Page:Dealings with the dead.djvu/40

 might be true, which declares, that some human beings are God-doomed to annihilation; and the anguish that this conceit brought with it, was almost parable even by a free-born soul. But, thank God! this last folly of the philosophers—last and greatest save one—the doctrine that "whatever is is right," in every and all senses, is a libel on Himself and His goodness. Finally it seemed as if my being had been concentered, or focalized to a single point, and even that soon faded out, and an utter blankness enveloped my soul. How long this continued is impossible to be told, but the next experience was that consequent upon a series of sudden thrills or shocks, like unto those which a person receives who takes hold of the conducting knobs of a highly charged galvanic battery,—or rather when touching the cup of a leyden jar. These instantly aroused me. I started up as from a death-stupor. But what a change, if not in myself, at least in my surroundings! I was in the center of a new, but limited world. Around me was an atmosphere of mellow rosy light, different from any ever known to me before,—an atmosphere, radiant, sweet, soft, and redolent with perfumes of an order and fineness surpassingly grateful. I was in the Soul-world,—my Soul-world:—a realm whereof God alone was Lord—and I His tributary Queen. The feelings consequent on this induction were strange, but pleasant. The thoughts that now arose, were not, as formerly, mere shadowy forms, inconsistent and impalpable, nor was the scene of their action within the head; true, they were born there, but that was all. They were no longer subjective merely, fleeting and ephemeral, but were objective, positive and real. I saw, but not