210 THE PORTAL OF EVOLUTION 



Such a conception of Immortality is not only reasonable 

 and understandable, but it is the logical sequel to the evolution 

 of life, body and mind, and is made still more probable when 

 read from the standpoint of my hypothesis, so it should also 

 apply to the evolution of the soul. 



It is also feasible to conclude that the life of the soul of 

 man is immortal in the same manner that the life of plants 

 and animals is not a fresh life but only an evolution of life 

 or a reward of the previous lives, of which and from which 

 it has been evolved. That is to say, the life of the soul is 

 also an unbroken reproduction of the same mind and soul of the 

 family that has so far evolved it to its present state of evolu- 

 tion. And that just the same as the leaves drop off the trees 

 when they have performed their duty in each season's work, 

 so our individual bodies drop out of existence when they have 

 performed their respective parts during the short season of 

 our individual existence, and that mankind, like all else, 

 have their seasons as a part of the uniform plan of creation. 



This seems to correspond in the life of the soul, just 

 as seasonal life does in the case of the leaves of a plant, and 

 that just as the vital portions of the sap descend to the roots 

 in winter to re-create the strength of the limbs and trunk of 

 the tree during the following season and so produce a fresh 

 growth of flower and seeds, so likewise our souls return to 

 our families at our death to reproduce themselves in the minds 

 and thoughts of our children, thereby increasing their powers 

 and capabilities for good or evil, as we, by living a wise or 

 foolish life, shall thereby decide the proportion of the number 

 of them that shall progress or deteriorate, become immortal 

 or be condemned to the damnation of eternal extinction in the 

 struggle for the survival of the fittest ; the good being used as 

 examples to be emulated, and by their useful acts assist to 

 lighten the future struggle of life in the lives of their children 

 as civilisation adds to comfort; the bad being used as an 

 example to deter others from like follies, and as a means of 

 punishing the sins and failures of the unwise, or as a means of 

 convincing others of folly, and so teach them to convert their 

 sins into virtues and their failures into successes. Please 

 realise and remember that this is the crucial test and distinc- 

 tion between good and bad. The good are those, no matter 

 how great their faults may be, who have the courage and perse- 



