"You believe in the development of man; but you look only to his material development. I look for his complete development, material and spiritual. As he has advanced through the countless ages since God breathed into him the breath of Life, and by leading him along the lines of physical development to a station in creation where the physical evolution gave place to the ever-growing psychical development; so I believe he is destined to continue this psychical or spiritual growth, increasing its power as the ages pass and mounting higher and higher in spiritual knowledge, until he shall attain a degree of perfection that we only think of now as a part of the divine. We see the poet and the saint living to-day in an atmosphere wholly distinct from the gross materialism of common humanity. We see laws being enacted and principles evolved which make for the improvement of the human race. We see the gradual uplifting and improvement of the race. War is being diminished; its horrors lessened; food is becoming more diffused; civilization--material civilization--is being extended; and the universal, fundamental rights are being a little more recognized, however dimly. This means growth--the gradual uplifting of mankind, the diffusion of knowledge, as well as of food--the growth of intellectuality. And as this comes, think you that man will not rise higher? A great reservoir is being tapped and from it will flow, in the future, rich streams to fertilize the whole world of humanity. Aspirations will leap higher and higher, and the whole race in time will receive new light, new power, new environments, with an ever-widening horizon, and a vast infinitude of spiritual truth as the field for the soul's exercise." "It is a dream," I said, impressed by his burning eyes, his glowing face, as he drifted on almost in a rhapsody. "Yes--a dream; but it might come true if all--if you and all like you--I mean all educated and trained people, would unite to bring it about. Your leader preached it, you profess the principles now, but do not practise them. The State has been against it--the Church equally. It is full of sham." "It was Jerusalem that stoned the prophets," I interrupted. He swept on with a gesture. "Yes, yes--I know--I am not speaking now as a sectarian." "But, at least, as a Jew," I said, laughing.