hese naturally roam the farthest, and the more they see
and the farther they go, the stronger becomes their abhorrence for
everything they meet."

"Cannot you spirits help us, and the mortals now on earth, to escape
this fate?"

"The greatest hope for your bodies and souls lies in the communion with
those that have passed through death; for the least of them can tell
you more than the wisest man on earth; and could you all come or send
representatives to the multitudes here who cannot as yet return to you,
but few on earth would be so quixotically sinful as to refuse our
advice. Since, however, the greatest good comes to men from the
learning that they make an effort to secure, it is for you to strive to
reach us, who can act as go-betweens from God to you."

"It seems to me," said Bearwarden, "that people are better now than
formerly. The sin of idolatry, for instance, has disappeared--has it
not?"

"Men still set up idols of wealth, passion, or ambition in their
hearts. These they worship as in days gone by, only the form has
changed."

"Could the souls on Cassandra do us bodily or mental injury, if we
could ever reach their planet?" asked Bearwarden.

"They might oppress and distress you, but your faith would protect you
wherever you might go."

"Can you give us a taste of your sense of prescience?" asked Bearwarden
again; "for, since it is not clear in what degree the condemned receive
this, and neither is it by any means sure that I shall be saved, I
should like for once in my history to experience this sense of
divinity, before my entity ends in stone."

"I will transfer to you my sense of prescience," replied the spirit,
"that you may foresee as prophets have. In so doing, I shall but
anticipate, since you will yourselves in time obtain this sense in a
greater or less degree. Is there any event in the future you would
like to see, in order that, when the vision is fulfilled, it may tend
to stablish your faith?"

"Since I am the oldest," replied the doctor, "and shall probably die
before my friends, reveal to us, I pray you, the manner of my death and
the events immediately following. This may prove an object-lesson to
them, and will greatly interest me."

"Your death will be caused by blood-poisoning, brought on by an
accident," began the spirit. "Some daybreak will find you weak, after
a troubled night, with your bodily resources at a low ebb. Sunset will
see you weaker, with your power of