not pray; you cannot alter the Creator's plans and you place him in
the light of a petty vanity seeker when claiming that he wants to be
worshipped. Better please the Omnipotent by kind acts toward all living
creatures than by offering ridiculous exhortations for favors and
forgiveness. You proffer insults to the Creator when you claim you can
change His immutable plans by prayer; when you think he would take from
one and give to another; when you pretend to communicate with Him; when
you imagine He takes part in the silly squabbles of human beings; when
you say that man was made in His image; when you take His name in vain.

"A united world, with all living things on the same plane of perfection
and working harmoniously together for the common good is the heaven
humanity should strive to reach. It is within the power of mankind to
perfect itself, but this can only be accomplished through the unselfish
efforts of the whole people. Each individual can make better or worse
his own condition and thereby stamp a good or bad impression upon the
lives of his descendants. The creature who passes his life without
adding to the knowledge and goodness of the world has lived for naught,
and he who fails to improve his own worth morally, mentally or
physically has spent a life of uselessness for which his descendants
must suffer; for to misuse oneself is to commit a crime against
posterity. Each generation should be an improvement upon the preceding
one. Having been entrusted with a piece of living machinery, it is the
duty of everyone to give it the very best care and attention possible,
that its value might be increased to nature, hence moral, mental and
physical perfection are the highest aims of life to achieve. Parents
should have no off-spring when one or both of them are insane, diseased,
gluttons, drunkards or criminals.

"Practice moderation in all things that you may live longer and acquire
strength to enjoy natural blessings and bestow character upon those to
follow. Pleasure can only be extracted from temperateness; it increases
or decreases in proportion to quantity, and he who takes sparingly,
lives longer to enjoy the most. Do not over-work, over-study, over-eat,
over-drink, over-sleep, or commit any excess whatsoever. The surest way
to make the world better is to begin with yourself. Such is the essence
of Natural Law."

CHAPTER XIII

"At the present time," proceeded Arletta, "the earth resembles a huge
table o