Listener, if memory serves W. E. van Amburgh's 1924 "The Way to Paradise" (the forerunner of the pink "Paradise" book) actually presented this scenario.
See Chapter XI, "Princes in All the Earth," page 228
"...Let us suppose that you are living after the
kingdom is established and the blessings have
begun to flow out to the people in abundant
measure. Of course it will take some time to get
things in smoothly running order after the great stress between now and 1926. It may be ten
years or more before you get your home all
fixed up, and the gardens bringing forth the luscious
fruits and appetizing vegetables in abundance.
Even if it takes a while longer you will
be that much better prepared.
You will have secured the services of the best
decorators you can find. Some of them used to
be undertakers; but since there are no more
people dying, they have had to seek some new
occupation. Their experience as undertakers
prepared them to become decorators with very
little difficulty.
You have made all preparations for father
and mother. The home is all ready; a special
room is prepared for them, fitted with everything
yon can think of that might give pleasure I
and delight. You then call up thc princes at
Jerasalein, state your case, and make request
that your father and your mother might be awakened. In joyful expectancy you wait. Some
morning you hear talking in the room you have
prepared. There was no one there last night.
You know that there are no thieves or intruders ;
for all such experiences have been eliminated.
You do not need to be fearful; so you listen at
the door. You hear father's familiar voice saying,
"Motlier, where are we? Are we dreaming?
Why, I thought I attended your funeral last
summer; then I was taken sick, and they had
the doctor, and that is the last I can remember."
Mother says : "I don't understand it either,
Dear. The last I can remember is that I was
so sick, and you and the doctors were standing
at the bedside, and you were holding my hand.
What has happened? We are not sick now, and
this room is different from any room I ever
saw. It is so beautiful anti everything is so
peaceful. Just hear those birds sing, and did
you ever? Why, where did you get that suit of
clothes "you are as handsome as you were on
our wedding day."
Father exclaims: "Well, suppose you give me
a chance to ask you some questions I Where did
you get that dress? You must be getting stylish
in your old age. And you needn't talk to me
about being good-looking. Look into the glass
yourself. Well, I wonder what has happened,
anyway. Are we in heaven or crazy or what?"
You can stand it no longer. With heart
running over with joy and all excitement, you
burst open the door and rush in exclaiming, 'O Father! O Mother! you are neither, in heaven
nor crazy. You are just here, your old dear
selves. Yes! you are really here. I am so glad,
so happy, that I don't know what to do. I just
want to look at you, and love you, and touch
you, to be sure you are really alive again. My!
but you are looking well. I never saw you looking
so handsome !" [story continues for several more pages.]
You can find poor quality free download copies of The Way to Paradise online, or you can purchase a high quality replica reprint from LuLu.com that I produced several years ago if you wish. The bulk of the price of the LuLu version is LuLu's cost of production and distribution. I make a couple of dollars.