INFANTS IN SPIRIT LAND

 

In the appendix to the previous book, "SPIRIT WORLD AND SPIRIT LIFE," will be found considerable information as to how the little ones are met and cared for. In the following section is an account of our communications with two who went over as infants many years ago.

 

"They are not pure spirits yet," we are told, "for then they would belong to the angelic host. They came as infants, but they possessed the immortal spirit, and they differ only in the fact that they have never known sin nor earthly life, material life, I should say."

 

'What do you have that they do not?'

 

"We have the knowledge of good and evil, and the power of choice, and the education through this to help others who are still in the world of good and evil. But there are many other ways in which they can serve."

 

These infant spirits are infants no longer, for they have been there an ordinary lifetime. They wrote one evening:—

 

"We think it is interesting to watch these messages to and fro. Can you give us a thought from earth now?"

 

I don't know that this should have surprised us, but it did. We all at once realized that they knew nothing of earth or material things by experience, any more than we knew spirit life by experience. Sis asked if they could not see material things:—

 

"They are untrained in that respect. What they would like to know is how you manage to live with all those earthly impediments they hear about?"

 

I asked if they had ever been brought in contact with evil on that side.

 

"Not very much. They could not become teachers, for they have no earthly experience. Their work is along other lines. They are trying hard to understand earth life, but many of its phases seem almost unbelievable to them. The crime and cruelty they only know by descriptions, but they look at it as an almost unbelievable fiction. They do not fully realize it any more than you fully realize this life. They have been taught and believe it as you believe some far away facts of ancient history. Perhaps that is not a good comparison either, for you have at least some other earthly happenings to compare it with. But they have not, so it is hard for them to understand."

 

They were much interested, as they said, and came often to the circle. Many months later we were talking with them again and the following was written:—

 

"We are learning the earth language, and often listen to the conversations between you and the circle. It seems very wonderful to us, very wonderful that people on earth are willing to live in the midst of such sin, misery, sickness, ignorance, and poverty, and all the other ills we hear you describe."

 

'Do you not see the ignorant and criminal ones who come over there?'

 

"We are not really in touch with them, for we do not try to influence the earthborn mortals when they first come over. Our work with them is afterward in trying to help them to the various occupations here."

'You seem to come together; are you together all the time?'

Mary says: "They came over so young that they received most of their education together, and they grew into a companionship that has become a habit as well as a joy. They are alike in temperament, so that naturally they grew into intimate companionship."

 

I asked if such infants reached maturity earlier there than here.

 

"Yes, because they learn more rapidly. One of them came over several years before the other. He was far more mature than if he had remained on earth for that time. He met his little brother and was his helper for a long time, and his father taught him to love the family tie wherever congeniality existed. Then they took up studies together because both were interested in the same things."

'Having no sin or selfishness to overcome, I should have thought they would be on a higher plane by this time?'

"They could go at any time, and they are connected with circles who are studying higher things. But their father preferred to remain near the earth-plane, and they have loved him and stayed with him."

'How does the earth appear to them?'

"Mary says: 'They look upon it as a mystery and—' "Will you listen to them?"

"We are not able to comprehend many things. We hear of the mechanical devices there and wonder much about them. We move in a flash of time. You are studying ways of getting about upon the surface of the earth, in the air, on the water, or maybe under the water. We have heard of your submarines and airplanes, automobiles and railroad trains. It all seems so slow, so difficult, so unnecessary! How do you ever find time to move from one place to another! Then you have to spend so much time in sleep. And Mary tells us that you have to spend time and strength and money in providing things to eat and drink. How can you be patient with it all?"

 

'Have you studied the earth enough to be able to sense or understand material things as compared with your spiritual objects?'

The reply seems to us to show that they do not fully understand, for they still refer to actions rather than to things.

"We try to understand. We try to move as slowly as your fastest travel, and we grow impatient. We can have some sensation of taste, but we cannot understand how people would ever be willing to spend much time at it. We have tried our best to sleep, but we could not succeed, and can only guess how that is accomplished. You see we are handicapped when we try to help earthborn persons when they first arrive here."

Much later, we were talking again and asked Mary about them later, we were talking again and asked Mary about them.

"They are here, and are talking among themselves about earth affairs. They are as much interested about the earth as you are to hear about us."

'Have they just become interested since we began to write?'

"They did not know much about it before that. They were not drawn to it in any way, and simply lived the spirit life as it manifested itself here."

'What are they interested in? What do they wish to know?' "About the daily life, the work and the pleasures and the conditions generally."

'I do not suppose they understand how it seems to get tired, so weary that it seems almost impossible to move?'

"Not at all. They do not know the sensations of weariness. They want you to tell them how it feels?"

Sis tried to picture such a condition. "That, they think, must spoil life entirely!" Then they themselves asked:— "How do you get over it?" Sis described how rest was taken. "Well, what next?"