raries, and from these he sometimes made
a few notes. He was not a sound sleeper, and frequently lay awake during
the night, and then it was that he thought out and planned his work. He
often told us with keen delight of some new idea or fresh argument which
had occurred to him during these waking hours.

After spending months, or sometimes years, in reading and digesting all
the literary matter he could obtain on a subject,--and forming a plan
for the treatment of it, he would commence writing, and keep on steadily
for five or six hours a day if his health permitted. He also wrote to
people all over the world to obtain the latest facts bearing on the
subject.

In 1903 he began writing "Man's Place in the Universe."

* * * * *

TO MR. W.G. WALLACE

_Old Orchard. July 8, 1903._

My dear Will,--I have just finished going over your notes and
corrections of the last four chapters. I can't think how I was so stupid
to make the mistake in figures which you corrected. In almost all cases
I have made some modification in accordance with your suggestions, and
the book will be much improved thereby. I have put in a new paragraph
about the stars in other parts than the Milky Way and Solar Cluster, but
there is really nothing known about them. I have also cut out the first
reference to Jupiter altogether. Of course a great deal is speculative,
but any reply to it is equally speculative. The question is, which
speculation is most in accordance with the known facts, and not with
prepossessions only?

Considering that the book has all been read up and written in less than
three months, it cannot be expected to be as complete and careful as if
three years had been expended on it, but then it is fresher perhaps. The
bit about the pure air came to me while writing, and I let myself go.
Why should I not try and do a little good and make people think a little
on such matters, when I have the chance of perhaps more readers than all
my other books?

As to my making too much of Man, of course that is the whole subject of
the book! And I look at it differently from you, because I know _facts_
about him you neither know nor believe _yet_. If you are once convinced
of the facts and teachings of Spiritualism, you will think more as I do.

* * * * *

The following letter refers to his little book on Mars.

TO MR. W.G. WALLACE

_Broadstone, Wimborne. September 26, 19