h Isabella
or Miranda or Juliet or Imogen, or any of the great heroines of
Shakespeare.

So I regard the opera as one of the great civilizers. No one can
listen to the symphonies of Beethoven, or the music of Schubert,
without receiving a benefit. And no one can hear the operas of
Wagner without feeling that he has been ennobled and refined.

Why is it the Presbyterians are so opposed to music in the world,
and yet expect to have so much in heaven? Is not music just as
demoralizing in the sky as on the earth, and does anybody believe
that Abraham or Isaac or Jacob, ever played any music comparable
to Wagner?

Why should we postpone our joy to another world? Thousands of
people take great pleasure in dancing, and I say let them dance.
Dancing is better than weeping and wailing over a theology born of
ignorance and superstition.

And so with games of chance. There is a certain pleasure in playing
games, and the pleasure is of the most innocent character. Let
all these games be played at home and children will not prefer the
saloon to the society of their parents. I believe in cards and
billiards, and would believe in progressive euchre, were it more
of a game--the great objection to it is its lack of complexity.
My idea is to get what little happiness you can out of this life,
and to enjoy all sunshine that breaks through the clouds of
misfortune. Life is poor enough at best. No one should fail to
pick up every jewel of joy that can be found in his path. Every
one should be as happy as he can, provided he is not happy at the
expense of another, and no person rightly constituted can be happy
at the expense of another.

So let us get all we can of good between the cradle and the grave;
all that we can of the truly dramatic; all that we can of music;
all that we can of art; all that we can of enjoyment; and if, when
death comes, that is the end, we have at least made the best of
this life; and if there be another life, let us make the best of
that.

I am doing what little I can to hasten the coming of the day when
the human race will enjoy liberty--not simply of body, but liberty
of mind. And by liberty of mind I mean freedom from superstition,
and added to that, the intelligence to find out the conditions of
happiness; and added to that, the wisdom to live in accordance with
those conditions.

--_The Morning Advertiser_, New York, June 12, 1891.

THE TENDENCY OF MODERN THOUGHT.

_Question_. Do y