learned that the best way of getting at what was worth having from
him was to wind him up with a question and let him run down all of
himself。 It is easy to turn a good talker into an insufferable bore
by contradicting him； and putting questions for him to stumble over；
that is； if he is not a bore already； as 〃good talkers 〃 are apt to
be； except now and then。
We had been discussing some knotty points one morning when he said
all at once：
Come into my library with me。 I want to read you some new passages
from an interleaved copy of my book。 You haven't read the printed
part yet。 I gave you a copy of it； but nobody reads a book that is
given to him。 Of course not。 Nobody but a fool expects him to。 He
reads a little in it here and there； perhaps； and he cuts all the
leaves if he cares enough about the writer； who will be sure to call
on him some day； and if he is left alone in his library for five
minutes will have hunted every corner of it until he has found the
book he sent；if it is to be found at all； which does n't always
happen； if there's a penal colony anywhere in a garret or closet for
typographical offenders and vagrants。
What do you do when you receive a book you don't want； from the
author？said I。
Give him a good…natured adjective or two if I can； and thank him；
and tell him I am lying under a sense of obligation to him。
That is as good an excuse for lying as almost any；I said。
Yes； but look out for the fellows that send you a copy of their
book to trap you into writing a bookseller's advertisement for it。 I
got caught so once； and never heard the end of it and never shall
hear it。…He took down an elegantly bound volume； on opening which
appeared a flourishing and eminently flattering dedication to
himself。…There；said he； what could I do less than acknowledge
such a compliment in polite terms； and hope and expect the book would
prove successful； and so forth and so forth？ Well； I get a letter
every few months from some new locality where the man that made that
book is covering the fences with his placards； asking me whether I
wrote that letter which he keeps in stereotype and has kept so any
time these dozen or fifteen years。 Animus tuus oculus； as the
freshmen used to say。 If her Majesty； the Queen of England； sends
you a copy of her 〃Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the
Highlands；〃 be sure you mark your letter of thanks for it Private！
We had got comfortably seated in his library in the mean time； and
the Master had taken up his book。 I noticed that every other page
was left blank； and that he had written in a good deal of new matter。
I tell you what；he said；there 's so much intelligence about
nowadays in books and newspapers and talk that it's mighty hard to
write without getting something or other worth listening to into your
essay or your volume。 The foolishest book is a kind of leaky boat on
a sea of wisdom； some of the wisdom will get in anyhow。 Every now
and then I find something in my book that seems so good to me； I
can't help thinking it must have leaked in。 I suppose other people
discover that it came through a leak； full as soon as I do。 You must
write a book or two to find out how much and how little you know and
have to say。 Then you must read some notices of it by somebody that
loves you and one or two by somebody that hates you。 You 'll find
yourself a very odd piece of property after you 've been through
these experiences。 They 're trying to the constitution； I'm always
glad to hear that a friend is as well as can be expected after he 's
had a book。
You must n't think there are no better things in these pages of mine
than the ones I'm going to read you； but you may come across
something here that I forgot to say when we were talking over these
matters。
He began； reading from the manuscript portion of his book：
We find it hard to get and to keep any private property in thought。
Other people are all the time saying the same things we are hoarding
to say when we get ready。 ＇He looked up from his book just here and
said； 〃Don't be afraid； I am not going to quote Pereant。〃＇ One of our
old boardersthe one that called himself 〃The Professor〃 I think it
wassaid some pretty audacious things about what he called
〃pathological piety；〃 as I remember； in one of his papers。 And here
comes along Mr。 Galton； and shows in detail from religious
biographies that 〃there is a frequent correlation between an
unusually devout disposition and a weak constitution。〃 Neither of
them appeared to know that John Bunyan had got at the same fact long
before them。 He tells us； 〃The more healthy the lusty man is； the
more prone he is unto evil。〃 If the converse is true； no wonder that
good people； according to Bunyan； are always in trouble and terror；
for he says；
〃A Christian man is never long at ease；
When one fright is gone； another doth him seize。〃
If invalidism and the nervous timidity which is apt to go with it are
elements of spiritual superiority； it follows that pathology and
toxicology should form a most important part of a theological
education； so that a divine might know how to keep a parish in a
state of chronic bad health in order that it might be virtuous。
It is a great mistake to think that a man's religion is going to rid
him of his natural qualities。 〃Bishop Hall〃 （as you may remember to
have seen quoted elsewhere） 〃prefers Nature before Grace in the
Election of a wife； because； saith he； it will be a hard Task； where
the Nature is peevish and froward； for Grace to make an entire
conquest while Life lasteth。〃
〃Nature〃 and 〃Grace〃 have been contrasted with each other in a way
not very respectful to the Divine omnipotence。 Kings and queens
reign 〃by the Grace of God；〃 but a sweet； docile； pious disposition；
such as is born in some children and grows up with them；that
congenital gift which good Bishop Hall would look for in a wife；is
attributed to 〃Nature。〃 In fact 〃Nature〃 and 〃Grace；〃 as handled by
the scholastics； are nothing more nor less than two hostile
Divinities in the Pantheon of post…classical polytheism。
What is the secret of the profound interest which 〃Darwinism 〃 has
excited in the minds and hearts of more persons than dare to confess
their doubts and hopes？ It is because it restores 〃Nature〃 to its
place as a true divine manifestation。 It is that it removes the
traditional curse from that helpless infant lying in its mother's
arms。 It is that it lifts from the shoulders of man the
responsibility for the fact of death。 It is that； if it is true；
woman can no longer be taunted with having brought down on herself
the pangs which make her sex a martyrdom。 If development upward is
the general law of the race； if we have grown by natural evolution
out of the cave…man； and even less human forms of life； we have
everything to hope from the future。 That the question can be
discussed without offence shows that we are entering on a new era； a
Revival greater than that of Letters； the Revival of Humanity。
The prevalent view of 〃Nature〃 has been akin to that which long
reigned with reference to disease。 This used to be considered as a
distinct entity apart from the processes of life； of which it is one
of the manifestations。 It was a kind of demon to be attacked with
things of odious taste and smell； to be fumigated out of the system
as the evil spirit was driven from the bridal…chamber in the story of
Tobit。 The Doctor of earlier days； even as I can remember him； used
to exorcise the demon of disease with recipes of odor as potent as
that of the angel's diabolifuge；the smoke from a fish's heart and
liver； duly burned；〃the which smell when the evil spirit had
smelled he fled into the uttermost parts of Egypt。〃 The very moment
that disease passes into the category of vital processes； and is
recognized as an occurrence absolutely necessary； inevitable； and as
one may say； normal under certain given conditions of constitution
and circumstance； the medicine…man loses his half…miraculous
endowments。 The mythical serpent is untwined from the staff of
Esculapius； which thenceforth becomes a useful walking…stick； and
does not pretend to be anything more。
Sin； like disease； is a vital process。 It is a function； and not an
entity。 It must be studied as a section of anthropology。 No
preconceived idea must be allowed to interfere with our investigation
of the deranged spiritual function； any more than the old ideas of
demoniacal possession must be allowed to interfere with our study of
epilepsy。 Spiritual pathology is a proper subject for direct
observation and analysis； like any other subject involving a series
of living actions。
In these living actions everything is progressive。 There are sudden
changes of character in what is called 〃conversion〃 which； at first；
hardly seem to come into line with the common laws of evolution。 But
these changes have been long preparing； and it is just as much in the
order of nature that certain characters should burst all at once from
the rule of evil propensities； as it is that the evening primrose
should explode； as it were； into bloom with audible sound； as you ma