A Journey from This World to the NextFielding, Henry
General
A Journey from This World to the Next
Fielding, Henry
English fiction; Paranormal fiction; Supernatural -- Fiction
“For my part,” said a fair spirit, “I was inoculated last summer, and
had the good fortune to escape with a very few marks on my face. I
esteemed myself now perfectly happy, as I imagined I had no restraint
to a full enjoyment of the diversions of the town; but within a few days
after my coming up I caught cold by overdancing myself at a ball, and
last night died of a violent fever.”
After a short silence which now ensued, the fair spirit who spoke last,
it being now daylight, addressed herself to a female who sat next her,
and asked her to what chance they owed the happiness of her company. She
answered, she apprehended to a consumption, but the physicians were not
agreed concerning her distemper, for she left two of them in a very hot
dispute about it when she came out of her body. “And pray, madam,” said
the same spirit to the sixth passenger, “How came you to leave the other
world?” But that female spirit, screwing up her mouth, answered, she
wondered at the curiosity of some people; that perhaps persons had
already heard some reports of her death, which were far from being true;
that, whatever was the occasion of it, she was glad at being delivered
from a world in which she had no pleasure, and where there was nothing
but nonsense and impertinence; particularly among her own sex, whose
loose conduct she had long been entirely ashamed of.
The beauteous spirit, perceiving her question gave offense, pursued it
no farther. She had indeed all the sweetness and good-humor which are
so extremely amiable (when found) in that sex which tenderness most
exquisitely becomes. Her countenance displayed all the cheerfulness, the
good-nature, and the modesty, which diffuse such brightness round the
beauty of Seraphina, [5] awing every beholder with respect, and, at the
same time, ravishing him with admiration. Had it not been indeed for
our conversation on the small-pox, I should have imagined we had been
honored with her identical presence. This opinion might have been
heightened by the good sense she uttered whenever she spoke, by the
delicacy of her sentiments, and the complacence of her behavior,
together with a certain dignity which attended every look, word, and
gesture; qualities which could not fail making an impression on a heart
[6] so capable of receiving it as mine, nor was she long in raising in
me a very violent degree of seraphic love. I do not intend by this, that
sort of love which men are very properly said to make to women in the
lower world, and which seldom lasts any longer than while it is
making. I mean by seraphic love an extreme delicacy and tenderness of
friendship, of which, my worthy reader, if thou hast no conception, as
it is probable thou mayest not, my endeavor to instruct thee would be as
fruitless as it would be to explain the most difficult problems of Sir
Isaac Newton to one ignorant of vulgar arithmetic.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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