lis BUBTERRAKEAN RECESSBSk 



" At all events, I do not come under your class of insane, as t 

 ^id not fight, but came here instead." 



** You do not." 



" Young man, you have heard that I have bound myself by a vow 

 to oppose this custom vviih all my energy. Now it is therefore my 

 duty to solicit your co-operation when you return to society. Nearly 

 half of life will then still remain to you, as you will only be forty 

 years of age ; if I cannot prevail upon you now to promise to do S0| 

 I must take advantage of the time which you have to remain here in 

 advancing arguments, the ultimate effect of which will no doubt con- 

 vince you as to what will be your duty." 



■** I am no friend to the custom, sir." 



" But my object will be to make you an active and relentless 

 enemy to it. If any individual leaves the Recesses without giving 

 me a solemn assurance that he will be such, the fault does not rest 

 with me ; there is no remissness on my part in urging with all possi- 

 ble earnestness the arguments with which I am furnished. I have 

 the satisfaction of knowing that one hundred men, in the prime of 

 life, are solemnly pledged to wage constant war with my sworn 

 enemy, in whatever part of the world they are found." 



" I admire your zeal, sir." 



** And I admire your apathy; but am not surprised that my argu* 

 ments do not make more impression. I am accustomed to progress 

 very slowly in my attempts to influence the mind. From what I 

 have said, you will know that I have had many differently consti* 

 tuted minds to deal with. In almost every instance the progress was 

 clow, bnt perseverance always insured me the victory." 



" Your experience will have rendered you expert." 



" Your remarks amuse me ; you continue the conversation, but 

 neither acknowledge or question the validity of my arguments. Here 

 again experience befriends me, or I should imagine myself to be 

 beating the air. Hours of conversation have I spent with individuals, 

 and have received none but unmeaning replies ; yet, barren as these 

 replies were, 1 was confiraied in the opinion that truth in my handa 

 has made advances. Let the advocates of truth take courage ; truth 

 cannot be brought in contact perseveringly with the liuman mind 

 without having its beneficial resulta." 



