CHAPTER IX.

A year has passed away. Ruth has not heard from Cresto, or even dreamed

of him. All this time she has been doing all the good she could with her

pen and dear old violin. Cathy de Bathe had gone to California to study

music. Aunt Mary had just brought Ruth a letter from Cathy.

“Here, honey, is a fat letter from youah sweetheart, Miss Ruth.”

“Thank you, Aunt Mary.”

“My Own Darling Ruth:

I was so glad to get your last letter. I am very sorry you do not have

any more visions. I do. I keep it a secret, for my husband and his folks

are all Adventists and do not believe as you and I do.

Forgive me, dear, for not telling you of my marriage before. I married

for love and money; all California girls do. We are not so sweet and

good as you are. My young husband is tall and handsome, with brown eyes,

light curly hair, and weighs over two hundred pounds. You see, my dear,

he is a dainty little California boy. His name is Addison MacRay.

Addison gave me a lovely, modern bungalow. We have a smooth, velvety

lawn in front. A great variety of hanging ferns on our large stone front

porch; around this porch are many kinds of lovely roses, violets, ferns

and other plants. There are two broad stone steps; on either side of the

steps are massive square pillars on each of which is a drooping tropical

plant. There is a great, large oak door, with four pretty, small

windows. We have a long living room, with a sturdy old mission

fireplace. Addison bought beautiful furniture for every room. There is a

large dining room, and a cute little breakfast room. Our room is a

dream—all in blue and white. Off from our little breakfast room is a

large, sunny aviary filled with canary birds that sing all day long. My

husband bought the birds in Paris. We have fruit, flowers and vegetables

growing the year round back of our home. We gather fruit and flowers

every day. We have imported chickens, doves and horses. We drive in the

country every day. Please come and visit us for a few months. I want you

to enjoy our new home. Ruth, come and see it for yourself, I haven’t

time to tell you how beautiful it is. My dear, I have a few friends that

come to our home twice a week, just to investigate the immortality of

the soul. The name of our class is ‘The Divinity Club.’ I have two new

angels in my band, Asa and Ione. Asa said he used to weigh two hundred

pounds; now he only weighs seventy-five pounds. Now he and Ione have a

lovely home in Mars. His twin-soul, Ione, is sweet and just as pretty

and young as you are, Dolly dear. They both worship each other and look

alike; only Asa is much taller. Ione told me a man on Mars would be

eighty-three times stronger than a man on earth. And she said there was

plenty of water from the wonderful canals to supply every one. The red

planet, Mars, is very interesting to me. Do you know much about it?

Please tell me all you know about it, will you, dear?

Lovingly,

CATHY MACRAY.

P. S.—Please write soon, love.”

Addison and Cathy MacRay were the happiest couple in California, they

were going to visit friends on Catalina Island.

“Darling Addison, I hate to leave our new bungalow even to visit our

best friends.”

At San Pedro they found passageway on the boat Cabrillo. The water was

calm and brilliantly blue. They enjoyed watching the silvery flying fish

on the way. Their friends were at the pier to meet them, Artemus Dawson,

the inventor, Lemanuel Schwarze, Flora Thurston and her daughter and son

were in the party, Ana Marie Thurston was pretty, lively and full of

fun. Mr. Dawson drove slowly up the steep hill to his quaint little

home. All were tired and retired early. All of the guests were up early

the next morning and ready to view the submarine gardens. Mr. Dawson

owned a wonderful glass bottom boat—his own invention. Artemus used

electricity as motive power. By touching a key the boat shot forward

through the foam, producing strains of music.

They looked down through the glass and saw every variety of fish—even

gold fish. It was a fairyland of beauty, and we wondered if these fish

had intelligence. These gardens are wonderful. They enjoyed their beds

of stone and lovely green, lacy blankets of soft, fluffy moss. Long,

hanging ferns grew from their castles of rock. God has made a beautiful

world for the fish to live in. The fish enjoy their wonderful homes.

They obey the laws of Nature, hence they still live in the garden of

Eden. The ugly fish were not jealous of the beautiful gold fish. They

seemed to enjoy each other’s society and live in harmony. How could they

fight in such beautiful gardens? They enjoyed viewing these lovely

gardens of the sea until nearly sun down. By the time they reached home

they were all tired out.

Ana Marie Thurston was a sweet, cheerful little blonde. She resembled

her father, who was killed for the money he possessed when she was a

small child. Albert Thurston was a psychic before he was killed. Ana

Marie had a beautiful sister, who died in New Orleans at the age of

fourteen. Eva Thurston was dark, tall and beautiful. Eva and her father

developed Ana Marie until she was a wonderful psychic. Mrs. Thurston and

Ana Marie were broken hearted when Eva died.

Her friends began to plead with little Ana Marie to go into a trance, or

see clairvoyantly for them. “My father and Eva tell me I can go into a

trance and then I must retire.”

All wrote down everything she said. Ana Marie was controlled by her

sweet, pretty sister Eva. “I am Eva, and my little sister will not

remember a word I say, so please tell her all I say?”

“Eva, dear, we will write every word and show her the notes.”

“Thank you. Please tell my little sister that my father and I love her

and mamma more than ever. My father and I live in Mars now. I died a

true Catholic. The first angel I saw was my father and his sweet

companion. Mamma in a few years you and sister will get married and be

happy. Mamma, please don’t cry so; it hurts us and ruins your own

health. We are with you the same as ever, and are not dead at all.

“Mr. Dawson, your mother, Mary Dawson, is here and sends you all her

love.

“Mrs. Schwarze, your son George is here. He says he is in a fine school

at Lastriste, a large city in Mars. He loves his school and companions.

“Dear Cathy, I see many angels, with bright lights, around you and your

husband. Eno, Cresto, Daisy, Asa and Ione are here. Daisy is a lovely

blonde, with very large blue eyes; she has charge of many circles in

California. Daisy is bright and cheerful, and does a great deal of good

in the world. She lives with her grandparents in a lovely home in Mars.

This home is a wonderful mansion, all stone, and furnished elegantly.

She is a wonderful little artist. Her home is filled with beautiful

paintings that she has produced by herself. She inspires many slightly

talented people on earth to paint wonderfully. Daisy used to visit Cathy

often. Once she gave Cathy a lovely pearl ring. Cathy saw this lovely

ring, clairvoyantly.”

“I do not know how to thank you for that beautiful ring, now, Daisy

dear, please keep it for me until I go over there.”

“I will, dear Cathy. Cresto wants to talk to you now.”

“Cathy, it will pay you to go home in a month. Pack your trunk again and

visit your friend, Ruth. In a few months she will be killed by fear or

lightning, in a terrible storm. The child needs you there, later you

will need her; then she and I will come back and protect and help you.

Can she go, Addison?”

“She may go as soon as we get home. I must go and look after my mines,

anyway.”

“Addison, you will find a rich gold mine, one mile east of the one you

own now. Keep that mine all for your own. I give that to you for your

kindness to Ruth.”

“O, Cresto, I thank you with all my heart! I promise to go to Ruth as

soon as you want me to.”

“Enjoy your visit here first.”

As Daisy loved painting, Ione loved poetry. The poetess began in stately

verse,

“I have fed upon manna from heaven above;

Have tasted the fruit of a wonderful love;

I have looked on a land where the sun ever beams,

And talked with the angels in mystical dreams;

And though some visions may die in their birth,

They still leave the trail of their glory on earth.”

Ione read us other poems she had composed. Daisy asked if any of the

clairvoyants could tell the color of their new dresses? Cathy could see

that Daisy wore a pale blue silk, with fine lace trimming; Ione a light

yellow silk, trimmed in heavy, rich lace. Both wore rich jewels and

golden sandals. The maidens from Mars were beautiful, and had long heavy

golden hair. They wore lace undergarments of almost cobweb-like

delicacy, so very fine that it cannot be pictured or imagined. Long

white opera cloaks swept from their dresses. Their snowy, soft white

veils looked like floating clouds in the sunshine. Daisy wore daisies in

her golden hair and at her waist. She was a perfect saint and did all

the good she could on earth. We all adored her. Daisy said there are no

hats in Mars, to make the hair come out; they never wear or make corsets

or high heels. There are no shoes there. They dress beautifully, with

long robes, jewels, crowns, laces and sandals. They do not wear

stockings. There are no fat, ill men or women there. They only eat one

meal a day, and have not time to grow stout. Cresto now told Addison

MacRay all his past. Addison was converted that night. He saw many

bright lights.

“Now that I have told you facts about your past, I will tell you some

facts about Mars: Mars is a land of beauty—a land of love and sunshine,

and music and flowers. We have two softly lighted moons, and many large,

bright stars. We have no dark nights, our nights are only soft

twilights. Our planet appears red from the earth, for we have more

sunlight, more moonlight and electricity. We have our seasons the same

as you have, but our days are longer than yours. Many of our flowers and

vegetables are red in color. Our wonderful electric lights appear red

from your world—they are all colors.

“I weighed over two hundred pounds on earth, now I weigh seventy-five.

We do not need any superfluous fat here. We must be very light and

intelligent in order to fly. We float in the clouds and swim in real

water; dance, laugh, ride, talk, and sing in the same manner as you do.

As a soul advances from star to star, each one has a grand surprise

awaiting them. I was surprised and happy to find out I could learn to

float after my resurrection, and to know God has made an immortal

companion for each one of us. Think of such infinite love! Adam and Eve

were soul-mates. I soon found out here there was no eternal Hell. Some

of the places in Purgatory are as terror-striking. After death, if one

has lived a life of sin or idleness, he is cast into prison in Purgatory

and bound and chained down for years away from all his loved ones. No

one is kept in prison after death unless that person deserves to suffer.

“Many of my old friends are now living happy with their twin-souls in

Venus, Mars and other stars. I love to hear them tell me of their homes

and work. Gentlemen in other planets never wear beards, as it takes

their mental strength; but they can send their double—a picture only—and

appear with beards the same as in earth life. We have about one thousand

wonderful canals, and over one thousand oases with little farms on them.

Our great canals all have wonderful, large stone gates about every one

thousand miles, so we can control the water. After harvest is over we

let the water go back to the poles. The snow in winter keeps the beds of

the canals pure. In this way we can live in Mars over one thousand years

before we are transferred to a higher star. We must take good care of

our health. We pray and keep in harmony with Our Creator’s Divine mind

as near as possible. Our minds rule our physical condition. ‘As one

thinketh, so is he.’ We are eighty-three times stronger than our loved

ones on earth. Our atmosphere is pure and bracing and adapted entirely

to our use. It is hard work for us to breathe on your earth. Eva has

gone home to rest, while others take her place. All the conditions must

be perfect for us to converse with you. Earth-bound spirits can talk

longer, but they do not often give truths. It is a fact, we have all the

water we need. We have all the wealth and land we can use. We do not use

money, but give checks which amounts to the same thing. Every person

gets full wages for their work. There are no peculiar vegetables or men

on Mars, as has been stated in your papers. No immense eye grows to

watch over us. God rules all worlds with His mind and with the help of

His Holy angels. There is nothing crazy or odd where God rules. All

insanity, all strange vegetables and trees, etc., are in Purgatory, or

on earth. Awful things happen where ignorant souls disobey Our Lord and

sin. Good night.”

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Ruth's Marriage in Mars: A Scientific Novel · 第 9 / 12 章