ith crinoline and chignon?
Are these the habiliments of heaven?" Such visions are not spirits,
but they are pictures which are built up before us or shot by spirits
into our brains or those of the seer for the purposes of recognition.
Hence the grey hair and hence the ancient garb. When a real spirit is
indeed seen it comes in another form to this, where the flowing robe,
such as has always been traditionally ascribed to the angels, is a
vital thing which, by its very colour and texture, proclaims the
spiritual condition of the wearer, and is probably a condensation of
that aura which surrounds us upon earth.

It is a world of sympathy. Only those who have this tie foregather.
The sullen husband, the flighty wife, is no longer there to plague the
innocent spouse. All is sweet and peaceful. It is the long rest cure
after the nerve strain of life, and before new experiences in the
future. The circumstances are homely and familiar. Happy circles live
in pleasant homesteads with every amenity of beauty and of music.
Beautiful gardens, lovely flowers, green woods, pleasant lakes,
domestic pets--all of these things are fully described in the messages
of the pioneer travellers who have at last got news back to those who
loiter in the old dingy home. There are no poor and no rich. The
craftsman may still pursue his craft, but he does it for the joy of his
work. Each serves the community as best he can, while from above come
higher ministers of grace, the "Angels" of holy writ, to direct and
help. Above all, shedding down His atmosphere upon all, broods that
great Christ spirit, the very soul of reason, of justice, and of
sympathetic understanding, who has the earth sphere, with all its
circles, under His very special care. It is a place of joy and
laughter. There are games and sports of all sorts, though none which
cause pain to lower life. Food and drink in the grosser sense do not
exist, but there seem to be pleasures of taste, and this distinction
causes some confusion in the messages upon the point.

But above all, brain, energy, character, driving power, if exerted for
good, makes a man a leader there as here, while unselfishness, patience
and spirituality there, as here, qualify the soul for the higher
places, which have often been won by those very tribulations down here
which seem so purposeless and so cruel, and are in truth our chances of
spiritual quickening and promotion, without which life would have