While Gnipho was rehearsing the wonders of his marvelous interview with the Dosch of Manatitla, to his mother and sisters, as he was about closing he became suddenly silent, with his eyes drawn attentively to his right ear. The strabismic impulse startled his mother and sisters, but a bright smile on Gnipho’s face relieved their fears. In a few seconds he held out his hand, and presented, with an introduction, the Dosch and his wife, with their companions. When female curiosity had subsided the Doschessa intimated her desire to hold an auramental interview with the eldest daughter! Her compliance was accompanied with evidences of trepidation, but after a few minutes these subsided giving place to an expression of vivacious interest, indicating a discussion of matters pertaining to female economy. The Dosch observing these symptoms of female confluency, reminded the pr?tor that the confidence of the sex was formalistic, and never free in the presence of males! Acting upon this hint Indegatus with the Dosch, Gnipho, and brother withdrew to the thalmus auditorium. The renewed interview of the Dosch with Indegatus and sons was opened by Gnipho, who petitioned his father, “May I question the Dosch to obtain further knowledge of this power of self control? It appears so natural and free from the delusions of our worship, in which we are constantly supplicating for what we neglect to obtain from our own endowed resources, it must insure happy contentment in life, and as he says, a pro-realizing 174foretaste of immortality. Indeed, father, I have before felt that there was within my control a peaceful joy that would serve as a shield from self-deception and the wiles of hypocrisy, which, in grateful thankfulness, I have wished to impart for others’ benefit.”

Indegatus. “My son, I have looked back with reverence upon the ceremonial forms of worship practiced by our ancestors, relying upon their efficacy without questioning the authenticity of their divine origin. Even on the appearance of the Dosch, as a stranger, in a form so questionable, and in accordance with my preconceived ideas of disembodied spirits, I did not doubt but that he was a nuncio of some special admonition, in answer to my supplications for aid in controlling the disaffected Heracleans, who have so greatly increased the misery of our position. But since he has convinced us that he is in reality a diminutive impersonation of our mortality, and has spoken so directly to our understanding, my eyes have been opened to the profane delusions of our long practiced ritualistic rites, addressed from and to an instinctive void, in evasion of our privileged endowment of goodness, which should direct our grateful thanksgivings to the Supreme Creator. We are surrounded with sad realities, which require self reliance for their correction, and from the source of goodness we can alone hope for directing aid. The discourse of the Dosch harmonizes with a host of new thoughts, which convict me, from past admonitions, of willful infatuation and stupidity in avoiding the animus impressions of my better nature. In the sincerity of truthful surprise, we can now look forward, my sons, with the confident hope of inaugurating for future generations a source of happiness that will reflect the current rays of immortality. But we should address our grateful emotions to the Dosch, who has interested himself for the redemption of our race from selfish infatuation.”

175Giganteo. “I must again express my astonishment for the apt perception you have shown in discovering the means premised for rendering the Heracleans amenable to self control, and offer grateful acknowledgments to ancestral auramentors for the presage they bestowed for the easy enhancement of my success. The volantaphs will now describe to Gnipho and his brother the position where the nest mews of the falcons can be found, and when transferred to those in the house adjoining the one you occupy, you will receive the necessary instruction for rendering them serviceable.”

After a few quotations from the old volantaphs with reference to the treatment and training of eyasses they returned to the apartment where the Doschessa and her companions were entertained by the family of the pr?tor. The mother and daughters were so deeply engaged in curious inquiries that the return of her husband and sons remained for some time unnoticed. When listening had become tedious to the Dosch, he requested Gnipho to congratulate his mother and sisters upon their freedom from awe in conversing with disembodied spirits, as their hoarseness gave evidence of a busy, if not a clear, occupation; which, from the sequel they had been privileged to hear, seemed to be devoted to the worship of a doubtful divinity. The mother replied, that they had been taught that appearances were deceptive, and he could have but little reason to wonder, from his own and people’s extraordinary size, if first impressions seemed to verify the adage in a most remarkable way. Especially when they reflected that the whole race of Manatitlans, consolidated, would but little exceed in size a single Heraclean. “But the moment we became accustomed to the pipeleo voices of your wives, and could understand what they said, why bless you, we knew at once they were mortal women, for every word and accent of their tongues bespoke the nature of our sex, and we acknowledged 176without thinking the reality of their minute personalities. But then, they expressed themselves so wisely in the unity of their affection, that we again doubted; for it appeared so far beyond the reach of mortal attainment, in the power and reciprocation of individual control, that we felt within ourselves the impossibility of a near approach to their sympathies in genial merit. But quickly perceiving our new source of regretful dismay, they described to us how they had been educated, and what was proposed for the benefit of our people; so we were consoled that the difference in attainment was only in the degree of perfection, which we should realize in progressive ratio from the grateful reciprocation of future generations. Our children appreciate the advantages, and are determined to act in consonance with your directions, but we cannot hope for a near approach to a love as disinterested as your people’s, who have never known the misery entailed from the ranklings of envious detraction. If the impression you wish to make on those of our citizens who are hardened in their conspirations for misrule, prove successful, although, for the time being, it ministers for good through the superstitious vagaries of their perverse blindness, we will bless you in their behalf for the legacy of affection that will return to them through their children’s dutiful love. Indeed, they will be ignorantly grateful, that your people made them subserve as bridges for the safe passage of their children over the slough of accumulations that flow from the sewerage gratifications of sensuality. Yesterday, we worshiped, with them, gods of man’s creation, bearing the kindred impress of decay, and, with our authority, would have punished with death those subject to a defection like our own of to-day. Yet, we have often been led, from the exampled enactments of our parents, to question the happiness of a heaven where the aggravating fluctuations of our earthly associations would be continued. 177For, with even less faith than my husband, I could not realize the wisdom of a divine economy that designed, in defiance of original intention, to elevate brute mortality, in human shape, to the privileges of purity self-refused by earthly election. To our great relief, you have resolved this trying source of perplexity conformably with our wished-for reverence, sanctioned from an endowment of purity. Thankful to the source of our enlightened preservation, we can now clearly discern, through Creative indications, the path to immortality, purified from the adventurous impositions of superstitious instinct. Grateful that the realizing perfection, in the increase of attainment, will be reflected back from generation to generation, in recompense for the interest of our indebtedness to you, we now proffer it, with the involving title it confers of reducing past and future to present embodiment.”

Giganteo. (In whispered enthusiasm to Gnipho.) “Your mother is an oracle of giga understanding, and the wisdom of her responses has proved an heirloom to her children which should cause you to be ever grateful with thankful man............