Why through a
telephone did not greatly worry her. It seemed as reasonable a
medium as any other she had ever heard of--indeed a trifle more so.
Later, when she was able to review the matter calmly, it afforded her
some consolation to reflect that things might have been worse. That
"garden," together with the "silicial springs"--which she took to be
"celestial," there was not much difference the way he pronounced it--
was distinctly reassuring. The "eternal sunshine" and the "balmy
breezes" likewise agreed with her knowledge of heavenly topography as
derived from the Congregational Hymn-Book. That he should have
needed to enquire concerning the health of herself and the children
had puzzled her. The only explanation was that they didn't know
everything, not even up. There--may be, not the new-comers. She had
answered as coherently as her state of distraction would permit, and
had then dropped limply to the floor. It was the sound of her
falling against the umbrella-stand and upsetting it that brought them
all trooping out from the dining-room.
It took her some time to get the thing home to them; and when she had
finished, her brother Silas, acting on the impulse of the moment,
rang up the Exchange, with some vague idea of getting into
communication with St. Peter and obtaining further particulars, but
recollected himself in time to explain to the "hulloa girl" that he
had made a mistake.
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