,born ,again  by ,alfred ,lawson        
,,dedication  ,one day1 not many years  
ago1 while walking along a street in    
,detroit1 ,michigan1 ,i was stopped by a
 ragged and forlorn beggar1 with the    
request for a few cents to buy something
 to eat4  ,i gave him a dime and walking
 on a few paces stopped to observe his  
following movements4 ,contrary to my    
supposition that perhaps he would enter 
a saloon and buy whiskey he went as fast
 as his weary legs would carry him in a 
straight course toward a restaurant on  
the opposite side of the street4  ,as he
 was about to enter the place his       
attention was attracted by a more       
pitiable wretch than himself standing   
outside who had but one leg1 was partly 
blind1 and whose nose was almost eaten  
off by disease4  ,he paused for a moment
 and looked sympathetically at the      
crippled beggar and then started again  
toward the door of the restaurant1 but  
before entering he stopped once more to 
take another look1 and after a few      

moments' hesitation he deliberately     
turned about1 handed the other fellow   
the dime and walked away without feeding
 himself4  ,of all the heroic deeds ,i  
have ever witnessed1 ,i recollect none  
quite so grand and noble as this act1   
for notwithstanding this poor beggar may
 have been heir to every other weakness 
a human being could possibly contract1  
still he contained that spark of        
unselfish love for his fellow beings1   
without which no man is more than a mere
 brute1 and for that reason ,i          
respectfully dedicate this work to his  
memory4  ,,alfred ,,william ,,lawson4   
,,chapter ,i  ,judging from my own      
experience it is my opinion that many   
strange and wonderful events have       
happened during the past in which man   
took part1 that have never been         
recorded4  ,many reasons could be given 
for this1 but the main causes perhaps1  
are that the participants have lacked   
the intelligence1 education or literary 
ability to properly describe them4  ,in 

these respects ,i must admit my own     
inferiority4 ,but ,i feel that should ,i
 not promulgate an account of my own    
remarkable life for the benefit of      
mankind then ,i would betray the trust  
nature has confided in me4  ,so ,i warn 
the exquisite literary critic and the   
over-polished individual who prefer     
fancy phrases to logical ideas1 that    
this work may somewhat jar their        
delicate senses of perception4  ,and    
having offered these few remarks ,i     
shall introduce myself to the reader4   
,my name is ,john ,convert4 ,the earth  
is my home and country4 ,all men are my 
kin1 be they white1 black1 red1 yellow  
or brown4 ,i was born somewhere on the  
,atlantic ,ocean between ,liverpool and 
,new ,york while my parents were        
emigrating from ,england to ,america4   
,my mother died giving me birth4        
,whether or not it was because ,i first 
saw the light of day while in a state of
 transit that caused me afterwards to   
acquire a thirst for travel and         

adventure ,i cannot say1 but true it is 
that during my whole life ,i have been  
constantly moving from place to place4  
,then again my father was a ,methodist  
preacher and the good ,lord ostensibly  
sent calls to him from every nook and   
corner of the ,united ,states1 for as   
long as ,i can remember he too was      
continually changing abiding places4 ,in
 fact1 it seems to me now when ,i look  
back that he seldom preached twice from 
the same pulpit4 ,whether this was due  
to bad preaching or because he had the  
courage to tell the good church folk    
many plain truths concerning themselves1
 ,i know not1 but ,i do know that in    
many ways my father was a very good man1
 and also a very learned man--perhaps a 
little too learned to be wise1 for1 like
 most great scholars he may have forced 
so much book stuff into his brain that  
he left no room for progressive thoughts
 of his own4 ,he was1 however1 quite    
unlike many clergymen of the present    
time who apparently think and certainly 

act as if their main work was to flatter
 and amuse the women4  ,my father was   
straightforward1 honest1 kind and       
truthful4 ,he was dogmatic in his       
religious beliefs1 combative by nature  
and never happier than when fighting the
 ,devil in his own corner1 as he        
expressed it4 ,furthermore1 he was      
haughty1 stubborn and egotistical1 and  
these traits of character ,i inherited  
from him4 ,but while ,i honestly        
inherited combativeness1 stubbornness   
and egotism from my father1 these       
characteristics became very             
objectionable to him when displayed by  
myself4 ,so from my earliest childhood  
days there was a continual tug of war   
between us to see who would be master of
 the house4  ,there was one inheritance 
,i received from my father1 however1    
that ,i have always felt profoundly     
grateful to him for1 namely1 a sound    
physical constitution4 ,one of his      
earnest teachings1 which1 by the way1   
was generally ridiculed1 was that       

parents should not bring children into  
the world unless they themselves had led
 temperate lives and were in perfect    
health4 ,in this respect he lived as he 
preached and practiced temperateness in 
all things4  ,as ,i grew up ,i was      
taught to take care of myself           
physically1 as well as mentally and     
morally4 ,at the age of eleven ,i was as
 large and strong as most boys of       
sixteen1 and at sixteen there were few  
men who could outdo me in feats of      
strength and endurance4 ,my education   
was limited to what ,i learned at the   
different public schools which ,i       
attended1 and without exception ,i was  
always rated as the very worst boy of   
the whole institution4 ,i do not believe
 that ever a day passed that ,i was not 
sent to the principal for refractory    
conduct1 and in many instances ,i was   
suspended or expelled entirely4         
,fighting was my chief offence as ,i was
 always ready and anxious for a fistic  
encounter with any boy who was willing  

to battle4 ,in short1 ,i was a very     
unruly child with an independent spirit1
 who recognized the authority of nobody 
to give arbitrary commands4 ,in         
consequence of these facts my father and
 ,i had frequent altercations and as my 
innate love for travel and adventure    
asserted itself ,i ran away from home   
when but eleven years old1 an age when  
most children are mere babies1 and      
started out in the world to paddle my   
own canoe4  ,i began to earn my own     
living by selling newspapers on the     
streets of ,chicago1 and from that time 
on became a wanderer upon the face of   
the earth2 working at various           
occupations and engaging in many schemes
 and pursuits in an endeavor to pay my  
way through life1 and during the next   
eleven years ,i not only visited every  
part of the ,united ,states1 but nearly 
every country in the world1 during which
 time ,i experienced enough adventures  
to fill many books if put into print1   
but as they have no bearing upon this   

narrative ,i must pass them by without  
mention4 ,and so at the age of          
twenty-two1 being then a worthless      
vagabond1 ,i was aboard a three-masted  
schooner working my way from ,australia 
to ,england as a common sailor4 ,that   
was during the year of #ahha4  ,,chapter
 ,,ii  ,phrenologists after studying the
 bumps on my head have invariably told  
me that ,i lacked diplomacy4 ,this1 as  
,i understand it1 simply means an       
incapability of acting the hypocrite4   
,and it does seem under the present     
system of human existence1 that he who  
fails to practice hypocrisy finds       
innumerable obstacles to overcome1 which
 otherwise might be avoided4 ,so1       
lacking in this virtue1 as diplomacy is 
sometimes styled1 led me into trouble   
with nearly everybody with whom ,i had  
any dealings4 ,indeed1 had it not been  
for this very defect in my nature1 ,i   
should not have been forced to pass     
through the most remarkable life1 ,i    
think1 ever experienced by living man4  

,and so the ship had barely passed out  
of the harbor before ,i had             
undiplomatically aroused the enmity of  
all the other seamen1 and within two    
weeks ,i was thoroughly detested by     
every man aboard from the captain to the
 cook4 ,the crew was composed of an     
unusually tough set of characters who   
avowed from the beginning that they did 
not like ,yankees and would make life   
insufferable for me before reaching the 
next port4 ,fist fights became frequent 
and each one of the sailors took a punch
 at my head at different times1 only to 
learn that ,i enjoyed that kind of sport
 and retaliated in a way that laid the  
offender up for repairs afterward4 ,the 
fact that in these encounters ,i always 
gained an easy victory over my opponents
 caused a more intense feeling of       
bitterness to exist than ever1 and to   
make matters worse the captain's wife1  
who was the only woman on the ship1 took
 sides with me against all the others4  
,this apparently angered the captain1   

for on one occasion1 after he had given 
orders to have me put in irons for      
breaking one of my shipmate's ribs1 and 
she interceded in my behalf1 he became  
furious and threatened to have me thrown
 overboard4 ,this threat1 however1 only 
had the effect of making me more        
stubborn and defiant4 ,as a cowboy ,i   
had fought ,indians and real bad men in 
the western states of ,america1 hunted  
elephants in ,africa1 tigers in ,india1 
and roughed it as a gold seeker in      
,australia until ,i had become hardened 
against danger and absolutely fearless1 
so that a menace against my life did not
 worry me in the least4 ,in fact1 ,i    
really enjoyed the situation and dared  
the captain to do his worst4  ,we had   
been out of ,sydney about four weeks1   
and although ,i did not know the exact  
latitude and longitude1 ,i imagined we  
must have been a considerable distance  
to the south and east of ,cape ,colony4 
,it seems to me now that ,i heard       
somebody say we were a little further   

south of the regular course taken by    
vessels sailing around the ,cape4 ,it   
was one of those pleasant nights in     
,december1 which one must experience in 
southern waters to appreciate1 that ,i  
took my turn on watch in the forward    
part of the boat4 ,it was past midnight 
and one of the darkest nights ,i have   
ever known4 ,the sea was rather calm but
 a good breeze astern caused the ship to
 make good headway4 ,i was all alone and
 paced back and forth from side to side 
peering out into space and darkness     
ahead4 ,occasionally1 ,i would remain   
for several minutes leaning against one 
of the railings4 ,except for the        
splashing of the sea against the side of
 the ship1 all was quiet4 ,as ,i stood  
in one of my meditative moods1 looking  
straight ahead1 ,i was suddenly         
attracted by something which caused me  
to turn quickly and look in the opposite
 direction1 and then ,i observed the    
forms of four men coming quickly toward 
me1 but before ,i realized their object 

or had time to speak1 they grabbed me by
 the arms and legs4 ,i struggled        
furiously for several moments and       
freeing my hands1 dealt one of them a   
vicious punch which felled him to the   
deck1 and it seemed for awhile that ,i  
would shake them all off1 when suddenly 
,i received a terrible blow on the side 
of my head which partially stunned me1  
and during the instant of inactivity on 
my part ,i was raised bodily high in the
 air and plunged overboard into the     
waters below4  ,,chapter ,,iii  ,it was 
in a semi-conscious state that ,i struck
 the water head foremost1 and it was by 
instinct1 ,i suppose1 that ,i           
immediately started to swim away from   
the side of the vessel4  ,although ,i   
was a powerful swimmer it seemed as if  
,i should never reach the surface again4
 ,the sudden and unexpected plunge had  
caused me to go into the sea with my    
mouth open and thereby swallow a large  
quantity of salt water4 ,when almost on 
the verge of strangulation1 however1 by 

a supreme effort ,i finally managed to  
reach the air again1 more dead than     
alive4 ,it was then some time before ,i 
regained my breath and fully understood 
what had happened4 ,i assure the reader 
that it was not a very pleasant         
sensation to find myself out in the     
middle of the ocean without even the    
support of a life preserver and the ship
 sailing away in the distance4 ,during  
my adventurous career ,i had faced death
 a score of times without the slightest 
emotion or semblance of fright1 but as  
,i floated about on that broad expanse  
of water alone ,i then realized for the 
first time in my life what a tiny1      
helpless microbe ,i really was4  ,oh1   
you little mortal known as man2 you     
microscopical mixture of protoplasm and 
egotism2 you atomical speck of ignorance
 and avarice2 you who believe that the  
earth1 moon1 stars and all creation was 
manufactured for your special benefit2  
if you could only be shown your actual  
size in the universe as ,i was on that  

occasion1 ,i think it would result in   
the eradication of some of your innate  
vanity and selfishness1 thereby proving 
an incalculable blessing to you4  ,and  
now at last ,i was placed in a position 
whereby ,i could feel and reflect upon  
my own littleness4 ,i had absolutely no 
hope of being saved from a watery grave1
 feeling that it was only a matter of an
 hour or two before ,i should succumb to
 the inevitable and sink to the bottom  
of the sea4 ,still ,i was unwilling to  
give up the few bones entrusted to my   
care until finally overcome by          
exhaustion and so ,i kept afloat by     
lying on my back and exerting myself as 
little as possible4  ,at length1        
however1 my strength gave way entirely  
and ,i felt that the time had arrived   
when ,i must come face to face with the 
,god whom ,i had been taught to believe 
in from infancy according to the        
,christian faith4 ,then it seemed that a
 million thoughts crowded themselves    
into my brain at the same time4  ,how   

would ,he receive me8 ,what dire        
judgment would ,he pass upon me8 ,had ,i
 ever done anything to merit ,his       
pleasure8 ,i could not recollect one    
good deed ,i had ever accomplished of   
sufficient importance to call to ,his   
attention1 but on the contrary ,i       
recalled a thousand bad acts ,i should  
not have committed4 ,i had spent a      
roving1 aimless existence in which ,i   
had done practically nothing to increase
 the production or knowledge of the     
world1 ,i had lived for myself alone--a 
life of mere pleasure seeking1 without  
ever a thought of others' rights or     
happiness4 ,i remembered that during a  
hunting expedition in ,africa how ,i had
 once shot and killed seventeen         
spring-bok in one day1 and how ,i had   
swelled up with conceit to know that ,i 
had destroyed the lives of that many    
living things4 ,true1 they were not     
human beings1 but were they not         
creatures of nature as well as myself8  
,what right had ,i to take the life of  

any living thing at all1 let alone for  
mere pleasure8 ,what excuse could ,i now
 offer if tried for that cowardly       
offence8 ,would ,i ask ,god's           
forgiveness8 ,if so1 would it be any    
better to ask ,him to forgive me just   
before ,i died or immediately afterward8
 ,what difference would it make8 ,then  
again ,i wondered if ,god would have any
 more respect for me if after committing
 the deed ,i whined and begged for      
mercy4 ,would ,he not consider that     
cowardly on my part8 ,would ,he not     
think better of me if ,i went forward   
bravely and said3 ,here ,i am1 ,o ,god1 
,i know ,i have done wrong1 now punish  
me as ,thou see'st fit4 ,what would ,i  
do if ,i were to occupy the ,creator's  
position as supreme judge in a case of  
that kind8 ,would ,i not think far more 
of the man who would come forward       
courageously and take the punishment he 
deserved than the creeping1 cringing and
 whining being who begged for mercy8    
,would ,god the ,creator be more        

unreasonable about the matter than ,i1  
whom ,he had created8  ,i had always    
thanked ,god as well as my parents for  
the extraordinary physical strength and 
courage with which ,i was endowed1 and  
during my life of trials and hardships  
that courage had never been shaken by   
man or beast1 but now ,i felt that the  
crucial test was about to be applied4   
,would the courage the ,almighty gave me
 weaken when about to face ,him who had 
bestowed it upon me8  ,with these and   
similar thoughts passing through my mind
 and my strength exhausted1 ,i took one 
long breath and sank beneath the water4 
,,chapter ,,iv  ,sinking slowly down    
with a feeling of drowsiness stealing   
away my senses1 ,i was suddenly awakened
 by my body coming to an abrupt stop and
 resting upon some hard substance4 ,my  
first impression was that ,i had        
collided with some huge sea-monster and 
was about to be devoured4 ,so placing my
 hands and feet firmly upon it ,i sprang
 upward with all the force ,i could     

command in an effort to get out of its  
reach1 but to my great surprise my head 
and half of my body shot out of the     
water into the air above and down ,i    
came again square upon my feet with a   
jolt that caused my teeth to rattle4    
,and there ,i stood with my head and    
shoulders out of the water while my     
lungs inhaled long draughts of pure     
fresh air4 ,i was too astonished to     
think and too weak to move1 so ,i just  
stood there motionless until ,i had     
regained my equilibrium4 ,i could never 
forget how sweet life seemed to me at   
that time4 ,for a long time ,i remained 
standing there without giving a thought 
as to what ,i was resting upon1 and when
 ,i did direct my attention to the      
question ,i was incapable of forming a  
satisfactory solution to the mystery4   
,according to the charts there was no   
land in that part of the ocean4 ,could  
it be a whale1 ,i wondered8 ,the more ,i
 thought of it the more perplexed ,i    
became4 ,the night was very dark and ,i 

could see nothing about me in any       
direction1 so ,i concluded that the only
 thing to do was to remain standing just
 where ,i was until daybreak4 ,it was a 
long and tedious wait and ,i suffered   
much from stiffness and cold1 but at    
last dawn appeared and ,i anxiously     
strained my eyes1 looking about in every
 direction4 ,then my head nearly burst  
with a feeling of joyousness1 for within
 two hundred yards of me ,i discerned   
the outline of what appeared to be a    
hill of rocks protruding from the deep1 
and as the light grew brighter ,i       
started to wade slowly towards it4 ,this
 was an extremely tiresome undertaking1 
as the bed upon which ,i had been       
resting was very rocky and uneven and ,i
 received many bruises before finally   
reaching its base4 ,my limbs too were   
thoroughly numb and almost refused to   
work1 but with each step ahead the water
 became shallower and my progress less  
arduous4 ,as ,i went forward ,i thought 
it was by the miraculous hand of ,god   

that my life had been saved1 for the    
time being at least4 ,then1 again1 it   
occurred to me1 that if it was the hand 
of the ,almighty that saved me1 it must 
have been by ,his hand also that ,i was 
thrown overboard1 for if ,he directed   
the one act ,he must have surely        
directed the other4 ,so why blame the   
sailors for attempting to take my life  
if it was ,god's will that it should be 
done8  ,reaching the base of the rocks  
in a feeble condition and staggering    
like a man under the influence of       
liquor1 ,i threw myself down and went to
 sleep just as the sun peeped over the  
horizon4  ,several hours later ,i       
awakened with a start to find the       
burning sun directly overhead and my    
body dripping with perspiration1 my     
throat parched and an awful feeling of  
thirst within me4 ,my tongue felt as    
though it was several inches thick and  
it seemed as though ,i would choke      
immediately for the want of something to
 drink4 ,aside from the thirst1 however1

 ,i felt considerably refreshed and     
sprang to my feet with my usual agility4
  ,the first thing that attracted my    
attention as ,i looked about in a       
curious manner1 was that this strange   
pile of stone which protruded from the  
sea1 bore evidence of having once been a
 part of some mammoth building which had
 apparently been shaken down and now lay
 in a chaotic heap4 ,some of the stones 
were of tremendous size and different in
 shape and quality from any others ,i   
have ever seen4 ,their designs showed   
that wonderful skill must have been     
employed by the workmen who originally  
cut and fit them into position4 ,the    
whole mass formed a sort of a ragged    
hill about one hundred feet in diameter 
and the highest point about forty feet  
above the sea level4  ,in looking about1
 ,i discovered to my great delight that 
among the crevices of the rocks there   
were many little places which acted as  
basins to store up water from the recent
 rains1 and ,i immediately took         

advantage of these conditions to quench 
my thirst and bathe my face and head4   
,this done ,i began climbing up toward  
the top of the pile4 ,it took           
considerable time and patience to make  
the ascent1 as the stones were massed   
together in a most irregular and        
precipitous manner4 ,reaching the       
highest point1 ,i eagerly scanned the   
surrounding horizons with the hope of   
seeing some passing ship1 but nothing   
except sky and water met my gaze4       
,seating myself upon the topmost rock1  
,i became buried in the depths of       
meditation1 and as ,i sat perched up    
there alone without even a glimpse of a 
sea-fowl for companionship ,i felt as if
 ,i was the only living thing extant2 in
 fact1 ,i actually imagined myself as   
being the center and objective point of 
the universe4 ,god in ,his great wisdom 
had flung me there for some purpose or  
other and was watching my movements to  
the exclusion of everything else1 so ,i 
thought4 ,aye1 even the warmth from the 

rays of the sun had been arranged for my
 special benefit4 ,how big a little     
faith will make one feel sometimes4     
,for several hours ,i remained in one   
position1 musing over my strange        
situation and wondering what the final  
outcome would be4 ,at last1 after the   
sun had gone down and darkness began to 
encircle me1 ,i decided to look about   
and find a suitable place to lie down   
and sleep for the night4 ,so ,i began to
 climb from rock to rock until ,i had   
reached the opposite side of the jagged 
plateau1 when suddenly one of the great 
stones wobbled1 ,i lost my balance and  
slid down an incline into a sort of a   
pit4 ,then my feet struck something     
which momentarily stopped my unexpected 
descent1 but it proved to be a mere     
shell1 and crashing through it ,i landed
 with a violent jolt about ten feet     
further below4 ,although somewhat       
stunned and a trifle confused by the    
suddenness of the fall1 ,i quickly      
regained my equanimity and looking      

upward ,i saw a small hole which my body
 had passed through1 the shaggy rocks   
above1 the dark sky and a few stars1 but
 the strangest thing of all was1 that   
the grotto into which ,i had fallen was 
as light as day4  ,,chapter ,v  ,after  
all ,i had passed through during the    
preceding twenty-four hours1 then to be 
suddenly cast from the outer darkness   
into a hole as light as if illuminated  
by the mid-day sun was a revelation that
 caused me to seriously doubt my own    
senses4 ,but having spent a life of     
travel and adventure in which ,i had    
faced many unexpected dangers and       
inexplicable sights1 ,i soon regained my
 normal presence of mind and began to   
look around with considerable interest4 
,i was now fully convinced that the     
great pile of stone which ,i had so     
strangely reached had at one time formed
 a gigantic structure moulded together  
by human ingenuity4  ,the enclosure ,i  
found myself within might have been a   
hallway of the edifice1 but it was hard 

to positively distinguish it as such1   
for the building in falling had placed  
things in an almost unrecognizable      
condition4 ,some of the great stones    
from above had passed through the       
ceiling and floor1 while others had     
become wedged together before reaching  
the surface1 thus forming a very ragged 
and peculiar aperture4  ,in places where
 there were no obstructions ,i noticed a
 beautiful white marble floor1 while    
here and there a fragment of the walls  
showed that the art of decorating had at
 one time reached a degree of           
proficiency quite unapproachable by our 
modern artists4 ,the space ,i found     
myself in was too irregular in its      
outlines to form an adequate idea of    
what it might have been used for4 ,in   
some places ,i had to stoop to pass     
along1 while in others ,i was forced to 
climb over great blocks of stone4       
,after being in this passage about half 
an hour making an inspection of the     
premises1 ,i discovered a small opening 

which led into another apartment4 ,it   
appeared that a great door had separated
 the two rooms1 but had apparently      
become broken with the fall of the      
building and left a space barely wide   
enough for my body to pass through4 ,so 
in ,i went4 ,or out ,i went1 ,i was not 
quite sure which1 for after squeezing   
through the doorway a scene presented   
itself to my astonished gaze that ,i    
must confess my inability to properly   
describe4  ,the view before me was a    
mammoth park with its variety of trees1 
flowers and shrubbery of every possible 
description4  ,straight ahead in the    
distance and plainly discernible was a  
running brook which flowed along in a   
devious course and emptied into a lake  
far beyond4 ,and there1 in all its      
majesty was the sun just sinking behind 
the horizon1 its brilliant radiance     
forming the most beautiful effects of   
colorization upon the distant clouds it 
has ever been my good fortune to behold4
  ,i stood in motionless reverence for  

several minutes as my mind expanded with
 wonder at the magnificent panorama1    
while my nostrils inhaled a most        
delicious fragrance from the innumerable
 plants which seemed to put new life    
into my enervated body4  ,what strange  
phenomena is this1 ,i soliloquized8 ,on 
the outside of the earth the sun had    
gone down and darkness prevailed1 while 
down here1 in under its crust ,i found  
it blazing away in all its splendor4 ,in
 fact it seemed that an entirely new    
world had suddenly been thrown in front 
of me4 ,was ,i really alive or had ,i   
passed into some other world1 was the   
next question to enter my mind4 ,i      
remembered that ,i had fallen a         
considerable distance into this strange 
place and was somewhat stunned in the   
tumble4 ,perhaps1 thought ,i1 my body is
 still lying somewhere among the rocks  
above while this is only my spirit      
wandering about in a fanciful manner4   
,but no1 looking downward ,i plainly saw
 my massive frame dressed in sailor's   

clothes just as ,i had left the ship and
 ,i was positive of being alive1 awake1 
and in my right senses4 ,and the wonders
 multiplied4 ,looking to the right of   
the entrance1 a short distance away1 ,i 
observed a marble platform elevated     
about two feet from the ground1 in the  
midst of huge flower-beds and shaded by 
large trees1 upon which sat a number of 
men1 silent and motionless1 with various
 musical instruments in their hands as  
if they had just finished playing and   
were taking a short rest4 ,these        
instruments were of an entirely         
different pattern from any ,i had ever  
seen4 ,and the men6 ,oh1 if ,i only had 
the power to show them to my fellow     
beings as ,i saw them4 ,what an         
imposing1 noble looking lot they were4  
,they were all about the same size and  
not one of them could have been less    
than eight feet in height4 ,in looking  
at them closely1 ,i noticed that they   
possessed most magnificent physiques4   
,they were neither fat nor lean and     

their well-groomed bodies showed plainly
 that no horse or piece of machinery    
ever received better care or attention4 
,while they appeared to be from thirty  
to forty years in ages1 not one of them 
wore a mustache1 beard or any other     
shaggy decoration of the face4 ,their   
foreheads were broad and massive and    
extended to the center of their         
splendidly shaped craniums4             
,extraordinary intelligence1 kindness   
and gentleness showed forth from every  
feature of their handsome countenances4 
,judging from their well-proportioned   
frames1 each one looked powerful enough 
to battle single handed with an         
elephant4 ,judging from their faces not 
one of them would have hurt a flea4     
,each man appeared to be buried in the  
depth of thought--serious thought--     
notwithstanding every physiognomy       
plainly showed that the utmost happiness
 and contentment existed within each1   
and good will between all of them4 ,the 
skin of their faces1 hands and feet was 

as white as snow1 transparent1 and      
backed by a beautiful pink4 ,at first   
sight ,i thought they were the gods4    
,uniformly clothed in closely fitting   
garments from the ankles to the neck1   
their superb forms showed complete      
symmetrical perfection4 ,the hue of     
their raiment was indescribable for ,i  
had never seen the like before4 ,in fact
 the colors actually appeared to change 
before my steady gaze4 ,their feet were 
bare1 very shapely1 and the toes of     
greater length than ordinarily4  ,as ,i 
stood rooted to the ground and viewed   
them with intense admiration1 ,i        
wondered why they did not speak or take 
notice of my presence4 ,but finally in  
order to attract their attention ,i     
shouted1 hello4 ,my voice sounded rather
 harsh and peculiar on this occasion1   
and was more like the bray of an ass    
than anything else1 but they made no    
motion as if they heard me1 or were     
aware of my existence4 ,walking over to 
the nearest one1 ,i reached up and      

touched him on the shoulder4 ,then ,i   
sprang back in amazement1 for instead of
 giving any sign of recognition he      
merely placed his instrument in         
position1 as did all the others1 and    
with slow1 graceful movements began to  
play4 ,the first strains of music1      
although distinct and supernaturally    
grand1 seemed to be miles away but      
gradually increased in sound as if      
coming nearer and nearer4 ,at the same  
time ,i observed that the musicians1 who
 were not only using both hands in the  
manipulation of their instruments but   
with graceful dexterity their feet as   
well1 were becoming enthusiastic and    
appeared to throw their very lives and  
souls into the work4 ,if at first while 
inactive they appeared to be            
extraordinarily intellectual beings1 now
 in action they looked divine4 ,their   
eyes blazed like miniature suns shooting
 forth sparks of a thousand different   
hues4 ,it seemed as if the very music   
itself came from the expression of their

 faces4 ,and on1 on1 on1 came the       
intoxicating strains1 increasing in     
volume and excellence until ,i imagined 
that all heaven had broken loose in one 
great effort to charm my feeble senses1 
and then with a thunderous climax it    
ceased instantly1 the musicians smiled  
and bowed pleasantly to one another1 and
 then resumed their former attitudes4   
,no mortal's pen could describe my      
ecstasy while listening to the music    
produced by this body of--,i must say   
heavenly creatures4 ,there was something
 strange and analogous about it1 too1   
that seemed to recall a mysterious dream
 or vision ,i had once passed through4  
,whether it was caused by the music or  
the kindly expressions of love for one  
another on the faces of the players ,i  
know not1 but nevertheless great tears  
spontaneously rolled down my cheeks1 the
 first ,i ever recollect having shed1   
and at the conclusion of the piece ,i   
remained transfixed to the spot for     
several minutes in deep cogitation4     

,once more1 however1 my inquiring nature
 aroused me and ,i walked over toward   
the leader4 ,his face was turned        
slightly in another direction1 so ,i    
decided to step up on the platform1 get 
squarely in front of him and look       
straight into his eyes4 ,so with a light
 movement ,i sprang for the rostrum4    
,but instead of reaching it my foot and 
head struck--not the platform but solid 
wall1 and a second later ,i found myself
 in a heap on the ground4 ,then ,i      
started to think4 ,next ,i began to feel
 and finally a broad grin overspread my 
face1 for the scene before me was not   
real after all1 but a wonderful painting
 on the interior of the building4       
,,chapter ,,vi  ,putting my hand against
 the surface and walking along ,i       
discovered that this great scene which  
appeared to stretch away into the       
distance for several miles1 including   
the trees1 brook1 lake1 sun1 clouds1    
sky1 and everything else1 was painted on
 the wall1 ceiling and floor1 of a      

circular room4 ,the ceiling was arranged
 in the shape of a dome1 while the floor
 made a concave connection with the     
wall4 ,the whole apartment could not    
have been over fifty feet in diameter4  
,the entire room was covered by one     
painting1 and so well had the work been 
done that the only way ,i could discern 
the difference between the real and     
artistic scene was by extending my hands
 in front of me and feeling my way      
along4  ,but what about the music8      
,surely ,i heard it1 and without doubt  
the skilled musicians had performed     
their work right before my eyes4 ,and   
the sun1 the light1 and the fragrance   
from the flowers1 what about these8     
,while in a state of perplexity at not  
being able to understand these          
mysterious things1 my eyes fell upon    
something which ,i had not noticed      
previously1 at the same time causing me 
to give a sudden start as if pierced by 
an electric shock4  ,to the left of the 
door through which ,i had entered and   

lying in a reclining position upon a bed
 of flowers1 similar in shape to a      
modern sofa1 was the most beautiful     
object1 ,i think1 ever created--a woman4
 ,and such a woman4 ,oh1 ignorant       
humanity1 why do you not breed all women
 like that one8 ,although nearly        
twenty-three years have passed since    
then1 still the vision of her is as     
fresh upon my mind now as at that moment
 when my eyes first beheld her4 ,and as 
,i think of her now ,i am unable to     
repress the tears from filling my eyes1 
strong man that ,i am4  ,dressed in a   
tight-fitting costume like those worn by
 the men1 with the addition of a        
net-like drapery of light material      
entwined about her1 and lying in a      
comfortable position partly on one side1
 with her lovely head resting upon one  
arm1 her shapely body and limbs posed   
gracefully and her eyes closed in       
slumber1 she impressed me as being the  
queen of the universe4  ,this is the    
most beautiful part of the whole        

picture1 thought ,i1 taking a few steps 
forward4 ,what artist's imagination     
could ever have created such a sublime  
and realistic work8 ,as ,i stood in     
reverent contemplation of her my        
admiration was unbounded4 ,it seemed as 
if my feelings would burst within me4   
,my first love for woman was then and   
there confirmed for all time4 ,i decided
 ,i would stay and spend the rest of my 
days right there1 silently attesting my 
everlasting devotion to that divine     
likeness of ideality4 ,had ,i not       
discovered that the whole thing was a   
work of art1 ,i should have felt        
positive that she was really alive and  
merely lay there in peaceful repose4    
,then a sudden thought passed through my
 mind which gradually expanded into an  
irresistible desire2 ,i would press my  
lips to hers and thereby seal my love   
forevermore4  ,trembling like a timid   
school-boy ,i advanced closer4 ,how     
lovely she appeared4 ,how real4 ,bending
 forward and putting my head in         

juxtaposition to hers it seemed as if ,i
 actually heard her heart beat4 ,it may 
have been my own4 ,with my face flushed 
and feeling that perhaps ,i might be    
taking an unfair advantage of one who   
would not appreciate my caress1 ,i      
tenderly touched her lips with mine4    
,for another moment of such             
indescribable ecstasy ,i would gladly   
pass through all the imaginary tortures 
of the infernal regions4 ,but it ended  
there4  ,no sooner had our lips come    
together than ,i became aware of the    
fact that the adorable object before me 
was real and not artificial as supposed4
 ,as if by magic her mouth twitched     
slightly and her whole frame quivered   
perceptibly2 then she opened her eyes   
and finally with a most graceful spring 
she landed squarely upon her feet       
directly in front of me4 ,i jumped      
backward in utter amazement4 ,and there 
we stood face to face staring into each 
other's eyes4 ,i then noticed that she  
was about seven feet in height and      

although not lean still there was not an
 ounce of superfluous flesh on her      
serpent-like figure4 ,like the men1 she 
too was bare footed1 and her hair1 a    
dark silky texture1 was short and very  
artistically arranged4 ,her snow white  
face1 transparent with pink1 was the    
acme of loveliness1 with an expression  
of gentleness1 purity and modesty       
plainly stamped upon every feature4 ,her
 dazzling eyes sparkled with the        
brilliancy of huge diamonds4 ,evidently 
she was as much astonished as myself at 
the strange course of events4 ,although 
she did not speak still ,i received an  
impression from her as if put into so   
many words which plainly said3 ,john1 am
 ,i dreaming or what awful experiment   
have you attempted to transform yourself
 into such a hideous creature8 ,i tried 
to speak but my first effort nearly     
choked me4 ,then in a voice which seemed
 to be unusually coarse ,i finally      
blurted out3 ,my dear lady1 will you    
kindly tell me who or what you are8     

,these words seemed to puzzle her more  
than ever and after hurriedly glancing  
about the room she looked me over       
carefully from head to foot4 ,speaking  
once more ,i said1 ,madame1 can you     
understand my language8 ,then ,i        
received another strange but            
unmistakable impression which replied3  
,i can understand your thoughts but not 
your babble4 ,are you able1 she         
continued telepathically1 to give an    
explanation of this extraordinary       
metamorphosis8 ,the only information ,i 
can offer1 answered ,i1 will be         
cheerfully given4 ,my name is ,john     
,convert1 late seaman aboard the        
schooner ,brawl1 bound from ,sydney to  
,london4 ,last night ,i was thrown      
overboard by my shipmates and after     
floating about the deep for several     
hours ,i landed upon this pile of ruins 
surrounded by the sea4 ,in making an    
investigation of the exterior ,i lost my
 foothold1 fell into a crevice and      
breaking through a thin crust ,i landed 

in the outer passageway which finally   
led me into this room4 ,i must confess  
that everything here is as inexplicable 
to me as ,i appear to you4 ,as ,i spoke 
she seemed to be laboring under intense 
mental excitement and tears came to her 
eyes4  ,i understand it all now1 she    
made known to me in her mysterious way1 
the experiment failed4  ,what experiment
 was that8 questioned ,i in surprise4   
,looking me straight in the eye as      
though trying to impress upon my mind   
the importance of her communication1 she
 answered1 the attempt of man to change 
the course of the earth in space4       
,,chapter ,,vii  ,and so you inform me  
that there is nothing left of beautiful 
,sageland but a heap of ruins surrounded
 by the sea1 mused the lovely--the idea 
struck me to name her ,arletta--tell me 
what happened to the rest of my people4 
,not knowing anything about the matter  
it is impossible for me to answer that  
question1 replied ,i2 and although ,i   
have traveled through nearly every      

country on earth still no such people as
 you or the magnificent objects         
represented in that picture have ever   
come to my attention before4 ,in fact ,i
 have never read of such a race or even 
heard of a country by the name of       
,sageland4  ,at this remark she turned  
abruptly and walked--or rather flew1 so 
easy and graceful were her              
movements--over to a portion of the wall
 and looked long and earnestly into a   
peculiar instrument1 then returning she 
said3 7without the use of words7        
according to my chronometer1 more than  
four thousand two hundred and thirty    
years have elapsed since the awful      
catastrophe4  ,four thousand1 two       
hundred and thirty years6 ejaculated ,i1
 great heavens1 that must have been     
about the time of the flood4 ,what      
flood8 inquired she4  ,then ,i proceeded
 to tell her how in those days the      
people of the world being so wicked that
 ,god during a terrible fit of anger    
made it rain for forty days and forty   

nights1 causing the destruction of every
 living thing on earth except one ,noah1
 his family and a male and female of    
every animal1 bird and insect1 who were 
saved by being taken aboard of a huge   
ark built for the purpose by ,noah4 ,and
 then after every living thing not      
aboard the boat was destroyed1 how the  
waves receded1 ,noah and his flock were 
safely landed upon a mountain peak1 and 
,god put a bow into the sky as a pledge 
that he would never do such a thing     
again4 ,arletta appeared somewhat amused
 at my recital of the story and at its  
conclusion merely remarked3 ,noah       
evidently had more good sense than his  
god4 ,then she added3 ,as to the        
rainbow1 that was seen by the           
inhabitants of the earth millions of    
years before ,noah's time4  ,so the     
world has retrogressed during the past  
four thousand years1 mused she sadly4   
,retrogressed6 ,no indeed1 the world has
 made great progress and has now reached
 a wonderful state of civilization1     

answered ,i1 proudly4  ,motioning me to 
an opposite position she majestically   
seated herself upon the couch and after 
seriously looking at me for some time   
she finally said3 ,this is one of       
nature's most extraordinary proceedings 
and there are many things ,i wish to    
talk with you about1 but before going   
into the details of this matter ,i am   
anxious to get a view of the world as it
 exists now4 ,you have observed that    
unlike the lower animals1 in which rank 
unfortunately you belong at the present 
time--here ,i interrupted her by        
bursting forth into loud laughter1 not  
because ,i enjoyed being called an      
animal myself but at the thought of how 
some of my civilized friends would feel 
if informed that they were lower        
animals4 ,my intervention1 however1 not 
disturbing her in the least1 she        
resumed3 ,in our nomenclature your      
species was known as the ,apeman1 and   
represented in the chain of evolution   
the link between the ,ape and ,man4 ,our

 scientists placed the ,apeman within   
the ranks of the lower animals for      
reasons ,i shall make clear later4 ,but 
to continue1 you have observed that     
unlike yourself ,i have been conversing 
with you without the use of the voice   
but with the mind1 the most effectual   
agent of communication and one of the   
senses the ,apeman has not cultivated4  
,now ,i shall show you how to see       
without eyes4  ,mind sight is an occult 
force which was exercised to great      
advantage by my people4 ,this force     
eliminates both distance and obstruction
 and exposes to view the object sought  
even if it is located on the opposite   
side of the globe4 ,any mind1 if        
sufficiently strong1 can contract       
distance and bring any mundane scene    
within its range while penetrating solid
 matter as if it did not exist at all4  
,so by utilizing this power1 which ,i   
possess to a considerable degree1 it is 
my intention to make a hurried survey of
 the earth's surface in order to obtain 

an exact idea of present conditions4    
,furthermore1 by the subtle             
concentration of our mind forces        
together ,i shall convey to your inner  
vision the actual scenes witnessed by   
myself1 and you shall act as my mental  
consort on a trip around the world4     
,after the many wonderful things ,i had 
already seen it was my opinion that     
there was nothing impossible for this   
beautiful woman to perform1 so ,i mildly
 informed her that ,i was at her        
service1 and ready for the journey to   
begin4  ,well then1 said she1 before    
starting ,i wish to warn you that no    
matter what you see1 hear or feel on    
this trip you must not disturb our      
observation with your primitive babble1 
apish laughter or by trying to offer any
 comments whatsoever4  ,at this remark  
,i was brought to a realization of the  
fact that ,arletta1 whom ,i so ardently 
loved1 aye even worshipped1 was treating
 me in about the same manner as ,i would
 have treated a pet monkey had ,i been  

teaching it some new tricks4 ,she       
evidently regarded my smiles and        
feelings for her with about the same    
consideration as ,i should have given to
 those of some grinning female baboon   
had it been trying to make love to me4  
,her last thoughts1 therefore1 aroused  
my sensitive nature1 and a violent      
outburst of temper was the result4 ,i   
did not mind being called an ,apeman so 
much1 but hated the idea of being       
treated like one1 so working myself into
 a passion ,i severely censured her1 and
 with much bluster and many gestures    
endeavored to impress upon her mind how 
much superior ,i was to what she had    
imagined4 ,it was some time before my   
anger abated1 and then ,i noticed that  
she appeared quite unmoved by my wrath  
but sat looking calmly and alternately  
at me and one of the figures in the     
picture1 while her face bore an         
expression of sadness and pity4 ,then ,i
 felt ashamed to think of what a lack of
 self-control ,i had exhibited1 and     

humbly begged her pardon4  ,but now1    
said ,arletta1 and ,i fancied that she  
called me ,john1 your soul is at present
 running the machinery of a very        
inferior mind and body which plainly    
shows all the cruel passions and idiotic
 ideas of the ,apeman4 ,this has        
happened through no fault of your own   
but is the result of circumstances over 
which you had no control so that you are
 not responsible for your present       
condition4 ,i now say however that you  
have been chosen by nature for a great  
and glorious work and from this time    
forward you must make use of your       
reasoning faculties for reasonable      
purposes and cast aside all the animal  
passions1 silly ideas and antiquated    
superstitions which you have inherited  
from the ignorant of ages1 and begin    
afresh4 ,before starting on our journey 
perhaps it would be well for us to take 
some refreshments in order that our     
minds may remain strong and clear during
 the trip4 ,we take our nourishment in a

 different way from you cannibals1 said 
,arletta1 as she went to one of the     
artificial flower gardens1 began        
inhaling and motioned me to do likewise4
 ,but we are not cannibals1 ,i mildly   
remonstrated1 we do not kill and eat    
human beings4 ,do you not kill and eat  
the flesh of other living things8       
inquired she4 ,yes1 replied ,i1 our diet
 consists of the flesh of birds1 fish   
and cattle which ,god with great wisdom 
created for that purpose4 ,did he8 ,then
 you must worship a cannibal god1 for it
 is but a very short step between eating
 the flesh of your own species and that 
of others4 ,that is one reason why our  
scientists ranked the ,apeman with the  
lower animals4 ,but come1 inhale this   
perfume and see if it is not far more   
refreshing and less disgusting than to  
fill your stomach with roasted flesh4   
,at her suggestion ,i stationed myself  
near the flower bed which contained a   
large variety of the most beautiful     
plants ,i had ever seen4 ,she touched   

several of them lightly and immediately 
the air was saturated with a most       
delicious fragrance caused1 no doubt1 by
 an automatic arrangement concealed     
within each flower4 ,i stood like one in
 a most delightful dream inhaling the   
invigorating fumes1 and with each       
succeeding breath my body became        
stronger and my mind brighter until ,i  
thought ,i should surely die from the   
effects of exuberant joy1 when my       
attention was attracted by ,arletta1 who
 said3 ,come1 you greedy little pig1    
don't you know when you have had enough8
 ,then she added1 but ,i forgot that    
among your species greediness is        
considered a virtue4  ,,chapter ,,viii  
,greediness considered a virtue among my
 species4 ,surely ,i must have          
misunderstood her1 thought ,i1 once more
 seating myself1 preparatory to         
beginning my mental journey with        
,arletta4 ,and ,i was glad to know that 
she would shortly view our civilization 
as it existed1 feeling positive that she

 would then change her ideas regarding  
my species being lower animals4 ,i felt 
that it was my own fault because she    
harbored such an opinion and that ,i was
 to blame for being such a poor         
representative of my race for her to    
judge by4  ,now1 let's be off1 said she1
 as ,i feel that my time will be short  
with you and we had better make the best
 of it while it lasts4 ,time short with 
you4 ,those words gave me more pain than
 if a sword had been thrust through my  
body4 ,by all the gods of eternity1 ,i  
would not care to live ten minutes if   
anything happened to that heavenly      
being1 thought ,i1 gazing at her with   
rapturous feelings of tenderness4 ,call 
me a lower animal1 a hideous creature or
 a greedy pig1 and treat me like one if 
you will1 but do not leave me4 ,stay and
 let me be your slave forever4 ,those   
were my sincere thoughts4 ,she          
understood them1 but made no response4  
,settling back in a comfortable position
 with my eyes fastened upon ,arletta in 

loving adoration1 the scene changed     
instantly and ,i found myself once more 
upon the rocks in the middle of the sea4
 ,the sun was just rising in the east   
and another day was begun4 ,then our    
meteoric flight commenced1 and quicker  
than it takes to relate ,i was high up  
among the clouds and peering down at a  
familiar landscape4 ,i recognized the   
location at once as the district        
occupied by and surrounding ,cape ,town1
 ,south ,africa4  ,i had been there     
before4 ,but how peculiar everything    
appeared now as ,i looked down from     
above4 ,i could plainly discern the     
harbor and great tableland in the scene 
before me1 although apparently shrunk in
 size1 but the city itself resembled a  
little toy village1 while the largest   
ships in the harbor reminded me of the  
tiny boats ,i used to construct when a  
child and float about in the bath-tub4  
,but where1 oh where1 was the greatest  
of all exalted things--that for which   
the entire universe and all that it     

contains therein was constructed--mighty
 man8 ,he could not be seen4 ,in fact he
 was as completely invisible as the     
pestilential germ on the back of a sick 
flea4 ,if ,i only had a microscope1     
thought ,i1 perhaps ,i could see him4   
,then ,i began to descend1 until finally
 ,i discovered innumerable little       
creepers moving about in all directions4
 ,they were men4 ,at first sight they   
looked to be about the size of ants1 but
 as ,i got closer to the earth they     
increased in bulk until they appeared to
 be at least three inches in height1 and
 then their importance became           
noticeable4 ,as they moved about in     
great numbers and ,i came into close    
proximity with them1 ,i observed that   
the actions of some was apparently      
sensible but that the doings of the most
 of them was positively ridiculous4 ,for
 instance1 here was one set of creatures
 diligently toiling to produce something
 and getting nothing1 while here was a  
set of idlers doing absolutely nothing  

but receiving everything4 ,the real     
producer of all the necessities and     
luxuries of life was actually giving    
nine-tenths of the fruits of his labor  
to a class of loafers and schemers who  
took it as a divine right1 and then     
begrudged him the one-tenth he received 
of his own production4 ,i observed that 
for every one of these producers there  
were ten non-producers who spent their  
time and efforts devising the best ways 
and means to confiscate that which had  
been produced4 ,it seemed strange that  
the producer would allow this state of  
affairs to exist2 but he did1 and seemed
 quite elated sometimes to think that   
the non-producer would permit him to    
live at all4 ,i noticed that most of the
 non-producers were fat and bloated from
 being over-fed and from guzzling       
prepared liquors1 and that they were    
clothed with the finest materials the   
producer could contribute1 while the    
producers themselves were lean and      
hungry looking objects1 and were dressed

 in rags4 ,i had seen these same things 
many times before without giving them   
any consideration1 but now for the first
 time1 ,i felt that there was something 
wrong with the people of the world4 ,it 
seemed to me now that the entire system 
of human endeavor had been started wrong
 and was running along upside down4 ,but
 what was the cause of this curious     
state of affairs8 ,one word alone       
explained it all-- ,selfishness4 ,and   
then there came to me a sentence1 the   
imprint of which has never been effaced 
from my memory1 viz3 ,selfishness is the
 root of all evil2 eradicate selfishness
 from all human beings and the earth win
 be heaven4  ,oh1 dear reader1 go over  
those few words again1 and again2 ten   
times2 fifty times2 one hundred times if
 necessary to thoroughly impress their  
full meaning upon your intellect4 ,study
 them2 practice them2 teach them2 sing  
them to all the world4 ,take them for   
your everlasting motto and you will have
 no need for all the stupid theories    

ever created by man4 ,eradicate         
selfishness from all human beings and   
the earth will be heaven4  ,and now ,i  
observed that great numbers of these    
little men were being unloaded from the 
various ships in the harbor1 and upon   
landing started immediately in a        
northerly direction4 ,i understood the  
reason4 ,gold had been discovered in the
 ,transvaal1 and thousands upon         
thousands were coming from every quarter
 of the globe in anticipation of getting
 some of this metal4 ,and what is there 
about gold that caused people to go such
 vast distances and bear many hardships 
and even risk their lives in desperate  
efforts to obtain it8 ,is there more    
real value to gold than other metals8   
,not at all4 ,there is no more intrinsic
 value to gold than brass1 but centuries
 ago1 a semi-savage glutton discovered  
that he could not eat all the swine he  
could raise nor legally steal all his   
contemporaries could breed1 so he       
originated a plan whereby he could      

secure for himself what others had      
produced through the agency of a        
financial system in which gold could be 
used as a medium of exchange4 ,he found 
that he could get other and less crafty 
savages to go and dig the gold for him  
in return for swine4 ,he also found that
 the breeders would exchange swine for  
gold4 ,so he started by giving the      
diggers one swine for ten ounces of gold
 and the breeders one ounce of gold for 
ten swine4 ,this transaction he called  
business4 ,this system of business has  
been handed down from generation to     
generation until it has become a part of
 man's very nature4 ,he knows very      
little of anything else4 ,gold being the
 financial medium of business he is     
taught to crave it in his infancy and as
 he grows older gold becomes his        
idol--his ,god4 ,in order to gain       
possession of gold or its equivalent man
 forgets his soul and sells his honor4  
,he is willing to crush the weak1 cheat1
 steal or even murder his fellow beings 

to obtain it4 ,and no matter whether he 
has little or much of it he considers   
any person insane who dare suggest the  
abolition of the financial system which 
permits individual accumulation and     
breeds selfishness and crime4  ,with a  
change of mind1 ,i landed thousands of  
miles further north into the interior of
 uncivilized ,africa1 the home of wild  
beasts4 ,here something occurred which  
caused me to think that after all1      
perhaps ,arletta was right in classing  
my species with the lower animals4      
,under ordinary conditions ,i should not
 have given the incident a second       
thought1 but now my mind being directly 
connected with hers1 ,i was1 no doubt1  
impressed in the same manner as she     
while viewing these things4  ,a party of
 ,english gentlemen were on a hunting   
expedition4 ,they appeared to be        
intelligent beings of aristocratic      
birth4 ,men whom the average individual 
would take as examples to emulate4 ,but 
here they were in ,africa1 thousands of 

miles from home1 with the sole purpose  
of killing something for pleasure4 ,a   
short distance away was a family of     
lions2 a male1 female and several cubs4 
,the lion and lioness lay close         
together1 apparently casting loving     
glances at one another and enjoying the 
antics of the little ones who were      
playing together nearby4 ,occasionally  
the little ones would run over and kiss 
their elders in a most affectionate way1
 which seemed to greatly please the     
parents4 ,never have ,i seen a family of
 human beings display so much real      
affection toward each others as this    
family of lions4 ,but alas1 their       
happiness was at an end4 ,man's appetite
 for killing must be appeased4 ,one of  
the hunters had caught sight of the     
happy little family1 and slinking behind
 a tree before his presence became known
 to the lions he signaled to his        
comrades1 who sneaked forward from tree 
to tree until they were within easy     
range of their prey4 ,then fixing their 

rifles and taking deliberate aim at the 
unsuspecting victims1 and without giving
 them any chance to defend themselves or
 little ones1 these so-called brave and 
civilized hunters pulled the triggers   
and the happy old lion and the lioness  
simultaneously expired1 pierced by a    
dozen bullets4 ,and what became of the  
little ones8 ,the sight was too pitiable
 to describe4 ,after the effects of the 
first fright1 caused by the noise of the
 shots1 had passed1 they instinctively  
rushed to their parents for protection4 
,oh1 the anguish depicted upon the faces
 of these little things when they       
discovered that their loving progenitors
 were no more4 ,their looks and moans   
were heartrending4 ,but there were      
others made happy4 ,a sudden shout of   
joyousness burst forth from the throats 
of a dozen civilized men who eagerly    
rushed from behind their fortresses to  
view the work of destruction4 ,they had 
displayed fine marksmanship and were    
greatly pleased4 ,good shooting1 said   

one of the brave fellows4 ,splendid1    
exclaimed another4 ,but what shall we do
 with the cubs8 asked the third4 ,better
 finish them also1 remarked a fourth1 as
 ,i am very fond of cub meat1 and would 
like nothing better than a broiled steak
 from one of their little carcasses4    
,after a few minutes' parley a decision 
was reached that it would be uncivilized
 to allow the little ones to wander     
about the jungle alone for fear that    
they might become the prey for other    
wild animals1 so they killed them also2 
and filled their stomachs with them4    
,and after they were through1 a flock of
 vultures descended and finished the    
work4 ,men and vultures are somewhat    
alike in this respect2 they both eat the
 flesh of carcasses4 ,but a good word   
can be said for the vultures1 however2  
they never kill4  ,,chapter ,,ix  ,it is
 not my intention to give a full        
descriptive account of my peculiar      
journey around the world with ,arletta1 
nor to recount the many strange things  

witnessed4 ,suffice it to mention that  
we visited nearly every country on the  
globe through the power of mind sight1  
and ,i was enabled to see any           
terrestrial occurrence as well as if    
having been on the spot in person4 ,in  
fact1 being under the direct influence  
of ,arletta's perception1 conditions    
appeared much more comprehensive to me  
than ever before and ,i felt like some  
great judge looking down upon the earth 
and its inhabitants with an impartial   
eye4 ,and somehow these inhabitants did 
not seem to impress me as being in such 
a high state of intelligence as ,i had  
formerly been led to believe they were4 
,everywhere human beings were fighting  
and snarling amongst themselves like    
ferocious beasts4 ,their universal law  
granted the right of the strong to      
victimize the weak either through the   
power of physical or mental force4 ,in  
fact it was considered a divine right   
for men of superior intellects to       
receive more of the fruits of the earth 

than those of smaller mental capacity4  
,one-half of the world was over-fed     
while the other half was under-fed4     
,aside from a slight difference in      
political and religious theories1 the   
characteristics of all the peoples of   
the world were the same2 the predominant
 features being greed1 vanity1 egotism1 
intemperance1 gluttony1 fraud1 theft1   
bribery1 deceit1 brutality1 murder1     
superstition and filth4 ,even ,america1 
the much boasted land of the free1 the  
country which ,god in his infinite      
wisdom had taken from the bad ,english  
and given to the good ,americans1       
contained people with these traits1 and 
the so-called great men of this country 
appeared like a lot of silly little     
pigmies engaged in an eternal quarrel   
over a few trinkets4 ,few of them could 
see further than their own noses unless 
it was to see something that would      
increase their own selfish desires4     
,equality1 of which these people boasted
 so much1 existed merely in their       

imaginations4 ,the actual meaning of    
equality1 as the ,americans understood  
it1 was that the physical and mental    
gladiators and weaklings alike were put 
into one great prize ring and given an  
opportunity to fight for their lives and
 nature's gifts4 ,those who were capable
 of battering down and trampling upon   
their adversaries were legally entitled 
to all the luxuries the earth provided  
and more than they could use1 but those 
who were unfortunate enough to have been
 born weaklings and were unfit to cope  
successfully with the huge monsters in  
the ring1 were crushed in the struggle4 
,fraud was the slogan of the government 
officials and nearly all of them        
practiced it1 from the highest to the   
lowest functionary4 ,money was the power
 behind the curtain and he who had the  
largest bank account was catered to like
 an over-grown hog surrounded by a lot  
of suckling pigs4 ,god helps those who  
help themselves was their accepted      
motto4 ,in other words1 ,god helps the  

strong and not the weak4 ,if the        
,creator gives any of ,his attention to 
the innumerable bickerings of these     
earthly microbes ,he must feel greatly  
flattered by having this splendid motto 
thrust upon ,him1 for according to it1  
one was supposed to go to the assistance
 of the man who could swim1 while he who
 could not1 must be left to drown4  ,a  
certain so-called great ,american1 one  
,mr4 ,moundbuilder by name1 expressed   
great faith in this doctrine4 ,by       
employing thousands of his fellow men to
 do the hard work while he sat in an    
easy chair and confiscated the          
difference between what they earned and 
what he paid them1 he accumulated       
several hundred million dollars for his 
own use4 ,about the time he was ready to
 die he learned to his great sorrow that
 it was necessary to leave all this     
wealth behind4 ,so he decided to        
bequeath it to only those who were      
sufficiently strong and willing to      
continue his policy of crushing the weak

 and incidentally erect some monuments  
to his own memory4 ,after much          
consideration as to how the strong would
 derive the most benefit from his       
ill-gotten goods1 he concluded that the 
weak-minded and sickly creatures who    
were bred from the system he abetted and
 the over-worked and under-fed laborer  
would have no opportunity to read books1
 so he established hundreds of          
,moundbuilder libraries and             
,moundbuilder universities in all parts 
of the world4 ,to those who were already
 strong enough to reach a position where
 they could enter a university and did  
not really need his aid1 the idea was a 
grand one1 as it would help to increase 
their strength1 thereby making it much  
easier for them to confiscate what the  
weaklings could produce in the future4  
,thus the plan to make the strong       
stronger1 the weak weaker1 and          
,moundbuilder immortal1 would be        
perpetuated4 ,but the cherished hopes of
 ,mr4 ,moundbuilder in this respect will

 never be realized1 for the day is not  
far distant when earthly mortals will be
 able to reason and then he will be     
recognized simply as a vain-glorious old
 humbug4  ,another celebrated ,american 
who was classed among the great men of  
the day was a certain ,mr4 ,porkpacker4 
,this individual conducted an           
establishment where thousands of        
animals1 bred for the purpose1 were     
slaughtered daily4 ,he had accumulated  
millions of blood-stained dollars in    
this way1 and was generally conceded to 
be a man of great business ability4 ,he 
was pointed out to the rising generation
 as one of the most successful men in   
the country whose example should be     
followed4 ,just pause a moment and think
 of it4 ,here was a man who directed a  
business where thousands of living      
things were murdered daily1 set forth as
 a good example to follow just because  
he had secured millions of dollars by   
the operation4 ,oh1 ye mortals6 ,man    
considers the wolf a blood-thirsty beast

 because he kills and eats the flesh of 
human beings for subsistence4 ,what kind
 of a bestial monster would the wolf    
consider man if it saw him in his       
slaughter-house killing thousands of    
innocent beef1 sheep and hogs daily8 ,or
 what would it think of civilized man if
 it saw him shooting myriads of tame and
 harmless pigeons for amusement1 or     
broiling lobsters alive to satisfy his  
gormandizing desires8 ,perhaps the wolf 
would set man below its grade1 if       
interrogated upon the subject4 ,but     
tyrannical man1 intoxicated by his own  
egotism and clinging to an elastic      
religion which allows him to act as he  
pleases1 feels that his god created all 
these things for his special benefit4   
,if the wolf could be questioned about  
the matter1 it too might claim that its 
god permitted the killing and eating of 
man4 ,mr4 ,porkpacker was considered    
both great and good by his fellow       
beings1 for each year he gave thousands 
of dollars for the erection and         

maintenance of the church and likewise  
contributed largely toward his pastor's 
salary4 ,would it be good policy then   
for the pastor to believe that it was   
wrong to kill sheep1 when one of the    
large contributors was earning money in 
that business8 ,no1 no4 ,so the church  
upheld the slaughter-houses and proved  
by the scriptures that they were simply 
doing what the savages had done         
thousands of years previously according 
to divine right4  ,once ,i listened to  
my father preach a sermon on the        
beautiful innocence and purity of the   
lamb4 ,for an hour he spoke feelingly of
 the many virtues contained by this     
gentle little creature and after he was 
through he immediately went home and    
filled his stomach with roasted lamb for
 dinner4 ,good ,christians are anxious  
to know when the time will arrive that  
the lion and lamb will lie down together
 in peace and harmony4 ,possibly the    
lamb would like to know if the time will
 ever come when its carcass will not be 

utilized to appease the voracious       
appetite of the ,christian4  ,in looking
 over the so-called great business men  
and financial swindlers of ,america they
 certainly presented a motley collection
 of physical and mental monstrosities4  
,they spent so much of their time in the
 mad rush for dollars and how to spend  
them1 that physical and mental          
improvement received very little        
attention4 ,their brains became stagnant
 for the want of proper training and    
their bodies were allowed to rot and    
become useless for the need of exercise4
 ,some were so fat they could not walk1 
while others were too lean to stand4 ,a 
great many of them used either canes or 
crutches as an aid to hobble along or   
vehicles to convey them from place to   
place4 ,nearly all were cripples1 more  
or less2 rheumatism1 gout1 paralysis and
 numerous other ailments being the cause
 of their helplessness4 ,few of them    
seemed able to understand that all these
 infirmities were directly caused by the

 want of proper exercise and from the   
gluttonous habit of overloading their   
stomachs with foods of many kinds and   
meat especially4 ,apparently it was     
beyond their comprehension that nature  
commanded them to improve their         
physiques for the benefit of coming     
generations4 ,men who professed to be   
athletes when they were past the age of 
thirty were considered childish1 while  
the exponents of physical culture were  
generally looked upon as cranks4        
,eating1 drinking and smoking were      
adapted as the best modes of recreation1
 while fishing and shooting pigeons1    
quail1 squirrels and other harmless     
living things were regarded as good1    
healthy amusements4 ,of all the brutal  
methods of diversion ever adopted by    
man1 fishing is perhaps the most cruel4 
,if the reader does not think so1 just  
stop for a moment and imagine yourself  
being hooked to a great line by the     
mouth and your body being drawn far up  
into space and into another atmosphere1 

there to strangle slowly to death4 ,you 
would not like it1 would you8 ,then why 
should the fish be treated so8 ,do you  
not suppose that the fish have feelings 
like yourself8 ,oh1 if all my fellowmen 
could only have taken that trip around  
the world with ,arletta and seen things 
as ,i saw them1 cruelty in all its      
various forms would be a thing of the   
past4 ,that trip and my subsequent      
experience with her proved to be the    
best education ,i could have received   
from any source4 ,it taught me the real 
meaning of the word kindness1 without   
which1 not only toward human beings1 but
 toward all living things1 man will     
never rise above the savage state4      
,,chapter ,x  ,we were just twenty-four 
hours making our journey around the     
world1 when suddenly ,i found myself    
once more gazing into the beautiful eyes
 of ,arletta4 ,while she bestowed a     
kindly look of sympathy toward me1 her  
features plainly showed that her gentle 
nature had received an awful shock from 

the terrible and degrading sights we had
 witnessed4 ,and there was much reason  
why this pure and lovable woman should  
be shocked at what we had seen1 for even
 ,i1 a worthless and hardened vagabond1 
had become thoroughly disgusted with my 
own species4  ,and what do you think of 
your highly civilized people now8 she   
inquired sadly4 ,they are a race of     
tail-less monkeys and filthy beasts with
 myself included1 responded ,i1 with    
vehemence1 and then ,i began a tirade of
 abuse against the entire human family4 
,stop1 exclaimed ,arletta1 you must not 
allow malice to enter your mind against 
any living creature1 no matter how      
beastly or brutal it may be4 ,hatred    
will not make the world better2 it needs
 love4 ,no living being is responsible  
for what it is any more than you or ,i  
are accountable for being in existence4 
,but while each individual inherits the 
good or bad instincts of its            
predecessor1 still it has the power to  
make better or worse its own condition4 

,love will not only make better your own
 condition1 but that of your fellow     
beings as well4 ,do not expect to find  
in others that which you do not possess 
yourself4 ,it is your duty to set a good
 example1 not wait for others to        
accomplish what you have not done       
yourself4 ,so begin right now with love4
 ,cast away all unkind thoughts and     
never allow another to enter your mind1 
no matter what the provocation might be4
 ,i admit that the ,apeman of today is  
no better1 in fact1 in many respects is 
much inferior to the ,apeman who lived  
over four thousand years ago1 but that  
is because he took the wrong road in    
trying to reach real manhood4 ,he is    
still on the wrong path1 but must be    
turned about and started in the right   
direction4 ,he must be taught that      
,heaven is here on earth1 if he will    
only make it so4 ,but the earth will    
never be a paradise1 so long as he      
allows a grain of selfishness to remain 
in his system4 ,in yonder picture you   

can see what real men were like4 ,study 
their countenances carefully and see if 
you can read that any one of them ever  
committed a selfish act or even         
permitted an unkind thought to enter his
 mind1 for if he had1 you could plainly 
read it from his features1 the face     
being the mirror of our thoughts and    
actions1 and no matter what we do or    
what we think from the time we are born 
until we die1 every act and thought is  
indelibly stamped upon our faces and can
 never be erased until the material of  
which we are composed has disintegrated 
and reentered the great chemical basin  
from which all living things receive    
their matter and energy4 ,and it is to  
be hoped that with each turn of the     
chemical wheel the succeeding generation
 will be re-moulded on a better scale1  
until the ,apeman and all lower animals 
have passed through a successful course 
of evolution and finally emerge into    
real manhood--the highest type of       
earthly beings4 ,this goal is but a few 

steps and within the power of the       
,apeman to reach1 but he must take his  
steps in the right direction4 ,a whole  
nation of those magnificent beings you  
see in the picture1 once existed in real
 life4 ,their ancestors were ,apemen who
 were started in the right path1 and    
after persistently sticking to the      
upward march of unselfish progress for  
many generations1 ultimately reached the
 class of men you see before you2       
giants1 physically1 mentally and        
morally4 ,and here she paused and looked
 long and affectionately at those       
wonderful figures in the painting4 ,then
 a feeling of intense jealousy suddenly 
crept into my brain1 and ,i thought ,i  
would surely go mad under its terrible  
pressure4 ,arletta was in love with one 
of those real men1 while she held merely
 a compassionate feeling for me4  ,i1   
the ,apeman1 standing six feet two      
inches in height and weighing over two  
hundred pounds avoirdupois1 heretofore  
regarded as a marvel in physical        

development1 now1 in the presence of    
these eight-foot giants1 felt like a    
shrunken pigmy4 ,formerly it was        
generally conceded that ,i was a rather 
handsome fellow4 ,this woman thought ,i 
was hideous4 ,previously1 ,i had felt   
proud of my nicely curled heavy black   
mustache1 now ,i thought it made me look
 like a monkey4 ,the splendid features  
of the real men were not disfigured by a
 hair or blemish of any kind1 while     
their skin was as soft and smooth as    
that of a new born child4 ,during my    
trip around the world1 ,i had observed  
that the more man's body was covered by 
hair1 the more ape-like he appeared1    
especially when decorating his face with
 it1 and ,i was certain that my         
appearance was just as ludicrous in the 
eyes of ,arletta as those ,i had seen4  
,therefore my admiration for the stately
 objects portrayed in the picture was   
beginning to turn into hatred4 ,i       
inwardly wished they were alive that ,i 
might have an opportunity to combat with

 one or all of them in order to show    
,arletta that ,i possessed the courage  
to fight until death for her love4      
,while lost in the midst of such        
reflections ,arletta turned her gaze    
upon me fixedly and said3 ,what barbaric
 thoughts have you permitted to enter   
your mind now8 ,i was wishing1 replied  
,i rather sullenly1 that the man you    
love in that picture was alive1 that ,i 
might have the chance to demonstrate my 
worth in a fight to secure your favor2  
perhaps1 then1 you would discover that  
,i had some good qualities4  ,and do you
 suppose if ,i saw you fighting like a  
savage bulldog that ,i would admire     
those brutish tendencies in your nature8
 inquired she4 ,do you think that the   
animal instincts of fighting and killing
 are good qualities to possess8 ,has    
your trip around the world borne no good
 results8 ,you have observed that your  
own species1 like other savage beasts1  
quarrel1 fight1 maim and kill each other
 through selfish motives1 and you have  

condemned them for it2 now you would    
continue to do the very same thing      
yourself and think that ,i would        
consider it courageous4 ,according to   
one of our primitive laws1 the          
courageous man was he who feared no one 
and caused no one to fear him4 ,these   
men of the picture were the bravest of  
the brave1 and still if one of them were
 alive today he would not fight with    
you1 no matter how much you might ill   
use him1 for he would know that it      
required more real strength to take     
abuse than to give it4 ,he would suffer 
more pain if he hurt you than if you    
injured him4 ,and still he could have   
crushed you with greater ease than a cat
 can a mouse1 if he were cowardly enough
 to do it4 ,that is the real courage of 
unselfishness--the kind your species    
cannot understand4 ,your fellow beings  
applaud cowardice which they mistake for
 strength of character4 ,they seem      
unable to comprehend that it requires   
far more courage to suffer pain than to 

inflict it upon others4 ,they have      
inherited their erroneous ideas from the
 wild beasts who preceded them1 and at  
the present time few of them know any   
better4 ,but they must be taught        
differently and the teachers must set   
the examples1 not merely offer advice4  
,the different countries of the world   
today support large armies of licensed  
murderers who are commonly called       
soldiers4 ,they are sent to the         
battle-fields to slaughter each other   
for selfish purposes4 ,the strongest    
side is naturally victorious1 and after 
killing as many of their adversaries as 
possible1 return home to receive the    
applause and admiration of their        
countrymen4 ,they are considered heroic 
because they were successful in slaying 
their weaker opponents4 ,your society   
worships these human butchers and the   
more lives one of them has destroyed the
 bigger the monument is erected in his  
honor4 ,how many of these butchers would
 have the courage to take an insult from

 a weaker party without resenting it8   
,it requires great bravery for the      
strong to refrain from taking advantage 
of the weak2 it demands real heroism for
 the strong to equally share the results
 of their labors with the feeble4 ,for  
the strong are doubly blessed in having 
strength while the weak are unfortunate 
and need sympathy4  ,would it not be    
courageous for one person to die for the
 love of another8 inquired ,i4  ,that   
would depend altogether upon the        
circumstances1 replied ,arletta4 ,it    
would require far more courage to       
sacrifice your life for one you did not 
love as there would then be no selfish  
motive behind it4 ,as ,i understand your
 feelings1 you love me and imagine that 
you would not care to live without me4  
,yes1 said ,i fervently1 ,i shall take  
my own life sooner than leave you4      
,that is not courage at all1 it is      
simply cowardice1 answered she4 ,through
 your own selfishness in trying to      
obtain something beyond your reach1 you 

lack the strength to live without it4   
,it takes far more courage to live when 
you want to die than to die when you    
want to live4 ,unselfishness is the very
 highest type of courageousness and one 
must live for the good he may do the    
world instead of his own personal       
aggrandizement4 ,thousands of our noble 
men sacrificed their lives yearly for   
the good of the world4 ,our laws        
permitted a certain number of them to   
leave their heavenly country            
periodically to go among the ,apemen1   
and try and teach these barbarians the  
meaning of unselfish love4 ,they never  
returned4 ,they fully realized before   
starting on these missionary trips1 that
 they were depriving themselves of all  
the luxuries the earth provided for a   
life of hardship and suffering2 a life  
of insults and all the cruel tortures   
the ferocious ,apemen could inflict upon
 them4 ,but it pleased them to know that
 they possessed the courage to withstand
 all the insults heaped upon them1 while

 trying to alleviate the conditions of  
others4 ,unlike your present            
missionaries they did not go into       
different countries backed up by loaded 
guns ready to annihilate all who did not
 believe their doctrines4 ,if you hit a 
man on the head with a club and then    
tell him that you love him he will not  
believe you4 ,they understood that to   
teach the ,apemen to love one another   
they must set themselves up as examples1
 not with mere words1 but by unselfish  
and courageous acts4 ,they also knew    
that they had no divine right to enter  
another country and force upon the      
inhabitants their laws and customs4     
,they merely went to teach their methods
 and in trying to do good for others    
were willing to accept insults in return
 for their kindness in order to prove   
their sincerity of purpose4  ,at first1 
these good men were looked upon as gods 
by the ,apemen who wished to worship    
them as such1 and had they been         
vain-glorious like the ,apeman himself1 

they would have allowed this false idea 
to exist4 ,but no1 there was not a grain
 of vanity or selfishness in their      
systems4 ,they had not left their homes 
and friends to be worshiped1 but had    
gone away to show the ,apeman how he    
might reach real manhood1 if he would   
but follow their instructions4 ,they    
taught the eradication of selfishness   
from all living beings and the abolition
 of the system of individual            
accumulation1 practiced then and now by 
all of your species4 ,of course when the
 rich and religious rulers of the       
different tribes and nations learned    
that these men were teaching that all   
living beings should have an equal      
chance in life1 and that the weak should
 enjoy the same comforts as the strong1 
and that their divine right laws were   
unjust1 they became wroth and ordered   
our men to be put to death by the most  
cruel methods4 ,some were burned at the 
stake2 others were buried alive2 several
 were put into dungeons and their bodies

 allowed to rot2 many were cast into    
fiery furnaces1 while a number of them  
were thrown into dens containing lions  
and tigers4 ,all these tortures and     
innumerable others1 did these brave men 
suffer that they might impress upon the 
,apeman the real meaning of courage and 
unselfishness4 ,and through the power of
 mind sight we used to see these heroic 
volunteers unflinchingly suffer these   
indignities for the cause of            
righteousness1 notwithstanding we had   
the power to annihilate the entire      
,apeman species1 if we had so desired4  
,our chemists could have turned on      
currents of poisonous air and           
asphyxiated whole nations of them at    
once2 our electricians could have sent  
an electric shock around the earth that 
would have left a path of destruction a 
thousand miles in width2 our scientists 
could have concentrated the full force  
of the sun's rays upon any particular   
city they might choose and burn it up   
instantly2 but they did not4 ,we had the

 power to destroy1 but the courage of   
forbearance4 ,the highest honor our     
nation could bestow upon a man was to   
allow him to leave his heavenly country 
and become a martyr to his own          
unselfishness in trying to uplift the   
,apeman species4 ,and had it not been   
for the unfortunate catastrophe which ,i
 shall explain to you later1 our plans  
would have succeeded and the earth today
 would have been heaven with no such    
creature in existence as the ,apeman4   
,,chapter ,,xi  ,next to selfishness1   
religion has been the greatest drawback 
towards progress the ,apeman has had to 
contend with in all ages1 continued     
,arletta4  ,religion is the outgrowth of
 ignorance and the ,apeman1 just        
starting up the ladder of human         
knowledge1 adopted it as an explanation 
of things of which he knew nothing4 ,all
 religions were created by the ,apeman2 
and wherein lies the difference between 
the god built of stone or from the      
imagination8 ,in constructing the       

numberless religions1 the ,apeman       
invariably made them to suit his own    
habits and customs4 ,he built his gods  
to please his own fancy and gave his own
 ideas as those of his deities4 ,his own
 knowledge is likewise the extent of the
 wisdom contained by his gods1 whom lie 
manufactured to be twisted and turned in
 any direction and made to answer any   
purpose he might see fit4 ,no one       
religion is any worse than all the rest4
 ,they are all founded on ignorance1    
superstition and selfishness4 ,to       
believe in any of these petty religions 
is to cast insults upon the real        
,creator of the universe1 for a god     
created by the ,apeman must naturally be
 a very inferior being4 ,each devout    
worshiper can point out the errors and  
absurdities of every other religion     
excepting his own4 ,he is capable of    
utilizing his reasoning powers until    
directed against himself1 and narrowed  
down to a few words he feels that he is 
all right but everybody else is all     

wrong4 ,of the several hundred religions
 now extant1 would it not be more       
reasonable to suppose that they were all
 wrong than to believe they were all    
right8 ,take your own religion for      
instance2 you are worshiping a most     
unnatural god4 ,in fact your ,bible puts
 him in the position of a vain-glorious 
tyrant4 ,according to the ,bible an     
,apeman can be no worse than his god no 
matter how bad he may be4 ,the main     
reason why4 the ,apeman believes in     
religion is because he is an inveterate 
coward and fears some dire punishment if
 he investigates the matter4 ,but       
believe me1 if the ,creator gave you the
 power to reason1 he certainly will not 
condemn you for making use of your      
reasoning faculties in not accepting    
opinions which appear untenable4 ,so let
 us look into this matter from an       
impartial point of view4 ,in the first  
place the offer of rewards for doing    
good1 which is the foundation of all    
religions is wrong1 for it carries      

selfishness right to the very gates of  
the imaginary heavens4 ,goodness is very
 shallow indeed if it cannot exist      
without rewards being offered for it4 ,i
 shall enumerate a few things your god  
was supposed to have said or allowed1   
according to the ,bible1 which would    
make no ,apeman living1 any worse in his
 moral conduct4  ,enmity4--',and ,i will
 put enmity between thee and the woman4'
 ,gen4 iii1 #ae4  ,unkindness4--',unto  
the woman ,he said1 ,i will greatly     
multiply thy sorrow4' ,gen4 iii1 #af4   
,flesh ,eaters4--',every moving thing   
that liveth shall be meat for you4'     
,gen4 ix1 #c4  ,revenge4--',whoso       
sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his  
blood be shed4' ,gen4 ix1 #f4           
,drunkenness4--',and he drank of the    
wine1 and was drunken4' ,gen4 ix1 #ba4  
,partiality4--',god shall enlarge       
,japheth1 and he shall dwell in the     
tents of ,shem and ,canaan shall be his 
servant4' ,gen4 ix1 #bg4  ,hunting--',he
 was a mighty hunter before the ,lord4' 

,gen4 x1 #i4  ,a curser4--',and ,i will 
bless them that bless thee1 and curse   
them that curseth thee4' ,gen4 xii1 #c4 
,fraud4--',by fraud1 ,jacob received the
 blessing intended for ,esau and then   
,god blessed him and made him prosperous
 forever afterward4 ,gen4 xxvii to xxix4
  ,fornication4--',and ,bilhah1         
,rachel's maid1 conceived again and bare
 ,jacob a second son4' ,gen4 xxx1 #g4   
,anger4--',and the anger of the ,lord   
was kindled against ,moses4' ,exodus iv1
 #ad4  ,thievery4--',speak now into the 
ears of the people and let every man    
borrow of his neighbor and every woman  
of her neighbor jewels of silver and    
jewels of gold4' ,exodus xi1 #b4        
,carnage4--',for ,i will pass through   
the land of ,egypt this night and will  
smite all the first born in the land of 
,egypt1 both man and beast2 and against 
all the gods of ,egypt ,i will execute  
judgment2 ,i am the ,lord4' ,exodus xii1
 #ab4  ,jealousy4--',for ,i the ,lord   
thy ,god am jealous ,god4' ,exodus xx1  

#e4  ,slavery4--',then his master shall 
bring him unto the judges2 he shall also
 bring him to the door1 or unto the     
doorpost1 and his master shall bore his 
ear through with an awl2 and he shall   
serve him forever4' ,exodus xxi1 #f4    
,witchcraft4--',thou shalt not suffer a 
witch to live4' ,exodus xxii1 #ah4      
,murder4--',and my wrath shall wax hot1 
and ,i will kill you with my sword and  
your wives shall be widows and your     
children fatherless4' ,exodus xxii1 #bd4
  ,changeability4--',and the ,lord spake
 unto ,moses1 saying1 ,phinehas1 the son
 of ,eleazar1 the son of ,aaron the     
priest1 hath turned my wrath away from  
the children of ,israel1 while he was   
zealous for my sake among them1 that ,i 
consumed not the children of ,israel in 
my jealousy4' ,numbers xxv1 #aj1 #aa4   
,brutality4--',and the ,lord spake unto 
,moses1 saying1 ,bring forth him that   
hath cursed without the camp2 and let   
all that heard him lay their hands upon 
his head1 and let all the congregation  

stone him4' ,leviticus xxiv1 #ac1 #ad4  
,savage ,cruelty4--',and if the burnt   
sacrifice for his offering to the ,lord 
be of fowls1 then he shall bring his    
offering of turtle doves1 or of young   
pigeons4 ,and the priest shall bring it 
unto the altar1 and wring off its head1 
and burn it on the altar2 and the blood 
thereof shall be wrung out at the ides  
of the altar4' ,leviticus i1 #ad1 #ae4  
,an ,ass4--',and the ,lord opened the   
mouth of the ass and she said unto      
,balaam1 ,what have ,i done unto thee   
that thou hast smitten me these three   
times8' ,numbers xxii1 #bh4  ,i have    
brought a few of these absurd writings  
to your attention1 said ,arletta1 hoping
 that later on you will go over them    
carefully and give them the same        
rational consideration you bestow upon  
other subjects4 ,there is one           
commendable feature about your ,bible   
however1 and that is1 it shows that once
 there existed among your species a     
noble mortal who devoted his life trying

 to teach the ,apeman human kindness in 
somewhat the same manner our men used to
 do1 with the exception of the          
supernatural dogmas4 ,i refer to ,jesus 
,christ4 ,the fact that the same lessons
 he expounded were taught thousands of  
years before he was born1 or that he    
failed to grasp nature's beautiful ideas
 without confounding them with          
supernatural fancies1 does not detract  
in any way from his nobility of purpose 
and his name should be mentioned in the 
future history of the world as one of   
the great benefactors of the human race4
 ,it seems a pity that his over-zealous 
followers have tried to place him in the
 light of a deity1 for in time to come1 
when your species begin to reason1 they 
might possibly regard him as an         
impostor4 ,this should not be the case  
however1 for although ,christ no doubt  
really believed in a religious god1 it  
is unjust to believe that he ever       
pretended to be anything more than a    
mere human being himself1 or that he    

knew anything about the wonderful       
miracles it was subsequently claimed he 
had performed4  ,any earthly being1 said
 ,arletta1 as her face fairly beamed    
with intelligence1 whether it be a man1 
an ,apeman or a monkey1 who claims to be
 related to the ,creator of the         
universe1 or to be ,his prophet1 or ,his
 specially appointed spokesman1 or in   
any way tries to lead others to believe 
that he possesses supernatural powers1  
is either an impostor or an idiot4      
,when all earthly beings make use of the
 reasoning faculties nature endows them 
with1 all religions will perish through 
the agency of their own untruths4       
,,chapter ,,xii4  ,then am ,i to        
understand that your people were        
,atheists8 inquired ,i of ,arletta4     
,not at all1 replied she4 ,we believed  
in ,natural ,law but not in religion4   
,our most intellectual men decided that 
by no stretch of the imagination could  
they build a god for religious purposes 
as great as the ,creator of the universe

 must naturally be1 and knowing that it 
remains for man himself to reach his    
highest state of perfection without any 
supernatural influence whatsoever1 they 
therefore abolished all forms of        
religious worship and established a code
 of ethics which was termed ,natural    
,law4  ,religion teaches one to believe 
in an unnatural god who apparently must 
be ever ready to answer anybody's       
prayerful cry and act as a general      
servant to humanity by distributing good
 things to those who beg for them2 a    
sort of meddlesome god who enters into  
all the petty quarrels of hunan beings  
and generally settles them in the wrong 
way4  ,natural ,law teaches that there  
exists on grand supreme ruler who guides
 the entire machinery of the universe2  
the ,deity who created the principle of 
life1 and one who does not deviate from 
,his eternal and immutable laws2 an     
all-wise1 everlasting and unchangeable  
being far beyond the faintest conception
 the brain of man has ever been able to 

formulate4 ,his power unlimited2 ,his   
laws supreme2 ,his goodness             
incalculable4  ,natural ,law explains   
that ,he created the principle from     
which humanity evolved1 but that it     
remains for all living things to make   
better or worse their own conditions4   
,his laws may be studied and practiced  
by all human beings1 but to claim to    
know the reasons of the ,creator's      
actions would be to assume ,his wisdom  
and knowledge4 ,his purposes1 therefore1
 are unfathomable4  ,natural ,law sets  
forth that notwithstanding the earth is 
but a mere speck in the universe1 still1
 it being a part of the vast machinery  
governed by the ,almighty1 there is a   
reason for its existence and a work for 
it to perform4 ,like other bodies in    
space1 it contains particles of living  
matter which are constantly passing     
through a course of development with    
methodical changes from life to death   
and from death to life4 ,but while all  
living things live and die1 the material

 thereof is used over and over again    
indefinitely4 ,human beings are a       
species of these particles4 ,all living 
things are composed of three parts1     
matter1 energy and soul4 ,the matter is 
the machinery2 energy the motion and    
soul the engineer4 ,the mind is that    
part of the machinery having power to   
control its movements4 ,the soul is the 
spark of life and acts as a moral guide 
to the mind4 ,soul and conscience are   
synonymous4 ,the soul1 always pure1 is  
continually striving to improve the     
condition of the mind4 ,the mind alone  
is responsible for the disposition of   
the body and the evils arising          
therefrom1 the soul merely acting as its
 instructor for good4 ,it is the mind   
which inherits evil instincts and but   
for the good influence of the soul1     
living creatures would not exist in     
harmony4 ,as the mind hardens against   
righteousness the sway of the soul is   
lessened1 but as the mind softens       
towards goodness the soul increases its 

power4 ,there is a continual struggle   
between the soul for good and the mind  
for evil1 but the soul will eventually  
gain the ascendancy and all living      
things will be cleansed of impurities4  
,the body1 including the mind1 of each  
living thing dies1 the material         
disintegrates and passes into the       
composition of other forms4 ,the soul   
never dies2 it remains in one body until
 its collapse and then transmigrates    
into another4 ,the soul of man today may
 be that of a lower animal tomorrow2    
therefore he should use the greatest    
kindness and consideration toward all   
living things4 ,there is only a certain 
quantity of matter upon earth to be     
moulded together in living forms and a  
certain number of souls to abide        
therein1 so that with the increase of   
mankind there must naturally be a       
decrease in the ranks of other animals1 
hence it remains the duty of man to     
extend in number and quality his own    
species until all the material in       

existence is utilized by human beings of
 the very highest intelligence4         
,humanity1 however1 will never rise     
above the savage state until the        
barbarous custom of killing and eating  
other animals is abolished4             
,selfishness is the root of all evil2   
eradicate selfishness from humanity and 
the earth will be heaven4  ,man's heaven
 is here on earth if he is only capable 
of making it so1 but men cannot enjoy   
heavenly blessings with hellish minds1  
and no selfish being can properly enjoy 
the sweets of life4 ,the real essence   
and pleasure of life can only be        
extracted when mankind labors           
harmoniously together as a unit1 instead
 of each individual struggling          
separately and murderously to obtain the
 largest portion of the earth's         
blessings4 ,the production of the world 
must be divided equally among all honest
 toilers and man's greatest happiness   
must arise from serving others instead  
of himself4 ,no good mortal can         

thoroughly enjoy luxuries that are      
beyond the reach of his fellow men1     
therefore all human beings should work  
together as one2 enjoying equally the   
fruits of their combined efforts2 the   
weak and the strong alike4 ,there must  
be but one master--the entire human race
 bound together as one4 ,when mankind1  
acting as a unit1 masters itself1 then  
will it rule the earth and gain         
knowledge of extraneous matters2 thus   
the wisdom of inhabitants of older and  
more advanced worlds will be attained   
and intercourse with them practiced1    
thereby unraveling many apparent        
mysteries of the universe4  ,it is an   
error to suppose that the ,deity is your
 maker2 ,he created the source from     
which all living things sprung1 but     
collectively1 man makes himself and is  
responsible for his own conditions4 ,if 
the ,almighty was your maker then the   
production of criminals1 cripples and   
lunatics would demonstrate very bad     
workmanship1 so do not try to shift the 

blame for human weakness upon the       
,creator of the universe4 ,the ,deity   
controls the principle of life2 man     
controls himself4  ,do not pray2 you    
cannot alter the ,creator's plans and   
you place him in the light of a petty   
vanity seeker when claiming that he     
wants to be worshipped4 ,better please  
the ,omnipotent by kind acts toward all 
living creatures than by offering       
ridiculous exhortations for favors and  
forgiveness4 ,you proffer insults to the
 ,creator when you claim you can change 
,his immutable plans by prayer2 when you
 think he would take from one and give  
to another2 when you pretend to         
communicate with ,him2 when you imagine 
,he takes part in the silly squabbles of
 human beings2 when you say that man was
 made in ,his image2 when you take ,his 
name in vain4  ,a united world1 with all
 living things on the same plane of     
perfection and working harmoniously     
together for the common good is the     
heaven humanity should strive to reach4 

,it is within the power of mankind to   
perfect itself1 but this can only be    
accomplished through the unselfish      
efforts of the whole people4 ,each      
individual can make better or worse his 
own condition and thereby stamp a good  
or bad impression upon the lives of his 
descendants4 ,the creature who passes   
his life without adding to the knowledge
 and goodness of the world has lived for
 naught1 and he who fails to improve his
 own worth morally1 mentally or         
physically has spent a life of          
uselessness for which his descendants   
must suffer2 for to misuse oneself is to
 commit a crime against posterity4 ,each
 generation should be an improvement    
upon the preceding one4 ,having been    
entrusted with a piece of living        
machinery1 it is the duty of everyone to
 give it the very best care and         
attention possible1 that its value might
 be increased to nature1 hence moral1   
mental and physical perfection are the  
highest aims of life to achieve4        

,parents should have no off-spring when 
one or both of them are insane1         
diseased1 gluttons1 drunkards or        
criminals4  ,practice moderation in all 
things that you may live longer and     
acquire strength to enjoy natural       
blessings and bestow character upon     
those to follow4 ,pleasure can only be  
extracted from temperateness2 it        
increases or decreases in proportion to 
quantity1 and he who takes sparingly1   
lives longer to enjoy the most4 ,do not 
over-work1 over-study1 over-eat1        
over-drink1 over-sleep1 or commit any   
excess whatsoever4 ,the surest way to   
make the world better is to begin with  
yourself4 ,such is the essence of       
,natural ,law4  ,,chapter ,,xiii  ,at   
the present time1 proceeded ,arletta1   
the earth resembles a huge table        
over-loaded with good things and        
surrounded by a pack of gluttons each   
striving to secure the largest portion4 
,and in this piggish scramble the strong
 obtain more and the weak less than is  

needed while enough is wasted to amply  
supply the whole4 ,the best forces of   
the participants1 which should be       
utilized for other purposes are also    
lost in the ravenous struggle1 for it   
requires more power to retain than      
obtain these things4  ,the same         
avaricious principal--individual        
accumulation--is the foundation of every
 government in the world today1 and     
consequently all of your social systems 
are being run upside down4 ,your people 
spend their time and strength in looking
 for remedies instead of stopping the   
source from which all evils flow4       
,corruption is the result of a diseased 
root and as long as that remains1       
iniquities will continue to multiply4   
,extirpate the cause1 however1 and sin  
will depart like magic4  ,the system    
which allows the individual to acquire  
personal wealth is the direct cause for 
nearly every evil in existence4 ,there  
is no remedy for a wrong unless you     
eradicate it entirely1 and just as long 

as a nation clings to the pernicious    
plan which permits separate persons to  
store up the products of the earth for  
private uses1 just so long will         
selfishness be the characteristic       
feature of the people1 and all kinds of 
criminals will be bred from the material
 which otherwise would prove very useful
 to a unified world4 ,according to      
present methods success is based upon   
what each individual accumulates and not
 what mankind is capable of producing4  
,the foundation of existence is effort1 
without which the inhabitants of the    
world would perish4 ,united exertion    
produces better results and with less   
toil than competitive efforts4 ,with    
united labor in force1 every living     
being must work1 for he who consumes and
 does not produce is a thief4 ,if all   
the inhabitants of the world combined   
their labors on the most economic basis1
 there would be enough comforts for all 
created by one-tenth of the power       
expended at the present time4 ,each     

person would add his mite to the whole1 
and in return would receive as much as  
anyone else4 ,all worthless occupations 
would be done away with1 and the power  
thereof directed into useful channels4  
,labor would rule the world instead of  
money4 ,for of what good would be all   
the money on earth if there was no labor
 to produce the necessities of life8 ,at
 present there exists but one honest    
toiler whose labors enrich the world1 to
 ten schemers who spend their time      
plotting to secure the results of his   
work2 and these parasites actually      
confiscate the largest portion of that  
which is produced4 ,the schemers feast  
and govern1 while the laborers fast and 
are governed4 ,can you imagine more     
unnatural conditions than one class of  
beings producing all the comforts and   
receiving none in return8  ,with the    
abolition of the noxious system of      
individual accumulation1 money would    
have no value and all the evils arising 
therefrom would cease4 ,take away the   

opportunity of the individual to        
accumulate wealth for himself1 and you  
remove the temptation for fraud1 theft  
and numerous other crimes1 for there is 
then no incentive left for them4 ,expel 
the motive and selfishness will         
disappear1 and each mortal give his best
 efforts toward perfecting himself      
morally1 mentally and physically for the
 good he may render the world4  ,teach  
the child that it will not have to worry
 over the future2 that it will not have 
to lie1 cheat1 steal1 murder or take any
 advantage of its fellow beings in order
 to receive its share of the good things
 of life2 explain to it that the real   
incentive is to give its best services  
toward increasing the general production
 of the earth1 that all mankind may     
enjoy the sweets thereof together in    
peace and harmony2 impress upon its     
young mind1 that he who works in excess 
of others for the good of mankind1 lives
 the noblest life and receives the      
highest esteem of his fellow beings and 

the blessed approbation of his own soul1
 and that child1 reaching maturity1 will
 be a thousand times more useful to     
himself and humanity than he who has    
been taught to hoard up riches for his  
own special purposes4  ,individual      
accumulation is responsible for crime2  
crime necessitates laws2 laws breed     
tyranny4  ,abolish individualism1 and   
crime1 tyranny and nine-tenths of your  
superfluous laws will be exterminated4  
,a few well-defined and just laws       
properly enforced are sufficient to     
successfully operate the governmental   
machinery of the human race according to
 ,natural ,law4   ,,chapter ,,xiv       
,telepathy1 continued ,arletta1 proved  
to be one of the greatest factors for   
good utilized by our people4 ,through   
its agency we not only found that it was
 the most natural and complete way to   
converse with one another1 but also     
learned to think collectively as well as
 singly4  ,the brain is both a receiver 
and transmitter of thought1 and all     

minds are directly connected with each  
other by an invisible force4 ,thought is
 an element of life and exists          
everywhere2 it is not originated by the 
mind1 but is a utility for it4 ,thoughts
 are sustenance for the brain1 as air is
 for the lungs1 or food for the         
appetite2 they are good and bad in      
quality1 and it is within man's power to
 accept or reject them at will4 ,by     
admitting good and repelling bad        
thoughts1 the brain acquires moral as   
well as mental strength but vice versa  
it is poisoned1 and degeneracy is sure  
to follow4  ,nature created both the    
mountains and the thoughts2 look and you
 can see those lofty hills2 think and   
you can receive inspiring thoughts4     
,shut your eyes and you cannot see2     
close your brain and you cannot think4  
,the broader the mind1 the greater the  
ideas to enter4 ,ignorance is bred from 
a closed brain2 intelligence from an    
open one4 ,he who is incapable of       
thinking is like the blind who cannot   

see or the deaf who cannot hear4 ,the   
thought is the mightiest force for good 
or evil1 humanity has to contend with2  
time is measured by it and pure         
meditation makes the days short and     
sweet1 while evil notions lengthen and  
depreciate them4 ,the mind that retains 
good ideas and refuses bad ones is of   
incalculable value to mankind for it has
 an instantaneous effect upon other     
minds in all parts of the earth4  ,it is
 easier for many minds working in       
harmony together to grasp a thought1    
than for the single brain to receive it 
without aid4 ,no one earthly being ever 
conceived a great idea unassisted4 ,one 
might have believed and proclaimed the  
origin of an idea1 but unknown and      
innumerable others secretly aided in its
 conception4 ,the strongest intellect1  
however1 retained and gave it to the    
world1 and he who accepts1 practices and
 impresses the thought upon others1     
deserves the credit thereof4  ,it took  
several generations of continuous       

experimentation by the ,sagemen to      
acquire the fundamental principles of   
telepathy and many more to establish the
 custom of conversing with the mind     
instead of the voice4 ,in the beginning1
 the evil ones looked upon the practice 
with horror1 for it was impossible to   
conceal anything from their fellow      
beings4 ,but this very fact alone caused
 them to keep clean and allow no impure 
thoughts to enter their minds that would
 lower them in the estimation of their  
associates1 and after a few generations 
of active use it was accepted as one of 
the great benefits of nature4  ,whenever
 a great problem confronted the nation1 
a hundred or more of our deepest        
thinkers would simultaneously           
concentrate their mental forces upon it1
 and if unsuccessful in reaching a      
satisfactory conclusion1 then the whole 
people would devote an hour each day    
upon it until finally solved4 ,thus in  
thought as well as in action we labored 
together as a unit1 harmoniously working

 out vast ideas that never could have   
been conceived by a single brain1 and   
each mortal receiving an equal share of 
the many blessings derived therefrom4   
,and there again is where your          
individual system retards natural       
progress4 ,a little ,apeman receives    
part of one of nature's ideas4 ,his     
immature brain is incapable of receiving
 the whole of it so he spends his entire
 life stumbling along in the dark1      
vainly searching for the remainder4     
,sometimes he becomes insane or dies    
under the strain of the burden1 and     
mankind loses the portion he had already
 understood4 ,it was his greedy desire  
that caused him to struggle alone for   
something that many minds could easily  
have brought forth had they been called 
to his assistance4 ,but no1 his purpose 
was not to aid humanity1 but get money  
and the power to wield over his fellow  
creatures by accepting and having       
patented for himself one of nature's    
gifts4  ,and then again one of your     

little ,apemen finally does conceive a  
good idea1 or part of one1 after thirty 
years1 more or less1 of constant strain 
upon his mental faculties4 ,so the      
progress of the world must be held in   
check for that length of time for an    
invention that could have been produced 
and put into useful operation by the    
combined efforts of many minds in a few 
days1 weeks or months4 ,but it is the   
individual system and not the individual
 himself which causes this stupendous   
waste of time and power1 and as long as 
it is kept in force the leakage of human
 progress will naturally be beyond      
calculation4  ,it seems a pity1 said    
,arletta1 looking at me sympathetically1
 that your brain is not sufficiently    
developed to enable you to grasp the    
magnificent principle of life as it was 
understood by the ,sage-men1 but it     
would be as hard for you to comprehend  
an attempted explanation of the whole   
subject as it would be for a monkey to  
understand algebra4 ,so ,i have to be   

content with impressing upon your little
 intellect just as much as it will      
absorb4  ,but come1 you look tired1 let 
us partake of some refreshments4 ,and   
remember1 do not overload your stomach4 
,,chapter ,,xv  ,do not overload your   
stomach4 ,this admonition caused me to  
feel like a child once more1 and ,i was 
uncertain whether ,i ought to laugh or  
become indignant over the remark4 ,still
 ,i fully realized the necessity of this
 warning2 not only for myself alone1 but
 for the entire human race from which ,i
 sprung4 ,how many beings are there in  
the world today who would not profit by 
following this advice8 ,how many are    
there with sense enough to heed it8 ,i  
cannot recall to memory any person ,i   
have ever met who had absolute control  
of his appetite4  ,we take pleasure in  
living1 but do not live for pleasure1   
continued ,arletta1 as she touched an   
invisible spring concealed within a     
dainty flower and graciously invited me 
to eat--or rather to breathe4 ,and as ,i

 inhaled the delicious fumes it seemed  
that the very breath of life itself was 
injected into every pore of my body4    
,that is enough of the soup1 commented  
,arletta mirthfully1 now try the roast2 
now the entree2 and here1 perhaps1 a    
little dessert will not hurt you2 there1
 that is plenty2 a little is            
strengthening but too much is poisonous4
  ,you see1 this process of living is   
very simple indeed2 our chemists merely 
extracted the vital parts of vegetables1
 herbs1 cereals1 fruits1 nuts1 flowers1 
etc41 and reduced them to aeriform4     
,these artificial flowers are arranged  
to conceal small tubes from which the   
nutriment flows4 ,by operating these    
automatic springs the substance is      
allowed to escape in such quantities as 
is required for meals4 ,very simple1 is 
it not8 ,much cleaner and better than   
munching a piece of fat pork1 don't you 
think8 ,and there are no cooks needed to
 prepare it1 no waiters to serve it1 nor
 any dishes to wash afterward4 ,our food

 was arranged ready for consumption at  
the great national laboratories and     
piped directly to the people1 to use as 
they pleased4  ,it is all very          
wonderful1 exclaimed ,i1 looking up to  
,arletta as if she were the goddess of  
life itself1 but there is one thing in  
particular ,i am anxious to know and    
that is3 what causes daylight here when 
darkness prevails on the outside of this
 building8  ,very simple1 explained she1
 about a thousand years before the great
 catastrophe our scientists discovered a
 method whereby they could store up the 
rays of the sun for light1 heat and     
power1 and after much experimenting they
 found that they could mix these rays   
with other ingredients into solid       
substances4 ,the light you observed in  
the hallway before entering here is     
merely compressed into the material of  
which the walls are composed and as long
 as that remains light will shine from  
it4 ,the light in this room comes from  
the miniature sun you see in the        

picture2 that too will give forth       
radiance as long as the material holds  
together4 ,our scientists were          
remarkable men2 they not only made use  
of the sun's rays in many different ways
 for the benefit of mankind1 but        
actually controlled the power of the sun
 itself insofar as it related to the    
earth4 ,they also restrained the        
atmosphere which surrounds the earth and
 made the weather conditions to suit    
their own welfare4 ,but these things are
 so infinitely beyond the ,apeman's     
comprehension1 who feels that he has    
almost reached the limit of human       
resources with his crude little steam   
engines1 that it would only be a waste  
of time and power to try and explain    
them to you1 besides being a            
considerable strain upon your half-grown
 brain4  ,this is certainly a wonderful 
painting1 said ,i1 looking about the    
room with much admiration4 ,i have never
 seen anything to compare with it       
before4  ,there is nothing about it that

 is extraordinary1 remarked ,arletta1 it
 is merely a little ornamentation of my 
own private apartment which ,i did      
myself according to my own fancy4 ,any  
of our ordinary house decorators could  
have done as well or better4 ,all of our
 children were taught to paint and they 
devoted considerable of their spare time
 to the art1 but the works of the real  
artists were placed upon exhibition in  
the national galleries where everybody  
could see and enjoy their magnificence4 
,i observe an absence of jewelry about  
your person1 mentioned ,i1 was it not   
the custom of your people to wear       
jewels8  ,do you think that to wear     
rings around your toes and suspended    
from your nose is a sensible thing to   
do8 inquired ,arletta4  ,no1 no2        
decidedly not1 answered ,i1 such are the
 customs of the barbarians only1 but our
 civilized people wear rings around     
their fingers and in their ears4        
,indeed1 and wherein lies the           
difference8 asked she1 good naturedly4  

,it then struck me rather forcibly that 
there was no difference and that it was 
just as ridiculous to wear rings from   
the ears and around the fingers as it   
was to have them suspended from the nose
 and about the toes4 ,but were there no 
diamonds in your country8 questioned ,i4
  ,yes1 replied ,arletta1 there was a   
large pile of them in the national      
museum which we looked upon as old      
junk--sort of relics of the savage      
,apemen4 ,when our children were shown  
these things and informed that a king of
 an ,apeman nation would gladly         
sacrifice the lives of a hundred        
thousand of his subjects in an attempt  
to gain possession of them1 or that his 
subjects would murder their friends1    
brothers1 wives or children in an effort
 to secure some for themselves1 it was  
impossible for their youthful minds to  
fully understand why the ,apeman should 
become so ferocious and idiotic over    
such trifles4 ,they naturally looked    
upon your species as you would view a   

tribe of monkeys fighting amongst       
themselves for the possession of a      
string of glass beads4 ,the ,apeman like
 the monkey is incapable of seeing his  
own absurdities4  ,and what about gold8 
,i inquired4 ,we had a building         
constructed of it1 answered she4 ,one of
 the first things the ,sagemen did after
 they abolished the system of individual
 accumulation was to take all the gold  
there was in the country1 and mould it  
into a huge edifice to be used as a     
national museum1 and represent a sort of
 monument to a dead system4  ,it must   
have been a magnificent structure1 said 
,i1 in amazement4 ,on the contrary1     
replied ,arletta1 it was the most       
hideous building in our land4 ,as a     
curiosity it was worth seeing1 but as an
 object of grandeur it was a total      
failure4 ,there is more real beauty in  
one of nature's tiniest flowers than    
there would be in a mountain built of   
gold and studded with diamonds1 but the 
little ,apeman who considers gold the   

standard of value cannot understand     
this4  ,when you mentioned the absurdity
 of wearing jewelry1 said ,i1 it brought
 to my attention the fact that you wear 
no shoes upon your feet1 and that your  
toes are much longer and far more       
shapely and supple than is the case     
nowadays4  ,yes1 answered she1 that is  
because we made use of our toes as well 
as our fingers for useful purposes4 ,it 
appears to me that the ,apeman has      
permitted his feet to grow into mere    
hoofs with which to stump along upon1   
and from what ,i observed during my     
excursion around the world1 your people 
are even allowing their hoofs to become 
worthless1 and here she smiled as she   
recalled to mind some of the gouty1     
rheumatic and over-fed mortals she had  
seen during that trip4  ,as ,arletta    
smiled1 her beautiful lips parted and   
for the first time ,i noticed1 much to  
my surprise1 that she had no teeth4 ,a  
woman of our own kind without teeth     
generally presents a rather dilapidated 

appearance1 but here was a woman that ,i
 thought actually looked more lovely    
without them4  ,well1 remarked ,arletta1
 noting my astonishment1 ,i do not have 
teeth to bite and chew with like the    
lower animals4 ,the ,sageman shed his   
teeth shortly after he discontinued the 
filthy animal habit of devouring flesh  
and other solid substances for          
subsistence1 and substituted the more   
scientific1 cleanly and healthful method
 of inhalation4  ,,chapter ,,xvi  ,now  
we shall enjoy a little music1 said     
,arletta1 as she turned her attention to
 the pictorial orchestra4  ,music1      
repeated ,i1 then it was real music ,i  
heard a short time ago and not a mere   
fancy of my own4  ,i was not aware that 
you heard it at all1 replied she4 ,yes1 
responded ,i1 when first coming into    
this room1 the men in the picture       
appeared to me to be alive1 and wishing 
to attract their attention ,i touched   
the shoulder of the leader1 and then it 
was that ,i thought ,i heard the        

sweetest and grandest music it has ever 
been my good fortune to listen to4  ,in 
that case1 said ,arletta1 your ears did 
not deceive you1 for you certainly heard
 real music4 ,you see in this picture1  
an exact portrayal of that which existed
 over four thousand years ago4 ,this    
delineation is an almost perfect        
representation of one of our national   
bands as they once appeared in life     
ready to play4 ,the music1 of course1 is
 reproduced mechanically1 the mechanism 
being concealed from view behind the    
scenery4 ,when you placed your hand upon
 the shoulder of the leader you         
unconsciously pressed the spring which  
set the machinery in motion1 causing a  
reproduction of the same strains once   
rendered by these men4  ,but this being 
a painting1 ,i cannot understand how the
 figures moved as if playing upon their 
instruments1 said ,i4  ,they did not    
move at all1 answered ,arletta1 it was  
your soul that brought to your senses   
the movements that once took place among

 these men in real life4 ,music is      
inspired by the soul1 and likewise has a
 direct influence upon it4 ,no ,sageman 
was considered an eminent composer if   
his work lacked the force to convey the 
soul of the listener to the actual scene
 from whence the inspiration was        
derived4 ,no doubt your inferior brain  
was incapable of grasping the           
magnificent conception of the author1   
but the selection being so enrapturous  
your soul awakened and brought your     
senses to the point where you could see 
the movements of the musicians4 ,perhaps
 the next rendition may have a stronger 
effect upon your soul which will cause  
you to get an outline of what was       
intended by the composer4 ,the          
composition which the orchestra will now
 reproduce for your benefit was         
considered by our people to be the      
musical masterpiece of all time4 ,it was
 named ',the ,soul's ,retrospection1'   
and was composed by the leader of this  
band only a few years prior to the great

 catastrophe4 ,look1 said ,arletta1 with
 much feeling as she waved her hand     
toward the exalted director1 take a good
 look at this model of a perfect man and
 you may be able to realize just what   
qualities he had to possess before      
acquiring the tremendous intellectual   
strength necessary to produce the       
wonderful work that will shortly be     
impressed upon you4 ,note the           
extraordinary look of kindness1         
gentleness and self-denial that is      
stamped upon his handsome features4 ,see
 the expression of thankfulness and     
intense reverence he maintained for the 
many splendid gifts nature bestows upon 
all mankind capable of accepting them4  
,observe the optimistic appearance of   
one that believed the earth was real    
heaven and who strived to make it so4   
,notice the cast of superior            
intellectuality caused by devoting his  
time and mentality to natural thoughts1 
instead of allowing absurd civilized    
theories to take root in his expansive  

brain4 ,behold the magnificent physique1
 the result of the constant care and    
attention he gave to the machinery      
nature provided him with4 ,ah1 me6 such 
a noble being1 and to think that there  
is not another piece of flesh and blood 
on earth at the present time to compare 
with him seems cruel4  ,at this point   
,arletta appeared almost overcome with  
sadness and emotion as she buried       
herself in contemplation of a glorious  
past and an unknown future4 ,great tears
 rolled from her beautiful eyes1 and    
unconsciously from my own as well4 ,how 
utterly helpless ,i felt at that moment4
 ,i knew of no way to cheer her1        
although ,i would have gladly given up  
my life to do so4 ,aye1 more than that1 
my love for her was so strong that in   
order to make her happy1 ,i should have 
welcomed back to life again1 if such a  
thing were possible1 any one of those   
handsome fellows in the picture4        
,however1 by a superb display of will   
power1 she quickly regained control of  

herself1 and becoming cheerful once     
more1 bade me recline upon one of the   
lounges while she pressed the spring    
which set the musical apparatus in      
motion4  ,and as ,i followed her        
directions1 there suddenly burst forth  
the voluminous and harmonious sound of a
 hundred strange instruments1 causing an
 indescribable thrill of ecstasy to take
 possession of my senses1 until it      
seemed that there was nothing left of me
 but an invisible spirit4 ,and then1    
even the music apparently stopped1 and a
 peculiar feeling overcame me as if my  
soul had actually left its charge and   
was flying about in an effort to find a 
convenient resting place4 ,suddenly1 as 
if half awake and half dreaming1 ,i     
found myself within a luxuriously       
furnished hall1 surrounded by a score of
 richly-clad beings1 who were bowing1   
kneeling1 and cutting up all sorts of   
silly antics about me4 ,in a dreamy sort
 of a way1 ,i looked down at myself and 
discovered that ,i was arrayed in the   

gorgeous garments of a king1 and        
weighted down with dazzling jewels from 
head to foot4 ,then everything became   
clear enough to my memory2 ,i was the   
king1 and these idiotic creatures       
fawning and cringing about me were my   
obedient subjects2 my slaves2 the       
willing tools which kept me in power4 ,a
 gouty feeling in my feet1 a dyspeptic  
ache of the stomach and an alcoholic    
pain in the head1 caused me to be in a  
very disagreeable mood1 and ,i felt like
 kicking the entire gathering out of my 
presence4  ,sire1 squeaked a            
knock-kneed1 sickly looking civilized   
creature about five feet high1 who wore 
knee breeches1 silk stockings and fancy 
ribbons1 as he bowed low in addressing  
me1 those ungrateful subjects of your   
majesty1 the ignorant common laboring   
horde whom ,god in ,his infinite wisdom 
has entrusted to your noble guidance1   
have become dissatisfied and turbulent  
again1 and are disturbing the peaceful  
prosperity of the domain by clamoring   

for bread--more bread and less toil is  
their beastly cry4 ,a delegation of     
their representatives requested me to   
beg your majesty to grant them an       
audience that they might state their    
imaginary grievances to you in person4  
,more bread and less toil1 shouted ,i   
furiously1 the audacity of the vermin6  
,by the gods6 ,i shall teach those      
craven beggars that ,i am the master and
 will tolerate no new-fangled ideas4    
,give orders to the generalissimo to    
have this delegation beheaded at once   
and to put to the sword every           
dissatisfied laborer in the land4 ,as ,i
 uttered those words1 intermingled with 
terrible oaths1 and with intense hatred 
for the wretches who dared to complain  
against such conditions a sudden change 
affected me and ,i found myself within a
 dark1 filthy little room1 seated at a  
bare table1 with a feeling of hunger    
gnawing at my stomach4 ,my limbs felt   
tired and sore from a hard day's toil4  
,beside me sat a thin1 haggard1         

sorrowful woman and several             
half-famished children piteously crying 
for something to eat4 ,oh1 what a       
dismal1 melancholy feeling4 ,what is it1
 mused ,i1 observing my bony hands1     
crooked limbs and ragged clothes1 that  
causes my inability to earn enough money
 to supply bread for myself and family1 
after working fifteen hours a day1 while
 thousands of men in this land do not   
work at all and have luxuries to waste8 
,what unnatural law governs the world   
that starves myself and family who work1
 and over-feeds the pet dog of the      
aristocrat1 who loafs8 ,the ,church     
teaches me that ,god rules the universe1
 and that in order to please ,him ,i    
must be contented with my lot4 ,can ,i  
believe this unreasonable doctrine of   
the ,church8 ,can ,i give thanks to such
 a god8  ,another change1 and behold1 ,i
 am clad in the garments of a hunter1   
seated upon the back of a spirited horse
 and in mad pursuit of a fleet- footed  
antelope4 ,i raise my rifle and blaze   

away at the frightened beast4 ,there1 ,i
 have hit the mark and brought him down 
at the first shot1 much to my delight4  
,but lo1 it is not dead yet2 see how it 
pants and struggles in desperation1 as  
it tries to regain its feet4 ,now ,i am 
right upon it1 and quickly dismounting1 
,i take hold of its horns1 draw a long  
keen knife from its sheath1 and with a  
powerful stroke ,i almost sever the     
victim's head from the body4 ,and as the
 warm blood pours forth in every        
direction and the last sign of life     
departs from its shivering body1 ,i view
 the work of destruction with the       
fiendish glee of a noble sportsman4     
,but hold6 ,what causes me to tremble   
with fear as though some blood- thirsty 
monster were pursuing me with the       
intention of crushing out my life's     
blood8 ,ah1 ,i understand4 ,i am the    
four-footed beast and am running1       
running1 running as fast as my weary    
limbs will carry me4 ,and such a        
terrified feeling overcomes me as ,i    

look backward and discover ,i am pursued
 by the most dangerous1 savage and cruel
 animal in existence-- man4 ,how        
relentlessly he dogs my footsteps4 ,on1 
on1 on he comes until he is right behind
 me and there is no chance to           
escape--nor any hope for quarter4 ,at   
last being brought to bay ,i turn about 
and decide to give battle to my pursuer4
 ,but look6 ,the cowardly savage will   
not fight after all4 ,no1 he will not   
advance and fight fair1 but at a        
distance and out of harm's way1 he      
stops1 and pointing a weapon at me1     
takes deliberate aim1 there is a loud   
report1 a quick flash1 and the scene    
once more changes4  ,and thus ,i        
transmigrated from one thing into       
another1 in a seemingly endless         
procession of lives1 experiencing all   
the peculiar sensations of the many     
bodies ,i temporarily inhabited4 ,in    
some cases ,i was the big strong        
brute--either physically or             
mentally--taking advantage of the puny  

weakling4 ,in others1 ,i was the        
miserable weakling1 being crushed by the
 over-powering strength of the bully4   
,but whether strong or weak1 either     
physically or mentally1 ,i was always   
the moral coward and selfish creature1  
ready to cater to those who were        
stronger1 and take advantage of those   
who were feebler than myself1 until     
finally ,i emerged into a most          
extraordinary being1 utterly deficient  
in all human weaknesses4  ,master of a  
physique absolutely free from all       
imperfections1 and controlling a mind   
powerful enough to grasp nature's       
beautiful ideas unadulterated1 ,i found 
myself seated upon a platform in the    
center of a mammoth theatre and         
surrounded by the finest body of        
musicians the earth has ever            
produced--the immortal ,sixth ,national 
,band of ,sageland4 ,then ,i fully      
realized that as leader of this         
wonderful group ,i was about to render  
for the first time1 my latest musical   

conception and masterpiece-- ,the       
,soul's ,retrospection--which would     
prove to humanity beyond a doubt1 the   
positive truth of one of nature's       
grandest secrets--the indestructibility 
of the soul4  ,it was generally believed
 that music was the direct inspiration  
of the soul4 ,it was also thought that  
the soul was one of the unchangeable    
forces of nature whose duty it was to   
operate and purify different pieces of  
natural machinery known as animal lives2
 starting each on its brief career and  
remaining a part thereof until the      
mechanism exhausted its power and       
collapsed1 after which it attached      
itself to another bit of animal matter1 
remaining therewith until its death1 and
 so on indefinitely4  ,and now1 after a 
life of unswerving devotion to this     
purpose1 ,i was about to establish the  
truth of these theories by producing a  
musical composition that would cause the
 listener's soul to leave the body1 and 
going backward1 revisit1 as in a dream1 

the various animal forms it had         
previously inhabited4 ,how extremely    
happy ,i felt to think what a great     
blessing humanity was about to receive  
direct from nature1 through the         
instrumentality of myself and the       
incalculable good that would result     
therefrom4 ,not only would it prove of  
vast scientific value to my own         
countrymen1 but also to the millions of 
ferocious ,apemen in all parts of the   
world1 who could now be made to         
understand that no soul is immune from  
hardship1 misery and torture until all  
living things on earth have reached the 
highest stage of perfection4  ,the news 
that the first production of ,the       
,soul's ,retrospection was about to be  
given had attracted great attention     
among the ,sagemen1 and ,i observed that
 the great ,national ,auditorium1 which 
was capable of seating four hundred     
thousand persons1 was crowded to its    
very doors1 a proceeding ,i had never   
witnessed before1 notwithstanding my    

companions and ,i had appeared there    
many times previously to give musical   
performances4 ,i also noticed that the  
transmitters in all of the domes of the 
auditorium were open and ready for use  
and ,i knew that my countrymen in every 
part of ,sageland were at their musical 
receivers ready to obtain the           
instantaneous results of our efforts4   
,all of the celebrated wise men and     
great scientists1 while openly skeptical
 concerning the claims of my            
composition1 showed their interest in   
the matter by being present personally  
and appearing anxious for success to    
crown my efforts4 ,as my eyes wandered  
over the great assemblage completely    
filling tiers upon tiers of seats1 as   
far back in every direction as the      
natural eye could reach1 ,i felt        
positive that there was at least one    
person present who had no doubts of     
successful results4 ,ah1 where is she8  
mused ,i1 looking about for a sign of   
recognition4 ,here ,i am1 came the quick

 telepathic response1 and immediately my
 gaze fell upon the loveliest woman on  
earth--,arletta--nature's companion to  
my soul4 ,i am utterly powerless to     
describe the feeling of joy experienced 
as our eyes met in mutual admiration4   
,being held momentarily spellbound by   
her loving glance1 ,i fully recognized  
the fact that she was the acme of       
purity--the guiding star of my life4    
,and with such a guide there was no such
 thing as fail4  ,all in readiness1 ,i  
arose to my feet and the entire audience
 did likewise1 as a token of            
appreciation for past services rendered4
 ,acknowledging the honor and waiving   
them seated1 without further ado ,i     
signaled my assistants to begin4  ,never
 did a body of musicians commence a     
difficult task with more determination  
to create1 through the medium of their  
instruments1 an exact interpretation of 
the author's purpose4 ,in no degree     
could they have succeeded more admirably
 than on this occasion4 ,never was an   

entire audience so completely carried   
beyond the borders of reality than now4 
,from the first until the last note not 
a twitch of a muscle could be seen in   
all that mass of humanity1 which now    
resembled a great concourse of          
motionless statues4 ,the musicians      
themselves1 with their minds and souls  
bent upon giving the fullest expression 
to their grand work1 were the only      
evidence that any life at all remained  
in the large auditorium4 ,how bravely   
they stuck to their laborious           
undertaking2 how beautifully they       
executed their divine work4  ,at last   
the piece was finished1 and looking     
about1 ,i observed that the great       
audience jumped to its feet instantly1  
and every person present frantically    
extended both hands above the head--a   
sign that we had been successful4 ,never
 before did ,i see my countrymen under  
such intense excitement and jubilation  
as now4 ,men hugged each other2 women   
cried with joy4 ,the world is saved1 was

 the general exclamation4 ,amid the     
great confusion that followed1 ,i       
noticed ,arletta with her arms          
outstretched toward me--a sign that she 
was betrothed to me forever4 ,her       
beautiful face was the picture of       
happiness and love4 ,as ,i descended    
from the platform and started forward to
 clasp her in my arms the entire        
audience seemed to vanish into          
nothingness1 and my head began to whirl4
 ,i turned and looked backward1 and to  
my great astonishment and confusion     
beheld myself still seated upon the     
platform4 ,it seemed to me that ,i was  
divided into two parts4 ,i rubbed my    
eyes in amazement and looked again4     
,there was the leader of the band       
sitting on the platform motionless and  
surrounded by his faithful helpmates4 ,i
 looked in the other direction4 ,there  
was ,arletta reclining upon the couch   
with her lustrous eyes fixed upon me4 ,i
 glanced down at myself and found that  
,i was the same old ,john ,convert      

dressed in sailor's clothes4  ,for      
several moments ,i stood there buried in
 the depth of serious meditation4 ,then 
slowly walking over near ,arletta1 ,i   
stooped and resting upon one foot and   
knee1 ,i tenderly took her hand in mine 
and bowed my head in reverence4 ,i      
understood it all now4  ,,chapter ,,xvii
  ,what a wonderful world this is6 ,what
 writer of fiction could draw upon his  
imagination for anything to compare with
 this extraordinary freak of nature8    
soliloquized ,i1 arising and taking a   
seat opposite ,arletta and staring at   
her in amazement4  ,there is no such    
thing as a freak of nature1 corrected   
,arletta1 the utmost reason prevails for
 all of her acts2 but the simplest of   
nature's laws appears complex and       
incomprehensible to the ,apeman1 who    
merely uses his brain as an organ for   
self-gratification instead of an        
instrument to grasp natural laws for    
which purpose it is intended4 ,and      
therefore1 while your famous ,apemen    

stunt the growth of the brain by        
misusing it for the base purpose of     
accumulating individual wealth1 our     
great men utilized their brains to      
receive1 understand and operate the wise
 laws established by nature for the     
equal benefit and betterment of all     
mankind4 ,and therein lies the chief    
difference between the piece of human   
machinery your soul now occupies and    
that which it once directed over four   
thousand years ago4 ,behold1 said she1  
dramatically pointing at the director of
 the band1 that you were1 and then      
casting her eyes upon me1 that you are4 
,does your mind lack the strength to    
fully appreciate the magnificent lesson 
nature has forced upon you1 and which1  
no doubt1 stands unparalleled in the    
history of your species8  ,oh1 if each  
little ,apeman could only be made to    
understand1 that the present body is but
 one little installment of the          
innumerable lives his soul has to       
preside over1 and that the rich and     

powerful today may be the weak and lowly
 tomorrow1 he would begin at once to    
treat all living things with equal      
kindness and sympathy4 ,if he could only
 realize that the dog he kicks1 the     
horse he mistreats1 or the poor mental  
or physical weakling he takes advantage 
of might possibly be impelled by the    
same soul that moved the form of his    
deceased father1 mother1 or offspring1  
his selfishness and cruelty would vanish
 forever4 ,if he could only comprehend  
that the soul suffers as well as the    
flesh it stimulates1 and that it must   
naturally continue to do so1 more or    
less1 until every particle of living    
matter has been cleansed and remoulded  
into the highest type of earthly being1 
he would strive to reach perfection     
himself and urge others to do likewise4 
,for all terrestrial life must go up or 
down together2 a moment of selfish      
pleasure now1 means an age of suffering 
and torment in the future4 ,such are the
 immutable laws of nature4 ,and these   

laws must be obeyed before mankind can  
climb the ladder of greatness4  ,it     
sometimes appears as if ,natural ,law   
works very slowly before reaching a     
given point1 but there is always a      
reason for every one of its movements4  
,while apparently incomprehensible1     
still it was in accordance with an      
eternal law1 that you were sent back    
here again after an interim of over tour
 thousand years4 ,my soul1 which had    
been held a captive during all that     
time1 might have remained here for      
millions of years had you not come back 
to release it from its peculiar bondage4
 ,but you did return1 and nature thereby
 demonstrated that it never forgets     
anything1 from the workings of the great
 living things of which the suns1 moons 
and planets are but mere organs1 down to
 the minutest microbe of the microbe4   
,so you can readily perceive that at    
least two of the bodies which your soul 
has inhabited were chosen to perform    
great services for the human race4      

,first1 by a natural course of          
instruction1 you proved to the ,sagemen 
over four thousand years ago that the   
soul was indestructible4 ,and now1      
through a mysterious operation of nature
 you are brought back here in an        
inferior organism and have had a        
positive manifestation of the identical 
principle thus established1 in order    
that you might resurrect and make known 
to all mankind the unalterable truth--  
,natural ,law4 ,do you not feel highly  
honored to be called upon twice for such
 grand missions8  ,but ,i cannot        
understand1 said ,i1 why nature1 after  
having allowed the ,sagemen to reach    
such a state of physical1 mental and    
moral superiority1 should destroy them  
just when they had reached the threshold
 of success4  ,nature did not destroy   
the ,sagemen1 replied ,arletta1 they    
extinguished themselves in making an    
effort to accomplish something beyond   
their powers4 ,they tried to operate a  
law with which they had not become      

sufficiently familiar to insure success4
 ,if one of your little ,apemen         
experiments with steam or dynamite and  
is blown to atoms1 that is his own      
fault1 not nature's4  ,for a thousand   
years the ,sagemen had made remarkable  
progress along scientific lines4 ,they  
had mastered themselves1 and had learned
 to think both individually and         
collectively2 and also to properly      
distribute and enjoy the products of    
their combined efforts4 ,they had       
acquired a thorough knowledge of the    
particles of which the earth is         
composed1 and had secured control of the
 atmosphere that surrounds it4 ,they had
 harnessed the chemical properties of   
the sun after reaching the earth1 and   
had gained possession of many other     
valuable utilities by following the     
course of ,natural ,law1 but when they  
undertook to regulate the earth's path  
in space they simply over-stepped the   
confines of their abilities and failed4 
,that was one of nature's laws they were

 not thoroughly acquainted with4        
,however1 as it requires many drawbacks 
to achieve extraordinary success in all 
things1 humanity should not be          
discouraged over this failure1 but      
gradually work its way up again until it
 has not only reached1 but surpassed the
 high standard of excellence attained by
 the ,sagemen4  ,in the great stretch   
called time1 the length of one little   
human existence is but a mere fraction  
of a moment4 ,therefore1 one should     
devote his best efforts during that     
brief period1 to making better the      
conditions of the place in which he has 
to spend many lives1 for1 according to  
what he has done in one life1 so must he
 contend with in the next4 ,if1 while   
possessing physical and mental strength 
in one body1 he assists in upholding a  
corrupt social system which takes from  
the weak and gives to the strong1 he    
must expect these same conditions to    
exist when he returns as a weakling4    
,for as long as hogs are bred and       

slaughtered1 so must he take his chances
 of being one of them4 ,how much better 
to help mankind seek a higher plane of  
intelligence1 in which equality would be
 a reality1 thus firmly cementing the   
tie of sympathy and love between all    
living things4 ,in this case he would   
have no fear concerning his chances upon
 the next visit1 no matter in what form 
he might appear4 ,and how much better to
 carry on the work of decreasing the    
birth of the lower animals and          
increasing the numbers and quality of   
the higher species1 until there was     
nothing left on earth but the very best 
type of human beings for all souls to   
inhabit4  ,natural ,law is very easily  
understood if the mind is properly      
directed toward it4 ,great thoughts are 
easily conveyed from one to another     
after the strong intellects have        
conceived them4 ,nature itself is simply
 the principle of the utilization of    
creative life4 ,this principle plainly  
shows an evolutionary tendency of all   

living particles toward a final state of
 complete intelligence4 ,this           
intelligence is absorbed by the mind4   
,the mind itself is expanded in         
proportion to the quantity it takes in1 
and is capable of directing it for      
either good or evil purposes4 ,the      
difference between good and evil is     
merely that between unselfishness and   
selfishness4 ,owing to its immature     
growth1 the mind has a tendency to use  
the intelligence it acquires for selfish
 ends4 ,and here is where the soul or   
conscience has its work to perform1 in  
trying to direct it into good channels4 
,intelligence means the ability to      
think1 or understand the thoughts       
conceived by others4 ,the most          
intelligent mind will listen to the     
soul1 and use the thought as an         
unselfish medium with which to aid      
others4 ,the poorly developed brain     
stifles the pleadings of the conscience 
and utilizes it as a selfish weapon to  
secure the power to take from others4   

,the battle of existence is constantly  
carried on between selfishness1 which is
 bred from the very lowest form of      
intelligence1 and unselfishness1 which  
represents the very highest state of    
mentality4 ,a well-balanced mind wants  
all men to enjoy equal rights and       
opportunities in common with one        
another1 affording each a chance to rise
 as high as his capabilities will       
permit4 ,for the more intelligent beings
 there are in existence1 the better for 
all concerned4 ,if you want to eradicate
 disease1 you must stamp out the        
conditions that breed it4 ,before you   
can reach the highest form of           
intelligence1 you must exterminate the  
causes which create selfishness4 ,and he
 who labors to improve others1          
unconsciously produces better conditions
 for himself4  ,,chapter ,,xviii  ,the  
history of ,sageland1 continued         
,arletta1 during one thousand years     
prior to the great catastrophe was      
simply a record of heaven on earth1 in  

which the inhabitants lived for and     
loved one another4 ,the abolition of the
 pernicious system of individual        
accumulation was the direct cause for   
the existence of this beautiful state of
 affairs4 ,for when the people          
discovered that they could no longer    
hoard up wealth for personal advantage1 
but were required to give their best    
efforts toward general production in    
exchange for the necessities of life1   
they lost all evil desires and          
endeavored to secure the highest esteem 
of their fellow- beings by perfecting   
themselves mentally1 morally and        
physically for the good of the          
community4  ,the system by which the    
,state required each individual to      
devote a portion of his time toward     
general production1 and which gave him  
in return for his services a home1 food1
 clothes1 education1 entertainment1 and1
 in fact1 everything necessary to his   
welfare and comfort1 is so simple and   
easy of comprehension that any living   

thing above the intellectual line of the
 ,ape should be able to understand it4  
,in the first place1 the ,state was     
simply the people--all of the people--  
working harmoniously together as a unit4
 ,every child was educated from its     
infancy in the economic principles of   
the ,state1 and upon arriving at        
maturity was given a voice in its       
government4 ,there were no privileges   
whatsoever granted to any particular    
person or persons1 no matter how        
superior their intelligence nor how     
valuable the services they rendered to  
the country4 ,as long as any one1       
whether strong or weak1 lived up to the 
laws of the ,state and applied himself  
to the best of his ability1 just so long
 was he allowed a voice in the          
government and an equal proportion of   
the benefits accorded to all4 ,both men 
and women enjoyed equal rights4 ,every  
man and woman in the country was a      
public servant2 they all worked for the 
public good4 ,each law adopted was put  

into force through the direct vote of   
all the people4 ,municipal and sectional
 laws were made uniform throughout the  
entire nation4 ,the public officials    
were chosen from the wisest men and     
women of the land4 ,these officials     
formulated the laws1 but none of them   
became operative until sanctioned by the
 people through suffrage4 ,and no matter
 whether the law was great or trivial1  
it was left for the people to decide    
whether they would accept or reject it4 
,the majority always settled the        
question1 and the law went into         
operation for a stated period1 at the   
expiration of which time the question   
would again be reconsidered and voted   
upon if necessary4 ,the laws were few   
and perfectly plain1 and could not be   
evaded4 ,nor was there any advantage to 
be gained by evading them4 ,the         
principle simply decreed1 that all      
persons must devote a certain portion of
 their time to advancing the conditions 
of the country which gave them          

sustenance4 ,the ,state allotted to the 
individual the employment for which it  
was demonstrated he was best fitted4    
,the working hours were few1 so that    
there was no strain upon any one1 no    
matter what labor he had to perform4    
,the average length of time the         
individual was compelled to work for the
 public was four hours daily1 the       
balance of the time being at his own    
disposal1 but usually occupied as       
follows3 four hours study2 two hours for
 physical exercise and recreative games2
 three hours to music1 painting and     
other intellectual amusements2 three    
hours for nourishment and eight hours   
for sleep4 ,while it was not compulsory 
to pass one's time as stated1 still it  
was generally taught and believed that  
in so doing the individual developed his
 greatest qualities4  ,as the ,state    
provided everything the individual      
needed from time of birth until death1  
it gave him an opportunity to devote his
 time to higher and purer thoughts and  

purposes than the mere animal desires   
for selfish gain1 and thus exterminated 
the cause of deception1 fraud1 theft and
 all other crimes arising therefrom4    
,according to our laws the public owned 
and operated everything1 and produced   
and distributed all of its own goods4   
,and in doing this it set aside all     
superfluous vocations that merely wasted
 public power and turned these forces   
into other channels for the common good4
 ,for instance3 as the ,state owned all 
of the land and everything that was     
produced1 and simply gave to the        
individual that which he was capable of 
consuming1 there was no need for such   
things as taxes4 ,and without taxes     
there was no public labor wasted by tax 
collectors1 lawyers1 treasurers1        
auditors1 clerks1 book-keepers1 etc4    
,then again1 the individual being able  
to obtain everything free of charge1    
money became valueless1 all the evils of
 the financial system eliminated1 and   
the preponderance of labor expended in  

upholding this unnatural system was used
 for productive purposes1 thus doing    
away with such occupations as money     
making1 money lending1 banking1 broking1
 speculating1 gambling1 etc4  ,without  
money in existence1 and labor being the 
only purchasing power1 and as every want
 was satisfied by the ,state in return  
for the individual's services1 there was
 nothing left to steal1 and consequently
 no necessity for utilizing the labor of
 an army of human beings as police1     
detectives1 judges1 lawyers1 juries1    
etc4  ,and as all the public necessities
 were produced and distributed by the   
most systematic1 direct1 and economic   
methods1 straight from the store- houses
 to the consumers1 there was no use for 
merchants1 traders1 jobbers1 agents1    
salesmen1 clerks1 peddlers1 etc4  ,as   
each individual was compelled to give a 
percentage of his time toward general   
production1 in order to be a member1 in 
good standing1 of the community1 and    
able to enjoy all the rights that such  

membership accorded1 there was no chance
 to avoid honest work and no room for   
such parasites as tramps1 beggars and   
society loafers4  ,so that in abolishing
 the stupid system of individual        
accumulation and substituting nature's  
plan of united labor and honest         
distribution1 all useless vocations and 
parasitic accessories were extirpated   
entirely1 thus transferring that        
tremendous leakage of human power into  
honest production1 the beneficial       
results of this change being3 shorter   
work hours1 increased education1        
refinement1 comfort1 and security for   
everybody1 and the extermination of     
selfishness and crime4  ,united labor   
merely utilized the various forces of   
nature1 to produce and distribute all   
the necessities of life for the general 
welfare of mankind1 by the most         
intelligent1 humane1 and unselfish      
methods4  ,but1 said ,i1 as ,arletta    
paused for a moment1 was it not a very  
difficult matter to make all men give   

their best efforts to the ,state when   
there was no incentive for personal gain
 other than that which everybody else   
received1 and did not those who were    
capable of accomplishing more work than 
others1 complain of the benefits given  
those with less ability and not so      
industriously inclined as themselves8   
,those same questions were asked and    
answered over five thousand years ago1  
replied ,arletta1 and were subsequently 
proved to be fallacies4 ,if a man's     
highest aim in life is to foolishly pile
 up worldly products for his own piggish
 satisfaction1 then he is really on no  
higher plane than the swine2 for the    
rich accumulate wealth like the hog does
 filth1 for what1 they know not4 ,it    
requires far more ability to build a    
strong moral character and a kindly     
feeling for others1 than it does to     
accumulate a mountain of produce4 ,the  
,sagemen1 with their splendid           
intellects1 would gladly have worked    
themselves to death for the public good 

had not the ,state restricted the       
working hours and required each person  
to give proper care and attention to    
himself as well as to the public4       
,immediately after discarding the old   
system of individual accumulation1 the  
,sagemen passed a law that all persons  
refusing to do their portion of work for
 the public should be considered insane1
 and put into asylums until such time as
 they regained their proper senses4 ,no 
work1 no freedom1 the statute said4 ,but
 even in the beginning there was very   
little use for these asylums1 and within
 two generations they became obsolete   
for the want of inmates4 ,the vast      
majority of human beings are anxious to 
appear in the best possible light in the
 eyes of their contemporaries and are   
swayed either forward or backward by the
 sentiment of others4 ,if public opinion
 says to the individual3 you are held   
equally responsible with everybody else 
for the general welfare and conditions  
of your country1 and if you show a lack 

of self-respect by trying to evade the  
small portion of work necessary to pay  
for your keeping1 then you shall be     
judged mentally and morally unsound1 and
 not fit to associate with respectable  
people1 he will not only do all that is 
expected of him1 but will try to        
out-work everybody else in order to     
secure the highest esteem of his fellow 
beings4  ,the system of individual      
accumulation as now practiced throughout
 the entire world is a most brutal plan 
of existence4 ,it is either directly or 
indirectly responsible for all the crime
 and suffering humanity has to contend  
with4 ,it causes men to forget their    
souls in the desperate struggle for a   
mere living4 ,it saps the strength of   
the individual and then censures him for
 being weak4 ,it robs him of the fruits 
of his labor and then blames him for    
being poor4 ,it forces him to steal and 
then punishes him for being a thief4 ,it
 drives him to all sorts of crime1 and  
then condemns him for being a criminal4 

,it encourages and gives everything to  
the strong and discourages by taking    
everything from the weak4 ,it originated
 with the primitive savages1 and is the 
most beastly and debasing system        
conceivable4 ,it keeps mankind in the   
very lowest stage of intelligence1 and  
in a condition of helplessness on one   
side and slavery on the other4 ,it has  
been saturated with so many idiotic laws
 and so-called remedies since its       
inception that it now resembles a great 
network of legalized corruption4 ,laws  
for this and laws for that1 and laws to 
offset other laws are enacted until the 
power of the human race is wasted1 in   
either making or breaking the           
innumerable edicts made to uphold a weak
 and rotten system4  ,you cannot make   
right by patching up wrong4 ,a new and  
effective system cannot be created by   
changing the features of an old and     
putrid one4 ,an entirely new foundation 
must be constructed in order to insure  
solidity and strength4 ,that was the    

reason the ,sagemen uprooted entirely   
the cancerous system of individual      
accumulation and planted in its place   
the scientific and mutually beneficial  
plan of united labor and equal          
distribution as decreed by ,natural     
,law4  ,the ,apeman being the foremost  
of living particles on earth at the     
present time1 and nature being capable1 
willing and generous enough to          
abundantly provide for all of his needs1
 he should immediately cast off the yoke
 of greed and devote his time and best  
efforts to a nobler work than the petty 
accumulation of plunder4  ,,chapter     
,,xix  ,in equal proportion to man's    
moral and mental strength1 so should he 
be well-balanced physically1 proceeded  
,arletta4 ,in fact1 he cannot accept his
 greatest opportunities unless perfectly
 sound and healthful4 ,the mind derives 
its power of conception from the body1  
as well as the body secures its impetus 
from mind1 therefore1 the development of
 the frame should at least keep pace    

with that of the intellect1 if not      
exceeding it4 ,there is nothing more    
delightful to behold or conceive than a 
perfect physical man1 whose features    
manifest strong moral and mental        
attributes1 as exemplified by the       
portraits of the ,sagemen4  ,excepting a
 perfect woman as depicted by yourself1 
thought ,i1 with uncontrollable rapture1
 as ,i feasted my eyes upon her         
exquisite form and lovely countenance4  
,taking notice of my passionate         
cogitation1 she interjected1 ,nature    
created the male and female1 and in     
order to perpetuate life itself1 the    
union thereof is necessary2 therefore1  
the highest aim of each should be to win
 and hold the love and companionship of 
the other4 ,to do this successfully1    
each must strive to reach the very      
highest point of physical1 as well as   
mental and moral excellence4 ,our men   
adored women as the most sacred and     
beautiful objects of life2 the women    
revered men as the grandest things      

extant4  ,according to the philosophy of
 ,sage--who1 by the way1 was the founder
 of our government1 and the first to    
expound the principles of ,natural      
,law--men belonged to the community1 and
 not the community to man4 ,he contended
 that it was just as essential to the   
general welfare of the public for the   
individual to build himself up from a   
healthful standpoint1 and likewise make 
himself pleasing to the eyes of others1 
as it was to construct sanitary and     
artistic houses4  ,health and beauty are
 natural2 disease and deformity are     
acquired1 and are therefore crimes      
against mankind4 ,there are three good  
reasons why it is criminal for one to   
neglect health4 ,first1 by going        
contrary to ,natural ,law1 he unfits    
himself to give his best labors toward  
the progress of his species4 ,second1 by
 breeding disease in himself1 he forces 
it into the community4 ,third--the most 
heinous crime of all--he passes down to 
his offspring the ghastly inheritances  

resulting from his own degraded         
weaknesses1 which1 in turn1 are handed  
down from generation to generation4     
,intemperance1 such as over-eating1     
over-drinking1 over-work1 over-rest1 and
 many other forms of over-doing things1 
together with worry and uncleanliness1  
is directly responsible for disease and 
deformity4 ,all living things would be  
healthful1 if they contained enough     
intelligence to live according to       
,natural ,law4  ,besides using          
moderation in taking nourishment1 work  
and pleasure1 the ,sageman was careful  
about his exercises1 assiduously        
devoting from two to three hours each   
day to physical culture4 ,he practiced  
all manner of games and acrobatic       
performances1 in order to bring the body
 up to its best possible shape4         
,suppleness1 agility1 and gracefulness  
were desired in preference to brute     
strength4 ,running1 jumping1 swimming1  
and flying were considered a necessary  
part of every one's daily routine1 from 

early youth until old age and death4    
,flying1 exclaimed ,i1 incredulously1   
you surely do not mean to inform me that
 the ,sagemen could fly8  ,yes1 answered
 ,arletta1 the practice of floating in  
the air was begun shortly prior to the  
great catastrophe and many of our men   
and women were becoming adepts at it4   
,you see1 after the ,sagemen            
discontinued the animal method of eating
 flesh and other solid substances and   
adopted the aeriform process of         
nourishment1 he naturally became much   
lighter in proportion to his bulk1 and  
gravitation did not hold him so tightly 
to the earth as formerly4 ,of course it 
took many generations of tendency in    
that direction before he could even     
acquire the rudiments of aerial         
propulsion4 ,but after the dread feeling
 of worry and want was finally          
eradicated from his mind by the         
abolition of the individual accumulative
 system1 he then began to apply himself 
carefully to physical development1 and  

as running1 jumping and acrobatic work  
have the best symmetrical effects upon  
the human form1 this kind of exercise   
was extensively followed1 and as each   
generation succeeded in outdoing the    
feats of the preceding one1 the entire  
nation finally evolved into one of      
extraordinary springing propensities4   
,what will you think1 when ,i tell you  
that any of our men or women could jump 
over the highest building there is in   
the world today1 or run faster than any 
of your steam locomotives8 ,it seems    
hard for you to realize such things1 but
 still these are facts4 ,in these days1 
the ,apeman devotes his time to the     
construction of machinery with which to 
carry around his decaying and almost    
useless frame1 while the ,sageman       
utilized the power of his own body to   
propel himself as nature intended4  ,the
 gradual increase from year to year1 and
 generation to generation1 of the       
,sageman's ability to make high leaps1  
and his continual desire to remain in   

the air as long as possible1 eventually 
bore evolutionary results by man        
learning to fly4 ,and like swimming1 so 
with flying1 the mind plays the biggest 
part towards its accomplishment4  ,as   
you appear incredulous regarding my     
statements1 ,i will just give you a     
little illustration1 said ,arletta1 and 
before ,i was aware of her intentions   
she arose1 and with an almost           
imperceptible spring went straight up to
 the ceiling1 and then with a graceful  
movement somewhat similar to a fish     
swimming in the water1 she went half way
 across the room and slowly descended to
 the floor again4 ,there is no good     
reason why a man should not fly as well 
as swim1 said ,arletta1 being seated    
once more4 ,time and inclination work   
wonders1 and the human race has no limit
 to its achievements if it only takes   
the right course4  ,in order to obtain  
the best results physically1 the        
individual must live according to the   
simple laws of nature4 ,plenty of good  

healthful exercise must be taken        
regularly and without strain4 ,the      
intelligent direction of the mind must  
also be brought into action with all    
muscular efforts4 ,man's daily          
employment should be a mixture of both  
mental and physical labor1 for all brain
 work strains the mind and weakens the  
flesh1 while all bodily exertion        
over-taxes the frame and retards the    
growth of intellect4 ,deep breathing1 an
 abundance of pure fresh air and plenty 
of sunlight are indispensable to perfect
 health4 ,daily baths are essential to  
keep the exterior of the body clean1    
while the interior must be kept in good 
order with a moderate supply of simple1 
wholesome and unadulterated foods4      
,nature's plain beverage1 water1 is all 
that man should imbibe4 ,no evil        
thoughts must be allowed to enter the   
mind4 ,cheerfulness1 self-control1      
kindliness and optimism are great aids  
in promoting health4 ,pessimism1 worry1 
anger1 fear and violent emotions are    

poison to the system4 ,there should be  
nothing in life to fear4 ,the unselfish 
know no fear4 ,those who teach it1 or   
cause others to fear are common enemies 
to health and progress4  ,the beastly   
custom of drinking intoxicating liquors1
 now prevalent throughout the world1 is 
one of the very worst forms of robbing  
the individual of his physical strength 
and vitality1 as well as his reason and 
moral character4  ,the tobacco habit    
also2 that idiotic and ridiculous       
performance of filling the mouth with   
smoke merely to blow it out again1 is   
another dangerous obstacle thrown in the
 path of good health4 ,it seems strange 
that the ,apeman cannot open his eyes   
wide enough to see the danger as well as
 the absurdity of these silly customs   
which sap his strength and leave him in 
a state of abject weakness4 ,what a pity
 he cannot exert enough will power to   
overcome these stupid and harmful       
practices4  ,if you want to use your    
faculties when you are old1 exercise    

them properly when you are young4       
,improve yourself and you make better   
the world4  ,,chapter ,,xx  ,sageland1  
previous to the catastrophe1 resumed    
,arletta1 was a small oblong continent  
surrounded by what are now known as the 
,indian and ,south ,atlantic ,oceans4   
,it ran from north-east to southwest4   
,its extreme length was nine hundred and
 twenty-eight miles and its greatest    
width was three hundred and ninety-six  
miles4 ,there were a little over thirty 
million inhabitants in the land4        
,unlike the different countries of the  
present time1 there were no large cities
 in ,sageland4 ,the population was      
scattered over the entire surface of the
 country at intervals and was domiciled 
in two distinct ways1 namely3 the rural 
form of dwelling1 in which a single     
family occupied a separate house for its
 own private use1 and the borough       
settlements1 whereby several thousand   
persons lived together under one roof4  
,the great structures known as borough  

buildings covered about a square mile of
 land each1 and were from fifty to      
eighty stories in height4 ,they were    
very artistically designed1 most        
luxuriously furnished and the sanitary  
arrangements absolutely perfect4 ,they  
contained1 besides a private room for   
each individual1 public reception rooms1
 libraries1 music halls1 theatres1      
gymnasiums1 baths1 etc4 ,no person was  
allowed more than one room for private  
use1 but a family could have a suite of 
apartments in proportion to its own     
number4 ,the reception rooms1 music     
halls1 theatres1 libraries1 gymnasiums1 
baths1 etc41 were entirely public and   
all persons were at liberty to come or  
go as they pleased4 ,the room in which  
you are now seated was my own private   
apartment in a borough building which   
was occupied by seven thousand people4  
,i have already explained the method    
whereby we received our sustenance1 the 
different aeriform substances being     
piped directly from the laboratories to 

the consumers' personal apartments1 thus
 obviating the necessity for dining     
halls and kitchens4  ,there being no    
such agency as commerce in ,sageland1   
through which the necessities of life   
were bought1 sold1 exchanged1 or stolen1
 there was1 of course1 no need for such 
establishments as wholesale or retail   
stores1 banks1 etc4 ,neither were there 
any jails4 ,great national work- shops1 
laboratories1 and store-houses1 a       
national auditorium1 art gallery1       
museum1 and observatory were the only   
buildings erected besides the rural and 
borough dwellings4  ,the chief          
industries of our people were planting1 
reaping1 condensing and distributing    
dietary substances2 manufacturing such  
things as machinery1 clothing1 paints1  
musical and scientific instruments1 and 
building4 ,railroads1 steamships1 mail  
service1 the telegraph and telephone had
 become obsolete with the ,sagemen4 ,in 
the first place1 it was not necessary   
for men to travel at all in person1 for 

by the power of mind sight they were    
able to see what took place at any      
particular place on earth1 and also they
 were capable of communicating with each
 other telepathically at any distance   
just as easily as ,i am now conversing  
with you4  ,great centrifugal and       
centripetal engines1 capable of         
transplanting any quantity of material  
from one place to another1 were         
constructed for carrying purposes1 while
 automatic transmuting machines1 by     
which one element could be turned into  
another1 cut down the necessity of      
transportation to a minimum4 ,machinery1
 directed by the human mind1 and        
deriving its power from the sun and     
other forces of nature1 did all of the  
,sageman's laborious work4  ,the        
,sageman's discovery and partial        
utilization of the two great forces of  
nature1 centrifugal and centripetal     
power1 were the causes of his final     
destruction1 however1 for he not only   
used them advantageously here1 but by   

that method actually tried to regulate  
the earth's course in space to suit     
himself4 ,and furthermore1 he not only  
contemplated steering his own world in  
whatever direction or part of the       
heavens he might choose1 but his        
ultimate plans were to visit1 inhabit   
and control the movements of all the    
great bodies of the universe4  ,these   
laudable purposes1 while no doubt       
practical1 failed by being undertaken   
prematurely as forewarned by many of our
 ablest thinkers1 who1 unfortunately1   
were in the minority when the question  
of making the initial trial was voted   
upon4 ,and by this failure the earth was
 rent in a fearful manner1 its map      
considerably altered and ,sageland and  
its people wiped out of existence       
entirely4  ,many millions of ,apemen who
 inhabited the balance of the globe at  
that time must also have perished from  
the effects of the awful convulsion     
which no doubt shook the earth to its   
core4 ,and so it was1 ,i presume1 the   

upset atmospheric conditions of the     
earth resulting from this catastrophe1  
forty-two hundred and thirty years ago1 
that is responsible for the legend by   
which the ,apeman blames the ,creator   
for sending a flood to destroy the      
inhabitants of the world1 good and bad  
alike4  ,but notwithstanding his        
superior intellectuality the ,sageman   
was far from being infallible4 ,he often
 made mistakes as he relentlessly       
struggled along in search of knowledge4 
,natural ,law teaches that the main     
object of life is to absorb1 concentrate
 and utilize intelligence4 ,intelligence
 rules the universe4 ,the ,sageman      
considered it his duty to first control 
himself1 then the earth1 and finally the
 universe4 ,but he became impatient1 and
 wanted to explore the heavens before he
 had assimilated all terrestrial life1  
and concentrated sufficient power to    
insure success4 ,he was anxious to      
control new worlds before he had put his
 own into the best order4 ,had he waited

 until the ,apeman and other living     
particles could have reached the same   
state of intelligence as himself1 and   
then concentrated and utilized the      
combined mental strength of the whole to
 solve the great problem1 no doubt he   
would have been more successful in his  
first attempt at universal navigation4  
,however1 he tried and failed1 and by   
that failure thoroughly demonstrated the
 futility of one part of humanity trying
 to rush ahead of the whole1 and the    
absolute necessity for all mankind to   
work unitedly and harmoniously1 and go  
forward as a unit to accomplish the     
greatest results within its power4      
,but1 inquired ,i1 what law or chance   
was it that destroyed all of your       
countrymen1 and still preserved you     
through all these ages8  ,that is the   
most remarkable circumstance of the     
whole affair1 answered ,arletta1 as she 
cast a loving glance in the direction of
 the leader of the band1 and then1      
reverently pointing toward him1 she     

continued1 he was the foremost man of   
his day1 and it was generally conceded  
by all of our people that he was the    
greatest man the earth ever produced4   
,like ,sage1 the founder of our         
government1 he lived entirely fox       
others4 ,his sole aim in life was to    
make better the conditions of all living
 things2 to make hardship1 sorrow1      
suffering or misery an impossibility on 
earth4 ,in order to be of the greatest  
service to others1 he knew that he must 
not only be unselfish1 but also build up
 his body1 brain and character to the   
very highest degree of efficiency and   
perfection4 ,and he did so4 ,he built   
himself up from a physical1 mental1 and 
moral standpoint1 until it seemed to    
others that he was the personification  
of intelligence1 love1 virtue1 and      
magnificence4 ,while possessing the     
greatest brain power1 still he was the  
most humble man in ,sageland4 ,although 
a giant in physical strength1 yet he was
 as gentle as a lamb4 ,he was the       

greatest thinker of all time1 but there 
was no room in his brain for an impure  
thought4 ,notwithstanding he was still a
 young man1 being but fifty years of    
age1 nevertheless he had attained       
distinct success and fame as a musician1
 composer1 scientist1 inventor1         
architect1 and athlete4 ,he endeavored  
to unravel all the mysteries of nature  
which attracted his attention4 ,one of  
the many occult forces he experimented  
with was human magnetism4 ,it was his   
belief that man could preserve himself  
indefinitely1 either in a state of      
animation or suspended vitality1 by the 
strength of his own will power4 ,he     
often said that1 barring accidents1 he  
would live to be a thousand years old4  
,in order that he might thoroughly study
 the subject and discover1 if possible1 
the exact forces that caused life and   
death1 he often used me as an example   
for his experiments4 ,many times he had 
caused me to lie in a trance for several
 months' duration without the slightest 

change in my appearance showing itself4 
,while my aid was necessary to suspend  
animation1 yet when once under the      
influence of the strange forces by which
 it was accomplished1 my senses departed
 entirely1 and ,i had no power to revive
 myself1 but had to depend upon him to  
restore consciousness4 ,ten days prior  
to the date set for the first trial     
whereby man was to navigate the earth in
 space1 ,i allowed him to put me under  
the spell of these influences1 and      
although it seems like yesterday that it
 happened1 still over forty-two         
centuries have since passed by4         
,uncounted billions of human beings have
 lived1 suffered and died since that    
time1 but the same soul which guided the
 magnificent being who put me into that 
trance1 has lived through it all1 and by
 a mysterious power1 has finally        
returned to release my soul from its    
incarceration4 ,it was a natural law    
which caused me to sleep peacefully     
through all those centuries1 and        

likewise it was according to nature's   
principle that you were brought back    
here to awaken me4  ,the seed of united 
labor sown by the immortal ,sage1 which 
proved so prolific in love and progress 
to the ,sagemen1 was not entirely       
destroyed by the great catastrophe1 but 
lay smouldering in this tomb during the 
dark ages of superstition1 ignorance and
 cruel civilization1 that have since    
elapsed1 and must now be replanted in   
the soil of human hearts1 and its       
benevolent results spread throughout the
 earth1 offering peace and good will to 
all living things4  ,and you1 who are   
guided by the soul of my final consort1 
said ,arletta1 as the full rays of her  
luminous eyes were fastened upon me1 ,i 
entreat you to go forth as a messenger  
of truth and justice and teach the      
principles of ,natural ,law to all of   
your species4  ,,chapter ,,xxi  ,but    
what about yourself8 inquired ,i of     
,arletta1 as ,i met her sympathetic gaze
 with a look of adoration4 ,if you would

 visit the different countries of the   
world you could revolutionize things in 
a very short time1 ,i am sure4 ,you     
could explain the principles of ,natural
 ,law to the people1 and teach them     
methods of which ,i know nothing4 ,the  
wise and learned men of the present time
 would understand your explanation much 
better1 and would give the subject far  
more serious consideration than if ,i1 a
 poor ignorant fellow with neither      
education nor standing1 undertook to    
instruct them4 ,the whole world would   
stop and listen to you4 ,the inhabitants
 would set you up as a goddess1 and     
rally to your standard as mistress of   
the earth4 ,besides1 the power your     
apparently unlimited intelligence would 
create1 your wonderful beauty would     
immediately charm every mortal who once 
set eyes on you4 ,kings1 emperors and   
potentates of all kinds would fall madly
 in love with you at first sight1 and   
you would have but to command to bring  
them to your feet as slaves ready to do 

your slightest bidding4 ,to further your
 own purposes you could-but here ,i     
stopped short in my recital1 shocked by 
a thousand little demons of jealousy    
entering my brain as it occurred to me  
that perhaps ,arletta would forget me   
entirely if all the great persons of the
 earth showered honors and favors upon  
her4 ,i felt intensely miserable at the 
very idea of such a thing4  ,do not     
allow silly thoughts to enter your head1
 said she compassionately1 ,i shall     
never leave this place4 ,this room has  
been the scene of the happiest hours of 
my life in which my coeternal companion1
 incased in the flesh of a real man1    
plighted his everlasting love and       
devotion to me4 ,and by a simple and    
intelligent law of nature ,i have been  
held a captive in this room through     
countless generations to witness the    
transformation and return of that       
faithful comrade to release my soul from
 captivity4 ,and now this room shall be 
my mortal sepulcher4  ,although ,i      

should like1 ever so much1 to go forth  
and devote many years to teaching the   
,apeman the glorious principles of      
,natural ,law as prescribed by my       
beloved countrymen1 yet it is not within
 my power to do so4  ,owing to the      
constant change in the chemical         
composition of the atmosphere1 and the  
vast difference in its present          
arrangement and that of four thousand   
two hundred years ago1 it would be      
impossible for me to live five minutes  
outside of this chamber4 ,in fact ,i    
have noticed that the supply of air1    
which must have been hermetically sealed
 within this vault at the time of the   
catastrophe1 has been gradually escaping
 by way of the hole through which you   
forced a passageway4 ,hence within a    
very short time my life will have oozed 
away for the want of proper stimulus4   
,then again1 the period in which the    
particles of this human frame should    
naturally cling together has long since 
expired1 and should ,i but expose myself

 to the elements now existing on the    
exterior of this place1 ,i should no    
doubt1 crumble into dust and be blown   
away with the winds4 ,notwithstanding   
nature compels the mutability of all    
things1 its laws however remain         
unchangeable1 and as the time has passed
 and the conditions altered since ,i    
should have lived my natural life1 this 
material of which ,i am now composed    
must soon collapse1 its parts           
disintegrate and return to the elements 
from whence they came4  ,but my soul    
shall continue to live1 and the same law
 which brought you back here to me will 
also bring our souls together many times
 and in different forms during eternity4
 ,and as you now possess the strength1  
intelligence and opportunity1 it is your
 sacred duty to go forth and teach      
,apemen to love one another and practice
 kindness toward all living things1 for 
you know not in what shape ,i may       
return4 ,as you would be kind to me now1
 so must you treat all of nature's      

creatures4 ,and remember1 that the soul 
you so ardently worship now and so      
reverently loved over four thousand     
years ago1 cannot return in a perfect   
form if there are none such forms to    
inhabit1 or in a good and pure being if 
there are no such beings extant4 ,but1  
on the contrary1 if in the future none  
but good and beautiful lives exist on   
earth1 my soul cannot possibly occupy   
anything else4 ,thus1 ,natural ,law     
plainly teaches that1 as you prepare    
earthly conditions in one form of life1 
so must you tolerate them in the next4  
,in fact1 our own future safety and     
happiness depend upon all living things 
reaching a high state of perfection and 
equality4 ,and now1 said ,arletta1      
arising and exhibiting considerable     
emotion1 having briefly instructed you  
in ,natural ,law as deeply as your      
limited mental capacity will permit1 the
 time has arrived that we must part1 for
 ,i feel that ,i am growing weak and    
cannot live much longer4 ,in fact1 it   

has been through the power of my will   
alone that ,i have been kept alive until
 now4 ,so prepare yourself to go4  ,go6 
ejaculated ,i1 jumping to my feet with  
an awful feeling of anguish as ,i       
realized the full meaning of her words4 
,me1 go8 ,never6 ,i shall remain here   
and we shall die together4 ,i could     
never live without you4 ,there would be 
left no object in life worth living for4
 ,and then1 advancing forward1 ,i took  
her shapely hand in mine1 and1 looking  
directly into her lovely eyes with much 
earnestness1 said3 ,i fully understand  
that in comparison to the ,sage-man1 ,i 
am a hideous and degraded creature4 ,and
 ,i also know that the love that filled 
the heal is of your contemporaries for  
one another was sublime1 having for a   
few moments during that musical spell   
been moved by the same emotions that    
once impelled the exalted being of which
 ,i am the re-incarnation1 but believe  
me when ,i say that my love for you now 
is ten thousand times stronger than it  

was then4 ,i worship you4 ,i shall die  
for and with you4 ,aye1 even nature     
itself cannot keep me alive after you   
have gone4 ,i may not be the equal of   
the ,sageman in other ways1 but ,i shall
 prove that my love for you is equally  
as great4  ,during this outburst of my  
thoughts1 ,arletta stood in a motionless
 attitude1 holding my outstretched hand 
and returning my excited gaze with a    
look of mingled pity and sorrow4 ,is it 
possible1 said she1 that there is not   
one ,apeman in the world today with     
sufficient strength of character to     
relinquish his own selfish desires for  
the good of his species8 ,can it be that
 not one ,apeman exists whom nature can 
rely upon for the great work of         
uplifting humanity1 who is brave enough 
to resist the temporary fascination of a
 lovable woman8 ,and have ,i lived to   
see the reincarnated soul of the bravest
 and noblest man that ever breathed1    
bound within the flesh of a wretched    
coward incapable of living for any      

greater purpose than his own            
self-gratification8 ,am ,i to understand
 that one who is controlled by the      
spirit of my everlasting associate1     
intends betraying nature's trust by     
shirking the responsibilities of        
manhood1 because he lacks the courage to
 live8 ,will there be promulgated among 
the records of time an account of my    
immortal partner having deserted his    
post of duty by sneaking out of the     
world before his allotted time8 ,would  
this being1 who is blessed with physical
 strength and a well-balanced brain1    
allow himself to sink to the level of a 
craven suicide1 because he cannot secure
 something beyond his reach8 ,does he   
think that nature brought him into      
existence for no other purpose than to  
feed his own petty desires8 ,would he   
deliberately die like a useless         
poltroon1 and leave the world in its    
present state of savagery and           
wretchedness1 without even attempting to
 be of service to humanity in the very  

work it requires the most8  ,stop6      
,enough6 cried ,i4 ,you have wounded my 
feelings to the very core4 ,i'll admit  
that ,i am weak in this instance4 ,very 
weak indeed4 ,but this is the first time
 that my courage has ever been assailed 
by anyone1 and to have you above all    
persons1 openly insinuate that ,i am a  
coward is far worse than having         
inflicted upon me the cruelest tortures 
of the ,ape-man's prospective hell4 ,i  
am only an ,apeman1 but as ,i said      
before1 ,i love you beyond all power of 
expression4 ,you no doubt1 cannot       
understand my puny feelings any more    
than ,i can fully comprehend your lofty 
ideals or the full meaning of your      
higher knowledge of things4 ,the very   
greatest hardship for me to undergo     
would be to live after you have passed  
away4 ,but1 if by the promise of so     
doing ,i can gain your respect and one  
encouraging look or word of approval1 ,i
 will not only rescind the text of my   
previous statement and live1 but ,i     

swear to you in the name of the ,creator
 of the law which governs all things1   
that ,i shall strictly follow to the    
letter any instructions you may wish to 
offer concerning my future movements1 no
 matter what they might be4 ,so make my 
task a hard one1 for the courage you so 
unfeelingly attacked must be tested to  
its full limits4 ,i am ready to obey    
your commands4  ,having thus addressed  
,arletta1 ,i straightened myself up to  
my full height with as much dignity as  
,i could assume1 folded my arms across  
my chest and awaited her orders4  ,the  
,sagemen never urged their desires by a 
command1 replied ,arletta1 they simply  
requested that which they would like to 
have done4 ,the request ,i shall make   
concerning your future duty can be      
incorporated in a very few words1 but it
 will require a lifetime and great      
strength of character to execute4 ,but  
as you have promised like a man to      
follow my instructions1 ,i shall die    
with implicit confidence in your        

determination to do so4 ,so consider    
well the following mandate1 for it      
contains the essence which will         
stimulate you to heroic deeds3  ,always 
consult your soul for advice1  ,do no   
act your conscience will not sanction4  
,three times ,arletta slowly repeated   
this precept1 and then placing her hands
 upon my shoulders1 she continued3 ,the 
first time you act contrary to the      
admonition of your soul1 then you will  
have broken your promise to me4 ,now go1
 said she1 turning me about until ,i    
faced the doorway1 ,i must request your 
immediate departure4 ,go1 and try to be 
a man4 ,we shall meet many times in the 
future1 so while you have the chance try
 and make better the conditions of life1
 that we may eventually meet on the same
 plane of equality without the shadow of
 strife or animosity to mar our         
happiness4 ,good-bye4  ,with the meaning
 of these words ringing in my head1 ,i  
fully understood that my audience with  
,arletta was at an end1 and overcome    

with grief and gloom ,i weakly          
responded1 good-bye1 and then added1 ,i 
shall never break my promise4 ,then with
 a heavy tread ,i walked to the opening 
through which ,i had entered1 turned    
half around and took one long1 last1    
loving look at ,arletta and passed into 
the corridor beyond4 ,at the same time  
,i fancied ,i heard her gently sobbing4 
,,chapter ,,xxii  ,suffering with a     
dejected feeling of despair1 ,i wended  
my way through the chaotic anterior hall
 in search of the hole through which ,i 
had so miraculously entered4 ,it seemed 
as if life's sole aim had suddenly been 
stricken from the range of my vision4 ,i
 could not understand why nature should 
be so cruel as to give me but one       
momentary glimpse of that angelic mortal
 and then thrust me away from her in    
such an indifferent manner4 ,i wondered 
why the world was not populated         
exclusively by such lovely beings4 ,was 
it because the people themselves1       
through their individual accumulative   

system1 created conditions whereby only 
the most abject and debased mortals     
could survive8 ,was this system         
responsible for petty selfishness1      
instead of conscience governing man1    
causing him in his greedy scramble for  
temporary gain1 to keep others in a     
state of helplessness1 ignorance1 and   
squalor1 thus propagating an inferior   
race of physical1 mental1 and moral     
pigmies as the foremost inhabitants of  
the earth8 ,why could not humanity      
organize itself as a great unit of      
unselfish effort and equality1 for the  
purpose of uplifting and strengthening  
all of its component parts1 instead of  
those parts pulling down1 weakening1 and
 destroying one another in a ferocious  
struggle for individual predominance8   
,as these and similar thoughts crowded  
themselves into my brain1 my attention  
was attracted by soft strains of music  
emanating from the room ,i had just     
left1 and ,i stood still and listened4  
,arletta had evidently set the          

orchestral mechanism in motion again1   
and was accompanying it by tenderly     
singing her own requiem4 ,with tremulous
 modulation1 her vocal chords produced  
sounds such as ,i had never heard       
before1 and of which ,i am powerless to 
give the faintest description4 ,like a  
statue1 ,i stood and listened to the    
almost supernatural melody1 and inwardly
 prayed that it might continue forever4 
,but suddenly both the music and singing
 ended1 and absolute quietness          
prevailed4 ,it may have been a pure     
fancy on my part1 but as ,i waited in   
breathless silence1 hoping for more     
music1 the apparition of ,arletta seemed
 to pass directly over my head1 and     
continued right on up through the solid 
roof of the hallway4 ,startled beyond   
expression at what ,i now consider a    
mere delusion1 ,i shouted ,arletta at   
the top of my voice several times1 and  
receiving no answer1 either             
telepathically or phonetically1 ,i came 
to the awful conclusion that she was no 

more4  ,is it unmanly to cry8 ,if so1 ,i
 must confess my unmanliness1 for on    
this occasion it was impossible for me  
to repress the tears from coursing down 
my cheeks1 as ,i realized that the last 
of nature's grandest and noblest earthly
 beings had passed away4 ,but the tears 
,i shed apparently softened my nature1  
and as ,i stood buried in the depth of  
meditation concerning the preceding     
events1 ,i became impregnated with the  
desire to try and do some real good in  
the world2 to make myself useful to     
mankind2 to live for others instead of  
myself alone4 ,and then and there ,i    
resolved that ,i would devote the       
remainder of my natural life to teaching
 human beings the beautiful principles  
of ,natural ,law1 as ,i understood them1
 without expectation of compensation or 
future reward4 ,i would go forth1 as    
,arletta had requested1 and plant the   
seed of real truth1 justice1 love1 and  
equality in human hearts to the best of 
my ability1 and trust in the souls of   

men to further aid in its universal and 
everlasting productiveness4 ,i felt     
positive that the theory of the ,sagemen
 was right1 and that the soul just      
released from ,arletta was even then    
beginning life in a different form4     
,would it not be criminal on my part to 
make no effort to better earthly        
conditions for her future welfare8      
,perhaps1 conjectured ,i1 the soul of my
 own mother1 who died at the time of my 
birth1 might1 even at that moment1 be   
incased in a degraded body1 surrounded  
by want and misery1 caused by the       
operation of that selfish1 brutal and   
murderous system1 which encourages the  
strong to squeeze the very light and    
hope from the weak1 thus forcing and    
keeping mankind in a state of continual 
degradation4 ,a system that was created 
in the beginning by savages1 and which  
is upheld at the present time by        
savages4 ,and the ,church1 that gigantic
 symbol of ignorance and stupidity1 not 
only fails to protest against such a    

beastly system1 but actually advocates  
its continuance4  ,how long ,i stood    
there1 seriously thinking on this       
subject1 and forming new and laudable   
resolutions for the future1 ,i do not   
know2 but at last ,i awoke to the fact  
that ,i was still nothing more nor less 
than a common adventurer1 held captive  
on an isolated projecture in the middle 
of the sea4 ,this became more apparent  
as ,i faintly heard the ocean's waves   
dashing against the rocks on the outside
 of the place4 ,so1 following in the    
direction of the sounds1 they became    
louder and more distinct1 until finally 
,i found myself looking up at the very  
hole through which ,i had bored my way  
so unceremoniously4 ,it was night1 and  
,i could easily distinguish the stars in
 the outer darkness4 ,in making a       
careful survey of the surroundings1 ,i  
discovered that it was going to be a    
much more difficult task to get out than
 it was to get in this extraordinary    
grotto4 ,the aperture was located about 

three feet above my head2 was barely    
large enough to squeeze through1 and    
there was no way by which ,i could climb
 up to it4 ,i observed1 however1 that   
adjoining the hole there was a huge     
marble pillar running upward and outward
 in an oblique slant1 and wedged in its 
position by several other massive       
stones1 but with its end protruding     
below the rest4 ,so1 without wasting any
 time1 ,i leaped up and caught hold of  
it with both hands1 and then1 adopting  
the tactics of a gymnast1 ,i began      
slowly working my way through the hole  
feet foremost1 like an acrobat going    
over a horizontal bar4 ,this feat1 which
 required great muscular strength1      
flexibility1 and tenaciousness1 was the 
very hardest physical performance ,i    
ever accomplished1 for1 besides being   
unable to get a firm grip on it1 ,i     
found1 to my dismay1 that the great     
pillar ,i clung to was insecure in its  
position1 and threatened to fall and    
crush me beneath its weight4 ,and as    

inch by inch ,i slowly and persistently 
worked my way upward and outward1 so    
inch by inch did it slowly1 but surely1 
work its way downward4 ,passing my feet 
and legs beyond the brink of the        
opening1 ,i doubled myself up in such a 
way that the lower half of my body      
rested upon a sort of a level platform1 
and1 with head downward1 ,i pushed my   
way up until ,i found myself kneeling   
upon the crust ,i had previously broken 
through1 and which ,i subsequently      
decided must have been a great pane of  
glass1 covered by the coagulated        
settlings of the air1 which for         
centuries had been forming a solid      
coating4 ,i remained in a kneeling      
position for several moments1 catching  
my breath and regaining strength4 ,i    
feared to move1 lest the thin layer upon
 which ,i rested would once more give   
way beneath me4 ,it appeared to waver1  
as did everything else around me4 ,after
 a short rest1 ,i carefully arose to a  
standing position1 and then observed    

that ,i was located in a sort of a pit1 
surrounded by rocks of various shapes   
and sizes4 ,as ,i cautiously climbed    
upward1 each one of them appeared to    
tremble at my very touch1 until just as 
,i reached the topmost point the whole  
mass apparently gave way at once1 ,i    
lost my balance and fell forward1 there 
was a terrible crash1 and after that ,i 
became dizzy and confused4  ,the most   
peculiar and disconnected sensations    
then passed through my mind4 ,first ,i  
thought there was a great hole in the   
side of my head1 which ,i tried to fill 
with small stones4 ,then my head became 
full of holes1 and finally ,i fancied   
that ,i possessed a half dozen heads and
 all of them were cut and bleeding4 ,and
 then apparently all of these heads were
 suddenly and mysteriously severed from 
my body1 and floated away in space like 
a lot of toy balloons4 ,following that1 
it felt as if every bone in my body had 
been broken1 and ,i was taking these    
bones from their places and trying to   

repair them4 ,then ,i imagined that ,i  
had several different bodies1 and all of
 them were bruised and mangled4 ,these  
forms increased in numbers until ,i     
could see nothing else but them1 and    
they appeared to be struggling to       
extricate themselves from beneath a huge
 object which seemed to grow in size    
until it was as large as a mountain4    
,finally released1 they began climbing  
up the mountain until the summit was    
reached and then gradually decreased    
until there was but one left4  ,what is 
the matter with me8 ,i wondered4 ,who am
 ,i1 what am ,i1 and where do ,i belong8
 ,i tried to think coherently1 but my   
mind was feeble and incapable of        
grasping an intelligent thought4 ,day   
and night went and came many times1 but 
still ,i remained on that mountain      
wondering1 wondering1 wondering4        
,sometimes ,i would expand until ,i felt
 larger than the mountain itself2 then  
again ,i would shrink to the size of a  
flea4 ,one time ,i would feel as if ,i  

were up near the ,north ,pole1          
surrounded by ice and freezing to death4
 ,at another time ,i would imagine that 
,i was in the middle of the ,sahara     
,desert1 being roasted alive by the     
scorching rays of the sun4 ,and1 still  
again1 ,i would feel that ,i was        
shipwrecked upon a barren island1 and   
was slowly dying for the want of food   
and water4 ,sometimes ,i fancied that ,i
 could see ships all about me1 and ,i   
would yell1 and roar at the top of my   
voice to attract attention1 but without 
results1 as they would pass beyond view 
without taking any notice of me4 ,at    
other times it seemed that ships would  
cast their anchors right in front of my 
eyes1 and apparently remain stationed   
there for weeks and months at a time1   
and yet no one would come to my         
assistance4 ,at last there appeared to  
be ten thousand ships all of the same   
pattern lowering small boats into the   
water1 and these boats manned by        
stalwart oarsmen started to race with   

each other in my direction4 ,what an    
evenly matched contest4 ,on1 on1 on they
 came1 bunched closely together1 each   
using the same uniform stroke as if all 
were guided by the same coxswain4 ,now  
they were right upon me4 ,great race1 ,i
 shouted1 as they came within hearing   
distance4 ,hurrah6 ,hurrah6 ,hurrah6    
,the poor devil is mad1 ,i fancied ,i   
heard someone exclaim1 and my mind      
became a blank4  ,,chapter ,,xxiii      
,,first ,,voice3 ,this is a most        
peculiar case of enteric fever1 in which
 the patient baffles all medical aid    
towards a cure4 ,the fellow has been out
 of his head ever since he was brought  
here1 two months ago1 and fancies that  
he has been in a trance since the time  
of ,noah and the ,ark4 ,he has a strange
 hallucination that he can be awakened  
from his protracted nap by a kiss from a
 certain female1 whom he describes as   
,arletta the ,beautiful4 ,although he is
 as crazy as a loon1 yet some of his    
utterances are really remarkable for the

 depth of logic they contain4 ,the case 
has its amusing side also1 for every    
woman by the name of ,arletta who visits
 this hospital cannot resist the        
temptation of kissing the man1 in order 
to ascertain whether they possess the   
secret charm to restore his right       
senses4 ,but so far the osculatory      
experiment has proved a dire failure4   
,he bears evidence of being a handsome  
and distinguished person1               
notwithstanding he is a charity patient1
 and without friends4 ,his              
identification is unknown1 he having    
been picked up on the street in his     
present condition by the police1 who had
 him sent here4 ,i fully believe-but    
,miss1 you are crying4 ,evidently your  
nature is too emotional for the sick    
room1 so come1 we will pass along4      
,,second ,,voice3 ,no1 wait a moment1   
,doctor4 ,i--,i think--,i am positive   
that ,i know this man4 ,in fact1 ,i was 
very well acquainted with him a few     
years ago4 ,it all seems so strange1    

but-well-you see-he often told me that  
he loved me4 ,yes1 my name is ,arletta1 
but ,i did not love him1 nor even like  
him4 ,my father and mother hated him1   
and we all had to secretly leave home   
and travel abroad in order for me to    
avoid his undesirable attentions4 ,but  
notwithstanding that1 my heart now      
bleeds for him in his terrible plight1  
and ,i want to do something for him4 ,my
 conscience would not allow me to pass  
along without trying to aid him4 ,you   
say that in his ravings he claims that a
 kiss from ,arletta would save him4 ,i  
have never done such a thing before in  
my life1 but now an irresistible force  
from within has taken possession of me  
and ,i feel that it is my duty to try   
the experiment myself1 and see if it    
will have the effect of restoring his   
normal condition4 ,therefore1 ,doctor1  
whether this strange method proves      
efficacious or not1 ,i shall rely upon  
your honor to keep the secret1 and never
 mention the incident to him4 ,if he    

knew of it ,i should die of shame4 ,my  
parents would disown me for such an act4
  ,as though awakening from a long and  
profound sleep the aforesaid colloquy   
seemed to have been impressed upon my   
mind1 and then ,i opened my eyes and    
looked about in astonishment4 ,the      
strangeness of my position and          
surroundings surprised me beyond        
expression4 ,i was lying upon my back in
 a small narrow bed stationed within a  
large oblong room about one hundred by  
fifty feet in dimensions4 ,long rows of 
little white beds extended from one end 
of the apartment to the other1 each     
containing the form of a human being4   
,most of these forms appeared to be     
soundly sleeping1 some lay awake        
silently meditating1 while others tossed
 about nervously from one position to   
another as if in terrible agony4 ,an    
occasional howl of torture rent the air4
 ,moving hither and thither among the   
different beds were women attired in    
white dresses and wearing little white  

caps on their heads4 ,they carried in   
their hands1 spoons1 tumblers1 trays1   
and various instruments and vessels of  
peculiar design4  ,at the front of my   
bed stood a man of medium height and    
build1 with a heavy reddish mustache and
 pointed beard4 ,at one side1 half way  
between the head and foot of my bed1 was
 the figure of a woman1 apparently about
 twenty-one years of age4 ,she was tall1
 slender1 graceful1 and magnificently   
gowned in street clothes4 ,her head was 
shapely and covered with an abundance of
 dark brown hair4 ,her physiognomy was  
intellectually strong1 and the whole    
cast of her features showed             
extraordinary beauty4 ,her eyes were    
clear and bright1 and expressed a tender
 and sympathetic nature4 ,she was       
looking straight at me in a             
half-startled sort of a manner1 and     
appeared to be backing away from the bed
 upon which ,i lay4 ,as my eyes met her 
steady gaze ,i involuntarily exclaimed1 
,arletta6 ,then instantly my memory     

returned1 and ,i remembered all that had
 taken place1 as explained in the       
preceding chapters4  ,notwithstanding1  
however1 that my mind became clear and  
well-balanced1 ,i became extremely      
puzzled as ,i looked at this beautiful  
woman1 to note that she bore a striking 
resemblance to the sublime being1 who   
had just passed away among the remnants 
of ,sageland1 and ,i became still       
further confounded when she timidly     
approached me and softly said3 ,you are 
,john ,convert1 are you not8  ,yes1     
answered ,i1 that is my name4  ,and do  
you recognize me8 inquired she4  ,i     
recognize in you a living demonstration 
and positive realization of the         
principle of re-incarnation1 as embodied
 in the ,sageman's theory of ,natural   
,law1 answered ,i1 slowly and           
deliberately4 ,i recognize in you the   
soul of ,arletta1 of ,sageland1 my      
eternal companion1 and a fulfilment of  
her prophecy that she would be born     
again4 ,but while ,i make this          

declaration with the utmost             
positiveness1 still ,i am at a loss to  
understand how such a thing could be1 as
 the soul of that lovely being1 having  
but just left its material body1 should 
according to ,natural ,law1 have        
attached itself to an embryo form1 while
 you are a full-grown woman4 ,at these  
words she appeared considerably amazed  
for a moment1 but quickly recovering    
herself1 she said with much sympathy and
 tenderness of feeling3 ,come1 now1 ,mr4
 ,convert1 try and think clearly and    
talk sensibly4 ,don't you recollect how1
 three years ago1 we became acquainted  
in ,paris2 how persistently you followed
 me all over ,europe1 then crossed the  
,atlantic aboard the same steamer1 and  
finally journeyed out ,west to my home8 
,don't you remember how angry ,papa     
became1 and how he threatened you with  
dire punishment if you did not stop     
annoying us8  ,no1 said ,i emphatically1
 there must be some mistake1 for ,i have
 never visited ,paris and ,i distinctly 

recollect having been in ,japan three   
years ago1 as ,i celebrated my          
nineteenth birthday in ,tokio4  ,now    
that is absurd1 said she1 with a mingled
 look of pity and suppressed amusement4 
,three years ago you told me that you   
were forty years old4 ,don't you        
recollect how you once cautioned me not 
to consider you an old man simply       
because your hair was white1 and how    
angry you became because ,i called you  
,grandpa8 ,come now1 think real hard4   
,at these words ,i began to seriously   
doubt my own identity1 but after a      
moment of calm deliberation ,i replied1 
,no1 ,i do not recollect any such       
happenings1 and moreover1 ,i am not     
forty years of age1 but twenty-two1 and 
neither is my hair white but black as   
you can plainly see4 ,will you please   
tell me where ,i am8 ,my mind is a      
trifle confused at the strange          
surroundings4  ,you are in the ,ruff    
,hospital1 ,new ,york1 answered she4 ,i1
 myself1 have been spending some time in

 this city1 and1 strangely enough1 took 
a notion that ,i should like to see the 
different hospitals4 ,it was purely     
accidental that ,i ran across you4 ,the 
doctor says you have typhoid fever1 but1
 she added1 in an encouraging manner1   
you will soon be well4 ,so cheer up1 and
 try to concentrate your mind1 so that  
you can think properly4  ,ruff          
,hospital1 ,new ,york6 ejaculated ,i1 in
 astonishment4 ,how the deuce did ,i get
 away over here8 ,oh1 ,i understand2 ,i 
fell among the rocks and was hurt2 then 
the sailors came and rescued me1 and ,i 
was brought here4 ,that seems like a few
 moments ago1 but ,i presume at least a 
month must have elapsed since or the    
ship could not have reached this port4  
,what month is this1 ,january8  ,no1    
this is the month of ,march1 replied    
she4  ,march6 exclaimed ,i4 ,great      
heavens1 how the time has flown6 ,why1  
that is about three months that ,i have 
known absolutely nothing4 ,let's see1 it
 was ,december #eth that ,i was thrown  

overboard1 and it must have been        
,december #gth that ,arletta died4      
,that's right1 ,december #g1 #ahha-;,i  
shall always remember that date and keep
 it holy4 ,it must be now ,march1 #ahhb4
  ,why1 ,mr4 ,convert1 you are certainly
 dreaming1 responded she1 this the year 
#aijc1 not #ahhb4 ,but how strange that 
you should get so mixed in the          
dates-,december #g1 #ahha1 was the day  
,i was born4 ,that was over twenty-one  
years ago1 instead of three months1 as  
you fancy4  ,at this juncture the       
red-whiskered individual came forward   
and said3 ,it seems to be a hopeless    
case1 ,miss4 ,he has talked in that same
 strain ever since he came here4        
,perhaps after his fever abates somewhat
 he may regain his equanimity1 but to me
 it looks as if his mind will always be 
unbalanced4 ,he has a nasty scar right  
over the temporal region1 which portends
 ill for his future reason4 ,perhaps it 
would be better not to talk to him any  
further at present4 ,he is awfully weak1

 and appears more excited than usual4   
,you have evidently made some impression
 upon him1 however1 and if you would    
visit him every few days he might       
eventually be able to recognize you1    
which would have a strong tendency to   
set him mentally straight again4  ,very 
well1 said she1 hesitatingly1 as if not 
anxious to go4 ,may ,i call and see him 
tomorrow1 ,doctor8  ,there are only     
three visiting days here each week1     
,miss2 ,sundays1 ,wednesdays and        
,fridays1 between the hours of three and
 four ,p4 ,m4 ,but any time you call1 if
 you will ask at the office for ,doctor 
,savage1 that is my name1 ,i shall      
consider it a pleasant duty to render   
you any service within my power1 replied
 he1 looking at her with unsuppressed   
admiration1 of which she apparently took
 no notice4 ,then continuing1 he said1  
,would you kindly give me your card that
 ,i may know your full name in case you 
call at other times than the regular    
visiting hours8  ,she opened her pocket 

book as if to take out a card1 stopped  
and reflected a moment1 and then said1  
,well1 never mind my last name2 just    
remember me as ,arletta1 and before ,i  
could collect my wits sufficiently to   
voice my agitated thoughts they passed  
from the room together4  ,,chapter      
,,xxiv  ,as ,i lay musing over the      
strange occurrences recorded in the     
previous chapter1 and wondering whether 
my entire life was a reality or merely a
 peculiar dream1 one of the white-capped
 nurses strode up to the side of my bed 
and without the slightest warning       
roughly pushed a little glass tube in my
 mouth4 ,not knowing whether she wanted 
me to swallow it or was merely trying to
 puncture a hole in my tongue1 ,i put it
 out again and asked what she intended  
doing4  ,now look here1 said she1 in an 
irritated way1 ,i have about lost all   
patience with you1 and unless you do as 
,i tell you hereafter ,i shall have the 
orderly punish you again4  ,but1 said   
,i1 in amazement1 you have not mentioned

 yet what you would have me do4  ,i have
 told you fully a hundred times to put  
this thermometer under your tongue and  
keep it there1 replied she1 exhibiting  
considerable temper1 as she viciously   
jammed it once more into my mouth and   
twisted it under my tongue4 ,you are    
about the biggest chump that ever came  
into this hospital1 continued she1      
grasping my wrist as though she intended
 breaking it and simultaneously taking  
my pulse and temperature4  ,a few       
moments later she jerked the thermometer
 from my mouth1 glanced at it hurriedly 
and then entered a record upon a chart  
suspended from the head of my bed4 ,then
 calling one of the male attendants1 she
 instructed him to fill the tub         
preparatory to giving me an ice bath4   
,this attendant went to the corner of   
the room from whence he secured a bath  
tub on wheels1 which he pushed over to  
the side of my bed4 ,the tub was already
 partly filled with water1 and ,i       
afterward learned that owing to the     

laziness and filthiness of the          
attendants1 the same water was often    
used over and over again for the        
different typhoid patients4 ,i observed 
that this attendant1 who was otherwise  
called an orderly1 was about as ignorant
 and degraded a specimen of humanity as 
a much boasted civilization could       
possibly breed4  ,he was about six feet 
tall1 round-shouldered1 knock-kneed1 and
 weighed about two hundred pounds of    
flabby flesh1 mostly covered by filthy  
garments4 ,his head was pyramidal in    
shape1 and covered by a mass of unkempt 
red hair4 ,he had practically no        
forehead4 ,his eyes were dull and       
bloodshot4 ,his nose was flat and bent  
to one side1 and his whole face was     
covered with pimples4 ,his mouth was    
wide and beastly1 and filled with       
tobacco4 ,his mustache was irregular1   
and dyed almost to the roots by tobacco 
juice4 ,his breath was odoriferous with 
fumes of whiskey1 cigarettes1 and foul  
stomach disorders1 causing a poisonous  

stench to pollute the surrounding       
atmosphere4 ,one could not look upon him
 without a feeling of sickening disgust4
 ,he was a twentieth century ,american  
civilized ,christian4 ,he was not1 of   
course1 the highest type of a civilized 
,christian1 but nevertheless he was of a
 high enough order for a ,christian     
community to breed1 rear1 and put in    
charge of its sick and unfortunate      
members4 ,as he pushed the tub along he 
carelessly allowed it to strike the end 
of my bed1 which gave me a shock as     
though ,i had been pierced by a thousand
 daggers1 causing an involuntary groan  
to escape from my lips4  ,shut up there1
 you old duffer1 said he1 looking at me 
in a stupid1 expressionless sort of a   
way1 you are not hurt yet4 ,i'll give   
you something to cry about if you don't 
quit making such a fuss over nothing4   
,you're the biggest baby ,i ever saw4   
,having fixed the tub in position1 put  
some pieces of ice into the water1 and  
adjusted a small portable partition     

around my bed1 which obstructed the view
 of the other patients1 he called for   
the assistance of another attendant1 and
 began preparations to put me into the  
tub4 ,as they uncovered me1 ,i glanced  
down at my emaciated form and was       
astounded at my own appearance4 ,nothing
 now remained of the once muscular and  
powerful frame ,i had always felt so    
proud of1 but sickly looking skin and   
bones4 ,raising my arm to the level of  
my eyes ,i discovered that it was       
shriveled1 and ghastly to behold1 and it
 fell back to my side with a sickening  
thud for the want of strength to remain 
erect4 ,it seemed as if a great fiery   
furnace was located within me and that  
,i was fairly burning alive4 ,ten       
thousand different pains were shooting  
back and forth in every part of my body1
 but the most excruciating of all was a 
terrible pain in the center of my back1 
which caused me to think that my spinal 
column had been dislocated4 ,and then as
 if all of the tortures of a refined    

civilization had suddenly been thrust   
upon me1 as though some supernatural    
hellish agency was instrumental in      
causing me to go the full limit of human
 suffering1 those two devilish orderlies
 took hold of me1 one by the head and   
the other by the feet1 and without any  
leverage whatever to break the strain   
upon my backbone1 they raised and then  
dumped me into the tub of ice-water     
below4 ,i had always considered myself  
invulnerable to bodily pain1 and from   
early youth had schooled myself against 
outward manifestation of suffering1 no  
matter what the circumstances might be1 
but on this occasion the power of       
resistance deserted me entirely and ,i  
gave vent to a howl1 of rage like the   
bellowing of a maddened bull1 and partly
 arising1 endeavored to clutch the      
throat of the unfeeling beast at my     
head1 but too weak to accomplish my     
purpose ,i fell back into the tub       
exhausted4 ,at the same time the orderly
 took hold of my own throat and almost  

strangling me1 beat my head against the 
tub several times cursing me under his  
breath in the vilest of language at the 
same time4  ,look out you don't kill    
him1 cautioned the other orderly at the 
foot of the tub1 or we might have to go 
through another of those damned         
investigations4  ,just then the doctor  
and nurse came within the inclosure1 and
 inquired as to the cause of the        
commotion4  ,this damned idiot has      
broken loose again1 and ,i am teaching  
him how to behave himself1 replied the  
orderly4  ,well1 he certainly needs a   
lesson in good behavior1 chimed in the  
nurse2 ,i cannot understand why he has  
not been sent over to the ,island for   
more strenuous treatment long ago4  ,why
 don't you do as told8 inquired the     
be-whiskered ,dr4 ,savage1 in a harsh   
tone of voice1 as he approached close to
 me1 but ,i was too weak and exhausted  
to answer1 and merely looked from one to
 the other with the utmost feeling of   
contempt4 ,after censuring me sternly   

and advising me to behave myself in the 
future1 the doctor strolled away as if  
such incidents were of trifling         
importance4  ,i was kept in that tub of 
ice-water1 freezing1 for fifteen        
minutes1 while the nurse and orderlies  
lazily rubbed my arms1 legs1 and trunk1 
and poured pitcher after pitcher of     
ice-water over my head1 in an effort to 
reduce the fever4 ,it was a barbarous   
method of treatment1 and seemed of      
several hours' duration1 but it allayed 
that intense burning sensation1 and put 
new life and vigor into me4 ,as they    
were about to transfer me back to the   
bed again1 ,i quietly informed the nurse
 that my back was in a terrible         
condition1 and requested that the       
orderlies be instructed to handle me a  
little more carefully1 and to take hold 
of my body instead of my head and feet  
when lifting me up1 so that the strain  
would be less on the middle of my back4 
,there is nothing the matter with your  
back1 snapped she4 ,i have told you many

 times before that you only imagine your
 back hurts4 ,furthermore1 we understand
 our business without any advice from   
you4  ,and with this rejoinder1 the     
orderlies once more took hold of my head
 and heels1 and after much tugging and  
twisting1 managed to lift me up into the
 bed4 ,this time the pain seemed even   
greater to bear than before1 but1       
summoning all my will power1 ,i managed 
to take the brutal treatment in silence1
 and said no more4 ,back upon the bed   
again1 shivering and shaking with cold  
as though my bones would break1 ,i was  
covered with heavy blankets1 and shortly
 afterwards fell asleep1 thoroughly     
exhausted1 and feeling assured beyond a 
doubt that ,i had once more returned to 
civilization4  ,,chapter ,,xxv  ,it is  
not my intention to give a full         
description of hospital life as it came 
under my personal observation1 nor to   
recount the many cruel acts or cases of 
stupid negligence on the part of the    
house staff as perpetrated upon myself  

and other patients1 during my stay in   
the ,ruff ,hospital as a ward patient1  
as to do the subject justice would      
require at least a volume in itself4    
,neither is it my desire to hold        
responsible any particular person or    
persons for the existence of such a     
barbarous state of affairs1 in which    
degraded wretches inflict punishment    
upon the sick1 knowing that this is but 
one of the logical results bred from the
 debasing system kept in force by a     
semi-intelligent class of selfish       
brutes1 who are crafty enough to gain   
control of others by teaching the cruel 
and savage doctrine known as the        
survival of the fittest4 ,i have nothing
 but a feeling of compassion and sorrow 
for those abject creatures who          
mistreated me when ,i was sick1 knowing 
that they1 as well as those whom they   
mistreated1 were but the victims of this
 pernicious system4  ,in the desperate  
struggle for a mere existence1 most men 
and women are forced into employment for

 which they are entirely unfitted1 and  
consequently take no other interest in  
their work than that of receiving their 
weekly or monthly stipend4 ,this fact   
was thoroughly demonstrated to me by the
 action of several nurses who appeared  
to look upon their work as tasks to be  
executed mechanically1 instead of duties
 to be performed with pleasure4 ,then   
again1 others who really preferred the  
work were either kept away from it      
entirely1 or else made dull1 peevish and
 irritable by the great number of hours 
they were forced to be on duty each day1
 thus turning what should have been     
pleasant employment into a drudgery4    
,and like the nurses1 so were the       
orderlies2 their daily work hours were  
so long and their pay so small that only
 the least intelligent and most stupid  
moral idiots could be secured to take   
positions that should be filled by men  
of the very highest intelligence1       
character and sympathy4  ,the physicians
 themselves ,i found to be inexperienced

 youths1 generally masquerading under a 
set of whiskers1 which some people are  
foolish enough to mistake for brains and
 ability4 ,coming direct from the       
medical colleges1 they accepted these   
positions in order to gain some         
practical experience at the expense of  
the lives of the hospital patients4     
,the bricklayer1 who devotes his life to
 the honorable work of building the     
edifice2 the hod carrier1 who gives his 
best services to the community in an    
equally honorable employment2 the       
locomotive engineer1 who safely carries 
from city to city a train load of human 
beings each day for many years1 are only
 fit to be practiced upon by            
inexperienced physicians1 and abused by 
irritable nurses and cruel orderlies1 if
 they are finally overcome by sickness  
and enter a charity hospital for        
treatment4  ,for several days ,i lay    
upon my little ward cot in the ,ruff    
,hospital1 with my life hanging in the  
balance1 and obliged to accept for      

succor the abuse and mistreatment of an 
inferior house staff4 ,and worse still1 
,i had to be an eye witness to cruelties
 imposed upon other and less fortunate  
sufferers than myself4 ,i feel sure that
 many a poor fellow that ,i saw carried 
away upon a stretcher1 a lifeless       
corpse1 had given up all hope of        
recovery and died1 for the want of a few
 cheering words and kindly sympathy from
 sonic one1 instead of the constant     
abuse and brutality he was subjected to4
  ,i fully believe that ,i myself must  
have inevitably succumbed to my pitiless
 treatment1 had it not been for the fact
 that the young girl1 ,arletta1 visited 
me each day for a half hour1 bestowing  
upon me a tender sympathy1 and          
manifesting the greatest concern for my 
welfare and recovery4  ,i was placed in 
a most peculiar position4 ,i could get  
no information whatsoever from the      
doctors1 nurses1 or orderlies1 and even 
,arletta said very little1 and cautioned
 me against talking or exciting myself  

in any manner4 ,i learned enough1       
however1 to know that twenty-one years  
had actually elapsed since my wonderful 
experience with ,arletta of ,sageland1  
and felt convinced beyond a doubt that  
the beautiful young girl1 who took such 
an interest in my welfare1 was impelled 
by the same soul as my noble            
instructress in ,natural ,law4 ,but ,i  
was intensely mystified and unable to   
conceive what had become of the time    
between the going of the one and the    
coming of the other ,arletta4           
,twenty-one years had been swallowed up 
as completely as if they had never been4
 ,nearly one-half of my life had passed 
away1 of which ,i could give absolutely 
no account4 ,a look into the mirror was 
a convincing proof of this fact1 for    
therein ,i saw a white-haired and       
premature old man1 with a thin1 haggard 
and drawn countenance1 which plainly    
showed the results of having lived a    
life of hardship1 and almost            
unrecognizable as my own face4 ,my heavy

 black mustache was gone1 and in its    
place nothing but white stubble         
remained4 ,the more ,i endeavored to    
reach some tangible solution of the     
mystery1 the more confused ,i became4   
,according to the girl1 ,arletta's      
story1 ,i had been introduced to her at 
a reception in ,paris three years       
previously1 had apparently fallen       
desperately in love with her1 and made  
myself obnoxious by following her       
everywhere she went for several months4 
,but as neither she nor her parents     
liked me1 ,i was finally eluded1 and had
 not been seen for over two years4      
,according to her account1 ,i was       
generally looked upon as a rich         
gentleman of leisure and bad habits1 who
 did nothing but travel and spend money 
recklessly4 ,this being the case1 the   
foremost questions of my mind were3     
,where had ,i gotten the money to spend 
so extravagantly8 ,had ,i lived those   
twenty-one years as a rational being1   
earning and accumulating wealth and     

still not knowing anything about it8    
,arletta of ,sageland had told me that  
there was no such thing as a freak of   
nature1 and that everything worked      
according to ,natural ,law1 but my case 
certainly seemed to be an exception to  
the general run of things4 ,what would  
be the final outcome of my mysterious   
career1 was a question to be answered   
that was entirely beyond the limits of  
my imagination4 ,it gave me a severe    
pain in the head to contemplate beyond  
the surface of the subject1 and ,i      
finally allowed the whole matter to slip
 from my attention and bent my efforts  
toward recovery from the effects of my  
physical ailments4  ,one day ,arletta   
said to me in as kindly a manner as     
possible3 ,mr4 ,convert1 the doctor     
informs me that the reason you do not   
get well is because you lack the will   
power to do so4  ,will power1 exclaimed 
,i1 my dear sweet girl1 that is all ,i  
have left4 ,it is the only force that is
 keeping me alive in the face of the    

cruelest treatment man could possibly   
receive at the hands of his fellow      
beings4 ,without will power ,i should   
have been killed long ago by these      
people1 but through that agency alone ,i
 have been enabled to defy death and ,i 
promise you that ,i shall get well in   
spite of them4  ,why1 ,mr4 ,convert1 how
 can you talk so harshly against these  
kind people8 ,i am sure they are doing  
everything within their power to make   
you well4  ,you think so because you    
know nothing of the case1 answered ,i4  
,you simply visit this place for a half 
hour each day1 at a time that everything
 is moving along smoothly1 and merely   
get a surface view of matters4 ,it is my
 earnest hope that you may never get a  
practical insight into these things by  
being placed in the same position as    
myself or these other poor fellows all  
around me4 ,if all the poor unfortunates
 ,i have seen carried out of this ward1 
corpses1 have died for want of the same 
kind of will power ,i require1 then all 

,i can say is that the doctors here     
should be held responsible for a great  
many cases of actual murder4  ,why1 ,mr4
 ,convert1 what do you mean by talking  
in this way8 inquired she4  ,just this1 
replied ,i1 these doctors are treating  
me for the wrong ailment4 ,i am         
suffering no more from the effects of   
typhoid fever than you are1 but still   
these doctors are trying to cure me of a
 malady which does not exist4 ,since    
recovering my memory ,i have observed   
that the many typhoid patients all      
around me have been bathed from five to 
ten times daily1 while my fever rises to
 a point which necessitates an ice bath 
to reduce it but once each day1 and     
always at the same hour1 five o'clock in
 the afternoon4 ,in any part of the     
world where malaria is prevalent these  
symptoms indicate nothing more nor less 
than chills and fever and should be     
cured within a day or two by a few doses
 of quinine4 ,i have explained this to  
the doctors several times1 but with a   

wisdom born of book learning they have  
contemptuously disregarded my advice and
 still continue to treat me for enteric 
fever1 and then lay the blame upon me   
for not getting well4 ,do not doubt me1 
my dear girl1 ,i know what ,i am talking
 about4 ,up to a few days ago my memory 
was obscured1 but now ,i am in my right 
senses and fully capable of using all of
 my reasoning faculties to their fullest
 extent4 ,some day ,i shall explain many
 strange things to you1 of which you    
know nothing4 ,but now ,i must devote   
all of my thoughts and forces toward    
regaining my former physical strength1  
and likewise increase my moral and      
mental vigor for a future great work4   
,arletta said no more at that time1 but 
to my great surprise1 the next day ,i   
was transferred from the charity ward to
 a paid private room in another part of 
the hospital4 ,the furnishings of this  
room were of the most luxurious         
description1 and the nurse informed me  
that it was the very best and highest   

priced apartment in the building4 ,i    
afterwards learned that the cost of     
renting this room1 including attendance1
 was one hundred dollars per week4      
,arletta had secured it for me4 ,it was 
really remarkable how quickly the value 
of my life increased in the eyes of     
those hospital attendants1 by the       
expenditure of a little money4 ,from a  
worthless proletariat ,i was suddenly   
transformed into a man of great         
importance4 ,there were two private     
nurses to wait on me1 and they moved    
with the celerity of antelopes in       
response to my slightest bidding4 ,they 
appeared to be bubbling over with       
kindness and attention1 and seemed to   
anticipate my every want4 ,the orderlies
 treated me as if ,i were the crowned   
ruler of the universe1 while the doctors
 displayed an unnatural politeness that 
was almost amusing4 ,i found out later  
that ,arletta was to fee them all       
handsomely in case of my early recovery4
 ,my new nurses were always ready to    

answer questions and give me any        
information ,i wanted4  ,upon arriving  
at my new and sumptuous quarters1 one of
 the nurses informed me that ,i was to  
receive a personal visit from the great 
,doctor ,know-all that day4 ,she further
 informed me that he was considered to  
be the leading physician of ,america and
 that he never made a professional call 
for less than one thousand dollars4 ,as 
if by appointment ,arletta and this     
doctor arrived at almost the same       
moment4 ,several of the house physicians
 also followed him into the room anxious
 to learn what diagnosis this celebrated
 practitioner would make of a case which
 had so baffled them4 ,he lost no time  
in unnecessary talk but got down to work
 immediately1 first looking over the    
charts which recorded my condition since
 my entrance to the hospital4 ,then he  
examined me carefully1 with various     
instruments1 from the tip of my head to 
the sole of my foot1 meanwhile asking me
 many questions on widely different     

subjects4  ,at last he turned to the    
house physicians and said3 ,it is my    
opinion that when this man first entered
 the hospital he was merely suffering   
from a simple case of malaria and not   
enteric fever1 as you have diagnosed4   
,since then his kidneys have become     
affected1 and he now suffers from both  
malaria and lumbago4 ,for the fever1    
give him ten grains of quinine three    
times a day for two days and gradually  
diminish the quantity until the fever   
abates entirely4 ,begin to feed him     
after the second day4 ,for the lumbago1 
give him at least two quarts of lithia  
water to drink each day4 ,now as to the 
man's mental calibre1 ,i find him       
perfectly sane and normal4 ,but owing to
 a fracture of the skull sustained by   
him some time in the past1 the two sides
 of his brain have become separated1    
causing two distinct personalities to   
exist4 ,when one side of the brain      
works1 the other side remains dormant1  
and vice versa4 ,he likewise possesses a

 dual memory1 and is only capable of    
recollecting events as they happen      
separately and distinctly1 according to 
the side of the brain which takes the   
impression4 ,consequently1 this man may 
have lived a perfectly sane life during 
the past twenty-one years1 of which he  
claims to have no recollection4 ,he may 
at any time in the future resume either 
personality by some slight mental       
disturbance1 but his two personalities  
will always remain as strangers to each 
other4  ,having thus delivered himself1 
the doctor1 who apparently was bent upon
 making a few more thousand dollar calls
 that day1 hurriedly1 but with great    
dignity1 strode out of the room1 closely
 followed by the other physicians4      
,after they had departed1 and we were   
alone1 ,arletta pulled a chair up close 
to the head of my bed1 and1 looking     
steadily and earnestly into my eyes1    
said3 ,i sincerely hope1 ,mr4 ,convert1 
that you may never again resume your    
other personality4  ,,chapter ,,xxvi    

,the change from a charity patient to   
the highest paid patient in the ,ruff   
,hospital bore magical results1 and ,i  
was soon on the road to recovery4 ,the  
quinine knocked all the fever out of me 
within two days4 ,the food ,i was given 
to eat after fasting two months1 began  
to strengthen me at once and within ten 
days ,i was able to walk about the room4
 ,arletta never failed to visit me at   
least once each day1 and on some days1  
two and three times4 ,with each visit   
she brought flowers1 fruit1 or some     
little delicacy1 and ,i was not long in 
discovering that she was taking more    
than an ordinary interest in me4 ,as the
 days flew by1 her visits became more   
frequent and of longer duration1 until  
finally it seemed as if she almost lived
 in my apartment4 ,many times she came  
in the morning and remained all day1    
taking her lunch with me in the         
meantime4 ,as my health improved1 and ,i
 became more vigorous in bodily         
strength1 those same feelings of        

admiration and love ,i bore for the     
first ,arletta took a firm hold of me   
until it seemed that she was a part of  
my very life4 ,ah6 those were happy and 
heavenly days indeed4 ,the happiness ,i 
enjoyed there1 was of that kind which   
can only exist between two souls        
fore-ordained and mated to each other   
for all eternity4 ,as the time went     
by-all too rapidly-we had much to talk  
about4 ,arletta described the many      
progressive strides made by science and 
invention during the twenty-one years in
 which my mind was a blank1 and ,i told 
her hair-raising stories of my early    
travels and adventures in all parts of  
the world4 ,we said very little         
regarding my other personality4 ,that   
subject appeared distasteful1 and caused
 her to shudder whenever it was brought 
up4 ,she seemed to think that in my     
other character ,i was all that was low1
 mean and contemptible1 while she openly
 avowed that my present self was noble1 
honorable1 and manly4  ,there was one   

hitch1 however1 which seemed to take    
root and stand threateningly in the path
 of absolute harmony between us1 and    
that was my belief in ,natural ,law4    
,she refused to believe the story ,i    
told her of the wonderful ,sagewoman of 
whom she was the re-incarnation1        
claiming that it was nothing more nor   
less than a fancy of my disordered      
brain4 ,she also seemed greatly         
displeased when ,i informed her that it 
was my intention to go out into the     
world and teach the principles of       
,natural ,law4 ,it pained her to think  
that ,i should allow myself to even     
question the authenticity and           
infallibility of the ,bible4 ,her faith 
was so strong and her nature so gentle  
that ,i refrained from discussing the   
subject in any form1 after ,i found how 
much she grieved over it4 ,so ,i said no
 more about my experience with the      
divine ,sagewoman and my promise to     
follow her instructions during the      
remainder of my natural life1 but       

confined my conversation to other       
subjects1 and to the full enjoyment of  
her daily companionship during my period
 of convalescence4  ,day by day my      
weight and strength increased1 until at 
last the time arrived for me to quit the
 hospital and go into the outer world4  
,i had made no plans as to what ,i      
should do when thrown upon my own       
resources1 but felt confident that once 
well and strong ,i should find plenty of
 work to do with both my hands and      
brain4 ,arletta1 who appeared to have an
 unlimited bank account1 was generously 
supplying me with every comfort and     
luxury that money could purchase1       
notwithstanding my earnest protests     
against it4 ,the tailor had visited me1 
taken my measure1 and returned a fine   
black frock suit of clothes4 ,the hatter
 had furnished a silk tile1 the         
shoemaker1 shoes1 and the haberdasher   
all the other articles necessary to     
complete my wearing apparel in the most 
up-to-date style4 ,the barber1 the      

manicurists1 and even the chiropodist   
had visited me and taken extra pains in 
polishing me off4  ,you are the         
handsomest old gentleman in ,new ,york1 
said ,arletta1 girlishly1 as she saw me 
for the first time dressed in street    
clothes1 and all ready to take my       
departure4 ,but you do not look so old1 
after all1 she added reflectively1 if it
 were not for your white hair you might 
pass for a man of thirty-five4 ,my6 what
 a great big fellow you are6 ,really1 ,i
 am afraid that all of the women at the 
,waldoria will become infatuated with   
you at first sight1 continued she1      
critically looking me over from head to 
foot4  ,and what do you mean by the     
,waldoria8 inquired ,i4  ,the ,waldoria 
,hotel1 answered she4 ,i have arranged  
for you to live there until you have    
thoroughly recuperated and regained your
 full strength-there1 now1 no more      
objections1 or ,i shall become angry4   
,at present1 you are in my charge1 and  
must do just what ,i tell you4          

,notwithstanding ,i consider the task of
 following your instructions a most     
pleasant one1 replied ,i1 still it seems
 to me that ,i am not doing exactly     
right in accepting your most generous   
offerings1 for the simple reason that ,i
 shall never be able to repay you for   
all you have done4  ,i have been amply  
repaid already1 said ,arletta1 by the   
miraculous transformation of a very bad 
and offensive man whom ,i did not like1 
into a thoroughly good one whom ,i do   
like4 ,so say no more about the matter1 
for the present at least4 ,after you    
have fully recovered from the effects of
 the terrible ordeal through which you  
have just passed1 then ,i shall consider
 any protests you may have to offer1 but
 not before4 ,i have ordered the        
carriage to come for you at noon1 and   
have given instructions to have you     
taken to the hotel4 ,when you arrive    
there1 you will go to the head clerk's  
desk and hand him your card4 ,here she  
gave me a small package of visiting     

cards on which was inscribed ,john      
,convert4 ,you will then ask to be shown
 to your apartments1 which have been    
settled for in advance for one year1    
after which make yourself as comfortable
 as possible in the place4 ,do not      
mention your business in any way as it  
pertains to you and me4 ,it will be     
impossible for me to see you as often as
 ,i should like1 but whenever it is     
convenient ,i shall have you come and   
see me4 ,i am stopping at a different   
hotel in another part of the city1 and  
for reasons best known to myself1 ,i    
shall continue to withhold my last name 
from you1 as you seem to have no        
recollection of it whatever1 and it will
 also be necessary for the present to   
meet you in some out-of-the-way place1  
which ,i will designate later4 ,perhaps 
some day you will learn who ,i am1 and  
all about me1 but until ,i am ready to  
furnish you with further information    
concerning my identity1 ,i shall rely   
upon your honor as a man not to         

undertake1 by any methods whatsoever1 to
 discover who ,i am1 or where ,i reside4
  ,with this mysterious admonition and a
 tender farewell1 ,arletta left me in   
the depth of meditation as to what      
strange occurrence nature's storehouse  
might still contain for me1 and a few   
minutes later ,i was notified that the  
carriage was in waiting4  ,,chapter     
,,xxvii  ,it would be almost impossible 
to record my impressions of the         
different things that came to my notice 
for the first time in twenty-one years1 
as ,i was driven from the hospital to   
the hotel4  ,while great progress had   
taken place in many lines during that   
time1 still after having had such a     
realistic mental picture of the wonders 
of ,sage-land stamped upon my mind1 the 
new inventions1 such as trolley cars1   
automobiles1 etc41 which ,i had never   
seen before1 seemed crude and           
insignificant4  ,as ,i passed from      
street to street ,i could not fail to   
observe the great disorder that         

prevailed everywhere1 in the foremost   
city of the world4 ,in the first place1 
,i was struck by the inharmonious and   
ragged appearance of the buildings4     
,here was a tall skyscraper of nice     
white marble thirty stories high1       
towering up into the clouds like a great
 beanpole1 while on one side of it was a
 squatty little two-story red brick     
structure1 and on the other side a      
six-story brown stone building1 the     
whole forming a most irregular and      
distracting appearance to the eye4 ,in  
other places1 right in the heart of the 
city1 and adjoining well-designed       
buildings1 were vacant lots inclosed by 
high ugly board fences1 on which were   
painted fantastic and ridiculous        
advertisements4  ,these defects1 of     
course1 could only be thoroughly        
remedied by putting into force the      
logical economic principle of ,state    
ownership of all land and buildings1    
instead of permitting the individual to 
do as he pleased with property made     

valuable by the community4  ,the        
disarrangement of the buildings1        
however1 merely typified the incongruous
 and illogical disorganization of the   
people themselves4 ,for instance1 here  
was a big1 strong1 well-fed fashionably 
groomed young man1 walking along the    
street1 carrying no heavier burden than 
a light walking stick1 while just beside
 him was a half-starved old woman1      
almost bent double under the weight of a
 large basket of clothes she had washed 
for somebody else4  ,then again1 here   
were two big1 strong men1 perched upon  
the driver's seat of a magnificent      
carriage1 drawn by two great powerful   
horses1 and conveying about the city for
 recreation a dyspeptic lap-dog1 while  
trudging along the gutter in search of  
work or something to eat was a weak1    
ill-fed1 broken-down old man1 who had1  
no doubt1 given the best years of his   
life to the actual labor which had      
increased the wealth of the community4  
,along the streets everywhere were dirty

 young boys of tender age1 who should   
have been at school or play1 rushing    
madly in every direction1 trying to earn
 a few cents by the sale of newspapers1 
polishing shoes1 and acting as chore    
boys4  ,little brass bands were         
scattered about here and there1 braying 
forth inharmoniously1 and organ grinders
 and street piano players were rending  
the air with bad music in return for a  
few pennies1 thrown to them by passing  
pedestrians4  ,venders of fruit1        
shoe-strings1 collar-buttons1 and other 
light merchandise were scattered along  
the sidewalks and gutters1 trying to    
earn a living by the sale of their      
wares1 while beggars occasionally       
stopped the more fortunate members of   
society with pathetic importunities for 
money to buy bread4  ,cabmen and horses 
were wasting the public power by        
standing idly about waiting for         
engagements1 or else driving aimlessly  
in all directions1 searching for        
patronage4  ,wagons of every description

 were rushing about hither and thither  
in a wretchedly unsystematic method of  
retail delivery1 utilizing in many cases
 the labor of two men and a team of     
horses to carry a small package several 
miles distant4  ,countless little retail
 merchants1 with an incalculable force  
of managers1 clerks1 book-keepers1      
errand boys1 etc41 were fairly throwing 
away the public power in enormous       
quantities through the brainless        
struggle of competitive trade4  ,all    
these imperfections could be extirpated 
by the abolition of the money system1   
thought ,i1 as the carriage came to a   
standstill in front of a great brown    
stone edifice1 and the driver announced 
that we had reached our destination4    
,the door of the carriage was swung open
 by a uniformed employee1 and1 alighting
 therefrom1 ,i was immediately ushered  
into the main office of the leading     
institution of its kind in the          
,world--the ,waldoria ,hotel4  ,it was  
quite a new sensation for me to enter   

this great hostelry as a guest1 having  
spent the fore part of my life as a     
rough adventurer who had never known the
 meaning of luxury or refinement4 ,but  
still1 somehow or other1 it always      
seemed natural for me to carry myself   
properly in whatever position ,i        
happened to be placed1 and on this      
occasion ,i felt composed and at my ease
 as ,i entered and made known my        
identity to the head clerk4  ,this      
pompous servant showed extraordinary    
affability and politeness toward me1    
which caused me to wonder how ,i should 
have been received by him had ,i been a 
shoemaker1 a carpenter1 or some other   
honest son of toil1 whose labor         
increases the wealth of the world1      
instead of a moneyed gentleman of       
leisure and extravagance1 as he         
evidently supposed me to be4  ,your     
secretary has deposited five thousand   
dollars to your credit here1 ,mr4       
,convert1 said he1 handing me a blank   
cheque book1 so if you will kindly give 

me your signature for certification1 you
 can then draw upon that amount as you  
see fit4  ,in astonishment ,i was about 
to inform him that ,i had no secretary1 
and that the money was not mine1 when it
 occurred to me that perhaps ,arletta1  
or her agent1 if she had one1 must have 
pretended to be my secretary4 ,so ,i    
said nothing and did as requested4      
,upon being shown to my apartments1 a   
handsomely furnished suite of two rooms 
and a bath1 upon the tenth floor1 ,i was
 further amazed to find therein a trunk1
 two dress-suit cases1 a traveling bag1 
and six suits of fine clothes1 made in  
different styles1 from an evening dress 
to a sack business suit4 ,and the       
bedstead1 tables and bureaus were       
literally covered with articles1 such as
 a bath-robe1 pajamas1 underwear1       
shirts1 collars1 cuffs1 gloves1 hats1   
shoes1 etc41 all brand new and marked   
,john ,convert4 ,upon the dressing case 
was a small jewel box1 containing       
several kinds of gold cuff buttons1     

diamond scarf pins1 and a solid gold    
watch1 on the inside of which was       
inscribed1 ,from ,arletta to ,john4  ,it
 took some time for me to get over the  
wonderment into which ,i was plunged at 
the sight of these things1 and the      
contemplation of how far ,arletta       
intended going before ceasing her       
benevolent acts towards me1 but after   
spending an hour or two in becoming     
accustomed to my surroundings and       
putting the various articles away into  
the bureaus and wardrobes1 ,i decided to
 make a general survey of the entire    
hotel premises4  ,i learned that the    
,waldoria ,hotel was thirty stories     
high1 and covered an entire block in the
 most fashionable district in ,new ,york
 ,city4 ,in many ways it resembled a    
small city in itself1 containing a bank1
 theatre1 music hall1 photograph        
gallery1 art studio1 gymnasium1 laundry1
 electric plant1 ,turkish baths1        
tonsorial apartments1 brokers' offices1 
library1 and various ball-rooms1 besides

 four different restaurants1 two cafes1 
and several reception and smoking rooms 
for the use of its patrons4  ,the entire
 roof of the building was utilized as a 
promenade and summer garden for musical 
entertainments4  ,the hotel could       
accommodate about three thousand guests1
 who occupied apartments1 the rentals of
 which cost from three to one hundred   
and fifty dollars per day4 ,about two   
thousand employees were necessary to    
keep the establishment in good running  
order4 ,each floor had a separate clerk 
and corps of attendants1 and nobody     
could gain admission to any of the      
apartment floors except the occupants   
and their guests4  ,all of the          
apartments of the hotel1 from the       
magnificent ,royal ,suite to the single 
bedrooms of the transients1 were        
furnished in the most luxurious manner  
possible4 ,costly draperies1 priceless  
paintings1 and exquisite furnishings of 
every description1 adorned the          
drawing-rooms1 ball-rooms1 foyers and   

restaurants4 ,statues of ancient        
personages ornamented the different     
hallways1 while the carved marble and   
woodwork seen everywhere showed splendid
 workmanship4 ,sweet strains of music   
from the orchestras stationed in        
different balconies could be heard in   
most any part of the building4  ,seated 
on either side of the long1 commodious  
corridors1 on lounges overhung by palms 
and tropical plants of various          
descriptions1 were men and women of the 
fashionable set1 who represented the    
largest portion of wealth of the        
community4  ,the women with their       
low-cut gowns1 highly perfumed1 and     
weighted down with jewels of every kind1
 formed a brilliant spectacle that was  
bewitching and bewildering to behold4   
,they vied with one another in the      
display of their gorgeous gowns and     
jewels1 with the desire to impress upon 
each other thereby the wealth they      
possessed and the position they held in 
society4 ,in fact1 wealth seemed to be  

the predominant feature of their whole  
existence4  ,beautiful young women      
scarcely out of their teens1 could be   
seen paying all of their attentions to  
decrepit1 bald-headed old men of        
apparent opulence1 while on the other   
hand1 young and athletic looking men    
were courting women old enough to be    
their grandmothers4 ,in either case1 the
 young were quite willing to sell their 
persons for wealth4 ,these unnatural    
facts plainly demonstrated to what      
depths the human being1 will go in an   
endeavor to secure money1 or the power  
derived therefrom4  ,in the restaurants1
 the most criminal extravagance was     
practiced by these moneyed people1 in   
many cases the costly viands and        
high-priced wines ordered being only    
partly consumed1 and the remainder left 
to be thrown into the waste barrel4 ,in 
fact1 it appeared that the individual's 
importance was gauged by the amount of  
money he could spend1 and men who no    
doubt in a great many cases squeezed the

 pennies from the poor laboring classes 
through their different financial       
methods of confiscation1 thought nothing
 of spending from five to fifty dollars 
for a single meal4  ,in short1 ,i found 
the ,waldoria ,hotel to be a sort of a  
heavenly place1 infested principally by 
hellish beings-a welcome nest for people
 with money but a very unwelcome place  
for persons who had none4 ,it made      
absolutely no difference how people got 
their money as long as they had it4     
,the stone masons1 iron-workers1        
carpenters1 painters1 plumbers and other
 laborers who built the beautiful       
edifice were not allowed inside of it4  
,the furniture makers1 carpet and       
tapestry weavers1 interior decorators1  
etc41 through whose skill the hotel was 
made grand1 were not permitted to enjoy 
the magnificence of their own creation4 
,but owing to the stupid money system1  
which these laborers them selves help to
 keep in force1 the results of their    
combined efforts were either usurped by 

an unproductive class fortunate enough  
to be born rich1 or those shrewd enough 
to accumulate money1 such as trust      
managers1 bankers1 real estate          
speculators1 stock jobbers1 and brokers1
 gamblers1 burglars1 money loan         
swindlers1 high salaried clergymen1 etc4
  ,,chapter ,,xxviii  ,in looking over  
the daily newspapers the next morning my
 attention was forcefully called to the 
fact that fully nine-tenths of the news 
columns was given to the promulgation of
 crime in all its various forms1 of     
which ninety per cent could be directly 
traced to the money evil1 of which the  
system of individual accumulation must  
be held responsible4 ,for the benefit of
 future generations who may desire      
information that will give them an exact
 idea of the real value of their        
civilized ancestors1 ,i herewith        
reproduce a few extracts from the       
newspapers1 word for word1 just as the  
despatches were published4  ,albany1 ,n4
 ,y41 ,special ,despatch3 ,it is        

reported on high authority that ,state  
,senator ,grab has received a half      
million dollars1 to be distributed among
 the various senators and assemblymen1  
for the purpose of securing their votes 
in exchange for certain legislative laws
 that will favor the ,gas ,trust in its 
iniquitous squeeze of the people for    
higher rates4 ,several senators have    
openly threatened to vote against these 
measures1 claiming that ,senator ,grab  
is acting the hog and will not divide   
the booty fairly among them4  ,fall     
,river1 ,mass43 ,ten thousand workingmen
 and women have been thrown out of      
employment by the mills of this city1   
owing to the unprecedented rise in the  
price of cotton1 caused by the recent   
manipulations of that famous ,wall      
,street speculator1 ,dan ,bull1 who by  
forcing up the prices in the speculative
 market has added millions to his own   
bank account during the past few weeks4 
,the mills have been shut down          
indefinitely and starvation is now      

facing thousands of men1 women and      
children as a consequence4  ,brooklyn1  
,n4 ,y43 ,the marriage ceremony between 
the ,right ,reverend ,q4 ,t4 ,getrich1  
,bishop of ,new ,york1 and ,mrs4 ,e4 ,z4
 ,money was solemnized here today with  
great pomp1 and attended by some of the 
very wealthiest and most fashionable    
people of the country4 ,it has been     
suggested by some ungodly reprobate that
 perhaps the young and handsome bishop  
married the fat and aged widow to gain  
possession of her millions1 but this    
sacrilegious imputation is furiously    
resented by all pious church members4   
,chicago1 ,ill43 ,municipal ownership of
 public utilities seems to have been    
given a serious setback by the very     
costly and unsuccessful experiment this 
city undertook in operating its own     
electric and water plants during the    
past year4 ,it appears that city        
officials are just as susceptible to the
 charm of money as private corporations1
 and just as willing1 by corrupt        

methods1 to fleece the public in order  
to obtain it4 ,it is evident that as    
long as there is money in use there will
 always be boodlers4  ,baltimore1 ,md43 
,the pure food inspectors of this city  
after having made an inspection of the  
different canned goods1 have come to the
 conclusion that at least ninety per    
cent4 of the same is adulterated and    
that the public is being slowly poisoned
 to death4 ,the greed of the various    
concerns which produce these things for 
bigger profits1 causes them to use cheap
 chemicals in their adulterative methods
 in place of higher priced and genuine  
substances4 ,these inspectors make the  
astonishing statement that they believe 
all foods and drinks are more or less   
adulterated and that in the general rush
 for money profits1 the inhabitants of  
the world are actually poisoning each   
other by slow degrees4  ,st4 ,louis1    
,mo43 ,an epidemic of diphtheria is     
raging in this city and hundreds of     
children are dying daily from the       

effects of its ravages4 ,the deaths in  
most cases are children of the poorer   
classes who cannot afford to pay the    
exorbitant prices lately put upon       
antitoxin by the ,medicine ,trust4 ,this
 trust1 which controls the supply of    
antitoxin1 has increased the price      
nearly two hundred per cent1 during the 
past year at different intervals1 until 
it has now become absolutely prohibitive
 to all except the wealthy4 ,unless     
there is something done immediately to  
alleviate this condition of affairs1 the
 lives of thousands of young children   
will be blotted out1 which might        
otherwise have been saved4  ,kokomo1    
,ind43 ,an awful tragedy took place in  
this town yesterday when ,peter ,doles1 
apparently driven insane from poverty   
and want of employment1 killed his wife 
and five children by splitting their    
heads open with an axe1 and afterward   
thrust a knife into his own heart4      
,doles was at one time a wealthy citizen
 of this place1 but speculation was the 

cause of his downfall4  ,philadelphia1  
,pa43 ,a terrible state of affairs has  
been brought to light here by the police
 who have discovered that a regular     
system of child murder has been in      
practice for some time by a syndicate of
 fiends who murder children for the     
insurance4 ,these fiends1 who secured   
their victims from regularly operated   
baby farms of illegitimate children1    
would have their lives insured for large
 sums and then destroy them afterwards1 
in order to obtain the insurance money4 
,paterson1 ,n4 ,j43 ,u4 ,r4 ,dire was   
sentenced to be hung today for the      
murder of his father4 ,some time ago1   
young ,dire obtained information that   
his millionaire father was about to make
 a new will1 and cut him off without    
money1 so he deliberately entered into a
 cold-blooded plan with his father's    
secretary to murder the old man by      
poison4 ,the secretary afterward turned 
,state's evidence and upon his testimony
 the young man was convicted4  ,reno1   

,nev43 ,this town was the scene of      
murderous outlawry last night when an   
organized band of burglars gained       
entrance to a local bank1 and blew up   
the vaults4 ,the night watchman         
discovered their presence1 and raising  
an alarm brought the police and other   
citizens to the premises4 ,then occurred
 a general encounter between the police 
and the burglars in which over a hundred
 shots were fired1 causing the death of 
three policemen1 two private citizens   
and four of the burglars4 ,the remainder
 of the desperadoes jumped on their     
horses and escaped with the money4      
,boston1 ,mass43 ,rev4 ,d4 ,d4 ,sly1 the
 eminent clergyman of this city1        
announced today that he has received a  
call from the ,lord to take up his work 
in another field4 ,he will leave at once
 for ,new ,york ,city1 where he will    
take charge of a fashionable ,fifth     
,avenue pastorate4 ,reverend ,sly's     
salary will be increased from two       
thousand five hundred to five thousand  

dollars per annum through the change1   
which once more brings up the question  
as to whether the ,lord was ever known  
to call a pastor to a new field at a    
lower salary4  ,buffalo1 ,n4 ,y43 ,a    
case brought up in court here today     
shows to what extent the extortionate   
loan sharks will go in their greed for  
money4 ,it was proved that two years ago
 ,o4 ,u4 ,curr loaned ,mrs4 ,kate ,poor1
 a washer-woman with three small        
children1 the sum of fifty dollars on   
household furniture4 ,a contract was    
entered into1 whereby the widow was to  
pay interest at the rate of twenty per  
cent per month until the principal had  
been paid4 ,mrs4 ,poor stated under oath
 that she has already paid ,curr1 in    
monthly installments1 over three hundred
 dollars and that she is still indebted 
to him for the original loan of fifty   
dollars4  ,scranton1 ,pa43 ,trades      
,unionism is receiving a great deal of  
public censure at present in this city1 
owing to the recent disclosure made     

against ,judas ,pilate1 a union agent1  
who has been blackmailing different     
contractors for several years past1 by  
making them pay him large sums of money1
 under threats of ordering union men to 
strike4 ,it has been proved that ,pilate
 has secured over fifty thousand dollars
 by this method4 ,his followers1        
however1 still remain loyal to him1     
notwithstanding he sold them out many   
times and brought disrepute upon ,trades
 ,unionism4  ,harrisburg1 ,pa43 ,the    
various manufacturers of cigarettes in  
this state have banded together to      
defeat the ,anti-,cigarette ,league in  
its efforts to have laws passed         
forbidding the sale of cigarettes to    
children4 ,while the manufacturers do   
not deny that the cigarette is wrecking 
the physical1 mental1 and moral         
character of the ,american youth1 they  
contend that it will prove detrimental  
to their business interests1 and thereby
 cause a loss of many thousand dollars  
if the ,anti-,cigarette ,law is put into

 effect4 ,reliable statistics for the   
past three years show that one hundred  
thousand children are ruined annually by
 smoking cigarettes4  ,pittsburg1 ,pa43 
,the ,steel ,trust has made a general   
reduction in the salaries of all its    
employees throughout the ,united        
,states1 which will decrease the wages  
of the worker from ten to twenty per    
cent1 and affecting in the neighborhood 
of two hundred thousand men4 ,it is     
estimated that this sweeping reduction  
will save the ,steel ,trust             
approximately twenty millions of dollars
 per year4 ,owing to the manipulations  
of the ,wall ,street schemers1 this     
saving becomes necessary to keep the    
,trust in existence1 as in the great    
merger of the several different steel   
companies1 the actual valuation of the  
plants was increased one hundred times  
over in watered stock1 so that it not   
only becomes necessary for those who do 
the labor to pay dividends on bona fide 
investments of the capitalists1 but to  

pay dividends on watered stock          
criminally increased one hundred fold   
besides4 ,this decrease in wages will   
cause great suffering among the laboring
 classes1 for1 owing to the increased   
cost of living caused by the raising of 
prices by the various food trusts1 it is
 almost impossible for the ordinary man 
to make both ends meet4 ,it appears to  
all thoughtful students of political    
economy that the object of those in     
control of the money markets is to limit
 the supply of necessities of life1 so  
that the demand for them will force     
prices up1 and1 by decreasing           
production1 will cause a superfluous    
quantity of labor1 which1 in turn1 will 
force wages down4 ,with cheap labor to  
produce1 and a high selling price for   
the production1 the trust managers and  
other financiers have easily solved the 
question of how to legally confiscate   
the wealth of the world4  ,new ,york    
,city3 ,a great war is now being waged  
between the rich tenement house owners  

and their poor tenants on the ,east     
,side1 which promises to end in         
lawlessness1 riots1 and much suffering  
in consequence4 ,it appears that the    
owners of these houses have increased   
the rents from time to time until they  
are now beyond the reach of the tenants'
 ability to pay4 ,at least three        
thousand of these occupants have banded 
together to fight the last raise1 while 
the landlords have also combined to     
evict them unless they comply with the  
terms4 ,the tenants1 who are mostly hard
 working laborers1 claim that it is     
utterly impossible for them to meet the 
extortionate prices of foods1 fuel1 gas1
 oil1 and rents1 now being forced upon  
them by the financiers with the small   
amount of wages that they receive for   
their work from the industrialists1 and 
if they are evicted from their present  
homes it is a problem as to what they   
will do or where they will go4 ,the     
landlords claim that is none of their   
concern2 that they themselves are merely

 following the system now in existence  
of getting all they can1 through their  
property rights1 according to the law of
 supply and demand4 ,some of them even  
claim that these tenants are nothing    
more than vermin1 anyway1 and that it   
would be well to push them all into the 
,east ,river and exterminate them       
entirely4  ,the newspaper articles1     
which ,i have reproduced1 are but a few 
of the thousands chronicled daily of the
 terrible crimes which take place in all
 parts of civilized ,christendom over   
the individual possession of money1 or  
its equivalent1 and they also           
demonstrate that after nineteen hundred 
years of ,christianity the world still  
remains in a savage state4 ,the         
,christian must admit1 if he will stop  
and consider1 that there must be        
something lacking in his religion1 if   
after all these centuries1 such         
barbarous conditions still exist4 ,what 
is lacking8 ,this question can be       
answered in a few words4 ,the abolition 

of the money system4 ,the eradication of
 individual accumulation4 ,the          
substitution of united labor and honest 
distribution4 ,the adherence to the     
principles of ,natural ,law4  ,had      
,christ taught ,natural ,law instead of 
supernatural religion1 had he been an   
organizer and started a movement toward 
the abolition of the money system and   
established a united labor organization 
in place of the system of individual    
accumulation1 the world long ere this   
would have been a heavenly abiding place
 for the human family1 instead of a     
seething furnace of petty quarrels1     
murderous fights1 and selfish strife    
among all of the inhabitants4  ,why     
should one hog have more to eat than    
another8 ,why should one man have more  
luxuries and privileges than another8   
,why should the man who conceives an    
idea receive a greater reward than he   
who puts the idea into execution8 ,why  
should the man who works with his brain 
have more of the sweets of life than he 

who works with his hands8 ,why should   
the man who lays the brick have more of 
the world's goods than he who carries   
the brick mortar to him8 ,these         
questions do not apply alone to the     
capitalist1 but also to the laborer as  
well1 and as long as the laboring       
classes champion the cutthroat policy of
 grading man's allowance according to   
his ability1 of giving more to one than 
another1 owing to a slight difference of
 brain capacity1 he should not1 after   
showing his own greediness in this      
respect1 expect the capitalist not to be
 greedy also4 ,he must learn that all   
men should have equal opportunities and 
benefits from the whole production of   
united labor4 ,as long as money exists1 
so long will fights and quarrels take   
place between capital and labor1 and    
between the different branches of labor 
as well4 ,the laborer will fight the    
capitalist until he in turn becomes a   
capitalist1 and then he will turn about 
and fight the laborer4 ,so there is but 

one reasonable method to pursue in order
 to better the conditions on earth1 and 
to eliminate suffering and crime        
entirely1 and that method is to strike  
at the very root of the cause1 and      
abolish money and the system of         
individual accumulation4  ,,chapter     
,,xxix  ,my sojourn at the ,waldoria    
,hotel was a rather pleasant one in many
 ways4 ,i enjoyed the luxury and        
refinement of the surroundings4 ,the    
harmonious music of the orchestras was  
pleasant to listen to1 and the          
magnificent paintings and beautiful     
works of art were pleasing to the eye4  
,i also took some pleasure in wearing   
the different suits of fine clothes with
 which ,i had been supplied1 and in     
making my own person appear as well as  
possible in the eyes of others4 ,i even 
enjoyed entering the spacious and       
luxurious restaurants and eating        
sparingly of some of the delicious      
viands prepared by the scientific chef4 
,in fact1 the many delightful advantages

 to be derived from living at the       
,waldoria directly appealed to me as    
being some of the blessings supplied by 
nature for all human beings to enjoy4   
,but still there was a serious drawback 
to my thorough and absolute enjoyment of
 these conditions1 when ,i took into    
consideration the fact that ,i was in no
 way responsible for their existence4 ,i
 was accepting something from the       
community1 but giving nothing in return4
 ,i felt that in living at the          
,waldoria1 and doing no work for the    
community1 ,i was like a great sponge   
soaking up the life-blood of honest     
toil1 and returning nothing for the     
sustenance it afforded me4 ,i felt that 
,i should at least go to work and do    
something that would help to pay for my 
keeping4 ,true it was that ,i had the   
money to pay for these things1 but where
 did the money come from8 ,where does   
all money come from8 ,to have money to  
pay for things does not mean that one   
has earned them4 ,so ,i decided that ,i 

would go to work as soon as possible1   
and give to the community an equivalent 
for the things ,i enjoyed4  ,but then1  
the great difficulty arose when ,i tried
 to find something to do4 ,it made      
little difference what kind of work ,i  
should engage in as long as it was of a 
productive nature4 ,but when ,i went    
around looking for employment1 ,i       
discovered that there was none to be    
had4  ,it is certainly a most unnatural 
system which fails to utilize all the   
power at its command for the good of    
universal production1 and it seems hard 
to realize that such conditions can     
exist2 but during my wanderings from    
street to street1 store to store1 and   
factory to factory1 throughout the great
 commonwealth of ,new ,york1 ,i         
discovered that besides myself1 there   
were also thousands of other earnest men
 tramping the streets1 willing1 but     
unable1 to find work4 ,at last1 however1
 ,i was put in the peculiar position of 
having to pay to work4 ,one day1 after a

 week of unsuccessful attempts to obtain
 employment1 ,i ran across one of the   
sub-bosses of the street-cleaning       
department4 ,making known my desire to  
him1 ,i was amazed when he told me that 
he would let me work on condition that  
,i paid him twenty-five dollars for the 
job and promised to give him ten per    
cent4 of my wages each month4 ,he       
informed me that all of the men under   
his charge had to do likewise4 ,in fact1
 he intimated that in order to hold his 
own position as sub-boss he had to pay  
this money to bosses higher up in the   
department4  ,and so in order to feel   
that ,i was at least doing something for
 the community to earn my right to live1
 ,i was forced to pay for the           
opportunity and also to aid in keeping  
alive one of the many systems of graft1 
which unnaturally swallows up the       
results of honest men's labor4 ,so ,i   
began work as a street-sweeper--a       
position looked upon generally as one of
 the lowest in the scale of human       

employment4 ,why the man who sweeps the 
streets1 making clean and wholesome the 
thoroughfares1 which have to be traveled
 constantly by the people1 and saving   
the public from filth and disease1      
should be looked down upon by the rest  
of his fellow beings for doing this     
great service1 seems beyond the limits  
of sane reasoning2 but such is the case 
in this world1 where money is the god   
worshiped by all4  ,an illustrative     
incident occurred while ,i held the     
unique position of street-sweeper1 and  
at the same time being a guest at the   
fashionable ,waldoria ,hotel4 ,i had    
become acquainted with many of the      
wealthy guests of the place1 who1 no    
doubt1 supposing me to be a man of      
riches1 courted my society to some      
extent4 ,in fact1 ,i had become rather  
popular among the permanent residents4  
,there was one family in particular1 a  
certain ,mrs4 ,snipe and her two        
daughters1 who took every occasion to   
pay me attentions1 until one day as ,i  

was engaged in my daily work on the     
street1 some distance from the hotel1 ,i
 noticed a carriage approaching which   
held ,mrs4 ,snipe and her brood4 ,they  
were all looking straight at me1 but    
gave no sign of recognition as they     
passed along4 ,that evening1 after ,i   
had changed my working clothes1 which by
 the way1 resembled the white duck      
outfit worn by an ,african explorer1    
and1 having left them in the tool-house1
 ,i went home and attired myself in     
evening dress4 ,again ,i met the ,snipe 
family in one of the foyers of the      
hotel4 ,the old lady1 accompanied by her
 eligible daughters1 approached me and  
said3 ,mr4 ,convert1 ,i have something  
awfully funny to tell you4 ,it is just  
too funny to keep to myself4 ,you have a
 double2 we saw him today4 ,now1 don't  
get angry when ,i tell you where we saw 
him and who he is1 but he resembled you 
so much that if it were not for the     
position he occupied ,i should have     
sworn it was you4 ,he was a member of   

the street-sweeping brigade1 and if you 
wish to see him just go over to ,fifth  
avenue and ,twenty-sixth street tomorrow
 and you can see for yourself4 ,there1  
now1 you are not angry1 are you8  ,no1  
answered ,i1 the person you refer to ,i 
have seen many times4 ,there is nothing 
to be angry about4 ,certainly1 not      
because he holds the honorable position 
of cleaning the streets which you have  
to travel4  ,honorable1 retorted ,mrs4  
,snipe2 you must be joking4 ,i cannot   
understand how an aristocratic gentleman
 like yourself would otherwise make such
 an absurd remark4  ,i am not joking at 
all1 said ,i2 in my estimation1 the     
street-sweeper belongs to the most      
honorable portion of mankind4 ,he is    
down-trodden by society now1 owing to an
 unnatural system which permits the     
strong to take the largest portion of   
wealth and rule2 but the day will come  
when men who sweep the streets or occupy
 other positions of worth to the        
community1 will enjoy the same luxuries 

and surroundings that you and other     
non-producers now enjoy4 ,they will live
 in the palaces now occupied by the     
parasites who do no work4 ,such places  
as the ,waldoria ,hotel will be utilized
 for their benefit1 and those who do not
 work1 those who claim the right to live
 without labor1 will be thrown out      
entirely4  ,why1 ,mr4 ,convert1 what do 
you mean by talking in such a beastly   
way8 ,if you are so fond of those vulgar
 street-sweepers1 why don't you become  
one of them8  ,i have1 ,i answered4 ,the
 man you saw today sweeping the streets 
was none other than myself1 and ,i am   
proud of it4  ,you are either joking or 
else you have gone out of your mind1    
said ,mrs4 ,snipe with a look of        
disgust4 ,but upon my reiteration that  
,i was really the man she saw1 both she 
and her daughters abruptly left my      
presence and never looked at me         
afterwards4 ,they no doubt communicated 
the text of our conversation to the     
different people of the hotel1 also1 for

 ,i discovered later that the other     
guests with whom ,i had become          
acquainted1 not only refused to converse
 with me1 but regarded me as a sort of  
curiosity or peculiar freak of nature4  
,they would pass me on the street1 where
 ,i was working at different times1 in  
their gorgeous carriages1 and1 calling  
each other's attention would pass jokes 
at my expense1 and laugh loud and       
mockingly at me4 ,at first these things 
troubled me to some degree1 but         
gradually ,i gathered courage to bear   
their sneers-courage such as ,i had     
never experienced before4  ,i had faced 
all manner of dangers during my life    
without fear1 but ,i had never known the
 real meaning of courage until ,i made  
up my mind to do right under all        
conditions1 and accept the ridicule of  
my fellow beings without resentment4 ,in
 my humble position ,i could now        
appreciate the philosophy and the true  
greatness of the ,sagewoman's beautiful 
lessons of unselfishness4 ,i felt that  

,i was just beginning to get            
strong-strong in the grandest attribute 
a human being can possess-moral courage4
 ,the great ,sagewoman's teachings on   
forbearance were beginning to take root 
in my nature4 ,i was learning to        
understand that ,i must work and feel   
for others1 regardless of my own selfish
 desires4  ,one day1 while ,i was busily
 engaged in my daily toil1 my attention 
became attracted to a big1 fashionably  
dressed man1 standing on the sidewalk   
near by1 calmly smoking a high-priced   
cigar4 ,he was apparently about thirty  
years of age1 six feet tall1 and weighed
 over two hundred pounds4 ,he was       
beastly in appearance1 and looked as if 
he considered his own selfish wants as  
the only things in the world worth      
attention4 ,he probably had never done  
an honest day's labor in his life4 ,a   
ragged old man1 about sixty years of    
age1 who apparently had given his whole 
life to productive toil1 but now feeble 
and half-starved in appearance1         

approached and appealed to him for a few
 cents with which to buy something to   
eat4 ,the big fellow roughly told him to
 go along and not bother him1 and the   
old man1 not doing as he was ordered1   
the young man deliberately swung his    
fist and struck the poor beggar between 
the eyes1 knocking him senseless to the 
pavement4 ,for a moment ,i was          
dumbfounded by this exhibition of       
brutality1 and then instantly every drop
 of blood in my body was set boiling at 
the sight4 ,i lost control of myself4   
,my old-time pugnacious spirit asserted 
itself1 and ,i sprang forward like a    
maddened bull1 striking the brute a     
vicious blow upon the head with my fist1
 and sending him sprawling several feet 
away4 ,as he scrambled to his feet1 in a
 dazed condition1 ,i rushed forward     
furiously1 with the intention of felling
 him to the ground4 ,after allowing him 
to regain his feet1 ,i raised my arm to 
deal a well-directed blow with all my   
strength1 when something within me      

suddenly cried out3 ,don't strike4      
,don't make a brute of yourself because 
the other did4 ,let the law take its    
course4 ,and1 as ,i hesitated           
momentarily1 there passed through my    
mind like an electric flash1 these      
words3  ,always consult your soul for   
advice4  ,do no act your conscience will
 not sanction4  ,then instantly         
recognizing the mandate ,i had so       
faithfully promised the great ,sagewoman
 to obey1 ,i overcame my rage and       
allowed my arms to fall to my sides     
without striking another blow4  ,two    
policemen hurriedly approached the      
scene4 ,i stated what had occurred and  
requested them to take the bully to     
jail4 ,to my surprise1 however1 at the  
command of the well-dressed ruffian1 who
 ,i afterward learned was a wealthy     
financier1 both myself and the beggar   
were taken to the station-house4 ,i was 
fined ten dollars1 and the poor old man 
was sentenced to jail for thirty days4  
,while ,i knew that in this case the law

 of justice had been misapplied in favor
 of the cowardly ,wretch with money1    
nevertheless ,i felt that ,i had gained 
incalculable strength in self-control by
 not acting contrary to the warning of  
my soul and making of myself the same   
kind of a brute as the one whom ,i had  
intended to injure4  ,,chapter ,,xxx    
,central ,park is a tract of land       
situate in the middle of residential    
,new ,york4 ,it is oblong in shape1     
being two miles in length1 half a mile  
in width and covering an area of about  
eight hundred and sixty acres4 ,the     
ground has been artificially changed    
from a wild waste to one of the most    
beautiful spots to be found anywhere4   
,it is coursed by a net-work of splendid
 drive-ways1 equestrian roads and       
foot-paths running in all directions    
among the many little rocky hills and   
miniature lakes4 ,trees1 flower-beds and
 shrubbery of various kinds have been   
cleverly arranged by skilled artists to 
form a delightfully picturesque effect4 

,chirping birds of many colors and tame 
squirrels in multitudinous numbers find 
this park a heavenly abiding place where
 the danger of annihilation is          
minimized4 ,playgrounds for the children
 are laid out in different parts of the 
domain while a zoological garden where  
animals are kept imprisoned in small    
cages for the term of their natural     
lives1 is put forth as one of its many  
features4  ,as one passes through the   
entrance gate at ,seventy-eighth street 
and ,central ,park ,west1 and turns     
first to the right1 then to the left1   
and finally to the right again1         
following a foot-path similar in its    
windings to a letter ,s1 and crossing   
two small bridges1 he will come to an   
abrupt ending of a narrow path running  
into an immense projecting rock4 ,here  
is located a canopied seat just large   
enough for two people4 ,facing this     
shelter is a small lake1 on the edge of 
which overhanging trees afford          
delightful shade during the hot months4 

,that was the place selected by ,arletta
 for our meeting ground4 ,it was an     
out-of-the-way1 quiet and romantic spot 
where we spent many pleasant afternoons 
and evenings enjoying each other's      
company4 ,whenever ,arletta wanted to   
see me she sent a note which never      
failed to bring me there4 ,in fact1 such
 a feeling of enchantment did the place 
hold for me1 that many times ,i wandered
 out there and sat alone for hours1     
musing4  ,but notwithstanding that our  
many meetings had the effect of         
strengthening our mutual admiration and 
love for each other1 and that ,i was    
beginning to fairly idolize this        
beautiful young woman1 still certain    
things came to pass that ,i could not   
understand1 and which caused me to feel 
that ,arletta's actions were very       
mysterious1 and that there was something
 about her life she was trying to       
withhold from me4  ,in the first place  
she would never meet me anywhere else   
except in that obscure nook in the park1

 and in departing would not permit me to
 escort her beyond the ,seventy-eighth  
street entrance1 where she would        
abruptly bid me a hasty adieu1 with     
instructions that ,i must take another  
route4  ,that1 in itself1 appeared to be
 a strange proceeding1 but one evening  
as ,i entered a fashionable ,fifth      
avenue restaurant on one of my tours of 
inspection of plutocratic conditions1 ,i
 was amazed to see her seated at one of 
the tables1 drinking wine with a male   
companion4 ,her face was flushed from   
the effects of the beverage1 and she was
 acting a trifle hilarious1 and         
displaying traits of frivolity such as  
,i had never observed in her before4 ,as
 ,i caught her eye she gave a quick     
start1 and then deliberately turned her 
head in another direction1 and pretended
 not to have seen me4 ,at this act ,i   
rushed out into the street1 and it was  
with great difficulty that ,i was able  
to control my feelings4  ,the next      
evening ,i met her in the park1 and was 

further surprised when she not only     
failed to mention the incident1 but     
intimated that she had spent the evening
 at an entirely different place4 ,she   
appeared so innocent1 however1 and was  
so charming in her manner that ,i almost
 immediately forgot the affair1 and said
 nothing about it4 ,a few nights later1 
though1 as ,i was walking down          
,broadway1 near ,twenty-seventh street1 
,i noticed a large crowd of men and     
women gathered1 and questioning a       
bystander as to the reason thereof1 ,i  
was informed that a stylishly dressed   
lady was too drunk to navigate and was  
in the hands of a policeman4 ,as ,i     
craned my neck to get a glimpse of the  
unfortunate woman1 ,i was shocked beyond
 expression to find that it was none    
other than ,arletta who had created the 
commotion4 ,horrified1 ,i rushed through
 the crowd1 pushing men right and left1 
until ,i had reached the policeman1 who 
was holding her up by the arm and trying
 to ascertain her name and address4 ,she

 could hardly stand1 and seemed dazed to
 the point of falling1 but as ,i spoke  
her name1 her memory revived somewhat1  
and1 fixing her half-closed eyes upon   
me1 she said3 ,why1 hello ,jack ,and    
then1 turning to the officer1 remarked3 
,this is my friend ,jack2 he will take  
me home4 ,i could not understand the    
reason she called me ,jack4 ,she had    
never addressed me in that way before4  
,but without delay ,i informed the      
policeman that ,i would take charge of  
her1 and requested him to call a cab4   
,when the vehicle arrived it became     
necessary for me to lift her bodily into
 it1 and then ,i was at a loss to know  
just where to take her4 ,in order to get
 away from the crowd1 however1 ,i told  
the driver to go on and ,i would give   
him the address later4  ,tell him to    
take us to the ,seraglio ,apartments1   
she mumbled4  ,do you know where the    
,seraglio ,apartments are8 ,i inquired  
of the driver4  ,yes1 sir1 in ,central  
,park ,west1 replied he1 as he whipped  

up his horse and started in that        
direction4  ,arletta said no more1 but  
remained silent1 as if stupefied from   
the effects of the intoxicating drink   
she had taken4  ,what a pity1 thought   
,i1 as we sped along1 that this young   
woman1 with all of her beauty1 grace and
 charm1 and with all of her splendid    
traits of character1 should fall a      
victim to the awful curse of drink6     
,could this condition have been brought 
about because she had no work to perform
 and too much time and money to squander
 recklessly8 ,what a pity that there are
 human beings who make and sell         
poisonous stuff for money which not only
 robs those who use it of their         
reasoning power1 but which undermines   
the very foundation of the human race6  
,those people who make and sell liquor1 
knowing that it will ultimately destroy 
the lives of thousands of human beings1 
are just as much murderous poisoners as 
would be the chemist who would knowingly
 give a deadly drug to an intended      

suicide4  ,when we arrived at the       
apartment house1 which was one of the   
most magnificent in ,new ,york1 it was  
with some difficulty that ,i was able to
 arouse her sufficiently so that she    
could walk with my assistance4 ,entering
 the vestibule1 ,i asked her if she     
could get along without further help1   
but she insisted that ,i should go to   
her rooms1 so getting into the elevator 
we were taken up to the eighth floor4   
,as though he was accustomed to this    
sort of an affair1 the elevator         
attendant went ahead and opened one of  
the doors on the right of the hallway1  
and after turning on the electric light1
 and we had entered1 he withdrew at     
once1 quietly closing the door after    
him4 ,i then found myself within one of 
the most elegantly furnished drawing    
rooms imaginable4 ,at one end of the    
apartment was an archway gorgeously     
draped with costly tapestries which     
partially screened another room beyond1 
which served as a bed-chamber4 ,arletta 

staggered forward1 half pulling me along
 with her into this other room1 and     
throwing herself upon the bed1 ordered  
me1 in a dazed sort of a way1 to remove 
her clothing4 ,i was dumbfounded at this
 extraordinary command and felt that ,i 
was placed in an extremely awkward      
position4 ,i did not like the idea of   
allowing the poor girl to remain over   
night1 in the uncomfortable position she
 had taken1 bound as she was by tightly 
fitting garments1 and still ,i realized 
that it was a very delicate undertaking 
to follow out her instructions1 knowing 
full well that if she were in her right 
senses she would be horrified at the    
thought of such a thing4 ,but as ,i     
stood looking at her for several moments
 in a state of perplexed indecision1 and
 wondering what course to pursue1 she   
began to moan as if in agony1 and       
without further hesitation ,i decided to
 go ahead and do my best to make her    
position more comfortable4 ,so ,i began 
by taking off her shoes4  ,what a superb

 foot6 mused ,i enthusiastically1 as ,i 
unlaced and removed her pretty little   
shoes4 ,was there ever another quite so 
shapely or entrancing8 ,and the ankle6  
,how daintily its joints showed beneath 
embroidered hose of exquisite material4 
,hardly had ,i begun this task before ,i
 realized that a strange magnetic force 
was stealing upon me4 ,with such a feast
 for my eyes to contend with1 it seemed 
as if my senses were being gradually    
overcome by the intoxicating clutch of  
voluptuous dreams4  ,the shoes off1 ,i  
turned my attention to the collar which 
apparently caused her much uneasiness4  
,the collar1 as ,i discovered1 was a    
part of the bodice and could not be     
taken off without removing the whole    
garment1 which task required            
considerable time1 patience1 and careful
 maneuvering to perform4 ,this ,i       
finally accomplished1 however1 with the 
aid of ,arletta1 who revived            
occasionally from her comatose state    
long enough to give a few indistinct    

directions1 and then as my eyes rested  
upon her lovely arms1 neck and          
shoulders1 ,i was plunged into ecstatic 
emotion such as words have not the power
 to express4 ,at last ,i succeeded in   
loosening the stays and different cords 
and ribbons usually worn by women1 which
 alleviated her distress considerably1  
and after throwing a light robe over her
 form was about to1 arrange her position
 so that she might rest comfortably1    
when to my utter astonishment she threw 
her arms around my neck1 kissed me      
several times1 and whispered in my ear1 
,you won't leave me alone tonight1 will 
you1 darling8  ,this seemed to be almost
 too much for me to bear2 the cravings  
of my sensual nature began a desperate  
struggle with my better self4 ,my blood 
started to tingle with the heat of      
passion4 ,evil thoughts crowded         
themselves into my brain4 ,the more of  
these evil thoughts ,i allowed to enter 
my head the less power of resistance ,i 
held against their subtle ravages4 ,i   

was losing self-control4 ,i felt        
powerless to battle successfully against
 the temptation4 ,stealthily walking    
over to the door1 ,i softly bolted it   
and then stood still for some time and  
listened4 ,it was past midnight and     
everything was quiet4 ,i turned out the 
light and started to go over to         
,arletta4 ,as ,i did so1 something      
within me seemed to cry out with shame  
against such cowardice4 ,as ,i paused   
for a moment1 the voice from within     
became stronger in its disapproval of my
 intentions4 ,apparently ,i became      
divided into two parts1 and each was    
struggling for the mastery of me4 ,one  
side was trying with all its might to   
push me forward1 while the other was    
attempting to hold me back with         
reproachful warnings4 ,these two parts  
were my material and spiritual selves1  
contending for supremacy4 ,i wavered    
back and forth1 from one to the other1  
and it seemed that the material side was
 about to conquer and carry me down to  

disgrace1 when suddenly there passed    
through my mind like a great wave of    
strength the ,sagewoman's wonderful     
precept3  ,always consult your soul for 
advice4  ,do no act your conscience will
 not sanction4  ,and recognizing the    
full meaning of these words1 ,i         
immediately turned about1 unbolted the  
door1 and quietly left the apartment1   
feeling that the soul was still master  
of my actions4  ,,chapter ,,xxxi        
,almost from the first day after ,i left
 the hospital ,i began to feel an       
earnest desire to follow out the        
instructions of the great ,sage-woman in
 regard to teaching my fellow beings the
 philosophy of ,natural ,law1 and1      
knowing of no better way to begin this  
work1 ,i decided to go out and lecture  
upon the streets to all persons who     
might care to listen4 ,i set aside three
 evenings each week to preach the       
,truth1 and took a position at the      
corner of ,fifth avenue1 and            
,twenty-third street1 just opposite the 

,flatiron building1 with nothing but a  
soap-box for a platform2 it was here    
that ,i devoted many evenings           
instructing the masses in the principles
 of ,sagemanism4 ,at first ,i felt a    
little awkward1 and could not find      
sufficient words to express myself      
properly upon the subject1 but gradually
 there came self-reliance1 which enabled
 me to communicate my thoughts to       
others1 and within a few weeks ,i had   
acquired a fluency of speech whereby ,i 
could talk for hours without            
embarrassment4 ,during my first attempts
 at public speaking1 few people would   
remain more than a moment or two to hear
 what ,i had to say1 but with the       
increased force and power of speech1    
which ,i acquired with practice1 my     
audiences grew larger and larger1 until 
finally the streets were blockaded with 
their numbers at these meetings4 ,many  
of my hearers1 both rich and poor alike1
 got into the habit of coming repeatedly
 to listen to these talks1 and after a  

short time they would come to me one by 
one and request personal tutorage in the
 principles set forth4 ,in fact1 the    
number of these proselytes increased to 
such an extent1 and their intentions    
were so earnest and serious1 that it    
finally became necessary to engage a    
hall1 where we might hold private       
meetings4 ,it was in this way that there
 was finally organized the society for  
the propagation of the principles of    
,natural ,law4 ,little by little the    
society gained in numerical strength1   
until ,i felt sure that the seed of this
 grand work had been planted in human   
soil for all time to come1 and that its 
fruits would blossom forth in abundance 
as time passed by4  ,but while success  
appeared to be crowning my humble       
efforts in this direction1 and the more 
progress ,i made in this propaganda1 the
 more opposed to my methods ,arletta    
became4 ,she grew intensely antagonistic
 to my work1 and tried in every way to  
have me discontinue it4 ,she could not  

believe that all human beings were born 
to have equal rights and privileges in  
the world4 ,she had been taught from    
infancy that there must always be a     
master and a servant1 and that the      
,deity was responsible for the position 
held between them4 ,she believed1 as    
most good ,christians do1 that it is the
 ,creator's will that some people are   
born in wealth and luxury1 while others 
are born and bred in poverty and        
squalor4 ,she repeatedly endeavored to  
persuade me to desist in the work ,i had
 undertaken and re-enter the ,church as 
a good ,christian member4 ,my efforts to
 convert her as a believer in ,natural  
,law were futile1 and a great gulf      
seemed to be springing up and separating
 us from one another4 ,i felt that ,i   
was placed in a very difficult position4
 ,on the one hand1 ,i loved this        
beautiful young woman more than words   
can convey any idea of4 ,she seemed to  
be a part of my life4 ,i would have     
gladly suffered any pain or torture1 if 

by so doing it would have afforded her  
one moment of pleasure4 ,on the other   
hand1 ,i had sworn most solemnly to the 
great ,sagewoman that ,i would devote   
the remainder of my natural life to the 
dissemination of the principles in which
 she had instructed me4 ,i often        
wondered at my strange predicament4     
,here ,i was being censured by the      
reincarnated soul of the great          
,sage-woman for carrying out the very   
work she taught me1 and for fulfilling  
my promise to her4  ,the climax of this 
peculiar situation was reached one night
 at our meeting place in the park4      
,arletta had sent me an urgent despatch 
to come and see her without fail1 and   
then she had stated that it was her     
intention to leave ,new ,york the next  
day on a protracted trip through        
,europe4 ,she said she had come to bid  
me good-bye1 and that it was to be      
good-bye forever1 as she never intended 
to see me again4 ,she appeared depressed
 and sad upon this occasion1 and her    

eyes were filled with tears4 ,in answer 
to my inquiry1 as to her reason for     
leaving me in this way1 she said that it
 was because she could not uphold me in 
my crusade against all recognized       
principles of religious beliefs4  ,she  
told me frankly that she loved me and   
that she cared nothing for any other man
 in the world except myself1 but that   
she could not do otherwise than go away 
and forget me4 ,she claimed that nothing
 further could come of our friendship as
 long as ,i continued an emissary of    
,natural ,law2 that her religion forbade
 it and her parents would oppose it2    
that her friends would be against it1   
and the whole world would sneer at it2  
and that to be placed in such a trying  
position was more than she could        
possibly bear4 ,according to her1 there 
was no good reason why ,i could not give
 up my undertaking1 to please her4 ,she 
had everything in the world to make me  
happy and was willing to give me        
anything within her power1 if ,i would  

only relinquish my purpose and promise  
never to think of it again4 ,she told me
 that she was wealthy1 that she had     
millions in her own name1 and that her  
father and uncles were                  
multi-millionaires1 to whose wealth she 
would be the sole heir4 ,she said that  
if ,i would promise to quit the work ,i 
was engaged in1 that she would give me  
her hand in marriage1 and also deposit  
in the bank to my credit one million    
dollars on the following day as a dowry1
 with which ,i could do as ,i pleased4  
,she was serious and1 apparently in     
earnest1 and ,i did not doubt one word  
of what she said as being the truth4 ,so
 ,i was placed in the position of       
choosing between great wealth1 the woman
 ,i loved1 and all other earthly        
pleasures on the one hand1 and a duty   
which ,i had solemnly sworn to perform1 
on the other4 ,it was a trying          
situation1 to say the least4 ,with bowed
 head ,i sat and considered all phases  
of the matter1 with much earnestness and

 equal indecision4 ,to think that       
,arletta would leave me forever was to  
feel that my heart was being torn from  
its fastenings4 ,to have her as my wife1
 this alone seemed to be the very       
greatest happiness that life could      
afford1 and mayhap1 the promise of a    
million dollars was not without its     
allurement4 ,a position in the very best
 society of the country also loomed     
before my vision1 as ,i considered these
 things4 ,on the other hand1 if ,i      
refused1 ,i could look forward to a life
 of poverty1 hard work1 and the abuse of
 my fellow beings4 ,the temptation was a
 trying one1 and it seemed impossible   
for me to refuse ,arletta's offering4   
,as ,i raised my head and looked into   
her beautiful eyes1 which expressed     
great love1 and tenderness1 and         
expectation1 ,i felt that ,i could not  
say no to her4 ,it seemed as if ,i had  
been placed between honor and           
temptation1 and was about to fall into  
the arms of the latter4 ,i hesitated a  

moment1 undecided as to what to do1 when
 something within me distinctly said3   
,be a man4 ,give up all earthly         
pleasures during this life and teach    
,natural ,law1 according to your        
promise4 ,then once again the wise words
 of the great ,sagewoman passed through 
my mind3  ,always consult your soul for 
advice4  ,do no act your conscience will
 not sanction4  ,instantly arising and  
feeling that ,i should follow the advice
 of my soul above all other             
considerations1 ,i determined to do that
 which was right4 ,i concluded that to  
lose ,arletta1 and all the pleasures    
incidental to a life with her1 was but a
 temporary loss1 but the opportunity of 
setting a great example to my fellow    
beings1 a precedent that would have     
lasting influence1 might never arrive   
again1 and that it was my solemn duty to
 seize this chance while ,i had the     
power to do so4 ,so1 standing erect and 
without further hesitation1 ,i took     
,arletta's hand in mine and said3 ,my   

dear girl1 to lose you will cause me    
much suffering and pain1 so much that it
 would be impossible for you to form any
 conception of it4 ,to lose you is to   
deprive me of all that is dear and sweet
 in this life4 ,to permit you to go     
without acceding to your wishes taxes my
 strength to the utmost limit1 but      
believe me1 the life of one little human
 being is of short duration in the      
immense sea of time1 and while ,i am    
giving up the delight and pleasure of   
your companionship now1 ,i am doing so  
in order that ,i may lend my feeble     
efforts toward the establishment of a   
social system whereby the conditions of 
this world will be made such that at    
some future date our souls may be able  
to join each other in peace and harmony 
and enjoy the blessings of a heavenly   
world1 free from money1 which ,i hope   
will eventually be the result of my     
present labors4 ,therefore1 in acting   
contrary to your wishes now1 ,i feel    
that ,i am working for your future      

happiness4 ,i shall remain at my present
 post of duty1 trying to uplift mankind1
 ,i shall follow the dictates of my     
conscience in doing this1 and as long as
 the bones of my little anatomy hold    
together as a living being and my brain 
has the power to reason1 ,i shall teach 
the principles of ,natural ,law even if 
all the world follows your example and  
turns against me4  ,at the conclusion of
 this little speech my emotion overcame 
me and ,i could say no more4 ,arletta   
also appeared overcome with sadness1 and
 was unable to speak4 ,she withdrew her 
hand from mine and without a word turned
 and walked slowly away1 sobbing        
bitterly as she left4 ,i stood and      
watched her retreating form in a dazed  
sort of a way4 ,with each step which put
 us farther apart1 increasing darkness  
obscured my vision4 ,i wanted to call   
her back but a lump came in my throat   
and ,i could not speak4 ,my brain was in
 a whirl4 ,a terrible feeling of gloom  
over- shadowed me4 ,i labored under     

great excitement4 ,my head seemed as if 
it were ready to burst4 ,i felt that ,i 
was going mad4 ,the trees and everything
 else appeared to be moving about in    
great confusion4 ,those same symptoms   
which ,i experienced after falling among
 the rocks of ,sageland returned4 ,my   
body seemed to be dividing into several 
parts and then becoming one again4 ,i   
tried to control myself but without     
avail4 ,all of a sudden ,i saw standing 
before me two ,arlettas1 one at the     
right hand and the other at the left4   
,the one at the right ,i instantly      
recognized as the great ,sagewoman1     
while on the left stood the girl        
,arletta4 ,they were facing and pointing
 in opposite directions4 ,looking to my 
right ,i saw a path running up a steep  
hill which seemed almost impossible to  
climb and upon which was inscribed the  
word strength4 ,to my left ,i observed a
 path running down the hill upon which  
was written the word weakness4 ,at the  
top of the hill everything looked bright

 and cheerful and orderly1 while at the 
bottom darkness and confusion prevailed4
 ,above the extreme top1 as though      
stamped in space like a great rainbow1  
these words appeared3 ,natural ,law1    
,wisdom1 ,love for ,others4 ,at the     
bottom1 and almost obscured in the      
gloom1 ,i faintly discerned the         
following3 ,religion1 ,ignorance1 ,love 
of ,self4  ,as ,i stood speechless at   
this wonderful vision everything        
suddenly became dark and ,i knew no     
more4  ,,chapter ,,xxxii  ,the next     
impression my memory has any record of  
was a huge ocean steamer1 floating away 
upon the deep4 ,great volumes of smoke  
were pouring forth from its smoke-stacks
 as it majestically glided over the     
water4 ,upon its many decks were        
hundreds of human beings1 scattered     
about in little groups1 gaily chatting  
and enjoying to the fullest extent the  
delight experienced by an ocean voyage4 
,among all of the happy faces1 however1 
there was one that appeared sad and     

forlorn4 ,it was the face of a beautiful
 young woman1 standing alone against the
 railing of the promenade deck1 who was 
weeping in silence4 ,as she raised her  
eyes and looked in my direction1 ,i     
instantly recognized the girl ,arletta1 
and realized that she was leaving me    
forever4 ,and then1 like one in a dream1
 ,i held out my hands and mutely        
implored her to return4 ,she appeared to
 be within a short distance and looking 
straight at me1 but still made no sign  
of recognition4 ,i could not understand 
the reason for such coldness on her     
part1 and in astonishment rubbed my eyes
 and looked again1 when lo and behold1  
she had vanished from sight4 ,but far   
out into the distance1 almost to the    
horizon1 ,i could plainly see a large   
steamer headed toward the vast ocean    
beyond4 ,i looked around in a confused  
sort of a way1 and discovered1 to my    
surprise1 that ,i was standing almost at
 the water's edge on one of the docks   
near ,battery ,place4 ,it was daylight1 

and the sun was shining overhead4 ,i    
then concluded that ,i must have been   
out of my head for some time1 and       
questioning a stranger1 who stood       
nearby1 ,i learned that just fourteen   
hours had elapsed since ,i had bade     
,arletta good-bye1 and ,i could form no 
recollection of the slightest incident  
that happened since then4  ,after       
watching the steamer until it had       
disappeared from view1 ,i slowly walked 
to a bench in ,battery ,park and sat    
down1 in the depths of despair1 to      
reflect upon the strange occurrence4 ,i 
must have sat there for about an hour in
 deep meditation1 when my attention was 
attracted by a newspaper urchin1        
shouting at the top of his voice3       
,paper6 ,extra6 ,all about the great    
murder4 ,at the same time he rushed up  
to me1 pushed a paper into my hand1 took
 the penny ,i offered him mechanically1 
and scampered along4  ,another murder1  
mused ,i2 what a pity human beings      
cannot dwell together without taking    

each other's lives4  ,glancing over the 
headlines1 ,i learned from the big black
 type that a beautiful young woman had  
been murdered in cold blood4 ,reading   
further1 ,i was horrified to find that  
the young woman's name was ,arletta     
,fogg1 and that she was murdered in her 
own rooms1 at the ,seraglio ,apartments1
 ,central ,park ,west4 ,i could hardly  
believe my eyes saw the thing aright4 ,i
 felt sure that it must be an optical   
illusion wrought by my constant thought 
of ,arletta4 ,i looked again and again1 
yet read ever the same words1 and1      
laboring under tremendous excitement1 ,i
 hurriedly perused the account of the   
murder4 ,it stated that about eleven    
o'clock of the previous night ,arletta  
,fogg had arrived at the apartment      
house1 and had been taken to her rooms  
by the elevator attendant4 ,a half hour 
later a tall1 smooth-faced1 white-haired
 gentleman arrived1 and was shown to her
 apartments4 ,this man was seen by the  
watchman to leave the place at three    

o'clock in the morning1 and the         
chambermaid discovered her at ten       
o'clock in the morning1 dead1 and       
covered with blood from several stabs in
 the body4  ,cold perspiration oozed    
from every pore of my body as ,i read   
and re-read this article1 over and over 
again4 ,i was puzzled1 dumbfounded1     
horror- stricken4 ,the description given
 of the apparent murderer tallied       
exactly with myself4 ,straining every   
nerve ,i endeavored to regain some      
impression that might lead to a         
knowledge of my actions from the time   
,arletta left me the night before until 
,i had recovered my senses that day4    
,but try as ,i might1 ,i could no more  
recall to memory the slightest movement 
on my part during that time than ,i     
could recollect any event which happened
 during the twenty-one years of which my
 life had been a blank4  ,like a man    
under the influence of liquor ,i arose  
and staggered hurriedly forward until ,i
 reached the ,l station where ,i boarded

 a train and rode up to ,eighty-first   
street4 ,here ,i alighted and walked    
rapidly over to the ,seraglio           
,apartments4 ,a vast crowd of curious   
people was collected about the place1   
and as ,i approached1 all eyes were     
apparently turned upon me4  ,hastening  
forward ,i bounded up the entrance steps
 and almost flew into the vestibule4    
,there were little knots of people      
standing about the hallway1 talking in  
low tones4 ,even their voices hushed as 
,i hurried into the elevator and told   
the attendant to take me up to the      
eighth floor4 ,the operator appeared to 
be almost frightened out of his wits at 
the sight of me1 but after a momentary  
pause he ran the elevator to the eighth 
floor1 peering at me all the time as he 
might have eyed a wild beast who was    
about to devour him4 ,many people were  
in the upper hall- way1 but looking     
neither to the right nor to the left1 ,i
 went straight to the door of the room  
,i had entered the night ,i had taken   

,arletta home4 ,finding it locked1      
without a moment's hesitation ,i threw  
against it1 all of the force my gigantic
 frame could command which caused it to 
give way and fly open before me4 ,i then
 observed that there were several men in
 the room1 in different positions and   
groups1 as if making a study of the     
surroundings4 ,lying upon the bed1 in   
the room adjoining1 was the form of a   
woman partly covered by a spread1 and   
being examined by a man who might have  
been the coroner4 ,as ,i rushed forward 
like a madman1 every one there became   
frightened and made way for me to pass4 
,approaching the bed ,i eagerly scanned 
her features1 and being positive of her 
identity ,i took the inanimate form of  
,arletta in my arms and kissing her     
tenderly1 was overcome by emotion4      
,,chapter ,,xxxiii  ,arrested for the   
murder of ,arletta ,fogg1 after being   
positively identified by the elevator   
attendant and the night watchman as     
being the only person who visited her   

apartments on the night of the crime1   
was the next incident of my strange     
career4 ,thrown into prison1 and caged  
like a savage beast in a little cell    
hardly large enough to turn around in1  
has been my lot ever since that awful   
tragedy4 ,the case attracted widespread 
interest1 and the newspapers teemed with
 sensational accounts of it4 ,at the    
trial1 all of the evidence pointed      
directly to me as the perpetrator of the
 deed4 ,the elevator operator swore that
 ,i was the man whom he had taken to    
,arletta's apartments shortly after     
eleven o'clock that night4 ,the watchman
 testified that he saw me leave her room
 at three o'clock in the morning4 ,on   
the stand1 ,i was made to tell1 under   
oath1 that ,arletta and ,i had been     
lovers2 that we had been together that  
same night in the park1 and had parted  
at about half past ten o'clock2 that she
 had informed me of her intention to    
never see me again4 ,by these statements
 the prosecuting attorney showed the    

motive for the crime4 ,i could give no  
account of my time between half past ten
 that night and the next day at noon1   
which was another strong point against  
me4 ,i had pleaded not guilty1 feeling  
that as ,i knew nothing about the crime 
,i could not very wisely do otherwise1  
but also1 stating that ,i had suffered a
 temporary aberration of the mind during
 that time1 and that if ,i really did   
commit the deed1 which ,i could not     
believe possible1 then ,i had done it in
 an entirely different character or     
personality from my normal self4  ,my   
attorney endeavored to have me sham     
insanity during the trial1 and he became
 irritably insolent in his manner toward
 me because ,i positively refused to do 
so4 ,he told me that if ,i stuck to the 
truth ,i would surely be convicted1 but 
if ,i followed his advice by openly     
assuming idiotic tactics in court and   
making false statements under oath1     
according to his directions1 he could   
save me without any trouble4 ,he        

frequently growled and cursed at me for 
the straightforward way that ,i gave my 
testimony1 claiming that his            
professional reputation was being ruined
 by my telling the truth4 ,he privately 
acknowledged that1 in his opinion1 ,i   
was guilty1 but that if he were         
successful in having me acquitted1 he   
would achieve great fame thereby1 and   
incidentally be able to increase the    
size of his future clients' fees4  ,it  
was proved in court-alas1 the saddest   
blow ,i had yet received1 that ,arletta 
was a frivolous young woman1 who        
practically lived a life of ease and    
luxury1 by monetary gifts derived from  
two wealthy men1 one a ,united ,states  
,senator and the other a prominent ,wall
 ,street financier1 both being high     
pillars of the ,church1 and one of them 
being old enough to be her grandfather4 
,that was the most painful testimony of 
the whole proceedings4 ,it did not seem 
possible to me that the dear1 sweet1    
innocent girl1 whom ,i had loved so much

 for her gentleness and kindness of     
nature1 could possibly lead such a dual 
existence1 and ,i could not understand  
why she should have deceived me1 with   
accounts of herself so at variance with 
the facts4 ,when ,i thought of her as   
she had always appeared to me1 excepting
 those times when ,i saw her under the  
influence of liquor1 she seemed like a  
good angel1 who was far beyond even the 
suspicion of reproach2 and so when ,i   
learned the worst1 ,i pictured her at   
her best1 and my love remained unshaken4
 ,while ,i realized that it was the poor
 girl's weakness that led her into      
temptation1 still it was plain to       
discern that the cause of her downfall  
was money and the miserable creatures   
who utilized it to buy her very life's  
blood and drag her along the mire of    
shame4 ,the poor girl is dead1 but the  
great men1 through whose efforts she was
 disgraced1 are still alive1 and are    
considered eminently respectable by both
 the ,church and the community4 ,the    

curse of money could not have been more 
forcibly demonstrated than by this      
incident4 ,the unfortunate young woman  
craved money1 and sold herself for it4  
,my deepest sympathy goes after her to  
the grave4 ,the finger of scorn is now  
raised against ,arletta by the whole    
world1 but if she could be brought back 
to life again1 ,i should gladly take her
 by the hand and say1 that my love for  
her was as strong as ever1 and that ,i  
would defend her against the insults of 
the depraved society which reared and   
educated her in the vices which it now  
deplores4  ,it took the jury just       
forty-five minutes to reach a decision  
against me4 ,ten minutes of this time1  
as ,i learned from newspaper accounts1  
were devoted to prayer1 that the        
,almighty should point out the right way
 to decide the case4 ,evidently the god1
 to whom the jury prayed1 demonstrated  
that it was their duty to convict me4   
,for convict me they did1 by bringing in
 a verdict of murder in the first       

degree4 ,my sentence was that ,i pay the
 penalty of the crime with my life by   
being electrocuted4  ,the trial was     
severe and brutal from beginning to end1
 from my point of view4 ,i was bullied  
by the prosecutor1 scathingly censured  
by the judge1 libeled by the press1     
cursed by the public1 and deserted by my
 own attorney4 ,i was treated like a    
cowardly beast of the most depraved     
type4 ,but with all the abuse that was  
heaped upon me1 ,i endured it without a 
murmur1 calmly claiming that ,i was not 
responsible for the deed1 but perfectly 
willing to take any punishment the law  
meted out to me4 ,there was one thing1  
however1 which stood out prominently    
amidst the many shoals of my misfortune1
 which made me feel that ,i had not     
lived in vain4 ,my faithful little band 
of followers1 whom ,i had taught the    
principles of ,natural ,law1 remained   
loyal to me until the very end4 ,not one
 member of the society was there who    
would believe that ,i was guilty of such

 an atrocious crime4 ,they insisted that
 there was some mistake1 and spent much 
time and money in trying to ferret out  
the mystery4 ,they called upon me as    
often as the prison regulations would   
permit1 and amid scenes that were       
touching1 protested their undying       
fidelity to me and the cause ,i         
espoused4 ,each individual promised most
 solemnly to carry on the work ,i had   
begun as long as his life lasted1 and ,i
 feel sure that1 although the end of my 
time is drawing near1 the work entrusted
 to me by the great ,sagewoman is born  
again1 and will grow to huge proportions
 as time passes on4  ,and so ,i have    
come to the end of my story4 ,tomorrow  
,i must die4 ,in writing this book1 ,i  
have tried to confine myself exclusively
 to the truth4 ,i have felt all along1  
however1 my inability to do the subject 
justice4 ,there are many things that the
 great ,sagewoman tried to impress upon 
me which my little brain was not strong 
enough to grasp4 ,there are also many   

things which are perfectly clear in my  
mind1 that ,i have been unable to convey
 to others1 but ,i have done my best1   
and that is all that can be expected of 
any one4 ,i should like to have given   
more attention to the arrangement of    
this work1 but unfortunately the time   
allowed me has been very short1 and ,i  
have had to rush it along in order to   
complete it4 ,i have produced this      
treatise while confined within my cell  
in the death-house1 and therefore have  
had many disadvantages to contend with4 
,i shall give the manuscript to the     
little body of men and women who are    
banded together and known as the        
,natural ,law ,society1 of which ,i had 
the honor to be the founder1 with the   
understanding that it will be published 
and distributed at the earliest possible
 date4 ,i could wish that the reader    
might peruse the contents of this work a
 second time1 if it is not asking too   
much2 at least that he might go over    
carefully and thoughtfully that portion 

of it which contains the teachings of   
the great ,sagewoman4 ,while ,i probably
 have failed to present clearly much of 
the great wisdom directly received from 
her magnificent brain1 there may arise  
in the future1 wise men1 who will be    
capable of reading in these lines much  
more than even ,i1 who write them1 am   
able to comprehend4 ,it is my one hope  
that great men will spring up in the    
future and take hold of this work--men  
with minds so strong1 so broad1 so      
courageous1 and so unselfish1 that they 
will be willing to devote their lives to
 the noble task of trying to put the    
whole human race on a footing of        
equality4 ,there can be no equality so  
long as those who are strong want to    
take more of nature's gifts than those  
who are weak1 and no man can ever be    
great who thinks that one human being is
 entitled to more than another4 ,that is
 selfishness4 ,selfishness and greatness
 are the extreme opposites4  ,this is my
 last day on earth1 to use a common but 

erroneous expression4 ,at noon today my 
soul will be separated from its body by 
the hand of man1 acting according to a  
most unnatural1 diabolical1 and         
murderous law4 ,and the poor unfortunate
 creature1 who actually slays me1 will  
do so1 not because he has a thirst for  
blood1 but for money4 ,money furnished  
by the ,state--a ,christian civilization
 which bred and reared us both4  ,i am  
now forty-four years old1 and have just 
reached the threshold of mental         
strength4 ,as ,i am in perfect condition
 physically1 and have a splendid        
constitution as a foundation1 there is  
no good reason why ,i could not have    
lived at least forty years more4 ,forty 
years longer could ,i have served the   
world at my very best1 but my fellow    
beings have decided to kill me1 right at
 a time when ,i could have been of the  
most use to them4 ,i am really sorry    
that ,i must die1 not because ,i fear   
death1 but because my opportunity to do 
good to others is taken from me4        

,twenty-two years ago ,i was anxious to 
die1 aye even by my own hand4 ,i thought
 that there was nothing to live for at  
that time4 ,but the beautiful teachings 
of the great ,sagewoman awakened new    
ideas of responsibility within me1 and  
now ,i can see that the grandest thing  
within the reach of a human being is to 
live2 live as long as nature will allow2
 live for others4  ,natural ,law teaches
 that it is idiotic to pray1 and ,i     
believe that prayer is a form of        
insanity1 but were ,i to pray1 which ,i 
profess ,i have no idea of doing1 my one
 request of the ,creator would be that  
,i might live out my life1 in order to  
spread the principles of ,natural ,law  
to the furthermost corners of the earth2
 or1 that ,i might be born again in a   
well-constructed body1 with a mind      
capable of grasping nature's ideas in   
their entirety1 and interpreting them to
 my fellow men in a way that could not  
be misunderstood4 ,if the ,creator would
 grant me this request1 and ,i could    

have the ability and the power to change
 the conditions of the earth to those   
existing in ,sageland before the        
,catastrophe1 ,i would gladly give in   
exchange for the privilege1 my eternal  
soul as a sacrifice1 and take upon      
myself everlastingly1 all of the misery1
 suffering1 and torture now inflicted   
upon the rest of mankind4  ,good-bye1   
dear reader1 and may your soul always   
guide you4  ,,end ,,of ,,john           
,,convert',s ,,work4  ,epilogue on      
following pages4  ,,epilogue  ,,from    
,,the ,,new ,,york ,,daily 7,special    
,despatch37  ,,sing ,,sing1 ,n4 ,y41 #aa
 ,a4 ,m4-,electrocution day here always 
attracts many curious people about the  
prison walls1 but the much heralded     
execution of ,john ,convert seems to    
have brought an unusual number of       
persons to this neighborhood1 and the   
hill overlooking the prison is almost   
black with people1 who have come from   
all parts of the ,state4  ,viewed from  
this hill1 ,sing ,sing prison presents  

the appearance of a huge1 square pen1   
covering many acres of land1 and        
enclosed by a high1 brick wall on the   
three land sides1 and a tall1 iron      
picket fence on the side adjoining the  
,hudson ,river4  ,on the top of these   
walls1 sentinels are stationed at       
intervals1 who walk back and forth1     
armed with breech-loading rifles1 and   
under orders to shoot dead any prisoner 
attempting to escape4  ,within the      
enclosure1 at the north end1 are several
 red brick buildings1 which are used as 
workshops for the twelve hundred time   
prisoners1 now incarcerated here4       
,running along its eastern border is a  
massive stone structure1 about seven    
hundred feet long1 fifty feet wide1 and 
sixty feet high1 with windows crated by 
heavy1 iron bars4 ,this is the main     
building of the prison1 and is used     
principally as a dormitory for the      
inmates and offices for those who have  
charge of the institution4  ,the extreme
 south end of the main building is      

walled off separately1 and occupied     
exclusively by prisoners whom the ,state
 has doomed to death4 ,this place is    
called the ,death ,chamber4 ,inside of  
this chamber is a high steel cage1 four 
tiers high1 and divided into several    
cells1 which are about eight by six feet
 in dimension4 ,thick1 cement walls1    
floor1 and ceiling1 make each cell      
separate and distinct from the others4  
,heavy doors of barred steel open       
outward onto the different platforms1   
which run all the way around the inside 
of the cage4 ,armed patrolmen1 known as 
death guards1 are kept constantly       
walking around these platforms4 ,within 
this cage is ,john ,convert and many    
other notorious murderers1 waiting their
 turns to be put to death as punishment 
for their heinous crimes4  ,at the south
 end of the ,death ,chamber is a solid  
iron door1 which leads into an adjoining
 little red brick building1 about fifty 
by twenty feet in dimension1 one story  
high1 and containing two rooms4 ,these  

rooms are perfectly bare1 excepting that
 in one of them there is a chair1 and in
 the other a table4 ,about ten feet from
 the door leading from the ,death       
,chamber is the electric chair1 by which
 the ,state kills its worst criminals4  
,in appearance it is similar to a plain1
 old-fashioned garden arm-chair1 with a 
high back4 ,connected to this chair are 
several straps1 by which the condemned  
man is harnessed in a sitting position1 
so that he cannot move4 ,these straps   
are adjusted across the head1 chest1    
abdomen1 both fore and upper arms and   
the ankles4 ,they are not bound too     
tightly1 but left taut in order to allow
 for the expansion of the body4 ,the    
electro connections are at the head and 
the inside of the right calf1 the       
trousers being cut from the knee        
downward1 so that a contact can be made 
with the bare flesh4 ,just back of the  
chair is a large closet1 which conceals 
all of the electrical apparatus         
necessary to throw on or off the current

 at the will of the ,electrician1 by    
whose hand the condemned man is sent to 
eternity4 ,stationed within the closet1 
the ,electrocutioner can see what is    
going on outside1 but cannot be seen    
from without4 ,just back of the closet  
is a partition dividing the two rooms1  
through which is a door leading into it4
 ,in the center of this other room is a 
stationary table1 upon which the autopsy
 is performed4  ,all of the machinery   
has been thoroughly tested1 and found to
 be in good running order1 and neither  
the ,state's ,electrician nor the       
,warden expect the slightest hitch in   
connection with today's proceedings4    
,the twelve witnesses invited by the    
,warden1 and made necessary by law1     
together with the brain experts1 have   
arrived upon the scene1 and everything  
is in complete readiness for the        
electrocution of ,john ,convert4  ,,from
 ,,the ,,new ,,york ,,daily 7,special   
,despatch37  ,,sing ,,sing1 ,n4 ,y41    
#a3ae ,p4 ,m4-,one of the strangest and 

most pathetic tragedies that has ever   
happened in the ,state of ,new ,york has
 just taken place within the house of   
electrocution here1 the result of which 
must cause the whole civilized world to 
pause and shudder4 ,your correspondent  
earnestly prays that he may never again 
be called upon to witness another such  
horror1 the effects of which have       
completely unnerved him and beggars even
 a faint description4  ,at precisely    
twelve o'clock today1 with the ,state   
,electrician1 medical experts1 and      
witnesses1 mutely stationed in their    
places1 the great iron door leading from
 the ,death ,chamber was suddenly swung 
open1 and between two guards the        
gigantic form of ,john ,convert walked  
over to the electric chair1 with a firm 
and unfaltering step4 ,immediately1 all 
eyes were turned upon him1 and at the   
same instant there was a subdued murmur 
of surprise by many of those present at 
the magnificent appearance of the man4  
,tall and erect1 with finely formed     

limbs1 and powerfully built shoulders1  
he easily towered above all of the other
 occupants of the room4 ,with a clean   
shaven face1 the handsome features of   
which expressed extraordinary           
intelligence1 kindness1 and gentleness  
of nature1 combined with wonderful      
strength of character1 and a shapely    
head1 overhung by an abundance of       
beautiful snow-white hair1 he looked    
more like an ambassador from heaven than
 a convicted murderer4 ,he wore a black 
,prince ,albert suit of clothes4 ,as he 
reached the side of the chair he paused1
 and calmly looking from one to the     
other of the assemblage1 he began to    
address them in a clear and melodious   
voice4 ,almost from the first utterance1
 his hearers became electrified by his  
charming manner and eloquence1 and for  
nearly half an hour were held           
spellbound1 while he explained the      
principles of ,natural ,law1 and the    
vast benefits the human race could      
derive by putting them into effect4  ,in

 a convincing way he drew a beautiful   
picture upon the minds of those present 
of a heaven that should be established  
here on earth by and for all living     
things1 in which they should work united
 and harmoniously together for a common 
and unselfish cause1 instead of each one
 pulling in a different direction for   
his own selfish purposes4 ,he explained 
that all living things were composed of 
the same material1 which was constantly 
undergoing a change from life to death  
and from death to life by being molded  
and remolded into different forms1 which
 are constructed according to the       
intelligence absorbed by the whole4     
,that it is within the power of the     
human race1 if working together as a    
unit1 to reconstruct all living matter  
on earth into more perfect organisms1   
just as it is within the power of man to
 re-mould a pile of dead scrap iron into
 new and useful machinery4 ,that these  
results could only be accomplished by   
the eradication of selfishness from the 

human race1 and that it was impossible  
to extinguish selfishness as long as the
 money system was kept in force1 and    
individuals were recompensed according  
to their craftiness to help themselves4 
,he told of the soul being everlasting1 
and how a wise law of nature breaks the 
monotony of its existence through the   
process of re-incarnation1 and that the 
soul of the rich aristocrat of today may
 be the soul of the suckling pig        
tomorrow4 ,he said that it was within   
the power of every living thing to do   
good1 if only following the advice of   
the soul1 and that the oftener this     
advice was taken the easier it became to
 do right1 but that the less the soul's 
warning was heeded1 the more hardened   
and vile became the nature of the       
individual4 ,he told of how children    
inherit the weaknesses of their parents1
 and mentioned how much grander it is   
for parents to give their children      
character without gold1 than to give    
them gold without character4  ,so       

earnestly and pathetically did he       
present the whole subject1 that at the  
conclusion of his discourse there was   
not a dry eye in the room1 and as he    
calmly took his seat in the electric    
chair1 the whole assemblage1 including  
the guards1 stood motionless for several
 moments as if in a hypnotic trance4    
,and then1 as the guards reluctantly    
began to adjust the straps about his    
body1 three men burst into loud sobs and
 rushed from the room1 bitterly         
denouncing the electrocution as         
savagery1 and refusing to witness the   
proceedings any further4 ,with the      
exception of the condemned man1         
everybody was completely unstrung4 ,but 
,john ,convert1 in the shadow of death1 
did not lose his wonderful self-control 
for a moment1 but sat with perfect      
equipoise in that murderous chair1      
calmly watching with apparent interest  
the work of fastening him in4 ',you have
 that strap around the abdomen twisted1'
 he coolly remarked to one of the       

excited guards1 and then quietly added1 
'you are not sufficiently hardened for  
this kind of work1 my man1 but perhaps  
your children may be4' ,and as if stung 
by remorse at these words1 the guard    
suddenly burst into a frenzy of grief   
and cried out in piteous tones3 ',no1   
no6 ,don't say that6 ,i love my         
children4 ,i undertook this             
objectionable work for their sakes1 that
 ,i might be able to give them the same 
advantages that other children enjoy4   
,but now that you have spoken1 ,i can   
see that ,i am paying for their         
advantages at the expense of their moral
 characters1 and that they too might    
follow in my miserable footsteps and1   
eventually sell themselves for money4   
,but listen1 ,i have but just taken this
 position1 and now ,i am getting my     
first experience at this kind of work1  
and ,i feel as if ,i were about to      
commit murder4 ,and now1 after hearing  
your wonderful words1 my conscience is  
crying out within me to stop1 and so1 in

 the presence of these witnesses1 ,i not
 only renounce all further connection   
with this abominable act1 but ,i most   
solemnly swear that ,i believe in       
,natural ,law1 and that ,i shall        
henceforth devote my life to teaching   
its principles to my own children1 and  
also to those of my fellow beings4 ,my  
eyes have suddenly been opened4 ,for the
 first time in my life ,i feel like a   
man4'  ,at this unexpected turn of      
affairs1 the countenance of ,john       
,convert lighted up with a look of      
divine happiness that was truly glorious
 to behold1 and1 addressing the guard1  
he said3 ',well spoken1 my noble man4   
,may you accumulate sufficient strength 
to enable you to faithfully follow out  
your splendid resolution2 may your      
future deeds be so unselfish1 heroic1   
and fruitful1 towards uplifting mankind1
 that the grandchildren of your enemies 
may live to praise your name4'  ,these  
words seemed to have a cheering effect  
upon the guard1 who affectionately shook

 the hand of ,convert1 and then left the
 room4  ,during this time1 however1 the 
other guard had continued the work of   
adjusting the straps1 and finally having
 them properly arranged1 stepped        
backward a few feet and raised his left 
arm as a sign to the ,electrocutioner in
 the closet that everything was in      
readiness4 ,and then1 just as ,john     
,convert uttered the words1 ',always    
,consult ,your ,soul for ,advice1' a    
terrible1 dull1 buzzing sound took the  
place of his voice1 his body suddenly   
expanded1 as if about to burst1 his     
limbs were drawn up and distorted1 blue 
flames shot forth with a weird glow1 a  
sickening odor of burning flesh         
saturated the air1 and quicker than it  
takes to tell1 the deadly current had   
penetrated through every fiber of his   
body4  ,and then1 as all turned away    
their heads from the awful sight1 a loud
 crash was heard1 and the door leading  
from the court-yard into the other room 
burst open1 and in rushed the ,warden1  

yelling like a madman3 ',stop it6 ,for  
,god's sake1 stop it6 ,you are killing  
the wrong man6' ,and pulling open the   
door of the closet which concealed the  
,electrician1 he threw off the current  
with his own hands4 ,at the same time1  
amidst great confusion1 several of the  
spectators rushed forward and began     
unfastening the straps which bound the  
unfortunate man to the chair1 after     
which the body was carried into the     
other room and laid upon the table4     
,following in the footsteps of the      
,warden1 was a tall1 beautiful1 young   
woman1 hatless1 and with hair disheveled
 and dress disarranged4 ,she was panting
 heavily1 and a wild1 terrified look    
gleamed in her eyes4 ,she appeared dazed
 and almost exhausted4 ,catching sight  
of ,convert1 she frantically tried to   
get near him1 but was held in check by  
one of the doctors1 while the other one 
made a hurried examination of the body4 
,and then1 this doctor1 apparently      
suffering from great mental excitement1 

turned toward those present1 and1 with  
his eyes full of tears1 chokingly       
whispered1 ',too late1 he is dead4'  ,at
 these terrible words1 the young woman  
uttered a heart-piercing shriek1 and1   
rushing forward1 threw herself upon the 
corpse1 as she piteously moaned3 ',you  
have murdered him4 ,you have murdered   
him4'  ,,from ,,the ,,new ,,york        
,,daily4  ,the following statement1 made
 by one of ,chicago's most beautiful and
 brilliant young society women1 is the  
sequel to the most extraordinary case   
that ever attracted public attention in 
this country3  ',my name is ,arletta    
,wright4 ,my father is ,r4 ,u4 ,wright1 
of ,chicago1 ,ill41 the well-known      
financier and multi-millionaire4 ,a few 
years ago1 while in ,paris1 ,i was      
introduced to a man by the name of ,john
 ,convert4 ,i supposed he was an        
,american1 but at that time did not take
 enough interest in him to inquire as to
 who he was or where he came from4      
,later1 however1 ,i found that he was   

continually crossing my path1 and       
appeared anxious to court my attention4 
,he was a tall1 well-built1 handsome    
man1 with a clean-shaven face and       
snow-white hair1 apparently about forty 
years old4 ,but there was something     
about his looks and actions that ,i did 
not like1 and ,i tried to avoid him as  
much as possible4 ,but he was not to be 
avoided very easily1 and1 after         
persistently following me all over      
,europe1 he crossed the ocean in the    
same steamer1 and finally came to my    
home in ,chicago4 ,he got to be such a  
nuisance that he was refused admittance 
to our house1 and in order to get rid of
 him entirely1 ,i secretly left ,chicago
 and went abroad again4 ,a few months   
afterward ,i returned home1 and found   
that he had left for parts unknown1 and 
the incident was soon forgotten4        
',during the month of ,march1 #aijc1    
about two and a half years later1       
important business called my father to  
,new ,york for a stay of several months1

 and mother and ,i1 accompanying him1 we
 took apartments at the ,opulent ,hotel1
 on ,broadway1 near ,seventy-eighth     
street4  ',about that time ,i decided to
 visit the different institutions of    
,new ,york1 and one day as ,i was being 
shown through a charity ward of the     
,ruff ,hospital1 ,i was astonished to   
see ,john ,convert lying sick upon one  
of the cots4 ,he had a wild and peculiar
 stare in his eyes and at first gave no 
sign of recognition1 but seemed to be   
undergoing an intense mental strain1 as 
if trying to recall to mind some event  
that had escaped his memory4 ,the doctor
 informed me that he was an unidentified
 charity patient suffering with typhoid 
fever and was evidently insane4 ,he told
 me that the man imagined he had been in
 a trance for over four thousand years1 
and could only be brought out of it by a
 kiss from one he called ,arletta4 ,my  
heart seemed to melt with pity and      
sorrow1 and my dislike changed into love
 for the man upon hearing these words1  

and without hesitation ,i kissed him1 at
 the same time hoping most sincerely    
that the act would have a salutary      
effect4 ,strange as it may seem1 the    
whole expression of his countenance     
changed instantly as if by some magic   
force2 his eyes lighted up radiantly1   
and looking at me in great astonishment 
he uttered my name-,arletta4 ,but while 
,i was quite elated over my strange     
success1 ,i was also much surprised and 
puzzled at his following utterances1    
whereby he claimed that ,i was the      
re-incarnated soul of ,arletta of       
,sageland1 who1 according to his story1 
had died on the same day ,i was born1   
over twenty-one years before1 and from  
which time he could form no recollection
 of events whatever4  ',subsequently1 ,i
 was informed by an eminent brain       
specialist1 who examined him1 that he   
was mentally sound1 but that owing to a 
severe fracture of the skull received   
some time previously his brain had      
become divided into two distinct parts1 

causing two personalities to exist and  
enabling him to recollect events only as
 they were separately recorded on either
 side of the brain4 ,by this explanation
 ,i readily understood the reason why he
 did not recognize me and also for the  
wonderful change which took place1 both 
in his character and my feelings toward 
him4 ,on that day my first and last love
 for man was born4  ',as time passed by1
 and he recovered his health and        
strength1 he appeared to me the most    
beautiful character ,i had ever known1  
and with each succeeding day my love for
 him grew stronger4 ,but while love     
formed a strong mutual link of          
attachment between us1 another force    
succeeded in putting us apart4  ',he    
believed in ,natural ,law and           
unselfishness1 with equal rights for    
both strong and weak alike4 ,i believed 
in religion and selfishness1 with the   
strong enjoying more earthly blessings  
than the weak4  ',he believed in a      
,supreme ,being1 who created immutable  

laws whereby the entire machinery of the
 universe is governed1 and that these   
laws could no more be changed by the    
silly prayers of man than by the prayers
 of a microbe4 ,i believed in a god to  
whom ,i could pray to change earthly    
conditions to suit my fancies2 a god    
willing to grant me favors even at the  
expense of others4  ',he believed in    
re-incarnation1 and the power of the    
soul to eventually master the flesh and 
create a heaven on earth4 ,i believed in
 the transmigration of the soul to some 
obscure heaven where there would be     
nothing farther to do but rest during   
all eternity4  ',he was broad in his    
views and never tried to restrain me    
from thinking as ,i liked4 ,i was narrow
 in mine1 and quite unwilling that he   
should believe in any theory except my  
own4  ',these and other differences of  
opinion caused us to separate4  ',one   
night last ,june1 the same night that   
awful murder took place in the ,seraglio
 ,apartments1 ,i met ,john ,convert at  

our regular meeting place in ,central   
,park for the last time4 ,it was my     
habit to meet him in an out-of-the-way  
corner of the park1 because ,i did not  
want my parents or friends to know of   
it4 ,for this same reason1 ,i had never 
told him my last name or place of       
residence4 ,at this meeting1 ,i informed
 him that he must either give up all    
further connection with the movement he 
had instituted toward the regeneration  
of mankind1 or bid me good-bye forever4 
,he chose the latter course1 although ,i
 know that his heart was fairly bursting
 with grief when ,i left him4  ',now1   
that it is too late1 ,i can fully       
appreciate what a grand1 noble fellow he
 was4 ,i offered him a million dollars  
to forsake the cause he had pledged     
himself to uphold4 ,think of it1 one    
million dollars6 ,a sum of money for    
which most civilized men would gladly   
sell their eternal souls4 ,but ,john    
,convert1 a believer in ,natural ,law1  
could not be bought at any price1 and   

even though ,i offered him my hand in   
marriage1 an offering which many ,crown 
,princes of ,europe have repeatedly     
begged for1 still he would not recede   
from the grand purpose he had           
undertaken4  ',well1 we parted1 and the 
next morning ,i boarded a steamer bound 
for ,europe4 ,but ,i was wretched and   
unhappy1 and felt that life was a burden
 to me4 ,i was unable to drive the image
 of ,john ,convert out of my mind1 and  
as ,i stood upon the deck of the        
steamer1 as it passed along the river   
leading to the ocean4 ,i looked back    
toward ,new ,york1 and fancied ,i could 
see poor ,john standing alone1 and      
forlorn1 upon one of the docks1 with his
 arms outstretched1 sadly imploring me  
to return1 and with a feeling of remorse
 ,i started for my stateroom to lie down
 and have a good cry4  ',as ,i hurried  
along the dark passageway leading to my 
room1 ,i was almost startled out of my  
senses by coming face to face with the  
very man ,i thought ,i had left behind1 

,john ,convert4 ,he appeared to be even 
more startled than myself1 and1 stepping
 backward a few paces1 he fairly        
trembled1 as he hoarsely exclaimed3 ',my
 ,god1 ,arletta1 is that really you8'   
,at these words ,i became frightened1   
and as the faint rays of light from a   
distant port-hole fell squarely upon his
 face1 ,i observed a wild1 peculiar     
stare in his eyes1 and noticed that his 
whole countenance was overcast by a most
 villainous expression4 ,at that moment1
 ,i remembered the doctor's warning     
words1 that he might change             
personalities at any time that he was   
subjected to severe mental excitement1  
and ,i now recognized in the man        
standing before me the same character ,i
 had met in ,paris4 ,just as quickly as 
love had taken possession of my feelings
 for ,john ,convert in the hospital1    
just that suddenly did it depart when ,i
 saw this detestable looking creature in
 front of me4 ,in an instant he became  
loathsome to my sight1 and without      

waiting for another word ,i rushed into 
my state-room and bolted the door4      
',not once did ,i leave my room during  
that trip across the ocean1 but when the
 steamer arrived at ,liverpool1 and ,i  
started to go ashore1 the very first    
person my eyes rested upon was ,john    
,convert2 and from that time on he      
incessantly dogged my footsteps all over
 ,europe4 ,the more ,i saw of him1 the  
more debased and despicable he appeared 
to me4 ,the good1 kind1 old face1 that  
,i had loved so well1 had now apparently
 become distorted by a murderous        
expression1 and the soulful eyes which  
had intoxicated me with ecstasy1 now    
depicted the nature of a degenerate4 ,i 
shunned him as ,i would a leper1 and    
many times ,i wished that ,i had left   
him to die in the hospital1 instead of  
aiding him to recover4 ,he became so    
objectionable to my sight that ,i       
threatened to have him arrested if he   
did not stop following me about4 ,but   
this had no effect upon him whatever1   

and after three long1 weary months of   
travel on the continent1 in which ,i    
attempted to elude him1 without success1
 ,i finally returned to ,england and    
boarded a steamer at ,southampton for   
,new ,york4 ,i fully expected to see    
,john ,convert make the voyage also1 but
 to my surprise and great joy ,i saw him
 standing on the pier after the steamer 
had left her moorings and was steaming  
away4 ,he stood waving his hand at me1  
and ,i watched him until beyond the     
range of vision1 then went down to my   
state-room1 with a feeling of relief1 as
 though a great load had been lifted    
from my shoulders4 ,one of the first    
things that attracted my attention after
 entering the state-room1 was a large1  
well-filled envelope1 lying upon the    
bed1 and addressed to me4 ,tearing it   
open1 ,i found an assortment of various 
documents1 among which was the following
 letter4'  ',my dear ,arletta3 ,at last 
realizing that you are beyond my reach  
and that further efforts to win your    

love would be useless1 and feeling that 
after all1 my affinity is not really you
 but she whom ,i recently killed1 and as
 my conscience is torturing me until ,i 
can find no rest or contentment in life1
 ,i have decided to avenge the many     
crimes ,i have committed during the past
 by taking my own life1 and ere you read
 these lines ,i shall be dead4  ',my    
life has been a most miserable failure1 
and were it not for the fact that during
 my last hours ,i feel a strong desire  
to try and make amends1 through you1 to 
the man ,i have been impersonating for  
many years1 ,i should1 quietly pass out 
of existence without further ado4  ',in 
the first place my name is not ,john1   
but ,edward ,convert1 son of ,henry     
,convert1 and grandson of ,peter        
,convert1 who many years ago was a      
wealthy banker of ,london1 ,england4    
',my grandfather had two sons2 ,james1  
the elder1 being my uncle1 and ,henry   
the younger1 my father4  ',about the    
time my father reached maturity1 both he

 and my uncle fell in love with         
beautiful twin sisters of a poor family1
 and in due course of time each took one
 as a wife4 ,this was done in direct    
opposition to my grandfather's commands1
 and so incensed did he become over the 
affair1 that when he died shortly       
afterward1 it was found that he had cut 
them both off with a mere pittance1     
while the bulk of his estate which was  
valued at several million pounds1 was to
 be held in trust until the eldest son  
of my uncle ,james had reached maturity1
 after which it was to be delivered to  
him intact4  ',at that time neither my  
father nor uncle had children1 and being
 of different temperaments-my uncle a   
pious clergyman1 and my father a broker 
with gambling tendencies-they soon      
parted and lost track of each other4    
',my parents emigrated to ,canada and   
resided in ,toronto for some years1 in  
which city ,i was born4 ,when ,i was    
about five years of age my mother died1 
and a short time later my father moved  

to ,buffalo1 ,n4 ,y41 and entered into  
the brokerage business there4 ,as ,i    
grew up1 ,i was educated with the sole  
idea that the only purpose for which ,i 
had been created was to get money4 ,at  
home ,i was taught by my father1 in     
school through books1 and at church by  
the pastor1 that my success in life     
would be judged according to the amount 
of money ,i could accumulate4 ,was it   
any wonder1 then1 that ,i grew up to    
worship money as the real god1 and to   
finally sell my soul for it8 ,oh1 the   
terrible curse of money6 ,and what an   
awful crime for parents to teach their  
children to love it6 ,had ,i not been   
taught from infancy to crave money1 ,i  
might have become a useful member of the
 human family1 and utilized my brain    
power for some worthy cause1 instead of 
using it to scheme1 cheat1 steal1 and   
even murder1 in order that ,i might     
obtain it4  ,well1 one day when ,i was  
about sixteen years old1 my father1     
having just returned from one of his    

western trips1 informed me that he had  
accidentally run across his brother     
,james1 the clergyman1 in a little      
,kansas town named ,eden4 ,he said that 
my uncle told him that his wife had died
 sixteen years before1 while giving     
birth to an only son1 as they were      
crossing the ,atlantic ,ocean4          
,subsequently this son1 who had been    
named ,john1 ran away from home when he 
was but eleven years old1 and had never 
been seen or heard of since4 ,my father 
said that ,uncle ,james had evidently   
brooded over the matter so long that he 
was broken down in health and could not 
live much longer4 ,then he showed me a  
picture of ,john ,convert1 when he was  
ten years old1 and said that it looked  
exactly like me at that age4 ,finally1  
he told me that ,cousin ,john was the   
sole heir to his grandfather's estate1  
and intimated that it would be a        
splendid stroke of business for me to go
 to ,eden and pretend to be the         
long-lost son1 and1 after reaching the  

age of twenty-one1 claim the estate as  
my own4 ,my father told me that as soon 
as he heard my uncle's story1 his       
well-trained financial brain had        
immediately formulated this excellent   
plan1 and consequently he led my uncle  
to believe that he had no children of   
his own4 ,he also ascertained the names 
of the different places where my uncle  
had lived during the past1 and proposed 
that ,i should visit these localities   
and become acquainted with ,john's old  
playmates1 in order to acquire a        
thorough knowledge of his youthful      
characteristics and any other useful    
information necessary to carry out the  
deception successfully4  ',well1 ,i     
entered into the plot with enthusiasm1  
and within six months presented myself  
to ,uncle ,james as his son4  ',at first
 the scheme worked to perfection1 and   
there was great rejoicing in the little 
town of ,eden1 where the ,rev4 ,james   
,convert was an honored and respected   
citizen of the community4 ,but as time  

went by1 my uncle apparently began to   
doubt my identity1 for at times he would
 look at me long and searchingly1 and   
then1 with a sorrowful shake of the     
head1 would remark that ,i lacked the   
character of the boy he had known as his
 son4 ,so1 fearing that he might        
ultimately discover the fraud and foil  
our plans1 my father and ,i jointly     
murdered him by a slow process of       
poison4 ,then1 with the necessary papers
 in my possession1 and plenty of        
reputable witnesses from ,eden to swear 
that ,i was the acknowledged son of the 
,rev4 ,james ,convert1 at the age of    
twenty-one ,i took possession of my     
grandfather's vast estate in ,england4  
',but the fear of the rightful heir     
turning up sooner or later to expose the
 fraud began to haunt me1 and1 feeling  
my insecurity as long as he was alive1  
,i began a long and tedious search for  
,john ,convert1 which extended to all   
parts of the world1 and covered a period
 of over twenty- three years1 with the  

sole purpose of killing him if found4   
',in the meantime1 fearing that my      
father might become conscience- stricken
 sooner or later1 and make a confession 
of our crime to the authorities1 ,i     
killed him also2 and of the three       
murders1 of which ,i am now responsible1
 ,i feel less concern over my father's  
death than of the other two2 for was it 
not from him that ,i inherited the      
instincts to lie1 cheat1 steal1 and     
murder for money1 and by his            
instructions that these instincts were  
developed1 instead of being discouraged 
from infancy8  ',well1 although ,i      
searched in nearly every nook and corner
 of the globe1 ,i was unable to find    
even a clue to my missing cousin1 but   
during that time a most peculiar affair 
happened1 which resulted in my killing a
 third victim4  ',as you will remember1 
,i met and became infatuated with you in
 ,paris over three years ago1 and then  
followed you to ,chicago4 ,after        
learning that you had secretly departed 

for ,europe again in order to avoid me1 
,i made up my mind to bother you no     
further1 and taking a trip in the       
opposite direction ,i spent considerable
 time touring ,australia1 ,africa and   
,asia4 ,it was about two years after1   
while stopping at a fashionable hotel in
 ,berlin that ,i discovered a young     
woman boarding there by the name of     
,arletta ,fogg4 ,so closely did she     
resemble you that ,i supposed it was you
 living there under an assumed name4 ,at
 first when ,i accused her of being     
,arletta ,wright1 of ,chicago1 she      
denied it emphatically4 ,but later1     
after learning that ,i was a            
millionaire1 she pretended that ,i was  
right in my supposition and led me to   
believe that she had left home for an   
indefinite period owing to some family  
disagreement and was now traveling      
incognito4 ,she permitted me to show her
 many attentions and gradually we became
 very good friends4 ,so infatuated with 
her charms did ,i become that ,i was her

 abject slave4 ,we went to ,italy and   
,egypt together and ,i lavished money   
upon her without stint4 ,i proposed     
honorable marriage to her a hundred     
times1 but she always refused1 saying   
that she preferred a free and           
independent life4 ,we went to ,new      
,york1 and there ,i discovered that     
there were other men besides myself     
interested in her1 and that she had two 
different places of residence4 ,several 
times ,i saw her in fashionable         
restaurants dining with other men1 and  
following her one night into the        
,seraglio ,apartments1 ,i found that she
 occupied a suite of rooms there1 of    
which ,i had known nothing4 ,she was    
somewhat under the influence of liquor  
that night1 and the information ,i      
secured from her was of such a kind that
 it almost drove me mad with jealousy1  
and in a fit of frenzy ,i stabbed her to
 death with her own toy dagger and left 
her lying on the bed4 ,the next morning 
,i quietly boarded the steamer for      

,europe1 and keeping out of sight until 
away from land1 ,i started to go to the 
purser's office to pay for my passage1  
when the very first person ,i met was   
you4 ,you can well imagine how it       
startled me to see one whom ,i thought  
was dead4 ,but after the first shock had
 passed away1 and learning from the list
 that ,arletta ,wright was a passenger1 
,i gave the whole matter thoughtful     
consideration and finally concluded that
 ,arletta ,fogg and ,arletta ,wright    
were two different persons and that the 
other was merely a beautiful adventuress
 and your double4  ',well1 you know the 
rest4 ,you never would care for me1 and 
as the great wealth ,i so wrongfully    
acquired cannot buy happiness of peace  
of mind1 ,i shall ask ,god to forgive my
 sins and then blow out the brains that 
have become so useless4  ',somewhere in 
this world the right ,john ,convert may 
be earning his bread by the sweat of his
 brow1 entirely ignorant of the fact    
that he is a millionaire by birth1 for  

it was his father's intention never to  
disclose this secret to him1 preferring 
that he should spend his time as a      
useful laborer1 rather than a moneyed   
loafer1 living without work4 ,whether he
 resembles me at this age or not1 ,i    
cannot say4 ,perhaps not1 for my hair   
has become prematurely white from sin   
and worry4 ,then again1 he may wear a   
beard1 while my face is clean shaven4   
,but no matter where he is1 what he     
does1 or how he looks1 ,i shall trust in
 you to do all within your power to try 
and locate him1 and deliver into his    
hands the enclosed papers1 which will be
 the means of restoring his possessions 
to him4  ',if you are fortunate enough  
to find him1 beg his forgiveness for me1
 and say that the cause of all my       
wickedness was money1 and a father who  
taught me to love it4 ,with a prayer to 
,god for mercy1 ,i shall expect to go to
 heaven in spite of my sins1 as ,i have 
faith in ,jesus ,christ1 and1 hoping to 
meet you there1 ,i bid you good-bye     

until then4  ',sincerely yours1         
',,edward 7,,john7 ,,convert4'          
',notwithstanding the dreadful contents 
of this letter1 ,i felt like crying with
 joy after reading it1 as my mind once  
more became occupied with thoughts of   
the splendid character whom ,i had so   
ardently loved1 but shamefully deserted 
in ,new ,york three months previously4  
,i made up my mind to return and ask his
 forgiveness1 and then join him in his  
praiseworthy labors of uplifting        
mankind4 ,oh6 what happiness ,i         
experienced during the next few days in 
anticipation of seeing him again and    
hearing his manly voice4 ,but alas1 how 
little we know what sorrows are in store
 for us6 ,the steamer arrived at her    
wharf at ten o'clock this morning1 and a
 few minutes later4 ,i was seated in a  
carriage speeding along in the direction
 of the ,waldoria ,hotel4 ,at forty     
minutes past ten ,i inquired of the     
clerk for ,john ,convert4 ,then came the
 appalling information that he was to be

 electrocuted at noon for the murder of 
,arletta ,fogg4 ,the rest seems like an 
awful nightmare4 ,getting a schedule of 
trains for ,sing ,sing1 ,i rushed       
outside the hotel1 and1 jumping in the  
first cab ,i saw1 handed the driver a   
roll of bills1 and told him they were   
all his if he could get me to the depot 
in time to catch the eleven o'clock     
train4 ,through the streets like mad we 
whirled1 and1 reaching the station1 ,i  
quickly alighted and ran to the ticket  
office1 and from there to the train1    
which ,i boarded just as it started     
away4 ,it was an express1 which made no 
stops before reaching ,sing ,sing1 and  
was due there at exactly twelve o'clock1
 the time set for the electrocution4 ,i 
told the conductor that ,i would give   
him a million dollars if he would land  
me in ,sing ,sing fifteen minutes ahead 
of time1 but he apparently thought ,i   
was insane1 and paid no attention to my 
frantic entreaties to go faster4 ,to    
make matters worse1 the train arrived   

five minutes late1 but1 hoping against  
hopes1 ,i got into a carriage and was   
driven to the prison4  ,here the        
attendants thought ,i was crazy1 as ,i  
rushed into the reception room1 crying  
out to stop the electrocution1 and they 
would not permit me to see the ,warden1 
who was in his private office4 ,hearing 
my cries1 however1 the ,warden came out 
to see what was the trouble1 and as     
quickly as possible ,i explained to him 
the circumstances surrounding the murder
 of ,arletta ,fogg1 and showed him the  
written confession of ,edward ,convert4 
,he read just enough to make sure he was
 right1 and then with an exclamation of 
horror he rushed out of the office1     
followed by me4 ,through grated doors1  
long1 dismal corridors1 and a           
court-yard1 we ran1 and coming to a     
little1 red brick house1 he broke open  
the frame door with a crash1 and hurried
 inside1 only to find that we were just 
a minute too late4'  ,after a fit of    
sobbing1 ,arletta ,wright quieted       

herself long enough to say3 ',telegraph 
the news to all parts of the civilized  
world that the ,state of ,new ,york has 
just murdered the noblest mortal of     
which history has ever made mention4    
,tell the inhabitants that through his  
teachings a new dispensation has sprung 
into existence1 and that ,sagemanism is 
born again4 ,publicly announce my firm  
belief in the beautiful principles of   
,natural ,law1 and say that henceforth  
,i renounce all further allegiance to a 
religion which permits the strong to    
victimize the weak1 and upholds a       
corrupt and unnatural system1 which     
allows schemers1 thieves1 gamblers1     
sneaks1 loafers1 spongers1 and all other
 kinds of human parasites to grow fat   
off the labors of those who toil4 ,say  
that ,i shall take up the work where    
,john ,convert left off1 and devote the 
remainder of my life and all of my      
wealth towards the cause he advocated4' 
7,,the ,,end47  ,,stray ,,shots  ,the   
foundation of humbug is faith4  ,the    

light of the universe is reason4        
,better be an unselfish dog than a      
selfish man4  ,advice is cheap1 so      
always give the best4  ,to exhibit      
temper is to demonstrate insanity4  ,the
 rich of today breed thieves for        
tomorrow4  ,strengthen yourself that you
 may help those less fortunate4  ,there 
is never a pleasure lost that there is  
not another gained4  ,true philanthropy 
does not steal from one to give to      
another4  ,religions burn their bridges 
in front instead of behind them4  ,one  
good man on earth is better than ten    
thousand in heaven4  ,feed the mind with
 good thoughts and you will always be   
happy4  ,keep the mind and body clean   
and the soul will take care of itself4  
,put your trust in the desires of your  
conscience4  ,there are two ways to     
think--animal and human4  ,make your    
soul the master of your mind and body4  
,observe at least one day each week for 
rest and play4  ,man is great among men 
as the flea is great among fleas4  ,no  

drawback should cause man to lose       
control of himself4  ,better be a good  
man persecuted1 than a bad man praised4 
,you of few weaknesses should not judge 
harshly of those with many weaknesses4  
,hate not1 but pity your enemies1 for   
thereby you demonstrate your own        
superiority4  ,it makes little          
difference who gets the credit1 as long 
as the world derives the benefit4       
,without ,labor1 ,capital would starve2 
without ,capital1 ,labor could live in  
luxury4  ,a liar is a moral coward who  
fears to speak the truth and abide by   
the consequences4  ,permit your soul to 
look from the eye and all of nature's   
objects will appear beautiful4  ,hide   
not your face behind a fantastic beard1 
that the world may read your character4 
,the expression of the face is caused by
 the tendency of the thought4           
,semi-intelligent beings try to live on 
the strength of those less intelligent4 
,persecution is a deadly poison which   
reacts upon those who administer it4    

,he with many faults is generally too   
weak to overlook the faults of others4  
,which is the most beastly1 the pig     
itself1 or the man who rears1 kills and 
eats it8  ,behold yourself through the  
eyes of others and judge your worth     
accordingly4  ,when man dies he leaves  
his works for the approbation or        
contempt of posterity4  ,as the mother  
loves her child1 so should all living   
things love each other4  ,the sins of   
the parents are visited upon the        
children as a natural result1 and not by
 an act of the ,almighty4  ,there are   
thoughts in existence today which man   
will not be able to grasp for thousands 
of years to come4  ,replace the ,church 
with schools of moral1 mental and       
physical culture and the world will pro 
thereby4  ,as the swindler first creates
 a feeling of faith in his intended     
victim1 so religion demands faith in its
 followers4  ,of what good are you if   
you gain the produce of the whole world 
and breed ten thousand criminal         

descendants4  ,there are many men in    
this world who call it work to figure   
how they can secure the results of      
others' labor4  ,if you have knowledge1 
offer it to others2 if they do not      
accept it1 that is their loss4  ,do not 
fill your head so full of other people's
 ideas that there is no room left for   
your own4  ,point out the defects of him
 who is present2 praise the good        
qualities of him who is absent4  ,those 
who ride upon the backs of others must  
in turn carry others upon their own     
backs4  ,the ,bible not only proves its 
own absurdities1 but any others that the
 human mind can conceive4  ,parents     
should mould their children's character 
before they are born1 by their own      
thoughts and actions4  ,your ancestors  
are responsible for the weaknesses you  
inherit1 but you are responsible for    
non-improvement4  ,marrying for money or
 position without mutual love is but one
 way to breed and preserve the germs of 
prostitution4  ,it is not only the      

selfishness of the strong that robs the 
weak1 but also the selfishness of the   
weak that keeps them so4  ,if nature has
 blessed you with superior ability and  
you do not use it to benefit mankind1   
then you have betrayed nature's trust4  
,the laborer furnishes the capitalist   
with money1 houses1 clothes1 eatables1  
service and then the weapons and power  
to keep him enslaved4  ,if you have not 
improved your condition physically1     
mentally and morally over that of your  
parents1 your life has been a failure4  
,religion is a great cudgel held        
threateningly by the strong over the    
heads of the weak to keep them in a     
state of ignorance and slavery4  ,if the
 soul were born with the body1 then it  
must die with it2 but if the soul live  
afterward1 then it must have lived      
before the body was born4  ,the learned 
man is sometimes wise2 the wise man is  
not always learned4 ,the wise man       
produces good thoughts direct from      
nature2 the learned man acquires them   

afterward4