average brain here or elsewhere. I will prove it
to you, some time, if you like. And there are great brains among them,
too. I will prove that also, if you like.

Well, the 19th century made progress--the first progress after "ages
and ages"--colossal progress. In what? Materialities. Prodigious
acquisitions were made in things which add to the comfort of many and
make life harder for as many more. But the addition to righteousness? Is
that discoverable? I think not. The materialities were not invented in
the interest of righteousness; that there is more righteousness in the
world because of them than there, was before, is hardly demonstrable,
I think. In Europe and America, there is a vast change (due to them)
in ideals--do you admire it? All Europe and all America, are feverishly
scrambling for money. Money is the supreme ideal--all others take tenth
place with the great bulk of the nations named. Money-lust has always
existed, but not in the history of the world was it ever a craze, a
madness, until your time and mine. This lust has rotted these nations;
it has made them hard, sordid, ungentle, dishonest, oppressive.

Did England rise against the infamy of the Boer war? No--rose in favor
of it. Did America rise against the infamy of the Phillipine war?
No--rose in favor of it. Did Russia rise against the infamy of the
present war? No--sat still and said nothing. Has the Kingdom of God
advanced in Russia since the beginning of time?

Or in Europe and America, considering the vast backward step of the
money-lust? Or anywhere else? If there has been any progress
toward righteousness since the early days of Creation--which, in my
ineradicable honesty, I am obliged to doubt--I think we must confine it
to ten per cent of the populations of Christendom, (but leaving, Russia,
Spain and South America entirely out.) This gives us 320,000,000 to draw
the ten per cent from. That is to say, 32,000,000 have advanced toward
righteousness and the Kingdom of God since the "ages and ages" have
been flying along, the Deity sitting up there admiring. Well, you see
it leaves 1,200,000,000 out of the race. They stand just where they have
always stood; there has been no change.

N. B. No charge for these informations. Do come down soon, Joe.

With love,
MARK.

St. Clair McKelway, of The Brooklyn Eagle, narrowly escaped injuries
in a railway accident, and re