[Sidenote: Evidence Sought]
Early in life I was fortunate enough to acquire the belief that, what
seemed to be the consensus of opinion of the learned in any art or
science, ought to be true; and, accepting their dictum, I have tried to
grow up to an appreciation of their intelligence or taste in the
subjects of their study, without combatting it with my own callow
impressions. In this way I have enjoyed an early appreciation of the
classics in music and in art, much in advance of the ordinary
experience derived from personal contact. In this spirit of
investigation I have collected some scraps of evidence which all prove
my theory. No one has denied the possibility of Emancipation, but every
one has found a pleasure at once in the ray of hope it suggests.
Since my attention has been directed to the possible total emancipation
from the depressing passions, I have taken occasion to interview every
man who seemed to enjoy unclouded happiness, as to the secret of his
happiness. In almost every instance I have learned that the emancipated
condition has dated, not from infancy and inheritance, but from some
incident in later life that exposed the passions to ridicule, or showed
them to be a cause of danger; such as death as the result of worry, or
crime as the result of anger; some object lesson which proved the
danger of permitting the passions to absorb one. I enquired of