The Complete Short Stories. O. Hooper Henry

another break in our work with the stories, we were welcomed with:

      “It has been a long time since we have talked. I wish you joy”

      To our usual question “who is with us?” came the answer:

      “I was called Henry .”

      A glimpse into conditions on the “other side” was given when we asked O. Henry whether he had found a friend of whose “passing over” we had told him.

      “No,” he replied; “I have not found him. He must be resting, and we make it a point never to disturb, for the rest periods are of the most importance and hasten growth. I shall watch for him when he makes his mansion.”

      “What do you mean by that?” we asked.

      “In the beginning of life here we make little progress — unless knowledge of the Truth has been ours before coming over. That is why it is so necessary to learn before leaving the Earth Sphere. Without that one must wander aimlessly or rest and gaze at things of the past — and our associates are other unfortunates who have had closed ears before leaving.

      “When one has reviewed a certain number of lives — or generally a sequence of events — then comes a tender friend who points out advantageous work and study, and which, if followed, always means the beginning of progress and growth. It is only after that has been made use of that we begin our mansion or abiding place.

      “Keep it always in your mind, the foundation stones are Knowledge, Wisdom, Power — and then it is built by the thought and desire of Aspiration, Beauty and Love.

      “I want to impress upon you and all mankind the necessity of ‘Knowingr/ and, what is more to the point. ‘Believing.’

      “If you will lend me your pencil, most generous person, I may be able to say all I want. Now it seems as if I never would be able to get rid of it all “If you would publish a magazine it would be a ‘hummer.’ The trouble is, there is no periodical which has any one back of it zvho KNOWS. They all prattle and the almighty dollar is the main thing. Truth would bring them faster than anything if they would only believe it. Let’s zvork it out! It would be great! Now to work, if you don’t mind.

      “In a sunny nook by a babbling brook I have built my mansion.”

      O. Henry was very enthusiastic over the idea of a magazine. Referring to it again, he said, “Call it the Sphinx.” Get at it at once. Have it contain only tales which teach, and Wisdom.”

      Once when he talked on until late in the evening, and we became tired, he said, when the lateness of the hour was mentioned:

      “It is all the same here; I forget. My impatience is still that stumbling block. With many thanks — good night”

      One rainy day we were ready earlier than usual and O. Henry was evidently in exceptionally good humor, greeting us with:

      “Well, this is a surprise! It’s bully!”

      “Kind of nice in here. We do not feel the rain, but we like sunshine better.”

      One story we received was not up to the O. Henry standard, and we did not hesitate to say so. Our views must have been rather more forcefully expressed than we realized, for he said:

      . . “I have read and had many criticisms of my stories before, but they never came as hard or as fast as this one. Wipe it out”

      With that he redictated the last half of the story, changing it completely and to the satisfaction of all.

      With his next story we were particularly pleased, and on our saying so, he said:

      I thank you and am glad you really like it. Have to watch my P’s and Q’s now or I will lose my publisher. It is great to be compelled to do one’s best. It means the continuation of aspiration. Lying Spirits do not aspire. Having publishers who will accept nothing but the truth and only the best one is capable of is a bit of a novelty. Pity there are not more of them for material, as well as spiritual fiction. You might get Hoover to add that plan for conservation of paper and ink. If we over here had more publishers like you there would be more truth spread broadcast. The trouble is most of the offices accept anything, just so it has a name attached.

      “What’s in a name? — Nothing “What’s in a Truth? — Everything.”

      Unless the Spirit moving the indicator on the board is an advanced soul, having great power, he usually draws from the persons he is working through. This O. Henry was at times forced to do, and so we understood, when one day, instead of starting a story he said:

      “Your teacher says you hesitate to tell when you are tired. Better to have a perfect pen for tzvo lines, than none at all for tzventy. Tell me the moment you become fatigued. There is time for the lot. If you are depleted through my coming, it will be curtailed, if not stopped, and that would be too dreadful! Much better a half a loaf at a time than none at all. Please tell me. Your teacher thinks you have sufficient without what I am dictating, but feels that it is worth while providing you are not in any way injured by the work. I so want to have the opportunity. Do, kind person, tell me and let us go slower. Last night I chattered; no reason for it at all, except the pleasure of doing it, and you were tired, the teacher says, before I began”

      We agreed to be more careful, and O. Henry said:

      “That’s a bargain “ In speaking of the many plots crowding his mind and which he wanted to express, he said:

      “Riches are a burden at times. I wish to rid myself of them. Quick returns will follow. With much material off my mind I shall be able to develop much, more worth while. Hurry! Life takes up so many hours.”

      Before starting a series of stories of a different nature from those given first, he said:

      “My wish is to widen the horizon. It is important for humanity to knozv. It must recognize the oneness of everything. We zvill write of more than man. I zvill give a series. First Beasts — then Flowers and Jewels.”

      When these stories were completed, everything seemed to conspire to prevent the devoting of a quiet hour to O. Henry and his stories. Whenever constructive work is done, by which the Truth may be brought to many, the forces of destruction are arrayed in opposition. This we felt to the full. Twice stories were started and stopped after only a few paragraphs had been written. In one it was evident that O. Henry had been pushed aside and a complete sentence injected by some “Power of Darkness.” We at once realized the situation and put the “Board” away.

      When next O. Henry came, he said:

      “The time has been long. Why keep the Muse silent? I am simply overburdened with plots.”

      When asked the cause of the breaks in the last story he said:

      “I find there are still a number of people who believe they know better how to write my stories than I do.

      This last time it was ‘Fiends/ It is important you keep the door closed by demanding you receive only the truth — for that prevents their taking definite hold”

      About this time there appeared in the papers notices of moving pictures made from the O. Henry stories. We asked him what he thought of them, and his answer, concise as usual, was:

      “Foolish rehash of yesterday’s ignorance In commenting on how few believed and how difficult it would be to find a publisher, O. Henry answered:

      “My belief is you will have to do it yourself ultimately, if you cannot find some one zvho is independent. The trouble is that in a concern, one may believe, while the rest of the company do not yet see”

      The conditions of everyday life became worse. We were able to snatch only a few minutes with O. Henry and asked him if he felt the confusion.

      “It is a regular whirlpool, he said; the boat rocks. Until you can have quiet I think it would be wiser to postpone trying to write. My wish is added to yours, for if all