Did you ever attend a meeting of the society for the--perhaps I had better not mention the name of the society, lest I tread on your favorite Quixotism. Suffice it to say that it has a noble purpose. It aims at nothing less than the complete transformation of human society, by the use of means which, to say the least, seem quite inadequate. After the minutes of the last meeting have been read, and the objects of the society have been once more stated with much detail, there is an opportunity for discussion from the floor. "Perhaps there is some one who may give some new suggestions, or who may desire to ask a question." You have observed what happens to the unfortunate questioner. What a sorry exhibition he makes of himself! No sooner does he open his mouth than every one recognizes his intellectual feebleness. He seems unable to grasp the simplest ideas. He stumbles at the first premise, and lies sprawling at the very threshold of the argument. "If what I have taken for granted be true," says the chairman, "do not all the fine things I have been telling you about follow necessarily?" "But," murmurs the questioner, "the things you take for granted are just what trouble me. They don't correspond to my experience." "Poor, feeble minded questioner!" cry the members of the society, "to think that he is not able to take things for granted! And then to set up his experience against our constitution and by-laws!" The Gentle Reader--Quixotism--Samuel M. Crothers. CONTENTS. PAGE. Introduction 3 Bibliography 7 Dissertation 26 Letter of Frederic the Emperor, to Otho, the Illustrious 37 TREATISE. God, of 38 (Originally Secs. 1-6, later, Chap. I.) Reasons which have caused mankind to create for themselves an Invisible Being which has been commonly called God 44 (Originally Secs. 1-9 and x-xi, later Chap. II.) God, what is 52 (Originally Secs. x-xi, later, Secs. 1-2, Chap. III.) Religions, what the word signifies, and how and why such a great number have been introduced in the world 56 (Originally Secs. i-xxiii, later, Secs. 1-8, Chap. IV.) Moses, of 62 (Originally Secs. ix-x, later, Secs. 1-2, Chap. V.) Numa Pompilius, of 71 (Originally Secs. xi, later, Chap. VI.) Jesus Christ, of 72 (Originally Secs. xii, later, Chap. VII.) Jesus Christ, of the Policy of 75 (Originally Secs. xiii-xvi, later, Secs. 1-6, Chap. VIII.) Jesus Christ, of the Morals of 80 (Originally Secs. xvii-xviii, later, Secs. 1-3, Chap. IX.) Jesus Christ, of the Divinity of 84 (Originally Secs, xix-xxi, later, Secs. 1-3, Chap. X.)