If I had the remaking of man, he wouldn’t have any conscience. It is one
of the most disagreeable things connected with a person; and although it
certainly does a great deal of good, it cannot be said to pay, in the
long run; it would be much better to have less good and more comfort.
Still, this is only my opinion, and I am only one man; others, with less
experience, may think differently. They have a right to their views. I
only stand to this; I have noticed my conscience for many years, and I
know it is more trouble and bother to me than anything else I started
with. I suppose that in the beginning I prized it, because we prize
anything that is ours; and yet how foolish it was to think so. If we
look at it in another way we see how absurd it is: if I had an anvil in
me would I prize it? Of course not. And yet when you come to think,
there is no real difference between a conscience and an anvil—I mean for
comfort. I have noticed it a thousand times. And you could dissolve an
anvil with acids, when you couldn’t stand it any longer; but there isn’t
any way that you can work off a conscience—at least, so it will stay
worked off; not that I know of, anyway.