pot, and might
well have been fancied the favorite resort of the mountain genii, when
they wished to retire to solitude and indulge in reverie.

Here I determined to try the experiment of _willing_ myself a spirit,
separate from my body and independent of it. It required some effort for
me to do this; but gradually I seemed to lose my bodily form, and to
become independent of the laws of gravitation. In a few moments the
change was complete; and no sooner was it so than I heard a voice, mild
and sweet beyond anything which it is in the power of the imagination to
conceive--

"Mortal," said the voice, "behold what the eyes of sinful mortal never
saw!"

I turned, and beheld a form bright as the sun; but it did not dazzle my
eyes. On the contrary, I loved to look upon it; and as I gazed I felt a
joy diffusing itself through my soul never dreamed of before, and so
perfect that I was wholly abandoned to it.

"I am thy good angel," again spake the voice; "and thy mind, subdued to
thy own control, and exerted in a pure and holy direction, has so far
removed the scales with which earthly passions blind the human eyes,
that thou art permitted, though still mortal, to see me, an immortal,
and hear my voice. Thy desire for knowledge shall be gratified, for thou
seekest it not for any evil end. Listen, and I will give thee thy first
lesson in a course of study new to and unheard of by thee."

I listened and heard strange yet sweet words, and drank in with
eagerness the instruction imparted to me. But, as I only learned a
portion at that time, and have continued at different periods since to
learn more, I will not here attempt to set down the words then uttered
to me, or to recount the particular points on which I was enlightened at
the different times; but will throw together a portion of the
information I have acquired during the whole time, selecting such as I
shall think most likely to interest you, and to fire you with a desire
to obtain more from the same source from which I have obtained mine; for
man, even while living on this earth, and consequently mortal, may,
through the attributes of immortality, learn much that is
incomprehensible to the mere mortal mind.

Every human being on this wide world is attended, from his birth to his
death, by two angels, the one good, the other evil. Neither has any
power to prompt its charge to action either bodily or mentally, for the
will is free to choose for itself; but when once