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 Law, and,
knowing of no better way to begin this work, I decided to go out and
lecture upon the streets to all persons who might care to listen. I set
aside three evenings each week to preach the Truth, and took a position
at the corner of Fifth avenue, and Twenty-third street, just opposite
the "Flatiron" building, with nothing but a soap-box for a platform; it
was here that I devoted many evenings instructing the masses in the
principles of Sagemanism. At first I felt a little awkward, and could
not find sufficient words to express myself properly upon the subject,
but gradually there came self-reliance, which enabled me to communicate
my thoughts to others, and within a few weeks I had acquired a fluency
of speech whereby I could talk for hours without embarrassment. During
my first attempts at public speaking, few people would remain more than
a moment or two to hear what I had to say, but with the increased force
and power of speech, which I acquired with practice, my audiences grew
larger and larger, until finally the streets were blockaded with their
numbers at these meetings. Many of my hearers, both rich and poor alike,
got into the habit of coming repeatedly to listen to these talks, and
after a short time they would come to me one by one and request personal
tutorage in the principles set forth. In fact, the number of these
proselytes increased to such an extent, and their intentions were so
earnest and serious, that it finally became necessary to engage a hall,
where we might hold private meetings. It was in this way that there was
finally organized the society for the propagation of the principles of
Natural Law. Little by little the society gained in numerical strength,
until I felt sure that the seed of this grand work had been planted in
human soil for all time to come, and that its fruits would blossom forth
in abundance as time passed by.
But while success appeared to be crowning my humble efforts in this
direction, and the more progress I made in this propaganda, the more
opposed to my methods Arletta became. She grew intensely antagonistic to
my work, and tried in every way to have me discontinue it. She could not
believe that all human beings were born to have equal rights and
privileges in the world. She had been taught from infancy that there
must always be a master and a servant, and that the Deity was
responsible for the position held between them. She believed, as most
good Christians do, that it is the Creator's will that some people are
born in wealth and luxury, while others are born and bred in poverty and
squalor. She repeatedly endeavored to persuade me to desist in the work
I had undertaken and re-enter the Church as a good Christian member. My
efforts to convert her as a believer in Natural Law were futile, and a
great gulf seemed to be springing up and separating us from one another.
I felt that I was placed in a very difficult position. On the one hand,
I loved this beautiful young woman more than words can convey any idea
of. She seemed to be a part of my life. I would have gladly suffered any
pain or torture, if by so doing it would have afforded her one moment of
pleasure. On the other hand, 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 me. I often
wondered at my strange predicament. Here I was being censured by the
reincarnated soul of the great Sage-woman for carrying out the very work
she taught me, and for fulfilling my promise to her.
The climax of this peculiar situation was reached one night at our
meeting place in the park. Arletta had sent me an urgent despatch to
come and see her without fail, and then she had stated that it was her
intention to leave New York the next day on a protracted trip through
Europe. She said she had come to bid me good-bye, and that it was to be
good-bye forever, as she never intended to see me again. She appeared
depressed and sad upon this occasion, and her eyes were filled with
tears. In answer to my inquiry, as to her reason for leaving me in this
way, she said that it was because she could not uphold me in my crusade
against all recognized principles of religious beliefs.
She told me frankly that she loved me and that she cared nothing for any
other man in the world except myself, but that she could not do
otherwise than go away and forget me. She claimed that nothing further
could come of our friendship as long as I continued an emissary of
Natural Law; that her religion forbade it and her parents would oppose
it; that her friends would be against it, and the whole world would
sneer at it; and that to be placed in such a trying position was more
than she could possibly bear. According to her, there was no good reason
why I could not give up my undertaking, to please her. She had
everything in the world to make me happy and was willing to give me
anything within her power, if I would only relinquish my purpose and
promise never to think of it again. She told me that she was wealthy,
that she had millions in her own name, and that her father and uncles
were multi-millionaires, to whose wealth she would be the sole heir. She
said that if I would promise to quit the work I was engaged in, that she
would give me her hand in marriage, and also deposit in the bank to my
credit one million dollars on the following day as a dowry, with which I
could do as I pleased. She was serious and, apparently in earnest, and I
did not doubt one word of what she said as being the truth. So I was
placed in the position of choosing between great wealth, the woman I
loved, and all other earthly pleasures on the one hand, and a duty which
I had solemnly sworn to perform, on the other. It was a trying
situation, to say the least. With bowed head I sat and considered all
phases of the matter, with much earnestness and equal indecision. To
think that Arletta would leave me forever was to feel that my heart was
being torn from its fastenings. To have her as my wife, this alone
seemed to be the very greatest happiness that life could afford, and
mayhap, the promise of a million dollars was not without its allurement.
A position in the very best society of the country also loomed before my
vision, as I considered these things. On the other hand, if I refused, I
could look forward to a life of poverty, hard work, and the abuse of my
fellow beings. The temptation was a trying one, and it seemed impossible
for me to refuse Arletta's offering. As I raised my head and looked into
her beautiful eyes, which expressed great love, and tenderness, and
expectation, I felt that I could not say no to her. It seemed as if I
had been placed between honor and temptation, and was about to fall into
the arms of the latter. I hesitated a moment, undecided as to what to
do, when something within me distinctly said: "Be a man. Give up all
earthly pleasures during this life and teach Natural Law, according to
your promise." Then once again the wise words of the great Sagewoman
passed through my mind:
"Always consult your soul for advice.
"Do no act your conscience will not sanction."
Instantly arising and feeling that I should follow the advice of my soul
above all other considerations, I determined to do that which was right.
I concluded that to lose Arletta, and all the pleasures incidental to a
life with her, was but a temporary loss, but the opportunity of setting
a great example to my fellow beings, a precedent that would have lasting
influence, might never arrive again, and that it was my solemn duty to
seize this chance while I had the power to do so. So, standing erect and
without further hesitation, I took Arletta's hand in mine and said: "My
dear girl, to lose you will cause me much suffering and pain, so much
that it would be impossible for you to form any conception of it. To
lose you is to deprive me of all that is dear and sweet in this life. To
permit you to go without acceding to your wishes taxes my strength to
the utmost limit, but believe me, the life of one little human being is
of short duration in the immense sea of time, and while I am giving up
the delight and pleasure of your companionship now, 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 world, free from
money, which I hope will eventually be the result of my present labors.
Therefore, in acting contrary to your wishes now, I feel that I am
working for your future happiness. I shall remain at my present post of
duty, trying to uplift mankind, I shall follow the dictates of my
conscience in doing this, and as long as the bones of my little anatomy
hold together as a living being and my brain has the power to reason, I
shall teach the principles of Natural Law even if all the world follows
your example and turns against me."
At the conclusion of this little speech my emotion overcame me and I
could say no more. Arletta also appeared overcome with sadness, and was
unable to speak. She withdrew her hand from mine and without a word
turned and walked slowly away, sobbing bitterly as she left. I stood and
watched her retreating form in a dazed sort of a way. With each step
which put us farther apart, increasing darkness obscured my vision. I
wanted to call her back but a lump came in my throat and I could not
speak. My brain was in a whirl. A terrible feeling of gloom over-
shadowed me. I labored under great excitement. My head seemed as if it
were ready to burst. I felt that I was going mad. The trees and
everything else appeared to be moving about in great confusion. Those
same symptoms which I experienced after falling among the rocks of
Sageland returned. My body seemed to be dividing into several parts and
then becoming one again. I tried to control myself but without avail.
All of a sudden I saw standing before me two Arlettas, one at the right
hand and the other at the left. The one at the right I instantly
recognized as the great Sagewoman, while on the left stood the girl
Arletta. They were facing and pointing in opposite directions. 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 strength. To
my left I observed a path running down the hill upon which was written
the word weakness. At the top of the hill everything looked bright and
cheerful and orderly, while at the bottom darkness and confusion
prevailed. Above the extreme top, as though stamped in space like a
great rainbow, these words appeared: Natural Law, Wisdom, Love for
Others. At the bottom, and almost obscured in the gloom, I faintly
discerned the following: Religion, Ignorance, Love of Self.
As I stood speechless at this wonderful vision everything suddenly
became dark and I knew no more.