A Visit to Heaven.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12749, 21 April 1909, Page 7

A Visit to Heaven.

Speaking in the Bast End of London recently, iacher Vaughan &aid: 1 will tell you of a dream j had last night. I thought that alter I had been in purgatory tor no short time 1 received a visit t rom my guardian angel, wno brought me the good news that the cleansing lues had done their work, and that now I might I'ollow Him and pass out ot the King's prison house. At the huge door my angel po.nted to a meandering path that led up, »t a great height, to a gate which in the .listance looked like a flame of gold/Beiore lilting his wings my guardian ba<Jt .ne be of good heart, for vow there was iothiu°r to keep 'me from passing through the Golden G/ate. Light-hearted and brimful of joy and expectation, with elastic jtep I flew, rather than walked, up the jteep incline, tnll I found myseJf standing >efore the Gate of Paradise. Wildly impatient to cross the threshold, I rang the jreat silver bell, which was answered by olessed Peter himself.

The key-bearer, with wl'at T thought a ';inge of sadness on his bright countenvnce. looked me iv the face, saying, "I am 'cry sorry, dear friend, but we cannot let rou in to-day."

"And why," I asked, "not to-day? I do lot think I could live till to-mon-ow. I un simply agonised to get in." "Well," replied the saint, "we are expecting a millionaire from London to-day, so I must emphasise the occasion by letting no one zlse in on the same day."

"What 1" I exclaimed. "You do not mean to say you carry on up here as they lo below, and make money a test and give millionaires the first place?" "No, no, my son," replied St. Peter. "I am not making much of the millionaire on account of hie wealth, but because we so rarely see one up here. Usually they go down in the opposite direction and lose their souls like Dives, of whom you have so often spoken. But the Dives coining here to-day is one who not only left money to the poor in his .vill, but actually gave in his lifetime a liv <ng wage to all in his employment. Hence, you see, I want, as I said, to emphasise this singularly rare sight of the rich man lassiug from earth to heaven." Having heard this explanation I answered, " 'Tis well," and cut consoling myself .is best I could upon the doorstep. Presently, which to me seemed a thousand years ,o slowly passed the time, I saw coming towards me a poor brother man, whom I recognised as one who had been in the employ of a millionaire. "Pat," said I to him, "you need not ring a bell, for no one will be let in tolay." "Shure," said Pat, "if only I crow loud enough and long enough like a cock, I'll shame St. Peter into letting me in."

"No, don't do that," I replied, "but os your prayers have so much helped the salvation of your millionaire master, just on" my back as you are, ■ and we'll both get in. 1 ' Accordingly he sprang up, and once more I stood before the gate and rang the bell right merrily. At once it was opened, St. Peter asking. "What is this?" To this I replied, "The millionaire's advance luggage." "Pass through at once," said the saint, but the blaze of light that suddenly flashed across my eyes woke me up, and I found I was in bed at half-past five in the morning, the caller having switched on the electric light, exclaiming "Deo Gratias."

Father Taughan said that the lesion which the dream taught him was that there was no investment for money l : ke that of helping qpe's needy and poorer brethren. Not only weVe they our advance luggage for heaven, but often enough they secured for those, who otherwise might never get there at all, a through ticket right up to the Golden Gate.