526 THE MOUNTAIN. 



from a cherishing mother, fed and clothed by invisible fingers, 

 nursed and caressed by invisible hands, we grow. The quack- 

 eries of the world "sing the song of sixpence," and get "a 

 pocket full of rye," "betting" on the triumph of this benefi- 

 cent power, this strong will of nature, this plus fullness, this 

 exuberant vitality and strength, which battles in us with the 

 destroying powers, quarrels with, and resists toughly death 

 in every shape, and says, even to the body of man, thou 

 shalt live forever. As a centre of all organic forms there 

 exists this budding and expansive life-force, which, by a 

 miraculous centrifugal tendency, seeks a full pronunciation 

 somehow, even through difficulties insuperable, of the proper 

 sphere of being of the creature, through consummation or 

 finishing of its form, life, and power, as facts in the divine 

 economy of uses, of which the universe of matter is the per- 

 petually unfallen, also glorified and transcendent symbol. 

 This is the real philosophy of the world of post hoes, which, 

 by satanic cunningness, get themselves passed for propter 

 hoes, assuming the relationship, the absolute golden nexus 

 of cause and effect, instead of mere apparent antecedent and 

 consequent. 



Nature walks her own paths, makes and keeps, works and 

 sleeps. Assailants of all orders come ; she says, nay! Nos- 

 trum and quack watch, like the eagle for the fish-hawk, 

 pounce, and away with the prey ; antecedent sugar glob- 

 ules, cold water, Swaim's panacea, or Hobensach; conse- 

 quent normal poise of restoring powers and all safe ; hands 

 of death off; soundness is restored. Recuperative sanitary 

 ecstasy of nature says, never mind the nostrum, the caba- 

 listic sign, the nothingness of Hobeusach & Co.; I will 

 make you well, notwithstanding your scabs and scratches, 

 your childish winnings and querulous complainings, your 

 sufferings and distractions ; disease is an impertinence and 

 intrusion into the charmed realm of life in which I am 

 Queen. Your simples and water, your treacle and peppermint, 

 do not hinder me seriously in my work, which is to grow a 

 new universe every moment, keeping the apples and cab- 

 bages of Eden freshly on hand each instant of time ; for, 



