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.
