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DEALINGS WITH THE DEAD
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of the wonders which we, in this age, fully comprehend. They could not conceive of a balloon, railroad, locomotive, steamship, photo-picture, or telegraph, for the very plain and simple reason that the human brain had not, as a general thing, then unfolded many of its wonderful and mighty powers. Its immense capacities were as yet nascent, latent, still. True, the seeds of all that it has since proved were there, but in embryo only. In other words, the soul had not the requisite brain-organs, through which it could familiarize itself with all or any of the marvelous things just enumerated. So now, in these days, men and women worry themselves a great deal concerning the locus in quo of their fleshless friends, about the Deity or no-Deity question, and a hundred others of the like, not the least important of which is that concerning the nature, origin, and final destiny of the soul itself. Presently, in the years of the race, if not in those of the individuals on earth to-day, the requisite brain-organs will be developed, the proper function of which shall be the furnishing of the soul with what it wants, in order to take notice of, and comprehend the principles underlying its own existence, here and hereafter. Till then, the facts it sees must be admitted, even while many of the bases of these very facts remain involved in impenetrable mystery It must take many things for granted—its own immutability included—in many instances, without any very perfect or intimate knowledge of the why?—on the cogito, ergo sum principle.

To return to the ancient philosopher: It may be remarked that, although he had a vague notion of a conscious life of the soul subsequent to the dissolution of its corporeal investiture, yet, unquestionably, the sort