The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1919-01-04
,. $4,000 80 9
The RETURN !;
nnrunnunn
BY TOM MASON. +.
:.

Inconsistencies not bounded by a hori-
zon. A soul is an idea. When any
one knows what it is, her it is not.
and when anyone doesn't know, then
we don't know whether it is or not.
And this is simply by way of explana-
ton.
Said N soul to the other:
I'm tired-tired of drifting-tired
of doing nothing"
"Get born" said the other soul. cts
amusing and exciting and interesting.
1t has a certain charm of novelty. See
life."
But" said the first soul, suppose
| don't like it : suppose I can't do as
I please; suppose I amxthe victim of
circumstances-what thenw
"Get born" persisted the first SOU
again. "Ill stay here and keep tab
on you. Get born, and when yon
want a change, just ask me. I'll be
your guardian"
GLOW shall I know you? When I am
in that condition l may not be CON
scious of you"
"TAat's easy. You VIII not have
to be directly conscious. Don't fear.
I'll be here. When you want a thing,
ask for it. I'll give it to you. Coma
now, be off. Here's the old world
passing by"
So the earth soul was born. And
at the end of a certain time he said,
half to himself, ST want to be aaChrls-
tian."
And helbecame a Christian He hum
bled himself in the dust, he forgave
his enemies, he forswore the world,
the flesh and the devil. Then he said
to his mind: "Oh mind, what is the
matter with you? You are restless"
And the mind said: "Yes, I am rest
less. I must know things. To be
consistent is the penalty OF the u q
imaginative. Besides, if you don't
know all the arguments against your
faith how "a you fight for it7'
81 never thought of that said the
soul.
And at the end of a certain time he
said, half to himself: snake me an
atheist"
EiAAA ut DCEdlliC Ill dlIltlSl. II IOtn Ut
lief he drifted to doubt, from doubt
to agnosticism, from agnosticism to
cynicism, from cynicism to raillery.
from raillery to asceticism, from as
ceticism to stoicism. And then he said
to the mind: ooh mind, what have
you been doing to me?" And the mind
replied: "We are but seeking the
truth. The phases you have been
through are merely incidental all the
time you have been getting nearer the
goal. Are you not more truly moral
than you were? Do you not perceive
that these processes of ratiOcination
are leading you to higher altitudes?"
81 perceive nothing of the sort" said
tine soul. Sin just the way you have
tried to teach me. But I confess that
through your negative methods I have
gained some ground, for now l know
this: That character is three-fourths
of life, and as for you, o mind, you
are a shadow, only good for what you
omit"
And so again at the end of a GER
tain time the soul whispered half to
himself: snake me a philosopher"
And he became a philosopher. Then
he said to the mind: ooh mind, allow
me to take back what [ said. I per-
ceive now that you indeed are the only
reality. Nothing exists except as it
exists in you. What I have hitherto
regarded is pleasure and pain are
merely subjective conditions and have
no form or substance except as they
exist in you. And now 1 amssatisfied.
Having discovered the limit of all
things, 1 am content to go. Let me
therefore leave this world even as I
came into it,"
i i = = y = =
"Well, WELL" said the guardian soul,
shaking him rather roughly, show did
you enjoy yourself?"
ut was marvellous" said the other,
rubbing his eyes. "a phantasmagoria
Of emotions, meetings, greetings and
feelings, loves, hates, envies, and &C.
s%tasies. Dear me, l shall have enough
to think about for a long time to
come. And now-be honest with me-
where have I really been?"
His companion smiled sympathetic
ally.
"Just dreaming" he said.