Trouble does not really exist. Fearthought of trouble is as near as one ever gets to the condition, for the reason that whatever has come has already ceased to exist, except in the memory. The reason for so fine a distinction is made clear under the caption of "The Impotence of Pain," and is emphasized in order to place merited responsibility on fearthought. What is called "trouble," however, can be defined as _unwelcome conditions_, but, if analyzed, the chief elements of the "conditions" will be found to be _fearthought of still more unwelcome conditions_. The tap-root, then, of trouble is fearthought. PESSIMISM. Pessimism is _fearthought_. Pessimism is the devil. NERVOUSNESS. Nervousness is generally an _effect_ and not a _cause_. It is the immediate or reflex result of fearthought. TEMPERAMENT. Like "nervousness," so-called, "temperament"--habit-of-feeling--is generally an effect and not a cause; and is frequently used as an excuse for self-indulged weaknesses. FOOTNOTES: [1] _Menticulture_ is the title of a book by the present author, whose mission is to declare a theory of the possible and very profitable eradication of the germs of all evil, and consequent unhappiness, which are commonly assembled under the class names of "anger" and "worry",--"anger" representing the aggressive, and "worry" representing the cowardly passions. [2] Note: The motto of Optimism is, as elsewhere stated, "_All can be_, and therefore _shall be_, well." [3] NOTE--I take this apt definition of "jealousy" from that excellent periodical--the organ of the League of American Wheelmen--"The Bulletin and Good Roads." Many good suggestions in menticulture accompany the excellent suggestions relative to good roads in this paper. Good thoughts are good roads to good action. THE VALUE OF SIMILE. Christ taught almost entirely by parable. Apropos of the value of simile is an experiment about which I have recently heard. An experimenter wished to measure in some way the strength of certain vibrations and their effect upon vibratory things. A large steel comb, such as is used in music-boxes to produce sounds, was constructed. Each tooth was made as nearly as possible just like every other tooth. They not only seemed to measure alike, but when set in motion the vibrations seemed to be alike to the sense of hearing. There was also constructed a huge tuning-fork, large enough to be struck with a bar of iron, and whose vibrations, when it was struck, came forth in big undulating waves like the pealing of a temple bell.