Part 1 (2/2)
Wondering for a moment how he got there, and thinking that after all it was a dream, he said--
”What is useless? She is not dead.”
”No,” answered the stranger, ”but _you_ are.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: He saw standing beside him a stranger.]
”I am what?” cried Brenton.
”You are what the material world calls dead, although in reality you have just begun to live.”
”And who are you?” asked Brenton. ”And how did you get in here?”
The other smiled.
”How did _you_ get in here?” he said, repeating Brenton's words.
”I? Why, this is my own house.”
”Was, you mean.”
”I mean that it is. I am in my own house. This lady is my wife.”
”_Was_,” said the other.
”I do not understand you,” cried Brenton, very much annoyed. ”But, in any case, your presence and your remarks are out of place here.”
”My dear sir,” said the other, ”I merely wish to aid you and to explain to you anything that you may desire to know about your new condition.
You are now free from the inc.u.mbrance of your body. You have already had some experience of the additional powers which that riddance has given you. You have also, I am afraid, had an inkling of the fact that the spiritual condition has its limitations. If you desire to communicate with those whom you have left, I would strongly advise you to postpone the attempt, and to leave this place, where you will experience only pain and anxiety. Come with me, and learn something of your changed circ.u.mstances.”
”I am in a dream,” said Brenton, ”and you are part of it. I went to sleep last night, and am still dreaming. This is a nightmare and it will soon be over.”
”You are saying that,” said the other, ”merely to convince yourself.
It is now becoming apparent to you that this is not a dream. If dreams exist, it was a dream which you left, but you have now become awake. If you really think it is a dream, then do as I tell you--come with me and leave it, because you must admit that this part of the dream is at least very unpleasant.”
”It is not very pleasant,” a.s.sented Brenton. As he spoke the bewildered servants came rus.h.i.+ng up the stairs, picked up their fallen mistress, and laid her on a sofa. They rubbed her hands and dashed water in her face. She opened her eyes, and then closed them again with a shudder.
”Sarah,” she cried, ”have I been dreaming, or is your master dead?”
The two girls turned pale at this, and the elder of them went boldly into the room which her mistress had just left. She was evidently a young woman who had herself under good control, but she came out sobbing, with her ap.r.o.n to her eyes.
”Come, come,” said the man who stood beside Brenton, ”haven't you had enough of this? Come with me; you can return to this house if you wish;”
and together they pa.s.sed out of the room into the crisp air of Christmas morning. But, although Brenton knew it must be cold, he had no feeling of either cold or warmth.
”There are a number of us,” said the stranger to Brenton, ”who take turns at watching the sick-bed when a man is about to die, and when his spirit leaves his body, we are there to explain, or comfort, or console.
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