De L'Ester—Exactly two o'clock, and you are awaiting us, so at once we will be off. Only George and I have come for you. Bernard and our friends will meet us at Kûltymo Tylû. Now, be at rest. Ready, George. No, mortals can have no realization of the rapidity with which wholly freed spirits are able to move. You, who to a degree are freed, do not realize it.
Gentola—No, I do not. Always, to me, we appear to be stationary, while all else is falling away from us. Now, as we near Ento, it seems to be rushing toward us, and now I perceive its divisions of land and water, and yonder is Kûltymo Tylû, and on yonder great tower our friends and my dear boy are watching and waiting for us. A greeting for you all, dear friends, and for you, too, my dear lad. Yes, from afar off I saw you waving your hand to me, you dear, dear boy.
George—While De L'Ester shall relate to you something that certainly will interest you, Inez and I will make a hurried visit to Da̤o, but ere he shall have concluded his narration we again will be with you.
De L'Ester—We find that, until our mission shall have culminated, we must defer visiting certain localities of peculiar interest, and as some untoward event might, during your mortal existence, prevent your gaining through personal observation, information concerning them, we
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 have decided that I shall endeavor to acquaint you with some of their features.
Far within Ento's Arctic and Antarctic regions there are lands which, during a large part of the year, are covered with ice and snow. Still farther northward and southward and at the poles such intense cold perpetually prevails that the land surfaces are uninhabitable. In these regions are vast deposits of precious and other ores, and to gain access to them many difficulties had to be surmounted. I say had to be surmounted; for, during many centuries, mining within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles has been a settled industry. In remote times, as at present, throughout Ento's Torrid and Temperate Zones, the mining industry has progressed northward, and to a lesser degree southward, and so gradual have been its movements that, almost imperceptibly, it has penetrated polar lands, and mainly through the agency of electrical appliances has the achievement been made possible. You have been informed that more than fifty Ento centuries ago, the Entoans understood electrical engineering and many electrical appliances, and that then, as now, Tûza̤mos and air Transports were used as common carriers, but, of course, they were less perfect than those of to-day. Still, they served the requirements of their time, which were less exacting than the requirements of to-day. But you have not known that, quite within Ento's Arctic and Antarctic Circles, there are large underground communities of men, women and children, whose occupations, almost solely, are connected with the mining industry. Naturally, one might infer that the disadvantages of their environments would be both discouraging and depressing. Not so. Through the agency of electricity their underworlds are brilliantly lighted and where necessary comfortably warmed, and it enables them to keep in constant touch with the outer world
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 which, at any time, they may visit, and from whence they may command such luxuries and comforts as they may desire.
Lines of Tûza̤mos penetrate far northward and southward, and where they cannot go air Transports can and do go. Thus these communities are not at all isolated, and they go and come where and when they will. Some time, if you may so desire, you shall visit some of them, and I may assure you that you will find them very interesting. Yes, all mines are owned by the general government, and the remuneration of those engaged in them is so liberal, so equitable, as to assure to them prosperity and contentment. At the entrances of the various great mines are enormously lofty light towers, whose several floors are devoted to educational and other purposes. In the schools some of Ento's foremost scientists of the past and of the present day have been taught electric and hydraulic engineering, geology, mineralogy and other specialties. Other floors are for living rooms, nurseries, hospitals and the inevitable Istoira̤. The several departments are attractively finished and furnished, and are quite as desirable as are well appointed dwellings of milder climes. On the summits of these lofty towers are immense electric lights which are to navigators of space what beacon lights are to mariners of seas. To air voyagers they afford cheering assurance of their whereabouts and of hospitable entertainment; for, at all mining centres, are air Transport Stations for the accommodation of travellers and for shipping purposes.
Frequently, in Arctic and Antarctic regions, terrific snow storms occur, and were it not for the far reaching tower lights, air pilots would not be able to find Transport landings, which ever are kept in readiness for their arrival. Yes, the mines are located in mountainous regions, for as the poles are approached the planet's surface
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 is very rugged and mountainous, and as on all stable planets the more nearly the poles are approached the vaster are the mineral deposits. Yes, the same law applies to Earth, and were I not somewhat opposed to prophesying, I might say that within ten years the insatiable gold worshippers of our planet will set up their altars in localities nearly as frigid as are Ento's northern and southern mining regions. Much more in this direction I might relate, but we anticipate that later on we may afford you views of what I have given you a mere idea. Ah, here are George and Inez.
George—I fear that we may have abused our leave of absence; if so I can only say that we have been so engrossed as to not note the passing moments. Since our visit of the early morning her Spirit attendants have succeeded in temporarily stimulating her vital energy, but ere long they will have to yield to the inevitable, and Valloa̤, the golden haired, will be borne to Ento's Spirit World. Evidently she realizes that death, the dread terror, is drawing near and it is touching to see her young, lovely face wearing a smile while her faintly throbbing heart is full of anguish at thought of leaving her adored father and Dano, her betrothed. Inez, my dear one, will you tell our sister about the dying girl?
Inez—Words cannot describe the pathos of the scene. Since witnessing it my heart is burthened with measureless sympathy for mortal sorrow. By one side of Valloa̤'s couch sat her father, his woful face betraying his consuming grief and anxiety. By the other side knelt Dano, his rapt gaze wearing the expression of one who sees with clear eyes. So emaciated, so wan is Valloa̤'s lovely face that it is as snow amid the wealth of her golden, flowing hair. As we looked and listened she turned to her father with encouraging words, then she smiled into his and her lover's eyes, and said, "Dearest ones, pray do not regard me so wist
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fully. I am growing stronger; soon I shall be well;" and they, to hide from her their despair, smiled back at her, assuring her of their confidence in her speedy recovery. About her were Ministering Spirits who, to their utmost were sustaining her physical energy, and for a moment I stood near her and Dano, who with a startled look, turned toward me, and quickly I moved away. He grows very sensitive, and Valloa̤'s Spirit vision is so clear that as she recedes from the mortal condition, in exceeding bewilderment she gazes into the thinly veiled Spirit World, whose glory fills her soul with ecstasy. I now am satisfied that our Band have acted wisely in not taking you into the presence of the dying girl, for assuredly your easily aroused sympathy would endanger your safety.
De L'Ester—Which we dare not trifle with, as in it is involved the success or failure of our Mission. This, you perceive, is the loftiest tower of the city. It is a signal tower, and through this telescope, which is one of its scientific features, it commands a view of the immense distances of this levelled portion of the planet. Gaze now over the city and express your impression of the view.
Gentola—Beautiful, wondrously beautiful! Toward the east the city gently inclines downward, and across Insa̤lû Valley, merging itself into the country, which is so closely dotted with white dwellings and Istoira̤s, gleaming amid the green of lawns, orchards and lofty bûda̤s and other forest trees, that one cannot say where the city ends and the country begins. Southward the plateau rises gradually in broad terraces, on which are white and gold structures like stately palaces, amid blooming gardens and the feathery foliage of bûda̤s trees. Some are less spacious, but scarcely less attractive in the beauty of their architecture and surroundings. There are open squares lined with palatial white and gold residences and other structures
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 whose great domes and towers look down upon fountains so lovely as to defy my descriptive ability. Upward and upward the terraces rise until against the background of the deep blue sky the southern portion of the city appears as a dim, mist-veiled, never-to-be-forgotten, magnificently lovely picture. I cannot imagine a scene more beautiful; no, not even in Celestial Worlds. Seeing this wonderful city and learning to what heights humanity may attain arouses within me a hope for the future of our own sorrowful planet.
De L'Ester—Alas and alas, that many, many centuries must elapse ere your hope shall bear fruition. Development of the peoples of a planet, as a whole, is not a matter of centuries, but of ages. Centuries come and go, and only Infinite Intelligence can discern that all along the line one step has been taken. Like the rising and falling of ocean's unquiet waves, now amid mad tempests, dashing their white crests toward the sky, anon with gentle undulations laving the sand strewn shore, so amid storm and calm, the peoples of planets slowly, but surely, evolve toward higher planes of being.
Wars, with their lamentable features, are the upheavals of the animal impulses of crude civilizations, and Earth's peoples are far from being civilized. All over our planet civil corruption and social, selfish greed and ambition for place and power are eating into the very vitals of society, hence of governments, and if Spirit agencies cannot sway the minds of some who may serve as Saviors, the poverty and agony of the masses in time will produce a st............