THE TWO BROTHERS 75

yet. Under Cyril's guidance they also—the living
and the dead alike—have become eager and earnest
members of the band of helpers; and probably for
years to come—until Lancelot's vigorous yt>ung
astral body disintegrates—many a dying child will
have cause to be grateful to these three who are
trying to pass on to others something of the joy
that they have themselves received.

Nor is it to the dead alone that these new con-
verts have been of use, for they have sought and
found some other living children who show con-
sciousness on the astral plane during sleep; and one
at least of those whom they have thus brought to
Cyril has already proved a valuable little recruit to
the children's band, as well as a kind little friend
down here on the physical plane.

Those to whom all these ideas are new some-
times find it difficult to understand how children can
be of any use in the astral world. Seeing, they
would say, that the astral body of a child must be
undeveloped,, and the ego thus limited by childhood
on the astral as well as the physical plane, in what
way could such an ego be of use, or be able to help
towards the spiritual, mental and moral evolution of
humanity, which we are told is the chief concern of
the helpers?

When first such a question was asked, shortly
after the publication of one of these stories in our