.
But the memory of sufferings experienced in consequence of the act of
suicide will remain with him in future lives and deter him from a similar
mistake.

In the first heaven there is a class who have not had any purgatorial
existence and who lead a particularly joyous life: the children. Our homes
may be saddened almost beyond endurance when the little flower is broken
and the sunshine it brought has gone. But could we see the beautiful
existence which these little ones lead, and did we understand the great
benefits which accrue to a child from its limited stay there, our sorrow
would be at least ameliorated in a great measure, and the wound upon our
heart would heal more quickly. Besides, as nothing else in the world
happens without a cause, so there is also a much deeper cause for infant
mortality than we are usually aware of, and as we awake to the facts of
the case, we shall be able to avoid in future the sorrow incident to loss
of our little ones.

To understand the case properly we must revert to the experiences of the
dying in the death hour. We remember that the panorama of the past life is
etched upon the desire body during a period varying from a few hours to
three and one-half days, just subsequent to demise. We recall also, that
upon the depth of this etching depends the clearness of the picture, and
that the more vivid this panorama of life, the more intensely will the
spirit suffer in purgatory and feel the joys of heaven; also, that the
greater the suffering in purgatory the stronger the conscience in the next
life.

It was explained how the horrors of death upon the battlefield, in an
accident or other untoward circumstances would prevent the spirit from
giving all its attention to the panorama of life with the result that
there would be a light etching in the desire body, followed by a vague and
insipid existence in purgatory and the first heaven. It was also stated
that hysterical lamentations in the death chamber would produce the same
effect.

A spirit which had thus escaped suffering proportionate to its misdeeds,
and which had not experienced the pleasure commensurate with the good it
had done, would not in a future life have as well developed a conscience
as it ought to have, nor would it be as benevolent as it ought to be, and
therefore the life, terminated under conditions over which the spirit had
no control, would be partly wasted. The Great Leaders of humanity
therefore take steps to c