age that varies
altogether from the speech of other peoples.

In the lower Regions of the Desire World, there is the same diversity of
tongues as on earth, and the so-called "dead" of one nation find it
impossible to converse with those who lived in another country. Hence
linguistic accomplishments are of great value to the "Invisible Helpers",
of whom we shall hear later, as their sphere of usefulness is enormously
extended by that ability.

Even apart from difference of language our mode of speech is exceedingly
productive of misunderstandings. The same words often convey most opposite
ideas to different minds. If we speak of a "body of water", one person may
think we mean a lake of small dimensions, the thoughts of another may be
directed to the great American Lakes and a third person's thoughts may be
turned towards the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans. If we speak of a "light",
one may think of a gas-light, another of an electric Arc-lamp, or if we
say "red", one person may think we mean a delicate shade of pink and
another gets the idea of crimson. The misunderstandings of what words mean
goes even farther, as illustrated in the following.

The writer once opened a reading room in a large city where he lectured,
and invited his audience to make use thereof. Among those who availed
themselves of the opportunity was a gentleman who had for many years been
a veritable "metaphysical tramp," roaming from lecture to lecture, hearing
the teachings of everybody and practicing nothing. Like the Athenians on
Mars' Hill, he was always looking for something "new," particularly in the
line of phenomena, and his mind was in that seething chaotic state which
is one of the most prominent symptoms of "mental indigestion."

Having attended a number of our lectures he knew from the program that:
"The lecturer does not give readings, or cast horoscopes _for pay_." But
seeing on the door of the newly opened reading room, the legend: "Free
Reading Room," his erratic mind at once jumped to the conclusion that
although we were opposed to telling fortunes for pay, we were now going to
give free readings of the future in the Free Reading Room. He was much
disappointed that we did not intend to tell fortunes, either gratis or for
a consideration, and we changed our sign to "Free Library" in order to
obviate a repetition of the error.

In the higher Regions of the Desire World the confusion of tongues gives
place to a universal mode of express