The Life Beyond the Veil Volume I: The Lowlands of Heaven - George Owen, Kenroy Hunter, Geoff Cutler (best novels for beginners .TXT) 📗

and may not be correct, but you can look up the passage and refresh your memory and decide for yourself.

 

I was not present at the festival within the Castle, so will not describe it, as I only heard of it at second hand,

and prefer to tell you of things I myself have witnessed, which I can do more vividly. It was a most glorious affair, however, as one can well credit when so many high spirits brought their glory together.

 

Ah well, dear lad, you will see it all some day soon, when you and your dear ones will all be here in God’s good land on which His love and blessing descend like dew upon sweet meadowlands, with the fragrance all around. And is it strange if we who learn continually how much more blessed it is to give than to receive, should seek to waft some of this sweetness on our breath through the Veil that those on your side may breathe it too and taste how sweet and gracious the Lord is, and how blessed are they who rest on Him? Whose blessing we invoke on you and yours, now and ever.

 

Amen.

 

 

Thursday, October 30, 1913

 

Place your hand against your head and you will notice that we are then able the more readily to speak to you so that you will be able to understand.

 

Like this?

Yes. It helps you and us, both.

 

How?

 

Because there is a stream of magnetism proceeding from us to you, and by doing as we have suggested it is not so quickly dissipated.

 

I don’t understand a word of all this.

 

Maybe not. There are many things you have yet to learn, dear, and what we are saying now is one of those things, little in itself but still of account. It is often these small things which help to success.

 

Now, while we are not over anxious to explain the methods we employ in the transmission of these messages, because we can only make you understand imperfectly, still we may say this: the power we use is best described as magnetism, and by means of this the vibrations of our minds are directed on your own. Your hand being so placed serves as a kind of magnet and reservoir in one, and helps us. But we will not continue this, but get on to something we can better make clear to you.

 

In our life in the Summerland2 we endeavour to help both those who come over to us and also their friends still on Earth. Indeed, the two phases of service are

inseparable, for those who pass over here are often much distressed, and so unable to progress until they know that those they have left behind are being helped from this side. So we often make excursions to the Earth plane for this reason.

 

Last week we received a woman who had left a husband and three small children, and she begged to be allowed to go and see how they were managing at home. She was so anxious that at last we took her, and arrived at evening time just as they were all sitting down to supper. The man had just come in from work and he was going to have his meal before putting them to bed. They were two girls, aged about seven and five, and a little boy of two. They all sat round the table in the kitchen, a fairly comfortable room, and the father told the eldest girl to say grace. This is what she said, “God provide for us all, and mother, for Christ’s sake. Amen.”

 

The woman went round to the little one, and laid her hand on her hair and spoke to her, but could not make her hear. She was troubled at this, but we bade her wait and watch. By and by the girl spoke, after a long silence, during which she and her father had been thinking of the one who had passed away, and she said, “Dad, do you think mammy knows about us now, and Auntie Lizzie?”

 

“I don’t know,” he replied, “but I think she does,

because I have felt very miserable the last few days, as if she was worrying about something; and it might be Auntie Lizzie.”

 

“Well,” said the child, “then don’t let us go. Mrs.—— will look after baby, and I can help when I come home from school, and we shan’t have to go then.

 

“Don’t you want to go?” he said.

 

“I don’t,” answered the child. “Baby and Sissie would go, but I don’t want to.”

 

“Well, I’ll think about it,” he said. “So don’t worry. I dare say we shall manage all right.”

 

“And mother will help, and the angels,” persisted the little girl, “because she can speak to them now, and they will help if she asks them.”

 

Now, the father said nothing more; but we could see his mind, and read in it the thought that if this little child had such faith, he ought to have as much at least, and by and by he made up his mind to try the thing and see how it would work out. For the parting with his children was not to his mind, and he was very glad to find an excuse to keep them.

 

I cannot say that the mother obtained much comfort from

her visit. But on our way back we told her that the faith of that child, if it was reinforced by that of the father, would form a powerful medium of help, or we were much mistaken.

 

On our return we reported all to our Mother Angel, and immediately measures were taken to ensure that the family should not be broken up, and the mother was bidden to strive to progress in order that she should be able to help also. Then a change came over her. She set to work in real earnest, and will soon be allowed to join parties on their journeys Earthward now and then, and to add her little mite to their stronger service.

 

But now we must leave that case for a time and tell you of another. A man came to our colony a short time ago who also had lately passed over. He was wandering about seeking somewhere to his mind, and thought this settlement looked something like what he wanted. You must not think he was alone. There accompanied him, but at a distance, a watcher who was ready to help when required. The man was one of those curious mixtures we sometimes get. There was considerable goodness and light in him, but that could not be used for furthering his development on account of its being checked and held in ward by other traits which he could not be brought to rearrange.

 

He was met on a path some distance away from the hill

where our Home is by one of the workers in another Home, and the latter stopped and questioned him, for he noticed a strange and perplexed look in his face. When he stopped he received a signal from, the guardian, who was some distance away, and was informed of the problem, and so, all instantaneously, was equipped to deal with it. He spoke kindly, and the following conversation ensued.

 

A. You seem to be not very familiar with this region. Can I help you in any way?

 

B. I don’t think so, although it is kind of you to offer to do so.

 

A. Your difficulty is one which we might deal with here, but not so thoroughly as we would like to do.

 

B. I am afraid you don’t know what that difficulty is.

 

A. Well, partly, I think. You are perplexed because you have not met any of your friends here, and wonder why.

 

B. That is so, certainly.

 

A. But they have met you.

 

B. I have not seen them; and I have been wondering where I could find them. It seems so strange. I always

thought that our friends were the first to meet us when we pass over, and I cannot understand it at all.

 

A. But they did meet you.

 

B. I didn’t see any one I knew.

 

A. That is quite correct. They met you and you did not know them—would not know them.

 

B. I don’t understand.

 

A. What I mean is this. When you came over here you were immediately taken charge of by your friends. But your heart, good in some respects and even enlightened, was hard and blindly obstinate in others. And this is the reason you did not recognize their presence.

 

The other looked long and doubtfully at his companion, and at last stammered out a question.

 

B. What is wrong with me, then? Everybody I meet is kind and happy, and yet I don’t seem to be able to join any party, or to find my own proper place. What is wrong with me?

 

A. The first thing you must learn is that your opinions may not be correct. I’ll tell you one which is at fault, to

 

begin with. This world is not, as you are trying to imagine it, a place where people are all that is good or all that is evil. They are much as they are on Earth. Another thing is this: your wife, who came over here some years ago, is in a higher sphere than the one in which you will be placed when you have at length got the correct perspective of things. She was not mentally your equal in the Earth life, and is not so now. But you are on a lower plane than she is, on general lines and all things considered. That is the second thing you have to accept, and accept ex animo. You do not accept it, as I can see by your face. You will have to do so before you can advance. When you have done so, then you will probably be enabled to communicate with her. At present that is not possible.3

 

The man’s eyes became dimmed with tears, but he smiled rather sweetly and sadly as he quoted, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.”

 

A. Quite right; and that brings me to the third thing you will have to accept; and that is this. There is one watching over you always, always at hand to help you. He is a prophet, or rather a seer, like me; and it was he who put that saying into your mind to repeat to me.

 

Now the stranger’s face became grave and thoughtful. He was trying to get the right and true view of things. He asked, “Is it vanity, then, that is my fault?”

A. Yes; but vanity of a rather difficult kind. In many things you are sweet and humble, and not without love, which is the greatest power of all. But there is a certain hardness in your mind rather than in your heart, which must be softened. You have got into a mental rut, and must get out of it and look farther afield, or you will go about like a blind man who can see—a contradiction and a paradox. There are some things you see clearly enough, and to others you are totally oblivious. Learn that to change your opinions in the face of evidence is not weakness or backsliding, but is the sign of an honest mind. I tell you this, further; had your heart been as hard as your mind you would not be wandering here in the fields of God’s sunshine, but in darker regions yonder beyond those hills—far beyond them. Now I have explained, as well as I am able, your rather perplexing case, friend. The rest is for another to do.

 

B. Who?

 

A. The one I have already told you of; the one who has you in charge.

 

B. Where is he?

 

A. One minute, and he will be here.

 

The message was sent, and the guardian stood beside

his charge, who, however, was unable to see him.

 

A. Well, he is here. Tell him what you want.

 

B. looked full of doubt and anxiety, and then said, “Tell me, my friend, if he is