第87部分(第1/7 页)

the　Holy　Mount　and　of　the　veiled　and　throbbing　Glory　that　broods　thereon。　A　vain　fancy　of　the　striving　heart；　the　reader　will　perhaps　declare；　and　it　may　be　so；　though　I　pray　that　it　is　not。

There　would　seem　also　to　be　some　external　evidence　which　goes　to　support　the　doctrine　of　the　continuance　of　the　personality　beyond　the　changes　of　death。　Spiritualism　I　do　not　include；　since　although　many　people；　some　of　them　of　great　intellect　and　high　character；　believe　in　it；　and　I　know　well　that　whatever　it　may　be　it　is　not　all　fraud；　however　much　it　may　be　mixed　with　fraud；　I　am　by　no　means　satisfied　as　to　the　real　origin　of　its　phenomena。　Without　expressing　any　definite　opinion；　at　times　I　incline　to　the　view　that　it　also　is　but　a　device　of　the　Devil；　by　specious　apparitions　and　the　exhibition　of　an　uncanny　knowledge　which　may　be　one　of　his　attributes；　to　lead　heart…sick　mortals　into　regions　they　were　not　meant　to　travel　and　there　infect　them　with　the　microbe　of　some　alien；　unknown　sin。

On　one　point；　however；　I　am　clear。　Whether　or　no　it　is　lawful　for　trained　and　scientific　minds　to　enter　on　these　dangerous　investigations　in　the　interests　of　a　search　for　some　truth　which　it　may　be　intended；　in　the　fulness　of　time　shall　be　revealed　for　the　guidance　and　benefit　of　the　world；　the　majority　of　men　and　women；　especially　if　they　be　young；　will　do　well　to　leave　them　quite　alone。　The　risks　are　too　many；　and　the　fruits　of　such　research；　however　golden　they　may　seem；　are　apt　to　be　unsatisfying；　if　not　deadly。　The　parable　of　Eve　and　the　forbidden　apple　of　the　Tree　of　Knowledge；　from　the　eating　of　which　came　death　and　sorrow；　still　has　applications　in　these　latter　days。　Once　I　tried　to　point　this　moral　in　a　tale　I　wrote　which　is　named　“Stella　Fregelius。”

Nor　can　we