PREFACE 



AS life nears its end with me, I find myself medi- 

 tating more and more upon the mystery of its 

 nature and origin, yet without the least hope that I 

 can find out the ways of the Eternal in this or in any 

 other world. In these studies I fancy I am about as 

 far from mastering the mystery as the ant which I 

 saw this morning industriously exploring a small 

 section of the garden walk is from getting a clear 

 idea of the geography of the North American Conti- 

 nent. But the ant was occupied and was apparently 

 happy, and she must have learned something 

 about a small fraction of that part of the earth's 

 surface. 



I have passed many pleasant summer days in my 

 hay-barn study, or under the apple trees, exploring 

 these questions, and though I have not solved them, 

 I am satisfied with the clearer view I have given 

 myself of the mystery that envelops them. I have 

 set down in these pages all the thoughts that have 

 come to me on this subject. I have not aimed so 

 much at consistency as at clearness and definiteness 

 of statement, letting my mind drift as upon a shore- 

 less sea. Indeed, what are such questions, and all 

 other ultimate questions, but shoreless seas whereon 



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