when I needed him, I ordered him to come. Fortunately he was just at liberty, and so unoccupied that he has arrived two days sooner than I expected. That in so far does not suit me, as I wished to inform you at least one day before his arrival." "That will change little in my decision, according to which this young man who has thus rained down upon me will not remain in Schonwerth!" Mainau had the loose papers in his hand and was about to carry them back to the desk, but at these last words, spoken with such incredible impertinence, he stood still, as if rooted to the ground, and turned his face back towards the speaker, while the ladies anxiously drooped their eyes before the grim fury which distorted the handsome man's face. But the Marshal was not to be intimidated; he was furious; one could see it in his sharp, projected chin, and in the manner in which the white fingers clutched the silk handkerchief in his lap. "May one at least inquire what has caused you to make this sudden coup d'etat?" "That you can answer yourself, uncle," replied Mainau, with a slight scorn. "I am starting on a journey—which I have enough spoken of- for a long absence; the Baroness goes to Rudisdorf; she will no longer instruct Leo;" at this cold intimation the Duchess lifted her drooped eyelids, and an unveiled look of triumph, flashed towards Liane, who remained quiet and composed in her same position, and, which in truth, is the chief ground; we cannot possibly demand of the court-priest that he shall come so often in winter to Schonwerth to give Leo religious instruction." 66 "Ah! bah! don't pretend that to me! you yourself do not believe in that reason. On the contrary, you know well that our dear priest has even lately offered to instruct the child in other brauches." "Oh, yes, I remember," replied Mainau, dryly; "but with my distaste for adulterat ed history of mankind or of nature, you will understand me when I decline so much kindness and sacrifice." "Sir Baron!" exclaimed the priest. "Your Reverence?" asked Mainau, slowly and scornfully, measuring the priest from under his half-drooped eyelids. This expression of contempt in Mainau's gesture was not to be endured. With fury in his face the priest arose, but the old gentleman clung to his arm with both hands, and attempted to draw him down to his seat again. "Raoul, I do not comprehend you! how can you so insult the priest, and that, too, in the presence of her Highness, the Duchess?” he cried in a choking voice. "Insult?" have I then spoken of forged notes or the like? I ask you yourself, does their theology teach these things as they are? Must it not, if it will remain on its basis, obstinately deny many things which are as clear as the proposition that twice two are four, and will remain so to all eternity? Does it not declare heavenly bodies remain immovable, which yet, according to the everlasting Creator's will and laws, must move? Does it not say that natural events, which must necessarily have been the production of the powerful intellect of individuals and the co-operation of nations, are effected through superhuman good and evil spirits? Does it not place the sacred hocus-pocus of praying before images and making pilgrimages above the efficiency of the wise physician, above the remedies lent us by the Creator of all things; yes, above even the wisdom of God himself, pretending to force him to change his everlasting laws?" The Marshal, speechless, clasped his hands and sunk back in his chair. "For Heaven's sake, Raoul, I have never heard you talk in this way before!" "Ah, yes!" replied Mainau, shrugging his shoulders, "you are right; I have really never meddled with these things; one gets angry at the weak arguments and weapons of the opponent who, hard pressed and conscious of victory, flees behind his shield with its device, ' With God all things are possible;' and in the end, who likes to have the black wasps buzz around his ears when he loves God's beautiful world and wishes to enjoy it? Out of this love of peace I have been a little shaken through the project for destroying the witch in the India garden, and which came within a hair of destroying my child's sight. I cherish a distrust against that religious instruction by which such weeds so rankly grow, and think for a radical cure one must begin as quickly as possible with the young heads; for the old ones who in thousands mar this fair earth are past improvement." "How unjust, Baron Mainau! Do you really think thus of holy simplicity?" cried the bigoted lady-of-honor, who could no longer restrain herself. “Have you not yourself lately said that you loved that trait in woman?" "That I still say, my lady," he replied, returning to his light, frivolous tone. "A fair, smooth, white forhead under silken locks of hair, which does not indulge in subtle inquiry, a sweet, rosy mouth which innocently prattles, - how convenient for us! Oh, yes, I love these women, but — I do not preter them." "And when this silken hair grows white, and to the sweet, rosy mouth the childish, inexpressive smile no longer suits, then one lays the plaything in the corner, so, Baron Mainau?" asked the Duchess, sharply. "Do these women wish it otherwise, your Highness?" returned Mainau, with a cold smile. 'Ay, then we must seek out quickly our Latin, our botany, our chemistry, with which we were truly tortured in our girlish days," laughed the princess, bitterly. "It was said of me that I comprehended easily and quickly; perhaps that has ceased with the years; we could try it. What would you think, Baron Mainau, if on your return from the Orient I should greet you in a Latin address, and then lead you into my laboratory and regale you with all possible scientific experiments?" "Phew! a blue-stocking in loose dress and disordered hair!" cried Mainau, joining in the laugh. “Your Highness, this antipathy is ineradically rooted in my soul; but I suddenly conceive there could be women's minds which might intelligently follow the tracks of Nature, and, like men's, seek to unlock her treasures; who, with the clear glance possess the inconquerable impulse; who could study independently, without the leading-strings of tradition, and trace down to their sources the wonderful appearances on our planet, and yet could make this impulse hold the second place, while they say that the cherishing of the sacred flame on the household hearth, the binding together the family in their soft, gentle, yet strong arms, is the first object of their life." "My dear Baron Mainau, perhaps you will find a great artist who could paint for you such a wife," exclaimed the lady attendant, with a malicious titter, while the Duchess, with a vehement gesture, arose. Julia A. Sprague. The book in which kind deeds were written down, A poor old woman, wrinkled, worn and gray, - Forced her slow way, with many doubts and fears. A tray on which, with tasteful care, were spread A few frail toys to catch the passing eye, And these to her were raiment, fire and bread. The careless crowd passed on with eager haste, With eager haste they fill the narrow street, And mid the rush the trembling woman's tray, With all its toys, lay shattered at her feet. A cry of anguish floated on the air, The air so used to tones of deep dismay; A tender chord in each man's heart was touched, The angel saw; and with a cry of joy, · Of joy that reached to heaven's sublimest height, Penned down the deed within his golden book, And swiftly bore it to the realms of light. E. E. Brown. TH The Recognition of Friends in the Future World. HIS is a subject of universal interest. Shall we know our friends in the spirit land? Shall we be able to recognize them as individual beings, bearing the same relation to them which we sustained in this world? Shall we be permitted to see our parents, brothers, sisters, children and friends, as such, converse with them, recount the pleasures of earth, and together rise on the expanding wings of joy and love through the illimitable regions of the celestial kingdom? These are questions which come home to the soul of every person in the hour of calm meditation upon the relations of the two worlds, and invest the idea of future existence with a vast increase of bliss or misery, according as we answer them in the affirmative or the negative. We will endeavor to approach the subject, then, with an idea commensurate with its importance, and gain all the light we can, both from nature and revelation. We take for granted, now, the belief in an immortal state of existence. It is no part of our plan to prove this. Considering this as settled by the testimony of the human soul and the Scriptures, we proceed to investigate the conditions and modes of man's existence in the spirit land. If we are to exist after the dissolution of the body, what is to exist? Evidently not the material part. This decays and mingles with the dust. The Spirit has revealed to us that "flesh and blood can not inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." No corruptible matter can enter that purely spiritual state. It is, then, the immaterial part, the mind, that is to exist after the event of death. This shall exist in a state of separation from the body, either alone or in alliance with some other element, of which we in this world are ignorant. Yet the separation of the soul and body does not destroy the identity of the former, or change its essential character. We must maintain this unless we acknowledge that the mind depends upon the material organization entirely for its preservation and action, and that it is capable of being frittered away, resolved into parts, and in its essential nature changed. We can not admit this idea, for it is hostile to all our legitimate ideas of the human mind. Our consciousness tells us that the mind is a unity in and of itself. It manifests its lt in different modes, under different circumstances. To enable it thus to manifest itself, God has endowed it with certain powers or faculties. These faculties are not so many elements or parts which enter into the composition of the mind, as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and carbonic acid enter into the composition of air and water, or the woody part, bark and sap enter into the composition of the tree. It is a unit, an individual substance. It cannot be divided except by destroying its entire existence. So much our consciousnes teaches us. In this mind, as a unity, reside our consciousness, our identity, our memory, our affections and all the thoughts and emotions of our being. The body is the house we live in. It is only the temporal residence of the mind while dwelling in this world. When it has fulfilled its office it is cast off, taken to pieces, dissolved, like any dwelling-house that has outlived its usefulness, while the mind, entering into a new sphere of existence, continues to live and progress as our Creator designed. Now if the mind is a unity, its several powers or faculties will exist after it leaves the body, and act in accordance with the laws under which they are placed. These laws, as applied to the mind, are the same in both worlds, for they pertain to the immaterial part that exists alike in both. The memory, for instance, will be active in retaining knowledge in the spirit land as here. It will call up events of the past, and enable us to live over again the acts and scenes pertaining to our existence on earth. The imagination will be active in forming beautiful and gorgeous scenes, upon which we love to gaze. The emotions will exist there as here, and contribute to our enjoyment. The love of friends and kindred will be manifest, too, though freed from the grossness which too often characterizes it in this imperfect and sensual world. Is not this the idea which we generally have when our thoughts are turned towards the spirit land? Do we ever think of living there without the exercise of those faculties which contribute to our enjoyment here? Can we for a moment indulge the thought that we shall exist in a state where we shall not see our friends, or exercise the powers with which we are endowed? Do we conceive of heaven without kindred, without friends and fond remembrances, pure affections, loving hearts? Do we ever think that these ties which bind our souls together and strengthen them here, will be forever dissolved when the spirit leaves its frail, clayey tenement? Do we really believe that all this rich wealth of the heart will be swept away on our passage across the Jordan of death? Ah, no! no! The poet uttered a great truth, to which all hearts will respond, when he exclaimed: "They sin who tell us love can die: All others are but vanity. But love is indestructible, Its holy flame forever burneth. From heaven it came, to heaven returneth; Then has in heaven its perfect rest; Thus all instinctively believe. We can not for a moment admit that we are to exist hereafter without those sentiments and emotions which our Heavenly Father has given us for our highest enjoyment in this world. This belief is founded in the natural instincts of our souls. It is so ineffaceably impressed upon our souls that nothing can erase it. Here reason and instinct agree. If one part of our mind is to be destroyed; if memory, imagination, reason, affection, or any other single faculty, is to be taken away, what assurance have we that the other parts or faculties may not be taken also? And finally the whole mind might be destroyed, and that which was created immortal would become mortal. We fall back upon the teachings of consciousness. The mind is a unity. All its powers, as a unity, are to exist in the future world. With this position only can we reconcile the doctrine of immortality at all, or believe that man will exist in the spirit world as an individual human being. The mind, then, is a unit. It is to exist hereafter as a unit. All its powers will remain there and be called into action. Upon their action depends our continued happiness. We have faculties here which unite us together, the social and affectional faculties of our being. These will exist in the spirit world also. We have faculties which enable us to recognize our friends here; we shall have the same faculties, which will enable us to recognize our friends there. The recognition will be of the mind, not of the body, for the body will not be there. Spirit will communicate with spirit in holy and affectionate communion, and thus fill out the measure of our mutual joys. Is it said that all this is speculation? Then it is speculation founded on the action of the human mind, according to the laws which God has given us, and these laws pertaining to the mind are just as ascertainable in comprehension, and effective in operation as those pertaining to outward nature or the human body. But we are not left solely to the argument derived from the human mind. We turn to the teachings of revelation which bear upon the subject; and here we notice the fact that where the sacred writers treat of our existence in the future state, they allude to our individual exist ence. When Jesus spoke of the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead he addressed his sister, saying: "Thy brother shall rise again," implying that the identical person who departed should rise as such, and his relatives would recognize him in this character. The Apostle Paul, when treating of the resurrection, in his epistle to the Corinthians, says: "As we (as individuals) have borne the image of the earthy, so we (the same persons) shall also bear the image of the heavenly." As individual personalities we exist in this world, distinguished from others by certain characteristics. |