"Dear brothers and sisters, I do not rate you nor judge you nor look at you in any way according to your conditions, age, sex or environments. I look at you to-day not as you look at yourselves, but I look at you all as spiritual beings, pure and perfect; nay, I look upon you all as being still more than that, for I look upon you all as being the manifestation of the One great Infinite Spirit.

"Let me make it clearer to you by an illustration: In a certain province of an Oriental country it was customary at one time for any young lady who was distinguished in any way for her beauty or her riches or her titles or her accomplishments, to set a day for receiving her suitors, and grant each an opportunity to tell what he had to offer her as an inducement to her to become his bride. In this province there was a young lady whose beauty of countenance and lovely form, language is inadequate to describe. In addition to that, her sweet souled character exceeded her beautiful form and her many accomplishments. So superior had that character become in its spiritual manifestation, that many stories were told of her healing the sick, of her spiritual words and presence reforming the lives of many; and of her having knowledge of things, persons and subjects that she had neither heard nor read about. Her youth, her beauty, her spiritual gifts and her many accomplishments became known throughout the length and breadth of the province, and she had many suitors for her heart and hand. So a day was set for her to receive them all, to hear what each one had to offer, and select the one of her choice. A suitable room was prepared for receiving them. At the farther end the floor was raised two feet and on this raised part she took a seat in the centre and near the front, with all her suitors on her right seated on the lower floor and facing her.

"The first suitor that had a hearing was a rich merchant. He said to her, 'Dearest lady, I have heard much of thee and it now does my eyes good to behold thee in all thy beauty. I am glad you have consented to give me the opportunity of telling you what I have to offer you to become my bride. I am a rich merchant and have a palatial home on the borders of a beautiful lake. Inside my home is a collection of the riches and products of skill from all lands that I have traded in. I have gold and ivory, laces, shawls, silks, fancy wares, rugs, mattings, spices and perfumes; and I have brought with me some as an offering to you' (and here he ordered his servants to bring the presents in and display them before her). 'Be my bride, most gracious lady, and the wealth from all lands shall be thine.'

"The lady smiled on him and told him to take a seat on her left and have his servants remove the presents.

"The next that appeared before the lady was a great warrior.

"He said, 'Lovely lady, I am a great warrior. I have led to battle large armies, and have always been victorious. I have met hand to hand captains and generals, and have slain them with one blow from my sword' (and here he drew it out of its sheath and showed it to her. It was a fine piece of skilled workmanship). 'Should you become my bride no harm shall ever befall you, no enemy shall come nigh you, and no serpent or wild beast shall hurt you; for I have killed all kinds of animals and reptiles. Most lovely one, if thou wilt become my bride, all my soldiers shall obey thy word, and I will be thy true protector.'

"With a smile she motioned him to a place on her left.

"The next that appeared as her suitor, said, 'Dear lady, I have a beautiful home and all it needs is thee, and shouldst thou see fit to become my bride, you will be a happy and a joyous mother, and in the love of each other, and in our home, and in our children, will our happiness be found. Dearest lady, become my bride and thou shalt be the head of the happiest home in the land.'

"She smiled and motioned him to a seat on her left.

"The next suitor that came forward was attired in rich cloth trimmed with lace and gold.

"He said, 'Most charming lady, I am a Prince, and if thou wilt become my bride, I will make thee a Princess. Thou shall have a lovely court, many servants, costly robes to wear, and millions of people to worship thee, and do thee homage.'

"She smiled and motioned him to a seat on her left.

"Other suitors made offers to her. The last suitor that appeared before the sweet lady was different from all the rest. He was dressed plainly; he needed nothing to improve his natural appearance, for his majestic form, his noble countenance and lustrous eyes, surpassed in attractiveness all the other suitors. When you once saw him you felt as if you wished to take another look at him, for it seemed to do one's eyes good to feast them on so grand a man.

"He said, 'Thou pure, sweet one. When a youth I was wandering through a forest and saw a man sitting under a tree. He had a sweeter countenance than I had ever seen before. He said, "My youthful friend, if thou wilt learn from me thou shalt become good, wise and very happy."

"'I thought of my companions and myself in regard to what he said, and the more I thought about us all, I could not think of one that was becoming good and wise, or was truly happy. For we were all restless, going here, and going there, trying this and doing the other to find happiness. So I thanked him and said, I will be thy pupil, for I wish to become good, wise and truly happy. He said, "Commence to-morrow morning, and as soon as you awake rise immediately; never lay after you are awake, for it is not good for one of your age. Then when you rise bathe in cold water. After you have dressed," he said, "read out of this book which I give you; read every morning for fifteen minutes or half an hour; then spend a little time in prayer and meditation." And he gave me instructions in such and said, "Live on plain food, eat no meat, avoid bad companions as you would a Bengal tiger, and before going to rest at night spend half an hour in prayer and meditation. Continue faithfully in the performance of these practices for three months, and then come here to me." I did so, carrying them out to the letter, and at the end of three months I returned to him. He looked at me and said, "I see by your countenance you have changed." I replied, "Yes, I feel changed altogether." "Tell me," he said, "in what way do you feel different?"

"'I said, "When you saw me three months ago my mind was confused more or less, my imagination ran too much after vain and sensuous objects. I had too much personal sensitiveness, being attached to myself so much. I was easily irritated, and always restless, wanting something I did not have. But now my mind is calm and peaceful, my imagination dwells on the pure, the good and the beautiful. I no longer feel envious or jealous or greedy; for love seems to be taking the place of those feelings."

"'Continuing, my teacher said, "Let your prayer be for light and knowledge, and ask the Blessed Infinite One to help you to love all; let love rule; never mind what others may say about you, or how meanly they may treat you. Be in earnest to love all. Rise every morning with this thought: 'How beautiful my brother is; how precious is my sister.' You may not love a person's ways, but you should always love the person. Separate the two in your mind and it will help you much. Start the day with this thought, 'I will live this day without discontent, without self-seeking, and without anxiety.' Say, 'Lord, deliver me from all selfish ambitions, and from pride and vanity, and may I become teachable as a little child.'"

"'I did so, for I was very desirous of advancing in the Divine life.

"'In six months' time I returned to him. He said, "Why, brother, how happy you look; how clear and bright your eyes are; how sweet your expression has become."

"'"Yes," I said, "I am becoming like you." He said, "God bless your efforts in living the Divine life. Let your prayer be: Do thou manifest thyself in me, thou Blessed Infinite One. See that I want Thee and nothing else."

"'I did so, for the more I followed his instructions the more of the Divine life did I realize, and I knew that the angel was ruling the animal within me. After being his disciple for several years, he said, "Thou art ready now to become a teacher like myself."

"'I replied, "Dear Guru, my prayer is that in becoming a teacher like thee, I may be able to lead others in the Divine life as thou hast led me." I kissed the holy man and he gave me his blessing which has followed me ever since, and it is with pleasure that I can say in the spirit of thankfulness and humility, there have been those whose lives are all the sweeter and brighter through my life and instructions. Sweet lady, you know what I mean when I say, having obtained freedom through renunciation I realized illumination, and through the light which I have received I am in the possession of knowledge which the many know little about, and through the light and knowledge which I have received I came to know you long before seeing you to-day. I have seen you many, many times though you were hundreds of miles away from me, and I seem to have been in communication with you, though I never have spoken or written a word to you. Not only so, sweet lady, but it has been my happiness to receive from you many uplifting thoughts and I felt as if I was led by the Divine Spirit which is in us all to come here to-day and say to you: Thou sweet spirit, I have no houses nor lands, no money nor wealth, no name nor fame, but I have attained realization, and through that attainment I see the Divine in you; and its manifestation to such an eminent degree in you has attracted me towards you, and I say to you now, sweet one, that in your becoming my bride our lives will be expanded, and we will attain unfoldment that we could obtain in no other way. Thou bright one, what sweet communings of soul with soul, we will have; for having consecrated our bodies to the Eternal One, we will each day manifest a brighter light, and both of us shine as one in our love for each other, and for all. And, dear one, in that beautiful light and life will our cup of bliss be filled, and many besides ourselves will drink therefrom.'

"The lady smiled very sweetly on him and bade him take a seat on her right. Then rising and facing her other suitors she said, 'Friends, I thank you for the interest and kindness you have shown towards me, but you all made one mistake, and that is in thinking I am merely just what this material form stands for, in thinking I am a woman and only a woman, and nothing but a woman. And in thinking so you come, one with gifts of silks, laces, gold, ivory, spices and many other things, as if that was all I needed. Another offers bravery and protection for me, thinking I was a weak woman and could not take care of myself; another wants to make me a Princess, so as to excite my pride and vanity, by causing so many to bow down to me, as if my joy consisted in having my pride and vanity fed, and in looking upon my fellow beings as my slaves, whose whole life is to contribute to my enjoyment. Then another offers me a home and to make me the mother of many children; as if that was the highest attainment for a spiritual being; while still another offers me money, good things to eat and drink and wear, only what this body of mine seems in his eyes. No, I will have to decline all your offers, because you are under the illusion that I am only a woman.'

"Turning to the one on her right she said, 'By a life of self-denial and discipline through prayer and meditation, and in cultivating the spirit of love for all, and in making your life a free will offering to humanity, you attained illumination. The angel now rules the animal and you have arrived now to the state of realization of the Divine within you. Not being in bondage to either the man or the woman, for you see that each is a spiritual being like the other, therefore you look upon me as a spiritual being manifested in the form of a woman. You have seen that my wants and desires are spiritual, not material. All that I need in the material world is very little and comes to me; for as Jesus has said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven, and all these things (material) shall be added unto you."

"'Dear friend, you have appealed to my self, my spiritual nature. I now respond, and, dear one, what I possess in the way of love shall be yours, for I love you so dearly it will be a joy for me to give you my love and live in your love, and we will both consecrate ourselves to each other and to the Lord, in His humanity.'"

Penloe, looking earnestly at his audience, said: "That is the way, dear friends, I look on you all this day; not for what your material forms stand for, not for the environments each of you is placed in, but I look upon you all as spiritual beings. I look upon you as Divine, and it is this great, grand and glorious thought that each one of you is Divine. I want you to take it home with you; I want you to repeat it over and over again, 'I am Divine'; I want you to think about it till it becomes part of your own mentality, till it becomes part of the cells of your brain, till it becomes a part of the life blood of your body, flowing through your arteries and veins; and all your actions shall have their source in the grand thought that you are Divine. When you reach to that plane, your whole course in life will change, and each one of you before me here will become so changed that you or your neighbors will hardly know yourselves. For you have been going about with this thought, 'I am a poor, weak human being.' That man over there says, 'All there is to me is this body with its appetites and desires. I drink, I swear, I live a life of lust and that is what I am.' I say no! a thousand times no! All the qualities of the Divine are within you; but you have not realized them. Don't look upon yourself any longer as being that drinking, swearing, lustful man. But look upon yourself as being Divine; that all the qualities of the universe are within you, and in you are all the powers of the universe. That poor woman over there whose life is one of hard, monotonous toil in the house; you are the mother of too many children. Your life is one round of work, care and anxiety, and when you look in the glass you see that work, worry and passion have taken the bloom off your cheeks, the brightness out of your eyes; you are faded; and it seems as if the light and life of the world had left you, and you see no bright future. Hardly anything in it for you worth the having.

"It is to you I bring this grand message, my discouraged sister, wake up and get out of the illusion that you are what that poor worn-out body of yours stands for. No, dear sister, a thousand times no; for you are 'Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, and Bliss Absolute.'

"The reason that you and your sex are where you are to-day, is because you are in bondage to your material forms, looking upon yourselves and wishing men to look upon you also for what you are in body, instead of women looking upon themselves as spiritual beings and having men do the same. The reason that men are where they are to-day is because they are in bondage to their material forms, looking upon themselves as being men, and also expecting women to look upon them as such, instead of men looking upon themselves as pure spiritual beings possessing the qualities of the Divine, and looking upon women as being exactly the same spiritually as themselves.

"You have all drawn veils over your Divine nature through this illusion, and from this illusion springs all the acts which keep you from realizing your Divine nature. Your greed, your vanity, your self-conceit, your love of praise, your love of self, your attachment to yourself, and all that is yours, your appetites all act as shades over the windows of the soul. When will you break these various bonds and be free?

[2]"There is a story that the king of gods, 'Indra,' once became a pig, wallowing in mire. He had a she pig and a lot of baby pigs and was very happy. Then some other angels saw his plight, came to him and told him, 'You are the king of the gods, you have all the gods to command. Why are you here?' But Indra said, 'Let me be. I am all right here, I don't care for the heavens while I have the sow and little pigs.' The poor gods were at their wits' end what to do. After a time they decided to come now and again and slay one of the little pigs and then another, until they had slain all the pigs and the sow, too. When all were dead Indra began to weep and mourn. Then the gods ripped his pig body open and he come out of it, and began to laugh. What a hideous dream he had had. He, the king of gods, to have become a pig and to think that pig life was the only life. Not only so but to have wanted the whole universe to come into the pig life.

[Footnote 2: Vivekananda in Raja Voga.]

"The soul when it identifies itself with nature forgets that it is pure and Infinite. The soul does not live, it is life itself. It does not exist, it is existence itself. The soul does not know, it is knowledge itself. It is an entire mistake to say the soul lives, or knows, or loves. Love and existence are not the qualities of the soul, but its essence. When they get reflected on that something you may call them the qualities of that something. Remember what you read in Hindu philosophy, that the finer body, and what is called in Christian theology the spiritual body, is not the soul. The soul is beyond them all. It is this soul which is Divine.

"Now let us follow out this thought that all of you are Divine and that each one of you looks upon himself as being Divine, and that you look upon all others as being Divine also. What is the result? Let's see. The Divine nature is one of love, one of purity, one of justice, one of harmony, one of peace. As a Divine being you are looking within for all your happiness and are not dependent on things outside of yourself to make you happy. As a Divine being you are not grasping and wanting things that don't belong to you, and making yourself and others miserable by wishing you were where you cannot go, or you want things you cannot have. As a Divine being your conduct towards others under all circumstances is one of love. Therefore you are not stirring up contentions and strifes and you are trying, as far as possible, to make those around you happy, and are yourself striving to be the same under all circumstances. All things which disturb you keep you from realizing the Divine. Therefore you have control over your temper and are manifesting peace and harmony. As you are Divine, you should do your work in the world without attachment to things of the world. You should not be owned by the external world, for all forms and things perish, but the life of the spirit is eternal.

"As a Divine being you will be honest and truthful to yourself and others; you will practise no deception; you will not want what belongs to others; and try in trade or barter to cheat another, for you look upon all as Divine like yourself. As a Divine being you will want to earn your living by the sweat of your own brow, instead of by the sweat of others as many do to-day.

"Let that thought enter the life of the family and instead of the husband and father being cross and cranky at times, he will always be the same; trying each day in some new way to make his wife and children better and happier, and they in return will be a joy to themselves and a comfort to him. What a happy home where that thought reigns.

"Let that thought be carried into the affairs of the County, State and Nation, and see what a revolution of peace and happiness it would bring. The first change would be that all women would have the same right to vote as men have; not because they are women, but because they are Divine, like man. In short because they are spiritual beings like men.

"The aphorism, 'Equal rights to all and special privileges to none,' will be lived out, because no one who is living the thought that all are Divine, will wish to have opportunities that they deny to others.

"'An injury to one is the concern of all,' is a maxim that would be put into practise. 'All for one and one for all' would be acted out in all the business of life, for all are Divine. All persons in office would see how best they can serve the public, instead of seeing, as is done now, how best they can feather their own nests, at the expense of the public.

"State legislators would meet, not to see how much there is in it for themselves, in passing laws, but would pass laws in the interest of the masses. All forms of corruption would cease, and bribery would disappear, because all are looked upon as one, and that one is Divine; and Greed cannot live where that thought predominates. Congress, instead of passing laws in the interest of bankers, railroad corporations, manufacturers, and trust companies, would be there for one purpose, that of making laws in the interest of the whole nation, and what is known as class legislation would disappear.

"All persons engaged in adulterating merchandise would cease their disgraceful and dishonest business. For, realizing their Divine nature, they would only make pure articles, and everything would be what it is marked. All business would be done with honesty of purpose and love of justice; in fact the character of the Divine would be seen in all dealings. No longer would the great dailies be owned by the money power, and intellectual prostitutes write the editorials of their columns, blinding and deceiving the minds of the people that the classes may fleece them. In short the ethics of Christ would enter into the industrial and social systems. Usury would be abolished. Instead of having Christ so much in prayer and song, in poetry and prose, in marble and on canvas, we would have him in the halls of legislation, in railroad operations, in manufactories, in stores, on farms and in the home. In short he would enter into all the walks of life, and men's actions would be governed by his teachings, viz.: 'Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye also unto them; and as we all wish to have love and justice shown us, realizing our Divine nature, we would show it unto others.

"Now, I beseech each one of you, I beseech you because I love you, start to-day with the soul elevating thought, with this grand truth, that 'You are the Divine,' and live according to your Divine nature and not be ruled by your animal instincts. If ever you are in doubt about what you should do and what you should not do, I would say, do whatever would make you strong physically, whatever would make you strong intellectually, whatever would make you strong spiritually, and do not do what would make you weak physically, intellectually, or spiritually. In living the pure Christ life you always will be well. Remember the body is the instrument through which the Divine manifests itself; therefore take care of the body and don't abuse it by too much work or too much social excitement, or too much of anything. Be moderate and temperate in all your actions, bathe every morning and have times for meditation and prayer, and it will not be long before you will make the whole State of California what it ought to be, a heaven on earth. For having heaven within, you will make all about you heaven; and let me tell you that when you leave your material bodies, the only heaven you will find is that which you will take with you."



CHAPTER XVIII.

LETTERS RECEIVED BY PENLOE.

While Penloe was delivering his address there was a man in the audience who sat near the platform, following the remarks of the speaker very closely. Looking in his face you could see the marks of dissipation; the color and lines which drink and carnality leave on the countenance. To judge his age by his face you might take him to be a man of fifty, but he was only about thirty years old; for he had lived twenty years in five. His form was large and well proportioned; naturally he was a strong man. His clothing consisted of a shirt, a pair of overalls, both dirty, a pair of suspenders and a pair of shoes.

When Penloe finished his address, and the audience was about to leave, this man made a rush for the platform, and going up to Penloe under great emotion, he said in broken utterances with tears in his eyes: "God bless you for showing me that my real nature is Divine. I have been living the life of a beast, but now I will live the Divine life." That man afterwards said: "The look that Penloe gave me and the way he pressed my hand will be with me as long as I live."

Penloe saw that if he stayed on the platform or did not leave the building, he would have a crowd round him. Not wishing to give a reception and thinking it best to keep the people's minds on what he said, instead of having them diverted from the subject to him personally, he hastily left the building. But he received a number of letters from persons who heard his address. We will copy three as samples.

The first letter we have copied was from the wife of the leading lawyer in Roseland and read as follows:

"ROSELAND. "DEAR MR. PENLOE:

"I would very much have liked to have had an opportunity of meeting you, that I might tell you what I am about to write and very much more. Since I heard your address I so wanted to have a talk with you, as I have so many questions to ask you, and above all to tell you what your message has done for me.

"I am the wife of a lawyer, and at the age of twenty-two I graduated from college. A year afterwards I married Mr. Horton and have been married seven years. My tastes have always been intellectual with a strong desire to lead and to be above those around me. I had little sympathy for the poor and ignorant, and those I had little in common with I kept aloof from. My friends looked to me as an authority on most subjects, as I travelled in Europe two years after I was married. It will do me good now to confess to you and tell you, I was cold, vain, self-conceited and my purpose in reading and travelling was not to help those around me, but to add glory and fame to myself, and to be thought a very superior minded person. I carried my head very high and associated with but few. After seeing you and listening to your address, I can hardly describe the state of mind it left me in. But it was something like a lady might feel when she is dressed in her best and is very proud of her attire. While she is in that frame of mind she meets some one who has garments much superior to hers, and she sees that the clothes she is wearing are unbecoming and do not fit her, and that she has been under an illusion in thinking they were so rich and fine. For when the other garments are shown her, she feels she had been the most mistaken person in the world and longs to cast off the garments she is wearing, that she may put on these superior ones.

"Now that was my case exactly. I was the woman attached to what I thought were my fine clothes. You were the one with the elegant new gowns, and when you showed me so clearly that my own costume was nothing but filthy rags, I was ready to take the superior garments with which you presented me.

"When I think what a foolish, proud, vain woman I have been, I feel like covering my face with shame; like hiding my head somewhere. I intend that these feelings of remorse shall stimulate me towards manifesting the Divine, in love, in patience, in humility, and in meekness.

"I will go among the poor and ignorant and become one with them, in order to raise them to the realization of their Divine nature.

"May they see in me that love for them which I saw in you for all, and it will give me pleasure to tell those of my own circle how sweet the Divine life has become to me, and may I be a spiritual help to them.

"My husband was touched by your words, I am glad to say, and we are both trying to live the Divine life.

"When you come to Roseland, be sure and come to our home. We shall be very pleased to see you and have you stay with us as long as you can.

"Your friend, "CARRIE HORTON."

Another letter we will copy was from the leading banker of Roseland:

"First National Bank. "G. Holmes, President. R. Wells, Cashier. "ROSELAND, Cal. "DEAR BROTHER PENLOE:

"It gives me great pleasure to address you as such, though I am a perfect stranger to you; but after hearing your address I feel at liberty to call you brother. I felt your great heart of love throbbing through all you said in your lecture. Now I must tell you that a man entered the building to hear you speak just out of curiosity. He would have laughed if any one had told him that he might hear something that he had not heard before or might be impressed by the lecture, for he felt settled, sure and certain in his own mind concerning all subjects of interest to him. But when he heard your clear and forcible remarks, it knocked him off his feet, taking the last prop away he leaned on, and there was nothing left for him to do but to get on the same foundation that you are on. Bless God, I have done so, and now I am beginning to live as a new man, the Divine man.

"I used to walk the streets thinking I was a great man, the leading financier in Roseland, and the grand thought I had of myself was that I was a banker, being looked up to by those around me because of my financial standing. But those thoughts are now to me hay and stubble, and I have burned them.

"From this time forth my money and myself will be consecrated to the service of manifesting the Divine, and in helping others to do the same. As a proof of my sincerity I enclose a check for five thousand dollars for you to use as you think best in spreading the grand truth which you presented so clearly in your address. May you, my dear brother, always realize in the highest degree the presence of your Divine nature.

"Your brother, "GEORGE HOLMES."

The following letter is one that is prized very much by Penloe. It came from the wife of a poor ranchman and bore the marks of its proximity to the wash-tub, the churn, a child's dirty finger marks, and the hot tears of a woman overcome with joy:

"TANGLEWOOD RANCH, ORANGEVILLE ... "MR. PENLOE:

"DEAR SIR:—O, I have so much to say and don't know where to begin. I don't get any time to write, have been waiting for a spell, but don't get any, for one thing after another keeps crowding me. I have just wiped the suds from my hands, having left the wash-tub for a few minutes, saying I would not put off writing to you any longer.

"Well, we went to your meeting and never heard any one talk like you did before.

"My husband and I have not much learning, but you made it so simple and plain that we could not help understanding what you meant. I want to say how glad we both are that we went, because our lot in life has been dark and hard. I married my husband when a girl of seventeen. I knew so little, was so green, but was full of hope and expectations. What a hard experience I have had, for I have been married ten years and have six small children; so much sickness, so much hard work. O, dear! my life has been so hard. I cannot write any more now, as I must finish getting my washing out.

"Well, my clothes are on the line and I am going to take a few minutes' rest and write a little more. Yes, life has been hard. How little a poor ignorant girl thinks or knows what is before her when she gets married. My husband has felt all discouraged, so many babies, so much hard work, such hard times to get a dollar, always in debt to doctors; it made us both grow cross and cranky and just as soon die as live. Our love for each other grew cold, and the attraction we had for each other died out. I told my husband he must take me out somewhere or else I would go crazy. Every day the same thing over again from morning to night, tending babies, standing over a cook-stove, then over a wash-tub, then churning, no end of dish-washing and washing babies' clothes. I am going to churn now, when I take a rest again I will write more.

"Well, the butter has come, I will rest and write you more.

"I was telling you how dark our married life has been. We heard there was going to be a big meeting in Roseland, and my husband said he would go and see what it was like. So we went and heard you talk. What you said made us look at the world and ourselves different to what we ever did before. We both liked your talk very much; we talked lots about what you said. When we got home that day after supper my husband said: 'If I am Divine, I don't need to chew tobacco, and I quit right now and will put what tobacco I have got in the stove.' I said, 'O, Charles, how glad I am.' 'Yes, Maud,' said Charles, 'I am going to live the Divine life. Will you help me?' I said, 'Yes, dear Charles, you know I will.' 'Well, Maud,' said he, 'we thought our life hard and bitter, but I see now it was through our not living the Divine life. Maud, I will try and make your life a little better than I have done,' and he kissed me. The children looked at us both with great surprise, for they had never seen my husband kiss me before. It seemed as if the same feelings had come back that we had in our courting days. He said, 'You have the hardest time of it, let me put the children to bed and you rest; for if I am Divine I must live a life of love and show my love in helping you all I can.' I cannot help it, sir, but hot tears are falling fast on this letter, for the light and love have entered our home, where before it was darkness and despair. How sweet it is trying to live the Divine life. I am doing my best to live that life. We are not going to worry any more. My husband now is so bright and hopeful, does all he can to cheer me up, and I am the same for it is catching like a fever.

"Well, my object in writing this to you is to tell you what your talk has done for us. My husband said, 'If ever a man had a heart full of love for all, he knows it is you, and your great heart has touched our hearts. How can I thank you for what you have done for us? May God bless you. I shall always pray that you may help others as you have us. My husband said, 'Tell him I am a changed man;' and I know he is, and I am a changed woman.

"Excuse this letter for having dirt marks on it. While I was tending the baby one of the children put its dirty fingers on the letter, but I am going to send it just as it is.

"Your friend, "MAUD NEVE."

Mrs. Marston for several reasons went to hear Penloe deliver his address. One reason was curiosity to hear and see the man that had caused so much talk everywhere, and another one that the newspapers from the Atlantic to the Pacific had printed so much about him. Still another reason was she knew that about all her friends would be there, and they would be talking about him, and she wished to be posted on a subject that her friends would be conversing about and to be able to take her part in the conversation. If there was anything that Mrs. Marston admired and loved, it was a handsome man. She took great pride in the fine appearance of her four Roseland young gentlemen guests. A look of astonishment came over that lady's face when Penloe appeared at the front of the platform, and she turned her eyes for the first time on that fine physique, with its symmetrical form and noble countenance. She was heard to say, "That is the handsomest man I have ever seen in my life." She thought her favorites could not compare with Penloe. She remarked to a friend of hers: "I was surprised when I saw Penloe, for I thought of him as being a man past middle age, with long hair, unkempt beard and slovenly dress; but when I saw the best looking young man I have ever looked upon in my life, and finely dressed, too, I could not help thinking what a fine society man he would make. I am not surprised that Stella is taken with him. Why, if that man would only put his time into making money, he could have his pick of any of our best society young ladies. What a fine lawyer he would make."

Mrs. Marston thought Penloe a very fine, interesting speaker, but that lady was not prepared, at present, to give up her sense-plane enjoyments, in order to live the Divine life.



CHAPTER XIX.

MRS. WEST RELATES HER DREAM.

Mrs. West, the mother of Ben West, had breakfast ready just as her husband came in from doing the chores about the barn. After Mrs. West had poured out two cups of Mocha and Java for her husband and herself, Mr. West, like a good husband, had his wife help herself first and then himself, after which he began to enjoy the good things she had prepared for their morning meal.

He noticed that Mrs. West only sipped her coffee occasionally and did not touch the food on her plate. Seeing in her face that something was not quite right, he said: "What is the matter, dear, you look as if something troubled you? Have you lost your appetite?"

His wife replied: "No, William, but I had a dream that disturbed me."

"Why, what could it be to affect you in that way?" said her husband.

"Well, I will tell you," said his wife. "I dreamt I saw our colt Prince; he seemed as if he did not eat the grain hay you gave him. Then seeing he did not eat the grain hay, you gave him some alfalfa hay. He did not eat much of that either, so you thought you would give some crushed barley. When you saw that he did not eat that, you turned him out of the barn into your fine alfalfa pasture. He ate a little of the green feed, but was still very restless and discontented. So you turned him out where he could get wild feed and have plenty of chance to run. After you turned him out he just browsed a little, and ran up the road and down the road snorting and arching his neck very prettily; his smooth, sleek, glossy, black coat shining in the sun made him look fine and handsome. You could not make out what was the matter with him, for he seemed well but was so restless; not contented in any place or liking any kind of feed. So you thought he might be lonesome and you turned out some horses to run with him. But he seemed to pay no attention to them, ate little and was getting more restless and discontented all the time, not even enjoying his freedom nor knowing what to do with it. He would every now and then run up and down the road as if not knowing what to do with himself.

"Once in his restless mood he went down the road, and there was a beautiful young lady sitting near the gate leading to her house. She saw him coming and noticed how handsome he was, and she thought how fine it would be to have that noble looking horse to ride and keep it for her use. So she opened the gate and came to the road and stood waiting for the colt. When he came to where she was, he looked at her and arched his neck, and she thought he was handsome; and smiling she went up to him and just placed her hand on his neck and patted him: then she talked sweetly to him and passed her hand over his face several times, and he seemed so quiet and gentle that you would have thought that it was her he had been wanting, and she seemed to know by intuition that she had got him in her power; so she opened the gate and he followed her in. Then she knew she had got him sure, and he was just what she had wanted. She petted him a little more, then put a bridle on him and then a saddle. Then she mounted him and off they went and you could not tell which was the most delighted the colt or the young lady. At first she was very good to him, and only rode him short distances and fed him high. He was perfectly docile and she had full control over him. Afterwards she exacted more service from him, would ride him longer distances, and later along she not only rode him long distances but rode him hard and fast and fed and petted him less. Sometimes the horse was exhausted and about to give out, but in order to revive him all she had to do was to make a little of him, talk coaxingly and pet him; and instantly his eye would brighten, animation would come back to him, and he would do his best to travel. But this kind of usage was telling on the horse and he was growing poorer all the time. Still she was exacting and demanded as much from him as ever. After awhile, he could not begin to travel as he once did, for he was getting weaker and weaker, and even her pettings were losing power to put life into him, for it seemed at times as if it had all gone out of him.

"One hot day when she was riding him and he seemed very much fatigued, they were going along the road where there was a fine rich pasture well fenced, with some fine young horses feeding in it. When they saw Prince and his mistress they ran round the field, then along the fence where the road was, and every now and then would look at the poor worn-out colt carrying his mistress. Then they would run a piece, throw up their hind legs, toss their heads, showing how much freedom they enjoyed. Again they would run along the fence and look at him. One of the horses in the field said to the other, "Why, there is our old companion Prince. I would not have known him, he looks so old and poor. How thin he has become. Why don't he throw that woman off and be free like ourselves? Don't you see how she is wearing him out by inches?" "Ah!" said another horse, "He was free like ourselves at one time. There is not a horse in this pasture that looks as handsome and fat as he did, but he could not enjoy his freedom. He was restless, till he became a willing slave to that woman's smiles, caresses and pettings. He won't live long; she is too hard and makes too many demands on him. But notice even now his eye will brighten if she pats him on his neck a little and says a few kind sweet words to him, how he tries to go faster, but it is only for a very few yards; then he is back again to his old gait, more tired than before. Do you notice how fresh and fine she looks, but how poor and worn out he is? She knew her power and has used it for her self gratification regardless of what might become of him. Poor fool, he could not see that her kind talk and pettings were only a means employed to gain her end. She cared nothing for him, only as he contributed to her pleasure; and there are so many many more very green colts just like him. One day the young lady had been out with Prince on a long hard ride, and they were coming home. Prince could hardly put one foot before the other, so weak and tired was he. At last when she got him to the stable he fell down and seemed to be in much pain. She called in assistance and men came with medicine and used much of it on him, but it was no good; he gave one look at her and died. She cried over him and put her head on his body and said, "He was the best horse that ever was and I will never have any other horse. I can never love another as I did him." About a month afterwards she was seen riding on a fine young bay colt, and both seemed just as happy as Prince and she did the first time she rode him."

Here Mrs. West stopped.

Her husband said: "That was a very strange dream, but I don't see why that should affect you, for I was out to the barn this morning and Prince was all right, with a big appetite for his breakfast."

No, Mr. West could not see why that dream could make her feel sad, but Mrs. West knew, for there was a portion of the dream she did not relate, and that was, when Prince gave the lady a look just as he was about to expire, that look on his face Mrs. West saw to be the look and face of her son Ben West, and the young lady that rode him was Julia Hammond West, his wife. A short time afterwards Mr. West saw more in his wife's dream, for he received word stating that his son had died from exposure in the Klondike. Mr. West saw the notice in a paper about a month later, of the marriage of their son's wife.



CHAPTER XX.

IN THE MOUNTAINS.

One afternoon Penloe was expected to take supper with the Wheelwrights. He had had a standing invitation for some time, but for certain reasons had not accepted it till now. The last time he saw Stella, he said: "If it will be agreeable to you all, I will take supper at your house next Tuesday evening." They were all in high spirits at the thought of his coming, for a more agreeable, interesting, and intelligent visitor could not be found.

What little time there was between the time of his arrival and supper, he kept them laughing by relating some very interesting experiences.

At the supper table he was given the seat of honor, Mrs. Wheelwright being on his right and Stella on his left. Stella had on a fine, white dress, with white satin ribbon at the neck and sleeves, and, as her complexion was dark and her hair jet black, it became her exceedingly well. There are some young ladies who need to have very fine dresses to make them at all presentable; they are so dependent on the style of the dress for giving them a good form and fine appearance, but it was not so with Stella. Her fine form and graceful movements would make any dress look well; she set off the dress. The table was laid with a snowy-white damask tablecloth, moss-rose pattern, with napkins to match. Also a moss-rose tea set. The table did not groan with a lot of heavy, greasy food; no, there was very fine bread, good sweet butter, nectarine sauce and blackberry jelly, cake, pineapple sherbet, vanilla ice-cream, milk, weak tea, and some sweetmeats, and nuts.

The meal was eaten very leisurely, for the conversation was very interesting, all taking part in it. Penloe had that rare gift of a good conversationalist, being able to make others talk their best instead of doing all the talking himself. Stella and Penloe were both good at repartee. The ladies talked more than Penloe, and there seemed to be a real genuine feeling, as if one spirit pervaded them all.

After supper, Mr. Wheelwright had an opportunity of talking to Penloe, on the porch, about subjects that he was most interested in, while the ladies washed the dishes. Later on, the ladies joined them, and a most agreeable evening was spent. Mr. and Mrs. Wheelwright excused themselves when their regular time for retiring came, and as it was such a lovely moonlight evening, Stella invited Penloe to keep her company on the porch, saying, "The evening is so beautiful." Yes, it was beautiful. It was one of those matchless evenings in California that must be seen and enjoyed to be fully appreciated, and by a soul in touch with the sublime. To realize the grandeur of the sky, with its clear atmosphere, on those fine evenings, is to experience one of the richest joys of existence. Language is inadequate to describe such beauty.

The two souls on the porch were in touch with the Divine, which manifested Itself in all these glories, and they were drinking it in to their fullest capacity. They had sat in silence for a while, when Penloe said: "Stella, I have not had anything that has given me more satisfaction, or that has pleased me more, and given me encouragement in my work, so much as the courageous spirit manifested by you on the day that you in a public way freed yourself from bondage. You taught the people a lesson they will never forget. That was a grand act, Stella, and you built into your character on that day qualities which will stand all trials and temptations; you made a good karma for yourself. Think how your act has helped others out of bondage."

Stella said: "Penloe, it gives me pleasure to hear your approval of what I have done. But is it not only the fruits of your own work, after all? Did you not take Stella, a green, ignorant girl as she was, and lead her to her freedom?"

Penloe said: "Yes, Stella, I did one kind of work, and you did another; my work was easy compared to yours. I instructed you, but it was you who put the instruction in practice, and that counts."

"Penloe," said Stella, taking his hand in hers, "I realize that fully, for no one but you could have taught me as you did. No one but you could have given me the light and knowledge I so much needed, no one but you could help me open the door which led me into the spiritual world, and when I entered that world, you were there as my spiritual companion.

"Penloe, you have been my very dear social companion, you have been my very dear intellectual companion, and you have been my very dear spiritual companion. Your companionship has been that of the truest friendship, for your every act and thought has been to raise me up to a higher plane, and I would not be true to my highest and best nature if I did not tell you that I love you as I can love no other man. You possessed my heart long before to-night. Do you love Stella, Penloe, and do you want her to be your life companion, to help you in your noble work, to love you, and to live the Divine life with you?"

Penloe said: "Stella, dear, what I have done for you I would do for any one; but darling, I love you intensely. Yes, dear one, your love to me is bliss, and there is no one whose companionship I love and enjoy more than yours, dear Stella, for I see so much of the Divine manifested in you." And here Penloe took the dear girl to him, and they were both lost in bliss.

I looked at the moon just then in its silvery brightness, and as it looked down on that hallowed scene it sent forth such a glow of light as illuminated the whole heavens and earth. I looked at the planets witnessing that blissful scene. They were more brilliant than ever, and vied with each other in sending forth their bright lights. I looked at the whole canopy of the heavens and, just as the two embraced, an unusual number of stars of the first magnitude appeared and the whole sky was decked with millions of fiery worlds. And why should the heavens not be brilliant on an occasion when the love in two divine ones is plighted?

Their little whisperings at intervals during the silence, which they are enjoying, are too sacred to record here; and while they are in that exceedingly blissful state of mind the thought came to me to note the nature of kisses. There is the cold kiss, which upon receiving one wishes he had not been kissed. Then there is the average common kiss. Then there is the kiss of friendship. Then there is the ordinary love kiss. Then there is the warm, passionate kiss. But superior to them all is the pure, spiritual kiss, so intensely sweet, but so very, very rare. To give such a kiss, and even to enjoy receiving it, one must have a very high quality of organism. The cells of the brain, the blood which flows through the arteries and veins, the tissues of the whole body must have been formed and built up by that all powerful agent, thought. And that thought must be of the highest order; it must have emptied itself of all but love, that love which takes in all, and from that thought and life comes the manifestation of harmony, purity, sweetness, truth and love. Blessed, thrice blessed indeed, is such a person.

When two persons of that type of character come together in love, giving each other through kisses, the expression of their affection, that kissing is bliss indeed.

After the silence and whisperings of deep love thoughts were over, Stella with her face looking so beautiful, being flushed from the realization of her love, said: "Penloe, dear, I knew that you were different from most men in not being dependent on the love of a woman for your happiness; for you had within you a deep well of living water from whence came all your joy, and you drank deep draughts from it daily. Yes, dear, I knew your thoughts, your hopes, your happiness was centered in that Blessed Infinite One and He was the source of your peace, your joy and your love. Though I loved you so much, the question arose in my mind whether you needed my love and companionship."

Penloe said: "Stella, darling, it is all true, what you say about my living in the Eternal One, and that from Him springs all my strength, my hope and my love; but if that Blessed Infinite One brings another joy to me in the form of dear Stella's love, why should I not accept it gladly? Yes, dear, your interesting self, your love is all a gift to me from the Infinite Spirit. It is an additional joy and pleasure which He has bestowed upon me, and my prayer is that I may always and fully meet your expectations, and my self and my love may give you as much joy as yours gives me."

Stella said: "Penloe, dear, my cup is full to overflowing; how good God is to me."

Penloe said: "Stella, darling, I wish to express a thought concerning love, and it is this. Many times you see two persons in love, and instead of that experience broadening and intensifying their love and sympathies, it has a tendency to narrow them down and contract them and bring them to a very small selfish life, causing them to take no thought or interest in any one but themselves. They seem to form a mutual admiration society, and live to gain the praise of each other. After all, when you analyze them, it is not so much love of each other as it appears to be, but love of each one for himself. Then there is that kind of love union which exists between two where, instead of narrowing and contracting the lovers, it has a tendency to broaden them out in their love, and make their sympathies universal in their scope; their love being of that high order which seems to quicken all that is grand and noble in their natures; and their lives seem to be those of intense love for each other, and intense love for the Lord in His humanity."

Then they sat in blissful silence for a little while, when Penloe said: "Stella, darling, have you thought over what you may have to give up through becoming a life companion to me? Of course, dear, you know I have consecrated my life and my endeavors as a free will offering to the world, and it is not my work nor mission to raise a family. Now, the instinct to become a mother is very strong in some women's natures."

Stella said: "Why, Penloe, dear, I do not have to give up anything in becoming a life companion to you, for instead of being a material mother I will become a spiritual mother to many, which is a far higher joy, and the world has too few spiritual mothers, but too many material ones of a low grade."

Penloe said: "Have you thought over the practical side of our union? You see, I am not a man that is rustling for dollars from morning till night, and in my life and work we may, at times perhaps, only have a log cabin to live in, with bare walls and floors; and our food may be of the plainest kind, and not much of that either. Your wardrobe may consist of only one cotton wrapper and flour-sack underwear."

Penloe could not say any more, for Stella put her hand over his mouth and said, laughingly: "You cannot scare me so easily, for it will take more than only having in my possession one cotton wrapper and wearing flour-sack underwear, and living in a log cabin with bare walls and floors, to discourage me. Those things are not of my world; all I hope is that if I shall have to put on such garments as flour-sack underwear, it will not offend your artistic eye."

They both had a good laugh, for they feared nothing in this Universe; least of all that great bugaboo, poverty.

Penloe said: "Well, Stella, to be serious, I have made arrangements for leaving Orangeville for six months. In about a week's time I will go up into the mountains and live in a log cabin in the pines. I will be six miles from any human being, and twenty-five miles from Orangeville. It is necessary that I should be away for awhile from all psychological influences and cross-currents, and live in the silence. I realize that I need it to fit me for my work. It is necessary for my spiritual unfoldment. Christ went up into the mountains and out on the plains to be alone, so he might gain spiritual strength. All great spiritual teachers have times for being alone. As I said, I need to make this change to fit me for my work, for I want to get my mind freed from all individuality and relativity, so as to see more clearly the Oneness throughout the Universe. For, as the Swami Vivekananda has said in his lecture on 'Maya and the Evolution of the Conception of God': 'He who sees in this world of manifoldness that One running through it all; in this world of death, he who finds that one infinite life; and in this world of insentience and ignorance, he who finds that one light and knowledge, unto him belongs eternal peace.' It is more of that light and knowledge that I need, Stella. In short, it is to commune more with the Father; it is to realize in a greater degree the presence of the Divine within, and to have my mind freed from the illusion of the phenomenal world; for by so doing I become qualified to become a healer of disease, and also fitted to help many a poor sin-sick life. Now, Stella, having clearly made known my purpose to you; I want to tell you that it is better for you that I leave this time. It will enlighten you more spiritually in this way. Most persons would think that it should be the greatest pleasure to us both to be together now as much as we can, so as to see and enjoy the society of each other. That thought is all right for the many, but not for you and me. It is better for us both that we do not hear from one another for three months, and at the end of that time I want you to come up and live three months with me in that cabin. At the end of that time we will come back to the world and be made man and wife in the eyes of the law.

"All this to some may seem strange and hard, but not to you, Stella, for I think you have already attained to that plane where you can see the great good to you which will come from following such a course. If you follow certain instructions which I will give you, after we have been separated two weeks, you will have a feeling of my presence with you, and you will not feel the need of correspondence, for we will be independent of all letter writing, because we can be in communion with each other at any time we may wish it."

Stella said: "Through you, dear, I have attained to that plane where I can see it all true what you have said and all for the best; and, Penloe, dear, Stella will be with you in your cabin at the end of the first three months," and here she kissed him and he returned the same. After a little more talk they bid each other farewell.

The next morning after the most eventful evening in Stella's life, when that young lady kissed her mother good-morning, Mrs. Wheelwright did not need to be told what had happened on the previous night, for the way Stella kissed her mother, and the way she moved about to get breakfast made Mrs. Wheelwright smile inwardly. Just as the three were about finishing their morning meal, Stella told her parents all that had happened. They were both delighted in the extreme and Stella received their blessings and kisses.

Mrs. Wheelwright said to Stella: "I am so glad you found a man worthy of your love, and he certainly is. I could not have made one to order to suit you as well. All I feared was that he would live without a wife, because I knew how much you loved him, and no one else would ever fill his place in your affections. I rejoice daily that we have such a dear daughter; one that Penloe has seen fit to love and cherish as a life companion."

"Mother," said Stella, "there is no such thing as disappointment in love to those who are living on the plane that Penloe and I are on, for we are led by the promptings of the Blessed Infinite One, to each other."

Mrs. Wheelwright said: "Oh, if more would only live on the spiritual plane, how much happier they would be in all that pertains to this life."

Stella said: "I am going to write to aunt to-day and tell her of my engagement to Penloe." So later in the day she sat down and wrote the following letter:

"MY DEAR AUNT: As you have always taken so much interest in my future happiness, I think it no more than right that I should inform you of my engagement to Penloe. Yes, dear Aunt, I proposed to him last evening and he accepted me and has given me his love in return.

"Let me thank you, dear Aunt, for your kindness to me, and I hope that our being engaged may meet with your approval. Penloe is going to live in the pines for the next six months. After he has been there three months I am going up there to live with him, and will be his log-cabin companion for three months. After that we will be united in marriage.

"Mother and father join me in love to you. As ever,

"Your Affect. Niece, "STELLA WHEELWRIGHT."

From that time till Stella went to the mountains to live with Penloe, she was busy in two ways. Her time was occupied in one direction in writing a little book on the sex question. Barker and Brookes told her if she would write the book they would pay for having it printed and would circulate thousands of copies free. Those two young men were now Stella's co-workers in the grand field of removing bondage. The other way in which Stella was very busy was in following a certain course of mental and spiritual exercise as marked out for her by Penloe.

When the three months had expired, Mr. Wheelwright took Stella up to the pines within one mile of Penloe's cabin. They arrived there at four in the afternoon. Stella told her father to satisfy him that she would go up to Penloe's cabin, and then come right back and stay with him over night, and in the morning after he was gone Penloe would come down and take her and her valise up with him.

Her father not being sure about the mental telegraphy carried on between Stella and Penloe, wanted to make sure Penloe was there and all right before he left his daughter.

It was Penloe's wish for no person to come near his cabin except Stella.

When Stella returned to her father, after having gone up to Penloe's cabin to see if he was all right, she told her father Penloe was well, and he could see by his daughter's face that everything was all right.

On the next morning Mr. Wheelwright wished his daughter good-bye, leaving her where they had camped over night.

A few minutes afterwards Penloe appeared, and taking Stella's valise they both walked up to the cabin. Stella was perfectly charmed with the beautiful spot where the cabin was located. Some large pines were in front of the cabin and some very handsome redwoods a few rods in the rear. A sparkling, rippling brook flowed near the cabin, singing merrily as it went along.

They lived on two meals a day and found that was all the nourishment they needed, as they were doing no manual labor, and there was no great strain on their nervous system.

They spent their time in the following manner: Part of the day was devoted to prayer, meditation and concentration, and part of the time in the practise of mental telegraphy; and the balance of the time in doing what little work there was to do and in walks and talks.

Stella did enjoy the life so very much, and she was rapidly advancing physically, intellectually and spiritually. As for lonesomeness, she and Penloe did not know what that was, their minds being too active to be lonesome. They seemed to be new to each other every morning and fresh every evening, their life being a perfect joy and delight in its highest sense; for they realized each day more and more of their Divine natures. Each day they came in touch with the Infinite, and when they came down from the mountain their faces shone as Moses' did of old; for they had walked and talked with God.



CHAPTER XXI.

A WEDDING IN ORANGEVILLE.

After Mrs. Marston had been in San Francisco about a month, she received a cablegram from Paris stating that her son had been shot by a jealous Frenchman and died two hours afterwards. When she had recovered from her first grief she thought it best to stay in San Francisco two weeks longer and then return to Roseland. She had not been home long when she realized how great the change had been on the sex question, and how Stella's popularity had risen, and of course Mrs. Marston's mind had to conform to the new thought, which her circle of friends and most of the community had accepted. It was that lady's creed to have her ideas in style as much as her dress. It seemed to please her greatly to hear her niece praised and looked up to as a leader of the new thought on the sex question; for deep down in her heart she loved Stella, even if she did not understand some of her strange ways, and now that her son was dead her affections went out more towards her niece.

When she received the letter from Stella stating she was engaged to Penloe, she had a good laugh about her proposing to him, and said the next thing she would hear would be that Stella had bought a wedding-ring to put on Penloe's finger. Since Mrs. Marston had seen Penloe there was no man she admired more than him; not on account of his spiritual thought, but for his distinguished personality, his graceful manners, and his polished expressions. So when she read about her niece being engaged to him, she was delighted, for she felt proud of them both and remarked, "They would make the finest appearing couple to be seen anywhere."

And she now looked forward to the time when they would be married, that she might have the pleasure of seeing them again. She was forming plans as to what she would do for Stella. She felt that she was able to do much for her, as her property was rising in value all the time, and her income far exceeded her expenditures. Her idea was that a couple, to be in style when they are married, should visit Europe or some other country; and, furthermore, it would be also nice for her to be able to say her niece had gone abroad on her wedding tour. She also remembered how delighted Stella was to read books of travel when she was at her house, and she heard her say, "I do hope some day I will be able to see my own and other countries, for the extent of my travel has only been from Orangeville to San Jose and return."

About a week before the day set for Stella's wedding, Mrs. Wheelwright went to Roseland and called on her sister, Mrs. Marston. In course of conversation, Mrs. Wheelwright said: "Well, Helen, it is Penloe's and Stella's wish to have no one invited to the wedding but yourself; for, if they invited friends, they could not draw the line and they could not invite all, and not only so but they think it far better to have a quiet wedding. Their marriage is so different to that of any other couple, there being none of that peculiar excitement connected with their marriage."

Mrs. Marston said: "I thought that would be about the kind of wedding they would have. What I would have liked would be to give Stella a big wedding at my own house, with all her friends present, but I knew she would wish to be married at her home in a very quiet way."

Mrs. Wheelwright said: "Well, Helen, we shall look for you on Wednesday of next week. They will be married at eleven in the morning, by the Rev. B.F. Holingsworth."

On the morning of the wedding, Stella's aunt arrived at ten, Penloe and the minister came half an hour later. At eleven Penloe and Stella stood up to be made one in the eyes of the law. The Blessed Infinite Spirit had made them one some time ago. It is not necessary to remark how lovely the bride looked, for she always looked lovely, and she did not wear at her wedding a white silk or satin gown; for she wore a rich white dress, and it was one that she could wear any time; it became her exceedingly well. After the usual marriage ceremony was over, the minister offered a short fervent prayer, after which Penloe and Stella stood in silent prayer for about two minutes, then Penloe kissed Stella. The joyful couple then received the congratulations of their relatives. When Mrs. Marston kissed Stella, she gave her a little package. A few minutes later Stella excused herself and went to her room, to open the package her aunt had given her. On opening the package, she found it contained a small, light-brown covered book, with a note which read as follows:

"SUNNYDOWN, Roseland, Calif.

"MY DEAR NIECE:—Knowing you had always a strong desire to travel and see something of the world, I know of no better time for you to travel than now, on your wedding tour.

"In the bank book you will see a sum deposited in your name, sufficient to take you and Penloe around the world in first-class style.

"Wishing you much joy, dear, with love to you both,

"YOUR AUNT HELEN."

Stella opened the bank book to see the amount deposited to her credit, and to her joy and surprise there were five figures in the amount. Such a handsome gift touched Stella very much. She realized then the genuineness of her aunt's interest in her material welfare and the love she bore her.

When Stella returned to the room where the company was she went to her aunt, and put her arms round her and kissed her affectionately, and said: "How good you have been to me." Her aunt looked at the beautiful girl with pride, and seemed delighted to see her so happy. She said: "Stella, dear, I have only you to love, and you deserve all I can do for you."

Mr. and Mrs. Wheelwright were very much gratified by the handsome gift Stella received from her aunt, and Penloe, whose face was always the picture of repose, had now an unusual bright smile as he saw Stella's delight. He went and sat beside Mrs. Marston, and entertained her with his brilliant conversation, much to that lady's pleasure, for she enjoyed receiving attention from Penloe.

In course of conversation with Mrs. Marston (while Stella was absent from the room), in a very becoming and graceful way, he paid a glowing tribute to Stella's nobility of character and her intrinsic worth, which pleased Mrs. Marston greatly. Stella's aunt could not think of sitting down to a very plain meal on such an occasion as her niece's marriage, neither did she wish to see her sister or Stella with flushed faces through being over a hot cook-stove. So she had her caterer come from Roseland, with everything necessary, and take charge of the wedding dinner. They all had a very sociable time at the table, the topics of conversation being general, such as Mrs. Marston would be interested in.

After dinner, Stella had a few words in private with her aunt before leaving for Roseland. The gist of the talk was that she, when speaking of them, was not to say, "'Mr. Penloe Lenair' or 'Mrs. Penloe Lenair,' or have inserted in the newspapers 'Penloe Lenair, Esq., and wife, are visiting you, but always speak of us as 'Penloe and Stella,' because we wish to live in the realization that we are all members of one family, and to say Mr. or Mrs. is cold, formal and distant; but in being called by our given names we come near to those who are talking to us, and they come near to and in touch with us."

After the minister and Mrs. Marston had left, Stella said to Penloe: "I may just as well begin to initiate you into the new order of things now as any other time, for you are my husband. So I am going to tell you that we are living in a new age, and instead of the wife obeying her husband the husband has to obey the wife."

Penloe smiled, and said: "I am perfectly willing to obey such a wife as you are. What are your orders, my dear?"

Stella laughed, and said: "Well, Penloe, I have been thinking that I would like to take you over to see an old friend of mine, who has sore eyes. You have never seen him, and he would be so pleased to have us come; for he must have many lonely times, because very few persons ever call on him, and, Penloe, dear, we have such a lot of good things left from aunt's big wedding dinner that she gave us, and I thought we would take some of the nice things along with us for the old man to enjoy. He seldom has anything very good to eat."

Penloe said: "So you are going to make a ministering angel of me, are you, my dear?"

Stella said, smiling: "I am not going to make you too angelic, Penloe, because you might take wings and fly away from me, and I want you to be an angel on the ground and not a soaring one. So get yourself ready to carry a basket."

Penloe said: "I am at your service, my dear."

Stella went into the kitchen, and selected some choice eatables, such as she knew the old man would most enjoy, and the two were soon on their way to the cabin. As they were walking along Stella related to Penloe all she knew of the history of the old man, as he was called, though he was not more than fifty-eight years old.

When they arrived at the cabin, the old man was busy getting stove-wood.

As soon as Stella spoke to him he knew instantly who it was. His sight being in that condition that he could see Penloe's form, but could not see clearly his features, he could distinguish a man's form from that of a woman's, but that was all. Stella introduced Penloe to him, and told the old man that they were married this morning, whereupon the old man instantly congratulated them and showered his blessings on both of them, saying: "Mr. Penloe, what an angel you have got for a wife!" And went on telling Penloe how good she had been to him.

Stella did not check him, because she knew it would do him good to have some one to express his feelings to. After the old man had finished his eulogies on Stella, she told him what she had brought him and said she would put them where they belonged, for she had cleaned up his cabin many a time. He was touched to the heart by such thoughtful kindness, that on their wedding day she should think of him, and he did not know just what to say he was so overcome; he seemed choked. They very soon put him at his ease, and in about ten minutes afterwards conversation had quieted down.

Just then Stella received a mental telegram from Penloe, and it was not long before the old man was sitting in his rocking chair, fast asleep. While he was in that condition, Penloe and Stella went into the silence, remaining in that state for about an hour, when Penloe asked Stella to get a basin, with some water, a clean cloth, and a towel. When she had got everything ready, the old man seemed to be waking up. When he was fully awake, he said: "How much better I feel." Stella said: "I have a basin here, with some water. Let me bathe your eyes." While she was bathing them, she said: "Andrew, you are going to see so that you can read just as well as you could before your eyes became sore." (As Andrew had always associated Stella in his mind as being a member of the angelic band, he was ready to believe anything she said.)

He said: "Am I? Praise God! (he was a good man). How fine your touch does feel to my face."

When she had finished bathing his eyes, she gave him a towel to wipe his eyes with. After he had wiped them, he opened and closed them several times, when, with his eyes open, he said: "Yes, I can see! O, I can see so much better. I keep seeing clearer all the time." And in a few minutes he could see Penloe and Stella just as well as they could see themselves.

The old man was overcome with joy. Looking at Stella, he said: "Bless God! I can see your dear face." And when he cast his eyes on the features of Penloe he became silent, then he looked at Stella, then at Penloe, and he seemed in a dream, for he did not know which was the greater surprise to him, having his sight restored or seeing the angelic countenances of the two before him.

Penloe took a newspaper and gave it to him, saying: "See if you can read that?"

Andrew took the paper, and to his great delight he could read it just as well as when he was a young man. The old man put the paper down, then in a little while he took it up again and read more, saying: "Yes, it is true. I can see to read to myself. Bless the Lord! I can see to read." He looked at them both again, and a feeling came over him as if there was a great distance between him and them. For he said, in speaking to Stella:

"Mrs. Penloe."

Whereupon Stella laughed, and told him: "I am not Mrs. Penloe, for I am just the same now as I was before I was married. I am your sister Stella, and my husband is your brother Penloe. Both of us look upon all boys and men as our brothers, and all girls and women as our sisters, for we are all members of one family."

The old man sat in silence after Stella spoke; he seemed to be amazed.

Stella said: "We must go now."

As she wished him good-bye, he said to them: "What must I do in return for the great blessing of sight which has been given me to-day?"

Penloe said: "Live much in prayer, live in the realization of Divine love. Remember your body is the temple of God. Keep it as such, and help others to live the Divine life."

Was there ever a bride so happy as Stella was on the after noon of her wedding day, when she was returning home to tell her mother the joyful news that Andrew had recovered his sight. The world has never seen a happier bride than she was on that afternoon.

Stella had not been in the house but a few minutes before she told her parents all about Andrew receiving his sight through Penloe's healing power.

Penloe said: "Why, Stella, were you not the instrument through which Andrew received his sight? Did he not think that you were the embodiment of all goodness, all power, and all truth? And when you said to him, 'Andrew, you are going to see so you can read yourself,' he believed you, and was he not healed according to his faith?"

Stella said: "He would not have had his sight restored if you had not been present. The first time you called on him his sight was restored, while I have been to his cabin many times before, but never helped him to see."

Penloe said: "Stella, dear, you were not on the spiritual plane that you are now on when you visited Andrew before. You had not spent much time in prayer, in meditation, in concentration, in being up in the mountains, walking and talking with God daily, and living in the realization of the Kingdom of Heaven within. All this has helped to make you a healer."

Stella said: "Penloe, all you say is true, but I cannot help thinking that you were the healer."

Penloe said: "Stella, dear, you spoke the healing word."

Mrs. Wheelwright, smiling inwardly, said: "Children, you have only been married a few hours, and have got a bone of contention already. I am surprised at you both."

Stella, putting on a serious face, said: "Well, mother, I know it was Penloe;" and Penloe said: "Well, mother, I know it was Stella."

Mrs. Wheelwright said: "Children, I cannot stay with you while you quarrel this way," and out she went into the kitchen, happy and laughing to herself; at the same time rejoicing greatly that the poor man had received his sight.

There were two others who laughed after Mrs. Wheelwright left the room, for they knew it was neither Penloe or Stella that healed the man, but the power of the Blessed Infinite Spirit in both of them, they being only the instruments through which the healing power was manifested.

The evening of Stella's wedding day the two were sitting on the porch. It was just as lovely a night as it was on the night when they were plighted. They had been engaged in conversation for a while, when Penloe said: "Stella, I have not given you any wedding ring. It is not because I have not got one for you, but I wish to give you the history of the ring before presenting you with it."

Stella said: "You will have a very ready listener, Penloe, I can assure you."

Penloe said: "While attending the University in Calcutta I made the acquaintance of a young Hindu, who was a student there also. He was in some respects the brightest of the students, for he had the faculty for mastering his studies quickly and perfectly, was also very original in character and full of resources. Though he was a born student, yet he was well-balanced and did not always have his head in books or in the clouds; neither did he indulge in social dissipation. While being social in his nature, he always took sufficient physical recreation to keep himself well and strong, but nothing more; he never let it get away with him, as many do in the Western World. He lived up to the highest light, regulating his conduct so as to make himself strong intellectually and spiritually. I found him a very interesting companion, and our friendship was of a very profitable character, in this way, that when we saw the faults in each other we did in love what we could to help one another. To overcome our weak points, we co-operated together for the highest object, and it was our sacred purpose to always touch the highest and noblest in each other's nature; and to-night it is with pleasure that I call to mind the sweetness of his disposition, the sincerity of his purpose, and the brilliancy of his mind.

"His family had outgrown caste, and when I first visited them at their home I was introduced to his father and mother, also to a sister about eighteen years of age, who made up the family. I noticed what a peculiar expression passed over his sister's face when she looked into mine for the first time. She had a dreamy, far-away look about her, and then again I noticed later that she had the very opposite expression on her physiognomy, being all 'right here'; intensely so, taking in everything around her. I was very much attracted towards her in this way, not as a youth would be towards a maiden—there was none of that feeling whatever. I felt she was a mystic, a powerful one, and she interested me greatly. When sitting in the room with all the members of the family, I noticed at times she would eye me very closely; and if I returned the gaze I saw such an expression in her face as if she did not belong here at all, but was living on some other planet. She talked very little, and such a thing as my coming near to her in conversation, or her saying anything to bring herself near to me, was not to be expected, with her peculiar makeup, and yet when she would give me her hand in receiving me, she had such a peculiar sweet way of welcoming me, that one might think we were very near to each other. And when I took leave of her with the other members of the family, her partings seemed very pleasant as she gave me her hand and wished me good-night.