“Oh, no, not heaven,” answered Thorwald. “The earth will be better in a thousand years than it is now, much better in ten thousand years, but it will never be heaven.” “But why?” I persisted. “We cannot understand how there could be any more blessed place than the earth would be if it should ever reach the condition which you have pictured to us as existing here.” “You have just stated the trouble,” Thorwald replied. “You cannot understand. With your present capacities you think a state such as I have described would be perfection; but you--I mean, of course, your race--will come in time to see imperfections even in such a life, and will, with increasing spiritual vision, see still higher things to strive for. Let me urge you to keep your hearts attuned to the heavenly music and your minds open to divine influences.” Here Thorwald was about to leave us, as we remained in quiet thought after his solemn and impressive words. But I kept him a moment to ask if they had solved all the mysteries of God’s moral government. “By no means,” he replied. “There are still many things unexplained in God’s dealings with us, and we think this is well. Life would lose much of its value if the time should come when there would be nothing to learn. We know much of God’s character, but are not acquainted with its full depths, and whenever we see or experience anything mysterious in his providences we are content to wait for a fuller revelation of truth in the future. “We shall see the time when all our questions will be answered--that is, in the world to come--and, in the mean time, we try to strengthen our high and beautiful conception of God’s character by referring everything we do not understand to his loving and gracious qualities, which we know so well.” CHAPTER XXXIX. A SUDDEN RETURN TO THE EARTH. That night, when the doctor and I were alone, I said to him: “Well, doctor, what do you think of it all?” “It would take me a long time,” he replied, “to tell what I think. I confess I am beginning to imbibe a little of the spirit of this place. I have spent my life in the pursuit of material facts, which we supposed were the only substantial and valuable things in life Now I find myself thinking lightly of such matters, with my mind held in the grasp of far different thoughts. I realize now something of the substance and reality of unseen things, and believe that man has a spiritual side to his nature, which must be developed if he is to fulfill the high expectations of our friends in this world. Taught by Thorwald’s words and by all I have seen here, I have come to that point where I can say I am losing my doubts and acquiring a love for things which formerly did not exist for me. If we ever return to the earth we shall find occupation enough for the rest of our lives in teaching the lessons we have learned here.” “Yes,” I said, “if we ever return. But doesn’t that seem impossible?”