and caressed by fondling truant-zephyrs; as though they were all humming and singing the sonnets of love.

I heard no sound of drum-beat, nor bugle-call, nor rolling diapason. Nowhere did I see glare of light, nor somber shadow. But there was a mild glow, clear and not murky, that faded away in every direction in the distance into countless tints, like rainbows pendant on the silvery sheen of farlying clouds.

There was no emotion of anything cold or hard in these celestial environments, but everywhere you experienced the warmth of a kiss, or the yielding touch of lover's cheek.

Neither was there any revelry, nor what we could term sensuality, nor anything licentious or impure.

But instead everywhere was worship of God offered in the joyous incense of celestial emotion and rapturous passion! These blessed joys and emotions of pure passion could no more be compared to anything sensual and impure of earth than could the forms and qualities of the pure celestial be compared to the grossness of the material sphere.

Here pure passion was never cursed with any counterfeit of lust.

Here sweet love was never defiled nor debased by any emotion of sensuality.

Only the pure in heart can appreciate this pure love of affinite souls!

It is only the impure in life who cannot comprehend that in the blissfulness of love's passion abide the truest joys of worship.

CHAPTER XXIV.

IN PLUTONE'S SPHERE-WE BEHOLD THE PERVERSIONS OF

IMPERFECT LIFE.

"CLAREESE, methinks, I feel the first tremulousness of soul experienced by me since I came to the celestial spheres. Judging from these strange feelings, and from the sharp, unpleasant contrasts between this radiance of holy light and those dense, darkly-laden shadows beyond, we must be entering the evil effluvia of Plutone. Why else should my soul feel these quick and dubious misgivings?

"So, Assurance, do I feel most strangely wrought upon. Such emotions have never before possessed me. Draw more closely to me, my dear companion; I feel a craving for thy protecting powers, for thou hast known sin and evil, and experienced its woful powers. I have never companioned with it, and am as a babe before it, so I must cling closely to thee. Seest thou those strange abysses, and now and then those exquisitely beautiful apparitions flitting, and beckoning to usward?"

"Yea, Clareese, I do, and very much do they impress me. See! Some smile on thee and some on me. Those glancing to me are more delicate, beautiful and luscious—those glancing to thee are more forceful and fulsome in appearance. Do they not so seem to you?"

"Yes."

"As we would say on Earth, Clareese, they seem as Venus and Apollo. How unexpectedly it strikes me to see such beauty here. I always thought, Clareese, that in Plutone's evil realm there was nothing but forms hideous, deformed, oppressed, afflicted, accurst."

"So thought I, till once wise Ariel in conversation with me informed me differently. He said there were some beings. here in the lowest states of Plutone, who were offensive in their deformed hideousness - forms that groveled and squirmed in the depths of precipitate corruption. Others, he said, were accurst with beauty-so exquisitely, enrapturously beautiful that they charmed to destruction all who yieldingly came within their influence-just as their beauty had charmed themselves to destruction."

"Why, Clareese, this is unheard of to me! May God save us here! It neareth the occasion of good Benedictus' discourse, and I wish to be near him and Ariel here. I think it were better for us and

"Did-you-speak-to-me-Clareese? I heard a tender voice speaking to me!"

"No, Assurance, I said naught."

"Then it is strange-for so sweet a voice as I had never heard before-so like unto yours-whispered to me, but you would not have uttered the thought!"

"What spake it, Assurance?"

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They were such enticing thoughts, so intended for evil, that I could not repeat them to myself, much less to you."

“Evil thoughts, Assurance? What were they about? How evil?"

"Your pure soul, dear one, could not know such, could not realize such!

"We have evil thoughts and desires and impure joys when we do not render, and enjoy them with true love to God, and to those whom they concern. That which reaches us and proceeds from us in any other channel than that pure channel of love to God and others is evil and impure. Thus are the joys of the sinful minds but the forerunners of woe and suffering and self-detestation. Every delight which we cherish and enjoy devoid of love to God and of the rights of others is sinful-for all things which are pure and good pro

ceed from us in love, and return to us in love." Just at this instant Clareese, blushing and all wrought-up, said to me excitedly :

66

What, Assurance? Didst thou address to me those thoughts? It seemed to me your voice?"

"No, Clareese, only what I addressed to you just now in our conversation. What spake the voice?"

"I scarcely know!

I think it said:

66 6

So strange and new meaning to me!

Spend not the dull hour at Benedictus' harangue, but go with me to yonder beauteous retreat where, love twined about love, we will quaff the sweets of life, and risk the after-death-for one such passioned hour would balance o'er the dull delights of æons of prudish chastity.'

"What meaneth this, Assurance?

"I at first thought it was yourself, and I was ready to say, 'Yea, my love, if it be in God's love, your wish is my desire.

"Let not your thought for one instant, pure soul, dwell on these seductive thoughts. They are of evil, that you know not of. Behold, yonder, Clareese, that company in revelings. I hear them singing:

From out this company two most beautiful forms of lasciv

ious love advanced to us. the other that of man. might be dreamed of, though not described. Her soft-toned bust was bedecked in a close-clinging film, matched below with an ethereal translucence that yielded to each curved and rounded part of loin and limb, suggestingly inciting all emotions that yield to such ravishing charms. Her eyes were soft and dreamily mellow, enticingly tender, inviting love's embrace. Her neck, like ivory hued with downy tints, leaned gently forward, as in beckoning call. Her lips wore smiles that promised much, and seemed inclined to give much more.

One, a form and contour of woman, "She" possessed such beauty as

"She" sped in luscious grace to me. "He" was beauteous, replete in every part with manly charms.

A mantle-gauze of pinkish light as though pendant from clinging girdle passed round his form.

His stature was full-formed and softened over in graceful outline as though with yielding flesh-though all was imma

His eyes were of dark glow, and wore a longing, cun-
His face aglow with seductive smiles enchanted

terial.
ning look.

you.

"He" went direct to Clareese.

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She," who came to me, spake first.

"She" said :

"You seem to be strangers here. Grant us the pleasure to know you that each may share the other's joys."

I replied:

"We are strangers here seeking the holy convocation of wise Ariel and good Benedictus, who will discourse here to evil minds, showing them the way of goodness and truth. Will you direct us to this convocation?"