whose effect would have been 'Popularity' below, but regrets, deep and bitter, in the Soul-world. Fool was he, or was he not? for refusing to ring the dull changes suited to the edification and advancement of so-called 'Philosophers and Reformers,' people who hold Jesus up to ridicule, and speak of God as "The chap supposed to dwell beyond the stars!" No! His true place was as the center of a few prayerful souls, and the wielder of the pen for God's sake, instead of being the mouth-piece and oracle of and for those, who next day would not only forget, but previously curse him for his pains.
It came to me that such is the fate of nearly all that class of persons who cultivate spiritual acquaintances at the cost of loss of will and complete self-sacrifice. These people, at best, are only the ephemera of the age, and well it is that such is the case. They are sneered at, vilified, scandalized, and traduced—sapped of the last drop of vitality, and then exultingly laughed at for being such fools; and when the days of hardship come, but very few of those for whom the tremendous sacrifice has been made, will go to their relief. In fact these human-looking and humane-talking people can stand the self-immolated victim's grief and sorrow very well indeed. The rising tide may engulph the lonely ones, and not a hand of them all be stretched out to save. True, such conduct is in strict accordance with the way of the world, but it is a very bad way, and those who follow it will pay for their folly in the coming ages.
Instead of using these unfortunates in this manner, the true motto and resolve of every one should be: 'It may be that God or Destiny is working out some deep and instructive problem through that man or
