ii2 THE PORTAL OF EVOLUTION 



possessed minds and brains similar to his own, and led lives 

 similar in occupation to that which he has now to lead, and 

 for which he has like talents or capabilities. I do not mean 

 that he can recall the entire thoughts or experiences of these 

 ancestors in detail, but that he is able to think as they thought 

 and avoid faults that their experiences could prevent when 

 called upon to perform like acts to theirs under like circum- 

 stances and environments. Thus in a family who has given 

 to the world a long line of soldiers or statesmen, their descen- 

 dants who have military capabilities will be able to recall the 

 experiences of the particular military ancestors who have had 

 like military experiences, but not the experiences of their 

 political ancestors. The family which is descended from an 

 ancestry of carpenters and blacksmiths, the one who has abili- 

 ties to make a first-class carpenter will be able to recall the 

 past experiences of the dead carpenters to whom he may throw 

 back, but not necessarily the experiences of the blacksmiths 

 in a like degree. This is the reason why some persons with 

 only a slight amount of present knowledge, but more heredi- 

 tary genius, are often able to produce more correct and perfect 

 results than those with a greater amount of knowledge, because 

 the latter, lacking the experience of similar knowledge in their 

 past ancestry are unable to correct their impressions by past 

 experiences. It is also why people born in different circum- 

 stances of life and classes of society are unable to view or 

 interpret the same arguments or facts in the same manner. 

 Those persons whose ancestors have for generations viewed 

 life from one standpoint are unable to form a correct 

 opinion of it from another. They may be for the moment 

 impressed by the opinions brought forward by those whose 

 ancestors have had experience on matters on which their 

 ancestors have been ignorant, and the force and truth of the 

 arguments brought forward may be undeniable and incontro- 

 vertible, and the truth and wisdom expressed may be self- 

 apparent ; but so much stronger is the prejudice of past 

 beliefs of past generations, that it at once outweighs the new 

 impressions which are swamped by the preponderating influ- 

 ences of the past experiences of their ancestors, and it will take 

 several generations of life in an altered social position to 

 overcome this tendency. For this reason you will find many 

 great geniuses whose brilliant abilities only accentuate their 



