The Undiscovered CountryA father uses his daughter to try to prove his belief in spiritualism. When his efforts fail, they retreat to a Shaker community to recover from the debacle. |
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added answered asked began believe better Boynton Brother chair coming continued cried daughter doctor door doubt effect Egeria Elihu eyes face fact father feel followed Ford Friend girl give glance half hand Hatch head heard heart hope Humphrey It's keep knew ladies laughed leave light live looked matter mean meeting mind Miss morning nature never night once passed Perhaps person Phillips present question remained replied rest returned road rose round seemed seen sense Shaker showed sick side silent Sister Frances sisters smile sort speak spirits stay stood stopped suppose talk tell Thanks things thought tion took train truth turned voice wait walked whole wish young
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Page 247 - Revue des Deux Mondes, of English politics and society ; my own country should exist for me on sufferance through a compassionate curiosity, half repulsion ; I ought to have recently dined at Newport with poor Lord and Lady Scamperton, who are finding the climate so terrible ; and I should, be expected to speak of persons of the highest social distinction by their first names, or the first syllables of their first names. You see, that 's quite beyond me. ' And do bring your friend, Mr. Ford,' " he...
Page 367 - We musí doubt it ; we are better with no proof. Yes ; yes ! The undiscovered country — thank God, it can be what those babblers say ! The undiscovered country — what a weight of doom is in the words — and hope ! " One of the sisters came in, and he seemed to forget Ford, who presently went away with an absent-minded salutation from him. Boynton had taken up the book, and while the sister propped his head with the pillows, he fluttered the leaves with impatient hands.
Page 361 - All other systems of belief, all other revelations of the unseen world, have supplied a rule of life, have been given for our use here. But this offers nothing but the barren fact that we live again. If it has had any effect upon morals, it has been to corrupt them. I cannot see how it is better in its effect upon this world than sheer atheism. It is as thoroughly godless as atheism itself...
Page 55 - I don't quite know how to take you," said Ford, " but I will ask you what you were doing yourself in making those simpletons think there were spirits present among them." " I was leading them on to the evolution of a great truth, to the comfort of an assured immortality. But you, — were you aiming at anything higher than the gratification of the wretched vanity that delights in finding all endeavor as low and hopeless as its own ? Oh, I know your position, young man ! I know the attitude of those...
Page 356 - I never was more ashamed of what I said to you there in Boston than I am at this moment, and I never felt the need of your kindness so much. I believe that if Miss Boynton were here, and understood it all, she would feel nothing but pity " — " Oh, does that make it different ? Does that right the wrong which has been done ? "
Page 231 - I ask you to consider but for a moment the vast consequences to flow from such a development. I ask you to do this, not in your behalf or mine ; for we know, by our converse with spirits, that we shall live hereafter, — that another world lies beyond this, in which we shall abide forever. But you who dwell here, in the security, the sunshine, of this faith, have little conception of the doubt and darkness in which the whole Christian world is now involved.
Page 45 - re not hypocrites. And Mr. Ford's insolence has a sort of cold thrill about it that 's delicious. Few men can retreat with dignity. He was routed, just now, but he went off like see the conquering hero." " He skulked off," said one of the unpersuaded. "Skulked? Did he really skulk?" demanded Mrs. Perham. " I wish I could believe I had made him skulk. Mary, have you Mr. Perham's chop ready ? I '11 take it up, — I said I took it
Page 361 - it is not spiritualism at all, but materialism, — a grosser materialism than that which denies; a materialism that asserts and affirms, and appeals for proof to purely physical phenomena. All other systems of belief, all other revelations of the unseen world, have supplied a rule of life, have been given for our use here. But this offers nothing but the barren fact that we live again. If it has had any effect upon morals, it has been to corrupt them.
Page 361 - ... real whatever becomes of them? We ask, not answer, the question. But it is worth while to note that the conjecture interlocks most adroitly with something Mr. Howells had written more than thirty-five years earlier — his analysis of spiritualism and its materializations in The Undiscovered Country. 'All other systems of belief, all other revelations of the unseen world, have supplied a rule of life, have been given for our use here. But this offers nothing but the barren fact that we live again....