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[Illustration: MERRICK RICHARDSON AT THE AGE OF SEVENTY-FIVE.]




                             LOOKING BACK

                           AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY


                                 _By_

                       MERRICK ABNER RICHARDSON

                               AUTHOR OF

    "JIM HALL AND THE RICHARDSONS", "EIGHT DAYS OUT", "MINA FAUST",
          "ROSE LIND", "PERSONALITY OF THE SOUL", "CHICAGO'S
                 BLACK SHEEP", "TWILIGHT REFLECTIONS."


                           PRIVATELY PRINTED

                           CHICAGO: MCMXVII




                            _Copyright 1917
                                  By_
                       MERRICK ABNER RICHARDSON




PREFACE


My spare time, only, is occupied in literary efforts. I never allow
them to interfere with either my business or social life.

In composing, in a mysterious way, I comprehend the companionship of my
imaginary friends as vividly as I do the material associates of life.
To me imagination is the counterpart or result of inspiration, while
inspiration is light thrown upon the unrevealed. The image may be the
result of known or unknown cause, but the mystery does not blot out the
actual existence of the image. The material image we call sight, the
retained memory, and the unknown revelation, but all are comprehensive
images.

I see a bird, its form created a picture on my eye, the image of which
mysteriously remained after the object had disappeared. Now what or who
cognizes the primitive object, the formed picture or the retained image?

The materialist assumes he has solved the mystery when he says; The
appearance of the object formed an impression on your brain; omitting
the important part of who comprehends the impression.

These material and spiritual views are not the two extremes, there
is no midway, one is right and the other is wrong. Either man is a
spiritual, responsible being or he is just temporary mud.

Therefore imagination, to me is incomprehensible realization, while
materialism is the symbol of passing events. This explains how my
imaginary friends become so dear to me.

The ideas presented in my story of Mary Magdalene I gained through
descriptions conveyed to me by Jona while traveling across the Syrian
desert. He always began in the middle of his story and worked out both
ways, which made it difficult to take notes, besides at the best it was
but a legend, dim and indistinct.

In this work I have carefully avoided Oriental style, language or
customs for two reasons: First, there is not an Oriental scholar now,
who could do them justice, Second, one is perfectly safe in bringing
any people of any age right down to our times. For, the culture of
one tribe or race does not influence incoming souls for the next
generation. The human family enter life on about the same plane. A
child from the low tribes of the jungles or from the desert wild, if
brought up by a Chicago mother, might become as great as one of the
royal family. The feelings, aspirations, sorrows and love of Mary
Magdalene and Peter were similar to what ours would have been under the
same conditions. Therefore I bring the story of Magdalene right down to
yesterday.

I first constructed the story of Magdalene while in Jerusalem, then I
revised it in Egypt, and have been revising it at intervals ever since.
From Jona's continued reiteration regarding her prepossessing gifts,
spiritual and unwavering qualities, especially her firmness before
Caiaphas, I formed her personality in my mind and associated her with
bright women of today, then I let Magdalene talk for herself.

To me she was no exception from the women I associated with in
Chicago. There are not wanting women in Oak Park who under the same
circumstances would have followed Jesus to Jerusalem, disdained to
deny him and would have pleaded before the sanhedrim at the dead of
night to have saved their associate from the misguided servants of the
devil.

The reminiscenses of the pioneer Richardsons, Jim and Winnie, Sunshine
days around Wabbaquassett, John Brown, roving escapades of the
Richardson Brothers, my athletic exploits, my travels and other scenes
of my life are primitive truths copied from memory and set forth in my
original form of expression.

My attack on materialists or infidelic instructors stands on its own
feet and opposes a tendency that will create degeneracy if continued.




TABLE OF CONTENTS


                                                    PAGE

  MY ANCESTORS                                         9

  WOBURN                                              10

  TRADITIONS                                          12

  RECORDS                                             15

  OLD HOMESTEAD                                       17

  JIM HALL                                            19

  LOVE SPATS                                          20

  JIM'S STORY                                         