Yonder, Gentol[a:], is our planet. See how its luminous envelope pulses and palpitates as though imprisoning the throbbing heart of some living thing. Imagine some of your learned astronomers, with one or more of your great telescopes, out here in space; do you not think that through their observations they might arrive at some surprising conclusions? Were you less sensitive to possible scientific criticism, Bruno and others might use your organism for a grand purpose, and we are hoping that you may gain sufficient confidence in yourself and spirit friends to allow them to give through you some facts now only guessed at. Can you realize that beyond that luminous veil is your home? It is not surprising that you cannot, for I, whose quickened senses are more acute than your own, can scarcely realize that once on the swiftly flying globe I, too, dwelt. Where? In England, on an estate near the banks of the Thames. Heretofore no opportunity has favored my acquainting you with the story of my Earth life. Now I will briefly relate it. For services rendered their sovereign some of my ancestors were rewarded with wealth and distinction. Thus the members of our family were regarded as eminently respectable Commoners. My father, who was in the army, was engaged in the War of the Revolution. At its close he returned from America to England and soon afterwards suddenly passed to the spirit side, leaving my dear mother a young and handsome widow. Some years later, when I was nearly sixteen years old, she became the wife of a titled gentleman, and in less than one year she, too, passed to the spirit world, leaving me to the care of my stepfather, a kind and honorable man. A year later, with a party of youths I went boating on the river Thames. Some of the lads, in a mischievous mood, began rocking the boat from side to side, the remonstrances of the more prudent ones only serving to render them more reckless. One more heedless than the others, stood up and shouting, "Here we go," gave such an impetus to the rocking boat that it was capsized and all were thrown into the water. Some of the party could swim, and thus saved themselves and assisted others to the shore. I had nearly reached it when I discovered that the lad who had caused the catastrophe was drowning, and I turned about to rescue him. Twice he had gone under, and as he again came to the surface I seized him by his hair, hoping to sustain him and myself until assistance should arrive. In his frantic struggling he caught me about the neck, and I being too exhausted to release myself, we both were drowned. My quickly freed spirit was by its own gravity borne to a realm suited to my condition, and there my dear parents immediately found me and with loving ministrations assisted my recovery from the terror of my sudden change from Earth life to the spirit world. Subsequently, they also assisted me in my efforts to complete my mortal education, which as you are aware, is a