68 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



will succeed where many another may fail. In this there will often be 

 surprisingly exemplified the fact that it is the inner, emotional and in- 

 tellectual life, rather than the outer physical life, which pulls men and 

 women down, as well as keeps them up; and that in connection with a 

 decided change in the character and direction of these there may al- 

 ways he expected, whenever possible, a corresponding constructive re- 

 sponse to whatever change in environmental conditions may be con- 

 sidered useful, in addition. 



Having thus made a right beginning and got well on the road to 

 practical success, it is simply wonderful what a capable, intelligent, 

 wholesome " minister to a mind diseased " can thus do, for many of 

 these cases, where there is such a malign and persisting interference 

 with the life of all the affective as well as effective faculties of the sick- 

 soul, as is here to be found. Like the gentle dew from heaven is his 

 mere coming and presence often; often, too, like a strong tower of de- 

 fense and offense, is the "presence" he leaves behind; like a veritable 

 "new birth," does it soon amount to; like a complete regeneration in 

 the end, in many instances. 



Of course, it might be naturally supposed that the first and surest 

 step toward securing recovery, especially from the woes peculiar to the 

 misfit, would be simply to get them out of their inappropriate environ- 

 ment and wrong calling into a place and work more suitable for their 

 endowment and preparation. And so it would be and is, in a compara- 

 tively few or perhaps many cases. But with the rest it is almost uni- 

 versally the fact that for so long a time have they been bred and 

 trained in the midst of unrealization and unsatisfaction and conse- 

 quently of rebellion and despair, and not less important in the direc- 

 tion of atrophy and negation of powers, that even when their outward 

 circumstances have once been most wisely mended they do not respond 

 nearly so constructively as might naturally be expected. Mostly, such 

 people need a change of life within before they can satisfactorily ap- 

 preciate and constructively respond to a change of life without. Until 

 this change is accomplished — until the intellect and emotions and ex- 

 pectancies have been given at least a new direction — outer changes are 

 much more likely, particularly in adults, to result in some or all of the 

 unexpected disappointments which every other kind of unwise experi- 

 mentation is everywhere so apt to see. 



Having, then, as thoroughly cleared the sufferer's mind of every 

 affecting and destructive idea and feeling as possible, and skillfully 

 filled it with certain other ideas and feelings, which should be selected 

 entirely for their own constructive, curative and inspiring qualities, it 

 follows with equal necessity that the good work should not stop here, 

 by any means, but rather should be supplemented unremittingly by 

 most persistent use of every such well-selected, strong, wholesome, com- 



