THE INTERFERING SPIRITS

 

Two spirits were writing of their experiences there when the writing trailed off illegibly and stopped. Sis asked if what she had written was correct.

 

"No, that was not our writing. We are not the ones you called. We took the pencil when the others stopped a moment. We wish to write. How else can you understand the futility of trying to communicate with unseen friends? There is nothing,—form, face, presence, to identify us. We who are unbelievers in the vain attempt to enlighten the world as to this life, believe you are better off to give it all up, and live out your earthly life without thought of the future,—at least without belief in the presence in your dense earthly atmosphere of spirit friends."

 

'If it is so dense, how did you come?'

 

"We came through it all to enlighten you a bit. Give it up. It can't be done. We…"

 

Here there was a change in the writing as our leader, Mary, broke in:—

 

"Well, you have had a lesson in unbelief, haven't you? Don't let it disturb you, dear. We cannot help the interfering ones coming in now and then. But we believe you are not unduly influenced by them."

'Why do they do it?'

"Because they are not yet spiritually developed, and use the reasoning powers and beliefs that were theirs on earth."

 

At another time Sis had some trouble with such interference. That evening the following was written:—

 

"Mary and Dee are here. We know some one interfered today, and that the watchers drove them away."

'How did they do it?'

"We have to use the power of the mind. But its sharp thrusts are sometimes almost equal to dagger points."

'Is that quite in the spirit of love?'

"You are told to resist evil, are you not?" 'Yes, surely.'

"Well, when gentle means will not drive malicious forces away, we may use sterner ones, may we not?"

'I suppose so. They wrote your names?'

"We know, and that is the way the watchers knew them as malicious."

'They must make you a lot of trouble?'

"Not at all. Our work is one of love, and a desire to be helpful to mortals, and that drives away any thought of trouble or weariness."

'I shouldn't think you could keep watch of us all day long?'

"We do in a way; not always in close companionship, but a sort of magnetic wave which tells us where you are and what is needed."

 

At still another time some outsider wrote a few words. Mary explained:—

 

"Another spirit seized the pencil while we had turned away a moment. He was not criminal, just curious, and longing to try the experiment. The spirit world, you know, surrounds the earth, and spirits are ever wandering to and fro. We guard you from all evil ones, but this one seemed so anxious to try that we did not interfere for a moment. It is curious how amidst all the variety, all the attractions, and all the beauty here, the human mind slips back to its first home, and wishes to hear from the blessed old earth from which it came."