The Gentleman from Everywhere Part 17

On another occasion, this same man brought in a lot of wild turkeys all ready for the table. As usual we expressed our wonderment. "Wall, by gum," said he, "'twas the beatemest thing you ever heered on. I was waked up by these critters squawkin' over my haouse; I fired up chimbly, and daown tumbled the whole gang; the fire burnt off the feathers and roasted um up braown afore I could get at um."

"But how about the stuffing?"

"Oh, that's nothin'; they'd stuffed themselves afore I shot um."

We had often congratulated ourselves upon our immunity from snakes, never having seen even one in our Bailiwick; but our sweet dreams of peace were rudely disturbed by this Baron Munchausen who horrified our ladies one day, by saying that he went into our church to make some repairs, and there met a rattle-snake which swallowed him whole at one full swoop; at once he recalled the Sunday-school lesson of Jonah in the whale's belly, took courage, struck a match, made a bonfire of his hat, and by its light cut his way out with his hatchet, ran to his house, got his gun and shot the snake, which was so large that he had not noticed the man's cutting, nor his escape, but was vastly enjoying his after dinner nap. This man long bore the honors of being the champion liar and champion hunter of the universe.

Thus, rapidly, sped away our days replete with alternating smiles and tears until arrived the time for our annual stockholders' election. On our way to Ocala to attend this important event, I conversed at length with the Rev. W----, upon whom I had conferred many and profitable favors. This ostentatiously pious individual expressed much grat.i.tude for my kindness to him, a.s.sured me that my administration of affairs had been a grand success, that I had gained the merited respect and confidence of all the people in the town and that he would urge my reelection as general manager, with all his strength.

The conference progressed very harmoniously for awhile, when I was called out to see a man on some important business, and on reentering the room, I noticed some excitement among the members, when General Chamberlain, the president, called me to his chair and frankly told me, in the hearing of all, that the Rev. W---- had, as soon as I left, denounced me fiercely as a fraud and a liar, stating that I had the respect of no one in B----; that the town would be ruined were I reelected; that he himself would take my position without any salary, relying solely upon commission from land sales, as compensation, and that he made this statement at the unanimous request of the citizens of the town.

All eyes were turned to me for an explanation. I looked for awhile at the hypocritical clergyman very steadily, until he cringed like a viper, and turned pale as a ghost. I then narrated the statements made to me scarcely an hour before, called upon him for some proof of his accusations, and closed by saying that I would not accept a reelection unless it came to me unanimously. The craven reverend left the room without a word; I was reelected without a dissenting vote, and thus closed one of the most revolting revelations of depravity that I ever witnessed.

This "wolf in sheep's clothing," after an extraordinary career in endeavoring to "fleece" others, finally lost every dollar of his property, fled from the town with his family, and I have never been able to hear from him since. I wish for the sake of faith in human nature that this had been the only case of "fall from grace," but alas, there were others!

But let the curtain fall. Moral--have no confidence in the man who wears his religion on his coat sleeve or necktie; but try the spirits whether they are of Christ.

At this time, a party of prominent people arrived at B----, from the North, to consider the feasibility of investing quite largely somewhere in Florida. As they wished to visit the southern part of the state before deciding, I procured free pa.s.ses for all, and escorted them via steamer, down the entire Gulf coast, touching at all attractive points, exploring coral islands where myriads of sea birds nested, encircling us with wild screams till the clouds of them well-nigh shut out the sun; then we collected rare sh.e.l.ls and flotsam and jetsam from far away lands; one hour, floating over the calm Gulf of Mexico, as smooth as a mirror, then tossed by a sudden tempest far towards the stars, and tumbling down to Davy Jones' locker; now enjoying the lotos-eaters' paradise, then, as we reached the lowlands, well-nigh devoured by millions of mosquitoes and sand flies.

Then we crossed the peninsular, traveling under hammock-woods and century-old wild-orange trees, whose "twilight dim hallowed the noonday," regaled with unlimited fish and game to the far-famed Indian River,--delightful recreation-spots for a few weeks in winter, but too hot, damp, and mosquitoey for colonies. Then we were guests of the millionaires' club at Cape Canaveral, where were acres of wild ducks, droves of screaming catamounts, and huge-billed, fish-devouring pelicans. We drove over many miles of hard, firm sea-beaches--delightful brief winter homes for the rich, then back to our fertile piny woods highlands, convinced that the "backbone" of the peninsular was the only desirable locality for permanent settlers who must get a living from the bosom of mother earth.

Soon after, leaving Mr. B----, the superintendent, in charge of the company's interests in our new town, which now contained over one hundred houses, and had elected a Mayor and Alderman, I returned with my family to Boston, devoting my time to lecturing on Florida in general, and B---- in particular, in nearly all the cities of New England, distributing ill.u.s.trated books which I had prepared, and which were approved as true, by many prominent people who had lived for many years among the scenes which were therein described.

My labors were very successful, and a great success for our enterprise seemed a.s.sured, when I received a letter from our directors, stating that a Dr. K---- had offered to accept my position as general manager, without salary; pay his own expenses, relying on his commissions on land sales, and that as I had declined to serve on this basis they had felt compelled to accept his services. As I was obliged to have a regular income for the support of my family, I acquiesced in the directors' decision, and soon, under the new incompetent management, the company failed; so another of my business enterprises, on the very verge of a grand success, became a defeat, and again the innocent were blamed for the acts of the guilty. I converted my stock in the M.L.&I.

Co., into lands of the company at a great loss to me, as I took the lands at company's schedule values instead of at the cost prices, while the stock cost me--the full price of $100 per share. Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for he alone shall not be disappointed.

Our varying days pa.s.s on and on, Our hopes fade unfulfilled away, And things which seem the life of life Are taken from us day by day.

Our little dramas all may fail, And naught may issue as we planned, Our costliest ships refuse to sail, Our firmest castles fall to sand.

But G.o.d lives on, and with our woe Weaves golden threads of joy and peace, And somewhere we will surely know From sorrow and pain the glad release.

CHAPTER XXIV.

FOREGLEAMS OF IMMORTALITY.

This year of our Lord, 1886, brought an infinitely greater sorrow than the mere financial losses which pressed so hardly upon us in connection with our Florida endeavors. On Christmas morning, while alone in my room, I distinctly heard my father's voice whisper: "James, James, good-bye," and an hour later the telegraph flashed the news that he pa.s.sed away at the exact time when I heard him bidding me farewell.

My father was an honest man, the n.o.blest work of G.o.d; he had gained none of what the world calls the great prizes of life, but he had what was better far, a conscience void of offense towards G.o.d and man. In the words of Th.o.r.eau--"If a man does not keep pace with his fellows, perhaps it is because he hears a different drum beat; he should step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." This my father always did, though the music of his life-march came not from earth, but from the sky, and without a shadow of fear, sustained by a deathless faith, he pa.s.sed within the gateway of eternal life.

The winter at last retreated sullenly and reluctantly to his arctic home, and when the first harbingers of spring appeared, singing the memorial songs of the Resurrection, the old country fever, inherited from many generations of farmer ancestors, seized me, and we bought a small plantation for $4,200, in N----, Ma.s.s., to which we moved April 28, 1887. Here, as usual, much money was expended on improvements and for horse, carriages, cow, pigs, hens, also for scanty harvests of vegetables, and our only returns therefor consisted of large crops of backaches, nasal hemorrhages, and rheumatism incurred in frantic attempts to coax from the reluctant soil, some slight compensation for excessive labor.

Here, as usual, I was busied with many cares, lecturing in various places on the subject of Florida and selling our private lands in that state. Like Mr. Pickwick, I was founder of many societies, notably the N---- club, which, with a fine orchestra and much dramatic talent soon became the social and literary attraction of the town; also the Republican club, which conducted a vigorous campaign for protective tariff and sound money, attracting large audiences by political debates. I was president of both these flourishing organizations, was chairman of the parish committee of the Unitarian Church, leading to its enlargement and extended usefulness, was a member of the congressional committee of the district which wrested a congressman from the Democrats, electing, after a desperate struggle, John W.

Candler, to the National Legislature in place of Russell, "the sheepless Shepherd."

On the 16th of June of this year, Rebecca, the wife of my only surviving brother, left her body, and was welcomed to the evergreen sh.o.r.es of the summer-land, by her father, mother, our father, mother, my spirit-bride and her father, mother, and my two brothers who had long gone before. She was a good, honest woman, a veritable help-meet to my brother, and we all gratefully cherish the memory, which is the best attained by any life, that she left the world better than she found it.

One by one, we miss the voices which we loved so well to hear, One by one their kindly faces in the darkness disappear.

On the evening of the 16th of August in this year, an experience came into our lives which changed the whole current of our religious thought, and forever banished from our minds all fear of the so-called death, and all doubt as to the eternal continuity of existence.

My brother, my wife, four children and myself were recreating for a week in the woods and waters of Onset Bay, and while walking in the gloaming through the grove, listening to the music of the band, we saw a notice posted on a tree stating that the B---- sisters would give a materializing seance in their cottage at this hour. We were all skeptics of the most p.r.o.nounced type, having seen much of the contemptible trickery and fraud of so-called mediums; but we yielded to the temptation to enter the seance room through mere curiosity.

Here we found in the "dim religious light," about a score of intelligent looking ladies and gentlemen intently watching white-robed figures which occasionally glided from a cabinet on a slightly elevated stage and embraced people from the audience who were called to meet them.

This ghostly procession interested us but slightly, until a form whose features seemed strangely familiar, advanced to the edge of the platform and beckoned my wife to come to her. On responding to the invitation, she was at once encircled by the arms of the visitor, kisses were exchanged, she was called distinctly "my dear sister,"

informed that the lady in white was Mary, my spirit-wife, who in loving tones expressed her thanks for the kindly care that Lillian had exercised over her three children, saying that she was always with her to help. Suddenly, the form called for me, and I went to her as one dazed.

"James," she said, "I am Mary, your wife." She embraced me with many kisses as in the long ago, and continued: "I am so glad to see you and Lillian, who has so lovingly taken my place; bless her for her goodness to our children; my time here is so short." Then turning; "Jot," she whispered to my brother, "come here;" she kissed him, said: "Rebecca, father and mother are here in the cabinet, but too weak to come out. We give you all our love and blessing; good-bye," and disappeared through the floor at our feet.

There was no possible shadow of doubt about this visitation from the unseen world. We had "felt the touch of the vanished hand, we had heard the sound of the voice that is still," and henceforth we knew that we walked hand in hand with angels. We realized unmistakably the truth of the words of the poet Longfellow:

"The forms of the departed enter at the open door, The beloved, the true hearted come to visit us once more, And with them the being beauteous, who unto my youth was given More than all things else to love me, and is now a saint in Heaven.

Oh, though oft depressed and lonely, all my fears are laid aside, If I but remember only such as these have lived and died."

The pages of the Bible, the testimony of all the sweet singers of all the ages, confirm indisputably our certain knowledge of spirit return, and _we know_ the truth of what the saints and sages of all time have dreamed, and by faith have believed, all religions have taught, it is now demonstrated beyond all doubt and we can say most joyfully--

"Oh land, oh land For all the broken-hearted, The mildest herald by our fate allotted Beckons, and with inverted torch doth stand To lead us with a gentle hand Into the land of the great departed, Into the silent land."

We turned to our duties, inspired by the knowledge that we were guided and a.s.sisted by the loved ones gone before. After living on the flat-as-pan-cake plain of N---- for three years, again was I disenchanted; all the poetic illusions of farm life vanished, all the oxygen seemed to be exhausted from the air, the romance of raising potatoes at a cost of five dollars a peck disappeared, the old farm hung like a millstone round my neck, we sold it and hired a pretty cottage in the lucre-worshipping town of B----, on the 29th of March, 1890, where we led uneventful lives for one year, until my fickle fancy was captivated by a fine new house on the hilltop overlooking the sea, in the town of W----, Ma.s.s. This we bought and entered on the 14th of May, 1891.

Here at last we thought we had found the Mecca towards which, all our lives we had been drifting. Once more came the pa.s.sion for beautifying our own, and we made our lawns to bud and blossom like the roses; worshipping at the shrine of the majestic ocean,

"Its waves were kneeling on the strand, As kneels the human knee, Their white locks bowing to the sand The priesthood of the sea."

Here we pa.s.sed four very pleasant and useful years; consciously near to us, though unseen, were all our loved ones of the spirit world.

Almost every night our angel friends communicated with us unmistakably through the ouija, and planchette; they would draw caricature pictures of us all, and give us conundrums and jokes that we had never known before. One evening in particular, Mary wrote us to give her children the best possible musical instruction, stating that May would become a great singer and flute player, and that Ada would be a fine organist and pianist, as well as singer; that Ida would do well with violin and voice.

We were incredulous, as they had inherited no musical talent, neither had they manifested any inclination in these directions; but Mary was so persistent and strenuous in her appeals, that we heeded the advice, gave the girls good teachers along these lines, and soon, their spirit-mother's predictions were fulfilled to the very letter, and the so-called "Foss triplets" became a veritable inspiration to thousands of delighted listeners to their rendition of instrumental and vocal strains of music.

The dews of heaven descend upon all the flowers of the field, some open their petals, welcome the refreshment and are blessed thereby; while others close their buds, refusing the blessing, and as a result, wither and die. Even so come to all souls the spirits of the departed, and they inspire or fail in their mission of love according to whether we open or close to them the doors of our inner sanctuaries.

The departed, the departed, They visit us in dreams, They glide above our memories Like sunlight over streams.

The melody of summer waves, The thrilling notes of birds Can never be so dear to me As their softly-whispered words.

CHAPTER XXV.

A PRACTICAL SOCIALIST AND COLONIZER.

We found in this town of W----, a moribund Unitarian Church, with scarcely a handful of attendants, listening once a week to a lifeless minister and an asthmatic harmonium accompanied by a few feeble, inharmonious voices.