CHAPTER LII.
THE LAST FAREWELL.
My mysterious guest, he of the silver, flowing beard, read the last wordof the foregoing manuscript, and then laid the sheet of paper on thetable, and rested his head upon his hand, gazing thoughtfully at theopen fire. Thus he sat for a considerable period in silence. Then hesaid:
"You have heard part of my story, that portion which I am commanded tomake known now, and you have learned how, by natural methods, I passedby successive steps while in the body, to the door that death only, asyet, opens to humanity. You understand also that, although of humanform, I am not as other men (for with me matter is subservient to mind),and as you have promised, so you must act, and do my bidding concerningthe manuscript."
"But there is surely more to follow. You will tell me of what you sawand experienced beyond the end of earth, within the possessions ofEtidorhpa. Tell me of that Unknown Country."
"No," he answered; "this is the end, at least so far as my connectionwith you is concerned. You still question certain portions of mynarrative, I perceive, notwithstanding the provings I have given you,and yet as time passes investigation will show that every word I haveread or uttered is true, historically, philosophically, and spiritually(which you now doubt), and men will yet readily understand how theseemingly profound, unfathomable phenomena I have encountered may beverified. I have studied and learned by bitter experience in a schoolthat teaches from the outgoings of a deeper philosophy than humanscience has reached, especially modern materialistic science which,however, step by step it is destined to reach. And yet I have recordedbut a small part of the experiences that I have undergone. What I haverelated is only a foretaste of the inexhaustible feast which, in thewisdom expanse of the future, will yet be spread before man, and whichtempts him onward and upward. This narrative, which rests against thebeginning of my real story, the Unknown Country and its possibilitiesshould therefore incite to renewed exertions, both mental andexperimental, those permitted to review it. I have carried my history tothe point at which I can say to you, very soon afterward I gave up mybody temporarily, by a perfectly natural process, a method that man canyet employ, and passed as a spiritual being into the ethereal spaces,through those many mansions which I am not permitted to describe at thistime, and from which I have been forced unwillingly to return and takeup the semblance of my body, in order to meet you and record theseevents. I must await the development and expansion of mind that willpermit men to accept this faithful record of my history beforecompleting the narrative, for men are yet unprepared. Men must seriouslyconsider those truths which, under inflexible natural laws, govern thedestiny of man, but which, if mentioned at this day can only be viewedas the hallucinations of a disordered mind. To many this manuscript willprove a passing romance, to others an enigma, to others still it will bea pleasing study. Men are not now in a condition to receive even thispaper. That fact I know full well, and I have accordingly arranged thatthirty years shall pass before it is made public. Then they will havebegun to study more deeply into force disturbances, exhibitions ofenergy that are now known and called imponderable bodies (perhaps someof my statements will then even be verified), and to reflect over theconnection of matter therewith. A few minds will then be capable ofvaguely conceiving possibilities, which this paper will serve toforetell, for a true solution of the great problems of the etherealunknown is herein suggested, the study of which will lead to a finalelevation of humanity, such as I dare not prophesy."
"Much of the paper is obscure to me," I said; "and there are occasionalphrases and repetitions that appear to be interjected, possibly, withan object, and which are yet disconnected from the narrative proper."
"That is true; the paper often contains statements that areemblematical, and which you can not understand, but yet such portionscarry to others a hidden meaning. I am directed to speak to many personsbesides yourself, and I can not meet those whom I address more directlythan I do through this communication. These pages will serve to instructmany people--people whom you will never know, to whom I have broughtmessages that will in secret be read between the lines."
"Why not give it to such persons?"
"Because I am directed to bring it to you," he replied, "and you arerequired:
"First, To seal the manuscript, and place it in the inner vault of yoursafe.
"Second, To draw up a will, and provide in case of your death, thatafter the expiration of thirty years from this date, the seals are to bebroken, and a limited edition published in book form, by one you select.
"Third, An artist capable of grasping the conceptions will at the propertime be found, to whom the responsibility of illustrating the volume isto be entrusted, he receiving credit therefor. Only himself and yourself(or your selected agent) are to presume to select the subjects forillustration.
"Fourth, In case you are in this city, upon the expiration of thirtyyears, you are to open the package and follow the directions given inthe envelope therein."
And he then placed on the manuscript a sealed envelope addressed tomyself.
"This I have promised already," I said.
"Very well," he remarked, "I will bid you farewell."
"Wait a moment; it is unjust to leave the narrative thus uncompleted.You have been promised a future in comparison with which the experiencesyou have undergone, and have related to me, were tame; you had just meton the edge of the inner circle that mysterious being concerning whom Iam deeply interested, as I am in the continuation of your personalnarrative, and you have evidently more to relate, for you must havepassed into that Unknown Country. You claim to have done so, but youbreak the thread in the most attractive part by leaving the future toconjecture."
"It must be so. This is a history of man on Earth, the continuation willbe a history of man within the Unknown Country."
"And I am not to receive the remainder of your story?" I reiterated,still loth to give it up.
"No; I shall not appear directly to you again. Your part in this workwill have ended when, after thirty years, you carry out the directionsgiven in the sealed letter which, with this manuscript, I entrust toyour care. I must return now to the shore that separated me from myformer guide, and having again laid down this semblance of a body, goonce more into--"
He buried his face in his hands and sobbed. Yes; this strange, cynicalbeing whom I had at first considered an impertinent fanatic, and then,more than once afterward, had been induced to view as a cunningimpostor, or to fear as a cold, semi-mortal, sobbed like a child.
"It is too much," he said, seemingly speaking to himself; "too much torequire of one not yet immortal, for the good of his race. I am againwith men, nearly a human, and I long to go back once more to my oldhome, my wife, my children. Why am I forbidden? The sweets of Paradisecan not comfort the mortal who must give up his home and family, and yetcarry his earth-thought beyond. Man can not possess unalloyed joys, andblessings spiritual, and retain one backward longing for mundanesubjects, and I now yearn again for my earth love, my material family.Having tasted of semi-celestial pleasures in one of the mansions of thatcomplacent, pure, and restful sphere, I now exist in the border land,but my earth home is not relinquished, I cling as a mortal to formerscenes, and crave to meet my lost loved ones. All of earth must be leftbehind if Paradise is ever wholly gained, yet I have still my sublunarythoughts.
"Etidorhpa! Etidorhpa!" he pleaded, turning his eyes as if towards one Icould not see, "Etidorhpa, my old home calls. Thou knowest that thebeginning of man on earth is a cry born of love, and the end of man onearth is a cry for love; love is a gift of Etidorhpa, and thou,Etidorhpa, the soul of love, should have compassion on a pleadingmortal."
He raised his hands in supplication.
"Have mercy on me, Etidorhpa, as I would on you if you were I and I wereEtidorhpa."
Then with upturned face he stood long and silent, listening.
"Ah," he murmured at last, as if in reply to a voice I could not catch,a voice that carried to his ear an answer o
f deep disappointment; "thouspokest truly in the vision, Etidorhpa: it is love that enslavesmankind; love that commands; love that ensnares and rules mankind, andthou, Etidorhpa, art the soul of Love. True it is that were there noEtidorhpa, there would still be tears on earth, but the cold,meaningless tears of pain only. No mourning people, no sorrowfulpartings, no sobbing mothers kneeling with upturned faces, no plantingof the myrtle and the rose on sacred graves. There would be nochild-love, no home, no tomb, no sorrow, no Beyond--"
He hesitated, sank upon his knees, pleadingly raised his clasped handsand seemed to listen to that far-off voice, then bowed his head, andanswered:
"Yes; thou art right, Etidorhpa--although thou bringest sorrow tomortals, without thee and this sorrow-gift there could be no brighthereafter. Thou art just, Etidorhpa, and always wise. Love is the seed,and sorrow is the harvest, but this harvest of sadness is to man therichest gift of love, the golden link that joins the spirit form thathas fled to the spirit that is still enthralled on earth. Were there noearth-love, there could be no heart-sorrow; were there no craving forloved ones gone, the soul of man would rest forever a brother of theclod. He who has sorrowed and not profited by his sorrow-lesson, isunfitted for life. He who heeds best his sorrow-teacher is in closesttouch with humanity, and nearest to Etidorhpa. She who has drank mostdeeply of sorrow's cup has best fitted herself for woman's sphere inlife, and a final home of immortal bliss. I will return to thy realms,Etidorhpa, and this silken strand of sorrow wrapped around my heart,reaching from earth to Paradise and back to earth, will guide at last myloved ones to the realms beyond--the home of Etidorhpa."
Rising, turning to me, and subduing his emotion, ignoring this outburst,he said:
"If time should convince you that I have related a faithful history, ifin after years you come to learn my name (I have been forbidden tospeak it), and are convinced of my identity, promise me that you will doyour unbidden guest a favor."
"I STOOD ALONE IN MY ROOM HOLDING THE MYSTERIOUSMANUSCRIPT."]
"This I will surely do; what shall it be?"
"I left a wife, a little babe, and a two-year-old child when I was takenaway, abducted in the manner that I have faithfully recorded. In mysubsequent experience I have not been able to cast them from my memory.I know that through my error they have been lost to me, and will beuntil they change to the spirit, after which we will meet again in oneof the waiting Mansions of the Great Beyond. I beg you to ascertain, ifpossible, if either my children, or my children's children live, andshould they be in want, present them with a substantial testimonial.Now, farewell."
He held out his hand, I grasped it, and as I did so, his form becameindistinct, and gradually disappeared from my gaze, the fingers of myhand met the palm in vacancy, and with extended arms I stood alone in myroom, holding the mysterious manuscript, on the back of which I findplainly engrossed:
"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."