86 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
of scarcely inferior interest, and that was the state 
of those infants after death. Are their spirits, 
they would say, in outer darkness, where there is 
weeping and gnashing of teeth—or are they happy ? 
In reply to this, they were informed, that though 
they had not sinned, they had suffered death as 
the effect of Adam’s transgression, yet that there 
was reason to hope and believe they were interested 
in the covenant of redemption, the condition of 
which the Lord Jesus Christ had fulfilled, and that 
therefore they were happy. 
It is impossible to conceive the satisfaction of 
mind which this opinion has inspired in those who 
had been guilty of the destruction of their off¬ 
spring, though they were still sensible that the 
final condition of the murdered infants did not 
diminish the criminality of the unnatural deed. 
In reference to this point, they-would often ask 
whether they should in heaven know those they 
had been acquainted with on earth, and especially 
if there they should recognize the children they 
had destroyed. In reply, they were informed, 
that from all that was said on the heavenly state 
in the scriptures, there was reason to believe that 
friends on earth would know each other there, and 
that it was probable Christian mothers would meet 
their children. 
These were not mere speculative inquiries, the 
parties had a deep personal interest in them; and 
Mrs. Ellis has been greatly affected in witnessing 
the emotions with which these discussions have 
been carried on. I can readily suppose it alto¬ 
gether impossible to conceive of the rapturous 
expectation with which a Christian mother, child¬ 
less and desolate from her own cruelties, would by 
faith anticipate meeting in a world of spirits thi 
