us pause now, after these high flights, in the little valley in
which we live, and see whether in the Theosophical Society any such
process of events may be seen as has been played on the great world
theatre, in the drama of evolving humanity. For mind! we have no meaning
unless we are related to that, and our Movement has no sense unless it
retraces the steps of the great world drama, as every great spiritual
movement does, from the time of its birth to the time of its passing
away, and its incarnation in some other form. I do not claim it for our
Society only, but for all great spiritual movements--churches,
religions, call them what you will.

Now, we began our Movement as humanity began its education. There was
no difference between spiritual and temporal. The whole Society was
regarded as a spiritual movement; and if you go back to those early
days, and read the earliest statements, you will find it said that
this Society existed in what then were called three Sections: First,
Second, and Third. The First Section was the Brotherhood, the Elder
Brothers of Humanity; the Second, those who were striving to lead the
higher, the more spiritual life, and were in training for the purpose;
and the Third Section made up the bulk of the Society. Those three
Sections were the Theosophical Society. So that it began on a very
lofty level; and its First Section, the Elder Brothers, Those whom we
speak of as Masters, They were regarded as forming the First Section
of the Society, and as part of it; and the Society has linked closely
the Second and Third Sections under the First, as in the days when the
Gods walked with men, in the early story of humanity. And They came
and went far more freely then than later, and mingled more with the
Society, taking a more active part in this work; and it is wonderful
to read some of the old letters of the time, and the close and
intimate knowledge shown by those great Teachers of the details of the
work of the Society, even of what was written about it in an Indian
newspaper, and what ought to be answered, and so on. And the Society
grew, became more numerous, and spread in many lands; and naturally as
it spread, many of these ties somewhat weakened so far as the Society,
as a whole, was concerned--not weakened with individuals, but somewhat
weakened with the Body at large. And so things went on and on, until
the Society passed through the same stage through which humanity had
passed when the