand possibilities in
store for man and the fittest of all things material. While the
constituent elements are the same, yet in outward manifestation the atoms
composing your physical bodies, and those in the form on Mars, are quite
dissimilar. The same elements that exist here, either as applied to the
spiritual or material, are essentially the same as exist in the remotest
realms of the creation. They only differ in presentation or outward
manifestation, and in the degree of their development and progression.
Here is another theme for contemplation and study, and the fact as here
disclosed ought to fill us with proud satisfaction, for the inherent
elements and qualities possessed by the millions of worlds, revolving in
the unexplored immensity of space and their countless myriad hosts of
people, are possessed by our world and our denizens, only differing in the
intensity of their action and the degree of unfoldment or approximation
toward maturity--ah, a maturity that never matures. While the law of
progression is infinite it deals with the finite, and as the finite can
only advance toward but never become infinite, so will this mighty law of
progression carry us onward and onward, upward and upward through all
coming time, and yet will never cease from its labors or find repose. What
a mighty destiny before and for man!

"April 14. In this and my next I will tell you some things that will
surprise you, but they are veritably true. I am dealing with you in
verities, however absurd and preposterous they may appear to the
unprogressed mind. This is said, by your people, to be a remarkable age,
and in many respects it is so. You are receiving some matter far in
advance of the age in which you are living, but it will be properly
recognized and appreciated in the years to come.

"On the planet Mars jails and prison houses for the confinement and
punishment of malefactors are only historic reminiscences of the past.
There are now no punishments inflicted because there are no offenders to
punish.

"The doctrine of sacrificial atonement, with its retarding influence, was
never taught to the people of that planet. They have always been taught
the supreme goodness of the creator conjoined with wisdom and almighty
power. God being supremely good, and supreme in the exercise of goodness,
they have not for thousands of years last past entertained the slightest
apprehension that any onslaught upon their peace, happiness, and future
felicity, would be permitted. From this ennobling conception of God came
the desire to manifest a spirit of devotion and veneration, and
consequently at an earlier period of the history of Mars the worship of
the people was low and groveling somewhat resembling, as I am informed,
the ancient idol worship of the Egyptians and Israelites. At the present
time the two worlds--the spiritual and material--of Mars are so closely
allied and interblended that the spiritual forces are enabled to exercise
a positively restraining influence over the conduct and actions of those
still connected with the physical, so they can not, if they would, commit
wrong, or perpetrate infractions upon the law of right. By reason of this
high condition of development those passing out of the material form are
at once intromitted into the higher conditions of the spiritual world,
because they are fitted for them. All are mediums and subject absolutely
to spiritual action and control. This is what your spirit world is seeking
to do for you, so, if possible, to pass over and beyond some of the rough
experiences of other planets, and your people do not seem to have the good
sense to see it. On Mars there are no murders, arsons, robberies,
forgeries, slanders, and other crimes and misdeeds, for they have
progressed beyond them. Do you not perceive the sublimity of this
condition? and will it not be a most glorious consummation when you shall
have reached the same altitude of progress.

"April 17. Another subject of inquiry engrossed my attention, namely,
marriage. I became interested to know something of the history of this
people on this subject, and I found it to be an exceedingly interesting
one. At this period of Mars there is no such institution as marriage in
the sense you regard it. It is not an exaggeration to say that a very
large per cent of your marriages are brought about as the result of the
most unholy motives. Passion, lust, avarice, etc., are generally the
impelling influences, and seldom is witnessed a union from purely
spiritual causes. It is needless to say these marriages are not only
temporal, ending with the death of the body, if not sooner by an unholy
judicial system of divorcement, but entail a cruel blighting curse upon
the race.

"The history of your own planet on the subject of marriage is but feebly
understood by you. Enough however is known to induce all lovers of
humanity to loathe and detest it as it has been practiced in the past. It
is claimed that God created animate creatures in pairs, male and female,
and that, as applied to man, he cemented a union of one man and one woman
in the marriage relation, and that this occurred at the commencement of
the creation in the Garden of Eden. Your conspicuous bible characters,
such as Abraham, David, Solomon, and others, have not only ignored and
trampled upon virtue in its simplest and purest forms, but with the
hellish gluttony of the vampire feasting on blood, they debauched
innocence, prostituted virtue to their unholy lust, and thereby destroyed
the holiest relation of life. Their numerous wives and concubines attest
this, and yet your pious Christians are waging a relentless warfare upon
the Mormons of Utah and vehemently thundering against the polygamous
practices of the Latter Day Saints. Shame for Christian consistency. On
this subject your advanced thinkers do not discuss those eternal and
enduring spiritual laws of attraction by magnetic and soul affinity upon
which alone shines forth in eternal splendor the blending of soul with
soul in an everlasting conjugal union. The people of Mars understand and
adopt these laws, or rather harmonize and abide in them, and now while
embodied their marriages are for all unending future time. As the result
we discover on that planet a race of people almost perfect in their
mental, moral, and physical developments, requiring only time, experience,
and progression, to disclose the still more wonderful proportions of their
being. The union of one man and one woman under spiritual conditions is
the highest type of marriage, and constitutes the paramount and supreme
intention of the deity, and is the ultimatum and consummation of the law
of conjugal love--all others are fleeting, dishonoring, and only evil.

"April 20. Your candidates for matrimony, first obtaining each other's
consent, and the approval of parents or guardians, apply to the legally
constituted authorities for a license or permit to enter the holy state,
and when procured they repair to a priest or magistrate, who for a few
shekels pronounces a few stereotyped phrases, followed by the solemn
declaration pronouncing them man and wife, closing generally with the
ludicrous and farcical command, 'whom God has joined together let no man
put asunder.' Oh, what a caricature and farce. It is bad enough to declare
whom the law has joined together, and so forth, but to assume with such
solemn gravity that God has joined in wedlock's sacred union many of the
marriage alliances which are mere caricatures of marriage, is not only
blasphemy, but the very apex of nonsense, and is the widest possible
departure from truth.

"If it be true that God joins them together, no power, save himself could
put asunder or disunite. To assert otherwise would amount to affirming
that God is the author of failures. The difference between marriages that
only have their basis in consent, license, and ceremony, and that marriage
which God cements when two are joined by the divine laws of soul affinity
and magnetic attraction--the one is of the earth earthy, the other is from
the Lord through and by the operation of eternal law, and is therefore
heavenly. Oh, that the children of earth might learn and conform to these
subtle and glorious laws for their own good and in the interest of those
to come after them.

"On the planet Mars the people have no license system on any subject.
While you on earth are wrangling about licensing the sale of intoxicating
beverages, on Mars they have none to license. While here you are exercised
over measures of taxation to raise revenue to support the government, on
Mars no taxes whatever are imposed, and public affairs for the general
public good are administered freely and without compensation, purely as a
labor of love. The truth is that the mundane affairs of Mars are more
regulated, controlled, and conducted by the spiritual powers of the planet
than by those in the form. The two worlds are so intimately related to
each other, and are so closely brought together, that this is not only
practicable but desirable and profitable.

"April 21. There is on the planet Mars a subterranean passage through it
from pole to pole, which Mr. Swedenborg informs me he has thoroughly
explored. There is more truth than poetry in what is known as Symmes' hole
as applied to your earth. When the time comes by the settlement of your as
yet vast millions of uninhabited acres, and a change takes place in
northern temperature and conditions, the people of that day will discover
within and through the very heart center of your earth a country nearly a
third as large as the exterior surface, and by that time every thing
therein will be sufficiently progressed and developed to supply the wants
and invite the ambition and energies of the people of that period. But
this discovery, or rather the occupation of this subterranean country, is
very far off in point of time, and the human race of earth will then be
quite different from what it is now. They will have so changed by the
lapse of time and the law of progress as to be enabled to pass into the
new country by way of the north pole with ease and safety. The north pole
is the true opening, and can not be reached until the fullness of time, as
I have indicated. As the area of territory of Mar's surface was about
being densely covered by population, and apprehensions were being
entertained for the future of the race, lo and behold, the new interior
country was discovered and subsequently peopled. By the time it is crowded
no more will be needed, for the planet by that time will have passed into
its spiritual orbit and into the ocean of spiritual ether, where suffering
can never come from lack of room. This will be the future history of your
planet, and you will pass through the same experiences and reach the same
ultimate. Behold how infinitely wise all things are forearranged. Just as
we need by our development new limits, new appliances and new things, they
are ready for our use, and are never disclosed until we are ready for and
need them.

"April 24. At this time those living on the planet Mars do not die or pass
through the change called death as you do here. They have no diseases that
cause the untimely taking off of the inhabitants. Disease has long since
been banished. All of the procreating elements of disease residing in the
materiality of the globe or the surrounding atmosphere have been by
progressive development eliminated. And even before this had fully
occurred the people had learned the laws of health and the process of
neutralizing and rendering harmless the lurking germs that remained. You
may perceive from this what a happy people they are. There are no untimely
deaths on Mars. Children grow up to manhood and womanhood; yet there is
no fixed standard of time when all die, that is, no definite and
invariable period of longevity. And right here comes in a great law, now
operative on Mars, that the people of earth know nothing about, for it has
never been communicated before, namely, children can not die there. It was
never designed that they should die here. Marriage being brought about, as
before stated, by the grand law of magnetic attraction or spiritual
affinity, and all diseases being banished and their producing causes
annihilated, nothing but absolutely sound and perfect physical and mental
organizations are imparted to offspring by their progenitors. You see at
once the idea, for I must be brief--the children being perfect in health
of body and mind by procreation, and there being no diseases to affect
them after birth, death can not touch them, in fact can touch none before
the time arrives, varying in point of longevity for the separation of
spirit and body. None die before the full maturity of stature, and some
live to be a very advanced age. After reaching complete development or
stature, they pass out of and away from the material in point of time,
according to the antecedent conditions of their varied being. Some arrive
after maturity to the estate of progressive experience in the form sooner
than others, and when this period arrives, whether it be at thirty, forty,
fifty or a hundred years, they pass on to their ultimate and higher state
of being in the spiritual spheres. It is known when each shall pass out of
the form long before the event transpires, and all due preparation is
accordingly made therefor. Your scientists have discovered, and rightly,
too, that about every seven years the atoms and particles composing your
physical organizations change and give way to new ones. But this is
gradual and imperceptible. On Mars, at this period of development, the
changes are much more frequent, and these successive changes determine the
approach of dissolution, and instead of death in an hour or a day, it goes
on perceptibly and without pain or suffering for years. Every change
lessens the material composites of the body, and at each a nearer approach
to the spiritual takes place, until finally the physical, by the gradual
process of embodied sublimation or attenuation, passes away, and the
spiritual becomes supreme. This culmination is equivalent to what you call
death, except that there is no attending pain, no death struggle, and no
physical body afterwards to take care of and lay away. The body, by
successive changes, has seemingly vanished into nothingness and been
absorbed in the atmosphere.

"April 27. We have been expecting you to inquire of us how the people live
on the planet Mars, what kind of architecture in the construction of their
business houses, habitations, etc.; what kind of food they eat, and with
what raiment are they clothed, etc.

"You will have observed from what we have heretofore made known to you
that the services of four classes of professional worthies have been
dispensed with, simply because the people have progressed beyond their
utility, namely, lawyers, doctors, preachers and politicians. Lawyers can
only thrive and exist professionally in a land where conscience is not
permitted to exercise its native simplicity and positive purity, and where
the lower passions and propensities are largely dominant. When
conscience, active, pure and simple, is allowed to manifest its functions
in perfect unrestraint, and to act as the governing power in the
regulation of human conduct, the presence and office of the barrister are
no longer of use. Lawyers flourish as a general proposition on strife and
contention, bad faith and unfair dealing; and when these shall happily
end, like poor cashiered Cassio, their occupation will be gone. The
doctors grow opulent by medication, because of the ignorance of the people
with reference to the true laws of marriage, proper antenatal conditions,
neglect of proper hygiene, and ignorance as to overcoming or rendering
harmless the deleterious conditions, both atmospheric and from the
undeveloped state of inherent nature. But when, by progressing beyond
their harmful influences, or by enlightenment and healing gifts, the
people shall obtain a complete mastery over them, disease shall be
banished, then the avocation of the physician ends, and he will have to
seek a livelihood in other pursuits.

"The preacher lives in comfortable indolence because of the ignorance and
superstition of the people. His office is one of hypocrisy and fraud.
Hypocrisy, because if he is not a fool, he knows his teachings are not
true, and of fraud, because by dissembling he extorts from his parishoners
a dishonorable subsistence. When the people grow sufficiently wise they
will be taught by the denizens of the spirit world truth and
righteousness. Then the mission or office of the sacerdotal gentlemen will
be closed, and they can seek employment in the many more honorable
occupations. The politician, cunning and subtle, swims along smoothly upon
the rolling current of the credulity of the people and his own duplicity.
He prospers because you have not as yet grown into full political manhood,
and he succeeds in hoodwinking you with the belief that his heart is
overflowing with patriotism and anxious solicitude for the public weal.
But I must leave this class--the politicians--to the tender mercies of
several gentlemen who are waiting the opportunity to contribute their part
to your enterprise.

"April 28. The coarse food necessary for you in order to keep up the crude
materiality of which your physical make-up is composed, is not needed by
the denizens of Mars. In the composition of your physical bodies is a
representative of all the material elements in nature--iron, calcium,
wood, earth, etc.--and it is easily demonstrated by microscopic inspection
and chemical analysis, that in every drop of blood in the human system all
these varied and numerous elements are represented. Hence man may be
safely considered a microcosm, or nature in her vast domain, reflected in
miniature. But you still exist in the realm of the crude, and yet you are
vastly more refined than in the ages past, and forward, onward, and upward
is the line of march marked out for you by the infinitely wise director of
all things. On the planet Mars no animal food is used, because among other
reasons the physical properties of the body do not require the elements of
animal flesh to replace nature's wastes. Thousands of former species of
animals have become extinct, swallowed up in the ever surging maelstrom of
progression or absorbed in the higher forms. Vegetation in the planet Mars
is quite different, both in expression or appearance, and constituent
composition from the vegetation of your planet. Here the aroma residing
in the vegetable and escaping therefrom, is largely absorbed and
neutralized by the grossness of the vegetable itself, while on Mars the
grossness has become so diminished that to the senses the aroma has almost
become tangibly objective, and this aroma is food strengthening and
invigorating, is nearly sufficient of itself to support existence in the
form without the assistance of the more substantial fibers of the parent
vegetable. Yet in a certain prepared form the substantial material is
used. The time is not very far distant, as I am assured, when the people
there will subsist on aromatic emanations from material productions, aided
by magnetic, electric, and other atmospheric properties used simply by
inhalation. In the water you use are to be found teeming millions of
living and moving animalcules. They are enabled to live on the elements of
the water in its present gross state, but on the planet Mars the water has
been dispossessed of its life germinating and life sustaining properties
to aquatic productions, and has thus progressed with all other things and
beings. No life or form of life is now brought into being there, but such
higher types as are fitted to pass with the planet into spiritual
conditions; and the water being so purified by nature's refining processes
is as different from your ordinary water as clear, sparkling sprays
projected from your fountains and dancing in the sunbeams are to the murky
waters of your rivulets immediately after a violent rain-storm. I will
resume this subject in my next.

"May 1. On Mars they have learned how to produce from the soil itself any
vegetable that naturally grows therefrom. In the soil itself reside all
the constituent elements of all vegetation in their infinite variety. You
may thoughtlessly answer, that in order to produce any species of
vegetation used for table consumption, the seed or germ must first be sown
in the soil beneath the surface, but you forget that this process is but
the result of civilization and art, and that originally, that is before
you learned how to obtain and use seed, the products sprang of themselves
and apparently spontaneously from the earth. Whence did they come? and
whence were their germinating and generating powers obtained? Think a
little deeply on the subject, and you will be led irresistibly to the
correct conclusion that in the soil exists all the requisite elements in
the production of vegetation by growth. The people of Mars have acquired
the knowledge which enables them to produce out of the soil, abstractly
considered, all the essential qualities of the vegetable without waiting
for the tedious process of growth. This process is purely chemical, and
everybody there understands it. Hence you see they do not have to buy
vegetables, for all can have their essential qualities for food without
cost to the consumer. Long since the ownership of the soil by individuals
was abandoned for the general common good, and on this subject the
primitive condition of affairs in your planet prevails universally on
Mars--that is to say everybody owns realty, one just as much as another.
This is pure unadulterated agrarianism in its highest and most perfect
form.

"It is often asked in your intercourse with the world of spirits: What are
the employments of spirits? what are they about? what do they do? etc. It
is pertinent to inquire, What are the employments of the people of Mars
still embodied? What do they do since we have discovered that they do not
now toil for the acquisition of riches, because they have no possible use
for them; no taxes to pay, no governmental machinery to support, no
lawyers to annoy, no preachers to vex, torture, and maintain, no doctors
to nauseate with their drugs, no politicians to hoodwink the people and
feed at the public crib, no grocery bills to look after and liquidate,
etc. Before we answer these and many other important queries, we shall see
what the people do for raiment with which to clothe themselves, and what
they do for shelter, if, indeed, shelter is necessary. If we shall
discover that these are free gifts from the father, then the employments
of the embodied Marsians becomes a question of very interesting and
pressing importance.

"May 4. I suspect that you already anticipate the tenor of what we have to
tell you in regard to the clothing of the people of Mars, what texture,
how derived, etc. Your keen perceptions and astute comprehension enables
you to see at a glance that if this law of progression, as applied to the
material, whereby the lowest forms are reached and operated upon, lifting
with its strong arms into higher and still higher conditions, be true, it
must be true and in regard to all material things--the soil, rock, wood,
water, etc., animal and vegetable life, and as we shall have occasion to
show further on, to the mundane atmosphere surrounding the planet. All
things progress and advance in like and equal ratio, leaving nothing
behind or unaffected by the law. This advancing march of matter from the
crude and gross into the more refined and sublimated is seemingly slow,
but nevertheless sure and unerringly, indiscriminate, and precise.
Therefore the raiment worn by the denizens of Mars has reached the same
altitude of refinement as all other material things.

"The seasons, once resembling yours, spring, summer, autumn, and winter,
have nearly merged, that is to say, have nearly blended into one perpetual
season of summer loveliness. The austerity of winter, with its stormy
blasts and cold, piercing wind waves has long since ceased to be; no
frosts to nip and blight the fruits and flowers; no chilling autumns, with
withering leaf, to inspire with melancholy and sadness. What will surprise
you in this connection is, that, while the cold temperature has wrought
its work in the development of the past, and is only known to have once
existed by historic relation, the intense heat of summer has also
disappeared. When you have severely cold winters, almost unendurable even
in your temperate zones, your wise philosophers theorize that your
ultimate destiny is to freeze out; that the icebergs and ice glaziers of
the north are ultimately either to roll over the now fair portions of the
earth, destroying all things animate, or that their freezing breath will
sweep over the globe involving in death all the fair and lovely forms of
nature's productions, including godlike man, the apex and crowning glory
of creation. But lo! when the earth straightens up on her axis and the