d suits. As to the selfishness of such isolation, that is a
matter no alien mind can quite determine, for the greatest Example of
the religious life was strangely indifferent to human ties, nor ever
displayed the weakness of human affection for earthly relatives, thus
seeming to show that it is no sin to sacrifice earthly ties for a higher
and holier existence. The disciples of the great Brotherhood are
voluntary enthusiasts, free from the claims of human relationship, and
offering themselves simply _as_ disciples. They wrong no one by their
choice. As for your last remark about endeavouring to steal a march on
our fellow-men by seeking a higher place in the next state of existence,
before we have done with this, I can only ask you to study something of
the laws and doctrines of theosophical philosophy before deciding such
an event is possible."

"Do you know much about them?" asked Mrs Jefferson curiously.

"I know that they teach man the truest sense of his own responsibility.
They prove to him an inexorable law by which he may lift himself from
the level of the brute to the majesty of the God he now blindly
worships."

"But so does Christianity," exclaimed Mrs Jefferson astounded.

For the first time the stranger laughed.

"And is not true Christianity the highest and purest philosophy?" she
said. "Only it is preached--not practised. Can you tell me that a
single Christian land in this nineteenth century era is one whit purer
or better in its spiritual or moral character than was Jerusalem a
thousand years ago? Does it influence commerce, trade, governments,
laws--even civilisation? If it did, not one rule or law that binds the
rotten fabric of civilised life together would stand for a single
moment. Why? Because no one would lie; no one would cheat; no one
would murder, either wholesale because of country prejudices, or retail
because of private animosities. Everyone would be honest, charitable,
merciful, and unselfish. You cling to a Faith that is almost barren of
good works. You propagate it among ignorant savages whom you first rob
of their lands, and then convert with guns and brandy bottles. How much
of the reception of Christianity is due to the _latter_ I will leave to
the revelations of the first honest missionary whose report is not
indebted to his income from the Society, a prospective pension, and his
own personal weakness for the laudation of his fellow men. Show me a
human being who